It was late night when he reached his hotel room. The day was tiring. Dropping on the bed he once more started watching the underground. Sans and Papyrus were still doing paperwork. He stayed awake along them. Just enjoying the sound of scribbling pen on paper. If he forgot himself just enough he could see it. His office, two skeletons spread over the couch while a third was writing their findings down. Complaining how they were useless. One insisting on writing in symbols and the other ignoring basic capitalization.
The soft nostalgic daze lasted for quite some while before the scribbling stopped. Sans has fallen asleep on the table. His brother carrying the smaller skeleton to the big bedroom and on the way too big bed. Gaster watched as Sans was tucked in and Papyrus was leaving the room. The new king walked down the hallways and Gaster shifted in the bed. The tall skeleton left the castle in the dead of the night. Why?
When he watched Papyrus enter the labs, Gaster curiosity grew. New king went to the console and checked the systems. Then he checked the cameras. Gaster winced, as he watched Papyrus softly count the number of monsters. On one camera Frisk was curled in her hiding spot and sleeping a open book being their pillow. There was no reaction from the monster king at the view. He simply moved to the next camera.
Some monsters started to fall down...A few even dusted away, but Sans wouldnt tell that to Pappy. So the clever skeleton checked himself. They really underestimate his son's intelligence simply because he is optimistic to a fault.
Yet after the camera check the tall skeleton went onto the next thing. He went straight to the core. He started to maintain its output and if any need for fixing he could spot. The source of all magic electricity in the underground. The power coming directly from the lava under them. Another thing monsters tended to overlook. The royal scientist duty was to make sure the core does not break. Regular maintenance was therefore a must.
"No wonder you are so tired to the bone, you are doing the job of two, three maybe even five people."Gaster spoke even if he knew he couldnt be heard. How long was Frisk planning on letting this go on? For what were they waiting for? The new king made his way around and into old lab. Or true lab as it is was called as well. He made sure all the monsters from the experimentation were feed and doing well. When was the first time Papyrus spotted them in true lab? Gaster made a note to check the tapes.
He did one more stroll across the labs before he returned to the castle and climbed into the bed beside his brother. Not even bothering to change out his attire. Simple curling beside the other body and falling asleep in mere moments. "You are not telling Sans about your visits to the lab, because he isnt telling you things either... This is not what I was teaching... There shouldnt be secrets between you two... not a single ...one " Gaster joined them in his sleep.
In a few days he solved the mystery. Papyrus knew the location of true lab and how to get in. He sneaked out when most monsters were still celebrating him becoming king. Gaster watched in fascination as the tall skeleton went directly to his old office, now a storage room. He was searching the files, and was suprised by one of the wandering creatures. What ever he looked for he didnt find instead he took care of them.
A year.
It took just a bit over a year before a reset occurred. Both sons started to sprout cracks from fragituted by then. The population of monsters was only a tenth from what it was and is at the first day of reset. Those last days of losing hope... It was a mental strain. They hid the wounds from each other to not make the other worry. Distancing themself from each other... Each falling apart alone instead of supporting each other to stand, yet both wearing smiles for the rest of the kingdom to see. He felt like giving them a strong scolding.
"What will you do now Frisk? Save everyone. Maybe then I could try my recent ideas. It may work if he remembers to look out for it. It was several years since it."
Ten days before Frisk left the ruins. The kids face completely blank. Dust clung to their shirt. Gaster sighed. This will not be good.
He turned back towards his invention. A preparation for the future. His eyes glued to the screen. The blasters silently sitting by their master side. Taking care of him, reminding him to eat and nap regularly.
Frisk moved though the monsters who started to show more and more resistance. The kid was slower, died easier as if the long break they took actually made them forget all the details. Maybe they were not trying as hard? No, that would be assuming the kid had an easier time killing everyone. And that couldnt be the truth.
Gaster was determined to not lose hope that Frisk would see the fruitlessness of their actions and do the right thing. He continued his research and experimentation on the anomaly. He spotted a few interesting things about it. Yet he wasnt sure how to use them to his advantage.
He kept on watching.
Frisk killed his son without giving him a chance... He was throwing them a bone with his hints, still the kid didnt get it. Sans stared at the dust when he reached the place. Silent tears falling down his face. The man watching was observing the events. Everything was recorded. No action was without consequence. It will not be forgotten. The hours upon hours of material stored in the second basement. It forced Gaster at one point to perfect the storage and improve the size of the device that stored the data.
Another work that Jeremy happily turned into the green that moved the surface world.
One monster after another fall only dust remaining. Frisk becoming stronger, more lifeless. Gaster feared that maybe, the kid was searching for a way to stay dead. Or perhaps was to make everything around them gone so no pain will be left either? Dangerous either way.
He wanted them to stop.
With each time Frisk died, the load happened a bit slower. Was it because of the weakened determination? Or because of the amounts of close by loads?
How many days did it take up to this point? He felt thirsty but couldnt look away.
The monster kid was facing them, Undyne was running to reach them in time. She took the hit for the kid. Gaster blinked slowly. That would be from her as well. Another pile of dust to join all the others.
"Its nothing." The royal guard captain spoke, and Gaster wondered if he sounded like that when he would he was fine. Wondered if it was pride speaking. The cracks on her body were more than clear to see, and they were growing rapidly... And he wasnt the only one watching. He knew it like a fact that another monster was surely having their eyes glued to the scene.
"No... somehow with just one hit...I am already."
Cracking. Falling apart. He knew how that fell. His hands moved to his chest. The soul splintering apart. She kept holding on, fighting against what was undoubtedly going to happen.
"Damit!... Papyrus, Alphys...Asgore... Just like that I failed you."
Gaster huffed. "I wouldnt say failed..."
"No..." Something changed. Something changed with her drastically. He felt her refusal reaching into the very core of her soul.
"My body feels like splitting apart. Like in any instance it will scatter into million pieces." More than half her body was nothing more than collection of splinters so small they were bordering to being dust. Even still she moved her hand and clenched her teeth.
But deep, deep in my soul." Gaster fascination moved him to be even closer to his screens. "There is a burning feeling I cant describe."
It cannot be.
It was impossible.
She had never received any determination.
Yet...
"A burning feeling that wont let me die." The pieces started to rebuild them self. Did it look like this when his soul was refusing to die? When the sea of red wouldnt let him die?
"This isnt about monsters any more." Seeing this, it was making him hope. Magic from around the air was flowing into her unbinding following the call. Becoming materials for what her soul was becoming. Abody befitting the determined soul... but even so, the density would not be enough on it own. But just maybe...
"If you get pass me..."A monster determination... He never even dreamed it possible to become this powerful. Truly interesting.
"You will destroy them all, wont you. Monsters. Humans. Everyone."
He will not let that happen. He will stop it."Everyone hopes. Everyone dreams. Vanquished in a instance."
Memory mixed with his own wishes and hopes. The sunset with the barrier gone, the anomaly giving up to finally let everyone be free. To meet them on the path walk with them in a new future, even if they forgot him. To have that destroyed...
"But I will not let you do that."
"But I will not let you do that." He spoke alongside the sensation of a monsters determination.
"Right now everyone in the world. I can feel their hearts beating as one...And we all have one goal."
One goal, indeed. His heartbeat was fast, the sensation of his soul in his foremind.
"To defeat you."
Magic. Unbelievable.
The doctors hands moved pulling up the instruments readings placed across the mountain. He was not disappointed as from the corner from his eyes he saw the magic levels have slightly spiked. Undyne was not only denying death. But the barrier and the time itself. Denying the anomaly walls to reach to every last monster souls with her magic.
Including his.
"For the sake for the whole world."
Draining upon their hopes and dreams as the soul was being reborn. The new body forming as it expression. The armor chest plate showing a heart with its point down. All monsters souls together would match the power of one human soul.
"I Undyne, will strike you down!"
"A true hero has been born. Undyne the Undying." Gaster declared unable to look away as the impossible was showed to him. If this is possible than, everything is. The hope pulsated. Frisk eyes were big, face shocked. Brief flash of fear passing over the kid face. A emotion, a part of Gaster brain noted down. Watching as Undyne jumped in the air the sheer power she radiated was truly interesting. He could only imagine the other royal scientist stuttering the world impossible over and over again. Probably tearing up as well.
"You gonna have to try a little harder than that." The hero called out. Frisk died in the barrage of spears that was the first attack.
Doctor Gaster walked to fetch some water for himself. When he returned Frisk was still dead.
Could it be the strong determination of Undyne was interfering with the load? Exactly six minutes before Frisk was back to their last save point. In those six minutes Gaster observed what he knew would happen. She was starting to melt. The captain of the royal guards succeeded in doing the thing both royal scientist failed. Creating a soul to match the power of a human. With such a soul she could cross the barrier, it could fill the spot of the seventh soul as well.
But the results were as to be awaited. The monster body, obviously a lot more dense at this point, was still not able to contain the burning and sheer power the soul now held. If in this state Undyne received a drop of human determination... would her soul go through a process similar to his own did? Would it be able to create a human body? Like following a blueprint.
Would a introduction of biological material in her system beforehand assist in creation of more resilient body? Gaster watched as Undyne was struck while protecting the monster kid from Frisk. He opened a new folder. He felt the moment Undyne magic was reaching out into the world, feeling everyones hope and dreams. He named the folder True Hero. He started analyzing what he had in front of him. A new research project.
Maybe with this he could progress further towards his own dream.
Frisk was dying a lot.
He was saying that quite a bit by then.
Twelve days. Non stop. Stuck in that one fight. With each transformation magic reaching out to the world. Gaster noted with a bit of amusement that the level of magic in the air have risen slightly.
Slowly Frisk was lasting longer and longer.
Undyne killed them yet again, half body already a melted mess... Her action changed just a bit. He awaited that. The determination inside her soul combined to an connection of an outside observer like him... For a second before the load started, the last second of the current timeline, she attacked the corpse again. As if more spears in a sack of meat would stop the soul from being determined and come back.
It may take a few more hours before Frisk managed to outlast the True Hero. Then Hotlans and the laboratory would be the next destination. How long will it take them to go though there? Would the kid take a break? This was the longest fight yet... Wing and Ding were barking at him. Demanding his attention to return to his surroundings.
Someone was knocking on his door. He checked the calendar it was a week too early for Jeremy..."Sorry Undyne, I will have to look away for a few turns..."With his moving hands he added to the screen that she could rely on his hope... Maybe she will actually stop the kid... A selfish part of his mind would always whine out his dead son name.
He opened the front door.
"Jeremy? You are a weak early... I think." Watching the same set minutes over and over was really messing with his perception of time. He had several times switched to watching Sans, to see how he was holding up. He was doing as well as one could when trapped in such a short time span. He definitely had deja vu of those minutes, but couldnt place a memory to it.
"I need you to accompany me."
Away from here?
"Away from here?" Gaster blinked he felt sluggish, he didnt get any nap time in this time. One can not exactly rest when every couple of minutes magic seeks out your soul.
"Yes, just to meet a few people. Please G." At least his soul healed somewhat from the exposure of magic. The number of shards dropped by four. Which was the speediest recovery he ever had... It was still a double digit number of shards sadly. But progress was progress none the least.
"G! You hearing what I am saying?!"
"...Sorry. Didnt sleep. Come in. I have a few new things. One is for the police and two for medica-"
"Drink your coffee!" Jeremy all but shouted at him. The blasters showed their teeth and growled in warning at the man. NOt allowing the tone the human just took up with their Gaster.
"I... Drunk all the coffee I had ... four, five... Or was it six days ago." Jeremy pushed into the house and closed the front door instead of Gaster. The human grabbed him by the arm and dragged him into the guest room. He was planted on the soft couch and Jeremy left the room. He really could go for a nap. Just one hour. That wasnt long...
Jeremy returned and Gaster found himself holding a chocolate bar. He ate it, he was out of sugar as well. He had spaghetti so he wasnt worrying about starving.
"So, I need you to pack for... lets say a week away ... that would do." Jeremy told him, the doctor looked him over. Jeremy looked every bit tired, like Gaster felt. That was strange. He never saw Jeremy in lack of sleep. The man always valued healthy sleeping hours, even back at the uni he would nag at Gaster for skipping sleep and how it was not healthy even how it was even less healthy to be replacing it with random naps.
"I cant leave now."
"Too bad G, we have to."
"...I didnt ask this yet or? What is boning on?"
Jeremy huffed at the small pun and suddenly the man started to shift in place. He looked every bit guilty. The magic touch of the hero was gone. So either dead or load.
"I... may ... messed up. But really its not my fault."
He was not in any state of awakeness that would be able to deal with that sentences. His face and hands must have said what was on his mind as Jeremy winced.
"I get it. I know I do. My butt is on the fire here as well. ... I will explain everything on the way. Lets get you and your flea bags packed." Jeremy was once again going for the door. Why was the man so fast, he had to chill.
"Wait. I cannot leave now." Gaster said.
"Why?"
"Under deal."
"Gaster buddy. My friend. If you dont come with me now... Then you may deal with the military by the end of the week breaking in and putting everything in here as evidence and you in a cell for questioning. They do not care about the deal, doctor Gaster."
Jeremy was out the room, leaving Gaster to open and close his mouth like a fish. He chuckled at the pun. That was funny. Before he shock his head. Standing up. Focus, he told himself.
"WingDings behave. No killing of Jeremy." The words as much directed to the dogs as they were to himself. He went into the hallway and spotted the door to his work place left gaping open. When he walked into it, he saw the man in question packing his clothes in a suitcase.
He owned a suitcase?
The magic seeked out his soul.
Ah, it was a load then.
He wasnt sure about what to yell first. At least the screens were in the basement and the second level basement where the data room was. He picked one random topic.
"Military?!"
Jeremy loudly breathed in, moving around the room he wasnt allowed to enter to begin with. The man barely avoiding to trip over the various constructions and contraptions. It was like a puzzle. Oh a trip puzzle. He should make a puzzle based on that idea. Focus!
"Jeremy!?" He yelled now.
"Okay. It can be salvaged. But I will need you." Avoiding the question Gaster barely hold on the urge to keep on yelling.
"I didnt allow you to sell anything I make to the army. I was fine with having a constructive relation with the police and the various government agency interested in the security I was creating. I am more than approving your humanitarian work for good publicity and the like." Mostly because those ties would benefit monsters once they are free. His hope hummed with determination. He already planted a virus in the system so he could adjust Frisk birth certificate to fit the age they are appearing as. It would make adoption for Toriel so much easier. As well it allowed him to keep an eye out for their birth parents. The mother has died from cancer a few months back, while their father was becoming more and more a violent drunk, known to the police... Jeremy voice snapped him back to the now.
"...And I didnt!... They may mistakenly believe me having ties to terrorism...And may think you are one..."
Jeremy was now out right hiding behind the robot for help for elderly people.
"Jeremy." His voice was echoing. "You are one hair away from me blasting you to ash. You better start explaning to my satisfaction."
Jeremy eyed him as if judging him if he could actually do that. Truthfully a Gaster blaster was out of the question. Not that the human even knew he had such an attack. At the state of his soul right now, he may be able to use one or two short cuts...and maybe summon one bone. Anything more would create more damage to him.
"I hope you didnt build a death ray... Or I will not be able to salvage the situation."
"No." He could summon one. So that was not a lie. The message not spoken was still received by the human. When did Jeremy got good enough to read his hands movements? He always failed to interrupt them?
"Awhile ago... But okay, okay. Lets go. "
"No."
"I will explain it in the car, I promise."
"No. I can not leave."
"Why?"
"Under deal."
"Throw me a bone, dammit!" Gaster blamed his next action on lack of sleep and Sans. A small bone bonked against Jeremy skull. Making the human look down at the bone and then process to have a loud frustrated groan that Papyrus would have approved off. The magic touch was gone. Gaster was chuckling. Dead or load?
"I am not asking if you carrying bones in your pockets! Why can you not leave? Do you have some experiment going on or something?"
"...Sort of. I... am observing."
"Could you observe from away? Like put up a camera or stream up or something."
He remembered the way he watched by his foster parents. The way he watched king Papyrus when the incident with Maria happened. Since then he even improved his option... It would even be safe from hacks... Still he felt like it would be some form of betrayal to leave the true hero to fight alone.
"You already have a way for that, dont you? Great G. What am I packing?"
"Jeremy. Explain now if you want me to come with you."
The human stepped out his hiding spot and eyed Gaster some more, the man must have concluded it was safe enough because he sighed and moved to lean against the wall. His work space lacked chairs, he prefer sitting on the floor while working.
"Well it all starts with the fact that you are not on my payroll. Just like you wanted. To make sure the money isnt traceable to your name I had to do a few little things. All which were legal... but suspicious. " Gaster sat down on the floor. Standing was demanding too much energy of him.
"Well someone noticed that a portion of my profit and money was vanishing. So I became the subject of a cover investigation. They observed me coming here. It wouldnt have been so bad if it was not for the break in ten days ago."
"Break in?"
"Yeah, I dont know who, but someone broke into my home office and stole files from my computer. The investigator thought I had noticed them and was trying to hide my tracks. Staging a break in to clean out proof. So they came forth trying to solve the break in, pretending to be helpful but wanting to get their fingers in. I said no to them looking at my computer, which made things worse. When they tried to do it with a search warrant... Well I didnt make myself look innocent when they caught and stopped me from destroying my computer memory..."
Gaster listened. Forcing Jeremy to keep on going.
"They discovered the projects I didnt use. The big ones. Interstellar rockets, fuel and all the other stuff... They took it as weapons blueprints. The army got involved and... I had to tell them about you. I kept our deal secret... But you have to meet them. Be polite, smile, say you dont plan to destroy or enslave humanity. You dont, right? Good. And we both with the right donation will be scott free. Sure there is the issue of someone now having those blueprints...But I am sure a better encryption by the great doctor Gaster will stop the damage."
"Jeremy." Gaster voice was oddly calm. The magic seeked his soul again. Another load then.
"Yes?"
"How did the thief get in your computer?"
Jeremy physically winced as if he was hit by a really bad attack. Gaster fixed him until the human spoke just above a whisper. "It was a new computer and I had yet to change the password to something that wasnt the word pass1."
So stupidity.
He ended up going. He couldnt let the army see what the monsters were capable of before they ensured human rights for them. No monster should be treated as a weapon or a soldier in petty human wars. He will make Asgore make it a law that no monster was allowed to join human wars... If they saw Undyne transformation... and got scared instead of greedy... Gaster didnt want to find out if the anomaly could hold out against a nuclear blast.
The good thing was that the drive took six hours. In the fifth hour the magic didnt return. Dead then. Frisk could never win that fight... but the kid could and have outlasted the true hero. He hoped they would go and sleep now. Because he sure would. He was in deep slumber when the car pulled to its destination.