A Different Kind of End - Book One - Reset

Chapter 11 - The Royal Scientist

She paused and looked to her phone again, chuckling and wondering just how many times Alphys would update their status as she fans her face with her free hand. It was much warmer in Hotland than the rest of the underground, "Well no duh," she mutters to herself. She pockets the phone and shrugs out of her sweater, tying it around her waist. Wiping sweat from her brow she pushes on, keeping an eye out for Chara and trying to not get herself killed.

Hours later she sits on a ledge looking out towards the core, a huge metal structure rising out of the lava lake. Alphys had been helping with the puzzles, she was awkward on the phone but Frisk knew the small scientist meant well. Leaning back on the palms of her hands she keeps her gaze on the core, going over in her mind everything she had done up till now, "I could totally do without Mettaton's ridiculous shows, though I was able to handle that jetpack better this time round, didn't crash it and even got to the substitute... I wonder what exactly the substitute is?" she had chosen to rest here after Alphys' last call, telling her about the core, "Geothermal energy into magical energy huh... I wonder who created such a thing, can't have been Alphys, considering she didn't seem to know exactly how it worked," she shakes her head and pushes to her feet, "maybe I can find out, someone must know something... but for now, best keep moving... even if it means more of Mettaton," with a small groan she pushes on. She finds the first elevator and travels up a level, upon exiting, the scent of food wafts towards her in the dry air and her stomach rumbles, "when did I eat last?" following the tantalising smell she comes across one of Sans outposts, she giggles realising it has snow on the roof, somehow.

"Hey buddy, what's up?" Sans grins wider upon noticing her and she moves closer, "Wanna buy a hot-dog? It's only 30 g," she quickly hands him the gold, "here's your 'dog," he lets out a small chuckle, "yeah 'dog. Apostrophe-dog, it's short for hot-dog," this sends Frisk into giggles and choking on her food. She spends sometime talking to Sans as he serves some monsters, he tells some food related puns and after they mess about by stacking hot-dogs on her head, sadly she cannot balance them too long and they all tumble to the ground, they get some funny looks but just burst out laughing,

"Well, I better keep going I guess," Frisk smiles a little sad to move on,

"Hey Frisk..." there is a small frown on Sans face but his signature grin quickly returns, "Al's helpin' ya right? With the puzzles and all that?" Frisk got the feeling he wanted to ask her something else, she nods to let him know Alphys is, "good, but be careful alright?"

"I will be Sans," she gives him a small wave and heads off wondering what he actually wanted to ask her, probably best not to dwell on it. She delved onward, through more puzzles, finding more items from fallen humans and managing to get through fights without hurting anyone. At one puzzle she became quite frustrated and decided on a whim to call Papyrus,

"WHAT? HOW'S THIS PUZZLE WORK? UMMM... WHOOPS, I THINK IT'S UNDYNE'S TURN TO TALK!!!"

"What! No, I HATE puzzles! Papyrus you do it!" they seem to be pushing the phone back and forth between them,

"WELL, ALPHYS MADE THE PUZZLE RIGHT, YOU SHOULD JUST CALL HER UP... AND SAY IN A HOT VOICE..." his voice drops down a few octaves, "ALPHYS... I NEED HELP WITH A..." there is a pause, "WINK," Frisk has to cover her mouth to smother the snort of laughter that bubbles out, "PUZZLE..."

"Oh my GOD! NO! Shut up!!!" Undyne yells, making Frisk find it even harder to muffle the laughter,

"FINE!!! GIVE ME HER NUMBER!!! I'LL DO THE HOT VOICE!!!"

"NO!!! THAT'S EVEN WORSE!!!" there seems to be some kind of struggle and the line goes dead, by now Frisk is bent over holding her stomach while laughing. The irritation from the puzzle now long gone.