Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Monsters were free, but freedom didn’t mean safety.

It had been a year since monsterkind emerged from the underground, freed from the grip of the barrier’s magic by their now ambassador, Chara.

The fight for their rights was slowly but surely progressing, though monsters were still far from true equality.

Though they had left Mt. Ebott, the struggle for housing arose. Most humans detested the very existence of monsters, refusing them shelter, sympathy, or even basic rights.

The only area that the human government had been able to provide was quite run down, and filled with gang activity - which was extremely unsafe due to the fragile nature of monsters,  as even the slightest hint of ill-intent could lead to their demise.

But there was no other option, so they had to make do with what they have. At least they were on the surface! They could enjoy the fresh air, the sun’s brightness, the calm nighttime and the twinkling stars - finally their wishes became a reality.

Papyrus was on his way back home from a corner store nearby, after getting his brother the groceries he needed. It was ‘Taco Tuesday’ and Papyrus was told to hurry back home so that the food could be done quicker. “THE SOONER I MAKE IT, THE SOONER WE CAN ENJOY IT!” is what his brother had said.

He felt the gazes the humans gave him before he saw them. The ones walking on the streets avoided him (and any other monster, really) like the plague. It was nothing unusual for him, but being the living embodiment of death didn’t help either. 

Though today’s atmosphere was.. tense. Stifling, even. Like a rope stretched taut and waiting for any moment to snap. Papyrus had a feeling something unfortunate would occur, but he tried burying the feeling down.

As he got closer to his and his brother’s apartment, the feeling only got worse. Turning through the corner to go into the alleyway that led to their building, the loud sounds of yelling caught his attention. His non-existent gut churned, sweat building on his skull as he glanced around to look for any other route - but finding none.

It was going to be okay! He would pass by the humans (assuming they are humans, not many monsters would start such an intense situation) and they would give him the stink eye and ignore him as usual.

Slowly walking closer to the center of conflict, he saw the culprits (aha! so they were humans!) it seemed like there were two opposite groups fighting over something. with a horrible realization, papyrus noticed that it wasn’t just a verbal argument, but a full on brawl. Humans on both sides were violently attacking each other - with bats, knives, or their bare hands. Blood was everywhere, and papyrus was quickly feeling panic bloom in his SOUL. The humans were blocking the way! How could he get back home?? He can’t shortcut like his brother can!

Trying to back away slowly, Papyrus failed to realize the trash can lid behind him, and kicked it with a dull clang! that echoed in the alleyway. a few people turned their attention to him and he heard a finger snap nearby. He felt a nervous sweat break out and attempted to turn back around and leave but hit someone’s chest. 

papyrus slowly looked up, to find an absolute tank of a man - who was both taller (and papyrus was considered tall!) and wider than him. With a gulp, he started, trying to de-escalate the situation: “heya.. dontcha know how to greet a new pal..?” holding out his hand nervously. The man chuckled darkly and papyrus knew he was screwed. 

“Well, well, well… what do we have here? A walking corpse. Weren’t those freaks that crawled up the mountain supposed to be animals? I think I remember a disgusting ball of slime too… Don’t you know that dead things belong six feet under?”

He gestured to the men behind him, his voice dripping with malice. “Boys! Let’s give him the good ol’ Hollow district welcome. Looks like he doesn’t know whose territory he’s in…”

The man’s words hung in the air like a death sentence. Without a moment’s hesitation, his lackeys surged forward, their eyes glinting with hostility.

Sans, his older brother, always taught him to believe in the best of people, and that anyone could be a good person if they just try. This moment was testing that belief. Papyrus felt his magic surge forward defensively - the law stated monsters couldn’t use their magic unless for self-defense, and papyrus thought that this situation very much justified his use of it.

The first swing came really fast by human standards, aimed for his mandible,  but papyrus dodged swiftly.  The sounds of the ongoing fight behind him were muted, as he focused on his own. Another man came from his side, rushing in with what looked like a wooden bat aimed at his skull. Moving away, he failed to completely dodge in time and watched as the bat whistled through the air before it collided with his clavicle with a sickening crack . 

-30 HP

650/680 HP

Grunting as his hands came up to hold the affected area, he noticed movement from the corner of his eye. Dodging again, he realized that the person attacking him was equipped with brass knuckles on his fist. 

Too focused on dodging his attacks, he failed to realize the man coming behind him.

-250 HP
400/680 HP

The knife slash hit with precision, cutting deep into his skeletal form. Papyrus’s eyes widened as he gasped. The burning pain that bloomed across his back was accompanied by the sickening sensation of his favorite orange hoodie soaking up his own marrow, which felt ice cold against his normally warm bones.

Shoes coming into his view (when did he fall to the ground..?), a  sharp click rang out and Papyrus glanced upwards, only to find himself staring at the barrel of a gun.

His SOUL thudded strongly against his chest, as he felt breathless and faint.

The leader of the group that ambushed him stood over Papyrus, his expression one of mild boredom, like he was done with the whole encounter. He absentmindedly scratched at his chin while glancing around in disinterest. 

“Well, this has been fun,” the man said, his tone nonchalant, almost amused. “But I think it’s time we end this; tell your other “monster” friends in hell I said hello, why don’t you?” 

Papyrus was exhausted. His magic was going haywire from the unpredicted attack, his bones aching from the blows. The sense of hopelessness seeped in, and for a moment, he wondered if his brother would ever know what happened to him. 

-50 HP

350/680 HP

‘i won’t hear about his daily reports, or have our brotherly bonding time anymore.. i didn’t even get to try his food one last time’

-50 HP

300/680 HP

‘i’m so sorry, sans.’

-100 HP

200/680 HP 

Papyrus’s vision swam, the rapid decrease of HP and helplessness made him woozy. He saw the leader’s finger tighten on the gun’s trigger - ready to fire. Closing his eyes, he braced himself for his inevitable death.

BANG! –

Or at least, that was what he expected.

Instead, the loud bang of a gunshot never came. The sound that met his ears was different - a grunt of pain and something heavy hitting the ground, followed by the thud of several others collapsing one by one.

Papyrus’s eyes snapped open. The leader was no longer standing over him. Instead, he was on the ground, coughing, his gun knocked out of his grasp.

A shadow loomed over them both.

The newcomer stood tall, poised like a predator that had just struck down its prey. The dim lights of the Hollow highlighted their silhouette and a slight shift in stance revealed the unmistakable glint of a weapon still dripping with fresh blood.

A voice, sharp and edged with something dangerous, cut through the tension like a blade.

"I don’t take kindly to people playing executioner in my district."

Chapter Text

The sound of dripping water and distant vehicles only added to the Hollow’s gloom.

The area was usually devoid of civilians- hence the namesake, and the streets lay abandoned, waiting for the night’s true inhabitants. It had gained its name and reputation from the neighboring districts and later into the night, gangsters would emerge to conduct their deals, trade, and settle debts.

As you strolled along the empty streets, your eyes scanned your surroundings - never once dropping your guard. As empty as the Hollow seemed, you were never truly alone, something or someone could be waiting in the shadows - waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

In the rare case where you pass by people, they would give you a wide berth and avoid looking at you. It was hard not to when you were well-known in the area.

Being a gang leader wasn’t easy, though to many here, it was a dream come true. But the weight of the responsibilities that came with it, along with the risks, were too great for one person to carry. You could never fully trust anyone. Never let anyone know who you really are. And the risks of letting anyone close to find out if they were truly genuine or not were too high of a gamble to make.

Spotting what looked like an abandoned bar at the end of the street, you headed towards it and got in. The inside was just as run down as the outside, until you entered through the ‘employee-only’ door.

The room was nothing short of grand, the chandelier above twinkled, causing the light to glitter, and at the end of the room a mini bar was found, filled with food and drinks for anyone to enjoy. A large round table sat in the middle, with your higher-ranked subordinates chatting amongst themselves, waiting for someone -you- to arrive.

After clearing your throat to get the members’ attention, the room became eerily quiet in less than a second. They all stared at you attentively with serious looks on their faces.

“..I’ve been hearing some rumors about a newly formed gang trying to sever our connections with our suppliers.” You spoke flatly.

Orion, your right hand, went to lock the door behind you as you continued speaking.

“Based on my intel, there's a spy for the other group in this room right now, and this meeting won’t end until I have them caught.”

The room broke out into frantic chatter, with members pointing at each other trying to explain themselves and show their innocence.

Taking a closer look, you noticed one that looked more composed than the rest, barely feigning distress.

You got closer to the table and slammed your hands down, interrupting the chaos that was happening.

“Silence.”

You looked at Orion and nodded your head, signaling him to start talking.

“There’s no need for you all to get so nervous!” Orion spoke in a falsely sweet manner with a mocking smile, “Rune and I have been working together for the past 2 weeks to gather evidence - and we think we got the culprit. Boss lady, if I may?” Orion turned to you for permission.

With a slight head tilt, “Do what you must.”

The room’s atmosphere got colder, and it got impossibly quieter.

“Rin.” Orion called out, the previous smile dropping to reveal a blank face instead. “Follow me outside for a moment, would you?”

As he headed towards the culprit, he all but dragged him outside from the unlocked backdoor by his arm, then shut it behind him loudly.

After a second of silently staring at where Orion and Rin used to be, the members nervously glanced back at you.

One of your division captains, Lia, spoke up with panic in her voice “Ma’am.. Does this mean Rin was the spy all this time? He’s our treasurer’s assistant! He knows all of our financial workings, what are we going to do?”

Keeping your face impassive, you replied “The moment Rin met up with the other group’s informant, I had been notified and tasked Orion to keep an eye on him. I was already aware of him selling our information elsewhere.”

Another member spoke up “But boss! He was with us during the previous meeting where we discussed our next shipment’s location - he must have told them about that too!”

“That is why I haven’t adjourned this meeting yet, I had planned to discuss the matters of it now. Regarding that shipment, what I had given you all was a decoy. A fake shipment with imaginary details. That way, when Rin told the other gang about it, they wouldn’t find the actual items.”

The members in the room stared at you in disbelief, you had known from the very beginning? And you had even pulled Rin into a false sense of security where he thought no one was onto him.

After telling them of the actual shipment details and the plan, you sighed as you turned around to the back door. Speaking to your members one last time, “Anyone who thinks of stooping so low as to sell out my gang WILL be dealt with accordingly. Whether they are a newbie or an upper ranked member like you. Meeting is dismissed.”

You exited the room and headed to where Orion was. He had Rin tied on a chair and a knife in his hand. He was seemingly cleaning his nails with the knife as he talked with Rin nonchalantly, but paused when he noticed you .

“Ah boss lady, You’re here! See, I tried to get Rin to confess his wrongdoings but he wouldn’t.” Orion appeared downcast and looked down towards Rin, whose back was towards you. “Come on Rin! I’ll even let you off easy if you do! Don’t break my heart here.” He said in a pouty voice.

Rin’s mouth was set in a firm line, determined not to say a word as he narrowed his eyes at Orion.

With a quick motion, you whipped the chair around sharply, forcing Rin to meet your gaze.

“Did you really think I wouldn’t be aware of what happens in my gang? The moment you give yourself to me and join, every breath you take is for me to notice. The fact that you thought you went unnoticed is hilarious to me.” Your slight smirk made sure Rin caught a glimpse of the gold tooth glinting as you spoke.

“Now, I’m sure you have been here for long enough to know how we deal with traitors, yes?” You said with a cynical smile, gesturing at Orion to hand you your gun.

The familiar weight of your gun met your dominant hand. Making sure the safety was off, you aimed the gun at Rin’s forehead. “Any last words?”

“You won’t get away with this, the bloodhounds will come for you and your gang! You’ll wish you-”

BANG!-

The chair fell back to the ground, a puddle of blood forming around Rin’s head.

“DAMN that was harsh boss lady! You could have at least let him finish his sentence!” Orion snickered beside you.

“You and I both know you are just as impatient as I am to get rid of this filth. You just wanted the drama..” you paused “And didn’t I tell you to stop calling me ‘boss lady’? You’re making me feel old, we’re almost the same age!”

“Ah you know me so well…ᵇᵒˢˢ ˡᵃᵈʸ.”

You snapped your head towards him. “Orion.”

“Yes?” He replied innocently while batting his eyelashes.

“..get out of my sight,” you had sighed, with a faint smile playing on your lips.

He walked away, cackling at your expression.