A/N: For a quick explanation, this is an AU where humans and trolls live together, non-harmoniously, on the same planet. As it stands now, humans have adapted to living with the dangerous trolls, making laws and rules in order to protect the human populace. A high-standing law is to never trespass into the perimeter where the trolls live. Once a human walks past those boundaries human rights don't apply. So if some poor sap stumbles into the troll district, winds up dead, the trolls cannot be held accountable. If the poor sap somehow survives and the police finds out, then that person is arrested and fined.
There are issues, of course, between trolls and humans. They don't outright hate each other, but you know, racism against various races. Just not against the same species in this picture. Well, unless you wanna refer to the hemospectrum with the trolls.
Prejudices, various issues, lamenting feelings toward each other. Other than that, the humans and trolls live in their own two worlds basically. They don't really mess with each other. It's obvious when someone is getting close to crossing the border that seperates the city into two sides. Tall, slender buildings, one story high shops, and the catwalks one the left side of the alleyway differ greatly from the oddly built structures on the right side. Not to mention warning signs.
Everything is going moderately fine until, you know, someone takes that first step where he shouldn't.
Longer Version of Summary:
See, this city, or in fact, this world is inhabited by both humans and trolls alike. There are hardly any differences between the two races, aside from the grey skin, horns that shaped variously, and sharp teeth. And the major prejudices, albeit covered by laws and a boundary separating the city in half between the humans and trolls.
Sollux Captor, a human, could give two shits about anything to do with the issues that didn't relate to him at all. In fact, he even disregards the line that leads into the side of the city that is unlawful to enter. It's a quick shortcut between his apartment and work.
Just because he doesn't give a damn about the prejudices doesn't mean anything. When he is discovered trespassing, the trolls really aren't too happy seeing a human. In fact, they give a damn pretty violently.
On the bright side, Sollux might learn some new facts about trolls through this ordeal.
Evening was on the verge of changing into night; the sun was already hidden from sight behind the tall buildings of the city. Only the red-orange hues remained in the sky. Within the next hour the sky would have shifted into a black abyss, possibly littered with a few stars that shown beyond the bright street lights that illuminated the dark streets. At the collapse of night, while humans prepared their children for bed or settled down to relax, the nocturnal trolls would begin to stir and awaken. Like many other cities, this city was inhabited by two majorly different races.
Only trolls lived on the eastern part, and the humans lived on the western part. That was the law. It was illegal for people to enter the side of the city that was infested with trolls. The law was to protect people, because trolls were a pretty violent group, especially to creatures with red blood.
The trolls lived by a hemospectrum that tied into the blood they were born with. It basically ran their culture and job status. It was actually intriguing, if anyone stopped to really analyze it. To a regular human, however, it was a quick musing then forgotten.
A lot of prejudices stemmed within the city, just like with any race. It was a tough settlement, but people normally lived their lives just fine if the laws were abided by. No one really had a particularly good reason to violate the invisible boundary line, so everything was more or less peaceful between the two races.
Except for the current moment. The most important law was being ignored, downright broken into a few good thousand pieces. Not to mention that the human committing the crime currently did not give a shit about the law. In fact, he had done this quite a few times, countless times.
Night was dwelling closer. The blackness was eating away at the last remaining daylight colors. The end of the day was just the beginning for trolls, and they would be rousing soon, if not already. It was dangerous to venture into the eastern perimeter at night. In that part of the city, human rules and laws were nothing. So if some poor idiot was seen by a troll, then whatever happened happened.
Sollux Captor knew the risks, but he honestly couldn't bring himself to care. His apartment was only a couple of blocks from where the borderline entered the right side of the city. Currently, he was in the downtown area of the human side of the city, leaving work. He had done research, trying to find a faster way of getting to the district he lived in. The fastest way had been to cut through a small section of the other side of town, and it cut the time in half. Sollux opted to use this dangerous shortcut.
Even as he entered the dimly lit alleyway nothing felt out of place. A quick memory lapsed into his mind, a precautionary thought. The last time he had been here, he had been noticed. He had been caught treading in a place he was not welcome, and he had been attacked. Luckily, he had escaped with only a threat following him. A threat he had only taken half-heartedly. He had avoided going through the area for a while.
That was a month ago. Now he was attempting to walk through the area where he let his life gamble with every step.
As Sollux began to walk deeper into the city filled with violent creatures, he thought he had seen a shadow dance quickly and then disappeared into darkness. It was hard to tell with his 3D-themed shades. A soft scuffle of footsteps rippled the silence, making him pause. When nothing happened, he continued walking.
Sollux turned a corner and only took a moment to glance around before he continued on his way. Maybe if he had inspected a little better he would have noticed the glimmering orange eyes watching him. Maybe it would have saved him the inevitable trouble looming over him. Maybe was too optimistic for how deep this shithole was going to be.
So far everything was going well. He was already halfway through with no hitch. So he let his guard down a little. When Sollux rounded another turn he could see a few structures that resembled the area he lived in. Just a few more twists and turns and he would more in the alleyway that exited out to the human portion of the city.
He had only taken a few steps when he had the shuffling behind him. Sollux felt a nervous shiver crawl down his spine as he turned around. Staring at him with hateful eyes were trolls he should have been looking out for. Except he hadn't been.
He thought he recognized one of them, the one that had spotted Sollux before. Then it suddenly clicked in his brain, and he realized this had been plotted. Shit.
How stupid could he be? On a scale of one to you had to be out of your fucking mind to not be more careful in an area where you could be killed and no one can do a thing about it, it threatened to break the scale itself the levels of stupidity were so high. He really should of listened to the warning, because you don't just don't brush off the person who threatened you. In this case, the troll that threatened Sollux.
"Shit!" Sollux turned tail and booked it down the sidewalk. The group of trolls was right behind him.
Sollux tried to remember the directions he was supposed to take, but the fear that erupted through him erased any inkling of familiar sights. Before he realized it he passed the corner he was supposed to turn, and he screamed internally at how much he was fucking up. At least there was another corner a few feet away.
Maybe it would put Sollux back on track otherwise he would be running blind with death nipping at his heels.
He hardly slowed down as he rounded the sharp turn, almost tripping over his feet. Sollux turned another junction when he saw it and stopped dead in his tracks. This path didn't take him back to where he needed to be. It took him to the dead end of an alleyway. Resisting the urge to double over to catch his breath, the human turned around, hoping he could backtrack before his pursuers caught up.
So much for that idea. The trolls had been right behind him the entire time. He heard them lowly chuckling, some mumbling amongst themselves. He was trapped.
Adrenaline was rushing through his veins; Sollux was beginning to feel the former of the fight-or-flight response. He tried running away, and it only made his situation worse. Although fighting his way out seemed even less promising.
As he was watching the trolls close in on him, he noticed something. There was a door opposite of the dead end, but the odds of it being unlocked were ridiculously low. The odds of Sollux getting past the group equipped with sharp claws and deadly teeth was even slimmer.
Sucking in a breath, Sollux tried to squeeze through a gap between one troll and the brick wall. He felt a hand grip his wrist, heard the command to "Fucking stay put!" With a hard jerk, he freed himself and ran for the door. He grabbed the doorknob and twisted it, his hand slipping off when the handle turned only a little, indicating it was indeed locked.
"Fuck," he moaned. Out of rage he punched the door, his adrenaline settling a brief moment.
He turned to face the trolls that had gathered around him, menacing eyes staring into his own. Back pressed against the door, Sollux brought his arm up to block a punch. The fist that collided with his forearm felt like it shattered the bone, and Sollux couldn't help the cry of pain. Suddenly another hand grabbed his pain-riddled arm and jerked him forward, making him stumble.
"I guess this motherfucker thought he was being a badass, coming back," he heard a troll comment. "Or maybe he just had a death wish!"
A flash of hot pain crossed his chest in an explosion as claws dug into his skin, slicing through his shirt. He visibly winced as he tried to back up. The hand that had pulled him forward was still gripping his arm, and it pulled him forward again, hard. Sharp nails dug into his skin, drawing blood. Sollux heard a hiss when the blood gathered around the hand and began dripping down, falling to the ground.
His bright red blood. His death sentence.
A sudden punch connected with his stomach and he dropped to his knees, all the air whooshing out of him. He choked and strained for oxygen. Above him he heard loud cackles, different volumes from different voices. At least Sollux could die knowing he was the amusement to a couple of assholes at the expense of his pain, more importantly his life.
When he felt the hand release his arm, Sollux took the chance to back up again, staggering to his feet. He tasted copper in his mouth, and he spit the blood out. A miracle would seriously be nice. Dying a brutal death was not something he wanted to experience.
As a couple of trolls approached Sollux, claws ready to attack, a soft clicking noise briefly caught his attention. His eyes remained on the troll that seemed to be the conspirator of this attack when he felt something grab his shirt, tugging him sideways.
This was it. His head was going to be cracked open, and he was going to bleed to death. Sollux closed his eyes, waiting for the moment he would meet the concrete ground.
Instead of meeting unimaginable pain he heard surprised noises and a door shut roughly. When he opened his eyes he was met with a dark room and two glowing eyes looking at him.
"Don't move, human," a voice ordered. It was curt, but it lacked venom.
Sollux was trapped against the wall and felt a curved blade press against his throat, and he had to repress the urge to swallow. Was he going to have his throat slit open? Or maybe, judging by the shape of the blade, it would be hacked right off? God, please, no.
A firm knock at the door made the anger-filled eyes staring at him look away. He saw the shadowed figure shift a little to the side, opening the door. The light that filtered in exposed the troll. He was shorter in size compared to Sollux, but he didn't lack any of the terrifying qualities. Well, minus, the rounded horns on his head.
"What." It wasn't a question; it was a demand.
"You snatched our human. If you're going to kill our fun, you better had killed him." Apparently trolls didn't even talk nice to their own kind. It was the same troll as before, and he sounded really pissed, maybe even upset at the loss of his human punching bag.
The blade against his throat pressed harder, daring to pinch into his skin.
"What the fuck do you think, asshole?" The smaller troll sounded offended that he would even be asked that. Suddenly the orange eyes were glaring at him again, and before Sollux realized it, a hand had snatched his glasses off his face, tossing them out the door. He heard them clatter to the ground. "Now fuck off."
Then the door slammed shut again.
Now the troll had his attention on the pinned human once more, and Sollux was waiting for the moment for the edge of his weapon to slice into him. Except it never happened. Instead the blade was removed from his throat.
Then he punched the troll. Sollux didn't even process the thought until he felt his hand aching. He was still jacked up from the adrenaline rush, still ready to fight. It had just been repressed for the moment.
There was a quick inhale of air from the troll, a mumbled curse, and then Sollux was back against the wall. A clawed hand was digging into his throat, a warning growl filling the air.
Sollux couldn't help but think maybe if he hadn't crossed the line this wouldn't have happened, because he was probably going to die now.
A/N: Any questions regarding this AU can be asked here, but I would actually like to route everyone to my Tumblr account and have them asked there!
I don't mind having conversations about headcanons or ideas. In fact, I welcome them!
I hope people that read this will enjoy it, and if not, please don't leave rude comments.
-Jess