VOXISTALE: Season 1

by TheOneTrueComic

Once upon a time… A human fell underground. Beneath the surface, they made friends. Made enemies. Made mistakes. Made things right. After a long time, the human decided to stay, calling the underground home. The monsters, her family. One day, the underground was destroyed, but the monsters were able to escape, thanks to the human. For years, they have lived on the surface.

13. Unveiled: Part 2

METTATON

Mettaton had been in this prison for weeks. Weeks! Him, an idol, a superstar, forced behind bars for a crime he didn't commit! He'd spent day after day after day rotting away in his cell, with the occasional breaktime, yard time, and 'cafeteria hour,' which he tended not to spend eating- not because he couldn't but because he was giving a silent protest. If it worked for Gandhi then by Orion it'd work here!

Instead, he accompanied Papyrus around in case the other inmates would try to pick on him. though surprisingly, Papyrus had actually befriended most of the prisoners, even getting on the good side of a few of the guards. It surprised Mettaton how capable Papyrus had become at being friendly without letting people walk all over him. He'd even convinced the chef to start serving Papasta on Sundays.

Mettaton, though, was having a terrible time here. His hair was a mess (admittedly an easy fix if he just solidified the strands, but he wanted his distress to show), his privacy was nonexistent, and he could only talk to one person; Papyrus, his cellmate (correction: he refused to speak to anyone else). Mettaton had no idea how some people managed to stay in these cells for years upon years and stay sane. Although, Papyrus did a good job of keeping him entertained. Especially when he arm wrestled per an inmate's request. Despite being all bone and... bone, Papyrus was unnaturally strong. Undyne had said it before, but Mettaton was fairly impressed to see some large men made of pure muscle be almost effortlessly beaten by the skeleton. There were a few times Papyrus struggled and even lost, though Mettaton could see through the act. He was just trying to be nice.

On this night in particular, everybody was being sent back to their cells, most inmates calling out good night's to Papyrus, who cheerfully returned them. Once the two were in their cell, Mettaton flopped dramatically onto his bed, which was the bottom of a bunk. "Papyrus darling, how you manage to remain so optimistic I may never know."

"EASY! I JUST HAVE TO PRETEND EVERYONE IS A TOMATO, FRESH TO TURN INTO A FINE PASTE, A KEY INGREDIENT IN SPAGHETTI!"

Mettaton wasn't sure if that was some kind of a joke. Instead, he just closed his eyes, opening his mouth to complain some more, as was his nightly routine, when a loud voice interrupted them;

"Monsters."

Mettaton opened his eyes as Papyrus turned on his heel to smile at an officer who was glaring through the bars at them. "HELLO, HUMAN! ARE YOU NEW HERE? I DON'T RECOGNIZE YOU, BUT I'M SURE WE CAN BECOME GREAT FRIENDS!"

"Unlikely," the officer said in a gruff voice, folding his arms, "obviously, you haven't heard, but The Father has just declared Martial Law over Voxis City. I've been ordered to escort you outside."

"UM... WHAT DOES THAT MEAN? WHO ARE YOU?" Papyrus asked. "YOU'RE DRESSED DIFFERENTLY FROM THE OTHER GUARDS!"

It was true, but not by much. The only difference in attire was that this man wore several medals and badges on his chest, and he almost looked as if he was wearing a second outfit underneath the existing one.

"I'm a special officer that's been assigned to escort you out of this cell and outside, where someone else will be... taking over," he cleared his throat, "I'd like to apologize in advance."

"Apologize for what? And who the devil is 'The Father'? Sounds gratuitous, a little narcissistic. Maybe religious?" Mettaton asked, folding his arms as the special officer unlocked the cell.

"It's best you don't know the answer to either of those questions," the man replied, his expression stern and unmoving.

Despite being wary of this entire situation, Papyrus elected to remain his usual, positive self. "COME ON, METTATON! WE'RE GETTING OUT OF HERE!" He grinned. Mettaton wasn't so certain, but shrugged at the skeleton.

They left their cell, the officer behind them, directing them through the prison, seemingly headed for the courtyard. Papyrus exclaimed cheerful goodbyes to almost every inmate in their cell they passed along the way. Practically the whole prison was cheering Papyrus on for finally getting released, as everyone assumed, by the time they'd reached the courtyard.

"Why are we at the courtyard?" Mettaton asked, hands on his hips. The courtyard was a dreary place that a lot of prisoners spent their breaks at, usually to exchange cigarettes and whatever else they could get their hands on. Mettaton's olfactory sensors usually couldn't handle this place, and he was hesitant to go out there at all. Even ignoring the smokey smell, the courtyard was... well, you could tell they hadn't hired a professional designer. The ground was solid concrete, littered with cracks and questionable stains. The high walls that boxed the small excuse for a courtyard in weren't much to look at either- twenty feet of concrete, straight up, only with the exception of a few iron bars.

Essentially, it was just a box of concrete with no ceiling. Having recently rained, there were puddles strewn about that had failed to travel down the various thin drains, and it was incredibly dark as clouds hung overhead, obscuring the stars and the moon.

Without answering, the officer turned and walked away, closing the door into the prison behind him. They could hear the lock click. "What the f-"

"FUDGE? I WAS GOING TO SAY THE SAME THING." Papyrus stated, though he was frowning, looking about the courtyard as though searching for something. Mettaton didn't reply as a green filter glazed over his eyes, and the entire courtyard was suddenly in view–night vision courtesy of his latest upgrades.

"Papyrus, dear? Get behind me."

"UM... WHY? THERE'S NOTHING OUT HERE!" Papyrus exclaimed, scooting to Mettaton's side. It seemed he was right at first, but Mettaton wanted to give this a thorough investigation…

No, nothing seemed to be in the courtyard. Just out of instinct, he took a quick glance upward, looking back down…

Wait, no. Looking back up once again, there was definitely something up there. A silhouette, someone literally sitting up there on top of the prison and staring the pair down…

"Do you see that?" Mettaton asked, pointing.

"SEE WHAT?" Papyrus asked, looking to their left, their surroundings simply too dark for him to see in. That would be a problem, especially if what Mettaton thought was about to go down... was about to go down.

"I'm not certain yet, darling, but I think the Messiah is here to finish the job."

"F-FINISH THE JOB? BUT WE'RE ALREADY IN PRISON..." Papyrus laughed nervously, though he knew exactly what Mettaton meant. He just didn't like it.

"Monsters," the silhouette greeted, voice a bit slurred and distant. Slowly, they began to drift down the wall, seemingly levitating. Mettaton was quickly able to detect what was going on- a massive device covered the man's entire arm, and it seemed to be sending some sort of electric current through his body. Gravity manipulation? Or he was using it to slow his fall some other way. The man's long blonde hair and eyepatch quickly made both Papyrus and Mettaton realize that this wasn't a prisoner or a guard- not one they recognized, at least.

If any of their friends knew he was, they hadn't been able to be informed. Visitations had been prohibited for the pair, although Sans somehow seemed to visit Papyrus from time to time, though it had been a few days since they'd seen him.

"HUMAN." Papyrus replied to the man. "ER- I ASSUME."

"Your assumption is almost on-point." The man stated simply as he landed, glaring at the pair.

"Messiah, too?" Mettaton added.

The man didn't respond to this, but instead, merely gave the slightest nod of his head.

"And you're here to kill us, I presume?" Mettaton scoffed. These people really did have one-track minds for murder, didn't they?

"Well... no. But yes. Yes, but actually no," the man scratched the side of his face, shocking himself with his fingers. He looked incredibly uncomfortable with that device locked onto his arm. "Within the Messiah, my name is Warmth. I'm the least combat-capable of any Messiah Lieutenant. I was promoted due to my ability as a researcher, a creator, and a scientist. And... due to my possession."

"POSSESSION?" Papyrus's eye sockets narrowed slightly. Mettaton really didn't want to have a conversation with this man, but Papyrus was too curious not to ask about it.

"It's quite simple," Warmth smirked. "A violent, nocturnal spirit was sealed within my body when I was born. Every night, all night, the spirit takes over, destroying everything it can and taking quite the toll on my body. A shaytan."

"UM... BUT IT'S NIGHT RIGHT NOW!" Papyrus pointed up at the midnight black sky.

"After years of research... I've finally created a prototype for the device that will stop that spirit from taking over," Warmth stated, lifting up his arm with the device on it. It looked like an oversized metal sleeve with an abundance of gadgets attached to it. "The special electric current keeps me in control. It's called... the Helio-Stabilizer. It's the weapon I'll be using to destroy the both of you today. Although, that's not my end goal- if I succeed here, I'll be permitted to make a polished product. I can finally be... me. I've never seen the stars before, and now that I have... I'm not willing to give it up." Warmth raised the Helio-Stabilizer, the end of it glowing a deep yellow as it was aimed toward the duo. "I'd appreciate it if you would just stay still. I know it's hard to accept, but this is much better than rotting in a cell for the next few years, isn't it?"

Almost immediately, a bone sprung from the concrete beneath Warmth's arm, knocking it aside as a spear-like bone of blue energy appeared in Papyrus' hands. "I DON'T WANT TO FIGHT YOU, BUT I WILL IF I MUST. HOWEVER, THIS ISN'T THE ONLY PATH YOU CAN TAKE! YOU'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO SEE THE STARS? WE HAVE A BRILLIANT SCIENTIST WHO COULD HELP YOU FURTHER! ALL MONSTERS MAY NOT BE ACCEPTING, BUT I AM! AND I AM WILLING TO HELP YOU AND SUPPORT YOU! BELIEVE ME. I KNOW A THING OR TWO ABOUT WANTING TO SEE REAL STARS."

Mettaton seemed about to interject, possibly to convince Papyrus that this man wouldn't be swayed, but closed his mouth instead, opting to take a battle stance instead, inwardly impressed at Papyrus' initiative.

"Hmph. Your offer is a kind and tempting one," Warmth nodded, letting out a sigh. "Alas, I cannot accept. Not only is there no guarantee your doctor can help me, betraying the Messiah now would lead to a fate worse than death. A fate worse than the one I've been cursed with my entire life."

He took a look up at the clouds that blanketed the sky. "I'm willing to acknowledge that monsters aren't evil creatures. In fact, it's plain as day that the Messiah has been in the wrong this whole time, from a wide majority of standpoints. It's easiest to pretend to hate your kind in order to appease the leaders."

"SO WHY? IF YOU DON'T HATE MONSTERS, WHY HURT US?" Papyrus asked with wide, concerned eyes.

"Because not all of us have the luxury of being on the 'right' side. Like I said, disobeying my orders would lead to a fate worse than death. Or perhaps just a fate equal to that of my Minerva's... the fact of the matter is; I have to kill you. I want to live my life in control of myself, and I'm willing to be a part of the Messiah if that's what it takes. Is it selfish? Does it make me a terrible person? Am I a coward? The scum of the earth? Think of me however you'd like. The only option is to fight."

With a burst of yellow, the Helio-Stabilizer began roaring like the engine of a motorcycle.

Mettaton tried to make a really cool comeback or something like that, but his voice was drowned out by the sound of the gauntlet before the two monsters quickly took a few steps back as Warmth prepared his first attack once the noise died down, the Helio-Stabilizer reaching full-functioning capacity.

Mettaton immediately lunged at Warmth, completely missing a punch, but with his enhanced reflexes, he managed to dodge a hit from Warmth. "You said you're the least combat-capable? I hate to inform you, but your leaders have sent you to your death."

"Hmph. It would seem you've failed to anticipate the Helio-Stabilizer being a multi-purpose tool."

Mettaton opened his mouth for a retort, but was forced to stop as a strong electric current shot from the side of the gauntlet, an intense shock rippling through the superstar's body. He fell to his knees, overwhelmed by that device's output of energy.

Luckily, Papyrus swooped in, using his bone to form a small but effective barrier between his ally and the enemy. Warmth hopped back a few meters, slowly drifting down to the ground thanks to the stabilizer's gravity manipulating properties.

It became very clear what kind of battle this would be. Mettaton leading direct assaults while Papyrus did what he could to provide defense and distractions from afar. The skeleton's bones quickly became an annoyance to the Messiah lieutenant. Again and again, Mettaton rushed him, taking the hits and damage while Papyrus prevented Mettaton from taking anything too lethal.

At this point, Warmth realized what they were doing. Mettaton wasn't simply charging blindly. He was testing the waters, looking for weak points in Warmth's defenses, seeing how much damage he could deal.

"You two would really prefer to spend the rest of your lives in prison than just let me have this?" Warmth blinked as another shock wave hit Mettaton, forcing him to leap back to Papyrus's side. Electricity was one of the robot's weaknesses- if you struck any machine with enough electricity, there was a good chance of overloading and short-circuiting.

"We don't intend to stay here forever," Mettaton growled.

"Well, I can assure you that you don't have much choice as long as The Father maintains his grasp on Voxis City. And with his power, I guarantee you, he will."

"YOUR DAD WILL NEVER DEFEAT THE HOPES AND THE DREAMS OF MONSTERS!" Papyrus exclaimed. For a moment, they stopped fighting, Mettaton and Warmth looking toward the skeleton.

"A little too cheesy," the robot stated.

"I agree," said the lieutenant.

"OH. WELL, IT'S A WORK IN PROGRESS."

A sudden blast of yellow energy slugged into Mettaton's chest, launching him off his feet, though not enough to send him into the back wall, as he was able to regain himself and slam his feet to the ground, skidding to a halt. "Two can play that game." He grinned, his right arm beginning to transform, repurposing itself into an arm-cannon that immediately began to spin in a circular motion, a light emanating from within as it charged up.

"That won't be enough," Warmth stated simply, rolling his shoulder. This was getting too bothersome for him- he'd been secretly hoping the two would just accept their fates and die. Charging up much faster than Mettaton, he fired off a sphere of energy, but it was intercepted by Papyrus, who split through it with a bone.

"IT'S STILL NOT TOO LATE!" Papyrus told him, holding a large bone in front of himself defensively. "I KNOW YOU MUST BE AFRAID, BUT WE MONSTERS ARE TOUGH, TOO! YOU CAN JOIN OUR SIDE! THE GOOD GUYS!"

"I've killed people," Warmth stated bluntly. "Dozens, maybe even a hundred. The spirit inside of me has slaughtered more people than I can remember. Do you think anyone would be capable of looking past that on the 'good side?'"

There was a moment of silence.

"Didn't think so," he said, charging up another energy sphere to counter what Mettaton was cooking up.

"BUT YOU DON'T HAVE TO KEEP HURTING PEOPLE! I TRULY THINK OUR SCIENTIST COULD HELP YOU! DON'T YOU SEE? THE MORE YOU MAKE PEOPLE SUFFER... THE WORSE YOU'LL FEEL!"

"I stopped feeling a long time ago," was Warmth's response, before Mettaton suddenly dashed at the man again, a blade extending out of the robot's left palm. Warmth's counter-blast was once again interrupted by Papyrus as Mettaton slashed with incredible dexterity and precision, Warmth's only saving grace being his Helio-Stabilizer, which took the brunt of the attack- but not without some damage.

His eyes widening slightly, Warmth began to grow more concerned than agitated. "You fool! You break this and nobody's walking out of this alive!" This went ignored as Mettaton led with several more slashes from his blade, Warmth's only defense being his gauntlet, which sustained more and more damage before the robot was interrupted by another shock, and leaped back, only to fire his charged blast at Warmth, who tried to counter it with his own- but was too slow, the blast of energy connecting with his stabilizer and blowing him off his feet.

"Ghh-! What, so if you can't survive, nobody gets to!? I'm telling you, destroying the Helio-Stabilizer wouldn't accomplish anything, aside from turning all three of us to ashes!" Warmth growled, growing more and more agitated with this situation. "Fine! If that's how it is, then it's time you know what my creation can really do."

The outer ring of the Helio-Stabilizer's energy launcher shifted around with a mechanical whir, a total of fifteen gaps in the device visible from where Mettaton and Papyrus were standing. Without warning, yellow bullets began to rapidly fire out from each one, a steady stream of magic firing off into Mettaton's chest. Durable as the superstar was, he fell to his knees from the relentless firing, bringing his arms up to shield his face. Papyrus stepped forward to block the bullets with a bone, but one quick adjustment of Warmth's wrist, and they were now peppering and shredding through Papyrus's prison uniform. If one hit his spine, it would be bad news...

"UNGH- STOP!" Papyrus swiped his hand through the air, and for a moment, Warmth was enveloped in a faint blue aura before he was flung through the air, nearly slamming into a far wall, but his generated gravity well allowed him to regain balance midair and come to a stop on his feet. Papyrus too, fell to a knee, clutching his chest. Seeing this, Mettaton returned to his feet, a fire seeming to burn in his eyes. "Enough with the edgy pity party, Warmth. I don't care about you or your story. Maybe I was willing to let you join us if Papyrus' method had worked, but I can see that you're too far gone. You may consider our actions as stubbornness, but I consider it mercy. Mercy that you won't have to suffer any longer! Not once I'm through with you."

Tearing off the prison garbs he wore, a pair of wings sprouted from Mettaton's back, before a powerful, vibrant, fuchsia energy began to pulse out of them, and he rose into the air, his arm cannon powering up once again. "Face Mettaton EX!" the robot shouted, "version 2."

"It's quite bold of you to assume that was an attempt to make you pity me. As a matter of fact, I've never felt better than I do right now! I get to be outside... outside, at night! The cold air... the stars... the darkness... I've heard so many stories about the night. It's a dream come true- it'll take more than a glorified toaster oven to turn it into a nightmare."

"HEY! METTATON IS AT THE VERY LEAST A FULL-SIZED OVEN!"

"Papyrus! Focus!" Mettaton growled, charging up a blast from his cannon-arm. The Helio-Stabilizer seemed to be preparing another attack of it's own- if it was this powerful as a prototype, what could the finished product be capable of...? It almost seemed to have a mind of it's own, acting without any input from the Lieutenant.

"Come on, then, hit me! Shoot me!" he called out with a sinister chuckle, the stabilizer creaking and whirring violently around his arm.

"Well now I'm not going to." Mettaton replied. "I mean, nobody in their right mind would if you just said that like that. Papyrus, do your blue attack."

"OKAY!" Papyrus stabbed his blue bone into the ground, before a torrent of cyan bones began hurtling toward Warmth, each bone doing diddly squat to the guy as he stood there.

"The other blue attack!" Mettaton exclaimed in exasperation.

"PATIENCE, METTATON! IT'S A PROCESS!"

"Is this... some sort of joke?" Warmth raised an eyebrow. "I know how blue attacks work, you know."

"MY BROTHER IS BETTER THAN ME AT JOKES, BUT I CAN STILL MAKE A GOOD ONE! AND THIS TIME, THE JOKE IS ON YOU!"

"What do you- oh, I get it." Before Warmth knew it, the bones had actually sneakily accumulated all around him, shaping themselves into a cage of sorts.

"NOW, METTATON! HURRY!" Papyrus instructed as Warmth began to strike at the bones with his Helio-Stabilizer. They didn't seem to harm him as long as his machine touched them instead of him, but this was still a great opportunity for the robot to make a move.

"Patience, Papyrus. It's a process," Mettaton winked back, before he took a step forward, his chest splitting open horizontally, splitting the violet heart splayed onto his front, and several block-like characters emerged, propelled by miniature rocket thrusters. Three in total, before his chest closed again, his eyes shining with light as his body worked, producing more of the Minitons inside of him.

The three Minitons blasted their way to the other side of Warmth before tossing magical 'hearts' at the Messiah lieutenant while Mettaton's shoulders extended, revealing two miniature silos inside of him that immediately launched a barrage of tiny missiles, spinning violently through the air.

With a growl, Warmth once again raised the Stabilizer in front of him to shield his body from the attack. It did its job well once again, the mini-missiles and Miniton hearts striking it. As good as the device was when it came to defense, the Stabilizer ironically seemed to be becoming unstable, the output of electricity going into Warmth's body rising.

"THAT THING ON HIS ARM- ARE WE GOING TO TRY TO BREAK IT?" Papyrus asked Mettaton, but before he could get a response, the lieutenant spoke up.

"Damn it! If you want to destroy it so badly, then fine! Don't say I didn't warn you!"

A metallic click echoed through the courtyard as the metallic sleeve slipped off of Warmth's arm, revealing a second, much smaller model beneath it. With the large 'shell' now detached, he tossed it out of the bone prison, the piece of metal beeping wildly as it scraped against the concrete, now at an equal distance between the two opposing sides.

"...Papyrus, get beh-"

A white light enveloped the entire courtyard, and Mettaton could feel an intense heat swallow his entire body as it interrupted his warning. He could feel paint drip off of him, and his circuitry didn't appreciate this heat- but he was going to survive this. Papyrus, on the other hand... where was he? Mettaton had to make sure he was alright…

When vision returned, he found the skeleton lying against the far wall, the front of his body blackened, unmoving- but not dust. Mettaton stared at him for a moment, feeling a small part of him deep inside of himself writhe in pain.

His eyes suddenly flashed red, maintaining their scarlet appeal as he turned back to face Warmth, face going slack, displaying no emotion. With the dust clearing, the robot stared forward, its anti-human programming kicking into overdrive.

For now, Mettaton was gone.

All that remained was Alphys' programming.

Warmth had experienced the same blast as the monsters, but he didn't seem all that bothered by it... actually, he seemed to be struggling with his own problems, facial expression beginning to contort, before returning to normal. His Stabilizer was damaged and now the prototype was only putting in half of the current it originally had been. Now, he was struggling to remain in control.

His facial features kept going from 'normal' to 'rabid dog,' and each time, he only seemed to grow more and more upset, fighting for his own body.

'Mettaton' didn't intend to give him a single ounce of pity, flying forward and thrusting his cannon-arm forward to try and blast the lieutenant's head off at point blank. Unfortunately for 'Mettaton,' Warmth ducked below the blast and grabbed his leg with what was left of the Stabilizer, slamming the machine down into the concrete, hard enough to crack it.

In spite of the fact that he barely seemed in control of himself, Warmth outmatched 'Mettaton' in brute strength as long as he possessed that device, and his reflexes were sharp. However, he was outclassed when it came to stamina and quite possibly speed.

Mettaton didn't react to the attack at all, simply swiping his free leg to the side, knocking Warmth aside, blood and spit flying from his mouth. The robot rose to his feet, and as Warmth attacked first this time, it was Mettaton who countered it, jabbing his fist into Warmth's throat, forcing him to choke as Mettaton's canon arm slammed into his gut, knocking the air out of him, before the canon fired, blasting him to the ground, where he barely rolled out of the way of Mettaton's leg as it stomped the ground he'd just been.

He went to strike Mettaton again, moving faster and with more ferocity, but the robot was barely deterred as his face literally cracked from the hit, and he grasped Warmth's arm before striking his elbow, a crack sounding through the air as his arm was broken.

Warmth received another throat jab before Mettaton raised his boot, and slammed it into him, launching him into the wall, where he fell to a knee. While he was having trouble focusing, one thing was obvious. Whatever had happened to Mettaton seemed to boost his combat proficiency, but at the cost of defensive capabilities, something that could easily be exploited.

Mettaton wasted no time going on the offensive once again, flying forward. Warmth moved his head just in time, the robot's boot crashing through the concrete just behind the lieutenant. Right now, it appeared that the spirit that possessed Warmth was gaining more and more control with the bulk of the stabilizer gone. With a vicious snarl, the spirit grabbed hold of Mettaton's leg, beginning to slam him back and forth on the concrete.

Though the robot showed no sign of feeling pain, his body was certainly taking a beating as he was mercilessly slammed into the cracked concrete ground below. Finally, after about ten seconds of being brutalized, Mettaton kicked free and flew over to the far wall. This wasn't to calculate or go on the defensive- it was to try and gain leverage for another attack. This programming was forfeiting all better judgement to destroy the lieutenant, and under normal circumstances, that would lead to Mettaton's demise.

However, the spirit seemed to have a similar strategy. No thought, no caution- just offense.

Brutal, unbridled, animalistic rage unlocked in a duel against cold, unfeeling, proficient steel. Alphys' programming in Mettaton, the only reason why it wasn't an empty husk at the moment, was clearly not capable of defensive capabilities, presumably because Alphys doubted it'd ever be needed, or some other likely excuse. Regardless, both figures moved at each other, Warmth's nails freakishly elongating to slash into the robot's shoulder, ripping it open, who slammed its cracked face into Warmth's in response, the lieutenant's nose breaking- though neither seemed to care about the damage they were taking. Attack after attack, they just kept brutalizing each other with no regard for the damage they were enduring.

Finally, however, Mettaton gained the upper hand for the moment as its blade extended as it had before, and it rammed it through Warmth's middle. Normally, this would have seemed like the end- but Warmth didn't show any signs of slowing down, instead using his brute strength to rip the blade off, leaving it attached inside of him before he swiped across Mettaton's eyes, glass and metal going flying as the robot's optical senses were disabled, and quickly, the battle turned into Warmth's favor as Mettaton was left almost completely unable to fight back without a visual, forced to rely on precognition tech.

Lunging forward, Warmth was quick to take advantage of Mettaton's lack of vision, carving his way into the robot's mid-section with one hand while simultaneously yanking at the arm that had stabbed him, wanting to rip it right off and really cripple Mettaton.

Without sight, even the empty, bloodthirsty shell that was Mettaton's body was struggling to resist the vicious onslaught of the spirit, who frankly didn't care if the body it inhabited was hurt. The lieutenant would have to face the consequences, not the spirit- just as it had always been.

With a triumphant snarl, the beast tore the entire arm away from Mettaton's body, who stumbled backwards, collapsing to one knee and falling still, the crimson light in its eyes fading.

Although Warmth seemed hellbent on ending Mettaton, once the robot appeared to be out of the picture, he turned his attention toward Papyrus, slowly beginning to walk over to the unconscious skeleton, stumbling and nearly falling a few times during the short walk over. A body did have its limits, whether the user felt them or not.

But just as he was about to rip the skeleton to shreds, something unexpected happened. A bone shot out of the concrete beneath Warmth's feet, striking him directly in the stomach, applying so much force that it penetrated the flesh and tore it's way out the other end.

In the blink of an eye, the expression on Warmth's face changed from that of a rabid beast to that of a human being, a man who'd just had his internal organs completely crushed. The bone disappeared, and he immediately collapsed, coughing up a pool of red into his hands.

… the stabilizer was gone, so why was he in control of his body? Had the spirit been startled and fled, or was it just trying to give him one last 'fuck you,' knowing that this body was done for no matter what?

Had Papyrus really done this? He looked unconscious, still unmoving even while Warmth continued to bleed. With a shaky breath, the lieutenant grit his reddened teeth and laid on his side.

What an anticlimactic ending to his life. All his research had been for nothing- the Helio-Stabilizer would never be anything more than a prototype. He wondered if he'd go to hell. If it existed, probably, but maybe it wouldn't be so bad. After all, there would be a familiar face there waiting...

He wasn't given the grace of a merciful death as his life slowly ebbed away, his body lying prone, blood pooling beneath him with each passing second, his eyes fluttering open and shut as his vision blurred.

However, behind him stood a relatively short figure wearing a scarlet hoodie, his hands in his pockets, his eye sockets dark and empty. Peering over Sans' shoulder was Flowey, whose stem was wrapped around Sans' shoulder. They'd just arrived, and a quick look around them confirmed that they'd arrived on time.

There was a tense moment of silence before the first to speak was the flower. "Never thought you'd have it in you, trashbag."

Sans didn't reply, instead walking calmly past Warmth to his brother, and kneeling in front of him, putting a skeletal hand on the taller brother's skull. "...he's fine. relatively speaking."

"Why'd you bother saving him this time?" Flowey chuckled, "from my experience, you were always pretty content with letting him die."

"not content," Sans replied, rising back up to his full height as he stared down at Papyrus. "it wasn't easy but i did it for a reason. and now? there's no chance any of us will ever come back from death again."

"Yeah, yeah, that's great. Can we get a move on, now? I'd like to kill this Messiah leader now and get back to what really matters." Flowey replied callously as Sans' hand began to glow a deep shade of green before he held it over Papyrus' chest. "we can't." The shorter skeleton stated.

"And why not?" Flowey growled, obviously more than a little eager to fight the Messiah's leader. He stared at Sans awaiting an answer, before realizing that he wasn't going to receive one, the skeleton too focused on his brother to bother with conversation.

"This is stupid," Flowey hissed, face twisting into a sinister expression as he grew more impatient and more annoyed. "You're stupid."

MAGNUM

Something was very... very... wrong.

The multitude of screens before her, including the ones she could easily flip stations between, had all gone haywire, for lack of a better term. The images were distorted, glitching inconsistently between one another into an incoherent mess that she could not solve.

The only answer was obvious; she'd been hacked. Or perhaps, there was a Messiah bug that had survived her purge when she'd originally been hacked. Nothing else could wreck her entire surveillance system like this. All of the secret eyes she had set up around the city were all useless now.

Something was happening.

Alphys fearfully tapped her claws against her desk, praying for a miracle- maybe, just maybe, this was some kind of mistake, just a little glitch. In the back of her mind, though, she knew that was false. Nobody was answering her calls. Not even Undyne, who hadn't left the laboratory that long ago...

She literally jumped up from her seat when she heard a knock at the door, peering over through her thick glasses. Who could be visiting at this time? Maybe one of her friends had come to check up on her, maybe Undyne was back! She rushed over to answer it, sweating like a pig from how nervous this whole situation made her.

Normally she would have checked her security camera, but obviously that wasn't exactly an option right now, and for some reason she'd never thought to get a front window or a peep hole or something, considering the glass door was made of privacy glass.

She stopped at the door, flattening her lab coat and pulling at the sweater underneath before letting out a sigh, hoping that maybe this was something... good. Something that wouldn't confirm her suspicions of another Messiah attack, considering their extended silence as of late.

Wrapping her fingers around the doorknob, Alphys opened up the door while whispering under her breath, hoping this would be something good. Oh, please let it be something good...

But it wasn't.

Alphys was met with the sight of a human woman who stood over her, gazing down through burgundy-brown eyes. Her hair was styled in purple curls that ran down her shoulders, though it was straight in the back, two white ribbons pinned on each side of her head.

Alphys recognized her, and it took a few seconds of standing there wordlessly, but she knew who this was. It was Trickster- one of the Messiah's most dangerous lieutenants, the one who'd destroyed Mettaton's body. She was dressed oddly, much more casually than Alphys would expect from someone in such a prolific criminal organization, sporting a black hoodie that covered down to about the center of her thighs, most likely wearing some kind of shorts underneath it too. Slung over the lieutenant's shoulder was what looked like an easter basket- okay, now this was confusing.

"Alphys, isn't it? I don't believe we've met," Trickster smiled kindly, extending a hand.

Alphys reproachfully took a step backwards, the hand hidden behind the door subtly moving to silently hit a button against the wall. With that, she proceeded to answer her.

"I know w-who you are." She stated, face notably a lot paler than just a minute ago. "Bastette Amour. Lieutenant of the Messiah. Tasked with the destruction of Mettaton, a-and if you're here... I guess me too, now."

"Bingo," Trickster's smile widened as she stepped forward, entering the laboratory and making Alphys scoot back even more, trembling. "Oh, don't be scared. You're not in any danger if you don't resist."

Alphys paused, staring at Trickster through wide eyes, which only looked wider through her lenses. "W-W-What...?"

"Come on, I'm not an idiot," Trickster laughed dryly, her eyes locked onto the short monster in front of her, unblinking. "I'm here to see Magnum. I know she's here. If you cooperate, I just might be able to get away with sparing your life today."

There was another moment of tense silence, before Alphys took a few more steps back toward her console. "I don't believe you." She proclaimed. "I-I'm not stupid. I know what happens to you if you d-don't kill me."

"And what's that?" Trickster asked, her eyes scanning over the room they were in. It was mostly bare, and very very white. Thankfully it was rather dark, otherwise the color would be dreadfully blinding otherwise.

"You'll be killed, j-just like Minerva."

"You've done your homework, but… that's not how it works," Trixie shook her head. "Minerva was... a strange case. She was only promoted for her combat capabilities, the leaders never really valued her presence or her existence. Me, on the other hand- I've never failed the leaders before. They know I'm strong, maybe even almost as strong as them. If I can prove I'm worth keeping alive by bringing Magnum back..." she reached into the basket slung over her shoulder. "Then your death is unnecessary. But I can tell you won't believe me, so I've prepared a special surprise for you."

Alphys expected the lieutenant to pull out a weapon, but instead, a DVD case emerged from the basket. No way- was that...?

A Mew Mew Kissy Cutie 5 DVD?! That movie hadn't even been shown in Japanese theaters yet! Alphys had a disc on pre-order, but she'd been told actually receiving it before next month wasn't possible. How had this lady already gotten one?

"I need Magnum to come back with me," Trickster stated firmly. "For just a moment, forget about everything- forget that I'm a human and you're a monster. Forget that I'm a lieutenant of the Messiah. Forget that we're on opposite sides. I'm asking you, from one person to another... I need my best friend."

Alphys stared at her for a moment, gaze flicking between Trixie's eyes. The sincerity in her tone, her body language, all of it screamed that she was simply telling the truth. Even then, Alphys still didn't exactly trust her. Who could? Her alias was literally 'Trickster'. Anybody who'd earned a title like that certainly had to be skilled at mental and emotional manipulation just as much as the physical kind she could somehow pull off.

Yet, Alphys did feel swayed. It reminded her a bit of when she'd initially become so close to Undyne, long before they'd started dating. Orion… that felt like a lifetime ago… blinking a few times, realizing the air of tenseness that still hung in the silent air, Alphys replied; "My better instincts are telling me t-to... find some way to stop you," she admitted, "but... I know what it's like to n-need someone, a-and... well..." her voice trailed off awkwardly, her gaze still never leaving Bastette.

"For a long time, I didn't have anyone," Trickster stated, her gaze unwavering. Alphys still couldn't detect any sinister intentions behind her words, either…

"But then I found two friends within the Messiah. Their names were Trinity and Krashna. We were just kids, we didn't know what we were destined to become at the time. I was the oldest, so I always tried my best to protect them. They were... my family. I'd take a bullet for either one of them; but Krashna's found another path, and doesn't care for me or anyone else anymore. Trinity... she's..."

A single tear began to run down the lieutenant's cheek from her left eye, which she quickly wiped away on her sleeve. "Magnum- she's all I have left now. If you know where she is, then I need you to tell me. I'm not doing this for the leaders. I'm breaking rules, risking everything so I can have Magnum back."

Alphys almost told her about Magnum's revision of the Messiah, but all-in-all...

She knew about Magnum's conversations with Raptor, the plan they'd made. Magnum would betray the Messiah and Raptor would go into hiding. Sometimes Alphys thought Magnum spoke as loud as she did about this topic in an effort to make sure the monster heard her. It had worked, of course. It wasn't like she didn't have only a camera down there.

Then there was the possibility Magnum could convince Trickster onto their side as well, especially if she was as powerful as she claimed to be. Orion knows they could use the extra support…

So, wordlessly, Alphys riskily turned her back to the lieutenant, pressing a button on her console which opened up a portion of the wall at the end of the room to reveal an elevator waiting to be boarded. "Floor B3." Alphys said, her chest feeling light as she silently wondered if she was doing the right thing, or if she was just screwing up everything even more.

Much to her relief, Alphys wasn't immediately stabbed the moment her back was to the lieutenant, though she was a bit startled when Trixie walked past her, having seemingly teleported from one end of the room to the other. Alphys wasn't sure what exactly this girl was capable of aside from shapeshifting and using katanas made of SOUL energy, but if she'd defeated Mettaton, that meant she was probably pretty fast.

The lieutenant boarded the elevator without hesitation. Alphys wasn't sure if this girl actually trusted her, or if she was just that desperate to see Magnum, but either way, she nervously tapped on the button to send her down. Alphys wasn't about to go down there with her, but she'd watch the scene unfold through her cameras.

… oh wait, right, those weren't working.

Probably a good idea to work on restoring a visual, especially considering she couldn't do much else at the moment.

"Still think you'd be better off just runnin'." Raptor shrugged as he sat against the wall of the cell, arms crossed, head down, his chin dipping into his chest, his eyes closed as the generator began to hum with the descent of the elevator.

Magnum stood up, stretching her arms. "Yeah, you said that." She replied, taking a deep breath. "But tonight's the night. Gonna profess my allegiance or whatever to uh... Asgore, I guess. Monsterkind has really limited leadership figures."

"There's Undone."

"Undyne."

"What did I say?"

"Quiet." Magnum hissed. "Soon as the doors open, you keep your trap shut and let me do the talking. Especially if Undyne is with her."

When the elevator doors slid open, Magnum was fully prepared to say something, but the words were caught in her throat when she saw that it wasn't Alphys nor Undyne that had come down. Trixie stood there, a twinkle in her eyes upon seeing Magnum.

"… this is gonna be bad," Raptor mumbled, immediately feeling himself grow nervous upon seeing his fellow lieutenant. They'd never really gotten along all that well, and Trickster could be even scarier than Psycho at times. She never failed missions, never questioned her authority… she was essentially the top lieutenant, though Demon would probably be above her if he wasn't so independent.

"Trin!" The purple haired girl practically squealed, rushing over to the energy barrier that separated them, cautious about passing through, deciding not to risk it and remaining on the other side. "I finally found you- oh, you have no idea how hard I've been searching! I only slept two hours this week, but it was worth it! Because… here you are! Why do you look so surprised? You didn't think I forgot about you, did ya?"

Magnum still found her words stuck in her throat, but when she finally spoke, her words wiped the grin off of Trickster's face.

"Where's Alphys?"

There was a moment of silence as the two stared at one another, before Trickster formulated her reply. "Uh... how about 'it's so good to see you, Trix, I've been thinking about you every day since I got captured'. Alphys is fine, if that really means that much to you."

Magnum gulped, blinking a couple of times. "I- yeah, I'm stoked to see you, Trixie. Just... surprised. I guess..."

"Uh... are you alright? You're kind of freaking me out here, Mag..." Trickster looked a little baffled as to the other girl's behavior. She didn't sound or look excited in the slightest, but Trixie was willing to give her the benefit of the doubt. Poor thing had been locked down here for a while, maybe she was a little off.

"How does this barrier work?" Trixie asked.

"Um... you can like, pass stuff through from that side, but not the side I'm on," Magnum explained, failing to make eye contact.

"Ah, good. Here, check it out, I got all your favorite goodies," Trixie smiled, slipping the easter basket off her shoulder and slowly passing it through the barrier. It was filled to the brim with all kinds of things Magnum liked, including snacks, magazines, games, and an autographed picture of Jeffrey Dean Morgan.

"...Trix, there's something I have to tell you," Magnum replied, staring down at the basket.

Ouch, that was a bit of a knife in the heart. Maybe she was overthinking it, but Trickster had just spent a restless two weeks tracking Magnum down, and this wasn't the reaction she'd been expecting. It was like she was afraid of her.

"What's wrong? You're not hurt, are you?"

"No. Not at all. In fact, uh... I wasn't even hurt when I got captured."

"Lucky you." Raptor muttered, and for the first time, Trickster noticed him, though only acknowledging his presence with a glance. The girls ignored his comment.

"Trix. Do you remember when we were little, and the two of us would talk about... leaving together? Explore the world... become superheroes..."

It had been years since they'd last had that conversation. In fact, it wasn't until Trickster's promotion that the topic seemed to have faded away. So shortly after that, Magnum had decided to follow in her footsteps–though she ultimately had no choice in the matter.

"Yeah? Don't tell me you wanted an action figure instead," Trickster joked, hoping to at least earn half a smile, and to her delight, a smirk tugged at the corners of Magnum's lips, though was quickly replaced with her grim look. "... continue."

"I've decided that I'm going to... well, do just that. I've made my decision to leave the Messiah and join the good side."

That made Trixie noticeably pale, before she laughed.

"Good one," she shook her head, "for a second there, I almost believed you. Come on, Mag, let's get you home."

"The Messiah's not my home anymore," the girl protested. "I'm being serious, Trix, I... the Messiah is doing horrible things, don't tell me you don't realize that."

"… you're… not kidding…" Trickster's voice suddenly became raspy and breathless as the realization sank in. "Magnum- Magnum, Magnum, girl, listen- I know that was a cool dream to have as kids, but-! That's not an option! You know what your dad is going to do! You can't be serious about this, Mag, tell me you're screwing with me..."

"I'm not." Magnum replied, her brow creasing as she took a step toward the barrier. "The Messiah can't win. Not this time. This is more than just about wanting to do the right thing. They want to commit eidocide-"

"They?" Trickster interrupted. "You're still one of us. You're just talking nonsense, Mag. Did she drug you up? Did she-"

"Jesus Christ, Trickster." Raptor spoke up. "I know you're a little disbelieving right now, but believe me, this is all Magnum's been wanting to talk about for a week now."

"Join me." Magnum urged, now pressing a hand against the barrier, offering Trixie a small smile. "Everything the Messiah's doing, we can stop it together. I know we can. We can make things right. End the cult, and finally let there be peace. Please."

Trixie's hand immediately shot up and grabbed onto Magnum's, holding it gently in her grasp. She would've tried to just yank Magnum through, but that would only succeed in her getting hurt.

"… you know I can't do that," she whispered under her breath, her hand squeezing Magnum's one last time before returning to the other side of the barrier. "Magnum, I know that it's… horrible… everything that's happened… the things we've done… but there's no other choice. You know how powerful they are, you- you're going to die, Magnum."

"If I do, at least I'll die fighting for something I believe in."

"Don't say that!" Trixie erupted, her eyes lighting up with emotion. "I can't lose you too, Trinity! Please, just come to your senses, this isn't the 'right thing to do,' it's suicide!"

"That's why I need your help," Magnum looked down at the ground. "We need people to help us. We need strong people. Like you. You don't have to 'lose me,' you can change sides, too!"

"… Martial Law has been declared over Voxis City," Trinity said in a hushed tone, turning away from the barrier. "Monsters are being attacked as we speak. I'm supposed to be killing Alphys right now. Your father has an iron grip on the police force, the politicians, the stores, everything. Even if I betrayed the Messiah, there's no stopping him."

"You're right." Magnum agreed. "I can't think of anybody who could take him on… but I'm still gonna try."

Trickster was silent for a moment, back still toward Magnum, before she sniffed, and wiped at her face, not daring to look back at the pink-haired girl. "I have my orders." She stated bluntly, and began to make her way toward the elevator.

"No!" Magnum yelled, immediately pressing her hands against the corner nearest her where the wall met the barrier. A cloud of magenta light quickly enveloped her hands, before a hole seemed to erupt in front of her, allowing her to step through, reappearing directly behind Trickster. "Alphys! If you can hear me, shut off the elevator!" she yelled.

"...you're not going to make this easy for me one way or another, are you?" Trickster sighed, a burgundy katana materializing in her hand, much longer than her usual one, and with the addition of a serrated edge. "It's fine, though. I actually have two targets this time around."

She turned away from the elevator to face Raptor's cell, the man blinking, looking behind him as if there was someone else sitting there.

"You're here to kill him, too?" Magnum demanded, a look of disbelief crossing her face. Trickster didn't respond to her, the katana in her hand crackling silently with excess energy.

Magnum never once in her whole life thought she'd have to fight Trickster, but it seemed there was no avoiding it if she wanted to protect Raptor and Alphys. Trixie rarely showed it outside of missions, but she could be quite scary in a battle. In fact, she was often compared to even the likes of the three leaders in strength, though maybe a cut or two below.

Two bladed circles appeared in Magnum's hands, pulsing with bright pink light, handles in the middle of the blades allowing Magnum to grasp them. Chakrams.

"Don't make me fight you, Trix." Magnum pleaded, her face pale- looking almost as though she were about to vomit. "We both know there's a better path. One where we can actually sleep at night."

"Nobody's making anyone fight anyone," Trickster replied, the elevator in front of her losing power. So, Alphys was listening to their conversation. Did that mean she could see what was happening down here right now? She recalled the information on the target being a bit limited, since Alphys was mostly funded by organizations and researchers independent from the Messiah, but it was no secret that the monster was highly intelligent, so Trixie couldn't rule out the possibility of the room being trapped.

"Don't try and stop me," she slowly turned around, staring directly into Magnum's eyes. "Why can't you see it, Trinity? It's like you've been brainwashed."

"No- I was brainwashed. By my dad, and the Messiah. You are too, but we can change that!" Magnum protested, pressing her Chakrams against Trixie's blade to hold her back from Raptor, who was motionless, frozen against the wall.

"I'm not killing myself so that we can feel like heroes, Mag. I'm sorry," Trixie raised her blade, enough to push her best friend- if she could still be called that- away. This earned a sigh from the pink-haired girl.

"...then I have to fight you. There's no other choice."

She slashed with her chakrams, aiming for Trickster's arms. Magnum had no desire to harm her friend, simply to disarm her. She could somewhat understand how she was feeling, they'd both felt betrayed and abandoned when Krashna had become a leader. Even now, while Trixie felt this toward Magnum... she felt this toward Trixie, and it hurt.

Trickster's blade collided with the chakram, and its light shone just a little brighter, the blade beginning to sink into the chakram, forcing Magnum to pull away and strike with her other, meeting the same results, before Trickster shover her aside and jabbed her blade at Raptor through the barrier, who winced, backing up- but wasn't struck, the blade of the Lieutenant disappearing halfway through the air, sticking out of a nearby wall due to Magnum's unique magic.

"Please, stop!" The pink-haired girl urged. "He's our friend! You know what they've done to him, he doesn't deserve this!"

"Yeah. I still remember the way he used to scream at night as they cut into his SOUL," Trickster replied with a nod of her head, jerking her arm to free her blade from Magnum's portal magic. "Maybe he's a friend. But he's one of my targets now."

"Would you try to kill me if I was a target?" Magnum demanded, hurrying forward and standing in front of Trixie, acting as a barrier between her and Raptor, who seemed to be struggling to even process all of this.

Without answering Magnum's question, Trickster raised her katana, ready to strike her friend right in the head and bring her down.

Magnum didn't move, even as the blade stopped an inch away from striking.

They stood there in silence for a few seconds, before Trixie let out a heavy sigh, pushing her foe out of the way and continuing to move toward Raptor, blocking a chakram strike as Magnum kept on getting in the way and passing through the barrier toward her target…

Trickster made to strike again, before her leg suddenly fell into a hole in the floor, said leg proceeding to stick out of the ceiling as Magnum's fists began to glow the same magenta as before, and she began to pull a hole open in the wall, Trixie easily pulling her leg from the initial hole and advancing on Raptor- before he suddenly vanished, his body falling backward through a temporary portal.

Magnum stood, huffing at the portal she'd created, the other side showing a bewildered looking Raptor standing next to Alphys' couch, floors above the girls, before the portal closed. The pink-haired girl wiped a bead of sweat from her brow, eyes locked with Trickster's. "No more distractions, Trix." Her breathing slowed. "Just you and me. Put the sword down... and let's talk."

"There's nothing to say," Trickster shook her head. "You're just going to keep trying to convince me to join this new cause, when you and I both know it's only gonna lead to you dying. You don't understand- you don't have to live in fear because he's your father, right? It's not fair to try and convince other people to join you when you know it's only dangerous for them, Magnum!"

The words were like knives in Trinity's heart- it was the first time Trixie had ever really yelled at her, and while she did have a good point, Magnum was still afraid of her father. Regardless of the 'protection' she had, it could only be stretched so thin. Krashna and Nikolai were probably already vouching for her death.

And as much power as The Father held, he wasn't the only leader of the Messiah for a good reason. There had always been three, one holding just a bit more power than the others, but it was dangerous for one to continuously defy the other two's wishes and beliefs.

"If I die... then everything I've worked for will be for nothing," Trixie's blade once again sparked to life, "and I won't be able to protect you, or Krashna, or anyone."

"You don't... have to do all the protecting!" Magnum replied, exasperated. "Krashna, he- he doesn't care anymore. Please don't follow him, Basty. Please don't make me do this alone." As Trickster prepared for combat, Magnum lowered her own weapons, her eyes glistening. "We can... we can protect each other. We can be like superheroes, remember?"

She began to step forward, slowly, deliberately. "I love you. I can't just... do this. I need you."

It was tempting for Trickster, but as much as she wanted to throw down her sword and hug her best friend and promise that they'd never be apart, it was just... a fantasy that couldn't come true.

Going with Magnum ensured that they would both die. However, if Trickster remained within the Messiah, maybe there was a chance that she could protect her friend from the inside, instead of letting them both die for some... worthless dream.

"I've made my decision, and you've made yours," she said with a shaky breath, pointing her sword to the elevator. "I'm going up there- and I'm going to kill those two. And you can think I'm a heartless bitch for it. But as long as you're alive, I don't care. Don't try to stop me."

With that, she carved her blade through the barrier, slashing through it like butter, before giving the elevator doors the same treatment.

Magnum was beside herself, staring after Trickster, bouncing from foot to foot quickly, unsure of what to do. She didn't have the capabilities to stop Trickster, just delay her.

Raptor, while his own SOUL magic was tough enough to counter Trickster's, didn't quite stack up to the durability or stamina of the female Lieutenant. Then Alphys... well, she apparently had no physical defenses of her own, without any toys she was practically fair game.

So Magnum did the only thing she knew would stop Trickster, the pink-haired girl grit her teeth together before she raised a chakram to her wrist, pressing the blade against her skin.

"Anything you do to them, happens to me too. Hurt them, I hurt."

This made Trickster stop, slowly turning her head to look at Magnum, who continued; "Kill them..." She raised the chakram slowly to her own throat. "I die."

Trickster's gaze lingered for a few seconds, which felt like hours. The tension in the room was so thick you could cut it with a knife, Trixie's weapon literally sizzling in her hand from how violently her emotions surged within her SOUL. A darkness loomed over the girl; she was being given no options.

It was either leave or die, the former option giving a big risk of death as well. She shook, trembled, tears spilling from her eyes and hitting the ground, the floodgates having been forced open.

There was a loud crack, like someone had splintered wood, and then Trickster's weapon was gone. She didn't say anything to Magnum, there was nothing to say. She just continued to approach the elevator, stepping inside.

"...Alphys? You can turn it back on. She's leaving now, I promise," Magnum called out, fully aware that the monster was listening to their conversation.

Trickster did nothing as she left the lab, tears streaming down her cheeks, yet her face was stoic, set, and melancholy. The eyes of Raptor and Alphys followed her the whole way through the lab when she reached the top, until she was gone.

A deathly silence followed, in which the elevator sounded again, and Magnum soon entered the room, a hand gripping her shoulder as she stared at the exit for a moment, eyes distant, before she returned to herself when Alphys spoke;

"...w-why did you... do that?" The monster questioned. "You... put your life on the line... for mine. A monster."

"...because I don't think we're different anymore," Magnum sighed. "You're... just as 'human' as I am, if that makes any sense. I wasn't... just lying to make her believe me. I know that every word of what I said was true."

Alphys blinked, still a bit shaken up. Would Magnum have really gone through with killing herself? The way she'd been so confident that Trickster wouldn't do anything... the bond they shared must've been very, very deep. It hurt to see such a bond get wounded by this conflict between human and monster, even if her own life was at stake.

Magnum now turned her gaze upon Raptor, fairly certain she'd earned Alphys' trust. "Dad's got the whole martial law thing underway by now, so... you gonna help us? Or hide? I won't judge if you chose the latter, I'm sure Alphys could even find a good hideout for you to duck in for a while until this all... 'blows over'."

"Ah, damn... I think I'm gonna go into hiding," Raptor sighed. "Find somewhere I can feel safe for a few days. I'll try and help you out here and there, if I can," he offered, to which Magnum smirked, though her smile looked sad. She was definitely struggling, having just lost her best friend to the other side and all.

"Thanks Drae. You see any goons lumbering around, give 'em the old one-two, got it?"

"I'll see what I can do," Raptor laughed slightly, looking over at Alphys. "It's okay if I leave, right? I mean, I couldn't even do Messiah stuff if I wanted to at this point."

"Y-Yeah. I think... I trust you guys," Alphys nodded; after that, it was hard not to trust them, especially Magnum.

Raptor quietly slipped out into the night as Alphys now focused on Magnum, brow creasing. "You and Trickster m-mentioned... martial law?"

"Oh, yeah." Magnum gave a nod, snapping out of her own thoughts as she turned to Alphys' wall of screens. "Might be able to find something on it with that if he already gave the speech."

Alphys hurriedly began typing away on her keyboard, her claws clicketing and clacketing before several articles pulled up on separate screens, ignoring the still haywire cameras, the monster's eyes flicking through each one with practiced eyes behind her reflective glasses, before those same eyes widened. "Mr. Obaseki...?" She breathed. "Why is he... He..."

"He's uh... the leader of the Messiah." Magnum replied, moving to stand next to Alphys, staring up at the screens, her eyes locking onto Jonathan's cold blue ones. "My... dad."

FRISK

Frisk was feeling a lot of things at this moment; the only one that she could focus on immediately though, was the feeling of her throat threatening to close up, as if someone was choking her. Her eyes were watering as she stared at her dad, collapsed on the floor and missing half of one of his prized horns, growling and struggling to stand, stopped by the figure that towered over him, a steel-toed boot pressing right against the monster's spine.

"Frisk Dreemurr, you're just in time," the red-haired stranger whispered, a wide, toothy smile plastered on his face, eyes open even wider and staring the girl down. She tried to take a deep breath, but couldn't manage to take anything in or push anything out, unable to make a single sound. Frisk could only feel how angry, heartbroken, and afraid she was, and the more those emotions consumed her SOUL, the weaker she felt, staring on ahead.

"F-Frisk... get away from here..." Asgore groaned, only to have the boot sink further into his back, the monster crying out in pain.

Why was this happening to Asgore?

Frisk trembled, wanting to summon a weapon…

But nothing happened.

Why was this person hurting her dad?

What had he done wrong?

… and what could she do to stop this?

The stranger seemed to be used to not getting immediate responses as he finally pulled away from Asgore, staring at him for a moment, before his sly grin stretched even wider, and he crouched down a little.

"Since the whole family's here, I may as well tell you Toriel's last words." His eyes flitted from Asgore to the frozen Frisk, who felt her blood run cold as her eyes locked with his.

"She died whimpering. Crying for the both of you. It was my very hands that turned her into dust." At this point, he let out a chuckle. Smooth, low, and soft at first before it stretched into a cackle. High-pitched, cold, and inhuman.

This…

This was the man who'd killed Toriel? Frisk's emotions were surging, yet she could feel herself weakening as her emotions grew. What was happening?

Was he somehow... feeding off of her feelings?

"Frisk..." Asgore repeated weakly. "Please, just-"

Demon's hand swiped quickly through the air, the back slamming into Asgore's face, silencing him as the man rose to his full height, dusting his hands off. "This really is a special night. I get to end an entire family, and an entire species."

'You didn't kill anybody this time…

But what will you do if you meet a relentless killer?

You'll die and you'll die and you'll die.

Until you tire of trying.

What will you do then?

Will you kill out of frustration?'

The words raced through Frisk's mind, though she couldn't quite remember where she'd heard them from before, her mind feeling too numb to totally recall. Finally, the dizziness that was taking control of her body was beginning to forfeit itself to her boiling anger. For the first time in years, she… she wanted to FIGHT. This person, this member of the Messiah had killed her mom, and if she'd arrived home just a few seconds later… he might've already killed Asgore, as well. She'd never seen her dad look so helpless and defeated, except maybe…

…

Not important.

"G-Get off," she ordered, standing her ground. If she left now, Asgore would die for sure. She wanted to stay, she wanted to fight, but at the same time, her body felt completely drained of energy, and she didn't know if it was because of fear, or if this stranger really was doing something. Some kind of magic she didn't know of?

And with that, she willed a crimson blade to appear in her right hand.

The knife materialized. It felt snug in her grip.

Familiar.

Demon raised a brow, seemingly vaguely impressed. "What's this? Your SOUL really is something special. You ever wondered how it tastes?" He asked, but her drained feeling was quickly being overcome with something else…

Determination.

And she remembered the speaker of the words she'd remembered. It seemed like a million years ago at this point. Flowey. She could recall when he'd absorbed the six human SOULs. She could remember her battle against Omega Flowey. Her battle against Asriel.

The time she'd wasted over countless timelines trying to destroy Sans, and eventually succeeding in the end. There was never an obstacle she couldn't overcome. Only difference was, this time, she was limited. One life.

One mistake and it was all over.

So she probably didn't need to hold anything back.

Frisk took her first step toward the Demon, towering over her, staring down with a sinister grin and eyes that pierced through the darkness. He chuckled, a dry laugh that echoed through the room.

"The SOUL of Determination is supposed to be so powerful that only one is capable of existing at a time," he whispered under his breath, finally stepping off of Asgore, who was clinging to consciousness by a thread, face down and shivering against the floor, obviously in pain.

"But this; is this some sort of joke? You really think you can beat me with that butter knife?" the man continued as Frisk got closer and closer. The closer she got, the worse she felt, her stomach twisting and her heart writhing in her throat…

But she stayed Determined.

"Not only that, but you're not even strong enough to control the timeline anymore, isn't that right? You're scared, I can tell. You know that you only have one chance. And you're thinking about what's going to happen if- no, when I kill you, Frisk Brewers."

Hearing her old name made Frisk hesitate, even if for just a second. It was enough to give Demon his sick satisfaction though, a knowing look spreading over his eerie, unblinking expresion. It was true, she couldn't control the timeline anymore. Not her, not Flowey, not Chara.

She didn't know why, and right now, she didn't care.

She had to stay Determined.

Flowey's words continued to echo in her mind as her gaze darkened. The blade in her hand was something that had destroyed impossibly powerful beings- even Gods before. But she'd been far more powerful at the time. Demon only reinforced her own insecurity about her lost power.

It wasn't as though she could destroy him in a single swipe. Whatever he was doing made her feel as though he was weakening her. Draining her of her magic and will.

But even so, just as quickly as she was drained, the power crept back into her. Her Determination refused to be snuffed out.

She was on the verge of launching her first attack, before she halted, her body trembling slightly. This was what Chara had warned her of…

"Sans warned you before.

Yet you failed to listen.

Your SOUL corrupted not just you…

But ME.

Destruction and death became our primary goal.

I helped you, each step of the way.

And now it is over.

The corruption has been sealed away.

But if you kill again…

Neither of us will come back."

And the blade vanished as Frisk took a step back, feeling her throat tighten. "Go." She told Demon after a moment. He cocked his head slightly to the side, eyeing her curiously. "Have you realized the futility of your efforts?" he asked.

"Not the futility you're thinking of," she replied.

"Well, nice effort, kid," Demon shrugged. Frisk watched as something horrifying happened in front of her, one of Demon's arms suddenly beginning to... corrode? It twisted and convulsed, before being cloaked in a strange darkness. His magic was like a night sky without any stars, very noticeable even in the already dark room.

Frisk didn't even see what was coming at her until it had struck her directly in the stomach; another arm, also shrouded in darkness. Well, that answered one of her questions; he had more than one ability. His SOUL color was a pitch-black, something she hadn't seen before, and it was clearly unusual. The amount of force that the strike packed was surprising, and it was a miracle she hadn't been sent flying. However, when she noticed that the darkness that coated the detached arm that had appeared was beginning to creep across her stomach and eat through the fabric of her sweater, she was forced to stumble back.

If she hadn't felt sick and helpless before, this was the nail in the coffin.

She had to fight back... maybe, just maybe she could get away with fending him off, if she didn't kill him. ACTing probably wouldn't work on this enemy, either... right?

Her defense against Truck, which seemed like ages ago, had been fairly useful. She could use that strategy, but keep it up for how long? Demon wasn't like Truck. He couldn't be talked down with words, and she had a feeling her attempts at pacifism would just humor him.

So her next best option was finding a way to get both her and Asgore away from this guy. And… well, if he was certain of his victory, he might even spill some Messiah secrets if she kept him talking. Might aid her in distracting him too.

A scarlet shield erupted in front of her just as the arm lunged for her again. It slammed against her magically-produced shield, but to her horror, it began to rip through it ever so slowly, as though it were corroding the magic, eating through it like acid.

So she dissipated the shield, and conjured another to block another attack. "You've met Asgore before?" She asked, gritting her teeth as she poured more energy into this second shield, repairing it just as quickly as it was corroded. Her question harkened back to something Demon had previously mentioned about Asgore, about 'catching up' with him.

"Let's just say... I'm an old friend of both your folks," Demon winked, which just made Frisk's stomach churn even more. She wanted to scream at him, she wanted to cry, she wanted to… no, she didn't want to kill him. She couldn't afford to want that, thoughts like that were dangerous, even against enemies like this.

The problem was, he knew exactly how to get under her skin. It felt like she was being watched from all directions at once, endless tingling shooting up and down her spine. She swallowed, managing to keep her composure. At least he wasn't standing on Asgore anymore, that was a start, but holding back these attacks was going to tire her out eventually on top of already being drained. Someone else would've already collapsed by now.

She stayed Determined.

He obviously wanted her to run and hide, to cry and tremble and feel completely alone. He wanted her to be completely miserable in her last moments. It was only a matter of time before she would be forced to give him what he wanted unless she figured out a plan, fast.

"So what's the plan once I'm gone? Once the monsters are gone?" She asked, feeling sweat beading her forehead as she was forced out of the room, conjuring another shield to halt his incoming attacks as her last one became overpowered.

He was now walking away from Asgore at a slow, steady pace. He knew he was in complete control here, despite Frisk's continued resistance.

"I'd ask the Messiah's Father if I were you." Demon replied with a shrug, still smiling smoothly. "I'm not privy to the details, but my own plans... heh... let's just say nobody's gonna be happy with what happens."

He was now at her shield, and he raised his own hand, his fingers piercing through it like a hot knife through butter as he proceeded to calmly tear a hole open in her defenses.

"So you're just using the Messiah to reach your own g-goals?" she questioned further, cursing herself for stuttering, knowing full well that that was a dead giveaway of her fear as his shadow-cloaked arm easily went through her shield, forcing her to move away, barely keeping her feet underneath her as she generated another shield. There was nowhere to run; the only reason he wasn't being more aggressive was because he knew exactly what she would do before she did it, and had complete confidence in his ability to kill her.

He just wanted to toy with her first, like a cat trapping a mouse in a corner before diving in for the kill.

"You could say that. I don't tell The Father anything, and he doesn't tell me anything in return. I'm one of the Lieutenants, but it's just a silly title. I'm so much more. After this, I assume the leaders will be cleaning up the mess left behind by our more incompetent members themselves. Maybe I'll get to slaughter all your friends, Frisk. You can all rot in Hell together."

Her stomach once again twisted, and at this point, she was in genuine pain, each word he spoke acting as either a dagger to her heart or another weight on her shoulders.

And then she heard it.

A familiar whisper in her ear that only she could hear, something she hadn't heard in years, not since…

"Asgore is unguarded."

Not very helpful and rather obvious, but it did get Frisk's mind whirring, most of those thoughts she had to push away for now, not having the time to address them at the moment. Instead, she wiped her brow with her sleeve, before balling her hands into fists, and Demon's advance was suddenly halted, crimson magic forming around his feet, appearing almost crystalline in structure.

He furrowed his brow at this minor annoyance, but as he bent down to tear the solid magic apart, it spread, creeping over his hands quickly. This was something Frisk had never actually used in combat before, but damn was it useful.

Immediately, she dove past Demon, barely dodging a swipe from the arm, and as she raced into Asgore's room, a barrier formed, covering the doorway. Her fists were enveloped in scarlet magic that she used to immediately cut through the chains holding Asgore up.

This was a daring attempt, and she was sort of just making it up as she went along, hoping that the DT crystals would be distracting enough for Demon so that she and her father could get away.

As Frisk attempted to help Asgore to his feet, she quickly realized that he was now fully unconscious, and she lacked the strength to pick him up and carry him to safety. She looked around frantically, but she wasn't sure what she was looking for. Asgore wasn't showing any signs of moving, and she could already hear footsteps approaching the barrier she'd set in place.

It wouldn't last long.

"Clever girl," Demon complimented from the other side; he knew Frisk wasn't going anywhere anytime soon just as well as she did. "I met a girl the other day who did the same thing with some water magic. She went right for the SOUL though. Didn't work, of course, but still."

Suddenly, her barrier began to melt against his touch from the other side. She had to think fast, but no plan came to mind. She was... lost.

"Get back!" She yelled, raising her arm, a blast of pure Determination pulsing from her palm into a magical stream of energy that slugged right in the Demon's chest. He stumbled back several steps, momentary confusion registering on his face, before his smirk returned, broader than before.

"Oh, so you can fight, then. And here I was ready for another disappointing kill. Come on, kid. Show me what you can do."

However, at that exact moment, a banging sounded on the front door, making them both pause for a moment. After three knocks, it stopped. Then the banging resumed, harder this time.

"Aw, looks like you have a visitor, Frisk. Shall I answer the door?" Demon asked in a playful tone.

Frisk shook her head in disbelief. No, no, no, nonononono. This couldn't be happening. Why was someone at the door right now? She couldn't stay with Asgore, keep herself safe, and protect whoever was there at the same time. If she left the room to stop Demon from opening the door, she'd have to destroy her own barrier and risk being struck, a risk she couldn't afford.

"It's rude to keep a guest waiting," Demon laughed under his breath. "I wonder who's there. A close friend of yours, maybe? I hope so."

However, the answer soon came when the door was suddenly blown off its hinges, sailing through the room only for its corner to become lodged in the far wall.

Undyne stood at the entrance, cyan spear in-hand as she glared into the room. Her eyes, easily able to see through the dark, immediately landed on Demon, before shifting to look at Frisk and Asgore.

"NGAHHH!" She yelled, immediately hurling a spear through the air.

Demon's arm rose, still shrouded in that swirling night-sky darkness. It looked like he was going to attempt to catch the spear, but rather, it simply began to corrode and shift from cyan to black the moment it came into contact. Undyne scoffed, charging forward and swinging directly at Demon's stomach. He allowed her punch to connect, but the result was a shock to Frisk and Undyne alike.

The fist weakly bumped against the Lieutenant's body, appearing to have little to no effect whatsoever, like she'd fake-hit him. Undyne's face contorted with a few dozen different emotions, though the dominant one was anger.

Frisk cried out, shaking her head. "You can't fight him!" she told her friend. "He- he's going to drain you the angrier you get! Just run, please!"

Frisk had to get Asgore out of here; she wasn't sure if Demon was going to toy with Undyne the way he'd toyed with her, but at the very least, the monster was providing a bit of a distraction, but Frisk wasn't even sure if it would be helpful in the end.

No... she just had to stay Determined...

Undyne swiped upward with a spear, connecting with Demon's chin. His head tilted upward as a reaction, but he evidently lacked any notable damage, instead grinning as his hand suddenly curled around Undyne's throat, and he effortlessly lifted her into the air, squeezing tightly.

His grip, however, slackened in mild surprise as Truck stuck his head through the doorway, squinting his eyes to peer in. "Everything good?" He asked.

Demon's momentary lapse in focus was all it took as he suddenly felt Undyne's clawed hands tear at his face. His eyes happened to be a more vulnerable part of him, forcing him to drop her and reel back from the attack.

She landed on the ground, clutching at her own throat for a moment, and before the Demon could resume, he was blasted once again by a burst of Determination that knocked him off balance.

The barrier had dropped, and Frisk was staring anxiously at Undyne. "Get Asgore and go!" She yelled, Asgore slowly beginning to stir, but clearly far from regaining consciousness.

"Well, would you look at that?" Demon huffed. His voice was laced with annoyance now as he looked around at everyone else.

"A worthless traitor, a weak little monster, the SOUL of Determination, and of course the cowardly king. I was only tasked with killing one- two if convenient for me- but four? Score. Who shall I start with? Any volunteers? Truck, do you want to come a bit closer? Undyne, where's that fighting spirit you came blindly charging in with? Asgore... well, he won't be waking up anytime soon. I made sure of that, so don't get your hopes up, Frisk."

Frisk was about to start worrying even more when she saw Truck, before quickly realizing that he and Undyne had come together. Were they on the same side? Frisk didn't know, but either way, Truck's presence here made things worse. It was just another person in danger. Another person she didn't know if she could save or not.

Undyne, having noticed Frisk's attack actually doing something, opted not to question the request- well, more of an order. The fish monster began to edge her way to the room as Demon dusted himself off, smirk now a sneer as the void-black arm suddenly launched at her.

Immediately, she raised a spear, which flashed green, a barrier appearing in front of her- though it shattered on contact and she was flung into the wall.

"Wait, stop!" Truck bursted out, stepping into the house, staring at Demon. "We don't need fight!"

Frisk grimaced as she set Asgore down. To get everyone out safely... it seemed she'd need to be the one to distract Demon for long enough. She was the only one capable of it anyway, it seemed.

"Aw, what's the matter, Truck? You know, everyone and their grandma knows you're about as smart as a sack of rocks, but I didn't think you'd resort to killing yourself just to score brownie points with fish-sticks over here. But hey, at least you two can rub elbows in Hell, right? Actually, no, nevermind, she probably won't want to hang out with you down there anyways. She's just using you as backup; if you died, nobody would care. I'll prove it."

Truck was looking incredibly sad at Demon's hurtful words, prompting another shout from Frisk. "Don't let him get you emotional! He feeds off of it!" she stated, but in truth, she didn't really know how Demon's power worked either. She just had a tad more experience dealing with him than the new arrivals.

"Oh... okay!" Truck nodded, appearing to be completely recovered.

"Aw, great solution, guys! Just don't get upset! Good in theory, but let's put it to the test, shall we? How does this make you feel, Truck?"

The arm that had struck Undyne now wrapped around her throat, which seemed to be a preferred tactic for Demon. Undyne tried to struggle free, but there were no eyes to claw at this time, and she let out a cry of anger and agony as she was flung into the staircase, an audible crack echoing through the house.

All the while, Demon grinned.

Frisk barged out of the room, slashing with a crimson sword- opposed to the knife. She didn't really feel comfortable using that one, especially with the internal conflict she'd just had. Her blade cut through the arm, severing its connection to Undyne, who slumped to the ground, gritting her teeth. "Asgore!" Frisk reminded her.

Truck was standing in the living room, watching hopelessly and uselessly as Undyne dashed into Asgore's room, Demon letting out a 'tut' as he shook his head. "Been a long time since somebody could stand up to me, Frisk, I'll admit it. You're actually pissing me off, and that's a challenge in itself. I should be congratulating you, but... I'd rather kill you instead." He took a step forward, baring his teeth. "So let's end this little song and dance. Once I'm through with you, I'll just hunt down the others, anyway."

Her vision blurred, and she staggered slightly to the side, wincing as her entire body seemed to throb with some kind of internal pain. An overwhelming tiredness washed over her as her vision doubled, and she could make out the figure of Demon approaching her confidently, menacingly... purposefully.

Frisk nearly fell backward as the feeling increased tenfold, and continued to do so even more. She could make out the form of Truck slumping to the ground at the doorway, of Undyne falling to the floor beside Asgore. Whatever Demon was doing was affecting more than just her...

A vice grip wrapped around her throat, and she felt the ground leave her feet. Demon spoke... but she couldn't hear him, his voice was muffled, sounding almost as though they were underwater… her eyes couldn't focus, her mind was numb, her body felt so… so heavy.

And the voice whispered to her again.

"Stay Determined…"

A surge of scarlet energy appeared between herself and Demon, and the grip on her throat suddenly vanished. She could feel her body topple to the ground, and slowly, her senses returned. Everything still hurt… she was struggling to focus… her body still felt incredibly heavy…

But she was still alive.

Demon was several meters away, holding his arm as it smoldered with smoke that rose from it. He was panting slightly, a grimace on his face, his eyes piercing into Frisk. She had no idea what had happened, and he seemed to be… spooked? She couldn't quite make out his expression in full.

Truck continued to lie on the ground, weakly moaning. A look into Asgore's room showed Frisk that Undyne was experiencing the same thing the rest of them were- though she was pushing herself shakily up, clearly determined to get Asgore to safety. Maybe even as determined as Frisk, if any past timelines gave the girl any indication…

"I was never told you had a shaytan." He growled at her, letting go of his arm, which she could see had apparently been burned. The leather sleeve was all but gone, his skin practically melted, yet aside from an irritation at it, he didn't seem all that damaged by it.

She had no idea what a shaytan was, but if it was an advantage on her end, she'd take it. Still struggling to focus, her blade once more appeared in her hand, and this time, she was ready for an actual fight. Enough with the back-and-forths.

"You know, I'll give you this; you're the most annoying brat I've ever had the displeasure of meeting. Even worse than that stubborn mage," Demon scoffed, noticing the fiery Determination in Frisk's eyes as she began to regain her fighting spirit, little by little. It wasn't automatic, as a result of having been drained for the past half hour- had it been half an hour? Had it been longer? Shorter? She had no idea. Come to think of it, all the clocks in the house appeared to be nonfunctional at the moment. Maybe the power had been disconnected so she wouldn't call for help.

The sight of her friend and father struggling to even stand was discouraging. Seeing a monstrously strong figure like Truck completely unable to rise up to Demon made her stomach do a somersault.

Despite her power, she was still human. She was in control, not Chara. She was using her own Determination, she wasn't being manipulated.

This power- for this one fight- it would be on her terms.

And so she stayed Determined.

"Quit giving me that look. Just because you unlocked a fraction of your power doesn't mean you stand a chance," Demon growled, a horrible sound like crunching bones humming through Frisk's ears. Two long, curly black horns began to violently twist their way out of either side of the Lieutenant's head, as if scrambling to break free from their prison. It was an eerie sight, especially since the horns were completely black, dripping crimson with thick, dark blood.

"Now, since I don't want to go on a wild goose chase if I don't have to, I'll give you a choice, Frisk. If you get down on your knees and beg for forgiveness, I'll let one of your friends live."

Frisk didn't even need to think about her answer, in a split second she'd flown forward with her blade in hand, slashing along his belly, but it didn't seem to do anything... until a dark arm flickered into existence, before dissipating into the nearby shadows.

He'd set up a shield, and although this seemed like bad news, Frisk was actually satisfied. He knew as well as she did that she could hurt him now, he was being cautious. It would be much harder for him to be on the constant offensive now; she just had to pray that none of his mind games would get to her now, or this surge would have all been for nothing. A strike to the throat from another shadow-cloaked arm sent her staggering back.

It hurt…

Yet she remained Determined.

Frisk wouldn't allow him to regain his advantages, not while she was feeling this sort of power. Best she could do was block out his words and hope she could hold him off long enough. She moved forward once again, slashing against his barrier once more. Demon noticeably shuddered as she did this, and he took a step back, before another arm dripping in shade lunged for her- but she was faster, swinging upward and splitting it cleanly down the middle, the arm dissipating in a burst of charcoal-black smoke.

Her Determination grew, her confidence, her strength of will…

His own power seemed to slowly wane. This became all the more apparent as Truck slowly started to push himself up off the ground, and even helped Undyne drag Asgore outside of the house.

A glance back alerted her to this success, and Demon suddenly seemed far less threatening. So long as she kept going. Her theory appeared to be right, negative emotion fueled him, yet now that things were going in her favor, she was feeling quite positive and confident, cutting off his supply of power. He seemed to realize this as well, his eyes darting about the house, no doubt looking for an escape.

She moved forward again, hacking and slashing against his barrier, Demon taking a step back after each slash, and every counter-attack he sent at her was either destroyed, or met a barrier and quickly dispatched after.

"Three thousand years, only one SOUL like yours I've ever seen..." Demon hissed at her, glancing back as the wall grew closer and closer to him, being forced back. Frisk didn't reply as she continued her advance, intent on winning this fight. "This isn't the end, kid."

She was suddenly blinded as ebony smoke filled her vision, and she slashed blindly forward- hitting nothing.

Frisk moved backward a few paces, making her way out of the cloud, ready for anything… yet as it faded, she found that the Demon had disappeared, and she was standing in the room alone. Her heartbeat slowed, her weapon vanishing.

She'd… won? He'd fled, hopefully.

And fatigue washed over her, the Determination breaking its spell.

---

Somebody was calling her name.

Who? They sounded so familiar, yet so… alien. Her eyes scanned the void that had swallowed her whole, and she felt a tingle run down her spine, as though she were being watched.

Frisk realized she in fact was, as she turned on her heel and came face to face with a smaller figure in front of her, staring defiantly back.

It was Chara.

They shared a gaze for a moment, Frisk initially surprised at how young the girl looked before realizing that, while she had grown, Chara never had. She was merely a spirit.

But why was she here?

Chara didn't seem to know either, as she opened her mouth to speak. "I'm here." She stated, breaking the silence between them. "But your LOVE is stagnant and pure. I... shouldn't be here."

Frisk didn't say anything. What could she say? So Chara continued.

"You've grown, Frisk. A lot since we last spoke." Chara's eyes drifted over Frisk for a moment, before she looked off into the distance. "More than in appearance. You've kept your promise to me, and I am thankful. My presence here… it can only mean one thing."

She paused, Frisk waiting with bated breath, still saying nothing.

"Someone with Determination has killed."

At this, Frisk's mind raced, thinking of everyone with Determination. Undyne, while unconventional, was capable of it, yet she hadn't killed yet, as far as Frisk knew. And Flowey, but she'd learned a long time ago that a SOUL was needed for Chara's spirit to latch onto, and Flowey didn't possess one, so it couldn't be him…

But what about the person controlling the timeline? Flowey had brought that up, but Sans dismissed another SOUL like hers existing, but could he be wrong? Whoever this other person was… perhaps they'd killed. So why was Chara with her and not them?

---

When Frisk woke up, her head was spinning and her mind was racing. Her stomach felt like someone had tied a knot in the middle of it, and every inch of her body ached, like there was something crawling beneath her skin. She could feel moving, like the floor underneath her was constantly shifting around below. It wasn't until several achy minutes had passed that her vision began to return to her, and she started to panic. What had happened after she'd passed out?

She was in a car; no, a van, a big one, sitting in the backseat with all the windows rolled up. A trembling Truck sat across from her, eyes closed, head tilted down. He looked cold.

In the front seat sat two familiar faces, though they'd both seen better days. Asgore was still missing half of one of his horns, and from the looks of it, he was still unconscious, slumped back in the passenger's seat. A shaken up Undyne was driving, vision lasered onto the road ahead. Around them, smoke rose, Frisk saw several cars crashed into each other, and people scurrying about, some even armed with guns as they busted into shops and looted stores in all the confusion.

"Undyne... what's happening?" she asked, swallowing the lump in her throat.

The monster struggled to reply, taking nearly a full minute before putting it into words. "Voxis City isn't safe anymore. It never was."

The drive, aside from the chaotic, almost apocalyptic scene outside, was relatively uninterrupted. Undyne was taking back roads, alleys, whatever she could to keep off of the main street. As Frisk struggled up to look out of the window, she was greeted by more devastation. On top of the rare body that appeared quite… dead… that was here or there, a thin layer of dust seemed to hang in the air… something Frisk knew all too well, there was no mistaking it.

Every so often they'd pass by a television screen that showed Mr. Obaseki, Asgore's boss, speaking. Either it was a really long speech he was giving, which was on every single screen she laid her eyes on, or his message was on loop. What it was, she doubted it was good, considering the death and destruction about.

How did it come to this? How did any of this happen? Was this all the Messiah's doing? Because if so, their agenda wasn't looking as pro-human as they apparently claimed to be. Not a word was spoken during the drive, and soon enough, they pulled up outside of Alphys' lab. "Stay here." Was all Undyne said as she got out.

Frisk was left to think about what she'd seen… but also about what Chara had said. Someone with Determination had killed, and that, as it always had, resurrected Chara fully from the dead. Kill enough, however, and that same corruption would affect her. A corrupted Chara aiding somebody with a lust for blood was more than bad news. It was practically unstoppable.

Could it be that this new timeline holder was a part of the Messiah? Or just some random person on the streets who'd killed some innocent person, or monster, and discovered their new power? What if it was someone halfway across the world?

There were too many variables, and with the state of Voxis City, they didn't have the time to go searching for this person.

It was a while before Undyne exited the lab, tailed by Alphys and the same pink-haired girl Sans had captured, the one Frisk had helped deliver to Alphys. She and Undyne appeared uncomfortable together, the fish monster casting hateful glares at the woman, but it seemed she was another part of their little... gang, or whatever this was. Alphys made that much clear when the two of them crawled into the back of the van, and introductions were tensely made.

Truck didn't even seem to notice his fellow lieutenant, even after she started to rub his back in an almost sisterly-like manner, apparently trying to comfort him.

Undyne clearly wasn't in the mood to spout off current events, but Alphys was usually one to never shut up about it, so Frisk directed her mounting questions to the reptilian monster, leading first with the obvious question, hoping for a less vague response than what Undyne had given.

"What's going on?"

"U-Um..." Alphys immediately paled, looking all around the van and clicking her nails together, doing everything in her power to delay having to give an answer, even if just by a second. She seemed to struggle with taking her eyes off of Asgore, clearly worried about him, as was Frisk, but there were so many things going on that she couldn't focus on just one. She was sad her father was hurt, confused about the new controller of the timeline, puzzled by the thought that someone else out there had gained LOVE…

And she was angry that the Messiah had desecrated her city.

"W-Well, you see Frisk... we're going on a little, a-adventure…" Alphys stammered, prompting Frisk to stop her.

"Alphys, please. I'm not a kid anymore, I need to know what's going on. Where are we going? What happened to Voxis City? Did the Demon guy do this?"

Alphys paled again, before continuing. "S-Sorry. You're right. Um... t-the leader of the Messiah declared Martial Law, Frisk. They have more control over the city than we thought... a-a lot of people got attacked… people are panicking and losing themselves… it's all so horrible…" she swallowed.

Martial Law?

Undyne seemed to tense at the mention of that, and Frisk knew why. That meant the Messiah had control of the VCPD, right under Undyne's metaphorical nose the whole time.

So here they were, driving through the Messiah-controlled city, apparently unsure of what to do, considering Alphys' next words. "I… don't know w-where we're going, though…"

Her gaze landed on Undyne, whose knuckles were white as she gripped the steering wheel. "U-Undyne?"

"I don't know." Undyne immediately snapped. "I… I'm just trying to get everyone together, and… we'll figure out what comes next soon."

"Also, uh… did we a-always own this van?" Alphys added, and Undyne shrugged. "I hotwired it. It was close and had room."

Silence befell the van, before suddenly, Magnum spoke up. "I have an idea." She announced. "The sewers connect to an old Messiah outpost, refitted train station. I used to… visit there when I was younger, the Messiah hasn't used it in decades, and it's a defendable position. The Messiah wouldn't dream we'd stay in the city, so uh… well…" Her voice started to trail off. "Just a suggestion… it's up to you…"

"Why should we trust your suggestion?" Undyne asked, looking at Magnum through the rearview mirror positioned overhead at the front of the car. "You're not leading us into a trap, are you?"

"U-Undyne, I told you what happened..." Alphys frowned, Magnum having a look on her face that Frisk couldn't quite read. Shame? Embarrassment? Or was it anger? Frisk had to do her best to keep from asking what exactly it was that had happened; she'd prefer to be the judge of who she was expected to trust or not trust. Undyne just shrugged, putting her eyes back onto the road and keeping them there.

"We can check it out," she grumbled.