An Undertale story

Chapter 2

Gunshots and screams filled the air. Crouched to the ground Sans watched with hate as an enemy squad chase down a group of six monsters along the stretch of road that led from the town of Snowdin to Waterfall. He wanted with all his soul to come out of his hiding place and save those poor monsters, but he must remain calm. He has to wait for the right moment. He took a deep breath and slowly let it out. Impaling some humans on his bones had never seemed more inviting to him than in the last few days. Fortythree days from the start of this madness. Fortythree days of gunshots, screams and dust. Thirty two days spent searching for survivors in all the Underground and bringing them at the headquarters installed by the King in Waterfall. In particular in the large cave behind the waterfall where all those who could not fight were grouped. There and in the surrounding ground, because however big the cave was, it could not possibly contain the hundreds of monsters that had been saved. They were always too few for Sans. Camp fires and tents covered every area of ​​land free of water. It wasn't the best of solutions, or the safest, but they had no choice. Waterfall was the only territory that humans had not conquered. The monsters had barricaded themselves there. Intentionally causing landslides they had blocked access to both sides of the cave and every time Humans manager to open a gap, they would do it again. But it was only a temporary solution. The monsters were surrounded on both sides, with no way out. They were just waiting for their death. They were only prolonging their own sufferings. Sans shook his head. This was not the time for such negative thoughts. His gaze focused again on the survivors he was to save. They were now about a hundred meters away. A few more seconds and he could intervene. The plan was simple: grab them and use one of his shortcuts to transport them to safety. The enemy soldiers were too many to face them head on alone. It would be suicide. Now, if only they came a little closer... More shots. Two monsters vanished in a cloud of dust. The sickly sound of their Souls shattering echoed in the air, followed shortly by excruciating screams of pain. Sans gritted his teeth. Just a little closer ... now! With a leap he came out into the open and threw a barrage of bones at the soldiers. Satisfying sounds of bones and broken flesh, followed by moans, made him smirk. His left eye socket was lit with cyan and yellow flames of magic. The right was a pit of black nothingness. His permanent smile gave him a threatening and creepy look, while he stared at his enemies with hatred and rage. With his left hand outstretched he formed a wall of bones between the survivors and the soldiers. Without wasting time, he ran towards the monsters who were unsettled and confused by his sudden appearance. "Hold on tight to me and don't let go!" He shouted grabbing the two closest monsters. They hurried to execute, despair silenced their bewilderment and confusion. With one last glance at the soldiers, who were trying to get around his protective wall, he gathered his magic and in a flash of cyan light they were gone.

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They reappeared in a large tent located behind the waterfall and used as an infirmary and first aid. It was also the designated place to get out from his shortcuts. An area of it was therefore kept free of objects and people who could hinder his arrival. The place had been chosen because often the rescued survivors were also injured and frightened. Furthermore, shortcuts could cause nausea and dizziness. Many monsters unaccustomed to the experience ended up doubled over to vomit. This time the landing was a bit turbulent and the four monsters lost their balance, dragging Sans to the ground with them. Sans found himself crushed in an embrace of bodies that were clinging to him for dear life. "Hey buddys, it's ok now. You can let go. We are safe here. See? No humans here." Sans tried to reassure them by gesturing to the doctors and nurses who had gathered to help. Slowly Sans managed to extricate himself from the trembling and traumatized monsters and sneaked out of the tent. On the way out, a nurse offered him a crabapple which he accepted with a small smile. Normally he only had one or two passengers on his shortcuts, but now he was forced to carry groups of up to ten people. And it was tiring. Only that day he had completed seven rescue missions. He was exhausted. Sans staggered to the nearest wall and dropped to the ground. Slowly he started eating the crabapple. With a sigh of relief he felt his reserves of magic rise a bit. Good. He was no longer at risk of passing out. Leaning his head against the wall, he closed his eyelids and tried to relax. The images of the faces deformed by the pain of the monsters that he had failed to save tormented him. They were gone forever. Yes, because Frisk had destroyed the RESET option. They did it the moment they reached the surface. It was a gesture of trust and comfort for him. To prove that they were finally free from that eternal loop of massacres. Free from the ghost of the first fallen human and the demon they had become after their death. Free to live after all those torments. Finally free, after that terrible battle of wills between Frisk and Chara for control over Determination. Sans had fought as he could. Supporting Frisk with encouragement and pleading words. He had held tight to himself the little body that writhed in spasms of pain. Limbs that flew in every direction trying to break free from the embrace and at the same time seeking refuge in it. He had ignored the excruciating screams a few inches from his metaphorical ear canals, clutching Frisk as close as possible. And at the end he had supported their bodies when they finally collapsed from fatigue. Frisk had won. They had torn the demon who tormented them from their soul. The cause of all that pain was gone. It was time for peace. A moment that Sans had desperately longed for. And when Frisk had destroyed the RESET button he shed tears of joy. Never again would they have to suffer through a Genocide Run. Never again would he have to see his brother die without being able to do anything to prevent it. Never again would he have to endure the monotony of an eternal loop. And now ... what would he give to go back. To stop Frisk from destroying that damned button. To have a chance to make everything right. Heh. Sans chuckled bitterly. Of all the people who could have those thoughts ... him. The one who hated RESETs with all his soul. It was too late anyway. There was no going back. And all those negative thoughts were of no help at the moment. He let out a sigh. The present. He has to focus on the present. On how to keep his brother and friends alive. Not an easy task given the circumstances. The thread of his thoughts was interrupted by the ringing voice of his little brother Papyrus who was fast approaching him. In mere seconds he found himself raised in the air and held tightly in strong arms. A small sincere smile appeared on his face as all the tension of the day left him. He returned the embrace as tightly. "BROTHER! I AM SO HAPPY TO SEE YOU AGAIN! HOW ARE YOU? ARE YOU HURT? HAVE YOU EAT SOMETHING? YOU KNOW YOU HAVE TO REPLENISH YOUR MAGIC RESERVES." Exclaimed Papyrus examining his bones for possible injuries. When he decided that everything was all right he picked up his shorter brother again and started to head towards the 'meeting room'. The others were waiting for them for a detailed report and to decide their next moves. Really, it was only a small cave like many others, with the addition of a table and chairs. "Don't worry bro. I'm fine. You know the nurses here are in charge of feeding me and making me rest. I'm surrounded by people who want me to be lazy. How could I possibly say no?" replied Sans with a smirk. Papyrus groaned loudly, but wasn't able to hide the relieved smile that spread over his features. Sans smirk get bigger. Seeing Papyrus smiling not for the sake of others was becoming increasingly rare. And Sans hate it. In his eyes, his little brother should always be able to smile with all his soul. And don't be forced to live in these dark times. He deserves all the happiness in the world. "THERE IS NO TIME TO LAZE AROUND, SANS! OUR FRIENDS ARE WAITING FOR US. WE STILL HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO TO ENSURE THE SAFETY OF EVERYONE. THE 'MEETING ROOM' IS AT THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CAMP AND THIS TIME WE WILL NOT BE LATE!" Declared Papyrus speeding up the pace. Sans closed his eyes, letting himself be lulled by the familiar momentum of his brother's steps. When they reached their destination twenty minutes later, Sans had successfully managed to doze off. "WAKE UP, BROTHER! WE HAVE ARRIVED!" the familiar voice rang in his skull. Sans yawn. "'m up. I'm up." the sleepy answer came. Papyrus gently placed Sans on the ground. His hands hovered over his brother's smaller body making sure he could stand on his wobbly legs. Sans murmured a thanks, which was returned by a broad smile. The two monsters entered the small cave and were greeted by a dark and heavy atmosphere. The main leaders of Monsterkind were standing along the table. King Asgore and Toriel sat opposite each other with Frisk nestled in the arms of the ex-queen. Among them were the Royal Scientist Alphys, the Captain of the Royal Guards Undyne and the superstar Mettaton on one side, the ex-Captain of the Royal Guards Gerson, the hero of the previous war Grillby and Muffet on the other. The topic of discussion at the moment was the scarce food supplies, which were dwindling visibly. If they did not find a solution soon they would all be starving. At their entrance the faces seemed to relax a little and some of the tension evaporated away. "My friend, it is such a joy to see that you have returned safely. Please, you and your brother are invited to take a seat." greeted Toriel with a small smile. "Tanks, T." replied Sans with a wave. "INDEED! THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR THE OFFER, MADAM TORIEL." agreed Papyrus sitting in front of his brother. "Uh-ugh ..." the king cleared his throat. "Sans, as much as I would like to let you rest and recover your energies after such a tiring mission, I need immediate coverage on the enemy's condition, please." Sans fixed his eyes on Asgore's, then lowered them to the grain of the table. "They are working to amass a large amount of explosives at the entrances. I also glimpsed what appear to be tanks in New Home. I managed to find and rescue twenty-seven survivors in the east area. Four more at the west entrance. Fourteen casualties that I can confirm. The Snowdin area is heavily patrolled by enemy troops, I dared not approach the town." There was a moment of silence following his words. "...Damn." hissed Undyne clenching his fists until his knuckles turn white. She was shivering with repressed rage. "Tank you, Sans." Asgore calmly intervened "Undyne, please, calm down. I understand perfectly how you feel, but we must act with caution. It has already been established that attacking head on is not a reasonable option. It would be a useless suicide." "I know, I know." she replied angrily, "but damn it! I can't stay here doing nothing. I mean, even Sans is doing something useful! I'm tired of waiting for them to break through and kill us all! I want... I want to throw my spears at them, block them with my green magic and pierce their skulls with ... "A glare from Sans silenced her. This whole situation was weighing heavily on Papyrus' cheerful and gentle character. He didn't need such a detailed scene of what would happen if she laid her hands on humans. "I would ask you to check the words you use Captain Undyne. There are children among us." Toriel intervened with a stern look. Undyne glanced at Frysk "... Right ..." he replied lowering her eyes, ashamed. "Now." Toriel continued more quietly, "The information Sans gave us would seem to indicate that we will soon need to cause another landslide at both entrances. Alphys, dear, is it still safe to proceed?" Surprised to be questioned about the yellow lizard jumped a little in her seat. "O-of c-course, your m-majesty. Our g-geologists have already e-ensured that it's p-possible to cause a-at least t-three other landslides o-of that s-size before c-causing d-damage to the s-stability of t-the c-cave." She nervously answered. "I understand, thank you. It will therefore be appropriate to start with the necessary preparations." Turning now to Sans, the ex-Queen asked "Dear, do you think you can give us an estimate of how long we have before humans blow up our defenses?". Sans took a moment to think, "Between the transport and placement of that much explosive, I would say that it will still take at least twenty or thirty hours. In addition there is the time to evacuate the area safely ... uumh ... I would say a maximum of forty hours. " Toriel continued, "Captain Undyne, will your subordinates be ready in time?" "Sure!" She promptly exclaimed, as if offended by the fact that someone could think otherwise. "Now, I'm quite worried about those tanks in New Home." ended the goat Monster with a sigh. The air became heavy. Grillby's quiet voice broke the silence. "I don't think we should worry too much. They are designed to attack at large distances. Here we are underground. There are too many obstacles and the risk of the ceiling falling over our head is extremely high. They would be in danger too." Murmurs of consent rose from the presents. From everyone except Sans. Grillby's reasoning was correct, but he could not shake off the feeling of disturbance those words brought to him. Something was wrong. And he had to understand what. He decided it was best not to leave anything to chance and go check it out as soon as possible. Maybe it was nothing. Heh. As if the universe had ever granted him some peace. He hoped with all his soul to be wrong. In the meantime the conversation had shifted again to the problem of food. Humans had stopped throwing leftovers into the Dump and fishes were starting to run low. Not to mention all the monsters who could not eat normal foods, such as elementals and those who lived in Hotland. They were the greatest to suffer, even from the moist air. Grillby himself had risked falling into a puddle several times and his flames were less strong than usual. Unfortunately there was no other option. With sealed entrances no one could enter or exit and therefore go get food in other areas of the Underground. Only Sans, thanks to his shortcuts, had that ability. And sometimes he did, stealing supplies from humans. But even he couldn't carry so much food to feed their entire race. Not to mention that if humans took notice that someone was able to teleport wherever he wanted, security would increase significantly. It was all quite difficult the way it was now. No need to go and cause unnecessary trouble. The whole Monsterkind relied on the ability of a single monster. And that monster was tired, both physically and emotionally. Not the best of situations. Like on clue, the tiredness of the day began to make itself heard. Despite his best efforts to stay awake, Sans felt himself slipping more and more into the calm of sleep. He already knew how the conversation would end: no solution. Just like all the other times. His eyelids grew heavier. The head dangling on one side. And soon he was dead to the world.