Underdoom - Chapter 24

And so, they would follow him, led by the mark on his visage, his Night Sentinels, a wall between our might and the power of the Wraiths.-

“Whatcha reading, Undyne?”

She righted her posture as Alphys approached “Hmm? I thought you were up monitoring the mission.”

“Well, at this point we can’t really see them anymore. Sans has comms covered for now, so I decided to see what you’re up to.” She looked at the luminescent device in her friend’s hands. “Reading up on something?”

“Yeah…” She flipped through the previous pages. “These are the UAC’s transcripts of the Corrax tablets. Stuff’s crazy. It’s not even a complete record, but what’s there is just… haunting.”

“What’ve you read so far?”

“Just more stuff about the Sentinels. It talks about the Wraiths and their power, how they kept Hell back so long, all sorts of crazy stuff. It even talks about Doomguy and how he….”

She stopped. Both her and Alphys were thinking the same thing.

“What are we supposed to tell them, Al?”

“I dunno… when Frisk was headed to Asgore, I just kind of blurted it out that there wasn’t gonna be a peaceful solution, but in retrospect, I think she knew that from the start.”

“Yeah, well, you and both know that ended up differently. Both Asgore and Frisk knew it was gonna be a ‘one way or another’ deal. Only Doomguy knows the full picture here. I still think that we should-“

Sans’ voice startled them both

“Yeah, guys? …Alright, I’ll have her over. Alphys?”

“Yeah?”

“Shore party needs to speak to you. Toriel and Asgore. They say it’s urgent.”

“Okay, hold on.” Her toe claws skittered on the linoleum, echoing through the quiet compound. She tapped the holo panel on her receiver. “King Asgore? What did you need?”

Something was off. Asgore’s calm tone was a very transparent façade covering frayed nerves. Gaster stood behind him, staring off into nowhere. “Alphys, are you there?”

“I’m here, sir.”

“Everything still going well on your end?”

“Yes sir, and you?”

“We’re, uh… we’re hanging on, Doctor Alphys. We’re hanging on. We just- we’re getting quite close to the Crux but… we must also search for our son.”

“Okay.”

“We have agreed among ourselves that Gaster and VEGA will accompany the Doom Slayer. Me and Toriel have opted to look for Asriel with what time we have left.”

Flowey’s eyes lit up and couldn’t blink. That was everything he needed to hear. He immediately set his gaze upon the Doom Slayer, hoping that his chance would come soon enough. Everything in him just wanted to tackle the Slayer, find a way to access his power. That pile of goop and his tin friend would be hard to lose. He had to act fast…

“I’m going to need you to send whatever probes you’ve got here. We’ve consulted with VEGA, and he says that weather should be calm enough for you to fly the three left near the Necropolis to us. Can you do that?”

“Yes, Lord Asgore. Sans, you’ve got controls.”

“I’m on it…”

Several of the wafer thin holo screens lowered to eye level, each displaying their own imagery. On one, the old entrance to the Blood Citadel, DT signature filter still overlaid thereon. The others looked on towards the tumultuous amber sky, many mountains stricken with endless flashes of lightning. Sans’ small hands alternated between hovering over the three-dimensional controls and touching each monitor, allowing him to consolidate control between all three.

PRB/CNTRL.CONFIG/NO.7458B-NO.

CONSOLIDATE COMMAND_ORIENTATION/DESTINATION: GRID_SHTO36U3

EXECUTE?

YES_ NO_

With a tap of his fingertips, each probe looked towards that same foreboding mountain.

“Alright, probes should be on their way. Windshear’s beating them up a little, but probe speeds are maintaining about eighty knots.”

“Excellent, thank you, Sans.”

“Anything else you need, sir?”

“No, Alphys, we’ll be fine…. Just keep tabs on any DT signatures you find and relay their location to us.”

Asgore could hear the small actuators in VEGA’s finger as the Ai tapped him on the shoulder. “Your bracer should be in sync with the home module. As long as they can send you coordinates, you should be able to find him. They should show in its holo-display.”

Flowey could felt cold all over, though the room was fuming hot with hell’s fumes. “Running out of time… got to think of something…” he thought to himself. He saw cracks in the breached wall, just to Doomguy’s right. They led from the edges of the breach to the top of the room, where some of the stone had fallen away entirely, letting in dull beams of hellish light.

“Good… we’ll see you when we’ve found him, dear.”

“Yes, Lord Asgore…”

“Shore party out.”

Asgore lowered his bracer. For a while, the only thing anyone could hear was the wind quietly howling and thunder rolling off in the distant mountaintops. He took a look at the Doom Slayer, who still sat at the edge of the breach, hunched over, hands on his head

“How much time do you think he’ll need, Doctor?”

“He’s strong, but he’ll need a few more minutes. That was not an easy thing for him to see.”

“Right…”

“We’ll go our separate ways shortly. I’ll be consulting VEGA in the meantime.”

“Of course. Toriel?”

“Yes?”

“I think you and I might need to talk too.”

All the while, the Praetorian remained still. He felt light headed, heat flashes tormenting him incessantly. He was dizzy, and even sitting down, he could feel his body swaying just a bit. Every time he would droop too low in any direction, he would flinch to right himself like a drunken man, or one deprived of sleep. His mind was numb, but only in the same way a maimed man lying on the ground in shock could not feel his severed leg. His consciousness had been bleeding halfway to death. He fought the screaming away, tried to let it go, get it out of his head, but such things have a way of gripping a guilty mind. He was to blame for their unending agony. His selfish and shortsighted folly had damned them to eternal torture. He betrayed them. He betrayed them and there was nothing he could do to undo his treachery, for the wages thereof were, and always would be, suffering.

Whispered voices from afar behind him mingled with his tortured thoughts. Did he deserve to be rewarded? To sneak his way out of consequences? Did he deserve another chance?

“How will we find him, Gorey?”

“They’ll send us any signatures they find. We’ll find him/”

No. he didn’t deserve it.

“How will we bring him back? Doctor Alphys said he didn’t-”

“I don’t know….”

They did.

“I miss him… I miss Chara… “

“I do too, Tori.”

Of course, they had done wrong too. One had fled her responsibilities and let her people down. The other’s orders had killed several innocents.

“It’s been so many years… what will he say when he knows what we’ve done? Gods, he wouldn’t want to even look at us…”

“He’ll understand, Tori-“

Her sniffling was easily heard bouncing against the walls. “I can barely tolerate what I’ve done myself. Asgore, you should have seen the look on everyone’s faces when we paraded through the old home, they were so disappointed-“

But that was after the fact. This is what drove them to transgression in the first place. That one, dark, horrible day. That was not their fault.

“You remember the day I made my mistake.”

“Gorey-“

“That day still haunts me. I’ve been there too. Every time a new human fell, I felt that day’s regrets as if I had just watched you leave….”

They deserved the one chance that now, only he could give them.

Dizziness still lightened the Doom Slayer’s head, and his gaze wavered somewhat as he stood up, maintaining eye contact with the Obsidian Gate. For eons he had been withheld from it. The demons had enticed him, led him to a false clue, and trapped him. That day, every epoch of his work, his search, seemed to slip between his fingers as fickle, bloody sand. The tools of his justice taken away, his body sealed in stone, and all his hopes dashed seemingly forever. Now he stood here. His sword and shield back in his hands, his armor back on his hide, and the last head of his adversary, the last chance he had to reclaim what had been taken from him, staring him in the eyes.

“I’m so sorry I did that to you-“

“I understand….”

It was so close. Just a few moments of running would bring him there.

“… but we cannot tarry long, Toriel. I know we have so much to talk about-”

“I know….”

He didn’t need to hear this anymore… maybe he could just start running….

Gaster’s calling echoed through the empty chamber. “Your Majesties, VEGA and I have finished consulting. I think it’s nearly time we went underway.”

“Of course. Toriel, are you ready?”

Their problems are their own. Stop thinking about it. Stop listening. Just go. It’s right there. Right in front of you.

“I think… I think I will be.”

VEGA sounded more subdued than usual. “I am in direct communication with the probes. If I pick something up with my sensors, I will let the two of you know.”

“Okay… so where will you be going?”

The answer loomed over him, taunted him with its presence. The Citadel of Baphomet…. Last chance…. Only chance.

“Our route will take us to the Citadel. I only pray for your safety wherever your search takes you.”

“Then we’ll be off. Asgore?”

“Right behind you.”

Just go

The cadence of steel steps and ominous humming replied. “And behind us, O Queen… old friend, are you…”

The others noticed his hesitation, Toriel foremost. “Doctor, are you alright?”

Now.

He ran.

He left them in the dust. Full speed. No more thinking. Just do it. Do it now, or you will regret it forever. Just go. Forget about them.

He nearly tripped as he came to a screeching halt. He heard something. Rock tearing, crashing down. Cracking and crumbling and falling. Falling right over the entrance to the old conduit chamber. He looked back and saw it. A great portion of the wall was tearing away along a crack that ran alongside one of the pillars that lead to the columns surrounding him. Great clouds of rusty orange dust billowed skyward. Did he do that? If any one of them had been hurt because of him…

That’s when he noticed tendrils retreating from the cracks.

“Is everybody alright?!” Asgore boomed, swiping some dust off his shoulders

Toriel’s eyes scoured the rubble, which now covered the exit. It wasn’t insurmountable, and it injured no one, but everyone’s ears, including hers, were still ringing. “What was that?!”

“You all stay back….”

All eyes traced the sound to the top of the rubble

“He’s mine.”

Asgore nearly felt his heart stop as he saw the Flower perched upon the ruined stone. “Asriel…”

Flowey ran away.

The Doom Slayer could not pry his eyes from the ruinous chamber. The dust just barely obscured his view of those little vines whipping about, eventually shrinking into a single point. He saw some dust swirling around it, displaced by rapid movement. It was coming towards him. He could make out a very diminutive shape emerging, still cloaked by dim light and soot. It wasn’t long before it vanished underground. He could see flecks of earth being flung up as its silhouette vanished.

He waited with the crucible in hand, poised to tear apart whatever pestilential beast that dared obstruct him with another distraction.

“Finally.”

He looked back and wasn’t sure if he was seeing it correctly. A little face peering up at him, beady little eyes burning into his. A little flowering plant, staring into him with such curiosity and enthusiasm. The sight was bizarre, but in retrospect, it wasn’t much stranger than anything else he had seen in the past two days. Only morbid curiosity bid him listen.

“Those idiots can’t bother us now. I’ve been wanting to meet you. See you up close. I watched you fight those demons back there. Saw you carve them up with that sword, blow them away with your shotgun… The sword was my favorite.”

That little voice of his made the Scourge cringe. It was so nasally and grating, and the innocence in his tone sounded so blatantly superficial. It made him clench his fists, grit his teeth. The enthusiasm in it was real but almost everything else about it disgusted him. There was a chip on this thing’s shoulder.

“I… I know what your sword can do.”

There it was.

Run.

“Hey!! Wait!”

Just run. The Iron stench of blood is near. The gates are within reach. He is waiting for you.

The little Flower’s voice suddenly took on new, demonic tones. “GIVE IT TO ME!”

He felt a tendril wrapping around his arm.

“GIVE IT TO ME RIGHT NOW OR I’LL-!”

The Crimson blade was unsheathed, and in a flash, that tendril was cut away. The little creature screamed and shrieked and tried to give chase. Now the Marine knew who it was.

Don’t think about it. Don’t think. Don’t stop. Don’t give up. You’re right there. It’s right there. Right in front of you. Just a little further. Another vine around you, torso this time.  Cut it off. He’s still screaming. No. Not “he.” It. It’s screaming. Still following you. Wrapping more vines around you. You’re strong enough. Just keep running. They’ll break if it tries to constrict you. Keep running. Keep moving. The gates are opening. This is it. It’s almost time. It’s got a good foothold on you. Ignore it. He’s clinging to you. Trying to pry the blade from you hand. He can’t He’s crying. Begging. Don’t listen to him…

The gates are opening…

The debris under Asgore’s feet nearly toppled out from under him before he could get solid enough of a footing to pull Toriel to the top of the rubble. “Okay here… climb up, up… there.”

“Will everyone be able to make it up okay?”

“Yes, O Queen, we-“

VEGA’s interruption halted everyone in their tracks. “Receiving Probe footage now…. Oh no…”

“VEGA, what is it?”

“Your Highness… Probes have arrived…. Picking up DT signature in the open.”



In the lab, Alphys and Sans nearly fell out of their seats. Sans picked the comms up first.

“Shore party! Come in, Shore Party!”

“Toriel, look…”

“Shore party, come in! Why won’t they ans-ugh-Alphys! Switch to standard Visual!”

“Switching to defaults, focus on-gasp!”



There he was. Hanging off the Doom Slayer’s back. The Praetor’s pace had slowed considerably as the Flower wrapped more vines around him. A massive gate was spreading its blackened doors, and from beyond, they could see two red eyes peering out from the dark.

“GIVE IT! GIVE IT!”

Keep cutting the vines. Get him off of you.

He cried harder and harder as the crimson blade lopped vine after vine off him. “PLEASE!”

Ignore him…. Just ignore him.

“No!”

“Toriel, wait!”

Keep cutting. He’s got you turned around. The others are coming. No. Don’t let them catch up. Enough vine are cut. Just get him away…

“I DON’T WANNA STAY LIKE THIS!” the little flower cried out.  His voice had changed again. It was no longer that of a demon, but of a little boy. “I-I don’t wanna be like this! PLEASE!”

Just a couple more vines…

“PLEASE!”

Toriel and Asgore ran as fast as they could. They were still at least a hundred yards away. They could hear their son crying. Tears began to cloud their vision. They ran faster. Harder. Almost more than their legs could carry them.

There’s the taproot. Cut it.



“Shore party, Shore Party! We-“

“Wait, that’s them!”



The Hell Walker shimmied the blade under his own forearm and cut outward, severing Flowey’s last connection with him. The Flower screamed out in pain one more time before the Doom Slayer brought him up to his face, sheathing his blade. He looked him in the eyes, trying to tell him something with his sharp, rapid breathing and his wide, bloodshot eyes. He would not - could not help him.

VEGA and Gaster could barely keep up. So much distance to close.

“P-please…”

He shut his eyes and threw him, not taking much notice of exactly where he aimed. Those two or three seconds in the air were the most dreadfully silent moment in Flowey’s memory. He smacked against the outer face of one of the Obsidian Doors before falling limply to the ground.

The King and Queen Froze, horrified. The little flower did not make another sound for a few more seconds, while the Doom Slayer paused to regain his breath before slowly stepping forward, towards the open gate. Towards the red eyes staring blankly at him. He picked shredded vines out of the nooks and crannies of his armor, lazily letting the slip from his fingers and onto the ground.

As he stepped past the gate, the Flower began to cry again, and he stopped, taking a brief look at him. The flower just kept crying. His sobbing and sniffling was the only sound in the torrid air. Not even the wind could be heard. Not even a whistle.

“Asriel!!”

“Asgore, wait!”

The red eyes beyond the gate opened wide. A grisly howl shook the ground, and with it, a foul chorus of demoniac yells and screeching and bellowing. Toriel nearly fell face first on the ground before her husband caught her in his arms.

The Scourge of Hell narrowed his eyes as the courtyard before him came alight with the fires of hell. Demons perched on the many parapets and clambered down the walls, all slowly at first. They all knew the stakes, and fear of ultimate disgrace horrified them more than death or dismemberment at the Doom Slayer’s hand.

With the Crucible and Siphon in hand, the Unchained Predator let forth from the empty hilt and skull-strewn buckler those familiar constructs of bright red. Hellspawn recoiled, and Baphomet snarled as their vermillion light soaked the blackened gate. His left foot came down before him, lining his body parallel to the walls. Holding the Siphon out with palm facing the ground, he brought the tip of the crucible’s blade to the green gem at the shield’s center.

Tears still clinging to the corners of her eyes, Toriel whimpered. “Doctor, what’s happening? What’s he doing”

Gaster’s eyes were dead. He couldn’t find the right words to respond.

That infernal, growling voice gave its last ruinous dispatch

“DO NOT LET HIM PROCEED.”

Every demon charged towards the gate at once.

The Praetorian immediately swung the sword round about him. A trail of bright red light flowed therefrom, floating in the air, following the blade’s path and running as far as its length

“STOP HIM!”

He locked the pommel into the top of the Buckler, the jaws on the ends interlocking. The tip of the blade now faced downward.

“KILL HIM!”

The demons were mere yards away

He plunged the blade into the ground.