"Doctor. The readings are spiking. Signs appear stable. Should we pull the Goner from combat?"
"No. Proceed. Without interruption."
"Of course, sir."
The Goner Kid stood across from his foe in the void. He had expected to be pulled from the encounter. Wasn't that meant to happen, if things went awry? He this...demon done something to prevent it?
The demon motioned. |S-Butterfly-Hate|
Dozens of black butterflies appeared around her, tar black, and oozing. The girl shambling some, before falling into a dead sprint towards him. Alarm raced into him, liquid hands rising, flashing blue, swinging out at her. They hit without fail, one after another, but she didn't stop.
The Demon striking out as she got close, catching him off guard. The Goner Kid dodged the first, finding that her eyes didn't seem to divert from staring at him. There was...a sensation in him he couldn't quite remember, spreading into him.
A sudden pain ruptured through his body, as something tore through his side. Causing him to hiss, noticing the butterflies rushing at him. He tried to evade, to fall into the dark, but...the void rejected him?
"Doctor?" He asked in confusion, before being pelted with more of the attacks. Having to stumble and dodge on his own. Something he hadn't done in some time. Each of the dozen bullets colliding, tearing at him, as his body worked to maintain itself.
Growling over the damage, the phantom hands ignited. Blasting blue light at the steadily advancing demon. Burning through her, through her bloodied, ink-stained clothing. Through her soul, but she didn't flinch. Another swing coming at him, this time connecting.
A quick set of strikes ended with a backhand strike. Slamming him into the ground. A phantom hand grasping him, dragging him away from a stomp, intended for his head. The dark eyed girl staring.
He wasn't meant to handle something like this. It wasn't his role. It wasn't his job. That sensation spread, creeping further into him.
Gathering the many hands, they all joined, and began to fire out at the girl. Her body lurching some, her hand raising. The black soul growing darker.
The Demon cast |Intangible-Hate|
The beams mixed, becoming impossible to dodge. A blur of motion through them, one of the hands grasped. Turned, with blue light, washing across the others, still swirling. Erasing them in one fell beam. Before it too, was crushed, shattering.
The Goner Kid stared in bewilderment at the child, turning her focus back to him once more. Her body mostly see through, intangible. Her steps growing faster, chasing him once more.
The Goner Kid attempted to summon more of the phantom hands. But none appeared. His surprise lasting a moment, the demon nearing. Her bloodied glove snapping out to grab him. Gripping the edge of the poncho, her spare first moving to strike. A liquid hand rose and yanked him back. Shredding the fabric, but helping him manage a slight dodge from the hit.
The demon looked around at the ink hands, her dark tears dripping faster. |S-Butterfly-Hate| The dark butterflies appeared once more. This time, however, they didn't target him. Instead, they actively began to move, seeking, and colliding with the liquid hands. Causing them to glitch and fall apart.
As he was processing this, the demon continued to move. The creature growled back, sending some of the liquid hands bursting out. One tearing through her body, raising her up some. Another flashing orange, slamming down at her. Yet...her blood ran black, the liquid hands breaking apart, dropping her back to the ground.
"Why...why won't you die!" The Goner Kid demanded.
His last phantom hand moving, flashing blue, firing at her as she approached. The Goner Kind could feel...his heartbeat. This feeling, he remembered it now. It was...fear. A fear that magnified when he saw movement through it. He intensified the blast, consuming the void. Desperate to snuff out the threat.
The creature narrowly dodged a strike. The demon shattering his last line of defense. He attempted to conjure more of the liquid hands, but nothing rose. He tried to draw forth the one from within him, but it didn't respond.
"Doctor, I require intervention!" He called out, her next hit grazing him. "Help me!"
He fell back. Only to find remaining cuff of his poncho caught. His endless grey eyes meeting the abyssal black ones staring back at him.
"But nobody came." The demon whispered.
The creature wasn't able to respond, before the demon struck him down. Slamming him against the void floor. He felt the pain, felt part of him crumble. He didn't understand. This wasn't...how these tests were meant to go. He was turned over, the tar-like ink oozing down pouring from the demon now. A flurry of blows beating down on him. They weren't meant to be capable of Hate.
The attacks paused for a moment. Thumbs jamming into his eyes, digging in deep. It didn't make sense. The hands squeezing harder, bones beginning to shatter. They weren't meant to-
The thoughts ending with a scream of rage. The entire void sparking, glitching, and recoiling from the sensation. A crunching noise filling the air. The Goner falling apart, into still dust. Being gradually consumed by the dark.
"Wonderful. How...wonderful."
"It may be wise to erase this, Doctor."
"No...no...I have a better idea."
The demon known as Chara continued her attack. Punching, clawing, tearing at the void. Trying to continue the relentless, violent assault. Without reason, without focus.
Strike after strike growing slower. The girl beginning to choke after a minute, the dark beginning to drip from her shaking, partially shattered soul. Her eyes beginning to clear, even as she continued to punch the dark. Her tears falling, as the hate finally gave out.
Replaced with intense sobbing, and the return of despair. Interrupted only by the sound of footsteps echoing behind her. The girl struggling, turning her head to see who it was. Behind her was a man.
"Congratulations." This new being greeted, sounding familiar. "My, my, you seem to be dying. Perhaps not a perfect success. But even still, you are a remarkable specimen."
The voice, she knew it. It was...the man on the phone. She started to rise, but staggered and fell. All the pain finally beginning to set in. Agony consuming her, as she choked on blood.
"Against all odds, you succeeded." The man knelt down. "Chara, do you have any idea. How rare that is? Hundreds, no, thousands. You're one of a dozen who've shown any success." A phantom hand lifted her to a sitting position, pushing her head back so she could meet his empty eyes. "Tell me, how do you feel?"
Her eyes darkened briefly. "I-I ha-hate...hate you."
"Genuine emotion. Wonderful, but misdirected." The man noted. "Regardless. I'm going to send you home. With...a gift." He noted. "You did wonderful, avenging your little friend." The man pat her on the head. "I am so very proud of you."
She didn't understand, but managed to choke out. "O-ora-orang-"
"The boy?" The man inquired. "I'm afraid, that data...is gone forever." She sobbed harder. "But don't worry. I'm already making you a 'brand new friend' back home. You two have so much in common. I think you'll like her." The man said, with a twisted smile, as her vision grew dim. "Sadly, we're out of time." She reached to where her counterpart had last been. "Be a good girl, Chara. And don't disappoint me."
The man snapped his fingers.
Chara was following Papyrus, deep in contemplation. Her mind turning to Papyrus. He would probably hate her too, if she told him about his brother. How could he believe her? Flowey didn't even believe her.
Her thoughts were interrupted by a sensation. A sudden sadness, so deep and intense that it quickly became all consuming. She staggered and fell to her knees. Hitting the snow hard. Gasping for breath, as she began to cry.
Confusion washed over her. She didn't...understand why, but it felt like her heart was breaking. Her eyes closing, as she cried harder, and harder still. A set of steps hurrying over to her.
"Chara?" Papyrus asked, getting her attention. "Are you alright?" He closed his phone on whoever he was talking to. "It's okay, I didn't think I went that far...I'm sorry if I was ignoring you I-" She sobbed harder and hugged him. "oh...it's alright. You're alright."
"I'm sorry." She managed to say, burying her head in his jacket. "I d-didn't...I'm sorry."
The tall skeleton felt...confused. Just a moment ago she'd seemed completely fine. He noted he had gotten a little ahead of her. Picking her up, he let her cry into his jacket, his usual scowling visage replaced by a look of concern.
"There, there...it's okay. Let it out, I'm here." He assured, hear chuckles from others nearby. "Don't you all have somewhere to be." He growled as they quickly moved on. "Sorry about that"
She didn't appear to be stopping. He really wasn't sure what to do about this. He initially started towards his house. Pausing at a thought. She wasn't really a fan of Sans, and he wagered his brother might make things worse. He thought of where to go instead, and came to a decision.
Papyrus asked her. "Would you like to meet a dear friend of mine?" She nodded some, still crying. "Okay. I think you'll like her. She's great at cheering people up. Plus, she's very cool."
The skeleton heading out of Snowdinn, towards Waterfall. Hoping his friend might help.