Outmaneuvering the royal scientist is going to be harder than you'd have expected. You strongly suspect that she has hidden cameras planted in every stray bush (probably quite a few you haven't discovered yet), and the ability to teleport isn't much help when she has proofed her lab against magical means of transport and movement. Why, you don't know. Perhaps she wants to keep out unwanted visitors. She's not much of a people person, all things considered.
Or perhaps there is indeed something in the lab that she doesn't want anyone to stumble upon.
Probably the latter.
In any case, you definitely have to keep Alphys away if you want to take a look around undisturbed. In some of the previous runs, you just opted to blast the door to bits instead of fiddling with the electronic lock, but this isn't really an option anymore as the kids would immediately pick up on that something's off. That means you have to come up with an excuse to make a visit and send her away.
Which is easier said than done as you haven't visited Alphys for ages. You don't find her company unpleasant per se, but there was a kind of awkwardness in the air whenever you got together. While Papyrus and Undyne would get into a shouting match about whether or not anime was for babies, the two of you'd attempt to strike up a conversation, with little to no success. You told her a horrible pun, and she chuckled weakly, probably out of politeness. After a whole lot of aimless stuttering, out of the blue, she jumped headfirst into a random scientific topic from magnetically enhanced magic spears to the delicate art of building bulletproof human-killing machines, and you did your best to tune out because there was always something in there that made you vaguely uncomfortable.
Either that or the fact that, in a way, she was like looking into a funhouse mirror and seeing a distorted mockery of yourself. Just like you, she'd try to remain in the background until it was unavoidable to come forth. Hiding and lying and loathing herself, not thinking one bit about those who might have needed her. You never found it in yourself to condemn her - at least not any more than you condemned yourself (which was quite a bit, in fact). Sure, she was a coward, but she was your kind of coward.
Not to mention she still had it in herself to step up when push came to shove. You vaguely recall seeing her standing in front of Asgore's empty throne that towered over her. She was squinting in the bright daylight, the overly large golden crown glinting on her head, threatening to slip at any moment.
"I, Queen A-alphys… I s-solemnly declare that I -"
A feeling of unease creeps over you at the memory.
"- deeds that I should n-never be forgiven for -"
There was something wrong, something you can't recall. But it was there. You saw it. You saw something -
"- just wanted them to l-live -"
Your smile wavers.
I just wanted them to live.
For a while, at least.
You scratch your mandible, considering your options. Using Undyne as a distraction would be the easiest method, of course, but asking her for assistance is, well, out of the question. Mettaton, perhaps? He seems to be pretty chummy with his creator, and with his natural (or, more accurately, artificial) charm could distract Alphys with no problem. He'd probably ask for some monetary compensation though, and if there's one constant in all the timelines, it's you being chronically short on cash. Besides, there's the chance he'd tell on you later anyway.
Then an idea comes to you. Not foolproof, but definitely worth a try.
It all depends on whether your hunch about this whole mess was right.
Darkness and silence greeted you in the lab once you got there after having made quick work of the two royal guards (got a free bisicle out of it, too). Alphys must have had seen your rampage and holed up somewhere while she could. Still, you decided to check in in case she had implemented new protective measures against stray monsters who just happened to have an appetite for extra levels. You were keenly aware that Mettaton was still out there somewhere, and even though he'd been designed to hunt down humans, he could definitely have posed a threat.
Besides, you were curious.
Is she going to put up a fight?
How fitting it would be. One trashbag against another. A fight for the ages. Well, for this run, at least.
As you stepped in, it became obvious to you that Alphys could have been a worthy contender in a hypothetical "Who's the messiest person in the Underground" contest. The place was in utter disarray, an impressive number of ramen packets and half-empty chisp bags littered all over the floor along with torn-up documents and bits and pieces of machinery, the picture completed by an overflowing trashcan. It spoke of a hasty retreat, but you knew better. She wasn't going to come out in the open while there was even one dark nook left where she could hide. Making your way inside among the litter, you stood in front of the gigantic computer screen mounted on the wall, hands in pockets, and put on your most winning smile.
"knock knock."
You cocked your head to the side, pretending to listen intently to some make-believe pun buddy's reply.
"doctor."
No answer. Wherever she was, she wasn't scared enough to accidentally reveal her hiding place. Yet.
"yes."
Silence once again. Now that's just rude. That at least deserved a chuckle.
"that's the joke," you shrugged. "y'know. doctor who. thought you'd appreciate some geek humor. in any case," you carried on, casually flicking a few stray specks of dust off your sleeve, "your heroine's not gonna come to your rescue any time soon, so why not stop screwing around and come out?"
A near-imperceptible noise came from somewhere above, metal clinking on metal. Your eyes flared up under your hood.
Gotcha.
You started to make your way up the stopped escalators, not even bothering to stay quiet.
"c'mon, doc. we both know you're here. let's stop wasting each other's time."
Taking your time, you prepared to check her stats on your first turn, just out of curiosity. Which proved to be quite the bad move when you finally turned around the corner and found yourself face to face with a bomb launcher.
You dodged immediately, but you were still late by a fraction of a second. Everything went white as the projectile blew up in your face with a deafening bang, throwing you against the wall. You coughed and heaved as bits of plaster rained down on you, mixing with your own dust, and you mentally cursed yourself as you realized you'd underestimated her. Irritated by your stupid mistake, you checked yourself. You lost some HP, but not nearly enough to put you at a significant disadvantage. Your hoodie, on the other hand, was scorched and torn to shreds, the zipper hanging by a thread - and what was worse, the hood was torn off.
Rage bubbled up inside you. Your only piece of protective clothing, and she just fucking ruined it. You lifted your hand to blast the damn machine into oblivion, when -
"I knew you would c-come."
Her voice was so calm, so unnaturally calm that for a moment, it almost frightened you. Lowering your hand, you leaned over the railing and saw her standing just underneath you, clutching some kind of remote control. Upon seeing the sorry state of your hoodie, her mouth curled into a faint smile.
"You gotta try a little h-harder than that."
Taking a leaf from Undyne's book, huh? Talk about a fangirl.
"i'm gonna kill you for this," you said matter-of-factly, your grin cold. "oh, wait. i was gonna kill you anyway. guess it's an obvious choice, then."
She nodded.
"I m-made some preparations."
You saw the sheen of sweat on her forehead, the slight tremor in her knees, and your grin widened in anticipation. She must have had injected herself before confronting you.
Nasty surprises aside… this is going to be more interesting than I thought.
"I… I'm not going to let you destroy everyone," Alphys carried on. "I've been w-watching you. I made sure to evacuate Hotland before you g-got here. You won't find anyone there except for M-mettaton. And if you - if you want to get to him… you must take m-m-me down first."
"cool."
You fought in silence, mostly because you had absolutely nothing to talk about at that point. She was obviously out of her element, and you were still somewhat miffed that she'd succeeded in getting one over you. The building shook with the power of the explosions, sharp pieces of metal whistling by, your blasters firing on all cylinders to bring her down. You had to admit, buffing herself with some human soul juice was a clever move. Even if, in the end, it did nothing but prolong the inevitable.
Alphys was preparing an electric attack when a tremor ran through her body. Her face contorted with pain and the remote fell from her claws, the attack fizzling out. She swayed and clutched her chest, her brow shiny with sweat, her hand looking oddly deformed, and you realized at once that her body was melting.
Huh. So soon? Looks like determination is not everyone's cup of tea.
After that, it was only a matter of timing and patience. You even decided to take it relatively easy on her, just to save your energy. If Undyne hadn't had enough power in her to keep herself together, her wannabe girlfriend wouldn't stand a chance. As she fell on her knees at last, panting and trembling, her spine nearly broken in half from overexertion, she looked up at you, and smiled.
"He's waiting for you. M-mettaton… he's going to bring you d-down." She lowered her head, and her broken glasses slipped off her nose, clattering to the floor. "And with his p-power… our kingdom... will live on."
Despite telling yourself that it's all just an act, that she had given up long ago and just wanted to save face, you couldn't help but feel cheated. You ground your teeth, overwhelmed by anger at the unfairness of all. If you don't deserve any hope, she doesn't deserve it either. Nobody deserves it. Nobody.
You kicked her in the ribs, but perhaps from all the injected determination, perhaps for some other reason, she refused to make any noise, denying you the satisfaction of seeing her pain. She closed her eyes, her expression almost peaceful, and turned to dust.
It is all that remains.
You hovered over the small gray pile, idly picking at the bruise on your cheekbone, filled with a vague feeling of disappointment despite your newly-acquired levels. Oh well. Maybe Mettaton's gonna go out with a bang. He might even enjoy putting on a show for the remaining monsters to see. You shook the best part of the dust off your slippers, arranged your tattered hood over your head in a way that felt somewhat safe, and left without even bothering to look at the closed bathroom door.
The blank white walls seem to vibrate in the air, radiating heat. Just at shoulder's height, there's a small numberic keypad and a doorbell, but you remember that the latter doesn't work for some reason, so you knock. Soon enough, the thick metal slab slides open and Alphys' plump form appears in the doorway, holding a packet of… dog treats?
"S-sans!" she exclaims, adjusting her glasses. "Um… how nice to s-see you!"
Wow. You're pretty sure you just found the worst liar in the Underground, barring your brother. The lizard monster clumsily shoves the dog treats in the pocket of her lab coat and puts on a shaky smile, probably hoping you didn't notice the motion.
"same." You clear your throat and try your best to look concerned. "y'know… i was wondering how that human's doing. they made it past the captain, i know that much, but haven't met them since they left for hotland. any chance you've seen them around?"
"Oh!" Her face flushes, a spark appearing in her eyes at the mention of Frisk. "N-no need to worry! I got it all under c-c-control! You see, when th-they left Snowdin Forest, I decided to -"
Here it comes. You stand in the doorway, waiting patiently (or at least resignedly) while Alphys gushes about how she's been observing the human's every move, making sure that no harm would come to them. You're not entirely sure how much she's exaggerating the extent of her contribution, but at least she sounds enthusiastic. Good for her, you guess.
"You… um… back when U-u-undyne, you know... went a-after you two… it was very n-nice of you to protect the human! Even if she g-gave you quite the… um, I mean..."
Fantastic. Alphys must have seen your little workout back there, which, in turn, probably means that the entire Undernet knows about it by now. Possibly with photo evidence. The scientist's gaze wanders to your feet, registering the distinct lack of one slipper, and she turns red with embarrassment upon realizing that she once again managed to significantly ramp up the awkwardness factor.
"S-sorry, I didn't mean to - what I meant to s-say is -"
"'s fine," you cut her short with a grin. "can i take a peek at those cameras? just wanna see the kiddo in action."
"Um… sure, of course… c-come in!"
Despite the usual mess, Alphys is far too excited to get embarrassed about the state of the lab; instead, she hurries to the main display system and turns it on.
"H-here… have a look!"
The screen is showing the interior of Undyne's house and a considerable chunk of Frisk's right sweater sleeve. You raise a questioning eyebrow at the scientist, who blushes and fidgets with the collar of her lab coat.
"Oh, s-sorry, I forgot to mention... I mean, of c-course Undyne knows about the c-c-camera! She was there when I, uh, installed it this m-m-morning! J-just in case… you know… um… the human...
The sentence fades off into uncertainty, and for once, you're far too eager to drop the subject to query any further. Alphys is the last person you want to talk with about any possibility of the child hurting someone.
"good to know they're doing ok. looks like nothing fishy is going on."
Unaware of the pun, she nods, her eyes still glued to the monitor. Frisk's currently sitting calmly (or perhaps too intimidated to make a move) at the kitchen table and waiting for the tea to be ready while Undyne leans against the counter, flashing her razor-sharp teeth at her visitor in the friendliest fake grin she can muster. The atmosphere seems to be semi-peaceful for the moment, and you cannot help but be impressed at how the little brat has managed to keep her anger at bay so far. They might even convince her to make friends, given how things are going.
"I knew they'd work out a s-solution!"
Hearing the genuine joy in Alphys' voice feels so out of place that you have to turn away your gaze from the screen. She still hopes. What for, you have no idea, and perhaps it doesn't even matter. It's the warm, fuzzy and one hundred percent unfounded feeling of confidence that counts.
Watching someone on a screen sure makes you root for them, doesn't it?
"You know," the scientist goes on, "when they finally arrived, I was s-so excited… and I - I don't even know why! It's almost like… like s-something's about to change, I think? They m-might even manage to convince… to c-convince Asgore to - well..."
Once again, her voice trails off upon realizing the implications of what she just said. After a moment of uncomfortable silence, you decide it's time to bring up the real issue you've come here for.
"in any case, i wanted to ask you something." You step to the desk so you can see the scientist from the corner of one eyesocket, pretending to be deeply interested a battered DVD case depicting Mew Mew mid-transformation. If your memory serves you right, there's something of interest at this exact spot. "ever heard of a talking flower?"
Alphys freezes and goes pale, not an easy feat for someone covered in scales.
Bingo.
"A t-talking… f-f-flower?" She tears herself away from the screen, quickly adjusts her glasses, grabs the corners of her lab coat, lets go of them, reaches toward her pockets, then adjusts her glasses again. "Um… heh, no, c-can't say I have, uh… why?"
"no particular reason," you shrug. "it's just that papyrus mentioned a flower chatting with him occasionally. telling him some weird stuff concerning you."
As you throw a furtive glance at her, you see her eyes widen. She quickly turns back to the monitor and folds her hands in front of her belly in a pathetic attempt at looking casual.
"M… me? Whatever do you m-m-mean?"
She stares stubbornly at the screen, a single bead of sweat slowly forming on her brow.
Now.
Leaning against the desk, right hand deep in your pocket, you cautiously slip your left hand under the top and feel around for a sticky note you remember being there in a previous run.
"well, paps told me the flower was babbling on about your lab - about something that nobody knows about but would be important for every monster to see." Your phalanges come across a small piece of paper. Slowly, slowly, you start peeling it off. "i guess word got out about mettaton's new feats?"
"Oh! Yeah, um, no, I-I mean, uh… yes! I… might have r-r-reprogrammed him to… be a relentless human-killing machine?"
Inch by inch, you withdraw your hand, folding the piece of paper in half in the process.
"good thing he hasn't met-a-ton of humans yet, then."
Smiling unconvincingly, Alphys sinks her hand into her pocket, grabbing the packet of treats as if she wanted to anchor herself. At the same time, you finally manage to slip the note in your own pocket, relieved that she's apparently none the wiser.
"Um… d-did Papyrus say anything about… where he met… I mean, f-found that flower?"
"in waterfall, somewhere around undyne's courtyard." You raise an eyebrow in fake curiosity. "do you think someone's been playing tricks on my brother with an echo flower? some people sure do love exploiting the local echology."
"Heh, s-sure… and… uhm… d-do you have any idea where Papyrus might be… r-r-right now?"
"beats me. probably waiting for the human to finish their date with undyne. he promised to watch out for them back in snowdin. now that you mention it," you add with a slight frown, "he might want to tell them about your -"
Alphys lets out a high-pitched squeak.
"No! I mean - it, uh, doesn't matter, I g-got it all under control! I just, I j-just have to - I have to -"
"hey, it's ok," you lift your hand as a calming gesture, smiling at her. "if word gets out eventually, i bet everyone's going to understand that you did it with good intentions. saving monsters and all. no-one's gonna blame you or anything."
That was a low blow if you ever landed one. Maybe Gerson was right and you are a petty sadist, after all. Alphys' hands tremble, anguish written all over her face. You realize with a slight surprise that you actually feel a tiny bit bad for her. Not enough to back down, of course.
"S-sure," the lizard monster forces out eventually, avoiding your gaze. She draws a shaky breath, getting a hold of herself. "I, um… sorry, Sans, I j-just remembered something. I must leave right n-now. Would you m-mind if I -"
"oh, no worries," you say breezily. "i was about to leave anyway. gotta check on papyrus in case he managed to talk with the human."
Her motions hurried and impatient, Alphys opens the door and flashes you a smile that looks more like a grimace.
"Thanks for the v-visit! S-see you soon!"
"later, doc."
You're pretty sure that if she could slam the automatic door in your face, she would do so. Before retreating to your sentry booth, you quickly check on the lone save point in the area, and note, with some unease, that it's also cracked, probably from that one time Frisk used if after Undyne had chased you through Waterfall. You don't know exactly how many times a save point can be used before it crumbles, but you're pretty sure it's fewer than what you'd prefer. Which means that like it or not, you must keep a close eye on the kids and their 20 HP.
Alright. You can do this. You go and check out that true lab or whatever, decide what to do with the save points if there's indeed any, and be back in a jiffy. They won't even notice you were away.
You help yourself to a cup of water and plop down in your booth, sipping idly on your beverage. Just when you might start to wonder if Alphys has indeed taken the bait, the lab door opens and she scurries out, her coat billowing after her. She hastily locks the entrance with the keypad, and, without even checking if anyone's nearby, hurries off to the south, probably to ask Riverperson for a ride. After waiting a minute or two to make sure she's not coming back for whatever she might have forgotten, you fish the sticky note out of your pocket and take a look at the near-unreadable chicken scratch that's the royal scientist's handwriting.
"Door: Asgore's festive tea tins (top shelf)
Main panel: Undyne's 3 Half Chrome Wizard episode (OMG I knew she was going to like it! ^_^)
You-know-what: sink 3, bed 6, bathtub, ? (reminder: look for it tomorrow morning!)
You suppress an annoyed groan. Of course it wasn't going to be that easy. You recall Asgore having several dozens of tea blends stacked on rows upon rows of shelves, but the exact number on the top one? Seriously? Just how is Alphys able to remember all this stuff?
...Nevermind. You're probably better off not knowing. Reluctantly, you take out your phone and switch it on. It lets out a series of pings, showing you six unread messages from Papyrus. You tense up and stare at the notifications, your thumb hovering over the screen indecisively.
You should get rid of them immediately. No good would come of it if you read them. Absolutely nothing. So you're going to delete them right now. Right. Now.
"DEAR BROTHER! I KNEW YOU ASKED ME TO LEAVE YOU ALONE, BUT YOU DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING ABOUT MESSAGING YOU! SO I'M DOING JUST THAT! I WANTED TO LET YOU KNOW THAT I'M NOT ANGRY WITH YOU AT ALL! I KNOW YOU DIDN'T REALLY WANT TO HURT THE HUMAN! I'M JUST AFRAID THAT SOMETHING MIGHT HAPPEN TO YOU WITHOUT MY GUIDANCE! SO PLEASE COME HOME, SANS! IT'S GOING TO BE ALRIGHT, I PROMISE! I'LL MAKE YOU A SPECIAL MEAL THAT -"
Your hand trembles, and before you can read any further, you close the message and swiftly delete it, along with the others. Enough of this. Enough. You must stay focused. The prospect of exchanging pleasantries with Asgore is not exactly alluring either, but you rather talk to him than try to brute force your way in.
"Howdy!" The king's voice is warm and welcoming, as always. "How can I -"
"hey, asgore. how many tea tins do you have on the upper shelf in the kitchen?"
Silence. You can practically hear Asgore blinking in confusion at the other end of the line.
"...Is that a pun?" He lets out a soft chuckle. "Well - I don't know! How many?"
"not really, no. i'm, uh, genuinely curious."
"Oh! Um… sure thing," he says with a hint of disappointment. "You mean the Gyftmas blends, right? One hundred and twenty-seven, including the four empty tins. However, I recommend you try the peppermint mix next time you come to visit. I made it just last week, and I'm quite proud of how it turned out!"
"great. thanks. gotta go n-"
"Is there a problem, Sans?"
You stop mid-sentence. You can hear that Asgore's concerned about you; not surprising, given your, let's say, unusual attitude about the puns, but still speaking of the genuine interest he takes in every monster under his rule. He even remembered that you liked peppermint. In this aspect, he's always reminded you of Papyrus. Definitely not cut out to be a leader, but caring deeply about his subjects nevertheless.
Too bad his caring came at the cost of the lives of others.
No matter how much of a fuzzy pushover he might look like, he's still a murderer.
"nah," you say, trying to sound reassuring. "just... needed it for something. research purposes. thanks for the info."
"No problem. If you need help with anything, or just want to talk - let me know, alright?"
A picture of your battle comes to your mind, the throne room in disarray, bright yellow flower petals swirling in the air, Asgore's huge frame dragged to the ground by your blue attacks.
"sure." You swat the memory away. "bye."
You end the call and put away your phone, making sure to turn it off first. To your immense relief, the code works, and you slip into the lab.
Without Alphys' presence, the place feels rather eerie. You don't even bother with trying to figure out the code for the main surveillance system; there's no way you're going to ask Undyne about her favorite anime episodes (though she might just get baffled enough for a second to tell you). Instead, you summon a tiny shard of bone and slip it under the thin metal sheet that covers the circuit panel. Sparks leap out from underneath, and one by one, the computer screens cut to black. You dearly hope that wherever the true lab is, the cameras there have been disabled as well.
The space behind the bathroom door is surprisingly dark. After a moment of hesitation, you enter, feeling around for a light switch.
Click!
Flowey was right. The bathroom isn't a bathroom at all.
On the opposite wall, you see a panel with only two buttons, neither of which has any signs. Arbitrarily, you push the lower one, and the door closes with a sharp mechanical hiss.
Here goes nothing.
With a slight jerk, the elevator starts to descend to who knows where. You lean against the metal wall, listening to the soft mechanical humming, wondering what you're going to find down there. The foreboding feeling that has been gnawing at your soul since the flower mentioned the 'true lab' comes out in full force. You stare at the floor tiles, somehow familiar, and out of the blue, you realize that you've already seen this elevator once.
And Alphys was here with you. Her face was pale, but her eyes were full of determination.
"I… I don't want to be afraid anymore."
She turned to you, the last one she would still trust, the last person remaining who could have done something, and yet did nothing.
"I want to be - to be c-clear. This… this isn't anyone else's p-problem but mine."
She trusted you.
"You all at least deserve to know... what I d-did."
She opened the door, and there was darkness behind, darkness and weird smells and something -
"WARNING!"
You nearly trip over when the elevator shakes violently as if it's been kicked by an enormous foot.
What the f-
"WARNING! WARNING! ELEVATOR LOSING POWER!"
Red light floods the room, and in the next moment, the floor moves, and you begin to fall.
You slip on the tiles and try to find your balance, half-numb from the shock, flattening yourself to the wall in a desperate attempt to support yourself. The lights overhead vibrate rapidly, threatening to go out at any minute, and you close your eyesockets, the sudden harsh screeching of metal sliding upon concrete slicing through your skull like a knife. The tremor intensifies, throwing your body against the wall like a marionette, the noise reaching deafening levels, the floor sliding out from you, and you cry out, not knowing what's about to happen, not knowing anymore what up and down is, and then -
The entire world quakes as the elevator slams into the ground with a tremendous crash, sending a jolt through your body, rattling your bones. Knocked over, you fall on your elbows with a hard clack, a myriad of stars flooding your vision, a taste of dust in your mouth. You stay where you are, motionless, limp, overwhelmed with pain.
Silence. A faint smell of smoke and burnt electric circuitry comes from somewhere above you.
Am I still alive?
You open your eyesockets, staying put for now, listening intently in case the danger is not over yet, but nothing happens. The lights overhead blink a few times before going back to their usual sterile white color. Slowly regaining your senses, you become aware of a soft, rhythmic noise, and you realize that it's your panting. Looks like you're alive.
Dammit, Alphys. Take better care of your belongings.
The door must have opened some time before, judging from the draught coming from outside. Still shaken from the fall, you scramble up to your feet, wincing when you realize that your kneecaps are in a pretty bad shape, one of them cracked from the impact. You reluctantly wipe the dust off them and lean against the doorframe for support. You look up, and your pupils shrink as you take in the sight.
Here we are.