Royal Blue

The Truth is Gonna Find You (Chapter Seven)

 "Part of me is glad about it though," Undyne sighed. She was sprawled on Alphys's bed, her feet resting parallel to the wall as she folded her arms against her signature black tank top.

"Be-Because of Papyrus?" Alphys asked, gently coercing her girlfriend into sharing her woes.

After the assembly, and Alphys's consultation with Asgore, Undyne had ended up back at Alphys's place. It had been nice to have the company; but apparently Asgore left Undyne a message saying that her group was on Evac Duty.

Undyne was, quite understandably, upset.

"Yeah. At least if Papyrus is on Civilian Protection, then he'll be safe.... But Fuck Alphy!!" Undyne exclaimed, her voice dripping in frustration.

"I'm the Captain of the Guard!!!" She exclaimed, twisting to sit up-rignt, "I need to be at the front, helping lead the troops."

"B-But isn't it also important t-that th-the infirm be pr-protected?" Alphys asked meekly. Undyne looked away with a huff.

"That's just what Pap said," Undyne complained, "and I guess I'd be more okay with it if it were just that..."

"But...?" Alphys prompted gently, scooting on her chair to more fully face her girlfriend.

"But..." Undyne swallowed, "there's this guy we're paired with. 'Zero'," Undyne rambled. A spark of recognition lit in Alphys's eyes. Hadn't that been what Asgore called the armored stranger that barged into their meeting?

"-And before you ask if that's his real name, I honestly don't fucking know." Undyne muttered indignantly.

"I met him once, and nearly maimed the bastard off instinct-"

"Y-You what?! Did-did he th-threaten you?!" Alphys stood immediately moving over to her girlfriend on the bed in a panicked shamble.

"Not... exactly." Undyne seemed almost... guilty? Alphys cocked her head. After a moment, she shimmied up onto the plush bed, knees folded beneath her as she waited for her girlfriend to continue.

Undyne's crossed arms tightened around her sternum, refusing to meet Alphys's eyes. Undyne knew she had a problem with her anger; it was one of the things that she'd been trying to work on. But even though she was trying... it felt like she was making no progress.

"He... I just-" Undyne finally met Alphys's eyes.

"I saw him in the assembly. And I know my guards - I know all my recruits, even the new ones. But I didn't recognize him at all; and is soul... Fuck Al," Undyne grimaced.

"He's definitely killed before."

Alphys said nothing.

"And after we fought... all he said to me was some cryptic shit about 'serial numbers' and 'being afraid of him' which I'm totally not!" Undyne grated her teeth, grabbing fistfuls of the blankets and gripping them tight.

"And then he just... disappeared!!"

"U-Undyne..." Alphys whispered, a hand held hesitantly out, lightly touching the other's bicep.

Slowly, ever so slowly, Undyne steadied her breathing and loosened her ferocious grip on the bedsheets.

Alphys liked to think she knew her girlfriend moderately well; and she knew very well that Undyne's main way of coping was to try and fight the problem. It was just how she was raised.

And it is incredibly difficult to separate one from their past; Alphys knew that much from experience.

But it did make solving emotional and thoughtful questions much harder. But they could work through that; nobody is perfect, after all.