"alright do you reely wwant to knoww wwhy i didnt pay you off? i had no intention to"

"What do you mea-" Roquen would have finished his sentence, but the ceiling above the two of them began convulsing. Looking up, he mouthed some unintelligible phrase before his body tensed just slightly. Had he been paying attention, he would have seen Eridan do much the same. Just about to leave to investigate, he was stopped by one of his men, who was babbling something about being under attack. This did not bode well. After ensuring that this prisoner was secured, he made a passing comment about having to postpone their chess match for now and swept out of the room.

As he moved up the stairs, the sound of battle began to fade into his hearing; gunfire being the more prevalent sound. Great, this was all he needed right now. Pulling a long pistol from his Strife Deck, he moved quickly, finding a vantage point and trying to get a better look at the enemy. Who was he up against? Who had the audacity to attack him on his own world? The answer turned out to be something arguably more frightening than he had thought. Subjuggulators. But what were they doing on his world? They must have slowly built up a presence under his radar, after all, one or two trolls scattered throughout a sweep or two… If nothing else, the sheer amount of planning that they did impressed him somewhat.

But this was hardly the time to be impressed by the antics of people who were presumably trying to kill him and all his men.

Looking over the battlefield, Roquen locked onto one of the bigger, more crazed enemies and decided to see if he liked lead with his Faygo. The answer to which was no. One bright spray of indigo later, the troll collapsed to the ground, two holes in his head now. As good news as that was, now he had a ton of indigo eyes scanning, looking for him. A few eyes managed to spot him, but by the time they got up there, he was long gone, hiding away at his next vantage point. Casting his gaze around the room, he catches glimpse of a sniper. Aiming carefully, there was another spray of indigo and one less troll for his men to worry about.

A few more tense minutes, the tide turns in their favor. They managed to capture a few of them, kill most of them, but the rest, unfortunately, escaped. Roquen, having done what he could, allowed himself a brief moment to relax before returning to business; the most important of which at this point, was to round up everyone who was still alive and mobile and count up the casualties. Apparently, part of the structural integrity had been compromised, and a fair few of his men had been injured. The most surprising of which was Eridan. As it turned out, a few Subjuggulators had gotten inside the building via tunnel, and Eridan merely got caught in the crossfire. Once assured that the remaining trolls under his command were all going to survive, he retreats to the stairwell to pull his husktop out and contact a few people, or at least who he hoped were the people he needed to talk to. Searching a trolltag, he found only one cuttlefishCuller. If he remembered correctly, that should be the current Condesce. A few minutes into their conversation, he found his server being hacked into. Bidding Her Majesty a quick farewell, Roquen pulled up the information on who was trying so hard to see what he was doing, and contacted them through Trollian, disconnecting him from anyone else he was trying to talk to at the moment.

-flambergeTyrant [FT] began trolling twinArmageddons [TA]-
FT: Greet/ngs.
TA: how the fuck diid you do that?
FT: Do what, exact\y?
TA: you dii2rupted my connectiion and ii want two know how.
FT: We\\, you were try/ng to hack /nto my account, so / see no reason to just \et you get away w/th /t.
TA: who are you?
FT: Chang/ng the subject?
FT: Tsk, tsk, tsk.
TA: an2wer my que2tiion, a22hole.
FT: Hey now, /'m not be/ng an 'a22hole,' / am be/ng very po\/te and gent\etro\\-\/ke.
TA: whatever, ju2t an2wer my que2tiion2 and we can get thii2 over wiith.
FT: What do you w/sh to know?
TA: who are you?
FT: Are you sure you don't a\ready know?
TA: what the fuck are you talkiing about?
FT: Some f/\es on your computer, / be\/eve you '\/berated' them from the \eg/s\acerators' servers.
TA: how would you know that?
FT: Because / know everyth/ng that goes on here.
TA: here?
FT: Th/s wor\d, hacker.
TA: and how would you know everythiing?
FT: Th/s /s my wor\d.
FT: Now, /f you'\\ excuse me, Mr. Captor, / have bus/ness / need to attend to.
-flambergeTyrant [FT] ceased trolling twinArmageddons [TA]-

Closing his husktop for the moment, he stowed it back in his sylladex and went to secure the perimeter and track down whoever managed to escape the battle. It wasn't easy trying to run down several Subjuggulators, but he and a few others managed to get them all either captured or killed.

Meanwhile, there was someone else moving about in the shadows of the billowing smoke. The lone teal blood on-world was interrupted from her reunion with her lover to go and find out what the explosion was. She moved silently, trying to pick out figures in the smokescreen. She was surprised to see a few figures that she recognized, but they disappeared almost as quickly as she spotted them. Unfortunately their shapes were so obscured, she could not tell with any great certainty that this is who she thought it was.

As the smoke finally cleared, and the debris was getting cleared away, she walked up to one of the Cavalreapers, drawing herself up as high and important as she possibly could. "3XUS3 M3. C4N YOU T3LL M3 WH4T'S GO1NG ON H3R3?"

The man she was addressing turned to look at her, drawing himself up as well. "Nothing is going on, ple se return to your business."

Scoffing softly, Terezi pulled out her badge, flashing it in his face. "1 4M 4 L3G1SL4C3R4TOR 4SS1GN3D TO TH1S WORLD. SO Y3S, TH1S 1S MY BUS1N3SS. T3LL M3 WH4T YOU KNOW." She wasn't technically lying, so there shouldn't be a problem.

"I didn't know we'd h ve a Legisl cerator on world."

"TH3Y T3LL YOU 3V3RYTH1NG, DO TH3Y? NOW 4NSW3R MY QU3ST1ON."

Sighing, he knew he was defeated, so he deferred to her higher blood color and rank. "The c pit l building w s tt cked. There was r ther powerful force of Subjuggul tors behind it. The front entr nce w s blown sky high, nd m ny innocent people were c ught in the crossfire, either being used s me t shields or c nnon fodder. It w s m ss cre, M ' m."

This made her raise an eyebrow. "SUBJUGGUL4TORS? TH4T 1S 4 S3R1OUS 4CCUS4T1ON. DO YOU H4V3 4NY PROOF?"

"Look round you, M ' m. They're still h ulin' de d bodies off the street."

Sure enough, as she turned her gaze to the capital, she saw indigo staining the street and those carrying bodies. It was a nightmare-ish scene. One that the High Subjuggulator himself would be proud of the paint job. She would need to tell him what happened, she realized with a grimace. She never really liked having to face him, but she did it anyway. It was in her job description, after all. Sighing softly, she thanked the young troll for him help and turned heel to walk away. "M ' m!" Turning back, her head tilted to the side. "You be c reful out there. Some of them m n ged to esc pe custody. We're tr cking them down, but even so." She simply nodded her thanks to the warning and returned to her haven with her friends.

The second she walked inside, she was assaulted by questions, the loudest coming from Karkat. "WHERE THE FUCK DID YOU WANDER OFF TO?"

"1 H4D TO F1GUR3 OUT WH4T W4S GO1NG ON, P4R14H. L34V3 M3 4LON3."

"NO, I'M NOT GOING TO LEAVE YOU ALONE."

"Y3S, YOU 4R3. 1 H4V3 TO M4K3 4 C4LL 4ND 1F H3 H34RD YOU 1T WOULD B3 V3RY B4D FOR 3V3RYON3 1N TH1S ROOM. 1 W1LL 3XPL41N 3V3RYTH1NG 1 KNOW 4FT3R TH1S C4LL, 4LR1GHT?"

Pouting slightly Karkat skulked off to another corner while Terezi moved outside, pulling out her phone and hitting a few numbers. "L3G1SL4C3R4TOR N3OPHYT3 PYROP3 SP34K1NG. 1 N33D TO T4LK TO TH3 GR4ND H1GHBLOOD." There was a slight pause on the other end of the phone before someone picked up again. "S1R?"

The voice on the other end was low, almost melodic in a way. Any weaker minded troll would have been lulled into his spell at his first word. "$uup biitch. whaat'$ goot yoouu aall uup iin myy phoonee?~"

Stopping for a moment to regain her head, Terezi continued on. "S1R, TH3R3 W4S 4N 4TT4CK ON 4DV3RS1N4. FROM WH4T 1'V3 B33N 4BL3 TO UND3RST4ND, 1T W4S 4 GROUP OF SUBJUGGUL4TORS TH4T D1D TH1S. D1D YOU KNOW 4NYTH1NG 4BOUT TH1S, S1R?"

"aaw $hiit. aan aattaack oon wheeree?~"

"4DV3RS1N4, S1R."

"aand yoouu $aay theeree weeree mootheerfuuckiing $uubjuugguulaatoor$ iinvoolveed iin thii$?~"

"Y3S S1R. R3PORTS S4Y TH4T TH3Y W3R3 TH3 ON3S 4TT4CK1NG TH3 C4P1T4L."

"myy mootheerfuuckiing Mirthful Messiahs. ii haad noo fuuckiing iideeaa.~"

"WH4T DO YOU W4NT TO DO 4BOUT TH1S?"

"weell $hiit, weeree theeree aany $uurviivoor$?~"

"4 F3W. TH3Y'R3 1N TH3 CUSTODY OF TH3 LOC4L C4V4LR34P3RS, UND3R H34VY S3D4T1ON."

"aaiight. ii'll $eeee whaat ii caan diig uup.~"

"4NY 1NSTRUCT1ON FOR MYS3LF OR TH3 C4V4LR34P3RS, S1R?"

"naah, y'aall juu$t keeeep dooiin' whaat yoouu'ree dooiin'.~"

"Y3S S1R." And with that said, the line went dead. Letting out a breath she hadn't been aware she was holding, she released the tension in her body. Stepping back inside, she cast a glance around the room, waiting to be accosted by Karkat again who, as it turned out, was still pouting in his corner.

But no, it was Nepeta who spoke up. ":33 What was that about, Terezi?"

"1 H4D TO T3LL TH3 GR4ND H1GHBLOOD WH4T H4D H4PP3N3D H3R3. S33 1F H3 KN3W 4NYTH1NG."

"oH NO, tHE GRAND HIGHBLOOD? hE'S NOT GONNA COME HERE, iS HE?"

She shook her head, putting Tavros' worries at ease. "1 DON'T TH1NK SO. THOUGH H3 S41D H3 D1DN'T KNOW TH1S H4D H4PP3N3D, 1 DON'T W4NT TO B3L13V3 H1M. TH3R3 1S NOTH1NG TH4T TH3 SUBJUGGUL4TORS DO TH4T H3 DO3S NOT KNOW 4BOUT 4ND OV3RS33 D1R3CTLY." Folding her arms, she gritted her razorblade teeth. "TH3 QU3ST1ON 1S WHY? WHY WOULD H3 S3ND 4 L4RG3 FORC3 OF SUBJUGGUL4TORS TO 4 B4CKW4T3R WORLD 4ND 4TT4CK TH3 C4P1T4L? 1 M34N TH3 R3SPONS3 H3 GOT H3R3 W4S W4Y MOR3 TH4N WOULD H4V3 B33N PR3D1CT3D. H3 SHOULD H4V3 B33N 4BL3 TO T4K3 TH3 C4P1T4L W1TH NOT 3V3N H4LF TH3 FORC3 H3 S3NT…."

"ii can an2wer that que2tiion," came the reply from across the room. The troll hadn't even bothered to look up from his screen.

"OH? DO T3LL."

"becau2e of who own2 thii2 world."

"YOU M34N ROQU3N."

"ye2."

"WH4T WOULD H3 W4NT W1TH TH4T GUY?"

"ii've been looking 2hiit up. roquen own2 more than one backwater world. He ju2t u2e2 thii2 one a2 a ba2e of operatiion2 becau2e of the low hiighblood influence. ii mean 2eriiou2ly, we have one battaliion of cavalreaper2 and two legii2lacerator2, countiing you. mo2t of the military on thii2 world ii2 hii2 miiliitiia2. iif my iintel ii2 correct, and the 2ubjuggulator2 are planiing 2ome 2ort of rebelliion, he'll want roquen out of the way, a2 he ha2 rea2on to 2ide wiith the empiire for now."

This took Terezi slightly by surprise. "WO4H, WO4H, WO4H. B4CK UP. S1NC3 WH3N W3R3 TH3 SUBJUGGUL4TORS PL4N1NG 4 R3B3LL1ON?"

At this point, the entire room, including Karkat, looked over at Sollux, who simply gave them a blank stare for a moment before speaking again. "oh riight, ii forgot two tell you guy2. ff told me earliier that 2he got a death threat from 2ome a22hole who'2 trolltag wa2 miirthfulMe22enger. 2o ii looked hiim up and found out he wa2 a 2ubjuggulator."

"W3LL, TH3N." She paused for a moment before opening her mouth to speak, but Nepeta got there first.

":00 That means that Feferi's in a lot of trouble! We have to help her!"

"FUCK," the low sound of a worried crab echoed through the room as he lowered his head in his hands. "WE CAN BARELY KEEP OURSELVES FROM BEING CAPTURED AND KILLED, AND NOW WE'RE GOING TO BE PREOCCUPIED WORRYING ABOUT OUR NEWEST CONDESENCION. WHAT CAN WE DO FROM OUR CURRENT LOCATION WITH OUR CURRENT ALLIES, OF WHICH, NEED I REMIND YOU, WE HAVE NONE?"

"YOU H4V3 M3. 4ND 1 T4K3 MY ORD3RS D1R3CTLY FROM F3F3R1 4ND TH3 GR4ND H1GHBLOOD, BUT F3F'S SUP3RC33D3 H1S BY 4 LONG SHOT. 4LL 1 H4V3 TO DO 1S CONV1CE H3R TO K33P M3 CLOS3 4S 4N 1NFORM4NT. SH3'LL H4V3 3Y3S 4ND 34RS 1NTO WH4T TH3 D4RK C4RN1V4L 1S PL4NN1NG," Terezi supplied with a grim expression.

At this, Karkat whirled to face her, his face a mixture of fear and shock. "DO YOU HAVE ANY IDEA HOW DANGEROUS THAT WOULD BE?"

"Y3S, 1 DO. TO B3 SO CLOS3 TO TH3 GR4ND H1GHBLOOD 4ND S33K TO UND3RM1N3 H1M 1S SU1C1DE. TH3R3 1S NOTH1NG H3 DO3S NOT S33. 1F 1 DO TH1S, MY C4R33R, NO… MY L1F3 1S ON TH3 L1N3. BUT 1 4M GO1NG TO DO WH4T3V3R 1 C4N TO PROT3CT MY FR13NDS."

"I, uHH, aGREE WITH TEREZI, iT'S OUR BEST SHOT AT KEEPING FEFERI ALIVE,"

"WHAT? ARE YOU NUTS?!"

"uHH, nO, iT'S JUST THAT IN CASES LIKE THESE, tHE NEEDS OF THE MANY OUTWEIGH THE NEEDS OF THE FEW, uHH, iF i COULD DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT, i WOULD, bUT i CAN'T, uHH, bUT tEREZI CAN DO SOMETHING SO WE HAVE TO LET HER,"

Karkat was about to speak again when he was silenced by Terezi's hand over his mouth. Her crimson eyes were misted over with teal as she tried to hold back her tears of fear. "K4RKL3S, PL34S3. DON'T M4K3 TH1S 4NY H4RD3R TH4N 1T 1S. YOU H4V3 TO L3T M3 DO TH1S. 1F SH3 D1ES 4ND 1 COULD H4V3 STOPP3D 1T, 1 WOULD N3V3R B3 4BL3 TO FORG1V3 MYS3LF. 1'LL B3 C4R3FUL, 1 PROM1S3."

Defeated, Karkat simply slumped into her arms, not daring to look her in the eyes again. Terezi held him close, her chin resting on his shoulder. "1 PROM1S3 TO COM3 B4CK TO YOU, K4RK4T." As she spoke, shaky arms rose to cling tightly to the back of her shirt. She smiled softly, closing her eyes and leaning harder against him. "4S LONG 4S YOU 4R3 S4F3, 1'LL B3 F1N3." Pulling away slightly, she showed him her smile before walking over to each of the others, whispering words of confidence in their ears as she hugged onto them tightly. She had no idea when she would next be able to see them, but she hoped that when she did, they would not have to hide in the shadows any more.

Turning to leave, she donned her usual grin as she gave one last look at them all. "S33 Y4 4ROUND, OUTL4WS."

"GOOD LUCK."

And she was gone, outside in the cool night air. Taking a deep breath, she headed back to her ship, prepared to play the most dangerous game of FLARP she had ever attempted.