Undertale: Aleph Null

Selective Confinement

I sit there, outwardly staring at Mcgrath while internally trying to get something to happen. But it wasn't going to magically happen, it isn't channeling determination in me throughout my body. It's something else never done before, but it's not a feeling, or at least not one my instincts can make a reality.

I sit there for hours, the man I took the SOUL from wasn't weak in the sense of his powers. The shield started to die out, although not yet visibly so, getting weaker, nothing was able to happen, I still had time. I was still staring Mcgrath in the eyes, and other than blinking, neither of us had looked away. I purposely faltered, letting the shield flicker, putting a smile on Mcgrath's face. "How long do you expect to be able to hold up?" He boomed, standing as straight as he has for the past hours.

A bigger grin came across my face, staring into his eyes further as I grabbed my chin with my right hand and put my other on the back my head. "Not another hour, not like I'll be awake long enough for you to use that advantage."

I stayed in place, waiting for him to realize what I meant, seeing the emotions running along his face before they all drained, being overcome by sheer terror right before I twisted with all my force as everything went black.

Game Over.

I load back a before I sat down, quickly regaining my place ready to wait once more, as long as it takes. Though, it wouldn't hurt to know where exactly Sans is. "So, Mcgrath-"

"General Mcgrath."

"Yeah, so, where is Sans anyway. I would think he would be the first one here, being my escape and all."

He didn't falter, barely had to think before answering. "He is on his way, he was the first one alerted when you broke out."

Interesting. Did they not know he could teleport? I thought these people would be the ones Sans would tell the truth to, though if they did know he could be here in an instant, they wouldn't have come, and Sans would not be able to wait, giving me the time for whatever I wanted. Does he want me at my best?

All this talk about grudges and Sans wants a fight just as much as I do, he wants the opportunity to beat me at my best. Helping out his opponent, guess he was never one to intervene until he himself felt the need, or until there was no one left, waiting until there was nothing left until I was at what I thought then to be my peak before he even showed himself at all. Well, I best not disappoint then. He wants a final one on one for the fate of the world, then that's exactly what I'll give him.

It was another few hours, though I was getting closer, it lasted longer, as with only hours work, that was incredible progress, but there was nothing more to do but try again.

Game Over.

The shield got a tint of red, a small shift I don't even think Mcgrath noticed. The SOULs are starting to bend to my will, using the Kindness while harnessing some of the Determination for an enhancing implement for now. But soon.

Game Over.

It bent, and I'm starting to get more control over how well I can make it turn. The whole shield getting a fully red tint, shifting like sand, uncontrollable for the most part and a shifting that is almost unnoticeable to someone not linked to the shield itself. The look on Mcgrath's face when the tint turned from a pure see-thru green to a dark see-thru red has already lost its charm.

Game Over.

I'm becoming able to control it, to shift it to my will, One straight week of practice, not an unusual occurrence for me now.

Game Over.

Two and a half weeks in. It is no longer a shield, but armor. It encases my body, the energy of Determination making it stronger than ever, and mobile, not even breaking a sweat to move around in it. But it hasn't been tested for combat, yet. After more practice, I would give my knew abilities a test drive. And not to mention the power it drains to keep it up at full energy.

Game over.

I was immediately back, bending the shield into armor, Mcgrath just staring, trying to hold back his fear. I waited a moment, looking around me before facing Mcgrath, starting to walk towards him. "Hey, stay back, or we will fire." He started to back up a little, almost stumbling as I took another step. "Fire!"

The sounds of their guns shooting out tranq darts quickly pierced the air, followed by ricocheting, overshadowing the alarm still going on throughout the facility as I stepped one-foot closer, stopping as the guns all went off.

They finally ran out after a minute of fire, the sound dying down with all the guns running out of the tranq darts, not making a scratch on me, nor anyone else. Not like it was surprising that none of the guards were hit with shields of their own, but Mcgrath wasn't hit with a single dart. Almost impressive.

I waited for another blaring alarm to pass before setting my eyes back on Mcgrath. "You have something that belongs to me."

Mcgrath knew what I was talking about and almost seemed to get an idea as I said that, quickly grabbing the knife out from between his belt, running right at me. He tried to stab the knife through the shield, turning the knife blue at the last moment, but he was too slow. I grabbed his wrist right before it penetrated the shield. The sheer force of the power running through the shield burning his skin as I cracked whatever bone that was underneath. He screamed in agony, almost drowned out by another siren as all his soldiers stood still, unable to do anything. He quickly dropped to the ground, no longer screaming, but holding back tears through heavy breathing. "Wrong move."

"Why? Why are you doing this?" he said as I leaned over him, taking my knife back and holding it above my head.

"Why not," I answered, pressing my left hand on his shoulder, hearing it crack on impact. "Why do you still think your savior even cares about you." I let him think about it, having realized what I meant after a few seconds.

"How... how long has it been?" he asked, clearly not wanting to know the answer himself.

He was already dead, there was no use in answering his question, yet I felt the need to. "In terms of 'real world' time, a few minutes. It's been forty-three and a half days in my time since I stood in front of you with a green shield and no idea how to control two SOULs worth of energy simultaneously."

He knew he was dead, and seemed to accept the inevitability. The room fell silent, with nothing but another alarm going off before I raised the knife higher in the air. The shield returned to a green circle with me and Mcgrath inside as I pooled energy into my knife. I could see the light from it emanating red as Mcgrath closed his eyes.

My smile grew even wider as I swung down my knife, it cut through his head without any resistance. Cutting into the floor and creating a small crater where his head was before the excess energy within the knife exploded into all directions, shattering the green shield instantly before plowing through the rest of the soldiers, being incinerated, SOULs left hovering above ash until the whole building came crashing down on top of all of us.

I was sitting in the middle of all the rubble, my red armor I put up after covered in glass. I sat back up, looking at a desolate plane of destruction and destroyed SOULs, already back to peak LOVE. I looked back down at the pool of blood that used to be Mcgrath before standing up and walking straight down what used to be the hall. Let's see what Sans thinks he can do against me now.