One World: Many Souls
Chapter 29: Return of the Heartbreaker
Papyrus' Point of View:
I… honestly could not breath.
In the moments I sat at my break at work, I had my phone out as I normally did in order to call to the caretaker that took care of my son. In all honesty, that was Lilly at the moment. Being a close friend to Angel and just finished her degree herself, she offered to watch all the children while I worked and while Angel had to go to events as the head of house.
Angel wished to do as much as she could before her next set of twins were born. It was a smart move, granted I struggled to think logically in those moments. Not with what was before me.
I… was faced with a terrible dilemma.
Mettaton had reached out to me.
I stared at the message long and hard. The words that she's written I couldn't focus on. It was too hard for me to when I saw it was an unknown number that contacted me, but her name was listed at the beginning of the message and emotions swelled up inside me. I couldn't… I couldn't think!
I tried to calm myself down. It wasn't logical to let myself get riled up by her. I needed to think carefully. I needed to think of Impact. I didn't even know what she wanted…
She'd shattered my soul emotionally three years prior. Impact's third birthday would take place in half a years' time. I regretted that he didn't have a mother around, but I knew a mother such as her wasn't wise to have around him. If I could be so easily tossed to the side with no remorse, what would have come of my son? How would he have been treated? Better? Worse? I wasn't sure.
I wasn't sure if I wanted to find out with many years to think and weigh on my options.
But with a careful breath, I focused in on the message and tried not to get too upset when I read her name.
Hey Papy-Darling! It's your lovely babe, Mettaton!
Look, I was back in the region to work with some monster related charities and was hoping to catch up! I'd love to see that little boy of ours! I've heard he's a real cutie!
Do let me know when you're free.
I struggled to hold back the shaking when I read that message. I knew I was too emotionally gone. Just hearing her name brought back all those painful memories from back when I was destroyed. I knew I wouldn't make a smart decision…
I needed help.
"Hey Pap!" It was no surprise when I saw Michelle coming out back to get me when my break was over. "Time to get b-shit Papy! What happened?"
"I… erm… I… apologize…" I took slow careful breaths as I stood from my seat, a shaky hand on the table I sat at. "I-I know t-this is the worst possible time… but I do not believe I am fit for work…"
"No way, you're shaking." Michelle was quick to pull out her phone. "I'll get you a ride, you ain't driving."
"Y-yes… I understand… but… I will call my brother." It was so hard to get words to formulate. "Sans can have me home in an instant… and he can come back for my car. Don't trouble yourself, I can do it."
My boss proceeded to watch me do just as so. I called my brother and he was worried the second he got my call. I hated how weak I sounded to him, but… that was a subject I just couldn't handle on my own. Everything was dulled to me as Sans ran around, gathering my things and talking with Michelle for some time.
Eventually I recognized him pulling me to a standing position. We were home within seconds. Lilly who was there at the time to look after our little ones seemed to notice us. Impact was in her arms at the time. Once I heard my son cry, my head raised and I took him from Lilly. Holding my baby close to me while other things were going on around us.
Eventually even Angel returned home with Frisk in tow. I wasn't sure when our sister had returned from college. I felt guilty that they all had gathered on my behalf. Impact still cried as he clung to me, standing on my legs with his boney arms wrapped around me tightly.
"-ap, hey, Pap?" My brother's voice finally hit me, or… perhaps I was finally ready to listen.
A shaky sigh escaped me and my glance made it to him from where it had been mostly vacant before. "Y-yes, Brother?"
"Let us see yer phone, 'k?"
I couldn't even bother with a response. My phone I pulled out and handed to him. My brother was one of the only few people who knew my passcode to get in. The second he unlocked it; I saw that scary look of his when I knew he was serious. He held a grin that felt not so cheery, but rather painfully trying to put on a brave face in the heat of a terrible event heading our way.
"So… that trash tin can decided ta show 'er ugly mug."
"Darling." The unheard command of Angel's was heard and the phone was passed to her next.
"Let me see Sis!"
"That's Mettaton who contacted you, right?"
Lilly's gentle voice was a soothing break to the hot words being passed around between my family. Eras and Arial ran to their own parents and were held by them while they looked over the messages in disdain. Lilly was quick to my side with a gentle hand to my shoulder.
"Y-yes… my ex-girlfriend, t-the biological mother of Impact."
With careful inspection, Lilly cast her gaze to the babe in my arms. She focused on the ghostly whisps of hair that protruded from his skull, the color of the reflected his magic, which was a maroon coloring much like his eye lights when he became overcome with emotion. His eye lights pulsed with it so strongly.
And with that, she turned to my elder sister. "She's really a fool for coming back. One look at Impact and if she's revealed to be his mother then everyone would know she's not a robot monster as everyone claims she is. She actually a ghost monster, isn't she?"
"Spot on Lilly." My sister gave her praise while trying to hold back the bitterness I knew that was in her soul. My sister was all seriousness as she handed over the phone to Frisk to read carefully while her face contorted. "Mettaton left years ago before Impact was born. She disowned both him and Papyrus. We have video recording of how terrible she was as well as Impact to prove just how lying and two timing she is. However, she signed documents that if she stayed away from the two of them that we would keep that under wraps. If she's revealed, it would affect Alphys negatively too. She could lose everything."
My friend seemed surprised to hear that. "How would if affect Alphys?"
Both Sans and Angel looked between each other, worried if they should include her into that special secret. But it was Frisk who strutted forward with my phone in hand.
"Come on you two, Lilly's family and I bet she might be able to help kick that b-i-t-c-h to the curb." Frisk was careful about what she said before the little ones, and spelling it quickly before they could pick up on it gave her a pass in the eyes of Angel and Sans. Frisk turned quickly to our friend and sighed. "Alphys really wanted to be the head royal scientist after Sans and Papy's dad passed away years ago. She had to do something amazing to catch the eye of the king over all the other more senior scientists. So… she 'built' a robot with a soul. We didn't find out until Impact was born about it. Asgore still doesn't know and it would be a shit show if that made it public. But damn… who would've thought that trash heap would come back?"
"I certainly didn't think so…" Angel's scowl was painful to look at, so I turned my attention to my son. Impact still held me close.
I was surprised when Lilly's hands joined us both. Her soft skin covered fingers touched over my arm and Impact's skull. It was soothing in those dark moments.
"Papy?" Her words were soft as she pulled me in close. "I know your hurting… but don't let your bad emotions bottle up. Please, tell me what's going on in that skull of yours?"
"I… I don't know what to do…" I hated how my lower mandible quivered as I let out the words. "I-I was finally starting to move on… finally heal… and its like she's back here to hurt me more… prying open the wound…"
"I'm sick of playing this game." My sister was up and from her seat quickly. "I need to make a call to Alphys. We need to show that damn liar that we mean business."
I could almost feel the malice from my entire family. Frisk was the one to pipe up. "Do I finally get to punch that garbage dump?"
"As much as I wish I could say yes, that wouldn't be a smart move Frisk. But I think we should do something else." My sister turned to me. "Papy. I think it would be best if you stayed here with us. Sans and I will work from home, and I'm going to send out Frisk to deal with Mettaton. I'm shutting this down and making an ultimatum for that woman. Okay?"
"Sister…" I wasn't sure how to feel in those moments. Happy that she was doing so much for me? Upset because I should have been doing that myself? Worried that something terrible was going to happen? "Is this the right decision?"
"I don't know that right now Papy… only time will tell."
"Let me go with Frisk!" Everyone seemed surprised when Lilly joined in the fray. "If she's as bad as you say, let me partner up with you. No one hurts my friends or family."
My sister I saw giving her a concerned look. "Are you sure about that Lilly?"
"Of course!" I was surprised to see the kind woman who normally didn't show much for fighting put on a much more serious face then I'd seen before. "You guys are very dear to me. Papy is my friend. Someone special and so is his son. They shouldn't have to go through this because of that… piece of scrap metal. And I'm sure Frisk can handle this herself, but I have my own choice words for that liar."
Frisk was quick to look over at our sister. "What do you think Angel? I don't mind if she really wants, and Papy shouldn't see that b-i-t-c-h. I can mimic his speech and message her back."
"Yes, do that." With that my younger sister already was typing away at my phone while Angel was on with Alphys. "Let me take care of this and then you two head out. I want this woman as far away from the house as we can muster without her getting too suspicious."
"You got it, Sis!"
"Papy?" Lilly came back into view. "What can I do to help?"
"U-um…" I could barely speak as I tried to think. "P-please… make her go away…"
Soothing hands of hers came back to my arm and skull. I felt I was pulled against her frame where I could hide the tears that threatened to fall. "I will."
Frisk's Point of View:
Oh, didn't I feel so riled up as we waited in the nearby café. Lilly and I sat in the back corner while we waited for the tin can to show herself. She was nervous. Lilly was never a fighter, but she could talk and stand up for others when needed. That's what was keeping her going. I knew she cared about our family, granted, I was surprised at how much she seemed to care for Papy.
Was it crazy to think she might be developing feelings for him? Maybe. Would I be mad if they got together? No way.
But that was a thought for another time. I simmered and steamed in the café and I really had to try and hold it all in so that idiot would be none the wiser to enter. Once she was inside, there'd be no escape until we settled what had to be taken care of.
"Any sign of her yet, Sis?"
Through the phone that was attached under the table, we were communicating with Angel who had on a silent headset. She, Papy, and Sans would be at the house to keep him safe. Mettaton already was breaking the restraining order that he had against her. Had she honestly gotten dumb in the last few years? I wouldn't put it past her that she forgot about it due to her rising stardom. She was incredibly popular and seemed to have settled over in Honora region where it was a tad more tropical and tourist-esk. But she came back ever so often since the Terians region was known for its equality and kindness to monsters of all kinds while the other regions were still getting used to it.
"Two blocks down. I'll alert you when she enters the café and then I'll be going silent."
"Thank you for the heads up, Angel."
Lilly didn't need to be so nice in this terrible situation. Both my sister and I were almost of a same mindset then. Like a spring cord ready to be let lose from its confined nature, we were ready to launch. This piece of shit had messed with us enough times and cause us such a messy clean up that we wanted this done forever.
Even Alphys did.
I couldn't believe what she'd agreed to. I couldn't believe what she'd just done… I knew it was so hard for her… but…
"She's approaching. I'm going silent."
And with that the static was gone from under the table and my sister was recording. It was game time.
We heard the chime of the door from only twenty or so feet away. When the door was closed, I could feel Mettaton's giddy soul coming close, slightly mixed with some malice. She didn't have any good intention of coming back, I could feel that so much.
Man was that ability handy!
The clicking of heels came around the corner and there we saw her. Decked out in a fancy number, she had on some sort of slick black dressed that showed off the metallic silver of her arms. Her hair was done up and she quite slily made her way to the back corner with some sexy looking eyes.
And I loved the moment that her entire saunter changed when she saw me there.
"Hey there garbage compactor!" With a sly grin, I leaned my chin into my hand. My gaze on her was intense while my magic wrapped around the entire building so she couldn't get out. "Long time no see."
"Why… Frisk! Its lovely to see you, darling." With a careful eye, she cast her gaze around. "I'm… afraid I am looking for Papyrus. Is he not here?"
I cast a single unimpressed look to Lilly and she wore a similar serious one as we sat there. "Why should he be?"
"I messaged him that I wished to catch up and see our little boy. We were supposed to meet in this café."
"Oh! Right… about that." Carefully I pulled out Papyrus' phone so the robot could see. "Yeah… you've been chatting with me the entire time."
"W-what!?"
The look on her face was priceless. The way her eyes nearly bulged out of their metallic sockets and how she took a fearful step back.
"Oh yeah. Don't you think that after living with Papy for… oh god… it's been… almost seven years! Don't you think that I know his speech style? I know how to mimic him quite well. How do you think I got away with so many things as a kid?"
"B-but why do you have his phone?"
And that was when my tone turned more serious. "You really think he didn't come to us when you messaged him? I guess I must have made a convincing argument since you didn't suspect a thing. You might as well join us; this building is under lock down until we get through what we need to talk about."
And that seemed to make Mettaton flinch. She quickly whipped her head around to glance at the door, seeing many slightly visitable chains. That made her turn paler than I thought she could turn.
"A-angel's here?"
"Nah, she's with Papy."
"T-this is your magic?!"
"Is it that surprising? I am Angel's sister."
The woman seemed to shrink back slightly at what she was slowly discovering.
"Miss Mettaton, it would be wise for us to begin this discussion so we could all be on our way." Lilly spoke up then and bowed her head slightly, but refused to offer a hand to the cretin before us. "I am Lilly Charisse. I am best friends with the family and have known them for many years. I will be included here as well. I do apologize, but it's not a pleasure to meet you."
I saw Mettaton shrunk at that, another house member that wasn't even of our own region was pissed at her already. She had to realize already that those connections alone could really ruin her career.
After careful moments of whirling inside her mechanical shell of a body, Mettaton carefully set herself down across from us. Her kind view instantly was gone when we pulled out the nice hostilities immediately.
"Alright, I'll play your little game." She finally showed her true colors the second that happened. "What do you want?"
"I think that's more of a question we need to ask you?" I spared no moments as I pulled documents from my bag and presented a copy to the robot that she should have received many years ago. "Don't you recognize this document? Either of the two I placed before you?"
Mettaton carefully looked at them with a critical eye. She looked over all the details before certain words caught her attention. "Restraining Order" or "Dismissal of Parental Rights" I saw her read before she noticed her signature at the bottom.
"You haven't forgotten the documents you signed three years ago, have you Miss Mettaton?" Lilly commented next when she saw my eyes narrow at the liar across from us. "I've also seen the recorded footage of when you signed these papers and what you did to Papyrus in that time. So with that in mind, why in the world did you come back?"
"I had… hoped… that I could rekindle that relationship."
"That's a load of bullshit and you know it." The heated reply came from me before I could stop it. "And if you were thinking in your right mind, you would have gone through the right channels to do it properly. Contacting Papyrus directly would cause a fine and possibly listed on your public record that someone does have a restraining order against you as well that you broke it for whatever reason. And I doubt you wanted anyone finding out you're the biological mother of Impact."
And that caused Mettaton to hiss. "And what would you know? I left my babe and the man I loved years ago due to a mistake and not thinking clearly from stardom. I wanted to try again!"
I couldn't resist rolling my eyes. "Please, we all know this is a load of shit. You're only in it for the stardom. That's all you want, to be in the spotlight, to be popular, and be above other people."
Lilly chimed in then by grabbing her phone and unlocking it. "Have you even seen a picture of your son? Do you know what he looks like?"
"I was planning on seeing him when I met with Papyrus!" The woman huffed, crossing her arms and legs in the process while staring my friend down. "What does it matter?"
"Perhaps you should see for yourself?"
Lilly then set her phone on the table with a picture she'd taken that morning for Papyrus to see of his babe right after he'd gone to work. Little Impact was eagerly playing with his cousins and learning of his abilities. It was easy to see how he eagerly moved about and his wispy ghost hair whipping around him and how his arm had vanished through a wall.
The older woman 'eeped' when she saw the picture and seemed to lose some of the bravado she had before.
I couldn't hide the smirk that appeared on my face when I saw how horrified she looked. "So, still wanna meet your son and reveal that you're his mother to the world? I'm sure we could convince Angel to do something about that-"
"Uh-no! Um… wh-what I mean to say… I mean…"
Oh, she was a broken little robot. It made me eager as she squirmed in her seat. She was no longer trying to fight so hard when she showed just what was going to happen if she claimed that Impact was her son. Her secret would be revealed.
"Miss Mettaton, I hope you understand that we're not playing around anymore." Lilly spoke next before pulling out her phone. "Papyrus wants nothing to do with you after what you did to him in the past. You hurt him, destroyed him, and really set him back. He'd just managed to get his life really going for him before you came back. Angel and the rest of us will not be allowing you any other leeway."
"Lilly's right." The robot turned her head to me. "If you don't cut the shit and stay away from both of them, Angel's going to cut you off from Terians land."
"W-what?!"
"Oh and it gets better!" I felt a malice filled grin settle on my face when I knew we finally had her. "Alphys ratted herself out to Asgore."
"W-WH-!"
Mettaton flew up from the table at those words. Hands flew up into the fake hair she had on her head. Panic began to settle in when she began to pace around the room. It made me so giddy to see her do so. Maybe that might not have been a good feeling to have… but I honestly didn't care.
"You're more than welcome to call Alphys to check." Lilly offered to her. Mettaton only paused long enough to look at her in fear. "But you have to understand that even Alphys will no longer stand any of these games. She is willing to give up all that she has worked for because of the lie you two made together years ago. All for someone who means the world to her and is a much better person and friend then you ever could be."
Mettaton instantly flared up with anger and pulled out a phone from the fancy designer bag she carried. She quickly called a number I bet she didn't reference to often. It didn't take long enough for Alphys to pick up and Mettaton to yell at her.
I did feel bad for Alphys being dragged into this while she was pregnant and she normally wasn't a confrontational person. But I knew that for what she believed in she would stand her ground now compared to where she was before. We stuck by her when we found out and that meant the world to Alphys. When we talked to Alphys and Asgore beforehand earlier, he was disappointed in how she'd obtained her title. He'd always been impressed with her work and honestly had it narrowed down to herself and Sans anyway for next head royal scientist. Alphys didn't even need to do such a stupid thing and the job would have been her's years ago.
Asgore didn't want to make a scandal of the event, especially since his adoptive daughter was married to her and they were good friends always in the past. He agreed, so long as our plan worked, that Alphys would do community service and assist the scientist community after her pregnancy with her second born was done whenever he asked for the next ten or so years to make up for the severity of the lie. Toriel agreed to it as well as Asriel, in fact, it was my best friend who suggested the punishment.
I had to hide the bright smile I wanted to put on my face when I saw how he was taking his job as prince seriously.
It was only then when Mettaton screeched and threw her phone to the ground. Whatever plan she'd had before was ruined. She stomped her feet and just like classical karma fashion, her heels broke in the fancy shoes she had when she did that, her makeup wasn't looking so good from the angry tears that fell from her face.
"So…" Mettaton had to hold back the screech when she turned back to me. "What's it gonna be tin can?"
"Oh, go to hell!" Her screech was loud and echoed all over. I had to shake my head from the ringing that happened afterwards. "I despise every last one of you and I hope you all perish in misery! Keep that retched child and that fool of a man! If that's what you want so badly, I'll leave and never come back!"
"Perfect!" And with that I let my magic go. "Make sure the door doesn't hit you on the way out!"
"Oh, I always hated you two sisters!"
Storming away on broken heels, the woman kicked the door open and stomped out. I raced out of my booth to see her tripping on her own heels as she left. I watched her rip off her shoes and hurl them at a nearby dumpster before she left the area.
I took one look at Lilly who sighed with it being all over. I laughed instead before I ran to the door, holding it open. I honestly couldn't help myself.
"SO LONG, BITCH!"
Witch's Note:
I told you this was going to be a great chapter!
So Mettaton has been dealt with and I suppose we can say she is no longer in my care! I got that paper work for you Mystic, so go ahead and swipe these from and take the damn woman. I think I've messed around with her enough.
Mystic Girl: (Mystic commands two of her strongest guards to grab her down to the specially made, metal containment unit. And its ghost proof so she can't leave her body and get through it. Once she reviews the papers I have, she snatches them from me and without a word, she grins brightly and hurries off with her new prisoner in hand.)
Okay, with in mind, I think we can safely move onto reviews now that Mettaton has been taken care of! Let's do this!
Thechaosmaster: Hey there Chaos! I'm happy you're liking the set up for Papy! I wanted to give him that good chance, but also let him struggle a bit as everyone does. His name got him so far, but now look where that one-hundred and ten percent has gone into? He's really pushed himself and made a wonderful name for himself in such a short span of time!
But I'm really going to be eager to see what you say at the end of this chapter... as I'm sure Mystic Girl will too...
Not A Shady Guy: Isn't it crazy? I love how spot on you were when it came to that comment you made about the gang. That it was almost going too well... and I bet this chapter certainly showed you that! And we'll have to see how it goes. I know you're still looking for the doctor, that's okay, everyone is. And as you keep going, we'll be having highs and lows all over the place.
But I am not telling! XD
Shadow8Phantom: Damn... I was not expecting such a long review! But I love it, so let's dive into what we have here!
So starting with talking about this chapter, it really does make my heart swell when you pick up on those special social cues or little hints I give you as time goes by. I try to make a situation as realistic as possible, by either doing research or thinking how the situation would play out realistically just using common sense and imagination.
Now moving onto Asriel... you bring up so many points that I know and don't. Then again, I'm more familiar with the base game and some small bits and pieces of other universes which is what you seem to be going into more detail.
You do bring up a few good details. I should have included Flowey/Asriel more in the previous story then I did. He honestly had very few parts where I was using more of the lore of the games perhaps to fill that void instead of actually including him anywhere. Especially since the ghosts included that little bit of information to Angel back when Wingdings first merged with her.
That's on me, though if that's my only downside, I suppose I could have done much worse.
As for those four attributes to Asriel you spoke of, Ego, Obsession, Fatality, and Emptiness, I don't want to reveal if they do or don't. Especially since I didn't know much about all the lore and what not you just gave me in this review. But more Asriel chapters will come with Frisk as they both grow and learn. Maybe some of your answers will be answered, maybe they won't. We'll just have to wait and see.
MysticBoywastaken: Yes yes! More babies are coming! Sadly Papyrus did go through a spell, and we're going to see that happening here and there with him and Frisk as they both push past those terrible relationships they both had before attempting to move on, heal from those scars.
unfortunatelyriverwastaken: A little late to the party are we? I saw your review come through just as I was getting to review the next chapter! XD Should've stuck around so you could do two in one! XD
But we're happy to see you River. Its not a problem if you have to go away for a while. But we're happy to have you back! Let's go!
Alright, there's another chapter done! And what a messy one, but a good one! Mystic Girl has been wanting me to post this chapter for forever! I mean, come on! Look at the fire in Frisk when facing Mettaton! A battle she knows she can face and show how she's healed in some ways. That tin can is no match for her wit! And Lilly helping out too? Oh that's so sweet! And I know that means a lot to Papyrus!
Anyway, love you all and see you next week! More development is on the way!
Halloween Witch and Mystic Girl
