The pups had kept up well throughout the rest of Waterfall. Hotland on the other hand... heat and fur didn't mix, it took the parent Skeleton some time to get them into the Lab for their checkup. "S-Sans, pups! I-I'm glad y-you could make it! Orion, w-wanna go first?" Sans knew exactly why. She wanted to check his eyes again. It's been like that since the attack happened. Sans didn't blame her at all, he worried about it as well. They'd been working on it though since they healed up. The other two followed after their brother, wanting to keep him in their sights. He trusted his pups with Alphys, Sans knew nothing would harm them in Al's care... which gave him some time to get answers. He took a shortcut into the True lab, throwing the Amalgamates a bone as he traveled deeper into the Doc's main workspace. He located his old office quickly, sifting through files and files of wingdings inscribed papers. Could he escape, was Gaster after him? He needed to know, he needed to keep his little ones safe! He found papers relating to the C.O.R.E quickly. "here we go!"

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It took him a few minutes to recall wingdings before he could properly read what they said, but he was finally getting somewhere. Notes about the C.O.R.E's design, its functions, problems they'd had with it, the planes it- He snatched that up, reading it closely. It crossed into three, possibly four planes of existence... or non existence. Was there a way he could come back... Sans froze, noticing the room darken. It was cold, but he couldn't see his breath. There was something in the room with him. He felt like he was suffocating, he couldn't breathe, something was strangling him! His hands went to his neck, something was there yet he felt nothing. Sans whined, stumbled away, and grabbed for anything that could help him breathe as he collapsed to the floor. In a last-ditch effort to break free before he passed out, he took a shortcut back to the Main Lab. In that split second, he saw him. His distorted smile and black sockets in Sans face while holed hands removed themselves from Sans throat. "✋︎ ✌︎💣︎ 👍︎⚐︎💣︎✋︎☠︎☝︎📬︎📬︎📬︎" Was all he said before Sans crashed to the floor, gasping for air.

🐕🐕🐕

He really didn't want his kids to see him like this, he already stressed them out with his PTSD bull. Unfortunately, they were there anyway when he was found. He still felt like he couldn't catch his breath, like something was stuck in his throat. Alphys ended up preforming CPR to try and help help him out. Definitely not a good experience for the pups. This is why Sans never poked the bear... He coughed and turned onto his side as a black, tarlike substance was thrown up, leaving Sans scared and uneasy as his kids hugged onto him for dear life. Those words were ringing over and over in his skull, making him afraid, not just for himself, but for his pups who shouldn't have to go through what he went through. 'I AM COMING, I AM COMING, I AM COMING...' There was a reason he pushed W.D. Gaster into the C.O.R.E. He was coming and Sans felt helpless to do anything. The damn skeleton nearly killed him and he didn't even exist yet! Maybe... "S-Sans, o-oh m-my s-stars, a-are y-you o-ok?!" Alphys stammered, at the brink of tears. What could he tell her? A guy that was coming back to kill him or worse? "no... karma is catching up with me."