PLDN Chapter 17

"Chapter 17: Back to the CORE and Hotland to Recover Mettaton and Alphys"

Sub-Entry 161: "Perspective":
"...I clench my butt-cheeks and shout with all my might...DETROIT...SMAAAAAAAAAAAASH!!!!"

Violet's fist connected with a reverberating shockwave. Mitzi vibrated in place for a moment as her eyes widened...moments before she shot into the atmosphere like a comet.

"Player five...DEFEATED!"

"Hahahahahahahahah!  I guess it really was her Final Destination--"

* POW!!! *

"You mess with the goat, you get the horns!"

"No faaaair--"

"PLAYER THREE...DEFEATED!"

"Hail to the Prince, baby.  Man.  Violet would have liked that one." Azzy mused while grimmacing over acknowledging being royalty.

"Man, this is so cool!  Custom avatar skins over Mii Fighters.  You've outdone yourself, Aunt Vi."

Asriel sudden smirked mischieviously. "I didn't think it was your style to blast a kid in the back, Sensei."

"The enemy will not show you mercy.  For this excercise (which I agreed to Violet's terms out of protest) you have to assume that no one on the playfied is neutral--"

Bunnie's attack sailed forth only to meet air as Asriel air-dodged.

"Hmm?  Clever."

"Just wait til I show you my mastery over wave-dashing."

"I can hardly wait for the surprise..."

"Shadow Man quote.  Fitting."

"Violet's got you well-versed in the robot masters I see."

"Dee-dubbyuu-enn twenty-four.  Shadow Man.  Discovered by Wily in an excavation and remodled to resemble a ninja.  Master of surprise attacks and is able to match and exceed Mega Man's abilities including his own slide.  HIs Shadow Blade is coated with a substance that breaks down robot shells."

"Word for word out of Dr. Light's database.  You are a model student."

"Being a model student means nothing if you can't apply it to the real world, sensei.  Though how ending up in a mach-up simulation of the Interdimensional Nexus Tournament fits into a daily life is beyond me."

"Violet's taking too many liberties with your extra curricular activities."

"No arguments there.  But she makes a great math tutor for the standard stuff.  Advanced placement is nothing to sneeze at."

"Congratulations, by the way."

Bunnie's next attack was soon countered with a Perfect Shield.

"Your timing is well-honed."

Asriel soon went on the attack as the field became litered with various Super Smash Bros. items.

"This will serve nicely." Bunnie picked up the paper fan.

"You put plenty of faith in a weapon, sensei.  I put faith elsewhere." Asriel held up the Assist Trophy jar.

"Touche.  Friends...or at least allies are an invaluable resource in battle."

"All right...show meeee....ROCK!" Asriel broke open the container, releasing...

"Well.  Not exactly a Rock...Man.  But defiitely a robot master!" Asriel mused as Elec Man took center stage and started firing off Thunder Beams.

"Using my weakness against me.  You are cruel.  But calculating."

"Your words on the battle field:  believe that no one is neutral, let alone an ally.  Though Violet would put it like:  assume everyone around you will betray you and you won't be disappointed."

"She's got you hooked on too much Star Wars lore." Bunnie lowered an eyebrow.

After a barrage of jolts, Bunnie swooped in and smacked with the paper fan.

"You need discipline, young grasshopper.  My sensei will teach you." Bunnie discarded the fan and suddenly snatched a second Assist Trophy that had just manefested.

* CRASH*

"Heh.  Custom Assist Trophies?  You really know how to hack a game, Aunt Vi..." Asriel stared down the brown furred, magenta-kimono-ed, foot-wrapped form of Master Splinter...before he took a pounding without warning.

"Urgh...he knocked me to well over the 200% damage range.   Not good--"  Asriel air-recovered, grabbing onto the edge of the platform and hoisting himself.

"Hmm?  A brand-name iced tea?  Where did you get that?" Bunnie pointed at what Asriel was clutching.

"Editing mistake.  In my favor." *SIP* "WAAAAAAAAH!  That's brisk--"

"I'm going to stop you there.  Because this moment REEKS of Violet."

"But you set me up for it with the Ralph Macchio moment.  Speaking of, Violet wants you to check out the Cobra Kai thing on that TV/movie service thing."

"She would recommend it.  I'll consider it as long as it's tasteful."

"You won't be disappointed.  Pit's already excited to learn that one anime based on his ex-partner's ancestor is getting a third season."

"Hmm.  You must be talking about the beginning of the Belmont legacy.  I understand it was some rather interesting times during the Videoland War.  The N-Division was quite formidable; so I've heard."

"We'll have to ask him to tell us stories.  Right after I K.O. you."

"Presumptuous.  I taught you better than that."

"Just telling it like it is.  Don't fight a battle you know you can't win."

"But can win isn't the same as will win."

"True.  But...I'm just so anxious to prove that the student can very much surpass the master."

A back and forth between both competitors before.

"PLAYER TWO...DEFEATED."

"And then there was--"

Asriel's eyes widened as he heard that familiar sound of a Final Smash Ball being broken open.

"Oh no...I forgot about--"

And then he got pounded by the lasers before being sent out of the ring.

"PLAYER ONE DEFEATED!"

"This game's winner is...!"

Gadget giggled as she jumped for joy.

"...I did not see that coming." Rotor blinked.

"I did." Callista mused.

As everyone respawned...

"I guess I need some more practice."

"We all do, it would seem.  Congratulations, Gadget-chan.  The victory is  yours."

"I want to dedicate my win to my big brother!  I hope you're watching!"

With that I zoomed out on the image on my holo-tablet as I grinned ear-to-ear.

"Good luck with your mission!" Asriel gave a thumbs up. "Oh!  And Pit has some news for you!"

The image zoomed in on Pit, standing among the eight players of Vi's Super Smash Bros. simulaton.

He held up an envelope with a familiar wax stamp. A solid black circle with an off-center plus or cross slicing through it.

"They invited me back again!  The tournament's happening December 7th, this year!  I'm going to see all my friends again, Commander!  I'm so happy!"

"Good for you, Pit." I was wagging my tail. Everyone waved before the video ended. How I wish it had been a live stream. But it was probably better this way.

"Heh.  It's the things like this that keep me anchored in this crazy, mixed up world." I put the tablet away and stood up on the DATA SAVE marker as I looked into the elevator leading down to the CORE.

"You just watch these things to rub it in, doncha?" Violet crossed her arms.

"Oh quit grumping.  I practically invited you to come along with me on mission.  I would have figured you'd be eccstatic.  Is the salt that real?"

"Hardy-har-har." Vi stuck her tongue out.

"Now come on.  Quit with the grumping.  You're going to get to see Mettaton again."

"Okay, THAT'S worth a smile, Commander-and-Beef."

"...riiiiiiiiiiight.  A subtle hint that my steaks arrived for next lunar cycle cookout?"

"Maaaaybeeee."

"Come on, Vi.  Let's go see a ghost-in-a-shell."

"I'll do the anime references and puns, thank-you very much."

"Blame yourself, Vi.  For getting us all in the habit of dropping those references and jokes.  I swear our whole universe is one big nostalgia showcase and meme factory."

"And hail to its queen." Violet chuckled as she began crooning Triple-H's entrance theme.

"Bow down to the...bow down to the...bow down to the Game!"

"What game, Vi?  You ain't got no game." I prodded with a toothy, mischievious grin.

"I gots the game.  You might as well call me Turbo K.O. with the mad, bad, and crazy tude' I'm rockin."

"Right.  I know where that reference dropped from.  Seriously, Vi.  Are we too saturated with pop culture on our world?"

"I can take it if you can.   You might say I'm...Fully Charged."

"No, Vi.  No.  Just no.  Especially not around Pit.  He doesn't need to see another screwed-up AU iteration of his old partner and best friend."

"Come on.  Aren't you anxious to meet the robot masters of Sergeant Night?"

"Violeeeeeet!" I whined.

"I'm on a Rampage!" Violet boasted then started beatboxing.

"Ugh...you couldn't go a minute without bringing THAT up..."

Sub-Entry 162: "Mettaton Re-uploaded":
The elevator back to the Core. No vines. No damage. Yeah. Flowey was behaving himself. So it seemed. Either way. The "game" wasn't stopping us from going in reverse.

"So--"

"Can we just keep it business until further notice, Vi?"

"What's got you bent out of shape?"

To be honest I didn't really have an explanation other than nerves. Other than my caution on overdrive.

"Just please don't go into this recklessly."

"You sure we're going to find him in the core room?"

"No.  But there shouldn't be a rectangular hole in the wall of Alphys' lab, either.  I used STC tools to undo the damage when I did my clean sweep of the Underground from the Barrier in New Home to the beginning of the Ruins.  Without Frisk being on their way, he has no reason to make an entrance, yet."

"So what makes you think he'll be in the CORE?"

"Just a hunch.  If my theory is correct, a true perfectionist like him; when it comes to putting on a show, should be going over the script he prepared according to Alphys' staged attempt to win the human over."

"Staged attempt?"

"Yeah...all throughout Metton's encounter, it seemed like was the one putting Frisk through trials because that was his function...but really...it was all an act that Dr. Alphys arranged to win over Frisk's trust.  Mettaton played along because at the time it seemed like the role of a lifetime.

At least until Mettaton went off script after his artistic pride as a superstar got the better of him and he spilled the beans about how Alphys set up all the traps and puzzles as well as the various twists and turns during Mettaton's big show.

Bratty and Catty confirmed my suspicions that his ego got to big for his and Alphys' friendship and for the most part they weren't on speaking terms. Mettaton just left his "creator" behind when he got what he wanted. Just like he did with his cousin, Napstablook.

It was all a ruse. Even flipping his switch was part of the plan. It was originally meant as a set-up to get the human to lower their guard; thinking the switch was the only way to turn Mettaton off. But you know the rest of the story."

"Devious.  I wish I'd thought of it."

I rolled my eyes.

"A lot of signs seem to point to Alphys genuinely start rooting for Frisk at some point.  I mean...Frisk made it further--all the way, several times over with each timeline--than any fallen child."

"I'm starting to take a liking to what a secret bad girl the lizard is."

"It's not like that...she, like everyone else has lost their way but...she's not a bad person.  Being a prisoner of an underground kingdom with no sky, no sun, no stars, and no moon wears at your judgement after a while.  You convince yourself that you're not really hurting anybody but...lies are still lies.  Even for the greater good.  I should know.  As should you of all people, Violet."

"Hey.  When have I ever told a--"

"You want the short list or the one that stretches to Little Tokyo?"

"Eheheheh...okay...maybe a few truth-stretches, instances of withholding information and some half-truths that implied something else--"

"Give it a rest.  We're all guilty of it.  Fact is no form of life--human, monster, hybrid, lycan or otherwise is an better than the rest.  We all eventually sin for some reason or another.  And that brings us to where we are now."

"Yeah.  That nemesis of yours sins because he doesn't even believe in sins.  Just choices that breed more of that chaos he's addicted to.  The BAD kind.  Consequence is just a word we invented just to give some sort of justification to karma.

He really is the worst kind of nihilist. I like a good bit of chaos to spice things up...but not to deliberately hurt and kill people and create anarchy. That's just vile."  Vi crossed her arms.

"Well.  Let's run this game backwards.  We got a sexy rectangle to reload."

I'd thought about this for a bit. In Genocide Timelines, Mettaton NEO was the last line of defense before New Home. Before Sans.

In Pacifist Timelines, Mettaton EX, also barred the way out of the CORE and Hotland itself before Castle Dreemurr.

Two sides of the same coin...the same Boss Monster in the same situation with radically different circumstances. Then again the same could be said for all boss monsters. Help them or hurt them. Thinking about it this way made me ponder how  the choice was balanced on the razor's edge. If I went by who a person was, alone, the choice was an easy one to make.

But...seeing how different iterations of Frisk chose one or the other...sometimes as readily as a reflex...I was seeing how devious a game was at its core...how devious a game the Sisters played with this world.

"Yo, Sparky.  Chill on the Double Gear system in that head of yorus.  You're gonna overheat and spark like Tesla Coil."

"Oh.  Ha ha, Violet.  A play on...that.  You peaked over my notes into the future of Rock's world again.  You know you really shouldn't name drop Wily's old research at  Robot University so casually."

"C'mon.  You know by now that Umbilical Cord Theory of yours means when a new game is announced, chances are we'll see a timeline manefest in the InfinityVerse."

Right again, Violet.

"Now come on and enjoy the ride down and the lack of elevator music."

It was mysteriously quiet. No sign of that "mysterious voice" that Frisk didn't recognize. Strange. Its demeanor would have suggested it was Flowey's but...I'm sure Frisk would have recognized the sound of the weed's voice.

In the back of my mind, I had to wonder if it actually WAS Asriel's. I mean...it's the only explanation that made sense. But how could that be if Flowey hadn't absorbed all the souls yet? It was frustrating for me. I really wanted to know.

Plus there was the red smiley emoji that appeared on Alphys' monitor in the True Lab. That one suggested Chara but...Asriel said it himself after being defeated:  Chara has been gone for a long time.

If it was true that Chara had gained full control of Frisk's body by the end of a Genocide Timeline...why couldn't they seek refuge within Frisk in some form or way during Pacifist Timeines. In fact I knew they had...she had. She had explained it to me before. She was the source of the weird narrations...expositions I had become aware of while watching these stable pacifist timelines. The cactus...the most tsundere of plants, indeed.

"I'd appreciate it if you got back on task, Violet.  We're not just here for sightseeing and for you to get an autograph and fullfill your weird otaku fantasies."

"Aww...can't we do both?"

"You're giving me a headache."

Finally the elevator reached the bottom and the doors opened. I recognized the dark and stark setting that was the end of the line to any who reached the CORE. The pathway to the room with the heart-shaped platform was a stone's throw away.

"Quiet."

"Too quiet?"

"...damn you, Vi.  Jinxing it like that--"

"Ohhhh helloooo.  What have we here?  Don't you know this is a closed set dress rehearsal?  I don't appreciate having people walk in on me when I'm memorizing my script!"

"He's here."

"Yup."

"Not humans.  But still intruders.  You don't have authorization to be in a highly secure area like the CORE."

Crap. Mettaton's blanked memories were working against us. I'd restored Asgore by taking him by surprise. This time Mettaton got the drop on us."

"Well, boss?  Got a plan?"

"I was hoping you had one."

"Sorry.  That's Sally's bag, baby.  I'm more of a paint-by-the-numbers girl."

I think that was a load of B.S. that Vi was telling me. But I did believe she didn't have a plan, either."

"I'm going to have to eject you from the premesis.  I'll be sure the Royal Guards escort you to Castle Dreemurr to face judgement."

Oh boy.

"But wouldn't that mean contact with the King?  That might put Alphys in a bad spot--"

I whapped Vi. Name-dropping Alphys while implying we knew about what she was working on."

"Dear me...it sounds like you've stuck your nose where it doesn't belong.  Naughty, naught.  Well.  Not that Alphys' predicament bothers me in the least but should the King take action which interferes with my glorious entertainment empire...well...that is quite unacceptable."

"Well then.  If you're a sporting robot...perhaps a wager?"

Sub-Entry 163: "Dance-a-Tronic Lightshow":
"Hmm?" The rectangle mused. "You're piqued my curiosity."

"As a die-hard fan of yours, I've always wanted to pit my dance moves against yours.  See if I'm fit to step into the metal high-heel boots of the sexy rectangle himself."

"Ohhhhhhh, you flatter me......keep doing it."

"Violet, what are you getting us into?"

"Relax, Commander.  I totally got this.  We'll get to the stakes soon enough.  While I have the opportunity, I beg you to indulge a fangirl in her selfish request to bask in the glory of her idol.  Allow me to take this opportunity to pick your robot brain over some matters..."

"Mmmnn...you have my full attention, darling..."

I soon picked up that Violet was diverting his attention, deliberately. She was signalling me to take action while Mettaton's back was turned to me. So she continued to talk the talk and walk the walk; stroking his enormous ego all the way to the bank.

"I hope you appreciate this..." I grumbled as I magnetically reached out and remotely flipped Mettaton's switch from a safe distance.

"Did...you...just...FLIP MY SWITCH?!"

Here we go again.

"It seems a little early to debute...but Alphys DID she I needed a proper test before I went into battle.  You see...if you flipped my switch then it must mean it's time--"

I caught the scent of kerosene fog machines starting up and filling the room with dense fog as the room darkened further.

The spot lights went on and criss-crossed each other in sweeping tandem; circling about until they stopped on where I presumed Mettaton's position was.

"OHHHHHHHHH YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEES..."

Like clockwork.

"It's time...for my new body..."

I could almost here a sultry and sexy intro segue.

"...if you wish to challenge me to a dance off, I accept.  We'll discuss terms...later."

"But...!" This is bad. How can we agree to terms when we don't know what we're risking? This is why I hate gambling and games of chance. Risk vs. reward was a page out of Adonis' playbook. I didn't like taking chances with things. Especially with lives and well-being.

"I'm already excited." Violet was probably grinning.

"You sound confident, dear.  I'm afraid I'm going to have to shatter that confidence.  You see our hopes and dreams rest on me being able to deliver a final soul in order to break the barrier.  And when that happens I will take the surface world by storm.  I will rise to the top and become the biggest star of all.

With that...I do hope you don't take this personally. This is just business. Showbusiness, darling. But as a token of my appreciation for your fandom. I'll make your defeat...absolutely BEAUTIFUL!"

I saw Mettaton EX's leg kick out from the smoke. He's already deviating from his dance routine? He was supposed to let the fog clear first before he began his dance.

"My only regret is that we're not on the air and this won't be televised."

"Yeah..." I looked off to the side. That didn't sit right with me.

Then it it me. Violet was ALREADY recording this with a personal body web camera!

"D'ohhhh...you're incorrigible, Vi." There's NO way I'm letting her slip this onto the Miranda Internet. One way or another that pen drive is staying with Mettaton. And was ready to destroy any copies she made and wipe her cloud storage data.

"Here we go--"  Mettaton started before he was taken by surprise, coming face-to-foot with Violet's toes as a sudden high-kick deliberately missed connecting with his face.

"Ohhh!  Aren't you a sassypants?  Are you trying to damage my pretty face?"

"Why no.  I'm just giving the fans what they want...or what they would have wanted.  All the glamour and glitz with just a hint of death-defying feats of skill."

I had to admit it. Violet had moves and she could pull punches and kicks on the dance floor. I think it was very possible Mettaton had met his match.

"A new extreme form of dance competition?  How delightful!"

"And free of charge...I'll provide the lights, music and effects!  I promise this will be a light fantastic that's a downright showstopper..." Violet was droppng hints but I wasn't quite figuring out what my role in this was. What was the play? What was the plan? Was she making this up as she went? Oh gods. She was, wasn't she?"

Violet clicked on her bracer and deployed all of her holo-projector drones and sets of hovering versions of Drew's weaponized loudspeaker balls; creating the ultimate 360 degree sphere of surround sound and display. Then she unpacked the microbots from her bracer which unfolded onto the heart-shaped platform, turning it into the gaudiest neon disco dance floor I'd eve seen.

Which only got worse as it lifted off the platform, turning into a hover dance floor. You know...I'd seen this somewhere before.

Yeah...she was taking one part Ready Player One and one part of Gorillaz' music video, "Strobelite" and giving it the 8K resolution hologram treatment with full 11.1 Dolby theater surround sound...unicorns and all.

"Dearl me!  You are a rabbit of many talents. I could save a fortune if I just fired Burgerpants and hired you on to do my special effects and lighting."

And so the dance-off began. As Vi describe it in RPG terms..."none of that turn-based waiting crap.  We're doing this in real-time, baby.

Something told me she was breaking the game. At the very least changing the gameplay.

Each of their dance moves seemed to be a dare; a dare to see who'd be the first to actually make physical contact. Feet, fists, foreheads, and even butts getting too close to one and other's person. It was nerve-wracking. It was pulse-pounding. It was adrenaline-accelerating. It was...it was the You Got Served version of pro-wrestling. Oooooh yeeeeah.

"You dance without fear, my beauty.  Grace me with the honor of your name!"

"Violet.  Violet Tokugawa.  But you can call me seXXXy sandals.  Or the First Lady of Fan Service.  Just don't call me late for a good cosplay session!"

"Oh my, Violet.  You are bold and beautiful, aren't you?  A worthy opponent indeed!"

It was about that time I recognized Violet had remixed "Death By Glamour" and was playing it full tilt through the speakers.

"Why am I not surprised..." I muttered.

As the show went on, Violet took even more liberties, firing up her jetpack to enhance her dance moves in the air. Mettaton was soon showing off the modifications Dr. Light had put into his replacement body including the jet boots. An dance battle in the air? Yeah, why not. Shy of turning off the gravity completely, I don't know what else Violet coud possibly do to spice this up further.

I felt like this was getting us nowhere. We need to restore his memories and get him back on our side. Bunnie, Callista, and Nikita didn't painstakingly recondition each of these memory sets just for it all to go to waste! I had a mission I had to get back on track!

It was then Violet was making it more and more obvious that she was trying to signal me to take action. I was a bit clueless on what she wanted me to do until she spelled it out in one of the holograms behind Metton's back.

"Oh." I could have whapped myself.

I waited until the climax of their dance battle before I charged in and triggered a chronoton charge. While time was frozen around me,  I quickly searched Mettaton EX's access panels until I could find a data port interface and then I fished out the memory tube with his name on it and just plugged the darn thing into the socket!

Sub-Entry 164: "Memory Backup-a-Go-Go":
I jumped back as the charge wore off, yanking the tube out of the socket while magnetically closing the hatch.

"Oh!!!" Mettaton exclaimed in freezeframe as the last note hit in a stinger.

"Oh my!  Dr. Arcade!  That was an unbelievable show you and Violet put on!  I think this dress rehersal is spot-on one-hundred percent!"

"You remember...?"

"Remember?  You only explained things moments before we started.  Dear boy are you getting absent-minded?"

"Er...I must be."

I calmed down and caught my breath as Violet landed and struck a pose. "And that's a wrap!" She grinned as her web cam and microphone shut off.

"As promised, I'll wait until you've spoken with Alphys and given her an update, now that you've spoken with King Asgore."

His memory of Violet's wager had been wiped. Good. I don't think I want to know the terms of what was wagered. The last thing I needed was to be put into Burgerpants' job while he got demoted to something worse.

"So.  Do you really think a human child will fall into the underground?"

"Well...it's already happened several times now." I carefully avoideded an actual number. Erasing Chara's presence meant I had to be careful with what I said.

"We are so close, aren't we?  But we can discuss that another time.  I think my biggest fan could use a selfie!" Mettaton's extendable arm reached over, wrapped around Vi and pulled her in close as he held up a cell phone and snapped a pic.

"You know what I like you gorgeous hunk of hardware, you." Vi said with a wink.

"Oh brother..."

Azzy, you are SO not ready for this.

"You must have so much research to share by now.  So much to tell about the surface world."

"Easy, Mettaton.  All good things in time.  You don't rush a good venue.  Besides.  The info I shared with Alphys in our last meeting left her overwhelmed.  I don't want her to nosebleed over what I have to reveal."

Okay the nosebleed comment was definitely an anime trope. And I probably shouldn't have said it with Violet present.

She was already grinning. Big mistake, Volt.

"Violet.  Don't."

"Whaaaat?  I no do 'nussing!"

Ugh. I think I'm coming down with grumpy old grandpa syndrome. And I don't even have any grandkids, yet. Not until Jon and Elektra decide to--

"Nevermind.  We have to set out for Alphys' Lab ASAP."

"Awww.  But I was just getting my superfreak groove on, baby!"

"Chill with the urban slang and the Space Dandy demeanor and focus.  We have a job to do."

"Right, riiiiight..."

"Anyway.  I want to make sure all is well before I leave you to your business, Mettaton.  All diagnostics check out?"

"I must say this new upgraded body is a delight to use.  I mean I know when you just randomly offered to help Alphys build me revisions to this already-perfect-form, it seemed out of the blue.  But I must say you're a monster of your word."

Good. Mettaton didn't remember Chara destroying his EX form. I just didn't get how he did it. All he did was breach the soul chamber. The blade didn't even touch his soul, nor was there a sign of any energy discharge. It was just as though Mettaton was suddenly bleeding out battery fluid. Metaphorically speaking.

The physics of this place were wonky at best.

But that was a minor concern. As far as he knew we only finished our big number from our original encounter; albeit without Bunnie present nor Frisk or Chara, as far as he could remember. It was a delicate dance keeping these details finely managed. As time went on, the rest of the Ultra Crew Insitute members would make their presence known as the situation presented itself.

Once it all fell into place I wouldn't have to worry about who met who. Or where. Or when.

"All hardware and software seems to be optimized."

"Great."

"It's a long trek to Alphys' lab.  I still have to thank you for patching up our friendship and all.  As a token of my thanks, feel free to stay at MTT Resort on my gold piece.  It's the least I can do."

Gold piece? Oh. The underground equivalent of 'my dime'. Anyway. How cool was that? Metton was paying the bill for a night at the resort.

"As long as they have those tasty mints on the pillow, I'm sold!" Vi mused.

She was in for disappointment.

"A courtessey mint on the pillow?  What a fabulous idea!  I'll have to call ahead and make sure Burgerpants gets the message."

Huh. That worked out. Didn't see that coming.

"Well.  We're taking up your valuable rehersal time.  When we're ready to film, we'll be around.  It'll be the best show ever, right?"

"You know how to sweet talk a robot ghost."

He actually acknowledged his past self, minus the object to possess. He was already showing signs of improvement. It's just like Papyrus said...anyone can be a better person if they try.

"Come on, Vi.  Time's a wasting." I dragged her away.

"I'll be watiing to meet you at Alphys' Lab!" Mettaton waved as we headed through the doors.

Sub-Entry 165: "To Alphys' Lab":
"That went well."

"..."

"What?"

"Sorry.  Just not used to you being straight about things."

"Hey.  I don't always beat around the bush."

"Just when it amuses you."

"Hurtful, Commander." That retort was a load of trash. She was grinning rabbit ear to rabbit ear

"Come onnnn.  Give me some credit."

"Let's just go." I shoved my hands in my labcoat pocket. I wasn't about to give her the satisfaction of knowing that this was probably the easiest she was to ever put up with. She'd instantly ruin the moment.

The trek through the core meant taking twists and turns through that familiar territory through what Vi considered sci-fi central. Really, it did look like areas I'd seen in Ninja Gaiden 3's own Castle Rock, Kabuki Quantum Fighter's Defense Computer, and even nods to the Mana Fortress. I mean...really, it felt like a Dr. Wily castle inside these corridors. Almost alien technology in nature.

The mind of Gaster was definitely lightyears beyond what I figured the Underground should have been capable of.

"I got to hand it to the Man Who Speaks in Hands.  He appreciates a good water-cooled system." Violet pointed a thumb to the drifting ice floe. The march of frozen water floating through the reactor canals...it made me worry what would happen if the CORE ever DID overheat and melt down. It could be a disaster.

That made me think back to Mettaton NEO's body in timeline UTPR-3224 on that island. Chara-Wraith had every opportunity to attack th core and blow us all to kingdom come. So why? Why not end it all there?

Obviously they had their agenda. But if the Wraith really wanted to sow pain, suffering, and death this would have been the quickest and most logical way to do it. Genocide on a planetary level. But no...they followed the convolution all the way to the Containment Unit.

"Thinking about old times, Sparky?"

"Only Chameleon gets to call me Sparky, Vi.  And yeah...you and Bunnie are good at reading me like a book."

"So I take it it's not about how this place would make the most nuclear of s'mores?"

"Your mind is like a bad neighborhood, Vi.  You never want to go in there alone and/or at night."

Violet just stuck her tongue out. Why she finds amusement in being insulted, I'll never know.

As we went through, we worked in pairs to restore the memories of the minor monsters along the way--Final Froggit, Whimsalot, Astigmatism, Madjick, Knight Knight.

This place... Blue metal with runic circuit paths of neon cyan etched into it on the ground

Mechanical towers or pillars with red glass domes on top; covered with flashing lights and display.

The doorways were emblazened with an ornate mechanical crest. It reminded me of a giant, red Reaverbot eye. But as I looked closer at how darker blue framework was carved into the metal around it...it almost looked like a circle with wings. The doorway was where the three triangles would be. It wasn't a complete Delta Rune. No...it actually kinda looked like something more ancient...yet...far more technologically advanced than it should have been.

The catwalks were just as present inside as they were outside. They stretched downward into an abyss...but not an inky black one. No...it was pure white light that seemed to ebb and wane with a rising and falling tide.

Lazily glowing chaser lights and red LED strips lined the walls.

"Oh yeah.  This place is over-engineered."

Was that a Spider-Man: Homecoming quote, Vi?

"We don't know that for sure.  That's something only Gaster could comment on; it's his creation."

"Eh." Vi shrugged.

Does anything impress you anymore, Vi? I'm not going to bring you on these adventures if you keep being this apathetic.

I sighed.

Eventually we left the inner chambers and came to the exterior of the CORE. Same walkways and such but the maze of pipes and circuits below them had turned a dark red and the abyss was now pitch black.

Something was bugging me about this world. Gaster fell into his creation. I'm assuming it was somewhere inside. But...the chasm he fell into didn't look anything like I envisioned it. If he fell into the void...why wasn't it inky black like it was outside here?

Was it just the way this world had reformed? Strange. Very strange.

It did also coincide with how the Void looked when I entered it at the beginning of this adventure...Timeline UTPR-3235, that is. Like Gaster was experimenting with the etherial...bordering on celestial. Not the dark, darker, yet darker he had described in his notes.

A lot of things didn't add up but like before...I didn't know what was trivial...and what was vital and might actually come back to bite me in the rear like before.

Eventually...we emerged from the path to the CORE...to the way back into MTT Resort. What a weird idea...to have the way to the Underground's central power source go through a hotel.

Sure enough, Violet and I stayed for a bit, getting separate rooms after a meal from MTT-Brand Burger Emporium.

I sniped Burgerpants with a quick De-neurolize before he noticed what I was up to. I could tell by his expression he remembered me. But I never asked Violet if she ran into him. This could be a memory conflict if it didn't turn out like I thought. But to my relief, nothing was amiss. But no so much to my relief, Violet had to be Violet. How, might you ask?

Violet couldn't resist messing with Burgerpants. She kept it up until...

"Violet.  ENOUGH." I squeezed her shoulder to let her know I wasn't playing around.

"Okay, I'm done here."

As we turned to leave I heard Burgerpants mutter "Why do I always get the freaks?"

"..."

There was an echo of the past I was hoping he wouldn't remember. I remembered from a Genocide timeline during my exploration of the Undertale Prime timelines.

We left the resort and continued to wind our way backwards throught Mettaton's gauntlet of TV tropes. None of which were active since Mettaton was not on watch for any humans.

It dawned on me...would there be any reprocussions of Frisk going back through the same timeline a second time when they were ready? I'd theorized, based on everyone's echo memories from before, it was very possible that they'd still somehow retain a familiarity with her. The resets did have that effect.

"Cooking With a Killer Robot?"

"Just keep walking, Vi." I scolded. That reminded me. I still had Jon's creme pie in storage. I'd have to serve it to him another day.

Through the maze of steam vents and non-active traps and puzzles we went. Alphys hadn't turned them on for her ruse, yet. Not as long as there was no indication a human had fallen into the Underground. Still...I knew that some monsters like Papyrus and Undyne would continue to be vigilant in "peace" time.

Speaking of pie, we of course ran into Muffet. Violet paid an obscene amount of gold for her wares, which immediately got her on her good side, long enough tor restore her memories and get her up to speed on what she needed to know. It was still an abridged recollection, but I was trusting Alphys with the whole truth. Everyone in the Underground would find out things in a natural course of time. Hopefully Evil Chara could go forgotten. That was his punishment.

"We're almost there."

And eventually...

"It's strange.  Coming back here to the lab...but...to the back door."

"Whatever floats your goat."

I slow turned to Vi for the use of that pun.

The building came into view. But that wasn't all that was waiting for us.

I smiled.

"Sorry to keep you waiting."

Sub-Entry 166: "Alphys, My Friend":
Gadget through her arms around me and bear-hugged.

"I kept my promise.  You're getting to see Asriel's home."

"You're the best, big brother!"

"Now, remember what we discussed.  We can't tell Asriel about this.  You understand why, right?"

Now, I wasn't the only one keeping these secrets from Asriel. Before long we'd all be in on it. At least that way I didn't have to feel guilty alone about hiding the truth from him.

"I know.  Not until he comes of age.  When he's a legal adult and ready to lead his own life.  He can choose his path then.  That way we're not forcing him into either life.  It'll be his decision."

That impacted me at my very core. That choice again. That life-changing choice. Put it out of your mind for now, Volt. You've got plenty of years left before...

"Hey ya, Gadget. Sup?"

"Hi, Miss Violet!"

"Seriously, Gadget.  At your age, calling me 'Miss'?  What are you, a kid?"

"Awww!  Don't tease me!"

"Violet." I narrowed my eyes.

"Okay, okay.  I'll behave."

It was weird. Gadget was on the cusp of leaving her teen years behind. It did sound kinda strange she still called people by honourifics than by going on a first name basis. But that just made her all the more cute as a button.

"Okay.  Best behavior."

"I promise, Volt!"

"I was talking to her..." I pointed to Vi.

"Ruuuuuuuude!" Vi said, sing-songy.

"No more rude than what you've been doing most of your life." I retorted.

"Guilty as charged!" She wasn't even going to deny it?

There wasnt exactly a doorbell so...

* KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK*

I made sure my magnetic powers gave an induction effect that left the door reverberating without damaging it. There was no way she wouldn't hear it.

And sure enough the door swung open...and after several moments of heavy breathing, Alphys carefully peeked around the open door she hid behind--

* FLASH*

With that...Alphys was the one monster to have total recall.

A loud gasp.

"I...remember...EVERYTHING!" She gasped.

"We're back."

"...oh my g-g-god...it makes sense n-now.  We've l-lost an entire d-day."

"Was that a verse or does she have the hiccups?" Vi asked. I thwapped her in retaliation.

"Be nice!" Gadget scolded.

"After what y-y-y-you said...I thought...I thought you had gone b-back on your promise.  I th-thought you had g-given up on us all."

"I'd never do that, Alphys.  We're friends.  Friends don't abandon each other."

"We r-r-really are f-friends?"

"Of course."

"Th-that's good."

"More than that.  I trust you above all others with our deepest secrets."

"I feel like the pressure of keeping those secrets is going to crush me."

"In addition to your own.  Yeah.  I get it."

Alphys took a moment to clean her glasses.

"The Prince?"

"Asriel is doing fine.  He's...got his driver's license.  He's been on a vacation halfway around our world.  He's in advanced math and science.  He's just a jack-of-all-trades in the making."

"Wow...I...I really want to meet him some day."

"You will, Alphys.  You will."

A long pause.

"You already know my lieutenant, Violet."

"Sup, weeb lizard?"

"Weeb?" Alphys looked perplexed.

"Weeaboo.  Otaku.  Nerd."

"Oh...I guess I'm...flattered?"

"You shouldn't be, coming from her." I folded my ears back. "But you do you.  It's what makes you...you.  And that's a good thing."

I noticed Gadget giving me the adorable eyes.

"Oh.  And this is my adorable little adopted sister, Gadget Hackwrench."

"Hiiiiii!  I like your lab!  I bet I could make all kinds of things in here!"

"She's an inspiring inventor."

"Really?" Alphys' gaze brightened. Yup. She found a friend.

"You want to see my gear collection some day?"

"I'd love to...when...we get out of this Underground and...through the barrier.......yeah..." Way to dampen the mood, Alphys.

"Maybe she'll do that when she finds the time after I treat her to an anime binge!" Violet grinned.

"Hey!  No fair!  That could take forever!"

"Anime binge?" Alphys was equally intrigued.

"Oh yeah, we'll get ourselves some ice cream and pig out on anime.  We'll just be a couple of bit--"

I clearned my throat VERY forcefully with a glare of death.

"Language." Gadget scolded.

"You're both getting ahead of yourselves.  It will be some time before that happens."

"Ohh..." Alphys' gaze fell.

"But it WILL happen.  I promise." I assured her.

"I w-want s-s-so much t-to b-believe that.  But every t-time a promise is m-made around here...it just goes from b-b-bad to worse.  It only l-leads to disappointment and...f-f-f-f-failure."

Her stutter was at an all-time high. Had I really cracked her psyche that badly? I couldn't forgive myself it I had caused her to backpedal.

An awkward silence. Gadget looked sad. The comment even managed to shut Violet down.

And then...

"Dr. Arcade!  The human!" She remembered.

"Is no longer on this world."

"N-n-no longer......oh no.  Oh no.  Oh no no no...they're not...!"

"No, no.  They're not dead.  Just...I guess you could say...on vacation.  To get their head on right.  The whole experience...the resets...just everything...it's been too stressful for her.  She's off in a place where she can find her center.  Make peace with herself.  And find her determination again."

"Volt...are you sure about this?  I mean...is she the one?"

"I'd stake my reputation on it."

"I know it's just that...it's a pretty big promise.  Speaking of which..."

Sub-Entry 167: "The Promise Revived/Surveillance!  On Guard For Sightings of Flowey or Chara":
I gestured for Violet and Gadget to occupy themselves. This...honestly did feel like a private moment. Even from close friends and family. I made it very clear to look but don't touch. And under NO circumstances take the path down to the lower levels. The True Lab was off limits. Period.

"Alphys."

"The Amalgamates...I know I can't keep them a secret forever but...I know I can't keep Asgore in the dark forever...but......."

"Alphys..."

"And then you go and share all this information about the Prince...about everything...about things that you promise are going to work out..."

"We're keeping each other's promises.  That hasn't changed."

Gadget was just gushing over the books and cuteness of Dr. Alphys' anime collection and library of knowledge. She completely overlooked the...sadder details.

Violet on the other hand...

"..."

It spoke paragraphs when she couldn't find anything quippy to say. A giant bag of dog food. Notes on her computer which hinted at an ugly story. Surveillance which reminded her of Al Dente. And just tell-tale signs that gave her a really disturbing clue how sad and lonely Alphys was.

When you have this much in common with a kindred spirit...it becomes harder to tease and troll them in good conscience. Yeah...I think this had touched a nerve or two with her.

All the while...

"...so...the other human?"

"Still at large.  Whereabouts in the space-time-continuum unknown.  Still a threat.  But a slave to a much worse threat.  Biding their time for who knows what.  Either way.  I'm not taking him lightly.  I'm not making the same mistakes I made in the other timeline."

"The way you speak of the last timeline...you really feel bad about losing it.  It...must've been pretty great."

"Alphys, don't get me wrong.  It's this same world, same people, same set of circumstances.  Things just happened...slightly differently.  Maybe a part of me things it was an idea setup...a better situation.

But I'd be lying to myself. My guard was down. I was too careless. I didn't prepare for a threat I should have been watching from the start. And in the end, the human and I both let everyone in the underground down.

This is my second chance. Just as much as this is your chance for redemption. You can make amends for your mistakes just as I have...just as I intend to."

"You make it sound so easy."

"Easy?  Easy is the most deceptive lie ever told.  Everything in life is hard.  But not impossible.  You overcome what's hard, you know you've earned your reward.  You know you can rest on your laurels.  But not for long.  You have to remain vigilant."

"Volt, you're missing the point.  Families are depending on me.  I can't deliver.  I can't give them what I promised.  They'll--"

"Doctor.  How many families did I let down when an enter universe was obliterated in a snap of the fingers...okay it didn't happen EXACTLY that way, but the metaphor still stands."

A bit of hinting at Thanos, Volt? Seriously, man. Get out of the habit of dropping those references that the Underground won't recognize.

"Oh...yeah...I...guess that's true."

"Alphys.  It doesn't matter if they hate you.  But if you start hating you, then what hope is there?  You make mistakes.  You'll have your chance to try to fix them.  From there you'll move on.  Don't give Undyne a reason to be sad."

Okay that was a little forward.

"Y-you had to g-go there, huh?"

"I'm...sorry, I didn't--"

"No.  No, you're right.  I know I've thought about...well...that.  But I couldn't do...that to her.  It's just...it takes so much...just to find the motivation to keep going."

"You can't quit now."

"......"

"I mean, you owe Violet an anime outing and Gadget some time in her workshop some day."

Alphys just moaned.

"For no other reason than to get out of this rut of being afraid of how much everyone will hate you.  For no other reason than to just tell people you're sorry.  I've said it before...it's not meaningless to apologize."

She whimpered.

I hesitated a bit and offered a hug. No reaction at first. I pressed it further. After a bit she accepted the embrace.

"I'm so sorry I'm not a better friend."

"Don't apologize.  Not for this.   I guess...we both need to be patient at this point.  It's way to early for anything.  Honestly, even though things are stable...it's still touch-and-go beneath the surface."

"I..j-just have t-to stay d-determined...right?"

I smiled. "Now you're getting it."

I let her go. I think that did some good.

I reached into my pocket and handed her a package of Pocky, taking a chocolate-coated biscuit stick for myself and letting her have the rest.

"Feel better?"

She nodded.

"I guess...I just kind of...lost my n-nerve for a bit."

"Happens."

"So...what can I help you with?"

I presented the USB dongle.

"By all means."

I headed over.

"Move over, Vi." I interrupted her before she had a chance to browse into Alphys' secret files.

There were some things I absolutely had to fight tooth and nail to keep Vi from finding out about. I'm pretty sure she'd consider the Amalgamates a step under Gene-splicing. I wasn't about to have her opinion of Alphys sour over something like this.

I plugged in and got access to all of the security feeds. I scanned over the Underground, top to bottom.

"Be my second set of eyes, Al.  Let me know if you see any sign of your escaped plant."

"Or th-th-the other human child?"

"Exatly."

Yeah. That's right. Go ahead an make your move, either of you. Maybe it was in bad taste to watch over Flowey's shoulder...er...leaves? Whatever. Maybe I wasn't in the right to spy on him...but I did not want to repeat last time...or rather timeline.

Minutes passed. Bordering on an hour. No sign of Flowey. He was staying in the ground. He couldn't possibly be wise to me.

I half-expected him to be talking to Papyrus. Giving him advice. Predicitons. The whole nine yards that Sans had spoken of.

On the same note...no sign of space-time-dimensional portoals in or out of the Underground. Chara wasn't getting his freedom any time soon, it looked like.

"Hmmmmm..."

Maybe he was done with the Underground? Maybe not. I didn't buy it. The idea of him just forgetting about all the boss monsters who crossed him and led to this. And of course...I really didn't believe after what Sans did, that he'd just let it go. Not a chance...in Hell.

Finally I decided to hang it up.

"Leave that dongle in, Alphys.  It'll come in handy if we should need it when next we return."

We wrapped things up. Alphys and Gadget bonded over some inventions made out of recycled parts and scrap. I think it inspired her, in a way. I think Alphys found new motivation thanks to my kid sister.

And Violet certainly gave her stuff to think about with her vast knowledge of anime and pop culture. Oh yeah...Alphys now had two new friends. Things were looking up.

When Mettaton eventually did show up, fashionably late, things went pretty much as well as I'd hoped.

Sub-Entry 168: "Progress Made, Returning Home.  3-2-1-Contact!":
When all was said and done, we squared things awa and said our goodbyes. And most importantly make them swear to secrecy. Specifically not mention us to Undyne or anyone else until we'd combed through Waterfall.

When that happened, I knew who I was bringing with me.

"Goodbye, Dr. Alphys!" Gadget hugged, all cute-like, bending a leg up like a flamingo in such a cute fashion.

"So...kawaii!" I heard the lizard in the lab coat utter.

"Don't be a stranger now, darling.  When I make it to your world, I intend to REALLY make it big."

"One step at a a time, M to the N.  First you got to make it big on the surface world.  Then we'll talk when we come back here some day."

"I'm counting on you both to keep tight-lipped about all this.  This is some pretty big hope we're banking on."

"It's a promise, beauties!"

Promise. Yeah. I think I was starting to like the sound of that word, now. And we were going to fight tooth and nail to keep those promises.

Once we went past Hotland's neon sign, I laid down a new Save Marker. With that the Delorean appeared in hover mode as I had preprogrammed with the remote control box before hand. I was surprised Alphys didn't ask about it. But we didn't arrive on the roof this time. Oh well.

"Eighty-eight us, boss!"

I rolled my eyes and set the space, time, and dimensional coordinates.

Good progress this time. I had thoroughly explained to Alphys and Mettaton why we couldn't just simply shuttle everyone out of this world directly to Miranda. There were rules. There was a timeline that we couldn't just completely blow off. There was also the inevitability of everyone losing their magic like Asriel.

However, most importantly...the game HAD to be played by its rules or at least within them...the rules both Goddesses agreed upon. To cheat either or both of them with a quicky happy ending would be inviting the gravest of consequences and setting every monster in the kingdom up for hard disappointment and tragedy.

There were no shortcuts to this. It was the simplest solution. But it was also the wrong one. Honestly...if I thought it was that easy...if I thought I could just solve everyone's problems just like that...I would have done it years ago after finding Asriel.

We all have to do this the hard way. That's the way it goes.

The time machine left the underground, leaving some brief firetrails over Hotland. Honestly, this was the part of the kingdom such a thing would go the most unnoticed.

"Three...two...one...!" Violet began.

"...Contact!  Is the secret!  Is the moment!  When everything happens!  Contact!  Is the answer!  Is the reason!  When everything happens!  Contact!"

Asriel sung along as the old TV set showed a series of 80's images of related science scenes in every day life.

"Let's make contact!  3-2-1!  CONTACT!" He finished with a grin laying back in his chair, head rested in his palms; elbows outward.

"I see you're taking a shine to these old science programs, my boy.  You can't make classic educational television like this anymore.  The Children's Television Workshop was a stroke of genius back in the day." Dr. Stokes was a nearby observer as Asriel got comfortable for the science museum presentation.

"Yeah, it may be old school but it doesn't pad it with fluff, flash, and silliness.  No disrespt to Beakman and Bill Nye but sometimes you just need straight-up science.  Not showbiz flash and panache to get kids to pay attention."

"Got room for three more?" I said as I entered the room.

"Of course, of course!  The more the merrier!"

Stokes invited us in where Gadget, Violet, and I joined Asriel for the flashback celebraton of educational television programs from way back when. Granted most of it was way early for Asriel's grade level, but I think that's why he was enjoying it. It was a call back to simpler times as a kid. Things he had never seen in the Underground as a monster boy.

The current programs included 3-2-1 Contact as well as a list including Square One, Mr. Wizard's World, and such. But also included programming for the older audience including Physics Demonstrations by the late Professor Julius Sumner Miller, Newton's Apple, and Nova.

By today's standards a lot of the science and discovery was out of date an obsolute. But back then, they had the future right under the microscope. It was making me feel nostalgic as heck and to watch Asriel so invested in it was reassuring.

Progress on both ends--the Underground and right at home. Yes, please. We were going to make this work. We were going to make this happen.

"Have a good mission out?"

"Sure did."

"That's nice.  So...you ready for his secret big day coming up?"

I made a SHH gesture to Asriel. I knew what he was talking about. But no reason to make it public. After all...that's the reason why he snuck out of the office to come to our town for that one special thing...

Sub-Entry 169: "Annual Tradition, Garfield's Birthday Lasagna at Mitzi's":
"...I'm sorry, Sergeant Pinball.  President Arcade is in the first of several meetings.  He will be unavailable for the entire work day."

Arlene glowered with her knuckles to her hips.

"I'm sorry, but he left specific instructions not to be interrupted."

"Do you know who I am, civilian?  I am one of the co-founders of this company.  This foundation.  This entire operation!  I am not going to stand here and hear you tell me that I'm being snubbed by an equal!"

"I'm sorry, ma'am.  I can't help you."

Arlene scoffed then stormed out. "I have half a mind to send you to boot camp for a month, missy..."

The explanation was solid. But...

At that same moment on a plane arriving at Miranda International Airport...

The lone figure in the private eye-esque hat and trenchcoat had left the plane and surveyed the crowd. Sure enough, Felicia; in a nun's getup held up a sign reading "Jim Davis".

A clever alias, indeed.

The two of them got in the unmarked car and headed into town.

Once at the lab...

He presented his credentials and indicated the security team keep tight-lipped, submitting his briefcase to be scanned and checked.

When all was in order, he took the elevator down to the main lab.

A series of checks and quiet back-and-forth information and he was briefed. The head technician gave him a dossier summarizing the 6-month report on UCIAT's activity. A brief scan over it and he thanked him and let him get back to his work.

In no time he was on his way through the town.

A stop at Computer Valhalla.

"You got the password?" Violet looked up as the stranger casually walked past the sign-in station without giving it any regard.

"Pooky sent me."

"Got the second password?"

"I hate Mondays."

"Don't we all..." Violet mused, quite coy.

"And the final password?"

"If you're looking for Lyman, don't check into Jon's basement."

"Passwords confirmed." Violet tented her hands.

"...what's your pleasure?" Violet mused as she examined the bypassed log-in authorization.

"Platformer. "

"I can reccomend a good one...one might say when I found it, I was...Caught in the Act."

A grin underneath the shadow of the hat's brim.

"Be sure to find the secret path in Count Slobbula's Castle..." Violet mused as she slid the game cartridge to him.

"Of course."

"There's some good reading material in the racks on the way out."

"Noted." The stranger waved as he put the cartridge in his briefcase and headed out, taking a moment to pick up the large book. He smirked as he read the sub-title, "His Nine Lives."

"I was kinda hoping you had "In Paradise".  It's High Ramma-Lamma approved with the "five-seven" included.  Vintage model indeed."

Off to Rabbotou Dojo he went...

At the top of the staircase, through the Torii Gate, and at the doors...

Megami opened them right as he hit the last step.

An exchange of bows. An invitation inside, while leaving his high-tops at the doorway. But he left his hat and coat on. He couldn't stay long. Just long enough.

A moment of tea and meditation for the two of them.

A nod and an exchange of body language and he was on his way again. This would be the last stop.

Outside Rock-Afire Pizzaria...

"We've been expecting you." Asriel was outside to greet.

A smile.

Asriel politely opened the door and let him in.

And the the ambiant silence went to cheers and celebration as well as the cry of...

"Happy birthday, Garfield Arcade!"

My father figure and first mentor took his hat and coat off.

"You all know what I like."

He was soon seated and accepted a plethora of cards and small gifts from us all. The kind of small that meant everything but could easily be snuck back into the office without tipping Arlene off.

It was no easy task for him to arrange this every year. But this year was special. It was the first year that his age was a multiple of 10. And I really appreciated little things like that. As to EXACTLY how old he was? Nah. Not telling.

It was a great day for him. And topped off with the highlight of his day.

The serving of the lasagna. Mitzi had made more than one tray so everyone could get at least a couple servings. And there would be some for Garfield to take home in an E.N.G.I.N.E. dot...to save for a rainy day when he could get away with a cheat day on Arlene's strict diet for him and everyone.

"Five years...no, six years later.  You've really impressed me with how far he's come."

"Yeah.  He's still got a way's to go before--"

"Hey now.  Let's not think about that.  This is a day of celebration.  You'll be planning for his seventeenth before you know it."

"Yeah...it's just that..."

"I know.  It was the same for me.  For Nermal.  For Odie, though it's hard to tell.  For Arlene, though she'll never admit to anything so mamby-pamby.  And Edward, even though he'd cover it up with jokes.  But it's not like we never saw you again."

"With him it'll be different--"

"Son." He never called me son unless he really wanted to press a point. "Cross the bridge when you get to it.  You'll just worry yourself sick."

"You're right." I conceeded. "But...you're going to have to think of an excuse when you get back.  Luckily,  Nikita prepared some business notes and reports and such for just such a situation.  You'll have proof that you weren't catting around behind Sarge's back."

"Poor choice of words.  You know that expression also carries a connotation of being unfaithful to your significant other."

"My bad."

We finished up our father-son talk and sure enough the celebration wound down with Mitzi insisting he take some dessert home with him, too."

"Same time, same place next year?"

"Oh you know it!" I mused.

"It was great seeing you again, Garfield.  I promise to work myself hard for my future!" Asriel waved.

"I have no doubt about that.  But don't forget to stop and smell the flowers along the way."

"Ohhh you!" Asriel beamed, rubbing the back of his head. He appreciated the choice of words.

I think somewhere else, Flowey just sneezed. Probably in a bad mood, no less.

Off to Miranda International Airport again.

See you next time, boss. Dad. Mentor. And everything else that came with it.

Happy birthday, Garfield. From Azzy and me both. And all of us.

Sub-Entry 170: "Overflow":
You know I should have known better than to take the 57' Chevy off world. If I hadn't thought to install certain features and protections, I'd be walking my way to the first portal out of here.

But once again, I followed up on a lead that STC's council insisted I check out.

I'd known the history of this world.

I'd known it was a target of that infamous alien race...those tell-tale clothes iron shaped factories of theirs.

But most of all...where they set up shop...she was bound to follow.

"I'm starting to think you just really hate 57 Chevy's.  I mean I get that it's four wheels and not two.  Your Vespa obsession is well-noted.  But really?  Do you have to keep insisting on property damage every time we meet?  For the record my car doesn't transform into a giant mech and I don't wear V-style shades."

"What's the matter pupperz?  You don't look happy to see me."

"Whenever we meet, it always leads to chaos.  You've got Madam Fate's fingerprints all over you."

"Pyeeong.  Touchy-touchy, feely-feely."

The stench of super-spicy curry lingered in the air. Some things never change.

"Let's not beat around the bush.  Why are you bugging me again?" I glared at the green-eyed, orange-haired, female humanoid. I recoginized the manicle on her wrist. The single chain-link on it was still.

"It's not twitching.  So he's not here.  What do you want?"

"Straight to the point, are we?"

"Fine then.  If you're not going to answer my direct questions, answer me this.   Who is it this time?"

"Eh?"

"Don't think I'm ignorant to how N.O. works." I narrowed my eyes.

"I'm going to say this once.  I have nothing to do with Medical Mechanica.  I avoid them like the plague.  And if they set foot anywhere near my solar system let alone my planet, I'd bring the whole STC organization down on them and deport them out of our galaxy, post-haste.  They're not welcome here or any other world that has intelligent life."

"Good answer.  But you know that's not the end of it."

I tightened my fist as I noticed where my gear had landed from my currently overturned car. It took a beating but nothing some touch-up paint and some work in the garage wouldn't fix.

"That guitar of yours is a weapon more dangerous than anything Medical Mechanica can throw at you.  So are you going to throw me a bone here?"

"Huh?  What?  Were you saying something?"

My jaw about dropped as she yanked her big toe out of her ear. Was she just...! Ewww. And when did she take her shoes off--  ...and when did she put them back on again?

This is hardly...progressive. I needed an...alternative...plan.

Amarou was right. She can't be real.

"Who is it you found?"

I noticed the Little Prince Curry boxes on the ground. ...little...prince........oh no...

And then I realized the horror.

"No.  I forbid it!"

"Adolescence is a prime time to miss out on.  But I'm sure his head will still work just fine."

"You leave Asriel alone!  I don't even known how you found out about him!"

"He'd look cute with the bandages on his head.  Trying to hide what's under it...what's under the bandage."

"This isn't up for debate." My fists started crackling with electricity.

Easy, Volt. Turn this around. Remember what this is REALLY about. But start on a tangent.

"I notice Jinryuu isn't following you."

"...."

"Where is she?  What did you do?"

She had turned away from me. But I saw that sly anime side grin.

"You devoured her, didn't you?!"

Her eyes were hidden under the shadow of her bangs...but I could see the red glows underneath.

"I read the reports.  I know about the kids you've already been using to pull things in and out of space and time.  You're going to tell me you want Asriel in addition to--"

A brief chuckle.

"What a selfish way for you to live.  You won't let anything get in your way to him."

No answer.

"Why can't you just accept it?  The Pirate King can't be contained by anyone.  Tied down by anyone.  Your obsession with him overclasses Amy Rose's."

That earned a scoff. She didn't like that.

"You don't like it when I bring up his name?"

"Tsh....shut up!"

"What's so wrong about it?"

"I'm warning you...drop it, or you're  going to be sorry!"

I took a deep breath. "ATOMSK!"

Out came the guitar. She grabbed the rip-cord on its magneto generator in back and yanked hard. That famliar chainsaw-esque motor reving to life.

"You're going to regret this!"

It had gone downhill from the start. Might as well do something stupid and burn the bridge. Behind me, one of my saxophone cases had landed.

"You're a thousand years under-evolved, PRIMATIVE ALIEN MONKEY!"

Wow. You turned that around on her as she had done to Amarou those years ago.

"I will NOT BE TALKED DOWN TO BY AN OVERGROWN FLEABAG!!!" She soared at me and swung the guitar.

I took a deep breath and braced.

An explosion rocked the whole town.

"You're not even in my league, puppy boy." She rested the guitar over her shoulder. "Nyeh?" She saw it as the smoke begain clearing.

"Ohhh...aren't you full of tricks?"

As the smoke cleared, she could make out the shiny golden brass and the silvery metal parts. Wrapped around me in sections and pieces.

"Never bring strings to a woodwind beat down." I emerged wearing what I called the Sax Armor. Gods, I looked like the most ridiculous of Power Ranger villains in this.

I took a deep breath and called out her infernal name. Her real one.

"RAHURO!!!!!"

"So it's a jam session you're after?  Bring it on!"

And we charged each other. The sword I had forged resembled a soprano sax in appearance.

We locked weapons...er...instruments...something. A back-and-forth war of gold lightning against red lightning in addtion to the unseen forces and the opposite alien energies clashing.

Swing against swing. Back and forth we went, neither gaining the advantage.

"All right!  LAAAAAAAAAAAAUNCH TIIIIIIIIIME!"

That was when I took it on the chin with a guitar uppercut. I tumbled end over end through the air as I struggled to maintain my magnetic superconduction.

"That was a sour note.  I'm putting you on BLAST!!!" Now we were in a pun war.

The armor reshaped around my arm, the bell of the horn becoming the mother of all arm cannons.

And with that I sent her tearing through the air, into the ground. She skidded, face first across the pavement, tearing a deep fissure into it, before going onto a tumble and a nasty wipeout.

She whirled aorund, showing plenty of anime fang. The salt was real and the damage to the town was even more real.

Shockwaves, buildings and cars blasting apart and going every which direction.

"I know what they did to Conti!  But I bet you don't even care!"

"That useless walking television set?"

"Surprised you can remember.  Considering how many people you've lured in, manipulated and left behind when they weren't useful to you anymore.

I wonder where Naota is right now?"

She ignored the jab.

"So Hibajiri isn't enough?  When is enough for you?  You can't own a person!  They can't belong to you!"

"You sound like the glassses-wearing lover-boy.  He said the same thing to me!"

I scoffed.

"Is this how you see Atomsk?  You said it yourself.  Only one of you could "eat" him.  That exact words.  The Cult of Atomsk has a bad name and I think you're the poster child for why!"

"RAAAAAAARGGGH!" Her weapon struck my armor, causing a spray of sparks.

"You don't get it...it's not about him belong to me...it's the other way around.  Get a clue, Fuse Man.  I belong to him.  We ALL belong to him.  Don't you know...why he's called the Pirate King?!  We're all his possessions.  He steals entire star systems without thought.  That's the way it is!"

"You don't think he belongs to Madam Fate?  He's just following her script.  Just as you are.  Just as Adonis is.  It's all just a game  And you don't even realize when you're being played!"

I opened the valves on my armor; each opening up way more than a normal saxophone would allow. And out of each hole, a barrage of missiles fired out and homed in on Rahuro, alias Haruko Haruhari.

Explosions one after the other.

"I don't want to hear any more from you!"

"So you want to bring this to an end?  So be it!" We both charged each other and in the impact, a ball of light erupted, swallowing up a large portion of the heart of the city.

SIlence.

When the dust settled, we had both been knocked out. We woke up at about the same time.

"I'm coming for the goat.  His head works, you know."

"You're not going to find him.  Not without my help.  And I do refuse to help."

"You really don't get it...you really don't understand the situation.  Oh well...  You'll find out...some day."

At some point we both managed to get up.

"I won't hold my breath." I growled.

A snort and a turn on the heel as she walked over to her famliar orange Vespa motor scooter.

"Cats should stay with other cats." I quoted Amarou. "Don't start using other alien species you know nothing about."

Rahurou stuck her tongue out and pulled her eyelid down.

"Oh.  Real mature."

With that she sped off at an impossible speed, her tail wind yanking debris and other cars into the air.

"Unbelievable." I said as I magnetically lifted my car and set it down on its wheels.

I dismantled the Sax Armor and fit it back into the case, collected the stuff that spilled out of my car and put it back inside before checking the engine to see if she'd start.

"As if I didn't have enough people I'm protecting Asriel from..." I decided to head back to town and plan my next move. More importantly...I think it was time Asriel and I got in some bro' time before I headed back to Waterfall.

"She's fool.  Trying to act all cool." I muttered. Fool...fooly...fooly cooly....heh.

I turned on the radio in time to catch "Little Busters" by the Pillows as I drove off toward the Cyber Gate.

Chapter 18

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