Posted originally on the Archive_of_Our_Own at https://archiveofourown.org/
works/762854.
  Rating:
      Explicit
  Archive Warning:
      Underage
  Category:
      Multi
  Fandom:
      Homestuck
  Relationship:
      John_Egbert_&_Karkat_Vantas
  Stats:
      Published: 2013-04-15 Chapters: 2/? Words: 4735
****** Karkat's Creed ******
by carcinoGeneticist
Summary
     In which Karkat uses The Apple to train with the Signless.
Notes
     Hey guys... I'm sorry...
***** How It All Began; If Truth Be Told *****
Karkat's Creed
A young troll stands in his respiteblock. His room adorned with highblood
horns. If he were back on Alternia, this would surely be something he would
keep in his basement with his expirements. What is this kid's name?
You type in something obviously derogitory and he doesn't care. He has been
trained to stay polite and quiet under the supervision of anyone other than an
ancestor or his luses, but you have a feeling he would END you in the blink of
an eye with the chance. He politely declines and asks you to try again without
any smart ass bullshit this time. So much for prim and proper. You try again.
Your name is Karkat Vantas.
You are only 15 earth years, but you are in possession of the most powerful
piece of an ancient technology known as The Apple. It allows you to go back in
time and alter the past. You are on leave at the moment for a short rest, but
you know that after your wounds are healed, your luses is going to force you
back into action. You are currently training with you ancestor, The Signless,
to become an assassin. After you master all your skills, you are going to
become a member of an elite and rather untouchable league known only as "The
Alliance." This has been planned out for you since your larval awakening. You
are the lowest of the low on Alternia. Your blood is candy apple red and you
aren't even on the hemospectrum. This means your existince is illegal on your
home planet which is why you live on this crap ass excuse for one, Earth.
Karkat, it is suggested that you check out your trophies.
Ah yes. Your mass collection of highblood horns and bones really make you proud
to be a red blood. You remember when you were little and you used to paint
yourself purple wearing these things, and run around your hive in your
underwear.
Good times.
Karkat, stop reminiscing, and check out the gold ball in the glass case.
This is the apple. You keep it padded and locked in a plexi glass case for its
protection. Only a spell can break it. A spell that you just so happen to keep
around your neck in a sufferer necklace your ancestor gave you to conceal your
weapons.
Karkat, take the apple out of the case.
HELL MOTHER FUCKING NO... You do NOT, under any circumstances remove the apple
without consent from a luses. Speak of the Devil. You are starting to hear a
screeching noise that you can clearly identify as him.
Karkat, it is suggested that you see what krabdad is yelling about.
You exit your respiteblock and begin to embark on the long, mercyless voyage
down your worst nightmare... the stairs.
Ok so maybe you earned your "drama king" title a little to well. No matter. You
use one of the techniques that you picked up from The Signless and ricishay off
of the stair's railing onto the ceiling and climb across into the main entrance
hall. From your angle, all you can see is that Krabdad is talking to someone.
You use you mutated nose to sniff out the identity of the mystery guest. Oh
Gog... it's John.
Karkat, scare the derp off of John.
You release your grip on the support beams and fall silently behind the
unexpected human on your feet. Pushing your head as close as you can without
alarming him of your presence, you whisper-
"SUP FUCKASS.."
John has just nearly died... he topples over himself toward krabdad who, might
I mention, is laughing hysterically at the sake of the human.
A confident smile spreads across your gray face. You brush your hair out of it
and go help the blue eyed boy up. You know from experience that John can never
stay mad at you, and all you have to do is say please and he pretty much does
anything you ask. You suppose it's fair to say you have a certain infactuation
with him.
Karkat, admit you redrom feelings for John.
No... that's all there is to say on the matter.
Karkat, find out what the fuck John is doing at your hive.
"WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU HERE?"
"Well since you haven't been at school lately, I decided to come see if you are
alright. But look at all those cuts! Karkat did you fall into a knife factory?
What the hell?"
You want to tell him you got those cuts after a riviting fight with a highblood
general, or that you got shot seven times in the stomach from an offsite firing
squad, or that The Signless has some... interesting... training methods that
put you through excutiating amounts of pain. But no. You settle for something a
little less shocking or history inclined.
"Something like that."
"Oh well, you look like you're alright now, so how about you and me go to the
mall and I can fill you in on what you've missed in you absence."
You look at Krabdad. He replys with more screeching and you take it as a yes.
You do some weird Fucking sommersault back over the main table and up the
stairs.
Karkat get ready to woo John.
Ok now you're thinking that they are taking this to far. You change into a
basic black pair of skinny jeans and your cancer shirt. It sure is fun being
the representer of a zodiac symbol. Your Signless necklace swings freely as you
jump from the second story balcony to the ground infront of your childhood
friend.
"Ready, you show off?" John grumbles.
You're glad that he is taking notice of you training, at least that makes
someone. You grab your car keys which, now that you think about it, you're not
really sure why you have. Ever since you discovered the apple with your friend
Jade's grandpa, you're rarely ever caught here. Oh well it's still nice to have
it on standby.
Karkat get in your badass car.
Hell Fucking Yes. Two years of saving all the checks of three jobs was worth it
for your candy apple red Mazeradi adorned with your symbol. The rims with the
cancer sign don't spin so bypassers can stare in their lost conscious wonder of
how the fuck a boy your age can drive a car as this. You get in and start the
beauty. Damn, hear that engine purr.
Karkat, go through the extremely unnecessary driving precautions.
Why the hell would you waste your Gog damn time on something as frivolous as
that. After all, you're kind of a big deal.
Karkat get driving.
Wow. You're actually going to be obedient. You pull out of your drive way, and
continue out on to the main road. Fuck, this silence is awkward. John is
obviously oblivious to the tension as he's just letting your speed blow through
your topless car. You reach for the radio, which you know doesn't really matter
because John has an uncanny ability to strike up a conversation just as the
music begins. You turn it on anyway. Yep, just as prodicted. John has that same
look on his buck toothed face that tells you he is about to go on a tangent of
some kind.
"Oh my Gog, Karkat... so many new relationships! You thought Nepeta's shipping
wall was big before, shit it's just about doubled in size!"
"Really?" You say, trying to sound as interested as possible. In all honest
actuality, you couldn't give two shits. The only ships you care about are the
ones that involve Johnkat.
"Yeah, I mean Dave and Terezi hooked it up, Sollux finally went on a date with
Eridan, even if he hated every second of it, and rumors of Rose and Kanaya
hooking up after the dance are blowing through the school like wild fire."
"Ownage!!!! I Fucking told you Rosemary was canon!!!" You shout excited about
you beating John at something.
The trip to the mall was spent conversing more of relationships and all of the
school work you were missing. Damn it, you've missed so much. How are you going
to make all of this up? You suppose you'll find out later.
Karkat, be drug into the three story mall by John.
John grabs your wrist and you blush uncontrollably. He doesn't notice and you
are thankful for it.
Karkat, allow yourself to be drug around the shopping center for three hours.
Three hours later, you are weighed down with pounds of useless random
bullshitery you've decided to waste your money on. Your feet ache and you would
eat just about anything. John is carrying more than you, but has a smile
broader than ever. His over bite is broad and the derp carries a sense of pride
within it. Oh well, it is kind of cute.
"John, we need to stop for food. My hypoglysemic ass is gonna have a stroke,"
you say forcing out a pleading tone rather than a demand.
"Alright fine," he deems a bit dissapointed.
He points you over to a table in the food court and dumps his bags next to
yours. Then, he gingerly skips off the get you something to eat. You aren't
worried about what he'll come back with. You two have been friends since your
first day on Earth.
Karkat, reminisce about the first time you'd met John.
It was raining when you arrived. Earth had already given itself a bad
impression in your book. You looked around the airport and saw a little boy
over by the main fountain, crying his eyes out like a wriggler. You decide to
nonchalantly 'wander' away from Krabdad, who was yelling at some poor
reseptionist. Off you go. You're off to see the odd boy, the crying boy of
Earth. Enough Wizard of Oz references. You walk up to him. He looks a bit
taller than you with hair darker than yours. He's wearing a simple pair of blue
jeans and a light blue shirt branding a character you now know as 'spongebob.'
His glasses are on the fountain next to him on his left, so you sit on his
right. He smells really good. That was something you were actually worried
about. The first human, that was your age, reeked of urin and old candy. He was
also awfully loud and didn't know what "no" meant.
Karkat, ask the sweet-smelling boy what's wrong.
"H-hey, what's wrong," you ask. You have no idea why you're stuttering.
Somehow, between his heavy sobs, he finds the voice to answer you.
"I... cant find... my dad!"
You sniff John with your mutant nose, running it up and down his sleeves and in
his hair.
"Hehe, what are you doing?" He asked with a laugh as you procede to run your
nose around him.
You finished your sniffing to gather his scent, but he just smells so good! You
move your head to the left and plop on the ground with your arms behind you,
pushing yourself forward with your feet and your nose stuck on the ground.
There's his scent... left turn here... right turn there....
What is that? His scent has become mixed with something. It smells like
sugar... is that frosting?
"Dad!" Yells the boy behind you forcing you off your feet.
He runs up to the man that smells like icing and throws his arms around his
legs. You can only assume it's his luses. He turns around and makes eye contact
with you. Shit! His glasses are still over by the fountain. He slams his hands
on his face and turns to tell his dad, but you have already taken off to find
the fountain. Let's see, Krabdad is by the fountain, so trace his scent and
you'll find it. You are bobbing and weaving over luggage and people. There is
no way in hell, you're going to be able to get through his crowd of people.
Karkat, become the ninja.
You scale up a vending machine and launch yourself to the top to a support beam
above the crowd. You swing a few times to allow the boy and his father to
compose their shock and continue the retrieve his glasses. You stop your
spinning and simply stand on the bar with your hand on the airport's glass
roof. Goodluck getting that finger print out. You see a security guard pick up
the glasses and launch for him. You make no contact and gently grab the
glasses, plucking them from his hands and skidding on your feet turning in a
circle with grace. The security guard stares at you with shock, and you see
that human boy and his father have just fought through the crowd. The each have
an expression on their face as though they were expecting a splattered boy. The
boy runs up to you and only now do you see the tears in his striking blue eyes.
He runs up and hugs you as Krabdad finds you with bags in his hands.
Karkat, pay attention to John coming towards you.
After the meeting, fate had its way and you two ended up as neighbors. John
sits down next to you on your left, just like at the airport. He slides you a
tray from panda express that carries a plate with double orange chicken, half
chow-mein, half fried rice. Just like you like it. He also slides you something
that graces a smile on your face. A large cup of dip-in-dots. Hell Fucking yes.
You assume he brought you the "ice cream of the future" because of your
hypoglycemia.
"Is this okay Karkat?" He asks wait for your approval.
He sits with his own tray of dip-in-dots and a large piece of pizza. The look
in his blue eyes is strangely inticing.
"Karkat? Hello? Earth to Vantas," John states waving his had in your face.
You relize that you have most likely been staring... again. You blush and turn
your head to your food, shoving it all in your mouth. John laughs and picks up
his pizza. You both eat in silence, just enjoying eachother's company. Your
phone ringing breaks the peaceful silence.
Karkat, answer your phone.
Krabdad is calling you. Answering your phone, your greeted with the screeching
that only you can understand. He's basically telling you you need to come home;
for you have a 'big day' ahead of you. Great. Now you have to fake some illness
so John will want you home and you're not totally being an ass hole for cutting
the day short. You do that enough as it is. Using another lesson, you slow your
heartbeat, draining the color from you face. John looks up at you with concern.
For added effect, you start coughing wildly and force a bit of blood. You have
no idea why the signless needs to know how to do this, but you're glad he does.
Even more so when he taught you how to do it. So, John is freaking out while
you tell the honest truth that you're fine. He, being a hypersensitive derp,
demanding that you give him your keys so he can drive you home. To keep
suspicions down you deny making him take them from you. He looks at you once
more and his heart might have just dropped to his stomach. You drop his gaze to
force more coughing and more blood. You see, as you pull your hand to your face
that your skin went from a husky gray to now almost white. John, on the verge
of tears at this point, pulls you to your feet and crowds each of you bags in
his arms. You feel really bad making him worry like this.
Karkat, it is recommended that you stop being a complete and utter ass hole.
You can't. The fate of your future depends on this, and the lack of blood in
your head is making you woozy. You continue to follow John outside and up to
your car. The limp you're giving yourself and the "pain" in your head are
really selling this whole 'sick' thing. You open the trunk and John barks at
you for not "getting in the fucking car already." You limp towards the
passenger seat with support you don't need. John is simultaneously throwing
various bags in the trunk and sprinting to the driver seat. And, you're off!
John is speeding fast enough to get him arrested. If you weren't so tired,
you'd be holding on for dear life.
One sharp turn, and the car almost tips in the process of getting to your
house. Somehow, you make it alive. You open the door to climb out, to be
greeting by a blubbering John, just like he was at the airport. This boy cries
far to much. You think of how fast your ancestor would back hand the poor boy
if they ever were to meet. John heaves you over his shoulder and carries you
into your house past a confused Krabdad and into your room. You are literally
white and about to pass out. You need to get John out of your house so you can
jumpstart your heart. Sadly, timing has some other ideas and you slip out of
consciousness.
***** Started His Master Plan; Against The Ruler Of The World *****
Chapter Summary
     ==> [S] INTRODUCE THE SIGNLESS INTO THE STORY
Karkat's Creed (part 2)
You wake up to a massive amount of weight on your chest. Opening your eyes
you're greeted by a backpack filled to the brim with clothes, money, and
bandages. Krabdad is standing by the Apple waiting for you to wake up fully.
"What? No shower?" You state sarcastically.
The various hotsprings layered amongst Alternia suffice for your bathing needs.
Krabdad is telling you the usual splooge of, "You need to go, I have everything
covered here. Be safe. Don't die." Such a caring luses you have.
Karkat, retrieve the Apple and go see the Signless.
You crawl out of bed and untangle your necklace from your hair. You're still in
yesturday's outfit. You pull the mural you painted of your ancestor of the wall
to reveal a cubby. Inside lies your uniform. A pair of black tights that come
up above your forearm and a rather burned, tattered cape with a hood made to
accomidate your nubby horns is pulled on. Grabbing your backpack, you shine
your necklace to the case containing the Apple. A light in the imprint of your
symbol shines on the glass and it disappears. The Apple is beginning it's usual
pulse as it touches your hand. Two knobs shoot out, and you set the date of
which The Signless told you.
Karkat, leave your time.
With one last glance at your luses, you force the knobs back into the ball and
are enveloped in a white light. The world peels down around you and it takes a
mere two seconds to recognize that someone is watching you. The stillness is
easily identifiable. He's watching, waiting to see your next move.
Karkat, ruin you ancestor's expectations.
You nonchalantly walk away with your hands behind your back whistling the tune
to some shitty pop song you most likely heard yesturday. You feel the movement
of him scoffing your actions. He grabs a dull blade off of his belt and goes to
tackle you.
Karkat, activate assassin mode.
You turn on your heels and meet his blade with your double sided sickle. You
spend about ten minutes blocking various shots that would do substantial
damage. Then, it's your turn to attack. You rapidly swing the sickle back and
forth with enough force to push him out of his stance. One final under hand
swing and you launch him off his feet about three yards away.
Karkat, fatality.
You can't kill him! He still has stuff to teach you! But, you can drag his
unconscious ass back to his current hive. You heave him over your shoulder the
same way John carried you, and take off. Launching through a plethora of fushia
trees, you turn to accommodate the various lagging branches. Your cape is
tattered enough, you don't need any of the holes getting caught and ripping off
any amount of fabric. That would disclose your location, and you would surely
be punished. You're skipping around branches going down the path you know all
to well. Then you see it. The mountain that houses the cave of which he lives.
The Signless is not alone in his fight for equality. He has the aid of many
supporters, but you've only met a few. The Deciple, and that one with the name
you can't pronounce are the most prominent. It's Sollux's ancestor. And then
there is your human equality to a grandmother. The Dolorosa. She's the most
kind, and caring person you've ever met. She's even nicer than John. She
doesn't mind when you call her "grandma" either.
You walk into the cave and toss your unconscious ancestor on the couch.
"Honey, I'm home," you yell out. A large door has just been thrown open. Your
"mother" runs up to you and you are greeted with a choke hug. The Deciple comes
up to your chin. Her locks of black hair are in a tangled mess as usual. Her
tail flicks and her ear shaped horns pull together the entire "cat" look. She
pulls back to assessed what you have done to her matesprit. The gentle touch
and the way she stands have caused you to call her Nepeta on more than one
occasion. The Dolorosa has entered the room and tsked at the sight before her.
"Hello dear. It's amazing to see your appearance even if you have knocked out
my son," she stated walking over to The Signless.
Her careful pronounciation and vocabulary are easily identifiable. Your father
is now awake and conscious. He shoots off his feet and walks up to you placing
his hand on your shoulder.
"Sloppy exicition. You should have been faster and timed your attacks better,"
he says flatly.
Gog you fucking hate him! You knocked his ass unconscious and he still
blantently refuses to give you a meaningful compliment.
"Yeah, yeah whatever," you sigh out.
"No! It's not 'whatever.' It's get your shit together and learn how to fight!"
He yells at you.
For some reason that will most likely remain unbenounced to you forever, you
feel hurt. He always makes you feel worse than anything when you reply to his
criticism. You mutter out an apology.
"Karkat, appurrently, you two are leaving tomorrow morning," The Deciple purrs
out, "Come eat before your breifing."
You sit at the grand table across from your biological father. Mother on the
left, grandmother on the right.
Dinner was silent and rather awkward. The large amount of meat and plant based
products sat well in your full stomach as your father rolled out three maps and
a schedual infront of you.
"Have you consumed any amount of sugar today?" You father asks you.
You shake your head. "I woke up, changed, and left."
He walks to your bag and picks it up, taking a minute to adjust to the amount
of weight. He throws it at you, and the sheer force of the bag being thrown at
you knocks you back in your chair. You crash into the ground with a powerful
thud. Your father looks at you with distain.
"Why didn't you catch yourself?" He questions with his trademark glare.
You roll your eyes and dig into your bag greedily. Taking hold of a bag of mini
chocolate donuts, you rip into it stuffing three into your mouth. More of dad's
glare.
Karkat, be curtious.
You hold the bag out to your father and he cautiously takes one. Sniffing it
with his own mutated nose, you start laughing. He's acting like you poisoned
it. He takes a bite and acts like it isn't the most amazing thing he's ever put
in his mouth.
"Memorize this map, tomorrow, I'm sending you in to create a diversion," he
stated flatly.
You stop mid chew. He said he's sending you alone? FINALLY!!!!
You shoot out of your chair, causing your father to brace himself.
"Did you just say that you were sending me in by myself?" You rush out.
"Yes."
"So you think I'm ready?"
"I didn't say that."
"Yeah you did."
"No it's a last resort type of situation. I need my backup, so I'm sending you
in to create a diversion."
"Define diversion."
He pauses contemplating his next words. " round them up from the first floor of
the palace."
He walks over to a map and begins to draw a path for you to follow.
"Take them up the stairs and into one of the many rooms that lock from the
outside. Get out and lock the door. I want as few casualties as possible." He
directs. "Got it?"
You nod excitedly. Finally, a chance to prove what you learned.
Karkat, go do what ever it is you do to prepare for a mission.
Meditation!
Nothing calms the nerves more than angry men acting like teenagers screaming at
you. Alright, set up is everything. You need to balance you abilities to
harness them. Ipod, candles, lighter, and the book.
Karkat, what's the book?
You nod. No one really knows when it was welcomed into the family, all you know
is that it's the "Thevious Racoonous" to the Vantas family. You gather your
materials and walk into what has been dubbed as your respiteblock. It was
simple considering how much time you had spent there. A bed, not a
recouperacoon, was in the far back cornor with more blankets than you could
count. It sat next to a simple dresser with extra uniforms. Behind a scroll
with an ass load of inspirational words, there was the room that held all of
your weapons. Knives, guns, ammunition- everything was there. It was extremely
basic, but it suited your needs. You opened your dresser and pulled out a piece
of red chalk you had gotten from your friend, Terezi. Drawing a cancer symbol
on the stone floor, you possition the book so that you can read it as you
float. Last, but certainly not least, you put your ipod in your ear and are
greeted by the sweet sound of Sleeping With Sirens. You go sit down in the
center of your symbol, and position your legs in a criss-cross pattern. You
close your eyes and recite the Alternian summoning spell. Your eyes shoot open,
but leek a bright white glow. You can feel yourself being lifted off the
ground, as you use your newly awoken powers to pick up the book. You don't
think you've ever read it, actually. Your body kind of absorbs the information.
When you asked your father about it, he said that it was a "Vantas thing." You
absorb the knowledge on the pages for about an hour before a soft knock on your
door breaks your concentration, and you come tumbling to the ground. How many
times are you gonna fall today? Your grandmother walks in and appologizes
before scooping you off of the ground and walking you to your bed.
"I must speak with you. It's about your father."
You gulp and sit down next to her.
"I understand he may not be open with his appreciation for your existance here,
but he does love you, even if he doesn't say it. He's so hard on you because he
cares so much about your survival, and would surely blame himself if anything
happened to you. But, this is war. Casualties are inevitable, so don't go out
of your way to keep the enemy safe, and don't slaughter mindlessly either. That
would make you no better than them," she finishes.
You can feel that same lump in your throat, and feel the tears stinging your
eyes. She must see how much you're struggling, because she pulls you into a
warm hug, andrubs your back.
"Your mother and I love you too. Don't ever forget."
She stands and tucks you in like she did when you were little. You don't
protest. It felt weirdly nice to have her baby you again. She blows out all of
your candles with this spell you read about, and closes the door to allow you
to sleep. You feel rather confident as you close your eyes and drift off into
sleep.
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