Chapter 34

Sans sat at the table while Undyne finished up dinner. Since Frisk had given him his memories, he could remember everything from his point of view. Sans even remembered a little bit of what happened before he fell.

The day Frisk fell had been normal until it came to its close.

Frisk walked past all the buildings he typically did on his way to the library. The backpack on his back only sagged slightly on his back. He knew well to keep it light. Frisk walked briskly because there was somewhere he had to be.

Evening was there, and the library was going to be closing soon. It was time for him to climb through the unlocked window as he did every day and hide somewhere quiet until the janitor left so that he could spend the night.

Frisk sighed heavily, but he did not see his breath. The air was crisp and cool. Dried leaves danced around his feet from the warmly colored trees planted in the sidewalk and the trees in the park across the street. Autumn would soon advance to winter. Fortunately, though, Frisk had an old oversized coat on over his striped sweater to keep him warm in addition to an old worn black Hogan hat on his head.

His thoughts were occupied as he turned into the alley where he usually went to sneak into the ornately decorated library. Before he kept going, Frisk turned around to look at the late afternoon sun that was lighting up the sky. It filled him with determination, and he created a save file.

Frisk then turned and kept going until he found the open window that led into the library's lower floor bathroom. Just as he crouched down to open it however, a police officer approached him.

"Hey, Frisk!" one of the officers dressed in a blue-armored uniform with a dark brown moustache and a gold earring that complemented his tan complexion said. "Whatcha doin' there?"

Frisk immediately stood up and said, "Uh, nothing. I just dropped something. What's going on, Officer Daniels?"

"I'm just patrolling the area for street kids."

"Oh, really…"

"Yeah, since that one kid was found dead last week, we've really been facing pressure to get kids off the streets and into the orphanages where they'll be safe."

"Okay…"

"You haven't seen any street kids? Have you?"

"Not today," Frisk said calmly turning around so he could enter the library through the entrance. "But I'll let you know if I see any. I have to go. My parents are waiting for me inside."

The officer didn't say anything but allowed Frisk to keep walking for a second before he sighed deeply and said, "I was hoping you would tell me the truth, Frisk."

Frisk's heart was beating in his chest, but he turned around and said as calmly as he could, "Officer, what are you talking about? I don't understand."

Officer Daniels walked more quickly in Frisk's direction and said sadly, "I know you've been lying to us, Frisk. You've been lying to a bunch of people about your parents being alive. We know. We did an investigation. You've been running from social services for over two years now."

Frisk slowly backed up towards the street and said, "I don't know what you're talking about. My parents aren't dead."

"Yes, they are, Frisk. You can stop lying now. Your full name is Frisk Tobius Fox. Your parents were Franc and Necese Fox. They worked in the special magic forces to protect the city from escaping monsters. They died after fighting a noble battle. In their will, they asked for you to be put in the orphanage where they grew up, so you could be looked after by the nuns who raised them until you're adopted, or you turn 18. You went missing the night they died, and until now, no one has been able to track you…"

"No, that's not true!"

"Yes, it is, Frisk! It is time for you to stop running away. You are a hungry and homeless petty thief who's behind in school. If you keep going like this, you won't have a future. You could end up in Juvenile Detention, in prison, or dead. Is that what you want, Frisk? Is that what you think your parents want?"

"Leave me alone!"

Frisk turned around to run with angry tears streaming down his face and saw a few back-up officers standing in his way.

"We can't do that, Frisk," Officer Daniels said. "We are going to take you to the orphanage. They're good people. They'll take care of you there. I promise. I know how upset you are now, but you'll thank us later. Bad things can happen to children who are left alone. I know. My son disappeared years ago when he and his friends went exploring on Mt. Ebott. I don't want something like that to happen to you."

"I DON'T CARE!" Frisk screamed. "I'M NOT GOING! I DON'T NEED ANYONE TO TAKE CARE OF ME! I CAN TAKE CARE OF MYSELF!"

Frisk jumped on the railing following the stairs to the library and flipped over onto the stairs before the officers had time to blink. The two officers guarding the alley ran after him as quickly as they could, but Frisk quickly jumped over the other side of the railing and ran down the alley on the other side.

"Remember what his file said!" Officer Daniels yelled. "He's a determination user like his parents. You have to watch out for his magic! Use all your justice if you have to."

Despite having a backpack full of things, Frisk sprinted very quickly down the alley and down the street. He knew the streets like the back of his hand and knew where he had to go if he wanted to escape. Frisk's determination kept him going as he sprinted past people, shops, bars, and restaurants. They passed him like a blur as he kept running and he never grew tired.

Unfortunately, when Frisk looked back, the officers were all following behind him, fueled by their justice.

Frisk looked straight ahead and turned left. He ran past a group of other kids gambling with dice that he often saw.

"Hey, mute!" a red-headed teenager said. "Where's the fire?!"

Frisk climbed on a garbage can and jumped onto a fire escape.

While pulling himself up onto the ladder, he said breathlessly, "Police…are coming…They want to…remove…street kids."

"What?!" the teenager replied dropping his dice.

"Stay where you are!" Officer Daniels yelled.

The children yelled and ran down the alley in a panic.

The police started to follow them, but Frisk threw down his hat wet with alcohol he found on the fire escape in front of them, and yelled at the red head, "Feu, set this on fire!"

Feu smiled, opened his hands, and used his charisma to light the hat and the alleyway in front of the cops on fire before they had time to react.

"I owe you one, mute!" Feu yelled before running down the alleyway.

"Frisk, we won't press charges," Officer Daniels yelled. "We just want you to have a safe home."

"I told you! I don't want another home!" Frisk yelled back before angrily dropping the liquor bottle on the fire causing the flames to spread and force the police to back out the alley and call for backup.

The flames filled Frisk with determination, and he continued quickly scaling the ladder until he reached the roof. Frisk only stopped long enough to look down to see two officers dousing the fire and to see Officer Daniels climb up the ladder after him filled with justice.

Frisk looked around in panic and saw the next building over. He ran and leaped over to it just as Officer Daniels made it up. Frisk's determination allowed him to do the same thing to the next rooftop and the rooftop after that.

Just when he thought he was gaining some distance, Frisk turned around and saw Officer Daniels catching up on him.

Frisk kept going until he finally saw a building that was too far away for him to jump to. He froze while catching his breath and thinking of his next move while Officer Daniels caught up and stood behind him.

"Frisk," Officer Daniels said with surprising kindness and concern. "Running is not going to be an option forever. Eventually, you must face the facts. You're an orphaned child with no family. You can't look after yourself. You can't get a job or an apartment legally for at least 6 more years. Your only options are continuing to live on the streets and steal to survive or going somewhere where people will take care of you. I know you're a smart kid since you've been able to fly under the radar for this long. Which sounds like the better option to you, if you're being completely honest?"

Frisk looked back at him with angry tears still wetting his face. He turned around to avoid looking at him.

Officer Daniels put a hand on Frisk's shoulder and said, "I know you're upset about this, Frisk, but I also know you haven't been that happy in a long time out here either. I lost my parents too, kid. Trust me. Pushing people out doesn't help. You can't keep going it alone forever. Aren't you tired of this yet?"

Frisk shook his shoulder out of his grip and walked over until he saw the sidewalk below.

"Why can't you just leave me alone?" Frisk asked. "You wouldn't care if I was 45 or 23. It's just because I'm a kid."

"We help adults, too," Officer Daniels said.

"Yeah, the same way you help other kids, by carting them off to the asylum or a homeless shelter and forgetting about them. That's what you wanna do with me at the orphanage. You wanna put me away so I don't cause trouble and people don't have to see me anymore! If that's what you want to do with me, then I'd rather starve!"

"Frisk, you don't understand. We want to help…"

"Then piss off!"

Officer Daniels sighed, pulled out his handcuffs, and said, "Alright, Frisk, if you don't want to come quietly, I'm going to have to get rough. You are going to the orphanage whether you want to go or not."

Frisk moved backwards and said, "I'm not going, and you can't make me."

"I can, and I will, Frisk."

Frisk quickly climbed on the ledge and jumped off the building while focusing all his determination on bracing for the fall.

"FRISK!" Officer Daniels yelled as he ran over in a panic.

Frisk braced for the impact, but before he hit the ground, he felt someone catching him under his shoulders and carrying him up higher and higher.

Frisk looked over to see a preteen girl about his age with long, flowing brown hair and turquoise eyes evidently using her freedom magic to defy gravity. She was wearing a light blue shirt and dark jeans with boots. Frisk stared at her for a peculiarly long time before he said anything.

"What are you staring at, Frisk?" Varda asked playfully.

Frisk shook out of his trance and said, "Varda, what are you doing?"

"I'm saving your ass, dude. What does it look like I'm doing?"

"Well, yeah, I know but…"

"My big bro said you helped him out," Varda said with a smile. "I'm returning the favor. He overhead the cops saying you had to go to a home. So, you're an orphan?"

"Yeah."

"Why didn't you say so? My family could have made room for you. I mean, the apartment above our theater is small, but we could have managed."

"Sorry."

"It's fine. You just have to be less stubborn in the future. Okay?"

"Okay."

"Where do you wanna go? I'm gonna run out of freedom magic eventually."

"Oh, right, I have to get on a bus. I gotta get out of the city for a while."

"How long?"

"I don't know."

"Well, you have to come back and visit. Promise?"

"Uh, okay. I'll try."

"Good. Hey! I found a bus!"

Surely enough, there was a violet-colored bus heading outside the city. Varda flew Frisk down until he stood on top of the bus as it was making a stop.

"Okay," Varda said quickly digging in her jeans pocket, pulling out a slip of paper, and handing it to Frisk. "I have a phone now, so contact me at this number when you get the chance. We can be texting buddies if you ever find a phone."

Frisk shoved the number in his jeans pocket and said, "Thanks…"

Varda suddenly kissed him on the lips, and before Frisk could respond, she phased him through the roof of the bus, evidently another one of her freedom powers. Frisk landed on the floor of the bus in confusion, crawled over on a back seat, and looked back at her. Varda waved goodbye and flew away.

No one on the bus reacted to Frisk's presence, so he simply sank back in chair and looked at Varda's number. He stared at it for a minute before pushing it back into a pocket inside of his backpack for safe keeping.

Then after using some hand sanitizer, Frisk pulled out his fast-food dinner, his water bottle, and his MP3 player. He put in his worn headphones, selected a song, and started eating while watching the world go by.

Frisk listened to grunge songs that Sans had never heard while he finished his meal. After shoving the trash and his water bottle back in his backpack, he leaned against the window and watched the world roll by.

Frisk seemed to be silently contemplating as the bus made its stops, and he only perked up when the bus reached the stop for Mount Ebott.

Frisk left the bus and dumped his trash in a garbage can by the bus stop while looking at historical hiking trail maps.

He decided on a path and followed it up the side of the mountain. Frisk took in his natural surroundings while his music was ringing in his ears. There were trees, rocks, streams, and rivers all bathed in the fading sunlight. It was the most beautiful sight Sans had ever seen.

Eventually, Frisk came across wooden stairs that had been roped off that led to a small cave in the mountain. He paused his MP3 player and shoved it back into its plastic bag and into the backpack while he read the sign explaining why the area was off-limits.

Frisk hesitated for only a moment before he jumped the rope and the fence that cut off the dilapidating wooden stairs ahead of him. The stairs were creaking and broken in places, but Frisk was filled with determination and kept climbing.

In very little time, Frisk had reached his destination. He entered the cave. It was very small, but it had a huge hole within that was only blocked off with a decaying plastic fence.

Frisk slowly took off his backpack and his coat and sat down for a while just looking at the forest beyond where he had climbed. From where he was, he could see the city beyond that was just starting to turn on their night lights.

Frisk smiled while he sipped his water and looked into the cave. He marveled at the stalactites and stalagmites that covered the insides of the cave. His eyes followed the ivy plants that were growing just above the entrance and his ears listened to the silence and the birds singing in the woods.

Frisk finally got up and walked over to the old fence surrounding the hole. He leaned on the fence a bit as he could barely get his head over it to have an unobstructed view of the abyss below.

Sadly, Frisk only enjoyed the view for a moment. He heard a loud crack and the fence he was leaning on fell over causing Frisk to tumble with it into the hole.

Frisk did not scream or even cry. His fear was silenced as he was engulfed in darkness and quickly lost consciousness.