AN: Uh, needless to say, this arc is going to be gruesome. I probably should have put this far before, but here ya go. I warned you.
Chapter 53: A Player Approaches
Gaster's sudden appearance in the shelter full of both monsters and humans did not receive the best reception. Granted, there were only a select few where he had teleported into. By the looks of it, they were in an office building. The windows had been boarded up, and curtains were placed over for good measure. No one wanted to be seen.
Well, that didn't help the few screams that came from some of them when Gaster appeared from the shadows. Frisk and Chara were with him of course, but no one was focusing on them. They were focused on the monster who had once killed a child and stolen their soul. Well, they did not even know half of the story.
But, that couldn't be undone. No one would fully understand his actions that day. Nor could they be completely justified. That day, Gaster had planned on destroying humanity. He had decided them too dangerous, but soon realized how foolish he was. There were good humans out there. It would be idiotic to assume the race is entirely bad. After all, monsters had done horrible deeds in the past.
Now, they needed to stand united. However, nearly everyone knew just what the monster looked like who had absorbed a human soul. Having the same one in a room with them, right after an apocalyptic event had taken place, did not go well with one another. Murmurs and yells of terror buzzed at the skeleton's lack of ears, making him slightly annoyed.
"Is that what I think it is?"
"That's the monster who absorbed that kid's soul!"
"Honey, get behind me…"
"Is that what's behind all of this?"
He would have said he was shocked that no chairs or things of weaponry were thrown at him upon them spotting him. Of course, that didn't change the fact that a select few were indeed getting ready to do just that. Gaster was not too keen on getting his skull cracked by a baseball bat.
Luckily, Chara had his back. They walked out from the shadowy corner, raising a hand to try to silence the humans and monsters. It didn't work, instead goading them on.
"He has another child with him?"
"Is it going to be another victim?"
Chara grew red in the face, nearly fuming. Why was everyone so quick to assumptions? Trying to silence them once more, Chara spun the yellow revolver around their hand, and shooting it up into the air. The crack of a gun shooting startled everyone in the building, gaining their full attention as Chara yelled, "QUIET!"
As to not anger the magic wielding human even further, everyone promptly shut their mouths. That, however, did not mean they put down any forms of defense. Gaster stepped forward. It was more of a slide, as his current fragmented soul couldn't exactly pull himself into a solid shape. Gazing around the room, he politely asked, "May I speak?"
Getting no hostile responses, he assumed he was allowed to continue. Even if he was going to try anything, there was always Dogaressa keeping guard at the entrance to the office building. It appeared the Royal Guard had to split up to defend against any attacks if needed. This situation needed to be handled immediately.
The halberd carrying dog nodded, as to tell him he could speak. Dogaressa would not stand even a chance against Gaster, but she would damn well put a hurting in him if he did try anything. "To ease your suspicions…" Gaster began, eyes scanning across the group of humans and monsters. "I am not the one causing all of this. In fact, the only reason I am here is to prevent that thing from getting any closer."
"And what makes us supposed to believe you, child killer?" A human asked, pointing a finger accusingly. Some began nodding in approval, gaining hostility towards Gaster.
"Funny." Gaster placed a hand to his chin. "Then what makes Asgore different from me?" The crowd quieted down. "Asgore is trying to amend for what he did, so I will as well. I am only here to ensure that thing get nowhere near you all!"
"And? How do we know you aren't this reported danger running around?" Dogaressa let out a snarl, ready to strike at any moment. "You're already proven to be a sadistic murderer!"
This time, it was Frisk to make a response. They began speaking, trying to keep a calm expression on their face. "It isn't Gaster doing this!" Many eyes widened, seeing the king and queen's child with Gaster. Of course, no one actually knew who Chara was, or knew that they were alive in the first place. "If you keep interrogating him, we're all going to die either way. We need to find mom and dad!"
"Did you hypnotize that kid with your magic or something?" A man spat at him, face filled with anger. He had the right to be confused about this.
"I swear…" Chara muttered, bringing a red glowing knife into their hand. "Could you all just shut up and take a leap of faith for once? We are facing something that only he can stop!" They yelled, pointing towards Gaster. "If you don't want to die, get out of our way."
Even with that threat, no one moved. Everyone believed that it was truly Gaster who was causing this. Taking a deep breath, Chara decided to give them a few seconds to process the information through their tiny brains.
Before they could even make a move, a loud blast was heard, coming from outside. All attention was turned to the source, trying to make out what it was. As they looked away, Gaster pulled Chara and Frisk closer to him. "We won't find any help here." He stated to them, allowing himself to drift into shadow.
However, they were not able to completely disappear before Dogaressa saw them bleeding away from the light. "HEY! GET BACK HERE!" The dog howled, leaping forward with the halberd ready to strike. Much to her surprise, a blue octogonal shield blocked her from landing the blow. Frisk grinned as they disappeared into shadow.
Sweating, Dogaressa pulled out a walkie talkie from her robes, pressing the button to speak through. "Asgore, Toriel, you need to hear this. Gaster has Frisk and Chara, and is headed your way. Red, get ready to defend against him."
From the other side, the shaky voice came over the speaker. "Gaster… is already here." It was Toriel. "Remain at your posts. He isn't the one causing all of this."
The information of just who this threat was did not get around to the whole Royal Guard. The only one who knew was Undyne, and she was dead. No one wanted to say that it was me, simply because they did not want to make the fight more painful for anyone against me. It would only hinder their progress.
But, the sounds of magic crackling outside was not a good sign.
The noises reached Dogaressa's ears as she readied the battle axe again. With a swift hand motion, she told everyone to get to the back of the room and hide. The noise grew closer, and closer. Over the walkie talkie, the worried voice of Toriel asked if she was there. The queen would be the death of everyone in this building.
As if an unstoppable force crashed into everything, tables were overturned, and civilians were sent sprawling to the floor. Dogaressa's battle axe dropped to the floor with a clatter, just out of her reach. Before she could clammer to get to the weapon, red strings tied around the axe, turning it a blood red.
The attacker entered the room, laughing all the while. "Pfft, you guys really aren't good at planning, are you?" I asked with amusement, bringing a flame into my hand. "I guess I'll have to be the light of this party."
Fire swept across the room in a wave, burning desks. The smell of burning flesh filled the room as both humans and monsters screamed in agony. Dogaressa glared daggers in my direction, rolling to her feet. Not even bothering to monologue, she pulled two daggers from her robe, making a hasty charge.
149/150 HP
Her eyes widened when the stab directly to the chest had done nothing. Laughing, I exclaimed, "Wow! I feel like someone flicked me!" Dogaressa was thrown to a wall, being held there by her neck. Fear and anger riddled her face, making her struggle to remain defiant. When trying to say something illegible, her lack of breath caught up with her.
From behind, a human ran at me with a bat, ready to strike. Big mistake. Blood gurgled in the human's throat as a spear drove straight through him. His eyes lost life as he slumped to the floor, lifeless. As Dogaressa continued to claw at my hand, I smirked at the rest of the crowd. "Make any movements, and none of you will see the light of day again!"
The dog I held captive turned limp, dropping any attempts to escape. She had run out of breath, and laid motionless. With a tsk of disapproval, I finished the job. Dust sprayed through the air as a bone rammed through her skull. Slowly, her body began turning to dust.
So many horrified faces awaited me. It was quite hilarious horrible to see their expressions of shock. Heck, I'm pretty sure one of the humans vomited up his insides. "Now… What to do with you all?" I asked, stepping over the man's corpse that had died earlier. A purple soul appeared from his chest. Placing my hand over it, it became one of my own. "After all…" Red strings weaved from the ceiling, wrapping around their necks. "I sTiLl HaVe DrEeMuRrS tO kIlL!"
Gaster had been lucky to choose the right room. Albeit, it had taken him maybe seven tries to find a promising room to find help. He had to do multiple things. For one, he needed to find Asgore and Toriel. Frisk and Chara needed to be brought to safety. Secondly, he needed to at least have some form of the DT Extractor to be able to test a theory of his.
Forming himself in the corner, Gaster was able to catch view of many human scientists, working on something. They were running tests on vials of magic, trying to test their properties. There was only one way to explain this. They were trying to find out just what the Player was.
Of course, all of them would come up short. The power would be unable to be explained. It was like trying to explain a god. You… really can't. The power possessed by the player is dimensional altering, destructive, and worst of all, nearly impossible to stop.
His eye sockets snagged on a yellow lizard, typing frantically at a keyboard. Sadly, one can only lurk in a corner for so long before being noticed. It… wasn't the reception he had expected to say the least. Heads turned to gaze at him, but most quickly resumed work. This was much different from the last reactions he had received. Some scientists showed signs of fear, but most seemed as if they were expecting him.
Not a moment later, he saw Alphys walking towards him, shaking in fear and a hint of excitement. However, that completely shifted to one of relief when she saw Frisk and Chara, alive and well. "O-Oh! Thank god y-you two are all right! Toriel was s-so worried about you…"
Chara shuddered, not wanting to think about the punishment they would get for doing this. Although, it would be worth it. Gaster was now alive long enough to do something to help. "Yeah, we were trying to bring this bag of bones back. He is the only one able to stop this thing…"
"W-Well, we were notified that you w-were coming by D-Dogaressa…" Alphys admitted, easing Gaster's suspicion on why everyone was acting so natural around him here. "I-I mean, I know I… we… shouldn't be so t-trusting of you, but w-we don't have much of a choice."
"Smart of you, Alphys." Gaster stated with a smile, placing a hand on her shoulder. She shook slightly, but he could tell she was trying. "I… I don't have much time before I fall apart again. There is a way to stop this, but I need two things."
"A-And what are those?" She asked, ready to abide if it was simple.
"A DT Extractor and…" He paused, wincing at how the final step would fall into place. If it came to it, if Gaster could not stop me… the most painful battle would take place. "I need to see Asriel Dreemurr."
A deathly silence passed between the group. However, it was quickly broken by a determined voice kicking in. It was Chara. "No way in HELL are you putting my little brother against that thing!"
Gaster saw this coming. "Chara, please…"
"He… he's already damaged as it is." The human threw their arms into the air. "Let's take a fragile child, who has already suffered enough, and put him up against a demon who used to be his brother! Bloody brilliant, Gaster."
"This is more serious than just Asriel!" Gaster exclaimed, eyes sparking to life. "That boy is the only thing that can subdue the Player if I fall. He is our only other option." Before Chara could open their mouth to argue, he continued the rant. "You cannot put the life of one in front of the life of many. We all have to risk our lives for, not just our world, but all the rest!"
Shadows crossed Chara's eyes, making them seem even more threatening. "You're just going to throw his life away? Is that what you're saying?" A confused hitch in their breath followed, before they were able to continue.
"You underestimate Asriel's abilities, Chara." The expression on the doctor's face grew cold. "You must give him the chance to step up. I will not force the duty upon him, but his assistance is needed if I fall to Player!"
"I'm not letting you put his life on the line!" They were definitely determined.
Words came out of Gaster's mouth that would hang between them for the duration of this event. "Child, it is YOUR fault we are here. YOU forced Player to Continue when he did not want it. Your better judgement told you to stop him. Why should we listen to you when you're the one who started this mess in the first place?"
At his words, Chara flinched backwards. This was the second time in a day that they were reminded of it. Glaring daggers, they responded with hostility, "That was my friend, a different person than we are fighting now. He was so kind to me. This thing isn't him. It's a sick, twisted abomination of what he thinks he is." Drawing themself to their full height, they whispered, "And if you even think this is what I intended to happen to him, I'll take away that soul just as fast as I gave it to you."
"G-Guys! Stop fighting!" Alphys interjected, her voice seemingly more assertive than normal. Both of them turned to her, eye brows, (or where an eyebrow would be) raised in question. Slightly losing confidence, she squeaked, "I-I-I mean w-we c-c-can't be fighting n-now, right? We h-have people t-to defend!"
A horrible realization dawned on Gaster. Alphys still had no idea Undyne had been dusted. How would he tell her that? She was finally looking slightly confident in herself. No, he couldn't say anything until the subject of Undyne was brought up. "Right…" He muttered, after being slightly lost in that trance. "Alphys, can you send word to Toriel and Asgore that they are here?"
"U-Uh…" She stuttered slightly, "I-yes!" So much for that confidence. She pulled out a walkie talkie similar to Dogaressa. "Toriel? Asgore? Gaster is here with Chara and Frisk." Rushed voices came from the other side, but Gaster could not make them out. Of course, it would be Toriel and Asgore flipping out on the other side.
Not a minute later, Toriel came bounding into the room. The absence of Asgore was most likely due to him still having to plan with human authorities. They seemed to already be done, however. What else could they possibly be doing?
Deciding to take his mind off of it, Gaster could already see that Chara and Frisk were in for suffocating hugs. Toriel was frantically checking them for any injuries, and healing them wherever there was a scratch. Gaster had made sure to heal the major wounds, as to not scare the mother further.
She seemed to see right through him. Although, maybe that expression was fear of him, rather than for her children. "G-Gaster? What are you doing here?" He could see sparking of flames at her fingertips. "If you're here to hurt anyone…"
"Toriel…" Gaster head dealt with enough of this today. "I am merely here to stop this thing coming to kill you all."
That seemed to have set her into a brief moment of anger. "He isn't a thing Gaster. He's still a child." Her arms crossed, as Gaster stood unamused. "Now stop using that term for my son."
A frown made its way on his face. How could some of these people not just let go? "When will you understand? This thing we are facing is no longer a child. That thing is not the one who befriended all of you."
Before Toriel could retort, the sound of gunfire could be heard from outside. Immediately, Toriel pulled out her walkie talkie, asking, "Red? What's going on down there?"
From the other side, the sounds of bullets nearly drowned the canine out. "He's here! Everyone needs to hide!" Her voice cut off for a moment, before returning. "Wait… Queen Toriel, he's doing something…"
An urgency filled the room, as scientists started trying to work faster. Some completely gave up, falling to their knees in crippling fear. Gaster took control over the situation, getting hold of Alphys. "Alphys, I need you to send Mettaton's robots to escort the DT Extractor from Sans's basement. That machine is needed for me to make what is needed to stop him."
Chara was still glaring all the while at Gaster. "You still aren't using Asriel!"
"Don't worry, Chara." Gaster stated calmly, even when the confused anger on Toriel's face came his way. "If I can complete this experiment on time, Asriel will not be in any danger."
Alphys began typing away on her computer, as Mettaton bots began swarming into the room. They seemed to all fly out the direction of the air vents as to not be seen. As Toriel took Chara and Frisk to a safe, guarded place in the building, Gaster needed to do one more thing. Asriel needed to be the one to use the experiment. He had lied to Chara, but he was certain he had a chance against me.
If he did fail, it would have to be Asriel who would land the final blow. No one else would be able to stand a chance. There was indeed a possibility that I could die to any select monster if they tried hard enough. But, it was unlikely that this would happen. After all, I was right outside the doors, ready to strike.
Alphys spoke through her transceiver, trying to get a hold of Red. "Red… we need you to hold him off as long as you can."
"And, that should be the last of em." I dusted off my hands, gazing at my handiwork. Yet another unit, dead. Humans and monsters laid dead on the ground. My LOVE had increased significantly, giving me a LOVE of fifteen. Many souls had been taken, as well as more magic possessed. At this rate, anyone defending against me would be stupid.
Of course, there were a few slight challenges. The human military had guards in most of the rooms. Soldiers were patrolling the streets, armed to the teeth with weaponry. If I had to guess, they probably had snipers on the roofs, waiting for me. Too bad they completely forgot I could teleport.
After scouring the city, it seemed that many monsters were already eradicated. The monster population is not entirely massive, and most would not be in this city. However, all I needed to do was get to a LOVE of twenty, and I could erase them all, and take their souls, with one flick of a knife. That meant taking out the major monsters.
As I stepped over Doggo's pile of dust, I contemplated just how difficult this would be. Sans, Papyrus, and Undyne were already dead. Those would have to be the hardest of them all. Papyrus, due to the fact that he was gaining Sans's strength, would have been a terrifying opponent. Too bad all of the difficult ones were gone. It was time to see just how easily the others would fall, or even if they would be a worthy fight.
The light of the red sky shone down on me when I stepped out from the building. It was time that I began my approach on Toriel and Asgore. If I had to guess, the place was heavily guarded. I had a way to get by that, however.
Snapping my fingers, two sentinels appeared at my sides, defending me from any attacks that may come my way. Immediately, I was spotted by various soldiers, telling me to put my hands in the air. Of course, I didn't abide to that. Guns were pointed in my direction as the sound of helicopter blades came from overhead.
The glint of a Sniper lens caught my eye on one of the buildings. I was correct. Amongst the humans, I could see two familiar monsters. Red and Mettaton would aid them if anything went wrong. Who cares, they are weak. Not to mention, Mettaton was in his NEO form. Did he not realize he was invulnerable in his box form?
Using magic to tune my voice, I spoke, my voice being amplified. "Greetings, humans." If they would have fired right there, it wouldn't have made a difference. I had so many souls on my side, that the damage done wouldn't amount to anything. "I'd not fire those weapons if you want to live."
A look of horror crossed Red's face as she realized just who I was. Mettaton had already known, as he had seen me alive and well. However, Red had not known about me Continuing. The only reason she recognized me was due to the resemblance my Player form showed to my regular one. "Y-You?!" Her sword trembled in her hand. Two Royal Guardians burst from the ground at her side, opposing mine. "W-Why?"
"Howdy Red!" A demonic grin crossed my face. "Long time no see. But, you're not why I'm here." I faced the human soldiers that had blocked my way. "Lucky for you all, I have an offer to make. An offer that will spare you…"
One human, presumably the commander of them, seemed to glance around, unsure. Eventually, he stated, "State your terms." Smart, he knew that if he resisted, it could be the death of many.
"Aw! So kind of you!" I gave a mocking bow, showing even more power with a flame in my hand, as if taunting them. "I have something simple to ask of you, humans. If you want to be spared…" My eyes opened even more, letting red fire flare out of both. "Hand over every single monster you have, and I will leave your race in peace."
The offer hung there, making Red and Mettaton's souls drop. Of course the humans would. The monsters had been a problem for human society as it was. What would make them think differently? It was either keep the monsters who had been a constant problem for them and die, or give up the monsters and live in peace.
The human general gazed around to his men. They all began nodding in agreement with each other. Mettaton shut his eyes in disbelief. It couldn't end this way.
What they were agreeing on was completely different.
Every human agreed on firing straight at me, guns blazing with bullets. My eyes widened in surprise as bullets spun towards me. Why were they standing up for the monsters? Ten green souls swarmed around me, generating their own barriers to block the bullets. They were persistent…
"If that's how you want to play…" I muttered, bringing out various souls. "I'LL GRANT YOUR DEATH WISH!" Strings wrapped around the tail of a helicopter before it could evade. Pulling my hand down, the helicopter went with it, crashing upon the ground in a massive explosion. Yellow souls took aim, casually blasting the tops of buildings where snipers rested to shreds.
Many humans were brought to their knees from the attack. Much to my utmost surprise, Mettaton had protected ones that were near him, Red included. They were in some sort of barrier dome, being protected by hexagonal shields. As it dissipated, Red commanded the humans to fall back and protect Asgore and Toriel.
Nodding, they ran off, keeping an eye on their backs. This would be an interesting duo to fight. Mettaton grinned, giving a dramatic flair. "Darling, did you really think Alphys wouldn't install the defense?" His arm cannon began charging as Red's Royal Guardians took aim.
The canine herself drew her sword, drawing white, glowing lines in the air. "I should have known you couldn't be trusted. And now, here you are, killing us all." Her eyes snapped open, crosshairs spinning around her left. "I won't let you get past us. Not without making you bleed."
"That's funny." A spear came to life in my hand. "I don't bleed."
A cold chill was sent down my spine when a whisper came from behind me. "Let us test that theory…" Before I could dodge, the swipe of a scythe cut across the back of my neck, sending me to the ground as a black liquid sprung from the wound.
150/186 HP
The wound was a bad cut, but closed as soon as I waved my hand over it. My HOPE still remained lowered, but that was fine. Turning around to my new opponent, I realized the one monster who I'd never fought in any timeline. How was Riverperson able to deal that much damage with one strike?
Growling in anger, I raised my hand, letting fire erupt from the ground. The hooded monster disappeared from my vision, appearing next to Red and Mettaton. Yet, the Riverperson did not reveal their face. Now, this was a three versus one. This would be one hell of a ride. Strings whipped from my hands as all three of them took aim with their weapons.
"Did you honestly think I'd let you touch my child?" Riverperson asked, scythe glowing a chilling blue. "Did you think I'd let you slay my king and queen?" Ice covered the weapon, giving me insight on just what element the monster was using. "You'll have to really try hard to do that without me stopping you!"
Mettaton bots were effective. Not only were they incredibly fast, but they had tremendous strength. The DT Extractor had arrived. However, one thing was missing as Alphys looked around. Gaster was not in a room anymore.
Of course, he wouldn't leave without reason. Alphys told herself that she had to trust Gaster's motives. He seemed to know what he was doing, and at this rate, they would die either way whether they trusted him or not. Gaster was their only chance. The least Alphys was able to do was upgrade Mettaton, as there was no time to build anything super powerful.
The only thing she could do was assist Gaster in this project. But, she didn't know what to do without him here. He had barely explained it before he seemingly rushed off without her knowing. Deciding to check the battle outside with cameras, she turned back to her computer with utmost shock.
Little to her knowledge, on the other side of the building, Gaster had appeared from shadows near someone else. The room containing the Royal Family was heavily guarded by soldiers. None of them would ever consider letting Gaster in due to the many reports of him having absorbed a soul.
When appearing in the corner, he was glad to see the one he was looking for was there alone. Although, he would be a liar if he said Asriel was looking perfectly fine. A pang of sympathy shook his soul as he gazed upon the broken Prince. Had he even stopped crying? He was sitting against the wall, trying to wipe his eyes free of tears, then failing immediately. He hadn't even noticed Gaster's presence.
It had gotten to the time where Gaster knew just how heartbreaking this was for him. Asriel had faced Chara perishing before his eyes. He had died, trying to protect the humans from Chara's wrath. As if that wasn't enough, he killed his sibling, saw another die right before his eyes, and is now being forced through the process again. How would one think Asriel was being weak? No one should be expected to hold themselves together after this much pain in his life. Now, Asriel could be forced with the task of killing me.
Kneeling down, Gaster tried to look at Asriel, face to face. Seeing the sudden movement, Asriel took his head out of his arms, and recoiled in fear. He quickly backed himself away from Gaster, eyes darting everywhere. "H-How are you…?" He tried to ask, but his throat closed up on itself in fear.
"Do not worry, I do not mean any harm." Gaster told him in a calm voice, as to not startle him. "I am only here to help you all."
"I-Is it about… him…?" Asriel asked, trying not to say my name to prevent himself from breaking down again. Gaster solemnly nodded in response. "W-What d-do you want?" He placed his head back into his hands, returning to not showing his face.
Pausing to contemplate how to say this, Gaster ran into a road block. There would be no way to convince Asriel to follow through with this plan. If there was, it was a slim chance he would accept. "Asriel… I have something to ask of you." He waited, seeing if the monster would respond. Receiving none, he continued, "I… I am going to go try to hold him off." That gained his attention. "If I fall, if Asgore, Toriel, Chara, and Frisk fall, you will be the only one standing a chance."
Panic arose in Asriel's eyes as his head snapped upward. "You… You k-know that I can't hurt him. I-I can't do that. I'm a-already weak…"
"Asriel…" Gaster muttered, interrupting him before he could continue. "At some point you will have to draw the line. He is coming to kill us all, and then continue to other timelines. We cannot let the others be killed because we failed."
"And what happens if I win?" The boss monster questioned, fiddling with his ear. "Everyone will be gone… You'll all be gone…" Tears began pricking at the corners of his eyes again. "I can't do this…"
Standing up, Gaster understood Asriel's fears. "I understand… Give yourself some time, Prince Asriel. Come to Alphys if you change your mind."
Before Asriel could formulate a response, Gaster had vanished into the shadows once more. Letting out a breath he didn't know he was holding, he resumed sitting there, praying the madness would end. Holding his heart locket tightly, he asked to someone who couldn't hear, "Why couldn't we all just be happy…?"
AN: What could Gaster's plan truly be? You will have to find out!
River Person nearly never gets a fight in fanfictions! I'm here to make it epic!
I updated this before TerminaTale because I got a burst of inspiration, and had to write this one. TerminaTale should be updated next. The deadline for ending by the end of the year may not happen, but the comic will still try to start.
There is also a link (that doesn't work) to a petition (which you can search for) on my profile. Please read the disclaimer and respect what I say. If you don't agree, just don't sign and move on.
Welp, I hope you all enjoyed the chapter. This fic will soon be reaching its climax... but not in the way you're expecting.
I'm throwing a real curve ball with this one.
BadDRUMMERboy15 Out
