KARKAT'S POV

Karkat sat at his desk in his room, the laptop he'd brought with him that day open next to him while he drew and talked to some of the other trolls he'd met. In the time he'd arrived there, he got a message from Kankri nearly everyday, the messages saying how much Kankri missed him and such. Karkat never replied to them though. He still couldn't bring himself to do it. Even after a week of doing the same shit every fucking day.

He hadn't spoken to Gamzee. Not once since that day. It left a dull ache in his chest but he managed to push it off. He had bigger things to worry about. Word was speeding fast about some unlucky prisoner who was to be executed soon. Aradia, a nice rust blooded troll he'd met, said that she had seen the E%ecutioner's descendant the other day. Fortunately Karkat knew that it was Equius and probably wasn't that big of a deal. The asshole couldn't even touch a weapon without breaking it.

Nevertheless, Karkat found his best friend pestering him about it.

- [TA] twinArmageddons began trolling [CG] carcinoGeneticist at [?] -
TA: you heard what aa 2aiid riight
CG: HARD NOT TO WHEN SHE CAME RIGHT UP TO ME AND SAID IT TO MY FUCKING FACE
TA: oh yeah
TA: you thiink he2 here for you
CG: HOW THE FLYING FUCK WOULD I KNOW
TA: ii dont know
TA: you are the mo2t extreme ca2e iin here
TA: the re2t of u2 were ju2t caught
CG: YEAH THANKS FOR REMINDING ME ASSHOLE
TA: no problem bro
CG: ...
CG: DUDE DID YOU FUCKING DIE WHAT THE HELL
TA: 2orry aa wa2 talkiing two me
CG: WHAT DID SHE SAY?
TA: there2 two guard2 out front
TA: 2he 2aiid theyre arguiing about 2omethiing
TA: and they have chaiin2 that look liike the 2ymbol on your 2hiirt
CG: WHAT THE FUCK?
TA: hell iif ii know
CG: ANYTHING ELSE?
TA: no
TA: dude they ju2t walked past my room
TA: ii thiink theyre headiing toward2 your2
CG: DUDE I SWEAR IF YOURE FUCKING WITH ME
TA: ii 2wear two jegu2 iim not kk

Karkat jumped when the door to his room burst open. Sure enough, two guards with shackles were standing by his door, seeming to be glaring at him. Before he could react they were upon him, picking him up out of his chair by the collar and shoving him against the wall. They pulled his arms back and he felt cold metal press against his wrists. The metal was heavy and dug into his arms, making him want to yelp out in pain. But they grabbed him by his hair and yanked him backwards, steering him towards the door.

His friends were all standing in the main lobby, probably being forced to watch the mutant as he passed. As much as he wanted to cower and hang his head low, he managed to keep it held high as a message for his friends that he was okay.

They made a bee line for the building across from the D.E.A.D. facility. He didn't know what this building served for but just before he was able to get through the doors, he was hit across the head with something that felt like a large stick. He wobbled a bit from the shock and then blacked out, hearing shouts around him before he completely went under.

GAMZEE'S POV

Gamzee glared down at the lifeless body under him, fake red blood splattered across his shirt and skin. For days he'd been at this, forced into simulation after simulation of destroying dummies that resembled the one troll he used to call his matesprit.

Everything he saw was purple for a moment before his vision returned and he grinned down, pulling himself up and kicking the body over to the pile that had accumulated over the days.

It wasn't long before another clone appeared, this one bearing two bright colored sickles, his red eyes glowing through the purple haze that had returned upon seeing him. Gamzee scoffed as the clone started at him, simply grabbing the realistic dummy by its throat when it got close enough. Gamzee snatched one of the sickles from the clone's hand and dragged the tip of it down his chest and stomach, bright red blood flowing out of the wound. Gamzee watched the power leave the dummy and it slacked in his grip, the head falling to the side.

He threw the dummy across the room, laughing as the robotics crunched from the force. That was the last one for the day. The last ones always had weapons. The real day was approaching soon though. The day of the execution for Karkat. The name meant nothing to him now, his think pan completely wiped from everything about that troll thanks to some shit Kurloz had forced him to take. But what did he care?

A tingly sensation ran up Gamzee's body starting at his feet and slowly climbing up his body until he was completely over come with the feeling. He'd only felt this one other time before, when he was with Karkat, but this time he fully welcomed it, letting the insanity fill every corner of his being. A low laugh started in his throat, slowly rising until he had fallen onto the floor, laughing like a maniac in a pool of red blood. He stayed like that for what felt like hours before Kurloz lifted him up, making no move to say anything. He led the younger troll out of the room, letting Gamzee laugh his ass off like an idiot. It was only a few days before Gamzee would be ready to witness his old matesprit's trial. He wouldn't be the one to kill the mutant though. He would just be there to make the occasion more painful. Another troll would be the one to kill off the mutant. Gamzee knew this troll to be Equius, the lowest of the Highbloods.

Kurloz led the laughing clown to the Highblood's room, where Gamzee had first been before he changed. No words were said. It was apparent that Gamzee was ready. The trial could take place soon. All that was left was to get the execution yard ready and all would fall into place.

Karkat's POV

The mutant awoke in a dungeon cell lying flat on his back on cold concrete. He was dazed and really had no idea of what had happened until the shackles digging into his back painfully reminded him. Karkat groaned and rolled over, relieving the pain momentarily. He had a pounding headache from whatever he had been hit across the head with and that just made him grumpier than usual.

"Stupid fucking assholes..." He grumbled. He heard foot steps from somewhere and soon Sollux appeared in front of the metal bars, being escorted by another guard.

"Hey KK."

"What the fuck do you want?"

"I'm just here to visit no need to get pissy with me. You're lucky they'll even let you have visitors."

Karkat sighed and turned his head away. What did Captor want anyway? So what, Karkat was being put on trial, but what should he care?

"So why are you here."

"Oh you know to say bye to my friend before he's murdered in front of every high blood ever."

Karkat cringed and closed his eyes, glad to hear the shuffling of feet and then silence. Brutally murdered huh? Such a noble way to die at the hands of historic assholes trying to keep old Alternian law intact on earth.

He didn't even know what to think anymore. Kankri probably thought he was already dead so that didn't matter too much. Nobody at school probably missed him. The other trolls at D.E.A.D would probably think of him but not much more. And who even knew about Gamzee. He knew he wasn't dead, word would have spread around, but the silence about it was just as terrifying. What had they dome to him? Was there even still a Gamzee? God he wished he knew.

/ Hey guys, homestuckAssemble here! I'm sorry this upd8 took so long and is so short. I've been really caught up with school and stuff. We just started a new trimester and everything is crazy. But I have this so I hope you liked it. There won't be much more to the story. Probably just one or two more upd8's and then its finished. Any questions/comments/concerns can be directed at ask dot fm where they will be answered for your pleasure. If you have Tumblr instead you can follow me at honk-honk-mothafucka and I'll answer you sooner or later. Bye!/