"What's your name?" Sollux asked in Alternian. He hasn't spoken it in sweeps but it seems to be the only way that Karkat is willing to communicate with him. The troll sitting across from him has refused to remove the torn up armor and tattered sweater. He claimed that he doesn't want Sollux seeing whatever was underneath.

"The Peacekeeper." The Knight of Blood stated in his hoarse voice. His tone was monotone and it was bugging Sollux to no extent. The Gemini sighed again and pinched the bridge of his nose.

"No. What's your actual name?"

"The Peacekeeper." Sollux sighed loudly in frustration and flopped back on to his couch. He was getting absolutely nowhere with Karkat. He kept responding with "The Peacekeeper." What the fuck did that mean? What was a 'peacekeeper'? Why was he one? Where was he all this time? Why is he in armor and covered in blood? His psionics were crackling around his eyes and Karkat put a hand on Sollux's knee.

"I'm sorry." The troll shook his head and willed himself to calm down. He couldn't stress out now. Karkat was basically a fucking grub like this, he couldn't get mad at a grub that's barely learning.

"It's fine. You didn't do anything. Let's just continue. What's your name?" This time Karkat paused for a moment before speaking.

"Karkat Vantas." Karkat Vantas. Sollux smiled widely and sat up straight again. Good. This was good. This was progress. Karkat saw Sollux's smile and smiled as well, showing off his teeth which were either broken or fully gone. Sollux grimaced at the sight of his friend's teeth and made a mental note to take him to a dentist soon.

"Good. Now what's my name?"

"The Architect." No. No no no. Sollux groaned and flopped back down. "...Sollux Captor. The Empress' personal Architect." Sollux shrugged and made the so-so hand motion with his hand.

"You got my name part right but I don't know what the fuck the rest of that junk is." The cancer troll frowned and stayed quiet, pulling his knees up to his chest. He hissed slightly in pain, the movement made the injuries underneath his tattered clothing to sting quite a bit. "Hey, we're getting there." Sollux reluctantly patted his friend's knee. He was determined to help Karkat remember something, anything. He didn't know what had happened but he was prepared to undo whatever they did to him. Karkat however, was less than determined. Karkat was confused and scared. One moment he's passing out on a stone floor and the next moment he's waking up surrounded by people who should be dead or not or wherever else they're supposed to be. He didn't know where he was and all his instincts from the past two sweeps screamed that he should just attack those who posed a threat to him. Yet he didn't for some reason.

Karkat did know what was going on though, he just refused to believe it was actually happening. The Blind Prophet, more commonly known as The Decider, had informed him of his future. Though her fortune for him was vague, he had always known this day would come. The day he would go home. But what was home now? He hadn't the foggiest clue. After sweeps of being trapped in that hell hole, that was home to him. Or at least he thought it was home. Karkat blinked when Sollux spoke again, and quickly responded. He was asking for his name for what seemed like the bazillionth time. He knew his own name, why did he keep asking?

Eventually after a good ten or so minutes longer of of those asinine questions, Sollux called for a break. The gold blooded troll yawned and stood up, instantly going to his husktop. Karkat just stayed in his spot. Something was off. No, not just something. Everything was off. Everything was wrong yet nothing was wrong. Karkat knew what was going on. Karkat knew where he was. Karkat knew what had happened to him, Karkat just didn't believe it yet. He didn't believe that he had just spent two sweeps of his life dragging himself through hell. He didn't believe that he had lived his own life, separate from his closest friends yet he never left their sides. He couldn't believe that just like that, it was all over. That separate life he had been living had just vanished. He had just vanished. It wasn't possible.

~

Equius stopped by later that day, he had brought a fresh change of clothes for Karkat to wear since he still wore that bloody best up armor and ripped up sweater. The blue blood sat with the lower blood and attempted to make small talk with him. Karkat just refused to speak. He refused to look at Equius or Sollux. It hurt too much. Equius and Sollux both grabbed one of Karkat's hands, Equius' motions were more awkward and hesitant than Sollux's, and gently talked to him, rubbing their thumbs over his hands and fuck. That was it for him. The floodgates were down and a river of red tinted tears began streaming down his cheeks.

"Karkat, Karkat what's wrong? How can we help you? Please, talk to us or look at us. Let us help you." Sollux said soothingly and Karkat finally looked up at the two. It only hurt because every time he looked at the two trolls in front of him, he saw them. Karkat forced himself to stop blubbering and once he did, he took a deep breath and said in a calm voice,

"You two...are nothing like them. Yet you're so similar. And it hurts to even look at you because it reminds me that things here will never be the same as things there. And it reminds me of what I did to them..." Karkat was struggling to keep himself together. Fuck, this was all wrong. Everything here was wrong. This hive, this world, Equius, Sollux, himself. Everything was wrong. But he couldn't do anything to fix it, he couldn't go back to his previous life. He didn't know if he wanted to actually.

Sollux raised an eyebrow at Equius who shrugged. Karkat's breathing was shaky, his arms were shaking. He couldn't look at them anymore. Whenever he saw them he just saw the other's faces. He saw all the blood. He could practically hear them say "It's okay, it's not your fault." Karkat was blinking back tears and staring down at his shoes. He could hear Equius and Sollux try to calm him down and get him to talk but they sounded far away. He couldn't stay here anymore. Not with Equius and Sollux. Not with any one of his old friends, all he ever saw in their faces were the faces of the others and a looming cloud of guilt passed over him. Karkat had to get away.

~

"Where is he going to stay?" Sollux frustratedly whispered to Equius. "The only other people he doesn't exactly hate are Kanaya and Feferi but I don't think we should really let him stay with FF. Especially with whatever the markings mean on his arm..."

"No," Equius shook his head, "he most definitely won't stay there. Nepeta spends an abundant amount of time there and if he happens to snap and she gets hurt... No. He is not going there." Sollux rubbed his temples.

"Then where? He doesn't want to stay with either of us because of whatever he apparently did to us. Kanaya lives with Rose and Rose freaks him out. I honestly have no goddamn clue what to do EQ."

"There has to be another troll that can take care of him. Maybe a human? Or a Sprite. Someone, I may not exactly...count him as a friend but even I don't want to leave him on his own. And I would offer to take care of him in my own hive but..." Both trolls stayed quiet, mulling over who would be the best possibly candidate to help Karkat get on track to living a normal life. The troll in question was supposed to be sleeping but his body didn't really allow that, instead he just stood behind the two trolls. Quietly and unnoticed. He heard everything they said and thought himself. Who would be best for him?

Karkat thought back, far back. Terezi may be a good option except she lived with that blue blooded bitch. If Karkat was so much as ten feet near her he'd lose it. Maybe that Rose look-a-like, her mother Roxy. Then again she did look like Rose...one misunderstanding and it wouldn't end well.

The two trolls in front of Karkat sighed once more and resumed talking. That's when it hit Karkat. He spent copious amounts of time with...Dave back when he was younger. He could live with him.

Except Karkat didn't want to. He didn't want to live in fear, not anymore. He didn't want to see his stupid smirk staring down from above him as Dave inaudibly spoke foul words and killed him slowly and painfully. He didn't want to stay with Dave. He didn't want to stay with that filthy killer. He didn't want to--

No.

Karkat took a quiet, shaky breath. That wasn't Dave. Those...killings weren't real. That wasn't Dave. If Karkat remember correctly Dave was not like that. He was nothing like that. Dave was...nice. He would help him. Karkat needed help, and what better way to get help than to take a giant leap forward and overcoming his fear of Dave?

"Come on you horse loving sack of shit!" Sollux said in agitation. His psionics were crackling again. "Think of something! There seriously cannot be a single goddamn person that isn't good for him!"

"I know someone." Karkat mumbled quietly. Though he spoke quietly that still made the two jump in surprise.

"Vantas you're supposed to be sleeping. You require rest, now I demand you get back in either that uncomfortable bed or the coon this instant." Karkat stood there, staring at Equius who was pointing behind him to Sollux's room before walking to the other side of the couch. Equius sighed and just gave up on the spot, too tired and frustrated to even attempt to fight Karkat on this. "You said you had a suggestion?" Karkat nodded. "Say it then."

"Dave. I can live with Dave."