The four doctors leave the stage while Santos takes Sans with him backstage. The audience breaks out into noise as they talk amongst themselves. Watching the Monster stand prettily on stage was one thing. Watching it cry out and hide like a child is quite another.

     "This isn't any different then a regular practice. All you have to do is dodge and attack just like always. Everyone in the audience is here to see you", Santos is crouched down on his haunches to talk to the skeleton. Gaster's warned the Sergeant keep his distance, but now it looks just as scared as the first time they practiced.

    "There's so many people. Why do they want to watch me fight?", Sans shivers as he speaks. He won't meet Santos eyes, and stares at the ground. The Monster doesn't ever want to stand on a stage again.

     "If you're that nervous, just imagine that they're all in their underwear".

     "What are underwear?".

     "Uhh..... never mind. Bad example".

     Santos sometimes forgets what Sans is. Backstage, the only light is coming from the Monster's mismatched soul. The light outlines the skeletal ribs in a ghastly light. It's eyes look like black voids that swallows that light. Despite it all, Santos forgets. He's sent plenty of boys into battle, but this is different. Sans has the looks and the mentality of a child. He's not fresh out of high school and he won't loose his baby face after a few weeks of drills. What was Gaster thinking? How can Santos stay impassive? Sans reminds him too much of his own lost son.

"Listen, kid, it's not gonna be easy. Hell, I was sweating bullets when Gaster asked me to explain your training", Santos chuckles, "But this is what you've been practicing for. All your combat training with me has lead to this. You've been getting better and better. This is something that you're good at, so you don't need to feel nervous when there's a few people watching".

"It's not just a few people. There's a lot. What if I mess up? Will you and Gaster and Murphy be mad at me if I fall down?". Sans nervously twists the hem of his jacket.

"No, I won't be mad at you if you try your best. These lousy rich people are just looking reasons that you're not good enough. Prove them wrong, okay? I'll be out there with you", Santos lays a hand on the Monster's shoulder, trying to appear sincere. He doesn't know if he wants this project to continue. It's end could also mean Sans's immediate extermination.

"You'll stay with me? Alright, then. I'll do it........", Sans hunches his shoulders, terrified.

     "It's hard to be brave. I'm proud of you, Sans". Santos stands up and affectionately rubs the Monster's skull. "Now, lets go knock their socks off!".

     "What are socks?".

     Sargent Santos and the Monster walk back out onto the stage just a moment before Doctor Gaster was going to fetch them. The audience immediately quiets down again. This is what they've all been waiting for. Santos stops Sans and then walks about five feet away before turning back around. He's not wearing a microphone anymore.

     "You wanna start, Sans? It's just like practice", Santos says, sinking into his familiar starting stance.

     In a way, this has become a game between them. Sans's magic recognizes the challenge and rises hotter to meet it. The scenery around them blacks out into a battle. The Monster is relieved when the audience disappears from view. Anything beyond the stage is a void of darkness. They won't be able to see his choices either. None of them will see when he chooses mercy over and over.

*Mercy

     The Sargent smiles a little, expecting the response. He closes the distance between them incredibly quickly. Sans also expected this. He spins to the side on his right foot, Santo's fist missing by inches.

     *Mercy

     Sans ducks to avoid the next hit. Santos also sweeps out one leg, but the Monster jumps back in time to dodge that one, too. The two of them fall back into a familiar pattern of hits and dodges. Sans's clumsiness has been chased away over the last few weeks. He learns fast. The Monster seems almost graceful when he avoids Santos's fists. No matter how many times the Sargent's knuckles brush up against Sans's clothes, he's moved just enough not to get hit. Santos spends more energy trying to hit him then Sans does when he dodges. Both their movements are quick and vicious. No one can hear Santos chuckle in pride when Sans dodges a particularly fast punch.

      The two remain in close combat for a several minutes while the audience watches in awe. Doctor Gaster smiles, happy that this demonstration seems to be making up for earlier. The Monster's single glowing eye is enough to certify its inhumanity.

     After dodging another attack, the Monster abruptly backs off to a safer distance. Santos lets him build up some space for an attack. Sans's eye flares an even brighter blue as he throws his hand up. A bone juts up from the ground just in front of Santos. He has to quickly jerk to the side so he doesn't run into it. Santos hasn't figured out how to safely destroy the bones. When they broke, or even cracked, the dust particles would burn any exposed flesh. It actually has no effect on Sans since he doesn't have skin. More bones manifest out of the ground when Santos start to charge the Monster. They always shoot up well before the Sargent would be in the way. Sans is carful not to impale him.

     Audience members gasp in amazement when the sharp bones appear out of thin air. To them, it looks exactly like the Monster is really trying to kill Santos. None of them have seen a Monster fight before. It looks vicious and dangerous to someone who doesn't know how the Sargent and Monster play.

    Santos darts around the bones and gets close to Sans again. They switch back to the pattern of attacks and dodges. It's less tiring for Sans to dodge attacks rather then manifesting his own. His punches wouldn't be strong like Santos's. The skeleton just keeps offering up mercy to forfeit his turn. Still, he can't fight forever. Santos has never gotten tired in their fights. Sans always gives in first. Even though he can't see them, the Monster is still keenly aware of the audience. They want to see what he can do. They want a show. Santos said that he wanted Sans to try his best, and so did Doctor Murphy. He'll try to do what they ask.

     The Monster steps back a few paces again. It's magic jumps and starts to rush out of its soul. On stage, around the Monster, the air starts to shimmer as something tries to manifest itself. Santos steps back. Whatever Sans is summoning, it's huge. The shimmer in the air stands curled around the Monster, the top of the haze brushing the lights above the stage. Gaster's smile vanishes. There's no way that such a fragile soul can sustain that.

Sans can feel his magic rushing out incredibly quickly to feed into his manifestation. It's just like last time. The shimmer around him condenses and solidifies with every second that passes. Too late, Sans realizes that it's still too much. The manifestation is eating away his magic too quickly. The warmth is beginning to leave as the cold seeps in. He has to stop it before it takes everything.

On the stage, the haze in the air has begun to take a blurry shape. A leg rests protectively next to the Monster. A long tail brushes up against the curtains. The large head, scraping the overhead lights, turns to stare at the audience. The great beats lets out a guttural sigh before the manifestation collapses. It never manifested enough for any in the audience to describe it accurately. The hazy beats caves in on itself as the Monster falls to its knees. Sergeant Santos is immediately at his side as their battle ends.

"Sans? Sans!? Are you okay?", Santos's voice shakes a little, genuinely scared for the Monster's life.

"It's fine. It's alright. I stopped it", Sans replies groggily, slumping to lean against Santos. The Monster is shivering slightly. He feels awfully cold all over, but there's a flicker of heat left burning in his chest. The skeleton can't stand.

"Is it still conscious?". Doctor Gaster appears on the Monster's other side. Magic injection in hand, he doesn't pause or give any warning before bringing out Sans's soul and administering the artificial magic.

"Don't like those", Sans mumbles. It's hard to keep talking and hearing, so he lets the magic die down to sleep.

"You did great, kid. It's okay to sleep now, you've earned it", Santos shifts his arm to prop up the Monster's head.

Sans can't hear him without using his magic, but his eye lights are already flickering out as he drifts off.