When Undyne got to the Surface, she didn't think that she’d ever have to worry about Mettaton’s well being.
Yet, he’d managed to get himself caught in a violent ambush.
His last signal came from the main water regulation building. The Spire alone required an engineering feat to get anything done. It’s the downside of massive structures.
Papyrus landed the bike at the side of the entrance. It’s wide open. No lights due to lack of electricity.
The duo of best friends hopped off and pressed their backs against the wall. Peeked around the corner just in case the assailants came equipped with guns.
She’s not sure if she’s smelling rust or blood in the air. Waterworks and iron don’t mix, plus she had no idea what humans use for their plumbing nowadays.
“See anything, Paps?” she whispered.
He shook his head.
“Can’t you use your new awesome powers to find out?”
“IT’S TOO DARK,” he explained. “AND I DON’T KNOW THE LAYOUT. EVEN IF I COULD FIND THE RIGHT PATH, IT’S POINTLESS IF I CAN’T PERFORM A RECOGNIZE.”
So Seers have limitations after all. It’s easy to forget that with their notorious near-perfect defenses.
From what Undyne understood, guns reign supreme on the Surface. They can deal massive damage from a great distance. If those things can kill an apparently ‘superior’ human in a single hit, then…
“Try to see if they have guns.”
The Seer peered through the timelines for her request. Midway, he winced from the recoil and buried his face in those bright red mittens.
Alarmed, she grabbed his shoulder. “Whoa, hey! You ok?”
“OWIE…” Papyrus muttered. “I’M FINE. ABOUT YOUR QUESTION, THEY HAVE NO GUNS. THAT’S BECAUSE SOMEONE DESTROYED ALL THEIR WEAPONS.”
“Can you identify this person?”
“I CAN’T. ALL I SEE ARE WEIRD GLITCH SQUARES. IT HURTS TO FOCUS ON THE SCENE TOO. ONE MOMENT I SEE MANY CRATES OF BADNESS. THE NEXT, THEY’RE GONE. ONLY GASOLINE REMAINED.”
“I see…” Undyne had a nagging feeling that she knew this mystery person. After all, ‘he’ would be the only one capable of sabotaging the saboteur.
But she kept those thoughts to herself. That man was the least of her concerns right now. When this whole nonsense is done and over with, she made a point to kick him on the chin. Or something to that effect.
It’s still silent. One glance at the burning Spire reminded her of the severity of her mission. “We gotta go in. Time’s running out.”
The two traversed the facility’s interiors in silent caution. Networks of pipes, tanks, and assorted engineering surrounded all around. The Surface’s engineering may not be as high-tech as The Core, but their sheer massiveness never failed to inspire awe.
Down, down, down the stairs they descended. Much of this piping situated underground.
Undyne heard a snap. The duo stood back to back, each conjuring their trademark weapon of choice.
A teenager with a glowstick emerged around the corner, armed with a baseball bat.
Hey, they’re just kids!
More snaps echoed in the air.
More lights illuminated the darkness.
We’re getting surrounded. But if they’re just normal teen scrubs, then there shouldn’t be a problem.
One of the teenagers stirred a strange sense of familiarity. Strong. But she couldn’t pinpoint which one.
The sole adult approached them with a hostage. Judging from her uniform, she’s a fellow techie.
Now this woman had her own colleague on knifepoint. The cold, sharp edge threatened to cut into the victim’s arteries.
Damn. Deep infiltration. This is so fucking anime, I regret wishing it’s real.
Undyne scowled. “Let him go! If you wanna fight us, do it like a real warrior! Isn’t that all part of your schtick?”
The woman huffed. “What do you know, monster? Creatures like you don’t deserve the honour.”
“Heh, dishing out the big talk already?” The fish raised her spear and narrowed her good eye. “I’m so gonna prove you wrong.”
I have two options. Either I strike the hostage’s SOUL to give them a shield, or stab the knife hand.
Maybe if I use my DT-imbued spearhead, I can make the spear teleport like Frisk? Or mess with their perception of time so they can’t react correctly? Something like Sans.
Well shit. I wish I knew what exactly my new magic could do.
“UNDYNE, DON’T.”
Papyrus’ warning snapped her out of the tactical contemplation. “Huh?!”
“IF ANYTHING HAPPENS TO HER, ALL THE OTHER HOSTAGES WILL DIE.”
“You’re telling me there’s more?!”
The skeleton nodded. “YES. ALSO, WE’RE BEING RECORDED LIVE BY THE NOT-SO-SMALL HUMANS AROUND US.”
A quick glance to the side confirmed Papyrus’ report. Undyne realised that she’s too focused on the leader to notice the phone cameras.
Cenna had warned monsterkind about Gungnir’s aptitude in social media. They had experts who knew how to promote their cause, with or without ‘clever editing’.
The Gungnir woman frowned. “Hey you -- the monster behind that fish lady -- put your hands behind your head and show yourself. Come out. Slowly.”
Papyrus dismissed his weapon and surrendered to the demands.
Fear struck the heart of the criminal when she saw his glowing eye. It took her a few seconds to regain her composure. But even so, she’s breaking into a cold sweat.
“You’re a ‘Coloured One’,” she said. “Why didn’t you try to kill me, Lichborn?”
Huh, interesting. Seems like Paps’ kind has a notorious reputation on the Surface…
Papyrus replied, “I HAVE NO BUSINESS IN GIVING THE GRIM REAPER OVERTIME. ALL I ASK IS THAT YOU LET THE WATER FLOW.”
The other smirked. Grew a little more confident. “Are you a moron or something? We want the heretics to burn. Why should I let you guys fix the system?”
“DON’T YOU CARE ABOUT YOUR FRIENDS?”
It triggered a reaction.
He continued: “I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, GUARANTEE THAT NO ONE WILL DIE IF YOU LET US REPAIR THE WATER. OTHERWISE YOUR FELLOWS ARE ON THEIR WAY TO A VERY BAD TIME.”
“You're threatening me?!”
“NO. MY PERSON CANNOT CHANGE THIS FUTURE. IT'S UP TO YOU TO SAVE THEM.”
Undyne realised that there were more Gungnir in The Spire. Why? What compelled them to brave the heat?
Was it The Crimson Hall? Will they try to break in there? Or do the Magi have another backup plan in case they can’t extinguish the flames in time?
The warrior laughed at Papyrus’ sincerity. “God, I can’t believe I’m so scared over this naive idiot. In case you’re too stupid to understand how the world works, we’re here to avenge the death of our master. So what if we die trying? It’s now or never!”
“Dayton!” she called out to one of the teenagers. “The Coloured One is all yours. If he tries to do anything funny, kill him.”
That boy drew out his weapon and walked over to Papyrus. It’s a strange yet familiar blade, nothing like Frisk’s straight edge.
Hey. Isn’t that the same design as Persona’s hooked dagger?
He then kicked Papyrus behind the knees to get him on the ground. He latched the curved end on the thin, skeletal neck: ready to reap his skull like a stalk of reed.
That made Undyne’s blood boil. Nobody -- and she meant nobody -- had the permission to hurt Papyrus. She yearned to rain down a hail of spears. Right now, show no mercy, just as…
Wait. This weird feeling. It’s… on this kid?
It’s as though she had met this boy before. Somewhere. Someplace. Accompanied by this exact same rage, filled with murderous intent.
Papyrus’ tearful pleas snapped her out of it. “PLEASE. DON’T FIGHT.”
Now the Gungnir had one more hostage. Twice the risk, twice the fatality. The moment she tries to retaliate, the captors will start the massacre.
In the end, she surrendered too.
Undyne dismissed her spear and placed her hands behind her head.
Relieved, the Gungnir woman instructed her underlings to tie them up with pilfered cables. Handed over the poor, defenseless Crafter to one of the other kids.
“I see you’re smarter than your partner,” she said, “Why don’t you spend some time teaching him the hard knocks of life?”
Undyne scowled.
You arrogant scum! If it weren’t for the fucking hostage situation, I’d rip right through these lame binds!
It’s the truth. Even though her hands were tied, she could still conjure all the sharp spears she needed to cut free.
Papyrus remained silent throughout the walk of shame. If he had nothing to say, she doesn’t either.
The Gungnir threw the two into a makeshift prison: the toilet area.
The other Crafters were there too, unconscious with their limbs bound.
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As for the robot celebrity named Mettaton… his limp, lifeless shell lay at the furthest end of the smelly facility.
Once they’re inside, the kids proceeded to apply the universal containment treatment on their two new victims. Meanwhile, they knocked the unfortunate Crafter out cold.
The leader of the team signalled the resident guardian to follow her. Undyne bet it’s some debriefing.
She took the opportunity to check up on Papyrus. “You alright?”
The skeleton pushed himself up against the wall. Curled up. Downcast. He couldn’t maintain his bravado anymore.
“…DID I MESS UP?” asked Papyrus. He’s trying his best to keep his voice low.
Undyne knew that she had to be gentle now. “What do you mean?”
“WE’RE CAUGHT. TRAPPED. SO MANY ARE DEPENDING ON ME TO BE THE HERO. AND YET…”
“Paps, you know these puny cables are nothing to the both of us? They don’t bind our magic at all.”
“YES. BUT IF WE ESCAPE, OTHERS WILL DIE.”
The greatest lock: lives. Real lives with real families waiting for them at home.
Undyne bit her lower lip.
“WHAT DO YOU THINK SANS WOULD HAVE DONE IN THIS SITUATION?”
That man. She sighed at the mention of his name. “I think he would be a lot more cautious than us. Maybe save the hostages first.”
“WOULD HE KILL? PLEASE BE HONEST WITH ME.”
Undyne wanted to avoid that question. But, she can’t. Not with that sorry face.
After a reluctant sigh, she answered: “Yeah. He won’t show any mercy against the pros. That guard? Dead. That arrogant bitch? Dead. If she had tried to pull that hostage trick on him, he’d stab her through the skull.”
“All the scrub kids? He’d make them wish they’re dead. That ‘Karma’ poison is no joke. Even if they live, they’ll be traumatized for life.”
“I THOUGHT SO TOO,” Papyrus confessed. “I DON’T WANT TO HURT ANY OF THEM. NOR DO I WANT MY BROTHER TO HAVE TO HURT THEM. EVEN IF THEY HAVE HURT ME. I KNOW IT SOUNDS SO STUPID BUT…”
She shook her head. “Papyrus. Listen to me. You’re not stupid. If any of these humans die, good or bad, the media will make a huge fucking deal out of it.”
Pause. “That sounds super familiar for some reason….”
The Seer then explained: “THAT’S BECAUSE YOU EXPERIENCED THE BAD FIRST HAND. THE BOY WHO HAD HIS KNIFE ON ME, HE DIED TO YOUR SPEARS ONCE.”
That weird feeling. It’s that ‘dejavu’ Sans kept talking about. Resulted in the worst possible outcome too.
“Holy shit!” Undyne exclaimed. “What happened after that?! Wait wait wait, are we even supposed to be talking about that stuff in the open? They could hear us.”
“OH. RIGHT.”
“Either way, you saved my butt by stopping me.”
“BUT…” He lowered his skull further. “WHAT SHOULD WE DO NOW?”
The Gungnir gang returned before Undyne could make her suggestion. Did the annoying intimidation routine right away.
“No talking!” The woman barked. “Don’t think you can get outta here. If you try…” She drew a finger across the neck.
I can’t believe the leader of this operation is a brat in an adult’s body. Sheesh. Why are we even having trouble with them in the first place?
Then her phone rang. For some reason, whatever arrogant spunk she had flew right out of the window, then and there.
“It’s the leader,” she said. “You there, get the comm systems up! Dayton, watch the Coloured One! Don’t fucking let him out of your sight. If he’s not a retard, we would have been dead!”
They dragged the monster-specific hostages and lined them up on the front.
Undyne growled and snarled, displeased of this maltreatment.
“Hurry you dumbasses! Don’t make him wait!” Anxiety levels, off the roof. She’s taking it out on the underlings.
Okay. So she has a superior. Wonder what kind of a guy he is…
Transmission, on. The other side did not show his face.
“Sister. Updates on the water facility, if you please.”
Undyne raised her brows. Every word this man spoke exuded authority. Very professional, calm, and far above the thugs that surrounded her. That deep voice cemented authority. It brought up the image of King Asgore minus the warmth.
“I’ve captured the Crafters who tried to repair the key systems, brother. And we got these hero-wannabes too.”
“Show me.”
They focused the camera on the monster captives.
“Mettaton the celebrity? And isn’t that Undyne the ‘Suplex Queen’? These are champions from under the mountain.”
“Champions? If these are their champs, their standard is so low.” She nudged Papyrus with a boot. “Like this Coloured One, he’s a bonafide fool--”
The boss barked: “Do NOT take any of bone lightly!”
All the Gungnir almost had a heart attack.
“Do you even know his colours?”
“He has an orange Eye.” The woman answered.
“And what else?”
She couldn’t answer.
“You’re the true fool here, sister. That negligence may cost you your life.”
“Show vigilant caution around a Coloured One at all times. The same goes for all the other champions. Should you continue to underestimate them, I will leave you to your fate. Understand?”
“…Yes sir.”
The transmission was interrupted by a different call. Whatever language used over the line, it’s foreign. Undyne couldn’t understand a word.
When that’s done, the boss issued an order to all his available men. “We’ve spotted the Sky Witch. She’s on her way to the central atrium with a man made out of fire. Gather those who’re prepared to fight and meet up at point Beta.”
“Our final battle is at hand. You have ten minutes. Transmission, over.”
Just when things couldn’t get any more anime. That description matched Grillby. In other words, the retired Captain-come-bartender would be smack dab in the middle of Gungnir’s endgame.
He didn’t have time to brush up on his skills. Could he survive this?
Talk about a worsening situation. If only Sans didn’t turn his back against the world for his solo quest of madness.
Being the local boss, the criminal technician left the toilet prison to bark her orders. Thumps of boots resonated in the air, mobilizing their march towards the big fight.
Opportunity. If she could be left with the kids alone, any escape attempts should be a breeze.
C’mon Miss Big-shot Supervisor. Leave already.
In the end, she came back.
“You’re not going to help?” the kids asked.
“Tsk,” she replied. Clearly unhappy. “I can’t leave this damn Lichborn alone with you scrubs. Dayton! Knife, on his neck at all times.”
Drats. There goes the easy mode.
She glanced at Papyrus. Judging from the complete lack of mobility, it’s clear that he’s suffering an internal breakdown.
…………
Paps, I’m sorry. I wish you didn’t need to go through this.
Something tapped her butt.
Undyne turned there thinking it’s a brave rat trying to mock her.
Instead, she spotted a stubby little hand. Pink. Glowing. And very incorporeal.
Mettaton?!
The celebrity wasn’t knocked out after all: he’s well and free in his true original form.
Mettaton pointed Undyne to one of the toilet cubicles. Any discussion had to be away from the prying eyes.
Considering how little these humans know about monsters, maybe she could pull a little bluff…
“Hey kids,” Undyne chuckled. “This is kinda embarrassing but… I need to use the little girl’s room.”
They groaned. “Aww man really? Do we need to undress you too?”
Everyone took the bait hook, line, and sinker. Even the adult. “Nah. Just plunk me in there and I’ll do the rest.”
So they shoved her into one of the stalls without any further questions. Papyrus still remained silent: the skeleton she knew would have already blurted out that monsters don’t need toilets.
And yet…
Undyne shook that thought aside. She pulled down the toilet seat cover and sat on top of it. “Psst, Mettaton. You can come out now.”
The pink ghost emerged from the wall. Frowning, he said: “We are certainly in quite a pickle, darling.”
“Yeah…” Undyne sighed. “Papyrus isn’t taking this well. I mean. Look at him now.”
“Indeed, my rambunctious fish. Oh that poor, poor, darling. I had witnessed the drama from the beginning. As much as I wanted to help, there’s not much I can do in my original un-fabulous incorporeal form.”
“Is your mecha damaged?” asked Undyne.
“Oh no. It’s very much functional, darling. I had a momentary ejection when they overloaded my systems with that nasty taser. Got dazed and whatnot. I wanted to get right back in, but then I saw you fellows. I didn’t have the heart to cause trouble.”
“But! Seeing that it’s a do or die moment now…” Mettaton then suggested a plan. “This may be a wondrous time to make a jailbreak. Beating down those punks shouldn’t be a problem with the two of us. You’re THE Captain of the Royal Guard, darling. If anything else, I still have a minute’s worth of Doctor Alphys’ wonderful Determination boosters.”
Narrowing her eye, Undyne asked: “And how are we gonna make sure nobody dies from this shit?”
“Well. In life… there are no guarantees.” Mettaton cleared his throat. “There’s a ton of piping and railings, sweetheart. Things break. Fly. Maybe someone might lose footing in the middle of the rumble. Collateral damage is… ‘unavoidable’. Leave the convincing cover story to me. I’m a celebrity after all.”
“You can’t be fucking serious. Papyrus trashed his dignity to protect their lives and you are suggesting to waste that on staged violence?!”
That sheer intensity spooked the spooker. “I don’t like this idea either, darling,” he said. “There’s a huge reason why I didn’t just fire my arm cannons in great wanton. This baby packs a punch! Their poor untrained SOULS would shatter in a hit or two. If not their bodies. My poor future fans~”
“But sweetheart, think about it: is it fair to push all the burden on Papyrus just because he can see the future? Look what happened to King Asgore, Frisk, and Sansy. Maybe he’s not ready to face the grimness of being a hero…”
On one hand, Mettaton had a point. How she wished that he had the same common sense in things that don’t involve people.
On the other hand… Undyne wanted to respect Papyrus. She didn’t want to kick him down more than life already had.
Looking at the pink ghost again, an idea struck her.
Wait. He said he had a minute of DT left, right?
When he first activated that thing, I got flooded with pink! Maaan that really burned my eye.
“There’s another way.” Undyne grinned ear to ear. “YOU are gonna do the jailbreak. Alone. Help Grillbz in our stead.”
Mettaton gasped. “Me?!”
“Yeah! Use that DT. Show off your glam. Draw the crowd. Then make a stylish exit: the most dramatic, fastest outro you can think of!”
“I never thought you’d ever agree to my sensibilities, darling~~”
“Only for today,” she added. Don’t want that celebrity get too carried away with himself now. “I’m counting on you Mettaton. Don’t screw this up.”
“Leave it to me. I’m going to go untie myself~”
The pink ghost then slipped back into the wall.
Undyne cut the cables with a spear. They’re quite heavy, so she made sure to hold on to them. Otherwise they’d fall with a loud thud and alert the captors outside.
A slight whirr hummed in the air. That’s her signal.
Mettaton NEO: Online. The loosened ropes dropped on the ground as soon as he started strutting in his boots.
“Fuck!” One of the kids cried out. “The robot!!”
He put his charm right to work. “Why hello beauties and gentlebeauties, are you here to see my wonderful self?”
“Get the bats! Whack him!”
If Undyne had her instincts right, all the kids would have their sights on Mettaton.
“Not this time, baby~~” Right on cue, the entire toilet area was filled with a blinding pink glare.
“MY EYES!!!”
“I CAN’T SEE!”
“WHY THE FUCK IS HE SO BRIGHT?!!?”
Undyne escaped the shenanigans thanks to the cubicle. Even then, that light really stung.
“Looks like my glam is too much for you. That’s okay! Maybe in the future, you’ll join my growing fanclub. Toodles~~~”
She then heard a shrill charge. It’s something that involved an arm cannon.
There was a mighty a boom in the confined airspace. A part of the ceiling collapsed, followed by the roars of jet streams as Mettaton made his grand flying escape. More screams and expletives followed right after.
And while they’re disorientated and frightened…
…It’s time to dish out the spears of justice!
Undyne kicked down the toilet cubicle door. Hard. The flimsy hinge snapped and sent the entire board crashing into an unfortunate kid or two.
It won’t hurt them much other than a bruise. The mess will prevent others from moving as quick as they should.
The singular entrance only allowed one opponent through at a time. All she needed to do was focus forward.
And focus she did. The strongest fish struck the first human’s SOUL with her spear and turned it green.
“W-wha?! I can’t move!”
It’s that nasty woman in technician clothes: the local boss.
“DAMN RIGHT!!!” Undyne yelled back. “See how you like THAT!”
The fish then picked her up by the collar and slammed her against the wall. The force put her in a winded daze.
Another kid turned green.
Another kid disabled with a punch to the gut.
Yet another got a kick that sent them curling on the floor.
Seeing how outclassed they were, the smarter ones retreated.
Undyne stepped out of her hiding spot, confident that the fallen foes won’t be breaking out of their Green Mode any time soon.
“Let me handle her!”
Dayton stood in the front lines with that strange knife drawn. The kid yelled a battle cry, lunging himself forward. Undyne prepared for a counter.
But then, the blade shone blue. The boy’s arm snapped straight up.
“Argh! What the hell?! W-why can’t I pull it down??!”
“EVERYONE, PLEASE STOP DOING A VIOLENCE.”
It’s Papyrus with his Eye activated. Still tied up as before.
Anyone who tried to retaliate had their weapons sent straight towards the ceiling.
The baffled teenagers stared at the scene with their jaws slack.
Undyne then said: “You know, he can do that to anyone and anything without any direct contact.”
Dayton still refused to let go of the blade. At least she could respect his resolve.
This was her first opportunity to properly observe this kid. His skin tone didn’t raise any odd flags: best described as ‘ambiguously brown’. Compared to Cenna’s dark hue, he’s quite light. If that Magus was coffee, he’s cappuccino.
The biggest detail that made him stand out from the rest of the kids was… was a gold ornament. An earring. On his right side, there’s a diamond-shaped tile with a sun motif unlike anything she’d seen before. It looks home-made.
His friends tried to coax him out of it.
“C’mon Day, let it go.”
“Yeah… You’re gonna hurt your arm.”
“No!” Dayton snapped back. “Dad said my weapon is my life!”
Undyne pointed out: “You’re wide open, kid. I could punch or kick at all your soft parts. Don’t be a moron and LET. IT. GO.”
“…Why are you giving me advice?!”
Barring her teeth, she asked: “Would you rather FEEL that advice???”
“PLEASE STOP SCARING THE HUMAN.” Papyrus shook his head. “IT’S BAD ENOUGH THAT THEY NOW HAVE NEGATIVE ASSOCIATIONS WITH METTATON’S WONDROUS GLAM. LET’S NOT MAKE THINGS WORSE.”
“WE COULD RESOLVE THIS FASTER BY TALKING THINGS OUT. AND YES I AM AWARE THAT THE FANCY MAGUS BUILDING IS ON FIRE.”
“What do you want, Coloured One?” the human boy asked.
“I WANT TO UNDERSTAND,” so said the skeleton. “WHY ARE YOU SO AFRAID OF MAGIC AND MONSTERS? WHY DO YOU TALK WITH VIOLENCE AT THE FIRST OPPORTUNITY? WHAT DID LADY LUCIDIA AND MISTER MAGUS DO TO MAKE YOU SO FILLED WITH NEGATIVITY?”
“DID YOU KNOW THAT EVERYONE IN THE UNDERGROUND CONSIDERED THE SURFACE AS HEAVEN? WE WERE DESPERATE. MANY GENERATIONS DIED WISHING FOR A FREEDOM THAT THEY HAD ONLY HEARD IN STORYBOOKS.”
“YOU LIVE IN A WONDERFUL WORLD! THE SUN SHINES BRIGHT AND THE STARS ARE BEAUTIFUL. THE AIR IS DIFFERENT. RICHER. THE PLANTS AND ANIMALS ARE FULL OF LIFE. YET, SO FEW STOP TO ADMIRE IT.”
“I INSTEAD SEE ALL SORTS OF BLOODY MADNESS. THE WARRING. THE PAIN. THE HATRED. THE FEAR. SO MANY BAD THINGS. MY BROTHER HAD GONE INSANE TRYING TO PROTECT ME FROM KNOWING THIS SORROW.”
Sorrow. That’s what’s on Papyrus’ face.
He grieved for the chaos that defined the reality of today.
“WHY?” he asked.