Thanks go to Spencer the Gamer, Wingah, Genowar, Zack Frost, Acoolnamme, 10burgers, and Doctah Sawbones.
Wow, so uh... Last chapter had a record low in reviews. And that's a little concerning after introducing some important plot points and two new characters. I'm not sure if the low response was because I was just coming back from about a month break or because the chapter was disliked, but what I do know is that I did rush last chapter. And I regret it. So, if any of you have any grievances about last chapter or anything else going on in the story, feel free to leave it in a review or PM it to me, because it's likely that some time in the near future I'm going to go back to last chapter and clean it up a bit, maybe add a few more scenes to polish it more. So I'd love to hear any input on what you guys might think needs to be improved with that one. :)
Anyway, I hope you guys like this chapter! I had a lot of fun writing it, it was honestly one'a the most relaxing chapters that I've put together in awhile. I think the importance of the last five chapters was kinda stressing me out, so hopefully more chapters from now on will come along this smoothly. I hope you like it, and I really hope you're nice enough to tell me what you think in the reviews!
Disclaimer: I do not own Undertale.
"... Thank you for your time."
I stepped out of the diner, and back into the Doodle Sphere. Aliza watched with wide eyes behind me as I opened her front door to a completely separate reality, but before she could say another word, I carelessly shut the door behind me. After I had shut it, the portal disappeared, and I was alone.
"So how'd it go?"
Er, almost alone. My eyes glossed over to the short skeleton across the plateau on which I stood. He laid flat on his stomach, his knees bent and his legs swinging in the air above him. His digits clutched a pencil, and he was carelessly scribbling something on to a paper while he questioned me. I didn't speak though, and Ink Sans lifted his head, arching a curious browbone my way. After he got a look at my face, he frowned. "That bad, huh?"
"She hasn't seen him in years." I stuffed my red cracked left hand into my jean pocket, running my right hand over the top of my head and smoothing back my brown hair. I tried to relax myself, I didn't need to be dramatic. Anarchy had proven to be all sorts'a slippery, these kinda set backs were about as common as it gets. "She didn't have all that much useful info."
"But she did have something, didn't she?" Ink got his hands underneath himself, and he pushed himself from the ground. Pretty quickly he was up to his feet, looking up at me while I wandered a bit closer.
"... Apparently, Anarchy told her something about his plans after he kills me." I spoke pretty casually, concealing any turmoil within myself and keeping it professional between Ink and I. This was business, after all. Catching Anarchy was my job. "He said he was gonna go 'somewhere quiet'."
"Well, that's..!" Ink perked up, but then he paused. He sighed deeply, shutting his socket tiredly. "That's, basically nothing."
"Eyup." I snapped my fingers, pointing one finger gun at Ink Sans. Then, I turned, walking towards the plateau's edge. "But it's all we got. Tell CORE!Frisk to keep an eye on Aliza's timeline, and be on the lookout for any timeline that's particularly quiet. It's all we got for now."
"You got it, cap'n!" Ink stood up tall, lifting his hand to his forehead and giving me a salute. but then he lowered his hand, like he was remembering something. So, he raced after me. "Oh, wait!"
"Mm?" I looked over my shoulder, watching the skeleton scramble towards me. Letting the corner of my mouth curl some as I watched him approach me so goofily, I turned to face him. "Wassup, Ink?"
"I just wanted to say thanks for stopping by!" Ink smiled positively, reaching one hand up to me. I arched a brow at him, his outward kindness coming off as unnatural. It couldn't be helped, getting used to strangers that were genuinely polite wasn't easy. But, I tried my best to conceal this surprise, hastily reaching out to grab his hand and shake it. "I've been lookin' forward to meeting you!"
"You have?" This was pretty rare, someone being excited to meet me. I was far more used to the strangers that I met having some grudge against me or some hidden hatred for me. But there was none of that in Ink Sans' star shaped pupils. "Why-?"
"I'm a big fan of change, y'know?" Ink arched a brow bone, giddily shaking my hand up and down. His words made me furrow my brows some, but I didn't comment. "So everything with you DoubleKids has really had me on the edge of my seat!"
"..." I squinted quietly at Ink's tone deaf words, and I bit my tongue. I wanted to shout at him, tell him my life wasn't some reality TV show. But then again, it kind of was. Every move I made, every move Anarchy made. The multiverse watched eagerly with heartless eyes, blood thirsty mouths salivating at the thought of another showdown between the two of us.
... So I guess that was a sore spot. My loss to Anarchy a few years back was one of if not my greatest failure, and it was televised reality wide. That was a special kind of humiliating, to know almost everyone there was had seen me at my absolute lowest. But, I couldn't change the past. And I couldn't afford to make enemies with an ally like Ink. So I didn't smack him upside the head, instead forcing my lips up into a friendly smile. "Well, I'm... Glad you're in my corner, Ink."
"A'course!" Ink pulled his hand away from mine, and he nodded twice, shutting his sockets tight. But then he reopened those sockets, and he held open the hand he'd shaken mine with. He displayed his skeletal palm, and the black ink that stained it. This made me glance down to my own palm, and my brows furrowed curiously at the ink that was staining my own hand. "Inky boys stick together!"
I smiled at that statement, even though it did remind me of something Melanie had said to me a few years back. Whether it be the green in my eyes or the ink in my blood, it was nice to think that I wasn't alone. That I wasn't the only person that was... Well, like me.
*This skeleton is nothing like you. That girl was nothing like you. You are alone.
... That's a lie, Texty. I found myself thinking as I turned and walked away from Ink once more, waving my goodbyes and thanking him for his help. My wings sprouted, and with one mighty flap they launched me back towards the door I had entered this place from.
Because Anthony's like me, too.
Chapter 54: Green Grass, Brown Fence
Or: Captain Ahab and Moby Dick
The portal to the Doodle Sphere shut behind me, and I once more stood within Future's castle. My room, to be exact. And I tiptoed across the carpet to the wide open door, peaking my head out through the doorway. I looked to the left, and then to the right.
At the end of the hallway, I could see lights on. I heard familiar voices, Chara and Alphys maybe? It made sense that Chara got home before I did, CORE Frisk's briefings didn't usually take all that long. And while their mission might have been over... Mine wasn't quite yet.
Slowly, I shut my room's door. I turned the knob prematurely, assuring that as little noise as possible was made when I shut the door, closing myself off from the rest of the castle. From there, I turned around, my eyes darting to the full length mirror that stood on the wall to my right. Pensively my eyes narrowed in the dim light, the still rising sun trying its best to shine in through my room's curtains.
I made my way to the mirror, standing dutifully in front of it. And I stared into my own reflection for a moment or two, before inhaling a deep breath and closing my eyes. In the next moment, I reopened my emerald orbs, glaring into my reflection.
Killer? You there?
Within the reflection of the mirror, I watched two scarlet eyes open in the dark. They glowed over my head, like whatever creature they belonged to was looming directly behind me, preparing to strike. But I didn't flinch, I didn't turn around. I had faced this beast before after all, and I had won.
*Oh, so it's Killer now? Here I thought you had grown partial to calling me 'Texty'.
"Didn't think you'd answer to that name." The corner of my mouth curled up into a slight smirk, my hands burying themselves in the pockets of my jeans.
*I answer to the word 'Killer', little Angel. I'm not insulted by much.
"... Mm." My eyes narrowed a little at that, staring into the red orbs reflecting behind me. The corner of my mouth sank back down into a frown, and I blinked slowly before I spoke again. "Listen. You're Anny's dad, ain'tcha?"
I watched as more of The Killer's form came into view in the mirror. His head leaned forward some, revealing the pale face those beady red eyes were connected to. He really did look a lot like Anarchy. Even disregarding the skin tone and eye color, their face was structured almost exactly the same. Of course, Killer's eyes were detailed by crows feet, and around his chin and lips was a white goatee. His nose was a bit different too, sharper than Anthony's.
Of course, the most defining feature was the perpetually bleeding hole punched clean through the center of his forehead. Red streams trickled endlessly down through his white brows and pale skin, all the way to his now red tarnished beard. Despite this, he grinned, and that reminded me of Anarchy too.
*Biologically speaking.
"... Listen. I'm running outta options here, and I'm getting worried that I'm running outta time, too." My frown dug deeper into my face, my emerald orbs narrowing tensely. "You were his father. Is there anything you might know that could help me out?"
*And why should I help you?
Killer tilted his head to the side, letting blood drip from the side of his forehead onto my carpet. His vicious grin turned to a bitter sneer, and though he reached up and placed his powerful hands upon my shoulders, I did not feel them there.
"Is this because'a the shooting you thing?" I cocked a brow up at him, my jaded expression unphased by his stare.
*I wanted you to shoot me, Angel. This is about all the 'good' you dedicated yourself to doing after that.
"We've been over this a hundred times." My jaw tightened, my hands clenching briefly to fists. They uncurled a moment later however, as I took another deep breath to soothe my nerves. "... You've seen Hacker. He did everything you wanted him to do, and I'm ten times stronger than him."
*What's your point?
"My point is that your theory on strength is wrong." Once again my eyes narrowed, a sharp glare piercing the mirror before me. "Changing for the better makes me strong. Protecting the people I care about makes me strong."
I watched The Killer role his eyes, his mouth opening in a silent groan. He made no sound, after all. His words were represented in the text box that appeared under our reflection in the mirror.
*Also makes you dreadfully boring.
"Do you know where Anny is or not?!" I snapped, taking a threatening step closer to the mirror. The red scars across my arm flared their crimson shade, and I didn't bother paying attention to the darkness that slithered in the corners of my room.
*Easy Angel, easy!
Killer leaned back, lifting his hands defensively. And though for a moment his expression appeared intimidated, after a moments pause, his lips curled once more. Soon enough Killer was grinning maliciously, and he slowly leaned forward once more, lowering his hands.
*... I have no idea where Anarchy is, Angel. I hardly know him at all; you of all people should know how poor of a father I am.
I groaned, reaching up and shutting my eyes, which I then rubbed with my index finger and thumb. I couldn't say that my hopes were high for this endeavor, it was why I'd put off asking Killer for so long. Still, I wish he'd just said that at the start. I made sure to let him know, "Ya couldn't have opened with that?
*If I had started with that, you would have walked away immediately. But I have something else that I think you might be interested to know.
"Hm? What is it?" I arched a brow at the killer in the mirror, tilting my head suspiciously. He took thoughtful hold of his chin, letting his eyes drift up to the ceiling.
*That woman... What was her name? Aliza?
"Yeah..? What about her?" I turned my head some, brows furrowing at the thoughtful face of the serial killer in my mirror.
*... She's a lot like Anthony's mother, you know.
I was taken aback by that. I recoiled some, and my brain made a comparison before I could demand that it didn't. I thought of the mild mannered, awkward girl I'd met this morning. I remembered her nervous smile, and the care and longing that appeared in her eyes when she spoke of Anthony.
... Then I remembered that horrible woman who'd raised my friend. I remembered standing at the end of Anny's driveway, preparing to leave and promising to see him the next day. I remembered looking up, seeing her lurk in the screen door. That screen door, full of holes that I would later find Anthony sewing up in the summer heat. I remembered the way she would always stand in that doorway, watching me from the shadows. Those sunken in, dark blue eyes. That face that was tight to her bones.
For a long time, when I imagined the face of evil, I always thought of Anthony's mother. That only changed after I met his father.
"... You n' me must remember that bitch a lot differently." I finally spoke, and coldly. In my eyes all the contempt that I held for that woman was clear and obvious, so much so that it make Killer recoil some. And then, he looked strange. His eyes narrowed, any semblance of a smile faded. A rare, bitter look, possibly brought about by some kind of nostalgia. As if this mother fucker had any regrets.
*... You shouldn't say such crude things, little Angel. They don't fit your hero schtick.
"My point is, I don't see the similarities you're talking about." I disregarded Killer's warning, because I didn't care. My eyes drifted to the side, and I crossed my arms in a small display of the discomfort that discussing Anny's mom brought on. "Aliza was innocent and, I dunno... Unassuming? Anny's mom on the other hand,"
*She wasn't always such a dreadful woman, you know.
"... Oh yeah?" My eyes narrowed suspiciously, slowly drifting back to The Killer. He was smiling again, and it made me sick. "And I'm guessin' you had somethin' to do with her shift in character?"
*You're quite a detective, little Angel. Yes, before she met me she was just as meek and pathetic as Anarchy's little girlfriend.
"Ya don't say?" I tilted my head some, reading those words carefully. I didn't respect Texty, and I hardly ever listened to what he had to say. But I asked about Anny, and for some reason he thought this was important enough to talk about. Killer was a lotta things, but stupid wasn't one of them. If he was telling me this, it was important.
*She was so pathetic and frail... Completely harmless. That's why I kept her around. She was no threat to me. I believe this is the same reason my son allowed Aliza to get close to him; she couldn't possibly hurt him.
"Nobody can hurt Anny." I refuted without much hesitation, but Killer just smiled a little wider.
*Really? You seem to have made a serious habit of it.
"..." My jaw tightened at that remark, and I suppressed a twitch in my eye. Through grinding teeth I spoke, "... So what's your point?"
*I just think it's intriguing. Anthony kept Aliza around because she was weak, and Aliza deified Anthony. It's nearly a carbon copy of the relationship between his mother and I.
"Nearly?" I let the anger fade out of my expression, once more replaced by suspicion and curiosity. I cocked a brow at the Killer in the mirror, tilting my head some. He looked like he was chuckling while he shrugged and shook his head.
*I didn't see any albino baby attached to her tit, did you?
"Eugh." I instantly groaned, rolling my eyes at this particularly crude statement. Reading those words had made me see several images, none of which were the least bit welcome. The Killer looked like he was laughing, though, so at least someone got a kick out of his statement.
*You get my point, right? If Anarchy was like me, he would have used that poor girl for whatever he wanted and then he would have left.
"But Anny isn't like you." Bitterly my eyes narrowed into the smug smirk curling The Killer's lips. He never ceased to disgust me with his cruelty, he always sunk a little lower the more I learned about him.
*Exactly. And to make sure he didn't do anything particularly... Me-ish, he distanced himself from her. Because Anarchy doesn't want to be like me.
"..." My expression relaxed some, and I exhaled slowly through my nose. My eyes drifted to the floor as I contemplated Killer's words. I thought for a long time, I think. I pondered The Killer and his connection to my best friend, I pondered all that he had told me. And finally, I lifted my eyes, looking to him with emeralds that shined in the dark. "... Where would you have gone?"
*Hm?
"If you were more like Anny. If you had decided to drop this Killer thing over two decades ago." I lifted my head some, staring more confidently into the curious expression of The Father. "If you wanted to escape the noise, where would you go?"
*Well... Somewhere quiet, obviously. I'm not sure.
Killer seemed genuinely stumped for a few moments. He crossed his powerful arms over his chest, let his eyes roll slowly from one side of the room to the other. Finally, blood stained brows furrowed, he looked back to me.
*Somewhere uninhabited. In nature like a forest, or maybe somewhere dead and dull like a desert or a tundra. It's hard to say; Anthony thinks more like his mother than he does like me.
"..." I didn't speak. I just let my eyes drift to the floor while I considered Anny's lineage. His meek and wretched mother, his unfeeling and cruel father. And what they had bred together. Anthony The Anarchist, the most dangerous man alive. Killer thought he was less than me, because he thought I was more cruel than Anarchy. And that might have been true in the past, but now...
*That's why you won my game, little Angel.
"... Well I'm playin' a different game these days, Killer." My hands balled into fists at my sides, and as my bitter eyes narrowed, the wicked red of my DETERMINATION flickered within them. "And if I don't find Anny soon, I think I'm gonna lose."
*Ahh... It brings me so much joy to see all four of my children playing together again.
The creak of my door caught my attention, and I turned my head quickly as light trickled in through my opening door. After another second, I watched Chara's familiar face peak in through the doorway. Their voice was welcome in the silence, "Angel? When did you get back?"
"Oh, hey Char-bear." I feigned a smile, and after I flashed this smile to them, my eyes darted to the mirror. It only reflected me now, there was no looming red eyes in the darkness behind me. Just me. Swallowing, I looked back to them. "I just got back a minute ago."
"And you were... Talking to yourself?" Chara cocked a brow suspiciously, opening my door further so that I could see all of them. They put their hands on their hips, furthering just how suspicious they looked.
"... Me n' Texty had something to discuss." It took a moment's hesitation to get that out; I had considered lying to Chara. But, ultimately, I decided against it. I tried to keep myself from lying these days, especially to the people I care about.
"Ah." Chara nodded with understanding, pausing for a moment. Then, they frowned empathetically. "So, I take it that means the lead in the Doodle Sphere didn't really get us anywhere."
"Eh?" I lifted my hand, making an 'iffy' gesture. Then, I began walking towards the door, waving my hand like I wanted them to follow me. "C'mon, I'll give ya the run down. Walk n' talk."
"Soo... Aliza was like, Anarchy's tag along?" Chara turned their confused stare my way, tile floor thumping beneath us with our footsteps. "And, somehow they became buddies?"
"Basically." I shrugged, hands stuffed in my pockets. My eyes glossed over Future's Judgement Hall as we passed through it, wincing some into the golden shine of the morning sun, which beamed warmly through the stained glass windows along the east wall of the room.
"And, Killer related that to his relationship with Anarchy's mom?" Chara continued to turn their head towards me, standing to my left. They'd certainly picked the better spot to stand; I had to stare into the bright light to look at them, they got to turn their head away from the light to look at me.
"Eyup." I nodded twice, expression bland while I turned my eyes towards the tall ceiling. I blinked distant emeralds at the dark marble overhead, still pondering all that I'd been faced with today.
"Creepy..." Chara furrowed their brows, their own ruby orbs drifting down to the polished floor that we walked along. "I'm almost a little glad Anarchy wasn't with her, then. Would have been strange if he was mimicking his parents like that."
"We all take after our parents in one way or another. Sometimes it's hard not to follow in their footsteps." I spoke without really thinking about it, not lowering my eyes while I shrugged my shoulders. "Future drinks like our mom and dad used to. Anny hurts people like his mom and dad used to. I'm secretive, just like my Granny was."
"... Are you okay?" Chara asked suddenly, turning those probing red eyes towards me. I was a little startled by their question, not because it was baseless but because I realized how bad of a job I'd been doing at hiding my shitty mood.
"Huh?" I turned my gaze back over to them, no longer having to wince as the two of us reached the end of the Judgement Hall. I shook my head, "Yeah, I'm alright."
"No, you're brooding." Chara gave a knowing frown as they crossed their arms over their chest, squinting those all seeing (at least, they sure seemed all seeing to me) eyes at me. "What's wrong?"
"... Eh." My lips drooped into a frown, and my eyes glossed over to the side. I both loved and hated them for pressing me on this, their concern was as annoying as it was heartwarming. I shut my eyes, tried to let some of the bitterness leave them while I took a deep breath. But nothing worked, and I could barely hide the rage bubbling beneath the surface when I spoke. "... Same shit, different day, Chara."
"Angel, we're gonna find Anarchy." Their tone changed from demanding to caring with quickness that would have been unusual for anyone else. Eyebrows drawing near in a display of concern, they reached out, placing a comforting hand on my arm.
"When?" I snapped suddenly, shrugging their hand off my arm and turning impatient eyes towards them. They recoiled visibly, but I was too frustrated to really notice. We stopped walking, now standing in Future's empty Throne Room. "It's been almost three years, and we have nothing!"
"You know we're in dead last, right?" I leaned forward some, eyes widening in an expression of the situation's urgency. "Predator's turned the whole multiverse upside down looking for the guy, there's no way she doesn't have more clues than we do! And Gatherer is damn near just as omnipresent as the useless grey goblin who employs us!"
"Angel-" Chara tried to get in a word, but I just spun around, turning my back to them and taking a few paces away. I threw my arms into the air, a symbol of the furious eruption within my soul. I hardly noticed the bright red glow my scars were giving off.
"I mean, am I the only one who understands how FUCKED we are if Lexi or Xander find Anny first?!" I spun around to face Chara, holding my arms wide out to my sides. "If Lex finds him, the best case scenario is that she manages to get him to relax! The worst case and far more likely scenario is that they realize they share a mutual hate boner for my dumbass and come fuckin' murder me!"
"And if Xander finds him, ooh boy!" I threw my head back dramatically, lips curling up in a sarcastic smile when I looked back to Chara. "Best case Anarchy fuckin' massacres him and his goons, worst case he recruits Anarchy for whatever maniacal bullshit he's plotting and you n' me end up getting crucified before a live audience!"
"And now we're just supposed to go relax at home for two weeks?! We can't afford two weeks off Chara, for all we know Anarchy could resurface tomorrow!" I leaned forward some, panic clear on my face while my hands tensed, flexing my fingers and curling them inward some. "We don't have time for breaks or weddings or vacations!"
"We haven't trained enough! We haven't planned enough! We aren't ready!" I was hardly considering the words pouring out of me now. In fact, I didn't even know all this was inside me. And yet, here I was, planting my hands on my scarred chest and letting all my fears empty out of my mouth. "I'M NOT READY!"
And just like that, everything went quiet. Chara still leaned back some, watching me with wide eyes. I just hunched there, feeling my heart pound in my chest while I panted lightly. Gradually my expression relaxed, and my eyes drifted towards the floor. I exhaled slowly, my shoulders sinking and my arms falling limp. Pain reflected in my emerald orbs while I stared at the glowing red lights of my left arm's cracks and scars. They burned, just like they always did when I thought of Anarchy. Just like they did on the day that I was branded with them.
"... Feel better now?" Chara asked quietly, their own expression relaxing some as they straightened out their posture.
"... A little..." I mumbled, nodding weakly. The corner of Chara's mouth lifted some at that, and they lifted their arms out to their sides.
"Alright, bring it in." They offered like it was an order. And I didn't say anything, but I did wander forward a few steps. I rested my head on their shoulder silently, and they closed their arms around me in a hug.
"... I'm just... Really worried." I confessed as if it wasn't totally obvious, staring down at the ground. "Last time we had to deal with Anarchy, he almost killed all of us. We only survived because he wasn't ready for my KINDNESS. This time he will be..."
"Anarchy won last time because we weren't ready for him." Chara assured, rubbing my back gently in hopes of getting me to relax. "But when we next face him, we will be."
"I dunno..." My eyes glossed to the side for a moment, an uncertain frown on my face. Suddenly, Chara pulled themself away from me, and I furrowed my brows with confusion. They planted their hands on my shoulders however, and looked me dead in the eye. It was, admittedly intimidating.
"Angel, I want you to do me a favor." Chara stated, and I immediately arched a brow at them. Before I could open my mouth and point out how sudden their change of topic was, however, they continued. "I want you to list all the reasons we lost to Anarchy last time."
"Uhh... I'm, not sure that's gonna help my confidence..?" I leaned back some, but their grip on my shoulders didn't let me get far.
"Just do it." Chara demanded, squinting irritably at my lack of faith in them.
"Eugh..." I rolled my eyes, before I shut them. I took a deep breath, and didn't have to think for long before I came up with an answer. "Well... We both tried to one v one him, for one. And that was pretty stupid."
"And are we gonna do it next time?" Chara arched a brow, tilting their head some.
"Well, no, but..." I reached up, resting my cracked left hand on one of theirs but not yet trying to pry it from my shoulder. I evaded eye contact, and I listed another reason. "Another big problem was that my body was totally falling apart from my own power..."
"Buuuut?" Chara hinted, the corner of their mouth lifting some in the beginning of a smirk.
"... But I've trained my body to handle my Cherub Ascension for next time." I rolled my eyes, sighing quietly at the points they were making. When I came up with another point, my eyes darted back to them. "But, Anarchy is still ungodly powerful! It took all I had to get him to break a sweat last time, even though both of us are stronger and even if we're together, I still don't know if we're even close to his level of strength!"
"And if we aren't?" Another question Chara knew I had the answer to, and another growth spurt to that smirk on their face.
"Eugh..! Then fine, yeah, we have the Character fusion!" I groaned dramatically, because all the sense they were making was makin' it real difficult to panic and whine. "But that's so experimental! We don't even know how well we can function as Character in a drawn out fight!"
"That might've been the case two years ago." Chara narrowed their eyes with their growing smile, clearly deriving some joy from how thoroughly they were whooping me in this debate. "But after all this time training while fused, I think we've got a pretty good idea."
"Fuckin'-!" I tilted my head back, reaching up and running my hand through my brown hair. Then, I threw that same hand out to the side, gesturing dramatically. "Yeah, okay, sure, our Character fusion is stable, but even then we don't know if it's strong enough to beat Anarchy! Especially after whatever friggin' training he's been doing for the past three years!"
"And that's why before we even start to fight him!" Chara was grinning now as I brought them to their grand conclusion, and they took one hand off my shoulder just to pat me on the chest with it. "You're going to flip this red soul green and use all that KINDNESS to pacify him!"
"Well-! Yeah but-!" I tried desperately to refute for several long seconds, before I finally groaned and clenched my eyes shut. I leaned my head forward, and I took a deep breath while I accepted my defeat. After a long moment, I looked up at them some, flashing a very begrudging smirk. "... Okay, yeah, fine, we might be ready."
"I know it's scary, Angel. Trust me, I'm scared too." Despite their words, Chara was wearing a genuine smile now. They could tell they'd reassured me, and I could tell that made them happy. "Last time I fought Anarchy I chopped his head off and he pulled another one out of his shoulders. Last time you fought him you essentially dropped an atom bomb on him and he shrugged it off."
"Aw that was such horse shit..." I mumbled to myself, lowering my eyes to the floor and shaking my head slowly at that particular moment. I'd never forget the despair that was instilled on me then and there, when nature folded under the power of my Massive Beat Dome but Anthony The Anarchist did not.
"But we're ready this time. We've got plan after plan, we've got contingency after contingency." Chara tapped the back of their hand against my chest, and the confidence in their eyes was beyond reassuring. "We might not be the most likely to find Anarchy, but nobody is more ready to face him then we are. You know it, I know, anyone who's been paying any attention should know it."
"..." I sighed quietly, and I lowered my head a little. Then, I lifted my eyes back to theirs, and I flashed them a KIND smile. Somehow they'd managed to shove the weight of the world right off my shoulders, just like always. They really were amazing. "... Thanks, Char-bear. It means a lot, honestly."
"It better." They rested their hands on their hips, smirking up at me knowingly. I knew they appreciated my thanks though, they didn't have to say it. That said, I wasn't going to let their sass go unreturned. So, honest smile on my face, I reached out one hand and placed it on the top of their head.
Chara paused when I did this, genuine confusion gradually twisting their expression. But I just kept smiling and maintaining eye contact, until I could feel them get uncomfortable. They squirmed some under my hand, eyes darting away from mine. But, whenever they looked back, I was still there, staring at their face, which was beginning to get red.
And then, just as I felt they were about to ask me what on god's good green earth I was doing, I suddenly shifted my hand. I hooked my index finger under their bangs, which were pulled back in their hair tie, and pulled them forward. Their hair was pulled effortlessly from their hair tie, bangs falling over their face and obscuring their eyes.
And as I grinned, I watched Chara's confused expression instantly shift to something a lot more irritated. Their lips drooped into an aggravated frown, and they exhaled upwards, blowing their bangs back up out of their face for a short second. In that time they glared at me, before their hair fell back over their face. "... You dick."
That made me burst into laughter immediately, and I patted them on the back while they grumbled and fixed their hair.
"You sure you wanna do this?" Chara looked over their shoulder at me while they wandered a few steps forward. Their footsteps echoed endlessly along the powerful walls of our Underground Barrier Chamber, reaching into the distant emptiness that surrounded us. "Future said we could take it easy today."
"That's why he's not here." I crossed my arms over my chest, a small smirk on my face. On the dirt between us and the barrier that held us over the floor, there was a white line drawn. It stretched from the left wall to the right, marking the center of our arena. Several feet out from the line's median, there was a half circle on either side of the line. In the bend of each half circle Chara and I stood, an equal distance apart. "So you n' me can have a regular fight without him barking orders and criticism."
"Like the good ol' days." A small smirk tugged at Chara's lips while they squared their feet, lowering both hands down to their sides and opening their palms.
"Good ol' days as in when we used to spar before Character or good ol' days as in when we were trying to kill each other?" I returned their smirk while I squared my own feet. I held my arms out to my sides and I flattened my open palms towards the sky.
"Whatever gets you in the mood." Chara responded smoothly, and in each of their open hands a Real Knife appeared. They spun these blades around once and caught them in a brilliant display of coordination, all the while their eyes narrowed with intensity.
*Spicy.
I was taken just a little off guard by Chara's sly statement, but before I could decipher whether or not they had just hit the *flirt option, a vibrant burst of red energy caught my attention. Chara had released their soul's pressure, sending a pillar of red skyrocketing overhead. A crimson beam reached high into the sky, smashing into the barrier hundreds of feet overhead. Once there, the power of their DETERMINATION curled over, being pushed back by the barrier's power.
Immediately I could see a sweat break out on Chara's forehead, because this hellacious room forced all the weight of their power right back upon them. Still, their wings spread gradually from their back, before flexing out and forcing another gust of wind to billow out from them. The blast of air was so powerful that I was forced to throw my arms up in an X in front of my face.
And as the tower of Chara's power faded and drained back into their scarlet soul, they steadied their breathing. Lightning crackled across their body while they slowly exhaled, just before crimson light exploded up the both of their blades. Knives turned to swords, which Chara crossed in an X in front of themself. Their eyes, now glowing a bright red, never left me.
Once they finished their transformation, I got started on mine. I straightened my back, slowly inhaled a chest full of air... And then let my soul's pressure release. A violent explosion of red light once more crashed through the chamber, illuminating everything in its shade while the room's temperature rapidly rose. The shifting aura around me made my hair lift and wave in the air, and a wave of color flashed over the green of my irises, turning their KIND glow to a DETERMINED inferno. Around my left eye flames exploded to life, reaching up over the side of my head and forehead.
My DETERMINATION swirled in a violent tornado around me, and I too felt my own pressure thrust back upon me. The gravity of my own strength barred down upon me, and my muscles tensed. But, still, I clenched my jaw, and ink flooded from my back. My arms outstretched to my sides, wings sprouted up from my shoulder blades and down from my back's center, taking on a perfectly symmetrical positioning.
The air in the room grew thinner and thinner, the gravity grew more and more intense under the force of both our souls, and finally white light manifested at the forefront of my twister. It spread, twisted and opened into the shimmering shape of the Deltarune. The moment my symbol formed in the sky overhead, one final shockwave exploded out around me, but Chara endured it without budging. After that, finally, my light show came to an end, and my overpouring DETERMINATION drained back into my soul.
The moment I lowered my arms and exhaled a long stream of red fog, Chara launched off towards me. They put one foot forward, and immediately reached a speed too fast for my eyes to perceive. My eyes didn't need to see them though, my body was familiar with their superhuman speed. In the blink of an eye I held my forearms up in an X over my chest, and Chara had reappeared, blasting a drop kick into my guard and forcing me to slide back a few feet. The barrier beneath me pulsed and reverberated with the force, and I felt it vibrate right back up through my body and into Chara's. It was far from a pleasant feeling, but the both of us had felt much stronger pains from this wretched room.
They kicked off from my arms, flipping back in air and crossing their blades over their chest. Once they completed their back flip, still suspended in air above me, they slashed out with both blades, and two streaks of vibrant red electricity blasted down towards me. Swiftly my wings beat, launching be backwards and out of range of their slash, which crashed into the barrier at our feet and was almost instantly bounced back up towards Chara.
Chara dropped back to the floor before the cross ever struck them though, and it reached critical mass on its way towards the ceiling, exploding overhead in a red flare. The moment Chara's feet struck the ground they were bursting off towards me again, and I stomped one foot forward, sending massive fountain pens spiking up from the barrier at our feet in a widening wave out towards them. As soon as Chara reached this pointed wave they pushed off their front foot, lunging over it towards me.
When they did, however, an eraser blasted down from above, angling towards them and looking to smack them right back down into the sea of spikes behind them. Chara was quick as always, slashing upwards with their right blade and carving this eraser and the pencil it was attached to in two with an arch of red energy.
The moment this pencil split and their gaze turned back to me, however, they realized I had launched off the ground towards them. I cocked back my left fist, tightening my knuckles and letting steam rise from between my fingers before whipping my punch up towards them. Their eyes snapped open wide as my fist drove brutally into their abdomen, forcing them to double over my knuckles in mid air. Then, the force carried through, and Chara was sent launching skyward.
My lips curled into a prideful smirk, glad to have gotten the first strike. Chara was so fast, that pleasure was usually theirs. I didn't reign supreme for particularly long however, because as Chara launched up towards the magical wall lining the ceiling, they spun so that their feet struck the barrier first. And their jaw clenched while their knees bent, the force of my punch carrying through them and reverberating in the ceiling, just before the barrier violently shoved back at them, launching them right down towards me.
"Oh shit-!" I threw my arms up in a cross block just in time to catch another flying kick. Chara crashed into me foot first, shoving me down towards the ground with the force of the strike. My jaw tightened as I crashed back first into the barrier below, sliding across it from the angle at which Chara had kicked me. Chara remained over me, surfing the magical floor with my body while they pulled both blades overhead, preparing to stab down at my exposed head and chest.
Instantly my four wings stabbed upwards from all four corners, but once more Chara was faster. They jumped from my body, and I reached back, planting one hand on the ground and flipping up onto both feet and one hand. I skidded back another few feet, throwing back my free hand and letting the sky behind me fill with mechanical pencils. Rapidly they fired massive graphite spikes through the air at Chara, who was just landing on their feet.
Chara once more planted their feet and squared their footing, and lightning crackled off their body just before they began viciously slashing these graphite spikes aside. There was so much force behind each of their slashes that they each carried a gust of wind, blowing away the grey smoke of every shattered bolt and creating a dark fog encircling them.
Soon, while Chara was busy with their slashing, that fog split, and I launched through. Once more cocking back my killer left hook, I landed in front of Chara, skidding forward another foot or two just before throwing my fist at their face. All my punch connected with were the crossed blades of their swords however, and I grit my teeth at the burn this contact left with my knuckles.
Chara smiled maliciously at me from the other side of their sabers, before they lifted and crashed their own heel into the ground. My wings beat, and I launched myself back into the air just in time. They channeled their DETERMINATION through the floor, and a field of scarlet blades jutted up in a wide radius around Chara, red lightning crackling between them.
My wings flexed to my sides, stopping me in the air over them. Rapidly a Beat Cannon materialized to either side of me, their three segments rapidly spinning just before firing red hot DETERMINATION down at Chara. Chara beat their wings, launching straight up and letting the concentrated heat of my blasts explode into the floor. The magic covering the ground shook and vibrated, before launching the waves of my Beat Cannons right back upwards. This shattered my Beat Cannons with their own attack, and I was forced to wince in the explosion of light and shrapnel.
When I next opened my eyes, I immediately spotted Chara firing down from the sky above like a bolt of lightning. Without time to react, I winced, catching the stab of their right blade in my left shoulder. They drove me back down to the earth with the force of this assault, and I felt my back strike the floor, sliding a few feet while Chara planted their foot in my chest.
For a total of one, maybe two seconds Chara was grinning like they'd won. That stopped when an eraser blindsided them and sent them firing off to the left of me. Instantly I jumped to my feet, red flames rising from the rapidly sealing puncture wound in my shoulder as I turned towards a rolling Chara. And while they caught themselves and skidded backwards on the balls of their feet, I held my hand out to my side, summoning my pen within my grasp.
The moment my fist closed around my pen, ink shifted between my fingers, and almost instantly the black fluid had spiked out into a spear from within my grasp. Both ends of my obsidian pike ended in a sharp point, and scarlet veins of DETERMINATION ran through the solid ink that composed my weapon, steaming a crimson smoke.
Chara stabbed one blade into the barrier beneath them, causing sparks to shoot up around the point of contact and sending painful vibrations tremoring up their arm. They didn't care about that though, all they cared about was that the friction slowed them to a stop. As soon as they stopped sliding back, they yanked both swords up over their head. Red lightning crackled between their blades, before they threw them downward, sending two parallel waves of burning energy firing across the battlefield towards me.
My wings beat, and I fired forward. I rapidly approached Chara, briefly pulling my wings in towards myself and spinning like a drill between the two slashes they sent flying my way. The moment I made it through those two, my wings unfolded, and I was forced to weave and zip between the following onslaught of red waves Chara was cleaving towards me.
As soon as I reached them, I lunged forward with my spear. They tilted their head to the right, letting the boiling ink of my spear sail over their shoulder before they spun on their heel, swinging themself around in a 360 to pick up momentum for the two swords they cut at my side with. Just as quickly I shifted my footing and pulled back my spear, my jaw clenching as I forced the both of their sabers to a stop against the obsidian of my weapon.
The both of us shared a competitive glare, before all four of my wings stabbed downward, forcing them to jump back and put a few feet of distance between us. I was persistent however, darting after them and jabbing my spear at them the moment they landed on their feet. Rapidly they weaved between rapid fire stabs from both my spear and my lowermost pair of wings, until suddenly they slashed from my left, striking my spear and knocking it aside. They stepped forward with this split second opening, yanking back their free blade and stabbing forward at me.
I felt the red hot steel of their weapon enter my left shoulder and exit out its back, and though I winced, I didn't waste any time countering. My upper pair of wings suddenly stabbed downwards from over my shoulders, and I watched surprise and pain flare in Chara's eyes when they stabbed clean through both of their shoulders.
The tips of these wings split apart, hooking onto Chara's shoulder blades and keeping a tight hold on them while I yanked back my leg, slamming a kick into their abdomen so brutal that it launched them into the air. My wings extended out with them until they were high in the sky, when I spun, yanking them back down and releasing them. I sent them flying over my head and into the distance, and when they slammed into the barrier floor, the terrible wall shoved them right back into the air, launching them straight upwards.
I threw one arm out towards them and from the sky an eraser descended towards them on an angle. The blunt force of the massive pencil smashed into them, sending them launching far into the distance of this incredibly spacious chamber. But even while they were sailing over the horizon, I didn't waste time. Because I knew Chara, I'd fought them a billion times, and I knew the only thing my last few strikes had done was piss them off.
So, I opened my free hand out to them, and my jaw clenched as I manifested a sky full of Beat Cannons over head. Each cannon whirred and spun, and the whisper of gathering energy turned to a yell to a roar to a scream before a tidal wave of red beams were exploding through the air towards the distant Chara.
Chara flipped and bounced along the unforgiving floor, before finally they managed to land on their feet. They stabbed the both of their blades into that punishing ground, grinding their now blood stained teeth from the pain they had to endure just to slow their momentum to a stop. The moment they were no longer skidding backwards, They spat a glob of red to their side and they held their blades in an X over their chest.
And as they watched a sky full of red doom race ever closer, they bent at the knees, and their jaw tightened. Red electricity coursed across their skin, crackled in their eyes while every muscle in their body tensed. And then, just as those crimson flares were growing to a blinding brightness, Chara fired forward like they were spring loaded.
With nearly inconceivable speed they dashed across the length of our arena, disappearing and reappearing between the blasts that rained down. They moved so quickly that I hardly had any time to react before they struck me like a bolt of lightning. They had just suddenly appeared, one foot buried in my abdomen. And I doubled over their kick, feeling the crunch and the splat of many important things in my body before the force carried through, and I was sent exploding backwards almost as fast as they had raced towards me. The only thing I left behind was the blood I'd hacked up and the spear I had lost my grip on.
I blasted through the air so quickly that before I knew it, I was smashing into one of the very far apart walls of the chamber. And of course, with how hard I hit the wall, I was almost instantly sling shotted right back towards Chara, who was already sprinting after me at that same breakneck speed.
And they jumped just as they reached me, spinning swiftly and slashing a kick right into the side of my head. I felt a good number of things get knocked loose by that, but by the time I was flinging through the air again, my DETERMINATION was already healing any damage they'd caused.
I crashed back first into the ground, sliding rapidly while I tried to get ahold of my senses. After a few seconds, my wings hooked into the magic floor beneath me, and I forced myself to a slow, grinding stop. From there, I sat up, sweat beading down my forehead and blood running down my chin from the corner of my mouth.
My wings beat once, and I was yanked up to my feet from the force. Then, I squinted into the distance, watching Chara yank their blades back over their head. The shimmering red steel grew and expanded over their knives, and I knew full well what was coming next. Chara was looking to finish things up here, but I wasn't done yet.
So, I crossed my arms in an X in front of me, and I bent my knees. Then, my powerful aura began to recede, and my four wings slowly folded back into my back. The red ran from my eyes, and I blinked, letting two scarlet tears slip down my cheeks. When I next opened my eyes, they had returned to their green shade. I felt the gravity of the room lessen, because my overwhelming strength was no longer being forced down upon me.
And when Chara crossed their blades in a brutal slash, and sent two massive waves of DETERMINATION blasting my way, the green of my eyes glowed brightly. The red soul on my chest bubbled with green, its ruby quickly being overtaken by emerald until it was merely a red outline surrounding a green soul. And as a halo of KINDNESS manifested over my head, my skin began to glow a similar shade. My body felt as heavy as it did sturdy.
CRASH!
Chara's cross slash crashed into my guard, and my jaw tightened as I felt its force push violently against me. I slid back on the balls of my feet, sweat dripping down my forehead from the sparking power that pushed violently against my forearms, which were shrouded in a green aura. But Chara's final attack had two parts, and I looked past the red energy I was holding back to see them pulling their blades up over their head, entire body tense and crackling with scarlet power.
I shut my eyes, and I focused my KINDNESS. I knew how to use it, I had spent time training it. I had to be ready, this was my ace in the hole. My ultimate defense. This horrific room that we battled in had given me the idea, actually. My KINDNESS gave me the power to protect myself and others, it could shroud my body in a shielding aura. And some day about a month into my green soul training, I had drawn a few similarities between the shield of my KINDNESS and the barriers that walled this room.
Force. Kinetic and potential energy. I could make myself like these barriers if I tried. I could bounce whatever hit me right back if my defenses were strong enough. And they were, the red outline on my green soul made certain of that. So, as Chara sent the two follow up waves of DETERMINATION cleaving through the air towards me, I pushed. I shoved back with all the weight of my soul, and I sent the attack I'd been keeping at bay launching right back at them.
BOOM!
Our two attacks collided in air, and almost instantly they exploded into a scarlet tower of energy. DETERMINATION blasted straight up into the air with unyielding force, and I felt the burning winds of the blast whip and pull at my hair and clothing. It was a devastating attack, that one. It was what Chara had used to kill Character.
... But I stopped it. I exhaled slowly, lowering my arms. I narrowed my glowing green eyes into the smoke that loomed in the wake of Chara's explosive attack. As things began to quiet down, I started to make out footsteps echoing in the distance. Eventually the smoke parted, and I saw Chara walking towards me, a knowing smirk on their face. Their wings had receded, and they had put their swords away. I took it that meant we had reached a stalemate, and that our match was over. My KINDNESS was strong enough...
"... Y'know, Chara, you should really think about naming that attack'a yours." After just a moment of smiling to myself with pride, I called across the plain. The green hue disappeared from my body. Over my head, my halo faded away. "Everybody needs a cool name for their ultimate attack!"
"Angel you are literally the only person who named his big attack." Chara arched a brow condescendingly, shaking their head. They threw something to me with an underhand toss, and I recognized it in mid air as the pen I had dropped. I reached out and caught it, and they continued. "Besides, I'm not good with naming things. I blame Asgore."
I chuckled at that, lowering my hand and letting my pen disappear into my inventory. I walked towards them, helping them close the distance between us. After a few moments, we stood face to face, and I gave them a small smile. "... Thanks. I feel a lot better now."
"Always happy to kick your ass." Chara teased, crossing their arms over their chest. I just rolled my eyes, even if the smile stayed on my face. The two of us turned towards the exit, glad to be on our way out of this room and back up the steps. "So, you think you're ready to take a vacation now?"
"... Mm." I let my eyes drift up towards the ceiling in a moment of thought, shoving my hands into my pockets. I thought about the situation from a more rational standpoint now, and I was grateful that Chara had helped me work out all that stress I had shoved down. Without those anxieties plaguing me nearly as much, it was a lot easier to answer. I looked over my shoulder at them, flashing a slight smirk.
"Like you wouldn't believe."
"SURPRI-iiiise? Augh, Hacker!"
Gatherer's massive apartment erupted with groans as a hasty Hacker rushed through the door instead of the expected Eden. He hardly cared about the displeased sounds of the small gathering though, even going to far as to stick his tongue out at Swap!Alphys and Fell!Undyne while he rushed past them.
"Angel?" Demon furrowed their brows, arms crossed over their chest. With curious eyes they watched him race past them, "Something wrong?"
"I'll tell ya about it in a bit, Char-bear!" Hacker called back hastily, and Demon frowned immediately. But, they didn't have any time to stop him, or even scold him for calling them that in public, before he had made his way to Gatherer, who stood at the room's center.
"Hacker. You're late." Gatherer crossed his arms over his chest, tilting his head to the side. He looked Hacker up and down, a small frown on his face while he spotted the lab coat Hacker was still wearing. "And you're hardly dressed for a birthday party."
"Hey hey, Xan-man! Sorry about runnin' late but I was taking care of some real important business!" Hacker didn't hesitate to put one arm around Gatherer's shoulder, casually walking him towards the kitchen and out of the main room.
"But Demon's been here the entire time." Gatherer commented dryly, and Hacker gave an exaggerated laugh. He slapped a hand on his boss's back, much to Xander's displeasure.
"You're a real funny guy! Haha!" Hacker spoke loudly, before he and Xander made it into the kitchen. Once there, he pulled Xander aside and out of view of the rest of the party goers.
"What are you doing?" Gatherer let irritation bleed into his voice, his violet eyes narrowing with lethal precision. He hardly liked being touched, especially by Hacker's kind. But, he held back his rage, watching curiously as the fake smile faded from Hacker's face. "Eden will be here any minute. What on earth could be so urgent?"
"Listen, earlier I got a call from Nightmare Sans." Hacker spoke quietly, narrowing his eyes at Xander. The both of them glanced to the room's corners in that instant, checking for any prying eyes or ears. Nightmare was hardly a benevolent force, after all. The last thing Gatherer needed was for one of his less in-the-know subjects to hear that he'd been trying to contact the dirty sludge skeleton for years now.
"Nightmare?" Gatherer lowered his head, squinting suspiciously at The Hacker. There was clear disbelief in his tone and his eyes, "What? Why now? What did he want?"
"You'll have to ask him yourself." From his lab coat pocket, Hacker pulled a half crumpled sticky note. Between his index and middle finger he handed it to Gatherer, who took it hastily. His violet eyes scanned the code written on the paper, and he recognized it quickly as a timeline URL. "He wants to meet in person."
"... Well, this is wonderful news, Hacker." Gatherer's eyes drifted back up to Hacker's, and he shoved the yellow note into his pants pocket. He continued to whisper, "But it still could have waited. Today is far too important to throw away for some intel trade with a fiend like Nightmare."
Hacker watched Xander turn his back and start to walk away, but didn't let him get far. Swiftly he reached up, planting one hand on Gatherer's shoulder and stopping him. Furiously The Gatherer's head turned, peering with one judgmental eye into the face of the lowly scoundrel that had dared touch him. Hacker weathered the storm of Xander's glare however, he'd seen worse. "Xander."
Again Hacker lowered his head, and his jaw tightened. As quietly as he could, and through grinding teeth he spoke.
"He said he knows where Anarchy is."
That shut Xander up. It stopped him in his tracks. His glare became a stunned stare, and his palms grew sweaty. For a moment or two, his forked tongue was frozen, and he just stared silently.
... And then, Hacker watched as his lips curled upwards. As all the hate and spite and wrath that lurked just below The Gatherer's surface bubbled and boiled in his eyes, and he smiled viciously. For just a moment, a second or maybe two, the perfect mask Xander had worn for years was gone, and Hacker could see just how evil he really was.
But, just as quickly as it had came, it disappeared. Xander shut his eyes, took a deep breath, and that grin became a modest smirk. He opened those magenta eyes, and when he opened his mouth to speak, the living room erupted with sound.
"SURPRISE!"
"H-huh?!"
"..." Xander frowned, and his eyes darted towards the doorway leading into the living room. His jaw tightened, and Hacker could see some indecision in his perfect eyes. Finally, Xander's amethyst orbs darted back to The Hacker.
"You and I will discuss this after the party." He spoke quickly, eyes threatening their cruelty. "Until then, not another word of this Nightmare and Anarchy business."
"... You got it, boss." Hacker's lips curled into his grimy, evil little smirk, and he leaned his palms back onto the counter top behind him. "I hope this doesn't throw off your party vibe."
"Oh, Hacker..." Xander turned his back to the heartless scientist that he so graciously employed, and he reached up, taking careful hold of his tie. He adjusted it until it was perfectly placed, all while he walked back towards the living room.
"It's done quite the opposite."
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