The CORE of the Matter

by Siren-Song-Jes

Dr. W.D. Gaster always knew there was something very unique about his apprentice, but he had no idea he was keeping secrets like THOSE. Could Sans really have been holding the key to breaking the barrier this entire time?

15. Purple

AN: Um, Wow, guys! Welcome back! It's been about a month since the last update, hasn't it? Geez. I'm sorry about that. In that time, so much has happened including a title change! I've changed the name of this fic from "Sticks and Stones to Break the Bones" to something I thought would be a little more relevant: "The CORE of the Matter" But hey, to make up for the time and the confusion, here's a nice lengthy juicy chapter for you! Before we get started on that, though, I'd like to address one or two update/ housekeeping things.

First, as always! Thank you so much for everything, guys! It really is a lot of fun to come back and update knowing you are here to read and enjoy! It's always amazing to see what you guys have to say! And as we approach the inevitable end, I'm just so grateful for all of you who have stuck around!

Speaking of, this story currently has about 88 followers! I'm so happy and excited to be writing for so many people! It's a lot to live up to, and I really hope I'm making the cut! That being said, I do have a goal. A sort of "Thank you" to all my readers! If we can do it! I want to reach 100 followers! If we can make that goal, I have a special art piece I'd be happy to share with you! I'm excited to show you what I've been working on, and we are only 12 followers away! I'll keep you posted on the progress!

Um . . . the other one is really short. I've started a new series! It's my second Undertale fic and it revolves around the final fallen human, YOU! If you haven't already, be sure to check out "A Life in RUINS"

Finally! One more thing before we get started!

WARNING: The following contains strong language, intense situations, Gerson, slight gore, and VERY unhappy Skeletons! Reader discretion is advised. (Also, I've completely given up on editing. Please forgive me. I just don't have the patience for it anymore, I hope you understand)

Now that all that is taken care of, please enjoy chapter 13!

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Chapter 13

Purple

In the weeks that followed since San's suspension, the other assistants continued on with their assigned projects, working diligently and proficiently, even though it was obvious to most of the others that there was a certain something missing. A certain spark of life that the lab suddenly lacked.

Of course, they were able to get along just fine without Sans, but work had become a bit dull without him, and quite honestly, a bit boring.

The one exception to this was Gaine. He seemed to have acquired a bit more of a cheery disposition now that he felt he didn't have to "deal" with Sans working alongside him, irritating him and distracting him from his job. Gaster had been absolutely correct about him. Once he heard that Sans had been "suspended until further notice" Gaine's mood improved tremendously.

He had no idea that if he were to travel just a few floors down, his elation would have been instantly shattered.

Below the work areas of the lab, Sans seemed to be having trouble adjusting to not having anything to do. The first couple of days proved to be the worst and he would spend nearly the entire day in bed contemplating what he could be doing, making lists and debating with himself if it was worth the energy spent to get it done. About the only thing he found to be worth doing was getting up to find food. And that was usually late in the day or early in the evening when the others had gone home. He would often wait to traverse the upper levels until the others had gone home for the day. With the exception of Alphys, no one from the team knew that Sans actually lived in the lab, and if he had any say in the matter, it would stay that way.

But, of course, that meant remaining hidden from the others. And the easiest way to remain hidden was to stay in his room . . . even if it was starting to drive him up the wall with boredom.

He didn't even have Papyrus to keep him company.

Just like Sans suggested, Papyrus had been keeping himself busy, which, of course, was a great thing. He was busy most of the day training with Undyne and the other members of the Royal Guard. Though he wasn't officially part of the Royal Guard yet, they seemed to have no problem with him tagging along during their workout regimen. During the time he had been training with them, he had effectively been able to boost his physical strength as well as endurance and stamina. And having so many other trainees around, helped to boost something a lot more than that. Sans noticed that Papyrus' confidence and his self esteem had been significantly elevated since he started training. Even though he was the only Skeleton, he was determined to push himself to the absolute limit and prove to himself, to Sans, and to them that he had what it took to be there.

Of course Sans had always known that Papyrus could do anything he set his mind to, but it was genuinely nice to see Papyrus start to believe it as well. It was the highlight of Sans' uneventful day when Papyrus would come back, boasting about the obstacle course he'd completed a full ten seconds faster than last week's time or the way he had been able to hone his magical ability in order to produce new and elaborate attacks.

Sans never went to see the Papyrus' progress in person, but somehow, it was enough just to hear the stories. Papyrus was happy and he was glad to be working toward something and that was enough for Sans.

Even if it did leave him to figure out just what he could do to fill his time. Until now, Sans had had his work at the lab to distract him and to keep him moving, but now that he wasn't even allowed to be around the place during business hours, he was having trouble finding interesting things to do during the day.

He was supposed to be resting. He was supposed to be regaining himself. He was supposed to be getting back to basics. Before his suspension, Gaster mentioned going back to his hobbies . . . well . . .

When the boredom of being holed up under the lab became too much, Sans took to wandering aimlessly around the Underground.

That day, Sans was in the caverns of Waterfall, shuffling his feet and kicking at rocks with his hands shoved firmly in the pockets of his jacket. There was a room somewhere around the place where there were glowing rocks in the ceiling that bore a semblance to stars. If there were a place that could make him feel more like himself, it would be that place, second only to the dump where he enjoyed looking through the things the humans threw away.

But today was more of a stars kind of day.

Sans had always been fascinated by the idea of stars and living a life in which they were right within reach. It was the foolish fantasy of a child, he knew, but to him, it didn't matter. As a kid, the stars had always been a sort of motivation for him. Like, if he just tried hard enough, he would be eventually be able to reach them.

No, these weren't real stars, but they would do . . . for now.

Sans found a good spot near the back of the room where one of the caves came to an end in a smooth door-like stone surface. He sat in this corner of room leaning backward against the wall and staring up toward the unchanging twinkling of the glowing rocks overhead. At first, it was very relaxing to just sit and imagine them being real stars, to be able to chart their movements, to pick out shapes and constellations and approximate just how far away they were. To imagine what it would be like to live on a world out there surrounding one of those stars only to be stargazing there and thinking about what it might be like to live on this world orbiting this star.

. . . The star they didn't even get to see . . . damn the Underground curse . . .

Sans let his eyes drift shut as he let his mind wander. He needed to get back in touch with who he really was- with what made him feel whole. What gave him hope? What motivated him to keep going? And the more Sans thought about what that was, the more he thought about the person he used to be, the more he realized that he missed places like these. He missed being able to sit and wonder what his future held and he missed contemplating and planning for all of the things he still had yet to do. He missed being able to express those dreams to a friend and have them laugh at him for always having his mind out in space.

Once upon a time, there had been friends like that. Companions with whom he would share everything. All of his hopes and aspirations, all of his dreams and musings and theories, all of his fears, all of his secrets. He trusted them. And they had trusted him with theirs.

But that had been before . . .

Before he'd come to live in the lab. Before he became Dr. W.D. Gaster's personal assistant and apprentice.

Before his entire life was uprooted . . . Before his world was shattered.

Before the lid was shut on him and he was left to die.

Before he . . .

Sans frowned, his eyes opening to slits. He couldn't continue thinking like that. He had to keep moving. He had to find some kind of distraction. He thought the stars would help . . . but really, they just reminded him of everything he'd lost. The more he thought about it, the more the stars rekindled old feelings and terrible memories. Thoughts of people and of places he had been trying to avoid for almost a decade.

Working in the lab had been his escape from these suffocating thoughts. There was always something new and unfamiliar to explore. It helped to fill that void. And now . . . he didn't even have that anymore. That had been taken away from him too.

He could feel a headache coming on. Time for a new distraction. Best to keep moving.

Sans pulled himself to his feet, using the wall for support as he stood once again. He kept his head lowered and his eyes trained downward as he contemplated where to go next and what to do.

It was as he stood that he saw it.

A little black rectangle in the corner of the room. A plastic contraption: smooth on the surface with the exception of the scratches along the edges. Sans glared over it, trying to focus enough to see what it was. He stooped over in order to pick it up and examine it, running his skeletal fingers over the surface as he turned it in his hands. Along the rim was a slit in the design and with the very tip of a single distal phalanx, Sans pried the thing open, separating the two halves like a locket and flipping the device open.

Inside, he watched as a set of numbers and a tiny screen seemed to flicker to life! All of the numbers began to glow and the screen gave off a brilliant light as words scrolled past.

"Good morning, Sunshine!" Inched its way across the screen cutting through an artful photo of a quill resting in its inkwell. The text was followed by a digital smile.

Sans had to smile a bit at that as a thought passed fleetingly. It was actually kind of cute that the device would greet the user like that.

Someone had lost their cell phone.

But who's was it?

Sans hummed to himself as he flipped the phone shut and pocketed the thing. He would hold on to it until he could find who lost it. Or maybe he would turn it over to someone nearby who might have seen who dropped it. Or maybe he could call someone in the person's contact list and let them know that the phone had been found and that person could inform the owner.

Yeah, that last option sounded best. But the reception here wasn't that great. If he could get to the dump or somewhere more open, he could probably get a better signal.

But as Sans looked, he noticed that the battery icon in the corner seemed to be on its last little bar of power. He would have to hurry before it ran out.

And so, Sans left the wishing room and immediately tried to find the contact list. He saw that there had been several missed calls and a lot of voicemails left on the person's phone and he had to wonder why this person even bothered having a phone if they weren't going to use it.

Or maybe, it was a friend of theirs, trying to help them find where they'd dropped it.

Most of the missed calls were from the same person. Hmm. Maybe if he tried that number . . .

But the signal still wasn't strong enough.

Sans continued on toward the dump. That place had double the boost, one from the rudimentary towers the monsters created to help them communicate and another because this was one of the few places where was a straight shot to the surface. Even underground, they could connect to the human's communications network. If he wasn't able to get through at the dump, he doubted he would be able to get through at all.

It didn't take long after he reached it for the phone in his pocket to ring . . . but it wasn't quite the classic ringing sound he had been expecting.

Instead, a song began to play and the notes filled the air around him and saturated the area.

It was . . . familiar. A song he hadn't heard in years and one of his favorites from when he was younger.

Hearing it again after so long . . . It gripped at Sans and forced him to stall in his steps. It had been a deep and an incredibly personal song for him for such a long time. And now . . .

That same thought from before flashed in his mind again. "Good morning, Sunshine."

Put in this new context, paired with this particular song, that message was just a little too convenient.

He ripped the phone from his pocket and flipped it open to reveal the name in the contact list. It was such a common name that it didn't even occur to Sans that just maybe . . . it could have been . . .

He accepted the call and placed it to the side of his skull at the tiny hole where it was easiest to pick up sound.

"Oh my God! It's about TIME you actually picked up!" The voice on the other line scolded.

Sans remained silent as he listened.

"Hello!?" The voice asked not receiving the response she was looking for, "Helloooo? Anyone there? Hey, Ava! What the hell, girl! Where are you!?"

By this time, Sans' hands were shaking almost violently as he listened and he nearly dropped the phone. At the sound, his mind completely clouded over and he entered a bit of a fog.

No . . . this couldn't be happening! After so long . . . why on Earth would she be calling? And she was looking for her!?

Trying to calm his nerves and his thundering heart, Sans let out a shaky breath. He fought with his own sense and what he should do next . . . should he reveal himself and risk exposure, or should he remain silent and hang up on her? With a cautious look around him to make sure there were no approaching monsters, he came to a decision.

"K-Kara . . ." He answered quietly and through an uncertain voice.

"Hello!?" The other voice snapped in a panic "Who the hell is this!? Where is Ava!?"

Sans had to fight just to draw a decent breath. Of all of the misfortune. Of all of the rotten luck.

"A-Ava's not here." He breathed, still trying to keep his voice lowered in case he was overheard. "I just found this phone. Is it hers?"

"Wait a minute!" The woman on the other line answered.

"Damn it!" Sans growled.

"That voice!"

She did recognize him.

"Holy crap! Is that you!?" And now her voice was even more boisterous and excited and the sound bounced around the empty area.

Damn it! Damn it! Damn it! If someone heard her . . . if they found out he knew the voice on the other side of the line . . .

He would be done for!

Maybe he could retain some deniability if he didn't acknowledge out loud that he knew the voice. And if anyone asked how he knew her name . . . well, that's what caller ID was for, right?

At least, that's what he'd tell them.

"Kara!" He hissed, "Kara, please! Keep it down!"

Of course she didn't listen. She squealed and continued on in full volume. Not only that, but now she was screaming at him at ten times the normal speed.

"I can't believe she actually found you!? How the hell did she manage that!? I told her it was crazy, but she was so damned persistent. Obsessed really. She left the city almost a month ago to go look for you! Took her notebook with her. Said she had somethin' in it she wanted you to read. She was convinced you were trapped or lost or somethin'! I kept tellin' her she was crazy! It was a stupid idea! A suicide mission. But oh my god! I can't believe it! Where the heck have you been this whole time!? Where's Ava?"

Sans had gone silent again. Ava . . . had . . .

And if he'd found her phone . . .

It would have been one thing if he'd found it here in the dump . . . but . . .

It couldn't be . . .

That headache was back as the world began to swirl a bit around him. In moments, he felt dizzy, like he could fall over at any moment. This was different than fatigue, different than the delirium that came when he felt he was about to fall asleep at work. This was messing with his very senses.

Well that was new . . .

"Helloooooo!?" The voice repeated, bringing Sans back to reality and to the present.

"I-I . . . I . . ." He stammered, "There's no one here. I just found this phone." The phone beeped at him then, indicating the battery was about to die.

"Hey . . ." The other voice asked cautiously, finally taking the hint and lowering her tone and her volume, "Are you okay? Where are you anyway? That thing about Ebott was just a joke, right? Always the comic, right?"

Sans chuckled darkly, letting the sound drift off into a low hum. "'Fraid not." He answered.

There was no answer from the other voice. Maybe she finally understood the situation. Maybe she saw just how bad of an idea it was to speak so loudly about this . . . but it was more likely . . .

Sans took the phone down from his skull to examine the dark screen. He tried pressing a button or two and was greeted by the same lack of response.

Yup, the battery died.

Sans could feel this legs shaking again and his fist was trembling as he re-pocketed the phone. Then it really did belong to her . . . to Ava . . .

To his . . .

Why here!? Why now!? Why EVER!?

"Damn it, Ava!" He grit through his teeth. As he turned back to head out from the dump.

From that moment on, Sans was on a new mission. He had to find her before . . . before . . .

There was another human lost in the underground and apparently she was wandering around alone . . . not only that, but she'd fallen into Mt. Ebott on purpose! She was here! Ava was in the Underground somewhere!

And after the King's declaration . . . what he said about the humans . . . every monster in the Underground would be on the lookout for her! They would all be trying to kill her for her soul!

He couldn't let that happen.

Before he realized, Sans found himself running from area to area in search of a sign, or of anyone who might have seen her. He hadn't noticed before, but it seemed as if the roads and walkways were deserted. There was no one out who was available to answer his questions. They must have all headed inside to take shelter. There was a dangerous human on the loose and they had their families to think about after all.

But still, it would have been nice to ask someone!

Sans kept running until he was forced to a sudden stop. While turning a corner, he ran headlong into a towering figure in heavy black armor. A long red ponytail erupted from the top of the intimidating helmet like lava from an active volcano.

"Hey!" She sneered, "Watch it, punk!"

"Undyne!?" Sans gasped.

"Oh hey, squirt!" Undyne greeted, never removing her helmet or even lifting the visor, "Look. If this is about sending Papyrus home early, I already told him he couldn't stay today. Something came up! Is that so difficult to get through his thick skull!? You can tell him that if he's got a beef with me, then we can settle it on the training field! But today, I'm busy!"

Sans shook off the confused expression that came over him as Undyne was talking and let the bits of information fall into place.

"Papyrus . . . ? No! That's not why . . . Look. What came up? Is that why there's no one out today? What have you seen?"

Undyne scoffed as she looked over Sans. She noted his frantic expression and the fact that he was panting, struggling to catch his breath. He was in a hurry.

"Sorry, short stuff." She scoffed with a smirk to her tone. "That's classified information. But I will say this. "It'll probably be best if monsters like you hang out inside for a while. Let the Guard do our thing. We'll let you know when it's all clear."

"So there was a human sighted . . ."

Undyne chuckled this time at Sans' conclusion.

"Hey, not bad. You got it even before the official announcement. I guess that's why you were out here, huh? Looking for Papyrus even though there's a vicious human on the loose. Well, like I said, I already sent Papyrus home. So you don't have to worry about him. And you should get going as well before the human shows up again. Tell your brother that I expect to see him bright and early tomorrow morning after we capture this human!"

Something about that phrase stood out to Sans . . . a word that didn't quite fit . . .

"Capture?"

"Yeah, this one's got some super secret special orders or something. We were told not to kill this one for some strange reason. Now, that's enough out of you! Get going, already!"

Sans fought with himself to focus. For such classified information, Undyne sure didn't seem to have a problem sharing it with him.

So they weren't going to kill Ava on the spot when they found her . . . which meant that he still had time . . . He took a moment to gather himself and he was about to rush out ahead of Undyne when he stopped, his hands in fists at his sides.

"You haven't seen them, Undyne . . . ? The human?"

"Oh, no you don't!" Undyne accused, her stern voice resonating from within her armor, "You're not going to capture the human first and take this from me! If I capture this one without killing it, I'll be on the shortlist to being the next captain! Now that old man Gerson has finally retired, the job's wide open! So, I'm gonna be the one to find them and capture them, got it, punk!? Besides, you wouldn't stand a chance even if you tried! This one isn't nearly as easy to take down as the others were! She's a slippery little twerp and she's got this . . . thing where she can hold off taking more than one or two hits of damage in a fight . . . it makes no sense, but she's using that to her advantage and slipping away to avoid capture. In the last battle, she tried to throw her notebook at me before running off. Heh, like that was gonna actually do something!"

"Notebook?" Sans repeated.

"Heh, yeah. This old beat-up looking thing she was clutching onto. Must not have been too valuable if she was willing to get rid of it so easily."

Sans was torn. His path was split. And he considered his options as he looked downward toward his feet, gravely quiet. His shoulders, arms and hands were trembling badly as that swirling headache returned and a tight grip at his chest joined it.

So . . . Ava was still out there somewhere, still fighting . . . and she had taken damage . . .

Before this, none of the other humans had had names . . . nothing for Sans to connect them to. So even though he had to admit to himself that he did somewhat care about what happened to them . . . he didn't care nearly as much about them as he did about her . . .She was different . . . She had a name, she had friends who were worried about her . . . she'd had a story to tell.

. . . She had a history he needed to catch up on . . .

"Where is the notebook now?" He asked darkly, "You said she threw it at you, right? Where is it now?"

"Eh, I gave it to Gerson. He loves crap like that." Undyne shrugged, "It's junk though. Can't think of a single person who would even care enough to buy it. But hey. He seems to think there's some value to it."

"And Gerson? Where is he?"

"Where he always is. Why? Are you interested in it or something?"

But Sans wasn't listening. He'd already gone off at a run again, leaving Undyne behind in order to search for the old former Captain.

Sans knew of the Turtle's shop. The side business he ran where he would sell oddities and such. If he had Ava's notebook . . . Then he was his best chance at finding her.

He had to rush through Waterfall and weave through the caves and walkways, past the glowing mushrooms and across the bridge work in order to find the hole in the wall, where Gerson had set up his shop.

As Sans walked in, the first thing he noticed was how difficult it was to see anything. There seemed to be no light at all in the cave except from the sparkle of several overhead stones. Again, Sans was reminded of the stars of the wishing room.

Gerson looked up when he noticed someone walking into his cave. His one good eye was as wide as his grin as he regarded the Skeleton in his doorway.

"Somehow, I had a feeling it would be you. It's about time you showed up." He said from his dark cave, "Why don't you come in?"

Gerson, in his lowered and slightly hunched position waved Sans in and invited him up to the counter. The Turtle monster examined the way Sans walked and how he was still fighting to catch his breath and that he seemed to be running low on stamina. He had been in a hurry for a while.

"If you've got something on you to eat," Gerson suggested, "I suggest you eat it right about now. You don't look to good, there, if you know what I mean."

"You're one to talk, old man." He mumbled. He could feel the lingering frown as he felt for something in his pockets. It took another moment or two before he realized that he'd left the candy Gaster had given him back in the lab.

When Sans looked up again, Gerson was holding out what looked to be a strange-looking fruit with claws and legs and two stems that resembled stalk eyes. It looked like a crab.

"Here, son. Have a crab apple."

For a moment, Sans hesitated as he looked between the apple and the old Turtle. When the moment was over, Sans reached out for the apple, nodding his thanks to Gerson. He pretended not to notice the pointed and lingering look he gave toward the bones of his hand. Or the low hum that came with it when Sans handed over the Gs to pay for it.

Those kinds of looks were not the reason Sans had come to this shop. If he wanted to be studied, he would just go back to the lab and ask Gaster to do it!

Pushing these thoughts aside, Sans took a bite of the apple and immediately felt it starting to work on the edges of his HP. The headache began to subside and his legs felt a little more stable. He wouldn't eat the entire thing now, but enough to keep him from passing out and to make sure he had enough HP to last him until he could complete his mission.

Gerson let out a low chuckle as he sat back at his counter and picked up the large magnifying glass that had been resting atop the surface. He pulled a cloth from the front pocket of his shirt and began cleaning the glass absently.

Sans shifted from one foot to the other in anticipation. What the heck was Gerson stalling for!?

Gerson smirked a little to himself as he noted just how anxious Sans was acting and after another moment or two, he decided it was probably best to cut to the chase.

"Now, I'm guessing you didn't come just for my crab apples." Gerson began, keeping his attention downward on his magnifying glass.

Sans shook his head, shifting back to the other foot, "But you knew that already. Seems to me like you were expecting me to show up or somethin'. What tipped you off? Was it Undyne?"

Gerson laughed, "No, no, nothing like that. You see, there was a young lady who came out this way a while ago. She said she was looking for someone. A friend of hers. I said I would keep an eye out for them. But I suppose, if you wanna know where she went, well, I sent her off to see the king!"

Sans could feel his expression fall. His eyes narrowed as his teeth clenched. His shoulders went stiff as his hands clenched in his pockets.

"You did what!?"

Gerson's laugh became more pronounced as his attention lifted up from his magnifying glass and toward the Skeleton boy in front of him, "Whooo-hoo, boy! That's a face that can burn forests! Look, she's a human. The humans are supposed to be turned over to the king, right? Be happy I didn't turn her over to the Royal Guard! My boys would've made quick work of her. But as I hear it, she's been able to avoid them so far! And who knows, maybe she'll make it all the way to old Fluffybuns! Wa-ha-ha-ha!"

Sans couldn't bring himself to laugh. Not about this. He could barely find it in him to relinquish the scowl in his eyes. But he was able to un-clench his hands slightly. He remained silent.

"Hey, maybe she can negotiate with Asgore. He's a reasonable fellow after all. And besides, it's not like I killed her. But . . . I suppose, if she doesn't reach the king, it won't do her much good either way. Wa-ha-ha-ha!"

Sans' chest tightened at the thought and a low growl escaped as he glared at the old Turtle monster, "I don't see how this is funny."

"No," Gerson chuckled, "I suppose you wouldn't. I guess when you've been around as long as I have, you take your kicks where you can get them."

Sans' frown was unmoving. "Whatever, old man. Undyne said you had something that belonged to . . . the human. Do you have it or not?"

Gerson hummed as he went back to cleaning his glass. His laugh subsided, but his nearly, eccentric smile remained.

"That's the problem with you kids. So impatient. Ever consider that I'm doing you a service by keeping you from reading it for as long as possible?"

"Well, that depends. Are you?"

"That, I am, kid. That, I am. But hey, if you're in such a hurry to see what the human girl wrote. Then here you go."

Gerson shifted as he dug beneath his counter for the item. After a moment or two, he resurfaced and laid a tattered purple notebook down. The edges were frayed and it looked like some of its pages had been ripped out and reinserted in odd spots. Sticky notes had been haphazardly "attached" in seemingly random locations and it looked as if coffee might have been spilled on it once or twice.

The notebook had definitely been through some stuff.

"Be careful with that. It looks like it could tear at any moment."

Right away, even as Sans took the notebook in his hands, that tightening in his chest got worse and a terrible feeling descended over him. Something about it was very familiar to Sans. Even though the apple had refilled his HP, that same dizzy feeling surrounded him once again and he had to fight with himself in order to keep his breathing even.

Pushing through that feeling, Sans fumbled and fished through his pocket to pull out some more G to pay for the notebook as well. He had what he'd come for, now he had to see if he could find a shortcut to the capital. He had to find Ava before someone else did. And now that he'd wasted time at Gerson's, he would have to –

"Put that away, Kid. It's already gonna be a tough price without having an actual money price on it too."

Sans hesitated, clutching the G in his hands before re-pocketing it. How in the world would Gerson . . .

"Ha-have you read it?" Sans asked evenly, turning his attention back down to the notebook and flipping through the fragile pages.

Gerson shook his head, "Well, skimmed it more like. And let's just say that if you were the friend she was looking for, you . . . Just . . . you might want to make sure you're in a comfortable spot when you read it."

Again, Sans looked up from the pages. A certain suspicious look to his eyes. He suspected Gerson might have known more than he was letting on.

Gerson looked back to Sans then, but all hint of his former smile had vanished. Sans had to wonder what was going on in his head, but the wonder only lasted for a moment before Sans backed out of the cave to resume his mission.

Just as he was crossing the threshold, he paused and looked back toward Gerson. He had to know.

"Hey, Old Man. What did you mean when you said you had a feeling it'd be me? I don't even really know you."

Gerson laughed outright as if it were a punchline that was slow to drop. One that only he understood.

"I was wondering when you'd ask about that! You see, son, I'm old. Perhaps older than I'd like to be. And when you get to be my age, you see a few things. And believe me, I have! But never have I seen anything like you before! Hmm . . . Maybe you can jog my memory, son. Just how long have you been working at the lab now?"

Sans stopped dead, staring at Gerson with unblinking eyes. The turtle just smiled back at him wordlessly for a long moment, before he laughed again.

"I suppose that's not important right now. Anyway, I'm glad her notebook found you."

"Yeah . . . sure . . . whatever, Gramps . . . And thanks."

"You be careful out there, Kid."

Sans didn't dare open the notebook and he didn't ever really plan to. If he could, he would return it to Ava when he found her. Gerson said that she was on her way to see the King which meant that she would have to pass through Hotland and through the CORE before she got to them.

Back to Hotland it was then. He would go the top way and avoid his co-workers if he could . . .

This proved to be especially difficult as he approached the lab. It seemed as time had completely gotten away from him. As he approached, several monsters were beginning to file out of there, talking among themselves and engaging in gossip that would be better suited around a water cooler.

"After so long of keeping all this soul stuff hush-hush, he finally decides to let one of us in. And get this. It's Alphys of all people! . . . And now he's got her working on some big machine or something."

"I mean, it does make sense if you think about it."

"But Alphys!?"

"Well, if it's some kind of machine . . . that is Alphys' strong suit. She would be able to help a lot more than any of us could anyway. C'mon, Gaine, she's been here for a few years now and she's been doing a lot of really great work. Have you seen her robot prototype? She made it out of spare parts from the dump! That's some real talent right there! Give her some credit."

"And, besides, I guess Gaster really could use the extra help, especially now that Serif is . . ."

"Oh! Hey, Sans!" Baelin cut in, both acknowledging Sans' arrival and alerting the others that he was within earshot and to quiet whatever conversation they had been having before. As he approached she gave Sans a slight nod. "Why are you here? Aren't you supposed to be suspended or something like that?"

Sans remained quiet for a few moments as he sorted some things out in his own head. In his arms, he still carried the notebook and he kept it clasped tightly against him as if protecting it from harm . . . or shielding it from sight. The others didn't need to know the details of his own mission. Not only that, but what they had been talking about was actually pretty interesting. Gaster was working directly with Alphys now? Well, if she was going to be taking over for him as the doctor's apprentice, it did make sense.

"eh, something like that." He greeted, "I was just passing through is all. And I wanted to check up on some things here, y'know? See if anything's blown up since I've been away. But please, don't stop on my account. It seems you guys had some pretty juicy stuff going on around here. What's up with Al?"

The other monsters were a little apprehensive about letting Sans in on the goings on around the lab since he was supposed to be off. Technically, yes, he was still Gaster's employee, but if he was suspended, was he still allowed to be involved?

When the silence lasted for just a beat too long, Sans shrugged, dismissing the whole thing.

"Or don't tell me. That's okay too. I'll just ask her later. I'll see you guys around, yeah?"

"Wait. Serif . . . ?" Said Baelin as she stepped forward for a moment.

Sans halted for a second, turning his attention back toward her. Standing behind her, Gaine had his arms crossed, a look of disbelief on his face. Surely, Baelin was going to spill all the secrets.

"There's been some development on the souls."

"Baelin!" Gaine snapped.

"He's one of us, Gaine! He deserves to know!" She turned her attention back toward Sans and let out a small breath, "A few days ago, Dr. Gaster came out and said that he believes he may have found the thing that makes human souls so much more durable than monster souls- a common element that links them all together. He still doesn't know what it is, but he's working on a way to extract that essence. He's having Alphys construct a sort of machine that will help make the extraction process easier. With any luck, he will be able to extract that and replicate it. Maybe he'll be able to create enough soul power to shatter the barrier. This could be a huge breakthrough for everyone. Even Gaine thinks that –"

"Alright Baelin, that's enough." Gaine interjected. "He doesn't need to know all that."

". . . Anyway." Ruddard continued, joining in on the conversation, "The thing is, if Gaster can isolate that one common thread, he could even use it to strengthen a Monster's soul . . . If we were as resilient as the humans, we could easily match them in battle . . . maybe even overtake them."

Sans silenced as he contemplated the implications of what a discovery like that could mean. The others were right. This was an incredibly huge discovery.

. . . And Gaster hadn't even mentioned it to him once. And it wasn't as if the opportunity hadn't been there. Through the many times they crossed each other in the halls even after hours, during one of Sans' daily CHECKS, in the morning over coffee. There had been plenty of time for Gaster to have brought up such a dynamic bit of information to him.

Sans had even asked him directly ifthere had been any progress and the doctor had lied. Or perhaps lying by omission was the better term. The doctor never actually said there hadn't been any developments, but he had expertly and conveniently drawn any conversation of the matter away.

Just why did Gaster want to keep it secret from him, anyway? If all of the other assistants could be trusted with the information, why not him?

Or maybe it was as simple as the fact that Sans was on suspension. Maybe Gaster didn't want Sans sneaking around and researching this on his own when he was supposed to be resting . . . that does sound like something Sans would do . . . and it does sound like a precaution Gaster would take to prevent something like that from happening.

Sans was saved from his own thoughts and for answering the questions that were hidden in the assistants' expressions when a clanking set of metal footsteps broke them from their conversation, and Sans from his own mind.

The group turned their attention when a Royal Guard approached.

"Is this the laboratory of Dr. W.D. Gaster?" The guard inquired.

"It is." Gaine answered instinctively, stepping forward to be the mouthpiece of the group. "We've closed for the day, so if you have any questions, they will have to wait until tomorrow."

The guard seemed to hum to himself at the information, deciding what to do next. Eventually, he nodded to himself and continued, his words directed toward Gaine. "That is unfortunate, but I must insist. "Per Dr. Gaster's request, we have captured a fallen human and were are prepared to deliver them here. Please inform Dr. Gaster of the capture and we will need someone to help escort the human to their holding cell."

"A human . . . ?" Gaine questioned, "And Gaster wanted them alive . . . ? What the heck is he thinking?"

"Holding cell?" Asked Maltez, speaking for the first time in a long period. "We haven't had holding cells since . . . that one experiment. P-47 . . . . something. I thought we'd repurposed all of them."

"Well, I guess it's time to dust off the cobwebs and get one functional again." Gaine hummed, "Guess we're working overtime, sorry boys . . . and Baelin."

Something in Gaine's voice was downright cheerful at this new information. Maybe it was at the prospect of being able to see and study the human first-hand. Whatever it was, it was enough to add an extra bit of enthusiasm to his composure.

"In fact, Baelin, why don't you go and find Gaster. The rest of us will get one of the holding cells ready for the new specimen. Sound like a plan?"

Ruddard kind of let out a bit of a groan. He had been looking forward to going home and resting for the rest of the day. This business with the human was seriously eating into his time. Maltez shrugged. He had been ready to go as well. He had reservations to meet up with his brother at a new restaurant here in Hotland, but, he supposed those plans would have to wait now . . .

"Good deal." Said the Royal Guard. I'll be sure my superiors know you are preparing the cell.

"Understood." Gaine nodded as he and the others turned back to re-enter the lab and get to their new assignments.

The only one who remained completely still was Sans. There was just so much new information. Since when was Gaine the one calling the shots? Why was the human gonna be brought here!?

For a few moments, Sans remained motionless, thinking over what his next move should be. It wasn't as if he could follow the others, because, after all, he was still suspended and he ccouln't go back to the lab now because . . .

Because . . . .

Well . . .

To HELL with the suspension! He had to get back into the lab. If the Guard was bringing Ava to him, he couldn't let the opportunity pass . . .

. . . But it also meant that some of the people who knew him best would be around and keeping a careful watch over their prisoner, preventing Sans from getting anywhere near her - probably for the whole night. . . Not only that, but if Gaster was the one who made the request for her to be taken in alive . . .

And if that machine Alphys had been working on was anywhere remotely near completion . . .

. . . What the hell was he planning to do to Ava!?

Whatever it was, it couldn't be good.

Swallowing past the nerves, Sans decided that he didn't care what the risk was. He would break Ava out.

Even if it meant risking everything he'd worked for the past eight years to build.

Sans let out a long breath and turned his attention briefly toward the guard who had delivered the message. He was a tall monster and the rabbit ears at the top of his helmet made him seem even taller. Like Undyne, he refused to remove his helmet. It must have been a safety precaution.

"Hey," Sans began, still clutching the notebook against him. "The human . . . where are they now? What's their status? What are their stats like? How long do we have to prepare this impenetrable holding cell?"

The guard took a moment to look Sans up and down. He didn't look like he was dressed for working in the lab, at least not like the others had been. But after a few moments, the guard deemed Sans worthy enough for the information.

"They are on their way as we speak. Undyne cornered the human. She trapped them and completely overpowered them! Without a weapon, the human couldn't even fight back! They didn't stand a chance. Not for Undyne's spear barrage!

Sans halted once again as he listened to the story.

"And the human." Sans asked, "She's still alive?"

"Those were our orders." The guard confirmed. "Though, I'm amazed that Undyne was actually able to hold back! She almost took that human out! But no, the human isn't dead. The doctor specifically expressed that he needed the human brought in alive."

Sans slowly let out the breath he'd been holding, a part of him seizing once again.

. . . At least she was still alive. He had to keep that in mind and repeat that in his mind as many times as he could. At least she was still alive and there was still a chance she wouldn't end up like the others.

Not if he had anything to do with it.

He would break her out. Tonight, if he could. But to do that, he had to get back into the lab without the others knowing.

There was a back way into the lab from the other side of Hotland. Sans decided to head upward along the main path toward the city, bypassing the front entrance altogether. He would take that route and wait.

Without another word, Sans turned to head around. When the guard asked where he was going and that he was heading away from the lab instead of toward it, Sans had only given him a small wave as he walked, telling him that it was a "shortcut".

---

Only an hour or two after the team had gone back into the lab, the Guard arrived with "the human" in tow. They'd bound her hands together to prevent her from attacking and they covered her head to keep her discombobulated. Even if she hadn't been too weakened and exhausted from her battles to try to escape, even if she had been able to somehow get away from the army of monsters surrounding her, she would have been too lost to figure out what to do next.

It was Gaine who was the one who "escorted" the Guard and the human through the lab and made sure she was secured within the holding cell before the cover was removed. Once the seal of the holding cell was activated, Gaine stood watch until orders from Gaster were delivered.

It was agreed that the assistants would rotate watch through the night, making sure that the human did not try anything funny or try to slip from custody. She had already managed to evade the Royal Guard several times, which was no easy feat. They would have to be especially diligent.

Furthermore, human would not be allowed sleep and only minimal amounts of food. For some reason, it was imperative that the human's HP remained low. At most, her external wounds would be healed so she wouldn't die right away. Gaster wanted her healthy, but not strong.

Perhaps he was planning to make her suffer for the monsters she killed before she was taken captive. That LV had to have come from somewhere.

Whatever the scenario, the assistants were more than willing to comply. It wasn't often they were able to be around a human, much less a live one.

So they rotated watch. At first, the monsters were eager to study the human for their own observations. They wanted to see what made humans so much more different than monsters. Many of them had never seen a live human before and they wanted to get as many notes down for their own records as possible.

After the first few hours, however, this proved to be most taxing.

On Gaster's order, the assistants were to refrain from talking to the human for any reason. If she were to beg and to plead to be released, if she were to try to strike a bargain, if she were to show any sign or desire to communicate, the staff was to ignore her and keep her in isolation.

Without the ability to talk to her, the appeal of having a human around was drastically diminished. Even though the human, who had indeed been trying to barter for her freedom, began trying to communicate with the others from the lab staff, they were not allowed to answer or to ask any follow-up questions that would have made the conversation lucrative. And thus, hours passes and no new information was given.

Eventually, the lab assistants became bored of human watch and began trying to barter of watch shifts. Waiting in the break room for the dawn was better than waiting down with the human. It was so boring!

The only thing of merit worth mentioning was the one time Gaster eventually came to examine the human himself, observing her stats and monitoring her behavior. He needed to make sure she wasn't recovering any HP while still remaining alert and relatively healthy. He had plans for her and he needed her alive for what he had in mind.

Just like with his assistants, when the human began to ask questions of him, like what was going to happen to her, and why she was being kept alive, Gaster didn't respond. Instead, he kept his disembodied hands aloft to take note of what was going on, writing on a clipboard, while he observed her.

When she asked for water or maybe some food, again she was ignored. After some time, she stopped trying to talk to the monsters altogether and instead she took a spot near the back corner of the room where a low bench had been set up. She resigned herself to this corner and made little more effort to communicate.

Shortly after this, Gaster took his leave, jotting down a few final notes on his way out. As he exited and resealed the cell, the human heard him say something in a low garbled language. It was the first time he had said a single word since coming into her cell . . . and of course she couldn't understand it.

"In your state, even he should be able to handle you." Was what she would have heard if she understood wingdings. Though she could not understand what he said, the human was afraid.

---

"Night" couldn't come quickly enough for Sans' fried nerves. So far, he'd avoided the others by staying down in the sublevels where his room was. But that space was limited and a little cramped, especially to his anxious mind. Sans spent most of his time pacing his room trying to keep his mind from immediately going to the worst of places. As difficult as it was to keep himself distracted before, it was about 1,000 times more difficult now that there was no possible distraction that was powerful enough to tear his mind away from what was going on a mere few floors above him.

Every minute or so, his attention would turn back to the old purple notebook on his desk as if he was checking to see if it had gone anywhere since the last minute. There was a part of his mind that kept going back to what Gerson was saying about it; that it was a tough read and that he'd need to be in a comfortable spot before he read it . . .

What could she have possibly written to make the former captain of the Royal Guard say something like that? Sans slowly stepped toward the notebook, very nearly reaching out for it. He gently set his bony hand on top of the cover, and when he did, he immediately felt as if all of the wind had been knocked out of him.

"Damn it, Sans!" He grumbled to himself, "Pull it together! It's just paper!"

A book filled with paper that had been graffittied from front to back in her handwriting.

Paper bearing her story.

Paper that had answers to questions he had been searching for for eight years.

He told himself he wasn't going to read it . . . but . . .

Sans flipped open the cover with a shaky hand. Why hadn't he noticed he had been shaking so much?

The first page was full of smeared doodles and phrases . . . were those song lyrics? Little musings and random thoughts. There were bound to be other pages just like this scattered throughout the notebook. This was her way of organizing her thoughts when her mind was clouded. Get it all out and see what comes of it.

At first, there wasn't anything special about the pages. Notes, directions, phone numbers, take-out orders, a sticky note with a personal reminder tacked in. Just like the Ava he knew before. It was a bit of a relief, actually, to see how little she had changed over the years.

Sans actually smiled as he flipped through the early pages . . . until one stood out to him.

The page was almost completely blank, even the lines were faded, washed out by tear stains.

The next page had a single word written repeatedly, haphazardly, in different angles and levels of intensity. Jagged scrawls and furious scratches sat next to smooth traces and feathery sketches. The page was filled with this one word.

His name.

The next page, again, was only one phrase, written only once in tiny letters in the very center of the page.

'I'm sorry'

Starting from there, the notebook seemed to transform. It stopped being about notes and keeping thoughts organized and it abruptly changed into something else entirely. A letter, maybe? Or an account of her journey, like a diary.

She began this section, again, with his name and an apology before getting into the bulk of what she wanted to say.

It was a letter. A letter exclusively for him. As Sans read further and further into the pages, he could feel his chest seize and his throat close in on itself. His legs shook again as he fought to remain standing. So he didn't try to stand anymore. He took a seat at his desk and huddled over the notebook, reading every page like chapters in a story. Ava was taking him through her thoughts, through her ideas, into therapy sessions where they tried to convince her to get over him, that he was most likely dead. Still, she refused to believe it. Years passed on paper in the span of a minute and Ava had come to a decision.

If he wasn't coming back to her, then she would have to go to him. She began to do research, trying to find out what happened to him. She asked friends, colleagues, rivals, and even enemies.

Eventually, she was led to Ebott.

"I don't know how credible this is considering the source of the information. But right now, Burl's word is all I have left to go on.

"I know that if I do this, there's no coming back. I know the story of this place and I know the lore. But if you're there, then I don't care. I'll find you. I promise."

Sans' heart thundered as he read. How could she have been so stupid!? Why would she even think of coming to Ebott if she knew what she was getting into? To see him!? He wasn't worth her freedom! He wasn't worth her life!

She continued, giving descriptions of different places she saw when she came to the Underground. The Ruins, the snowy forest, Snowdin. All the detail she put into her journey made him feel as if he was actually traveling alongside her, step by step, living each moment and experiencing the Underground for the first time through her eyes.

But eventually, and inevitably, the dream ended and the nightmare began.

It happened suddenly. In one page, she was talking about a tranquil room with "some sort of talking flowers" and on the back of the very same page, the writing was rushed and sloppy. She was afraid. Someone had attacked her while she was resting. She escaped. She was able to find a hiding spot for a moment, but she had to be careful.

The next page was nearly illegible, tear stained and warped. But even so, Sans could see the ranting and questioning why she had even thought to come to Ebott in the first place. Why she would want to put herself through that kind of gauntlet. That the way monsters treated humans was exactly the way she'd always heard. They wanted to kill her on sight. She had to fight battle after battle, and though she tried to escape . . . there were times when she couldn't. She had to fight back . . .

She'd gained 2 LV.

She continued searching. There was the conversation with Gerson. She found it interesting that he didn't try to attack her right away, not only that, but he knew a way out! If she talked to the king, he might even help her . . . but as much as she wanted to go home, she still had her mission to complete.

The next page was . . . completely destroyed, torn crumpled . . .

Blood-stained . . .

"HELP ME!" She'd scrawled over and over in jagged and rushed letters, "OH, GOD PLEASE HELP ME!"

They were onto her, closing in, attacking from every side, chasing her down and forcing her to fight.

The last page.

She was crying. And as he read, Sans could feel her pain as well. There was blood staining the edges of the pages, tears blurring out the lines.

She wrote like she knew it was the last entry. She apologized repeatedly for what happened and for not being able to say it to him directly. She wrote about her decision to come to Ebott and wanted him to know that even if she died down in the Underground, she didn't regret the decision.

"It was worth it even for the slightest chance that I might see you again."

But it was the last phrase that nearly shattered him. It was written in the lower corner of the page in the same tiny letters as there had been at the beginning of the letter.

"And if it is my only chance to say it . . . If you happen to be reading this and I'm not around to tell you myself . . .

. . . I love you . . .

Goodbye . . ."

That was the last page. Everything after that was blank or torn or stained beyond salvaging in tears and in blood.

Sans' hands fisted tightly in his shirt, in his jeans, over his heart.

"Ava . . ." He whispered.

He had to break her out! She was still alive! She was in her cell! She was in the same building! Her story wasn't over!

And now that she was here, perhaps even she could be . . .

Sans hadn't felt this way in a long long time. In that moment, the only thing that mattered was Ava. She was everything and if he could save her . . .

Monsters or no monsters! Curse or no curse! He had to get her out of here!

---

The others were still around, trading shifts for sleep or favors. The majority of them were in the break room, but Maltez, the unlucky loser of a bet was stuck on double watch. He had already finished his own shift and was currently just beginning Ruddard's.

He yawned as he leaned against the wall. So far, the human was being terribly uninteresting. When she wasn't crying, she was begging and when she wasn't doing one or the other, she was doing both.

Obviously, she was scared, but he had little sympathy. She was human. Whatever she got, she deserved, no matter how pathetic she sounded. He just wished she would shut up. It was starting to tax on his nerves.

Eventually, the human stopped begging and sat on the floor next to the barrier keeping her trapped. She began talking to him, like she had when she first came. She wanted to know his name and what he did. She wanted to know about his family. When he wouldn't answer, the human sighed, instead, telling him her story and of the friend she was looking for.

"If your 'friend' was human, then you should give up. They're long gone by now." Maltez answered with a little bit of a chuckle to his tone.

"Ha!" The human answered with a certain brightness to her voice, "You do speak!"

Maltez frowned and, with a groan, he turned his head away once again. He didn't mean to talk to the human, but that talk about finding her friend was actually kind of amusing. He wouldn't let it happen again.

"So, is this common practice then?" The human asked, the tone to her voice calmed significantly. "How many other humans have sat in this same cell, I wonder. What kinds of things does that tall man with the floating hands do to people like me? He's the one in charge, right? He's the boss around here?"

Maltez remained silent.

The human hummed. "Or don't tell me. That's okay too. Maybe he'll tell me when he comes back."

Maltez frowned at that, a pang of familiarity about the way she said that, though he couldn't quite place where he'd heard it before. Eventually, he shrugged it off and continued his watch.

Minutes passed, hours followed, and Maltez struggled to remain conscious. He sat just outside of the holding cell with his arms crossed and his eyes half-lidded. His captive, the human, seemed to resign herself to her prison, pacing the limited space silently until she tired of that and sat back down on the little bench in the corner. Anxious, exhausted, but unable to sleep, she began to hum a slow and calming melody, letting her uneasiness and fear dissipate momentarily.

Maltez listened in as something about the voice resonated within him. The song was sweet and soothing like the melody sung by a mother to a child and to him, a monster who had worked a full day plus overtime and was currently on his second watch shift without so much as a break, it was a welcomed relief.

Before he could catch himself, Maltez's eyes closed as he gave in to his fatigue.

---

Sans knew he had to be stealthy when he traveled through the dim walkways. Really, he was grateful for the dark. It was easier to hide when there were shadows. He had no idea where any of the other assistants would be, what they would be doing or even where they would be keeping Ava. But he did know where there were holding cells and he did know that they would want to use one that had relatively easy access to amenities, which meant that wherever they were keeping her, the rest of the staff would be nearby . . . Sans had to be doubly cautious that he didn't run into anyone.

He didn't have much of a plan. Get Ava, get out, keep running. That just about summed it up. He couldn't be bothered by details. Maybe they could find some place to lie low for a while, maybe disguise Ava so she would fit in. Move to the capital. Hide in plain sight. He could teach her to use magic.

Whatever. He had to save her first.

He opened the door to his bedroom and peered into the first of many hallways he would have to traverse. It was dark. Just like he had been expecting. Perfect.

With a low breath, he drew up the hood to his jacket and slipped silently through the threshold of his room for what would surely be the last time. His sights were set for the stairs. He couldn't take the elevator . . . it was too noisy and he had to get to the lower holding cells as quietly as possible.

What Sans didn't notice and what he didn't count on was Papyrus further down the hall, watching his every move from the crack in his door. Papyrus had known immediately that there was something troubling his brother. He locked himself in his room the moment he came home and refused any kind of food. When the time came for the bedtime story, he refused that as well. Sans never refused to read the bedtime story so when he did, Papyrus was shocked. Something was wrong. Something was terribly wrong. And he had to find out what.

Sans, unaware of his brother, continued onward, relying mainly on his sense of hearing to guide him through the lab. He could hear the laughter of the other assistants above, So they were probably near or in the break room where there would be easy access to the elevator . . . which was not in motion at that moment . . . and it didn't sound as if there was anyone traveling the stairwell.

All clear.

Standing on his toes, Sans descended the staircase where he knew the holding cells were. He still had to be extremely careful. Just because many of the assistants were up in the break room didn't mean that there wasn't at least one lookout. After all, someone had to watch after their prisoner.

Something caught Sans' ear about three floors below, a faint sound. A low humming that had nothing to do with machinery. It was soft and melodic.

It was her!

Immediately, Sans' heart beat against his ribs like a battering ram, forceful and unyielding. It demanded that he step forward toward the sound.

He stopped on the last stair and listened. This was the same hallway that Gaster had nearly blown up when he had been working on that first soul . . . the memory sent another bit of anxiety through Sans, but not as much as what he found when he peered around the corner of the stairwell into the hallway.

Maltez was right there at the foot of one of the cells keeping watch. Of course he knew there would be a guard, but still, seeing him caught him a little off guard. He had to figure how he was going to distract him and open Ava's cell without triggering any alarms and . . . and . . .

. . . And Maltez was asleep. Leaning against the wall with his head lowered and his eyes shut as he rested peacefully.

Well, that's one obstacle down.

But that still left the "how" behind the rest of his ill-constructed "plan".

Slowly, Sans stepped out into the hall, carefully inching forward toward the cell Maltez was supposed to be guarding. As he approached, the singing stopped. Sans stopped, leaving the hall in silence.

"Hello . . . ?" Said her voice cautiously; quietly, "Hello? Who's there!?"

Sans didn't answer right away, but stepped forward all the same. He was still dealing with his thundering heart and it seemed to pause for a moment whenever she spoke. He was excited to hear her speak again.

"I know you're there." She said in an oddly defiant tone for someone in her position, "Show yourself."

The moment of truth. How should he start this off. . . how would she react to seeing him . . . Would she even . . .

Sans let out a sigh as he neared the cell.

"Alright alright, just hold on a sec."

She let out a tiny little surprised squeak, "Wait . . . are you actually talking to me?"

Sans chuckled, "Who else would I be talking to?" He turned his attention momentarily to Maltez's sleeping form as he leaned over and gingerly relieved him of his keycard. "This guy here's out cold."

Ava let out a slight hum as she thought it over." I guess you're right. But, see, the thing is, no one else actually talks to me . . . well one guy did, but I couldn't understand what he was saying. Come here, please, where I can see you. Who are you? What's your name? What can you tell me about this place? What are they planning to do to me?"

Sans' chuckle became quiet laughter, "Anyone ever tell you that you ask a crap-ton of questions?"

Ava hummed again, an almost inaudible giggle joining the sound, "It's come up once or twice. I'm sorry. How about we just start with one. Please, tell me your name."

"Of all of the information and of all of the burning questions you have, you want to know my name?" Sans took another step forward, keeping his hood drawn and his head lowered, ensuring that his face remained hidden as he finally showed himself to her, stepping into view from beyond the threshold.

"Mmm-hmm." She answered, moving to be nearer to the barrier keeping her trapped. "You don't seem like a bad monster. Maybe you can help me. You see, I'm looking for someone."

"Oh, I know all about your quest." Sans answered, "You've been all over the place searching for your friend, right?"

"Right . . . ?" Ava asked a bit hesitantly, a little suspicious of the way this monster spoke about this. There was something about him that was . . . very different from every other monster she'd met so far.

If only he'd lower his hood so she could see his face.

"Well," Sans continued, "I can tell you right now that searching any further would be a complete waste of time. Like an unsharpened pencil, there's no point."

Despite herself, Ava let out a laugh, "That was really bad."

Sans laughed with her, taking a bit of pride in getting her to do so despite her situation, "Heh, yeah, I know. I'm full of 'em, and while others seem to find my jokes bone dry, I find them pretty humerus myself."

Ava laughed again. "Oh my god. That's gotta be the most over-used bone joke ever." In a moment, she sobered herself once again. "So, you're a Skeleton? From what I've gathered, Skeletons speak in Font, right? And judging by your distinguished caliber of joke telling, yours must be . . ." She drifted off as she thought it over and the more she thought about it, the more everything seemed to click into place. The reason why she felt there was something different about this monster . . . Why he seemed so familiar to her. Her smile faded gradually and her jaw dropped open for a moment as she pieced it together.

"C'mon, Ava." Sans addressed her quietly, "You're smart. I know you can figure it out."

He knew her name . . .

Ava looked at the Skeleton on the other side of the barrier, dumbfounded. He had since lifted his head so she could see his face, his hollowed eyes and his constant smile, "No way . . ." She breathed, "It can't be . . ."

Sans laughed again and when he did, Ava listened to the sound intently. She gasped and covered her mouth.

Sans shrugged, "Good morning, Sunshine."

That was all the confirmation Ava could have ever asked for. She drew in another quick breath as she fought with herself to keep even more tears from falling.

"It really is you, isn't it!?" She questioned through voiceless enthusiasm, "You're really here! Si—"

"Shhhh." Sans interrupted shaking his head as he swiped Maltez's keycard through the little device on the threshold of Ava's cell. When it beeped back at him, denying entry, Sans expertly punched in Gaster's override code, silencing the impending alarm before it was sounded. The lights of the magical barrier died down leaving nothing between the two of them.

"'Round here, the name is 'Sans'." The Skeleton corrected.

Ava scoffed, "'Sans'? Really? But I thought . . ."

"Eh, what can I say? It kinda grew on me."

"Guess it did."

There was a quiet moment that fell between the two of them and it was during that time that Sans realized just how beaten Ava really was. Her clothing was torn, burned and bloodied and her face and arms bore signs of similar treatment. But through it all, she wore a smile and it seemed as if her wounds had been healed, leaving only traces of the Hell she endured to make it to that point.

Sans' smile turned reflective as he lowered his head again. "Ava, I'm so sorry." He sighed in a low voice, "All of this, and I couldn't even—"

He was cut off when Ava closed the gap between them, wrapping her arms around Sans and trapping him within them. At first, Sans was shocked out of speaking and he, instead, drew in a breath. After a moment or two, he released it slowly, allowing himself to melt into the embrace.

"I've missed you so much." Ava whispered, " I knew you were still alive. I knew it . . ."

Sans remained silent, unable to find suitable words for her. Instead, he acted as her comfort, allowing her the time she needed.

When that moment ended, Ava pulled away to take a better look at her friend, raising a hand to gently touch her fingers to Sans' cheek. Initially, Sans flinched, not expecting the gesture and Ava hesitated, realizing her mistake. But after another moment, she tried again, closing the short distance between them to place a small kiss to the corner of his permanent smile.

Unable to return the gesture, Sans simply took Ava's hand in one of his own, the glove he wore making up for his lack of flesh.

"What happened to you?" Ava asked solemnly, "How did . . . When did . . . ?" She was unable to complete her thought.

"That . . . Is a long story." Sans replied, lowering their hands and turning his attention back to the stairwell, "And one we don't have time to get into right now. C'mon, we gotta get you out of here, before someone realizes."

Ava nodded as she followed Sans, keeping her fingers tightly laced with his. She still had so many questions, but they could wait until they were gone from this place, but where exactly, were they going? Was there any place that could possibly be safe for them without her drawing attention because she was human . . . ? Still, she trusted Sans. Wherever they went, just knowing that Sans would be there too, made her feel more at ease.

They wove their way through the corridors, avoiding any areas that could be populated. Sans, again, had to rely on his hearing to guide them. He knew they wouldn't be able to use the main entrances as the others would surely be near those, so, just like before, he would need to find a lesser known exit.

The problem with that was not knowing where Gaster was. The doctor was less predictable than his coworkers, so he had to be exceedingly cautious with regards to him.

They were slipping through a particularly dark and under-used hallway, when Sans noticed a tentative squeeze of his hand.

"Si . . . Um . . . Sans . . .?" She asked in a whisper that was just above audible. "Sorry, I'll never get used to that . . . "

"Heh, take your time." Sans replied, taking a moment to shoot a smile back toward her, "What's up?"

Ava hesitated as she sorted her words, "Sans . . . I'm sorry. It's been so long since that night . . . and I knew you were out there . . . I'm just . . . I'm sorry it took me so long to find you."

For a moment, Sans stopped in his steps, taking the time to turn to face Ava again. "Okay. Let's settle one thing right now." He began in a note that exuded finality. "You have nothing to apologize for, got it? And I don't want you thinking you do."

"But, I pushed you away . . . If I had just stayed, then maybe . . ."

"Stop that. Look, what happened to me had nothing to do with you, 'kay? So stop beatin' yourself up about it. It would've turned out this way anyway."

Ava nodded and held tightly onto Sans' hand as they continued back down the corridor. Sans didn't seem upset with her, but she did know him and remember him well enough to know that there was still something very wrong with him.

"Sans . . . ?" She asked again.

"Yeah?"

"How are you? Are you . . ." She fought with herself to find the right word, "Are you okay?"

Sans shot another look back at Ava and her dour expression. It was obvious that she was still feeling guilty for what happened and there was a large part of Sans that wanted to set her anxieties at ease . . . but this was neither the time nor the place. They still needed to get Ava someplace safe.

. . . But still . . .

"I'm fine." He answered as quietly as he could, "I've been busy working here in the lab under Dr. Gaster. We've been working on trying to break the barrier and get back up to the surface. You know . . . I never told anyone before . . . and everyone has their own reasons for wanting that barrier broken, but my reason has always been getting back to find you. I've still got a letter to mail after all. Nothing else really mattered, just getting that letter sent."

Sans wished that he could go into more detail. Tell her everything about the monsters here and life in the lab, about Gaster and Papyrus . . . Papyrus . . .

"Oh yeah, I've got a brother now! Name's Papyrus. The big lug, you'll love him! Once we get you out. I'll have to come back for him. But for now, Papyrus is fine. We've gotta get you taken care of first. Just stay close, okay? I'm gonna protect you. I promise."

There was the life Ava had been missing. Sans really was doing well for himself here in this Underground world. He had a job, as a scientist no less, and he had a place to live, and a family, it seemed, with this brother of his. Granted, it did sound strange that he would suddenly have a "brother" but for now, Ava wouldn't question it too much. That was something that she could ask him about later.

He had been doing just fine without her . . . but even so, he still wanted to get to the surface . . . all so he could send her a letter.

She smiled to herself at that thought. And here, she'd thought that he'd forgotten all about that stupid promise.

He never had forgotten about her. That thought made it difficult to stop the smile that spread across her face or tame the blush that colored her features.

They continued in silence, with no other questions or distractions. They made it through the quiet corridors toward where Sans knew there was an almost-secret emergency exit. Just a little bit further and they were home free. At least from the lab.

There was another grab on Sans' hand, tighter and more demanding than before.

"S-Sans . . . ?" Ava's voice cut through the quiet, but the sound was forced, almost choked, like she was holding back tears.

That immediately grabbed Sans' attention. He whipped his gaze back behind him to see what was troubling Ava.

He found her standing motionless, her eyes wide as she looked back toward him. She looked as if she was struggling to breathe. He noticed that her free hand was gripping tightly at her side.

"Ava . . . ?" He asked, a certain level of fear weighing on his words now, "Ava? What's wrong?"

Unable to speak, Ava removed the hand that had been clutching her side. Her palm was bloody and there seemed to be a rapidly growing stain blossoming from that one spot in her side, coloring her clothing and dripping down to the linoleum.

Sans' eyes went wide when he saw, "Ava!" He exclaimed, rushing to see what happened.

What the hell!? Two seconds ago, Ava was fine! She was inquisitive and smiling! They were so close to freedom . . . And now . . .

What the hell happened!?

Ava fell forward, her legs and her strength giving out. Thinking quickly, Sans was right there to catch her as she fell.

He sank with her to the ground, laying her down in his lap, "C'mon, Ava!" He coached, "Stay with me!"

But Ava was still, her eyes fluttering somewhere between opened and shut. She was still fighting but she was barely holding on. She was bleeding way too much, way too quickly. At this rate, she would bleed out before he had the chance to help. He had to do something! He had to stop the bleeding! He had to figure out what the hell caused this!

He couldn't call for help! He couldn't leave her to find supplies . . . He had to use what he had!

What the hell did he have!?

Sans leaned over her, examining that deep red spot in her clothing. He threw off his gloves and used them as gauze against the open wound . . . wounds . . . slashes . . . gouges.

A series of deep and jagged lacerations striped Ava's side. Through her lower ribs and into the soft tissue just beneath. From the location . . . her kidney, her stomach, her intestines . . . they all could be damaged . . . but he couldn't tell just by looking.

The gloves weren't going to be enough. Not my a long shot!

Ava began to convulse. She was going into shock! But what could he possibly do!? He couldn't heal her! He couldn't even close the wounds!

He had . . . He had candy . . . But what the fuck would candy do to heal a wound like this!?

Still, he fumbled through the pockets of his jacket. His hands were shaking so badly, he couldn't even.

Why were there holes in his pockets? Both pockets had large gaping holes and his bloody fingers slipped straight through.

Damn it! Damn it! When did he lose the candy? Where!?

His eyes darted around. It couldn't have been too long ago! It must have just happened! The same time Ava was attacked! So there must have been at least one piece around!

There! On the floor next to the wall! He had to . . . he had to get it before Ava . . .

Sans quickly removed his jacket. If anything, he could use it as . . . not a tourniquet . . . damn it! What was the word . . . Fuck it! He'd tie it around Ava . . . keep pressure on the slashes, keep the gloves in place as he went to get the candy.

He worked as quickly and as efficiently as he could. He needed to work fast. FASTER THAN THIS, DAMN IT!

Finally with his hands shaking uncontrollably, he tied his jacket around her, but her blood almost immediately permeated it and it was quickly turning purple as the red bled into blue.

He still . . . he had to . . .

"Hang on, Ava! I'll be right back!"

He slipped away, laying Ava on the floor where she continued to convulse. He had to hurry! She was running out of time.

Sans scrambled. He couldn't even stand to run. He launched himself forward, tearing his attention away from Ava for a second to reach out for the candy.

He nearly had it! He just had to . . .

A dark foot kicked it out of reach as Sans was about to close his hand around it. In the next second, his hand was pinned to the ground by that same dark shoe.

"No!" Sans exclaimed as he tried to tear his hand away. He was unsuccessful.

His eyes shot upward to whoever it was holding his hand down.

And he was greeted by a deep scowl. As that scowl bore into him, the shrieking wail of the siren coupled by the flashing red warning lights of the alarm system sounded horrible cries. On the overhead was the voice of Maltez filling every corridor.

"ALL STAFF BE ADVISED! THERE HAS BEEN A SECURITY BREACH! THE HUMAN HAS ESCAPED! TAKE NECESSARY PRECAUTIONS AND REPORT TO HOLDING CELL 4!"

He repeated that message two more times.

But the announcement wasn't what concerned Sans. As he looked into the stabbing eyes of his coworker, his heart sank.

"What exactly do you think you're doing, Serif!?" Gaine spat, leaning forward on his foot and nearly crushing Sans' hand. Already, it felt as if his metacarpals were about to splinter under the weight. "Where do you think you're going with that human!?"

"Gaine! Gaine, please let me go! She . . . Ava, she's going to die! GAINE PLEASE!"

"Ugh!" Gaine growled, "You even know the human's name!? And you're all buddy-buddy with them!? How disgusting!"

"GET. OFF. OF. ME!" Sans shouted.

No sooner had he said it, did a single bone fly, seemingly out of nowhere to strike Gaine in the back of the head, surprising him out of his current thoughts.

Gaine shot his scowl backward to see who the hell it was who attacked him.

Standing in the hall, about 20 feet away was a tall Skeleton, an over-sized femur in his hand as several other dis-articulated bones floated around him.

"LEAVE MY BROTHER ALONE!" He demanded over the siren's wails.

As Gaine turned his attention, completely to the other Skeleton in utter shock, he released Sans hand

"YOU!?" He accused, "I thought you were decommissioned years ago! What the . . . did you just . . . talk!?"

Papyrus glared back at Gaine, livid at the way he treated Sans. But more than that, Papyrus focused furiously back at the assistant as something flashed behind his eyes.

"I WON'T LET YOU KILL ANYONE ELSE!" Papyrus fumed, "THIS TIME I'LL STOP YOU!"

Immediately, Papyrus attacked, sending more bones toward Gaine and rushing forward to close the distance between them, his over-sized femur gripped tightly in his hand.

Gaine dodged the initial barrage of bones and bared his claws as well as his sharp teeth. He hissed back at Papyrus, ready for a fight!

Meanwhile, using the fight as a distraction, Sans had been able to grab one of the candies that had been spilled over the floor, and he was fumbling, trying to get it unwrapped. He rushed back toward the large puddle of blood where Ava lay. He approached her, never minding the blood and scooped her back up into his arms.

"Hang on, Ava!" He repeated, "This . . . this'll help! Just hold on!"

But Ava was completely unresponsive as he pried open her mouth to feed her the candy. She was completely limp in his arms and even as the confection touched her tongue, there was no change. The candy had no effect.

"No!" Sans muttered, grabbing tightly onto her, refusing to accept the implication of what he was seeing, "Nononono . . . no. C'mon! C'mon, Ava! Hang in there! You've come so far already! Don't give up now! No! Ava! Please! Don't leave me! Not after all this!"

But there was still no response. Not from the girl. But from within her, there was a soft glow resonating. It was faint at first, but the glow steadily grew.

"Ava!?" Sans called aloud, his voice pitching as he shook the body of the girl in his arms, "AVA!?"

Any fighting that had been going on between Gaine and Papyrus stopped suddenly when Sans released a long and unrelenting cry. They both turned back to see and they were just in time to witness the glow of the human's soul take shape.

Just above the lifeless form of the human girl, was a glowing purple heart, floating just above her chest.

And clutching onto the body was a trembling Skeleton, his clothing soaked in her blood as he held onto her as if his own life depended on it. But even as he held on, there was a definite shift in energy, a swirling of the air and force around them as if all things were swirling to converge at that one point in the room where Sans cried over the purple girl.

When Sans finally did look up, his focus was direct and deadly. His permanent smile was malicious as he honed in on the thing that caused all of this. His tears continued to flow freely even as his eyes began to glow.

But it wasn't merely blue magic that fueled Sans now, it was something completely different, something that filled him and drove him far beyond just a primal rage or even a desire for revenge. This was something else entirely.

Sans was filled with DETERMINATION.

He didn't bother with words, but instead shot whatever energy he'd acquired directly toward the opposing monster.

It came as a bright white light a blinding blast of pure energy that hurtled its way right toward Gaine. He was the culprit! He was the one who killed Ava! He was the one to blame! He was going to pay!

Gaine was hit full force with the attack and even though he moved to defend, crossing his arms in front of him just before the attack hit, a good amount of his HP was lost because he wasn't expecting the attack. But he had gained LV with Ava's death, which meant there was more HP to whittle away than there would have been otherwise.

Which meant another blast of energy! Sans sent another, fully-powered blast at him and another, not allowing Gaine the chance to recover.

Though now that he had an idea of what to expect, Gaine was able to move on the defensive, dodging and avoiding the attacks as best he could in the narrow space. The tail ends of the magical attacks hit, but he never took another direct hit.

Sans was getting tired of the attacks missing his target. He reached out with bloody fingers to grab a firm hold of Gaine's soul, instantly turning it blue. With this new purchase, Sans flung the monster against the walls, against the ceiling and slammed him against the floor of the hallway.

Little by little, with every hit, Gaine's HP was drained, but on top of the initial HP that was steadily dropping, which actually wasn't much, maybe only two or three HP, there was that pink bar again that did significantly more. That pink bar drained as more and more of his life was being chipped away.

Slowly, Sans stood, laying Ava to rest on the floor momentarily as he made his way from her side to confront Gaine face to face. But even as he approached, it was obvious that the use of magic was starting to wear on him. Sans was panting already, trying to regain his nerves and his wits. His stamina and his strength was nearly depleted, but he still held onto Gaine's soul tightly with his blue magic.

As he walked the final few steps, ignoring Papyrus who was standing off to the side, wide-eyed and stunned by the display of pure force, Sans used the grip on Gaine's soul to pin the taller monster, now tattered and worn down from his beating, against the cold surface of the wall. Gaine still had use of his arms and legs, but he was unable to pull himself away from the spot.

"What the hell, Serif!?" Gaine nearly screamed, the alarm still blaring in his ears, "What the actual fuck is wrong with you!?"

"who gave you the right?" Sans muttered, ignoring the accusation. "who the hell do you think you are to take a life without a reason!? to take her life!? what makes you think you're worthy enough to wield power like that!?to kill on a whim!?"

Gaine had to admit, looking back at Sans, covered nearly from head to toe in human blood, his eyes flashing blue and yellow, all while he had his soul firmly in his grasp . . . and knowing that those blasts could spring literally out of thin air with no warning . . . it frightened him. He'd never seen Sans this upset before, but somehow, he had managed to completely piss the little freak off so much that all of that rage was aimed directly toward him.

"hey," The Skeleton demanded, "i asked you a question, you fuckin' shit stain! i'm still waiting!"

Gaine continued to struggle against the hold as Sans stopped right in front of him, glaring upward through glowing eyes.

"Why are you so upset, Serif!? It was just one human!"

Sans' sockets went wide at that comment and he could feel fire coursing through to every inch of his body. "she had a name! fuckin' use it! say it out loud!"

"How the hell am I supposed to—"

"AVA!" Sans cried, "her name was Ava! fuckin' say it!"

"Fine! Ava, damn it! She was only one human. Inconsequential to –"

"Tell me Ava was 'inconsequential' again!" Sans bit, grinding his teeth in fury, "i fucking dare you!"

From behind him, Papyrus approached, reaching a hand out, but thinking again about touching Sans' shoulder, especially in his current mood. This was another- scarier side to Sans he never thought he would ever see. He didn't like it on him in the slightest.

"Brother . . ." Papyrus suggested in a steady and quiet tone, trying to project a calmness he didn't feel. Not only was this kind of rage terrifying for him, but it was nearing dangerous levels for Sans. If he kept this up, it could wear on his HP too. "Perhaps it will be better if you—"

"stay out of this, papyrus!" Sans snapped.

For a split second, Sans shot a look over his shoulder to ward off Papyrus. He couldn't afford to have him get caught up in this too.

It was that split second that Gaine had been waiting for. His fingers flexed and his claws bared, Gaine swiped toward Sans at full force. He used his magic to extend his reach and ensure he made contact.

Instinctively, Papyrus reached forward grabbing Sans by the collar of his shirt and pulling him backward in an attempt to pull him free of Gaine's range.

He wasn't fast enough.

Gaine's attack made contact just like he'd hoped. It completely shredded the front of Sans' shirt and nicked at the bones of his ribs.

Gaine hadn't been aiming to kill, but he definitely wanted to put some distance between the Skeleton and himself.

He didn't know Sans was now only sitting on about 3 HP. He surely didn't act like it.

As Sans fell backward, the grip on Gaine's soul was lifted. Gaine landed on his feet with a bit of a triumphant and relieved smirk to his expression. Somehow, he'd managed to come out on top of this dispute.

And Serif . . .

That other Skeleton, the experiment, caught Serif as he fell, hissing through some kind of pain. There had been a spark between them when they touched. Serif's Max HP dropped in that moment from 3 to 2. but he didn't die. That nick to his bones hadn't been enough to actually kill him, but it was enough to knock him out! All traces of any kind of magic he had been using previously dissipated instantly and the only residual sense of urgency was the blaring of the alarm.

And more than that, Serif's soul . . .

His . . . Soul . . .

As Gaine looked at Serif's soul, he halted. He didn't know what he was looking at or how he was supposed to interpret it.

Inside of Serif' ribs . . . which were undeniably skeletal, floating in the otherwise empty cavity, was what looked to be a human soul! It looked just like the purple one hovering over that Ava girl. Only this one was a deep blue. Almost indigo.

"Holy shit, Serif!" Gaine whispered, completely bewildered by what he was seeing, "What the fuck are you!?"