{You're going to kill yourself.}
"I'll save before I do anything." I sighed, setting my device on the table and turning to face the door and walking, placing my mask over my face before I end up getting myself into trouble.
"You have nothing to gain from this." The demon spoke in a bored tone as I stepped out of the lab, making way for the checkpoint, "Hell, I doubt you'll go through with this for long."
"You don't know me." I huffed, swatting at the glowing yellow before returning to the lab.
"Oh, I think I know more about you than you know about yourself."
"Ah, but you're forgetting." I laughed, folding my arms over my chest as the lab door opened once again, "It's just as you said; I'm a lot more determined than you."
"Very much so," They let out a dark chuckle, making sure I was aware of them swimming around my subconscious, "but such DETERMINATION could easily be whittled down. Even if this works, and even if you do get me to stop, you'll give up sooner or later. I won't even have to do anything. You'll become a husk! A shell of someone who once lived."
I just bit my lower lip, grabbing onto the device and throwing my mask to the ground. It shattered on impact, shards flying in all directions.
"Oh, giving me the silent treatment now, aren't you?"
"Please just be quiet." I sighed, sticking little suction cups against my body.
{Right this way.} Gaster motioned to a door. It led to a closed off room, walls of concrete and a window of bulletproof, one-way glass at the west.
He shut the door behind me.
"Well, here we are." They laughed.
"I'm going to give you the opportunity to give up, now." I sighed, holding the remote in my left.
"Lemme think about that." They mused, "How about no?"
I turned the dial to the lowest setting, pressing down on the button.
"Ach!" They let out a quiet yelp. That didn't hurt them enough.
"C'mon, mate. In no way do I wanna zap the ever living hell out of you."
"But you're prepared to." A dark chuckle filled the room, "That's why you SAVED, isn't i-" Another shock, powerful enough to make myself flinch. They screeched, forcing a smile to my face. This is a setting we can spend a little time on.
"I SAVED incase something happens on the outside." I laughed, seating myself in the center of the room, "I'm not too concerned in this regard."
"What's the point?" The laughter continued from the creatine, "It doesn't matter if it's be my hands or not. Humans tend to live about a decade longer than monsters." They stopped for a moment, "Except Mother and Father... and them."
"Them?" I set the remote down next to me, "Who's them?"
"Oh, like I'd tell you." Another zap.
"Listen, Kiddo, I have all the time in the world. I don't care if I end up dedicating my entire life to controlling you."
"I think you do."
"Damn." I chuckled, cranking the power up one more level before letting my finger hover over the big, red button, "It really sounds like you're asking to have a bad time."
"Oh, this'll stop eventually."
"Alright." I sighed, "Who's this 'them?' How many?"
"Just two." A quiet giggle, "Distant Cousins, in fact. Didn't know each other until the younger was abandoned."
"I'm gonna need more information than that." I laughed, lying down on the ground as I put the remote on my stomach, "Do I know them?"
"I'm sorry. There's no more information available for the likes of you."
"Oh, I'm sorry. Did I give you the impression that you had a choice in this." I held my sides, feeling as if I were being torn apart through my laughter, "That wasn't even a hard question. I think you'd like the results more if you'd just answer me."
"Um... How about no?"
Another jolt, this one a lot more painful.
"Aster!" It hissed, speaking through grit teeth.
"What does Gaster have to do with this?"
"I said... Aster... you idiot..." It wheezed, "Maybe you should ask the royal scientist about what happened to him." They gave me a low chuckle, "Ask him how he got that crack at the right side of his skull, too."
"Why would I ask him if I have you to answer everything?" I laughed, standing back up. I need to keep moving.
"Well, that's because I have a tight lid on everything I say." They lacked the confidence that their words once oozed, "You're not going to hear a single thing I don't want you to hear."
"Well then, I'm going to have to try harder." I clicked my tongue, teeth clenching in frustration as I paced the room, "Now, who exactly are you... or perhaps were you."
"You tell me." I could feel them give me a shrug, "You know all you need to know of me."
"Yeah, yeah. First human to fall. Very fucking poetic, Kid, but I want to know everything."
"You could get more about everything from Wingding." They laughed.
"Nah. I think I'll ask him later. Tell me everything, now."
"You don't scare m-"
I fell to my knees, the shock forcing my muscles to contract.
"God DAMN, that burns!" They spoke in seething anger.
"Then how about you start talking."
"NEVER!" They hissed.
I felt my jaw clench, completely against my will as the remote was forced away from my hand.
I lunged forward, quickly turning up on the dial and hammering on the button.
I remember the remote shattering, and my vision immediately going black.
~LOAD~
I awoke at my saving point, my head beginning to swim with thoughts of trail one.
"God, damn." I laughed, standing up and brushing myself off, "What? You not gonna greet me with a 'good morning?'"
No answer.
"Did I just learn how to make a demon unconscious?" I folded my arms over my torso, walking toward the laboratory, "Or are you being considerate enough to give me some quiet? You're giving me time to do something, aren't ya?" I allowed a chuckle to escape me, my eyes closing for a short moment, "Do you really think you're in control? Manipulation's not going to work on me."
Silence.
"Well," I spoke in a low growl as the lab doors opened, "two can play at that game."
{Are you alright?} Gaster watched as I trudged to the table.
"Peachy." I huffed, taking my mask off. I looked down at it, eyes following every curve, hole, and divot, "I... just broke this." I stopped walking, turning the plaster structure, "No... Wait." I looked up at Gaster, the skeleton watching me.
{Is something the matter?}
"How..." I bit my tongue for a moment, all focus directed toward the crack over his right eye, "Never mind." I cannot give into the demon.
I took my notebook and pen and began to write.
"Gast?" I lifted my head up only a little, the question still hanging on my tongue.
He just watched me, waiting for whatever I had to say.
"Who... was Aster?"
He stiffened for a moment, the name catching him off guard.
{He is a sibling of mine. Why do you ask?} He held his hands at his waist, making himself appear bigger.
"They... mentioned them and told me to ask you." My words came out hesitant, like I knew whether or not I wanted the answer.
{Perhaps we could speak of this another day.}
"He's withholding information from you." The voice in my head whispered to me, beckoning me to fall.
"What about that crack in your skull?" I tapped my right eyebrow, "How did that happen?"
{I fell as a child and broke.} He spoke slower than usual, eyes narrowing at the sight of me.
"Ask him of the experimentation." There words seemed nearly hypnotizing, every syllable enticing me.
"What about... No." I ducked my head, picking up the device and sticking the suction cups to my skin.
"No?" They laughed, "I'm sorry. Don't you want that informa-"
I turned the dial too quickly, immediately pushing the button.
Our screams merged into one, any other sounds in the area becoming foreign.
The shock was over by the time I was able to pry my eyes open. With knees at my chest, and hands covering my ears, I couldn't see much more than the floor.
"Alright... Alright..." They croaked, "I-I'll bite. Just... please... stop with the electrocution."
"I'm not sure I can trust you." I wheezed, pushing my body up as my hands searched the remote. My vision was black at the edges, making it seem impossible to maneuver.
"That's right. You're not sure." Feet appeared in front of me, tapping anxiously, "How can you trust me? I'm a murderer, right? I've given you absolutely no reason... but you do have the upper hand." Small, fat fingers reached out to me, "I'll see you when you wake up, Bry."
The figure was the first thing to go, shattering and dissipating into everything around me.
First time stopped, then the colors dissolved into nothingness. Finally, were the shapes of what once was unraveling until everything was white... and then it was black.
~LOAD~
All I knew was I was lying on the ground. My whole body felt unusually heavy.
When I opened my eyes, I could feel the entire world collapse around me.
"Morning, Mister Pennston~" The demon mused, looming over me with their fists at their hips, "Now, I gotta admit Bry, no one has ever bested me, but you've done it. My hat goes down to you, when I get one, of course."
"H-how do you-"
"I'm all in your brain." They shoved their hand through their head, as if to prove a point, "And I'd advise you not seem like a lunatic." The corners of their lips curled, taking the form of a maniac grin, "No one else can see me."
I threw my body up, making way for the lab.
"Wait." I stopped, quickly turning my shoulder to only find them inches away. They looked to be about four foot three, just five inches shorter than myself, "How did you do that?"
"How did I do what?" They looked down at their fingers, a bored expression across their face, "The LOAD?"
"Yeah. You're not in control." I narrowed my eyes to then, fists balling at my sides.
They quickly glanced at me before returning to their hand, "Bry, the only reason you can do that is because of me. For that reason is why it'd be absolutely worthless to rid yourself of me." They let out a chuckle, "Though you are right. I'm not in control. I only could've done that because you wanted to LOAD. You're so bent on the idea that we can get along." Their head shot up as they glared at me, "Understand this is more of a mutual agreement. I give you all the information you need, and you won't shock the everliving shit outta me."
"Please stop calling me that?" I huffed, continuing my tread to the lab, "Down here, my name is Sans, and I would much rather not be called by any other."
"Well,"
"Shut up."
"Alright."
The same routine as the first iteration. The lab doors open, the suction cups are put against my skin, and Gaster stands by the door to allow me in.
"Not this time, buddy." I sighed, rolling the sweater over my exposed skin and turning the remote off before stuffing it into my pocket, "We've got it under-wraps. This is just a precautionary." I pat my stomach for a moment, fingertips tapping against one of the suction cups.
{Are you sure of that?} He folded his arms over his chest.
The demon stood next to him, mimicking his posture as they gave me a nod.
"Yeah." I yawned, stretching out my arms, "And lemme tell ya, I'm exhausted! I hadta've died a few times... And the shouting! My throat just hurts thinking of it. Honestly, we've got it settled."
"Overcompensating much, Sansy?" The creature laughed at me, a wicked grin plastered to their lips.
{Alright.} The skeleton let out a hesitant sigh, closing the door next to him, {We'll go home once you're ready.} And he walked away, probably to grab his things.
"Aw, don't give me the cold shoulder." They laughed as I reached for my jacket, holding it close.
I narrowed my eyes to the beast, able to feel my fingers twitch in annoyance, "I'm gonna trust you on this, but that doesn't make us square. You have some explaining to do once we get home."
"Yes, Mom." They groaned, seating themselves on the floor, "You don't have to tell me twice."
"You know," I sighed, resulting to putting the jacket on. Waterfall's not that far from here, "it feels good to have the upper-hand. Usually the best I get's a stalemate."
"Well congratulations." They clapped very slowly for me, "Can we get going, now?"
"Yeah." I sighed, turning my head over my shoulder, "Ready when you are, Gast!"
That walk home resulted as the most awkward I've experienced in years. All Chara did was stare at me, grinning like the Cheshire Cat.