Underdoom - Chapter 2

The Praetorian took his seat next to the skeleton and his friends. Their conversation seemed to be occupied with talk of "a new future," among much other happy, positive rhetoric. The King had spoken of such things before while they were walking into the Palace proper. It was all so strange to him, and not just because he had literally just stumbled upon his current circumstances. The very idea of being free, living devoid of killing and vengeance, living comfortably and "happily," was foreign and even very frightening to him. He wasn't sure how he'd cope without it, and the thought began to shake him somewhat. The prospect of never realizing his revenge was scary enough, but for some reason, living among such happy people was far more terrifying. Sure they were harmless, but it was a life he barely remembered he had lived before, and he had heavy apprehensions regarding the immediate, near, and distant future. What was it going to be like? What was "happy" like? What was "calm" like? What was "interaction" like? All these questions and more spun around his head like a ghastly whirlwind. It was beginning to truly dawn on him as to how new and horrifyingly alien all of this was. As he ruminated on what his life would look like from this point onward, the others were talking about what kind of new lives they would live on the surface, dreaming of future possibilities and opportunities when Undyne interjected, Facing her attention to their new friend. "It's kinda funny how we invite this guy to sit with us and we don't talk to him. Hey Doomguy! When are we gonna have that rematch?!"

"Oh, settle down, now!" Asgore teased. "No need to go burning down the house!"

"WOW, Asgore..."

"heh heh... You're such a hothead, Undyne (emphasis on hot...)"

"Not you too, Alphys!"

"Hey now, who's in charge of the jokes here?"

"Oh if only I, the Great Papyrus was cooking... Doomguy, do you enjoy Spaghetti?"

"I think it's better to leave the cooking to me for now, Papyrus!"

The whistling sound from Asgore's kettle began to wane, and the Doom Slayer was the first to be offered a cup, "Some tea, Sir?" he kindly offered with a cup in one hand and the kettle in another. Doomguy reluctantly nodded yes and the King served him a rather handsome little cup on a saucer. "There you are!" Completely perplexed at the little vessel, he examined it in his hands for a bit. the rest went silent as he eyeballed the cup, took off his helmet, and smelled the contents. "Well go on!" Asgore said in encouragement. Before he could encourage him any further, the Doom Slayer opened his mouth wide and drank the entirety of his serving in one fell swoop, grimacing as he endured the heat, before swallowing and exhaling deeply. He turned up to see everyone just kind of staring at him with either mouth or eyes (or both) open wide. Somewhat indifferent to their reaction, he motioned towards the king for another serving. Chuckling a little, Asgore began to pour him another cup when suddenly, he motioned that he desired the whole kettle. Not waiting for permission, he took it and began to pour the contents wholesale down his throat straight from the spout before returning it to the King, much to everyone's amazement and amusement. Somewhere at the back of his mind he knew that perhaps that move with the tea wasn't so polite. He didn't care. All he knew was that he hadn't truly eaten or drank in a very long time. Asgore retrieved his kettle, walking away meekly. "I'll.. just go and fix up another kettle...." he said, laughing a little.

Suddenly, just about everybody at the table started laughing. "Holy crap, that was awesome, man!" Undyne said, wiping tears away.

"You've got some interesting table manners, big guy!" Sans added, sipping from his bottle of ketchup

"Oh, you should talk, chubby cheeks!" papyrus replied, sneering.

"Hey now, we're not bringing that into this!" Sans chuckled. "I'm not that fat!"

"Sans, if they ever opened up your bones, they'd find cholesterol instead of marrow." Alphys scoffed, much to everyone's sudden shock and amusement. "I mean, not like I should talk, but..."

"Oh come on, babe! You're not fat, you're just thick!"

"Yeah, especially under the arms...' Sans quipped, eliciting a gasp from Undyne and Alphys, the latter of whom immediately grabbed him by the hood, laughing as she tried to hit him upside the head

"Wh-*snrk*-WHAT was that, skeleman?!" she giggled.

"ha-Hey Undyne!" The skeleton called out. "A-are *ow* her kisses beef or chicken flavored?!"

"*GASP*! Oh NOW you're gonna get it!!"

"Yeah, hit him, Al!!"

"S-Sans!" Toriel called out from the kitchen, trying to stifle her own laughter. "No jo-*wheeze*-Oh my goodness-no jokes like that, p-please!"

"Sorry you majest-OW!"

"You enjoying your stay, new friend?" Papyrus asked the Marine with his hand on his shoulder. The Praetor had both hands on his face, hiding a silent chortle before raising a hand with a thumbs up. "I knew you'd like it here!" the skeleton said, wrapping his arm around the Marine, who simply patted his new companion on the back in response.

The Praetorian took a second just to take this little scene in. Friends were joking and roughhousing one with another and sharing laughter. Fellowship and friendship abounded here. A few faint memories played out in his head. They were all but dreams to him, but within those dreams were smiling faces and loved ones. People he cherished who cherished him back. Their faces weren't clear to his vision, as their names had long been swept away by the steady erosion of time and the storms of vengeful action. Now, as he let his hand fall from his face, he saw it anew, only with new faces. Strangely enough it all felt the same, and although it still felt somewhat new and frightening to some extent, it was slowly beginning to take root within him.

Toriel had finished preparing an appetizer, setting it down on the table. The Praetor couldn't tell what it was - all that mattered was that it smelled incredible. No sooner did she set it down, inviting everyone to "dig in," when he did just that - With his hands. Reaching across the table, he shoved his hand into the dish, scooping out a massive handful of some sort of white mush intermingled with greens and some meat. Toriel gasped as he shoved it all into his mouth without pausing to grab another handful with his other hand while everyone else laughed, gasped, or did a little bit of both. "S-Sir!" She said, intercepting the Praetorian's hand. "Everyone else has to eat too! Please, use your manners! I provided a spoon for you to get some with. Here, let me serve you up..." she said as she gave him a rather pitiful portion (or at least it was to him). The Doom Slayer looked upon hie meal with a mix of contempt and appetite. Toriel  watched and waited with a smile, hoping he could act with more decency. Her hope was in vain: within seconds he had wolfed it all down, practically slamming the plate into his face. Exasperated, she left him and the others to attend to her cooking. "I'll be finishing our main dish..." she said, trying not to laugh somewhat.

Small talk resumed around the dinner table, some trying to engage the Doom Slayer. "So, you lead a bunch of knights, didn't you?" Undyne said with a full mouth. "You got any pictures of 'em?" The Praetor pulled out another log, this time a UAC record showing a picture of a statue depicting one of his men. Undyne was awestruck by the stoic, terrible appearance of the Night Sentinel. The jagged sword, the sleek, intimidating visage, and the bulky armor all added to the mysterious figure's allure. "Whoa... I gotta get the Royal Guard outfitted in something like that..."

"Well, remember what I said, Undyne. We may not be needing the Royal Guard anymore, now that the war is over." replied Asgore, so Undyne's visible dismay. He then turned his attention to the Hunter. "Now sir, I believe we've yet to tell you what's been happening lately. Our kind has been trapped here underground for many years by some sort of magical barrier. Thanks to Frisk, that barrier was broken just earlier today." The Slayer listened intently as Asgore continued to provide exposition, fascinated somewhat at the bizarre story of Monsterkind.

"Yeah, this kid really saved our bacon." Sans added. "I'll tell you, as soon as I get to the surface, first thing I'm doing is... Hmm, let's see..."

"Absolutely nothing?" said Frisk, giggling.

"You got it, Kiddo!"

"I certainly know what I'm doing!" Toriel chimed from the kitchen as she put the finishing touches on the main course. "Soon as I get the chance, I'm becoming a teacher! I've always loved helping others learn, especially children."

"Welp, if the Royal Guard isn't gonna be a thing anymore, I'm not really sure what I'll do. Maybe I'll hit up the teaching biz with Toriel..." Undyne added.

"Oh, I'd LOVE to see what kind of stuff would go on in your classroom..." said Frisk.

"Oh, wouldn't you love to know, punk!"

"I've always loved gardening..." Asgore added. "Maybe monsterkind can do better off with a different leader..."

As the main course was set on the table (A huge dish comprising of some sort of pasta with white sauce and various vegetables and meats) and everyone got their share, the talk of happier times ahead continued, shortly interrupted by laughter as a certain armor-clad man tried once more to reach right into the food. "Oh no no!" Toriel playfully scolded, briskly smacking his hand away. "You're using those utensils, mister!" The Praetor simply gave a silent chuckle, shaking his head and pretending to shoo her away. As everyone dug in, shared memories, and planned their futures together, the Praetorian began to feel just a slight tinge of melancholy under the mirth in his countenance. This certainly was a much happier place than he was used to being in, and the alien factor presented by that happiness had begun to fade away. There was just one problem: some time, sooner or later, either he would have to come to Hayden, or Hayden would come to him. Wherever that man was, he was planning on using that hellish energy to satiate himself, make himself some sort of hero. People like him were never heroes. At some point, he would have to deal with whatever mess Hayden would make, meaning an end to his brief respite here in this innocent place. That retraction of the only comfort he's known in years was what most stung him. These people were so loving and innocent and friendly, and it wouldn't be long before he would be torn away from them, one way or another.

Frisk then asked a question that just made that harsh reality burn ever more painfully. "Where are you gonna go, Doomguy? Do you wanna stay with us?"

"It'll be great!" Undyne added. "You could teach me all the crazy fighting moves you've learned over the years!"

"C'mon man!" Sans chuckled, noticing the Hunter's gradually falling countenance. "it's not like you have a lot of other places to be right?"

Everyone else started getting quiet as they noticed that after Sans' question, Doomguy's face now looked more sullen than ever. As much as the sad realization that his days with these people would be numbered crushed him, he couldn't let that same attitude soil everyone else's day. They deserved to be happy. Before the mood could get any darker, he ruffled Frisk's hair, put on a smile, and gave everyone a big thumbs up, signifying that he would stay with them. Cheers and whoops were heard all around the room, and though he knew he only had so much time with them, he decided that he would make the most of it. Departure was a bridge he could cross once he came to it. For now, he could just relax and enjoy his new company.
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