"i-"

"Yo I thought members of the Royal Guard were supposed to be cool!"

"Why would you lie to us!?"

"Wait-"

"And now you're trying to stop us from catching up with Undyne?!"

"No I-"

As Martlet continued to try to defend herself from the ever mounting tides of angry children (verbally, of course.) Clover began to grow proportionally worried. Whatever Martlet had done, surely it didn't warrant such an accosting? Her situation seemed... Unjust. Clover felt he should act, so... He did.

"Pardon me."

"Scuse me."

Clover dipped through the crowd, expertly avoiding any accidental contact on the way through. For some reason it felt natural to him... The cat monster also tried to follow after him, but they were comparatively much worse at navigating the crowd. Once he reached the front, Clover spoke his mind.

"Hey! Whatever you're all angry at Martlet for, cut them some slack! I'm sure they didn't mean to hurt anybody."

The cries and murmurs quieted down, in return the stares intensified. Clover felt very, put on the spot once again, but he had faith in himself! It was the right thing, the just thing to do.

"Well I guess it doesn't really matter." MK relented after a few seconds. "Besides, we're totally missing Undyne!"

"Uh-wait-" Martlet tried to stop them, but it was far too late for that. MK had already begun charging into the forest in the direction of Undyne's footprints, followed by a majority of the kids.

"She'll... Be alright." Martlet covered her eyes for a second, before opening them again to see Clover very slowly starting to slip away.

"And where do you think you're going mister?!"

...

"Clover, don't you think this is a bit more then... "too far"?" Martlet gazed sternly at Clover, whom didn't have much to say in response. They just stood there, looking sad. It was taking Martlet all she had to not just give him a free pass...

The face off continued for a few more seconds, before Martlet sighed and gestured for Clover to come a bit closer. He obliged, and Martlet laid a wing on his shoulder. "Look, it's not really a problem, but I'm just worried about you, you know? You shouldn't be wandering around on your own so soon after your accident! Or well, I guess you weren't on your own, but at least not with strangers alright?"

"...M'kay."

"Good!" She smiled brightly, ruffling the feathers on Clover's neck, which he subconsciously leaned into, to their own minor surprise.

"Now! Speaking of strangers," Martlet squinted, looking at the one monster who hadn't followed after the group yet. "Not gonna go with your friends?"

"Gee Mrs. Royal Guard, glad you asked this stranger." The cat deadpanned, clearly unamused.

Martlet frowned, realizing that she probably hadn't started off on the right foot there. "Sorry, I'm just worried about Clover. That's no excuse for me to be rude though. As I was saying," Martlet rubbed the back of their head and smiled nervously, "not gonna go with your friends?"

"Hmmm, nah."

"Wait, what?" Martlet tilted her head in confusion, as did Clover in the opposite direction. From the outside observers point of view it was almost cute.

"I mean, we just go to school together. MK got everybody aboard his little hype train to try and find Undyne this weekend. I usually wouldn't come along for stuff like that, but he actually got a pretty good chunk of our class in on it... It'd damage my reputation if I wasn't with the rest of the group so, here I am. I mean, I wouldn't have come anyways if it wasn't at least somewhat interesting, but personally? This is way more interesting to me than chasing after the captain."

That just ended up getting their heads to turn even further... Clover found the effort both silly yet respectable, whereas Martlet could respect the desire to keep their image up, but to go to the lengths of wasting your entire weekend...?

"Wait, what do you mean this is more interesting?" Clover asked a few moments after they finished their speech.

"Well, you know, the Underground is a pretty small place. I like to think I have a pretty good memory, so I try to keep track of everybody's names as a hobby, you know?"

Martlet very suddenly didn't like the direction of this conversation.

"So, it's not really often that I meet somebody new. And you're not from The Wild East either... So, here's my theory, you actually ARE Martlet's kid, right? Like biologically related and everything?"

Martlet sighed out in relief, before realizing what exactly it was that they'd asked. At which point she once again shot up and hit her head.

"Well, maybe? I don't know..."

"How do you not know...?"

"I... Think I can explain that for you." Martlet sighed again as she rubbed her head. At this rate she was going to develop a sore. "Clover... Had an accident a few days ago. He had a really bad fall and sort of... Well, to put it simply he has amnesia." Martlet frowned "He only got well enough to walk today."

"OH! Oh I-I'm very sorry, I had no idea-"

"It's fine, I'm sure you didn't mean anything by it, right Clover?"

He nodded in response.

"Well, I apologize anyways, I won't try to pry into anything else. Sorry for the trouble, Clover, Mrs. Martlet."

They turned around and started to lightly jog in the direction the rest of their classmates had gone, though before they could make their way into the trees, Clover called out one last time.

"Erm, excuse me! What's your name? I never asked!"

"Oh, sorry I totally forgot to tell you!" The cat turned around and waved, even as they continued to backpedal. "My name's Mattaga! Or just Matt for short, see you around Clover!"

Clover waved back as they slipped into the trees, before turning back to Martlet, whom was now just smiling normally.

"So... Are you my mom?"

"Eh-" her beak dropped open yet again, now smiling more nervously then all of the previous smiles of the day combined.

"Martlet?"

...

What am I supposed to do?! Why do they look so... Expectant of me!? "nnnn-"

WHY ARE THEY GIVING ME PUPPY DOG EYES?! I-I can't! I can't tell them yes or no, what do I do?! I need to... I need to change the subject!

"I uh-"

Hrrk-no Martlet, you must overcome it!

"N-n-n-n-n-nrghh-Clover! I am-"

"FUHUHUHU! Those kids won't even know I'm gone until it's too late! Alright... Martlet, right?! Good job with the kids-" Undyne paused when she saw Clover, her face turning to one of utter shock. Bested... By children?! The captain of the Royal Guard?! "MARTLET! I thought you got rid of the kids-"

Martlet, meanwhile, was having a full blown panic attack. It couldn't have been literally anybody else, Clover couldn't have been anywhere else, Undyne couldn't have been maybe thirty seconds slower?! She just had to get here, right as Clover and her were the only two living things around. THE captain of the Royal Guard?! If she knew that Clover was a human(?) then she... She... Hold on, that's right. Clover... Doesn't look like a human. Okay Martlet, be calm, nothing's wrong, be calm.

"-DAMNIT! I'm gonna have to-"

"I, uhm, they're mine! Don't worry about it, captain, Undyne, ma'am!

WHAT AM I DOIIIIIIING?!

Undyne paused for a short moment, before looking between the two of them. The resemblance was certainly there... "The kid's yours?"

"Y-yeeeeeeees...?"

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

"Well WHY didn't you SAY SO?!" Undyne let out a hysterical laugh, stomping towards Martlet's post. "Oh you really had me there for a second Martlet! Here I was thinking some children outsmarted ME! FUHUHUHU!" There was a notable silence after that, so Undyne rapped her chest and cleared her throat before turning to face Clover, who Martlet now noticed was... Shivering...

"Uh, hey kid, you alright? I know it's not every day you see a legend in the flesh but, try to lighten up a bit?"

Clover didn't respond, they seemed to be... Absorbed in something, their eyes were distant.

"...Kid? HEY, Martlet! What's going on with your kid?!"

"I'm-not sure, Clover? Are you alright?" Martlet slipped out from the front of her post, stepping inbetween Undyne and Clover. Her nerves were practically burning right about now, but the well being of her kid? Clover superseded concerns like that. She laid a wing on his shoulder, and all of a sudden he seemed to snap out of whatever trance he was in.

"Clover? Are you feeling alright...?"

They nodded after a few moments, though their eyes still seemed a bit unfocused...

"I'm sorry... But maybe we could postpone this a bit...?" Martlet tried to reason with Undyne. "Clover had a pretty bad accident recently, they've only just gotten well enough to be up and about. There might be some other side effects we weren't aware of...?"

"Huh, really? Guess it makes sense why there were rumors of you hidin'a kid back in Snowdin town, HAH! Don't worry though rookie, it should only be a few minutes." Undyne smiled broadly, before once again clearing her throat. "Uh hey."

Undyne knelt down in front of Clover, getting to eye level with the still rather unfocused child. "Will you be alright for a few minutes? Gotta talk business with your mom, Royal Guard stuff and all, protecting monsters like you from humans you know? Enforcing justice across the underground!"

The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

The word "justice" seemed to bring a little light back to Clover's eyes, and after a few seconds, they gave Undyne two, good, strong nods.

"That's the stuff kid!" Her smile came blazing back in full force, and she gave Clover a good clap on the shoulder, almost making them stumble with the unintentional force behind it.

...

"Martlet, let's get this over with before those kids circle back, ALRIGHT?!"

"Y-yes captain!"

Martlet would need to be strong... Clover might not be identifiable at a glance, but if she gave it away... Something really bad could happen to Clover! So stop-SHAKING!

She willed her body into stillness, barely holding herself back from gently trembling.

"ALRIGHT! Given the human was last reported here'n Snowdin, I figure they're probably still somewhere around the place. There's only a few paths forward from Snowdin, and given nobody's reported sightings of a human since about two days ago... They're probably STILL HERE!"

Undyne dramatically slammed a fist down on the side of Martlet's post, putting a crack into the wood... "So, here's my plan! I'll be organizing most of the guard within Snowdin into search parties, I figure the dogs can handle their locations well enough, but around Honeydew Resort? We've only got a few guards, and you're ONE of em rookie!"

Martlet began to turn pale the longer Undyne spoke...

"You've got a better idea of the area then I or most of the other guards do, so this'll be a good opportunity for you!" Undyne repeated what she'd done with Clover just a minute ago, and gave Martlet a good clap on the shoulder. She too, was not ready for such a blow, tilting dangerously to the side.

"Is... Is that so...?" While it likely wouldn't be a problem to do that, Martlet was not sure how well she'd be able to uphold a lie like this. There... Had to be some way out of this, right?

"Yup! I'd heard that we had a guard on probation for a pretty long time down here in Snowdin, but between raising a kid and making those puzzles, hell rookie! I've gotta say you've been doing a PRETTY damn good job! I'm sure we can justify ending that probation with just a search mission! Oh'nd, right, I've been meaning to ask but... WAS IT THE HUMAN THAT BEAT THE CRAP OUT OF YOUR KID?!"

"Wh-Uh-no! No, absolutely nothing human related, happened to or, is happening is going on with my kid, don't worry about that! Anyways, I'm uh... Don't get me wrong, I'm thankful for the opportunity captain! But I uh-would these search missions end up having me working outside of my usual times? My-" Martlet couldn't believe she was about to really say this. "-kid, like I said they only recently got better, I'm not sure how... Comfortable I am leaving them on their own, just in case something else happens!" It was... Technically the truth! Just, there were more reasons than she was letting on.

Undyne frowned for a moment, before her signature smile came right back. "Ah I get it! You must've been stressed out with all your duties recently, I heard from your fellow guards that you've been late to work more often then usual lately. Taking care of a injured kid, designing those puzzles, keeping watch. HAH! Alright, alright, I get it. We can take care of Snowdin without the extra help, it's only one more area to cover. Tell ya what? Why don't you take the next few days off on paid leave so you can take care of your kid, if we still haven't found the human by then ya can join us on the hunt! Maybe I'll stop by some time when they're feeling a little better, give em'a good dose of Undyne! I'll have em right back on their feet!

"I-uh-s-sure!" Martlet agreed to both of those things, having only meant to agree to one...

"GREAT! I'll let Doggo know you're off for the next few days, and I'll swing by one of these days! Well, I'd better get goin before those kids come back, heh!" Undyne began to walk away, making a straight shot towards a suspiciously convenient snow boulder...

"NGAHHHHHH!" She screamed out as she SUPLEXED THE BOULDER! "God my fight with the human's gonna be so ffff-" Undyne's gaze passed over Clover mid sentence, and her eyes dilated with a flash of guilt. "-ffffffffreeaakkkkiiiing...? SO FREAKING COOL!"

That boulder just so happened to have been near the gate of Martlet's lava rock puzzle, and so Undyne began to walk that way after finishing, leaving the boulder in pieces, just cause she could. Though, just as she passed through she called back. "AND I MEAN IT! GREAT WORK WITH THE PUZZLES ROOKIE, YOU MIGHT JUST HAVE A PROMOTION WAITING FOR YOU ANYWAY IF YOU KEEP IT UP!"

Martlet took the biggest gasp of air she ever had in her entire life, finally letting her head fall onto her post... The worst part about all of this? She couldn't even share solidarity with Clover! They didn't even have any idea of how much of a threat Undyne was to their life! It was almost comical. She couldn't believe she'd gotten away with it! Well, it probably wasn't that unbelievable, it wasn't like you could just see Clover with the naked eye and go "HUMAN!" No, you needed to see their SOUL. And Martlet had never heard of the captain herself just running around starting battles with people!

A few seconds of blissful silence passed, and in that moment it felt like Martlet could drift to sleep right there... Even if she had effectively just been relinquished from duty for a few days by the captain of the Royal Guard herself...

"So you are my mom?"

I need to see Ceroba.

...

For some reason... It felt like Clover's world had been collapsing around him at the sight of Undyne. Something about her... A mixed sense of fear and anger, and that anger itself was mixed with another deeper seated emotion. He'd somewhat snapped out of it, but even now he was still a bit lost in his own thoughts.

Martlet was holding his hand, gently walking him through the forest from whence he had came.

"Hey, Clover, really though, are you alright?"

"...Mhm." He nodded with a mumble a few seconds after the questioned was asked. "I dunno what it was about her but... I just felt, I dunno... Upset? It's... Complicated."

"Well, feeling something is probably good, right? You're remembering more that way!" Martlet cheered Clover on, conveniently ignoring that she was withholding a few truths herself...

"Yeah, you're right, thanks mom."

"MMMMMMMmmmmm-Clover, I'm sorry but could you please just call me Martlet...?"

"Oh..." waitnoIdidn'tmeantoupsetyou- "Okay..." Clover looked down dejectedly, and Martlet knew she'd been cornered.

"ghuh-just-just call me whatever you want."

"Oh... Alright!"

How do I break out of this?!

...

Martlet had been soundly defeated on the field of battle. Fort name had been captured and Clover now ruled over it with an iron fist. So, as they finally reached Martlet's house, she knew she needed... Reinforcements.

"Hey Clover? How would you feel about us going over some general rules for until you've got your memory back?" She innocently asked while she opened up her supply closet, proceeding to nab a plain piece of sheet paper and a pen.

"Oh, uh, sure! I'd love to." Clover agreed without any arguing, he wasn't sure if this was about him having been so far out of the house today... Best not to poke the hornets nest he figured.

"Great!" Martlet scrawled out a quick few words, a desperate cry for help some would say... Folded it up, slipped it inside a envelope, which she had also grabbed, and addressed it to Ceroba. "I'll be back in a minute, just wait here for a bit. Oh and! Clover, if you want you can pick out a book for us to read together." Martlet gave Clover a cheery smile, and slipped outside.

...

For the record, Martlet would say it was actually a pretty pleasant night. Without any panic attacks, life threatening situations, sudden guard inquisitions or deadlines to worry about... The two really just, had a nice night. Clover was actually a lot better at reading then she thought a... She wanted to say eleven year old? Would've been. Actually, how old was Clover? She wondered if he knew... So, she asked.

"By the way Clover, do you know how old you are?"

"I... Ten. Yeah, ten! I'm ten, that's right, right?"

Ten. Scratch that, Clover was a whooole lot better at reading then she would think somebody their age should be. Well, he seemed to enjoy it as far as Martlet could tell, so she was content to let them carry on anyways. They'd... Been a lot less interested in the kids books that Martlet had gotten, to her embarrassment... But, no big deal! She could just return them earlier then the others. Looks like that trip down memory lane wouldn't be happening though... Oh well, she was content to just snuggle up and let Clover read for them, and also occasionally help out whenever they got confused with some of the wording.

Absentmindedly, a part of her noted that right now she really was acting like their mom but... Nahhh, it was no big deal! There'd always be time to correct misunderstandings later once Clover fully recovered. He already had a mother up on the surface, so even if she WANTED to be their mom she couldn't just steal them away like that!

Though... An even more obscure part of her questioned just how much of it exactly was a misunderstanding at this point.