The Marsh - Part 4

"Ugh."

Frisk sat up from her bed, groggy like a fatigued elderly.

What day is it? she wondered.

Sunday, wasn't it? Or was it Saturday?

Either way, not much has changed. Nothing changes much here.

It was the same old room in the same old apartment.

Dim light and air, clothes were strewn about, a generic tv and furniture, and boring plush toys on the floor.

Toys?

Odd. Frisk recalled not having played with toys for ages.

Frisk jumped off the bed, which she now realised felt surprisingly large as if it grew a few feet overnight. Just her imagination, she figured.

As she examined the plush toys, Frisk felt an overwhelming nostalgia high. But, it was a nostalgia she couldn't pinpoint.

One plush resembled a yellow, armless lizard child. Another looked almost like a little skeleton.

There were a couple more, but one keenly interested her more than the others: A child-like goat wearing a green and yellow striped shirt.

There came a loud knocking on the bedroom door, startling her. She looked up to see the shadows moving behind the door frame.

When she looked back down, she saw the plush was gone, and she was holding a sunflower. It felt a bit on the nose for some odd reason. As if Frisk had been aware of the connection for a while now.

The loud knocking continued, and an inhuman yet familiar voice followed. Frisk couldn't hear what it was saying, so she stood up and walked closer to the door.

It all felt like a bad idea. Opening the door felt like the last thing Frisk ever wanted to do.

Every time she came closer to it, the further away it felt. She wasn't sure if she was going slower with each step or if the door was moving.

The light coming from the cracks of the door frame grew blood red, and it was the only colour in this world.

The angry voice kept yelling and arguing, and soon the other voice became clear, one much softer yet equally angry nonetheless.

Stranger still, Frisk did not feel one inch of fear.

She couldn't even feel sadness and loathing.

Because this simply is how it is.

After what felt like a ludicrously long journey, the shaking door now stood in front of her. It had grown so large on this journey it reached into the heavens.

It had now stopped shaking as if it was satisfied by her arrival.

Frisk leaned her ear on the door.

"It is just like you!" the angrier voice said. "Leaving when the going gets tough!"

There was some mumbling. Frisk couldn't remember much of what was said. Then came the other voice Frisk recognised and said something she'd never forget.

"I don't want to see you or your goddamned ever face again!"

And all was silent.

The edges of the door stopped glowing, and its tough wood turned to cold metal.

Metal?

Frisk realised now she wasn't standing up against a door anymore. She was now lying on the cold, metallic floor of a greenhouse. This "change" of perspective felt as if it didn't happen. She was always lying down on this floor.

Was it all a dream?

She pushed herself onto her feet and looked around. It was the same greenhouse where she got knocked out. Except it felt deader and darker.

"H-hello?" she muttered. "Hello?"

The world remained silent.

Not even the plants made a stir.

"Back here again?" Frisk wondered. "I know this place, don't I? Been here before. In a dream?"

There came what sounded like soft knocking nearby, startling Frisk.

She looked at the open door of the "greenery". There was another door in the other room, closed.

This knock was much more peaceful and friendlier than the last one, almost like it was inviting her over.

Frisk walked to the next room, noticing that the floorboards weren't creaking. She pressed her palm upon the door handle and pulled softly.

It led to an edge. An edge in a very abstract sense, as if logic ceased to be once it moved past it.

But there was also a "thing" there, an entity by the edge. It had no face, for it had moved past the need for one.

So it spoke with his hands, in a way that somehow verbalised:

"Frisk, isn't it?"

Frisk nodded.

"Heh, what an odd name," pondered the entity by the edge. "For a human, that is. Or not, I suppose oddness is all subjective."

"It's short for Francisca," Frisk explained.

"Ahh," the entity said with intrigue. "That makes some sense. Frisk means Francisca. But, of course, that's not always the case, is it?"

"What do you mean?" Frisk asked, confused.

The entity remained silent for a moment.

"This is not the right time for that, I think," it said. "I suppose you understand when you're older. Or you won't. There is no shame in that either. In fact, it might be better."

"I-I'm confused," Frisk said. "What is this place? Who are you?"

"Well, I'm me," the entity spoke. "I think. Not so sure anymore. But what about you?"

"Me?" Frisk asked. "Well, I'm Frisk. You already know that."

"Of course. Maybe I do. But what do you think? Who are you?"

"I-I'm Frisk, right? Wha-what's this question?"

"I want to know what you think. I know I am more than I. Are you sure you are the "you" you know?"

Frisk frowned. She barely knew what to say.

"O-of course," she said. "I'm Frisk. I am Frisk, I-"

She turned thoughtful.

"I'm Frisk, ain't I?"

"Of course you are," the entity spoke. "But Frisk, WHO are you?"

"I… I don't know, I-" Frisk muttered. "I don't know who I am. I don't know what I want, or-!"

"Frisk…"

"I… I don't know!" Frisk repeated, speaking louder. "I don't know who I am, I-!"

"FRISK!"

She woke up harshly, instantly feeling her arms and legs bound.

"W-what?" she muttered.

For a moment, she thought she was still dreaming. Then she really wished she was.

She was sitting on a very uncomfortable wooden chair, both hands bound to the armrests with ducktape, same with her feet. Across from her was MK, also tied to a chair, looking absolutely miserable, tape covering their stomach area to the back of the seat.

The room they all found themselves in was dimly lit and empty and smelled foully of some organic stench. A single, broken and unlit lamp swung lazily on the ceiling. Shelves of strange powders and empty vials filled the walls behind the two prisoners. The only sign of life was a small window on the roof, filling the otherwise dreadful chamber with much-needed luminesce.

A single door was in the room, with a few steps leading up to it.

"Frisk?" MK asked fearfully. "You're alive. I- I was starting to fear you were dead?"

"No…" Frisk said to herself in horror. "No, no-"

She began thrashing in her bonds.

"Fuck!" she cried out. "Fuck, FUCK, FUCK, NO, NO, I-!"

She cried out in frustration while her face was red with anger and desperation. No matter how hard she pulled her arms and knees, the tape wouldn't bind.

"This can't be! Fuck, I can't-"

"Frisk…" MK said softly.

The human girl turned to them, panting with absolute desperation in her eyes.

"MK?!" she said as if they were angry at her. "I… are you ok?!"

"I… I don't know," MK said. "I'm not hurt if that's what you're asking."

Frisk breathed anxiously and tried for round two of fighting her binds. She pulled and pulled her arms. She felt like she was breaking them.

"Come on!" she cried out. "Come on, you stupid- FUUUUUUCCCKKK!"

Her arms went limp, and she panted with exhaustion. She felt like she was on the verge of crying, but she held back her tears.

Not now, Frisk's mind told her.

"MK?" she asked, much softer. "I… I don't- I'm sorry, I- this is all my fault."

"Frisk…"

"I should've seen the fucking signs!" Frisk cried out and sniffed her nose. "Flowey was right, and I dismissed him because I… I'm too fucking trustworthy and led us to a fucking trap! I'm so-"

She closed her eyes for a moment while her breathing trembled. Then she opened them again and looked around.

"Frisk, what do we do?" MK asked as if knowing the answer was "nothing".

"I don't-" Frisk answered. "I don't know. There has to be something, right? There always is."

"I'm scared," MK said. "Can you see into the future? And see if we'll be ok?"

"It's… it's not how it works, kid," Frisk replied. "But I wish it did."

"Right," MK said.

Frisk looked at the shelves, seeing all the strange powders and vials. One entire wardrobe seemed incredibly categorised with coloured powder, all set up nicely in small dishes with writing underneath, possibly the names of each powder.

All this flower and floral scent brought forth an important realisation.

"MK?" Frisk asked. "Where's Flowey?"

There came sounds of heavy steps behind the closed door. The steps grew louder and louder with each second.

Frisk and MK's gazes turned to the door, and a knot formed in their stomachs. It was like waiting for the end.

"Gods damned," Finrick's voice muttered on the other end. "These f-f-f-f-f-fUCKING kids. Can you please just-"

The door was almost forced off its hinges, revealing a more than pissed trout monster behind it. Finrick's gas mask was hanging loosely on his throat, and he wore his torn coat.

"SHUT UP!" he yelled.

He breathed heavily as if out of breath.

Then he put on an uncomfortable smile.

"Ah, awake, I see," the fish-man said, strolling a few steps into the room. "I hope you enjoyed your much-needed r-r-r-r-rest."

"You piece of shit," Frisk said. "You better pray I don't get loose or-"

"Shut up!" Finrick cried out.

Frisk didn't even see him reach into his pocket anywhere, but he was suddenly holding his revolver.

"I'm not in the mood!" Finrick said, pointing the gun at her. "I'm not in the mood to be p-PLAYING games right now."

He grasped his head with his loose arm and muttered something to himself. Then he reached into his pocket and grabbed a joint he promptly put into his mouth.

"All supposed to be perfect, all planned out," Frisk heard him mutter.

Frisk looked at MK, whose eyes filled, understandably, with unease.

"Sorry," Finrick said as he lit his joint. "You see? I had it all planned out. Well, I had to make some adjustments. You didn't drink your frigging- umm, your tea, for instance. So I had to make a, albeit simple, scheme on the spot. Heh, this whole thing?"

He waved his fin-hands around as if conjuring some hypnotic light show.

"This plan was created on the spot," he continued. "Ain't that crazy? In just a couple of minutes, I get a human, the human, the most wanted person in the underground in my area. Near my frigging house even. What are the odds? Heh. So, I'm sure you understand. Any monsters would've jumped at this opportunity that fell on their laps. If it wasn't me, it'll be the next farmer you'd find."

"You really think so?!" Frisk harshly said. "Yeah, I call bullshit! You're just a bastard, plain and simple."

Finrick glared at her for a moment. Then he forced a smile and shook his head.

"Ok, maybe most monsters," he corrected.

"W-what are you going to do to us?" MK asked nervously.

"Oh?" Finrick replied. "Well, I know what I'm doing to her, that human thing. The Hunt wants her. Oh, they always want to catch humans. Then they'll pay me more than my own business makes me in a lifetime. Two lifetimes. Hells, maybe even the lifetime of a boss monster. Gosh, imagine that. Then, well, I'll never have to grow hungry again. Of course, assuming I won't waste it."

The fish monster glared at MK before proceeding to walk toward them. MK realised Finrick was coming closer and almost jumped in their bindings and tried to lean backwards.

"Get the fuck away from them!" Frisk hissed with venom in her voice.

"Relax," Finrick said, not looking at her. "Just observing."

He stood by the kid and leaned his head down enough for them to feel his breath. Frisk trashed lightly in her bindings.

"What about you, though?" Finrick wondered. "I've not decided on that yet. I could always get new workers. But armless one? I can't see how much use you'd be in the greenhouse with the others. But on the other hand, I've never killed anyone."

At that moment, Frisk got an awful, but still a grand, idea.

"Ok, then," she said softly. "Why won't you start with me?"

Finrick turned his head around surprisingly quickly. MK turned to her as well. Both of them looked just as confused.

"What?" Finrick asked.

"Oh, you know?" Frisk asked, putting on a grin. "You have me right where you want me, don't you? Why not finish the job?"

The fish looked utterly bewildered.

"What the f-f-f-f-" he began.

It was like his body refused to believe what he was about to say. He, himself, seemed to refuse to accept it either.

He took another hit of his smoke.

"Frisk?" MK inquired. "W-what are you doing?"

Frisk gave them a quick wink. That made them only more confused.

As Finrick exhaled some smoke, he breathed rapidly and gripped the gun as if his life depended on it.

"Why would I… kill you?" he asked, smiling awkwardly.

Frisk turned thoughtful for a moment.

"Well," she began. "You think Mickey is going to be fair? The Mickey? Have you met him?"

"He has no reason to be… to be, oh what's the word, d-dishonourable," Finrick explained, tapping his head with the revolver.

"Why not?" Frisk said. "Look where you are? In the middle of bumfuck nowhere. No offence."

"He needs me!" Finrick insisted. "I'm the only one who supplies enough Baron's Breath for the entire underground! He wouldn't betray me, no, no, no. Not like that!"

"Maybe," Frisk said. "But are you willing to take the risk?"

Finrick stared at her, silently and confused. Then he chuckled.

"I see," he muttered as he walked towards her. "This is a trick! Some kind of trick, I-I just haven't figured out what it is yet."

"You sure?" Frisk said, staring up at him with a determined expression. "What do you got to lose from killing me?"

"Frisk?" MK inquired.

"Ugh, everything!" Finrick exclaimed. "My… my fucking payday!"

He looked around the room with bafflement.

"Are you… are you trying to make me release you?" Finrick inquired. "Are you expecting me to "let you loose" so we'd have some sort of "fair, honourable fight"? Uh-uh. I know you humans are freakishly strong. And stubborn."

He aimed the revolver at Frisk's head.

"But I'm not that stupid," Finrick said.

"Frisk!" MK exclaimed with fear.

Finrick pushed the barrel into Frisk's forehead. Frisk winced for a second but stayed determined.

"You're right where I want you to," Finrick added. "If I want to kill you, I don't need to complicate it."

"Yeah, I know," Frisk replied. "But I'm not afraid. I stopped being afraid of death ages ago."

"I don't care!" Finrick replied harshly. "I don't care how "brave" or "unbrave" you are, I-"

He moved his hand and gun away from her. He moved his arms up and down as if trying to push the air.

"You want to die so bad, fine!" Finrick said. "You do you! But you still haven't given me one good reason to end you. Compared to selling you off, at least."

"Eh, you said it yourself," Frisk said and shrugged. "We humans are freakishly powerful and stubborn. What happens if I break out of these bonds before Mickey or his goons arrive?"

"You… you can't," Finrick said. "And even if you d-d-d-d-do, I've still locked the doors."

"Think about it," Frisk said. "You know what happens when a monster kills a human? Surely you've heard of it."

"Frisk, no!" MK cried out. "He'll take your soul!"

"That's true," Finrick said, looking at Frisk. "You're aware of that, aren't you?"

"Uh-huh," Frisk replied. "But you know what that means for you, right? Imagine. You with all that fucking power of a human soul."

Finrick looked at her for a few seconds, breathing uneasily, as if honestly considering it. Then he shook his head.

"I… I can't," Finrick said. "I… I need it. I need the money."

"Really?" Frisk said cheekily. "You seem to be doing fine enough so far-"

She felt something hard and metallic slap her across the face. Quick yet painful.

"Shut UP!" Finrick exclaimed. "I…!"

He grabbed his head and closed his eyes.

"I'm not a bad person," he muttered to himself. "I… I need this money."

Frisk's head and eyes were facing the floor. Blood leaked out from a newly formed wound on her lips.

"You… you know how to use that thing, right?" Frisk joked.

"What do you want to do?" Finrick inquired. "You want to die this badly?!"

"Why do you care about Mickey?" Frisk said. "You get, what? A couple of bucks to last you a good retirement? But a human with a monster soul, oof, imagine that. You'll be a god amongst monsters. You could even breach the surface! Start your own drug business there. That'll be much more worth it than any money the government pays you, won't it?"

Finrick seemed to examine her for a moment.

"You're a little demon," he spoke.

Frisk felt the gun push against her temple again. She felt a mark form on her skin.

"What are you planning, huh?!" Finrick exclaimed. "What are you hiding?!"

The revolver shook wildly in his extended arm.

"Come on, you pussy," Frisk said determinedly. "It's not that fucking hard. Just pull the freaking trigger."

Finrick seemed to struggle with some invisible demon grabbing his limbs.

"Please, mister!" MK pleaded. "Please don't, I-I don't know what has gotten into her!"

"MK," Frisk said and turned towards them. "It's ok. In a moment, you won't even remember this."

"What?!" MK inquired with confusion. "What does that mean?!"

Finrick's finlike finger was shaking over the trigger. Frisk looked up at him, ready.

Then Finrick cried out and pulled his gun away.

"Fuck!" the fish-man muttered. "Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, I- ugghhhh!"

Damn it, Frisk thought to herself. So close.

Finrick sat down on a chair by the corner and pushed a palm into his face.

At that moment, the quick beating began to have its effect, for the world seemed to spin a little for Frisk.

"W-where's Flowey?" MK asked softly.

"I… I don't fucking know," Finrick muttered. "That flower has probably run off somewhere by now. Could be in the capital by now for all I know."

Frisk's somewhat dizzy gaze went around the room, where she saw that one of the shelves looked mildly different. The shelves holding all the flowers seemed strangely more cramped.

As she looked closer, she saw that it held one more flower than before. It seemed to have been added to the shelf while Finrick arrived.

A blank yellow sunflower.

A new plan was forming.

Or there was an inkling of a plan instead. Perhaps it was better said that a new goal was forming, but getting there would be hard.

Frisk tried to think. Hard. How to make him leave, just for a few moments?

And make it look natural, most importantly.

"Hey," Frisk began. "I, erm, been wondering."

"What?!"

"Just a couple of things. L-like, why aren't they here yet?"

Finrick looked up at her, looking both confused and mentally tormented.

"Huh?" he inquired.

"The Hunt," Frisk said, a plan finally forming. "Why haven't they, I don't know, come to collect yet?"

"Erm, t-they're just late, maybe," Finrick said.

"Really?" Frisk asked and looked at MK. "Kid, how long was I out?"

"I… I'm not sure," MK answered. "You were asleep for a long time."

"Yeah, hear that?" Frisk asked. "A long time. How long have you kept us here, huh? A few hours? A day? Hell. How much time elapsed between carrying us to this room and tying us up? Did you call them before or after?"

"A-a-after, of course," Finrick said with a nervous smile. "Why would I… why would I call them before making sure you were secure?"

"And how long ago was that exactly?"

"It's a big kingdom, ok?!" Finrick exclaimed angrily. "I don't know, maybe… maybe they had some other stuff to take care of first? I know Mickey, he- he is a busy man. Sometimes. W-what is your point, girl?"

Finrick looked at her like she was a puzzle he was trying to solve.

"I-I don't know," Frisk said and swallowed.

"Wait," MK suddenly said. "I just remembered there's a lot of magi-glass in this house covering the windows, aren't there?"

"O-oh, yeah!" Frisk said. "What if he arrived ages ago? And you just haven't heard him?"

"T-that…" Finrick began. "That wouldn't-"

He turned thoughtful. And visibly scared.

"No, no, no," he muttered. "I can't. They're seeing through me. I-"

He gulped and looked back at them both.

"I, erm, need to go," he said. "For a few seconds, so… so don't do anything!"

"Like what?" Frisk inquired.

"I don't know, I- j-just SHUT UP!"

He ran out the door, slamming it behind them.

After barely a moment, MK turned to Frisk with what looked like upset on their face.

"Geezus, Frisk, WHAT THE HELL?!" they exclaimed.

"MK…" Frisk began.

"You scared the shit out of me!" MK added. "I… I thought he was actually going to do it!"

"L-look, I… I don't think he was actually going to do it," Frisk lied.

"Thank the gods he didn't!" MK exclaimed. "W-what… what if he did, though? Didn't you even think about that?"

"I-"

"Were you-" MK said and sniffed a little, tears forming. "Were you just going to leave me alone?!"

Frisk sighed tiredly.

"No," she said. "Even then, we're not alone."

She nodded towards the sunflower on the shelf.

"Alright," she said. "Come on out. I think it's safe."

The flower remained still for a moment.

"Frisk?" MK inquired. "What are you-"

"Shh," Frisk replied. "Flowey? You there?"

Silence.

But as doubt began to creep, the flower stirred.

Then it grew two eyes and a mouth.

"Geez, Frisk," he said, smiling. "You're one crazy as hell human girl."

"Flowey!" MK exclaimed happily.

"Quiet!" Flowey shushed.

"Oh, right," MK said.

"Oh, I'm so glad to see you," Frisk said.

"Save the pleasantries for later," Flowey stated.

Watching him proceed down the shelves using his expanded vines like a rope was slightly uncanny.

To say the least.

He hurriedly crawled across the room, using vines like running feet. Without a word, he slithered behind Frisk and proceeded to touch the tapes binding her limbs.

Then he stopped and looked up at her.

"What are you doing?" Frisk said impatiently. "Hurry up!"

"First," Flowey said. "I want to hear it."

Frisk looked at his smug face with disbelief.

"Seriously!?" Frisk whispered harshly. "You want to do this now!?"

"Frisk?" Flowey sternly whispered.

Frisk sighed with frustration.

"You were right," she confessed. "You were right about Finrick, and I should've listened to you. Now, can you get me out of this?!"

"Of course."

With carefulness, the vines slithered over and under the bindings.

"Gods, it's so satisfying to hear you say that," Flowey said happily.

"Ugh, save the pleasantries later, remember?" Frisk said.

An audible ripping sound proceeded.

She breathed a sigh of relief as she could move her hands again, even if only a little bit.

But then came the loud sounds of incoming stamping feet.

"Guys!" MK whispered.

"Oh, shi- hide!" Frisk whispered.

Behind her could be heard the sound of a living flower scattering in panic. She did not see where he went, as he was gone when she peeked behind.

Then the door was kicked open.

Finrick came storming through, stomping his feet and aimed the gun at her temple for the third time. In his other hand, he was holding a familiar mobile phone.

Her phone.

"Password," he growled.

"Huh?" Frisk inquired.

"Ugh!"

He walked to a nearby box and kicked in feebly, causing him to recoil in pain.

"P-password!" he cried out. "Now!"

"Jesus!" Frisk cried out. "What is all this-"

"THE PASSWORD TO YOUR PHONE!"

"Yeah, I got that, geez!" Frisk said. "Why, though?!"

"Oh?" Finrick said as if he didn't know why either. "I… I ain't telling."

"Well, then I ain't telling either," Frisk said sternly. "You might as well just shoot me. Assuming you finally gained the balls for it."

"Eugh, GAH!"

The fish man's face had turned red with fury, and he wandered around the tiny room hastily and without direction.

As the two prisoners watched this strange display, Frisk tried her best to finish what Flowey attempted. He managed to loosen it a bit, but unfortunately, not enough. She just had to pull and move her arms just a bit.

Then, suddenly, Finrick walked up to MK and went up in their face, causing them to pull their head as far back as they could. His fish face was barely a hair's length away from MK's snout.

"Kid!" Finrick said sternly, pointing the gun in the air. "I am this-"

He pushed his fin hand into their face, his thumb and index almost touching. His following words practically had to squeeze through his gritted teeth.

"-THIS close to my f-f-f-fucking payday of the century. So you better tell me your buddy's password, orI'lldosomethingtoyouthatI'llregretimmensely."

"Get the fuck away from them!" Frisk cried, pushing herself forward with the seat.

"I don't know!" MK cried out, eyes closed. "I swear."

"I've never told them that!" Frisk cried out. "Why do you need to open my phone so fucking badly-"

Just like that, it hit her.

"Wait," she began. "You haven't called them?!"

Finrick turned his head sideways to look at her. And he chuckled.

And that chuckled turned to laughter.

It was a laughter of frustration.

He backed away from MK into the centre of the room, laughing into the air, with his eyes so wide open you could see the red in them.

Then as the laughter slowly subsided, he turned his head down to face the human.

"Oh, hehe, I would," he said to her. "I would. I would, I would, I would, I would, I would, I would, I would, I would, I would, I WOULD, I WOULD, I WOULD IF I COULD, I-"

He quickly stopped himself as he breathed rapidly. He looked almost shocked at himself.

As if it were an emergency, he rammed Frisk's phone into the one untorn pocket of his pants. Then, from the same pocket, he pulled out a joint that he rapidly pressed between his teeth. His arm shook as he tried to adjust it, eyes bloodshot with determination. Then he reached into his jacket, pulled out a lighter, and quickly lit the joint as if his life was on a timer. The gun was still in his hand throughout the whole ordeal.

As the joint lit and a green smoke began spewing out, he inhaled as if he was sucking in all the oxygen in the room. Then, at last, he gave out a relaxed sigh. Removing the lit joint with his fingers, he exhaled a lot of smoke.

"Whew," he said.

"Jesus fucking christ," Frisk muttered.

She didn't know what else to say. Even MK looked shocked after witnessing the endeavour.

"Now," Finrick said with uncharacteristic calmness. "As I was saying. No. I haven't. I haven't called them."

He raised his arms by his side.

"You caught me," he said. "But I would've done it. I would've done it HOURS AGO!"

He sighed.

"But I didn't," he said. "I couldn't. Because of this f-"

He stopped himself from speaking further. But then it turned into almost a solo battle as he visibly struggled not to say it.

He sat down on top of a box as if defeated.

"Fffffffffff- these FUCKING radio phone waves don't fucking work as well over here!" he snarled. "I tried, and tried, and tried, to get a single signal, but, surprise! It turns out that the crappy signals from the capital don't reach this far north! Here in the swamp, they don't give a shit. They don't give a shit about this place. Then again, why would they?! There's nothing here b-but bog, fog, and shit."

His face turned red again, and he rose from his seat to wander the room back and forth.

"But have they forgotten?" he asked. "Have they forgotten who the fuck I am?! Why couldn't they j-just give an exception? For me? Just expand it just a little bit further. But no. No, the capital, turns out, doesn't give a rat's ass for the one guy procuring all their fucking herbs. I can't even use my computer because the connection is so shit."

"W-wait a minute," Frisk began. "What about the emails? From that, you seem to be in contact with plenty of people."

"Ugh, it's different," Finrick whined. "I can only get messages. But sending them is another matter. But I've never complained. I've never had to complain. At least not until now. I liked the secrecy, not having to contact anyone. I've never even used a phone except for voicemail. Giving myself out into the world, into the web, seemed too risky for me. For my business. For my harvest."

He sighed and sat back down on the same box.

"But now?" he said. "The moment, the ONE moment I need to contact someone, and it doesn't work! It doesn't. Fucking. Work!"

He raised his arms in frustration.

"I…" he continued. "I can't send an email. It just won't go through. Because my stuff is just not designed for it. Whatever little signal I get up here is not prepared for it."

"Ok…" Frisk said, taking this all in. "Why do you need my phone? I don't think I'm going to get any good signal either-"

Finrick quickly rose up and kicked the box behind him in rage.

"Don't," he said with fury. "You want to bullshit me, human? You want to d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-d-dupe me?!"

Frisk looked around the room frantically.

Where the hell are you, Flowey? Frisk thought. Whatever you're planning, please do it now!

The fish went uncomfortably close to her, and Frisk almost gagged on the smell. He pressed the gun into her temple and the phone up to her face.

"You're going to tell me," he hissed. "You're going to tell me the password. If it's not going to work as you said, you would've told me the password already."

There was a bit of truth to it, Frisk figured. She was, in fact, scared of what he'd do with her phone.

"That was before I heard about your "crappy" signal," Frisk said.

"Alright, then what is it?" Finrick inquired. "Surely, you have no problem telling me now."

Frisk's eyes darted towards him. Then it went to the shelf behind him and the crawling flower on top of it.

The flower looked at her and gave her a subtle wink.

"Ok," Frisk said and swallowed. "You want to know the phone's password. Ok. The password is… go fuck yourself-"

With unbound arms, she quickly slapped his face, and with only a moment of shock to register, Finrick proceeded to fly across the room.

"Yeah!" MK cried out.

Frisk stood up from her chair, loose tape falling off her wrists and feet. Finrick quickly raised his gun, only to see it slapped out of his hands by a sudden vine from above.

With visible fear towards the towering human, Finrick scrambled back into the corner of the room, then huddled and hid his face under the torn jacket as he shivered.

"Ok, here's how it's going to go," Frisk said as she kicked the gun away. "WE… are walking out of here."

She walked closer to the fish monster, causing him to yelp in horror.

"You will not follow us," Frisk said as she walked closer. "You will not attempt to call for help. You will let us be on our way. You're lucky that out of all humans on planet Earth, I am the one you met because we can be cruel. Very cruel. And other people would've not held back-"

At that moment, she realised, a second too late, the trap she had sprung, as waves of strange dust flew across her face, out of Finrick's now open palm. The fish-man looked at her with a gas mask now covering his face and revealing a previously hidden pocket in his jacket full of strange powder.

"What?" Frisk muttered.

"Oh no," Flowey stated.

"Very good," Finrick's muffled voice boomed under the mask. "And yet, not good enough."

Frisk coughed and coughed. Then she gagged and felt her leg slowly weaken. The world started to spin again.

"You… you bastard!" Flowey cried out. "You piece of- GAAH-"

The flower launched himself off the shelves and towards the fish with immense speed and determination. He was all over Finrick by the gas mask, who stumbled backwards as he grasped Flowey in retaliation. But with only some struggle, he plopped the angry flower off his face.

"Come on!" Flowey cried out, whipping him with his vines.

"Stupid weed!" Finrick said, annoyed,

"Come on, you-!"

Flowey felt himself suddenly hurled across the room, through a pile of boxes, and smash on the wall.

"You could have ran away," Finrick added.

Frisk tried to run up to Finrick. She tried desperately to say something, anything. She was filled with intense rage but had no power to expel it. All she could do was stumble forward, and fall to the ground.

"Aww, did the big bad human fall?" Finrick asked, towering over her. "Too bad."

"Frisk?" MK said with terror. "Get up, Frisk! Please, I'm begging you, get up!"

"Kid, shut the hell up!" Finrick began.

He leaned down and picked up the gun as Frisk desperately attempted to push herself up.

"Here's how it's going to go," Finrick said, standing over her. "You will be a good little kid and sit still. You will give me the password to your phone, and then, you will peacefully go over to Mickey."

"Fuck you!" Frisk hissed.

She felt a soft yet frustrated kick in her stomach.

"Shut up, you little-" Finrick began before stopping himself. "Want me to hurt your friends?"

Frisk tried to look up at him, but it was as if an invisible chain was pulling her down.

"Frisk?" MK asked with desperation. "C'mon!"

"D-don't!" Frisk angrily said. "Don't you f-fucking touch them!"

"Why not?"

"Because!" Flowey cried out.

Finrick looked up only to feel a sharp white pointy thing ram into his eye. He cried out and stumbled while dust and blood began to run down the mask.

"Because you have to go through me!" Flowey said, standing over a pile of boxes.

Finrick ripped the spike out like pulling a weed, and it dissipated in his hands. A hole was in the mask's eye-hole, revealing eyes filled with redness in the white.

Flowey struck again, this time with an extended vine. But Finrick grabbed it mid-swing.

"You little," he muttered.

Flowey pulled his vine forward, forcing Finrick to stumble towards him a bit.

Finrick cried out with frustration and countered by pulling Flowey towards him. What followed was what looked like an intense game of tug-of-war.

Frisk managed to sit up and move up to the wall and watched the struggle between the two.

"This could've been so easy," Finrick said with gritted teeth. "You all think I want this? No. I am not the bad guy you all think I am. I'm just doing what I need to survive!"

The hold between them broke, and Flowey and Finrick stumbled backwards, exhausted. Amidst heavy breathing, Finrick pulled off his gasmask and tossed it sideways. A loud hiss came from it, and a foul medicinal odour came from the air filters and filled the room, making Frisk gag.

The mad fish monster looked at them, one eye almost purely red and orange, the other bloody and dusty, with a visible scar across it.

"Not, huff, a bad person?!" Flowey exclaimed weakly. "Oh, please, who are you fooling?! Even without the child kidnapping and drugging us, you're the freaking drug kingpin!"

"No, that's-"

"You sell people addicting substances and make sure they keep using it!"

"I GIVE THE PEOPLE WHAT THEY WANT!" Finrick cried out. "T-THEY WANT TO ESCAPE FROM THIS WORLD! FROM THEIR SUFFERING! And-and I give it to them. I provide for them. A s-s-simple way for them to relax!"

"Just like you were going to "provide" Frisk to The Hunt?!" Flowey countered.

"UGHH!"

The fish man grabbed a nearby bottle on the shelf next to him and hurled it at the Flowey, but only just missed. The shattering of the glass led to some glass scraping across Flowey's vine, cutting it slightly.

"EVERYONE IN THIS KINGDOM WOULD'VE DONE THE SAME THING!" Finrick yelled.

"Bullshit," Frisk hissed.

"Yeah, bullshit!" MK exclaimed. "Vladi didn't do that. And neither would I! Or my moms!"

"SHUT UP!"

And a loud bang came as he pulled the trigger of his gun

Frisk grasped her ears, feeling as if she was going to go deaf.

MK winced and looked around in shock.

As the dust cleared, it turned out that Finrick had grasped his head with both hands and fired, creating a hole in the ceiling. Blood began leaking from one of his ear sockets, and he looked incredibly dizzy.

Seeing an opportunity, Flowey launched his entire body towards him.

But Finrick smashed him to the side, mid-air, with the butt of his revolver.

"Flowey!" MK cried out.

"I'm… I'm so sorry," Finrick said to them feebly. "I was planning to let you go, kid, for real. I wasn't going to hurt you. I've never hurt anyone. Never wanted to."

Flowey groaned as he attempted to pull himself back up. Finrick simply kicked him to the side without looking down at him.

Frisk stared at him, trying desperately to stand up, and saw a glimmer in his eyes. They were beginning to water.

"P-papyrus," Frisk managed to blurt out.

"What?" Finrick asked.

Frisk groaned.

"Y-you hurt Papyrus," she reiterated. "Do you still remember him?"

Finrick looked thoughtful for a moment, and then he nodded.

"Yes," he answered. "You think I broke him? No, no. He came to me of his own will. He wanted help. He wanted to drown out the memories and nightmares. Do you know what happened to him? Have you heard of his one "fateful night" two years prior? And I provided him release."

Finrick closed his eyes and took a deep breath as if satisfied with the answer.

"That's what I do," he continued. "I help people. My work, my drug, helps people. And he's not alone, no, no, no. The Underground has so many lost souls like him, and every day, they keep growing and growing, so my business grows harder and harder to maintain."

"Oh yeah?" Frisk asked. "If you really want to help people as you say, then why didn't you become a fucking therapist."

Finrick stomped his foot in rage.

"I AM a therapist!" he cried out. "This IS my therapy. What, you think a couple of nice words is enough to save every bloody soul in this hell? To turn everyone around?"

"Sounds more justifiable than your method of therapy," Flowey said, laying on the ground nearby.

Finrick turned around in a half circle, stomped towards Flowey and proceeded to kick him.

Flowey gave out a small grunt.

"Shut up!" Finrick cried out. "Shut up, shut up, shut up, ALL OF YOU!"

He shut his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. Tears were finally leaking down his face.

"You don't understand," he said amidst tears. "I-I need this. I was nothing before this. I barely had a future. But then, he came. And with him, the herbs. Oh, the delicious herbs. He called it the breath of one Baron Samedi. And I had to tell others about it. The sensation of it. And now?"

He giggled.

"Now," he said, raising his arm like a bird about to take flight. "I am… I AM THE GODS DAMNED CUSHMASTER!"

There came a loud bang.

It silenced everything, everyone.

It came from above, in the house, and everyone knew.

Flowey looked around in a moment of shock, and Frisk looked around in confusion.

And Kusmaster appeared horrified.

"What?" Flowey inquired. "Is it the Royal Hunters? How would they know?!"

"No…" Finrick muttered. "It's not."

The floor above creaked with weight.

Then a moment later came the sounds of heavy footsteps walking down the steps.

Finrick raised his arms down and stared at the locked door.

He almost seemed on the verge of dropping his gun.

"Oh no," he said. "It's her. She's here. Oh, gods! She's here!"

The steps came closer and closer. And then they stopped.

"Who?" MK inquired.

And the door burst off its hinges, revealing a towering figure on the other end, dressed in black.

And a single yellow eye sparkling under the mask.

In case you missed it, this fanfic and its AU, The Shattering, now has an open discord server:

/smnqqVTZyB

Author's note:

Don't have much I wanna say except GOD, why did it take me so long to finish this one? Also, I kinda rushed going over it, meaning I might change it a bit in the future. But also, I'm mostly happy with this chapter on the first go.

I think the identity of the mysterious stranger at the end, Ashu-Tshuki, should be more than obvious by now. I left, like, a lot of clues over on the discord, and apparently, no one got it, lol. Or, at least, no one has come forward about it.

The next chapter should be out much sooner since it's also much shorter.