AN: I'll keep this short! As always, thank you so much for all of your continued support! I know you are all sick of of hearing that at the beginning of each chapter . . . But I don't care! THANK YOU! THANK YOU and THANK YOU A MILLION TIMES!
Along the same thread, this story has just made 100 follows! You have no idea how excited I feel about that! As promised, I've begun work on that special art piece I was telling you about before!
A new thing and a reminder:
1) REMINDER: Surpassing Origins is still for sale on Amazon! If you're looking for a Christmas present for the book dragon in your life or maybe a little something for you, a sci-fi fantasy book might be a perfect fit!
2) NEW: I've started a YouTube channel! There's not much much on there now, but I do have a couple lyric videos for the Undertale OST that I'm pretty proud about. So if you like, you can go and check them out! ^_^ One of them might even be pretty important for an upcoming chapter!
Now on to this chapter! A few chapters ago, we got to see a bit into Gaster's life before he came to live in the lab, now, it's Sans' turn! Really, I've been looking forward to these chapters for quite some time! And I'm excited to finally be able to share them to you!
Please enjoy and I'll see you for the next chapter!
Chapter 14
"Sans"
On a dark grassy hill, washed in the moon's gentle glow, a boy lay in a relaxed position. He always loved stargazing, even if he would be repeatedly teased and mocked for it. He had always been deemed the science nerd with his head in the clouds and his mind on the stars. He was focused in his studies, it was true. He would get high marks in his classes, especially in maths and sciences and any attention he would get from his peers aside from the ridicule, was them hounding him and demanding he do their homework for them in exchange for money or favors.
Against his own moral code, he would often take these deals and sometimes he would find a way to work an angle and get more money out of those who employed his services. It was how he got by- how he could afford to eat some days. The boy lived alone near the outskirts of town, moving constantly from uninhabited house to uninhabited house, squatting where he could. As long as it had a roof, he was fine. He had no other family to turn to for help so he did anything and everything he had to in order to make due. If the others noticed, or if they cared, they didn't show it. As long as he completed their assignments on time, there were few issues.
He let out a deep breath with his arms crossed behind him as he used them to cradle his head. Tonight was not a night for study, for homework, or for hustles. He was here, simply because he enjoyed looking up at the stars and admiring their beauty. That . . . and it would be the last time he would be able to do so from this hill.
He would be moving in the morning- college. He had been able to get early admission as well as a scholarship and he was excited to start classes, even if it did mean he would be giving up his favorite gazing spot. Oh well, he would have to find a new one out in Ebott.
"Hey there." Said an unexpected voice in a bright and hopeful tone. She giggled as she approached and came to a stop right over him.
If he were the night, this girl would have been the sun, bright and radiant. She always knew just how to lift any anxieties he could be feeling just by wearing a smile. Her wavy brown hair was pulled back into a lazy and sloppy bun. The style was really just enough to keep it out of her eyes, beautiful and green, as she peered over the glass of her rectangular lenses. She grinned downward toward the boy as she tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear.
The boy gave a faint smile as instead of the glittering stars, his eyes focused on her glittering expression, "Good morning, Sunshine!" He greeted just as brightly.
The highlight of his day had arrived! The only things he really looked forward to were these moments that he got to spend with this girl.
Ava had been his friend and playmate for eight years. Of those eight, she had been his best friend and companion for five, and just a few months ago, she had agreed to taking it a step further and starting an actual romantic relationship with him. Her answer had both surprised the boy and elated him. Ever since middle school, he'd had a bit of a crush on her, but he never thought she could actually like him back.
As he grinned up at her with what he was sure to be the most ridiculous expression ever, he still couldn't believe how lucky he was.
"Mind if I join you?" Ava asked with a soft smile.
"Not at all," He answered, "Though, I'm afraid I'm being incredibly boring tonight. My telescope is already packed and I didn't feel like breakin' it out again, so . . ."
"Well, lucky for you, I didn't come for the stars." She scoffed as she lowered herself to sit with the lounging boy. "Just one star. Just mine." As she settled, she pulled her purple sweater tighter around her shoulders. It was actually starting to get pretty cold at night. It was definitely getting closer to the winter months. Sometimes, she wondered how her friend was able to come out in weather like this wearing shorts, but on most nights, like tonight, she let it go. With a bit of a grin, she reached out a finger and poked at his nose in a playful attack.
The boy chuckled as he grabbed at the girl's fingers, trapping them within his own, "Wow, that was cheesy, even for you."
"Well, It's not like I was going for poet of the year or anything. Can't you just pretend to be flattered like a normal person?"
"Well, look who you're talkin' to. Since when have I ever been normal."
"I guess you do have a point there." She giggled again as she leaned over the boy, touching her forehead to his in a sign of affection.
"So," The boy hummed, relishing in the moment, "No Kara today?"
"Mm-mm." Ava answered with a bit of her own hum, "She had somewhere to be."
"Well what about Ike? Ali?"
"Nope. Those two are actually on a date. But they all said they'd be there to see you off tomorrow. So, there's that. And that means we have the hill to ourselves! Can you believe it?"
The boy chuckled at the good fortune. "Heh, well, in that case . . ."
In an instant, the boy shifted, reaching upward where Ava still had her forehead against his to gently cradle her jaw and draw her in for a full kiss.
They stayed that way for a moment that felt like forever, but eventually, they parted and the girl raised a hand to her face in an attempt to cover up her massive blush. The boy's smile spread as he watched. This was so much better than stargazing! The only thing better than making her laugh was making her blush like that. It filled him with a sense of pride knowing that he could do both.
"God, I'm gonna miss you." Ava hummed as she combed that same stray lock of hair out of her face. "Promise me you'll write when you get settled in?"
"Of course!" He responded, "I promise."
"And that you'll take care of yourself, and that you'll remember to have some fun every once in a while?"
"Heh, I promise."
"And that you won't forget me?"
The boy stalled for a moment, pushing up to lean on his elbow as he turned to face the girl at his side. Her eyes had lowered and even though she tried to keep a smile in place, he could sense the actual fear in her expression.
"Hey." He began quietly, "Hey, look at me. What makes you think I could ever forget you?"
"Just promise me, okay? Don't forget."
He sighed, "Fine. I promise."
"Oh, stop lying to the poor girl!" Said a gruff voice from a slight distance, "What makes you think that you could go around making promises, when you know good and well that you won't be able to keep them!" The comment was followed by the sharp laughter of cronies.
Right away, the two recognized the tone and immediately, any cheer of the moment was siphoned away.
"C'mon, Surl." The boy groaned, "Could we not do this today?"
"Ha! Nice try, runt!" The taller, more muscular, and more intimidating tresspasser chided. "We know it's your last day here before you ship out to Ebott. We just wanted to come see you off, that's all. Just like your girl. How's it goin' Ava? Have you gotten rid of all your fleas yet, dog-face?"
The smaller boy's expression fell drastically as a nudge of frustration and anger began to grate on the edges of his nerves. Even through his own sour temper, he noticed the hand in his tighten and even begin to tremble a bit. Before he could react, Ava released him and was up on her feet.
"What the actual hell, Surl!?" She bit, her hands turning to fists at her sides, "What did we ever do to you!? Look, we're not bothering anyone so why don't you and your flunk-out rejects follow suit like the sheep you are and leave us alone!"
Surl burst out in laughter, inciting the others in a raucous chorus. "Oh, the bitch has bite!" He grinned, "I dunno, maybe she has potential after all!" With a few more steps forward, he addressed the boy who had yet to stand.
"Is that how it is then? You gonna let your girl handle your fights for you. From the look of it, she's got more balls than you've ever handled in your life!"
The boy growled as he pushed himself up to climb to his feet. Honestly, he didn't care about these jerks or what they decided to say about him. His real issue was what they said about Ava. He stood completely with his hands in his pockets to hide the intense fury in his fists. He could feel the rage welling up again. He could feel it lighting his soul on fire and he could feel that fire coursing through his body by way of his blood. It was happening again . . .
. . . and at this rate, it was going to boil over before he could get control over it.
"What? No words, Sans?"
The boy remained silent, as he set a stony gaze toward the jerk in front of him. The fists in his pockets tightened even more as he tried to suppress his temper. Normally, he had a pretty laid back disposition . . . but this guy always seemed to bring out the worst of him.
"Okay then," the taller of the two continued, "let's see just how much you can do without, shall we? So far, you are Sans-script!"
"Sans- balls!" Said another of the faceless group of Surl's followers.
"Sans- spine!" Said another meek-minded follower.
With every jab, the group stepped forward, crowding him and Ava and cutting off any hope of escape.
"Sans- life."
"Sans- purpose."
Soon, they were standing right in front of Ava and in front of him.
"Now what will you be when you hitch it on out of here tomorrow?"
"Sans-hope."
"Sans-home."
"Sans- protection!"
Surl took a final step forward, locking his dark narrow slits for eyes with the boy, "Sans-Ava!"
In the next moment, there was a shriek from beside him as Ava was plucked from his side. Surl had taken her wrist and pulled her away. In a quick move, he removed her glasses and tossed them off to the side.
"See, there we go! This, I can actually work with! Now, I dunno. After I'm through here, you might not even have a girlfriend to write to. You can forget all about her without any worries."
Ava, pulled against Surl, using her fists and her feet to punch and kick him, though it seemed not to do much in her favor.
"Let me go, Surl!" She bit, "You rat bastard!"
"You've got a feisty one here." Surl laughed, "I like that. More fun that way."
"You heard the lady." The boy growled, "Get your filthy paws off of her, asshole!"
In his voice was a low rumble as more of that latent rage bubbled to the surface. "Let her go, or I promise you're gonna have a bad time!"
Surl looked back to the boy, his dark grin never fading, "O-ho-holy shit it speaks! Go on, say something else! You're a jokester, right? Why don't you tell us a joke? If you make me laugh, maybe I'll let you have your little girlfriend back."
A dark smile pulled on the boy's face. He could feel it as the rage took over completely.
"A joke, huh?" The boy chuckled, taking his left hand out of its pocket and showing off the impressive blue glow. As he extended his hand, he grabbed hold of Surl's soul and held it tight within his grip. "How about this? Go to Hell!"
In a swift movement of the boy's hand, Surl was ripped from Ava and thrown airborne. The boy released his grip over the soul as the other reached the peak of the throw, letting gravity take over as he plummeted toward the ground.
From his side, Ava gripped at his sleeve, "No!" She pleaded, "Please, you're better than that!"
"It's what he deserves!" The boy argued with a fearsome snap to his voice, "After all this time, all of these years of him tormenting us. Tell me this isn't what he deserves!"
Ava hesitated. She had never seen him like this before. She'd never witnessed his rage or the blue glow in his eyes or in his hands. He was like the monsters from their books. The sight frightened her.
"Please. If you do. That doesn't make you any better than he is! Be the bigger man here! Don't stoop to his level."
The boy paused as he watched Surl speeding toward the ground, after a moment or two, he let out a growling moan, and recaptured the soul seconds before he could hit the ground, "I'm so sick of being the bigger man! Why can't guys like me ever have any fun!"
As he set Surl on the ground, he kept the soul tight in his grip. He approached with slow and careful steps, having to glare slightly upward to look the other in the eye.
"How was that?" He posed, the smile still pulling at the corners of his mouth, "Funny enough for you?"
Surl remained silent as he found himself face to face with the boy he would constantly tease and bully. He found that in a reversal of fate and of roles, he was genuinely terrified of the boy.
"No? Then how about this one!? It's sure to bowlyou over!"
With a pulse and a push, Surl was sent flying backward into his group of lackeys and he crashed into them as if they were pins in a bowling lane.
"Still not laughing?" The boy chided, taking more steps forward, the soul still in his hands as he approached again, "See, cause I thought that was hilarious! Wasn't that funny, Ava?"
But when he turned back to see his friend, he found her with her face turned away. She refused to see what was going on.
"You're better than this, Sans." She mumbled.
His smile faded instantly. Ava knew how much he hated that name. She'd promised not to call him by it.
Was she that upset with him that she would go back on that promise?
With a scowl in place, he turned back to the pile.
"Had enough? Well, I suggest you leave Ava and me alone from now on, or else I will personally see to it that you take a flying leap off of the tallest building in town! Got it, bud?"
With the threat looming overhead, the boy released the soul. Immediately, Surl and the others scrambled for footing and stumbled to their feet. The lackeys ran off spitting "mage" and "freak" and "monster" back at him as they ran. Surl remained for a beat longer as he found his balance again.
"Don't think this is over, Sans!" He bit as he backed away. "Far from it!"
Even as he turned to follow the others, Surl couldn't hide the darker wet spot staining the front of his jeans.
The boy took a certain pleasure in watching as his long-time-bully awkwardly stumbled away.
Once he was gone, the boy let his magic fade as he turned back around to find Ava. She was sitting with her back turned to him. Her head was lowered and she seemed small as she curled in around herself.
"Hey, Ava?" He asked, coming up to stand behind her, "Are you okay?"
"How come you never told me you were a mage?"
The boy smiled sheepishly to himself, "Well, it's not somethin' people usually walk around waving on banners, you know? Mages are considered freaks, and genetic defects, and tools to be used in times of war. I didn't want you to see me like that."
"I wouldn't have cared . . ." She assured, still not daring to look at him, "If you had just told me before . . . with everything else we've shared with each other. You could've trusted me with this, too, couldn't you?"
He sat down next to the girl and let out a breath. "I . . . didn't want to burden you. It's kind of a big deal even knowing a mage around here . . . But I'm still the same guy, see? I mean, seriously, look who you're talkin' to. Since when have I ever really been 'normal'."
When the boy reached out to touch her fingers, Ava snatched her hand away and twisted it in her purple sweater.
"C'mon, Ava. Not you too! Don't be like that!"
When he reached out again, Ava pulled away from him and shifted to stand.
"Please, Sans. Don't touch me. Just . . . Give me a minute."
Again, the boy hesitated, his mouth falling open for a moment as he drew in a shaky breath.
"W-when . . . When did you start calling me that?"
Ava remained quiet as she shifted her attention upward again.
"Or maybe we can go back to stargazing?" The boy suggested as he followed the look. "C'mon! Let's put this behind us. We can get past this, can't we?"
"Look, I should be getting home. It's getting really late and . . ."
"I could take you."
"No, Sans." Ava hesitated, tearing her eyes from the stars, "I mean . . . No . . . It's okay. I can walk myself. I'll . . . I'll tell Kara and the others that you said goodbye. Just . . . Be safe tomorrow. Don't forget to write when you get settled. I'll see you around."
"Ava, no! I was just trying to teach them a thing or two. Give them a taste of their own medicine . . . Especially after what he said about you . . . It just . . . I couldn't afford to just stand there and do nothing."
"Oh, don't pretend like what you did was somehow chivalrous! Like you were somehow doing it for me!"
"But . . . I was doing it for you! Look, they could say whatever they want about me and I wouldn't care . . . But what they said about you, I just . . ."
"You enjoyed it!" Ava accused. "When you had Surl in your magic and you tossed him like a ball into the air, you were smiling! You liked it! And knowing that you could end his life whenever you wanted just by letting go . . . You were acting like a monster!"
"Ava . . . I . . ."
"What are you? Answer me that. And answer truthfully."
The boy hesitated once again as he thought it over. And the more he thought, the more he had to admit that she was right. He did enjoy watching Surl as a puppet in his hands. But . . . That didn't change anything. He was still . . .
"I'm still me. I'm still the same guy. I haven't changed! You just know that I'm a mage now, that's all!"
Ava closed her eyes slowly and shook her head. "You're lying. You have this power and so far, you've only used it to threaten and to cause fear! That's not the you I know. And if that's the you that's always been, then . . . I've made a huge mistake."
The boy was rendered speechless. He knew what was happening as much as he knew there wasn't anything he could do to stop it.
"I'm sorry." Was all he was able to get out.
"Goodbye, Sans."
Ava left after that, being sure to scoop up her glasses on her way out, but otherwise, not looking back. She didn't look back toward the boy after that. And as she retreated, the boy could only watch. He didn't call out to her and he didn't try to stop her. If she was only going to see him as a mage and a . . . a monster, then she . . .
She could . . .
The boy laid back again and looked up toward the stars. So beautiful and far beyond his reach. He'd managed once to catch a falling star that shone brighter than the sun . . . and as she walked away that night, leaving him alone on the hill, he realized he'd let it slip through his fingers.
At least these stars weren't going anywhere. At least they were still . . .
His vision became blurry as his eyes welled up and he fought with himself to keep his composure. Ultimately, he covered his eyes as he lost that fight.
That night, he had truly become "sans" just like Surl and the others said. He'd lost everything.
Everything except that far-away concept of "tomorrow"
"Brother!" Papyrus called, trying to gently shake the unresponsive Skeleton awake. Several minutes had already passed since Sans was rendered unconscious and with every moment that passed, Papyrus was getting more worried.
The alarms continued to shriek, adding to Papyrus' panic.
And on top of those things, there was Gaine, who kept pacing, looking between the body of the human girl and the two Skeletons on the ground.
He was still reeling over everything he saw. There had to be an explanation that made sense.
Serif . . . was Gaster's apprentice, his trusted associate . . . did he know what Sans was hiding? Surely, he had to. But then . . . with a human soul . . . how has Serif even been able to . . .
Maybe he was Gaster's side-project. Maybe Gaster had implanted the soul into Serif himself in order to study the effects. But the one thing that didn't make sense to him was if human souls are supposed to be so much stronger than monster souls . . . then why was Serif so incredibly weak. He only had 2 HP! How was he not dead already?
There had to be answers. There had to be. And the person who could give them to him was most likely the doctor. Gaine fought with himself. He knew he should call the doctor. He needed to know what happened.
The one thing that prevented him was the look of the human further down the hall. The girl that Serif had been so passionate about, the one who was now, wrapped up in his jacket, lying in a pool of her own blood with her soul floating above her. How was he going to explain that? How was he going to justify the death of their specimen?
Maybe he could spin the "self defense" angle. Or maybe he could say that he was only trying to hinder her escape- injure her but not kill her. After all, she was human. She could have turned them all to dust if she so wished it. He couldn't afford not to take extra precautions. If he could catch her and bring her back to her cell, then that would have been ideal, but he just couldn't. And Serif got caught up in it and that's how he ended up this way . . . It was a damned shame, but it just couldn't be helped.
Yeah, that's what he would say.
It could work . . . and the only thing he would really have to worry about was . . .
The experiment was still trying to wake Serif, calling his name and shaking him in hopes of getting him to respond. But for as long as it had been calling, nothing seemed to come of it. That project . . . Serif had called it something else- he'd given it a name- not only that, but the project had called Serif its "brother" . . . which, in actuality, fed into the theory that Serif was another of Gaster's projects. Either way, there was definitely something screwy going on.
Taking a deep breath, Gaine came to a decision.
Making his way swiftly through the hall, doing his best not to look at the human, Gaine found a wall phone at the very end. Picking up the receiver and pressing a button, the overhead system popped to life and his own voice thundered through the halls.
"DOCTOR GASTER, PLEASE REPORT TO THE SOUTH HALL OF BASEMENT LEVEL 2. DOCTOR GASTER TO BASEMENT LEVEL 2."
With that out of the way, Gaine tuned his attention, instead, to the Skeletons.
That thing . . . The experiment . . . If it could talk now . . . it really could pose a problem.
"Oh, give it a rest, would you!?" Gaine snapped as Papyrus continued to call, "Obviously, he's not waking up any time soon. So stop your whining!"
"But he has to wake up!" Papyrus argued, "He has to!" And he continued to cry out for Sans, shaking him in an attempt to get him to wake. "Brother, wake up!"
"Why do you keep calling him that?" Gaine groaned, "It's getting annoying."
"Because he . . . is my brother! We take care of each other. Sans . . . stood up for me and protected me when no one else would. Even against Dr. Gaster."
Gaine scoffed, "'Protected' you!? You needed protection. Heh, well, from Gaster, I'm not surprised . . . but who would even think to stand up for you after you —"
Papyrus shot a dark look toward Gaine. Seeing it, Gaine's expression fell as well.
"That reminds me." He continued in a low voice, "When Gaster does get here, I'll be doing the talking. So you just keep quiet, got it?"
Papyrus narrowed his eyes as he glared back at Gaine with a suspicious look. "Alright then," he answered, "I will . . . under one condition."
Gaine's ears perked. A caveat, is it? From the experiment? "Name your terms."
"You tell the truth."
In response, Gaine raised his brows, "That's it?"
Papyrus nodded, "If you don't, I'll know." There was a faint orange glow coming from Papyrus' eyes now as his expression became more intense. "You're already hurt. I don't want to hurt you more."
"Was that a threat!?" Gaine hissed as he took another step forward, "How about this for terms: You shut up and let me handle this, or I make sure your 'brother' never wakes up. He only has 2 HP anyway. I could just do him in right now and say it was an accident! That he got in the way when the two of us were fighting."
"Don't you dare hurt Sans!" Papyrus glared, his orange glow becoming brighter as he raised a hand against Gaine, "You stay away from him!"
Around Papyrus, more dis-articulated bones began to appear and he aimed them all at Gaine, who had been steadily approaching. He didn't feel at all comfortable with Gaine or the way he was grinning at Sans.
"Stay back!" Papyrus pressed as he prepared one of his bones to throw if Gaine so much as took another step forward.
He didn't have to. In his spot, Gaine froze when he heard the approach of several pairs of footsteps coming to close in on them. A dark smirk pulled at his mouth as he thought about what this would look like to the rest of them. He may not need a story after all. He would let them create it for themselves.
There were a few gasps as the others took in the scene and tried to make sense of it all.
"What the—"
"The human!?"
"Who got that thing back up and running!?"
"What did it do to Sans!?"
"Gaine, are you okay?"
Stepping to the front of the crowd was Gaster, his gloved hands fisted at his sides as he quickly surveyed the immediate area. In short, it was a scene from a nightmare.
Papyrus seemed ready to attack, his magic and bones floating about his airspace; Gaine, who already seemed injured, whose clothes looked torn and burned, standing to oppose him; Sans . . . what in the world!? He was covered in blood, his jacket removed and his shirt in tatters as a faintly glowing soul floated in his rib cage . . . wait! A HUMAN soul!?
Then maybe he'd actually done it! Maybe he'd managed to . . .
No . . . that wasn't quite right. If that were the case, if he had absorbed the human's soul, then he should have been completely transformed.
No.
Gaster CHECKED Sans right then and there, never minding the other curious eyes around.
0.23/2
Right away, there were sounds of shock, among them was a gasp and an utterance of "Oh my god"
Gaster remained silent as something in him gripped tightly, making it difficult to breathe. At the same time, something else seemed to pull all of his other senses in every direction at once.
When he was able to channel through to the important things, his eyes fell onto Papyrus who seemed to be holding tightly onto Sans as if trying to protect him. Immediately, Papyrus dismissed his attack and his magic died down.
"Do you have it?" Gaster asked almost harshly, his tone dripping with anger though his volume remained at something just above a whisper.
Papyrus flinched at the accusation. Of course, he already knew exactly what the doctor meant . . . Sans' missing HP . . . And as he dropped his head, turning his eyes away, he nodded slowly.
"Get away from him." Gaster demanded. "Don't touch him again. Not unless you want to kill him."
Papyrus' eyes went wide as he considered what Gaster was implying.
"I . . . I didn't mean to!" He protested, still gripping to the tattered ends of Sans' shirt. The surprise from the remaining assistants at the fact that he was speaking went unnoted as he continued, "He was just so . . . Angry and when the human died . . . He . . . Was using so much magic . . . I had to catch him. I couldn't let him fall. But he was still using so much magic . . . I didn't mean to."
As he explained, Papyrus shifted, releasing Sans and leaving him be as Gaster stepped forward once again. Gaster took Sans again and propped him up. In a moment, Gaster used his own magic to heal Sans back up to his new Max HP.
It was absolutely effortless. It should never be that easy to heal another monster. Just with a simple touch, with the minimal amount of energy.
But then again . . . Sans was no monster, was he?
That human soul inside of him, what was that? What did that mean!? How did he get such a thing!? And what did that make Sans, exactly!?
Gaster looked up, scanning the room once again. He was already aware of the glowing on the far side of the hall and he knew what it must have implied . . . and Papyrus, in his rambling, had just confirmed his suspicions . . . the human was dead . . . all before he'd ever had the chance to do with it what he had been planning . . .
He had even had a plan for the human's death . . . and apparently that hadn't happened the way he wanted either.
He let out a deep breath . . . one problem at a time.
"Gaine!" Gaster called, "What the hell happened here!? Explain!"
"Of course, Doctor." Gaine began with a slight nod of his head, "Let me preface it by saying it's been a very long night. And we've all been on edge lately."
"I don't care about that!" Gaster answered tersely, "I want to know what happened here!"
Gaine's ears drew back and fell flat against his head as he drew in a breath. Okay, he hadn't been expecting that reaction. Fine right to the point. Bullet point version it is. "Oh, of course. Then quickly: Serif snuck into the lab and somehow got the human out of her holding cell."
"He swiped my name badge and used that." Maltez supplied, "I see it there in his pocket."
Indeed, when Gaster inspected the pocket, he retrieved the keycard with Maltez' name and face on it. He looked down again at the . . . whatever he was in his arms, still unconscious, and a completely new feeling began to descend over Gaster. He felt betrayed and disgusted that his most cherished and trusted associate would be responsible for this fiasco. What exactly was he up to? Why would he do something like this . . . ? The Sans he knew would never jeopardize results like this. Something here was very wrong.
"He must have used my override code then . . ." Gaster said quietly to himself, though it didn't take much for the others to be able to hear, especially after Ruddard disabled the alarm using his own code and the hall fell into an uneasy silence as the events unfolded. "It would have been the only way to disable the barrier using an assistant's badge."
Gaine nodded as he continued, "I have no doubt that Serif was attempting to help the human escape. When I came down for my shift watching over the human, I realized she was gone and I immediately left to go look for her. I found her here and Serif was leading her by the hand. I couldn't let them go so easily. I attempted to stop them, but the human got in the way. She was badly injured."
"You attacked them unannounced." Papyrus corrected.
Gaine snapped a look up to the Skeleton standing against the wall furthest away from the crowd. The others were still astonished and rightfully fearful of him and they kept their distance, even clustering together to avoid him.
Papyrus crossed his arms, keeping his eyes averted.
"Well, yes," Gaine answered through clenched teeth, "I couldn't risk the human knowing I was there. She has already killed several monsters after all, according to the Royal Guard's reports. If I could subdue her with as little risk as possible, then that was what I was going to do. But I never meant for things to get so out of hand. Serif went ballistic and tried to heal the human using candy – of all things – and that's when this . . . guy showed up!" Gaine took a moment to gesture toward Papyrus, "He attacked me while I was trying to subdue Serif."
Through the groans of the other assistants, Papyrus dropped his arms, ready to correct Gaine again.
"That was a warning shot! It did no damage to you if you remember! You were going to attack my brother! I could not allow you to!"
"Papyrus!" Gaster interjected, "Did you attack Gaine?"
Wait, Gaster knew it's name?
Papyrus hesitated, "It was not an attack! It was –"
"Papyrus! Yes or no?"
Papyrus frowned and lowered his gaze again, "Yes. Only because he was threatening Sans."
Again, there were disapproving sounds from the assistants.
"And Gaine, did you attack Sans?"
"No, at the time, my objective was to incapacitate the human and my actions were to prevent Serif from healing her. After all she needed to be kept alive, but weakened, correct?"
Gaster nodded, "Continue."
"Well, my attack was too strong for the human and she bled until she died . . . and that's when Serif completely lost it . . . it was terrifying. He lashed out, sending blasts of pure energy at me. He was the one who was aiming to kill. He was the one who did all this to me. He threw me against the walls and –"
"That's quite enough." Gaster interrupted. " So it was Sans who did the actual attacking tonight. Papyrus, is this true?"
Papyrus hesitated again, but Gaine had spoken the truth and he could not deny it.
"It's the truth," He admitted in a dejected tone, "I have never seen Sans so angry before . . . He was so upset that the human was killed."
"Ava." Gaine answered, a certain darkness shadowing the name.
"Excuse me?" Gaster imposed. The new information striking him as interesting.
"The human's name . . . Serif made sure I knew that her name was Ava . . . along with some other very coarse things. I suppose the two of them were friends. With a reaction like his, it wouldn't be surprising."
Gaster took another look down at Sans and his expression fell once again.
"What the hell . . . ?"
There were too many questions surrounding him.
He had to get to the bottom of it.
With a deep breath, Gaster released Sans, letting him lie on the ground.
"We will need two gurneys and a container for the soul. In the morning, the human's body will be delivered to the capital along with the green and yellow souls. The purple will remain here until we can find sufficient answers."
"But . . . Doctor?" Maltez asked, "I thought you wanted to fully examine the human. If that's the case, why send them to the capital?"
"The human is of no use to me any longer . . . and in light of recent discoveries, that is probably for the better . . ." He took another look to the unconscious person at his feet, "Besides, now we have a far more interesting specimen. The second gurney will be for him. He will be taken to the examination room adjacent to observations and he will be restrained."
"Papyrus. You will stay. I will have to take you to the holding cell until further notice."
"But, Doctor Gaster! I did nothing wrong! Can't I just go to my room? I promise I won't—"
"Absolutely not!" Gaster snapped as a bit more information slipped through than he had intended . . . now the others would know that Papyrus had been living in the lab long enough to have his own room. Assuming that they extrapolated that information on their own, which, of course, was child's play for his team. "I cannot have you out at this time. Not while we examine . . . While we examine Sans. Now, you all have your assignments. Let's get to work."
At once, the assistants turned to head back down the hallway, splitting the work among themselves. More than once, glances were shot backward toward Gaster and the remains of the scene and they wondered what could possibly be going through Gaster's mind as he stood and attempted to retain his composure.
As Gaine stepped away to join the others, Gaster stopped him.
Gaine hesitated, but stopped all the same. Gaster was being unusually calm about this entire mess, and, for some reason, this unnerved Gaine more than he cared to admit. He had been expecting Gaster to be absolutely furious . . . and maybe he was . . . then again, maybe he wasn't . . . It was not knowing that really concerned Gaine the most.
"Gaine, I feel as if I owe you an apology." Gaster sighed.
Gaine tilted his head slightly at the confession. Now that was something he really hadn't been expecting. He had killed the human and injured Gaster's little pet. Why would Gaster possibly feel the need to apologize to him?
"I got so caught up in the "what" and the "why" of all of this mess that I never asked about you. I see that Sans really did a number on you. Are you alright, Gaine?"
"Oh! Well, yeah. I mean, I'm in a better spot than Serif anyway."
Gaster hummed in acknowledgment and in contemplation as he took a step toward Gaine. As he approached, Gaster raised a hand, again using his magic to heal his assistant. It seemed as if Sans had been able to take a significant amount of HP from Gaine and it took significantly more effort to heal him back to full HP, but it was still no matter to Gaster.
"I want you to go home, Gaine." Gaster said solemnly.
Again, Gaine was shocked, "Wait, what!? No! I can still help here. I'm okay."
"Be that as it may, until we can figure out exactly what happened here and the nature of it all, I cannot allow you to stay on this project. After all, you were responsible for the death of the human. I have to take that into consideration. I specifically said that the human was to be kept alive. Did it not occur to you that there was a reason for that? If you really wanted to "incapacitate" said human, you could have simply broken both of their legs! It would have prevented them from moving forward. There was absolutely no need to attack the way you did! I also saw the nick taken out of Sans' ribs and the splintering in his hand before they were healed. Though I do understand that it is possible that you were acting in self defense when Sans attacked, I did ask you a direct question: Did you attack Sans? You told me no. You lied to make yourself look better in front of the others, hoping that I would not take notice. If you hadn't, well, we would be having a very different conversation."
Gaine drew in a breath, unable to come up with a decent response. So much for the apology.
"So what does that mean for me?" Gaine asked darkly.
"It means that you are to return home and not return to the lab until I say otherwise. Leave your jacket and your badge. I will call you when we have need of your assistance."
Gaine's mouth fell open. "You're suspending me? For a mistake?"
"We will see how much of a mistake it was when we examine the human's body before sending her to the Capital."
"That's absurd! You know what this sounds like!? This sounds like you're choosing your little pet projects over your dedicated team . . . again! You take care of them and treat them with a higher priority than you do us on any given day! Every single time! And if this is an issue of lying, then take a look at that . . . creature at your feet. He was suspended weeks ago. Why is he even here? Why do you not seem surprised that he is? I don't even think he's a real monster! Not with a soul like that! How long has he been lying to you about that, I wonder? Not only did he know the name of the human girl, but he was caught trying to help your precious specimen escape. And yet, in spite of all of that, you hold him to a higher level than you do any of the rest of us!"
Through Gaine's tirade, and as mistake after monumental mistake was piled on, Gaster's expression remained even as he looked back on his assistant.
"You are suspended for now, Gaine." Gaster answered in a tone just as even, "Do you want to shoot for termination?"
Gaine huffed as he clenched and un-clenched his fists, but he remained silent. Instead, he removed his lab coat and dropped it at Gaster's feet, making sure his dark glare pierced straight through the doctor.
As Gaine stormed off, taking his leave, he didn't bother to look back at Gaster or his pets.
The boy continued on campus with a ketchup packet hanging out of his mouth. Really, it wasn't much of a meal, but until he could start work at the hot dog stand in the food court, condiment sandwiches and packets would just have to do. Classes hadn't started yet, but the few days at Mt. Ebott University had treated the boy relatively well. He'd gotten his class schedule already and he'd found his dorm, though his roommates wouldn't be in until later that day or the next.
He was eager to meet his roommates. Though, he was more excited that he didn't have to squat anymore. For the semester, at least, that dorm was his. At least for the semester, it was home.
He'd even been lucky enough to meet up with the dean of the science department, the one to whom he'd written about the scholarship that got him into this place! Really, he was a decent man, stolid on the outside, but a total softy inside. He seemed genuinely excited to have him majoring in his department and freely expressed that he expected great things from him.
The dean and roommates aside, the boy was on a mission. As promised, he'd written a letter to Ava. He was unsure of whether or not she would read it and he doubted he would get a response back, but at the very least, he would be keeping his promise to her. Maybe that would be enough . . . Maybe she would write back. Maybe they could rekindle what they had.
Determined and filled with hope, the boy crossed campus to mail his letter.
"Hey!" Called a voice from somewhere behind him, "Hey, kid!"
At first, he ignored the call. After all, he could've been talking to anyone. Mt. Ebott had a pretty big campus and a large student base.
"Heya, Kid! With the ketchup!"
Yup. He was definitely talking to him. At the confirmation, the boy turned around to address the approaching . . . This guy was human, wasn't he? He was a towering man, easily at least a foot and a half taller than he was, making him approximately 6' 11" or maybe even pushing 7 feet. The guy was a giant!
"Hey," The boy replied, "Sorry, didn't know you were talkin to me."
"Yeah, it's a big place. But hey, I saw you comin' from the north tower just now. Is your dorm over that way?"
The boy thought it over, deciding whether or not to give a truthful answer. That was kind of an odd question for a complete stranger to ask, right? Or maybe he was lost?"
"Yeah, I'm in the 200s."
"Aw, yeah? Really? Me too. 213."
The boy's expression shifted, "Ha! So cool! That means we're roomies!" He shifted again, moving his book and his letter into one hand as he reached the other out to shake the giant's, "Put 'er there, bud!"
The giant smiled and shook his hand, depositing something there as well, a folded piece of paper. When he felt the object in his hand, the boy frowned slightly, curious and a little alarmed. What the heck did he give him? He opened his fist to see the folded paper . . . a note?
"Go ahead and read that now."
The boy did, curiosity outweighing his apprehension. He unfolded the paper and directed his attention to the chicken scratch written upon it.
"I know who you are. I know what you are. The name's Burl and I hear you've been pushin' my little bro around. Time to pay up."
The boy shifted his attention again to the giant, but instead of the hope and determination from before, he was now filled with dread.
"Ah, that's right. Didn't think you'd have to deal with us after you left home, right? Thought you could get away with that shit you pulled? Well, you were wrong, bud. Now, here's what's gonna happen. You're gonna follow me and you're get what you got comin' to ya. You're not gonna make a fuss about it or raise attention and you're not gonna try to get out of it."
"And wh-why would I do that?" The boy questioned, finding a bit of his nerve as he stood his ground. "What's to stop me from doing the same thing to you?"
"Oh, that's sad." The giant chuckled, "No one ever told you how to pick your fights, did they? You messed with the wrong guy's little bro and now, you're gonna pay for it!"
"Nothing would've happened if your 'bro' didn't start it in the first place! I was only giving back all the mess he gave me since the fifth grade! Plus a little interest!"
"Shut up with all the excuses! You're comin' with me and don't think you're gettin' out of it! Get 'im, Snare!"
Right away, the boy noticed a tightened grip over his soul and with that, he found that he was frozen in his spot, unable to move. When he looked downward, he could see the faintly purple glow from under his jacket. Damn it! Another mage.
"Well, get going!" Said another shallow voice that sounded as if it came from his nose. "You heard the guy! I'll make sure you don't stray from the path!"
As the boy was led away, he fell into contemplation. There had to be a way out of this mess as well. He dealt with Surl for most of his life, surely, he could deal with his brother too. The only difference, he knew next to nothing about the giant except his name and that he had a mage friend with purple magic.
They led the boy to a place far off from the main areas of campus and as they traveled, the boy noticed how many more of Burl's gang there were that he didn't notice before. Even if he didn't have the purple hold on his soul, preventing him from stepping off of the predetermined path, he doubted he would've gotten very far if he had tried to run.
They continued on until they reached the part of the grounds where the school met the sprawling forest. Peaking through the tops of the trees was the towering peak of a mountain, looming and ominous as they approached.
"Here's far enough!" Burl instructed.
With a harsh shove, the one called Snare released the hold on the boy's soul, but only because he was surrounded and would not have been able to escape.
From his knees, the boy looked up at the giant, and from his lowered position, he seemed even taller, more intimidating. When Burl turned around and directed his gaze on the boy in front of him, it was with a dark sadistic grin and immediately, the boy knew he was in trouble.
He stood quickly to face his opponent. So it was a fight. And the others . . . were they spectators? Were they there to watch the show . . . or were they . . . Going to help?
"Ladies and gentlemen!" Burl began, using his voice to carry across to all those who came to witness his little show, "What we have here is what we call a Class A Coward in its natural habitat. Note that when upset, the coward tends to lash out without a care as to who or what is in its way. I must advise those of you who cannot fight or who don't fight to keep your distance as this is a very volatile specimen.
The boy's eyes darted around to the surrounding crowd. He was being forced on display like an animal. Within moments, he was able to piece together what Burl was up to. He was going to force him into exposing himself as a mage. Already, he could feel the magic flowing once again and though, he tried to suppress it for as long as he could, it continued to fill him. Instead of the intense rage from before, threatening to consume his being in fire, however, the burn this time was stemmed from the very primal desire of self preservation.
Put simply, if he wanted to survive this battle, he would need his magic. And so he let it flow. He felt it pool into his hands as he focused his attention forward.
"Exhibit A: Note now that this particular Coward has the ability to use magic. Blue magic, it would seem. And if it isn't properly monitored, it could throw a person several stories into the air, or force him into the ground by gripping onto his soul."
The boy flexed his fingers, the magic in his hands flickering indecisively in and out of focus.
"L-look, Burl." The boy interjected, instead, choosing to ACT. Maybe there was still a way to get through to him. "We don't have to do this! I don't want to fight you! Is it an apology you want? I'm sorry, okay!? I'm sorry about what happened with Surl. I shouldn't have taken out my frustrations on him. Can we please put an end to this!"
"Oh, I intend to put an end to it, alright." Burl hissed, in a voice he knew wouldn't carry past the two of them. "Just you wait. Though, you could do with a bit more begging. It's a good look on you."
He turned again toward the onlookers, addressing them as his lecture hall once again. "As you can see, the natural fight or flight instinct in this specimen has shifted as it begins to beg for its life. Unable to escape and faced with its own inevitable defeat, the Coward begins to bargain. Now, ladies and gentlemen, I will leave his fate to you! The specimen before you stands accused of harassment, assault, defamation of character, and conspiracy to commit murder by use of Blue magic."
"Murder!?" The boy cried, "You're insane! And I only fought Surl because he—"
"What did I say about excuses!?" Burl barked, "What did you think would happen to my brother if you 'personally saw to it that he'd take a flying leap off of the tallest building in town'?"
There were gasps and "Ooooh"s as the onlookers listened in.
"But like I said," The giant continued, "The decision isn't up to me. What do you say, ladies and gentlemen? Should I show him MERCY?"
There was a sorely imbalanced response from the crowd responding in the negative. There were boos and shouts from the others as they passed their judgment.
"Or should this end in a FIGHT?"
There was a loud cheer in response and a chanting chorus of "Fight! Fight! Fight!" Began to ring through the trees.
"No!" The boy cried out, "That's not how it happened!"
"Do you deny saying those things to my little brother? Do you deny using your magic against another human?"
The boy went silent. It seemed as if talking was not going to do him any good. And at this point, MERCY was off the table as well. The magic came back in full force and he allowed it to fill him completely. It was as he thought. He would have to FIGHT. To even stand a chance against this guy, he would need his magic.
"Look!" Called an onlooker, "He really is going to use Blue magic on him!"
At the exclamation, the cheers became more enthusiastic as the excitement began to elevate.
"Folks, you saw it here first- and with your own eyes, no less! This vicious beast cannot be trusted and needs to be put down before he hurts anyone else!
"But I didn't hurt Surl! And I don't wanna hurt you!"
The giant laughed as he lowered his voice once again. "You say that as if you actually believe you can!"
Without another word, Burl initiated the battle. He raised his fists.
In response, the boy raised his as well. If this was going to be a battle of fists, he didn't stand a chance against this guy! He would, instead, need to outlast him. Maybe if the boy could wear him down, he might change his tune.
The boy dodged the initial attack, ducking and weaving through the jabs and punches that were meant for his face. If nothing else, the boy's ability to dodge and evade attack was incredible. But he didn't use it to attack. He kept his magic contained in his fists and fought so it wouldn't come out.
In accordance to Gaster's instructions, the fiasco of the hallway was quickly cleaned up. The human was put in a large bag and taken to one of the other examination rooms to await processing and documentation before they sent the body to the Capital. The assistants who took her noticed that she had large gaping wounds in her side and Sans' off-duty jacket had been used to try to keep her together. So, he really had been trying to help the human. An interesting thought.
The soul had been contained as well and taken along with the human to the examination room. May as well keep all of the parts together until Gaster specified what he wanted done with them.
The other issue was Sans. Again, according to Gaster's orders, he had been collected and taken to the largest examination room, where Gaster used to conduct instructive sessions. He would have the assistants stand in the observation room and take notes. After the experiment, they would often share notes and reach a mutual conclusion. But those experiments stopped when Gaster was given the soul project.
Now, it seemed, a similar project was about to take place, with Sans as the test subject. Understandably, the others seemed a bit uneasy about that. They were torn on how to even process what happened, much less, how to continue with what Gaster was suggesting.
But still, there was that driving side of every single one of them that thirsted for answers. Ever since it was revealed that Sans had a human soul within him, numerous questions and theories had arisen about him. Had he always had a human soul or is it something he acquired elsewhere? How long has he been keeping this secret from the rest of them? Did having a human soul automatically make him human?
Many of these questions were expressed while the group of them prepared Sans in the examination room, restraining him to the table by his wrists and ankles as Gaster instructed. The magic monitoring machine had also been clipped to his fingers and nodes had been affixed to his skull and one attached to his ribs, just above his soul. His human soul. The machine should be able to pick up the frequency from there, since they would not be able to physically reach his soul unless he died.
But Gaster couldn't afford to let Sans die . . . at least not until he answered for all of his deception and all of his lies.
When all of the preparations were made, the other assistants stood outside of the observation room, watching as Gaster began making his initial observations of Sans, speaking aloud as his disembodied hands, now with even larger holes to the point that it looked as if fingers would start to fall from the palm, began to jot notes for the doctor. From the other side of a large glass plane. The majority of the remaining assistants were speechless. There was just so much to take in. Still they tried to push aside their own shock as they took notes as well.
Sans . . . their friend and coworker was . . . was . . . well they didn't know what he was. He'd lied to them all for the past eight years. He had lied to Gaster for just as long, claiming to be one of them.
They had accepted the story without a second thought. Why would they ever have a reason to doubt him? They still couldn't believe what they were seeing. And they didn't know how to interpret it.
Just what was up with Sans? Why did he look like a Skeleton if he had a human soul . . . How could he even function? Was he a monster with a human soul or a human with a monster face? Either way, what was he trying to accomplish by trying to pass as one of them?
Is that why Sans had been slowing down recently? Was his human side wearing out?
Was that the reason why Sans couldn't stand to be around the other human souls? Why he had seemed so upset when the first little girl was found and Gaster didn't seem to care about her? Why he would completely shut down whenever a new soul was found? Had he taken it upon himself to personally mourn each soul, knowing that there would be no one else in the Underground who would?
"I can't imagine having to live a life like that." Baelin confessed, turning her face away, unable to watch any longer. She was of the mind that Sans may have been a human in disguise and hiding among them until the barrier was broken and he could return to his own life. "He must have been terrified. This whole time . . . hiding who he is and hoping to be accepted, knowing that the slightest slip could cause him his life. No wonder he had to tell all those lies . . . Oh God . . . you don't think that all of his jokes . . . ! He was trying so hard to make us smile . . . and that whole time he was scared out of his wits that we wouldn't accept him."
"That doesn't excuse what he did, Baelin." Maltez hummed, "Just because you've developed feelings for him, doesn't mean you should try to justify his actions."
"I don't have feelings for Sans!" Baelin protested defiantly. Though the idea did cause her face to go warm momentarily.
"Mmm-hmm." Maltez groaned sarcastically, "Keep telling yourself that and let us know how that works for you."
"Regardless." Ruddard stepped in, tilting his head downward as he focused on not tearing his eyes away from the scene in the other room for even a second. "Baelin's feelings have nothing to do with the situation at hand. The issue we face is deciding what to do with this information."
"Well, like it or not, we do have to admit one thing." Maltez came in again.
"W-What would that be?" Alphys posed, ringing her hands together as she watched Gaster work on her friend in the other room.
"Gaine was right about him," Maltez continued. "Serif was hiding something. Something really huge. That and we still don't know why he's even here in the first place. If he is human, he could have turned on us at any second and we would all be dust."
"But Sans isn't like that!" Alphys argued.
"Oh really?" Maltez scoffed, "And Gaine must have just imagined the whole thing when Sans nearly killed him this morning! And Gaster must have treated him for 'phantom' injuries too, right?"
Alphys hesitated, taking the words into consideration. She didn't want to believe that Sans, of all people, could be capable of actually killing someone. But . . . the evidence was overwhelming and the scene she saw in the other room could not be ignored.
Alphys had been . . . well maybe 'suspicious' was too strong of a word . . . She had known there was something different about Sans ever since that night in the hall when she had managed to catch a glimpse of Sans' soul. The flash had been so bright and she had never seen a human soul before . . . so she had no idea in implications of what she was seeing and there had been little reason to delve further into the matter. Sans had been the closest thing to a real friend she had in the lab. He had always been the one who would listen to what she had to say without imposing his own opinion. He had always treated her like an equal, even when she was "just an intern". No matter the shape, or the color, or the unique vibe of his soul, Sans was still Sans and he was still her friend. He was still a decent guy!
He would never have done what everyone says he did . . . not without a good reason. Something terrible must have happened in order for him to snap the way he did.
"W-what do we know a-about the human s-soul? The newest one? The p-purple one?"
"Only that Serif was trying to help her escape." Maltez answered, "He stole my name badge and snuck through the halls with the human girl until Gaine caught them and tried to stop them. The human was killed during the fight and that's when Serif went crazy and tried to kill Gaine."
"Are we not going to mention the Skeleton in the room?" Ruddard asked, "There's also the matter of that experiment. The one we decommissioned all that time ago. Not only has it been activated again, but Serif has been keeping it secret, harboring it right under our noses and teaching it. It even calls Serif 'brother' And worse is that Dr. Gaster seems to have been aware of this the entire time. The experiment even has a name now. It was the one who attacked Gaine first before the battle actually began. And when we arrived, it was trying to attack Gaine again."
"Wait, y-you mean P-Papyrus?" Alphys questioned, "But Papyrus is Sans' brother! I've met him before. He wouldn't hurt anyone!"
The other assistants went deathly silent and a few shot disbelieving looks toward Alphys.
Something inside of Alphys seemed to grip tightly, "W-what . . . ?" She asked slowly, "W-what d-did I s-say?"
It was Baelin who answered this time, letting out a slow breath as she fought with what she was about to say.
"Oh, Alphys. I'm sorry, but that is not true at all. The experiment P-497305 has killed before . . . Before you started here, there was another assistant, a fox monster named Kit. She was training with the experiment, documenting its progress . . . and . . . it attacked her in cold blood. It killed her without hesitation. It's the reason there was an open position to hire you on board . . . we almost didn't fill the position, but the doctor needed the help."
Alphys covered her mouth as she gasped. She'd never heard any of this before, but at the way Baelin spoke about it and at the lack of protest from the other assistants, she had no choice but to believe that the story was true.
". . . I'm sorry," Baelin continued, "but that's the truth. The experiment can't be trusted . . . and neither, it seems can Sans . . . not if he introduced you to it as his brother and not after keeping it here for years . . . or even Dr. Gaster if he knew about it, helped Sans keep it secret, and allowed it to operate . . . after everything its done." Baelin's voice caught and she went quiet. After a moment or two, she had to excuse herself from the room.
The others let her go without resistance.
Alphys was silenced as she turned her attention back to the scene in the other room. There was still so much she didn't understand. So many questions that needed answers. So many things that just . . . didn't add up!
"Where is Papyrus now?" She asked.
Both Ruddard and Maltez shot looks toward Alphys.
"I need to talk to him." Alphys insisted.
Ruddard let out a sigh, "The experiment is in the holding cell. The same cell where the human was being kept. But I can't say I recommend you talk to it. Not after what happened this morning."
"Don't worry about me." Alphys answered with confidence, "I know Papyrus. He won't hurt me."
Maltez hummed. "Well, have fun, then. But if you're going down there, you're on your own."
Alphys nodded, but as she turned to leave the observation room, a shrill noise stopped her and drew her attention back.
Something was happening to Sans!
"Why won't you stand still!?" Burl snarled as jab after jab missed its target. He was steadily becoming more frustrated with every failed attempt.
The boy continued to step back to evade. He watched every one of Burl's moves and predicted where the next blow was going to be and he used these predictions to create as sizable of a distance between them as he could possibly get. All the while, he was trying to find another way out of his predicament to little avail so far.
"What?" The boy breathed after avoiding another attack, "Did you think I was just going to stand there and take it?"
All around them, there was the constant chanting of the spectators, egging on the fight, but never doing anything to try to break it up. For them, this was one of the few bits of entertainment they had and it would not only be stupid, but irresponsible to get in the way of that. Of course, there was an obvious favorite to win, but over time, it seemed as if people were becoming more excited when the underdog would narrowly escape yet another direct jab that definitely should have hit. Soon, it seemed as if they were cheering just as much for him as they were for Burl.
This lasted for a few minutes with the boy successfully dodging everything thrown at him. Eventually, however, Burl seemed to get overly frustrated with the situation, feeling that he was not only losing the match, but the support of the crowd.
Something had to be done.
"Stay still you slippery little . . . maggot! Someone, get him!"
It happened almost instantaneously. As the boy tried to inch away and create a larger distance, something intervened, making it more difficult to move . . . not more difficult . . . impossible.
No!
Something held tight to his soul and kept him from moving anywhere and when the boy looked down there was another glow from beneath his shirt. Green. A different mage then . . . ?
Shortly after, another color joined it. Blue this time. Yet another mage was holding him in place and suppressing his movements. The green magic held tight as the blue magic pinned him down. Even as he fought with the opposing magics, the boy was brought to his knees, unable to stand and unable to move. All the while, Burl closed that precious distance that he tried so hard to make and to maintain.
As the boy looked up at the taller man in front of him, his heartbeat jumped into his throat and his stomach sank. There really was no running this time. There was no way out. There was no escape . . .
He was trapped.
That burning drive began to well within him once again, stronger and more insistent than before.
He was afraid . . . and he could feel it in his limbs and in his fingers and in his legs, and deep within his very soul.
There was no one here . . . no one anywhere who would even think to help him. He was completely alone against Burl and an entire army of his followers.
But why? There were other mages here, right!? More mages than he'd ever seen in one place in his entire life! Why would they do this to him? To a fellow mage?
As Burl stopped with his feet directly in front of the boy's face, he let out a dark chuckle.
"There we go." He chided, "That's a much better look on you! Down on your knees, whimpering like a dog at my feet. It suits you."
The boy panicked, his eyes were wide and his every breath was haggard.
"No!" He whispered to himself, as he attempted to weigh his options, "This can't . . . no!"
Burl drew back his foot, preparing for a harsh kick to the face. "Let's see you dodge this!"
"No, please! I never actually hurt anyone!"
The foot rushed back toward him at full speed, but to the boy, it may as well have been slow motion. In milliseconds, faster than the time it takes to blink an eye, he was able to analyze his situation. At that angle and with that force . . . Burl could actually kill him if he aimed his kick in the right spot.
"No! STOP!"
The boy threw out a hand, a bright blue glow encompassing his fingers. In less than a moment, Burl and his kick were thrown backward, far away from causing any damage. He only came to a stop when he hit the thick trunk of a tree and crumpled to the ground at its roots.
The machine sent off a shrill note as Sans' body began to twitch and shake uncontrollably. It caught the attention of everyone in attendance and all eyes turned toward the scene in the examination room.
Sans' hands began to glow a bright blue and his magic funneled into them. Anything in excess seemed to spill from his sockets and surround his being.
Why was he gathering so much magic!? Why was he preparing to attack? Was he trying to escape his restraints? Was he fighting back?
A frown fell over his expression as his body shook.
Gaster seemed fascinated with the development. So this was new to him too? His disembodied hands scribbled furiously as he described what he saw.
"The machine seems to be picking up on an enormous surge of magic to the point that it cannot register what it is detecting. Meanwhile, the subject seems to be suffering from some sort of fit. His magic has been called to the forefront of his being and is spilling from his very soul. I wonder if this was the start of how he began losing his Max HP. It does seem like the logical assumption. I will have to revisit this theory as more information comes to light."
"I thought it was odd that he only had 2 HP . . ." Ruddard noted, "If he has been losing his Max HP for some time, it does explain his recent decline, why he has been falling asleep in random intervals and why it has been so difficult to wake him after the lunch hour."
Maltez nodded in agreement, "But why would he be losing Max HP in the first place!? That makes no sense to me. Where has it been going?"
"Well, consider what HP is." Ruddard continued, "The visual representation of a person's drive and motivation to live. Their HOPE for life. Now consider that Serif might be human. Consider that he might be from the surface. We don't yet know his circumstances for being in the Underground, but consider having such a limited lifespan and being trapped in a world where you are automatically labeled an enemy just for existing, trying to blend in and not draw attention to yourself, like Baelin was saying, having to hide who you are just to keep yourself alive. All of this, while watching years go by and your life go by with them, knowing that escape will most likely be impossible within your lifetime. It must be exhausting. Now, consider the King's declaration: to destroy all humans on sight. It adds a whole new layer of fear to the situation. Now, if you are found out, there is no chance for negotiation. You will be killed without a second thought. Even if you do make it back home, it won't end. Now, finally, consider having to silently watch on the sidelines as more and more of you are slaughtered and you can do nothing to help them or yourself. Then, you are suddenly given the opportunity to do something about one of them . . ."
"It does make Serif's actions make more sense." Maltez had to admit, "If the roles were reversed and it was a monster trapped in a human prison, I would definitely do everything I could to help them escape certain death."
"H-how would you react if that trapped monster was a friend of yours?" Alphys added, including her own theory in with the speculation. "W-what-what if it were Baelin? Or-or Kit and you c-could do something to s-save them? If you knew the name of the prisoner. If they were the first familiar thing you've seen in years? What would you do, if after all of your efforts to save them, you failed? If they were killed right in front of you and their death was just marked off as the next in a line of victims?"
The others went quiet for a moment as they considered it.
"I would avenge her." Maltez answered solemnly, speaking first, "I . . . would make sure that the one who killed her paid for their actions."
"I would begin to lose hope." Ruddard added, "Not only for the future of my kind, but for my own life too. Seeing first hand what would happen if I were discovered . . . and seeing it over and over again without exception. I may even lose HOPE . . . If that is, indeed, the case and Sans has been losing his, It's a wonder he's not dead already. If I had to take a guess, I would say that Sans should have died a long time ago, but that common thread that makes a human's soul more resilient than a monster's has been what's been keeping him going. Did you notice when Gaster CHECKED him earlier? How he was below 1, yet still alive. I think that might have been that human element. A monster would have turned to dust as soon as that last 1 was hit . . . but with that human drive . . ."
"With determination." Alphys nodded.
"It might be enough to save you from the brink of death."
The company went quiet again and turned back to Gaster as he continued his notes. Sans was still twitching in his sleep, and his magic seemed to be flickering in his hands.
"The subject is still unconscious and does not seem able to wake. He also looks as if he may be experiencing . . . wait . . ."
Around Gaster, small objects, pens, paper, tools all began to float, a blue aura surrounding them as they were held aloft. Sans was actually using his magic?
"Wait, he is . . . speaking. Talking in his sleep."
"nnnno . . ." Sans muttered, "this . . . i can't . . . no-no."
"He seems to be fighting back against something." Gaster noted, "perhaps something happening in his dream?"
It happened suddenly and without any time to react. Gaster's soul was taken in the blue magic as Sans' fists clenched.
"no stop!" Sans cried clearly.
Gaster was thrown back in that instant where he crashed against the wall and fell to the floor.
Burl let out harsh coughs as the wind was knocked out of him.
The boy was safe . . . for about three seconds. It wasn't even long enough to draw a decent breath.
"GET HIM!" Another voice cried.
It happened faster than he could process. Immediately, there was a storm of cries and calls surrounding him. From every angle, there were hands grabbing at him, pulling him in every possible direction, threatening to break bone or to rip him to pieces. Many others thought to immobilize him and pin him to the ground so he couldn't move or attack anyone else. Burl was a really big guy and it would have taken a lot of strength to send him flying the way that boy did. He could not be underestimated. Someone even thought to keep him flat against the ground by digging their knee harshly between his shoulders.
In addition to the physical restraints, there was the suffocating sensation of several other gripping energies surrounding and holding onto his soul, keeping it hostage in a cage.
"Gaster!" The assistants called, immediately dropping their conversation and whatever they may have been holding and rushing to the next room to lend their assistance. Sans needed to be subdued, even with the restraints around his wrists and ankles, he could not be underestimated.
Alphys immediately went to Gaster while Maltez and Ruddard focused on Sans.
Gaster pulled himself easily to his feet, a glare fixed directly on the subject on the table.
"Let it be known," Gaster continued with his dictation, "That the subject's magical prowess has not diminished in the slightest. Nor has his strength. If anything, he is just as formidable in his sleep as he would be were he conscious."
Gaster laid a hand on Alphys' shoulder in silent thanks as he passed her and joined Maltez and Ruddard. Alphys joined them, doing what she could to still Sans' movements.
"He must be having another nightmare." She commented as she attempted to hold him still, placing her hands on his clavicle and right humerus and noting just how warm Sans was to the touch. Could that be a result of his magic? His bones were so hot that it almost hurt to touch him.
"Another nightmare?" Ruddard asked, attempting to keep Serif still by use of his own magic. Having no arms himself, he had to resort to other methods, "Does this happen often?"
"I-I've had to wake him before when he was like this." Alphys explained, "It took him a while to snap out of it. At the time, he seemed afraid that someone may be trying to hurt him. He threw me across his room when I tried to wake him."
"Why were you in his room?" Maltez questioned with a hint of suspicion.
"Oh! Oh, th-this was during Sp-spring Cleaning and he wasn't feeling well."
"But Serif wasn't there for Spring Cleaning." Ruddard corrected, "I specifically remember Dr. Gaster having to pick up the projects he left. When did you see him that day?"
"Oh! O-oh . . . I . . . well, I was just . . ."
"We've no time for idle chatter!" Gaster instructed, "For now, drop this drivel and focus."
"Yes, sir!" The others answered in unison as they continued in their attempts to further restrain Sans.
It was one against ten . . . Fifteen . . . Twenty-five! Already, it was difficult to breathe and if he couldn't free himself from beneath them . . .
He had to get away! He had to escape! Maybe get back to campus where there were people and witnesses!
But the more he tried to struggle, the tougher the grips became and soon, it reached a point that he couldn't move at all. He was completely trapped.
But more than that. There was a debilitating hold over his being, like even his heart was disobeying him. His lungs refused to work. His eyes toggled in and out of focus.
His body was giving out on him. He was dying. He was going to die here and no one would be any the wiser.
But where his body fell short, his magic came in to full play, making up for everything he'd lost.
His skin began to burn. His breathing became even more shallow. The ends of his fingers began to twitch beyond his control. And if he could produce sound, he would probably have been screaming.
Those nearest to him began to notice something very wrong about their captive. They began to tear their hands away as it became physically painful to hold on.
There was no warning. A large burst of energy erupted from the boy, filling his every nerve and sending any and all excess reserves outward to the ones who held him down.
The sheer force of that energy was enough to send several people flying backward.
Sans' tremors became a violent rattling and he soon began to convulse.
But more than that were the sounds of his struggling. He made long and sustained moaning sounds and every once in a while he might slip a "no" or a "please" in there. The volume began to increase, transforming the moaning into cries of fear and of pain.
Sans' back arched as he fought to release his hands and feet from his restraints and his body from the grabbing hands and heavy magic holding him down.
"no! get off of me! please, no! no!"
As he struggled, the air around him began to shift and swirl, even more energy began to emanate from him and the aura around him began to flicker from blue to white.
"Get away from him!" Gaster instructed now in urgency, "Get down and find cover, now!"
As an extra precaution, Gaster lifted his hands, still in gloves, and focused his energy into a protective layer that he set around Sans.
Moments later, it was obvious why the forcefield was needed. Sans let out a long cry as his magic erupted, filling the air around him and shooting outward in a forceful and blinding flash.
Gaster's forcefield was enough to stop the initial shock of the blast, but the impromptu shield soon gave way and those who were still nearby were hit by Sans' magic and knocked backward where they hit the walls and equipment before falling to the ground.
The boy shifted slowly, pulling his arms and knees under him as he climbed to all fours. His head was still reeling and he fought to catch a decent breath. As he opened his eyes, the world began to spin around him and he felt as if he would be sick.
He would have to take it slowly. If he tried to stand, he would most certainly fall. He had never used that much energy before, especially not all at once. He felt as if he might . . . just . . .
His vision went dark and he toppled to the ground once again. He was completely spent and he lacked the energy to even stand.
But even through all that, he could sense movement from around him. The others were beginning to shift and stand and some fought with themselves to hold down their lunch.
There was a set of footsteps that slowly but steadily approached the boy as he lay and even though the boy wanted very badly to get up, to move away, to distance himself from the encroaching presence, he just didn't have the energy anymore. He didn't even have it in him to protest as the other kicked at his ribs and stomach. The boy was flipped to his back and grabbed by the collar of his shirt, jostled and pulled until he was in a semi-sitting position.
"Not so quick to dodge now, are you, punk!?" Burl raged, his fist tightened in the boy's shirt as his other hand curled into a second tight fist at his side, "What's the matter, little man? Run out of juice?"
The fist made contact with a sharp snap. Again, the boy did not fight back, even as a sting began to well behind his left eye. Instead, he only raised a hand to grab onto his attacker's wrist.
"Burl, please . . ." He muttered as his awareness continued to swirl. The boy's face began to sting and swell even more. Still, he did not retaliate. "Stop . . ."
Another snap sounded, followed by another, and another. until the boy's grip slackened and his frame fell limp.
"Stop it, Burl!" Said one of the onlookers, "That's enough! He's down. Just leave him be!"
"No, it's not enough!" Burl responded, "If we leave him here, he could go and do this again to someone else. Or do you want to risk this happening again? No, we have to make sure this stops here! Once and for all!"
"Burl!" Another person stepped in. "Yer not gonna . . . gonna kill 'im, are ya?"
Burl scoffed, "Nah, I'm not gonna kill him. Maybe . . . maybe . . . I won't even have to."
"Burl . . . ?"
"Refresh my memory. How many mages does it take to set a curse?"
"Seven . . . Burl . . . what are you –"
"And Ebott has one of the thickest mage populations for 100 miles. I know there are at least seven of you here today!"
There was a dark smile that pulled on the corners of his mouth as Burl looked down on the now unconscious boy.
"Ladies and gentlemen." He grinned, "For our next lesson, we will be fixin' up a brand new curse."