I told myself the last chapter was going to be the last for a while. I told myself I wasn't gonna type any more but here I am. *sigh* I guess typing after not typing for a while activated something in me and now I don't wanna not do it cause school is coming and then I definitely won't be able to type often haha.

Frisk squinted their eyes, the pitch black darkness of the room making it impossible to see their armored hand in the front of their face. The phone rang in Frisk's hand, the light from the device brightening up the room slightly as Frisk answered it. It was Alphys.

" It's kinda dark in there isn't it. I'll hack into the light system and brighten it up!"

Frisk groaned an rolled their eyes at the formation of Alphys' sentence. Couldn't it have hurt to at least say ' looks like it's dark. lemme just turn on the lights. it'll take just a sec' ? The lights switched on and Frisk realized that they were standing on a stage. Well, they were standing in a kitchen that was on a stage. In the front of them was a counter, with a sink, some knife, a plate and a cutting board on it. Behind then was a fridge, and another counter that had eggs, flour and a microwave sitting on the top of it. Next to the counter was a stove. Above it was a window, a poster of the outdoors taped behind it or at least painted on the glass itself. Music that you would normally fine in a hotel lobby started playing as Mettaton, wearing a chef's hat rolled onto the set. The teen frowning at having to encounter the robot whose narcissism puts Robbie Rotten's selfish and unhealthy behaviors and eating patterns to shame. Then again Robbie was fricking awesome and would always be Number 1.

" WELCOME BEAUTIES TO THE UNDERGROUND'S PREMIERE COOKING SHOW! COOKING WITH A KILLER ROBOT!"

" Alphys please prepare a hearing aid for the next time we meet because I think I'm going deaf in my left ear. But that's okay. Eventually my hearing will be all right!" Frisk winked and did finger guns, knowing somewhere Papyrus was screaming and clawing the walls and Sans was laughing his bony ass off though Frisk didn't particularly care much for the shorter skeleton.

" HAHA. ALL JOKES ASIDE, VIEWERS PLEASE PREHEAT YOUR OVENS BECAUSE WE'VE GOT A VERY SPECIAL RECIPE FOR YOU TODAY!"

" Or night. You never really know since you're all stuck Underground with no natural light to guide you. Then again, time is an illusion and only a construct of human perception that helps them-"

" EXCUSE ME! I DO NOT KNOW WHY YOU ARE RUINING MY SHOW WITH YOUR PESSIMISSIM BUT-"

" It's because I don't like you and I want to make your time with me as miserable as possible. You should be honored." Frisk said, their monotone voice making Frisk sound slightly harsh.

" WELL YOUR METHODS ARE GOING TO BE FUTILE BECAUSE TODAY WE ARE GOING TO BE MAKING...A CAKE!"

" I hate cake."

" PICK YOUR POISION DARLING. EITHER MAKE THIS CAKE WITH ME OR BE LEAD THROUGH HOTLAND BY A LYING LIAR WHO LIES TO YOU WITH LIES THAT ARE FALSE AND UNTRUE!"

" I'd take my chances with the liar thank you. At least I'd have two faces to slap. " the teen turned around to walk off the stage but was quickly blocked by blue lasers that nearly seared their face off.

With a plastic smile, Frisk turned around and in a falsely optimistic voice squeaked " Okay lets bake that cake!"

" EXCELLENT. MY LOVELY ASSISTANT HERE WILL GATHER THE INGREDIENTS. EVERYONE GIVE THEM A BIG HAND!" Mettaton clapped mechanically as confetti rained from above, irking Frisk. " WE'LL NEED MILK, SUGAR AND EGGS. GO FOR IT DARLING!"

Frisk turned to the other counter, grabbing the milk, eggs and sugar though at a first brief glance appeared to be flour. Maybe it was somewhere else. You need flour to make a cake. That is a base ingredient for any cake. Frisk delivered the ingredients and waited patiently for the next set of instructions to be giving. Doing anything remotely public made them very nervous. Even the thought of doing something in the front of a group of people made their knees weak. One time, they had to give a presentation for a computer class. Mind you the class only had 10 people in it since it was an after school present and the other students had gone home, but they still vomited and passed out, luckily not landing face down in the mess. It had gotten better since then since it happened in grade four and they were about to enter grade 11. But that initial fear of public anything will never go away.

" ...OH MY! WAIT A MAGNIFICENT MOMENT! HOW COULD I FORGET! WE'RE MISSING THE MOST IMPORTANT INGREDIENT!" Mettaton pulled a red chainsaw, similar to the one on Alphys desk from underneath the counter and yanked on the cord a loud whirring sound filling the stage. " A HUMAN SOUL!" the buttons on Mettaton's face began to flash red as he grew closer to an unfazed Frisk.

The human held up a hand. " First of all only the amazing red haired Grimm Reaper that is Grell Sutcliff is allowed to kill me with a chainsaw. That fabulously gay Shinigami is the best damn chainsaw wielder if I ever saw one and he would be very disappointed with your performance eventhoughtheyweretakenawayandhehadtousetinyassschoolscissorstoreapthememories BUT THAT'S NOT IMPORTANT! What's important is what about the vegetarian monsters? You know the ones that don't want to eat human meat?"

" HMMM. THAT ACTUALLY SEEMS LIKE A GOOD IDEA! BUT YOU DON'T GET A SAY SINCE YOU'RE ABOUT TO DIE!" the robot drew closer.

Overhead speakers whirred, a high pitched ringing sound that screamed in Frisk's ear until the teen realized that the sound didn't exist and it was their once a month four hour tinnitus spell starting up.

" Oh joy." Frisk stuck a pinkie in their ear.

"...WHAT? I AM IN THE MIDDLE OF SOMETHING IMPORTANT HERE~"

" Uh...don't you perhaps thinks substitution to the recipe you could make? Oh wait. I mean- god I can't engrish English I mean-"

" Alphys are you okay? Cause either you're having a stroke right now or you're taking speaking lesson from Yoda, both of which I can assure you lying down will be the best option you could possibly do. Though if its the stroke one see a medical doctor right away. By the way, what are the symptoms of having a heart attack or an aneurysm because I'm sure one of these days you just might have one from the pure amount of stress you are going through."

Monsters don't have blood so neither of conditions she is at high risk for. Though she might have a Soul Flicker. Which is the monster version of a human heart attack

" What about aneurysms?"

" WHAT ABOUT ANEURYSMS? WHAT I'M GETTING AT IS THAT YOUR WANT ME TO USE A DIFFERENT NON HUMAN INGREDIENT?"

" uh...yes/ uh...yes?"

"..."

"...Metta-?"

" THAT'S A BRILLIANT IDEA ALPHYS? ACTUALLY, I HAPPEN TO HAVE AN OPTION RIGHT HERE! MTT-BRAND-ALWAYS CONVENIENT-HUMAN-SOUL-FLAVORED SUBSTITUTE! "

" At least now I know what MTT stands for. But the flavored substitute is a thing that is? How do you even know what a human soul tastes like? I don't even think something like that is edible. I mean you might accidentally absorb it if you try to eat it. Does that mean when a monster pulls out my soul to try to kill me, I can lick it and taste something. Cause if that's the case then I'm pretty sure my soul would taste like red wine since its burgundy. It would probably be the bitter wine since I'm so blunt and flat. Well mostly salty and angsty and sarcastic and hating on myself all the time but I don't think there is a flavor of wine for that. Also the ringing in my ears is progressively getting louder and soon I won't be able to hear myself think so I definitely won't be able to hear you."

"UM...ARE YOU OKAY DARLING? YOU SEEM LIKE THE KIND OF PERSON WITH MANY ISSUES."

" I am never okay. Also I'm not subscribed to any magazines so I don't have any issues but if you're talking about mental and emotional then that is a list long enough to wrap around the earth completely eight times. You can also do that if you line all your capillaries, veins and arteries end to end but I'm pretty sure you'd be dead the moment you cut yourself open and pull all the circulatory pathways out your body. Sorry I just get really weird and talkative when I'm nervous cause I hate doing public anything to the reality of what is probably the entire Underground is startling to settle like too much sugar at the bottom of a cup of Lipton tea and I think I need to lie down. Like forever. Cause my head is swimming and my stomach is having an argument with whatever is in it even though there is nothing and I'm sure the Gastric acid is eating away at the lining and the ringing in my ears has reached its maximum so I'm not sure if what I'm saying is actually what my brain wants me to say. Like I remember going to Subway this one time and I was staring at the cucumbers and my brain was telling my vocal cords to enunciate cucumbers put the word pickle came out of my mouth instead. So-" Frisk cut off their rambling as they dry heaved, collapsing to the floor as one hand was wrapped around their stomach, the other hand reflexively covering their mouth to block whatever the stomach sent up from spilling on the floor.

Frisk's body rocked as their stomach tried to get rid of a non existent foreign object, the teen slamming a fist on the ground to try to tell their body to stop embarrassing itself on TV. Eventually, they stopped and the red seeped out of their face, wiping tears from the corner of their eyes. " I'm fine, the ringing is still there but as long as my digestive system isn't working in reverse then I'm fine."

" OH THAT IS GOOD BECAUSE I HAVE A CAN OF THE SUBSTITUE OVER THERE ON THAT COUNTER!" Mettaton continued as if what had just transpired never happened.

" Douche bag." Frisk muttered under their breath as they witnessed Mettaton's total lack of care

Are you okay Frisk?

Gaster asked, concern spread all over his face.

' I am never okay. But I am fine.' Frisk answered mentally.

" WELL DARLING, WHY DON'T YOU GO OVER THERE AND GET IT!"

Frisk nodded, shuffling shakily to the other side of the stage where I single red can stood on a counter. Their hand reached out then retracted back.

" NOT A CAN FAN? WELL MTT BRAND USES ONLY THE FRESHEST ARTIFICAL INGREDIENTS AND CHEMICALS!"

" That's the kind of thing humans try to avoid." Frisk turned to the can again only for the counter to sink into the ground then shoot into the air. " What the he-"

" BY THE WAY, OUR SHOW RUNS ON A STRICT SHEDULE, IF YOU DON'T GET THE CAN IN THE NEXT MINUTE, WE'LL HAVE TO GO BACK TO THE ORIGINAL PLAN! SO BETTER START CLIMBING BEAUTIFUL!"

" Mettaton you prick." Frisk grumbled as they jumped on the extended counter and began their climb, five tiers up before the phone rang. Frisk grabbed it and cradled it between their ear and shoulder.

" Before you start, speak louder than usual because I can still hear the ringing." Frisk said into the speaker. climbing onto the six and seventh tiers.

" Oh no! There's not enough time to climb up! F-f-f-fortunately, I might have a plan!"

" Just say you have a plan Alphys. And what are you gonna do? Hack into the stage's electric flow and bring the counter down?" Frisk sighed, grunting into the speaker as they placed their foot on the tenth tier as they pushed up on it to climb to the eleventh. " You sound more and more like a desperate anime character every time we talk. Its annoying actually."

" N-no. I wasn't going to do that though its sounds cool now that you mention it. Um actually when I was upgrading your phone, I added a few...features!"

" Are they features that are unsurprisingly convenient to my situation?" Frisk asked in a deadpanned voices as their hand grabbed the fourteenth tier.

" Um...I have the right to withhold information. But you see the app that says jetpack? Watch this!"

The phone slid from between Frisk's ear and shoulder, transforming into a jetpack as it fell and hooking itself onto Frisk's back. " Cool but it takes months to learn how to fly a jetpack which only exists in anime and movies."

" If you've every played video games before then the controls should be almost second nature!"

Frisk looked at the controls dangling to one side of the pack, it look like the controllers for a PS 1. Frisk smirked climbing to the sixteenth tier.

" Up. Up. Down. Down. Left. Right. B. A. Start."

"..."

"...hmmm. I thought the cheat was worth a shoAAAAAAAYYYYYYY!" Frisk yelled as they were launched into the air, the jet pack flying automatically.

However, Mettaton flew above them, dropping eggs, sugar and milk, the jetpack skirting frantically around the food but only succeeded in doing the complete opposite of what it was supposed to do. Frisk growled, at Mettaton, not only for being Lord of the Shit Stains but for the fact that he was doing it so casually. It wouldn't have hurt Frisk's pride as much if Mettaton was evilly laughing as he was doing it.

The jetpack slowed as it reached the top of the counter, Mettaton hovering near it.

" MY MY. IT SEEMS YOU HAVE BESTED ME. BUT ONLY BECAUSE YOU HAD THE HELP OF THE BRILLIANT DOCTOR ALPHYS. OH I LOATH TO THINK OF WHAT WOULD HAPPEN WITHOUT HER. WELL TOODLES." the robot flew away.

" But what about the substitution?" Frisk shouted

" HAVEN'T YOU EVER SEEN A COOKING SHOW BEFORE? I ALREADY BAKED THE CAKE AHEAD OF TIME? SO FORGET IT! " the robot blasted away

" Mettaton you asshole! " Frisk shook their fist angrily as they landed on the ground, the jetpack turning back into a phone as the teen 'accidentally' cancelled Alphys call. The teen shrugged off Gaster's frown with a ' whatever it was. it probably wasn't important.' However, the skeleton understood Frisk's reasoning. They couldn't stand doing anything in public and just had to, with their life being threatened as well. It was amazing that Frisk only dry heaved instead of having a full breakdown, they could still see Frisk's body shaking as they stumbled, their posture sagging as the weight of the cameras no longer facing them sunk in.

" I hate Mettaton and everything he stands for." Frisk growled but they anger dying down as they saved, the ringing in their ears blocking Gaster's soft voice from reading their stats.

Lifting their head from the star, Frisk looked over the lava at the Core. A large mechanical structure sitting in the middle of the lava not sinking. Frisk closed their eyes and smiled marveling at the machine that their friend had created but frowning remembering that this same Core bit the hand that fed it. Or in this case erased him from existence. A vibration from the phone could be heard in Frisk's pocket, they meant to hang up but accidentally answered instead.

" See that. That's the Core. The source of all power for the Underground!"

" And you built that didn't you?" Frisk smiled, not caring whether or not Alphys had heard them.

Yes. My team and I. We built that from the ground up using nothing but the trash provided by the humans. I'm surprised that thing is still holding out.

" What? No. I mean I was there in the labs when it was being built. Worked on trying to fix the cooling systems with...with uh...it doesn't matter. But the person who did build it. No one knows who they are or if they even existed at all."

"How does it work?" Frisk asked Gaster though they knew Alphys thought the question would be directed towards her.

" It converts geothermal energy into magical electricity by uh...anyway, that's where we're going to."

" Well?"

Alphys just spared you the physics and a headache. I suggest you take that opportunity.

Gaster smirked as Frisk pouted for only a second before Alphys started talking again.

" In the Core, is an elevator that leads directly to Asgore's castle. And from there...you can go home!" Alphys hung up.

" Can I? But the right question is.."

Do you want to?

.

.

.

" I don't know."

At the end of the path was a large tubular elevator labeled R1. The teen looked at the switches and selected R2 for no reason in particular. The door closed shut behind them as it mechanical boxes whirred, signaling its ascend. Stepping out, the teen could barely hear the shouts of tiny flame elemental asking them to remember his name. Eventually they came to Sans' hotdog stand, a Vulkin with a hotdog in its crater sitting on the ground and a herpy like monster with a hotdog in her talons commenting on Sans being too lazy to scrape the snow off his stand. The teen let out a shaky breath, still upset at the skeleton after Gaster's revelation. Frisk would still play it cool even though they were sure the skeleton picked up that something was slightly off about them.

" hey buddy. wanna buy a hotdog. its 30g. though i understand if you don't have the stomach for it." Sans winked, letting Frisk know he saw what happened on TV.

" Why not?" Frisk forked up the gold.

" here ya go." Sans said, smiling.

Frisk looked at the sandwich suspiciously, it look plant like.

The meat is made out of something known as a water sausage or in other terms since we actually don't have meat down here

" Cattails. Thanks. I wonder if this will taste like an actual hotdog, a corndog or plant matter." Frisk put the food item in their inventory

" wanna another one? or two. here they are on the house, but rather, on you." Sans said, putting two hotdogs on Frisk's head.

" More. I wanna see how much of these I can balance." Frisk said though they had other motives for asking.

" okay." Sans shrugged as he began piling more hotdogs atop Frisk's head until he needed to climb to the top of the station in order to pile the hotdogs on.

" i'll be 'frank' with you. as much as i like putting hotdogs on your head, thirty is just an excessive number. twenty nine, now that's fine. but thirty, does it look like my arms can reach that high?"

" For a second i thought you were gonna say something more along the lines of ' now that's just dirty''. But to answer your question..i can't cause tilting my head upwards even the slightest means its gonna be raining cats and dogs. Well, not cats but certainly dogs that are the beginning word of the place in which we currently stand. oh shi-" Frisk partially cursed as they slipped on a hot dog that fell to the ground, the others cascading to the floor and rolling into the lava.

" Don't laugh Sans. That's mean." Frisk said as they smiled themselves, waving the skeleton good bye.

Frisk got a call from Alphys who helped them with a puzzle, got caught in a fight with a couple of monster and ended up with 100g, found an apron but couldn't carry it so they threw a stick they had away and picked up the apron instead, got a friend request from Napstablook who ended up deleting himself and other things that happened on the Undernet that Frisk didn't really pay attention to. The teen got lost on the elevators for a second, Gaster laughing at how they forgot where went when there were only three locations they could possibly go to from their current one. They saved and found themselves on a steam vent puzzle, jumping back and forth for a couple of minutes since Alphys needed to ' use the bathroom'. The teen began to get slightly infuriated until Gaster decided to just manifest his hands and lift the teen to the other side. It was there that Frisk found a save point.

Knowing that one day the mouse will hack into the computerized safe and get the cheese, fills you with Rebellion.

The ringing in Frisk's hears had died down a bit but Gaster's voice, although was loud enough to penetrate the tinnitus, it wasn't loud enough to over come the ringing and the hissing of steam and the turning of cogs that echoed in the cavern walls. Frisk took off the Temmie armor and put back on their jeans and plaid, leaving the cami and olive green army jacket in Dimensional Box A. They took the stained apron and tied it around themselves, throwing the armor into Box A as well. Frisk saved again, just to be on the safe side. As the teen made their way downtown-down the path-they heard a loud booming voice.

" Hey you! Stop!"