Chapter Fourteen:
Memories Fade, Trauma Doesn't
Sans teleported he and his brother to Asgore's Throne Room as quickly as possible. Papyrus had told him earlier that he was supposed to meet up with Flowey near the entrance to the Ruins around this time, and was only willing to prove himself sane beforehand if they made it quick.
Activating his font, Papyrus approached the king who had his back turned to them, apparently filling up a watering can.
The king, turned around and dropped the watering can in surprise, spilling its contents. He had not been expecting so many visitors today.
"Oh! Hello boys. Gave me quite a start. You shouldn't sneak up on an old man like that."
"while we're here, you can give that soul to the king," whispered Sans.
Papyrus's eyes grew wide.
"Oh my god."
"what's up, papyrus?"
I put the soul in the washer and dryer!
"I completely forgot about the soul! Thank you! Any longer and it might of disappeared."
Please be in one piece...
Taking out the soul, Papyrus breathed a sigh of relief and spoke to the king. "Your Highness, I have another soul for you."
The king smiled brightly. "Really? That's great news! Thank you err, um...what was your name?"
"Johnson."
"Oh dear..."
Sans scratched his head in confusion.
He knew he was missing something, but he didn't know what it was.
"Hmm...the king doesn't know me that well, so this doesn't prove anything. Let's go visit Undyne instead," suggested Papyrus with a grin Sans wasn't sure he liked.
"i thought you wanted to go see your friend?"
"He can wait," said Papyrus indifferently. "We've only been here a couple of seconds after all."
Sans narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "i actually told alphys i'd stop by in a few minutes...a few hours ago."
Papyrus closed his eyes and yawned, stretching his arms to the ceiling.
"Very well. I've got the whole day off anyway, might as well spend it with you."
"gee pap, don't get TOO excited."
Sans teleported once more and appeared in Alphy's lab with Papyrus's eyes still glowing. He put a hand on her shoulder and grinned as she jumped three feet in the air.
"Aahhhhh!"
"you're awful jumpy today."
Alphys didn't smile, she just looked at him with what looked like pity in her eyes.
That wasn't good.
"I called you here be-because um...well..."
"you said you wanted to show me something."
"Well yes, but...you won't like it."
Alphy's led him over to the security footage and pointed at a screen that showed the inside of Undyne's house. The footage appeared to be paused, with Undyne looking towards the door.
"Well that's perverse...and illegal," said Papyrus raising a brow.
"does undyne know you have a camera in her house?"
"PLEASE DON'T TELL HER!"
"alright, relax! we don't talk much anyway. fish we were better friends, but she's ultra violent and i'm a delicate flower."
"Sans..."
Alphys didn't reply, she just moved her hand toward the play button and took a deep breath.
This oughta be interesting.
"T-that's how you start the uh, video. Right there."
"wow. you don't even want to press the play button. this has to be really bad."
"I-I'm going to g-go to the bathroom. I'll be out later!" exclaimed Alphys. She quickly bolted toward a door that he already knew led to the True Lab.
He had worked there with her in the past, doing research on...he couldn't remember.
Sans shook his head, it was already starting to hurt. It always did that when he thought about anything related to his father. Maybe he could ask Papyrus about it later.
It probably wouldn't do any good, but he'd learned that there were many things he still didn't know about Papyrus. All he knew so far was that he was a crazy killer and a smartass with a twisted sense of humor. He knew nothing about what Papyrus really remembered or what his thoughts were on certain things.
He looked toward his brother and had his suspicions confirmed when he saw Papyrus glaring angrily at the lab door.
He's remembering something. Wish I knew what it was though. I should talk to him later on.
Papyrus's breathing was heavy and it looked like he was having trouble keeping himself under control. His glowing eyes made him look scary. A brief memory of a baby bones with orange eyes flashed through Sans' mind along with a stabbing pain and sense of terror.
"Ugh..."
"Brother?"
Sans caught his brother's eyes and they both looked back at the lab door, thinking the very same thing.
How much does he know?
"hey bro-"
Sans jumped as Papyrus unexpectedly reached over and pressed the play button, starting the video. Whatever he remembered, he obviously didn't want to talk about.
Undyne answered the door in the footage and Papyrus greeted her loudly.
This is definitely the footage of the argument between her and Pap.
He watched in fascination as Papyrus went from his usual loud and childish self, to a calm adult whose sadistic grin made Sans shiver.
"Cold brother?"
Sans shook his head, deeply disturbed. Not only had Papyrus's mood changed again on a dime, but the grin he made in the video made Sans...excited.
I feel warm...all over.
Why did I like that?
"you've got a killer smile Pap," said Sans nervously.
Something is definitely wrong.
With me and Pap.
We're checking out that lab as soon as this is over; I don't care about meeting his friend.
"Nyeh hee hee hee..." Papyrus's eyes stopped glowing and he smiled at him deviously, pressing the pause button on the video.
Uh oh.
"uhhh, pap?"
"You like my smile, do you?"
Papyrus snaked his arms around Sans' middle and nuzzled his neck playfully.
"heh ha! easy bro, don't be taking that the wrong way now," said Sans laughing. He was ticklish there.
"How would you like me to take it?" asked Papyrus, his grin growing wider.
Damn...
"i wouldn't. i'm no good for ya' pap."
"Mmm, I think that's for me to decide, don't you think?" Papyrus slid one of his hands into Sans' hoodie and began rubbing his brother's sensitive ribs.
Whoa.
"c-come on now, you can do so much better than someone who spends all his time at a b-ba-bar. HA-have a little self-respect...or maybe just respect in general? i'm a heartbreaker anyhow."
"I don't mind if you break me. *audible wink*"
Damn!
"you don't miss a beat do you?" asked Sans nervously. He let out a soft cry as his brother toyed with one of his ribs, stroking it between his thumb and forefinger.
Although he and Papyrus had joked around before, this felt different. NEVER had he seen his brother play around like this. This was physical, and combined with his brother's acting, well...
I'm not losing to this sadist. I already lost round one in his Murder Cave of Death, I'm not losing round two.
I just have to maintain my chill...
"you're gettin' kinda handsy bro..."
"You'd be surprised, what my hands can do..." whispered Papyrus. He dragged his left hand down Sans' shirt and underneath, causing him to jump in surprise as he felt Papyrus's gloved hand slowly stroke his spine.
That was too much.
"hey now, you listen here buddy, i don't remember giving you my consent."
Papyrus stroked him harder.
"gah!"
"I don't remember asking for it," laughed Papyrus. "Stay still and I won't harm you."
Sans froze in shock, as Papyrus continued his ministrations.
Is he serious?!
He moaned softly as warmth spread throughout each and every one of his bones.
He wished it had more to do with Papyrus's actions, but it was what he SAID that really struck him.
Would he really do that to me?
"pah...pap..."
Nuzzling into Sans' hoodie, Papyrus breathed in deeply.
"So soft...so warm..."Papyrus purred.
"th-thi-this is too far pap! se-settle down!"
Papyrus's hands stilled and he began to laugh madly into his brother's hoodie. "NYEH HA HA HA HA HA HA!"
"y-you're freaking me out papyrus!"
"Okay I'll stop," said Papyrus, letting go of his brother. He grinned wildly, obviously pleased with himself.
"the hell is wrong with you?!"
"Easy brother, you're liable to break my heart that way."
"i'm liable to break your everything!"
Papyrus pouted and crossed his arms, as Sans turned back to the video and hit Play.
"You're acting weird."
"I'm just being myself."
Yeah, a jackass.
"I'm flattered you think so highly of me."
"Well, that's why I'm not letting you into the Royal Guard. You can't kill which means you can't protect."
"Awww noo! I forgot I was going to give the soul to Undyne!" Papyrus covered his face in his hands.
"Nyehhehehe!"
Sans shuddered as his brother's cold laughter from the footage echoed in his skull. It was a real laugh, but there was no joy in it, no happiness.
"you okay there bro?"
"NO! I screwed up! Now I have to find another soul. This sucks!"
Sans laughed and continued watching the video.
"Wh-why are you laughing like that?"
"What would you say if I told you I knew who the killer was?"
"i'm getting francisco scaramanga vibes," saidSans amused. He sat down and scooted closer to the screen, resting his head in his arms.
"I'd say you were full of crap! There are no clues! None! Nothing was left at ANY crime scene! There weren't even any finger prints, loose feathers, or slime trails! We have NOTHING linking us to ANYONE!"
"Now now, let's not make any unnecessary assumptions. What if they were wearing gloves like me?"
"really dude?"
"Really dude?"
"That's what I would do."
This is a straight-up bond villain impression.
"REALLY DUDE?!"
"What? Is that not a good idea?"
"you are such a smartass..." Sans glanced at Papyrus smiling. His brother was still holding his face in his hands and shaking his head. He clearly wasn't paying attention.
"You think this is funny? You think this is a JOKE? People are dead Papyrus! YOU WIPE THAT SADISTIC SMILE OFF YOUR FACE BEFORE I BREAK IT!"
"I'm afraid I can't do that."
"Why not?! And I swear to god if you say because you're a skeleton..."
"..."
"Get out of my house."
"But I know who the killer is!"
He's such a dick...
"GET OUT OF MY HOUSE!"
"NYEH!"
The footage ended there.
Sans chuckled, shaking his head.
I want a copy.
"This isn't funny Sans. Your brother's in a l-lot of trouble!" said Alphys angrily over an intercom.
Papyrus jolted, startled by the loud and sudden sound of Alphys's voice.
"what do you mean he's in trouble? he found out who the killer was! he's a hero!" said Sans, full on laughing now.
"Umm...you know he's going to j-jail right? Don't you even care? Probably not, huh?" Alphy's crossed her arms and looked at the ground sadly from within the True Lab.
"The trial's already over."
"if you had any evidence against him whatsoever i admit i'd be a little worried, but you don't...what do you mean i don't care about papyrus?" asked Sans.
"The trial's already over, I was found innocent."
"Well...you kinda always spend your time either sleeping, selling hotdogs, or going to Grillby's. Y-you don't talk with your brother much and uhh, when you do you tend to well...lie?" Alphys fiddled with the sleeve of her lab coat, her voice dripping with pity.
Does she feel sorry for Papyrus?
"pretty sure he'd be upset if i told him his cooking sucked, or that he looked uncool," said Sans in an attempt to defend himself. He knew he had been a poor sibling, but it wasn't like he was the devil incarnate. He planned to work hard to spend more time with his brother and fix his mistakes.
"I don't mean to be rude, but umm it seems like you just don't want to feel guilty. You'd rather he embarrass himself in front of the entire town, than get yelled at," said Alphys sheepishly.
"what?"
"I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY! Th-that's just what it looks like from the footage! I shouldn't of said that! I'M SO SORRY!" Alphys apologized profusely, but Sans barely heard her.
Is that what Papyrus thinks?
"relax alphys, you might be right about that. is she right?"
"I'd rather be laughed at than lose you, and besides, some people like clowns! I...just haven't run into those people yet," said Papyrus.
"..."
"Maybe you should talk to him," suggested Alphys, staring at Papyrus strangely.
I definitely should talk to him.
"thanks alph, i'll do that."
Alphys grabbed hold of Sans hoodie. "Before you go, who's the floating guy that looks like a penis that you brought with you? He's k-kinda weird..." whispered Alphys.
So he wasn't nuts...wow. Why didn't Gaster say anything to me? How do I bring this up without being shut down?
"it's a rocket ship," said Sans, quietly.