Alphys frowned down at the scanner in her shaking hands.

She was still a little out of breath from their mad dash up the mountainside and she was tired, even if Undyne had carried her the last hundred feet or so. Papyrus stood behind her, shaking and holding back sniffles that tore at her soul. To her left, Undyne stood tensely, gazing up at the rock-blocked entrance to what used to be the barrier. It was quiet and cold, the only sound being the chilling wind and the incessant beeping of the machine in her hands. It was reading, trying to penetrate deep within the mountain to inform her of whether the day would end sadly or not. Alphys was no stranger to tragedy, but the thought of what they might find...It frightened her to her very core.

Beeeeeeep!

"aaaaaaaaaaaaauuughnk!"

The three monsters jolted at the final sounding blip, which was then followed shortly after by a soul-shattering scream coming from deeper within the mountain, so loud and yet so quiet at the same time. Ghost-like. The tone unmistakably Sans's voice. The scream continued for several long, bone chilling seconds, before suddenly going quiet for a half second and then continuing all over again. Over and over and over the scream continued.

At this point, Papyrus looked like such a nervous wreck as he wrung the life out of his hands, twitching and fidgeting incessantly.

"TH-THAT'S SANS VOICE!" Papyrus cried, turning to Undyne and Alphys, the worry plain as day written on his face.

Alphys quickly moved to disengage the alarm, to hear the screams much more clearer so it wasn't overshadowed by the annoying shrill of the alarm on her device.

"I-It s-sounds l-like i-it's coming f-from INSIDE the m-m-mountain," she informed, giving a glance toward Undyne, drawing strength from the other's encouraging nod.

"He sounds like he's getting freaking murdered in there!" Undyne shouted as Papyrus flinched at the wording, looking even MORE terrified for his older brother and Frisk. Undyne then began cracking her knuckles, before punching her open palm and flexed her muscles, almost acting as if they were surrounded by the enemy instead of simply blocked off by a wall of stone. "Alright! Least we know where they are now so let's go busting our way in there, and saving our friends! NGAAAAAAAAAH!"

"U-Undyne! D-Don't!"

But it was too late. The captain rushed forward and latched onto a huge boulder. Her muscles strained as, in an apparent show of strength, she attempted to lift it. "Suplexing", if Alphys remembered right. But, as Alphys had already predicted, even in that short moment, the Surface Illness that had weakened so many of their kind had also weakened Undyne. Sweat broke out on the fish monster's blue skin, and her single eye widened in shock as her legs suddenly buckled under the weight of the rock that she had managed to get just barely an inch off the ground. It was still impressive that she could lift a boulder by this much that was around 3x her size, but highly improbable.

Papyrus seemed to notice this and, looking just as determined as Undyne was in saving his brother, outstretched one of his arms, summoning a bone just under the massive boulder Undyne was lifting and, from the momentum, it launched the boulder high in the air and landing just off to the left by a few feet with a loud, THOOM!

"UNGH!" Undyne winced, shocked by the bone that suddenly appeared and shot upwards right between her arms she'd let go of the boulder as it sent the rock soaring sky high. Her own knees giving out as she went falling on her butt instantly looking up in shock as the boulder landed again.

In front of her was an opening just large enough for them to squeeze through now to the other side. "SORRY UNDYNE, BUT LIKE YOU SAID, WE CAN'T WASTE TIME!" Papyrus said his voice sounding tense and strained, increasing it in volume to be heard over the somewhat muffled screaming of his brother. He began calling up more bones to hold up the other boulders to make sure they wouldn't collapse on them as they squeezed inside.

"W-What the h-hell?!" Undyne shouted, still slightly shaken before growling at Papyrus. "Thanks…" Undyne winced as she stood, massaging her upper arm a bit.

Alphys rushed forward, stuffing her scanner into her pocket as she then reached out for the other. Papyrus was already doing the same. "U-Undyne! A-Are you okay?!"

Undyne winced, cradling her arm and shoulder, though she nodded. "Nothin' broken. Don't worry Alph..." she told her though, she still seemed bitter about something.

Undyne was a monster of high pride, and the fact that she had dropped the boulder and required help from hurting herself, one that wasn't even half the size of what she was capable of lifting back underground infuriated her.

Alphys wondered what had suffered more in that very instant, Undyne's arm or her pride.

Undyne however, seemed to drop the subject, when Paps wanted to ask also. She wanted to gain back some semblance of control as she lead the way. Summoning a spear in hand in case things got too nasty in there as she crawled through the hole. Checking the coast was clear, before turning back around to the entrance, and holding out a hand towards Alphys. Helping her inside next, and then Papyrus.

Once inside, they could hear Sans screaming more clearly, sounding like it was coming from further in. "Alright, this way. Hurry!" Undyne ordered, she picked up Alphys as she still looked tired, and knew she and Papyrus were the fastest runners anyways of the trio. Lifting her on her back in a piggyback fashion as she and Paps ran past the barrier room and into Asgore's Throne room. The further they got inside, the more louder and more frantic and desperate Sans screaming became.

Papyrus could feel Sans soul calling out for him, the magical connection growing weaker with each and every passing second. It felt as if Sans was calling out for Papyrus to come save him. He could feel and could only imagine the amount of fear and pain that Sans must have been going through. Papyrus clenched a hand to his chest, running faster as he was also sensing that soon, Sans wasn't going to make it. That if this kept up, then something was going to end up giving in.

'WE'RE ALMOST THERE SANS…! PLEASE…!' Papyrus thought as they made it to the Judgement Hall.

Flowey heard footsteps coming closer to them and turned his head, sensing that of multiple Magical sources heading towards them as he suddenly stopped, pulling all of his vines back in, except the one still keeping Sans wrists tied up and above his skull who'd let out a gasp, as he fell more heavily into his binds.

Sans was only vaguely aware that the vines had stopped trying to bury itself into his soul, and his vision slowly started to return. His little eye lights had extinguished themselves a while ago during the torture, and try as he might they refused to manifest again. He was gasping, trying to sigh with relief that the vines had stopped, but still the pain was never ending, and then also made hundreds of times worse as well when most of his weight was now completely focused in his shattered wrists, and tired shoulders. His legs no longer having the strength to hold him up, and everything just felt so heavy, his head was hanging, facing the ground and sweat continued to drip off his skull, forming a small puddle on the tiled floor below. He was hanging limp in the vines around his wrists, gasping pitifully and murmuring out delirious, half formed pleas begging for mercy from the pain. His bones were rattling so hard the sound of it filled the Hall.

"p-please...no no more, p-please s-stop...!" Sans begged through the never-ending agony searing him deep within his SOUL. It felt like he was on fire, the pain sapping away even more of his strength, even though he knew no one was hurting him for now. Stars, everything just hurt so bad...

The Forgotten looked Sans over studying the frail, trembling, and severely wounded, weak skeleton in amusement. The demon estimated he still had maybe 30 seconds to decide what to do about the new intruders and then a plan formulated in its mind. "WE WONDER SOMETHING..." Flowey said to Sans, not caring if he was still conscious or not, "MAYBE YOU CAN STILL BE OF USE TO US, JUDGE. YOU SEE, THERE HAS BEEN A SLIGHT CHANGE IN PLANS..." Flowey grinned unnaturally wide, as it slithered a vine around Sans, propping his body up.

Sans grimaced, having no strength to wriggle away from the flower. No strength to even speak out as he felt vines spiraling up his spine, through his ribs and up his shoulders, thorns catching in the joints and making Sans flinch and cry out in pain, his voice sounding rough and scratchy. Though he couldn't do much besides that, he was just in so much pain and the only strength he had left was to keep breathing...

"S-Sans…!" Frisk cried, as she was let free. But was in too much shock at what she was seeing she might as well have still been held hostage as she gasped.

Sans's soul lurched when he felt some of the vines and thorns brushing against the raw, fresh wounds and cracks in his soul. He tried to scream in pain again, only succeeding in slightly choking on a whimper as the vines holding his arms grew even tighter, and his bones creaked in response. Vines had already twined themselves up and down both arms, lacing between the radius and ulna, holding tightly onto the bones. The last of the vines twined up his cervical vertebrae, through the opening in his mandible and into his skull. Acquisition complete.

And right on time as the vines trapping Sans arms finally released him, allowing for Sans to fall to his knees. He picked himself up on shattered wrists as Sans once again, whimpered in pain just as Undyne, Papyrus and Alphys had arrived into the Hall.

"BROTHER!!!!" Papyrus shouted the second he ran inside the Hall. His eye sockets widened when he saw the flower disappear into Sans mandible, his arms and hands completely covered by the vines from the little bone he could see from Sans sleeves having fell to his elbows, and soon, the vines released Sans, and Paps watched as his brother fell into a crumpled heap on the golden floor and started to push himself up on shattered, broken wrists.

"Sans!" Alphys cried out this time, still on Undyne's back as they joined Papyrus in the Hall.

"Hey!"

The Forgotten/Flowey succeeded in puppeteering Sans body. Flowey's laugh echoed loudly, sounding both demonic, and the same as the flowers simultaneously, echoed in the Hall and Sans skull giving him a pounding, stabbing headache. Suddenly, a blinding pain erupted from behind his eye socket. The painful pressure had him choking on air, tears forming once again in his sockets until all at once, the pain was gone with a pop and then vision in that eye had winked out. There was a long, uncomfortable writhing sensation before he could see the atrocious yellow flower through his other eye.

"F-FLOWEY?" Papyrus blanched, wondering why the flower was there and more importantly, what was it doing to his brother. "WH-WHAT ARE YOU DOING WITH MY BROTHER?"

"p...pa..a...ps…" Sans struggled, his face pleading and in incredible pain, as Papyrus finally noticed the vines weaving in and out and between bones through his clothing. "h..he..help-hrk!"

Flowey, still possessed by the Forgotten tightened his vines, bones groaning a bit in warning as Sans let out another yell in pain, his body going rigid, it was a wonder his spine didn't just snap in two.

"AH! F-FLOWEY, PLEASE, BE CAREFUL WITH HIM!" Papyrus called, bone knitting together in worry. 'WHAT WAS GOING ON? WHY WAS FLOWEY HURTING MY BROTHER!?'

"AH, SO THAT IS YOUR PRECIOUS BABY BROTHER JUDGE?" The Forgotten laughed in amusement, "HEHEHE...HOW WOULD YOUR FRIENDS AND BROTHER FARE, IF YOU WERE FORCED TO FIGHT THEM, HMMM?"

"r….u….n…" Sans stuttered, as he suddenly fell to his knees, clawing at his skull, grabbing the flowers face. A strange red ooze suddenly began to drip from the smaller skeleton, and a crack started to form over his right eye as Sans pulled with all his might, trying to tear the flower out of himself fighting back screams of pain.

"What the hell?!" Undyne shouted, as Frisk had run towards the trio, finally getting over her initial shock.

Flowey cried out from the strain before bellowing, "ENOUGH!" Papyrus heard a sickening snap before Flowey explained, "A LESSON, IT SEEMS IS NEEDED TO BE TAUGHT. IF CRACKING YOUR SOUL FAILED TO TEACH YOU A THING, LET'S SEE WHAT HAPPENS IF I JUST BROKE EVERY SINGLE ONE OF YOUR JOINTS INSTEAD?"

Papyrus could hear his brother's silent screams as the flower proceeded to break him.

Alphys felt her soul drop from the screams of agony coming from Sans, and wondered how on earth Sans was even still alive after all this, thinking about his 1HP and how impossibly low it had to be at this point. She was so busy worrying for his HP she'd failed to catch what Flowey mentioned which was far more distressing, luckily someone else had caught it however.

"W-wait- what the HELL did that jerk ass plant just say?!" Undyne said, when she saw Papyrus was in too much shock to speak out.

"I-It's true.." Frisk stuttered, "Please! You need to help him! Help Sans!" Frisk begged the Captain.

"I will!" Undyne growled, not needing another explanation or word to be had. 'How DARE this plant...demon...thing hurt the brother of my best friend?! You're going to pay for that!' Undyne charged at Sans, arm outstretched, determined to yank the plant out of Sans body if it was the last thing she would do.

She lunged at Sans, pinning him down onto the hard tiled floor of the Hall where he was standing. This time it was her turn grabbing at the Flowers head, as it poked out of Sans socket, fingers digging into the socket as Sans let out more cries of pain. 'Sorry, Sans! I promise I'll be quick!'  Undyne thought, making sure to have a good hold on the plant before pulling. Sans broken bones giving a groan when the vines tightened further around every single one they were attached to.

Flowey seemed to be more lucid, feeling satisfied with what he'd done as he forced Sans fingers to flex a bit. Vines digging into Sans soul, not to hurt him this time like before but just… Ah, perfect.

Suddenly, Undyne felt a certain sensation like her SOUL being grabbed as she was lifted into the air, when Flowey had manipulated Sans arm up in the air, before violently jerking it to the left, throwing the Captain harshly against the paned windows of the Judgement Hall. The windows cracked as Undynes shoulder slammed into it, some shards falling all around her as she was then flung to the ground.

Tears violently fell from Sans's vacant eyes as Flowey forced Sans to use his magic against his will towards his friends, as well as from the intense pain of having to move thoroughly broken bones and broken limbs. Each movement more agonizing than the last as bone grinded on more broken bone.