Chapter Text
The man was lost in a sea of darkness.
Where was he…?
Who was he…?
He tried to think, but it felt like his mind was being smothered.
No matter how much he attempted to, he couldn’t remember anything.
He couldn’t open his eyes, but from the position he felt his body was in, he could tell that he was sprawled out somewhere. He tried to get up, but it was a futile effort. He was too weak to move even a single finger.
The darkness slowly started to wear away at his consciousness. His awareness, as suddenly as it had come, was taken from him once again.
Ebott City, 20XX. One year has passed since the Barrier was broken and monsterkind was freed. Having been released from the cramped and overcrowded Underground, monsters were free to explore the surface, with the boy who freed them as their ambassador. However, in spite of having this newfound freedom, many monsters were uneasy immediately coming into contact with a race that they had a painful history with. Because of this, a city was established in the area around Mt Ebott as a place for monsters to live.
Although as the saying goes, “Rome wasn’t built in a day”, the latest technology and magic of the Underground ensured that a fully-functional city could be constructed within a month. The countryside around Mt Ebott, being the source of many rumours and legends of people entering being spirited away, was mostly uninhabited, so there were no objections to a city being constructed.
Another eleven months passed, and on the surface, nothing of out of the ordinary occurred. However, unknown to the residents, a sinister force has been lurking in the shadows of the city, one that would put the world as they know it at risk once more.
Papyrus admired the lush surroundings as he walked down the trail. Even now, he never became tired of the scenery of the surface. The calming atmosphere of the forest outside the city, combined with the crisp, clean air, meant it was the perfect place to go for a morning walk during his usual routine.
Papyrus’ stroll was abruptly interrupted when he spotted what he made out to be a roughly humanoid monster passed out by the side of the trail. Instantly, he rushed to their side.
Were they hurt? They didn’t seem injured, but they looked incredibly worn down, as if they had been stranded on an island or lost in the desert for weeks. Could they have gotten lost in the forest, and only just found their way back out? No… That couldn’t be right. The city council had set up boundaries to prevent people from wandering in. Who was this person and why were they here? In any case, that could be worried about later, because no matter what reason they were there for, they needed help!
“Are you okay, friend? Can you hear me?” Papyrus asked.
The monster only weakly moaned in response.
Papyrus instantly knew what to do. He whipped out his cell phone and called his brother’s number. Of course, it went straight to voicemail. Ten attempts later, Sans finally picked up. “Papyrus? What do you need me for this early?” Sans yawned.
“Sans! This is important! Someone needs our help!”
“Okay, okay… How can I help? I’m still in bed.”
“I need you to get some of the spaghetti I cooked last night from the fridge. Warm it up, put it in a flask, and head to Spring Forest Trail as soon as you can.”
“Sure thing, bro. Give me three hours.”
“Sans…”
“Okay, two and a half hours.”
“SANS!”
“What’s wrong? Strapped for thyme?”
“Someone’s life is in danger! Now is not the time for puns!”
“…I’ll be there in 5 minutes.” Click…
Papyrus groaned and sat down next to the mysterious monster. Now that he had a closer look, the man (going off his build and what Papyrus had heard of his voice) had a rather bizarre appearance, even by monster standards. His head resembled Papyrus and his brother’s skeletal appearance, but he seemed to lack the more defined features of the skeleton brothers, such as a nasal cavity, and for some reason, his hands had two gaping holes in them.
That wasn’t the only strange part. Parts of the man’s body looked partially… melted? The non-skeleton parts of his body comprised of a black substance Papyrus couldn’t tell whether it was a solid or a liquid, or even whether it was clothing or part of the man himself. Thinking about it too much made his head hurt.
“Heya, bro. I’m here.” While Papyrus was absorbed by his inspection of the otherworldly man, Sans had arrived with the flask of spaghetti.
“Great. Can you hand the flask and a fork to me?”
Papyrus unscrewed the lid, and with the utmost care, twirled a bundle of spaghetti around the fork and lifted it towards the man’s mouth. Slowly, the man began to stir. He opened his eyes, and then, unsteadily, sat up.
“You’re awake! Thank goodness. My name is Papyrus. Can you tell me yours?”
There was an awkward silence as the man blankly stared back.
“It’s okay if you’re nervous. You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. Do you need help going back home? My brother and I can help you. Would you like the rest of the spaghetti? It’s magic food, so it has restorative properties.”
“I-I… I don’t know…” The man shakily responded, his face downcast.
“Oh, don’t be so shy! I have plenty of spaghetti –”
“No, that’s not it. I can’t remember…” The man, still sitting on the ground, clutched at his head and began to hyperventilate. “I don’t remember how I got here, or where I even came from. I can’t remember anything!” The man shut his eyes and started trembling.
“It’s okay! Don’t try and think too hard!” Papyrus reassured. “We’ll take you to the police station. Someone there will help you, I’m sure.”
Papyrus offered a hand to the man, who hesitantly took it and rose to his feet, his body seeming to solidify and take on a more humanoid shape.
Papyrus grinned, and the man awkwardly returned the expression. Nothing was better to Papyrus than the joy of helping others!
Unfortunately, the skeleton’s feelings of satisfaction were quickly cut short when he heard a familiar high-pitched whine coming from somewhere behind the man. He recognised the noise as being identical to the charging of his special attack that was stolen from him one year ago. The man’s face fell when he noticed Papyrus’ change in expression.
“Papyrus! Get down!” At Sans’ warning, Papyrus threw himself and the man to the ground, just as a white-hot laser blast shot straight at them.
TO BE CONTINUED