Jeez, the last chapter was a pain to write .

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Chapter 14: Omens

Old yellow lights flickered overhead and old worn simple wooden table. The table was over flowing with crisp white papers, an outdated computer, and a stained coffee mug. The chair was a cheap foldable plastic thing you could get from a dollar store. The walls were slimed and stained concrete. The multitude of filing cabinets were just an inch from the wall, new and highly secured locks on the dull metal holding extremely important research. The little unsanitary office was occupied by one person in a faded lab coat. He was reading intensely an old tome.

A rough knock broke the man's concentration, causing him to growl in annoyance. Then sighs and gently closes the tome to place it delicately on the only free space of his desk. Then he slicked back his glossy black hair and straightened his coat. He turned towards the fake wood door with his usual business look.

"Enter"

Slick Hair masked his wince at the creak the door made on the rusted hinges with the common expression he has for his 'henchmen,' cold disappointment. The leader of the trio of patched up wounded was the least bandaged but the most nervous. The meat head shifted most noticeably and avoided Slick Hair's pointed dark gaze. His protection and hired meat heads knew what happens to the people to disappoint the former Head Scientist. They end up the specimens for his 'experiments.'

"Mission report."

The spokesperson of this group jumped at his monotone command. He shifted and straightened.

"DT and the child are dead … but … the bodies … were lost in the mountain."

A screech tore through the air as the former Head Scientist stood in a moment of rage, baring his teeth. The trio backed up in fear. Noticing this, the former Head Scientist stood straighter and fixed his hair to cool down. Rolling his shoulders, he tried again but a little more forcefully.

"Alright, I want a full missions report on what happened. I want all the details from everyone that is still alive."

The trio relaxed slightly but shifted uneasily. The leader nodded, almost bowing to try not to anger the guy in charge.

"Yes Sir!"

"Leave"

"Yes sir"

The former Head Scientist watched as the meat heads shuffle out until the door clicked shut. He waited a bit more before harshly dumping his body back into his chair. The chair broke. With a shout of frustration, he stood and took the pieces of the chair and flung it at the gritty slimy walls. He breathed heavily, his black hair hanging into his face. He sucked in a deep breath through his nose, ignoring the musty smell. He slicked his hair back as he went back to his desk to reopen the old leather tome with a single red heart branded in the middle of the cover.

While he had wanted DT and her child dead, he at least wanted their bodies and SOULS. Find out what he could use her child for after seeing what color they were. He wanted to run more tests with DT. As frustrating as it was, it was rare to find a SOUL as determined as hers. He had all the money, the equipment, the good work hands, and test subjects before she came along. When he saw her rise from death's door in that arena, he thought she could be useful.

The first few months had been productive and interesting. Then the fear and pain in her eyes died. The hesitation behind those eyes faded. She became a silent subject. That was when the first crack appeared on her SOUL. In confusion, he studied her inert mind and tried to inject some of his liquefied red DT to keep her going for more testing. Nothing happened. The cracks in her SOUL grew and became further reached after each spare and kill. Frustrated and intrigued, he started to inject her with the other colors' DETERMINATION. Her SOUL soon started to bleed. By the time he used every last drop of Determination he had, she finally did something. She grinned at him full of teeth. Her SOUL held together by the dripping glue of the all the liquid Determination he injected.

That was when in her right eye, her iris turned garnet.

Her pupil became a vertical slit.

That was the day he created the monster.

That was also the day she and G4 escaped.

Shaking his head, he returned to the passage he was reading. It was about the mental examination on a child with a determined SOUL. The subject was named Chara.

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Kia didn't want to stay at the Font's House any longer, so when it became a reasonable hour, Kia entered the kitchen with Papyrus to cook up something edible. It seems this skeleton does all the cooking, and all he cooks is spaghetti. Thankfully the ingredients for his pasta can be used to make a decent breakfast of omelets and scrambled eggs. From the surprise and joy from the younger skeleton, he doesn't have much expansion in the culinary world.

The guest family of two left soon after eating and washing up. Stepping into the snow, they trudged through the fog to reach the warmer climate of 'Waterfall', Frisk calls it. They pass through their reunion spot and waded through the water. Timing the rocks passing, they made it to the middle of the rushing water. Kia was having a hard time wading through the stream. She was lighter than she has ever had been before and her clothes are being flagged by the current. It was also a bit painful since the water was eroding away what flesh she had left. They held hands to keep each other from floating away.

When they reached the middle of the stream, Frisk tugged a bit too hard, and they fell through the waterfall. They landed on moist dirt. Looking around and dripping, they stood to head in further into the shallow cave. They found two clusters of glowing mushrooms and dusty pink tutu. Frisk had immediately went for the piece of clothing. Kia poked at the glowing fungus. She ooooed when the light dimmed. She poked it again. The light returned. A chime got her attention.

"Mom, can you tie this please?"

"Are you sure you want to put this on?"

Kia doesn't really want her child wearing random filthy clothes that were found lying on the ground, but Frisk nods in surety. Kia sighs. She might as well. It could help protect them somehow. But, what is a tutu doing here?

As soon as Kia had touched the old fabric of the straps, she froze. Something flashed before her eye lights. Something bright blue, a metallic gray, and a single glaring yellow eye, water rushing up and swallowing whole-! Kia gasped. She collapsed back onto the ground. Staring at the fallen tutu, Kia took a deep breath before touching it again. Nothing happened.

Frisk gave their mom a confused and concerned. Kia just smirked tiredly and tied off the straps securely. Seeing nothing else here, they waded back out of the water. Kia hid her wince as her foot slipped a moment and plunged her chest under the water. She couldn't breathe. Her eye lights widened as she quickly got back onto her feet. One hand clasped to Frisk's hand, the other laid on her chest as she desperately holds in her bone rattling coughs. Her fit subsided as they reach the other side. She could still faintly feel her heart beat. She sighed in relief. She was still somewhat human.

Frisk seems to tense coming through the grass in the half light, so they urged on. Kia tripped on something unseen and landed with her arms cushioning her fall. She looked down to see what she tripped over. It was the armless dinosaur creature in the stripped shirt.

"Oh, sorry about that, I didn't see you there. Are you alright?"

Kia checked to see if he was alright when the excited child shushed her and looked up towards the edge above. Confused and a bit worried, they looked up as well. What breath Kia had in her disintegrating lungs was caught there. The warrior she 'saw' earlier was standing there on the platform above. Then came Papyrus. Kia didn't want to be here with Frisk. One, it was rude to eavesdrop. Two, it appears that this Undyne is after Frisk's SOUL.

Kia hugged Frisk close to her when Papyrus left. He did defend them against his boss, but he couldn't compromise his job. Frisk wiggled out of their mom's embrace, anxious to get out before they were noticed. The grass rustled as Kia tried to keep Frisk still. Undyne noticed.

Kia's heart seemed to have stopped when her eye lights connected to that one glaring yellow eye. Kia clenched her teeth and glared right back as Undyne came closer and summoned a magic blue spear. Frisk shivered behind their mom, already feeling the Protective mode slowly activating.

Crimson eye lights slowly darkened to garnet as Kia shifted to glare into that yellow eye more firmly. Undyne looks around. Frisk grips the back of Kia's shirt firmly, to steady their mom and their nerves. Kia clenches her jaw as she saw Undyne notice the other child. Kia assumes that Undyne didn't want to cause a scene in front of the young armless dino since the warrior deactivated the spear and backed up.

The Warrior soon faded into the darkness until the one glowing yellow eye was the last to fade.

Kia calmed significantly, but didn't move until she could no longer feel Undyne's presence anymore. Getting up, Kia patted the dirt off hers and the shivering Frisk's clothes. Combing the hair out of Frisk's eyes, Kia smiled at them reassuringly. Frisk calmed and smiles back. The walked out of the grass but could go too far since MonsterKid ran up beside them. Frisk was helpful in providing a name since they met him in Snowdin Town.

He seems to be dancing in place as he taps his feet and sins around.

"Yo… did you see the way she was staring at you…?"

They did notice. They also know it wasn't a friendly stare.

"That… was AWESOME! I'm SOOOO jealous!"

Jealous? Is she a hero figure here? Frisk just looked at MonsterKid confused. Kia just sighed.

"What'd you guys do to get her attention…? Ha ha. C'mon! Let's go watch her beat up some bad guys!"

They watched as MonsterKid started to run off, but he tripped by the Save Point. Kia tried to help him up, but he brushed her off saying he could do it. Then he was gone. Kia just placed her phalanges on her bony hips in amusement and concern. Frisk had already touched the star. They were ready to leave.

Kia smirked at Frisk as her child bounced in place nervously. They could still feel the tension in the air. Kia just shook her head and grasped the star, making it vanish before going on to the next area. Frisk glanced between their mom and the empty save spot pensively.

They had a really bad feeling.