Hey there, and welcome to chapter 4! First off, I would like to give my thanks to king-dorado for my very first review! I'm really glad that you're enjoying the story, and I'll definetly take your cute little idea into consideration. Anyway, enjoy the chapter!

As the group continued on, Zenko took to walking in between Toriel and Badd. Eventually, they came to a room with multiple pressure plates and a switch.

Badd and Zenko took in the room, noticing that everything, from the purple brick walls, to the rusted switch, looked positively ancient.

"Jeez Toriel, you really should get this place renovated, looks like the place hasn't been changed in centuries."

Toriel giggled at that. "That's because it hasn't my child. Most monsters living down here moved out of the ruins long ago. Only I and a few stragglers remain now."

It was then that Badd decided to speak up about an issue that had been annoying him.

"Ok lady, I get calling Zenko a child, because she is one. But I'm 17! Would it kill you to call me by my name?"

Toriel gave him a sideways glance.

"I would be fine with that, however I do not remember you giving me your name since we've met."

Badd sweatdropped at that, embarrassed, while Zenko shook her head at her brother's incompetence.

"Well, in that case, the name's Badd, but most people on the surface know me by my hero name Metal Bat."

Toriel looked confused at the mention of a 'hero name'.

"Hero name, what might you mean by that Badd?"

"Oh yeah, guess you wouldn't know about the association, what with you living under a mountain and all. The hero association was founded about three years ago by a man named Agoni after a passerby saved his grandson from a monster."

Toriel was about to speak and say that what attacked the boy couldn't have been a monster, but Badd was too wrapped up in his explanation to notice.

"After that, Agoni used his vast wealth and prestige to found the hero association, an association dedicated to the protection of humanity and keeping the peace. There are four hero classes, from lowest to highest they are: C-class, B-class, A-class, and the highest rank, reserved for heroes who are so powerful that they could almost be considered gods on earth, S-class."

Toriel looked thoughtful at that. Incredible. So much has changed since we've been sealed away.

"And what class are you in Badd?" She asked politely.

Before he could give a response, Zenko butted in.

"My big brother is the 15th ranked S-class hero!" She said proudly.

Not missing how Badd described the S-class as 'gods on earth', Toriel couldn't help but become a bit nervous.

He must be very strong if that's true. Oh, I really hope he won't hurt anyone. But he did describe himself as a hero, so I doubt that he would attack anyone unless provoked.

Toriel kept herself looking composed, before responding.

"Well, it's an honor to be in the company of a great and powerful hero such as you." Toriel said with newfound admiration for him.

"Uh, hey Toriel, could you cut back a bit on the flattery? I mean, I appreciate it and all, but I get enough of that from my fans." He said, scratching the back of his head.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I wasn't trying to be overbearing. Oh, but we're getting off task, I was about to educate you in the operation of the ruins."

She walked over to the pressure plates, and stepped on the outer four, before flicking the switch. A door was then revealed, opening so fast that it looked like it had simply vanished.

Unphased by the sudden noise, Toriel continued her explanation.

"The ruins are full of puzzles, ancient fusions between diversions and doorkeys. Please adjust yourself to the sight of them." She said, before continuing on.

Badd sulked at the mention of puzzles.

"Aw man! Puzzles? I suck at those."

"Come on Badd, it could be fun!" Zenko said, starting after Toriel.

"Besides we need to solve them anyway if we want to get out of here, so sulking won't help at all."

Badd grunted before following after her. "Fine, but I'm not gonna like it."

As they passed through the doorway, the siblings entered a long, hallway like room. Toriel was waiting for them, hands clasped by her waist and a smile present on her face.

"In order to progress here, you will need to trigger several switches. But do not worry! I have labeled them for you."

Badd and Zenko looked at the wall, and there was in fact multiple switches with very obvious markings and arrows drawn next to them.

Badd noticed a plaque on the wall and walked up to get a closer look. As he got closer, he realized that the plaque was engraved in an unknown language, he grunted, and was about to head back, when he heard the same voice In his head that he had heard earlier.

"Only the fearless may proceed. Brave ones, foolish ones, both walk not the middle road."

"The hell? There's that voice again!" Badd muttered, before shrugging it off and going back to Toriel and Zenko.

Zenko had just finished pushing down the last lever, when Badd came walking up to her and Toriel.

"Hey, big bro, what were you doing over in the corner?" She asked.

"I just saw a sign and decided to check it out. It was in a different language though." Badd left out the part about him hearing a voice In his head. He didn't want his little sister thinking that he was crazy.

"Oh, ok then." She said, before heading back to Toriel, who congratulated her on the rather easy feat.

With the path now open, they continued on once more, before coming across a room that only contained an old training dummy and nothing else.

"As humans living in the underground, monsters may attack you. You will need to be prepared for this situation."

Badd smirked.

"Oh, don't worry about us Toriel, I'll make sure to give anything that tries to attack us a little lesson." He said, twirling his bat.

Toriel looked aghast at him, before scolding him.

"Why, that's just horrible! I would never even dream of having you do something like that. No, when a monster approaches you. Strike up a friendly conversation. Stall for time, and I will come to resolve the conflict."

Badd looked at her incredulously.

"What? Look, if they attack us first, we have the right to fight back, besides, you attacked that weed as soon as you saw it!"

Toriel looked scandalized.

"That flower is different! It attacks not only humans, but terrorizes monsters as well! It was beyond reasoning!"

Badd looked about ready to snap, with both of them glaring at each other. Things may have gotten worse, but Zenko took that moment to jump in.

"Come on Badd! You gave Toriel a chance, why not the others? You haven't even met them yet!" She scolded him.

Badd's expression softened a little, before he relented.

"Fine. But if they're beyond convincing, I'll just knock em out."

Believing that no monster in the ruins was truly stubborn enough to make him resort to violence, Toriel smiled at Badd, her previously stern demeanor gone completely.

"Wonderful! Now, I would like you both to practice talking to the dummy.

Seriously? Thought Badd. Zenko went up to the dummy, before greeting it with a wave.

"Hi mister dummy! You're really cute! I love your button eyes!"

Toriel looked pleased. "Very good young one. Now Badd, it is your turn."

Badd reluctantly went up to the dummy.

"Uh, hey there." God this is so fucking stupid. "How are you today?"

"... the dummy doesn't seem much for conversation."

The strange voice In Badd's head spoke again, irritating him.

Oh shut the hell up! He swore internally, before looking back at Toriel, who had a patient smile on her face.

"Very good. You are very good." She said, before moving on.

Badd looked back at the dummy, before striking his bat across it, blowing it to pieces and sending cotton all over the room.

"Badd! What the heck was that for?" Zenko yelled at him, shocked that he had done something like that.

"Look Zenko, in case you you hadn't noticed, I'm a little stressed out right now. I just needed to blow off some steam. Besides, it's not like anyone was using the thing anyway."

"Well, I suppose that you're right, but still, don't do anything like that to anyone down here."

Badd rolled his eyes.

"Yeah yeah, I'll be sure not to."

Unknown to them, a figure materialized right after they left. It looked at the destroyed dummy with tear filled eyes.

"They... they destroyed my home..." he said shakily, before bursting into tears and flying away. "I'm telling my cousin on them!"

Badd and Zenko came to a new room, a simple hallway with nothing in it. But as they entered the next room, they saw the entire room was covered in spikes. Toriel was also waiting for them in there.

"This is the puzzle but, come small one, take my hand for a moment." Zenko approached her and grasped her hand, Badd staring warily at them.

Toriel began to walk forward, right into the spikes. It was then that Badd bagan to panic.

Maybe he had been wrong to trust Toriel, and she was just waiting for the opportune time to kill them, and that that moment had finally come. But then he realized as she was about to step onto the spikes, they retracted, inches from touching her feet. Badd sighed in relief. It was just part of the puzzle, he realized, before following after them.

As they reached the end of the spike pit, Toriel ruffled Zenko's hair.

"Puzzles seem a little too dangerous for now." She said, more to herself than them, before continuing on.

As they came to the next room, Zenko and Badd saw that it was by far the largest one yet. They couldn't even see the end of the room clearly.

Toriel decided then to speak up.

"You two have done excellently this far, but I have a difficult request of you."

Badd braced himself for whatever trial or puzzle that Toriel may have had planned for them.

"I would like you to walk to the end of the room by yourselves. Forgive me for this." She said, before rushing off surprisingly fast.

Badd shook his head and snickered.

"Well, climb on Zenko, I'll give you a ride."

Zenko laughed as she was lifted up onto his shoulders, before Badd took off at superhuman speed.

Toriel had reached the end of the room very quickly, and was going to hide behind the pillar.

"I hope that they will be fine," she said to herself. "Badd seems like a capable caretaker though, so they should have no trouble getting here on their own. Well, I might as well relax for a moment, they won't be here for a while yet."

Badd then poked his head around the corner. "You sure about that Tori?" He asked with a shit eating grin on his face, startling Toriel and making her jump.

"B-Badd? Zenko?! How did you get here so quickly?" She asked, clutching her chest.

"Well, I'm pretty fast, y'know? And Zenko just rode on my shoulders." He snickered.

Toriel, regaining her composure responded amazed.

"Indeed you are, there are not many I know of than can keep pace with me." She said, impressed.

"Nevertheless, there was a reason for this exercise. To test your independence. I have some things to take care of and must leave you Alone for a while. I know, I will give you a cell phone."

Badd held up a hand.

"No need, Tori. Got one right here." He said, taking his phone out of his pocket and showing her.

"Oh, I see. Then allow me to give you my number."

She took Badd's phone and inputted her phone number.

As she was leaving, she gave them one last glance.

"Be good, and do not leave the room, alright?"

After she had left, Badd suddenly gasped.

"What is it big bro?" Zenko asked. Badd was starting to sweat nervously.

"The meeting, I'm supposed to be at it right now!"

And there's chapter four! Next chapter, we'll be seeing the accosiation's reaction to Metal Bat's sudden disapearance. As always, be sure to review, and I'll see you in the next one!

Edited 3/15/20