A/N: Oh. Hello there. I have news.

I graduated.

Finished! Done! Over! Complete! My diploma was shipped TODAY. My teaching certificate is being processed. Guys...

I'm an adult.

But that's only part one of the news. I'm taking these next couple months off. I applied for one job, didn't get it, and have decided that the gods are telling me to BREATHE FOR THE FIRST TIME IN NINE YEARS because honestly. I've been working my ass off. So I'm going to take care of myself for the next few months, finish out teaching the ensembles I'm in charge of and wrap up some left over obligations with the college. But other than that, I'm free.

I'm going to focus on my emotional and physical health for a while. I need to establish routines. I already have my morning routine starting. I'm also helping the parents do some renovations. So, it's not like I'll be sitting on my ass for a few months. But it's nothing stressful. I can relax.

It already feels surreal.

That being said, if you saw my tumblr post then you know I, of course, plan to continue writing. I've taken way more time off than acceptable! Also, this is a chapter I forgot to post in December that I'm posting to just get out there. I want to start fresh and new. It's going to be great. I hope.

AS ALWAYS I hope your fall was awesome and your holidays even better. Let me know if a review how you like this chapter, and I'll skip over shout-outs for this week because...ugh. I don't even want to try to organize the ones I've missed.

ILYA, and I'll SYANU!

"Humans! We saw you on TV! You met Mettaton!"

Evelynne grimaced, troubled by Papyrus's overjoyed tone and the reminder of one of her least pleasant experiences Underground.

The two humans had been traveling through Hotland for approximately an hour, traversing conveyor belts and vents while also desperately praying Alphys's advice about lasers was correct. So far, the timid lizard had been helpful, if not tiring. Her social media updates were disruptive but amusing, though Evelynne eventually handed the phone off to Frisk, who giggled at every update. By the sixth update, Evelynne only felt annoyance. With Hotland's oppressive heat and her ever-present exhaustion, she barely had the energy to walk, let alone constantly pull a phone out to read a meaningless message.

Evelynne was currently leaning against a warm brick wall in one of the two puzzle rooms they'd found and solved, Frisk standing a few feet away. The puzzle ended up being some sort of game not unlike the one's her brother played on his old Ataris system when they were kids. Frisk had let her solve the first one, and she'd let herself smile genuinely for a few minutes before it felt like too much effort. Still, watching Frisk complete the second one felt painfully nostalgic.

"Humans?"

Evelynne shook her head as Frisk looked over her shoulder with concern. How long had she been lost in thought? "Sorry Papyrus. Just thinking. What'd you say?"

"That's okay! I said we saw you on TV with Mettaton! You must tell me all about it!"

With a sigh, Evelynne looked down and began picking at the seam of her jeans. She had been hoping to forget all about that unpleasant encounter. She rubbed her sternum as a phantom pain appeared in her chest, clearing her throat uncomfortably.

"Uh, yeah. Mettaton really wanted us as his...guests," she said, nearly cringing as she spoke. She wanted to tell Papyrus that she was afraid of facing Mettaton again. She wanted to ask him to send Sans to them. She wanted to feel that safety again. Tears sprung to her eyes, but she pushed them down. Not now. She couldn't be a coward anymore.

"Fuhuhu! You're lucky you got most of the answers right!" Undyne's voice came through the phone, leaving Evelynne only momentarily surprised that she was still there. Hadn't she mentioned something about her house being on fire?

Damn it, she still had to talk to Frisk about that...

"Yes, human! You did very well! Although, that shock did look like it hurt..." Papyrus said, and Evelynne was relieved to hear he sounded concerned. He had some sense about the situation, then. She didn't want to be the one to ruin his perception that everything was pure in the world.

"Yeah, it did," she admitted, but tacked on a tiny, unamused laugh for his sake. "Pretty bad. I sorta passed out afterward..."

"Just be careful. That dude gives me bad vibes," Undyne said, and Evelynne raised an eyebrow. Was Undyne really warning them to be cautious? Had she dreamt the past few weeks? Her head was spinning. She wondered how long it would take for her to accept Undyne's new attitude.

"Wh-what? But, he's so popular," Papyrus muttered, completely floored. Evelynne was reminded of her first impression of Papyrus. He seemed to base his entire existence off of wanting to be popular. Hadn't Sans mentioned Papyrus had trouble making friends?

"I don't care about people just because they're popular," Undyne shot back.

"Well, you can say that because you're popular!"

...Did Papyrus think fame was the only way to have real friends? She could see that being the case. Mettaton and Undyne were stars in his eyes. His own brother was popular, at least with the Snowdin population. His role models were all outgoing and adored.

"Psht, what? Popular with who?"

"You're popular with me!"

Evelynne's eyes widened at the realization. Was this Papyrus's genuine personality? Or was he just pretending to be someone he's not? Was that why Sans was always telling him he was cool?

"Aww, Papyrus, you're popular with me, too!"

"Aww, wowie!" Papyrus said softly, his tone genuinely awed. He did have close friends. Did he not realize it? "Wait...does that mean you don't care about me?" he asked, suddenly remembering her earlier proclamation.

"Uhm, not to interrupt," Evelynne said, trying to gently involve herself in the conversation, "but do either of you happen to know anything about the puzzles in Hotland, or have any tips for us?" she asked, her tone hopeful. There was a beat of silence from the other end.

"Er, well human...it seems neither of us knows anything about Hotland..." Papyrus said hesitantly.

"So we'll just have to combine our power!" Undyne shouted, and Evelynne nearly dropped the phone in her surprise. Maybe Papyrus learned to be loud from Undyne...

"Zero plus zero is still zero," Papyrus responded, and Frisk giggled from where she was sitting across the room. Evelynne smiled at her joy. Despite his childlike demeanor, Papyrus has proven time and time again that he could be just as witty and perceptive as his brother.

"Yeah, but it's a big zero!" Undyne laughed loudly.

"Well, big zero or small zero, I don't know that it's very helpful," Evelynne said timidly, hoping that it wouldn't push her luck with the guard captain.

"Hmm. Well, I did ride on a conveyor belt, once!" Undyne chirped, and Evelynne felt the smallest bit of hope.

"What about it?"

"I learned pretty fast that they make me sick!"

"Did you hurl?" Papyrus interjected, and Evelynne had to take a moment if only to process that Papyrus used the word 'hurl'.

"Yeah, like nine thousand times! It was awesome!" Once again, she laughed heartily.

"Stop calling and making her say gross things," Papyrus muttered close to the phone speaker.

"You're the one that asked, Papyrus," Evelynne pointed out, fighting off her smile briefly before rolling her eyes. "I'm really appreciative to you both but...is your brother there? Would he know anything about Hotland?"

"Sans works in Hotland!" Papyrus announced excitedly before his voice dropped slightly. "But...he left after we watched Mettaton's show. He didn't say where he was going. If he wasn't so lazy, I'd guess he went to work, but I know that can't be true! Sans never goes to work without me telling him to! Though, he did seem...off."

"That nerd probably went to Grillby's or something," Undyne added. Evelynne deflated slightly. Of course, that was her luck.

"If he gets home soon, please have him call us," Evelynne asked, reaching an arm out as Frisk moved over to stand at her side. She pulled the child in for a loose side hug, grimacing at the heat and sweat.

"Of course, human! I will tell him the moment he walks through the door!" Papyrus pledged, and she could imagine the determined and heroic stance he'd take on, were she there.

"Thanks, Pap."

"Hey, Undyne," Frisk suddenly called, leaning to get closer to the phone. Evelynne raised a brow at her. Frisk hardly ever spoke to anyone else. At least, as far as she'd seen. "Why'd you call Alphys about the weather?" she teased, grin mischevious, and Evelynne's jaw went slack.

"Frisk!" she hissed, but Undyne responded before she could apologize on Frisk's behalf.

"What? Who cares? Isn't it natural to love meteorology?"

"Sure it is, Undyn-"

"Zoinks! I thought that was just an excuse to talk to her. I didn't know there was weather down here!"

Did...did Papyrus just say 'zoinks'?

"Yeah? There is?" Undyne said, her voice a little higher-pitched than usual. "And I'm forecasting an incoming front of shut up!"

"Undyne, I don't think that's necessary-"

"Wowie! Will I need an umbrella?" Papyrus could not possibly be purer.

"Oh, Papyrus. I can't stay mad at you," Undyne said, and Evelynne sighed in relief, glaring half-heartedly at Frisk. Of course, she still wore that mischievous look, shrugging in response before moving away from her.

"It's okay, I forgive you!" Suddenly, Papyrus's voice got quieter and very close to the speaker. "Psst, when was she mad at me?"

"I'm sure she was just joking, Papyrus," Evelynne said, pushing herself away from the wall and standing. She stretched, her muscles loose and relaxed in the warm environment. "We have to go now, but we'll call back soon, okay?"

"Okay! I shall await your next call eagerly! Goodbye, humans!" Papyrus hung up the phone, and Evelynne stuffed theirs in her pocket with a sigh. She looked over at Frisk waiting by the door, crossing her arms and raising a brow.

"That wasn't very nice, you know," she scolded, even as the corner of her mouth tugged upwards. Frisk didn't even pretend to be sorry, giggling and walking out the door. Sighing, Evelynne rolled her eyes and followed, mumbling to herself.

Despite the slightly lighter atmosphere after talking to Papyrus, Evelynne's thoughts were quickly turning dark as they walked in silence. Occasionally, they'd stumble across lounging monsters, most of which paid them no mind. There were more monsters here than she ever saw in Snowdin and Waterfall. It seemed Hotland was a real hotspot for monsters.

Ha.

While she didn't recognize any of them, there were a few who greeted them with kind smiles, reminding her that most of the monsters Underground were kind. Most of them had no interest in killing them. She wondered if any of them saw Mettaton's show.

After about thirty more minutes of walking, Evelynne could see another vent up ahead, and she immediately groaned, gesturing forward with aggravation. "Please tell me this is the last vent."

Frisk shook with silent laughter, grabbing Evelynne's wrist and pulling her forward.

At least Frisk was getting some enjoyment from this.

Coming up on the vent, Evelynne could see that it wasn't just one vent, but four in a row. Frisk let go of her and gestured forward for her to go first, as always. She was beginning to wonder if Frisk just thought it was hilarious to see her fall. After confirming that this was the only route across, she sighed in defeat and moved forward to stand at the edge of the first vent.

The first few vents they'd come across hadn't left a good impression. No matter how hard she tried, she just couldn't land on her feet. Frisk would always land perfectly on her feet. Evelynne peered down below the platform, taking in the orange glow of the lava as she felt anxiety rise in her chest. What if she missed?

No, she wouldn't miss. She couldn't miss. She could do this. Taking a deep breath, Evelynne steeled herself and stepped forward. A blast of air shot through the vent, pushing her up and forward into the air. Despite her self-assurance, she let out a short scream and tensed up, pulling her arms into her sides while resisting the urge to pull her legs in. Another blast of air met her as she came toward the next vent, propelling her back into the air just before she hit the ground. Before she knew it, she was propelled toward the tiled floor. She landed in a similar fashion to her earlier attempts; on her butt. She howled in pain, starting and discontinuing swears as the pain bloomed in her tailbone and traveled up her spine. There was no way she wouldn't receive some permanent injury from this. She didn't doubt that she'd at least bruise. As she struggled to push herself up, Frisk landed perfectly behind her, and Evelynne prepared herself for the laughter that normally accompanied her painful landing. Except it didn't happen.

Finally getting to her feet, she pushed the dull pain to the back of her mind as she took in Frisk's strange expression. It was a mix of guilt and a worry. It reminded Evelynne of what Frisk looked like before they were chased by Undyne...

"What's wrong?" she asked, hoping Frisk would finally tell her outright. The area ahead was completely dark and silent, and Evelynne found herself staring into the darkness with apprehension before turning back to the girl. Frisk avoided her gaze, looking down at the ground. "Is...something in there?" Frisk nodded, slouching slightly. Why couldn't she just say it? "Is it Mettaton?" Another nod. Evelynne took a deep breath. "Okay, okay. It's fine. We have to go through, right? We can't' go back." She meant to reassure Frisk, but she ended up mumbling to herself as she looked back into the darkness. There really was no way back. There wasn't a vent on this end. They could only go forward. Frisk reached out and took her hand, squeezing it in support, and Evelynne smiled thinly. "Alright. We'll be fine, right?" Frisk nodded, though her eyes betrayed her doubt. "Okay. Let's get this over with."

Walking into the darkness felt terrible. She felt a strange heaviness in her chest as she awaited an attack, her entire body tense. She was gripping Frisk's hand firmly, ready to pull her away from any coming danger. When the loud sound of the ringtone came from her pocket, she jumped and yelped, immediately planting a hand over her mouth as if she could take it back. Letting go of Frisk's hand, she immediately dug into her pocket for the phone, hoping Sans would be the one calling. Instead, Alphys's name flashed on the screen. Still shaking and trying to calm her breathing, Evelynne answered the call.

"H-hey!"

"Alphys! You nearly scared me to death!" Evelynne hissed, shining the phone light down to make sure Frisk was still beside her. The child winced and brought an arm up to shield her eyes. Evelynne gave her a sympathetic smile before turning the screen away.

"O-oh! Sorry! I-I just noticed it's...kinda dark in there, isn't it?"

Evelynne held the phone out directly in front of them, the bright screen illuminating very little. It was as if the darkness soaked up the light. "Uh, yeah. You don't happen to know where the light switch is, do you?"

"Don't worry! I'll hack into the light system and b-brighten it up!" Alphys said cheerfully, and Evelynne sighed in relief.

"Oh, good. Thank you so-"

The lights flashed on, their intensity overwhelming. Evelynne hissed, throwing her free arm up to cover her eyes as she blinked rapidly. Her blurry vision cleared just enough for her to make out what looked to be a...counter? There was a knife and a spatula set beside a cutting board and sink. Beyond that stood a single camera.

Oh. She knew the tile looked familiar.

"Oh, no..." Alphys's voice came from the phone, and in the silence, it seemed to echo in the room.

"Oh, yes!"

Evelynne jumped at the sound of Mettaton's voice from behind them. The robot seemed to appear from nowhere, donning a chef's hat. He wheeled right up to the counter a few feet away from the humans, his signature theme blaring. Evelynne grabbed at Frisk's shoulder and pushed her away, hiding the child behind her as they took a step backward.

Couldn't they get a break? It had barely been two hours.

"Welcome, beauties, to the Underground's premier cooking show: Cooking with a Killer Robot!" Pre-recorded applause sounded and Evelynne glared. She scanned the room for something - anything - to help them. The most promising object was the knife, though it was now directly in front of the robot. She doubted it'd be much help, anyway. "Pre-heat your ovens, because we've got a very special recipe for you today!" Mettaton extended an arm out without turning toward them, the microphone stopping right in front of Evelynne's face. She flinched, leaning back in anticipation of pain. But none came. "Why don't you tell our wonderful audience what we'll be making today, darling?"

She stared wide-eyed at the robot. "I-I..uhh...What?"

"That's right! A cake!" Mettaton retracted his arm. "My lovely assistants here will assist me! Everyone give them a big hand!" Applause. Evelynne was really starting to get annoyed by this robot. How had she watched his shows so much without hating it? Maybe Sans didn't fall asleep just because he was tired, on show nights. Finally, Mettaton turned toward them. "First, we need to gather the ingredients. We'll need sugar, milk, and eggs. Go for it, sweetheart!"

Evelynne, still slightly stunned by this entire ridiculous event, stared forward with a slack jaw until Frisk pulled on her hand lightly. "O-oh. Uh, oka-"

"No, no, no!" Mettaton's arm shot out once again, blocking Evelynne from moving any farther. "Not you! The small one!" His arm hooked around Evelynne's waist and pulled her right up to him. She cried out in surprise, throwing her arms out in front of her as if she could defend herself. "My, my! You're covered in filth! This won't do. Remember, darling! Hygiene is important in the kitchen!" Mettaton suddenly pulled out two more arms; one holding a feather duster and the other, a rag. He pounced on her, arms moving too fast for her to keep up with. She ducked her head and gasped, preparing to be strangled or crushed. She was pushed and pulled this way and that for what seemed like five seconds before it all stopped, and was left dazed. She looked down at her arms and clothes with confusion. She looked completely clean. She brought a hand up to her hair, her fingers running through cleanly as if her hair had been brushed.

What the hell?

"Great job! Just put them in the middle of this counter!" Mettaton instructed, and Evelynne turned to find Frisk behind her with arms full of ingredients. Confused, Evelynne reached out to help her, removing the milk from the pile and placing it on the counter to assist Frisk. "Perfect! Great job, beautiful! We've got all of the ingredients we need to bake the cake!" Mettaton pulled each ingredient over to him. "Milk...sugar...eggs...Oh, my!" He brought both hands up dramatically, likely to compensate for his inability to make facial expressions. "Wait a magnificent moment! How could I forget? We're missing the most important ingredient!" Mettaton turned toward them, one arm disappearing under the counter. Evelynne shuddered, reaching behind her to push Frisk back as she moved away from him.

"Flour?" she suggested, her voice small. Mettaton finally pulled out an object, revealing a saw that immediately buzzed to life. Evelynne shrieked, moving back quicker than her body would allow and causing her to fall to the floor.

"A human soul!"

Evelynne scrambled backward immediately, Frisk pulling on her arm to help her back to her feet.

"W-wait!"

Mettaton slowly wheeled forward, forcing them to continue moving backward.

"Stop!" Evelynne took another step back but met nothing beneath her foot. She teetered on the edge of the set, immediately letting go of Frisk as she desperately tried to regain balance before falling back with a screech. She found herself hanging from the edge of the set, her hands gripping viciously at the tiles. Frisk was kneeling in front of her, hands gripping at her left wrist as she tried to pull Evelynne back up. Behind her, Mettaton raised his chainsaw. "No! Frisk!" She squeezed her eyes shut, seizing her struggling as she began to slip, her sweat-slicked skin and body weight finally pulling her over the edge.

From across the room, a familiar ringtone was heard.