MurderVictim

Determination[TopSpeedOfSound & MurderVictim] HIATUS

Frisk's hands had started to shake. With her free hand, she tugged the jacket closer and buried her nose in the fluffy hood. The sensation of her cold bitten nose warming and numbing against the fluff was enough to drag some of her thoughts back to the present. But her eyes still held a worried expression as they darted along the snowy ground. Her imagination was so vivid, as though it was truly a memory. She had never attempted this before, ever, yet the scenes played out as though she had lived them a hundred times. Her stomach twisted and knotted.

Sans' hand on her shoulder effectively snapped her back into looking at him. She studied his face, then nodded hesitantly. He was right. He had to be right. Frisk truly didn't want anyone to be mad at her, but the knowledge that they'd come back eventually was a relief. She had to believe that they wouldn't shut her out completely. She could never blame them if they did, but what if she...Lost everything? They were her family, this was her home. If she ruined it all, she didn't know what she'd be able to do.

But she wasn't alone. Frisk gave a small smile - not at all prepared, yet ready to do what she knew would help protect the Underground. After all, this wasn't just to dig up the past, it was to warn everyone of a threat they otherwise wouldn't see coming. She'd just have to breathe and accept whatever was coming to her.

"When do you think we should start?" Papyrus was likely to be the best starting point, as she trusted him to roll with it a little better than everyone else, but it was ultimately Sans' call. She wanted him to be comfortable and confident, even if that was better said than done. "And...Sorry. I guess I kind of ruined our good morning...And your training time." she added with a lighter tone.

Mick and Rorty (AdobeFlash and MurderVictim)

Rick's rantings didn't seem to bother Morty at all. In fact, they put him at ease. His hands stopped shaking, and a small smile graced his face. As much as he wanted to comment on all of the old man's questions, he simply accepted the invitation inside, instead.

On his way in, Morty stumbled over a few beer bottles. He stopped short and glanced down, and in that same moment he noticed the stench of cheap, stale alcohol that permeated the apartment. Looking up, he took in the sorry state Rick's home was in. In all honesty, it was a pretty sad sight.

He perked up, however, at the sight of the Interdimensional Cable Box. He smiled widely and stepped closer, examining it. Upon closer inspection, he noted the dust that was accumulated on it, and a few stains that he could only guess were from alcohol. But there was no mistaking it - underneath all the grime, it looked exactly like the one he helped his own Rick make.

"That-That's an Interdimensional Cable Box! It's capable of broadcasting television shows from infinite realities. E-Even from different planets!" He carefully wiped some dust off the top of it. "Wow, it's been a while since I've seen one of these. I remember when my Rick showed me how to make--" He paused, and sharply removed his hand from the box. "I mean. I helped make one before. They're pretty cool."

Morty took a step back and noticed the tv. He eyed it, specifically it's large back and outdated appearance. "But, uh...If you've been trying to use it on that tv, it won't work, I'm afraid."

Mick and Rorty (AdobeFlash and MurderVictim)

No worries! It works for me :3

Mick and Rorty (AdobeFlash and MurderVictim)

Morty stood, fidgeting with his hands as he waited for signs of life from the apartment. For a moment, he wondered if Rick was home at all. He had done some research, poking around at this dimension before he decided it would suffice. He knew where Beth, Jerry, and Summer were - exactly where they were supposed to be. He knew Rick slept for most of the day, and concluded that he rarely left his apartment aside for booze. Rick had to be home.

The fourteen year old watched his hands shake, and jumped when he heard a voice coming from inside. He immediately perked up, straightened his coat, followed the footsteps as Rick approached the door...

It was too late to just portal away, right?

Morty's eyes widened as he caught sight of Rick. He looked him up and down. As rational and scientific as he tried to be, Morty still couldn't keep his emotions away. It had been quite a while since he stood before Rick. And it took all his willpower to tell himself that, no, this wasn't his Rick. Excitement, fear, sadness, heartbreak...It all flooded him. He inhaled a deep breath through his nose.

"Um, h-hello! I mean, um...Hi!" Morty forced a smile, but it fell the second he looked Rick in the eye. "O-Oh jeez. I should have practiced what I was going to say." The confidence he tried to show faltered into an anxiety-riddled stance. He darted his gaze to the ground, then to his feet, then back up at Rick. He forced a small wave.

"Oh right, you don't, uh, you don't know who I am." That would be the best direction to start. He straightened his posture. "My name is Morty Smith. I'm from Dimension Z-217. I'm actually, uh... You're my grandfather. Wait, no! Not...Oh, jeez. Not you personally. But." He rubbed at his face.

"I really should have put something together for this." It'd be an absolute miracle if Rick hadn't already slammed the door in his face. "Let's just start with... I'm Beth's son. And I want to help you reconnect with her and her family."

Mick and Rorty (AdobeFlash and MurderVictim)

"Okay. C'mon, Morty. Y-You can do this."

Morty reached up to knock on the door. His knuckles grazed the wood, and the sound made him retreat. He pulled his hand back and held it in front of him, tracing the skin where he made contact with the door. That was the second time he had backed out, after standing there for close to fifteen minutes.

"It-It's just Rick. Not...Not Rick, but a Rick. Statistically, this one is the closest in behavior to...Rick. And he doesn't have a Morty, yet. He's perfect. Just knock on the door."

Morty could only scold himself for so long before his own words lost meaning. He mumbled a few more things under his breath, then looked back up at the door. He had spent the better part of the last few days trying to find this exact scenario, a place where he'd fit in perfectly. His original family was long gone, and the loneliness was finally starting to set in. He couldn't jump from planet to planet forever.

"Just one knock. That's all."

Dimension Z-217 was forever ruined. It was time he embraced a new dimension with a new Rick. He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and reached out one more time. He knocked twice, and patted the portal gun in his lab coat pocket with his other hand. A Morty in a lab coat...Who would have ever thought?

He took a step back and waited, not sure if he was prepared to knock again if need be. He supposed he could have created a portal that would let him step directly into the apartment, but that sounded like a douchebag thing to do. He wasn't a Rick.

So he waited.

It's just Rick and Morty. Rick and Morty and their adventures!

Awesome! PMing you now :3

It's just Rick and Morty. Rick and Morty and their adventures!

This hiatus is killing me. So bump!

Determination[TopSpeedOfSound & MurderVictim] HIATUS

Frisk didn't look back up until she felt Sans' jacket being draped over her shoulders. The fabric held a comforting weight, and easily blocked out the rest of the cold. She pulled it tighter and smiled to show her gratitude to Sans. Yet, again her smile fell. She watched him as he spoke, saw him close his sockets, and carefully considered what he said. She had to remember what this meant for him, how much pain it brought him. He'd done this almost five hundred times already, and was about to do it again with no guarantee that it would be his last. She could only imagine what it would be like to stand there and watch everyone else carry on with their lives, when the day before they had been slaughtered before him. No memory, just blissful ignorance. Then to beg and cry for them to hear him out, to know the truth so he wouldn't have to carry such an awful burden. It would be such a relief...Until the next reset.

Until Frisk reset everything.

To know that Sans wanted to hear her out and give it another chance, that meant the world to her. Only minutes ago she was accusing him of not trusting anyone, and now he was willing to consider doing it all over again for her. If not for her, then for himself and everyone else. Frisk stepped forward and gently took Sans' hand with one of hers. She held his fingers, appreciating the warmth of magic that flowed through them.

"This time you won't be alone. Even if we fail, you won't have to remember all of this on your own. I'll help you talk to them. I can even talk to them for you." She wasn't sure if he'd want that, but the offer was there. "I don't know how they'll all react to everything, including what I did..." A dark realization hit her. How would they all react?

Sans said they wouldn't hate her, and she tried to trust that. But she could imagine the looks on their faces - confusion, disgust, heartbreak. The girl they watched grow up, their sweet and innocent Frisk, wasn't as kind as they had been led to see. She'd have to tell them what she did - all of it. To spare any detail would not be fair to any of them.

"O-Oh my god...Sans, they'll have to know what I did to them. Papyrus will forgive me, but what about everyone else? My mom and Mettaton and Alphys and Undyne..." She gasped. "Undyne. She'd never forgive me! She'll tear me apart, Sans." Maybe this wasn't a good idea, after all. She didn't want to lose her friends.

Determination[TopSpeedOfSound & MurderVictim] HIATUS

Frisk wanted to be angry. She wanted Sans to listen and not tune her out. What she had to say was important, and talking to a brick wall was not going to cool her frustration. Of course, she shouldn't have expected anything else. She was about to raise her voice, when she caught the skeleton's flinch. It should have been a victory for her. She got through to him, she broke a piece of his barrier. She should have felt better. But it only made her feel worse.

She loosened her stance and unclenched her fists. She never really considered that Sans had attempted to tell the others. While she was playing her little games, he was repeatedly pleading to his family to listen and remember. Four hundred fifty two. How many of those times were hers? How many resets had the other humans done before losing their souls? She hoped they were more merciful, and better people than her. If they weren't, then...Poor Sans.

Frisk felt like such a jerk. "I...I never thought of that. I'm sorry, Sans." Her voice was much softer than it had been before. She never could hold on to her anger. Her shoulders slumped. "I just... Who's going to protect you? You look out for everyone else, but what about you?" Her gaze drifted down to the ground. It was starting to snow again.

"It was so much easier when it was me who was the biggest threat. If I'm not hurting anyone, the Underground seems safe. But this glitch is new...He doesn't play by the usual rules, like I did, and it scares me. There's nothing I can do. He's completely unpredictable and there's nothing I can do about it." She shivered a little more, and was finally forced to hug herself. Maybe going out in the cold with damp hair wasn't the best idea.

"What...What am I supposed to do if we lose? Resetting won't do much good, and we'll lose so much. I think this is the best timeline we've ever had." She smiled, but it quickly faltered and fell. "I don't want to live here without you, Sans.

Determination[TopSpeedOfSound & MurderVictim] HIATUS

Frisk was expecting him to firmly repeat his disagreement. She also expected him to just teleport away, to a spot where she wouldn't find him as easily. She wasn't expecting him to lose his cool. Standing there, she couldn't do anything but stare at him. Her plan wasn't perfect, she'd admit, but she never considered it would sound so terrible to her friend. Even as he yelled, she still couldn't bring herself to fully understand what was so bad. If she could help Sans in any way, then she would. She'd survived worse as a child. If it wasn't a Genocide route with Sans, then it was every other run with Undyne. What was the big deal?

But as he spoke, and as she saw how frustrated and furious he was, Frisk began to grow a little frustrated herself. When Sans tore himself out of her touch, she let her hand drop to her side. She watched him pace, watched his body movement and listened to his bones rattle. That was always how she knew he was really upset - when his bones rattled. It should have made her want to turn around and leave him alone. Instead, it only made her angrier.

"just go home, frisk."

"...No."

Frisk paused. She couldn't remember the last time she had so openly disobeyed Sans, in this timeline or any other peaceful run. Sans never asked her of anything. He didn't push her, didn't use her age against her. Growing up, she never saw any reason to go against him. She didn't want him to dance around the issues anymore, but this was...This was new. And she didn't like it. But she was angry and irritated and scared for her friend.

"No, you can't just tell me to go away!" She clenched her fists at her sides. "You think that you can handle everything by yourself, that you can hold it all in and keep everyone out! Is that how you see yourself? You have to protect everyone, because they're somehow better off being ignorant while you waste away in front of them? Is that how little you think of yourself...and everyone else?"

Frisk stepped towards him, though still kept a distance. It was starting to get colder, and she was trembling. She didn't notice, too swept away by her own words. "And this isn't just about the glitch! You always do this! Do you just not trust anyone else? I know you don't trust me, but you don't trust Alphys to help? Or Undyne? Or Toriel?" She took in a breath.

"Or...Or Papyrus?"