On The Case [Sans]

*'cause someone really cares about you.

Who could tell how long it was before the skeleton came to? He certainly didn't know the time, nor did he have any idea where he was. He silently had opened his eyesockets to look at the ceiling of the low-end motel. Ordinarily, he would have woken up as soon as there was movement near him but this time, he had slept right through being moved. Sans thought about sitting up, but before proceeding he noticed that his right wrist was handcuffed to the head of the bed. Several things went through his head as he thought about what the predicament might entail. The skeleton was either brought to the hotel then robbed of his ketchup packets after passing out in the park or... He looked around some more and spotted the investigator doing something on her laptop. Ah, that was it.

Sans seemed to be a victim of circumstance, and she must have thought he'd try to run. But why flee when the host accommodated him with a free bed and possibly saved him from turning to dust at the hands of that demon child? While he could easily get out of the handcuffs, having no skin or other various soft tissues getting in the way and all, he decided to play along for a bit and moved to lay on his side in the 'French girl' pose before addressing her.

* for someone so chilling i wouldn't have expected you to like a hot room.

Notes

Winter had heard him stir and ventured a gaze upward out of curiosity, though for once wished she hadn't as the young woman caught sight of how the skeleton was lounging and she was in no way prepared for what came next. There was a clear, deafening pause that passed through those few seconds, but it was clear when the words had sunk in, because her face went a few shades of scarlet in embarrassment. Much to her chagrin, she failed to hide the nervous and awkward smile that came as her hands came up in front of her in defense. "No! It's not what you think." She began adamantly, a hand rising to her face in disbelief as she tried burying the heat now spreading across her face.

"I just needed you not to disappear the moment you woke up, you know, before I could explain what happened." Winter explained, lower the laptop screen a little. "How are you feeling, by the way? You seemed pretty drained, um.... Sorry, I don't guess I ever got your name. I'm Winter, by the way." It seemed like another reminder about how little she knew about him and this whole situation. Even so, while Winter was no expert in magic, she knew passing out wasn't a good sign and it had her worried to his condition. Of course, she didn't want to scare him off this time around either, so decided to approach the situation with a little more caution this time around rather than merely demanding answers.

*'cause someone really cares about you.

Sans couldn't' help but give laugh a bit at her embarrassment as she tried to hide her quickly reddening face. He flopped back onto his back, discreetly slipping his hand out of the handcuff and stuffing it into his jacket pocket as he listened to the woman while watching her close her computer. The investigator wanted him to stay put until she could explain. Explain what? Was she actually concerned or was she asking for the sake of her job? He supposed it didn't matter, but he decided to skip answering that one anyway. The truth was he was still tired, but that wasn't anything new.

* i suppose i could stick around and listen to your explanation. i'm sans. should i just call you detective?

He tried not to sound tired, but there was still a hint of it behind the words. The skeleton's attention slowly turned toward the ceiling as he wondered what became of Chara. Last he knew they were pretending to cry as they easily manipulated that shadow hybrid. As soon as he had his stamina back, he would have to hunt the little demon down and try to finish the job. He would have had them if they hadn't tripped.

Notes

She blinked hesitantly as he shook off the handcuffs and made himself more comfortable. Guess it shouldn't have come as a shock considering they were designed to hold humans and not monsters. "I'm afraid there's no need for formalities. Besides, I'm only a private detective, though I have done some consulting work with local law enforcement, I'm not actually a police officer. Although, that common mistake may prove to our advantage as I tend to specialize in finding people." Winter clarified with a subtle and slightly proud smirk, not without her tricks.

"Are you sure that your alright? I know that I didn't grow up underground, but passing out means you pushed yourself to extreme circumstances. If you'd been alone..." She allowed her words to taper off, maybe because it didn't need to be said. If she hadn't decided to retreat when they did, he might not be here having this conversation. Even so, her tone rang with concern as a storm of emotions flashed across her face, uncertain how to approach what was about to be said.

"I suppose I owe you an apology. What you said before, about the kid being a manipulator, might not be wrong. I was blinded by my emotions and as a result, I was played for a fool. I should know better than anyone what humanity is capable of, I just didn't want to believe it. However, I know a way to fix my mistake, if you'd be willing to help me stop them, I mean." Winter explained seriously, hesitant to see how he would respond and praying he didn't run at the first mention of the brat. It was risky, but at this point, Winter didn't know what kind of enemy she was dealing with, so an ally like Sans wasn't the worst option available.

*'cause someone really cares about you.

He was pulled from his thoughts when she mentioned that there was no need to be formal but then proceeded not to give her name. Well, he'd just call her 'lady' until she decided to tell him. Maybe she just forgot in her jumble of words as she explained that she wasn't a cop. He figured that when she mentioned it in the park but the child and other guy didn't seem to catch that part. She still had a license which made her a detective by title even if she did not work for the government. He waved off her comment about resting, while it sounded like a good idea to just lay there and do nothing there were other things to do. Plus he could always take naps later. She followed up with an apology for distrusting him, but he didn't expect those on the surface to know any different.

* don't sweat it. the kid has had more than their share of monsters tricked before so this is nothing new.

The skeleton remained laying down as he decided on what he should tell her about the kid. If she was truly willing to help out he might be able to try to explain the RESETs to her but being from the surface he doubted she'd be able to understand without thinking he was mental. So he decided to start with the basics and try not to get too deep with space-time distortions and other physics theories.

* i suppose 'ya want to know about the kid, their name is chara. the king and queen of the monsters adopted them after they fell into the underground while we were all still trapped down there.

Notes

Despite Sans reassurance that the mistake was more common and that he held no grudge, Winter still couldn't quite shake her own irritation at herself for being conned by a child. If there was one thing that the detective couldn't stand, it was the thought of being manipulated like someones puppet and to be forced into a strategic retreat was even more humiliating. The brat had wounded her pride and in doing so had awoken a side to the detective that now burned in these dire circumstances. No matter what happen now, Winter was determined to beat Chara at their own game. This time, she would find out the truth and stop them if they tried to hurt others.

Her blue eyes remained focused on Sans as he lay on the bed, a bit surprised that gave in and began to open up about Chara. However, to her utter disbelief, this was no ordinary brat. The news that they had been adopted by the monster royal family came as a shock and her brow immediately lifted in concern. "Wait, the monster royal family saved them and took them in? Then why would they want to kill monsters?" She questioned in surprised, leaning forward a bit in interest as she tucked her feet beneath her to sit with her legs beneath her on the couch. Her curiosity went beyond mere details of the story though, as there was a part of Winter that wanted to understand why the kid was doing this. Even the most insane criminal normally had their reasons, no matter how twisted and warped that they may have appeared to the average person and if Winter could understand those reasons, it could make dealing with Chara much easier.

Winter must have realized she'd overstepped by interrupting though, as her expression quickly faltered and she visibly waved the matter away. She had so many questions, but didn't want to come off as to forward again, out of fear that Sans might clam up. "Sorry, please continue." Winter spoke, leaning forward once more to show that Sans had her undivided attention to continue his story. Growing up on the surface, Winter knew very little of the underground and it's history before monsters had emerged barely a decade prior, so first hand sources about such events were absolutely invaluable.

*'cause someone really cares about you.

Sans had paused for a second to debate what to tell her next when she spoke up and asked about why after being taken in the kid would kill monsters. He would get to that part, but he still tried to figure out how to word the fact that the child died then came back. Not many people would believe that. The P.I. hastily backpedaled and apologized, encouraging him to tell her more. He decided to skimp on most of the details of what went down and conveniently leave out the part of the kid dying.

* the kid doesn't just want to kill monsters, they want everything dead. Robots, monsters, humans, you name it they hate it. Their first victim was prince asriel, but it seemed like that was an unfortunate accident. after that, they just went on a rampage and started killing monsters. eventually, they were stopped and we all thought they were long dead. seems like we were the ones who were gravely mistaken.

The skeleton hesitated then. He didn't want to drag his brother into the situation so mentioning him was out of the question. Many of the people Chara had killed were now walking around on the surface so he couldn't mention any of them. Deciding to leave it off there and not go into any more detail he glanced at the detective who was leaning forward in her seat as if what he had to say was super interesting.

Notes

Sans continued the story, but it was clear from Winter's expression that the wheels in her head were already turning. "I see." Was the only remark she gave immediately, raising a hand to her chin as the details replayed in her mind. As much as she wanted to hold out hope that the kid could change, that there was something redeemable in them, her experience with criminals seemed to snuff out that naive hope. The kid had been damaged by the accident of loosing their sibling, but they had been lying and murdering for years now, so it was unlikely that anyone would be able to drag out their empathy without ending up as a pile of dust.

"Don't worry. We'll stop them before they can do any harm." She reassured with a sigh, seeming content to piece together why Sans had been so adamant in killing the kid in the first place. "But we have to be smart about this. We can't allow Chara to set the terms of the battle like she did in the park. If we have to fight them, it should be on our terms. No more going off half-cocked, okay? We got lucky that the people you ran into were monsters and not other humans, or this could have easily become another scandal and fueled hatred between the two species, a trick right up the brat's alley since they wouldn't have to dirty their own hands." Winter reminded seriously, hopping up from her seat to pace across the room in a manner that seemed to echo she was still thinking.

"No, rest assured, Chara isn't going anywhere. She's attached herself to someone for the time being, so her movements will be limited. All we have to do is be patient. If what you said is true, then it's only a matter of time before they show their true colors and when that happens, we'll stop them in a manner that doesn't leave the press breathing down our neck. Fortunately, Chara isn't the only one with a few tricks up their sleeve, or should I say in their phone." She explained with a subtle smirk over the ploy, which Winter had to admit she was rather proud of herself for.

"They don't realize it yet, but the phone I gave them contains a GPS tracking device and recording software. The kids doesn't sneeze without me knowing it. If they try to bolt, they won't make it around the block before I know what direction they're going and how fast." Winter added confidently, removing the earpiece from her ear to demonstrate what she was talking about. The strategy was one that she had come up with on the fly, a last ditch effort to keep up with the pair after witnessing the young man's abilities and guessing how hard it would be to track them without something else to go by. However, in this city, the pair would learn that Winter had eyes and ears everywhere, and why you didn't cross a Private Investigator.

*'cause someone really cares about you.

Winter listened quietly to what he had to say until he finished when after she assured him that Chara would be caught. Sans didn't doubt that the demon would get what they deserved but how many would have to die by their hands before that happened? There were no more RESETs, which meant anyone who died would stay dead. Sitting up, he continued to listen to what she had to say while laying his elbow on his femur and resting his head on his hand. She seemed excited to get to tracking and was boasting about her superior tracking skills via a bugged phone.

* she'll probably wise up to it if you show up where they are.

He suggested passively to her plan as he watched her remove her earbuds. She was awfully confident in her strategy and while he didn't doubt it would work on others, this one was different. He wasn't sure if Chara was completely supernatural at this point or if she was actual flesh. Though, the kid just showed up now; there was a chance that they didn't know about the updated tech from the stuff in the landfill back at Waterfall.

* do you have a backup plan in that head of yours for when the kid ditches that guy?

Notes

There was no denying that Winter could be a little overconfident in her skills, but regardless of who or what the child was, they would be poorly outmatched against the tide of modern technology. This wasn't the first criminal that Winter had tracked down over the years and doubtless, it would be the last, so she was more than prepared for a certain level of skepticism on the skeleton's part. "No worries. That's why we hang back. Timing is crucial, we mustn't show our cards until the moment is right and we spring the trap. With any luck, the brat won't know what hit them." She explained with a smile, returning the earpiece and turning to face Sans, who was now sitting up on the bed and reminding Winter of just how fascinating he was anatomically speaking.

"Indeed, I considered such an option while you were sleeping, it's referred to as facial recognition software. Unknown to most, this city is covered in cameras, most of which rely on wireless technology and can be accessed easily by your average hacker. By combining what we already know of the child's location, we can center our search to alert us should anyone with such an appearance wander past them and follow their movements." Winter continued, though the technology wasn't new and had been in use by modern law enforcement some time now. However, considering most of the general population remained naive to big brother, it was unlikely that the child would realize their mistake either.

Taking a seat on the end of the bed, her smile softened a bit. "Don't worry. I do this for a living. I may have underestimated the kid once, but it won't happen again. It's not entirely legal, but this doesn't seem like an issue we can just take to court, so I'm pulling out all the stops. However, if I were to gamble, I don't think that the kid willing be leaving Slim Shady's side anytime soon. Kid's clever and it's extremely difficult for a child to survive long in an unknown city without someone helping them. As long as he's useful, a shield plays to their advantage." She reassured seriously, but she'd had a lot of time to think about this while Sans had been sleeping.

"I'm more worried about convincing him of their con game. Considering he doesn't trust law enforcement, that could be a problem, but if I could talk to him alone, perhaps I could change his mind. The last thing we need against an enemy is to divide our forces, so he'll need to be handled before the initial confrontation. If we give Chara some room though, they'll get comfortable and drop their guard, when that happens they'll slip up and we can turn the tables on them before they can hurt anyone else." Winter explained with a look that seemed to indicate she had already played over the scenarios in her head and this was no mere hunt against a child. Aware of what they were capable of, it was now a chess game, where the goal was to stay ahead of her opponent's next move.

*'cause someone really cares about you.

The skeleton was a bit surprised at how much she could talk. She could probably rival Papyrus with how many words could come out of her mouth. But unlike his cool-guy brother, she actually had sense. He knew well what facial recognition software was; he happened to have seen a lot of crime-solving television shows. But those are just television dramas and only hold a fraction of reality. They were fun to watch regardless of accuracy. That was off topic. Sans watched as she moved o the end of the bed while she spoke of getting the first strike on Chara. Suggesting having a sit down with the kid's newest puppet was a bit of a stretch for Sans. After just a few words they had the guy believing their lies. He remained leaned on his hand as he made another comment about her plan.

* i doubt the kid will let down their guard as long as they know someone is after them or until i'm dead. and about that shady guy, the chances are slim that he'd listen to you thinkin' you're a cop and all. you might have to get a stand in or mediator for him to talk to.

The whole situation was trying on him as he had genuinely thought that he had a happy ending, but the murders with gold flowers at the site of death had shaken that ending. Now Chara was back leaving him with extreme doubts if there was such a thing.

Notes

It was obvious that Winter was a bit of a bookworm from her behavior, capable of talking a great deal when it came to cases or situations that pertained her work. Of course, somewhere in the back of her mind, she was already aware that the situation and chances for success weren't good. The clashes between humans and monsters never ended well for the latter of the two, and by all accounts, she was treading into waters that were legally questionable at best. However, she couldn't afford to think about that right now. If they lost hope, the battle would be over before it even started and other people would be hurt in the process. Winter could live with being a lot of things, but she couldn't accept that, not without a fight.

While she tried to focus on his point, his pun managed to earn a snort in amusement as Winter did her best not to laugh at how bad it was. "That's... certainly a possibility. Sadly, I don't have many connections outside of work or anyone that could do me such a dangerous favor." Winter admitted hesitantly, reaching up to run a hand over the back of her neck as Sans joined her on the end of the bed. "Even so, it's better than you running off and doing this alone. They could have killed you and there would have been no one that knew the truth or that could have stopped them until it was already too late." She added seriously, the concern and stubbornness ringing clear in her tone as her fingers coiled around the hem of her shorts and her eyes remained on her feet.

"If your willing to put your life on the line, then I'm guessing that means you have someone you want to protect? For their sake, I'm afraid your stuck with me. So, we can't afford to be reckless, understand? To much is riding on how we deal with the situation... and if there's one thing kids are known for, it's getting to big for their britches." Winter reassured him with a small smile that almost seemed to be asking him to trust her on this one. In truth, there was no way to guess how the child would respond, but it was still better than pretending none of this had happened and that it was none of her business, not when innocent lives were on the line - Sans included. Besides, this wasn't the kind of weight that one person should have to shoulder alone, so she'd help him with every resource she had available to her as a detective.

*'cause someone really cares about you.

While Winter responded to his statement on Slim Shady, after stifling a laugh at his horrible pun, Sans quietly moved to join her at the edge of the bed. He sat cross-legged while leaning forward a bit, shoulders hunched as she practically begged him not to take on Chara alone again. What hit home for him was when she mentioned that he must be protecting someone. Naturally, the first person to come to mind was a cool guy who was part time goof. Sans’s eyes went blank as he looked at the carpet. Pap wouldn’t last without him if he got killed or sent to prison but if he didn’t go after the demon worse consequences would arise. He wanted to protect more than just his brother but how could he get rid of the threat with Chara now using semi-human shields and crocodile tears?

* ok.

That was his simple response to her request of not going after Chara until they were sure that they had the advantage and were sure that they could take the kid down. Though the skeleton figured she meant subduing them compared to his just straight up killing the kid. Would they even stay dead once it was done? They came back twice now that is there stopping them coming back a third time? So many questions that would probably never be answered. He changed his tone to try to lighten the mood despite his inner turmoil at the situation.

* while we wait, how about we go get somethin’ to eat? if we are where i think we are then there should be a shaved ice stand near by. that’s probably right up your alley.

He figured they might as well get to know each other a little better over some food and maybe a few pranks along the way.

Notes