The Old Capital was being rebuilt. Some buildings were being taken down, some were just being renovated. Dust and dirt were raising into the air, covering the workers from head to toes. Gaster, who had constructed the plan of the new city, was overseeing the work from the balcony of what was once the house of the Royal Family, constantly taking notes.

The said situation was the only entertainment Cameron and Mike had. The house was empty, since all of the other Dreemurr children followed Ryan and Asriel to monster school, while Asgore and Toriel decided to find jobs among the normal citizens. They said it would help them become better friends with them, and they were right. Asgore, who was disappearing for the last few months somewhere in capital, opened a gardening shop, while Toriel was learning to become a teacher in the school that was supposed to be opened in the Old Capital after the renovations were done.

Chara and Alex were helping Asgore with the shop, and the rest of the free time the latter spent at Napstablook's learning music. Who could have guessed that the ghost was enough of a musical genius to teach someone? In the meantime Chara hung out with Undyne, who took her as an apprentice- which basically meant that Undyne was teaching Chara how to punch dummies to half-death, only that Chara wasn't always prepared that a dummy will punch her back. How was she supposed to know that Napstablook and Mettaton had a third cousin, who was a freaking- almost literally- DUMMY? And a very aggressive one.

Ryan was hanging in Snowdin, teaching Papyrus sign language so they could communicate and learning to cut hair on wigs that Papyrus bought to pretend he had real hair- and a good half of them underwent a honorable funeral after Ryan's practice.

Asriel was so busy learning magic and finding new friends that he had almost forgotten his home existed at all. He was back home late and exhausted every time, and only after being called from all the phones in the family.

Cameron was boringly locking his eyes on the turmoil that was going on in the city, while Mike didn't find anything better to do than watch the ground. It took Cameron a good quad an hour to see an ant sized Froggit hopping around, which was the item Mike's eyes were following.

-Let's go to the flowers.-

Mike offered, suddenly tearing his eyes from the Froggit.

-Um... Why?-

Cameron raised an eyebrow slightly.

-No reason...-

Mike had to drop his look, since Cameron's expression made him not as comfortable as before. Cameron understood it quickly and softened his countenance.

-Well, um... We can go there, I guess.-

He spoke swiftly.

-Try not to walk around too much, the building ground is dangerous and I have to...-

Gaster began.

-...Lead us through so we don't get ourselves killed...-

Cameron finished for him, hearing this phrase a hundred times by now.

Now that Cameron and Mike were kind off left behind, they stuck to monsters like Gaster to learn anything interesting. They weren't allowed to monster school with the others because of certain physical and mental disabilities, so Gaster volunteered to add to their knowledge on days like this- although today the only thing they learned was how renovations looked from above.

-Do you remember the clear path?-

The scientist asked, meaning the area where no renovations were going.

-Yes, sure.-

Cameron lifted himself from the ground up on crutches, with Mike following shortly after.

-We'll make sure to not get killed.-

Cameron grinned and crutched away, gestured Mike to follow, who hurried after him. They walked silently, mainly because there was nothing to talk about. Their lives got boring lately.

-Hey, do you see something there?-

Mike suddenly asked when the flower bed got in sight.

-Flowers? Though... Wait. I do see something.-

Cameron went a bit ahead and stopped in his tracks, his eyes getting wide and round.

-What is it?-

Mike's sight and concentration weren't as sharp as Cameron's, so he had to come almost to the edge of the flower bed, before his heart skipped a beat. The flowers were being covered by a body of a girl. Black-haired, very dark-skinned, and wearing a tutu and ballet shoes.

-Cameron... Is she...-

He gulped nervously and took a few steps back. Cameron crutched ahead.

-She looks alive, as much as I can tell...-

He mumbled, but his words were only to calm Mike down-he had no idea how to identify a corpse. Unexpectedly, the girl shifted slightly and took in a breath.

-Yes, she is very much alive.-

He added, cracking a stupid grin. Mike vented in relief and crouched down to the girl. Her face was covered by thick headbangs, and only a slightly opened mouth was visible.

-Hello? Can you... can you hear me?-

He asked carefully, getting down to his knees. The girl let out a barely audible groan, before her head shifted in Mike's direction, and... He had a couple of his ribs broken. The girl kicked him with such power that he was thrown back a good few meters, hugging his torso with both arms and starting to gasp quickly. Both he and Cameron could very well hear the crack coming from his body with the impact.

-Mike!-

Cameron tried to crouch to Mike, and found his crutches being thrown away. The girl gave out another kick, making him fall down beside Mike.

-Ow... Damn you...-

He hissed, lifting his torso on his elbow. The girl was now towering above them. She was approximately Alex's height, maybe a little shorter, strong and fit, her legs were covered by fresh bruises from the fall. Her hair didn't even reach her shoulders, but they didn't let her eyes peek through, and the boys had no clue how was she seeing them.

-Oh, jeepers, are you all right?-

She suddenly asked. Her voice was surprisingly fruity, in a feminine way. Like Chara's.

-Do we seem like it?-

Cameron growled, reaching for his crutches and hurrying to get up, hoping to feel less vulnerable, but felt only worse. She was much taller than him, and appeared to be much stronger, which made him feel more and more insecure.

-Then call for help.-

She said like nothing happened. Cameron dropped his eyes at Mike, who was still gasping on the floor, and pulled out his phone, from now on not taking his eyes away from the girl. He waited through a few rings before Gaster answered:

-Yes?-

-Doctor Gaster, we need you on the flower bed... As soon as possible.-

-Have you gotten yourselves into something?-

-Yes, no... Almost. Something did happen, yes...-

-I'm coming.-

A moment later, Gaster appeared out of thin air beside Cameron, and immediately had to pick his jaw from the floor. His eyes got focused on the girl, and he gulped before shaking himself back into reality. Only then he saw Mike curled up on the ground, and hurried to use healing magic on him.

-Now, do you mind explaining what happened? I mean, I can see, but in detail.-

The Doctor said after Mike, affected by Gaster's and his own healing magic, fainted.

-Well... Uh... THIS representer of living beings attacked us!-

Cameron breathed out, only later realizing how weird he must have sounded using this specific order of words. Too much time spent listening to Chara and Alex...

-And what do you mean by 'attacked'?-

-She kicked Mike with THAT much power because he asked her if she heard us, and then sent my crutches flying away... IN ADDITION, she asked us if we were all right after that.-

Cameron moved his look at the girl, who peacefully listened to what he had to say until now.

-I see.-

Gaster, too, turned to the girl, lifting Mike on his arms.

-May we know your name, young lady?-

He asked.

-Laura von Bartlesby, at your service.-

-I see. I am Gaster, the local scientist and Doctor. Do you mind coming with us?-

-Doesn't seem like I have anywhere else I can go.-

The girl's tone sounded surprisingly calm, even a bit cheerful, as if she was absolutely cool with going somewhere with a skeleton-like thing. Cameron, however, wasn't happy at all.

-But Doctor Gaster!...-

-You don't have to worry, Cameron, I'll stay around at least until Mike comes to. Moreover, Queen Toriel has to be home by now, am I right?-

-Yeah...-

Cameron looked down, biting his lips. He wasn't too cool with the fact that a girl that they didn't know was going to hang around, mostly after trying to kill them- or at least making it seem like she did. He grabbed Gaster by the jacket, and unwillingly signed the girl to do the same. The next moment, they were in the house. The girl dropped to the floor from dizziness.

-Yikes, that's one trippy trip.-

-You'll get used. Anyway, anybody home?-

-Coming!-

Toriel's voice sounded from the kitchen as she entered the living room, and her eyes turned round.

-What ha... Oh My God... What is...-

-Toriel, this girl appeared in the Underground... Along with a fracture to a pair of Mike's bones.-

Cameron shrugged with the best poker face he could force on. Toriel didn't know what to snatch first, before Gaster calmed her down that he will tend to Mike's broken ribs. Mike was left on a couch with Gaster hovering above him, while Toriel turned to meet the newly arrived.

-How did you end up here, child? What made you attack Mike? I don't believe he's done anything.-

-Ma'am, I know that it looks suspicious, but I don't think many would act differently if a stranger knelt down to them without warning.-

-We were trying to help!-

Cameron boomed from behind at the girl, making her quickly turn her head to him. He stumbled back, widening his eyes, as he felt that she was glaring at him, which he had no idea how could she possibly do with this headbang.

-Well, you didn't seem like it.-

She countered. Feeling uneasy at the thought of ruining his relationship with the newly arrived, Cameron attempted an escape.

-I'll go see how Mike's doing.-

He said, smirking slightly and slid to the couch, where Mike finally awakened. Gaster was thoughtfully tapping his fingers on his chin, looking down.

-It doesn't seem anything is broken anymore, although I suggest for him to be checked for the rest of the week.-

He said, before turning to Toriel and repeating it to her. Mike lifted himself to sitting position and turned to Camron.

-This girl is unnerving.-

He whispered.

-I know, but hey, remember that after seeing each other for the first time, Alex and Chara almost killed each other! Maybe she isn't planning on killing us furthermore.-

Cameron grinned, sitting down beside Mike.

-What's her name?-

-Name? Um... wait, Gaster asked, and I forgot. I think it was... L... Loren? Laureen?-

-It's Laura, thanks for asking.-

They heard her shout from the kitchen, and being embarrassed by the awkwardness of the created situation, skittered to the bedroom, where they spent most of the day trying to scout out the new arrival, who now commandeered the conveniently far from their field of vision couch.

Toriel entered the bedroom after watching the boys for a few hours to confront them.

-Boys, I understand that you didn't get along with Laura, but maybe you can try now, give her a guide around...-

-I'll feel much safer around her when Chara or Alex will be around. I mean, I don't have anything against the girl, but um, she looks much, MUCH stronger than us. And she already showed us that she can put us down.-

Cameron excused them, and after that Toriel didn't bring up anymore questions.

Already closer to night time, Chara and Asriel came home. Ryan was staying with Asgore at the store at least until midnight, while Alex said that he had unfinished business with Napstablook. Of course they were surprised to half-death to see the new human, and Asriel hurried to interview her:

-Hey, I'm Asriel! What's your name? How old are you? How did you end up down here? Did you make friends with Mike and Cameron already? How do you like it here so far? Do you like tea? And pies? Can you see me through this hair? Have you ever had long hair? Why do you cover your eyes?-

And that wasn't even half of the questions he brought up. Chara was sitting at the kitchen table, drinking tea and laughing at the view of the girl slowly backing away from the Prince of the Underground, who slowly creeped closer to her.

Cameron finally dared to crawl out of the bedroom and to join Chara at the table.

-So, how do you like her so far?-

She asked him, grinning.

-Not at all yet. First thing she did after we found her was breaking a couple of ribs in Mike's body.-

Chara turned around sharply, rounding her eyes, and Cameron hurried to continue:

-He is okay now, Gaster patched him. Anyways, we didn't exactly get along, so we... Didn't get out of the bedroom until now.-

Chara snickered loudly and Cameron blushed deeply.

-She is twice our strength combined, I didn't want to have all my bones broken.-

Around midnight, half of the house was sleeping, when Asgore and Ryan came back. They weren't warned about the girl, and Asgore's mouth widened incredibly.

-What have I missed?-

He asked when Toriel swam out of her bedroom in a nightshirt.

-Gorey, this is Laura, she is new to the Underground. Mike and Cameron found her at the flower bed today.-

She introduced. All this time Laura was walking aimlessly around the house, and opened every single book that existed in the living room. Chara and Cameron were sleeping on the kitchen table, while Mike slept in the bedroom.

The first thing Ryan found to do was wait until Laura rested on the couch again and try to touch her hair. At first she didn't seem to mind, until he tried to lift her headbangs...

-Stop it, you microwaved hamster!-

She boomed at him. Ryan jumped off with round eyes, before bursting out laughing. Cameron and Chara jolted awake at the noise, giving Ryan a questioning look. Toriel grabbed the youngest human's shoulder, smiling in amusement.

-Now Ryan, I don't think she likes having her hair messed.-

-Hey Ryan, come here!-

Cameron signed him, and Ryan with the speed of light got by his side, getting his hands on his long hair, which by now was on the level of his waist.

-Why don't you go to sleep?-

Toriel asked the squad.

-I'm waiting for Alex to come home.-

Cameron said. Toriel nodded and turned to Asgore, who looked abnormally serious and skeptical while studying Laura with his eyes. Something seemed to be wrong, and it unnerved everyone. However when he first met Alex, he was skeptical as well, so nobody took his gaze way too serious- and Laura didn't seem to notice the glare fixed on her at all. She was silent and creeped everybody out.

Around 1am Alex dropped through the door into the house, with his guitar on his back and with tired, hungry eyes.

-I spend too much time around ghosts...-

He mumbled, leaving his guitar in the bedroom, where Chara too had fallen asleep, and Cameron with Ryan couldn't hold on awake as well. Alex was warned about the newcomer earlier, and wasn't too surprised to see her on the couch.

-Hello? You are... Laura it was, right?-

He asked, reaching a hand out to her. She got up from the couch, showing all of her impressive height. She was as tall as him, maybe a few centimeters shorter, but it was barely visible, which was seen only by Alex's sharp eyes.

-Oh, so you are... Alec?-

-Alexander. Someone mentioned me already?-

-That one guy with long hair.-

-Cameron. He is my brother. I'll settle down and come back to explain some things.-

Alex turned around and disappeared in the shower. Something seemed odd about this girl, and he had no explanation to what was it. He sat under the water for good half-an-hour, before jumping into night clothes and crawling out of it. He was feeling more sleepy now, and almost fell asleep in standing position. He noticed that the couch was now empty and the living room dark, but the lights in the kitchen were on. Weird. Rubbing his eyes tiredly, Alex entered the kitchen to face Laura, sitting at a kitchen table with a cup of tea in her hands. His mind tried to proceed how a newbie found the way to the tea, and it took him a good minute to remember that the jar filled with tea packs was the first thing a person could see when entering the kitchen. Instinctively, Alex dropped in front of her on the chair parallel to hers.

After almost falling asleep on the table, Alex made out Laura mumbling things, and forced the leftovers of his energy to concentrate on it:

-...Well... A lotta crap happened today... The client, oh God... At least paid nice... Then the dream... I was someone else entirely... Interesting how it connected to the fall... then some guys found me... what were their names again?-

Alex, who almost fell asleep again, out of nowhere decided to reply, but he didn't even make out the actual question, and mechanically answered:

-Alex.-

-Nah, there were definitely two of them...-

A pause followed.

-Wait, that was outside...-

She lifted her head, and Alex felt like she was now focusing her gaze on him, which made him wake up immediately and he lifted his head too. He saw her slowly getting up, which made him feel vulnerable, and he jolted up as well. She was stepping closer, and he was going backwards, before WHAM! he hit the couch and dropped on it. Alex's brain refused to proceed the information of what was going on, and while he tried to make it do that, the girl found her way on Alex's lap. In his current state, he didn't even find it strange. He just looked at her with round eyes looking like huge coins.

-Well... That turned out as well as it could have.-

Laura murmured.

-What turned out well? How else was it supposed to turn out?-

Alex asked drowsily. Laura tilted her head, making it feel as if she was staring at him.

-Why... Are you sitting like this?-

-...You ever see faces in the dark?-

She asked, turning her head and freezing, as if looking at something. Alex focused his eyes, and indeed, in the area not lit by kitchen light was now what he would consider a lack of light. It was varying it's shape like a vantablack cloud, with the wrinkles varying into all kinds of shapes, some fanged and horned, others crooked and mangled.

-Now I...-

He started a reply, but Laura interrupted in a quick whisper. He could figure out a "silence" at the start of the sentence, which then continued as a chanting rant he couldn't understand. He knew that he won't get any answers from her, so he looked around, and she was right. Except for her quiet mumbling, it was deadly silent, and the kitchen light was more than half less bright than just a minute ago, letting the entropy close in on its victims.

He felt it. The call of the void. He couldn't see it through the darkness, even if it was right in front of him and not just entering the doorway towards his back, and yet he knew it was there, walking towards the fireplace, still not a sound beyond Laura's whispering. Not even the cracking sound of the... FIRE. He remembered. They hurt, the fire tongues.

He tried to move, but the fear had sharpened his senses and numbed his mind. He could just sit, listen to the whispering and observe the neo-black creature that was now between the fireplace and him, like a victim of sleep paralysis.

As the towering silhouette squatted into a position one might take to try petting a Chihuahua, Alex's keen eyes could figure out a shape in the hollowness.

Three-jointed legs grew into a peculiarly slim torso with the hands looking as if made of needles, which continued into an almost a foot long neck of average width that was leaned towards him, finishing with a featureless face except... HIS eyes?

And no mistake, a pair of bright yellow soul mirrors stared back from the abyss, mirroring Alex's white pale face, and... Bleeding sockets.

Outmatched and overpowered in the game of will, Alex could only watch as the figure bared its teeth in a further-than-ear wide grin.