EndTale - Galactic (revising w.i.p. - check desc for update notes)

Chapter 4: Hostage Situation

I was stuck in a dead-silent darkness.

Blinded by it.

Briefly, a red light flashed before me.

I didn't get a good enough look at it before it disappeared.

Then again, to my left, a red light flashed. It was closer now.

I felt panic swell up within me.

The light flashed again, almost directly in front of my face.

But it wasn't a light at all.

It was the reflection of a red soul in the blade of a swinging knife.

The real knife that Frisk would brandish.

In a split second, I held my hands out to protect myself.

A childish, demonic chuckle rang out, echoing in the void.

There was a flash of blue and a human boy's shout as the blade rushed towards me-
----

-and then I was shaken awake.

I opened my eyes wearily, trembling with fear. Frisk was at my side, shaking me by my coat, tears in their eyes.

A rush of adrenaline hit me, and I pushed away from them, scooting backwards in the snow. My breathing was frantic. You-

Was it you? Were you the one who made me yell at Papyrus? Did you play a part? Was it your hate, your corruption? Was it!?

But none of my questions made it outside of my skull.

I focused my vision, looking up to see Toriel standing behind Frisk, who had now fallen down on their back, and was propping themselves up on their elbows. They were peering at me cautiously, breathing heavy.

What was even more surprising, Undyne was standing at Toriel's side. Both monsters looked worried, and I could tell Undyne was on the verge of tears. It was rare to see her so shaken.

No Papyrus in sight.

"Sans-" Undyne interjected before cutting herself off with an uneasy croak. Her posture radiated sheer anxiety.

I looked back to the kid. "W-What are you guys doing here?" I asked, concerned. At that moment, I noticed how terrible I sounded. Even with the burst of adrenaline in my system, my voice still sounded extremely groggy. Depressive tones were slipping through with every vowel I uttered.

Frisk stood up slowly from the snow, not even taking the time to dust themselves off, and started to sign urgently. I managed to pick up "Papyrus... Help... River... Hands..." But they were signing far too fast, and nothing I picked up made any sense by itself.

"Woah woah- Slow down kiddo. I don't know what you're saying." I raised a hand, yielding them. I kept my aggravated feelings towards them under wraps for the time being since, whatever this was, it was about Papyrus. He'd been gone for a long time now, and his well-being was all that mattered to me. They wouldn't be talking about him if they'd dusted him, anyways. Nor would Undyne be standing so close to the kid without trying to rip their soul from their body.

Frisk slowed down, but they were shaking pretty bad. "Papyrus needs your help!" That grabbed my full attention. "There's a monster that has a boat on the river, and they call themselves 'River Person.' They've told me many times before to beware of the man who speaks in hands- but it never make sense." Frisk was sweating. "It didn't, until..." They froze for a moment, visibly recalling a memory. "-me and Papyrus were going to visit Undyne's house. We got attacked by a creepy black blob that was speaking in some weird language using its hands, but it wasn't sign language. And Papyrus tried to protect me from its strange attacks, but the blob had unpredictable bone-type patterns. Papyrus got hurt, and when I jumped in front of him to save him from a blaster attack, I was injured and couldn't move. Papyrus panicked and offered that the figure takes him if it spared me. He wouldn't listen to me telling him no-" Tears were running down their face, their body leaning forward in the snow. "The monster all too happily agreed, and now Papyrus has disappeared with it. That thing... it took him as a hostage, and now he needs help. If only I, if only I... If only... Only... I, I'm so sorry Sans." They stopped signing and fell forward, crying into their hands.