UnderCorrupt

8 ~ I'm Trying to Help You

The day after talking to Sans, a Tuesday, Papyrus got up in the morning, got dressed, made breakfast, same as usual. He packed his lunch in his backpack,  made sure again that he had not forgotten his homework, and left for school.

Papyrus did not like the conveyor belts that were used for transportation throughout Hotland, but he had to admit that they were a quite fast method of travel. He was entering New Home within a matter of minutes.

The quickness, thankfully, didn't give him the time to think much about Sans.

From there, it was only a matter of finding his way through the twist of New Home's streets. Papyrus was a fairly popular monster in New Home. Whether that was because everyone just liked him for the monster he was, or because he was the son of the Royal Scientist and brother of Commander Sans, or because of a mix of both reasons, it really didn't matter. Whichever it was, it made it relatively safe for him to travel alone through New Home, and he made his way quickly and easily through New Home to the school.

The school was a small building, squeezed between two other buildings of New Home. Papyrus arrived there just as Queen Toriel-- Ms. Toriel, as the class called her-- was unlocking the door. Frisk was at her side.

The human smiled when they saw Papyrus walking as briskly as his short legs would carry him. They tugged gently on Toriel's sleeve, and she turned to look.

"Oh! Good morning, Papyrus. How are you?"

"I-" Papyrus hesitated. He wanted to tell them about Sans, but...

If the people learn that their greatest hero was made into one of the Corrupt, they will lose even more hope than learning he was dead. Hope, Papyrus, is not something we can afford to take from our soldiers.

... But Gaster had impressed upon him the extreme importance of not telling anyone about Sans.

"I'm good." Papyrus stuffed down his desire to talk, and smiled just a little.

Frisk smiled back.

And from there, Papyrus managed to push Sans from his mind for the time being, and the day proceeded as usual.

~o0o~

When Papyrus got home, he immediately went to the lab, taking his homework along to do there.

He found Gaster at his workbench, doing something with several vials of chemicals, one of which appeared to be filled with the dark purple of Corrupt Magic. Sans was passed out on the cot, possibly sleeping off the effect of some drug Gaster had given him.

One thing Papyrus noticed with some curiosity was that Sans was wearing his purpley-blue jacket, and there was some sort of badge on the shoulder. It looked like a sort of dull yellow colored shield, outlined in black, with a black Soul set in the middle. A dark lizard-like, possibly draconian creature was curled around the side of the shield. Papyrus made a note to ask his brother about it when he was awake.

In the meantime, he found a mostly clear spot on Gaster's workbench, and started on his homework.

~o0o~

Sans woke slowly, amid much groaning. His head hurt.

After muttering a variety of curses in the Corrupt language, he sat up.

"hey. gaster. what did you give me and why is it making my head hurt so much?" Sans spoke briskly and authoritatively his tone commanding and demanding an answer.