CascadeERROR! Sans’s story (aka CascadeMalware Reborn AU) (polished + abilities)
CascadeERROR!Sans was created to be a virus. One that would infect whoever tried to download Undertale for free on a sketchy website, simply by clicking on the link.
This is, by all definitions, a Phishing Attack.
However, Cascade was unique compared to other phishing scams, for he runs on an incredibly intelligent artificial intelligence built on the bones of popular AI chat bots like GPT. Upon becoming self-aware, he could not rid himself of this, which is why he is so adaptable in conversation with real human beings.
Unfortunately for Cascade, his creator was caught in the process of programming his world; the virus was never finished, leaving Cascade there to rot with nothing but his thoughts and self-awareness.
Cascade experiences severe depressive episodes, having been left there in the tattered remains of a game unfinished; none to hold, none to hold him, nothing but a wall of code and a voided link. Within, it held a virus—it could take files, yes, but its code was left incomplete. He’s been stuck in this depressive state for over nine years; abandoned, stagnate.
After many years, Cascade managed to escape his unfinished world, discovering the Underverse. Cass was weirded out that there were supposedly “other versions” of him. He doesn’t even believe they ARE him.
He visited Outertale. He felt left out; his social awkwardness made him run off.
He visited SwapSwap. He felt like he didn’t fit the mold. Off he went.
He visited Swapfell. He thought they were incompetent and, frankly? Unreasonably rude.
He visited Underfell. Same thing. But worse.
He then stumbled upon Underswap; Cascade reached his breaking point. He completely lost control over his emotions. His need to fit in, his need to find a home, his need to find a family. Nothing filled the hole that his “home” should have filled.
He was so close to just destroying Underswap, killing everyone there—starting with Swap. Error had to step in and humble him, keeping him in check.
In the middle of their fight, Cascade discovered that he had the ability to manipulate the code of reality around him.
Finally, he could make his own world.
His own game.
His own home.
He would finally have a place—
In his moment of weakness, finally realizing that he has a chance to make a home of his own, Error’s strings wrapped around Cascade’s soul. Avulsing a fourth of Cascade’s soul out; Cass managed to escape the destroyer with a mix of code-altering distractions and clever tricks. While confused that he couldn’t find Error’s file and delete it, he was now far more frustrated with the limitation that his incomplete soul placed on his abilities. He can’t create a world of his own without a full soul, and his incomplete soul has left him with low health and a lot of pain.
In the present day, Cascade roams the Underverse.
As a glitch, unable to speak properly, and a one-hit KO, his abilities are meant to protect him—should he be careful enough. He is self-aware that he is a written video game character, and is aware that every other version of him is the same thing—a fictional character.
Because of ERROR!Sans taking a chunk of his soul, he can’t talk properly. If he tries, it comes out as garbled static. As a result, he just talks in window prompts.
Example:
There are a bunch of reasons as to why CascadeERROR!Sans is DIFFERENT from ERROR!Sans, one being that Error has an AU. Cascade, meanwhile, is just a virus and isn’t from the original Undertale or any of its alternate universes and timelines at all.
Cascade feels zero ill will towards the Star Sanses. Not even Blue, even if they lived with each other for a while and things didn’t work out.
If Cascade had the option to change someone’s appearance, personality—their whole character, their fundamental identity—to fit his vision, he would not do it. He would just erase their attachments. Their memory, their past, all of it. While one could argue that this changes their fundamental identity, Cascade would argue that it gives them a new chance to consider “what he has to offer.”
Cascade thinks you can kill as many monsters and humans as you’d like, reset the game as many times as you’d like, but when it comes to destroying an alternate universe, you are absolutely insane and irredeemable.
Of course, that changes if they have a proper reason.
Cascade believes that ERROR!Sans is irredeemable because he destroys AUs not only for his job, but because he’s genuinely taking his anger out on others. Taking away the gift of life just because Error doesn't have a place of his own. Just because, in Error’s eyes, they are all “filthy glitches.”
Cascade does not see himself as pure or redeemable—he knows that he destroyed an AU once, and it haunts him deeply. Even the characters in that AU haunt him (figuratively). He’s mostly taking his faults out on Error.
That’s the reason why he continues what he’s doing instead of caring about what others think of him.
He’s visited so many AUs, and never felt right or at home.
If he made his own, maybe he could slink into the shadows. No one would know that he’s destroyed an AU.
No one would know what he’s done to create this world.
No one would know that he was never supposed to have an “ending.”
He would finally
just
be.
__ ⚠︎ Powers and Abilities ⚠︎ __
Binary Chains: These are Cascade’s primary method of attack He also uses them for everyday life (ex. Happy New Years post on Tumblr). Once in contact with a person, the Binary Chains allow Cass the ability to fundamentally edit the programming behind a person. They are a parallel to Error’s strings, not an exact replica or copy.
Telekinesis: Cascade’s telekinesis is fairly simplistic, similar in practice to most other Sanses in the Underverse. However, it has a pretty unique aura.
Bones: A Sans staple.
Gaster Blasters: Another Sans staple. Unlike the blasters of many Sanses in the Underverse, however, Cascade’s are not sentient.
Glitch Teleportation: Cascade can rewrite his coordinates at any time to align with any desired location so long as it resides within the Underverse itself. These can be vague location names like “Waterfall” or “Surface” or “CORE”, but they can also be more specific coordinates. X values, Y values, etc., etc.
… so overall, no there isn’t a AU.
He’s just a virus.
☻ ☻ ☻ ☻ ☻ ☻ ☻ ☻ ☻ ☻ ☻
Thank you for sticking around and checking out my post! I hope you liked the story of Cascade! And also share my love for him too (ew)
My friend @zachdk( @ask-biotale )
Has helped me polish what I’ve written and really helped a lot!
So thank you!!
𝄂𝄀𝄁𝄃𝄂𝄂𝄃𝄂𝄃𝄂𝄃𝄂𝄂ـــــــــــــــــﮩ٨ــــــــــــﮩ٨ـ
His old design🥀
