Chapter 9: Breaking Things At Breakfast

Error had no idea what to do, his mind went completely blank in the faces that he had meant to avoid. And add in the fact that his bones were out for all to see, especially to a Sans that Error knew could shot him point-blank in a flash as he has done it before, he was not very happy. But all this Sans did was looked at him in horrified shock. 'Maybe this is a new Mobtale timeline AU? I know this isn't the original Mobtale. I've yet seen a Mobtale Sans that size before and usually they would start shooting right about now. Man, Ink how many does that make for this AU? 84? 96?'

Error was shaken out of his thoughts by light footsteps behind him. Jerking his body to the side, making sure not to show his back or look away completely to any side, he was met with a teary-eyed Toriel. Thinking quickly, he snatched both kids into his arms and backed away to the couch. If a fight was going to break out because the Sans was here, then he needed to be on guard.

Watching the hurt Monster back away like he was surrounded by angry predators as his bones cracked and groaned by his movement, curling to protect the children in his arms from them, made everyone's SOUL shrivel up just a bit.

What they didn't know was that Error was trying to decide if making a portal now, with him half-naked and without his bag filled with food the kids would need, would be worth the risk.

"My...Child.....I..." Toriel croaked out, not knowing what to say. Soon her teary eyes went out to Asgore's shocked ones. "I had no idea that I would have company so early..."

Seeing how the dark Monster kept his sockets Undyne, yet also making sure to glance everyone's way as well, Asgore cleared his throat making the multicolored eyes snap to him. "Hello, I'm sorry that we startled you. I'm sure Undyne did not mean to scare your children."

"YEAH-" Undyne shot up, only to cough and choke on her words when the Monster scooted back with blank sockets and the kids whimpering. "I-I mean yes-no!" Huffing, she glanced away. "I mean I'm sorry."

"Please, why don't you sit down." Toriel wiped her eyes, gesturing to the couch behind him. "Breakfast is almost ready. Why don't we all just sit down and relax while I get everything ready?" 'And then we can get to healing you and get you to tell us about who did this to you.' Toriel finished in her head. No matter the age, Toriel will not leave a broken child. Even if she has to get her hands dirty again. And guessing by the glance she got from Sans, he knew what she was thinking and agreed with her.

Looking at everyone, and not really understanding why the Sans of this AU hasn't done anything to hurt him yet, Error slowly sat down on the couch much to everyone's visible relief. He refused to let the kids go, and kept watch for any sudden movements.

The first one to move, ironically, was Papyrus who still had a few orange tears falling down his face. "Hello dark monster!" Error stilled when Papyrus went and picked up the bottle, only to move in front of him to hold it out. "My name is Papyrus! I have to say that seeing other skeleton Monsters is a surprise...But a happy one!"

Looking at him warily, the Monster quickly snatched the bottle back and was quick to feed it to the sniffling baby bones that was dressed in orange. The in blue just kept their head firmly on the Monster's scared and mangled collar bone, refusing to look at any of them.

"You said it Pap." Skull chuckled, forcing himself to relax. Seeing the strange-looking Monster feeding a baby was just proof that he wasn't all bad. "And two baby bones too."

"I'll ge-et s-some M-Monster C-Cand-dy." Alphys quickly muttered to a thankful Toriel. Undyne just followed after her, probably sensing she wouldn't be any help to them right now.

"So stranger, what's your name?" Asgore asked pleasantly, keeping a concerned eye on the Monster. "And your kids as well?"

Taking a deep breath, making everyone hide a wince at the sight and sound of the mangled and cracked ribs moving, Error decided he had nothing to lose by playing nice if the Sans here has chosen to play dumb. At least until he can sneak out without trouble. "i Am ErRoR." Not paying any attention to the raised brows because of his voice, he lightly tilted his head to the boys in his hold. "ThIS iS NUlL AnD VoID."

Hearing Skull snort was enough for the tension to breaking a little. "You named them both 'nothing'?" Skull couldn't help but give a chuckle, only to stop dead when Error flinched back and the blue baby bone's, Null's, headshot up, turning to give a cute but deadly glare in his direction.

"I wanted a name like Daddy's! I asked for one!" Null practically hissed, his shyness having left once the feeling of righteous anger took over. "Better then fonts." Then he lifted his head and sniffed, sockets still glaring, and then moved his body around making his pearls clank together. He looked up and around suspiciously at everyone else, feeling the safer now that he was in his protector's hold.

Skull didn't know if he should be insulted, his and Pap's names are after fonts along with all the other skeleton Monster's including the AU's, or struck by the adorableness that is Null's pout and glare, or a bit disturbed that the little one had to ask for a name. And glancing at the others, Skull knew that they were thinking the same.

"Why don't we talk about more pleasant things!" Papyrus immediately cut through the silence, waving Frisk up. "This here is Lil' Pup! Why don't the kids play together?" Seeing the suspicious look thrown at him and the tightening of the grip on the kid's Papyrus hurried on. "They don' have to leave the room, I just thought it would be good for'em!"

Noticing how Void has finished the bottle, and how fussy he was getting, Error looked down at Null in question. Null looked up and it looked like they were having a silent discussion. Eventually Null got off Error's lap with a pout and Void in his arms and fallowed Frisk into a corner to play with some toys. But everyone noticed how Null positioned himself and Void, facing them all and within sight of Error and him in sight for them at all times.

"May I ask where you're from?" Asgore asked as he settled himself into a plush chair that was across from the coach. "I have never seen you before or heard of you." 'And with those injures and looks I would have been told about you a long time ago if you lived anywhere near the city, let alone in it.'

Error unknowingly started scratching at his arm, making the chips worse much to the flinching of the rest, as he tried to think on what he should say. "i DOn'T knOW." Error settled on. And it was true, he had no idea on what AU he originally came from before he was Error.

Before Asgore could ask more, Alphys and Undyne came back into the room, the first holding a jar of little pink candies. As Alphys was quick to hand Toriel the jar, Undyne couldn't help but joke to Error, trying to hide her pity and sympathy. "Man, you're really puny! When was the last time you ate?"

"I DON't knOw." Error answered immediately back, taking her joke as a honest question. He had no trouble answering the questions, it wasn't like the Sans didn't know about him.

The sound of glass shattering across the floor sounded out while Undyne choked, horrified. Papyrus cleared his throat, sweat starting to form on his skull. "What do you mean you don' know?!"

Frowning Error tried to explain. "i MEaN i CaN'T REMemBeR ThE lASt tImE i AtE....." Error sighed, scratching harder making pieces of bone fall off his arm. Skull and Papyrus both flinched back. "AfTEr A WhiLE thE hUNgER pAinS juST blEndEd In....Or DId iT lEAvE?....WhEN wAS tHAT? WHEn DiD i LAsT hAvE tIME?" Error muttered to himself, trying to remember the last time he ate so he could give a clear answer. He didn't notice the looks and soft crying in the background.

Making sure none saw him, Skull left the room. He had heard enough, he knew what he needed to do. He really needed to get in contact with Ink. 'If he is from that new AU, I sure as hell don't want to go there....Unless it is to go 'talk' to the whoever did this.'

"W-Well, why d-don't I-I g-get you s-somethin-ng to drink!" Alphys quickly went off, not wanting to know the answer, yet also wanting to know. 'How long can a Monster go without eating? Is a different kind? Why does he look so different?' Questions swarmed in her head, but she wouldn't act on them. It wasn't like she was like Him. She knew better than to do harm based on what she wanted to know.

"S-So!" Papyrus looked around frantically after a long silence, before settling on the kids, that we're now playing with a bunch of different stuffed animals. "Your children have such nice dresses, and those pearls! You must have paid a lot of money for them!"

'Pearls? Those bracelets and necklaces? Are peals expensive? But they are so tiny.' Error thought himself absent mindlessly before shrugging. "YeAH, SuRE. LEts GO wITh tHAT."

Undyne actually snorted, getting what Error was implying straight away. Asgore politely coughed, hiding a laugh, while Troiel looked to be torn in between approval, for providing for the kids, and disapproval, for stealing in general.

Frowning, Papyrus rubbed his skull in confusion. "But I don' understand why you got them pearls, they are kids-WAIT!" Wide sockets locked on to Error's half-lidded ones. "You STOLE them!?"

"STolE iS SUcH a HArSh wORd. I lIKE CaLLinG iT SuRviViNG, oR bEtTeR yET, LIvINg. BEsIDEs, THeY lIKE iT aND LOoK gOOd In THEm." Error lightly said, but the gleam in his sockets dared anyone to say that his kids didn't look good in the stole items. He looked down at himself briefly, wondering if he could take the chance to get up and get his clothes.

"But you should at least pay-" Papyrus started only to stop short once he realized he didn't have a leg stand to land on for that. By the coughing and covered laughter, everyone else knew it too. "They do look good." Papyrus finished instead of what he was going to say. "How old are they if you don' mind me askin'?"

"...I HAve No IDea." Error tilted his head to look at where the kids are. "nUlL, HoW oLD aRE yOU AnD VOId? DO yOU knOW?"

Null jolted up, having had his head bent down to whisper to Void, only to still thinking about it. 'How old am I?.... Does that really matter?' That was something he had never concerned himself with, just trying to stay alive and get out with Void. Eventually he just shrugged and shook his head in negative, turning back to playing after Error waved him off. "Hey Pup, how do you get that stuff on your skull and bones?" Null asked, pointing to Frisk's skin and hair.

Turning back to a shocked group of Monsters, Error shrugged. "WE hAVe NO iDEa. AnD bEForE yOU AsK, I hAVe NO iDEa hOW oLD i AM." Error tacked on when Papyrus opened his mouth. 'It's hard to keep track of that in the Anti-Void where time has no meaning.' Papyrus's mouth shut with a clank, looking around at the others wondering where he should go with this. All he knew was that this was not painting a pretty picture.

"Foods almost done!" Toriel peeked out with a tense smile, having heard all the conversation. "Why don't you help me set the table Papyrus?" 'And so we can get Error something to eat.'

"Coming!"

-With Skull-

"He's here." Skull bluntly said as he stood in the hallway, standing in front of a portal. The other side showing Ink standing in front of his home in his Snowdin. "And I have ta say, you were right about him being in bad shape."

Ink gave a harsh sigh, then a sad smile grew on his face. "I've gathered all the others in my AU. Most have already checked out their AU and found nothing, so they came here to see what else they could do. Their brothers are staying just in case he happened to show up. I'm glad you were able to find them, I was getting worried! I'll come through to talk to him." Ink started to explain. "See if he is willing to come with me to talk with the rest, and to get him some needed help."

"Oh, he needs help alright. His whole body is a mangled mess, it's like one more hit and he is dust." Skull shuddered just thinking about it. "And that's just his bones. Just imagine what his SOUL looks like."

Seeing how violently Ink winced, it wasn't a nice image.

"I'll tell the others to wait for us in the Multi-VOID." Ink rubbed the back of his skull. "That way if something does go down, then we don't have to worry about other Monsters or humans getting in the way."

The portal flickered, then closed.

For some reason, Skull knew some shit was going to go down. That Error guy had looked at him like he was going to shoot him straight in the SOUL, he expected him to hurt him. But the thing was he didn't really look at the others like that, bar Undyne but that was mostly for his kids, not himself, he didn't expect them to hurt him.

It was like Error knew him, and that sent shivers up his spine. But he has never seen him until today, and with those injures he already has-

'A Sans had done that to him.' Skull realized numbly. 'A Sans had cracked his bones and god only knows what else.'

It was a slap in the face, and it also felt like he found a missing piece to the puzzle. But not all the missing pieces, there was still so many to be found until he could form a clear picture.

That was the only logical root, as all Sans from the AU's share physically traits even if they still look very different. But there was also a problem, all the Sans's had admitted to never seeing this Monster. And none of them felt like they were lying, so that meant what?

'No use asking myself.' Skull sighed before leaning back on the wall behind him. 'I have'ta be patient.'

The minutes he waited for Ink to come back through felt like a year passing by. The only thing he could hear was questions, theories, and so many different pictures on how this was going to go down, on what the hell happened to that Monster. But then he heard the commotion in the other room not too far from where he was. Horror crept up his spine as pictures of what could have happened to Error never left his mind, the words just repeating in his head.

"What do you mean you don' know!?"

"i MEaN i CaN'T REMemBeR ThE lASt tImE i AtE....."

When the portal opened once more, Ink stepping through, Skull had made himself a promise after listening to all that is going on in the other room. No matter how much he hated making promises, he would keep this one.

Whoever hurt Error, Sans or not, is going to get shot point-blank the moment he sees them.

Skull will later laugh himself sick once he knows how long of a line that is, how many people he has to shoot.

How many Monsters, Sans's and Papyrus's, have hurt Error for something he has no control over. For doing the necessary evil that someone had to, like what Death had to do. That he had no choice in doing, It was forced onto him and brought him to insanity. For doing what killed him on the inside, made his SOUL crack and break every time he had to, because of one uncontrollable creator.

He was going to need a lot more bullets. And that would make his SOUL hurt all the more once he found out that the line never stopped getting any shorter after he ran out of bullets.

-With Error and the Others-

"Here we go~" Toriel laughed, putting dish after dish on the table. "Be sure to all you want!"

Error didn't even try to pick any food for himself, he just balanced both kids on his lap and filled up a plate for Null. He never noticed how none of the others started eating, only watching him closely. And even if he did he would just shrug, it wouldn't be the first time he was poisoned. The first time by food maybe, but he had been injected with it by a furious Nightmare!Sans after told him he wasn't going to help him fight Ink and Dream!Sans. Error was swamped by too much work and had lost all his anger by that time when asked.

But the joke was on him. Although the poison hurt a little - He was screaming, choking on dust and blood, magic rejecting himself, his SOUL feeling like it was tearing into P I E C E S - he lived through it. After a few more tries - he lost count after three hundred and sixty-four more attempts - Nightmare gave up and on the bright side Error had become immune to most deadly poisons.

All the Monsters groaned when they saw Error just feed Null some eggs, not even trying to take some for himself.

"Error, dear, why don't you try some?" Toriel quickly asked, gesturing with her hand for the others to start eating as well. "I warmed up some soup for you."

Looking very confused at the bowl being held out to him, Error just blinked at it. Glancing to the brown broth, he could admit he had no idea what to do in this situation. The last time someone offered him something was...He couldn't remember. "i'M nOT hUNgRY." Error settled on. He hadn't been hungry in a long time. "NuLl AnD VoiD nEEd It MORe."

Before Toriel could try and get him to at least try some of the food, that had healing properties, or coo at the last sentence and insist that there is enough food for everyone, Skull walked back in.

Seeing that Error was just feeding the kids, and having heard what he said, made Skull hope that Error would willingly come with them. If not he was not above dragging him to get healed, not when he obviously needs it.

"Hey Error." Error stilled, eyes locking on the Sans. His only thought was that the Sans finally is going to do something, finally going to try and dust him. "I have someone that wants ta meet ya, to get ya some needed help." The shorter skeleton nodded at Toriel, who was very relieved that the darker skeleton would get healed up.

Skull waved someone in, and soon a skeleton around Error's height walked in. Error's SOUL froze, his grip on the children tightening. All he could see was the face of the skeleton, nothing else computed. 'He found me....'

Well, Error was half right. The Sans did something, but he wouldn't be doing the dusting. No, he just called the creator to do finish what he started. When that very familiar face faced him, eyes sparkling when they glanced down at the kids in his lap, something inside of him S N A P E D.

"So YOu'vE COME tO fiNiSH YOuR pLAn...." Watching the skeleton start to violently glitch, Skull was quick to motion for his family to move away from him. Ink could only blink before dense magic filled the air. Ink choked as he heard his screams.

And then Error laughed and Ink felt his SOUL drop at the words. "You'Ll hAVe tO TRy HArdER tO kILl mE iNKy! AfTEr ALL wE bOth ArE tWO hAlvES oF a WHoLE no MAtTeR hOW mUCh We Don'T lIKE iT!" And with that Error was quick to put the kids behind the kitchen bar and swipe a hand down his face, blue string coming to life. "I'M tIReD oF tAKiNG yOUR BEaTiNGs ANd ShIT!"

Before Ink could deny his words, as he had never met the Monster before now, he was flung back with pain as strings wrapped around his joints. His paintbrush fell off and to the ground, making a rattle as the rest of the Monsters flinched back. Looking up, Ink was faced with a Monster who looked like he had nothing to lose and was beyond pissed.

Skull was busy making sure none of his family got hurt but was shocked when the string never went to any of them. But he knew if they took one step, that could change. "Well...Did not see this coming..." Sweat dropped off his skull, but questions swarmed his head. 'Inky? Ink trying to kill him!? What is going on!?'

Null clung tighter to Void, peeking around the corner of the bar to see what was going on. 'Is this the Monster that hurt Daddy...Is he like Him?' If this was the case, then Null knew that his Daddy would win. If he can take down the doctor, then he can take down this bad Monster as well. Void shifted as the magic moved about in the air, whimpering softly.

"I-" Ink gasped out only to cry out in pain when his SOUL was brought out, strings wrapped around it. Soon Error's glitchy face was near his, his eyes screaming how lost he is, how tired he was. "I-i? WhAT INk? I hAVe NO cArE FOR thAT bAlAnCE anY mORE! So I cNA dUSt-"

For the first time, Error looked, really looked, at the Monster's SOUL. It was a normal upside down Monster SOUL, but with a rainbow shine to it, like an opal.

The problem with that? Ink did not have a normal Monster SOUL.

This was not Ink's SOUL. Ink's SOUL was pure rainbow, shinning in all colors all the time. His SOUL was never just white with a shine to it. Error has seen it plenty of times as they fought, and Ink has always made sure to say how ugly his own SOUL looked. Using a bit of magic, Error CHECKED the SOUL only to still. The stats were all wrong.

Leaning back, Error finally took a good long look at the Monster, then felt numb at what he saw. A tall Monster, at his own height, same clothing but with modifications and a few different colors here or there. The same face, only more mature. Inky was shorter, about to his hip bones, and favored a blue jacket, not a green one.

Ink looked to the Monster when dark hands made the strings soften. "D-Do YOU kNOW wHO i Am?" Ink saw the confusion on the others face, looking so lost. He could only shake his head in negative. "This is my first time meeting you...."

"YOU lOOk juSt lIKe Him...LikE InK..bUT yOUR NOt HIm?" Error rubbed his skull harshly in his confusion. 'Did Ink make another version of himself?! But why would he do that?! To try to make another creator!?'

"But...." Error's eyes turned wild at the next sentence. "I am Ink, or at least Ink!Sans from Inktale..."

The strings vanished as Error fell to his knees, muttering to himself not understanding what is going on. "BuT HOw!? INKtALe?! I'VE nevER hEaRd oF thAT Au! DId INk cREaTe a NEw ONe THat FASt!?" Suddenly his breathing stopped. "....HoW lONg DiD i FAll? DId tHE aNTi-VOid mAKe IT sO YEaRS pASsEd mE bY wHEN i FeLL?!"

His glitching worsened with every word, his bones cracking a bit further at his harsh scrubbing. Everyone flinched back when Error suddenly started banging his skull into the ground harshly, making the cracks on it worsen. "i DON'T UNdERSTAnD! I SHOulD hAvE dIED! WHaT hAs HE DOnE tO mE!? AM i CUrsED?! ARhHHhHHhHHhHH-!"

Ink was quick to rush up to the hysterical skeleton, hovering yet not touching. "SKULL! Get the others out of here!" Ink yelled out over the glitched screams, not taking his sockets off the Monster that admitted that he should have died of all things. 'What happened to you!? Do I have a double running around hurting people!?'

Rushing the Monsters out and around Error, making sure that they would stay out of the home, he then turned to the baby bones. But before he could reach them, they shot out and around him! "Hey-!"

"NUUU~" Error could feel little hands gripping his uncovered arms, soft crying echoing around his skull. His vision blurred from all his glitching and the marrow getting into his sockets, but he could make out the colors blue and orange. He stopped slamming his head, sockets narrowing to try and make out who had grabbed him. "K-K-k-_K-IDs....?!"

"Daddy!?" Null gasped at the blood, clinging on the bent arm as hard as he could as if to make him better. Void crawled and patted the hand that was clawing and leaving deep scratches on the floor. "D-Da! Da~" Orange and blue tears fell to the ground. Error could see the colors through his haze, his mind slowly coming back to him. He slowly reached up to his hands to clenched his skull, marrow leaking out and pooling under him. "W_w-WHeRE a_Am I-I_i?!"

"Far from home that's for sure...." Skull muttered, helping Ink up. "And probably farther then were thinking."

"Why don't you come with me." Error glanced up to the familiar but wRoNG face. Eyes gently glowing showing concern and care. "We'll figure this out, and the others can help us."

Error knew this could be another trap, the others could be hundreds of other Sans and Papyrus waiting in wait to try and dust him. And while he normally wouldn't care, Error glanced to where he can finally make out Null's and Void's worried faces, he had two little brats that won't leave him alone.

"DaDaDaDa~" Error flinched, his glitches fading at Void's soft cooing/crying. As the glitches faded, he was able to think a bit more logically. He needed to see the other Skeletons and AU's to see just where in the Multiverse he is in. And to do that, he needed to follow this taller version of Inky.

Slowly sitting up, and ignoring the pain, clinging children and hovering Sans's, Error gave a nod in agreement that just made him dizzier.

"oK-OkAy...."

Notes From Author - Harrish6

Error's breakdown is just beginning. Once he finds out just what happened he is going to have another one, a bigger one, because he is just so done with everything. He is going to think Fate or Inky is playing with him.

This Multiverse will not have as many AU's as the original one, and some of the Sans and Papyrus will act very differently then their counterparts. There will be reasons for this, but the main one is because Inky(OM!Ink) and Error do not exist here and because they have their own built-in balance in their AU..

Error called OM!Ink Inky as a insult, a cutesy nickname because he is so short to him.

There will not be a huge amount of AU's in this Multiverse, I'm just warning you now.

In the next chapter Error meets the others, and they hold a meeting. Null and Void get some new friends and even an admirer, to Error's horror, confusion, and apprehension. Of course it will only get worse once Error gets one as well. The others also get to know just what and who exactly Error is and how he came to be Error. They find out about his job and Inky's as well.