XXX
Papyrus wanted to kill something. Or, well, something else. He had already dusted the monster that put him in such a bad mood. That would teach the little wretch to insult the Great and Terrible Papyrus. Despite having destroyed the source of his anger, however, the emotion was still boiling inside his skull, tumbling around like debris in a murky river. He was, currently, hoping that some idiot would try to challenge him so he had someone to fight, seeing as he was on his way to collect his lazy brother and, if he didn't release some more of his anger before getting there, he might end up dusting Sans instead.
Papyrus let out a short huff. Why did he have such a useless brother? Frankly, he was surprised Sans was still alive, considering his pitiful 1 HP. A child could dust him easily, especially if Sans was napping. Even when Sans was younger, Papyrus didn't let him play with him or the other children because the not-yet-malicious roughhousing was enough to kill him. Papyrus himself had to carefully control the damage he dealt to his brother so it would hurt but cause only fractions of a point of damage. Sans was weak. The only thing that protected him was being the Terrible Papyrus's younger brother, because nobody wanted to risk pissing off the Captain of the Royal Guard.
Why couldn't Sans just understand that? Why couldn't he even try to be stronger? Why didn't he try to train, try to gain EXP, try to do anything? Why was he so lazy? Papyrus often wondered if his brother had some kind of a death wish with all the naps he took in public. Who would leave themselves so exposed like that? It was like he was telling the world that there was free EXP just waiting to be taken. Once again, it was Papyrus who had to protect him. In addition to his own reputation, Papyrus had posted Sans at the sentry station farthest from any monster settlement to keep him away from most of the actual action. Nothing ever happened at the station by the ruins unless a human passed through, and that hadn't happened in over 20 years. And if a human did happen to come through, he hoped his brother was at least smart enough to get him instead of just letting it kill him.
It wasn't like Papyrus hadn't tried to help his brother. He'd forced Sans to train with him a few times, but he got tired so quickly that Papyrus soon failed to see the point. He'd also tried to convince Sans to dust a few weakened monsters to increase his LV, but Sans had refused, and Papyrus had been unable to force his brother's hand. Then, there were his 'lessons.' Eventually, Papyrus had decided that the only way to get Sans to listen to him and survive was to force him. Whenever Sans screwed up, he would be punished. That's how it had to be for him to learn. It was Kill or Be Killed, and Papyrus wasn't going to let his useless brother get killed if he could help it.
Unfortunately, no one appeared looking for a fight, so Papyrus ended up at Sans's sentry station with his rage unchecked.
And, as he had expected, Papyrus found his brother asleep at his post. Again. He felt his rage spike, and before he could even think about it, he had summoned a sharpened bone and flung it at his brother. It stuck deep into the wood of the station right in front of Sans's face, startling the shorter skeleton awake. The pile of bones, in his surprise, managed to fall onto the ground with a light thump.
"Holy shit!" Sans exclaimed, noticing Papyrus glaring at him a second later. "Uh, Boss, I was-!"
"NO MORE OF YOUR EXCUSES, SANS! HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO TELL YOU NOT TO SLEEP AT YOUR STATION?!" Papyrus shouted, his face contorted in rage. "HAVE YOU BEEN ASLEEP ALL DAY?!"
"No, I was just restin' my eyes for a minu-" Sans attempted to speak before being cut off by another bone being flung toward him.
Sans barely managed to step to the side and keep it from stabbing into him. Even still, it grazed his cheek, leaving a small scratch behind. It wasn't enough to make it bleed, being a bone, but it still stung.
[-0.01 HP]
"I KNOW WHEN YOU'RE LYING, SANS, SO DON'T YOU DARE TRY IT!" Papyrus yelled, stomping over to sans and grabbing him by the wrist.
XXX
Papyrus dragged Sans all the way back to their house, with Sans struggling and hissing protests at his brother the entire way. Normally, he wouldn't make such a fuss, knowing it would only make his punishment worse, but his fatigue made it too hard to control his own anger. He hadn't gotten any actual sleep in days, and it was taking its toll. Even with him dozing all day, he still woke up every few minutes, before he could actually drop down into anything resembling deep sleep. He was tired and annoyed, and his brother's tight grip on his wrist hurt.
[-0.01 HP]
"I know how to walk on my own, you fuckin' bastard!" Sans growled.
Papyrus only tightened his grip and scowled at him disapprovingly. Sans knew that Papyrus was silently warning him to shut up before he decided to make things worse. Sans, however, knew that Papyrus was going to be as terrible as he wanted regardless of what Sans did at that point.
After a walk that was much longer than taking one of Sans's shortcuts, they reached their front door, which Papyrus kicked open with a slam. He shoved Sans inside before closing and locking it behind him.
"MUST YOU EMBARRASS YOURSELF AND ME EVERY TIME YOU LEAVE THE HOUSE?!" Papyrus scolded him. "YOU'RE JUST SHOWING THE ENTIRE UNDERGROUND WHAT A WEAKLING YOU ARE! AND THIS IS THE THIRD DAY IN A ROW THAT I'VE FOUND YOU SLEEPING ON THE JOB! HOW CAN YOU POSSIBLY BE THIS LAZY, YOU WORTHLESS SACK OF BONES?!"
Sans glared up at his brother, sharp teeth bared in a snarl.
"I wouldn't nap during the day if I ever actually got some fuckin' sleep!"
"YOU WOULD BE ABLE TO SLEEP JUST FINE IF YOU DIDN'T SLEEP THE WHOLE DAY!"
"Oh, fuck you, Papyrus!"
"I TOLD YOU NOT TO CALL ME THAT!"
"It's your fuckin' name!"
"I DON'T CARE! I INSTRUCTED YOU ON WHAT TO CALL ME, AND YOU WILL LISTEN!"
"FUCK YOU!"
Maybe he was digging his own grave, but it felt good to fight back, even if only verbally.
"YOU DISRESPECTFUL LITTLE WHELP!"
Papyrus raised a hand and slapped Sans across the face, making the smaller skeleton stumble back from the force. Sans lifted his own hand up instinctively to shield himself but there wasn't much of a point.
[-0.1 HP]
"What have I told you to call me, Sans?"
"Fuck you."
Papyrus picked him up by the shirt and slammed him into the wall, the crack of his head against it reminding him of the sound of Papyrus's tapping boots.
[-0.02 HP]
"Say it."
"No!"
Papyrus pressed him harder into the wall.
[-0.01 HP]
"Say it, Sans."
Sans just glared back at him again, keeping his mouth shut. Returning the glare, Papyrus dropped him to the floor and began kicking him.
[-0.02 HP]
[-0.02 HP]
[-0.05 HP]
[-0.04 HP]
[-0.05 HP]
[-0.06 HP]
Papyrus continued for a while, the metal toe of his boots threatening to crack the smaller skeleton's bones with every strike. Sans curled in on himself to protect his ribs, but that left his head and neck more open to the attacks. Despite the minimal amounts of HP being shaved away, Papyrus knew how to make every attack as painful as possible, and he used his knowledge to its full extent. Even still, Sans kept himself from crying out, his pride not yet overcome by the pain.
"Say it, Sans," Papyrus commanded.
[-0.04 HP]
[-0.03 HP]
[-0.05 HP]
"You know I can keep this going for a long time if I want to, Sans."
[-0.04 HP]
[-0.04 HP]
[-0.07 HP]
Sans let out a tiny whimper as Papyrus kicked him right next to the old crack in his skull. Silently, he cursed the fact that Papyrus had gotten so good at controlling the damage he inflicted. Back when the beatings just started, Papyrus could only hit him a few times before stopping, lest he accidentally kill his younger brother.
[-0.03 HP]
[-0.04 HP]
[-0.07 HP]
He knew that his health was getting pretty low and that Papyrus would have to stop soon, but as Papyrus hit the spot next to the crack again, he couldn't stop himself from calling out.
"Boss, stop! Please, stop!" he cried.
[-0.04 HP]
"What was that, Sans? I don't think I heard you."
"Boss! I'm supposed to call you Boss!"
Papyrus stopped kicking him and placed his raised boot back on the ground. The clack made him shiver.
"Yes, and you will do so, or we'll do this all over again," Papyrus warned. "Do I make myself clear?"
"Y-Yes, Boss."
"Good."
Papyrus yanked him up again, causing another jolt of pain to shoot through Sans's body.
[-0.01 HP]
Sans watched as Papyrus's free hand glowed green with healing magic. He placed the hand over Sans's chest and forced the cold magic into his soul. Sans shivered again, though he wasn't sure if it was more due to the physical cold or the malicious intentions of his brother.
[HP: 1/1]
"Now, you will go to your room, and you better not leave it until tomorrow morning," threatened Papyrus. "And if I catch you sleeping at your post again, I'll do far worse than kicking you a few times."
Papyrus let Sans go, making him catch himself on unsteady feet. He knew he should just go up to his room like he was told, but he was still mad, and the beating certainly hadn't calmed that feeling.
"I'm not a child!" Sans protested. "You can't fuckin' ground me!"
Papyrus, who had started turning away, whipped back around and leaned menacingly down in his brother's face.
"WHILE YOU LIVE UNDER MY ROOF, I CAN DO WHATEVER I WANT TO YOU, AND YOU WILL DO WHATEVER I TELL YOU TO, YOU UNGRATEFUL WRETCH!" Papyrus roared. "IF YOU DON'T WANT TO BE TREATED LIKE A CHILD, THEN YOU SHOULDN'T ACT LIKE ONE!"
Papyrus summoned another sharp bone and used it to slash across Sans's chest, ripping through his shirt and making bright red blood well up from his brother's rib cage. Sans gasped painfully.
[-0.5 HP]
"Now," Papyrus hissed. "Go. To. Your. Room."
XXX
Sans instinctively grasped a hand to his chest, the pain excruciating. He shot one final, venom-filled glare to his brother before trudging up the stairs. Each step jostled his ribs and made them feel worse, but he still stomped his feet just to annoy his brother. Once he made it to his room, he slammed the door shut as a final touch. He didn't even bother with locking the door. If Papyrus decided to come upstairs and punish him some more, then let him.
The skeleton flopped onto his bare mattress angrily, not caring about the pain and fresh wave of blood the sudden movement caused.
[-0.01 HP]
Glowing red, angry tears began to form at the corners of his eye sockets before streaming down his face and soaking into the mattress, along with the blood. In that moment, Sans absolutely despised his brother. Hell, at this point were they even really brothers anymore? When was the last time Papyrus had even let him call him that, or even by his name? When was the last time Papyrus actually gave a crap about him? Or pulled him into a hug? Or even just asked about his day? He wasn't even entirely sure. It wasn't like Papyrus had loved him one day and then suddenly hated him the next. At first, Papyrus was just snippier with him than usual. Then came the insults. Then an occasional strike when he messed something up. And eventually, that became their new norm and Papyrus slowly became less and less like the older brother Sans had known in his younger years.
He missed Papyrus, the Papyrus in his memories; the Papyrus that loved him and cared about him. Part of him longed for those days, even though he knew they had really been even worse than now. Gaster had been more violent and cruel than Papyrus ever was on his worst days, and still… they had each other back then, at least. Now, every kick, every slap, every bone shot by his brother felt like a betrayal. Now, Sans didn't have anyone. He couldn't even pretend the door lady was his friend because the one time he had mentioned something Papyrus did to him, she just laughed. Like it was a joke.
Why did he even bother anymore? Papyrus clearly didn't want him around, and he couldn't fathom why Papyrus hadn't just dusted him himself yet.
Why did he even bother anymore? No one liked him, not even his own brother, so it's not like he stuck around for someone else's sake. And he certainly didn't do it for his own sake either. It was like he was just surviving for the sake of survival. He didn't have any goals or aspirations, and he didn't have any real reason to keep trying so hard for a future that would never come, a future he couldn't even envision. Why bother?
He took a deep breath. He knew where these thoughts were going, and he had to convince himself to switch his train of thought to another track.
So, Sans rolled over onto his side and reached toward his bedside table, pulling its small drawer open and removing a sharp knife from inside. Sans had stolen it from the kitchen a few years ago, and he was sure that Papyrus had noticed, but the older skeleton had surprisingly never said anything about it. Maybe he thought Sans carried it as a last-ditch method of protecting himself. Sans didn't really care what exactly Papyrus thought about it, though. He only cared about what the knife could do.
With shaky hands, Sans rolled up the one of the sleeves of his ratty hoody, revealing his chipped radius and ulna beneath. He stared at them for a moment before reaching back into the drawer to take out his little first-aid kit. Opening it up, one could see that it was very simple, containing little more than a stained cloth, some bandages, and a bottle of antiseptic. Sans took out the bottle and poured some of the liquid within onto the cloth. Then, he slowly wiped it across the bony surface of his arm, making some of the relatively new chips sting a bit. Once that was done, he wiped the surface of the knife, allowing it to glint in the small amount of light that came in through the window.
He took a deep breath before jabbing the point of the knife into his arm, twisting the blade slightly to make a small piece of bone flake off.
[-0.01 HP]
Sans almost let out a laugh. Papyrus wasn't the only one who knew how to control the amount of damage he did.
[-0.01 HP]
[-0.01 HP]
[-0.01 HP]
[-0.01 HP]
Sans looked up at the ceiling as he took another breath in, deeper this time. He sat there for a second, closing his eyes as he felt the sharp little pains in his arm pulse. At this point, he remembered that he hadn't locked the door and Papyrus could walk right on in and see him, but he didn't care. Let him see. It wasn't like Papyrus hadn't done worse to him.
Opening his eyes, Sans reached for the cloth again, pouring some more antiseptic on it. He wiped his arm down once more, this time washing away the small amount of blood weeping from the chips as he disinfected them. Then, he took out some of the bandages and ripped open their paper packages, placing one over each of his new wounds. While he was at it, he treated the gash going across his ribs, which had stopped bleeding by then. Finally, he wiped the knife clean and returned everything to its drawer.
He breathed in again, feeling much calmer. He could do this. He could survive, even if it was just to give a huge middle finger to everyone who wanted him dead. He could do this.
Knowing that Papyrus would wake him up at the crack of dawn the next morning, Sans decided he would try to get some sleep. He rolled his sleeve back down and curled up on the mattress.
XXX
Papyrus sighed deeply as he perched gracefully on the couch, swinging one leg over the other. He was still angry, but punishing his brother had helped him calm the rage. Still, why couldn't Sans just listen to him? Papyrus was just trying to keep Sans from getting himself killed, and the little ingrate returned his brother's protection with disobedience and laziness.
How many times had he needed to save Sans's sorry ass? First from their father, and now from whatever monsters think they can kill the Terrible Papyrus's brother.
Papyrus growled and stood back up. He was going to go to bed.
XXX