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?

19. A Theory of Life and Lies

A.N. : Hello hello! Everyone!

This! You have no idea how excited I am to be able to post this chapter! (I know it took forever, but hey I promise the wait will have been worth it!)

Just in case you missed it, you actually have 2 new posts to read. I suggest, Just in case you missed it, to go and check out chapter 15.5 titled "Gaines and Losses" It's not long and honestly, you can still enjoy the story without reading it, but it's just a little something extra!

Other stuff: Um . . . Thank you for reading! To all of you who have been here since chapter 1 and to all of you who are brand new! You guys give me life and hope and motivation to keep writing this! Thank you so much!

Final thing: I've created a tumblr page for Undertale related stuff! I will also be uploading artwork and illustrations from this story and it is possible that I will be uploading this fic there in smaller pieces and include those illustrations with the text. If you're interested, feel free to check out "undertrash- jes" and you'll find me there!

For now, that's it. Enjoy!

OH YEAH! BEFORE I FORGET! THIS CHAPTER COMES WITH A WARNING! BUT I CAN'T TELL YOU WHY!

just trust me, okay?

You have been warned.

---

Chapter 16

A Theory of Life and Lies

Hours passed in the examination room and finally, it seemed as if Sans was able to calm himself enough that others could come into the room with him without intruding. For Sans' sake as well as the fried nerves of the others, Gaster asked his assistants to keep their distance until further notice. In the early hours after Sans woke up, Gaster sat quietly by his bedside and waited patiently for the time Sans was ready to talk.

After all, they had a lot to discuss.

"How about we start with something simple." Gaster began with a bit of heat under his words as if scolding a young child. "Tell me your name."

Sans sighed, turning his face away from Gaster.

"that's kind of a loaded question, doc." He answered with a quiet dejected air.

"Is it that you don't want to answer? It's been so long, and we've been through so much, surely you can tell me your name."

"but that's just it," Sans answered again with a groan. "if i could, i would in a heartbeat, but i can't. i haven't been able to tell anyone my name in years. and it's not that I don't want to, or that it's too painful or anything . . . i just can't . . ."

"Well, that is interesting." Gaster hummed, "Do you have any idea why that would be?"

"dunno. been trying to work that out since day friggin' one. must be part of this curse care package. it really sucks."

There was a long silence between the two.

"can i tell you a secret, doc?"

"Well, that is why we're here."

"at first, i really hated the name 'sans'. the jackasses who did this thought it would be a good laugh." Sans' voice dropped to a near-whisper, "sans the friggin' skeleton . . . the butt of every joke. the expendable one. the throw-away."

"So, you say these humans cursed you. And part of that curse is that you are unable to reveal your true appearance or tell anyone your true name. I assume this was to prevent you from convincing others of your same species. Doubtless, you would have sought help from other humans upon arriving in the Underground. Were you able to make contact with the humans before now?"

Sans nodded wordlessly.

"And because of your appearance, they neglected to help?"

"yeah," Sans scoffed, "go figure."

"There is really no need for that, Sans." Gaster began again. "I am merely attempting to understand. If you are bitter about your past, I should not be the focus of your aggression."

"Hey, you know what would really be a mood enhancer? how about untying me! i'll bet i'll be a lot less aggressive then."

Gaster sighed again. "You know why I can't do that."

"actually, doc, i don't. you know me! what reason do i have to attack you?"

"This isn't about your reasoning, Sans. It's about what could happen unintentionally." Gaster absently thumbed the crack under his left eye.

The gesture did not go unnoticed. Sans sobered instantly when he saw.

"did . . . did i do that to you, doc . . . ?"

Gaster stalled, realizing what the idle motion must have looked like. The truth was, ever since that night Ruddard pointed it out, the cracks in his skull were steadily becoming more prominent and had even began to splinter as tiny pieces were beginning to crumble away. Of course, like a scab, the moment it was pointed out, Gaster continued to pick at it . . . only succeeding in speeding up the process.

"This . . . This? No! No, you had nothing to do with this. This was due to . . . This was my own doing."

"the souls?"

"Let us try a different approach." Gaster pushed, deflecting the question, "I'll ask you a series of questions. What I want from you is a simple 'yes' or 'no'. Does that sound alright to you, Sans?"

Sans kept his face turned away. Fine, if the doctor didn't want to talk, then, "sure, why not?"

"Very good. Now, first question: Are you a monster, Sans?"

"right off the bat we're getting to the deep stuff. aren't we supposed to build up to that kind of thing?"

"Sans . . ."

"no . . . i'm no monster."

"Are you human?"

"yes . . . or . . . i was."

Finally, they were finding their rhythm.

"This question's a little different. I need a number. How old were you when you fell into the Underground?"

"ah geez . . . around what . . . fifteen, i think . . . sixteen maybe."

"Still just a child, as I suspected. How unfortunate for you. Now, is your name 'Sans'?"

"no."

"Can you tell me what your name is?"

"no."

"Is that soul yours?"

"yes."

"Did you know the most recent fallen human?"

Sans hesitated, " . . . y-yes."

"Personally?"

"yes . . ."

"Were you close?"

"she was my . . . we were . . . yes . . . she came to the underground looking for me."

"You loved her?"

" . . . yes."

This time, Gaster hesitated as all of the things that happened to the human and all of the things that he'd planned to do revealed themselves to him once again with this new context and understanding. He wondered, if it had been Nyala going through all of it . . .

If he had been in the same situation . . . if it had been Nyala running for her life and if it had been Gaster trying to save her only to fail right at the end . . .

He had been in the same situation before. The people he loved had died right in front of him while he could do nothing but stand by and watch. He had been too powerless . . . too slow . . . too weak to prevent it from happening . . .

He never really could fully forgive himself for that.

With that perspective, he thought about the plans he'd had for the human. If it had been up to Gaster, he would have kept her alive and captive for as long as possible. He would have used her as a guinea pig for the machine, attempting to extract the Determination from her soul. He would have stretched her within an inch of her life . . . all while Sans assisted him.

Then . . . when she was unable to continue or she had no more Determination to give . . . he would have offered her to Sans and let him be the one to finally take her life. He would have earned the LV and EXP he needed to raise his HP. Even he would have been able to handle a weakened human. Like a vaccine, Sans could have neutralized her and he could have been strengthened as a result.

It would have been a perfect plan . . . If Sans had been a monster . . . If he hadn't personally known the human girl. If he hadn't felt so deeply for her.

If Gaster had known how much Ava meant to Sans . . . If Sans ever found out what his plans had been for her . . . He would never forgive him either.

It would probably be best if he never told him. Sans never needed to know.

"I'm so sorry." Gaster said softly.

"yeah . . . me too. Sans groaned, the entire ordeal weighing heavily over him. "i . . . i promised . . . i promised to get back to her . . . i promised to protect her . . . i broke my promise . . . i let her die . . . "

As they spoke, Gaster could feel the energy shift around them. Even without being aware of what he was doing, Sans' frustration was causing his magic to flare and he was beginning to draw in energy. If he couldn't calm himself soon, they would have a repeat of that first night on their hands.

"You did not let her die." Gaster assured the distraught boy, attempting to talk him down. If he could tell Sans what he'd wanted to hear back when these feelings had been fresh for him, perhaps it would be able to help. "Under the circumstances, you did the best you could. Ava's demise was not of your doing. You know that there was nothing more you could have done. And what you were able to do was . . ."

"i appreciate what you're trying to do, gaster . . ." Sans interrupted in a low tone, "but that doesn't change what happened! ava is dead and it's my fault. nothing will ever change that! even if i wasn't the one who . . . that doesn't change the fact that her death . . . that her blood . . ." Something flashed in Sans' mind and he was instantly taken back to that night. He could still feel the thick blood on his hands and he could still smell it in his nose and it bombarded his senses, completely overwhelming him. Unable to move, he had to shut his eyes tightly as he fought to keep himself from hyperventilating.

". . . oh god . . ."

The air became even heavier as more magic and power began to saturate it. Sans was steadily losing control and if Gaster couldn't turn this around quickly, it wouldn't end well for either of them. Luckily, Sans was already restrained to avoid the worst possible results. But at the rate Sans was going, those restraints would most do very little good if any at all.

"Sans . . ." Gaster tried to call through, attempting to convey a soothing even tone, "Sans, please try to calm yourself. You did not kill Ava! You would never do that. You would never have let her die. You are not responsible. Stop telling yourself you are! Take it from someone who knows! Nothing will come of you blaming yourself! You are only going to dig yourself into a deep and merciless abyss that you will never be able to pull yourself out of!"

Words weren't doing any good. He would have to take action.

Reaching out and thinking quickly, Gaster channeled his own magic trying to ignore the tense vibes of the room and focus squarely on Sans. He would flood Sans with his own magic, using it as a calming technique. He knew it would be difficult, but he'd done it before. He could do it again.

In the moments that followed, Gaster laid a hand atop Sans' skull and proceeded to send his magic through Sans, using it to communicate to the boy- to reassure him- to settle him. Gaster understood what Sans was feeling and he could sympathize with the pain. He used that common point as his way in. With time and comforting, Gaster was able to wordlessly take Sans' frantic energy and bring him back down to a near normal state. Sans was able to draw in deeper breaths and the static magic in the air dissipated. No, he wasn't completely back to normal, but he was no longer in danger of causing another explosion.

When Gaster removed his hand, Sans' face was still pained, but his nerves had been calmed. He was in control once again . . . perhaps, now he could continue.

He would have to be careful with Sans. He was a livewire, heated and unpredictable.

"I believe I understand now . . ." Gaster continued, letting out a long breath, ready to begin his questions again. "Is that why you attacked Gaine? Because you hold him responsible for what happened to Ava?"

Sans, still trying to catch his breath, almost didn't answer through his frustration, but eventually, he laid back heavily on his bed, glaring upward to the ceiling. "yes . . ." He huffed, "if not for papyrus . . . gaine . . . would not have made it through that night."

Gaster had to draw in a steadying breath as he was forced to remember Sans' humanity. "I see. You must have been furious."

"she didn't have to die!" Sans bit, "none of them had to die!"

Gaster raised a brow. The human girl, he understood having a plan to save, but the other humans as well? All while in the face of the king's orders? "Do you see an alternative to the king's instructions?"

"yes!" Sans snapped.

"Now, that is interesting. Please, share your plan."

Sans was visibly fighting to return to his resting state and showing significant progress in doing so now that he had something else to focus on. He kept his eyes trained to the ceiling as he thought over how best to answer Gaster's question.

"again, that's a loaded question . . ." Sans let out another breath. "a while ago, papyrus checked out a book from the library about the history of magic. i thought it was interesting so i kept reading. it said that long ago, before the war, humans and monsters got along perfectly well. the monsters even taught willing humans how to use magic."

"Yes," Gaster nodded, "This is common knowledge."

"to a monster, yes, but hear me out. when i think about the human history books, it gives no mention of the monsters, it just says that humans, who were more adept at wielding magic were labeled mages and considered their own class. or . . . maybe even their own race as the class became even more select. over time, humans forgot their own inherent abilities and shunned anyone who showed any magical ability. mages were considered second-class citizens. during the war, the humans used mages, oftentimes against their will, as weapons and as tools against the monsters. that second class is what I am. i am a mage, adept at using blue magic.

"i was ridiculed for it my entire life, pushed around, beaten and ignored by my peers, so i hid my abilities until they eventually landed me here. i was thrown away like garbage because of what i am.

"but here . . . here, it's not like that at all! monsters are so much more understanding and accepting than humans. monsters who didn't even know me offered to help me. they healed me and gave me a suitable name when i didn't even know what to call myself . . . heh, those monsters set me on a path to find you. and since then, you and the others have been nothing but kind to me. i decided that i should help out in any way i could. i needed to repay you and all of the monsters for what you did for me.

"Well, despite where you are now, it does seem as if you haven't had the most pleasant of beginnings. I am sorry to hear you were treated so badly even by your own kind . . . I cannot say I'm surprised, however. All of that aside, what does this have to do with—"

"i'm getting there. hang on. now, the spell that keeps the monsters underground was set in place by seven mages, right?"

"That is correct."

"then it would take seven in order to break it."

"Again, this is common knowledge."

"but nowhere is it written that they had to be dead! they just have to be able to use the power of their own souls! their own magic! and that's where we could've helped them! that's where i could've helped them! monsters used to teach humans magic. that could've happen again! and I know how magic works in a human body. i could've helped them from my own personal experience!

"that's what i was planning to do with ava! i would've taught her magic! we could've helped to break the barrier! the little blue soul . . . the yellow and green souls . . . ava . . . me . . . and anyone else who fell down here! we all could've helped and no one would've had to die to do it!"

Once again, Gaster hesitated and he turned his eyes away for a moment. Sans' line of thinking was so pure that it nearly hurt to think about how naïve it really was. Again, Gaster had to remind himself that Sans was still just a kid. Maybe not in human years, but to a monster . . . to him . . .

"Sans . . . In a perfect world, perhaps that would have been a great plan . . . In a perfect world, there would be no need for such thoughts . . . However, real life is never that clear cut and simple. Humans . . . Are a vicious traitorous race, manipulative and greedy. Hell, even your precious Ava killed people before she was captured! Or have you conveniently forgotten that detail?"

"she only ever fought anyone in self defense! she never would have if she hadn't felt—"

"That doesn't excuse it from being true! Your attempts to justify her actions don't excuse the fact that monsters are dead because of what she did- that families have been torn apart because of her . . . And this is not limited to Ava. I've seen it time and again. Humans cannot be trusted. It seems to be a general rule that applies to the entire species. You have seen first-hand how cruel humans can be to one of their own!"

Sans silenced for a moment.

"then what makes me so special?"

"You said it yourself. You no longer even consider yourself human. If mages are their own race altogether, then there's no point in lumping you in with the rest of them is there?"

There was a hint of a smile on Gaster's face as he said it, but Sans still seemed so dejected. Perhaps he still felt sentimental about his human origins . . . perhaps Gaster had unintentionally hurt Sans even further by disregarding his humanity.

Gaster cleared a tickling scratch in his throat before continuing.

"It is true that every human has the capacity for magic, and that some humans exhibit a higher aptitude for wielding it. Once upon a time, monsters saw great potential in the humans and the capability for magic, so we taught them how to use it. There were entire schools dedicated to teaching humans how to harness their own abilities. While some humans never advanced past the most simple of spells . . . there were others, extraordinary humans who surpassed even our expectations. The humans labeled these other humans 'witches', 'wizards', 'sorcerers' 'enchanters', and 'mages'. However, the first chance they got, the humans used what they were taught against their teachers . . . They betrayed us and threw us away, as you so aptly described it, like garbage.

"Many monsters have not forgotten the humans' betrayal, nor are they willing to give them a chance to betray us again. I doubt your plan would have been so readily accepted. In theory, it sounds wonderful . . . But I fear it all would have been wishful thinking."

Sans let out a breath as he listened. There was no point in arguing anymore. He had several generic and predictable lines stored away, "Not all humans are like that." Or "That doesn't mean we can't try." But the fact was, Gaster was right. He knew better about how the monsters felt. And Sans had witnessed it as well, the first monsters he ever met showed a deep resentment just at the mention of a human. And several times since then, humans had been talked about with similar sentiments.

"either way, we'll never know now, right, gaster?" Sans sighed, "with all the humans being slaughtered and all? actually . . . that reminds me. how much longer do i have anyway?"

Gaster stalled for a moment, the question catching him off-guard.

"Excuse me?"

"well, you know what i am now. and you still need three human souls, right . . . ? well two after mine."

"S-Sans . . . Where did . . . Weren't you listening before? Monsters do not betray their allies!"

Sans couldn't help the dark chuckle that escaped, "but apparently, they would kill a kid before even giving them a chance. they could be the nicest and least violent kid ever and you murder them on sight because of what they look like . . . how very human of you."

Gaster silenced this time, taking in Sans' accusation with a bit of salt. He couldn't deny that Sans did have a point, but he also couldn't ignore the thinking, the rationale, and the massive approval behind the king's declaration. After all, that exact thing had happened to his son, Asriel. Of course he wanted retribution. He wanted justice.

Even if Gaster didn't agree with the declaration, there would be nothing he could do about it now.

"Perhaps we should move on." Gaster resigned, readjusting his clipboard, "I do not wish to argue with you, Sans."

Sans scoffed, releasing it as a quiet hum. "yeah. probably best we did."

The conversation continued from there as both Gaster and Sans made to save face for the benefit of the other. Though they were both curious about what was to come and how Sans and his soul would play into the mix now that his cover had been blown, neither of them knew how to begin.

When the subject was brought up, it was approached with trepidation. After all, it was a very delicate subject. They would be discussing a very dangerous and highly experimental procedure that could jeopardize Sans' life . . . not to mention the relationship between them.

It could not be taken lightly . . . .

But perhaps that conversation could be delayed for a bit longer.

"I must admit," Gaster shrugged a long time into the conversation, deciding to change subject to something slightly less harrowing for the sake of both of their nerves, "I do feel a bit foolish having spent the past eight years calling you the wrong name. Especially if it was one you resented. There must be some way for you to communicate your given name."

"eh, it's fine. i've gotten used to it." Sans answered nonchalantly, "it's who i am now, and it's what you and the others know me by, so it's no big deal."

"Still, there must be a way. Now the curiosity is crushing. If only for my own records, I would like to know what name you used before you came to the Underground."

"thing is, i've tried everything to get it out there. when just saying it didn't work, i tried spelling it, writing it, whispering it, heh, even singing it. it all came out the same way."

"Perhaps another language, then? I know it has been a while since we've had a lesson in wingdings, but perhaps it could work as a sort of code."

Sans shook his head. "tried that too . . . as soon as i learned the sounds that made up my name . . . it's still speaking even if it is in hands . . . it's no use."

But even as he spoke, something sparked in the back of his mind, something that he and his friends used to do to convey secret messages to each other when they didn't want teachers . . . or Surl to find out. It worked well for them then . . . maybe it could work now.

"you know," Sans breathed quietly. The more he thought about it, the more excited he felt about the idea, "a code . . . might just work . . . if i do this right, i may be able to tell you my name after all."

Gaster gave a slight chuckle. "I knew you would think of something. So, what's your genius alternative?"

"well, i can't say my name outright, and I can't spell it . . . at least not directly. but I can still speak. perhaps if i hide it in the words . . . i can still give you that bit of info."

Gaster's grin spread as he thought it over. "Interesting loophole, Sans! What did you have in mind?"

Sans spoke slowly as he thought about how best to do this. "just take down the first letter of each new sentence . . . that should do it."

Gaster nodded as he situated his clipboard and held his pen in a way that was comfortable to him. He nodded to Sans when he was ready.

Sans nodded back. From here on, he would have to be extremely careful about what he said and how he said it. He smiled to himself. His identity hinged on it.

"So, let's begin. I've never tried it this way before and i'm a little afraid it might not work. My name has been forbidden to me for almost ten years now and it's incredibly frustrating! Maybe the curse hasn't already accounted for things like this, though!"

Sans paused for a long time, long enough for Gaster to look up.

"Space?"

Sans nodded.

Gaster nodded back, returning to the clipboard, "Last name now. Got it."

"See, you understand! Amazingly, it's not as difficult as i thought it would be. Now, if you keep writing, we're almost done. Since that day, i have been trying to find a way around this. I've looked for any way i could to cheat the curse. Never did i think this would be the solution! Given the circumstances, however, i suppose it does make sense."

Sans let out a breath and a bit of a smile at the end. He'd done it! Finally after eight years, trying to say, spell, and write his name, he was able to convey the information by hiding it in a normal conversation. He was unbelievably relieved and though he was still strapped down to the bed, he felt light as the heavy weight was lifted from over him. He looked upward toward the ceiling and willed himself not to start crying again.

"Simm Sansing . . . ?"

"yes!" Sans grinned, "oh, god, finally! that's it! that's my name!"

"I do see why they would have latched onto 'Sans'." Gaster nodded, "Well, it is a pleasure to finally make your acquaintance, Simm."

"likewise!" The boy smiled, brighter and more genuinely than he had in years.

Doctor Gaster couldn't help but smile too as he lowered his head and his pen.

"And that makes seven." He muttered quietly.

Sans focused again on the doctor, curiosity and confusion evident in his expression along with the relief and elation of the past few minutes, "seven what, gaster? you've been randomly counting up for a long time now. what are you tracking?"

"Oh," Gaster hummed, with a low chuckle to the sound, "That . . . I just . . . that was the seventh time I have ever witnessed a truly genuine smile from you, Sans . . . I mean Simm."

Sans halted, his sockets going wide and if he still had his skin, he would most likely have been blushing. The doctor had been studying him this entire time . . . ? And something so trivial as how often he smiled? Even he hadn't been paying that much attention . . . so for Gaster to point it out really caught him off guard.

"bu-but, i'm always smiling, doc." Sans stammered, fighting to find his composure and chuckling a bit himself to try to regain his nerves, "part of my natural charm. don't you know that by now?"

"I think, perhaps, now I really do. Thank you for explaining it for me. Now, I believe you to be stable once again, so how about we get you out of those restraints. And I am sure the others will want to know your status. You really worried them."

"yeah . . ." Sans sighed, "sorry about that. but, hey. before that, do you think you could send papyrus in first . . . i-i just . . . i wanna see him."

Gaster, who had since laid down his clip board to unbuckle Sans' restraints and free his arms and legs from the bed, looked up at Sans for a moment.

"I believe that can be arranged."

Sans sighed, "thanks, doc."

Within minutes, Sans was free and he immediately shook out his arms and legs as he expressed his full range of motion once again. He sat upright in the bed and stretched his arms straight over his head. It actually felt more relieving to be able to move again than lying down.

As Sans stretched, Dr. Gaster stood, gathering up his clip board again and turning to leave the room.

"Though there is still very much we need to discuss, it is important for you to recalibrate. You've missed out on a few weeks, and around here, that's an entire lifetime. We will talk again later, after you have had that opportunity."

"o-oh, yeah . . . of course." Sans answered as he pushed himself to the edge of the bed and prepared to test his legs once again. The two of them still needed to discuss what was to become of Sans now that he was awake. Now that his secrets were out, they had to decide how to continue forward. Should they report to the king and risk what could happen? Should they conceal the information altogether? And what of Sans' soul? Would they be able to use it to help in their research . . . or should they continue on as if they hadn't seen anything at all and life could go back to normal at the lab.

But the problem with that was . . . "normal" didn't exist anymore. Everything had changed for them all in the course of one night . . . not counting that two week recovery time. And there was nothing that could make things go back to the way they were before. Still the question remained.

"so, what's next?" Sans muttered, more to himself, as he stared downward toward his feet that could only barely touch the surface of the floor.

Gaster was nearing the door and prepared to walk through it until the question was asked.

"Next . . . you regain yourself . . . you are no longer a captive here and I expect you to use this free time to your advantage before we meet again to discuss the future. However, I will send Papyrus in to you. He was extremely worried about you as well and I know he is looking forward to the opportunity to see you again. I will let you meet with the others at your own discretion. Perhaps later this evening or even tomorrow, we can meet again to talk about how best to move forward from here."

Sans nodded slowly, his mind already working in overdrive to come to a decision.

"sounds like a plan. then . . . then, i'll see you later, yeah?"

"Absolutely."

But before Gaster could walk through the door, Sans shot his head up to call back to him.

"hey, um . . . doc?"

Gaster stalled again. "Yes, Sans?"

Sans stalled as well as he thought about how best to word his question. There had been something playing itself over and over in the back of his mind . . . something Gaster said . . . something Gaster had called him . . . and it wouldn't let him continue without getting confirmation from the doctor himself.

"did you mean what you said before . . . ?"

"I never say anything I don't mean. You will need to be more specific about which instance."

Sans lowered his head with a hum. "Nevermind. You just answered my question . . . thanks, gaster."

"Of course," The doctor hesitated again before exiting, "Welcome back, Sans."

---

It didn't take long afterward for the door to open again. Sans heard the movement of the door hinges even before the tentative voice.

"Brother . . . ? Brother, are you feeling better now? Dr. Gaster said you asked for me?"

Sans had been gripping tightly to the side of the bed trying to use it as support as he regained the strength in his legs. It had been a while since he used them and he needed to work out the stiffness. But at the sound of Papyrus' voice, he immediately stopped and looked up toward him.

"Papyrus!" Sans called, making his way toward where the door had opened. He was still a bit slower than normal, but he no longer needed the support of the bed to traverse the room.

Still, Papyrus took careful steps inside, adjusting his gloves to make sure he wouldn't accidently touch Sans and absorb his remaining HP. He would have to be exceedingly cautious from now on if he wanted for his brother to remain—

Papyrus was shocked out of his thoughts when he felt a certain weight around his middle. He drew in a breath as he was encapsulated in the sudden embrace. Sans clung tightly to Papyrus as if he hadn't seen him in years. It was . . . not normal for Sans to be physical with Papyrus and he couldn't think of a time Sans ever hugged anyone, much less him. But now . . . it seemed as if something deep may have triggered the shift. It seemed as if Sans may have even needed the hug more than Papyrus.

But still, Papyrus was not about to let the opportunity go. In response, the taller Skeleton took the smaller in his arms and held fast without saying a word. From the feel of the slightly trembling form in his embrace, Papyrus was right about Sans. He buried his face in Papyrus' sweater and gripped tightly into the fabric. It didn't seem as if he was going to let go of his grip for quite some time.

When he spoke, there was no sound to his voice. It was a quiet whisper that was nearly drowned completely in the sweater and Papyrus had to strain to hear.

". . . thanks, pap . . ." Sans whispered.

"Oh, well of course you're welcome!" Papyrus answered on instinct, "What did I do?"

To his surprise, Sans actually laughed, though, the broken sound came through as short, disjointed scoff-like puffs more than an actual genuine laugh. "nothin' special." He shrugged, "just being your usual self."

"Oh . . ." Papyrus couldn't help but feel a little dejected . . . just a little. After all, Sans was feeling better now . . . he supposed . . . and he credited Papyrus with that, so even if what he did wasn't anything special, it was enough to earn his brother's praise.

Of course Sans heard the sullen tone in Papyrus' voice and instantly amended his response, "well, your usual self is pretty great already, you know? you came in when i needed you and you said exactly the right thing. exactly what i needed to hear and . . . i can . . . i can honestly say that i wouldn't be here right now if it weren't for you . . . so- yeah . . . thanks, bro."

As he spoke, Sans' grip got even tighter. It seemed as if he really did need this hug.

"Well, you are most welcome, Sans."

Papyrus continued to hold him until Sans gently pulled away, trying to hide the way he wiped at his eyes. Papyrus had to hold back when he saw. Sans was still crying. He had to stop that from happening.

Before he could act, however, Sans turned away to sit back on the edge of his bed . . . he looked sluggish as if he was still incredibly tired. Papyrus had to wonder why he was having so much trouble waking himself up and getting back to being normal. It just made him feel so powerless and Papyrus hated that feeling.

Papyrus followed and took a seat next to Sans when the shorter Skeleton patted the space beside him. It had been quite a while since they were able to sit together like that . . . and the most vivid memory had been that night in one of the other examination rooms when Gaster had both of them hooked up to that machine . . . the same machine was currently standing idle in the corner without a purpose now that Sans was awake. Back then, the two of them could barely communicate at all . . . Back then, Papyrus had a very limited vocabulary and Sans didn't understand a word of wingdings.

That felt like so long ago . . .

As Papyrus stole a glance toward his brother, he noticed the other's downtrodden slouch and the long breath he expelled as he looked downward at nothing in particular.

"You are feeling better now, aren't you?" Papyrus felt inclined to ask.

"yeah." Sans answered quietly, "loads better now . . . at least i'm as good as I'm gonna get, which is loads better than i was, you know?"

"I . . . believe so." Papyrus nodded, "But this can't be as good 'as good as you're gonna get'. Surely there has to be a way to get you back to your full power and your full capacity."

At the very least, he had to make sure Sans stopped crying.

"look, i appreciate the effort, but you can't force these things, pap. for now, we'll just have to wait and see. who knows . . . maybe someday this will even be easy . . . but for now, i'm takin it five minutes at a time. sound good?"

Papyrus was slow to respond. "No, it doesn't sound good. It sounds horrible! Why would anyone want to live like that? It would be like you're always living sub-par, like you're never really at full strength! That sounds terrible!"

"heh, it's not like i want to. it's just . . . how it's gonna have to be."

"Until we get you feeling back to your normal self, right?"

Sans hesitated as he trained his eyes back to his feet. Of course, he didn't feel as if that day would ever come . . . but he couldn't tell that to Papyrus . . .

"right, bro." He answered quietly, "and if i have you here to help me out . . ."

"It should go twice as fast!"

Sans hummed, his smile turning fond, "i like the way you think, paps."

"Just you wait, brother! You'll feel better in no time!"

The two of them sat together for a while longer, not really talking much about anything, but simply enjoying the other's company. It was relaxing in a way that nothing else ever could be. They talked about everything and nothing until the conversation turned to what Sans supposed all of his conversations would turn now.

"So, what's next for you, brother?" Papyrus asked, a piercing curiosity in his words and in his tone, "Is Dr. Gaster going to let you work in the lab again? Can you finally go back to being a scientist?"

Sans chuckled to himself, idly moving to shove his hands in his pockets, only to remember that he didn't have any. His feet kicked just above the ground instead.

"i don't think so, pap." He answered, gripping loosely at the sheets on either side of where he sat , "I'm gonna go see gaster a bit later to talk about that actually . . . but i think my employment here might be at an end. no matter what they say . . . i just- i don't think they'd want . . . someone like me around."

Papyrus thought it over for a few moments before he responded, crossing his arms and letting out a contemplative hum.

"I don't believe that to be true at all." He said, "You have been helping here for a long time. Longer than anyone except for the doctor. If anything, they would need someone like you who has the experience and time behind him to know what to do. Not only that, but this whole time, the other scientists have been saying how nothing has been the same without you and how badly they want you back. No matter what you say, no matter what you may think, you are very popular around here, brother, and I'm certain that if you just asked, Dr. Gaster would give you your job back."

"yeah, it sounds great when you say it like that, but . . . even if he said yes, i don't think that i would be able to go back. not after this . . . if they didn't say no, then i probably would."

"Do you not want to go back to work?"

"nah, that's not the issue . . . this is a very demanding job, bro . . . and i think . . . i don't think i can keep up . . . my body . . . it's just not . . . i'm not strong enough anymore."

Papyrus took another look toward his brother and tried to take in everything he was saying.

"Then we make you stronger again! I can talk to Undyne if you like! I'm sure she'll let you train! You can become stronger! And when you're strong enough, you can come back to the lab! It's the perfect plan!"

Sans let his eyes drift closed, "it is a good idea . . . just not one that would work for me, i don't think."

"You don't think?" Papyrus challenged, "Well, how will you know if you never try!?"

Sans remained silent and didn't answer.

"Brother . . .?"

As Papyrus watched, Sans began to slump even more. It looked as if he was about to fall off of the bed.

"Sans!"

Immediately, Papyrus reached out, catching Sans and pulling him against his chest. At the sudden change, Sans was startled awake once again.

"oh, hey . . . hey, it's okay! i'm up . . . i'm up . . . paps . . . let me –"

"Shh! Not a chance. You're staying right here."

And rather than argue, Sans let out a breath and allowed himself be held against Papyrus' chest . . . for now . . . how embarrassing . . .

. . . but at the same time, it was oddly soothing. Just knowing that Papyrus was there to make sure he didn't fall. It made him feel . . . safe.

"I see you were right, Sans." Papyrus said after a moment or two. "As you are right now, it wouldn't be wise for you to go back to work. You need to get stronger before that happens. So, how do we get you stronger?"

"i'm already feeling better, bro." Sans answered, "maybe some food, that's all . . . after that, i'll be right as rain. after all, it's been two weeks since i've had a good meal. maybe that'll be the turning point. heh, i may even hit up grillby's a bit later. we'll see."

Papyrus didn't answer as Sans pulled away again and this time, Papyrus let him go. He supposed Sans could be trusted to sit on his own for a while . . . as long as he kept his eyes opened while they spoke. They had to find food for him soon so he could regain his strength.

"but as I hear it," Sans continued, shifting the focus of the conversation, "you've been slacking recently too! you've been skipping out on training so you can wait around here for me."

Papyrus nodded, "I didn't want to risk missing you when you woke up."

"well that can end here." Sans pushed with a decisive nod of the head, "i'm not gonna hold you back anymore, okay? and you don't wanna go without training for too long or else you might start to get rusty."

Papyrus' face fell for a moment as he frowned through Sans' words. As Sans spoke, Papyrus pushed back his sleeves, checking his radius and ulna for evidence of this rust.

When Sans saw what Papyrus was doing, he openly laughed. "silly me." He grinned, "i should've known that someone as awesome as you would be impervious to rust! i'll tell you what. tomorrow, you get back to your training and i'll work on getting back to normal, okay? we'll check in with each other when you get back. sound like a deal?"

Papyrus hesitated for a moment thinking it over. Of course he didn't feel completely right leaving Sans alone after what just happened. If he was going to be randomly passing out like that while he was trying to get better, he ran the risk of hurting himself . . .

But, on the other hand, Sans really wouldn't be alone, would he? He would have Gaster and Miss Alphys and the others just in case something happened. They cared about Sans too and Papyrus felt as if he could trust them to take care of his brother while he prevented the rust from setting in.

Papyrus sat for a moment, drumming his fingers over his knees before he finally nodded.

"Deal." He answered.

---

Once he was up to it and once he felt comfortable enough to walk down the hallways without relying much on the walls, Sans decided to try his luck with the break room. He could get something from the vending machine to tie him over until he could get to Grillby's. And maybe while he was in there, he could meet up with the others. After all, it was during the lunch hour . . . perhaps they would be in there. Who knows? He might get lucky.

It was agreed that Papyrus would hang back for the moment. Even though the others knew about him now and they even knew that he was out of the holding cell, they were still apprehensive about having him near them. So Papyrus remained behind while Sans ventured toward the break room.

As he approached, he could hear the quiet tones of hushed conversation.

"I'm just saying that maybe it's about time, don't you think? Even though we've got Alphys back for the time being, we're still way behind schedule. We need the help. There's no getting around it."

"But is it too soon is the real question here."

"It's been two weeks. That's long enough for something like this."

"Is it? And you have to ask, after everything that's happened, will he even be willing to return?"

"Y-you wouldn't think so, would you? I-I- I mean it happened so suddenly . . . there would be some bitterness there, but - but if he can put that b-bitterness aside, he p-probably could come back, d-don't you think?"

"I suppose we could ask the doctor about it . . . but that doesn't guarantee a positive response, I'm afraid. Especially after what happened."

"heh, well it depends on how bad it really was, i think. i mean, gaster is pretty selective especially if it has to do with operations around here."

At the sound of the unexpected fifth voice, the other assistants lifted their eyes and turned toward the door.

"Sans!"

Almost immediately, Alphys and Baelin stood from their chairs surrounding the table and approached the doorway where Sans was leaning.

"hey, guys . . . um . . . long time no see. how's everyone holding up?"

"Welcome back, Sans." Ruddard sounded from where he stood. He did not approach. Maltez turned his head and waved, giving a quiet, "Hey, Sans." But he did not stand or approach.

"hey . . . just so you know . . . i'm really sorry about what happened in the examination room. gaster told me that i . . . almost hurt you. i . . . i'm sorry you had to be in there for that. of course, if i could have controlled it . . . i never would have . . . that whole thing would have been . . ."

"Sans!" Alphys interjected, "S-sans, it's okay! We're- we're all fine."

"Yeah," Baelin joined in, "We're just glad you're okay. You really had us worried there. We're just . . . glad to have you back!"

He let out a low sound as he situated himself against the door frame, "thanks, al . . . bae."

The ladies nodded back to him with enthusiasm behind their smiles.

Though Sans had smiled through it, it didn't escape his notice when Maltez and even Ruddard had diverted their attention and let Baelin and Alphys shoulder the excitement. It seemed as if not everyone was quite as excited to see him again. The two of them continued their conversation as he, Baelin, and Alphys spoke.

Of course, he had expected as much. Honestly, it was a wonder that Alphys and Baelin could even stand to be so near to him after what he did . . . he couldn't even fathom why any of them, including Gaster, could still find it in them to be in the same room with him.

No, he didn't blame Maltez or Ruddard at all for being hesitant . . . but still it wasn't a great feeling to be at the receiving end of their skepticism.

Sans lowered his gaze once again as he honed in on the current conversation.

"would i be right to assume we were talking about gaine just now? you wanna get him back on board, right?"

Baelin hesitated now as well, shifting her gaze down to the floor for a moment. She could pick up on the slight darkness in Sans' voice that sounded almost accusatory. "Well, yeah. He's been gone a while and we could really use the help."

Sans nodded slowly in response, letting out another low hum as he thought about how best to respond.

"yeah, it makes sense." Sans answered in a near mumble, "it really does . . . and despite everything, gaine is a good worker. he would . . . definitely be able to help get things back up to speed around here . . . it's just . . . i don't know how we . . ."

"What's the matter, Sans?" Maltez bit, "Nervous about meeting Gaine again after you nearly murdered him!? Are you afraid of what'll happen if he hasn't conveniently forgotten about your fight like some other people around here? Are you afraid to face him again after what you did?"

"Maltez!" Alphys gasped.

"Oh! I'm sorry. Is that a sore subject for you, human!? Or are you just upset because you couldn't finish the job? Look, you may have Gaster and the girls wrapped around your bony little finger, but some of us aren't so easy to fool!"

"Stop it, Maltez!" Baelin snapped back, "We still don't know the whole story. For all we know, it could have been—"

"And you're still defending him!" Maltez fumed, finally pushing his chair back to stand, "Wake up, Baelin! That . . . imposter never cared. Not about you or any of us! He proved that when he chose to let that human girl out of her cage! When he chose her instead of all of us!"

"You don't know that! Think about before! Would the Sans you've known for so long have ever –"

"no, baelin, it's okay." Sans sighed as he stepped into the breakroom toward where Maltez and Ruddard now stood, "he's right."

"But, Sans . . . you're not like that! You're one of us. Part of this team!"

"heh, but i'm no monster. never was. and i might have even drawn a line in the sand when i tried to save ava . . . when i fought gaine after he killed her. and i might not ever be able to see eye to eye with you or with gaine ever again, but i never once lied about what i was doing here. about why i was here! don't ever take me for anything less than what i've shown you! this whole time, i was working just like the rest of you to free everyone! i wanted to get to the surface just as much as you! and for the most part, that's still true, so if you think that it'll go faster with gaine on board again, then, by all means bring him back! i mean, i hate the guy. i can't stand his guts. but, i'm in no position to hold you back and i will respect your decision. shoot, it's not like i'll ever be able to come back to work anyway! so, go talk to gaster! get the team back! break the barrier! that's all any of us ever wanted right? just don't expect me to be civil with a guy who has no desire to be civil with me, got it? "

Sans' voice showed that he was obviously angry, but the passion there was genuine. Even if it meant meeting the one who caused him such strife and such pain . . . the one with whom there would never be a real sense of peace, Sans knew that having Gaine back would be the best bet of having the team work efficiently.

"but it isn't my decision. or even yours. gaster's the one who will have the final say in it. so, talk to him."

Maltez stood opposite Sans, glaring at him and almost challenging him to continue. But Sans didn't back down. He didn't back down from Gaine and he was not about to shrink at the sight of Maltez.

Realizing quickly that this staring contest would lead to nothing. Maltez huffed and turned away.

"Alright then, I will." He stormed off immediately afterward, "Gaine says hi, by the way."

As soon as Maltez was gone and Ruddard, looking a bit torn, followed him, Sans let out a long breath and it seemed as if his composure went right along with it. His vision began to swirl and he nearly stumbled forward as he regained his balance. Immediately, Alphys and Baelin came in to set him straight.

"S-Sans! Are you okay?"

"How are you feeling?"

Sans released a low chuckle, insisting that he could stand on his own by gently refusing their help. "you want the long answer or the short?"

The girls looked at each other before answering simultaneously. "Long."

"heh, too bad." Sans shook his head, and took the seat nearest the vending machine, "i'm fine, ladies, so don't worry, okay? fully functional and everything."

"Sans, you don't need to lie to us anymore." Baelin sighed as she took the seat beside him. "You've been through a lot and it's okay not to be okay. Okay? We just . . . we want to help."

"i'm fine." Sans reiterated as he shifted in his seat to study the contents of the vending machine.

Trail mix . . . ? Yeah. Trail Mix. He paid and pushed in his selection, "i'm just hungry. that's all."

Alphys and Baelin looked at each other once again, silently communicating to each other. Sans was still acting a bit off . . . quieter than normal, mumbling more than usual. He seemed distant . . . distracted. But they supposed that was to be expected.

Still, they wished they could do more for him than just ask him how he was feeling only to get lies in return.

"S-so . . . have you g-given any thought to what happens n-now?" Alphys asked sheepishly.

"heh, only with every new conversation." Sans answered, as he opened his bag of trail mix and took a handful . . . it wasn't very satisfying, but it was something. "i know we're all in a bit of a bind right now, but still . . . there has to be a way to get things back to the way they're supposed to be. gaster's work is at a bit of a standstill . . . and, as i've heard it, so is yours. i just wish i knew a way that was easy and simple and painless . . . but i'm starting to see that . . . that's not gonna be possible, no matter what option we take."

Alphys and Baelin hum to themselves as they listen in on Sans' debate. They still had no idea the exact process, but they could sense the deep turmoil churning in his mind and it weighed on them.

But still . . . there was one thing they could do for Sans. Something that could at least help him feel a little less . . . helpless.

Baelin caught Alphys' eye and gave a curt nod of her head. At the signal, Alphys nodded back, leaving the break room immediately, on a mission.

"Well . . . it might not be much, but we just . . . we wanted to help a little bit. Something . . . well, to help or maybe help things at least feel a little more normal . . . even if it isn't."

Sans stilled for a moment, and put the trail mix down on the table. What was Baelin going on about? Was she leading up to something?

"We know things are really crazy right now and there's not much anyone can do about it . . . and we know you've been heavily affected by it . . . more than the rest of us. So, Alphys and I had an idea that maybe we could give you some of what you lost back."

"something i lost . . . ?" Sans hesitated. Honestly, he hadn't even given much thought to anything outside of that night . . . the only thing he'd really lost . . . all he really wanted back was Ava . . . and it wasn't like they could pull that off.

"We got Ruddard and even Dr. Gaster to help out. He agreed that it was all a bit much . . . so he wanted to help as well."

"We found someone in the capital who was a seamstress and we commissioned her to make this for you." Alphys chimed in, laying a small package on the table in front of Sans. It was soft . . . wrapped in brown paper and tied off with twine.

"guys . . . ?" He asked softly. Already, something was playing at Sans' heart even before he opened it. Just that they'd gotten so many people to help put this together was a little overwhelming.

"W-well. Open it!" Alphys pushed, clasping her hands together.

Sans did, tearing into the paper and shifting the twine to move around the fabric within. The color was a very familiar blue and the material was very soft.

"guys . . ." Sans repeated, taking the garment in his hands and pulling it free of its paper casings.

It was almost an exact replica of his jacket . . . the same blue jacket that he'd wrapped Ava in when she'd been bleeding so badly. Almost every seam was in the same place. And this jacket even came with one or two updates. Extra removable lining . . . and . . .

"fur? a fur hood?"

"Well, faux fur. When Gaster gave his input, he said that you like to spend your free time in Snowdin at Grillby's so . . . we thought to add in a little something for the weather."

Sans went silent as he gripped the jacket in his hands, staring intently at it. These guys . . . they had been so selfless and considerate of him . . . while he had been moping and feeling sorry for himself. They'd come together to do this for him . . . to give him back a small piece of what made him . . . him.

It was in that moment, looking down at the jacket in his hands and feeling the literal and figurative warmth radiating from it, Sans came to a resolution. He kept thinking about how much these monsters put into finding the perfect gift for him. His colleagues . . . his friends had all pitched in to get it for him . . . all in spite of everything that happened recently . . . they were still . . .

There was no doubt in his mind anymore of what he had to do or that it was the right thing.

. . . Damn emotion was starting to get the better of him again. That sting behind his eyes, the tightness of his throat. It was happening again.

The girls looked to Sans as he stayed quiet and still for longer than they expected. The more they watched on, the more Sans seemed to sink into his thoughts.

Moments later there was a slight change . . . were those . . . tears coming from his eyes? Was . . . was Sans crying?

"Sans . . . ?"

"i'll do it." He said firmly, though it seemed all the sound had left his voice.

"I-I'm sorry?" Alphys questioned, "What?"

"i'm gonna volunteer for the machine."

Immediately, Alphy's eyes went wide. "W-what!? Sans! N-no! You can't! It-it's still experimental . . . a-a-a prototype at best!"

"i know. but i'm the only one who can . . . and if it means that i would be help you, then . . . that's enough for me."

"Sans . . ." Baelin muttered "I . . . don't think . . . that's a good idea. Given the state of your soul . . . not to mention your HP . . . it's too dangerous."

"this is the very least i could possibly do for all of you. you've done more for me than i could ever say. let me pay you back. please . . . if it means saving you from being trapped here. if it prevents more people like ava from dying, then sign me up. with what little i have left . . . i wanna help free the monsters in any way i can."

For the third and final time, Baelin and Alphys exchanged silent looks before each monster lowered her head.

Baelin stood first and leaned in, touching her head to Sans' shoulder. For a long while, she was unable to settle on anything to say to him.

"Good luck, Sans." She finally squeaked out before she had to turn and leave the room.

To both of them it felt less like "good luck" and more like "goodbye".

"Thanks, Bae." Sans whispered to her before she left.

That just left Alphys.

"I-I guess we have c-come to a conclusion . . ." She stammered in quiet solemnity, "I-I'll let Dr. Gaster know . . . I-in the morning, w-we'll get you s-started on the . . . on the machine."

---

Morning came a little too quickly. Sans didn't get much sleep as the anxiety about the experiment weighed on him.

Alphys stayed the night in the lab, expecting to get an early start in the morning. The others, however, did not. None of them wanted to be around when the time came to send Sans into the machine. Of course they had their own reasons. Maltez still needed the time to cool off after their spat. Ruddard was still torn on the whole matter- though he didn't want to witness what could happen, so he stayed away. He would come in for his regular shift . . . just avoid the basement at all costs. Baelin was still adamant about Sans not going into the machine. Though he had a human soul . . . and it was the only one they had with a living host, she didn't want to see her friend do anything that could put him in danger. Sans was worth so much more than just a soul . . . even if he didn't see it. So, she stayed away as well, deciding, like Ruddard, to come in for her regular shift.

It seemed as if none of the other assistants could compose themselves enough to go into the room with Gaster, Alphys, and Sans as they prepared to use the machine.

So . . . it would just be the three of them, then.

Upon Sans' recommendation, Papyrus left early to continue his training with Undyne and the Royal Guard. When the Skeleton hesitated, Sans hugged him again and assured him that he would be cautious and take things easy for a while. With time, he would be back to his usual self and he could continue working in the lab.

At least that's what Sans said.

It wasn't that far from the truth. As Sans made his way through the hallways of the lower levels with Gaster and Alphys, he had to admit, there was a part of him that felt guilty about lying to Papyrus about his plans . . . but it would be better if Paps wasn't waiting around the lab worried about him all day.

The walk was silent. Not one of them said a thing to the other and they each seemed distracted by the thoughts going through their minds. None of them had been able to sleep well the night before, in fact. And they'd all stayed awake, trying to distract themselves from their anxieties.

Sans had spent his night, wandering the halls absently, trying to find it in him to relax. Of course nothing came of it. He had even been tempted to go to Papyrus' room and sit with him a while, but the Skeleton was finally sleeping for the first time in almost two weeks. Just that thought was enough to distract Sans for maybe three minutes. If Papyrus could go so long without sleeping, then perhaps he didn't need to sleep at all. Was he just doing it because he felt it was the normal thing to do? Funny, Sans never bothered to ask. Maybe, if this thing went well, he could ask Papyrus about it.

But for that night, Sans let him sleep. He would be the only one who could.

When Sans looked up from his feet again, he'd found himself in the door of the break room. Alphys was sitting at the table with a cup of ramen, stirring the noodles slowly with her chopsticks. The cup didn't even seem hot anymore and Sans had to wonder how long she had been sitting there.

She was startled when he approached. She really had been zoned out, not even focused on the ramen.

In response, Sans tried to cheer her up. Hey, maybe it would work for him too. They swapped a few really bad jokes between them and Alphys offered Sans a ramen cup. Sans, having skipped his trip to Grillby's, decided it would be a good idea to eat something since he wouldn't be sleeping, and accepted.

A few bites into it, Sans let out a sigh, muttering something about how the ramen brought back memories.

Curious, Alphys looked up from her reheated cup. She remembered then that Sans hadn't grown up in the Underground, that he was human. The realization did, indeed, intrigue Alphys and though a small nagging part of her was concerned about being rude, the larger part of her was more curious about Sans' experiences on the surface.

It started with one question that turned into a quiz. Soon it was a test that turned into a marathon.

Before they knew it, they had spent the entire night talking about humans and the surface.

It had been a nice distraction until Gaster had come by with a very somber, "It's time."

Gaster had spent the night alone in his room, pacing, reading, checking and double checking and triple checking to make sure the specifications were sound for the machine. It was one thing in his mind to have a human enter the machine and for their soul to be searched and drained of its Determination . . . it was an entirely different matter now that it was Sans who would be the subject of the experiment. He had to make sure it was perfect. He had to make sure nothing would go wrong.

He had taken the blueprints down to the basement to inspect and look over the machine again. Alphys really had done an impeccable job with the machine's construction. It was nearly flawless work. Maybe a screw here or a nut there that could have been a bit tighter, but Gaster being the stronger of the two fixed those issues quickly. He couldn't afford for the machine to come loose and break down while Sans was inside . . .

Gaster would have been lying if he said that there wasn't a part of him that wished Sans would have refused the machine. He wouldn't have blamed the boy and it would have taken a significant weight from over all of them.

But Sans said that he wanted to help and if the best way he saw to help was to offer himself to the machine and to Gaster's experiments . . . Gaster had to respect his wishes.

But he would be monitoring everything, keeping absolutely everything in order and in line.

After so long of not saying anything to each other, even the most unassuming of sighs seemed to sound loud and clear in the empty and silent space.

They had arrived.

Even as they entered the room, the air seemed to shift and become dark and heavy as they regarded the towering apparatus. The machine easily took the space of about half the room despite it being centered. The hulking thing seemed to be equipped with suspension mechanics as well. It was bolted to the ceiling as well as the wall, but it could barely even reach the floor at all. For the moment, it was perched at the edge of an enormous pit and anything below floor level seemed to fall into a never-ending dark abyss.

Well, that looked welcoming . . .

As Sans looked up at it, he noted that it actually looked a bit like a skull with a split maxilla where its front teeth would have been. There were the eyes . . . and inside the nasal cavity there was a single seat . . . like an electric chair . . . encased in plexiglass, creating a chamber for the specimen . . . for him . . .

There seemed to be some tubing that connected the chamber to the rest of the face. Is that where the Determination would be siphoned and stored until it could be harvested?

Sans swallowed, his nerves threatening to come up and settle in his throat. He was . . . intimidated.

Still, better him than Ava. Better him than any other innocent kid.

Gaster could almost feel the apprehension in his former apprentice and when he looked to him, he noticed that Sans' eyes had gone completely black and he seemed to be breathing a bit more heavily.

Gaster laid a hand atop Sans' shoulder, effectively tearing him out of his thoughts.

"You know," Gaster suggested, his tone quiet, but assuring, "You could always say 'no'. It is a viable and understandable option."

Sans hesitated again, looking back toward the machine as his hand reached up to grab at the fabric over his chest.

"no." He said firmly, "this is something i have to do."

"We have waited this long," Gaster pushed, "surely, a little longer will not be an issue."

"no." Sans said again, "i'm not gonna wait for another kid to fall down here, not when i am perfectly capable of goin in myself. i'd rather you use my soul, gaster. use it to break the barrier. that way, no one else will have to die."

So there would be no talking him out of it then . . . Fine, it was worth a final attempt.

Steeling himself, Gaster stepped forward toward the machine.

"Come, Alphys. Sans. We have work to do."

The two scientists led Sans toward the large machine, all the while, each of them fighting off their own apprehension.

"We will start small today." Gaster began again, trying to keep the silence at bay. "We will only be testing your strength. We will need to see how the machine will affect you and what kind of pressure it puts on your soul. We might not even get to the actual extraction process."

Sans and Alphys nodded their understanding and for both of them, there was a very slight sense of relief. Of course . . . this was only day one . . . it wasn't as if they were just going to go full out on the first day. Sans would have to build up a tolerance to how the machine worked. Gaster and Alphys needed to observe and decide how to proceed.

How could they have forgotten?

But still, as they lifted the maxilla and the glass casing to reveal the inner workings of the chamber, there was a looming and overwhelming sense of foreboding. It was just so . . .

Formidable.

"so, pretty much this thing is going to eat me and spit out my soul." Sans stated. It wasn't a question, just his interpretation of what was about to happen.

Despite himself and despite the situation, there was a bit of a smile that pulled at the corners of Gaster's mouth. Hadn't the other human, the King and que- er- Toriel's human child, said something similar? Hadn't they been afraid that Gaster would eat them and harvest their soul . . . ? Or something like that.

Perhaps that conversation was where this project had its roots. Perhaps that child was more influential than Gaster had given them credit for. Interesting.

"M-more accurately, it will s-search your soul for Determination." Alphys amended, "Now, we have no idea what this will do to a living host, s-so, we will be relying on you, Sans, to-to walk us through what is happening. You will n-need to describe everything to us in f-full detail and if it gets to be too-too m-much for you, you will need to tell us to st-stop."

"so, more of a soul searching game of red light green light?" Sans scoffed.

"S-Sans, please. That last part is the m-most important. I don't want anything to-to happen to you."

"no, I got you . . . i'm just trying to 'lighten' the mood . . ."

"We know, Sans." Gaster started again, acknowledging the attempt as well as why it had been made, "Thank you."

With that, Gaster and Alphys pushed aside the parts of themselves that were worried about Sans and helped him clamber into the chamber. The front of the machine seemed to be resting at the moment at the edge of the pit. But though it was at floor level for the moment, its size still made it a bit challenging to scale and Sans was a bit ungainly in his attempt to situate himself in the unforgiving wooden chair. And from what Sans had been able to gather, once the machine was in use, the entire chamber would be suspended over the pit itself, making it nearly impossible to find a means of escape if he had been looking for one. A frightened human captive would have no chance in this thing.

. . . which meant that it was very well designed . . .

As Sans pushed these thoughts from his head, he came back to the feel of a sharp pull on his arm. Alphys was tightening some leather straps around his wrists, buckling him down and preventing him from moving again.

"why do all of these things have straps?" Sans muttered more to himself than to the others, "didn't i just get out of these?"

"I know they're uncomfortable." Gaster sighed and from the tone in his voice, it seemed as if he was feeling a bit conflicted about these methods as well, "Just try to remain calm while the machine is in use. Keep your hands on the readers here and here so the machine can monitor how much magic is being used and how much of it is Determination."

Sans gripped at the rounded edges of the handles and felt the cold hard metallic surface beneath his fingers. And as he sat, another apparatus was fitted over his nose and mouth almost like an oxygen mask. The tube was attached to the chair as well.

Overall, to Sans, it felt a lot more like an execution more than a test, and again, the striking parallels to the electric chair was enough to cause his nerves to spike again.

Finished with her work, Alphys took a few steps backward to stand beside Gaster. She released a breath and Gaster seemed to tense at the sight.

He must have really looked pathetic.

As she made her way to the control panel in the back of the room, Alphys seemed to be having trouble tearing her eyes away. And as she reached the controls, her hand hesitated as it hovered over the panel.

"Good luck, Sans." She whispered.

She pushed a single button and the casing of the chamber began to close in on Sans, the lid shutting and trapping him inside. His capsule began to hum and rumble a bit as it separated from the edge of the pit and Sans was suspended above the open hole in the ground.

Even though he knew the goal of the day was not extraction, Sans was still incredibly nervous for what was going to happen. He was more than nervous . . . he was afraid. He was scared. He had never flown before, but that unsure feeling of not knowing what was going to happen next coupled by the realization that the entire capsule could fall straight through the ground to who knew where, was how he imagined a plane taking off to feel like.

He closed his eyes, trying to block it all out.

Outside in the room, a heavy feeling fell over Gaster's soul and on his shoulders.

"Look at him," He muttered, "He's terrified."

Alphys hummed, still debating whether or not to press another button. It would be too simple to just reverse the last command and bring Sans back.

Before any decision could be made, the earth around them seemed to shift and a violent shake rippled through the room. A loud rumbling soon followed and the lights flickered.

"What the hell was that!?" Alphys exclaimed, pulling herself up from where she'd stumbled to her knees.

Gaster, who was gripping to the control panel to steady himself, shot his attention to Sans. Sans was gripping the chair tightly and his eyes were squeezed shut as the chamber rocked precariously over the pit.

A second quake and the lights turned off all together.

"The CORE!?" Gaster hissed.

For the lights to have gone off like that, it had to have been . . .

Immediately following, the emergency red warning lights began to flare . . . but there was no siren. Perhaps in the quake, the system had been damaged.

He had to get to the Core. Something was happening there. And if he couldn't fix it quickly, it could be disastrous for all of Hotland!

But still, there was Sans.

"Get him out of there!" Gaster demanded, "Get him out of that thing and you two make a run for it. Gather the others and evacuate the lab immediately! I need to figure out what's going on!"

"Yes Sir!" Alphys answered, immediately moving to reverse the controls.

Sans looked up from his position when he heard the command.

"no! no-no! gaster! gaster, don't leave us! we know the core! let us help you!"

Gaster, already heading toward the door, paused for a moment, switching his attention back toward Alphys as he passed.

"Leave," He said solidly, "Both of you."

"gaster, no!" Sans tried again, "gaster! come back!"

But through Sans' protests, Gaster did not turn around again. He left toward the CORE without another word.

"gaster!" Sans cried after him, still struggling to rip through his bindings. "damn it! gaster!"

Sans growled in frustration. Of course he had to be trapped in this damned thing while Gaster ran off and did something stupid! What the hell was he thinking, going off alone like that!? He needed the help. He needed them!

"al! alphys! you gotta get me out of here! we gotta – we gotta go after him!"

"S-Sans, I don't think that's wh-what he wanted. H-he wanted you to be safe."

"screw safe!" Sans bit back, focusing again on his restraints and he continued to fight them. "he-he can't do this alone! we gotta go help him! he's better off with us than without us and you know it!"

"I know . . ." Alphys answered softly, weighing the options in her head, "I know . . . j-just . . . just hang on, Sans. I'll get you out of there."

Once the chamber was well on its way back. Alphys left the control panel to help Sans.

Sans looked back up toward Alphys with just enough time to see the looming shadow behind her.

"al!" He called, urgency and fire under his voice, "alphys, look out!"

In the moment, it took for Alphys to stall, the figure raised its hands and the bulky fire extinguisher in them. He brought the extinguisher down hard on Alphys' head. Twice. After a third, she fell to the ground, limp and unresponsive.

"no! alphys!"

The intruder, used his dark boot to push Alphys to the side of the room and out of the way. He even gave her a good kick in the ribs for good measure.

"no!"

With a dark laugh that filled the room, the intruder left Alphys to the floor and made his way to the back of the room and the control panel there.

All the while, Sans was resisting from within his chamber, nearly screaming at him. It didn't take much to figure out who their intruder was, especially when the flashing red lights illuminated his feline features.

"gaine! what the hell!? what did she ever do to you!?"

Gaine's laughter became a low chortle. "She was just in my way. My issue isn't with her, though so much as it is with you! You're the whole reason I came back today. You should feel special."

"flattered." Sans answered derisively.

Gaine's laughter continued as he looked over the buttons and switches of the control panel.

"This is just too perfect!" He grinned, "It's like this entire thing was set up just for me. You know, I can't believe you actually signed up for this, Serif . . . or should I say, Sansing?"

Sans stalled at the sound. How had Gaine been able to learn his name!? There was no way he should have been able to . . .

"how do you know that name!?" He demanded, "who told you?"

"Why, you did." Gaine answered, holding up the doctor's clip board and showing the name circled near the center of the page. "You know, it's ironic . . . or maybe just extremely coincidental that your name actually is 'Sans' don't you think? Very fitting considering. Oh! I also found another nifty little bit of info when I happened upon your bedroom. Heh, funny to think you were living right here this whole time. Well, it certainly paints your relationship with Gaster in a whole new light. No wonder you two seemed so close- why you were always his favorite. The rest of us never really had a chance, did we?"

Sans frowned deeply, his glare fixed on Gaine, but he didn't acknowledge him with an answer.

Gaine began to pace as the machine's lights began to come on one by one. "You know, you really should clean up in that pig sty of yours. Couldn't make heads or tails of the place, except for maybe this." Gaine reached into his back pocket and pulled out a torn purple notebook which had been rolled up for easy carry.

Sans' eyes went wide at the sight of the notebook. "gaine! put that down! get your hands off of that!"

Gaine only laughed as he flipped through the pages, "Or what? It's not like you can attack me again from where you are."

"put it down, now!" Sans growled, calling on his magic once again, trying to use it to free his restraints and open the lid to the machine. When he tried to focus his magic, however, he found that he was unable to control it. Any amount of magic he summoned was immediately siphoned out of his being and collected within the machine. The more he tried to use it, the more he could feel the drain on his body and on his soul. That approach wasn't going to work. He needed to find a new one.

Gaine laughed to himself as he continued to flip through the pages of the notebook. He landed on one page in particular and made a bit of a grimace, "You know, I think your girlfriend might have been obsessed with you more than she actually loved you."

"gaine, please! it means nothing to you! Just . . . please . . . put it down!"

Gaine hummed, finding a bit of satisfaction in getting this kind of rise from Sans. To think that this little pad of paper could get him to beg like a dog. Now, that was interesting.

"You're right." Gaine chided, "It does mean nothing to me, but I can see it means a great deal to you. You know, if I'd had this earlier, I could have used it for blackmail . . . or at least some kind of leverage over you. Something to keep you in line."

Sans weighed his options. What the hell was Gaine's problem!? Did he hate him so much that he was driven to this just to . . . what was he even trying to do? Get Sans to back off? Humiliate him?

Well, that was okay. Sans could deal with humiliation . . . but that notebook . . . that was the last thing he had of Ava . . . it was hers. Her last written words were documented in that notebook.

And that was worth more than any amount of blackmail or humiliation Gaine could possibly impose.

Sans took a steadying breath, "okay, is that what it's gonna take? okay, that's fine. you have your leverage . . . just put it down and tell me what you want. i'll . . . i'll do anything."

Gaine hummed again as he looked from under his brows at Sans and his smile turned darker.

"So eager. My, it seems I've found a real gem here. However, it's come just a bit too late. Given where I am and given where you are, it makes little difference. This thing is so old and so overused anyway that it would be nothing if I were to just . . ."

Gaine took the notebook by the edge and dangled it between the pads of his thumb and middle finger. The weight of the notebook pulled downward, creating a long tear in the cover as the rest of the contents hurried to find a place on the ground. He released it so the entire package clamored in a pile on the floor.

Sans was visibly upset as he stared between Gaine and the pile. He clenched his teeth as he fought to keep from using his magic unnecessarily. Anything he summoned would just be collected by the machine. It would be a waste.

He drew in a sharp breath. That bastard! Why would he!? What was the point!?

"gaine!" Sans fumed instead, "gaine, you asshole! let me out! let me out so i can kick your ass again!"

Gaine's laugh returned, more boisterous than before, "Oh really!? I think that's the only time you've ever actually managed to make me laugh. You really think I'm going to let you out!? Why in the world would I do that when I have you right where I want you? Unable to hold me back!

"You know, from the very beginning, you've been nothing but a nuisance! A boulder in my way, eclipsing my work, blocking my every attempt to rise beyond my position. Well, not anymore! I refuse to stand by while a human takes the front seat. And while Gaster enables it! You're in my way, Simm. Just like Kit was, just like Gaster is now."

Sans had to take a moment to absorb everything Gaine was ranting about. None of that had been his intent. He had just been trying to make a living here in the lab and blend in with the other monsters. How had Gaine come to hate him so much? And not just him . . . he'd mentioned Kit too . . .

Sans' eyes went even wider when he'd connected the puzzle pieces.

"kit! the day she died . . . you . . . you didn't!"

"Oh, look who's finally caught on! Like I said, she was in my way and she was going to rat me out to Gaster. I had to shut her up." Gaine chuckled, "It was way too easy to pin it on that experiment. Especially when he turned to attack the group who only showed up to see what happened. I'm genuinely surprised your experiment 'brother' hasn't told you all this before."

"He-he was aiming for you!" Sans accused, "Papyrus didn't kill anyone and he wasn't attacking us, he was trying to protect us from you!"

"Heh, whole lot of good that did you. Look at you now. I've got you right in the palm of my hand."

Gaine flipped a switch on the far left of the control panel and the machine, flickered to life. It shouldn't have been able to . . . hadn't the power gone out when the CORE began to malfunction . . . ?

"Personal generators." Gaine answered as if he could hear Sans' unasked question. He busied himself with the controls, turning the knobs and pushing the sliders far beyond safe parameters.

Immediately, Sans hissed in pain as a strong force pulled needily, greedily on his energy and his magic and his life. Again, he tugged harshly on his restraints in hopes of breaking them and maybe finding a way to break the lid as well. For all of his fighting, however, he could not seem to budge. Damn it! Why did Alphys have too pull so tightly on the buckles!?

He ripped and pulled against them and kicked and fought to free himself. Nothing seemed to work.

From around him, flashes of magic and energy began to fill the chamber. Sans was running out of time! He had to fight to release himself! He had to continue pulling on his restraints and . . . there was no way around it. He had to use his magic to break the binds, or to turn off the machine. Could he manifest his magic beyond the chamber, could he blast Gaine out of the way? Destroy the machine? Free himself? Warn Gaster?

He had to . . .

. . . He had to . . .

But as much as he struggled, as much as he fought, nothing he did made any difference. He was still stuck within the confines of his chamber as more colored magic surrounded him, calling out to his magic in turn, latching on to him and entering his body to grab onto it.

There was no way he could stop it.

"Once you're out of the way," Gaine mused as he watched Sans struggle inside the machine, "there will be no one to stop me from going after Gaster himself. He's so distracted with the CORE right now, it'll be no problem, and hey, maybe even a little expected, if he were to have a little "accident" while he was in there. No one would even bat an eye."

Again, Sans was faced with realization. The power outage . . . Gaine said he'd set up personal generators, hadn't he?

The disturbance in the CORE . . . The evacuation! Gaine had planned it all!

Just to get Gaster isolated.

"NO!" Sans cried, "Not Gaster! I won't let you!"

"I'd love to see you try to stop me without a soul! Tell Ava and Kit I said hello when you see them in Hell!"

Gaine sneered as he flipped a final switch and the machine began to rumble. The extraction process had begun.

At the motion, a sharp jolt ran directly through Sans and a shudder sent his body into violent convulsions. His every bone, his every nerve, his entire body seized as magic flooded him, searching for more, gripping at him and tearing him apart from the inside out.

Through it all, Sans fought off his screams. It hurt. It all hurt so badly. It was too much! He was being boiled from the inside and no matter what he did, he couldn't fight it off. Every bit of him wanted to cry out.

But he couldn't give Gaine that satisfaction.

His soul felt as if it were on fire as the magic surrounded it and began to crush it with the sheer power. His body continued to seize, far beyond his control as his soul was ripped apart by the foreign magic tearing through his body. It gripped at him and held tightly as it forced its way through him.

In response, his own magic, his own Determination, his own will to live kicked into high gear. He knew even at a subconscious level, that he had to fight back. He had to stay alive. And his magic was somehow going to help him do that.

Blue magic began to shine more and more brightly from within the chamber, fighting back against the intrusive magic. He was still fighting with everything he had. Everything he could give, he was going to live! He was going to get out of here and warn Gaster, protect the others, find Papyrus!

But first he had to make it out of here. Perhaps if he could overload the machine with magic . . .

His magic began to glow white. Maybe he could blast his way out.

Gaine let out a low sound and a long breath from outside of the machine. Through all the whirring and clashes with the magic, he couldn't be heard . . . but it looked as if Serif was beginning to fight back against the machine. Damn that human Determination. He couldn't afford to let Serif win. He couldn't afford to take any chances.

Gaine pushed the sliders to their maximum levels, turned the knobs until they wouldn't turn anymore. He lit the entire control panel, making sure there was no more the machine could do. Maximum power. Extraction level 13.

A secondary jolt ran through the machine and it seemed as if it may buckle as the chamber and the room flooded with magic. Immediately, the "eyes" of the machine began to glow ferociously and a blood-curdling scream filled the room, easily cutting through all other sound. It was almost physically painful to listen to. . . almost.

The sound tore painfully from the back of Sans' throat and filled the air around him as every bit of his essence was ripped from his body. He was unaware of the sound he was making or the brilliant light that was being produced all as a result of his suffering. He didn't feel the magic being drained through his hands and his mouth or the bit of magic that tried to escape through his eyes.

He was unaware of the blood . . . ? blood . . . as it ran from his right eye and down the flesh of his cheek. He was unaware of the nails being bent backward and torn as he gripped instinctively to the handles of his chair. He was unaware of the cuts being made in his wrists and the bruises of his ankles as he ripped at the restraints tying him down.

All he knew was fire.

With a final flash of blinding light, the room went silent once again. There was no whir of the machine, there were no screams, there was no laughter and no jeering. Only silence.

Gaine only dared to look when he was sure the light had receded as well. When the light died down, Gaine looked to the broken machine and the shattered chamber where the Skeleton had been seated before. When he looked now, however, there was a human . . . the body of a dead human, left motionless inside the chamber. Above, in the machine's left eye, the human's deep blue soul glowed and pulsated like a beating heart.

---

In the middle of his attack, Papyrus stalled, gripping tightly at his chest as he dropped his femur to the ground where it immediately disappeared in glittering fractals. Something happened. Something very bad happened. And though Papyrus didn't know what could have caused something so dark and something so suffocating to take hold of his chest so suddenly, he knew it had to do with Sans.

Sans was in danger! That was what his soul was feeling, wasn't it?

Papyrus fought with his will to remain standing as he took a few steps backward and avoided being hit by his sparring partner's attack. He had to go . . . he had to leave immediately. He had to get back to Sans.

Without a word to anyone, Papyrus turned away from his match and took off at full speed back toward the lab.

He had to get to Sans immediately!