Gaster finds a nice place to sleep but his memories of the past crop up with many doubts lingering in his mind

(Co-writer Firehedgehog)

——

Just a bit more, was Gaster's thought as he wiggled through a boarded up window. there was a small area not covered, barely big enough for his small form to slip through.

Thump

"Ow..." he said ears lowering stressed, it had been a race between a super duper crazy amount of rain and finding shelter. Of course he'd landed in this AU too late for him to leave, as he wasn't very good at opening portals more then once a day. Last few times he'd done two, he'd ended up sick for a day. Maybe there was something wrong with his magic, other's didn't seem to have portal limits once they learned how?

Maybe the reason was lost with his memories?

Enough of that, he shook himself out of his thoughts as he quickly explored the condemned building for the safest place to stay the night.

He did a quick once over of his temporary home, his ears perked up to make sure he wasn't taken by surprise or missed anything.

He had only made that mistake once with that close call being enough for him to be more wary of seemingly abandoned spaces.

Thankfully, the place was mostly clean the spot he wiggled in recent and no one else had camped here before. The place likely only boarded up recently, which meant he had the place to himself.

The carpet was still thick and plush under his shoes, not a sign of mould on the walls and truly feeling like he hit the jackpot.

He settled on the second floor for the night, choosing what was likely the master bedroom before with a rather convenient hole in the wall that could be useful if he suddenly needed a hiding place.

Being small had it benefits, it having saved him from a tough spots in the past when he was nowhere near as efficient at acquiring goods.

As it stormed outside, he purred himself to sleep.

He slept on undisturbed, his ears twitching as the weather grew worse but stayed warm and cosy under his pile of mismatched blankets acquired over time.

Nothing could go wrong right now.

------

Papyrus stared as Sans grilled the local Sans for information, a bit of sleep had helped but they were still obsessed in searching for there brother.

"Not here..." Sans finally told Papyrus turning away from his counterpart, said counterpart wisely fled.

"Well... I very doubted he'd end in Frogstale, he wasn't big on Frogs," Papyrus replied.

"You never know with his strange luck"

------

"Why is it always bugs?! These can't be natural!" Gaster grumbled as he flicked off a disgustingly large cricket off his shirt, always having terrible luck after a bout of great luck.

He felt he was the butt of some sort of joke, waking up refreshed but then walking outside to immediately slip in mud and then a nest of ants put him in a terrible mood.

At least it wasn't frogs though, shivering in disgust at the slimy things that he was convinced could stare into his soul.

They weren't natural and should have been wiped out years ago!

After a change of clothes and being much more careful leaving the abandoned house, his mood lifted at the sounds from town which were some of his favorite due to what it signaled.

Market day!

So many good and so many people he could slip between without notice, tending to eat very well on those days.

Or... Apparently not.

As those were damn huge bruisers of security guards.

He was trying to think why they were even here, not being here the last few times.

He hardly took much last time so surely he couldn't be the cause!

Sure he stole some bread, a basket of apples, a pack of sweets and those delicious buns....

His ears drooped when he realized he might have gone a bit overboard last time but he had been so hungry and everything had looked so delicious.

Those buns has been to die for, he stared at the tiny bakery he'd taken them from.

Yes, time to move on as of those those security bricks were guarding it.

It was disappointing but thankfully this AU had a few shops at the edge of it that had weak security, the pharmacy a gold mine when he realized it gave out free magic supplements.

He had given a stolen loaf of bread as thanks for such a valuable item, keeping it for an emergency as he never wanted to be low on magic again.

Once was more then enough, it a miracle he survived that miserable day what felt like years ago with it also being the day of his first successful heist since waking up in a trash can.

It truly was nostalgic thinking about it...

He climbed back into his abandoned building, he'd be leaving soon either way. The locals were noticing him now, and this place would likely tear this place down soon.

For a moment he wondered if he'd ever find a place to stay, no running, a home.

He was a thief, he'd started for survival but now it was so much more.

In the end if you ignored all that, the true thing he wanted to know was who was he?

Where was home?

It was a more common thought these days now that he didn't have to put all his energy into surviving, the thought he might have a home to go back to.

But the biggest question was would he even go back there?

It was something he didn't like to think about, his soul always feeling strange when he considered it but what he knew so far made him settle on no.

He woke up in the trash, like he was something to be disposed of and wasn't sure he wanted to know if that had been purposeful or not.

Unknown to him, his eyes were that chilling red color.

His thoughts drifted away from the topic without him noticing, soon looking over his Inventory and planning his next move, the last ten minutes seemingly gone from his mind like a puff of smoke.

"I'll be jumping soon... have to move..." he sighed.

No one would miss him, no family to look for him.

He had looked in each AU he traveled to for any signs he was missed but there was nothing, just another thing that hammered in that he could only rely on himself from now on.

Sighing, he started hiding the fact he'd stayed in this hidey hole for a few days.

------

"That flare so long, its getting stronger," Papyrus said worriedly.

"We'll find him Paps, we have too.."

"It's been so long though. What if he catches something? Could his body even handle that?" Papyrus hands clenched at his side, the usually optimistic monster starting lose hope that they would ever find Gaster let alone in a good state.

"Hopefully he found a feeder that can withstand the curse, or supplements," Sans mumbled worriedly.

"Would he even know what to look for?" Papyrus question brought back the morose atmosphere, as it did every time the question was brought up.

There was only so much they knew about the curse, both blaming themselves for how long it took to even realize something was wrong.

"No...." Sans said brokenly, Gaster hadn't even recognized him before the curse fully took him.

Papyrus immediately regretted even bringing up but it was hard to keep his sprints high with little sleep and always being on the move.

He refused to give up though, ready to search forever he needed to, refusing to let any of his family be stuck in that sort of situation alone.

They would not return home until Gaster was able to come home, and if there AU reset.. well who cared. The new Gaster would not be there Gaster, they'd just become.. yes Outcodes.

Sans had knowledge about the multiverse and Papyrus was able easily befriend monsters and humans alike, the two together a solid team for the path they had chosen to take to become Outcodes.

There brother, would be found.

~~~~~

*Many guards stationed around the market*

Gaster: *Indignant something is stopping him from acquiring goods* What could have caused this change?!

Also Gaster: *Having stolen double his body weight in food merely last week*

-

Pharmacist: *Puzzled at seeing a fresh loaf of bread on his porch* It came out of nowhere. I didn't even order anything!

Baker: *Staring suspiciously at the loaf as he lost one exactly like that an hour ago*...and you just found it, you say?

Gaster: *Whistling oblivious to the chaos he caused*

-

Gaster: *Nostalgically remembering when he had his first successful heist* That was an excellent day

Trauma: *Also nearly dying that same day* Aren't you forgetting something?!

-

Sans and Papyrus: *Determined to find Gaster and even become Outcodes* Anything for our sibling!

Many Sans and Papyrus in the multiverse at large: *Suddenly feeling rather inadequate*

-

Ringmaster: Why am I not in this plot

Circus Sans: Stop breaking 4th wall, you're not a Blue!

Wall crashes apart, Blue steps through like the koolaid guy

Blue: Did someone say 4th wall