Malaverse

Chapter 19: Sacrifice

Dust threw off his tang top. He was somehow sweating in Snowdin. Well, maybe it's not very surprising. He had been training since the ass crack of dawn. He wanted to see the hell hounds again. Dust was in the middle of scorching a dummy when an actual dummy opened the shed's door. Dust desummoned his fire magic and turned to Ink. "At least you used the door this time." Dust put his tang top on. He didn't want Ink to stare. "Hehe yeah." Ink rubbed the back of his skull. "Sorry to just barge in without warning, but I really need you to do a favor for me." Ink looked nervous, but also excited. "Hm?" Dust leaned against his axe. "Me and Red and Blue are going dress shopping, and Error and Geno and Reaper are going suit shopping. We really need someone to babysit the kids and you're the only one available." Ink looked at him pleadingly. "Fine." Fuck off. "Oh thank you thank you thank you!" Ink gave Dust an air hug. At least he's learning. "Yeah no problem. I have nothing better to do." I have many things better to do. "I promise the kids are so easy to take care of and we'll be back before you know it!" Ink created a portal and left. Dust sighed and put on his hoodie. He knew how curious kids are. Especially toddlers. He didn't need them asking about his scars. Kids that young don't need to know what suicide is.
Dust walked inside and in the living room were PJ and Goth inside the toddler cage. Cage? Is that what it's called? And Gradient was in the baby chair, or whatever it's called. Dust sat down on the couch and just watched them. Goth and PJ were keeping themselves occupied. They were chewing on those toy ring things. And Gradient looked to be sleeping. Dust hoped they would stay like this the entire time. Maybe he could get some reading in.
Unfortunately the peace wouldn't last very long. Goth looked up from toys and noticed Dust. Goth stood up and waddled over to him (yes waddle. Whatever Goth did, did not have the right to be called a walk). Goth pointed to him and said "Dus." Dust stared blankly at him for a moment, then said. "Yeah. I'm Dust." How the hell does one talk to kids??? "Dus!" Goth giggled happily. PJ waddled over and started saying "Dus" over and over. Soon both Goth and PJ were saying it. Kids are annoying.
The kids were surprisingly well behaved considering who their parents were. Dust got to lay on the couch and read most the time. He only had to get up a few times to feed the little crotch goblins. Everything was peaceful...until...

The house shook for a moment before the front door flew off its hinges, along with bits of the walls and windows. Dust shot off the couch and put himself between the kids and the blast. He quickly summoned a fall of flames to protect himself and the kids. Dust glanced back at PJ and Goth. Thankfully they didn't start screaming. Then he looked over at Gradient, who was also thankfully still sleeping. Dust desummoned his wall of flames to get a look at the bastard who dared interrupt his babysitting.
And of course that bastard was definitely a bastard. King Multiverse, and beside him, a disgustingly cheerful looking skeleton Dust had never seen before. "What the fuck are you doing here?" Dust growled. King Multiverse didn't say anything. He simply glanced down at the cheerful skeleton. The cheerful skeleton peered past Dust, looking at the two toddlers and one baby. "Hm. They don't look like they'd be filling." The cheerful skeleton looked at Dust. "And that one is too skinny. Although I guess I can't be too picky." The cheerful skeleton quickly approached. Dust summoned his axe and swung it at the cheerful skeleton, who unfortunately backed away in time. "Don't get any closer fucko." Dust hissed through his teeth. The cheerful skeleton cackled. "Oh I just love when my prey puts up a fight."
Dust felt anger rise in his soul. How dare these fuckwads come into his house and threaten children. "Fuck off dickweed." Dust snarled and took a step closer to the cheerful skeleton, bringing his axe up to the cheerful skeleton's neck. Dust looked up at King Multiverse. "One wrong move and you'll be down another follower." He warned. King Multiverse's smug expression didn't falter. "What if we make a deal?" King Multiverse suggested. "Fuck off." Dust informed him. Still, King Multiverse's smug expression stayed. "I'll tell Bonbon here to back off, and in return, you come with me. How does that sound?" King Multiverse's smug expression only widened. Which pissed Dust off. "Over my dead body. Do you really think I can't cut this fucker up?" Dust pressed his axe harder against Bonbon's neck. Bonbon almost looked intrigued. Possibly amused. Dust glanced back at the kids. PJ and Goth were starting to look scared. Dust needed to end this before they started crying. "I'll give you one last chance. Come with me, or they'll die." King Multiverse warned. Just as Dust was about to say something snarky and totally cool, Bonbon somehow managed to get behind him. He had to make a split second decision. Fight and put the kids at risk, or agree to go with King Multiverse. He wasn't used to fighting around small children. They would almost certainly get hurt. So he really only had one option. "Fine. I'll go with you." Dust desummoned his axe and King Multiverse used his chains to pull Bonbon away from the kids. "Good. I'm glad you made the right decision. We wouldn't want innocent blood spilled, now do we?" There was something in King Multiverse's eyes that Dust simply couldn't trust. Hell. It was more than just his eyes. It was everything. That shit eating grin. His clothes. His posture. They way he spoke. Everything about him screamed untrustworthy.
Suddenly Dust felt a sharp pain in his back, then his stomach. He looked down to see the blade of a sword sticking out of him. Everything around him started spinning. He stumbled and fell to his knees as the sword was pulled out of him. His hands went to his wound. He felt panic rise in his soul as he tried to stop the bleeding. His hands and sleeves were drenched in his own blood. He couldn't remember the last time he was in this position. As his vision started to blur, all of his memories came flooding back to him. His father. His brother. Grillby. Living with Nightmare. Dating Horror. Every little petty argument he had with Killer. But most of all, Red. Red. His mind was flooded with love and desire for him. Every glance. Every touch. Every kiss. The way Red smiled whenever he talked about science or plants or his newest theory. The way he held Dust in his huge strong arms. The way he would dominate Dust as if he was just like everyone else. As if he wasn't weak. As if he wouldn't die from a paper cut or the common cold. Red was the first person to treat him as an equal, and not something weak and pathetic. He couldn't die here. He couldn't die without telling Red how much he loved him. He couldn't die without one last love filled kiss. He couldn't. As Dust's body hit the ground, his vision finally went dark, and his mind empty and silent.