This is a very gory chapter. Please don't read it if you're particularly squeamish.

War sucks.

Of course, there are moments when it doesn't, like now. (Vriska's) busy helping Vriska repair an anti-aircraft EMP turret. As soon as it's working, they'll be able to knock out the power on a couple of the Crockerwitch's warships with comparative ease. It's slow work, but the anticipation makes it all the more worthwhile. Plus, she gets to hang out with her doppelganger.

Though she's loath to admit it, (Vriska's) grown fond of Vriska. It helps that they're nearly genetically identical and have similar personalities. It also helps that Vriska admires her. It's exactly the confidence-booster that (Vriska) has needed over the past couple of weeks.

A couple other young trolls are busy working on an identical cannon about twenty yards to the right. They jabber with each other and with Vriska. From what (Vriska) can discern, they all appear to be friends from school. They're all too young to go to war.

Artillery peppers the sturdy hull some fifty feet below. The deck rattles.

(Vriska) plugs in a final cable, and the turret comes to life. She steps inside to check the programming. Vriska heads to the other turret to help out her friends, twirling a pair of wire strippers in her hand.

It all happens in the blink of an eye.

An artillery shell strikes the rightmost turret. (Vriska) is blown backwards into the side of hers. A piece of shrapnel pierces the opposite wall and lodges in it. It's flecked with blue and amber blood.

(Vriska) stands up unsteadily, her ears ringing. Her insides turn to water when she sees the blood. She rushes out onto the deck.

One of the trolls was literally blown to bits by the strike. Amber viscera is splattered everywhere. The other one is impaled to the wall by a massive shard of metal in his gut. His legs have been pulped below the knees. His eyes are glassy.

(Vriska) finds Vriska's limp form, hanging halfway over the twisted railing, covered in blue and yellow blood. Her left arm is completely gone. A piece of shrapnel is embedded deep in her left eye. The tip of her right horn is broken.

(Vriska) feels the bile rise in her throat, and she nearly collapses. With an effort, she hauls Vriska's body off of the railing and checks for a pulse. It's faint but present. The pulse is the most relieving thing she's ever felt.

She gingerly picks up her clone and dashes to the infirmary.

War sucks.

Kanaya's in there as always, tying off a tourniquet. She jolts backwards when she sees Vriska and (Vriska) in the doorway. Her face contorts in shock.

"Oh My God!"

(Vriska's) lower lip quivers.

Kanaya steps haltingly forward and runs an unsteady hand across Vriska's ashen face. "Is… Is She…"

"She's al8ve." (Vriska's) response is little more than a squeak.

The two trolls gently lay Vriska on an empty cot. Kanaya glances back and forth between the two Vriskas. After a moment of hesitation, she wraps (Vriska) in a hug. She breaks down into tears. It takes all the force of will (Vriska) can muster not to do the same.

War seriously sucks.

(Vriska) pulls away from Kanaya. The water in her gut hardens into ice. Her expression turns grim.

"I'm going to m8ke them p8y," she mutters.

Kanaya stares at her, blinking hard.

(Vriska's) hands ball into fists. She grits her teeth. "Th8s war h8s to st8p. Th8re's 8een t88 much d8ath alr8ady! I'm g8ing t8 put 8n end to th8s!"

The troll whose tourniquet Kanaya had tied gives (Vriska) a concerned look.

Kanaya steps forward and places a gentle hand on the side of (Vriska's) head. "Please Calm Down"

(Vriska) smacks her hand aside. "D8N'T F8RK8NG TELL M8 TO C8LM D8WN! NO8ODY H8RTS M8NI-M8 L8KE TH8T AND G8TS AW8Y WITH 8T!"

Kanaya backs up two steps.

(Vriska) stalks out of the infirmary. "I'm go8ng to k8ll the Cr8ckerw8tch. D8n't try to st8p m8."

(Vriska) tears open the door to Jane's mothership. She dispatches the two carapacian guards with a swing of her cutlass. She sends all the humans on the bridge into a deep slumber. She stares around the wide, barren room.

"8R8NG M8 J88888888NE!" she hollers.

There's no response, just the ticking of a clock mounted on the far wall.

Suddenly, Roxy materialises in front of her. (Vriska) jumps.

"vriska? wtf r u doing here? y r u covered in bllod?" she asks.

"Wh8re's J8ne?"

Roxy gestures towards the ceiling. "shes upsairst"

"Wh8tever you just s8id, it d8esn't m8tter. 8ring me to h8r."

"y"

"She needs to D8E." (Vriska) bares her fangs.

Roxy's eyebrows shoot up. "woah woah hol up i cant let u do that"

"And why n8t, ex8ctly?"

"cuz janeys my freidn"

"She's a m8rderer! Sh8's killed THOUS8NDS!"

"bt that dosnt mean u should kill her"

"8re you 8LIND? Look outs8de! Look at th8s w8r th8's g8ing on th8 sh8 c8used! Jane N88DS to DIIIIIIIIE!"

Roxy doesn't move. Her face is unreadable.

(Vriska) levels her cutlass at Roxy. "Are you going to st8nd in my w8y?"

"i dnt wanna hurt u but if ur gonna hurt jane then i got no cjoice"

"I don't want to hurt y8u, either. So st8nd aside. Th8s is your fin8l warn8ng."

Roxy slowly shakes her head. She draws her katana.

The rogue and the thief cross blades. They duel in frenzied determination. The clang of metal on metal echoes through the empty grey hall, a percussive melody set to the rhythmic ticking of the clock.

(Vriska) has the edge in swordplay, and she knows it. She presses harder, using more vicious swipes and more elaborate parries. Roxy grits her teeth and stands her ground. She's stronger, but (Vriska) has speed, skill, and youth on her side.

One well-placed slice cuts open Roxy's right wrist and sends her katana clattering to the floor. She steps back and turns invisible.

(Vriska's) determined grin fades. She looks around and sees nobody. Then a generic green cube smacks her on the side of the head. Roxy follows it with an uppercut to the chin. (Vriska) falls to the floor. She pulls herself upright and dusts herself off. The clock ticks.

"V8ry well. If th8t's the w8y you want to pl8y….. th8t's how 8t w8ll 8e!"

(Vriska) rolls her dice and spots a flicker of red out of the corner of her eye. She throws her cutlass like a javelin. At the last moment, Roxy summons a pumpkin. The sword embeds itself in it. She tosses the pumpkin aside and charges.

It's not easy to dodge blows from an invisible woman, but after Roxy breaks (Vriska's) nose, her left fist is sprayed with cobalt. Her next punch misses. The time after that, (Vriska) manages to catch her bleeding right wrist and throw her off-balance. Roxy stumbles and hits the floor, turning visible again.

(Vriska) bolts for her sword. She yanks the cutlass out of the pumpkin and slices at where Roxy used to be. She's turned invisible again. (Vriska) slashes wildly through the air. "WH8RE DID YOU G88888888?!"

Roxy answers by putting (Vriska) in a chokehold. She summons up a mass of perfectly generic objects and sends them hurtling at the troll. (Vriska) lashes out behind her, trying to strike Roxy. She can't reach her dice, and she can't dislodge the human's iron-hard grip. And the cubes just keep coming. Her yells turn to cries, then to whimpers.

After three minutes of ruthless bombardment, Roxy lets (Vriska) fall to the floor. She lies there, bruised, bleeding, broken, strangled half to death. She tries to stand, but her arms give out beneath her. Everything aches. Spots dance before her eyes. The room spins. The clock ticks.

(Vriska) manages to roll onto her back. She sees Roxy standing over her, leveling her katana at her throat.

She finally succumbs to the knowledge that she failed, that she's a failure, despite all her attempts to prove otherwise. She was unable to make her lusus happy. She was unable to prevent her session from being torn apart. She was unable to finish off Bec Noir. She was unable to stop Lord English, not just once but twice. She was unable to avenge her descendant and stop the war. And she was unable to see Terezi again.

(Vriska) would rather die a just death than live with the knowledge that she failed.

"Kill me," she mumbles through a mouthful of blood.

Roxy's blade inches nearer.

"Pleeeeeeeease... k8ll me….." (Vriska) pleads, as loud as she can manage.

Roxy takes a shuddering breath.

"Kill me, kill m8, k8ll me, kill m8, k8ll m8, k8ll m8, k8ll m8, k8ll m8….."

(Vriska's) breathing becomes erratic. Every strangled gasp for air is like a sledgehammer to her ribs. She breaks into a powerful coughing fit and hacks up more blood.

She's seeing octuple, but she can vaguely discern Roxy shaking her head in sorrow. She lowers her katana. Her next words sound like they're coming from a mile away.

"i dnt wanna kill u vriska"

(Vriska) merely shuts her eyes.

"here cmon im gonna getchu haeled"

She feels two arms slide under her body and lift her off the ground. The colourless room jolts around, and (Vriska) retches. She slings an arm around Roxy, and, with an effort, gets her feet under her. When she puts weight on them, it sends a dull but paralysing fire surging through her body.

In the most comforting voice she can muster, Roxy says, "ur gonna be fine… im gonna get u help… u dnt have to die"

(Vriska) doesn't have the energy to do anything more than nod. She leans as much of her weight as she can onto Roxy's shoulders.

Together, step by laboured step, they make their way to a door on the left of the hall.

"Land sakes, what in heaven's name is going on in here?"