Warning: Suicidal themes/implied attempted suicide in this chapter.
Chapter 40: I Need A Hero
Red had been staying with Undyne for a couple of weeks before she stirred.
She glanced around the house in confusion.
"I see you're finally awake.
"Where am I and who are you?" she asked.
"Name's Undyne and I guess your name's Red."
"How do you know that?"
"You were muttering in your sleep."
Red clutched her head as she got up.
"Ugh, my head."
"Are you hungry?" Undyne asked.
"Yeah."
"I hope you like spaghetti."
"What's spaghetti?"
Undyne grinned.
"Haha, you're in for a treat."
After Undyne was finished there was a knock on the door.
"Red, can you get that?"
Red got up and opened the door and saw it was a tall skeleton.
"It's a tall skeleton.."
Undyne gritted her teeth.
"PAPYRUS, YOU'RE LATE FOR YOUR TRAINING."
"I'M SORRY."
"No slacking off."
Red shrugged and let him in.
"Hi, what's your name?" Red asked.
Papyrus introduced himself.
"I'M TRAINING TO JOIN THE ROYAL GUARD."
"Really you might want to wait after you've been completely healed, squirt," Undyne said.
Red frowned.
"I'm fine. I'm sure I've had worse. I do have a fancy sword. Maybe I was a fencer in a past life."
"YOU WANT TO TRAIN IN THE FRONT YARD."
"Don't burn my dummy."
Papyrus and Red walked outside.
Red took out her sword and had it held out in front of her.
"Ready to play," she asked making fancy movements.
"WOW, HOW DID YOU DO THAT?"
Red looked bewildered.
"What? You mean the sword? I guess it comes naturally."
"MUMMY MEMORY?"
"Sounds like it would be muscle memory."
Papyrus swiftly dodged her sword.
Her magic conjured paper thin string and Red flew balancing on it.
She conjured more and suddenly it was everywhere.
"I wouldn't move or the cuts won't be pretty."
Papyrus conjured white bones and they were aimed at the string cutting through it like a knife.
"Huh? How did you-?"
"IT SHINES. YOU ALMOST HAD ME BUT I THINK YOUR MAGIC GAVE YOU AWAY."
Red smiled.
"You have good eyes."
"MY BROTHER, SANS TRAINED ME."
"He must be very strong."
Undyne snorted.
"Sans? He's a slacker. If he wasn't somewhat efficient I would have fired him a couple of weeks ago."
The phone rang in the lab again. She was tempted to unhook it but instead decided to avoid confronting it.
As she entered the lab, a white gooey substance appeared.
"AGHH"
She screamed backing away slowly.
The white creature almost looked like slenderman.
"A...A-Al..."
Their hand reached out for her.
Alphys immediately ran deeper into the lab into her shrine she had made for Asgore.
It contained the mug he had given her last week and the scarf she had received her first week of work.
"A-A"
The white creature seeped from underneath the door.
Alphys hid under the desk where she kept her research. The creature fiddled with something.
Glancing up, Alphys saw the creature sitting comfortably on a chair in the lab.
Just seeing them there made her heart sting.
Tears fell from the corners of her eyes. She collected one in her claw.
"why am I crying?"
The creature got up and wiped the tears from her face.
"oh it's no use. have you ever felt everything is so pointless? i don't think i can handle it anymore.
The creature reached for Alphys.
"do you need something?"
It tugged on Alphys and pulled her close embracing her.
"are you saying you'll miss me when i'm gone. that's sweet but i don't think i can handle it anymore."
Alphys chuckled glancing at the amalgamate sitting across from her. It pointed to it's ear.
"are you offering to listen to me? i don't know if you want to listen to my problems."
Still the creature didn't seem to make any move to leave. It simply pointed at it's ear as if eager to listen.
"alright then."
Alphys began to tell the creature all about the stress of following everyone's standards.
"after the king told me what to do i've been working on a way to break the barrier but with the failure of my experiments and everyone harping on me to return the fallen bodies it's been stressful. i can't return the bodies and even if i did, it's not like we really had a chance of leaving this place in the first place. i'm a failure."
She sighed.
"listen, do you think you can take care of everything when I'm gone?"
Alphys got up. The creature instantly grabbed her arm.
"i'm not leaving yet. i was just gonna make a call."
That evening at the skeletons' household, the phone rang. Papyrus picked up the phone.
"HELLO?"
"This is King Asgore. Can I speak with Sans?"
"CERTAINLY."
Papyrus headed upstairs and knocked on his brother's door.
"SANS, THE KING WANTS TO TALK TO YOU."
"can't it wait?"
"THE KING SAYS IT'S IMPORTANT."
Sans opened the door and Papyrus handed him the phone.
"hello?"
"Sans, you're here that's good. I'm a little worried about Alphys."
"alphys? what happened?"
"She isn't answering her phone. It's not like her."
"sh-t."
"Excuse me for a moment. Someone's talking to me."
Faintly Sans could overhear someone talking with the king.
"Howdy, is there a reason you have stopped by?" Asgore asked.
"Yes, I have something to report sir. You told me to drop by the lab to check up on her and she wasn't there. So I asked around. Someone told me she was heading for the dump."
"Sans are you still there?" Asgore spoke over the phone.
"yeah. i heard you talking with that guy."
"I guess you heard then?"
"yeah. she's heading to waterfall right?"
"That's right."
"undyne lives nearby doesn't she?"
"You can teleport though can't you?"
"i don't think i'd be able to stop her. undyne might be the person she needs. call her, tell her to meet her."
"She'll kill me if it she misses out on her daily training."
"don't you mean krill ya?"
Asgore sighed.
"just make up an excuse or something. tell her you're hitching her up for a blind date or something."
"WHAT?!"
"well gotta go sentry duty, see ya," Sans said before hanging up.
Undyne grumbled as she walked through the dump trying to find a cool sword at the top of Waterfall.
"They better be hot or I'm never letting him set me up again."
At the edge of the Waterfall, a yellow reptile looked to be gazing down below.
"Hello."
She turned.
"h-hello."
Undyne glanced below.
"It's a long drop isn't it?"
Alphys chuckled.
"wonder where it ends."
"Um, you want to come by my place. You look like your freezing."
"oh really? i didn't notice."
"If you need someone to talk to, I'll listen. You looked so lonely. It would be sad if you disappeared when there are people capable of loving you."
Alphys chuckled, her tears falling into the abyss.
It became a habit to visit Undyne after that. Mettaton came by the next week.
"HEY ALPHYS, I NEED A FAVOUR FROM YOU. YOU SEE I NEED A PICTURE FOR THE COVER OF MY NEW MOVIE."
"i'm a little busy. i was just going to visit Undyne."
"UNDYNE? I SEE IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE I'VE SEEN HER. SHE WAS SUCH A SWEET AND BEAUTIFUL GIRL."
"you knew her?"
"WELL YEAH, WE WERE NEIGHBORS."
"you want to come with me then?"
"OF COURSE, DARLING."
Alphys and Mettaton headed south of the lab where the river person lurked.
"So where are you two headed?"
"w-waterfall," Alphys said.
"All aboard."
Alphys and Mettaton boarded the boat.
"So are you visiting the fish lady again?"
Alphys blushed.
Mettaton gazed at her in curiosity.
The two got off.
"YOU LIKE HER, DON'T YOU?"
"M-Mettaton, I-I- can you keep it a secret?"
Mettaton winked.
"AH DON'T YOU TRUST ME?"
Alphys sighed.
"just follow my lead."
Mettaton followed Alphys intently.
She knocked on Undyne's door.
"it's alphys."
Undyne answered it.
She look surprised to see Mettaton.
"Who's that?"
"you mean the robotic rectangle behind me? that's my friend, mettaton. i'm sorry he came by on such short notice."
After Alphys was inside, Undyne slammed the door in his face.
"Oops, I'm sorry I didn't see you there," she said.
'LIAR,' Mettaton thought.
She opened the door and let him in.
Mettaton caught sight of the piano at the corner of the room.
'GORGEOUS.'
"DARLING DOES THAT PIANO BELONG TO YOU?" Mettaton asked Undyne, who sat by the piano.
"Yeah."
"IT'S THE PERFECT PLACE FOR MY MODELING SHOT. CAN I BORROW IT?"
"Knock yourself out."
"Perfect."
He sprawled on the piano holding a red rose in their hand.
"ALPHYS DO YOU HAVE THE CAMERA READY?"
Alphys jerked her gaze from where Mettaton and Undyne were.
"oh yeah."
Undyne rolled her eyes.
Mettaton began removing the rose petals one by one each of them dropping onto the keys.
Alphys took a picture.
"ANOTHER ONE."
This had been nearly an all day thing if her stomach hadn't started growling.
"Alphys, have you ate yet?" Undyne asked.
Alphys blushed.
"i might have forgot."
"Then why don't I fix you some lasagna."
"well I am getting a little hungry."
"ME TOO," Mettaton said. "SHE COULD USE ALL THE HELP SHE COULD GET."
Undyne glared icily at them.
Once they were in the kitchen, Undyne took out some vegetables from the shelf.
"OH NO NO, DID YOU JUST TAKE SOME FRESH VEGETABLES OUT OF YOUR CUPBOARD. THAT ATTRACTS MOLD YOU KNOW. THAT'S WHY WE HAVE REFRIGERATORS. YOU DON'T WANT ALPHYS TO GET SICK DO YOU?"
"Do you have lips programmed to this contraption so I could shut your mouth?"
"NOW NOW," Mettaton said wagging their finger. "NOT IN FRONT OF ALPHYS."
Undyne sighed.
"MAKE YOURSELF USEFUL AND PREHEAT THE OVEN."
Undyne growled.
"I hate you," she murmured under her breath. "I can't believe she had a friend like you."
"DARLING DIDN'T SHE TELL YOU WHY SHE WANTED TO BE THE ROYAL SCIENTIST?" Mettaton asked. "SHE HAS A CRUSH ON KING ASGORE AND I WAS BUILT TO HELP HER GET CLOSER TO HIM. I'M LOVE BAIT AND YOU'RE THE SECOND CHOICE, MISSY."
Undyne growled.
"I will murder you."
Undyne dropped by the lab the next week. She saw Alphys watching something very bizarre.
"Is that a cartoon?"
Alphys jolted.
"er no it's a, it's a scientific, it's a show on scientific discoveries."
"They look like they're riding some flying contraption."
"it's an airship. this guy visits these areas around the world battling these monsters who attack the villages. he has this big sword and everything."
"Is that what they have on the surface? That's so cool. So even the surface has heroes. Is that why you watch it?"
"no to me it's when the human reflects on everything they did and try to make amends to the people they hurt. it's strange how much people were affected by what happened, even if their village wasn't the one destroyed by the monsters."
Undyne sighed.
"everything wasn't the same but with the efforts of the hero it ends on a happy note."
Red dropped in the next morning to watch tv. Mew Mew Kissy Cutie 2 was already inside.
"Red?" Undyne called to her.
Her face heated up at what she was doing.
"Oh no, Alphys left her DVDs here again," Undyne said.
She gathered them in her hands.
"Um, can you do me a favour? Can you deliver these to Alphys," she asked handing them to Red. "Since it's on the way, I kind of need some groceries."
"Sure."
Undyne handed her a grocery list.
"I'm counting on you," she said with a wink.
Red headed to Hotland.
As she was heading out of the grocery store, she saw two familiar monsters holding four paper bags in their hands.
"Hey don't you two work for the royal guard?"
"Yeah dude, I always see you at the meetings," RG01 said. "I'm sorry we've never talked, I never could find the right opportunity."
Red glanced at RG02.
"Hey."
"RG02, doesn't talk much."
Red was struck with curiosity.
"Why?"
"Nothing much to say," he said simply.
"So where are you headed? You look like you were just shopping."
"I was. Undyne wanted me to pick up some groceries and deliver these DVDs to Alphys.
"You look like you'd fit right into the royal guard so why doesn't Undyne let you join?"
Red grinned.
"I have to earn it. I feel I'm too weak. I lost all my memories and whoever made me like this obviously kicked my a-s pretty hard and I wanna be ready when they attack."
"If you're headin' to Alphys' let us join ya, dude. We have to head to Undyne's after we drop off our gear."
"Oh that's what in the bag. I thought you might have just got through grocery shopping."
RG01 avoided her eyes.
"Nah, dude. We've been avoiding the grocery stores lately."
"I see."
At around the same time, a boy with short reddish brown hair wearing a green shirt with a single yellow stripe, awoke to the feeling of intense pain from where his chest and stomach were.
'At least my bed's comfy.'
He looked down and saw someone lying down on top of him.
"Who the hell-?"
'Where am I?'
His fingers stroked his forehead trying to remember. Everything however was fuzzy.
He looked around and saw he had awoke in a dark cave of some sort.
"Do you remember what happened?" a voice asked.
"Who was that?" The boy asked.
"You don't need to worry I won't harm you but if you're thinking of touching a hair on that human it won't end well for you."
"Why do you think I intend to harm them?"
"Well you're not exactly human are you?"
"Huh? What do you mean by that? Of course I'm human."
Having said that though it was apparent from looking down at his hands that he could see through them.
As far as he could remember humans didn't have hands that were see through.
"What happened to me?"
"Isn't it obvious you died?"
"You seem to know alot about me? Do I know you from somewhere?"
"Not at all. I just happen to know your name through a little research. Your name is Chara."
"Cara? That's a girl's name," Chara said.
"I'm not the one who named you. There are other things to worry about other than the origins of your name. You need to help that human escape from here. It's not safe."
Chara snorted.
"What does he have to fear? This place doesn't even have a living soul in it."
"I'm not talking about that. Are you willing to gamble that this place won't collapse from above you? If this place isn't being inhabited that means that no human has been down here to ensure it's stable."
"Oh? I see. So I just have to help that human out of here then?"
"Yes."
"Ok."
"I'll check in from time to time to guide you. Just call me when you're lost and I'll do my best to help you."
"Who should I call for?"
"Down here I am called 'the player'."