Gamzee mixed the cake batter in the bowl, humming as he cooked. He turned to grab a pan, only to find a small girl in glasses holding a big leather book. "Woah, how'd you motherfucking get in here?"
The girl smiled," Through the door. Oh, Gamzee, I have a surprise for you." The girl opened the book, Gamzee staring at the burn mark on the cover, shaped like a house, before the girl pulled out a small black bag. "Pour the powder in the cake and it will make it taste like the Faygo version of the cake flavor."
"You serious?"
The girl tugged the fold covering the red prohibited sign on her shirt before looking over at Gamzee, smiling sweetly," I'm totally serious. In fact, why not give each of your coworkers a slice as well so they can try it too?"
"Alright, this is going to be so motherfucking miraculous!" Gamzee dumped the purple powder in the cake batter, the girl chuckling under her breath as she disappeared down the hall, unknowingly leaving her book on the counter.

The kids sat in the large group room alone; surprisingly Aradia was missing from the picture. Checking the door reveled that the someone had locked it, the kids sighing as they sat around the small table in the room. "This is bullshit." Dave mumbled, glaring at the door.
"Dave!" John spun around to look at Dave.
"It's true, don't even deny it Egbert. They treat us not like we're kids, but like we're animals; locking us in rooms and experimenting on us, with disregard to our own desires."
"Your just saying that because they took your shades and monitored you for three days." Rose looked up from her book.
"I second Dave's motion," Jade stated," cause I've been treated like I'm completely a dog. Remember when they started making me eat kibble for 'my dietary needs'?! I don't mind the snausages or the biscuits, but the rest is unnecessary! I can eat normal food as proved by you guys sneaking me human food. Or how about when they thought I would go through heat, so the treated my like I was a ticking time bomb? And you guys already know about the 'don't understand, let's strap them to a table in their undergarments for three days' stupidity they put us through following new abilities. Dave isn't overreacting because they took his shades unlike the time we all learned we could levitate, he's fucking spot on!" Jade shouted, voice cracking several times as she glared the table. "You of all people should understand this perfectly well, since you see right through to hidden motives. So, why are you cooperating in all their mistreatment and carelessness?"
Everyone sat in silence a moment. "Because I knew we were going to escape the day Aradia didn't show, and I've known since the beginning." Rose smiled, standing up," We are leaving today, alive, walking away unstopped."
At that moment the door clicked, flung open by a very familiar girl; Sam. "You got that right! Oh, and I got you guys a little something something." Sam tossed them the collar key, laughing at their surprised expressions.
"But... How?!" John asked, Rose quickly unlocking his collar before unlocking herself and the others.
"I borrowed some keys." Sam twirled the key ring nonchalantly.
"I think he means how are you here, much less exactly the same as when we last saw you, Sam." Dave stated.
"First, I'm an powerful being as old as time. Second, I can track anyone who uses my book, you know, the one with the house burnt in the cover and zodiacs around it, by eating the powder. And third, my name isn't actually Sam. So, hello, my name is Sburb. Lastly, you guys were no use to me as kids, so I decided to come back when you were teens." Sburb smiled deviously," And if I were you guys, I would get some clothes and get out of her while the all the workers are distracted, ciao!" Sburb stepped back, fading away.
The kids spent no time waiting, grabbing the keys that Sburb left before running down the hall, stopping by the worker store room. Boxes with employee name labels sat on shelves, clothes visible. The kids went through, pulling on clothes that fit without regard to who's they were. Jade pulled on a light gray skirt, striped thigh-high socks, red flats, a black sweater with a white spiral on it, and a long gray two point hat that also covered her neck, cutting holes in the top for her ears. Dave put on all red, red workout suit and then a red gear t-shirt over it, red sneakers, and a red cloak he found amongst D&D books. Rose pulled on orange pants and dress with a yellow sun on it, red beanie and blue shoes. John cut a hole in a blue weather sock before putting it on as a hat, jeans some blue shirt with a what looked like a toothpaste shape on it, and yellow sneakers.
The kids laughed when they were dressed, walking out of the facility and down the road together, worries left behind in the place they had spent so many years.
"Hey, John?" Jade giggled.
"What?" John asked.
"Happy birthday!"

Karkat walked into the break room, finding inside everyone shoveling cake. Karkat noticed the cake on the table, a note from Gamzee saying it was special for them, grabbing one of the last slices and taking a bite. It tasted horrible, something he never expected of Gamzee's cooking, realizing everyone was finishing the slices to keep from hurting Gamzee's feelings. Karkat chocked down his slice, somehow finding it worse than his own cooking. Gamzee walked in, taking the last slice as he noticed everyone else finish their slices, quickly taking a bite. A look of confusion spread on his face, but he finished his slice. "That was motherfucking gross. Not faygo at all. That girl lied."
Karkat's gaze snapped over to Gamzee. "What girl?"
"Oh, some girl with a red circle shirt and this big leather book."
"What did the book look like?"
"It had a house shaped burn on it and zodiac symbols, and weird writing in it. Anyway, the girl pulled a bag full of powder out the back and said pour it in the cake."
Karkat's heart dropped, the description sounding horribly familiar, reminding him of the kids' stories. From the silence around, Karkat could tell it sounded familiar to everyone too. "Show me the book now."