UPDAAAATE! Thank you guys for being so patient with me! I'm sorry it took so long! I'm almost done with the next chapter though, so hopefully it'll be out really soon! Please let me know if you see any errors! I'm ALWAYS welcome to constructive crits! Thanks to everyone who has been following this story! I love ya'll!
Check this awesome fanart for chapter 9! art/To-Live-for-Life-Fanart-310861705
Chapter 10
"Karkat we have to leave!" Vriska shouted over the older troll's battle cries. "They're going to be heard and there's going to be a hell of a lot of trouble!"
"But the Batterwitch, she has John's Lusii!" He protested, tugging against Vriska's hold on him.
"There's nothing we can do about it now! Even I know when I've been beat. We need to get back to the others! I can't hold out for much longer." She grabbed her head with her other hand, grimacing in pain.
Karkat took a deep breath, his eyes tracking the movements of their ancestor's battle. The Lowbloods were desperately outnumbered. "What about them? I know they didn't do it out of compassion but they did help us."
"You're not a "heroic war leader" anymore, Vantas." Vriska hissed. "You don't have to care about anyone other than our group! They hate us! Let them die!"
"But if we help the Sufferer maybe they'll help us get back Jake and Jane! Even my shitty ancestor should know when a debt needs to be paid."
"What aren't you getting about me being too damn weak to do a damn thing?" The end of her sentence was cut off by a feral shriek from the Disciple as the Grand Highblood smashed a club into her side. Hissing she leapt at him, viciously clawing his arm.
Torn in indecision, Karkat opened his mouth to reply when suddenly the world was filled with blinding light. The earth shook as bolts of electricity shot through the air, blue and red.
"Oh my god." Vriska whispered, wide-eyed, her hand falling limply to her side. "Sollux is going to be like that one day." The air itself vibrated with energy as the Ψiioniic floated into view.
"You didn't think we'd come without backup, did you, Condesce?" The Sufferer's fangs gleamed at his enemy as his sickle tangled with her trident. "Even with all your might, none of you can stand up to Ψiioniic's abilities!"
"He's right, Meena." Mindfang growled out from her grapple with the Summoner. "Retreat might be in our best interest as of now." She elbowed the male troll in the guts, knocking the wind out of him before following with a roundhouse kick that sent him crashing into a tree. "And I can only shield so much from the human's eyes and ears. With the Ψiioniic here we're going to get noticed."
"Fine!" The Condesce spat out, twirling her trident and shoving the Sufferer back. "But don't think this is a victory for you, Signless. If the humans got involved it would be meddlesome and a bother to deal with. Good bye, worthless scum blood."
All the Highbloods disengaged from their opponents and drew close to the Condesce. Before their eyes the group vanished, Meena's unsettling grin the last thing they saw.
"How did they—!" Karkat gaped.
"They probably had a portable transportilizer with them. Or something of the sort." Vriska mumbled, taking a step back but stumbling slightly. "Vantas, can we please go now?"
Karkat hesitated a moment more. Without the help of the Lowbloods rescuing John's Lusii would be highly improbable.
"Everyone, we need to leave. We have no purpose here anymore." The Sufferer called to his followers.
"Wait!" Karkat threw a glance back at Vriska, who looked like she was having trouble standing, before he dashed over to his ancestor.
"What now, you meddlesome grub?" The red-blood muttered in annoyance, closing his eyes and sighing heavily. "I have an operation to run and don't have time to deal with your antics."
"But you heard what the Batterwitch said. About English and Crocker." Karkat insisted.
"So?" The Sufferer's eyes darted to the side, and he looked slightly uncomfortable.
"They were your friends." The younger troll ground out. "Doesn't that mean a damn thing to you?"
"It's none of my concern. They knew what they were getting into when they tried to infiltrate the Highblood's base in the first place."
Karkat froze. "What? You mean they knew that you were all here? Does that mean Roxy and Dirk know too?" He demanded, stepping forward angrily.
The Lowblood leader scoffed. "Of course they know. They've known since the moment we laid foot on this cursed planet."
"Oh hell no. This shit is going down when we get back to the school." He glared at the Sufferer. "And if you won't help us, we'll figure it out for ourselves. I won't rest until I save John's Lusii."
The Sufferer laughed. "You're dedication to the human is admirable, if not extremely stupid. You're all going to die in a useless task if you choose to attempt this. Not to mention you'll be getting in our way. Your actions could disrupt our plans to destroy the Highblood's base once and for all."
"You can't do that! Not while Jake and Jane are being held there!" Karkat snarled.
The older troll tilted his head up arrogantly, a smirk playing at his lips, flashing his fangs. "Watch me." With that he turned on his heels, sweeping his cloak around himself as he strode off, the rest of the Lowbloods close behind him. Karkat continued to watch them retreat until they vanished into the nearby forest, wrapped in the darkness.
He heard a soft thud behind him and he spun around to see that Vriska had collapsed, blood oozing red from her mouth and turning blue as soon as it no longer touched her body, pooling on the ground.
"God Damnit!" He hurried over to her, going to his knees and pulling her upper body into his lap. "Wake up, stupid spiderbitch!" He slapped her face, and when she still didn't respond, he growled and hauled her into his arms before standing shakily. "I'm too tired for this." He groaned, taking a few steps towards the road. "Oh, and what are you going to do, Karkat, when you get over there and the fucking idiotic humans see you and flip the fuck out because you're carrying a bleeding girl away from the hospital? Huh, I wonder how well that'll go down? But you can't really stay here, now can you? With Mindfang's veil gone the stupid-ass guards can find you in no time flat. You're lucky you've lasted this long without detection." He ranted at himself inwardly. "And even if you clean Vriska up, how you are going to find a cab willing to take two teenagers, one being passed out, at fucking two thirty in the morning? You know what that leaves you with? A fucking long walk. It took three hours running. Now you have to walk carrying someone. Do you realize how long that will take? ARGH this is all the spiderbitch's fucking fault!"
Deciding he should first head into the forest to clean them up, he staggered under the shelter of the trees, trusting his nose and ears to guide him to a source of water. Straining his senses, he managed to pick up the faint sound of trickling, and he instantly swung off in that direction. Before long he stumbled across a small spring, and he dropped gratefully beside it, practically tossing Vriska onto a patch of moss.
"Don't expect any tenderness from me." He grumbled at her, even though he was fully aware his words fell on deaf ears. Stripping off his shirt he dipped it into the water, quickly scrubbing at his face and arms before filling the material with water and wringing it out over Vriska's face. He was surprised and somewhat concerned when even the icy water didn't bring her to. "If you die on me…" He threatened, leaning over and shaking her shoulders. Hissing in frustration, he pressed his fingers against her neck, and almost sighed in relief when he felt her pulse beating steadily, although not as vibrant as it should be. "When you wake up, all hell is going to pay for what you've put me through."
"It's always about you, isn't it Karkat?" A voice drawled out from the trees.
Karkat sprang to his feet. "I know that voice! Dirk, get your fucking ass out here!"