Wholehearted Half-Souls

Chapter 14: Proceed (Part 2)

Frisk's limbs shake as both he and Susie walk farther away from the picnic. He scans the buildings, pupils moving back and forth at a methodical pace. "I bet he's trying to track me down. I'm afraid that Azzy will get caught in the crossfire again, too."

Susie looks down at him and frowns while growling softly. "See what I mean by how I want to get in the thick of it? To win, you gotta attack."

Frisk frowns and rubs his neck quickly. "I know. I'm just trying to find the balance. I'm trying to be like steam, not fire or water."

Susie chuckles and flexes her left bicep. "Well, hey, I'll have my axe if things get weird!"

Frisk nods and smiles slightly. "I appreciate it." A lightbulb appears in his brain. "Here's an idea: maybe I could be a medic for you, Asriel, and anyone else who wants to help."

Susie smiles and says, "cool; I really like that." She then straightens her posture as they walk behind the trees.

Frisk lowers his head and clicks his tongue, with his soul aching slightly. "I'm still worried about your motives, though."

"Wait, what?" Susie asks.

Frisk sighs. "I'm gonna be honest: you never told me why you want to help Asriel and me. Why do you want to help find Kris in the first place, aside from him being a traitor?"

Susie laughs and then flexes her bicep. "I wanna use my axe!"

Frisk crosses his arms and lowers his voice as he looks up at Susie. His eyes darken. "Is that the only reason?"

Susie shrugs. "I don't get you, dude. Why can't that be the reason?"

Frisk taps his foot and looks at the ground. His face is cool, but his voice isn't. His voice trembles like a vibrant yet flimsy leaf. "You're on a crusade, aren't you?"

Susie's smile turns upside down, and her teeth shine in the sunlight with fiery vigor. "That's B.S. I'm just trying to protect this town from him. I could easily use my axe to defend you from Kris. What about that?"

Frisk sighs and begins pacing in a circle near the tree. Susie tilts her head and places her hands on her hips. "C'mon, why are you pacing like that? It's annoying."

The ambassador bows his head, feeling a little upset. "I'm just not sure if you're telling me the full truth."

Susie grimaces. "What makes you think that?"

"Azzy has a bad temper," Frisk says quietly. Looking back at his brother, he sighs and returns to looking at Susie. "I fear you have the same personality. If you can't control your anger, I'm afraid that things will go bad with one wrong move and that one wrong move could break apart the harmony we have between humans and monsters."

His voice heightens, and he stops pacing. He turns and stares at Susie with his hands clenched at the sides of his body. "That's why I'm scared. And if you or Azzy lose control and kill Kris, it reflects badly on me, and well...seeds of distrust get sown. I can't let that happen."

Susie crosses her arms and lowers her chin. "Not gonna lie anymore...a little part of me DOES want to kill him."

Frisk's body trembles, and he looks at the ground, eyes dark. "How badly did he hurt you? Very badly, extremely badly, or even more than that?"

"He attacked me, dude...even though he and I knew that I was the only friend he had!" Susie exclaims. 

Frisk clenches his teeth, and his chest tightens. "I'm sorry that he hurt you. But please remember that you can't give in to temptation. I've gotten angry and nervous phone calls every single time I've been at the town hall, and all of them surround the attack. Don't you get my position here?"