Passive Hatred

The lab (3)

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From his spot on the ceiling, Alex watched as the door creaked open and Alphys walked in, her face buried in a clipboard, muttering quietly to herself. She didn't notice him at all.

"Okay, so... his soul is not like anything I've seen before," she mumbled, pacing slowly around the room. "It's... not human, definitely not monster either, but... why does it react to negative stimula like that?" She sighed, scribbling something down on her clipboard.

Alex's eyes widened as he listened, barely breathing. His soul? What did she mean by that?

Alphys kept talking, completely unaware of Alex's presence. "The shape is wrong too. Not a heart or an upside-down monster soul... and it's fluctuating, like it's unstable." She adjusted her glasses and stared at the machine Alex had been hooked up to, the beeping quiet now. "It almost seems... like a mix of things, but that shouldn't be possible. What is he?"

She rubbed the back of her neck, clearly puzzled. "Maybe Doctor Gaster will know what to do with him. I... I just hope it's not too late to figure out what he is."

Alex felt a chill run down his spine. He hadn't realized just how absuloutly fucked he was.

Alphys glanced up from her clipboard, her gaze settling on the machine where Alex was supposed to be strapped down. She blinked once, then twice, confusion spreading across her face. Her eyes darted to the restraints—they were loose and empty.

"W-wait, what?!" she stammered, dropping her clipboard with a loud clatter. Her head whipped around, scanning the room as panic set in. "He... he was just here! How did—where did he go?!"

She hurried over to the machine, checking the straps, her hands shaking slightly. "This... this isn't possible. There's no way he could've gotten out on his own! Unless..." Her voice trailed off as her thoughts raced.

Alphys backed away from the machine, glancing around the room, her anxiety spiking. She pushed her glasses up, eyes wide with dread. "Oh no, oh no, what if he's dangerous? What if—" She froze, realizing that she was talking aloud.

Her gaze shot upward, and her breath caught in her throat.

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Alphys gasped, her heart skipping a beat as she locked eyes with the figure hidden above her. A single bright teal eye gleamed down from the shadows, staring at her through the darkness of the ceiling.

For a moment, she couldn't move. Fear held her in place as she slowly processed what she was seeing. "A-Alex...?" she whispered, her voice trembling. "H-how did you get up there?"

Alex didn't respond immediately, his tendrils gripping the ceiling pipe like a lifeline. He stayed motionless, his heart pounding, trying to decide if he should drop down or stay hidden.

Alphys swallowed hard, her mind racing. She had read the results, seen the irregularities in his soul, and now he was clinging to the ceiling like some kind of predator. "P-please... I'm not going to hurt you. I just... I just need to understand what you are."

Alex blinked, the teal glow flickering for a second, but he remained silent, uncertain of what to do next.

Alex's breathing steadied as he hung from the ceiling, his tendrils slowly, cautiously extending outward into the room. They slithered like living shadows, curling down the walls and across the floor. Alphys took a shaky step back, her eyes wide as she watched the inky black appendages stretch farther, brushing past the equipment and wrapping around a nearby chair.

"Y-you don't have to do that," she stammered, her voice trembling with both fear. "I'm just... I'm here to help, I promise."

The tendrils continued to move, quiet and deliberate, as if testing the space. Alex stayed high above, watching her carefully, his mind still racing. He didn't fully understand this power yet, but it seemed to respond to his emotions — his fear, his need to protect himself.

"W-what are you?" Alphys whispered again, almost to herself, her gaze fixed on the growing web of dark tendrils spreading through the room.

Alex's voice was low and calm, though the threat lingered beneath the surface. "Something you don't need to remember." His teal eye gleamed in the dim light, cutting through the shadows, while his tendrils coiled tighter around the room.

Alphys froze, her breath catching. She had no idea how to respond. Her mind raced with everything she'd discovered about him in the short time he'd been under her observation — but right now, none of it seemed to matter. What mattered was the raw, unknown power that was holding her in place.

"I... I'm not your enemy," she said softly, trying to keep her voice steady. "You don't have to be afraid of me."

The tendrils slowed, hovering in the air just inches from her, as if considering her words.

"But you are of me, are you not" Alex said coldly, his voice losing any hint of patience. In an instant, one of the dark tendrils shot out and wrapped around Alphys' waist, lifting her off the ground effortlessly. She gasped in pure fright, her glasses slipping slightly as her wide eyes met his glowing teal one.

Her heart raced as the tendril tightened just enough for her to feel its power but not to harm her. She tried to breathe, but the fear paralyzed her, her mind grasping for words, for anything that could diffuse the situation.

Alex's eye stayed focused on her, unblinking, as his grip didn't ease.

"Now" he said to her, vioce clam and deviod of the fear he hid one he awoke."Tell me everything you learned of me."