I was making lunch when I got the call that something had gone wrong. A bomb, they said, had gone off inside the palace where the conference was being held. They said they didn't know who did it, and that there were an unknown amount of causalities but my husband was sure to be one of them because he hadn't yet left the chamber. I swear, at that moment it felt like my entire world had grind to a halt. I was beside myself with panic. I didn't notice that I left the stove on or the door unlocked or anything before I left; and had it not been for the Emperor's travel clearance I swear I would have swam all the way to Britain myself. But I did end up making it, and just in time to see my sweet husband open his eyes again! Oh honey, bless his heart.

Beau, he always did believe in these monsters. Even when it seemed like all the American Empire was going to wring the snot out of him for it, he remained so fascinated by monster culture. Said that they represented a way that no one else had ever seen before. I'll admit, I was beginning to believe him, but a lot of my friends back home are furious at them for pushing the world off the deep end. I doubt that anyone will want to give them the time of day after all that happened here. But despite all of his injuries, Beau refuses to blame them for what happened. He really is such a sweet man at heart. And I sat there and thought 'Gosh, if he can still believe in the monsters, then so can I."

- Vidalia Rose, wife to Senator Beau Rose
2125 Documentary "The Year that Changed the Word"


King Edward VII's Hospital, London, England
Thursday, April 25
th, 2120. 8:25 PM

One of the most comforting things about the surface to Captain Undyne was that without fail, she could always expect for the sun to set, for the moon to rise, and then the sun to appear once again. No matter what hardship the day brought her, the Earth continued to spin as if to remind its inhabitants that time moves on, even when your own world comes to a halt. The walls, the weather, the ceiling in the underground never changed, and with the unchanging everyday came an overwhelming sense of suffocation that Undyne could never get over. The surface itself seemed like it granted the privilege of motion to all who came to live on it.

Undyne looked exhausted. Still in her Kingdom regalia from earlier, and now wearing a European Union security access card affixed to her jacket, she dragged herself through the hallways of King Edward VII's Hospital to the top floor, where Willow's retainers and Toriel lie as they recovered from the day's earlier battle. If the media attention was any indication, the act seemed to have divided the country, with some blaming monsters for the violence as two passersbys rudely did earlier, and many others empathizing with the pain that comes from being the one outside the room in a hospital, to have to wait and hope for the best despite the despair that sits around every corner. And if there is one thing Undyne was tired of, it was watching the ever-enduring struggle of her friends as they fought and clawed and persevered for a place in the world they were supposed to call home.

When she entered the room, she found Toriel's bed against the wall, herself sitting up and conversing with the group that had formed around her. Sans sat next to her, holding her paw and offering the best smile he could from the bedside of his lover. Papyrus leaned against the wall next to him, looking down on the two as they talked. Across from the Skeleton Savior was Frisk, who looked deep in thought and oblivious to the conversation around them. Asgore was standing by himself at the room's far window, contemplating the city just outside as he ruminated on the events of the day. Undyne could see Alphys watching them from a camera and monitor situated on the wall across from the bed, and seeing her yellow face alone made Undyne several times happier. However, besides Sans' occasional joke and Toriel's pained giggles, the mood in the room was uncharacteristically tense.

Papyrus was the first one to welcome her back. "UNDYNE! A PLEASURE TO SEE YOU RETURN FROM YOUR KNIGHTLY DUTIES! YOUR TRUSTY SQUIRE PAPYRUS HAS KEPT FAITHFUL WATCH OVER THE HOTEL ROOM AND IS PROUD TO REPORT NO FURTHER INCIDENTS."

Undyne was able to manage a smile. "Thanks, Pap. We wouldn't want anything else happening, would we? Have any of you seen Queen Willow around?"

The room returned nods. Frisk looked up and showed Undyne a face full of weary. Every word made it seem like they were on the verge of falling apart. "No. She hasn't been around. I know Collette's on this floor too. She could be there."

"Aww well, it's not important anyway. We were…just trying to confirm some stuff about tonight."

Asgore turned around. His face was solemn but it was clear he was the most put together of the group. "That's right Undyne, you sat through the meeting with the security forces from the European Union. What's the sitrep?"

Undyne protested. "You first! I've been in that stuffy tent all evening. I haven't heard from anyone since we were separated at the airport."

Frisk looked shocked, giving a look pregnant with sorrow at Undyne before continuing. "What airport incident? What else happened? Is everyone okay?" They started to raise their voice as tears began to well in their eyes. "When were any of you going to tell me about this!?"

Papyrus tried to assuage Frisk's anxiety. "FRISK, IT'S ALRIGHT! AS YOU CAN SEE, I AND MY FAITHFUL CREW ARE ALL ALIVE AND WELL! WE JUST…RAN INTO SOME TROUBLE WITH THE TERRORISTS AT THE AIRPORT."

"We were following the Crown's advice to get out of London, to head somewhere safer up north until everything blew over, but when we got to the terminal, our plane exploded, as did the building shortly after." Asgore added, followed by a nod of confirmation from Undyne.

"It would have been impossible to have snuck a bomb into the grounds, especially in this day and age. Plus, we all felt it. There was a powerful magic user involved making everything blow. Such a person like that could only have come from this terrorist group. We meant to talk about it, but I was able to protect everyone with my ability. Plus, after we heard about Toriel, it kind of…well…"

Toriel let out a cough before trying to speak, causing Sans to grip her furry paws harder. "Everyone, it is alright! I'm going to live. All I needed was a little bedrest is all. Plus, you've all done your best to heal me, with all your own healing magic. I am going to be okay. Isn't that right, Alphys?"

"R-right! Of course your highness!" Alphys sat up in her chair, quickly hiding the tissue she had in her hands from view. Undyne could tell that Alphys had been crying again, as the area around her eyes always turned darker when she did. Plus, she was holding her tail as she talked, and that was something she only did when she was anxious. She wanted nothing more than to be able to hug her Alphy on a night like this. "I've been able to interface with this hospital's equipment from here, and as long as the Queen is able to receive a steady supply of healing magic from someone for the next couple of hours or so, it should be safe enough to bring her home in a day or two for real treatment! You should…avoid eating human food for awhile, however. Even if it is good!"

"not a problem, your highness. I'll gladly eat all of the delicious human food for you." Sans shot a smile at Toriel.

She retorted. "Sans, if you don't watch it, all of that food will go to your bones."

"ehh, I'll be okay. something tells me these ribs have space to spare!"

Papyrus opened his mouth to object, but at the benefit of his brother, just looked silently annoyed before admiring Toriel's progress. "SO UNDYNE, IT'S YOUR TURN! TELL US WHAT HAPPENED AT THE MEETING."

Undyne sucked in air through her jagged teeth, clearly exasperated from the day's events. "NGAHH! It was…honestly frustrating." She let her shoulders drop and sat down in the last available chair as she continued. "It was like…all of the Home Guard commanders and some people from the European Union talking about how awful of an attack this looks on Britain and the nation, and junk. And of course, a lot of old humans trying to pin their problems like on me! No sense of responsibility. But ultimately, I told them everything that I knew. About Cage and Raven. About the terrorists before them. And about how they've seemed to have outmaneuvered us at every turn. No one knows where they are."

"Did they have any answers for us? Like who any of them are? I've been doing my research back here in the Kingdom but I haven't been able to find anything in our Intelligence database. I also reached out to Cascadia to ask them the same, but they didn't have anything either." Alphys said, adding what she knew while typing away at whatever console was in front of her.

Before Undyne had a chance to answer, an injured Collette appeared in the doorway in a wheelchair, perturbed by the predicament but otherwise okay with no visible wounds or bandages. Behind her was also a very tired-looking Queen Willow. She had no doubt been awake this entire time and had to be as drained as Undyne was. She motioned to her security detail to wait outside, and let the automatic door close behind her as she wheeled Collette in. Even in Toriel's very large hospital room, it was starting to get very crowded.

Frisk shot up, shocked and relieved to see both of them there. "Willow! You're okay! I lost contact with you after I heard Toriel was injured and," they paused, trying to hold back tears, "I'm so happy you're okay."

Willow returned Frisk a weak but assuring laugh. "Yeah friend, I'm…I'm okay. It's been a rough afternoon, with, Collette and Toriel and everyone, I…I…"

Before she could even continue, she collapsed into tears, finally letting out the pain and anxiety she had been holding in since the day's events had started. Frisk knew how emotional of a person Willow was, and how hard she worked to be the rock that her nation needed. Especially now, since the Crown had assumed some duties that had once been left to elected figures, it meant that Willow was under intense pressure to act like the leader Britain needed. Her situation reminded Frisk greatly of their own, and the two had bonded originally over their shared experiences of being children in powerful positions. Up until now, Frisk had never seen Willow cry so hard in the middle of a crisis. But the events of the day may have been the final straw in a long series of stresses.

Collette raised her hand to meet that of her Queen, and continued talking in her place. "I thought that this would be around the time everyone was talking, with the meeting ending and everything. I wanted to make sure I got to speak to everyone."

"The pleasure is ours, Lady Collette. And never mind us, how are you doing? We hear that you had a run-in with the terrorists yourself." Asgore asked, moving from his spot near the window so Willow could have his too-small seat and space for Collette.

Collette let her gaze narrow as she tried to recall the day's events. "I'm…I'm okay. I was attacked by a magic user for sure. There was young-looking girl there, with pink bangs that stuck out from under her beret, and she seemed to be working with someone else too. Someone who had the power to knock out an intelligence agent without even touching them. The girl's name was Raven. The attacker would have been a person named Crow, and then Cage…"

Willow picked up, still sniffling. "Their leader. Cage is definitely an alias. We don't have anything on the guy, neither does the EU. But from Undyne's and Sans' account, it seems like he knows a lot about you."

Frisk sighed, sinking back to the floor and resting against the tall cabinets of the hospital room. "Well, we certainly have gotten popular. A ton of the monsters know about us. I guess he could have found out about us from them. But…"

"It's hard to imagine anyone just…giving up information to a person like that." Toriel said, looking clearly concerned at the thought of any monster being so quick to betray their own.

Sans lowered his head, closing his eyes as he racked himself on the identity of a possible informant. "oh, I can think of a few. but it's pointless to ask now, i think. especially when the damage is already done." He opened his eyes and turned to Collette, still gripping Toriel's paw. "the real question is, what do they want?"

"That's actually want I came to tell you. The EU's intelligence team was contacted during the security briefing. Apparently, Cage has something he wants to say, and he's set himself up to tell the entire world."

Sans looked up. "oh. when?"

"Right about now."


After wrangling the hospital staff to bring in a second screen,the entire room gathered around to watch the livestreaming of Cage's address to the world. The entire room was tense and quiet, heavy from the apparent reality of their situation and their new world. So, it understandably took everyone by surprise when the black splash screen gave way to a young man flanked by four people in uniforms, vizors and hats concealing any discernible features. It was immediately clear to everyone who had seen him that this was indeed Cage. Toriel on instinct clutched her side. Frisk looked like they wouldn't make it through the announcement.

"Alphy, are you getting this? Are all of the castle staff watching?" Undyne asked, turning away from her wrist-mounted computer to face her partner. Her voice was measured (which was already rare for someone as loud as Undyne), but she wore a worried expression that few outside of Alphys rarely got to see. Undyne's rare moment of distress added to the room's unease.

"T-They are! We're running recognition software as we speak and so is Cascadia! We'll probably have a match soon if he's spent any time in Oakland or Grand Ebbot City." Alphys had changed the camera angle to show the entire situation room, which was filled with the rest of the royal guard. It seemed as if everyone truly had gathered to witness this moment.

"To all the people of London, the European Union, and the world, I am Cage! A freedom fighter who fights for those left behind by society and all who yearn for a just world. Five years ago, monsters appeared from the underground and radically upended the natural order of the world. Instead of integrating into Humankind, they've sequestered them off from society and used their domain to affect the course of human politics! Their actions have destabilized the order of world and ruined the lives of millions who've suffered from their own backwards policies. We must have justice! However, we are not cowardly and inept terrorists like the Human Liberation Front, who foolishly preyed on the lives of the innocent. We represent something greater, the will of a people who wish to know peace in our time!

Nearly one hundred years ago, humanity teetered on the brink of nuclear annihilation. Out of the ashes of rose a coalition of voices willing to put aside our differences and unite to create an era of peace unprecedented in our world's history. But the arrival of the monsters has changed everything, and today we find ourselves closer to another global war than ever before! People across the world are being displaced from their ancestral homes at the whims of those who don't care less about the diaspora they're causing. Law-abiding humans are being forced to make space for those who refuse to make space for us. And at the threat of assault from their magical powers, an entire country has bended over backwards to allow them to do whatever they want. It's sickening how many nations have flocked to the side of the oppressor. How long must we be held hostage by terrorists who consistently refuse to play by the rules of our world? Why must the powerless suffer at the hands of those who hold all the power? We cannot and will not let another billion people die from the arrogance of those who wish to plunge our world into darkness.

To all those forgotten by the world, rally to our side! Too all those who wish to see the world in chaos, bear witness to your inevitable fate! We are the Order of the Black Cauldron, a group of humans blessed with the ability to wield the monster's own weapon against them: Magic. For nearly a century, it's been our job to protect the balance of our planet. Together with the help of everyone who seeks peace, we will be the ones will stand in judgment of this world."


As abruptly as it started, the stream ended, with the serious face of Cage and his four stoic captains replaced by a logo of a steaming black cauldron. The entire room was left to sit in silence, stunned by the sobering news that for the first time since their ascension, there was a group with enough power to threaten all of them.

Undyne was the first to speak up, her face full of confusion and anger. "So…that's it? You got to be fucking kidding me. How dare they say all of that garbage about us! They're just cosplaying humans with magical powers? I mean, I get that they caught us off guard before. But we're strong as balls! We went through a thousand years of hell and suffering to make it this far. There's no way were ever going to fall to them. Right, Asgore"

Undyne turned to Asgore for support but he was too lost in thought to acknowledge her immediately. He leaned upon the windowsill and rested his head upon his furry paws before turning and raising his gaze to meet Toriel's, where he only saw the confirmation of his worry reflected at him. Asgore could feel his heart begin to sink in his chest as he began to articulate his thoughts. "Cage…his powers remind me of someone from long ago. During the war, there were the seven humans who used their power to seal us underground. But behind them all, there was an eight, a special sage who could use his magic to neutralize the magic of others."

"It is possible that this power still exists in the world," Toriel spoke up, leaning up in her bed to able to address the others and Alphys more clearly, "But the war between humans and monsters started over a millennia ago. All of the humans who participated at that time are most definitely dead."

"SO THEN, WHO IS THIS PERPEXING PERSON!? HE'S NOT A MONSTER! BUT COULD HE BE DESCENDENT FROM OWN HUMAN ROYALTY? BAH! THIS IS ALL SO WEIRD! I CAN'T WRAP MY HEAD AROUND ANY HUMAN USING MAGIC, MUCH LESS A MAGICAL HUMAN WHO TAKES MAGIC AWAY!'

Undyne looked completely stunned "I-Is it really possible!? A magic that takes magic away? How is that even possible?"

"M-m-maybe he's not a person at all! Maybe they're just monsters in disguise!" Alphys said, trying to keep the best calm face she could as she furiously typed away at her console. The dog corps behind her were barking up a storm, despite Red's attempt to keep them calm.

Queen Willow spoke up, leaning down to hear the chatter in Collete's radio as they made eye contact with the rest of the group "I don't know a lot about monsters, but Cage doesn't seem to strike me as anything else but human, physically and psychologically.

"So, lemme get this straight. That human can take away people's power's? Just like that? And magic like that existed before?" Undyne asked, putting her hand on her hip and running her hand over her scaly head.

Asgore looked up and shot her a distant look. "It has. During the war, I watched my father do battle against him. We had been chased across Siberia before we decided to make a stand before the ocean. He had fought the seven sages before, but this man, he was different. He had appeared out of nowhere, and without warning, I watched my father stripped of the power that allowed him to fight. As fearless of a man he was, his physical skill was no match for human determination and their sheer overwhelming power. He found himself in trouble that day. I fear that we will all find ourselves in trouble soon."

An uncomfortable silence filled the room after Asgore grim's words. Frisk shifted their position and lifted their head to face the others, causing everyone to turn their focus to them. Their expression was broken, characterized by a lifelessness that very few people in the room had ever seen before. The sight of such a gloomy Frisk clearly caused Toriel and Willow great discomfort. Frisk softly, then loudly uttered "What…what do they want? Why would they attack us now, and hurt so many people? Why would he end the peace we created?"

Queen Willow stood up and walked over to Frisk, bending down to wrap their arms around them. She pulled Frisk in close and embraced them, rubbing their back as she felt Frisk tremble in grasp. She tried her best to soothe them.

"Frisk, love, this isn't your fault. You can't beat yourself up for not being there. We didn't know. We did what we thought we had to in order to protect who we love. That's no one's fault but Cage's."

Frisk pulled back from Willow, letting their own magic overtake them and their spiritual pressure release in a blast that rattled the entire room. The burst drew out Willow's SOUL and caused Collette to nervously shift a little in her wheelchair, but she neglected to move forward when Willow was the only one to not flinch at Frisk's outburst. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Toriel doing the same, pained that she couldn't move from her bed and comfort her grieving child. Frisk directed their sorrow at Willow's deep, yellow eyes. "But I could have done something! I have the power to! If I had been there, things may have been different. Things might have…"

Their red drained from their irises, leaving the bright milky brown that Willow was so used to. Frisk slumped forward into willow's arms and began sobbing over what they felt like were their many failures. "Willow! How am I supposed to forgive myself for what happened today? Everyone believed in me! And this turned into a disaster! What am I supposed to do with the blood on my hands?"

Willow gripped Frisk tighter, rubbing their back as they finally let their emotions show to the group. Toriel began to cry as well, leaning in to embrace Sans, who remained uncharacteristically quiet as events continued to unfold. Papyrus let a rare frown show on their skull as they pondered what to do next and Undyne, furious that Cauldron had gotten the better of them, clutched her hands into tight fists as she kept her head down, lost in thought. Even Alphys, who had been preoccupied with the security of the settlement, settled the Dog Corps down and stopped to make sure that Frisk was okay. The situation room had fallen silent.

It was at this moment that Collette sat up. She took off her earpiece and turned to face the room. "Well, maybe you'll all get your chance a payback after all. The intelligence division has tracked the source of the broadcast to St. Paul's Cathedral. Cauldron is still in London."

Papyrus was first to express their shock "WHAT? HOW WERE THEY ABLE TO FIND THEM SO FAST? WHERE THEY ABLE TO STREAM IT BACKWARDS?"

Alphys chimed in. "Not quite Papyrus! It's actually quite easy, especially since they used Creek! It's such a popular video sharing site, so there was barely any protection at all. Think of it as just following a stream of water back to the source!"

"so, what you're saying is that they wanted to be found then. i don't know kid. sounds a little too convenient for me." Sans finally said, turning away from Toriel to voice his concern. His trademark smile never dropped, but the intonation in his voice suggested that he too was as furious about the day's events as Undyne was.

"It is a trap, then." Asgore said "They wanted us to find them, but why? What do they gain from having us come after them?"

Collette took up Asgore's question. "Maybe…maybe this is what they wanted the entire time? I know they wanted access to Frisk. Maybe this is their way of getting them."

Undyne began to move through towards the door "I don't know, but I can tell you what they're going to get, and that's an ass-kicking from me! Like hell am I letting these terrorists threaten our kingdom!"

"Wait, Undyne! Before you go off on your own! I know you've had to deal with the bureaucracies of the EU all day, but it's important that we let the European Union decide when to strike! This is their territory, and as much as Cage slighted us, Luxembourg has taken control of the operation. We have to let them lead the way."

"Ngahh! Fine." Undyne scoffed as she slid down into her seat. "But I'm just not going to let these humans ruin everything we've worked for. No matter what your government says, I *am* going out there."

Frisk collected themselves and sat up to face the group. "Me too. I have to stop Cage. If what you say is true, dad, about his ability to cut off the magic of others, I have to be the one to face him. He may slow me down, but he can't stop a human."

Toriel protested. "My child, are you sure about this? This man…Cage is strong. Even on your own, I worry about your ability to fight him."

"Duchess, do not worry." Willow stood up drew out her own magic, summoning the two bullet orbs she had used against Frisk earlier in the morning. Her resolute demeanor stood in contrast to the worry that shown on Toriel and now Collette's face, who instinctively backed away at Willow's display of magic. "I will accompany Frisk into the Cathedral. Cage won't be able to stop us both. Together, we'll overwhelm him and take him down."

She turned to Collette and melancholically said "I'm sorry for keeping this from you, all of this time. I didn't want to burden you with the knowledge that I had magic. But I've been working on it, all of this time. I want to be someone who can defend my country, just like you and Justin. I want to uphold everything the Crown stands for."

Collette wore shock and worry all over her face. "But, your highness, you can't expect me to let you go in all on your own! You're the future of this nation! You have no heir! What will happen if-"

"Collette! I have to do this! If we fail tonight, there's far more at stake than just the future of Britian! Of the EU! If we let Cauldron get away…there's no telling what they could do next. You saw what they did to our forces at Pendragon. Those with magic have to lead the way."

Collette took a long look into Willow's yellow, resolute eyes and let out a heavy sigh. "I can't stop you, can I?"

Asgore at that moment stepped forward. "I'll go with them. Together, the three of us can stop Cage. I know what we're up against. I have the best chance of protecting the….the…"

He stopped short of saying children, flushing slightly as he caught the irony in his words. Toriel scowled at him before muuttering her affirmation. "Yes, send Asgore. He certainly the strongest of any of us, physically at least."

"THEN I SHALL GO AS WELL! SOMETHING TELLS ME YOU'LL BE NEEDING THE MIGHT OF A SERIF ON THIS MISSION! AND I SHALL BE HAPPY TO PARTICIPATE."

"Actually Papyrus," Asgore began, "I would like it if you stayed here at the hospital and protected the Duchess. We don't know who could be coming after her, or putting any of the monsters in the quarter in danger. We'll need someone who we can move quickly."

Papyrus protested. "B-BUT YOUR HIGHNESS, MY RECORD SPEAKS FOR ITSELF! WHAT ABOUT THE PLOT ON MT. EBOTT? OR OUR DEPLOYMENT AS PEACEKEEPERS DURING THE CRISIS! THAT WAS AN EXEMPLARY JOB BY THE SKELETON CREW! WHAT IF YOU'LL NEED ME THERE? WHAT IF SOMETHING HAPPENS?

Undyne turned to Papyrus and placed a hand on the round shoulder of his body armor. "Paps, we promise. If we need anything, you're going to be the first one we call. We trust you, okay? You're one of the coolest and toughest guys around! We know you put up a good fight."

Papyrus hesitated at first, his thoughts vacillating between trusting his best friends and the sheer length of time (two years) it took for him to be instated as a member of the royal guard. Even his title as Marquees made him the lowest ranking noble of the royal party. But taking in Undyne's trademark smile made his bones soft. "ALRIGHT UNDYNE, YOU CAN COUNT ON ME! I'M THE FASTEST SKELETON THIS SIDE OF THE ATLANTIC, AFTER ALL! WELL, I'M SORT OF THE ONLY SKELETON BESIDES MY BROTHER, BUT NO MATTER! I STAND READY"

"that's my bro. saving the day like always. what would we do without you?" Sans offered a genuine smile at his brother, lifting Papyrus' spirit substantially.

"So, the stage has been set? We all know who's going? I'll let Justin know, and he'll inform command to start drawing us into their plans." Collette said, dialing Justin's communicator from her wristwatch.

Everyone looked around at each other, reading each other's faces for confirmation that this is what they all wanted to do. It remained unspoken, but the monster party understood that this would be their first real fight since their lives were threatened in the Kingdom's Battle for Independence, three years ago in an event called the Sovereignty Crisis. No one since then had to face any specter of war like they would have to face tonight. But everyone knew the consequences of what would happen they did nothing too.

Frisk motioned to leave, standing up and turning to Collette before letting the door close behind them. "Yes. Let Justin know that we're ready. And that we're not backing down until we've gotten justice."


St. Paul's Cathedral, Lower Crypt
London, England
Thursday, April 25th, 2120. 9:06 PM

"Wow Cage, that was your best performance yet! Do you think that we were able to convince them?" Raven pulled off her modified plague doctor's mask and let her pink curly hair fall out from underneath her beret to her shoulders. "Our video's bound to have tens of millions of hits already, right Owl?"

The girl codenamed Owl stiffened at the mention of her name, but relaxed again as she started swiping away at her computer. "It seems so. Not to mention the several hundreds of news agencies that are already reporting on us now. It looks like we're the hottest topic across the world right now. The terrorists who disrupted the United Nations."

Cage dropped into a chair placed close to their recording set and released the leg brace that was keeping him upright as he tried to relax from the stress of the day. He responded "I hate being likened to terrorists. Terrorists harm innocent civilians and kill without mercy or reason. The last thing we need are run-of-the-mill extremists tarnishing our name.

"Ehhhhh. Me personally? I think we need all the help we're going to get. I don't know how we're going to get out of this one Cage. Especially with the EU closing in on us like we're sinners in church." Vulture leaned on his war scythe and looked over Owl's shoulder at her work, much to her chagrin.

"Hahaha. You're not funny, Vulture. And we don't need their kind of help if all they're going to do is drag us down! Plus, Mr. Himbo's got a point there, Cage. How are we going to get out of this one? Whatever is this poor maiden, left alone in a secret underground crypt in the middle of London to do?" Raven leaned over the back of Cage's chair, doing the best "damsel in distress" position she could muster. Cage leaned down to avoid her and sent back a scowl in response.

"Don't call me a Himbo! Like you're one to talk, you airhead! This is the most serious situation of our lives and you can't even take it seriously! Some Legate you're supposed to be."

"I don't get it! What's the point of meeting the end of your life with all of this drama? We all knew what the risks were when we decided to do the London job. Why not meet the end of our lives with some fun?"

"Huhh? Are you an idi-"

"QUIET, you two! The plan will work!" Exasperated, Cage tightened and engaged his leg brace again as he limped over to Owl's workstation. "We've been using the stolen tech to pick up some of the EU's radio chatter. It sounds like they're going to come here just as we planned. And with any luck, Frisk will be among them. How could they not be, after all? I've threatened their so-call peace enough for even that ambassador to take note."

Owl turned around in her seat, looking nervously at Cage as she fidgeted with her hands. The computer screen in from of her flashed with the dots of enemy movements outside. "Cage! You shouldn't be moving too much! At least until I've had more time to heal you. It's dangerous."

"We're out of time, Owl. I'm going to have to fight too if we're going to make it out of London alive. I have to make sure everyone makes it through the fountain. And more importantly, that the other monsters don't follow us. There's no time to relax."

"Cage…I trust you. I'll follow you to the ends of the Earth. But is this plan worth your health? We're not even sure they'll come. And more importantly, are you sure the escape plan will work? Magical studies isn't my forte, and this theory is all theoretical. What if something goes wrong?"

Cage bent down to look Owl in the eye, taking her hand in his as he tried to reassure her. "You're so talented, Owl. More so than you ever know. I trust you with this. With us."

"Oh Cage! I love you soooooo much! I can't help but be lost in your beautiful brown eyes~! Kiss me like you kiss your French girls!" Raven mocked them from behind, drawing a disappointed frown from Cage and a death glare from Owl. "Awww Cage, don't go playing favorites on us! After all, everyone knows that mysterious and beautiful Raven is clearly your favorite member here!"

Cage, frowning, turned to Raven posing in the corner, giving her a look that could only be categorized as 'You don't really expect me to answer that, do you?' He then turned back to Owl and confided in her the last portion of their plan. "Whenever you're ready, go ahead of us, okay? We have to make sure we make it off the mountain undetected. We'll do our best to make sure Alphys is distracted here. But it's so important that you and the other members make it out of London alive. When the clock strikes 1:30, we'll lose our chance. We can't let them take that from us."

"W-Whaaa!? You really intend on facing Frisk alone?"

Vulture smiled, hitting the ground with his scythe as he affirmed himself to Owl. "Hey, the old man's not alone! He's got us! The real group of 'strongest humans in the world'. Nobody's trained or fought like we have. Some monsters and a kid aren't going to be a problem."

Quiet until now, Crow spoke up from the back of the room. "We got it."

Blushing, Owl responded "A-Alright. I promise. I'm almost done here. I just need to bring the sensors down in Mt. Ebott and we'll be ready. We'll have to wait until the operation starts in order to have some cover, but Alphys is just one person. She can't handle it all."

"Good. Crow, Vulture, Raven. You know your placements. I'll be counting on you all in this upcoming battle. Cauldron cannot lose. For the hope of all who believe in a better future.

"For the future of all mankind!" They all responded in unison. Raven beamed at Cage as she placed her right hand over her heart and snapped to attention. Vulture, still gripping his scythe in his left hand, did the same. Owl uttered the retort softer that the two of them had, but still offered a Cage a soft smile that embodied the trust and respect she had in him. Crow, who leaned against a pillar near Cauldron's makeship set, gave Cage a neutral expression but still let his hopefulness show through his eyes. Their determination was all the motivation Cage needed to continue forward.

"Right then. Give the word to all forces, across the world. Initiate Operation Salem at once.


Notes:

It's been a month since I last updated! ;w; I'm so sorry. School really came for me this semester, and I was unfortunately tied up with a lot of work before I was really able to work on my fanfiction at all. I'm happy to be able to get this 6,000 word chapter out though! And to be able to spend some time focusing on the characters. I had to cut a lot from this chapter to keep everything at a reasonable length, but I don't think that the story will suffer for it too much. After all, the climax is almost here.

My love for Code Geass probably comes through in this chapter ^^; Cage is definitely my idea of what a more emotional Lelouch would look like. Not to mention the over-the-top speech which I mirrored off of the Black Knight's introduction speech. I don't want to borrow too shamelessly, lol. But I thought a lot of this stuff would be so cool to see in a universe like Undertale.

I have such a wide world and story planned for this fic, and it's honestly one of the things I'm proud of the most in my life, so thank you so much for reading with me until now! Please keep reading to the end, and I promise to keep doing my best too.