And. He. Will. Shatter. It.
Dark.
Darker.
Yet Darker.
Pain.
Barks.
His face was in the dirt, the origin of the pain was in his leg. Something was raining on him. Quite interesting. Curiously he picked a piece that what fall by his face, the white piece of... bone. A Gaster blaster bone piece. How fascinating.
His leg was still in piercing pain. He didnt felt any other part of his body. Head shifted he saw the source of the pain. Wing was biting into his leg, the blood flowing between his teeth. Ding was barking at something...up?
The shadow cast over him disappeared, the magic bones fragments vanishing.
"I'm fine." He spoke to the blaster attempting to raise up on his hands. Not a thing he should have done, in hindsight. Forcing his movements he felt his magic. Magic he drained beyond the borders of his own being. His soul strained and his mind filled with the sound of cracking.
The pain intensified, he felt teeth scratching against his bone.
He refused.
He felt his heartbeat, the sensation of soul slipping from his mind. The feeling of magic gone. He took several deep breaths to make the body work.
"Let go." The dog whimpered at the near echoing sound of his voice and let the leg go. He propped himself against the wall of the anomaly. His sweeter soon used as a makeshift bandage to stop the bleeding. His hands were still shaking.
"Fetch me my bag." He said, and both dogs went to do the order. Even thougth Wing was keeping his distance. He didnt pay them any attention, instead he pulled the soul scanner. He confirmed what he sensed. The red determination was pulsing as if its was alive, and the soul embedded in it... it was in more shards then ever. On the good side, he didnt detect any shards that have dusted.
"... A research topic: How small can soul shards get before its dust?"
It was quite a curious question maybe it could become as small as sand. Or small like a snowflakes. It would be sad if the snow melted, thougth. Especially unfortunate it would be towards snowman... and his human physique was influencing his mind, right? He was not in the best condition.
Glancing into the anomaly he confirmed that everyone was gone, and the light was matching the light of its surroundings. "WingDings. Its extremely interesting what just happened. Especially the way determination felt making me that much stronger. Strong enough to pull magic into mine bones and ... really was Gaster blasting the anomaly, didnt I? Whats boning on?"
A hollow chuckle echoed as he rested his head in one palm."Boning, because of bone... and skull...hehe" He nearly felt giddy like a child that he used his magic, sure he didnt have any magic reserves to spare, and when he used the attack and he started burning his soul away, and if he didnt stop when he did he would have turned his soul into dust. Would the human body turn to dust or simple be a corpse? ... But he was capable of magic. His magic.
A small hope was glowing in him.
"...Wing, you did well. Thank you." He softly added beckoning the dogs towards him. Giving each a pet with shaking hands, the pain of the bite interrupted the concentration he would have needed to keep his attack going. He really wanted to pour over the data he had and sort what just happened out... but he did had a bleeding leg and all of his body felt like it was put in a oven in hotlands and then thrown in a ice lake.
"A compromise, I will only collect the data now and not the equipment and bring it with me. Then take care of the wound and while I recover I will pour over what I have. "
He did exactly that, using a branch as walking help he made his way back to the town. The closer he was getting the more tired he felt and the more his mind was brimming with questions and solutions ideas, as well as puns and words that sounded funny. It was like having a skull full of angry bees.
"Gaster, my boy what happened!" Old mans voice cut the buzzing down enough for him to smile back at the worried man.
"Nothing really. I am fine." He answered but allowed the man to usher him to a sitting position.
"That a horrible looking bite." The man said after he undid the sweater bandage. "Did your dog do that?"
He nodded, there was darkness crawling around the edges of his vision and he pulled the bag closer against his chest. Protecting it. Couldnt allow anyone seeing it. He wouldnt be of help for the peace between humans and monsters if he ends up as lab rat to power hungry individuals... His king really liked giving him work.
"...thinking about putting them down."
"No!" Gaster snapped, surprising the old man with the sudden energy he showed. "They saved my life. Wing didnt do anything wrong. It was my fault."
"Then while we wait for the ambulance tell me son, what happened on top of mount Ebott?"
For several moments Gaster felt like the old man wasnt speaking about the bite he had but something completely different. He didnt break eye contact as he answered the human.
"Joseph... I tripped, he bit me to save me. "
There was a heavy silence between him and the old man while they waited for the doctor to arrive. He needed stitches and strict bed rest. His leg bone was cracked and Gaster resisted to bet with the doctor that if they took a head to toe x-ray scan they may find a lot more cracked bones. He sure felt like there was at least 40 bones cracked.
He slept like a rock that night. The aching reminded him of a childhood memory. A time when he was trained how to use his magic. The snake like monster with silk voice telling him again and again if he was to be worthy to stand by their prince side he will have to know how to protect himself in a fight. Throwing him against the wall, when his bones were lazily made. Making him stand up and do it all over again and again, day and night and day and again until he mastered his magic.
The bone constructs plentiful across the field in front of him and beautifully shining against the full moon gentle light. The final step several floating skull blaster, howling at the moon dancing around each other as concentrated magic was fired up and towards the moon. "Those are beautiful!" The prince voice startling the skeleton, but the control of his magic never losing.
The following day, Joseph made spaghetti and tried to hold a conversation with him. Gaster put himself on autopilot, trying not to let any emotion rip away his control. In the night he started to work, once he made sure the grandpa was deep asleep. The blasters were sleeping in the garden.
He started his examination from the beginning.
" Report E-15: The barrier was really down. " His voice dictating, to make his thoughts clearer as well as to one day show it to his king or maybe let his followers pour over his findings.
"I have ground to believe that since the appearance of the anomaly the barrier has been broken more or less regularly. Each time it is taken down the instruments show an increase of magic in the surrounding air. The concentration of magic are becoming lower the further away from the mountain one gets. The weakest traces I have detected are in the outer rings of town. If this repeats often enough I project that the traces of magic may be found across all of the nearby region.
I will stop my research on breaking of the barrier. To save time and resources. It is evidently that the huma-...child Frisk has to do something with its success.
My focus will turn onto the following three subjects.
Number one. Undoing the anomaly, preferable in the moments when the barrier is down as well.
Number two. Understanding what occurs in the underground.
Number three. Do the groundwork so peace between humans and monsters is attainable.
As the royal scientist its still my duty to help in any way possible to free them and follow the wishes of the king, so number one and three are obvious. As for number two... In re watching of the camera material, I have spotted unusual behavior.
Sans did not try to short cut to the bottom of mount Ebott. Instead he was recorded to get out the view of others and lay down watching the sky. That behavior would not attract my attention if it was not to the fact he counted down till the moment the anomaly activated, indicating knowledge about not only existence but it behavior. Two moments before it activated he reacted as well. He looked surprised and turned his head in the direction where my Gaster blaster hit the anomaly wall.
He was always more sensitive to changes in magic around him and he may felt some of the magic leaking back thought the walls of the anomaly. This has to be further explored, a possible method of communication?
Papyrus was wearing a strange armor. It did not appear to be made for protection as his spine and neck were exposed... It did make him look quite cool, which is befitting for the great Papyrus. Especially the scarf and gloves were an excellent touch..." A cough of embarrassment filled the recording tape for a few moments. "What I was saying was beside the attire there was an unusual expression of hopping for Frisk to do, or perhaps not to do something?
Frisk, beside the fact that they want to be adopted by Toriel, which I will have to look into and make sure the social workers do not cause any problems to them, appeared to feel guilty. If they do or do not remember is yet to see. The wide range soul scan is not a method that guarantee exact results. But in this case I am confident enough to say Frisk soul is red, and they have a lot of determination.
My expectation from understanding of the happenings in Underground, are to form a theory that would explain the behavior of the determination keeping my soul together. As for now, I need to further recover before I continue observing this events in person. Recordings will have to be enough."
He limped to the kitchen where he warmed up the leftover spaghetti as a midnight snack. Spotting a bottle of ketchup he smiled at it. Seeing both of them was straining. He missed them so much. Would they recognize him if they saw him like this? So human?
A few days passed Gaster was working on a idea for Jeremy. It was big like he wanted it. Hopefully it would be enough for the man not to question him. Performing calculation in his mind he was nodding politly to the chatting Joseph was doing. The old man become so much more talkative since he got bitten. He preferred it before, when the man didnt want to say two words at once.
"...hearing monsters talk."
Gaster head snapped up, numbers jumbling up into a mess, his hands indicated what and repeat that please. The grandpa just kept on going.
"Our parents were furious that one night when they caught us. They would have skinned us alive if they knew where we were." Joseph laughed quite with mirth, while Gaster blinked a few more times. He surely misheard it.
"Monsters?" He tried to probe and bring the man back to the story he was telling.
"Yes, the monsters living under the surface of course."
He took a deep breath. "Of course...Didnt know monsters are real?" He phrased it as a question as good as he could. Joseph made a sound of annoyance.
"You young ones dont believe in them anymore, but let Grandpa Jo tell you... They are. They are as real as you and me. And they are under that mountain." Oh he didnt need confirmation that he was real. He didnt want to listen to Grandpa Jo any longer. He didnt want to hear the ramblings he was familiar from old people bashing on one group of other humans... how bad would it get with monsters?...
"I should be resting."
"...If they still are, that is where they would be." Joseph continued his thought and Gaster found himself unable to escape his curiosity. Licking his dry lips he tilted his head.
"Wouldnt we notice... if monsters were not in the Underground any longer?"
"You right, son. That surely would hit the news worldwide... Say do you know why they are under mount Ebott?"
Do not snap.
He slowly shock his head, taking measured breaths and keeping his polite smile in place. He knew exactly why they were sealed down there. He was there. He walked the path, he watched as the spell was being cast to hold them down there. A mercy and a prison. Slaughter or darkness of a cave.
"They once lived with us up here. But then a war started... and they lost. So seven families poured their souls into a spell to not allow them ever to leave." The man talked with a clear voice, as if he was telling a story he heard once long ago. Gaster stomach flipped, he remembered the hopeful voice of his king speaking of peace. It gave him determination to sit thought this. The man was not done, yet. "After that war humans had many more wars, sometimes doing unforgivable things to each other. Generation passed and the memory of the monsters slowly faded, becoming stuff of legends."
Interesting, Gaster mussed allowing detachment of a scientist to fill him and treat this as an experiment he was part of.
"I guess this town held onto the legends the longest. All of the old folks knows. Some of our children believe some do not. Our grandchildren... the young ones dont even know."
Silence settled, it was a uncomfortable silence demanding to be filled. "I see." Gaster opted to fill it with the small words.
"What do you think?" Joseph suddenly asked looking him directly in the eyes.
"Me?"
"Yes, what do you think about the monsters sealed underground."
"I..." I think its unfair, to walk by echo flowers and hear children whisper about their wonder if real stars look like the stones in ceiling. Having to constantly worry about resources, while keeping the hope up so monsters wouldnt fall down... Of course he couldnt say any of it. He assumed it was awaited he gives some form of affirmation to the man... Asgore wanted peace...
"The monsters on TV are quite scary..." He started, wanting to give a long winded opinion. Gently challenge the man. Hoping to talk him into a more favorable position towards monsters. He didnt await to be interrupted with the sound of a fist hitting the table. His body tensed and the memories of war still on his mind, made him look out for any signs of attack. he became hyper aware of the cracks on his bone, weaknesses he will have to cover and shield away.
"Liars, fake. That what media became this days. You cannot trust them at all..."Joseph calmed down, a sad look in his eyes. Gaster spine unwind a bit, still listening. "It was generation for them too, could be that no one from them remembers the war either." Not many did, but there were some who fought in the war, if one can even call it that, and some who were only children back then. "If a baby is born in jail, they are a free person, they can leave it and go out in the world... its just inhumane,to keep punishing their children childrens, you know son."
The man concluded, he looked quite helpless. Gaster couldnt stop himself as he pointed out with a scientist voice.
"But they are monsters, not humans..."
Again he was interrupted, this time by a half laugh from the human.
"Says the man who goes out his way to carry spiders out the house instead of stepping on them. " Gaster blinked, confusion his only emotion, unsure how that was relevant to anything they were just speaking about. It was too dangerous for those little ones to be in the house, because they could get unintentionally get stepped on. Joseph sadness retreated to show a genuine smile directed to him.
"Those old stories may be found in the archive of the town, but who cares about the history. Sorry son, that you had to endure a old man ramblings. You must be tired, let me help you out. You need rest."
And helped him, he did, it was even stranger. Joseph attitude changed somehow towards him and he wasnt exactly sure what changed or why? He talked more and was more helpful even decided to play with his blasters fetch. Gaster grew up with humans, believing he was human for a while and yet he still didnt get them at days like this.
If he went through history maybe he could make a plan how the peace would be possible? Joseph was napping and Gaster sneaked out the house. His leg not yet healed but he couldnt waste anymore days. He wanted to though the archives documents and put up the cameras back up so he could wait on the barrier to fall down again and to collect the recordings. Maybe it will happen faster this time, or slower?
The archive were... Dusty. He sat down and researched. Hours passed and he found nothing from actual interest. He was going for another box of old paper, his spine froze. Instincts of survival made him turn around ignoring the string in his leg, raising a roll of newspaper as if it was a valid protection.
"Sorry for startling you. I think this is what you are searching for."
Joseph.
Gaster lowered the yellowed newspaper and rubbed the bridge of his nose. He really has to finish with the past and let the war be behind him. He was about to take the book out the old man grasp but didnt. Stopping he looked up at him. Something wasnt adding up.
"...How would you know what I am searching for?"
"I am not sure if you are aware of it but...You are not behaving like a human, son." Joseph said as if he was apologizing for stating for something that was oblivious.
"Hehe, not sure what you mean I am hum-..."
Gaster started talking, yet again the old man interrupted him. He really liked doing that, it was highly annoying. His face twitched.
"Is that how you all left underground? Are you all pretending to be humans? That would be nice." The man smiled wide, nearly like a child. Gaster eye twitched again, more prominent this time. Why brother pretending now? He apparently didnt behave human enough, which he wasnt sure what it meant. What would be more human?
"No. No one is free. "
"Oh..."
"Oh?" He snorted crossing his arms over his chest. "Oh is right. If you find it oh so nice, for us to be free why didnt you do anything about it, mm? Help us out but no. We were left in the Underground. I had wondered quite often if the humans hoped for us to rot away there." The determination was pulsing in rhythm with his words.
"Then I dont understand..." The man said his browns furrowing having enough sense not to meet gasters biting gaze.
"What is that? "
"The river, have you not noticed? The river was starting to pollute. Thats why I moved back here. The river would carry things to the monsters underground... When it stopped... we thought that maybe you all were just free and thats why nothing vanished anymore..."
The anomaly. The anomaly didnt let material things cross. Some magic may be forced though, but nothing new. Because the time inside is simple on loop. Timelines starting and stopping. It wouldnt make sense new trash coming in the system. With no where to vanish how the man said, the trash simple started accumulating...He was silent and Joseph offered the book again.
"Everyone is still trapped." Gaster responded to the gesture, not moving an inch himself, aware his voice was carrying a echo in it.
"This is coming several centuries too late but... Sorry for what has been done to your kind."
"Sorry? You dont have any idea to who are you even speaking to grandpa Jo."
That made the grey haired man laugh emptily. "Neither do you... How about we introduce our self?" Not the reaction he awaited.
Not seeing exactly any more damage coming from it he nodded and started first. He found the sentence too interesting to pass on the offer. Was the human hinting there was something special about him? "I am dr. W.D. Gaster the royal scientist. I fought alongside my king in the war. Even with our own records being left vague I still have clear memories of all the dust that was left behind. And who are you?" Gaster was aware he was grinning wide, challenging the man to say something more shocking than what he did just now. A witness who didnt forget, someone the human believed had to be long dead.
Joseph took a deep breath. "I am a direct blood line from one of the most powerful mage who lived. One of the humans who created the seal to keep monsters in. One of the seven families. The last family blood line that survived across time. My mother was the last person able to perform magic, she gave up her power and by doing so the wards that warned humans and made them avoid the mount Ebott, weakened if not fully vanishing. Because of what she did a child got lost and never returned. My name is Joseph, nice making your acquaintance dr. Gaster."
He wanted to take a nap, right about now. Preferable a nap that would last for a long time.
"Does... does Dave know about...this?" He waved his hand trying point at what was told to him.
"My grandson? No, he has no idea. Probably doesnt even know the story. Why is that your first question?"
"... Because it started because of him. "
"Have you considered it being fate?" Joseph told him, while he was trying to see how from all billions of humans on this planet his memory gets jogged by the one person whose ancestors sealed them off... Yet he wasnt aware of it so he shouldnt blame him and in the time he knew Dave... they were friends... Never even once did Dave done anything bad for him. Pushing him on parties sure, reminding him of the world around him when he was off to inventionland sure, butchering his pun deliver sure... He couldnt find it in himself to hate his friend. He didnt know, now that gaster knew...nothing should change between them.
"Karma has a sense for humerus things... Why did you tell me this in the first place?" The human in front of him, did not answer instantaneously. Instead the fingers twitched around the spoke again. "I wouldnt have found out if it wasnt of you saying. It was not a subject I seeked out. Yet you told me. Why? "
"... Maybe I in my old days hoped to help."
"Help?" Gaster cut the men response short. "That what we needed were seven human souls. If your help doesnt incline to let me kill you right here and now and take your soul..." He felt so determined, how dare a human even speak of helping? He moved closer letting his full height show. Tall he hoovered over the human who started hunching onto himself from the imposing figure in front of him. They should die, so everyone else can be happy.
He froze.
That was not his inner voice. He ... heard it before, on the mountain. Before he summoned the blaster. Paying attention he noticed the whispers of magic pulsing inside his whole being in time with his heartbeat. Gentle waves broken up by the just barely healed cracks. With no mercy he pushed the sensation away, the whispers retreated and collected to simply rest in the security of his ribcage. Losing control over his blaster in here would be devastating. So many books and old documents would be forever lost. The destruction of knowledge couldnt be ever forgiven!
Oh... yeah and he may die from it as well...
"You were searching for this. At least give it a look." He took the book moving pointedly away from the human and sat down on the only chair in the room. He opened it, it was hand written... A diary. A old diary. He skipped several pages, glancing over the words.
It was around the middle of a page when he slowed down. His finger reaching out, going under a name that was written there. A child got lost and never returned.
"Chara." He read the name aloud, small smile on his lips.
"Did you... know Chara?" The old man spoke from where he was left standing. Patiently waiting for Gaster to do something. Maybe awaiting for him to kill him?
"Everyone knew Chara, the hope of monster kind."
He moved his hand to his chest.
"Howdy! What you are doing there?" A child voice startled him. Looking over his elbow there was Chara, eyes shining and a smile decorating the face.
"Haven't I told you not to sneak up on me? I could have been working on something truly dangerous. Your mom would burn me into boney crisp if you got hurt." He pointed out putting down the wrench he was holding and moving a bit away from the machine he was repairing. Chara was poofing her cheeks quite adorably, hands held behind her back.
"I am not at fault you dont pay attention to your surroundings."
"Point for you." He admitted he always got absorbed in his work. Chara was looking over his work, but at least she remembered that inside the lab went the rule stare do not poke. "I was actually trying to make this converter work. It is supposed to transform electricity into magical electricity."
"Oh! Is that what blew up in your face two weeks ago? "
"Technically speaking it blew up in my back as it happened when I turned away from it."
She giggled. "Asriel and me never saw Dad rant like that. I think my bro learned a few new words that time."
"...Oh dear. Please neither of you use them. Ever."
"You dont know what it even was!"
"I would prefer not to find out. So I can plead obvious."
Chara chuckled happily and his skeletal hand was gripped and he was tugged away from his work bench. "What are you doing there Chara?"
"Dad says you work too much so I am making sure you take a break." Gaster eyes narrowed, Chara was avoiding to look at him, the cheeks slightly blushing.
"Its not nice to lie... and you are really a bad liar." He used his other hand to ruffle the brown locks. "Why did you search me out? Has Toriel made a snail pie again?" Chara shock her head and determinately looked up at him.
"I read something... and I hoped if you could explain it to me please?" He couldnt say no to those determined eyes. Knowing Chara, they may simple cling to him literally like a monkey until he yields. He was speaking from experience. She did that until he admitted they were friends. Asriel and Asgor had a blast watching his poor misfortune. He picked the young human and a pillow, placing the pillow in his lap and then Chara on top of it. Bones were not the most comfortable sitting option. Hugging Chara to make sure they were secure, he meet their gaze.
"So ask away, you know I love explaning."
"You are working on breaking the barrier, right?"
He nodded, that was a fact.
"And I read this thing... It spoke about monster being able to absorb human soul but a human couldnt..."
"Chara." Gaster cut the kid off, his mind racing trying to figure where did Chara possible could have read that. They were still debating if the history should be put up on the walls or not.
"mm?"
"You should ask you parents such things."
"We both know they wouldnt explain anything that is related to war... and this is. Because if monster had just one back then..."
"Chara stop." He heavily sighed. What should he say. If Asgor and Toriel were asked they would shot the question down. He... wasnt sure what the right course of action was. "What exactly do you want me to explain?"
"Human souls." When Chara was meet with silence, she continued, attempting to explain why they wanted to know it. "If I understood how human souls work maybe I could figure out how to help you in your research in breaking the barrier. Then we all could be happy. Please, doctor Gaster. I just want to help."
"I... I dont really know that much."
"Huh?"
Chara stared at him now. "You mean it... " Two soft hands placed them self on his skull stopping him from looking away. He ended up explaning how he was planning to do his research. Passively observing, making small attempts and trying to see how the barrier may change and react to different fabricated traits. Tricking the barrier so it would shatter.
He grow more and more passionately as he explained all the knick and knacks of his ideas. Chara urging him with clever questions. Before he realized what he did, he slipped up. Saying not only seven souls were needed but that he wished he had a sample of a human soul trait he could research.
"Silly Doctor Gaster. A human soul is sitting in your lap. Literally." He wondered, if he that time didnt tell Chara all that, if the path they took would have been different... Who was he kidding Chara was too determined to ever settle for the small hopes and moments of happiness. If not from him Chara would have found a different way to do the same thing. Because it was the only way to give the ultimate happiness to them all.
"I dont want..." He protested, at the human sitting in his lap.
"I dont want to ever again let a monster fall down because they lost hope... " The words hit him hard, they couldnt stop Chara from seeing it. There were always monsters who only needed a little to fall. Chara made it her job to get to know every monster together with Asriel... Seeing one monster slowly loss hope till the children failed to light the hope back up. Chara saw dust...Someone who was so determined to not let anyone be hopeless, so determined to bring everyone happiness, he was sure the child will never forget it. The monster that couldnt be saved.
"... I know, but..."
"...Is my soul not strong enough?"
"No, no,no! Your soul is strong. In fact it overflows with strength. Sampling that would be exactly what I need to..."
"So do it."
"No."
"I am not asking you to take my soul just take a sample of the trait."
"There exist no procedure for extraction soul traits." There that way he surely will stop this.
"What? Can the Great WingDing Gaster not come up with a safe way to do it? I thought there was nothing you couldnt do. Being the greatest mind that ever lived. Or have you been telling lies."
Gaster couldnt help the proudful response that came from him. Neither the groan when he realized he was losing to this kid determination.
"So you take a few samples, then make ... six copies of my souls and then everyone is free. Great!" Chara summarized when it looked like he was about to say yes to poking around in his kings and queens child soul.
"Seven."
"Hm?"
"If we do this, I am not gonna risk your soul if it fails. So seven copies, how you eloquently put it."
Chara looked so happy. It filled him with hope that maybe this will work out and in a matter of months they would be stargazing. Maybe he would whisper to the echo flowers about the changes in the night sky after all the time... Was the sky still as blue as he remembered it?
"Go home now and really think about the risks Chara. If you offer this one more time... I will not be able to say no to it."
Two weeks passed, Chara offered it once more.
He lead Chara in the deepest levels of the labs. A room with only a doctors chair inside, a place for Chara to comfortably lay down. He strapped Chara to it to make sure there was no unintentional wiggle. He was not going to risk unintentional damage. He was going to work with the culmination of Chara. He could feel the phantoms flames from the queen on his bones as he moved away.
Next he started to summon the blaster gaster around the chair. Chara being safely protected in the heart of the bone attack.
No mistakes.
"Huh, what are you doing?"
"Ah, you see this is my strongest magic, the closest magic to my own soul. It usually a way to attack but I have done special changes this time." His office was full of the calculation upon calculation about the changes he had to train to perfection for this to work. "This way I am surrounding you in my magic, I will be able to detect when I should stop. It will monitor you well being. If you feel any pain tell me. I will stop the same instant." The kid nodded, stating they were more than fine with this. Gaster took a breath and started the procedure.
Chara was determined, determined enough to not let him notice how painful the procedure really felt. To not discourage him, to even urge him to keep on going. Until he decided it was enough.
"Are you sure you didnt feel anything painful?"
"Well..."
"Yes?!"
"It was a tiny bit of uncomfortable, but I did have a needle stabbed in my soul." Chara showed their tongue laughing. Maybe he was panicking over nothing.
"Okay. You should go, its soon dinner time. I want to be called if you as much as sneeze differently. Understand?" Chara nodded giving him a promise that if they sneezed he would be the first one to know. Gaster chuckled. He started cleaning up, looking at the bottle full of liquid determination he extracted. He made sure the kid got some monster candy already. Chara didnt show any signs of fainting or weakness so it had to be fine.
"WOW!" Chara voice sounded from the hallway and a short cut later he was beside them. His hands on the child's shoulders fearful something did went wrong.
"Are you in pain? Where does it hurt? What is your hp?"
"No. Look! Look!" A over flemming expression of joy was on Chara face pointing towards their eyes. The RED eyes. The eyes that were not RED two minutes ago.
"...Oh no. No. No. No. No. No."
"This is the best thing ever! Now I actually match with my family!" He was hugged, he was disarmed.
"... I suspect some of the red determination leaked out into your human body...staining your eyes..."
It was darker, the lights were off and he was hurrying. He will only have once chance. His hand was opening a safe. There were holes in his hands. There was a lab flask with red fluid. He was keeping this on the side, using only what they produced based of this in the research and experiments. This was the original sample. He took more than three fourths of it in the injection. The long needle shimmered in the darkness.
It surely would raise the chance. It was a precious sample.
"you ready g?"
It had to work.
"Yes."
A light touch on his shoulder scared him. Looking wide eyed to the side. A human. His fingers curling into the shirt over his heart. The determination inside him... could it possible have a intent of its own? Impossible it was only a sole trait...from the most determined human he ever saw...
Trait that behaved nearly on its own something he never observed before... Imitating a human soul so his own soul wouldnt dust...Not letting him die. Not allowing him to fall down. Because it was the kids will to not allow it if they could stop it. If a monster needed a friend that what would be, if a monster needed a person to listen to them to have hope that what they would do. If a monster was trying to find someone who would love them they would play match maker... It would be extremely interesting, if that was really the case. If the trait carried a will...but that would mean the implication...his tests, all the experiments he performed on the determination...
"I had just a realization."
Joseph let him go, as he looked scared and worried. Maybe even terrified. It took Gaster a few seconds to replay the conversation before a puzzle piece slapped him in the face. Ah yes, he kinda threatened the man. He sighed closing the book.
"Chara was our hope, somehow maybe still is...As for me. I only perform my kings will. I serve my king. What do you think our king greatest desire for today would be?" Gaster calmly asked, dealing with the present first before he tackled more of the past.
"Justice for monster kind?" The human responded with out taking a moment to think. The doctor wondered if the human soul was yellow.
"That is a truly human response... But you are wrong. That is not our kings desire. Peace between human and monsters, that is. And foundation of peace will not be your corpse. " The man posture relaxed a bit as he was told he wouldnt die today. Instead a confusion settled in.
"You said you needed seven souls..."
"Needed, not need. I will free them." Was there seven? He simple didnt know how the barrier actually breaks. But it does break and therefore it was not what he had to worry about. "... I must apologize... It was not right of me to snap like that. I was carried by old memories long past... I was just a bit bitter. You must understand. I am fully aware how many down to the bone evil humans are living on the surface... But there are so many who are striving for the better every day and to be better. So many who are willing to show mercy... It is worth a shot."
"... Peace. Think it possible son?"
"Depend, Josephs. Would you hope for it together with me?" Gaster allowed a much softer smile to settle on his face. The warm feeling that the memory about Chara woke up in him filled him with a determination to never stop hoping.
Construction of the lab started. The breaking of the barrier became more irregular. Sometimes it would only 3 hours and once it took twelve days. His tries to make a magic electricity generator to push magic in the anomaly as a way of communication was a failure. The generators would always burn out before they reached the levels of magic needed. He would need a lot more of it, for it to work. Maybe he could repurpose his blaster for it, but he left that project for once his lab was build.
He did recorded a few differences, for one that once Sans was out of everyone's view he was actually sitting facing in the direction where the blaster hit that first time. He did it a few timelines before going back to counting. He had some memories of different timelines or some form of awareness. Deja vu? It pained him that he couldnt give him proof that he didnt imagined it. Gaster very well knew how it felt doubting your own sanity.
The human was changing his answer to Asgor question, sometimes accepting to be ambassador sometimes saying no and recommending Papyrus instead of them. They must be remembering it or at least have some form of memory.
In his detailed scan of all of Ebott he discovered a network, one powered by magical electricity, while transporting signals. It took him only minutes to realize the implication and be really pleased with who ever made it. Someone put cameras across all of the underground. Minus the ruins sadly. Someone gave him eyes to the underground he just had to learn how to use them from the outside.
He was inventing a way to tap into it. Which lead him to research spying and hacking tools. Several of his ideas he adapted for Jeremy to use. Small works on security that surely would prove useful to a extent. He created security software and tools to break into the same software for him.
The lab was done as well as the six months were.
Jeremy knocked on the door of his new workplace. Wing and Ding barking at the door and at Gaster, to drag him out his focus zone and make him pay attention to the world around him. Gaster sighed putting on the glasses he worked the most recently on. A way to scan human souls by simple looking at them. The data projected on the inside of the glasses only for the wearer to notice.
He opened the door. The scanner taking readings.
Directly to the left from the front door was the guest room.
"The rest of the place is under deal." Gaster instantly spoke. Jeremy soul was Perseverance with a strong tint of bravery. Most likely the reason why he was putting up with the deal in the first place.
"Well, That is if we decide to keep the deal after I walk out your nice furnitured guest room... Okay before anything this room looks like a interogation ceil. You dont even have a carpet. "
"... I run out of money..." Gaster admitted, pushing the glasses up before removing them to not bring attention to them.
"You... fine. But if there is a next time make this room nicer looking. A couch a smaller table. Maybe a TV and a few chairs. A lamp, the white light isnt the best."
Gaster nodded, he really wanted to get this over with he was close to manage to tap into the visual data, the anomaly and barrier making it quite annoying work. He placed a file in front of Jeremy. The man looked it over. "Rocket fuel and interstellar reusable rockets, included with concept ideas on how to maintain a colony..." Jeremy spoke aloud glancing at the calculation and then back at Gaster.
"You said big."
"I didnt mean space big."
"NASA would like it."
The human rubbed his forehead warding off an oncoming headache. He planned for the situation that the idea was not what Jeremy wanted from him.
"I have other projects... That may be differently big?"
"Show them to me."
So he did, it didnt look good. Many files were by that point on the table and jeremy has read through them only to shake his head. Gaster was starting to fear that he wouldnt be able to make the human to keep the deal. He couldnt let him just leave... He could use a soul for researcher proposers. Would he be strong enough to even do it? He couldnt take down a dog... killing Jeremy sounded like a receipt that will fail... He didnt even once made the human speechless or got him to have an eager look. "Do you have anything else."
"Just a small project. "That last thing he worked, he could as well give it to the man. He fet determined to not lat the human walk out without their deal intact..."A security program that will not be able to break for at least two years, or when you tell me to crack it."
"Yes."
The monster in the room looked now up. He was startled, hope raising up in him. "That?"
"Yes, that. "
"Not that I complain. But that is really small."
"No Gaster that huge!... And wait a second since when are you making software?"
"Since two weeks ago."
Jeremy was speechless, Gaster shrugged. Good, everything ended up good. He didnt have to do any violence to protect the secret. The surface world wasnt ready for souls and magic. "I mentioned that I was a genius. The greatest mind that ever lived. The one and only Great dr. Gaster!..."Gaster blinked realising he was striking a pose and coughed in his hand, the human was giving him a interesting look. He dropped the pose, slightly embarrassed.
Jeremy shock his head, to get back into their conversation. "Okay, okay. Give me both the way to crack the software and the security program. That will be enough to keep that under deal. We can go after that into our rhythm. You think you can do that, friend."
Of course he said yes.
Wing and Ding barked Jeremy a goodbye which the human pointedly ignored as he was happily driving away with his next big money maker. Gaster didnt made any protest as the man packed all the no projects as well with himself. Just in case, Jeremy said and the monster didnt know in case of what... but it didnt matter anyhow. With that out the way he truly could throw himself in his work. Naps, spaghetti, work. Gaster felt incredible pride when the screen in front of him blinked from black to a blue and then settled into many shades of blue. Waterfall.
He was looking at Waterfall.
He was watching from now on.
In a day he had written the lip reading software to be able to hear what was going on.
He had something to see and hear. Following the human he noticed how many things were different since the last time he walked down there... Papyrus wanted to be a royal guard? Since when? He didnt get to dwell on it as Frisk throw him a curveball. He was not ready to hear the human flirt with his son. Nope, not at all. Even less to see them go on a date inside the house! Inside Papyrus room, no less! What was Sans allowing that dirty minded human to do to their Pappy!
He didnt hold back his urges to yell at the screen.
Wing and Ding were woken up by his screams, observing the man for a few seconds before they yawned and went back to sleep. They were used to him being loud out of nowhere.
He so wanted a camera angled to look into that bedroom. But there was none pointed in that direction, so he didnt know what was happening inside it. He wasnt sure if his poor soul was ready to see or not to begin with. He knew what human awaited to happen when you go on a date and end in a bedroom. The humans had millions of data points on the internet about that topic. He was not proud to have done research about it in his teenage days. Even less to admit that curiosity takes you to some deep holes on the internet. Humans truly had a fearsome imagination.
He collapsed with zero dignity to his knees from relief when he heard that Frisk was friend zoned by his son and should call them platonically for help... What a relief. They stayed several days around snowdin, all but searching out his sons company. Something was up with Frisk, watching them he was sure they were collecting their determination for something.
When they moved on, he started rooting for them. They did it so many times they were avoiding attacks with eyes closed, muscle memory to the point of second nature honed. They arrived to the labs, and he wasnt the only one rooting for them over the screen. Alphys was the royal scientist? She put the cameras up? He had to give her his thanks for it. He planned to employ them back then... or did he employ them? He couldnt remember. Not a single of his followers were around the labs either, it worried him. Then he realized with a sinking feeling... They didnt remembered him at all. He created so much more than just the core. He didnt just fall in his own creation, he fall apart in his own creation...
Yet he was a mystery to them.
Then he saw what has been done with the determination he left behind.
"Oh, no..."
If his newest theory was correct, than the determination wasnt the reason the monsters were saved from falling down, it was because it was Charas determination to not let monsters falls down. To save them all. The side effects were not pretty. The lizard monster, must have discovered all of his work and poured over it. Replicating and building according the blueprints he left. Did Sans and Papyrus gave up on even being around the lab after his ...accident? It would explain his son knew life goal... He replaced one idol in service to the king with another. Instead of wanting to be the next royal scientist because of him he was aiming for royal guard, because Undyne. He was replaced... It hurt... yet... he knew his son needed it, or he wouldnt have any ambition... Sans was still idolizing his brother. That being the force that made him move... Yet he looked so tired. Gaster was sure if both of them loved naps, Sans wasnt napping that much in his hole filled memory.
He watched.
He listened.
He observed.
The kid was mercyfull.
They moved on and on, Frisk eyes becoming more and more determined...briefly he saw them shine red... He rewind. It was not his imagination. Frisk souls main trait was determination just like Chara... Was it leaking in their body as well? If so, how did their soul got hurt? Would it carry over even if the time jumps back?
They reached the king.
A flower appeared, trapped everyone and absorbed the souls. He watched. Only the calm expression on the kids face told him this happened before. He saw how it ends, with them seeing the sun. Everything will be fine... somehow. It was still nerve wrecking watching, if he wasnt a scientist he may have failed to notice the soul behaviour during the fight...It was another proof of his most recent theory. If he..
Asriel?
Their little gentle prince? It couldnt be. He couldnt... He remembered the timelines as well...He played with them before?! Was this the second time the anomaly has appeared?! Than which anomaly di he spotted in his lab? The first or the second? Asriel was killing over and over until they get erased from time?! Gaster had trouble to stay the neutral observer. This information were so ...game changing. Frisk was holding the power?
Frisk won.
Frisk was mercifully.
Their little gentle prince was back.
Asriel broke the barrier.
Asriel would fade away.
Was there anything he could do for the prince who awoke because of determination but lacked a soul... It was able to imitate a soul not to replace it. He had a functioning soul able to experience feelings, from fear to hope, so the determination wouldnt have to replace those. Instead it was supporting it... It was just one trait... Frisk wanted to save Asriel...
He switched to the cameras outside the anomaly walls. Watching everyone walk out. He had to focus. He had an experiment prepared, humans had some bombastic ideas he took inspiration from. The moment Sans walked out the view he pressed a button. Sans head snapped to the nearest anomaly wall. Exactly where the boom happened. He shortcutted directly in front it. He pressed the next button overloading the electricity to magic electricity convertors creating a big boom. The amount of half baked magic would evaporate in a second, but the amount of it in that second was enough for some of it to leak by the anomaly, a few drops leaked through the barrier. Sans eyes blinked, bony fingers reaching out touching the anomaly wall.
Gaster waited. He had to time it.
"who is there?"
Not a question he could answer with a boom. Gaster waited.
"...hehe. if there is someone, do it again... now." So Gaster pressed the button on the now. Sans broke out into giggles. Holding his ribs as he all but cackled, eyes tearing up. That was not a good reaction, it worried him. His son looked so tired. "This is a really funny reset, but out of time." Indeed they were out of time the anomaly took them away, and this time he was able to observe something he was already suspecting from watching Frisk journey. From hearing flowey... asriel words.
Frisk controlled the resets how sans called them. They were resetting the world. They kept everyone captured by being so determined to save trully everyone. He had to change his approach to the anomaly. To break it...he had to stop Frisk.
"This will be a problem. Based on my experience with too determined for their own good type of children."