Mettaton smiled at Olivia. His red colours slowly faded back to purple. "You know, people like you are what are needed to save this world!" he complemented. "Wow, having a moment of emotion there, MT?" Sans grinned. "I... er... well..." Mettaton stuttered. Lukas then realised something.

"Has anyone seen Axel?"

Axel slammed the door of the bathroom. He held his hand over his nose. She flipped her hair she flipped her frickin' hair! his thoughts exclaimed. He washed away his nosebleed. "Phew..." he sighed. That would have been extremely embarrassing. He fiddled with Papyrus' scarf. But why do I become shy when I want to tell her, yet I'm perfectly fine otherwise? he wondered in his head. His soul seemed to beat faster every time he tried to confess, but he wasn't nervous when he was only around her. Yipe. I'm in love. And not the Level Of ViolencE kind... he opened the door. Mettaton and Olivia were on stage again. MT was teaching her dance steps. "Dude! Where did ya go?" Jesse ran up to Axel. "Just... er..." he tried to think up a good excuse. Jesse sighed. "Look, just don't go off without telling us, OK? We need to stick together through it all." he went back to talk to Jodie and Petra. Axel frowned at Aiden. He had been glancing at his soul a lot. Axel wondered why.

Keep it together, Aiden...
It's nothing. Hopes and Dreams, Hopes and Dreams... he recited in his head.
Don't let her in.
Stay persevering.
She's no match for you...
Oh Notch...
Aiden winced in pain. The purple in his soul was being replaced with black. Hate. He didn't want to tell anyone in case they panicked, but ever since Maya and Gill died the corruption had been slowly growing. Like Wither Sickness. He had been told about that. A stab of hurt coursed through him and he stumbled.
Stay... persevering... he gathered all his remaining willpower.

The blackness reduced a bit.

He breathed a sigh of relief.

♡ACT

*Hope

You hold onto your hopes. Damage reduced.

*Dream

Dreams fill you up.

He was trying to fight it. But Chara was strong. Stronger than him.

Aiden... Lukas...
"Huh?" both Ocelots perked up.
Come here! We can meet you again!

Jesse noticed them both following the voice. Determination allowed him to hear as well. He watched them walk backstage.

Just come with me... and him... it's us! Your best friends!
Maya.
And we're safe. Just follow.
Gill.
Were they alive...?
"Hi?" Lukas tried.

"Aiden! Lukas!" Gill and Maya cried. They ran towards them. Aiden and Lukas cheered with joy at the sight of their alive friends. "You're alive!" Lukas whooped. But then they realised something was very wrong.

/FIGHT

9999

Lukas collapsed on the ground in front of Gill, who's eyes flashed red.

♡RESET

The New Architect got up. "Run, Aiden!" he cried. Their former friends pursued them, and Lukas noticed that they wore heart lockets and held knives. Real ones, not like his toy one. Their souls shone blood red, Determination. But Jesse's soul was ruby, not blood. This was a bad Determination. It was mixed with Hate. And how were their friends alive, anyway? Did Chara do this?!

"Everyone, Maya and Gill are back, but run!" Aiden called. Everyone saw the psychopathic Blaze Rods and began to dash away.

"So, what does it mean when two dead people start chasing you with knives?" Petra said sarcastically.
"Determination is more powerful than you think, kiddo. It's what allows you to RESET. You all have a bit of it in you, otherwise you'd be all dead ages ago." Sans said darkly.
"Is there any way to fix them?" Olivia asked.
"Nope. Only death." Jesse gave a start when he thought he saw the skeleton's eyes go black.
"Well, they must be the Maya and Gill I know behind that Determination!" Aiden skidded to a halt.

xMERCY

*Spare

Nothing happened.

Except for...

9999

*RESET

"Nope never mind!" Aiden once again made a break for it out of the theater.

"Where can we go?" Jodie looked to Sans and Mettaton.

"Which direction to Alphys's place again?" Mettaton panicked.

"We need to reach the castle then!" Sans replied.

"Duck!" Lukas cried.

"They're psychopaths, not ducks!" Jodie scowled.

"No, duck!" Lukas tackled her to the ground and everyone hit the dirt. A spear went flying and hit Gill and Maya. It stuck right through them and cracked their souls in half.

"Until next time, humans." Maya said creepily. And they both turned to dust.

Everyone looked up to see Fallen Undyne upon a huge rock, with her black armour and terrifying smirk. She had no helmet, but she looked even more intimidating without it.

"They'll come back to Queen CassieRose soon. But you... you're all mine to take down!" Undyne laughed.

"Never!" Jesse cried.

"Determination. Been a long time since I faced that." the Captain of the Royal Guard looked down on them. Suddenly instead of heroes, they felt like scared kids, defenseless.

"Of course, last time that child managed to wrap me around her little finger. But Queen CassieRose has made me see the truth." Undyne took out another long spear.

"That humans..."

"Oh no..." Axel muttered.

"Are punks that must die!" Undyne threw the spear right towards Jesse. If what happened next hadn't happened, he would have died... but this time for good.

"Face a real heroe, Undyne! What's the honour in one huge opponent against nine smaller ones?" Jodie had her gun out. She had shot the spear, driving it off-course and into a rock. Her buttercup-coloured soul was bright and pulsing.

"Dare to challenge me, little human? Just like I did with your mother, I will kill you and take your soul!" Undyne jumped down from her rock. Jodie stepped in front of the others.

The villain with a hero's mind appears.

/FIGHT

*ACT

+ITEM

xMERCY