"Be careful in the outside world, okay?"

-Asriel Dreemurr

Frisk! Wake up!

FRISK!

"Look who's awake now."

Frisk opened his eyes. He was in a large and dark room, strapped down to a chair by metal shackles, and a strange man was looking at him. Everything felt like a horrible dream. Was this actually happening?

The man walked closer to him. He winced. The man was hideous. His skin looked like it was… melting. Tan droplets dripped down onto the floor he stood on, like ice cream that had spent too much time in the sun. What the hell had happened to this guy?

... I'm going to call him 'Melty,' Chara announced.

Fitting.

Melty gave a devilish grin and placed one of his drippy fingers on Frisk's cheek, like a caress. His skin felt... cold, which seemed counterintuitive considering that it was melting. He was as cold as a corpse.

Get your fucking hands off of him, Chara growled, not that anyone could hear her.

Although nearly paralyzed with fear, Frisk forced himself to speak. He repeated the question he had asked earlier. "Wh-what do you want with me?"

Melty stared at him with vicious red eyes, yet another determination soul. "Frisk, Hero of Monsters, the one who ended millennia of captivity. I am honored to have such a prestigious guest in my home."

Frisk detected sarcasm. "Like hell you are."

Melty flashed a menacing grin. "Maybe not, but I'm sure a lot of people would be. Especially Asgore. I wonder how he'd feel if he saw you like this."

Frisk gasped. So, that's what this was. He was being held for ransom. Damn it, damn it! How had he been so careless? Why couldn't he reset? Who was this man? Was he the new World Master?

He examined the man more closely. Now that Frisk thought about it, he looked a lot like an amalgamate, one of those monsters who had overdosed on DT. The way his skin melted looked just like them. Frisk began to piece it together. Melty must have injected himself with an unholy amount of DT, making him the World Master, but causing his body to break down from having so much more DT than it could naturally handle.

Melty touched Frisk's cheek again, smearing his melted skin on it. "I wonder, just how far would the monsters go to keep you safe? They owe their freedom to you; don't you think it's only fair if they gave it back for you?"

Frisk's blood drained from his face. He couldn't be serious. Would the monsters really go back underground to keep him alive? No, that was insane. Frisk wasn't worth the freedom of an entire race. He would rather die! There was no way...

He thought of Asgore, how much he cared for him. If Melty forced him to choose between freedom and Frisk's life, he knew what Asgore would say. He would choose Frisk, wouldn't he? And whatever choice he made, the monsters would follow. The monsters were a kindhearted people, perhaps too kind for their own good. Metly's plan... could actually work.

Oh, God!f

Frisk trembled with fear. "Wh-why?"

Metly hooked his fist into Frisk's nose, and blood spurt out of it.

STOP HURTING HIM! Chara screamed.

Melty scowled. "'Why?' Do you really need to ask that? Some of us liked the monsters exactly where they were. We're going to send them back, one way or another."

He struck Frisk again, splitting his lip. He winced as he spat out more blood. "Please, just give us time..."

Melty laughed sadistically. "'Please?' That's all you have to say? 'Please?'" He struck again. blackening his eye. "I can't believe we are on the brink of destruction because of a soft little shit like you!" He slammed his fist into his nose again, making it gush blood.

Frisk didn't dare speak again. He only coughed, a metallic taste filled his mouth. His nose, eye, and mouth throbbed with pain. He had suffered through worse torment, but without his resets, he was more scared than he had ever been in his entire life. If he died this time, that was it, no coming back.

Melty lowered his fist. "Looks like you're learning, good." He took out a cellphone and pointed it at Frisk. "Smile for the camera!" The phone lit Frisk up with a flash, and Melty turned away. "Thank you, Frisk. If the monsters are as nice as you think they are, you'll be out of here soon."

Melty walked away, but he left two guards in the room. Not that Frisk could slip out of his restraints, anyway. He sniffled, holding back his tears. He wasn't supposed to be hear. He was supposed to be home, with Toriel, watching anime or playing games. Why was he here? Held hostage by these terrorists?

Ch-Chara, Frisk sobbed. What do I do?

I... I don't know, Frisk.

Frisk tugged on the shackles holding him down. They were tight; he could barely move an inch. He wasn't going anywhere.

… this is why I did it, Chara muttered. I know there plenty of good humans in this world, but what does it matter? How could the humans ever trust a species that can become gods so easily? How could we have expected another outcome?

In this situation, Frisk found it difficult to argue with her. At this rate, it was entirely possible that the monsters would end up back underground.

But...

We haven't lost yet, Frisk said.

But what can we do? Chara asked.

... nothing, Frisk admitted. We are powerless right now, but... I have faith in our friends. Maybe they'll find a way to save us, or maybe Asgore won't surrender to these terrorists. If I have to die for them, so be it.

... you really are an amazing person, Chara whispered. Frisk, if we die here, I... I am so glad to have met you.

Frisk grimaced painfully. He was willing to die to protect the monsters, but he couldn't stand the thought that Chara would die with him. She couldn't die yet. She still had to make things right with Asriel, with Toriel, with Asgore. She had to live!

He looked around the room, desperately searching for any means of escape. It was a large, industrial-looking room, and there were crates full of guns and explosives all over the place. These terrorists were no joke; they were preparing for war. The two guards near him were outfitted in full combat armor. One of them noticed Frisk looking around; he walked up to him.

"Frisk," the guard growled. "If it weren't for you, none of this would be necessary."

"It's not necessary!" Frisk yelled. "It doesn't have to be –"

That earned Frisk another punch in the eye. "Shut up!"

Frisk cried out in pain. Why had he opened his stupid mouth? He didn't dare make another sound while the terrorist glared at him with intense hatred in his blue eyes. "You're so nice," the terrorist sneered. "Let's see how nice you are when we peel off your fingernails."

"N-no, please!"

YOU'LL DIE FOR THIS!

The guard pulled back his arm for another strike. Suddenly, something green wrapped itself around it. "Wh-what the...?"

The green rope twisted the guard's arm, breaking it with a loud snap. He screamed. The other guard whipped around to face him, and several white pellets of magical energy pierced his chest. He gurgled as he bled out on the floor. The guard with the broken arm raised his rifle in search of the assailant, when the green rope wrapped around his neck, snapping it. He collapsed to the ground, dead.

On legs sprouted from his stem, a flower crawled over the recently deceased terrorist. He gave Frisk an innocent smile. "Howdy!'

Chara gasped. B-Brother...

Frisk quietly called out to him "Asriel?"

He scowled. "It's Flowey."

Frisk whimpered. "Sorry."

Asriel – Frisk refused to think of him as Flowey – picked up a key from one of the dead guards, and he used it to unlock the chains that bound Frisk. "You're getting out of here. Things wouldn't be very interesting if you died now."

Frisk got out of the chair. He looked down at the two dead terrorists. Did they have families? People who loved them? What if they were someone else's Chara?

Do not mourn them, Chara said. It was them or us.

... kill or be killed.

Frisk looked at Asriel. He had some questions. "How did you know I was here?"

"We can talk about that later," Asriel said. "Right now, just find some cover and stay quiet. They will be here soon."

"Who…?"

Frisk heard gunfire. Melty and several of his men frantically rushed into the room and shut the door. "It's the Military Police!" Melty yelled. "Take them down, and kill the kid if they get too close!"

Before the terrorists could fully prepare, the Military Police soldiers blew the door open, and another vicious firefight ensued. Frisk's heart pounded as a hailstorm of bullets flew across the room and cracked with those ear-shattering. metallic bangs. All he could do was run into a corner and wait for it to end.

"Bang and clear!"

An MP soldier threw a flashbang grenade into the room, and most of the terrorists were blinded and gunned down before they could regain their senses. The terrorists screamed as the room was painted red with their blood. Frisk heard the sound of souls shattering. Melty ran back to Frisk's chair and was startled to see it empty, but it didn't take him long to spot Frisk in his corner. He shrieked as Melty sprinted towards him.

"Melter! Going after Frisk!" an MP solider called out. "Take him down!"

Melty pointed a pistol at Frisk, but the entire squad of MP soldiers shot him before he could fire. His entire body exploded. His blood and his melted flesh sprayed all over Frisk. The smell was revolting. He once again fought the urge to puke. Frisk sat down and curled up into a fetal position. He sobbed. He just wanted to go home and forget this ever happened.

The gunfire died down. Once all the terrorists were dead, Agent Miller walked up to Frisk and reached out his hand. "You're safe now."

Agent Miller? He was alive? Frisk looked at his lower torso. There was still blood drying on the spot he had been shot. What a trooper, jumping right back into the fray after an injury.

Frisk looked around the room, horrified by the blood and corpses. "So many dead..."

Miller furrowed his brow. "Yeah, that's what happens to terrorists."

"Did they really have to die?"

Miller sighed. "Look, kid. I know you feel very proud of yourself for how you handled Mount Ebott, but this is the real world. Out here, that kind of attitude will get you killed. Sometimes, you have no choice but to fight. Sometimes, you have to kill a few to save many. Sometimes, people need to die. You have to accept that."

Frisk knew Miller was right, but that didn't mean he had to like it. He got back on his feet. "Maybe they did," Frisk admitted. "Just don't take pleasure in their deaths. Terrorists or not, they were still people. They probably felt like they had no choice."

Miller raised an eyebrow. "Is that what you were thinking while they tortured you?"

He winced. No, it was certainly not.

Miller turned away. "Stay right there. We need to sweep the area, make sure there are no stragglers."

Now that Melty was dead, Frisk felt his power return. He could reach his save file again! He could undo all of this! Frisk prepared to reset.

Frisk, no! Chara yelled.

What? Why?

I know you are not in the best mental state right now, but think about this! If Melty was the World Master, that means he will remember everything that happened here. If you reset, you will give him another chance. He will adopt a different strategy. He might kill you, and you will be lost forever. We cannot take that risk.

But… Frisk sighed. Chara was right. It was too dangerous. He couldn't gamble with people's lives like that, and if he died, Chara would die too. You're right. I have to move on. He smiled. You care about me, Chara.

Of course I do; I'm attached to your soul. The only way I couldn't care about you is if you were suicidal.

With a heavy heart, Frisk created a new save point.

Come to think of it, why didn't Melty reset? Frisk wondered.

That's... a good question, Chara said, Perhaps his body was too unstable or something. I suppose that while he was able to block your power, he was not able to control it for himself.

How convenient, Frisk said.

It sure is! Chara chirped.

Frisk knew that Miller had told him to stay put, but why would he listen to that? He had his SAVE file back. He was fine. He got moving and looked around the room. Asriel followed him.

"So, how did you find me?" Frisk asked again.

"That's... not important," Asriel deflected.

Frisk smiled. This reminded him of his adventures underground. Sometimes, when he turned around, he caught a glimpse of a flower burrowing into the ground. This was the same thing, wasn't it? "You've been following me, haven't you?"

Asriel didn't respond. Frisk grinned. "You missed me!"

"Shut up," Asriel muttered.

To think, after all that time worrying where he was, Asriel had been close by all along! Isn't this great, Chara? We already found him.

Indeed, Chara said. That is one less thing to worry about.

Frisk continued searching the room. He found a conspicuous table tucked away in the back. On the table he found several pistols, rifles, grenades, a knife, and a cellphone. Frisk quickly recognized the knife as Chara's as the cellphone as his own. He retrieved them. He also saw something else, something of incredible interest. On the table was a glass capsule, a red heart floated inside.

It was a human soul.

Chara, are you seeing this?

I am.

A red human soul.

Indeed.

How convenient, Frisk said.

It sure is! Chara chirped.

Frisk almost didn't believe it. Aside from almost dying horribly, could this day get any more perfect? He had found Asriel, and he had found a red human soul. If he had just found a spare monster soul, he'd be all set! Frisk took the glass capsule and stored it inside his dimensional box.

While he was at it, he checked the table to see if there was anything else useful, and he noticed a few syringes filled with a yellow liquid, extracted determination.

That's probably how Melty got his extra DT, Chara surmised. He must have been siphoning it from the soul. He won't be needing it anymore.

Frisk grinned. I guess not. He took the syringes as well. No doubt they would come in handy. Hooray for the spoils of war!

"Whoa, there," Asriel said. "What'cha need a human soul for?"

"It's a long story," Frisk said.

"Come on, spill! I need to know!"

As a flower, Asriel was nothing if not curious. Frisk smiled. "You want to know? Meet me by Chara's grave tomorrow. Let's say... around nine in the morning."

Asriel's eyes widened at that name. "Ch... Chara? Chara's grave? Why there?"

"You'll see..."

"What's going on? Frisk, Frisk!"

"It'll be easier if I show you."

Asriel paused, and his eyes flashed with the spark of realization. "You can't be serious..."

Chara, may I tell him?

... go ahead.

Frisk nodded. "Chara's not gone. She's still around, inside my head."

"... if that's true," Asriel said, "then why didn't you tell me sooner?"

"I think you can relate," Frisk said.

"Right..." He stared at him with a hopeful expression. "Does she miss me?"

God, yes, Chara said.

"She does," Frisk said. "Very much so."

Asriel smiled. "I miss you, too. It's weird. I shouldn't care about you. I don't care about you, but I still miss you somehow."

Frisk had thought Asriel might have needed a little more convincing, but maybe it didn't seem as crazy to him given his own resurrection. He had probably spent so much time searching for Chara. Frisk was so glad that they could finally be reunited after all these years.

He had just witnessed hell itself, but at least something great was going to come out of it all. Chara had been trapped in Frisk's head for so long, but he was finally going to see her with his own eyes! Although, Frisk still felt so sorry for all those poor agents who died trying to defend him. Despite what Chara had said, he felt kind of guilty for not going back to save them. He would never forget the bone-chilling sensation of that dying agent sliding down his body, but Frisk had made his decision. He wasn't going to reset. He was going to continue.

"Asriel, I'll see you tomorrow," Frisk said. "Tomorrow, we are going to save her. We're going to save Chara."

"I can hardly wait," Asriel said. He scanned his eyes up and down Frisk's body, and he smirked. "Be sure to shower well for the occasion."

... right, Frisk had almost forgotten that he was drenched in Melty's blood and gore. His entire body reeked of death. He gave Asriel an embarrassed smile. "Uh, yeah, I guess that would be nice!"

I need to look good for Chara, after all!

What was that, Frisk?

N-nothing!

Uh, alright.

Phew! That was a close one.

"Anyway," Asriel said, "Toriel's probably losing her mind right now. You should probably get back to her."

Frisk nodded. "Yeah, as soon as the Military Police is done with their search."

He waited for a while. Finally, Miller walked up to Frisk. "Alright, area looks clear. We'll escort you back home."

"Please do," Frisk said.

With the soul safely in his dimensional box, Frisk let the Military Police take him home.

"FRISK!" Toriel ran to Frisk as soon as he was safely delivered home. She covered her mouth in horror when she his brutally beaten face, and all the blood and melted flesh still stuck on him. "I cannot believe anyone would do this to you!" she cried. "I am so glad you are okay! A-are you okay?'

"Yeah, I'm okay," Frisk reassured her.

Toriel hugged him tight, not caring about the stench. "I do not know what I would do if something happened to you. I have already lost enough children."

Not for long, Frisk thought. He hugged her back. "I'm not going to die. I promise."

The two of them silently hugged for a while. God, to think that he may have never seen her again. After a long hug, they eventually parted. Toriel smiled. "I am glad you are all right, but please clean yourself up. Let us wash away this horrible nightmare."

"Sounds good," Frisk said.

Toriel frowned. "Just let me ask one thing. You did not have to hurt anyone, did you?"

He shook his head. "No, the Military Police took care of that."

"Well, I would not hold it against you if you did. You are worth protecting; you understand that, no? I know I told you to talk out everything. You should never desire conflict, but remember that even I had to use force at times. It is how we met, actually. I still cannot believe that pitiful flower tormented you."

Poor Flowey, Chara said.

"I guess you did," Frisk said. "You also fireballed Asgore when he was about to fight me."

Toriel laughed nervously. "Y-yes, I supposed I did."

She... she has assaulted her whole family! Chara realized.

Wait, did she fireball you, too? Frisk asked.

Well, if you count when she fireballed you, then yes. I felt the pain too, you know.

Toriel blushed. "Perhaps I may have used a little too much tough love."

"... about that flower," Frisk said, "maybe he wasn't really so bad. Maybe he, umm, just needs a talking to."

Toriel frowned. "Oh, Frisk, I doubt that very much. That flower was a miserable creature."

Frisk internally groaned. How was he going to explain the truth about him?

Toriel turned her frown into a smile. "But enough of that! The important thing is that you are safe and unharmed!"

"Uh, yeah," Frisk said. "Well, I'm going to shower now."

Toriel nodded. "All right. I will make you some more pie while you do that."

"Thanks, Toriel."

"Of course, Frisk."

Frisk left to shower, to wash away the blood and sorrow. It had been a very terrifying day, but tomorrow was going to be much better. He was sure of it.

It was almost time to save Chara.