Chapter 56: The Green Soul

"Rachel, wake up."

Someone was shaking her awake.

Frisk opened her eyes.

A familiar brown skinned boy with brown hair and brown eyes stood above her sporting an afro.

"S-Sam?"

"We gotta go. We can't stick around," Sam said, holding out his hand and pulling her to her feet.

Frisk looked around and it looked like they were in an abandoned building of some sort.

"Why?"

"They found us."

"Who?" Frisk asked.

Sam grabbed her hand and the two ran downstairs.

The stairs were in the shadows near the uncompleted part of the building where some windows stood. A group of men in black suits scouted the building.

Sam's hand covered her mouth and pulled her in the shadows.

"Shhh," he said.

Several minutes passed before, Sam finally spoke.

"Those guys are the same people that killed our parents."

"How do you know?"

Sam had never told her about Rachel nor his parents so she had always assumed they all died.

"I saw them before. They were some of dad's coworkers."

"What are they doing here?"

Sam pulled out a sheet of paper.

"This is the company he used to work for. Some kind of laboratory."

Frisk's eyes widened.

It was DMCR. What was Sam's affiliation with that organisation?

"I think they were doing some illegal experiments though. Something about cloning gifted children. We need to leave."

"How do you know they're after us? What makes you think they want us?"

"They don't want us. They want me. They were going to kill you if I didn't come quietly."

"Why did they kill our parents?"

Sam shrugged.

"I don't know and that's what worries me," he said.

The two left the building just as one of the suited men grabbed him by the arms.

Sam grunted, struggling out of the man's arms.

"Let me go."

"Let him go."

Frisk kicked him in the shins.

"You lil' brat."

When the man didn't let go she rammed into him causing him to release Sam.

Sam was about to run when man turned on her, grabbing a knife from his pocket and holding it to her neck.

"Move an inch and she dies."

"Rachel!"

"Don't worry about me. Just go," Frisk sputtered.

"No, we're siblings. We're supposed to look out for each other."

Frisk snorted.

"I can look out for myself."

Frisk elbowed him in the chest loosening his grip on the knife.

She grabbed the knife and turned kicking him onto the ground holding the knife to his neck.

"Why are you trying to kidnap my brother?" she asked.

"Dr Gaster requested us to bring him to the lab to conduct some experiment on him."

"What kind of experiments?"

"Mostly experiments testing his tolerance to pain and his endurance levels."

"Why would he do that?"

"I-I don't know. Please don't hurt me."

"People like you are scum."

She held the knife closer.

"I don't like people who use the ones I love against me."

"Rachel, stop it. Just let him go."

"Why? You know he will do it again."

Sam sighed.

"I don't want my sister to be a murderer."

Frisk removed the knife and sat up leaving the man to sigh with relief.

"You should leave or next time I won't be so generous."

The man struggled to his feet and ran off.

Sam walked up to Frisk.

"Hey are you alright?"

"Yeah."

"I'm glad you didn't kill him though I wouldn't have held it against you if you had."

"I wanted to," Frisk said. "It was tempting but I would have felt guilty."

Frisk recalled some things, Sans had told her.

"so you intend to kill anyone who is in your way?"

"Judge me how you will I don't have to answer to you."

"Then why are you looking away? Don't tell me you actually regret-"

'I'm not a murderer.'

He sound like he had more to say as if something about it personally disturbed him. Looking back on it, he avoided her eyes.

His voice while cold was said in a shaky voice as if it hurt him to even say it.

It's as if he didn't want to believe someone like her could be so mean.

'Tough luck, that's why you shouldn't trust anyone.'

So why did it seem like he was expecting better from her and that he had felt let down.

He ran off too as if so quick to accept her words at face value.

'That smug, condescending-'

Was this his attempt of reverse psychology, was he hoping that his words would make her change?

'Very unlikely and he probably knows that too.'

'Then I'll prove you wrong and that I can change. Then you won't be able to wallow in your own nihilism anymore.'

That was why she had continued trying to get by without killing anyone unless she absolutely had to.

It had been a trying task and even then she had still killed even more monsters out of survival more than anything else.

Sam took out a piece of paper from his pocket.

"Cr-p, your picture was torn."

"Picture?"

"Yeah, it was the picture of us with our parents."

Frisk was silent.

"I am very sorry."

"It's not your fault," Frisk said. "It was that idiot who did it."

Sam chuckled.

"It's my fault we're even out here though you could have applied to an art academy and could have learned to work as a professional.

"I suppose but surely you had dreams too?"

Sam snorted.

"Yeah, I've always wanted to be a musician but it just seems so impossible. You had more realistic dreams. I could have worked to earn the rest of your money."

Frisk snorted.

"Even if we both worked to get the amount. Would you be happy doing that for me?"

Sam nodded.

Frisk closed her eyes.

"You sound almost convincing."

Sam snorted.

"Well, let's go find shelter before it gets too dark."

Sam brought them inside a boarded two story house.

"I'll keep watch so get some sleep," Sam said.

"No, I've slept enough. I'll keep watch," Frisk said.

"Fine, if you say so."

Sam curled up on the floor and within minutes he was fast asleep.

As time drew on, Frisk stood alert when she smelt smoke.

Sniffing the air it seemed to be coming from below.

Frisk shook Sam awake.

"Rach, what is it?"

"I smell smoke so I'm gonna see where it's coming from."

"It's probably coming from outside."

"Well I'm gonna check it out. Wait here ok?" Frisk said before heading downstairs.

The smoke was thick.

Frisk covered her nose and was about to head back when she heard the sound of static past her ears.

She turned and saw a fracture in the smoke, darkness peering through.

A skeletal hand reached out of the darkness clutching her ankle. Frisk cried out.

"What the-let go."

Frisk tried to dislodge her foot.

"Rach, Rachel, where are you?" Sam asked.

The skeletal hand dragged her closer.

Frisk kicked it off.

"Is that the kind of behavior I'm to expect from the person I was trying to rescue?"

The voice sounded familiar.

"Sans?"

"Huh? Who's that? Do I know you?"

"I'm not sure. You sounded like someone I know."

The skeleton's face became visible.

"Do you recognise me then?"

The skull of the skeleton peering at her had a scar running down his left eye socket and on the top left side of his face.

The eye socket with the scar below contains what looked like a yellow glowing eye.

"Kinda though I've never seen a skeleton with a yellow eye before. Besides that you almost look like Sans in the face."

The skeleton shrugged.

"I don't really have a name though and even if I did I wouldn't remember."

"Well thanks for helpin' but I gotta get out of here."

"Well then see ya."

"Sam!" Frisk called out.

"Rach, there you are."

Sam grabbed her hand.

"Let's go."

The two headed outside, both of them coughing their lungs out.

"Huh, somehow I don't remember it ending like this," Sam said. "Still I'm glad you're alive this time."

"So you are aware that this is a dream then?" Frisk asked.

"Yeah."

"Well most of it is anyway. I mean I'm here," she said.

"Rach, you're not here. It's painful to taunt me like this."

"Well, it's good I'm not your sister then."

"Huh?" Sam asked in confusion. "Then who are you?"

Frisk chuckled.

"It's me, Frisk."

Sam snorted and turned away his arms folded.

"You're lying. There's no way Frisk would be here last I remember I fell underground. Frisk is still on the surface."

"I was but I fell down here. I was looking for someone before and I fell."

Sam turned.

"Really?"

"Then how are you here?"

"Don't know. Somehow I'm able to communicate through dreams. It's usually after I touch objects of some dead humans."

"So I'm dead, huh?"

Frisk nodded.

"You never told me your sister disappeared."

"No one believed me," Sam said. "They thought I killed her but no one ever found her corpse so I was let off the hook. There was the skeleton and the portal. I thought I saw her in the smoke before I passed out."

"That lab you mentioned, my mother also worked at that lab."

"Really?"

"Yeah, me and my mother went into hiding before she was killed in the fire. What's the deal with that place anyway?"

"Don't know but for some reason they wanted me."

"I was told not to utter a word about my mother or father's first name in case those men found me. Don't you think it's strange. It can't be coincidence that both of us can learn magic. No one I knew seemed to have the ability."

"You two really are alot alike. I can't even tell you apart."

"Sorry about the artwork. I know it must have been the only moment you had of your family."

Sam shrugged.

"It was destroyed anyway. You saw what happened. It happened almost exactly like that."

"Oh."

"Except my sister was the one reluctant to kill 'em. You were too. Why? It can't be something I said."

"I-I just thought someone might've been disappointed in me if I did."

"Oh really? Who?" Sam asked, his eyes narrowed suspiciously. "Is it a girl?"

"Not at all. It's a guy. A skeleton to be exact."

"Hmm, do you like him?"

"I don't know. He's an okay guy."

Sam chuckled.

"I didn't mean in a romantic way or anything. I meant like a friend but if you did like him that way. All I have to say to you is 'be careful.'

"Why?"

"Because I'd be a little worried about how they'd react to you on the surface.

"Is it because of my gender or because I'm a-"

"Well if they find out, they'd punish you but they'll punish you anyway. They don't take too kindly to people who leave. They'll make you do nasty things to prove your loyalty even making you steal a girl's innocence right in front of them."

"You look pale. It's okay to be scared. I was too. That's why I ran."

"Really?"

"Yeah, they wanted me to do it but I wouldn't."

"I can't do it though."

"Huh."

"They punish women more cruelly don't they? They'd know the difference."

Sam looked at her.

"You mean you're a-"

" A girl? Yeah," Frisk said. "I wear a sports bra to make 'em more flat. They're not really big anyway."

Sam grabbed her by the shoulders.

"You have to escape."

"They'll find me eventually."

"That skeleton could help you couldn't he?" Sam asked. "He has to be strong doesn't he? He is a monster after all."

"Nah even if he was, what reason would he want to get involved in my problems? He probably hates me and I wouldn't blame him everything I did."

"You seem very concerned about what he feels about you despite everything. Maybe deep down you do like him."

Frisk smiled, cheeks flushed.

"Even if I did there's no way. I'd admit it."

"I suppose it's for the best if he really hates you that much."

Frisk's dream faded to black and she awoke staring at a stone ceiling.

"My, my, sleeping beauty finally awake. You were sleeping like the dead," Chara said. "No pun intended."

"Psst," the voice came from nearby.

"Shh," Frisk said with a finger to her lips.

She crept closer to the door.

"Alphys?"

"i'm going to bust this door down, ok. so stay clear of the door."

"Ok."

Frisk ran to hide behind one of the coffins.

"3,2,1."

A loud explosion caused the door to bust open.

Suddenly Frisk heard the door being kicked aside.

She looked over the coffin.

"Alphys? What are you doing here and did you just kick the door down?"

"yeah, i kicked it down."

Chara's mouth dropped.

"So cool."

"i'm releasing you too."

"But why?"

"you made me think about what we did down here. truth is i'm kind of sick of it. the king is too, but he's going to kill you anyway. if i save you maybe we can find another way."

Frisk sighed.

"I suppose it couldn't hurt."

Frisk joined Alphys who lead the way back to the resort passing by the area that looked like Toriel's home. It was as they were heading through there that Frisk had nearly tripped on a knife on the ground.

'What's this?'

She picked the knife off the ground.

'It looks like a dagger of some sort."

Recognition and realization flashed through Chara's eyes.

"It's perfect for cutting plants and vines. My brother liked to use it on the flowers when we played in the garden. He would make flower arrangements for mom."

'Don't really need it though do I?'

"You're not seriously contemplating dragging that frying pan around as a weapon are you? If you insist on keeping something to defend yourself at least be a little discreet. If anyone takes your weapon, you're done for."

'You have a point.'

Frisk pocketed the knife before catching up with Alphys.

As they headed back to the resort, the blue fingered receptionist behind the desk bristled at them.

"What are YOU doing here?"

Alphys chuckled nervously.

"j-just enjoying the sights."

"If you're here to see the boss you need to make an appointment."

"i'll keep that in mind."

"What's their beef?" Chara asked.

Frisk glanced at the tag on the receptionist's shirt.

"Tootie? Is that your name?"

"Yes."

Frisk spotted something to the left.

"What's over there?" Frisk asked, pointing to the stage.

"That's the resort. It's where our best monsters perform. There's Freedrake, Mettaton and of course the crowd favorite, Sans. It's around the time he stops working too," she said.

'So this is the place where Snowy's father works.'

"Must be a comedian like his son." Chara said.

"Thanks for everything, Alphys," Frisk said.

Alphys' face turned red before she stepped out.

Frisk began to walk in the direction of the resort glancing at the purple and blue checkered floors before she was stopped.

"Excuse me," a fat green fish monster behind a counter uttered. "Have you made a reservation?"

"he's with me."

Frisk turned at the familiar voice and saw Sans.

"Sh-te," Chara said jolting a couple of inches.

'You still scared of the skeleton?'

"Shuddap."

"hey kiddo, glad i found ya. i was a little worried when i didn't see ya in waterfall."

Frisk's stomach growled loudly.

"you sound hungry. i guess it's up to me to get you a boneified meal. wouldn't want to leave you skin and bones."

Frisk followed Sans to a table in the resort. Looking around there was a stage next to where the green fish was seated. Next to the stage was a dashboard of papers that must have contained a schedule for all of the performers.

A projection of a purple boxed robot silhouette standing on a light blue backdrop was next to it.

There was large green leafed plants on the top right corner of the room behind them.

The table they were sitting at was covered with a blue speckled purple table cloth with a fork and a knife on both sides.

"You know it's a little strange. This area looks like the kind of place someone might take you out on a date. The tables even have the candles," Chara said.

The single purple candle lit in the middle of the table was really throwing her off.

"You don't think he's taking you out on a date do you?"

'This would be an awful date if he was. This place doesn't even have chairs.'

"He took you to Grillbys' too."

'Sh-t.'

"uh, kiddo. are you feeling alright?"

"I'm just peachy."

Sans held her eyes.

'Isn't that an unspoken rule if someone meets your eyes it means they're lovestruck?'

"Good g-d."

'Gotta address the elephant in the room.'

"Don't please. You'll make me cringe."

Frisk sighed.

"Sans?"

"yes, kid?"

"'Are you hitting on me?"

Sans was silent for a moment.

He chuckled.

"way to put me on the spot. that joke should come with a warning."

"I'm serious. Is this a date?"

"uh we're just eating out. why would you think we were going out on a date?"

'He's really trying to joke about this? Well if he's being serious that's one thing but...'

"You don't live under a rock, so you can cut the cr-p."

"i'm afraid you lost me."

"The candles give away your true intentions."

'Ha, he thought he was able to mislead me into thinking otherwise.'

"What are you even doing?" Chara asked, flabbergasted by Frisk's thought process.

"hahaha, you caught me. i thought you would have a better reaction than that."

'So predictable. We'll see who gets the last laugh.'

"Oh so you were trying to surprise me with the date?"

Frisk wiggled her eyebrows.

"uh i didn't say that. you are aware i was only joking about the date."

Frisk chuckled, a sly smile on her face.

"So was I."

Sans sighed in relief.

"Or am I?"

Sans shivered, the corners of his mouth becoming somewhat downturned and his eyelights becoming smaller. He seemed to back up a bit too.

'That'll keep him on the edge of his seat.'

"You're creepy, you know that don't ya?" Chara asked.

'Yeah, it's a skill. I couldn't resist without seeing his reaction.'

"So how long have you know Grillby?" Frisk asked.

"what prompted this, kiddo?"

"Do you know I seen him in Hotland?"

"probably gets his food there."

"It's strange, he's always working so when would he do it?"

Sans shrugged.

"probably after closing time."

"That's when it's dark isn't it?"

Sans nodded.

"He was there before closing time and he held a monster hostage. He killed them too, said he needed the monster dust."

Sans ruffled her hair.

"maybe you were just hallucinating. grillby would never do that."

"Not even if they threatened his children."

"who would, kid?"

Frisk sighed.

"I don't know."

"well people do make mistakes."

'So does Grillby!'

"never pegged you for the joking type though."

"Just because I don't have the same sense of humor you do doesn't mean I can't be funny. Though if it's any consolation, I think you're funny too."

Sans' face heated up.

"What a weirdo," Chara said.

"I just don't understand the humor in word play but I really enjoy your snark."

"glad to hear it. say kiddo, wanna hear a story?"

Frisk nodded.

"so i'm a sentry in snowdin forest, right? i sit out there and watch for humans. it's kind of boring,"

Sans winked at her, momentarily closing his left eyelid.

"fortunately, deep in the forest there's this HUGE locked door...and it's perfect for practicing knock knock jokes."

"Could he be talking about Toriel?" Chara asked.

"so one day, i'm knocking 'em out like usual. i knock on the door and say "knock knock." and suddenly, from the other side...i hear a woman's voice."

"Bet you regret killing her now."

He winked again with the same eyesocket.

'What's with the winking?'

"who is there?" so naturally, I respond: "dishes." "dishes who?""dishes a very bad joke." then she just howls with laughter like it's the best joke she's heard in a hundred years.

'How horrible? That joke was laughably bad.'

so I keep 'em coming and she keeps laughing. she's the best audience i've ever had. then, after a dozen of 'em SHE knocks and says, "Knock knock!" i say, "whos there?" "Old lady!" "old lady who?" "oh! I did not know you could yodel!" wow! needless to say this woman was extremely good. we kept telling each other jokes for hours."

'Guess Toriel and Sans really hit it off.'

"eventually i had to leave. papyrus gets kind of cranky without his bedtime story but she told me to come by again and so i did. then i did again. and again. it's a thing now. telling bad jokes through the door. it rules."

"Wait, if he comes by to see Toriel every now and then. Do you think he knows what happened to her?"

"...one day though, i noticed she wasn't laughing very much so i asked her what was up. then she told me something strange. she asked to protect the next human who falls down here."

She recalled reading about this exchange in Toriel's diary. Even with that in the forefront of her mind, something about what he said seemed very dark and sinister.

Sans' smile only unsettled her.

"Where are you going with this?"

"do you know what would have happened if she hadn't said anything." Sans said, the lights in his hollow eye sockets disappeared. "Buddy..."

"You'd be dead where you stand."

Frisk felt her heart beat quickly before courageously looking up and glaring at Sans.

"Is that a threat? Tell that to the woman next time you meet her if you could muster up the courage to even do that," Frisk said before her lips curled in a grin. "If you felt like that, I would have saved you the trouble and done the deed myself. Wonder what she might think of that. The skeleton who doesn't come through with his promises."

Sans' pupils returned.

"lighten up, bucko. i'm just jokin'."

"Hey dude, he's just joking. You need to chill out," Chara said.

'No, he's not."

"No, you're not," Frisk said.

"How do you know?" Chara asked.

"besides haven't i done a great job protecting you. i mean look at yourself, you haven't died a single time."

'Tell me, Chara. Have you ever seen the types of people that joke as a means to cover up what they really think?'

Chara looked at her with a perplexed expression.

The ultimate goal to an insecure person is to not stand out. For to be noticed would mean being subjected to the very criticism they want to avoid. Those who are afraid may choose to bring the topic up in a more favorable way."

"You're being ridiculous. Sans isn't insecure about anything.'

'Rarely any joke is done in ill taste so it's unlikely for anyone to take it the wrong way. He has alot to be insecure about proving himself to a woman who is expecting him to do the right thing for someone he dislikes. What if I die?'

"It's one thing to judge me but it's another to take the credit to my survival when you didn't do anything at all. I bet you wouldn't even care if I did die so don't pretend you're the good guy. People like you make me sick," Frisk sputtered.

'If it's not his own negligence that would be on his mind, it'd be the guilt of him not being able to prevent it because of his own inaction. Blaming someone else for the mistakes he makes is a person I cannot stand.'

Frisk got up and was about to leave when Tootie stopped by with Alphys.

"oh you're still here," Alphys said. "do you mind if i join you two?"

She sat down before Frisk could utter a word.

While this was happening, Papyrus was sitting on the couch in the living room of his house watching MTT.

'IT'S STRANGE. SANS IS NEVER LATE FOR MY BEDTIME STORY."

He lifted his gloves to glance at the watch on his wrist. He was fifteen minutes late.

'SOMETHING MUST HAVE HAPPENED.'

Papyrus dropped by Grillbys.

"Can I help you?" Grillby asked.

"GRILLBY WAS IT? DID MY BROTHER DROP BY?"

Grillby shook his head.

"Probably got held up at the comedy club."

"BUT THIS ISN'T LIKE HIM. HE'S NEVER LATE."

Barby who had been taking an order glanced at Papyrus from the corner of her vision intrigued by what he had to say.

Quickly she finished the customer's order before walking up to Papyrus.

"Is there a reason you came here to check on your brother?"

"I THOUGHT HE MIGHT HAVE BEEN HELD UP HERE. HE USUALLY COMES HERE TO UNWIND IF HIS WORK HAS BEEN TOO STRESSFUL."

Barby frowned.

"Still I'm sure he's fine."

Papyrus sighed.

"I KNOW BUT I WON'T BE SATISFIED UNLESS I KNOW HE'S SAFE. I'M A LITTLE WORRIED ABOUT HIM."

With those parting words, Papyrus left the pub.

Frisk during that time was still avoiding Sans' eyes glaring at the menu as if it deserved death.

"so kid, what do you wanna order?" Sans asked handing her a menu. "all employers get a 50 percent discount so you can practically have anything you want. i know you're still hungry."

Frisk picked the most expensive thing on the menu.

"Wow, still salty huh?" Chara said. "You're good. Remind me to never cross you."

"yeowch. can't you get something cheaper?" Sans asked, beads of sweat trailing down his skull.

Frisk gave him a glare.

"It's 50 percent off, you'll manage," she said nastily.

"ok kiddo, i got the message."

After Tootie wrote down everyone's orders she left.

"what's with you two?" Alphys asked.

Frisk was silent.

"i'd rather not talk about it," Sans said.

Suddenly Frisk's phone began to ring.

She saw it was Barby.

"Thank goodness."

Frisk shared Chara's sentiment.

She looked up from her phone.

"I'll be right back. I have to get this."

She stepped outside the resort and picked up the phone.

"What do you want?"

Barby snorted.

"Don't be rude. We were worried about you. It's been a while since you've called."

"I'm sorry."

"Papyrus dropped by earlier to check on Sans. Nothing bad has happened to him, right?"

"He's completely fine," Frisk said curtly.

"You sound p-ssed. Something happened, didn't it?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Avian told us you were sticking around Waterfall for a while."

"That's not quite true. Some things happened and I'm currently in Hotland. I met Sans at the MTT resort."

"How in the world did you get all the way there?"

"I was captured by the guards and they took me to the Capital. Long story short, a friend busted me out."

"That's good then. Avian's dropping by later to see the circus in Hotland so if you have some time maybe you could meet her there."

Frisk sighed.

"We'll see."

'Wait, maybe she knows about why her father was there?'

"Speaking of which, does your father usually come to Hotland during work?"

"No, but he's been doing it lately," Barby said. "To be honest it kinda worries me."

"Really?"

"Yeah, when I ask about it, he gets really quiet."

"You don't think he might be in any hot water do you?"

"I hope not. Why do you ask?"

"I seen him kill a monster. He said something about needing it's dust."

"My g-d."

"Where are you right now?"

"School. Dad said he'd pick me up today. He was a lil' worried about me running into monsters from the capital. Apparently monsters have been going missing for a while."

"Well be careful."

"You too. Let me know if you find out anything more."

"Will do."

Frisk hung up the phone and headed back inside.

The meals luckily had been delivered. Sans seemed to avoid looking at them.

Alphys' face was pink and she wasn't looking at Sans.

'Looks like they had a little spat.'

"Still I wonder what the deal with the missing monsters in the capital."

"Food looks good," Frisk said.

Digging into her food, she felt eyes on her.

She turned and spotted an orange humanoid monster peering through a ficus in the corner of the room.

She got up and approached them.

"Is there a reason you're staring at us?" Frisk asked.

"Earlier I was talking with a monster by the name of Clam. He told me to meet him at this resort so I was wondering if you two seen him since then. he told me that he passed you on the way to the capital."

"I haven't seen him since I met him in Hotland. Where did you see him last?"

"On L3."

"Well, rest in piece. If what the royal guards said about the spider is true, he's as good as dead," Chara said.

"Got it. Stay here, ok."

Frisk headed back to where Alphys and Sans were.

"I'm heading out. I have to find someone."

"where you headed?"

"Back to the CORE."

"you're going back to the core. you can't be serious," Sans said. "the core has more hazards than you can count on your fingers."

Frisk snorted.

"I know that."

Sans sighed.

"well as a word of advice, it's best you avoid L3. it's a floor that contains a very stingy spider," he said.

"Well it'd be helpful if I wasn't going on that floor."

Sans chuckled.

"i gave you a pretty blatant hint, kid. you better have the money if you wanna survive."