A/N: Gonna be posting a song for this chapter on my YouTube channel IHF Music :D

~Percy~

"That's it, then…!" Undyne yelled as the children approached. "No more running away!" She ran down the cliff, holding out a spear. "HERE I COME!"

The battle with the great Undyne finally began.

Brayden was cheering. Frisk had their arms tensed. Clover was giving Undyne an intense stare. Percy shook his head. His whole body was trembling.

"She's the heroine that NEVER gives up," Frisk echoed.

"As long as you're trapped in this shield you can't escape!" Undyne yelled. "Unless you learn to face danger head on… you won't last a second against me!"

The kids' SOULs were stuck inside a barrier. Spears came from above. The barrier, however, protected them from the spears, so no one was getting hurt.

"Seriously?!" Brayden groaned, making a face. "This is even easier than freaking Papyrus!"

"Because Papyrus was easy for you," Melody muttered.

"It's a catch 22 for both of us," Percy realized. "We're stuck in this barrier, but Undyne can't attack us."

"This is totally unfair?" Undyne groaned, realizing her mistake. "SCREW IT! WE'RE DOING IT THIS WAY!"

Suddenly, all the children were separated. They stood in a line.

Undyne passed them all a spear, smiling menacingly. "THERE! NOW YOU CAN DEFEND YOURSELVES FAIRLY!"

"THAT'S MORE LIKE IT!" Brayden cheered.

Cody observed his spear. Percy knew Cody was pretty good with self-defense, so he knew Cody would be able to take care of himself. Melody seemed a little anxious. Clover was still staring at Undyne. Faye was hanging around Frisk.

Percy held the glowing, blue spear in his hands. He reached for his precious notebook. He realized he was quivering. His breaths were getting heavy.

Stop, he told himself. Not now.

"Undyne, we don't want to fight!" Cody pleaded. "We just want to talk!"

But nothing happened.

"Let's see how we go with THIS!" Undyne yelled.

Spears rained down from above, left and right. Percy's brain started acting up. He began stressing out and losing his concentration. Whenever things got too chaotic for him to understand, he stressed. And when he stressed, everything went wrong.

"FOCUS!" Brayden yelled, eyeing the others.

"Careful!" Frisk warned.

Faye was standing behind Frisk. Cody was defending Clover (and Melody) for once. Brayden was running around and waving the spear, screaming a battle cry.

Percy was trying to defend himself, but he didn't have any focus. The spears seemed to be coming from everywhere. His brain was confused. It needed lines and order, not absolute chaos. Percy's hands were getting sweaty. He panicked. Spears were hitting him. Blood seeped through his sweater. Percy started to pant.

"NERD BOY!" Brayden yelled. "Focus!" He had a spear in his shoulder, but he still looked fierce.

"Percy!" Frisk came over.

They held out a Cinnamon Bunny. Percy accepted it. Eating it cleared some of the fuzz in his brain. Frisk's brow was creased with concern.

"Are you okay, Percy?" Melody asked, staring at him with concern.

"I don't know…" Percy mumbled.

He read over his notes to calm himself down.

He scribbled, hard, so hard, so dead. I don't understand.

"Percy," Frisk put a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay. You'll be okay."

Percy took a deep breath. "I…"

"I'll protect you," Frisk told him, firm but still gentle. "Just stay calm."

Percy nodded. He knew he couldn't give up.

Undyne yelled, "For years, we've dreamed of a happy ending… and now, sunlight is just within our reach!"

Spears appeared again. Percy freaked out. Frisk blocked off the spears like they did it for breakfast. They didn't even break a sweat. How? Frisk had insane skills.

Melody was still looking at him, frowning. Percy knew Melody knew about some of his… problems. That's why she wasn't bothered when he excessively took notes. The one person that didn't seem to mind.

Brayden was running around, wiping his brow. Clover and Cody were protecting each other. Faye was standing with them now. Cody was trying to calm her down.

"I won't let you kids snatch it away from us!" Undyne yelled, bouncing impatiently.

There were even more spears. Frisk kept both Percy and Melody safe.

"OW!" Brayden complained. He'd got another spear in his other shoulder.

"Gimme a sec," Frisk waved at Percy and Melody dashing off.

Melody gazed at Percy, gaze fierce. "Stay calm, Percy. I won't let anything happen to you."

"NGAH!" Undyne bellowed. "Enough warming up!"

Melody wasn't as good as blocking spears as Frisk. Quite terrible, actually. Her arms were splattered in blood and her breaths were heavy.

Percy felt a pain in his heart. Why her?

"Melody..." he croaked.

Undyne waved her spear. The kids' spears disappeared. Brayden and Frisk were grinning at each other.

"HEY! UNDUMB!" Brayden yelled, blowing a raspberry at Undyne. "A SNAIL CAN THROW SPEARS FASTER THAN YOU!"

"Actually, one can…" Faye quietly commented. "I saw it…"

"Brayden!" Melody cursed. "Don't stir her up!"

Frisk shook their butt at Undyne. "Can't catch us, Undumb!"

"Brayden!" Melody shrieked. "What have you done?!

"NGAAH!" Undyne roared. "YOU STUPID KIDS!"

She chased after Brayden and Frisk. Frisk gave the others a thumbs up. The two led her down a path, past the pile of rocks.

"Let's go, y'all!" Clover ordered.

The kids followed Undyne and the other two. They came to a blue pathway. Undyne had caught Frisk, but they had a smug look on their face. They blocked every spear. They looked away every few moments and yawned, or checked their phone. Undyne bared her teeth, growling.

"HEY!" Brayden stuck his tongue out. "You can't hit me! You can't hit me! Na na na na na!"

Undyne growled, her spears increasing.

"What is this obnoxious behaviour?!" Melody demanded.

"Guys, keep moving!" Brayden shouted.

Undyne spun around, glaring at the other five. "There you are! You can't escape me!"

The other kids were forced to battle Undyne again.

Percy freaked out. He was given another spear. His hands grew sweaty.

"You humans will NEVER make it past ASGORE!" Undyne yelled.

Spears came from everywhere. Cody was very good at defending himself. Clover was slowly improving. Melody was giving Percy wary glances, chest heaving. Faye was hiding behind Cody.

Percy grimaced. His brain was struggling to understand all this chaos. The battle with Papyrus was a little strange, but it was just jumping and knowing when to jump. This was different.

Percy got hit with more spears. His HP had decreased to 5. Undyne was flipping her spear impatiently. Suddenly, she got hit in the head with a stick. Frisk blew a raspberry.

"Come and get it, fish breath!" Brayden yelled. He put his fist in his palm.

"Honestly, killing you all is my mercy!" Undyne bellowed.

She summoned more spears. Frisk turned their attention to Percy, biting their lip. He clenched his sweater in his fist. He used his other hand to hold out the spear. His body trembled. Blood soaked his sweater.

Undyne fired her spears at the children. They were getting faster. There were yellow spears that went around the other way when they approached. Percy shivered. His vision blurred more and more.

"Percy…" Melody stared at him.

He just couldn't focus. His notes couldn't help him. He got hit by more spears.

Frisk appeared in front of him. Determination and desperation were in their eyes. Percy's vision went foggy, even with the glasses on.

"I'm gonna die…" he uttered.

"No, you won't," Frisk told him. "Stay determined, Percy. I'm here."

"So STOP being so damn resilient!" Undyne yelled, drawing her finger across her neck.

"I…" Percy mumbled. He didn't want to give up. But yet… "I… I can't do this anymore…"

"Percy, no!" Melody shrieked.

"Don't give up," Frisk told him. "We're all here for you. We'll protect you. You're strong, Percy. You're smart. You deserve to live."

Percy's breaths were shaking. "Frisk…"

"ENOUGH!" Undyne roared. She threw another spear, right at him. It was about to hit his soul.

But it didn't hit him.

Frisk fell over, blood pouring from their abdomen. They stood over Percy, still smiling.

"Frisk…" Percy gazed up at them.

"I'll be okay," Frisk stood up. "I… I just need to heal…"

Cody raced over to them, holding their shoulder. Percy's heart hurt even more.

They got hurt… because of me…

I am selfish, aren't I?

"Damn, this kid is tough," Undyne grunted. "But don't think I forgot about the rest of you!"

She turned her spears onto Melody.

"No," Percy uttered.

Frisk gasped, reaching out. "Melody…"

But it was too late. The spear was fired, too fast for Melody to react.

Melody fell to her knees, surrounded by a pool of her own blood. Her chest heaved.

"MELODY!" Brayden screamed.

"I-It'll be okay!" Cody squeaked, running over to Melody. "I promise! I can help! I…"

Melody gazed at Percy, but he couldn't face her mutilated form. He felt so sick. He felt so… afraid. He felt like screaming and throwing up and crying all at once. He couldn't be near people. Not now. Not when his own best friend was...

"I have to go…" he stammered.

He walked off, clutching his sweater. His notebook was in his other hand. His chest felt tight. His breathing was still heavy. But he knew he had to get away from here. He left the area.

He returned to the place with the bridge. He walked across the bridge, still feeling funny. He had an idea about where he was going. He sort of felt like he'd been here before.

For a second, he thought he saw the Fallen Angel. The child was staring at him. They looked empty inside, yet also regretful. Percy felt obliged to glare at them. They wanted to destroy the world, after all.

Percy took notes. He wrote, Vision of the Fallen Angel. Seems empty and regretful. Possible theories include intimidation? Could not see them before.

Percy sighed. He was so neglectful. But what could he do? He couldn't fight like this.

I'm… not a good friend, he whimpered.

Percy saw The Fallen Angel again, at the end of the hall. They were staring at him. It didn't look evil or malicious.

Percy took notes, They appear to be following me. Their intention is unclear.

He took a step towards them. The Fallen Angel kept staring at him. What did they want?

"hey, kiddo," Sans appeared at the end of the hall. The Angel disappeared. Percy nearly jumped out of his skin.

"heh, sorry," Sans chuckled. "didn't mean to scare ya. where are your friends?"

"Fighting Undyne." Percy answered, clutching his notebook.

"oh," Sans replied. He sounded a little confused. "why aren'tcha' with 'em?"

"I can't fight Undyne." Percy sighed.

He flicked the pages of the notebook. He thought of Clover scowling at him; his heart sank even lower.

"hey, no sweat, perce," Sans chuckled. "i'm lazy all the time. you need a break. undyne's pretty tough." He scratched his skull. "anyway, i gotta go. i've got work to miss out on. later."

He disappeared. Percy shook his head. Then he saw the Fallen Angel for the third time. They were closer this time. Only a few footsteps away.

"What do you want?" Percy asked.

"I do not have much time," they responded. Their voice sounded croaky. "They're preventing me from appearing more frequently. Listen, Percy Verance. They do not have power, merely DETERMINATION. You can use your own determination as a weapon. And I-"

"Percy?"

Percy looked up. Frisk was there.

"Frisk, you…" he looked away. "You are supposed to be helping the others."

"But what about you?" Frisk asked.

"Just leave me be," Percy sighed. "I… I cannot handle it."

"Yes you can," Frisk told him. "All you need is determination."

"Determination." Percy muttered.

"I believe in you," Frisk told him. "You've been through a lot, but you came out on top, didn't you?"

Percy said nothing.

"Believe in yourself," Frisk told him. "Believe in your friends."

Why did Percy feel his eyes start to water?

Frisk gently touched his shoulder. "I gotta go… but whatever you choose to do, it'll be okay."

They ran off, waving as they disappeared.

Percy wondered who 'they' was, the one the Fallen Angel had been referring to. Frisk? That was understandable. Chara had awful plans for the world, after all. Of course Frisk would try to keep them out.

Percy wondered why the Fallen Angel was offering him advice. What did they want? And what did they mean by determination?

Determination is the only way to survive this world. Percy remembered when he spoke to Melody. If you leave, you will die.

How did he know that? How did he know she would supposedly die?Percy realized he would die too if he stayed here.

If Frisk believed in him, could be believe in himself too?

Perseverance was the key. He couldn't leave his best friend behind.

"I need Melody," Percy got out, "but she needs me too."

He stood up, wiping his brow. He knew what he had to do. He couldn't give up. Determination was the only way to survive this world. And Percy was going to prove it now.

Frisk, he thought. You… you are far smarter than me. I will trust your wisdom. Thank you.

Percy, staying low, followed Undyne and his friends. The fish lady was battling them nearby a large, electronic sign that read 'WELCOME TO HOTLAND'. She was suplexing a boulder, just because she could.

Percy's friends were blocking her spears. Melody was by the side, but it seemed like Brayden had got some injuries too.

Frisk looked very worried; Percy could understand that. He was about to run in, when Frisk got a phone call from Papyrus. The kids surrounded the phone.

"HEY!" Papyrus yelled. "WHAT'S UP?!"

"Undyne is trying to kill us." Faye answered in a rather bright tone.

"You don't say." Melody mumbled.

"OH, REALLY?!" Papyrus asked. "'CAUSE I WAS JUST THINKING… YOU ALL, ME AND UNDYNE SHOULD ALL HANG OUT SOMETIME! I THINK YOU WOULD MAKE GREAT PALS!"

"She's tryna kill us, Pap." Clover said, making a face.

"LET'S MEET UP AT HER HOUSE LATER!" Papyrus cheered as if he hadn't heard her. He hung up.

"Where even is her place?" Brayden asked, scratching his head.

Undyne caught the humans before they could get too far. "COME BACK HERE, YOU LITTLE PUNKS!"

"I'm going to die…" Melody whimpered.

"No, you won't," Frisk told her, waving their hands. "We-"

Clover rammed into them, avoiding another spear. They made some kind of angry yelp. Spears swarmed the children. Clover looked like she wanted to defend Melody, but she was too far away. So was Cody. Faye was too scared to move.

Now it's my time, Percy held out his fists.

He thought of Bleach, one of his favourite anime. And he remembered their battle cry…

"BAN… KAI!" Percy yelled, running in front of Melody.

He held up his books as a mechanism of defense. They glowed purple for a moment, deflecting the spears. However, one spear managed to knock off Percy's glasses. It revealed his very pretty purple eyes.

"Percy…!" Melody gasped, eyeing him.

"YEAH!" Brayden cheered. "NERD BOY!"

Clover raised her brow. Percy blushed when he noticed her staring at him. Faye and Cody looked up. Frisk just smiled.

"THE HELL?!" Undyne yelled. "Where did YOU come from?! Also, was that a Bleach reference?"

"Did you really think I'd give up that easily?" Percy asked. For some reason, he could see fine without his glasses. That never happened. But he did know something. He was feeling very determined right now, like he could take on the world. He never felt like that. "No! I'm a SOUL of PERSEVERANCE! WE'RE DETERMINED TO THE END! AND YES, THAT WAS A BLEACH REFERENCE! THANKS FOR NOTICING!"

"WELL…!" Undyne glared at him. "LET'S SEE WHAT YOU'RE MADE OF, PUNK!"

"HUMANS ARE MADE OF SIX DIFFERENT ELEMENTS: CARBON, OXYGEN, NITROGEN, CALCIUM, PHOSPHORUS AND HYDROGEN!" Percy yelled. "WE'RE ALSO 60% WATER! AND WE HAVE SOMETHING ELSE, TOO - DETERMINATION!"

He'd never yelled so much before. He left that to people like Brayden.

"NGAHH!" Undyne yelled.

She threw spears at Percy. The wind was howling. Pages from Percy's books were flying everywhere. They surrounded Percy like he controlled them. He glared at Undyne. He held out his fist. His long, black hair blew back in the wind. He grabbed one of Undyne's spears and held it out in front of him, defending himself from the rest of her spears.

"How is he doin' that?" Clover asked.

"He's got powers?!" Brayden asked. "No fair! I want powers!"

"Percy…" Melody was staring at Percy. She shook her head in disbelief. "You really are something."

"I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF NOTES CONTROLLING MY LIFE!" Percy faced Undyne. A single spear hadn't hit him. His eyes were glowing. At least, Percy hoped they were. "I… I JUST DON'T… I JUST DON'T WANT THIS… I don't want to be scared anymore… it's costing me everything… friends… family…"

He sighed and looked away. He was always thinking about himself. He never thought about other people. He was so selfish, so scared.

How could he have done this to the people who were trying to help him?

"Percy…?" Melody gave him a glance. "Are you okay?"

"I'm sorry, Melody," Percy said. He choked up. Was he going to cry? He rarely cried. "Because of me, you were alone too. I abandoned you when you needed me because I'm a coward." He looked at Brayden. "Sorry, Brayden. You never did anything wrong. I was just too selfish to want anyone to become friends with Melody…"

Frisk nodded, proudly.

"Uh, you do realise we're in the middle of a battle, right?" Undyne asked.

Percy sighed, holding out his notebook. "Then let's finish this."

"Percy!" Frisk waved at him. "Copy me!"

Percy nodded. He gazed back at Undyne. "Catch me if you can." He raced off, yelling, "BAN… KAI!"

Frisk was at his side. "Come on, guys!"

The other kids joined on the escape. Undyne roared and chased after them all.

The kids came to a hot, dry area. The ground was barren patches, surrounded by lava. Rocks made up the walls. Occasionally, Brayden would look back and yell something at Undyne. Percy focused on running across the bridge that crossed over the sea of lava. He didn't even pay attention to Sans, who was snoozing at a sentry station. Frisk was still beside Percy. The two shared a look of pride.

The other humans were there as well. Brayden was carrying Faye, somehow. Clover was keeping an eye on her brother. Undyne was glaring at the snoozing Sans. Percy's hair was covering his shoulders. Melody was behind… until she tripped. Undyne stared at her.

"Don't even think about it." Percy grumbled. He turned back and helped her stand up.

"You two!" Undyne roared.

Percy and Melody stood together, facing Undyne.

"You're amazing," Melody told him.

"And so are you," Percy replied. He paused. "You're the best friend I could ever ask for."

Melody rolled her eyes, shaking her head good-naturedly. "I'm proud of you, Percy."

Percy led her across the bridge, away from Undyne. Notebook pages were still floating around. The duo reached the other side. Percy took a moment to breathe.

Undyne caught up. She was drenched in sweat, panting heavily.

"Armour… so… hot…" she breathed. "But I can't… give up!"

She collapsed and fell on the bridge.

"YEAH!" Brayden cheered. "SUCKER! TAKE THAT, UNDUMB!"

Percy shook his head, his arms heavy. What had gotten into him?

"Damn Perce, that was amazin'," Clover told him.

"I…" he mumbled. His cheeks were going red, and not just from the heat. "Thanks, Clover…"

His vision felt all cloudy. He needed his glasses back. But it was not just that. The heat, the power he used…

Also, the fact that Clover was holding his shoulder.

"You okay, Percy?" Frisk asked him, walking over.

"The world is merciless, and it's also very beautiful…" Percy quoted.

His head was pounding. His hands were sweaty. He was so tired. What was that power he created? Did he have powers after all? Or was it determination? He, as much as he hated to admit it, wished he had his notebook and glasses again.

"Determination is the only way to survive this world…" he muttered. "Frisk… thank you."

Then everything went black.