AN: Hey! Thanks you guys who reviewed and/or favorite/followed this story! Love u!
~AP

Karkat was lying on his bed staring at the roof. He'd texted his friends until his fingers hurt, but they were all in bed by now, probably. Tomorrow he was facing everything he once wanted to: A new school, and a new beginning. But he didn't want it so much anymore. He wanted to hang with his friends, comforting them in the middle of ultimate disaster, pretending to be much stronger than he actually was. Leading them confidently, being someone to tell them where's the right place. He'd talked to his Dad, but the older Vantas didn't seem to understand. "They need to learn to be independent." He'd said. They were independent individuals, though. Karkat was just a friend always there, being strong, giving them someone to believe in. Karkat would do anything to be sleeping soundly in HIS room, with HIS things in it. Holding his ice pack to his head, waiting for the next day to come to repeat almost the exact same thing, to have one more movie marathon, to be cuddling close to Nepeta and Terezi and Gamzee and Sollux and everyone else. OK, so maybe cuddling Equius or Kanaya would be a little weird, they didn't really cuddle. But still. Karkat didn't realize he was crying. He missed them already and it had barely been hours.

He was thinking about how many things could go wrong. He'd gave them so much support, stopped them doing stupid things, but...what if they couldn't stop themselves? What if Nepeta went downhill fast because of the bullies like she once almost did? What if Gamzee can't control his anger problems and ends up in prison? What if...No, they have each other. They can handle it. They don't need me that much. But they do. You know they do, Karkat, stop lying to yourself. They're all going to end up dead and you can't do anything about it, you crazy idiot. They aren't, and I'm not crazy. You're having an argument with yourself. Fair point.

They'll be OK. Of course they will! They've been through nearly as much as Karkat, right? Yes, they'll be quite fine. They're strong, like he is. He knew they were. He should stop worrying, and think on the light side of this. Maybe a new school could be fun. Yes, it'll be fun. Everything will be fine. Everything's fine.

Karkat was walking towards his new school. It was big and new-looking compared to Karkat's old, small, shabby high school. Upside, maybe? Probably. Yes, let's be optimistic.

Karkat walked into the reception. The receptionist was a nice-looking young woman. Her nametag said Jane. She smiled at him and led him into the headmaster's office, then left back to her work. The conversation with the headmaster wasn't interesting. Same old new student talk.

He found his way to his new class easily. It was biology. The teacher was young-ish, but strict-looking, though her eyes were soft. "Hello." She said. "Mr. Karkat Vantas, I presume?" Karkat nodded emotionlessly. "Well, I'm Miss Rinders. This is biology, if you didn't guess. Don't worry, I'm not going to make you do the whole, tell me about you, thing. I know how annoying it is. Now, you need a partner...hm...Yes, I think Mr. Egbert will do good. Mr. Egbert, show him around after class, will you?"
"Yes, Miss!" Something Egbert was a black-haired, nerdy-looking kid. Karkat sat down next to him. When they actually started doing things, Karkat was daydreaming a bit, as the boy babbled on about biology. Karkat started when the boy turned directly to him. "I know you aren't listening, Karkat, was it? I'm John Egbert. Sorry, I know I ramble on about science a lot."
"I-I...um, its OK. I-its just-" Damn, that stupid stutter. He looked at you sympathetically.
"Missing your old friends? Thinking you're a bad friend for leaving? I know the feeling. And, take it from me, you're doing great."
"How would you know that? You barely just met me."
"Well, you were obviously thinking about them, and even the laziest kids are interested in this. Which means you're really worried about them, even though this is your life. Anyone who does that has to be a good friend."
"...I-I...Thanks." John grinned.
"Don't mention it. Hey, I looked at your timetable while you were thinking, and you have the same classes as me, so how about you hang around with me?"
"That sounds great, John."

John was happy to be friends with Karkat. Karkat was happy someone wanted to be friends with him. Everything really was absolutely fantastic. Until he got a text message during the final lesson from Gamzee. 'Get here quick. Something happened to do with Sollux.'
"Excuse me, Miss? Can I please be excused? My father needs me. Something's happened with the moving van or something."
"...Yes, you can. But I won't allow this again."
"Thanks, Miss!"

Karkat got to his old neighborhood quickly. He'd taken his bike to school, so he could ride it there. He rode to Sollux and his brother's shared apartment, and dumped the bike five seconds away from the block they were in. There were police surrounding the place, all the other tennants were outside, looking scared, and there was an ambulance. Karkat scanned the crowd for his friend. He noticed Sollux's head near the front, and got there quickly, because of how small he was. He froze when he saw what was there. Sollux's brother, lying face down in a pool of blood. Oh shit.

Karkat ran to his friend. "Sollux? Are you OK?" Sollux looked up. His eyes were bloodshot and there were tears streaming down his face. When he spoke, his voice was so quiet and sad and pathetic, and Karkat's heart broke just a little bit more. "K-karkat...? You were g-gone. H-he's gone. I-I..."
"I know, I know."
"I-it was s-s-suicide b-but I d-don't get w-why he would..."
"Was anything going on beforehand?"
"He came back from uni, a-and he hid from me. He didn't let me see him at all. And then...Then..."
"Don't worry, I understand." Karkat moved over to the corpse and turned it over. Just as he expected. Bruises. He supposed he'd expected this to happen. Sollux's brother had a serious mental condition, of course those dicks would make fun of it. But he didn't understand. Sollux's brother was sweet and caring and funny. Who would want to hurt him? In such a way that he...

Those dicks at the uni who bullied Karkat's brother in college, that's who. Kankri talked a lot and never got into fights, and wasn't ever really rude to anyone, and if he was, it was accidently. But those idiots seemed to hate him for it. Kankri had once self-harmed because of them. Karkat had then told him how much he meant to him and it never bothered his brother again. That was a few weeks before the fire. Oh, Karkat was going to murder someone. He really, really was. Two people suffering the same bullying, both gone to drastic measures about it. And if Karkat hadn't found out then his brother could've suffered the same fate that Sollux's had. If he'd found his brother like this, he'd have...reacted much worse than when his brother died in the fire.

Basically those bullies were going to die. Very hard. And it would be very, very painful.

AN: So, this wasn't really that long. :/ sorry people! On other news, we get to see Karkat beat up some fuckers next time. Unless I decide to be mean. But you'll have to all wait for that! Review if you liked!
~AP