#lab arc

Vedran was checking on the small crack from Gaster being knocked over. He leans in to get a closer look at it. “Is it getting any bigger? Any noticeable chipping?” Gaster shakes his head no. “Lets just hope it doesn’t get any bigger. It may affect your vision in the eye it’s above.” Vedran leans back from checking, relaxing a bit. He normally did this for Gaster’s health, not wanting it to be any worse.

It has been a while. The human leader before died and had lost most of his determination he had due to depression that had caused him to give up on a lot, and his son became his replacement. They have a different political system than monsters. It’s based mostly on soul type. For reasons, the person with the most determination is leader. If it lowers during your reign, you will be replaced until it goes back up enough.

With the new leader came… Issues at the lab, mainly for Gaster. Things got rougher for him. Everything seemed to get worse, making the perseverance in his soul grow though. He held on as best as he could, even through the pain.

Vedran had offered pain pills before to Gaster, but he would always rejected them, saying he’ll be fine. Now, though, he will ask for them a lot. It helped after experiments, so Vedran always made sure to bring some now. Gaster was extremely grateful, not realizing until the first time how useful they were. He always thanked him each time he gave him them. After taking them, he’ll lay down to rest a bit. Vedran would watch and make sure to wake him up before he got in trouble if he did fall asleep.

The new leader’s first experiment for Gaster that he decided was a handplate, forced to be drilled into Gaster’s left hand. Vedran is still mad about it, saying it was not supposed to happen and was never discussed at a meeting, but Gaster would just stare at and read it, not to bothered to be mad besides when it was drilled. ’S-0, AWD’ was carved into the iron. He didn’t know what it meant, besides the top words being Subject-0. The bottom initials, he guessed, didn’t make too much sense.

The “memory issues” also noticeably kicked up with the new leader too. Gaster hated it. He would remember something happening, but Vedran wouldn’t. The day wouldn’t have changed either. Sometimes it’s midday when it happens. He dealt with it for almost a year now, and it had no pattern or warning.

With wanting to figure out what is happening, he started to sneak around, looking for answers somewhere in the lab. He knew he could get in serious trouble, but it’s not like anything could get any worse, right? It was his only hope to solve the mystery of what happened. He wanted to know, no, he needed to know. At least, it felt like it for him.

Vedran had left just a bit ago after checking up on him, so Gaster was now sneaking around using teleportation and taking careful steps, making sure to be careful around each corner. If even Vedran found him he would scold him and tell him to go back, so this was a secret to keep to himself for once, and why he waited for him to leave. It wasn’t long before he came across a few scientists, two specifically talking to each other. He listened from around a corner, back to the wall.

“A lot of lives are going to be saved with the new leader, more than the last!” One says. Both of them are smiling, without a care it seems as their conversation continues.

“You mean with the resets being for almost everyone? Unlike in March when the leader’s close friend died?” The other asks, making Gaster’s eye lights widen in shock. Resets…?

“Yeah! Sure, we will have to repeat days a lot more, but humans can just remember and repeat. Not too big of a deal. Monsters won’t remember, but they’ll just continue normally anyways.” The one agrees, and it starts to click for Gaster. The humans were behind this. The leader has caused the day to restart. He somehow remembers… It clicked again. I’m half monster and half human.

“W-what-” Gaster breathes out in shock by accident, making them turn their heads his way. He freezes in fear when he realizes, only to be grabbed by the arm and dragged out suddenly.

“How much did you hear?!” One barks at him, staring him dead in the face. His face was an angry scowl versus Gaster’s scared one.

“I-I o-only just got here!” He lies in a panic, trying to get the scientist to let go. The scientist just gripped harder and the other walked up to them from the side.

“How are you out of your room?! You shouldn’t be able to get out without help!” He grabbed him by his shirt and a bit of his scarf, forcing Gaster to be lifted up a bit where he has to be on the tip of his toes to touch the ground, not even letting go of his arm.

“I-i- don’t know-!” They slammed him against the wall, growling. He grunted, sure he heard something crack.

“We are taking you back to your room, and you will not leave again unless told to, got it?!” The one yells at him, making him tear up as he nods. He got his information… but was it really worth it?

Their grip loosened, but they threw him forward, causing him to fall on the floor, unable to get a good grip and stand before it happened. He picked himself up a bit, noticing the red crowding the top of his vision. He put a hand to his eye, feeling the crack above it. The crack had climbed up his skull higher. No- He felt a bit of panic surge through him, as he put his hand down to see red on it. He whimpered and fully stood up, beginning to walk back to the cell.

The scientist followed behind, confused on how they had to unlock the cell and put him in, even though he got out. They shrugged it off, walking away, only to come back a bit later with a first aid kit. “Clean yourself up.” One of them says, tossing it over to Gaster, who catches it.

He’s shocked at first, but appreciates it. “U-um t-thank you…” he says, looking down and opening it. Vedran had taught him how to use one just in case, luckily.

“Tsk.” The one makes an annoyed grin before walking off with the other directly behind, who also looked a bit annoyed. Gaster ignores it and sits down. He begins to use the stuff on himself, being careful with the now bigger crack.

It wasn’t long before Vedran came along, seeing into the cell and noticing. He opens the cell, face showing anger, worry, and a bit of panic. “What happened?!” He walks over, kneels down in front of Gaster, begins to use the first aid kit on him as well.

“I got knocked over again…” Vedran sighs at his answer, a bit confused by it too.

“Did they come to you looking angry? I only left for a little while…” They couldn’t have done an experiment. Vedran knew that well since they took a while to do in the first place.

“N-no…” Gaster was hesitant to say the rest. He didn’t want Vedran mad at him.

“Then why? There is some reason this happened.” Vedran wiped the blood away as best he could, disinfecting as well before beginning to wrap the crack up. Gaster winced as the disinfectant stung.

“I-” Should he say? Vedran won’t be too mad… would he…? “I got out of the cell on purpose to search the lab for answers…” He mumbled, starting to tear up with regret. Vedran paused what he was doing for a moment, causing Gaster to have a slight panic.

“Wingdin, did you teleport around the lab when I told you it wasn’t wise…?” Vedran asks slowly. Gaster took a minute to answer.

“Y-yes…” He finally stated. His voice sounded choked up as he tried not to cry. It wasn’t worth it anymore. He shouldn’t have done it. “I’m s-sorry…” He grabbed his scarf with both his hands and used it to bury his face out of shame and regret. “I-I’m so sorry…” Vedran continued what he was doing again. “I just wanted to see what was going on with the time stuff!” Vedran sighed.

“Wingdin, I told you not to worry about that.” Vedran finally replied. Gaster was shaking by now, out of fear mostly.

Gaster quickly lowers his scarf a bit from his face, still held up by his hands. “But Vedr-!” He cut Gaster off, to his surprise.

“Wingdin Gaster!” Vedran called his full name, making him shrink back and shut up. He dropped his scarf to hang loosely around his neck, looking down at it. Vedran took a deep breath before saying anything more. “Look, I’ve been trying to figure it out as well. Whether it be something to do with your species or a flaw in your revival, I have no clue what is making you have things like this happen to you.”

“I know why…” Gaster mumbled out, staring down at his scarf. He played with the scarf, using it as a fidget tool for his hands. Vedran stared at him wide eyed, a bit too shocked to speak. “That’s why they threw me to the ground. I found out their power as humans.” He finally looks up, staring directly at Vedran. “They are resetting the days.” Vedran had to take a minute to recollect himself, stopping what he was doing.

“What do yo- how??” He was confused, but Gaster seemed to understand it better than the person who teaches him things, having experienced it himself.

“Monsters can’t remember the resetted days apparently. I don’t know why… but it may be because they have weaker souls like you told me.” He put a hand to his chest, directly in the location of where his abnormal soul rest in his ribcage, and closed his eyes. “I may have been titled as a ‘monster’ to many, but that’s not fully me. I’m half and half.”

Vedran didn’t need to think on this. He knew he was right, as much as it doesn’t seem as obvious as it probably should. He still had some human qualities, not many, but some. Slightly slow healing for when he had lower levels of magic… The purple colored glow around his soul… His soul is theorized to last a while after death… Also being able to remember resets, apparently.

“That may be so… And sheds new light on what humans are capable of…” Vedran says and Gaster opens his eyes back up, putting his hand down.

“Do you not know they can do that? I expected you did… they just didn’t want me to know. Then again your reactions make sense…” He looks down at his hands, now in his lap. “So they don’t tell the monsters…?”

Vedran sighs. “Apparently not, and I would probably end up in a situation worse than you if they know that I know…” He glances to the side. “Way worse…”

Gaster looks back up at Vedran, who looks back at Gaster. “So we tell no one and let know one know! I don’t want you hurt over my stupid choices.” Gaster explains. “They know I know, but they shouldn’t know I told you. Let them punish me for it, not you.”

Vedran gives a sympathetic look, not really wanting what is going to probably happen to Gaster just for this. “Fine. I’ll try my best to help you out. I'm… not sure what I can do, though, until it happens…”

Gaster gives a smile. “It’s fine! I can deal even if it gets worse! I’ve dealt for a four years and almost 5 now! And as you said, I’m a soul of perseverance, no?” Vedran couldn’t help but smile back.

“Right.” He agrees, letting out a sigh. Inside, he was still a bit panicky, but he hid it from Gaster, not wanting him to worry either, so he just continued helping Gaster’s crack, using healing magic a bit on it.

This power of humans scared Vedran of them more now. He always had a fear of them, and it didn’t help some brat kid decided to throw rocks at him and end up leaving a small scar above his left eye. Some kid with black hair got the other to stop, but they ended up arguing. That was… Six years ago? The kids seemed like middle schoolers too.

Vedran finally finished, looking at it a bit to make sure it was done properly, and then starts to put the kit away. Gaster takes some wipes quickly from it first, wiping the blood off his hand from earlier. Made him notice his hands were a bit scratched, but it would heal. Vedran puts the kit away, taking the wipes to throw away later when he got the chance. For now, he set them on top of the kit.

“How about we get you learning more things? We still have a few things you haven’t learned yet.” Vedran offers, hoping to lighten the mood, and it worked. Gaster perked up.

“Sure!” He exclaimed and Vedran got a 11th grade science book. Back to this normal schedule of Vedran teaching him. It was nice…

But what happened later, was something Gaster never expected…

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Vedran was leading Gaster somewhere. He didn’t explain much besides that it was important and would help Gaster in his situation. It’s been quite a lot of days since the incident, Gaster now being sixteen.

Vedran was pulling him along by the hand as they started hearing voices. Vedran seemed to ignore it, but it peaked Gaster’s interest. He looks around for them, passing a hallway to another open room. Gaster lets go of Vedran and backs up a bit, stopping to peek into the room from the corner after passing by. Vedran stops and looks back at him, a bit confused of his actions.

Gaster sees people he’s never seen before and the scientists of the lab, all talking at each other at a table. He saw new three people to his surprise. A huge goat monster, and two look almost alike humans, one looking younger than the other. He could kind of make out the voices.

“How is he coming along?” The goat monster asks. Everyone shuffles around to sit down, just having started. Everyone seemed… Friendly acting?

“Subject-0 is coming along very well. We had some… Mishaps since the last meeting, but it is getting fixed, no worries.” The main scientist from said “mishap”. A few others nod, the one younger human he’s never seen having a sly grin.

“I thought his name was Aster and we agreed to call him that?” The goat monster replies. With the way he asks the question and the way the humans at the table react, it seems to be an ongoing problem.

“We told you, that’s how he is being documented for the past three years.” One of the scientist say, letting out a sigh. The conversation continues with more bickering over names and questions before even starting properly.

One thing that gets Gaster’s attention is not only the name Aster, but the fact that the teen human, around his age most likely, shot a glare his way. He saw him, and just as he did, Vedran pulled Gaster away all of a sudden when he realized what was going on, scaring Gaster quite a bit from the sudden action.

“Did any of them see you?” Vedran asks, taking him by the hand again, pulling him to walk forward and continue on.

“I- don’t think so….” Gaster says, looking back at the entrance to the open room. The other teen had scared him a bit, as much as he didn’t show it.

“Good. The leaders can’t see you. We don’t want them getting attached for several reasons. We aren’t even allowed to talk of you outside the lab.” Vedran says, and Gaster looks forward again. Can’t get attached… Huh… He guessed them being high power and attached would be bad. He thought for a minute, before a questionable thought occurred to him.

“Are they any different outside of the lab?” He’s never been allowed outside, so he doesn’t even know normal life outside. He was always curious, and Vedran always explained things. He promised he would show Gaster outside if he becomes free from the lab.

“Way different honestly!” Vedran answers, sort of raising his voice, not enough to be heard by others at the meeting, where everyone had gathered. “One is even a mother! They are nicer in different situations. Some brat made them act this way, even not being a leader of this project. They said they would care, from the beginning but… He forced them to detach and stuck fears in their head, only half of them the truth. The true ones are worthless if they actually bonded with you like me. I’m sorry I couldn’t do anything.” Vedran rants on, while Gaster wonders on a bit more of the new information as they continue walking, the only noise being their footsteps.

When they got to the room they were heading to, Gaster instantly recognized it as the magic attempts room. The bones from before were still there, untouched. Gaster went to turn around and run, but Vedran stopped him by wrapping an arm around him.

“Woah, woah, woah! We aren’t leaving just yet!” Gaster hesitated to turn back around to look at Vedran. “I’m not here to hurt you. Doing this will help you for the better. You trust me, right? I’m doing this to help.” Gaster finally turned around and nodded, still a bit unsure of the room itself, but not really of Vedran. He had a lot of trust in him. It’s not like he’s going to turn on him, right…?

Vedran let out an exhausted sigh before continuing. “I’m going to see what I can do to teach you magic, so you have a better control on it.” Gaster thought for a moment before nodding again. He would be better off, wouldn’t he?

“I don’t know myself what your particular species can do, but I do know how to channel magic and cast it at least. We will see what you can do as we go.” Vedran says and begins to guide him to the empty side of the room. He guided Gaster to hold out his arm in front of him, facing a wall. “Now, doing this helps your accuracy, but you don’t always need to do this. Concentrating on your soul and the magic within is enough to cast magic itself. For attacks and defense, you want to be accurate. Passive magic usually doesn’t matter on this too much depending.” After the explanation, Gaster nods, absorbing and trying to figure out how the laws of magic even work, but a thought occurred to him.

“When I got angry last time, I didn’t even try, but how did I cast magic…?” He says and looks up at Vedran with a confused look.

“That was because you were angry and had no idea how to control your magic. After learning, you will have no worries with that anymore.” Vedran explains and Gaster makes a face of realization, nodding. “Now, try concentrating on the magic you have in your soul, not casting magic itself. Manipulate that magic to cast something.”

Gaster followed the directions, taking a deep breath and closing his eyes. After a minute or two, he succeeds, somewhat. A few bones come out of the wall suddenly, surprising him as he opens his eyes, but looks up at Vedran and smiles. Vedran gives a approved smile back. “Nice job! You’ll get the hang of it and get better. If you train enough each day, you’ll get stronger and more use to it.” Gaster nods and tries again, being successful, making a few more bones this time.

“Be careful now, use to much and you’ll tire yourself too much. Especially for a skeleton, you need to keep some magic at least.” Vedran explains. Gaster looks up at him curiously, finally starting to speak since the hallways.

“How do I get more magic to start off with? Can I start with more, or will I always be at a certain limit?” Gaster asks, putting his arm down and turning to Vedran.

“There is a way, but it’s a bit tiring and requires lots of magic training to get there.” Vedran begins to explain, Gaster nods, listening curiously. “Getting close to no magic frightens the soul in a way, so if you regularly use close to the limit, it will try to make more so you have less of a chance to run out. Keep doing this, even with a higher amount each time, and it will raise your limit slowly.”

“How does it make magic…? Does it just happen? A natural thing the soul does?” Gaster asks, tilting his head in both curiosity and confusion.

“We sadly aren’t too sure on that ourselves. We monsters and some wizards somewhat understand how magic even works in the first place. We are still trying to get a complete grasp on all its laws, principles and properties.” Vedran explains as best as he can. Sure they knew a lot on magic, but magic wasn’t that easy to study in general. “That doesn’t mean we can’t use magic though. We still have an understanding, like how to manipulate it, cast spells, where it is stored within us, and how to expand and be able to use more at a time for all different purposes.”

“Do you have a theory of how we get magic?”

“I do, and it’s one of the more popular ones out there, just maybe altered a bit.” Vedran explains, looking up and tilting his head like he’s trying to think and figure something out. He looks back down at Gaster. “The soul doesn’t create the magic, but absorbs it from the air around, which holds magic energy floating around. Uncontrolled and uncontained. When a spell is cast and disperses, the magic flows out and stays in the air, not actually vanishing. It’s a renewable resource in that sense.”

“Oh!” Gaster says, perking up a bit in interest, acting like an idea just struck him. “That’s really cool! It’s the most agreed one…?” Vedran nods. “Huh…” He stood in thought for a minute.

“Let’s practice a bit more before heading back. We have to at least make it before the meeting ends.” Vedran says and Gaster nods in reply. He helped Gaster control it a bit better, so his outburst didn’t harm anyone with his accidental magic. With control, maybe they won’t be so forceful.

On the way back, Gaster spoke up to ask something of Vedran, but his voice wasn’t very loud. “Wouldn’t they know we’ve been training…? They figured out you teaching me magic before and-” Vedran stopped Gaster there, turning to him and halting the walk back, surprising Gaster. Vedran knew what he was going to say. He took one look up at a hallway camera before looking back down at Gaster.

“Wingdin, not here. It’s not safe.” Vedran says, his voice low. “Back at the cell.” Gaster keeps quiet, a bit frightened, and nods. They continue walking in silence until they got back to the cell. Vedran would glance at each new camera he saw as he passed them.

When they got back to the cell, they sat down next to each other and Gaster asked his question again, but did it quietly as Vedran warned him to. “Wouldn’t they know you’re training me…?” He asks, concern in his voice for the old scientist. Vedran shook his head.

“They don’t dare go in that room anymore. That is why I chose it. The magic scares them.” He explains as quiet as a whisper. “The cameras around is why we have to be quiet too. The one room had one, but is disabled from the room being unused now, luckily…” Gaster nods. After a while, Vedran begins to teach him more facts from books before Gaster has to sleep for the night.

Vedran trained him whenever they could. This lasted weeks and days, teaching something new each time. One the days though… something was… off for Gaster. They followed a very similar system, sure, but Vedran usually teaches something new when Gaster mastered the last. He had mastered the bone attack, so they moved on to see what else he can do. That day, they found out a lot, but… the next he asked for him to do the same thing.

“We already did that! Remember…?” He gave a confused look to Vedran, which Vedran did the same. Gaster’s tall figure almost the same height as Vedran now. He wasn’t really a small skeleton anymore. He’s been growing over the years since his revival.

“No we didn’t I don’t-” Vedran honestly didn’t remember. Surely he would remember if he told him…?

“Yes you did! You told me to try doing all kinds of magic possibilities, anything I can think of, and even gave a few ideas.” Gaster says in response, cutting him off and trying to get him to remember. How could he not anyways…? “I can teleport-” As he said that, he teleported across the room as a demonstration. “Do different color attacks-” A orange and a blue bone appeared to his sides. The orange to his right and blue to his left. “And even eye glow.” Gaster’s eyes changed to a purple color, like the glow of his soul. They changed back to white a few seconds later. “See?”

It honestly scared Vedran a bit that he knows so much that Vedran doesn’t remember, but apparently helped and taught him. He didn’t know what to think. “I don’t-”

“You taught this yesterday! The 10th of March! I crossed it out on my calendar!” Gaster argues, but Vedran only got more confused, a few theories popping up in his head now.

“Wingdin- it is the 10th of March…” Vedran replies, unsure how to take in all this. Gaster was shocked, and it showed all over his face.

“No it’s not! I crossed it out before bed! I know it!” He stuck to his beliefs. It was the eleventh to him.

“I’m telling you it’s not Wingdin. It is the tenth, ask anyone and they will tell you.” Gaster began to get frustrated. He knew this argument wasn’t going to move forward at all, it’ll be stuck at its place, so he decided to end it himself with proof.

He teleported past Vedran, beginning to head back to the cell. Vedran was shocked, but soon started to chase after him. Gaster got back in no time, taking his current calendar and opening it. He had a dead stare at the date as Vedran came to the entrance of the cell, exhausted. Vedran was wondering what was wrong and walked over, looking over Gaster’s shoulder.

“Wingdin…?” Gaster turned to Vedran as he said his name. His face showed shock and surprise, but nothing could hide the fear also on his face. Vedran looked over at the calendar, specifically at March 10th.

The date wasn’t crossed out…

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Gaster had just finished with another test, and now had bandages around the area where the neck bones meet the shoulder bones. A few others like on his right leg and left arm, which the arm was covered by sleeves. The sleeves were a request from the king of monsters. At least he didn’t look too beaten up, not that Gaster cared too much at this point.

The teen was marking out the date on a new calendar. It has been almost a year, now being September 15th again. The old calendar was hung on the wall, closed. Inside, an X was on every date, and his revival day circled. The day was circled again, and it was now almost over. Gaster got impatient and crossed it out early, not that he was expecting much more to happen today.

He couldn’t read his stash of books in the corner too well either, that or he read them all, making his options on things to do be more limited. Vedran told him he grew a reading disability, all thanks to not being taught while his brain was catching up to his actual age again. Vedran tried his best, but wasn’t able to do too much with the scientists around, so he became a very slow reader and takes a while to figure out most complicated, big words.

He started hearing footsteps from outside his cell. He perked up, looking over at the door and saw Vedran unlocking it, holding something red in his hand. Once Vedran opens the door he walks over to Gaster and sits down, taking a glance at the calendar.

“Impatient today? You know I was going to come sometime today.” Vedran says with a chuckle. He places the red fabric in front of Gaster, which catches his attention only for a bit as Gaster goes back to the question.

“You seemed to be taking longer and I was booored!” Gaster whines. He closed both the sharpie and calendar, putting them to the side, focus shifting. “So what is this for Vedran…?”

“A present.” Vedran states. Gaster smiles, but is still confused on what it is for exactly, and why he got it. He usually got him something but he always told him before. That or Gaster asked for it. “A scarf for you to wear. I thought you’d like it. Here, let me put it on you.”

Vedran picks it up and wraps it around Gaster, who finds an instant liking to the soft fabric. His smile grew as he felt it with his hands. “I like it!” He says, stopping and looking up at Vedran, who smiles.

“Good! I thought so, but do you know why exactly I got you this?” Vedran asked, like he should know it. Gaster gave him a confused look.

“Becaaause you like me and want to take care of me as your own…?” Gaster answers, trying his best to guess why. Vedran laughed and shook his head.

“No, no. I gave it to you because it has now been a year since you’ve been revived. I wouldn’t say you were lying though.” Vedran says gives a smile. “I’m probably the only one willing to celebrate with you anyways.”

“Oh! But…” Gaster looks at his new scarf, holding it in his hands while it is around his neck still. “Is today really that special…? Then again I am a year older… How old am I now?” Gaster looks back at Vedran. “You told me before I died at 13.” Vedran sighed.

“Yes. You did. Though… Your revival date wouldn’t really tell how long it has been since you were born… And for convenience, we’ll ignore the days you were still in a dead or in the machine dormant…” Vedran sat pondering for a moment, trying to actually know what’s been happening in the past year. It has been a hectic one, hasn’t it? Luckily, they had the supplies to make the revival fast than it normally would’ve been. Then again, that kid has been asking for it go quicker before right?

Gaster didn’t even seem affected by the way he phrased it. He was young with a still developing mind, sure, but he wasn’t dumb. He knows he died as a middle schooler who actually seemed to have a good start judging by his grades. Vedran told him before, and there was no point in hiding why he was like this, right? It would probably only make things worse later on if he didn’t know anyways.

“By now you’re 14. October 19th is when you turn 15.” Vedran answers. Gaster perks up, dropping the scarf to just hang around his neck.

“Oh! I guess it’s the only thing that matters from my past, huh?” Gaster says normally, like it didn’t even bother he didn’t know who he was. What he was before, and what made him himself.

“Do you not mind not knowing your past and who you were before?” Vedran asks and Gaster shakes his head.

“It doesn’t affect me now, does it?” Gaster replies. “I will only care when it affects me.” Vedran frowns at this, and Gaster keeps a neutral face. The scientist sighs and looks at a nearby wall.

“I guess it isn’t too pleasent to know what you lost, or how you died…” Vedran says and scratches the back of his neck. Gaster only does a small nod. Vedran sighs and looks back at him. “Then this is a new start for you. I’ll see what i can do to make it a good one.” Gaster seemed to be half paying attention, but gave a small smile.

“You’re lucky to be alive again, you know.” Vedran says after a while. Gaster begins to pay attention as he gives Vedran a curious stare. “You were close to being a failed experiment.”

“What do you mean?” Gaster asks Vedran, seeming more curious than shocked, concerned, or even scared. Vedran expected more of a reaction out of him. He thinks for a bit before answering Gaster.

“You see… It’s something to do with you being a skeleton. You were once human, which means, like most, you don’t have very much magic in you to start. It raises a bit as you become half monster but… Your soul needed more to make organs and make your body able to function.” Vedran begins to explain. “You didn’t start with enough… The human scientist didn’t understand either… When they saw the natural rise in your magic as your soul started to connect, they tried to lower it back down through another experiment, which is before you woke up from your dormant state.”

“Really? What happened then?” He asks, but he was smart enough to know something went wrong somewhere along the lines. It wasn’t like humans had a great understanding of magic either. It often confused and scared them.

“They tried their magic ‘lower’ experiment, but it was an ultimate fail as they ended up raising it just enough to survive.” He continues explaining, hoping Gaster understood. “It’s because of how they did it. They somehow took away and lowered your magic levels, but because of it, the soul thought it wasn’t making enough, so it raised it’s limit each time, just making their fear worse, until they finally gave up. That’s around the time you woke up.”

Gaster’s eyes were bright, full of curiosity. “What can magic do? What does it do normally?” The small skeleton asks. Vedran enjoyed how he had questions to ask. Explaining science to someone who understood was always fun for him, and be always took it seriously.

“Magic can allow monsters or even human wizards cast spells or anything that, basically, takes magic to do.” Vedran answers the first question simply. “Normally, though, if we aren’t doing magic, it itself helps our bodies function and fixes them too by healing. This goes for humans as well.”

“How does it do that?” Vedran never really taught him on magic. He wasn’t really allowed to, but it was like a birthday for Gaster today. Going against them to teach him was fine for today.

“Magic uses its powers to heal wounds, some taking longer than others. Luckily, monsters having more magic, are able to heal faster. It’s a great benefit and advantage for fragile monsters compared to strong bodied humans.” Vedran explained whatever the teen asked, keeping his voice lower than normal, his face looking serious. Gaster continued his curious stare that showed nothing else but curiosity.

“Am I fragile? Or am I strong bodied?” Vedran paused when Gaster asked. Being half-monster half-human made this question seem hard, but it wasn’t even that hard at all, due to what he actually was.

“You’re fragile.” Vedran explains bluntly. “Unlike a human, obviously, your bones are exposed, making them easier to break with less protection. Your bones can get scratched, broken, chipped, and snapped in half easily.” Gaster didn’t flinch, nor move. He just absorbed all the information.

“Fragile, huh…?” He says, his voice low. He went over all he was told, one more time. He had a stare, looking at the floor, his thoughts had much to talk about with him. He felt the need to be more cautious. It ebbed at him.

Letting out a sigh, Vedran heads over to the corner of books, and pulls out a 7th grade science book. Luckily the books were sorted from reading books or school books, which were further sorted by reading level and school subjects. Vedran comes back and sits down.

Gaster’s gaze shifted to Vedran as he snapped out of his thoughts, coming over to see what they are learning today. Bones huh? How coincidental…

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They found out. Vedran doesn’t know how, but they did. They got mad at him for teaching Gaster about magic. After they found out, they began to keep him away from Gaster as much as possible. They would lie about his schedule and give Vedran more work to do. Vedran after a while would pass by to make sure. There was no reason for a spike in tests. During actually experiments they would take away Gaster’s scarf calling, it a “nuisance” to what they were going to do with him.

They knew they had to do something about Gaster since he knows about magic now. They wanted to see his limits and abilities, so that’s what they did. He himself didn’t know his limits at all though. They wanted to be ready either way, even if they didn’t know this. A loose, dangerous experiment was never good for them.

“We want to see what you can do.” One of the scientists out of the three in the room they took him to for his next test. The scientist was at a big console, another behind with a clipboard. It’s Dr. Jerkface again. Gaster let out a small, unnoticeable huff. “You know of magic. Try to use it on the dummy over there.” He points to the dummy across the room. It wasn’t much. Looked like it was falling apart.

Gaster had a bored, unamused expression as he turned to it. He raised his arm in the dummy’s direction, guessing this is how it worked. After a few seconds of nothing happening, he tried just concentrating for something to happen. Nothing happened.

The scientists watch as he growls in frustration, stomping his foot down. At that exact moment, bones shot of the ground in front of him, scaring both him and the scientists. They all stared wide-eyed, in complete shock. Gaster turns to them, one of them whispering to the other.

“Go get the machine ready. Now.” The one at the console says and Gaster backs up in fear. One scientist runs off, as the other two leave shortly after pressing some buttons on the console in the front off the room. The door shut behind them as they ran out.

Gaster tried to follow, not wanting to be left in somewhere he doesn’t know well. He found the door locked shut, attempting to slam his fist on it and shout to get someone’s attention. He began to tear up and shake as he slid his back down the door, giving up. He hugged his knees to his chest and cried, burying his face in his knees.

They knew he couldn’t control his magic. He was too dangerous.

It wasn’t too long later until the door opens again and he falls backwards, catching himself with his elbows, before he almost fell on his back. He looks up at who opened the door, hoping it to be Vedran, only to see one of the other three scientists there, not the main one talking earlier that acted like the main boss at the console. That one was behind him. The scientist above him tried to drag him by his arms, and he began to struggle against the grip, kicking his legs and screaming.

“Be careful! You don’t know what that monster could do!” One of them shouts over at the one dragging Gaster, the boss one. “He could attack you!” The one above Gaster let go, letting his body slam to the floor without warning. He swore he heard a crack as he slammed on the floor, letting out a gasp in shock, staring at the ceiling as the pain surged through his back, unable to speak or even scream for a minute from it.

He let out a scream a little later once he regained the ability to speak, causing them to wince. They stayed back and watched him struggle in pain. He hugged himself, looking up at the scientist in fear, tears streaked down his face. “How the hell are we going to get him there then?!” The one above Gaster yells, turning to the others behind him.

“You scare him at he might as well attack you!” The main one yells. “He dangerous and unstable!” The one above growls and looks back down at Gaster, giving a angry glare.

“Please, please, please-!” He begged, the tears coming in faster. “I’ll do anything but don’t hurt me!” The scientist backed up, his glare not wavering a bit, causing Gaster to hug himself tighter.

“Then get up!” He barked, yanking Gaster by the arm and making him let go of himself. Gaster tries to get balance as he tries to stand, the scientist still holding him by the arm.

“What did I tell you?!” The scientist makes both of them look at him. “Do you want to die or something?! We would have to cover up your death or something just to get away with this! We can’t let people know of this experiment! The leaders don’t want anyone knowing, remember?!”

“So what? He’s too scared to do anything anyways!” He yanks him forward a bit, making Gaster wince. He throws Gaster forward, who falls to the ground on his face, another crack coming from his fragile bones. He looks up, a small very small crack above his right eye. He whimpered in pain as he got up, trembling in pain and fear. “Now move!” He barks and pushes him by the back of his head.

He follows the command and keeps walking, hugging himself for comfort. The others glare at each other before leading him from both the front and back, into a room he’s barely remembers until he looks at the tank machine at one wall of the room. He looked around, devices everywhere. The one behind pushed him forward to a chair with straps to lock down something, or someone.

Gaster slinks over to it, terrified of what it does. “Sit.” One said behind him sternly, and he does so, his breath quickening a bit. They strapped him in, and Gaster didn’t refuse. What he wanted to refuse is when they exposed his soul and stuck some tubes to it.

They walked into another boxed in area as his anxiety grew. He closed his eyes, preparing for whatever was going to happen. He never expected the surging pain of when they turned it on and it began to suck the magic from his soul directly. He let out a ear splitting screech as Vedran ran in, almost out of breath it seemed.

“What are you doing?!” Vedran comes in, finally able to walk to this side of the lab, but realizes quickly after running in. “Not this again!” Vedran growls, walking to the other scientist as they turn the machine off, making Gaster’s screeching die out. He sat there breathing hard and felt like he was going to pass out. “What are you doing this for?!” One walked out to explain to Vedran.

Gaster had his cracked eye closed, as he could barely tell what was happening anymore. He couldn’t feel in some areas of his body and everything was fuzzy. He could only make out shapes and blobs of color.

Next thing he knew is he was unstrapped and picked up, being carried off somewhere. He was put down in a laying position as he looked at the yellow and white blob that started to clear up slightly after a bit. He blinked a few times, realizing it was Vedran, making him smile.

“Are you feeling alright?” Gaster took a bit to reply to Vedran’s question, trying to sit up, almost failing.

“Y-yeah…” He mumbled out, putting a hand to his head. “I feel… Sore and everything is a bit blurry…” Vedran muttered under his breath as he began to do a mini check up on Gaster.

“Damn it…” He muttered. “You’re low on magic then. Your eyes are going out. The soreness is from the magic being sucked out.” Gaster tried to understand, but got a bit more afraid when a possibility popped in his head.

“What happens if I run out of magic…?” Gaster asks, causing Vedran to sigh. Gaster kept an eye closed as he watched Vedran work.

“Your entire body will shut down. You’ll die…” Vedran didn’t seem to happy of the thought. “… Again…” He mumbles to the point it’s not audible to Gaster. Gaster finally had a reaction to everything trying to destroy his life. He was scared. After getting so close to it happening, he didn’t want it at all. “You’re lucky you just barely got to passing out. It could be worse.” Vedran began to check the crack above his closed eye. “How did this happen?”

“They threw me to the ground… And I think the same thing happened to my back…” Gaster whimpered out. Vedran wipes away with a clean cloth some of the blood that had been trickling out of the crack.

“Don’t worry. I’ll get you fixed up and then we can go back to your cell.” Vedran promised and Gaster nodded. “You’ve survived two years here. Sure, it’s getting tougher, but you can make it through. Your soul is perseverance right now for a reason.”

With a shaky breath, Gaster nodded. Vedran finished patching him up and picked him up again. Gaster shook in his arms, still in shock over the event as he tried wiping away his tears. Once they got to the cell, Vedran set him down on his makeshift bed. Gaster takes the blankets and curls up in them, facing the wall. Vedran sat down nearby, and Gaster groaned, not turning over to face him.

“I’ll be here to guard you.” Vedran says, letting out a sigh of relief. Gaster picks up his scarf nearby and wraps it around his neck, getting comfy as his soul tries to reproduce it’s lost magic and heal him at the same time….

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