Hello ! Are you ready ? I warned you it wouldn't be a nice chapter. Good luck not having a soul attack hehehe.

Chapter 5 : The sound of guns

For how long the fight was lasting ? Sans lost the count. He was more focused on keeping Papyrus and Undyne safe. The children, snuggled against him, were crying and shaking out of fear. Just like the others, the more the battle was going, the more stressed the monsters were. Most of them didn't talk or move anymore, waiting for a ray of hope in this cave of darkness. Toryne had to win. If she didn't, they were all doomed. Sans lived only eight years in this hell, but he well knew that fights holding on time were a bad sign.

He lowered the eyes on his young brother. Papyrus was hiding in his blanket, his hand holding tightly his clothes. Even if Sans was keeping some external safe control, he was as terrified as him. He knew his brother was relying a lot of him, but the truth was that he didn't know what to do to comfort him anymore. It was far too much to deal with. Their life was smashed into pieces and all he could do was watch helplessly as everything dusted around him. He wished his mom was here. Sans was trying his best to comfort his brother, but him, who would comfort him ?

The gunshots seemed closer and closer. Sans was not sure if it was him, but he could swear the voices escorting them were fewer and fewer. Nervous, he got up and came closer from the entry. If they had to escape, he wouldn't hesitate one second to leave all of these monsters behind to save his brother. He was probably the last family he had now.

Between the branches covering their hiding spot, Sans noticed some fighters nearby. Toryne held the front valiantly, some monsters behind her. Most of them stole guns from the humans, far more efficient than their usual magic. But the little skeleton counted only five of them out of the twelve who went to defend them. It was not enough. The Humans were still numerous, he could saw their threatening shadows at the edge of the forest. Undyne's mother send a violent push back charm that projected the closest soldiers against the tree, but it wasn't enough to stop them all. Humans were more and more enraged.

"It's ok." he heard Undyne said to Papyrus behind him. "Mommy will beat them. My mommy, she is the strongest monster of all the monsters of the Royal Guard. When I'll grow up, I will be like her."

If you grow up one day, thought Sans, in a macabre mood. At least, her words calmed down Papyrus for a bit, concentrated on her stories. Sans smiled. His brother had that impressive capacity to befriend anyone. He was refusing to see the worst out of others and wanted everyone to be happy. The longest time passed, the stronger this part of his personality grew stronger. This was the reason why his father locked him up most of the time in the house. Papyrus could just try to talk to the humans and get kill without understand what even was happening. This thought terrified Sans. He knew he wanted to became royal guard later for this precise reason but the truth was that he was too nice to ever hurt someone voluntarily. But on the other hand, he was only five years old. Sans never could have a normal optimist childhood. He was trying to preserve Papyrus' one a little longer. Unfortunately, it seemed even this was coming to an end.

A louder detonation made him rose the eyes. Toryne staggered and fell on her knees, a hand holding her shoulder, out of breath. Sans froze when he realised she was the only one left on the battlefield. Dust clouds swept away, pushed by the cold wind.

Undyne knew something was wrong and got closer. Sans caught her arm to stop her. Two humans' soldiers got closer from her mom, swords in hand. They were about to slaughter her. But the warrior suddenly stood up and hit them both with her spear, before hammered something in her leg. Determination, understood Sans, recognising the needle he had himself in his pocket. He didn't know other monsters could use it too. Enraged, Toryne ran towards the soldiers and stabbed three humans in her mad fury, hitting them again and again as she let go a wild bestial scream.

That suddenly stopped with another gunshot. Sans turned quickly Undyne's head against him, but he knew she saw everything. The bullet crossed Toryne's head. She held still a few seconds then collapsed in the snow in a trail of dust. It was over. She was dead.

They were all going to die.

"M… Mommy…"

Sans crouched in front of Undyne. She was shaking, tears running wild the long of her face. In shock, she started to sob violently. But she couldn't cry now. They were too close of the human's soldiers. Sans held her against him and tightened her head to muffle her uncontrollable tears.

"H… Hey." he said. "Everything will be ok, alright ? I… I know it hurts but you can't cry now or they will come for us."

"But my… my mom… They… They…"

"I know, I'm so sorry. You… You're coming with us, alright ? I'm going to take care of you, with Papyrus. We're getting out of here. I… I promise."

She burst into tears in his arms. Sans lift his head towards his brother in alarm. The tiny skeleton didn't know why she was crying, but he knew him enough to understand he was about to cry too, only by empathy. He opened his second arm and his brother ran to cuddle against him. With difficulty, he stood up and stepped away from the entrance, two crying children in the arms. However, that wouldn't save them.

Several monsters were now up. Toryne's death spread like wildfire and panic won everyone. Soon, a first monster broke. A young turtle soldier. Undyne told Sans sooner he got traumatised by the war. The sound of bullets woke his primal fears and, without a warning, he ran towards the exist, screaming in dementia. No one stopped him, stunned by his behaviour. Gunshots got him the second he got out of the cave.

"There's more there !" screamed a human.

Sans gasped in horror and looked around him, terrorised. They were all trapped ! There was nowhere to go, nowhere to hide ! In panic, he pulled Undyne and Papyrus behind a big half-covered rock. The two children screamed out of fear when hell fell on the cave. Men stayed by the entrance and shoot everything that was moving. Too weak, monsters who couldn't get up perished first, one by one under their eyes. Those who had been clever enough to stayed close from the walls fought to escape first. Several tried to pass the human barrier without success. The men entered the cavity. Excited by adrenaline and the recent murders, they exterminated all the others without giving them a chance to fight back in an orchestra of screams and tears.

Huddled up behind his rock, Sans felt his soul ponding at full speed in his chest. They survived the first attack, but for how long would they stay invisible ? Papyrus had his face hidden in his jacket and sobbed silently while Undyne, still in shock, was hugging him, fists clenched. In front of them, all that was left was a carpet of ashes. No one survived. How could they only have survived this ?

The men walked in the cave, but didn't noticed the terrified children, now exposed and defenceless.

"One new group exterminated." bragged one of the soldiers. We got some royal guards. Their stupid King won't last long after that."

"Don't claim victory too quickly." answered another one. "Most of his troops are still with him. No one succeeded to pass through for now. He still has his powerful magicians, and that fucker of mad scientist."

"That's only a question of time. The Magicians are coming. They won't hold the front for long under a storm of fireballs."

The King was still alive, thought Sans, still holding the children against him. Paralyzed by fear, both of them were now totally silent. Maybe there was still hope to win this war. King Asgore was strong and powerful, even more with the Royal Guard by his side. He was good with magic weapons, destructive magic and dodging. With Queen Toriel, his wife, lady of diplomacy and fire, they were invincible. His dad never stopped to tell him this when he was scared of the explosions outside, a few years ago. Could he be with them ?

For now, Sans hoped the King and Queen could save them from this nightmare.

"Here ! There's three kids !"

"Really ? Don't hurt them. They're fun to break."

Sans froze. He lift a hand and a long blue bone crossed the alarm-ringer from part to part. Surprised, the soldier gasped and fell on the ground, blood spreading over him. It was not a mortal hit, just enough to gain time. But time for what ?

Shocked, the others soldiers robbed them with their guns and circled them. Sans was still too young to use more than one magic attack in a few minutes. That little miracle gave them a few seconds of rest, but it was other. Weapons turned in their way, vengeful.

The skeleton, only powered by his survival instincts, felt a weird aura around him. For once, he trusted his senses and grabbed tight Undyne and Papyrus. He closed the eyes and let magic worked by itself.

The soldiers opened fire, but never touched their target. Sans and the two children disappeared under their eyes.