Chapter Nine: A Mettaton of Trouble

Frisk found himself in what looked to be another studio, but this one had a hardwood floor, black backdrop, and, of all things, a canvas and easel. A wheeled cart, with a palette and tubes of paint and brushes sat next to it. Frisk stared as Mettaton appeared, this time sporting a ridiculous brown Afro.

"Welcome, darlings! Welcome to that most wonderful and sublime show!" Mettaton bowed as the title appeared: Painting Made Easy with the Killer Robot. Frisk stared for a few moments as Mettaton put a beret on his head. "Today, my beauties, we're going to be painting a picture of a pretty little cottage in the woods! Isn't that lovely? My assistant is going to help me! Now then, let's get all our tools to hand!" With this, Mettaton picked up the palette, and squeezed some tubes of oil paint onto it, arranging them according to color. The robot picked up a large brush, dabbed it into some thinner, and then the blue. "Now, we start on a prepared white canvas with MTT-Brand Gesso on it! This makes the paint slide around like oil on water! Now, we start with a heavy coat at the top, and let it get nice and thin at the bottom!" Mettaton started to paint, and Frisk wasn't too surprised when clouds, trees, flowers and other things seemed to appear magically on the canvas, without any further motion from the brush. Mettaton hummed as he painted. "The key, darlings, is to overlap the strokes just a tiny bit! Don't be shy, here! Be bold!" Mettaton gave a few dabs, and more trees sprouted up on the canvas. Frisk was actually very interested.

While Mettaton was no Holbein or Rembrandt, he was certainly talented. He was keeping the shadows all on the right side, and accounting for darker shadows towards the back of the painting, not to mention his good attention to perspective as well, the trees not only getting smaller, but being slightly blurred as they receded into the distance. "Don't just stand around and stare, beautiful! Viewers, it's important that you keep your brushes clean! My assistant will demonstrate!" Frisk was handed the brush, and looked at the small can, about the size of a paint can, that was labeled dirty. Frisk carefully went over and submerged the brush, brushing it against a screen in the bottom of the can before handing it back to Mettaton, who took it with a flourish. "Perfect! Now, we're almost done! We just need to add one, last touch . . ."

Frisk jumped back as Mettaton swiped at him with a huge halberd, coming very close to taking his head off. As it was, his beret ended up sitting on the massive blade. "Don't worry, darling! You know what they say about dying for your your art . . ." Mettaton said ominously as he closed in. Frisk looked around, seeing how cramped it was. This was not going to be an easy fight, not at all. Suddenly, Mettaton himself began to ring like a phone. He stopped. "Um, excuse me, let me get that . . ." he pressed a button on his chest. "Hello? I'm kinda in the middle of something here."

"Wait! Um, isn't it, ah . . . pretty as it is?" asked Alphys. Mettaton stopped.

" . . . You really think so?"

"Of course! It's lovely just as it is! Adding anything else might . . . um, spoil it, he he?" Mettaton was silent.

"You're absolutely right, Alphys! Oh, how we suffering artists often destroy that which we love!" Mettaton dramatically dropped the halberd and grabbed his chest. The robot took off the Afro and looked at the camera. "Well, that concludes another fabulous episode, beauties! Tune in next time for more painting pleasures!" With that, Mettaton zoomed past Frisk and was gone again. Alphys called him not two seconds later.

"Oh my god! I can hardly believe that!" Alphys exclaimed.

"Yeah, thanks. You really helped. He kind of fooled me there," Frisk sighed gently.

"I, uh, well. You're welcome! We . . . we did great out there!" Frisk smiled at this.

"Yes. Thank you for your help." He then continued on, heading deeper into the core.

Frisk met a few more monsters on the way, and while all fire-based, they all were friendly. However, when asked, none of them had ever heard of the Mirror of Elde, and Frisk was fairly certain it was being kept a secret from the majority of monsters. What he couldn't figure out was why? They couldn't use it, anyway. Frisk recalled the Temmies saying something about the mirror being scary. What did they mean? He thought as he walked. Not much was known about the mirror, and while it was known to grant wishes, the true nature of its power was unknown. Frisk was brought out of his reverie by the phone ringing. He picked it up as he came to a room with two conveyer belts, a series of switches and an electric barrier barring the doorway forward.

"This puzzle is a bit tricky! You have to throw all three switches within three seconds! I can help you with the timing." Frisk looked at the three buttons, and the rather fast conveyer belt. He took a breath, stepped on, and quickly moved to press the switches. He managed to press two, but missed the last one. He grunted as he was carried past onto the rock. "Don't worry, you can just try again and then . . ." she stopped when the barrier disappeared. "Umm, I guess you only needed to hit . . . two of them?" she said sheepishly. Frisk chuckled.

"Thanks for the help, anyways." He heard a shy "eep" as she hung up. He smiled and shook his head. Dr. Alphys was a nice lady, just a bit shy, and lacking confidence. There was nothing wrong with that. He continued on, and stopped when the phone announced another status update. He brought it up and looked.

OMG! People think Mew Mew 2 is better than Mew Mew 1? LOL That's a joke, right? Don't they get that it ruins Mew Mew's entire character arc! She then went into a deep review of the new installment, and it was not at all glowing. Frisk chuckled and headed on, but amused.

He was about to round a corner when two voices stopped him.

"Hey, wait!"

"Stop!" He turned, and was more than a bit worried when he saw the two, hulking, armored guards from earlier running up to him. "We received, like, an anonymous tip about a human in a striped shirt running around," said one guard. "They said they were in Hotland right now." Frisk's eyes widened a little bit. Who of the monsters who knew he was human would sell him out? Since not many had caught on, the list was small, so he thought on it.

"Sounds scary, huh?"

"Just stay chill, and we'll bring you someplace safe, 'kay?" Frisk blinked. They motioned for him to follow, which he reluctantly did, looking for the first opportunity to escape. Sadly, he didn't have the time, as the guard with the frilled helmet stopped. The one with the rabbit-ears on his helmet stopped and looked at his friend. "What is it, bro?" he asked.

"A striped shirt . . ." They stopped and looked at Frisk, who saw instantly this wasn't going to end well. They looked at each other and sighed.

"Bummer. Now we've, like, got to kill you and stuff," said the first guard. They both drew their swords. Frisk sighed, and instead of running, stood his ground.

"Why? Why do you have to kill me?" Frisk asked.

"Because the King said!" replied the dragon-like guard.

"If he ordered you to hurt children, would you?" Frisk asked. This got their attention, and quite obviously made them mad.

"No! Man, that's what cowards do!" The rabbit-like guard looked at his friend.

"Um, bro . . . doesn't he look like a kid?" The other guard stopped and looked at Frisk.

"Uh . . . well . . . But, he's a human. How do we know what human kids look like?"

"Good point." Frisk frowned at this, but more in a tired manner.

"Look, I don't want to fight either of you. Besides, I'm unarmed. Don't you think it at least a bit unfair to attack someone who has no weapon?" Again, they stopped and looked at him.

"Bro, he is kinda right. He hasn't got a sword, or nothing," said the rabbit-like guard. The other guard looked at him, then at Frisk.

"Um . . . Wait, here," said the dragon-like guard as he tossed Frisk a dagger, which landed in the dirt. Frisk just crossed his arms and looked at them.

"Sorry, but I'm not going to fight you." They both groaned. The dragon-like guard huffed.

"Agh, it's too hot for this," he said as he removed his breastplate, revealing his muscled, scaled torso. The rabbit-like guard looked flustered. Frisk walked forward, and both guards looked ready to fight, but the first one was still flustered. He looked up at them.

"You both look like nice guys, and you don't seem to want to hurt anybody. I honestly don't want to fight. If anything, I'm here to try to help." They looked surprised. Frisk smiled at them. He looked at the first one. "Why don't you be honest about your feelings?" Frisk whispered. The guard looked surprised and even more flustered as he looked at the other. Frisk smiled and nodded. "If you both will be honest, I will let you arrest me. How about that?" They looked shocked at this. Frisk even held out his hands for cuffs. They looked at him, then each other. The rabbit-like guard trembled and shook.

"D-dude, I . . . I can't take this anymore! Not like this!" He looked at his friend. "Dude, like . . . I like, like you, bro! The way you fight, the way you move. I love doing team attacks with you. I love standing watch with you, even if it's in this heat in armor. I, like, wanna stay like this forever. With you." Frisk was deeply touched by that. He looked at the other guard, who was silent. There was a very tense moment, and Frisk thought he saw sweat dripping from the helmet of the other guard. "Uh, Psyche! Gotcha, bro! Ha, ha!" Frisk could feel the fear, and hurt in his voice, even if he couldn't see his eyes. The dragon-like guard lowered his sword.

"Bro?"

"Y-y-yeah?" Frisk watched, and hoped.

"Do you wanna . . . get some ice cream?"

"Y-yeah! That'd be great!" Frisk couldn't help a smile as they walked off. Seeming to forget him. It made him feel happy to see that. He gathered himself up and continued on.

Frisk came into another dark room, and, as he had several times before, prepared for something else that Mettaton had cooked up. Alphys called.

"Another dark room. You ready?" Frisk nodded as the lights came on. Whatever Frisk had been prepared for, it certainly wasn't this!

"Hello, beauties and gentlebeauties! Welcome to our fabulous show!" said Mettaton, who was dressed in a fancy suit, a flowery background, chairs sitting on a stage and a dividing wall that divided the stage into half. "And now, all you poor, lonely souls, it's time to play . . . The Game of Love!" Frisk stared at him, eyes wide. Frisk was so stunned, Mettaton came over and gently pushed him into a seat that was waiting. Thankfully, it was pretty comfy. "Please welcome our newest contestant! For those of you new to the show, the aim of the game is to find our contestant that sweet, special someone! Behind this wall, are a group of special ladies looking for Mr. Right! Is our contestant the man of her dreams?! We'll soon find out! Now, without further ado, let's get started!" Frisk stared as canned applause played, but he had to say, he was actually well and good stunned. Mettaton wheeled over to Frisk, microphone in hand. "So, beautiful, tell us a little about yourself!" Frisk blinked like an owl. Was this for real? He hoped it was just another one of his tricks.

"Well, I, uh . . ."

"Ohhhhhhh! So modest! Well, the cameras don't lie! Let's have a look!" Frisk looked up at the screen above as snapshots of him taking the decorations off of Gyftrot, Frisk singing with Shyren, helping the monster kid, and other things.

"Awwwwwwwwwwwww!" Frisk jumped at the canned studio audience reaction.

"See, folks? This is the kind of man ladies fight over! And, and! We have a few of these lovely ladies here with us tonight!" Frisk felt very hot all of a sudden. He heard voices from the other side of the stage, all female.

"He's such a cutie! So kind, and his hands are so salty and soft!" He recognized the voice of Gyftrot, and he felt more than a little nervous.

"He has a wonderful singing voice, and he carries a tune very well . . ." That was Shyren, without a doubt, and the way she spoke, it made his face a little red.

"wawawawah! Hes a such a CUTE!" Frisk recognized the voice of that first Temmie anywhere. Oh, boy, this was going to be a mess.

"I-I'm not here because I like that baka! Really! I just wanna be on TV!" He buried his head in his hands.

"I've never met him, but I hear he's a sweetie, and really cute . . ." Frisk jumped at that last voice. It was female, but deep, and husky. He didn't recognize it, but . . . did someone turn the thermostat up?

"O ho ho! What a bevy of beauties! One of these fine ladies just has to be our contestant's true love! So, let's get this show underway!" Mettaton announced.

"Let's not . . ." Frisk muttered from where he sat. Mettaton either didn't hear, or, and far more likely, ignored him.

"So, let's start! Contestant, ask a question! Ladies, answer as honestly as you can!" Frisk sighed, and wondered why Alphys hadn't called to interrupt this yet.

"Uh . . ." Frisk paused as he thought. "What matters to you most in a man?" he asked.

"That he's nice!" said Gyftrot.

"That he be pleasant," answered Shyren.

"humans cute an nice! Nic warm hart!"

"I-I-I, uh . . . that they aren't a baka!"

"Tenderness . . ."

"Ooooohhhhhhh!" came the canned response. To say that Frisk felt put on the spot was an understatement.

"Such wonderful, heartfelt answers! Now, it's the ladies' turn! Ladies, you each get to ask our contestant one question! Lady No. One! Ask away!" Frisk rubbed his face.

"Where would you take me on a date?" Gyftrot asked. Frisk thought, arms and legs crossed.

"Wherever you feel most comfortable," he replied. There was a giggle from behind the wall and "ooh"s from the canned audience.

"If you take me to a concert, who would we see?" asked Shyren.

"Whoever you like best," Frisk replied. There was a musical hum in reply.

"I love it! Lady No. Three, you're up!"

"human, wuld yu give Temmie lotza hugs n cudls?!" Frist felt his face warm up even more.

"Of course," he replied, earning a pleased squee in reply.

"Lady Four, you're next!"

"Ugh . . .I don't even . . . If, and I'm not saying we would, if we went to the movies, would you, um . . . hold my wing?" Frisk was wishing he knew an invisibility spell right about then.

"If you want . . ."

"Oh, love is in the air! One more! Lady Five, go!" Frisk prepared himself, not at all sure what was going to happen next, and he hoped it was Mettaton attacking him.

" . . . Do you mind bigger girls?" asked that husky voice. Frisk swallowed hard.

"Um . . . No, not really," Frisk replied. There was a satisfied hum. Where the blazes was Alphys?

"Oh, this is getting exciting, folks! Now, it's our contestant's turn! Ask away!" Frisk thoroughly wished Mettaton would explode, right then and there.

"Um, what activity would you like to do on a first date?" Frisk asked, feeling very self-conscious, for the first time in a long while.

"A romantic dinner and watch the ceiling-gems," said Gyftrot. There were more canned "ooh"s at that.

"Singing together," said Shyren.

"BELY RUBS!" said Temmie. Frisk rubbed his face.

"Baka . . . Walking by the river?" said Tsunderplane. Frisk heard a husky chuckle from the last voice.

"You, me and satin sheets . . ." Frisk started at that one.

"Ooohh! Spicey!" said Mettaton.

"Hey! Wait a minute!" protested Tsunderplane. "What makes you think the baka's going to go with you, huh?!" There was a quiet, but satisfied chuckle from the husky voice.

"A woman over a girl, that's what," was the reply.

"Don't count your victories early, ladies. Everyone knows that real men prefer fur . . ." said Gyftrot.

"oooh, he kis n hug Temmie!"

"Not on your life, pipsqueak!"

"And you're so sure he'll choose a bad-tempered fuselage?"

"You take that back, you big, clumsy-!"

"Aren't we here for love?" asked Shyren.

"Who asked you?!" While the argument got even more heated, and Mettaton intervened, Frisk took the opportunity to make himself scarce and headed into the Core as fast as his legs would go, only too glad to be out of there. His phone rang as he ran, and he answered it on the run.

"Hello?"

"Aw, it was just getting good . . ." said Alphys.

"Alphys! You mean you were watching this whole time, and didn't do anything?!"

"Um, well, it was so interesting, and I really wanted to see what happened." She gave an embarrassed laugh. Frisk groaned. "B-but, if it really comes down to it, I'll protect you from that big, dumb robot!"

"Like you did back there?" he joked. She gave another embarrassed chuckle and hung up.

Frisk passed through a few more rooms, and thankfully, he met no one else. It was silent and calm, save for the distant churning of the Core machinery, and that suited him just fine. He was able to recollect himself. Alphys called him, and he answered.

"You've been awfully quiet. Are you all right?" she asked. Frisk sighed gently.

"I suppose."

"Are you . . . worried about meeting Asgore?" she asked, sounding concerned. He closed his eyes.

"Among other things."

"W-well, don't worry! The king's a really nice guy! I'm sure, if you talk to him . . . and with your human soul, you can pass through the Barrier." Frisk frowned. He suddenly remembered about what he wanted to ask her.

"Hey, Alphys? Have you ever heard of . . ." he was stopped when there was a huge rumble, shaking the whole room. Large boulders fell from the ceiling, crashing down into the magma with a splash and flare of fire. When he looked down the phone read no service. He growled and hung up, putting the phone away. With a tired groan, he took the elevator up to the next floor. He came out, and saw what was easily one of the oddest monsters he had ever seen yet, and that was saying a lot.

She had pale violet skin, and was dressed in pink clothes. She quite clearly was a spider-monster, given her fangs, multiple eyes, many arms and other things. She was tending a booth that had several baked goods on it. He blinked and looked at them.

"Welcome to our parlor, dearie," she said in a sing-song voice. Interested in some spider pastries? All proceeds go to real spiders!" she asked. He looked at the price, and winced. Ten-thousand gold? Frisk frowned as he checked his wallet.

"Sorry, I don't have near enough. But I hope your sale is a success!" She watched him go, eyes keen and knowing.

Frisk came to another room with many steam vents. Alphys called.

"Sorry, the signal must've got cut off. Like the first room, this one needs you to solve the puzzles to the north and south to open the door." Frisk smiled and nodded.

"Right. Thanks."

"Glad to help. Um, I don't like giving away puzzle solutions, but if you need, just ask." Frisk smiled at this.

"Unless I risk getting my head cut off, I will try and solve them myself," he replied with a light chuckle.

"Oh, I know! Let's be friends on UnderNet! That way, you can just ping me when you need help!"

"You already signed me up," he pointed out. She stopped.

"Oh . . . You're right . . .T-that means that . . . you've been reading my posts this whole time, right?" Frisk couldn't help a giggle and nod. "W-well, I hope you agree with me! About Mew Mew 2, I mean!" Frisk chuckled.

"I haven't even seen the first one, so I am in no place to judge." She gasped, as if he had committed some sin.

"Never seen it?! You don't know what you're missing!" She hung up, making him smile.

Frisk made his way to the north puzzle, and while it was more difficult than the others, and he had only one shot, he managed to solve it. Upon exiting, he heard some young monsters commenting on Mettaton's shows.

"Man, did you see that last show? It rocked! That human looked so real!"

"Yeah, and I loved how Mettaton posed so dramatically when things looked down!" Frisk chuckled and continued on.

He was almost at the door for the next puzzle, when Alphys called him up.

"Hey, this doesn't really have anything to do with guiding you, but . . . do you like anime?" Frisk stopped. He hadn't watched anything like that in a long time.

"Um, well, I'm not really up-to-date on all that stuff. The last anime I ever watched was . . . uh, I think it was Record of Lodoss War," he said as he tried to recall. There was a shocked gasp from the other side.

"Oh my gosh! That's so old! Well, um, how would you like to, sometime, watch a new anime with me? It's um, called Mew Mew Kissy Cutie." She sounded more nervous than he had ever heard. He smiled gently.

"Well, this kind of takes priority, but if things go well, I don't see why not?"

"Oh, I know you'll like it!" She sounded excited. Frisk smiled as he hung up. As he backtracked to find the unlocked door, he thought on the monsters he had met, and how he had changed, being down in their crazy world. It was as if they had wiped away the surface of falsehood he had made his mask to hide behind, and revealed a person hidden there he had forgotten had ever existed. When was the last time he smiled? Or laughed before he came to the Underground? How had they done that?

Frisk was so lost in thought, he didn't notice where he was until he heard a giggle.

"Did you hear what they just said?" asked a voice. He glanced up in the dark room, filled with cobwebs. "They said a human wearing a striped shirt will come through." Frisk glanced around, hearing the giggle echo and bounce around. "I heard they hate spiders, and like to stomp on them and burn them." He looked around as he heard the voice again, and the floor felt different. It felt spongy and bouncy. "I heard . . ." Frisk whirled at the voice near his ear, and stifled a yelp when he saw the spider-monster from before, hanging upside down in front of him, grinning. "That they're awfully stingy with their money." She dropped onto a web, which he realized he was also standing on. "Oh? Too refined to buy our pastries? What a shame! Think you tastes are too high for our humble treats? I disagree. You taste is exactly what this next batch needs!" Frisk knew he was in trouble when strings of webbing snapped up and onto his shoulders.

"I don't hate spiders at all. I bought some of your fare in the Ruins," he said.

"Liar," she hissed as the spiders gathered. Frisk quickly reached into his bag, and pulled out the spider doughnut.

"See?" She looked surprised.

"Huh? Where did you get that?" He smiled and took a bite. It was actually very good. Tasted like blueberry icing, with a creamy filling inside.

"See? And they taste good." To his surprise, she looked angry.

"You . . . you must've stolen it! Oooh! I'll show you what we do to thieves!" Frisk glanced around as several more spiders arrived, including one big one. This was very bad.

As he was about to ready for more trouble, one tiny spider came up, holding a piece of paper. She looked surprised at this. "Huh? A telegram? From the spiders in the Ruins?" She picked it up and read it. Her eyes widened as she read it. "Huh?! They're saying that they saw you, and that you donated to their cause! Oh my! This has all been a big misunderstanding!" Frisk was relieved when the webs dropped away. "I thought you were someone who hates spiders. The person who asked for that soul, they must've been talking about a different human in a striped shirt! Sorry for all the trouble!" she giggled in an embarrassed tone. Frisk sighed and dusted himself off.

"Quite all right, but might I inquire as to who was it that said I hate spiders, and wanted my soul?"

"Oh, dear, I can't remember their name, but I remember they were rather rectangular . . ." Frisk sighed.

"Mettaton."

"Yes, I believe that was his name! I'm terribly sorry. If I see that person again, I'll introduce him to my pet!" The large spider growled as it crawled back to the shadows. Muffet was about to leave when Frisk stopped her.

"Wait! You can make it up to me with this; Have you heard of the Mirror of Elde?" Frisk asked. She put her hands to her chin and thought.

"I have heard something about a strange mirror in the King's castle, but that's all. Sorry I can't help more," she giggled in that high-pitched tone. Frisk nodded.

"Thank you, that does help."

"Any time, dearie!" he left quickly, not out of fear, but with energy. He now knew, with almost certainty that the Mirror of Elde was in Asgore's castle, and that Mettaton has far more of a menace than he thought.

Frisk saw a poster of a stage performance that Mettaton was putting on, but walked past. He had little doubt they were going to meet again.

"Welcome, beauties!" Who called it? Frisk looked up as Mettaton appeared in coveralls with a saw, hammer and a god-awful plaid shirt. "Welcome, one and all, to Home Repairs and Inventions by Mettaton! Today, we've got some big surprises in store. But first, let's get a big round of applause for my lovely assistant here!" More canned applause was heard, and Frisk groaned softly. Was he ever going to run out of show ideas? Mettaton wheeled over and put his hands on his sides. "We've got some great projects in store for you tonight! Now, grab your hammers and nails, because we're about to begin! Our first project is . . . a trapdoor!" Before Frisk could move, Mettaton pressed a button on his front, snapping open the door Frisk was standing on, sending him plummeting into the dark below. Frisk managed to get a choice swear out as he fell. "Censors, darling!" Mettaton called. Frisk thankfully fell a short distance. He felt stupid for falling for the oldest trick in the book. He looked around, and saw a conveyer belt, and none other than Mettaton, floating above him.

"Ah, dropping in, are we, darling? Well, you're going to like this bit! This, is the colored tile maze!" Frisk stared, and sure enough, was a maze of colored tiles, just like Papyrus had tried to use, so long ago. "Each tile has its own sadistic function. Green tiles summon a monster you must fight, for example, and red tiles . . . wait, you're already familiar with this puzzle, aren't you?" Frisk tried to recall the rules Papyrus had said. "Well, in that case, no need for me to go over it all again. And, since you've already faced this before, I'm sure, as a seasoned veteran of dastardly puzzle-solving, you'll solve this in record time! Let's say, thirty seconds?" Frisk stared as huge walls of flames flared to life. "Oh, and if you fail to solve it within thirty seconds, you get burned to a crisp! Happy trails, darling!" To say that Frisk moved quick was an understatement, and there were enough choice swears that he was sure, had Toriel heard even half of them, she'd have washed his mouth out.

"Ah, you son of a-!" Frisk darted across the board, dodging piranhas, electrified and slippery tiles, all the while keeping his eyes on the flames. As it was, Frisk managed to get to the other side with only a single second to spare.

"My, my! You actually solved it! I'm very impressed! But, darling, you do remember what happens when you step on a green tile, don't you?" Frisk stared and tried to recall. He had been too busy rushing and trying to keep from getting zapped, eaten and torched that he hadn't paid too much attention to where his feet or hands were. Mettaton laughed darkly. "They sound a tone, that means you have to fight a monster . . . And that monster . . . is me!" Mettaton flew down and attacked, Frisk diving out of the way as he landed. "This is the end! Say goodbye, darling!" Frisk glared, just as his phone rang. He answered it.

"I know this looks bad, but I prepared for just such an occasion! There's one last thing I installed on your phone! You see that yellow button? Press it!" Frisk did, and was surprised when a barrel extended out from the phone. "A blaster function!" Frisk stared at the phone, which was now a weapon. "Now, let him have it!" Frisk aimed and fired. The yellow bolt hit Mettaton dead-center, the round crackling and hissing across his front.

"Ooooh! Ah! Curses! Defeated again! How can this be? You must be stronger than I thought!" Mettaton rocketed away. Frisk sighed as the phone returned to normal. Alphys called a second later.

"Wow! Y-you beat him! You did a really great job out there!" Frisk smiled.

"Thanks to you."

"Ah, y-yeah! When we both work together, there's nothing we can't do!" Frisk smiled at her words. She sounded hesitant about something.

"Something on your mind?" he asked.

"Um, this might sound strange, but b-before I met you, I d-didn't . . . I didn't really like myself very much." Frisk sighed. How familiar that sounded. "For a long time, I felt like a total screw-up. Like I couldn't do anything without . . ."

"Without making a botch of it and letting people down," Frisk finished. She sounded surprised.

"H-how did you-?"

"Alphys, we all have our shortcomings and problems. Nobody's perfect, never will be. But, we can't be dragged down by our failures. All we can do is learn from them, and try our best not to repeat them." Alphys was silent.

"I . . . You're right! And . . . guiding you, has made me see I can do something right!" Frisk smiled sadly at her words.

"Alphys, you do a lot of things right." She seemed shocked at this. "I may have not known you long, but you certainly are dedicated, and you never give up. You search diligently for a solution, and you almost always find it. That's always an admirable trait. You also can plan ahead, and you do a fine job of that, very obviously."

"I-I-I . . . um, er. T-thank you, Frisk." He smiled. It was the first time she called him by his name.

"You're welcome, Dr. Alphys."

"Uh, you're almost to the Core. Keep at it. It's just past MTT Resort," she said before hanging up. Frisk took the stairs up, and found himself looking up at a large resort building. As he headed up the stairs, he saw the two Royal Guards from earlier, standing by a rabbit monster who was selling ice cream. They glanced up and waved.

"Thanks, dude!" they called. Frisk smiled and waved back as he headed up the stairs to the resort.

Frisk thought MTT Resort looked more like the resorts and casinos around Las Vegas than something from the Underground. Bright neon lights proudly stood above the door, and no surprise they showed Mettaton's likeness in glowing orange. Frisk shook his head. He was about to head inside, when he saw a cardboard sign. He looked at the letters in marker, directing towards the alley next to the resort. "Great Deals" is what it read. He glanced at the alley, and couldn't see what harm it would do to have a look. Frisk followed the spray-painted arrows into the alley.

"Omigawd! Catty, we got a customer!" shouted a female voice. Frisk blinked as a light came on, and he saw who was in the alley with him.

The one who was talking was a tall, green alligator, with blonde hair and wearing a pink shawl. The way she talked was energetic and bubbly, as was the way she moved.

"Coming, Bratty!" came the other voice. He saw a purple cat monster come out from behind a dumpster. She was dressed in denim overalls, had black hair and golden eyes.

"Like, check it out!" they chorused in unison.

"We've got, like, some great stuff for sale!" said Bratty, the alligator.

"Yeah, we totally got great deals!" said Catty. Frisk smiled. They had a friendly energy to them.

"Very nice to meet you, Ladies." They both giggled.

"Aw, you're, like, such a total cutie!" said Bratty. Frisk tried not to let his cheeks heat up too much. Catty giggled as she motioned to a table.

"So, like, see what we got."

"Yeah, the stuff inside is, like totally wicked expensive," said Bratty.

"And our stuff is, like, wicked cheap!" Frisk saw it was all recycled goods. While others might be put off, he smiled.

"Ah, recycled and repurposed. What a good idea. Something doesn't have to be new to still be useful." They both giggled again.

"Yeah! He, like, totally gets it!" said Bratty. Frisk saw a slightly beat up First-Aid kit, but the contents looked in good shape. They had some food, and a few other things. Frisk bought some food from them, and he had little doubt they were right about it being cheaper than inside the resort. "Like, thanks, little guy! You totally made our day!" said Bratty. Frisk smiled.

"By the way, did you girls know you can recycle copper wire and pipe?" They both stared at him.

"Like, no way! What would you do with it?" asked Catty. Frisk smiled.

"You can make pretty jewelry out of it, for starters." Their eyes got huge. Bratty scooped him up and hugged him tight.

"That's, like, the most totally wicked idea, ever!" Bratty almost sang as she whirled around with Frisk's face held against her chest.

"Yeah! We'd make a fortune!" said Catty. Frisk couldn't help a smile as the girls danced around at the idea. Frisk gave them some ideas on what to make, and how. As it was, they had most everything they needed. Bratty was dancing around, her tail swaying.

"Thanks! That's, like, so rad of you!" said Bratty, looking giddy. Frisk smiled.

"Glad to help. By the way, have either of you girls heard of the Mirror of Elde?" he asked. They stopped and looked thoughtful.

"Umm, like, not really? Is it a good mirror?" Catty asked.

"Is it, like, a super-premium Hollywood mirror?" They both giggled. Frisk smiled and shook his head.

"No. But, thanks." They smiled and waved as he left.

"Like, come back any time!" they called. Frisk smiled as he rounded the corner, and was a bit surprised to see Sans there, waiting for him.

"Hey, buddo. Long time, no see. I heard you were heading to the Core. Come on and have a bite with me." Frisk crossed his arms and smiled.

"Not sure, I think you'd be too dry." Sans laughed and motioned for him to follow. Frisk followed Sans around the other side of the resort to a cafe that was currently unoccupied. They sat down at a table that had a single candle burning at it. "So, is Undyne settling in well?" Frisk asked. Sans grinned.

"Yeah, but I think she's a little-"

"Out of water?" Sans laughed, harder this time.

"You know, kid, you're one of the few who really likes my jokes." Frisk smiled. Sans' puns had grown on him a bit. Sans smiled, looking lost in thought, something Frisk didn't see often. "So, your journey's almost over . . ." Frisk saw an odd look from Sans. He looked a bit, sad? Depressed? He couldn't quite peg his emotions. "You must be looking forward to getting out of here, huh? Going home." Frisk sighed. He wanted to go back to Toriel, he really did.

"It's complicated, Sans. Lots of things in life are. But, I also want to free all you guys." Sans stared at him for a while.

" . . . What if you can't?" Frisk leaned back in his chair, watching shadows dance on the walls. "Ah, forget it," Sans said with a grin. "I'm rootin' for ya, kid." Frisk smiled gently at this. Sans watched as Frisk got to his feet. "Let me tell you a story," Sans began. Frisk stopped and looked at him. "So, I'm a sentry and Snowdin Forest, right?" Frisk nodded. "I sit out there and watch for humans. It's kind of boring, really. Fortunately, deep in the forest, there's this huge locked door." Frisk stopped and stared at him silently, recalling exiting the Ruins. "Perfect for practicing knock-knock jokes." Frisk sat back down and listened. Sans grinned, hands in his pockets. "So, one day, I'm knockin' 'em out like usual. I knock on the door, and say 'knock, knock', and suddenly, from the other side I hear a woman's voice." Frisk sat up and took notice of this. "And she says "Who's there?". So, I respond "dishes". "Dishes who?" "Dishes a really bad joke."." Frisk couldn't help a soft grin at this. Sans was smiling. "She's just howling with laughter from that one. Like it's the best joke she's heard in a hundred years. I kid you not." Frisk chuckled at the double-joke.

"Very funny," he replied, amused. Sans grinned and continued.

"So, I keep 'em coming and she keeps laughing. She's the best audience I've ever had. Then, after a dozen or so, she knocks. "Knock, knock." "Who's there?" "Old lady!"." Sans was really grinning now. "So I say "Old lady who?" "Ah, I didn't know you could yodel!"." Frisk laughed at this. Sans was almost beaming now. "Needless to say, this lady was really good! We kept telling jokes and laughing for hours and hours. I had to leave eventually, but she told me to come by again. So, I did." Frisk could feel the energy Sans had as he told the tale, and could see how happy it made the skeleton. "It's a thing, now, us telling knock-knock jokes out in the woods. Bad ones, too. It rules." Frisk smiled. Sans looked away. Frisk just sat, silent, letting his friend tell the tale.

The skeleton was silent for several long moments. He looked back up, and his smile had slipped somewhat. "One day, I notice she isn't laughing as much. Heck, I hardly got a chuckle out of her. I asked her what was wrong. Then, she said something strange: "If a human ever comes through this door, could you please promise me something? Watch over them and protect them, will you not?"." Frisk stared at Sans. Any doubts he had as to who Sans was talking to had been firmly erased. "Now, I hate making promises, and I don't even know this lady's name. But, somebody who sincerely like jokes as bad as mine has an integrity you just can't say no to. Ya dig?" Frisk stared at him as Sans was silent once more, letting everything sink in.

"Thank you, Sans." The skeleton looked up at him. "Without your help-"

"You'd be dead where you stand," said Sans, but not without humor, but there was true warning there. Frisk sighed gently and nodded. Sans was silent again, as if contemplating something.

"I have a hard time making friends . . ." Sans looked up at this. Frisk was watching the shadows on the walls. "I'm . . . so strange. I have a hard time connecting with people. And . . . when you've seen some of the things I have . . ." Frisk shook his head ruefully. "I was cold, detached. I stopped feeling anything. Worst of all, I stopped being able to trust." Frisk looked at Sans, and, for the first time, Sans really saw what was behind those blue eyes. They looked tired, worn. Old. Frisk smiled without humor, looking at the table. "That's no way to live. Heck, it's not life, just existing." He looked back up, and his eyes had that spark of Determination again. "But, helping the monsters, getting to know them. Making friends . . ." He smiled, and it was genuine, now. Frisk stood up from the table, hands in his pockets, almost mirroring Sans. "Maybe, just maybe, instead of me saving you . . . you all have saved me." Sans was silent as he watched Frisk leave.

Author's note: Sorry for the longer wait, but life was hectic. Read, review, and enjoy!