Overworld: After the Fall - Book One

Chapter Five: You're Human

"Chara, you don't look so good. Want to get some rest?" He looked up at the figure before him. Gaster was busy working on an experiment while Frisk was helping Sans drive most of the humans away. Returning his attention to the monster in front of him, he shrugged and sighed,

"I'll be fine."

"P-Prince, please. Y-Y-You look p-p-pale." Chara shifted and let out his breath.

"Fine." The figure nodded and helped him to his feet, leading him out into a large bedroom. They patted down a bed as Chara made his way to it, laying down and sighing as they rebandaged his arms.

"Thank you, Alphys." The female lizard nodded, fixing her glasses and she stepped back.

"O-Of course Your Highness."

Chara stared at the ceiling as the scientist exited the room, hearing the silence buzz into his head. Listening, he heard shouts and the loud booms of the Gaster Blasters echoing outside, sending chills up his spine as one of his knives rotated above him. A hand grabbed the knife and it fizzed out, Gaster staring down at him.

"No messing with your knives or your magic while you rest, Chara. I'm not willing to knock you out in order for you to get better," he warned, shaking his head. "Alphys and I are working on Orange's tests, so for now, just rest and call Papyrus if you need anything." Chara nodded and watched the skeleton exit the room as several more booms echoed. Reaching up, he looked at his soul as it shook. Stop. Stop trying to- his thoughts were interrupted as a loud thump echoed into the room. He sat up and looked around, reading the walls and floors for anything out of place before a figure appeared in the far doorway. They looked disheveled and bruised, panting and leaning against the door.

Chara panicked, scrambling out of the bed and backing up toward the door closet to him. The figure heard and looked at him, similar panic rising in them.

"W-Wait!" he tried to shout, but Chara was already shouting for anyone in or out of the lab to aid him. The figure glanced behind him, then to his hands. Boom. Chara flinched and blinked, seeing the figure coughing and shaking, having fallen to the floor from the blast. Frisk stepped from the hall behind him and glared down at him.

"You good, Chara?" she asked.

"I'm fine, thanks." He walked over to the figure, kneeling down and looking at him.

"Please... I just wanted to be somewhere safe..." the figure whispered, sputtering a bit as he coughed up blood. Frisk blinked and vanished, leaving Chara with the dying human. Chara stayed quiet for a bit before lifting his hand and offering a bar of chocolate.

"Here. take a bite of this." The figure looked at him before taking a piece and eating it. Chara watched him, watching the burn mark heal and hearing his labored breathing calm. He nodded and helped the figure up and to a bed, plopping down on the one beside it.

"Aside from the injuries that Frisk gave you, where did you get the others? And, you're welcome, by the way, for the minor heal," he asked. The figure looked at his hands.

"Some other humans... They were all talking about how monsters are bad and I said I would defend a monster if I had to."

"They didn't like it, did they, child?" a voice caused the human to flinch. Chara glanced at Gaster, who held out his hand in an offer of healing the human. "What is your name?"

"Til... Some ex-friends of mine used to call me Tilly," the human said, flinching as his body reacted to the magic that coursed through him. "I don't really like Tilly anymore."

"Well, I am Doctor Wing Dings Gaster, though, please call me Gaster. Like you, I don't quite enjoy my first name. But, a few still call me by it," Gaster chuckled and pulled his hands away. "The boy there is Chara, and the one who attacked you was my adopted daughter, Frisk." Til nodded and glanced at Chara.

"Sorry for scaring you."

"Nah, it's my fault. Monsters are kind of... almost at war with humans so a human getting in here and me not knowing them just made me panic. You're fine," Chara responded. He glanced at Gaster before shrugging. "I'm fine, by the way, G."

Gaster nodded and sighed,

"Thankfully we finished the experiment before Til showed up, so Orange is currently back in the soul room. And Til, I understand what happened to you. I can already tell bested on what said as your reason for showing up in here that you have a decent distaste for humankind, correct?"

Til nodded and looked at the floor. Chara chuckled, catching his attention,

"Don't worry. I share the same disdain for humanity. Hell, it's the whole reason I even meet the monsters in the first place."

Frisk sighed and leaned against the wall, listening to her father and Chara talk to this "Til" person. Was I in the wrong to attack him? No, I didn't have time to see if they were a safe person or not. Unless I did and I just chose not to because of Chara.

"kid, you need to stop overthinking your actions. it's just something you chose to do." Frisk looked up at her brother and sighed, standing up straight and messing with her sweater.

"Sans, that is easy for you to say."

"how so? i think all the time." Frisk rolled her eyes and smiled at him,

"Come on, Sans. You know the only thing going on in your head are jokes and puns." Sans shrugged as Gaster stepped out of the room, shutting the door behind him. After a small nod to his children, he left, starting to mutter about an experiment.

"frisk, trust me, you were doing what you thought was best to protect chara. besides, i think you did pretty good at protecting everyone, include dad and the souls."

"Thanks, Sans," she said, smiling. Today is can get worse, I know it. But it has to get better as well, right? I hope so.