Undertale: Reason to Live

Chapter 81

Undyne and Papyrus finally made into their next challenge. Like the rest of their group chat, they already knew what Frisk was doing and were silently praying for his success.

The room was pitch black, so despite knowing what was coming neither of them knew exactly where they were going. Nonetheless, Papyrus was bouncing off the walls.

"Oh, Undyne," Papyrus said bouncing in his gait and struggling to be quiet. "I can't wait. We're going to get Frisk back!"

"We might get Frisk back," Undyne corrected. "I just hope that Burgerpants' plan works. I mean, if it were me, I wouldn't worry, but him…"

"Oh, Undyne, why are you being so pessimistic?" Papyrus chided. "I'm sure they'll do just fine. Then, we'll have Frisk back!"

"Pipe down, Papyrus," Undyne whispered. "Do you want Almighty King Jackass 2.0 to hear ya?"

As if on cue, the room lit up and Mettaton's large jumbotron screen pulled up out of nowhere revealing Mettaton EX in his red news anchor suit. The lights then filled the room revealing the obstacle course of inactivated bombs that Frisk had to defuse previously.

Undyne and Papyrus watched the screen in anticipation while Mettaton smirked back.

Meanwhile, Frisk had finished eating his food and had returned to the table to retrieve two more water bottles. They both could see the action on the obstacle course from Mettaton's monitor behind him. Everyone else was watching the show or carrying out their own work, so Frisk and Burgerpants could work without interference.

"Why're you carrying two more water bottles?" Burgerpants asked quietly as Frisk returned to the chair.

"They're for Undyne and Papyrus," Frisk replied quietly trying to hold onto them, his water bottle, and the violin case.

"Good thinking, but allow me," Burgerpants said as he telekinetically moved the water bottles into the front pocket of his green hoodie. "You need your hands, kid. Speaking of which, show me your left hand."

Frisk smiled as Burgerpants telekinetically opened the device and let it fall on the ground.

"There's step one," Burgerpants said. "Are you ready for step two, Frisk?"

Frisk nodded his head eagerly as he followed Burgerpants to their next destination.

"OHHH YESSS!" Mettaton said in the deepest voice possible. "Good evening, beauties and gentlebeauties! This is Mettaton, reporting live from MTT News! An interesting situation has arisen in Eastern Hotland! Fortunately, our correspondents are out there, reporting live! For your next challenge, please find something newsworthy to report…"

"I have something newsworthy," Undyne interrupted. "I have just the headline, too. How about 'Mettaton is dirty, lying, abusive, mediocre attention whore who stole a child from his family?!'"

"Yeah," Papyrus agreed trying to sound intimidating. "'And who's really, really mean!'"

"I'm talking about in the field, Mr. and Mrs. Skeleton," Mettaton responded without missing a beat. "Now, go along and find something newsworthy to report on for our 2,000 audience members or I might just have to disqualify you for using inappropriate language on a family show."

Undyne rolled her eye as she and Papyrus looked over the items that Frisk had seen so many times before. They knew what his response would be no matter what they chose and how the items would eventually become bombs. Regardless, they had to stall and play dumb until Frisk and Burgerpants could make their move.

"Oh, my God!" Papyrus exclaimed overdramatically as he approached one of the items. "It's a basketball!"

"Basketball's a blast," Mettaton began. "Isn't it, dar-What are you doing?!"

Papyrus had picked the basketball and passed it to Undyne much to Mettaton's chagrin.

"Check it out, Undyne!" Papyrus exclaimed. "It's a basketball. I think we're supposed to give a critique on how good this basketball is. What do you think?"

Quickly catching onto his cue, Undyne replied with a sly smirk, "You know, Papyrus. I think you're right. Would you like to have a game to try it out?"

"Nothing would make me happier, dear!" Papyrus responded getting in a defensive position. "Let's play!"

"My dear contestants, that basketball is not meant to be played with," Mettaton protested. "It's an MTT-brand fashion basketball! It's for wearing, not playing! You could damage the paint!"

"What kind of basketball can't be played with?" Undyne asked as she got into an offensive position.

"This one can't!" Mettaton protested.

Unfortunately for him, his pleas fell on apathetic ears. Undyne tried dribbling the basketball bomb, but, due to its weight, it simply fell on the ground.

Her face twisted in false confusion as she looked back at the screen and asked, "What the heck kind of basketball is this?! It can't even bounce!"

"As I've been trying to tell you, Mrs. Skeleton, that basketball is…" Mettaton said managing to maintain his composure before Papyrus interrupted.

"Oh, I know!" Papyrus exclaimed. "Maybe it's one of those balls you work out with at the gym."

"Oh, like a medicine ball?" Undyne asked.

"Yeah, let's try working out with it."

"Great idea, Papyrus! You and I will take turns squatting with it. You got it?"

"Ma'am, yes, ma'am!"

Undyne then picked up the basketball bomb and started her squatting reps with it while Papyrus waited eagerly for his turn.

Mettaton facepalmed before he began pleading with them to stop again.

Meanwhile, Burgerpants and Frisk teleported over to the large production booth where the producers were monitoring the show. They were all so fixated on their monitors and managing the sound and lighting that none of them even noticed the pair arrive. It was perfect.

Burgerpants smiled at Frisk and said, "Are you ready for this, Frisk?"

"I think so," Frisk said. "Are you ready?"

"Hell, yeah," Burgerpants replied. "I've been dreaming about this ever since I got this damn job."

"I've been dreaming about this since the first time I saw Mettaton crash through Alphys' wall," Frisk said.

Burgerpants gave Frisk a strange look as the latter realized what he just said.

"Uh," Frisk said searching for a good reply. "It's a really long story."

"I believe it," Burgerpants said. "Anyways, let's get this show going. Now, remember. Just stay close to me in case anything goes wrong."

"And don't forget to give me the water bottles when we get there," Frisk added.

"Got it," Burgerpants said as his lips spread into a twisted smile. "Watch this."

Burgerpants raised his free hand and waved it over the booth sending a telekinetic shockwave through the whole thing. The soundboards, the monitors, the lighting equipment, and everything else short-circuit and shut down as the production staff scrambled to figure out what was happening.

Frisk and Burgerpants smirked at each other as the chaos spread throughout the set. The plan was working perfectly.

"Now for step three," Burgerpants said quietly before he sent another telekinetic shockwave through the lighting system of the set itself.

The room went dark. In that outdoor cavern, no one could see anything.

"What the hell is going on?!" Mettaton yelled.

Burgerpants and Frisk couldn't suppress a chuckle, but unfortunately, they couldn't stick around to enjoy it.

"Step four," Burgerpants said quietly. "Say goodbye to your kidnapper, Frisk."

"No way, that would imply that I regret leaving him," Frisk replied sarcastically.

Burgerpants laughed quietly and said, "You're funny, kid. Keep it up. It'll get you through a lot of shit in your life."

Frisk smiled in the dark as Burgerpants grabbed his hand and teleported them away. They reappeared right where they needed to, right where they could hear Papyrus and Undyne grunting and squatting.

Frisk could barely contain his excitement. He ran straight into the direction of the sound.

"Kid, slow down!" Burgerpants yelled as he ran behind him. "There are no fences on this thing. You could fall into the abyss!"

"Who's there?" Undyne asked as she finally stood up and dropped the deactivated basketball bomb on the ground.

"Frisk?" Papyrus asked excitedly standing in place. "Frisk, is that you?"

"Yeah, it's me! We made it!" Frisk yelled before he ran into Papyrus' leg in the dark. "Owww!"

"FRISK!" Papyrus yelled happily as he scooped up Frisk in the dark and held him in a hug. "Oh, my God! Oh, my God! Oh, my God! You're back! I've missed you!"

"I've missed you, too," Frisk said resting his head on Papyrus' shoulder and wrapping his free arm around his neck.

"Make room for me, punks!" Undyne said awkwardly hugging Frisk from behind. "I can't believe you made it! I was so worried…"

"Hey," Burgerpants interrupted nervously as he finally caught up. "I hate to mess up your family reunion, but we have to keep moving. I don't know how long my sabotage will hold them up, and I don't want to be here if / when Mettaton comes down here with reinforcements…"

No one responded. They were all too wrapped up in their emotions to.

"Uh, Frisk?" Burgerpants prodded.

"I know," Frisk replied through tears as Papyrus stroked his hair and Undyne took the violin case out of Frisk's hand and set it on the ground, so she could cuddle him more easily. "Just give us a moment please."