Mutated Ectoplasm

30. Inhuman

CG: EXCUSE ME?

TA: ii had a dream la2t niight. 2omethiing bad. ii don't even fully know what iit wa2.

CG: HOW DOES THAT RELATE TO ANYTHING? ARE YOU ALIGHT? HAVE YOU TAKEN YOUR MEDS TODAY?

TA: don't fuckiing patroniize me, kk. ju2t lii2ten.

The halfa frowned, a pit forming in his stomach. This wasn't how their banter usually went. His friend actually seemed serious about this.

TA: liike ii 2aiid, ii don't remember everythiing about the dream. all that ii remember ii2 that you diied.

TA: ii wa2n't actually there, but ii could 2ee you. you were mutteriing about how you 2hould've done 2omethiing eariiler.

TA: you diidn't 2ay what iit wa2 eiither. you ju2t kept talkiing untiil you faded out.

CG: WAIT, HOLD ON. ARE YOU SAYING YOU HAD A VISION?

CG: ARE YOU SURE IT WASN'T A NIGHTMARE? YOU'VE BEEN HAVING THOSE LATELY, IT COULD JUST BE THAT.

TA: no. iit felt diifferent.

TA: iit felt a lot liike when ii wa2 readiing that doom paper. the one wiith friight kniight.

That was... not very substantial. Was Sollux's Doom powers kicking in? Karkat found out how to use his Blood powers, maybe his friend did the same.

CG: OKAY, FINE. I'LL DO WHAT I WAS GOING TO DO. MAYBE YOU SHOULD TALK TO ARADIA, THOUGH.

TA: why?

CG: THIS COULD BE YOUR POWERS KICKING IN NOW. ARADIA MIGHT BE GOING THROUGH SOMETHING TOO.

TA: ii'll try. 2he'2 mo2t liikely 2leepiing by now, though. iit ii2 the weekend.

FAA: hurry up, karkat. times running 0ut.

The message caught Karkat off guard, the subject of their conversation butting in without warning. He almost responded before realizing the username was off, an added word that Aradia couldn't have added due to the character limit.

Future Apocalypse Arisen?

TA: aa? the fuck are you doiing up? what the hell ii2 up wiith your u2ername?

There wasn't a response for the next couple of seconds. The silence was eerie and the halfa's anxiety grew as it stretched on. He eventually decided to interrupt it before he went insane from it.

CG: I DON'T THINK THAT WAS ARADIA. CALL HER UP NOW. I'LL GET WHAT I HAVE TO DO DONE IN THE MEANTIME.

TA: you better. ii'm not watchiing you diie twiice.

The chat ended at that and Karkat was almost thankful for it. Everything about it struck him as weird as well as disturbing. He didn't know what kind of powers his friends picked up, but obviously they weren't completely powerless anymore.

He put his phone away, swallowing down any anxiety. He'd have to focus on that later, even if he couldn't help but worry over his friends.

Sollux wanted him to get this over with? He would.

He just needed a moment alone with Oberon to get this finished.

Oberon had made it throughout the day without incinerating that one eyed idiot in front of everyone. Quite honestly, that was a victory and there was no way anyone could convince him otherwise.

Talking about investments and what kind of things he and Crocker could expect to get in advance if they did invest. Spades still didn't seem to believe that they wanted to put their money into his inventions, but he seemed willing to play along for now.