Underdoom - Chapter 20

“So Doctor.... we only lost you a few decades ago. The Testaments said that you assisted the Doom Slayer-”

“Many thousands of years ago, yes.” Gaster replied to his old Lord with curt assurance, taking care to heed the treacherous floating stone bridge underfoot. “The reckoning of time here is somewhat tricky. All planes lead here, one way or another, and for some reason, in some way, it all converged in that one time, so incongruent with all else... just at the right time to lend aid to the Unchained Predator, to do my part in taking down this great cesspool of rancor and blood.”

Coming off of the bridge, they made their way through a barren, rocky crevasse, just high enough and crooked enough to obscure their vision of the way ahead. The way became long, and with every minute, the Dreemurrs became more and more anxious over their lost son. Desperately, they wished to call out at every crack in the rocks, hoping he would show himself or answer. Amid all the distant wailing and the thunder roiling in the distance, they only wished to hear his voice again. They knew that couldn't and wouldn't happen. He wouldn't answer back to them in his current state. If anything, it would just push him farther away. As far as they knew, he didn't want to be found, and here there was ample provision, in all the stony crags and jagged ridges for him to conceal himself; save himself from rescue.

The Queen's anxiety quickly got the better of her, and she opened up the comms on her bracer. “Alphys, Sans, are you there?”

“I hear you, your highness.” Alphys did her best to divide her attention between Toriel and the readings on her side of the station.

“How are we doing on tracking his DT? We still see no sign of him.”

“Give me a sec...”

DT signature detection programming wasn't all too hard to configure and install onto the UAC system. Alphys searched dutifully through the readings, enabling the thermograph-like display overlooking the shore party's sector of the Steppe. No unusual spikes in DT. Further scans from probes in the surrounding areas of the steppe yielded no sightings. What few traces that had been found had already faded, and his trail had run cold. Alphys was unsure of what she could say. This would have been at least the seventh time in an hour she would have to tell the Queen or King that nothing other than the initial traces have been found.

Disappointed and worried, Alphys was somewhat reluctant to answer. “Still nothing, Toriel. Only really big source of DT in your area is Doomguy. We'll keep looking”

Frisk looked on from the other side of the room. Her thoughts were whirling around in her head at a million miles an hour, all centered around him. Those last words they shared together, those painful memories she uncovered, that pain she felt as she had to leave him in that garden – none of it would go away. She felt so powerless to help. This was very much a grown up situation in a grown up's world. She slouched to the floor, face buried between her knees, not really wanting to hear much more, but too preoccupied with her thoughts to move.

“Okay... thank you, Alphys.”

“Hey, don't sweat it.” Sans' tone was now more caring than nonchalant or casual, as it had been. “You guys will find him sooner or later. Besides, I got a feeling, he's gonna be curious about your new company. He'll wanna investigate”

Asgore was somewhat skeptical. “How do you know for sure? What makes you think he'll take interest in Doomguy or VEGA?”

Sans glanced for a bit over at the old file he had uncovered, eyes narrowing somewhat. “I think I told you about what DT can do when it hits certain comparative concentrations. Doomguy and VEGA are something new.”

Asgore then remembered Gaster's old research and the alarming reports that followed. “Ah... I see.”

“Just keep on it, guys. We'll you in a few, okay? Sans out.”

A brief patch of static and the comms went silent. The King and queen just kind of held their bracers up, hoping in vain that maybe either Sans or Alphys would pick back up and give them some sort of miraculous development, anticipating a sudden crackle and raised voices exclaiming the wonderful mews that they saw something that would lead them to him.

They knew it was vain. Both lowered their bracers, and silently trudged forward behind the others.

It wasn't very long of a walk until the crevasse ended, leading out into a desolate plain or stone and smoke. The sky was clearer than ever, and as the group wandered out into the open, they could see the massive plateaus and sheer cliffs in the distance, their ridges and peaks glowing red with the setting of a hellish sun, or whatever gave this foreboding place its light. The plains before them were vast and barren, devoid of any life, and littered here and there with the remains of death. In the west, clouds were gathering, and crimson bolts of lightning darted to and fro in distant silence. The Doom Slayer had little regard for it, but everyone else displayed a sort of silent, fearful reverence.

Gaster, though familiar with the way, spoke with all graveness and stoicism in addressing the sight before them. “Past the mountains or Kharzad in the horizon lies our destination: the Citadel of Baphomet.”

The Marine's eyes narrowed. That name alone was enough to boil his blood.

“The way is yet long and arduous. I Propose we rest here for a moment. We have already trekked several hours. Any opposed?”

None replied so.

 A small holographic panel appeared before VEGA's eyes and disappeared almost as soon as it came. “It appears Alphys would have benefited from using Argent plasma in this body's power matrix. The Battery has already been depleted to 62%. It will require time to recharge to 80. With the modifications I have made however, deactivating for about thirty minutes should afford me all the time needed.”

“We may need a rest too.” Asgore was not utterly exhausted, and neither was Toriel. Still, their breathing had become somewhat audible. “Thirty minutes is all however. We don't want to be caught vulnerable by the enemy.”

A kind of darkness emanated from Gaster's hollow palms. “I should have us covered. I see a small cavern several yards away.... I can conceal us there until the time is spent.”

They made their way to the small cavity, glad to get some sort of respite. “I know this place well. There are many places to conceal oneself, but only for so long.”

“Understood. Preparing to enter dormancy.”

“It's alright.” Asgore sounded somewhat resigned at this point. “We need a little time to talk about things anyway.”

 “As do I. Me and the Hunter will stand guard outside. I must hold council with him.”

VEGA shut himself down, and the Dreemurrs nodded before Gaster shrouded the entrance to the cavity with a  thick darkness that seemed to perfectly emulate shadow. It blocked any and all sound, making it impossible for anything on the outside to hear the King and queen, and vice-versa.

The Doom Slayer was apprehensive. There could only be so many things Gaster would want to talk to him about, especially when taking into account the conversation of the past hour. As the Ghoul turned to him with a sullen face and eyes that couldn't find his, suspicion mounted in his mind.

“Old Friend.... what do you think of the situation? What we're doing?”

The Praetor cocked his head to the side, wanting clarification.

“I mean.... VEGA's home is in devastation, if he tells us the truth. If a world has come to the point where Argent was their only answer, that is indeed a world in shambles. His is a race against time to save the people of his world. They could be dying and killing each other in droves as we speak.”

The Praetorian folded his arms. His expression became all the more suspicious.

“And with the Dreemurrs.... I was there, old friend. I was there when they lost him. You have to understand, that was the single most hopeless day monsters had ever weathered. There was a tinge, just a little speck of hope in our hearts that perhaps peace could be brought between us and the humans. That's when it had to happen, Doom Slayer. It had to happen right when it seemed we could start over again. He stumbled in with Chara in his arms. Both of them bleeding... a trail ran from the east entrance to the garden.... I heard them screaming, wailing for them.... I'll never forget their voices. I'll never forget their cries. I'll never forget the weeping and wailing in the underground that followed, and I'll never forget the endless regret the King would share with me because of his decree. I never thought I had seen such devastation in my life. Perhaps even now, nothing surpasses it.”

The eyes behind the visor began to narrow in suspicion. The Hunter was beginning to understand what the Ghoul was saying, or at least he had thought so.

“And then... we have you....”

His suspicions were correct.

“I know you want him back... I know its all you wanted all these years... It's why I built those for you. It's why I made that armor for you; you would be their ultimate defeat. You would take back what they had taken from you, but... there's three problems here and only two solutions. A dying world in need of an energy solution, Toriel and Asgore getting one more chance to save their son and undo all those horrible memories... and then there's you and Baphomet. We have the crucible and the Siphon, and they have already taken the energy of one world already. The energy of the Time Crux is all that's left, and it cannot be used to open the Spirit World. It is tainted and cannot be purified by the Siphon.”

He unfolded his arms and his fists clenched, his knuckles cracking.

Gaster began to fear to speak more, lest he incur the Doom Slayer's wrath, but out of his convictions, he felt it had to be said. “I'm just wondering... you know how it all came to be. I don't mean to heap blame onto you, old friend, but there's a reason he is where he is now. There's a reason he became.... that. If you let the others suffer.... it would be for the same reason.”

The Praetor took a thundering step towards the old Doctor.

“A-all I'm saying is... I know you... you wouldn't let anyone suffer for your benefit any longer. There's only two ways it can happen: you.. or them.”

At that moment, the Doom Slayer lost all his temper, drawing the sword of the crucible and putting it to Gaster's neck. Indignation and rage boiled within him, sending steam out of his nostrils that fogged his visor, and blood streaking in his widened, crazed eyes. Never before had the old Doctor seen something so terrifying; not in all his years trapped in the bowels of Hell. No demon could ever hope to capture the ungodly anger in this man's eyes – those wide, empty, burning eyes. The Praetor advanced with sword arm still outstretched, forcing Gaster to retreat slowly, inch by inch, unable to look away and escape the Unchained Predator's furious, unforgiving gaze.

“P-please! It was just a sugges-!”

He pressed blade's crescent end into Gaster's throat. One hard push, and it would be over.

The Ghoul feared for his life. He tripped over a stone or a crack and fell onto the barren ground, the red glow of the Crucible's blade lighting up his terrified, pale face. “I-I just needed to let you know.... there's only so much we can do! I know how long you've worked for this and I know how long you've waited, but please! You wouldn't do this to them! I know you better! You know their pain, all three of them! A dying world for one and a chance to regai-”

The Praetor knelt down and picked the monster up by his throat, holding the edge of his blade with a cocked arm, the tip of the sword still just inches away from Gaster's face. He brought the old Doctor's face in ever so closer until the Monster could see every individual vein throbbing in the indignant Marine's eyes.

The Marine then gave his reply to Gaster's pleading. He Furrowed his face into a horrid snarl and simply shook his head before dropping him back down to the ground.

It would not happen.

This was his chance. His one and only chance to set things right. He felt for the Dreemurrs and their plight, but there was nothing he could do. He had waited too long for this opportunity. Eons had passed between worlds and throughout time in his reckoning. However long they had waited, however long it had been since Asriel passed away, he could not, would not let that trump the endless epochs of blood and fury he had endured. He turned around, leaving Gaster in the dust before concealing once more his crimson blade. He watched with a stern eye as the Ghoul meekly crawled into the darkness he had made for concealment. With that, he let out a deep breath, walked to the edge of the cavity and sat down upon the cold, stone ground, slouching against the rock with one knee up and the other straightened out. He had little time to relax, and the anger of the past minute had brought his heart rate up a little higher than usual. He needed a breather, quick as it was, to recuperate. The next part of the journey would not be easy, not even for him.

In the distance, a pair of eyes watched him. He did not see them, but they watched him with all the probing curiosity of the little drones that even now searched for them. Flowey knew he had to keep out of sight, lest they find him, but he had to withhold every urge to follow after and speak to this “Doom Slayer” with every ounce of determination he had left.

What was that “crucible” supposed to do?

What was this “Spirit World” the old Scientist talked about?

What's this about a “Time Crux?”

And why Why did those fools, those IDIOTS....
Why did his parents come looking for him?

Couldn't they just leave him alone? Couldn't they just let him rot away here? Couldn't they just live their lives without him? They had Frisk. They had all those other people. Why him? All these years and they still cared. They still sought him out. All those resets and they don't remember what he-

He then cut off his train of thought before it could go any further. He felt enough self loathing. He was already nothing. He didn't need any more reminders.

With that, he slunk back inside the deep crevice from which he observed them, and like them, decided it would be a good time to rest. If he wanted answers, he would need to keep following them. Carefully. Deliberately, and without being seen. That would require a lot of energy had had lost in that banal trek through the necropolis and through the rift. He closed his eyes, and for just a little while, went to sleep.



“....What do you think, Alphys?”

She found Sans' question hard to answer. “I dunno... I really hope this doesn't turn into some sort of conflict. There would be no safe way to intervene.”

“I dunno if Its conflict I'd be worried about.” Both Sans and Alphys turned to Mettaton, still facing his screens and monitoring the entrances. “I'm worried about Doomguy.”

“How so?”

“Well Sans, he has a decision to make. The Crucible seems to have a lot of secrets, and it seems they can help Toriel and Asgore, but I don't think that's what he plans on using them for.,, he's got something else in mind. I don't know what, but judging from that little... display, it doesn't seem like something he'd give up very easily.”

Sans scratched his head a little. “What do you think it would be?”

Alphys then remembered the UAC data logs. “Wait...  let me look through the Codex real quick...”

Everyone huddled around her screen, Including Mettaton, who set the Overlord System on automatic as he left his station. All eyes were steadfast on the codex entries as Alphys flipped through each page. Locations, UAC Staff, Demonic Entities, Planes of hell... Argent D'Nur..

The elevator doors opened, and Frisk came out with a bag of popato chisps in hand. As she saw everyone crammed around Alphys' computer, her pace quickened from slow walk to brisk jog, especially when she saw Doomguy's old home on the screen.

“What're you guys looking at?”

“Oh, there you are kiddo.” Sans ruffled her hair as she came up to the desk. “I was beginning to wonder where you were at. Almost had me worried.”

“I was kinda hungry, so I went to the vending machines.” She turned her attention to the somewhat disturbing images of the Argent Temple on screen. “'Argent D'Nur.... Isn't that where Doomguy is from.”

“It is, Darling. You remember that... little exchange he and Gaster had?”

“Yeah... yeah I remember.”

“Guys...” Alphys' face was pale as she pointed to the words on screen. “Look.”

She read aloud. “Lead there by the wretched Betrayer, Deag Grav and his cabal set a curse upon the Wraiths as they slept, and used their essence for our own devices. With the power of the Wraiths they formed The Well, that which brings us upon our enemies. Thus, the city of Argent and their false gods fell under the unholy might of the Hell priests. “

“For his payment, ….” Everyone gasped as they followed along. Alphys couldn't bring herself to read those few words. What they told her, what they told everyone, was anything but what they were prepared for.

Frisk took over reading the last parts. “....the Icon of Sin was brought upon the heathens. His vengeance was swift and merciless, for the wages of treachery are suffering.“

No one dared speak a word. Everyone knew what this meant. The heated reaction given by the Doom Slayer had been elucidated at last. The light cast by this little revelation brought forth some very ugly realities, and even uglier possibilities.

Mettaton worked up the courage to speak first. “So... does this mean what I think it means?”

Alphys rocked in her chair a little bit. “Should... should we tell them about this? Should we let them know?”

“Didn't Gaster say something about the Time Crux's energy? Couldn't he use that?”

Mettaton shook his head. “No Sans, he said it was too impure. He can't use it to.... well...”

All the while, Frisk too was unsure of what to say or do. Once more she felt helpless, but even more so now than ever. She was not only helpless to help Asriel, but powerless to change Doomguy's mind. This was up to him. No one else could make the decision, and as the other three kept on debating as to whether or not the Dreemurrs should be informed, she knew either way, that if it's what he wanted, not even they could stop him.



“Alright, alright, alright everyone!It's okay, they'll be back before tomorrow!”

“That's what we thought yesterday!”

“When can we just leave? I don't wanna be here when those things break out!”

“Me neither!”

The Crowd was beginning to devolve further and further into disorganized uproar. Night Knight, Madjick, and all the other casters keeping them concealed were starting to attract small crowds of people asking them to lower the barriers. Talk of the old barrier and other doomsaying rhetoric flooded them

Night Knight quickly found herself overwhelmed with worried and even angry monsters gathering all around her. “Undyne, you think we can use a little crowd control? Things are getting a little out of ha-OW!” A small rock hit her square in the face, thrown from an anxious, red-skinned monster, shouting at her to take the barrier down with utmost impatience and even anger. “HEY! GET BACK! GET BACK, RIGTH NOW!! I'M WARNING YOU-!”

“That didn't sound good. What's the plan Undyne?”

“I dunno, Pap....” both the Captain and the Skeleton were finding themselves quickly surrounded by anxious pleas and angry rants. “Hold on, lemme call Alphys...”



The three monsters and Frisk kept arguing as to whether or not The King and Queen shold know about the Doom Slayer's agenda.

“Guys, we have to tell them! Doomguy's a good man, he'll understa-”

“Alphys, darling, you don't honestly think he'd just give it up after all these ye-”

“Mettaton, please!” Frisk hoped she could melt his and Sans' hearts. “He's gonna understand-”

Sans let out an annoyed chagrin. “He'll understand that letting Asgore and Toriel get Asriel back will make it so that he can't-”

Then, Alphys' phone rang, cutting everyone off. The ringtone echoed in the now quiet room. Deliberating for a bit, Alphys picked it up, after letting it ring several times.

“It's Undyne.... hey, is everything alright up- wait...” She could hear the panicked throng form her end.

“Yeah, no, its' not okay, Al.” As she put it on speaker, everyone could her the crowd roaring and yelling. 'Please tell me you've got good news to share. We need something quick or these guys are gonna beat our casters into the dust.”

Everyone I that room new there was very little good news to share. “Um, Undyne, I don;t think now's the best time to-”

“Now's the ONLY time, Al! Just gimme something!”

The multitude's impatient cries made everyone's minds leap into a rush. “Well, what are we gonna tell them? Maybe I could get them to simmer down if I head up there-”

“I don;t think some TV show antics are gonna placate anyone this time, Mettaton.”

“Sans, come on, just think of something!”

“Hey, come on, kiddo, I don't-”

“WAIT, guys, hold on....” Alphys's head burned with rushed and frenzied thought. They couldn't say anything about the Doomguy situation, obviously. They couldn't talk about the Prince, as no one was certain how that situation would pan out.

“Undyne! Tell them they're almost done!”

“We've told them that a million times, no one's buying it!”

“No, I mean, they're really almost there! There's this place called the Time Crux-”

“'What?!” Undyne could barely hear her over the surface din.

“They found a place called the Time Crux that can shut everything down!!”

“Hold on...” Undyne did not hesitate to put her phone on speaker. She called out as loud as she could to get everyone's attention, summoning the loudest her boisterous voice could muster. “HEEEEEY!”

Everyone fell quiet.

“Say it again, Alphys!”

“The Shore Party has come across another development! A place in Hell known as the Time Crux is the real source of the energy they are using to sustain the invasion! They are moving in on it as we speak!”

The crowd immediately burst into applause.

“Hey, thanks for the save, babe.”

“No problem.”

“Hey, real quick while we're on the down low.... anything else happening? Anythign we should know about”

“.... Alphys? You were telling me the truth, right? They are actually-”

“Almost there, yes...”

“Are you okay? You don;t really sound like everything is okay...”

“it really isn't.... Let's just say that Doomguy might have a chip on his shoulder.”

“What? What do you mean a chip on his shoulder? Is he hiding something?”

Mettaton spoke up so that she could hear him. “Oh, he's hiding nothing, darling. In fact, he was actually quite brash about it when Gaster tried talking him out of it.”

'Wait gaster?! W.D. Gaster? Him?! What's he doing there? Guys, c'mon, you gotta tell me what's up, is he-”

Frisk took the phone. “Undyne, do you think you can come down here? Maybe leave everyone with Papyrus?”

“Frisk...”

“There's a lot to explain.”

The Captain froze for a moment. All the different implications being thrown around were gettign to her. “Alright... I'll be down in a sec.” Then she hung up her phone.

“Papyrus?”

“Yes?”

“Think you can hold the fort down?”

“But we just got everyone calmed down! I can't handle everyone by myself, especially if you just leave! Everyone's still kinda tense.”

“Hold on...” Undyne cleared her throat a little, preparing her voice once again. “ATTENTION EVERYONE!!”

All eyes shifted to her.

“Papyrus will watch over you guys for just a minute. Everyone posted in Snowdin, you're under his command for now! I'm heading down to the lab to get more information and come back with whatever specific developments come up. Everyone just stay calm. I'll be back shortly, Until then, follow Papyrus' instructions and we'll all be fine and Kosher. Everyone good?”

The crowd's response was mixed. Some were affirmative and others murmured among themselves.

Doing her best to maintain her composure regardless, Undyne bid farewell. “Alright, sweet! I'll be back in a few. Pap, take care of everyone, alright?”

“Gotcha.”

 She then made her way down the old staircase. She became more and more tense as she ruminated on the situation. What was Doomguy thinking? What was eh up to? How was Gaster back? The barrage of mental inquiry gave speed to her footstep as she made her way to the lab. As she ran past Snowdin and into Waterfall, her worries coerced her into opening her phone.

“Alphys, are you there?”

“Undyne-”

“Come on, I can't stay gone for too long, can't you just tell me what's going on?”

“They don't need to hear about this, Undyne. You'd need speaker to hear over them and someone would eavesdrop.”

“Is it really that bad?”

“.... you'll see.”