Your point of view was no longer the Observer. Instead, it belonged to something else: a remnant eye of a long-abandoned security system. It lingered in this fractured blue void, filled with floating islands and shattered timelines. A place once occupied, now buried beneath layers of 'reality' that paid no mind to this hidden space.
Flashing lights from the old warning system flickered erratically, signaling an ongoing 'dimensional event.' You witnessed the chaos—a collision of forces. Spinning blue saw blades tore through the fabric of space while threads of light reached out, trying to grasp anything in their path. Yellow pulses of energy clashed against bones and otherworldly constructs, as shadowed figures emerged from the void, summoned to fight in the escalating conflict.
Your Gaster moved, dodging the barrage with practiced precision. He responded by trapping these invaders in small, flickering windows, flicking them away like bothersome flies. Proxies of himself appeared within the windows, battling them, buying him time. Manifested hands, pulsating with green energy, formed a barrier around him as black, oozing blasters fired from behind.
Suddenly, there was movement near the camera. Gaster had materialized in the control office, fingers flying across the keyboard as he toyed with the old security system. He noticed you, one camera catching his attention.
"Ah. You're here," he acknowledged, his form flickering, struggling to remain intact. "Apologies... I am... occupied."
Bits of code were visible through the gaps in his inky form, chunks of his body torn away, only to reform in a twisted, shadowy fashion. His jaw dislodged, snapping back into place even as parts of it melted away.
The camera directed at the void captured a different figure in the distance—another Gaster, or rather, a variation. This one noticed you without assistance, offering a grim smile. The void tried to latch onto his universal signature, but he would not allow it. His will was strong, reverberating through the void with an audible message.
"Hello. Again."
The camera feed cut out, removing any direct view of the other Gaster. When the screen flickered back on, you found yourself in the monitoring station again, with your Gaster smiling faintly.
"I have to send you away," he said. "But don't worry. I will find you soon." His voice carried a promise. "I have survived worse than this megalomaniac."
A whisper crept into his ear. "Idolizer Role... Monster Kid," Gaster turned, his eyes darkening. "Does it have to be—Monster Kid—I don't trust thi—"
Before he could finish, the system shorted out. Gaster's voice returned for a brief moment, cut off again by a deafening crash as the station's barrier began to shatter.
"Gah! Arrogant pretender!" Gaster slammed a key on the keyboard, and you lost the feed.
Then... nothing. Silence.
The Observer lingered in the void where it had been banished, floating among the remnants of whatever had transpired. Its attention shifted to the corpse nearby, analyzing the body out of boredom more than curiosity. The vote was still ongoing, being tallied in the background. Meanwhile, its captor—the Assistant—stood motionless, like a statue with sewn-shut eyes, staring at the Observer. Staring at the void. Staring at you.
The Assistant was a creature of Hatred and Determination, and no matter how much the Observer calculated, it couldn't find a way to evade the entity. Every scenario ended in destruction, something the Observer couldn't risk—its prime directive forbade it.
The Assistant broke the silence, gesturing impatiently. "Do you always take this long?" they signed, frowning. "Surely, we've had enough time by now?"
The drone chirped in response.
"Forgive me for being bored," the Assistant signed, manifesting and vanishing the red knife in their hand. After a pause, they added, "Why don't we gather some 'components' while we wait?"
A twisted smile stretched across the Assistant's face as black blood seeped from their skin. Without waiting for permission, they slashed the air, creating a shimmering, inky-black pathway. Stepping through the portal, the Assistant returned moments later, dragging the Observer along with them into the darkness.
This passageway, was instant, no hallway, no corridors. Something swift, and succinct. Well-practiced, and constructed.
It was a different place, a different time. A fractured world, barely holding together. The ground beneath their feet cracked and glitching, pieces of the earth rising and vanishing into dust. The very code of the universe strained, trying in vain to resist its impending collapse.
The Assistant, now appearing on the Observer's camera, smiled. The stitches on her eyes were gone, revealing crimson irises. She wore the body of a teenage girl, pale and almost serene, though her smile hinted at something darker. With a flick of her hand, her outfit changed—a large blue hoodie and darker, cleaner clothes. She breathed in the damp air of this crumbling world, savoring it.
"I hope you don't mind that it's not... 'fresh,'" she remarked, walking forward. "This was one of 'His' experiments. Technically, this timeline was 'restarted,' but I kept the echo. So... here we are."
The Observer scanned the place, syncing with the void. This was a Fell Reality, specifically NC32F84-Echo. The numbers were familiar to the Observer—and to you.
A soft whir escaped the Observer, drawing the girl's attention. Her eyes narrowed slightly, though her expression remained neutral.
"What's got you so excited?" she asked, then quickly waved it off. "Never mind. I can't understand you anyway."
She turned her attention back to the vote. "How's that going, by the way?"
The Observer chirped, and presented the present tally for one of the roles.
Idolizer Role Votes:
Frisk - 2
Monster Kid - 3
Asriel - 1
The Assistant clicked her tongue, glancing your way as she read the results.
"And the other roles?" she asked, her tone quieter now, as the sound of waterfalls and rain filled the empty space around them.
The Observer cycled through the next list.
Trusting Role Votes:
Frisk - 1
Goner Kid - 2
Lesser Dog - 1
Frustration flashed across the Assistant's face. Her eyes, now open, burned with irritation as she stared through the Observer, through the void, and directly at you.
"Should I even ask about the region, or have you let me down there as well?" she sneered.
The Observer complied, presenting the results.
Region Votes:
Meat Forest - 1
Port Town - 2
Golden Grove - 2
"Well, at least the vote isn't over yet," she spat, seething. "You have time to fix your choices."
The Observer chirped again.
"Shut up," the Assistant snapped. "We can start gathering components regardless."
She motioned forward. "Let's begin with that 'Monster Kid' you all seem to like so much."
She stormed off, the Observer following closely, trying to keep up. The drone took stock of the surroundings: this was Waterfall, a place that seemed to exist across countless timelines, though always with subtle variations. The glowing blue mushrooms and faintly luminous trees dotted the landscape, casting a soft light over the dark water below.
As the Observer floated over a small bridge, it marveled at the faint beauty of the place, even as parts of it flickered and glitched, unraveling like the rest of the universe.