*/The Mettaton fight was hard to write! After all, I had to keep an eye on the ratings, and couldn't stop in the middle. But I did it! And now, the show can go on! Enjoy!/*

"Uh oh." Chara stated as the beat dropped.

Mettaton tapped along. "Oh yes! Now, come at me, bro!"

"Char, what in the world!?" Peter exclaimed as Mettaton did the splits. "That image is never leaving my head."

"He's turned into Mettaton EX. His one weak point is his heart-shaped core."

"Lights! Camera! Action!" Mettaton called. "Hello Underground! Welcome to the thrilling conclusion! The battle you've been waiting for! Between myself, Mettaton, Star of the Underground, and..." He paused. "What do you call yourself again?"

At least he knows how to put on a show, Peter thought. "Spiderman. My name is Spiderman."

Mettaton cleared his throat. "The final showdown between myself and the Spectacular Spiderman!"

A stage light spotlit Peter. The crowd applauded.

"Looking fancy in those new duds, darling!" Mettaton smirked. "Now... en garde!"

With a whirling leap, he kicked at Peter, who backflipped out of range then leapfrogged over him. He wasn't quick enough to avoid the last kick from Mettaton though.

"Char, got any suggestions?" Peter asked.

"I thought you weren't talking to me." She pouted.

Peter groaned. "Look, I'm sorry, but can we get past that?"

Chara thought for a moment. "You can't beat him by force, but maybe you can outshine him. He said the viewer call-in milestone was 10,000 viewers, so if you can get it to that, maybe he'll spare you."

"Worth a try." Peter got on his feet and struck a pose. "You're just scared I'll out dazzle your tin can, Mettaton!"

Mettaton gasped. "Well now, let's see how bright you sparkle when you've got BOMBS in your face!" Laughing, he sent a flurry of bomb and robot shaped projectiles at him.

Peter webbed up the bombs, but he misstepped and had a robot smack him in the face. "Ow."

It was at this point he noticed that Mettaton was dancing to the pulsating background music, launching bullets as he stepped to the beat. Eating a nice-cream cone, Peter used his spider-sense to dance in time.

"I am the star everyone craves!" Mettaton yelled, kicking fashionably while blocks and bombs flew from him. "Now smile for the camera!"

"I'm wearing a mask, so I'm already super photogenic!" Peter yelled, using two weblines to slingshot through a minor opening and striking a superhero landing.

"Nice dodge, but let's shake things up with a oral pop quiz!" Mettaton exclaimed.

"Thanks, I hate it." Peter replied. Chara chuckled.

"It's about me! Tell me, Spiderman, what is your favorite thing about Mettaton?"

"Gee, this guy only has two things on the brain." Chara noted.

"Hmm... well, I like his dazzling and not at all sociopathic and egotistic personality." Peter spoke sarcastically. "That's really great-"

"Yes, yes, my personality is wonderful." Mettaton sniffed.

"Were you even paying-"

"Your essay really showed your heart, Spiderman!" Mettaton sobbed. "Now.. let me show you mine!"

Grinning wickedly, Mettaton launched his heard from his chest, where it began spewing bolts of electricity everywhere. Peter was hard-pressed to dodge them.

"Use your webs on his heart!" Chara yelled. "The determination will damage it!"

Music as his guide, Peter flipped, spun, ducked and leapt. Once he got an opening, he fired several web pellets directly at the spinning core.

Bullseye! A little miffed, Mettaton pulled it back in.

"What's wrong, show-bot?" Peter quipped. "Out of juice?"

Mettaton laughed. "Oh, I'm just getting warmed up!"

Waves of robots shot from him, firing bombs in all directions. Peter sidestepped, then shot a web at the lead one. Sliding under them, he smashed them all together.

"I can take your minions any day of the week!" Peter boasted, hands on hips.

"Maybe... but how are you one the dance floor?" Mettaton yelled.

The disco light above illuminated, casting blue and white lights on the floor. Peter nimbly sidestepped the white, and froze on the blues.

"Good enough for you? Mr. Quill didn't teach me some moves for nothing!" Peter yelled.

"You are stylishly dancing... but can you keep up the pace?" Mettaton laughed as the lights spun faster and faster. Peter was hit a few times, but his spider sense kept him out of most harm.

"Lights, camera, BOMBS!" Mettaton exclaimed. "Things are really blowing up!"

Peter yelped as a wall of bombs advanced on him. A flip there, web-shot there, and a duck there. Step, backstep, sidestep, repeat. He was kinda getting the hang of this!

"Time for our Union regulated break!" Mettaton exclaimed. The lights went off, and a snack table appeared. "Please, help yourself."

"There's a union?" Peter asked.

"There's always a Union." Mettaton replied, shaking his head. "Oh, and we're back!"

Peter ducked as Mettaton kicked him again.

"Low blow, cheater!" Peter shouted. The audience gasped.

"Oh, we've grown so distant, darling." Mettaton replied, heart flying from its casing. "How about a little heart to heart?"

Peter was ready this time. As soon as there was an opening, he shot a concentrated blast straight to it. Mettaton looked shocked as his arms blew off with the overload.

"A... arms?" Mettaton chuckled. "Who needs arms..." He began doing chorus line kicks. "With legs like these!"

Peter reflexively covered Chara's face. She just phased through him.

"I'm still gonna win! Come on!"

The bombs came harder, fastracking and backtracking. Peter nimbly avoided them, posing between moves.

Mettaton was starting to steam. "The show... must... GO ON!"

It was getting easier to dodge, so Peter threw in some style points. Sliding and posing in midair, the ratings rose with his antics.

"Lights... camera..." Mettaton screamed, "Enough! Do you really want humanity to perish!" Another thought occurred to him. "... or do you just believe in yourself that much!?"

"I gotta get out, and I gotta stop Asgore." Peter yelled. "Please, just spare me!"

"We all know who's gonna win this! Now witness the power of humanities TRUE HERO!"

Out came his heart, and Peter clenched his fists. Running through the volts of electricity, he leapt, flipping through midair, charged his shooters...

And punched the heart clean in half.

Mettaton's legs exploded as he collapsed in shock.

"What... how..." Mettaton groaned.

"Sorry to be breaking your heart, bud." Peter replied. "But I've got people who need me.

Mettaton groaned, and suddenly looked at the ratings board.

"Oh my! Look at these ratings!" Mettaton exclaimed. "This is the most viewers I've ever had!"

Peter, panting, looked at the board. Over 10,200.

"Looks like we've reached the viewer call-in milestone!" Mettaton announced. "One lucky viewer will have the chance to talk to me... before I leave the Underground forever! Let's see who calls in first!"

Peter took a breather.

"Wow, that came just in time." Chara sat down next to him. "You look like you could use some water."

"Not that there's any here." Peter replied as the first call came in.

"Hi, you're on TV!" Mettaton chirped. "What do you have to say on this, our last show?"

"... oh..." A familiar voice came through the receiver. Peter and Chara looked at each other, then back at the loudspeaker. "hi... mettaton... i really liked watching your show..."

Mettaton seemed to recognize Napstablook's voice. He seemed, oddly, at a loss for words.

"my life is pretty boring... but... seeing you on the screen... brought excitement to my life... vicariously."

Mettaton's lips were moving, but nothing was coming out.

"i can't tell, but... i guess this is the last episode...? i'll miss you... mettaton... oh... i didn't mean to talk so long." Napstablook cleared his throat nervously. "oh..."

"NO, WAIT! WAIT BL-" Mettation shouted, but it was too late. Napstablook had hung up. "H-... They already hung up." His shoulderpads slumped. "I'll... I'll just take another caller!"

Another came in, and another. They were all saying the same thing: Congratulations on the show... and how sorry they'd be to see him go. Mettaton's face fell, as for perhaps the first time in his plans, he realized... what he meant to others. And what they meant to him.

"Ah... I..." He sighed. "I see.." He cleared his throat. "Everyone, thank you so much." He looked up at Peter. "Darling. Perhaps... it might be better if I stay here for a while. Humans already have stars, but monsters... they only have me. If I left... the Underground might lose it's spark. And I can't do that to all these monsters. I'd leave a void that, perhaps, would never be filled. So... I think I'll have to delay my big debut."

Chara looked like she was ready to go ten more rounds with the guy, but Peter held up his hand. "Maybe so. I promise, I will defend humanity to my dying breath. Beyond that, in fact. You'll get your chance."

Mettaton nodded, his eyes moist. "Of that I have no doubt. You've proven to be very strong. Strong enough, perhaps, to get past Asgore."

Peter nodded. "I'll do everything in my power to get back home and keep them safe."

Mettaton nodded, the ghost of a chuckle on his lips. "It's all for the best, anyway. The truth is, this form's energy consumption is... inefficient. In a few moments, I'll run out of battery power and..." He shook his head. "Well. I'll be alright." He stared long at Peter. "Knock 'em dead, kid." Raising his voice, he turned to the camera. "AND EVERYONE!" He smiled. "Thank you. You've been a great audience!"

The FIGHT ended, and Peter sat in front of the unmoving torso of Mettaton.

The door opened and Alphys ran in.

"I... I managed to open the lock!" She yelled. "Are you two..." She spotted Mettaton and gasped. "Oh my. Mettaton! Are you..."

She ran to him and got down to his level. As she poked and prodded, Peter began to walk towards the exit.

"Whew, thank goodness, just the batteries." She wiped sweat off her brow. "Mettaton, if you were gone, I would've... I would've... " She took a few calming breaths, before noticing that Peter was already at the exit.

"I m-mean, h-hey, it's n-no problem, you know!" She called after him, running to catch up. Peter didn't respond. "He's just a robot, if you messed it up, I c-could always..." She noticed he wasn't responding. "J-just build another."

"S-sorry about all that!" She chuckled nervously. "L-let's keep going!"

Peter didn't respond.

"H-hey, what's up?" Alphys asked. "I-I'm sure there's some way I can help you with-"

"WITH WHAT!?" Peter yelled, whipping around to face her. "Maybe you can send ANOTHER one of your friends to pretend to try and beat me up so you can save me. Or better! King Asgore is in on this too! Is that it, ALPHYS!"

She took a few steps back. "U-um, of course not! I just-"

Peter took a deep breath and kept walking. "You know, Alphys, not that long ago I had a friend. A co-worker, even. He became like a father to me. We worked together to rid the earth of some extra-dimensional creatures, and I entrusted him with the most advanced tech on the planet. And you know what?"

He turned to her, stone faced. "He was a liar. A con-man. The creatures? They were fake. He gained my trust to get what I could give him, and you know what happened? Ned and MJ nearly DIED because of him! MULTIPLE TIMES! So, the next time you want to try and pull that trick, don't do it ON ME!" He angrily wiped his eyes and kept walking. The elevator was just ahead.

Alphys just sat there, stunned. "I... I..." Shaking herself, she ran up to Peter. "There's something I still h-have to tell y-you!"

"Really? What!"

She took a deep breath. "W-well, you kn-know the barrier? H-how only a st-strong enough SOUL c-can p-pass?" She wrung her hands. "Well... your SOUL isn't strong enough."

"What." He turned to face her. "What do you mean by that."

She adjusted her glasses. "W-well, you see, the SOUL of a human by itself isn't strong enough. You need the SOUL of a human... and a monster."

He froze. Chara gave a start.

"What... are you saying?"

Alphys gulped. "In order to pass through the barrier... You need to kill Asgore." She shivered. "I'm... I'm sorry."

Alphys ran away.