GERSON
Mosu Takibi and Mióm found themselves at the entrance to a cave, a sign outside the front making it clear this was where they were meant to be, 'Gerson's Goods' labelling said sign. Gerson, their target. Neither were really sure why Gerson was a target at all. All reports made it clear he was next to harmless. Just a slow, really old turtle monster who often took an entire day to complete a morning jog. Despite their doubts, they didn't dare question the leaders, and so, they came to do the deed and earn their titles as lieutenants. Becoming a lieutenant in the Messiah was a two-step process. First, a tournament is held in a trial of combat, a battle to the death, in which there would only be one survivor, or two in their case. Second, they were to carry out their first mission, and succeed, which would result in them earning their titles, names to go by beneath the Messiah banner. Sometimes these names would relate to personality quirks or physical quirks of the individual, other times it would relate to habits they make, and sometimes there had even been a few past lieutenants randomly named solely because they were apparently too boring or too unique.
Regardless, Mióm was certain her lieutenant title was practically guaranteed, what with Gerson being their main target. While Mióm welcomed this happily, Mosu was a lot more disturbed with this. Defeating an armed and challenging opponent was one thing, but murdering a defenseless innocent who mostly kept to himself? It went against all the morals he had retained, everything he'd been taught before the Messiah had inducted him.
The two stared at the sign for a moment, before looking toward each other. Mióm winked, while Mosu showed no initial reaction to this, instead looking back to the mouth of the cave with a sigh. "After you then," he gestured reluctantly, clearly very hesitant about this mission, though speaking against it would undoubtedly put a target on his back for treason, though those were lengths he was willing to go if he absolutely had to.
"Making the lady go first, then?" Mióm teased, running a hand through her candy-pink hair, giving a wide smile, allowing Mosu to see her jagged, sharpened canines. "Well, that's fine. I'm eager to kill this monster anyways. Ooo, just imagine, we'll be lieutenants... I'll finally be able to pay the leaders back for everything~!" the way she said that last bit was somewhat off-putting, making Mosu internally cringe.
She stepped forward toward the cavern entrance, aware that they'd probably need to do some walking before reaching their actual target. Mosu was quick to follow behind her, looking a little pale. Maybe it wouldn't be such a bad idea to voice his concerns to his fellow soon-to-be-lieutenant? Just to get them on the same page, though that seemed a fool's errand on his part, but it wouldn't hurt… hopefully. "...Mióm... don't you feel a little... nervous?" he asked.
"Nervous? Oh, oh, you're getting cold feet? Does that mean I can get the kill myself?! Don't worry, we can still share credit!" winked Mióm.
"No. Not that. Aren't you disturbed that we're being sent to kill a passive old monster?"
"Nope~!"
"...It really doesn't feel even a little wrong to you?"
For the first time since they'd met, Mióm wore a serious expression, which Mosu was able to see even in the dimness of the cave they were wandering into. "Oh, Mosey... sweet, sweet Mosey..." she said in a hushed tone, her widened eyes drilling holes into him. "Allow me to make something abundantly clear. The word of the leaders is absolute. It is our duty to do whatever they say. Leave your morals behind and do your job. If you start sounding like a traitor, I promise you that my loyalty to the Messiah is much, MUCH greater than my loyalty to you. So just try your best to relax."
"Hm." Mosu frowned, turning his gaze from her. At least now they were on the same page of where one another stood.
Not much more was said as they made their way deeper, both producing their SOULs to provide some light. Hers was a deep shade of pink which didn't provide nearly as much light as Mosu's pure white SOUL, which illuminated the cave ahead of them for several feet.
The stone around them reflected their slick surfaces of the light they provided, the two nearly slipping on a wet rock a time or two as the air grew stale and more chilled.
He wasn't about to bring up his concerns again to Mióm, but his anxiety continued to increase. He'd joined the Messiah for one reason. Well, more accurately, he'd allowed the Messiah to lay claim to his loyalty years ago. Had circumstances been different, he'd very likely have simply been killed. Having been a grunt all these years, his tasks were simple enough. Relocate supplies here, bodyguard some politicians there, train new recruits even... but killing innocents was never something he was comfortable with. Sure, he'd manage to get through the dead pool, but circumstances were... far different. It was a duel to the death in the name of honor and rank. Something he'd been raised to abide. But this? Murder? He wasn't an assassin. His goal was the protection and preservation of humankind, but this was just wrong. Gerson was just some old hermit who lived in the woods.
Mióm seemed to address his hesitation as his own morals, confirming, at least to him, that she knew how immoral this was.
Perhaps they could simply talk to the monster when they reached the fabled cave of crystals, maybe even capture him. Something or anything to simply prevent his destruction. Enough innocent lives had been wasted, even by the hand of Mosu himself, but if he had a choice? He commanded authority now. His voice would not go unheard.
Surely.
Mióm, on the other hand, was excited to end Gerson's life. She didn't care one bit if it was 'wrong,' or 'dishonorable,' or anything of the sort. The fact of the matter was that she'd been ordered to kill this monster, and that was what she was going to do. No questions. No doubts. No thinking. All she cared about was fulfilling her task. Being useful to others was all she'd ever known, and it brought her more joy than anything to please the leaders. Leader Jonathan… Leader Krashna… but most of all, she wanted to make Leader Nikolai proud of her.
She could still remember how cold she'd been on the night that he'd discovered her. She'd been young, clueless, trapped in the horrific world that was child slavery. That was the only world she'd known. She hadn't a clue how to survive on her own, everything seemed so terribly hopeless and awful…
But then he'd appeared. A dark, enormous figure that loomed over her, smoke pouring from his lips as he'd puffed a cigar into the chilly air of the night. She remembered not understanding a word he'd been saying, barely managing to figure out that he wanted her to come with him… the thing she remembered most about that night was the way he'd carried her all the way back to the Messiah headquarters, and from then on, the Messiah was her family. The Messiah was her home. There was nothing else that mattered.
She felt her cheeks burn just thinking about that night. Mióm was older now, not some sniveling child trapped in a cage. She was capable of killing this monster- she had to. For the Messiah. For Nikolai.
As the two made their way through a gap, progressing even deeper, it began to become clearer and clearer to the both of them that the company they kept could detriment their desires. Morality versus obedience. While they didn't voice it, both were quickly coming to the realization that very soon, they'd more than likely be butting heads- and quite possibly, even more than that.
Not a moment later, the tunnel opened up into a massive cavern, crystals of cool lights shimmering overhead, glistening brightly as a soft breeze rustled them gently, creating a chorus of peaceful chiming.
To Mosu, this place was magnificent. To Mióm, this place was a new battlefield. The both of them stopped when they saw the hunched over form of the turtle monster in the center of the room. He was facing them; in a seated position, eyes closed, breathing steadily.
"Think the old geezer died before we could take him?" Mióm joked. "Monsters turn to dust when they die, so no." Mosu replied, and Mióm's grin faltered, clearly annoyed that he hadn't gotten the joke.
Mióm started to walk toward Gerson, one of her short sticks with the pink tips materializing in her hand, but Mosu held his left arm out in front of her over her chest, staring forward. "Wait." He advised, before addressing Gerson. "Do you know why we're here?"
Mióm's hand was quickly wrapped around Mosu's wrist, and he grit his teeth, trying not to show any signs that her ridiculously strong grip was threatening to crack his bones. Before things could escalate any further, Gerson spoke up. "I'm aware," he nodded solemnly. It appeared that the monster was meditating, eyes closed, the song of the crystals whispering through the cold cavern air, completely calm even when he was staring death down. "I was hoping to put up a fight against you. Alas, with age comes weakness. I'm in no condition to do battle."
"Good," Mióm stepped forward, but this time, it was Mosu's turn to grab her by the wrist, yanking her back to his side. A toothy grin was plastered on her face, eye twitching, patience worn extraordinarily thin already. "Mosey," she growled in the fakest happy-voice he'd ever heard. "What the hell do you think you're doing? Don't tell me your feewings are stopping you from completing the mission?"
Mosu stared back as she ripped her wrist from his grip, the two glaring at each other for a moment, before he spoke, "You heard him," he stated, "he cannot fight. Look; he clearly doesn't lie. There is no reason to kill him, it's dishonorable."
"Mosey..." Mióm's grin took a sinister twist. "This isn't about honor, is it? Why- you're just a monster sympathetic, aren't you?"
"That's not-"
"You know what we do with monster sympathizers, don't you?"
Mosu glared, before the two acted in unison. His sword was partly unsheathed, but her stick was already being thrown, and it collided with his blade as it was part-way out of its scabbard.
An explosion rocked the cavern as Mosu was flung back, twirling in the air to land on his feet, skidding a meter or so back after he'd landed. While he had managed to unsheathe his blade, only half of it remained, the other half blown off in the explosion.
"We dispose of them." Mióm finished, twirling two new sticks in her hands with a glance to Gerson. "Stay put, the grown-ups have some talking to do."
"Consider me planted." Gerson replied.
"Mióm, don't do this," Mosu insisted, holding his half a sword in front of him. It would be twice as difficult to block Mióm's attacks now, but he'd trained extensively with this blade, and even if it was shorter than what he was used to, he was confident in his ability. "He's defenseless. We could capture him, maybe-"
"I should've blown your tiny brain out back during the selection battle," Mióm hissed in reply, the pink-tips of the sticks in her hands burning with a fuchsia aura, light pouring out from them. "You don't get to tell me what I do or don't have to do, bastard! What did the leaders send us here to do?!"
"To kill an unrightly perceived threat to humankind"
"You make it sound so terrible," Mióm sighed. "Would it kill you to show the leaders an ounce of respect, Mosu? The leaders did NOT send us here to capture this monster, nor did they send us here so you could get sentimental and try to be some sort of hero. We have been sent here to kill. Even if I have to blow you to pieces, this monster is going to die."
Mosu's jaw was set, teeth clenching together tighter and tighter with every word she spoke. There was no reasoning with this girl- it was just as she said. Her loyalty to the Messiah was far too great for her to listen to anything he said, and his loyalty, while always tested, was hanging by a thread. Everything he stood for was being betrayed in this moment. The Messiah had promised him many things, and lately, they'd broken each promise.
"The Messiah is wrong." He stated bluntly, taking a deep breath as he closed his eyes. "As are you." He immediately stepped to the side, avoiding a stick that went sailing past him before he cut another one in half, the two halves clattering uselessly to the ground, before he opened his eyes to glare at Mióm. "The truth has been shielded for too long. The Messiah is not the saviors they claim to be. In honor of my clan; I will strike down your injustice."
It seemed he was done talking now.
Gerson watched as the battle began to unfold. He wasn't above spectating these two, as painful as it was to watch the Messiah, so willing to destroy people- even their own.
"No going back now, Mosu," Mióm whispered, more of her explosive sticks beginning to materialize in her hands, flickering with fluorescent pink light. Mosu didn't give her a chance to attack, rushing toward her with his blade in front of him, attempting to strike her down. He didn't expect to kill her that easily, but he was hoping to find a weak spot through trial and error. Just as expected, she quickly blocked the strike with the explosive end of one of her sticks.
"You'll rot for this," she informed him with a little smile, before another explosion rocked the cavern, the crystals trembling as Mosu was forced back to the other end of the room, his sword clattering a few feet away.
With a triumphant grin, Mióm began hurling sticks in rapid succession toward the man, who dived, ducked, and dodged through the attacks, making sure to steer clear of proximity to a wall, well aware the resulting explosion would knock him off-balance, and against the qualities Mióm possessed, maintaining his balance was a high priority.
Mosu scooped up his half-blade, swishing it through the air in time to half another stick, before once again rushing toward Mióm. While she had the advantage in strength and durability, he outclassed her in speed and dexterity.
She gripped a stick, swinging it like a melee weapon as he neared, his free hand beginning to glow a bright white. To her surprise, his hand enveloped the explosive end of the stick, and it erupted, but the force was contained within his palm, which began to glow a dark shade of fuchsia. Seeing what was happening, Mióm quickly turned and dove away, the force absorbed into Mosu's fist expelling in an outward explosion that still managed to knock her forward several extra feet.
Mosu wasted no time in leaping toward her, swiping with his blade, just barely missing her neck, instead cutting off several locks of her pink hair while she scrambled to her feet, producing several more sticks, a scowl on her face.
Take a deep breath…
Separate your feelings from your goals…
Success is the result of being heartless.
Success is the result of obedience.
Your existence in this family depends on your success.
Master Nikolai's pride in you depends on your success.
You must kill Mosu.
"I must kill Mosu... I must kill Mosu..." Mióm began to whisper under her breath, beginning to breathlessly giggle, all kinds of terrible thoughts bouncing around in her head. Her cheeks burned a bright pink as she stared at her opponent. "Oh, I can't stop thinking about how the leaders will reward me when you're dead! Not only will I complete the mission, I'll take down a traitor in the process! Two birds... one blast!"
Not seeming to care all that much about the several locks of pink hair that sat at her feet, Mióm produced another stick in her hands- this one was peculiar, though. It was in the shape of an X, with a ringed handle in the center. Four pink tips as opposed to one. She hurled it at him with an intensity that Mosu could've mistaken the flying projectile for a frisbee.
He was able to masterfully block the stick, each detonation point hitting his blade once. He stared ahead at Mióm defiantly, before realizing something about his own weapon…
The pink spots had been transferred over to the steel of his sword. He tossed it aside as fast as he could, leaping to the side as the blade blew itself to shards, once again making the cavern sway.
"What are you gonna do without your sword?" Mióm asked, a sinister playfulness laced in her voice.
Mosu looked back at her for a moment, before frowning. "Make another." He replied, diving away from several more sticks to scoop up the smoldering handle of his katana- all that remained. As both his hands began to glow with the white light, out of his handle emerged a new blade, glowing as bright in the dark cavern. It was a temporary fix, and consumed a lot of SOUL magic, but it was highly effective for this scenario.
His new blade seemed to upset Mióm, who was hoping the loss of his signature weapon would deter him. Alas, it was not the case. So she continued her process of rapidly hurling explosive sticks at the man, but this time, he didn't dodge a single one, his blade flashing through the air as he cut every single stick she threw, the sticks pulverized into nothing by the blade. To top it off, the blade began to grow more and more pink with each stick it disintegrated, absorbing more and more of her explosive energy.
While everyone was aware of Mosu's white SOUL, the most common SOUL a human could possess, not many knew what the SOUL was actually capable of. It meant balance, but rarely did those outside of the Schiatzo Clan see its actual power in use, the only people in the known world to actually weaponize the SOUL of Balance.
That certainly annoyed Mióm, although she wasn't too threatened by the absorption of her own SOUL magic. Her natural resistance to explosions would stop any attempts to throw that energy back at her; though she did know she'd have to switch up her tactics.
Her new target wasn't Mosu, but rather, the ceiling. Hundreds of shining crystals hung above them, many of them massive and jagged. To her, they weren't beautiful. They weren't miraculous. All she saw was a potential weapon.
Mosu was confused for a moment as she began to strike the entire perimeter of the crystal ceiling with a rapid outpour of sticks, wondering how she had so much stamina as to keep up this production of weapons. More importantly, he couldn't absorb any energy from those crystals, and as strong as his blade was, it probably wouldn't be able to cut through them all. As the shimmering rocks rained down from above, he was forced onto the offensive, staring at a playful-looking Mióm across the room.
Her game was clearly distance, and while he could keep up; he thrived in close quarters combat. Managing to dive out of the way to avoid the crystals and stone, he found himself unable to press on as she began launching the sticks toward both him and the ceiling.
Gerson watched sadly as more crystals rained down, before he slowly got to his feet, going unnoticed by the two.
Mosu's blade began to glow a deeper and deeper shade of pink, getting close to matching the tone of Mióm's SOUL, yet he still did nothing with the stored energy, being forced back once again to avoid a rain of crystals and rock.
"Getting tired yet?" Mióm giggled.
"Maybe a little." replied Mosu, wiping a bead of sweat from his forehead, still refraining from using the stored energy he'd stolen.
"I see. Well, I'm just getting started," Mióm huffed, closing her eyes, her pink hair lighting up with a massive output of SOUL power, flowing from her head and sinking down into the ground below. In her palms, a shining white orb began to grow, getting bigger and bigger as the sound of screeching filled the cavern air.
"Oh, Mosey~ I'll tell you what. Even though you've managed to piss me off, everyone deserves a second chance, don't they? What do you say? If you're willing to stop being silly and set your pride aside, the leaders don't have to know about this little... incident."
"Are you offering because you feel sorry for me, or because you're scared of losing?" Mosu asked, stone-faced. This formed an angry scowl over the girl's face.
"I'm asking because I know that a second chance can be all a person needs to truly understand who they're supposed to be," Mióm replied, cracking the base of her index finger under the tip of her thumb. "Master Nikolai found me a long time ago and gave me the chance I needed. Now I have a family, friends, something I truly do care about. I love the Messiah more than anything. I love Nikolai for pulling me out of the darkness and into the light."
"You're still in the darkness," Mosu retorted. "You've just learned to love the things that cannot love you back."
"And what would you know about love?" Mióm hissed back, Mosu evidently having struck a nerve. He thought for a moment, before offering her a shrug. "I suppose not much more than you. Enough with your second chances. This is mine. I was born to serve the Messiah. Children of my clan are raised in the mountains of our ancestors to become warriors. Every decade, one of us is given to the Messiah. I bought into the lies and deception, but over time, that veil has dropped. This mission has shown me the truth I refused to see. You call it pride. I call it compassion. If standing for my beliefs means aiding the enemies of the Messiah, then it is done."
"I pegged you a fool from the start." Mióm scoffed. "Not to mention a prude, but that one was a lot more obvious." Just as she was about to start attacking again, thin jets of water suddenly blasted about her, barely touching her, but moving with such force that each stream left open cuts where they brushed against her skin.
Both lieutenants turned their gaze to Gerson, who was leaning against his cane, his right arm raised at Mióm. "If someone's gonna stand up for me, I might as well try to give 'em a better reason to."
Mosu turned his gaze back to Mióm, who was silently cursing at the blood leaking from each of the precision cuts throughout her body. "Mióm." He spoke. "I will offer you this chance to return to your masters intact and breathing, a fate much better than you deserve. Tell them of my betrayal and your failure. Or die here and I will persevere. Consider this your only chance."
"Oh, Mosu... do you really think you're capable of killing me?" Mióm tilted her head. The two white orbs in her palms rotating wildly, beginning to singe her skin. "You don't know anything. To believe your compassion is more valuable than the word of my beloved leaders… of Nikolai... you make me sick to my stomach, Mosu Takibi. Your clan, your honor, drag it all down to hell with you for all I care. If you think you're better than me because you're too much of a coward to stick to the right path, then I see no reason to have any mercy on you."
And with that, the two orbs in her hands erupted, turning into a pink mist- no, an extremely fine powder that glowed and hissed as it poured into the air, almost immediately swarming the entire cavern.
"Most of my explosions are pressure-based," she explained, her blood dripping to the floor. "But this is what those in the scientific community call a 'dust explosion'," she giggled, Gerson looking all around at the torrent of powder that filled the room. There was too much for him to even begin trying to douse it. Maybe in his prime, but now… "Oh, and one more thing-" Mióm put a finger to her lips. "If I die fighting for the leaders, then my life was worth living- like that'll happen!" She laughed. "I will never be a failure!"
The deafening roar of constant explosions filled the entire room, crystals and rocks pouring down from above as Mióm's most powerful attack rocked the mountain above them. The light was blinding, all of Mosu's senses were completely overloaded- he couldn't hardly move. He didn't even know if he was alive.
The only thing he could do was push his SOUL to his limits. As the entire world around them rumbled, Mosu's entire form became enveloped in the white light of his magic, effectively allowing him to absorb much of the brunt of the attack.
Despite beginning to quickly feel taxed, he continued to push himself. He had just switched sides and he was still coming to terms with this life-altering decision- or life-ending. The entire ceiling began to collapse, crumbling, ready to cave in at any moment.
Using what strength he had left, Mosu rushed toward Gerson, grabbing him and making a dash for the exit. Mióm wasn't about to allow this, and directed the energy toward the betrayer, who finally used the stored energy in his sword, a beam of mixed balance and desire surging forth in a powerful beam that collided with Mióm, launching her off her feet and smashing into the far wall, which cracked beneath the pressure, the entire cavern collapsing on top of her as Mosu and Gerson managed to escape the worst of it.
The rumbling ceased, and everything fell still and silent as Mosu fell to the ground, his magic disappearing entirely. Gerson let out a few wheezy coughs, old dust hanging in the air from the collapse of one of the world's great natural wonders. "Come on, boy, don't make me drag you all the way out..." he huffed, helping Mosu slowly climb to his feet, who cast a glance back at the now closed-off entrance.
He had the strangest feeling that this wasn't the last time he'd see her.
Mosu hadn't felt it before thanks to the rush of adrenaline that was actively pumping through his body, but his back had been clobbered by falling rocks and crystals. The stinging and raw pain of the many, many scratches, bruises, and burns his body had endured became more unbearable with every step. Gerson had gotten burned fairly badly, too, but his injuries were mostly to his shell, which was noticeably chipped, but they were alive, and Mióm was still in there, presumably buried beneath a few thousand tons of rock. That was enough to kill a normal person, but he couldn't shake the feeling that she'd somehow escaped. Unfortunately, there was no way to check, not that he'd go back in there if he could.
"Looks like I'll be needing a new meditation spot," Gerson grunted, Mosu not sure whether he was trying to provide a moment of levity or not. "Never easy, betraying something you've fought a good part of your life fighting for, is it?" The monster asked, and Mosu pursued his lips, the two progressing through the tunnel at a snail's pace.
"I suppose not," he replied, "you sound like you speak from experience."
"Doesn't matter how long you live or how wise you get. You'll always find something to regret." Gerson answered, before they both slumped over and leaned against opposite walls, silently agreeing to take a break. "I've trained with the Schiatzo Clan in my youth, once. Notice you share their style." Gerson informed Mosu breathlessly, who leaned his head against the wall, closing his eyes.
"I know," he replied, "the tablets depicting your relationship with Master Kaiji still exist. Hidden, but I've seen them."
"Really? I would've thought they'd been destroyed," Gerson admitted, stroking his chin curiously. "Perhaps one day I'll get to see those tablets again. Or not. I've already lived long enough, these old bones might not be able to make the trip."
"I'm not sure I could return." Mosu admitted. "With such close ties to the Messiah, they would consider me a disgrace. Banish me from their land."
"It's a shame..." Gerson nodded, looking back at the sealed-up mountain. "Just like it's a shame the crystal cave was destroyed. It's been a sacred place for millenia, you know."
Mosu couldn't help but let out a dry chuckle. Not even an hour ago he was on his way to assist in the murder of this monster. Now here he was, having a friendly conversation with him. "We should probably move. The Messiah is going to start another war tonight, and this time they're not planning on locking you underground."
Gerson grunted in response as he slowly climbed to his feet. "The war never ended. It's just picking up the pace again- but if anybody can end it… well, we best make sure he's still alive." He extended a clawed hand to Mosu, who stared at it for a moment.
"Do you trust me?" he asked.
"Kid, you just risked your life for mine against that lunatic. I'd vouch for you."
At this, Mosu took a deep breath one last time before accepting the monster's hand.
TERRENCE
No matter how many times Terrence tried to attack, it was no use. He just wasn't strong enough to face an opponent like this. A dome of shimmering gold surrounded the entire football field, bleachers included, the shining barrier blocking Terrence from escaping into the city. Fuku laid motionless on the ground nearby, Terrence having crawled his way over to her, attempting to shield her from the crushing blows Krashna continued to hit them with.
This was the difference between being trained relentlessly for years versus just having the fundamentals down. Krashna had complete mastery over his SOUL it seemed, able to conjure massive constructs of unbound force and energy with very little drawback. He wasn't sweating, or even moving as shimmering golden tendrils pummeled down onto Terrence. The golden-eyed Messiah Leader had been holding back earlier, he knew that now. Each time he was hit, it felt like a sack of bricks was landing on him.
Yet he remained brave. Someone had to protect Fuku, otherwise she wouldn't be able to have a second date with Rian, or return home to her father. He continued to crawl his way closer to her, noticing that she was unconscious. Krashna had really thrown her around earlier- it would seem even a girl made of fire had her limits.
With Sadie, Rian, and Frisk nowhere to be seen, things were looking hopeless. All Terrence could hope to do was try and take all the hits for both him and Fuku. His stamina for fighting was completely spent, endurance was the only option now.
If nothing else... he could protect this one last person from the wrath of the Messiah.
Krashna stumbled toward the pair, a little off-balance from the head injury he'd suffered, though that didn't seem to hinder him in any other way.
"Guys like you piss me off, Terrence," Krashna growled, swiping his arm, a golden tendril appearing to lash against the older boy's back, tearing the back of his shirt and skin open like a whip, "guys that cling onto the strings of life, thinking that maybe they can save themselves or someone else. Guys that just simply won't die when I command it, and you know what? I won't even be satisfied with you." Terrence cried in pain as another lash struck his back. "I won't be satisfied with this fire bitch. With your friends. No, see, I'll kill your girlfriend. But first I'll torture her. Rip the life right out of her SOUL piece by piece. After all, she's entirely to blame for this whole mess."
A third lash. Terrence grunted, feeling overcome with pain, fatigue, and emotion, yet something in him spurred him on and gave him the strength to continue guarding Fuku's body.
"And then?" Krashna's mouth widened in a wicked grin. "I'll-"
The Messiah leader was suddenly cut off as a wooden bat slammed into the side of his face, knocking him down onto a knee, blood spitting from his nose, his eye quickly swelling. Behind him, a bewildered Gregory stood, wide-eyed, holding the bat in his hands, shaking in his grip.
He swung again, but the bat was caught mid-strike by Krashna, who bared his teeth, blood staining his mouth. "Which is nothing compared to what I'll do to you, Gregory. Do you people take some sort of satisfaction in wallowing in your meaningless defiance? What was going through your mind just now, Gregory?"
A tendril snatched the boy up by the foot, lifting him into the air. Terrence tried to take the opportunity to move, but another tendril crashed into his hand, and he could feel his wrist nearly shatter. He collapsed on top of Fuku, luckily not getting burned by her body heat.
"You, don't even think about it, I'm busy with someone else. Wait your turn," Krashna ordered, turning to Gregory once again, "Gregory, humor me. Were you thinking 'hm, I'll hit Krashna with a wooden bat. That's sure to defeat him!' You know what? Perhaps I overestimated your intelligence."
Before Greg could so much as reply, the tendril cracked like a whip, burying the poor kid in the turf and fake grass of the football field, before lifting him back up. He was covered in scratches and already forming bruises, his glasses shattered beyond repair, a few shards of them buried in his face, and the attack alone seemed to have knocked him out, his body going limp, his eyes closed, his expression bland.
"You're of no use to me now. You're better off dead. But… no, you deserve punishment." Krashna hissed with a sinister grin, the tendril once again slamming Greg down onto the ground before letting go, leaving him unconscious there. "Death is too good for someone like you. Cowards disgust me, and cowards who think they're allowed to defy me are even worse. Now stay there."
Krashna was about to continue pulverizing Terrence and Fuku, but something in the corner of his eye caught his attention first- a car was rapidly approaching, the driver none other than the brunette from earlier…
The Son faced the vehicle, producing several tendrils to rip the car to shreds before it even reached him. That is, until a sudden molten-colored fist slugged him in the side of his face- exactly where the bat had hit, knocking him a few paces to his right. "How did you-" He began, before the grill of Rian's car slammed into Krashna dead-center, a crunching noise splitting the air as Krashna was sent tumbling away.
Terrence stood on his knees, chest heaving heavily, blood obscuring the vision of one of his eyes. He nearly slumped over, passing out right there, when Sadie's voice called him to attention.
"Help me get Fuku in here!" She ordered, opening the drivers side door and leaping out, first helping Terrence to his feet before she lifted up Fuku, Terrence putting one of her arms around his neck as the two carried her to the car, Sadie opening the back door. "Hurry!" The brunette urged, looking over to see Krashna was beginning to slowly move. He might have proven to be durable, but even a car at that speed had to hurt.
"Gregory." Terrence told her hoarsely, feeling ready to keel over. Sadie looked over to where the boy laid, and furrowed her brow. "Screw that and screw him, get in the car."
Terrence stared at her as she climbed into the driver's seat, before shaking his head, and hobbled away from her, stumbling toward Greg. "What are you doing? He tried to have that freak kill us!" She cried, but Terrence didn't stop as he passed Krashna's battered body, who was trying and failing to pick himself up, barely even able to get his arms beneath him, though his rage remained, eyes glaring fury into Terrence as he moved by.
Once he reached his friend, Terrence stooped over, trying his best not to fall over then and there, pulling the boy up, slinging an arm around his shoulder, and proceeding to try and carry him back to the car. Sadie didn't help this time, glaring daggers at Terrence for his act. He finally managed to get Greg into the back seat beside Fuku before he heard a yell behind him, tiredly turning to see Krashna was now standing unstably on his feet, his eyes wild and livid. "You…" He pointed, breathing heavily, stumbling toward them. "Let's go," Terrence urged Sadie, finally climbing into the passenger seat.
Krashna didn't even bother to speak again, so enraged that he couldn't even begin to put it into words. He continued to move forward, golden tendrils appearing around him. Despite his injuries, he didn't seem to have any trouble conjuring more of his magic. Sadie revved the engine before putting it into reverse and slamming on the gas. Golden energy crashed toward them from all sides, the car crumpling to absorb the impact. The passenger's side airbag inflated as the tires tore up the football field, but they finally steered away, rolling away from the school at high speeds, leaving the Messiah leader behind.
Terrence was completely wiped out, barely able to keep his eyes open- though he forced them to, anyway. He didn't even want to know how many bones he'd broken.
"...god... god... that did not just happen," Sadie's breathing was heavy and hitched. She was so angry that Skeeter was dead, and all her friends had nearly met the same fate. She was horrified. Stricken with grief, and disbelief that Jason Clever had turned out to be a terrorist mastermind.
"I'm taking you two to the hospital," she managed to whisper, looking back at Fuku. "It was cool of you to protect her. And… him, I guess. Are you okay?"
"I'll be fine. My wrist kinda hurts, though," Terrence shrugged. It was a stupid lie, but he didn't want her to worry. She probably had a lot on her mind already.
"...you're somethin' else, T, but..." she shook her head. "Why'd you save him?"
"I know Greg." Terrence replied weakly. "He's… I know he'd never…" After a few coughs, he continued. "He helped fight Krashna. Swung a baseball bat right in his face. I know he… made a bad decision, but he'd never do it willingly… I trust him…"
"If you say so…" Sadie replied, not buying it, "anyway, we gotta get to the hospital."
"N-no." Terrence feebly said. "We need to go to Frisk's house. She's in danger."
"Are you sure? I mean, T, you took a helluva beating. You're probably delirious and-"
"Please." Terrence insisted. Sadie pursed her lips, before nodding. He wasn't sure why he assumed his girlfriend was in danger, but he just... knew. Like a gut feeling. For a moment, it felt like he was getting lashed by Krashna again… he was gonna have some serious trauma.
Everyone probably would.
However, as they passed through the busier part of the city, something happened that captured everyone's attention.
The various screens on the surrounding buildings all flashed to a single image. A man with slicked back blonde hair and a bushy mustache, wearing glasses and a clean blue suit. As Sadie was forced to stop due to a traffic jam, Terrence rolled down the window to hear the man's booming voice as it echoed through the city. He felt like he'd seen this man from somewhere before…
"Attention residents of Voxis City." He spoke, his gaze stern and cold, his voice equally so. "The monsters that invaded our city have finally done as we all knew they would. Asgore, the Monster King, has declared war on all of humankind, and has killed our standing mayor when he refused to grant Asgore his seat during a hostile takeover attempt. Humans, barricade your homes, stay inside, and wait for further instructions. As of now, Voxis City is under martial law. Acting against our police force will result in your immediate death. Tune into station 47.7 for further instructions. This message will repeat."
"Asgore did what?" Sadie looked bewildered at the thought of the monster king doing something so violent. Granted, she'd only met him once or twice and hadn't engaged in a lengthy conversation, but she'd always been under the impression that he was a big teddy bear.
"It's crap," Terrence shook his head, scowling. "I dunno who that guy is, but Mr. D wouldn't do something like that."
"How do you know?" Sadie questioned, not in a mean or condescending way- she'd just appreciate something that could make her feel a little better about this 'martial law.'
"I've literally seen him drink tea in his underwear while watching Europe's Got Talent, and he cried during all the singing performances. He gardens, he has a good job, he's a great dad- he just... he wouldn't do something like that. He's not the type."
"Well, if you're sure, I trust you more than that guy, I guess," Sadie gestured to the big screen. The traffic jam was a hundred times worse now as people began to panic, some of them even abandoning their cars and running off on foot.
"This... isn't good. We need to get to Frisk's house, and fast. I don't know if we can wait to get you two to the ER," Sadie blinked, her breathing still strained and heavy.
Terrence grit his teeth, fighting off the urge to pass out to glance back at Fuku and Greg. "...Grillby's is closer. Let's take her to her dad. He'll know what to do... I hope."
However, the line of cars refused to move, leaving the group to reluctantly abandon Rian's car, the two humans dragging Fuku and Gregory to Grillby's as best as they could. Fortunately, nobody got in their way or even paid attention to them as they moved on. Terrence greatly struggled to keep his eyes open and his feet under him.
However, this failed the moment the bar and grill came into sight. Terrence fell to the ground, going unconscious, dragging Gregory down with him.
"Hey, get up!" Sadie urged, to no avail, lowering Fuku to the ground to try and slap him awake to no avail. "Argh, stay here." She told them before dashing off toward Grillby's. In hindsight, it probably wasn't a good idea to leave them both there, but Sadie lacked the strength to drag all of them. She looked back about every three seconds, but luckily, the scared, panicking citizens were too wrapped up in scrambling around cars pointlessly to even acknowledge the three limp bodies on the sidewalk.
Sadie threw the door to Grillby's open, rushing up to the fire-man and pointing at the door. He was staring up at the TV screen by the bar with an even blanker gaze than usual, not polishing a shot glass for once.
"G-Grillby, it's your daughter! We got attacked- all of us! She's outside, I don't know what to do, this was the closest place, and..."
Luckily, the restaurant was empty, so Sadie's barging in didn't disturb anyone. Not that it concerned Grillby, who was immediately willing to cooperate when he looked outside to see Fuku, Gregory, and Terrence collapsed.
Wordlessly, he marched past Sadie and descended upon the trio. He bent onto a knee, and pressed his hand against Fuku's forehead. As the flames of his hand intensified, the brightness of her body returned as he seemingly restored her, though she failed to wake. Grillby scooped her up into his arms, cradling her before gesturing for Sadie to collect Terrence and Gregory.
At that moment, a few people seemed to take notice of them, Grillby certainly calling a lot of attention to him with his bright flames.
"Monster!" One man yelled, raising what appeared to be a golf club. Grillby simply turned away from the man as a wall of fire erupted from the ground on either end of the street, completely blocking anyone off from the restaurant.
"Eugh. Gross..." Sadie wrinkled her nose at the group of people. "Are some people really just going around to gang up on monsters because of what that guy said?"
She looked over to Grillby, who, as usual, had nothing to say in reply. He just stared down at his unconscious daughter, who'd been mercilessly thrown about the football field… actually injuring fire monsters such as them was a feat few were able to achieve without water. This genuinely scared the usually stoic Grillby, though Sadie couldn't tell what he was feeling at the moment.
"We can't hide here forever. I- I have a family. And I left Rian at the school, what do we do?" Sadie asked, looking outside to see the walls of fire remained just as intense as when they'd been summoned.
Grillby still said nothing as he sat on the ground, leaning against his bar as he removed his glasses to rub at where his eyes would be.
"I can't just wait around here, Grillby, I need-"
"Just wait." Grillby replied, resting his hands on the ground.
Sadie blinked. Waiting wasn't going to solve anything. Rian was in danger. Frisk was in danger. The Messiah wasn't afraid to start killing people, and they were trying to pin the blame on Asgore and the rest of monsterkind. Even though it was set up to be an attempt to exterminate monsters, nobody was really safe.
UNDYNE
Alphys sat at her desk, typing away at her computer, doing... whatever it is she does on her computers all the time. Undyne never really bothered to ask. When it was work-related stuff that Alphys would try to talk to her about, the fish monster would typically stop listening about a minute in, although unintentionally. It just wasn't interesting enough to captivate her, not like anime, or 80's action movies, like Die Hard starring Bruce Willis. That stuff was great, even if it turned out to be fake (though she held onto the hope of otherwise).
So Undyne sat on Alphys' couch in her civilian clothes, consisting of her usual white tank top and blue jeans, though she wore a dark brown suede leather jacket with a fur collar over her shirt, and had a pair of white tennis shoes. She had her feet kicked up over the back as she laid there, picking at dirt under her nails and flicking the dirt she collected away.
After what felt like hours of silence, Alphys finally spoke up. "S-shouldn't you be... on patrol? Isn't it Homecoming night?"
Undyne let out a sigh, putting her arms behind her head and staring dully at the ceiling. "Prom night is the one to watch out for, but the boss man doesn't think I can handle patrols anymore. He's cutting my hours, cutting my work... whatever. I'm just gonna quit." She shrugged callously and continued picking at her nails once again.
Alphys blinked, staring at her screen for a moment longer, before turning in her swivel chair. "I-I know it's... hard right now, but you c-can't just give up!"
"I'm not 'giving up', Alphys," Undyne retorted, rolling her eye, "just looking for opportunities elsewhere."
"What would you do? N-not to sound... mean, but... being a cop was the only real job you could fit... into..."
"Right." Undyne scoffed, turning her gaze to look back at her girlfriend. "Not to sound 'mean', but you couldn't possibly understand where I'm coming from. You're constantly getting promoted, people are always praising you for your work, your colleagues actually invite you to lunch-"
"You know I don't attend those."
"Well why not?" Undyne quickly sat up. "I'd kill to have opportunities like that! But no, I have a racist boss and hateful coworkers. Nobody likes me, nobody wants me, they're all either intimidated or jealous- but like I said, I'm gonna quit. Enough of that crappy surface life."
Alphys was silent for several long moments, before clearing her throat. "S-sorry... I um... shouldn't have... y-y'know..." At this, Undyne's expression softened, and she let out a sigh.
"...Yeah, me too," she laid back down, looking back up at the ceiling, "I'm just... so frustrated all the time. This might sound crazy but I'm actually missing life underground. I miss being Captain of the Royal Guard. I miss cooking lessons with Papyrus. I miss..." Her voice trailed off. Alphys gave her a sympathetic look, before swiveling back to her computer. "...I miss it too, sometimes."
The surface was great, for the most part. At least, it had been at first, back when the barrier had first been broken. When the sun had felt so warm, the air was no longer stale, and the nature around them was new and exciting.
Back then, Undyne had been so excited to live on the surface. She'd gotten herself a job as quickly as possible, but it hadn't taken long for Voxis City to prove itself to be less than ideal.
She wasn't sure what she'd been expecting, but it hadn't been this messy excuse for a career. She was constantly facing setbacks at work, all thanks to her boss. At every opportunity, he would set some new obstacle in her way. She was positive she'd been forced to go through a month more of training than all the other officers, too.
"So... if you don't mind me asking... u-um... what other career are you t-thinking of pursuing?" Alphys asked. Undyne bit her lip at this, before she answered. "Well, I mean, there's lots of things I could do. I could become a boxer or something. Do something with sports? Or construction. I'm more handy than I look!"
Alphys blinked, before she made a small smile. "I... hadn't considered sports. You'd be great at that!"
"Or I could become a vigilante and bring justice to the unlawful," added Undyne.
"..."
"Still pondering on that one."
"Well, uh... I-I don't exactly think that becoming a v-vigilante would be the b-best idea, but if that's what you want..." Alphys pursed her lips.
"I mean, it'd be cool," Undyne grinned as if the idea lacked any flaws. "I'd get to clean up the streets without having to answer to some asshole who stuffs his throat with jelly-filled all day!"
"Y-Your boss really eats donuts...? I-I thought that whole police and donuts thing was a cliché..."
"The station has a donut shop down the street," Undyne folded her arms, smile faltering as the intensity of the topic returned, "but yeah, the only problem with the vigilante thing would be... I could get arrested. And no paycheck. But it's not like I'm getting much pay with these new hours anyways."
With that, Undyne sat up, swinging her legs off the couch before standing and stretching. "Anyway, you've got work to do, and I should... be doing something." She shrugged, walking over to where Alphys sat at her computer.
"O-oh, no, it's okay. I don't mind you staying around," she said, to which Undyne chuckled.
"Yeah? Too bad, if you wanna find me, you'll just have to come home." She bent over the chair to kiss the top of Alphys head, whose whole face went red as Undyne made her way toward the door.
Finding her voice, Alphys looked over toward her girlfriend. "Undyne?"
The fish monster turned once she reached the door, one hand on the handle. "Yeah?"
"I love you."
Undyne smiled, before winking at her. "I know."
With that, she walked outside.
Alphys stared at the door for a few moments, before her eyes widened. "Was- was that a Star Wars reference?"
Undyne's walk home wasn't a very eventful one, although she did wish it hadn't started raining. She didn't have an umbrella, and as much as she, a fish monster, enjoyed water... it didn't feel too great on a cold, mildly miserable night.
Luckily, she was able to get a ride in a taxi for the rest of the way back home. The driver was a seedy old man with about ten teeth total, and the entire car reeked of smoke. Disgusting, to be sure, but she could deal with it. Better to hold her breath for five minutes than shivering to death while walking for twenty.
Not a lot of fish monsters were left, especially after that disease that swept through the underground all those years ago... it was the reason she no longer had parents. When one really thought about it, all the branches of monsters were pretty endangered. The goat monsters, skeleton monsters... then there were the elementals. Only the fire elementals were left. In her youth, she'd read a lot of books about the history of monsters. How powerful their empire had once been. Millions of monsters spread out across a continent. Now they were only a few thousand at best.
She paid the cab when they arrived at the house she shared with Alphys (though the scientist typically stayed at the lab when in town). Undyne made her way inside, letting out a deep sigh as she slipped her leather jacket off and hung it up on a coat rack nearby, then made her way into the kitchen, opening the fridge.
While monster food was great for healing injuries and curing diseases with their magical properties, human food tasted better, and could actually fill a stomach in one sitting. Before coming to the surface, the only human food she'd ever had was some ramen noodles from Alphys, though she wouldn't say where she'd gotten it.
Then there was some human stuff that tasted absolutely terrible, but it made her feel... better. Gave her some kind of a buzz. She had arrested a lot of humans who drank the stuff, but they didn't regulate it.
Inside the fridge sat a twelve pack, which Undyne promptly snatched a can of beer from, popping it open and taking a drink. It still tasted terrible, but already she could feel her muscles relax ever so slightly.
Beer in hand, Undyne marched into the living room and sat down on a recliner, letting out another sigh. Maybe Alphys was right about that whole vigilante thing, but... maybe the world could use a little more vigilantes when the law enforcement became too corrupt.
Of course, there were obvious obstacles stopping her from putting on an all-black outfit and rushing off into the night to stop crimes as an animal-themed alter ego. Not only would she have a lack of resources, resources that were available to her now at the police station, but she could actually spend time behind bars if she was caught. That part was really stupid- why should she have to face hard time because she actually wanted to help clean up the streets and stop crime in Voxis?
...no, she knew the reason. Laws and regulations and all that boring crap… or was it because people hated her, being a monster. Plenty of humans got away with vigilantism, so why not her? The moment she'd become a police officer, it had been decided for her that her career would be dead-end. Just a source of day after day of depressing thoughts. Orion, she wanted to quit, she had to quit. Hell, this job had forced her to start drinking this nasty, unhealthy crap just to feel relaxed. Picking up the remote and taking another sip, she turned the TV on, being greeted with a message that made her spit her drink out.
"Attention residents of Voxis City." a man spoke, with blonde hair, glasses, and a rather thick mustache, his eyes staring at the camera with a complete lack of life. His voice was stern, but Undyne was more focused on what he was saying than his tone. "The monsters that invaded our city have finally done as we all knew they would. Asgore, the Monster King, has declared war on all of humankind, and has killed our standing mayor when he refused to grant Asgore his seat during a hostile takeover attempt. Humans, barricade your homes, stay inside, and wait for further instructions. As of now, Voxis City is under martial law. Acting against our police force will result in your immediate death. Tune into station 47.7 for further instructions. This message will repeat."
She hadn't even noticed that her beer had slipped out of her hand and was now spilling its contents on the hardwood floor. She stared, dumbstruck at the man, before the screen flickered and he repeated the message.
Her mind was racing with a thousand different scenarios, all more absurd than the last, until she pulled herself back together, that familiar pit in her gut swallowing her anxiety whole. She quickly checked the channel to see that she was on the local news, but if it was a looping message, then he probably wasn't at the station. Hell, he could have just sent in a video, but this guy... he would have the answers to her questions. He looked a lot like… nah, couldn't be.
To be completely honest, not a lot of rational thought was going through her head. All she knew was that this guy was a liar, and was probably helping the Messiah. His one simple broadcast would send Voxis into absolute chaos, if it already hadn't.
She left her spilled drink behind as she charged out of her own house, needlessly kicking down her own door before a spear materialized in her hand. If this guy was Messiah, then she didn't want to lose him at all. She was done sitting around and waiting. Done dreading what came next. She was going to kill the entire Messiah herself if she had to.
Undyne began her mad dash down the street, picturing that man's face in her head. She had to get to the news station before the city destroyed itself; that one broadcast was going to ruin everything! Everyone was in danger now. If people actually listened to that probably-Messiah asswipe, all monsters would be fearing for their lives right about now. Papyrus, Mettaton, Alphys, Asgore... by Orion, Asgore! Obviously Undyne didn't think he'd actually attacked anyone, but now people were going to think he had. What kind of situation was that going to put him in? And Frisk?
Despite needing to cover quite a distance, Undyne didn't exactly have much of a limit to her stamina. Trust her, she'd gone to great lengths to find her limit after a seventy-three mile sprint with no stops between in a little over three hours (clocking her in at around 24 mph, or 38.6 km/h according to Alphys). She only stopped because Alphys asked her to. That was before Undyne was receiving a boost of adrenaline and determination. Cars and buildings were a blur to her as she practically flew deeper into Voxis City, trying to recall the quickest route to the news station.
Unfortunately, Undyne quickly found that she wasn't going to make it to the news station without any interference. In the middle of the road ahead of her, a tall man stood, and every time she would adjust her direction to try and run past him, he would take a few steps to that side, most likely trying to block her.
Growling, Undyne sprang toward him, not having time to waste on this guy. She couldn't quite make out his facial features in the darkness, but when she got closer, she could see that he was quite bruised up.
Not sparing it any thought, she threw her fist at him, but out of instinct, the man hit her in the stomach with his hand, sending her sprawling backward against the road, groaning.
"S-Sorry! I sorry!" he gasped. "It was accident! I not mean to- you was gonna hit me!"
Undyne coughed. Now she knew how a fly felt when it got swatted.
"I need talk to-"
Undyne wasted no time in springing back into action, having no time or patience to deal with this guy. With a burst of additional speed, she had leaped into the air, and swung her leg heavily at his head. He was too slow to defend or counter, and much to the giant's surprise, he was not only hurt by this attack, but he was launched off his feet, slamming into and through the brick wall of a building.
Undyne was already dashing off again, but when a bronze sphere hurtled past her, exploding right in front of with enough power to force her to stop her sprint and leap back, she realized who this was. The size, the attacks... this was the same guy who'd attacked Frisk.
She probably wouldn't be able to reach the news station in time to kill whoever was there, considering she doubted the man on the television had stuck around- but this guy was a suitable replacement.
"H-Hey, said it was accident, why you-" the man began, before Undyne rushed over to him with no intention of talking. He'd managed to get to his feet in time, but she changed that by sucker punching him right in the throat- another bruise to add to the collection.
Falling backwards, he held his hands out in front of him, clearly not wanting to fight, but Undyne wasn't about to listen to anything he had to say, a spear materializing in her hand. She was about to throw it, when another bronze sphere hit her in the stomach, exploding into another shock wave that sent her crushing into the pavement.
"I say I not want to fight! Why you not listening? You- you acting like leaders!"
Undyne froze up when he said that, immediately piecing together the meaning in her head. If this guy was with the Messiah, that meant he was saying she was... acting like a Messiah Leader? Orion…
It finally sank in to Undyne what she was doing- attacking without listening, mindlessly trying to kill somebody out of rage, just because of what she thought they might do. She was acting like the Messiah. That was a cold slap of reality that she didn't appreciate. Frisk had told her the story- this guy had actually turned on the other members of the Messiah last time.
Truck had another bronze sphere ready as Undyne climbed to her feet, the two standing there awkwardly for a moment, before Undyne's spear disappeared. "Talk." She ordered, still not in the mood for this.
"So... you know who me?" Truck asked, shifting on his feet uneasily.
"You're with the Messiah, I know that much," Undyne scoffed.
"Yes! Well... no. Okay, it true. I in Messiah," Truck huffed, suddenly looking quite ashamed of that fact. "But I not want be! It make me sad to hurt people! So when found out the leader was doing a Marshal's Law... I had do something! I want help you!"
She wasn't even sure if this guy knew what 'martial law' was, but clearly it seemed he'd grown a conscience. Considering his apparent lack of intelligence, she wasn't surprised the Messiah had been using him. Guy hit like a truck and could take just as much, and was dumb enough to follow orders- at least until now… actually, he could be useful in the support of monsters.
Undyne stared at the guy for a long moment, before she spoke, "Truck, right?"
"Y-yes," he stammered.
"Tell you what, Truck. You wanna help the good guys, first you can tell me where your main base is, then you can help me find a place to evacuate the monsters, because my people are gonna be wiped out otherwise. Think you can do that?"
"Oh, I can! It, um..." his voice dropped to a whisper. "No tell anyone I tell you please- it under place called Obaseki. The leader go to work there sometime when he not busy with Messiah stuff that I not 'spose to know about... he been going there more since Krashy became leader."
Undyne's eye twitched. Obaseki Industries, then? As much as she wanted to rush down there and kick everyone's ass she saw, that mindset had almost made her murder Truck just minutes ago. No, the best thing to do right now was evacuate people. "Alright. Now for the other thing... any ideas as to where we can hide about two thousand people of varying size?"
Truck's jaw slacked as he strained to think. "Um... I uh... I not know."
"Whatever, it's fine." Undyne replied, before taking note of how... empty this street was. No people, no traffic, just them. That was when she remembered what the guy on the news had said. "Come on. We need to go see Asgore."
"Oh! Right, King... um... hm... yeah, he probably get attacked right now! Him and girl, I think, but-" Truck froze, his eyes widening. "O-Oh right. Demon the one attacking. You not go, it too bad. Demon is one who kill one lady who kind of look like King. He… sometime scarier than leaders."
This Demon character was the one Asgore had been so interested in when they'd uncovered Toriel's secrets. Demon had been the one to kill Toriel, as Truck had just reminded her, and apparently he was scarier than the leaders.
Undyne, however, had never known fear. Well, she had, but her response was usually to spit in its eye and then proceed to suplex anything heavier than 500 lbs. Besides, if Demon was attacking both Asgore and Frisk… her support would probably be welcome.
"Doesn't matter. Just follow me."