Frisk ran.

She ran so hard that her lungs burned and her vision blurred around the edges.

Rain poured from the sky in heavy sheets, turning the streets into rivers of reflecting neon and dirty water. Her shoes slammed against the pavement, splashing through puddles as she pushed herself faster.

Faster.

Faster.

Because if she stopped, she was going to die.

A gunshot cracked behind her.

Frisk screamed and ducked instinctively.

The bullet shattered a storefront window beside her, sending glass exploding across the sidewalk.

"Oh, come on!" she yelled over her shoulder. "What the hell is wrong with you people?"

Another shot answered her.

She stumbled as the sound echoed through the alleyways.

Her heart jumped into her throat.

They were shooting at her.

Actually shooting at her.

Not blanks.

Not warning shots.

Real bullets.

Real guns.

She could hear them tearing through the air around her.

She could hear them striking brick and concrete.

She could hear them getting closer.

"They never said anything about this!" Frisk screamed.

She turned the corner into a narrow alley, her hands scraping against the wet wall as she caught herself from slipping.

"Evelyn, you psycho bitch!"

Another shot.

A metal dumpster beside her erupted with a violent clang.

Frisk yelped and jumped away.

"STOP SHOOTING!"

Her voice cracked.

She hated that.

She hated that they could hear the fear in it.

She hated that she sounded like exactly what she was supposed to be.

A terrified victim running from the Black Roses.

But this was not acting anymore.

This was not some carefully planned performance.

She remembered sitting in Evelyn's office only hours earlier, listening to the woman explain the details of the mission in that calm, controlled voice.

You will approach Papyrus.

You will tell him you escaped us.

You will earn his trust.

You will become one of them.

Not once had Evelyn mentioned that she would have armed men chasing her through the city.

Not once had she said Frisk would have to wonder whether every gunshot was the one that finally hit her.

Her chest tightened.

Had they always planned this?

Had this just been another lesson?

A reminder that the Black Roses owned her life now?

The thought made her stomach twist.

She was not a member.

She was not family.

She was not even an ally.

She was a tool.

A thief they caught.

A girl who made a mistake.

A girl who stole a pocket watch from the wrong warehouse and found herself sitting in front of a woman who offered her two choices.

Die.

Or betray monsters she had never met.

At the time, it had been an easy choice.

She knew what monsters were.

Everyone did.

The stories were everywhere.

They were violent.

They were ruthless.

They ran half the city through fear and blood.

The Family was the largest monster criminal organization in the underground world, and she was about to walk directly into their arms.

Assuming she survived the humans first.

The irony almost made her laugh.

Almost.

"THERE!"

A voice shouted behind her.

Frisk's blood turned cold.

She glanced over her shoulder.

Three men in black coats emerged from the mouth of the alley.

Black Roses soldiers.

Their guns were raised.

Not pointed at the ground.

Not pointed above her head.

At her.

One of them pulled the trigger.

The world slowed.

Frisk threw herself forward.

The bullet flew so close to her ear she could feel the heat of it.

She hit the ground hard and slid through a puddle.

Her palms tore against the concrete.

Pain shot through her hands.

She scrambled back to her feet.

"ARE YOU TRYING TO KILL ME?!" she screamed.

The men did not answer.

That terrified her more than anything.

No laughter.

No insults.

No reassurance that it was all part of the plan.

Just silent men with guns.

Frisk turned and ran.

Her body moved on instinct.

The city was the only home she had ever known.

She knew every shortcut.

Every hidden alley.

Every fence.

Every rooftop.

She darted through a side street, vaulted over a stack of crates, and squeezed through a gap between two buildings.

The men followed.

Of course they did.

The Black Roses would not send amateurs.

Her breath came out in painful gasps.

Her legs were beginning to shake.

She could not keep this pace forever.

Where was he?

Where was Papyrus?

The Black Roses had chosen the location carefully.

They had intelligence saying that one of the Monster Syndicate's capos would be passing through this district tonight.

The perfect target.

The kind hearted fool who recruited lost monsters and believed humans could change.

Papyrus.

Frisk just had to survive long enough for him to see her.

Another gunshot rang out.

Then another.

Then another.

Too many.

Too close.

"Somebody help me!" Frisk screamed.

Her voice disappeared into the storm.

Nobody answered.

For one horrifying moment, she wondered if the information was wrong.

Maybe Papyrus was not here.

Maybe Evelyn had lied.

Maybe this was not a mission.

Maybe they had decided she was more trouble than she was worth.

Maybe this was her punishment for stealing from them.

The thought hit her harder than any bullet could.

She was going to die in a dirty alley with nobody knowing her name.

A shadow moved beside her.

Before Frisk could react, an arm wrapped around her waist.

She gasped.

The world shifted.

She was yanked sideways through an open doorway she had not even seen.

The door slammed shut behind her.

Frisk twisted violently, raising her fists.

"Get off me!"

"WAIT!"

The voice was loud.

Excited.

Almost offended.

Frisk froze.

Standing in front of her was a skeleton.

Tall enough that she had to tilt her head back to look at him.

A bright orange scarf hung around his neck, and despite the rain and the gunshots and the chaos outside, he was smiling.

Actually smiling.

"DO NOT FEAR, HUMAN!" he declared, placing a hand dramatically against his chest. "FOR I, THE GREAT PAPYRUS, HAVE ARRIVED TO SAVE YOU!"

Outside, another gunshot echoed through the street.

Inside the building, Frisk could only stare.

Because for the first time in her life, she was face to face with a monster.

And somehow, he was nothing like she expected.