Fresh New Antivirus

Ch. 7 - Just a Hint of Angst

And people called her a bitch - if anyone deserved that title, it was Karma. He knew where to hit hard and was willing to do it.

For better or worse, she had been avoiding him ever since.

***

Back in Outertale_Copy567 ...

It was all fun and games. Right up until Frisk slipped on a paint puddle and fell off the edge.

Ink shouted "Gasp!" and Sans startled awake (he had fallen asleep) and Fresh's glasses were full of question marks, wondering why the kid wasn't just floating there because, well, space.

Fresh had no problem accepting that gravity worked on the paths and didn't make sense - these AU's were supposedly a Game after all, and Games don't have to be logical. But Fresh had kinda hoped and expected there to be floaty sections in Outertale.

Sans eye lights went black.

"... that cliff leads to the void." He started mumbling something along the lines of 'not again' and 'i had a bad feeling about this.'

Fresh thought back to the empty realm. He's seen first hand how it devoirs objects. Would his new friend end the same way ...? He began to fear for his new friend and his sunglasses reflected that, a cold pit in his non-stomach.

FU-NK

The N glitched a little as he was forced to censor himself, which felt weird. He kinda wanted to curse and swear but his words were edited as he spoke them.

Darned passive skills and distaste of cussing taking all the catharsis outta it.

Fresh was about to hop in after the kid but Sans gripped his arm, stopping him. He probably thought Fresh would die if the panicked look he got was an indicator.

Just as he was going to explain he was going to save them, Ink spoke.

"Well ... that's not good." Ink said with a grim expression that seemed a little forced and fake.

Ink's hand hovered over his vials of paint as if deciding whether or not to unsheath the blue one. Ink let his hand fall.

"'not good'? 'not good'!?" Sans exclaimed, gripping Fresh's arm tighter while glaring at Ink. "we have no idea the effects this could have on space time. do you even know how interconnected frisk's determination is with all the resets? we don't know what will happen when they cease to exist ...!"

"Well, actually! There is another Frisk that fell into the Core. Thrown actually." Ink said, inappropriately happy at being able to correct him.

There was a sudden rumble throughout the world.

Fresh experienced an impending feeling of dread and froze. Fresh's shades went blank. He could feel it. The world is collapsing.

And Frisk was a goner.

He was too late. Fresh stood there in a daze.

"what happened to their world?" Sans asks worriedly, letting go (too late).

Ink tilted his head as he tried to remember as he straightened his clothes.

Ink answered (too late), brow only slightly furrowing. "I ... don't really remember - I'll have to ask them later - but I do know that, right now, your AU is deteriorating rapidly."

"what can we do to prevent it?" Sans interrogated (too late). "there has to be a way to save my au!"

Ink hand trailed back to the blue vial. This time, he took a tiny sip of his blue vial and gave Sans an apologetic look. "I'm sorry ... there is nothing I can do."

Ink now genuinely looked regretful.

And Fresh just stood there. Blank.

He'd never lost anyone before. And they had just met. He ... didn't know what to do. His emotions felt like they were lagging.

This was Fresh's fault ... wasn't it? He set up the game. He said they could play. He could have saved them.

Ink readied his paint brush, grabbing Fresh who let him take the lead.

"I'm sorry." Ink said with teary eyes to Sans.

He made a portal.

"w-wait!" Sans begged. "you can't just-" They were gone. "-leave us ..."

Sans slumped to the ground as another tremor shook the world, eye sockets blank. The world began to show signs of glitching.

From a distance, Papyrus could be heard calling his brother's name.

"SAAAANS!?"

"... bro?"

Papyrus came into view.

"SANS!" He rushed to his brother and hugged him. "I WAS WORRIED! EVERYTHING STARTED SHAKING AND - AND I COULDN'T FIND YOU AT YOUR USUAL PLACES A-AND -"

Papyrus looked like he was trying not to cry.

"... bro." Sans hugged Papyrus back. "it's gonna be ok." He lied. "let's go home."

"I ... I ... OKAY BROTHER. I'LL BELIEVE IN YOU." Papyrus lifted Sans, still hugging. "I'LL ALWAYS BELIEVE IN YOU ... LET'S GO HOME, SANS."

'I'll believe in you,' ... not 'I believe you.'

Sans hugged his brother tighter as they walked back toward Stardin.

Papyrus stumbled as the world gave out.