A/N: guys. Guys. GUYS. I UPDATED. ARE YOU PROUD OF ME.

*cries* Sorry, I've been super stressed recently, so my apologies if any of my works get super angsty. Well, moreso than usual, anyway. And also sorry for crappy writing, 'cause I'm far more than a little out of practice. Something tells me I'm going to be writing a lot more in the near future, 'cause something about school makes me want to write fanfiction, so...

Don't hold me to that, 'cause you all know how bad I am with updates T^T

Thanks you seriously to everyone who reads this; it makes me so fucking happy.

~Webs


You sit seething at the other side of the table, glaring at the blonde before you. He keeps the cocky smirk on his face as he looks back at you, elbows leaning on the table. You see Sollux and Gamzee standing off to the side by the kitchen, watching you two with worried curiosity.

"So." You jump a little at the other boy's sudden speaking, looking at him.

"What?"

"What's your muneris?" You blink.

"My what?"

"Your power." He leans back against the booth, cocking his head a little to the side.

"I don't even know your name, and you expect me to tell you something like that?"

"Dave Strider." He leans back forward, holding out his hand. You send a quick glance at Crabdad before taking his hand and shaking it, lips tugging into a firm line.

"As in Dirk Strider, Strider, right?"

"Yup. He's my older brother."

"I see..." Dave cocks his eyebrow.

"So?"

"I'm still not telling you my power."

"I meant your name!" he laughs, more of a giggle-snort. "And don't be so defensive; you really think a Batterwitch spy would be allowed in the Reserves?"

"Could be. Anything is possible, halfwit." OUt of the corner of your eye, you see SOllux start to walk over, the pionic growling a little under his breath. You try to wave him away, but he doesn't listen, sitting right next to you in the booth, and making you scoot over a little. Dave's eyebrow shoots up again at the display.

"You two a couple or something?"

"What?! Of course not!" Your cheeks turn a shade of pink you will never admit was there, resisting the urge to throw the salt shaker at Dave. "I'm trying to have a serious conversation here! What are your powers, and how did you figure out how to get into the Reserves?"

"Easy." Dave smirks, reaching into his pocket and pulling out two black and red pocket watches, setting them in the middle of the table. "These." You and Sollux sit up to get a better look, you reaching out a hand to pick one up; Dave snatches them back away before either of you can touch them, causing you to growl softly.

"Hey."

"Don't 'hey' me. I don't know shit about you either, much less your name, so fuck it if I'm actually going to let you touch these."

"Karkat," you bite angrily. "Karkat Vantas." Even behind his shades, you see Dave's eyes widen, his watches falling back to the table with a clatter. The sound is enough to make you drop your scowl, and for several customers to look around at you three.

Dave hastily picks them back up and shoves them into his pocket again, waiting for everyone else to turn away before speaking again, much quieter.

"You're Karkat Vantas?"

"Yeah..." You send Crabdad and Gamzee another look, starting to get more and more worried by this whole situation.

"How are you even still alive?!"

"I honest to God have no idea what you're talking about." Dave looks around for a moment, then gets to his feet, and grabs your hand, starting to tug you back towards the kitchen. You let out a squeak, and hear Sollux protest from behind you.

Dave stops just inside the kitchen, rounding on you. "Where can we speak that's more private?"

"Fuck if I'm gonna-"

"Karkat, go outside." You and Dave turn to look at Crabdad in surprise, and you realize Dave still has a firm grip on your wrist.

"What?"

"Gamzee will go outside with you, just go." He points to the door, looking upset. You don't know why, so just start pulling Dave towards the door to the pebbly beach, Gamzee following the two of you. Once outside, Gamzee leans against the now-closed door next to where Sollux now stands, cross his arms over his chest and looking at Dave expectantly. You turn your gaze to him as well.

"How do you know who I am?"

"Bro used to work for the police department."

"How does that explain anything?" Sollux demands as you tense up, tightening your hands into fists. Dave notices your reaction, and almost nods in satisfaction.

"I read over your file a while back."

"What was in it?"

"Everything."

"Is no one going to tell me what's going on?" the psionic complains, though shuts up when Gamzee puts a hand on his shoulder, leading Sollux back into the kitchen. You watch them for a moment, then look at Dave again.

"Everything was in there?" Dave nods, sticking his hands in his pockets with a solemn look.

"Do Clownface and Crabdaddy know about it?"

"But not Sollux."

"You plan on telling him...?" You wince a little, looking down at your feet.

"I... don't know. He's new; young. He's the most powerful psionic I've seen."

"He doesn't like his power." You shake your head.

"I'm worried that if I tell him about me, he'll ask me to... you know. I don't want him to know how I killed them." After a long moment of silence, Dave nods with a small sigh. "It'll only put him in more danger to know about me."

"I understand. You want me to keep quiet about it then, I take it?"

"Yeah, if you wouldn't mind..." The blonde manages a small smile that isn't a smirk.

"I guess I can tell you my muneris then, since I already know yours."

"Before you do that, what the fuck is a muneris?" Dave chuckles a little, pushing his hands further into his pockets.

"It means gift. Bro and I use it instead of shit like power and stuff. We're a bit weird." He shrugs. "Anyway, my muneris is Time."

"Time?"

"Time."

"I meant elaborate."

"I can control time, to an extent." He pulls out his watches again, taking a step closer to you as he holds them out and opens them. They look pretty ordinary, aside from the numbers being strange symbols you've never seen before, and the gear imprints on the face. "This one," he holds out the one with a red gear. "controls time. I can wind it back or forward to the time and date I want, and I'll be the only one who notices. This one," he holds out te black gear one. "controls universes. And by that I mean alternate timelines."

"And what do you mean by alternate timelines?" He scratches the back of his head, stuffing his watches back away.

"Well, it's rather complicated, even for me. Basically... an alternate timeline is a offshoot universe that is changed by the choices someone made. Like... Hm, there's a universe for every combination of choices ever made. Like, a minor offshoot would be if you had toast instead of oatmeal for breakfast."

You cock your head a little, not sure if you actually want to ask if... "And a major offshoot would be...?"

"Like if your parents hadn't died. Or if the Batterwitch never came into power. Or even if she was a good empress." You nod, having had that suspicion, and look down at your feet.

"So... there's somewhere out there with people without... munerises?"

"Yes..." Dave says cautiously, giving you a funny look. "But you can't get there."

You glance up from your feet. "Why not?"

"Because only I can use the watches, and only for a little bit. I always have to come back, because this is my timeline."

"How can you tell?"

"It's where I come back to when my time runs out." You let out a small sigh, looking away from him again for a long minute.

"Right. I knew it was a stupid idea anyway."

"Hey." Dave puts a hand on your shoulder. "It'll all be fine. One day, we'll take down the Batterwitch." You sigh again.

"I'm counting on it."


A/N: Psyche. You guys thought I'd be telling you Karkat's powers, did you? Hold your breath; it'll be soon. Maybe.

I don't think I have anything else to say... Other than thank you again for reading, sorry for shit writing, sorry for late updates, and onions are delicious.

Ciao for now!

~Webs

Oh, wait, also: I'll be doing just a few more backstory chapters, then I'll be jumping into the scene that I put at the very beginning. Six more backstories, tops.

EDIT: Oh my god, guys, why didn't you tell me about all these grammar/spelling mistakes?! *cries* I am soooo soooorry