Dance, Dance, Die!

Frisks POV

Feeling themself stirring, Frisk pushed themself up with a yawn.

"You up, Frisk?" Frisk glanced at Kat, who was stretching her arms out. Frisk nodded. "Good, I'll wake everyone else up then."

"Go ahead," Frisk yawned, pushing themself off the bed. "You up, Chara?"

"Yeah," Chara replied. Kat crawled toward Teri first, shaking her shoulder.

"Teri, get up we gotta get going," she murmured. Teri stirred a bit. Her eyes popped open and she pushed herself off the bed.

"Right!" she exclaimed. "We're almost to the Core! We gotta get going!"

"Right now?" Poppy groaned, rolling onto her other side. "Can't we sleep for a few more minutes?"

"The faster we get to the barrier, the faster we can go home," Kat replied, nudging Clover's shoulder. And find out a way to free everyone. Ray let out a grunt, sitting up with his hand on his forehead. Clover shuffled off the bed.

"Is everyone ready?" Frisk asked, pulling out their stick.

"Could go for some food," Ray admitted, clutching his stomach.

"Ooh! I saw a food stand by the exit!" Teri replied, pulling the door open and pointing down the hall. "Let's see what they have!" She rushed down the hall. Frisk and the others dashed after her. Teri skidded to a halt in front of another counter. Above was a sign composed of the letters "MTT" and a picture of a burger. A cat stood on the other side of the counter.

"Welcome to MTT-Brand Burger Emporium," the cat greeted, a fake smile plastered on his face. "Home of the Glamburger. How can I help you, o customers?"

"What do you have?" Kat asked, stopping beside Teri.

"There's Starfaits… very popular, the signature glamburgers, legendary heroes and… steak in the shape of Mettaton's face… please, don't ask." Teri giggled into her hand.

"Starfaits look like the cheapest," Poppy informed, pointing at the sign behind the cat. "Let's get one for each of us." Frisk and Kat nodded, putting some of their gold on the counter. The others did the same. The cat counted out the gold before sliding them some drinks.

"Here ya go! Have a fabu-ful day!" the cat exclaimed, forcing a smile. Frisk pocketed the drink.

"Thank you," they replied with a nod. The group made their way out the door labelled 'Core.' Frisk made their way onto a bridge. They skidded to a halt when they spotted two figures ahead. A ringing sound filled the air. The figures turned and walked through the doorway. Frisk answered the call.

"Hey, are you guys on your way to the Core?" Alphys asked.

"Yeah," Teri replied, leaning toward the phone. "We're about to enter but… we saw some weird guys outside."

"Huh? Who are they? N-nobody else is s-supposed to be there…"

"Supposed to?" Teri repeated, cocking her head.

"Oh well!" Alphys exclaimed. "We can't worry about that now." She hung up.

"What's with her?" Chara grunted. Frisk shrugged before continuing. They made their way across the bridge and through the light blue doorway. They stopped in the first room. Ahead of them, were two doorways and an elevator in the middle. The phone rang again.

"Ready?" Alphys asked, her voice laced with enthusiasm. "This is it! Take the elevator to the top of the Core." Okay, maybe this won't be so bad. Frisk approached the elevator, pressing a button. Nothing happened. There wasn't even a flash of light. Ray slapped the button over and over and over again. Still nothing happened.

"Um…" Kat spoke up. "Alphys… the elevator isn't working."

"What? It should be working…" Alphys paused. "W-well then! Go to the right and keep heading up!" Frisk nodded. They walked down the right hallway only to skid to a halt. Their eyes widened. All around them was a dark chasm, with flames in front of them.

"We can't go up," Ray informed, crossing his arms

"W-what do you mean you can't?" Alphys asked.

"I mean we can't!" Ray exclaimed, throwing his bandana onto the floor. "There's no way up. We're surrounded by a pit."

"But… that isn't on my map… Forget it!" Alphys exclaimed before anyone else could reply. "Try the left side!" Frisk made their way back out and up the the left hallway.

"You should be able to make it through there... " Alphys muttered. A hooded figure shambled down the hallway, stopping in front of the group. Squeals sounded behind Frisk. The figure pulled off their hood, revealing a creature holding two orbs.

"Madjick!" Chara exclaimed. "He can only speak in magic words."

"Magic words, huh?" Frisk stepped forward, pointing their stick at Madjick. "Expelliarmus!"

"Ah! A fellow wizard!" The Madjick exclaimed, turning and floating away. Frisk dropped their stick. How in the…?

"Are you okay?!" Alphys gasped, her voice buzzing through the receiver.

"We're fine," Frisk answered, picking up the gold Madjick had dropped. "It was just a Madjick."

"W-why are there so many monsters in here?" Alphys asked. "I mean… It's no problem, r-r-right? Y-y-you've just got to keep heading forward!" The group continued down the next hall. Rounding the corner, Frisk came face to face with a laser blocking the way. Poppy flicked a switch on the wall. The laser disappeared immediately after, though three more lasers approached them. Shrieks filled the air. Frisk froze as the blue lasers passed through them. They hopped through the orange one.

"What's happening?!" Alphys exclaimed.

"Lasers," Frisk answered simply. "We're all okay, right?" Frisk glanced at their friends, to see that some of them had red marks on their skin.

"I'm okay," Ray grunted, shoving a hot dog in his mouth. "Just took me by surprise."

Poppy rubbed a red mark on her arm. "I'll be fine… I've got more HP after all…" Her head hung low.

"Then let's keep going," Frisk replied, making their way across the bridge. They stopped at the end of the hallway. It split in two directions, one going forward and the other going left.

"Alphys, we've reached a crossroads," Kat informed, leaning toward the phone.

"A crossroads…" Alphys repeated. "Uh… try heading to the left." Frisk nodded. They made their way down the left hallway. They skidded to a halt as another hooded figure marched toward them, a clanking sound echoing through the room. Frisk's soul appeared in front of them. The figure threw their hood off, revealing an armoured body and a spear in one hand. Frisk staggered back. Two giant eyes gazed at them from the monster's stomach.

"More horn helmets?" Poppy muttered, crossing her arms. "I'm starting to think this is actually Asgard."

"Knight Knight," Chara informed. "She looks tired…"

Frisk glanced at Teri. "Teri, sing a lullaby to her," they ordered, pointing at Knight Knight.

"Sure." Teri stepped toward Knight Knight, singing a slow tune. Knight Knight's eyes fluttered before shutting completely. Frisk tiptoed out of the room.

"That was a dead end," Kat informed, leaning into the phone.

"You lead us into a trap!" Ray snapped.

"I-I didn't mean to!" Alphys exclaimed. "I'm sorry! The map was wrong!"

"Is it an old map?" Clover asked.

"N-no, I bought this j-just yesterday!" Alphys protested. "Uh… just g-go…. Just go the other way." Frisk made their way down the other hallway. Ahead of them was a bridge, with blue lasers and orange lasers galore.

"More lasers," Poppy grunted.

"Lasers?" Alphys repeated. "G-give me a moment. I'll hack into the C-core and deactivate them." There was some tapping on the other end of the phone. The Core fell silent. Only the buzzing of the lasers remained. "They're… they're not turning off!" Kat let out a gasp. "I can't turn them off, I… I-i-it's okay! I have this under control! I'm going to turn off the power for that whole node!" She announced swiftly. "Then you can easily walk across." There were a few more clicks from Alphys's end of the phone before the room was swallowed by darkness. The lasers were gone, leaving no source of light. Frisk stepped on the bridge.

"Be careful," they called as they crept forward. The group walked down the bridge singlefile, their steps slow and careful.

"Wait stop!" Alphys cried. Frisk jerked to a halt. Their eyes blazed as light filled the room. Blue lasers appeared all around them, shooting through their skin. Frisk's eyes widened.

"Dang," Chara gasped.

"Th-the power…." Alphys stuttered. "It's turning itself back on. D-damn it… Th-this isn't supposed to happen!" she exclaimed, buzzing the receiver. "I… I'm gonna turn it off again. When it turns off, move a little, and then STOP." Oh, so its like Red Light Green Light.

"More like blue light, no light," Chara replied. Get out of my head, Chara. The lasers disappeared, prompting the group to walk forward. They stopped as the lights flickered. The lasers fazed through them for a few moments before the lights turned off again.

"Ugh! This is taking way too long!" Ray exclaimed. When the lights turned off, he sprinted across the bridge.

"RAY NO!" Clover gasped, reaching out. The lights flickered on. The blue lasers shot through Ray right as he reached the end. His back arched and he let out a cry. Frisk's eyes widened.

"Ray!" Teri gasped, forcing herself to stay still. Ray flopped to the ground on his stomach. When the lasers turned off, Ray dragged himself the rest of the way off the bridge. The group had to stop two times before they reached Ray.

"Is he okay?! What happened?!" Alphys gasped.

"Are you okay?" Frisk gasped, kneeling in front of him. Ray let out a groan. He pushed himself into a sitting position, his head still wobbling.

"He'll be okay," Poppy informed, leaning toward the phone. "He ran through the lasers."

"I didn't mean to!" Ray exclaimed, gripping his stomach. He pulled the starfait out of his pocket. Drinking it in one sip, he pushed himself off the ground. "I'm fine now, let's go." Frisk continued down the hall. Ahead of them was another crossroads with two hallways to the sides and one going forward. A save point stood in the middle.

"Another crossroads," Kat informed the phone.

"Ok!" Alphys exclaimed. "Y-you should… you should… I don't know! This is nothing like my map at all."

"We'll figure it out," Teri insisted, smiling. "Thanks for trying, Alphys."

"O-okay… I-I'm sorry I couldn't be more helpful… b-but if you need my help, you're free to call."

"Okay bye." Frisk hung up on Alphys.

"Where to now?" Kat asked, looking around.

"I don't know," Frisk admitted, reaching out to touch the save point. "I'm thinking right but…"

"I was thinking left," Ray replied, pointing down the hall. "Who's with me?" Clover raised his hand.

"I think you're right," Kat whispered in Frisk's ear. "But I'll make go with Ray and Clover to make sure nothing happens to them." Frisk nodded their thanks.

"We'll stay with you," Poppy informed, raising her hand. Teri nodded beside her.

"Then let's go." Frisk, Poppy, and Teri made their way to the right while Kat, Clover, and Ray made their way down the left hallway. Frisk lead them through the hallways. They had no idea where they were going, not that they said that out loud. Do you know where to go, Chara?

"Sorry," Chara replied. "I always took the elevator… I've never actually been here." Frisk let out a sigh. They continued going random directions. After some walking, Frisk stopped in front of a purple bridge.

"This looks right," Frisk commented, stepping onto the bridge. Two figures emerged from the shadows, stopping their way. Frisk skidded to a halt. The figures stepped closer, revealing a Froggit with a crown and sharper features and some sort of Whimsun.

"A Final Froggit and Whimsalot," Chara informed. Oh, so you don't know the way out of here but you know the monsters that live here? "Okay, maybe me and my friend got lost here one time," they grunted.

Teri kneeled down in front of the monsters. "Please, we just want safety." Poppy scoffed.

"Whimsalot is remembering its conscience," Chara informed.

"Don't give up!" Whimsalot exclaimed. "There's still hope." Butterflies circled around the group as flies zipped towards them like bullets. Frisk slipped around the flies. Then they lunged forward to touch the green butterflies. Whimsalot fluttered away, leaving the group with the Final Froggit. It's eyes were wide with wonder.

"Mystify it," Chara suggested. How? Wait! I have an idea. Frisk pulled out their phone, opening the Act menu and pressing 'X.' Their soul turned yellow.

"Frisk, what are you doing?" Teri asked, raising an eyebrow. The Froggit gave a thoughtful croak before hopping back into the shadows. "Why'd you do that?"

"What's it matter?" Poppy asked, pushing forward. "It worked." Frisk continued forward. They skidded to a halt as another figure emerged. This one had one eye, stubby arms and legs, and four horns on its head.

"Astigmatism," Chara spat. "A complete bully. It'll always get it's way."

"Pick on me!" The Astigmatism exclaimed, holding it's stubby arms out.

"Okay, you little Mike Wasowski-looking freak! How about you go shove a thorn branch down your throat. If you even have a throat, you pathetic whelp!" Frisk and Teri glanced at Poppy, their jaws dropped.

The Astigmatism stood still. "OKAY!" the Astigmatism exclaimed, disappearing into the shadows.

"Well that worked!" Poppy replied, walking forward. "Come on, let's go." Frisk and Teri exchanged glances. Before they could make it across the bridge, three figures emerged from the darkness. An Astigmatism, a Froggit, and a Whimsalot.

"What a nightmare!" Chara exclaimed.

"I've got the Froggit," Frisk informed, pulling out their phone. "Teri, you handle the Whimsalot, and Poppy… uh, you know what to do." Teri and Poppy nodded. Frisk turned their soul yellow in front of the Froggit. It hopped away with a croak. Teri kneeled down and prayed for safety. A ring of butterflies appeared around them again, with two green ones. Teri reached out to them. The Whimsalot nodded to her before fluttering away.

Then Poppy… "You bug-eyed little creep! Get out of my face and go go step on a Lego!" Did that… The Astigmatism shambled away and the group made it across the bridge.

"Should I be scared of your friend?" Chara asked. Frisk shrugged, flicking a switch on the wall.

"What did that do?" Poppy asked, cocking her head.

"There was a laser blocking off one of the halls," Frisk suggested, turning and walking across the bridge. "Maybe it turned it off."

"Let's go see," Teri replied, spinning around beside Frisk. They made their way down the same hallways they went down earlier. They crossed yet another purple bridge, they encountered a Madjick, a Knight Knight, a lone Astigmatism and another nightmare trio. They dealt with them the usual way. Finally, they reached the other side and Frisk touched the save point.

Teri's POV

Teri observed the elevator buttons, all of which were numbers lower than the current floor.

"I think we made it." Teri pointed at the doorway. "We just have to go through there."

"What about the others?" Frisk asked, glancing at the bridge.

"They'll catch up," Poppy replied, walking through the doorway. "Besides, we're just gonna make sure this is the right way." Frisk and Teri followed Poppy inside. They made their way down the hallway, skidding to a halt

"Mettaton?!" Teri gasped, taking a step back.

"OH YES. THERE YOU ARE, DARLINGS," Mettaton replied.

"What are you doing here?" Poppy snarled, shielding Teri with her arm.

"I WAS WAITING FOR YOU, OF COURSE… I WAS WAITING FOR YOUR WHOLE GROUP BUT THIS WILL DO FOR NOW. IT'S TIME TO HAVE OUR LITTLE SHOWDOWN. IT'S TIME TO FINALLY STOP THE 'MALFUNCTIONING' ROBOT. ... NOT!" Mettaton exclaimed, rolling toward them. "MALFUNCTION? REPROGRAMMING? GET REAL. THIS WAS ALL JUST A BIG SHOW. AN ACT. ALPHYS HAS BEEN PLAYING YOU FOR A FOOL THE WHOLE TIME."

Teri's eyes widened. "What?" she gasped, her voice hardly more than a whisper.

"YES, AS SHE WATCHED YOU ON THE SCREEN, SHE GREW ATTACHED TO YOUR ADVENTURE. SHE DESPERATELY WANTED TO BE A PART OF IT. SO SHE DECIDED TO INSERT HERSELF INTO THE STORY. SHE REACTIVATED PUZZLES. SHE DISABLED ELEVATORS. SHE ENLISTED ME TO TORMENT YOU. ALL SO SHE COULD SAVE YOU FROM DANGERS THAT DIDN'T EXIST. ALL SO YOU WOULD THINK SHE'S THE GREAT PERSON... THAT SHE'S NOT."

Teri shook her head. "No… no! She wouldn't do that!" It can't be true! She's my friend, our friend! However, as Teri thought back, it only made sense. The reason Mettaton never killed them when he clearly could've whenever he wanted to… he had been waiting for Alphys to swoop in and save the day! And she believed her...

"She's that lonely?" Poppy muttered to herself. "Jeez… that's kind of desperate."

"She… she…" Tears formed in Teri's eyes.

"AND NOW, IT'S TIME FOR HER FINEST HOUR." Teri looked back at Mettaton, wiping away her tears. "AT THIS VERY MOMENT, ALPHYS IS WAITING OUTSIDE THE ROOM. DURING OUR 'BATTLE,' SHE WILL INTERRUPT. SHE WILL PRETEND TO 'DEACTIVATE' ME, 'SAVING' YOU ONE FINAL TIME. FINALLY. SHE'LL BE THE HEROINE OF YOUR ADVENTURE. YOU'LL REGARD HER SO HIGHLY SHE'LL EVEN BE ABLE TO CONVINCE YOU NOT TO LEAVE…"

"NO!" Teri snapped, stomping her foot into the ground. "I WON'T LET HER FOOL ME AGAIN!"

Mettaton rolled back a bit. "OR NOT."

"Wait no, stop!" a voice protested. Teri glared at the door to see Alphys. With a snap of Mettaton's fingers, the door slammed in front of her. Teri's eyes widened. There was a jangling sound but the door remained shut. "Oh my god, I'm locked out!"

"We know what you did!" Teri snapped, stomping her foot into the ground.

"Please, I didn't mean it!" Alphys protested, banging on the door.

"OH, PLEASE! YOU'VE RUN THAT EXCUSE INTO THE GROUND!" Mettaton exclaimed. "ANYWAYS, I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS PREDICTABLE CHARADE. I HAVE NO DESIRE TO HARM HUMANS. FAR FROM IT, ACTUALLY. MY ONLY DESIRE IS TO ENTERTAIN. AFTER ALL, THE AUDIENCE DESERVES A GOOD SHOW, DON'T THEY? AND WHAT'S A GOOD SHOW... WITHOUT A PLOT TWIST?" The ground beneath them lit up, the edges and some circles in the center glowing bright red. "TIME FOR A FINALE THAT WILL DRIVE YOU ALL WILD." Teri stumbled as the platform shot into the sky. "REAL DRAMA! REAL ACTION! REAL BLOODSHED! ON OUR NEW SHOW: ATTACK OF THE KILLER ROBOT!" Teri's soul appeared in front of her. She hopped into position, narrowing her eyes at Mettaton. Focus on the battle. You can give Alphys a piece of your mind later.

"Wait, what about the Core?" Poppy asked, pulling out her notebook. "S-surely she didn't…"

"OH, OF COURSE NOT!" Mettaton exclaimed. "I WAS THE ONE WHO REARRANGED THE CORE. I WAS ALSO THE ONE THAT HIRED EVERYONE TO KILL YOU! THAT, HOWEVER, WAS A SHORT-SIGHTED PLAN. YOU KNOW WHAT WOULD BE A HUNDRED TIMES BETTER? KILLING YOU MYSELF!"

"Why?!" Teri exclaimed, throwing her arms into the air. "You just said you have no desire to hurt humans."

"THAT IS TRUE DARLING," Mettaton replied. "BUT LISTEN, I'VE SEEN YOU AND YOUR TROUPE FIGHT. YOU'RE WEAK. IF YOU CONTINUE, ASGORE WILL TAKE YOUR SOULS AND WITH THEM, HE WILL DESTROY HUMANITY. BUT IF I GET YOUR SOULS, I CAN STOP ASGORE'S PLAN! I CAN SAVE HUMANITY FROM DESTRUCTION!" I mean that kinda makes sense in a way... Frisk fired at the objects that were raining down on them. "THEN USING YOUR SOULS, I'LL CROSS THROUGH THE BARRIER... AND BECOME THE STAR I'VE ALWAYS DREAMED OF BEING! HUNDREDS, THOUSANDS... NO! MILLIONS OF HUMANS WILL WATCH ME! GLITZ! GLAMOUR! I'LL FINALLY HAVE IT ALL! SO WHAT IF A FEW PEOPLE HAVE TO DIE? THAT'S SHOW BUSINESS, BABY!"

"That's horrible!" Teri exclaimed, taking a step closer. "These are our lives at stake, do you even care about anyone but yourself?!"

Mettaton hesitated. "HATE TO BREAK IT TO YOU, DARLING, BUT YOU'RE GOING TO DIE EITHER WAY. AT LEAST THIS WAY, THE REST OF YOUR SPECIES WILL SURVIVE." Frisk stopped firing shots, stumbling to stand between Teri and Poppy.

"Alphys is calling," they announced, holding the phone up to their ear. Oh, great, just what we need, Teri thought bitterly. Mettaton crossed his arms.

"Guys! I can't see what's going on in there but… I-I have a way that you can defeat Mettaton. It's... um... it's... This is a work-in-progress, so don't judge it too hard... But, you know how Mettaton always faces f-f-forward? That's because there's a switch on his backside. S-s-so if y-y-you c-c-can turn him around... um... And, umm... press th-th-th-the switch... He'll be... um... He'll be… vulnerable…"

"And why should we trust you?" Teri grunted, folding her arms.

"It can't hurt to try," Frisk insisted, hanging up on Alphys.

"I've got it!" Poppy rushed toward Mettaton. "Mettaton, there's a mirror right behind you!" she gasped, pointing at him.

"OH? A MIRROR? RIGHT, I HAVE TO LOOK PERFECT FOR OUR GRAND FINALE!" Mettaton turned around, revealing a switch. "HMM... I DON'T SEE IT... WHERE IS IT...?" Poppy slapped her hand across the switch, flipping it with a clank. Mettaton froze in place. "DID YOU. JUST FLIP. MY SWITCH?" He rasped out each word before turning around and convulsing rapidly. Mechanical whirrs filled the air. Mettaton's shaking got faster and faster until a burst of light filled the room. Teri covered her eyes with her arm. "OHHH YES!" Mettaton exclaimed. Teri looked up, her eyes immediately watered as a cloud of smoke rolled in.

"Where is he?��� Poppy asked, raising her notebook.

"Ohh my." Teri froze as Mettaton's voice filled the air. She looked around. However, even as the smoke cleared, it was too dark to see a thing. "If you flipped my switch, that can only mean one thing. You're desperate for the premiere of my new body." A faint light filled the room. Teri looked around, before spotting a figure in the darkness. "How rude… Lucky for you, I've been aching to show this off for a long time. So... as thanks, I'll give you a handsome reward. I'll make your last living moments…" Light poured into the room, revealing… Mettaton? "ABSOLUTELY beautiful!"

Teri's eyes widened. "M-mission accomplished." She muttered. Seriously, Mettaton looked… amazing. That jet black hair covering the side of his face, a bright pink eye, the huge pink heels, confident smile, and good god those legs. He was already throwing them around as if he were advertising them. Through striking poses, twirling in circles, or doing the splits, Mettaton never stopped moving. Teri's cheeks burned like fire.

"Lights! Camera! Action!" he gasped, twirling around, then walking backwards while shaking his shoulders.

"I've made a terrible mistake," Poppy grunted, her tone flatter than a pancake. Teri shook her head clear. Mettaton twirled toward them, throwing his legs around.

"What do we do?!" Teri exclaimed, glancing at Frisk.

"Um…" Frisk pulled out their stick. They hurled it at Mettaton, only for him to catch it his mouth and wink. Teri's cheeks burned harder. Spitting out the stick, Mettaton hurled toward them. Teri ducked as he kicked and swatted at them, still keeping to the tune of the song. Jumping away, Teri caught her breath. She focused on the music for a moment: a fast-paced, almost electronic beat that all of Mettaton's moves corresponded to. It clicked in her mind like a switch. Poppy and Frisk dodged left and right as Mettaton swung and kicked at them. Teri ripped off her ballet shoes. Glancing up, she noticed a chart on the wall with the word "ratings" plastered on top. The numbers slowly increased.

"I get it!" Teri exclaimed. Twirling forward, she leaned back, resting the back of her hand on her head. The ratings shot up. Mettaton glanced up at her, smiling briefly. Shoving Poppy and Frisk aside, Mettaton made his way toward Teri, still posing and tapping his foot to the music. Teri jumped into position. Tapping her foot, she kept her eyes narrowed at Mettaton. He lunged at her leg first, but Teri slipped out of the way, spinning around like a dreidel. Mettaton turned to her. She dodged side to side to avoid his punches. He slipped his leg under Teri. She jumped over it, her toes grazing him before she jumped away. Teri slid across the floor. She pressed her hand onto her forehead, leaning back as far as she could. Mettaton stood up, his eyes wide. Smaller versions of his rectangle form came flying at Teri as he aimed his hand at her. Teri twirled and hopped out of the way.

"I've got this!" Frisk called, leaping to Teri's side. They aimed the phone at the mini-Mettatons. Shooting at each of them made them disappear with a poof. Mettaton glared at them. Poppy lunged to Frisk and Teri's side, glaring back at Mettaton. The robot threw his arm into the air. Teri glanced up to see that bombs were raining down toward them. Frisk pointed the phone at them. Teri jumped from side to side to avoid the explosions. Poppy did the same. Explosions erupted all around them as the two spun toward each other. Grabbing Teri's hand, Poppy twirled her around like a ballerina, swinging her out as a bomb exploded between them. Poppy pulled her close again as bombs exploded behind them. Finally, she twirled Teri around, forcing her to spin out of the fray like a top. Poppy and Frisk lunged after her. Spinning around, Teri stopped and threw her arms out to her sides. Frisk shot one arm into the air. Poppy waggled her shoulders, punching the air below her. All three glared at Mettaton.

"Is that all you've got?!" Teri called, still tapping her foot.

Mettaton rested his hand on his chin. "Not bad…" His eyes narrowed. "Then how about this?!" he exclaimed, pointing at the sky. Teri looked up to see a disco ball. Before any of them could react, blue and orange lasers fired from it. Teri leaped aside, her skin blazing. Shaking her head clear, Teri lunged through an orange laser, and froze as a blue laser passed through her. Teri weaved around the white lasers. The others followed her lead, jumping, spinning, stepping, whatever they had to do. Mettaton let out a robotic growl. Lunging into the fray, he leaped toward Teri leg first. Teri rolled aside. She jumped to her feet, fists clenched. Blasts echoed through the room before the lasers disappeared completely. Frisk slipped to Teri's side, phone in hand. Teri pulled out the starfait she'd bought, gulping it down in a few sips. All the pain in her body faded. Poppy and Frisk did the same thing, as Teri leapt away. Tapping the ground with her feet, Teri shook her entire body around to the music, flinging her hands into the air. She only stopped to strike a pose. Mettaton strutted toward her, a grin on his face as he copied her moves. A white heart appeared in front of Mettaton. His soul!

"Shoot it!" Poppy gasped to Frisk. The soul floated toward them, shooting white bullets. Teri spun out of the way. The bullets slipped past her, tearing at her shirt. More bullets fired from the soul, which floated after them as they hopped and twirled around the floor. Teri lunged to Frisk's side. They were spamming the x button, aiming anywhere and everywhere. Finally, a shot hit the soul. Mettaton jerked to a halt, squirming awkwardly. Frisk fired at the soul again to which Mettaton continued to convulse in pain. With one final shot, Mettaton's arms and legs popped off. Slipping through the last few shots, Teri leaped out of the fray, giving one last spin before she shot her arms into the air.

"WOO!" Her heart pounded in her ears. Teri fell to her knees beside Mettaton, casting a glance at the ratings. Her eyes widened to see that they were going off the chart! "Look!" Teri pointed at it. Mettaton's eyes lit up like candles.

"OOH, THESE RATINGS!" Frisk and Poppy stopped beside Teri. "THIS IS THE MOST VIEWERS I'VE EVER HAD! WE'VE REACHED THE VIEWER CALL-IN MILESTONE! ONE LUCKY VIEWER WILL HAVE THE CHANCE TO TALK TO ME... BEFORE I LEAVE THE UNDERGROUND FOREVER! LET'S SEE WHO CALLS IN FIRST." A ringing phone appeared beside Mettaton. "HI, YOU'RE ON TV! WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO SAY ON THIS, OUR LAST SHOW?" Silence followed.

"Oh…" There was a faint a gasp. "Hi... Mettaton... I really liked watching your show... My life is pretty boring, but... seeing you on the screen... brought excitement to my life... vicariously. I can't tell, but... I guess this is the last episode...? I'll miss you... Mettaton... Oh... I didn't mean to talk so long... oh…"

"NO, WAIT!" Mettaton exclaimed. "BL-"

"They already hung up…" Teri informed, sitting down on the ground. Mettaton looked away, letting out a sigh.

"I'LL TAKE ANOTHER CALLER!" he insisted, the light returning to his eyes.

"Mettaton, your show made us so happy!"

"Mettaton, I don't know what I'll watch without you!"

"Mettaton, there's a Mettaton-shaped hole in my Mettaton-shaped heart!" The calls came from all over the room, echoing off the walls. Mettaton's eyes widened.

"AH… I… I SEE... EVERYONE... THANK YOU SO MUCH." Metatton met Teri's gaze. "DARLINGS. PERHAPS... IT MIGHT BE BETTER IF I STAY HERE A WHILE. HUMANS ALREADY HAVE STARS AND IDOLS, BUT MONSTERS... THEY ONLY HAVE ME. IF I LEFT... THE UNDERGROUND WOULD LOSE ITS SPARK." Teri nodded throughout his entire speech. "I'D LEAVE AN ACHING VOID THAT COULD NEVER BE FILLED. SO... I THINK I'LL HAVE TO DELAY MY BIG DEBUT. BESIDES, YOU THREE HAVE PROVEN TO BE VERY STRONG. PERHAPS... EVEN STRONG ENOUGH TO GET PAST ASGORE. I'M SURE YOU AND YOUR FRIENDS WILL BE ABLE TO PROTECT HUMANITY." Teri, Frisk, and Poppy exchanged glances, nodding to each other. Mettaton let out a weak laugh. "IT'S ALL FOR THE BEST, ANYWAY." Eyes widening, Teri inched closer to the robot.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"WELL… THE TRUTH IS, THIS FORM'S ENERGY CONSUMPTION IS... INEFFICIENT. IN A FEW MOMENTS, I'LL RUN OUT OF BATTERY POWER, AND…" Mettaton looked away as Teri's eyes watered. "DON'T WORRY, I'LL BE ALRIGHT." Teri let out a sigh of relief. Glancing back up at the trio, Mettaton forced a cheeky smile. "KNOCK 'EM DEAD, DARLINGS."

"We will," Teri murmured, nodding. Scooting closer to Mettaton, Teri wrapped her arms around him, resting her head on his shoulder. Poppy and Frisk crouched beside Teri, smiling at Mettaton.

"Thank you…" he murmured. "THANK YOU ALL OF YOU!" he called. "YOU'VE BEEN A GREAT AUDIENCE!"