Underdoom - Chapter 30

The heat from each passing rocket was almost enough to singe the furs on Toriel’s head as she dodged each incoming missile. The beast snarled in terrible rancor with each missed shot, and his impatience bid him use his magic. The projectiles stopped, and raw hell energy coursed through his arm and through the air in wave upon wave of infernal power.

The queen noticed her companion trying to break down the stone walls entrapping them. “PAPYRUS, DUCK!”

It was more of a controlled fall than a duck, but a second of difference would have seen him bisected.

Streaks of orange polluted their vision. The sounds of the underground being ravaged polluted their hearing.

His scathing attacks subsided, and the mammoth monstrosity’s shadow loomed over them.

______________

“Alphys, you heard us!”

“I can’t!”

Some great explosion coming from the south rocked the compound. Lights faltered, and most loose articles on Alphys’ desk were sent to the floor.

“You have to!”

Hope and despair vied desperately for control within the young scientist. “B-but how? We’ve never done anything like this before!”

“You’re the only one who would know! We can’t do this without you!”

______________

All the hosts of Hell heard the din on the other side of the Citadel. Once more, collective memory sprang to squirming life in the head of every hellspawn who heard it. That low, reverberating sound that stopped hearts, shook stone, and tore the air, the sound of war, a herald of countless battles on which they were found on the losing side. It could not be. Argent had been sacked. The Wraiths’ power had been taken. They were sealed with those false gods ages ago….

But lo, those horns rang out their lay.

Their fears were sparking to life. The Doom Slayer’s actions had broken their seal. Demon after demon faltered and began to flee at the sound



I’d like to know why our forces are running awa-

THOU FOOL. YOU WILL BE THE DEATH OF US ALL!

I’m getting sick of your whining…

AND I TIRE OF YOUR OVERCONFIDENCE. YOUR TOYING HAS COST US TIME, AND NOW THEY HAVE COME UPON US…

Who?

_____________

Panic gripped Frisk’s shaking heart with every second of silence from the young Doctor. “Alphys please! We can’t do this without you!”

Neither Sans nor Mettaton spoke a word for fear of speaking over Alphys. She just sat there, fists clenched atop the keyboard, eyes teary and shut. That little voice kept calling out from the phone in front of her nose, but she still would not answer.

“ALPHYS!”

“….”

That would have been the last she would have called that name, if she didn’t hear the shrill whine of actuators forcing open two tons of steel in the elevator shaft.

As if by some miracle, all trepidation had evaporated from Alphys speech. “You two stay put… I’m coming down,”



“Alphys, do you even know how to-?”

Mettaton’s protest failed to stop her march to the elevator. “Shut the blast doors behind me and don’t open them again until I say so. Sans?”

“Yeah?”

“What’s it look like on the other end?”

He was ready as anyone could be to report their deaths. He couldn’t be more pleasantly surprised by what he saw. “The… the demons are backing off!”

“Alright… Mettaton, what’s your charge at?”

“I’m at 47%.”

“If you hit 60% and I’m not back out by then, you go out there and relieve Snowdin, understand?”

“… understood.”

“Good… “

The elevator doors opened, hiccupping as another quake rocked the compound.

She walked in, and without a word, the doors closed behind her

_____________

The brimstone walls came down, but the old Baalgar had not yet finished. Two little fleeing insects just refused to die.

“Toriel, just run!” Run where?!”

“Just find another pack of demons! He’ll make short work of-“

The shrieking of rocket engines filled their ears to near bursting as the demon rushed forth, its assisted charge plowing through the snow in titanic, billowing swathes. Pivoting on its flesh heel, it raised its steel foot before its quarry.

“AAUUGH!”

The Queen slid as she tried to stop herself. Papyrus’ arm caught her and pulled her back before the beast’s iron foot could crush her to pulp. Both their inertia and the creature’s stamping sent then on their backs. No time to think, just run. More wailing from beyond Waterfall. More on the way. More already here. Big ones. Fat, burning everything to the ground.

That metal beast, that Cyberdemon, was still pursuing them. They could feel points of concentrated light burning on their backs.

Papyrus shot a glance at his attacker, its arm once more raised.

DEE-DEET

“SPLIT UP!”

The heat nearly fried them, even as they careened one away from the other, the split-second beam missing them by an arm’s length.

______________

A soul capsule lay in the receptacle opposite the extractor matrix.

The empty space beneath the old machine had been filled with plain, steel plate floor, raised just for the occasion, with a medical table and accompanying apparatuses in tow. Frisk lay on it, sweating, swallowing her spit….

… holding Asriel’s hand.

The Extractor Head hovered over her chest, its many pipes and tubes hissing out steam, it’s empty eyes looking down on her.

Asriel turned to Alphys, unable until now to find the right words.

“Do you know if it’s gonna work?”

The scientist entered the last commands into a console just to the left of the bed. The machine came to loud, shrieking life.

“No… but it has to.”

_____________

That lightning isn’t stopping. The Icon is reeling. It’s afraid. I hear something. The demons are backing away. Something behind us… Tori… is that you?

Argent energy spike detected. It’s not Hayden. He doesn’t look too pleased. Detecting irregular fibrillation in multiple demons. Doom Marine is smiling. What’s he looking back a- well now…

And I thought the good ‘ol days were over…

_____________

Frisk reached over and stroked the fur on the back of her friend’s head.

“I know we can do this.”

“I… I know we can too.”

The Machine lowered itself over Frisk. The tubes injected in her right arm began to fill with clear fluid.

The young Doctor left the console to be at her side. “The sedative works on magic… it’ll keep you asleep until you get back.”

Drowsiness was beginning to cloud the girl’s eyes. “Asriel…”

“Frisk?”

“Are you ready?”

Courage swelled in the Prince’s bosom “I think so.”

The world was going dark. The prince was fading out of her vision. “Don’t be scared…”

“I-I…”

“You can do this.”

____________

The shadows of yet unburnt trees danced across the chasm ceiling as an inferno engulfed the forest around Snowdin. The silhouettes of fleeing monsters, outnumbered and overrun, danced with them. Every now and then, a bright flash would overpower those shadows as arcane fire shot forth from Toriel’s hands. Her ambers and whites joined a chorus of bright blue with every blaster shot and barrage of bones Papyrus meted out. The two were continuously surrounded, desperately trying to open a hole where they could flee and further bait the Cyberdemon, but they could hold them back no more than water between their fingers

Knight-Knight and her accompaniment were on the run from charging pinkies and bellowing Hell Cacodemons. Shots missed, and were intercepted by magical barriers, but it could only do so much for so long.

Summoners reinforced their line as it advanced, adding more imps and Hell Razers into the fray by the second. The Baalgar demon gloated, its ear-splitting roar carrying trails of viscous drool from the edges of its teeth. It had caught onto their game, and as it approached, they knew there was nowhere left to run.

Nowhere to hide

Nowhere to go.

The hulking creature lined itself up for another shot.

____________

A pale luminescence peeked over the broken remains of the citadel and the earthen crest on which they lay. The horde’s aggressive roaring bore less of their confident menace, giving way more to hopeful bluff, a feigned display of what was now a vanishing superiority.

There was no tremor, no herald of their coming, but over those ledges and piles of rubble, their ranks appeared in rapid succession, each spectral, armored profile materializing in streaks of verdant green. The edges of their swords gleamed against each flash of lightning soaring through the whirlwind. On and on, more of their kin appeared onto the battlefield, their army stretching out in a host that covered the former Citadel’s grounds all the way to the molten moat.

A single voice silenced the demons; them and every other utterance Hell dared emit. It was boisterous, but barely a yell. Confident, but not braggartly.

“Looks like you guys could use some help!”



Why yes, we can, Undyne.

____________

A thousand situations played out in Papyrus’ head. Dodge to the left, and the horned ones will maul you. Dodge to the right and the fat ones will roast you alive. Stay here, and the big one will fry you. Knight-Knight and Madjick are nowhere to be seen, nor any of the other guards. No solutions to the predicament at hand.

It was all a matter of seconds, yet the old demon held his fire. He wanted the savor their dread.

Toriel’s concealed the fear in her heart with boorish anger. “Well come on then! Do it if you’ve the courage! DO IT!” Perhaps she was hoping her firewalls could provide an escape or perhaps even a blockade. Perhaps she though her bravado would intimidate them. Neither could have worked.

The Cyberdemon replied not with reluctance or fear, but with amusement as its horrible maw curved into a sickening smile. Diodes sent beams trailing onto the two monsters, training a final shot at them.

There was a bright flash.

They closed their eyes.

They realized they hadn’t died when they heard the demons screeching in surprise and shock.

And what met those eyes when they opened? Scattering hosts of hell spawn, bare earth where the snow had been evaporated, and half a hulking, cybernetic demon wobbling a little before it came toppling onto the ground before them. Its entire left side burned to ash.

And then they saw him.

A robe, purple and going to his ankles like his mother’s flowed behind him. He wore pauldrons like his father’s upon his shoulders, complimenting the horns on his head. In his hands was some sort of weapon, emitting what looked like stars that burned through the shadow dwellers’ bodies. It disappeared and gave way to blinding flashes of lightning, incandescent, constant, dancing all over what remained of Snowdin. Legions of the horde, swarming, and at this point fleeing, ash in the blink of an eye.

He looked at his Mother and Papyrus for a second or two, deliberating before approaching them. His fur was lush white, with streaks of black pointing to his bright, lively eyes.

“Mom!”

His voice was different; deeper, but still perky and energetic. She knew it all the same.

“Asriel?!”

“Get back to the lab as soon as you can, get tethered and go help Dad. Papyrus, you grab some ammo for Doomguy. I’ll clear out what’s left of them in the underground.”

Snowdin had been cleared, but the horde could be heard in the farther reaches of the chasm. “That’s my cue… you guys get to the lab, quick!”

Toriel wanted to ask so many questions, but Papyrus had already begun racing for Hotland, taking her Majesty by the hand and nearly dragging her through the snow.



S-she’s totally gonna ground me into next year when this is done…

I think she’ll give us a pass, Asriel.

You sure?

Course I’m sure! Quick get those guys down in waterfall. Mom and Papyrus can’t take them by themselves!

Got it!



Send lightning down, take those guys out. Big fat ones shooting at Mom. Use star blazing on them. They’re toast. Little ones crawling all over the place. Fire magic. Make sure not to hit Mom or Papyrus. Funnel it through the whole maze. That should be most of them for that area. Laser just missed you. What was that?

Over to your right!

Got it. Three of them. Hit them with chaos buster. Got them. Big horned ones homing in on us. Throwing fire. Save last shot for them. Hit them. Gone. Keep flying. Swoop down. Pig looking ones surrounding those other monsters. Swords out. Cut them in half. Got them. Flying ones in the way. Cut them apart. More coming from Hotland. Bigger ones with horns again. Papyrus has them. The eyeless ones gunning for mom. Can’t let them get her. Shocker breaker incoming…



Toriel’s heart pounded as lightning baked the Hell Knights before her to a crisp. Her son swooped over her before disappearing out of sight again, flying off to Hotland. Nearly every demon in sight had bene turned to ash, and as Papyrus finished off the last Baron with a blaster to its throat he turned, made eye contact with her, and nodded. Time to go. Hotland would be clear by the time they got out of Waterfall. Leaping, bounding or charred demons and glowing creeks, they hurried on to the lab.



Okay, there’s not so many of them here. Just a few of the small ones clambering all over the-WOAH!

Look out for those fireballs!

I got ‘em. Chaos Buster. Fire everywhere. Should clean these guys up. More laser guys by the puzzles. Give them a taste of their own medicine. Man, they’re everywhere. Jumpers, medium sized ones. Same ones that were going after mom. Feed them stars. Fat ones and thin, floating ones summoning more of the small guys. Give them fire. They’re done. Frisk, what’s next?

The Core and New Home. Let’s go!

Right!

_______________

Undyne had no words in reserve for Hayden’s new form. Just a steel stare of contemp. Neither her nor her titanic opponent and his cowering, cursed constituency had anything to say. No speeches from one, nor arrogant candor from the other. The prowling beast on which she was mounted, four footed, lean legged, armored, and snarling through rows of knife-like teeth, tore the ground beneath it, as did the other beasts carrying their equally eager cavalrymen.

The Doom Slayer and his accompaniment looked on in awe as ranks of Argent cavalry surrounded the crater. He smiled agape, letting out a wheezing laugh.



Hot damn, they gave her a warbeast….

Good job, boys.



“CHAAAARGE!”

A chorus not heard in Hell since the Fall of Argent rang through the ears of the shadow dwellers. A fear, long dormant, reawakened in them as they felt the stampede of their cavalry draw near, and the steely shouts of the cavalrymen. They felt their Icon shouting at them through their hive connection, threatening death should they flee, but every demon knew, as those pikes pointed at them, as the teeth of their warbeasts bared, and as the gravel under their feet began to shake that they were dead already.

The Doom Slayer turned back to face his enemy, wearing that familiar, bloodthirsty smile as his company of old ran forth, mere seconds behind him.



THE FRUITS OF YOUR FOLLY HAVE COME TO END US! THE WRAITHS ARE FREE BECAUSE OF YOUR ACTIONS!

They’re long dead. The Praetorian siphoning their energy won’t-

HE HAS FREED THEM FROM THE WELL, AND THEIR SOULS REGAIN THEIR STRENGTH! IT IS ENOUGH TO FREE THE SENTINELS AND GIVE THEM POWER OVER US!

Great….

JUST KILL THEM!



The Icon cried out in petulant rage, and to its six hands was drawn the lightning in the maelstrom above it, gathering power until it unleashed it upon the Night Sentinels to absolutely no effect. The scarlet bolts were impotent against their spectral forms. The demons braced themselves – some for combat with their old foe, others for impending oblivion. The Hell Walker charged forth as his men were near behind him, his voice once more shaking the earth in a raging, barbaric, ebullient cry that radiated gloriously with the yawps of the Night Sentinels.

“ASGORE!”

It felt so good to hear her voice again. “Undyne!”

He knew it was going to hurt, but the pain in his ribs and pelvis nearly knocked him unconscious as the Captain grabbed him by his free hand and threw him onto the saddle, knocking the breath out of him

“OOF-!”

“You alright, old man?”

“I-*huff*- I’ve got my trident…”

Three seconds, and they would be upon the enemy.

“… And that is enough for now!!”

“NGAAAAHHHHH!!!”

Both sank their arms into the flesh of the enemy as they charged through their line. Them, and the other three thousand Argent Cavalry charging into the horde with them. The sound of bone crushed under trampling feet, hellspawn shrieking, spears lodging into flesh, and teeth ripping small fodder asunder choked the air. Men shouted, demons wailed, and warbeasts roared. The sound of war, of demons dying and spears shaking, was heard once more in the depths of Hell.

The Doom Slayer stood and looked all around him as his men charged all around and through him, meeting their passing salutes with his own. VEGA was paralyzed by the sight, stirring only when he heard the Marine whistle. He turned to his left and saw one of the last riders, halting and beckoning he join him on the saddle. The AI didn’t hesitate. He leapt up and joined the rider, firing wildly into the horde wit what was left of his energy, as the Doom Slayer joined the infantry in their charge, to sweep up what was left after the warbeasts had taken their fill.

He had not much but his own two fists now. Not that it mattered. At this point, they were all he really needed, and he really cared to use.



You see all this, Hayden?

Doom is coming.

__________

“Alphys, I’m at 60%!”

“Okay, get ready to head out to Snowdin then. Sans, we-“ She looked over to see the Skeleton smiling with glee, gripping the sides of his head. “Sans? Sans, what’s going on in there?”

“What, you guys aren’t looking?!”

“You haven’t told us anythi-“ Her and Mettaton both had questions, but they were answered before they had a chance to leave their mouths

On that screen, they could see thousands of green, ghostly warriors surrounding the New Icon. Their friends were hard to din in the maelstrom, but vital were steady, if somewhat drained. The sight was breathtaking: watching the hordes of Hell flee before the Sentinel, trampled underfoot of their mounts, the Icon reeling, swiping powerlessly at them, unable to inflict corporeal harm, all of it was the most violently beautiful thing any of them had ever seen.

Alphys’ phone rung several times before she could pry herself away. It was Toriel. “Hello?”

“Let us in. We’ve got to get supplies for the shore party.”

____________

Watching his Mother and her escort safely make it inside the lab filled Asriel with an odd sense of pride. His mother was safe. His actions had saved her and Papyrus. Pretty good for your average crybaby. Still, some part of him was disturbed at what he had done. It reminded him almost of his time as a Flower, even though the recipients of his actions were far more deserving this time around. Frisk could sense it.



Asriel. Don’t be afraid…

I… I’m just a little reminded of-

I know, but you and I both know that’s not what’s happening now. Then? In the past? That wasn’t you.

But it-

Not the real you.

I know…

Now come on. Let’s do this. For Toriel. For Asgore….

Okay.

For everybody

Frisk… I’m ready

… Let’s go save the world.