Sans had no idea what was going on anymore. It was a terrible feeling that he wasn't used to. At least, not anymore. Because of the RESET's, Sans had gotten used to knowing close to everything that was going on in the Underground. And while at first he hated it, Sans ended up practically using it as a security blanket, a safety net.
However, a couple of RESET's ago, someone started pranking the human. At first, Sans didn't really mind it, even having a good laugh at some of the things that started happening. But then the 'pranks' started being less and less fun, and more and more harmful to the human, sometimes even outright killing them. It had to be someone who knew and remembered the RESETs, because the... trap was different with every RESET. Sans tried to figure out who was doing it, wanting whoever it was to stop. He doubted Flowey was the one doing it. Flowey liked LV and all that, but he wasn't that fond of torture. Not to mention that Flowey is a lot more straightforward, he wouldn't use traps.
As Sans was attempting to figure out who was the one doing it, Flowey popped up before him, stopping him in his tracks.
"what do you want flowey? i'm busy right now." Sans drawled, moving around the flower.
"Huh~ then I guess that you don't want to know who the one making all those traps is!" Flowey smirked at him. Sans wasn't in the mood for Flowey's mind games and went to yeet it away with a bone attack, however he stopped before even summoning the bone. Flowey looked... terrified, for the lack of a better word. The usual smug smirk was nowhere to be seen. But the only person, or thing, that Sans knew that made Flowey afraid, was a Genocidal Frisk.
"you know who's causing them?" Sans questioned Flowey.
"Of course I know who's causing them! I wouldn't have sought you out otherwise!" Flowey snarled at him.
"well then?" Sans asked impatiently, "who is it? i'm supposed to meet with papyrus in a moment, so hurry up."
Sans immediately noticed that Flowey seemed to pale when he mentioned his brother. Flowey took a deep breath, and then told him: "It's Papyrus."
"what? what did you just say?" Sans asked in disbelief "did you just say that my brother is behind the constant murder and torture of the human? my brother doesn't even know about the RESET's, it's impossible for him to do this."
"I'm telling you, it's Papyrus! He always remembered my RESET's, and he remembers all of Frisk's too!" Flowey scowled at him "If you don't believe me, then CHECK your brother! He has been dusting Monsters a lot too, so he should have LV."
Sans shook his skull and walked behind a tree to shortcut to Waterfall.
Sans and Papyrus had agreed to meet at the bench in Waterfall, the one where Sans had hidden a quiche underneath. Sans walked towards it and sat on the bench, waiting for Papyrus. He had arrived a bit early to take a nap. But for once, he had a hard time falling asleep, Sans was thinking about Flowey's words. He doubted that he was telling the truth, but... a simple CHECK wouldn't hurt, would it? Sans hadn't CHECK'ed his brother since the fifth RESET...
Sans' CHECK was different from other Monsters, which was the reason that he was the Judge. When a Monster CHECK'ed someone, they used general white magic, HOPE magic. That made one's Name, HP, ATK, DEF, and some general INFO. The INFO part could be edited by the Monster being CHECK'ed... sometimes. Very few Monster could manipulate their own INFO. Healers used green magic, KINDNESS magic, and were able to see EFFECTS. EFFECTS showed positive and negative things that were influencing the one being CHECK'ed, things like depression, illness etc. show up in that CHECK, some Monsters call it a SCAN.
He, on the other hand, was able to use JUSTICE magic to CHECK someone. It was called a JUDGEMENT. It showed the LV, EXP and sometimes the WHY someone did it, which helped if someone gained LV or EXP from self-defence. When he CHECK'ed someone, unlike a normal CHECK, it was impossible to tell whether he CHECK'ed or not. The human had started the No Mercy Runs with self-defence LV/EXP, but as they went through the Underground, they started deliberately gaining LV and EXP, gaining KARMA in the process. Frisk's KARMA why he was able to do so much damage to the human, because of his JUSTICE magic he had something called Karmic Retribution, why allowed a poison-like effect to appear with every hit. Of course, the reason why he could hit them so many times a second was because of his Space/Time manipulation.
Sans sighed and waited a little more for Papyrus to arrive. A few minutes later Papyrus appeared, and now that Sans was looking for it, he could see some sort of white powdery substance cling to Papyrus' gloves and scarf. Dust. Sans immediately CHECK'ed Papyrus.
Papyrus / HP 952
ATK 28 / DEF 28
LV 3 / EXP 42
* Everything will be alright again.
* Soon.
Sans' sockets widen a tad bit, but otherwise he was careful not to show that he CHECK'ed him. Flowey... had been right?
He felt a strange calm settle over him, and Sans reflected on his thoughts quickly. Did this change anything?
Yes.
Yes, it did.
But not in a bad way. Sans still loved Papyrus with his whole being, Papyrus was his reason to keep going, and he would never abandon him. Never.
"paps?"
"YES, BROTHER?"
"why didn't you tell me that you remembered the RESET's?"
Papyrus froze for a second, looking like a deer in headlights. "WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT, BROTHER?" Papyrus forced out.
"and you also didn't tell me about your LV. even though i have told you to tell me immediately if it goes up."
"You Told Me To Tell You If It Goes Up While I'm A Part Of The Royal Guard. I Have Not Reached That Goal Yet, And Since It Will Disband When On The Surface, I Doubt That I'll Ever Be A Part Of It." Papyrus shrugged.
Sans narrowed his sockets at him, before sighing.
"Sans? Are You Mad?"
"i'm not mad, bro" Sans told him, before continuing, "you're so lucky, paps, that LV influences monsters differently than humans. humans start to lose their emotions, while monsters don't lose their emotions. our emotions dull to the point of nonexistence, and we hyperfocus on a single person, essentially obsessing over them. The person or concept we focus on is the only thing a monster with high LV will be able to feel strong emotions for."
"How Do You Know All Of This, Brother?" Papyrus questioned him.
"books, of course!" Sans nervously laughed, before sighing, "a lot is also from before monsters were sealed underground."
Papyrus nodded. He knew that his brother was one of the few Monsters to be born on the Surface, and able to remember things from there. Sans had been 4 years old, in human age, when Monsters were Sealed. Papyrus himself was born a little after that.
"Sans? What Or Who Is My Focus?" Papyrus frowned.
"i don't know, bro. the best way to find that out is to think about what inspires the strongest emotions in you." Sans shrugged. "you're LV isn't that high, so your emotions aren't that dulled yet."
Papyrus nodded and tried to think about his Focus...
"I... I Think That You Are My Focus..." Papyrus muttered.
Sans sighed, before smiling at Papyrus and holding his arms out toward him. With no hesitation, Papyrus lifted Sans up in a near bone-crushing hug.
"no worries, paps. i'll always love you. no matter what." Sans promised him.
"No Matter What?" Papyrus mumbled into Sans' hoodie.
"no matter what." Sans repeated, and smiled a real smile at him, "that's a promise, and you know how serious i take promises."
"you have a plan though, don't you?" Sans asked him after a few seconds into the hug.
"Y-Yeah! Of Course I Do! I Am THE GREAT PAPYRUS, AFTER ALL!" Papyrus yelled out with a grin.
—-
A/N: Lots of Headcanon's in this xD
I hope you enjoyed this! I have only one more part to write for Blood and Dust.