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Chapter Text

Accessing Super Earth - Ministry of Truth - Historical Archives

Section 05 - The Great Galactic War

Subsection 06 - The Monster Kingdom Theatre

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Super Earth, bastion of peace, prosperity, and Managed Democracy. For one hundred years, our glorious Federation has stood absolute, its citizens working tirelessly with Democratic fervour to enshrine the unquestionable rule of Freedom. 

But it was not always this way. 

When mankind first ventured into the stars, intent on spreading Liberty and Democracy throughout the galaxy, it soon became apparent that we were not alone. Alien species came under the guise of peace and cooperation, but the people of Super Earth would soon come to realize the true danger they posed and the vile intent they sought to conceal. It became clear that there was only one true path to peace, and that path was war. Conflict was inevitable, and the Great Galactic War followed soon after. The adversaries arrayed against Super Earth were legion, but the fighting spirit of humanity would not be deterred, and so the true strength of Managed Democracy was put to the test.

The fascist Bugs, aggressive and expansionist insectoids encountered by Super Earth citizens on every world they’d expanded to in the sectors of the Galactic East. Their territorial ambitions rivalled only by their ruthless determination to devour all in their path.

The communist Cyborgs of Cyberstan, former Super Earth colonists who turned to cybernetic augmentation, becoming corrupted and twisted shadows of their former selves. Such vile augmentations ultimately caused them to turn away from Super Earth and its Democratic principles, seceding from the Federation and seeking to destroy our way of life as they embraced the tyrannical ideals of communism.

The autocratic Illuminate, an empire of advanced aquatic aliens that attempted to deceive Super Earth, having approached under the guise of peace. In truth, a ruse meant to conceal the weapons of mass destruction they possessed, capable of bringing untold devastation upon humanity.

And finally, the last group and the subject of this archival account, the despotic Monsters. Malevolent beings whose very nature defied all Democratic logic and reason, possessing a biological composition that bewildered Super Earth’s greatest minds as each form varied wildly from the next. Even their very bodies were incapable of sustaining such tyrannical forms for long, turning to dust upon death.

Just as the Illuminate did before, the Monsters approached under the false banner of peace. They claimed to seek an end to the war, suing for peace with the other factions that had the audacity to stand against Managed Democracy. To show such vile sympathy for the enemies of Freedom was reason enough to doubt their intentions, but it belied a much darker secret that hinted at the true despotical nature of their ambitions. For in a turn most grim, it was discovered that the Monsters could empower themselves by absorbing the very essence of a human. The Monsters called it the SOUL, but in reality, it was nothing less than the core of a human’s Freedom and Democratic spirit, the very essence of their Citizenship and what defined them as a citizen of Super Earth.

Such a dangerous threat to Managed Democracy could not be tolerated. Super Earth could not afford to let the Monsters enact the tyrannical plans they undoubtedly had in store and so they struck first. The Monsters would be denied the chance to weaponize our own Freedom and Democracy against us, and the fourth front of the Great Galactic War would be opened.

The armies and fleets of Super Earth were powerful, but the very nature of Monsterkind and their machinations made them dangerous adversaries. Humanity was hard pressed to strike any true victories against a foe capable of wielding our own Democracy against us. Such an enemy required far more than simple strength of arms to defeat.

And so, Super Earth called upon their mightiest, bravest, most obedient heroes: The Helldivers. No cost was too high, no sacrifice too great, for they were Democracy’s most elite, least hesitant defenders. They would be the tip of the spear that would pierce the heart of the Monster Kingdom and grind our foes into oblivion.

Even with such unnaturally despotic abilities, the Monsters could not hope to overcome the ferocity of the Helldivers, their loyalty and dedication to Managed Democracy giving them the resolve to stand firm against even Monsterkind’s most vicious onslaughts. 

Planet by planet, system by system, the forces of Super Earth and the Helldivers fought on, always pressing forward when victory was achieved, and when defeated, rallying to reclaim what was lost. By the war's end, Monsterkind had been pushed all the way back to their throneworld of Home in the Monster system where they would be forced to make a final stand.

Appended Note 01: All efforts to find alternate names to Home and the Monster system have not yielded any results. Monster names not only appear to be tyrannical in nature but also lacking in creativity.

At the Battle of Home, it would be two teams of Helldivers, each consisting of four members, that would launch the final assault. Fireteams Liberty and Ballot were the ones granted the honour of dropping from orbit onto the vile Monster throneworld and shattering the heart of the Monster Kingdom, ending their despotic reign once and for all. Tragically, one Helldiver would never make it to the surface, their hellpod exploding in low orbit before it could reach the surface, but the remaining seven Helldivers would press on with the mission.

Death Captain Samuel Chase:

Leader of Fireteam Ballot, known for his fierce BRAVERY on the battlefield and his dedication to the destruction of the enemies of Managed Democracy, wherever they may lurk. Chase had a reputation for charging heroically into battle, refusing to relent until the enemy was completely annihilated, no matter the cost or the danger it placed himself and his comrades in. It would be his first and last time as the leader of Fireteam Ballot, as his brave actions had led to the martyrdom of several previous teams in past battles. This bold fighting style served him well as he bravely charged the monster ranks during the battle, not once relenting in his assaults, no matter the risk it posed to him and his team.

Sergeant Raymond Balderama:

The designated recon and sniper of Fireteam Ballot, a Helldiver of renown precision and PATIENCE. He was known to always wait for the perfect shot, no matter how long it took, proving capable of wiping out entire squads of monsters before they ever saw him. His patience proved to be invaluable during the Battle of Home, managing to pin down entire platoons of monsters at key positions, sometimes for hours at a time until orbital bombardments could be called in, purging these areas of their tyranny in a storm of Democratic fire.

Fire Safety Officer Julia Lindbeck:

The scorch trooper of Fireteam Ballot, Lindbeck was a Helldiver said to have an unwavering sense of INTEGRITY. A keen judge of character, she proved to be instrumental in rooting out countless dissidents and monster-sympathisers both on and off the battlefield, thwarting many despotic plots that would undoubtedly have seen countless innocent citizens and their families terrorized or worse. Her integrity would be tested during the Battle of Home when she was ambushed by a group of Monsters seeking to twist her to their own ends. At their mercy, they sought to corrupt her into abandoning her cause and turning against Super Earth. But Lindbeck would not be swayed by their deceit, holding true to her beliefs in Freedom and Democracy as she turned the tables on her ambushers and bathed them in the fires of Liberty, scattering their lies and their dust to the wind.

Private Ike Robinson:

The rifleman and trench technician of Fireteam Liberty. Having helped to dig countless trenches that would prove vital to the Helldivers valiant efforts to hold the line against monster aggression, it would be at the Battle of Home where Robinson would show the true extent of his PERSEVERANCE. Despite losing his rifle during the drop, he would still prove his dedication to Managed Democracy by employing his trusty entrenchment device as not just a weapon, but as an extension of Super Earth’s will, striking down monster after monster on the path to peace.

Space Chief Prime Erica Barbakoff:

The medic of Fireteam Liberty, Barbakoff was known for her compassion and KINDNESS, always offering a helping hand to Helldivers and civilians alike. While she always had a steady supply of stims on hand to treat injured comrades in battle, her kindness extended to her enemies as well, being sure to grant any monsters she encountered a swift and merciful execution. For truly, there is no greater mercy one can extend to the enemies of Super Earth than a quick end, releasing them from their tortured, Freedom-hating existence.

Super Private James Haberkorn:

The assault trooper of Fireteam Liberty, Haberkron was a Fleet Admiral before the start of the Great Galactic War. Not content to direct the war from the back ranks, he demanded a spot on the front lines where he could battle the enemies of Super Earth head on. After being denied his request and told that nothing short of a demotion all the way down to Private would ever make that possible, he ordered his fleet of Super Destroyers to fire on a small resource rich moon that had been designated for future mining operations by Super Earth, completely obliterating the celestial body in the process. For such a brazen act, he was stripped of his rank and sent to the Monster front. Despite his actions, Super Earth Command couldn’t help but admire his sheer tenacity and DETERMINATION to do whatever it took to fight the enemy on his terms and bestowed him the honorary title of Super Private. That determination would serve him well in the assault on Home, giving him the drive to decimate the monster defenders despite reportedly taking more fire than any other Helldiver, emerging from the battle with only a minimal loss of limbs inflicted upon himself and his comrades.

Appended Note 02: Despite contrary claims of potentially dissident origin, Super Earth has confirmed that the moon destroyed on order by James Haberkorn did not, in fact, already have an active mining operation. The moon was uninhabited and no loss of life resulted from its destruction.

Hell Commander Arthur Lowenthal:

The leader of Fireteam Liberty and commander of the final assault that would conclude the war on the Monster front. Lowenthal was a decorated veteran, being among the first sent against the monsters when hostilities initially broke out and would be active all the way until the end of the war. Of the many qualities other Helldivers spoke of when describing his deeds, the most prevalent one was his strong sense of JUSTICE, the judgements he’d carry out against monsters and dissidents on the battlefield being reportedly as brutal as they were righteous. Lowenthal was the very epitome of the ideals and principles of Super Earth, for the only truly just galaxy is one where Managed Democracy reigns supreme and the enemies of freedom have all faced nothing less than their due judgment and annihilation.

Together, these seven Helldivers heroically routed the monster defenders, striking deep into the heart of their Capital and wiping out the monster leadership. Even the Monster King could not hope to overcome the fires of Liberty that burned in their hearts, falling in battle to their Democratic prowess during their final assault on his despotic fortress. With the planet's defences crippled and the monster leadership obliterated, the path was clear for Super Earth’s fleets as they unleashed a devastating orbital bombardment, decimating the planet and scouring Monsterkind from the galaxy, their tyranny never able to threaten Super Earth and its citizens ever again.

By the war's end, the Illuminate had been eradicated, the Cyborgs had been sealed away in the mines of Cyberstan and the Bugs had been confined to containment facilities in the Eastern Sector when it was discovered that the E-710 generated from their corpses could be utilized to advance the interests of Democracy. With the Despotic Monsters having been annihilated in the devastation of Home, Super Earth stood victorious. After forty years, the Great Galactic War had finally ended and Liberty reigned supreme. Since then, humanity has expanded throughout the galaxy in what has become known as the Great Democratization, establishing an era of peace and prosperity that has lasted to this day.

For Freedom.

For Managed Democracy.

For Super Earth.

Appended Note 03: It has come to the Ministry of Truth’s attention that rumours have been circulating that the monsters were not annihilated in the Battle of Home as archival records state but rather relocated to another system and sealed in an underground complex that has since been unaccounted for and erased from all Super Earth databases. Be advised that such rumours are nothing but lies and disinformation being spread by Freedom-hating dissidents seeking to disrupt Super Earth’s authority and should not be taken as fact. Any individuals attempting to spread these rumours should immediately be reported to the nearest Loyalty Officer so that they may be apprehended and confined for appropriate disciplinary actions and re-education.

Chapter Text

“Hey Clover, you finished with the hydraulics yet?”

“Nearly there,” the young cadet called out, teeth gritted as he struggled to lock the last line down. “Just need to get this line in place.”

Just over the edge of the lift, he could barely make out Service Technician Bolin nodding in approval. “Good, we should be dropping out of FTL soon and the Ship Master wants the shuttle loaded up as soon as possible. Liberty only knows what might be waiting for us, can never be too careful out here.”

On the one hand, Clover felt like that kind of caution wasn’t really needed. Super Earth had been at peace for a century now, the broadcasts would always talk about how there was nobody left strong enough to threaten them, so didn’t that mean they shouldn’t have to worry?

But really, he knew better than that. As the PSA’s and posters were always quick to remind him, vigilance was the cost of freedom. Super Earth didn’t get to where it was by letting its guard down, any true servant of Managed Democracy would understand that. And Clover was hoping to one day he’d be able to confidently call himself one, even if thinking about the rules and expectations too much started to make his head spin. 

But whatever, he’d worry about that stuff later. For now, just focus on the work.

“Alright, it should be good,” Clover announced, hopping down from the lift and stepping back to get a better look.

“Good, let’s give it a spin then.” Bolin reached for the control pad and hit a button, the whirring of the hydraulics ringing in Clover’s ears as the lift slowly raised upwards before stopping with a clunk. “Ha, like it was never even broken. Fine work Junior Cadet, you’re doing Democracy’s work.”

Clover smiled at the praise, raising his closed fist to head level, the back of it turned away from him in the classic Super Earth salute. “Just doing what’s expected of me, ma’am.”

“Now arriving at the Ebott system,” an automated female voice rang out from the PA system.

Knowing what to expect, Clover braced himself against the guardrail. He wasn’t going to trip and face plant into the floor like last time. That had been an embarrassing debacle. And the two point deduction to his Citizen Democracy score hadn’t been great either.

His balance wavered slightly under the sudden shift in momentum, but he held firm, both feeling and hearing a warped sounding pop as the Super Destroyer came out of FTL into orbit above their destination.

“FTL jump completed.”

“Right on time,” Bolin said with a grin. “Gotta say, few things I find more satisfying than a well run op.” She and Clover both looked over to the nearby screen as it lit up, the surface of the planet they were now orbiting featured prominently. 

The planet itself seemed fairly nondescript, a barren rocky surface with scattered bodies of water, pocked craters, and the occasional set of ruins large enough to see from orbit. Just one of many scars from the Great Galactic War; back when this world had been one of countless battlefields where Super Earth had clashed with the Cyborgs. The arcs of ion energy dancing across the planet's mesosphere were much more impressive though, giving the planet an almost radiant glow.

“So this is Ebott, huh? Can’t say it’s much to look at,” Bolin noted with a hint of mild disappointment. “Ion storms make for a nice enough light show I guess. Figures the Cyborgs wouldn’t give a damn about making any of their worlds actually worth living on. Then again, always gotta question what was going on those heads of theirs, turning against Democracy like that,” a bit of a growl worked its way into her voice as she spoke. It didn’t take a genius to guess her opinion on the Cyborgs.

“No point in dwelling on the Cyborgs,” a stern voice from behind said, catching Clover and Bolin’s attention. Spinning around, they saw a woman in an officer's uniform with a faint buzz cut, a datapad in her hands and eyes intently focused on them. “They were scoured from this world a long time ago, just the kind of fate expected for anybody foolish enough to stand in the way of progress.”

“Ship Master Durney,” Bolin replied, not missing a beat as she stood at attention. Clover followed suit, quickly flattening out his uniform and making sure his cap was straightened. While the dark grey of his and Bolin’s technician uniforms matched that of the Ship Master’s officer uniform, they certainly weren’t nearly as dignified, lacking the yellow shoulder pad and officer’s pin the Ship Master sported, nor possessing the finer leather material.

“Shall we start loading up the shuttle, then?” the Service Technician asked.

“We won’t be doing that just yet, there’s been a change in priorities,” Durney responded as she shook her head. “We’ve dropped out of FTL right into the middle of an ion storm. Won’t be able to get started until it clears up, but I want you and the Junior Cadet here to check over the EM shielding on all our vital systems. The last thing we need is something important fried while we’re in this dead zone.”

“Right, forgot how much latent ion energy there is in this system, short range comms only while we’re here,” Bolin nodded in understanding. “Rather not get stranded out here where we can’t even call for help.” She turned to Clover and pointed down the hallway. “Go and get the EM kit, would you, Cadet? Rather we do this right and not get fried in the process, don’t want a repeat of the Sokowsky incident.”

“On it, ma’am,” Clover turned and started making his way down the metal corridor, suppressing a shudder after being reminded of that unpleasantness. Poor Sokowsky. He’d never smelt burnt flesh on that level before that fiasco, and as much as he tried to forget it, his memories of that odour always seemed to come roaring back anytime somebody brought it up.

It was a quick trek to the storage room where the technicians kept their leased tools. Clover quickly grabbed the EM toolbox and stepped back out into the corridor, stopping briefly to glance at the bulkhead on the opposite side of the room. The Super Earth emblem was prominently displayed along with the name of the Super Destroyer just below it, the SES Sovereign of Justice. He couldn’t help but smile, snapping a quick salute before heading back to the hangar where Bolin was waiting.

Properly equipped for the job, the tasks quickly became mundane as Clover followed Bolin’s instructions, inspecting the EM shielding of various consoles, systems and machinery around the Hanger, then in the weapons workshop, and then on the bridge. With so little going on that required any actual focus, his mind began to wander. And while there was still a lot about his life that felt off, he did his best to shake those thoughts, opting to focus on how lucky he was.

Sure, he’d had his setbacks in life, and his time working out in the colonies hadn’t been that great, but he was still advancing the cause of Managed Democracy. His work had purpose, so in spite of it all, it was worth it. The Super Earth PSA’s and the posters everywhere were always sure to remind him of that, and really, who was to dispute them?

Seriously, disputing them was a good way to get into trouble.

Besides, that work had paid off in the end, because now he had moved on to something better, he got to work on a Super Destroyer, and that was pretty cool. Plus the perks that came with this job were pretty great also. Unlike the sixteen hour days he had to work in the colonies, he only had to work for twelve here. And the bunk and chow fees? They were way more reasonable. Heck, even the interest rates on his leased tools were pretty low compared to the colonies.

“Alright, that should be the last of it,” Bolin said, snapping Clover out of his thoughts. “Nothing short of the star system going nova will fry these systems now.” She packed up the tools and handed them back to Clover. “You mind getting those back to storage and meeting me back at the Hanger? Want to get a head start on loading up the shuttle while this ion storm’s got us stuck. You know how it is, no point sitting idly while there’s still democratic work to be done.”

“Because that’s what the dissidents want,” Clover finished with a smirk, already knowing where the senior technician was going with this. Bolin was nothing if not consistent in her love for Democracy, and disdain for anyone opposed to it.

“Glad to see you’re listening Cadet,” Bolin smiled, patting Clover on the shoulder. “We’ll make a proper patriot of you, yet.” Her smile fell as she let out an awkward cough. “You know, once we get that other issue of yours sorted out.”

Clover’s own smile faltered, suddenly not feeling so great at the sullen reminder. Doing his best to push that feeling down, he turned around and made his way back to the storage room. He wasn’t going to sit around moping, Democracy favours those who help themselves after all. He’d just have to work extra hard to show why that issue of his wouldn’t be a problem.

Coo! Coo!

Coo! Coo!

Coo! Coo!

“IswearitwaslikethatwhenIgot- huh? Wah?” Martlet squawked, flailing around in a frenzy as she was startled awake, her foggy mind struggling to comprehend what was going on. 

“Oh right, morning.” She stretched out her wings and let out a long yawn as she looked around the room. “Guess I should get up and get some breakfast, then it’s time to get ready for wor- Oh Angel! Not again!” Her eyes bulged wide open when she saw the time and realized that despite promising herself that she wouldn’t, she had indeed somehow managed to sleep in late.

Again.

“Crap! Crap! Crap!” The bird Monster was barely even aware of her surroundings, scrambling out of bed one moment and slamming open the door, hopping through the snow on one foot as she struggled to get her uniform on. 

She was probably a mess, but she’d have to worry about that later. For now, slap her uniform on and get to work on time. Once she was certain she was sufficiently dressed, she started flapping her wings frantically, blue feathers scattering in every direction as she took off toward her guard post. “Why do I keep doing this?!”

Martlet took off into Snowdin, flapping furiously as she tore past residents, shouting out greetings as she passed them. Sure, she was determined to get to her station on time, but that didn’t mean she was going to just ignore all the residents she was supposed to be keeping safe, that’d just be rude. And she was a Royal Guard, after all.

“Hi, Mo!”

“Thanks for the package, Mail Whale!”

“Tongue feeling better, Slurpy?”

“See you at the resort, Honey!”

“No shell game, Shufflers!”

If any of them had anything to say, she raced by too fast to hear it as she barreled towards her post. Flying past one of the puzzles she had set up, she saw one of the boards was misaligned and made a mental note to make some time to check it over.

Later.

She’d figure that out later, getting to work on time came first. She’d already been on probation far too long and she’d rather not push her luck by checking in late yet again.

Finally, she saw her post up ahead and went in for the landing, touching down just a bit too hard but still managing to skid to a stop right in front of her post all the same. She checked the clock on the side and was relieved to see she got there just in time.

“Phew, nailed it!” With a sigh of relief, the blue bird stepped into the post and took her spot at the desk. She was proud of the fact she - wait, no, bad Martlet! Don’t be proud! You need to stop cutting it so close! You’re not always going to be this lucky and besides, there’s no way that kind of constant stress could possibly be good for you or your feathers.

 “Ooh, that reminds me.” She looked herself over, and yup, her feathers were a mess, she’d been such a flurry of frenzied activity since waking up that she didn’t even have time time to preen. She quickly got to work fixing that, didn’t want to look like a mess if the boss came around for another surprise inspection. 

Sergeant Doge had been very unimpressed the last time she caught the bird monster dozing off. She had gotten quite an earful from that dressing down. Okay, not actually, the Sergeant hadn’t said that much, and not very loudly either, but the disappointment was very obvious and it made her feel awful. But no matter, she’d work extra hard today and prove she had what it takes. She’d do her duty and stay guard, keeping a watchful eye for any signs of trouble or humans.

And so she sat and waited.

And waited.

And waited.

…

…

Okay, this was way too boring. If something didn’t happen soon, she’d either go crazy or fall asleep again, both of which would definitely push her closer toward Unemploymentville. She could get another job… probably, but dammit, she really loved… well not the job itself, but the perks that came with it were pretty sweet. The movie discounts, the nice uniforms, great insurance rates, they even let her use the provided tools for her own personal projects so long as she didn’t damage them… too much.

But what could she do that wouldn’t land her in- oh wait, that’s right! The puzzles, she needed to fix and recalibrate her puzzles, maybe do a bit of patrolling while she was at it. That totally counts as Royal Guard stuff, besides, it’s not like any trouble making humans are going to just walk right up to her post and start screaming at her about autocracy, right?

Wait, was that what they were obsessed with? Or was it democracy? She couldn't remember, human history was weird. Like seriously, what kind of name is Super Earth anyway? Granted Monster names weren’t much better but sti- wait, no, focus Martlet! Stop getting distracted, you’ve got patrolling and trap fixing to do!

She reached under the table, pulling out her tool set along with a notice and slapping it on the table.

Gone patrolling, be back in an hour. 

              ♡ (˶ᵔ ө ᵔ˶) ♡

P.S. No law-breaking while I’m gone. 

Satisfied with her plan and note firmly in place, she flapped her wings and took off towards the nearest puzzle.

“Announcement System Test: Freedom, Democracy, Liberty, Independence, Managed Democracy. Test Complete.”

“PA system’s looking good, that’s one more task out of the way,” the Ship Master noted from the top of the hangar lift as she tapped something into her datapad. Seemingly finished, she lowered it and turned her attention toward the shuttle Clover and Bolin were working on. “How’s the Pelican looking, Technician?

“Looks good, ma’am, we're just about finished here,” Bolin called back, handing a spanner off to Clover as she did. “Bird should be good to go as soon as this ion storm dies down, whenever that is.”

“Good, when you’re finished, send the Junior Cadet up here.” The Ship Master gestured to Clover with her datapad. “Democracy Officer Sonesson is requesting his presence on the bridge.”

There was a loud clang as the spanner slipped out of Clover’s hands, the child frozen in shock. The Democracy Officer wanted to see him? Why? Weren’t they supposed to be focused on rooting out dissidents? Wait, was he in trouble? Did the Democracy Officer hear about his problem?

“Woah there, easy with the tools, Cadet.” Bolin placed a hand on his shoulder, snapping him out of his panicked thought. “Get too careless with them and they’ll increase your interest rates.” The Senior Technician picked up the tool and set it down in the toolbox. “I can take things from here, you go on up and see the Democracy Officer.”

Still too shocked to speak, Clover just dumbly nodded and made his way towards the exit, climbing the adjacent ladder instead of bothering to call down the lift.

“Get a move on, Cadet,” the Ship Master pressed. “Don’t want to keep the Democracy Officer waiting.”

“Do, uh, do you know what he wants with me?” he asked nervously, fighting the urge to start wringing his hands.

“He didn’t say, you’ll have to ask him yourself.” She seemed to pick up on his unease and raised an eyebrow. “You should be fine as long as you have nothing to hide. You have nothing to hide, right?”

“Uh huh.” Clover nodded just a bit too quickly. If the Ship Master was skeptical, she didn’t show it.

“Just be sure to pay attention, he’s here to optimize the crew’s citizenship, so needless to say, we can all benefit from his example. Now get going.”

“Yes, ma’am.” Clover quickly made his way down the hallway and towards the bridge, stepping onto the metal grating that made up the top level. To one side he could see crew members on the lower level manning terminals and monitoring video screens. He could glean a bit of information from said screens, but given the amount of interference brought on by the ion storm, most of it was just static. 

On the other side, he saw an assembly line of hellpods. Despite not having been used since the First Galactic War, they were still in practically pristine condition. It was always a priority to make sure they were in the best of shape, should the time ever come when Super Earth would need to put them to use again. Looking at them made Clover a bit anxious, but he shook that feeling off just as quickly and kept going.

At the very front of the bridge, standing at the main observation window overlooking the planet was Democracy Officer Sonesson. He sported the traditional dark grey reinforced armour that all Democracy Officers wore, bearing the skull and bars along with the laurels that signified his station as an agent of the Ministry of Truth. He wore a black cape with the same skull and bars that somehow managed to billow majestically despite the fact they were in space. Were the vents malfunctioning again? Clover would need to give them a once over to make sure they were-

“Ah, Cadet, I’m glad to see you’ve finally arrived,” the Democracy Officer announced, turning to face Clover. His clean shaven head and the eye patch covering his left eye made his rugged features all the more prominent. He gave the Junior Cadet a stern and resolute look that radiated with authority and Democratic presence. “There was something I wished to discuss.” Even his voice seemed to project authority. Just hearing it was enough to make Clover want to salute, which he promptly did.

“Sir, what did you wish to discuss?”

Sonesson pulled out a datapad, taping at the screen as he answered. “I’ve been reviewing your records. And I must say, you’ve managed to accomplish quite a lot in a surprisingly short amount of time.” He swiped on the screen and an image showed up of a much younger Clover standing at attention with a group of other children, all giving the Super Earth salute to a stack of capes on a table opposite of them. “Sent to the Super Citizen Mary’s Orphanage for Future Abled Children in the Minchir System at the age of five.”

Clover vaguely remembered that day in the image. Something about special capes that needed a choir of patriotic children to sing the Super Earth anthem to them as the final stage in their production? It was weird, but he knew better than to question it. Questioning those sorts of things at the orphanage tended to result in their meals being taken away. And he’d rather not have an empty stomach if he could avoid it.

The Democracy Officer swiped the datapad screen, the image being replaced with one of a slightly older Clover in his pale blue labourer uniform. He was in a quarry along with citizens of all different ages, swinging a rather large hammer at a pile of rocks in front of him. “Once you reached the minimum work age of seven, you were sent out to work in the colonies. You were out there for three years, correct?”

The child nodded, it had mostly been hab unit construction and demolition, but he had always made sure to work hard and diligently. Hard enough that somebody must’ve noticed, because he even got to do a bit of construction on missile silos and SAM sites as well in the later years, an act that no doubt went a long way to making him qualified enough to work on this Super Destroyer.

As if on cue, the Democracy Officer swiped the screen yet again, the new image being one of Clover in his technician uniform, stepping out of a Pelican shuttle onto the floor of the Super Destroyer hangar. “And it seems that during that time, you showed enough dedication to qualify for the Super Destoryer service lottery, earning yourself a spot on this very vessel. And how long have you been stationed here?”

“About a year, sir.” Clover couldn’t help but smile as he answered. It hadn’t been easy, but he had earned his spot on this ship. And he intended to make the most of it.

“That’s quite an impressive resume for an eleven year old. Your commitment to the cause and hard work are certainly to be commended. You’ve more than earned your place here.”

Relief washed over Clover, and a bit of pride as well. The Democracy Officer just wanted to praise his hard work, that was all. He’d gotten all worked up over nothing.

“That being said…”

Oh no…

“There are certain inquiries you have been making that have piqued my interest. Inquiries regarding fellow Cadets that have gone missing during similar patrol missions in this sector.” He let the statement hang, letting the tension linger for a few moments. “I was hoping you could explain yourself.”

A wave of dread washed over Clover. He knew there was a chance something like this would happen. He meant well, but that didn’t change the fact that Super Earth doesn’t take kindly to those who are too curious about things that officially shouldn’t concern them. 

There was a reason that when he had been drawn for service on a Super Destroyer, he had asked to serve on the Sovereign of Justice specifically, it was because he knew its patrol would eventually bring him here to Ebott. During his time working out in the colonies, he had heard stories of other Junior Cadets that had gone missing there on previous patrols. One of his co-workers had been the first to bring it up. She’d had a sister named Melody who once served as a Junior Cadet on a Super Destroyer just like Clover did now. She was also the most recent one to disappear after coming to this system. 

Clover looked at the Democracy Officer, the man’s steely gaze bearing down on him, searching for even the slightest sign of deceit. Admitting the truth could cost him everything he had worked for, but there was no way around it, the eyes of Liberty were on him now and lying wouldn’t get him anywhere, so he decided to be honest.

“Sir, I was hoping to find out what became of those missing Cadets.”

The Democracy Officer paused, studying Clover intently with a discerning gaze. Whatever he found, it seemed to satisfy him. “An admirable intention, Cadet, concerning yourself with the fate of fellow servants of Managed Democracy,” he replied with a small nod of approval. “But also a futile one, unfortunately. The very nature of this planet and its ion storms would make any attempt to search for these Cadets a wasted effort. The Ministry of Humanity reviewed each and every one of those missing persons reports. It was determined that the window of opportunity for finding them alive has long since passed.”

That did not sit well with Clover. Sure, there was always a risk that came with service to Super Earth, even Cadets as young as he was knew that. But still, to just write those others off without even trying to find them. It just didn’t feel right. It’s not what he would have done.

“But sir, those Cadets all served Super Earth just like you, me and everyone else on this ship,” Clover objected. “Wouldn’t it be true justice to find out what happened to them? Either to bring them back if they’re alive, or to make sure proper justice is done-”

The Democracy Officer cut him off with a wave of his hand. “It is not your place to decide what true justice is, Cadet. That is for the Ministry of Unity to decide. You and I are but humble servants of Managed Democracy, tasked with carrying out Super Earth’s will. The application of justice is best left to the Loyalty Officers.”

But the Loyalty Officers weren’t here, the Ministries of Unity and Humanity weren’t here. This whole system was cut off from Super Earth. It was just them out here, they could do something about it and they should, right? They were the only ones that could! But that would mean going against what Super Earth mandated, which should be wrong, but it didn’t feel wrong, not to Clover. 

Why was he so conflicted? Why did doing the right thing feel so hard and confusing? “I… just want to do what’s best for Super Earth, what’s best for everyone,” he finally responded.

“I’m sure you do, Cadet, and in time, you will undoubtedly do great things to serve the cause, but you still have much to learn. Hopefully, as you spend more time here, you will gain a better understanding of what it truly means to serve Democracy.”

That helped lift the child’s mood. He still felt conflicted about the other Cadets, but the more he spoke to Sonesson, the more he came to wonder if maybe he just didn’t get it yet. So much about the way Super Earth did things felt off to him. But everybody else seemed to see the reason and logic in it, so if he just tried, then maybe he would too. 

If nothing else, it was comforting that the officer was taking the time to help him understand. It meant that despite it all, he wasn’t a lost cause. There was still hope.

“You’re here because you have potential. You never would have been approved for service on this Super Destroyer if you didn’t,” the Democracy Officer stated with such resolve and certainty that Clover couldn’t help but beam a little. “Even at such a young age, you’ve already proven your determination and dedication to the cause and I’m certain that in time, you will prove to be a true exemplar of what Managed Democracy can accomplish, even in spite of…”

A small pit formed in Colver’s stomach as the Democracy Officer paused. He could see the man mulling over his thoughts as he considered the best way to phrase his thoughts before finally continuing. “Your shortcomings.”

Clover couldn’t help but dip his head, ashamed as he looked down at the grated metal floor. He knew the Democracy Officer was talking about more than just his excessively inquisitive nature regarding the missing Cadets. 

It was true that Clover was a hard worker, sure, he was lucky to get assigned to the Sovereign of Justice, but he wouldn’t still be here if he hadn’t earned his spot, and the Democracy Officer definitely wouldn’t have pulled him over to talk if he had thought otherwise. But all that hard work and dedication might just end up amounting to nothing in the long run because of his one crippling flaw.

He didn’t want to hurt people.

For as long as he could remember, he never wanted to do any harm to others. Not to dissidents, not to any of Super Earth’s enemies, really, he couldn’t even bring himself to hurt a fly. That was an attitude that had gotten him into all kinds of trouble. Back at the orphanage and out in the colonies, during the weekly bug stomping events, he’d always get reported to the local Loyalty Officer when somebody inevitably noticed that he wasn’t killing any of the bugs, again. And then it’d be time for yet another re-education session that just wouldn’t take.

Clover had always been ashamed of that. He wanted to do his best for Super Earth and it was why he worked so hard. If he excelled and showed his patriotism in other areas, then maybe he could be a fine and upstanding citizen without ever having to hurt anybody. 

But really, it was just like this issue with the missing Cadets. Killing the enemies of Super Earth was the right thing to do, it’s what was expected of any true servant of Managed Democracy. But if that was true, then why did it feel so wrong? Why was it always such a struggle for him to do what Super Earth had declared to be the right thing? Man, being a patriot was hard. Maybe he just didn’t have what it took…

The Democracy Officer must’ve seen the conflict on Clover’s face because he put a hand on the child’s shoulder, gripping it firmly. “Focus on your work Cadet, and do not concern yourself with the fates of your missing comrades. Your purpose is not to look backward, dwelling on questions of the past, but to look forward to the future. Do not view the loss of these Cadets as a tragedy to be lamented, but as a sacrifice to be revered. For they gave their lives in the service of Super Earth, and there is no greater glory than that.”

But they didn’t know if the Cadets were still alive or not. That’s the problem.

Sonesson released his grip on the child and pointed back toward the hanger. “Return to your duties, and think about what we’ve discussed. Clarity of purpose will come to you, in time.”

Knowing that trying to argue the point any further wouldn’t help, Clover nodded and snapped another salute before turning around and walking off the bridge, his mind a swirling vortex of emotions and conflicting thoughts. He wished he could say he was as certain as Sonesson was, but the simple truth was he couldn’t let this go. Those Cadets deserved a chance at rescue, and failing that, they at least deserved justice. If there were loyalty officers here, then surely they’d have agreed. 

But he couldn’t just go against the Democracy Officer, right? That’d be like going against Super Earth itself, and he would never do that, except when it came to just- argh, again with all these mixed feelings, why does Managed Democracy make everything so weird and confusing?

He was almost back at the hangar when he passed the stasis pods, pumping the breaks on his internal conflict as he stopped to look through the frosted glass. A wave of… was it awe that was washing over him? It was probably awe, even if he had a hard time telling. He wouldn’t have been the first to get that feeling, crew members would often stop here for inspiration given who was stored in those pods.

The Helldivers.

The brave men and women who had given everything in service to Freedom. The vanguard that had been instrumental in bringing about the destruction of Super Earth’s enemies during the Great Galactic War. While many had returned to civilian life once peace had been achieved and the Helldivers had been officially disbanded, many others had volunteered to be put in stasis, so that should Super Earth ever need their aid again, they’d be ready to serve. 

And so there they remained, a constant source of inspiration to everyone aboard this Super Destroyer and any others carrying Helldivers. It was these heroic defenders of Liberty that finally put things into perspective for Clover.

If the history of the Helldivers had taught him anything, it was that Democracy favours the bold. So no, he couldn’t let this go, he’d only have this one shot and he was going to take it. Justice would be done, no matter the cost. He marched forward, now with renewed purpose.

He’d do his work, return to his bunk once he was done for the day, and then he’d wait. He’d kept track of the schedules of the various crew members throughout the year so he knew when activity on the Super Destroyer would slow down to a minimum. There would be one brief point where the bridge would be empty, and that’s when he’d make his move. With the ion storms still preventing the Super Destroyer from doing anything beyond maintaining its current position, it’d hopefully give him the time he needed to see this mission through.

Clover glanced at a video screen showing the planet below, the arcing energy of the ion storm still lighting up the surface. He couldn’t help but take a deep breath in anticipation. He’d be down there soon enough, searching for the truth. 

“Reminder: The word of your Democracy Officer is law. Laws must not be broken,” the PA system suddenly announced, causing the Cadet a mild panic attack as he jumped in surprise.

He couldn’t help but shudder at the timing. He sure hoped he was right about all this, the consequences would be severe if he wasn’t.

Chapter Text

Tap! Tap! Tap!

“ Juuuust about done.” Martlet hammered in the last of the nails, locking the plank in place. She took a step back to appreciate her handiwork, pulling on the lever a few times and watching as the planks moved up and down. “Good as new!” She couldn’t help but smile, feeling proud of her work. 

That pride turned to mild concern as she suddenly felt a buzz of energy washing over, her feathers puffing up and becoming frazzled. “Another ion storm? Must be a real doozy of one if we’re feeling it all the way down here.” While they were mainly a surface thing, stronger ion storms could be problematic even in the Underground if you weren’t careful enough. “Good thing I always make sure to keep any metal I work with grounded.”

It was then Martlet started to hear a rising hum as small cracks of electricity started to spark off one of the recently hammered nails before it started arcing to others. “Wait, did I forget to ground the-”

A thunderous crack cut her off as a massive electric discharge went off, igniting several wooden beams and sending the bird monster sprawling backwards with a surprised squawk.

The next thing she knew, she was lying on the snow in a daze, a ringing in her ears and a slight burning sensation. Doing her best to shake it off, she pulled herself up from the snow and immediately noticed her puzzle had ignited.

Wasting no time, she quickly conjured up some wind magic. Kicking up a bit of snow for good measure, she flapped her wings and sent a gust of wind right toward the fire, sweeping the snow up with it and splattering it against the puzzle.

There was a loud sizzle as her magical display extinguished most of the flames, leaving a mess of half-melted snow covering the wall of the puzzle along with singed wood and a few burning embers that managed to die out quickly enough.

“Right…forgot to make sure the new stuff was grounded…” Turns out Martlet had not, in fact, been careful enough. How did she still have this job again? 

“Going to need to wipe this all down and make sure the planks are still good.” Good thing she had decided to save the puzzle near her station for last. She quickly set off, it was so close that she didn’t even need to fly, just a quick jog over to grab her cleaning supplies and-

“Martlet!”

“Wah!” Martlet let out a surprised yelp, skidding to a stop right in front of her boss and snapping into a sloppy salute. “Sergeant Doge, ma’am. I… I wasn’t expecting to see you so so-”

“Your wing’s on fire,” the dog monster bluntly stated, gesturing with her spear at the wing she was saluting with.

“What?” she glanced at her wing, finally noticing there was a burning ember clinging to it. Weird, she hadn’t felt a thing this whole ti- Oh, never mind, there it was. 

“Yeoch! Hot! Hot! Hot!” she frantically patted at the ember with her other wing, working just a bit of wind magic in for good measure. “That’s gonna sting.”

The sergeant just stared at her, an unimpressed frown forming on her muzzle. “You forgot to make sure your metal was grounded again, didn’t you?”

“Whaaa? No way! That was a totally unrelated incident,” Martlet blatantly lied. If the narrowing of Doge’s gaze was anything to go by, she didn’t believe her for a second. “Okay…yeah, I forgot to keep the metal grounded. But it’s no big deal, the puzzle just got a little singed; it’s an easy fix.”

Almost as if on cue, the sound of groaning wood echoed from close behind, followed by a cacophony of cracking planks and clattering metal as what could only have been her recently burnt puzzle completely fell apart. She winced harder and harder with each clash of metal and snap of wood she heard before the chaos finally started to die down. The whole time, Doge just looked down and shook her head disapprovingly.

“....oops.”

“Just…” Doge began, placing a paw to her head as she let out a weary sigh. “Where’s your badge?”

Okay, this was bad, but she could still turn this around. “M-my badge, right.” Martlet was starting to sweat now as she reached for it. “Just let me-” She froze up, eyes widening in panic as she reached into her pocket and realized it was empty. “Uhh…”

“You don’t have it.”

Crap, crap, crap. She must’ve forgotten to grab it when she was rushing out the door this morning. “I… may have left it at home. If you could just give me a minute, I’ll be right back-”

“Go home, Martlet.”

“Wh-wha?”

“I said go home,” the sergeant ordered. “Greater Dog will man your post for the rest of the day. You need to get your head on straight.”

“Hold on, I… I’m sorry I messed up, it’s just been a b-bit of a rough day. But I’m trying to do better, honestly,” Marlet pleaded. “I’ll pull a d-double shift, I’ll make it up, really, whatever it takes! You just need to give me a chance is all, I swear I-”

“What you need is to get your priorities figured out,” the dog monster growled, causing the bird to shrink back. “I’m not going to tell you again. Go home, get some rest, and come back tomorrow if you’re ready to start taking this seriously.”

Not willing to push her luck, Marlet finally relented. “Okay…” She flew off without another word, heading straight home, not even able to bring herself to say hello to any of the monsters she passed on her way.

Once she landed at her house and stepped inside, she let out a dejected sigh, not bothering to shut the door as it slowly closed on its own. That… could’ve gone a lot better. But hey, glass half-full, at least she didn’t get fired.

Not yet, anyway.

She could still fix this, she just had to quit being such a scatterbrain and take things seriously for once. She could do this, she just had to want it enough. Heading up to her room, she grabbed the badge off the counter next to her bed and just stared at it.

This was fine.

Really.

Martlet was absolutely fine.

Sure, she had no idea what the hell she was even doing with her life. And sure, her job prospects were hanging by a thread. And sure, she’d been stuck on probation for way too long and everything she did seemed to just dig her further and further into an inescapable pit of-

Actually, hold that thought a moment.

The bird monster flung herself down on her bed, stuck her face in the pillow, and let out a long muffled scream, kicking her feet and flailing her wings as she released all of her mounting frustrations.

That was better. Too bad her throat was super sore now, but it was probably worth it.

She sat back up and looked at the badge grasped in her wing.

Yeah… this was definitely not fine.

If she couldn’t hold down this job, then what was she going to do? It’s not like she had anything else lined up. Maybe something with carpentry? But she had no clue how to get started with something like that. No, she just needed to knuckle up, or wait, would it be wing up? Doesn’t matter, stay focused, Martlet! She could get through this, she just had to not screw around and make sure she stopped getting so distracted all the time, not if she wanted to keep this job.

She took another look at her badge.

…It is what she wanted…right?

…

Nope, she was not going to dwell on that line of thinking. She shoved the badge into her stand drawer and just flopped back on the bed, staring up at the ceiling.

She did not have the energy to grapple with all of this, not after the day she had. Right now, she just wanted to lay there and not do or think about anything. Future Martlet could work on figuring all that other stuff out. For now, she’d just lie down, cool off, and focus on making sure not to completely screw everything up at work tomorrow.

She couldn’t help but think that might just be wishful thinking on her part.

Bzzt! Bzzt!

Bzzt! Bz-

Jostled awake, Clover quickly reached over and shut off his alarm. He had set it to vibrate, but still, he wasn’t taking any chances. Looking around and seeing that all the other crew members were still fast asleep, he quietly climbed out of his cot and crept over to his foot locker, waves of anticipation and apprehension washing over him in equal measure. He’d gone over this moment so many times over the last year, but it had never felt real. He checked the clock just to be sure.

03:00 FST (Freedom Savings Time)

That managed to anchor him in the moment. It was finally happening. 

It was time to start his mission.

Silently, he opened up his footlocker. A mere technician uniform wouldn’t be enough for something like this. No, he’d need something sturdier. Reaching in, he pulled out a brown helmet with a black T-shaped visor. Setting it aside, he reached back in and grabbed a set of Helldiver armour. It was composed of dark brown leather with a shiny belt buckle depicting Super Earth’s military skull and bars, along with a belt bandolier and a deputy star badge prominently displayed on the left breast. He pulled off the tag still attached to the armour and gave it a quick read.

Democracy’s Deputy - At the edge of the Federation, sometimes Democracy has only one representative.

…

Okay, as much as he wished otherwise, this wasn’t an actual set of Helldiver armour. He may have been old enough to work on a Super Destroyer, but eleven was still too young to enlist. There’s no way they’d give him the real deal.

No, this was just a Helldiver costume he and the other children working out in the colonies had received on Liberty Day. He still remembered pulling it out from the Liberty Pyre, only getting a little singed in the process. But it was fine; a gift like that was surely worth a few burns.

He wasn’t sure why they had been given this armour instead of the more traditional black and yellow version. Maybe they figured it was a better fit for the kids out in the colonies? It didn’t really matter, Clover thought this version looked better anyway. Still, he wasn’t a fan of the helmet, he felt like something else would’ve looked better on him, maybe a hat?

He still remembered the day he first opened it up and saw the full Helldiver costume set. He’d felt… he wasn’t really sure, excited? It should’ve been excitement. Everybody else sure had been excited, plus not being excited would’ve got him in trouble, so sure, he was definitely excited that day. Why wouldn’t he be? Helldivers were cool, Super Earth had said so, everybody had said so. That, and there wasn’t really anything else in the movies and books. So it was Helldivers or nothing, which was totally fine, really.

…

Either way, the costume was sturdy enough that it made for better protection than his uniform. It probably didn’t use the same leather as the authentic version, but it would still do, so he started strapping it on. 

Next, he grabbed the cape, every Helldiver had to wear a cape after all, and fastened it to his back. It was a mix of dark grey and light brown with a stylized skull and hellpod depicted on the back. From what Clover had heard, it was based on a cape that had once belonged to a nameless Helldiver reputed to have wandered the edges of Super Earth territory, delivering Democracy and levelling lawlessness wherever he went. He always liked the sound of that, there was something about frontier justice that he had always found appealing.

With his cape and armour on, he grabbed the helmet and slipped it over his head, glad to see that it fit snugly. Now that he was properly suited up, he grabbed a pack from his locker and started filling it with supplies. Some med stims would be good, rations, a datapad with his favourite books and manuals loaded on. He paused when he saw the limb replacement kit he had bought when he was in the colonies.

He’d never had to use it, thankfully, but still, the idea of possibly needing to replace a limb was something the Cadet found extremely unnerving, even if it was considered a typical risk when on the job. None of that changed the fact that it was still worth bringing along, just in case. Resigning himself to that fact, he stuffed it in the pack along with the E-710 capsule needed to power it. Satisfied, he slung the pack over his shoulder and started making his way to the armoury. He was going to need a means of self-defence.

While Clover still didn’t think he’d be able to bring himself to actually use a weapon against somebody else, just the threat of force might still be enough to scare off trouble. And he wasn’t above pretending to want to hurt somebody, not if it might defuse a situation without any actual violence involved.

Thankfully, the officer on duty hadn’t arrived at the armoury yet, so Clover was able to slip inside quickly and check for a weapon. He went straight for the sidearms, he doubted he’d be able to handle anything larger anyway.

He looked through the arsenal, perusing his options. A Redeemer, maybe? No, too much recoil.  What about a Peacemaker? He liked the name but… maybe a revolver instead? He always preferred using those whenever he went to the makeshift firing ranges the colonies had set up. But the only one he could find was a Senator, and that was way too massive for a kid like him to handle.

He was about to settle with the Peacemaker when a particularly unique looking revolver sitting on one of the racks caught his eye. Grabbing and looking it over, he was intrigued to see that this revolver had a yellow vented barrel of a triangular make, a dead giveaway that it was a LAS weapon. He had heard of this one before, the LAS-58 TALON, but as far as he knew, it hadn’t actually entered circulation yet. This must’ve been a prototype issued for field testing.

Clover would’ve preferred a more conventional revolver, one that fired bullets instead of lasers, but time was running short and he couldn’t afford to be picky. Besides, he wasn’t planning on actually using it against anyone, so what was the harm in taking it? He slid the revolver into the holster in his costume and grabbed a few heat sinks along with some smoke grenades, stuffing them in his pack and slipping out of the armoury before anybody could notice.

Now properly equipped, he began making his way to the bridge. The hangar was definitely out of the question, even if he had known how to fly anything in there, it would have taken way too long for him to take off before somebody noticed. No, if he was going to do this, he’d have to drop down to the surface using a hellpod, just like the Helldivers did back during the war. And those were launched from the bridge.

Part of him couldn’t help but be excited. He’d never imagined he’d ever actually get to use a hellpod. It’s just too bad he was about to do it in the most illegal way possible. He sure hoped he wouldn’t take too big of a hit to his Citizen Democracy score over this stunt. Or that he’d get labelled as a Dissident and sent to a Freedom camp. That would also suck.

It was easy enough to get to the bridge without being noticed at this hour, and any crew members still up were too absorbed with their own work to give him any notice. Definitely for the best since they’d probably be asking questions about why a Junior Cadet was running around the ship in a Helldiver costume with a loaded TALON revolver.

When he got to the bridge, he was pleased to see that it was empty as expected. Paying close to everybody else's schedule had really paid off. It wouldn’t remain that way for long though, so he needed to quit congratulating himself and get moving.

Not wasting any time, Clover stepped up to the holographic map at the center of the bridge. He took a deep breath, bracing himself for what he was about to do. Once he took the next step, there’d be no going back. He’d either see this mission through to the end, or he’d disappear like the other Cadets.

It felt like a weight was pressing down on him as the finality of his plan finally caught up with him. He looked around the bridge. Was it always this big? It was kinda making him dizzy…

He could feel his hands starting to shake as sweat started trickling down the side of his head. Was he seriously about to do this? It wasn’t too late, nobody had seen him. If he wanted to, he could go back to his cot, put his stuff away and just sleep it off. Forget about this whole-

No.

He balled his hands into fists.

He had told himself he was going to do this. It needed to be done. If he didn’t, then nobody else would. His earlier talk with the Democracy Officer had made that very clear. 

This was necessary; it was right.

It was Justice.

Not giving himself another chance to get cold feet, Clover reached for the console on the holographic map and punched in the coordinates of Cadet Melody’s last known location before she had disappeared. He wasn’t sure if finding her would lead him to the other Cadets, but it was the best lead he had.

“Mission coordinates locked,” the PA system announced. 

And there it was. It wouldn’t be long before somebody came to check out the noise. 

“Engaging orbital thrusters.”

He heard the engines powering up as the Super Destroyer lurched forward, speeding across the surface toward the target location. Thank Liberty for E-710, because boy did it make these ships fast. Even though the target was on the other side of Ebott, the ship reached the target area in a matter of seconds, quickly slowing to a stop.

“Orbit synchronized.”

Clover didn’t have time to marvel, he could already hear rapidly approaching footsteps down the hallway, so he quickly loaded the next hellpod and activated the launching process, putting in just enough of a delay so that he could get in before it had a chance to launch without him. Immediately, klaxons started blaring and yellow warning lights danced across the bridge.

“Hellpod primed.”

There was a good chance half of the crew was on their way now, so the Cadet bolted for the loaded hellpod, doing his best to tune out the shouts echoing down the hallway.

“Hey!”

“Get off the bridge!”

“For Freedom’s sake, Cadet, what are you doing?”

Refusing to acknowledge them, he stepped onto the panel at the top of the hellpod and planted his boots into the waiting clamps. They locked him in place and he was swiftly lowered into the hellpod itself, the latch above sliding overhead and sealing him inside as he hurriedly strapped himself in. He could hear people banging on the top, but it was already too late as the hellpod began descending into the launching mechanism.

“Launch initiated.”

Clover braced himself. He wasn’t sure what to expect exactly, but he was pretty sure being fired out of a ship and dropping onto a planet from low orbit was not going to be a smooth experience. Wait, was he going to be alright? Hellpods weren’t exactly designed to be used by children. Was he properly fasten-

BOOM!

Pain shot through Clover’s body as he felt himself being slammed hard against his restraints. The hellpod was blasted out of the Super Destroyer, now barreling straight down to the surface below. 

The blast alone was enough to make Clover’s ears ring, but that was soon drowned out by the roaring of flames and superheated wind surrounding him as the hellpod tore through Ebott’s atmosphere, the intense friction battering at the pod and making it uncomfortably hot. Was this why they were called hellpods?

He did his best to distract himself from the heat and the rumbling around him, focusing on the video screen on the side of the hellpod interior as it tracked his descent. So far, so good; it looked like he wasn’t going to drift off course, and the retrorocket boosters would kick in soon to slow his descent. He readied himself, hoping he wouldn’t get thrashed around too much. He’d need to get moving fast once he landed.

But the boosters weren’t firing.

Maybe it was just slow to activate?

…

Still nothing.

The ground was coming up awfully fast…

…

Okay…no big deal, so the auto systems had failed. He’d just fire it manually. He reached for the manual booster ignition button and slammed it as hard as he could. Instead of the boosters activating, a message rang out from the onboard PA system.

“Warning, retrorocket booster failure detected. Please contact a certified hellpod technician for immediate repair.”

…

That wasn’t good.

Clover probably would’ve appreciated the irony more if there wasn’t a good chance he was going to get smashed to pieces against the planet’s surface any moment now. With no other options left, the Cadet braced himself and prepared for the worst. His fate rested in the hands of Liberty now.

After what felt like the longest ten seconds of his life, the hellpod collided with the surface with a thunderous crash. Clover wasn’t sure what to expect, but it definitely wasn’t for the hellpod to crash into the ground and then keep going.

Why was it still moving? Was it tunnelling through the ground? Maybe he hit a cave system that didn’t show on the map? He didn’t have a chance to dwell on it any further when he felt a violent jerking of his harness followed by a blow to the side of his head as everything went dark.

Chapter Text

“What do you mean you can’t find him?”

“I’m sorry, Democracy Officer, but we can’t determine where the hellpod landed,” the operator replied as he tried to adjust the setting on his console in a vain attempt to get the screen to produce something other than static. “We have the mission coordinates the Junior Cadet entered, but that still leaves us with a large area to cover. We just can’t get a lock on the impact site, not with all this interference from the ion storm.”

Sonesson had a very strong urge to groan in frustration, but he would not indulge himself with such a base instinct. He was a Democracy Officer, an agent of the Ministry of Truth, and by extension, the face of Super Earth. There was no way he would show such a brazen lack of decorum in front of the crew. Not even now, especially not now. A true exemplar of Managed Democracy must always keep a level head, even at a time like this.

Still, none of that changed the fact that they were now faced with what had the potential to be a very serious crisis. A Junior Cadet had gone rogue and absconded with Super Earth equipment, hijacked a hellpod, and gone into unknown territory alone. It seemed clarity of purpose had indeed come to the Cadet, just as Sonesson had said it would; a shame it had turned out to be the kind of a more treasonous nature.

The Democracy Officer shook his head, he had always prided himself on his truly exceptional ability to inspire loyalty and obedience in the crews he had been assigned to, even by the already high standards expected from the Ministry of Truth. The child’s brazen actions would undoubtedly be a blight on his record. Even if he wasn’t given an official reprimand for this fiasco, he’d have still viewed it as a failure on his part. That was how dedicated he was to his work.

Even so, he couldn’t help but respect the Cadet’s actions. As reckless and potentially treasonous as they were, it showed how committed the child was to finding their fellow Cadets. In any other situation, Super Earth could have only benefited from such a fervent level of dedication to the cause. 

It was a shame, Sonesson had been telling the truth when he had told the child that they had great potential. His aversion to violence would have been overcome in time, and when that day came, he imagined very little would’ve been able to stop him from achieving the highest levels of exemplary service to Managed Democracy. But that was all for nothing now. As it stood, there was a very good chance that the Junior Cadet was lost, just like the others before.

“What’s our next step?” the helmsman asked, looking to the officers for guidance. “I don’t recall what protocols we have for a hijacked hellpod or a Junior Cadet going rogue.”

“Protocol dictates that we report these actions to the Ministry of Unity and let them decide the best course of action,” Ship Master Durney spoke up as she began entering a report into her datapad, brow furrowed in a mix of irritation and concentration. No doubt the Cadet’s actions had greatly disrupted the operation she and the crew had been preparing for over the last few days.

“Not really an option while we’re still in the system, not with all this latent interference from the ion storms.” She looked up from her datapad and nodded at the helmsman. “Prepare to make an FTL jump to Baldrick Prime. I’m going to make sure we have a report ready for when we arrive.”

“Belay that order, Ship Master.”

“Sir?” Durney looked at the Democracy Officer curiously.

Under normal circumstances, the Ship Master would have been right. They’d have written the Junior Cadet off as a lost cause and returned to Super Earth territory to report what had transpired. The Ministry of Humanity would likely decide a search wasn’t worth the effort if the previous incident reports on the missing Cadets were anything to go by. Afterwards, the Ministry of Unity would review Cadet Clover’s actions and either record him as martyr for the cause or condemn his renegade actions and mark him as a dissident. Given the nature of these actions, the Democracy Officer suspected they would mark the child as a dissident. Either way, the report would have been closed, and that would have been the end of it.

But Sonesson was starting to suspect these were not normal circumstances.

As reckless as the Junior Cadet’s actions had been, there was a purpose behind them. Clover had revealed during their talk that he was looking into the fate of all the missing Cadets, not just any one of them. Such an action seemed to imply that he had believed their disappearances were all connected. And if they were connected, then did that mean there was somebody behind it? The Cadet had spoken of the need to see that justice was served, after all.

In the Ministry of Truth, Sonesson had been taught early on that the enemies of Liberty were always looking for points of weakness. That they would take root in even the smallest of cracks, if they could find them. 

A place like here, in the Ebott system…

It was cut off from the rest of Super Earth. It had once been controlled by the Cyborgs before their defeat during the Great Galactic War. A place like this would be perfect for those seeking to plot against Super Earth in secret. A malignant tumor of Tyranny growing right beneath Liberty’s notice. 

What if these missing Cadets had all fallen victim to such a threat? One that hoped to gather strength away from prying eyes? Under any other circumstance, such a concern would be left to the Ministry of Unity, but that wasn’t an option out here. A plot such as this would likely require a rapid response if it were to have any chance of being exposed. If it was real, then it would have been going on for years, if not decades. That meant the perpetrators would likely go to ground and disappear again once the window of opportunity had passed. Returning to Baldrick Prime would likely cost that window of opportunity. And as a servant of Managed Democracy, Sonesson could not let that happen. It was his duty to identify and respond to all threats to Super Earth, both real and potential.

He pointed at the operator. “Continue trying to break through the interference and search for any signs of where that hellpod landed. I want to be informed as soon as you find anything of note.” The operator swiftly nodded and doubled his efforts.

He then turned to the Ship Master. “Get the rest of the crew ready and let me know as soon as the ion storm clears up. I want search parties ready to move as soon as conditions allow for it.”

“Understood.” Durney saluted, turning and swiftly making her way off the bridge.

“And one more thing,” Sonesson called out, stopping the Ship Master in her tracks. “Bring me everything we have on all personnel who have gone missing in this system. Start with the Junior Cadets. I need to see if there’s a connection.”

“A connection, sir?” Dunrey questioned. “You think there might be somebody behind all these disappearances?”

“It’s too early to say, but all the other Junior Cadets weren’t reported missing until days or even weeks after they went AWOL. This time, it’s only been an hour. If there is a connection, then this is the best chance we’ll likely ever get at finding out the truth,” the Democracy Officer answered, a firm resolve in his voice as he closed his gloved hand into a tight fist.

“And if there’s a plot against Super Earth at play, then I intend to root it out.”

One hour earlier…

Ding!

“Oh, sounds like the pie is done.” Toriel set down the book she had been reading and made her way over to the oven, opening the door and snuffing out the magic flames with a wave of her hand. 

She reached in and pulled out the freshly baked pie, setting it down and taking in a good whiff of its scent while she was at it. Strong notes of cinnamon and butterscotch filled her nostrils, it was enough for her to let a contented sigh. Oh, this was going to be a good one, she could already tell.

She usually preferred to make snail pie, but today, she felt like mixing things up. Besides, it had been a while since she’d made a nice butterscotch and cinnamon pie.

“I should save some slices for the Froggits and Whimsuns.” Those poor monsters would always get agitated whenever there was an ion storm, and this was a particularly bad one. Even down here, she could feel the occasional spark of energy radiating off of her, making her fur stand on end. There was only so much even she could do for them when it came to problems like that, but a few pie slices might help to lift their mood. That would have to wait a bit longer though, the pie needed some time to cool off before she could start cutting slices.

Figuring now was as good of a time as any to go for a walk, the goat monster left the kitchen and started making her way into the Ruins. She kindly greeted the other monsters she passed and checked on the puzzles, making sure they were all in working order before making her way outside to a bed of golden flowers.

Normally, they’d be bathed in sunlight, being one of the few areas in the Underground where natural light managed to break through, but thanks to the ion storm, there was only a faded blue coming through, giving the flowers a more forlorn appearance that brought back unpleasant memories for the goat monster. Memories of more tragic times.

She was quick to banish those thoughts. Now was not the time to dwell on past tragedies, not when there was work to be done. Toriel sat down and began tending to the flowers, sprinkling them with water as she tried to shut out the sounds of crackling energy echoing from the ion storm above. 

“I hope this helps, little ones,” she said with a small smile. She could not imagine the ion storm was good for the flowers either, but she liked to think some conversation might help. “Do not worry, I’m sure the storm will lift soon. And then maybe you can finally get some sunlight. Like we used to…”

She had told herself she would not dwell, but sometimes she just could not help herself. Some part of her longed for the days when she and the rest of Monsterkind could still bask in the sunlight. Back before they had been sealed down here as a means of ‘containing threats of a potentially tyrannical nature.’ As much as she wished otherwise, those days were long gone, the Humans had seen to that, and Toriel did not think trying to break free was worth it anymore, not if it meant going along with what he had been doing…

No, that was enough. No more dwelling on the past for today. She had left that life behind. She was the caretaker of the Ruins now, and that was where she belonged. The Monsters here relied on her, and she would do her best to keep them-

Wait.

Her ears flicked as a noise from up above snapped her out of her thoughts. At first, she thought it might have just been the ion storm, but that did not seem right. Whatever it was, it sounded like it was tearing through the atmosphere, and it was getting louder.

“What could that possibly be-”

CRASH!

A thundering boom of shattered earth rocked Toriel’s senses as the entire Ruins were shaken by a sudden and violent impact. Diving to the ground, she covered herself and shut her eyes as she heard rubble start to fall, praying for safety for herself and the other monsters as she felt dust and bits of stone bouncing off of her. She really hoped that was not Monster dust she was feeling.

After a few seconds, the din seemed to die down, it seemed safe enough for her to open her eyes. Pulling herself up, she brushed bits of rock and what thankfully turned out to just be normal dust off her clothes and took in the damage around her.

There was a new hole in the roof of the Underground, the eerie blue light of the ion storm flashing above where something had torn right through the surface and smashed into the Ruins. One of the buildings had a shattered roof, and she could still see chunks of rocks falling through. Even more alarming was the sight of smoke rising from the hole and what sounded like the crackling of flames.

“Oh dear…”

Not wasting another second, Toriel took off back into the Ruins, heading straight for the impact site.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could have sworn she saw one of the flowers from the bed moving, but she quickly banished that thought. It was not important, not while the Ruins were at risk. She had to make sure nobody was hurt.

She tore through the Ruin hallways as fast as her feet could carry her, lungs burning the whole time. It had been a long time since she had exerted herself to this extent. She knew she would be sore in the morning, but it did not matter. Not if lives might be at risk.

“Ribbit!”

“Oh my!” Toriel gasped in shock as she screeched to a halt, nearly bowling over a very panicked looking Froggit, its eyes wide in shock and alarm given how close the goat monster had come to flattening it.

“Ribbit?”

“Apologies… little…one.” Toriel struggled to speak between gasps of breath. Now that she had stopped, all that exertion was finally catching up with her. She took a moment to catch her breath before continuing.

“I was in such a hurry I did not see you there. Are you alright?” Even though she had not harmed the monster, she still felt a pang of guilt. The Froggits of these Ruins had it rough enough already, and the last thing she wanted was to add to their distress

“Ribbit…”

“Do not worry about me, I can handle myself. You and the others need to get somewhere safe, however. Something struck the Ruins. I know not what, but it is bringing down the Ruins, and I need to make sure everyone is safe.”

The Froggit seemed to calm down. Looking up at Toriel, it nodded at her and then towards a path down the hallway.

“Ribbit!”

“I see. And that is where you and the others were heading?” It was a relief to hear they had been quick to act. Toriel was so determined to look after the monsters of the Ruins that it was easy to forget that they were usually more than capable of looking out for themselves.

The Froggit nodded.

“Ribbit! Ribbit!”

“And you’re sure that area is stable?”

“Ribbit.”

“Good, then go there and tell anybody you come across to do so as well. I am going to go and see if anybody else needs help.”

“Ribbit!” The Froggit bowed its head and started hopping away.

Now that the frog monster was gone, Toriel turned around and started making her way back through the Ruins. After a couple of turns and another long hallway, she finally found the impact site in the remains of what had once been one of her switch puzzle rooms.

The floor of the room had been completely shattered, stone rubble had been scattered all over and several small fires had broken out. It was hardly what the Boss monster would call an inferno, but she was not going to take any chances, quickly using her magic to snuff the flames out before things could get any worse.

The much bigger problem was the gap that had opened up in the middle of the room. Carefully approaching the edge of it, Toriel peered down and saw that it went deep, very deep. In fact, it looked like it went all the way down to the Dark Ruins.

That was enough to alarm the goat monster. The Dark Ruins were not nearly as well maintained as the Ruins up here were. If the damage reached that far down, monsters down there could have been hurt. And they would be much harder to help.

“Hello?” she called out. “Is anybody down there? Is anyone hurt? I’m here to hel-”

The sound of cracking stone cut her off. She instinctively backed away, narrowly avoiding getting crushed as the roof of the room collapsed entirely. It was all Toriel could do to scramble out before the room was buried in falling rubble. Once again, she found herself covering her face and body as a renewed assault of rubble and bits of stone pelted her body.

Enduring the onslaught until she was certain the chaos had died down, she lowered her arms and looked over, seeing that the doorway into the room had completely caved in, a wall of rubble now cutting her off.

“Blast it!” she cursed, unable to contain her frustration. There were monsters down there, monsters that could be in danger, and now there was nothing she could do to help them!

“If anyone can hear me, just hold on. I will try and find a way down to you!”

She headed back the way she came, making for the rally point the Froggit had told her about. She would make sure the other monsters were fine, and then she would try and find another way down to the others.

“Please let the Monsters down there be safe,” she pleaded to nobody in particular as she hurried back down the hall. Failing that, she hoped she could find a way down to them before it was too late.

Chapter Text

“Go now, and should you fall, remember this: Every day is a good day to die for Democracy.”

“Huh, wha?” Clover’s eyes snapped open, darting around in confusion as a voice that sounded distressingly similar to the Democracy Officer’s brought him back to consciousness.

He couldn’t see anything, it was dark. Far too dark. And tight. He tried to move, but he couldn’t. Something was rooting him in place. Why was he rooted in place? Had he-

Oh no…

A wave of dread began to wash over Clover as all the worst case scenarios played through his head. Had he been caught? Did they toss him into an isolation unit?

No, he couldn’t have failed! It couldn’t end like this! He had risked everything on this plan. To see Justice done. And all of that just to stumble and get caught before he even had a chance to try?!

He had trouble breathing and his head was spinning. Everything felt so tight and claustrophobic. It was over, he was trapped here!

Damn it all, what a Freedom-forsaken fool he had been! Why did he ever think defying the will of Super Earth would be a good idea? Really, how else could this have possibly ended? He always knew there had been something wrong with him; why else would so many of the core ideals of Super Earth feel so off to him? And now it looks like it had finally led him to his downfa-

“You are the best of the best. Live up to your name, live up to fr-r-r-r-r-” the voice broke down into discordant stuttering until it was cut off by static. It wasn’t long before that also stopped and was replaced with an artificial female voice.

“Error detected, auditorial inspiration emulator no longer functional.”

That was enough to snap Clover out of his panicked thoughts as it started to dawn on him where he actually was.

“Right.. right… it’s okay, just focus.” He took a deep breath, calming himself as he remembered what was going on. “They haven’t found you. That wasn’t the Democracy Officer. It was just a recording.”

Really, it was just ridiculous of him to forget. Back during the war, Democracy Officers were tasked with keeping up troop morale, and they’d often give words of encouragement to Helldivers upon starting their missions. In the event a Democracy Officer wasn’t available, hellpods had been outfitted to play pre-recorded words of inspiration upon landing.

And that’s where he was right now, not a prison cell, just the hellpod he had… 'requisitioned' for his mission.

He once again tried to move, only to realize something was holding him in place. It was when he looked down that he noticed metal locks keeping him in place.

Oh, right, his restraints. Normally, the automatic systems would just release them and eject him from the pod, but given the rough landing, it wasn’t that surprising to find that the system had failed.

Reaching over, Clover firmly gripped the restraint locks and began prying off each of them one by one. As he removed each clamp, he started to feel a bit less claustrophobic, breathing coming to him just a bit easier. The things were stubborn; they’d have to be to keep somebody firmly rooted during an orbital drop, but they still were designed to yield if enough pressure was applied in the right spots.

“Hello? Is somebody in there?” a female sounding voice called from outside. “I heard you talking.”

Clover froze up before he could remove the last restraint. He didn’t panic this time, but he was feeling a spike of anxiety. If the owner of that voice was with Super Earth, then he and this mission were busted after all, and he’d probably be on his way to a Freedom Camp soon.

And if it wasn’t, well then there was a good chance that it was an enemy of Super Earth. A cyborg, maybe? This had been their system at one point. Man, he really hoped it wasn’t a cyborg. He didn’t want to have his organs harvested or be forced to become Communist or whatever other tyrannical things cyborgs did.

Either way, the hellpod was starting to feel way too tight again…

Maybe if he just stayed quiet, they would think it was nothing and go away?

After a long and tense silence, the voice spoke up again. “Uhhh, I’m not sure if you’re aware, but your pod…thing is on fire. You might want to get out of there.”

Wait, what?

Clover touched the edge of the hellpod interior, and even through his gloves, he could feel that the metal was way hotter than it should be. And now that he was paying attention, he could hear the crackling and sizzling of flames somewhere. Also, was that smoke starting to pour in?

“Unless you’re a fire monster,” the voice outside continued. “In that case, I’m sure you’ll be fine.”

“What do you mean fire mo-” He broke into a fit of coughing as more of the smoke started seeping in, eyes watering and lungs starting to burn in protest.

Right, forget that; he needed to get out here, now!

Clover removed the last restraint and started slamming himself against the side of the hellpod. If the hellpod had taken as badly of a beating as he had thought, then it wouldn’t take much to force it open.

After a half a minute of slamming himself against the side of the pod, all he managed to do was give his arms and ribs a nasty bruising.

This wasn’t working, he needed to force his way out, and fast, before he either suffocated or the entire hellpod went up in flames. Brute force hadn’t cut it, so he needed to find an alternative, but what? His eyes bounced around the pod as he searched for anything of use, his gaze finally settling on the LAS revolver in his holster.

What if…

“Okay, I’m guessing you're not a fire monster then. Is there anything I could do to help? Maybe I could get a-”

BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!

Clover forced his way through the superheated metal of the hellpod, flinging himself on the ground and rolling to put out any flames that may have clinged to him. He frantically patted down any spot that still felt too hot before rolling over and laying flat on the ground, staring straight up at the… ceiling?

Where was he exactly?

Wherever it was, it was dark and damp. He could see what looked like stone stalactites poking through the ceiling as drops of condensation dripped down. There was a hole up top where he could make out flickering patterns of light and shadows. If he had to guess, he had crashed into some underground cave system, and that hole up above had been where he crashed through. As for the flickering lights? Probably just some burning embers from the crash that hadn’t quite died out yet.

“Oh, I guess that’s one way to get out of there,” the mysterious voice said, disrupting the child’s train of thought.

Huh?

“Just what are you guys in the Upper Ruins doing, anyway? You made a real big mess down here.” Given the topic, he was surprised that the voice only sounded slightly annoyed. Really, she sounded more curious than anything else. “Does make for good sketch material, though.”

Sketch material, what was she talking abou-

“Gah!” Clover squeaked in surprise as a face suddenly popped into his field of vision. A face that was distinctly not human. It was yellow and reptilian, kinda like a dinosaur, and unless he was hallucinating, he could’ve sworn the back of the creature's head looked like the tip of a pencil.

“Sorry, just needed to get a good look at your helmet,” she said before ducking back out of sight. Clover wasn’t sure exactly what she was doing, but he could swear he heard scribbling.

Years' worth of PSA’s, speeches, posters and even conversations with other citizens came roaring back as the Cadet couldn’t help but feel a flash of anxiety at the realization he was dealing with an alien.

“Don’t let the Bugs kill babies!”

“If you don’t vote, the Monsters will come back and rip the Democracy right out of your body.”

“No Fascism here, insects!”

“Remember, it’s not that Super Earth hates Aliens. It’s that Aliens hate Freedom.”

“Democracy is kind of like these machines I work on. It needs regular maintenance to keep running smoothly. And the Bugs are sort of like if...bugs got into one of these machines. The only thing to do would be to exterminate them.”

He quickly jumped to his feet, spinning to face the creature as he reached for his-

Wait, where was his gun?

“Wow, you certainly got up quick.” The weird reptile said. It was then he noticed that she was holding his LAS revolver in one hand and an absurdly large pencil in the other. “You dropped this when you flung yourself out of that pod, by the way.” She tossed the weapon back to him, clattering unceremoniously at his feet as she gripped the pencil in both arms and started scribbling on a piece of paper in front of her. “I just needed to get a good look at it.”

Clover eyed the creature as he cautiously grabbed the weapon and slipped it back in his holster. Even though his instincts screamed at him that he was in danger, that he needed to defend himself, his more rational side urged him to stay calm. As strange as this creature was, she hadn’t shown any hostile intent. For Freedom's sake, she had given him his weapon back. That, and it seemed like she was too focused on her drawing to attack him anyway.

Wait a minute…

He leaned over to get a good look at the drawing she was working on and saw a figure wearing a helmet with a cape and a revolver held at their… wait, was she drawing a picture of him?

“Hey!”

Clover felt a thwack against his faceplate as the reptile forcefully tapped his helmet and knocked him back. “Eyes off, that’s not ready to show yet.”

Again, his instincts screamed at him that he was being attacked. That he needed to strike back. Aliens were a threat to all of Super Earth and needed to be dealt with. Forcefully.

But he pushed those thoughts down. Flying off the handle wouldn’t do him any good. She was just a little protective of her drawings, that’s all. No need to start blasting over that. Although now that he was looking at her, he saw a second drawing next to her feet; there seemed to be a bit of fire and smoke and…

…

It was a drawing of the flaming remains of his hellpod.

That whole time she was outside of the hellpod, was she seriously just sketching it?

Finally noticing what the Cadet was staring at, the reptile grabbed the drawing and stuck it somewhere out of sight. “That one’s not ready either.”

Huh, guess this alien was acting kinda… sketchy.

…

Why was he making puns right now?

“Hey, something going on over here?” A voice called out from behind.

Clover turned towards the source of the new voice and was surprised to see a strange flying creature with tiny wings, two antennae, and very large eyes.

“Oh great, not this guy…” the reptile creature groaned from behind. “Go bother somebody else, Flier, I’m not looking to do a sketch of you.”

“Okay, first of all, your loss,” Flier replied in an irked tone. “And second, I’m not looking to be drawn; I’m looking for a fight.”

“Well, I’m not looking to fight either, Flier,” the reptile snapped back in an aggravated tone.

Clover could only stare in disbelief. What in the name of sweet Liberty was even happening right now?

“Speak for yourself, Penilla. Some troublemaker made a big mess down here and clearly needs to be put in their place. Seriously, just look at all the fire and rubble.” Finally, Flier seemed to notice Clover, turning to stare right at him. “You!”

Clover looked around, unsure if maybe the creature was talking to somebody else before pointing uncertainly at himself.

“Me?”

“Yeah, you! You’re the one who made this mess, aren’t you?”

“Uhh….”

“Yeah, well, that’s not cool, man. Some of us have to live down here.” Despite the angry tone, the creature’s face seemed to remain neutral the whole time. Something that Clover found rather unsettling.

“Well, I’ll show you what happens to trouble makers down here. Now come on, let’s fight!” Flier started speeding towards the Cadet. “I’ve been working out, so you’re in for it now!”

“Woah, hold on a sec,” Clover objected, taking a step back. “I’m not looking to start a-”

Clover was cut off as the creature closed in, and he was caught off guard as everything around him seemed to turn darker. He was surprised when he noticed something bright and yellow come out of his chest. It seemed to be shaped like… a heart?

Wait, why did this seem familiar? Where had he heard about this sort of thing befo-

“Yeoch!” Clover cried out in shock as what looked like some sort of white flies crashed into him. It didn’t hurt that much; really, it more surprised him than anything else. But still, that felt like a deliberate attack.

“You like that?” Flier gloated with a cocky demeanour that Clover didn’t feel like the creature had earned. It wasn’t exactly like he hit that hard.

“Cause I’ve got more where that came from.” Flier started winding up for another attack. “I’ll show you what happens to people who think they can just waltz in here and-”

Flier’s gloating was cut short as a giant pencil came flying past Clover and smacked the creature right in the head, sending him sprawling and crashing unceremoniously into the rocky floor.

“Ow…”

“I told you already, Flier. Nobody here wants to get involved in one of your stupid fights!” Clover looked back and saw the reptile, evidently named Penilla, with an aggravated look on her face. Somehow, she was still holding her giant pencil.

Wait, how did that make sense? Didn’t she just throw it at Flier? Was she carrying a spare?

“Now go bother somebody else!” Penilla pointed her pencil at the path Flier had come in from. “Having a hard time drawing while you’re here trying to pick fights.”

“Okay, okay, I’ll go.” Flier got up and fluttered away. There was a bit of a slump to his posture as he took off. “You don’t have to be a jerk about it,” he muttered dejectedly. “I’m gonna go find my bros. At least they appreciate me.”

Clover watched as Flier left, hand hovering close to his revolver until he was sure the creature was gone.

“Don’t mind him,” Penilla remarked disinterestedly, having gone back to focusing on her drawings. “He’s just having a hard time dealing with the fact he isn’t young anymore and seems determined to make it everybody else’s problem. Makes him insufferable to deal with.”

Clover kept a hand close to the revolver on his holster, regardless. That creature had already attacked him once, and there was no way the Cadet was going to give him another chance to… to…

Wait a minute…

When Flier attacked, that weird thing with the yellow… heart? Was that what it was that came out of him? He just realized why it seemed so familiar.

He had remembered reading about it in the historical archives, the ones about the Great Galactic War. Accounts of creatures that varied wildly in shape and size.

He stared at Penilla, the large pencil in her arms, the fact that her head looked like a pencil tip. And now that he was paying attention, her tail looked like an eraser.

“...possessing a biological composition that bewildered Super Earth’s greatest minds…”

The images of that strange yellow construct that the creature managed to draw out of his chest.

“...called it the SOUL, but in reality, it was nothing less than the core of a human’s Freedom and Democratic spirit, the very essence of their Citizenship…”

These creatures, they couldn’t be… It didn’t make any sense.

They couldn’t be Monsters…

“Hey, you okay?” Penilla asked, drawing the Cadet out of his thoughts. “You’ve been staring a while now, and it’s kind of weirding me out.”

Clover froze, his instincts firing on all cylinders, screaming at him to get away.

He had no idea how, but that didn’t change the truth. He was stuck underground with Monsters.

He wasn’t safe.

And so he turned and ran as fast as he could.

He could vaguely hear Penilla calling out to him, but he wasn’t paying attention. All he could hear was the blood pounding in his ears as he bolted through strange underground ruins.

He had no idea where he was going, but it didn’t matter. All he knew was he was alone and trapped with one of Super Earth’s greatest enemies. He needed to find somewhere safe, and quickly, before the Monsters would have a chance to take his… he wasn’t actually sure, Democracy? Citizenship? Whatever; he just needed to focus on escaping. Worry about the rest later!

“Woah, watch where you’re going, pal!” a voice called out, snapping Clover to attention and bringing him to a screeching halt as he nearly crashed into something.

“Careful there, you know it’s bad luck if you break my glass, right?”

What?

Clover shook his head and finally got a good look at whoever it was that was talking to him and…

Sweet Liberty…

He was staring at a mirror with a face and arms. He could even see his own reflection in the glass.

Another Monster.

“My, that’s an interesting look. Gives off a very strong frontier vibe,” the Monster appraised, smiling at the human. “But why the helmet? Surely a hat would suit the look better.” The mirror monster thoughtfully stoked at… well, where its chin would have been if it had one before snapping its finger. “Ooh, I got an idea! Hold still, let me see if this helps.”

The Monster reached out towards the Cadet, its hand starting to shine. Just like with the flying monster before, the area around him started to turn dark, and that strange yellow heart appeared in his chest again.

That was just too much for Clover to handle. The next thing he knew, he was sprinting away from the mirror monster as fast as he could.

Nope! Not a chance. There was no way he was letting that Monster steal his Democracy or Citizenship or whatever and turn him into some sort of Voteless abomination. Was that what would happen? He couldn’t remember. Recalling history during life or death situations was tough. Not that it mattered because there was not going to stick around and find out.

“Oh, sorry, I didn’t realize you were in a hurry,” the Monster called out. “Maybe another time, then?”

Clover just kept running, pushing as hard as he could. He had no destination or idea, everything seemed to blur together as he sprinted past rubble, through doorways, and down hallways. His lungs were burning, but he didn’t care. He’d made a big mistake. He needed to get out of here, he needed to find somewhere safe, far away from this Freedom-forsaken pit.

He pushed and pushed until he’d finally reached his limit, falling onto his hand and knees as he gasped for air. But he couldn’t breathe; he felt like he was going to throw up. The damn helmet was too restricting.

He franctically ripped the thing off and tossed it aside, collapsing into a fit of coughing now that he finally had a moment to breathe. Thankfully, he didn’t end up vomiting, but now that he was actually catching his breath, it just meant all the panicked thoughts that had been bouncing around in his head had finally caught up with him.

…Monsters…

Freedom-hating Monsters…

How?

How was this possible?

It shouldn’t be. It wasn’t. The Monsters were gone. They had to be!

Super Earth had been very clear. The records had left no room for misinterpretation. The Monsters had been annihilated during the Great Galactic War. Wiped out entirely. One hundred percent destroyed.

How does something survive being one hundred percent destroyed?!

Hold on…

The Cadets! They had all gone missing down here with the Monsters. Did that mean they were…?

Clover shook his head and balled his hands into fists, taking a deep breath as he willed himself to calm down. He couldn’t afford to think like that. He couldn’t just write them off as lost. Not yet.

Maybe they were just being held prisoner? Or maybe they were being looked after? Now that he’d taken a moment to process things, he’d noticed that so far, only one monster had attacked him. Penilla just made sketches, and while he wasn’t sure what that mirror monster was trying to do, it didn’t hurt him like the flying monster did.

He got back to his feet and brushed himself off. He was still confused about why exactly the Monsters were here despite having supposedly been annihilated. There was also the fact that none of them had tried to kill him despite supposedly being Freedom-hating abominations that should have torn the Democracy from his body the first chance they got.

…Okay, that Flier guy actually did attack him. But to be fair, it didn’t seem like he put much actual effort into it. His attack didn’t hurt very much, plus he gave up as soon as Penilla got involved.

Clover patted the LAS revolver in his holster, a queasy feeling in his stomach as he thought about the idea of fighting these creatures. It was probably for the best if the Monsters didn’t want to fight. Even if they weren’t Human, the thought of shooting them just didn’t sit well with the Cadet.

Still, he needed to remain on guard and alert. Just because these Monsters didn’t seem that motivated to fight didn’t mean others wouldn’t have more incentive. A true servant of Managed Democracy was always expected to keep a level head in all situations. He was just thankful none of his fellow crew members had been there to witness him lose face to those Monsters.

But that was then. He’d had his big freak out for the mission, and he was going to keep a cool and clear head from here on out. He’d have to if he was going to have any hope of completing his mission and finding those Cadets.

It was rather fitting then that this would be when he heard the sounds of something shuffling around in the ground behind him. He quickly spun around, reaching for his revolver, only to see an empty hallway.

Huh…maybe it was nothing?

He heard a similar noise and spun again, only seeing more empty hallway and a small patch of dirt.

He was about to write it off as nothing when the sound of something burrowing through the ground caught his attention. The noise was getting louder. Whatever it was, it was coming straight for him.

Hand once again hovering above his holster, Clover prepared himself for the worst. He wasn’t sure how he’d deal with whatever came at him, but he would be ready.

Or so he thought.

The Cadet was surprised when what ended up bursting out of the ground in front of him was a golden flower, of all things.

He was even more surprised that it had a face.

But given everything he’d seen already, he was only slightly shocked when it started talking to him.

“Howdy, that’s a nice getup you got there.”

Chapter Text

“I’m Flowey. Flowey the Flower.”

Clover could swear the flower’s smile looked a bit forced, but it was possible he was just misreading it. After all, he definitely had not been expecting to talk to a flower today.

Or a mirror.

Or a reptile that looked like it was part pencil.

Sweet Democracy, he’s only been awake for a good twenty minutes now and he’s already seen enough down here to make him question his very sanity. A part of him couldn’t help but wonder if what he had been seeing was even real. Maybe monsters were able to mess with his mind like the Illuminate had reportedly been able to during the war?

He found the thought of that terrifying.

“Hmm.” The flower furrowed its brow as it studied him. “You look confused.”

“I… uhh, you see-”

“Given your rather spectacular entrance into the ruins,” Flowey cut in. “I’m guessing that means you didn’t run into Toriel on your way down here, right?”

The blank stare Clover gave seemed to be all the answer the flower needed.

“Thought as much, which means you have no idea how things work around here, do you?”

Clover could only shake his head in response. He somehow doubted the insight provided by any Super Earth approved material would be of much use to him down here.

Flowey tilted his head and smiled at the Cadet. “Well, then, I guess I’ll have to teach you.” He straightened himself out before continuing. “Alright, bear with me a sec, I’m going to start a fight with you.” His expression turned more serious. “And don’t freak out this time.”

Clover took a step back, tilting his head at the comment. Had this flower been watching him?

Flowey seemed to notice the unspoken question and rolled his eyes. “Yes, I saw you running around the ruins and bolting away from any monster that even looked at you funny. Hilarious, by the way. It made you look like a total idiot. Aren’t humans supposed to be tougher than that?”

He couldn’t begrudge the flower for that comment. When it came to the application of violence, Clover had always been a rather large disappointment to Super Earth and the people around him. The fact that Democracy Officer Sonesson had felt the need to point it out had already made that abundantly clear.

As the flower focused its gaze on him, the world around Clover started to darken again. He was doing a better job at keeping his cool than before, but given how things had gone the last few times this had happened, it still made him nervous.

“Uhh, everything is starting to turn dar-”

“Yeah, I know,” Flowey interrupted. “Don’t worry, that’s how things work down here. Just roll with it.”

Once again, the strange yellow heart appeared in Clover’s chest, and all he could do was stare at it in confusion. He could vaguely hear the flower talking, but he was too focused on the strange construct to pay attention.

This was… his Democracy? Or maybe his Citizenship?

Why would his Democracy be shaped like a heart?

Was it a metaphor for his love of Freedom and Managed Democracy? He didn’t think such a concept would ever be so literal. Or maybe it’s a-

CRACK!

“Ow!” Clover yelped as a thorned vine whipped him across the face.

“Hey, Idiot, I see you staring blankly at that thing.” Flowey gave him an annoyed glare as the vine seemingly retracted into the ground next to the flower. “Pay attention, this stuff is important.”

“Right, sorry.” Clover reached for his face; he didn’t feel any blood where he was struck, but still, that really smarted. “I just have a question, uhh, Mr. Flowey, sir?”

“Mr. Flowey?” The flower tilted his head curiously at the child before letting out a chuckle. “Oh no, just Flowey. Mr. Flowey is my dad.” The flower let out a laugh that Clover couldn’t help but notice felt forced. He would know; he had often found himself using a laugh very similar to that one whenever he heard Super Earth approved jokes that he honestly just didn’t find that funny. Seriously, why was Super Earth so obsessed with making puns out of the word ‘Liberty?’

“But really, what’s your question?” Flowey asked, trying to get things back on track.

“Oh, right. So… my Democracy,” Clover started. “Why does it look like a heart?”

Flowey looked at him in complete bafflement. “Your… what?”

“My Democracy,” Clover repeated.

The flower just stared deadpan at the Cadet as if willing him to somehow make sense.

“Uhh, my Citizenship?” Clover asked, trying to see if maybe that would help Flowey understand.

It did not.

“Kid, what are you even talking about?”

“The yellow heart, that’s what it is, right? My Democracy?” Clover clarified. “That’s why we went to war with the monsters and everything. Because Super Earth said they were after our Democracy and hated our Freedom.”

“Is that what they tell you?” Flowey sounded completely flabbergasted. Clover wasn’t really sure why; that was a pretty well known part of Super Earth history. But then, this system is isolated from the rest of the Federation. Maybe that kind of knowledge never made it out here?

“No, it’s not- just… no, that yellow heart is your soul, okay?” Flowey explained in a tone that very much seemed to suggest he couldn’t quite believe what he was hearing. “It’s the very culmination of your being. Democracy has nothing to do with it.”

“But Super Earth says that Democracy is-”

“Enough with the Democracy crap, it doesn’t matter. Super Earth doesn’t matter. Not when it comes to what I’m trying to tell you. So shut up and pay attention already!”

If a human had said those things, Clover would have considered it treasonous. But he couldn’t fault the flower for not understanding Democracy. It was something aliens just didn’t seem to get. Besides, it was clear Flowey’s patience was starting to wear thin and he didn’t want to push his luck, so he opted to leave it be and just listen.

“As I was saying, this is your soul; it’s the culmination of your being, so you gotta keep it safe. The Underground can be a pretty dangerous place. Monsters tend not to be big fans of humans and some of them will attack you, so you’re going to have to know how to handle that sort of thing. Here, I’ll give you a demonstration.”

A cluster of white pellets appeared between Clover and Flowey.

“Try avoiding these attacks. I saw you get hit by something similar before, so you know these things can really hurt if you aren’t careful.” The pellets started moving towards the Cadet. “Here they come, get ready.”

Clover wasn’t expecting to have to dodge attacks, so the sudden onslaught of pellets caught him by surprise. He managed to sidestep most of them, but one still managed to clip his leg, causing him to stumble slightly. 

The pellet didn’t hit very hard, and it wasn’t like it hit anything important. But still, ouch!

“Okay, not too bad,” Flowey noted in an impassive tone. “Still, try to be more on the ball next time. Even if Monsters don’t hit your soul, those attacks can still do some damage.” The flower narrowed its gaze at the Cadet, seemingly focusing on something he couldn’t see. “Let’s see, LV of 1? Huh, figured as much.”

“LV?”

“Don’t worry about it,” Flowey said with a dismissive wave of one of his vines. “Alright, I think that’s enough, I’m going to end the fight.” The soul in Clover’s chest vanished and the darkness faded as the world around him returned to normal.

“Now, there’s probably a good chance you won’t be able to dodge every attack coming your way, especially if you find yourself up against a particularly motivated monster.”

Clover didn’t like the sounds of that. Was he going to be getting into serious fights often down here? He just didn’t have it in him to harm any monsters he crossed paths with, and that would be a pretty big problem if he ran into any that were more like the ones detailed in Super Earth’s historical records. i.e. Freedom-hating despots determined to rip the Democracy from his body by any means necessary.

“Lucky for you, I’ve got a little something that can help you with that,” Flowey continued, moving to the side as a yellow star-shaped object appeared on the ground.

“See that? That’s a save point. With these, I can SAVE your progress.”

Was Clover imagining things, or did the flower somehow manage to capitalize the-

“It also means I can load back to the last save point you visited if you screw up and die. So, good news, that means you get multiple tries! Pretty cool, no?”

“Wait, did you say load back after I die?” Clover was both confused and alarmed at that claim. “How is that even possible? Is this some sort of time travel or something?”

“Look, don’t worry about it, okay?” Flowey said, blowing off the Cadet's question with a dismissive wave of one of a vine. “It’s complicated to explain and we’ve already wasted enough time. Just know that I’ve got it handled. If things go badly for you, I can roll things back to the last SAVE and you’ll be good as new, alright?”

Clover wanted to know more; such a thing shouldn’t be possible, and it definitely didn’t sound like something Super Earth would ever allow. The Federation always looked upon the use of powers and artifacts of alien origin as being highly treasonous in nature, and he wanted to know what he was dealing with exactly. But at the same time, his mission had only just begun and he was already in way over his head. He’d need every edge he could get, and the ability to undo his own death sounded very useful, even if it didn’t sound pleasant.

Also, Flowey had a point, they should probably get moving before trouble could find them. He’d just have to roll with it and hope he didn’t get involved in anything too treasonous. And failing that, hope that Super Earth never finds out.

“Go on, give it a try,” Flowey urged, pointing at the save point with a vine.

Clover stepped forward and slowly reached out towards the yellow star, stopping just short of touching it. He had read through the Helldiver Ethos on numerous occasions. He didn’t find it nearly as exciting as Service Technician Bolin seemed to, but it still made for some intriguing reading material and insight into what was expected of Helldivers. And right now, one particular point of conduct from that manual was echoing in his head.

Point of Conduct #85 - Helldivers traveling the galaxy might come across ancient ruins and other curiosities. Just remember: Only a traitor is curious about alien artifacts.

Flowey seemed to notice the hesitation and just sighed. “Oh, for the love of- It’s a save point, it’s not going to tear your arm off. Just give it a touch, you’ll be fine.”

He was less worried about what the save point might do to him than he was about what Super Earth would do if word ever got out that he messed around with something like this.

But then again, he’d already come this far, and it wasn’t like turning back was possible at this point. The only option now was to keep pushing forward and hope he came out the other side. He took a deep breath and touched the strange yellow star.

He wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but it certainly wasn’t a black box of text to materialize in front of him.

Junior Cadet Clover LV - 1

Dark Ruins

Save                      Return

Dark Ruins? Was that where he was? And that LV came up again. He still wasn’t sure what that meant, but he couldn’t afford to worry about that. He hit the ‘Save’ option and for a moment, it felt like reality had skipped a beat. Then, the strange box of text disappeared, leaving him alone with Flowey again.

“See? I told you it was no big deal. Are all humans this paranoid?” He snickered in amusement. “So anyways, I imagine you’re looking to get out of here, right?”

Clover nodded. He was hoping to get back to the surface and presumably contact the Sovereign of Justice for extraction once he’d found the Cadets. Of course, he’d have to actually find them first before he could worry about that.

“Good, but that means you’ve got quite the journey ahead of you. This place is pretty big. But here’s the thing…” Flowey’s smile dropped as his tone became more serious. “The King of the Monsters, Asgore. He’s been killing humans. And you’re going to have to get through him if you hope to get out of here.”

The Cadet couldn’t help but do a double take. Killing humans? Was that what had become of the other Cadets down here? He didn’t want to believe it was true; a part of him still clung on to the hope that they were alive. That he could save them. But he had always known that this was a very distinct possibility. That this might not be a rescue mission, but one that would require the dispensing of Justice and Liberty.

Those Cadets had been gone for a long time, some of them for years. To still be alive after that much time had passed was a pretty slim prospect. Still, it wouldn’t have been fair to just write them off. He had to be sure.

He wanted to press Flowey for details, but he couldn’t afford to tip his hand. He had just met this flower, and life in the Federation had made him cautious enough to realize that he shouldn’t be so quick to spill everything to a complete stranger. And an alien one at that. Besides, if what the flower said was true, then finding Asgore would be the most surefire way to complete his mission, whether the Cadets were still alive or not.

“Here’s the thing, though,” Flowey continued. If he had noticed Clover’s reaction, he didn’t give any indication. “It’s not going to be easy to get to Asgore, and even if you do, it’ll likely result in a fight. And I’ll be honest, you don’t exactly come off as a force to be reckoned with. You’re going to be hard pressed to beat him in a fair fight.” 

The flower’s mood shifted to a more jovial one as a wide smile crept back onto his face. “But, hey, we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it. Besides, thanks to this little save trick of ours, it won’t be a fair fight. You’ll have all the tools you need as long as you’re smart about it. For now, though, we need to just focus on getting you out of these Ruins.” 

Clover nodded and made his way to step past the flower, only to be yanked to a stop as he felt something wrap tightly around his boot. Looking down, he saw that it was one of Flowey’s vines.

“Hey, aren’t you forgetting something?” The flower gave an amused smile as the vine unwound from his boot and pointed at the discarded helmet lying on the ground. “Most monsters don’t know what a human looks like, but given what you’re up against, I’d say the less of them that see your face, the better.”

Oh, right, his helmet. He had almost forgotten that he had taken it off. No self-respecting Helldiver would ever leave their helmet behind…. Not that he was an actual Helldiver, but still, every little bit of protection would help. He picked it up and slipped it back over his head, feeling a bit more protected, if a little stifled.

“There you go. Now, it won’t fool everyone, but still, better to have it and not need it, right?” Flowey winked at the child. “Alright, I’ll let you take things from here, but don’t worry, I’ll be around in case you need anything or, well… you know, die.”

Despite the flower’s claim that dying wouldn’t be an issue, Clover couldn’t help but shudder at the thought. To die for the cause was pretty much expected of any self-respecting citizen of Super Earth, and while Clover would willingly do the same if it became necessary, he had read enough accounts and seen enough accidents to know that death could be… messy. And the idea of him having to go through it potentially multiple times?

Very unsettling. Also probably very painful.

“And if you need to talk, just go to one of the save points. I've put them all throughout the Underground, so they shouldn’t be hard to find. Anyways, good luck!” With a wave of a vine, he disappeared back into the ground and out of sight.

With the flower gone, Clover finally took a moment to process the situation. Flowey had left him with quite a lot to unpack.

Speaking of, just who was he, really? And why was he so eager to help? He’d like to think the strange creature just had noble intentions, but any sensible citizen of Super Earth would have a healthy amount of skepticism when it comes to something like this. 

Flowey was not human, he was not a servant of Managed Democracy. What did he hope to gain by helping him complete this mission? If anything, his connection to monsters should have made him the enemy. But then, the actual monsters Clover encountered were supposedly the enemy as well, yet most of them had shown little to no hostile intent.

They also were supposed to have been completely annihilated during the Great Galactic War, but that was a whole other mess that he just didn’t have the energy to unpack at the moment.

For now, he’d just have to focus on the mission, and that was either finding the Cadets or ensuring Justice was delivered for them. If what Flowey had said was true and this King Asgore had killed them, then he was going to have to find this monster and deal with him. But for now, that meant finding a way out of these ruins.

With a new lead and a renewed sense of purpose, he did a quick check of his gear and then set off into the dark, decrepit halls of the Underground. One way or another, he’d find out the truth. And then, there would be Justice.

Flowey watched from the shadows as the human disappeared into the nearest hallway. He wasn’t quite sure what to make of him. The kid was nothing like what he’d heard from all the stories. Humans were supposed to be violent, fanatical, hate-driven, determined to bring ruin and destruction upon all other creatures, monster or otherwise, in the name of some deranged cause.

Frankly, they sounded like his kind of people. Okay, he wouldn’t go that far, but they still sounded a lot more interesting than monsters.

But this human? This idiot? He had been a total dud so far. He had a weapon, but he refused to use it. Why even bring it if it was just going to sit in his holster? All he’d managed to do since he got here was stare blankly in confusion or just run away from every monster he had seen. Nothing like the species that had supposedly brought the rest of the Galaxy to its knees through force of will, determination, and copious amounts of violence.

Still, this kid had only just gotten here. He could still be of some use. Plus, his reaction to the mention of Asgore and the other humans had been very telling. He was certain he’d be able to make use of that.

Flowey just needed to bide his time and give the kid the occasional nudge in the right direction. It might take some time, maybe even a few resets, depending on how things go. But he was confident that if he planned things right, he’d eventually be able to use this kid to get to those souls. 

After all, he had all the time in the world. What could possibly go wrong?

Chapter Text

If there was one thing that Clover could say about the Dark Ruins, besides the fact that they were…well, dark, it was that they had a lot of puzzles. Seriously, what was with all the puzzles? Was it a hobby? Was it how the monsters kept out intruders? He couldn’t really say. He had hoped that the sign he found in the previous room might give some context, instead he just found one word: 

EXPOSITION

He hadn’t really seen much to suggest that monsters were indeed the dire threat to Freedom that Super Earth had claimed that they were, but in the time he’d spent down here, Clover had managed to draw at least one conclusion:

Monsters were weird.

Would that view change? He couldn’t say, he’d just have to keep going and see for himself.

As the Cadet finished the latest puzzle, he made his way out the newly opened door and into a hallway lined with several basins of water and ivy hanging off the side walls. It was about as run down as everything else down here, but the water and ivy at least made for some pleasing aesthetics.

Making his way down the hallway, Clover noticed a figure standing at the top of a small set of stairs. Save for a pair of horns sticking out, the figure’s features were entirely concealed beneath a dark purple cloak.

“Hello… I was wondering if you’d ever come back…”

For a second, Clover thought the stranger was addressing him. Until he noticed they were looking the other way, seemingly fixated on something past the exit.

“No, too forward.” The cloaked figure shook their head with a sigh. “Who am I kidding? I’ll never be able to meet you in this state.”

Meeting who? Did they think somebody was there? Or were they just reliving a bad memory?

“I just hope you know… I had no choice. It must be this way.” The figure sounded regretful, a tinge of sadness in their voice.

This was getting entirely too awkward for Clover. He wasn’t sure what exactly was going on, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was intruding on something very personal, so he announced his presence by clearing his throat.

“Huh?” The figure slowly turned around and stared at the Cadet. Their face was too shrouded in darkness to make out, but he was pretty certain they were studying him.

After a moment, the stranger just shook his head and turned around. “I must be seeing things…” they mumbled as they wandered through the exit and disappeared into the darkness.

That was not the reaction he had been expecting. It was like they had barely even noticed him.

He was reluctant to follow the figure, not wishing to intrude on… whatever was going on with them. But that was also the only way out, so it’s not like he had any other options.

Heading into the adjacent hallway, Clover didn’t see any sign of the hooded figure, but he did see a strange yellow star on the ground.

Another save point.

He was still wary of that strange alien power. Whatever it was, it was most certainly not Democratic in origin. But still, he’d already used it once and it hadn’t killed him, so for now at least, there was probably no harm in taking advantage of it.

As he leaned down to touch the point, Flowey burst out of the ground with a “Howdy!” and a big smile, nearly knocking the surprised human over.

“Jeez, aren’t you a jumpy one?” Flowey snickered at the Cadet's reaction.

“Sorry, uhh, I wasn’t expecting that,” Clover muttered. It was a good thing Flowey couldn’t see his face, because he could feel it practically burning with embarrassment inside his helmet. Not that his awkward response was doing much to hide it. “I was just hoping to do the… save… thing?”

“Just call it a SAVE, buddy.” That weird sensation returned as reality felt like it skipped a beat again. “And done.”

“Thanks… I think?”

“No problem, pal,” Flowey said with a wink. “So I guess you met the local weirdo, right?”

Clover raised an eyebrow at that. Had Flowey been watching him? Or did he just know this place very well? He did seem quite well informed. 

When Flowey just kept staring expectantly, he realized that the flower couldn’t actually read his expression beneath the helmet and quickly nodded.

“Thought as much. You’re going to have to go through him if you hope to make it out of here.” He quirked his head to the side a bit. “Not that I’m worried, that guy’s a pushover. He shouldn’t give you any trouble. And hey, even if he does, that’s what I’m here for.”

The hooded figure did seem kind of out of it when Clover ran into him, but still, he wasn’t looking to start a fight, even if it did mean getting out of here. Maybe he could talk things out with this monster? And failing that, just slip by? He didn’t seem to think the Cadet was real, so maybe the monster would just ignore him.

“Don’t worry, you've got this. Anyways, I gotta go, but I’ll see you again soon. Good luck.” With a quick nod, the flower disappeared back into the ground.

Clover set off back down the hallway, following until it opened up into an area filled with rows upon rows of corn. The crop was lined up as far as he could see.

That was not something he’d expected to find down here. But then again, he hadn’t expected to find monsters either. Or end up underground at all, really. So the unexpected was just… well, expected by now.

Besides, the monsters did have to get food somehow. The enemies of Freedom couldn’t just sustain themselves on their hatred of Democracy, after all. At least, he certainly hoped they couldn’t.

Still, it was uncanny just how similar this was to the farms he’d been to when he was working out in the colonies. If it wasn’t underground, he might’ve easily mistaken the place for a typical Super Earth farm.

Looking around and not seeing any alternate paths, he began pushing through the cornfield in search of an exit. 

As he made his way through, he could swear something was off. Even as he pushed through the corn, he could hear rustling somewhere else. It was rapid, like something else was moving quickly through the corn, and it was getting louder, closer. 

Not taking any chances, he spun to the source of the noise.

Only to find nothing but rows of corn.

“Huh, strange.” Clover was pretty sure he hadn’t imagined that. Maybe his nerves were just getting to him? He certainly didn’t like how exposed he felt.

Then the rustling started up again, even faster than before and coming from behind.

He spun towards the source again. And again, there was nothing but corn, but he wasn’t having any of it this time around. “Who’s there?” he called out.

He was startled when he actually got a reaction, one of the corn cobs slowly turning around to reveal a face sporting a big smile. The Cadet didn’t even have time to register what was happening when it flung itself at him.

“HUG TIIIIIME!”

“Wah!” Clover yelped as he reached out reflexively and caught the shouting corn in his arms.

The corn in question just looked up at him and laughed. “Nice catch, sweetie.”

“Uhh, thanks?” 

He’d have commented on how strange this was, but then he’d have just sounded like a broken record at this point. Everything here was strange, he just needed to accept that and move on.

The corn squinted up at him. “Are you smiling? You should be smiling. I can’t really tell since you’re wearing a helmet and all.”

Clover just stared blankly. “I’m going to put you down now.”

“Whatever makes you happy, sweetie.”

Setting the corn monster down, he looked around at the other crops. Was all the corn alive here? Or was this just a random monster he ran into? They did say the enemies of Freedom were always lurking, waiting for the opportune moment to strike. But then, Clover was pretty sure that saying was not referring to monsters trying to jump Super Earth citizens as part of a tyrannical plot to get hugs.

“So… what’s with all the corn down here?” he asked, glancing around at the cornfield before settling back on the monster. “Are you growing it? Or…”

“Nope,” the monster shook its head. “I just like hanging out here. Some monster came here a while back and planted a bit and it just never stopped growing. I think it was supposed to be a gift for Dalv.”

“Dalv?”

“Yeah, Dalv,” the corn monster says with an eager nod. “Tall monster, likes to wear a cloak and hood. He mostly keeps to himself. I think he should smile, he probably has a very nice smile. It’s just that…” the corn pauses as their smile wavers slightly. “He doesn’t ever smile.”

Huh, so Dalv must’ve been that monster from earlier. Apparently, he and Flowey weren’t the only ones who had noticed something off about him. But the flower had said he was the key to getting out of the ruins. It would appear that Democracy had provided him with just the opportunity he needed.

“Do you know where I might find him?” Clover asked. “I need his help with… something.”

“Ooh, sure, I know where you need to go,” the corn monster exclaimed, bouncing excitedly. “And then you can try getting him to smile! Everybody should smile!” The monster turned and started hopping through the field. “Follow me!”

The Cadet followed the corn monster as it led him to the edge of the cornfield, stopping at an exit that seemed to open up into another hallway.

“I’ve seen him wander that hall whenever he comes through here, so you’ll probably find him down there somewhere.” The corn monster looked up at Clover and waved a leaf at him. “Anyways, I’m going to go find somebody else to hug. Bye sweetie, and remember, everybody can use a hug and a smile because those things are the best!” The monster turned and happily bounced back into the cornfield.

Another unexpected surprise and another step closer to his goal. The Cadet was starting to wonder how long it would be before he got used to all this weirdness.

He was about to step through the doorway when he noticed a sign on the wall and decided to give it a read. Hopefully, it had something more useful than ‘EXPOSITION’ this time around.

I planted these for you. It isn’t much, but I hope it brightens your day. It always brightened mine.

If he had to guess, that message was probably left by the friend of Dalv’s that the corn monster had mentioned. Given the mood that Dalv seemed to be in when Clover ran into him, he imagined there was a… less than happy story there. He couldn’t help but wonder what-

Wait, what was he doing? Why was he getting so hung up on the potential hardships affecting a monster? He should be focused on his mission of finding the Cadets, he couldn’t afford to get distracted by unimportant details like these.

Besides, he was coming dangerously close to showing sympathy for these monsters, these enemies of Managed Democracy. It was bad enough that he had hang ups about harming Super Earth’s enemies; that had already been a big point of contention between him and his superiors. But to show actual sympathy for them? That could very well be a step too far. The Helldiver Ethos he often liked to read certainly suggested so:

Point of Conduct #21 - If you notice a squad mate sympathizing with an enemy, report them to your Democracy Officer. Remember: Thoughtcrimes kill.

But then, trying to dismiss those thoughts didn’t feel right either. Why were these monsters undeserving of sympathy? They hadn’t seemed very hostile to him so far. If anything, getting on their good side would be beneficial to his mission, wouldn’t it?

He was starting to understand why Super Earth encouraged action over thought or consideration. Thinking about this too much always left him confused and frustrated. A proper servant of Managed Democracy needed to be able to act quickly and without hesitation. But it also reminded him that some of the things patriots were expected to do had always made him feel… uncomfortable.

…And now he’s spiralling into doubts again. 

He shook his head and banished those thoughts as best he could. This was not the time for doubts and conflicting thoughts. Not in the middle of a mission. He just had to keep going and find this Dalv character. He could figure out the rest later.

Now feeling not quite as uncertain, Clover passed through the doorway into the adjacent hallway. Not seeing much of note, he pushed onward.

There was another passageway leading to the right, but before he could decide whether or not to go down it, a familiar voice caught his attention, stopping him in his tracks.

“Is it wrong to hold doubt in my actions?”

Once again, he spotted the cloaked figure the corn monster had referred to as Dalv, back turned to him and standing at the far end of a broken bridge looming over a dark abyss.

How did he even get across?

“I enjoyed life before… I did… But I can’t go back. What happened that day would only repeat,” the monster continued, a mournful tone in their voice.

Clover still wasn’t quite sure what was going on, but given what he’d seen and heard so far, he could at least venture a guess. The monster was clearly working through some issues and interrupting him hadn’t become any less unappealing, but he still had a mission to do… And besides, Democracy doesn’t care about your feelings, it expects you to act.

“Excuse me, sir?” he called out. 

It was hard to tell from this far away, but he could swear the monster seemed startled as he turned around to look at the human. An awkward silence settled over both of them as the monster continued to stare, as unreadable as ever beneath that hood and cloak of his.

“...uhh, I just wanted to-”

“What is this?” Dalv questioned in a disbelieving tone, cutting the Cadet off.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to-”

“Why do they appear every time I start monologuing?”

“Huh?”

Dalv just stared silently as Clover nervously waited for a response. The monster was clearly on edge, and he didn’t want to scare him off. 

After what felt like an entirely too long silence, Dalv just shook his head and turned around. “I need more rest,” he muttered in weary resignation as he wandered off again.

“Wait, I just need a word. Can you hold on for a se- aaand he’s gone. Great…” As the cloaked monster once again vanished into the darkness, Clover idly kicked a piece of stone, watching as it bounced across the broken bridge and dropped into the abyss.

He never heard it hit the bottom.

…

So that way’s not an option. There was no way he could jump that gap.

Maybe he should’ve brought a jump pack.

But he didn’t have one, so it looked like he would be taking the long way around instead. With a resigned sigh, he doubled back and headed down the other pathway.

Unlike the other parts of the ruins, this one had a series of classical looking pillars. They kind of reminded Clover of some of the pillars he’d seen in pictures of the government buildings on the core worlds. The kind he wasn’t even close to having a high enough Citizenship class to even visit, let alone live on.

Most of the pillars were identical, but one of them had a scribble etched onto it. Had Penilla been through here? Not likely, the scribble looked too rough to be her work.

He stepped closer and got a good look at it. It was a crude drawing of a cat.

A cat… on a pillar…

Clover couldn’t help but let out a chuckle. “Hehe, a caterpillar.” 

He probably shouldn’t be wasting time making dumb puns during a mission. But still, that lifted his mood, so at least some good came of it.

“Wow, is that seriously all it takes to get a laugh out of you?”

Clover looked back and saw Flowey in the corner, poking out of the ground right next to another save point. He didn’t seem very impressed with the human. “Not sure I should even waste my jokes on you if the bar’s that low already.”

The Cadet just shrugged. “What? I like puns.” 

That being said, he did think the Liberty based ones were kinda overdone. Not that he’d ever say that out loud. He didn’t need another hit to his Citizen Democracy score.

Flowey just rolled his eyes as he motioned to the save point. “Oh, the monsters outside the ruins are gonna love you.”

Taking the unspoken invitation, Clover walked over and touched the point. Another weird hiccup in reality and another SAVE.

Freedom damn it! Now he was doing the weird capitalization thing, too.

“You’re wasting your time, you know.”

“Hmm?” Clover tilted his head, not exactly sure what Flowey was getting at.

“Trying to talk to that weirdo with the hood,” Flowey clarified, nodding back in the direction the human had come from. “Total waste of time.”

Oh, so that’s what he was talking about. Seemed like Flowey was keeping an eye on him. He could only guess as to why the flower was so invested in his mission.

“Why is it a waste of time?”

“Uhh, hello?” Flowey shot him an incredulous look as if the answer was obvious. “Have you been listening to the guy? He’s clearly lost his marbles.” Flowey pointed a vine at him. “Hell, every time he’s seen you, he’s just written you off as some sort of hallucination. You can’t seriously look at that and think that’s somebody who has it all together.”

Okay, granted, what little he saw of Dalv’s behaviour had been rather… concerning. If he were a Super Earth citizen, he’d have probably been written off as ‘Democratically unsound’ and sent to a Freedom asylum. 

But still, he didn’t know the guy, and he’d only had two brief encounters with him. He wasn’t going to write the monster off as a lost cause when that was all he had to work with. Besides, Flowey himself had said he’d have to deal with Dalv if he wanted to get out of the ruins, and if he could find a way to get past that monster without letting things get violent, then all the better.

“Here’s a tip: next time you see the guy, just pull out that fancy gun of yours and turn him to dust with it.” He nodded to the LAS revolver in Clover’s holster. “I mean, it’s why you brought the thing, right? Trust me, the guy’s miserable. You’d probably be doing him a favour.”

Clover couldn’t help but dip his head as a pang of shame hit him. That’s definitely what his superiors would expect him to do. The enemies of Managed Democracy could not be tolerated. And he had read enough history to know that monsterkind were considered such enemies. Still didn’t change the fact that the thought of it made him sick to his stomach. And that, in turn, made him feel even worse.

A painful reminder that he just wasn’t strong enough. Not determined enough.

Not patriotic enough…

“Look, just… be ready to do whatever it takes to get out of the ruins, alright?” Flowey offered, seeming to pick up on the human’s internal struggle. “Remember, I’ll be here if things go bad and you need to try again.” The flower’s expression brightened as he gave a wide smile. “Besides, you really should check out the rest of the Underground. I promise it’s a lot less gloomy than this dump.”

That was enough to help lift Clover’s mood. He couldn’t let these doubts weigh him down. He could do this. He would do this. He would do whatever it took to get out of here and finish his mission.

…just as long as he didn’t have to shoot anybody.

No big deal, he’d figure something out.

Probably.

At least he could always try again if it didn’t work.

He nodded to Flowey and made his way down the hall, stepping out onto another bridge over a seemingly bottomless chasm.

The structural integrity was sketchy at best, with gaps and fractures covering the bridge from start to finish. But on the bright side, at least this one was still standing.

For now, anyway.

As he made his way across the bridge, a feeling of unease prickled at him. It felt like he was being watched.

He tried to push those feelings aside. It’s possible he was just nervous. Possible, but not likely. When you’ve spent most of your life living in a state that values the importance of security and surveillance as much as Super Earth does, you start to develop a keen sense for the signs that somebody is watching your movements. You could tell when the eyes of Liberty were literally on you, and not just metaphorically.

Maybe it was just Flowey keeping an eye on him? The flower certainly seemed to know a lot about what Clover had been doing.

Either way, he picked up the pace a bit. The sooner he was off this bridge, the better.

He made it halfway across when the sounds of fluttering wings caught his attention. Looking up, he was surprised to see a pair of pure white eyes staring at him from the dark.

“Hushh,” a voice whispered.

Straining to get a better look, Clover could begin to make out a shape in the darkness. It was dark blue and from what he could tell, it looked like some sort of bat. Likely another monster who lived in the ruins, and definitely not the one he had expected to be watching him.

“You’re not Flowey.”

Apparently that had been the wrong thing to say, because the bat’s large ears started twitching and a grimacing scowl formed on its face.

“Said hushh!” the creature screeched at the Cadet. “No noise!”

“But I-”

“Too loud!” The bat dive bombed Clover, everything around him starting to turn dark as his Democracy, er- his SOUL appeared in his chest. As clear of an indicator as any that he had just stumbled into a fight.

In hindsight, he probably should’ve known better than to start talking when the very first thing the monster did was tell him to be quiet.

The bat screeched at Clover and he swore he could see the actual sound waves coming right at him. He quickly sidestepped out of the way and turned to run, determined to get off this bridge as fast as he could.

He made it a whole five steps before the ground cracked beneath him and his leg went right through the floor.

Not great.

He tried to pull his leg out but found it was firmly wedged in place. He was stuck and between all the running and breaking stone, he’d made quite a lot of noise. So he wasn’t surprised that the bat looked even more agitated as it came right at him.

“No more noise!” it screeched as it sent another soundwave at Clover. There was no dodging it this time. Not while he was stuck.

This was going to suck.

He braced himself, but Sweet Liberty, he was not prepared for the soundwave that crashed into him, because it felt like he’d been hit by a Charger. Pain shot through his entire body and his ears were ringing so loudly that he could barely hear himself think.

Things were starting to look pretty dire. He was stuck, and if the fierce scowl on the bat monster’s face was anything to go by, it wasn’t going to let up any time soon. Given how he felt after just one of those attacks, he highly doubted he’d be able to withstand much more.

Out of options, he pulled his TALON and aimed the LAS revolver at the monster. He couldn’t run, he couldn’t talk his way out since that just seemed to anger it, and even though this monster seemed very determined to kill him, he wasn’t going to harm it. But that didn’t mean he would shy away from scaring it.

The bat didn’t seem fazed by the weapon, continuing to glare at the Cadet before unleashing another soundwave. This one only grazed him, but the pain was starting to become too much for him, his vision already getting blurry.

What was he going to do? It didn’t seem scared by his revolver. Was he going to have to actually kill it?

Wait, maybe the bat didn’t realize it’s a weapon? Well, then he’d just have to provide it with a demonstration of Democracy’s arsenal.

He pointed to the ceiling and started firing.

BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!

That seemed to do the trick. The bat let out a pained screech, fumbling in the air as it struggled to stay afloat.

“Too much noise! Too much noise!”

Letting out one last anguished screech, the bat turned and fled, disappearing into the darkness.

Clover stayed on guard. He had just taken one hell of a beating, and he wasn’t going to let that bat get the jump on him again.

Once he was certain the monster wasn’t coming back, he let out a sigh of relief and slid his revolver back into its holster. He was in the clear, and now he just needed to find a way to get his leg out of this-

CRACK!

The Cadet froze as he heard the sounds of stone fracturing. Craning his head up, he could make out large fracture lines forming in the ceiling and spreading out in a pattern reminiscent of a spider web.

Oh, right, maybe firing into the ceiling of a run down ruin wasn’t the best idea. The cacophony of breaking stone only increased as parts of the ceiling started to come loose.

Well, he really hoped Flowey wasn’t bluffing about the whole reset-

His thoughts abruptly halted as the roof caved in. The last thing he saw was a mass of stone coming down on him before everything went dark. He vaguely felt something shatter in his chest as oblivion took him.

////////// ELIMINATED //////////

Killed by IMPACT

…

“Huh, was wondering how long you’d last. Oh well, guess we try this again.”

FILE LOADED

As Clover approached the save point, he got the strangest sense of déjà vu. Was that normal? Or was this place throwing him off? Maybe he’d been down here too long? It was hard to say.

“Hey Kiddo.” Clover turned and saw that Flowey had popped up behind him with an incredibly amused smile plastered on his face. “How you doing? Feeling a bit off? Like things are a bit too familiar, maybe?”

“Yeah?” Clover answered uncertainly, a hint of anxiousness in his voice. The flower seemed way too pleased with himself. And given what they had talked about earlier, he was pretty certain he knew why. “Does that mean I-”

“Died? Yup. You certainly did.” Flowey practically beamed at the Cadet. “But now you’re back, just like I promised.”

An icy feeling shot through Clover’s chest at that revelation, like somebody had stepped on his grave. He had never really understood that saying before, but given what Flowey had just told him, it was starting to make a lot more sense.

“As for how you died? You ran into Decibat. Large bat monster, loner, absolutely hates noise. Gotta say, you did a pretty spectacular job of pissing him off.” Flowey chuckled at the last bit.

“Oh.” Clover felt a bit of heat under his collar. He wasn’t sure what he did, but he wasn’t the type to deliberately go around upsetting people. He’d prefer to avoid repeating that mistake, whatever it was. “Any way I can avoid him?”

“Nope, ‘fraid not. Guy’s lurking on a bridge with no other way across.” Flowey shook his head, bobbing back and forth. “Not sure why a guy who throws a fit at the slightest noise is sitting on the only path out of the ruins, but whatever, you had the right idea last time. Make enough noise and it’ll drive him off.” He nodded to the Cadet’s TALON. “Just don’t shoot your gun this time around. Turns out firing into the ceiling of unstable ruins is a good way to get crushed and smashed to the bottom of a deep abyss. Who knew?” The flower ruffled its petals in an imitation of a shrug.

Clover couldn’t help but shudder at that. He was grateful Flowey had spared him the worst of the details, but that didn’t change the fact that having his death explained to him was still… unsettling.

“Anyways, off you go. Let’s hope you get it right this time.” Flowey gave a quick wave with a vine and sank back into the ground.

Still unsettled, but at least knowing what to expect, Clover readied himself and headed down the hallway.

By the time he reached the bridge Flowey had told him about, he still hadn’t shaken the feeling of uneasiness dogging him. The structural integrity of the bridge was lacklustre at best, given all the holes and cracks in the infrastructure, plus, being told that this was the spot where he died didn’t help matters either.

But he knew this Decibat was lurking somewhere on that bridge, and he’d be ready this time. He just needed to figure out how to get through in one piece.

Just as Flowey had said, there was no other way through. It was either across the bridge or back the way he came. And going back wasn’t an option.

The flower had suggested making a lot of noise. That Decibat would hate that. But it sounds like that was what caused the monster to attack in the first place? Maybe he could just try being quiet instead?

None of the other monsters had seemed particularly motivated to fight him, after all. And if noise was what had aggravated Decibat, then maybe being silent would get him on the bat’s good side. Or at the very least, convince him not to attack.

It’s not like he had much to lose if that ended up not working. He could just go with Flowey’s plan and make enough noise to drive the monster off. Even if he didn’t like it.

And if things went even worse…

Well, he already died once and came back. So Flowey could just do it again.

Steeling himself as he made a silent prayer to Liberty, the Cadet started moving across the bridge, crouching low to the ground and making his steps as light as possible. Progress was slow and tense, but thankfully uneventful as he made it to the other end without incident. Had Liberty favoured him? Perhaps he was moving so silently that the bat monster just hadn’t noticed.

That turned out not to be the case when Clover finally stood up, only to find a pair a white eyes staring at him.

While he managed to suppress a yelp, the Cadet still stumbled backwards and landed on his rear. The bat monster’s large ears twitched at the sound but otherwise seemed unperturbed.

“Hushh,” the monster whispered.

Remembering what Flowey had said, Clover didn’t utter a word, opting instead to just sit there and silently observe the large bat.

“Do you hhear that?” Decibat questioned.

Not wanting to upset the bat monster, Clover simply shook his head.

“No? Good,” he smiled at the Cadet. “You move in silence. Thank you.”

Smiling behind his helmet, Clover gave Decibat an approving nod and a thumbs up.

“I declare you an honorary sentinel of silence. I trust you to keep peace and order hhear.”

As nice as the title sounded, he wasn’t really sure what it meant. Or what exactly the responsibility was that the monster had placed on him.

“I shall go conquer new lands in the name of quiet,” the bat monster declared, starting to fly off before the human could even ask what any of that meant. “This is a very hhigh honour, so keep it hhush hhush.” With that last declaration, Decibat disappeared into the darkness.

…

Keep quiet about everything that just happened? Sure, he could do that. 

He let out a sigh of relief, relieved that he’d managed to find a way to defuse the situation peacefully. He still wasn’t quite sure what Decibat had asked of him, but being mildly confused was better than dieing.

He got back up and brushed himself off, stepping off the bridge and entering the waiting hallway. He had to be getting close to finding Dalv now. He was certain of it.

He just hoped the monster would be willing to talk. If what Flowey said was true, he was going to need Dalv’s help to get out of the ruins, and the monster hadn’t seemed to be in the best state of mind. He just hoped approaching the monster wouldn’t lead to violence.

And if it did, well then, he trusted that Liberty would provide him a solution.

Probably.

Chapter Text

Clover let out an exhausted sigh as he slumped against the wall, the soul in his chest disappearing as the darkness faded. Having managed to give the monster the slip, he was relieved and weary in equal measure.

Shortly after his encounter with Decibat, he had run into a monster that could best be described as a ribboned scroll with very angry looking eyes.

And very eager for a fight.

His attempts to talk the monster down went nowhere, seemingly ignoring the human's attempts to reason with it as it said something about ‘powering up’ and then started yelling.

Not attacking, just yelling.

It became apparent that the monster wasn’t even paying attention as Clover backed up to the wall, noticing a path that had been covered by a loose cloth that managed to blend in.

Why was there a path hidden behind a loose cloth? He couldn’t say, but it was better than sticking around and waiting for the monster to actually attack. It was simple enough to slip through unnoticed, the monster was too busy yelling to pay any attention.

It was as good a way as any to avoid a fight.

“Finally, I have reached my full power!” The monster shouted from somewhere behind him. “Our battle will be glorious. Now come! Show me your- Huh? Hey, where’d you go?”

Right, time to move before that monster figured out where he’d gone and started another fight.

Clover quickly made his way through the hallway he had found himself in, following it to another bridge aligned with torches. He couldn’t help but notice Decibat hanging off a mast bar sticking out from the tallest torch, eyes shut and fast asleep.

It would seem the bat monster had indeed found and conquered new lands in the name of quiet.

That or he was taking a nap.

Either way, Clover didn’t want to upset the large bat, so he quietly crept past, careful not to disturb him.

Once safely across the bridge, he spotted what looked like an underground house. A pair of stairs leads up to it with a pool of water between them. 

And heading up the closer set of stairs was the hooded monster.

Dalv.

“Ah!” The monster spun around in surprise. Guess he wasn’t moving as silently as he thought.

Perhaps that Sentinel of Silence title Decibat had bestowed on him was a bit premature.

“Uhh…Sorry if I spooked you, but I was hoping you cou-”

“I don’t know who you are, but I ask you… Please leave!” Before Clover could even answer, the monster turned around and rushed through the house archway.

…This was going to be difficult.

He made his way up the stairs towards the archway, very pointedly ignoring the ‘No Trespassing’ sign next to it. But he did stop when he spotted another save point on the opposite side. 

Flowey had obviously been expecting him since he popped out of the ground as soon as Clover approached.

“Howdy.” He smiled at the Cadet. “You’re almost out, just gotta deal with that downer and you’re good to go.”

Clover just hummed affirmatively and let Flowey SAVE for him. He knew telling the flower that he intended to find a way to solve this without shooting Dalv would probably just get him a lecture.

“You may have gotten Decibat off your back the nice way, but that’s not going to work with this guy. Trust me, he’s been fine enough with just blowing you off out in the ruins, but you’re gonna be walking into his home now. He’s going to be in more of a ‘zap first, ask questions later’ mood if he catches you in there.”

It looks like Flowey was going to give him the lecture anyway.

“But I can tell you’re a stubborn one,” the flower sighed. “So I’ll be here when you’re insistence on talking rather than shooting inevitably leads to you getting fried. So… have fun with that.”

As the flower disappeared, Clover took a deep breath in anticipation of what lay ahead. Sure, he could probably talk this Dalv figure down nice and easy. A peaceful resolution, just like with Decibat. And then he’d be on his way, free to continue his mission without trouble. That’s what his optimistic side tried to tell him.

It was just a shame that optimism had never really done him much good in the past.

He stepped through the archway into a hall with pools of water running down either side. Dalv was standing in the middle, his back turned away and gaze focused on a door at the opposite end of the room. But the tension in his posture made it clear the monster knew he was there.

“You’re… still following me? I thought I made it clear that I want to be left alone.”

The figure turned around and faced the Cadet. Features still hidden beneath his hood, but it was obvious they were studying him.

“You look… so much like them. Why are you here?” the monster questioned, his tone sounding more confused than demanding. “I told you not to come. Are you haunting me? Or did you come back to finish the job?”

“I’m sorry, but I don’t-”

“I thought that if I just retreated here, it would be enough,” Dalv bemoaned. “That you’d finally leave me be. But you still hunted me down. Why?”

Clover raised his hands placatingly. “Look, Mr. Dlav, sir. I don’t know what you think is going on here. But I promise I am not ‘hunting’ you or looking for a fight. I just want to talk.”

“Talk… right. Your kind doesn’t talk. Not to monsters.” His tone was skeptical, but it didn’t sound hostile. Rather, it sounded more empty and sorrowful. “I won’t be fooled.”

The monster turned back to the wall and dipped his head, letting out a resigned sigh.

“And I was just starting to accept my reality. The cruelty…”

Clover shifted uncomfortably in silence. He didn’t like where this was going.

“Whatever happened to you that day, it wasn’t my intention.” The monster continued, seeming to ignore Clover’s attempts at reason. “I was just trying to…”

Dalv shook his head, his posture hardening and becoming more resolute.

“Never mind, words aren’t enough. They weren’t enough then, and they aren’t enough now. Not when it comes to your kind.”

He turned around to face the human once again.

“I’ve never wanted to fight anybody. But you humans have never been ones to give us monsters a choice in that matter. And now you’re here at my home…”

The monster reached for his hood and pulled it down, revealing a face that almost looked human, save for the purple complexion and a pair of sharp looking fangs poking out of his mouth. Tales of vampires came to mind. Tales from old stories dating all the way to before the Federation had even been founded. Most of them had long since been banned, though, seeing as they contained material deemed ‘unsuitable for the Democratic way of life.’

But what stood out more than anything was the monster’s eyes. They just looked so tired and resigned, the eyes of someone who had been shouldering a burden for far too long and just couldn’t bear the weight anymore.

“I’ve heard the stories, and I’ve seen enough to know how much value you humans place on violence.”

Clover took a step back as lightning started to crackle and arc off Dalv, striking at the ground in front of the monster.

So this was what Flowey had meant when he had referred to Dalv’s ‘zap first’ policy. He really wished he had brought his rubber electrician scrubs with him.

“So I guess I have no choice but to indulge you.”

The yellow soul materialized in Clover’s chest as the world around him began to darken until the only other thing he could make out in the hall was Dalv himself.

“Hold on, this isn’t necessary,” he tried to reason once again, taking another step back and keeping his hands raised to show he meant no harm.

The monster didn’t seem to be paying attention, raising a hand crackling with electricity.

“I’m just trying to get out of the ruins and I was told you knew the way out,” Clover explained in the hopes it would be enough to get Dalv to stop.

It didn’t.

“So if you could just show me the exit, I’ll be on my way and nobody has to- HRKARGHHRARAGA!”

The Cadet’s words devolved into agonized convulsing as lightning shot from Dalv’s hand and struck him square in the soul. Pain like he had never felt before blasted throughout his whole body as he fell to the ground, limbs flailing wildly.

There was too much searing pain for him to even focus on, but a similar smell permeated his nostrils. One he’d remembered smelling all the way back during the Sokowsky incident.

The smell of burnt flesh. His burnt flesh.

Oh sweet Liberty, this was how Sokowsky had felt when he died, wasn’t it?

He didn’t have a chance to dwell any further on it when he glimpsed the yellow soul in his chest crack and then shatter into pieces. Everything went dark after that and the numbing embrace of oblivion washed over him.

////////// ELIMINATED //////////

Killed by DALV

“Told you talking was a waste of time. At least try dodging next time.”

FILE LOADED

As Clover approached the save point, he got the strangest sense of déjà vu. Was this normal? Or was this pla-

Wait… this isn’t the first time he’d had this weird sensation. And the last time it happened, Flowey had told him that…

… Oh, for Liberty's sake…

“I know that look,” Flowey said in a sickly sweet tone, bobbing from side to side. “That’s the look of somebody who’s just realized they died.”

Clover just stared deadpan at the flower. Yes, he was aware he had died, and no, he was not in the mood for his snark.

Sensing his irritation, Flowey just rolled his eyes at the human. “Oh, don’t look at me like that. I told you talking to him was a waste of time. Of course he was going to fry you.” The flower shook his head with a frown. “Really, you only have yourself to blame for that one. You should’ve just shot him like I told you to.”

Knowing that talking with Flowey would get him nowhere, Clover just walked past the flower and headed through the archway to try his luck again.

“But since you insist on doing this the hard way, at least watch out for the lightning,” Flowey called out from behind. “Don’t want to make it too easy for him.”

“So if you could just show me the exit, I’ll be on my way and nobody has to-WAH!” Clover leaped to the side, scrambling to get out of the way of the lightning shooting from Dalv’s hand.

“Sorry, I really don’t want to do this, but this is my home and I’m not going to just let you do as you please.” The monster shook his head as he conjured up several balls of lightning, flinging them at the human. “You’re just going to have to go back the way you came, it will make things easier for both of us.”

“That’s not an - woah!” Clover ducked out of the way, narrowly dodging the balls of lightning as they slammed into the wall behind him. “Not an option!”

“Well, I suppose you humans have always been stubborn.” Dalv took a moment to dust off his cloak. “Did you pester the other monsters this much? I’ll admit, I haven’t really cared to keep up with their activities, so I don’t know what they’ve been up to.” He raised his cloak with an arm, lightning crackling beneath it. “But unlike you, they understand the importance of respecting my boundaries.”

“Look, I’m just-” Clover leaped out of the way of one lightning bolt. “Trying-” He sidestepped another. “To get-” Ducked beneath a third bolt. “Out of these ruins!” He jumped over a fourth bolt, finally safe. “This really isn’t nece-YEEOWCH!” 

The Cadet stumbled as a lightning bolt he hadn’t seen coming struck him right in the leg. Sparks of pain shot from his toes straight up to his waist as he collapsed flat on his back, his leg completely unresponsive. 

Son of a tyrant, that really hurt! 

He struggled to work some feeling back into the numb limb, only to freeze as a cloud formed right above him. His eyes went wide as he saw it start to crackle with electricity.

“Oh, that’s not good…”

ZAP!

////////// ELIMINATED //////////

Killed by DALV

“Wow, you’re seriously determined to do this the hard way, aren’t you? Alright, fine, let’s go again."

FILE LOADED

“This really isn’t necessary!” Clover jumped out of the way as a fifth bolt nearly blindsided him.

“I may prefer solitude these days, but I still remember what happened the last time you left these ruins,” Dalv replied. Even as he started conjuring a pillar of lightning, there was a hint of sorrow in his voice. “And I don’t want that happening again. So please do the decent thing and just turn back.”

“Left the ruins? What are you talking abou- AHHH!” He was caught off guard as the pillar of lightning rushed towards him. With nowhere to go, the Cadet dove into the pool to his left. The water was way colder than he expected and he could feel the shock of icy coldness practically force the air out of his lungs. It was a good thing he had his helmet on, or he’d probably have swallowed a bunch of water in the process.

Wait a minute, this guy shoots lightning. Maybe diving into the water wasn’t the best pla-

ZAP!

////////// ELIMINATED //////////

Killed by DALV

“Really? You do realize lightning and water don’t mix, right? How did you think that was going to play out? Next time, please just shoot that downer and save us all the trouble. This is starting to get ridiculous."

FILE LOADED

“Left the ruins? What are you talking about?” Clover dove to the right out of the way of the pillar of lightning rushing towards him. “I’ve never even been here before today.”

That seemed to get Dalv’s attention. He faltered and focused on the human, staring at him in confusion. “Never been…No, that can’t be right. Surely you must remember me.”

Clover shook his head. “I swear on Damsel Democracy herself, I have never seen you before today.” He should’ve been more on guard, but it seemed like the monster might finally be listening. If he could just press a bit harder, he might finally be able to convince him to stand down.

Dalv narrowed his eyes at the Cadet. “You’re clearly not a phantom, and you haven’t attacked once. Could you be…” He shook his head. “No, for all I know, this could just be a trick.”

Clover braced himself, ready for another attack as his hand instinctively settled on…

His revolver…

He looked down at the weapon resting in its holster, not having been pulled out once during the entire fight.

What if he…

A voice in his head screamed NO. That Super Earth protocol was very clear on the matter: Under no circumstances should you ever surrender your weapon to an enemy of Freedom. But even despite everything that happened, he couldn’t view Dalv as such an enemy. He just seemed like a tired, worn down monster who had given up on finding any meaning or happiness. A monster who had resigned himself to just living alone and wallowing in misery. And one who seemed convinced that Clover meant him harm in pursuit of some sort of imagined revenge.

But if he were to give up his weapon. Would that be enough to make Dalv understand his intentions?

It was worth a shot. And hey, if he was wrong, then it was a good thing Flowey could just start things over.

Reaching for his weapon, he slowly pulled it from his holster and set it on the ground as Dalv looked on cautiously. Once he was sure the monster wasn’t going to attack, he slid the LAS revolver over, the weapon stopping right in front of the cloaked monster.

Dalv looked down at the discarded revolver. “Your weapon…” He nudged it with his foot, as if it were an illusion that would just vanish on contact. “ They never would’ve given it up like that.” He looked back up at the human as realization dawned. “You really aren’t trying to hurt me.”

The Cadet just shook his head.

The monster dipped his head in shame. “How could I be so foolish? I apologize. I truly do.” He let out a sigh. “This got out of hand… I… I don’t know how I can make things right now…”

As relieved as Clover was that the monster wasn’t attacking, the fact that the fight hadn’t ended yet still left him on guard. Perhaps he’d need to placate the monster a bit more to finally resolve this and show that he truly meant no harm. But how? 

Maybe some sort of friendly gesture?

He had an idea, one that would work with a Super Earth Citizen. Maybe it’d work with a monster as well. He had nothing to lose, so he gave it a shot. 

Standing firm, Clover formed a closed fist, raising it in Dalv’s direction in the classic Super Earth Salute.

“What is that?” The monster raised an eyebrow in confusion. “What are you doing with your hand?” He shuffled closer to the human. “Are you… offering to shake my hand? Is that how humans do it?” He took another step. “I’ll admit, it’s pretty different from how we do it. But it’s still a sign of friendship, right?”

More like a sign of camaraderie, but Clover wasn’t going to correct the monster on that, so he just nodded.

A small smile formed on the monster’s fanged lips. “I’ll admit, I didn’t think I’d ever meet another human after that day, let alone befriend one.”

Clover managed to resist the urge to wince. He was committing so much treason right now.

“Don’t get me wrong, I’d love to have a friend. I mean… I think.” He looked off to the side. “I’ll admit, I don’t really remember what it entails.” He turned back to the Cadet and gave a slight nod. “But I’ll give it a shot if you will.”

In hindsight, it should’ve occurred to Clover that a monster would have no idea how to properly return a Super Earth salute. The fact that Dalv had been talking about handshakes of all things should’ve been enough of a tip on its own. But he was still surprised when the monster opted not to return the salute, but to instead reach out for his hand.

“Oh wait, that’s not how you-”

Dalv wrapped his hand around Clover’s closed fist and gave it as firm a shake as he could. Given the human's posture, though, it just ended up being a mess as the monster forcibly shook his rigid arm. 

This was easily the worst salute Clover had experienced in his entire life. It was weird, stilted, and awkward all in one, and the patriot in Clover hated every second of it.

He was glad no humans were around to witness it. Such a horribly botched salute would have gotten him a very firm reprimand along with a sizable penalty to his Citizen Democracy score.

But it seemed to make Dalv happy, so he was ultimately glad that he did it. And as the yellow heart in his chest disappeared and the darkness around him faded, he was convinced that despite the treasonous actions involved, he had made the right choice.

With the awkward salute/handshake done and the battle ended, Dalv and Clover stood in awkward silence, uncertain of what to do next.

It was Dalv who finally broke the silence. “So… what do friends do, actually?”

Clover opened his mouth to answer, only to stop when the realization hit him.

He had no idea.

He’d never actually made a friend before. Everyone he’d ever met was either a superior, a co-worker, or an acquaintance at best. What little free time he’d ever had was always spent alone. If he was interacting with anybody else, it was either while he was on duty, being subject to a disciplinary action, or while involved in a sanctioned Super Earth event or celebration.

“You don’t know either?” Dalv asked, seeming to notice the Cadet’s silence. “Do you want to, um… see my house, or something?”

Clover wasn’t sure how to answer that. He was on a mission, he couldn’t afford to just stop for leisure activities. That would be very unbecoming of any self-respecting Super Earth citizen on duty. 

But at the same time, now that the fight was over, it was apparent just how lonely Dalv truly was. This monster needed a friend, and despite all the protocols warning of the dangers of sympathizing with non-humans, Clover couldn’t help but feel guilty at the prospect of denying him that.

And honestly, now that he was actually thinking about it, he kinda wanted to see what having a friend was actually like. He’d been so caught up in his work and trying to serve Super Earth that he’d never actually stopped to consider if having a friend was something he’d enjoy. It was frustrating to realize that his obligations to the mission might just cost him such a chance.

But then again, he did have a break he could use. Or did he? He’d never actually gone in the field before, so he wasn’t sure how break times worked during missions, or if missions even had breaks. Not to mention the fact that hanging out with Dalv at his house would be extremely treasonous.

Still, he liked the idea of making a friend.

But was it worth the risk?

“Sure,” he blurted out before he’d even managed to make up his mind. “I’d love to visit your house.”

“Oh, th-that’s great!” Despite his nervous smile, Dalv still sounded excited. “Let me get the door, and we can go in.” The monster turned around and pulled the door open, holding it expectantly for the human.

Well, it seemed like Clover’s choice had been made. He figured there’d be no harm in using his five minute break to check out the monster’s house. And besides, he’d already broken more than his fair share of Super Earth protocols; what was one more? As long as he still finished the mission and his superiors didn’t find out about too many of his transgressions, he probably wouldn’t be disciplined that severely.

With his mind now made up, he bent down and picked up his TALON revolver and slid it back in his holster. Once again properly equipped, he followed Dlav inside.

Chapter Text

“So, this is my place. I hope you like it.”

Clover looked around the room. It seemed quaint, wood panel floors and dark blue walls, along with a similarly coloured blue carpet sporting a checkbox pattern. There were two side alcoves, one to his left leading to a small kitchen and another to his right with a small desk covered in coloured writing utensils and drawings.

It was far from what the Cadet would consider a Class A citizenship level of living, but it still was far nicer than both the small bunk he had on the Super Destroyer or the sleeping quarters he had shared with four other workers during his time in the colonies. Maybe one day he would be able to raise his citizenship class high enough to be able to afford a place like this, albeit one with a far more Democratic style to it.

“I have to go take care of something quickly, I’ll be right back,” Dalv continued, glancing at a hallway to Clover's right. “But feel free to make yourself comfortable. Have a seat, take your boots off.”

The vampire monster paused, staring awkwardly down at the floor. Now that Clover was looking, he noticed that there was quite a lot of dirt and grime. It would seem this place hadn’t been the most well kept. 

He shifted awkwardly when a tumbleweed rolled between the two of them and down the hallway.

“On second thought, maybe don’t take your boots off.” Dalv’s face reddened a bit as he looked away. “It’s been a while since I cleaned this place…” 

His features brightened as he looked back at the human. “Ooh, but do feel free to take your helmet off. I imagine it’s pretty stuffy having that thing on all day. Whatever makes you comfortable, really.” The monster disappeared down the hallway and out of sight, the sound of a door opening and closing shut shortly afterwards.

Finally alone, Clover agreed that it starting to get stuffy. Besides, he was on his break now, so there was no harm in taking his helmet off for a bit.

He felt the seals pop as he pulled it off, a refreshing breeze of cool air washing over him now that he was free of the helmet’s stifling confinement. Looking around for a clean place to put it, he opted to set it down on an empty space on the writing table.

Getting a better look, Clover saw that the table was covered in coloured pencils and pages strewn with all manner of cute and colourful drawings. They were the kind of drawings he would’ve seen in a children’s book, although he couldn’t help but feel like most of them would not have made it past the Ministry of Humanity censors.

He heard the clicking of a door opening, glancing over to see Dalv coming back. His cloak now draped behind him, revealing a set of dark purple pants and a white frilled shirt.

“Sorry, I’m back.” Dalv perked up when he noticed what Clover was doing. “Oh, I see you’re checking out my drawings.” He stepped next to the human and sorted through his drawings, pulling out a few to show. “I like to try my hand at writing stories for children, things to really brighten their day.”

The Cadet took the first piece of paper the monster had been holding out. It was a simplistic yet charming depiction of some sort of goat monster holding hands with several children in front of a dark blue house. Several red trees stood in the background, and a dark purple orb hung in the green sky above.

Clover furrowed his brow as he tried to figure out what he was looking at. “Is that supposed to be the sun?”

“Oh yes,” Dalv nodded. “Do you like it?”

The Cadet raised an eyebrow at the odd colour choices. “Why’s it purple?”

“Oh, well, you see…” Dalv flushed in mild embarrassment, caught off guard by the question. “The thing is… I sometimes kinda forget what colours things are outside of this place. So I just make them up!”

“Oh?”

“I think the kids will find it more interesting like that anyway.” Dalv smiles briefly before a thought seems to cross his mind, his smile dropping to a thoughtful frown. “It might not be very educational, though…”

“I’m sure they’ll love it,” Clover assured him.

“Really?” Dalv visibly brightens at that.

“Yeah, these look great, even with the different colour choices. It reminds me of some of the stories I read when I was younger.” Memories of the various children's books Clover had read back at the orphanage and during some of his limited free time in the Colonies came rushing back. Eager to share with his new friend, he eagerly began describing some of his favourites. 

“Like, there’s ‘ The Boy Who Cried Dissident’ and it teaches about the importance of disciplined vigilance in the defence of Freedom and Liberty. And then there’s ‘ The Little Hellbomb That Could’ , and that one has a really impactful message about the necessity of sacrifice and duty, even if it only leads to the smallest and most incremental of gains for the cause.”

“Wait, what do you mean sacrif-”

“Oh, and of course I can’t forget Charlie and the Cape Factory , with its message about everybody needing to do their part for the cause, both on and off the battlefield. And then there’s my favourite series of books, ‘ Truth Enforcers: Enforcers of Truth’ …which admittedly isn’t really for kids, but I’ve always enjoyed a good mystery story, especially the kind where Justice gets doled out in the end.”

“Oh, those are some… interesting sounding stories.” Dalv seemed mildly perplexed by what the Cadet had said. Were those not the kind of stories monsters read to their children?

“Look, you just need a good, strong message behind your stories, but you also don’t want to make them too educational,” Clover tried to explain. “It needs to be something that makes sure to inform future citizens just enough so that they can do their duties without them starting to ask questions. Because that’s the sort of thing that leads to dissident behaviour.”

For some reason, that remark caught the monster even more off guard. He couldn’t tell if the look Dalv was giving him was confused or concerned. “Is that… how humans teach their children?”

“Uhh… yeah?” Clover replied, confused as to why the monster seemed so surprised. He had just been explaining how Super Earth approved children's books were often written. Was this what people meant about monsters not understanding the Democratic way of life? “Do monsters not do that?”

Dalv just stared at the Cadet, trying and seemingly failing to process his explanation before finally shaking his head. “Are you hungry?” He asked, seemingly deciding not to address the previous question. “I don’t have much, but there are a few things in the fridge I’d be happy to share with you.”

Clover nodded. “Sure, that sounds great.” He wasn’t sure why Dalv dodged the question, but he wouldn't push. He’d found out early on that questioning his superiors was usually a bad idea. And while Dalv wasn’t actually a superior, he was still a guest in the monster’s house, and the vampire monster was older than him, so that probably counted.

The two of them moved to the kitchen, Dalv gesturing to a set of chairs at a small but finely crafted wooden table. “Have a seat, I’ve got something I think you’ll like.”

Clover accepted the invitation and sat down, waiting patiently as the monster opened the fridge and pulled out something, placing it on a plate in front of the human.

“It’s sponge cake, my favourite,” Dalv said with a smile. “I hope you like it, I made it for my birthday.”

The Cadet stared at the item, mildly perplexed. Honestly, when he heard the words ‘sponge cake’, he wasn’t expecting it to be an actual sponge covered in frosting.

Dalv frowned when he noticed the humans' hesitation. “Sorry I didn’t invite you, it was last week,” he apologized, evidently misreading the situation. “But you can come next year… uhh.” Dalv quickly turned flustered. “I just realized, you know my name, but I don’t know yours.

Oh, right, he supposed that would be kind of awkward for the monster. Friends were supposed to know each other’s names, right? He was still new to all this.

“It’s Clover,” he answered, looking up. “As for how I learned your name, the other monsters in the Dark Ruins talked about you. Sweet Corn seemed worried, said I should get you to smile.”

“Oh, they did?” Dalv couldn’t help but beam at that, seeming surprised and delighted at that revelation. “I thought they might not have wanted to see me after so long. I suppose I should try speaking with them again.” He glanced back down at the sponge cake on the plate and nudged it closer. “But I can worry about that later. For now, give this cake a try. I promise, it’s very good.”

Clover looked down at the sponge cake again with a bit of unease. Eating the actual sponge part of the cake was out of the question, but the frosting was probably still good, so he licked it all clean off the sponge. It ended up being a lot better than he thought, and clean too.

“Mmm,” he hummed in delight. “Very sweet, and now I feel squeaky clean too.”

“I’m glad you liked it.” His smile faltered slightly. “I’d offer you a drink, but I don’t have anything besides water.”

“Oh, that’s okay. I actually have something we could share if you like.” He reached for his satchel and placed it on top of the table, sorting through the contents before stopping as a thought occurred to him. “Oh, right, forgot to ask: Do you have a stove and a teapot?”

“Ooh, you have some tea? I’d love to have some with you.” Dalv quickly rushed to the nearby stove, igniting the pilot flame and grabbing a ceramic teapot from a nearby shelf.

“What kind of tea do you have?” he asked as he came back to the table, leaning over to get a better look at what was in the human’s satchel.

“Got it in here somewhere,” Clover mumbled as he dug around, shoving aside some stims and the limb replacement kit as he found what he was looking for. “Ah, here we are.” He pulled out a yellow and black carton depicting a steaming cup of tea, the Super Earth emblem, and prominently featuring the text ‘SUPER EARTH APPROVED LIBER-TEA.’ He pulled out a single teabag and handed it to Dalv.

“Oh my, never heard of ‘Liber-Tea’ before,” the monster eyed the teabag with an eager curiosity before tearing it open and pouring its contents into the teapot along with some water. “The name and colours certainly make it sound exciting.” He placed the teapot on the stove and sat in the seat next to Clover. “It should be ready in a few minutes.”

The two of them sat in silence, waiting for the tea to boil. Dalv quietly hummed to himself while the Cadet looked around the house, taking in more of its details. He noticed a wardrobe next to another hallway and a painting in the other hallway. He had trouble making out the image from the kitchen. But from what he could tell, it looked like a cob of corn. 

As he looked back at Dalv, the monster still humming to himself contentedly, he suddenly recalled something he had said during their fight. Something that could be important to his mission.

“Dalv… can I ask you something?”

Dalv looked at the Cadet with a small smile and nodded. “Sure, friends are supposed to be able to ask each other questions, right?”

Clover took a deep breath. He supposed that was true, but still, the topic he was about to bring up was likely a heavy one if Dalv’s behaviour during the fight was anything to go by. But he still needed to ask; it was important. Plus, he’d already been on break for way more than five minutes, so he’d be a pretty poor citizen if he didn’t try to do at least something productive.

“When we were fighting earlier…” Dalv visibly winced at the reminder. “You mistook me for somebody else. Who were they?”

Dalv frowned, gaze turning sad as he glanced away from the human, seemingly focusing on the far wall. “Right, I did think you were them at first.”

“Because they were human, right?” Clover asked a bit too eagerly before catching himself with an awkward cough. “Sorry, I don’t know what happened, but it sounded bad. It’s just that… five other humans have gone missing in this system, and it sounds like you might’ve seen one of them.”

He placed a hand on Dalv’s shoulder, doing his best to be reassuring. Was this reassuring? He wasn’t sure; he never had to deal with this sort of thing before. Everybody else was always so much more certain and confident than he was, never seeming to have the struggles and confusion he always dealing with on most days. More proof that there was something wrong with him, since the principles and beliefs of Managed Democracy just seemed to come so much more naturally to everybody else.

“I need to find out what happened to them,” the Cadet stated in a calm but resolute tone. “If you can tell me anything about this person you ran into, it could help me a lot.”

Dalv sighed, a pained look crossing his features, likely recalling unpleasant memories. “It’s true, you aren’t the first human I’ve met. But you are the only friendly one.”

“Friendly? What do you mean?”

Dalv paused for a moment, mulling over his thoughts before he answered. “That human and I were involved in an…incident. I was with a friend, she had brought me some corn from her farm.” A nostalgic smile briefly graced his features at the memory. “She would always bring me corn. And it was good corn, too. I could never get enough from her.”

“An incident?” Clover questioned, already not liking where this story was going. “Your friend... did she?”

The monster shook his head. “No, she wasn’t hurt. But a lot of others were.” His face darkened. “We heard screams. Most were screams of panic or pain, but one was angry. Very angry. Screaming something about ‘Democracy,’ I think? I wanted to take my friend somewhere safe, but she insisted we check it out, that people might need our help.”

It was then that the human noticed that Dalv was gripping the edge of the table. “When we found them… there was dust … everywhere. And the human… they were covered in it.”

It took a moment for Clover to register why Dalv sounded so haunted when he uttered the word ‘dust’ before he remembered; Monsters turn to dust when they die, the historical records had said as much.

Given the description, it sounded like it could have been Junior Cadet Melody, based on what her sister had told Clover. The girl had reportedly been very prone to bouts of ‘Democratically-induced violence’ and always dreamed of bringing swift and brutal Liberty to the enemies of Managed Democracy. She supposedly held the System record for most bugs stomped. She had also been a huge fan of the Helldiver Ethos, having it memorized. And if what Dalv was describing was true, then it certainly sounded like she was doing her best to follow its points of conduct.

Point of Conduct #37 - When in doubt, don't think -- simply shout "For Democracy!" and charge head-first into your problems.

“When the human turned to me, there was a fury unlike anything I’d ever seen. They didn’t even know me, but they hated me,” Dalv continued, his grip on the table tightening. “I… kept my friend back, tried to reason with the human. I told them we weren’t looking for a fight. That nobody here wanted to hurt them. But they just shouted ‘LIAR.’” Dalv slammed down on the table for emphasis, startling the Cadet. “They said that monsters couldn’t be trusted. That we were just trying to get them to lower their guard. That they would show us true liberty. And then they just came right at me.”

Completely ignoring Dalv’s attempts to talk her down and screaming at him about being a liar as she attacked him? Yeah, that sounded like her doing her best to follow the Helldiver Ethos points of conduct to the letter.

Point of Conduct #18 - If an enemy ever attempts to engage in diplomacy, SHOOT THEM. We mustn't believe their lies.

Despite being so well versed in the Helldiver Ethos himself, Clover was surprisingly bad at following its points of conduct. He’d probably broken a good quarter of them at the very least since he first got here.

“I tried to stop them, but it wasn’t enough. I remember them dodging my lighting, then there was a kick to the head, and then…nothing. I… I guess I blacked out.” Dalv placed a hand to his head, wincing like some phantom headache had just kicked in. 

“By the time I came to, they were all gone. My friend, the human, everyone.” A haunted look crossed Dalv’s face as he once again stared off at some fixed point in the distance. “I… couldn’t really be around people anymore after that…It was just… I couldn’t…” He paused as he struggled to find the words, only to come up with nothing and simply moved past it. “So I came to the Ruins and haven’t left since. My friend turned out alright, though, she would bring corn to the Ruins for me even after I started keeping to myself. And then one day, she just stopped. I don’t know why, or if something happened.”

Dalv stopped talking after that, the room settling into an uncomfortable silence. Clover, for his part, couldn’t help but feel sorry for the vampire monster, no matter how treasonous or against protocol that was. It sounded like he had been through a horrible ordeal, and being just a civilian, it was likely that he had not been keeping up on his daily desensitization exercises like a Helldiver or a SEAF soldier would be expected to. Although Clover hadn’t been doing that either, not that he was very good at it, given the few times he had tried.

But he also felt guilty. Dalv had just started to cheer up at the idea of being Clover’s friend, and then he had gone and forced the monster to dig up those horrible memories. The Cadet had no way of knowing how bad it really was, but still…

“Listen, Dalv,” Clover offered, trying to comfort the monster. “If you need to-”

He was interrupted by the sound of the teapot as it started whistling, steam shooting out of the spout. That finally snapped the monster out of his stupor.

“Sorry,” Dalv started, shaking his head as he got up. “I should go get that.”

Clover decided to let the matter drop as the monster left. It was clear that Dalv had said all he would on the matter, and the human didn’t want to upset his friend further. Besides, he had confirmed that Junior Cadet Melody had most come to the Underground. That was more than enough.

And while he knew such violent behaviour was expected of Super Earth citizens in hostile territory, he still couldn't help but be disturbed by Melody's actions.

“I have to say, I’m excited to try this out.” Dalv smiled as he placed down two cups and poured the tea into each one, although the human couldn’t help but notice the smile seemed a tad strained. “I wonder what it tastes like?”

He couldn’t blame Dalv for wanting to drop the subject. He hadn’t even been there, and yet he found it upsetting. He wasn’t sure what he could do to help the monster get through it, but maybe just sitting here with him and sharing a nice cup of Liber-Tea would be enough for now.

“I’ve always been told that if Freedom had a taste, then it would be a lot like this.” Clover offered him a reassuring smile as he looked at the tea, taking in its smell and letting out a contented sigh as the scent of distilled Liberty wafted into his nostrils. He then took a sip, letting the Democratic goodness wash down his throat and only getting minor burns at best for the effort.

Dalv took a sip, only to start coughing as he struggled to work the liquid down. “Oh my, that tea has a real kick to it.” He cleared his throat. “I guess Freedom has a pretty intense flavour.”

“It just wouldn’t be with fighting for if it didn’t,” Clover said with a grin as he took another sip.

The monster smiled back, the two sitting in somewhat contented silence as they drank their tea.

Clover was glad that it seemed to help improve Dalv’s mood. It would seem that even a monster’s spirits could be lifted with a nice, relaxing cup of Liber-Tea.

Once the teapot was empty, Dalv took the cups and set them down in the sink. “Thank you for the tea. A bit more intense than I’m used to, but I’m just glad you were willing to share it with me.”

“It’s not a problem, everybody needs a nice cup of Liber-Tea once in a while.” Clover got up from his seat, slinging his satchel over his shoulder. He made for the drawing table where his helmet still sat, only to stop at the wardrobe he’d noticed earlier. He couldn’t help but wonder what was in it. Maybe some clothing and extra cloaks Dalv liked to wear?

“Oh, you want to take a look inside?” Dalv asked once he realized the Cadet was staring. “Go right ahead.”

Clover opened up the wardrobe. Instead of the clothing and cloaks he was expecting, he found it mostly empty, save for a balloon with an attached string bobbing in place. It had a cute little happy face drawn on it and wore a brown rimmed cowboy hat. 

“That’s Pops, he shares this place with me. He doesn’t really talk much, though, he prefers to keep to himself, mostly,” Dalv explained. He nodded at the cowboy hat once he realized Clover was fixated on it. “Do you like that hat? That friend I told you about gave it to me as a gift once. Got it from some friends of hers.” 

Clover was vaguely familiar with this kind of hat. It wasn’t something you’d see being worn very often in the Federation. It was not considered a Democractic enough style of headware, which left it lacking in the eyes of most. It was usually the kind of hat that was only worn in the most distant and remote areas. Even when in the colonies, he’d only ever encountered a few citizens wearing them.

“The hat didn’t fit me, though. Pretty sure she forgot our heads were different sizes and just picked one that fit for her.” An amused smirk formed on the purple monster's face. “Still, it was a kind gesture, so I kept it. And Pops seems to like it.”

In truth, Clover had always liked those hats, but none of the jobs he worked ever had a dress code that allowed for wearing one. And he couldn’t really afford the cost of one or the hit to his Citizen Democracy score that would come from wearing apparel that wasn’t Democratically certified.

But none of that changed the fact that he still really wanted one…

“Would you like it?” Dalv asked, seeming to realize why the human was so fixated on it. “It’s the least I can do after… well… attacking you.”

“What?” Clover looked at Dalv, caught off guard by the offer and shook his head. “No, sorry, I couldn’t-”

“It’s no big deal, I’m sure Pops doesn’t mind.” Dalv gestured to the balloon. “Would you, Pops?”

Clover and Dalv both stared at the balloon. The balloon continued to silently float in place.

“Uhh…”

The hat slipped off the balloon and landed at Clover’s feet.

“Well, there you go.” Dalv picked up the hat and offered it to the Cadet. “Pops thinks it’d look better on you anyway.”

“Oh…” Clover blinked, not entirely sure what was happening. He took the hat and felt it in his hands. It had a nice, rugged feel to it. Maybe he was imagining things, but he could swear it emanated a sense of frontier justice. It was something that was practically begging to be put on his head.

He turned to look at the balloon. “Thanks… Pops.” Not sure what else to do, he snapped a crisp salute to the balloon.

“Pops says you’re welcome. Now here, let me get this closed.” Dalv reached the wardrobe and closed it shut. “Pops prefers the dark.”

Clover grabbed his helmet from off the drawing table where he left it and put it back on. Looking at the cowboy hat in his hand, he tried placing it on top of his helmet and was pleased to see that it actually fit quite snugly.

Helldivers weren’t supposed to wear hats, but something about it just felt right to the Cadet. Besides, he wasn’t actually a Helldiver, so it wasn’t like it counted, right? He was a Junior Technician, and they wore hats after all. Sure, a cowboy hat wasn’t an approved piece of headwear, but it was probably close enough.

“Pops was right, that does look good on you.” Dalv seemed slightly awed by the human’s appearance. “My friend showed me drawings of some of the monsters from the Wild East, and they looked a lot like that.”

“Thank you…uhh… partner?” Clover vaguely remembered one of the citizens he had seen wearing a cowboy hat talking like that, so he figured he’d try and set the mood. He tipped his hat at the monster, remembering the citizen doing that as well. He probably didn’t get it quite right, but it still felt like it suited him. 

It was the first time in a while that it felt like something had suited him…

Before he could dwell on those thoughts too much, he noticed Dalv staring. “Anyways, thanks for the hospitality, but I need to get going. Is there any chance you know the way out of the Ruins?”

“Oh. You want to leave?” A look of mild disappointment crossed Dalv’s face, and Clover couldn’t help but feel bad, but the monster quickly shook it off and smiled again. “If that’s what you want, then I’ll lead the way.” 

He motioned for the human to follow him and started making his way down the hallway next to the wardrobe. It quickly became apparent this part of the house hadn’t been tended to in a long time, the colour of the walls more faded, the wood cracked and splintered, even entire panels missing at some points, exposing the dirt and rocks of the Underground beneath. They stopped at a small room at the end of the hall containing a door that had been boarded off.

“Well, here we are.” Dalv gestured to the boarded door. “This door leads to the Ruins exit. I sealed it after what happened with the other human. I… wasn’t sure if I would ever leave here again.”

Clover looked down at the floor, a sense of guilt swelling up inside him, his chest feeling tight. He hadn’t meant to dredge up such bad memories.

“Listen, Dalv, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to-”

“Stop.” Dalv held out his hand. “You don’t need to apologize. It was… hard, but talking about it helped a lot.” His eyes looked a bit wet. “I don’t think I realized just how lonely I was until I met you, and I thank you for that. You helped me out a lot.”

Clover was stunned. He didn’t know what to say. He had no idea he had touched Dalv like that. He could tell the monster was in pain, but he wasn’t sure if he had done anything to help. But realizing he had managed to do so, well, it caused a warm feeling to swell in his chest.

Was this what treason felt like? Because he was pretty sure helping a monster was not something a loyal citizen of Super Earth would ever do. The last thing he needed was more confused and conflicted feelings about what was expected of him. He just had to hope that this wasn't what was happening. It probably wasn’t a good sign if treasonous behaviour felt this good to him.

“Happy to help, partner,” Clover managed to say, not sure how else to respond other than give that saying a try again. He tipped his hat for good measure, it felt a bit more natural to him this time around.

Dalv glanced back at the door, a thoughtful look on his face. “After everything that’s happened. I’m going to leave this place behind. I’m tired of being alone.” He smiled in thought, no doubt considering what he’d do next. “It’ll take me a few days to pack up. But I think I’m ready to give the Underground another shot. I have so much creativity I’ve been storing up, and I’m finally ready to let my talents show.” 

His eyes became more animated as he started getting excited. “I can publish my novel, have an organ concert, I might even make another friend. Maybe I’ll try and find my old friend. I always wondered what happened to her.” His smile disappeared as he got lost in thought. “Really, what did happen to her?”

Clover waited, but when it became apparent Dalv wouldn't speak up any time soon, he gave the monster a poke.

“Uhh, Dalv?”

“Oh, right.” Dalv shook his head. “Sorry, got lost in thought for a minute there. Let’s get you out of here.” He walked over to the door and pulled at the boards, tearing them off easily as they shattered and splintered into pieces. “There we go. You’re all set.”

“Thanks, I appreciate it.” Clover started to head for the door when Dalv stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.

“There’s one more thing.” His tone became more serious. “I don’t know what happened to the other human. But I can tell you that the attack occurred in a place called Snowdin. It shouldn’t be far once you leave the Ruins.” He released his hold and gestured to the door. “If you’re set on finding those other humans, then that’s likely the best place to start looking.”

Clover nodded respectfully at the monster. “I understand. Thanks again, Dalv.”

“Goodbye, Clover, it was a pleasure meeting. I hope I see you again soon. And I hope you find whatever you’re looking for.”

“Thanks, Dalv. I’ll probably get in trouble for saying this, but it was a pleasure meeting you as well. I hope you find out what happened to your other friend.”

With that, Clover moved past the monster and through the door, stepping onto another bridge. At the other end was a bright light, the exit to the Ruins no doubt.

The Cadet took a deep breath, glancing back at the Ruins behind him one last time. He had already faced far more than he had expected and had come to some very shocking revelations during his time here. One of the biggest by far being that Monsterkind had somehow come back from total annihilation. He still wasn't sure what to make of that.

But he’d also made a friend, his very first. So that was nice. Possibly a second if he could consider Flowey a friend, but he still wasn’t sure about that flower or what his angle was.

But it had all been far from easy. He had apparently died several times so far. A very disturbing thought, to say the least. And he had also engaged in some very treasonous actions in the short time he’d been down here. He was incredibly concerned about that last part.

Even more so by the fact that he couldn’t bring himself to feel that bad about it.

There were probably some serious implications behind all that, but he couldn’t afford to dwell on it right now. There were a lot of things about Super Earth and Managed Democracy he couldn’t quite wrap his head around, but one thing he definitely understood was the importance of swift and decisive action.

He still had a mission to complete, the Junior Cadets still needed to be found. And it was likely things were only going to get tougher from here.

He strode ahead towards the light at the end of the bridge with resolute purpose.

He would see this through to the end. He would see that Justice was done.

Chapter Text

Coo! Coo!

Coo! Coo!

Coo! Coo!

“Idontwannabearoyalgua- huh? Wah?” Martlet squawked in a frenzy as she was startled awake, the foggy haze fading from her mind as the realization set in that this was the second time in as many days that this had happened.

“Man, I really gotta stop doing that.” She shook her head, shaking off the last of the sleepiness wearing on her as she glanced over at the clock and saw the hour. At least she hadn’t managed to sleep in again. She’d be able to clock in without having to make a mad dash to her outpost.

“Right, time to get spruced up for work.” She hopped out of bed and clapped her wings together, a slight frown forming on her beak as she remembered what she had blurted out when she woke up.

…She probably didn’t need to dwell on that.

Martlet approached the mirror in her room to get a better look at herself. Yesterday had been… less than ideal, but she’d already managed to avoid sleeping in, so she was off to a great start when it came to holding onto this job she definitely wanted. Now she had to put her best foot forward- 

Wait, scratch that, talon, she had talons.

Place her best talon forward and make herself as presentable as possible.

“Alright, let’s just take a quick look and see what needs to be straightened out.” She leaned in for a better look. “Probably just need to do a bit of preening and I’ll be good to go- Oh wow!”

She was not prepared for the bird that was staring back at her. She looked like she had passed out in a dumpster. Her hair and plumage were a chaotic mess, feathers puffed out and poking at awkward angles. Just looking at it was enough to make her start itching.

“God, I look like a mess. I could’ve sworn I had a-”

She stopped as the details of the previous day had come back to her. The ion storm, the explosion, Sergeant Doge sending her home early. She hadn’t actually taken the time to clean herself up. No, after that mess, she’d elected to spend the rest of the day splayed out on her bed feeling like garbage until she dozed off.

The ion storm likely didn’t help matters either. Probably made her feathers even more of a frazzled mess than they were when she conked out.

“Come on, Martlet, get it together.”

There was no way she’d be able to straighten out every single one of her feathers. She’d be stuck here all morning, and she wasn’t going to risk being late to work, not when she was already on thin ice. Metaphorical ice, of course, the actual ice in Snowdin was pretty thick-

Damn it Martlet, just quit it already, this sort of thing is the exact reason why you’re on probation, so straighten up and focus!

She slapped herself across the face with one of her wings. 

“Ow!” 

Okay, that was a bit harder than she intended, but hey, more pain means more focus, right?

She started with the messiest of her plumage, quickly flattening most of her feathers and doing a quick preening of the more stubborn ones. Checking the mirror again, she concluded she had gone from looking like she had passed out in a dumpster to looking like she had passed out on the couch… that’d have to be good enough for now. She could be a bit more thorough once she got to work.

“Guess the rest can wait.” The bird monster took a deep breath. “Okay, no big deal. Just get to work, clean myself up a bit more, focus on getting the puzzles back in order, and then just man the post until time to clock out and show Sergeant Doge you’re ready to take this job seriously. You got this, Martlet!” She pumped a wing, admittedly with a bit more forced emphasis than she would like to admit. But oh well, probably just the dregs of the early morning. She’d find her motivation soon enough.

She headed downstairs, only making a brief return to grab her badge. She hurried into the kitchen and grabbed a bag out of the fridge. She’d need to have her breakfast at work, but no big deal. 

Now that she had everything she needed, she stepped out the door and locked it behind her. Mostly confident that things wouldn’t go wrong this time, she flapped her wings and took to the air, heading straight for her post.

So this was Snowdin…

Admittedly, Clover had not been expecting it to be so cold. He hadn’t been expecting the snow either. Although now that he thought about it, the fact that the place was called Snowdin should’ve been a dead giveaway.

Or rather, it would have, if not for the fact that this place was underground. Seriously, why was there snow down here? It didn’t make any sense. And the trees, too. Trees were growing down here, this place somehow had an entire snow covered forest.

He had to do a double take and check the ceiling just to make sure that he was, in fact, still in the Underground and hadn’t somehow taken a wrong turn and wound up back on the surface. What he saw was a very high cave ceiling with massive stalactites poking out from the shadows.

No sky, no sun, no Super Destroyer in high orbit. Yup, he was still in the Underground. An underground that somehow had falling snow. And trees.

At least the ruins made sense. That was the sort of thing he could understand finding underground. But a place like Snowdin? He hadn’t given this place enough credit, it seemed. It wasn’t just the monsters. Turns out the whole Underground was weird.

Whatever, he could dwell all he wanted on how little this place made sense another time. For now, he had far more pressing matters. Like Dalv’s account of his encounter with Juniot Cadet Melody in Snowdin.

He was hit by a sudden realization. One that got him excited. He had been right! Sweet Liberty he had actually been right! He’d finally found his first real lead since he had started planning this whole mission, and come Tyranny or High Freedom, he was going to follow that lead until it led him to Melody, and hopefully the rest of the Cadets as well.

His excitement started to die down as a frigid cold set over him, it was only then that he became aware he was shivering. Was he starting to lose his never again? Was he really cut out for all of th- Oh, no, wait, it wasn’t nerves, he was literally cold, on account of all the snow. It’d never occurred to him to bring any cold-weather gear. 

Well, best to get moving, then. Hopefully, he’d be able to find a place out of the cold. But until then, the fires of Liberty and his own resolve would have to be enough to sustain him.

He took off down the path before him, boots crunching in the snow as he passed through the trees and down a small pass that ended at a crossroad with a large rock sitting in the middle. A strange looking symbol on its side drew his attention, an orb with wings and three triangles below them, two pointing up and a third lower and in the middle pointing down.

He could’ve sworn he’d seen this symbol somewhere before.

“Golly, that’s a nice looking hat you got there.”

Clover let out a surprised squeak, quickly pivoting to find Flowey staring intently at the hat that was now sitting on top of his helmet. “A gift from that new friend of yours, I’m guessing?” He leaned in closer, staring directly into the Cadet’s eyes. Could he see them through the visor?

“Uh huh.” Clover nodded dumbly, caught off guard by the flower’s sudden invasion of his personal space. “H-how does it look?”

“It looks dumb.” Flowey frowned at the human, leaning back with a very unimpressed look. “You wear a helmet or a hat, not both. This just makes you look like an idiot.”

“Well, I think it’s a good look…”

“Yeah, well, I guess I shouldn’t be surprised you’d think that.” Flowey rolled his eyes. “Seeing as you thought it was worth wasting time getting killed by that downer not once, not twice, but three times.” Flowey ruffled three of his petals in sequence for emphasis. “Instead of just shooting him like I told you to.”

“Hey, that’s not fair,” Clover objected, taken aback by the criticism. “He was just in a bad place, is all, it wasn’t worth killing him over that. Besides, it ended up helping the mission.”

“What, because you got to make a ‘friend’?” Flowey questioned sarcastically, pulling out his vines to make air quotes. “Somebody to share some of your ‘Liber-Tea’ with during your break? Somebody who was willing to give you some stupid cowboy hat?"

“It’s not stupid…” Clover muttered, letting out an embarrassed cough once he realized he was getting off track. “Also, he told me about another human down here.”

Flowey let out an annoyed sigh. “Okay, first off.” He held up one vine.  “It’s not like he just met her, that trail is gone cold by now, literally and figuratively. And second.” He held up another vine. “You don’t seriously think you’re going to find her alive down here, do you? You remember I told you Asgore has been killing humans, right? Doesn’t take a genius to figure out what happened to her or any others that wound up down here.”

Even through his helmet, Clover’s surprise must’ve been obvious given Flowey’s tepid look.

“Don’t act so shocked, it’s not like you’ve been subtle about why you’re down here.” The flower poked the Cadet with a vine. “Looking for her is a waste of time. What you should be doing is focusing on finding Asgore and getting out of here.”

As much as he didn’t want to, Clover knew that Flowey had a good point. He had and still hoped otherwise, but really, there was a good chance it was far too late to save  Melody or any of the other Cadets that had disappeared. Especially when they had been gone this long. But even in spite of all that, he still couldn’t accept it. Not until he knew for sure what had become of them.

He’d thought Super Earth would’ve owed them that much at least. He still had a hard time understanding why they had felt otherwise. It was like they had been written off as expendable. 

But it probably wasn’t, right? Clover was probably just misreading the reasoning behind it. Still didn’t change the fact that he felt these Cadets deserved better. And if nobody else was going to do it, then it would just have to be him.

“Look, Flowey, I can’t just write her off like that. I need to find out what happened.” Clover balled his fists tightly, the leather in his gloves creaking. “I need to make sure Justice is done.”

“Ugh, are all humans as stubborn as you?” Flowey slumped his head in defeat. “Fine, whatever, go waste your time looking for that missing girl, go look for all of them. It won’t matter in the end. You’ll still have to deal with Asgore sooner or later. Both to get out of here and to bring about your precious ‘Justice.’”

Clover could practically feel the air quotes as Flowey said it.

“Anyways, it’s way too cold here, so I’m going to head somewhere warmer. Got a SAVE point here if you need it. I’ll meet you up ahead.” Flowey disappeared into the snow, leaving a yellow point behind.

Clover quickly touched the point to SAVE and then moved on. Following his instincts, he took the left path. He didn’t get far before crossing paths with two monsters settled at a lit fire, they were completely covered in winterware to the point where he couldn’t even make out their features. 

He tried asking for directions, only to quickly discover two things. One, that the monsters were newlyweds on their honeymoon, and two, that the new husband was even more lost than he was, no matter how much he refused to admit it.

Either way, the giant boulder blocking the path forward was as good a reason as any for the Cadet to double back to the crossroad and try his luck the other way.

As he went down the other path, he noticed a small igloo seemingly gliding along the ice of a frozen lake. His curiosity getting the better of him, Clover cautiously stepped onto the ice, making sure it wouldn’t crack before getting a closer look at the small igloo in question.

He couldn’t help but wonder what kind of monster might live in something that small.

“Igloo, igloo,” a voice from inside squeaked.

“Huh?” Clover leaned in. Was there somebody hiding inside? “Uhh… hello?”

“Just an ordinary igloo, nothing to see here,” the voice spoke up again, sounding a bit anxious this time.

The Cadet couldn’t help but blink in confusion. What was even happening? “Okay then…” Whatever the case was, the monster didn’t seem to want visitors. Not willing to push his luck, the human opted to just walk past and leave the monster be.

“Are they gone now?” he heard the voice ask quietly. Glancing back, he saw the igloo rise up to reveal a crab looking monster wearing it like a shell and quickly skitter off.

Guess the monster wasn’t much of a people person. Given the fact he had only made his first friend today, he could relate.

Not much else happened as Clover marched through the snow, arms and cape wrapped around him as he worked to keep himself warm. There was a brief detour involving a box and an attached letter written by somebody who seemed to really hate boxes. Neither of which was of any use in Clover’s mission or in warding off the Freedom-forsaken chill wracking his body, so he just ended up back on the path a bit colder and a bit more perplexed than before.

He continued trekking through the snow and trees until the area finally opened up to a sealed gate next to some strange contraption being worked on by a blue bird monster.

Clover’s first instinct was to call out, but a vine shot out in front of him and blocked his path before he could. Looking over, he saw Flowey firmly shaking his head at the Cadet, the vine shifting to point at a nearby rock. He didn’t have any reason to doubt the flower monster, so he obeyed the unspoken instruction, moving behind the rock and leaning out to get a better look at the bird monster.

The monster looked like a walking disaster. Her feathers were a dishevelled mess that stuck out at odd angles. Some of them looked like they had been flattened out, but it was likely a rush job at best. Clover wasn’t sure what the standards were for monsters on the job, but if he had ever come to roll call for any of his jobs looking like that, he’d probably at the very least land himself an official demerit along with a mandatory reeducation session or two on proper work appearance. 

The monster in question seemed to have finished whatever it was she was doing, turning around with a tired but somewhat satisfied smile on her face as she pulled out a small handbook.

“Recalibrate the lava rock puzzle… Check!” the monster remarked, sounding tired but relieved. “Phew, feels good to finally start getting back on track.” She wiped her brow with a wing, taking a moment to flatten down some of the more egregiously misaligned feathers.  “Might just manage to make this work after all.”

CRACK!

The bird monster visibly winced as one of the planks on the puzzle contraption cracked, falling into the snow

“That’s probably not a good sign…” the bird let out a resigned sigh. “Well, the puzzle should last for at least a few more tries. Just hope I can find the time to come back and get it properly fixed before then.”

She took one last look at her handbook before stuffing it in her pocket. “Well, next stop, Honeydew Resort. Think I’m going to need a drink after that, and to smooth out this plumage some more.” She patted at her feathers again. “So itchy.”

Once she was done with her impromptu grooming session, she flapped her wings and took off into the air, a gust of wind shooting out as she went.

“I see she’s still as big of a screw-up as ever.” Flowey shook his head at the monster as she disappeared over the trees. “Usually doesn’t look that bummed out though, guess she’s finally starting to realize she’s not cut out for this job.”

“Who is she?” Clover asked, staring in the direction she had flown off towards. There was something about her mood that felt oddly familiar to him, but he had a hard time placing it.

“One of the Royal Guard,” Flowey answered with an amused smirk. “And a pretty inept one at that. Guess they’ll let anyone in these days.”

Clover gave the flower a questioning look. “You didn’t want her to know I was here. Why?”

“Because she’d probably try to either arrest or kill you.” Flowey stated flatly like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

“Huh?” he tilted his head in confusion. 

“What do you mean, huh?” Flowey shot him an incredulous look. “Did I not tell you? Could’ve sworn I did. Well, whatever, the Royal Guards are meant to protect the Underground and hunt down any humans that come down here, and that includes you .” He jabbed a vine at the human's chest in emphasis. “Granted, that one’s a bird-brained dunce who probably wouldn’t be too hard to deal with-”

“Heh heh, ‘bird-brained.’”

SMACK!

“Ow!” The Cadet winced at the vine that had just smacked hard against his arm.

“Stop that!” Flowey shot an annoyed glare at the human. “Point being, she’ll only cause us problems if she sees you, and that’s something I’d rather not deal with.”

“Alright, alright, I get your point. I’ll keep my distance from her.” Clover conceded, rubbing at his sore arm. “Sheesh, Flowey, that really stings, even through my armour.”

“Your costume , you mean?” Flowey gave the human a light shove. “Because there’s no way that’s real armour. Why’d you even bring that anyway?”

“It was better than anything else I had. That and…” Clover paused, suddenly feeling very awkward.

“And what?”

“Well…” The human was reluctant to answer. 

Embarrassed too. 

He was on a mission, he was supposed to be taking this seriously. But the answer was just so… childish. And there was no way Flowey would understand. He’d probably just get irritated.

“Come on, spit it out!”

Looks like Flowey was going to get irritated either way.

“I wanted to feel like a real Helldiver,” he muttered quietly.

“Really?” Flowey sounded skeptical. “Aren’t those guys supposed to be, like, super violent? At least that’s what all the stories from the war seemed to suggest.”

“More like… very dedicated to Managed Democracy,” Clover defended weakly. It didn’t even sound convincing to himself, there was no way Flowey would accept that.

“By committing incredibly violent acts against others… right?” The flower pressed.

“I guess…”

Flowey raised an eyebrow at that. “You haven’t committed a single act of violence your entire time here, even in self-defence. Why would you ever want to be a Helldiver when you act nothing like them?”

“I…” Clover struggled to answer the question. But in truth, he had no idea. 

Didn’t everybody dream of being a Helldiver? A normal citizen of Super Earth certainly did. It’s not like he really had any other aspirations in life beyond doing his best to serve Managed Democracy.

Really, he hadn’t even had a chance to think about doing anything else. All he ever focused on was working hard, trying not to say anything that would get him in trouble, and doing his best to serve the cause.

But beyond that? He wasn’t sure what he wanted. He was hoping this mission he’d taken up might give him some much needed clarity.

“Look, just forget I brought it up, okay? It doesn’t matter. Not if it’s going to make you all quiet and contemplative. Remember that we’ve still got a job to do.” Flowey cut in, bringing the Cadet back to the moment. “Just figure out how to get past this gate and let’s go, quickly, before one or both of us gets frostbite. Or that bird-brain comes back and either tries to catch you or brings in the rest of the Royal Guard. The last thing we need is to find ourselves stuck with no way out and having to do a-” The flower paused, a flash of confusion briefly crossing his face before disappearing just as quickly. “Whatever, just deal with the gate, okay? I’ll see you later.” Before Clover could respond, the flower disappeared back into the ground.

Clover blinked blankly at where Flowey had just been. “Well, alright then.” He took a deep breath, clearing his thoughts and opting to focus on the task at hand. Given how much monsters seemed to love puzzles, he’d probably need to solve this weird contraption before he could get through the gate.

Walking up to the wall, he saw a switch, a glass tube built into the wall with a block of ice sitting at the top, two arrows pointing in opposite directions, and a sign with a small note attached to the side.

To whom it may concern: In accordance with Royal Guard guide book four, paragraph two, this puzzle is intended to impede the progress of an intruder (probably you), entertain the residents of the surrounding area (Snowdin), and appear intimidating to would-be intruders or wrong-doers (I’m unclear on what they mean by that, just go with it.) To pass by this challenge, you must melt the ice cube. Make sure the ball-thing gets to the bottom without breaking though.

Signed: Martlet of the Underground Royal Guard.

Huh, seems like the Royal Guard likes protocol almost as much as Super Earth, interesting. So it sounds like all he had to do was get the ‘ball-thing’ to melt the ice cube. That sounded simple enough. He reached for the switch and gave it a pull.

CRACK!

He heard another plank of wood snap, followed by a loud crash. He wasn’t at a good angle to tell, but he was pretty sure he just heard the puzzle contraption break.

It would seem that this ‘Martlet’ character had been overly optimistic about how long that puzzle would last.

He looked at the attached note to see if there was any helpful advice on what to do next, only to find a distressingly large number of postscript notes, none of which had any useful advice.

...if one of the logs gets stuck, just jiggle it a little…

That definitely wasn’t going to help, not when the entire thing was busted. The other postscripts weren’t much better, with one of them remarking about needing to either be tall or able to fly to jiggle the logs.

That might have been useful… if he had brought a jump pack. 

Another postscript advising waiting for Martlet to come back… in three days.

There was no way he was waiting that long. Besides, didn’t Flowey say she’d probably try to arrest or kill him?

He looked at the very last postscript in the vain hope it might have something useful.

P.P.P.P.S. - I have been informed that the amount of P.S.’s on this sign is ‘unseemly.’ I am very sorry for any trouble they’ve caused.

Unhelpful, but at least she apologized for it.

Either way, not ideal. The trap was busted, and he had no way through. How in Liberty’s name was he going to melt that ice cube? If he couldn’t get the lava ball or whatever it was to come down, then he was going to have to find something else that could-

He glanced at the ice cube, then down at the revolver in his holster. 

The LAS revolver.

“Right… of course.”

He pulled out his TALON and aimed square at the ice cube.

BLAM!

The ice cube hissed and glowed as it started to melt from the excess thermal energy, shrinking to half its size as the glass tube on the wall filled up halfway.

BLAM!

With another shot, the ice cube melted completely, filling the glass tube the rest of the way. He watched with glee as the gate next to the puzzle slid to the side and opened the way ahead.

Now that was thinking Democratically!

With a spin of his revolver, Clover holstered his gun and marched through the gate down the waiting path, ready for whatever challenges awaited him next.

He couldn’t help but think about that bird monster, though. She seemed just so tired but earnest, and for some reason, it really spoke to Clover. Now, if only he could figure out why. Maybe he'd get a chance to have a chat with her about it, he’d probably enjoy that. He had enjoyed the one with Dalv.

But then again, she’d probably attack him at first, just like Dalv had. That part hadn’t been very fun.

But still, things had eventually worked out with Dalv, who’s to say it wouldn’t work out with the bird as well? Besides, even if things did go badly, Flowey could always bail him out. The flower would probably be very grumpy about it, but still, Clover could find a solution if it came to a fight. He was certain of it… mostly.

Chapter Text

“Huumpf! Two-thirty-eight! Huumpf! Two-thirty-nine! At this pace, Ice Wolf is ready for new job in no time!”

“So…I take it that means you haven’t seen the person I’m looking for come through here, then?” 

Clover watched the large wolf monster continue to grab blocks of ice and chuck them into the rushing waters of the nearby river. He couldn’t help but be impressed. To work at such a rapid yet consistent pace, not slowing down even a bit since he had first spotted the monster out in the snow... It was the kind of dedication and hard work the Cadet could only have dreamt of achieving back when he was working in the colonies.

“She would’ve looked similar to me, roughly the same size and shape. We’re… uhh, the same type of monster.” Clover wasn’t the biggest fan of lying about being human, but since there was at least one Royal Guard in the area, it’d probably be better not to draw attention to himself. Luckily, the wolf monster either didn’t recognize that he was human or was too busy to pay attention.

“Huumpf! Two-forty-five! No, Ice Wolf not see any other tiny monster like you. Huumpf! Two-forty-six! Ice Wolf just throws ice! Huumpf! Two-forty…” The Ice Wolf paused, his muzzle dipping into a puzzled frown. “Two-forty…” His ears drooped as he let out an annoyed whine. “Shoot! Ice Wolf lose count! Ice Wolf must now start over!” The monster grabbed another ice block and resumed throwing, barely even missing a beat. “Huumpf! One! Huumpf! Two!”

Another dead end, then. Not great, but still, Clover wasn’t about to let a few setbacks stop him. Snowdin undoubtedly still had plenty of monsters, at least one of them probably had seen Melody or one of the other Cadets. He just needed to keep looking. Hopefully without getting outed as a human in the process, but hey, at least Flowey could help with that.

He tipped his hat at the wolf monster, even though he seemed too focused on his work to notice, and turned around to head back to the main path, already thinking about who to ask next. Maybe that stacked trio he saw earlier? Stacking on top of each other like that looked pretty exhausting. They’d probably be more receptive to questions whenever they took a bre-

“Hrrk!”

Something yanked hard on Clover’s neck, bringing him to a stop and rooting him in place.

“What the?”

He looked back at what was pulling on him. 

It was his cape.

It was caught on one of the ice blocks in the nearby pile. The ones that Ice Wolf was throwing into the river. A very cold and fast moving river from the looks of it…

He might be in trouble.

“Uhh, excuse me? Mr. Ice Wolf?” Clover called out, trying to get the monster’s attention as he pulled on his cape in vain. “Could you hold off for a sec? My cape is kind of-”

“No more talk.” Ice Wolf cut him off between grunts. “Huumpf! Seven! Ice Wolf must focus! Huumpf! Eight!”

“No, no, I get that, sir, I really do.” Clover yanked hard on the cape, but the stubborn thing refused to budge. It must’ve frozen to the ice block, just like that poor rabbit monster earlier that got their tongue stuck on a metal pole. Clover had offered to try using his LAS revolver to heat up the metal, but the monster had refused. They either didn’t want to trouble whoever would have to fix it, or they were afraid he would burn their tongue. It was hard to say, he never managed to make out what the monster had been saying. 

“I can appreciate hard and dedicated work as much as the next citizen.” There was a small rip in the fabric as his cape gave slightly, but it still wasn’t enough to break free. Was he going to have to tear it off completely? 

“That being said, my cape is stuck, and you look really strong, so I was wondering if you could hold off for just a sec until I can tear it loose? Because with somebody like you tossing those cubes in the river, I feel like I’d just get dragged along with-”

Clover’s request was cut short as the Ice Wolf, apparently having tuned the Cadet out, reached for the very ice cube his cape was caught on and firmly grasped it in his paws. The monster was so focused that he didn’t even notice the cape.

Uh oh.

It turned out Ice Wolf was every bit as strong as Clover had suspected, because the next thing he knew, he was flung cape-first through the air and crashed into the river. The shock of the ice cold water was like a punch to the gut as the air in his lungs emptied with a shocked gasp.

He couldn’t even move, frozen stiff with shock and cold as he quickly started sinking. He managed to get a brief glimpse of a very surprised Ice Wolf trying to rush after him along the edge of the river, waving his paws and shouting something the Cadet couldn’t make out. Not that it mattered now that he’d sunk below the water’s surface, too numb to even hold his breath as the water started seeping into his suit and helmet.

The last thing he felt was the freezing water beginning to fill his lungs as the river current dragged him down into its depths, and everything went dark.

////////// ELIMINATED //////////

Killed by DROWNING

“BWAHAHAHAHA, oh wow, now THAT was funny! I mean, seriously, getting killed by your own cape? Definitely up there when it comes to stupid ways to die. Really, why even bring a cape of all things? Is it just some human thing?”

…

“Okay, as great as that was, I’m going to go ahead and get us back on track now. I’d tell you to ditch the cape, but I have a feeling you’d be too stubborn to do that. Plus, it’d be really funny to see what other ways that dumb thing can get you killed. Just try to hold off on any other dumb stunts for now, okay?”

FILE LOADED

Thunk!

“Geez, Martlet, you don’t look so good.” Honey bent over, a worried look on her face as she watched the bird monster just lie there after practically slamming her head against the counter. “Bad day at work?”

“Something like that…” Martlet muttered, refusing to budge even though this was super uncomfortable and her neck was starting to really hurt and seriously, ow, she hit that counter way harder than she meant to.

But whatever, she deserved it. She was garbage at her job, she looked like garbage, her puzzles were garbage, everything about her was garbage. Even the warm and cozy vibes of this lodge and the lovely music the monster trio were playing weren’t enough to make her feel any less garbage.

“Can I… get you a drink or something?” The pink furred bear monster asked, shifting uncomfortably as the bummed out bird refused to move or even look at anything other than the back wall.

Martlet let out a weary sigh. If she was going to just sit here taking up space and feeling sorry for herself, then the least she could do was not waste Honey’s time. “What do you have again? I’ll take the strongest thing you’ve got.”

“Well, umm…” Honey coughed awkwardly as she rubbed the back of her neck. “We have… honeydew coffee.”

“...and?”

“Just coffee…”

“Fine.” Martlet finally sat up, rooting through her pockets to pull out some G and slap it down on the counter. “One coffee, please.”

“Coming right up.” The bear monster said with a forced smile, clearly still worried about the bird monster.

Out of the corner of her eye, Martlet could see Honey reaching for a coffee pot, the sound of hot liquid being poured into something before she came back with a mug filled to nearly the brim with steaming hot black liquid, placing it in front of the bird monster.

Without even thinking, she grabbed the mug and downed it all in one go.

Honey’s eyes went wide with alarm. “Oh no, that coffee’s very-”

PFFFTT!!!

“HOT! HOT! HOT! HOT!” Martlet screeched as she spat out the boiling liquid all over the counter. Her wings frantically patted her burning beak in a fruitless attempt to dispel the heat.

“Here!” 

There was a thud as Honey slammed down a glass of ice water right in front of her, a panicked look on her face that likely mirrored Martlet’s own, although probably not expressing nearly as much SEARING HOT PAIN!

“Drink!”

Martlet grabbed the glass and practically slammed it into her beak. A lot ended up splashing across her face and tank top, but she managed to drink enough to provide some much needed cool and refreshing relief. Her mouth was still sizzling hot agony, but at least it was starting to feel better.

There was an awkward silence as the two just sat there, both trying to ignore the fact that the whole fiasco had a lot of the other patrons staring in their direction.

“You okay?” Honey finally asked, offering a second glass of ice water.

“Still burns…” Martlet moaned before grabbing the glass and drinking it much more slowly. “But not nearly as bad, thanks.”

Man, could she even do anything right?

“Seriously, what’s going on, Martlet?” Honey pressed. “You know you can talk to me, right?”

Huh, she could talk to Honey, couldn’t she?

Normally, talking to other people seemed to make the bear monster uncomfortable. But Martlet was always one of the few people she was actually comfortable around on the job. Even then, the bird normally would’ve kept this to herself, but she really needed to vent after the chaos of the last couple of days. Once she was sure she could open her beak without it causing more searing pain, she decided to speak up.

“I don’t know, it’s just…” she began, struggling to find the words before finally slumping her wings and letting out an exhausted sigh. “After everything that happened yesterday, I told myself I was going to take this whole Royal Guard thing seriously. That I was going to roll up my sleeves and-” She stopped and looked down at her wings. “Wait, I don’t have sleeves, how am I even going to-”

“It’s fine, I get the metaphor,” Honey cut in before the blue bird could get too sidetracked.

“Ugh, this is exactly what I mean. I can never just focus, there’s all these little things. A forgotten badge here, a misplaced tool there, and then you stick a nail in half way and you swear you’re going to finish it but then you remember you need to go get your saw so you start cutting some wood and then next thing you know, it’s all coming down and the Sergeant is chewing you and then…” She slumped forward, knocking her head on the counter again. She was pretty sure some coffee splashed against her face as well.

Wonderful.

“It all just keeps piling up to make one bird-brained mess of a bird who just can’t keep it together enough to do anything right.” She looked back up, wiping the coffee off her face. “I mean, for Angel’s sake, I can’t even drink a cup of coffee without it somehow turning into a complete fiasco. Between this and that whole mess with the ion storm yesterday, it seems the only things I’m actually good at are burning myself and just sitting around feeling like garbage.”

A shame she couldn’t get a job doing that.

“I mean, I’ve been on probation for just… so long, and I’ve gotten nowhere. What does that say about me?”

“Well…” Honey started, not sure if the question was legitimate or just rhetorical.

“Don’t answer that,” Martlet cut in with a panicked look before turning to exhausted resignation. She really needed this job. What would she even do if Sergeant Doge or the Captain finally decided they’d had enough and gave her the boot?

“If it’s any consolation, I can relate a bit.” Honey wrung her paws nervously, looking down at the counter. “This job stresses me out a lot. Talking to… people all day, it’s hard. And there’s all this stuff I’m supposed to remember but just can’t, even though I’ve been here for over a year.” She looked back up, starting to rapidly tap her knuckles against the counter. “And it’s not like I can just quit or anything because it’s the family business, and what kind of monster would I be if I just walked out on family when they need me?”

At the mention of family, Martlet’s thoughts began to wander as the bear monster rambled. She should really send a letter to her mom and dad; it’s been too long.

“-so of course I gotta keep working at this job and put up with all of dad’s disappointed looks every time I screw up because ‘that’s just what you do for family.’ And don’t get me started on-” Honey paused, looking awkwardly around as she noticed all the attention they were drawing once again. “Oh, uh, sorry about that,” a bright red flush appeared beneath her pink fur. “Not very professional of me, plus, I was supposed to be the one making you feel better…”

“No, it’s fine, I get it.” Martlet smiled at the bear monster as she waved off the apology. “It helped a bit. Guess it’s nice to know I’m not the only one who’s having a hard time figuring things out.” Her eyes bulged and she started to panic. “Not… that I’m saying it’s good that you’re having a hard time. I’d never take pleasure in-”

“Don’t worry, I get what you meant. We’re all trying to figure out this mess together.” Honey nodded with a smile, the blush fading from her face. “I mean, the whole Underground kinda is, what with the whole ‘sealed away by crazy Democracy-obssessed space humans who would probably blow us all up if we ever showed our faces on the surface again’ deal.”

Marlet chuckled at that. “Well, before we figure that whole mess of a situation out, I’m going to try and focus on getting my act together long enough to get off probation.” She couldn’t help but notice Honey's frown at that, but instead of addressing it, she brushed herself off and hopped off the stool. “Speaking of, I need to get back to work.” She headed for the door, turning around one last time to wave. “Thanks for the talk, Honey, hope things work out for you.”

The pink-furred monster waved back. “Thanks, hope they work out for you too.”

With that farewell, Martlet opened the door, leaving the cozy inn behind as she stepped back out into the cold Snowdin air.

“Now kid, we’ll let you pass on through. You’ve earned ya self a powerful friend in the Shufflers today. All you gotta do is remember the name an’ we’ll be on ya side if ya ever need us.” The mug monster in shades looked back and forth at the two other mug monsters at his side. “The Shufflers always protect a friend, right boys?”

“Yeah, you got a problem, we can handle it.”

“Yeah, handle.”

These guys seemed to really like their mug puns.

As the Shufflers shuffled out of the way, Clover gave the trio a respectful nod and headed on his way down the forested path. He was feeling quite relieved that it had gone so well. Frankly, he’d been expecting trouble when they first showed up, but lucky for him, the Shufflers were as adverse to violence as he was.

He probably should’ve been weirded out by the fact that he had just played several rounds of the shell game with a trio of talking mugs, but at this point, he was starting to get used to just how weird the Underground was.

But that in itself was rather concerning. Was he getting too accustomed to being around Tyranny? Was this how people wind up becoming dissidents?

Nope, no good would come from thinking about that. Best to just forget all that and stay focused.

He continued through the woods until he saw a familiar blue blur speeding by just ahead of him. Rushing forward, he managed to get out of the trees into an opening and spotted the Royal Guard monster from earlier before she once again disappeared out of sight.

Looking the other way towards where she came from, Clover saw a very warm and cozy-looking lodge with a pitched roof. There were several monsters gathered on logs around a crackling fire right next to the lodge itself. The windows were lit up, and he could hear music and the murmur of chatter reverberating from within.

Remembering Flowey’s warning, he decided to try his luck at the lodge instead of heading after the bird monster. Maybe he’d finally find somebody who knew something about Melody? All his recon of Snowdin so far had managed to yield were a bunch of shrugs, a few unhelpful stories and ramblings from the more easily distracted monsters, a couple of fights, and one instance of him getting drowned in the river by his own cape. He didn’t remember the last one, but Flowey did, and he would not stop laughing about it.

Very undemocratic. And rude.

Plus, he really needed to get out of the cold for a bit. He was starting to feel numb in certain places, and the buildup of frost on the edges of his visor was becoming concerning.

Stepping through the door, the Cadet quickly found himself shrouded in a comforting warmth emanating from a heater in the middle of the lodge. 

Ah, that was much better. It was like he was in the warm embrace of Damsel Democracy herself.

The atmosphere was as warm and cozy on the inside as it had looked on the outside. Tables, seats, and a couple of couches, all with honeycomb patterned tops, were arranged throughout the lodge on top of wooden panel flooring. Monsters were sitting around idly chatting, and a raised stage sat at the back of the lodge where three monsters with instruments were, playing a jaunty sounding tune.

Clover casually strolled up to the heater and put out his hands to take in the warmth. It made for a very welcome reprieve after so much time rushing around in the freezing snow and ice. Leaning in, he noticed a sticker on the side.

Crafted with love by Chujin & Martlet!

Wasn’t Martlet the Royal Guard he had just seen? Was she also into engineering or something? She had been working on the puzzle contraption earlier, although that didn’t exactly say much about her skills. And who was this Chujin? Another Guard, maybe? Did the Royal Guard double as mechanics or engineers for the Underground?

“Hey, nice looking hat there, partner!” A monster called out, grabbing the Cadet’s attention.

Glancing over, Clover saw a rabbit monster at the counter waving at him. Green and pink seemed to be the theme, since it was the colours of their scarf and coat as well as the cowboy hat they were sporting.

“Thanks.” He shot the monster a pair of finger guns in response. “Yours looks pretty fine, too.”

Not his preferred colour scheme, but that stylish hat more than made up for it.

“You from the Dunes?” The monster asked. “They all dress up like that.” They tilted their head as they studied the Cadet. “Sort of… they don’t really go for helmets and capes.”

Clover shook his head. “No, never been. A friend gave me this hat.” He gave it a flick. “Gotta say, though. I think it suits me pretty fine.”

“Then you should check out the Dunes sometime,” the monster suggested with a tip of their hat. “You’d probably like it there, if you don’t mind the heat, anyway.”

“Thanks for the advice. Might just do that.” Clover was about to take a seat next to the rabbit when he noticed a pink-furred bear monster at the counter briefly glance his way before looking back down, fervently scrubbing at what looked like some coffee stains on the wooden veneer. Probably a shopkeeper or barista from the looks of it.

As much as he would’ve loved to ask the rabbit monster more about the Dunes, he had already had his break for the day. The mission came first, and there was a good chance the bear monster was the best person here to ask about Melody, so he sat down on the stool closest to her.

“Excuse me, ma'am?”

The bear froze, a look of mild dread on her face. “Oh god, why did I look at him? Of course he’d try to talk to me,” she muttered quietly under her breath. He was pretty sure he wasn’t supposed to have heard that.

“I’m sorry?”

“Ahhh!” The bear monster jumped, giving the Cadet a panicked look before straightening her features, and raising a paw, forcing out an awkward smile as she did. “Uhh, I-I mean, welcome to the Honeydew Resort. H-how can I help you, today?” Her eyes were closed shut as if it would hide the anxiousness radiating off of her.

Clover held up a placating hand. “It’s fine, ma’am, didn’t mean to disturb you.” He placed his satchel on top of the counter and started digging into it. “I was just looking for someone who’d been through here and was wondering if you could help me.”

“Oh?” The bear monster tilted her head. “Y-you’re looking for somebody? I’m not sure how much help I can be, but I’ll try.”

“Thanks.” Clover pulled his datapad from his satchel and placed it on the counter. The pink bear eyed it curiously as Clover started cycling through the files. While he had stored some books and movies on it in case he had any free time, he had also made sure to load it with all the records on the missing Cadets that he could find. It never hurts to have those details on hand.

Once he found a photo of Melody in a similar looking service technician uniform to the one he had been wearing the previous day, he held it up for the monster to see. “I’m looking for this girl. A friend of mine from the Ruins said she’d been through here before.”

He offered the datapad, which the bear reluctantly took.

“Her name is Melody. She’d probably be around the same size as me, is there any chance you might’ve seen her or know somebody who has?”

“Maybe?” The barista studied the image on the datapad curiously. “It’s hard to say. She kinda reminds me of somebody I’ve heard about, can’t really remember who though.” Her brow furrowed thoughtfully as she focused. “I just remember it being very…” Her eyes suddenly went wide.

“Gah!” Her arms shot out in a panic, the datapad flying from her grip and bouncing off the Cadet’s helmet. He just barely managed to catch it before it could fall to the floor.

That had not been the reaction he was expecting.

“Sorry…” the monster muttered in embarrassment. “It’s just that person I heard about, it was a human in Snowdin, one who went on a rampage that ended with a lot of monsters dying.” Her eyes glanced around frantically, as if she were checking to make sure nobody else was listening in.

Clover looked around, and nobody seemed to be paying attention. If that little outburst had drawn any, it seems they had lost interest pretty quickly. 

“I never actually saw her, but the drawings and sketches they made… well… they looked a lot like that friend of yours…”

Oh…

It was a good thing Clover was wearing a helmet. He’d have probably looked very suspicious if she could see how nervous he was right now.

“But… you’re not looking for that girl, right?” The bear asked uncertainly. “Nobody but the Royal Guard would have any reason to be looking for her. For a… human.”

This was making the monster way too suspicious. Abort! Abort!

“Right, of course not.” The Cadet quickly stuffed the datapad back into his satchel and out of sight. “I’m sorry, I didn’t know my friend looked so similar to that… human. I’ll leave it alone.”

“It’s alright.” The bear monster smiled politely. She still looked nervous, but mostly relieved to leave such an awkward topic behind. “I’m sorry I couldn’t be more helpful. Is there anything else I can do for you?”

“Uhh, sure.” Clover nodded. “Got any food? I’m getting kinda hungry.”

“Well, we’ve got gingerbread bears, they’re pretty tasty and they’re shaped like my face!” Her smile twisted into an awkward grimace. “Not sure why I felt the need to tell you that part…”

“Uhh.” Clover tilted his head. “Got anything that isn’t shaped like your face?” He wasn’t sure if it was the thought of eating something that looked like the bear’s face was weird, or if it was her awkward reaction that had made it weird.

“Well…” she raised a paw. “We’ve got honeydew pancakes! They’re on special for 18 G!”

“Ooh, that sounds good.” Clover reached into his satchel. “Let me just get my… oh…”

As he pulled out his money, it occurred to him that he had no idea what G actually was. The Underground wasn’t technically a part of the Super Earth Federation. It was likely they had their own currency.

“I don’t suppose you take… Super Credits?” He placed a set of metal blue chips with white and yellow markings and the term ‘SUPER CREDIT’ prominently displayed on the edges.

“Oh…” the bear stared blankly at the stack of chips. “I have no idea what I’m looking at… I’m sorry, I… I can’t take these.”

“It’s fine, I… w-wasn’t thinking.” He quickly stuffed the chips back into his satchel and hopped down from the stool. This resort had been a bust, and if this place was anything like Super Earth territory, then behaviour this suspicious would probably get him reported soon. So he needed to get out, and fast. “Sorry for wasting your time.” He turned and quickly made for the door.

“Hold on a minute.”

Clover froze in place. Was this it? Had he been made?

“I’m… sorry I couldn’t help you with the person you were looking for. But I think I know who might be able to.”

Clover slowly turned around, cautiously looking back at the bear monster. She still appeared a bit anxious, but the look on her face seemed genuine enough.

“Really?”

“Yeah, you should talk to Martlet, she’s the Royal Guard around here.” The bear raised her paw again, this time much more excitedly. Was that some sort of tick of hers? “She’s always on patrol, working on her puzzles, and going around talking with everyone. If anybody can tell you about the person you’re looking for, it’s her.”

Talking to the Royal Guard? Flowey had seemed to be very firmly against that idea. But if anybody would know about Melody or the other cadets, surely it’d be them, right? It was risky, but it might just be worth a shot.

“Sounds good, any idea where I can find her?”

“You actually just missed her; she left right before you got here. But her guard station isn’t far, just head left down the path once you leave, past the bridge and the puzzle gate. She’s a blue bird monster, so she should be pretty easy to spot. Usually pretty chipper.” She glanced to the side with a concerned look. “Was pretty bummed out today though…But, uhh, I’m sure she’d be happy to help if you talk to her, or at least point you in the right direction.”

“Alright, thanks for the help, Miss… uhh, I don’t actually know your name.”

“It’s Honey.” The bear monster bowed her head. “And you’re welcome, good luck with your search.”

“Thanks.” Clover waved goodbye to the monster. “I’ll be sure to bring some G next time I stop by here.”

He probably wouldn’t be back, but hey, if he managed by some miracle to not get outed as a human, he just might.

Honey chuckled. “Looking forward to it.” She waved at the Cadet as he headed for the door and stepped back out into the cold.

“Okay, off to find Martlet, I guess.”

Just as Honey had said, it was a pretty simple walk through the forest path and across an admittedly sketchy looking bridge. But he managed to cross it without issue.

After that was the puzzle, and it was…

Wow.

It was like it had been hit by an orbital strike from a Super Destroyer. A mess of broken boards, shattered glass, twisted metal, and burnt wood. Liberty only knew what had happened here.

The only intact thing in the area was a lopsided signpost that looked like it had been half-heartedly hammered into the snow. There was a message written on it in the same style he had seen from the sign at Martlet’s other puzzle.

To whom it may concern: Due to complications from the recent ion storms, this puzzle is currently out of commission. To any residents of the surrounding area (Snowdin) or would-be intruders/wrongdoers (I’m still not sure what they mean by that, doesn’t matter, still going with it.), please hold off on your puzzle solving and/or malicious activities until this puzzle has been returned to working order.

Signed: Martlet of the Underground Royal Guard.

There was only one postscript this time.

P.S. - I’ve got nothing. I’m not sure why I even included this part.

Okay then. As rude as it would be to ignore the bird monster’s request, he couldn’t afford to wait around for the puzzle to be fixed. He’d just left the resort, and the cold was already setting in. He’d rather not freeze to death waiting for the puzzle to get fixed.  Besides, he just wanted to talk to her. It wasn’t like that involved puzzle solving, intruding, or wrongdoing.

Well… talking to her instead of just shooting her would be considered wrongdoing by Super Earth’s standards, but Clover was just going to ignore that part.

He started stepping through the open gate the puzzle had likely been designed to keep closed, when he felt something wrap tightly around his arm and constrict him in place.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

“Ahh! I’ve been made!” Clover spun around in a panic. “I’m sorry, I swear, I’m just looking for a friend!”

“It’s me, you idiot!”

A vine whipped Clover across the face. Even with his helmet on, he still managed to feel the impact. But it was enough to get him to snap to attention and realize who was in front of him.

“Oh, Flowey.” He waved awkwardly at the flower. “Hi.”

The flower glared daggers back at the human. “Don’t you ‘hi’ me. I heard your chat with the bear at the Honeydew Resort. Don’t even think about talking to that bird. I told you to steer clear of her.”

“Look, I know you said to forget about the other humans, but I’m not leaving until I-” Clover pulled against the vine still wrapped around his arm until Flowey relented, its grip releasing as it sank back into the ground. “Until I find out what happened. And right now, that Royal Guard’s my best lead.”

Flowey let out an aggravated sigh. “Okay, going to just move past the fact that we both already know what happened to the other humans because you’re too stubborn to face that truth and skip right to the part where the blue bird will make you out as a human and kill you! So tell me, genius, what do you do when you get to that part of your plan?”

“Well, that’s what you're here for, right?” Clover replied with an awkward shrug. “I can keep trying until we get past her.”

“And what, then?” Flowey countered. “She isn’t some loner in the Ruins who just wants a friend. She’s a Royal Guard. Even if you do get past without killing her, she’s not going to let it go. She’ll report that there’s a human in the Underground, and then you’ll have to contend with the entire Royal Guard hunting you down. And trust me, all the loads in the world won’t be enough to get you out of that kind of trouble.”

“Sure, it might take a while, but time’s not an issue, right?”

“You’re not the one who uses this power, I am!” Flowey snapped, leaning in closer to Clover, the human shuffling back in response. “And while time may not be an issue, getting stuck in an unwinnable scenario where we lose no matter what is . And if that’s what happens, then I don’t want to end up having to-”

The flower eased off, a look of confusion flashing across his face. His brow briefly furrowed intensely with thought before breaking into annoyance as he just shook his head. “Whatever, it just won’t be good, alright? Trust me on that.”

Clover wasn’t sure what that little episode was all about, but still, even with Flowey’s concerns, he had a good idea of how to get around that problem. “I’ll just have to convince Martlet not to tell anybody about me, then.”

“I…” Flowey beamed in frustration at the human. “You…” he struggled in vain to come up with a response before his head and petals slumped over in defeat. “Fine, whatever, I can see you’re already too stubborn to change your mind on this. Just go talk to the stupid bird then.”

“Thank’s Flowey, I knew you’d see it my way.” He reached out with a gloved hand towards the flower. “Any chance you could let me-”

“Nope.” Flowey shook his head. “Not giving you a SAVE. Not here. I know you’ll just keep trying this. Might be able to get you to try something less suicidal when this bird kills you and you load back to before you came up with this idiotic plan.”

Clover didn’t appreciate Flowey doubting him like that, but he was certain he could succeed regardless… probably. Still, having a SAVE would be nice.

“Well, then.” He did his best to exude an aura of confidence, standing firm with his hands on his waist. Maybe if he seemed confident enough, Flowey would just go along with it and let him SAVE. “I’ll just have to get it right on the first try.”

Flowey only narrowed his eyes at him. “You got killed by your stupid cape only an hour ago. You don’t get to be this confident.” 

“So… that’s a no on the SAVE, then?”

Flowey scowled at the human one more time, then he sank back into the snow and disappeared without a trace. True to his word, he did not leave behind a SAVE point.

“Well, it was worth a shot.”

Shrugging off the flower’s doubts, Clover stepped through the gate and made his way towards the guard station.

He soon found the station sitting in the middle of an opening in the trees, the whole area being sprinkled with a light snowfall. The sound of rushing water came from somewhere behind it. At first glance, it seemed to be unoccupied. There was a small bell on the counter that he considered ringing, but before he could get any closer, he heard the sound of shuffling and clattering coming from just beneath the station counter.

“Is that it? Nope.” A familiar voice rang out. “How about that? Nope. It’s gotta be in here somewhere. Come on, Martlet, where the heck did you leave it?”

Well, it would seem he’d managed to find the Royal Guard at least.

“Seriously, how are you going to even get started with fixing that mess of a puzzle when you can’t even find your tools? Bird-brained doesn’t even begin to cover it…”

Clover took a deep breath and cleared his throat. As risky as this was, he wasn’t about to turn back now.

“Excuse me, ma’am?”

“Oh, just a sec-”

THUD!

“Ow! Son of a-”

Clover grimaced at the sound. He hadn’t meant to make the poor monster hit her head…

The bird finally emerged from underneath the counter, wing rubbing at her now sore head. While she still looked like a mess, her plumage at least seemed a bit more organized. She must’ve done some preening since the last time he got a good look at her. But the tank top she was wearing looked a lot worse; it was covered in what looked like… coffee stains?

“Sorry, I seem to have misplaced my tools.” She looked tired and a bit flustered before her eyes went wide. “O-oh right, I almost forgot.” She went rigid and made an awkward salute with her wing. “H-hello citizen, I’m Royal Guard Martlet. How can I help you?”

Sweet Liberty, Democracy Officer Sonesson would have a field day with this poor bird if she had been serving abroad the Sovereign of Justice.

Instinctively, the Cadet returned her salute with one of his own. “Hello, Ms. Martlet, my name is Clover, and I was hoping you could help me find someone-”

“Hold on a sec.” Martlet narrowed her eyes, viewing the human with suspicion. “You look familiar…”

The human glanced between the monster and his own closed fist, the temperature under his helmet starting to rise as the realization sank in.

He had just shot her a Super Earth salute, hadn’t he?

His fist slowly opened as his arm awkwardly dropped back to his side. Maybe she didn’t recognize it?

Her eyes shot open as her beak broke into an excited smile. “Oh, you’re a human, right? Right?! I knew it! I knew I’d find one eventually! Finally, things are starting to come up Martlet!”

“Uhh…” Clover took a step back, caught off guard by the bird's sudden shift in mood. She seemed way too excited about this. It was like all that exhaustion from earlier had simply vanished.

“You look just like this guy on a- Wah!” In her excitement, the bird monster tripped trying to get over the guard station counter, letting out a surprised squawk as she face planted right into the snow in front of the human.

Clover barely even had a chance to react before the bird monster was back on her feet and brushing the snow off.

“Woops, got a bit ahead of myself there, sorry, I’m just so excited, I’ve never met a human before!”

“But, what makes you think I-”

“Oh, right, yeah, you’re human. I saw a guy in a poster who looked just like you. With the helmet and armour and cape and everything!” She copied the Super Earth salute he had shot her earlier, clenching her wing to resemble a closed fist. “And doing the exact same salute you just did!”

Oh… so she did recognize the salute then…

She glanced down, looking a bit less certain now. “Okay, well… you don’t look exactly the same. The guy in the poster looked taller.” She looked over the Cadet's features with a discerning eye. “And his armour was more black and yellow, not the dark brown you’ve got going. Also, he wasn’t wearing a hat. I think it was because he was from space or something. Space humans are a thing, right?”

“Uhh…”

“I’m pretty sure they are. I mean, you hear all those stories about the space humans dropping down from… uhh… space, or whatever, during the war. Apparently, monsters could travel through space as well, but then we lost, and now we can’t. But the space humans still can! What were they called again? Was it, like, the Space Guard or Dust Divers or something?”

“Helldivers…” Clover corrected.

He just couldn’t help himself, could he?

“Right, the Helldivers, that’s who the space humans are. And I guess you would know since you’re a human, right?” She took a step towards Clover, practically vibrating with excitement.

Clover slowly backed away. “Look, you seem like a very nice lady, and you also seem very curious about humans and the Helldivers,” Clover said, trying to placate the bird monster and put some space between them. But for every step he took back, she just took another forward.

At least she wasn’t attacking, maybe he could still salvage this.

“How about this?” he tried to reason. “We can go find somewhere nice and quiet, then we can take a seat and just chat. If you’ve got a lot of questions, then I’d be happy to answer them. Heck, I got a few of my own, that’s why I was looking for you.”

“Uh huh, uh huh.” Martlet nodded eagerly. “I have so many questions for you, like what is up with all that Democracy stuff you guys are always yelling about? Or what’s it like being in one of those fancy spaceships? Ooh, or how abou-” Martlet paused and shook her head, reigning in her excitement a bit, but only a bit. “You know what, we’ll have a ton of time to get to all of that later.” She took another step towards the Cadet. “After I capture you.”

“Wait, what? No! What? I mean, wait, hold on a sec, there’s no need for that,” Clover objected, waving his arms frantically. “We can just talk, no fighting or capturing necessary.”

“Sorry.” The bird monster flashed the human an apologetic smile. “But I’ve still got a job to do. We can chat all we want later. But for now, get ready for some Royal Guard protocol!” She reached into her pocket and pulled out a small notebook. “I have it all memorized and everything, but still like to keep it on hand, you know, just in case.”

Clover just stood there and blinked. He couldn’t believe what he was hearing. Maybe he should’ve listened to Flowey.

“Now come on, let’s get this ball rolling!” She pumped a wing and pointed it at him.

“Seriously, just wai-”

Everything around him went dark and faded into the background as a familiar yellow soul materialized in his chest.

…

“Freedom damn it…”

Chapter Text

“Martlet of the Royal Guard has encountered a human! Prepare to apprehend!” The bird monster made a sweeping gesture with her wing and a flurry of wind blew through the area in front of the guard station as if on command, kicking up a flurry of snow right into Clover’s face.

“Ack!” The Cadet stumbled back the blast of cold, his visor going completely white. He quickly dove to the side, rolling into the powdery snow as he frantically wiped the snow off his visor. Springing to his feet, he braced himself for another assault. Instead, all he saw was the Royal Guard staring at him, notebook still held in her wing.

“Oh, uh, sorry about that.” An embarrassed blush visible beneath the feathers on her face. “I wanted to start things off with some flair, and thought that it’d look cooler if I put a bit of wind magic into it.” She gave an apologetic shrug. “I didn’t realize you’d get a face full of snow. My bad, guess that’s what happens when you just think up cool moves without actually practicing them.”

Well, this was an… interesting start to the battle. He’d been expecting somebody with a title like ‘Royal Guard’ to fight in a far more… disciplined manner. He certainly wasn’t expecting her to try and impress him, let alone apologize.

“So… I don’t know if you’re familiar with how all this works, but I’m supposed to let you attack first.” Martlet made an inviting gesture with her wing. “So go ahead, take your best shot.”

He hadn’t been expecting that either. “...What?”

“Go on, it’s protocol, so I don’t mind,” Martlet encouraged. “Wouldn’t be much of a Royal Guard if I didn’t follow protocol, right?” 

Clover just blinked at the bird monster. How could that possibly be protocol?

“No?” Martlet tilted her head at the Cadet, confused by his lack of action. “Did I make a mistake? I’m pretty sure the protocol is to let the intruder attack first.” She took a closer look at her handbook, holding up a wing to the confused human. “Can you hold on a sec? I need to double-check and make sure I didn’t miss something.” She buried her face in the notebook and began reading, not even seeming to pay him any.

Clover couldn’t believe what was happening. Was this a fight? It didn’t feel like a fight.

“Let’s see here…” Martlet mumbled to herself. “‘Protocol one, be courteous and allow your opponent the first attack.’ Yup, checks out. You definitely go first.” She lowered the book, glancing back at the human. “So… I’m, uhh… pretty sure I’m not supposed to help you, but you were supposed to hit me. But it’s okay, maybe you just spaced out and missed it. I do that sort of thing all the time.”

That last part was becoming very apparent. He was starting to see what Flowey meant with the whole ‘bird-brained’ insult.

Hehe, ‘bird-brained’, still funny.

… Okay, he wasn’t that much better.

“Ooh, or maybe you’re just new to all this? You’re young, so it’s probably your first fight, right? I mean, this it’s my first also! Well, first real one. I’ve had a lot of practice fights! Usually with dummies, and they mostly don’t  say or do anything when I attack them.” She rubbed the back of her neck awkwardly. “Well, except for this one time, there was this really angry one, and it got all up in my face and was like ‘What was that all about, you big feathered dope? Why I oughta smack you into next week. Then you’ll know what it’s like to-’” 

Martlet blinked, suddenly looking flustered. “Woops, got a bit sidetracked there. Sorry about that, I tend to get distracted thinking about… stuff. You see, I’m not the best Royal Guard, but I’m trying to get better, really! Seems like that’s just one of the things I’m going to have to work on. So come on, Martlet! Focus!” She slapped herself hard across the face. “You’ve got to get better, and it starts here!” 

The Cadet grimaced at the display. She managed to slap herself so hard that she had reeled from the self-inflicted blow. It looked like it had really hurt.

“Oh, don’t worry,” the bird monster assured him, seeming to notice his concern. “Just a little something to help me stay focused.” She still winced as she rubbed at the sore spot on her face. “Still, ow! Probably went a bit harder than I needed. But it’s fine, that just means we’re back on track now!” She beckoned to him with both wings. “Now come on and show me what you can do. I bet it’ll be something awesome!”

Clover was so confused right now…

Nothing about this made any sense. Did this bird monster even want to fight? Seriously, what was going on? She may have started this, but she hadn’t attacked him even once. Heck, she’d only hurt herself so far. Was she just stalling? Maybe it wasn’t too late to try and talk his way out of this.

“Look, I’m not sure what you’re trying to do, exactly,” he finally replied, trying not to think about how this was going against pretty much every Super Earth protocol there was regarding interactions with aliens. “But we don’t have to fight. Why don’t we just talk, instead? No attacking or anything like that. I mean, you certainly seem to like talking.”

Martlet chuckled. “Yeah, I guess I am a bit of a chatterbox, aren’t I? My mom always said so, would always say the only time I wasn’t yapping was when I was sleeping.” 

A good sign, maybe she was willing to just talk it out?

“But no attacking?” She shook her head. “Come on, that’s just silly. We’re in a battle, of course, we have to attack. Have you ever heard of a battle without attacks? No, of course not, because that would be crazy!”

Well, so much for that. 

“Speaking of, you still haven’t attacked yet…” She narrowed her gaze at the child. “You do know how to attack, right?”

“What?!” Clover had no idea how she could possibly have come to that conclusion, of all things. “Of course I kn-”

“Oh, it’s okay, don’t feel bad if you don’t, it’s my fault. You’re just a child. I should’ve known better than to assume you would know what to do in a situation like this. Not everybody gets to have proper Royal Guard training like I do!” 

Okay, she wasn’t even listening at this point.

Martlet raised a wing. “But don’t worry. I’ll show you how it’s done. And then you’ll be a pro in no time. That’s the Martlet guarantee!” With a gesture, she conjured several blue feathers above her, all of them aimed directly at the Cadet. “Here’s I’ll show you my attack, now try and dodge these!”

“Wah!” Clover ducked out of the way of the first feather as it flew right over his head; he could practically feel the thing tear right past him. Then he sidestepped out of the way of another and threw himself backwards to dodge a third. He had no idea if those feathers were deadly; lethal intent seemed at odds with the cheery bird, but given how many times he’d allegedly died down here already, he’d probably be better off assuming the worst.”

“Ooh, nice moves!” Martlet clapped excitedly. “You’re a quick one, alright. Now come on, I’ve shown you how it’s done, so give it a try.”

Okay, fine, if refusing to fight wasn’t going to get him anywhere, maybe a show of force would? Not that he wanted to resort to that, she actually seemed pretty nice and earnest, if weird. But then, every monster he’d crossed paths with was weird, so if anything, that made her normal by the strange, and possibly Tyrannical, standards of the Underground. 

Still, that didn’t change the fact that she was trying to kill him, or at least was shooting magic feathers at him. This was all so bizarre, and while standard Super Earth protocol would call for him to just cut through all this uncertainty with a well-placed LAS bolt or ten, maybe a near miss instead would be enough to get the point across?

It was worth a shot, at least.

So he drew his TALON revolver and finally obliged the Royal Guard.

BLAM!

There was an alarmed look on the blue bird's face as the LAS bolt flew right past her, narrowly missing her arm. She quickly turned, looking at the black scorch mark it had left in the guard station behind her. When she turned back to face him, he expected her to look intimidated.

She did not look intimidated.

“Aww, you missed, and you were so close too.” She raised her wings, holding them close together to emphasise the point. “That’s not fair, that attack looked so cool. All bright and flashy, but then WHOOSH!” She mimicked the bolt flying past her. “Just went right by without even leaving a mark.” She glanced back at the scorch mark on her post. “Well, not on me at least, probably going to need to buffer that out later.”

He knew she was trying to be nice. But still, Clover did not appreciate the dig at his marksmanship skills, intentional or otherwise. Not when he knew how on point his aim was. That had been a deliberate near-miss, thank you very much, and he was a damn good enough marksman to pull off that kind of shot.

“Okay, so I don’t want to drag this out too much. I’m worried we might be starting to break protocol here, and I’m kinda on probation, so I can’t afford to mess this up. The handbook says I’m supposed to attack ‘without hesitation’ when it’s my turn, and, well, I’m not sure, but we might be in ‘hesitation’ territory at this point, so I’m just going to take my turn now, and then you can try again when it’s your turn.” She waved her wing, conjuring up another set of magic feathers. “I’m sure you’ll get me next time, just need to aim a little bit more to the left.”

“Wait, turns?” Clover cocked his head at the bird monster's remark. “What do you mean tur- ahhhh! Not again!”

Once again, he was evading a salvo of magic feathers. The bout of frantic dodging quickly turned to relief once he realized he hadn’t been hit. As harrowing as this all was, at least he was starting to get the hang of it.

Or at least, that seemed like the case until one of the feathers he ducked past embedded itself into the snow and exploded into a flurry of smaller feathers. He had no chance of dodging that attack, not when it had caught him by complete surprise.

He hissed in pain as the feathers sliced his arm, leaving several cuts that managed to break through the leather of his suit. They’d even managed to draw a bit of blood. Not much, but still, Sweet Liberty, those things were a lot sharper than they looked.

“Ooh, that looks like that hurt.” Martlet grimaced, giving the Cadet an apologetic look. “Now, I feel bad. Here you are getting hurt, and you haven’t even managed to hit me once. I mean, seriously, that’s not fair at all, not even a little bit. I know I wouldn't like it if you hit me a whole bunch and I didn’t even get to hit you back once.”

“It’s fine,” Clover replied with a grunt, waving off her apology as he wiped the blood off his arm. Really, he should’ve known better than to just assume she wouldn’t try to shake things up. He only had himself to blame for underestimating the Royal Guard. She may have been scatter-brained, but she seemed to understand the importance of keeping her opponent guessing.

Still, she did seem to get distracted easily. So maybe…

“You know that puzzle of yours near the Ruins entrance?”

“Oooh, you saw that one?” Martlet nodded with a note of excited pride. “Made it myself. I really like how it turned out.” But her face quickly turned to an anxious frown as she started awkwardly tapping her wings together. “Does need a bit of a tune-up up though, was a bit of a mess the last time I checked. Just hope I can get it spruced up before it breaks on somebody. Don’t want some poor monster or intruder out there to be robbed of their chance to figure it out. That wouldn’t do at all.”

“Yeah, about that…” Clover shuffled nervously. “It kinda fell apart when I got there. It was a real mess from what I saw.”

“What!?!” she squawked, wings flapping in alarm. “Damn it, Martlet, first that fiasco with the ion storms and now this? This is what happens when you cut corners during puzzle maintenance! I’m going to catch one heck of an earful from the Sergeant if I don’t get those puzzles up and running soon!”

“Ooh, sounds pretty important. Probably should hurry and get moving then.” The child gestured behind him. “You know, we can put a hold on this until after you’ve fixed them.” If Royal Guard protocol was anything like what Super Earth protocol was for this sort of situation, she’d need to get on those repairs ASAP or face some serious Citizen Democracy Score penalties… or whatever the monster equivalent was.

“Ooh, I will, thanks for letting me know.” Martlet gave the Cadet a thumbs up. But rather than leave, she raised a wing, likely in preparation for another attack. “Of course, it’s going to have to wait until after the fight. I mean, puzzles are great and all, every self-respecting monster loves a good puzzle. But still, capturing humans always comes first. I mean, if the Sergeant or the Captain found out I let a human go just to fix some puzzles, boy, they’d really let me have it.” She lowered her wing, “They’d probably be all like ‘Martlet, did that last ion storm fry your brain along with your feathers? Those dumb puzzles of yours can wait when there’s a human on the loose!’ Not that puzzles are dumb or anything, but you ge-’”

Clover just let out a weary groan. So much for that plan; she may have been bird-brained, but evidently, not that bird-brained.

Marlet blinked at his reaction, snapping back to attention with a shake of her head. “Woops, there I go again. Sorry, I don’t usually do this, but it’s just all so exciting! I mean, so many new things today. I finally get to meet a human, I get to have a real fight, and I get to have a fight with a human! Well, okay, that last one is just the first two combined, but that still counts!” She raised her wing again, prepared to strike. “Ooh, and once we’re done here, I’ll finally get to capture a human, oh, and finally get off probation, probably, so that’ll be neat, too. Now take this intruder, HI-YA!”

Already knowing where this was going, Clover ducked out of the way of the oncoming feathers. Despite his best efforts, he still couldn’t avoid the projectiles once they burst, leaving him with several more nasty cuts from the deceptively sharp feathers.

Thank Liberty none of them had managed to hit his soul yet, but it’d only be a matter of time with the way things were going. And it looked like the Royal Guard was already calling up even more feathers.

He couldn’t just keep dodging and hope for the best, not if he was looking to survive. His grip tightened on his TALON revolver, an idea taking form. He wouldn’t shoot Marlet with it, her magic on the other hand…

BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!

All that time spent at the target range had paid off as the three blasts connected with the feathers, each of them bursting right over the bird monster's head.

“Eep!” Martlet cried out in alarm as her attack backfired and she was showered in magic feathers, winding up with several cuts across her face and wings for her trouble.

Clover winced at the pained look on her face. As much as he appreciated not getting sliced up again, he still didn’t like the idea of her getting caught in the crossfire. Even if, in all likelihood, the cuts weren’t very serious.

“Okay, first off, ow! That really hurt!” Martlet hissed as she shook a wing. “Is that what I’ve been doing to you this whole time? Because now I feel bad. I don’t want you to feel like this. Nobody should feel like this. I know it’s for the Royal Guard and all, but still, really not liking this part where we gotta hurt each other. Definitely not a favourite part of the job.”

At least she didn’t seem to want to hurt people either. Sure, it sucked that she was attacking him, but it was a relief to know they shared that particular flaw in common.

“And second, that was really cool!” She gestured at his revolver. “I mean, I had my magic feathers ready and everything, and then you were just like ‘Pew! Pew! Pew!’” She imitated a gun with her wing, firing off imaginary shots. “And then my feathers were just like ‘Kapow.’” She spread her wings out as if mimicking a blast. “I knew whatever you were going to do would be awesome! Where did you even learn to shoot like that?”

Clover couldn’t help but blush at the blue bird’s praise. This was the first time he’d ever actually shown off his marksmanship skills to somebody. He always went to the shooting range by himself during his free time, and it wasn’t like he could show it off while he was working, not when there was so much work to be done when he was on the clock. Managed Democracy had no use for those who put their own selfish wants before the cause, after all. Didn’t change the fact he took his marksmanship skills seriously, and it was nice to be praised for it. Even if that praise was coming from a Freedom-hating monster.

Well, supposedly Freedom-hating…

“Aw, thanks, miss. Appreciate it. I’ve always liked getting practice in during my free ti-”

“Whoops, there I go again, really need to stop getting sidetracked.” Martlet cut him off. She frowned when she noticed how put off he looked from the interruption. “Oh dear, I’m sorry to interrupt you like that, I mean it is really cool, but I’m still a Royal Guard, and my job needs to come first. Oh, which reminds me, you just shot down my attack, is that even allowed?”

“Huh? What do you mean?” Clover asked. “I was able to shoot them, so why wouldn’t it be allowed?”

“Well, yeah, but just because you can doesn’t mean it’s allowed.” Martlet looked off to the side in thought. “Was this covered in the handbook? It feels like it’s something that should be in the handbook. Ooh, dang it, I just know this isn’t going to stop bothering me until I check.” She held up a wing to the Cadet. “Sorry, I know I keep doing this, but can I get another moment? I really need to double check this. Can’t have us breaking protocol, after all.”

If only she knew how many times he had already broken protocol…

Clover watched as the blue bird poured over the handbook, mumbling to herself as she read it out loud. She seemed awfully quick to go to that handbook whenever she was uncertain. Was there a way he could take advantage of a crutch like that? Maybe she’d be less inclined to fight if she had no idea what to do.

He glanced down at his revolver, the gun feeling a bit warmer than usual. Wait, was it supposed to be this warm after just a few shots?  Whatever, he could worry about that later. For now, the bird wasn't paying attention, so…

BLAM!

“Woah!” Martlet cried out in alarm as a LAS bolt slammed into the handbook, knocking it from her grip. She looked between the human and the book in shock, a smouldering hole burning through it until there was nothing but cinders and ash.

“W-wow, that… that’s my handbook you just incinerated! I’m… not exactly sure what to think about that.” She bent down and grasped a handful (or would it be wingful in her case?) of ash only for it to slip through her feathers, scattering across the snow. 

“I mean, don’t get me wrong, that was a really cool shot, but you just destroyed Royal Guard property! Plus, I kinda need it for my job…” She tilted her head to the side in thought. “I did make sure to memorize it… mostly, but still, am I going to get in trouble for losing it? Would it be my fault if an intruder incinerated it? Shoot, this is the sort of thing I’d be able to look up in my handbook if you hadn’t just shot it!”

Well, it seemed to get her rambling again, so… progress? Maybe? It was getting really hard to tell.

“And that’s the other thing!” She pointed an accusatory wing at the Cadet. “You shot at me when it wasn’t your turn! Not cool, human!”

Again with the talking about turns. Was it some sort of Royal Guard protocol? Super Earth never had anything like that. No, their protocols when it came to battles usually were more about the best methods for dispensing various forms of Liberty until all sources of Tyranny and any other anti-Democratic activity were reduced to bullet-riddled, incinerated, vaporized, and/or exploded piles of slag.

“So humans really can’t take turns… Wow, I’m not even sure if the handbook has anything about how to deal with that.” She glanced over at the scattered pile of ashes the handbook had been reduced to. “Not that I can check now. I guess I didn’t memorize nearly as much as I thought. But hey, no big deal, that just means I get to be creative instead! It’ll be just like with my puzzles and carpentry, but with fighting, and laser blasts and… and....” She tapped a foot in thought as Clover watched, waiting to see what she’d do next.

“Hmm, I guess I could…” Her face brightened as she excitedly raised a wing. “Ooh, I got it! It’s so simple, why didn’t I think of that earlier?” She pointed a wing dramatically at the Cadet. “Get ready, human, cause now it’s time to bring out the big guns.” Her expression faltered slightly. “Uhh… metaphorically speaking!”

With a look of deep focus, the Royal Guard flapped her wings as wind swirled around her. Then, with a huge gust, she launched herself into the air and started furiously flapping her wings.

Clover barely had time to brace himself before a strong gust of wind slammed down on him hard, nearly knocking him off his feet. It was all he could do to keep steady when a shadow appeared just over his head.

Well, she was definitely mixing things up. And just as he was starting to get the hang of this….

He dove out of the way right before a box slammed down where he had been standing. As he crashed into the snow, he saw several tools go flying through the air; a handsaw filling his vision as it landed right next to him.

Wait, was she throwing her-

“Woah!” he rolled out of the way from a screwdriver that managed to embed itself where he had just been lying. Fighting against the wind, he looked up and saw the Royal Guard still flapping her wings up above.

“Are you seriously throwing your tools at me?”

“Yup!” Marlet chirped, seeming particularly pleased with herself. “Bet you didn’t see that coming, did you?” The wind died down as she finally touched back down on the ground with a slight stumble. “Wow!” She caught herself and bent over, bracing her wings on her legs as she took several deep breaths. “Phew, that… really took it out of me. I mean… I heard humans were tough, but w-wow, you’re giving me one heck of a workout. Gonna… gonna need a sec, to catch my breath.”

Okay, to hell with this. If he couldn’t figure out a way to talk this bird down, then he’d have to double back and come up with a new plan. Preferably before she ended up killing him.

Taking advantage of the winded state the bird was in, he sprinted back to the gate he’d passed through. There had to be some place he could lay low while he figured out-

“Woah, hold on, where are you going?” A huge gust of wind blew through the gate, sending Clover stumbling backwards and falling on his rear. Before he had a chance to get back up, Martlet had landed in front of him.

“Alright, so here’s the thing, you can’t just run away from a Royal Guard in the middle of a fight, that’s, like, totally against protocol. Makes it way harder for me to do my job.”

Instead of responding, the Cadet just shot an irritated glare at her as he got back up. Not that she was paying attention. That or she couldn’t see it on account of the fact he was wearing a helmet...

“But that’s okay, it’s my fault. I really should’ve taken the time to explain this all to you before we got started. It’s just, I was so excited, so I kinda just leaped into this whole thing without thinking. That’s just classic bird-brained Martelt for yeah, hehe.”

Once again, Clover didn’t respond, brushing snow off as he prepared himself for whatever the bird monster would do next.

“Glad to see you’re taking it all in.” She tilted her head. “At least, I think you are? Hard to tell with that helmet of yours. Oh well, I’ll be sure to teach you everything you need to know about how to fight properly once we’re finished!”

Rather than take off or conjure more feathers, she started throwing more tools. Slightly better prepared this time, Clover managed to sidestep out of the way of a box and a set of screwdrivers, only getting slightly clipped on the shoulder.

Seriously, where was she even keeping all this stuff? The guard station didn’t look that big, and he couldn’t imagine herhaving all of that in her pockets. Was it because of magic? Magic would probably be a safe bet. He was just going to assume it was magic.

A hammer came flying at his head that he wasn’t quite ready for. Dodging out of the way wasn’t an option; good thing he had a mean quick draw.

BLAM!

One blast from his LAS revolver split the hammer clean in half, reducing it to a mix of metal and molten slag that fell just short of the Cadet. The snow around the superheated metal started to hiss and melt.

“Hey, that was my favourite hammer!” Martlet objected. “Also my… only hammer, but, still, I really liked it, so that totally counts!”

Was she seriously getting upset over this?

“It was that or let it hit me!” He pointed an accusatory finger at the bird. “And you’re the one who threw it!”

“Okay, fair enough, but still, I really need these tools for my job and I don’t have the gold to replace them right now.” She grabbed another set of tools and readied herself. “Just promise to try and dodge the rest instead of shooting them, okay?”

“I am not making that promise!”

As if to make a point, the Cadet blasted several more tools that were flung his way. The bird monster was not pleased with that.

“Stop breaking my stuff!”

“Then stop throwing your stuff at me!”

“Fine,” the bird monster sighed in frustration, letting the last of her tools fall to the ground. “I won’t throw any more tools.”

Did this mean she was finally going to stop the fi- Nope, now she was throwing a bowling ball at him.

…Why in Liberty’s name would she even have something like that?

BLAM! BLAM!

His first shot went wide, the second glanced off the flying ball without even making a dent. That thing must’ve been made of some very sturdy stuff.

“Shoot!”

He tried to dodge out of the way, but he’d already wasted too much time trying to shoot it down. To his credit, he did manage to escape the worst of it, the bowling ball only managing to connect with his leg instead of his head. Too bad it was a very vicious hit.

CRACK!

An explosion of agony shot through his leg as the bowling ball knocked it out from under him, sending the child crashing into the snow with a startled cry as he felt something break. Sweet Mother of Democratic Mercy was that painful!

The bird let out a shocked gasp. “Ooh…wow…o-okay, uhhh… that looks bad, t-that looks really bad. Are you okay? Please tell me that’s okay… I-I really didn’t mean to push that hard!”

Clover let out a pained groan as he strained to get a better look at the bird. But every time he tried to look up at her, his leg painfully flared up in protest. 

This was… not going very well. Between all the cuts and what likely was a broken leg, he must’ve been a miserable specimen to behold. Not at all the shining beacon of Democratic Justice he had set out to be at the start of all this.

He was seriously starting to regret not listening to Flowey.

But hindsight wasn’t going to help, not if he wanted to turn things around. He struggled to get back up, trying to shift his good leg beneath him to prop himself up. As long as he didn’t lean too hard on the broken leg, he might still be able to-

Nope, the second he put any weight on it, the Liberty-forsaken limb gave out on him, blazing in painful protest as he crumpled, face-planting into the snow.

“Okay, s-stop! Just stop! That leg is very broken,” Martlet exclaimed in alarm. Finally managing to get a good look, Clover could see her staring at him with almost panicked levels of concern. “W-we can stop…okay? I can take a look at that leg.” She offered a wing. “Before things get worse.”

Why was she worried about him? Weren’t humans supposed to be their enemy? They had fought a war that supposedly ended with monsterkind's complete annihilation, after all. It must’ve been a trick of some kind. It had to be! Friendly or not, monsters were still the enemy, especially a Royal Guard like her. If he took her offer, he was as good as captured. And then, it’d all be over.

That wasn’t an option. He had to keep going.

He pulled himself up again, much more carefully this time, until he could kneel on his good leg. Martlet was fixated on him, a worried look as she watched his every move. 

He was in no condition to keep fighting as things were. He could barely move, and his gun felt uncomfortably warm, which probably wasn’t a good sign. No, if he was going to pull this off, he’d need a boost. Good thing he brought extra gear just in case.

He carefully reached into his satchel, still watching the bird monster carefully as he rooted around in the bag. 

Extra capacitors? No. 

Smoke grenades? Maybe if he could actually move…

His limb replacement kits? His leg was bad, but not that bad. 

Come on, there had to be something he could use in here…

Then he felt a familiar narrow cylinder of metal and plastic.

He pulled out a black and yellow stim injector. He’d never even used the regular ones before; those were reserved for medical and battlefield emergencies. But the ones he had grabbed contained an experimental fusion. One purported to offer enhanced performance, although they hadn’t been very thoroughly tested yet…

It was risky, but it was exactly what he needed right now. Besides, Democracy always favoured the bold.

“What is that!?” Martlet looked alarmed at the sight of the stim. She started to reach for something in her pocket, only to stop short. “Look, I can get you some food to help with the leg. It’s magic, so it should help you. Trust me, you don’t need w-whatever’s in that-”

Clover wasn’t listening, cutting the bird’s pleading short as he jammed the stim right into his neck, an audible hiss ringing out as the chemicals began to flood his system. He had been told it would be quite the rush. He’d say it felt more like someone had just lit his veins on fire.

The sensation quickly rushed throughout his whole body. It was painful, but not the same type of excruciating pain he had felt in his leg. Heck, he couldn’t even feel that pain anymore. But this pain, it felt… liberating! Exhilarating! The rumours were true, it was like Freedom was being pumped directly into his veins!

He could hear the blood pounding in his ears, like bells of Liberty ringing in his head. He could swear there was a yellow glow at the edges of his vision. It was the ultimate Democratic rush!

Combat boost acquired, now he just had to make the most of it. Testing his leg, he could tell that while it was far from healed, it was at least good enough to stand on now, so he finally got back up, ready to take on the Royal Guard once again.

“T-that… that didn’t look healthy…” Clover could swear the bird monster looked a little paler than before. “W-what did you just do?”

“No pain, no Freedom!” He grunted. Not the most coherent of answers, but it was hard to think straight with so much Freedom shooting through his veins. Still, a pang of guilt managed to pierce the chemical-induced fervour, dampening his spirit somewhat. He should’ve been thrilled at the sight of an enemy of Managed Democracy cowering before him, but he just hated seeing how spooked the bird monster looked now.

Even when high on Freedom and the most Democratic of healing and combat stimulants, it seemed like he still couldn’t get over his worst instincts.

Still, he had to see this through. He had a fighting chance now, and he would take that opportunity for all it was worth.

“I still don’t want to fight you, but I can’t just give up either. A true servant of Managed Democracy fights to the end!” He took a step forward on his good leg and challenged the Royal Guard. “So if you’re not going to stop, then come on, take your best shot at Freedom!”

“O-okay…” Martlet gulped, looking a lot less certain than she did a few minutes ago. Despite her unease, she conjured another set of feathers to attack the Cadet with.

BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!

Energized as Clover was, he could tell Martlet wasn’t into it anymore. The feathers took longer to conjure; the pace at which they flew, noticeably slower. They’d have been easy enough to dodge, but he wasn’t ready to test his bad leg out just yet. That was fine; he could still hit them no problem.

BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!

Another volley dispatched, and the bird monster looked even more anxious, more tired. It was working! He was wearing her down! He just had to keep it up a bit longer, she’d relent soon.

BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!

Nearly there…

The revolver was warming up a bit, but he’d manage the heat.

BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!

Just about…

BLAM! BLAM! BLAM!

Okay, the LAS revolver was starting to get pretty hot, but it was fine. The monster looked very nervous now; there was no way she’d be able to keep this up much longer. He just had to keep-

Beep-beep-beep-beep-beep-beep-beep-beep-beep!

“Uhhh…Is your gun supposed to be beeping like that?” Martlet pointed at Clover’s weapon, and it looked like she was…sweating? “Or s-smoking like that?”

…Smoking? He looked down and saw that the weapon was practically glowing, an unsettling amount of steam shooting out of the side vents. The thing looked like it was about to either melt or burst into flames.

A red warning message was flashing on the side of the weapon.

DANGER: HEAT CAPACITOR FAILURE 

RISK OF DETONATION: EXTREME

Wait… What did that mean by detona-

BOOM!

“Oh my god!” Martlet squawked in alarm, her exhaustion practically evaporating as she rushed towards the human who had just gone up in a giant fireball. She conjured up as much wind magic as she could, sending it hurtling towards them and quickly dispersing the flames clinging to their body.

“Nononono! It wasn’t supposed to happen this way! I… I didn’t mean for it to go this far!” She dropped to her knees in front of the human and started patting them down, putting out any remaining embers still clinging to them. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I’m sorry!”

Why had she kept going? She knew things had gone off the rails after they stuck that thing in their neck. She should’ve stopped there and then. Heck, she should’ve stopped at the bowling ball. Why did she even think throwing a bowling ball was a good idea? And now look at what's happened.

“Please be okay! Please be okay!” She had to fix this. She had to help the human somehow. She was the reason they were even in this mess. She kept patting at the body, she had to make sure all the fire was gone. Okay, head, shoulders, chest, arms, wait…why did the arms feel off? What had happened to-

“Oh…oh god…” Where the child’s lower arm should’ve been was now just a bloody and smouldering stump of cauterized flesh. The gun… the explosion… the child's arm… they… they…

Martlet wanted to throw up. “I think I’m going to be sick…”

This was all her fault. She didn’t blow up the human, but she may as well have. None of this would have even happened if it weren’t for her. They hadn’t even wanted to fight; heck, they even tried running at one point. But did she listen? No! Of course not! She just had to capture the human, just had to try and turn things around for this stupid job and get off probation. And in true Martlet fashion, she’d managed to screw up and make everything worse. And the worst part was that somebody else was paying for her mistake. A child was paying for her mistake. It was that more than anything else that made her feel so sick to her stomach.

She looked down at the human as they lay there, motionless. It was unnerving and gut-wrenching in equal parts. But were they still alive? Or just very badly hurt? Could she call up their soul and see? In all the chaos, she hadn’t actually seen what happened to it. Or would that just make things worse? Damn it, why did human bodies have to be so different and weird?

“Okay, what to do, what to do…” Martlet took deep breaths, fighting the urge to freak out with all her might. “Alright, uhhh, check for breathing!”

She looked at the helmet and hat they wore. The hat was in pretty rough shape, sporting some nasty scorch marks, but mostly intact. The helmet, however, looked much worse. There was a huge gash in the side, a chunk of it missing, and the T-shaped visor was now covered in a fractal pattern of broken glass. It was completely ruined. 

Still, at least it had managed to protect the child’s face from the worst of the blast. Now though? Now it was just getting in the way.

She yanked the mangled helmet off and tossed it aside, caught off guard by the face beneath. They had a fair complexion marred by burns on their cheek and light brown hair with a small ponytail tied at the back.

They were so young…probably not even a teenager yet.

“Please be alright," she quietly begged, bending down to listen for breath and keeping an eye on their chest, looking for any signs of life. The anticipation was agonizing.

…What if there was nothing?

What if a child had just died because of her?

She was never certain about what she actually wanted to get out of joining the Royal Guard, but it was not this! Definitely not killing a child! How would she even be able to live with herself if they… if they…

…Wait, she could hear breathing! It was faint and shallow, but it was there. They were alive!

“Thank god!” The bird monster was practically busting with relief. It wasn’t too late. But the child was still in rough shape. They needed help, and soon!

“Okay, still breathing… now what?” She frantically looked around for anything useful. She could still help the human… she could still save them… from the life-threatening injuries she basically caus- 

No! Not now, Martlet, focus! This child’s life is on the line! Think, damnit!

She couldn’t stay here. It was too exposed. Too cold, too open, anybody could just walk in. Given the state the child was in, it would only spell disaster for them if the rest of the Royal Guard found out they were here.

“O-okay, where to take you? W-where would you be safe?” Really, she already knew where. It had food, probably. But more importantly, it was warm and private. The child would be relatively safe. “No other choice, looks like I’m taking you home, then.”

She scooped up the human in her wings, grabbing the satchel they had been carrying and throwing it over her shoulder. She was about to run off back to her house when she saw the discarded hat and helmet lying in the snow. She wasn’t really sure why, but she quickly grabbed the hat and stuffed it in the satchel before taking off with the human held securely in her wings.

“Just hold on,” Martlet pleaded as she ran. “I’ll…I’ll do whatever it takes to help you. J-just please… let me get this right for once.”

She would find a way to help the human. She had to.

She didn’t want to think about what would happen if she couldn’t.

Flowey had to hand it to the human. He may have been a stubborn idiot who insisted on making things way harder than they needed to be, but boy, did he manage to keep things interesting.

He thought the kid had managed to reach peak stupidity when he got drowned in the river with that dumb cape of his. But getting blown to pieces by his own gun while fighting the bird monster Flowey had specifically told him not to talk to? That was a whole other level of hilarious.

And a pretty ironic death as well, one that Flowey would certainly be revelling in. Served that idiot right for not taking his advice. He just hoped he’d be able to talk the human out of trying that dumb plan again once he loaded back.

But on the other hand… it would be fun to watch him get blown up again. That or wind up suffering some other humiliating death at the Royal Guard's hand, maybe he’d get his skull caved in by that bowling ball of hers the next time around.

But as fun as that would be, they still had a job to do…

Whatever, he’d still try to talk the human out of it. Worst case scenario, the idiot refused to listen, and Flowey would get to watch him die again, likely in a very stupid and hilarious fashion. So win-win, really.

He was about to load back to the last SAVE when the bird monster rushed past his hiding spot in the bushes and down the path, carrying the human in her wings. She was moving quickly, but carefully, trying her best not to jostle the body too much. 

That managed to pique the flower’s interest. He wasn’t witnessing the actions of a grieving and guilt-ridden monster carrying the body of a dead child, no, it was the actions of a monster rushing to help somebody who had been grievously injured.

Huh, guess that meant the idiot was still alive then. And apparently, bird-brain was trying to save him. 

That was surprising. He didn’t think that dunce would even take that kind of initiative. He’d figured she’d have just gone into a full-blown panic attack and frozen up until the human was dead.

Not that the perpetual screw-up would have any chance of actually helping him. It’d just be one more of her many failures to add to the list. At least, he thought it would? How many times had he seen her screw up now? It was hard to tell. Whatever, it would be fun to watch her spiral when the human inevitably died on her watch. It was worth holding off on loading again just for that alone.

Decision made on how he’d be spending the next few hours, Flowey burrowed back into the ground and tunnelled after the bird monster. He had a good feeling that he knew where she would be heading.

And he looked forward to watching the whole mess play out.

Chapter Text

“Come on, come on, just a bit further…”

Martlet tore through the snow, gripping the human firmly, trying her best to watch where she was going despite their cape occasionally flapping in her face. Vague shapes passed by and faint voices called out as she ran past, likely monsters trying to flag her down, but she didn’t care. None of that mattered. She just needed to get home. Now.

Before it was too late.

Veering down the icy forest path, she finally spotted her house. It was a bit of a mess. Exposed panels and tacked on planks stuck out against the woodwork like a sore thumb. She kept meaning to finally fix it up properly; she kept meaning to do a lot of things.

Still, she had never been more relieved in her entire life to see that patchworked mess of a house. She picked up the pace, not even registering the fact that the lights were on or that she had likely forgotten to turn them off before leaving for work again. 

She ran past one of her carpentry projects in the front yard and went straight for the door. Going full speed as she raised a boot.

WHAM!

The door splintered and flew backwards, ripping clean off its hinges and crashing into the floor. Whatever, she could fix it later. She had a child in desperate need of saving.

She practically flew up the stairs and into her bedroom, managing to narrowly avoid crashing into the lounge chair she had next to the door and carefully placing the human down on her bed.

“Okay…o-okay,” Martlet gasped between anxious breaths. “Got the human here… now what?” She looked down at the child’s mangled body. Their hair looked as messy as her feathers now, between the blast and all that running she just did. The burns on their face, well… at least they didn’t look too severe. 

Their leg…well, it looked better than before, but still not great.

And then the arm…

Their lower arm was… still gone, reduced to a gruesome stump of burns and cauterized flesh.

She fought back the urge to vomit. “Stay cool, Martlet… stay cool. They’re still breathing, so that’s good. Just need to see how see how they’re doing. Gotta do a CHECK.”

She stared at where the human's SOUL had materialized during the fight, eyes narrowed and focused as she tried to glean what she could.

JUNIOR CADET CLOVER

LV 1

Clover? Oh, right, the child had mentioned their name when they first met. It was a very lovely na-

Gah, what was she doing? She could focus on that stuff later! She needed to see how bad the damage was.

Taking another deep breath, Martlet gathered her focus and pressed on.

HP 1/20

MARTYRDOM IMMINENT.

“Martyrdom? That can’t be a good sign…” This child needed healing, and fast!

She raced down to the kitchen. Maybe some monster food would do the trick? It was magic and had healing properties, so it’d probably help! She threw the door open only to see that it was completely empty.

“Crap…”

This is what she gets for putting off grocery shopping to the very last minute. Man, she was hopeless.

“Rush to the store, maybe?” She glanced over at the gap in the wall where she’d kicked down the door and shook her head. 

No, not an option. Not when ‘martyrdom’ was apparently ‘imminent.’ She wasn’t quite sure what that was supposed to mean, but she had a pretty good feeling it was something along the lines of ‘this human is going to drop dead any minute now unless you quit freaking out and do something you stupid bird-brained dumba-’

Seriously, cut that out! Insulting yourself isn’t going to help! What could help the human? There’s gotta be something that could…

“Ooh, ooh, their bag!” That had to have something useful in it, right? She rushed back up the bedroom, the human still laying motionless where she had left them.

She practically dove for their bag, grabbing it and slamming it down on the bedroom floor.

CRACK!

…Was that the sound of something breaking?

“Uh oh…”

She reached into the bag, recoiling slightly when she felt something slimy and viscous. Pulling her wing out, she witnessed several pieces of broken glass come tumbling out of the bag with a strange, black and tar-like substance dripping from them. She hadn’t managed to cut herself on the glass, but some of that black stuff was clinging to her wing.

“Eww! Gross, so gross!” She vigorously shook her wing, trying to get the strange substance off, but it stubbornly clung on. Whatever it was, she really hoped it wasn’t important… or dangerous.

Finally, she just wiped the strange substance off on her pants. Her clothes were already a mess anyway, and worst case scenario, she could burn them if whatever that stuff was turned out to be toxic or radioactive or something. 

Except… she had already touched that stuff… with her wing.

She looked down at the sticky smudge on her pants.

“Please let that stuff be safe…”

Whatever, one crisis at a time. Just focus on finding something to help the human; worry about the rest later.

“Okay… let’s see what we’ve got.” She started rifling through the bag again, looking for anything of use. But she had no idea what any of this stuff was. Human junk was all so different and weird, seriously, what was she even looking at?

“Weird metal cylinders with buttons?” She paled a bit at the sight of them; they kinda looked like bombs. “Nope.” She tossed them aside. 

“Okay… more broken glass, really hoping that’s not important…” She carefully moved the shards out of the way. She already sliced her wings up enough for one day, so if she could go the rest of the day without any more, that’d be super.

“Black and plastic metal slab with a…” She squinted. “Screen, I think?” Not as concerning as the other stuff, but probably not helpful either. 

She pulled out some blue and yellow metal chips with words printed on the edges. “‘SUPER CREDIT’? Nope. Ooh, is that a box of tea?” She grabbed a yellow and black box and read the label on the side. “‘Liber-Tea,’ huh, is that some sort of special human tea? Probably not magic like monster tea, so that won’t help.” She placed the box on the counter next to the bed, maybe the human would want some when they were feeling better. Perhaps they’d even share some with her, she was kinda curious to what it’d taste like. That was, assuming the human was willing to share and wasn’t too angry at her about the whole nearly getting them killed thing…

…Yeah, time to get back to looking for something useful then.

“Come on, there’s gotta be something in here I can use to- ahhhhhh!” Martlet recoiled in alarm when she pulled out a familiar looking black and yellow syringe, dropping it on the floor. It looked exactly the same as the syringe the human had jammed in their neck during the fight.

The one that reminded her of a similar syringe she kept in her back pocket. The one she had ‘borrowed’ from the Royal Scientists' lab. Just in case there was ever an emergency. In case there was a rampaging human that had to be stopped at any cost…

Not that Clover was anything like that, but they must have had a similar idea, given how crazy they had started acting after they took it.

Martlet couldn’t really blame them for that. Her recklessness and short-sighted behaviour had put that child in a rather desperate situation.

She still felt guilty about that. And probably would for a very long time.

Hesitantly picking up the syringe, the bird monster started to sweat a bit. Whatever was in there seemed to have some sort of healing properties since human had managed to somehow get back on their feet after taking it despite a broken leg. So, that was, like, probably pretty useful for countering the whole dying thing they were going through, at least until she could get them some magic food to help speed up the recovery.

It was just all the other crazy stuff the syringe had done to them that gave her pause.

The pained groans, the convulsing, the panting, the erratic behaviour, the rambling about ‘pain’ and ‘freedom.’ Hell, she could swear she saw a yellow glow in their visor, or maybe she just imagined it? Either way, Angel only knows what was in that syringe, but whatever it was, it seemed to make humans erratic… and weird… and really scary.

But it certainly seemed to do the job healing-wise, that or it just made the human oblivious to how messed up their leg was, which would actually be even more terrifying, now that she thought about it.

What if it just made things worse? What if it didn’t actually help the human get better and just cause them to wake up, jump out of bed, and just run around screaming about ‘democracy’ and ‘freedom’ or whatever until they crashed through the window or their body gave out or something and they freaking died?!?

Ugh, this was supposed to be simple.

…Actually, no, it wasn’t. It could’ve been simple if Martlet hadn’t been such a dunce, but she made her mistake. And now she had to fix it.

So…yes, the syringe. It came with some huge risks, but like it or not, she didn’t have any other options. Not after that message she saw when she checked the human’s condition…

‘MARTYRDOM IMMINENT.’

Really weird way of phrasing it, but the more she thought about it, the clearer the meaning became. Clover would die if she did nothing. And since she had been too lazy to buy more food, the super sketchy human healing syringe full of weird drugs and toxins would have to do. She’d just have to get some magic food later to help flush it all out of the human’s system

But if her worst fears came true, and it did make things worse…

Her grip on the syringe tightened.

Well, it wasn’t like there was anything else she could do at this point.

“Okay then, where to stick this thing?”

Her first instinct was to stick it in the arm. But Clover had jammed it into their neck, so it’d probably be best to just stick with that. Even if the idea of jamming something into the child’s neck made the bird feel queasy. But hey, it was proven effective, wasn’t it?

Well, mostly effective… It also caused the human to freak out and act super scary. But it was worth it if it’d keep them alive.

Before she could change her mind, she knelt down next to the human and braced herself. “Please let this work.” Then she jammed the syringe into Clover’s neck, pressing down on the end of it as it gave off a hissing sound, injecting its suspect contents into their body.

The human groaned as the drugs did their work, their limbs jerking wildly as if in reaction to whatever was flowing through them.

“Ah, geez, ah geez, that’s a lot of flopping around for somebody who’s unconscious!” Martlet held the human down as best as she could. “Is this normal? I can’t tell if this is normal! Am I supposed to be holding you down? Or am I just making things worse?” She started panicking as the human refused to settle down. “I made a mistake, didn’t I? This was a bad idea! I’m sorry! I’m sorry! I was just trying to help! I don’t even know what that stuff is. I shouldn’t have gone and jammed it in you like that. Please tell me there’s a way to- ”

Her panicked rambling stopped as the child finally seemed to settle down and go quiet. She wasn’t sure what had happened, but they were still breathing. Maybe it was supposed to do all that? If that was the case, then that just made her even more wary of whatever the humans considered standard practice when it came to ‘healing.’

“Okay, you seem to have settled down, that’s… good?” Martlet cocked her head at the human, checking for any changes. Their arm was still a stump, so whatever that stuff did, it didn’t seem to grow back limbs. But the human looked a little less pale than before. So that was probably good.

Still, there was only one way to be sure.

“Going to just go ahead and do another CHECK to see how you’re doing, alright, Clover?”

She didn’t expect the human to respond, but she still felt the need to ask, all the same. It seemed like the polite thing to do.

The yellow SOUL materialized in their chest again as Martlet focused, seeing if anything had changed.

JUNIOR CADET CLOVER

LV 1

Well, that part hadn’t changed, not like she had expected it to.

HP 5/20

NOW BARELY ABLED. SHOULD DO HIS DEMOCRATIC DUTY AND GET BACK TO WORK.

Okay, better than last time, and turns out Clover was a boy, good to know. Would save her the embarrassment of having to- wait a minute… She double checked the child’s status again, making sure she hadn’t somehow misread what it said.

‘Barely abled?’ What’s that supposed to mean? And ‘Should get back to work’? What?!? This was a child , a grievously injured one! Oh, and also one that had just lost their freaking arm, admittedly in a large part because of her- 

No, stop that! Don’t get sidetracked! Seriously, this child had nearly died and lost their damn arm! And one of the first things their CHECK says is that they should ‘Do their duty’ and ‘Get back to work’?!? What kind of insane upbringing leads a child to think those sorts of things? Subconscious or otherwise?

Maybe it was just a side effect of the stims? Clover was acting very weird after he injected himself during the fight. Yeah, that was probably it. It had to be; the alternative was just… She couldn’t imagine any child ever actually being expected to work at such a young age, let alone so soon after being grievously injured. Even humans would never do something that cruel and insane, right?

Whatever, weird side effects aside, the syringe seemed to have done its job and stabilized the human.

“Alright, so far so… okay…” Martlet muttered, still having mixed feelings about… well frankly, many things. But for now, she’d just say it was how she felt about how this whole ‘healing the human child’ thing was going. “Now just gotta do something about that arm.”

She started rifling through the satchel again. There’d be something for treating arm injuries, right? That syringe had helped, but just leaving what was left of their limb exposed to the elements and untreated didn’t seem very… healthy.

“Gotta be something in here. Bandages, a cast, maybe some sort of ointment or whatever for infection? Human bodies can get infections, right? Yeah, of course they can, Clover’s gotta have something that can-” She stopped as her wing settled on something very peculiar. “Oh…”

What she pulled out could best be described as a folded up metal arm. It kinda reminded her of some designs her old mentor had shown her once. They’d been plans for various robots or ‘automatons’ as he had called them. Although this one looked a lot less blocky than those other designs and way more… human-like.

It was kinda creepy. Enough that she could feel her feathers fluffing up with unease just from looking at it.

“What even is this?” She poked at it, eyes drawn to a small tag dangling off the side, held in place by a piece of connected wire.

She quickly snapped it up and spotted a small metal chip that was attached along with some small script that had been etched into the tag. She had to squint a bit, but she could make it out without too much trouble.

SA-25 STEEL TROOPER SERVO-ARM IMPLANT - INSTALLATION INSTRUCTIONS.

COMPATIBLE WITH CLASS 5 DATAPADS OR HIGHER.

“‘Servo-arm implant?’” The Royal Guard raised a brow. “Did he bring some sort of… limb replacement in case something like this happened?” She reached back into the pack and, sure enough, she found a similar ‘implant’, only this one looked like a metal leg. “Wow, he did…” Martlet couldn’t help but shudder. “That’s very… morbid.”

And also good thinking, weirdly enough, since that was exactly what the human needed right now. Still, that didn’t change the fact that the blue bird had no idea what she was doing. And it wasn’t like the human could walk her through it. Nope, if she was going to get that arm fixed, she’d have to follow those instructions.

She pulled the tag loose and carefully plucked the small metal chip from it. Holding it up carefully to look at.

Wait…how was she even supposed to read this?

She glanced back at the tag again.

“‘Datapad?’” She set the implant down and looked over the various items she had pulled out of the satchel. “Which one of these things could be a data- Ooh!” She grabbed the black metal slab with the blank screen from earlier. She remembered seeing the Royal Scientist sometimes waddling around holding something similar-looking back when she had been part of lab security detail in the Hotlands.

“Okay, got the datapad, I think. Now, where to put this thing?” She turned the datapad over in her wings until she saw a small slot at the bottom that looked just the right size. “Ooh, that’s gotta be it.” She grabbed the chip and slotted it in. Sure enough, it fit perfectly, the datapad screen starting to light up.

“Yes!” She excitedly pumped her free wing. “Score one for Martlet!”

She figured the installation instructions would be pretty straightforward. Nothing more than a simple set of steps to follow as she got the implant installed.

Apparently, she underestimated just how dramatic humans could be. 

The next thing she knew, the datapad was blaring bombastic music, and the screen was dazzling her with a display of dark grey segmented concentric shapes that she suspected were meant to either resemble gears or targeting reticules. They were rotating around a central point against a lighter grey background.

There was a greyscale image of an older looking human, their features marked by prominent wrinkles and creases on their face and forehead. They were wearing what could only be a soldier's uniform, arms folded and seemingly staring at Martlet with an expression that managed to look grim, stern, and determined in equal measures. He looked like a man who had been on the battlefield way longer than he should have, yet still seemed eager for more.

He kinda reminded her of some of the humans Chujin had mentioned in his stories, the ones that had been meant to instill a deep fear of humanity into her.

She certainly found him scary looking…

But whatever, it was just an instructional video. It’s not like the human was going to reach through the screen and shoot her or anything. That’d be ridiculous.

BOOM! BOOM!

RAT-A-TAT-TAT-A-TAT-TAT-A-TAT-TAT!

“Ahhh!” Martlet flinched away from the screen, only to catch her breath as she realized the sound was accentuating several lines of yellow and white text that were being animated to look like they were being literally shot onto the screen.

BRASCH TACTICS

WITH GENERAL BRASCH

APPROVED BY THE MINISTRY OF DEFENSE

The message hung on the screen for several moments before fading as a new line of text flashed onto the screen in a bold yellow box to the sound of harsh static. The blue bird was pretty sure the static had been added intentionally.

INJURIES - LIMB IMPLANTS

SA-25 STEEL TROOPER SERVO-ARM

“Wow, and people say I’m dramatic.”

“A-teeeeeeen hut, Soldier! I’m General Brasch,” a voice on the screen announced. He sounded pretty much exactly how Martlet had expected him to, gruff, stern, and commanding, but also energetic, almost excited, even, despite his age. She imagined it being similar to how Captain Undyne might sound if she were an old and seasoned veteran leader like this guy clearly was.

“If you’re watching this, then that means you or somebody you know has lost their arm in valiant service to Super Earth.” The screen depicted the white outline of an armoured soldier similar to the ones Martlet had seen in old human posters, their arms and legs splayed out as an animated slash flashed across the screen, a limb flying off in a spray of blood that made the bird monster feel a bit queasy despite how unrealistic it looked.

“But hold strong, Soldier, because you’ll be as good as new in no time thanks to the SA-25 Steel Trooper Servo-Arm Implant!” The outline of a grey metal limb attached to the soldier's slashed limb, merging and turning white to match his own outline. The soldier gave a prompt salute with the newly attached cybernetic arm. “Because you understand that dismemberment is NOT a valid excuse to refrain from doing your part to advance the cause of Liberty!”

Martlet did a double-take, not certain she’d heard that right. Wait, was that not just the syringe making them think weird things? Were humans seriously expected to keep working, even after an injury as brutal as Clover's?

“Uhh-”

She didn’t have time to process it any further as the voice of the General cut in again.

“You’d better be ready, Soldier, because it’s time to attach the implant.” An image of the arm implant appeared on the screen. “First, attach the implant to the residual limb and activate its neural scanner.” On the screen, the implant latched onto the outline of an amputated soldier, a prominent yellow arrow pointing at a button on top of the implant.

“Once the neural scan is complete, the implant will lock in place and fuse to the soldier's limb. No need to worry about precise fitting, the fusing process will burn away ALL extraneous flesh, leaving behind nothing but cold Democratic steel that will put the FEAR of Liberty into the hearts of our enemies! Because pain is only temporary, but Freedom is forever!” 

The screen depicted the implant attaching to and searing the soldier's arm, the area of contact turning red as the sound of something burning began to play and visual heat lines appeared above. A small speech bubble appeared over the soldier with the words ‘Feels like Freedom!’ as the implant fused with the limb.

Once Brasch was finished speaking, a  ‘CONTINUE’ prompt popped up on the screen. Martlet could only stare nervously at it.

…

Wow, the healing process humans subjected themselves to sounded very… intense. Both of Clover’s reactions to being injected with that healing syringe of theirs had kinda hinted at that, but still, Martlet was not prepared for just how brutal the treatment of human wounds could be. Seriously, just burning off excess flash and brute forcing the implant onto their limb like that? Never mind doing that to a child; that didn’t sound like something anybody should ever have to go through. Marlet certainly would never want to subject herself to something that sounded that painful.

But really, what else could she do?

She had no idea how to treat human wounds, she had no magic food with her, and she had no idea if any of the monster stuff she had with her would work. The stuff Clover had brought at least seemed to be effective at healing him.

Even if the methods and side effects were kinda horrifying.

But whatever, if it worked for humans, then it would work for Clover. She’d just have to get over it and focus on what was best for him right now. She could worry about finding less messed up ways of helping him recover later.

“Alright, Clover, I’m not sure if you can hear me, but I’m going to get this metal arm…thing on to you, okay?” She held the implant up and placed it firmly against the tip of his residual limb, one wing hovering right over the scan button. “It sounds pretty painful from the description, so I’m really sorry in advance.”

Maybe he wouldn’t even feel it? He was unconscious after all. Martlet really hoped that would be the case. The poor kid had been through enough already.

“Okay.” Martlet flexed her wings nervously. “Here we go.” She pressed the scan button and braced herself.

The implant started to hum as strange red lights danced across the human’s arm for about a minute or so.

“Huh, this doesn’t seem so bad.”

Really, she only had herself to blame for tempting fate like that.

As soon as the humming stopped, metal pins shot out of the implant and brutally embedded themselves into Clover’s upper arm, the child reacting with a pained whimper.

“Ahhh! What? No! Why? Why is it stabbing him?” Martlet practically screeched as she tried to keep the human steady. “Is it supposed to be stabbing him? The General didn’t say anything about stabbing!”

No, but she did remember something about burning away ‘ALL extraneous flesh.’

The edge of the implant turned red hot, practically hissing as it started fusing to the human's arm. Martlet was not prepared for the smell or sound of sizzling flesh as the process started. Sure, the video had shown it, but she thought it was just being dramatic!

For not the first time today, she had to fight the urge to throw up.

Thankfully, Clover didn’t start screaming, but the pained whimpers got louder as the fusing process went on. Unconscious or not, he was definitely in pain.

It was all Martelt could do to keep the implant steady as it did its brutal work with one wing and doing her best to hold down and comfort the human with the other, holding him tight and close while trying to rub his back reassuringly to the best of her ability.

It probably would’ve gone smoother if her wing didn’t keep getting caught on his stupid cape.

“It’s okay, it’s alright. You’re going to be alright. Just a bit more pain and the implant will be done,” Martlet cooed. She hoped she was right, seeing the kid like this was almost too much for her to take. It was taking everything she had to keep it together until this was done. “And then you’ll get a brand new metal arm that will be super Democractic and everything, isn’t that great? I’m sure you’ll love it!”

Was this helping? She had no idea if she was helping. Please let this end soon. She wasn’t sure how much more of this she could ta-

DING!

Finally, the sizzling stopped and the edges of the implant cooled down, going back from searing red to a dark metal grey as the metal pins digging into Clover’s limb retracted and disappeared.

With the ordeal over, the child seemed to calm down. He still let out the occasional pained moan, but he seemed to at least be doing better.

Still, he was definitely going to be feeling that when he woke up. She’d have to find a way to make it up to him.

She had to find a lot of ways to make things up to him.

“There you go, it’s over now. I hope you feel better.” Martlet stroked the child's face and shoulder, letting out what she hoped was reassuring coos. She couldn’t stop the pain, but she’d do her damndest to try and soothe it.

Just to be sure, she checked the implant, testing it with a light tug, and sure enough, it seemed to be firmly attached.

Yup, it was on there good. So, as rough as that ordeal had been, at least the human’s arm had been fixed.

Yay for that, at least. Although there did seem to be ash on her bed now that the implant fusion was over. Was that what was left of the-

…

Nope! No way! She was not going to think about that! Not one bit! She was going to sweep that stuff all up, throw it in the trash, throw that trash off a cliff or something, and then just never EVER think about it ever again.

Ever.

Really, she just wanted to plant her butt in that lounge chair and conk out. This had just been way too much harrowing stuff for one scatter-brained bird to handle. She was about to shut the datapad off, only to freeze up when she saw the ‘CONTINUE’ button flashing at her on the screen.

…

Crap, she forgot, the implant wasn’t done yet.

Letting out a weary groan, she tapped the button on the datapad screen, resigned to listening to the next set of instructions from the General.

“Outstanding work getting that implant installed, Soldier! I expected nothing less from Democracy’s finest! Now it’s time to insert your E-710 capsule to get this fine piece of Democractic hardware powered up and the immunosuppressant administration protocols activated.”

“E-7 what?!?” Martlet stared at the screen. She was pretty sure she was starting to sweat again. “Immunosuppressa-whosits?!?”

“On the double, Soldier!” the General practically yelled at her. “Failure to do so can lead to implant rejection and possibly death.” The video showed the implant popping off the soldier's arm, followed by an explosion. A large red X flashed across the scene with a harsh ‘BZZT’ to accentuate the point.

“What?! I don-... B-but you…” Martlet sputtered in confusion and panic; her feathers puffing out even more in agitation. “WHY WOULDN’T YOU SAY THAT SORT OF THING AT THE START!?!” She seriously wanted to throw the damn thing through the window.

Instead, she took a deep breath and put the datapad on the ground. Taking pretty revenge on an instructional video wasn’t going to solve anything. She needed to stay cool. 

She took another calming breath. “Okay, you have no idea what an E-710… whatever is, but if Clover brought an implant, he probably had one of those as well. No big deal, just gotta find it.” She glanced nervously at the arm implant. “Quickly…”

She searched through the bag, tossing one thing after another out at an increasingly frantic pace. “Come on, come on, where is it!” As the pressure mounted, she just dumped out the whole bag and sorted through the mess. “It’s gotta be somewhere in here, please tell me it didn’t fall out while I was running back here or something!”

She stopped upon noticing one of the glass shards from earlier, the strange black goo still dripping from it. There was something etched on the glass itself. She grabbed the shard and held it up.

E-7

The rest of it was cut off. She rumaged around until she found another glass shard that also had something etched onto the side.

10

…

Please don’t let it be what she thinks it is…

Holding the two shards together, the bird saw that the pieces fit together perfectly.

E-710

She stared down at the remaining glass shards and the black goo leaking from them. Most of it was now thoroughly soaked into her bedroom rug.

“Not good…”

The implant on Clover’s arm started flashing red.

“Warning, high risk of implant rejection. Insert E-710 capsule immediately.”

Martlet wouldn’t be surprised if her feathers started falling out soon.

“Really not good…”

Okay, so… she accidentally broke the one thing that was needed to keep the child she was trying to save from being killed by an implant she had just brutally fused to their arm, no biggie, no biggie. She just had to improvise some sort of replacement.

Somehow.

“Alright, think Marlet, think. How to fix this…” What was it that the arm implant had reminded her of when she first saw it? It was something that  Chujinhad shown her… Oh, right, his robots! They were machines, and this implant was a machine as well. A super freaky one that works by fusing with human flesh, but a machine all the same. She just had to find another way to power it.

The only question was, how? There wasn’t a plug she could see anywhere on the implant, and she highly doubted any good would come from dragging Clover over to the wall and trying to jam his arm in an outlet.

Ugh, she wished Chujin was still around. He’d have probably been able to think of something. This engineering and machine stuff was always his area of expertise. With the right magic and technical know-how, there was pretty much no problem he couldn’t solve.

Wait… 

She held up her wings.

Would monster magic work? Her magic? While most of the power for the Underground came from other sources, like the Steamworks or the CORE in the Hotlands, it was possible to use a monster’s own magic as a power source. Sure, it wasn’t practical for keeping the whole Underground powered, but just one machine? Chujin had shown her before that such thing was very much possible.

But still, those had been machines designed by monsters, not humans. What were the chances the implant would even respond to monster magic? What if it was powered by ‘Freedom’ or ‘Democracy’ or ‘Liber-Tea’ or any other of the weird things humans seemed to be so obsessed with?

Her gaze bounced around the room. First landing on the arm implant, still flashing a threatening red, then at the black stained rug, then her own wings, and finally lingering on the unconscious human, their young, innocent face contorted into a pained grimace.

No other option. It was this or nothing.

She’d do everything she could to fix this mess. She owed Clover that much.

“Alright, here it goes. Really hoping this works…” She raised her wings and focused on Clover, carefully drawing out his SOUL as the room around her turned dark. 

But instead of focusing on the SOUL itself, she directed her gaze to his body. She didn’t have much trouble making it out, but it was still way more faint than his SOUL. While the SOUL was the only part of a human that was wholly made of magic, there was still enough residual magic throughout the rest of his body to make out the rest of it. All except for one area.

It was still part of the body, but it felt separate, empty. It was like a void in the human. No magic, no life, just cold ‘Democratic’ (according to Brasch, anyway) steel.

Yup, that was the implant, alright. Time to see if her plan would work.

Drawing on her magic, she focused on the implant and began pouring her magic into it. At first, she didn’t notice a reaction, but as she poured more magic in, the implant seemed to brighten up, going from a pure dark void to a white reminiscent of a monster’s SOUL. It was becoming more visible, more defined. The more magic she poured into it, the easier it was to see.

It was an exhausting process. Turns out using your own magical essence as a power source really takes a lot out of you. Who knew? 

But the bird monster kept going. There was no way she was going to give up. 

The implant was so bright now, practically brimming with magic. Definitely the brightest part of Clover’s body, apart from his SOUL. That must’ve been a good sign, right?

“Power source detected,” an automated voice from the implant announced. “Immunosuppressant administration protocols activated.”

Martlet stopped, dropping to her knees and letting out a gasp of air she hadn’t even realized she’d been holding in. The darkness faded from the bedroom and Clover’s SOUL faded from sight.

Her whole body ached. But once she heard that automated voice and saw the implant wasn’t flashing red at her anymore, she felt an overwhelming sense of relief.

It had worked.

Thank the Angel, her stupid, idiotic, downright insane plan had somehow worked!

“I did it…yay…” she cheered weakly. Wow, between all the stress, the running around, the anxiety and guilt, several panic attacks, and the whole ‘pouring her very magic and essence into the implant’ thing, she was wiped out. She wanted to just sleep for a week straight after all of that.

But she wasn’t quite done yet. She pulled out a blanket and made sure to cover Clover with it. 

“Hope you feel better soon.” 

Then she grabbed the datapad and dragged herself over to the lounge chair, flopping into it and pressing the ‘CONTINUE’ button on the datapad screen. She had to make sure there wouldn’t be any more surprises.

“You’ve done it, your implant is powered up, and you’re all set and ready to serve Super Earth once more. Congratulations, Soldier!” The screen showed the soldier saluting. A gun appeared in their hand and they started firing blindly into the air. “Now get out there and bring swift death to the enemies of Managed Democracy! Tyranny doesn’t rest, and neither will you!”

“Well, you say that…” Martlet muttered as she got herself comfortable and began to drift off, her eyes slowly closing even with the video’s music playing in the background. She still had a lot to deal with, but the immediate danger had passed. Clover was safe now; the rest could wait. Until then, she could afford to rest her eyes a bit…

“Brasch Tactics!” The General's voice loudly cut in, shocking the Royal Guard awake with an irritated squawk. “Use ‘em, or die trying!” 

She glared at the face of the General staring back at her from the screen, the words ‘BRASCH TACTICS’ prominently displayed in bold yellow. Seriously, she was SO done with all this. She just wanted some freaking rest, already! Swear to Angel, if she heard one more noise from that damn video-

RAT-A-TAT-TAT-A-TA-

SMASH!

The datapad went flying straight through the window and out into the snow. With her last nerve shot, her patience completely drained, and pretty much running on empty by this point, Martlet just leaned back and closed her eyes, the sweet embrace of sleep almost instantly taking her.

Chapter Text

“You’re facing some very serious accusations, Junior Cadet. What do you have to say in your defence?”

Clover blinked. Where was he? How did he get here? He was having a hard time remembering what it was he had been doing. He recalled… fire, it was everywhere, raining down on him. An orbital napalm barrage he had been unlucky enough to get caught up in, maybe? Friendly fire was an unavoidable part of war after all.

Wait… what war? He’d never been in a war. The Federation was at peace. But that fire, it had been so intense, so painful. It felt like he was going to die. He should’ve died. Yet here he was, standing in an open atrium, intense light bearing down on him from a glass window in the ceiling and openings in the walls. The atrium was a mix of blue, white, and yellow, the colours of Super Earth.

It should’ve made him feel safe, inspired.

It didn’t.

He was… standing in front of a table with Democracy Officer Sonesson sitting at the head. Ship Master Durney sat to his left and Service Technician Bolin to his right. Their eyes were all fixated on the Cadet with judgmental stares.

But why were they… oh… oh sweet Liberty, no! Had he been caught? He must’ve. He was being court martialed!

“Do you really have nothing to say, then?” Sonesson asked, an accusatory edge in his voice.

He saw movement at the edge of his vision, to his left and right. Glancing over, he saw he was flanked on both sides by Helldivers. Their black and yellow armour glistening in the light, weapons held at the ready as they fixed their gaze on him, their expressions unreadable through the dark visors of their helmets. Wait, had he missed something? When did the Helldiver corps get-

Never mind, it didn’t matter. He was in serious trouble. He needed to say something in his defense.

Anything!

“Sir, I…” he started, sweat dripping down his face. “I only did what I thought was best for Super Earth. That’s what I’ve always done.”

The Democracy Officer didn’t respond. None of them did, all staring at him with such intensity that he felt like he was going to burst into flames. They weren’t satisfied; he had to keep going. They needed to understand.

“Okay, so I never did find out exactly what became of the other Cadets. I mean… I have suspicions, but…” He paused, trying to think of what to say next. He had to tread carefully, or he could very easily find himself being labelled a traitor. Liberty knows he’d been walking a very fine line there. 

“The monsters I found down there? I know they are supposed to be enemies of Super Earth… of Managed Democracy, but there’s so much more to them than we knew. They don’t hate Freedom or Democracy, I’m not sure they even understand what those are. They’re just… people trying to live their lives. And while they are… strange, I don’t think they’re the enemy. They don’t seek our destruction, and they don’t deserve annihilation. We have to at least give them a chance.” The Democracy Officer leaned back, seeming to mull over the Cadet’s words. He glanced at Bolin and Durney, both giving curt nods before directing their attention back to Clover.

“Very intriguing argument, Cadet.”

Clover let out a sigh of relief. That had gone a lot better than he had thought it would. If they were willing to hear him out, then maybe things would work out after all, for him and the monsters.

“Now face the wall.”

Wait, what?!

Before he knew what was happening, each of the Helldivers flanking the Cadet grabbed an arm, dragging him to the edge of the atrium. 

“W-wait, wait, wait! Just hear me out!” He struggled in vain against their vice grips. “You don’t understand!”

“What I understand is that we have a rogue Cadet who has abandoned the cause.” The Democracy Officer countered as he stood up from the desk, his tone leaving no room for argument. “Such blatant violations of protocol may have been excused if you had done what was expected of you in the field.” He shook his head in disappointment. “But instead, you chose to walk the path of treason. You have openly consorted with the enemies of Managed Democracy and spoken out against the indisputable truth of Liberty. And there is but one sentence befitting such a crime.”

All the fight left Clover the moment he heard that, giving up the fight as the Helldivers dragged him over to the wall and forced him to his knees, the sound of a gun being cocked behind him.

It was true, wasn’t it? He always knew his warped sense of morality was nothing like that of his fellow citizens. Was it really surprising that it had so thoroughly compromised him and his mission? The monsters just seemed so nice, so understanding. Unlike pretty much every Super Earth citizen he’d ever encountered, they actually felt relatable. He identified more with them than his own people. That right there was proof enough that he really was a traitor, that his weak will and aversion to violence had ultimately allowed the monsters to corrupt him. To twist him into a dissident.

And now he was paying the price for it.

“Let’s go, people, come on!” Ship Master Durney shouted from behind him. “We need to get this done and cleaned up ASAP. This atrium’s booked for a Freedom Ball tournament in an hour.”

Huh?

Clover glanced behind him, seeing Freedom Ball players filing into the atrium, some of them already starting to practice on the other side of the room.

That didn’t make any sense. Wait, what was even happen-

BANG!

“Ahhh, Freedom Ball!” Clover blurted out, his eyes snapping open as he spun around in a confused frenzy. In the chaos, he got tangled up in the blanket covering him and nearly threw himself off the bed he was lying on.

What was happening? Where was he? He was in a bedroom of some sort. His satchel on the floor with most of its stuff dumped out for some reason. Most of the walls were covered in grained wood panneling except for the one behind him, instead a calming blue sporting several framed pictures of… birds?

A blast of cold wind hit him, the chill blunted by his blanket, but still enough to send shivers down his spine. It drew his attention to a nearby broken window. Through it, he could see the perplexing underground snow and trees of Snowdin.

How did he wind up here? He had trouble remembering. All he knew was that he was feeling sore all over, especially in his arm.

He rubbed at the sore spot, realizing something felt very off. His upper arm felt normal, but there was an abrupt shift in the sensation of his limb as soon as he felt the lower half. It felt hard and stiff. It quickly became clear why when he noticed the servo-arm implant where his lower arm had been. The very one he had brought with him.

Somebody had fused it to his arm, and it certainly wasn’t him.

Well, that explained why that burning in his dream had felt so real. The implant and fusion process was reportedly a very intense process. 

Oh well, no pain, no freedom.

…

That thought triggered the weirdest feeling of deja vu. Had he… died? No, no, that felt… different. But ‘no pain, no freedom,’ it felt like he’d said it before. Recently.

What was it that had happened, exactly? The details were still pretty hazy; there was… a bowling ball, feathers of some kind, he was pretty sure he injected himself with a stim at one point, something of his had exploded…

He glanced back down at his arm implant.

…

Okay, he could probably venture a good guess as to why he didn’t have an arm anymore. But still, he remembered yelling at someone. Was he in a fight? He recalled looking for somebody and finding them. He had been searching for answers about Melody, but ended up in a fight instead. It was somebody… blue? And chatty, very chatty. Most likely a monster, but who-

“Zzzzzzzzzzzzz.”

Clover practically jumped at the sound, twisting around to the source and finding a blue-feathered bird monster sound asleep in a chair next to the bedroom door.

Oh… right. It was her. She had been the one he was fighting. The Royal Guard, her name was… The Cadet struggled to remember. He thought it was… Martlet? Yeah, that was it.

Now he was remembering things more clearly. She had broken his leg with a bowling ball. The memory made him wince as he finally started to notice the dull ache in his leg. Guess it still had some healing to do.

His memories were still very fuzzy after the stim injection, but given where he was now, he could only guess that after he lost his arm, Martlet had brought him here and gotten that arm implant installed. She had offered to help him get better after breaking his leg, so if nothing else, she seemed to be a bird of her word. It certainly helped explain why he had woken up in a cozy bedroom instead of a prison cell.

Still, it was probably best he got moving. Just because Martlet hadn’t locked him up before didn’t mean she might do it once she woke up. Friendly or not, she was still a Royal Guard, an enemy of Super Earth. It’d be best if he didn’t push his luck.

Even then, Clover was reluctant to get up. The bed was just so soft, way softer than anything he’d slept in since… well... ever. The orphanage, the colonies, the Super Destroyer, every bed he’d ever slept in was firm and stiff. Not that he was complaining, Super Earth provided him with what he needed to do his duty, and that should be enough; he wasn’t greedy. 

But still, this bed was just so soft. Plus, he was still sore all over, his arm and broken leg in particular. It was only going to feel worse once he got up. Maybe he could just lie down for a bit longer. This had been his first real rest since arriving in the Underground. Surely there’d be no harm in-

Nope! No way! Bad Clover! Bad! Resist the Tyrannical temptations of these monsters and their comfortable beds! A citizen of Super Earth does not shy away from their duty, even if they feel a little sore and tired. As long as there was work to be done and he was able, he would do it. And now that his arm implant was installed, he was certainly abled enough.

With his resolve restored and treasonous thoughts banished, he tore free of the blanket he was wrapped in, forcing himself out of bed and onto his feet.

And immediately regretted it when a sharp spike of pain in his leg sent him stumbling into the wall. It was only thanks to his newly installed arm implant that he was able to brace himself and keep from collapsing into a miserable heap on the bedroom floor.

“Son of a-” the Cadet started before quickly biting it back, quietly finishing the curse with a whisper. “Tyrant.”

He froze up when he heard Martlet start to mumble and shuffle around in her chair. He held his breath, anxiety spiking as he got ready to do his best to run for it should the Royal Guard wake up.

Not that he’d get very far given the state he was in.

“Why is it managed, anyway?” the bird monster mumbled before settling down and ceasing her movement, falling back into rested sleep.

Clover remained stock still until he was certain she wouldn’t wake back up, finally letting out a relieved sigh. It seemed Liberty hadn’t forsaken him yet.

He carefully grabbed his satchel off the ground and started placing everything back inside. Martlet must have dumped it all out when she had been installing the arm implant.

Still, he couldn’t find his datapad, gun, or helmet. Not that he could afford to look for long. This would all be pointless if Martlet woke up while he was still here. Besides, he was pretty sure his gun had exploded, given what had happened to his arm. Maybe the datapad and helmet hadn’t survived the blast either.

He looked back in his satchel and double checked, just to be sure. They weren’t there, but he did pull out the moderately singed cowboy hat Pops had given him.

Or was it Dalv? He wasn’t sure what the deal was there…

Whatever, if his helmet was gone, he still needed some headwear, so the hat would have to do. He slipped it on and looked at himself in the reflection of the broken window. It looked pretty nice, burns aside. The rest of his outfit, though…

It was pretty bad. His uniform was covered in a patchwork mess of nicks and tears alongside burnt fabric and leather. Even his cape was pretty frayed. There was no way he would’ve passed a spot check from the Democracy Officer looking like this. But it wasn’t like he had brought an extra outfit, so what could he do?

Finish the mission, that’s what. He could get an outfit change later.

He glanced over at Martlet, offering her a quiet thanks for helping him before slowly making his way out of the door. Partly to keep from waking the bird monster, and partly because his leg was still… moderately abled at best and hurt like a despot every time he put too much weight on it.

And so he carefully made his way out of the house.

Step.

Ow!

By.

Ow!

Step.

Ow!

He was making good progress. As long as he kept quiet and fought through the pain, he’d be good and gone in no- Oh, for Freedom’s sake, stairs? Seriously?! Why couldn’t Martlet have put him on the ground floor? She was really putting a dent in this whole ‘slip out quietly’ plan of his.

Several agonizing minutes later, he had managed to make it to the bottom floor without being noticed and headed for the front door. A door that had been kicked off its hinges and now lay flat on the floor for some reason, but Clover wasn’t going to question it. Democracy provides for those who serve in their time of need, after all.

Coo! Coo!

Coo! Coo!

Coo! Coo!

The Cadet stiffened as the muffled sounds of a clock echoed from upstairs, followed by the panicking squawking of what could only have been Martlet. He couldn’t make out most of it, but one thing rang out louder than the rest.

“Sweet Angel! Where’d Clover go?!”

Crap!

Clover bolted out into the snow as fast as he could, doing his best to ignore the painful protests of his leg.

He managed to make it a full ten steps before his leg gave out and he faceplanted into the snow.

…

Okay, now Liberty had forsaken him.

“Clover!” Martlet called out from above. “Stay where you are, I’m coming!” He heard frantic footsteps echoing as the bird monster rushed out of the bedroom and down the stairs.

Accepting that his gambit had failed, the child let out a resigned sigh, lifting his head and looking down the snowy path. He was surprised to see a familiar black metal slab with a cracked screen sitting in the snow in front of him.

“Is… is that my datapad?”

“Got you!” A pair of wings wrapped around him and lifted him up from the snow. “Let’s get you back inside.”

“Let me go!” Clover struggled to break free from the bird monster, but her grip was just too tight. He flailed uselessly as she carried him back to the house and into the living room, setting him down on a nice plush couch.

“There, we go.” She looked down at the Cadet with a warm smile. “Isn’t that better than running around in the snow with a bad leg and arm?” Her expression faltered slightly as she looked off to the side. “Well… more like lying face down in the snow. And… also not really a bad arm, but a… you know, metal arm?”

Seeing that the bird was distracted and lost in her own thoughts again, he began to slowly work his way off the couch. Maybe he could try making a run for it again? He’d just have to do a better job of fighting through the pain.

“Which is kinda cool, I guess. But still, that implant process looked really painful, so you probably still need some time to- Hey!”

She finally noticed Clover’s escape attempt and grabbed the child, pushing him firmly back onto the couch and holding him in place when he started struggling again. “No, no, no! You need to eat and rest! I saw you running. You barely made it out of the house before your leg gave out on you. You’re in no condition to go anywhere.”

Realizing the futility of his situation, Clover finally stopped struggling. He’d just have to wait for a better chance to escape. Hopefully, Democracy would provide him with another such chance in time.

Seemingly satisfied that he wouldn’t make a break for it. Martlet released her grip on the human and gave him some room, rubbing her wings together anxiously as she watched him.

“I understand if you don’t trust me. I… haven’t given you much reason to.” Her gaze lowered, but she never fully broke eye contact with him. She either was really guilty or didn’t trust him to not try and escape again.

Or both. Both seemed pretty likely.

“And I’m really sorry about that,” the blue bird continued remorsefully. “You did everything you could to try and talk me down, but I was just… gah! As soon as I saw you, I just had to catch you. Just had to catch a human!” Her wings shot up frustratedly, then slumped to her sides. “If I had listened, then maybe you’d still have your arm.”

They both glanced awkwardly at his metal arm as it twitched with a mechanical whir.

“Well, you’re original arm. I… uhh, didn’t mean to-” She stopped and took a deep breath, closing her eyes, and she seemed to collect her thoughts. “Look, I’m not trying to keep you trapped or anything, I really just want to help. I haven’t told anybody else about you, and the rest of the Royal Guard has no idea you’re here. It’s just that… well, come on, you’re a child. You shouldn’t have even been in this situation to begin with. I screwed up by letting this happen, but I really do want to help you get better. And I will, if you can just trust me.”

Clover let out a weary sigh. He believed that the bird really was trying to do what she thought was best for him. Sure, she got a little carried away, but he could relate. What self-respecting servant of Super Earth hadn’t gone a bit overboard with Democratic fervour in their service to Freedom? Monsters probably did similar things in their service to… well, he wasn’t quite sure, Tyranny? That’s what Super Earth would say, but he couldn’t really imagine Martlet fighting for something like that, or any monster, really.

He blinked and shook his head. Wow, he’s definitely not thinking straight if he’s letting those kinds of treasonous thoughts through.

Martlet stared at him, once again rubbing her wings together as she waited for a response.

She seemed nice, she really did. But she just didn’t get it. None of the monsters did. And how could they? Managed Democracy wasn’t their way of life. It was his. And that was exactly why he couldn’t stay.

“Look, Ms. Martlet, I appreciate what you’re trying to do. I really do.” He broke his gaze from the bird, looking down at the floor. “But it’s not about trust. I have a mission, and I aim to see it through.” He looked back up at the bird with a resolute look in his eye. “But I can’t do that if I’m stuck here with you.”

“Mission?” She seemed taken aback. “W-what mission? You’re just a kid! You should be going to school, o-or hanging out at the playground, or running around in the snow, or… I don’t know, other kid stuff! What you shouldn’t be doing is putting your life on the line like this! What could possibly be so important that you’d head into danger like this?”

Was that what monster kids did? It sounded pretty different from the kind of life he lived. Or any other kids he knew, for that matter. Not that it mattered; he couldn’t afford to walk away from this, no matter how much Martlet insisted. And he certainly couldn’t tell her what he was doing. Not a Royal Guard. “Sorry… I can’t say.”

“But… but you-” Martlet sputtered frustratedly before stopping. Once again, she closed her eyes and breathed deeply. “Okay… okay.” Opening her eyes, she knelt down, meeting the human at eye level. “I don’t know what it is you’re doing down here, but you’ve made it pretty clear you’re determined to see it through, and I don’t want to get in the way of that. I tried already, and all it did was…” Her wing hovered over Clover’s servo-arm for a moment then pulled back. “Cause you harm…”

Was she that upset over his arm? He appreciated the sentiment, but he was the one who had been reckless, not her… well, okay, that wasn’t true. She was also reckless, very reckless, but still, she wasn’t the one who blew up his arm. He did, because he hadn’t been paying attention. Also, because he had decided to take an experimental and relatively untested prototype weapon, but eh, details. Besides, friendly fire incidents like those were just an unavoidbale risk in all of Super Earths armed branches.

“Look, it’s really not that big of a de-”

“Don’t, please.” Marlet shook her head. “I’m a Royal Guard, I’m supposed to help people, make them feel happy, safe. But... I didn’t help you, I… I let you down.”

Clover was pretty sure such a duty didn’t extend to humans, but he knew better than to point that out.

“And I want to fix that. Whatever it is you’re doing here, you’re going to need help. As a Royal Guard, I can do that. I-I can help you hide from the rest of the Guard, and I know the Underground a lot better. Whatever it is you’re looking for down here, I can help you find it. I might even be able to put in a good word with the King, if it comes to that.”

He blinked at the bird. As tempting as that was, he couldn’t help but feel like there was a ‘but’ coming.

“But…”

Ah, there it was.

“You have to stay here with me until you get better. Mission or no mission, you’re in no condition to go anywhere right now, given the whole… broken leg and blown up arm that I cau-”

“If you keep blaming yourself, I’m just gonna say ‘no.’”

“Okay, okay, fine! Sorry! I’ll try to stop doing that! It’s just I still feel super bad about all that and-” she blinked and shook her head. “Never mind, you don’t want to hear any of that.” She placed both of her wings on his shoulders. “Look, if you’re going to have any chance at finishing this mission of yours, you need to be healed up. You stay here with me for now, and I can make that happen. I’ll get you monster food, it has magic in it, so it’ll go a long way towards helping you get better, trust me. It’s way safer than those…” She glanced nervously at Clover’s satchel. “Weird… syringe things… you’ve been using.”

His stims? He’ll admit, they did make him pretty loopy, but they weren’t that bad. Pretty standard battle meds and combat enhancement for the SEAF, honestly. But he didn’t want to freak out Martlet any more than he already had, so he’d refrain from using them for now. Besides, they were really meant more for emergencies.

“So… what do you say?” She looked at him expectantly. “You stay here with me and I help you get better, then we can go on this special mission of yours together. Sound good to you?”

Clover hated just how deeply he was treading into treasonous territory. There was no way accepting help from a monster, especially a Royal Guard, of all things, would ever be considered acceptable conduct by Super Earth. Heck, even talking to her at all was a breach of protocol. But that didn’t change the fact that Martlet was right. He barely even made it out of the house before she caught him. And she was just trying to help. What if he had run into a hostile monster? Sure, he had Flowey to rely on, but what help was that when he was recovering from a broken leg, had an arm implant he wasn’t even remotely used to, and didn’t even have a gun anymore? All he’d get for his trouble were a lot of deaths, a very irritated flower, and incremental gains at best, if any at all.

Plus, it was pretty clear just how out of his element he was. He was going to need all the help he could get if he was going to pull this off and get justice for those missing Cadets. And if Martlet was offering to help, then who was he to turn her down? As uncomfortable as it was to admit, he'd broken plenty of protocols already, might as well stay the course if it got the job done.

History would appraise his deeds, either to be celebrated or condemned in the Democractic annals of Super Earth.

“Alright, Ms. Martlet.” He nodded at the bird monster. “I think that sounds pretty good.”

“Really? That’s great!” Martlet trilled, excitedly clapping her wings together. “Oh man, oh, I… uhh, I have so much to do, don’t I? I’ve gotta get you food, ooh, and I need to fix this place up, kinda just busted down the door when I rushed you back here. Ooh, and cleaning! This place is a mess! And I need to clean myself up! I haven’t washed since yesterday! Oh, and you, too! You need a wash!” 

Not that it was very surprising, but wow, this bird was all over the place.

Martlet gasped, eyes wide and feathers puffed out in alarm. “Oh crap! Sergeant Doge! She probably doesn’t know where I went! I just took off from my post and never came back! Ack, what do I do?!” Her gaze snapped back and forth from one wing to the other. “You need food, but I also have to report to her before she figures out something’s up! Food? Report? Food? Report? Fo-”

“Easy, easy, Miss,” Clover assured the bird, reaching for his satchel. “I’ve got some rations for now until you get your magic… stuff. You should probably talk to this ‘Sergeant Doge.’ We don’t need any more Royal Guards snooping around.”

“Y-yes, of course, you’re right.” The poor bird brushed a wing across her sweaty forehead. “Okay, I’ll go talk to the Sergeant, and then I can get you some- Wait a minute!” She spun around and pointed an accusatory wing at the human. “What are you doing up? You should be lying down on that couch!”

“Oh?” It was only then he noticed he had gotten off the couch. He hadn’t even realized when.. A lifetime of service to Super Earth had just ingrained into him the instinct to get to work as soon as the opportunity arose. “Yeah, I guess I am. I mean, you’ve got a lot on your… wings. Anyway, you’re busy, and I’m awake, so I might as well make myself useful, no?” He glanced over at the door on the ground. “I was thinking I might start with getting that door fixed. You wouldn’t mind leasing some of your tools so I can do that, would you? I don’t really have any G, but I promise I’d pay you back, and whatever interest you’d charge, too.”

“What?!” Martlet squawked incredulously. “Leasing my tool- Charing intre-,” she kept sputtering, struggling to even form a coherent response. “You don’t seriously think I expect you to be doing chores, do you? Or charge you for it?! You just broke your leg and lost your freaking arm, you need to rest!”

“I’ve got a replacement.” Clover flexed his arm implant. Admittedly, it felt kinda weird. Very… he wasn’t quite sure how to put it, furry? No, that wasn’t right, feathery, maybe? Was that normal? He wasn’t sure. Maybe it’s because he was still getting used to it. Not important, he needed to get the Royal Guard to understand he could still be of use, even in his injured state.

“I might not be fully abled, but I’m still moderately abled. I mean, it doesn’t hurt too much when I move my leg. And I need to earn my keep, right? Surely you’ve got some work suitable for me.” He took a few steps towards Martlet as proof, only wincing slightly each time.

The bird monster remained unconvinced.

“Nope, nope! Nuh-uh! You are not doing any work like this.” She picked up the Cadet and set him back down on the couch. “In this house, only fully abled children get to work. Moderately abled children have to just focus on getting better, understand?”

Clover wanted to object. He could still contribute, so why shouldn’t he? But the bird monster seemed adamant that he just stay here and get better, it felt so… weird, and wrong. But also kinda nice? Why did monsters always seem to leave him feeling so confused?

Whatever, he was staying at her house, so he should probably do what she said, even if it was something as bizarre as resting instead of working. Besides, she was a Royal Guard, which was probably, like, some sort of monster equivalent of a Democracy Officer, right? And there’s no way he’d disobey an order from Democracy Officer Sonesson. And this whole escapade of his totally didn’t count since Sonesson never actually ordered him not to do this.

That’d hold up in court, right? Whatever he was getting sidetracked. Appease the bird!

“I understand,” he nodded. “I’ll stay here then.”

Martlet let out a sigh of relief. “Thanks, Clover, for being reasonable about this. It means a lot to me.” She got up and smiled at him. “I’m going to go get things sorted out with the Royal Guard, and then I’ll be back with some food. You stay here, alright? I won’t be long.”

Clover watched the bird monster turn and leave. He was still bummed out that he couldn’t be useful, but it was her house, and she had the authority, so he’d do what she said. Maybe she’d let him do some work when he- Wait, he just remembered something she mentioned.

“You said only fully abled children get to work,” Clover called out. “That means you have work for me once I’m feeling better, right?”

The bird froze in place, slowly turning around to face the child. For a second, he could swear she had a look of dismay on her face, like she’d just lost a bet or something. But just as quickly, it was gone, replaced with a nervous smile. “S-sure, I have some… things, for you to do, yup. I-I’m sure you’ll love them.”

She was sweating again. Was it something he said?

“Anyways-gotta-go-Focus-on-getting-better-okay-Byeeee!” She rapidly blurted out before flapping her wings and taking off into the air.

Wow, she took off in a hurry.

Welp, he had time to kill until she came back. What to do, then? He pondered his options for a bit when it occurred to him. He hadn’t done his daily swearing of the Pledge of Allegiance to Super Earth. He’d better get on that.

He awkwardly snapped his new cybernetic arm into a Super Earth salute. He would’ve used his left, but that wasn’t an option, not unless he could get a certificate of approval, so this would have to do.

He was about to start reciting the pledge when a realization hit him. His face broke into a frown as he started looking around uncertainly.

…

Which way was Super Earth?

Sonesson took a long sip from his mug, the Liber-Tea searing hot as it went down his throat. The heat and the intensely Democratic flavour were invigorating, giving the Democracy Officer a much needed boost as he looked back down at the five different datapads strewn across the desk of his office. The dim lighting and the steam coming from his mug created a hazy atmosphere.

His office was quaint, but dignified, having all the essentials, including a pole bearing the Super Earth flag, a plaque proclaiming the Federation's core tenets of Prosperity, Liberty, and Managed Democracy, and Sonesson’s own framed Democracy Officer certification. His Citizenship Class was high enough that he could’ve had something much more lavish and expansive, but Sonesson never cared for such excesses. As long as he had everything he needed to continue to serve Super Earth to the best of his abilities, he was satisfied. For there were no material goods that could ever hope to match the rapturous elation that came from knowing his actions would lead to a more Democratic galaxy.

He glanced out his viewport, the cosmos staring back. Stars twinkled against the black void as the Ebott system lay below, the arc energy of the ion storms still dancing across the planet’s surface. 

The viewport, it had been the one perk he had allowed himself to indulge in. He wanted to be able to look out at the expanse that lay before him, to be able to see just how far across the cosmos the wonders of Managed Democracy had spread. Some day, it would spread across the entire galaxy.

Maybe he’d even get to see it.

KNOCK! KNOCK!

The knocking on his door drew his gaze back towards his office. Such optimistic thoughts would have to wait, he had duties to attend to.

“Enter.”

The door to his office slid open and Ship Master Durney stepped in, snapping off a salute to the Democracy Officer. “Sir, I have the inventory catalogues you requested.”

“Very good, Ship Master.” Sonesson held out an armoured glove and she placed the datapad in his grip. “Any progress getting through this interference?”

Dureny shook her head. “Progress is slow, I’m afraid. I’ve been pushing the crew hard, but it doesn’t look like we’ll make any serious headway on piecing the picture together until the ion storms dissipate. I am pleased to report the recon teams are ready, however. They can be deployed as soon as conditions allow.”

“Excellent,” the Democracy Officer nodded. “Keep me updated on the situation.” He started tapping through the datapad Durney had brought him. “That will be all.”

The Ship Master snapped another salute and left the office, the door sliding shut behind her.

Sonesson took another sip from his mug and resumed his perusal of the datapads. He had become very familiar with them over the last day, having confined himself to his office as soon as the records had been made available.

Despite being cut off from the rest of the Federation, Super Destroyers always had archived information on all systems relevant to their patrols, including the Ebott system. He had started with the reports of the other personnel who had gone missing. Interestingly, the five other missing Junior Cadets had all been last sighted within one hundred kilometres of this area before disappearing.

An intriguing pattern, but not enough to go on, not with an area that large. It could’ve just been similar patrol and recon routes.

So he had kept digging. He had looked into the history of Ebott itself. But there wasn’t much of note. It was not a planet of much renown in the Super Earth archives. Ebott itself had been a low priority Cyborg-controlled system that had only been subject to one Liberation Campaign during the entire forty year duration of the Great Galactic War. 

Not the most surprising of revelations. The intense ion storms permeating the system and the fact that Ebott was far from any strategically vital warp links or supply lines meant Super Earth didn’t have much use for it once it had been liberated, nor did the Cyborgs have much reason to try and retake it.

Activity reports hadn’t yielded much of value either. Ebott’s lack of importance remained a consistent factor long after the war ended, with the system only being the site of standard Super Destroyer patrols along with occasional surface reconnaissance.

The mission reports, however, had yielded more interesting results. While the majority of them consisted of simple scans from orbit or quick surface level reconnaissance before moving on to more important systems, Sonesson found there were a sizeable number of patrol missions shortly after the war with records of equipment and supplies being deployed to the system.

That alone was pretty suspicious. Why was equipment only being deployed during patrol missions shortly after the war had ended, and then never again? It’s possible these deployments were just to establish basic infrastructure that would facilitate future patrols. It was a common enough practice for patrols of systems that weren’t important enough for an active garrison. Normally, such reports would include details on the equipment and supplies that had been deployed.

Which was why it was so strange that these reports didn’t.

Omitting such details once may have just been an oversight, twice would’ve been negligence, but every one of these mission reports failing to provide details on what equipment had been deployed? That wasn’t negligence or incompetence. That was sabotage.

Somebody had altered the mission reports, likely knowing nobody would ever bother reviewing records for missions on such a trivial system. And for nearly a century, they had been right.

He would have to write a report to the Ministry of Defense informing them of the sabotage this negligence had allowed. Managed Democracy required constant vigilance in all things, even missions seemingly as unimportant as these had been.

If they had been more vigilant, those Cadets might have never gone missing in the first place. And whatever Tyrannical conspiracy that seems to be at play now may have been stopped before it could ever take root.

Whoever was behind this had been very careful. They had taken great measures to cover up whatever had been going on in the Ebott system. But Sonesson doubted they had been perfect. Just as Tyranny could take root in the smallest of cracks, so too could it be tracked down if even the faintest of traces were found.

Whatever equipment and supplies had been deployed to Ebott may have been removed from the mission reports. But there were other ways to track that equipment. And if Freedom willed it, the inventory catalogues the Ship Master had brought to him would be that solution.

It didn’t take long before he found what he was looking for. Every Super Destroyer and its accompanying ships had an inventory catalogue taken upon arriving at a new system. And every single one that had passed through the Ebott system would’ve had an inventory taken upon arrival and again after warping to the next system on their patrol. By checking the differences between each inventory catalogue, he had managed to determine what equipment had gone missing. Or more accurately, what had been deployed to Ebott.

What he found was very concerning.

He reached for the comm on his desk. “Ship Master Durney, may I see you in my office? I need your input on something.”

There was a brief delay before she responded. He had probably caught the Ship Master in the middle of a task. “Yes, sir.” She curtly answered before the comm went dead.

It wasn’t long before she arrived, walking right through the door instead of knocking. She knew he was expecting her and opted not to waste his time on trivial formalities. Good.

She gave a quick salute. “Sir, you wished to see me?”

He nodded. “Yes, take a look at these inventory catalogues for me, would you?” He handed her the datapad logging all the ships that had supposedly deployed equipment onto the system. “Notice anything off?”

Durney furrowed her brow as she looked through the separate reports. Thank Liberty he had been assigned to a Super Destroyer with such a competent Ship Master, because it didn’t take her long to figure out what he was getting at.

“The Ebott arrival and departure inventory reports don’t add up. But… that would suggest equipment was being deployed to the system.” She frowned at the datapad. “And a lot of equipment at that.”

Sonesson nodded in agreement. “Far too much for a low-priority system like Ebott.” He handed her another datapad. “And all the equipment details were removed from their mission reports.”

Durney’s frown deepened as she looked over the reports. “That’s a lot of altered mission reports. To move this much equipment to Ebott so soon after the war…” Her gaze briefly wandered to the window, looking down at the system below before snapping back to the Democracy Officer. “They were building something down there. Think it was an illegal complex?”

“Unlikely. That many ships being employed for equipment delivery would likely be sanctioned.” He rose up from his desk and walked over to look out the viewport. “But somebody went through a lot of effort to conceal its existence. They likely purged records of it from Super Earth’s databases shortly after its completion.”

“It would be pretty easy to do on a system as isolated as this one,” Dunrey replied, nodding in agreement. “Probably weren’t that many records of it to begin with. The question is, what were they trying to hide?”

“Whatever it was, it seemed to require some very specialized equipment.” Sonesson turned around and moved back to his desk, grabbing a list he had made of all the missing equipment and handing it to the Ship Master.

Durney’s eyebrows drew together as she read the list. “I haven’t even heard of half of these things. Like… an ‘SE-7 Democratization Field’?”

“An experimental barrier projector,” Sonesson explained. “Based on Illuminate technology we liberated during the war. It was meant to be a revolutionary new method for keeping dissidents sequestered. An impenetrable barrier that allowed for entry but would impede all attempts at escape. I’m not privy to the specifics, but it utilized dark energy and employed quantum shielding to prevent interference from anybody who wasn’t certified.” He let out a sigh. “The theory was sound, but it was too impractical for use galaxy-wide, so the project was scrapped after only a few prototypes were made.”

“Sounds like it might’ve been put to use here on Ebott,” Durney noted as she looked at some of the other missing equipment. “Seven hundred cargo containers equipped with artificial atmosphere. That’s a lot of containers for transporting supplies reliant on atmospheric exposure.”

“Or for transporting prisoners.”

“Indeed.” The Ship Master continued reading the list, looking more and more perplexed the further she went. “Dark energy reactors, climate processors, ground breaker drills, energy manipulators, a lot of technology I’ve never even heard of… and enough construction material to build half a mega city. Just what was it they were trying to build here?”

“Hard to say.” The Democracy Officer rubbed his forehead, starting to feel the strain as the realization began to truly set in at the potential scope of what they had been looking into. “But I think it’s safe to say that whatever was hidden here has been twisted towards Tyrannical purposes. It could be linked to our rogue Cadet and the other five who’ve gone missing.”

He should’ve listened to Clover. It seemed the Cadet’s actions may have led to a discovery of extratyrannical proportions.

“What do we do now, sir?”

Sonesson took one last look at the reports and then glanced back up at the Ship Master. “Continue trying to break through the interference from the ion storms. I suspect the more intel on the surface we can glean, the better our search efforts will go.”

“And this secret complex?”

He paused in thought, remembering some of the missing equipment that had been listed and thinking of what it could be used for. “Whatever this complex is, it’s likely underground. It would certainly explain why none of the patrols ever saw anything.”

It was just like the enemies of Freedom to lurk in the shadowy depths, far from the Just gaze of Liberty.

“Understood, sir. I’ll make sure we have prospecting drills and geological scanners ready once the recon teams are good to go.” She started punching entries into her datapad before looking back up at the Democracy Officer. “If that’s everything, sir?”

Sonesson nodded at her. “Carry on, Ship Master. It seems we both have much work to do.”

Durney snapped one last salute and then disappeared out the door.

Finally alone, he walked back over to the viewport, hands folded behind his back as he looked down at the planet below. “What secrets did you come upon, Cadet? What Tyrannical plots lie just beneath the surface?”

He still didn't have all the answers, but he was a Democracy Officer, an agent of the Ministry of Truth. One way or another, he would find them. No matter the cost.

Chapter Text

Martlet tore through the air at speeds she never even thought she was capable of. It was crazy, her lungs felt like they were on fire. She can’t remember ever going this fast before, not even theother times she had shown up late for work. All she knew was that Sergeant Doge would probably show up at her guard station sooner or later expecting an explanation for her absence. And she needed to come up with a very good excuse if she didn’t want the Royal Guard finding out about Clover.

It was just too bad she couldn’t think through all the blinding agony as she pushed her body to its limits. By the time she finally made it to the guard post, everything was a blur, she was just too exhausted and delirious to make sense of anything around her. She couldn’t even move anymore now that she’d actually landed. So she just slumped against the side of her post, slowly dropping onto her rear as she focused on trying to get her breath back.

She needed to think of a good explanation for the Sergeant. Something! Anything! But she just couldn’t figure out what to say. There were only three things she was certain of right now.

One, that she couldn’t breathe.

Two, that her entire existence was PAIN and she was definitely gonna die.

And three, she had no idea what she was doing.

Admittedly, it felt like she never had any idea what she was doing, but somehow, that problem had managed to only get worse since she met Clover.

She took in gulps of air, trying to relax. But all she could think of was just how messed up and weird her life had become in only a day.

Between the fight, the explosion, that thing with the arm implant and ‘Brasch Strategems’ or whatever it was called, she thought she had managed to get through the worst of it. And yet the very next day, she found herself trying to keep a badly injured child from running off and working himself to death. It felt like she was just stumbling from one increasingly baffling disaster to the next.

Seriously, how did saving the kid’s life end up being the easy part? At least he couldn’t do anything while he was unconscious. But now that he was awake? He kept trying to run off the moment she took her eyes off him for longer than a few moments. The only reason she was even able to get him to stay at all was by offering to help him on his mission, whatever that was. Because yeah, going on a secret mission in an Underground full of monsters looking to kill you is not at all an insane thing for a kid to be doing, right? And even then, she still felt like she somehow managed to lose that argument when she got trapped into promising him work.

Really? Work? Clover wanted her to give him work?!

What kind of messed up upbringing did that poor child have? No kid should ever want to work. He should want to play in the snow or watch TV or hang out with other kids, or come up with crazy schemes to skip school. Does he even go to school? Is school even a thing for humans? Or do they just skip straight to work as soon as they’re old enough to hold a tool and cut out the whole childhood part?

Martlet had heard some very strange and baffling stories about humans, but she always thought they were just that, stories. She just couldn’t believe anyone would actually act the way humans did in those tales. But given the way she’d seen Clover acting, she was starting to find them much more believable.

Monsters weren’t perfect by any stretch of the imagination, but she still couldn’t imagine any monster, child or adult, ever thinking it normal to act this way at such a young age. To put work ahead of everything else, even when they’re still recovering from something as serious as losing a freaking arm! 

Seriously, it hadn’t even been a day since that whole mess, and he barely even seemed bothered by it all. He was already trying to get back to work like he’d just stubbed his toe or something instead of almost dying! Hell, he didn’t even seem to blame her. He acted like it was just some dumb mistake he made. That probably was the part that she found most unsettling. To be able to just shrug off such abuse and hardship like it wasn’t even a big deal. Like he didn’t deserve better. As if that sort of thing was just… normal.

Apparently, that sort of thing was normal for humans, though. Just the ‘Super Earth Way of Life’ or whatever.

It didn’t help that she had made some very hasty promises to Clover in the heat of the moment. Even if by some miracle, her talk with the Royal Guard managed to go perfectly, that wouldn’t change the fact that she had no idea what to do about him…

Sweet Angel, her life had gotten very complicated very quickly. She already missed the days when her only worry was whether or not she was going to get fired.

“Martlet? That you?”

And now here she was, half dead from the most intense sprint of her life, waiting for Sergeant Doge to show up in the hopes that maybe she would be able to convince the dog monster not to send her packing for going AWOL from her post on top of all her other screws up as of late.

“Martlet!”

Or at the very least, she could just make sure the Royal Guard didn’t find out about Clover until he was long gone. It’s not like she was cut out for this job, really, given how badly things had been going for her even before that whole mess with the fight. Maybe she could focus on her-

“MARTLET!”

“Wah!” The loud voice shocked the bird monster from her thoughts, launching her up from the snow and right into the roof of her post with a harsh thud. Stars were spinning as she instinctively grabbed her head, stumbling backwards and crashing back into the snow.

Man, everything felt fuzzy. But even then, she knew she was gonna be feeling that tomorrow. As if the aches from that sprint of hers weren’t bad enough. She was probably going to be all black and blue underneath her feathers- 

That train of thought stopped dead in its tracks when she looked up and saw an armoured dog monster glowering over her.

“Sergeant Doge, ma’am!” She sprang to her feet, the daze and exhaustion she was feeling just vanishing. She gave as crisp a salute as she could manage, wincing slightly from her newly acquired bruises. At least the pain helped to keep her sharp.

The dog raised a brow at the bird. “That's your salute?”

“Huh?” she glanced at her wing, eyes bulging when she realized she was copying the clenched fist salute Clover had given her.

Crap! Wrong one!

“Oops!” She unclenched her wing and raised it to her forehead, giving a proper Royal Guard salute. “Sorry about that, must’ve bumped my head a bit harder than I thought.”

“Uh huh.” Doge gave the bird a stern look. “Greater Dog came by to check on you yesterday. He said you weren’t here.”

Uh oh. Well, Martlet knew this had been coming. It didn’t change the fact that she could feel herself starting to sweat.

Maybe she should’ve planned this out better…

“And you weren’t here when I showed up twenty minutes ago at what should have been the two hour mark of your shift.” The Sergeant continued, a sharp edge of frustration in her tone.

“I…I… uhh…”

“Not to mention you look-” She leaned forward and took a sniff, snapping back with a slight gag. “And smell way worse than the last time I saw you. When was the last time you even had a shower?”

Martlet couldn’t help but take a whiff of herself and immediately regretted it. Man, she reeked, alright. And she must’ve looked like an absolute mess right now; she certainly felt like it. The last day or so felt like a blur, but she was pretty certain her last actual shower was before she had been sent home by Doge the last time.

“This has been going on for far too long, Martlet. Now explain yourself, why were you not at your post?” The dog monster’s grip on her spear tightened. “And you’d better have a good answer.”

She definitely should’ve planned this better, or at all, really…

“I-I’m sorry, ma’am, I had to leave. I got… I got into a-” She cut herself before she could answer. She couldn’t admit to being in a fight. There’s no way the Sergeant would just ignore that. She’d press for details that Martlet was in no way prepared for because, like the scatterbrained idiot she was, she just rushed here without any plan!

But she had to think of something! There was no way she was going to put Clover into even greater danger than she had already. But what? There were probably signs of the fight all over the place. The scorch marks, the tools, the blood, the wrecked helmet and gun she had left behind, how could she possibly explain all of that-

Wait a sec…

She glanced past the Sergeant and noticed something was off. She had left a pretty big mess behind when she rushed Clover back to her place. But it was all gone now. The place was spotless. Nothing but white snow. Like nothing had ever even happened.

She probably should’ve noticed it when she arrived. But given how hard she pushed herself to get here, it was a miracle she didn’t pass out, let alone be able to take in the details around her. 

Wait… if she hadn’t cleaned the place up and Doge hadn’t, then… who did? Why would they do that? Did somebody else witness the-

“Got into what?” Doge snapped at the bird, making her flinch. “Speak up!”

Okay, she’s getting impatient. Come on, Martlet. Think! You can do this, just don’t say something stupid.

“Into a family emergency!” Martlet blurted out.

“An emergency?” Doge echoed, the surprise seeming to have blunted her fury for the most part, although she still looked a bit skeptical. “What kind of emergency?”

Okay… not a great start, Martlet. But you can still save this, just don’t blurt out the first thought that comes into your head! 

“M-my kid-” 

Whoa, hold on! Stop right there! There is no way she’s going to believe you're a mom, pivot now! Think of something else!

“K-kid brother, ma’am.” 

She would be kicking herself right now if Doge weren’t here.

“He was… in a t-terrible accident. I had to pick him up and bring him to my place.”

“What?” The dog monster’s fury was entirely gone. Now she just looked confused. “You never said anything about having a little brother. And why would you be taking care of him? Shouldn’t your parents be doing that?”

“Well… normally? Yeah. But they’re…uhhh, on v-vacation right now.”

Stop! Stop! For the love of the Angel, stop blurting out lies, you’re just making things worse! There is no way any of this will hold up to scrutiny! Just take a second and think things through before you say anything else!

“They… went to the Wild East for a few weeks. Yeah… they wanted to check out the Dunes and all that crazy human cowboy stuff.” It would seem Martlet and Clover both had at least one thing in common, and that was a tendency not to listen to Martlet.

“So… I’ve been looking after him while they were gone. A-and then I had to go get them… after I found out about the accident… because Mom and Dad couldn’t.”

Wow, she really didn’t know when to just shut up, did she? Even when she’s screaming at herself to stop, she couldn’t help but keep blabbering on. Good job, Martlet, just keep on digging that hole deeper and deeper, why don’t ya?

Doge just looked exasperated at this point. “Is that why you’ve been such a mess lately? Because you’ve been looking after your little brother?”

“Mmhmm,” Martlet nodded, too tense at this point to say anything else, lest she crack under the pressure and say something even dumber.

Please, please, please buy it. Sweet Angel… Liberty… Democracy, whatever, any of you! All of you! Please let her buy this lie….

Doge took in a deep breath through her nose and let out a frustrated snort. “For Angel’s sake, Martlet, why couldn’t you have let me know about this from the start? It could’ve saved us a lot of trouble.”

Fantastic, she just wouldn’t shut up, and now she’d gone and boxed herself in. There was no way she could answer that honestly, not without putting Clover at risk. Not that it mattered; she was way past the point of no return, now.

“I know! I know!  It was stupid! I just… I was worried.” If she was going to lie anyway, it would probably be best to work a bit of truth into it. “I really need this job, but I couldn’t just abandon my kid… br-brother. And given I was already on probation, I was… worried about what might happen if you found out I was also looking after him and… well…”

“I get it, Martlet, I really do.” The dog monster cut in, letting out an exasperated sigh. “But you still should’ve said something. This job is important, but so is family. Every decent monster understands that. We would’ve figured out a way to make it work if you had just been upfront about it.”

As relieved as Martlet was that the Sergeant was buying it, she still winced at the pang of guilt she felt tightening in her chest. She hated having to resort to something this manipulative. Taking advantage of good natured monsters… it didn’t sit right with her. 

But if it kept Clover safe…

“Look, how about this? You take a few days to take care of your little brother until he’s feeling better. I can have Greater Dog take over your post for a bit.” The dog monster offered. “Then we’ll work something out so you can properly fulfill your Royal Guard duties while making sure your brother is taken care of until your parents get back. Then it’s back to normal.”

Back to normal? That sounded like a pretty good deal given the spot she was in, even if there were a lot of problems with it. 

“However,” Doge raised a digit. “I will expect a far better performance from you than what you’ve been offering so far. I’m hoping that if you don’t have to worry about your brother, then you will be able to focus on improving. Do a good enough job and you might even finally get off probation.” She offered her paw to the bird monster. “Does that sound good to you?”

Martlet looked down at the paw. There were so many ways this could, and probably would, go wrong. But she couldn’t afford to be picky. She was lucky enough to even get away with this much after the tight spot she’d landed herself in. She had a lot to figure out, but at least it would give her some time to do that.

“Sounds good, ma’am.” Martlet forced a smile as she offered a wing, still feeling pretty guilty about it. Man, she did not like abusing her boss’ trust like this.

“Alright, good.” Doge’s nose wrinkled in discomfort. “Now, for the love of the Angel, please go home and take a shower. You smell like Doggo after he’s been on one of his ‘Dump excursions.’”

“Oh yeah, I definitely need to get on that.” Martlet chuckled nervously, becoming very aware of how much of a mess she must’ve looked like right now. “But I need to stop at the store to get some food first. My brother was pretty hungry when I left, and my kitchen’s empty.” She took another quick whiff and regretted it just as much as the first time. “Phew, I really hope they don’t throw me out…”

“I’m sure they’ll tolerate you long enough.” Doge gave her a nod. “Well, I need to let Greater Dog know he’s taking over your post for now. You get back and take care of your little brother.” The dog monster started heading for the exit, turning one last time to wave her off. “You tell him I said ‘hi.’”

“I will, goodbye and thanks!” Doing her best to ignore her guilt, Martlet flapped her wings and took off into the air.

As she flew through Snowdin, she felt like a weight was pressing down on her. The Royal Guard wouldn’t be coming after Clover… for now… But there was still a lot to deal with.

There was no way that story of hers would hold up for long. As soon as Doge started looking into this, it’d fall apart pretty quickly. If only she’d kept her cool, she might’ve been able to come up with something more convincing. But still, it would buy her a few days at the very least. Maybe more if she could talk her parents into going along with it. Wow, that’s going to make for a super awkward conversation…

But it still gave her and Clover a chance. And should the Royal Guard wind up finding out the truth…

Well… she’d do her best to keep her promise.

Okay, okay, that should be enough. For real this time.

Clover stepped back from the counter, taking a moment to appreciate the… well, he couldn’t call it work. Martlet had insisted he not do any. Really, this was more of a simple chore. That didn’t count, right? Of course not, cleaning the dishes, putting them in the cupboards, wiping down the counter, none of that was actual work. Not like breaking rocks in a quarry, or digging ditches, or welding together a domicile, that was obviously what Martlet had meant by not working.

She definitely wouldn’t be upset. Why would she? It was just some harmless help, that’s all.

…

He’d better get on the couch before she gets back. He limped his way over, frowning at his leg as he went. He should figure out a good way to hide that. Martlet seemed the type to stress out easily, and seeing him limping like that really upset her. If he looked fine enough, it might calm her down some. Maybe even to the point where she’d actually give him some real work to do? 

He wouldn’t mind that. Sitting around doing nothing just felt… weird, and kinda wrong. He wouldn’t go as far as to say it felt tyrannical, but it definitely made him feel like a burden. A citizen of Super Earth was supposed to pull their weight whenever possible, not just sit around waiting to get better. Managed Democracy couldn’t afford to shoulder the weak; it depended on everybody doing their part to hold it up.

These chores were far from what he was hoping for, but he did get to pull his weight a bit, so it would do for now. And so he sat there, staring at the door as he waited for Martlet to come back.

The fixed door.

Oh yeah, he’d also taken care of that, but Martlet probably wouldn’t mind. Even though she had been pretty opposed to it when he tried earlier…

But it was fine, after he had finished his Vow of Allegiance and faced what was probably the direction of Super Earth, he’d just gone outside to grab his datapad, and then came back and… just saw the door on the floor… and some tools sitting nearby.

A house with a missing door just wouldn’t do, not at all. So he took some time to work it back into place. And then one thing led to another as he noticed some more totally harmless tasks he could do and… well, now he was done with all that and just sitting here, waiting for the bird monster to come back.

And hopefully not notice what he had been doing.

“Psst. Hey, Clover!”

And even if she did, she’d probably be fine with it. She told him not to work . And he definitely hadn’t been working. Not really, it was just some light and easy chores around the house.

“Hey, Clover, I’m talking to you!”

It wasn’t like he had even worked for that long. Just a few hours, not even close to a typical work shift. He wouldn’t have even made it to his five minute break if it had been actual work.

“Seriously, Clover…”

Maybe when she saw how fine he was and that he was able to do chores, she might give him some actual work to do. She did say that she’d have some stuff ready for when he was doing better, but maybe she’d give it to him early after seeing what he had-

WHACK!

“Yeeow!” Clover recoiled painfully from being blindsided by a vine slapping him across the face. It quickly retreated to an open window on the side of the house, hovering behind a familiar looking yellow flower poking his head out over the window’s edge.

“Flowey?!”

“Yeah, it’s me,” Flowey gumbled, fixing the human with a frown. “Took you long enough. I’d ask what’s going on in that head of yours, but I get the feeling the answer would just make me want to smack you again.”

“S-sorry, I’m just… surprised to see you, is all.” Clover stammered. “You’ve been gone for a while. Where have you been? What have you been doing?”

“I’ve been around,” Flowey answered unhelpfully. “And it’s only been like a day, I haven’t been gone that long.”

“Oh…” Clover blinked. Had it really only been a day? “Sorry, I… It felt so much longer.”

“Yeah, well, that’s what happens when you spend most of that time passed out and hopped up on whatever was in that syringe you stuck yourself with.” The flower let out an aggravated sigh. “See, this is exactly why I told you not to talk to the Royal Guard. We could’ve been out of here and back on our mission by now. But instead, we’re here, with you stuck in this bird’s house because you went and got your own arm blown off like an idiot.”

He had a feeling Flowey wouldn’t be pleased with how things had turned out. At least he hadn’t reloaded on him, which probably meant the flower thought the situation could still be salvaged, even if it had slowed things down a bit.

“I mean, seriously? How are you so bad at doing what you’re told? I thought you humans were supposed to be good at that. You’re just lucky the Royal Guard haven’t found out about all this. I had to go back and clean up the mess you two made. Didn’t need somebody else stumbling into that bird’s post and seeing it like a freaking war zone.”

“Oh…” Right, he had probably left a lot of pretty suspect things behind after his fight with Martlet. He must’ve been blessed by Lady Liberty herself to have this flower looking out for him. “Thanks for that.”

“Yeah, whatever,” Flowey gestured dismissively with a vine.” You’ve derailed things enough already. The last thing we need is the rest of the Royal Guard tracing your mess back to us. It’s bad enough you got that blue dunce involved.”

“Hey, come on, Martlet was just trying her best. Besides, she can help us,” Clover insisted. It felt really weird trying to vouch for a monster, but whatever, as long as it helped with the mission. “She got me out of there and fixed up my arm. Ooh, speaking of…” He held out his servo arm implant for Flowey, the metal limb gleaming in the light. “Pretty neat, no?”

Flowey did not look impressed.

“All I see is a reminder that you got your arm blown off because you were too stubborn to listen to me, and now all that’s keeping the Royal Guard from finding out about you is one scatter-brained bird.”

Okay, that kind of bummed him out a bit, but still, it wasn’t as bad as Flowey was saying. “Martlet can be trusted. She’s even helping me hide from the Royal Guard!”

“Yeah, for now. How long do you expect that to last?”

Clover shouldn’t have been offended by the implication. That would be a perfectly normal thing for any citizen of Super Earth to consider, especially when it came to non-humans. But the flower’s implication still didn’t sit well with him, all the same. 

“She wouldn’t turn on me.”

Probably… he’d certainly like to think so. Granted, he has only known her for about a day. His superiors would definitely not approve of giving anybody that much benefit of the doubt, monster or otherwise.

“She doesn’t even need to turn on you. Does she really look like the type who knows how to keep a secret?” Flowey challenged. “Even if she doesn’t sell you out, it won't take much for any Royal Guard that knows what they’re doing to figure out she’s hiding something.”

Okay, Flowey had a point there. While he still didn’t think Martlet would intentionally give him up, he couldn’t dismiss the possibility of her doing it accidentally. It definitely didn’t help that she was very… chatty. If monsters had been part of the Federation, he could easily imagine her being the poster girl for those ‘Loose Lips Sink Democracy’ posters that were so common in the colonies and on the Super Destroyer.

Well… more like ‘loose beaks’ in her case.

“Look, I trust her, okay?” Clover insisted. “You’ve gotta at least respect that, right?”

“No,” Flowey answered bluntly. “You’ve made a lot of dumb choices since you got here. My SAVE’s are the only reason you’re still alive at all.”

Well, Flowey had him there.

“Still, it’s not like we have any other options. If I took off now, she’d just go looking for me, and as much as I hate to admit it, I probably won’t get far on this leg,” Clover reasoned. Flowey may not trust others, but at least he couldn’t argue with straight logic. “So the best we can do is wait until my leg is better and leave when she’s alright with it.”

He probably couldn’t argue with that logic.

Flowey seemed to silently mull over his options before finally letting out an annoyed groan. “Ugh, I hate how right you are…” He slumped over in exasperation. “Fine, guess we’ll wait until she lets you leave.”

Phew, guess Flowey was willing to listen to reason-

A vine wrapped around Clover’s arm and yanked him over to the window, the flower looking him square in the eyes.

“But under no circumstances do you tell that bird about me, got it?”

The flower’s deadly serious look was all it took to get the Cadet nodding vigorously.

“Good, that’ll keep things simple. This will go a lot smoother if nobody else knows about me. Trust me on that. The last thing I want to do now is have to Rese-”

Flowey paused, a faintly familiar look of confusion crossing his face. And suddenly, he looked very lost.

Clover tested the vine. Despite the confused expression on the flower’s face, his grip was still tight. So instead he waited, only to be met with silence.

…

“... you gonna finish that thought?”

Flowey finally seemed to notice him again. “Huh, what?”

“You said something about… I’m not really sure, you just kinda trailed off and-”

“Forget about it. Just… don’t tell anybody else about me or… bad… things… could happen.”

There was probably a story there, but Clover didn’t dare ask for details.

KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK!

“Clover, I’m baaaack! ”

That could only be Martlet.

“I brought foooooood! Also, I need to talk to you abou- wait, when did this door get fixed?” 

Flowey glanced towards the door and then back at the human. “I was never here.”

The vine released its grip on Clover’s arm, sending him stumbling to the floor as Flowey ducked out of sight, the vine quickly disappearing along with him.

…

Well, that had been an… interesting conversation.

Why did parts of it feel so similar to some of the lectures he had been given by the Loyalty Officers during his re-education sessions?

He flinched at the sound of the door opening, turning around to see Martlet walking in with a bag held in each of her wings.

“Pretty sure it was still broken before I left-” The bird’s gaze snapped over to the Cadet the moment she noticed him. “Oh, Clover, there you are!” She beamed excitedly. “Wait…” Her beaming smile broke into a concerned frown as she dropped the bags she was holding. “Why are you on the ground? You… have you been walking around while I was gone?”

“Uhh…”

“And I’m pretty sure I didn’t fix this door before I left.” She took a step toward the human. “Was that you?”

Think of a lie, quickly!

“Uhhh… maybe it was the actions of a good samaritan?”

Okay… wow, that was bad. He must’ve been losing his edge all cooped up in here. He usually wasn’t this bad under pressure.

It was even worse when their gazes both drifted towards an open set of tools lying right next to the door.

…

“I’ll pay you for using them.”

Martlet visibly soured at that. Clover noted that in the future, he should probably not offer to pay her for using her tools. Apparently monsters didn’t believe in leasing fees.

“Ugh, it’s not the tools I’m worried about,” Martlet sighed. “It’s the fact that you were up and about, oh, and also apparently fixing my door when you should be resting and getting better!” She knelt down and made to pick the human up in her wings.

“Look, you don’t need to-Okay, never mind.” Clover’s objections were cut short as Martlet scooped him and put him back on the couch.

“There, now this time, stay put! Seriously, you said you wouldn’t do any work while I was gone.”

“I mean… that was more like a chore, really,” Clover tried to argue. “It didn’t even take that long.”

“You’re not helping your case.”

“Well, I also didn’t want to let the cold get in. It was starting to get a bit chilly.”

Martlet opened her beak to object, only to pause in thought. “...Okay, that does help your case a bit. Granted, it’s been a pretty mild day, but still, that’s my bad for not getting that door fixed before leaving you alone.” She placed a wing on each of his shoulders, fixing him with a serious look. “But no more work or ‘chores’ until you’re better, okay?”

Clover still hated the idea of doing nothing, but he at least had managed to get some work done. No! Wait! Chores! They were chores! Not work! Point being, he did something, so the idea of resting for the remainder of the day (at the bird’s insistence) was at least tolerable, if not satisfying.

“Alright, fine.”

That was likely as much work chores as he was going to get away with, anyway. Martlet would probably be watching him more closely until he was better. Besides, he’d be very busy once he was better.

“Great!” She clapped her wings together and went to grab the bags by the door, the Cadet’s gaze following her as she went. “Now I’m going to get things all set up so we can eat. Cause, boy, am I just starving ! I mean, between all the fighting and the running around. Ooh! And also fixing up your arm with the syringes and the fusing flesh thing and all the other freaky stuff, man, after all that, I could eat so much! And you’ve had it even worse than that! I can only imagine how hungry you must be right now.”

“Well, I did have a ration bar while you were gone.”

“A ration bar? Bleh, that doesn’t sound very tasty.” She carried the bags over to the kitchen. “But don’t worry, you are just gonna love what I’m going to cook up for us… I think. I don’t really know how monster food compares to human food. But it’s made with magic and love, so that’s probably good! Anyway, I just need to get the dishes and kitchen sorted, been a while since I washed anything. But that should take just a few-” She stopped in her tracks as she finally noticed the state of the kitchen.

“Oh, I… guess you already took care of all that…” Martlet glanced over at the human who found himself staring at a very interesting spot on the floor.

“Well, that’s okay, we already had that discussion, so no need to go over that again,” Marlet said with a shrug. “Just means we can get to the food that much faster.”

Clover let out a relieved sigh as he began to hear the clatter of kitchenware. It didn’t sound like she was going to get too worked up over it, even if the idea of her getting upset over him doing his part to help still seemed bizarre to him. Apparently, she was just weird like that. Or maybe it was a monster thing.

Either way, still weird. And not very Democratic.

“So… uhh, did you do any other work or… chores, while I was out?” Martlet asked in a cautious sounding tone. 

Was she interrogating him? Or was she just worried about upsetting him? His experiences with Super Earth would have suggested the former, but Martlet seemed to operate differently from that.

“Well… I did go outside.” He noticed the bird monster raise a brow at that. “Only for a minute! I… I noticed something out in the snow earlier when I first tried to… leave, and I just wanted to go get it.”

“Oh, well… as long as it was just a bit.” Martlet sounded a lot calmer now. “What was it?”

“My datapad. Thought I lost it during the fight, so I was pretty surprised when I found it just lying outside the house.” 

The sounds of kitchenwork stopped suddenly at that mention, but Clover didn’t pay it any mind. Maybe she was just looking for something he’d moved?

“Guess it fell out while you were rushing me back here. Screen’s pretty cracked and I didn’t have any luck getting it to turn back on. It must’ve taken a heck of a beating during the fight-”

“Y-yeah! Yeah! Totally! Of course!” Martlet blurted out rather abruptly. “I mean, that was a heck of a fight, right? All those feathers and tools and my bowling ball. Ooh, and also that thing with you…uhhh… exploding? Yeah, it’s only natural that thing would end up getting busted. Probably no need to look into it any further than that!”

“Well, yeah, I wasn’t really going to-”

“Great! Glad we agree! Anyway, I got something to tell you!”

“Oh?” Clover’s curiosity was strong enough that he could ignore Martlet’s sudden anxiousness or her abrupt changing of subject.

“Yeah,” Martlet chirped. “I’ve got some good news and some… well, I don’t want to say bad news. I mean… it isn’t necessarily bad , per se. But it could be kinda… I guess, strange? You wouldn’t mind strange news, right?

“I…” The Cadet tilted his head in confusion. Where was she going with this? “Don’t think… so?”

“Alright, good!” Martlet took a deep breath. “So… I ran into my boss at my guard post, and she did have some questions about ‘what was going on?’ and ‘why wasn’t I at my post?’ and that sort of thing.”

That was concerning. Martlet hadn’t said something about him, had she?

“Don’t worry, I didn’t say anything about you,” she assured him. “As far as the Royal Guard is concerned, there are no humans in the Underground.”

That was a relief to hear. Flowey didn’t know what he was talking about. Of course Martlet would have his back-

“However…” Martlet anxiously continued, hesitating slightly. “I… may have had to tell a few teensy little lies.” She held her wing up in a narrowing gesture. “Lies that I’m going to need you to help play along with if we’re going to sell this.”

“O…kay?” Clover raised a brow at the bird. What kind of lies could she have possibly told them?

“Alright, first. You might have to pretend to be my little brother. So if you could tell anybody we run into that I’m your big sister, that would… probably be for the best.” Clover could swear Martlet was starting to turn red underneath those feathers of hers.

Wait, how would that even work? He looks nothing like a bird monster.

“Uhhh…”

“I know you don’t look like me, but don’t worry, we can probably figure something out for that.”

Very strange request, but if she said she could make it work, he’d believe her.

“Okay, is that all?”

“Almost.” Martlet somehow sounded even more anxious now. “There’s a very good chance I… might have to introduce you to my parents…”

…What?

Chapter Text

Bored… bored… bored…

Lucas was so very bored…

Who could’ve imagined being a ‘dissident’ could be so freaking boring?

All day, every day, he’d just been sitting at his stupid monitoring station on this stupid rock circling around this stupid planet, keeping an eye on that stupid Super Destroyer that had jumped into the system a few days ago.

His job had always been a slog, but at least he was usually free to do whatever he felt like while passing the time. He only really needed to pay attention whenever the proximity alarm went off or a ship warped in. It wasn’t like there was anything else going on here. Nobody ever had any reason to come to Ebott beyond the occasional Super Earth patrol. And why would they? This place was basically nothing but ion storms and half-buried cyborg ruins.

…

Okay, there were rumours of some ‘misplaced’ Super Earth assets, which he suspected was the reason the Resistance had decided this place was worth monitoring at all. Not that he or anybody else on this Liberty-forsaken-

Lucas paused, letting out a light chuckle. “Heh… ‘Liberty-forsaken.’” He might have managed to break free of Super Earth and their near-suffocating levels of lies and propaganda, but it seemed like that expression would be forever burned into his brain.

Whatever, point being, nobody else on this ‘Liberty-forsaken’ outpost had any idea what those ‘assets’ were. And trying to find out anything about it was pointless. The only responses he got from his supervisor or anybody else about it were shrugs or responses ranging from ’I dunno’ to ‘Hey, I just work here.’ Asking the higher-ups about it never got him anywhere either, the answers being vague, dismissive or outright denials.

He even tried suggesting they just go down and grab whatever these assets were between Super Destroyer patrols and pull out. They had been monitoring this patrol route long enough that they pretty much knew almost to the day when a Super Destroyer would show up and when it would leave. If these mysterious assets were that important, then why not grab them and put them to good use for the Resistance instead of running the risk that Super Earth might one day find them?

All he got in response were vague placations about ‘trusting the mission.’ They acted like he hadn’t even mentioned the assets at all.

And sure, he gets it. Going up against Super Earth was never going to be easy. Taking on such an overwhelmingly powerful enemy meant they’d always have to be careful. That there would be a lot of time spent just waiting for the perfect opportunity, that they’d have to try and take every win they could get away with, no matter how small. It would be a painfully slow and arduous process, one that had been going on since even before the start of the Great Galactic War, and likely would continue for decades, if not longer.

But just sitting and working in blind ignorance while the higher-ups refused to answer any of his questions and just insisted he not question it? He thought his life would change when he turned away from Super Earth, but life as a dissident sure seemed depressingly similar to his former life as a Super Earth citizen.

At least the citizens of Super Earth were too blissfully ignorant to realize how stupid this all was and could work happily in service to a lie.

He wasn’t so lucky. He had to live in ignorance and be aware of it.

So instead of making a difference, here Lucas was instead, just sitting around waiting for something to happen on a planet where nothing ever happens. The one saving grace was that he usually could just do whatever he wanted to pass the time when there was nothing to monitor.

But now there was a Super Destroyer in the system. So he was stuck spending his entire shift keeping an eye on the ship just in case it actually did anything. 

So far, it had only done one thing even remotely interesting since it had arrived. And even then, it was too far away to get a clear view of what exactly had happened. And then just as quickly, it went back to doing nothing, sitting in orbit above Ebott until the ion storms die down.

Whenever that would be.

BE-BE-BEEP! BE-BE-BEEP!

BE-BE-BEEP! BE-BE-BEEP!

Lucas glanced over as the comm line lit up, green lights dancing across the small room. Huh, was it check-in time? This job could really mess with his sense of time.

He hit the comm button, only to be assaulted by static. Just his luck, the main outpost wasn’t even that far away, but the ion storms in this system were so intense that even that was often enough to scramble the comm frequency.

And so he spent the next few minutes adjusting the frequency until he finally managed to break through the interference.

“Ksssshhhh- can you read me? LP-1, please respond. I repeat-”

“This is LP-1, read you loud and clear, over.” Lucas cut in.

“Good to finally hear from you, LP-1. Dolsson here, calling in for a status report. That Super Destroyer been doing anything?”

Not a big surprise, while Dolsson was usually pretty lax on updates, he always got a bit more punctual whenever a Super Destroyer was in the area. They’d never admit it, but Lucas suspected that Dolsson and the higher-ups were always concerned about the possibility that Super Earth might stumble onto… whatever it was that was down there on Ebott.

He certainly had no idea, and he was pretty certain Dolsson didn’t either. But Dolsson didn’t have to spend all day staring at those damn ships whenever they showed up, so he probably wasn’t as bitter about that fact. Not like it even mattered, this post had been here for… Lucas wasn’t sure how long, but definitely a long time, and not once had there been anything of note.

Still, Dolsson wanted a status report, and that’s what he was going to get.

“Yeah, that’s a negative. Not much going on with the, uhhh…” He double checked the registry for. “The ‘Sovereign of Justice.’” An average enough name. Too bad it wasn’t something more ridiculous like the ‘Judge of Judgement,’ at least that one got a good laugh out of him and Dolsson when it had stopped in the system. “Just been sitting in orbit for the most part, presumably waiting for the ion storms to ease off.”

“I’m sorry, ‘For the most part?’” Dolsson questioned. “Can you elaborate on that?”

Right, he should probably mention what he found.

“One sec,” he pulled open a drawer on his desk and pulled out his datapad, skimming over his report. Two days straight of staring at that Super Destroyer as it just sat there menacingly had left his memories kinda frazzled. It was a good thing he had taken the effort to record what he could. “Two days ago at about… 03:00 FST, the Super Destroyer moved from Sector 16 to Sector 6 and ‘fired something at the planet’s surface.’”

“Please tell me you have something more descriptive than ‘something.’”

“Sorry, wasn’t able to get a good read on it. The ship was too far away, and the ion storms were messing with my readings. Did work to get as many details as I could, though. Given the angle and speed of the projectile launched from the ship and the fact it seemed to be fired from the bridge, it was very likely they launched a hellpod.”

There was an awkwardly long pause before Dolsson finally spoke up again.

“Can you repeat that? You said it was a hellpod?”

“That’s right, a hellpod.”

“Just the one?”

“Yup, just one.”

“Any idea why they might do that?”

“Getting supplies in place for the patrol once the ion storms die down, maybe?”

“I guess, but you aren’t going to get a lot with just one hellpod, those are meant more for troops, support weapons delivery, or maybe enough supplies for a single squad. Besides, they don’t launch hellpods anymore, not since the war.”

It was true, hellpods just weren’t something that Super Earth used anymore, not since the Helldivers had been disbanded following the end of the war. But then, it was entirely possible he could’ve been wrong, it’s not like he was in a good position to confirm his findings.

“Do we have any backdoors or insiders on that Super Destroyer we could use to tap in and check what’s going on?”

“That’s a negative, we don’t have any people on that ship as far as I know. Just continue observing it for now and call in if it does anything.”

“Can do.” Lucas was about to let the comm go dead when it flared up again.

“One more thing before I forget, any messages come in from Hammer?”

Ah, yes, ‘Hammer.’ The mysterious contact who… well, Lucas wasn’t really sure who they were or what they did. Just that they had some sort of connection to whatever made this random backwater so important. 

He had only ever heard from ‘Hammer’ twice, not that it had really been much of a conversation. Both interactions consisted of coded messages he did not understand in the slightest. All he ever did was just pass them along to the main outpost. Then, they’d subsequently get sent off to Resistance Command, and then several days later, they’d send him back an equally indiscernible coded message to be transmitted… somewhere, he wasn’t exactly sure. 

Maybe Ebott? Maybe some other station nearby? Ebott seemed more likely. There weren’t really any other options. Even in the system, there were very few places they could reach, not with all the latent ion storm energy interfering with their equipment. Swear to Liberty, if it turned out there was another rebel station in this system…

Ugh, he was getting really sick of all this over-the-top secrecy. Seriously, just what was so special about this dead world that required so much monitoring and shadowy business like this?

“No messages from ‘Hammer,’” Lucas replied. “But I’ll be sure to pass anything along that comes my way.”

“Sounds good, LP-1. I’ll let you go for now. Dolsson out.” With that, the channel cut out, and the comm went dead. Lucas waited a few moments, just to make sure Dolsson didn’t have anything else to say.

“Well, guess it’s back to staring into the abyss, then.” Lucas let out a sigh as he resigned himself to resuming his excruciatingly dull duty of monitoring the Super Destroyer.

And so he stared at the ship, watching, doing his best to try and will something to happen, anything.

Honestly, though, it was good that nothing was happening. Nothing meant it was safe, nothing meant Super Earth wasn’t on to them, nothing meant the Super Destroyer wasn’t about to obliterate this small rock and everybody on it.

Still didn’t change the fact that boring sucked.

He glared at the Super Destroyer for an indiscernible amount of time before finally concluding that it wasn’t going anywhere and glanced down at Ebott’s barren surface.

…

Yup, still as dead and dull as always. Was there really anything of interest down there? He had a hard time imagining it. Even if anybody else did live down there, he couldn’t imagine what sort of life they could possibly be living. What sort of things would they even do?

Probably nothing interesting.

“Clover, the food’s ready!”

“Huh? Wah?” Clover jolted awake, biting back a hiss of pain as he accidentally kicked out his leg… even though it was totally fine and he could get up and work, no problem. Seriously, Martlet was worrying too much; he was totally fine.

Really…

Completely fine…

“What was that?”

“Nothing.”

His servo-arm twitched slightly, but he managed to keep it steady.

“Clover…”

Man, she’s a stubborn one.

“It was just a little kink in my leg, nothing to worry about.” He tried to assure her. “Really, that rest helped a lot. I’m already feeling way better.”

He wasn’t even lying. As much as he hated to admit it, Martlet had been right. Getting some rest had really done him some good.

He still suspected she had at least partially urged it as a way to try and change topics after that thing she told him about her parents and having to pretend to be her little brother.

Seriously, what was up with that?

But still, that rest had been pretty nice.

“Uhh, Clover? You’ve only been asleep twenty minutes…”

Twenty whole minutes?! Wow, he really was slipping. That was easily four days' worth of work breaks.

“Trust me, it’s a lot.”

That was putting it mildly. He hadn’t even done enough work to warrant a single five minute break, let alone a whole twenty minutes.

But if the deadpan stare the blue bird was sending his way was anything to go by, she didn’t seem to share that sentiment.

…

“Uhh, anyways, you said it was time to eat?” Clover started to get up, eager to try and force a topic change of his own before the bird monster started fussing over him.

In hindsight, trying to get up probably wasn’t the best way to go about that.

“Oh no you don’t!” Martlet rushed over, grabbing both his arms and forcing him back onto the couch. “I don’t care how much better you say you’re feeling. You’re not walking around until I’m certain that leg and arm of yours is healed up.” She glanced over to the kitchen table and then back at him. “But you still need to eat, so I’ll get you over there.”

“You seriously don’t need to- woah!” He let out a surprised squeak as Martlet picked him up and carried him over to the kitchen, setting him down gently at the table.

“There we go.” Martlet looked down at him with a pleased grin, wings placed on her hips. “That wasn’t so bad, was it?”

Clover groaned. Ugh, it was bad. He hated being treated like he was fragile. He couldn’t work, he couldn’t go outside, he couldn’t even walk over to the table without her fretting over him.

It wasn’t like he was on the brink or anything, like he was about to drop dead if he exerted himself even a little bit. It had been a whole day since he'd been in that bad of a state. He was doing way better now.

Glancing over, he saw how nervous Martlet was looking. That groan and the silence probably was making things awkward.

He needed to get better at figuring out how to keep her calm. It didn’t seem to take much to make her anxious.

“I’ll… just go and get the food ready, then,” she said, glancing at the human nervously. She awkwardly shuffled over to the kitchen counter. “Be just a minute.”

As the sound of clattering dishes filled the room, Clover sighed. 

Martlet was worrying too much. It really wasn’t as bad as she thought it was. Sure, he still felt spikes of pain every time he took a step, but it was at a perfectly acceptable level by his usual working standards. The last time he’d felt like this, he’d still been able to push himself for a whole ten to fifteen minutes before passing out. And even then, a bucket of water over his head and a moment to catch his breath was all it’d take to get him going again. It was barely a problem at all.

He would ask if that was reasonable by monster standards, but just about every experience he had with Martlet following the fight suggested that asking such a thing would probably just alarm Martlet even more. And the last thing he wanted was to give her even more reasons to fret over him.

It made him feel warm… and fuzzy.

It was a weird feeling, one he’d never felt before.

He wasn’t sure what to make of it.

“You need any help getting the food ready?” Clover asked, not wanting to dwell on those confusing thoughts anymore.

“No, I’ve got it,” Martlet called over her shoulder. Clover couldn’t see what she was doing, but he could still hear the sound of clattering plates and something sizzling along with… gusts of wind? And he could swear he saw a feather or two flying by. Where was this stuff even coming from? The doors and windows were all shut.

Was this a monster thing? 

“Just need to mix in a bit more magic and then we’ll be eating good!”

Ah, magic. So, probably a monster thing.

“And the Liber-Tea?”

Before the nap Martlet had mandated for him, she asked about trying his Liber-Tea. And given the bird monster had saved his life, it seemed like sharing some was the least he could do. Besides, if she was interested in the single greatest drink devised by Democratic minds, then he was more than happy to indulge. And so she had also been brewing a few bags of Liber-Tea to go with the meal.

“Oh, uhhh…” Martlet glanced over at the teapot on the stove. “Assuming I did it right, the tea-”

“Liber-Tea.”

“That’s… what I said?” Martlet looked at the Cadet curiously.

“No, you left out the ‘Liber’ part, that’s very important.”

If they were going to have some Liber-Tea, then by all that was Democratic and Just, he was going to make sure they did it right.

“Alright, fine, the Liber-Tea should be ready soon. But let’s start with the food, cause boy am I starving!” 

She grabbed the prepared dishes and set them down at the table.

“There we go. I hope you like it!” She took her seat, smiling at Clover as he looked down at the food.

He wasn’t sure what he was looking at. It was yellow and looked very fluffy with bits of something black sprinkled on. It certainly smelled delicious, even if it looked strange.

“What is this?” He eyed the strange food, only slightly suspicious.

“Scrambled eggs!” Martlet chirped happily. “I’m not exactly the best cook, but I like to think I’m at least pretty good at making stuff like this.”

Wait, eggs? As in the sort of things birds lay? Birds like Martlet? There was no way she would…

“Not that these are my eggs or anything like that,” she chuckled, seeming to have noticed his hesitation. “I mean, sure, they’re mine in the sense that I bought and cooked them, but they’re just made with magic.” She paused, her eyes narrowing slightly at the food. “At least, the guy at the shop said they were.” 

If she was suspicious, she must’ve got over it quickly because she was smiling again when she looked back at Clover. “But all I know is as long as I’m paying attention while they’re frying, they come out really good. Usually, there's a lot more smoke and fire if I’m not, but hey, that didn’t happen, so it’s the good stuff today! Ooh, and I did work a bit of my own magic into them. So I guess you can kinda say that also makes them mine… sort of.”

Well, if Martlet said they were alright, he’d take her word for it.

Clover grabbed his fork and dug in.

…

Wow…

That is a lot of flavour.

He wasn’t used to having food like this. He had heard of it, sure. But he could never even come close to affording this kind of stuff, not with his citizenship class. No, he was used to eating the basics. Ration bars, gruel, maybe some oatmeal on special occasions. Food that didn’t really offer much in the way of flavour and was more meant to just get him and his fellow citizens through their work shifts.

Martlet must’ve had a very high citizenship class if she could afford food like this. Or… whatever the monster equivalent was. It made sense that a Royal Guard would be able to afford it. It was a pretty important job. Or at least it sounded like an important job.

“How are you liking it?” the bird monster asked, looking expectantly at the human.

“It’s good.” He took another bite. “Like, really good. You didn’t need to spend this much on me.”

“Ooh, great! I’m glad you like it!” Martlet beamed proudly. “But… wait, what do you mean ‘spend this much’? It’s just monster eggs with a bit of pepper, seasoning, and magic. Pretty tasty as long as you don’t burn it, but still cheap to make.”

Clover was caught off guard by that. “Really? You’re telling me that food of this quality is cheap?”

“Quality food? Wow, you’re gonna make me blush with that kind of praise.” Martlet smirked. “But yeah, everything I picked up at the store was cheap. Just about any monster in the Underground can get this stuff, just gotta know how to cook it.”

Clover was still having trouble processing what Martlet had told her. “So… you don’t need a high citizenship class to afford food like this?” 

Martlet blinked. “Uhh… not really sure what you mean by ‘citizenship class,’ but even if I got kicked out of the Royal Guard, I’d probably be able to live on this stuff. I mean, I still like to mix things up, of course. Can’t be eating eggs all the time.” An uneasy look flashed across her face, eyes widening slightly. “Starts to feel kinda weird if I do. I mean… I know they’re not actual bird eggs, but being a bird monster, it just starts to get… unsettling. Like I’m eating a…” She let out a shudder. “Nope, don’t wanna go there. Best stop thinking that before I lose my appetite.”

Clover had tuned out at this point, still hung up on her previous remarks.

Was she seriously saying all monsters could afford this kind of food?

That their citizenship class didn’t even matter?

That was… wow… 

Being able to have food with actual flavour all the time. That’d be pretty nice. But it was also… confusing.

Super Earth was the greatest civilization in the Galaxy, and that was an indisputable fact. So why couldn’t he and so many of his fellow citizens get this kind of food for cheap? Why was it reserved only for those with high citizenship classes? Apparently, monsters could get this stuff easily enough, so why not them as well?

Did monsters value their people more? Did they treat them like…

No… no, of course not. Don’t think like that, it’s ridiculous.

And treasonous…

Sure, the monsters might have better access to flavourful food, and they apparently didn’t work all day, and had longer breaks, and they didn’t expect people to work when injured, and they also had super comfy beds…

But… But!

They didn’t have Managed Democracy. That was way better! These comforts that the monsters had, he might not have them, but in the grand scheme of things, they were a small price to pay for the privilege of being able to bask in the Light of Liberty as a citizen of the greatest civilization that ever existed. To experience true, unquestionable Freedom!

Yeah… totally…

…

The sound of the whistling teapot pulled him from his thoughts. And thank Liberty for that because he was getting dangerously close to entertaining treasonous thoughts again. Curse these monsters and the temptations of their comfortable but tyrannical way of living.

“Ooh, looks like the tea-”

“Liber-Tea…”

“Sorry, Liber-Tea is ready! Let me just get that!” Martlet went and poured the tea, coming back with two steaming hot mugs.

“Here we are.” She placed a mug in front of Clover and sat down, her own mug gripped in her wing as she took a whiff, jerking back slightly. “Wow… okay, that stuff smells, like, really strong. Did I not brew it right? I’m used to monster tea. I don’t really know how Liber-Tea works. Did I not add enough Freedom or something? Is Freedom something you can even add? I’m just not sure if I-”

“Don’t worry, Martlet, you brewed it just fine.” Clover cut off the bird’s rambling, taking in the scent. Yup, he could smell the Freedom practically radiating off of it. “Not sure what you mean by it smelling strong, though, isn’t this normal for tea?”

“Really?” Martlet blinked, looking down at her tea with mild concern. “Well… if you say so. Then, bottoms up, I guess?”

Eager for a sip, Clover reached for the tea.

A bit too eagerly, it seemed. It hadn’t even occurred to him that he had grabbed it with his servo-arm implant until it was too late.

CRACK!

“Ack! Son of a-” He hissed as the mug shattered, splashing him with searing hot tea. He wouldn’t have felt a thing if he had been wearing actual armour. Too bad he was wearing a costume, and one that was in a pretty sorry state at that.

But he quickly forgot about the burning pain as the weight of his actions began to sink in.

Freedom, damn it! He broke Martlet’s mug, and now there was Liber-Tea everywhere! She had selflessly offered him a place to stay and was helping him get better, and now he’d gone and just brazenly disrespected her with his reckless actions. This was unacceptable conduct. It had to be remedied immediately!

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to do that!” Before Martlet could react, he sprang out of his chair, grabbing a tablecloth from the counter and frantically wiping at the table. His leg didn’t hurt quite as much as earlier, but whatever, that wasn’t important. He needed to redeem this failure in his duty. “I’ll get it cleaned up, right away!” There was no way he wasn’t going to get disciplined and demerited for this, but maybe if he worked fast, the consequences wouldn’t be too severe.

“Whoa, whoa, hold on, Clover! Stop!” Martlet grabbed him, the Cadet freezing at her touch. Guess it was straight to disciplinary actions, then. Hopefully, it wouldn’t be anything too severe. Doing his best to ignore the burns, he looked up at the bird, ready to face whatever her judgment was.

He was surprised to see that instead of the look of stern disappointment he usually saw whenever this happened, he was met with one of concern.

“Forget the table, you spilled boiling hot tea all over yourself!” She set him back down in his seat, taking the cloth and soaking it in water from the sink. “Here, let me help wipe you off. You have enough burns already.”

As she wiped the hot tea off and did her best to treat his burns, Clover just stared at the bird in confusion. Why was she doing this? He had burned himself. It was his failure, his problem to fix. Actually, it was worse than that. He made a mess in her kitchen and ruined one of her mugs. Her very home had been sullied by his actions. Shouldn’t he be disciplined for that? That was just protocol. As the offender, he was expected to fix his actions and be subjected to appropriate disciplinary actions. That was the Super Earth way.

But then Martlet wasn’t part of Super Earth, was she? She was a monster. And it wasn’t like she didn’t have protocols of her own. She had a whole handbook she had been reading from during their fight. Apparently, monsters just followed a very different set of protocols. 

He found it… perplexing.

He wasn’t used to this level of leniency. How was he even supposed to react to this? He had no idea.

He felt the tension mounting as the bird monster quietly but vigorously wiped the human down. Wait, was it getting tense? Or was it just him? Martlet just seemed focused on the task. Or maybe… Oh, for Freedom’s Sake, this was getting too awkward for him. He needed to say something, right now!

“Sorry… about the mug.” He finally muttered.

“T-that’s alright, it was just an accident,” Martlet tried to assure the Cadet, although he could see that she looked worried.

And it still made no sense.

She was worried. Not angry. Not disappointed. Not about to call the Loyalty Officers or administer disciplinary actions and a demerit. She was just trying to help.

It all just felt so… abnormal.

“You’re still figuring that thing out, right?” She gestured at his arm implant. “Mistakes are bound to happen. So you just sit tight. I… I’ll just get this all cleaned up, and then I’ll pour you another cup.”

As the bird monster started wiping down the table and floor, Clover was just getting more confused. None of this made sense. And the fact that he didn’t find this horrifying was, in itself, kinda horrifying.

Once again, it felt like he had somehow failed. Like he was being tempted by these monsters and their… tyrannical ways? They didn’t seem tyrannical to him, but maybe that was part of the problem? Not being able to see tyranny for what it was?

…

Sweet Liberty, no wonder he was constantly on the brink of treasonous thoughts! He couldn’t even think straight when he was around monsters and being subject to such indisputably Undemocratic behaviour.

…

He really needed to stop thinking about this. It wasn’t helping. Just… figure out something else to focus on.

Glancing around the room, his gaze landed on his servo-arm. The one he had shattered Martlet’s mug with. He flexed it as he considered what might have happened.

He definitely hadn’t made a conscious effort to break the mug. Did that mean there was something wrong with the implant? Sure, there was always a learning curve when it came to using implants, and the Steel Trooper Servo-arm was military grade, so it packed a lot of power. 

But still, regardless of his familiarity with it, the thing was still very erratic. At times, he could’ve sworn it would just start twitching or shaking on its own. Plus, there was something… off about it. It had a bizarre sensation to it. He’d remembered thinking it felt feathery before, but it also felt a bit… windy? Breezy? Did any of that make sense?

He glanced over at Martlet as she moved over to the kitchen counter to pour another cup for him.

Had she followed the instructions properly when she installed it? She took protocol seriously, so it seemed likely. Or maybe she did something to it? Something… Despotic?

…

No, probably not. Martlet didn’t seem like the type to have a secret agenda. He was likely just overthinking things. These sort of implants always had their quirks to work through. He’d get the hang of using it in no time.

He just had to make sure he didn’t end up ruining any more of Martlet’s things before then.

Or crushing her wing…

That thought made his arm twitch again, but he managed to get it to stop moving before Martlet could notice.

“There we go, all done.” She placed another mug down in front of him. “Got you another nice piping hot cup of Liber-Tea, with extra Democracy!” Her expression faltered slightly. “Uhh… did I say that right? I’m not sure if that’s something you say for hum- Uhhh, I-I mean Liber-Tea.”

It wasn’t, but Clover wasn’t about to put her down for that. Not after all the leniency and understanding she had shown him, confusing as it may still be. So instead, he just smiled and gave a thumbs up.

“Thanks!” Clover reached for the mug, making sure to grab it with his left hand this time. “And uhh… sorry again about your mug and the mess.”

His implant twitched again, this time Martlet seemed to notice, staring at it with an expression he couldn’t quite read.

Finally, she shot him a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry about it. It’s fine, really.” She brushed the apology off with a wave. “Accidents happen. Now come on, let’s try this tea.”

“Liber-”

“Yeah, yeah, Liber-Tea, whatever.” Martlet waved him off as she raised the mug to her beak.

The Cadet was more than happy to take a sip of his own. “Mmm, tastes like Free-”

PFFFTT!!!

Tea splashed over the table for the second time that day as Martlet gagged and coughed, struggling to choke down what little tea she hadn’t spit out.

“Wow…” Clover stared in shock at the sputtering bird monster. He had expected a reaction when she drank it. Given how Dalv acted back in the Dark Ruins, he figured monsters weren’t used to the kind of punch that Liber-Teahead, but he still hadn’t been expecting that kind of reaction. “Not your… cup of tea? I take it?”

…

Not his best, but at least it wasn’t a ‘Liber-Tea’ pun. He’d already heard way too many of those.

“Sorry…” Martlet wheezed, struggling to get in some breaths between gags. “I just wasn’t… I mean… By the Angel, that is some very strong tea…”

Apparently, monsters just couldn’t handle the taste of Freedom.

“I… guess we humans are just built differently.” He shrugged and took a long, relaxing sip from his mug. “Ahh, good stuff.”

Martlet stared in disbelief at Clover’s flex. “I have no idea how you can drink that stuff… Man, you humans are weird.” She looked down at the tea splattered all over the table. “Well, guess I’ll go ahead and clean up the table… again. And then I really need to take a shower. Pretty sure it’s been two days since my last one.”

“I can clean it up for you,” the Cadet offered. “That food really helped with my leg, so I can probably handle it now.” Despite his best efforts, he just couldn’t help but fight the urge to do something to make up for the earlier mess. “I mean… I didn’t want to say anything, but… You could really do with a shower.” He wouldn’t have brought it up, but he was pretty sure she would turn down his offer. But if she went to wash up first…

“You noticed that?” Martlet took a sniff and gagged. “Ugh, yeah, of course you did. Okay, I guess I really need to wash up before I stink up this place any more.”

“Great!” Clover smiled, reaching for the washcloth. “You go ahead and wash up while I-”

“Nuh uh, no way, Mister!” Marlet snatched the cloth before he could grab it. “I meant it when I said no more work until you’re better, even if that food did help. You just stay there and enjoy your ridiculously strong tea while I wash up. I’ll take care of it when I get back.”

Damn, he wasn’t expecting her to think that far ahead. Watching the blue bird leave, he noticed a second washcloth over by the counter.

“And don’t even think about grabbing that other one!” Martlet snapped at him, flexing her wing with an ‘I’m watching you’ gesture.

Wow, she was really catching on to him. He had seriously underestimated this bird.

“Wouldn’t dream of it.” He put on what he seriously hoped was a sincere looking smile.

The doubtful look on Martlet’s face suggested otherwise.

“Seriously, just drink your tea and relax.” She continued to eye the human until she made it to the stairway and headed up to the washroom.

Okay, fine. No problem. He could just sit here and drink his tea and not clean up. No problem. Piece of Freedom Cake.

Even if he kinda wanted to help out. Mostly out of duty, of course.

The washcloth lingered in the corner of his eye.

No problem.

None at all.

…

He stretched out his arms.

…

Just relaxing.

…

He stretched out a bit more.

…

He felt something in his hand.

…

Oh, look at that, the washcloth. How did that get there?

…

Well, as long as he had it…

And Martlet was busy upstairs washing up..

…

He started wiping down the table with his usual level of Democratic gusto.

She… probably won’t mind.

Chapter Text

“Wow, that feels soooo much better.”

Martlet stretched out her wings, letting out a relaxing sigh. She could hardly remember the last time she felt this good. She knew she had been long overdue for a shower, but by the Angel, the difference was like night and day… probably. She had never seen the sky, so she didn’t know how different night and day actually were.

Point being, she felt like a whole new bird. She could swear she actually felt lighter, and her feathers didn’t feel greasy anymore, she had forgotten what clean feathers were like! And properly preened too! It was so awesome not having puffed out and tangled feathers that constantly itched. It had only been two days, but man, she missed this feeling so much!

Ooh, and she could also smell herself without gagging, that was also nice. With that and her new change of clothes, she actually looked like a monster who belonged in society, so that was awesome.

She grabbed her old clothes and tossed them in the laundry basket. They were going to need a very vigorous washing later. And probably a bit of hemming for the cuts and nicks from her fight with Clover. Seriously, she had not been expecting him to turn her own magic against her like that. Such a cool trick! Especially for a kid that young.

Oh, right, that reminded her.

“Clover, I’m finished washing up,” she called out as she headed downstairs to the kitchen. “Do you need me to-”

Something was off. The human was standing up, one arm held behind his back and the other fixed in that human salute as he looked at her with what was probably the most innocent smile he could muster.

And very pointedly blocking her view of the table.

“H-hey, Martlet, you’re certainly looking a lot… better.” He sounded anxious, like how she’d usually be whenever Sergeant Doge or the Captain surprised her at her post. “I guess you had a great shower, then?”

Yeah, he was hiding something.

“It was… nice.” She stepped forward, trying to get a better look at the table. “Did you enjoy your tea?”

“Oh yeah, it was great.” Clover nodded, shifting so that he was still between her and the table. “Class A level brewing.”

He didn’t say anything about it being ‘Liber-tea’ this time.

…

Yeah, he definitely cleaned up the kitchen while she was upstairs.

“Why don’t you take a seat, Clover?”

“O-oh, it’s fine, really.” Clover tried to brush it off. “That magic food of yours really did the trick. My leg’s feeling way better.”

To his credit, he didn’t seem nearly as strained as before. She could still see the discomfort he was trying to hide, but he didn’t look like he was in serious pain. Monster food must have some very strong healing properties for humans. That was good to know.

That shower had left Martlet in a pretty good mood, so maybe she wouldn’t bring it up. He was just trying to help. She didn’t need to go and make him feel bad for it. That’d just make her a jerk. Better to… 

Nope, no way, she couldn’t just ignore. This obsession of his was not healthy. She needed to get him to stop before he ended up hurting himself again.

“You can go ahead and sit down. I already know you cleaned the kitchen.”

That took the wind out of the kid’s sails as he seemingly deflated, slumping back in his chair as he looked down at the floor.

“Sorry…” His face reddened slightly.

This kid really confused her. So stubborn and determined. And a commitment to work that no normal kid should ever have.

What was she going to do with him?

“It’s alright, I’m not angry.” She assured him, gently placing a wing on his back as she approached. “You just need to take it easy, that's all. I don’t know how things are where you come from, but in the Underground, we don’t expect injured kids to do chores.”

“That’s not how Super Earth does things…” he mumbled, looking down at the floor.

There was so much Marlet wanted to say to that. But… no, bad idea. She may be opposed to it, but it wasn’t her place to judge. Apparently, it’s just a human thing.

A super messed up human thing…

“Just focus on yourself, okay? I know how to clean up my own house. Besides, you have a mission to prepare for. A super important one, right? Don’t you want to make sure you’re all healed up for it?”

Man, she really shouldn’t be encouraging him to go on this mission. She had no idea what it was, but it was probably very dangerous. But… she had promised to help him, and she wasn’t about to go back on her word. Besides, he was a human in the Underground; he was going to be in danger no matter what he did. At least she could do her part to help him survive.

“I guess…” He still seemed a bit hesitant, but he didn’t argue. Okay, so appealing to his duty towards this ‘mission’ of his was a good way to get him to ease up. Good to know, even if she felt weird about it.

“Awesome, glad you’re willing to take it easy. Trust me, I do it all the time, and it’s really great. Well, until I start taking it a bit too easy and forget to do very important stuff, and then the Sergeant shows up and starts yelling at me and-”

“Uhh, Martlet?”

“Huh? Oh, right, letting myself get sidetracked again.” She gave herself a couple of light smacks on her beak. “Okay, what was I doing? Oh yeah, that’s right.” She looked down at Clover. “It’s your turn to wash up! I’m guessing you haven’t had a good shower since you arrived in the Underground, right?”

“It has been a while.” The human sniffed his side and winced. “Yeah, I could probably use one.” He rose up from his chair. “So your washroom is upstairs, right? I’ll just go up and-”

“Come on, Clover, I’m not letting you go up there by yourself, I’m not that scatter-brained… usually.” Martlet shook her head. “Your leg might be doing better, but I don’t think you’re ready for that just yet.”

The human barely even opened his mouth before Marlet cut him off with a raised wing.

“Besides, you already went behind my back and cleaned up the kitchen, so you kinda owe me.”

Wow, it felt weird having somebody owe her because they did her a favour. Was everything this backwards when it came to humans? Or was it just her life that was weird?

For a moment, it looked like Clover would object, but he ended up just sighing. “Alright, fine. I guess that’s fair…”

“Great!” Martlet chirped, picking Clover up in her wings and carrying him up the stairs. “Up we go then.”

He didn’t struggle this time, but she could tell that the poor kid was pouting. She knew he’d hate it if she actually said anything. But still, she couldn’t help but find it cute.

“And there we go.” She set him down in front of the washroom and nudged the door open. “Shower’s right in there, it’s a walk-in, so you should have no problem getting in, even with your leg still a bit messed up.”

“Thanks, appreciate it.” The human limped inside and started closing the door.

“Oh, one other thing.” Martlet held out a wing to block the door. “Could you leave your clothes and stuff outside for me? They could use a bit of cleaning and fixing up, don’t you think? It’s all pretty dirty and cut up and burnt and uhh… slightly exploded…”

Well, great, now she was feeling awkward at the reminder, even more so as the human stared at her in confusion.

“You… want the clothes and arm- err, costume I’m wearing?”

“O-oh, right, you probably don’t have anything to change into, do you?” Martlet hadn’t thought of that. What could she- Oh, wait, of course! “But I can get you something else to wear for now. I still have a bunch of my older stuff from when I was a kid, some of it should be your size.”

“Alright, I guess I can wear whatever you have until my stuff’s fixed up.” Clover disappeared behind the door, leaving it mostly closed.

Martlet waited outside nervously, awkwardly brushing the wall with a wing. The faint sound of ruffled clothing was the only indication that anything was happening on the other side of the door. Eventually, the human’s metal arm stuck out the door, placing his boots along with his clothing and costume in neatly folded sets by the door.

She couldn’t help but notice he had neglected to put out the hat.

“Thanks! I’ll get this all taken care of before you know it.” Martlet picked up the clothes and footwear, eyeing the metal arm implant as a thought occurred to her.

“Oh, uhh, sorry, one other, other, thing.” She was feeling pretty ridiculous now. “That metal… arm of yours. I-is that gonna be okay… you know, in the shower?”

“You mean my implant? Why do you th- Oh, oh, I see what you’re asking. It’ll be fine, these things are watertight. This implant is military-grade, it was designed for use by SEAF soldiers in just about every type of environment imaginable. Well, except for saltwater, the manufacturer recommended avoiding soaking it in that for some reason.”

Military-grade? Yeah, that made sense. It literally had ‘Trooper’ in the name, plus the instructional video had a very gruff human general yelling at her for most of it, so it wasn’t that surprising. Pretty unsettling that a kid would have that sort of equipment, though.

“W-well, last I checked, my shower doesn’t use saltwater, so I guess you’re good to go then.” Really, the sooner she could get away from this line of thought, the better. “Have a good shower. I’ll be close by if you need me.”

Clover just gave a thumbs up with his implant before shutting the door, the mechanical whir of its metal digits and the twitch it made only slightly unnerving the bird monster.

Once she heard the water starting to run, she carried the human’s discarded gear over to her bedroom and set it all down on the bed.

In all the chaos of the last few days, she’d never actually taken a good look at his clothes. While there were similarities, it looked different from the more traditional human armour she had seen in some of Chujin’s old posters. Brown leather instead of the heavier-looking black and yellow metal armour worn by those… what were they called again? Oh, right, Helldivers, that was it!

It had a similar intimidating vibe, or… rather, it would if it weren’t being worn by a kid. But it also had a… Martlet wasn’t quite sure how to describe it. A frontier vibe, maybe? It kinda reminded her of the sort of thing those monsters in the Wild East liked to wear. It even had one of those little star badges the ‘Sheriff’ supposedly wore. And then there was that cowboy hat Clover had been wearing, it made the resemblance even more uncanny. She’d consider it a shame that they lost his helmet, but really, he looked a lot better without it. The hat suited him way more.

Besides, hiding such an adorable face behind that helmet would be a horrible injustice against the world. One that she would never abide by!

The costume itself had taken its fair share of wear and tear. The leather was frayed with all manner of rips, tears, and burn marks. Although what stood out the most was the fact that most of the costume’s right arm had been burned away thanks to the…

Actually… never mind, she could figure this stuff out later! She shoved the clothes under the bed before the weight she was starting to feel in her chest could press down on her too much. It’d probably take a day or two to get that stuff all cleaned and fixed up anyway. Well… minus the arm par-

Okay! Moving on! Let’s find Clover some spare clothes! Yes! That! Definitely that! She rushed over to her cabinet and threw it open, reaching in and grabbing whatever she could find.

“Alright, let’s see what we’ve got...” She pulled out some of her older clothes. The first set being a light blue tank top and blue sweat pants. “Hmmm, looks like they’re a bit too big.” She tossed them aside and dug in further. 

Something not quite as old this time, but also even bigger, so that was out. It wound up being another light blue tank top matched with blue sweat pants.

Tossing those aside, she reached for another set.

Light blue tank top and blue sweat pants.

Over her shoulder it went, she reached in even further.

Another light blue tank top with blue sweat pants…

Nope. She reached for another.

Light blue tank top…

And another.

Blue sweat pants…

And another.

She had a feeling she knew what it was before she even looked at it.

Yup, light blue tank top and blue sweat pants.

…

Wow, was this really all she ever wore? God, she must look so dull to all the other monsters. She really needed to work on mixing up her wardrobe a bit. Maybe she could pay those monsters in the Wild East a visit someday. They always had interesting stuff.

With a sigh, she dove back into the cabinet until she finally found something that looked like it would fit Clover. She wasn’t the least bit surprised to see what it was.

A light blue tank top… and blue sweat pants. Oh boy… he was going to look like a Mini-Martlet with a cowboy hat. The thought of that made her feel… well, a lot of different things that she was having a hard time nailing down.

…

Whatever, it would do for now. Shaking those thoughts loose, she grabbed the clothes and the kid’s boots, giving them a quick scrubbing before setting them down in front of the washroom door.

It wasn’t much longer before the water stopped and the door creaked open, the human snatching up the clothes and vanishing just as quickly.

“Uhh… is this all you have?”

She ignored the hurt she was feeling. It’s fine, he’s probably not used to wearing that sort of thing. It’s just out of his comfort zone, that’s all.

“Sorry, but that’s all I’ve got that’ll fit you.”

There was an awkward pause as she waited for a response.

“It’ll only be until I get your other stuff fixed up, okay? Come on, I bet it doesn’t look that bad.” She really hoped not. That would not reflect very well on her sense of fashion.

She thought she heard a sigh. “Alright, I guess I can put this on for now. Be a minute.”

True to his word, about a minute passed before the door opened, the human stepping out, nervously rubbing his arm as he looked up at the Royal Guard.

There was definitely a tonal clash. Martlet’s signature blue tank top and sweat pants did not mix well with the cowboy hat and dark brown leather boots, and seeing the actual line between the flesh of his arm and the metal of his servo-arm implant was a bit unnerving. Not that she’d consider it excessive body horror or anything. Just enough to make the bird monster queasy if she thought about it too much.

But even despite all that, he still managed to look pretty nice, dare she even say, cute? The embarrassed look on his face probably wasn’t helping matters.

“Hope you’re feeling better after that shower.” Martlet smiled at the human, mercifully refraining from drawing attention to just how adorable he looked.

“It was nice, way warmer than the ones I usually have. Don’t have a high enough citizenship class for a water heater.” He brushed off a blue feather clinging to his back, his implant twitching as he flicked it off. “Also, a lot more feathers than I was expecting.”

“Yeah… sorry about that.” Martlet awkwardly rubbed the back of her neck. “Been really meaning to clean that up, but there’s just been so much going on, what with the whole probation thing and the puzzles I’ve been working on. Oh, and Sergeant Doge getting all-”

She was rambling again. Come on, stay on task. They both have more important things to deal with.

“Uhh, never mind about all that. You don’t need to worry about my problems.” She chuckled nervously. “Anyways, you wanna go back downstairs? I can carry you-”

WHAM!

Clover's arm implant violently shot out, slamming into the wall, the bird monster flinching in surprise. Given the alarmed look on the human’s face, he was likely just as surprised. A surprise that quickly shifted to worry.

“T-that was…” he stammered. “Freedom, damnit, I didn’t mean to-”

“Clover, it’s okay. I'm sure it was just a-”

But the kid wasn't listening, his gaze locked on the dent in the wall as he nervously brushed his other arm over it.

“Okay… okay. Not great, but I should be able to fix it up with my tools in a few hours.” He froze up. “Wait…. shoot, I didn’t bring the tools for a wall job! I didn't think I'd need them for this mission! Ugh, and I thought I had planned for every possible outcome, too!”

Oh boy…

“Martlet, you have tools, right?” He spun toward the bird, a hint of panic on his face. “I-I can fix this, I just need to lease them for a bit. Wait, but I don’t have any G. Do you take Super Credits? Gah, what am I saying? Of course you don’t!”

Crap, he was freaking out. And now it was starting to make her freak out. What does she do? How do you stop a human kid from freaking out? Is it the same as a monster kid? Wait, that wouldn’t help. She doesn’t even know how to get monsters to calm down! Uhhh, dammit, just improvise!

She knelt down and put her wings on the human's shoulders, interrupting his panicked ramblings. “H-hey, hey, it's okay. It’s… it’s alright.” The Royal Guard shot him what she hoped was a comforting smile. “It’s not a problem, really. I can fix it later, I do a lot of carpentry, after all.” Seeing that he still looked nervous, she quickly added, “Oh, you, uh, can also help me with it… You know, if you want.”

Was getting him involved the right move? It seemed to calm him down so… probably?

“You don't need to worry about it. It was just an accident. It’s not like you smashed the wall on purpose. It’s just that new arm of yours being wonky, right?”

“R-right, I guess.” Clover gripped the implant with his other arm, eyeing it like it was some rabid animal about to lash out. “P-probably just getting used to it.”

She didn’t doubt that there was a learning curve to using this sort of thing. But still, ever since Clover had woken up, that arm implant thing of his had been pretty… erratic.

Was it a mistake to put that thing on?

“How does it feel?”

“I’m not really sure.” Clover ran his fingers across the metal implant, poking and prodding at the frame. “I get these strange feathery sensations from it a lot of the time.”

…Feathery?

“As in… it feels like feathers are sprouting out? Or…”

“No, not like that. It's just… I don’t know, it has this really weird feeling to it. Like it’s… made of feathers? It’s really hard to describe.”

…

“Clover, do you mind if I…” She hesitated. Was looking at his SOUL a good idea? The last time he had been conscious for that, things had sort of… gone horribly wrong.

“If you what?”

Right, hesitating is only going to freak him out more, best get on with it.

“Do you mind if I look at your SOUL?”

He blinked. “You mean that… thing that pops out of my chest every time a monster’s tried to… kill me?”

OOf. Not that she could blame him for putting it that way, she hadn’t been much better.

“Yeah… I uhh, I mean, well, yes, as in that it’s the thing in your chest. But also no, not like a fight or anything, I just need to do a CHECK, alright?” The nervous look on the kid's face wasn’t filling Martlet with confidence. “I want to get a good look at that arm and make sure you’re getting better, is all.”

“But I am getting better, I don’t know why you feel the need to-” He stopped, taking a deep breath as he glanced down at the floor. “You’ll be careful, right?”

“S-sure.” She couldn’t blame his caution. Her track record with him was mixed at best. She’d just have to do her best to prove she wanted to help. Taking a wing, she raised his chin until he was making eye contact with her again. “Now hold on, this might feel a bit weird.”

Getting back on her feet (because there was no way she was going to do this whole thing while kneeling, that would be absolute murder on her knees), she took a deep breath and focused on Clover’s SOUL, drawing it out. Sure enough, the yellow SOUL materialized in his chest, with everything around them turning dark and fading away into the background.

Clover’s breath hitched at the sight of it.

“Don’t worry, it’s alright,” Martlet rubbed his shoulders soothingly. At least, she hoped it was soothing. “We’re not fighting, I’m just going to do a CHECK, super easy.

JUNIOR CADET CLOVER

LV 1

“Yup, didn’t expect that to be any different.”

“Huh?”

Right, he wouldn’t be able to see what she’s looking at. 

“Just something from the CHECK, is all. Speaking of, what exactly is a ‘Junior Cadet’?

Clover looked surprised. 

“You can see my rank?”

“Yeah, that's one of the neat things about a CHECK, it can tell you some basic things about monsters. And humans, apparently. You know, you might be able to-” She stopped as she recalled what Clover said.

His… rank? As in, like a soldier’s rank? Merciful Angel, please don’t let him be a child soldier.

Although it would explain the gun…

And the way he acted…

“Are you in… like, the army or something?”

“Uhh, sort of?” Clover blinked. “But not in a combat role or anything. I’m not nearly old enough for that.”

…

Okay, that was way too much to unpack. She needed to focus on the CHECK before she let herself get sidetracked any further. But she definitely would be pressing him for more details later. Because seriously, what kind of kid has any business being in the army?

“O-okay, I… just need to look at some other things.” She pressed on to the next part.

HP 15/20

NEEDS TO GET BACK TO WORK. THINKING OF HOW TO DO IT WITHOUT YOU NOTICING.

…

She really needed to have a talk with him about his obsession with work. There was no way that was healthy.

“Uhh… Martlet?”

“Hmm?”

“Is… something wrong?” He looked concerned.

Crap, she must’ve been staring. Come on, Martlet, focus! Figure out the other stuff later.

“J-just focusing is all,” she assured him. “Nothing to worry about.”

He didn’t look convinced, but he didn’t say anything else.

Come on, Martlet, get it together.

Starting with the SOUL, Martlet looked over the rest of Clover’s body. Just like last time, there were residual traces of magic throughout, but she noticed something else that wasn’t there before, something stronger. A tether of some sort. Definitely magical in nature, and it seemed to be connected to his SOUL. 

It felt familiar. Almost like her magic, but… just a bit different.

Maybe it was from the food? She had worked her own magic into it. But… no, she didn’t put in that much, not enough for this level of magic. The last time she had channelled this much magic was after the fight when she’d-

Oh… yeah, that seemed likely.

Fairly certain of what she was looking for, she managed to track that magic tether, finding that it arced from Clover’s SOUL right through into his servo-arm implant.

And something was definitely off.

It looked a bit dimmer than before, but it still glowed with the pure white of monster magic. But it was enveloped in a faint aura of yellow. The same yellow as Clover’s SOUL.

She had no idea what that was supposed to mean.

Was there something about Clover’s SOUL that was reacting to her magic? Was that what was making the implant act weird? Or maybe it was acting weird because she had gone and pumped it full of magic in some desperate attempt to get it working because she had broken the original power source like a total dunce? 

Was this thing even designed to run safely on magic? Probably not… It didn’t seem like humans had a very good understanding of monster magic.

Either way, this was way beyond her knowledge.

“Notice anything off?” Clover finally asked. “Think there might be something wrong with the E-710 capsule?”

Right… she had never actually told him about that…

“Uhh, about that…” Martlet said nervously. “I may have… kinda broken that other power source of yours and had to use… well, magic instead. My magic…”

“Your… magic?” The human was looking at her like she had grown a second head. “How does that even work? Monsters can use their own magic to power stuff? They can use it to power Super Earth tech?”

“Uhh… apparently we can.” Martlet shrugged nervously.

“Is it safe?”

“I don’t know.” Martlet leaned in closer, examining the magic in the implant as thoroughly as she could. “I’m not really an expert in monster magic. We’d probably need somebody like the Royal Scientist for that and, well, it’s not like we can just go and ask her.”

“Is there a chance it will explode?” He eyed the implant suspiciously. “When I read the manual, it never said anything about trying to run it on Tyran-” He froze up. “Uhh, I mean Undemocratic power sources.”

“Wha? Undemocratic? What’s that mea-” She shook her head. “Never mind, that’s not important.” She let Clover’s SOUL fade as the darkness around them receded. “It’s possible the magic might be messing with the implant. But I doubt it would do something as drastic as explode. I mean… not unless it was deliberately designed to or something like that.”

And they’d never be crazy enough to do something like that, right?

“Oh, that’s good to hear.” Clover sighed with relief. "Don't worry, I'll still be careful with it. It would be pretty rude to wreck more of your stuff. But at least it can't get much worse. Glad I didn’t bring something more dangerous like the IE-3 Martyr. I’d rather not have to worry about monster magic interfering with an implant that has integrated explosives built in.”

“W-wait, what? What!?” Martlet squawked in alarm. “Are you telling me you humans have arm implants that are designed to deliberately explode?”

As if that exploding gun of his wasn’t already crazy enough.

“Uhh, yes? It’s usually meant for armour, but they have implants with it as well,” the human explained in a way too calm manner, as if what he was describing wasn’t completely insane. “Not that it’s used lightly. Only some people use them. And besides, armour like that is designed to detonate on death during a battle.” He tilted his head in thought. “Although there have been incidents of certain comm frequencies interfering with the detonation signal. It’s led to some incidents involving delayed detonations… and also some premature ones.”

Sweet merciful Angel…

“A-and, if they blow up around another p-person?”

“Well, friendly fire incidents are a part of life, unfortunately.”

…

The kid was being way too casual about all of this.

Clover flexed the implant, frowning when it made a slight twitch. “I know you said you’re not an expert on this sort of thing, but you still understand magic way better than I do. Do you think you can help me try to figure this out?”

Martlet blinked. “Oh, uhhh, sure! Yeah, I’ll help you figure out what’s going on with that thing.” Whatever would get them off this topic, because Martlet was hating every second of it.

“Thanks, I wouldn’t even know where to start.” Clover smiled at the bird. “Oh, I almost forgot, there was something I wanted to ask you before that whole thing with the wall.”

“Really? Well then, what did you want to ask? Feel free to- Wait a second…” She narrowed her eyes. “This isn’t some sort of trick to get me to let you work, is it?” She hadn’t forgotten what she had seen during the CHECK.

“Well…” Clover’s face turned a bit red. “It kinda is… but it’s not labour-intensive or anything.”

“Clover…”

“I also thought it might be nice if you and I did it together.”

“Oh?”

She wasn’t a fan of the fact that he was still trying to work. But the thought of doing something together with Clover… That actually sounded pretty sweet. 

“What did you have in mind?”

That stupid human was really starting to test Flowey’s patience.

Why was he still with that dumb bird? The kid had been so determined to see his mission through when he first got here, and it wasn’t like he was an anomaly or something. Flowey had heard the stories about just how fanatically determined humans could be when they had a goal, and while Clover wasn’t violent, he seemed to be equally as stubborn as the humans in the stories.

But the moment a monster shows him even a bit of kindness, it’s like all of that didn’t even matter anymore. Now he’s just wasting time with that bird until he’s ‘recovered.’ Yeah, right, as if one of those stims of his or some more monster food wouldn’t have been all he needed to get back on his feet.

He should’ve just reloaded after that idiot blew himself up. It might’ve taken a few tries, but he would’ve talked the human out of seeking out the bird monster eventually, and they’d have been back on track again.

But nope, he got greedy. He just had to try and savour that useless bird’s misery. But nope, for once, the bird actually managed to do something right and save the kid. And now Flowey was stuck waiting around until that idiot finally got sick of being babbied by her.

Assuming he actually intended to leave…

As if to rub it in, it was that moment when he spotted the blue bird through the window as she helped Clover down the stairs and over towards a table in the living room. The smile the two of them shared was despicably sweet.

If Flowey had blood, it would be boiling right now.

A part of him just wanted to barge in and impale both of them. Not that it would actually accomplish anything. It was way too late to load back to before the fight, but it would be so satisfying. He would love nothing more than to vent his frustrations on these idiots for wasting his time and then just load back like nothing happened.

But… no, tempting as it was, it would only cause problems. While Clover didn’t exactly remember his previous deaths, he did pick up bits and pieces. A thought here, a reaction there, it’s how he was able to keep getting better as he made his way through the Underground, even if he couldn’t actually remember what happened the other times.

And as fun as killing the human would be, Flowey couldn’t risk that. Would he remember something like Flowey splitting him open? Probably not. But it could affect how he felt towards the flower. And as infuriating as the idiot was, he still trusted Flowey. He couldn’t afford to jeopardize that. Not yet.

No, better to hold off and wait for now. He could torture him all he wanted later, either after he got what he needed or once they’d made it as far as they could. Preferably the former, the last thing he wanted was to have to go and do another re…

Flowey blinked. It was like there was a weird gap in his memory. What was he thinking about doing?

It was…

…

Resetting?

Right, a Reset. He’d only do that if Clover couldn’t get any further. Like last time when…

…

When he…

…

Hmm, strange. He couldn’t remember the last time he did a Reset.

Eh, not important, probably just frustrated and having a hard time focusing because of those two idiots wasting his time. No point in fretting over such trivial things, he needed to focus on what actually mattered, like figuring out how to get that damn idiot moving again so this mission could get back on track.

Glancing back through the window, he saw the bird and human duo leaning over the table with tools in hand. It looked like they were working on something, but he couldn’t tell what it was.

Ugh, there were so many other things he’d rather be doing.

But fine, he’d be patient for now. The human would find his motivation soon enough. That or Flowey would remind him the next time the bird wasn’t around.

But if he didn’t get going soon…

Well, there were other ways he could move things along.

“So… you spend most of your time working on electronics and stuff?”

When Clover asked Martlet to help him out, she hadn’t expected it to involve fixing his datapad. She still didn’t like the idea of him working, but it kept him at the table and not moving around too much, so it seemed like a decent enough compromise. 

Plus, she was the one who’d broken it in the first place, so the least she could do was help him get it working again

“Well, sure, electronics are a big part of it,” Clover said with a shrug as he connected a wire to one of the… circuit… things.

Okay, she didn’t really have much of an idea of what she was doing. Carpentry and puzzle design were more her thing. Not circuits and electronics and… whatever else was involved with fixing this thing up. That was more Chujin’s thing.

In hindsight, she probably should’ve taken the old fox monster up on his offer to teach her. She’d probably have been more useful right about now. But then, she was never very good at thinking ahead.

So instead of being useful, she was mostly just nodding along dumbly and doing whatever Clover asked her to. Like ‘wrap those wires together,’ or ‘clamp that bit down,’ or ‘hold the case steady,’ or ‘Sweet Liberty, don’t touch that live wire!’

To her credit, she had only managed to shock herself once so far. And Clover said it was only a minor setback.

It was nice, though, actually doing something with Clover. It would be a lot neater if she knew what she was doing, but he seemed to appreciate the help regardless. Plus, she also let him use some of her own tools as substitutes since he hadn’t brought his full kit. He had offered to pay her for ‘leasing’ them again, but she managed to get him to stop that, mainly by just staring at him until he dropped the subject.

Seriously, what was with him constantly trying to pay her? He had even tried to bring up ‘bunk and chow fees’ earlier. Was it really that hard for him to accept that she just wanted to help?

Maybe when he was feeling better, she’d take him on some of her patrols. He’d probably enjoy that. He’d finally get to contribute, something he seemed to be obsessed with, and he’d get to meet other monsters.

Maybe they’d even get to design a puzzle together!

“But I also do a lot of work on other stuff,” Clover continued, focused on a set of wires he was clamping down. “Things like hydraulics, metal working, a bit of janitorial work, munition prep. There’s always work that needs to be done on a Super Destroyer.” He gestured towards a metal chip. “You mind keeping that in place for me?”

“Uhh, s-sure, no problem.” Martlet helped the chip in place, trying not to get too shocked by all the different types of work the human was apparently versed in. There was no way a kid should have that much work experience. Maybe some basic chores at best.

“You seem to have a heck of a lot of skills,” she said, watching as Clover screwed in the chip. “I could barely make a shelf when I was… uhhh, sorry, how old are you?”

“Eleven.”

Eleven… she knew he was young, but still, for a kid that young to act like this. To think about things like working and fees and living costs and secret life or death missions.

“Is it normal for… kids your age to work this much?”

“Not quite as much, no. But then, most kids don’t get to serve on a Super Destroyer.” Clover was practically beaming with pride. “Only a handful get that kind of honour, and trust me, you’ve really got to work for it. It takes some serious dedication to earn that kind of privilege. I had to go all out during my four years of work out in the colonies. I guess I impressed the right people, because I found myself involved in a lot of different work projects that taught me all sorts of ways to better serve Democracy.”

“Four years? But tha- Hold on, are you saying you’ve been working since you were seven!?”

Seeming to have noticed her surprise, Clover glanced over and just shrugged. “Well, yeah. That’s the minimum work age, so why wouldn’t I?”

What?! Humans start making their kids work at seven?!

Why?!?!

“I mean, not all kids start working at that age. Some might go to school for a few years and then enter the workforce.”

Okay, that was… still really messed up, but not quite as bad. Still though…

“Why didn’t you go to school then?”

“School’s expensive, and my citizenship class is on the lower. It’s simpler for someone like me to just start working once I’m old enough.”

That just sounds so wrong…

“And your parents were okay with that?”

Clover gave her a puzzled look. “My parents?”

“Yeah, wouldn’t they want you to go to school? In fact, why would they even be okay with you working on a warship? I don’t know, that just seems, like, super dangerous and stuff. I know my mom and dad would totally freak out if I ever did something like that. Not that monsters have warships, wouldn’t really have much use for them in the Underground. But, well, you get what I mean, right?”

Instead of answering, the child just stared blankly at her, seemingly lost in thought. She wasn’t sure if he was looking at her or past her.

“Uhh, Clover? Did I say something wrong?”

The human blinked, seeming to snap out of it. “No, it’s just…” He seemed to look conflicted as he answered. “I… don't really remember my parents.”

Matlet's breath hitched.

“Don't remember then?” She echoed. “Like you… haven't seen them in a while? Or…”

“There was a…” Clover paused, seeming to consider his words. “An incident… at the factory where they worked. I don’t really know much about what happened, but… I was five when I was sent to the Super Citizen Mary’s Orphanage for Future Abled Children. Stayed there until I was seven, then they shipped me out to the colonies for work.”

Martlet felt a pang in her chest as her heart sank. This poor kid… To lose your parents at such a young age. And then, instead of giving him the support he needed, they just… sent him off to work? She figured it wasn’t her place to judge how humans treated their own. But still, that is so messed up.

And she had just gone and opened that wound back up on him.

“Clover…I.” She blinked back the tears she felt coming. To her credit, she did manage to hold back a few. “I'm so sorry. I… I didn't mean to-”

“It’s fine, you didn't know.” The child waved off the apology with a smile that didn't seem to reach his eyes. “B-besides, you don’t need parents to be a good citizen. There’s been plenty of humans without parents who went on to do great things for Super Earth. Most of them ended up as martyrs for the cause, but… well… I mean… come on, I get to work on a Super Destroyer. I’ve accomplished way more than most other kids have at my age. I may have spent most of my life not knowing my parents, but that hasn’t stopped me from doing my best to serve the cause. That’s something to be proud of, right?”

Despite how upbeat he seemed, Martlet couldn’t help but think his words sounded hollow, like he was just reciting something. For some reason, it reminded her a lot of her time in the Royal Guard.

“I…” Martlet started, raising a wing, only to clam up.

She couldn’t approve of something like that. It was no way for a child to live. Working non-stop in service to a cause that she admittedly didn’t understand, but frankly, sounded insane. Did he even know what the love of friends and family felt like? Or was he just a cog in some giant, uncaring machine? It did seem like this ‘Super Earth’ put a lot more emphasis on how useful Clover was than whether or not he lived well.

Why should anyone ever have to live like that?

“Not something you can relate to, I’m guessing,” Clover spoke up. Was she imagining it, or did he sound a bit disappointed? 

“What?” Martlet started to panic. She messed up, didn’t she? She should’ve said something instead of freezing up like an idiot! “No, I don’t-”

“It’s fine, really. I mean, how could you monsters know what it’s like? I’ve only been here a bit, but it’s pretty obvious you guys live way differently down here in the Underground than we humans do in the Federation. ” He grabbed his tools and turned his focus back to the datapad. “Anyway, we’ve been talking more than my supervisors would consider acceptable, so I should probably just focus on this.” He froze up, glancing back at her. “I mean… if you’re okay with that.”

“Uhh… actually, I think we should probably take a break.” The guilt was twisting Martlet up inside. She wanted to help. But… how? How do you help someone who has so much weighing them down? A weight they somehow seem completely oblivious to? “I could brew up some more of that Liber-Tea of yours.”

Clover seemed to consider the question for a moment before finally nodding, setting his tools aside. “Sure, I could use another cup.”

“Alright, I’ll get you some then, be right back.” 

It didn’t take her long to brew up a cup, making sure it wasn’t too hot for the kid. She decided against pouring some for herself. One drink of that stuff was more than enough for her. And she’d rather not spray it all over the table again.

“Here you go,” she offered, placing the mug down as she took her seat.

The human nodded a silent thanks and took a sip.

With nothing to do, Martlet just sat and waited, silently stewing in the tense atmosphere.

And the guilt.

Did she mess up, asking about his parents like that? He acted like it was no big deal, that it was a pretty normal thing for humans. And it sounds like he didn’t really remember them that well. But, seriously, his parents were dead. How could any kid possibly be fine after something like that? Was she reading too much into it? Were humans just different like that? 

Or… maybe he really was hurting and she was just sitting there doing nothing and- Oh god, this is all so freaking messed up! What is she supposed to do? Does she give him space? Does she hug him? Waaagh, why is this all so hard?! Why couldn’t she have just kept her beak shut and worked on that stupid datapad with him without making things so messed up and awkward!

“Hey, Martlet?” Clover asked, shaking her from her private meltdown.

“Wh- Uhh… I mean… yes?”

“You remember when you said I might have to meet your parents?”

Martlet winced. Right, she had said that, hadn’t she? Another shining example of what a scatterbrained dunce like her could accomplish. Because apparently, she couldn’t just take a second to actually think before she spoke.

“Yeah…” She finally answered, turning to look at him. “I’m sorry about that, my boss caught me off guard, and it sorta just came out. I didn’t mean to-”

She stopped when she saw the anxious look on the human’s face.

But why? She was the one who had screwed up. She was the one who had gotten Clover roped up in that whole mess. Why would he be afraid to-

…

Oh…

He had been acting like being an orphan was no big deal, but maybe…

“Do you… want to meet them?”

Clover flinched slightly, almost like he wasn’t expecting her to ask him. But it was only a moment before he started nodding. She could tell he was trying to come off as casual, but even after his shocked reaction, he was nodding just a bit too vigorously.

Okay, so maybe he does want to know what he’s missing out on. Well, they were likely going to have to meet them anyway, no thanks to her screwup with Sergeant Doge. And after what Clover had told her…

Yes! She would do it! She would totally show him what it’s like to have parents and how awesome it is! And then… well, she wasn’t really sure where to go from there, but dammit, the kid wanted to meet her parents, and by the Angel, she was going to make sure he met her parents!

“We’ll need to wait until you’re feeling better.” She glanced down at the human’s leg. “I’m guessing that’ll be another day or two.”

“What? No, we don’t need to sit around.” Clover objected. “I really am doing a lot better. I swear I can keep up if we leave later today-”

“Also, I need to let them know we’re coming.” Martlet held up a wing, stymying any further objection. “I mean, we can’t just pop in unannounced, especially if I’m introducing them to you. That would just be super awkward and rude.”

Clover raised a finger to argue, but ended up lowering it as he considered her words. “Alright, fair point.”

“Plus, we need to get that costume of yours fixed. Oh, right, and also something to cover up your face and that metal arm.” She tapped his implant with a wing. “I mean, most monsters don’t know what a human looks like, but we probably want to make sure you don’t stand out too much. And metal arms? They totally stand out.”

“Also a fair point…” the human conceded. “But… wait, how am I going to cover up my face? I was using a helmet before, but that’s gone after our…” He coughed awkwardly. “Our fight. And as much as I like this hat.” He tugged at its brim. “I don’t think that’ll be enough.”

“Hmm, yeah, you’re right.” She stroked her beak in thought. “And I did mention you were my baby brother. So people are going to be pretty suspicious if you’re with me and don’t look like, well, you know, a bird monster.”

Clover hummed in thought, tapping his fingers against the table. “Ooh, ooh, I know!” His eyes lit up as he looked towards the stairs. “There’s still a bunch of your feathers in the washroom.”

Right, all those feathers she hadn’t bothered to get rid of. She really needed to get that cleaned up. But why would that help?

Wait…

…

Ah, now she got what he was thinking.

“Yeah, there are, aren’t there?” She nodded, smirking at the human. “I think there might be something we can do with those.”