Welcoming Group 2!

This chapter is only a test run for the introduction and everything is subject to change, please keep this in mind as you read.

"Ummmmm-"
"Shut your mouth, you utter imbecile." Nightmare glared, tendrils lashing out behind him.

"Er." Inks mouth shut with a sound click as he swung back on the balls of his feet. "Hey Nightmare! Fancy meeting you here."

Nightmare raised a brow. "The pleasures all yours."

"Ew," Ink made a gagging sound and stuck out his tongue. "No thanks."

"Whoa."

The two turned to see Epic wobbling as he stood, one hand pressed against his left eye socket.

"Bruuuuhhh-"
"Oh, shut up." Nightmare snapped, eyelight glowing brighter in his anger. "There's enough fools here as is, I don't need, nor want to listen to your stupidity."

"Huh." Epic nodded, managing to be silent a moment longer as he looked around the room. "So, like-"

A cracking sound echoed throughout the room.

"Ow, hey, BOSS-" Killer awoke with a start, attempting to yank his body away from Nightmare in a frenzy, harshly knocking into the other two still on the ground and waking them.

"Awake now?" Nightmare leaned in, putting more pressure onto his leg that pressed down further onto Killers right arm, glancing up to stare intently at Epic.

"Not cool." Epic frowned back at him, eyelight following the fluffy white skeleton that silently stood and steered himself clear of the imminent danger.

Nightmare stepped back in a regal, deliberate move, freeing Killer who pushed himself up into a seated position, inspecting his arm.

"Do you really think I'd damage it to a point you can't work?" Nightmare's eyelight flickered down towards Killer, a mild smile tugging at his mouth.

In return, Killer shrugged, knocking his shoulder into the human still sitting on the ground as he stood. "Can never be too sure."

Nightmare hummed, gaze shifting over to the lone skeleton seated on one of the sofas, quietly reading. "You'd know best, would you?"

Killer followed his line of sight, smile freezing in place. "Ah... Guess not... Mind helpin' out, Dusty?"

Dust glanced up from the note he'd been reading, paper crinkling as his grip tightened. "... no."

"Are you from a surface AU?" Ink abruptly asked the lone human, tilting his skull in a questioning way as his eyelights looked over them. "You look broke."

"What." The Chara's expression fell flat. "Who the hell are you?"

"You don't know me?!" Ink gasped, holding a hand to his chest for a mere second before dropping it with a frown, eyelights shifting. "Huh. Actually, I don't remember who you are. Hey, who are ya?"

"Are you supposed to know me?" Chara raised a brow, mind flickering to judgment hall. Stretch... Classic...

"I mean, yeah." Ink shrugged, glancing at his vials and cataloging how much was left in each. "I doubt I bothered writing you down on my scarf, so-"

"Are you trying to offend me?" Chara asked, baffled.

Ink blinked twice, eyelights shifting. "...Maybe...?"

"Hey!" Killer suddenly leaned into The Charas personal space, forcing his way to the forefront. "Which one are you?"

"..." The Chara leaned back, and closer to the fluffy skeleton, who moved away from her with a grimace. "Why should I tell you?" Not that she fully understood what he was asking.

"It's polite." Killer snickered, hand twitching for one of his knives.

"And you're not." The Charas eyes narrowed, body tensing.

"Lay off, Killer." Dust called out with a sigh, tugging his hood further over his skull and carefully placing the note on his lap, facedown. "Nows not the time for your games."

Killer stilled, blinking slowly. "I'm curious."

"Your curiosity isn't wanted."

"Well, it's wanted by me." Killer leaned back and away from the Chara, who took her chance to move away. "It's not a game yet. Besides, you wanna know too."

"Don't drag me into this." Dust muttered lowly; body taut as the Chara passed by him.

Ink remained silent, removed from the conversation despite standing in the center, eyelights shooting between everyone in the room as though he were following an intense match of Volleyball.

"You're no fun, Dust Bunny." Killer spun on his heel, zeroing in on the fluffy skeletons standoffish form. "He's interested too."

"Killer."

"The stance, the classic look of disgust, practically fleeing when the brat got close" Killer twisted the drawstring of his hoodie roughly. "Definitely interested."

The fluffy skeleton drew his gaze away from Killer, glancing at the Chara before he silently made his across the room to stand in the corner furthest away from Killer, Epic shuffling after him with a thoughtful look.

"Great, hes got a stick up his ass." Killer shook his skull with a disappointed noise. "Would love ta tear it out."

"Killer." "Killer."

Nightmare and Dust spoke, one calmly, the other in a low hiss.

Tilting his skull in Dusts direction, Killers fingers twitched. The other stared back for a tense moment before glancing at Nightmare and averting his eyelights back down to the note in his lap.

"Killer." There was an edge to Nightmares voice now.

Shrugging, Killer sauntered off towards Nightmare. "Was jus' a bit a fun."

"You've had enough fun for now." Nightmare's tendrils flicked behind him, agitated. "Though I would like to properly meet our current acquaintances." Nightmares looked between the Chara, Epic and the fluffy one, gaze lingering on the latter a beat longer. "Your antics can wait."

"I was already doin' that." Killer grumbled, crossing his arms before calling out to everyone with a bright grin that held a sharp edge to it. "Hey! Hey! Let's do introductions since we'll all be pals!"

"Pals?" Epic guffawed, drawing an irritated look from his reluctant companion. "Bruh, ain't happenin'."

"Why not?" Killer groaned, smile immediately dropping.

Epic clapped his hands and cheerfully pointed at himself as he spoke slowly, pronunciation clear and elongated as though he were speaking to a child. "O-me-ga Time-line." Grin growing, he pointed at Killer, nodding solemnly as he dropped the act to flatly speak his next word. "Nightmare."

"Well, that's just rude." Killer huffed, shoving a hand into his jacket, and pocketing a knife in his sleeve. "Not even one teensy lil chance?"

"Bruh." Epic gave the other a deadpan stare.

"What'd I ever do to you?" Killer threw his hands up, careful to keep the knife in place. "I'm innocent!"

"What does this even matter?" The Chara crossed her arms, shoulders hunched as she catalogued everyone's potential threat levels. "I'm not staying here; I was busy before I got here."

"Doin' what?" Ink randomly piped up, still trying to recall which Chara this was.

"I-" The Chara shifted her weight, thinking back on the snippets of information she'd received from Stretch on Alternates. "I was making my way through Waterfall to visit someone..."

"Oh, that's why you look broke!" Ink rubbed his chin with a mock-serious expression filled with enlightenment. "You were going through trash!"

"... What?" The Chara rubbed her forehead, prophesizing an oncoming headache. "I literally said I was visiting someone."

"Did you?" Ink blinked, tilting his skill. "I don't think ya did."

The Chara pulled a face and turned away from him, facing the rest who had been watching the discussion with varying expressions. "Whatever, like I said, I'm not staying here. I don't know how I got here, but I've got stuff to do, so I'm out."

"Do you think I want to be here?" Nightmare addressed the human directly, watching them with a shrewd eyelight. "I myself was following an intriguing development, I don't have the time to waste." He shut his socket, smile growing with vicious intent. "Though it won't be developing now. Seems I'm getting a closer look."

"That reminds me-" Ink cut himself off, sending a quick glance Cross' way before centering himself. "I was working on some stuff too!"

"Aint it obvious everyone would be doin' stuff." Killer scoffed, fingers taping against the hilt of his hidden knife. "We don't all need ta announce it."

Awkwardly, Cross averted his gaze, to Epic's concern and suspicion.

"Right." Ink jerked his skull in a quick nod, bouncing as he did so before stilling. "See ya."

Ink swung Broomie in a wide arc, causing multiple people to have to curse and jump out of the way as paint splattered on the ground and he jumped-

"Pft-!"

Ink faceplanted into the ground.

"Dats funny." Epic smothered a laugh, sneaking a look at Cross, who only blinked back at him in confusion.

"Trouble there, rainbow brainfart?" Killer smirked down at Ink, idly kicking him in the skull.

"Hey!" Ink leapt up with a pout, hopping up and down in the paint. "Whys this not working... BROOMIE!" Ink hugged his broom close, weeping. "Are you sick? Oh no, have I not been taking loving care of you, I swear I'll-"

Sighing, Nightmare tuned the idiot out and looked over towards Dust, who met his eyelight briefly, fingers twitching against the note.

"Never seen that happen." Epic frowned as he thought, eyelight drifting towards the shut door of the Papyrus' room. "Don't go anywhere without me, Bruh!"

Cross blinked as with those parting words the other skeleton sprinted up the stairs and started opening and closing a door. Okay... He was a weirdo.

Leaning back against the wall, Cross held a hand behind his back and tried to access the backdoor code. Nothing. Fingers scraping against the wall, Cross attempted to call out to Chara.

…

He was alone.

"Interested in sharing?"

Dust tensed as one of Nightmares tendrils rested next to him, the monster himself leaning against the Sofa.

"Don't act like that." Nightmare smirked, letting another tendril inch closer to Dust. "I gain nothing from killing you here..." Nightmare trailed off, tasting the words as they left his mouth, his aura strengthening. "After we leave here? That depends..."

"I've survived so far." Dust murmured, looking between Nightmare and the note he still held. "I'm not much of a priority compared to your usual activities."
"You underestimate," A tendril lashed out, twisting the arm that kept the note safe, "how I feel about traitors."

Expression twitching, Dust released his hold on the note, which was swiftly snatched up by Nightmare. "Then why haven't you killed me?"

"Do you take me for an amateur?" Nightmare chuckled, moving to sit beside him, relaxing into the cushions as his tendril loosened itself away from Dust, only for another to take its place, idly stroking the others bruised wrist in an act of comfort. "That's much too kind. I'd much rather take you for all the negativity you're worth."

Dust restrained himself from moving away from the tendril, keeping it in the corner of his sight as he focused on Nightmare himself. "Fair enough."

Nightmare nodded, eyelight picking apart each line of the note.

To change the future... Why were they here? For something so noble, why them?

"Where did you get this from?"

Dust frowned, observing the others in the room with a keen eye. "I was mid-portal when I ended up here, only one awake. It was in front of the TV, the glass table, no one else around."

"I see." Nightmare soon spotted the table. "Tell me, how does it feel, being in a place such as this?"

"It's... weird." Dust couldn't help himself as he took another glance at their surroundings, taking in all the details of the replica of a typical skeleton brother's home. "Took me off guard since I was expecting to end up in Judgement H-" Dust cut himself off, startling as Nightmares rumbling laughter made its way through Nightmares body and the tendril still stroking his wrist, stealing away his focus.

"Still working away at such an unforgiving job." Nightmares teeth glinted in the light as his grin widened. "Oh Dust, you'll never understand how amusing that is."

"I don't think I want to." Dust lowered his gaze to the tendril that slithered away from him.

Nightmare hummed in response, ending the conversation.

With a stretch of his tendrils, Nightmare pushed himself up and cleared his throat in preparation for the coming conversation. "I believe we will all be staying here for the foreseeable future."

Killer turned away from his bickering with Ink. "How come, boss?"

Nightmare languidly waved the note in the air. "A note left by our benefactor."

"Benefactor?" Ink perked up, blinking at the note curiously.

"Ya do know what that word means?" Killer snickered, ignoring Nightmares look as Ink frowned.

"What I mean" Nightmare spoke louder, a threatening undertone present that stopped the two from returning to their bickering. "Is that a unique form of... help, has been forced upon us."

"Read it, read it!" Epic chanted as he hoped down the stairs to rejoin them all, shortly joined by Ink in his chanting. Cross, meanwhile, blinked between the two of them, thinking for a moment before reaching back and raising his hood to cover his face, hoping to become one with the wall.

Nightmare glanced at the ceiling, contemplating life before reluctantly returning to reality. "'Greetings all. You have all been brought to this world to watch your future. Everything that you see will be happening in a months' time, do not worry, time here works differently.'" Nightmare rolled his singular eyelight in contempt. "Someone should work on their writing. Such nonsense. 'You are all involved in this event, choose how you change things carefully.' That is all."

As the others digested the information, Nightmare flicked his wrist, throwing the note back to Dust, who pocketed it with a nod.

"Changing the future?" Ink chuckled nervously, an uncomfortable feeling rising as he fiddled with his vials. "Thats... interesting."

Cross tilted his skull in Inks direction, a frown growing. Chara...

"Sounds weird." Killer shrugged, slyly looking over at Dust. "Heeeey, Dusty, whaddya think?"

Dust leaned back into the sofa, clasping his sockets shut. "Nothing."

Killers grin twitched and strained. "You've gotten boring. Peace is such a disease."

Dust glanced up at him through half-lidded sockets, gaze heavy. "It did the rest of us good."

Killer glared back at him, moving to take a step forwards, only to be stopped by Nightmare, who laid a light hand on his shoulder.

"You're a coward, Dust." Killer whispered, forcefully unwinding as Nightmare continued to watch him.

"What exactly does any of this have to do with me?" The Chara asked, looking disgruntled as she gestured between herself and the crowd of skeletons. "Really."

"Our group is rather unique." Nightmare tapped a finger against his chin, pondering. "I'd say for a start, we conduct introductions. Seeing as certain monsters will be less inclined to disagree now..." Nightmare languidly drew his eyelight to Epic, who simply rolled his eyelight in return. "If there are no disagreemen-"

"Heya, I'm Ink!" Ink cut Nightmare off, waving his arms wildly as he jumped up and down, laughing at Nightmares irritated look. "Protector of all the AUs!"

Killer snorted, "Uh-huh, all of 'em, sure thing, whatever ya say, ya depraved artist."

Dust internally agreed with Killer as he forced himself to stand, the attention automatically shifting to him. "Dust..." He hesitated for a moment, eyelights growing hazy as he glanced off to the side. "I travel the Multiverse and bring Genocide survivors to a... safe place. The Omega Timeline."

Chara narrowed her eyes. He seemed familiar?

Killers amusement turned into laughter. "Such a joke."

"Quaint." Nightmares grimaced, revulsion rising, he cleared his throat. "I am Nightmare, the King of Negativity." Short, simple, enough to intimidate. Powerful perfection.

The Chara dropped her face into her hands, a shudder wracking through her body as she attempted to hold in her laughter.

"Welllll," Killer smirked, smile growing sharper. "I'm Killer, I work for Nightmare, he's the Boss, just like Dusty over there used to!"

"Is that meant to be a shock?" Cross muttered under his breath, incredulous. This guy had been sniping at the other constantly, how was this going to be a surprise?

"Hey, you! Fluffy!" Killer made his way over to the fluffy skeleton, offering the hand with a hidden knife to shake. "So, I'm Killer, and you are...?"

…

Maybe Cross had it easy with Chara. This guy was an idiot.

"... Wanna shake my hand?" Killer waved his hand around a bit, trying to get the others attention. "Ya have ta use your hand..."

Cross definitely had it easier with Chara. This guy was awful.

"I could go first, Bruh?" Epic turned to Cross, who stared back blankly before silently nodding. "Gotcha!"

"How come he gets a response." Killer pouted, dropping his hand but keeping the knife in place.

"Cause Bruh and Dude!"

"That- That doesn't mean anything?!"

Epic gasped, a hand to his mouth. "Blasphemous!"
Cross blinked slowly. Going from a white void to... this. It sure was something. Something that Cross wanted nothing to do with.

"Dramatic drumroll!" Epic wiggled his fingers, his coat flowing behind him dramatically. "I'm Epic, King o' memes!" Epic smothered a laugh at the dark look he got from a certain octopus. "A totally earned title through sugar and spice."

Killer stared at him. "Right..." Turning back to his intended target, Killer regained his enthusiasm and jutted out his hand for a handshake again. "And you are...?"

Cross blinked at the outstretched hand, a small smirk worming its way to the surface. "...Cross." He shook the hand. "...You used the wrong hand."

Killer blinked once, twice, and thrice as Cross released his hand, turning to look between his hands.

The knife had been in the other one...

"Aw."

"Moving on." Nightmare re-centered the group to prevent Killers thoughts from festering and taking a violent turn, drawing everyone's attention to the final individual, the lone human.

"Chara." Chara pulled at the edges of her hoodie, mind racing as she thought back on her discussions with Stretch and Classic. "I'm... the judge."

"Ooooh, I know who you are!" Ink knocked the side of his skull with a laugh. "You're from Storyshift. No wonder it was hard to tell, there's like... two to three versions of your world all under the same name, kinda similar, kinda not. It's a bit of a weird one."

"Good for you." Chara nodded, hands curling into fists. Storyshift, huh. How ironic.

"Yeah yeah, good for you." Killer placed his hands on his hips, shoulders tense as his annoyance leaked out of him, and was lethargically consumed by Nightmare. "I'm not callin' ya that, so pick a nickname like the rest of us."

"Well, it is my name." Chara glared at him defensively. "How would I even have a nickname, I just found out about these alternates and my own worlds name."
"Liar." Killer hissed, backing off when he noticed Nightmares watchful gaze return its focus unto him. "Just pick somethin'."

"... fine." Chara straightened her back, sending Frisk a silent apology for somewhat stealing their nickname. "I'll just use Shift."

"Great!" Killer grinned venomously. "Wasn't so hard, ey?"

The newly dubbed Shift shot him a glare, pointedly turning away.

"Well now that that's done," Ink spoke loudly, drawing a wince from Shift, "Do we all just sit down, or what?"

"The note explained frighteningly little." Nightmare cupped his cheek loosely, tentacles swishing playfully behind him. "A shame."

Epic abruptly grinned, feet slamming against the carpeted floor loudly as he dragged a reluctant Cross to the sofa closest to the stairs. "C'mon, c'mon, c'mon."

Cross dragged his feet as Epic flopped into the middle of the sofa, Cross gingerly sitting on the skeletons right. Weirdo.

This movement between the two led to a still, silent moment that was shattered in a mess of clambering to reach the sofas.

Nightmare used his tendrils to swiftly occupy the sofa furthest from the stairs and beside the kitchen, stretching out his legs to take up a modest amount of space, suitable for a king.

Dust, meanwhile, took three solid steps back until his legs hit the back of the middle sofa, allowing him to immediately collapse in the middle, safely securing a seat without trouble.

Only for Ink to occupy the space to his left a second later, causing him to shift further to the right and wonder if he'd just made a grave mistake.

Shift watched all this and sidestepped Killer making a funny expression at Nightmare to slide into the seat to Epics left, giving a reluctant wave to her two new seatmates.

"Boss~" Killer hopped his way closer, grin splittingly wide.

Raising a brow, Nightmare rested his chin on his hand. "So long as you stay to the corner, you may."

Snickering, Killer took the offered spot, pouting when Nightmare kicked him for sitting an inch too close, only to turn and grin at Dust, who was technically sitting next to him, if only from a different sofa.

While he couldn't care less about this future shindig, Killer would take his sweet time in getting as much amusement out of this as he could.

Now that you've all finished reading this fun test run, please may you provide me with your feedback on the current portrayal of the characters and writing!

This won't update for a bit, and any updates I have on progress will most likely be posted in the first story of this series.

With everyones help, I'll do my best to refine this into a suitable story for you.
Thank you for reading!