"Hey, wait, I can just-!" shouted Sans, having gone a little outside, but Frisk and Papyrus have already disappeared in the thick fog, "-teleport you…" he said already to himself. "Okay, I'll wait for them in the lab."

He snapped his fingers and in the next second appeared behind us. Despite the fact, that I and Mettaton made Alphys agree on this risk, he immediately started to yell at her.

"Doc, what the hell was that?! Are you crazy?!"

"S-sans… i-it p-probably has to w-work…"

In her gaze there was a little, but part of confidence, which was showing her belief in her own words. It was warming my heart.

"It's just an experiment, which likely will be successful," seeing Al's worry, I had to stand up for her.

"An experiment?! You know, actually, Frisk is very weak, it might be her last life!"

"Calm down," for my surprise, I was trying not to get nervous. "You heard that we don't have another choice. Or would you like to die with the whole world for the company?"

"Darling, it's the only one thing we can do. Listen, even if I'm agree with Undyne and believe in this idea, than it'll be alright."

Feeling our pressing gazes, Sans just covered his eyes with hand and sighed, trying to calm down.

"God, why am I agreeing on this…?!" he whispered to himself and then raised his head on us. "But still if at least something will happen to her…" during this phrase in his left socket there appeared a blue sparkle.

"Sans, just don't think about bad and hope for the best."

"Okay…" he finally replied very quietly.

Then there was an awkward silence. Anyone of us didn't want to talk. We were just quickly glancing, in the end still turning our gazes to the floor. However, soon I really got bored of all this, so I slowly turned around and, due to the curiosity, began to look at all the cameras to do at least something. Firstly it was such a boring thing, but then my gaze fell on the place between Snowdin and Waterfall. There still was a thick fog, so I could see only shapes of Papyrus and Frisk. I didn't pay much attention at them, and only thought: "They are still only there?! Hm, if they continue walking in that way, they won't be here soon". But when they both suddenly stopped, and in girl's hand there sparkled something, I finally broke the silence in a bit trembling voice:

"Hey, what's that?!"

Everyone sharply turned to me, but in a second also starred at the right monitor, as only on it there were at least some actions. Only now I realized what is she going to do, and my heart started to beat faster. The same place, fog, no one around…

"Is it a kni-!?"

I didn't even manage to finish the phrase, as I saw a blue flash behind. A second later Sans was already seen at the monitor. Suddenly the knife barely noticeably sparkled and I heard the sound of the hit. Everything got cold inside. But fortunately Sans managed to set a shield right in time, so the knife just bounced off it back to the girl. She immediately rushed to guys, but then her soul became blue.

"Kid, come to your senses!" screamed older brother, having taken Frisk's shoulders and started to strongly shake her.

"S-sans…? What the-? God, what am I doing?! I… I didn't mean to-…!"

He snapped his fingers and she could move again. The first thing she did — scaredly threw the knife away and hung on Papyrus' neck.

"Papy, I beg you to forgive me! I would never hurt you!"

He, in his turn, only hugged Frisk tightly, as nothing has happened. Meanwhile, Sans took his hand and in a moment they were standing in the center of the lab. The girl finally got away from Papyrus and turned around, covering her face with hands. I heard her often sobs. I immediately felt sorry for Frisk from her sincerity. I was understanding, that she really would never even think about hurting someone.

"It has already started… I'm sorry…"

"Alphys, where's that thing to separate their souls?! We must do it now!" sharply shouted Sans, comforting the girl at the same time.

"I-i-it has to be somewhere in the… b-basement…"

Al turned to the right and, having looked at the nearest door, sadly sighed, as she completely didn't want to go there. I clearly remembered, that all the times I've been here, it was tightly closed on a big padlock and a code locker. But I always wasn't paying any attention at it, and Alphys has never even started to talk about it. Moreover, I also have never interested, what's behind this door, as I didn't really care. However, now, despite a desire to help Frisk, curiosity woke up inside me. Although, judging by Al's unwillingness even to look at this door, I started to have some very bad predictions.


"S-so… w-we need to go down…" Alphys stretched out to herself, pressing the only one button near the door. "B-but there is a one problem. This l-lift can handle only four of us."

"Hey, I am going with Frisk, it's not discussed," Sans' voice was sounding that confidently, that it was useless to contradict him.

"O-okay then, I, Frisk, Sans and Undyne will go there."

"Why exactly Undyne?" Mettaton uncomprehendingly looked firstly at Al, then at me. I just quizzically hemmed.

"M-mettaton, y-you know why. I-I told you what's there. W-we need someone strong. I-if someone of them will get out of control…" she whispered, so only robot heard it.

"Okay, okay. Darling, it seems we are leaving in here."

Having accepted it, he leaned his back on the wall, crossed his arms on the chest and looked at Papyrus. But unlike Mettaton, he didn't want to give up that easily.

"Hey, it means my running in here and almost death were in vain?!"

Meanwhile, four of us went into the elevator, thinking, that everyone is agree with our staff. But only having heard his brother's indignations, Sans turned around and tried to calm him down.

"Paps, I understand you, but it might be too dangerous."

"Y-yeah. Who knows, w-what mad things can take a n-notion in their heads?"

"Wait, in whose, their?" I shuddered a little and an uncomprehending gaze lowered at Alphys by itself.

"N-no, in a-anyone's, I-I just-"

She suddenly stopped, having sharply pressed the lowest lift's button. The doors quickly slammed shut and only for a second I could see worry in guy's eyes.

First few seconds we were moving quietly. Suddenly the lift stopped. Alphys came to the exit, expecting for the doors to open. But they weren't even going to move. It alarmed me. Abruptly the lift moved again, but in a moment everything began to shake, on the cellar there was furiously flashing a red light, and from the speakers there came a loud scaring voice:

"Caution! The elevator is losing power! Electromagnetic tether stability lost! Altitude is dropping!"

A panic started. I leaned Alphys closer to myself, Sans did the same to Frisk. The girl burrowed into his jacket, quietly whispering something under her breath. Suddenly she, trying to hear herself in this whole noise, shouted something like:

"I knew it will happen this way, why didn't I tell it to you?!"

I wanted to ask her about this phrase, but didn't manage even to completely understand it, as in a few moments there sounded a loud impact. I felt a strong pain, and in front of my eyes everything darkened.


I came to my senses from slight slaps. It was Frisk. I was the second one woke up. Sans and Alphys were still laying on the floor. Elevator's doors for my surprise were widely opened and were inviting us to narrow dark corridor. Only seeing my moves, the girl exhaled with relieve and went away from me for a few steps.

"Thank God, at least you woke up."

"What means «at least»?!" it immediately brought me to reality.

"I-I tried to awake them," she pointed at guys, "but still nothing…"

Frisk a little scared, but with hope looked at me. I just turned to Al and Sans and hemmed.

"Alphy, I found another part of «Mew Mew Kissy Cutie». Sans, I think Papyrus is in danger."

Both of them synchronously mumbled something and slightly opened their eyes. Having turned to the girl, I victoriously smiled.

"Learn, punk."

In a few minutes we were ready to go ahead. Fortunately, nobody has injured very much, only Frisk has bruised her shoulder.

In front of us there was laying a long corridor filled with creepy dimness. Only a light-green light was coming from small inscriptions on the walls, which I, of course, wasn't going to read. A strong cold and dampness were felt in the air, and from somewhere far away there was coming a water dripping. It all made shudder even me.

"So… where are we?" I questioningly looked at Al, but Frisk began to answer instead of her.

"We're in a tr-"

"W-we're in the basement, Frisk. We. Are. In. Basement," she immediately interrupted her, nervously adjusting her glasses.

I was strongly alarmed due to Al's perseverance about the fact that it's an ordinary basement. With this she seemed even more suspicious. While we were going ahead, the girl was constantly whispering to her something like: "Tell them the truth", but each time she was just waving, responding: "We'll talk about it later".

"Doc, where exactly is this machine?" asked Sans, when we went around the first corner.

For a second we all stopped. The guy leaned his arms on knees, catching his breath, as two of us were going behind and, even with my physical training, couldn't manage to follow, rushing ahead Frisk and Alphys.

"J-just try to keep up with us."

They both were orientating in this freaking maze, as they were going here for hundreds times. And they were going pretty fast, so in a few minutes I and Sans again had almost to run not to lose them in this twilight. Plus, as we were going away from the lift, it was getting hotter and hotter here. Due to that I was getting tired much more often than usually, and my scales on the hands were starting to get dry and peel off. That's why I don't walk to Hotland further than lab.

In a while we were already standing in front of a huge machine, a little similar to an elongated snout of some animal. Anyway, it was the only normally illuminated room, as only here on the cellar there were lighting many lamps, though not that brightly, as it would be wanted.

"But Alphys, this… thing just extracts DETERMINATION from the souls, doesn't it…?" girl asked uncomprehendingly, starring at the machine.

"W-well, to separate your souls, I'll have to e-extract this DETERMINATION from them f-for some time."

While Alphys and Frisk were chatting about this experiment, I and Sans were just quietly standing nearby, as we still weren't understanding this science stuff. Though I used to often help Al in the lab, I knew absolutely nothing about the souls.

Suddenly there was heard a strange mumbling quite close to us. I thought, it came from the darkest side of the corridor. In a moment I really saw some moving shape in the corner. And it was… melting? A strong tremor ran through my back, and I nervously yanked Sans' sleeve. Then this went a little aside, and we saw a creature, as for me quite similar to… Shyren…?! However, this thing had a huge mouth with plenty of teeth and it was occupying almost all its head.

"A-a-alphys… What the hell is that…?!" I asked in a whisper, as my power of speech finally returned to me.

At the same second I made a spear and immediately directed it to the creature. It angrily sizzled. Al turned to this sound.

"Oh… H-hi… hey, calm down, I-I have some f-food for ya…"

Having taken a bag with some kind of dog food from her coat pocket, Alphys made a few steps to this, but it without hesitation aggressively rushed to her. Fortunately, I managed to pushed her away, and it with overclocking crashed into the nearest wall. I've already materialized spears behind myself, but Al abruptly stood between me and this thing.

"N-no, wait! U-usually, they're not that aggressive… I-I don't know what happened to them…"

"Kid, what the heck are you doing?!" suddenly I heard Sans' shout and mumbling behind at the same time.

Frisk, humming some melody under her breath, was approaching to the creature. It seemed, that it started to really calm down. Sans was keeping resenting, till the girl hissed at him, and he immediately recovered the silence. I was just standing at stupor, comprehending nothing. In a couple of minutes this was already sitting calmly at the corner again.

"Doc…" Sans held out questioningly, having come to his senses a little. "I think, you've already got my question, haven't ya?"

"He's right. Alphy, there are too many mysteries and weirdnesses."

"I-i-it… w-was…"

"In brief, to make monsters' souls exist after death, Alphys has injected DETERMINATION to them, but they all began to melt and soon drained to a few Amalgamates," Frisk calmly replied instead of her.

"Y-yeah, exactly. Th-thanks."

Now I was in the same condition, that I was in when Al was telling me about that talking flower. I just wasn't perceiving it all like the reality. And, as I could see, Sans was understanding the events not much better than I.

"But look, if earlier they were ordinary monsters, than how did their relatives let them to be kept here?" the guy finally asked, sometimes glancing at the likeness of Shyren, which was sitting in the corner.

"The fact of the matter is that she wasn't answering any letters and calls, except Asgore's ones," again the girl relied.

"Okay… Well then… And still how many there are these… Amalgamates, or how did you call them?"

"Nearly seven, except this one."

Meanwhile I slightly looked at Alphys. Nervously shifting from foot to foot and covering her eyes with one hand, she was standing nearby and humbly listening to Frisk and Sans' conversation. Her face was unnaturally red for her, and breath was faster in a few times.

"You know, I told her to think about all this."

"I'll get them back to their families, let's close the topic!" Al suddenly blurted out even without stuttering, having made the girl shudder due to surprise, but then she immediately approvingly smiled to her.

"Do you promise?"

"I promise! M-maybe we'll finally get back to Frisk and Chara's souls?"

She approached to the machine and pressed the only one button on it. In a second we heard a hum of the motor and a few fans, standing on the both sides of the device. At the next moment a longstanding layer of dust rose into, still heavy even without it, musty air. In their turn, on some details there multicolored lights began to flash.

"Wow, it's s-still working," Alphys mumbled to herself, having pleasantly surprised.

Then she rushed to another room, from which there were seen a few monitors, and stopped in the doorway, waiting for us. Nobody has got nothing against the start of the experiment, so without hesitations, three of us followed her. Frisk was the one going the first. She was trying to stay confident, though her shaking arms were showing here worry. Sans was hugging her shoulders and cheering her in a whisper as much as he only could. And I… I was just hoping everything to go alright.