Mono looks at Alex with a confused head tilt. "Trade?" He asked simply, relaxing on the counter.
"Yeah." Alex continues. "This is a sort of in-between place, so while you're safe from the monsters out to get you, you also can't really go anywhere but back where you came from."
The kids look at the door, Mono shivering a bit as Six curls up and hugs her legs.
"So, instead of... that," He waves at the door. "I figured I could take you somewhere else. I'm hoping the System will help me out with it since it'll be considered a trade, but-" He shrugs a bit. "I don't know how that'll look."
They stare at him for a good minute or so, Mono thinking about the offer while Six pulls a wrapped piece of candy out of her pocket.
"Just, think on it, alright?" Alex tells them, showing there's no pressure. "I'm sure I could find somewhere-"
*Ding*
Everyone's gaze snaps to the door, two in fear and one in slight confusion. Who else from Little Nightmares would be able to enter?
"Woah, this place is a daycare now?" Momo comments the instant she steps in, Okarun entering right after.
"Alex?" Okarun asks, question implicit as they stare at the two children on the counter.
"I told you both what this shop was, right? Multiversal shenanigans are bound to happen." He shrugs, not really answering.
"Why are you so small?" Momo looks at Six, narrowing her eyes. "Are you like a baby?" She moves a finger to poke her.
*Chomp*
Six bites down onto her finger, Momo yelping and pulling back quickly, holding her now bleeding hand. "Ow! Ok, I swear I'm gonna-"
"Miss Ayase!" Okarun comes to Six's rescue, trying to pull her back. "She's just a kid, give her a break!"
"This little brat is gonna get it if I have anything to say about it!" Momo throws out her hands, her invisible telekinetic hands flying towards an alarmed Six, who could almost sense that something was off.
Luckily for Six, Mono could also feel something was wrong.
Stepping in front of her, holding out a hand as Momo's power slammed down onto them, stopped by a weird interference, a crackling barrier held in front of him as everyone just... pauses.
Okarun broke the silence first, hesitantly speaking. "Uh, Alex? What's happening? Is he...?" He trails off, not wanting to say possessed like he was.
"Nah, different world, different situation." Alex casually states, leaning calmly against the counter. "They're from a world where giant eldritch things steal children through an interdimensional portal in their dreams, so they can hurt and consume them."
The silence returned full force, everyone looking at him blankly.
"B-but, th-the powers..." Okarun tries to point out, as he's at a loss for words.
"Some kids are better in tune with the entities than others, grants them special abilities." Alex pats Mono's paper bag head casually. "He can tune into the Static, grants him a wide variety of abilities, like teleportation, reality manipulation, you know, basic stuff."
'I'm starting to enjoy messing with people.' He admits in his head, having some fun at the shock on their faces.
"Ok, ok. Pause." Momo holds her arms out in an X format. "What?"
"What?" Alex grins at her, tilting his head. "Didn't understand something?"
She pointed at him threatening, almost growling a bit. "Shut up! This is a lot to drop on someone out of nowhere!"
"I agree with Miss Ayase." Okarun says, recovering from his shock a bit. "But I need to know, are they alright?"
'Ah, that's the question, isn't it?'
"Yes and no." Alex states simply. "Yes, because in here they can't be touched by those entities, they only seem to have a grasp on one world out there, so they're safe for now."
"And, no?" Momo almost hesitates to ask.
"No, because they can't go anywhere else right now." He continues. "Before you two showed up, I didn't know customers from different universes could be in the same room together. I don't know if they can just change what universe they live in, but I'd still need to find one that they like, or is at least good for them."
Silence once again.
"Trade?" Mono speaks up, holding out a hand.
"Oh?" Alex looks at him for a split-second of confusion. "Wait, you want to trade it?" He asks, genuinely shocked.
"Wait, trade what?" Momo asks, not enjoying being out of the loop.
"His powers." Alex offhandedly says, leaning down to eye level to Mono. "You saw how you could use them to protect your friend, are you sure you want to get rid of them?" He asks again, waiting to see if Mono will take back the offer.
He doesn't.
"I don't need them." He simply says. "If I go somewhere without danger, they're useless."
'That's a simple way to look at it...'
Kids, ya know?
"If you're sure." Alex shrugs in agreement, holding out his hand as well. "So, I take your burden of power from you, in exchange I offer a place you want to be at away from those monsters, deal?"
"Deal."
They shake hands, nothing happening for a minute as silence overtakes the shop once again. Then-
Mono's form seems to shake, glitching a bit as an almost mist-like substance leaves him, hovering slightly away from him as it shudders back and forth in the air, a faint buzz overtaking the shop.
Only to latch down onto Alex's arm, sinking into his flesh as it looks almost like it's crackling, the buzz disappearing as Alex feels a new connection he's never noticed before, his muscles relaxing once the visuals are done.
"Huh." Alex states, looking down at his hand as he let go of Mono. "I see what you mean now, it's... louder than I expected."
Mono, however, was too busy looking at his own hand, almost perfectly still as he seemed to search in himself, trying to find any trace of the Static drawing him to that Pale City.
There was nothing, he was finally alone in his mind and body.
"Well, time for my end of the bargain." Alex pipes up, glancing at Mono with a bit of a sad smile. "Not sure how long it'll take if I'm honest, what with the multiverse being infinite and all tha-"
*Ding*
The shop is filled with the feeling of warmth, kindness, and the smell of Butterscotch Pie. Walking through the door, ducking a bit to fit, is a tall Goat lady, wearing a long purple dress with a heart shaped emblem on her chest. Inside it was two wings with a small circle between them, three diamonds underneath it. With horns poking out the top of her head, long floppy ears and kind eyes, she enters the shop with a warm smile.
"Greetings." Toriel glanced over everyone, noting the tension. "I'm not interrupting anything, am I?"