Three weeks went by and before long the Lab had changed completely.
It wasn't just the new baby furniture and toys either.
The lab staff lived in the same constant terror as Sans now, wondering if they'd live to see tomorrow and it was all because of Baby Papyrus.
The little Horror was proving to be just that, scaring scientists carrying volatile chemicals, releasing deadly hybrid creatures from their cages, and pulling other dangerous pranks that got many assistants killed. Gaster had once joked about him being Comic Sans instead of Papyrus, but despite his calm demeanor the Royal Scientist was at his wits end. Most of the scientists he'd hired either quit or were killed...and some of them had even gone insane and committed suicide for unknown reasons, screaming that they "had" to...that it was "important."
A rumor had spread throughout the Underground that the Lab was an unholy cursed place. The Monsters would whisper about the Royal Scientist having accidentally created a demon that now crawled around within the building. Some would avoid the Lab whenever they could, but others were quite curious about the supposed demon baby and would make up excuses to enter the Lab and look for the evil creature as if they were at a zoo.
"Big Buther, why you cry?"
Sans looked at his baby brother, wanting nothing more than to disappear. He didn't answer him.
"Hellwoe? I's talkin' to you!" said Papyrus pressing a hand to Sans face.
"leave me alone pappy...just..just go away..." The older skeleton pulled his knees up and buried his head between them.
"NO! You talk to da' baby or I fill your wife full of misery and woe!"
My life's already filled with misery and woe.
Sans really didn't want to talk to anyone at the moment, but he too knew how dangerous it was to upset Papyrus.
Lab staff had tried to solve the problem themselves countless times, going against Gaster's orders and attempting to kill his brother in his sleep. Unfortunately for them, Papyrus didn't GO to sleep and if he was wrong then it was in a secret place no one knew of.
Sans would lie awake at night listening to his baby brother cackle like a baby witch in his crib and every now and again he'd hear someone enter the room only to scream seconds later after hearing Papyrus whisper...something, then in the morning he'd hear that another scientist had committed suicide.
Some of the lab staff in desperation tried to be kind to his little brother and even read him stories, but they would disappear eventually for days at a time, only to reappear later completely insane, muttering to themselves about rabbits and BEGGING others to play peek-a-boo with them. For a time Gaster tried looking up new ways to raise children on the Undernet, but nothing seemed to work on the little baby bones. Bribes, threats, time-outs, and even spankings did nothing but cause more problems and now they couldn't even be done.
It happened one day while Papyrus was trying to creep him out by hiding under his bed in the dark. He had gotten Gaster to try and get the baby to stop fooling around, only to find out that the little Font had Wingdings. The day after that, Gaster avoided Papyrus like the plague, going near him only when he was too angry to think straight. Sans had asked why one day, but his father avoided the question, burying himself in his work and alcohol.
Papyrus scared EVERYONE to death and what was worse was Sans had to share a ROOM with the little spawn of Satan...today he decided that he couldn't take it anymore.
"dad won't let me change rooms. i can't sleep because of you, but he won't let me change rooms! i'm so tired, but he doesn't even care! *sob*"
Papyrus looked at him quizzically. "You can't sweep?"
"*sob* you give me nightmares...you're scary pappy! you're scary and you give me nightmares and i can't sleep!" Sans started to cry loudly, his shoulders shaking with each sob.
It wasn't fair.
When Gaster had told him he would eventually have a new baby brother, he had been so excited. His dad NEVER played with him anymore and he was so lonely...he remembered going into the stasis wing of the lab everyday to see if his brother would maybe open his eyes. He had wanted to be the first person Papyrus saw, because he'd heard some babies automatically thought the first person they saw was their mommy or daddy. He wanted to make sure that his brother liked him best, so he'd have someone to play with.
Be careful what you wish for I guess.
"Dat's unfortunate. I gots to be scary to keeps you safe!"
"*sniff* keep me safe...?"
Yeah right.
Like Papyrus cared about anyone but himself.
He was always causing trouble and he did it on PURPOSE. He'd break things and blame it on Sans, he'd leave the lab and say someone else let him out. He'd destroy his crib, tear up his toys, and scare people to death on PURPOSE. Sans couldn't COUNT the number of times Papyrus had almost caused an accident from jumping out at people and hugging their faces.
Seriously, what was with the face-hugging?
What? Does he think he's a freaking alien or something?
"Yep I keeps you safe! I scare da' humans away ery night for you! I's a baby scarecrow cept' I scare humans stead of birdies."
He's not trying to scare me?
Really?
He's reeeally trying to protect me?
Pff.
It was true Sans had one HP, but no one else in the lab seemed to care, so why should Papyrus? Sans was constantly afraid someone would knock him over or shove him into a wall and that would be it. He was usually ignored by the staff and his dad always seemed to be too busy to fix his one HP problem, either that or he didn't care.
All it would take was one accident and he'd be gone, but after six weeks it had become clear that no one was interested in helping him regain his font or raise his HP...they had simply given up on him or were concerned more about preserving their OWN lives.
"NOBODY GONNA GET YOU WHILE DA' BABY'S ON GUARD! NYEH HEH HEH!"
Sans looked at Papyrus, wondering if he was telling the truth.
Did Papyrus really care about him?
He DID always follow Sans around and he couldn't think of any good reason for Papyrus to watch him at night, unless he was guarding him from the humans under his bed.
Dad SAID he was a Horror Font...maybe he IS trying to protect me...
Gaster told him a lot about Fonts after Papyrus appeared. It was one of the only times he ever really talked to Sans now. Once he got going it took hours for him to shut up. He said Horror Fonts were suppose to be scary, they were supposed to be scary so they could catch and eat humans.
"Hellwoe?"
They liked being scared themselves too. Sans remembered Gaster popping out at Papyrus back when he wasn't so terrifying, back when Papyrus didn't have such a huge vendetta against him. Sans had been angry at his dad, thinking he was being a jerk to his baby brother, not that he LIKED Papyrus or anything, but..maybe he was actually being kind...?
Does Pappy scare me because he likes me? Like how dogs jump up on people with their scratchy claws?
Sans felt new tears spring into his eyes as he remembered the time when Gaster had got him a dog. It was a really weird thing to do out of the blue, especially since it was nowhere near his birthday or a holiday.
Not that he got presents on those days anyway. Gaster said he was MADE and not birthed, so he didn't get birthday presents.
Cheap ass.
"Big Buther, why you space?"
The dog was probably the first gift Gaster had ever given to him besides his brother and Papyrus did NOT like it. He had gotten super angry when the dog was presented and had tried to run after it with a bone screaming, but Gaster picked him up. It was funny at first because he had thought Papyrus was just jealous, but it quickly turned scary when the dog saw Sans and tried to jump on him with its scratchy claws. He remembered feeling his blood turn to ice when he first saw the claws coming for him. He remembered thinking he was gonna die, but then he heard it.
BLOOSH!
The sound of a Gaster Blaster.
Papyrus had opened fire on the dog and sent it running much to everyone's surprise. He looked absolutely livid despite saving Sans' life and although Gaster had praised him for being able to use the blasters at such a young age, the angry baby bones bit his thumb off and spat it onto the floor of the lab.
"Come back down from space Snas!" said Papyrus lifting his foot and pressing it against Sans' face.
The older skeleton had found out later after Papyrus was put in stasis for a time out that dogs ate bones and spent the whole night crying, CONVINCED that his dad didn't love him and wanted to get rid of him. It was around that time that Sans stopped thinking of Gaster as his dad although he still called him by the name. He had grown much colder towards his entire family in fact and he'd mostly stopped asking for help, knowing no one cared. He still studied science and planned to one day help Gaster as much as possible, but only so he'd see him as useful and wouldn't try to kill him again. He'd actually been conducting experiments already though he was only a kid, hoping to get SOMEONE to like him. Every time Gaster praised him for his work or gave him advice when he failed Sans felt his soul grow cold and sink into his non-existent stomach, knowing he was only receiving kindness because he was doing something for him, not because he was loved.
CLACK!
Sans smiled sadly as he felt his baby brother kiss his cheekbone.
"Wake da' fuk up!" said Papyrus frowning.
"s-sorry bro. i..um..."
"You gots to feel better kay'? I'S the only baby round here and I don't welcome da' competition." Papyrus stuck a finger in his mouth, staring at the wall in front of him.
"you really love me pappy? you're not lying?"
"Baby don't lie!"
"heh..."
Pappy's looking out for me...
CLACK!
"th-thanks bro...*sniff* you're too cool..." said Sans kissing his brother on the forehead.
"Yep, I's a cool bae. I protect you ery night forever! Nobody be scarier than da' baby and baby loves you good!" Papyrus threw his arms up in the air smiling brightly at the wall.
He's..right.
I don't have anything to be afraid of.
"i love you too baby bro."
Pappy's scary, but he's on MY side...
He's my friend.
"Baby loves you all night long!"
"uhh..ye-yeah. thanks for protecting me all those nigh-"
"Baby loves you hard."
And a creep.
"stop that."
"Kay'."
Papyrus crawled under a lab table and pulled out a secret box he had been keeping for emergencies.
"whatcha' got there bro?"
"Fiber gas. It's for Daddy."
Fiber gas?
...............
Wait.
"are you saying fiber gas or fiber glass?"
"Don't drinks any milk tomorrow."
"..........."