The Peacekeeper

Chapter 3

"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.