The True Lab

Kat's POV

"Kat! Kat!" a voice cried. "Please get up! I can't lose you…" Kat let out a groan, her hand resting on her thumping forehead. "Kat!" Arms flung around Kat. "Oh good, you're okay!"

"Frisk," Kat groaned, straining her eyes open. "What happened? Where are we?" Frisk pulled to Kat to her feet.

"That elevator we were in lost power," Frisk informed, leading Kat out of the elevator shaft. Kat looked around. The ground and walls of the hallway were a dark green.

"Where are we now?" Kat asked, squinting into the darkness.

"I don't know," Frisk admitted, walking forward. "I just hope it's where we'll find Alphys." They made their way down the hall, stopping in front of a sign. "Entry number one," they read. "This is it… Time to do what the King has asked me to do. I will create the power to free us all. I will unleash the power of the soul."

"Which soul?" Kat asked, resting her hand on her pounding heart.

"Don���t know," Frisk admitted, continuing to the next sign. "Entry number two. The barrier is locked by soul power… Unfortunately, this power cannot be recreated artificially. Soul power can only be derived from what was once living." Do animals have souls? Kat wondered. "So, to create more, we will have to use what we have now… The souls of monsters." They continued to the next sign.

"Entry number three. But extracting a soul from a living monster would require incredible power… Besides, being impractical, doing so would instantly destroy the soul's host and unlike the persistent souls of humans… the souls of most monsters disappear immediately upon death. If only I could make a monster's soul last." Why don't they last long. "Entry number… five?"

"Five?" Kat repeated, looking around the dark hall. "Where's entry number four?"

Frisk shrugged before continuing. "I've done it. Using the blueprints, I've extracted it from the human souls. I believe this is what gives their souls the strength to persist after death. The will to keep living… the resolve to change fate. Let's call this power 'determination.'" Kat and Frisk made their way down the hallway, silence looming over them.

"Frisk." Kat broke the silence. "Now that we're alone… I wanna know what happened… after you left." Frisk glanced at her, eyes wide.

"How did you know…?"

"We all noticed something was different about you when you came back," Kat explained, stopping once they reached a small room. "So I figured something happened. What was it?" Frisk didn't reply. They reached out to touch something, probably a save point. "Was it Asgore? Did you… die?"

"Once," Frisk answered, briskly. "Then I came back."

Kat raised an eyebrow. "That doesn't seem right… you lost countless times to Undyne and you didn't give up then."

"That was to defend you guys," Frisk replied, slipping some gold into the vending machine. "Besides, I realized I couldn't go to the surface without them, especially you. Can you imagine what your parents would say?"

Kat pictured her Dad and Papa, probably freaking out over her being gone possibly forever. "Yeah… that's true…" Kat admitted with a sigh. "But that doesn't explain why you're so…" Kat observed Frisk's dishevelled hair and wide-eyed look. "...Frazzled."

"It was… an intense fight," Frisk replied, tossing Kat a bag of chips. They kneeled on the ground, squinting at a note. Kat kneeled beside them. The handwriting was so bad it didn't even look like english. "I can't make it all out," Frisk informed. "All I can read is 'elevator…' 'lost power…' and 'enter the center door.'"

"Then that's all we need," Kat replied, standing up. She made her way toward the center door, a tall gray one with four keyholes, each a different colour. "So we just need to find the keys."

"Let's go then," Frisk replied, leading them down the left hallway. Frisk stopped to read another sign. "Entry number six. Asgore asked everyone outside the city for monsters that had 'fallen down.'" Kat and Frisk both cringed. "Their bodies came in today. They're still… comatose and soon, they'll all turn to dust." Kat's eyes widened. "But what happens if I inject 'determination' into them? If their souls persist after they perish, then… Freedom might be closer than we all thought."

"That's a little messed up," Kat commented, rubbing her arm. "Experimenting on dead monsters like that… for their souls no less."

"She had the king's permission," Frisk replied with a shrug.

"That doesn't make it the right thing to do," Kat insisted, walking down the hallway. How could the monsters' families have felt? Fog rolled in as they stopped in a new room. Kat could barely make out three hospital beds ahead of them, and the green light of another sign to the side. They went over to read it.

"Entry number nine. Things aren't going well. None of the bodies have turned into dust, so I can't get the souls. I told the families that I would give them the dust back for the funerals. People are starting to ask what's happening. What do I do?" Kat and Frisk pushed through the fog, spotting a line of sinks ahead.

"Who needs three sinks?" Kat asked, raising an eyebrow. Frisk shrugged. They turned the sink on, putting their hands under the rushing water. Kat did the same with the other sink. They glanced at the other sink, raising an eyebrow as they spotted something red in the drain. She reached toward it. Before she could grab it, a white figure emerged from the drain. Kat jumped back with a shriek. Frisk glanced at the sink, their eyes widening as the white ooze filled the sink. It stood up, a smile forming on its… face? It stretched all the way out of the sink, revealing three heads, then two figures as they split. Kat and Frisk's souls appeared before them. White balls shot out of the monsters��� skin and past them as they leaped around the room.

"What are those things?!" Kat gasped, ducking under a white shot.

"I-I don't know!" Frisk admitted, taking a shaky step back. "...Great… Chara doesn't know either." Kat observed the monsters closer. Their forms convulsed and parts of their skin disappeared and reappeared at random.

"They're like glitches," Kat commented. They shot a glance at the phone in Frisk's pocket. It was vibrating. "That's it!" Reaching into Frisk's pocket, she pulled out the phone and put it on speaker. Voices echoed through the receiver.

"Come join the fun," the voices shook the whole phone.

"No!" Frisk replied, glaring up at the monsters.

"That's a shame." The monsters disappeared in a flash, as did the voices on the phone. Frisk put the phone away, sighing in relief. Kat walked back to the sink, pulling out the red object she'd seen earlier.

"The red key!" Frisk gasped, rushing toward her.

"Put it on your keychain," Kat ordered, shoving the key into Frisk's hands. Frisk obeyed, snapping it on. They made their way down a smaller hallway, where a red keyhole stood before them. "Perfect!" Frisk slipped the key into its slot. Before they both made their way down the hallway and out of the main room. Frisk skidded to a halt. Kat waited for them before they both made their way down the other hallway. They stopped again to read a sign.

"Entry number twelve. Nothing is happening. I don't know what to do. I'll just keep injecting everything with 'determination.' I want this to work." Kat followed Frisk to the next sign. Why do I get the feeling that this experiment ended horribly? "Entry number thirteen. One of the bodies opened its eyes."

Kat's eyes widened. "That's good…?" The words rang empty in her ears. The next room was just foggy than the last, though Kat was able to spot some beds.

"Check the beds," Frisk ordered, making their way toward one. "One of the keys might be under the blankets." Kat nodded. She pulled the blanket off one bed, and lifted the pillow. There was nothing. She checked a few other beds and still nothing. "Got it!" Frisk announced. Kat glanced at them to see them holding up a yellow key. She gave a thumbs up. Frisk put the key on their keychain as Kat made their way after them.

"What is this place even supposed to be?" Kat asked, looking around.

"I don't know," Frisk admitted, reaching out to touch something. "But it's definitely been abandoned for quite some time. I don't think those monsters earlier were a fluke… they could be anywhere so stay close to me."

"Don't worry," Kat insisted, following Frisk down another hallway. "We can do this together, and if we die, you can just come back."

"Yeah…" Frisk sighed.

"Why haven't you told the others about that?" Kat asked, raising an eyebrow. "They were really worried when you went to fight Asgore."

"I just don't want everyone to know about it," Frisk replied, skidding to a halt. Kat stopped beside them. A line of golden flowers sat on the table in front of them. Kat's eyes widened.

"Do those… look a bit like Flowey to you?" she asked, glancing at Frisk. They jerked back, quivering. "What? What is it?"

"Nothing," Frisk grunted, glancing at the ground. "That flower just gives me the creeps is all."

"Same."

Frisk turned to read the next sign. "Entry number seven. We'll need a vessel to wield the monster souls when the time comes. After all, a monster cannot absorb the souls of other monsters just as a human cannot absorb a human soul… So then… What about something that's neither human nor monster?"

"A vessel… like… a body?!" Kat turned to the flowers again, her eyes wide with horror. "Don't tell me…"

"God, I hope not," Frisk replied, shaking as they approached the next sign. "Entry number ten. Experiments on the vessel are a failure." Frisk and Kat both let out sighs of relief. "It doesn't seem to be any different from the control cases. Whatever. They're a hassle to work with anyway. The seeds just stick to you, and won't let go…" Frisk and Kat continued forward, passing a line of mirrors. She skidded to a halt as a laugh cracked the air. They looked into the mirrors. Another white figure emerged from the mirror, taking the shape of a tall bird-like creature. Kat and Frisk each took a step back. Their souls appeared in front of them, glowing in the darkness.

"Wait… that eye…" Frisk pointed at it. "That looks familiar…" They turned their head sideways, letting out a gasp. "H-hey you! Astigmatism! You're a huge jerk! You suck!"

"Frisk!" Kat exclaimed, glaring at them.

"It's an Astigmatism," Frisk muttered. "They like being picked on… for some reason… They live in the Core!" Wait. Kat turned her head sideways. The head of the bird was indeed the body of a monster they encountered in the Core.

"They're made of existing monsters?!" Kat gasped, taking a step back. "But how? What happened to them?" Before Frisk could respond, butterflies swarmed around the reaper bird's head, making it fall to its knees.

"The Whimsalot's butterflies!" Frisk gasped, jumping to the side as a few butterflies zipped toward them. Kat ducked under a line of them. "Pray for safety," they murmured. Kat nodded, getting down on one knee and clasping her hands together.

"Please! We only want safety!" she exclaimed. The combination of monsters staggered back, its head still covered in butterflies. Kat squinted at its wings. However, they weren't wings at all, they were legs! Frog legs! "That frog thing!" Kat exclaimed.

"A Final Froggit," Frisk replied, pulling out their phone. Kat leaped right and left to avoid the heads that were now being flung at them. Frisk pressed a few buttons on the phone and their soul turned yellow. The monster skidded to a halt. The attacks disappeared, along with the combination of monsters.

"So these things… they're all combinations of monsters…" Kat mused to herself as they made their way up a small hallway.

"I guess…" Frisk sighed.

"But how?" Kat asked, raising an eyebrow. "I thought monsters couldn't absorb other monsters souls… and how else could they combine like that?"

"Maybe the answers are in those lab entries," Frisk replied, turning around and going the opposite way down the hall. They stopped in front of one, which stood right next to a new door. "Here we go. Entry number fourteen. Everyone that had fallen down… has woken up… They're all walking around and talking like nothing is wrong. I thought they were goners…?" The pair made their way down the next hallway, turning left to read another sign. "Entry number fifteen. Seems like this research was a dead end but at least we got a happy ending out of it…? I sent the souls back to Asgore, returned the vessel back to his garden, and I called all of the families and told them everyone's alive. I'll send everyone back tomorrow… and she drew a smiley face."

"Aww, that's cute," Kat commented, pointing at it. They made their way to the next sign.

"Entry number sixteen..." Kat's smile faded. This sign only said 'no' over and over again. "Oh god…" They made their way through the next doorway. A roaring sound echoed through the hall as they made their way toward the shower curtain at the end. A figure, possibly a tentacle, swayed back and forth behind it. Frisk pulled the curtain open. A bright item laid at the bottom: the green key! Frisk put it on their keychain. They made their way out of the hallway and into yet another one.

"So now we just need to find the blue key and put all the others in their slots," Kat informed.

"And try not to die," Frisk muttered darkly.

"We'll be fine, Frisk!" Kat exclaimed, wrapping an arm around them. "I mean, we've gotten this far, why give up now?"

"True…��� Frisk reached out to touch something. A roar shook the air. Another white figure took form in form of them, having a familiarly shaped body and teeth taking up their whole face. "Shyren's body…" Frisk murmured to themself. Taking a step forward, they cleared their throat and hummed a slow tune. The monster's body shook.

"Welcome to my personal hell!" Their voice shook the room. They disappeared into the ground. Kat gasped to see a line of teeth looming over them. She ducked into one of the gaps, covering her head with her hands as the teeth slammed down around her. The teeth chomped a few more times. Kat and Frisk continued to slip into the gaps, huddling together when the monster stopped.

"Is that arm familiar?" Kat asked, pointing at the muscular thing.

"It's Aaron's arm!" Frisk gasped. They took a step toward the monster, flexing one of their arm. The monster twitched. Teeth chomped down on them again, which the pair easily dodged. Frisk nodded to the monster. The monster's teeth shook before they slunked away.

"What was the third monster?" Kat asked, raising an eyebrow.

"A Moldbygg," Frisk informed, continuing down a side hallway. Frisk placed the yellow key in the key slot before reading the sign.

"Entry number four. I've been researching humans to see if I can find any info about their souls. I ended up snooping around the castle… and found these weird tapes. I don't feel like Asgore's watched them… I don't think he should." Frisk and Kat made their way to the TV. "Wanna watch them?" they asked, pulling out a VHS.

"Sure," Kat replied with a nod. Frisk slipped the tape into the player. There was no footage, only voices.

"Pssst. Gorey, wake up." Kat's eyes widened as she recognized the first voice. Toriel...

Kat didn't recognize the next voice, though she spaced out the rest of the tape anyway, her mind plagued with thoughts of Toriel… She was so kind to take us in… Should we have left her?

"Kat…" Kat glanced back up at Frisk. They were pulling out the VHS as they gazed at Kat, eyes filled with concern. "You okay…?"

"Yeah… it's just… Toriel… I-I kinda miss her," Kat admitted, looking down at the ground.

"Honestly, I kinda wanted to stay with her," she blurted out.

"What?" Frisk gasped.

"Yeah, yeah, I do miss my Dad and Papa," Kat insisted, gazing back at Frisk. "But Toriel just seemed so… lonely. Living alone in the Ruins of all places… and after we learned that she's lost her children and her husband is… well… Asgore… I felt even worse. Of course, I still wanted to stay with you and the others… and I was glad to hear at least Ace was staying but… I still kinda feel bad for leaving her. She's probably so worried… I really miss both of them. Toriel and Ace… I wish I could at least know that they're okay without us…"

"I miss them too…" Frisk admitted, picking at their bandage. "But Ace was happy to stay, and I'm sure Toriel was glad he stayed too."

"Yeah…" Kat nodded. "I just… hope we see them again, you know?" Frisk nodded as they put the next tape. It didn't have footage either.

Frisk's POV

"Okay, Chara, are you ready?" a voice, probably a child's asked.

"Chara?!" Kat and Frisk gasped in unison, meeting wide-eyed gazes. They glanced back at the screen.

"Oh! Wait!" the voice exclaimed. "I had the lens cap on…"

"Oh, what?!" the other voice grunted, presumably Chara. "Really? Well, I'm not doing it again."

"What!?" The other voice exclaimed. "Come on, quit tricking me!" He giggled before the tape ended. Was that you, Chara?

"Yes…" Chara admitted with a sigh. "That was me… and my best friend… Asriel." Frisk immediately put the next tape in, their eyes wide.

"Howdy, Chara! Smile for the camera! Ha, this time I got YOU! I left the cap on... ON PURPOSE! Now you're smiling for noooo reason!" Asriel giggled.

Chara giggled as well. "Very funny… hey… do you remember when… Dad got sick…?"

"Oh yeah, I remember," Asriel replied. "It was when we tried to make butterscotch pie for him. The recipe called for cups of butter but we accidentally put in buttercups instead. Those flowers made him so sick… I felt so bad…. We made Mom so upset. I should have laughed it off like you did. Um… where are you going with this?" Silence followed.

"Turn off the camera," Chara ordered.

"Um… okay…" The tape stopped. Frisk pulled it out and put in the next one. Where is this going?

"I... I don't like this idea, Chara." Asriel's voice was shaking.

"Do you doubt me?!" Chara demanded. "This is the only way we can free everyone so stop crying about it."

"I'm not…" Asriel protested.

"Come on, you're a big kid," Chara replied, their voice softening. "And big kids don't cry."

"Yeah, you're right and I'd never doubt you, Chara. Never! We'll be strong! We'll free everyone."

"That's the spirit!" Chara exclaimed. "Now let's go get those flowers." The tape ended there. Frisk grabbed the last one and put it in.

"Chara…" It was Toriel again, her voice shaking. "Can you hear me? We want you to wake up…"

"Chara!" Asgore cut in, sobbing. "You have to stay determined! You can't give up! You are the future of humans and monsters…"

"... Psst… Chara…" Asriel's voice murmured through the whimpers. "Please... Wake up... I don't like this plan anymore. I... I…" Frisk couldn't make out what Chara said. "...No, I said... I said I'd never doubt you. Six, right? We just have to get six... And we'll do it together, right?" Frisk pulled out the tapes, their eyes wide.

"Chara… was that… your death?" Frisk asked, their voice shaking.

"Yeah…" They sighed.

"YOU KILLED YOURSELF?!" Frisk demanded, stomping their foot into the ground as they glared at the wall.

"It was to free the monsters!" Chara protested. "You heard what the monsters in New Home said! Asriel absorbed my soul. We did it so we could cross the barrier, get six human souls and free-"

"GET six human souls?!" Frisk repeated, through a clenched jaw. "You were planning on KILLING six humans?!"

"I didn't know any other way!"

"Well, what a plan that ended up being!" Frisk snapped, tears forming in their eyes. "Because of you, Asriel died, your parents split up, and your father is trying to kill me and my friends!"

"I didn't mean for any of that to happen!" Frisk's eyes widened as Chara sobbed. "The humans attacked Asriel first. I tried to get him to fight back but he didn't and he ended up dying! I didn't mean for any of it to happen and I'm sorry… I know the plan was bad…"

Frisk let out a sigh. "No... I'm sorry for snapping. This all happened a long time ago. Let's just… get out of here." Frisk gestured to Kat to followed them out of the hallway.

"You know…" Chara muttered to themself. "Maybe I was wrong about humanity…"

"What was that all about?" Kat asked, walking to Frisk's side.

"Argument with Chara," they informed. "I just… I couldn't believe they would not only kill themself but try to kill other humans too." They continued walking until finally, they made it to a new room. A much thinner layer of fog laid in it. However, Frisk was barely able to make out what the first sign said.

"Entry number eleven. Now that Mettaton's made it big, he never talks to me anymore… except to ask me when I'm going to finish his body, but I'm afraid if I finish his body, he won't need me anymore… Then we'll never be friends again… Not to mention, every time I work on it, I just get really sweaty."

"So Mettaton's a jerk…" Kat grunted, crossing her arms. "Nothing new there." Frisk shrugged. He is, but he's got heart. Frisk and Kat made their way down the hall before stopping in front of the wall. Frisk turned to flick a switch. The fog cleared, though little white pieces still floated in the air. Slowly, they pieced together. A white circle fell to the ground before it morphed into a huge dog. Frisk and Kat's souls appeared.

"Another amalgamate?" Chara grunted.

"This one's kinda cute!" Kat held out her hands. "Come here doggy." She made cooing sounds. The dog bounded toward them, flicking a strange liquid around. Kat patted the dog's head. It began to convulse rapidly in place. "Frisk! Throw the stick!" Frisk nodded, tossing the stick across the hall. The dog bounded after it. Stomping back, the dog dropped the stick at their feet.

"Good boy!" Kat exclaimed, rubbing the dog's head. It convulsed rapidly. Frisk rubbed the dog's chin with their finger until it finally stood still. Then it bounded away. Frisk and Kat made their way back through the halls, making their way into a room with many fridges. Frisk walked to the first sign.

"Entry number nineteen. The families keep calling me to ask when everyone is coming home. What am I supposed to say? I don't even answer the phone anymore." They walked over to read the next one. "Entry number twenty. Asgore left me five messages today, four about everyone being angry and one about this cute teacup he found that looks like me." Chara snorted with laughter. "Thanks, Asgore." They went to the next one. "Entry number twenty one. I spend all my time at the garbage dump now. It's my element."

"Oh… that's sad," Kat sighed, covering her mouth with her hand. As they made their way toward the hallway, a roar split the air. Frisk glanced back at the refrigerator. It had turned white, with a tiny smiley face, before shifting into a familiar figure.

"Snowdrake!" Frisk exclaimed, their eyes wide. This Snowdrake's eyes were droopy and their tongue stuck out. "Uh… hey… it's uh… ice to meet you."

The snowdrake forced a laugh. "I remember…" Okay, that worked.

"Um… it's 'snow' problem," Frisk added, forcing a smile. The snowdrake laughed again. They told one more pun before the Snowdrake slumped off. That wasn't bad. Frisk and Kat made their way down the hallway. Grabbing the blue key, Frisk placed it in the keyhole and turned around.

Kat's POV

Frisk and Kat put the last keys in their slots before going back to the big door.

"See? I told you we'd be fine," Kat replied, patting Frisk's shoulder. "How many times did one of us die?"

"None," Frisk admitted, walking through the open doors.

"Awesome!" Kat gasped. "I knew it wouldn't be hard." The two made their way through an elevator shaft and into another hall. Frisk stopped in front of a sign. However, it didn't turn on like the others had when they approached it. What's going on? The next sign didn't turn on either. Frisk shrugged and continued down the hall, Kat trailing after them. They stopped in front of a machine. Frisk flipped the switch. Roars began to echo behind them, growing louder and louder. Kat turned around. A line of monsters slid toward them, blocking any possible exit.

"What do we do?!" Kat gasped, backing against the wall.

"I-I don't know!" Frisk gasped in response, as the monsters inched closer. They were right in front of them. Kat and Frisk grabbed each other, letting out small cries.

"Hey! Stop!" a voice called. The monsters skidded to a halt. They moved aside, revealing a yellow figure.

"Alphys!" Kat gasped, her eyes wide.

"I got you guys some food, okay?" Alphys was holding up a can of dog food. The monsters slunk away. "Sorry about that… they must've smelled food on you and they get kind of sassy when they aren't fed on time. Um, anyway! The power went out and I've been trying to turn it back on, but it seems like you two were one step ahead of me. This was probably just a big inconvenience for you… But I appreciate that you came to back me up."

"It was no problem, really," Kat insisted, approaching Alphys. "We… we were so worried when we saw that note and…" A shiver ran down Kat's spine. "Even more worried when we saw… them."

"Yeah...I suppose I owe you an explanation," Alphys sighed, her eyebrows dropping. "As you probably know, Asgore asked me to study the nature of souls. During my research, I isolated a power I called 'determination.' I injected it into dying monsters so their souls would last after death… but the experiment failed. You see, unlike humans', monster souls don't have enough… physical matter to take those concentrations of 'determination.' Their bodies started to melt and lost what physicality they had. Pretty soon, all of the test subjects had melted together into… those."

"Oh…" Kat bit her lip.

"Seeing them like this, I knew… I couldn't tell their families about it. I couldn't tell anyone about it."

"But you didn't mean for that to happen," Kat insisted, keeping her voice soft. "Just explain… those monsters' families… probably miss them so much."

"I know," Alphys replied with a nod. "I'm going to tell everyone what I've done… It's going to be hard. Being honest… Believing in myself… I'm sure there will be times where I'll struggle. I'm sure there will be times where I'll screw up again."

"But you'll have your friends to fall back on," Frisk cut in. Alphys nodded. "Me, Kat, Undyne… Poppy... we're all here for you."

"Yeah… it'll be a lot easier to stand on my own knowing that. Thank you." The monsters slunk back to Alphys. "Come on guys," she gestured with her hand for them to follow. "It's time for everyone to go home." They disappeared down the hall before Frisk or Kat made a move to leave. They went down the hall. The signs from earlier had turned in, and unlike the other, they were glowing red.

"Entry number eight. I've chosen a candidate. I haven't told Asgore yet, because I want to surprise him with it… In the centre of his garden, there's something special. The first golden flower that grew before all the others. The flower from the outside world. It appeared just before the queen left. I wonder. What happens when something without a soul gains the will to live." Frisk continued to the next sign. "Entry number eighteen. The flower's gone."

"Oh god!" Kat gasped, her eyes wide. "We were right. Flowey is a lab experiment."

Frisk nodded. "That explains so much…" The two were barely in the elevator shaft when a ringing sound erupted from Frisk's pocket. They skidded to a halt as Frisk answered the phone.

"Chara…" It was a voice they had never heard before. "Are you there?" Silence followed. "It's been a long time, hasn't it...? But you've done well. Thanks to you, everything has fallen into place. Chara… See you soon." The doors slammed shut. Red lights blared in the elevator as it shot up.

"Not again!" Kat exclaimed, grabbing the railing. Moments later, the elevator screeched to a halt. Kat and Frisk were shoved out as the elevator was forced shut with vines. Kat's eyes widened. Flowey?!

"No!" Frisk gasped, slamming their fists into the vines. "Flowey you jerk!"

"Now we can't get back!" Kat realized, rushing to Frisk's side.

"We can't get back to the others!" Frisk cried, tearing at the vines only for them to regrow. "They'll-they'll be killed again!"

"Again?" Frisk froze. "Is that what happened?" Turning back to Kat, Frisk let out a sigh.

"When I went to face Asgore, I did die once, but I went back. I won the fight but I couldn't bring myself to kill him…" I wouldn't be able to either. "I spared him… but he was killed anyways… by Flowey… he… he absorbed your souls, including Ace's…" Kat let out a gasp. "Your souls fought him back and I woke up later on the surface… then I came back… because… I just couldn't let things happen that way…" Kat gripped her heart, which she now realized was pounding.

"I… died… we died…"

"And now it's gonna happen again!" Frisk exclaimed, slamming their fist against the elevator.

"We don't know that!" Kat insisted, resting their hand on Frisk's shoulder. "I'm with you, and the others are safe in the lab."

"What about Ace?!" Frisk sobbed. "Flowey got him… and he was safe with Toriel."

"I-I don't know how that happened but I DO know that drowning in yourself in worry isn't going to get anything done."

"But if we go back… the same thing will happen…"

"You don't know that." Kat paused to sigh. "Besides, we don't have any other choice. We might as well get going…" Frisk and Kat made their way down the hallway.