The entire country was in turmoil, and I didn't even know it. My name is Karkat Vantas. I am what you call abandoned. I grew up with my sister, Aradia, at an orphanage. Even though we're twins, we have nothing in common. While she has black hair, cobalt eyes and freckles, I'm an albino, the whole nine yards. The pitiful desperate screams of the housemaids shook me out of my dead sleep. I've already been yelled at for roaming in my boxers, so I pulled on a torn pair of gray skinny jeans, my signature black cancer shirt and a white jacket. All of my thrashing woke my sister.

"What the hell are y0u d0ing, Karkat?" she 'whispered' to me

"0h yeah because y0u're intimidating with y0ur bare hands."

Her sarcasm always pissed me off, but I knew she didn't mean a word of it. I rolled my eyes. Grabbing my shotgun from under my bed, I stormed out of room. I could barely hear her-

"Well that's a bit much."

I continued down the stairs of the orphanage and into the lobby. I almost couldn't comprehend what I saw. A mass pile of bodies was walking in the dissipated door. Some had turned their attention to the housemothers while they screamed from the rotted teeth ripping into their flesh, but others saw me as their next meal.

"OH HELL NO!" I shouted.

I pointed my rifle and fired at the three zombies closest to me.

Aradia

She was upstairs most likely trying to fall asleep. My own safety didn't matter anymore. I needed to get her out of there. I bolted up the stairs just to smack into her.

"0uch Karkat! Why did y0u fire the gun?" she questioned with a rather pissed off appearance. "0h my g0g, y0u're s0 pale. Y0u seem s0 melanch0ly. What's the matter?"

"N-NO TIME," I stammered. "WE NEED TO GO."

She tried to stop me. She tried to ask for an explanation, but I wouldn't let her. I know she isn't as fast as me, so I had to get her ahead.

"I NEED YOU TO TRUST ME WHEN I SAY THIS, GO TO OUR ROOM. GRAB ALL THE WEAPONS AND CLOTHING YOU CAN AND WAIT ON THE FIRE ESCAPE," I demanded, trying to sound as serious as possible.

She nodded and took of down the hallway. I turned around to assess exactly how many of these things had noticed I took off. Nothing was behind me. I continued at a full speed to our room. How could this have happened? A world just doesn't end over night.

I burst through the door. No one was there. Our dressers had been ransacked and all of my weapons and hidden blades were missing. Well someone knows how to clean up fast. I laughed at the thought and ran for the fire escape. There she was, two backpacks in hand fully loaded with firearms and ammunition. Not to mention her first-aid kit strapped nicely along her strap. Shotgun still in hand, I jumped from the second story down to the dry grass field that surrounded the orphanage.

They were everywhere! Countless bodies of everyone at the orphanage. Kids, nuns, maids, everyone was dead, walking around like they were living.

"W-what are th0se?" Aradia stammered behind me.

I felt bad for her. She was one of those lucky girls that always saw the bright side of everything. How could I crush my little sister's dreams of happiness? Technically, she was my little sister. I came out first. A tugging at my arm ripped me out of my thoughts.

"Karkat, we need t0 g0! C0me 0n! St0p standing there like a statue!" she was yelling at this point with tears streaming down her face.

She slapped me.

"Let's g0! We need t0 save 0ur friends!"

I scowled at her. She literally just slapped me. All right, she wants to go, fine! I grabbed her hand and drug her behind me. I knew she was having a hard time keeping up, but my face was having a hard time turning back to it's pastel white.

"WHO DO YOU SUGGEST WE GO TO FIRST."

"I was thinking ab0ut that while y0u were taking y0ur dear, sweet time saying g00d-bye. G0g, y0u can fade 0ut at the m0st critical times!"

I was annoyed with her complaining.

"CAN YOU JUST TELL ME YOUR PLAN INSTEAD OF YELLING AT ME ABOUT MY INSECURITIES."

She huffed.

"Alright, I was thinking we needed t0 g0 retrieve th0se cl0sest t0 us f0r the sake 0f us n0t wasting 0ur energy w0rrying ab0ut their survival. First, we sh0uld g0 get the pe0ple that live cl0sest t0 us."

I wondered for a minute. First would be Kanaya, then Equius and Nepeta then Sollux, Feferi, Dave, and John. Oh shit! John! Knowing him, he's probably hunkered down with his dad while these… things are trying to go about getting in his house. Alright time to go. I turnedand began to run, but Aradia caught my arm.

"0h n0! We're n0t immediately g0ing past al0t 0f 0ur friends t0 save y0ur b0yfriend!" she poked.

"HE'S NOT MY BOYFRIEND!" I snapped.

"y0u want him t0 be," she replied.

"WHAT THE FUCK EVER! FINE, LET'S JUST GO GET KANAYA!"

My arrogant little sister turned on her heels and nodded triumphantly. Here we go, through the world to keep everyone alive.