Hello readers and fans! I'm very sorry about the delay. Shortly after my last update my laptop died and when I finally got my new computer I had o find a version of word I could use/afford. So I finally got a version today and decided to sit down and write you all a new chapter to celebrate. YAY! anyway, I have theme I wanted to introduce here that will probably continue for a while in John. Its just the idea of love being more powerful than hate because it can generate hate whereas hate cannot generate love. I wanted to explore a darker side of this, see the dark and bad in people brought out by their love. It's a part of humanity that always fascinated me. Anywho... I hope this chapter was worth the wait. Enjoy!

-Twiin-Vii2iion2

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Chapter 17

Karkat felt a pounding pain in his head as he grumbled, struggling to remember what had happened. He was aware of sounds around him that slowly sorted themselves into voices though he was still unable to understand them.

"It's moving..."

"On guard."

Karkat had just opened his eyes when he felt a force hit him in the chest, knocking the wind out of him. He barely managed to cough out a "fuck" when he was hit again.

"LEAVE HIM ALONE!"

Karkat's eyes went wide open. He knew that voice.

"John?" he rasped, looking around for him.

"Shut up, scum." Said a voice directly in front that was quickly followed with another blow, this one to the face. Karkat spat out blood and snarled.

"What did you do to John?" he growled, to which he was rewarded with another blow to the face.

"I said silence. Speaks our language but doesn't seem to understand orders." The tormenter sneered.

Karkat turned and spat on his assaulter's face, his red blood smearing on his cheek. The man reeled back in shock but his face quickly twisted in rage. He brought his arm back and swung, over and over again, hitting Karka repeatedly. First the face then the body, then the face again. The man draws back again but his hand is caught.

John stands over him, the other gaurds in the room doubled over in pain from various blows to different body parts. Wordlessly, John twists the man's hand, making him fall back in pain.

"FUCK! STOP!" The man screamed but John was beyond hearing. He kept twisting, oblivious to the cracking sounds or the feeling of the man's bones breaking in his hand, the slight jumps in the muscles in the man's arm as his radius and ulna snapped, pushing against each other. John only focused on the man's face. He saw it change from rage to pleading then rapidly deteriorate into a contortion of agony.

His screams of pain echoed around the room, filling it so nothing else could be heard.

John would have kept twisting if it weren't for the figure that pulled him off the man. Other men in uniform moved in to check on the man with the now severely broken arm and the other's on the floor.

"Get them out" The figure pinning John to the wall commanded. The others in the room all nodded and began to instruct the mobile people out of the room, carrying the remaining people out.

"Let go." John growled, his anger not yet subsided.

"Only if you promise to let me talk." The man said.

John eyed him up and down, he was wearing army camo pants and a black wife beater. His hair was bleach blonde, almost white and carefully styled into a spiky anime style. His shades went with the ensemble somehow, as over-the-top as they were, large oblong triangles of darkly tinted glass.

"Fine." John huffed, "But if you hurt him I wont hesitate."

"So I saw." The man let John go. He went over to Karkat, and knelt down, He reached out to his face but paused, looking over his shoulder to John who had tensed up. "I'm just going to check his wounds" John didn't relax but he didn't make a move either. The man reached up and moved Karkat's head side to side, inspecting his wounds. "You still awake troll?"

"His name is Karkat." John spat.

"Karkat, are you there?" the man corrected himself. Karkat mumbled something and the man leaned closer trying to hear what he was saying.

"John... need to... John..."

The man nodded and stood up, "John is it?" John just glared back "Well, my name is Dirk. I'm really sorry to have put you and your friends in this position. It seems my guards can't seem to recognize my own flesh and blood." Dirk shook his head. "I'm Dave and Rose's cousin, Dirk Strider." John's face softened into a look of confusion.

"Dave has a cousin?" John blurted.

"Yeah, I helped him found this rebellion." Dirk motioned around him as if the room was his rebellion.

"Look, John, I need you to go outside for a moment." John scowled "I know you don't want to, but I assure you, Karkat will be fine. Dave and Jade should be just outside. I need a word alone with him." Dirk eyed John from behind his glasses, his eyes unreadable. John sighed, defeated.

"Fine, but if you aren't out in five minutes, I'm coming back in."

"Fair enough."

John left the room slowly, casting one last glance over his shoulder as Dirk knelt next to Karkat again.

"Karkat" Dirk said as he heard the door shut. "Karkat, I need you to wake up, I know you're in pain, but I need you awake for just a minute." Dirk held Karkat upright as he untied him from the beam he had been bound to. He lifted the troll up and sat him in a chair, pulling a second chair close for himself. Karkat's head lulled a couple of times before he snapped up, suddenly awake and aware again.

"John? Where's John?" He looked around frantically.

"Karkat calm down, he just outside the door. Now listen to me, my name is Dirk, I lead this rebellion hideout. I need to know I can trust you Karkat. I want to, really. Dave trusts you and he's not easy to earn that from. Just tell me one thing. How did you and Dave become friends. Tell me what happened."

Karkat looked at him, his eyes struggling to focus on Dirk.

"Shit, they gave you a concussion... Karkat, did you understand the question?"

"We met at the human hives. They were watching tv. Patroll trolls found Dave, Jade, and rose... John and I got away... Helped... helped John break them out... Made it out... Lots of humans... Killed all trolls at compound... found Rose... Not good... Dave upset..." Karkat shook his head, struggling to stay conscious. He swayed back and forth. "Dave... Dave... Angry... We fought... Dave okay... after..." Karkat passed out again, falling forward. Dirk caught him, setting him back up in the chair. He stood and sighed, looking down at the troll. He turned and left, once outside, he looked right then left, finding John, Jade and Dave down the hall a little. He motioned as if to say they could go in. John ran past him through the door, Jade close on his tail. Dave followed with a little bit of urgency in his walk. Dirk stopped him.

"I need a word."

Dave looked at him for a long time, motionless, before nodding. He stepped to the side and looked at Dirk expectantly.

"I spoke to your friend and I believe he is on our side but he said something that troubles me... I asked how he gained your trust and he said something about breaking you Jade and Rose out of a compound and that you guys fought. Now, I'm not saying he's wrong but he mentioned Rose... where is she?"

Dave froze he wasn't sure how to break this.

"Dirk I... I tried to... She... she got thrown into the pit with the dead in the compound. She was deathly ill when we got her out... she didn't make it..." Dave started to tear up, a single tear rolling out from under his shades as he fought and failed to hide his emotions, his fists clenched at his side as his body shook.

"Shit... I'm sorry Dave..." Dirk pulled him into a hug, holding him tight. Dave hugged back.

"I couldn't save her bro... I couldn't do it..." Dave cried, calling Dirk bro, like when they were younger and Dave didn't know their actual relation.

"Dave, it isn't your fault. You did what you could, I'm sure... She'll be better off now..."

"We need to end this... We need to fucking end this shit." Dave gripped Dirk's shirt hard.

"We will bro, I promise we will." Dirk patted Dave's back, before stepping back. "Now you should go look after your friend. He's pretty rough. Though, Your friend John did a number on the guy who did it to him too." Dirk shook his head. Dave looked at him in disbelief. "I'm telling you, don't piss John off. He was ready to kill Dave."

Dave shook his head. "I just can't believe John did that... I saw the guy's arm and I though it was Karkat. John just, I mean he can fight, but I've never seen him go apeshit on another human..."

"Defense is defense Dave, I believe you'll find there is always something, or someone, you'd kill for as well." dirk raised an eyebrow as Jade came out of the room and over to them. Dave followed the look then turned back

"How did you..." But when he turned back, Dirk was already walking away, down the corridor.

"Hey Dave, Karkat should recover okay. He'll need some serious painkillers, and judging by his inability to focus I think he has a concussion." Jade said, standing at his side. She put a hand on his shoulder. "How did he take the news?"

"Better than I did telling it." Dave's mouth twinged at the edges as he forced himself to not cry again. Jade turned him toward her and kissed him gently on the lips.

"I'm here for you Dave." she whispered against his lips.

"I know" he whispered back, grabbing her hips. "Thank you." He kissed her again, holding her close. Jade closed her eyes and let him hold her, his hands wandering up her back then back down to her hips again. She never wanted this to change, never. But this was war, and war changed things. Permanently.