Hey everyone! With this chapter starts a new arc in this little fic. Hopefully you all enjoy it and that it interests you in the near future. This is where things get a little darker from here on out.
This chapter does have a lot talking, I'll admit, but I tried to make it interesting. There is fighting in the end, so try and stick it out.
Anyway, see you all at the end of the chapter!
Breakfast wasn't exactly what anyone would call tense, but that's what it was for Karkat. For everyone else, it was a normal breakfast with friends, but the halfa didn't have that luxury due to simply existing like he does now.
Then again, it's probably pretty normal to feel this way when you figure out your dad has a man after his life.
Don't forget the fact that the man trying to kill him was in the same breakfast table with them, smiling like he'd done nothing wrong.
Yeah, this morning wasn't a good one in Karkat's book.
"Everything alright, kid?" Spades, plopping down into his own seat, breakfasts in hand. It was pancakes and maple syrup, the classic combo. "Looks like you didn't get much sleep last night. Insomnia acting up?"
"Nah. Always difficult sleeping in a different bed." Karkat used the mask of exhaustion to hide any emotion he needed to. Can't have Oberon turn on him in the middle of the goddamn morning. "You know how it is. Even if it's comfortable, it's still weird."
Total lie. He'd been awake a good amount of the night thinking about what he'd overheard, piecing it together with everything else he knew. Some parts of it made sense, but the rest didn't Why did Oberon want to kill his dad? Was it over the accident? Or was it something else?
"Yeah, I know the feeling." Eridan laughed a little, looking a little tired himself. He took a bite out of his pancakes, chewing thoughtfully. "I've been in a lot of hotels and no bed feels the same. Takes a couple of hours to fall asleep."
"You're just always fussy about where you sleep." Feferi flicked at the boy, giggling as he weakly glared back at her. "I remember you trying to keep the mattress to your bed when we were ten. The whole thing was falling apart, but you didn't want to give it up."
"It's not my fault I'm sentimental."
"She's right, you know. Your mother and I had to do this whole heist while you were away at school, changing it out before you could get home." The man chuckled softly, staring off into space. "We thought you wouldn't notice at all, but you practically knew it as soon as you came home. Good times."
Things got quiet at the mention of the story, but since Oberon didn't appear sad, nobody commented on it. Karkat noted it but ate his own breakfast quietly so not to ruin the mood. He wasn't going to do anything about that mess.
His phone buzzed, giving him some relief. At least he wouldn't have to stay for this.
"Hey, I'm getting a text from Sollux," Not a lie, and completely excusable as far as he was concerned. "I'll be back. It might be important."
"Okay, kid. Come back soon, though." Spades pointed at his plate of pancakes threateningly, eyes narrowed. "Otherwise you're going to come back to an empty plate."
Karkat rolled his eyes, the only genuine thing he's done all day. He went into the next room, pulling up Ghostian quickly. The message was from Sollux and it was a short one.
TA: whatever you're planniing two do, ju2t do iit.
Karkat blinked at the words, taken aback by the tone of it. This was a new chat, unconnected to virtually anyone else. It wasn't even connected to whatever they last talked about on Ghostian, it was just this singular message.
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.
That was good. The less he suspected, the more time he'd have to finally get this done.
Going into the office, he was prepared to call up that wolf again one final time. If it didn't work out due to continued incompetence, he'd have to find another way, but he was sure if he summoned the damn thing in Spades room, there'd be little that could stop it.
That plan immediately fell to pieces when the only other halfa in existence was sitting at the desk, looking at him like he already killed his father.
"Ah, Karkat." Oberon cursed in his head, wondering what the hell was the kid doing here. He didn't mind chatting with the boy, but this was a little out of left field. "I'm sorry, did you want to talk about something? I'm afraid you've caught me unaware here."
"Yeah, sorry about that." The halfa didn't look sorry at all, causing Oberon's smile to falter. "I just wanted to talk to you about that ghost wolf situation. I've seen that thing stalking around twice now and I'm starting to wonder where its coming from."
"Hm. It is a bit of a concern. I was hoping that I'd be able to get your father out of here before dealing with it." If that dog didn't kill him, he'd be sure to fry it under pure unadulterated light. "I'm not sure where it's coming from, though. I'd certainly like to figure out how."
"Yeah, you see, I've been thinking about that a lot." Karkat leaned onto the desk, elbows propping up his head. He blew some hair out of his face. "It seems a little too coincidental that thing came here while we were coming up. Almost like it sensed us and decided to pay a visit."
"We do have ghost detection as our powers, so I can't see why it couldn't sense us." This line of logic was dangerous for the boy and he didn't want to pursue it. He'd forgotten the child could be smart. "Though you make it sound like it was deliberate. I don't think ghost animals are likely to have that level of intelligence."
"I thought that too! It led me to another theory, actually." Karkat waved his hands a little, a smirk crossing his face. "Maybe something sent that after one of us here! It would make a lot of sense and it would leave a lot less fingerprints if they did it themselves.
...This kid was onto something. How did he come to that conclusion so fast?
"As much as I'd like to agree with you, that might be leaning close into dangerous paranoia territory." Oberon frowned, morphing his face into one of concern. "Are you sure it isn't the lack of sleep talking? I understand if this is bothering you, but it's just one ghost wolf."
"I don't know about that. If something is controlling it, that makes it all the more dangerous." Karkat tilted his head, looking the older man right in the eyes. "I mean, Noir is certainly an intimidating name for it. I'd be afraid to fuck around with that thing."
...Well. Shit.
Karkat opened up a drawer that he thought had been locked before, pulling out a ring. It carved out of obsidian and etchings of gold inside of it. The decorations on it showed the form of a wolf, resembling Noir in many respects. It even had the scar.
"I found this while I was on that long bathroom break when we were checking out some of the local wildlife. Wasn't hard to find it since it was practically glowing." Karkat tossed it up and caught it in the palm of his hand, still looking right at Oberon. "I overheard you talking to it last night. Mind explaining what the fuck is going on here?"
...Okay then. Oberon was caught. Might as well play along with the child's demands. It wasn't like it changed too much of his plan anyway.
The older man shrugged in a way that infuriated Karkat immediately. Oberon walked toward a wine cabinet, opening it up with practiced grace, grabbing a bottle and two glasses. He offered one in the younger halfa's direction, which was denied with a stiff nod. The older man shrugged before putting it back, pouring a glass for himself.
"Where do you want me to begin exactly? There's a lot to cover, quite honestly." Oberon sipped the wine for several seconds, letting it slip down his throat smoothly. "You need to be a bit more specific. We honestly don't have all day."
"Let's start with why you apparently want to kill my dad for some reason." Karkat paused, frowning a bit more. "And maybe you could also explain why you're known in the Ghost Zone as Dualscar. You have a record last time I checked."
Ah, that's more than the older halfa expected. Then again, the boy did have allies in undead law enforcement. It would be a shame not to use them.
"You'd be surprised how little that does in shrinking the scope." Oberon hummed; another sip of wine taken between pauses. He narrowed his eyes slightly, looking at the boy truly. "How much thought have you put into our 'situation?' Philosophically and all that, I mean."
"Plenty. For a while, that's all I was able to think about." Karkat raised an eyebrow. Where exactly was this conversation heading? "I have a name for us, but that doesn't mean I fully know what we are."
"And you probably never will. That's kind of the main thing about us half ghosts." Oberon's face soured a little. The word didn't seem to hold a positive weight to him. "I've told you about the accident. My accident."
"Where you got blasted in the face by a ton of ecto-radiation. I remember." Karkat huffed, the memory of the night they met souring even further. "I'm guessing there was a lot more to it than that?"
"Not the before, sadly. But there was a lot afterward that I didn't mention." Oberon's eyes seemed unfocused, the memory taking over. Karkat assumed this is when the flashback would start. "I never mentioned the hospital that I stayed in. The one that I was stuck in for months on end to make sure the ectoplasm was washed out of me.
"I had very few visitors. Your father and Crocker tried to in the beginning, but since radiation sickness was so severe, they weren't allowed inside. They eventually gave up after a few months." A scowl crossed the man's face, a hand twitching. "The fact I was stuck there with only a television playing reality show drivel, schoolwork I had to do so I could stay on track for graduation, and nothing else. I had plenty of time to think, especially since I had to graduate in a hospital bed."
Karkat frowned, hand tapping on the wood. That was brutal, he had to admit. He'd gotten off lucky that the portal hadn't ended his existence. The fact that he wasn't put into a hospital was a miracle within itself too.
"I thought over the day of the accident mostly. All the little factors that led to it, such as finding the ectoplasm, the building of the machine, up until it eventually hit me." Oberon shrugged. "It still does play on repeat in my mind, actually. Much like how your accident does in yours."
"This isn't about me, Oberon. Focus on yourself." Karkat grit his teeth, not wanting to prove to the man that he was right. The nightmares may have lessened, but that didn't mean the weight was gone. "I'm guessing you blame my dad for the accident."
"Mostly. I did blame Crocker for a while as well since she did leave her soda there." Oberon shrugged again, not even having a bit of remorse. "I even blamed myself too. I stood near the damn thing and helped him build it. It was his idea, though. The portal was his design and everything, something he begged to get made for our project.
"But even though I did blame him for a while, seethed while in that hospital bed, something miraculous happened." A happy smile flitted onto the man's face, nostalgia slipping into his voice. "I almost forgave him."
"What made that happen?" Karkat was lost again. First he was going one way, then another. "Start making sense, Dualscar. Like you said, we don't have all day."
"Please don't call me by that moniker. I certainly didn't make the damn thing up." Oberon took a big gulp of wine, mostly to hide the sting from his pride. "And the reason why I almost forgave your father was because of my wife... Umbriel."
A mournful expression overtook Oberon's face. There was fondness and nostalgia mixed in with equal measure, but the grim feeling was winning instead. He poured more wine into his glass.
"She was a med student interning at her first hospital. Wanted to be a doctor and eventually became one. I was there for her first internship." Oberon grabbed a wallet out of his pocket, opening it up to show a photo. It was of his wife, who was being held up by smiling, healthy version of himself. "Said I was the most interesting patients she ever had, medically and personally. Visited every day because my condition was the strangest she'd ever seen or whenever she thought I needed someone to talk to.
"I'm sure you can tell I fell in love embarrassingly quickly. I never really had someone take an interest in me before like that, so I kept talking to here after I got discharged from the hospital, the rest being history." Oberon seemed happy at that, enjoying the trip down memory lane. "I kept any strange powers under wraps mostly out of self-preservation, but mostly because she was highly religious. I didn't want to scare her off, and it made getting my fortune much easier."
"...And then that fell apart when your first son was born. Eridan following years after." Karkat noted the sour turn of his face, the twist from good to bad. "Yeah, I looked into that too. Not a funny story."
"It was a good run, quite honestly. I never expected children to come into the equation at all because of the ectoplasm, but she surprised me one day a few months after our wedding." Oberon was telling the truth there. He'd almost died a second time on that day. "I figured the accident would've been hell on my biology, but she was pregnant with Cronus. Happiest day of our lives. Until the birth actually happened.
"The birth went fine, despite some concerns I had. Cronus was a healthy weight, no major abnormalities, and was as responsive as any baby was after being born." Those were good days too. Ones that got cut short. "And then his powers kicked in. The first night we went home, he phased right out of his goddamn crib."
Super religious. Kids showing demonic powers. Husband acting extremely weird about it, especially when it came to own his own past.
"She suspected you immediately." Karkat hummed, pieces falling into place. "Or she did when you started lying to her about it."
"Exactly. She knew me better than most people ever will in their lifetimes. It took years of lying, gaslighting, and manipulation to make her think it was nothing." No pride, no relish, nothing in his voice to show that he wanted it. "I taught Cronus in secret for years and she believed it was all just some form of postpartum depression. And then Eridan came.
"It was a mistake having a second child. I knew that and still didn't get myself neutered because she did want a second one. I was cocky and got off the first kid scot free." He was almost into a rant by this point, slamming the empty wine glass onto the desk. "His powers came on stronger than Cronus's! And there was no hiding that from Umbriel, no, no, no. The more powers he started to show, the more upset she got, started accusing me of being the devil and having made her create devil spawn.
"And when Eridan was thirteen, you finally put her in a home." Karkat felt a few the final slides slip into place. He just needed to know one more thing. "Why did it take you so long to put her in there.
"...Because I loved her. I didn't want to separate her from the kids."
Karkat hated to admit it, but now he understood where the man was coming from. Years of hiding himself from the world and people he loved, doing his best to keep what he wanted. Things got worse by the minute, even when Oberon tried to find a way around it.
He didn't blame his father just for the accident. He blamed him for failing his perfect life.
"I learned something important the day when I got her out of the house. I learned that no matter what, I was a cursed abomination of science that your father created in his ignorance." Oberon took a deep breath, looking into Karkat's eyes. "And so many years later, he did once again. Your life has a good chance of ending like mine. No matter how hard you explain it to other people, the accident will haunt for the rest of your life."
Another deep breath and he inched out his hand towards the boy. "Which is why I'm going to ask you to help me punish your father for what he's done to us."
"...No."
Oberon blinked, surprised as the boy got up from the desk opposite to him. The younger halfa held Noir's ring tightly, squeezing it with enough force that the elder halfa thought he'd damage it.
"Oberon, I want you to understand something; I understand everything you just said and get why you want to do this. But that is fucking insane." Karkat glared down at the man, the only thing tempering it being pity. "I'm sorry for what happened to your marriage. I'm sorry for what Eridan and Cronus had to go through. But I'm not killing my dad for it.
"I get that my accident is going to fuck up my life a whole hell of a lot, but I'm going to deal with it. There are thousands of ways it could end badly, but I'll find my happy ending eventually. Killing my dad will prevent me from doing that." The young halfa slammed his hand down onto the table, making sure his point came across. "And the same thing will happen to you if continue trying this. Killing him isn't going to change what happened at all. You're going to be just as miserable, but the added guilt of having killed someone you called a friend once."
Karkat straightened up looking down at the man. The glare gave way to something pleading, trying to appeal to the humanity Oberon still had. "I'm asking as the only other person to know this kind of pain; don't do this. Back out now, and we can still make up for lost time. This doesn't have to end like this."
And that was the ultimatum here. Oberon could stop and they could have the mentor-student relationship that Karkat desperately needed. The solidarity the older halfa craved. If the man didn't stop, there'd be little chance to turn back. The young halfa would have to fight tooth and nail to keep him from completing his goal.
"...I've done too much to get here, kid. Stopping now would make me a hypocrite."
And the decision was made with those words, followed by an accompanying bang.
Karkat didn't know when Oberon had gotten up, but it was quicker than he could see. The older man's hand was gripping his throat, pinning him to the wall completely.
"I'll need that ring back, by the by. It was extremely difficult to take, so I'll need it back." Oberon was relying on the fear to get the boy to cooperate. "I'd also suggest changing your mind. I've gone too far to stop now, and I'm not stopping just because a child asked me too."
Despite the fact this was a frightening display, the older halfa had forgotten one simple fact; Karkat was a stubborn asshole. The boy growled, eyes going feral.
"Go fuck yourself."
Karkat fired an ectoblast into the man's chest, throwing him back. The halfa was able to get a second of air into his lungs before Oberon flew right back at him, throwing a fist. The younger halfa dodged quickly, the hand going into the wall.
Karkat fired off another round again, but this one was blocked before Oberon sent one right back. The younger halfa didn't bother blocking, dodging as the burst scorched the wall behind him. He had to dodge a few more shots before turning intangible, flying out through the roof.
As the halfa transformed, Oberon came out, in full ghost form, to punch him the stomach. Karkat was sent flying, hitting a tree at full speed. The boy nearly crumpled, slipping down the tree as the older halfa flew closer to him.
"I don't really know what you expected to happen here, boy, but I've got over twenty years with my powers. Going against me is suicide." Oberon's teeth gleamed in the light of the moon as he scowled, once again reaching his hand out. "Just give me the ring and you'll be spared. A lucky break compared to what most people get."
Considering he'd spent the first few moments of this fight getting his ass handed to him, Karkat figured continuing this alone would be a considerably bad idea. At least he had help with Fright Knight. Here, he had no one.
...He still had the ring, though.
Karkat put it on quickly, the action causing Oberon to lunge at him. Putting some energy into it, the ring glowed, a burst of energy making the older halfa stop. He was physically thrown back by the ray of light that showed up, revealing itself to be Noir, standing in front of Phantom.
"Noir," Karkat stated simply, pointing at Oberon with deep set scowl. "Sic em."
The wolf responded instantly, jumping at the man with fangs bared. Oberon grabbed its mouth before it could clamp down on him, though Karkat took advantage flying around and kicking him in the side with his full strength.
The hit caused Oberon to fold, Noir's teeth clacking it bit the air, a second bite latching onto the older halfa's tail. It flung him to the side, causing him to hit the ground hard, Karkat throwing ectoblasts at him all the while.
Oberon threw beams of light at them both, causing them to retreat. Splitting up his attention, though, made Oberon fail to notice as Karkat pulled out a sickle, sending an arcing ectoblast at him.
Oberon barely dodged it, along with the wail of Noir's howl soon after. As quickly as he could, he appeared in front of Karkat and sliced at him with his claws. It was a direct hit, ectoplasm spraying out of the halfa's side.
Panicked, the Phantom swung his sickle in response, hitting Oberon in the same place. The pain caused the older halfa to pause, only able to singe an ectoblast into Phantom's shoulder before Noir tackled him out of the sky.
The wolf pinned down Oberon, clawing into with a howl and started biting into him every so often. The older halfa struggled to fight off the dog, eventually getting enough ground to grab its jaws and twist.
A crack could be heard as the wolf howled in pain. Oberon slipped out from under it, grabbing its tail and throwing it over his shoulder. Another crack emitted from the wolfs back, something breaking. Oberon did it again, and again, breaking more of the things bones.
Karkat did his best to stop this, hitting the older man in the back. Oberon let go of the wolf, throwing another blast of light towards the younger halfa. The blast hit its target in the leg, though Karkat still had enough time to get both of his sickles around the man's throat.
The fight stopped then, the older man noting the green blades around his neck. He breathed heavily, the cuts and bruises of the fight taking their toll. Karkat felt himself weaken too, exhaustion seeping in at his own wounds.
The only thing that prevented the fight from going further was the sound of shouts in the distance, causing them both to still. Karkat looked Oberon right in the eye, transforming before shouting.
"Dad! The ghost is out here!" Karkat could hear the shouting growing louder, smiling mischievously. "I think I saw it with something else too! Get all the gun you can!"
Oberon cursed, transforming quickly. The younger halfa was able to hide his sickles away before Spades was able to run up, carrying an ecto-bazooka in his pajamas.
"I heard some stuff going on in the office, what- holy shit, are you two okay?!" Spades almost dropped his weapon, seeing the state the two were in. "Where's the fucking ghost?! Just point and I'll shoot!"
"He's over there, Slick." Oberon jerked a thumb towards Noir, the wolf having slowly gotten up from the fight. "Don't let it get away."
Spades didn't have to be told twice, turning a rage filled glare towards the wolf. He started firing, chasing after it as it started running away. Curses and screams could be heard as they went off into the forest.
There was quiet for a moment as the two halfa's watched him go, one more bitterly than the other. Karkat pocketed the ring to summon Noir, feeling a burst of power coming form it, signifying the wolf was returning to it. He cleared his throat.
"You try anything like this shit again, I'll tell the entire world about us. I'll tell him exactly what you were doing out here." Karkat turned his wrath filled gaze towards Oberon, eyes burning. "Don't test me. If it means having the government on our asses, I'll make sure you don't kill him."
"What makes you think he'll believe you? As far as he's concerned, half ghosts don't exist." The man chuckled darkly, looking down at the boy, smug. "We're barely a wife's tale in the Ghost Zone. He might just assume you're being possessed."
"He loves me more than he believes you." The shut down did cause the older man to think it over, something Karkat needed to happen. "At least in my case, I never did anything illegal. You, however, cheated your way into millions and were plotting murder. And let's not add assaulting a minor to this too."
"...And what about Eridan? What should I tell him?" Oberon knew how to twist the knife watching Karkat wince at the mention of his son. "He'd definitely be disappointed to know about how his new friend hates his father."
"Tell him nothing then. In return, I won't tell him anything about his father is a crook and psychopath." Karkat sent his hand out, a gleam in his eye. "He keeps his father and his friend. Do we have a deal, Dualscar?"
Despite the glare crossing the older mans features at the moniker, Oberon did grab and shake the boy's hands. He almost didn't seem surprised as blood spilled from both of their palms.
"Deal."
The two halfa's heard more shouts in the distance this time, the rest of their cabin mates joining them shortly. A lot of hurried questions were sent their way as they were rushed to the cabin, joined shortly by a confused, though happy Spades. He had apparently caught up and hit Noir with plenty of blasts until it "vanished," which he assumed that he killed it, or it just faded away.
Karkat didn't really listen much to that story, or anything really. While his wounds were dressed and discussions were had, the halfa couldn't help but mourn.
Oberon had proven himself to be truly dead tonight. And instead of the halfa that was supposed to teach him, there was only Dualscar, a vengeance filled villain whose only desire was to ruin another person's life. Karkat mourned one and cursed the other, the loss causing the anger to grow.
Dualscar wouldn't hurt his father or anyone else. Not if he had anything to say about it.
I'll admit; I'm glad I got the chapter out, but I think I could've ended it better. However, I still think it's good. I hope you all enjoy this and that this is an interesting change of pace for all of you.
Remember, if you make fanart or anything else based on this, link me to it. I'll appreciate it and save it on a folder on my computer for when days get pretty bad.
I'll see you all next chapter!