Elsewhere...
There was a laboratory in a land covered in snow. Ice growing along the outside in some patches. Though, the exterior isn't why we're here.
For within, there stood a short skeleton. Debating his life choices, as he found himself doing more often as the days passed. In this case it was due to the things that had led him to where he was now. Standing in front of a board on his wall. It was covered in a variety of things. Clippings of old news papers. Photos of key figures, and places. Documents from the files.
At first, he theorized the nature of this 'Chara' was the same as the creatures that resembled children. The things he'd found lurking in the depths of the laboratory when took over the job as royal scientist, a little before Asgore stepped down as King. He hardly thought about that anymore, it had been so many years.
Nor did he think often about the things he'd met. Seen, and foolishly taken pity on. The things that gave him the ill-fated inspiration to try and 'fix' a formula he didn't understand. To try and help, and to refuse to back down when it all began to spiral out of control.
He adjusted his glasses, and checked his phone. Papyrus had elected not to respond to him, and his attempt to contact Metta instead resulted in a few colorful words coming his way. As well as the emojis for butterflies, a chainsaw, and a little thing flipping him off. He wasn't very surprised by the last one.
They hadn't spoken much. And the one time they had, it hadn't ended very well. So he couldn't blame him.
The broken lens of his glasses reflected his own glowing eye in it, a thousand times over. There was another text though, from 'Tori.' He hesitated a moment, before checking it.
'Sans. I saw something...odd, on tv. I'm so sorry to ask, but, when you have time I really need to talk about something. It'll sound crazy, but. I'm sorry, I know you're busy. Forget it. How do I delete this. No, stop listening, and- oh for the...Sans I don't know how to stop the speech to text thing. Ugh. Is it-'
The last part made him smile, and chuckle to himself. He felt bad, though. He had promised to help explain the upgrades he made to her phone. But he'd been so busy, and...with everything going on, he just hadn't. The rest of the message occupying his mind, as his focus went back to the board.
This whole thing felt...so heavy. Crushing. And he didn't really know what to do now.
Sans set his phone down on a table.
He had gone through his interviews with those creatures. He had accounted for variables he never imagined. He double checked every account, pulled out every experiment. The ones he'd done, and the ones done before he ever stepped foot in the door.
And at the center of it all, was Chara Dreemurr.
If he was right, she was a threat to everything, just by existing here. He didn't know what the consequences of letting her be present would be. The anomaly, as he was certain she was.
He picked up a bottle of scotch, mixed with mustard. Not bothering with a shot glass at this point. He drank deep, and let out a low growl at the burn. Asking himself if it even mattered.
The kid probably had no idea what was going on. Didn't know how dangerous she was, or how dangerous she could be. That thought gave him pause.
"maybe...Papys was right." He muttered.
And if she did...well, did it matter? Maybe all she needed was something simple? Good food. Bad laughs. Nice friends. Maybe the worst case scenario could be avoided with a little bit of mercy? But could he afford to risk that? Could he take that gamble?
My oh my, Doctor, you should keep a better hold of your toys. Normally...I wouldn't interrupt your little games. But, turnabout is fair play. You dirty hacker.
His phone was nudged by a force unseen. A button pushing in. And then another. Before it finally started to ring. Perfect.
After a moment, a voice came in on the other end.
"Oh, Sans. I was hoping you'd call. I-" The voice of a woman paused. "hmm?" There was no answer. "Oh dear." She chuckled. "Have I been pocket dialed?" She asked. "How amusing. Hello funny-bones, can you hear me?"
His distracting thoughts were shattered when he noticed the sound of speaking. Glancing over to see his phone was active. And that he had called someone. He concluded he must have hit the wrong prompt when he set it down. Quickly scrambling, fumbling with it for a moment, before putting it on speaker.
"h-hello?" He asked.
"Well hello to you too Sans. Are you quite alright?" The woman asked, as Sans recognized it, and felt himself freeze for a moment. "Hello?"
"y-yeah, I'm here. sorry, Tori, just, nearly dropped the phone." He chuckled some. "gravity was uh, calling to it, so-" A laugh echoed on the other side, prompting him to smile. "heh."
Toriel spoke after a moment, sighing contently. "Thanks. I...I really needed a good laugh."
"yeah of uh...course Tori. heh." Sans felt anxious, looking at the bottle in his hand for a second. "I-well uh, sorry about the...pocket dial."
"It's more than alright. I...did say you could...call me whenever you wanted, if you recall?" She replied.
He had not forgotten. "Yeah, I...know." His tone briefly different. "sorry uh...anyways."
"Have...you not gotten my other messages?" She sighed. "Don't tell me I've been texting the wrong people again."
"no, no, you've got the right guy. this time." He laughed nervously. "just, I'm sorry. I've uh, been real busy is all. didn't mean to leave ya hanging."
The skeleton wandered away from the board, giving it once last look. Before coming to take a seat on his couch, in front of the computer. He had been avoiding talking with her. But it seemed fate was keen to remind him, that life doesn't let you choose sometimes.
"That's alright, Sans." She assured him, explaining. "I've been...busy too." She admitted, adding. "I...had to...evacuate another village recently."
"I...yeah, I saw on the news." He felt guilty. "I'm sorry Tori."
"I heard there was...an attack around Golden Grove." Toriel commented quietly. "Around where...your brother and his partner do that...show of theirs."
He knew what was coming, but he wasn't keen on talking about it. He wished he had elected to turn off the phone. Running a hand across his head. He moved his mouse, and clicked over to the cameras around the city. It seemed to have survived the attack, not that he was surprised. He even spotted his brother, and Metta talking to the guards, seeming to have just gotten back.
That damn show though. Of course she'd seen it. She thought it was a wonderful idea. Said it was 'educational entertainment' or something.
"I know what you're...gonna ask. and I don't know." Sans replied.
There was a lingering silence for a moment.
"So...you knew. But you didn't tell me?" Toriels words range with an undertone of hurt. "Sans...do you have any idea, how crazy I felt afterwards?" She asked. "I...I thought I was seeing things."
"humans don't live like we do...they age, Tori." He noted. "it's been what 40 years? That's...like a half of their lifespan. and they get bigger, ya know?" He asked. "sides, I couldn't be sure it wasn't just some human who looked similar." He replied. "or some creature. or...I still don't uh...I dunno. still trying to figure that out."
"Sans. I know when you aren't telling me everything." Toriel stated sternly "What have you found out?" He was quiet for a moment. "Is...it just...one of those things again?"
Toriel had, in her travels encountered certain...creatures. Those things that resembled children. More specifically. Those things that resembled her adopted daughter, for reason she didn't understand.
Denied that information by the skeleton, to spare her from...some of the horrors he'd discovered. After all, the few encounters alone had haunted her greatly, making her normally fiery resolve fizzle to ash. Nearly getting her killed once, when she tried to show mercy to one.
It was one of the few times he'd seen her drinking so liberally. So depressed, and anxious. Suffering.
"I don't think so." He admitted, as a chirping sound echoed from his computer. "whatever she is, whoever, she's more human than not. alive, soul-filled, so...not a creature."
He found the alarm was, a proximity alarm from a camera he had long forgotten about. Some unreliable one, on a path that he hadn't seen used for years. Outside of the occasional creature movement.
Toriel heard the sound of his computers little alarm, and began to ask. "So...I don't understand. Is it-"
"Chara?" Sans asked out loud, before realizing what he'd said.
The screen displayed two children wandering along it. His very being shook for a moment. They were in Waterfall. That strange forgotten road, in Waterfall. The moment of silence ringing between them.
"Where is she?" Toriel asked. "Is she in Golden Grove?" The alarm in her voice grew.
"n-no, just...no." He replied, realizing there was no point in trying to fight it now. "she's in waterfall. but like...okay, Tori listen. it's a weird location, but I'll...try and help with uh...navigation."
It seemed this change in direction had resulted in a shifting of focus, for another interloper.
The shadows had began to creep back into the lab. Starting to swell beneath the cracks of doors. Oozing from the darkest corners. Having been occupied in their schemes for far too long to notice.
They began to rush towards the skeleton, who was explaining the basics to Toriel. It was a complicated, and strange path after all. And he wanted to make sure she got there safely, and found them alright. Hoping, that this wasn't going to be a huge mistake.
The dark surged seeking to cut off the skeletons words.
His shadow flickered, and the stopped when it began reshaping. Becoming an outline of a child, the eyes opening, revealed glowing red. With a sharp knife in hand, and a scary, melting smile. My, smile.
The lights that had gone out in his lab began flickering, turning on. Brighter briefly than they needed to be, burning away both the creeping dark of the void, and the silhouette from the area. The skeleton briefly confused, glanced at them.
He reminded himself he really needed to get the electrical fixed in this place. He was always having trouble with the lights recently.
"It's you."