There was a displacement of snow, the space formerly devoid of presence, now occupied by someone.
Sans looking around the space he'd first met the kid. As anticipated however, they weren't there. Not that it was entirely unexpected. Just annoying, at least, mildly annoying. He wagered; however, they probably hadn't gotten too far.
It hadn't been that long, after all, since he'd encountered them. The skeleton vanishing, appearing further along the path towards Snowdinn. His placement being halfway between two sentry stations. One of which was meant to be his own, or, technically it was Papyrus's, but his brother was often busy so it became his defacto.
He was pleased to find that his suspicions were confirmed, when he noted the presence of the human running along in the nearer the distance. At least the potential undead human hadn't gotten...well, dead again. He tried not to ask himself about all of that.
He was also thankful their dialogue the first time they'd met had gone smoothly, albeit strangely. Hopefully, convincing them to turn around and go home would be easy enough. Then he could investigate things on his end, wouldn't be mad at him, and nobody would need to know about all this.
His thoughts were broken by a familiar hum.
"Sans?" Papyrus asked. "I half expected you to still be lazing about. Of course, I highly doubt you're here to start recalibrating your puzzles?"
"uhhh." The shorter skeleton turned to see his brother, looking at him. "actually I was...finishing a little patrol. then headin to do that." He assured, asking. "afterall you really got through to me. and uh, i just wanted to help out. so...thought you were doin your own rounds?"
Papyrus gave him a confused, and mildly suspicious look. "I was, but I got a call from Undyne. She wanted to talk to you, but you didn't answer your phone." He noted, asking. "Did you lose it again?"
"no way, it uh, had vacation days." Sans said, prompting a growl from his brother. "you should see the post-cards. amazing stuff. a little risqué, but i think it's classy."
"Ugh, why do I bother." Papyrus sighed. "Fine, I'll just relay the information for her. As I was saying, about Undyne-"
It was at this moment, the sound of footsteps became audible to the duo. Sans realizing in the moment that things were no longer going to go as smoothly as he hoped they might. The steps steadily slowing, as the two skeletons turned to the source of the noise.
Chara was standing there, initially looking over Papyrus, before glancing to Sans. He noticed that her expression had altered, it was far more serious. Somewhat distressed, and untrusting. Informing him that for reasons he didn't know yet, it was going to be even more complicated, the skeleton already regretting agreeing to help.
Flowey peaked over the shoulder of the human and muttered. "Oh no..." He thumped her shoulder. "I-I told you we should have moved slower."
"Sans...is that a human?" Papyrus asked, utterly stunned.
The shorter of the two was presently cursing everything from the Angel to the Surface, all the way to the lowest stone in the underground. He wasn't sure why the kid was giving him the look either, or how he might have earned it, outside of botching this particular moment.
True, he'd wanted the kid to meet his brother before, but that was primarily so it'd end badly. Sans regretted that now. And did his best to think of something quickly. Composing his thoughts into the best distraction he could come up with.
"actually, I think that's a rock." He suggested, giving a nervous chuckle.
The tension in the air was briefly evaporated. Replaced with a mutual confusion from all other parties. Papyrus gave his brother a look of genuine concern, and confusion. Briefly placing a hand on his head, seeming to be checking his temperature. The taller skeleton sighing some, while moving past his sibling.
"Human." The tall skeleton began, the world flashing red and black. "Your incursion into this realm shall not persist. And you shall not pass this area. I the Great Papyrus, will capture you. Surrender now, and be brought to-"
"hey boss, hang on a second." Sans moved in-between the two.
Chara gave him a curious look. Wondering what his aim was. His brother staring in a mixture of annoyance, and concern.
"Sans, please move. You're in the way of the fight." Papyrus requested, adding. "And, you're not even facing the human. You should never leave your back exposed. Pretty sure that was lesson one from Undyne, no?"
Well, he'd gotten himself into another situation. He was...entirely uncertain about how to prevent this fight. At least, at first. Then a genius idea entered his mind.
"well, uh, c'mon, boss. you don't wanna fight them now, right?" Sans suggested.
"Apologies human, just a moment." Papyrus apologized to Chara, and turned to his brother fully. "The human is right there, Sans. Why would I not?"
"and waste the puzzles you've been workin on for so long?" The shorter skeleton asked. "I mean, sure, you could capture em now...but then you'd have done all that work for nothin."
The taller skeleton went to argue but paused. "That is...actually an excellent point." He considered this. "It is an old tradition...hmm, very well." The color returned to the world. "Human-" He aimed a finger at her. "as is the ancient custom among monster kind-"
Chara pointed right back, smiling some. "You're going to challenge me to a series of puzzles, with increasing difficulty, and complexity. To see who bests who, in a test of wit, and skill."
Papyrus seemed pleasantly surprised. "You're familiar with the concept?" He asked. "Do humans have puzzles as well?"
"Not really. But my Mom taught me all about them." Her eyes turning to Sans, briefly glowing with hostile intentions.
Sans noticed this and felt...unnerved for some reason. "well hey. just means you don't have to explain the concept. right bro?"
"Impressively, I suppose not." Papyrus began. "Now then, proceed at your own risk. And prepare yourself, for trials both dangerous, and complex, human." The tall skeleton turned, causing the scarf to swing in the wind some. "We shall be waiting up ahead." He motioned. "Come Sans, we have work to do."
"uh, yeah, be right there." The shorter skeleton remarked. "gotta...tie my shoe."
Papyrus gave him a curious look, before starting off. Sans for his part let out a tired sigh of relief. He almost couldn't believe that worked. Noting he would likely have to explain the human's absence shortly.
Turning, he found the human near him, swinging a fist his way. His eye flashed, as he teleported some distance back. Suddenly he felt less pleased with things, and a bit more confused.
"don't you know it's rude to randomly attack someone?" Sans asked, adjusting himself.
Flowey seemed bewildered. "C-chara, what are you doing?"
Chara glared at Sans. "He's trying to get us killed." She noted, recalling the last few times. "Aren't you?"
Sans raised an eye socket and shrugged. "normally you might be right. but this time, I'm tryin to help you out." He assured. "so no need to go in swinging kiddo."
"Don't you lie to me, you smiley trash bag." Her tone full of malevolence. "You're trying to lure us into traps, to get us killed." She pointed and spoke. "You literally just told your brother to go prepare them."
It really wasn't going the way he wanted it to go. The skeleton tiredly running his hand down his face. It was fair logical deduction, and frankly he'd be more worried if she hadn't made such a connection. Even if it was incorrect.
"just, listen for a sec, okay?" He requested, as she rushed, and swung at him, prompting him to teleported. "that's all just to keep him distracted for-" She swung again, missing, as he huffed. "I just got done talking to your mom, ya little brat." Chara hesitated on that note. "yeah, Toriel. that's your mom isn't it?" She had stopped. "she asked me to come bring you home."
The girl seemed flatly confused by this suggestion. Flowey for his part looked a bit bewildered by it. Chara glancing back the way they'd come briefly.
Flowey asked. "You know Toriel?" He then gor a more hostile expression. "How do you know Toriel?"
"relax heir apparent. we're pals. not that it's important right now." Sans replied, sounding annoyed. "I just got my brother to not attack ya, right?" He asked. "now, why would I do that, if I was tryin to hurt ya?"
"To lower our guard." Chara suggested, as she scanned him over. "The man on the phone said she was in Waterfall."
"man on the phone?" Sans asked, and suggested. "tell ya what, why don't ya call her, eh?" He offered. "in hindsight, I shoulda suggested she call you, but uh...didn't think about that."
"I tried. She didn't answer!" The girl replied, getting increasingly angry. "Probably because of you, right?"
The skeleton had no idea what caused the shift in attitude. Trying to think of anyone in waterfall who'd have known anything about what was going on. Or, maybe it was just some prank caller? Regardless, the aggression was annoying him a little bit.
Flowey noticed and suggested. "Let's uh...just give it a shot, okay?" She glared at the flower. "Hey, I'm not sayin he's telling the truth, but...it's just a phone call, right?"
"But-" She began hesitantly.
Sans spoke. "it's just a couple buttons, right?" He offered. "hell, i'll call her if ya want?"
Her posture was full of anxiety, but her hostile pose lowered all the same. Digging out the phone, she looked it over. Taking an active step back from Sans.
He noticed that when she wasn't wearing that odd little hostile smile, her anxiety became far more apparent. She looked freaked out, which softened some of his irritation. He watched as she hit a button, and the phone began to ring.
It kept ringing, until it clicked off. Nobody answered, and he briefly wondered how things were going this bad, this quickly. However, the kid tried again, and yet...nobody answered.
Taking his own phone out, he made a point to make the call. Getting observed doing this by them. He turned it onto speaker, and held it out. Waiting, however, it too wasn't answered.
Sans muttered. "she probably forgot it at home. that's all."
Chara slid hers back into her pocket, and asked. "You can teleport right?" She motioned. "That's...that thing you did."
"yeah?" He half asked back. "something like that."
"If you really know her. Why don't you go teleport to her, and bring her here to tell me herself?" Chara suggested, seeming to be mildly hopeful. "Or, give her your phone, hmm?"
Sans noted it was a good idea, however. "mild problem with that kiddo. I can't teleport more than just me. it's uh, it's not how it works anymore." He sounded sour about that. "and I could go and give your...uh, mom my phone. but you'd need to stay put, as I may be doing a bit of waiting, or trying to find her." She looked upset. "and somethin tells me you ain't gonna do that, are ya?"
"It's just that, that's very convenient." She noted, some of the hostility returning, alongside that smile. "How exactly did you intend to bring me back then?"
"a wonderful new sport called walking." Sans said flatly. "figured we'd put on our lamber-feeties, and stroll that way. or hell, just have you go that way, while I distract paps."
"Not...a...chance." Chara hissed back. "I'm not going to go wandering off, and let you chase after her."
"kid I don't know what the f-...I ain't gonna ask." He warned, putting his own phone away finally. "let's just go that way, and you'll see I'm right, alright?"
She recalled his blue attack. Flowey was looking less and less convinced of proceedings. Laughing nervously while nudging her.
Flowey whispered. "Chara...I uh...don't think we can beat this guy." He noted. "We can't even hit him, not that...we should. That'd probably be worst."
Chara responded, but to Sans. "The man on the phone said a smiling man was chasing her. That's you. And that they saw her in Waterfall. So, that's where I'm going." She added. "Why not just go give her your phone, and she can call me."
Sans squinted. "and who is this man on the phone?" He asked. "you're just listening to some stranger?"
"And you aren't?" She retorted.
Flowey commented. "I mean, I do know him."
"And you've been terrified of him, since you saw him." Chara said rather openly. "You're actively whispering, afraid of this dude. It's pretty obvious he's a bad guy."
"I didn't...say that." Flowey scanned the skeleton.
"Then why are you scared of him?" She asked, demandingly.
Sans noted her suggestion wasn't a bad one. However, he wasn't really in the mood to entertain the idea, even if he should have. Instead, he felt very done with this.
It had become obvious to him that nothing was going to happen unless he made it happen. If he left the kid alone, she'd go and get hurt, or worst. And he couldn't afford to do that.
Her soul appeared before her, flashing for a moment. It became a dark blue color. He then started walking past them. Leaving her dragging against the snow, much to her protest.
Sans remarked. "you'll thank me for this later kid. let's go."
Chara let out a sound of protest and demanded. "L-let me go!"
The skeleton starting her in the direction of the ruins. However, her mind didn't go to that possibility. Instead, she imagined they were being dragged back to the pit.
The phantom feeling, that pain surging into her. Her fingers digging into the snow, trying to slow the process of being dragged there. Anxiety rising rapidly, alongside a need to continue, to persevere.
Flowey tried to speak up. "S-sans, stop!" He demanded. "E-even if you're tellin the truth, this isn't a good idea."
Sans sighed tiredly, motioning. A bone ripped across the straps of the backpack, leading to him falling onto the ground. The flower flopping into the snow, shaking some, partially buried in the scarf. Straightening up he gave a glance over at them, and noticed something.
Tears rolled from her eyes. Anger built to an extreme. Desperation, an unwillingness to just let herself die. To let her mom get hurt. Faint bits of purple shined through the blued soul. Her hand reaching out, and-
Chara cast Intangible.
Slipping from his grasp, her soul flowed back to a purple hue. Sans blinked, in surprise. Turning, in time to see something coming at him.
Chara cast S-Butterfly.
5 magical Butterfly like bullets surging at him. He vanished, avoiding one, and then another. They appeared to be seeking him. He didn't see another monster around. So who-
"Chara wait!" Flowey called out.
Sans turned, seeing the human. Eyes shining with a brilliant purple color. A human using magic? That was a particular skill they hadn't had since the war, wasn't it?
He managed to vanish away, moments before the hit impacted. Putting a nice bit of distance between the two. Faced with this, he scanned her over.
Sans used Check.
|"Chara?" - ATK 9 DEF 6
|Persevering despite the warnings
|This dmVzc2Vs is afraid of you.
| Only one wins out, Sans. Good luck.
Witnessing the check prompted confusion and alarm within the skeleton. It inspired an impulse to action that he only barely resisted. Hand raised, nearly summoning something hazardous. Stopping himself from attempting the blast, only by reminding himself why was there.
Leaving him to look over the kid, who had a look of earnest fear, mixed with what was clearly a motivated anger. The moment of hesitation ended, when she charged at him again. He dodged once more, eyes darkening.
"well, that's unfortunate." He muttered, vanishing from the area. The fight ending, as color returned to the world.
Chara for her part looked around for where he might have teleported to next. However, he seemed to have vacated the space entirely. Once the threat was gone, she staggered, and fell. Panting, sweating, everything was screaming.
Her heart was racing so fast in her chest she imagined it might tear out of the skin. She couldn't hit him, even a little bit. Even knowing he could dodge. That had been the most terrifying part, and she had briefly been very positive she was going to die again.
"Chara, are you alright?" Flowey asked, still looking disheveled. "What were thinking attacking him. What were you trying to do?"
"Scare him off." She let out a breath, taking a second to place snow against her skin. "J-just uhm...get him to leave." The cold helped, and she began strugling back up. "Like uhm, remember you said, if we have to fight, just rough em up?"
The flower had dragged the bag over with himself still in it. "Yeah, I...remember. Granted, in his case...well, you may wanna avoid that tactic." He sighed tiredly. "It's a good thing he didn't attack back. He's a scary guy, you know?"
Chara stepped over to the flower, in the broken backpack. "I figured he was." She shrugged. "Given that he killed us twice already."
"W-wait, he's the one who killed us?" Flowey seemed confused. "That doesn't sound like...well, I wouldn't expect it usually."
"Then why are you scared of him?" She demanded.
"W-well it's uh, ugh." He reluctantly admitted. "I dunno...he didn't used to be so...well, him. Anxiety inducing and dangerous, sure. But not...murderous, usually."
"You're going to have to explain how you know these people." Chara said, adding. "Because not knowing, can get us killed...right?"
"Y-yeah, yeah...I know." Flowey frowned some. "It's...he was around when I was uh...'grown.'" She raised a brow. "I'll...explain it when we're not at risk of death. Honestly...I think Papyrus is safer than his brother anyways."
"The guy who strolled up to kill us?" She asked, sounding aggressive still. "He does...look nicer?"
"He said capture. Papyrus may look scary...but, he's a pretty nice guy. He just tries to act tough." He assured her.
"I mean..." She frowned, while picking up the damaged backpack. "I...I have doubts about that."
Reluctantly, she was once more carrying the flower. "Hey, I have an idea."
Flowey extended his vines, using them to wrap around her arms, like the old backpack straps. Getting himself secured once more. While offering a friendly smile. She hadn't considered the idea. Her heart rate finally slowing down. Helping her feel...significantly calmer.
"Thanks, and, sorry for being...uhm being mad. I just, don't trust him." She stated. "The guy on the phone said he was after her."
"Yeah, I...understand." Flowey sighed. "But we should be careful with strangers...all of em, right?" He noted ."Including that phone person, okay?"
"Okay." She agreed. "I'll...tell you if I'm gonna do something like that next time."
"I really appreciate it." He replied. "Onward, I guess?"
"Indeed." She muttered, starting to walk forward.
Flowey worried about the skeleton. About the threat he may now pose. Wondering for a moment, if Sans was telling the truth. If he was, maybe he had left to go give the phone to Toriel.
He hoped that was the case, but somehow...he doubted it.
