Chapter 24
Rose at Twilight
Glenda ducked in time for the spear of light to fly over her head and into the base of a marble pillar, shattering a good baseball-sized chunk of it into rock dust. She'd done well to get as far as she had without encountering resistance, but as a living person in an aetherial plane, her presence was like a roadside flare. She could mute it to a point, but she knew it was only a matter of time before angels came looking to see what was causing the fuss.
In a way, she was lucky; the first to find her were just seraphim, the basic foot-soldier of the armies of the Heavenly Planes that served as guards in the Outer halls. That didn't mean they were pushovers; the front lines on the war between Heaven and Hell is no place for the weak, and these soldiers saw the brunt of every assault the Burning Hells made on the Heavenly Planes.
On the other hand, seraphim were used to fighting demons and devils, who aimed to kill with every blow. Glen, on the other hand, was a brawler with mechanically augmented strength. She sidestepped another spear before driving one metal fist into the angel's solar plexus. While the angel gasped for breath, Glen grabbed her and tossed her at her companion, knocking him into an ornamental urn.
Glen didn't have time to celebrate, as a spear clipped her right ear. It was more annoying that painful, and Glen responded by firing Headache's grapple at the offending seraphim. She pulled back sharply, yanking the seraphim off his feet and into the waiting fist of Headache.
As the seraphim's body crumpled and fell to the floor, Glen glanced around for any other guards. The fight had been quick, but she knew she needed to move quickly, no matter how well she hid the unconscious bodies of the angels.
She clutched Sans's jar to her chest, using the remnants of Sans' flux present in the ashes to home in on him. The Outer Halls served as a nexus between all the Heavenly Planes, and even though the Creator only knew where Sans was, Glen could tell she was getting closer.
Some of the soldiers poured into the Ruins, quickly finding cover behind whatever rocks or door fragments they could as Sans's Gaster Blaster let out another burst of light that tore through the stone. Unfortunately for them, Sans quickly took a shortcut behind them and proceeded to throw the soldiers right back out into the Snowdin path. Those wearing armor found themselves pummeled by massive rocks until they too were forced to flee.
Unfortunately, Grillby and his wife were waiting for them. Fire blazed across the snow, setting anything it touched ablaze (save the snow, of course, as it merely melted from the heat). The soldiers shot at the flame elementals, but bullets don't have much effect on living fire; Grillby simply swept through the soldiers like a rogue fireball while his wife shot bursts of flame that somehow ducked and weaved around the soldiers' attempts to dodge. Watching them fight, Sans couldn't help but wonder how the soldiers caught Grillby and his missus in the first place.
Bones hovered around Sans as he flew through the air, dodging so quickly that his feet barely had time to touch down. Whenever he stopped, he sent a wave of the white magical constructs at the soldiers, focusing on the cyborg soldiers, who weren't as effected by the fire. The bones weren't terribly strong, but they were definitely wearing down the soldiers despite their bluntness. Despite everything, Sans did not want to kill outright; simply to drive the soldiers away.
That said, he did not hold back. Between the cyborgs' brute strength and speed, the oneirus who fought with their own variety of dream-based magic, and the soldiers wearing magic-resistant combat armor, Sans couldn't afford to let up. Gritting his teeth, he pushed forward as Mister and Missus Grillby flanked the soldiers.
Unfortunately, the Foundation soldiers were not unused to attacks from the strange and unusual, and were already recovering to mount a counter-attack. Sans soon found himself too busy darting about avoiding gunfire to fight back. Grillby and his wife were forced to pull back as well when the water from the melted snow made it nearly impossible for their flames to catch on anything. Zeta-9 advanced on Sans, forcing him back toward the Ruins door as he flung everything he could at them.
One of the soldiers suddenly fell back, impaled by a blue spear. Sans didn't have to turn around to know the source. "Nice of you to join us, fish-face."
"Right back at ya, bone-head." Undyne said as she leapt over Sans, spears in both hands. The soldier's magical armor may have blocked Sans's magic, but it didn't cover their entire bodies, a fact Undyne took full advantage of as she attacked.
She wasn't alone, either; more monsters hurried past Sans, including the massive frame of Greater Dog, who simply bowled over even the heaviest of soldiers in his path. It was the sight of Fuku, however, that gave Sans the most relief. Fire extending from her hands like flaming swords, she dove at the soldiers closest to Sans.
"All right." Sans said, preparing to join her. "Round two!"
Glen slammed both fists down on the head of the Throne, knocking him out cold. As the angelic knight fell, she heard a voice call out, "May the light purge you from this holy place!" She had just enough time to hurl herself into the waters of the lake before brilliant bursts of light tore through the air, shredding several trees and a large plinth in the process.
"And they say the Elysian Fields are supposed to be relaxing." Glen muttered as she pulled herself out of the water. Her eyes spotted the source of the trouble immediately, making her groan.
The rank of an angel is all about their wings; low-level angels like the seraphim and cherubim have no wings, with Thrones having a small set of decorative wings. The angel hovering in the air in front of Glen had Two full and functional pairs of wings, both silver with some gold embellishment, and she bore the glowing halo many erroneously associated with angels in general. She was a Virtue, the heavenly equivalent of a Green Beret.
She wasn't the one who fired the light at Glen, however; that came from the many armed man standing beside her. He wore quite a tranquil look on his face for a being who just shot off such a devastating spell.
"A Virtue and a Deva." Glen said, mildly amused. "I was wondering when I'd see some of the big guns."
"Cease your assault, demon!" The Virtue cried before flying at Glen with frightening speed.
Glen barely managed to avoid getting gored on the spear. Undaunted, the angel fought hand-to-hand with the Dreamer, easily matching Headache's strength with her own. All in all, the Virtue was a better fighter. Unfortunately, she too was only used to fighting demons. Demons can by nasty indeed, but strangely do not fight angels using dirty tactics, such as spraying lemon juice in their eyes.
The Virtue let out a cry and swung wildly even as she tried to wipe the juice from her eyes. Glen hurriedly moved to escape, only for the Deva to block her path.
"You are not a demon." He said, his voice infuriatingly pleasant. "Surely there is no wisdom in angering the forces of eternal light."
"Don't have much of a choice." Glen said, eyeing the deva's many arms. "Not unless you're willing to just let me walk out of here with my friend's soul."
"My apologies." The words barely left the Deva's mouth before he was flying forward faster than Glen could react. His fists caught her in the stomach and sent her flying a good fifty feet across the grassy plains of paradice. She tumbled to a halt, feeling no small amount of pain, but also grateful she'd taken care to put Sans's remains in an unbreakable container with a very tight lid.
The Deva slowly approached as Glen slowly rose, clutching her stomach and coughing. "Death is not an ending, my child; simply a new beginning. Would you deny your friend happiness?"
"He's my friend." Glen said, wheezing slightly as she stumbled back. "and I wasn't there when he needed me. Gotta make it right."
"I respect that." The Deva said solemnly. "And I want you to know, I take no pleasure in this."
"Neither do I." Glen swung, her Defiance appearing in her hands in mid-swing as a massive translucent blue hammer. The physical manifestation of her strength of will, the glowing hammer hit the Deva square in the chest, launching him back. Glen didn't stop there; taking aim, she emptied Headache's bola clips, sending the swirling spheres and ropes flying at the Deva to wrap tightly around him and his many arms. He hit the ground looking like he'd had a fight with an army of spiders.
The Virtue was coming at Glen again, however, and the red-rings around her eyes made her look even angrier than ever. Glen took aim and fired a colorful projectile the size of a soft-ball. The ball hit the Virtue dead on, splatting across her chest like a handful of mashed potatoes. Unlike potatoes, however, the 'gunk-ball' simply stuck to her hands when she tried to wipe them off. The more she struggled, the more the gunk spread, leaving her in a colorful, sticky, tangled mess.
Feeling a little sorry, Glen approached the struggling Virtue and said, "It'll wear off in about thirty minutes, so you shouldn't have to, y'know, lose any feathers if you just wait."
"You won't get away with this." The Virtue hissed, still struggling. "Someone will stop you."
"On that note." Without another word, Glen ran (hopefully) toward Sans, hoping she had enough tricks left to get him and get back home.
The soldiers were in a retreat now, some of the groups even breaking away from the others. This was a bad idea on their part, as this left them vulnerable. Sans, Mister and Missus Grillby, Undyne, and Fuku kept on the main group … at least, what was left of it. Undyne led the assault, her spears flying through the air and any point of weakness she could spot with her eye. There weren't many; the soldiers moved those with magic-resistant armor to the back specifically to block their attacks.
Undyne took a few shots, mostly just glancing bullets to the arms and one that scratched past her chin, giving her another scar Sans knew she'd just brag about later. Sans tried to get her to slow down, but Undyne was in a fevor. He'd never seen her so angry, or so driven … at least, not at the same time.
Some of the soldiers had taken to throwing snowballs at Grillby, his wife, and Fuku. While initially it seemed funny, each snowball hit the fire elementals like a hard punch. Sans quickly moved in front of them, promptly getting a snowball to the face for his efforts.
Fuku pulled him to the ground before he could wipe away the snow. He heard the bullet fly over his head and hit a tree wit j emough force the shatter the bark.
"Careful." She said. "I need you in once piece."
Sans caught the look on Grillby's face. To his credit, however, the flame man shook his head and said, "We'll talk about it later."
The soldiers were trying to dig in to one of the dog knight's patrol sheds. Sans was looking for something big enough to crush the shed when Fuku's phone rang. She pulled it out after taking cover.
"It's Toriel." Fuku said. After a few moments, her eyes went wide. "Sans, some of the soldiers managed to double back; they're heading into the ruins."
"Crap. Undyne!" Sans called out.
"I got this!" She called back. "Get movin' already!"
Sans lay with his back against a tree that stood near the edge of a cliff that offered the most spectacular view of Ebott one could ask for. While the signs of technology were visible in the far distance, Ebott sat in the middle of its orchards and surrounding forest beside the mountain that earned both the town and the woods their name. The sun offered a pleasant glow as it hung at the edge of the horizon, filling the skies with the most wonderful hues of red, orange, and purple.
Papyrus was probably ranting and raving back at the Cherry House, demanding to know where Sans was slacking off this time. The thought made Sans chuckle; the cliff side and its tree were his secret place, where he could watch the city and the skyline and feel totally relaxed. No one knew about it, save him, which made the sudden appearance of Glen that much more curious. Her shirt had a few tears, her ear was bleeding, and a few ugly bruises were visible on her exposed skin. She's clearly been fighting, though he could only guess with whom.
"Sans?" She said, a smile spreading across her face. "Oh, thank the Creator."
"Heya Glen." Sans said, falling back against the tree. "How'd you find me."
"Flux resonance." She replied, coming to stand beside him. "Though just between you and me, I've been lucky."
"You always are." Sans sighed and closed his eyes. "Tori send you?"
Glen didn't respond for a few moments. "Uh, no, but she's waiting."
"Tell her I'll be there in a few minutes."
"Cute. Listen, we don't have much time-"
"Of course we do." Sans said. "We've got all the time in the world. Come, sit down and enjoy the sunset with me."
Glen snorted. "Thanks, but I'll enjoy the sunset much better once I get you home."
"It's okay." Sans told her. "Tori knows I like it here. She'll understand."
"She understands? Well, yeah, I guess she does, but don't you want to go back to her?"
Sans frowned and sat up again. "Of course I'm gonna go back. You don't think I'm just gonna sleep out here do ya? I'd miss the woman who goat my heart."
He chuckled, but Glen didn't. She just stood over him, looking confused. "Sans … you know where you are, right?'
"Of course. We're in Ebott. Just look down there and you can see it."
Glen glanced over the cliff. "Sans, that's not Ebott."
"What are you talkin' about? Look, there are the orchards."
"Yes, and it looks just like Ebott, but it's not."
"Well, what else could it be?" Sans said with a laugh. "Don't tell me someone snuck here and replaced everything with an exact duplicate."
"Sans, it's …" Glen seemed to struggle with herself for a moment before letting out a sigh. "Sans, Tori's not here. Not yet, anyway."
"Good; I've got plenty of time to get a quick nap in then."
"No, Sans, you don't …" Glen rubbed her forehead, clearly at a loss. "You don't know. You really don't know."
"Know what?"
"You … died."
Sans looked at her for a moment before bursting out laughing.
"Nice try." Sans said, "You still mad about that cayenne pepper pie?"
"The … that was you?" Glen shook her head and said, "We'll bring that up later. Listen, Sans, don't you remember? Magical degenerative … er, something? Alphys told you there was nothing she could do?"
Sans frowned. Something in her words seemed familiar … familiar and unpleasant, like something he tried to forget.
Shaking his head, he said, "All right, very funny. You almost had me going."
"Sans!" Glen glanced over her shoulder, as though expecting trouble. "You and Papyrus went to watch the stars, remember? On top of Skylane hill?"
"Of course. We went there all the time. Every … night …" Sans held a hand to his skull. He remembered climbing the hill, Papyrus urging him on. He remembered how hard it was, taking step after step. He remembered the pain.
Shaking his head, he said, "No, that was just a dream."
"Sans, it happened! You have to believe me!" There was a note of desperation in her voice as she continued, "Tori, Frisk, Papyrus … they still need you."
"I'm … I'm dead." Sans repeated, looking at his hand. "I guess that explains why I'm all bones."
"You're all …" Glen's pained expression quickly turned to exasperation. "You're a skeleton, you numb-skull."
Sans chuckled, but only for a moment. "So I'm … where? Heaven?"
"Pretty much." Glen sighed and sat down beside him. "There are all kinds of heavens, but for most people, it's the place where they are happiest. You chose Ebott; small surprise there."
"I'll be damned. Monsters in heaven." Sans chuckled and shook his head. "And Toriel, Frisk, Papyrus … they'd come here eventually? When they pass on?"
"Well, yeah." Glen said. "I mean, eventually."
"Then I guess I'll just have to wait for them."
"You don't have to. Sans, I can bring you back, reconstitute your body and fix the degeneration. You can have a long, rich life. "
Sans stared out over the city for a long moment before saying, "No."
"What?"
"This isn't right. You once told me yourself that people aren't supposed to come back from death. Besides, it's peaceful here."
Sans tried to close his eyes, only to find himself again climbing the hill, each step smaller than the last as pain coursed through him. He clenched his fists and rubbed his sockets. "Dammit, Glen, why did you make me remember?"
"I … I'm sorry, Sans, but … we need you. Your death, it shouldn't have happened, not when I could've prevented it so easily."
"It's not your fault." Sans said. "You have so much on your mind, I didn't want to burden you. I didn't want to burden anyone."
"You aren't a burden, bone-head! You're special, and your family needs you, and … well, so do I. I never told you about James, did I? My brother? We were close, maybe as close as you and Paps. He was with me when I had to make a big choice, and that was the last time I ever saw him. You remind me of him, Sans; I think that's why we became such good friends. It's why I think of you as my brother, just as much as James. I don't want to lose another brother."
"And you're like the sister I never had." Sans said quietly. "I know Paps feels the same way sometimes."
"It's not just me, though." Glen told him. "What about you and Tori? You've only been together a few years. Weren't yall hoping to have kids at some point? Give Frisk a brother or sister, or hell, maybe both? It can still happen. And what about Papyrus?"
"Paps?" Sans said, looking at Glen. "How … how's he doin'?"
"How's he doing? He's been carrying around your ashes for the past few weeks, taking to them like you were still there. Undyne's been protective of people messing with him, and Toriel and Frisk are nothing but kind and patient, but … it's destroying him, Sans. He wasn't ready for you to be gone, not like this. Since you've been gone, he's become quiet, withdrawn … he doesn't cook or patrol anymore. Sans, if you don't come back, I think he's just going to fade away. He needs you, Sans, maybe more than anyone else, so please …just … give me a chance to make things right."'
Sans stared out over the town of Ebott as it existed in the Heavenly Planes. He could remember every day he'd been there now, each minute a small eternity while he napped away under his tree. He knew that he'd hoped for someone to come, for Papyrus to accuse him of being lazy, for Glen to need help with some contraption, or for Toriel and Frisk to come get him for dinner. Paradise was nice, but it was lonely by himself.
"All right." Sans said, rising to his feet. "Let's go."
Sans and Fuku fell out of the shortcut running, Fuku leaving a trail of fire behind her as her feet skimmed the ground. They reached the entrance of Toriel's house to find the place in ruins; bullet holes covered the walls, and nearly every piece of furniture was broken. A few soldiers lay dead or unconscious, along with a few more tell-tale piles of ash.
"Do you think Toriel-" Fuku said before the sound of not-too-distant gunfire cut through the air.
Sans and Fuku were out the front door like a shot. It didn't take long to reach the soldiers; they were advancing on a group of children led by Toriel and a few remaining adult monsters in the pillar puzzle room, both sides moving to keep behind the pillars as much as possible.
One of the children tripped while they tried to run. An adult monster moved to help, only to get a shot right in the head; the poor fellow barely had time to cry out before his body turned to dust.
Toriel turned as the child cried out, soldiers grabbing the kid by the arm. Fire burst from the Bossun's fist as she advanced on the soldiers, unaware that another soldier was already taking aim.
Sans dashed forward to stop the soldier, but Fuku got their first. Her flames burned white as they engulfed the soldier, melting his armor and leaving him screaming. The soldiers turned to aim their weapons at her, only to find a barrage of bones followed up with a Gaster Blaster that cut through the top of a pillar.
The soldier nearest Sans tried to hit him with the butt of his rifle, only for Sans to send him flying across the room with a wave of his hand. The soldier smashed into the wall with enough force to fracture the wall before falling to the ground in a heap.
The final soldier backed away from the monsters now advancing on him: Toriel and her group, Fuku, and Sans. Letting out a swear, he pulled something from his belt. Sans realized it was a grenade far too late, but as he opened his mouth to shout, the grenade vanished from the soldier's hand. This confused him as well, but not as much as the abrupt appearance of Artie, now holding a blanket.
"Hold this for a second, would you?" Artie said before throwing the blanket over the soldier. He immediately threw himself behind the nearest pillar, something Sans took as a cue to do the same, grabbing Fuku and Toriel in the process.
The soldier exploded with a strangely muted blast, fire and shrapnel belching from beneath the blanket, which merely fell to the ground a moment later, smudged but otherwise fine.
After a few moments of silence, Sans and Fuku peeked around the pillar to find Archie chuckling as he collected the blanket. Seeing their curious looks, he said, "This quilt belonged to one Misaki Sakamoto, a young woman who was living in Hiroshima at the time the atomic bomb hit. Apparently, her grandmother gave her the quilt as a going-away present. See the kanji? It roughly translates to 'keep safe from harm.'"
"Didn't help him much." Sans commented, pointing at the burnt remains of the soldier."
"Well, I put it on him upside-down." Artie said. "Easier than throwing it over all of you, especially since I only had forty-seven seconds."
"Right." Sans said with a grin. "Nice one, Artie."
"I try."
"All right." Said Fuku, "We'd better get back to Undyne before she bites off more than she can chew."
Sans smirked as he opened the shortcut. "Undyne? Naaaah."
Getting out of the Heavenly Planes was much easier than sneaking in; again, angels are used to demon incursions, and demons do not turn tail and run; they fight until they are killed and their spirit energy returns to the Burning Hells. Demons don't double back, not if there's more damage they can do.
As such, Glen wasn't anticipating much resistance from the angels as she and Sans rematerialized in the Outer Halls, and she told Sans as much.
"Which is fine by me." Glen said as they hurried along. "I've already caused enough trouble."
"You expecting backlash over this?" Sans asked.
Glen shrugged. "I'll deal with it if it comes. At the moment, they just know someone slipped into heaven, and with any luck slipped right out again. More than likely they'll just chalk it up to some demon. Security'll be crazy for a few days, then things go back to normal."
"Back to normal." Sans repeated, grinning. "Said the skeleton being escorted out of heaven by a Dreamer."
"Let's just say I wouldn't want to have to take on an archangel and leave it at that."
The sound of slow clapping made Glen freeze. She and Sans watched as a devin in a red suit approached them from a nearby hallway, still applauding. He was trying to look human, something that might work on demons and angels, but didn't fool humans and skeletons who knew that humans don't have tails, horns, or red eyes.
"I say," he said, "You've put on quite a show. I'd imagine heads are going to roll … figuratively of course. The big G's quite the softy. Oh, where are my manners? Scratch is the name."
"I'm glad you're enjoying my efforts, Scratch." Glen said warily. She didn't believe knowing a thing's true name gave you power over it, but wasn't about to risk it with a devil.
"Oh, I am. I am enjoying it immensely. Who would've thought a living being neither angel nor devil could get so far into the Heavenly Planes? Why, I see you were even able to retrieve a soul." The devil sidled up to Glen and asked, "I don't suppose I could convince you to sell it."
"Not a chance." Glen said bluntly.
Scratch shrugged, as though he expected no less. "I understand. After all, there's probably nothing I could offer someone who could so readily break through Heaven's defenses. I'll simply wish you a good day then."
Scratch turned and whistled sharply. To Glen's horror a throng of demons poured from the hallways, massing together near the devil.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Glen said, addressing Scratch, "What the heck is all this?"
"This is my army." He said pleasantly, eyes glinting. "I'd be a fool not to take advantage of the opening you left for us. Hey, don't feel bad; it's not really your fault, is it? If the angels had any sense, they'd have shored up their defenses. Instead, they've got most of their armies looking for a single intruder, leaving themselves vulnerable. Face it; they deserve to be taken over."
"Taken over? You can just take over the Heavenly Planes?" Sans said incredulously.
"Of course, my bony friend! We've been trying since the universe first came to being!"
Scratch moved to pass Glen, only for her to slam a metal fist into the wall beside her, effectively blocking him.
Scratch looked at her for a few moments before saying, "Careful, friend; you don't want me to get unfriendly."
"You don't belong here." Glen said.
"Neither do you. Strange, isn't it?"
"I'm not letting you upset the balance."
Scratch laughed. "The balance? You sound like my boss. Preseve the order of light and darkness, keep either from gaining traction. That's boring; I want some chaos. Now if you'll excuse me."
"You aren't going to start the apocalypse." Glen said firmly. "Not on my watch."
"On your watch? Isn't that a bit rich, seeing as you've opened the way for us?"
Glen shoved him back. The demons and devils hissed and snickered as Scratch stumbled back, the smile fading from his face.
"All right then." Scratch said, straightening his back. "If you insist upon being a problem, I suppose I have no choice but to deal with you myself."
Glen didn't reply. She could only stare as Scratch's human visage twisted and stretched until it was easily three times her height. Blood red skin sprouted twisted black horns and snarling teeth as Ol' Scratch grew and grew until he towered over the Dreamer.
"Last chance." Scratch rumbled. "Walk away, and enjoy what little time your universe has left before we come calling."
"Or." Glen brought her hand around, her Defiance manifesting again as a massive translucent blue hammer. It slammed into Scratch's chest, hurling him back against the wall.
The assembled demons whooped and laughed as Glen pointed her Defiance at Scratch, motioning for the devil to approach with her other hand.
Roaring, Scratch rushed at her. She took a swing at him, but Scratch was capable of dodging much quicker than his form would indicate. He avoided her swings before backhanding her so hard that she bounced and skidded a good twenty feet down the hall before coming to a halt.
Scratch stomped toward her, massive claws outstretched to tear her to ribbons. Mere inches away, however, she grabbed a handful of the soft red carpet and yanked it toward her, making Scratch fall back. She leapt at him and brought Defiance down with all her might.
Scratch caught the head of the hammer before it could hit him. Moments later, however, the light of the weapon flared even brighter, accompanied with the sound of flesh sizzling. Scratch let the hammer go with a roar, giving Glen a chance to back away.
Sans raised a hand to assist, though nothing happened.
"Sorry, Sans." Glen said as Scratch glared at her. "You need a body for your magic. I have to do this on my own."
Scratch rushed her again. Glen managed to thrust the head of the hammer against the devil's stomach, but got a slash that raked her right arm along the space between Headache and her shoulder plate. Blood dripped from the wound, now partially covered with the tattered green and gray remains of her sleeve as she backed away, Defiance now flickering.
An evil grin crossed Scratch's face. He rushed forward again, this time knocking the hammer from Glen's hands as she tried to swing, sending the dreamite weapon flying only to shatter against the wall.
Scratch grab bed her with one massive clawed hand and slammed her into the wall. Moving his face close to hers, he said, "I'll be taking both your souls now."
"Good luck with that." she managed before Headache's fusion cutters activated. He barely had time to look down before she swiped the blades through the devil's wrists, severing them.
Scratch stumbled back, roaring in pain as Glen fought to catch her breath. The fusion cutters were already dying due to lack of power, leaving Headache as little more than two hunks of metal. Even as she watched, the devil's stumps grew into new claws, now more deadly-looking than ever.
She caught his claws at the wrists. Headache's strength enhancers let her match the devil's strength, though she could feel the power waning. The devil slowly pushed Glen until her back was against the wall. He snarled at her, face only inches away.
"I'll see you suffer for an eternity, girl. You'll beg me for the sweet release of death long before I give you that release."
Glen didn't respond; she could feel it inside her, the power she'd only used once when thirteen stood as One. She reached for it with her mind and soul, willing that power, that light come back and help her now.
Scratch's sneer faded as the first of the cracks appeared on Glen's skin, showing a brilliant light beneath. The cracks spread, and as they did, Glen slowly pushed the devil back. Fear soon entered the demon's eyes as the light of dreams spread across Glen's skin, filling her with its impossible power.
She pushed him back with one hand as her Defiance once again manifested in her other hand.
"Wait." Scratch said as she raised the hammer. "Perhaps we can make a d-"
She brought the hammer down on devil's arm, shattering it as though it were made of glass. She brought it down again as the demon staggered back, taking his other arm.
"No!" Scratch screamed, powerless to stop as Glen approached.
Light coursing down her arm and across her Defiance, She brought the hammer around and smashed it clear through the devil's head. The devil's body went limp as the remnant shards of his head fell to the floor and were still.
The assembled demons and devils all stared at her as she turned to face their majority, her Defiance glowing as brilliantly as what lay beneath the cracks in her skin. She wouldn't be able to keep it up forever, but as long as she had it, she would put it to good use.
"Who's next?" She asked.
Sans and Fuku found the last of the soldiers outside the Ruins. There only three left; two cyborgs and the man with the red hand emblem on his uniform. The cyborgs seemed to be in charge, as they were the ones holding their rifles to Undyne's head. The head of the Royal Knights had seen better days; she had blood trailing from several bullet wounds on her arms, legs, and even her shoulder, and her face was heavily bruised.
"Ah, good." Said one of the cyborg soldiers. "Now we can finish this."
"Easy there, big guy." Sans said. "No reason to do anything rash."
"You don't want your friend dead. That's good; that means you and the rest of you monsters will stop resisting and submit yourself for containment."
"Blast this freak, Sans." Undyne mumbled through her bruised lip.
The cyborg slammed the butt of her rifle against Undyne's skull, knocking her to the ground.
"Hey!" Sans said, the soldiers immediately aiming at him the moment he stepped forward. "There's no need to do that."
"Then surrender!" The cyborg said. "All of you, right now, or I swear to whatever you freaks believe in, I'll ask the Overseer Council to nuke this place into ash. Lay down Face-down! And any of you even think about running, I'll blast you right after I turn this fish into ash."
Sighing, Sans said, "All right. I'm movin'."
"Sans?" Fuku said, surprised.
"It's okay." Sans knelt down before laying face-first on the snow-covered ground.
"Now you." The cyborg said, pointing the gun at Fuku. "I'm guessing the snow's not an option, so move back into the tunnel and lay down there."
Fuku hesitated a moment before Sans saw her feet walk back to the Ruins.
"Don't run!" The cyborg yelled.
"I get it!" Fuku snapped.
Sans listened as heavy footsteps approached, accompanied with the faint whine of internal motors. He braced himself; sure enough, the soldier kicked his skull. Knowing the blow as coming let him use his telekinesis to soften the blow, but it still left him dazed.
"Sans!"
"Stay on the ground!" shouted the cyborg shouted before Sans felt a hand grab him by the back of his coat and lift him from the ground.
"Time for you freaks to go to your cages." The cyborg said. Sans's vision was swimming, but he could tell that even the other cyborg was a little bothered by her companion's behavior. She touched his shoulder and said, "Enough. We'll bring him to Site-37."
The angry cyborg didn't respond. He just stared at Sans for a long moment, squinting at him until he finally dropped him to the ground.
"Where's the other one?" he demanded, aiming his rifle at Sans.
"Other one what?" Sans asked.
"The other Sans; the one you busted out of Site-37."
Rolling his eyes, Sans said, "Seriously, even you can tell the difference between us?"
The cyborg fired a shot into the ground inches from Sans's foot, making the skeleton jump. "WHERE IS 3177?"
"Right here."
The cyborg turned in time to get completely obliterated by a blast from 3177's Gaster Blaster. The remaining cyborg spun in the direction of the blast, only for a bone to catch her in the throat. The man with the red hand patch was already running at that point. 3177 gave chase, leaving Sans, Fuku, and Undyne alone.
"Well." Sans said before laying back against the ground. "I think I could use a nap."
