TROLL!COPS: The AU

[Cheers]

Thanks to you guys, my head canon is HHT the angry bus driver.

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Welp. I just butchered that character.

[tectonicRobot]

It's still awesome.

[mythmonster2]

This AU is the best. A new character is introduced and in one day we've made him a bus driver/ garbage collector.

[One]

Why can't it be both.

[mythmonster2]

By day, he's an inconspicuous bus driver, collecting fares, and moving Alternia City. But by night.... HE IS A trash collector. Not a gang in the city would dare mess with his garbage, and since he's started working, the amount of corruption in both departments has reduced to zero.

[tectonicRobot]

Are you planning on writing a fic about it? Because that would be amazing.

[mythmonster2]

Nah, you can go ahead and write it if you want to. I've already got like 5 other ideas in my head, plus the Demon!Deuce series, and I really need to start writing them.

[Huanir]

Guys, I'm too lazy to search the entire thread right now, and the OP has had some info removed. What are the names by which WV and AR go in this AU?

[Khadyah]

Gahhh I love this AU so much I can't stand it

SO HERE IS ARTSIES

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[tectonicRobot]

Guys, I'm too lazy to search the entire thread right now, and the OP has had some info removed. What are the names by which WV and AR go in this AU?

I don't think they have names as of right now. I'm pretty sure WV was a superhero called the watchful vigilante back in the day, though.

[Huanir]

Isn't WV the mayor now, though? O.o

[mythmonster2]

Yeah, and Feferi's his daughter. AR is the Head of Chief for the police, or whatever that title is. PM hasn't gotten much focus, ditto with WQ and WK.

[tectonicRobot]

Before he was the mayor he was arch enemies with the felt and is the reason they aren't the dominant gang today. At least I think I read that on like page 40 or something.

[pimudragonfeline]

[PM] She's probably Post Master Mistress.
Quips for (WK and WQ) in three two one...
[WK] Wise Key-note speaker.
[WQ] Wiley quadricyclist.
Meh.

[Redbird]

I like to think Terezi's AR adopted daughter personally. Explains why she loves the law so much, anyway. xD
AR- Authoritative Rector?
WV- Wise Vanquisher? I don't really know, WV's hard to find names for.
PM- Yes, Post Mistress!
WQ- Can't really think/find any.
WK- Still Writ Keeper? He could maybe be the head librarian of the Alternian Library. After all, every city needs a big library with good sources, and the Alternian Library is one of the best places to find information on a variety of sources. I could imagine him having helped to have solved many a case with this vast Archive of books and information. Maybe he even helps Seer from time to time, if Rose needs information, but doesn't have enough time to find it herself?

[tectonicRobot]

Terezi is AR's adopted child?...........

Redbird, why are you a genius?

You have a freakin' awesome headcanon dude.

[Huanir]

Genetics - Chapter 4

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Mr. Pupa was in jail, and by the looks of things, he wasn't all that concerned about it. No word of an imminent elaborate jailbreak was on the streets, and Karkat knew where to listen. The biggest indicator by far, though, was that the Alternia City Times had run a story on Tavros Nitram leaving town for a while for some charitable reason or another. Pupa's influence over the media was significant - the fact that there were protests over his inprisonment spoke to that more clearly than anything else. If they were running a story on the extended absence of Nitram, then Mr. Pupa was clearly not planning on leaving his cell any time soon.

Karkat didn't know what that meant in the long run, and he didn't really care. As Mr. Pupa still considered Karkat and his gang to be employees, the apartment was still being paid for, along with stipends for food and necessities. It was, of course, a pittance, but it was enough to live on for one who wasn't picky.

Karkat sometimes surprised himself by how unpicky he had become. He supposed it went with the territory of spending years working for dangerous people. In college, there had been Michael. Mikey obviously didn't hold a candle to Mr. Pupa in terms of danger, but with him, Karkat had learned to cope with the indignity that comes from doing something his conscience begged him not to while being too weak to conquer his fear.

However, the equilibrium Karkat sought to establish could be shattered. When things with Michael had gotten dangerous, Karkat was set on the road of splitting with him. He wondered what would happen if Mr. Pupa ever asked him to do something that he found impossible.

---

Late second semester sophomore year. Karkat had stayed on campus over the winter break, supposedly to do labwork but really to avoid his family. He felt guilty over lying to them about what he was doing, and he also felt frustrated with their inability to see past Mikey's facade. It was easier to avoid them altogether than to have to deal with them.

Mikey's deliveries had actually slowed down a lot. Apparently, the Midnight Crew was muscling in on the UAS campus, and Mikey's crew was losing customers (as well as some dealers). Less business for them meant fewer deliveries for Karkat - there had only been four, and the semester was almost over. With so little interference from Mikey, Karkat's life had begun to resemble normalcy. He had spent that evening with a study group preparing for finals, and he had even managed to have a fun time flirting with a really smart Prospitian girl (not that he didn't still think of Suzie, but he really wanted to move on). "THIS," Karkat said to himself as he walked back to his dorm, "IS HOW COLLEGE IS SUPPOSED TO BE."

Karkat looked at the path ahead. A trio of Dersites were walking down the sidewalk in his direction, their carapaces reflecting the yellow streetlight that dimly lit the path. They didn't look like students, and they didn't look friendly. With a sinking feeling, Karkat realized that they might be Midnight Crew. Like an animal ignoring a predator in hopes that it wasn't hungry, Karkat kept walking.

"Hey kid," one of them barked as Karkat started to pass them. He stopped, heart racing, and one of them stepped into his path. That one was the speaker. He had a slippery smile that Karkat didn't think anyone would be foolish enough to trust. "Need anything to help you cope with the stress of finals? We've got soma."

Karkat almost breathed a sigh of relief. Apparently, they only wanted to sell to him. "SORRY, NOT INTERESTED." No eye contact. Show no weakness and no strength, no interest and no disgust. Blend in even though alone. It ran through his head, almost like a mantra.

That seemed to satisfy the Dersite, but as he turned to leave, one of the others said, "Hey, kid. You've got some nubby horns."

The first speaker stopped and gave Karkat a hard stare, his smile subtley changing into a sneer. "What's your name, kid?"

Karkat swallowed hard. Why did they point out his horns? Did they know that one Karkat Vantas with nubby horns was a delivery man for their rivals? Mikey had avoided talking to Karkat about the problems the Midnight Crew was causing for his people, but the school newspaper had reported a series of vicious assaults on suspected drug dealers just off campus. Three of the victims were still hospitalized, one of them comatose. "I DON'T WANT- I DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE GIVING OUT THAT INFORMATION." His throat felt dry, and the words sounded wrong.

A strong hand grabbed his shoulder from behind, and the speaker for the group stopped smiling altogether. "Your name Karkat, kid?"

Karkat shook off the hand and took off running. The Dersites had the sidewalk blocked, so he ran off the path, scuttling in between the dorms. He was trying to slip his backpack off, but he had pulled the straps too tight earlier, and it wasn't coming off correctly. Off-balance, Karkat tripped and fell, rolling over a couple of times. His knees and elbows stung, and there was dirt in his mouth. He started to get to his feet, but a powerful kick to his stomach knocked him down, and he suddenly couldn't breathe.

"I just detest a man afraid to go home in the dark." The speaker was lighting a cigarette. He gave a small nod, and Karkat felt a sudden sharp pain in his side as one of the others kicked him. "You seem to be a bit too yellow to be in this business. Perhaps we can convince you to change your calling?"

"PLEASE," Karkat gasped. "I'M JUST THE DELIVERY MAN!"

The Dersite's cigarette glowed orange. "I also hate a moral coward. You seem to lack a manly spark, delivery boy."

"I ONLY DID WHAT THEY TOLD ME TO DO, I WASN'T EVEN GETTING PAID, IT'S BECAUSE HE'S MY BROTHER-" Another kick cut him off.

The speaker sighed, the smoke coming from his mouth glowing in the filtered moonlight. "Delivery boys gotta make choices too, kid. Here, I got one for you right now." He knelt down next to Karkat's head, his chitinous frame creakingly slightly. "You wanna keep competing in this industry, or are you gonna back off?"

"I'LL QUIT! I'LL QUIT. I'M DONE, I WAS ALREADY STOPPING, BUT IT WASN'T OFFICIAL YET, NOW IT IS-"

"Kid." He took a pull of his cigarette. "In the Midnight Crew, we don't take outsiders at their words, especially the soft-skinned types like you. We need a contract signed in blood." Karkat trembled, wheezing. "We can't quite draw up the document here, so we'll have to make up for it in blood. You understand, of course?"

---

Karkat limped into his room. His left eye was swollen shut, and his entire face hurt too much to touch. A couple of his ribs were probably broken, too. He'd need to see Student Health about that, provided he could do so without talking to Campus Police.

Mikey was already inside. Of course. Because the night didn't suck enough already. "karkat? you okay?"

No, you bastard. My clothes are all dirty and bloody, everything hurts, and I don't even know if any of this damage is permanent. I got jumped by some Dersite thugs because of you. "I'M FINE," Karkat snapped.

At second glance, Mikey looked a bit roughed up himself. His shirt was torn, and he had a split lip. "ah, that's so good to hear, nubs. you don't look so hot. I trIed to fInd you after I got away from those beetles, but no such luck, I guess."

Karkat teetered to his bed and flopped down, immediately wishing he'd lowered himself more slowly. His ribs really hurt. "THEY GOT TO YOU TOO, THEN?" Mikey grabbed his shoulder in sympathy. "OUCH, DAMMIT! LET GO OF ME!"

Mikey drew his hand back. "sorry, bro. yeah, I had a lIttle run-In wIth a few mc hoods. we're cool, by the way, rIght? I wouldn't have told them nothIng If I dIdn't have to, you know that, rIght?"

Told them? Told them what? "WHAT THE HELL DID YOU TELL THEM?"

Mikey blinked in surprise. "they dIdn't tell you?"

Karkat started to sit up but fell back down with a gasp. Flat on his back and staring at the ceiling, he said, "TELL ME WHAT YOU TOLD THEM."

Mikey sighed, lowering his head and clasping his hands together. It looked like an act, probably was. "they were about to lay down some serIous hurt, nubs. I had to tell them about some of my mules to get away, you know?"

Karkat closed his eyes. "AND BY SOME OF THEM, YOU MEAN ME, DON'T YOU?"

Mikey made himself look offended. "not lIke that, bro. you're not the only one. I gave up all of the names and faces I had. there are four of you. It wasn't lIke they were gonna get to you fIrst, you know?"

Actually, it was. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN FACES?"

"It's not lIke I gave them pIctures or anythIng, bro!" Mikey exclaimed. "just a quIck descrIptIon, nothIng too IdentIfIable."

Karkat wanted to jump to his feet and shout, or to sit up and glare, or even to just lie there and clench his fists, but he couldn't summon the energy. "LIKE MY NUBBY HORNS."

Mikey shifted his feet, actually looking uncomfortable. "look, I admIt, It dIdn't go the way I meant It to. I've got some boys rIdIng Into town tonIght, and we're chasIng the beetles out. they were supposed to get here before anythIng happened to you, but It dIdn't work out, and I'm sorry. but don't worry, I'm takIng care of everythIng from here, because we're brothers, and brothers got each other's back." He got up and headed to the door. "just don't call the polIce." He left, and Karkat drifted off to sleep.

Chapter 3
Chapter 5

A/N:

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A couple of the Dersite's lines are from Eddie Morton's "I'm a Member of the Midnight Crew". Woot woot!

I am at this point undecided as to whether this is going to be 5 chapters or 6. I'm actually leaning towards 5, since my plans for chapter 6 kind of encroached on an entirely different story idea. Lucky for Karkat and his gang, this means that he's likely to get more attention from me in the future. Yay!

Today, I put some thought into how I would handle Gamzee as a viewpoint character. It won't be happening in this fic, but now that I have a solid idea, it's something I'll want to explore after I'm done with Genetics.

[Huanir]

Genetics - Chapter 5

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First semester of his junior year, and things were actually okay. For starters, Suzie had contacted Karkat over the summer. She wasn't too clear on the details, but apparently, she had been in a really bad place and was trying to turn around. They had several phone conversations after that, and they even got together a couple of times. Karkat had even convinced her to let him take her to a movie. The movie was utter crap, and they both left in the middle of it, but she'd gone!

To top it off, after the incident with the Dersites, Karkat had finally stood up to Mikey and stopped delivering soma, despite the Midnight Crew avoiding the UAS campus for the time being. His room still served as their warehouse, but he was no longer carrying backpacks of illegal hallucinogens across campus in felonious quantities. Mikey had been angry at this alleged fraternal abandonment, so he came by less frequently. Another bonus.

Suzie, though, occupied most of his life and thoughts these days, to such an extent that his grades had dropped noticeably. When his parents got his mid-semester transcript, they tried calling him to talk about it, but Karkat was screening their calls by that point, and they eventually gave up. Besides, he had more important things to worry about than grades. The more he talked to Suzie, the more evident it became that she needed help. She admitted to him in confidence that she had considered suicide. Not that she was at the end of her rope or anything like that, but she gave it serious consideration on a list of options she'd thought about to relieve her overall boredom with life. Karkat was concerned that nothing he did could get through to her - what use was there in pointing out the bright side of everything to someone who noticed more than he did and still found it drab?

He still had hope for her, though. She was smart and beautiful and perceptive, and surely she could be happy, too. Even though their conversations always left him feeling drained, he was still confident that he could see her through, or at least eventually convince her to seek out therapy. In fact, she was coming to UAS to see him that night, her first time there since they met at that party freshman year. A lot had happened since then, and Karkat felt like he was a new man, one in whom the enigmatic Suzie could actually find and take interest.

He walked to his dorm room's door and tried to unlock it, but to his surprise, it was already unlocked. "don't come In yet!" What the hell? What was Mikey doing in there?

Disregarding his brother, Karkat turned the knob and threw open the door. Suzie was inside. She was shirtless, and she was lying beneath Mikey. She looked at Karkat and smiled. Mikey gave him a glare. "I need a half hour, nubs. beat It."

Karkat was too stunned to disobey. He backed out and closed the door. "Bye, Karkat!" Suzie called out.

---

Karkat sat in a stall in his hall's bathroom, wiping tears from his eyes before they could leave their telltale streaks on his face. Damn Michael! He knew! He KNEW! How dare he betray him like this after all of his talk about brothers having each other's backs? His cell phone rang. It was Michael. Karkat ignored the call and walked to his room.

He twisted the knob and shoved his shoulder into the door, but apparently Michael had locked it up after he left. He heard Suzie giggle inside. Furious, he pulled out his key, unlocked the door, and walked in, slamming it shut behind himself. He'd forgotten to take the key out of the lock, but he didn't care at that moment.

Michael and Suzie were sitting on the bed (MY bed! Karkat thought), sheets tangled, sweaty and flushed. Michael was smirking, his shirt still on the floor. Karkat wanted to walk up to his brother and beat in his mouth until it would never make a recognizable expression again. Instead, he said, "I'M DONE"

Michael's smirk hardened, and he leaned back. "done? you can't be done wIth me, nubs. we're famIly."

"SCREW YOU! I'VE SPENT MY ENTIRE TIME IN COLLEGE AFRAID OF GETTING BUSTED WITH YOUR CRAP! I'VE STORED AND DELIVERED THIS POISON FOR YOU FOR LONG ENOUGH. I'VE LOST MY FRIENDS, I'VE BEEN JUMPED BY GANGSTERS, AND NOW YOU- AND NOW THIS! I'M DONE."

Michael was frowning now. He sat up. "Is thIs because I naIled the chIck? that was busIness, bro. she wanted soma and dIdn't have cash." Suzie smiled sweetly. It was obscene. "you're not lettIng personal feelIngs get In the way of famIly, are you?"

Karkat felt his face contort. "YOU'RE- YOU'RE NOT FAMILY! IF YOU COME BACK, I'M TURNING YOU IN."

Suzie snickered, but Michael was less amused. Faster than Karkat expected, he jumped to his feet and stepped immediately in front of his brother. Karkat involuntarily stepped back. "you're sayIng you'd turn your own brother In to the polIce? Is that what I'm hearIng, nubs?"

Karkat swallowed. "YES, I'D- YEAH. YEAH, I'D TURN YOU IN, SO GET THE HELL OUT." He tried glaring, but his emotions were so overwhelming that he had no idea what his face was saying.

Michael's face melted into a brotherly smile. "oh," he said, nonchalant, and then punched Karkat in the chin.

The room spun for a bit, and Karkat realized that he was falling immediately before he hit the floor. Lying there, he tried to catch his breath, but his brother stomped on his stomach. "suIt yourself, nubs, but I make a much nIcer brother than enemy."

Suzie was laughing on the bed. "Kick him again, Mikey!"

Karkat turned his head towards the bed. "WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU, SUZIE? I THOUGHT YOU-" He couldn't bring himself to say "I thought you liked me!" Everything suddenly seemed too absurd.

Suzie got to her feet, wobbled a bit, then sat back down. "Karkat, I don't know what got into me." She sighed. "It's obvious that you're a nice guy or whatever, but you're still boring." She lied down, staring at the ceiling. "Besides, Mikey is really good in bed. He didn't even get tired, even after I-"

"I DON'T WANT TO HEAR IT!!!" Karkat broke in, his voice cracking. He felt enraged, he was powerless to express it, and his stupid body had decided that the next best thing to do was start crying again. Damn it.

"don't worry about her, bro, she's hIgh as a kIte. worry about yourself Instead. If you're gonna betray me lIke thIs, I'm wIthdrawIng my protectIon." He snapped his fingers, and Suzie perkily jumped to her feet. "I won't be comIng back to thIs room, karkat, but you'd better watch your back." He grabbed Suzie's hand and pulled her out of the room.

As they left, she wrenched free from his grip. "You never stopped acting like my damn mother, Karkat!" she cackled, and then followed Michael. Was that supposed to be a taunt? Karkat didn't know. He didn't care. He hated everything at the moment.

---

One week later, Karkat was expelled. Michael had apparently left some soma in Karkat's room, and he had preemptively left an anonymous tip for the Campus Police. A quick search of Karkat's room yielded the drugs, and the entire dorm gathered to watch that strange nubby-horned loner boy get hauled off in handcuffs.

The school did him the service of keeping the city from filing charges against him since it wanted to avoid the publicity. However, he was kicked out, his credits were worthless, and the short arrest would still appear on his criminal record. Just like that, all of his promising future paths up in smoke.

His parents were unsympathetic. "Oh Karkat, after everything Michael went through when he was dealing, we thought you would know better!" He tried to explain the truth to them. "It's really disappointing that you still try to blame everything on your brother. We'd hoped you'd outgrown that. Mikey's changed, Karkat. So have you, and you need to take responsibility for this." Then they kicked him out, unceremoniously dumping his things on the sidewalk.

He spent his first night out of the house in an alley. He'd need to find a job and a place to stay for cheap. He also had to avoid Michael and his gang - his brother had told him in no uncertain terms that an encounter would equate to an attack. Karkat needed to find somewhere cheap that had no drug traffic. Yeah, that was going to be a piece of cake.

A breeze blew through the alley, blowing the pages of a copy of the Alternia City Times someone had dropped. Karkat looked at the newspaper for a bit, then thought, Sure, why the hell not?. He went to sleep, ready to leave in the morning.

---

":33 < *the huntress has finished purrparing the feast, and she awaits her friends!!!*"

The smell of eggs was actually really good, and Karkat realized that he was a lot hungrier than he had thought he was. He stood up from the couch and looked to the kitchen. In addition to the eggs, Nepeta had found some cans of sardines in the cabinets. There was also an old loaf of bread from somewhere that had gone stale, but she had toasted the slices enough that it wasn't all that bad. There was no butter, but the eggs were sunny side up, so the yolk would work just as well.

Gamzee shuffled into the room, and the three of them sat on the kitchen floor in a tight circle and began to eat. Nepeta was chewing with her mouth open, a bit of yolk dribbling down her chin, and Gamzee stopped from time to time to make a quick comment at his meal. They were each unquestionably damaged in their own ways. They were also the best people Karkat had ever met.

Despite having been with the group for years, Karkat didn't know a thing about Nepeta's past. Who her parents were, how she ended up on the streets, how she got the way she was, they were all mysteries. Even her absurdly cheerful demeanor probably covered some darkness Karkat knew nothing about, though maybe that was just the cynic in him projecting onto her.

Gamzee's case was much more clear-cut. He had dropped out of high school because of a sopor slime addiction, his brain had been fried by the stuff, and he ended up on the streets, penniless. He and Nepeta had met each other and banded together in order to stay alive, both of them horribly outmatched by the dangers of Alternia City on their own.

When Karkat had come to Alternia City, he didn't have a thing. Without any money, he had no place to stay, and he too ended up on the streets. Exposure and nothing to eat had come uncomfortably close to finishing him off before Nepeta and Gamzee found him and nursed him back to health. He joined their gang, and since he was apparently the sanest of the bunch, he quickly became their leader. Then Mr. Pupa took them in for his Machiavellian reasons, and the rest was history.

Gamzee made eye contact with Karkat, a rarity. "yOu HaVe BeEn WaTcHiNg YoUr ShAdOw ThIs MoRnInG, mY bRoThEr."

Karkat raised a questioning eyebrow. Gamzee only rarely made complete sense. "IT'S DIM IN THIS WHOLE APARTMENT, GAMZEE. I DON'T HAVE MUCH OF A SHADOW TO WATCH."

Gamzee slowly shook his head. "nOt ThAt ShAdOw, MaN, yOuR oThEr OnE. tHe ShAdOw In YoUr HeAd, ThE sHaDoW oF yOuR... pAsT. tHe OnE tHaT cHaSeD yOu To ThE cItY iN tHe FiRsT pLaCe."

Karkat felt a chill. Usually Gamzee didn't make sense, but sometimes he could be so astute that it was uncanny.

Gamzee turned back to his plate. "i WoUlDn'T wOrRy, My BrOtHeR. iT's NoT aS dArK aS iT uSeD tO bE. i DoN't ThInK iT'lL bOtHeR yOu MuCh LoNgEr." He smiled. "mIrAcLeS."

Nepeta lifted her face from her plate, not understanding Gamzee and not caring. ":33 < yeah, we wouldn't let anything bother our karkitty." Her face was an adorable mess. ":33 < you're like our team mother cat!"

Karkat gave her a sudden look, but if she noticed it, she didn't care, and she immediately went back to eating. That was very similar to what Suzie had said of him. Strangely, though, he found that it didn't pain him to hear it. He didn't mind being the team mother. These two were worth it.

Karkat looked to Gamzee, who gave him a knowing smile. "I THINK YOU WERE RIGHT, BUDDY," he said.

Gamzee nodded. "mIrAcLeS," he repeated, and they finished their meal.

The End

Chapter 4

Extended A/N:

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Yay Karkat gang!

Incidentally, I forgot the name of the Alternia City newspaper in my fics, and since I knew that I had previously referenced it, I did the following:

grep -i times *.txt "The Resplendent Assassin"/*.txt | less -i

It was SO worth it to install cygwin.

This is the end of Genetics, and it fills in Karkat's backstory for me (namely, why was he the scientist in The Resplendent Assassin). I might bring Mikey back later, but I'm probably done with Suzie forever. There's only so much I can do with a character like her (namely, make Karkat miserable, and I think I've done enough of that for a while).

I've got a couple of ideas for short stories in the works. These will be one-chapter deals, but I hope to write some more of these longer series later on.

For those of you paying attention to my Word of Dog post, you can see that my Mr. Pupa's birthday is coming up. Maybe I'll have one of the shorts up in time for that? :P

I've decided to make Feferi a journalist in my continuity. She's a bit young for that job, so I'll need to give her some ties to the Alternia City Times for the idea to work (or I can just make her older). So much backstory to fill in, so little time - I don't even know if Feferi is going to appear in my stories any time soon.

Automatic quirking is still win, especially since there are no phonetic quirks in this story (Vriska is such a pain; I keep needing to modify her subroutine) (and Nepeta doesn't count, since there's no WAY a program that I could write could produce her cat puns).

Hopefully this makes scientist Karkat a little bit less weird. I'll hopefully go a bit further into that in my next fic, which will feature Mr. Pupa as a viewpoint character from The Veil. Woo!

Okay, I'm done now.

[tectonicRobot]

Well, that's a very different take on Karkat's backstory then usual. Your writing style is great. Do you read those Dresden file books?

[Rational Absurdity]

I just spent the past 4 days reading through this thread, one page after another. Not once did I to feel it start to drag. Nor was I compelled to skip to the end. I wanted to read every fanfic, and see every piece of art that was made. I slapped myself pretty hard for not looking through the Art Forum when I first joined, so that I could have stumbled upon this thread earlier! Good God, I think I need another slap.
Thank you to everyone who contributed to make this AU such a fun read! Now that I've got myself settled in, I'd like to perhaps give a bit of headcanon of my own.

I do have a question, though.
Was there ever a fanfic made on Karkat's week spent in The Veil? It was in the description on the map, but I didn't come across a fanfic entry of it.


Warning. This is my first fic, and may cause drowsiness.
Anyway, I noticed that there is a lack of development on some of the characters, namely the exiles. I was hoping to establish another character, BK, who unexpectedly has not been mentioned in the AU.

A Happy Reunion, Part 1 of 2

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The weather had returned to the serene beauty he remembered. WV could see the clear blue sky reaching out toward the ocean. As the sun climbed to its highest point, Alternia city gleamed like a diamond from the view of his office. He could see every detail, every bright color. There weren't many days like this, and he had not expected to see one this far into winter. The past months had felt so grim, what with dark rumors spreading around the city, and the deaths of more people reported each passing day. But this week, he heard nary a gunshot from the Mob, Midnight Crew, Nightwatch, or even a threat from Mr. Pupa Himself. The comfort of hope, a feeling this tired mayor hadn't felt in a long time, gave him faith. That perhaps, just perhaps, things are beginning to look up.
Regardless of the dark secrets that lie just beneath its concrete surface, WV often loses himself in marvel at the city he had lived in and helped sustain throughout his life.

"It's time for your 12:00 meeting, Mr. Mayor," chirped his secretary through the intercom. WV was startled by her voice, and proceeded to flip the fuck out as he frantically looked for the time. Where was the clock?! Oh, the wall next to him. Where its always been.
He had not realized he spent the last two hours pondering. A mayor most certainly does not fall behind on his duties for reasons so silly!
He hurried to his desk, and sat down. Pressing the intercom's receiver button, he said, "Yes. Please send him."

Who was 'him?' WV searched his papers scattered about every corner of his workspace. So untidy...
At last, he found his schedule, and examined the list. Mhmm...Twelve'o'clock...Unspecified meeting with...
He stopped, and read through the name again. It sounds so familiar....But It shouldn't be. That would be crazy--Impossible! It's most likely a coincidence...
The door to his office burst open, and in stepped a large dersite man. No-to say large would be an understatement. NO prospitan or dersite was as hulking as this one was, save for his dear friend WK. He knew now that he was not mistaken. It was the Baron.

The dersite advanced toward the Mayor with frightening speed. WV instinctively leaped from his chair, prepared to meet his charge. Suddenly, WV's back gave out, and he lost his composure. Getting too damn old for this, but if I could just roll out of the way I could--
Too late. The man had grabbed the Mayor's hand tightly, and began shaking it violently. All the while, he was laughing cheerfully. "Watchful Vigilante! Or, should I say MAYOR!"
"Baron Kaiser!" WV could only struggle to keep himself from falling over as he continued to shake him.
The man stated simply, "Call me Brennus. I'm not a Baron anymore." At last, the handshake ceased, and WV had a moment to collect his thoughts. The fact he was greeting him may have meant he wasn't out for revenge. Still, he couldn't remove the dark aura he felt around Brennus.
Not wanting to be impolite, WV greeted his associate appropriately, as a mayor should. As formalities ended, WV's anxiety over the presence of this old enemy had pushed the question out of his mouth before he could pass a second thought.
"How are you out of prison?"
Brennus ignored this question, and paced around his office for a short minute. WV had just noticed the former ruler was wearing an Alternian Military uniform. It was adorned with various medals of recognition. On his head he wore a specially designed peaked cap, the kind worn by those who had been given the rank General.

"I see age has not been kind to you." His eyes shifted towards the window, and fixed upon the view overlooking the city. "And Alternia City is in worse shape than I left it in."
WV immediately interjected. "You made deals with the Felt! Because of you, they ruled the streets unopposed-"
"Your attempts at removing crime in its entirety has put you in a better situation? The Felt kept everyone in line. There was Order. Now that they're three sizes smaller than they used to be, you don't have one criminal organization to deal with. You have six."
WV was taken aback by Brennus's calm attitude to what he had done in the past. He wanted to tell him he was wrong, and that there was more to this than simply gangs, but he knew it would be pointless. He would wave off any disproving comment only as a petty excuse. This is the same beast that strangled his own subordinates to death whenever they revealed a contradiction. BK was already changing the subject.
"I suppose I'll get to the point. I am here to inform you of my duties here. I was transferred from Alternia Command to take charge of operations going on within the military base stationed here. My 'talents' have caught the eye of the government, it seems.
"They want you only because you possess Skaian Artifact knowledge, old chum." The General smiled, and turned his attention from the window back to WV.
"I wanted to deliver this information to you personally because I also wanted to know something...And I think you've already answered it for me."

BK paused a moment, and then proceeded back out the door.

"Thank you for your enlightening company. I look forward to our future business."
He silently left his office. WV fell back into his office chair, already exhausted from this unexpected encounter. He sat a moment to take in what is going on. Brennus Kaiser, former totalitarian ruler of Alternia City, had returned. His impudent attitude boils the blood of this mayor so much that he can't help but entertain the dark thoughts of doing HORRIBLY UNCIVIL THINGS. Like raising his volume ABOVE indoor voice-level, or even waving his INDEX FINGER at the arrogant man as he scolds him in a condescending fashion. Brennus was more pompous than ever, but WV has believed that was because he felt fully in control of the situation. WV can recall several times the Baron's facade of laughs and smiles had shattered the moment things didn't go his way.
What frightened WV, however, was the fact BK was placed in a position of power and access to use Skaian artifacts. The baron's reckless manipulation of a scepter's powers almost destroyed the city before the Watchful Vigilante was able to destroy the artifact, and overthrow the Baron's unjust rule once and for all.
With a deep sigh, the mayor turned his chair back toward the view of the city. A dark cloud had begun creeping its way onto the canvas, painting everything it covered with darkness.

A/N

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So, I figured the best approach was to make the Black King a figure of the past, more specifically a tyrannical opponent to WV during his crime-fighting days. He served as Alternia City's ruler back in the day, but as he tightened control over the city, he gave in to the corruption of the Felt for information and power in return for cutting back spending toward the APD.
Feel free to change BK's name if you want. I'm horrible with making names, and had trouble matching up with any of my idea I had.

If people liked this, I'll probably make a followup to this to follow through as Brennus takes the helm of Nightwatch.

[Huanir]

Well, that's a very different take on Karkat's backstory then usual. Your writing style is great. Do you read those Dresden file books?

Sadly, I've never read them, though they've been recommended to me many times. I'm currently reading somewhere between four and seven books, though, so it might be a bit before I can start something new. Perhaps this summer?

Still, it feels good to have been compared to so popular a series, unfamiliar with it though I am. My writing style is largely a product of lots of reading.

I just spent the past 4 days reading through this thread, one page after another. Not once did I to feel it start to drag. Nor was I compelled to skip to the end. I wanted to read every fanfic, and see every piece of art that was made. I slapped myself pretty hard for not looking through the Art Forum when I first joined, so that I could have stumbled upon this thread earlier! Good God, I think I need another slap.
Thank you to everyone who contributed to make this AU such a fun read! Now that I've got myself settled in, I'd like to perhaps give a bit of headcanon of my own.

Read A Happy Reunion and enjoyed it. I think your take on WV is a great combination of the duty-weary mayor and the hilariously self-deprecating WV we see in the canon. I don't know if you're looking for advice or anything, and if not, I can just delete this part, but I suggest paying careful attention to the tense of your verbs. You're mostly consistent throughout, but you revert into present tense in a couple of sentences near the end. I make this mistake a lot (and don't get me started on the stupid "past perfect" tense), so I'm quick to look for it.

But anyways, I'm looking forward to seeing where you go with this. Your BK looks to me not to be evil, in the strictest sense, but rather willing to sacrifice perhaps more than he should for an ultimate good.

---

I've outlined two short stories that should be coming out in the next couple days. One is called Setting Up the Board, and the other is Sopor Somnolence. Pupa and Gamzee! Fuuuun! ^_^

[Aquila]

Karkat in the Veil? Was the Veil even mentioned? :I

Well currently I think that the AU doesn't actually have SGRUB in it, so there is no alchemizing or sprites or Veil, but the characters are still in the world as citizens.

Of course I'm not too keen on the various fanfic headcanons, I'm just going by the RP canon.

[Huanir]

Karkat in the Veil? Was the Veil even mentioned? :I

Well currently I think that the AU doesn't actually have SGRUB in it, so there is no alchemizing or sprites or Veil, but the characters are still in the world as citizens.

Of course I'm not too keen on the various fanfic headcanons, I'm just going by the RP canon.

The Veil here refers to a maximum-security prison. That Karkat was incarcerated therein is mentioned on the map page by Wigmund who proceeds to suggest that it was a fic idea he threw out there for the taking. Not sure if it's been taken, though.

[Rational Absurdity]

I just spent the past 4 days reading through this thread, one page after another. Not once did I to feel it start to drag. Nor was I compelled to skip to the end. I wanted to read every fanfic, and see every piece of art that was made. I slapped myself pretty hard for not looking through the Art Forum when I first joined, so that I could have stumbled upon this thread earlier! Good God, I think I need another slap.
Thank you to everyone who contributed to make this AU such a fun read! Now that I've got myself settled in, I'd like to perhaps give a bit of headcanon of my own.

Read A Happy Reunion and enjoyed it. I think your take on WV is a great combination of the duty-weary mayor and the hilariously self-deprecating WV we see in the canon. I don't know if you're looking for advice or anything, and if not, I can just delete this part, but I suggest paying careful attention to the tense of your verbs. You're mostly consistent throughout, but you revert into present tense in a couple of sentences near the end. I make this mistake a lot (and don't get me started on the stupid "past perfect" tense), so I'm quick to look for it.

But anyways, I'm looking forward to seeing where you go with this. Your BK looks to me not to be evil, in the strictest sense, but rather willing to sacrifice perhaps more than he should for an ultimate good.

---

Your criticism is quite valuable to me. I'm aspiring for a career in writing, and I want to start practicing as soon as I can. So, thanks for the tip! I'm glad to have a fan wanting to see more, so I'll get to work on the next entry!
I also look forward to see your entries on Gamzee and Pupa! I can't get enough of either of those characters.

[Aquila]

A maximum-security prison? Sounds awesome. :O Can't believe I never knew about it til now.