Alright, I resurrect from my vacation! I hope everyone's been having a fun and spooky October, and I hope you enjoy the chapter!

(Next chapter will be up the Sunday after this Sunday.)

Thanks go to Andyfire123, Zack Frost, Wingah, Linki, 10burgers, BonelessSkele, Genowar, Jack54311, WhoWritesThisCrap, Lutkuttaja22, fergusans18, and EpicSlayerGuy9.

Disclaimer: I do not own Undertale or Horrortale.

Crunch... Crunch... Crunch...

Aliza's eyes darted from side to side, skeptically analyzing the shifting shadows of the woods that surrounded her and her best friend. She always hated the woods. Nothing good ever happened in the woods, and nothing good ever happened in the Underground. So, she was certain only double bad things could take place in the Underground woods.

Crunch... Crunch... Crunch...

Anarchy, however, didn't have a care in the world. He carried her on his back without any effort at all it seemed, over extending his step over the large branch in his path. Aliza found that act of mercy odd from The Anarchist. The branch looked sturdy to a normal human, but her friend could crush mountains under his foot. She was certain it would have been effortless destruction for him, so why-?

SNAP!

Aliza's eyes snapped open wide as she perked up, swiftly turning her head back over her shoulder to spot the shattered remains of the branch Anarchy had spared. Or, she'd thought he'd spared. But now there it lay, devastated in shards of brownish grey. Had Anarchy left some kind of... Power after image to destroy the branch? No, that was ludicrous. Or, it would have been for anyone other than The Anarchist.

Crunch... Crunch... Crunch...

Taking a deep breath, she looked forward once more. Her best friend was not someone easily understood. What he could do and how he could do it was far beyond the mind of a cockroach like her.

Crunch crunch crunch!

Once more Aliza jumped, head spinning right back around at the sound of footsteps rapidly approaching from behind. But, to her shock, she found no one standing in the snow behind them. No one sprinting closer. It was apparent now, her and Anarchy were not alone. But what kind of beast would dare stalk The Anarchist..?

"U-um... A-Anthony..?" Aliza gulped as she dared speak, looking back down to the back of Anarchy's white mane of hair.

"I'll take care of it." A simple and to the point response. Anarchy hadn't even bothered to lift his head to look her in the eye when he gave it. But, nonetheless, it put Aliza at ease. If her best friend promised her something, she had faith he would follow through. She felt silly for even worrying, or ever thinking that Anarchy hadn't noticed the presence that lurked behind them.

"Huma-"

Aliza nearly yelped as Anarchy thoughtlessly spun right around, that grin ripping up his cheeks and that lunatic light flickering on in his eyes. Without hesitation his pale hand flung up, gripping the outstretched palm of this stranger before a handshake could even be requested.

And what a strange stranger indeed. A skeleton with a flickering red eye and a chunk missing from his skull. His blue hoodie was filthy, and a crusty crimson coated the digits Anarchy had thoughtlessly snatched up in his ivory hand. But what most unsettled Aliza about this necrotic greeter was the effortless smile upon his face. What, she pondered, could anyone have to smile so earnestly about in this terrible place?

Drip... Drip... Drip...

Shock grabbed Aliza tightly as her eyes glossed down to the handshake Anarchy had eagerly entered, her pupils shrinking as she spotted fresh streams of ruby trickling down her friend's ivory skin and this skeleton's filthy bones. From the back of The Anarchist's hand, a drill-like contraption protruded, whirring and attempting to spin, only to get caught on more of his flesh and choke on his blood.

This was absolutely stunning to Aliza. To think that someone could make Anarchy bleed, and that he would bleed the same color as everyone else. Did this mean that there were things even more powerful than The Anarchist in this horrific world? Were they both about to be at the mercy of this one eyed freak?

"Nice to meet'cha!" Anarchy exclaimed, vigorously shaking Horrortale Sans' hand up and down. His unyielding smile matched HT Sans' disgusting grin, and the walking biology display looked a little shaken by this.

"... Heh, well aren't you a friendly one?" Despite the drop of sweat trickling down the side of his skull, HT Sans kept his composure, eye darting down to Anarchy's bleeding hand before racing back up to his wide, crimson eyes. "Y'know I was actually tryin' to scare-"

"Scare?" Intrigue lit a fire in those ruby eyes, and that sweet smile curled and twisted wickedly as Anarchy leaned forward, invading HT Sans' personal space. Once more the skeleton's glowing pupil darted down to the handshake in which his phalanges were trapped, and more sweat formed on his brow when he pulled in vain on his hand, failing miserably at freeing it from Anarchy's grasp. "You wanna see something scary?"

"Let..! Go of me..!" His jaw was clenching with frustration now, and he swiftly threw his free hand into the air, one scarlet crusted meat cleaver darting from his sleeve and into his grasp. This made Aliza yip fearfully, not hesitating to hop off of Anarchy's back. She hardly felt the ice and snow on her bare feet, her mind entirely focused on the scene before her.

THUNK.

Aliza gasped, horrified tears building in her eyes as she reached up, covering her gaping mouth.

HT Sans had swung viciously, his cleaver wedging deep into the side of Anarchy's neck. Ivory locks dangled over The Anarchist's face as streams of red gushed down from his severed jugular, staining his snow white skin and soaking the left side of his shirt. Meanwhile Anarchy was stiff, unmoving and unresponsive.

HT Sans smiled gleefully, relief flickering briefly in that one crimson eye before it was overwhelmed by the iris's usual madness.

"Is that a yes..?"

HT Sans' sockets went wide, and Aliza was struck with paralysis as she watched Anarchy's mane of white lift, his head creaking up so that his eyes could peer into those of his next victim.

"What-?!" HT Sans choked when Anarchy's other hand darted forward, snatching him up by the collar of his shirt and yanking him into the air while The Anarchist straightened his back and stood to his full height. Sans lost his grip on that cleaver, leaving it lodged in his attacker's neck.

"Ahh..." The Anarchist smiled gently, tilting his neck effortlessly to one side as he let go of HT Sans' hand, reaching up to grip the handle of the blade hooked in his flesh. Then, without hesitation, he yanked it free, and streams of scarlet ichor spewed through the air, splattered over the snow at their feet. "Thanks for the donation."

"Hey, Aliza." She perked right up when Anarchy addressed her, standing at attention and nodding swiftly to show she'd heard him. "Got you a present."

"Eep!" Aliza jumped back when Anarchy haphazardly tossed the cleaver dripped in his ruby colors over his shoulder, and her eyes darted down to the blade when it lodged itself in the ground before her. She could see her measly reflection then, in Chaos Incarnate's pure red blood and the steel that had drawn it.

Yes, she understood now. Anarchy's blood looked they same as hers, but it was not the same. The two bled differently. Her blood had value, the more of it that was spilled the more of her life was drained. It meant something when she bled. But the spilling of Anthony's blood meant nothing. Anthony was eternal, his blood was infinite. He would paint the galaxies with his ruby shades to get what he wanted. No matter the wound, his life would never drain away. A god among men, a terror among gods.

"You think you're scary?" The Anarchist's voice was low, his throat growled with his wrath as the furious red eyes of god landed upon the skeleton who dared commit blasphemy. Scarlet misted from the missing chunk of Anarchy's neck, his flesh sealing. Sans struggled to no avail, kicking his feet desperately and feeling the chill that The Scorpion's eyes brought fall over him. "You wanna see scary?!"

Aliza was trembling, but she couldn't tear her eyes away. Even as the obsidian worms writhed out from the hole in Sans' skull, from his terrified sockets. Even as he screamed and flailed in Anarchy's grasp while he was eaten from the inside out, his own darkness used against him. This was rare, after all. Not many got to witness The Anarchist's strength and live. She was lucky to be able to witness horrors like these.

She was watching something powerful. Something extraordinary.

Something beautiful.

Chapter 30: The Good, The Bad, The Ugly

"Don't you know it's rude to hit someone when they're down?"

Chara had certainly had trouble sleeping in the past, but this was ridiculous. Even blinking their eyes shut proved difficult. The dark ceiling was just too interesting, it seemed. Or rather, their thoughts were too loud. Their emotions inconsiderately ran wild and kept them awake.

But how were they supposed to just roll over and go to sleep after learning that not only are there versions of themself running amok after making the wrong choice six months ago, but that it seemed they were destined to make that same wrong choice themself? What was this if not an answer to the questions they'd been asking themself? What did this do other than confirm every fear they had? They knew now that it was no longer a matter of if, only when.

"It isn't your fault. It hasn't happened to you yet, and so long as ya both pay attention, it never will."

What a crock of bullshit. Future should know better than anyone that they were a lost cause. He'd no doubt been the one who had to put down their future self. They could see it in his eyes, it hurt him to look at them. But Cter was a convincing actor, that much clearly wouldn't change in the next two decades. He was probably just concerned he'd lose Cter and their help if he'd told Chara they were better off dead.

"... I know you'd never do something like that."

But what was worse than Future's concealed truths were the lies Cter so easily believed. Never do something like that? Did he have amnesia or was he just stupid? Of course they would do something like that! They'd done something like that a hundred and one times over! They were clearly going to do something like that again unless he got rid of them now!

"If this is what you want then... I can't stop you from taking it. Because I can't kill you."

... But Cter couldn't do that. And that baffled Chara. Why on Earth was he willing to risk so much for them? He'd given his life once and he'd been willing to do it again. And that didn't make sense. Why was he so afraid to give up on them? They were a risk to everything he had worked so hard for! Today they saw two realities where they had striped him of nearly everything he had, and still he was willing to say they'd never do something like that?! Why couldn't he open his eyes?!

"... I don't want you to die..."

... Maybe they were being a little hypocritical. They were the one who actually had given up everything they'd worked for just to keep Cter's friendship. But what else could they have done? When he died, it... Hurt. A lot. In a way that they weren't used to.

... Or, at least, a way that they'd forgotten. In the time that they spent letting fear and sorrow turn to hatred before making the gamble that got both them and Asriel killed, and then again in the time they'd spent at Frisk's side, Chara had forgotten the agony that was watching someone you care about die. But once upon a time, it was a feeling that defined their life, and drove them up a mountain in hopes to never return.

But that was a lifetime ago. So many faces had came and gone and came again that the old ones were getting a little blurry. Voices Chara once thought unforgettable were turning to static. Anxious from this realization, they lifted their hand from under their blanket, gently taking hold of one of the auburn strands of hair that dangled over their face.

Their scarlet eyes watched the hair carefully, nearly crossing to keep their careful inspection going. Not that they were particularly focused on reality, this was more something to distract their body with while their mind ran laps. They'd hated shorter hair all their life. Hence why Cter's jabs at their 'Cabbage Patch hairdo' irked them so. But it had taken them quite some time to finally make the decision to start growing their hair, even though they could have the moment they first dropped into the Underground.

... But it was a hard lesson to un-learn. Long hair was 'girly'. And on the surface they grew up in, girly was a terrible thing to be. But Chara didn't like thinking about that. So they wouldn't.

...

So they wouldn't.

...

So. They. Wouldn't.

. . .

"God damn it." Chara groaned, sitting right up in their bed and not hesitating to summon their knife in one hand and gather up their excess hair in the other. The stupid hair wasn't worth the invasive thoughts, the sleepless nights, or the memories of their shitty upbringing.

But, though they were certain seconds ago, their blade paused against their auburn locks. In the wake of such a simple decision they were paralyzed. It should be easy, it was something absolutely trivial.

"You're very lucky to look the way you do, Chara."

Stop that. Stop that right now. It's been an age and a half, I don't need to cut my hair. This is not a big deal. Chara clenched their eyes shut tight, knuckles locked around the extra tresses they'd spent six months growing out. Another part of the change they'd committed to half a year ago that they were terrified they were going to go back on.

"So long as you keep your hair short, no one can tell the difference..."

"But mom, I don't like looking like this... Why can't I dress like the other-?"

Shut up shut up shut up! Chara grit their teeth, hands trembling now with the incredible weight of this silly cosmetic decision and all the memory vaults it opened in their head that they would have preferred welded shut.

"You are NOT LIKE the others! You are so incredibly lucky, don't you get it?! Why do you want to waste that?!"

"..."

Chara gradually let go of their hair, let their blade drop back to their side with their now limp lying arms. Messily brown locks dropped around their face, shadowing their eyes while a deep frown settled over their lips.

"You're so special, Chara... All you have to do is tell one little white lie, and you can have a future so much brighter than all the other-"

Knock knock knock...

Chara lifted their head damn near joyfully, throwing their hair back out of their face and sending their ruby eyes darting over to the wooden door that thudded with salvation from the memories that haunted them and the words engraved on their frontal lobe.

Asriel would certainly have something to distract them from their thoughts, Chara was certain as they climbed from their bed and sent their knife disappearing back into their inventory. Some silly video to show them on UnderTube or some big epiphany he had about one of his super hero comics. They could already feel their anxiety receding as they made their way to the door.

... Unfortunately, it looked like it spiked right back up when they opened the doorway and found me standing on the other side.

There I stood, the sleepless bags under my eyes darker than they'd been in a long time. My hands were stuffed in my jacket pockets, and I slouched forward some as I watched them with haggard green eyes.

"... Cter?" Chara squinted like they really weren't sure it was me, clearly befuddled to see me standing in their home at two in the morning. "What are you doing here?"

I didn't speak. Wasn't sure what to say after our last encounter, and I wasn't sure how to properly present this information. So, instead, I nodded towards the monochromatic child that stood at my side.

Chara's scarlet orbs went wide as they landed upon C Frisk, before narrowing with some measure of contempt.

"... Ah fuck."

Future stood tall in the swaying, waist high grass with the butt of his spear planted firmly in the dirt, white knuckles wrapped around its handle. Hawk-like emerald eyes glossed over the shifting vegetation that The Demon had disappeared into, and a deep frown settled into the face of the king.

A sudden rustle from behind was all it took for a green orb to burst to life around Future, and The Demon snarled with frustration as the point of their blade was stopped dead against the wall of virescent light. Swiftly they jumped back as the bubble of KIND energy burst with force that sent the grass whipping back away from Future, who spun back around to face them while they flung back through the air.

The king lifted his free hand to the mid-air Demon, quickly clenching it into a tight fist and forcing their crimson soul to shift to a more sapphire shade. They stopped dead in mid air, head whiplashing back before they tilted it forward again, snarling furiously at Future. His highness didn't seem too bothered by this glare, his expression unmoved as he pulled his fist towards himself and immediately dragged The Demon by their soul right back through the air to him.

Hair flinging back from their rapid acceleration towards Future, The Demon barred their fangs and prepared themself. The soul grip was annoying, but it was a trick they knew like the back of their hand. So when the king cocked back his spear and prepared to impale them while they raced forward, they were quick to open one palm wide and grip their knife tight in the other hand.

Just as Future stabbed out at them, The Demon grabbed the handle just under the point of the royal weapon, acrobatically pushing from it and flipping over the spearhead that'd nearly skewered them, slashing downward at the king in retaliation.

Future side stepped the slice, which carved a crimson streak through the air, The Demon landing crouched. Without skipping a beat he swung at Demon with the tip of his spear, but they ducked back under the swing, landed on both hands, and sprung right back up at Future with a kick. The king's eyes widened, twitching with pain as they planted both feet firmly in his abdomen, before jumping back off of him and throwing back their knife wielding hand, letting their blade disappear and a revolver reappear in their grasp.

Just as the Demon took aim on his highness, he once more threw his free hand down, yanking them by their blue soul to the earth, where they landed skillfully, wincing some and being forced to drop one knee just before Future shoved his hand forward, sending an invisible force slamming into their body and pushing them back rapidly across the ground, effectively putting more distance between the two.

The Demon kept their feet planted, and though their teeth were grinding, one knowing smile tugged up their lips into an unsettling expression. After another few seconds of sliding they came to a stop, and their sapphire soul turned back to ruby. This made Future squint as he lowered his arm, watching his opponent for their next move.

"I think I figured it out." The Demon spoke to their adversary, who didn't seem the least bit interested in talking.

"Neat." Future spoke sarcastically, expression unmoved as he walked through the matted and torn up grass towards Demon, spear gripped tight in his hand.

"You're a Cter, aren't you?" Narrowing their eyes, The Demon tilted their head to the side with a small smile. "And the other one is your Chara. Am I right?"

"Congratulations, you cracked the code." Future's tone was dry, haggard eyes unblinking. "Why do ya care, exactly?"

"I guess I'm just a little confused. Your timeline is beyond strange." Keeping those scarlet, reptilian orbs on the king, The Demon shook their head slowly. "You're nothing like my Cter, yet your Chara still acts a lot like me."

"Oh boy here we go..." Future grimaced, eyes darting to the side.

"It's certainly intriguing, because it looks to me like back when you were my age, you stuck to doing all the 'right' things that everyone wanted you to do." Then, that mocking smile grew upon The Demon's face. It reached from ear to ear, flashed every ounce of their wicked soul. "And it still blew up in your face. You still lost everything."

In the next instant The Demon was wide eyed, leaning to the side and letting Future's spear fling by their head. Their red orbs followed the spear's path subconsciously, and as soon as they refocused and let their eyes dart forward once more they were stunned to find the king had closed the distance between them, his expression one vicious snarl and his fist cocked back with righteous fury.

His knuckles blasted into The Demon's cheek, and their skull shook from the force of the impact, a single red stream spewing out from between their lips. Then, it was as if time sped back up, and they were sent flipping and skidding through the dirt, ripping grass from the earth and staining their clothes with shades of brown and green.

"... Ahem." Future took a deep breath, standing up straight once more while he casually adjusted his sleeve, seeming to have to reroll some of it after the velocity with which he'd thrown his fist.

"Ehehehe..." The Demon giggled shamelessly while they gradually climbed to their feet, wiping blood from their chin with the back of their fist. "Alright, I suppose I earned that one."

"Sure did." Future spoke calmly, strolling over to where his spear had embedded itself in the dirt and tugging it up from the earth.

"Just one more curiosity." Demon held that knife out to their side, and they and the king began to circle one another.

"Curiosity impaled the bastard child." Future shrugged, exhausted frown on his face while he kept the point of that spear aimed at his opponent. "Fair warning."

"If you're a Cter, then where's the pens? The ink, the laser light show?" Demon seemed genuinely curious now. Future figured that made sense. If they thought he was holding back, boy would they be insulted.

With that in mind, his highness smiled like a scoundrel does, and spat the venom on his tongue. Another lie, sure, but this one might just feel good.

"You're just too weak for me to need it."

Rapidly F Chara raced up the overgrown path to the doorway in which The Hacker stood. They weaved and darted between pens and bolts of led, before lunging at him with their blade yanked back. Skillfully Hacker ducked back out of the way of the stab, hands never leaving his pockets and condescending smirk never leaving his face.

F Chara landed on their feet, not skipping a beat in spinning on their heel and swinging one leg at Hacker in a roundhouse kick, which he was quick to kneel under. The moment his knee touched the ground, ink exploded up in a barrage of vicious spikes, stabbing up at F Chara, who flipped back out of the doorway, landing on their palms and springing from those to land back on their feet.

F Chara wasted no time, darting forward once more just as two Beat Blasters fired from above, exploding through the earth behind them and leaving a smoldering crater in their wake. They paid the blast no mind, however, once more closing the distance between themself and The Hacker.

Rapidly and skillfully they slashed and stabbed, flipping their blade from position to position in their hand. Up, down, forward, back. But even more rapid and even more skillful were Hacker's movements, weaving elegantly between every attack. His eyes narrowed with some reserved fury, however, when he tilted his head to the side to let his opponent's blade slice by and a cut opened on his cheek. A few loose strands of hair were shaved free, delicately drifting towards the earth while a ruby stream slipped down from his cheek to his chin.

Indignantly Hacker reached up, gripping F Chara's extended arm in vice like fingers, his murderous eyes piercing into their stunned red orbs. Swiftly F Chara glanced down to the open palm Hacker suddenly held at their abdomen, and when their eyes spotted the rapid writhing of black liquid down his bicep and forearm they knew exactly what was to come.

But just as ink speared from Hacker's arm, F Chara summoned their burnt frying pan, holding it in the space between the pressured beam of black liquid and themself. They ground their teeth from the exertion, pan shaking in their grasp while ink spewed in streams back out around The Hacker like a spoon held under running water.

Just when they thought their grip was going to give out, however, F Chara was surprised to see The Hacker release their arm and jump to his right, his ink flow coming to a stop and giving them what they foolishly believed to be a moment's reprieve. This idiotic thought was immediately scolded by the massive pencil eraser that shot from the earth behind them, bashing into their back and giving them an unfathomably harsh shove, sending them blasting into Asgore's old home and exploding into the wall above the stairs leading down to the basement pathway.

The Hacker smirked wickedly as he stood, watching the smoke that had exploded out around F Chara's collision begin to settle. Holding his arms out to his sides in an arrogant shrug, he sauntered into the home and towards the dissipating dust.

"That all you got, I-Don't-Really-Char-Bear?" Hacker called out as he reached the stairwell, gripping the railing and leaning over to look down to the steps he presumed F Chara's limp body had dropped down onto. "I know you're gettin' old, but come-!"

"..." The Hacker's expression soured significantly, however, when he noticed the staircase was utterly Chara-less, spotting droplets of blood leading down to the basement passage. "... On."

Grumbling with aggravation, Hacker hopped the railing, dropping right down after his adversary.

Where are the goddamn munchkins? Future clenched his jaw with frustration and impatience, sweat beading down his forehead as he was forced to step back over and over, rapidly deflecting stabs and slashes with the shaft of his spear. He'd certainly pissed The Demon off with that earlier statement about them being too weak. At this rate, it was looking like he would have to use his magic if he wanted to live.

Really, he should have been using it from the start. His life was immeasurably more important than his silly principles. But, that contradicted the kind of person he was trying to become. A man of his word. Future had been gifted his magic all those years ago to protect the Monsters. He had failed, so he didn't deserve to use it anymore.

... Not unless it was to destroy the one who'd murdered his friends and family in cold blood. The one he'd originally gotten his powers to defeat. The entire reason he existed in this world. It was funny. Those days all seemed so far away, they had for a long time. An entire millennia ago, he could have believed.

Crash!

But as Future's eyes darted over his shoulder to the dust billowing out from the front of Asgore's home, he decided now was no time for reminiscing. This situation was looking more and more grim by the second. They were lucky enough to separate The Demon and The Hacker, but Future's body was weak with sleep deprivation, and Chara was surely exhausted after having to survive against the both of them in tandem before this fight even began. And now Hacker was pushing his fight with Chara further from Future, which brought him even more worry. If Hacker was able to defeat Chara, it would be bad for both Future's mental and physical health, considering the very next thing he would do is race here and assist The Demon in murdering him.

"Pay attention!"

Future gasped sharply, leaning back and narrowly avoiding a savage slice that severed his black tie and carved an opening in the chest of his shirt, just barely missing his actual skin.

"These clothes are expensive, you know." Future narrowed his eyes with some aggravation, attempting to joke his way out of his anxieties as he stepped back out of the way of another slash. "How am I supposed to look like a functioning adult now?"

"In a!" The Demon ducked under a stab from Future's spear, yanking back their knife and jabbing right at his chest. "Body bag!"

Future growled with pain as he narrowly side stepped, Demon's knife embedding itself into his right shoulder and sending red streaking through his white sleeve in an instant. In furious retaliation he grabbed them by the collar of their shirt, yanked back his head, and smashed his forehead against theirs with skull shaking force. Future didn't feel much, his head was mostly numb from lack of sleep. Demon, on the other hand, was clearly seeing stars as they stumbled back, eyes blinking out of sync.

This momentary opening was exactly what Future needed, as he swiftly planted one foot in their chest and sent them launching across the yard and to the wall of stone that bordered it's right side, which they crashed into, sending pebbles and dust spewing out around them. The king wasted no time lifting his free hand and showing that bracer, which shun an orange light. This light appeared in the form of two copper arrows on the ground, the first pointing to Future from just in front of The Demon's impact smoke, and the second right before his highness, pointing towards the damaged home across the way.

In the next instant, The Demon fired at a stunning velocity from the smoke on the path of the arrow, their limbs flailing behind them from the massive whiplash of their sudden motion. But just as they gathered themself and prepared their blade to stab at Future when they reached him, the second COURAGE arrow caught them. They were sent launching right across the lawn and exploding through the doorway of Asgore's home, where they smashed into the same wall their future counterpart had been knocked into moments ago.

Body now trapped in the dry wall, shattered wooden studs and metal pipes, The Demon grunted with pain. They managed to crack open one eye and lift their head just in time to spot Future firing on the same orange arrow right at them, reaching speed they hardly had time to react to.

One arm gripping the stab wound of it's opposite shoulder, Future slammed foot first into The Demon's abdomen, pushing them deeper into the wall while their eyes snapped open wide and their jaw dropped, the air blasting up out of their lungs. Shrunken pupils trembled in their eye sockets, and streams of blood stained saliva trickled down their chin.

But as Future yanked his spear overhead to pierce their skull and put them out of his misery, his brows furrowed with hesitation and his jaw clenching with a poorly timed internal conflict. This shouldn't have been hard, he scolded himself. Death and murder was an easy concept for him, it had followed him his entire life. The reaper had been chasing him since he was a kid.

*And you just keep tripping people around you to get away from him.

That was true. Everyone close to Future had either died or was gonna die one of these days. But he was still here. He always got away, and no one else ever did. How long before it was everyone? Before Monsterkind was completely washed away, before he finally killed Chara like he was created to do, before-

Stop it! Future clenched his eyes shut, and his trembling fingers tightened around his spear. I don't have any time for this melodramatic bullshit! I have to keep going, I have to keep working!

But for what? Everything he ever tried at either failed or played out wrong. Everything he'd ever touched turned to garbage eventually. It was only a matter of time before this king thing fell through.

Shut up shut up shut up! Future was screaming in his own head now. He felt like he was going mad, a result of the sleep deprivation-depression-anxiety-guilt cocktails he'd been gulping down lately. Drinking. Yes, that was it. He just needed a few drinks out of his flask, and everything would start to make sense again. The pain would dull, the thoughts would slow. He just needed a-

Surprise shot Future in the heart when he opened his eyes to find a revolver barrel inches from the space between his eyes. What a snap back to reality. He might've laughed, if he wasn't so suddenly aware of his mortality and everything he was about to lose. He had a hunch he wouldn't be coming back this time; didn't have the DETERMINATION he had when he was a kid. Half'a the time he had to push away thoughts that told him he wanted to die.

But now, so suddenly finding his demise at hand...

Now that was funny. He couldn't even die right.

BANG.

Son of a-! F Chara snarled, slashing away one paper airplane before jumping back, evading the patch of pens that burst from the tile where they had just been standing. They skidded back on their feet, glaring into the dark of the hallway before being jolted by the light that suddenly glowed from within the shadows. Was fighting Cter always this damn annoying?

Swiftly F Chara threw their arms up to shield themself from the blast, white hot energy smashing into them and knocking them right off their feet. They were thrown down the passage way, being knocked out of the shadows and landing flat on their back. They slid out onto the walkway that overlooked the abandoned city below, panting with exhaustion for a moment while cold sweat crept down their face and warm blood down their forearms.

Gradually they pushed themself up on their hands, sitting up and glaring into the one glowing red eye that stared from the darkness. Footsteps echoed out from the black, that crimson orb unblinking in its murderous stare as it approached. F Chara growled, swiftly drawing their revolver and aiming right at that unfeeling gaze. Before they could pull the trigger, however, ink lashed out from the vantablack, and their gasp was cut short when it snatched them up by the throat, pulling them off the ground and shoving them out over the ledge. The ink wrapped like a boa constrictor around their throat then, keeping them dangling over a couple hundred foot drop by the neck.

"Ah ah, can't have that." Hacker's voice rang all too cheerfully, like he was half ass scolding a toddler. As he stepped from the dark hall and onto the walkway, he leaned down, scooping up the gun that F Chara had dropped when they were so suddenly yanked into the air and carefully looking it over. "I know Chara's tend to be real crack shots."

"I, however, ain't got the steadiest hand." Hacker smiled convincingly while F Chara choked and sputtered, tearing in vain at the liquid with their hands, more immediately replacing whatever they sent splattering to the ground. After a few moments of letting them struggle, Hacker's ink wrapped around their wrists as well, inspiring furious leg kicking and more pointless struggling.

"If I wanna hit a target..." That smile was nothing but evil now as Hacker's ink receded and slowly dragged F Chara back towards him. They glared as their face began to turn shades of blue, eyes growing bloodshot and starting to pop out of their head. But the fury in their eyes did not die down. In fact, in what could be a final act of defiance, it ignited further when they where pulled within arms reach of The Hacker. He didn't seem bothered in the slightest by this, however. He just smiled and smiled, even as he pressed that revolver barrel to their forehead.

"I gotta get up real close, see?"

BANG.

"Agh!"

Future dropped back onto the railing behind him, gasping loudly after the burn in his chest reminded him that he needed to breath. Thoughtlessly he ran his hands over his face, eyes wide and unblinking with confusion. It just didn't make sense; he'd heard a gunshot, but he couldn't find any new holes in his skull.

"How the-?" The Demon snarled, gripping their now bleeding palm while their wrathful red eyes darted around the room. Just before they'd popped open his highness's head, one DETERMINED red bullet had torn through their hand and knocked their gun out of their grasp.

"Old Cter." A voice cut in, and both Future and The Demon looked to the hallway that lead to Asgore's living room. There they saw Chara, scarlet orbs locked on Demon from down the barrel of their own pistol. There was a deep frown engraved in their face and not a drop of hesitation in their eyes. "Get out of here. Now."

"Perfect timing, munchkin..." Future panted lightly, his heart rate still slowing down and his body aching with exhaustion. He pushed himself from the railing and leaned down, grabbing the spear he'd dropped when Chara's gunshot rang out before standing back to his full height.

"Yup." Chara's response showed just how little they were listening to Future and just how focused they were on The Demon. When Future looked up at Chara's less than paragon other self, he could see they were just as dead set on this new player in their game. Seeing this, Future figured anything else he could say would've been pointless, so he instead quickly made his way down the rest of the staircase and disappeared from sight.

"And who are you supposed to be?" Venom dripped from The Demon's tongue as they yanked themself out of the wall, jumping out from the staircase and back to the entrance room.

"I'm the good guy." Chara responded dryly, shutting one eye to aim down the barrel of their gun.

"Now hold still."

"Gah!"

F Chara gasped as they dropped to the ground, flat on their back and inhaling air desperately. The ink that once restrained them splattered down around them, staining their clothing. Their eyes clenched shut tight, sweat pouring down their face while life slowly crept back into their limbs. They couldn't open their eyes, couldn't crawl away. To them the world surrounding disappeared, all they could do was try to get air back to their vital organs.

"Alright, who has the nuts?!" An expression far too smug just a second ago was now furious as The Hacker held his left shoulder, which had a bolt of graphite embedded in it. The shot had caught him off guard, firing a single second before he could pull the trigger and disabling his shooting arm in a less than civil manner.

"Joe."

Hacker growled, looking down the walkway to find me walking with purpose towards him, hands clenched into fists at my sides. His expression turned from a snarl to a smirk when he recognized my face as his own, and my word registered in his ears.

"What, are you serious? You think I'm gonna fall for that?" Hacker winced as he spoke, gripping the spike buried in his arm and slowly dragging it out of his flesh. A red mist gently floated up from his wound, and the blood that trickled down his arm slowed to a stop. "I'm you, bro. It's gonna take a little more to get me with that j-"

Hacker's eyes widened then, and he ducked quickly as two pens fired over his shoulders. He turned his head, watching them sail off while chuckling arrogantly. Just as he turned his head back to look at me, he caught a hard knee with his nose, making his face scrunch up with pain as he was knocked back from the force of the collision. He sailed a few feet through the air, before landing flat on his back and grabbing his aching face while he snarled furiously.

I smiled just a little as I watched him writhe and heard him mutter a chain of curse words, squaring my footing and lifting one clenched fist. From the spaces between my fingers ink ran in streams.

"Joe mama."

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