John sat on the edge of the recuperacoon watching Karkat as he slept. It didn't seem to be pleasant as the troll would let out a choked growl when he could, his face contorted into a look of distress. He gave Karkat's hand a squeeze so as to comfort him, though it didn't seem to be doing anything. He looked out the window as best he could from his seat, keeping an eye out for Sollux. Already nearly an hour and a half had passed and the monochrome eyed troll was no where to be seen. John had thought to call him but he had left the phone downstairs and he didn't want to risk leaving Karkat's side.

It was impossible to tell if the slime was helping him of not; the usually green liquid had been dyed a sickening shade of brown as it mixed with all the freely flowing blood that had been pouring out of the troll's wounds when he had been first submerged. With a jolt Karkat gave a sharp cough, expelling more of his bright red blood. John slipped from his seat briefly to grab a piece of clothing from the floor, using it to wipe away the blood that had been left on the Cancer's chin.

"Karkat." John's voice was quiet as he leaned over and placed his head against the trolls, "Please, Karkat. Please be okay. I need you."

It hurt to see him like this. It hurt to talk to him and not get a response, and not because they wer fighting or anything, this was because he literally couldn't reply. No being told to shut up or that he was being a 'sappy fuckass'. Just, nothing.

"Please." John pleaded, tears once more running down his cheeks.

His eyes jolted open as something slightly slimy touched his face.

"Don't cry, John." Karkat's voice drifted weakly from his throat.

"Karkat!" John jolted back, grabbing the others hand as it started to fall back into the slime again, "Oh god, Karkat, are you okay? I mean, I can see your not 'okay, okay', but-"

"John." Karkat interrupted as the boy started to go off.

John stopped talking and just sat there waiting for him to continue.

"Are you, alright?" The Cancer asked breathing heavily.

"What? Yea. Yes, Karkat I'm fine. You're the one that's that injured." John replied with confusion.

Karkat just closed his eyes with a look of relief.

"What happened?" John asked after a minute of silence.

Karkat shook his head, his brow knit with discomfort. John reached up and wiped the trolls forehead with his sleeve.

"Please, Karkat. What did this to you?" He tried again.

"I, didn't get a look." Karkat replied breathily.

The Cancer's eyes opened suddenly as a thought occurred to him and he looked around the room as quickly as he could which caused him to wince sharply. He tried to sit up as well but John held him down.

"Whoa, hold on, Karkat. You need to stay still, you've lost a lot of blood." John protested as he tried to keep the other from climbing out of the slime.

"No, it could still be here." Karkat argued, though he slumped back into the recuperacoon easily enough.

"It's fine. Nothing is here, trust me. I was downstairs with you before, remember?" John tried to assure his Matesprite, "It was gone. You're safe now. We both are."

"It could come back."

"It won't."

"You don't know that." Karkat wheezed as he got worked up, "I didn't kill it."

"Sh, it's okay." John shooshed him, placing a hand on his cheek to calm him down.

"But if it comes back, John-"

"Then I'll take care of it."

"But-"

"Let me protect you, okay?"

Karkat was nearly hyperventilating at this point clearly not comfortable with the situation. John looked scared, but so very determined at the same time. He had that same determination himself earlier though, and look where it got him. Oh no, Krakat was not okay with this situation at all.

"Where's my phone?" He asked, "I'm calling Gamzee."

"Sollux is already on his way." John replied, "I called him a while ago and he said he would be here as soon as he could."

"He's on his way?"

"Yea."

Karkat looked more relaxed with this new bit of information.

"How long has it been since you called him?"

John thought for a moment, not really sure how long they had been there.

"Over an hour at least I think, but definately under two." He replied, "I'll call him again to see where he is."

Karkat hummed as a reply, but when John started to stand his eyes shot open.

"Where are you going?" He asked sitting up straighter.

"To get the phone." John answered simply, "I left it downstairs by accident. It'll only take a second to grab it."

"John."

"It'll be fine. It's right at the bottom of the stairs." John reassured his matesprite before he had a chance to try and climb out after him, "I'll be right back, I promise."

Karkat stared at him not fully convinced that things were safe. In order to make the troll feel better John leaned back over him and kissed his cheek. The Cancer let out a sigh and nodded. He was probably just over reacting from the attack earlier. John knew how to fight and he had the wind on his side. As far as a fight with a simple burglar went, John's decked was stacked to win.

"Take your hammer with you. Just in case." Karkat said as the boy moved off again.

John nodded and gave another reassuring smile as he picked up his weapon from beside the door and made his way out. He hadn't bothered with turning on lights earlier and so the hall was still dark. Once he reached the switches near the stairs he lit both the up stairs and the stairway itself. With all the tension in the hive right now that last thing he needed was to fall down the stairs and spook Karkat any further.

The decent was relatively quick as John made his way to the living room. He slowed up as he caught sight of all the blood Karkat had lost, but managed to approach it anyway. The sight was sickening as the pooled liquid had started to solidify and stain the floor. Leaning the Zillyhoo against the couch end John got on his knees and tried to locate the Cancers cell. He thought he had left it beside the coffee table as he had been kneeling close by it when Karkat was still on the floor. When he didn't spot it he figured he must have kicked it when he had picked up his matesprite to bring him up to his slime bed.

He started to crawl around on his hands, looking under furniture as he went. He was halfway across the living room when he spotted it under one of the large lounging chairs. Sliding his arm under he tried to grasp it, but even with his normal long reach he could only graze it with his fingers. When he finally managed to slide it into his hand he froze. Behind him he could hear a clicking noise, and not the click of the Alternian language either.

Rolling over quickly to face the threat John didn't have anytime to react to what he saw before a sharp stinging echoed through his chest. Looking down John could see a small spatter of blood starting to stain his shirt. It hurt, but he could tell it wasn't deep. Looking up again John stared the strange creature before him. It's body was a white carapace similar to what Karkat had described the lusus being made of. It's body was reminiscent of a lobster mixed with a pray-mantis. The tail, which was curling back in, had a small barb on the end. A barb that was now tipped with blood. Its arms ended with a sort of hand like form, and those hands were holding something familiar.

Karkat's sickles.

He hadn't even thought to look for them before hand, but there they were. Chancing a glance towards the couch just behind the creature John could just see the handle to his own weapon. Left and nearly forgotten on the other side of the room. He tried to summon the wind to retrieve it for him, but for some reason it wasn't listening to him. Neither, did it seem, was his voice. He could feel the muscles start to go slack and no matter how hard he tried he couldn't force a single sound from his throat that was any louder then a whimper. It was now that John realized why the first hit hadn't been to kill. That barbed tail, it had been poisoned.

He had been poisoned.

John struggled to lift himself to his feet, though the action caused his head to go foggy and his legs to go limp. Falling to his knees John looked at the creature and with the last bit of conscious will he had he tried to summon the breeze. He wasn't awake long enough to see if it worked.

While John headed down stairs Karkat focused his energy on listening to him. It was harder to hear now because of both the closed door and the throbs of pain that his injury was sending out. He grew concerned when he heard the other get to his knees and start to crawl about, though it didn't take long for him to figure out why. John had said he had called earlier while they were both downstairs. While he had been bleeding out on the floor. He was probably looking for the phone which had been left on the floor when John had moved him upstairs.

Then there was the clicking.

It was quite at first, but then it grew louder. But not towards him. Towards John. And he didn't hear it coming. The Cancer's eye widened as he sat bolt upright.

"John" He whispered hoarsely.

Using everything he could muster Karkat pulled himself out of the recuperacoon and managed to stay on his feet. There was a thud from below and Karkat forced himself to move towards the door. He tried to call out to John but his throat was far too tense to get a sound out. He could hear John though. Could hear his whimper.

When a second thud reached Karkat's ears he all but threw himself down the stairs. To say his decent this time was graceless would be a gross understatement. When he reached the bottom he was surprisingly still on his feet, though leaning heavily on the wall. His breath was ragged and his vision hazy, but he could still make out a body on the other side of the room. John's body. His bloody body.

The Knight of Blood turned his gaze to the invader that stood between him and John's form. This look held naught but the shear blinding rage that filled his veins. His pupils had narrowed into slits and the yellow sclera of his eyes had turned a deep red-orange. His fangs were fully exposed and the snarls that tore from his throat were nothing less then pure venom. His fingers cracked as his claws were bared as well. Whatever thought had started in his mind was gone now, fully enveloped in the thick blanket of fury that took over and let his instincts take control.

You wanted to sob huh? Get those towels ready folks, we coming up on the close.