Chapter 25: The point of no return

Sitting in a dark corridor, Sans waited, alone.

Gaster took Papyrus away twenty minutes ago, and the young skeleton started to doubt his father's empty promises. He hoped his brother would be fine. There were not a lot of things he could do anyway. The metal door in front of him let nothing pass: no noise, no voice.

Sans had no idea what ordeal he would have to suffer again. He knew however it would be very unpleasant. He didn't have any other choice than to obey his father's orders. He kept trying to convince himself it was for the better good. He could still feel the tight grip of that human on his face. His eyes were as cold as his father's. That man didn't care about him, just like Gaster. History books said some humans could turn monsters into dust in one hit if they were determined enough to end their lives. He did not doubt that human was one of them.

He had no other choice. It needed to be done, whatever the cost.

His eyes wandered in the room. On the wall next to him, several vials were exposed, covered with his father's weird writing. To avoid human scientists claiming ownership of his research, he invented his own language, only readable by his closest assistants and himself. His followers. The more years passed, the more it looked like a cult to Sans.

The skeleton knew by experience that at least one of them was watching him right now. A camera was recording him, right above the door. Maybe that horrible cat monster. Sans hated him the most. He was jealous of Gaster's work and often hurt him as soon as his father turned his back to him, gratuitously. He never had the guts to oppose the royal scientist out loud, none of them ever did, but Sans knew they were all talking behind Gaster's back. They were not the only ones. Asgore was one of the few who thought he was perfect somehow. It was concerning.

The door he came through opened on another assistant of the scientist, a small creature similar to some gingerbread man in three dimensions. They were the same height he was, but also the only one having arms with the cat. Handier to tie all the electrodes they were holding. Without caring much about what the skeleton was thinking of this, they pulled out his white night dress and put electrodes on his head, his ribs, and even one on his soul, without asking for consent, which made Sans cringe. Of course, Gaster wouldn't just send him to kill a human. He needed to dissect, analyze, study any of his reactions. Even in the worst of times, science came before anything else.

The assistant left the room once their task was done and closed the door behind them. A light green flashed above the one leading to his personal future hell. As his father asked him to when it would happen, he stood up and positioned himself behind the door.

He had no other choice. It needed to be done. That would only be a bad moment to pass and then everything would be alright again. He had to keep Papyrus' safety as his only objective. No matter the cost. He couldn't fail.

The metal door lifted, revealing Gaster, waiting behind. The royal scientist smiled at him and opened the way with a large sign of the hand.

Sans entered the empty white room with apprehension. In the middle, Charlie struggled on a chair, wrists, ankles, neck and stomach tied with metal cuffs holding them in place. They were screaming with fear and crying, begging Toriel to do something, looking on their left.

The skeleton followed their gaze and quivered, paralyzed. Behind a glass window, Toriel, Papyrus and Undyne were staring at him. His little brother was already crying, and the small fish girl wouldn't last long before doing the same, her mouth trembling with worry.

In a second room, behind another glass, Asgore was sitting on his throne with several of his closest counselors, and influential members of the Royal Guard. Sans recognized the dog that followed him in the forest, smiling sadically his way.

It was a zoo and he was the main attraction of the day.

"Follow me." Gaster ordered.

Sans lowered the head, defeated, and obeyed. Gaster led him into a blue circle drawn on the floor, right in front of the human. When Charlie saw him, their voice became hopeful.

"S-Sans?" They begged, terrified. "Help me! He's crazy! Whatever he told you is wrong. He can't be trusted, you said it yourself!"

The skeleton didn't answer. He looked away, inevitably meeting eyes with Papyrus, on the other side of the window. He took a deep breath. He had to keep a clear mind. Not show anything. He needed to obey. It would be over soon. He just needed to stay focused.

His hands trembled slightly. He clenched them into fists to control the growing fear rising in him.

"Gaster!" Toriel begged in her room. "They're only children! You can't ask him that! And you, Asgore! You coward! Say something! One word and this madness could stop. Stop giving that scientist everything he wants, he went way too far and even you know it!" She screamed, almost hysterical.

Hearing her so panicked, Undyne broke down in tears, scared. The Queen kneeled next to her to try to comfort her. Sans looked towards Asgore. The King briefly met his eye sockets, then looked down. The skeleton clenched his fists. He was the King and he didn't even dare to face him. And he had to fight for him? Why?

The royal scientist ignored the Queen completely and kneeled in front of him. Sans took a step back to put some distance between them. It was not because he accepted to become one of his toys that everything would be like before. The father-son bond was broken and nothing would repair it ever again.

Gaster sighed and stood up, colder.

"You know what you have to do. Once the human is dead, pick its soul and rip it out of its body, then place it against your chest. Your soul will absorb it naturally. I'll be with Asgore. Take the time you need."

He walked away without turning back. He crossed the window magically and sat in an empty chair next to the King.

Sans was now alone with Charlie.

He wasn't sure he wanted to do this anymore. He knew he had to, but now that the child was in front of him, defenseless, he hesitated. Imagining it was a thing, actually committing a murder was another. He hyperventilated, panic slowly growing.

Toriel was banging and screaming on the glass, but Sans couldn't hear her. Gaster probably soundproofed the room to give him some peace of mind. Maybe it was better this way. He didn't want to hear Papyrus's pleas for him to stop.

He took a deep breath and emptied his mind, trying to ignore all the people watching him. In front of him, Charlie stopped to struggle, only crying in fear as they realized what was happening. Maybe they resigned to it? What else could they do?

Sans' eye turned light blue and he raised a hand toward the child. He was trembling uncontrollably. This wasn't fair. Or justified. Charlie never did something wrong, they were his friend! But… Papyrus and himself did nothing wrong either. And here they were, forced into a war they never wanted to be involved with first. Nothing was fair.

But outside, it was kill or be killed.

It had to be done.

No matter the cost.

"I'm sorry, Charlie." Sans whispered. "I don't want to. But I don't have any other choice."

"N-no! Wait! Please! Don't do this!" The human cried, more and more agitated. "Sans, please! Please! Stop! Pl…"

The skeleton activated his magic. A huge bone pierced the chair and the human, cutting abruptly Charlie's pleas. The child screamed in agony and convulsed on the table.

Sans stared in shock, unable to move anymore. He couldn't look away from all the blood leaking on the floor where his attack did the most damage. His soul was beating so fast he felt like he would faint any second.

He did this.

His legs stopped carrying him and he fell on his knees, bursting in long sobs, horrified.

He did this. He killed a child. What was wrong with him? Why couldn't he have a normal life, normal parents? He wished he died the day he ran away from his city with Papyrus. Would Papyrus be safe if he was already dead?

Gaster chose that moment to stop the insulation of the rooms. Toriel screams of horror came to him, mixed with Papyrus and Undyne's cries. Sans refused to look their way. The only one he saw from his position was Gaster. Gaster and his satisfied smile. Not an emotion was readable on his face.

Sans felt anger. Why would he smile? This was no time to smile. The small skeleton wanted to rip that smile off his face with everything he had. Yet, he had to curb his darkest desires for now. Papyrus was more important. His task was not over. All this stupid scenery had to matter. For him.

Shakily he looked up towards the chair. The bone attack was disappearing, but Charlie stayed terribly still. The skeleton slowly walked to them, but quickly stopped. Bulging eyes, the child was still panting weakly. Their mouth was covered with blood, just like the massive hole in their chest.

Above the hole, a small yellow energy ball was shining brightly: their soul. Sans leaned a hand and gently brought it to him. Instinctively, the little soul, agonizing, got closer to his chest, searching for another soul to survive. Sans pushed it inside his chest and it disappeared, absorbed.

Charlie gasped one last time before they stopped moving for good, their eyes forever asking him why he did that, staring at his face.

For a few seconds, nothing happened. Then, suddenly, a sharp pain exploded in his chest. Sans fell on his back, screaming, and felt every particle of the human penetrate his own soul. His eye turned light blue, then a point of yellow circle burned his pupils to the point he couldn't even open his eye socket. He felt more powerful, like a whole part of his mind suddenly unlocked. The pain soon subsided. He stayed on his back, out of breath and half-blind.

Gaster walked to him calmly. Sans struggled to get up, just so he could stay out of his reach.

"Calm down, now. There's no use for…"

A horribly powerful blaster mown him down before he could tell another word, sending him flying to the other side of the room. However, this time, Sans could feel his hit was still hurting him. He kept draining his father's life without any control.

Gaster growled and sat up, upset, and pointed a gun at him. He fired. Sans didn't know how, but he predicted the trajectory of the tranquilizer. He teleported an inch to the left, avoiding it. He was now only survival instinct and dream of vengeance.

"Sans, you're using too much magic." Gaster tried to reason with him again. "Calm down or you'll overload. It might kill you. You just absorbed a soul, it's struggling to take control of your body. You need to control its power. Focus."

The skeleton took a deep breath and calmed down, guided by his father's voice. He couldn't mess up now. Not so close to succeeding in what he needed to do to protect Papyrus. In the corner of his eye, he noticed several royal guards readying to arrest him if he lost control. His father wouldn't hurt him, he was too precious. However, them…

Sans kept breathing heavily, until finally, the gigantic blaster disappeared. His legs gave up on him. He fell on the floor, exhausted. Gaster limped to join him.

At the same time, the glass door holding Toriel and the children disappeared. The Queen ran to Charlie's side and tried to apply a healing spell that wouldn't work now that the child had no soul anymore. Papyrus briefly looked his way, before shaking the head with disappointment and running to join Toriel.

His reaction atomized the few bravery Sans still had. He finally broke down in long sobs. Papyrus would never forgive him. He messed up. He messed up for good.

"They can't understand." Gaster said, examining him. "They're idiots, Sans. You made the right choice. I'm proud of you."

His last words hit him like a hammer blow. He was tired, out of energy. He didn't have time for this.

When Gaster grabbed his arm to help him stand up, Sans pulled it out of his reach.

"I can walk alone." Sans said, cold. "Don't touch me. Don't talk to me. You did enough for today."

"As you wish. Let me still bring you to your room. Your brother will join you shortly, after we discuss… Whatever the Queen's problem is. I doubt she will let me close to the body, but I have a programmed dissection, so let's not waste time. I hate having my planning delayed."

Sans simply nodded, inexpressive. It was not normal. His dad was about to dissect his friend, he should say something about it. He couldn't. Nothing came. He lost all will to fight at the moment.

He simply wanted to move on.

However, he knew this nightmare was still far from over.