Warnings: Torture/child abuse in this chapter.
Chapter 30: Grieving
For the rest of the day, Aster was holed up in his lab. Sans left him to brood in there. It couldn't have been easy on him.
Still what were they going to do now. Arial had taken care of him and his brother. With her gone, he'd have to make sure Papyrus dressed, ate and went to school.
Papyrus had immediately caught on to his brother's behavior when he dropped by to pick him up after school.
"SANS, ARE YOU ALRIGHT?" Papyrus asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine."
Papyrus noticed the sides of his mouth held in a frown.
"SANS, WHAT'S WRONG?"
"Nothing's wrong, Papyrus. I'm fine."
"YOU'RE LYING."
"No I'm not."
"YOU'RE FROWNING. YOU NEVER FROWN UNLESS SOMETHING IS BOTHERING YOU."
"Haha, i guess it was kinda of obvious wasn't it, bro?"
"WHY DO YOU LOOK SO SAD?"
"Mom left yesterday."
"OH IS THAT WHY YOU PICKED ME UP FROM SCHOOL? WHEN IS SHE GOING TO RETURN?"
"She's not. She went on vacation and she's never coming back."
"DOES SHE HATE US IS THAT WHY SHE LEFT? THAT'S OKAY, SHE'LL RETURN ONE DAY. SHE CAN'T HATE US FOR LONG. THE GREAT PAPYRUS IS IRRESISTABLE."
"Haha, thanks bro."
The two headed back at the house.
Papyrus looked around.
"WHERE'S SUZY?"
"Don't know. Haven't seen her since yesterday."
"I HOPE SHE DIDN'T LEAVE EITHER."
"I wouldn't worry about it. She'll probably appear sooner or later."
Later that evening, Aster walked out of his lab into the kitchen.
"Where's dinner?" he snapped.
"Dinner?" Sans asked.
"Yes dinner. Someone has to fix it. It isn't gonna fix itself or do you want me to starve?"
"No I-"
"Then get to work. It's the least you could do after you lost that other specimen."
"Sorry."
"It doesn't matter. I'll just have to replicate the results."
"Replicate the results? What are you talking about? Did you see what that injection of determination did to that monster? It melted it."
"It prolonged their life. It has to mean something."
"What about them? Do they get the choice? We don't even know if they feel pain. Dad, be reasonable."
"Don't call me that. You lost that privilege the moment you let your mother die and you dare give me a lecture on morality. You're an embarrassment to me."
Sans flinched. Even if his father was still grieving he couldn't let him do it.
He followed him in the lab. Aster was preparing the syringe with the fluid.
On the bed next to him was another fallen horse monster.
"Wait! Stop! Don't do it."
Aster ignored him and injected the monster with determination. Sans lunged for him trying to lodge the syringe out of his hand but it was too late.
Instead he pushed Aster and the syringe clattered on the ground.
Aster looked down at it before turning to Sans.
"Is that anyway to treat a subject of the king. You need to learn respect."
"Da-"
Aster punched him across his face knocking him back against a bedside table and he slumped to the floor.
Sans looked at his dad with dialated eye lights.
The pain only seconds afterwards.
He clutched his skull in agony.
Slowly he got up.
"Back for some more. I'd gladly do it again."
Sans flinched before quickly heading out but before he could move, Aster grabbed him by his coat.
"Where do you think you're going? Going to tell your brother what happened? He wouldn't believe you," Aster said. "Besides you'd be far more useful here. I can't have you sabotaging my experiments whenever you want to be a hero."
Suddenly the syringe was in Sans' hand. Aster had grabbed it to make sure he couldn't release it.
"What are you doing?"
Aster's magic had moved him forward against his will towards another one of the beds.
This time it was a fish monster.
"Looks like that monster is thirsty. You won't let them suffer for their thirst will you?"
"Stop! Don't."
Sans was fighting against Aster's restraint.
Finally however Aster was able to force Sans' hand to inject the monster.
Sans looked horrified.
Later that same day, Mettablook had gone back up to the surface to visit his friends.
"It's been a while since you've stopped by. I bet you already heard about the concert on Saturday," Kat said.
"As a matter of fact, I did," Mettablook said.
"Kat, I'm heading out," Ghost said.
Mettablook narrowed her eyes shyly.
"So have you asked him out yet?"
Kat hissed.
"Shh, shh, I'm working on it."
"I don't see what you're so scared of. I'll even practice with you."
"You mean like a date?"
"Of course. Why don't you take me to your favorite restaurant."
Kat nodded.
"It's just around the corner if you don't mind walking or whatever you do."
The two left the apartment and walked until they were at a fast food restaurant named Cindy's.
Once they were inside they took a seat towards the front of the restaurant.
"Order anything you like on the menu."
"What's that?"
"You mean that hamburger?"
"Is that what it is? It looks like a bun with some kind of filling in the middle. Is there more to this hamburger?"
"They usually add lettuce, pickle and tomatoes but this is a special kind of burger."
"How do they make these burgers?" With sequins and glue?"
"That's not far off from the real thing but they are very good though."
"Then I'd like to try this burger."
"Alright then."
Kat got up from his seat and spoke to the woman behind the counter.
Mettablook caught sight of the television with the flat screen towards the back of the restaurant.
"In recent news this will be the 100th Monster Fighting Tournament. It's an event honoring the steady alliance between humans and monsters. Fifty humans and monster participate in this tournament to see who is the strongest. There's been concerns by the MCA that this tournament is life threatening to the monster population however Frank N. Stein, the moderator of the tournament assures that all participants wear an HP modulator assuring that neither participant can kill the other in battle. There's been tough times since Roger Douglas the long time running champion of this tournament was killed in a shark attack along with his daughter eleven years ago."
"I see that monster tournament caught your eye," Kat said, coming back with their order.
"How do those neck devices work?"
"You mean the HP modulators. They're mostly used to track monsters on the surface in case they get in trouble by the law. Most of the time they remain in a locked off district from humans. It's not literally locked off I heard certain humans can see the barrier. No human is allowed to enter them though it prevents humans from going that far. Any human going past this barrier though is free to get devoured by the monsters though I'm pretty sure some monsters are looking out for humans. A monster who had devoured a human soul can't leave the district though or they'll be killed on sight. We heard they are special kinds of humans who guard the district too."
"Love to meet them sometime. So what are you going to tell Ghost next time you see him."
"Er-I-"
"You're hopeless."
Some thirty minutes had passed before the fish monster had woken up in the lab. She was surprised by the sight of two skeletons.
One was tall and lanky while the other one was short. Both were wearing lab coats.
"What's going on? What am I doing here? Where's Shyren?"
"Calm down. You're fine."
"I'm not fine. Where's my sister?"
"Who's Shyren?" Sans asked.
"She's my sister. We lived together in Waterfall."
"Don't worry you'll see your sister again I'll make sure of it," Aster said.
"Are you serious?" Sans asked.
"Yeah, I just need to run a few tests."
"Tests?"
"Can we at least bring her sister over to come visit her first?" Sans asked.
"Not right the minute maybe later."
She growled. Her voice notably lower than it was before.
"What? What's happening? What did you do to me?"
She tried to summon up her magic.
"Ah, ah, cooperate now like a good subject."
He summoned forth a cage with his magic opening it and stuffing her melting body inside. With his magic he looked the cage.
"Aster!"
Aster turned to Sans and with his magic hurled him out of the lab.
Later that evening after Papyrus was put to bed, Aster exited the lab just as Sans headed back downstairs.
"You're still up? Good. We need to have a little chat."
"About what?"
"That little stunt you tried to pull earlier. If you tell anyone about what happened, you could kiss this life goodbye. Without money, you two will have nothing. I'll tell Papyrus what a bad brother you are. He wouldn't want to hear how you tried to kill me, what would he think about you then?"
"I didn't-"
Aster grinned.
"He doesn't know that though."
Sweat beaded down Sans' skull.
It had become routine to visit Kat on the weekends. One of those days, Mettablook had stopped by Kat's place just as he was leaving.
"Did I come at a bad time?"
"I just got a call from my friend, Nacho Pecks. She needed a favor."
"Can I come too?"
"Uh I don't know. He doesn't have what you call restraint."
Kat lead her to what looked to be a bar.
When they stepped into the bar however there were crowds of people waiting by a large stage. The lights had gone out once they had sat down.
"Is this a show?"
"In a matter of speaking."
The red curtains on stage parted and a group of men did a strip tease.
One of the men began removing their tie and doing a pole dance and the crowd went wild.
"How crude. Is this a normal thing for a human to do."
"Haha, that would be cool if that were true."
After the dance was over, Mettablook followed Kat into a room in the back.
"Where are we going?" She asked.
"Meeting up with Nacho Pecks."
Kat knocked on one of the stage doors.
"Come in," a deep husky voice came from the other side.
Kat came in followed by Mettablook.
"Who's this? I thought you'd come alone."
"Well he is along if I'm dead. Get it because I'm a ghost."
"What did you want to talk to me about."
"Nothing I just thought we could spend this time to talk."
His hand reached out to grab Kat's.
"Darling, I don't think so. Dear Kat already's taken."
Nacho smirked.
"Jealous?"
"I can understand the need to compensate but I don't go for the first man I see unless I know they're interested."
Kat look confused.
Mettablook chuckled.
"What's going on?"
"Does he know you dress up like a man?" Mettablook asked.
Nacho blushed.
"How did you know that?" Kat asked.
"I know. Let's just say I have a radar for those kind of things. What happened, dearie? You look a little out of sorts."
"It's been hard living on my own. I was lucky to even get this job. NO one would hire a person with a face like mine. I was told my face don't attract business. Some other women helped me apply some makeup. It almost looks like I can pass as an atractive man doesn't it?"
Mettablook snorted.
"I got in an accident, a lab accident. I was once a scientist believe it or not. There was this lab where we experimented on human DNA to create an ultimate superhuman soldier. The lab however was closed down after the explosion happened. There were hundred of humans left without a home. I left before I could see what happened. Mr Burnes helped me get a new job in case I came into any real danger."
Nacho wiped the makeup off her face with a clean rag.
Mettablook shrieked at the sight of her.
Her face was scared with a large dent where her left cheekbone would be and skin blocked out her barely visible blue eyes.
"It's ok if you want to laugh," Nacho said.
"No I'm just shocked and a little horrified. It must have been so painful."
To not be accepted for what she looked like, it had been painful.
There were times where Mettablook had felt worthless but Napstablook had always been there for her.
It was then Mettablook heard Kat's cellphone go off. Kat clicked a button.
"Hello?"
"I fixed dinner for you. I put it in the fridge."
Kat blushed.
"Thank you."
"So Kat, are you still having that concert next Saturday?" Nacho asked.
"Who's that?" Ghost asked.
Kat flushed with embarrassment.
"It's none of your business," he snapped.
Mettablook was confused until she remembered what Nacho had said and why he had wanted to keep it a secret.
She let out an exasperated sigh.
"Just tell him how you feel."
"Is that Mettablook? What's she talking about?" Ghost asked.
"Ghost, I love you. I thought you'd hate me."
"Since when have you cared about my opinion. You've always done what you wanted in spite of the consequence. I've always like that about you. You could have called the authorities on Mettablook. It's illegal to interact with a monster unless you keep them as a pet. It didn't stop you though."
"I crossdress. I love dressing up in drag."
"Hey I won't judge you for it. You're great."
"You mean you know?"
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"You went to my concerts didn't you? That's how you knew."
Ghost chuckled.
"Thank you."