There was a surreal fog of chaos surrounding everything now. The air felt heavy and the world felt slow, like everyone was trying to run inside a nightmare. The world hung in disbelief. One moment everything had seemed so quiet and calm... then a little whisper had come in about a human arriving.

It was just a rumor. Something that a friend of a neighbor had mentioned in passing without any real belief in what they were saying. There had been a little curiosity, a little hopeful excitement, and then the world just forgot and moved on.

Then the next thing everyone knew the news reports were coming in. Warnings, evacuation orders, death tolls.

Mettaton had been among the very first to know that Undyne had fallen. He had been there watching the screen with Alphys when it happened.

He also had to be the one to report this breaking news to the rest of the Underground, including the death toll of Waterfall. He had to do it knowing that many of those plain, faceless numbers that scrolled past him on television had once been his friends and neighbors.

He had been waiting for some news- any news at all- about his own family. But so far none of the evacuees who had made it past the human had seen any of his cousins or siblings. He kept telling himself that there was nothing to worry about. Blooky would be smart enough to go and hide somewhere. And the ones that had possessed training dummies could just blend right in and let the little abomination pass them by, right?

Mettaton checked his watch. The boat was late. The viewers would probably want another live update soon. He couldn’t stay on break forever.

“Come on Blooky. Come on.” He muttered, drumming his fingers against his side in an unintentional rendition of his newest gameshow’s theme song.

The approaching splashing sound caught his attention. The River Person was pulling out all the stops tonight. Their boat had been permanently locked into its fastest setting, causing it to sprout legs and dart across the water on a thin sheen of magic. Its feline figurehead looked all too cheery against the bleak backdrop of the refugees it carried on its back.

The River Person was at the head of the small craft, hood and cape dancing ominously in the hot wind, their figure hunched and shaded by shadow.

Mettaton inched a little closer to the docking point, straining for a better view so he could pick out the individuals among the clumped mass of monsters. The raft skidded to a halt beside him, causing him to wheel back to avoid the spray. Several dazed monsters stumbled off onto dry land, clutching at each other for support.

“Tra la, la, off you go! Hurry now.” The River Person called.

Mettaton sprang into his usual roll at once. “That’s right folks! This way, this way! The wonderful Dr. Alphys has made arrangements for everyone! Yes, yes, that’s it! This way my darlings and gentledarlings!” With a grand flourish he waved them off down the road towards the lab, his buttons lighting up in the shape of a big blinking arrow while the words “REMAIN CALM” scrolled across his screen.

“Whoa. It’s Mettaton.” A starstruck voice gasped. A little kid with spikes running down his back and a black and yellow shirt broke away from his parents a little to look at him. His little mouth was agape, revealing over-sized buck teeth.

“That’s right, it is I: the marvelous Mettaton, here to guide you to safety and update the public on the human’s movements!” He gave a gracious bow, quite an impressive balancing act for a rectangle with one wheel to work with. “Head inside the lab. You will be safe there.”

The child’s mother gave the boy a reassuring touch on the head and sent Mettaton a weak smile that reflected his own hidden feelings of buried fear. “Thank you Mettaton, for giving us hope.” She murmured.

“It is my pleasure, darling.” He turned his attention to the crowd as a whole. “Say, on your way over did anyone encounter a ghost or a possessed dummy by any chance?” He cleared his voice with a metallic whirr, “Just ah, asking for someone who came off the last boat.”

Everyone shook their heads. “No. We came from Snowdin so maybe we missed them.” The child’s father looked down at his son. “Kid, did you see anyone like that when you were in-“” He choked a little, reliving the terror at having been separated from his son, “in Waterfall?”

“A ghost?” The boy crunched up his face a little in thought, “N-no... Hey, Mettaton? Any news about Undyne? We… we need to send someone to go check on her! Sh- she was hurt. She fell and-”

His mother nudged him along. Perhaps she had heard of the report already. “Come on Kid, we need to go. Mettaton is busy and we need to get to the lab.

The kid ducked away from his mother as he was carried off by the current of the crowd. “Hey, wait, I think I did see a dummy! But-“” His voice cracked and his eyes began to water. “But I- I think it was dead.”

Mettaton nearly lost his balance for a second. He swayed a little on his wheel before reminding himself that if it had indeed been a family member, they would have probably just left the dummy once it was destroyed. “Ah, thanks Kid. But I’m sure the ghost who was using it is fine.”

“No.” He squeaked, head bowed as he was ushered away by his mother. “They were dead. There was….dust.”

Mettaton’s body suddenly felt far too heavy and yet completely hollow. Dust? Dead? How? Humans did not have magic attacks!

The world spun in light of this revelation. However, being the marvelous actor that he was, he did not let the refugees see any of the impact this news had on him. He was their shining beacon of hope after all. It wouldn’t do for him to go dim in their darkest hour.

As soon as the last foot had touched dry land the River Person spun their raft around and prepared to make their next trip. “Tra la la, Mettaton, what is the latest report?” They asked as they prepped for their next launch.

He still had to pull himself back from the lingering shock in order to answer. The kid had been wrong. He had to be. Everyone was alright. They were ghosts! They didn’t have a body for the human to harm!

“Uh, ahem, sorry. Yes, well, the evacuation of Hotland is coming along nicely. We had to deactivate a lot of the security puzzles in order to give people a way out but almost everyone should be here by now. Those who won’t make it tonight will take a less direct route tomorrow.”

They shook their hooded head. When next they spoke they did not sing. “Angel have mercy on the late ones." They murmured, casting a look back down the dark river tunnel. "I must be off. Take care of yourself Mettaton, don’t stay out too late.”

“No need to worry about me darling. No show is over until I sing! I will be on air for as long as I have viewers who need the best and latest info. But you on the other hand, are running a risk here. You should be going to the lab soon with the rest of the refugees.”

The hood shook softly with quiet laughter. “A captain goes down with their ship. So I suppose we are both staying out late, tra la la.” Their voice dropped as they changed subjects. “No sign of Napstablook yet I’m afraid. I think this will be my last pass through Waterfall for the night. But I’m sure those you are looking for will be alright. Perhaps they are just being smart and hiding somewhere else.”

“Of course.” Mettaton scoffed, trying to brush off the looming shadow now hanging over his mind.

The River Monster nodded and the raft took off once more in a spray of sparkling droplets.

“Of course he is.” He echoed again, a little less gusto in his voice this time.

***

He gave another update on the human’s location and perceived path, once again urging everyone still watching to follow instructions and find a safe place to hide. His small dedicated crew helped him man the security camera feed and kept him on air late into the night.

The refugee flow from Snowdin and Waterfall had all but stopped. There were just a few stragglers limping in now.

With the human growing ever closer and strange technical problems causing their broadcasting to become shoddy in some areas, Mettaton dismissed his ever loyal camera crew so that they could get below ground and be with their families. Their viewer count had dropped anyway once everyone had gone into hiding.

He finally made one last attempt to warn and encourage everyone to get down to the lab, then he shut the channel down. He was surprised at the impact this had on him. The world felt grim and quiet now.

He barely had time to think upon it before the back door to the lab slid open and a frazzled Alphys scuttled in with a small group of stragglers in tow.

“M-Mettaton, what are you doing! You should be gone by now!” She stammered.

“Ah, Alphys, there you are. I was starting to wonder if you had run into trouble.”

“N-no. I’m fine. I just went back to make sure no one had changed their mind.” She ran over to a panel on the wall and jabbed at its buttons in a memorized sequence. “Alright, in here. Hurry.” She ushered the five monsters that had arrived with her through a door with a bathroom label on it. But instead of being greeted by the usual bathroom fixtures, an elevator slid up to welcome them instead.

She stepped inside only long enough to instruct them on which buttons to push before backing out; apologizing profusely but not quite explaining why.

When the door slid shut and left Alphys and Mettaton alone in the room together, she didn’t quite seem to realize he was still there.

Her glasses were askew, her lab coat stained in more than its usual array of colors and her eyes were red from lack of sleep and bouts of crying. “I couldn’t g-get Muffet to leave her web. I-I told her the human would k-k-kill her but none of the spiders will leave!” She ran right past him to check on the screens. She tripped over the corner of her coat and careened into a nearby table, causing an avalanche of dirty dishes and papers covered in chicken scratch to tumble down around her. She sat among the shattered aftermath with her head in her hands, her shoulders shaking with quiet sobs.

Mettaton wheeled over and helped her to her feet. “Come on Alphys, it’s not over yet. Get up. The world needs you, darling.”

“No it doesn’t!” She cried. In a little whimper she added, “It needed Undyne.” She wiped at her nose with a dirty sleeve and accepted his hand but her gaze remained fixated on the floor. “But now… I’m all that’s left.” Seeing Undyne’s death had destroyed her. She had hardly had the strength to stand at first. But as the dire situation had loomed ever closer something inside of her had hardened, reforged by grief into a solid purpose that kept her standing- for the most part.

“Well as they say in showbiz, the show must go on. Alphys, darling, this is your moment. It is indeed dark and grim but you are the heroine of this story now.”

She shook her head. “It’s too late, Mettaton. It’s too late. I moved as many of them as I could but the paths to the other shelters had to be closed off. I have been sending everyone who was too slow down to the True Lab.” She dabbed at her eyes and hobbled over to the array of screens. “Now everyone is going to know about all the horrible things I did. They probably already hate me down there.”

“really? i would think they would be too busy being grateful that you saved them to worry about your failed experiments.”

Alphys spun around in surprise at the sound of the new voice. Mettaton looked up as well.

“Sans?” She balked, dry washing her hands and looking as if she had seen a ghost. Sure enough there was a familiar shape lounging in the shadows with his back pressed against the wall over by the stairs. She had not heard him arrive. “H-how? I- you went missing! I thought you were-?”

“dead?” He smirked. “nope. for some reason she decided not to kill me.” He rocked back on his heels and gained a distant look in his eye. “sure feels like she did though.” He stepped out of the shadows and looked her up and down like he was judging her. His chin was buried in the folds of an orange scarf.

Alphys suddenly became aware of what a mess she was. Next to his nonchalant calm she felt like a panicked rabbit.

There was a knock at the back door and one of the screens switched cameras so that she could see who was there. A frightened family was huddled up against the door. Alphys hurried past Sans and pulled the little group of monsters inside.

“you have been doing a good job here, al. i’m proud of you.” Sans said, wearing a fake smile of encouragement and watching her dart around him, not really bothering to move. His words sounded empty.

“H-here. Get inside. I’m about to lock it.” She sent the family into the elevator and beckoned Sans forward to do the same.

He shook his head. “nah. think i’ll pass. there are old memories down there i don’t feel inclined to disturb.”

Alphys’s already frazzled nature became utterly distraught. “S-Sans! I know how much it must hurt to lose Papyrus, I have lost people to her too, b-but i-if you stay up here the human will kill you!”

Those white spots of light inside his skull winked out, turning his sockets into black, lifeless pits as he shrugged. “nah i don’t think so. but i won’t stop her if she wants to try.” He tucked his hands into his coat pockets and looked over at her array of screens. “huh, well would you look at that. speak of the devil. she’s here already.”

Everyone strained to look at the screen. Sure enough the human was making her way towards the lab.

“Oh my god! S-s-she’s already he-here!” Alphys gasped, her knees going weak. She tried to send the next elevator down but it didn’t respond. Instead the light overhead flickered and went dark with a distraught whirr.

Mettaton hurried over to assist her. “What is it? What’s wrong?”

“T-the elevator isn’t moving! It-it does this sometimes. S-some of the buttons are really touchy.” She pulled the protective panel plating away from the wall and began to wrestle with the tangle of wires and chips underneath.

“Sans, Mettaton, please! Get in here, hurry!” She was looking over her shoulder at the screen. The human was getting closer. She was in the shadow of the lab now.

Alphys was prodding at and rearranging the guts of the elevator, pressing its naked buttons every few seconds to see if anything she had done had worked. The family she had ushered into the lift were now huddled together in the corner, their eyes wide and fearful.

“Ugh! It’s not working. D-dammit. I need more time. I need more time!”

Sans and Mettaton exchanged looks, Sans sharing his pinned on smile with him. “you too, huh bud?” He remarked.

There was a knock on the door. Everyone went deathly silent.

Alphys didn’t have much time to react after that. Suddenly Sans was right there by the elevator door, a hand sliding out of his pocket amidst a faint crackle of magic. The door slid shut on a shocked Alphys. “lock the door behind you. don’t come out. don’t move until she's gone.” He instructed; voice as casual as ever.

Alphys’s muffled voice came through the thick doors. “Mettaton! Sans! No!”

There was another curious knock at the front door.

Mettaton looked at Sans. The skeleton hid half his guilty face behind the scarf while his eyes continued to evade any direct look the TV star tried to cast upon him. “You’re not sticking around, are you?” Mettaton concluded.

“sorry pal, i need to get farther ahead of her. take care of them for me, will ya?”

Alphys was prying opening the elevator doors again. “Mettaton, Sans, p-please! If you stay out there she will kill you!” She repeated, all out of words.

San’s spun around, his left eye emitting a blue spark. His hand cut across the air and snapped the door shut again, causing Alphys to squeak.

She called to them from behind the door in one last attempt to make them see reason. “Do you really think this is what they would have wanted? Napstablook? Papyrus? We are all grieving right now but you don’t need to die for their memory!”

San’s form smeared a little, like someone had tried to remove him with a bad eraser, or like his shadow was creeping up to take his place. “heh. don’t stress yourself, alphys. one way or the other, these things have a way of working themselves out. one day we will all wake up... and it will feel like all this was just a bad dream.” His fake grin widened. The knock at the door had become a reckless scraping. The light in Sans’s eyes went out and his grin widened into something unsettling. “and if it doesn’t? well, then i’ll just have to fix this myself.” The dark foggy smudge expanded and Sans vanished, leaving Mettaton alone in the room with nothing but the afterimage of San’s grin to think about.

Mettaton turned to look at the door. A little sliver of light spilled in from the outside. She was forcing her way in.

All Asgore needed was a little more time to absorb the souls. Then, surely he would come to make things right.

All Alphys needed was a little distraction so she could fix the elevator.

Well then, wasn’t he just the perfect monster for the job? He was, after all, a magnificent entertainer.

The slit in the door was widening. A hand slid through the gap and began to feel around.

“Sorry Alphys. You have done beautifully. But let’s be honest; at the end of the day I just don’t like sharing my spotlight.”