Chapter Text
The cursor blinked at you like it was judging you.
You sat hunched over the old desktop in the little room at the end of the hall, your feet tapping restlessly against the floorboards. The monitor made a faint buzzing noise that you were pretty sure counted as a cry for help.
There were five tabs open.
You clicked through them again anyway. Job listing. Job listing. Another job listing. One that was in a language you definitely did not understand. One that was either a scam or involved pyramid schemes. Hard to tell. Another that wanted five years of experience, three references, and probably your firstborn.
You narrowed your eyes at the screen.
“Okay,” you muttered. “This is going to be a lot harder than I thought." You scrolled farther. Receptionist. Retail. Dishwasher. Night janitor. Your thumb flicked down the screen again. Receptionist. Retail. Dishwasher. Everything blurred into the same endless list of positions begging for experience you could in no way prove.
You had been scrolling like this ever since you mentioned the idea to Sans. You still did not know why you even brought it up. Walking had a way of loosening your thoughts, uncovering pieces of yourself you tried not to look at too closely. Maybe that was why the words slipped out.
You leaned back against the wall, letting the phone rest on your chest for a moment. Talking with Sans had been… nice. That was the surprising part. He listened. He had not laughed at your ridiculous idea or brushed you off with a lazy joke.
But that had been Wednesday.
Now it was Friday.
Your lips pressed together in a thin line. You leaned back slowly, the chair giving a long, irritated squeak like it was just as tired of supporting you as you were of sitting here. The ceiling above had a single crack slicing from one corner to the other.
Your eyes stayed on it.
Maybe Sans forgot. The thought came quietly, sliding into place before you could stop it. Sans had said he would look into it. The job thing. The fake ID thing.
But two days had passed and he had said nothing.
Maybe he did not forget. Maybe Sans had thought about it and realized helping you was not worth the hassle. Maybe someone asked why he was going through the trouble and he had no good answer. Maybe he remembered that you were still the girl without a soul and without a place and without any proof she existed here. Maybe he looked at the risk and the reward and watched the scales tip in a direction that made perfect sense.
Your chest tightened, that small sharp pinch you were starting to associate with this house. With this new life.
Whatever.
You pushed forward again, elbows on the desk, pretending the listings were the only thing that needed your attention. But your thoughts as always seemed to wander after a good sixty seconds.
Two full days of keeping your distance from Red, Edge and Black. Honestly, that deserved a medal. Blue and Papyrus had been their usual bright, supportive selves. Rus lurked at least twice, eyes flicking to you like a feral cat trying to decide if you were a threat or a snack. Stretch was confusing in ways that made your brain overheat, joking with you for one breath then unreadable the next like someone flicked the transparency switch on his emotions at random.
You kept busy. You made yourself helpful. You washed dishes that were not yours. You collected stray clothes before Sans tripped over them. You laughed when you should. You nodded when spoken to. You smiled and smiled until your cheeks felt frozen in place. And somehow, it was starting to feel worse than the days when everything went wrong.
You scrolled again. A tiny cafe listing popped up. Nestled between boutiques with price tags that could make a grown adult weep. Flexible hours. No experience required. You stared at it longer than you meant to. Maybe it was silly to want something so normal. Maybe it was foolish to imagine yourself wearing an apron, handing someone a drink, being someone with a job and a name tag that actually belonged to you.
But still…
Your finger hovered over the mouse.
A muffled noise echoed down the hallway. You froze. It came again, louder. A grunt. Rough and short. Then a thud that sounded very much like someone hitting something.
You lifted your head, blinking. You could ignore it. You could stay hunched over this desk in your rectangle of stale air, pretending job applications were not pointless without an identity. Pretending you were not waiting for Sans to keep a promise he never officially made.
Or…
You let out a breath and shoved your chair back. The casters screeched like they disapproved of your priorities. You stretched absently, rubbing the back of your neck, and stepped into the hallway. The main room was calm. Sunlight washed across the floor, turning dust into slow floating stars.
Which meant the noise was definitely not coming from here.
It was outside.
You hesitated with your hand on the back door. Just for a second. Then you slipped your shoes on, heart tapping an uneven rhythm against your ribs. The moment you stepped out, cool air rushed over your skin, waking you up better than any cup of coffee ever could.
You followed the noise around the house. The garden appeared first, still as tragic as the last time you saw it. You stepped over a broken tile, skirted around a collapsed tomato cage, and rounded the corner.
Just past the broken garden beds, on a rough patch of earth where grass had long since given up, were Edge, Blue, Papyrus, and Black. The air vibrated with sharp impacts and low growls, magic crackling like electricity snapping through dry air. Dust rose in spirals around them, turning sunlight into hazy beams that cut across the chaos.
Your gaze found Blue and Black first. Probably because they looked like they were trying to murder each other.
They circled in a tight ring, boots carving fresh grooves into the ground. Blue moved with a kind of buoyant energy, almost careless, his body flowing through each shift like he had choreographed this fight for style points. Loose shoulders, quick feet, a bright spark in his eye like he was enjoying this way too much.
Black was the opposite in every single way. Centered. Cold. Every limb locked in efficient readiness. His stance was a fortress, shoulders squared, weight evenly spread. Purple magic hissed between his phalages, a low threat rumbling across his bones. He did not look like he was sparring.
He looked like he was hunting.
Blue lunged forward, a clean jab aimed straight for Black’s ribs.
Black caught his wrist with a twist that looked painful, redirecting the strike with terrifying precision, then shoved him hard in the chest. Blue skidded back, boots digging trenches but keeping him upright. He shook out his arms like he was just getting warmed up, grin wide and irritatingly confident.
"GETTING SLOW, BLACK." Blue chirped, voice lilting with a playful challenge. "ARE YOU SURE YOU ARE WARMED UP PROPERLY? MAYBE YOU NEED TO STRETCH REAL QUICK. I CAN SHOW YOU SOME ROUTINES IF YOU WOULD LIKE."
Black’s eyelights narrowed to sharp, glowing slits. Blue darted forward again, kicking up dust. Black braced himself, the air around his hands rippling. Dark purple magic curled up his arms like smoke caught in reverse gravity, coiling tighter with each breath he took. When their bones collided again the sound cracked through the clearing, every hit sending bright blue and deep violet sparks flaring outward.
Your heart jumped. You had seen some of the others use shortcuts before, how they blinked from one place to another without warning. But this… this was different.
Magic.
Real magic.
You could not look away.
A rush of motion at the edge of your vision. Edge had Papyrus pinned near a half-collapsed trellis. Papyrus swung too wide, too hopeful, and Edge redirected the attack with a simple, vicious sweep. One hooked foot, a hard shove, and Papyrus hit the ground spine first.
Dust puffed upward like smoke from impact.
“PATHETIC,” Edge snapped, arms crossed so tightly the joints creaked. “YOU WERE FLAILING LIKE A WET NOODLE.”
Papyrus flapped his arms dramatically as he tried to sit up. “EDGE I THOUGHT WE TALKED ABOUT THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN HECKLING AND CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM.” Edge only huffed, gaze already sliding past him like he wasn’t worth the energy. You didn't see what happened after that as you were drawn in once again by Blue and Black's passionate battle.
Blue pivoted away from Black’s claws by inches, boots skidding. He actually laughed. Black’s magic pulsed hotter at the sound, his single bright flame narrowing to something needle sharp.
“KEEP RUNNING YOUR MOUTH,” Black growled,, “AND WE WILL SEE HOW FAST YOU CAN TALK WHEN YOUR JAW IS WIRED SHUT.” Blue hopped back with the biggest smile you had ever seen.
“THREATS ALREADY? YOU MUST BE HAVING A GREAT TIME.” Black didn’t dignify that with a verbal answer, jumping for Blue once more. Bones burst from the ground in jagged lines. Blue twisted through them with stunning grace. Most missed. One didn’t. The fragment skimmed his shoulder and sent him tumbling, but he rolled fluidly back to his feet and snapped a salute as if he had planned the fall.
Your heart hammered. This was sparring. Supposedly. Each flare of magic made the leaves tremble, and goosebumps traveled up your arm. You had known they were much stronger than you, but seeing them do shit like this made you want nothing more than to run.
Run away and never come back. And yet you were rooted in place. Fascinated. Terrified and completely entranced.
The glow of their magic made the clearing look unreal. Blue surged forward low to the ground, his kick cracked against Black's defense and the impact vibrated all the way to your teeth.
Black did not budge.
Instead, he snatched Blue's ankle and hoisted him off the ground. Blues eye lights widened.
“WHOOPSIE.”
Blue soared back like a poorly thrown frisbee, smacking into the dirt. A puff of dust rose in a sad little mushroom cloud. You winced even though Blue popped right back up, brushing off his scarf like he had slipped on wet tile.
Unbelievable. And then Black moved again. A blur of deep violet and lethal intent. His hand shot out and grabbed Blue’s scarf right under his jaw, jerking him forward so their foreheads nearly clashed.
“JUST SO YOU ARE AWARE. IN BATTLE,” Black hissed, voice low and dangerous, “BANTER REVEALS WEAKNESS.”
Blue stared at him.
Once.
Twice.
Then grinned bright enough to be blinding.
“THAT’S JUST BECAUSE YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY TERRIBLE AT IT.”
That did it.
Black shoved him back, Blue skidding so hard his boots carved trenches in the dirt. Bones burst from the earth again. And for a second, your breath froze. You remembered when those same bones had erupted beneath you on your first day. When he had nearly skewered you without a second thought.
Blue laughed and vaulted over the first wave, but the second struck him clean in the ribs. The sound of his breath leaving his body punched you in the chest more than the impact hit him. He flew.
Silence swallowed the clearing.
Then a pained groan.
Black stood above him, victorious. Edge scoffed with a roll of his glowing eyes, while Papyrus clapped politely.
“GOOD JOB EVERYONE!" His cheer scattered into the air… and was completely ignored. Because Blue’s eye-lights suddenly flicked upward. And the first thing he saw was you.
His grin reappeared instantly, bright and unwavering, as if he hadn’t just eaten dirt at Mach speed. He waved both hands wildly like a kid who had just spotted his favorite person in the audience.
A rush of warmth bubbled in your chest before panic drowned it. Black’s attention cut toward you next, that violet glow narrowed, pinning you in place. Your stomach dropped straight through the earth.
“HUMAN!” Blue called out, voice ringing across the yard. “YOU ARE OUTSIDE!” You tried not to take offense at how shocked he sounded. You raised a hand half-heartedly in greeting.
“I do occasionally touch grass. Believe it or not.” Papyrus spun toward you, a delighted gasp bursting from him. His hands flew into the air, bones rattling with joy.
“FRIEND. YOU HAVE COME TO OBSERVE OUR TRAINING. OR PERHAPS PARTICIPATE?” Edge’s reaction was the polar opposite. His frown sharpened like your mere presence inconvenienced him.
With every skull now turned your direction, you became painfully aware of how you were standing. Spine too hunched. Arms too awkward. Legs doing something not leg-like. You tried to straighten up without making it obvious you cared.
“Oh. Uh. No. Nothing like that,” you said quickly. “I just heard loud noises and got curious." Blue perked up so hard he practically launched himself forward.
“OF COURSE YOU HEARD MY POWERFUL CRIES OF COMBAT. I WAS CLEARLY DOING MOST OF THE FIGHTING. BLACK ONLY SURVIVED BECAUSE I WAS HOLDING BACK MY TRUE STRENGTH.”Your lips curved before you could stop them.
“You were amazing out there, Blue. I have never seen anything like it.” That was true. Their magic was… a lot. You were still a little dizzy just thinking about it. Blue glowed at the praise, his eye-lights widening with starry pride.
Black scoffed so loud you felt it in your toes.
“AMAZING. PLEASE. THAT LITTLE SHRIMP WAS NOT EVEN WITHIN FIFTY STRIDES OF DEFEATING ME.”
Blue spun, hands on his hips.
“MY TECHNIQUE WAS FLAWLESS. YOU ARE SIMPLY TOO STUBBORN TO ADMIT WHEN YOU HAVE BEEN BESTED.”
“YOU LOST.” Black’s grin sharpened, violet magic flickering in his sockets. “DO NOT FEEL BAD. IT IS HARD TO SURVIVE AGAINST THE CAPTAIN OF THE ROYAL GUARD.” Blue’s posture stuttered. The light behind his eyes pulled tight, shrinking with offense and something more fragile beneath it.
Okay. Definitely a sore spot. Papyrus rushed between them, large hands raised.
“ENOUGH. YOU WERE BOTH SKILLED. AND SPIRITED. AND I AM VERY PROUD.”
“SPIRITED? IT WAS PATHETIC,” Edge muttered, crossing his arms so tightly his joints creaked. “IF THE PEST IS IMPRESSED BY THAT, IT HAS VERY LOW STANDARDS FOR STRENGTH.”
You blinked.
Wait. How was this about you again?
“Excuse me?” You tried for calm annoyance, but it came out more like 'Are you kidding me right now?'. He didn't even look at you at first, like acknowledging you directly would give you too much importance.
"YOU ARE IMPRESSED BY SIMPLE PARLOR TRICKS," he continued, chin lifting with victorious arrogance. "THAT TELLS ME EVERYTHING ABOUT HOW WEAK YOU TRULY ARE."
“Or,” you began, every word filtered through your last scrap of patience, “hear me out on this. Maybe I am just not used to seeing literal magic battles in a backyard. That is kind of impressive to a normal person.”
His sockets narrowed. The red burning in them brightened, pulsing like agitation had a heartbeat. "EXCUSES. A PEST LIKE YOU CANNOT EVEN BEGIN TO UNDERSTAND TRUE STRENGTH BECAUSE YOU WILL NEVER POSSESS IT."
You stared at him, mouth parting slightly. You were processing, try not to laugh from sheer confusion. He was insulting you, that was obvious. The problem was you couldn’t tell if this was just… how he talked to everyone.
“…Wow,” you deadpanned. “Thank you. Really. Very motivational.” Edge’s teeth clicked softly. A tiny stutter of teeth, like words had tried to escape and he had forced them back. His socket's widened a fraction before narrowing again, that little flicker of surprise, of offense, of not expecting resistance.
Huh. Seems you'd gotten under his skin...well, bones.
“Anyway…” you said with a breezy shrug, pretending you hadn’t just verbally poked a small dragon. “Sorry to bother you guys. I’ll just go back to what I was doing.” You pivoted like someone who absolutely did not care. In reality, you cared… but mostly about escaping before your dignity decided to fully eject itself.
“WAIT.”
Papyrus’ booming concern rooted you to the spot. “ARE YOU CERTAIN? IT IS NEARLY TIME FOR THE NEXT ROUND. BLACK AND EDGE WILL SPAR. IF YOU WISH, YOU COULD JOIN ME AND BLUE IN THE MEANTIME.”
Your brain stalled like it had a bad internet connection.
“...Join in what exactly?”
“SPARRING,” he announced proudly, tossing a hand toward the patch of absolutely destroyed grass behind him. “YOU CLAIMED RUNNING WITH US WOULD KILL YOU. THIS IS A GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY TO FIX THAT! I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, COULD TEACH YOU THE ART OF GLORIOUS BATTLE.”
Blue lit up like someone had turned him back on at full power. “OH YES! THERE IS SO MUCH WE COULD TEACH YOU!”
Your brain flatlined.
Absolutely not. As much as you trusted Papyrus and Blue, you liked life. For the most part.
You opened your mouth, about to politely decline, when a sharp bark of laughter snapped behind Papyrus. Of course it was Edge. The first time you’d heard him laugh and, wow, it was somehow worse than the glaring.
“Why is that funny?” you asked, eyebrow arched.
“BECAUSE YOU WOULD NOT LAST THIRTY SECONDS,” Edge said, a sneer on his skull. "A STIFF BREEZE WOULD KNOCK YOU FLAT ON YOUR ASS." Your fingers twitched. Your middle one specifically. You managed to strangle it into a fist instead.
“Oh really? How do you figure?" you voice slid out sickly sweet, your arms crossing in front of you.
Papyrus stiffened immediately, sockets narrowing at his counterpart. "EDGE YOU SHOULD NOT BE INSULTING POTENTIAL STUDENTS."
"IT IS NOT A STUDENT." Edge countered. He waved a hand at you dismissively, as though you were a gnat buzzing too close. "ONLY A PEST THAT KEEPS WANDERING TOO CLOSE. THIS IS COMBAT SPARRING. NOT STORYTIME."
As you listened to him, you slowly started to piece together a funny little truth. Edge? He was all bark. A lot of sharp edges, pun intended. But mostly...predictable. He says something mean and expects silence or tears, and then he feels superior. Turned out, pushing his buttons wasn’t terrifying. It was kind of fun.
Blue stepped forward before you could test that theory again. "YOU MIGHT BE SURPRISED, BY WHAT THE HUMAN CAN DO."
Edge snorted, sockets rolling so hard they nearly rotated out of his skull. "LIKE WHAT. TALK AT ENEMIES UNTIL THEY LOSE THE WILL TO FIGHT."
You shrugged, feigning innocence. “Hey. Sometimes that works.” Edge blinked, not expecting the reply. Then his teeth clicked, as frustration had just punched him in the jaw. You smothered a grin.
Entertaining, indeed.
“YOU SHOULD NOT PARTICIPATE." Black finally said. His voice held no emotion, yet the purple burning in his sockets deepened with judgment. “YOU HAVE NO TRAINING. NO REFLEXES. NO VISIBLE DEFENSES. YOU WOULD BE WASTING EVERYONE'S TIME. AND LIKELY INJURING YOURSELF IN THE PROCESS."
He wasn’t trying to insult you. Which somehow made it so much worse. He believed it. Every word. And that was the part that hurt. Your jaw locked tight, aching with the effort not to flinch. Humor rose instinctively, a shield you had used your whole life, the easy joke to deflect pain. Something along the lines of:
Haha, Yeah, fair point. I am basically a decorative plant.
But the joke caught in your throat. Because it hurt. Because you were tired of being fragile in their eyes. Because you were tired of agreeing with them. Tired of being the weakest one in the room. Instead, you heard yourself say,
“I'll do it.”
Blue’s skull whipped toward you so violently his vertebrae clicked. His sockets burst wide and bright, delight flooding his expression.
“REALLY?”
“EXCELLENT” Papyrus gasped. Edge actually jolted, his sockets rounding with raw surprise before he smothered it.
“YOU.” He clicked his tongue against his teeth. “YOU WOULD NOT DARE” His words only served to lit up every stubborn bone in your very human body. You stepped into his space like you had never seen danger before and you tilted your chin up directly at him, a slow shit-eating grin stretching across your face
"Watch me."
For a heartbeat, everything stilled.
Edge stared down at you, and a dozen thoughts must have clattered through his skull. He should have been furious at your audacity. Ready to cut your confidence into ribbons. That was his script. But something flickered behind his sockets. He buried it instantly.
You didn't notice his inner dilemma. You only saw the smirk falter.
And God, did that taste like victory.
You tore your eyes from him and looked at Papyrus. He was vibrating. Actually vibrating. If he had a tail, it would have been wagging hard enough to break windows.
“WONDERFUL” he declared, already striding toward you with comic urgency. “WE SHALL BEGIN WITH THE BASICS. STANCE AND FOOT PLACEMENT," He guided you toward a clearer patch of grass. Though “clear” meant “less destroyed than the rest”, while behind you, Black and Edge squared off again, glaring like rival warlords moments away from re-declaring war.
You glanced sideways at Blue, already regretting every life decision you had ever made.
“If I die.” you whispered.
“YOU WILL NOT DIE,” he said quickly, leaning close enough that his voice rumbled through his ribs.
“If I die,” you repeated, “I have chocolate hidden in my room... you can have it” For a moment, Blue’s smile softened. Something warm flickered in his eyelights.
“DEAL.”
“FIRST,” he announced, planting one hand on his hip and pointing at the ground with the other, “WE ESTABLISH YOUR STANCE. FEET SHOULDER WIDTH APART. KNEES SLIGHTLY BENT. WEIGHT CENTERED. YOU MUST ALWAYS REMAIN PREPARED TO MOVE IN ANY DIRECTION."
You looked down at your feet. They had forgotten how to be feet. You tried to follow his instructions. One foot forward. Knees bent. Ankles wobbling like cooked spaghetti. You felt like a baby giraffe learning gravity. Papyrus nodded like you were a prodigy.
“WONDERFUL!” he said. “NOW. HANDS UP." You raised your hands into loose fists near your cheeks, trying to appear like you had any idea what you were doing.
“NO,” Papyrus said immediately. His hands lifted carefully, adjusting your elbows with gentle taps, nudging your wrists inward, guiding your posture upright. “A LITTLE LOWER. PROTECT THE JAW, NOT THE FOREHEAD. YES THAT IS CORRECT. SPLENDID WORK!" You stared dead ahead, cheeks heating.
“I look stupid,” you muttered.
“YOU ARE LEARNING,”he said firmly, conviction ringing like a declaration of honor. You peeked at him from the corner of your eye.
“So you do not deny it." Papyrus straightened, resting a proud fist against his chest
"ALL GREAT WARRIORS LOOK AWKWARD BEFORE THEIR TRAINING IS COMPLETE!"
"TILT YOUR BACK FOOT A LITTLE MORE. THAT WILL KEEP YOUR FROM TIPPING." Blue chimed in beside him, copying your posture in a slower motion so you could see. His arms positioned smooth and controlled, clearly out of muscle memory.
You did. It helped. Slightly. Papyrus leaned in close,
"YOU SEE. THERE IS ALREADY PROGRESS!" He did not sound like he was teasing. He sounded genuinely excited for you. It hit harder than any insult Edge had thrown.
“NOW,” Papyrus continued, stepping back to demonstrate. His stance shifted fluidly, one leg planted firm, the other foot gliding across the ground. “WE PRATICE MOVEMENT. FORWARD. BACKWARD. SIDE TO SIDE. MAKE SURE TO BE LIGHT ON THE FEET. READY TO STRIKE OR EVADE AT A MOMENT'S NOTICE."
Blue mirrored him with his own bounce and sway, grin bright. “LIKE THIS HUMAN. IMAGINE THE GROUND IS A TRAMPOLINE. BUT FLAT AND NOT BOUNCY."
You blinked at him. “So… not a trampoline.”
Blue nodded solemnly. “EXACTLY.” Behind you, you could hear Black and Edge trading barbs. Black said something low and unimpressed. You shut it out and tried to focus on Papyrus’s instructions.
He walked you through how to shift your weight from one foot to the other. How to step forward without crossing your legs. How not to trip over your own toes. He demonstrated each motion with slow, exaggerated clarity, then made you copy him until it started to feel a little less like interpretive dance and a little more like you might theoretically be able to walk without eating dirt.
You punched the air a few times, feeling the strange push and pull of muscles you rarely used.
“VERY GOOD!” Papyrus said. “REMEMBER. POWER COMES FROM THE LEGS AND THE HIPS, NOT JUST THE ARMS. ENGAGE THE WHOLE BODY." Papyrus stepped closer to inspect your stance again, arms folded. You tried not to look nervous.
"NOW,” he declared, “LET US ADJUST THE FEET JUST A BIT MORE.” He crouched slightly, large hands hovering near your ankles, guiding each foot with careful taps. “EXCELLENT. AND—” he straightened up smoothly, stepping in so close that his sternum nearly brushed your shoulder as he reached to adjust your elbows again. His hands lifted your arms with surprising delicacy for someone made of bone.
Your breath hitched.
You hadn’t expected him to be… right there. His face inches from yours, white eye lights bright and earnest, teeth parted in concentration. His skull tilted, inspecting your stance from far too intimate a distance. You felt heat crawl up your neck, flushing your ears in embarrassment.
Papyrus blinked. Slowly. Curiously.
Then he said, far too matter-of-fact:
“YOU ARE NICE TO BE CLOSE TO, HUMAN.” Your brain short-circuited so violently you momentarily forgot how to stand. Your heel slipped half an inch, and Papyrus’s hands fluttered instinctively to steady you, one at your elbow, the other catching your shoulder.
"Oh-uh..." your voice cracked like cheap plastic. "Th...thanks?" You weren't used to compliments. Sincerity even less so. Being told you were nice to be close to? Yeah, that one punched straight through your defenses.
Papyrus just beamed, oblivious to the fact he had reduced your entire system to scrambled eggs.
"OF COURSE! COMBAT IS A COOPERATIVE ACTIVITY! WE MUST BE COMFORTABLE WITH PROXIMITY.” Even with the explanation, your face was on fire. These heartfelt skeletons were going to give you a stroke one of these days. Papyrus, blissfully unaware, continued fixing your stance as if he hadn’t just caused your soul (if you even had one) to try and eject from your body.
“YES. VERY GOOD. KEEP THE SHOULDERS RELAXED. DO NOT LOCK THE KNEES.” You nodded quickly, doing your best to focus on anything except the warm rush burning through your face.
Behind you, the earth shivered with magic collisions. Black snarled something low. Edge answered with a growl sharp enough to cut the air. Leaves danced away from the battlefield like they were evacuating.
But none of that mattered.
Because for the first time in days, you felt… good.
"ARE YOU READY FOR BATTLE?" Papyrus asked, chest puffed with excitement. You immediately stood out of the form he had placed you in.
“No,” you said instantly.
“MAGNIFICENT!” he cheered, clearly ignoring every sign of your apprehension. “BLUE SHALL BE YOUR FIRST OPPONENT!” Blue perked up like a puppy hearing the treat jar open.
“OH! I WILL BE VERY GENTLE!” he promised brightly. That did not help your blood pressure.
Papyrus guided you forward again and lowered his voice dramatically. “REMEMBER WHAT YOU HAVE LEARNED. STRONG FOUNDATION. FOCUSED MOVEMENTS.” Blue took a few steps back, raising his hands into a relaxed guard. He wasn't worried. He wasn't even trying to look worried.
Meanwhile, you fully expected to spontaneously combust.
“Okay,” you breathed, lifting your hands into fists again, forcing yourself into what you thought was the stance you were in before. “So… I just hit you?”
“YES!” Blue nodded eagerly. “AS HARD AS YOU CAN!”
“I… I don’t really want to hurt you,” you said, embarrassment threading through your voice.
“YOU WILL NOT HURT ME,” he said with certainty. “AND EVEN IF YOU COULD… I WOULD NOT MIND. BECAUSE I KNOW YOU ARE TRYING YOUR BEST.” Warmth rushed through your chest so fast you nearly melted into a puddle right there. You exhaled and threw a halfhearted punch.
Blue caught it between two fingers.
“…Right,” you groaned.
“TREAT ME AS AN ACTUAL ENEMY!” Blue chirped, unbothered. “I CAN HANDLE IT!” You pulled your arm back, steadied your stance (knees wobbly but determined), and tried again, faster this time. Probably still slow motion by skeleton standards. Blue simply hopped aside as if stepping out of the way of a particularly enthusiastic butterfly.
“HUMAN!” Blue beamed. “THAT WAS EXCELLENT! AGAIN! WITH MORE DETERMINATION!”
It did not feel excellent. You tried again.
Miss.
Again.
Miss.
Again.
He dodged with a twirl, offering cheerful commentary:
“GOOD FOOTWORK! A LITTLE MORE TO THE LEFT!”
“REMEMBER TO BREATHE!”
“TRY NOT TO CLOSE YOUR EYES WHEN YOU PUNCH!”
Papyrus joined in, pacing like a proud coach:
“POWER FROM THE HIPS!”
“KEEP THE JAW PROTECTED!”
You flailed, tripped over your own determination, and nearly punched the oxygen out of the atmosphere. Sweat prickled down your spine, your shirt sticking to your back. Your lungs burned like you had swallowed a campfire. You legs felt like gelatin and you didn't have time to think. So you finally stopped thinking.
Blue slid to the right to dodge your punch again, predictable by now. So this time, you let your body go low. A wild instinct took the wheel. You swept your leg out sharply toward his ankles.
Blue yelped, an undignified little noise, and stumbled. You stared. He actually stumbled. Shock froze you for a second. Then victory exploded in your chest.
“I GOT YOU!” you shouted, triumphant and breathless.
Papyrus gasped. “A SUCCESSFUL STRIKE!!! HURRAH!” Blue popped back up, patting dust off his femur with a dazed laugh.
“THAT WAS INCREDIBLE!” Blue added. You knew, logically, that you had only succeeded because Blue was going painfully easy on you. But your veins fizzled with pride anyways. Your chest rose and fell with sharp, burning breaths, sweat clinging to your hairline as your legs trembled beneath you. Blue clapped his hands once.
“NOW IT IS MY TURN!”
Terrible. Horrible. The worst idea you had heard all week.
“Wait” you gasped, one hand on your knee, lungs staging a rebellion.
Too late.
Blue rushed forward. Not violently, but fast enough your heart attempted an exit through your ribs. Your footing stuttered and you nearly folded like a collapsing lawn chair.
Papyrus clasped his hands behind his back, tall and poised like the proudest professor in the world. “THE HUMAN MUST NOW DEFEND! PROTECT VITAL WEAK POINTS!”
Blue nodded solemnly. “THE SHOULDERS. THE SIDE OF THE NECK. THE SOLAR PLEXUS. THESE ARE YOUR VULNERABLE AREAS!”
You blinked, not entirely sure those were real body parts anymore. “The what?”
Blue tapped the center of your chest with one light, bony flick. Your soul rose into your throat. “THAT.” You sputtered and swatted his hand away.
Papyrus threw his arm forward dramatically. “ATTACK!” Blue lunged again, fingers out like he was trying to poke a soap bubble. You shuffled backward in a near trip, breath scattering out of you in little panicked bursts.
“DO NOT BACK UP IN A STRAIGHT LINE!” Papyrus barked. "MOVE SIDE TO SIDE!"
Blue flicked your neck. “POINT FOR ME!”
“Hey!” You made a wild attempt to smack him back, hitting nothing but air. He advanced again, light taps toward your shoulder. You ducked, dodged, and nearly ate grass in the process.
“HUMAN! REMEMBER YOUR STANCE!” Blue reminded you, when you tried to fix it, Blue tapped your left shoulder.
“POINT FOR ME AGAIN!” Your teeth grit. Pride flared. You reset your feet, bending your knees this time. When he reached for your right shoulder, you slapped his hand away. The sharp smack echoed. Blue staggered back a full half step, sockets wide with awe.
“SUPERB!”
You didn’t have time to celebrate. He dipped low, swiping at your ribs. You twisted away with a startled bark of sound, skin buzzing where his touches ghosted along collarbone, shoulder blade, down the ticklish line of your waist. You stumbled into a wide circle, hair sticking to your forehead, hands hovering defensively in front of you.
And he was still smiling. Proud. Actually proud of you. Pride warmed the back of your throat in a way you did not have a name for.
“YOU ARE DOING AMAZINGLY!” he cheered. “YOU ARE LEARNING TO SEE THE ATTACK BEFORE IT LANDS!”
Sure. Or your body was just flinging itself away from danger on instinct, but hey, if they wanted to call it a skill, who were you to argue?
Papyrus just seemed to nod along. “AWARENESS IN COMBAT IS KEY! NOW, HEAD MOVEMENT!"
"Head movement?" you wheezed, knees wobbling.
Blue wiggled his fingers like a cartoon villain. “KEEP ME AWAY FROM YOUR FACE AS WELL.” He came again. Quick taps near your nose, your neck, your ribs. But this time your muscles moved with barely any thought. A slip to the left. A slap to deflect. A duck under his arm that would have looked impressively cool if not for the raw panic flooding your eyes.
“EXCELLENT!” Papyrus beamed. “YOU ARE LEARNING! YOU MUST CONTROL THE DISTANCE BETWEEN YOU AND YOUR OPPONENT!” Blue nodded and stepped in close again. Very close. Your breath hitched.
Before your brain caught up, his arms wrapped around your torso. Your arms pinned gently against your sides. His skull rested near your ear. Warm breath skimmed your skin in a soft puff that felt like static and heat at the same time.
“HUG ATTACK!” You froze entirely. Spine turned to steel. Heart dropped into some abyss inside you. Every nerve fired at once. You did not hate it. But your body had no idea what to do with sudden affection. Hugs were not a thing you experienced on a regular basis.
Blue’s voice softened, vibrated through your ribs. “HUMAN… THIS MEANS I HAVE CAPTURED YOU.” Your voice came out strangled.
“I feel like this was just an excuse to hug me." Blue leaned back only enough to show his bright, triumphant grin.
“YOU WOULD BE CORRECT!" You blinked at him, uncertain what to do with the warmth blooming beneath your ribs. Which is when another pair of arms swooped in out of nowhere.
"FRIENDSHIP HUG!"
Both you and Blue left the ground like helpless shopping bags. Papyrus held you both with the casual strength of someone lifting pillows. Your feet kicked hopelessly. Your face burned so hot it could have boiled water. Blue laughed. Papyrus spun once in a proud loop while you squeaked like a chew toy caught in the middle.
Then your feet found solid earth again. Papyrus released you with flourish and nodded in approval.
"YOU ARE VERY GOOD AT BEING HUGGED, HUMAN!” Papyrus announced proudly.
Blue nodded eagerly. “WE SHOULD PRACTICE THAT MORE!” Your heart tried to sprint directly out of your chest. Warmth spread across your skin like sunlight after years indoors. You were not used to warmth like this. You swallowed around the sudden tightness in your throat.
"THAT WAS PAINFUL TO WATCH." You turned. Edge tood nearby, arms crossed, sockets narrowed like he had been forced to witness a crime. Black loomed silent beside him, unreadable.
BLue straightened. “THE HUMAN IS DOING A VERY GOOD JOB SO FAR.”
Papyrus nodded, hand pressed to his chest. “EXCEPTIONAL POTENTIAL.THOUGH THAT IS TO BE EXPECTED AFTER BEING TRAINED BY THE GREAT PAPYRUS!”
Edge scoffed loud enough for a bird to get startled. "GOOD? HAH. THE PEST'S STANCE IS WEAK. ITS GUARD DROPS EVERY OTHER SECOND. EVEN AN IDIOT COULD SEE THOSE PUNCHES COMING. AND IT WAS GASPING FOR AIR AFTER TWO MINUTES."
Oh wow. Direct hit.
Papyrus stepped in front of you slightly, "SHE HAS JUST BEGUN TO LEARN. THIS IS ONLY THE FIRST LESSON.” You peeked around Papyrus.
"Edge. You do know I can hear you , right?" Edge tilted his head, a smirk threatening.
"THAT IS THE POINT." His eyelights dragged over you, thoroughly unimpressed. "YOU WOULD BE A LIABLITY IN A FIGHT. HOW YOU HAVE SURVIVED THIS LONG IS BEYOND ME."
Your eyebrows shot up. “Well for one, usually any attacker I would have had were human. So. ”You gave a half shrug. “easier to defend myself against.”
Disgust flashed against Edge's skull. “IT IS NOT SOMETHING TO BRAG ABOUT IF YOUR ENEMIES WERE PATHETIC.”
“Never said I was bragging.” You crossed your arms, meeting his unimpressed energy with your own unimpressed energy. “But hey. I am still alive, so clearly something worked.”
"PURE LUCK. THE MOMENT YOU FACE A REAL THREAT, YOU WILL BE DEAD." Something inside you almost flinched. Almost. But you did not give him that satisfaction.
"Everyone dies at some point. Though if it came down to it, I think I could fight someone off." Before Edge could spit back another verbal insult, the air shifted.
"WOULD YOU NOW?" Black cut in. "LET'S TEST THAT LITTLE THEORY, SHALL WE?"
Your breath caught “You want to... spar with me?”
His skull inclined the slightest bit, “IF YOU WISH TO TEST YOURSELF. BETTER TO UNDERSTAND THE EXTENT OF YOUR IEPITITUDE NOW, RATHER THAN IN A SITUATION WHERE YOU COULD GET HURT." He spoke like he was doing you a favor. Benevolent. Helpful. But his eyelights said said otherwise.
Blue’s sockets flicked toward him sharply, his expression dropping into warning. “BLACK.”
“WHAT,” Black asked, tone mild. “YOU AND PAPYRUS HAVE ALL BEEN COSSETING HER. SHE HAS NO GRASP OF THE ACTUAL DANGER SHE WOULD FACE. YOUR PERFORMANCE WAS A JOKE. IF SHE WISHES TO PARTICIAPTE IN THESE SESSIONS, SHE SHOULD SEE WHAT A REAL OPPONENT DOES." His eyelights pinned you in place. There was something in them that made your skin crawl.
If you backed down, it was cowardice. If you stepped forward, it was foolishness. Black had given you a choice that was not a choice at all, a trap dressed up as an invitation.
Either way, you lost.
Your mind screamed to take the out. Laugh it off. Brush past everyone and head back inside. You could sit at that old computer and scroll through job listings and pretend you were making some sort of progress. You could let them think whatever they wanted. They already believed you were fragile. Pathetic. A liability.
What was one more confirmation.
But there was a heat in your chest. Not bravado. Not pride. Something quieter and more stubborn. Something that refused to curl in on itself just because a stranger made you feel small.
"Okay.” You heard yourself say it. “I will spar with you.” Black’s eyelights glowed a bit brighter at that. A subtle curve ghosted at the corner of his teeth, not fully a grin, but something that felt worse. Like he had predicted this. Counted on it. Like you had just walked willingly into the exact conclusion he calculated you would reach.
Papyrus’s smile strain was visible even behind his bravado. “YOU DO NOT HAVE TO IF YOU DO NOT WANT TO.” You almost cracked. Almost said you were joking. Almost turned around. But then Black shifted, the faintest tilt of his skull, as if already cataloging your hesitation.
“It is fine,” you said quickly, eyes locked on him, refusing to break even though your pulse was hammering. “I want to see where I am at. Really.”
His brow ridge lifted a millimeter, surprise flickering for the briefest moment. You barely caught it. Then it was gone, smoothed away back into his usual cold composure.
“VERY WELL.” He stepped onto the packed dirt, the sound of his footfall barely even audible. He motioned with two fingers, a subtle flick toward the space across from him.
Blue moved immediately to your side, his concern practically radiating off him. “YOU DO NOT HAVE TO DO THIS.” You swallowed hard. You wished your heartbeat would calm down before someone could see it pulsing through your neck.
“If I do not, I will never hear the end of it.”
"YOU WILL HEAR MORE IF YOU GET HURT." Blue said, his sockets filled with worry.
“NEWS FLASH, HALF-PINT, YOU GET HURT IN TRAINING,” Edge snapped from behind him. His arms were crossed, but his foot tapped impatiently, like he wanted to see the outcome already.
PPapyrus nodded at him, then looked sternly at Black. “WHILE THAT IS TRUE, BLACK. YOU WILL SHOW RESTRAINT.” Black did not bother looking his way.
“OBVIOUSLY.” He sounded bored. Dismissive. It should have been reassuring. It was not. Not even close. The ground was uneven beneath your shoes and your muscles complained from Papyrus’s earlier drills. Your breaths came shallow now, not from physical fatigue, but from nerves tightening like a band around your ribs.
You stopped a few feet in front of Black.
He did not move at first. His gaze swept over you, slow and clinical. He studied your stance, your posture, the slight tremor in your fingers. He saw everything. His eyelights narrowed, a flicker of disappointment crossing his expression. He had already decided how this would go.
“RAISE YOUR GUARD,” he instructed calmly. You obeyed. It felt clumsy. Awkward. You tried to mimic what Papyrus had taught you, elbows in, fists up, weight balanced.
“HIGHER.” You adjusted again, your hands trembling closer to your jaw. Sweat prickled behind your knees and on the back of your neck.
He sighed through his teeth, “FINE.” He eased into his stance. It was nothing like yours.
Even without training, you could see the difference. His feet planted solidly, like the earth itself was part of him. His spine stayed aligned, not looking tense or even prepared in any way.
“RULE ONE,” he said calmly. “YOU WILL NOT CRY WHEN YOU LOSE."
Your cheeks flared hot. “wha- i'm not going to cry."
“WE WILL SEE.” His eyelights flicked to Blue and Papyrus. “THEY WILL STAY BACK. THEY WILL NOT INTERVENE UNLESS YOU ARE IN ACTUAL DANGER."
“Define actual,” you muttered.
He ignored that. “RULE THREE. WHEN YOU FAIL TO DEFEND YOURSELF, I WILL SHOW YOU WHERE. PHYSICALLY. SO YOU DO NOT FORGET."
Your stomach dropped. That sounded ominous. Sadistic even.
You managed a weak nod. “Understood.”
He inclined his head. “GOOD. THEN. BEGIN.” For a brief second, nothing happened. You stood there, hands up, lungs burning, staring at him. He stared back. The world narrowed to the space between you. The soft crunch of dirt underfoot. The faint rustle of the breeze in the garden behind you. Your own heartbeat like a drum in your ears.
Your breath shook. You forced yourself forward anyway.
You tried for a quick jab like Papyrus taught you, snapping your fist out. He did not even bother to block. He just leaned his head slightly to the side. Your fist whooshed past empty air. You stumbled forward, overextended.
“ALREADY” he said quietly. “YOU ARE OFF BALANCE." His hand flicked out. His knuckles tapped your shoulder, sharp enough to sting. You suppressed a gasp and jerked back. You tried to reset your stance. Center your weight. Your fingers twitched. You tried again. Jab-cross. A combo that should at least make him work a little.
He blocked both with insulting ease. His forearms met your fists lightly, redirecting them without even really stopping them. Then his hand shot out and chopped directly into your ribs. The breath punched out of you. A burning ache flared under the skin.
“GUARD,” Papyrus called out, voice tight. You yanked your elbow in, but too late.
“SLOW,” Black said. “DELAYED REACTION. YOU SEE THE STRIKE AND YET YOU DO NOT RESPOND IN TIME." He came in again. You tried to back up. He stayed with you, his steps soundless, his movements so small and efficient you barely saw them.
His fist flicked toward your head. You jerked left, far too late. His knuckles grazed your jawline, just enough to send a flare of pain through your face. Your eyes watered from the shock of it.
He did not even punch hard. That was the worst part.
Tap to your forearm when you dropped it too low. Tap to your shoulder when your guard drifted. Tap to your side when tension lifted your ribs too high.
Every time you tried to strike, he was already gone. Every time you thought you saw an opening, it closed. Your breathing grew ragged. Sweat slid down your spine. Your arms felt like they were made of stone and noodles at the same time.
“AGAIN” he said every time you faltered. “YOU ARE EASY TO READ. PREDICTABLE."
You could feel Blue and Papyrus watching you. And out the corner of your eye you saw Edge’s grin grow sharp and satisfied, his excitement almost hungry as he soaked in every mistake you made like entertainment.
You wanted to crawl into a hole. You wanted to scream. You wanted to prove him wrong. You threw a punch toward his sternum again, faster this time, teeth gritted and jaw tight with stubborn anger.
He slid aside like your strike was a breeze he barely noticed. His foot hooked around your ankle. The ground rushed up and you slammed into it with enough force that your elbows shrieked through your nerves. White-hot pain shot up your arms.
The world wobbled. For a heartbeat it felt like everything tilted sideways. Your breath stuck in your throat, trapped behind panic and pain.
Blue took a step forward. “BLACK. ENOUGH."
Black did not even look at him. “THE HUMAN IS FINE." And then, as if commanding a dog, “GET UP.”
Your wrists throbbed. Dirt clung to your palms where skin had peeled. A sting rippled up your arms, into your shoulders. You pushed yourself up anyway. It was slow, shaky, humiliating. Your lungs refused to fill properly. A dizzy flicker crossed your vision.
But you got up.
You had to. Black watched with that silent, pitiless stare. His posture was relaxed. He was not even breathing hard.
"YOU HESITATE BEFORE EVERY STRIKE. YOU THINK TOO MUCH." He stepped toward you. One slow step. Your heart lurched. "YOU DO NOT TRUST YOURSELF. WHICH MEANS YOU WILL ALWAYS BE THE SLOWEST ONE IN THE FIGHT." Your heart lurched. You hated how accurate some part of that felt.
You didnt even see him move as a fist like a sledgehammer slammed into your stomach.
All the air ripped out of your body. Pain erupted sharp and deep, folding you like paper. You gagged on nothing. The world went black around the edges. You tried to fall, to curl away from the pain, but his hand grabbed your shoulder, holding you upright. He wanted you conscious for it. Wanted you to feel every bit of failure. Wanted you to see his violet eyelights while you suffered.
Only when the pain peaked, when your legs buckled and your lungs spasmed uselessly in your chest, did he release you.
You stumbled back, clutching your stomach, knees shaking and refusing to collapse. Your breaths came in ugly wheezes. Sweat dripped down your forehead into your eyes and stung like fire. Your ribs and arms throbbed in a sickening rhythm with your heartbeat.
He tilted his skull slightly.
“AND THAT IS BUT A FRACTION OF MY STRENGTH.” His voice echoed in your skull.
Fraction.
Fraction.
Your brain tried to calculate what full power would feel like. It hurt just thinking about it. He was holding back. He had been holding back every time. Each sting, each slam, each point of contact had only been a warning. And it already felt like you had been run over by a truck.
He was not teaching you to fight. He was demonstrating how easily he could break you. Humiliation tangled with dread and something hotter beneath it. Anger. The kind that made your blood burn and your teeth grind.
He knew you understood the gulf between you now. He wanted you to know it. Your breaths rasped in and out, sharp enough that your chest ached with each inhale, the wound in your stomach pulsing sick and angry with every beat of your heart. The metallic taste of fear and adrenaline filled your mouth
Black straightened his gloves with infuriating calm. He might as well have been preparing to sign a document instead of continuing to beat the life out of you.
“AGAIN,” he said. “UNLESS YOU ARE READY TO GIVE UP.”
You hated him. You hated how small he made you feel. How right he sounded. How he looked at you like you were a waste of time. Like you were just an insect on the ground learning how fragile it was. Your fists curled, nails digging into your palms.
A voice in your head whispered that you should quit. That you were going to get seriously hurt. That they would never respect you even if you got up again.
But another voice. Louder. Angrier. More stubborn.
It said: move.
So you did.
You rolled your shoulders, ignoring the scream of your ribs. You lifted your fists, though your arms trembled like they were lifting weights instead of air. You forced your stance back into shape, teeth clenched so tight your jaw hurt.
"Is that all you got?" You croaked. Twin violet sparks tightened in his socketshe faintest hint of annoyance flickering there.
"IT SEEMS YOUR MOUTH MOVES FASTER THAN YOUR FISTS." That heat inside you roared. You did not wait for him to move. You surged forward, swinging with every bit of force and fury left in your body. A wild, clumsy punch aimed right for his jaw.
He ducked.
But you refused to stop.
Another punch. And another. Your breaths were ragged, each swing costing more strength than you had to spare. He blocked the first with barely a thought. Slipped past the second like smoke.
But the third hit bone.
Your knuckles collided with his cheekbone, cracking against polished, unforgiving calcium. Pain jolted through your hand, but his head snapped sideways. The faintest jolt of shock flashed across his skull. Edge straightened in surprise. Blue’s breath caught. Papyrus whispered a stunned
“OH.”
Black’s skull turned back toward you, and those violet eyelights burned.
You lunged before the fear could freeze you. Arms wrapped around his middle, and you drove forward with everything you had. His scarf snapped around you as your combined weight toppled. His spine hit the ground with a thud that shook through your knees.
He grunted as he landed, more from surprise than pain, but it was enough to send a thrill through your veins. You scrambled, trying to pin his arms. It was sloppy and your head was spinning but you moved anyway. You scrambled to pin him, breath heaving hot against his sternum. It was clumsy. It was reckless. Your vision doubled every time your ribs screamed. But you moved anyway.
You hit him again. Knuckles striking his cheekbone. Then his jaw.
Once. Twice.
His face tilted from the impact. His teeth clicked. Black flinched.
Barely. But he did.
His guard slipped and for a breathless second he could not get you off him. Triumph surged through your chest so powerful you almost sobbed from it. You reeled your arm back for another hit.
But Black moved.
His fingers shot up and clamped around your wrist, colder than ice and twice as merciless. Pain lanced up your forearm as he twisted. Your balance broke. His knee drove into your stomach and air exploded from your lungs. You flipped. The ground slammed into you, rattling your bones. Dull ringing filled your ears. Before you could breathe, his weight crashed down.
He straddled your hips, metal boots digging into the dirt for leverage. One hand pinned your captured wrist above your head. The other pressed into the ground beside you, caging you in.
His skull hovered inches from your face. So close you could see the fine carved cracks along his left orbital ridge, twin lines etched deep like old scars. You had never noticed them before. Those violet eyelights locked onto you, blazing with focus so intense it scraped across your nerves.
You dragged in a shaky breath, chest jolting painfully against his weight. You tried to surge up, he did not budge. He might as well have been made of the ground beneath you.
He was panting. Just a little. You stared, sweat burning your eyes, your whole body trembling with exhaustion. Dirt stuck to your palms and smeared across your cheek. Your ribs throbbed loud enough to drown out your heartbeat.
He studied you for a moment.
"YOU GOT THREE HITS." he said, voice low. "DON'T MISTAKE IT FOR ANYTHING BUT LUCK." His grip tightened until lightning shot through your wrist, joints straining under the pressure. Your breath hitched. "I COULD OF STOPPED YOU WITHIN TEN SECONDS OF THIS MATCH."
"But you didn’t,” you forced out. The fires in your lungs made every word hurt. But you smiled through it. His sockets narrowed, those twin cracks above his eye ridge shadowed deeper.
“I ALLOWED YOU TO FIGHT," he murmured “SO YOU COULD LEARN HOW FUTILE IT IS.” He released you, standing without effort, and adjusted his scarf with a single swipe of his palm. His stance returned to controlled perfection, only a faint unevenness in his breathing betraying anything had happened.
“WE ARE DONE,” he said coldly. “YOU CAN BARELY STAND.”
And he was right. He turned away, slow steps grinding into the earth. But there was a drag to his movement now, tiny, but there. You lay there, staring at the sky, chest heaving, pain screaming through every inch of flesh. But under all that agony, something glowed.
Three hits.
You had gotten three hits.
You lay there for another three seconds, feeling the dirt press into your back, lungs burning, heart clawing at your ribs. The sky spun slightly when you blinked. Then a familiar voice cut through the ringing in your ears.
“HUMAN,” Blue knelt beside you, careful and gentle, his movements soft like he was handling something fragile. His hands hovered over you, not touching yet, afraid even the slightest pressure might snap you in half.
“ARE YOU ALRIGHT?" You turned your head toward him, slow enough to feel every muscle complain. The sunlight behind his skull was blinding. His eye lights shimmered with so much worry it almost hurt to look at him.
You swallowed. Your voice tried to rise as a joke. It came out like gravel instead.
“Believe it or not… I have had worse Fridays.” Blue stared for a beat, not amused. Papyrus rushed over next, skidding to a kneeling stop, looking genuinely distressed.
“BLACK WAS UNNECESSARILY HARSH," he declared, words clipped with disapproval “ I WILL SPEAK TO HIM."
“It's fine,” you rasped, pushing one elbow under yourself. White-hot pain shot through your ribs and shoulder. You kept going anyway. “He did exactly what he said he would. It was a reality check. Great educational value. Ten out of ten experience.”
Blue winced. “THAT IS NOT FUNNY.”
“It is a little funny,” you insisted. You managed to sit upright, hunched forward with your palms braced against your knees. Everything hurt. Breathing hurt. Existing hurt. “Ow. My everything.” Papyrus examined you without touching, scanning for anything obviously broken. His gentle concern radiated like heat.
“YOU MAY HAVE BRUISES. BUT I DO NOT BELIEVE ANYTHING IS BROKEN."
“Good,” you wheezed. “I do not have health insurance.”Papyrus looked confused at that.
"WHY WOULD ONE INSURE THIER HEALTH?"
“Ah, it’s just a werid things humans do.” You explain, trying not to smile. Blue huffed out a breath that might have been a defeated laugh.
“I AM PROUD OF YOU.” he said.
“For what,” you muttered. “Getting bodied in front of an audience.”
"FOR TRYING. FOR GETTING UP AGAIN WHEN MOST WOULD STAY DOWN." You felt heat climb up your neck. You immediately looked away, staring at the dirt like it had become the most fascinating thing in the world. Papyrus leaned closer
"YOU SHOWED GREAT STRENGTH. YOU DISPLAYED COURAGE AND A STRONG WILL TO IMPROVE THAT IS VERY ADMIRABLE."
You cleared your throat hard and forced a lopsided smile. “Wow. Compliments. Keep going. Tell me how awesome I am. I thrive on positive reinforcement.” Blue let out another soft sigh that was ninety percent fond exasperation.
Across the training field, Edge finally decided to speak as he stomped over. His arms were crossed, shoulders angled forward in a stance that radiated disdain, but there was a sharp glint under it. Something like... surprise he did not want anyone to notice.
"PATHETIC," he called out. "IF YOU ARE GOING TO THROW YOURSELF INTO A FIGHT LIKE THAT, AT LEAST MAKE IT WORTH WATCHING ALL THE WAY THROUGH."
You raised a shaky hand in his direction. “Thank you for the glowing review.” Black, who had paused several feet away, turned his skull slightly at Edge’s tone. The violet fire in his sockets flickered, colder now.
"THOUGH. I SUPPOSE." Edge added. His grin twisting into something sharp. "THREE HITS IS... BETTER THAN I EXPECTED." Black’s spine stiffened. Just a fraction. Barely perceptible. But you saw it.
Edge smirked, sharp and satisfied. "IT SEEMS YOU ARE GETTING SLOPPY. UNSURPRISING FOR A WEAK MONSTER SUCH AS YOURSELF." Black slowly turned, the tilt of his skull sharp with warning. Edge went on. "IF I WAS THE ONE FIGHTING THE LITTLE PEST IT WOULDN'T EVEN HAVE TAKEN TWO STEPS BEFORE I STRUCK IT DOWN."
Black’s jaw clicked shut. Hard. "WHAT DID YOU JUST SAY?
Edge raised a brow ridge. "ARE YOU LOSING YOUR HEARING TOO?"
Black. "VERY WELL. FIGHT ME THEN. IF YOU HAVE SUCH CONFIDENCE." Edge laughed under his breath.
"GLADLY." The two skeletons stalked into the ring. Sparks of animosity crackled between them before they even moved. Blue helped you sit more comfortably. Papyrus hovered close, ready to catch you if you tipped.
Black and Edge clashed.
Your heartbeat stumbled as they blurred together. You studied the way Edge leaned forward, reckless because he trusted his own strength more than caution. The way Black let his opponent come to him, shifting only when absolutely needed, always two thoughts ahead.
You could feel Blue’s gaze slide to you again. Waiting for the moment you would break down. Admit defeat. Swear to never set foot in that ring again.
Instead, your own voice surprised you.
“I want to do this again,” you said quietly.
Both Blue and Papyrus turned to you at once. You kept your eyes on the sparring skeletons, jaw set. Your chest stung when you inhaled, but the resolve in your body overrode the pain.
“Not with Black or Edge. Not yet,” you clarified quickly. A shudder rippled up your spine at the thought of facing Black again that soon. “But. Training. With you two.” You glanced up at Papyrus, then at Blue. “Regularly.”
Papyrus tilted his head. “OF COURSE WE WILL TEACH YOU, IF THAT IS WHAT YOU DESIRE. BUT MAY I ASK WHY?" You flexed your fingers. Pain flared across your knuckles.
Because you hated being breakable. Because every moment of helplessness left a bruise deeper than anything on your skin. Because lying on the ground unable to get out from underneath Black had twisted panic and anger together in your chest, and you were very, very tired of that combination.
You lifted your chin.
“Because I would very much like to wipe that smug look off Black’s skull.” Blue blinked. Then a slow, delighted smile stretched across his skull. Papyrus straightened to his full height, pride radiating off him.
“THEN,” he declared, “WE SHALL TRAIN!”
You exhaled.
The dirt under your feet felt a little more solid.
Out in the ring, Edge swung harder, fueled by ego and fury. Black blocked, countered, and for the briefest moment his gaze cut toward you again. He looked at you differently now. Not with irritation. Not with boredom. But something else entirely.
And for the first time since arriving in this world…
You did not look away.