Alright, so I know this is a few days late. I have an explanation. See, as I move onto content that differs vastly from the source material - Undertale, original DoubleTale, and Deltarune - more thought needs to go into each chapter to make sure everything flows and is structured correctly and that this story doesn't tank in quality. So if an update is late, don't worry, it just means that extra care and effort is going into it! Expect the next chapter the Sunday after this upcoming Sunday, and have fun reading! :)

Thanks go to Tbone8454, cassianwindell123, 10burgers, MegaVile, Fixer140.85, Monkey D. Chimera, Jack54311, BonelessSkele, Wingah, Genowar, and Linki.

Wow Skele, you actually signed in this time just to accuse me lol.

cassianaswindell123, I did think it was funny how spot on your headcannon was when you mentioned it lol. I remember thinking oh fuck they're on to me.

Glad you liked binge reading the story MegaVile, I'm sure it was a trip and a half. Unfortunately, yes, all the Deltarune homies are very ERASED from existence and therefore dead. Apart from Jevil, Badster, and Anthony/Anarchy, obviously.

Disclaimer: I do not own Undertale.

"... So, you're telling us that there's a version of..." I paused, pointing between Chara and I. "Us, that went uh... Went the other way on things..?"

"I know it's probably not the nicest thing to think about." C Frisk frowned with some form of care. Asriel, Chara, and I all sat on one couch now, C Frisk standing before us while they explained themself. "For either of you."

"... Yeah..." I glanced over to Chara, who was concerningly quiet. They stared at the floor, hair shadowing their eyes.

*Focus.

"So what does this have to do with us?" I turned my head to look back at C Frisk, furrowing my brows with confusion.

"A friend of mine is in danger. The Hacker and The Demon have come to him for a fight and he can't defeat them." C Frisk shook their head, frowning with a believable amount of worry. "He needs help, Cter."

"Oh boy..." I muttered to myself, grimacing at the words I knew were coming.

"I've been watching you, Cter. I know what you're capable of." Those empty eyes stared right at me, unblinking. "You're the only person I can trust with this-"

"Trust with what?!" I exclaimed, standing and throwing my hands into the air. "Going to some timeline I don't know for someone I've never met to kill some other version of myself and one'a my friends?!"

"We'll do it."

"Wha-!" I stiffened, jaw dropping. My neck creaked while I looked over my shoulder to Chara, who now stood, hands clenched at their sides.

Eugh... They had that DETERMINED look on their face.

"... They do not speak for me." I stated sourly, pointing to Chara while I glanced back to Frisk.

"Yes I do." Chara disagreed calmly. This made me frown with further irritation.

"And what makes ya think that?" I furrowed my brows and narrowed my eyes over at them.

"Simple." They smiled wickedly, tilting their head to the side. "I'm going to go regardless of whether or not you come with, and I know you're gonna be too worried that I'll die because you weren't there to not go with me."

*That KINDNESS of yours really is easy to manipulate. If only someone had been warning you about and trying to destroy that weakness of yours for literal years now.

I often wonder if maybe I'd put a second round in that fucker's head, I wouldn't have to hear him buzzing in my ear now.

Chapter 28: Into The Angelverse

"You know, you didn't have to kill everyone just to have an argument with me."

"Alright Chara, I'll bite." I shrugged, turning around to look back at Chara as we stepped outside their Ruins home to have a strategic argument. "Why?"

"Cter, other people are in danger." Chara narrowed their eyes and spoke like it was obvious.

"You don't give a shit about other people." I frowned with an unwillingness to play along, tilting my head some. "Least not enough so to go risk your life and mine half way 'cross the multiverse."

I crossed my arms then, judging I was right by how they recoiled, took up a more defensive stance. "You want somethin' else outta this."

"You really think I'm that selfish, huh?" Pointed words, but they were dulled by a tone and expression that was just a step or two off from playful. "I guess lying isn't exactly my specialty."

*Of course. The Angel wears that crown.

ily2 Texty.

"So what's up, then?" My expression softened with a bit more understanding and a bit less demand.

Chara hesitated, bobbed their head from side to side and evaded my gaze while they gathered their thoughts. Talking about our feelings was certainly neither of ours' specialty. Our friendship had been forged on a pedestal of our own blood and viscera, after all. And that creates a unique closeness paired with a unique distance. It's a real topsy turvy diddle doo.

"Look." Their ruby eyes finally landed on me again, and they seemed to have gathered their thoughts and steadied their nerves. They looked certain now, honest. "I think this might be a very real and very literal way for me to face and come to terms with that part of myself and my past."

I was a little surprised, eyebrows rising and head tilting back while I listened.

"I've been trying my best to keep everything together and get better, but..." Chara lowered their head, eyes narrowing as they stared into their own open palms. "It's, a process. And I'm not sure if I'll ever get better without, seeing our..."

"... Our bad end." I finished for them, and their eyes glossed to the side with a sluggish shrug.

"..." I sighed, shutting my eyes for a moment before nodding and reopening them. "Alright, Chara. This seems pretty important when ya put it that way, so I'd have to be a real A hole to shut this down."

"... 'Sides." My eyes darted to the left, and I reached up, scratching the back of my head. "It'd be kind of a dick move to leave those people to die, even if we don't know 'em. What goes around and all that."

"So really, you were just being difficult to be difficult." Chara smirked knowingly, crossing their arms over their chest.

"In my defense, I just busted my ass fighting you not to the death like a half hour ago. Wasn't exactly super excited to fight another you but with higher stakes for a complete stranger." Stuffing my hands in my pockets, I shrugged my shoulders. "Not to mention there's gonna be another me thrown all up in the mix."

"Well, we'll go there get more information. Talk to this friend'a CORE Frisk's, make sure nothing is fishy." That smirk faded, but Chara kept their arms crossed. "But I do think it's important we take care of this, and quickly."

"Personal reasons aside," Chara narrowed their eyes then, and their voice lowered, like they were afraid someone might hear them. "You and I both know how terrifying we are when we work together."

Ah, great minds and similar thoughts. I'd been skeptical of this 'mission' for more reasons than just indolence. In fact, that'd been a total lie from the get-go. I knew that if we were to get involved with those two, and they figured out how to form Character, we might just be boned into the next life. Revealing our existence to The Hacker and The Demon would mean we would have to kill them or die trying. If we escaped, they'd go looking for us. And with drive like theirs, they'd find us. It was only a matter of time until those two discovered how to achieve that power, so the bud had to be nipped before that happened.

"... Yeah." I took up my own solemn expression, nodding to confirm to them that I got their meaning.

"Lets get this over with."

"... Alphys."

Alphys quickly looked up to Future, who stood between her and the one who'd put her on the endangered species list. He kept his eyes glued on the enemy, one arm out in front of her protectively. "Why don'tcha go for a walk?"

"Cter, a-are you sure..?" Alphys gulped, her eyes darting between her king and her exterminator.

"Me n' Char-Bear have a bit'a catchin' up to do." Future's voice remained calm, even though his fists shook and his knuckles went white. "I'll catch up with ya."

"..." Alphys lowered her head, and with what will she had she forced a nod. "... Right. I understand."

Future kept one arm out as Alphys made her way across the rooftop to the staircase leading back into the building, watching Future Chara's every move.

"Alphys."

She paused in the doorway, looking back over her shoulder to Future as he called out to her once more. This time he was actually looking at her, and shockingly enough, he smiled.

"I mean it." Future assured, knowing full well what his friend was fearing. "I'm not gonna die."

"... Y-yeah!" Alphys managed a smile, her fragile heart lightening at this as she gave Future a more confident nod. "I believe in you!"

Future sighed as he watched Alphys disappear down into the building he stood upon, before his expression hardened once again, and he turned his head back to F Chara.

"Y'know, I'm a pretty important guy these days." Future spoke, placing his hands in his pockets and narrowing his joyless eyes. "Usually when people want audience with me they have to file a request and wait a few business days."

"Is that why you ghosted me and the rest of your friends and family for so long?" F Chara smiled in a particularly angry way. "We didn't file a request?"

"Funny you'd choose the word 'ghosted'." Future rose his eyebrows, tilting his head some. "Considering you uhh, fuckin' murdered 'em."

"I didn't think you would mind." F Chara shrugged casually. "I mean, you abandoned us for so long, I just figured we were all dead to you anyway."

"Fuck you, Chara!" A furious, knee jerk response made them recoil, throw their hands up defensively.

"Is that really what this is about?! Oh boo hoo, Cter went away to get his shit together!" Future was frothing with rage now, all the nasty emotions inside him boiling over. "As if that's an excuse to go back to being the same asshole you were when we were kids!"

"Don't you talk down to me, Angel!" Chara snapped right back, their own expression twisting with anger as they took a bold step forward.

"And why shouldn't I?!" Future took his own step forward, teeth gritting in a snarl.

"Because you did the same thing!" Chara exploded, making Future recoil.

"What?" He spoke softer now, narrowing his eyes with confusion.

"What were their names? Anthony, Lexi?" F Chara asked with fake curiosity, tilting their head to the side. Future's emerald eyes went wide at these words, his pupils shrinking and his jaw hanging slightly ajar.

"... Don't. You. Dare." He spoke quietly so that Chara would have to listen, teeth grinding together.

"You have the audacity to say that I'm the same as I was when we were kids, but what did you do, Angel?" Chara narrowed their eyes inquisitively, gradually walking back towards the ledge behind them. "What you always do, of course."

"You convinced us to love you, then you abandoned us." They stung coldly and with disdain on their tongue, shaking their head with disappointment in their eyes. "Just like your parents, just like your Granny, just like your old friends."

"..." Future didn't have a response for that. He went quiet, lowered his head, and conceded the argument. He wanted to get angry, shout or even just clench his fists. But he wasn't angry. Wasn't sad, either. Just numb. Exhausted. Chara's venom hadn't hurt him or made him sick, that's not what it was meant for. It paralyzed him. Made him weak and tired. Feeble.

Chara didn't speak anymore. They just stepped back onto the ledge, preparing to hop back down and disappear into the alleyways. But just when they looked away from the monarch and to the drop below, he managed to find a few words.

"... You should have killed me."

They looked over their shoulder back to Future, narrowing their eyes coldly. "What?"

"I would have let you." Future's eyes remained on the ground, his voice quiet and his expression entirely lifeless. "If it meant they wouldn't get hurt, I would have let you take me instead."

"... I know you would've." They looked forward, staring down into the dark depths they would plunge back into. "But how could I have?"

They stepped one foot off the ledge.

"You convinced me too, after all."

Then they dropped back into the darkness.

Aliza would have been concerned about her manners, had Anarchy not looked so amused by her ravenous eating methods.

One rumbling of her stomach, and her new serial killer best friend had pulled a sword shaped sandwich out of his inventory and given it to her without a moments hesitation. This act of kindness was jarring, and when Aliza asked Anarchy if he was sure that he didn't need it, he dismissed her worries. Something about surviving mostly on spite and try hard tears. Go figure.

The sandwich was strange. She didn't feel hungry after eating it, but she didn't feel full either. The food had energized her, healed all the pain of her starvation, but it was as if it had disappeared right after sliding down her throat. She found this odd, but it healed her pain, so she didn't care. The ache of her shoeless feet had disappeared as well, along with the exhaustion that had been plaguing her for days, ever since she'd been forced to climb this mountain.

"... Thank you..." She finally spoke meekly, having gone silent for a few moments after finishing her food. Perhaps it was the fact that she no longer felt as though she was dying, but at the side of this red eyed, ivory skinned ghoul, she didn't feel as fearful as she had upon their meeting. Her thanks was genuine, and though she kept her head low, Aliza did smile just a little over towards Anarchy.

"What're friends for?" Anarchy exclaimed, and his face was yanked up in one big happy smile. The Anarchist's happy face was certainly still off putting to Aliza, one act of kindness wouldn't change her fearful soul that much. But, it didn't make her want to flee for her life like it had before.

And she felt it was a lot more... Believable now. Before it seemed like a fake smile, the light of an angler fish to lure her into a beast's terrifying maw. But, seeing it again after he'd thoughtlessly helped her, she thought it may have been a bit more genuine than she'd originally interpreted. Only time would make these theories clear, but either way, her suspicions had given her the confidence to speak without having been spoken to.

"... U-uhm, hey..." Or, stammer without having been spoken to.

"Huh?" Anarchy glanced back over to Aliza, eyebrows rising curiously. "Wassup?"

"What, should I... Call you..?" Aliza shrunk timidly with her question, eyes glossing to the side. "I, know you referred to yourself as The Anarchist before, but, do you... Have a different name, or..?"

"Uhh..." Anarchy stroked his imaginary beard, ruby orbs glossing up to the ceiling as the two walked. "That's a good question, actually..."

"I go by Anarchy pretty often, but that's mostly to victims or future victims?" Anarchy shrugged, glancing back over to Aliza. "My last best friend called me Anny, but he left me for dead twice, sooo..?"

What kind of idiot would backstab The Anarchist, Aliza pondered. She had to assume that whoever this ex best friend was had either suffered a horrible fate or would suffer one in the near future. Anarchy didn't seem like the type to forgive or the type to forget. She supposed she understood this, related to it in a way. After all, it had been her 'friends' that had made her climb this god forsaken mountain. When she thought about it, she found herself envious of The Anarchist. He was powerful and confident. Anyone who crossed him would surely pay the price. Meanwhile, Aliza had been a doormat her entire life it seemed. People had always treated her however they had pleased, and there had been no consequences for them.

Maybe, if she really did befriend Anarchy like he wanted, then she could get him to...

No, no. That was horrible. She would never wish The Anarchist's wrath on anyone, even the other children that she loathed. Hated. Was furious with. What it would be like to hear them cry like they'd made her cry. Hear them scream, beg for mercy, be crushed by her power-!

... Well that wasn't good. Perhaps her and Anarchy had more in common than she'd thought or preferred.

"Anthony!"

"H-Huh?!" Aliza jumped, shaken from her thoughts by Anarchy's exclamation. Anarchy chuckled at that, shaking his head.

"Real friends should call each other by their real names." Once more with that unsettling grin, Anarchy gave her a thumbs up. "My name is Anthony."

Real friends..? Further Aliza's confusion grew, but she nodded obediently nonetheless.

"Uhm, o-okay, Anthony..." She held her hands together in front of herself, keeping her head low and her eyes on the ground. She was terrified that she would say something wrong, cause a switch to flip and make Anarchy turn his fury upon her.

"And whaddabout you?" Anarchy turned his head to look at her, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "What's your name?"

Aliza had half expected him to either never ask her name or give her one of his own design, but Anarchy seemed DETERMINED to prove her suspicions wrong at every turn. "A-Aliza..."

"Well it's very nice to meet you Aliza." Anarchy spoke politely, before looking ahead and pausing. Aliza stopped with him, following his eyes down to the spikes that blockaded the doorway into the next section of the ruins.

"I-it looks like another puzzle..." Aliza analysed while glancing around the room. "There should be a lever or something around here somewhere..."

Anarchy didn't seem to be listening, however, as he unbuckled the sapphire shield from his back. He placed it atop the rusted spikes before them, then lifted one foot and rested it on his shield.

Aliza jumped, eyes darting back to Anarchy when the horrific sound of metal on metal screeching reached her ears. She reached up, placing her hands over her ears and wincing painfully while she watched Anarchy use his shield to push the spikes back into place. All the locks snapped, rusted steel giving way under The Anarchist's might. And after a few moments, the spikes were back in the earth, and Anarchy stepped on the corner of his shield, sending it flinging up and catching it on his arm. Then, as if nothing had happened, he stepped right through the now clear doorway.

". . ." Aliza just stared, utterly bewildered at this feat of strength that came effortlessly to The Anarchist. Her arms dropped back to her sides, hanging limp. It all came so easily to him...

"You comin' or what?"

Anarchy's voice shook her from her stupor, and she looked back to him, nodding swiftly.

"Y-yes..."

"Cter!"

Future was quick to kneel down, letting out an 'oof' as Alphys jumped right into a hug, nearly knocking him over.

"W-whoa, whoa!" Future laughed some, wrapping his arms around his friend and patting her on the back. "I said I was coming back, didn't I?"

Alphys made some attempt at speaking, but it came out like garbled baby talk, as people often sounded when they were crying.

"... How did it go?"

Future lifted his head, smiling mirthlessly up at the former bartender. Grillby, one of the few survivors who'd managed to evade Chara's rampage. Of course Alphys had told him, Future figured. If he died, Grillby was the next strongest defender of Monsterkind.

"Welp, they showed up, made me feel like shit, and then they left." Future shrugged while he stood, casually picking Alphys up while he did so. "I figure they probably had an actual reason to wanna talk to me, but I got pissed off and yelled at 'em and it scared 'em away."

"I wonder what set you off." Grillby stated with dry sarcasm, lifting his hand to push up his glasses with his index finger.

"I mean, I'm sure you of all people can understand being a bit hot headed." Future put on a fake grin, winking an eye shut.

"..." Grillby shut his eyes, sighing with exasperation. "That was terrible."

"Ayyyy." Future performed a single finger gun, his other arm continuing to hold up Alphys, who began laughing quietly, looking up from his chest and smiling weakly.

"Ready to get down, bubsy?" Future smirked a little down at Alphys, who nodded.

"Y-yeah, I'm better now. T-thanks..." Alphys smiled timidly, and Future set her back on her feet.

"So, it's looking like we got everybody." Future glanced around the evacuation center they stood in. It was a little bleak, he couldn't deny that. High ceiling, concrete walls. A lotta grey. An underground bunker for an entire society was bound to be a tad dreary.

"Every monster is accounted for." Grillby nodded to confirm Future's words. "Rations are being distributed, tents are being set up. Things are going surprisingly well for us."

"Surprisingly?" Future rose his eyebrows as he repeated Grillby's word.

"You have to admit, we've had quite a bad luck streak lately." The fire elemental stated blandly, and Future rolled his eyes with exasperation.

"Yeah, you can say that again..." He muttered, rubbing the back of his head. He took a deep breath then, shutting his tired eyes for a moments reprieve before looking back to his most trusted advisers.

"Alright, you guys make sure everything goes smoothly down here." Future took a step or two back from the two. "I'm heading back topside."

"S-so soon?" Alphys spoke with concern, stepping forward while Future stepped back.

"Sorry Alph, I'm a busy guy. Got meetings and stuff." Future shrugged, a portal to the surface appearing behind him. "King business, if ya catch my drift."

"... Good luck." Grillby placed a hand on Alphys' shoulder, reaching out and giving Future one flaming thumbs up.

Future nodded, smiling in an attempt to reassure the two before disappearing through that portal, leaving his people in their shelter.

Anarchy didn't care about this, Aliza was certain of that. He had the look of someone who'd never responded to a plea for help in his life. But, when she had heard the screams from behind the two, it had put her noticeably on edge.

She hadn't dared bring up the idea of running back to save this poor fool, for fear of aggravating her 'friend'. Anarchy seemed to value progress, and was disinterested in looking back. Despite this, when he'd seen Aliza hesitantly looking over her shoulder and choking on some words with each fearful croak that echoed from behind them, he'd asked her something simple. "Do you wanna go back?"

Normally, Aliza would have been afraid to face whatever was causing the wailing. But, surprisingly, the red eyed ghoul that now haunted her provided a sense of security. He had promised to protect her, to never cause her harm or let anyone else do the same. The Anarchist was a thousand and one different nasty things, Aliza knew that with absolute certainty. But with each passing second she was growing more and more convinced that of all those titles, 'Liar' was not on the list. So, timidly, she had confessed that she did want to assist this distant stranger. And, without question, Anarchy had turned around and began walking towards the screams.

Now, the two were just entering a room overrun with spider webs. Having dangling strings for creepy crawlies drooping all around her certainly didn't help Aliza's anxieties. But, when faced with the starved looking frog monster that cried and struggled from the corner of the room, she swallowed enough of her terror to scurry across the filthy and sticky floor and kneel before the desperate Froggit.

The frog croaked desperately, like it was trying to relay some message that the humans couldn't understand. Aliza didn't need a play by play, however. She could see it was trapped in the thick white strings, and she was aware that meant it would be food when the eight legged predators returned. So she swiftly took Froggit's front legs, and with her frail arms she tugged with all her might against the bindings of the innocent amphibian.

Fear flickered in her however when her eyes darted to the floor, watching a score of arachnids skitter from the darkness and out towards her to protect their food. She flinched, and just when she was ready to abandon this Froggit, one ivory hand slapped down at the center of the swarm, mashing a good chunk of the spiders to green paste, which then turned to silver dust.

Anarchy watched with disinterest as the remaining spiders swarmed up his fingers, relentlessly sinking their fangs into his flesh in mad vengeance for their pathetically squashed brethren. The Anarchist lifted his palm, smiling vacantly while he watched the black swarm draw his blood, inject him with their poison. But he had a poison of his own.

The crimson mist of his soul. Life for him but a fate worse than death for them. A red aura began to stream out from his hand, washing over his unsuspecting victims. The arachnids didn't notice immediately, but soon enough Aliza was watching them writhe in agony. Their bodies slumped, changed to the same white that they had feasted upon to earn this punishment from their malicious god.

Just a moment ago, she'd been afraid of the spiders. Now, she pitied them. They crumbled to a white goop, melted by a drop of The Anarchist's DETERMINATION. Pathetically they tumbled from his powerful hand, splattering together into one lump of white gunk on the concrete floor. And just when Aliza thought the horrors were through, the wad of melted spider began to twitch and shift with twisted life. Legs sprouted unevenly from it's baseball sized, half-solid body. She didn't take the time to count the legs, but she knew there was far more than eight. An odd number it seemed from unequal sides. Fifteen? Seventeen? On each end of it's body there was one disfigured head. Too many eyes and too few fangs on one, too few eyes and too many fangs on the other.

It's putty body writhed, tried to split from itself, like the different lives trapped in that one horrific form were desperately begging for their freedom. Anarchy had his own brand of mercy however, and it made both Aliza and the Froggit tremble when they saw him gift it to this freakish beast he'd created.

His shadow extended out from under himself, shaping into some kind of worm-like creature and opening it's maw of jagged teeth to the spider amalgam. The worm was grinning madly and snapping its jaws while it slithered towards its meal, which was too busy trying and failing at escaping its own body to flee for its wretched life. Then, one obsidian tongue flicked out, striking the amalgamate and lapping up its side, stretching and smudging its fragile body while knocking it on one mushy side. The moment the spider(s) was on its side, the worm struck, and viciously. It snapped its jaws on the white gunk, sucked it into its mouth and turned up it's head, chewing it's disgusting form like gum. Then, it swallowed, and the twisted spider amalgam disappeared into the stomach of the darkness.

Aliza dropped back onto her butt, not even noticing that said motion pulled the Froggit free. She was too busy watching in dreadful awe as the worm obediently returned to being two dimensional, mimicking The Anarchist's shape under him while awaiting its next order. The Froggit wasted no time skittering off, shrieking and croaking with fright as it disappeared into the rest of the Ruins.

"That was rude." Anarchy stated, furrowing his brows as he stood back to his full height. His empty red eyes watched the doorway Froggit had escaped through for another moment, before he looked over his shoulder to Aliza. "Would you like to go after him?"

Aliza sat there, leaning back on her hands and staring up at her otherworldly body guard with fear flickering in her eyes and icy sweat dripping down her face. Once more she was paralyzed by those crimson eyes, his words static in her ears, drowned out by her own thoughts and questions. In her panic, she only managed three words.

"... What are you..?"

"Hm..?" Anarchy's eyebrows furrowed with some confusion. It was unlike her, to ignore his words and speak her own mind. That made him smile. So shortly he'd been her friend, and he was already helping her improve. All these years, and he was still so good at being a friend. "What a weird question."

Anarchy reached out then to the weak and afraid Aliza with one powerful hand, offering MERCY and protection to someone who believed they were entirely undeserving.

"I'm a human, just like you!"

"Here we are!"

My eyes glossed over the flower-filled throne room curiously. I could spot the sky - overcast as it was - through the windows, so it appeared we were on the surface. I wasn't sure if that made things easier or complicated them.

CORE Frisk had lead Chara and I through a portal to this strange room in this strange timeline, but the throne at the center of it all was empty.

"Uhh..?" I stopped my ocular exploring to look down to C Frisk, furrowing my brows. "Where are-?"

"Sorry, sorry!"

A voice rang from behind us, causing each of us to turn and watch one tall human quickly and awkwardly speed walk into the room. I was certain I'd never seen him before, but I couldn't deny that something about his face - beneath the five o'clock shadow - looked familiar. When he pushed past the three of us, I caught the scent of alcohol on him, which instantly made me all the more suspicious of this man. But my interest piqued when he of all people took a seat on the throne, sighing and running a hand down his face. That was when I noticed the crown atop his head. I recognized it alright, it was the same one I'd bore on my own head awhile back.

"These're busy times." He pulled his hands away from his face after he rubbed some of the exhaustion from his eyes, leaning back in his throne and taking a look at us. "I'm sure you guys can understa-..."

He paused then, his mouth hanging open and his eyebrows rising as his eyes darted between Chara and I.

"... Is there a problem?" Chara eventually asked, watching the stranger king skeptically.

"My fuckin' life is the problem..." The King muttered under his breath, reaching up to rub his tired eyes again.

"What?" Chara asked, but he didn't answer, instead standing from his throne and reaching into his black, button up vest.

"Alright look," He walked right up to us while retrieving a flask from inside his vest. "I'm the king'a the monsters in this here timeline. You two can call me Future."

"Because you're a rapper..?" I questioned, slowly tilting my head to one side while I watched this man with growing confusion.

"No, dumbass." He stung bitterly while he unscrewed his flask, cold eyes unblinking as he turned it upside down and gulped down several mouthfuls of something I guessed was strong, judging from the bitter drunk vibes I got from this shell of a man.

"Then why should we-?"

"I'm guessing Frisk briefed ya on the situation?" Future cut Chara right off without a care, tilting his head and arching a tired brow.

"Yeah, they-"

"Alright, good." This time Future interrupted me, rummaging through his dress pants pocket and yanking a wad of paper free, tossing it to me without hesitation. "You two know how to traverse the multiverse yet?"

"Uhh, no, I don't think-?"

"Perfect." Future capped his flask and stuffed it back in his vest, rolling his eyes. "That note has the bar code for my timeline. If for some reason Frisk here can't getcha here, give that note to your Gaster and he'll know what to do."

"Alri-?"

"Now I'm gonna need both'a your phone numbers, in case I have to contact ya with an emergency." Frowning, he stuffed his hands in his pockets and stared down at us with half closed eyes. "I'm sure you two understand your opponents well enough to know they could strike at any time."

"Could you slow-"

"Your job is to keep me and all my citizens alive. That just happens to include stopping Hacker and Demon." He lazily placed one hand on his chest, before gesturing out to the world around us. "My people need me, and I also happen to be the target of those little shits with your faces. As much as I'd love to die, I'm too important to waste time on it at the moment."

"This is a lot to-"

"You two ever see that chunk'a One Piece where they draw the X-es on their wrists and then wrap bandages around them?" Future tilted his head, cocking a tired brow. "Yeah, I'm gonna need you two to do that to avoid any switcheroo bullshit."

"OI! JACKASS! CAN YOU QUIT YOUR BRAYING FOR A MINUTE?!"

Future, C Frisk and I recoiled all at once, each of us looking to Chara, who was fuming to say the least.

"I don't know if you forgot, but we're here to help you!" Chara stomped, hands clenching into white knuckled fists at their sides. "So how 'bout you slow it down, throw in a few 'please's and 'thank you's, and then take a shower and shave your fucking face?!"

". . ." Future stared, head tilted back and eyebrows lifted. And while I expected him to get angry in return, I was stunned to watch his lips curl up in a smile and his chest start to lift with a deep chuckle.

"Alright alright, my buddies my friends my guys and my pals." He shook his head, still grinning and laughing to himself while he turned and began walking back towards his throne. "Since you asked so kindly, I'll take it from the top."

He plopped down in his throne, slouching and letting his head lean lazily on one shoulder while he watched the three of us with icy emerald eyes.

"My name is Cter The Hacker."

Chara and I flinched at once, green and red orbs snapping open wide while both our hearts tripped over their weird heart feet in our chests.

Future grinned in a way I thought only I knew how, leaning forward and placing a hand over his chest. He winked his right eye shut, and from his left a DETERMINED red flame burst to life.

"And I'm The King Over The Mountain."

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