2.10 PM. One hour and fifty minutes before the Trial of the Crimson Hall.
Undyne learned that she needed to be a little less bull-headed at times.
All the while, she tried to turn her DT-enhanced magic into a full spear. Imagined all the potential and power at her fingertips if she managed to get it right.
Problem was… she never did.
The night before, Alphys remarked that she needed only a sharp tip to be effective. It soon got drowned out by a whole lot of physics jargon.
But that tip became her ‘eureka’ moment. Since then, Undyne put all concentration on making a good spearhead… in the middle of her patrol shift.
Today, at this exact minute, she succeeded. Her joy thundered through the air without restraint.
“YEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAHHH!!!!”
It startled everyone at first, but she soon had an excited crowd around her. Both human and monster alike sensed an unusual force emanating from her new handiwork.
“That’s SO cool!”
“The power levels are over 9000!”
“(When did you learn this new magic?)”
“Woof! BARK! Woof!”
Then the bunny asked: “Captain, like, what does it do?”
Undyne answered: “I have no dang idea. Doctor Gaster gave me some coaching on how to improve my magic. Said something about mixing my ‘output with Determination’.”
“…Did you say Doctor Gaster coached you?…”
Her head turned towards the incoming source of warm, orange light. It’s Captain Grillby. Ex-Captain Grillby now. He’s been helping out ever since the curfew started.
It’s hard to gauge his facial expressions, but he sounded a little wary.
“Yeah,” said Undyne, “Is something the matter?”
“…Can we talk in private?…”
“Right now?”
“…Yes… Follow me…”
The Dog Clan folks were more than happy to take over for a moment. Undyne followed the man of fire down the road.
They stopped in front of his bar. Grillby took out the keys and unlocked the door. Then, he invited Undyne inside.
What troubled him so much that they needed to be indoors? At least, it’s not too far from her station.
He walked behind the counter: his usual spot. It’s odd to see him standing there in armour.
“…Please take a seat…”
Undyne furrowed her brows as she plunked herself on the stool. Wondered if it could support the weight of her gear. “Uh, okay Grillbz. Is this major top secret or something?”
Grillby nodded. “…You can say so…”
“Well, out with it. I can take it.”
“…Has Doctor Gaster been good to you?…”
“Meaning?” Everything seemed so sudden.
“…Did he ever force you to answer… difficult questions…?”
The fish shook her head. “It’s straightforward training. Courteous, clear, and really informative. Didn’t ask me to answer any weird stuff.”
The flames glowed bright in a huge relief. “…That’s good… He didn’t slip back… to old habits…”
Undyne didn’t need to be a genius to piece the puzzle together. “You were worried about his methods?”
“…Yes…”
“And it’s confidential because it involves Sans.”
“…Yes…” Grillby replied. “…I signed an NDA for the Tactician project… But maybe it’s not effective anymore…”
Whatever plans they had for Sans were supposed to be top secret. For a good reason. From what she could gather, it involved details that would make most monsters cry foul.
“What were you in charge of?” she asked.
“…Combat training…” he answered. “…After his parents fell down… I prepared snacks for him… We’d eat together after class…”
“Huh, so you’ve been feeding him burgers and fries since a kid? No wonder he’s so comfortable with you. That means you knew what happened behind the scenes?”
The light flickered upon the thoughts of those dark, conflicted times. “…I tried to talk to Doctor Gaster… Maybe he’s being too harsh… Sometimes he listened… but not much… Can you show me your special spearhead again?…”
Undyne accepted the request. With a bit of concentration, she managed to recreate the Determination-laced magic once more.
The man of fire took a step back. His flames shuddered from the thought of being so near to such a deadly force of condensed water.
For his sake, she dispelled the magic. “You okay?”
He just walked back to the front. “…I’ll be fine… That’s definitely Doctor Gaster’s idea… Very radical… like the Chronograph…”
After a brief silence, the man of fire made his worries known. “…Sans is strangely absent… Do you know what he’s been up to?…”
Undyne flipped her mental table. “Ugh. I have no damn idea! There was a point where he SEEMED to lose his powers, then he got them back again?! That man’s a total puzzle and I HATE puzzles!”
“…As I thought…” Grillby sighed. “…Tried to tell the doctor… but he wouldn’t listen…”
“What exactly did mister goop do?”
“…He once forced upon Sans an impossible question… It’s about war… Prison… Something like this: …say Papyrus is captured… and the executioners put him on death row… You have a choice… Kill him yourself … or watch him die in the hands of his captors… Never approved that training… Too cruel…”
Undyne gulped.
That mental conditioning went deep. Too deep. It’s not the question that disturbed Undyne: it’s the realistic plausibility of the given outcomes. That’s the cost of defeat.
She had a feeling that if she’s in a position of power, she might force her human enemies into a similar deadlock.
Undyne didn’t care to know Sans’ answer. Both options had issues that point toward a grim direction.
“So, Sans thinks we’re stuck in a similar scenario now?”
“…I won’t be surprised…”
“That explains why he’s behaving so weird. Probably, no, DEFINITELY thought he needed to take matters into his own hands.”
Undyne understood the following: before the Barrier broke, Sans firmly believed that he couldn’t change anything back in the Underground. Hence the apathy.
But what if he had a golden opportunity?
A man with hope yet without trust…
Undyne’s phone rang. It’s from Alphys. She excused herself and answered the call.
“Hello?”
“U-Undyne! Gaster-sensei! H-h-h-h-he’s missing!!!”
Alphys hyperventilating. The Captain knew there and then that her day took a turn for the worst. She put the call on speakers for Grillby to hear. He deserves to know what his old colleague was up to.
“Breathe, Al,” said Undyne. Tried her best to be supportive under stress. “What do you mean he’s missing? Did Doctor Gaster fade back into The Void?”
One could hear the sheer panicked breaths on the other side of the line.
“N-no! He ran into a shortcut after Sans asked to meet him in Snowdin. Everyone’s too busy with the patrols and I didn’t want to cause trouble so I sent another Mini-Mettaton down the river to get to Waterfall and from there go to Snowdin and, and, and HE’S NOT THERE!!!”
“You mean Doctor Gaster fucking escaped?!” Undyne imagined Toriel suplexing her upon return for her failure at keeping the convict contained. Plus, how many Minis did Mettaton give Alphys anyway?
“Nononono impossible muri daiyo! Gaster-sensei won’t do that! H-he became super nervous after Sans’ message about DT experiments… oh my god Sans SOLD DT to Muffet I can’t believe he did that!”
Alphys had gone on a rant. Why the heck did Sans sell Determination to a baker in the first place? But that’s not the pressing issue now. As long they find Gaster, they’ll get answers.
“Maybe I’m thinking too much… it's a stretch, but do you think Sans kidnapped Gaster-sensei?!?!?”
A huge possibility. More so after viewing Papyrus’ old-timeline feed. He had absconded Frisk at least twice.
Undyne rubbed her temple. “I’m gonna get a team and search for clues. I’ll keep you updated. Maybe he just got sidetracked by something somewhere. For his sake I really, really, REALLY hope so.”
Because the alternatives were so much worse.
“O-kay!” said Alphys, “I’ll continue monitoring the Underground. Good luck, Undyne.”
* * *
2.30 PM. One hour and thirty minutes before the Trial of the Crimson Hall.
A certain pink celebrity had enough of being a shut-in. With the help of his charisma and some willing hands, he managed to get the clearance to leave his studio.
Mettaton’s plan: to make a surprise party. He knew Frisk will soon enter this ‘Trial of the Crimson Hall’ and he had utmost faith that they’ll succeed.
To have them return without a hero’s celebration? Unthinkable.
Then there’s Papyrus.
Poor, poor Papyrus.
He had watched Alphys’ recordings with great interest at first. To him, it’s like a live-action movie: Death! Drama! Bloodshed! Mettaton forgot that it wasn’t a show.
But then, all suspension of disbelief extinguished when he heard his number one fan scream in agony.
Reality hit him hard: true and raw without any scripting. Many hours of ceiling-staring with Blooky followed after.
Mettaton knew he cannot stay in the dumps forever. After all, he had crafted an entire career within the business of cheering-up.
Still…
“…Mettaton?…” Napstablook asked. “……Are you okay……?”
The mechanical one continued his blank stare out beyond the widows of his fabulous limousine.
In true Blooky fashion, they started to fade. “…Ooooh… I’m sorry…… I didn’t mean to bother you……”
“W-what?” When Mettaton realised what happened, he tried his best to coax his poor cousin back into visibility. “Oh no no no! It’s not your fault, Blooky darling. This whole fiction-in-reality fiasco drained me. That’s all.”
He glanced at the pair of water-monster sisters. Surprisingly enough, Shyren and Lemon Bread slept through the exclamation. They’re just that tired.
Mettaton hoped by tomorrow, the town would at least return to its usual self. Seeing everyone freed of their week-long curfew will lift their spirits.
One week ago, Supreme Judge Mezil Thyme lended a hand: his portrayal and poise as grim as his background.
If Papyrus embraced his power to the fullest, how many more dark valleys will he come to endure?
“Blooky, do you think it’s fair for Papyrus to carry that kind of responsibility?” asked Mettaton.
“…Huh?…” The white ghost blinked. “…What do you mean?…”
“Looking into time like a movie. Knowing it's all real, both good and bad. I can sympathize with Sansy in this matter. Perhaps some things should just stay as fantasy.”
Blooky pondered about it. “…I dunno… I don’t really know much about him… Did Papyrus’s behaviour change…?”
Mettaton tried to recall. Memories flipped through his mind. Others may think that the energetic skeleton seemed the same. He too thought so until Napstablook asked in more detail.
“He did change,” he answered. “I dare say that our wonderful dashing skeleton became happier! Reminds me of myself when I got this splendid body from the Doctor Alphys, that brilliant sweetheart.”
“It’s like Papyrus finally found his place in this world.”
For a long time, he was a wanderer of the monster society. Trying so hard to fit in and yet never belonging.
That’s not the case anymore.
Napstablook smiled. “…Then we should be happy for him too………Like you always tell me…… every job has their ups and downs…… If things get bad…… we should show support……”
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His own words…
Mettaton almost took the opportunity to fan himself with some guilty narcissistic pleasure.
But he’s not so cruel to deny the shy ghost a much needed confidence boost.
“That’s a sparkling answer, dear! Let’s make this surprise party ab-so-LUTE-ly beautiful, hmm?”
“Yup…”
Mettaton then noticed an increasing crawl of cars on the city-bound lanes. Perhaps they have a hot event there. He counted himself lucky for riding opposite of the flow.
Their good spirits remained high for the rest of the trip. It didn’t matter to Mettaton if the Royal Guard appeared to be searching the town at a frantic pace. He had his mind set on hammering together the best surprise party on the few limited hours he had.
Once he arrived at Alphys’ Lab, he helped unload boxes of in-beta MTT-Brand Omurice from the boot. It’s more than enough for the festivities and any leftovers would be passed around town as a promotional taste-test pack. With survey slips included, of course.
When he turned on the lights, he discovered… cobwebs strewn everywhere. “Goodness! Seems that Muffet sweetie was on security duty.”
Cleaning would eat into his time. How terrible. But first, he must plunk whatever remaining luggage he had in his bedroom.
Just when he thought he’d have a calm day…
…The rock-solid form of Doctor Gaster greeted Mettaton with a rude surprise.
“OH MY GOD!!! Who in the world thought it’s a good idea to make a statue replica of HIM?! With this crazy spooky smile too. Sheesh.”
He then noticed a strange glowing red symbol surrounding a thin, narrow hole. Curiosity prompted the glambot to take a closer look.
“Six wings? Two pairs folded… hmm… It’s like one of those tattoo templates. It doesn't suit the doctor’s style. Now, where did I keep that nail polish remover…?”
Thinking that the red markings were the hallmark of poor taste, Mettaton tried to wipe them off with an alcohol swab.
But the moment he dabbed that area, cracks snapped across the surface.
“Huh? I don’t think that’s supposed to happen--”
Cracks turned into fractures and fissures. The stone sculpture crumbled into chunks.
Resting in the middle of the pile was the inverse cordate shape of a monster SOUL. White. Glassy. It had the same six-winged symbol plastered on its surface.
Mettaton dropped whatever he held in his hands. Arms trembling, he scooped up the stone heart from the pile.
He felt life flowing in his hand.
This was not a statue.
It’s Doctor W. D. Gaster himself.
The pink celebrity shrieked at a pitch far beyond his vocal range.
* * *
3.15 PM. Forty five minutes before the Trial of the Crimson Hall.
Times like these, it’s tempting to just give up and curl into a ball.
It’s too overwhelming.
Too hectic.
Too urgent.
But that’s impossible. More so with her mentor’s life on the line.
Besides, she’d never let her.
Undyne barged through the lab doors with Alphys slung over her shoulder. Who had time for key cards with Mettaton’s news flash?
“WHERE IS HE?!?!” Undyne screamed.
Alphys winced from the sudden spike of volume. Her left ear will ring for a while.
The white ghost appeared before their former neighbour, beckoning her to follow. “…Over here…”
When they arrived at the crime scene, Alphys almost fainted. She’s looking at a pile of rocks that was definitely once Doctor Gaster.
“Ohemgeeohemgee!” Alphys rushed over, but dared not touch anything lest it breaks. “W-what happened to him?!”
“If I had any idea, I wouldn’t be on the verge of panic!” said Mettaton. “What should we do with his SOUL?!?! Is it supposed to be solid???”
“Solid?” Alphys blinked. As far as she knew, only Boss Monsters can persist after death. And yet Mettaton claimed that the doctor’s remnants had physical form.
Mettaton then presented his softly glowing SOUL swaddled in a blanket.
It’s as tangible as a matte piece of glass. Worst of all, she’s very certain that it’s ‘Marked’ by one of those ‘Living Victories’.
“What about the rest of him?” Undyne asked.
“W-we need to get a box. As a precautionary measure, the doctor’s SOUL should stay in close proximity to his body. Only then can I begin my analysis.”
Thankfully, the Lab was never in short supply of cardboard boxes. So they scooped him into one and hauled the load all the way to the scanners.
The results were both marvelous, mysterious, and reassuring all at once. Alphys breathed a huge sigh of relief.
She explained: “The current Doctor Gaster has unusually low levels of Determination for an Amalgamate, but he's still alive. The Mark is preserving his essence by fixing his SOUL to a physical form. In other words, he’s in a very stable condition. Despite everything.”
After reading through more pages of data, she added: “Furthermore… I’m detecting strange magical activity. As if he’s awake somewhere else.”
Undyne furrowed her brows. “Didn’t Paps bring all of him back from The Void or something?”
Mettaton shook his head. “I think the genius gentleman hinted that our dashing darling brought back just enough for him to take corporeal form. Us ghosties know that ‘most’ is not the same as ‘all’.”
“Talk about a weird situation.” The captain remarked, “I’m not sure if he’s lucky or unlucky. First he survived a drop into The Core, now he won't croak from turning into stone. It’s like nothing can kill him.”
“Touch wood, you rambunctious fish! That’s the worst possible statement in this situation. His life hangs at a precarious thread that could snap at any moment!”
“……But what do we do now?………”
Everyone forgot about Napstablook until they spoke up. They did have a very valid point: what now?
An increase of background chatter indicated that the rest of the patrol force arrived at the lobby, both human and monster. Undyne went out to address the crowd. She came back with Grillby in tow.
“Hey Al,” said Undyne. “Grillby wants to see the doc’s SOUL. He thinks he might recognize that weird symbol.”
It’s hard to believe that he’s the ex-Captain. She had dined at the bar a few times on the Surface. Never showed any signs of his old military life.
“O-oh! Of course! He’s in this machine here…” Alphys showed him the canister fixed to a scanner. It's the same type of container used to stabilize and store the human SOULS for extended periods of time.
Grillby’s flames roiled and trembled. Peer hard enough at his illuminated face and one could see terror.
“…Seraph wings…” He muttered.
“Seraph?” Mettaton asked. “Didn’t we hear something like that before…?”
Alphys’ mind dipped into her extensive collection of trivia. “Oh! A seraph is a six-winged angel tasked to sing about the glory of their god. Some believe that they serve as protectors, but that’s kinda not true because in human lore their god is all-powerful. I guess that works if the angel was sent to guard a mortal though.”
“…‘Seraph’ means ‘to burn’…Gaster once told me… “
A cold chill spread under her lab coat. Alphys started to shiver. Sweat. She heard this pun before. “Seraph. Serif. Oh god. Don’t tell me it’s…”
There’s no doubt about it anymore.
That was the symbol of none other than Sans.
Grillby rushed out of the room. Never seen that patient man move so fast before. Undyne followed suit.
Mettaton joined too. For reasons. Alphys sometimes can’t tell what went on in his head. If everyone’s going, she better catch up too.
All the Magi were either on their phones, or gathered around their tech specialist’s computer. They’re passing information back and forth with alarmed concern.
“That… doesn’t look good.” Alphys noted. More and more of her red anime flags popped up. “What’s the problem?”
One of the technicians looked up to her with a clear frown. “The Dreemurr’s bodyguards informed us that the city’s traffic systems have gone offline. The police are having a tough time trying to keep the flow going manually.”
Alphys blinked. “I thought the roads tend to be free during the weekends? They lack rush hours and standard office commuting.”
“That is true,” the Magus confirmed. “But that’s not the same for our city. It’s the region’s largest commerce center with a good density of entertainment establishments. We get crowds all week round.”
“The escort vehicle managed to escape the jam through alternative pathways. But even those are clogged up by now.”
“Oh?” Mettaton rubbed his chin. “I think I remember seeing a line on my way back to Ebott Town. That makes sense now.”
Undyne slapped her hands on the techie’s shoulders and squeezed them. “Tell your dudes to abort the Trial! NOW! Someone dangerous is trying to hijack it and we need to catch him ASAP!!!”
“Are we talking about Gungnir?”
“No,” she growled. “He’s a skeleton. And he’s much, much worse than them. Now get to it!!”
“Y-yes madam!”
Though she’s not their superior, they agreed that safety takes precedence.
“Hello? HQ? Do you read us? Oh no, not the communication lines too! At this rate, we can’t even ask for backup.”
It’s too late. The gears of sabotage had already began to turn. It’s doubtful that Sans pulled this off all by himself. It won’t surprise Alphys if he just exploited Gungnir’s plans.
“…We need to get there… Fast…” said Grillby. “…Sans is on the move…”
Undyne turned her attention towards Alphys. “Al! Can we use the trains?”
Alphys shook her head. “T-the nearest station isn’t anywhere near town. Even if we manage to get on board, they’ll be overloaded. Plus, travelling time will take too long!”
By road on clear traffic, it takes two hours to reach The Spire.
By train, give or take the commuting in between, would also clock around the same. Precious hours they didn't have.
The Spire was not connected to Ebott’s river by a direct waterway, so they can’t just plunk the Riverperson onto a boat.
The fastest way would be to utilize ‘shortcuts’, but only Seers can traverse those. There had to be a way to cut through that huge distance without any spacetime shenanigans.
Alphys’ thoughts then hit a jackpot. They do have one! A whole person too. Alphys grabbed Mettaton’s hand and dragged him into the mechanics section of the lab.
“Darling?!” he exclaimed.
“We need your NEO Form!” Determined fire backed her every word.
“I have a NEO Form?!?”
“Yes! All it needs now are a bunch of tweaks and you’re ready for Version 1.0! It comes with new and improved jet systems. Plus awesome horsepower!”
“Oh why didn’t you say so sooner, dear sweetheart~~~” That won his cooperation in a blink. New toys and new styles never fail to catch his attention.
The robot threw himself on the table and powered down his body for final adjustments.
Alphys wasted no time to start her work.
* * *
3.45 PM. Fifteen minutes before the Trial of the Crimson Hall.
…Mettaton being Mettaton, sparkled with glam…
…Mettaton being Mettaton, posed with utmost ham…
Grillby made a mental note to write those two lines down in his poetry book.
This ‘NEO Form’ was built with combat sensibilities in mind. According to Alphys, this was her backup plan if Frisk turned out to be a dangerous entity.
It’s an armour with a keen edge. Ridges deflect direct melee strikes, and an energy armcannon replaced the lower right arm. Wings of pink magic jet-streams further cemented its nitty-gritty purpose.
The war plans were all put behind. Nonetheless, the design was cool and appealing to the public. Hence, Alphys kept working on this secret ‘NEO Form’ for Mettaton’s future live shows.
Mettaton continued to bask in his showering of swoons and cheers.
…It’s already a hit with the humans…
Fated or otherwise, it seems that both Royal Scientists had a taste for flair.
“Excuse me.” The Magus squad leader coughed. “But we’re in an emergency situation here. The autograph sessions can come later.”
“He’s right!” Undyne exclaimed. “Okay. I’m going! Who else wanna come with me???”
Though he had sworn to never meddle in national affairs again, this is a duty he must see through now.
Grillby raised his hand. “…I’ll go…”
“Yeah, I agree. You’re the best person.” They didn’t need any more explanation.
The strongest fish lady then lifted Grillby off the floor and made him sit on her shoulders. “Man, you’re light! Mettaton, we're gonna piggyback on top of you to form a robot-fish-fire totem of EPICNESS!!!”
“…What?…” Acrophobia meter, rising.
One of the Royal Guards said: “That’s unsafe, yo.”
“I… agree.” Bless Alphys for sanity.
That prompted another fish-level idea. “We’ll hang unto Mettaton’s legs then.”
Now it’s the owner’s turn to reject: “Oh my god! My BEAUTIFUL legs are NOT your ad hoc transport! Besides, they’re not even connected directly to my fabulous body. You’ll both be left behind, kissing my feet, while I take to the skies~~”
Undyne may have the sense to manage the armed forces, but her ideas don’t always take into personal safety into account, or practicality for that matter. After all, this is the woman who leaps from the highest of places on a regular basis… when she's not suplexing a boulder.
Grillby thought he better speak up before things get crazier. “…We need proper seats…”
Undyne pondered for a moment, still hoisting the man of fire on her shoulders like it’s no big deal. “What about a motorbike?”
Acrophobia meter, add another 500 points. Plus he dreaded to think what strong winds could do to his flaming body. “…No… Still too dangerous… I suggest a car… Better wind protection…”
“Wow Grillbz, I can’t believe you’re gonna do a Papyrus too. Flying cars became his default mode of transport ever since he unlocked his magic eye powers.”
“…He did that?…” Just what happened behind his back?
The glam bot puffed his chest. “If we need a car, then my wondrous new body will get one! Be right back, darlings~!”
Alas, he had bragged beyond his capabilities. While Mettaton easily managed to carry a car over his head with just one functioning hand, his wings failed to generate enough lift to get him off the ground.
“Oh no…” Alphys placed her hands over her mouth. She’s on the verge of a small breakdown. “He doesn’t have enough thrust for any more than two people. I’m sorry. I-I wasted everyone’s precious time with my half-baked plan!”
Undyne calmed her down. “It’s no big deal, Al! Mettaton can carry me alone, right? As long he holds me tight while I ride on his shoulders, we’ll be okay. That means Grillbz have to stay behind though.”
Tilting her head up towards him, she asked: “You okay with that?”
Grillby pondered about the situation. Undyne alone could definitely hitch a ride on the robot’s shoulders without issue. Maybe it would be best for him to stay behind?
His mind wandered.
“Egads, Sir Grillenn! What’s with that dour face? Such an expression does not fit THE Captain of the Royal Guard!”
For reasons he couldn’t quite pinpoint, Grillby recalled his younger days.
It’s just so happen that Gaster saw the face under the helmet. Over tea, as per King Asgore’s famous hospitality. They’re discussing some important life decisions.
Grillby’s ancestor was one of the few surviving veterans of the war. It earned the Grillenn family a title and a duty, passed down across descendants.
When it’s time for the young man to carry the proverbial torch, he visited the King’s home to request for re-election. There had to be someone better out there, he suggested.
It’s an idea Gaster shot down in an instant. That skeleton’s inner flames burned brighter than any fire elemental he had met.
“You worry that you lack knowledge? The privilege of inheritance exists for a reason. Be proud of your origins, good sir! I, W. D. Gaster, son of Council members Visigoth and Shirai, offer you an entire library of human military tactics. Request, and you shall receive!”
That one outburst motivated ‘Grillbz Grillenn’ enough to keep his position… for a while. Though he disagreed on Sans’ harsh training, he reluctantly accepted the necessity.
Everything changed when Gaster turned into an Amalgamate. From then onward, circumstances went from bad to worse.
Nothing could prepare him for the day when monsterkind spotted the Sixth Fallen Human. While the guards cornered the enemy, Gaster gave Grillby a special instruction:
“First, call out their SOUL for a duel. Then put all your magic to strike their body and only their body. Otherwise, you risk damaging the goods.”
“And one more thing, Sir Grillenn: make sure no other monster witnesses this process. Even the King himself does not know of its exact steps. You… will soon understand.”
Strange instructions, but he wouldn’t doubt the Royal Scientist.
Grillby expected a tough fight. He thought that this small human could take more than a few hits of his fire magic. After all, they’re humans. And humans were these strong, invincible creatures that can survive all odds.
How wrong he was. Never will he forget the tortured screams of a person burned alive. Their charred remains continued to haunt him to the present. He had just put another person’s child through unspeakable horrors.
Their supposedly ‘superior’ physical bodies had no resistance to magic whatsoever. That was the truth behind the extraction process.
Worse yet were the Determination experiments that followed… Grillby’s conscience won’t allow him to keep his knightly name any longer.
“You wish me to call you ‘Grillby’? Why? That sounds so pedestrian. As if you’re the owner of some run-down bar in the boondocks.”
“…Good lord, why does that make you smile? I suppose it does sound like a quiet retirement plan. Very well. As a token of our friendship, I shall accept your request.”
Beneath all of Gaster’s extreme and blood-ridden methods… lay the same thoughtful visionary Grillby met long ago.
On the day he passed the torch to his successor, the former scientist turned morose: “Grillenn… Grillby… I have my doubts about your retirement. Unlike you, this ‘Undyne’ is severely lacking in experience. I can't guarantee she’ll be the first on the scene when the situation calls for her.”
“Oh, you think my praise is too lofty? You have a good sense of deduction, if I do say so myself. Should anything ever happen to me -- whether it’s as a search for my dust or as a guide in my absence -- I trust you’ll be able to think in my stead.”
It goes without saying that Undyne had very much disproven the doctor’s initial concerns. After all, it’s her determined, youthful spirit that motivates the Royal Guard to face the great unknowns of the human world.
Still, there's a time and a place for an old veteran like him.
Grillby wondered: what would Gaster do in this situation? What kind of mad, radical, borderline insane proposal would he present, before making it work?
“Uh, is that a yes or a--”
Snapping out of his reminiscence, he asked: “…Does Mister Mettaton have… enough physical matter to use Determination?…”
That one query alone set off a chain of ideas. Undyne almost shook Grillby off her shoulders from sheer gusto.
“THAT’S RIGHT!!!” she yelled. “Alphys, remember my new magic? Determination won’t melt monsters if it’s not injected straight into their bodies!”
The scientist gasped. “Since Mettaton is mostly made of metal he would have the physical buffer required for a power boost. T-this might work!”
She turned to address the humans: “Excuse me, who here has the most Determination? Preferably s-someone with a ‘Red Minor’ or ‘Red Major’. We need to extract a bit of their power.”
The Magi’s squad leader offered himself. “I’m a Red Minor, doctor. I’ll donate.”
Humans tend to look alike in their uniforms. Despite so, Grillby could see a spark of stubbornness behind that man’s stoic eyes.
Doctor Alphys started explaining the possible side effects of the donation process. Drowsiness with slight to moderate depression was the most common reaction, but they had never extracted a live non-Red human before.
It’s good ethics, thought Grillby. The donor must know what they’re getting into.
The leader accepted the clause without hesitation. He then followed Doctor Alphys for the extraction process.
Moments later, it’s done. Alphys returned with a small vial of Determination-imbued fuel. The human donor seemed exhausted, but he’s healthy enough to walk. That’s a good sign.
“Okay,” she said. “Mettaton, I need to slot this booster into your arm cannon. That particular circuit is designed to charge only your external systems. So, you’ll be safe.”
He opened a small hatch. “Load ‘em up, sweetheart~~”
Booster, loaded.
“OOOOOHH YES~~~~!!!!”
Mettaton burst out an intense ten-fold shine of sheer hot pink. If Grillby wasn’t a fire elemental, he too would be blinded.
The robot posed and twirled. Showed off the fabulousness of his upgrades.
“I feel spectacularly STELLAR, baby!” he exclaimed. “And maybe a little bit too fizzly. Like my MTT-Brand Soda.”
Count on Alphys to bring back some sense: “You only have thirty minutes worth of DT, so please be conservative. Which means you better start moving.”
“Oh, of course! Hop into the car and strap up, my wonderful darlings. We’re going on a fabulous ride~”
Such confidence. At the very least, Grillby’s feet touched solid ground once more.
When the two Captains sat in the front and buckled up, she gave the signal.
It's liftoff!
Grillby heard the roar of the charged-up robot’s jets from underneath.
Undyne seemed used to it. Then again, she hung out with Papyrus. Even the spectacular will become mundane after a while.
“Pro-tip, Grillbz.”
“…Hm?…”
“Sit straight with your head facing front.”
“…Why is tha--”
The next thing he knew, his entire being got pressed into his seat. Learned the effects of G-force in the flame.
Acrophobia meter, maximum.