Chapter 5 part 2.
Disclaimer: Gaster won't be in this chapter, but his viewpoint on humans should be taken with a grain of salt at best. Again, if you want to write this AU just let me know so I can enjoy the results. I'm definitely enjoying my AU powers of this story being non-canon.
Kudos to Aria Tavoosii for reviewing and bring up some very good points. I was focusing on Gaster when it was pointed out that Asgore was spared from doing the terrible things he did during the canon Undertale game. Making me think about how to include their points even if this is a fix-it fic. Their reviews have expanded this from a drabble into an actual story. Eventually, I will get to the major Asgore and Gaster scene which will wrap a lot of stuff up. Spoilers chapter 7.
Kudos to SamtheButcher for also bringing up great plot holes and reviewing! Sorry for not covering their great points. I will also get to how they broke the barrier but first the monsters have to discover that the barrier is broken before they find out how it broke. Also chapter 7.
Kudos to MasonMac for confirming that droids can do all this stuff I'm making them do. The weird part is how the underground gets great cellular service except for some parts of the core like muffet's webs.
Kudos to Guest #1 for saying my story is great! Just typing those two words is a lot of encouragement for me, please follow this wonderful person's example.
"Hello Professor, how is your evening going."
"As you can see," The Professor gestured violently at the screen, "Bloody Brilliant. I go to upload our serious expedition progress and I see this movie on it."
"We can explain that."
"EXPLAIN THIS! I've gotten calls from gossip magazines and news stations across the country about this video. Parents have been calling the Dean. My students have lost all respect for me. What am I going to do for my final exam?"
His assistant walked up to him. She frowned at the group of students than turned to the Professor.
"Calm down Professor. We will just explain that your account has been hacked and a prank video has been uploaded. This happens all the time in this day and age, no one will hold it against you."
The assistant then turned to Nick and the gang.
"You seven explain yourselves. This goes against many university and public laws. Nick, if it was you, will have to offer up a public apology and say you hacked your Professor's account. Some parents are calling for your suspension."
"Wait, what? It was a YouTube account."
"If you hacked that then you could have hacked his computer to cheat, get exam questions or even change people's grades."
Nick was looking down in despair when he saw his jacket, still crumpled into a ball.
"I had to do it professor to get the truth out about our discovery of the century!"
"What?"
"Look, I have proof!"
He quickly unrolled his jacket to show the white stuff as proof. It had condensed into a blob on the coat. It left a white film on the coat, but the stuff itself rolled onto the ground.
"SEE, see professor, proof that the video is real."
The Professor and his assistant gape at the ball. Nick took out his phone and began to film, he wanted to show that the video was real.
"What is that?"
The professor poked the ball with a stick. The sticky goo covered it. The professor tried to separate the ball into two. It refused, he could separate it all right, but once he let a part of it go it rolled across the ground and reformed itself.
"That's very unusual."
"Reminds me of magnets or something Professor."
"Why isn't it attracted to the droid or my phone then? If it's that sensitive then it should be stuck to any metal thing nearby."
"You must show me where you found this unknown slurry."
"Unknown S-L-U-R-R-Y?"
"Scientific term, something that's in-between liquid and solid. Mud is a slurry."
"Slurry?"
"An unknown semi-solid then."
"Semi-solid, I can handle a semi-solid."
"Um, it's getting dark out."
Sarah was right. The sun was setting and the caves were already dark.
"We will have to go tomorrow," the Professor decided. "We had a long day and the last thing we need is an accident."
Nick grinned and uploaded his most recent video.
"Well in the interest of our amazing scientific discovery that will benefit mankind."
"What can we even do with goo that always comes back to itself?"
"Lots of things, don't interrupt. I think our punishments should be lightened due to recent events."
The Professor glared at him and then he sighed.
"We can't exactly send you home when the bus won't be back for a week. I'm not having everyone go home because of your hacking skills. You get to stay, for now."
Nick smiled and high fived the guy next to him.
"You can explain your actions in front of the disciplinary committee when we get back to the University."
Nick stopped smiling.
"I have half a mind to not let you come tomorrow."
"You guys need me." Nick burst out. "I need to install the microphone so we can talk with Snowdrake."
The Professor snorted. "I won't believe that is real unless I do a full examination of it."
"Well, we can't exactly get past that light shield, now can we?"
"That droid will unfortunately have to do. We shall meet here tomorrow at 8. I'm sure this will spread around camp so I think my class will be taking a detour from our projects tomorrow."
With that the group dispersed, most went to tell their friends what happened or to brag about it online. Nick went to attached the microphone to his droid.
Meanwhile the story was on the news. Most took it as a joke but some decided to go interview the Professor. When they heard from the University that he was at the location some wanted to go to the site of "The Discovery of the Century." The hoax had said that there would be another meeting around lunch time after all. The ones that decided to go thanked their lucky stars that they did.
The next morning all the students got up bright and early. The Professor seemed to be in a good mood and was muttering to himself. His assistant was writing down whatever he was saying. The students, for once, didn't look like they needed a gallon of coffee. The mood was very energetic and the students were very impatient to get started.
"It's a nice day Nick."
"Hi Sarah."
"Did you finish installing the microphone?"
"Got it right here," he patted the droid. "This time it has a full battery so we can go even further than we did yesterday."
"Alright, is it recording?"
"Yep, it's live this time so people can see our discoveries in real time!"
"Is that a truck?"
"Oh no, hide me, I don't want to go back to campus yet."
Nick hide behind Sarah, not very effectively because he was taller then her.
"Is that a news truck?"
Nick jumped out from behind Sarah.
"They need to leave, once they find it than they will cut us out and it won't be our discovery!"
"Didn't you want fame?"
"The media will claim all the credit and we will never be mention again!"
"You can't put a copyright on the whole mountain, it's kind of a national park! We can't exactly force them away."
"We can get there first!"
"NICK, we have to wait for the Professor, otherwise you will get in more trouble!"
Meanwhile Sans was having breakfast with Queen Toriel, Prince Toras and King Asgore.
The prince was in his high chair. He seemed to have fallen asleep without eating all his breakfast.
"Thank you for joining us Sans, but I must admit it is puzzling. Usually Wing Dings joins us, is everything all right with him."
"Yeah, everything is fine. Dr. Gaster is having a meeting with Alphys about her idea for a new project."
"Really? How is Dr. Alphys? Did she finally admit her feelings for our Captain? What's her new project? She always has the most amazing ideas, after all."
"She's fine. They had a date last night, even if they won't admit it. Some days I just want to lock them in the closet together. I would if I didn't think Undyne would just break out of it in seconds."
Everyone at the table chucked except for Toras who was still asleep.
"I actually came here because of her project, she wants to open up the Ruins for space to build a hydro-power energy producer machine."
The king and queen exchanged a look, finally Asgore spoke.
"Sans, even without her idea we were thinking of opening up the Ruins, soon we will need all the space we can get."
"Didn't we drill into the rocks to get more space? The lab estimates that we should have more than enough room."
"I spoke with the Vice-Head yesterday. Our population is growing more rapidly than we predicted, we will need more room in the next twenty years."
"Twenty years huh."
Sans criss-crossed his fingers on the table and thought for a moment.
'Maybe this will be enough to convince dad to look at solutions for breaking the barrier. We are literally running out of places to dig.'
"Don't worry about it your majesties. Your scientists at the labs will come up with new solutions."
Just then Toras woke up and began to cry. His food went flying and completely covered him and Asgore. Asgore got up from the chair and picked his kid up.
"There, there. Sorry my dear, Sans, I think our little prince needs a bath."
With that Asgore walked out with his kid, undoubtfully going to give him a bath and change his clothes. Toriel smiled at the sight.
"Um, Tori?"
"Yes Sans."
"I have a question for you."
"What question could a smart skeleton like you have for me?"
"Hey your very smart! I mean you helped all those kids get to school and be taught stuff. If you weren't queen you would probably be a teacher."
"Well it was your father who suggested that all the scientists come in and teach their subjects. I hear that the students' favorite teacher is you."
"Thanks Tori, they just like my puns. How is your 'kid'?"
Toriel picked up a cup of tea and sighed.
"Toras is a playful child, I think we will be more sociable than Asriel or Chara."
"Sorry."
"It's fine, Toras has been good for us and the underground."
Toriel puts her cup down.
"Sans can I tell you something?"
"Sure, you can trust me Tori."
"I know how much your promises mean to you, but can you promise to keep this a secret?"
'Tori has never asked me to make a promise, this must be important.'
"I promise Toriel, what's bothering you."
"After Asriel and Chara died, Asgore, well Asgore was in a bad place."
Toriel looked down at her cup.
"I'm sure your father has told you about Asgore almost declaring war on humans."
"Yeah he mentioned that. Asgore never made the official announcement once the shield vote passed. "
"I think I would have left him."
"What?"
Toriel looked up at Sans's flabbergasted face.
"You're the Queen and King, you have been together since before the war when we were still on the surface and everything was dandy."
"I know I would have left him." Toriel saw his expression and continued with her explanation. "By declaring war, he would have us kill humans, maybe children. Knowing the pain that my children's death has left on me. I couldn't stay with him if he inflicted that pain on anyone. I couldn't have stayed, knowing I helped cause of the death of someone's child."
"Why don't you leave?"
Toriel smiled.
"After Gaster talked him out of it and the shield was approved he was forcibly given time to grieve. He had to focus and the new social projects which helped was mood. The monsters he meets with also cheer him up as well. I even see the same person he was before the first war some days. When Toras was born he had a new boy to look after, he got less focused on the past and revenge and more concerned about the future underground. I like to think that he wouldn't do those terrible things he wanted to do in his grief. I fear he would though, that's why I thank your dad for stopping him from going down that path.
"Doesn't dad say that the humans kind of started this whole thing? I mean we died without killing anyone in that war, my dad says it's a miracle they just trapped us underground and didn't finish us all off."
"On the surface monsters used to fight and kill each other over petty reasons. We were no better than those humans, Gaster has forgotten that."
"WHAT! I've been down here my whole life and I have never heard of a monster killing another monster!"
Toriel snorted and look to the side.
"Most monsters weren't alive then and wars between monsters is not something we talk about anymore. Once we were trapped we needed to work together and killing each other would solve nothing. Most monsters don't even know what killing intent is, or even that we can kill each other since our magic attacks aren't very effective against other monsters."
"I guess since we are made of magic it doesn't hurt us a lot."
"We also had the judge back then."
"I have never heard about any Judge."
"Well, it's more like the magic of the Judge. The Judge can use his magic to see what sins you have committed and legend has it, what sin you are going to commit. When we were first trapped down here I believed some monsters would become violent. However, it seemed like the Judge knew they were going to do something bad as soon as they did. The judge would take them aside and talk with them. I think once they realized they wouldn't get away with anything they stopped thinking about trying. If they killed someone and tried to kill the Judge, so he wouldn't speak. Something happened it was like they were poisoned. They cried out like their sins were being inflected upon them. No one could beat the Judge in a fight, so the monsters stopped trying. Unfortunately, the Judge died before we left the ruins and the magic hasn't shown up since."
Sans had the most flabbergasted expression on his face.
"Why didn't my dad tell me about this guy?"
"I think Gaster needs to think of the monsters as saints, otherwise there could be a reason why his family was killed. Though, if you ask me, I don't think any reason is good enough to kill people. I can't tell him why his family is dead, just like I can't tell any of the other survivors. There is no answer that anyone can give to any of the victims of any wars. There is no real answer of why they had to die."
"Um, Tori."
"Yes Sans?"
"Don't freak out."
"Freak out about what Sans?"
"I think I can tell if someone is planning on committing a crime."
"WHAT?"
Smash!
At Sans words Toriel nearly jumped out of her seat. Her teacup and flown off the table and crashed into many pieces on the floor.
"Sorry about that."
"Never mind that, you can really see it?"
"Well, I've got three extra acronyms on anyone's status bar. LV, KR and EXP. I know that LV means Level of Violence and KR means Karmic Retribution. Finally, I know that EXP means Execution Points, but nothing else about them."
"The KR is what was probably affecting those monsters who fought the judge, if they committed a crime then karma was punishing them for it."
"Everyone I've ever practiced sparred with had a 1 for LV and a 0 for EXP so I can't confirm if that's true. I think on the number scale a 0 total is a saint, 1 is an innocent person, 2-4 means you really hate someone, caused an accident, or snapped and killed a person. The lowest number total for a premeditated murder or they fought in a war or something is 5 or over. Once you get into the double digits I think that monster might be a serial killer or something. My gut tells me that anyone with a LV or EXP of 20 wants the whole world to burn, a total of 40 probably means they already destroyed it. So, 19 is probably genocide."
"That's so awful!"
"I know, but don't worry Tori, I have never seen 20 on anyone.
Which one is which though? Which one is before the crime and which one is after?"
"I think EXP is after, Execution Points sounds like something you already did."
"So, Level of Violence is before, I guess that makes sense. You can do have violent thoughts before actually committing a crime."
"So, you mentioned that everyone you sparred only were LV 1s and EXP 0s. Are there any monsters with any numbers higher than 5?"
"Not anymore."
"ANYMORE."
"Whoops, I shouldn't have told you that."
"Sans who was it?"
"Um…"
"Sans my son could be in danger!"
"It's Asgore, he had a LV of 19."
Toriel froze.
"His EXP was still below 5, probably due to something before the war."
"Sans."
"I'm sorry Tori."
"Tell me something."
"Sure thing."
"What's his LV now."
"It's down to 1 again, so I'm sure he's fine! His EXP's the same but I'm pretty sure that can't changed anyway!"
"It's okay Sans, I sort of knew, deep in my heart, that he could have done those things."
"But he didn't Tori, LV was what he might do."
"What he was planning to do."
"Yeah, but my dad stopped it, his EXP is 0. Heck, his LV is 1 so he's not even planning to do it."
Suddenly his phone rang. Sans began rummaging through the pockets in his lab coat.
"Sorry Tori, that's my emergency number, the C.O.R.E. is probably acting up again, you know how volatile it can be sometimes."
He accepted the call.
"SANS! SANS!"
"Alphys? What's the matter?"
"You're having breakfast with the King and Queen, right? I mean I must inform the King and Queen, but I know they don't have their phones while their eating, but I needed to reach them and I remembered you were with them, come to think of it you should probably know as well."
"Calm down Alphys, know what?"
"Well, I was meeting with Gaster, and your right he really like my idea. We were talking about some of the finer details you know that stuff. After that he had to meet this teacher from the school in the capital about more lessons for the kids. I was looking to one of my cameras, I don't know why I did that, I just do it sometimes."
'I have never heard Alphys be this nervous before. Yeah, she's shy but she's never like this with me on the phone, what's going on.'
"…and anyways I was looking at the camera that I set up to see if any rocks fall down when I saw it!"
"Saw what?"
"A flying machine. It left the digging site in Snowdon and is now headed to Hotland!"
"Did one of your robots' rebel like that Terminator movie?"
"NO Sans, it isn't one of mine."
"So. Another monster built it?"
"They couldn't have Sans, the parts look brand new!"
"Not from the dump eh?"
"Sans."
"You mean those parts weren't trash?"
"Sans this is serious."
"Relax Alphys, some monsters that withstand lava probably built their own parts, that's how we build them after all."
"Sans listen, it's not just the new parts. It has a brand name with the version painted on it!"
"So?"
"So, no other monster besides me knows enough robotics and is interested enough in human culture to actually know that brand names make serial numbers. Plus, it's so brand new that this series isn't even widespread! Why would a human throw out a brand new, expensive machine, that only can out a few days ago!"
"Wait a sec."
"What is it Sans?"
"Dad made the shield to only block human souls because we use all the junk that humans discard."
"It's not junk Sans."
"That means that anything without a human soul can get through."
"Oh no."
"Even robots that humans are in control of."
"What should we do?"
"Look don't tell anyone, not even Gaster. We don't want to cause a panic if humans aren't the cause of this. I'm with the King and Queen right now, I'll shortcut them over to you so they can decide what to do."
"Okay."
"I will be there soon with the King and Queen."
"Okay."
"Alphys."
"Yes?"
"Breath. It's probably nothing, if it's something the King and Queen can take care of it."
"Right, breath, got it."
Sans ended the call and put his phone back in his lab coat. He turned towards the Queen.
"Queen Toriel this is important. Dr. Alphys has spotted suspected human activity in Snowdon on her cameras. I need you and King Asgore to come with me to deal with it."
"Humans? What about Toras? We can't just leave him here."
"Get a servant to clean up the mess and to watch Prince Toras. Make sure it's someone you trust to keep a secret. They can't tell anyone about this yet."
Toriel hesitated.
"Please my Queen we must act fast, I will quickly go get the King and Prince."
Toriel shook herself, nodded, and went to fetch a servant.
Sans went to where the Prince's room was and saw Asgore coming out of it. Both he and his son where clean and in fresh clothes.
"Sans? What is wrong?"
"No time for that my King, the Queen will explain on the way, please follow me."
Sans quickly led a confused Asgore back to the dining area. Toriel and a servant were waiting for them.
"What's going on my dear?"
"Dr. Alphys thinks humans know about monsters."
"What?"
"We are currently operating under the assumption that the shield is still intact so they are sending in unmanned drones to investigate. Of course, this could be a false alarm. I need to teleport you guys to her lab in the C.O.R.E. immediately."
The King looked down at Toras, who was now asleep again, and handed him off to the servant with a gentle look before his face hardened.
"Take us there Dr. Sans."
With that Sans teleport the Queen and King out of the palace leaving the servant who was holding the Prince behind. The prince started to cry when he woke up and saw his mother and father were gone.
"There, there, little prince, your father and mother have encounter humans before and have survived. Now let's go play with your toys now."
At the lab.
"Well Dr. Alphys? Can you confirm these robots are manned by humans?"
"I almost defiantly can your majesties…oh no."
"What's happening?"
"I found another one still in Snowdon very close to the caves."
"How is that worst?"
"It seems to be communicating with your brother."
"PAPYRUS!?"
Note: Sans is finally the Judge! Using AU powers, I changed how LV and EXP worked. Due to that Asgore might be in trouble for what he was going to do.I will do a longer explanation next chapter. If I find a review saying, "Sans's power doesn't work like that" I will put your name up to help you find the notes where I explain this stuff. I will also giggle at it.
Note: The amalgamates in the lab seems to leave white slime wherever they went but they obviously didn't get any smaller. Even in the very strange positions and places they went to didn't matter. As soon as it could, the goo reformed itself back together. This means that their bodies kept producing the stuff. Since the shield has a constant energy source from the core, I figure that it can release the goo without weakening, since it can produce more.
Note: Think Asriel fight/before Asgore fight and you have a pretty could idea of what the shield looks like in white light and rainbow light.
Note: The shield activates when determination gets too close. Since you are wearing your clothes I figure it's close enough to the soul to activate the shield. It's not human flesh that triggers it, it's the human soul. I wanted it to have a radius around the human soul. Basically, this means the shield doesn't go all white if a human is within 20 ft. of it or a human can stick their arm though but then gets stuck when their torso touches the light. This means a dead human body could get through since the soul has left it.
Note: Who could this second droid belong to, is the Great Papyrus in danger, will anyone have a bad time next chapter, the suspense!