AN: Chapter six! And things are FINALLY starting to get rolling! I'm excited to share this thing and I hope you enjoy! You'll start seeing some more familiar faces soon and the plot can finally begin to unfold!
Welp, that's it for me! See you in the next chapter!
Chapter 6
Summer
As the school year drew to a close, it seemed as if the teens were each preparing his or herself for their summer excursions and adventures. Napstablook already had his entire schedule set and they knew just how much time they would dedicate to the farm versus their music portfolio. Metta, on the other hand, had a rigorous schedule of studying ahead of him. He had so much he needed to decide before he made his big debut! And he wanted to be in the know of any productions coming up in case they were looking for a headliner!
Undyne seemed absolutely hyped to be starting training for the Royal Guard and she'd boasted about receiving training sessions from Gerson. Not only that, but after their "run-in" earlier that year, King Asgore had even offered to train her himself!
At first, training with the Royal Guard had only been a suggestion from her mother in order to work off her extra energy and teenage frustration, but Undyne had taken to the idea like . . . well a fish to water and soon, it became a bit of an obsession. She wanted not only to join the royal guard, but to climb the ranks faster than any monster before her so that when the time came to reclaim the surface, she would be ready to exact justice.
It reminded Corbel of when they were kids and they would play superheroes. Undyne had always had a strong sense of justice. She stopped at nothing to track down their pretend villains (usually imaginary humans) and punish them for their evil-doings against their hometown. Who knew such a childish game would have contributed to Undyne's future plans as well. Already, Corbel could see Undyne rising to the challenge and quite possibly training and leading her own troops.
Corbel's hand thumbed at the metal case in his pocket. His Great-grandfather's pocket watch. He'd been a general during the fight against the humans . . . and his grandfather, Harrington, after whom Corbel had been named, had climbed the ranks to be Major, even his father had fought against the humans before the monsters had been sealed underground.
And what about him . . . ? What would he do to earn his place with the rest of his family line? How could he possibly contribute? How could he play a part in all of this? What could he do just being the son of the Royal Scientist . . . ?
He supposed working in the lab was a start, but did he really just want to follow in his father's footsteps . . . ?
It wasn't that he wanted fame or even recognition . . . just that he wanted to make a difference on his own and not just ride on the wake his father's achievements for the rest of his life.
"Helloooo! Earth to Corbel!" Undyne called, shoving the Skeleton in the arm to break him from his thoughts.
"Hm? Sorry, what? What did I miss?"
"Blooky was just saying how excited you must be to be interning at the Lab with the Doctor!" Metta explained.
"ohhh . . . it really isn't that important. he really doesn't have to answer."
"Oh, sorry, Blook." Corbel sighed, releasing the pocket watch and tapping his foot on the stone step beneath him. "Yeah, I'm looking forward to it, I guess. I mean, I'll be getting college credits for it, so there's that."
"I dunno, man." Undyne jumped in again, "You don't sound too thrilled there. When you first brought it up, you were all over the idea. What happened?"
"Yeah, well I guess it's just working under my dad. I'm kinda nervous about the whole thing. There's kind of a high expectation there, you know?"
"That does make sense." Metta answered with a nod. "I imagine the pressure would be quite crushing. But, don't you worry, Corbel, dear! This could be your chance for a big break as well!" Metta chuckled, "I can see it now! 'With the Gaster name hanging over him, how will the eager young Skeleton rise above and leave his mark on the annals of history!? What kind of thrilling adventures will he face? And when will Metta finally make his big debut? Find out all of this and more after these messages!'"
Corbel scoffed at the synopsis. "That would be the most boring show ever. Just hour after hour of me trying not to step on my father's toes."
"Ah, yes, at first. But over time, when you find your own voice and your own unique style, why, I'm sure it'll be quite the spectacle!"
Corbel sighed with a little bit of an embarrassed smile. "Thanks, Metta."
From then on, Corbel kept those words in mind whenever he thought about what was coming up with his summer internship. And instead of the nervous feeling that would engulf him to the point that he felt trapped in his own bones or that would make him feel a churning sickness he couldn't quite place, he was calmed and even a bit eager to be able to "find his own voice"
Even when he was standing in the living room with his mother, the day his internship was to begin, he felt, along with the first-day-jitters, a certain sense of excitement to be getting started in the lab.
"Do you have everything, Sweetie?" Nyala hummed, "Should we go over the check list?"
Corbel shrugged, making sure his shirt was buttoned all the way and his tie was on straight. "It can't hurt."
"Alright. Cuffs?"
Corbel wiggled his fingers, "Check."
"Inhaler."
"In my pocket."
"Pens, pencils, and notebook?"
"In my bag."
"Cuff charger. Just in case."
"Also in my bag."
"Pocket watch?"
"In my other pocket."
"Alright. That should just about do it for today. You should be getting your badge and ID today. Make sure you keep it on you at all times. You should either keep it clipped on your coat or wear it on a lanyard."
"Got it, Mom."
"Have you eaten? Did you want to take something with you for breakfast? I know your father keeps coffee at his office, but food . . . I don't know."
"I keep some food stocked up." Gaster answered, jumping in unexpectedly as he approached from the bedroom. He was straightening his own outfit, making sure he was presentable as well. "Because if I didn't, I know you'd have something to say about it."
"Non perishables, no doubt." Nyala scoffed, "Full of preservatives and sodium with no expiration date or nutritional value whatsoever, right? And how long have you had that food stocked up, Wingdings Gaster? What are you suggesting you feed my son?"
Gaster let out a slightly nervous chuckle as he eyed his messenger bag on one of the seats by the kitchen table, briefly contemplating what it would take to grab it and slip away unscathed. "I- well, I'm sure I have no idea what you mean!" He answered, offering up a smile he hoped looked more convincing than his response.
When he turned his eyes back to his wife, he found an unconvinced glare in his direction. She crossed her arms and leaned to one foot.
"Don't you worry, dearest." He assured, taking a step toward her and immediately uncrossing her arms to take her hands in his. "I'll make sure our son doesn't starve."
"How about I just take one of these?" Corbel chimed in from the kitchen. He was removing what looked to be a granola bar from the pantry. "I'll eat it on the way. How about it, Dad? You want one too?"
Gaster continued to smile at his wife's unflinching and unfaltering stern look. "I'll take one." He responded, stroking her hands in soft strokes with his thumb. In the moments that followed, he leaned in and brushed equally soft kisses to her brow, cheek, and mouth. It was only at the last kiss that her expression and her solid facade shattered. She broke into a shy grin and even released a bit of a giggle as she wrapped her arms around his neck and firmly kissed him back.
Meanwhile, Corbel busied himself with not looking at the two of them as they played their little game. He didn't quite get it and it kinda felt like he was stepping in on something that had nothing to do with him . . . so he just let them be. Hey, they were actually smiling at each other and teasing each other again. That's something, right? He decided to count it as a minor win. In the back of his mind, he wondered what happened to kickstart this little change in them . . . but soon brushed it off, deciding that it was probably best if it remained a mystery.
"You two have a great day, okay?" Nyala grinned as she finally pulled away from her husband to address them both, "Anything less is absolutely not allowed. Wingdings, don't overwhelm my baby on his first day."
"Not to worry." Gaster responded, "Today's orientation and tour. Maybe some cataloguing but nothing too major yet."
"Good. And Corbel, you make sure your father doesn't get too carried away and you two come home at a decent hour, alright?"
"Count on it." Corbel answered firmly, "And I hope you have a good day planned too. What will you be up to?"
Nyala's grin spread, "I'm going out today!" She announced, "I'm packing a lunch, grabbing my case and a canvas, and I'm going to walk until something catches my eye. Don't be surprised if you come home and we have a new piece on the wall."
"Of course not! We could always use a little more color in here!"
"Yeah, I'm looking forward to it." Corbel added with a grin. Another minor win.
Just like he promised, day one at the lab was overall, pretty uneventful. Gaster had his son fill out new-hire paperwork for the lab's records and, like Nyala said, Corbel's picture was taken for his ID. While Corbel waited for his information to be processed, he perused his father's office library, particularly the fiction adventure section. Some of the titles seemed especially intriguing and caught his eye with the promise of larger-than-life tales with daring heroes, their trusted companions and thrilling journeys. They were right up his alley!
Who knew his father had the same tastes?
Some Science-Fiction stuff. Some Anthologies. Some History. Some Theory. Even some graphic novels!? Corbel's eyes went wide at that. His DAD was into manga just like Metta!?
"Go fig . . ." Corbel chuckled. "I never would've guessed!"
"Guessed what, now?" Gaster stepped in, pushing open the door, the long tail of a fabric lanyard dangling from his fingers.
"Oh nothing!" Corbel grinned, "Just that my dad's a huge nerd! Manga, Dad? Seriously? Not only that, but Magical Girl manga!?"
"It was recommended to me by a bright-eyed young lady I happened to run into at the dump one day." Gaster explained levely. "She seemed rather adamant about it if truth be told. I told her I would give it a chance, but I have yet to get around to it. Besides, don't you have a friend who has an interest in this type of literature? Perhaps he would find better use for it than I would."
Corbel fought to contain his laughter. He couldn't pass up this opportunity to poke a little fun at his father. "Sure, Dad. Try to play it off, but we both know you're totally into . . . what is this?" He took the brightly colored cover in his hand and read the title, "Mew-Mew Kissy Cutie!? Dad, Seriously!?
A slight line of color painted Gaster's cheeks. He hadn't even bothered to read the title of the book before accepting it from the young monster. If only he had, there would be no way he would have taken it. And now . . .
"Well, perhaps you could take it then." Gaster pushed with a bit of a shrug.
"Psh! I don't want it!" Corbel laughed, "I wouldn't even let my dust be found near this thing!"
"Then perhaps you can give this one to your friend. The young lady said she had multiple copies so there's no pressure to return it."
"Geez, Dad. And now we get to witness the desperate attempt to clear your name and restore your dignity. Way to go! And what happens if you meet her again and she asks you how it was? Are you gonna lie to the poor girl? You could crush her! Sorry, Dad, but you're stuck with this thing until you see it through to the end! After all, that's the honorable thing to do, isn't it?"
Gaster's face fell for a moment and a contemplative pout came over him. Damn it . . . the boy was right. And that smug little smirk of his wasn't helping at all.
Fine. When all else fails, change the subject.
"That aside." Gaster continued, leaving little room to counter, "Your lanyard is ready. Now, your ID won't be activated until tomorrow, so you still only have access to the upper level. And even when it does activate, you will only have access to the first two levels. If you need to get to levels three or four, you will have to group with a second intern. Five and six will require all three interns. Anything lower than that, requires express authorization from me. And I will need to accompany you."
Corbel sighed and eyed the lanyard, deciding to let the previous conversation slide. It didn't escape his notice that his father completely dodged the situation though. Whatever. It was fun while it lasted.
"So, starting tomorrow I can get to the lobby and the second level down. What if I need to get to this office? You're kinda buried down here, Dad."
A slight smile pulled on Gaster's face. "I knew you would ask about that. Your access is special. Unique to only you. Only with your ID and your magical signature can you access this floor alone as well as this office. Without me, however, you will be unable to access any other room but this one."
"I guess that makes sense." Corbel hummed, thinking over the whole thing. "One, two and this floor, I can get to by myself. And on this floor, only this room. Levels three and four need two interns, five and six needs three. Seven through ten need you."
"And the sub basements."
"Sub . . . basements? Those don't show up on the elevator." Corbel shoved a hand in his pocket and tilted his head in question. Hidden rooms? Hidden FLOORS!? What the heck?
"They are mainly just storage and failed experiments. Eventually, I'll need to clear it out. But some of the things down there are potentially dangerous and . . . well, I would feel better if I were with you if you ever needed to go down there."
"So . . . any nefarious, evil/mad scientist shenanigans going on down there?"
Gaster's smile became more of a smirk as he thought about the implications.
"What kind of scientist do you take me for? I wouldn't tell you even if there were."
"Heh. It would be a complete waste of space if there wasn't any mad scientist stuff going on down there . . . unless you're the type of scientist who wants to hide his massive collection of Mew-Mew Kissy Cutie memorabilia! And that's EXACTLY why you don't want me down there! Haha! I know what's really in those storage units, alright!"
Gaster shook his head, letting his eyes shut as he raised a hand to his forehead and he let Corbel laugh at his expense. Honestly, it'd been so long since he'd last heard Corbel laugh that the sound was almost foreign. Almost. As he listened, he could hear the familiar lilts and tones that stayed with him through his childhood and it played a bit like notes from an old song. The sound sent a bit of a nostalgic wave through Gaster if he was being honest with himself.
Corbel laughed like his mother.
The feeling sat in a spot in his ribs just above his soul and as warm as it was, it stung just a bit.
"What do you say we head home early today?" Gaster suggested through a low hum.
"What's the matter dad?" Corbel continued, "Embarrassed that I might stumble across your stash?"
"Nothing like that. I just . . . wouldn't it be a nice surprise for your mom if she came home and dinner was waiting for her?"
Corbel fell quiet, halting his laughter. He raised a brow, studying his dad and his notions. Well, that was a random change. "What about the tour? We still have . . ." He pulled out his pocket watch, "Two more hours before we have to head home."
"The tour can wait until tomorrow, can't it? Your ID will be activated by then and the system should recognize your magical signature by then as well."
Corbel eyed his father for a moment longer. Farbeit for him to keep his dad away from home. After all, wasn't that the whole reason he took this job? He'd been hoping to act as the bridge between Gaster and home, remind him that he actually had responsibilities to his family as well, but . . . who knew it would actually work so well . . . and in just one day of work!
"Huh . . ." He replied, "Well then, by all means, let's go home. We'll make dinner."
The first few weeks at the lab continued on in a similar fashion. They took the tour and Corbel took notes on which areas did what and what purpose they served to the lab and to the Underground. He took a look at the catalogues his father had mentioned and saw first-hand just why he said he'd need help organizing them . . . it was a bit of a mess.
He saw some of the more current projects in varying stages of completion or disarray in the failed experiments. There was even one that, despite it being active, was sealed away behind bolted doors and covered windows. He must have wanted to keep it secret for some reason . . . but not secret enough to keep it past the second floor.
Corbel even got the chance to tour the CORE and see exactly what was happening on that front. From the looks of it, it really was near completion . . . but there were still some things that needed to happen before it could be considered a done deal.
The real surprise came about a month later when Gaster employed Corbel's assistance in tying those loose ends together! With the two of them working together, they were able to finally complete the CORE and activate it for its initial test run! For the day, they had it power the lab and they monitored the emissions, the energy and any fluctuations in the CORE itself. Gaster made notes of any little tweaks that needed to happen and addressed them as quickly and as efficiently as possible. With the extra pair of hands and eyes and with Corbel's added opinion, the CORE was completed and ready to to be implemented a month before the projected completion date!
The only real issue there was with it was the fact that even though it fed on thermal energy . . . it would overheat somehow and the mechanics would have to stop functioning while they returned to a normal temperature. That would have to be addressed. But he had no doubt that they would find a solution soon.
It would still take some time to get the CORE to power all areas of the Underground, but being able to say it was done and that he'd been able to do it with his son was accomplishment enough in Gaster's eyes.
After the King made the announcement to the Underground that it had been completed, the general excitement sent a ripple of elation to all the people that hadn't been felt since the birth of Prince Asriel a few years before. It meant facilitated living and a higher level of comfort for everyone. It was definitely a step in the right direction.
In response, the doctor had been showered with praise and of course a multitude of questions. Where he could, he never failed to mention the assistance he received from his son and without his help, there was no way to know how long it would have taken. Corbel blushed a bit at all of the unmerited attention and praise. After all, the CORE was his father's project long before Corbel came to work at the lab. He'd only come in on the final stretch. When he voiced this, Gaster had been right there to encourage Corbel not to think so little of his contributions and that this accomplishment was as much his as it was the doctor's.
Of course, with the completion of one major project came the pressure of a new one. One that seemed to merit a certain level of secrecy from the doctor that meant he had to keep the details of it in the lower levels of the lab.
With the new assignment came longer hours at the lab. To counter, Corbel had to become more and more strict about the time Gaster spent working on his projects. The boy set curfews and restrictions on when certain types of experiments could be started and when they couldn't be. Anything with a cool-down period of three hours or more could not be started after lunch unless it could be left overnight and anything that needed to be monitored all day had to be started first thing in the morning. On those days, that experiment was the only one the doctor was allowed to work on.
Meanwhile, Corbel was busy as well, working on some of the maintenance areas and making sure everything that could be taken care of by his security clearance was taken care of. But even Corbel was starting to become overwhelmed with his workload and he would pass out on the couch in the living room as soon as they got home. Most times, he wouldn't get around to having dinner until it was time to wake up for the next day. When Gaster saw this, he knew something had to change before his son ended up just like he did before their family meeting.
He would need to get busy interviewing for more interns. For both of their sakes.
Another week passed and the doctor spent most of his time pouring over applications, separating the potential candidates from those who didn't quite make the grade. He called a few of the frontrunners in for initial interviews and gauged their skill against their credentials. During these days, he had Corbel run checklists on things in the lab. Minor things that could be easily accomplished with very little supervision.
It was on one of these days that Gaster gave Corbel a task, sending him to the CORE to run a checklist on its functionality. He'd run these several times already and was familiar with the checklist, so it was a simple task he could do while Gaster interviewed a promising candidate; a Cat monster by the name of Aldrin Gaine.
Corbel was careful to check every detail he could as thoroughly as he could and as quickly as he could. The CORE, incredible as it was, was sweltering! And it wasn't a good idea for anyone to spend more than an hour in it at most without leaving for a break.
So as Corbel went through his checklist, he was sure to take note of any irregularities, sounds, blinking lights, smells, anything that seemed off.
He was near the end of the checklist when he heard it- a loud resounding thud that resonated through the hallways of the CORE. Corbel was shaken out of his tunnel vision for a moment and forced to focus beyond his little area. What in the world could have made that sound!? There wasn't anyone who could have been in here . . . did something come undone!? Had the CORE become unstable!? Should he find his dad before whatever it was became worse?
Should he check it out himself . . . ?
Cautiously, Corbel stepped forward, "Hello . . . ?" He called in case it was another person.
There was a groan and a cough and shuffling and a few footsteps. It WAS another person!
"Hey!" Corbel called, "You can't be in there! That area is for authorized personnel only!"
A low dazed- sounding voice responded, "A . . . kid . . . ? Heh . . . You're one to talk, buddy."
"I'm authorized personnel!" Corbel bit back, "Who the hell are you!? Show yourself or I'll have to call the Royal Guard!" He didn't want to say he'd call for his dad . . . it sounded too childish for the authority he'd been going for.
"Alright, kid. Alright." The voice groaned, "No need to get hot-headed over this. It's already burning up."
With a few more steps forward, Corbel was able to put a face to the voice. The figure limped toward him with a hand on the wall for support. The rest of him was hunched over- was he in pain? Was it fatigue?
More than that! Corbel was stricken immobile when he saw just what kind of creature the figure was.
Another Skeleton!?
Corbel studied the hands and legs of the figure and didn't even notice that he had been taking several steps forward as well. The other Skeleton actually looked to be about his own age . . . shorter only by a few inches . . . or maybe that was because he was still hunched over. And even though he seemed to be in pain, he wore a smile . . . maybe it was a permanent smile. Was that a thing? He'd never seen a Skeleton outside of his family before . . . where had he come from!? And why the hell was he so beaten up!? Who had he been fighting!? Was he a threat? Should he call for help after all?
Without warning, the figure fell forward, catching himself on his hands and knees. His limbs gave out shortly afterward and he fell completely to his side.
"No!" Corbel gasped, dropping his clipboard and rushing toward the Skeleton. He rolled him over until he was lying flat on his back. The first thing Corbel noticed was how hot the guy was to the touch!
"Why are you wearing a jacket in this heat!?" Corbel nearly scolded more out of shock and worry than out of fury. He struggled to get the other guy out of the blue thing. "You idiot!"
The Skeleton didn't answer at first, just trying to focus upward.
"You're wearing a jacket." He retorted sleepily.
That wasn't a good sign. He needed to get this guy out of the heat and fast! If he fell unconscious here . . .
"Hey! Hey, wake up! Stay with me!"
The boy chuckled, "Well . . . if you're askin' . . . how can I say no?"
"How can you possibly be cracking jokes at a time like this!?" Corbel scoffed more to himself than to the other.
". . . natural charm . . ." he answered, his eyes closing slowly.
"Hey! Nonono! Stay awake! Look . . . I-I-I'm gonna get you out of here! Just-just keep looking at me, okay? S-Stay awake!" Corbel hesitated and took a quick look around. Of course, there was nothing and no one around to help. He supposed he could try to drag the other guy from the CORE and out of the heat. Corbel stood, pushing up his sleeves.
His cuffs! Of course!
His cuffs were already attuned to his magical signature. But on top of that, his father had worked in an emergency function- a button that when pressed sent a distress signal directly to him. It was the quickest way to contact him, get him here, and let him know something serious was happening all at the same time.
Without another thought or another moment of hesitation, Corbel pressed down on the distress beacon.
Now for the other guy. He still needed to get him out before something terrible happened.
"L-Look." Corbel started again, fitting his arms under the other guy's and preparing to pull him along. "Just hang in there a little longer. Help is on the way! W-we'll just keep talking, okay? Tell me your name!"
The other guy released a low groan as he attempted to shift from the boy's grip. He got there on his own and he could get out as well. He couldn't burden this kid with his problems.
"I'm okay." He insisted with only partial conviction. "Don't worry about me."
"But you could die if you stay here any longer! Please! Let me help!"
"Just . . . Get goin' kid! Nnngho need to get involved with a curse like me." The boy tried again to pull himself to his feet, but to no avail. His legs were too weak to support himself.
"Not a chance!" Corbel pushed dipping to catch the boy as he collapsed, "You're stuck with me. At least until help arrives. My name is Corbel. And I'm not a kid! I'm fifteen . . . I-I mean, sixteen. A-actually . . . Tomorrow's my birthday."
"Is that so?" The boy sighed, his body going heavy. "In that case . . . Happy birthday, Corbel."
His eyes slipped closed after that as he fell completely to whatever support Corbel was able to offer. They didn't open again.