Monster Age

by GR Griffin

  "That's right, kid," said Sam. "Takin' down the Emperor is your job."

  The sweat trickled on Fleck's forehead, especially at how forthcoming the rest were to that notion without a single one expressing distain. Them kill Emperor Zeus?

  Haze detected their reluctance. "Do you wish to return to Earth? Because that is all we've ever wanted. That is what Zeus wanted all those years back…"

  Sam looked at Fleck. "You can't back out now, kiddo. You've come too far. 'Sides, what has Zeus ever done for you? He kidnapped you, tried to kill you, put a massive price on your head and had everyone wanting your blood. Honestly, his face should be on those posters – not yours."

  Barb spoke up. "Zeus took my parents hostage to force me to capture you, Fleck. He was like my brother. Now he's a completely different person. I've never been one to take sides, but I'll stand by yours if it means getting my parents back."

  Rickard added his argument. "Zeus has gone mad with power. He doesn't care who he hurts or how he hurts them, all he's obsessed with is seeking revenge upon humanity. If he is allowed to win, then terrible things will befall mankind. He must be stopped, whatever the cost."

  "Listen, Fleck," Rita added. "Without Zeus, there would be no rebellion… because he was the one who started it. He led us during the civil war – he was our leader! We fought so hard, lost so many good people on the promise of freedom from the Outerworld, and for what? For Zeus to betray us and throw everything away just to become his father's heir, and stay all cosy and safe behind those big walls. Why'd ya think he never leaves the place?"

  Barb faced Rita. "Why did Maxi—Zeus do that?" she asked. "Was it because he still respected his father or because he saw an opportunity for greater power after Juhi died?"

  "Don't care," retorted Rita. "At least you have parents to save. I got nothin'." She looked down. "My ma and pa were taken from me in the civil war, and it's all Zeus's fault." Her husband was there to comfort her.

  One by one, the spectators pitched in, sharing what terrible deeds the young lion had influenced their lives with. Families destroyed. Homes lost. Livelihoods broken. These people were howling for the Emperor's death, and they wanted the human to be the one to do him in.

  "Come up here, Fleck," Haze called out while drumming his walking stick on the floor – softer this time. "I have something to give you."

  For a few seconds, Fleck did not move. The bunch before the platform shuffled to one side, providing a clear path to the steps. Eventually, Fleck found themself on the stage and tried not to feel overwhelmed by the dozens of eyes still on them, instead imagining themself at a pantomime as the deep, complicated role of a paper mache tree. They stopped three steps away from the podium, defiantly keeping their gaze on the koi fish monster.

  "I have heard about your bout with Zeus. Did you honestly expect to beat him with a blunt sword and a toy shield?" Professor Haze pulled from under the pedestal a wooden box no bigger than a shoebox. "I have constructed these instruments for you." He lifted the lid. Resting on a red velvet cushion was a crimson hilt with a handguard ordained into a heart, a rubber grip, and a pommel; and a handle attached to another red, metal heart bigger than the one on the hilt. "These will give you the edge needed to defeat him. Take them."

  Fleck did not see the bad side of taking them. At first glance, it appeared as a sword without its blade and a shield best suited for mice. They grabbed both handles and, immediately, a slight tingling travelled up their fingertips, nearly making them drop the objects on instinct. The miniature shield grew straps that wrapped around Fleck's forearm.

  "Analysing… Reading prints," the same automatic, emotionless voice from the bedrest spoke, now from the two handgrips. "Palm prints saved. Welcome, Fleck."

  "These are now registered to your hands only," clarified Haze as he shut the lid. "No one but you will be able to use these weapons. That sword will not break nearly as easily as that sparring sword, and comes with a selection of blade types at your disposal, giving you an advantage in almost any situation."

  On the hilt was a switch with two additional buttons on both sides. Fleck pressed it and out materialised a silver blade with a metallic swoosh and a swooning from the audience. "Default blade activated," the lady said. Fleck pressed the left button and, instantly, the blade was set ablaze to even more impressed swooning. "Fire blade activated." Fleck pressed it again and the fire froze instantly. "Cryogenic blade activated."

  "As for the shield, it's fitted with a state-of-the-art battery powered recoil system; any blow it takes will be bounced back in equal measure." The activation button had been strategically placed near the thumb. One press activated the shield, opening it up to its full size. It was the same triangular shape as the sparring shield and hued a dark red, the heart remained visible in the centre as a symbol for their Determination. "You can literally block a wrecking ball with it and not feel a thing."

  Together with their multipurpose weapon and immovable defence, Fleck was a little knight without shining armour, ready for battle. With two button presses, both weapons deactivated.

  Haze rapped his cane against the podium. "During the civil war, this was used by the rebellion as its focus point of hope. Now, after two hundred years of collecting dust, its purpose will live again. This time with your voice."

  A glimmer from over the heads drew Fleck to the front of the room. At the very back, hidden in the darkness and not noticed until now, stood two cameras; their lenses captured the rays bearing down on the raised platform.

  The sweat was dripping now. Fleck was in deep trouble.

  "Fleck, your actions helped free those trapped beneath Mount Ebott. We want you to be for us what you are for them. Will you act as the champion for the rebellion, and in doing so, commence our assault on Castle Highkeep? After Zeus is defeated, I promise to help you unlock the Obelisk's true power and return all of us to Earth."

  Will monsters die because of this? Fleck peeped as small and quiet as a mouse.

  "This is war," Haze continued. "There are always casualties in war. If a few hundred have to die to save thousands, then a few hundred have to die. Zeus's life, on the other hand, could save us many more lives. If he were to die, then his entire military, without its leader, would quickly surrender." He huffed, closing his eyes momentarily. "There is no other way around this, I'm afraid, but there are some lives that need to be taken in difficult times. I know you are reluctant to kill, but I assure you, you'll be hailed as a hero. So, how about you cast aside your doubts and give us a speech to be proud of. It will go out to every screen in the Outerworld, so make it a good one."

  Total silence followed. Fleck stood there, shaking from head to toe. All those eyes hungrily waited for their champion's response. The monsters with names looking up from the stage's edge with hopeful eyes, ready to follow Fleck into oblivion. The nameless masses behind them were just as confident in the human's resolve. Every single monster seemed so confident that Fleck would raise their sword high and bellow a roaring battle cry to storm the castle.

  Right, because this was exactly the reason why Fleck sought out Professor Haze. It was because they wished to join a group of rebels, take down the Empire, and viciously murder Lord Zeus, and totally not because they – oh, I don't know – wanted to see their family again.

  "Well…?" Professor Haze snapped, his patience being tested yet again.

  Fleck smiled and responded that they would gladly be their champion. If these fine fellows would give their champion five minutes to spruce themself up, they would present a speech that would give Abraham Lincoln a run for his money.

  Haze frowned. "You've had a bath and your clothes cleaned; you're spruced up enough."

  Yes, but Fleck needed a little makeup to look their best in front of the cameras. They needed to powder their cheeks, highlight their hair, and put mascara on their lips… or wherever mascara went.

  The professor of the rebellion grumbled a sigh. "Fortunately for you, I expected this also." He drew his finger t
o the exit beyond the rows of chairs, where they came in. "Through my lab and up the stairs, you'll find some makeup in the bathroom. I'll have Barb escort you."

  Fleck thanked them, but turned down the escort; they could handle themself.

  Haze waved them off dismissively. "Five minutes."

  With that, Fleck scampered off the stage, through the middle lane, past all the stares, and out the door on the far end, shutting it behind them.

  All that energy built up into restarting the fight against the corrupt empire was off to a great stop. Everyone returned to their seats, except Haze who leaned against the podium. For a man who waited for so long, what's a few more minutes? Turned out, they were quite excruciating. Every second of every minute ticked away slowly.

  Five minutes passed.

  Haze raised his eyebrows three times, adding three extra lenses to his glasses that he used to magnify on the door. He watched, expecting Fleck to pop out any second with whiter cheeks and refined eyelashes.

  Ten minutes passed.

  Maddened, the professor rapidly tapped his cane down on the wooden flooring as if that would make that slow human hurry up. Someone coughed.

  Fifteen minutes passed.

  He slammed his fist on the podium top. "Will someone go get them? They've had enough time to prepare!"

  Sam rose from his chair. "I will," he replied as he made his way through the centre aisle.

  The bandaged wrapped monster grabbed the handle and turned. The door budged by a single millimetre. Sam pressed harder, but it refused to budge.

  "Wait a…" Sam muttered. "The door's stuck!"

  Haze yelled, "What?" then rushed off the stage and to the door. Members of the rebellion rose from their seats, confused by this turn of events.

  He pushed Sam aside and tried the door himself. It had been sealed shut from the other side.

  "Fleck!" the professor yelled as loud as he could through aged vocal cords. "You get back here right now!" After receiving no response, he whacked his cane on the stubborn door, shrieking out loud. "Fleck!"

  Barb gently grabbed his shoulders and eased him away. "Calm down, professor," she said. "I don't think Fleck has bailed on us, I just think this door needs a little motivation. Allow me."

  She motioned for everyone to stand back and give her some room. With a clear line between the entrance and herself, Barb warmed herself up and positioned her legs to get a running start. She tensed up the muscles to put all her force into one might kick.

  When she was ready, she charged the door, pulled her knee up and…

  The door opened slowly from the other side.

  Barb eased back on to both legs. "About time," she said with a sigh. "I was just about to…"

  She stopped talking upon realising that it was not Fleck who opened the door.

  "Um, hey," Sans greeted. Papyrus and Alphys at his back were equally as perplexed as he was. "Whose birthday is it?"

  "Are we just in time for the part where we yell 'surprise'?" Papyrus asked.

  * * *

  Running. Running again. That was all Fleck could do in this situation: run. Run. Run. Run. And not look back.

  After taking a minute to wedge a chair under the door, they sprinted back through the lab and up the circular steps, ignoring the searing heat in their legs as they cleared them two at a time. Fleck reached the top level and quickly located the front door.

  They burst through and out of Haze's hideout; the entrance camouflaged itself seamlessly with the trunk upon closing. The walkway stretched both ways, surrounded by endless bark and more twisting and turning paths. Darkness spread to the Forest floor and to it heights, the canopy too far upwards to be seen, perfectly reflecting the human's current predicament.

  Fleck was lost, yet refused to stop running. They could not stay there. They just wanted to go home, not kick-start a rebellion and be the one responsible for the deaths of hundreds, maybe thousands. No way.

  They ran wherever the walkway took them. There had to be another way to get out of this place, but where? Their one and only lead was Professor Haze. All their efforts were spent on getting to this point, through broken earth and frozen landscape, but the escape they were hoping for was all a lie.

  Still, where would they go now? What would they do? Fleck heard the professor loud and clear: there was no other way to escape the protective field. The only way was through the Obelisk, and that meant going through the Monster Military and their ruler.

  No. Fleck refused to believe that. They refused to believe that war was the only answer and that violence was necessary and that death was the solution. There was always another way, another path. Time and time again, the Underground dangled the option to do harm before them, and time and time again, they refused.

  They knew what they were doing was pointless. A dead-end they had hit. Yet they refused to stop running.

  What were they going to do?

  From beyond the next turn, a low thud stopped them cold.

  Fleck stopped and listened as another thud resounded closer. Each impact shook the very timbers from which they stood, rattling wood and shaking away dust. Fleck gripped the holstered sword and shield with sweaty palms, expecting the worst as thud after thud drew closer.

  From around the next tree, a massive creature emerged. A colossus, wearing a tuxedo. Two oversized arms with clenched fists hung from his barrel-chested body, all carried by a pair of stout legs in black loafers. Each step registered on the Richter scale. Atop this hulk of skin the colour and density of rock was his disproportionate head that narrowed slightly into a cone shape, ending with a perfectly flat top that rested a red fez with no tassel. Hairless with two beady eyes. His nose was large and his mouth, which looked to eat skyscrapers on a regular basis, was more than capable of swallowing Fleck whole.

  He slowed to a stop like a locomotive before the tiny human. Without hunching or shifting his frame in any way, his two eyes rolled down onto the lone figure stood before him.

  "Ad…vis…or…" the giant groaned through viciously sharp teeth. Not only did he look like a pile of rocks, but his tone was the equivalent of grinding two pumice stones together.

  Advisor? Fleck took a step back, still caught in his shadow.

  "Brute…" a voice spoke. Not from the massive monster, but from somewhere else, somewhere hidden. "Let me get a good look at our guest."

  Fleck inhaled a sharp gasp. It couldn't be… It couldn't be… That voice. They had heard it before. That voice. They could recognise it from anywhere, put a face to it. That voice. There was a sad story attached to it. Fleck, after the gasp, could no longer breathe. They were paralysed, struck with an almighty blow. Hearing that voice turned everything they knew and everything about this world upside-down.

  The colossal monster, Brute, reached up with his giant hands. His limbs themselves groaned as they moved. "Advisor…" He plucked his hat slowly and carefully off his head, treating it with more care than his own life. "…See you now."

  With his hat a fragile thimble between the tips, he lowered it until it was before the human.

  Fleck began to shake. Their nightmare made flesh. The child prayed that it was not true, that their eyes were playing tricks on them, but they could not deny the cold fact staring them right in the face.

  It wasn't a fez in Brute's grasp, it was a flowerpot. And in that pot, Fleck discovered who the first person to be abducted was.

  "Howdy, Fleck! Long time, no see," greeted the golden flower, smiling warmly. "I'm the advisor!"

  Chapter 26: The Advisor

  The amount of shock, terror and guilt that tore through Fleck made them still, unable to think rationally. Their knees shook like weak supports ready to snap. They opened their mouth and out muttered a single word…

  Asriel!

  Flowey the Flower tutted in a disappointed fashion. "Oh, Fleck. Fleck, Fleck, Fleck," he said, shaking his petal head. "How easily you forget." In an instant, his demeanour turned upside-down. "My name is not Asriel! I told you
not to remember me as him."

  Fleck found it hard to take in. Flowey was the advisor for Emperor Zeus?

  "Took you that long to figure it out, huh? Someone ought to give you a cookie," Flowey said with a mischievous grin. "So, how have you found this new adventure? Enjoying it more than the Underground? I'd be impressed too at how far you've got without dying had I not known you were gonna make it in the first place." Flowey threw his head back in the direction of the monster in the suit. "Oh, by the way. Brute, Fleck. Fleck, Brute. Formerly a grunt, now my personal assistant – my very own helping hand. He may not be the brightest guy around, but he more than makes up his magic with some serious muscle. If you thought Undyne was strong, wait until you see this fella in action."

  Brute groaned, "Crush human?"

  Flowey dismissively waved his assistant off, smiling in a light-hearted fashion. "No, no, Brute. No crush human," he said in a slow, primitive manner. "Me talk to human. We be civil."

  Brute grumbled what could pass as an acknowledgement and shifted the delicate, orange terracotta pot onto the palm of his left hand. With the other hand relaxed by his side, the colossal monster mimicked a waiter with a silver platter. Flowey was the figurative surprise waiting beneath the dome lid.

  A massive hunch shot into the head of the confused child as everything began to uncomfortably click into place. How quickly it took Flowey to become the advisor. The regard Emperor Juhi held toward a human he had never met. The beam of light that dragged them away from Earth.

  Flowey was the one behind all of it, wasn't he?

  "That's right, Fleck. It was I who orchestrated your abduction to these lands." As the Royal Advisor said that, Brute pointed to his stem chest. "That dead emperor – weeks away from death, scared what his son would do on the throne – wanted a miracle. The things I said to him, about the Underground, and the monsters… and you, he was more than willing to hear."