Two months later...
I took a deep breath and summoned Gaster's door to me. Standing alone in Waterfall had always been so relaxing, but it always annoyed me how I just HAD to be here for Gaster's door to appear. I understand that examining me and helping develop experiments for identifying and modifying humans was important work, but I hated working in the void. It always felt like the cold black space would swallow me whole.

I knocked twice then entered, glancing at my phone as I entered. "I'm here Gaster! What's in the schedule today?" I asked, not moving my eyes from the screen of my smartphone. A rush of wind blew my hair and Gaster's melted figure reconstructed in front of me. I tossed my phone in my panic, caught it, returned it to my packet, and then waved.

"Hey Gaster. So is it physical or magical examination today? Because my legs are really sore right now from a marathon I did yesterday and I don't want to be lifting weights today."

He laughed and shook his head. "No examinations today. Instead, I want you to meet someone else I've been working with. I believe you'll like them."

I raised a brow and followed him as he led me through the void. "You actually found a willing volunteer? I thought everyone got scared away by the time they found out you worked in the void."

He looked at me curiously. "Is the void really so frightening?" He asked.

I shrugged. "Can't ask me. I don't feel fear like most humans. Just because I claimed myself a soul and constructed emotions, they're only based on what I imagined the emotions to be like. Fear, for me at least, has always seemed more dull than most."

Gaster sighed and the void finally morphed into the familiar setting of his lab. I hopped up on to a counter and looked at Gaster. "Okay Gaster, who's the newbie? What's their story?"

He smiled at me and faced my gaze. "I found a human male willing to undergo enhancement experiments."

My eyes widened and I stood quickly. "What?! Gaster you know how dangerous it is for human souls to be tampered with! I didn't have one, I'm a different case."

He only laughed. "Calm down Cherry, you should meet him before you make any wild assumptions."

I opened my mouth to protest, but quickly fell silent. Curiosity ruled my actions as he pushed open a door, revealing a new room. It looked similar to the checkup room in a normal doctor's office, but instead it held a bed with a new person strapped to it. They snoozed lightly, unaware we had entered. Gaster motioned for quiet as I followed him.

I took a good look at him and furrowed my brow. Something about him seemed, familiar. I couldn't place the meaning of it. He had hair dyed blue, but fading quickly. His hair was combed in a sweep over his left eye. His flushed skin seemed almost fluorescent and skeletal in the white overhead light. He wore a purple vest over a t-shirt with pressed slacks and bare feet, at least bare for the moment. I vaguely remembered how Gaster had a thing about dragging dirt around on shoes.

His limbs were strapped down, but he looked at ease. Gaster shook him slightly and his groaned.

"I don't wanna wake up."

Gaster sighed and started to undo the straps of the table. "Get up anyway. I want you to meet someone."

"Who is so important that you have to wake me up? I was having a good nap." He groaned.

I laughed, shifting my weight to one hip and propping a hand on my other. "He's less of a morning person than I am." I snickered.

The boy seemed to perk up at the sound of my voice. His eye opened and I sucked in a short breath. No, I didn't finally remember him. But I saw an effect of Gaster's experiments, that's what surprised me. Some magic seemed to be constantly emmitted from his right eye, but it looked normal.

I stepped back a bit and looked at Gaster. "How long have you had this guy?! It took me weeks to adapt, and that's with no soul. How did you... and he..."

Gaster motioned for my silence and I quieted down, waiting for his explanation. "Mr. Jackson here is also set apart from human kind. I found him as I found you, battered and weak. He too, asked for my help to become stronger."

"Gaster! You can't just go injecting determination into people! Especially when it hasn't been attempted on human souls! Willing or no, this was really dangerous."

I set off on a rant, Gaster waited patiently. I was suddenly cut off as the color drained from our surroundings. Instantly, Geeby stood at my side in blaster form and my eye was set ablaze.

Gaster put a hand on my arm and pointed towards the boy. "Look Cherry."He said quietly.

I peered at the boy and fell short of breath. "Where's his soul?!" I asked, starting to panic. "You didn't..."

Gaster shook his head. I released my magic and looked back at the boy. Clearing my throat, I walked to him and offered a hand.

"Hi, I'm Cherry Saken. Gaster's first successful Determination-Human experiment."

The boy looked at my hand and then at me, tears teasing at the edge of his eyes. Color returned to the lab and he smile widely, knocking my hand aside and clutching me within a tight hug. I stiffened and looked at Gaster with pleading eyes.

He merely shrugged and laughed to himself. Rolling my eyes, I cleared my throat and spoke. "Forgive me for this, but I can't place your face to a name quite yet. Have we met before?" I asked.

The boy gave me a flash of a crestfallen gaze, but quickly covered it with a smile. "I'm actually not surprised you don't remember me. Back then my hair was purple, and we only lived next to each other for a year."

I raised a brow and pushed the boy back, examining him. "We were neighbors?" I asked.

He nodded. "I've changed a lot, the biggest change being the upgrades though. Check out my eye!"

He opened one of his eyes and I jumped back. In his right eye socket, a black orb replaced the normal human eye. "Wow! You've got a magic eye too!" I gaped.

He thrusted a thumb towards Gaster and smiled. "Dr. G's work. But I would've preferred to get your part of the bargain."

When my gaze didn't falter to any form of understanding, he sighed. "Okay, slower. Let's start with names."

He stuck out his hand and grinned. "My name is Jace. Jace Jackson."

That was the key. My eyes widened as I was flooded by memories of my short-term ginger friend from before the accident, hell, before I even fell down here. I let out a slight squeal and squeezed Jace. We had used to spend every minute together, we were more than best friends. He was a brother.

"Jace! Oh my god I thought you died horribly!" I cheered, now beaming. "Where the hell have you been you jackass?!"

Jace's smile covered half of his face as he wrapped me in another hug. "God Cherry, you're slow! I thought you'd never remember."

"Your hair is blue and you went through puberty since I last saw you. I have an excuse." I retorted.

He chortled and released me. "I fell down here a few weeks back. Through the ruins, then Snowdin, eventually here. One of the anti-human monsters started a fight with me and I scared the hell outta him."

I snorted. "How? You're about as scary as a baby bunny."

He laughed then held his hands, palm up in front of him. Waves pulled me towards it and I watched as a vague outline of a heart appeared over his hands. It shook for a few seconds, but soon shattered. My eyes widened as I registered confirmation.

"I knew it! You're a soulless bastard, just like me. Well kinda..." I laughed.

He raised a brow and looked at me. "You don't have a soul?" He asked.

I did the universal 'so-so' sign and laughed sheepishly. "Well, actually, I kinda forced one into existence for myself." I said quietly.

Jace's eyes widened and he punched my arm playfully. "Not fair! Now I'm the only freak here!"

I rolled my eyes. "Said the soulless experiment to a once soulless experiment and a melting skeleton."

He belted a long, sarcastic laugh. Gaster's hole-y hand fell on my shoulder and I looked at him.

"I see your getting along with Jackson?"

I beamed and tried to throw an arm around Jace's shoulders. "Did you know we were childhood friends?" I asked.

Gaster fell silent and looked between us. "Really?"

Jace nodded, then leaned over and whispered into my ear. "I think he just has a problem with attracting soulless creatures."

I elbowed him with a chortle. "Quiet Boy Blue. You don't get to speak."

"But-"

"Nope!"

"Cher-"

I slapped a hand on his mouth and looked at him challengingly. "Go on, lick my hand. I dare you." I teased.

I didn't actually expect to get a handful of Jace salvia on my hand. Gagging slightly, I wiped it on his vest. "Smartass!" I yelled teasingly.

"Better than being a dumbass." He countered.