Thanks go to Wingah, 10burgers, CrystalGamer82, Zack Frost, Skele, GrayK, EpicSlayerGuy99, Guest, Sonic245, JasherTheDarkened, NBoss01, Jack54311, Genowar, Allagenda-domsitzers-chan, and Doctah Sawbones.
I realized I never said when this chapter would be posted last chapter. Oops. ^^;
The next chapter will be uploaded March 1st! Please enjoy this chapter, and have a nice day!
Disclaimer: I do not own Undertale.
"I'm gonna kill you."
Character recoiled from Chara's words, eye twitching with a good jumble of unstable emotions. Their pupils darted from their blade, to their wings, to the fury in Chara's eyes.
"You... You..!" Fists trembling at their side, the fusion fumed. With madness their red eyes flickered, before a roar blasted up from their throat, and they threw their head back, bending their arms at the elbow and clenching their fists tight.
Chara's face remained carved in stone, but they suddenly shifted with the rumbling of the earth, letting their body sway some as they leaned forward before they shot ahead like they were spring-loaded.
As massive erasers blasted up from the scorched dirt below, Chara was like a bolt of lightning, leaving nothing but a burning red trail behind them as they darted between the pillars before any of them could get more than three feet out of the ground.
They're fast-! Character recoiled on instinct, leaning back and grimacing as red lightning cracked across the earth in mere seconds. they had no time to react before they were mercilessly struck, Chara once again becoming visible from their vermilion blur as they appeared with one foot buried to the ankle in the fusion's abdomen.
Everything moved in slow motion as Character lurched forward, blood spattering out of their jaws. A sickening crunch echoed out of their body from the impact. Then, time sped back up, and a wave of force blasted dust up around the two, before the fusion was sent slingshotting back into the massive crater Future's Beat Dome had created.
Chara landed back on both feet, skidding forward some from the momentum that had carried through their sternum shattering kick. Slowly they stood back to their full height, remaining stone faced as they looked out at Character's now distant form, flipping and skidding over the glassed sands.
"... Ooh, were those your ribs?" A smirk gradually crept up Chara's face as they reached up, wiping a splotch of blood that Character had spit up off their cheek with the back of their fist.
"That sounded like your ribs."
Chapter 37: The Color Red
"Don't lie to me on this."
Red Light by SharaX began playing.
Grunts and yelps of pain shot out of Character left and right as they tumbled over the ground like a weed in an Old Western. Eventually, they managed to flip into a crouched position, skidding on both feet and one hand across the rough dirt while they placed their free hand over the throbbing pain in their abdomen.
"So what, everybody from that stupid timeline gets a pair'a wings..?!" Character's voice was strained, a red stream running from the corner of their mouth as mist of a similar shade trickled up from between their grinding teeth. Before they could continue to gripe, and just as they were pushing themself up to their feet, their knees buckled, and they lurched forward to wretch crimson out onto the charred grey that they knelt upon.
"Agh... Heal faster, worthless body..." Character jabbed their own knuckles into their own hip to try and jump start their aching body, gradually lifting their head and letting their eyes settle on the shimmering red figure in the distance.
"Damn it..." Slowly the fusion's fingers dug into the scorched sands, panting lightly as they once more began pushing themself to their feet. "Putting ourself back together after that dome attack took almost everything we had..."
"But it's fine... We're better than this..! Better than them!" Teeth grinding, Character climbed back to their full height. They threw their hand out to the side, and a knife appeared in their grasp as red lights flickered to life in their furious eyes.
"It doesn't matter how many wings they grow! It doesn't matter how fast they are!" From their shoulder blades, massive hands of ink ripped free. The hands swung forward, digging their blackened fingers into the dirt and yanking Character across the earth, throwing them at the distant Chara. "They're still gonna die!"
Chara just narrowed their eyes at the airborne fusion, squaring their feet and holding their shimmering crimson blade out to their side. With a calm pace they wrapped their free hand around the sword's handle as well, and as those obsidian hands stretched out to crush them, they bent their knees only slightly.
Then, the earth shattered underneath them, and once more they crackled through the air like scarlet lightning, closing the distance between themself and their enemy in what seemed to be a blink of Character's eyes.
The two in one were stunned as Chara was suddenly inches from them, those ink hands sliced to ribbons with only black droplets and lines of red mist to show the path Chara's weapon had carved through them in their wake. Now right in the fusion's face, Chara planted one foot in their chest, using their sternum like a stair to step up onto their face with their other foot. From there, they kicked off, front flipping higher into the air while the force of their jump forced Character to flip back, flinging back towards the ground upside down as Chara ascended in the same manner.
Spinning upright with the help of their wings, Chara rose their blade high above their head, and it's DETERMINED flames flared before they slashed down towards the enemy. From their weapon a crimson slash carved across the sky, making Character's eyes snap open wide as they threw their arms up in an X to block the strike, ink curling around them from their back just before the wave of DT crashed into them, exploding into red mist on impact and sending the fusion blasting with greater speed towards the dirt.
Character hit the ground and rolled, digging their finger nails into the dirt to stop their momentum and shooting a hateful glare up at Chara, who was descending gracefully to the earth. They stuck the landing while Character climbed to their feet, and the fusion stumbled forward some, one arm hanging limp.
Character threw back their other arm, a dozen mechanical pencils appearing in the sky behind them and taking aim on the Ascended Heir. Chara remained stoic however, lifting their eyes casually to spot each of the weapons glaring from above. Then, once more they swayed from side to side, lowering themself towards the ground before they burst forward in another stunning display of speed.
"Come on, mother fucker!" Character shouted furiously as graphite bars launched from above, watching as Chara weaved perfectly between each bolt. They only raised their blade to slash through the final spear, sending grey dust blasting out around them and obscuring them from view for only a split second.
In the next instant, Chara was dashing from the smoke, lunging forward with a kick. This time Character managed to throw their arms up in an X just in time, grinding their teeth as the force of Chara's impact against their forearms sent vibrations bouncing between their ulna and radius, up their humerus, and into both of their shoulders.
"Hah!" Character cried out, throwing their arms out and making Chara flip back off of them. From Character's arms ink swung, swiping through the air just over Chara's head as they dropped back to the ground, quickly darting forward just as the fusion cocked back their hand, knife appearing in their grasp.
The two colliding titans slashed at the same time, and the collision of their blades sent a red wave of force exploding out around the two of them. That didn't deter either of them however, and Character was quick to rip back their knife, roaring their battle cry and unleashing a barrage of savage cuts and stabs.
Chara never flinched. They never ducked, nor did they dodge. With expert skill they weaved their blade to and fro, deflecting each rabid strike like Character's attacks were child's play. Then, with extra power they knocked the fusion's blade up into the air. Character's eyes snapped open wide as they were forced to stumble back, wide open with one hand high above their head.
With lightning quickness Chara ducked down under the ink that fired over the fusion's shoulder at their head, holding their blade out to the side and spinning swiftly. They tore through Character's abdomen, sending a red streak spattering across the ground while they were busy spinning all the way through and slashing upwards. Like a hot knife through butter their crimson blade sliced Character's knife wielding arm off at the elbow.
Shrunken pupils in wide eyes, Character was frozen as pain struck them in an instant, their opponent's speed leaving them completely bewildered. Chara didn't waste any time though, instantly jumping up and pulling both knees to their chest. Character barely had enough time to look them in the eye before they shotgunned a kick into the fusion's face, sending them launching back through the air head first.
Chara used this kick to springboard off Character's face, jumping into the sky where their severed arm still flew and flipping over it in air, swiping Character's knife from the hand's cold dead fingers before dropping back to the earth. Elegantly they landed, planting one foot in front of the other and holding their weapons in an X over their chest. Then, they flicked both blades out to their sides, and red light flashed up their newly acquired knife, quickly forming the same DETERMINED sword that they held in their other hand.
Meanwhile, Character was crashing head first into the charred dirt, momentum forcing their prone body to perform backwards summer-salts until they finally caught themself on their knees. Their head swung back some, but they stopped themself mid backwards lean and managed to lurch forward, crashing their forehead into the ground and sending cracks splitting the dry dirt.
"Damn it..! Damn it!" The fusion snarled through grinding jaws, gripping the stump of their right arm as it misted red, flesh beginning to bubble out of their wound and starting to morph into the shape of another forearm to replace the one Chara had chopped off. "We're supposed to be unstoppable..! This shouldn't be happening!"
They lifted their enraged eyes to Chara, who sauntered through the valley of shadow and death ever closer, blades shimmering scarlet carnage. Wrathfully Character's eye twitched, and in a tantrum they threw their remaining arm up over their head, crashing their fist down into the earth and sending a wave of pens exploding up through the ground, racing towards Chara and sending vicious rumbles through the crater in which they stood.
Chara didn't hesitate, instead picking up their speed and racing to meet this wave of pointed doom. Just before they collided with Character's attack however, they kicked off the ground, launching themself over the wave. Then, once they were in the air, their scarlet wings beat powerfully, firing them like a bullet and once more shutting the distance between themself and their enemy in another stunning display of speed.
Character hardly even had time to recoil as Chara sailed over their head, only leaving two scarlet slashes through each of the fusion's shoulders in their wake. As Chara landed behind Character, they skidded rapidly on the burnt floor of the crater, spinning on their feet to face Character's back as their sliding gradually slowed.
"G-ghh..!" Character's eyes were wide and bloodshot, their teeth grinding together as they choked down an agonized scream. Slowly, their arms slipped away from their shoulders and blood began to overflow down their sides. They trembled, then they writhed, and finally, they threw their head back and they screamed. Their shouts echoed high into the sky, rained down on the ruined city below.
"..." Chara didn't show any response to Character's anguished screams. A deep frown settled into their face as they began to walk back towards the screeching fusion. Their knuckles were white around the handles of their blades, and each step closer to the enemy crackled with electricity.
Character gasped for air, eyes entirely white as iced sweat ran in streams down their face. But just as they filled their lungs and prepared to scream again, pain pierced between their shoulder blades, stabbing out from just below their diaphragm.
"... This is just sad." Chara had hate on their tongue as they stood behind Character, holding one blade upside down. The crackling energy of their sword had stabbed down between Character's shoulders and exited from their abdomen, and they held their second blade at the edge of the fusion's neck. "What kind of bad guy sits there crying in the middle of a fight?"
"..." Character didn't speak, just hanging their head forward. Their hair dropped over their face, obscuring it from the world.
"You must be confused, right?" Chara narrowed their eyes at the back of Character's head, the flame flickering over their right burning brighter. "After all, according to you, I'm the sidekick, right?"
The fusion still didn't speak. A low growl left their throat, and they twitched with some life. On the ground below where their head hung low, black droplets landed.
"It's not me who hulks up, right?" Chara's lips curled further down in their frown, reserved fury in their tone. "I don't grow wings, I don't take people's arms. That's what you said, isn't it?"
"... Y-you... You cheated..." Slowly, Character's neck creaked, and they turned their head just to glare over their shoulder at their foe. "If it wasn't for those stupid geezers and that dome, we'd still have the strength to rip you limb from limb..!"
"You don't get it, do you?" Chara asked with venom dripping off their tongue. "It's not just me you're fighting. Everyone sacrificed so much to get us here."
"Their bodies."
"HEY!"
Character's brows furrowed as a shout reached over Chara's tortured howls, and they let up the pressure to get them to quiet down while they searched for the voice's source. Chara's screams became sharp gasps and silent whimpers, and Character's eyes locked on to their new target.
Chest lifting up and down with each furious breath, Cter stood before the mound of ruble he'd crawled from. Red steamed from from between his bared teeth, several streams of blood trickling from his hairline over his face and giving him a crimson mask. His clothes were in tatters, one of his pant legs missing from the knee down. His hoodie was missing, along with the right sleeve, shoulder and half the chest of his T shirt. Wherever skin was exposed one would find cuts that ranged from scrapes to gashes, each one smoking DETERMINATION and coating him in scarlet mist.
"Get the fuck off my Chara." He ordered first, pointing to them before pointing to the ground at his feet. "Then get the fuck over here so I can rip your arms off and beat you to death with them."
"Their hopes."
"Wait, Future, you can't!" Chara objected, sitting up some and looking up to the king with desperation in their eyes. "If you fire while they're right there with Character, then-!"
Future let his harsh gaze drop down to meet Chara's for a moment, and it made their words stop halfway out of their mouth. They could see it in his eyes. This decision hurt him more than either Cter or Chara could fathom, but he had steeled himself. It was his Kingdom or F Chara, and with that crown gleaming atop his head, he picked the greater good. So he dug deep, gathered all of his DETERMINATION, and threw his open palm out towards the enemy to grant the martyr's final wish.
"... Their lives."
"Don't you get it?!" There was panic in the fusion's voice as they attempted to look back at the one restraining them. "If you keep holding us here you'll die with us!"
"Heh." F Chara just smirked with calm that chilled Character's bones, lowering their head and shutting their eyes. "Whatever."
"If it wasn't for the work they put in... The things they sacrificed, the resolve they showed, everything they said." Chara's jaw clenched, their grip tightening around their blades while another surge of electricity crackled off of them. "We would have never gotten here, Character."
"It's not... Fair..!" Character continued to object, and Chara could see the black sludge starting to overflow from between their grinding teeth.
"It was their will that made me push to get stronger!" Chara snarled, twisting their blade harshly in Character's back to shut them up. "And it was their will that made you weak!"
"Ack..!" The fusion hacked up a glob of blood and sludge as Chara twisted their sword, but their glare never faltered. "It's not fair..! It should be us..!"
"What?" Chara asked harshly, squinting their eyes with some curiosity as they watched dark, bitter tears begin to overflow from Character's scarlet orbs.
"Everything..! We gave up everything to be stronger!" Character snarled, red mist starting to spill out from their bleeding shoulders. On their chest a bright red soul was pulsating. "Friends, family! Broken bodies we stacked just to get this high!"
Chara's narrowed eyes darted from side to side to keep watch over their surroundings. They could feel it, the ground was beginning to vibrate.
"You don't deserve those wings!" Flames flickered over Character's furious eye as they glared up at Chara, their pupils shrunken and trembling in the ever blackening whites of their eyes. "None of you deserve what you have! It should be us! It always should have been us!"
"Being selfish doesn't take strength. Hurting others doesn't mean you're powerful." Chara spoke coldly, drawing their blade away from Character's neck and holding it back, preparing to swing and part the fusion's head from their shoulders. "Change is what requires power! Working hard every day to be a better person is what makes you stronger!"
"But you refused to understand that!" Chara snarled, bolts of red lightning firing off their blade as they prepared to swing. "And that's why you're gonna lose!"
"AAAAHHHHHH!" Character shouted furiously, hair shadowing their eyes as they lurched forward. Their frustration exploded over, so they yelled at the top of their lungs. "AAAAAAAAHHHHHH!"
Chara's eyes widened with Character's desperate scream, and as the earth shattered around them, they moved quickly. They jumped back and their wings flapped, removing their blade from Character as pen spikes blasted up around them. From the air they watched the fusion skewer themself on their own pens. Viciously the spears had ripped through the dirt, punching right through Character's body from several different angles and sending red and black spewing over the shattered dirt.
"..." Silently Chara landed, the world once more going quiet as the fusion's body went limp, impaled on their own attack. Their own spite and hubris had ripped them apart, literally and metaphorically. Now Chara stared at their mangled corpse, and they had a moment to contemplate. This was the second time today they'd seen themself die, after all. That was something to take in.
Movement.
Chara's eyes were quick to focus back in however, when they noticed ink was flowing steadily out of each of the pens surrounding Character's shattered body. In streams the dark fluid ran over their body, matching perfectly with the hateful black sludge that oozed out of their mouth, eyes, and nose. Red lights were beginning to flicker on across the corpse while the ink slipped in through every bubbling cut and gash.
In awe and disgust Chara watched Character disappear silently into the vantablack. An orb of darkness quickly formed over the fusion, its insides occasionally flickering with red lights.
As the air pressurized, Chara clenched their jaw, lowering back into a fighting stance and holding their blades in an X in front of themself. Then, in the next instant, a shock wave of force blasted out around the shimmering black bubble, sending pen shards exploding through the air around it. The ink subsided, starting to filter and collapse in on itself until the bubble had completely faded, and Character was standing once more.
"Hah... Hah..." They panted like a rabid animal, their eyes entirely white while ink reached down around their cheeks, fish hooking on the insides of their mouth and matching the black sludge dripping down their chin perfectly. From their shoulders massive dark arms hung, their forms writhing with the ink that composed them. "Kill... Kill..!"
"... You're a monster." Chara stated with plain contempt, narrowing their crimson orbs while flames flickered and waved over their right eye.
"We're STRONGER!" Character corrected viciously, throwing those over sized arms back and whipping them forward. As they launched across the scorched plains to meet Chara, they split into a hundred different points.
The Ascended Heir fired forward to meet this challenge, swiftly slashing through the black spears and racing closer to their destination. As they lunged over a spike's brutal stab, however, the black stream at their side parted, and their eyes darted to that side, widening as they spotted the massive eraser firing right at them.
Chara was quick to shift their positioning, holding their blades up in an X and grinding their teeth as the pillar collided with their swords, sending them launching back through the air and away from Character.
They landed on their feet, flipping their blades down and stabbing them into the earth to help them skid to a stop faster. The moment their momentum came to an end, they ripped their swords out of the ground and launched themself forward on their fast feet once more. They ran low to the ground, weapons pointing out to their sides. Character stomped their foot however, sending pens bursting out from the ground in a line to meet Chara, who's wings beat, launching them over the pens.
Once in air Chara spun vertically, rapidly picking up speed as they descended on Character, who was firing one of their massive ink arms up to meet them. By the time the squirming black arm reached them however, they looked less like a person and more like a buzz saw, and in a red flash they ripped and shredded right down the arm.
Clumsily Character stumbled to the side as Chara smashed down next to them, the ground cracking under them as they were forced to crouch from the momentum behind their impact. They barely had time to turn their head and shoot the fusion a glare before pens fired up under them, and they jumped, flipping over Character and landing behind them.
Swiftly the Ascended Heir yanked back both blades, stabbing mercilessly through each of Character's shoulders and forcing the fusion to stumble forward. Before they could admire their handiwork however, the skin on Character's back bubbled and pulsed, and they jumped back just as more dark sludge exploded free from the fusion, firing after Chara in gnarled spikes.
Rapidly Chara slashed points away as they landed and slid backwards, before bending their knees slightly as soon as they got their footing. Just as ink curled and pointed above them, Chara's wings beat, and the ground shattered under them as they almost seemed to disappear in a flash of red lightning, racing to the side and dodging the spikes before firing in a zig-zag pattern towards Character's still turned back.
The fusion lifted both massive arms into the air however, slamming them down into the ground before Chara could reach them and sending themself blasting high into the sky on rising pillars of dark fluid just as Chara sliced through the air where they once were.
The Ascended Heir turned quickly, getting eyes on Character while the fusion rose higher and higher into the sky. Before they even stopped sliding along the dirt their wings flapped, sending dust blasting out around them and launching them into the air after Character, who was blotting out the sky behind them with hundreds of mechanical pencils and paper airplanes.
Chara darted to and fro as they flew higher and higher, zipping between the razor sharp edges of paper airplanes and the brutal piercing of the graphite bars firing down towards them. When they didn't have time to dodge they cut through whatever was before them, and soon they'd reached Character. They swung their legs up as they approached, smashing both feet into the fusion's chest and sending them firing back across the sky with a hellacious drop kick.
Character flipped and flailed through the air, sailing out from above the craters and once more into the territory of skyscrapers. Quickly their ink arms flung out, hooking their fingers into two different sky scrapers on opposite sides of the street below. They stretched backwards on those arms, and their glare settled on the rapidly approaching Chara before they slingshot themself across the sky, racing to meet the opponent flying ever closer.
Chara stabbed in an X through both sides of Character's chest as the two collided, snarling while they planted a foot in the fusion's chest. Just as they tore their blades free however, Character's jaws snapped open, and they were forced to duck back, a spike of black firing up from the fusion's throat and nearly decapitating them. They kicked off of Character, back flipping and slashing away the spike that curved down to take a second stab at them.
Gravity got a hold of the two of them, and they descended rapidly. Chara's wings flapped to catch them some, and they landed with ease on the concrete below. Character was not so skillful however, crashing haphazardly through the tar of the street and sending smoke blasting up around themself.
Chara barely had time to square their footing and get back into their stance before Character's arms grabbed the edge of the crater their drop had created, and they once more threw themself forward at the Ascended Heir, launching into the air and yanking one massive arm over their head as they dropped down towards Chara.
Chara side stepped the brutal swing of that arm as Character crashed back down to the earth, flipping over top of it when Character swung it across the ground at them, ripping up the tar of the road. As they landed on their feet at the other side of the arm, they stepped forward and slashed mercilessly across Character's chest, sending red blood and black tar flicking across the road. As the fusion was sent stumbling Chara took another step forward, spinning through with their slash and flipping one of their blades around so it's point face downward, stabbing backwards and sending their sword ripping a hole right through Character's solar plexus.
Character stumbled back when DETERMINATION coated steel pierced their body, their arms and head dropping limp as the ground rumbled violently beneath them, giving Chara the cue to dive away from them and high into the air with the flap of their wings. A split second too late pens shot straight up from the earth around Character, but as Chara ascended, ink fired from the utensil's tips, stabbing up into the sky after them.
Chara growled with frustration, looking over their shoulder at the rapidly approaching spears and quickly flapping their wings again, launching them higher into the air while they spun in a corkscrew away from the spikes stabbing up at them. As they reached the height of one of the skyscrapers looming above, they front flipped and landed upon its flat roof, swiftly spinning around as those spikes curved downward to meet them.
Chara took up their stance once more, narrowing their eyes at the approaching points while their scarlet aura flared around them, sending volts of electricity firing off into the air around them. With skill and precision they swiped and slashed away each spear, sending droplets of black flinging through the air pathetically until there wasn't a single point left.
Chara exhaled slowly to calm themself, shutting their eyes for only a moment. When they next opened them, they spotted the wall of shining lights that had formed in the sky above, and their frown deepened, grip tightening on their swords in the face of this wave of Beat Blasters.
Fearlessly they ran forward across the rooftop, before diving over its edge just as white hot fire began to rain down towards them. Their wings beat with DETERMINATION, launching them higher as they fired through the sky, red lightning piercing the thunder of Character's blasters.
Then, in a red flash, they were coming out of the other side of the Blaster wall, shadow obscuring all of their face except for that inferno of a right eye. In the next instant, the slashes in those blasters became clear, and they each exploded in magic flames and smoke, sending gears and barrel chunks raining down from above.
With frustration Character screamed, throwing both of those disgusting ink arms up towards Chara as the Ascended Heir raced down from above towards them. The black fluid split and curled into thousands of different points, some massive and others thin.
Elegantly Chara landed on their feet on one massive pillar of ink, holding one blade in front of them and the other behind them as they surfed down towards Character, cutting away any smaller spikes that fired up towards them. When they spotted another pillar of an ink spike racing up to meet them, they jumped from the one they'd been skidding along and once more got into a vertical spin. Vermilion aura shun brightly around them as they became that red saw blade once more.
Streams of ink spewed out around them as they tore right through Character's desperate attack, and when they crashed down into a crouched position right in front of the fusion, the force of their impact shattered the ground beneath the two and forced Character to stumble back, eyes wide in horror.
Jaw clenched in a snarl, Chara lifted their head, letting their burning, wrathful eye land upon the terrified fusion as everything seemed to slow around the two. But then, suddenly, things sped back up, and Chara was standing, both blades held high in the air and red cuts blasting through the inky shoulders of Character's fake arms. A split second later more red cuts carved through the ink that surrounded Character's actual arms, and then the black fluid exploded out into black droplets, revealing the bare, cut up arms beneath and leaving Character defenseless and reeling.
Chara didn't stop there however. They took a step forward, pulled back both of their blades, and with a savage battle cry they unleashed a barrage of stabs, cuts, and slices on the opponent. Character's body was rag dolled back and forth, stumbling back while Chara continued forward, never letting up their assault. Gash after gash appeared along the fusion's flesh, blood and black goo splattering along the destroyed concrete at the two's feet as Chara shredded Character's flesh with their vengeful swords.
Character took one final step back, leaning their head back and staring into the sky with their wide, pupiless eyes as they hacked blood into the air, red already streaming with the black down their chin. Chara took this opportunity to cock back one leg and swing it upwards into Character's chin, slamming the fusion with an uppercut kick and sending their beaten and broken body rocketing up into the air.
Chara watched them ascend with narrowed eyes for a moment, before they bent at the knees and their wings flapped, sending them firing up after the fusion. In a red flash they shot by Character, sending a splatter of their crimson colors flicking through the air. In the sky Chara flipped, landing on the side of one of the two sky scrapers Character flew upwards between before darting across to slash the fusion once more, sending their body jerking to one side but only hastening their ascension, beating them higher and higher into the sky as they darted back and forth between the two buildings. They were a scarlet bolt, firing through Character over and over in diagonal strikes.
Eventually, the fusion reached above the buildings, and Chara dove from one of the rooftops, launching over Character and spinning downward. As they raced to meet the culmination of their worst self, they brought up one leg, and with one savage roar they crashed a brutal ax kick directly into Character's face.
For just a split second, it seemed time had stopped, suspending the two opposing forces there in the sky. But then, the lights flicked back on, and a shock wave boomed out around Chara from the force of their impact, their strike sending Character blasting at sonic speed downward, colliding with the earth in the blink of an eye and sending another wave of force exploding out around them. The concrete shattered to pebbles, a crater blasting out into the ground instantaneously as power rumbled through the earth.
Character laid limp and lifeless in their crater as Chara landed on the rooftop of one of the skyscrapers that loomed above, staring down at their fallen opponent from the high ground. They narrowed their eyes, watching Character's body twitch and tremble in poor attempts to move. Slowly and calmly Chara exhaled, and as they straightened their blades at their sides, the music faded out.
They considered what this meant, to have gained this power. To be faced with this decision. To take a life once more. Could murder be justified? Did even someone as horrible as Character have a right to live?
"Then are you sure you want to catch up with me to kill me, and not to protect me?"
... Angel. Chara slowly shut their eyes, steadying their breathing. I'm sorry, I didn't have an answer to that question then. I didn't understand what strength could really be beyond evil.
"... Keep fighting for the future you want to see, Chara. I know you'll be amazing."
... But I get it now. Chara's eyes opened, once more focusing in on Character. The fusion had barely managed to prop themself up on their elbows, and was glaring right up at the Ascended Heir, blood staining their face in all sorts of ways. I know I can do the right thing with this power, and I know the answer to your question.
"I THINK YOU'RE AMAZING!"
Character is a threat to you. To everyone. Chara's jaw clenched as they held their blades straight out to their sides, and electricity crackled up and down the crimson steel of each of the weapons. That's why I had to get stronger! That's why I'm here!
Expression turning to a snarl, Chara brought back both of their swords, the fire in their eye crackling wildly as power surged through them.
TO PROTECT YOU!
With a primal roar Chara slashed forward in an X, and the red energy fired from their blades, blasting down from above and towards the defenseless Character in massive scarlet streaks. But Chara didn't stop there. Instead, they pulled both swords above their head, cocking them back as their body tensed once more. Power crackled in the form of electricity between their flaring edges, and they carved downwards, once more sending two streaks of crimson blasting down towards the malicious fusion below.
Eyes wide in shock, Character could do nothing but stare in awe as Chara's final strike blasted into them. The first strikes smashed into them, making them roar with agony as the searing DETERMINATION pinned them to the earth, crashing down on them with force the likes of which they'd never felt before. And as they screamed and writhed under the first strikes, the second crashed down into the first, sending a gust of power blasting up from the crater with tremendous force.
Then, suddenly, the DETERMINATION of the slashes exploded, drowning out Character's screeches with the boom of their blast. A destructive red pillar blasted high into the sky, flaring and crackling with power. Character was completely engulfed, disappearing into the merciless vermilion light.
Silently Chara watched that explosion of their own power blast high into the sky, it's light reflecting in their eyes. Their expression was solemn as the light gradually faded. It was strange, this feeling. It was the first time in a long time that killing didn't give them some sick rush, but they were thankful that it didn't. It put them at peace to know that Character's death saddened them, even if they had hated the fusion.
After all, Hacker and Demon were a Cter and a Chara. they could have been amazing too, if only they'd tried to change. If only they'd understood like Chara had come to understand. But it was too late for that, and that's why Chara knew killing them was the right thing to do.
So, as they stared down at the scorched crater where Character once was, the fire on their right eye flickered out. Their wings retracted back into their shoulder blades, and the crimson light disappeared from their weapons, swords becoming knives once more.
Chara took one last look at the devastation their battle had caused, before shutting their eyes and taking a deep breath. And then, they turned around. It was over. It was time to go home.
"... Eugh..."
Slowly, the lights began to flick back on in my brain, and my eyes struggled open while a groan crept up out of my throat. Immediately I was reminded just how much being conscious hurt right now, my body still far from responsive as my eyes scanned the area.
I was right where I'd passed out, but now I was alone. Things were quiet, the dirt had all settled in the crater. As I pushed myself up on one elbow, I was a little confused when I saw that Future was no longer out cold across from me. But, when I looked around some more, I spotted him. And it made my heart sink.
In the distance I could just barely make him out. At the center of the massive crater ahead of the one I laid in, he was kneeling. And in his arms he was holding someone. Or, whatever was left of someone.
"Thanks Angel, you really are too KIND."
... It was my fault. F Chara died because of me. My KINDNESS, my MERCY. This city was in rubble and someone was dead and it was because I was a coward and an idiot. And that was a heavy weight. I'd thought I was better now, was all. I thought I was a better person for avoiding murder. I thought... I dunno, maybe saving Hacker would prove to me that I was saved, too.
... But Hacker was too far gone. And Future had relapsed to his old ways, leaving his life in shambles.
... So where did that leave me..?
Before I could sink any deeper however, light wing beats entered my ears, and my attention was drawn back to reality. I looked upwards, my eyebrows rising with some surprise as Chara landed before me. Something about seeing them made my mood lighten, and despite the devastation that surrounded us, we both managed a smile when we saw each other.
"... So?" I finally spoke, already knowing the answer to my question. "Did'ja win?"
"Pretty sure I turned 'em into into a black smug on the pavement." Chara smirked some while they leaned down, not hesitating to take me by the arm and gradually help me to my feet. When it became apparent that I wouldn't be able to support my own weight at all, however, they didn't hesitate to lift me onto their back without much of a struggle.
"Ehehe... Thanks." I laughed a little awkwardly as Chara began walking forward across the craters, a light pink shade appearing on my cheeks.
"... It's really me who should be thanking you." Chara spoke after a pause, not taking their eyes off of the distant Future's back. "If you hadn't said what you said, then..."
"Is that really all it took, one compliment?" I asked playfully, arching one brow tiredly. "You must be real appreciation-deprived."
"Very funny." Chara rolled their eyes, but they were smiling a little. I thought it was a good look for them. "But no, your words were more... The straw that broke the camel's back, if that makes sense."
"Being in a do or die situation, seeing my worst self sacrifice themself to do the right thing, hearing how much you believed in me..." Chara looked to the ground thoughtfully as they reminisced. "... It all just kinda... Boiled over. Exploded."
"Well congratulations, you n' me are both Super Saiyans now!" I put on a tired grin with my joke, and I was glad to hear them scoff with some amusement.
"We'll have to fight some time to see which one of us is stronger." Chara smirked a little as they glanced up at me, but I just gave a tired smile, shutting my eyes and resting my chin on their shoulder.
"Just gimme a month to hibernate after today." I yawned after I spoke, hair drooping down over my face. "Then, it's a date."
"I'm gonna hold you to that." Chara looked back ahead as they spoke, that smirk remaining for another moment or two. But then, the more they thought, the quicker it disappeared. Soon enough, it looked as though they had a question for me on their mind.
But, unfortunately, before they could ask me, we had reached Future.
Seeing the king on his knees with his back to us was a humbling sight, especially after witnessing all seven Halos of his wrath and the utter devastation that they brought. But now he no longer appeared holy. Now he was a shattered man, clutching a burnt corpse woefully to his chest.
For having been at the epicenter of Future's Beat Dome, F Chara's body was surprisingly recognizable. I guessed that that made sense, figuring they'd made sure Character took the brunt of the strike. Everything below each of their elbows was charred to blackened bone however, and everything below their knees didn't seem to be in much better condition. Throughout their abdomen burnt holes pierced right through them, and on the side of their face was a single blackened spot.
And yet, in spite of all the horrible injuries that had taken their life from them and all the pain they must have been in, on F Chara's singed and blood stained face was a smile. And somehow, despite the wreckage of their body, that made them look like they were at peace.
"... Future..." I finally managed to speak, my face twisting with the pain of empathy. I couldn't imagine what it felt like, how lonely it must have been for him. All I could manage to do was shake my head slowly and choke out a few words. "... I'm, so sorry-"
"Don't." A powerful command left the monarch's throat in the wreckage of his kingdom, and instantly I was silenced. He did not lift his head, no doubt weighed down by the crown atop his skull. "Just... Not now. Please..."
"... Gotcha..." Was the only response I could give, nodding my head slowly even though I knew he wouldn't look my way.
"We can... Come back..?" Chara timidly suggested, grimacing some from the weight Future's presence sent crashing down upon us. "To... Help you rebuild, I mean."
"... Don't call me. I'll call you." Future spoke after an uncomfortably long silence. His voice was low, weak. But Chara and I understood what he meant.
Time is what the king needed. He wasn't rejecting our offer, nor was he scorning the help we'd provided him in dealing with Hacker and Demon. He was just unable to focus on anything but what he'd lost at the moment.
So, silently, Chara turned around. But, before they could start to walk away, they found themself pausing. I wasn't sure why, until they finally spoke again.
"... Good luck, Future."
And then whatever duty that'd been restricting them was fulfilled, and they continued onward with me in tow.
Things were quiet between the two of us, somber. We'd beaten Character, but this didn't feel much like a victory for either of us. certainly not for the devastated timeline we were wandering through. And yet, the clouds were parting just slightly, and a few wayward sunbeams were shimmering down from above. I had to hope that meant something. Anything.
"... Hey, Cter?"
At the sound of Chara's voice I perked up some, blinking my exhausted eyes a few times before I looked down at them. "Yeah..? What's up?"
"I'm, uh..." Chara's eyes darted to the side nervously, and they awkwardly reached up, scratching their cheek with one finger. It was more than obvious that these words were hard for them to get out, which made me wonder what would be important enough to make Chara this timid. "... Female. That's, what I was assigned at birth, I mean."
My eyes went wide, instantly caught very off guard by this oddly timed news. That was about the last thing I'd expected to come out of their mouth, so I was jarred pretty heavily by this news. Even so, I quickly attempted to gather up all my thoughts and form a caring and composed response, figuring something like this was probably a delicate topic.
"... Huh."
*Nailed it.
"U-um, shit, sorry!" I quickly backtracked just one word in, my eyes widening as my face turned a light shade of red, embarrassed by my verbal fumbling. "I don't mean to sound disinterested! I'm, just, uhh... A little caught off guard..?"
*Surprisingly honest.
"Heh. That's alright." Chara smiled a little, not seeming to mind my foot-in-mouth disorder. "It was a pretty random thing to drop on you."
"It's just, not really something I ever thought about, I guess." I relaxed some with Chara's casual tone, the embarrassed shade disappearing from my face. "You didn't seem to identify as either, so I thought you weren't either and my brain left it at that."
"So you forgot I literally had to be one or the other physically?" Chara smirked just a little, clearly amused by how little thought I'd put into the subject. I think it may have put them at ease in a way.
"More or less." I gave a casual shrug, eyes drifting up to the sky above. "I mean, in a world with chubby telekinetic skeletons, fish women that can breath on land, and some dude who can grow functional wings made out of ink, I think someone born without a gender is far from the most absurd thing that would exist."
"I guess you've got a point there." Chara shrugged as well, tilting their head some as they stared ahead.
"... So, I'm glad you trusted me enough to share that with me, but I am kinda confused." I continued to speak honestly with surprising ease, turning my head back down to furrow my eyebrows at them. "Like you said, this is kind of a random thing to bring up."
"... You trusted me with a lot today." Chara spoke after a long pause, staring thoughtfully into the distance. "I, thought I should trust you with something that I felt was important, too."
"..." I smiled just a little at that, something about their words made me feel nice. I found it hard to think of myself as trustworthy half the time, so to hear that someone else really felt they could tell me something so important was reassuring. "Well... Do you want me to start using different pronouns, or are you good with what I use now?"
"... Nah, I think I'm happy the way I am now." Chara said after mulling over my question for a second or two. "I just thought you should know."
"... And, I guess it's just something that was on my mind." Chara added on after another moment, lifting their head some to peer up at the few rays of light in the sky. "Earlier, when I was out cold... It was like I took a walk through my whole childhood. Future me was there too."
"Oh?" I widened my eyes with some surprise when I heard that, likening their experience to my own. I started to wonder if coming to an understanding with your past was a prerequisite for ascension.
"... When you got your wings." Chara spoke after another pause, eyes narrowing into the clouds. "Did you see anything like that?"
"..." My eyes narrowed a little painfully as my thought were drawn back to that day. I remembered him clearly, the little boy wearing that bittersweet smile as he held the bell out for me to take. The happy and yet sad feeling of ascending through the smog and leaving that life behind still caused an ache inside, and the recent knowledge Character had given me only made that ache grow in different ways. "... Yeah. Yeah, I did."
"When I went through the past, my future self was there with me. It was strange, but... Having them there helped me a lot." Chara frowned some. I could see that it hurt, knowing now what F Chara had done just to give them a chance. It hurt me too, even though I hadn't expected it to. I had misjudged them, I had been cruel. Now they were dead because of me, and I'd never get the chance to apologize for any of it. "Was anyone there with you? For whatever you saw?"
That question shook me out of my thoughts.
"Lexi, Xander, and Anarchy are alive."
Suddenly, I was pale in the face. My heart dropped right into my stomach. I couldn't escape it, the tearing anxiety that sent shivers through my body and panic into my soul.
"Cter..?"
Everything I'd built up over the past six months was at stake if what Character said was true, and what reason would they have had to lie? If my secret got out, and everyone knew what I really did, then..!
"Cter?"
There was no way they'd see me the same way. There's no way they'd trust me anymore. Everything... I would lose everything!
"Cter!"
"Ah!" My eyes focused back in as I recoiled from Chara's voice, heart racing in my chest to begin pumping my momentarily frozen blood again. "Huh?! Yeah?! What?!"
"You falling asleep up there or what?" Chara cocked a brow up at me, confusion clear on their face along with a few specks of worry. "Did you hear my question?"
"Uh, yeah... I, yeah..." Gradually I relaxed, letting my arms dangle limply while I once more rested my chin tiredly on their shoulder. "Yeah, there was... There was somebody with me..."
"Really? Who?"
"..." I let my tired eyes drift down to the ground at my side before I answered. I could see him there, that sweet little kid. Innocently he had reached up, taking hold of my limp hand as he walked along beside us. He turned his head, and those beautiful eyes landed on me. And then he smiled, but the purity of his kindness didn't ever reach my melancholy heart these days.
"... My best friend."
"Monster Kid?" Chara furrowed their brows, clearly not expecting that answer. They must have shrugged it off though, because they didn't press any further. "I guess that makes sense."
"..." I didn't speak, transfixed on the illusion at our side. A ghost, haunting me and me alone. But he wasn't what I was afraid of. He was dead. The part of him that survived is what terrified me.
Chara spotted C Frisk then, not paying me much mind anymore and deciding to let me rest. The monochromatic child was standing suddenly about ten feet ahead of us, smiling politely as they opened a portal for us at their side.
It was time to go home.
"A-agh..."
The light sound of droplets hitting the void's obsidian floor echoed endlessly through the emptiness, and Character dragged one leg behind, their cut up left arm gripping weakly at the stump their right bicep ended in. Blood poured endlessly down their upper body from a hundred and one different lacerations, and their jaw slacked low, scarlet liquid dribbling down from between their bottom row of teeth and over their chin. the only noise other than their dripping blood was the weak, pained gasps for air that echoed unevenly from their dark red maw.
*It's a good thing we managed to slip through that portal just in time. If we hadn't...
"I'm... Startin' to think... I shoulda just let the attack land..." Hacker responded to The Demon in his text box, eyes fluttering to stay open. "Woulda been... Quicker..."
*Don't talk like that! We can still make it out of this!
"... I-I... Can't..." Hacker's trembling pupils lowered to the ground, the light flickering inside them weakly. Then, he winced, and coughed painfully, more red splattering up over his bottom lip and spilling down onto the vantablack floor. "... But... Y-you..."
Before The Hacker could finish his labored sentence, his one good foot slipped on the pool of his own blood, and he hardly flinched at all as he dropped forward. He landed flat on his face, expression unchanging as he bounced once. His body was going numb, he hardly felt a thing.
*Angel!
Panting and wincing, Hacker forced his one remaining arm to move. He reached out with a clammy, shaky hand, opening his palm to the air. In the next instant, The Demon's unresponsive body appeared from his inventory laying there flat on its back with its eyes closed.
*That's a great idea, Angel! If we both move into my body, then we'll survive!
"Just... You..." Hacker spoke quietly, letting his stiffening fingers wrap slowly around the wrist of the lifeless body at his side. "I... Can't... Soul's just... Too weak... I'll shatter the moment... I leave my body..."
*W-what?! Wait, wait! A-angel, there has to be something else we can-!
"No time..." Hacker's eyes threatened to shut, but with all the will he had left he forced them back open. "If my body gives out while you're still here..."
*But if I leave you'll die!
"If you stay we're both gonna die..!" Hacker managed to raise his voice, but it only made him clamp his eyes shut as another violent fit of bloody coughing followed his words.
*B-but... But I... And you...
"Please... I-I already told you..." Hacker's eyes were growing more and more distant with every passing second. "You're... Everything to me..."
*Don't you think the feeling's mutual, you idiot?! I can't just let you die!
"You don't... Have a choice..." Gradually Hacker's eyes were starting to creak shut, the embers of life in his emerald orbs fading away. "... Please..."
STAB.
Hacker's eyes snapped open wide, and life flared once more in those no longer so distant eyes.
"Oh my. It seems my timing couldn't have been better. Another few seconds, and... Well." Gatherer spoke casually as he knelt at the dying fusion's side. In his hand he held some sort of syringe, the needle of which he'd jammed haphazardly into Hacker's back. "Lucky for you this healing magic transfusion should keep you stable for at least another few minutes."
Hacker's eye narrowed up into the smirking face looming over him, feeling no ease despite the further prolonging of his death. With contempt on his tongue, he spoke one word. "... Xander..."
"Aw, you remember me even as a big shot fusion, huh?" The Gatherer responded with that same venom, that devilish smile only growing when he heard Hacker's tone. "Then you've probably got an idea of why I'm here."
Before anymore words could be spoken, a red pulse traveled up Hacker's one remaining arm, exiting through the fingers that were still wrapped tightly around The Demon's unresponsive wrist. After a quick second Demon sprung to life in their own body, jumping right to their feet. They pointed one hand down to The Gatherer, and that revolver appeared in their grasp, barrel to his forehead.
But, before Demon could pull the trigger an orange light entered their eyes, which widened as they glanced down. From Xander's suit sleeve flames had sprouted, morphing into the lithe and nimble shape of a snake and hovering there, it's fangs inches from their throat.
"Put the gun away, dear." Gatherer spoke calmly and smoothly, his unblinking violet eyes locked onto them. There was something hypnotizing about those eyes, but behind that, Demon could see darkness. An intimidating amount, invisible to the untrained eye. It made them hesitate, made icy sweat trickle down their forehead. "I think you'll find me to be preferred as an ally over an enemy."
Demon remained silent and still, breaking eye contact with Gatherer to shoot The Hacker a glance. Hacker nodded slowly, his expression deathly serious. This made Demon grind their teeth together, but begrudgingly they lowered their barrel from Xander's forehead. This made him smile, and he slowly stood, gently removing his syringe from Hacker's back while his serpent of fire dissipated into thin air.
"What do you- Erg..!" Hacker winced some as Demon knelt down, pulling his weak and dying body into their arms protectively while they glared up at this new human. "Want, Gatherer..?! Revenge?!"
"I am not a vengeful man, Angel." The Gatherer responded calmly, straightening his tie casually. "And while you bit my feeding hand - or at least, one of my counterpart's feeding hands - in the past, I'm still happy to come to your aid."
"There's always a catch with you, G..." Hacker spoke in a low growl, squinting suspiciously up at Gatherer. "You've got somethin' to gain outta this."
"... Very well." Gatherer exhaled with some exasperation, closing his eyes momentarily to compose himself before he reopened those purple orbs. "Earlier today, I attended quite a performance. It was eye opening."
"A performance..?" Demon repeated with heavy confusion, furrowing their brows.
"A circus act involving two of the craziest clowns I've ever seen." Despite the silliness of his words, there was a frown growing ever deeper on the face of The Gatherer. "After witnessing them quite literally tear the house down, I was faced with a harsh reality."
"Get to the point, Xander..." Hacker growled, despite how completely non-threatening he was in his current state. "I definitely don't have all day."
"... You saw it today. The Hacker who defeated Error and his Chara who defeated you." Gatherer's eyes narrowed harshly then, and all that charisma disappeared in favor of his foreboding words. "I saw something today too. The devastating force behind The Anarchist."
Hacker and Demon went silent when they heard that. The fear was apparent in the both of their eyes, as it would be in anyone who knew anything in the multiverse upon hearing that name.
"You... You met The Anarchist and lived..?" Demon spoke skeptically, clutching The Hacker just a little tighter in an attempt to keep him safe.
"Only because he let me." Gatherer's jaw clenched, cold sweat forming on his own brow from such recent memories. "But as he left me and The Predator there, in the wreckage of his presence, he said something. Something that made me realize I needed more powerful allies."
Then, Gatherer took a step forward, and he held out one hand to the two. He stood there, watching them with eyes that were lethal in their precision.
"... A Reunion is on the horizon, Character. And preparations must be made."
I breathed a sigh of relief, shutting my eyes and relaxing into the couch as Asriel held his glowing green hands over me. I could feel my cuts sealing and my burns... De-burning.
"Wow, a fusion of Hacker and Demon, huh?" Asriel glanced over to the other couch in their Ruins home, which Chara was laying on. They stared straight up at the ceiling with drained eyes. "No wonder you two are so beat up."
"You should see the other guy." I spoke tiredly, lazily lifting my finger in objection before my arm dropped limp onto the couch.
"Well, I've healed as much of you two as I can. You're gonna have to sleep off the rest." Asriel lowered his hands and their glow disappeared. He took a step back, placing his hands on his hips as he looked between Chara and I. I could see both worry and relief in his eyes, before he puffed out one cheek, furrowing his brows in a condescending way. "And I hope this is the end of any and all multiverse shenanigans between the two of you."
"..." I tilted my head back into the couch, my eyes narrowing up at the ceiling from Asriel's words.
"Lexi, Xander, and Anarchy are alive."
"... Yeah. I hope that too." I spoke, my bitter frown engraved deep in my face. Luckily it was hidden from the angle at which I stared upwards, and by the time I tilted my head back down, I'd slapped on a more jovial mask.
"Welp, much as I'd love to accidentally pass out in my shredded clothes on your couch for eighteen hours, I think I should probably get home." I spoke casually, grunting with exertion as I dug my fingers into the couch to yank my tired body onto achy legs.
Chara looked up when I stood, propping themself up on their elbows and watching me lumber tiredly across the living room.
"Thanks for saving my ass several times today, you two." I forced a smile over my shoulder at the two of them, lifting my hand and giving them a wave.
Asriel returned my wave, grinning lightly. "Good luck explaining things to mom!"
"Thanks." I chuckled, stuffing my hands in my pockets as I looked forward once again. "I'm gonna need it."
"And you better believe all three of 'em have had their eye on you."
Once they couldn't see my face, my expression went lifeless. Hair shadowing my eyes, a frown yanked down the corners of my mouth. I felt cold and empty in a way I had forgotten over my time in this perfect happily ever after of mine. My feet were heavy, but I hoped no one noticed. I wanted to sink into the ground, give in to the gravity that was bearing down upon me.
Fear had made my face go pale, panic and anxiety making even the simplest of motions difficult. But I couldn't show that. I didn't want anyone to know how helpless I felt, how guilty and afraid I was. They'd ask what was wrong, and I wouldn't be able to tell them the truth. I'd have to lie. I have to lie. They can't know the truth. I have to lie.
The door is right there. I can do this, just another few steps. Then I just have to reach out, grab the nob, twist it one way, and then I'll be outside. No one will see how sick I am there. Not until I get home.
... But I'll have to lie more when I get home. Have to tell everyone what happened, where I've been. I'll dance around the fact that my future self abandoned them, and that Chara's future self killed them all. I'll keep from them the destruction my MERCY caused. I'll tell them how great Chara was, how far they've come. It'll be a good thing, it'll be positive so I don't have to be afraid.
"And you better believe all three of 'em have had their eye on you."
So I shouldn't feel so sick.
"Lexi, Xander, and Anarchy are alive."
I shouldn't be so nauseous.
"We're gonna get to see each other again!"
I shouldn't be about to puke..!
"Hey, uhm... Angel..?"
"Huh?!" I snapped back into reality, jolting up straight as color suddenly returned to the world around me. My head whipped around to spot Chara standing behind me, arching a brow at my jumpy reaction.
"Ehehe... Sorry." I laughed nervously as I turned to face them, keeping one hand on the front door's knob while my other scratched the back of my head. "Just a little out of it, I guess."
Oh god, they know! They can see something's up! They're gonna ask what's wrong and I'm not gonna be able to answer! If I lie they're gonna know, they always know!
"It's alright." They waved a hand dismissively, shaking their head. But then, they paused, and their eyes glossed over to the side. "Uhm, about your birthday party."
Huh? Birthday party? Oh, that's right. That's how this all started. I stopped by the other day to invite Chara and Asriel to my birthday party next week. I relaxed some as I realized Chara hadn't caught on to how awful I felt, the ten tons on my chest dropping down to nine tons instead.
"Yeah, what about it?" I asked calmly and casually, tilting my head to the side and furrowing my brows. Politely I smiled before I next spoke. "I already said I understand if you guys aren't ready for an event like that. It's okay."
"No no, it's not that." Chara said, those ruby orbs locking back on me and catching me somewhat off guard. They kind of bounced their head back and forth, opening their mouth before words had fully formed and just letting their jaw hang for a second or two before the words finally came out. "Look, I, haven't talked to Asriel yet, but... I'll be there."
My eyebrows rose with genuine surprise when I heard that. I was so surprised, so distracted, that the remaining nine of those tons disappeared. It was clear I wasn't ready for this revelation, because I too stumbled over my words and opened my mouth prematurely. Eventually, though, I did manage to get something out.
"O-oh! Uh, really?" For some reason I wanted to conceal just how excited and happy this news made me, like somehow those emotions were embarrassing. That confused me, but then again I also didn't understand just why I was made so happy by this news. Maybe I was proud of them for taking such a big step? But, this didn't feel much like pride. It was like some weird, pleasant mix of anxiety, excitement, and joy. I hadn't really ever felt anything like it before, which was really odd. I thought I'd felt at least something close to every emotion by now, I was gonna be nineteen after all. I've kinda been at it for awhile. "Well, that's great! I'm sure Toriel and Asgore will be really happy to hear that!"
"Ehehe..." Chara blushed just a little, scratching the back of their head and evading eye contact with expert skill. They were smiling though, and that made me smile. "Y-you uhm, you think so?"
"Everyone will be." My smile grew some. It was genuine, caring. Like I hadn't been on the verge of a panic attack thirty seconds ago.
"... Well, I just wanted to tell you that." Chara looked back to me, that smile still on their face. It was a little nervous, but also a little excited, and a little happy. I wondered if they were feeling that same weird thing I was. I wondered if it confused them as much as it confused me. "Sorry for holding you up, you can get going now."
"No problem." I waved a hand dismissively, opening the door behind myself and taking a step backwards through the frame. "I'll see you at the party, alright? You can show up whenever."
"Sure." They nodded in agreement, that smile never leaving their lips. I turned around after they spoke, taking another step outside and beginning to close the door behind me. Before I could shut that wood between the two of us though, Chara spoke up again. "Oh, and, Cter?"
"Hm?" I arched a brow over my shoulder, pausing right in my tracks at their call. "What's up?"
"Uh, well..." Chara once again looked like they were struggling to get something out. That was common for me and them though, neither of us had learned how to project emotions correctly in these simpler and lighter scenarios. Still though, from behind the half shut door, they did manage to look at me, and a little thing of a smile crossed their lips. It was small, gentle, but in some way it almost felt sweet. "I'm... I'm glad you're not dead."
My eyebrows rose some at that, and I almost recoiled. I wasn't sure why; it's not like that was surprising, I knew full well they were glad I wasn't dead. They were the one who saved me, after all. It was such a simple, easy statement, so why did it... Kinda floor me? Was it the way they said it? Was it their expression? Was it the fact that they'd taken the time to tell me? I supposed it didn't matter, and I returned that smile of theirs.
"... I'm glad you aren't dead either, Chara."
The door shut between us, and I slowly took my hand off the knob. Then, I turned around, and I began to walk away from that neat and tidy Ruins home.
It was strange, I thought the moment that interaction was over things would get cold again. That I'd go back to thinking about my past, that little Anthony would weigh on my shoulders once more. But, strangely enough, every time my thoughts wandered from the happier bits of today, they were magnetized right back.
As I made my way through Asriel's garden, I kept envisioning things. It was always Chara standing tall between me and Character, or maybe when they smiled down at me after their victory, or that memory from two minutes ago of them saying something as little and obvious as "I'm glad you're not dead".
And that weird, anxious-but-happy-but-excited feeling didn't go away. In fact, the closer to home I got and the more time that passed, the stronger it got. The dynamic of it changed, however. The happy part faded and the anxious part grew. And whenever I thought about things like Chara coming to my party, or if I'd end up visiting some time between now and then, the excitement part of it took the lead over the anxiety.
It was a noticeable feeling, but not particularly intense. Just something small, nagging at the back of my head and always dragging my thought back to today. But I didn't get it.
What about this cold, brutal day was so... Warm?
"My my my..."
Badster tilted his skull at an awkward angle, a hand appearing under his head only to hold his chin thoughtfully. His actual hands were busy flicking through code, digits twisting digits and forcing several still images to appear in flickering green screens.
They were snapshots of the battle with Character. Things like Future's Beat Dome, Chara's transformation, and that strange burst of power Cter had released when he learned his former gang's true fate.
"You're so very close, Cter The Hacker." Slowly Badster shook his head back and forth, furrowing his brow bones. "Whatever that flash of power was, something tells me it's your only hope of standing toe to toe with The Anarchist."
"... But you're running very low on time." For once the doctor frowned, staring with unshaking focus into that red flared image. Cter was on one knee, hair shadowing his eyes but scarlet light shining through on the left side. In the rubble around him rebar spikes were bending, changing to a bright orange shade from the heat of his DETERMINATION. "You know that now."
Badster turned his head then, looking over his shoulder into the blackness behind him. In the distance, the void's darkness squirmed and writhed. Worm after worm swarmed in one massive orb of terrors, gnashing their teeth and giggling horribly. But from their darkness, crimson light shun clear. The disgusting worms were madly defending someone, an unbreakable ruby soul. Their master.
In the writhing mass of psychotic abominations, Badster would occasionally get a glimpse of the man that lurked within. At the center of his chaos, The Anarchist sat cross legged, the knuckles of his powerful fists pressed together over his lap. On his chest a crimson soul pulsed with energy, and around him red light shun brightly, scarlet electricity crackling through his aura.
Despite the deranged torrent that surrounded Anarchy however, his eyes were shut. His face showed no grin and no frown, his breathing was slow and steady. He seemed entirely peaceful in a way that Badster had never seen from him before. It was as though the utter lunacy and crackling power around him only soothed his perfectly and beautifully damaged mind.
"... But I'm discrediting someone." Badster looked back to his snapshots of reality, turning his mad gaze to the image of Chara, exploding with electric strength. "... Chara Dreemurr. I never would have thought."
"Even though you are of this world, exposure to the Hacker has made you strong. Stronger than most." Badster tilted his head back, one hand appearing to hold his chin while another appeared to scratch the top of his skull. "For awhile I had written you off as a stepping stone for The Angel, but now... Perhaps you could..."
"..." Badster went silent then, trailing off to further ponder the thoughts in his twisted mind. He removed his hands from the code, and those snapshots disappeared back into the vantablack. Then, he placed both hands behind his back, the others floating around him disappearing while he gradually turned around to watch the writhing mass of Anarchy's presence. And as he looked upon the devastating force of his greatest experiment, that crescent smile shaped his face once more.
"... Prepare as you will, Wayward Children. The day for atonement is about to arrive."
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