His metal hands rubbed against the steering wheel. Mettaton took one glance at you from the corner of his eye then turned on soft music. It did little to ease your nerves. His pink shoulder pads were throw off to the back like he'd usually do if he was out "showing off the merchandise." But, no, this time he just wanted to fit in the car. You traced the rings of his metal arms with your eyes. His soft curls swayed as he peered at the gas station. It suddenly occurred to you that you were lucky to be alive. Calvin's voice ringed in your mind repeatedly... His doll... yeah, right. As much as you hate to admit, it sent shivers down your spine. You wondered what your parents would think of all of this, but you couldn't bring yourself to care. Besides, they weren't in your life anymore. They broke contact with you a long time ago... Mettaton pulled the car into a parking space.

"Do you want anything?" Mettaton asked softly. You simply shook your head 'no.'
"Alright then, stay here."

He shut the door and went into the gas station, leaving you with your thoughts. Mettaton soon returned with a bag of chips and two waters for both of you.

"Where are we going?" You said quietly, watching the dreary green landscape flash by your window as he picked up speed. He had been driving for an hour. The chilly rain drizzled upon the windshield. Outside looked almost peaceful.

"We're going to a friend's of mine." You snuggled close into your seat. "Don't worry, darling, we'll be there in..."

The car jerked to a hault. You jolted awake. "M-Mettaton?" Your voice shook with fear.

"I'm right here, darling, don't worry," he reached a hand out to you but you flinched away. He retreated.

"S-Sorry...," you murmured in embarrassment.

"He really did a number on you, didn't he?"

That was the first time Mettaton spoke of Calvin since the incident. You looked away; the car hummed softly beneath you. You understood why Mettaton had to run away but... why didn't he just leave you? You could survive on your own... or so you hope. You didn't want him to break your heart, too.

"You could have left me. Why didn't you?"

"Y/N..." The robot ran a hand through his black hair. "Calvin was a gang member and they will kill you if they saw you. Plus, I wouldn't have left you in such a state..."

You stared blankly at him. He looked confused.

"You didn't know...?" Mettaton asked.

"No..."

"Everyone on the street knows, honey," he said quietly.

"That explains why he was away a lot...," you mumbled. Your eyes felt heavy, and a single teardrop landed in your lap. You looked away; you almost wished he left you there. You didn't care anymore. Life and death didn't affect you now, you've seen too many people die; it made you wonder what they felt. What relief they might have when the life in their eyes vanished. Maybe they didn't find relief, but your life had been a living hell. Maybe things will change..., a small voice in your head said.

In front of the car was a quaint, tall house with Christmas lights wrapped around it. It had a brown interior and looked like any ordinary house, which comforted you. Mettaton killed the engine, eyeing himself in the mirror.

"Honey, you're about to meet the city's most notorious skeletons." He smiled sadly at you and hopped out the car. You were dumbfounded; frankly, you thought he was joking. He opened your door and offered you a hand. You followed him onto the neat patio, stepping over wet puddles. MTT, I hope you don't get me killed, you thought skeptically. He rang the doorbell. No answer. He knocked a few times. There was some shuffling inside. The door creaked open.

"S-Sorry Mettaton, I was busy stitching Undyne," a short, yellow lizard wearing a lab coat greeted you at the door. She looked rather odd to you but in a refreshing way."Who might t-this be?" She eyed you carefully through her glasses.

"Oh, this is Y/N, darling," his robotic voice hummed cheerfully, "Where is Sans? I thought he was gonna be home today?"

"He didn't..," she said darkly. You could tell she wasn't too happy with this 'Sans' guy. "Come in."

You followed Mettaton into the house. The living room was very well-furnished with a large L-shaped gray couch with black and white pillows and a white coffee table. The walls were painted with multiple shades of black and white. There was an archway to what you assumed to be a kitchen and to the far side a hallway. It looked pretty modern, but cozy and the atmosphere set you at ease. You felt the knot in your shoulder loosen.

Mettaton sat on the couch, gesturing reassuringly to a spot beside him for you to sit. You joined him and the lizard sat across from you both on a gray chair. A comfortable silence fell upon the three of you.

"Oh, I'm sorry I d-didn't introduce myself!" The lizard blushed, "My name is Alphys," she extended a hand towards you. You reached over to shake it, smiling weakly.

"Y/N," you murmured. Your mind was still in a fog. Mettaton seemed to know this because he took control of the conversation.

"Alphys, we have terrible news...," he frowned, "My friend, here... they've been going through a tough situation." You were grateful that he didn't mention you were a prostitute. Alphys leaned in, studied your expression but didn't scrutinize your face for too long as he explained further.

"Long story short, their boyfriend tried to shoot me," Mettaton chuckled without humor, "Like the other guy did yesterday. Luckily, I used the bullet-guard you installed into my hands! But it ended up backfiring and...," he paused, sighing, "He's dead."

Alphys swallowed, fiddling with her fingers. She took a moment before saying, "D-Dead?! Mettaton, do you know what this means? The police will get involved and-"

"I know, Alphys," he blinked a few times, "Believe me, I know. If word got out that a robot killed a human... They'll have our heads on a silver platter! I didn't mean for this to happen..."

"I understand," she murmured. He looked absolutely defeated and a small twig of guilt scratched at the bottom of your heart. You couldn't bear to look at him or you'd break down in tears right there. Alphys continued, "The humans haven't designed a model - not even, a prototype - of a robot with artificial intelligence like you, Mettaton. They'll find out soon enough that monsters were behind this. We need to find a way to cover our tracks. Did anyone see you?"

"No, not that I'm aware of," he replied.

"What about you?" Alphys looked to you.

"I... can't remember...," you said. The guilt inside you grew stronger. You couldn't let them suffer the consequences of your actions. You had to leave. "Look, guys, I'm really sorry for all of this. This is some... real shit I got you guys into. I should just leave... I might even be able to turn myself into the police with minimal charges, say it was self defense, get back to-"

"Sweetie, don't be ridiculous!" Mettaton gasped. You were confused. "I can't allow you to do that to yourself. I saved you from a horrible situation, Y/N. I don't want to see that go to waste..."

"Y-You're right...," you frowned, "I feel so guilty though... this is all my fault..."

"Y/N, it's n-not your fault," Alphys murmured in sympathy. "We need to get through this together." You nodded in agreement, but you still felt like such a burden now. Mettaton didn't have to do this for you... but he did.

"Thank you, both," you looked down at your lap, wringing your hands. Mettaton patted your back.

"They didn't see anything, Alphys," he muttered, "They fell unconscious from on the site."

"I'm sorry, Y/N," she told you, "But, please, don't feel guilty..."

Silence fell over the room. You stopped the tears from spilling out your eyes, sniffing. Within a few minutes, you regained your composure, looking up to see a concerned Mettaton and Alphys. You swallowed. You had to get yourself together. After a moment, Alphys broke the silence.

"So, I guess you know by now that we're a little d-different from the other monsters..," she said thoughtfully. You looked to Mettaton for an explanation.

"Indeed," he crossed his legs, eyeing you, "We are not your ordinary monsters, darling. In fact, we were the first to get to the surface and thus became the ambassadors from the Underground. Alphys, here," he gestured to her, "was our Royal Scientist... until those lousy humans disregarded her credentials she has worked so hard to earn!" Mettaton flipped his hair with a dramatic huff. You frowned.

"I-It's okay," Alphys said, smiling at you, "I still conduct experiments… but, u-um unlawfully now…" She shrugged.

"That's what we've had to resort to…," Mettaton murmured. His eyes shifted with uncharacteristic remorse. He set his gaze upon you like a predator, smiling with gleaming teeth. For the first time, he actually looked pretty intimidating and... scary. You shivered. "Of course, you wouldn't jeopardize that, would you?"

Cold silence. You held your breath. Alphys stared wide-eyed at Mettaton, blinking in surprise. Breath, you told yourself. You finally found someone - or something that was outcast, like you. Whatever it was, it was bigger than yourself. You straightened your back and looked Mettaton dead in the eye.

"No. Not at all. If I've learned anything, it's that humanity can't be trusted. I've been let down more times than I can count," your voice was surprisingly strong, "Mettaton, Alphys... you can trust me. I won't ever betray you."

A bead of sweat fell upon your brow – Alphys seemed pretty heated as well. She scratched her hand nervously, looking from you to Mettaton and back. Finally, he closed his eyes and opened them again, his eyes shimmering with pride.

"Good." Mettaton smirked, saying casually, "Welcome to the Delta Rune Mafia, darling."

Your blinked in surprise. You didn't pin Mettaton as one to engage in gang activities. What had you gotten yourself into?

"I, um, k-know what you're thinking, Y/N," Alphys got your attention, "I'm not exactly a m-member myself, but…," Alphys fiddled with her lab coat. "The monster mafia is very merciful. It certainly is reassuring that you will keep our secret. Mettaton knows more about it than me." She gently stood from her chair. "I will return shortly." She nodded to you and disappeared into the hallway.

"Way to ditch a robot," you heard Mettaton mutter under his breath. He quickly composed himself.

You fidgeted. You were frightened, but incredibly curious. "A mafia?"

"Yes. A mafia." The robot sighed in slight annoyance, "But we're more of a… family than anything. You'll get to know us all soon enough. Now," he bounced to his feet, hands on his hips, raising his voice loudly, "You hungry for some fish?"

An angry fishwoman (?) burst into the room. "I HEARD THAT YOU SICK FU…" She stopped talking as soon as she laid eyes on you.

"Oh. Hey. WE HAVE A GUEST?!" She grinned like a maniac, pulling you into her arms. You stiffened. She looked like a mental patient, wearing only a thin robe. She tightly held on to what looked like a magic, blue spear. Her fiery red ponytail waved in jubilation. "Who's this little sinner?"

"Undyne, get back here!" Alphys scurried over to her.

"As always, Undyne, you are so unbecoming in front of our guest," Mettaton remarked. The strong woman dropped you.

"Hey, at least I didn't bust through the wall like last time," Undyne scoffed. She pointed a thumb towards you. "So what's the kid's name?"

"Y/N," you spoke. All eyes turned towards you. The room got unbearably silent.

"Don't worry, Y/N, we don't bite - MUCH!" Undyne broke the silence and licked her teeth as if she knew what you were thinking. You flinched and she only laughed. "Let's get 'em filled up, MTT. Er, but not with fish…"

Mettaton rolled his eyes and Alphys tried to hold back a snicker. You stared at the blood clotting along the gauze on Undyne's stomach. It was apparent that she had been sleeping; she was totally rocking the bed-head hairstyle. Alphys seemed to notice her wound as well.

"You need to let me finish s-stitching you up." Alphys frowned, crossing her arms. "You should have stayed asleep." She eyed Mettaton with annoyance and he just shrug. She huffed. Undyne sighed, but reluctantly agreed.

"Alright, doc, but be gentle on me!" She rolled her eyes, plopping down on the couch, "Work your stuff."

Alphys groaned and put her hands on her hips, pointing towards the hallway. Undyne ignored her gesture and just eyed her with mock confusion. The two engaged in an argument of who-knows-best-for-who's-health. Mettaton sighed and left to go into the kitchen; you quickly followed him. Undyne was pretty entertaining but too loud at the moment. The kitchen appeared to be well-furbished as well – it had granite counter tops, tan tile walls, and an assortment of cooking utensils. It looked fit for a group of college kids. Mettatton rummaged through the pantry and cabinets until he found all the ingredients he needed.

"Does spaghetti sound good to you?" He paused midway.

"Sure, can I help make it?"

"Of course, darling." He filled a large pot with water and set it to boil while you took tomato sauce and hamburger meat to sizzle on a pan. You heated up the stove, watching the red sauce pour onto the flat surface. It reminded you of all that blood...

"Mhm… Papyrus would love to be here right now. He really loves spaghetti…" Mettaton said, almost to himself. Thankfully, it distracted you for your thoughts. "Too bad he didn't have a good teacher to show him how to make it properly..." He flicked his black locks and leaned down to your height to murmur, "Between you and me... Undyne really needs to stick to her battle skills."

"HEY! I heard that MTT you littl- FUCK!" The warrior hissed.

"Stay still, then it wouldn't h-hurt so much! And n-no cursing!"

"Alphys, go fuck yourself." smack! "Ow! What the hell?!" smack!

The two continued their insistent banter. You and Mettaton could only roll your eyes and laugh. It almost seemed... normal. To be cooking spaghetti, hearing two people fight like siblings... You were almost happy. You stirred the mixture of meat and sauce as it warmed up while Mettaton stirred the noodles into the boiling water.

"I actually really miss him," the robot murmured. You looked up at him and caught a hint of longing in his eyes. You didn't know who this 'Papyrus' was, but you gauged he was pretty important to the mafia.

"Who is he?" You couldn't help but ask. Mettaton had a pensive look on his face.

"Well, Sans is the Mafia's leader and Papyrus is his brother... They"ve been gone for a few weeks now on some 'mission," he explained. He poured the noodles into a drainer over the sink. "They're complete opposites though, but they watch out for eachother."

"Heh, that kinda reminds me of…" You blinked. Of Calvin and his brother, Clyde..., you thought. No, you can't think of him anymore. Those memories were too painful... too useless. You need to move on. You have to forget him.

"Honey, what's wrong?" Mettaton noticed the change in mood, "Is it about-"

"Yeah and I don't want to talk about it," you snapped. He stayed quiet. A few seconds passed.

"I'm sorry, MTT," you apologized, "I didn't mean to snap at you like that. I just wish I could forget about him… like he never existed…"

He nodded, placing a hand to his chin in thought, "I can understand that. But your past is what makes you a stronger person, darling. You know... I would never wish to forget my time in the Underground... I want it back more than anything, really..."

"I…," you swallowed back your tears, "I thought that the world I lived in must be better than the world monsters lived in. But maybe I was wrong…" You mixed the sauce in with the noodles. You turned away from him. You didn't want him to see you cry. "C-Calvin had a little brother that looked just like him. But he was so sweet and innocent... He was the only one who could bring any good out of him..."

You wiped the lingering tears out your eyes, staring off into space. He quickly grabbed a paper towel for you to wipe the streaks tumbling down your cheeks. You sobbed... hard. You wished you'd never met Calvin. That you had never fallen in love with someone who'd become your tormentor. Somehow, his death meant little to you... it didn't set you free, it just reminded you of how fucked up you were inside. Of how many people you lost and many more may still loose for your stupid mistakes. Mettaton's cool metal arms held you in place as your body racked with desolation. Once you were done shedding all the tears you could shed, he squeezed your hand and led you into the dining room to set the table for your new friends.