Even Crabs Have Their Soft Spots

Even Crabs Have Thier Soft Spots

A/N: I've been having a lot of Johnkat feelings lately...
(Inspired by the attached fanart---not the cover, the one after it---made by orangelemon, check her out on tumblr, she's awesome!)

~*~*~*~*

Your name is John Egbert, and all your friends are dead.

But maybe you should elaborate a bit, can't drop a bomb like that without explaining the reasons behind it.

After those three long years aboard that stupid golden ship, you finally, FINALLY, reunited with your other friends. It was possibly the best day of your life. You hugged the fuck out of Dave, got a hug and a gentle hair ruffling from Rose, and you pushed Karkat down a flight of friendship stairs. It was awesome, you really missed everyone, you'd all been apart and out of contact for far too long.

That first day was just spent catching up on your respective voyages. You learned who'd died before and along the way, they learned some interesting things about the game's inner secrets, and you all also swapped stories just for fun. It was natural, talking to Dave, Rose, and the trolls in person. It felt as if you'd all known each other for ages and saw each other every day.

The second day was spent in planning and scheming up more shenanigans to beat this game at its own game. Actually, it's more like the rest of that week was spent plotting your next move, since there were so many differing opinions. Rose and Karkat became the main strategists, while integrating suggestions and corrections from the rest of the team.

Eventually, you all got your shit together and a plan was formulated. It was all a jumbled bunch of spaghetti with all the details and timing that had to be JUST RIGHT. You honestly didn't even know every aspect of the plan, just your specific role and of course, the desired outcome.

Everything began falling into place, the pieces of the puzzle all set up just right, but then it all went to hell in a hand-basket.

You were floating a few feet off the ground at your post, waiting for your signal. Suddenly, you heard a blood-curdling scream of terror, and you recognized it as Jade's. You blasted over to where you heard the sound and found Jade being cornered by a horde of giants with dog features. They all growled menacingly at her as their jaws snapped hungrily and their eyes narrowed.

You jumped in front of Jade quickly, hammer raised, glaring at the monsters. Jade stared in shock as you clobbered one of them, but about ten more took its place. You fought as hard as you could, but it seemed like they were a never-ending wave, always more to replace the ones you smashed. At one point, you had your back turned to the hoard while fighting a particularly big one. All you heard was a scream of your name, a roar, and then silence.

You turned and stared on in horror as you saw your ectosister fall to the ground, dead. Huge claw marks were ripped into her torso. She'd died to protect you, a heroic death. She wouldn't be coming back.

The sound of your heart breaking and the screams and cries that followed could be heard for miles. You used all of your anger and sadness to fuel yourself, killing monster after monster. You wanted to avenge your sister, you wanted to make those creatures PAY.

But even with all of your newfound determination and strength, you were overpowered. Just as you were about to be sliced into bits, Rose flew in from nowhere and stabbed a monster's eyes out with her knitting needles. The two of you fought furiously, and eventually all of the monsters were just piles of grist.

She urged you to follow her, said that Dave and the others needed help NOW, but it was too late. Dave and Terezi came running for their lives, with Jack Noir in hot pursuit. A little farther behind him, you could see Bec Noir on the ground, dead as a doornail.