Chapter 21: The Underground (1)

                                    

                                          
Hex quickly took over the meeting with the finesse of a sly businessman. She couldn't even get a word in. Well, it's not like she enjoys having to speak. Her social battery had dipped to a new low after talking with so many people right after slaughtering a few dozen people.
	Exhaustion crept into her body once the false sense of peace came over her. Her wings felt stifled having not been stretched for a while. The urge to expand her wings grew stronger by the minute, but she ignored it. She can't deal with attention right now.
	Even then, she feels woozy inside. Her instincts had been acting up five days ago and it still hasn't diminished even a smidge. Rather, it has grown.
	"Nix."
	Colletta blinked at the call of her nickname. She turns to see Hex whose smile is so fake that even toddlers can deduce it was fake.
	"Mm?"
	"Are you okay with going straight down the Underground with team one?" Hex asked.
	"Yeah. Are we going in right after this meeting?" She inquired, trying not to let the weariness seep into her voice.
	It seemed successful when Hex nodded and returned his attention to the meeting. "Alright. Team one will consist of the following people; King Asgore, Alphys, Undyne, Kumo, Gabriel, Susan, Phoenix, and Sans. They will-"
	Colletta nearly violently jerked at the name as Hex's words faded into a buzzing noise. Sans? That Sans? The one who made living in the graveyard estate a living hell all because he refused to intervene? The guy who turned a blind eye to the harassment caused by the edgier versions of himself? 
	No, calm down. This is a job she needs to do. It does not matter if she likes the person or not. The results are far more important than her feelings about that monster. Her eyes flicked to Hex's pale figure and then to Asgore's furry self. Why was Sans even on the team? Sure, he may have come from the Underground, but there is no reason why he needed to go with them. 
	Her ears flicked at the sudden sound of chairs scraping the floor. Everyone got up from their seats and headed for the door. Ah, was it time to leave?
	"Hex," Colletta called out after everyone left the room. "Why was Sans on team one?"
	"If you weren't off dissociating you would've known," Hex sniped, arms crossed against his chest. "Listen, I know you're tired, but we have several more things to do. I have given everyone three hours to prepare themselves, so set yourself straight."
	She groaned and stretched her wings. "I know, I know. I'll be ready by that time, but why Sans?"
"Apparently, Sans was a scientist before Alphys. We need him on the team in case Alphys doesn't know where certain things are," he explained.
Colletta pondered on that small tidbit of information. Wasn't her Sans a version of the original Sans? Sans was probably a scientist with his father back then.
"Who is Gabriel and Susan?" She switched to the other two unfamiliar names.
Hex just pinched the skin between his eyes. "They are both security guards from Mayor Wilson. They're probably on the team to spy on the monsters."
"Ah."
"'Ah', my arse," he huffed, "Are you sure you are doing fine? You weren't paying attention at all. You're lucky that no one noticed your head went somewhere else."
She scratched behind her neck sheepishly. "Sorry..."
His eyes softened and he sighed, "I know you prefer a monotonous lifestyle, but we cannot afford it. Not when he's still out there."