Chapter Text
Gazing down at the stillness below, the sun peaks and hides behind thick plumes of darkened clouds. It was only late morning, but the large celestial was high in the sky with a blazing gaze.
The sweltering heat held no mercy to the dry land below, battering down at the few greens that barely had enough water to grow.
Just as the sun was scorching the shadows themselves were freezing, the only solace to the heat death of the morning sun. However, do not let the cool reprieve deceive you, as it had done to many others.
Away from one danger, the shadows welcome another, countless many. It is not a single Soul who shuns away from the Sun.
Whether in packs or on their lonesome, danger is forever uncertain while safety is fickle.
For those who neglect to keep this reminder close to their hearts, their end is laid in stone and written in rhyme.
“Over there! They went this way!”
“Don’t lose sight of them!”
Choirs of commands echoed into the space of the dilapidated building, accompanied by the loud patter of light and heavy footsteps owned by the running pursuers and the pursued.
Bated breaths and groaning structures did nothing to deter the chase that broke through the silence as they leaped from light to shadows. One group was composed of 5 adults; 2 bore human features and long spears, and the remaining 3 held varying features of animal to inhuman shapes. Dressed in tattered garbs and heavy, dusty leather gear. Their possessions clanked with little noise, drowned out by their yells and cries as they chased the smaller group.
This group is only composed of three members. Similarly dressed, their garbs looked oversized on their smaller stature, their shoes mismatched and equally tattered and worn. Only one of them yielded a weapon, a spear fastened from a sharpened bone tied taut on a long wooden pole, yet despite possessing the weapon he did not bear it. The teen's hands were filled with the smaller hands of his companion, who was far younger than him.
The child, with his face hidden behind a fluttering red scarf, clutched the worn wrapped grey gloves like a lifeline. His other arm wrapped firmly hugging their third member who was far younger than him. Though his red boots thunder on the asphalt and tiled floors, he did his best to avoid jostling the one in his arms.
The Baby with wide naive eyes watched his brothers pant like dogs as the scenery flashed from the open roads to a warehouse with rusting metal beams and molding wooden boxes. The smell of dirty water hitting his nonexistent nose had him scrunching his face with discomfort. One of which his older brother heard the quiet whine with a soft gaze, bringing the baby’s face closer to his ribcage, a weak attempt to protect him from the disgusting smell he learned to block out.
“They went this way!”
“Come on, kids! We just want to help!”
“Hear us out!”
The teen dressed in a thick blue jacket hissed under his breath as their assailant’s voices echoed loudly in the ‘empty’ building, or one could assume to be empty, but the teen knew the lie.
Kindness does not mean Good.
Empty does not mean Alone.
These were some of the rules he lived by. Rules he learned by making mistakes. If it were only him, he would wager himself to curiosity to gauge their intentions. But in his hands are his younger and youngest brothers, he would never forgive himself if they were put into danger because of his wonder.
Now they’re cornered by a group of recruiters in a dilapidated warehouse, he cannot confirm is truly empty.
“Sans…” mumbled his brother who looked at the room with the same cautious expression he had on his features. Just like his older, the child held the same worries as he clutched the baby to comfort his beating heart with the weak grasp on his dirty white shirt.
In a brief silence, Sans looked back to see how close their pursuers were before noticing their dazed expressions when they could not find the brothers hidden behind old crates in the maze of the storage building.
Seizing the opportunity he swiveled Papyrus to one direction whispering to him softly. “Papyrus. take GG somewhere. i’ll lead them elsewhere.”
“What? Brother…”
“i know you can do it. get out when you see the chance. i’ll find you soon.” He hushed the boy’s worry before placing a tender nuzzle on his forehead, following it with a nuzzle on the skull of GG who giggles into Papyrus’s shirt.
“We heard you! Come out now!” Both boys cringed at the call out before looking into each other’s sockets with a firm gaze.
Without a sound, they kicked off in opposite directions. Papyrus nimbly navigated further into the towering box structures vanishing into their shadows. In his direction, Sans bashed loudly through a stack of boxes causing them to tumble violently alerting their pursuers.
Now on his own a wide grin plastered on his teeth as he waved to the adults on his vantage point high on a wired walkway that bobbed precariously, time and rust eating away the structure causing it to creak, a hair strand away from snapping to strain.
“sup,” he greeted “mind telling us why you’re after us?”
Noticing him on his lonesome the group looked amongst each other for a moment before chasing after him breaking off into two groups that had Sans silently cursing when one group vanished from his view.
“Look kid, you may have your reservations but we came with a deal!” One of the humans of the group, a woman, spoke up earning Sans’s gaze.
“deal? is the deal that appetizing for us that you had to give chase all the way here?”
“Don’t you kids want food? Water? I saw that you also have a baby with you, don’t you want to be able to give them a roof over their head so they can grow safely?”
‘here we go again…’ Sans held his breath to keep himself from rolling his eyelights at the same start to the same pitch he had heard many times before from many other people.
“We have a camp, a community, where you can be safe! We have food and water and as long as you guys help around, I guarantee you boys can earn your share of the resources!” the amount of enthusiasm in her voice was commendable. Sans remembered many others who tried to talk him and his brother into joining their respective camps. Yet this was one of the first times he heard such an enthusiastic take.
He remembers the last time he heard such convincing recruitment propaganda was from that Goat monster some years ago that tried to rally the displaced citizens into forming a group community. It worked so well that many other groups followed his example trying to round up as many people as they could into their groups till it became a competition on who could eat up all the unaligned vagrants of Ebott.
Sans could feel it in his bones that once that period was up, war amongst the groups would be waged for territory, if not against each other then with the other foes that lurked in the land.
Such events he has no concerns about.
Papyrus and GG.
Only them, and no one else, will he care for. The only ones he will commit his time and Soul to. The world be damned and the stars come crashing to end this shit hole called Earth, Sans will keep his brothers safe no matter what, even if the road he has to take is harsh and precarious. Their present and future are his responsibility.
The promise of food, water, and shelter may be tantalizing to many but he recognizes the scam.
If they join now, they will be at the bottom of whatever social hierarchy the camp follows, and if that's the case the amount of food they earn will surmount just as much. They will earn food sure, but it will never be enough to even attempt to fill their stomachs for the day.
Safety is an overstatement, they may be safe from the sun but that’s it. There is no telling if they would be safe while being surrounded by equally broken people just waiting for you to close your eyes before robbing you of everything you own. Not to mention the leading members of the group might confiscate everything they own just to have them work from dusk to dawn to earn a piece back.
He won’t ever trust any spiel from mere low-ranking recruiters, they only parrot what they are told to say to other vagrants.
They preach but never promise.
And that’s why Sans will never trust them.
Papyrus scuttled from behind one box to another. His sharp breaths are the only thing he can hear as the silence mocks him for his efforts.
He heard the crash of boxes from his brother’s stunts and the various shouts from the adults that pursued them but after he left earshot, it was deathly quiet.
‘Silence Does Not Mean Safe.’
His mind chanted as he softly pat GG’s back to coax the baby to sleep. As much as he loves his youngest brother, the most infuriating about babies are the noises they unintentionally let out.
Constantly this cost them their safety and outing the various hiding spots Sans would leave them at. Papyrus understands that this is something GG cannot control. He and Sans knew what they were getting into by accepting to take care of GG out in the open where danger is forever eminent, but sometimes he just wished the baby bones could understand when he needed to be quiet.
Especially when the child heard the echoing crunch of boots breaking glass.
His gloved hand instantly clamped over his mouth to muffle a shriek, he almost squeezed GG awake as his Soul skipped a beat. Papyrus threw himself and his brother into one of the empty crates, covering the opening with a wooden panel to hide their figures in the shadows as two sets of footsteps passed by the box just minutes later.
Papyrus wanted to curse but held it in since it would alert the adults to them. ‘I Thought Adults Were Dumber Than This.’ he mutely groaned in frustration.
Call it conditioned characteristics, but most of Ebott’s inhabitants are usually hot-headed with a fragile ego.
Not often than not was it easy to stoke the flames of their short temper and cause them to become short-sighted.
Such a fact Sans and him exploit to the highest degree. This allowed Papyrus and GG to be safe on many occasions as Sans learned to poke at their assailants to direct all their attention to him while the younger skeletons made their escape.
Perhaps Sans didn’t get a chance to start his stand-up act since the group of adults split up to look for him.
Papyrus pouted in annoyance, as much as he had a strong distaste for adults he sometimes liked it when they were dumb. Makes it easier for things to go to plan.
“Where did they go?”
“I don’t know I last heard them go that way!”
Papyrus cringed as their voice echoed in his wing of the building. Of course, there are times when he absolutely abhors it when adults are dumb as rocks— and Rock creatures are much more intelligent.
‘Silence Does Not Mean Safe.’ reminded himself again with a frown.
From the moisture levels to the amount of light, there’s no doubt about it, this place is the perfect location for a Malignant to nest. And if he has to compare. The chances of a Malignant being present are much more dangerous than the likeliness of them being found by the recruiters.
Of course, there is also a chance that there is no Malignant at all and he was just being paranoid, Papyrus learned that being paranoid is much better than being negligent, especially when the price for negligence is life.
So with a deep breath to soothe the anxiety that bubbles from every loud noise their assailants let out, Papyrus steeled his Soul. Settling GG down, making sure they were deep asleep, Papyrus tucked a green stone from his pocket into his baby brother’s hands before sneaking out of the hiding spot.
“We lost him. Great job nitwit.”
“Oh, shove a spear up your ass!”
“You offering, dickhead!?”
‘There’s The Temperament.’ Papyrus rolled his eyes as he scaled the boxes to spot the heads of his pursuers navigating the maze in a lazy performance of discerning their locations.
‘The Leader Is Not Here.’ He deduced once he spotted the adults after him, a Human and Monster duo. ‘No Wonder They Were Fighting Like Cats And Dogs,’.
‘That Means That At Least Sans Is Distracting More Than Half Of Them.’ It also meant that they deemed Sans the bigger threat should they become a threat. They weren’t wrong. Papyrus would nod at their astute decisions if he wasn’t being pursued by said group.
‘They’re Getting Too Close.’ He frowned watching the duo backtrack towards the area he hid GG. Taking his slingshot from its hidden place he aimed a pebble at a metal sheet a couple of feet away.
CLANGGG!!!
The deafening sound unintentionally made him cringe, he hissed in frustration at the error. The metal screeched to the top of its throat, being more flexible than the boy thought it was.
The loud bang took over the space rattling every eardrum it came into contact with. Papyrus repeated, anxiously praying GG would stay asleep and right where they were despite the noise.
“There he is!” Announced the human adult pulling back his spear at the child.
Papyrus yelped when it grazed his cheek causing him to lean back and off the box he roosted on. Vertigo clouded his senses for a second before he barely caught himself with Blue magic safely lowering onto the cement floor.
“Don’t attack him, you idiot! We were supposed to be recruiting him!” Papyrus saw the monster bat the human on the shoulder causing them to tumble with a surprised yelp.
“Fucking brat should’ve just accepted when he had the chance!” the human growled collecting his spear looking like a wronged child.
“I’m not risking my dinner on your frustration!”
That was all Papyrus needed to hear to forever cement the group in his blacklist.
For all their preaching and kind gesture of offering a better life, for every new vagrant they were able to recruit, the group responsible for such success received extra food and resources. This ploy encourages other groups to take in as many as they can whether the vagrant was willing or not.
This was the real source of their resilience.
Kind does not mean Good.
Not taking his chances now that the duo was actively stalking up to him, Papyrus instantly booked it.
“Come on boy, work with me.” The human woman hissed, her patience thinning as Sans only scowled at their approaching presence.
Looking over his shoulders, he saw the other two monster members slowly getting up from the slip he gave them which caused them to tumble over each other like headless Avians. The woman’s eager grin straining with frustration is the most entertaining thing Sans has seen in a while.
“geez lady. can’t you call it quits already? i know i look tantalizing but man, you sure put a face to the phrase ‘bone on a string’.” Sans swiped a hand over his frontal bone to wipe the nonexistent sweat he developed.
“It’s ‘Carrot on a string’, you bonehead!” one of the monsters grumbled rubbing his sore spots.
“throw me a bone, i’m still learning. i found this old joke book not too long ago. sucks there aren’t that many jokes about skeletons. i could make my own but i’ve got No-Body to try it on.”
“Pfft—”
“Shut up!” the woman smacked the snickering monster before glaring at Sans and his shit-eating grin. “Skeleton, you better get down here before I really lose it. You’d hate for me to get mad, won’t you?” Her tone was authoritative and almost maternal-like in a twisted way, mostly used when a mother’s child was misbehaving massively.
Or at least that was the impression Sans is correlating it with. But in his ears, all he could hear was the condescending voice of a woman under the impression she had some sort of power over him as she had with the monsters beside her.
Did she think just about any monster would act the same way just because a few did?
Her Soul may be strong enough to invoke influence from others, but Sans was just as hard headed and stubborn.
What would have happened if Papyrus heard this? Actually, Sans wouldn’t worry. If hating adults trying to enforce their age and authority over younger Souls was a competition, Papyrus would win 1st place every round.
A part of him was glad his younger brother was not here to hear it or else this standoff would turn far more violent.
“well, i guess you better start hating. we’re not interested.”
“You—!!”
CLANGGG!!!
Their heads snapped in the direction of the other wing with wide eyes. Movement froze for a brief minute until each person realized the correlation of the sound.
“They found them.” One of the monsters deduced which brought a wicked smirk on the woman’s lips as she met eye to eyesocket to the teen skeleton. Without warning the woman kicked off running, closely followed by the other monsters before Sans could say a word.
“damn it!” Sans grumbled dashing after them in an attempt to intercept them. A part of him wished he had Papyrus’s speed to quicken his pace.
The boy in question didn’t realize what was coming to him as he sharply rounded the corner. Letting out a childish giggle as he heard the human and monster duo slip on the dusty floor and crash into the wooden crates.
Although he was cross with his mistake of shooting at such a vocal piece of metal. The fact that his assailants were drawn away from his baby brother’s location was all the comfort he could afford himself. He wondered if Sans would scold him for his blunder and swore if the time calls for him to make amends for his error he’d make sure to make it up to him a hundred times over, but that time would have to come when he, Sans, and GG are out of harm's way, and he has to make sure that outcome is solidified.
“Little boy, where do you think you’re going?”
“Nyeh!?” Papyrus squeaked narrowly dodging the arms of the human woman he swore his brother was distracting. Hoisting himself up above a few crates out of the woman’s reach he looked at her with a shocked face.
“W-Where’s My Brother?” he asked lightly frazzled at her entrance.
“Waiting for you and your brother at our camp,” she replied smoothly with a soft grin, speaking as if she hadn’t been running with the amount of sweat sliding down her temple. “Come, we shouldn’t keep him waiting.”
“How’d You Win Him Over?” He asked, confused, there was no way Sans would agree after being chased this far. There has to be something she told him that earned his interest.
“He wanted to be able to provide his younger brothers the best environment for them to grow.”
‘That Does Sounds Like Something He’d Agree To.’ Papyrus thought to himself with an apprehensive hum. Seeing his reaction, the woman beamed watching his arms lower.
“Come on, let’s go fetch your baby brother and meet him at camp. It’d be best to do so before dark, don't you think so?”
“”B-Boss! You’re here? What happened to the other guy? Don’t worry! We’ve got him where we want him—”
“I was HOPING you two were treating the little guy here NICELY. His brother has agreed to come with us to the camp. I was just in the middle of leading our friend over.” She spoke turning to them as Papyrus went into thought.
“Really? Then where are—”
“Cough! Cough! Sorry, my throat got dry from all this running.” The woman cleared her throat and in response, the duo jumped in alert sputtering sorry’s as they backed away from her.
Papyrus sighed deeply as the woman turned back to him. “Alright kiddo, daylight’s burning. We should probably get your baby brother and head out. What do you say?”
“What Do I Say…?” Papyrus mumbled before returning her gentle gaze with a stink-eyed expression.
“I Say That’s A Load of Bullshit.”
Papyrus delightfully watched as the woman’s facade fell with an ugly snarl that brought nothing but smug in his smirk, knowing full well the reason she lost her cool so quickly was due to his brother’s machinations.
“Get him.” the woman growled to the duo behind her who took a moment to glance at each brother charging at him.
Yet just before they can lessen the distance between each other, two bodies come flying straight at Papyrus’s assailants, crashing them onto the ground.
“Brother!”
“come on, let’s be Adults here. picking on a kid… You wouldn’t condone such a vile thing, now would you?” Sans mused. A look of relief washed over Papyrus as he spotted his older brother waltzing from behind other undamaged crates behind the woman.
“You…” the woman growled through gnashing teeth as her glaring burned holes at Sans’s wide grin. When the teen saw her expression he did nothing but wink innocently as if he were a pure angel from the stars.
“Brother, Any More And This Human Would Light The Whole Building On Fire…”
“oh, Burn!~”
A deep sigh escaped his teeth, Papyrus didn’t want to show any emotions for the woman who had attempted to lie her way into his good graces but even he would pity her now that his brother was on a roll.
“Enough of this!” the woman growled, digging her hand into her coat before pointing the muzzle straight at Sans’s skull, causing Papyrus to gasp in fright.
Sans’s eyes were trained on the gun pointing at him with surprise and wonder. He wasn’t sure of the model of the gun, after all, guns are not that common in this day and age. It seemed to have a cylinder that could hold up to 6 rounds with a short barrel but a long holder. Something tells Sans that this firearm was heavily modified with scraps from various guns that may or may not benefit the weapon in the long run.
“This finally got you to shut up, huh?” The woman cackled at Sans’s lack of reply.
Her words snapped him out of his observation with an unimpressed hum. “Nothing impressive really.” he shrugged, still holding his nonchalant grin.
The woman sneered unsatisfied at his reaction before pulling her finger on the trigger.
BANG!
“S-Sans!” Papyrus yelped at the loud sound, ducking in fright worried it aimed his way.
The woman's prideful sneer dropped deeper than Ebott’s riverbed as she realized the bullet she aimed at his feet met the floor when he simply lifted his foot, causing it to spark as it ricocheted elsewhere.
“guess i dodged a bullet there.” Sans quipped spinning around to dodge two more bullets that were aimed at his right shoulder and head. “Lady, you keep Missing me. I haven’t gone away yet.”
“Brother, Can We Not At This Moment!?” Papyrus loudly complained to his older brother before yelping as a bullet shot through the crate next to him. Seeing such a stunt Sans frowned deeply, summoning a barrage of bones behind him shooting over at the group.
The woman cussed as she dodged out of the way in time along with a monster member while the attack hit the remaining three. Their groans and loud cries of pain echoed followed by their imminent crash.
“guess we gotta wrap this up. bro, get BB and vacate.”
“You are not going anywhere!”
The human grumbled as Sans stepped between her and as Papyrus quickly scaled down his tower, her gun aimed at the duo, both glaring at her with equal ferocity not normally found on children their age.
“B-Boss, let’s cut out losses here. Forget the brats at this point we won’t be back before the gates close—”
“Don’t order me around!” The monster that resembled a bear dropped to the ground just as the woman unintentionally pulled the trigger when whipping the muzzle in his direction. Realizing her actions she quickly caught herself with a deep sigh to cool her flames, by doing so she noticed a small form crawling through the crossroads of crates, it wasn’t just her who noticed.
“No!” Papyrus's breath hitched as Sans paled when she aimed the gun at the ignorant baby.
“Stay. RIGHT. Where you are.” She hissed back, stepping towards the baby that perked at the sound of their older brother. Their round faces beamed, recognizing their faces which had them sitting with eager claps.
Finally having the boys show the expression she was waiting for the woman’s shoulders fell lax as she grinned. “I swear, if any of you boys move even an inch, I WILL pull this trigger. Would it hit him? Or not? Are you willing to bet?” she taunted wiggling the gun slightly, the firearm emitting a cackle as if to show how little force it needed to trigger.
“W-Wait, Come On. He’s Just A Baby. You Don’t Have To Be That Close.” Papyrus sweats as the woman finally reaches the baby, however to their surprise she has not attempted to touch GG, much less a foot close to him.
The woman scoffed at his words looking at the duo incredulously. “And you’re, what? 13 years old?”
“I’m 9 Years Old.”
“Nine? Gosh, you’re pretty tall for someone so young. What about your younger brother? Five?”
“i’m older, hag. fifteen.”
“What? Now that’s ridiculous. Guess you lost the lottery, unfortunately.” Snickered the lady, looking over at her last available lackey to check over the other’s. But the gaze of her lackey did not waver from her.
The woman looked at the monster with a raised brow. He was rather fortunate to not be hit by the attack of the teen in the blue jacket. Not only that, but was also lucky that she hadn’t shot him in the heat of her hysteria. She’d say that she would love to have such luck but that would be a lie. For every good fortune that occurs, there’s an equal disaster waiting to happen.
When the thought flashed in her mind, the woman’s eyes widened with realization, spotting the mirroring expression on the boys; pale and horrified.
The woman looked at the monster with a raised brow. He was rather fortunate to not be hit by the attack of the teen in the blue jacket. Not only that, but was also lucky that she hadn’t shot him in the heat of her hysteria. She’d say that she would love to have such luck but that would be a lie. For every good fortune that occurs, there’s an equal disaster waiting to happen.
When the thought flashed in her mind, the woman’s eyes widened with realization spotting the mirroring expression on the boys; pale and horrified.
“Dammit.” She cursed her past self with all her Soul but deep down she knew she would’ve chosen this all over again consciously or not.
Yet she regrets all the same as she looks up with hollow eyes meeting the piercing orange gaze of the Malignant that looms over her like the symbol of death it is. Dripping white liquid magic from the mouth. It did not have a distinct form but had a bipedal stance which made it worse as it was a sign that it has a taste for people.
“I WON’T GO DOWN ALONE!!” She roared shooting the observing creature straight in the eye causing it to screech and thrash in pain.
“GG!” Papyrus gasped, urging Sans to move.
With the faint sound of a ‘blip’, Sans frantically tackled his youngest brother out of the way as the Malignant charged at the woman who screamed in war-like fury. Her gun clicked out of bullets and she proceeded to throw the firearm at the creature to momentarily stun them as she thrusted the spear from her back to the predator.
Papyrus yelped along with the conscious monster recruiter when they crashed into the crate where he stood.
“Papyrus, quickly!” Sans urged his younger brother who didn’t wait for a second warning.
The boy quickly sped around the battle as he noticed the other members coming in with shock at the appearance of the Malignant.
This battle also caused a lot of tremors. Such vibrations the fragile and dilapidated warehouse could not handle. Almost just as the fight started the rusting metal beams started giving way as dust and debris behind fell along with precariously stacked crates toppling over.
Papyrus quickly leaped high into the air to dodge one of the tumbling crates that shattered into an army of splinters.
He ducked and swerved around the fight as some of the recruiters got thrown back from their fight.
One of these recruiters was the lucky monster. His luck finally left him as he got stuck under a metal beam that fell from an impact that cut it from its foundation. Papyrus quickly jaunts over him booking for the entrance.
“I can’t—! I can’t get up! Help me! Please! I have to go back for my kid! I can’t die today!” Papyrus stopped when he heard the desperate cry. “Boy, please…! Have mercy! Please!”
The adult monster bawled, reaching for Papyrus who was closest to him. If this was a normal scene Papyrus would joke how his cry looked terribly dirty as the layer of dirt that collected on his face turned to mud, flowing down his cheeks.
But it wasn’t a normal scene… and he was not an ally. Papyrus’s gaze hardened as he scrunched his brows harshly with a deep frown. He turned back to look for his older brother but couldn’t see him with the falling crates and ensuing fight.
He must escape to safety while he has the chance…
He must… run…
…to help.
“Hold Still!” Papyrus hissed at the adult who sobbed thank you’s and praises as the boy ordered him to push the beam up while he tried to direct the metal off the man’s furry legs. But the ground trembled as a large gust of wind coated in magic pushed Papyrus to the ground causing both to grunt, the man more pained as the beam fell back on him.
“Are You Okay?” Papyrus jumped to his feet in shock at the sound. The man winced but gave a weak grin.
“Y-Yeah… I’m good. Let’s go agai—”
He could not finish those words as the large body of the Malignant dropped onto his form metal screeching as it bent and snapped under the weight. So sudden, so unexpected.
Papyrus couldn’t process the blood that dripped from his cheek as he stared at the puddle that grew from under the Malignant.
“Papyrus!! watch out!!”
It was only through the yell of his brother that broke his daze once more. He stumbled back, ducking under the wide swipe the Malignant threw.
‘Why Was It After Me? What About The Others…?’ He wondered frantically but the answer was already revealed by the discarded weapons on the ground together with splatters of blood decorating the whole area. Lastly, the severed arm of the human lady, who at one point held a gun threatening his youngest brother’s life, lay discarded on the ground in a puddle of its blood.
Papyrus pushes down the feeling of vertigo and nausea as he rolls out of the way before the Malignant’s arm can squash him as it did with the man prior. Its bleeding eye glared down at him with a hunger that had not been satiated despite the four victims it devoured.
“RAAAAAAGHHH!!!” It let out another roar-like screeching. Its mouth opened so wide that Papyrus would be gone in one bite.
Sans would die than let that happen.
His bone spear impaled deeply into its largest bleeding eye. The force in the throw was powerful enough to throw the looming Malignant across the room crashing into the fallen debris which caused the supportless ceiling to cave in.
His older brother did not bother waiting for his younger, taller, brother to recollect himself. With one arm, Sans scooped up Papyrus the same way he held GG, who was sleeping like he hadn’t been inches away from death.
Now with the world in his arms, Sans bolted away from the collapsing building where the distant screams of the still alive Malignant echo in the hollow cavern of his soft skull. Papyrus watched in a daze while the warehouse vanished behind the other buildings surrounding the area. The faint shadow of Sans’s spear, coated in blue magic, flew after them.
“I’m Sorry Brother…”
Papyrus mumbled into the blue sleeve. Away from the hungry eyes of the adults and Malignant, tears pool out of his sockets in large drops, his breath hitched in an attempt to calm his ragged breath.
“I’m Sorry…”
Notes:
For those who were reading this in the hour or so it was first posted. I am so sorry for all the alterations. I am new to this style of posting, generally new to AO3 and was testing things out while also finding the style of dialogue I will be using throughout the story.
Chapter 2: It Takes Only One Baby
Chapter Text
Papyrus was silent as Sans carried him and GG away from the cloud of dust that was the only evidence of their altercations with the recruiters.
Hidden behind the forest of buildings, and highways and overgrown vegetation in the city of silence, it was the only sign of movement.
And that is dangerous.
Sans knew this, and it was why he didn’t stop running even when they made it a few blocks away from the scene. Who knows who or what grew interested in the cloud, hungry or curious to join the fray.
At least it will deal with the Malignant left behind, only the heavens knows how much of a grudge a Malignant can hold. They are not Earthborn, thus the land will never claim them back into the soil. They would live until eaten by another in a never-ending cycle.
Fist clenched in shame, Papyrus buried his face into his older brother’s jacket’s thick collar, curling himself more into himself as if he was still a small baby bones.
To many from an outside perspective, it would look odd to see the taller boy in the arms of his shorter sibling. But Papyrus found comfort that even when he has outgrown his older brother, Sans still has the strength to carry him, leaving a cozy warmth in his chest.
“Sorry…”
His older brother skidded to a halt at the croak of his younger brother’s voice. The movement jostled the boys in his arms for a moment which had Papyrus shudder in anxiety waiting for his reaction.
“...”
Without a word, Sans glanced around. Even with both arms occupied, he was able to make it to the apartment room hideout they camp in from time to time, never having a permanent base and opting to cycle around the city to efficiently gather food and other necessities. While also avoiding raiders and scouting recruiters.
The only way to enter the room, or the only way the boys ever enter their hideout, is by jumping from the overpass road into the window that was disguised to look boarded up and abandoned.
Sans could do so by using Blue Magic on himself and his brothers to make them momentarily weightless and fly in, doing great care not to be spotted.
Now in the safety of four thick walls and padded floors. He set Papyrus down to put GG in the makeshift baby crib they fastened with wood, old blankets and cloth, and a thin mattress scavenged from their adventures and trading.
Like clockwork, Papyrus immediately moved to the windows to check the outside surroundings and fix up the windows to keep the disguise intact. Moved to the door to check for any break-ins, then to the boxes of resources they stashed in the corner.
When everything was done the brothers met gazes again and the awkwardness returned in full force.
Papyrus was first to break eye contact as he wrung his gloved hands. “I–I’m Sorry… Brother…”
“i know,” Before he could say more he was pulled into a firm hug, his jittering knees fell. Sans lowered them both to the floor patting his younger brother’s skull with a gentle smile.
“my good brother only wanted to do what was right.” he felt Papyrus relax at his words before tensing again when he broke away from the hug to hold his shoulders.
“but it seems you forgot what i told you.”
“I-I Just Wanted To Help…”
“and that’s what makes you the coolest skeleton around. but in that situation, your safety was not guaranteed and that's where you should’ve backed away.”
“B-But That Person Was In Trouble…”
“help yourself first, Papyrus. i know you want to do what’s right, but you can’t give your kindness away, not caring what will happen to you. what would happen if you’re not helped in return? what would happen if people took your kindness for granted and used it? what would happen if you lost your Soul? GG won’t be able to grow up without his cool older brother—”
“—He’d Still Have You.”
“i can’t do it on my own. my soul can’t bear it.” Sans shot down Papyrus’s attempt to mitigate the blow. “GG needs his two brothers. like i need my two brothers.”
“i’m not saying not to try at all. help if you want, whether to gain favors or help just to help. I’ll concede. but only do it when you know you won’t be in harm's way. if i lose either of you, a part of my Soul would shatter whether figuratively… or by my own hands.”
“Sans, That’s Not Healthy,” Papyrus mumbled in his hug looking at his brother’s chin pointedly. Feeling his disappointed gaze Sans chuckled but didn’t retort to the statement.
“well, sorry for being a softie.” He instead quipped with a dramatized sigh.
“You’re A Hopeless Sofie. And Thus, It Is My Duty To Keep Your Softie Heart Intact.” Papyrus pulled away as his gaze caught sight of GG, awake and curiously watching them. Clutching the wood that acts as the fencing in his ‘crib’, he did a little dance that brought a smile to both brothers’ faces.
“looks like someone’s hungry.”
“Did You Save Some Of The Fruit We Found Before This Whole Scuffle?” Papyrus ventured to their stash, moving the boxes and their contents around in his search.
Sans grumbled at the memory, sighing disgruntled. “the fruits weren’t even ripe or soft enough. we might have to bargain at M-L for soft foods.”
“I Wouldn’t Say It’s A Good Idea. I Heard From The ‘Vine’ That Some Nearby Gang Is Trying To Take Over The Building. No News Says If The Fight Is Over Or If It Started Yet.” he huffed with rolled eyes when he parroted the info.
It’s times like these where he wonders why Adults can’t just leave Neutral Grounds neutral.
M-L is a giant building with many rooms that act as trading spots for people all over the district. It’s owned by a community that allows trading for free while protecting those who wish to trade in the area. By doing this they gather interested parties and resources while gaining a good rep with other communities that want to ensure the trading area last long term.
Of course, some groups want to take over the area because it's a trading spot. But have they ever stopped to wonder, that if they take over the trading spot and ruin the peace, the people who trade there might go away?
And if they try to exploit the traders and steal the resources, they may earn the ire of other groups who had benefited by trading.
It’ll just end up a dead zone like many other attempted neutral zones of the past.
That Goat monster Sans told him before— the one trying to make a neutral zone to help vagrants and other inhabitants of the city. They had to close their gates due to all the spies and gangs trying to take over/sabotage the community. No longer accepting new members with open arms. Newcomers have to be subject to a rigorous introduction phase before the community accepts them as official members.
The idea was to be able to sniff out conspiracies before they could do any major harm to the established community since they’re one of the largest in the city.
It also had the unintentional effect of making the group appear iron-clad with an authoritarian leader.
But Papyrus had heard from a friend he met during one of Sans’s solo excursions where he had to stay with GG in one spot, who got into the community through a recommendation from an older member, through the ‘Vine’ that the place was far nicer than its outward image.
She also commented that the place is full of softies and was the reason the community is very strict on who goes in.
‘Good On Them.’ He thought, suddenly cheering when he took out a jar of preserved fruits sold from a harvest some time ago.
“Look GG, I Have Apple Jam!”
He grins proudly watching the baby silly dance in response to his enthusiastic voice. The baby babbled incoherently but looked at the jar with recognition.
“oh, i didn’t know we still had some.” Sans mused cleaning up his bone spear at the other end of the room away from GG and Papyrus. Gliding the surface over the rims of the windows as if drawing a barrier.
“I Believe We Decided To Leave Them Due To The Jar Being Fragile. The Ones We Did Carry We Also Eventually Left In The Other Hideouts.” Papyrus grabbed a wooden spoon out of his small bag before picking up GG who scrambled in his arms him like a Hominid Malignant.
“Stop Monkeying Around GG! You’ll Make Me Spill Your Food!”
Sans chuckled at the wordplay, looking out the window now and then for signs of life.
The sun was finally setting after the long day, and with it, the image of the city looking serene in its “taken over by nature" state into a vision of nightmares. Sans has heard from chatty vagrants that the city used to be clean and not broken, filled to the brim with humans.
But after a century or so after the big calamity, it's been nothing more than a graveyard, a kind of place one would describe as absolute ‘hell’
Sans isn’t able to put either description to an image in his mind, but he wonders how his life would be with Papyrus and GG if they lived in that peaceful era. Though it is said that the city was filled with Humans, where had all the monsters gone?
When he asked that question, he got scolded by the chatty monster who called themselves a “Meta-Human”. He had to stop Papyrus from calling to question the monster’s intelligence.
If a monster wants to call themselves a… “Meta-Human”, who is he to stop them? He basically named himself, Papyrus, and GG just from his surroundings, so he shouldn’t be one to judge…
…Audibly.
‘since we’re on the topic, speaking of monsters calling themselves “Meta-Humans”—’
“Saaaah!~”
GG giggled crawling on his lap when Papyrus looked away to pack the opened jar. Sans sucked in a breath as the baby's head went straight towards the spear's tip, he quickly pulled the weapon back and up in the air.
“A-Ahh! Good Gahd— My Soul… GG!” Sans couldn’t find the words with sweat pouring from the side of his skull as the baby bones reached for the weapon with wide eyes. GG pouted when the ‘toy’, in his eyes, was taken away.
Although belated, Papyrus saw what was happening and quickly grabbed the troublemaker away before further harm was done.
“GG the Skeleton, That Is Not A Toy!” Papyrus frowned trying to give his youngest sibling a stern scolding but the facade crumbled under the wondrous gaze of innocent wide eyes.
“I Thought Putting On Those Mittens Would Stop You From Grabbing Every Little Thing You Set Your Eyes On. Do We Also Have To Put You In A Wrap To Keep You From Crawling Into Danger To?” He let out a defeated sigh.
For how careful and gifted the skeleton brothers are, neither were prepared for the trouble and risk taking care of a baby bones would entail.
In his early months, GG would be a good baby, keeping quiet on most days. He’s not much of a crier and the brothers argue it as a good thing, it’s easier to hide him when the situations call for it and the boys would have no problem in sneaking or hunting with the baby.
Many other caretakers they meet refute that it's not good, saying his vocals won’t develop, though Papyrus wonders if they’re speaking with human babies in mind.
Not like he has anyone to ask for confirmation. Sans and he once rounded the city with the intent of looking for an older skeleton to seek advice from, it seems that they’re the only ones left.
And nowadays, this baby bones has gotten them into more trouble than they could count with both of their hands.
It came to the point where Sans had to return to their ‘childhood’ home and grab a pair of mittens he saw in passing. To keep the brilliant kleptomaniac from grabbing and probing at things like a scientist.
“think we should wrap him in a blanket roll?” Sans suggested cheekily watching Papyrus wrack his brain at the thought despite it being a joke.
“That’s Not Such A Bad Idea… If We Can Find A Cloth Big Enough, We May Be Able To Make One Into A Bag. But, That Would Mean We Have To Visit M-L.”
‘—and we don’t know if it’s a good time due to the current gang incident.’ Sans finished the thought in his mind, tapping his finger on the wooden handle. His eyes fell on the crib and his brows rose with an idea.
“maybe we can make one out of pelts?” he suggested. “instead of a blanket we can just make a bag that can carry him. it would already have the shape to it, we just have to sew it up.”
“Brilliant Idea! Then We Can Also Stock Up On Jerky Along The Way. Maybe We Can Sell Some When The Incident Blows Over.”
“guess i know what i’m doing tomorrow.”
“W-Wait, Just You?” Papyrus mumbled, almost disappointed but held his tongue trying not to show it. It’s not like he wants to go, no of course not, he’ll get in Sans’s way. Sans is way stronger than people give him credit for, so he doesn’t need to be worried about getting in someone’s way… when they… hunt… not get in… Sans’s way. He must not trouble his older brother.
Of course, despite Papyrus's rational brain fueling his actions, his Soul listens to no one as they whine loudly at his brother in disappointment.
Something that Sans doesn’t mind, it makes him smile watching Papyrus try to look mature when his Soul’s ambiance gives him away.
Though only he can actually tell the difference. No one is close or observant enough to read Soul Intent nowadays. It's the reason why no one can tell exactly how old Papyrus, GG, and Sans are.
Sans smirked watching the tells of when Papyrus is rejecting something he likes or wants to do. It changes depending on the situation, and currently, it's the tapping of the white toe of his red boots on the wooden floor. But the older brother didn’t say anything about it instantly.
As much as Sans would like to make Papyrus happy, he has to think about the consequences if he brings his younger brothers to his hunting excursion. If Papyrus is going GG tags along by default, and we already established how much of a magnet for trouble the baby is.
‘then again, staying in the hideout is no different...’
GG is a baby bones on a mission to entertain himself. He can’t stay in one spot without the risk of growing bored, and when GG is bored, ‘hell’ ensues.
Sans reminisced the time they lost a potential hideout due to GG unable to find something to entertain himself when Papyrus slipped into a little nap one faithful afternoon. So when the inside grew dull, GG desired the outside world.
However Sans and Papyrus were not careless to let him sneak out.
Properly barricading the hideout so well, and the fact he was so small, that it properly succeeded in preventing him from breaking out. So GG’s third option for entertainment was the miscellaneous scattered in the room that he was inattentive to initially.
Luckily for him, and unluckily for his brothers, the trio were camping in an old lab. Not unlike their ‘childhood’ home, and it was fully equipped with junk the average Ebott citizen lacked the education to utilize.
Not like GG had any education, he’s a baby.
But that didn’t stop him from making a bomb— his mittens could’ve, but they weren’t on him at the time.
‘yeaaaaah. on second thought, leaving GG bored here is much more dangerous…’
Sans has taken many risks, and this will be one of many future risks he’ll just have to accept.
Change is the law of the living.
Nothing stays stagnant, not even in the City of Silence.
It had become a legend amongst the vagrants and current-era children. The fact that Ebott City used to be a ‘bustling’ place in its 'prime'.
Where concrete towers reach for the stars instead of the rubble of dominoes that wrecked the land. Where every window was not broken in, clean like crystal able to withstand the cold weather. Where there were so many people, the vast empty roads were crowded, filled with the slow traffic of metal vehicles called cars. Where each building was ransacked and dirty were filled with wares and food of all kinds.
It was a fantasy nowadays.
Nowadays, the only thing that stayed true was the nature that grew around the city, and the mountain that loomed a distance from the city like a dead giant.
When Malignants first appeared, the people panicked like a tidal wave crashing through. Though many agreed the appearance of the Malignants was the biggest offender for the decline of the once-peaceful city. It was the insanity of the people who started fighting amongst one another that cemented its degradation, and the city only continued to crumble.
Sans was told how many thought of going to the mountain to hide in its large cavern system, but no one could make it due to the hordes of Malignants, causing everyone to speculate the Mountain was the source of the Malignants. Calling back to an old myth about a race of monsters once sealed underneath the mound.
But the caves were empty.
Sans instinctively knows that.
The forest, however, was NOT empty.
It is now filled to the absolute brim.
At first, the forest only had a normal forest ecosystem. Small critters. The common deer species. Maybe a pack of wolves. And a couple of bobcats.
When the Malignants came, that population declined drastically.
Similar to when introducing an invasive species to an already established system, when the Malignants came they ate everything. Everything that moved, sounded, breathed. Like a silent plague destroying all that lives, not even the ants or the flies survived. As the wildlife vanished, the Malignants filled the vacant space creating their own ecosystem and food chain, unchecked and unbothered.
Eventually, the realization came that the forest that used to enclose the city peacefully has now become a barrier that traps the people, whether to be hunted into nothing or to starve cut off from the rest of the world.
People used to hold on to hope that those from outside would rescue the ones in the city, but the disaster was not local. It had consumed the world to the point where it had now been named a calamity.
And the city was renamed, Last Ebott City.
It either will be the last city alive or the last place people will know of before being devoured.
That was what they lamented at first, but the people of Last Ebott City are stubborn and tenacious. Out of revenge and spite, someone fought against a Malignant in a sort of last-stand effort after losing their family to the white beings.
He won the battle and with his victory, it revealed two things that turned the tide of everything.
Magic has been rediscovered, and Malignant’s are edible.
The notion: “Eat or Be Eaten” had been coined and the world continued to move.
There have been attempts to study them, and labs have been built close to the forests for easier capture and transportation but there was never a clear case of being able to domesticate or cage Malignant beasts. The most valuable fruits of labor the labs can gain by observing the beings categorizing the Malignants and providing the city and its people with the information they can use to better survive.
One of the labs built near the forest was Sans and his brothers' ‘childhood’ home. It's a place hard for the average citizen to sneak in without loud, attention-grabbing trouble. So it was the best place for them to hunt without competition.
“Sans, I See Movements In That Direction,” Papyrus reported from his vantage point on a high branch. GG held in his arms mimicking his older brother, looking around like an avian predator. “It's A Quadruped Type Malignant. Slinky Body And Is Nimble. Medium In Size, I Think.”
“if its that small then it's probably a Mustela malignant.” Sans thumbed his lower jaw in thought before nodding to his brother’s assessment. “it might be able to give us a long pelt and enough meat. hold your position until you can tell if it's a hybrid or not.”
“I Hear.”
With his bone dutifully sharpened and maintained, Sans clutched the wooden handle as he readied his stance. Giving a once over to the clearing he situated himself in, he took a sharp breath parting his blunt teeth, and exhaled slowly, emitting a sharp silent whistle.
When Sans did this, Papyrus’s head was steering around to spot any signs of movement. Looking out for the Malignant they had been tracking but not solely paying attention to it.
Sans had let out a calling whistle that was meant to agitate the nearby Malignant. A technique he discovered and developed over time. Eventually, this tactic became his main method of hunting. Tracking a Malignant into an isolated location and using the calling whistle to agitate it so it does not decide to flee at his presence, the whistle tapping into their core the desire to duel with him to the death.
The main problem with this method was that it did not restrict how many could hear the whistle. So as long as any Malignant heard the call, whether they’re the intended target or not, they will charge at him, the source of the sound.
Papyrus’s main role in this hunting excursion is to be the lookout. Between him and his older brother, Papyrus has much better vision and his ability to discern the environment for camouflaged beings is unrivaled.
With this vision, he was able to notice the long Malignant snaking through the low shrubbery.
“Sans.” He alerted with a sharp hiss. Sans only acknowledged with a quick glance to his sibling as he readied his stance, spear pointed and hungry. It hummed a faint vibration sensing the Malignant drawing nearer.
Not a sound was made till the rustle of leaves where it made its entrance.
With sharp needle claws, the stoat-like Malignant pounced towards Sans with a shrill hiss. Sans quickly thrust his spear towards the head of the beast who jerked its head out of the way at the last minute. Taking on a defensive roll, bailing out of its attack.
The teen quickly renewed his stance and struck the spear again, cursing under his breath as the beast parried with a strong swipe. Flinching away from another slash of the sharp bone.
Sans quickly jumped into the air dodging a strong charge from the Beast, taking the opportunity to slam the tip into the long body which caused the Malignant to shrill and hastily roll like a spring. It was able to throw Sans off at the cost of earning a large gash down the side of its slinky body.
In its anger, it let out another hiss, this time Sans replied with a deep growl rattling from his ribcage as his eye light glowed furiously.
“darn, sorry paps. looks like we’ll have to break out the sewing kit. the pelt is gonna have a few more holes in em.” he said with a strained grin adjusting his hold on the staff. Seeing the miniscule movement the stoat Malignant hissed with barred teeth.
“hungry to finish this?” Sans quipped not caring if the creature understood him or not. “me too.”
With speed unlike prior, Sans kicked off from the dirt. The Malignant winding itself up, charged forward with its jaw slacked wide, ready to crunch on the bones of its opponent.
Just as teeth met the bone-tipped spear, a wooden stake lodged itself into its eye.
“!?!?” in shock the posture of the stoat Malignant collapsed, stricken with fear and confusion as it tumbled clumsily with its newly lost vision. As if waiting for the attack, Sans’s spear changed directions, instead of the head like it previously seemed, struck the neck of the Malignant.
The beast writhed viciously in an attempt to free itself but the spear’s tip made a clean exit and lodged into the earth. Sans held the Malignant down with a foot to its shoulder. He quickly grabbed the stake, pulling it out before bringing it back down to the top of the Malignant’s head.
A loud shatter sounded at the stake and disappeared into its head.
Like a puppet with their strings cut, the being seized all movements. Falling slack with a loud thump, all sounds from it instantly silenced.
A pregnant silence took over the clearing. Papyrus watched with an intense gaze over the stark white body caked in mud and grass stains for any twitch. Just as his teen older brother froze in his attack, his hand still clenched on the stake as if ready to plunge the wooden weapon as many times as it takes to guarantee the Malignant’s demise.
“Is It Dead Brother?” Papyrus’s high voice broke the silence and the hardened trance Sans had caught himself in. Losing all the tension he finally stepped away from the corpse of the newly killed Malignant.
“yeah… yeah. it’s dead.” Sans mumbled looking away from the corpse he had been glaring at moments before.
Papyrus noticing his mood frowned softly, beaming with an idea he took out the joke book his brother loved looking at now and then. Hearing the flipping of papers, Sans looked up at the skeleton boy with confusion before breaking into a grin spotting the book in his hand.
“W-What Did The Tree Say To The Dog?”
“i don’t know. what did the dog say?”
“Leaf Me Alone! You’re Bark-ing Up At The Wrong Tree!”
“heh… heheheh!”
“Nyeheh!”
“bwah-haha!“
The giggles erupted from the children and turned into a full-blown guffaw with not another word said. Neither of the boys remember how one joke squeezed such a peal of hard laughter out of them but they had an inkling of an idea it was because of GG.
Their Souls sang with glee as both boys calmed down. The reason for the tension was not lost on them as the corpse lay still but they were no longer encompassed by it.
Instead, the reason for the downcast changed as thunder rumbled from the constant grey clouds that never dissipated over Last Ebott City.
“Papyrus, time to get down.” Sans beckoned with his hand, looking at the sky with confusion and alarm.
“Is It Going To Storm? It’s Not That Common At This Time Of Year, Is It?” Papyrus asked, skidding down the trunk and jogging to grasp his brother’s hand, skillfully still holding GG in his other.
“No, It’s Not…”
Papyrus gasped softly his brow creased with unease. “You Don’t Think It’s A…?”
“there’ve been no titan malignants since that day.” Sans shot the idea down in clear denial. He’d rather not even muster a thought of the possibility.
Malignants may come in all sizes, some as big as buildings while others the size of a ball. And the level of danger would always vary depending on their size and their intelligence. Sans can and will handle any of those dangers even if he’s betting on his life.
But a Titan Malignant is a gigantic disaster. No question.
It doesn’t matter if the Malignant is smart or dumb. The sheer size of it is enough to level the whole city on an afternoon walk. Sans would only be a splinter to that thing. He can’t protect his brothers from something like that!
Papyrus frowned as he saw Sans observe the sky with vigilance, he didn’t mean to scare his brother but he just wanted to think of all possibilities. If they knew every danger available they could think of a way to combat or escape if needed.
He had never seen a Titan Malignant. He only heard stories of them and the most common feature of those retellings was that when the skies roar, it will appear.
Just as he was about to comment on his brother’s worries his head snapped to the side when he saw a flicker of white. His breath hitched in alert for the presence of a Malignant. But it wasn’t one.
Feeling the jerk of motion, Sans’s head also snapped towards the direction his brother turned to and his sockets widened when he saw the stark white door merged onto the side of a rock wall. ‘Since was that there?’ he wondered to himself, glancing over the familiar symbols, though he couldn’t remember from where.
With cautious steps he broke away from his brother, signaling for them to stay where they were as he walked up to the structure as if approaching a sleeping beast.
It's not uncommon for such actions to be taken. With the fall of society so long ago, the ones who still remember what peace looks like are the older folks. So far into the past and so unusual compared to current life that many couldn’t understand the uses for such buildings even when explained to them.
Thus the third most dangerous thing aside from Malignants and other residents are laboratories.
Not many knew its exact purpose, whether it was for containment or biological research. Whether it was still online, with inhabitants, or guarded. Sans had heard plenty of cautionary tales from those who saw from afar or witnessed firsthand the dangers of ‘Old World’ structures.
Normally Sans would not dare risk the buildings a quick scouting unless there was someone or something to be his test dummy. But the fact that this door was in the territory of their ‘childhood’ lab and the fact it was dripping in nostalgia made him comfortable enough to take a little glance. At least to know if it is a good place to camp from the rain.
“O ba waba!~”
Papyrus gasped as GG almost leaped out of his arms before hastily putting him down, watching the baby crawl towards Sans who was at the door, he frantically tried to run after the baby only to look back.
“Waba!”
GG chirped causing Sans to look down at him in wonder watching the baby look at the door with such familiarity he would have mistaken this as someone coming home.
“what do think this is BB?” the oldest skeleton snickered helping the baby up to their feet with hands under his arms. Tumbling even with support, GG reached for the door with beaming enthusiasm. When he reached the door, the baby drew his hands back before harshly knocking on the metal causing the boys' bones to rattle.
“G-GG!” Sans stuttered, his eye lights fuzzing from the hum that overpowered the baby’s gleeful laughter while watching the door open with a mechanized hum.
As much as Sans should have been shocked that his youngest brother was able to open a strangely familiar metal door that suddenly appeared in the woods, inside the open door Sans couldn’t help but gasp in awe along with Papyrus as they watched lights blink with life as screens flicker with data they couldn’t read from where they were outside. The humming of live machinery echoed out like a haunting siren call.
“Wowie, There’s Still Power In That Room,” Papyrus mumbled looking at the room like a new toy. “When Was The Last Time We Saw Power Not From A Gas Generator?”
“Ahaaa!~” GG squealed as they crawled on the tile floor. The dirt that caked their knees and hands smudged the otherworldly clean tiles, soiling their white color.
“w-woah, where do you think you’re going?” Sans chased after the speeding baby, almost tripping over his spear he unceremoniously let go for his brother.
Papyrus flinched when the skies rumbled again. A small grumble left his teeth as he rubbed his shoulder as if to give himself a bit of comfort. He doesn’t normally get to hear thunder, it's not a common weather known to the city, but he’s starting to realize he doesn’t like it. It made him feel small, and he especially did not appreciate how it would just suddenly grumble without warning with its loud volume. He was tempted to coax Sans into the unknown lab just to get away from the sound, but that would be careless of them when they don’t even know what’s inside.
The wind started picking up as the sky darkened, which also darkened Papyrus’s mood.
This time it wasn’t because of the weather. “Sans, Something Is Coming.”
“what?” Deciding GG was safer going towards the lab, Sans quickly picked up his spear as he tugged Papyrus away from the corpse of the Malignant they had hunted. Papyrus wistfully looked at their gain before sighing in remorse realizing they won’t be able to harvest either meat or skin.
“It’s Coming From There.” Papyrus pointed in a certain direction off to the right in front of them. But as he pointed, rustling came from the opposite side causing the brother’s eyes to widen in shock.
Papyrus is not normally wrong.
“to the lab, quickly.” Sans hissed, pushing his brother back as he readied his spear. Eyes flickering from one side to another wondering which would come out first.
This is bad. Despite how unnatural Malignants are, they should still react like animals thus they should be hiding once the skies started roaring. Yet why…?
“of course…” Sans’s eyes flickered to the slain Malignant. They must have heard his whistle. That means they have keen hearing, which cuts the list of potential types appearing short, but the remaining types were those who are particularly dangerous. And now two are coming their way.
‘guess safe or not, to the lab we go.’
“GG!? Your mittens!” Somehow, just from those words Sans’s bones went cold as a chill ran down his spine. Despite himself, he looked back.
There he saw his youngest sibling, hands free from the mitten that were supposed to be magically sealed over his dexterous but chubby fingers. Papyrus was still running to the baby who was standing by the machine with a focused gaze, arms stretched out towards the metal slowly humming like it was growing with power.
The sky flashed on queue and the Malignant hiding in the shrubs noticed Sans’s lowered guard, let out a howl as it leaped for him. Causing the teen to stumble back at the movement, raising his spear in response only to have his eyes shrink in shock.
In slow motion, he watched the bolt of lightning crawl from the clouds in the sky, the tip of the light reaching for the tip of his spear while he met gazes with the Malignant’s multiple eyes. The second only chooses to leap into the clearing with an open maw.
At that time GG squealed in delight as the machine kick-started to life, bursting in a flash of blinding rays Papyrus did not have time to look away as he reached for the baby with his mittens clenched in his gloved hands.
The silence rang loud as the rain pattered on the dirt soaking it and the corpse that lay abandoned for another creature to scavenge its carcass, now that its original hunters were nowhere in sight.
Not even the metal door was left.
The lab itself was nowhere to be seen.