AN: Ladies and gentlemen, we are back! After a two month hiatus, Chapter 8 is FINALLY here!
But just because this story has had a bit of a pause, doesn't mean there hasn't been stuff to report! I've got some pretty exciting news I'd like to share before we get into the story.
For those of you who don't know, I am now a published author! I've just released my first Young Adult novel titled "Surpassing Origins"! If you like sci-fi/ fantasy stories with of self discovery and self acceptance, If you are a fan of stories like Percy Jackson; Superman; X-men; Dragon Ball Z; and Sailor Moon, If you are a fan of this fanfiction and you don't want to wait months for the next chapter, then, I invite you to check out "Surpassing Origins".
"Surpassing Origins" is now available on Amazon for $13.99 and it will also be available on Kindle soon! Just look up the book title by name or search the name Jes Mychel. Thank you and I hope you enjoy the story! Let me know what you think! I'm always eager for feedback!
That being said, welcome back to Sticks and Stones! For those who may have gotten lost or have forgotten since it has been so long, after three chapters, we are about to leap out of Gaster's past and join him back in the present right after the fight in which he discovered Papyrus' soul and that Sans has taken the responsibility of being his brother!
Ladies and Gentlemen, I give you Chapter 8
Chapter 8
Field Trip
It was the sound of laughter that awoke Gaster from his uneasy sleep. His eyes opened slowly as his focus adjusted back to his room.
He must have been exhausted, not even having made it past his couch and he found himself in an undignified sprawl with an arm and a leg hanging off of the edge. He had to squint in order to see past the lingering haze, and for some reason, it seemed to be taking its sweet time leaving his vision.
Still the laughter sounded off as if it were an alarm.
So it wasn't part of his dream . . . nightmare . . . er . . . memories? No, it didn't sound like anyone he knew. In fact, the bright tones and shallow capacity suggested the laughs belonged to children.
Gaster's eyes shot open at that thought. Children!? In the lab!?
He pulled himself off of the couch and up onto unstable legs. All at once, the world seemed to spin as he forced himself to wake completely. How the hell did children find their way into this facility!? All at once, he pushed his way out into the hallway, nearly forgetting to put on his shoes before leaving. His shoes, he put on, but he decided the lab coat wasn't needed.
It was odd to think how much time had already passed since he laid down. The morning was already spent and already it was nearing the time the team would have taken a lunch break. As he stepped out of his office, he was sure to note any activity in the halls. The laughs were coming from somewhere down the long hallway in the direction of the elevator. He would have to intercept the children before they hurt themselves . . . Or worse . . . Before they saw anything they shouldn't.
He followed the sound of the small voices and the closer he got, the more he was able to hear what they were saying. -
"Um . . . I really don't think we should be down this far." The first voice said timidly, his laughter carried a tone of slight trepidation, "Dad says this place is off limits."
"Oh, c'mon." The second voice jeered with a surer and boisterous note to it, "Quit being such a baby! What's the point of going on an adventure if there's no risk to it! Don't you ever wonder what they work on down here all day? What about the mad scientist who never leaves? Don't you wanna find him!? Brag that you stared him in the face and lived to tell the tale?"
Gaster frowned at that. Is that why they decided to trespass on restricted property? Were they so bold that they could waltz right in without once considering those who may live here? Lab or no lab, this place was his home . . . and Sans' and right now, these children were trespassing into his home. One child, at least, seemed appropriately apprehensive about the venture, but that second . . . No regard for boundaries at all.
Even with that aside, he couldn't deny their words stung a bit. Gaster never thought he'd hear the day he would be reduced to a "mad scientist". He did suppose it was true that he had become a bit reclusive since he moved to the lab from Waterfall, but how did that merit madness? Now, if they could see his latest project . . . then maybe . . .
Gaster chuckled to himself. If that's what the children were expecting . . . Perhaps he could use it to his advantage.
"Eh . . . I guess so . . ." The first child began again and he seemed a bit resigned as he gave in to the other's wishes. "But you're the one who wanted to come here in the first place. Did you have to bring me along too?"
"There you go being a baby! Look, if you're too chicken to go on, then wait here, but I'm gonna go find him!"
"No! No, don't leave me alone!"
"Make up your mind! . . . . Oh geez, don't tell me you're gonna cry again!"
"N-No! I'm not crying! I just . . . we should get back if we wanna get Dad's pie done before—"
"Shhhh!" The other child interrupted, "Shh, I think I hear something!
All speech and all noise came to an abrupt stop as Gaster kept onward, his footsteps echoing off the walls and filling the corridor with a haunting sensation.
The first child whispered the second's name, after which he was promptly "shushed" again.
"I think it's him."
Suddenly, Gaster wished he had his lab coat with him. It would have made for a more intimidating silhouette.
As he approached, he took note of the two tiny figures at the end of the hall. One, he recognized right away as Prince Asriel. The boy seemed small, fuzzy and meek as he cowered behind the second. Something would have to be done about that boy if he was to ever become his father's successor. There's no way such a frail and unsure creature could ever rule over monsters, especially if he had to hide behind the . . . other . . . unfamiliar child . . . the human child the royal family took in.
No, that wouldn't do at all . . .
Gaster used his towering stature to his advantage and stopped mere feet away from the children, looking downward at them as if they would be nothing but a minor inconvenience if he were to "accidently" step on them. His face was smooth and his tone was dark and even as he addressed them.
"And what are you two doing here?" Gaster demanded.
The children seemed unmoved . . . or rather, one of the children seemed unmoved. Asriel seemed appropriately intimidated, bringing his shoulders up to his ears as he turned his face away. The human, however, stood as tall as they could, which in all honesty, was not an impressive feat. They stood opposite Gaster, their eyes fixed and a slight frown in place. Was it a show of bravery? Were they trying to prove a point by not reacting . . . or were they taking a stand to actually protect the prince from the "mad scientist"?
"You're one they were talking about!?" The child chided, "The ghastly hermit who's trying to harvest humans for their souls?"
Gaster raised a brow. He hadn't been expecting that reaction, but with his even demeanor, he nodded once, locking eyes with the human. "I am." He tilted his head in the slightest of bows, "Dr. W.D. Gaster, the Royal Scientist to King Asgore and Queen Toriel."
"What a joke." The child groaned, "All those stories . . . I thought you were supposed to be scary! You don't even look like a scientist! I'm supposed to be afraid of you?"
"I apologize if I fail to live up to your expectations, human." Gaster bit, his voice dropping a significant interval. "Tell me, what would you have me do if I were to be the truly terrifying monster of your nightmares?"
The child shoved their hands in their pockets and shrugged, their green striped sweater brushing the ends of their brown mop of hair in a way that reminded Gaster very much of the shaggy fur of an animal, or a rag doll.
"Oh, I dunno." The human sighed, "I heard you like to experiment on humans- find out what makes us tick. Dissect us and tear us limb-from-limb, just to see how we function. They say that when you're done with us and after you collect our souls, you drain our blood and strip our flesh for your next meal. You look nothing like that!?"
Gaster couldn't help it. A wide grin pulled at his face and he laughed, his head tilting back to release the sound openly into the air. Though the intent was not there, the sound was more intimidating than his initial approach. The dark notes filled the hallway and rattled in the children's ears and though he didn't see it, both children actually shuddered at the sound.
"Where on Earth did you hear such an extravagant tale!?" Gaster laughed, visibly trying to regain his composure. In a matter of moments, the sound died, though the wide grin remained, his eyes narrowing as he looked again toward the human, "Though, if that was what you were truly expecting to happen when you met up with me, it could still be arranged." His magic flared and a green aura sprung to existence around the human's soul, trapping them in place, as he bent at the waist to see the human eye to eye, "After all, it's been so long since I've enjoyed the taste of human flesh that just the mere mention of it is beginning to stir up a craving."
It was said with a disbelieving and sarcastic tone, but the show was enough to get the prince's attention. From his spot behind the human, Asriel stood up straight, clutching something tightly in his grip.
"No, Mr. Gaster, please don't eat them! They're my friend!"
Again, Gaster fought off a laugh, keeping it as a low chortle that never left his throat. Surely, the prince knew that there wasn't a monster alive who would ever want to eat a human. Naïve little boy. In a show of good faith, however, he released the human's soul, to which the child gripped lightly at their chest.
"Worry not, young prince." He answered, "It was never my intention . . . to . . ."
Something else caught Gaster's attention as Asriel stepped from behind the human. The thing he had been clutching in his hands, left to hang at his side. A plastic pail with a complementary shovel clattered hollow notes as Gaster focused directly on it. The faded star stickers adorning the container struck a chord of familiarity within Gaster as if a hammer had hit a steel rail.
In the back of his mind, he could hear distinct laughter once again, though it hadn't come from the children standing before him. Thoughts of those children faded as the memory of the warm trilling of a child even younger resurfaced. The young boy swung the pail in which he had started his collection of rocks- a few types from each region so he could study what made them different. It was the laughter of a boy who wanted to grow up to be just like his father.
Instantly forced back to the present, Gaster kept his eyes fixed on the pail and the stickers.
"Where did you get that?" He demanded solidly, almost harshly. Any sign of the monster who had been playing with the children vanished and the mirth was immediately dissipated. And now that it was gone, the children could feel the sudden shift in the tense atmosphere of the room. "How could you have possibly . . ."
"O-oh, this . . . ?" Asriel stammered raising the pail, "You-you see, there's this really nice Skeleton man upstairs. He-he said he found it while he was cleaning. Anyway, he said I could have it as an early birthday present! He said I could use it to help Dad with his garden!"
Gaster seemed to have fallen into a trance as Asriel explained. So it was Sans . . . of course it was Sans. He must have found the box of Corbel's old things . . . the things Gaster had gone back for in a particularly troubling moment of weakness. And of course Sans didn't know what he was looking at . . . or to whom the items belonged . . . or why the items in that box held such sentimental value. He had just been told to sort through them . . . and destroy everything he did not feel was pertinent. Of course he would have thought that Corbel's things . . .
"Perhaps the two of you should be going now." Gaster droned in a voice somewhere between a sigh and a whisper, "I cannot be responsible for your getting lost down here. In fact, perhaps it will be best if I deliver you to the king myself."
"Oh! No, that's okay!" Asriel assured, taking the human's hand and backing several steps away to put some distance between them and the Skeleton man who was obviously emotionally unstable.
"I must insist you come with me." Gaster pressed, taking the human's other hand and leading both children back through the hall. "There have been advancements about which I have been meaning to inform the king and what better opportunity is there than while returning his snooping children?"
From a step behind him, the human child groaned in one part frustration and one part discomfort as they were led away. They shot a look back to Asriel as if to demand why the prince wasn't ordering the scientist to unhand them. In response, Asriel gave a small smile and a nervous laugh, but otherwise remained quiet, as he was led away as well, still gripping the human's hand. Any excuse to get out of the creepy lab was okay with him.
It was supposed to be a relaxing day off after spring cleaning, right? And in a way, he supposed it was. After all, who wouldn't want to spend the day fishing for stuff down at the dump? But still, Papyrus needed some stuff if he was going to be living with Sans. And quite a few of the things he needed couldn't be found easily, which meant Sans would either have to create it or salvage it.
But that could come later, the idea of today's outing was to take Papyrus and see what he was all about. What kinds of things did he like? What was he drawn to?
So, the moment they reached the dump, Sans pretty much just turned Papyrus loose, letting him dig through the trash piles and pick out things that stood out to him. In the meantime, Sans let himself fall into a pile of trash, making himself a throne out of the refuse. He busied himself with reading over the packages and containers.
"Brother!" Papyrus called, not for the first time, once again bringing Sans back to reality, "This one?"
The permanent smile on Sans' face spread and turned fond as he chuckled to himself. That was one thing about Papyrus that he was able to pick up on very quickly. He seemed to have a certain thirst . . . no, it was more of a desperate need for approval. With everything he picked up, Papyrus would ask for Sans' opinion. If he thought it was cool, Papyrus would like it too and put it with the pile of things he wanted to keep. If Sans showed any sign of disapproval, however slight, Papyrus would discard it – even if he seemed reluctant to do so.
Seeing this happen once or twice, Sans immediately changed his approach.
Like this time, for example, as Papyrus held up another orange sweater (He seemed to really like bright warm tones like reds, oranges, and yellows- noted), instead of asking why he felt he needed four, Sans shrugged, turning his opinion into a choice.
"I dunno, bro." Sans sighed, trying to remain as neutral as possible, "We're not here for me. Do you like the sweater?"
Papyrus held up the garment once again, still trying to discern Sans' thoughts on it. Eventually, he had to ask himself the same question. The concept of "like" was still relatively new, but Papyrus did understand that certain items would bring about different reactions. While digging through the piles, for example, Papyrus was on observation mode as well. He witnessed the way his brother's smile would change from time to time when he noticed something that was somehow different from the other things in the piles around them. Upon first glance, there was nothing special about the container, or the wrapper, but it obviously caused a reaction in Sans and his smile turned into something pleasant. Did that mean he "liked" that thing?
Did this sweater produce the same kind of reaction in him? Did any of these things?
Well, maybe it wasn't quite like Sans, but these sweaters, those shorts, that . . . transforming robot . . . (Sans had called it an action figure . . . ?) That book. They did somehow feel . . . different than the other things he saw here.
"I do." He ultimately replied.
"Then, you should probably keep it, don't'cha think?"
"Then, I will!" Papyrus cheered, "Thank you, brother!"
Sans, chuckled, still not used to his new name, "No sweat."
Sans leaned back, crossing his arms behind his head as he let himself relax. Papyrus was on a good track and he seemed to understand just how to narrow down his decisions. Perhaps he didn't need him anymore. Maybe Sans would be able to get some rest for a –"
"Brother?" Papyrus called again.
"Like I said, Pap. We're not here for things I like. You should focus on yourself for now."
"No." Papyrus answered plainly, and at the solid tone, Sans redirected his attention once again.
"What is it, bro?"
"Someone is here!"
At that, Sans pushed himself to a sitting position once again and turned to where Papyrus had his gaze trained off into the distance. Steadily, Sans pulled himself to his feet as well, just in case.
"Hello!?" He called. If someone was lurking in the shadows, it would just be plain rude not to respond. "Hey, who's there?"
"W-wait," the voice responded, trying to sort something out in their own head, "S-sans?"
A small yellow lizard woman shuffled out from behind one of the piles of trash on the far side of the dump. How Papyrus had been able to hear her from way over there was astounding, noteworthy even.
"Alphys!" Sans called with a smile, dropping any apprehension he may have picked up, "Fancy seeing you here! Come on over! We were just doing some shopping!"
And just like that, Sans was seated back in his trash-pile throne. He waved at Alphys as she made her way over to where the two Skeletons were.
"Hi, Sans!" Alphys greeted. She seemed to start when she saw the other digging through a nearby pile, "Oh! Hello, Papyrus. It's nice to see you again."
"Hello, Dr. Alphys." Papyrus greeted, "It's . . . nice to see you again too."
Alphys gave a squeak as she covered her face to hide a massive blush, "Oh, n-no! I'm not a d-doctor! I mean not yet . . . I- um . . . maybe someday, but not . . . J-just Alphys is fine."
"Oh, I'm sorry."
Alphys giggled at the thought. "Really, it's okay. Honestly, if anyone was going to be the n-next doctor, it would probably be S-sans. He's been here the longest and he works c-closely with the doctor already. N-not to mention, he's got the quickest and m-most resourceful mind out of any of us."
Sans laughed at Alphys' glowing recommendation as he resumed his lounging position over the trash, "Oh, stop. You flatter me! You honestly think I have the motivation to be the next doctor? That's the funniest joke I've heard in a long time!" Sans sobered as his eyes tracked nothing in particular up toward the incredibly-high rock ceilings. He even hummed as he thought it over, "How about we just let Gaster have his run first. From what I can see, he's still got a lot to get through before he's ready throw in the towel. After that . . . " Sans shrugged, "Well, we'll just have to see!"
Alphys nodded to herself and gave a bit of a shrug that neither of the preoccupied Skeletons noticed, "I g-guess we will. Oh, wait, Papyrus . . . ? What's the matter?"
Once again, Sans refocused his eyes and sat up to train them on Papyrus. Was there something bothering him? At once, Sans' attention was glued to the other Skeleton as he frowned downward toward the bright red cloth in his hand.
"What's wrong, bud?" Sans asked, a layer of real concern covering his words. Papyrus did seem a bit distracted.
"Brother? Did you . . . Are you really going to be the next Doctor?"
The tone in Papyrus' voice was surprisingly quiet and it was obvious that he felt deeply about the situation. From what Sans was able to deduce about Papyrus so far in these early stages, he doubted that Papyrus would have been able to fully explain why he felt that way, but there was no denying that the feeling ran deep and genuine. Not only that, but there was sound reasoning behind the question.
Sans thought it over for a moment. "You know, I never really thought that far ahead. I dunno though, I don't really see myself as a doctor, you know? I never really had that kind of 'patients'."
Papyrus cocked his head, the play on words sailing directly over him. Sans' attempt at making him smile was a complete failure. Alphys, on the other hand, gave a quiet chuckle before humming herself back into a more serious tone. She looked down to where she curled and uncurled her toes and made tracks in the trash from her claws. "J-joking aside, you're right, P-papyrus, I d-don't think we'll ever be able to match Dr. Gaster's b-brilliance."
Papyrus' frown deepened. "No," He repeated, "That . . . That is not . . ."
Sans sighed, giving up on the humor route for the moment. Papyrus was still being completely serious, the least he could do was hear him out. "Then what is it, Paps?"
Papyrus hesitated for a moment, still not lifting his face or his eyes to see the other two monsters. He opened his mouth a few times as if he were about to say something, but he would close it again when he was unable to find the correct words. Eventually, he settled on something and he continued in the same somber tone as before.
"I hope you never follow Dr. Gaster. You are . . . too nice to be a doctor. Both you and Miss Alphys are."
That made both Alphys and Sans stall. It wasn't hard to figure out from where Papyrus' sentiments stemmed. Just about all of his prior experience with the doctor had been stressful or fear-filled. Not to mention that just one day before, the doctor had been convinced that the only way to deal with the "abomination" had been to burn him in the core . . . of course that was before Sans had so adamantly stepped in to defend him.
"Papyrus?" Alphys asked slowly, her attention now glued to the Skeleton as he seemed to be struggling with his thoughts, "Do you have a n-negative opinion of-of all doctors? I- I know that you can't have had a p-positive relationship with D-dr. Gater if he was planning to-to kill you yesterday. But surely you have positive experiences with doctors as well."
Something pulled at Sans in that moment and it nearly made him stand to correct Alphys. Of course, she didn't know the circumstances behind Papyrus . . . what he was and why he was so torn about how he felt about Gaster. As far as she knew, Papyrus was his brother.
And if Sans had anything to say on the matter, it was going to stay that way.
"C'mon, Paps." Sans encouraged, "You've gotta have at least one good memory. Maybe from before . . . ?"
Before what? Before they met, before Gaster introduced them. If he'd said either of those, his newly-found resolve would've been instantly destroyed. Before Alphys? Or just before in general?
Papyrus remained unmoving, continuing to stare downward at the cloth in his hands. There was, however, a slight change.
"Pa-Papyrus," Alphys stammered, "Are you . . . smiling?"
Sans focused again on Papyrus and his movements with renewed attentiveness. After all, it was the first time Sans had ever seen Papyrus smile. He would have to take note of what was causing this phenomenon.
"Did you think of something?"
Papyrus nodded once.
"Wanna tell us about it?"
Papyrus nodded again, letting the thoughts and the feeling flow. "I was asleep . . . asleep for a very long time, but when I woke up, Dr. Gaster was there. He looked so happy to see me. He laughed and called me a name I did not understand. But it was a good name, not mean at all. And he helped me to stand and walk until I was well enough to do it on my own. It was . . . nice. The nicest I have ever seen him."
"G-Gaster?" Alphys questioned with a bit of incredulity in her voice, "Laughing?"
"Yeah, I know." Sans answered with a bit of a chuckle to his voice, "It's a rare thing, but it does happen every once in a while if you catch him off-guard."
But Alphys' reaction to Gaster laughing wasn't nearly as monumental to Sans as Papyrus' first genuine smile. He had to figure out what caused it and how to replicate the effects. From what he was able to gather, it must have stemmed from the encouragement and the positive reinforcement Gaster had been showing him in those early days of his creation. Sans remembered the very recent past of Papyrus asking for approval of every little item he picked up as he sifted through the trash looking for things to take back with him. Papyrus needed to feel included. He needed to feel well loved. He needed to feel like he was part of something.
That was something Sans could work with. He made a mental note of this.
The majority of the rest of the time at the dump consisted of helping Papyrus find other things he felt he would like. Together, they decided that the large red cloth would be a sheet, something to cover Papyrus while he slept. Until that time, however they decided to use it as a bindle of sorts. They laid the cloth down and continued to pile everything Papyrus decided to keep at its center. They helped Papyrus find other clothes to wear and they discovered that he had a certain draw toward boots. He found two pair that he seemed concerned that if he left, they would not be there if they decided to make a return trip. So, of course, Sans made sure he had them and that he wouldn't let the group leave them behind.
During this field trip, the Skeletons noticed Alphys doing everything she could to be helpful. A part of Sans found this curious. Surely she had other things to do with her time than help them dig through the trash. One or two times, however he did notice her slip little mechanical devices or discs into the backpack she'd brought with her.
When he asked her about it, Alphys had kinda shrugged and giggled nervously.
"O-oh, about that." She began, "Actually, I was thinking- that maybe I would . . . I was going to- to go to the lab to-to uh . . . to see you, actually. To see you and Papyrus. You see, I've got some things I think Papyrus would enjoy and . . . well, yeah. I was just going to look for a few spare parts while I was out. And-and, here you are . . . so . . . uh. Saves me the trip."
Papyrus' attention shifted in that moment and he turned to look over his shoulder at Alphys. It was then he noticed the bag of items on her back, stuffed full of things as if she were filling in for Santa on his day off, except these things were both worn and rusty and worn and frayed. So, maybe she was more like Santa the day after Giftmas when he would collect the old things to make new presents for the next year.
"You brought presents?" Sans inquired, "And they're for Paps. But you only just met the guy yesterday!"
"Well-yes, but I remembered these th-things I had at home and I was instantly reminded of him. I thought he m-may get a better use out of them than I can. They've j-just been sitting at home for a while. S-so, yes, you can add this to your pile." She ducked down to a kneeling position to dig through the items in her backpack. She pulled out several thinly bound books, a few disks in fractured packages, and a small green and yellow box full of multi colored pencils.
"Woah, Alphys! That's a whole lot for one dude! Do you think he can really use all of these things?"
". . . well . . . Yes!" Alphys insisted, "I – f-figured if you're busy with projects all day, this will g-give him something to-to occupy his time!"
Papyrus, with his attention glued to the pile of activities, began forward to close the gap between Alphys and himself, taking each and every item in with wonder and awe.
"Oh, wowie . . ." He gaped, breathing the exclamation as a slow realization as he took one of the thinly bound books in his hand, turning over in his hands, "So many puzzles . . . and all of this is for me!?"
"Why, yes, P-papyrus." Alphys laughed, "I-I hope you like them."
Papyrus opened the book and flipped through the pages, "Wowie . . ." He repeated quietly as a broad smile pulled at his features, "Thank you, Miss Alphys! Thank you so much!"
At the exclamation, Alphys' smile spread as well. "You're welcome, Papyrus!"
Sans let out a laugh of his own through his surprise. "Oh, would you look at that!" He grinned, more to himself than to either of the others. "I guess you really have a thing for puzzles, don't'cha, Paps? I'll have to keep that in mind." Sans looked through the pile as well, reading over the titles of the books and the disc cases. Something caught his eye as he placed the Sudoku book and the coloring book aside: a few discs had cases that stood out to him.
"Woah! Alphys! How long have you had these!?" Sans turned the discs over, admiring the packaging and reading the titles, "'The Nightmare Before Christmas' . . . 'He-man and the Masters of the Universe' . . . Haha! This one's a little odd. 'The Iron Giant'?"
"Th-those all have s-such great stories I thought Papyrus w-would enjoy! S-stories of curiosity, d-discovery, friendship, t-teamwork and a-acceptance!" Alphys smiled as well as she adjusted her glasses, "I d-didn't know you knew of them, Sans! Th-that is exciting! S-so you'll know which one to start him off on first!"
Sans' laughter became a little nervous as he looked down. "Yeah, well. This junk . . . it's . . . it's all a good watch. I mean, plus, it's funny to see how the humans depict Skeletons. I guess that's kinda why you chose these, right?"
"In part." Alphys nodded, but her eyes hadn't left Sans since he picked up the discs, "That last one, though, 'Iron Giant' is a great story about a boy who happens upon an alien machine who was designed for war. Everyone is convinced that the machine is a "monster"-in the human sense of the word of course- a killer- an . . . abomination . . . and the government comes and tries to kill him. But the boy is convinced that the machine is friendly and that he could be this great hero. The machine, though, doesn't remember who he is or what he was designed to do, so be becomes friends with the boy and learns everything he can about what makes the Earth so great! In the end, the boy and the machine end up teaming up and saving the world, but I suppose that's kind of a spoiler. The point is, it reminded me of- well- both you and Papyrus."
"And why would it do that?" Sans sighed. He could feel Alphys trying to "subtly" pry for more details about him and his relationship with Papyrus. And really, Sans couldn't blame her. After all, Papyrus was very interesting and he did just kinda show up out of nowhere, but why couldn't she just leave well enough alone? "Doesn't sound like us at all."
"Oh, well . . . I just thought . . . I figured . . ."
"Hey, Alphys," Sans pressured, his tone dropping a few notches, "You keep staring like that and your eyes might fall out."
"O-oh, right. Of course, I'm-I'm sorry." And just like that, Alphys was defused, for now. Sans made another note to himself to take extra care around Alphys if she was going to be studying him and Papyrus.
"Anyway," Sans shrugged, placing the discs back down and shoving his hands in his pockets with a shrug, "Thanks again, Al. I'm sure Papyrus will get a real kick out of this stuff! But, sorry to burst your bubble an' all, but I don't see how we're gonna be able to take all of this. You see, I don't have a DVD player . . . or a T.V."
"Oh, don't you worry about that!" Alphys grinned, "I'm sure I can whip something up for you! There are plenty of parts down here. Consider it another gift for you and your brother!"
"Ah, gee, Alphys." Sans began again, "You know, you really don't have to."
"Oh, it'll be no problem! And b-besides, I would love to-to know your thoughts on 'The Iron Giant'. Or how Papyrus likes S-skeletor!"
Sans shot a look over his shoulder to check on Papyrus and see what he was up to. He found the other Skeleton sitting near his pile of things playing with the action figure and inspecting it, moving all of the pieces to see how they functioned. He seemed content with what he'd found that day and it didn't look as if he was interested in finding anything else to take back with him.
"I'll tell you what, Alphys." Sans smiled, "You set us up with a system that can play all of this, and we'll have a marathon. That way, you can see for yourself. How about that?"
Alphys seemed to light up at the idea and she raised her hands to clasp tightly in front of her. "Challenge accepted!" She cheered, "Oooh! And I've already got some awesome ideas for a home entertainment system that utilizes a universal remote control device that will allow you to configure the desired lighting, volume for surround sound, popcorn and snack dispensers, temperature, humidity, for the truly authentic experience! When I'm done, you'll feel like you're PART of the movie!"
"Woah! Woah, slow down there, Al!" Sans chuckled, attempting to calm the lizard's spark just a bit, "How about we just focus on 'play' first. Maybe 'stop'. You know, so we can actually watch the movie? Besides, I don't think my room is big enough for all that."
"O-oh, yes." Alphys stammered, coming back to her senses, "A-and I doubt Gaster would l-let me build a theatre in the-in the lab . . ." She shrugged. "F-fine. We'll start with a screen and a p-playback device and we'll s-see from there."
"Sounds good to me." And Sans winked as he turned back to his brother, "Heya, Paps. You feel about ready to head back? Looks like you're slowin' down there."
Papyrus looked up from the figure, which he'd been making fly around by use of rocket boosters in his boots. Man, he really did act like a kid sometimes, but Sans, supposed that was part of Papyrus' charm.
"Yes, brother!" Papyrus cheered as he replaced the figure in the pile and tied the bindle closed. Knowing that he would have to carry all of these things with him, Papyrus left enough slack to tie the cloth around his shoulders as well so he could carry it all like Alphys' backpack. Once he was situated and stable, he looked back up to the others with a nod, "I'm ready!"
"Wow. Gotta hand it to you. You sure are eager."
"Well, that's d-definitely an admirable trait." Alphys added, grabbing her own backpack and moving over to the wooden platform in the center of the dump. "Well, you g-guys enjoy the rest of your d-day off. I'm gonna . . . well . . . I'll be here."
Sans stopped with a moment of hesitation. Woah, what happened to the enthusiasm and zeal from just a few minutes ago? It was as if all life had been suddenly drained from her. She seemed . . . distracted.
"Hey, Alphys?" Sans started with a bit of concern for his friend. "You okay there? You know, you could come with us if you wanted. I mean, we won't be doing anything terribly interesting. Probably just sorting out Papyrus' things . . . but yeah. If you wanted . . ."
"It's okay, Sans." Alphys answered in a small voice. "Don't worry about me. I'll just be here collecting parts. I'll s-see you guys for the marathon, okay?"
Sans sighed again with a shrug, "Alright then. Suit yourself. We'll see you around. C'mon, bro. Let's go home. Alphys is gonna stay for a while."
"Alright, brother." Papyrus agreed, readjusting his bindle over his shoulders as he kept step alongside Sans. The only time he fell slightly behind was when he turned back toward the lizard woman.
"Thank you again, Miss Alphys!" He called before turning back to catch up.
Alphys gave Papyrus a small smile as he turned, leaving her to continue what she came to do.
From there, Sans and Papyrus left the dump relatively quietly, deciding that the best way back to Hotland with all of the stuff they collected was probably to employ the services of the Riverperson.
It was on their way down toward where the Riverperson usually had their boat docked that they heard the frustrated undertones of a woman.
"Ngaahh!" She growled, "There's just no beating that Fluff-butt! Especially with this cheap, rundown, equipment! I'm supposed to be training for the Royal Guard! I can't possibly get in with junk like this! Gah! That's it! I need a new sword!"
The woman looked to be lost in her own world, muttering to herself as she made her way toward the dump. She didn't even realize there were other people around until she almost literally ran into Papyrus.
"Hey! Watch where you're going, punk! Can't you see that I'm . . . Woah! No way!"
Papyrus' expression widened in surprise as he looked back at the woman. She seemed pretty worn and beat up honestly, with bandages and wraps tied around her arms and bruises showing just beneath her blue scales. Her bright red hair was pulled back so it wouldn't fall into her bright yellow eyes . . . or rather . . . eye. The other was hidden under a patch.
That eye, however, seemed incredibly round and large as she looked toward Papyrus. Her mouth has even fallen open as if she'd forgotten how to use it.
"Oh!" Papyrus gasped taking a step backward as not to stay in the woman's way, "I'm sorry."
"No, Paps." Sans interjected stepping forward to protect Papyrus. "You don't have to apologize to her. Obviously, she's the one who needs to watch where she's going! C'mon, lady. You owe my brother an apology!"
Even as he said it, there was a short pause as something flashed within Sans' resolve and for a short second, Sans seemed to skip a beat before his expression became intense once again.
No one seemed to notice.
The woman straightened up after a moment or two as she focused on the voices. "Pshh, yeah right! You tell your "brother" to be aware of his surroundings even if other people aren't! He needs lightning-fast reflexes if he's going to survive!"
"Oh yeah, mom!" Sans bit back, "Thanks for the life lesson. I'll be sure to pass it along. C'mon, bro. Let's go home."
"Oh . . . oh, okay." Papyrus nodded as he side-stepped the aggressive fish woman to join Sans again.
As he passed, a webbed hand gripped tightly at his arm, stopping him in his tracks.
"Hey," She said solidly and in a different and more subdued tone than before. This was just for his ears . . . or lack thereof. "Hey, kid. I know your face. You're the doc's kid, right? There aren't many Skeletons around, so there aren't many faces to be confused by. But, hey, there's no way you can be the same guy anyway, right? So . . . I just need to know. Have we met before? Do you know my name?"
Even the way Papyrus pulled on his arm to get away seemed to spark some recognition in the woman and a wide grin seemed to spread.
"Woah! You even fight like him- like ol' Puffball! Tell me! Tell me how that's possible! You died! How are you here when I watched them all those years ago with your dust! Corbel, tell me you recognize me!"
Through all of this, Papyrus kept pulling on his arm, becoming more and more tense and more and more fearful of the person holding tightly to his arm. Nothing she said made any sense. And she seemed to be expecting an answer that he knew he didn't have.
To add to this, Sans was steadily getting further away and at this rate, Papyrus would be left behind! He didn't want to be left behind- especially not with this strange fish lady who didn't even know his name.
"B-brother!" Papyrus called, successfully gaining Sans' attention once again.
Sans snapped his eyes back to Papyrus' call and when he saw the grip on his arm, his expression fell into something cold and dark. Okay, this had gone far enough.
"Hey, buddy. Let my brother go! Let him go right now or else—"
"Or else, what?" The woman sneered, turning her attention to Sans once again, "Pshh! What are you gonna do, Mr. 5 HP."
Sans huffed, his eyes focused and his anger boiling already toward the surface. In that short amount of time, she had been able to CHECK him and he didn't even notice? Who the heck was this lady anyway!?
"Fuhuhuhu!" She chuckled releasing the arm, "I can see this was a waste of time. Wasn't even the right guy."
Immediately, Papyrus pulled away to rejoin Sans. He put as much distance between himself and the woman as he could, taking a spot behind his brother, all the while, he rubbed at his arm, the odd sensation commanding his attention.
"Your brother needs to toughen up if he's gonna make it around here." The woman scoffed from over her shoulder, "If you need it, I can help out with that. The name's Undyne and this isn't the last you've seen of me!"
"Yeah, whatever, lady!" Sans huffed as he led Papyrus away and toward where the Riverperson would be waiting for them.
Undyne watched them as they left. Even when the Puffball-look-alike turned back with an awkward smile toward her, "Bye, Mom!"
Undyne's face contorted into a confused scowl, "What the f—"
"Finally." Gaster sighed, still escorting the two children who had stayed a good step or two behind him the entire way back to New Home.
Throughout their walk, the human child managed to remain relatively quiet with the exception of their near constant huffing and puffing their dislike in the change in plans. Asriel, on the other hand, seemed more relaxed and even began humming a short little melody as he followed behind Gaster.
When they reached the entryway where Asgore would be meeting them, the three could do little but stand and shift in awkward discomfort. Even though this place was home to Asriel and the human, something about their approach demanded that they stay rooted until Asgore arrived.
In all actuality, they were not left waiting for long. Within five minutes, the large goat monster appeared, emerging from below by means of the staircase. He patted his hands on torn denim shorts and the dirt-smudged shirt didn't suggest the authority of a king.
"Well, howdy, there!" He greeted with a grin, "Please excuse my appearance, I wasn't expecting . . . Dr. Gaster! What brings you here!? It's been so long!"
Gaster hummed. He didn't seem quite as enthusiastic about the reunion as the king, despite that it had been years since they've last seen each other face-to-face. Perhaps because he was still so tired, or that he still had his report looming over him, or that his patience had been worn down to threads.
"Your majesty," Gaster began, ignoring the cheerful tone of the king's voice and continuing with what he came to do, "I found these two sneaking around the lab, and I thought I should deliver them to you rather than having them get lost in there trying to find their way back on their own. Unless, of course they were hoping to get lost in there intentionally."
Gaster shot a look to the floor between himself and the tiny human behind him. After all, it had been the child's idea to go to the lab in the first place. He was confident that if he'd left the children to find their own way back, this human would have taken it as an opportunity or even as a challenge to get as lost as they could, all in the name of adventure and exploration. Even though, he understood the thrill of discovering the secrets of a new place . . . his lab was not the place for that.
"Now, now, children." Asgore reprimanded in his deep voice, though he didn't sound upset or even scolding as he reminded the children. "We talked about this. You are not to go wandering off without permission from either your mom or myself. I know the lab looks interesting, but you could have been seriously hurt if you weren't careful. Aside from that, there are people living there. Would you like it if people walked into your bedroom unannounced?"
Asriel hummed as he thought this over. Eventually, he lowered his head.
"Oh, golly, I didn't even think about it like that. Sorry, Dad."
"Don't apologize to me." The king directed, "It wasn't my home."
"Oh, right!" Asriel turned to the tall Skeleton beside him, giving a tiny bow, "I'm sorry, Dr. Gaster. I didn't mean to intrude on your home. I promise I won't do it again."
To his other side, the human child kinda scoffed and rolled their eyes, muttering something along the lines of "eh, it was a boring let-down anyway" before snapping back into the innocent child routine.
"Yeah!" They said leeching onto Asriel's (actually pretty decent) apology. "Sorry."
That's all they said. And Gaster fought with himself not to scowl at the human in front of the king. That was nowhere near the appropriate kind of repentance that the child should have shown. At least Asriel was humble in his words and in his actions. He knew he'd made a mistake and he showed real remorse.
That human, though . . .
"Splendid!" Asgore cheered, obviously satisfied with the poor show, or probably not picking up on how poor it actually was, "Now that that's taken care of, let's take a look at what you've got there, son! Where did you get that pail? That's not anything your mom got for you is it?"
Asriel laughed as he approached his father, looking incredibly tiny in comparison, "No, it was a birthday present!" He reiterated, "Now I can help you with your gardening!"
"Well let's see what you've got." And Asgore took the pail into his great hands, inspecting it and it's capacity, looking at the faded stickers with a smile and when he turned it upside down to check for cracks or holes, his face went pale . . . or rather . . . well, paler than normal.
Written on the bottom of the pail in black marker were the initials "C.H.G."
Asgore's smile faded as he held the pail in his hands.
"Dad?" Asriel asked, a note of worry in his quiet voice, "Dad, are you okay? Is it not good for gardening?"
When Asgore looked up again, his expression locked with the other adult in the room. He knew what the letters meant and how much the toy meant . . . especially if he still had it.
"Oh, son." Asgore sighed, keeping the plastic container close, "I'm sorry, but this pail—"
"Belongs to him." Gaster interrupted. After all, the prince seemed excited enough about it and who was he to take that away from him? "It's his birthday present from us at the lab. A little early, perhaps. Or perhaps a little late . . . either way, it belongs to him now."
"Dr. Gaster," Asgore questioned, his tone more quiet and concerned than anything Gaster had heard in a long time. He wished he wouldn't talk to him like that. After all, it had been about fifteen years now, "Dr. Gaster, only if you're sure."
Gaster nodded, "I'm sure. It'll be nice to know it's getting good use."
Asgore tilted his head this time in a slight bow, "Thank you."
Asriel, witnessing this, knew something huge must have happened if it caused his father, the king of all monsters, to bow to anyone. The boy turned again to the Doctor and bowed as well- a slight bend at the back with his hands clasped loosely in front of him.
"Thank you, Dr. Gaster!" He chimed.
In spite of himself, Gaster felt a bit of a smile pull gently at one of the corners of his mouth. Watching the young prince, he had to admit he felt better about letting him have Corbel's old pail. It really looked as if Asriel would be able to fully appreciate it and he knew then that it had found a good home.
"You're very welcome." Gaster nodded back.
"Now, children." Asgore started again, handing the pail back to Asriel and patting the top of his head, "Why don't you two go out and play. The doctor and I have a lot of catching up to do.
"Okay!" Asriel cheered as they waved down the human child to follow. "We're working on a surprise! We should probably get started if we want it to be done in time!"
Asgore let out a deep and comforting laugh as he guided the children away. They descended the staircases with smiles and a little laughter.
Once he was sure they were on their way, Asgore turned back to welcome Gaster, properly.
"Dr. Gaster, my friend. It's been far too long. Please tell me you've been well."
"As well as I can, your majesty." Gaster nodded.
"Oh, please. After all this time, we can drop the formalities, can't we? Just call me Asgore."
"Noted." Gaster answered, "Things have been going relatively well in the lab and there have been several advancements about which I would like to report."
"Well, that's all good." Asgore smiled, trying a different approach in his attempt to get the doctor to loosen up. "And that can wait for the paper reports right? I want to know how you are. How have the years been treating you, Wingdings?"
Gaster cocked his head, "Your majesty . . . ? I mean, Asgore . . . what do you mean?"
Asgore's smile became a quiet chuckle, "Surely you have done more than work in the lab these past . . . wow . . . how long has it been since we've last spoken face-to-face? Six? Seven years?"
Gaster thought it over for a minute. Had it really been that long? The last time they'd spoken must've been . . . at the celebration when Asriel was born. Where had all the time gone?
"I suppose it has . . ."
"And how have you been?"
Gaster's expression fell into a contemplative frown. Really, how could he answer that question when he hadn't given any thought to the answer whatsoever in such a long time.
Seeing the hesitation, Asgore let out a deep breath. He was afraid that was the case. Gaster had completely lost himself in his work and hadn't even given thought to his own well-being in who knew how long. Something had to be done. The doctor deserved some time to relax after all, right.
"Never mind that for now." The King distracted, his smile pulling again and becoming fond, "Toriel will be back soon with ingredients for dinner. Why don't you stay? It's been a while since we've had company."
Gaster was visibly taken aback, "Your- uh, Asgore! I couldn't. I don't want to impose! And besides, the queen won't be expecting me. It's okay. I should be getting back anyway."
"Nonsense!" Asgore insisted. "Well, if not for dinner, at least stay for tea."
Again, Gaster had to think this over. He supposed that after 25 years of working for Asgore, he could at least take him up on his almost constant offers of tea.
Gaster nodded slowly with a bit of a smile in place once again. "Actually, tea sounds wonderful."
AN: And Scene!
Thank you again, everyone for sticking with me so far! I've already begun work on the next few chapters, so I hope to have those out for you soon!
In the meantime, please review if you are so inclined. And don't forget to check out "Surpassing Origins on Amazon!
Thanks again and I'll see you for Chapter 9
~Jes