Julia sighed as she tapped the pencil against the desk. It was just past two in the morning, yet she still found herself awake albeit tired, staring at a textbook with several pages full of notes beside it. She had a midterm the next day, but was still trying to decipher the meaning of the myriad of symbols the professor had drawn and she had copied. She yawned and rubbed her eyes, before having another sip of coffee.

The stress of everything that had been happening politically was beginning to have its toll on her, as if her studies weren't enough. She had heard of the attacks all across the kingdom, and could even see several platoons travelling along the highway that ran close to the college. She longed to try and contact Cole again to make sure he was alright, but nonetheless she continued to follow his instructions. She reached for the lamp, turning it off. As she stood from the desk, she suddenly spotted movement outside the window.

Frowning, she turned the lamp back on and looked out, trying to spot the source. But the night was still. With an uneasy feeling, she began to turn away, only to have a sack pulled down over her head. Before she could scream, something hard cracked against the back of her skull, then nothing.

HOURS LATER...

Cole glanced up and down the street before emerging from the alleyway behind his apartment building, mingling in with the crowd as he made his way towards the Torin Republic outpost in Kester.

It had been a week since the last attempt at peace talks. Barely any progress had been made since the initial meeting, and neither Chara, nor Asgore were willing to back down. Tensions were mounting quickly, and Cole knew it was only a matter of time before everything would break into chaos.

He stuffed his hands in his pockets as he walked at a slightly brisk pace. As he passed a payphone on the sidewalk, he froze as he heard the phone start ringing the second he was in front of it.

He glanced around, and seeing nobody else making a move to answer, reasoned it must be for him. He opened the door to the booth, staring at the phone before slowly picking it up, putting it to his ear.

"...Hello?"

Asgore's voice spoke from the other end. "Hello Mr. Nelson. We need to have a talk."

Cole's eyes widened, and he glanced out of the booth. "How did you know where I was? Just-, What do you want?"

Asgore's next words made Cole's blood run cold. "We've taken Ms. Nelson into custody." Cole lowered his voice, but allowed the anger to seep into it as his grip tightened on the phone.

"You can't do that, we had a deal!"

Asgore's voice was calculated. "We agreed that your sister will remain out of things, providing you upheld your end of our deal to provide us with information. You've done nothing but lie to us since day one. As such, you've made your deal void."

Cole could feel his heart rate increasing as he tried to think of a response, and found nothing. Asgore was correct.

"Why are you telling me this?"

Asgore responded immediately. "I've decided to give you one more chance to redeem yourself. I want you to smuggle Asriel out of the hands of the Republic."

Cole was shocked at the request. "Are you insane?! Do you realize how much security Chara's got protecting him?! It'd be nearly impossible!"

Asgore's tone didn't shift. "Find a way. You've proven to be quite resourceful."

Cole shot back. "What if I don't? Or can't?"

Asgore upped the threat. "Then Julia will take your place under Mount Ebott, which is where you should be."

Cole's eyes widened. "You wouldn't. She hasn't done anything wrong, you can't do that!"

Asgore sounded a bit more angry. "I will do whatever it takes to get my son back, and end this war. You better find a way, your sister is depending on it." Before Cole could respond, Asgore hung up, leaving Cole sputtering and staring at the phone. He slowly hung up, and images of his sister flashed through his mind. She would be scared and confused, with an uncertain fate set in front of her. He pounded a fist against the side of the phone booth.

"DAMMIT!" He cursed at himself. He should have known that Asgore would find out eventually. He should have warned Julia of Red Dawn, he should have told her to get as far away as possible. Then she wouldn't be here. He then made his decision. He had brought Julia back into this mess, he would get her out.

Leaving the phone booth, he walked quickly to the secret door, giving it the special knock. The second it was opened, he walked down the stairs and searched the hallways for Chara. Soon, he spotted her, and quickly walked over to her. She glanced up as he approached.

"You looked troubled. Something nothing on your mind?"

Cole took a breath, then decided to tell her. "The monsters took Julia."

Chara frowned. "Again?"

Cole nodded. "Yes. I got a call from Asgore, he wants me to help break out Asriel. If I do, Julia goes free."

Chara met his gaze. "What happens if you don't?"

Cole tried not to visualize it. "She gets sent to Mount Ebott. Can I have permission to return Asriel to the royal family?"

With this, Chara looked down at her feet. She rubbed her temples before answering carefully. "Asriel... is our biggest bargaining chip, by far. He's one of the few things the monster royalty truly cares about. I think there's a lot more that we can get out of Asgore from releasing Asriel than one person. Not only that, I'd be concerned that if we trade him for your sister, we'll have very little to hold against them and might end up with a full military attack at our doorstep, which might just end up with you and your sister both under Ebott - now without escape. Releasing Asriel is just too much of a cost for not enough reward, and that's why I'm very hesitant about doing it prematurely." She tried her best to speak in a defeated tone, but Cole didn't register it.

He was stunned. "But, Julia's innocent! She's done nothing wrong, why should she be forced to suffer?"

Chara stood firm. "I understand that, and you are absolutely correct, but there's nothing I can do about this - our hands are tied! Look, you might just need to sit tight for a few more weeks. If this negotiation stalemate continues, we're planning another show of force. Red Dawn brought us a large number of recruits, including one who's willing to go on a kamikaze attack. This might be enough to topple the kingdom, and when we win this, everybody under Mount Ebott will be free."

Cole felt one of his hands beginning to shake. "What if we don't win? How long will it take to set up another strike?! Weeks?! Months?! It might already be too late! Please, she's all I have left!"

Chara bit her inner lip, and forced herself not to back down. She continued in an apologetic tone. "We've all lost a lot in this war Cole. I don't like it any more than you do, but we need to think about the larger picture here. We all have to make sacrifices at some point in our lives. You might just need to let her go for now. And if there's one thing I'll promise you, it's that we will win."

Cole couldn't believe his ears. Chara could tell Cole was trying to think of a response, so she shut him down before he could speak.

"That's the end of it, Cole. I'm sorry." She then turned and began to walk away. Cole muttered under his breath.

"And so it is." He turned away, anger surging through him. Chara clearly wasn't going to be helping him. He would need to do this himself. He began to formulate his plan as he walked to the room where Asriel was being held. He nodded to one of the guards standing outside.

"I'm bringing the prince in to private interrogation." The soldier nodded and unlocked the door. Inside, Asriel looked up as the soldier entered and walked over to him. He was grabbed roughly by his arm and pulled up to his feet, and out of the room. He spotted Cole waiting outside as he was moved down a hallway. They took a turn to the right, and then he was moved into another room. Cole bumped up against the soldier as he stepped back. As they did, Cole managed to snag the key from the soldier's pocket, and he hid it in his hand as he nodded at the soldier.

"Sorry." The soldier only grunted, and the door closed shut behind him. Asriel sat down behind the metal table, and Cole met his eyes as he sat across from him.

The two were silent for some time, but Asriel could tell something was deeply bothering Cole. Finally, he decided to break the uncomfortable silence.

"Well? What's up? You look a bit stressed out."

Cole narrowed his eyes. "Julia's been captured."

Asriel nodded slowly. "Alright...and why should I find this of importance?"

Cole responded coldly. "Asgore wants me to help break you out. If I do, he'll release Julia unharmed."

Asriel took a breath. "I see. I take it you have made a decision?"

Cole nodded. "I'm going to help you. As much as I want to kill you myself, I care more about saving my sister. But, if I do this, I want you to answer a question of mine."

Asriel sat up a touch straighter. "Sounds only fair, shoot."

Cole fished around in his pocket as he spoke. "Explain to me this photo." He took out the picture of Asriel and Chara from the locket and unfolded it, sliding it across the table to Asriel.

Cole continued. "How do, or did, you two know each other?"

He noticed a longing look in Asriel's gaze as he stared down at the picture. Emotions seemed to flood the prince as he stared at the picture.

"It's...complicated."

Cole scoffed. "Answer the question."

Asriel sighed. "It happened a really long time ago. I believe it was only two years after the war ended. My father had to put down an out of control riot in one of the annexed territories. While he was there, he found Chara. She was really young, only a small child. So, he brought her back to the palace for her own safety. She grew up there, and well, we became close. Siblings even."

Cole found this fascinating. He had never guessed Chara had such a deep history with not just the monsters, but with the royal family.

"From all this though, you'd think you were bitter enemies. What happened?"

Asriel's eyes darkened as he looked to the table, deep in thought. "There was a...a disagreement. Between my father and her. I still don't know exactly what it was about, but I do know that whatever it did, it changed her."

Cole frowned. "Changed her, how?"

Asriel sighed. "She was just, different. She didn't associate much with me anymore, she never spoke to my mother, and tried at all costs to not even be in the same room as my father. She distanced herself. One day, she was discovered attempting a murder on my father. When her plot was discovered, she fled. She went into hiding for two years, and then suddenly revealed herself, now the leader of the Torin Republic." He held his gaze on Cole, hoping he wouldn't be able to see through him. It wasn't often he found himself exaggerating a story on the spot, but he knew he had to make it count. Cole gave Asriel a doubtful look, clearly not convinced. Asriel stared earnestly.

"You don't believe me, do you? Ask her yourself! Ask her what her relationship in my family has been! You're fighting for a psycho Cole, not a hero! She's killed dozens of people, even INNOCENT people! People that were living their lives! I wouldn't doubt that deep down she doesn't even care about her own troops! Besides, if your sister was captured, why haven't you gone to Chara to help you get her back?" Cole looked down at the table, refusing to answer. "It's because she didn't want to." Asriel spoke, answering his own question. After putting more thought into it, Cole, slowly stood up. "Alright...just...stay here for now. I have a plan, we might need to improvise though. And, before you ask, it doesn't involve a fire escape."

Asriel chuckled. "Wouldn't be the first time."

Cole rolled his eyes and stood up, walking out of the room. He nodded at the guard. "Chara wants him kept here for a bit longer, I think she wanted a word with him."

Asriel was thinking about what had happened over the past few days. He had been captured by the resistance after an all-out attack. From what he could tell based on the snippets of phone conversation his captors allowed him to hear, he was being used as a bargaining chip.

He heard the rattling of keys to his jail cell, and looked up. He saw Cole, the troublemaker. His escorting guard left shortly thereafter, and Cole sat down at the table across from him.

Cole told him what he was here for, and as he did, gears began to turn in Asriel's head. Cole seemed to be willing to get him free in exchange for his sister, but Asriel suspected Chara might be able to change his mind. He had to find a way to slip in a reason to not trust Chara, and he couldn't believe his luck when Cole slipped him his locket and asked him to explain.

Of course, Chara had been a model child after her adoption, but Asriel couldn't let Cole know that. She had had a bit of disagreement with Asgore, but that was over the poor treatment of his citizens. Asriel would leave out that second bit, as he quickly devised a tale that would make Chara seem like the scum of the earth. He had to be careful though, since Cole might ask her later about the story, and Asriel would have to rely on Chara's unwillingness to speak. As Cole left the room, Asriel sat back in his chair, taking a deep breath, and praying with all his might that the seed of doubt wouldn't be uprooted.

As Cole walked down the hall, he spotted Chara again, and approached. She looked up as he did.

"Did you find out what you wanted to know?"

Cole shook his head. "Not entirely, I'm making progress though. I'm just going to have him there while I think of my next move."

Chara nodded. "I see."

Cole paused for a moment, before deciding to ask. "Did you ever know Asriel?"

He noticed Chara twitching. "...I suppose I did. A long time ago."

Cole pried further. "I've seen the way you act when you're around him. Were you...close?"

Chara sighed. "You're very perceptive. Yes, I knew him. Part of the family even."

Cole nodded slowly. "What happened? The way you feel about monsters now, it's hard to believe that you of all people actually had a place in the royal family."

Chara's eyes grew distant. "There was...a disagreement. Let's just say things got a touch messy. If it's all the same to you, I would rather not discuss this further."

With his nagging suspicions now confirmed, Cole nodded. "Of course, thanks." Chara watched as Cole left, shaking her head in puzzlement.

As soon as eyes had left him, Cole ducked left, quickly making his way to a small armory. As he ducked inside, he picked out a small pistol and nabbed a silencer as well. As he twisted the silencer onto the barrel of the pistol, he tucked it into the back of his pants, tugging his shirt down over it to conceal it, taking a deep breath. He was filled with determination, as he thought of his sister. She needed him now more than ever, and he was prepared to do whatever it took to get her back.