Chapter 9

It wouldn't have mattered HOW inconspicuous they tried to look, there was something inherently odd about the group that was walking down the path into the town, be it Jade, who was wearing John's gift pelt around her shoulders, Dave, who appeared to be pretty much the only troll who wore shades at night, or Vriska and John, two Blues in that hodgepodge of a caste grab-bag.

It made Karkat nervous. He never liked it when people stared at him. It always made him feel exposed, like they could see his blood through his skin. "Don't those fuckers have anything better to do than stare?" he growled. Dave snorted next to him.

"Just keep looking straight ahead and keep that resting bitch face on," he replied. "Most of the time, they'll just leave you alone." He almost faltered a step, making a sharp growling sound under his breath.

"The fuck's wrong with—"

"Shut the fuck up and walk faster. ALL of you, walk the fuck faster!" He sped up, still looking ahead. Jade kept up with him, looking worried.

"Dave, I can call Rose, if we need her—" She cut off when a group of trolls smoothly stepped out of the crowd and in their path, making a clear surrounding. She stopped short, feeling John bump into her.

John looked around, swallowing hard. "…oh boy," he said worriedly. "This isn't good…"

Karkat's hands flexed with nervousness, looking around at the surrounding trolls, noticing that all of them wore strictly blue outfits and not just blood-corresponding singular articles. A couple of them had even gone so far as to dye their horns their colors, as though they couldn't be proud ENOUGH of having Teal, Cerulean, or Indigo blood.

A troll bigger than the others stepped out of the group, a Cerulean blood. His horns were sickle-shaped, and looked like he sharpened them to be just as deadly too. He was dressed in a full-body cerulean suit that looked tailored and expensive, and his long hair was braided back with gold thread. Despite the immaculate image, his face was less to be admired in the ways of aesthetics.

"Well, well," he said, his voice grating and oily-sounding. "Look what we have here. Just cant stay away from an ass-beating, can you, Strider?" His eyes swept the group. "Or did you bring a whole group of ass-beating replacements?"

Dave sneered. "I don't stoop to your dirty politics, Clovis," he growled. "We're just heading off to ROSE'S place. And she KNOWS we're coming."

Clovis's jaw twitched slightly. "Well then," he said, flicking his hand out, a large mace appearing in it. "I guess we'll just have to beat the shit-blood out of you quickly, in that case."

"Okay, okay," John said, stepping in front of Dave, holding his hands up. "This is ridiculous, alright? There's no need for violence right now, especially not with a crowd that could get hurt—" He yelped when an Indigo shoved him back.

"Shut your mouth, you freak!" the Indigo snapped. "You're a disgrace to your own caste, consorting with the likes of THEM!" She hissed. "I'm almost ashamed to share a blood color with you, seeing how pathetic one of my own can be!"

Karkat stepped up, growling. "The only pathetic thing I see is a wound-up bitch with indigo piss swilling through her veins," he said. "Step the fuck off and let us pass!"

Clovis laughed. "Where do you even FIND these rejects, Strider?" he snorted. "Do they just gravitate toward you, like a defect magnet?" He only laughed harder at the pissed-off expression that came over Dave's face. "It would honestly be a KINDNESS to do some off-the-record culling right now…"

Vriska barely managed to keep Karkat from diving on Clovis at the word 'culling'. "Calm your nubs, Karkat!" she hissed. "You want to get your ass killed?" She struggled to hold him back, a feat much like having to bathe a cranky meowbeast.

Clovis glanced at Vriska, snorting. "A Cerulean Sister with these reject fuckers? I shudder to think of what made YOU think this crowd was anything worth consorting with." He smirked. "You must be new around here, then. Ditch these rejects and join the fun on OUR end. I'll bet you'll enjoy it."

The only thing keeping Vriska from considering it just for laughs was the not-so-subtle once-over he gave her. Ugh, the creep. That was totally HER shtick. "Yeaaaaaaaah, no, I think I'll pass," she replied, giving him a less-than-appreciative once-over in return. "Doubt you could handle me, anyway. John, on the other hand—"

"I SWEAR TO GOD, YOU FUCKING BITCH!" Dave snapped, his nerves already frayed and sizzling. He turned back to Clovis. "If it's a strife you want, it's a strife you'll fucking get! One-on-one, without your fucking pack dogs to back you up, you sewer-blooded piece of sh—"

He was cut off when Clovis swung his mace and whacked Dave across the face with it, sending him crashing back into the rest of the group.

Karkat yelped when he was knocked back, growling as he shoved Jade off of him. "Cheap fucking shot," he snarled, grabbing Dave's shoulder and turning him over.

Dave's glasses were shattered on the ground, leaving tear-filled eyes exposed. His irises were bright red, but not as red as the blood pouring from between the fingers that were covering his face.

Bright, candy red blood.

A sharp surge of instinctual protectiveness shot through Karkat's nerves, forgetting entirely that this wasn't HIS Dave. Dave was hurt. DAVE WAS BLEEDING. HIS BLOOD-MATE WAS HURT! KILL! KILL!

Karkat jumped up, his sickle snapping into his hand, rushing at Clovis and slashing at his head. Clovis blocked with his mace and kicked Karkat in the chest, knocking the wind out of him, but not the fight. He didn't even think of breathing, or even what Clovis's kick might have broken as he jumped back up, snarling and baring his teeth.

"Oh, the little freak wants to fight, is that it?" Clovis laughed. "Well let's DO this, little freak!" He braced himself down when Karkat sprung at him again, jerking with a hiss when Karkat jumped high but struck from below, catching him in the back of the hand. He snarled, swinging his mace up to knock the sickle away, grabbing Karkat by the neck. "SICK AND TIRED OF LITTLE FUCKERS LIKE YOU WHO DON'T KNOW THEIR PLACES!" He disarmed the mace, instead using his fist to punch Karkat in the face.

Karkat yelped when he was hit, snapping his teeth at the fist and missing, jerking hard when his own candy-red blood gushed from his nose. Clovis sneered, throwing Karkat to the ground. "I guess they're just breeding out ALL SORTS of trash, aren't they?" He kicked Karkat away from him.

Vriska jumped up and caught him, baring her teeth at him. This wasn't a lick of fun anymore, not by a long shot. She pressed her fingers to her temples, taking control of a Teal that was next to Clovis, making her equip up a tonfa and swing it at his head.

Clovis blocked with his armored forearm, growling at Vriska. "Oh, you wanna play mind games, is that it?" he growled, his eyes glowing a bright cerulean. Vriska scowled, tensing up when she felt the muzzle of a gun pressed against the back of her head.

Jade's hands shook hard, trying to fight off the psychic power. "N…no…!" she whimpered, tearing up. "…d…don't make me…!" Clovis laughed.

"To blow a caste-traitor's brains out, or to not," he said, grinning. "Personally, I think it would be a treat." His eyes glowed brighter, and Vriska heard the gun cocking and Jade cry harder.

"Stop it."

Clovis looked up, seeing John standing up from checking on Dave, his hands clenched and shaking. "Sit your ass right back down, you coward," he snorted. John said nothing, stepping over Dave and up toward Clovis.

"J…John…." Jade stammered, her hands shaking harder. "…don't…please…."

"…You hurt my friends," John said. "Stop hurting my friends!" Clovis snorted, dropping his hold on Jade's control.

"And why the fuck should I do that?" he mocked, crossing his arms. "And if I don't? Who's gonna do anything about it? You? Don't make me l—"

There was a sharp rushing sound and then silence.

And it took a moment for everyone to realize that Clovis's head was no longer on his shoulders. But not before noticing a gigantic blue hammer in John's hand.

Clovis's body remained upright for a few moments, the crossed arms dropping limply to the sides, swaying before dropping. John let the top of the hammer drop to the ground, where it cracked and shattered the pavement from the density alone.

"…J…John…?" Jade said, her voice terrified and shaking. "…please…no…"

"Stupid peasantbloods," John said, the sharpness in his voice making even Vriska flinch. "Don't know how to take a simple fucking order." He bared his fangs, his hand clenching tightly. "Stupid….FUCKING…..PEASANTBLOODS." He picked the hammer back up like it weighed nothing, turning to stare at the rest of the gang that had his friends surrounded.

Even from where Karkat was laying, he could see bright light in John's eyes turn sinister, his pupils dilated into near pinpricks, the jovial look on his face turned murderous. The face of true Highblood psychosis about to go horribly wrong.

Karkat was correct in his assumptions when one of the Teals attempted to run, and triggered John into attack mode, swinging the hammer with ease and taking out whole sections of multiple trolls' bodies with a single swing.

Jade ducked down with her hands over her head, sobbing hysterically and crying out for Rose. Dave was struggling to get up, spitting out blood from the blow to his face. Vriska just seemed to shocked to move. Karkat lay shaking on the ground, getting horrible flashbacks of other Highblood friends of his having gone insane.

A scream made them all look up, seeing John pinning a Cerulean down by the chest with his foot. The Cerulean was screaming and crying for mercy, clawing at his leg, thrashing and trying to get out from under him. John ground his heel into her chest, and everyone heard a snap.

"PLEASE!" the troll screamed, coughing up blood. "PLEASE, DON'T KILL ME! PLEASE!" She sobbed harder, seeing John raise his hammer. "FUCKING GOD, PLEASE—"

Karkat just barely managed to clench his eyes shut before the hammer fell, but he couldn't block out the horrible sound it made connecting with the troll's head. There was silence, blessed silence, and he dared to peek his eyes open again. He wished he hadn't.

John was still standing on the troll, covered in various hues of blue, an almost content and serene look on his face. His tongue slipped out of his mouth, licking at the cerulean blood that had been splattered on his face, grinning dementedly.

Vriska made a move to get up, but was jerked back to the ground by Dave, who spat out a tooth. "Don't….fucking move…" he growled softly, his eyes blazing. "He just…slaughtered a fuck ton of Blues…you wanna be fucking NEXT?" His eyes flicked over her shoulder, and an immense sigh of relief left him. "Oh thank FUCK…!"

"JOHN!" Rose came rushing over with Kanaya, Terezi, and Gamzee in tow, not even looking at the carnage as she went straight for John. John snarled, jerking his hammer up again. "JOHN, STOP!" Rose ducked under the swipe he took at her head, pressing her hands to his face. "LISTEN TO ME, JOHN! I'M HERE!" She pressed her fingers into his skin, purple tears running down her face. "I'm here, John….let it go now…everyone's safe…."

Slowly, John lowered the hammer, the attack-filled tension leaving his body, and his eyes losing the manic glow. He dropped the hammer completely, leaning against Rose, curling his arms around her.

"…'m sorry," he murmured into her shoulder. Rose smiled, petting his head.

"I know," she said. "It's okay. You're okay. Everyone's okay."

John just sniffled, crying into her shoulder as Terezi hurried over to everyone else.

"Smells like Gamzee's body fridge," she commented, looking everyone over, pausing at Dave. "…I KNEW it." She grinned, poking at his bloody cheek and sucking on her finger. "FUCKING KNEW IT!"

Dave growled, swiping at her, but she leaned out of his reach, taking off her jacket and dropping it over his head. "Fine, fine, don't want everyone else to see it, I get it. Touchy."

Vriska stared at John's hammer, a glimmer of recognition in her eyes. "…that hammer is made from the same material as my Fluorite Octet," she muttered. "…that shit's so rare it's LEGENDARY…" She itched to take a look at it, but Rose gestured downward, making it vanish.

Rose looked around, noticing that though the crowd had barricaded themselves away as soon as Clovis brought out his mace, they were still staring and judging, and she had a strong feeling everyone was about to be slapped with an eviction notice. "…Let's go," she said. "Anyone who can walk, help someone who cant."

Vriska helped Karkat up while Terezi helped Dave, who scooted away and more toward Jade, who was trying to pull herself together. "…Hellova surprise there," Vriska said, heading on, frowning when she saw Gamzee looking around at the carnage. "Hey, Makara, stop pailing your pants over dead bodies and let's get moving!" She huffed, looking at John. "…Still, who knew Egbert had such a NAUGHTY streak. I'll have to try to get a piece of that."

"Not if I motherfuckin' get it first," Gamzee replied, muttering so softly Vriska almost didn't catch it. She shot a look at him, grimacing when she saw he practically had hearts in his eyes.

"…gonna kill you both," Dave growled before blacking out in Jade's hold.