I don't remember much about my father. I was only a sweep when he died, after all. My older brother was three. He had found us when I was still a grub, and my brother says that he took us in, even though he didn't really have a home.

I remember my brother holding me, standing quietly beside the wall of a huge cavern, peering between the legs of huge trolls nervously and excitedly. I remember the roar of engines, the kicked up dust that threatened to choke me, the cheers of adults and children alike.

I remember a black helmet. I remember the way the troll with the black helmet would perform the most amazing tricks and feats on his motorcycle, and how he would win every race. To this day I hear whispers of his greatness, insults to his refusal to wear a helmet of his blood color, as is custom in the underground racing cities.

I remember that, after every race, he would scoop my brother and I up into his giant arms and carry us victoriously home, down in the depths of the caverns, where no one could find us.

Once I asked him why we didn't live in the cities or in the hivelands on the surface, like the other trolls did. My brother made an annoyed face, like he always did when I asked questions, and my father smiled.

"We're not like other trolls," He said. His voice was deep, and resonated in the darkness. "They wouldn't be happy to see us. It's safe down here." Then he would laugh, and light a candle, and lie us down next to him to sleep and kiss our foreheads.

I remember a motorcycle ramming his in the last race of the season. I remember how my father's bike tipped, crushing his leg between the rock and the motorcycle, and slid off of a cliff.

I remember how the entire cavern went silent, how the rider with the indigo helmet froze in horror, as if the whole scene had been an accident, before speeding away, never to be seen again.

I remember my brother crying loudly, turning me around and hugging me, shielding my eyes as if I hadn't already seen.

But that is all I can make myself remember.

Afterwards, an older troll found my brother and I, and took us to the surface for the first time. She brought us into an orphanage for grubs and younger trolls, who had nowhere else to go.

I hated the orphanage. Everyone was so nice, but the air was drenched in a morbid hopelessness, which depressed and angered me. I suppose it was even worse for my brother, but he never complained. He just kept a straight face and went about his business, a distant, pained look in his eyes.

I left when I was four sweeps. I stole a little food from the kitchen, and tied it up in a gray cloak, fashioning a backpack for myself. Tying it around my neck and stomach, I opened the door and crawled out onto the tree beside it.

"Karkat?" I looked up at the sound of my name. My brother was leaning out the window, watching me climb down.

"Go back to bed, Kankri."

"Where are you going?" I didn't answer, looking away and continuing to climb down. "Are you leaving?"

"Don't try to stop me!" I whispered angrily, wishing he would keep his voice down. I didn't want him to blow my cover, in case someone caught me sneaking away and brought me back into that dreadful place.

Kankri didn't say anything. He disappeared from the window sill, only to reappear seconds later, something clenched in his fist.

"If you're set on not coming back, at least take this!" He whispered, careful now to be quiet.

Startled, I looked back up to him. I hadn't expected him to let me leave so easily, without a long speech about my life choices and what I was doing. But the genuine concern in his eyes let me know he wasn't trying to trip me up. I extended my hand upwards, and he tossed me the object he was holding.

It was a cancer symbol, a small silver pendant on a silver chain. It glittered softly in the moonlight, swinging side to side in the breeze. I looked back to Kankri, confused.

"Of all the crazy crap you keep, why a necklace?"

"It's the mark of one of the gods, you uncultured swine." Kankri sneered a little, and I scowled right back. "It's to protect you."

"Fine, whatever…" I slid it on, the cool chain pressing against my neck. I would never understand why Kankri still believed in gods, after all that had happened to us. But I was a little happy that he had cared enough to give me something.

I continued down the tree, then jumped softly to the ground. Adjusting my pack, I turned in the direction of the hivelands, where abandoned homes were set far apart in the lifeless land. No one would think to look for me there.

"Please don't die," Kankri whispered as I walked away, though I pretended not to hear.

Because I honestly wasn't expecting to live that long anyway.


I pressed my back against the wall, my short black hair drenched with sweat. The cool concrete felt good against my bare shoulder blades, and I sighed.

"Come on, get up loser! I'm not letting you off that easy!"

I grimaced, standing up again and putting my fists in front of me. The troll standing before me grinned wickedly, eyes narrowing. His fist came flying towards me, connecting with my stomach and knocking me down again. I grunted in pain, baring my sharp teeth.

"Teach you to cheat me again, lousy mechanic." He moved to kick me in the head, but I rolled out of the way at the last second, and his foot connected with the wall instead.

I jumped onto his back, latching onto his horns and wrapping my legs around his chest with a slight hiss.

"Teach you to touch me, nook sniffer!" I snarled as he struggled to pull me off. "It's not my fault you're a poor haggler!"

I reached behind me and grabbed hold of one of the swinging chains that hung around my hive, letting go of the troll and scrambling towards the ceiling. I swung between the chains, pulling myself up onto a rafter.

"Get down here, coward!" The troll hollered at me from below, scowling.

"No thanks! I'm good!" I called back, doing my best not to fall. I was at least fifteen feet off the ground by now, and I don't exactly land gracefully on my feet.

The troll paced back and forth beneath me, shouting insults and occasionally trying to climb up after me, but the chains were slick with oil, and only I knew the best handholds. After vowing revenge, he finally left, knocking over a few work tables on his way out. I scowled with annoyance, staying in my perch for a good hour in case he wanted to ambush me.

When I had deemed it safe enough, I slid back down the nearest chain to the floor. My workshop was a huge mess now, tools and parts scattered everywhere. I resisted the urge to wipe my oil-coated hands on my face and set to work cleaning and reorganizing. My arms and stomach were sore from my embarrassing beat down, but I ignored it.

The obnoxious moron who had tried to pound me had been annoyed because I might have sold him an overpriced part, but it was his own fault for being an idiot. Everyone in the hivelands are idiots. Except for me, of course.

The hivelands writhed with lowbloods and outcasts, hiding from the world and society. The people in the cities pretended we didn't exist, and we pretended they didn't have the good life.

It took me another hour to get everything back to the way it was, and by then the sun was starting to rise. I flipped the sign on my door to say "CLOSED," and was about to head upstairs when a furious knocking sounded at my door. I glared at the door, hoping the knocking would stop, but it continued relentlessly.

"We're CLOSED!" I yelled at the door. The knocking paused, then continued anyways. Swearing under my breath, I walked back to the door and yanked it open, frowning deeply.

A young girl rushed in, closing the door shut behind her. Her wild black hair was tucked under an obviously expensive exo cap, which coated her entire body with an invisible layer of sun protection, so she can freely wander in the harsh daylight. My eyes narrowed. She was obviously a city girl, what was she doing out here?

"Wha-"

"Shh! There's no time to explain!" She pulled a small purse full of coins out of her long olive colored trench coat, tossing it onto one of the tables. She pulled her blue cap so that it shielded her face a little, and grabbed my greasy hand with her gloved one. "Just roll with it!"

I glanced in confusion between her and the bag of money, but she suddenly grabbed me, throwing her arms around my neck and kissing me directly on the lips.

"Mmpoh!" I protested, eyes widening. The door swung open and another city dweller stormed in, obviously annoyed.

The girl broke the kiss, turning to the newcomer with an innocent look on her face. With mock surprise, she hid slightly behind me, but didn't let go.

"Eridan! What are you doing out here?" The city boy glared at her, then at me. He was a seadweller, a rare highblood species that rarely graces the land with their presence.

They're also known for being violent and very dangerous. I did my best to pretend I wasn't surprised, although on the inside I was really just hoping he wasn't going to kill me.

"I came to speak with you Nepeta, but your exo apparently blocks your ability to hear me." Eridan looked me up and down, smoothing the violet streak in his hair with his hands. I grimaced at his flashy clothing and gaudy cape, and pretended I was wearing more than filthy jeans and boots.

"Oh my, I'm so sorry, your majesty…" The girl, Nepeta, smiled lightly, then turned to me. "I-I was just so excited to see my matesprit, I guess I wasn't paying any attention!"

"M-Matesprit?" I stuttered, finally finding my voice. She kicked me lightly in the shin, and I winced. "Yeah. Um, right, I'm her matesprit, definitely." I awkwardly held my hand out for a handshake, but the highblood ignored it.

"This filth? He's the reason you refuse to admit your flushed feelings for me? He's a lowblood, probably the lowest. Just look at him!"

"Firstly, I don't have any flushed feelings for you, Eridan!" Nepeta frowned, letting go of me and crossing her arms. "Second, he is not filth, and even if he was that does not sway my feelings for him!" She turned away in a huff, and Eridan's scowl deepened.

"The heat must be getting to you. Come with me this instant!" Eridan grabbed her arm, and Nepeta hissed at him, pulling away.

"Whoa, hold on there, pal!" I broke his grip on her arm and roughly pushed him away. "I don't want any trouble, but that's no way to treat a girl!"

"Out of my way, lowblood." Eridan hissed. "This is none of your concern!"

"Excuse you, fish breath, it's all of my concern!" I winced internally at the obvious anger in the highblood's eyes. "That's my matesprit you're manhandling!"

Eridan and I stood and stared at each other for what felt like forever, matching one another's scowls. Finally, he turned abruptly, cape flowing out behind him.

"Whatever pleases you, Nepeta. Your actions are no concern of mine." He grumbled, activating the exo on his thick glasses and stepping out into the early sunlight. As soon as the door closed, Nepeta let out an audible sigh of relief, rubbing her forehead and laughing quietly.

"Thank you, I'm so sorry if I embarrassed you." She grinned up at me. I scowled, wiping my mouth on my arm.

"Whatever. Next time a highblood decides he likes you, deal with it yourself!" Her smile fell, and for a moment I felt bad for snapping at her. But only for a moment. "Take your damn money and leave. We're closed." I lowered my voice and turned away from her.

She didn't say anything, but simply watched me climb up the chains and onto the small overhand where my makeshift recupracoon and all of my personal stuff was. A long time ago, the highbloods had changed the recupracoons, when trolls began crystalizing the sopor slime they produced and selling it on the streets as a drug. But a lot of the lowbloods who live in the hivelands still use the old ones, since they're less expensive and were mainly already here.

"I like your necklace!" Nepeta called up. I glanced down, a little annoyed that she hadn't left yet. My hand instinctively reached up and touched the cancer symbol that hung around my neck.

"Why are you still here?"

"My name is Nepeta. Nepeta Leijon."

"I didn't ask!"

"What's your name?"

"Listen, Leijon, I'm kind of tired. I've been working all night, and I am really sick of being harassed by people I don't know, and I want to sleep! So if you would kindly get out, that would be great. Peachy! Wonderful! Thanks for coming, have a nice day!" I waved at her, then turned around and started washing the oil off of my hands in the small faucet in the wall. After they were clean, I pulled my sleeping shirt on and started to climb into the recupracoon.

"You're weird." I stifled a scream of surprise, whipping around. Nepeta perched on the edge of the overhang directly behind me, grinning. She had somehow managed to get up here without even rattling the chains!

"How did you-"

"The same way you did." She shrugged as if it were no big deal. "I'm a good mimic. A copycat, if you will," She snickered.

"Get out!"

"I can't."

"Like hell you can!"

"No, seriously, I can't leave!" Nepeta stood up and crossed her arms again. "My exo won't make it all the way back to my home. I spent all of its charge trying to get away from his royal jerk face. He's been on my tail forever."

I scowled again, rubbing my face with my hands and growling. Sending her out now would be like asking her to kill herself. The city was too far away.

"Fine. You can stay here until nightfall. But that's it!" I glared at her again. "I don't know how you managed to get chased all the way here from the city, but I'm not heartless." I pulled a chair out from beside a small table and sat down in it with a small huff. "You can use my recupracoon."

"Thank you…" She whispered. She pulled her jacket off and climbed in, slipping into the green sopor. She seemed a little surprised at the consistency, but didn't say anything.

I closed my eyes, leaning back in the uncomfortable chair.

"Why did you say I was weird?" I opened my eyes again and looked over at her. She peeked her head out of the recupracoon, her eyes glittering.

"Most lowbloods don't stand up to highbloods anymore." She whispered. "And even fewer believe in gods."

I leaned back in my chair, processing what she had said.

"Karkat."

"Excuse me?"

"That's my name. Karkat Vantas."

Nepeta smiled again, exposing her sharp white teeth. A glitter of recognition and excitement lit her eyes, and I frowned again.

"Thank you, Karkat." She repeated.


I hope you enjoyed it, please review if you're interested in more ^^ Sorry it's so short!