[AN: Sorry for the late update but it is pretty long compared to the other chapters! Remember to message me if you like it so I know to keep going haha]

Eridan stared up at the male in front of him as his tall figure was revealed, and a dopey grin sat upon his lips. His face was covered in light and dark grey face makeup to represent a clown, it reminded Eridan of the store that he saw previously. He was wearing a black shirt with some kind of band logo across it and causal black baggy jeans and sneakers. The man's hair was completely out of control and Eridan watched as the man extended his hand to him as he peered down at his own muddy hand before frowning.

"Come on bro, not time to be stuck in the mud, life's calling" The tall man said as he reached down himself and grabbed Eridans hand and lifted the man, he was surprisingly strong. Eridan easily stood up though his eyes drifted to his white pants they were completely ruined. Eridan noticed that the man before him hadn't let go of his hand as he began to lead him up and out of the mud and towards the boy sitting in which was now confirmed to be a wheelchair.

"uh, hey it's nice to meet you, my names Tavros and this is Gamzee" the smaller boy pointed out as Eridan wiped down his clothes and peered over to the man in the chair. He was wearing a similar black tee-shirt to Gamzee though had baggy grey jeans over his legs and white sneakers. He had a soft face for a male and his head had a small Mohawk styled cut, it really did suit him. Eridan removed his hand from Gamzee's and brushed off his scarf as he watched Gamzee walk over and behind Tavros's chair.

"The name is Eridan, Eridan Ampora." Eridan informed the two boys as he decided that trying to wipe the mud from himself was useless as he just peered down at his feet.

"Thanks for helpin' me" Eridan frowned out as he didn't move,

"uHH, that's okay Eridan, Vriska and her crew are uHH."

"Motherfuckin Bitches" Gamzee finished off as Tavros nodded to himself while Eridan took in a heavy sigh and peered up at the boys as sternly as he could behind his red eyes and gulped.

"Thanks for everthin' really but I hav-ve really got to g-go" Eridan managed to whimper out as he raised his muddy arm to his eyes and turned on his feet.

"WAIT, I mean wait a second Eridan, uHH I mean."

"Need a fresh change of clothes all up on ya? Before you head back to your crib?" Gamzee offered as Eridan sniffled but stopped and wiped his eyes, he couldn't hide the mixture of emotional tears as he turned on the spot and lowered his arms to his sides and clutched his father's scarf with his right hand.

"look, your both nice an all but I really shouldn't talk to strangers" Eridan whimpered out as he let his tears openly fall as Tavros frowned to himself.

"We aren't no strangers bro, come on lets go fix up your motherfucking clothes." Gamzee offer again as Eridan shook his head slowly before his eyes drifted to his pocket, in which was now glowing and buzzing. He reached down to his pocket and peered at the caller ID, Sollux.

"You know w-what, yeah I w-will come with you." He sniffled out as he pocketed the phone and wiped his red eyes as Tavros gave him a small smile.

"uHH, cool well Gamzee's fathers shop is this way" Tavros pointed out as Gamzee began to push the man back towards the way that Eridan had come from. Eridan didn't trust the two nice males but he was so angry at Sollux, although he knew he had no real right to be mad at him but Eridans emotions sometimes got the better of him.

Maybe Tavros and Gamzee would be completely normal and nice?

"I'm tho dead KK, you have no idea" Sollux frowned out as the two boys started to march through the shortcut to the park Eridan was at. Karkat rolled his eyes as he struggled to keep up with Sollux's long steps.

"Sollux you need to calm down, I know you don't want your big brother to get pissed at you but do you think you could slow down?" Karkat questioned as Sollux gave him a looked before his feet fell to a slow walk as he placed his hands in his pockets.

"Your right, I need to calm down" Sollux grumbled out as he clutched his phone in his pocket and secretly hoped that it would ring as the two walked. Though instead a small chuckle rang through his ears as he peered up through his mis-matched glasses as the girls that owned Topkains Park, he peered away in hopes they wouldn't see him, though Karkat smirked and raised a hand to the three girls. They stopped talking and Terezi gave him a small wave and they now directed themselves towards the two males as Sollux groaned.

"Heeeeeyyyy Karkat" Vriska called out as the gap between the two groups coiled as Vriska and Karkat gave each other a high five and Sollux sunk into the background, trying to avoid Vriska's eye sight.

"Yeah Hey Vriska, Terzei, Aradia" Karkat peered over at Sollux as he spoke Aradia's name, Sollux knew why as he gave the group a nod and Aradia peered away.

"Oh Karkat get this hehe, we had an intruder today, some hipster!" Terzei smirked out as she set her cane off to the side as Karkat rose an eyebrow.

"Let me guess, Hipster, scarf and glasses?" Karkat smiled out as the girls all seemed a bit taken back as Vriska stood tall.

"You know him?" She questioned, Karkat shrugged as Sollux moved beside him, with a slight glare taking over his features.

"Yeah I jutht happen to be hith babythitter and thankth to you bitches I'm going to have my fucking head kicked in." Sollux growled out as Vriska and Terezi chuckled slightly, though Aradia seemed to be hurt slightly as she peered away.

"Sorry what was that, I couldn't understand you through your liiiisp" Vriska growled out as Terezi chuckled, Sollux gritted his teeth before turning on his heels and continuing down the road.

"What a baby hehe" Terzei chuckled out as Karkat sighed and gave the girls a nod,

"Sorry girls but I kinda said I would help him find the hipster" Karkat smirked out, he turned to leave as Terzei stepped forward.

"Try the mud pile!" She called, karkat didn't look back but raised a hand to her comment before catching up to Sollux.

"Wow you really are worried for this hipster aren't you?" Karkat smirked out as Sollux sighed and slowed his steps, now knowing that the girls were out of sight.

"Well you know the area, and you know Mituna, and yeah" Sollux's eyes shifted to his feet as Karkat's smirk faded as he sighed. Sollux never told anyone about what happens at his home when he was at his fathers house, though he had told Karkat after he had rocked up to school with a black eye last year. Sollux had told him that his father suffered from bi-polar disorder and would love him one day and despise him the next, and how Mituna always steps between the two when things get physical. Though it was that particular black eye in which Hurt Sollux the most, because it wasn't from his father, Mituna had done it. Karkat hadn't believed Sollux at first but the more the boy explained the more Karkat understood, Their fathers violent behaviour had rubbed off on Mituna so much that he had developed Bi-polar himself. Though it was only a mild case if Mituna was angry enough he was driven to violence and nothing scared Sollux more than his hero, his bigger brother, hurting him like his father does. That's why he was so worried about finding Eridan because if he didn't Mituna would be so angry with him.

"Look Sollux there's the park, TZ said they threw hi—"

"I know" Sollux's tone was flat as they approached the muddy space of the park that used to be a lake as he peered down at the grass that now had brown stains of mud. Eridan had left the muddy bank, as Sollux peered about the boy was nowhere to be found, he groaned as he reached up to his messy hair and gave it a quick stroke.

"Hey calm down, give him a call." karkat assured his best friend as Sollux let out a frustrated sigh as he reached down and pulled out his phone and re-dialled Eridan's number and waited… and waited… and waited…

"You have reached the mailbox of Eridan Ampora—"

No answer?

Eridan couldn't say that he was surprised when he was taken back to the shady mall and now standing out the front of that weird smelling juggalo store he had passed before. Gamzee and Tavros entered the store slowly as Eridan trailed behind staring as he was brought through the store. Various items were hanging from the shelves and ceiling in which where mostly purple with random band posters and clown images covering them. The store was not very organised and the clothes had various brands he had never seen before with creepy images on them, though as he read the signs he learnt that piercings were available from here and makeup, Eridan shuddered slightly. The store smelt even weirder when inside and the music was somewhat creepy yet sooting and the thought of piercing himself made his hairs raise on the back of his head. He was lead behind the counter and into the room in the back, which was similar to the rest of the store despite the couch and the man sitting spread out on it this with a "bong" resting safely in his lap. Eridan was amazed how open this man was he was obviously related to Gamzee as his longer shaggier hair was everywhere and his loose fitting clothes and shoeless feet stuck out from under his baggy pants. Though his face was more sharp than Gamzee but his features were relaxed and his blue eyes fell upon the group at the door.

"Bro Kurloz, is dad in?" Gamzee asked as the man on the couch sat in thought for a second before shaking his head and returning to peering off to the side where a window and a back door were visible as Eridan coughed slightly under his breath.

"Well Eridan why don't you just all up in head into the other room over there and pick out some new clothes on the house of course" Gamzee smiled out as Tavros nodded and didn't seem to be suffering from the smoke in the room.

"And there's a bathroom just around the corner you can change in." Tavros grinned out as Eridan watched gamzee roll Tavros towards the couch and place him by it as he sat down. Eridan gave a slight nod to the two as he spotted the room door and quickly headed towards it and got inside, letting out a desperate breath. He had never been exposed to that kind of smoke before and it was really hard to breath in that room but he just realised that he had closed the door on himself and left himself in the dark. Eridan sighed as he felt around the wall until he found the light switch and revealed boxes and clothes neatly folded in piles on shelves. This was obviously the stock room, though as Eridan approached the clothes he frowned, all these clothes totally didn't fit his style.

"At least I won't be muddy" Eridan sighed to himself as he began to sort through the various dark coloured shirts with creepy images and scratchy band names until he settled on a black shirt with a purple splatter of words and some grey sweat shorts. He grabbed the clothes and carried them out of the room as he peered over towards the men on the couch that were chatting along with each other as Kurloz stayed quiet and seemed to be spacing out. Gamzee stopped talking as his eyes drifted to Eridan and he stood and approached Eridan,

"Bro bathrooms this way" Gamzee said as he walked in front of Eridan and walked him towards a small door inside the shop Eridan gave him an awkward grin as he entered the surprisingly clean bathroom with a relieved sigh. Eridan was quick to shed off the tight wet muddy clothes and lent over the white sink as he peered up at the small profile mirror his blue eyes weren't red anymore though his hair had strokes of mud in it as he slicked back his hair with a sigh. He removed his glasses and placed them on the sink as he threw the oversized jumper on and slipped the baggy pants over his legs before replacing his glasses and looking down at his discarded clothes. He reached and grasped the scarf from the pile and stared at the muddy ends, though wrapped it around his neck anyway as it made him feel safe. He quickly grabbed his clothes and held them away from his new clean clothes as he exited the room to see Gamzee waiting on the wall beside the room which made Eridan jump back a bit.

"You all up in changed? You can put your clothes in here." Gamzee held out a purple bag that had the stores logo on it as Eridan gave a nod before placing his clothes in the bag and holding it beside him.

"Thanks for everything Gam, but I think I should go—"

"You don't want to stay for a while with me and Trabro?" Gamzee asked with a small frown as Eridan found himself frowning too. Though his thoughts were more on Sollux at the moment, he had time to cool off and only now he felt like apologising too Sollux really bad, because like Gamzee and Tavros he was a good guy.

"I w-would like to stay but I really should call Sollux-"

"You know Sollux? That motherfuckers one cool dude" Gamzee smiled out as Eridan stared at Gamzee, it was just his luck that Gamzee knew Sollux, it made him relax a little.

"Yeah w-we w-were hanging out and I kinda ditched him and I really shoul—"

"I get it bro, I'll give him a call"

"No Gam, wait I—" But it was too late Gamzee had spun on his feet and began heading back towards Tavros as he reached his phone to his ear. Eridan gulped as he trailed behind Gamzee, he had a feeling Sollux was not going to be pleased with him.

"Just fuck thith, I knew that hipther wath going to be trouble, thith ith why I don't befriend thupid emotional aththholeth" Sollux grumped out as he sat on a bench down the road from the park, they had given up their goose chase for the hipster. Karkat just nodded as he had another smoke hanging from his lips as he reached up and took a long drag, before taking it out and holding it towards Sollux. Sollux peered at the smoke, he didn't smoke, well too often though today was different, he grabbed the smoke and took a quick drag himself as Karkat smirked.

"I can't believe I fucking went to cronuth'th houthe…" Sollux stopped mid-sentence as he peered down at his pocket and grabbed his phone out and answered as he took another drag of the smoke.

"Hey Thol, what are you crazy kidth doing?" Sollux's eyes widened as he coughed out the smoke that filled his lungs and quickly handed the smoke over to Karkat as if Mituna could see them.

"Uhh not much" Sollux got out as he coughed a little and stared at the road as his foot began to frantically tap against the foot path.

"You taking care of Eridan?" Mituna asked as Sollux's foot tapped a little faster as he peered over to Karkat.

"yeah hith fine" Sollux mumbled out as Karkat frowned and peered away from Sollux's face as Mituna chuckled over the phone.

"Well it'th time to come back cauthe we are going to get going"

"Nope!" Sollux heard Cronus grumble out as he gulped slightly and cleared his throat and stood from the bench as Karkat followed suit as Sollux remained quiet.

"tho thart heading back" Mituna hung up the phone, though knowing those too that was Cronus as Sollux lowered his phone from his ear. His arm hung loosely at his side as he sighed once more before straightening up his glasses,

"Time to die I guethth" Sollux sighed out as Karkat flicked the half done smoke to the side as he stood by his friend.

"Hey why don't you just come back to mine and han—" Sollux peered down at his phone again, this time he answered with a sigh.

"Yeth hello?"

"Hello brother." It was Gamzee,

"GZ no I can't come to the thkate park with you today I'm buthy look—"

"I have someone here for you bro" Sollux's eyes widened as his heart skipped for a moment before he perked up slightly.

"What, Gam who?" Sollux waited as some talking was heard in the background as Gamzee returned to the phone.

"Well Eridan of course, he said he knew you and shit so i—"

"Gamzee, you are oh my god, where are you?" Sollux smiled widley revealing his overbite as he listened in.

"Well we are at my dad store bro"

"I'm coming over, thankth GZ" Sollux quickly hung up his phone and pocketed it as his smile twisted into a smirk as he began to walk toward the plaza as Karkat caught up to his side.

"What's going on?"

"Eridan ith tho dead."