Thanks go to BadDRUMMERboy15, Wingah, Deathwing676, Doctah Sawbones, 10burgers, Demonfan50, Skele, Allagenda-domsitzers-chan, HiIMissedYou, and TBone8454.
HiIMissedYou, your name warmed my heart and I thought you should know.
To answer your question, TBone8454, I find a lot of songs that fit different story arcs, fights, chapters, etc. But if you're asking me for one song that could be a theme for the story like some kinda anime opening, I would probably say either Asphyxia from Tokyo Ghoul Re: covered by LeeandLie, Paper Moon from Soul Eater covered by LittleJayneyCakes, or Katharsis from Tokyo Ghoul Re: covered by Studio Yuraki.
As for themes for characters, I've got some of those too. Such as:
Cter: Ink by Finch and/or Ares by Winters Island.
Anarchy: Mama Said Knock You Out by LL Cool J and/or Broken Crown by Mumford & Sons.
Hopefully that answers your question. :)
Disclaimer: I do not own Undertale or Deltarune.
"... And who are you supposed to be?"
Error's sockets narrowed at the hooded young woman that sat across the table from him. It was dark in the night club, the only real lighting provided from the multicolored rave lights that often washed over the two momentarily. Despite this, Error could clearly make out the ice blue eyes that pierced into him from across the circular table with a predatory glow.
Well, if nothing else, she had the eyes of a bounty hunter.
Called herself 'The Predator' from what Error had learned.
Another one of these filthy glitches making an uproar. That's surely the reason why he'd found her here, in this scummy Mafiatale night club "The Ribcage". If she was here, than someone here was fated to die. If Error had to guess, it was someone who used to be feared. Until these brats showed up and started settin' new standards left and right.
Predator had her hood up, those beastly eyes glowing from within the shadow that hid the upper half of her face. Her lips curved down in a frown, and Error had felt a definite drop in temperature when he took a seat across from her.
"Error Sans." Error finally answered after one long staring contest. "And you're The Predator."
"Error Sans?" She tilted her head to the side, crossing her arms as she leaned back in her chair. She lifted her legs, casually putting her feet up on the table and making Error's socket twitch with irritation. "Congrats! you aren't who I'm here for. So quit buggin' me."
"I know you aren't here for me. I'm here for you." Error squinted his sockets with some aggravation. "And that can be a very bad thing if you keep up that attitude."
"Yeah, shortstack?" Predator grinned wide, putting her feet down from the table and making her leaned back chair fall forward. She slammed one forearm down on the table, leaning forward and getting in Error's face. "Can it?"
Error's grin widened some, even as his left eye socket twitched with rage.
"... I'm just here. To get. Some information." Error spoke through gritting teeth, and Predator leaned back, getting out of his face and placing her hands behind her head.
"Oh yeah, guy I just met?" She tilted her head to the side. "And what information could I possibly have that you'd want?"
"..." Error narrowed his eyes, and his digits dug into the table cloth, as if the word he was about to speak stung at his throat.
"Hacker."
Predator's eyebrows raised with surprise, that grin disappearing from her face as she paused, like her brain was buffering.
"Red striped sweatshirt. Green eyes. You're from the same world, so I thought you might'a known him." Error tilted his head to the side. "Am I wastin' my time or what?"
"Knew him?" Predator repeated with some disbelief, leaning back forward to show that her interest had been piqued. "Not sure if anybody really knew him."
"..?" Error cocked a brow to show he was listening.
"... Hm." Predator glanced to the side, looking to be considering something. She suddenly looked back to Error, grinning wide once more. "Tell ya what!"
"Hm?" Error watched as Predator stood, smiling right down at Error.
"Gimme a hand with this, and I'll tell ya everything you wanna know!" She gave a thumbs up down at the glitchy skeleton, who only looked more confused.
"Uhh... Give you a hand with wh-"
"HEY! EXCUSE ME!" Predator hopped up onto the table, calling out into the night club. "Can I get everybody's attention please?!"
Gradually, with Predator's insistent calling, the club lights turned back on, and the music paused, everyone looking to the human on the table.
"I'm lookin' for a Wing Ding Gaster!" Predator's eyes scanned the room as she spoke. "He's a mob boss! You all work for him!"
"This is a club under his jurisdiction!" Predator pointed down at the club beneath her, continuing to speak loudly and concisely, explaining things that were very obvious to the others in the room. "You all work for him and are criminals who would kill anyone trying to kill him!"
All of the club goers exchanged glances, completely bewildered by this young woman's boldness.
"Is any of this ringing any bells?" Predator looked out over the room, frowning at their shocked silence. "Come on guys, I really need to know!"
Error's jaw surely would have dropped if it could as he stared up at Predator, stunned just like everyone else by her lack of fear.
"I am a bounty hunter!" Predator continued to explain, gesturing to herself with open hands. "I am here to murder your boss, Wing Ding Gaster, in exchange for money from a client!"
Predator paused then, once again scanning the room, before shrugging.
"So, where is he?" She asked casually, placing her hands in her pockets.
. . .
The sound of guns being drawn rapidly and magic weapons appearing filled the room, and in an instant a thousand barrels bats and blades pointed at The Predator.
Grinning quite happily, Predator looked over her shoulder to Error, who was halfway through comparing her and the albino kid on a crazy scale when she caught his attention.
"Help me deal with these chumps, an' I'll give you all that info." She winked, holding out one arm and summoning an oversized scythe from her inventory.
"Scouts honor!"
Chapter 13: On Your Side
"I still don't like you in the slightest."
"Stop staring!" Frisk spoke in a hush, catching my attention and making me turn my wide, emotion filled eyes away from Monster Kid, who was busy talking to Sans at his post. "You're gonna freak him out..!"
"R-Right, right..." I shook my head, blinking once or twice before looking back to Monster Kid. I took one step forward, grimaced, and spun right back around.
"I'm goin' back to the Ruins." I spoke quickly, attempting to speed by Frisk, only for them to reach out and catch me with one arm, grunting with effort as they restrained me.
"No you're not!" They told me, clenching their eyes shut as they managed to push me gradually back towards Monster Kid. "You..! Made him..! A promise..!"
"But what do I even say..?!" I whisper-screamed right back at them, fighting them every step towards Monster Kid. "How do you introduce yourself to your best friend for the first time?!"
"Not by standing in the corner like a creep..!" Frisk grunted, DETERMINED soul glowing on their chest as they shoved me along.
"Now go! Say! Hi!"
One last hard shove, and I was tumbling forward, right into Monster Kid. The both of us plummeted to the ground, landing flat on our faces. I was mortified, and Frisk grimaced at the results of their shove. Sans looked pretty amused, though.
I was quick to jump to my feet, looking down to Monster Kid with wide eyes and watching as he groaned, eyes clenched shut. He was clearly still reeling from my sudden impact.
"S-sorry!" I exclaimed, kneeling down and wrapping an arm round him to help lift him to his feet.
"Yo, it's alright." Monster Kid smiled in a reassuring way as I let go of him after getting him to his feet.
"I'm Monster Kid." He introduced himself, smiling that smile that I had deemed to hold everything right in the world. "I don't think we've met before, have we..?"
"N-nope!" I answered a little too quickly, grinning wide to stop the nervous chattering of my teeth. "I'm Cter, nice to uhm, n-nice to meetcha!"
"Cter?" Monster Kid repeated with furrowed brows. "That name sounds familiar... Are you sure we haven't met before?"
You're killin' me, Monster Kid. You precious cinnamon roll, you are murdering your best friend in the whole wide world. Or, soon to be best friend in the whole wide world.
Hopefully.
I shot Sans a nervous glance, and he shrugged in response, motioning his hand in a quick, circular move along motion to signal that I needed to come up with a lie quick.
"U-uh..!"
Now, I've done a lot of lying to a lot of people in my day, and I'd say I've gotten pretty darn good at it. But, something about Monster Kid's face, or maybe it was that innocent glimmer in his eye, make it impossible to tell him a lie. At least for me.
"Nope!" Frisk jumped in, putting an arm around my shoulder and grinning convincingly. "We just moved in from the capital, so there's no way!"
"Oh wow, the capital?" Monster Kid said with surprise. "What's it like down there?"
"Crowded." Frisk joked, and Monster Kid laughed.
With Monster Kid distracted, I sighed, taking a step back and leaning against Sans' post, reaching up and running a hand down my face.
"Hey, kid, I don't mean to distract from more important things," Sans spoke quietly, leaning forward in his booth. "But I talked to Gaster."
"Already?" I whispered, cocking a brow at him over my shoulder.
"We kept it brief." Sans' eyes darted to the side, before he leaned back in his booth, suddenly speaking louder. "Anyway, it's time for one of my legally required breaks. Howzabout you join me at Grillby's?"
"Uhh..." I shot a glance over to Frisk and Monster Kid, who were talking up one friendly storm. "... Yeah, sure."
"Great." Sans stepped out from behind his booth, looking over to me.
"Over here, I know a shortcut."
Anthony and Angel exchanged a quick glance, before Lexi dove forward, spinning and tearing her scythe from the floor as she launched at Angel, swinging her scythe over hand down at him.
Anthony jumped between the two, rising his shield on instinct and sending the chilled scythe clanging back.
Lexi's jaw clenched as she recoiled back through the air, landing on her feet and glaring at Anthony before Angel jumped over the ducked down Anthony's head, pulling that spear back over his shoulder and jabbing down at Lexi, who stepped to the side, the spear stabbing through nothing but air as Angel landed at her side.
Angel immediately spun to face Lexi, slashing at her with the tip of her spear as he turned on his heel, only for her to jump back out of range of the swing, pointing her scythe out at Angel as frost once again built over the blade.
Anthony darted forward, holding his shield up before him as he slid between the two, the blade of ice that fired from Lexi's scythe shattering against the metal of his shield.
"Hey!" Lexi growled as she jumped back further from the two. "Stop working as a team! No fair!"
"All's fair in opening cans of whoop ass." Angel pointed out, aiming his spear out at Lexi.
"Hmm..." Her eyes narrowed in thought, hand reaching up to stroke her imaginary beard. "Well that is a one hundred percent fact..."
"Fine then!" Lexi suddenly jumped high into the air, Angel and Anthony watching in bewilderment as she elegantly front flipped over them, spinning in air and landing in the window frame of the window she'd broken in through, crouching down in it and looking at them.
"I'm gonna get my own super cool team, and we're gonna kick your butts!" Lexi declared, pointing at the two menacing before hopping back out from the window and disappearing into the night.
"... Well that didn't take long." Anthony said, brows furrowed with confusion.
"Yeah I uh, I feel a little silly for running from her now." Angel put his spear on his back before placing his hands on his hips."
"Oh, good! You two are alright!"
The two looked over their shoulder to find their wizard friend had gotten back to his feet and was walking back towards them from where he'd been knocked prone by Lexi's sneak attack.
"We should really be sayin' that about you." Angel's lips curved up some in a friendly smile. "Looked like you got kicked pretty hard."
"I'm okay, she just caught me off guard." He assured, smiling right back.
"Well that's good, uhh..." Anthony paused, suddenly looking to be thinking. "I'm sorry, I don't think we got your name?"
"Oh, right!" The wizard grinned sheepishly, scratching the back of his head. "I'm the Gatherer of the Heroes, Xander!"
"Nice to meet'cha, Xander." Angel said halfheartedly, before glancing over his shoulder at the broken window. "... Any idea who she is?"
"Eugh..." Xander sighed, expression reflecting exasperation. "That is the King's adopted daughter, Lexi."
"... And, unfortunately, our forth member."
Angel looked quickly back to Xander, eyebrows raised with surprise. Anthony did a double take.
"You mean the nutjob trying to kill us is the forth hero?" Anthony's mouth hung open as he pointed over his shoulder to the broken window with his thumb.
"I believe she has just been... Misled by her father." Xander, explained, though he certainly looked exhausted at the concept. "We can convince her to join the right side, it's just going to take a bit of effort."
"Well you sure seem happy about that." Angel said sarcastically.
"I find Lexi's chaotic, sporadic and reckless lifestyle... Less than agreeable." Xander explained, and Angel shrugged.
"Meh, I dunno." He turned away from the two, walking to the window and looking out into the night. "She seemed cool to me."
"... Seemed cool?" Anthony repeated skeptically, scooting up next to Angel and squinting at him.
"..?" Angel cocked a brow at his albino friend. "Yes, that's what I said..?"
"Hmmm..." Anthony leaned closer, examining Angel's face.
Angel snerked, pushing Anthony lightly back out of his personal space as a smile formed on his face. "Back up, weirdo."
"I got my eye on you." Anthony assured Angel, before spinning around to face Xander.
"Well, are you both ready?" Xander asked, smiling lightly.
"It's time for our journey to begin."
I blinked once or twice as Sans and I suddenly appeared in Grillby's, glancing around with some confusion.
"Fast shortcut, huh?" Sans grinned up at me as he often did, and I scoffed with some amusement.
"Can you teach me how to do that?" I asked in a half joking manner, and Sans shook his head, beginning to walk towards the bar.
"'Sa lot harder than it looks." He said as I followed after him.
The two of us made our way through the bar towards the counter, Sans waving and punning through the many other regulars that greeted him before we took a seat at the counter, Grillby silently stepping over to us as he dried a glass with what had to have been a fireproof rag. Then again, he was standing on the wood floor and wearing clothes just fine, so maybe his body worked differently than regular fire.
"So, lets make this quick." Sans spoke as Grillby set the glass down, standing across the counter from us.
In the next moment, the other patrons of the bar seemed to freeze in time around us three, as if a spotlight had been cast upon us and everyone else disappeared in the dark.
"Error." Sans said simply, looking between Grillby and I. "Game plan? Anybody?"
"Uhh..." I looked to Grillby, who shrugged, before I looked back to Sans. "Fight, him? And... Win..?"
"Foolproof." Sans stated sarcastically, white dots in his sockets darting to the side.
"Well, the way I see it, we've gotta pull up with all of our toughest buddies." I rested my elbow on the counter. "That means us three, Gaster, Undyne, Asgore-"
"One problem there, kiddo." Sans raised one hand, and I arched a brow at him.
"People outside'a us three and Gaster, they don't know about all this multiverse extra-dimensional mumbo jumbo." Sans winked an eye shut. "It's a pretty well kept secret."
"... And?" I furrowed my brows with confusion. "I'd think everyone's lives are a bit more important than keeping a secret."
"Yeah ya think that, until suddenly everyone wants to either explore that multiverse or is terrified of what might come crawling out of it." Sans explained, tapping his digits on the counter.
"... These things are kept secret for a reason, Cter." Grillby finally spoke up, Sans and I both looking to him. "It's not information everyone can be trusted with."
"And guys like Undyne and Asgore are tough, but they don't measure up to guys like Error." Sans shook his head. "Not unless Undyne's gonna pull off her magic girl transformation, but I for one don't wanna roll the dice on that one."
"... What about Papyrus?" I spoke hesitantly, watching the pupils instantly disappear from Sans' eyes.
"Look, I don't wanna bring him into this either, but he's one of the toughest people we've got around." I shrugged. "And I think having a Papyrus would give us a bit of a strategic advantage on the evil Sans on our hands."
"... Leave. Papyrus. Outta this." Sans ordered, teeth gritting in his grin.
"Sans, it was just a suggestion." Grillby attempted to peace keep.
"A suggestion for what? That we send Papyrus out to fight a screwy killer version of his brother?" Sans looked to Grillby, anger flaring in his eyes. "The one that's here because of this guy?"
"This guy?" I repeated with a good measure of irritation in my own voice.
"I'm sorry, just to clear things up, are we talking about the guy who was torn away from his previous life by you dill holes or the one who graciously gave his life hundreds of times to save your ungrateful asses?" I leaned forward, tilting my head to the side incredulously. "Oh wait, WE'RE THE SAME GUY!"
"Cter!" Grillby tried to intervene, before quickly being cut off.
"You fought Chara because you had to so you could survive. You don't give a damn about us." Sans growled, glaring deep into my eyes.
"Sans!" Grillby exclaimed, looking to Sans, who didn't acknowledge him in the slightest.
"What in God's name would make you believe something that fuckin' dumb?" I raised my voice, feeling ink begin to slither under my jacket.
"Gee I dunno, maybe when you tried to leave my brother for dead last timeline?" Sans stung with venom, and I recoiled, emerald eyes widening.
"I'm the judge for a reason, Cter. I've got an eye for it." Sans shut his right eye, staring into me with his left. "And I could smell blood on you from the moment I met you. The only reason I opted to help you was because you were the lesser of two evils."
I could feel my jaw clench, body twitching with the adrenaline that my fury sent coursing through my veins.
"... Take it back." I spoke through gritting teeth, fingers beginning to crack and bend the wood they gripped.
"Why should I?" Sans squinted his sockets at me. "Why should I, when you left Papyrus for dead? When you suggest we use my brother as bait to save your sorry ass? When you told me Chara was gone, only for me to look out my window that night and see you n' them chattin' it up?"
"I tried givin' you the benefit of the doubt, but just like every other human, you've let me down." Sans dared lean forward, staring right into my soul with that left eye, which was glowing blue.
"Just like every other human, you're a lying, cheating, power hungry asshole."
"TAKE IT BACK!" I suddenly roared, reaching out and grabbing Sans by the collar of his shirt, yanking him into the air and standing from my chair. His eyes went wide as he watched me cock back my free fist, red mist beginning to steam from my knuckles. And, though I couldn't see it, the emerald of my left eye was looking all the more ruby.
*Kill him.
"Take it back you ungrateful smiley son of a bitch!" I snarled, teeth grinding and vein popping out on my forehead. "Take it back before I-!"
My eyes darted to the side as one warm hand gripped my shoulder tightly, and I spotted Grillby there, glaring right at me.
"..." I paused, before growling, yanking my shoulder free and throwing Sans across the counter in one swift motion. Sans slammed into the shelves of different bottles, dropping down onto his butt before several bottles plummeted and shattered on him, drenching him in alcohol.
I turned away from the two, stomping towards the exit of the still frozen bar, before pausing.
"... If you guys really think that about me, then don't bother with Error." I looked over my shoulder at the two, the red gone from my eye and the mist gone from my fist. "Just like all your problems, I'll fix it without your help."
Sans and Grillby watched as I threw the door of the bar open, stepping through the doorway before slamming it behind me.
"..." Grillby slowly looked over to Sans, pushing up his glasses and making a glare cover his eyes. "... Not cool, Sans."
"That kid's got traitor in his blood, Grillbz." Sans stared ahead, pupils missing from his eyes. "Just you watch."
The snow had probably been melting under my feet from how steamed I was as I stomped back through Snowdin and to the entrance of Waterfall.
*They don't deserve you.
"Like I don't know that!" I threw my arms into the air, fuming. "Honestly, where does he find the skelenuts to say that to me?!"
*You're a throw away to these people. You'll help them and help them and they'll still spit in your face.
"Yeah, apparently!" I agreed furiously, snow crunching under my shoes.
*But you know who wouldn't throw you away?
I paused. I stopped walking, and the enraged expression disappeared from my face.
*They're going to treat you like a bastard either way, so why bend over backwards helping them when there's someone who would be so much more appreciative?
"..." I frowned, silently staring down at the words that, in that moment, made so much sense to me.
"... I just wanna talk to Monster Kid." I shook my head, walking through the text box and making it disappear.
It wasn't long before I was walking back up to Frisk and Monster Kid.
I'd like to say that it made me feel angry or jealous when I saw how happy the two looked, talking and joking along without me, but I felt numb. My previous fury had chilled over to a cool hatred.
*Something you're used to.
"How did it go?" Frisk asked, having rushed over and away from Monster Kid when they saw me. At some point they'd grabbed the dusty tutu from under the waterfall just ahead, and now wore it proudly. "Where's Sans..?"
"I don't wanna talk about it." I answered quietly, just keeping my eyes forward as I walked right by them.
"..?" Concern overtook Frisk's expression as they watched me walk by, before they quickly walked after me.
I said I wanted to talk to Monster Kid, but upon being presented with other people, I felt I didn't really wanna talk to anyone. I didn't wanna be around anyone.
So we walked out, all three of us, through the rushing water and into that tall grass. We watched Papyrus attempt to talk the fully armored Undyne down from murdering us, but I wasn't really listening.
Eventually Papyrus walked away, and upon Frisk rustling the grass some, Undyne glared right at us. After a moment of pondering however, she put away the spear she'd summoned, and opted to fade back into the shadows.
We walked out of the grass, and Monster Kid said some stuff about how cool Undyne was before running off. I wasn't listening, until we were getting ready to continue on. That's when I finally spoke up.
"You go on ahead. I'll catch up with you." I didn't even bother masking how utterly dead inside I looked when Frisk shot me a glance.
"Cter..?" They tilted their head to the side slowly.
"... I need a minute." I looked down. "Please..."
"..." Frisk looked to be considering, before nodding.
"Uhm, alright Cter. If, that's what you want." They gave an attempt at a reassuring smile, but I felt the same.
I watched Frisk walk away, and then I felt alone. I found that odd, considering I felt that I didn't want to be around anyone.
Maybe I just didn't want to be around them.
"..." I leaned my back against the wall, sighing quietly as I slide down, eventually landing on my butt and running my hands down my face.
"I told you, didn't I?"
I looked up, frowning quite sadly while I watched Chara make their happy little way from the shadows.
"What do you want?" I asked exasperatedly, tired eyes watching them while I tilted my head to the side. "I'm not exactly havin' the best day."
"I noticed." They scoffed with amusement, crossing their arms. "You look like quite the sad sack. Monster Kid not cheering you up like he used to?"
"Surprisingly, it's a lot easier to bond with someone when you're the only two people alive in a couple mile radius than when you have the friendship machine that is Frisk to compete with." I spoke somewhat bitterly, eyes glancing to the side while my frown deepened.
"And Sans not as supportive now that he's the one who has to help you, and not the other way around?" Chara smirked lightly, tilting their head to the side.
"..." I continued to avoid eye contact. "... Yeah."
"I told you." Chara walked closer, standing over me while I looked up at them, chin resting in my palm and exhaustion in my eyes.
"Yeah, you said that already." I reminded them sourly.
"I'm the only one who knows you, the only one who really remembers you as you are." Chara smirked lightly as they spoke. "These fools are so comatosed on happiness that they will never begin to care about you. Not like I do."
"You killed me three hundred and fifty seven times." I spoke the number a little slower to emphasis just how many deaths that is.
"And somehow I'm still all you've got." They stung with an honest smile.
"..." My teeth ground with some aggravation, but I still did not stand. "You trying to get a black eye, Char-bear?"
"It wouldn't be the worst thing you've done to my eye." Chara shrugged, ever confident.
I sighed after that, reaching up and rubbing my eyelids tiredly. Then I climbed to my feet, regaining my thoughts as I did so before I looked them in the eye.
"I shouldn't be threatening you." I spoke honestly, and their eyebrows raised curiously.
"Oh yeah? Don't tell me you've picked up that pacifist crap." They squinted interrogatively. "You've been doing terribly so far if that's the truth."
"I'm perfectly okay with killing you or anyone else who threatens my way of life." I shoved my hands in my pockets while I spoke casually, and Chara certainly looked relieved.
"Oh thank god." They rolled their eyes. "I was really concerned for a moment there."
"The reason that I shouldn't be threatening you is because..." My eyes darted to the side, and I scowled at the words I knew would have to leave my throat. "... I need your help."
Chara's eyes went wide and their jaw dropped at that. That was, until their eyes narrowed, and their lips curved up in a wicked grin.
"... Ah Christ." I grimaced, eyes darting to the side.
"What's this?" Chara asked excitedly, and my shoulders sunk.
"Instant regret."
"The illustrious Cter, the Underground's hero, needs my help?" They placed a hand on their chest, recoiling with surprise at their own words.
"I take it back." I groaned, rolling my eyes.
"Me, of all people! The terribly evil demon that he hates so much!" They threw their arms into the air in utter bewilderment.
"The one that, as I recall, he told to get fucked less than twenty four hours ago!" Chara's eyes narrowed then, and they stepped forward, getting in my face and glaring into my eyes.
"Crazy how that works, isn't it?" They smiled through grinding teeth.
"... Look." I leaned my head back some, leaving my neck open as a sign that I meant no harm. Something like a less humiliating version of when a dog rolls over and shows it's stomach. "There's somethin' big comin'. Bigger than you. Bigger than me."
"Do tell." Chara tilted their head to the side. There was little curiosity in their eyes, just that smirk on their face.
"The multiverse is a big place. There's a lotta different versions of a lotta different people." My eyes narrowed. "Apparently one of them - a very powerful one of them - wants to kill me and destroy this timeline."
"Sounds like a you problem." They spoke with venom, smiling innocently and tilting their head to the side.
It's an everyone problem." I assured them in a low growl, leaning forward and narrowing my eyes as we glowered at one another.
"Not a me problem!" They grinned, shrugging and walking backwards a few steps away from me. "I can leave and go anywhere else at any time."
"..." I paused with thought, before eventually speaking again.
"... Except you can't."
"What?" Chara's expression grew a bit more serious, and they looked at me curiously.
"You're always talking about how well you know me, well I know quite a bit about you too." I smirked confidently as I took a few bold steps forward. "And I know you run a real no nonsense business."
"Mhm? And what's that got to do with this?" They cocked a brow, crossing their arms.
"If this place really didn't have anything to offer you, you would have been outtie five thousand the moment you got the chance." I smiled mockingly. "But you didn't leave. You stayed right here. Because this place still has something you want."
"To be exact, it still has me." I was grinning now, growing more confident as their expression grew more and more frustrated by the truth in my words.
"And ooooh, you want me real bad, don'tcha?" I widened my eyes, looming over them. "In fact I'd be willing to bargain that you aren't going anywhere unless I'm goin' with ya."
"And that's why you have to help me deal with Error Sans. Because you need me alive or else you will never have the power to survive outside of this little ol' timeline you hate so much." I firmly planted one finger against their chest with a poke. "Without me, you're just as trapped as you were with Frisk or you were when you were dead."
Chara's eye twitched, nervous sweat forming on their brow as they ground their teeth, fearing the truth I spoke.
"So it doesn't matter where I go or who tries to kill me. Because to you there's only two endings to this story. One where we team up or one where you get to kill me. Those are the only two options in your sick little mind and you're gonna do whatever it takes, fight with me or against me, to make sure you get one of those endings." I smirked venomously. "And right now, Error is threatening both of your fucked up fairy tail endings. And the only thing you hate more than me is not getting what you want."
"So me asking you for help was a luxury. It was me being polite." I grit my teeth angrily, getting right in their face and glaring into their eyes. "Because you have to help either way, so long as you want your plans to come together."
"Any questions?" Looming over them and glaring down into their eyes, I tilted my head to the side. "See any flaws in my deduction, Dick Head?"
"..." They were quiet for a long time. Staring up at me with eyes narrowed in thought. And after one of the most intense staring contests of my life, they exhaled and stepped back, the tension lightening the further we got away from one another.
"... So, Error Sans." Chara repeated the name carefully. "Always with the skeletons, isn't it?"
"Everything is at stake here, Chara." I shook my head lightly. "We're the strongest people in this timeline. We're the only ones who can make this a winning fight."
"... Usually favors like these go both ways, Cter." Chara's eyes narrowed, their lips curving up only slightly. "What are you willing to give me as payment for helping you save this world that I loathe?"
"..." I frowned, and I held my tongue. Another staring contest went on for seconds that felt like hours while I considered my next words and actions very carefully. I felt certain that this next moment would seal my fate.
Death outstretched a contract.
And I had fallen with a pen.
"... Then I'll make it happen." I spoke, and Chara's eyes narrowed curiously.
"What..?" They cocked a brow.
"I'll make sure you get one of those endings." I spoke solemnly, expression unmoved. "You'll get what you want, one way or another, so long as we stop Error."
Chara stared at me like I was offering a rat trap with the seven Dragon Balls as the bait. Their eyes narrowed, and they pursed their lips, before they took a few slow steps forward and got close enough to speak so quiet that I had to listen to every word:
"Don't. You. Dare." Chara's jaw clenched, and they slowly reached up, planting one finger into my chest. "Don't you dare say those words if you don't mean them."
I didn't speak. Instead, I maintained eye contact with my icy emerald eyes while I reached over my head with both hands.
I opened my left hand, palm exposed while my pen appeared in my right. And in one swift motion, I slashed across my left palm, leaving a bleeding gash diagonally across the skin.
My signature.
Crimson trickling down my palm, I lowered my arm and outstretched my hand to them.
Chara's eyes reflected shock as they darted between my unblinking stare and my crimson offer.
"... You would really give everything?" They stared at my hand, shaking their head slowly. "Your life, your future. All to me. All for them?"
"There's no loading back in the void where we're fighting Error. No RESETs. I'm putting the same price on the line that you are." I kept my emotionless expression as I explained.
"But I have a chance at surviving." Chara narrowed their eyes. "Do you not understand the implications here? With this deal your life will be forfeit. Your final choice will be whether to die or kill until you die."
"Blood's gettin' dry, Chara." I nodded towards my hand. "Don't tell me you're too worried for me of all people to take me up on this deal. Or are you just afraid Error will kill you?"
"..." Chara's eyes narrowed, before they nodded once, lifting their own hands, that Real Knife appearing in their right hand. With one swift slash, a bleeding tear appeared across their left palm.
"There's no going back, Cter." Chara reached out towards my hand with their own.
I boldly stepped forward, gripping their hand tight and glaring deep into their eyes as out contract was finalized.
"For me, Chara, there never has been."
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