Ava ducked behind a corner as a bone flew past her. She struggled to regain her breath, clutching her chest. Ava was used to dodging, she was a self proclaimed expert. But running while dodging? She might as well be handing herself over to the people who wanted her dead. Why did she have to abuse her power? Why didn't she just stop when everyone she cared about was free? Most importantly, why did she run away from consequences when they came for her? AND THE NARRATION OF THIS UNIVERSE APPARENTLY ONLY LEFT HER WHEN SHE LEFT THE UNIVERSE, SO NOW WHENEVER SHE DID SOMETHING SHE WOULD HEAR A VOICE REPEATING EXACTLY WHAT SHE DID!
Ava had lost track of how long it had been since she had fallen back into the underground. She had been too busy trying to stay alive long enough to run again. She didn't know when she could get back to the universe with the Hamato family. She didn't even know if she COULD get back. She obviously couldn't control her portals. If she could she would never have come back to this universe, to this timeline. She hadn't eaten in days, no, he would be there. He could sense wherever she ran, wherever she hid. Every time she found a safe spot she had to get moving almost immediately or he would catch her. She had run out of her healing items, she couldn't afford another injury.
Ava heard the sound of bony feet clacking against the path. She bolted further down the corner, barely skidding to get around it before a laser shot past her. She needed to make it to hotland. Ava knew she couldn't run forever. Least not in this universe. Soon or later she would mess up. She would let down her guard, and she would die. She had gotten lucky so many times, and she knew it. And her will to live wouldn't save her when she had a sharpened magic bone stabbing her throat. But she had a plan.
She ran across the bridge to hotland, the flowing magma around her heating up the air. She looked back, seeing there was no one. She was lucky he had less stamina than her. It wasn't much less, but she could outrun him so long as he kept using up his magic to attack instead of teleport. He had teleported a couple times, but when he did he could only use his weaker attacks. Ava pulled out her old phone. She had found it in HIS room, for a reason she couldn't fathom. Maybe he too remembered the good times they had. She stole it back because it had the map of the Core. It had a map of which areas had railings.
He had told her how his father died, when they were on good terms. His father had fallen into the Core, the raw magic splitting his body apart. Monsters were made of magic. However Ava had researched in Alphy's lab while hiding there once. When a human absorbed a monster soul, what made them powerful was the magic of the monster's soul combining with their DT, causing it to rise to astronomical levels.
So what if Ava jumped in? The magic might split her apart like his father, but with just a few seconds of exposure, she might have enough DT to make another portal. The plan was crazy. DT had never been an accessible resource in the underground. The research on it was based on observations, there had been so little testing. But it was her best hope. If she died from him, there was no coming back. If this didn't work, she would feel her body being ripped apart and be forced to remain conscious the entire process. To be awake as her body was pulled apart, her soul being crushed into dust leaving her in a state of non-existence accompanied by excruciating pain every waking moment. But she had no other choice.
Ava ran onto the raised platform of the core, staring down at the boiling magic. She couldn't do this. What if's ran through her mind like a stream, possibility after possibility. What if it didn't work? What if she would die immediately? What if she didn't die immediately? What if she was burned so badly she couldn't even move? What if she summoned the portal too late? What if-
"WHERE ARE YOU?!" Ava's head whipped around as she heard his furious voice. Her what if's were shoved away. Just as Sans appeared behind her, she jumped.
* * *
Ava was flung out of the portal, water engulfing her. She screamed out, the sudden intensity from hot to cold feeling like knives on her skin. Cold? Ava sat up, looking around. She was in a fountain. She was alive! It worked! Or she had enough DT to make a portal and nearly jumping into the active volcano that was the core was pointless.
As Ava looked around her surroundings, her heart jumped. This was the hidden city. All around her were staring Yokai. She was home. Ava jumped to her feet, outside of the fountain, whooping in victory. "I DID IT! IT WORKED! I'm-"
"STOP!" Ava turned to see the undercity police, wielding their electric pikes. Before she could react, they shot a burst of electricity at her. The electricity grazed her arm, sending shocks through her body. She fell to the ground, her body spasming as heat rushed from her arm. She clung to consciousness, yet her grip on it was slipping. "You are under arrest by the outlaw of Councilor Leo." Was the last thing she heard before her vision went blurry and then black.