...uh, hi?
Firstly, apologizing severely for my disappearance. Schoolwork combined with some deep thinking about the new updates and their impact on this story, as well as just good old-fashioned writer's slump, made this chapter a beast to get out. But it's finally done and behind me, and I think the next chapter will be the last (if all goes according to plan). THANK YOU for your encouragement during my unplanned hiatus, and sorry if this chapter doesn't quite make up for it. It was a rough one. See you (hopefully) soon.
"You need to go show this to Vriska, and ask her about it."
Karkat took the note from Aradia's shaky hand, where it was somehow wedged into the edge of the thick bandages. He was sitting beside Aradia's bed in her dorm room, where she had decided to convalesce during her recovery. If it were Karkat, he would've jumped at the chance to go home, but he guessed absences piled up pretty quickly in the event of an injury like Aradia's.
Doc Scratch.
He raised an eyebrow. Where had he heard that name before?
"Okay, any particular reason? I just have this mildly unsettling feeling that you just gave me a delicious piece of grubloaf to dangle in front of the giant psychotic spider that is Vriska. Just sayin'." Aradia settled her head back down on her pillow, her gaze not flickering from Karkat.
"You don't have to do it. It would just get things moving faster if you would," she said.
"Woah- what path of logic did you follow where I wanted things here to go faster? The end is…is the place you ended up a few nights ago. Possibly with a few less organs or a hole in my head. That's what I have to look forward to." Karkat leaned back in the chair, jiggling his foot nervously. "So what does this-," he held up the slip of paper, "-do for that."
Aradia shrugged.
"I just thought you were trying to figure out what's going on. That's probably the most relevant piece of information you'll get if you decide to go to the party, which like you said- greatly reduced mobility for several months." She scratched her nose with a stiff hand.
Karkat considered the name on the paper, before biting his lip.
"Tell me- in your opinion and experience with these honors students, what will happen if I don't go to the party?"
"They'll just find you in some place with a lot less people able to call 911," Aradia said flatly, shaking a piece of hair away from her eyes.
"Like they found you," Karkat offered.
"…like they found me. Yeah."
"So spill. Who is it. What does this doctor person have to do with anything?"
"Not 'doctor', 'doc'. Doc Scratch."
"Gee. Okay, thank you. Everything makes so much sense now. I'm gonna go, and using the correct pronunciation of this name and the power of love, be a fucking legend and save the day! Yayyyy, go Karkat!" He punctuated by throwing his arms up in the air. Aradia seemed unimpressed by his theatrics. He crossed his arms. "Yeah, okay, now that we're on a first name basis, is there anything else you can tell me?"
"I don't know the details, but I know that name has a lot to do with this whole mess," Aradia said. Her voice was getting a little more tired sounding.
"…Alright. Fine. I think I can go on this. Uh, thanks. I owe you one." Karkat stood awkwardly for a minute. "When do you think you'll get the cast off?"
"No time soon. Good luck, Karkat." Aradia closed her eyes, and exhaled softly.
"Thanks. Feel better."
After an awkward wave, Karkat stalked through the dormitory hallway towards the exit, clutching the slip of paper in his pocket with nervously twitching fingers. He pushed through the doors and emerged into the bright mid-afternoon sun. A familiar figure at the edge of the green caught his eye. Sollux was right where Karkat had told him to be, leaning against a lamppost and checking his phone. Karkat beelined towards him and caught his arm, pulling him toward the exit.
"Hey there, KK," Sollux said when Karkat jogged over to him. He looked uncomfortably at Aradia's dorm. Ever since the night at the hospital, he'd been essentially avoiding her. "Visiting Aradia?" His voice sounded guilty.
"Yeah…she's sleeping. You should probably go see her sometime. She, uh, doesn't blame you for…not being around. I mean, it's not like you weren't at the hospital."
"…the worst part is, I know that. I really do. I just…I mean, I hate seeing her like that." Karkat furrowed his eyebrows. Something about the way Sollux said it made a little alarm bell in his head go off.
'I hate seeing her like that'.
"Vriska broke you guys up, right? How did that happen?" Karkat blurted out. Sollux glared at him.
"You need social skills, you realize that," he muttered.
"I have fucking excellent social skills, YOU realize that," Karkat shot back. He didn't feel like pursuing the obvious avoidance to the topic, or paying attention to the little gears squeaking in the back of his head. The two walked together, hands bumping each other, before Karkat sighed dramatically and grabbed Sollux' hand. I'm too fucking tired to be disgusted at myself.
"I'm not a fan of you. At all."
Sollux snickered, tightening his grip. "Could've fooled me. You act like one of the fairies from Ferngully every time I show up."
"Fuck you! You're just as gay as me! And Ferngully was an awesome movie!"
"Technically, I'm only half as gay as you, Sir Prancelot. I still like girls."
"Well fuck, pardon my error. I'll remember to keep that distinction in mind next time we're exchanging harsh words."
"So Aradia's okay?" Sollux asked after a minute.
"…yeah. She's gonna be alright." Karkat snuck a glance at Sollux' face. It was hard to read. He was almost afraid that Sollux wouldn't trust him, and run back to Aradia's dorm.
Sollux just turned and smiled at him though, all stupid teeth, and asked, "Ready for our beach date, KK?" Karkat sighed, rolling his eyes and doing his best to ignore the little stumble of his heartbeat and the rising temperature of his face.
"So ready. Readier than you will ever be."
Sollux pulled Karkat a little closer as they reached the parking lot.
"You just take your time with all of that pretending. Has anyone ever told you you are way too competitive?" Sollux released Karkat's hand to unlock his car and pull the door open. Karkat glared at him over the roof.
"I don't see you doing much better."
"Competitive. Competitive and defensive."
"Oh my fuck, Captor, shut up. You're the one who's…who's dating me."
"Did I ever say I didn't like it?"
For once, Karkat didn't have a response, so he just slouched in Sollux' passenger seat with a burning face and his foot tapping away on the dashboard, not caring if his sneaker left scuffs. He didn't say we weren't dating.
He would find himself was still thinking mainly the same thought twenty minutes later, except his back would be sticky from damp sand soaking through his shirt. He would be flat against that sand, shadowed from the afternoon sun by his roommate just above him. There wouldn't be anything nice about the sand creeping up into his hoodie, but Sollux' fingers would be running down his face reverently, and Sollux himself would be muttering something (stupid) about Karkat and Karkat looking gorgeous. Karkat would also find the (equally stupid) protests spilling from him lips interrupted by something nicer, until his preoccupation with dating and he said was blasted into a million tiny pieces all over the beach.
The day after the next, Karkat Vantas was gonna die.
But Wednesday night, he set the record for not caring.
Karkat bit a huge chunk off the top of his granola bar, chewing it grotesquely.
From his perch on a trashcan, he watched as a stream of students passed by, waiting for one in particular. When she finally emerged from the building, he jumped off and threw the half-eaten granola bar into the bin. She paused at a bench to arrange her belongings, looking up when he stopped a few feet away from her, arms crossed. She smirked, mirroring the gesture.
"Well well well, if it isn't my favorite hot mess! Hiya, Karbaby! It's been a while. I almost missed you!"
Karkat snorted. "I'll believe that when you get the fuck out of my business and stop trying to put a hit out on me."
"Oooh, so you're getting ready for the party tomorrow night, then!" Vriska cooed happily, as if she wasn't talking about some kind of murder mystery dinner party.
"I'm mostly wondering how the fuck you think you can even get away with it, considering everyone and their grandpa has heard the rumors by now," he bit out, hating Vriska's stupid face and her stupid hair and the fact that she had the gall to look surprised.
"Why, I have no idea what you're talking about!" Her voice was overly pleasant. Liar. She knew he really didn't have solid proof beyond the unreliable rumor mill. What does Tavros see in her?
"Listen. I've done the rounds. I know what you did- or you made happen- to Aradia." He felt a tiny bit of satisfaction by noting a different expression flashing on Vriska's face. "Same with Tavros, even though he's apparently a spineless googly-eyed idiot who's still retarded enough over you that he'd sic his dog on his friend."
"Don't talk about things you know nothing about," Vriska interjected, smile gone from her face.
"How does it feel knowing you've fucked so many people over, Vriska?" Karkat asked, returning her glare.
"Pretty goddamn bad, Karkles."
…
Karkat tilted his head, trying to better process her statement.
"What?" he finally blurted out.
"What's wrong, didn't expect that? That maybe I didn't want them to get hurt? That I'm not a terrible person? I didn't think…it would…ugghh, I don't want to talk to you about this." Whatever shred of regret that was present in Vriska's voice and face slipped away. Karkat suddenly remembered what he had meant to ask from the beginning.
"Who the fuck is Doc Scratch?"
The effect it had on Vriska was instantaneous.
"Who told you that name?" Vriska asked slowly.
"Doesn't matter. Just tell me who it is. What they have to do with Gamzee, with you, with the fucking party."
Vriska didn't answer. She looked like she was internally debating something. Suddenly, she was very close to Karkat. Signature move. She pushed on his shoulders to force him to sit on the bench, and leaned over him.
"I'm gonna tell you something, because maybe I kinda wish someone had done this for me. You don't mess with that name. You don't mess with Gamzee, because that name is in charge of him. And Gamzee is dealing with some dangerous things. Gamzee is also dealing with keeping you, little clueless Karkat, off the radar. He fucked up last year, almost signed you away to some terrible luck. But contrary to what you think, I'm not a bad person. So I am going to tell you this: Take the gift Gamzee is giving you, and shut the fuck up. If putting you in the hospital is what keeps you out of their sight, why wouldn't he do it? If you could keep someone safe…someone who's stupid and cowardly and could never protect themselves, just for the cost of an arm and a leg…wouldn't you do it?" Vriska stared into his face, before letting go of his shoulders and stepping away. She looked uncomfortable as she grabbed her bag. "Just…forget it. I'll see you at the party, Karkles!" She skittered away to god-knows-where, leaving Karkat stunned on the bench.
He looked at the ground, neurons firing rapidly in his brain, making connections. If it would keep them safe, wouldn't you hurt them? 'Even if it cost a leg?'
Karkat had a pretty good idea of what happened to Tavros Nitram and Aradia Megido and why. It only quickened his fluttering pulse.