The window shattered into pieces and intruders filled the room where the rebels had gathered. The rebels all gathered at one end of the room while soldiers bearing the Condescension’s sign lined in front of the window. Both parties analysed each other in an eerie silence. Dark chuckles rose from the Subjugulators.

- GET THE FUCK OUT OF HERE!! Karkat ordered

Minthaal barely had the time to dodge the club swung her way. Terezi backed against the wall in the commotion. She couldn’t tell anything from the tornado of colours the dark room had turned into. She felt a hand grab hers and pulling her out of the way. Karkat swung Terezi across the window the Subjugulators had burst in before trying to climb out himself. The Scale crawled to help him out. She grabbed his hands and pulled on them as hard as she could. Karkat swore at the slippery wall slowing his escape when suddenly he stopped in his track as if a bullet had hit him square in the head.

- Honk.
- Oh no…
- HoNk.
- Stay hidden, you fool!
- HONK.
- Hey, it’s Makara!! exclaimed one of the Deimos brother

Gamzee dropped to the floor like a fly, his club rolling away. He didn’t even have the time to start his swing that Merkes’s massive mass had already knocked him out. The highblood didn’t try to get up, his body shaken with spasms as blood started to pool underneath his head. A morbid off-key moan escaped from his mouth in a continuous note. Merkes picked the comatose troll by an arm and lifted him to level with his face. Gamzee didn’t react at all. His body kept twitching, crooking as if he was boneless, and limbs twisted oddly. He had quieted down at least.

- Disgrace.

Merkes let him fall to the ground ungracefully before resting his mass against a table.

- GAMZEE!!!!!
- AHHH!!!

Terezi’s feet dug in the ground as she tried not to be pulled back into hell from the sudden dead weight. Karkat’s feet had completely slipped off the wall when he screamed. Bones cracked underneath Merkes’s heavy boot as he crushed Gamzee’s skull with it. He stomped on the detached head until guts and brains stick to it. It was a sickening sight; one that made the Deimos brothers sick to their stomachs, one that left Karkat limp against the wall, one that even Terezi could see from the amount of the sopor-filled blood in the area. Karkat snapped back to reality when he heard his friend groan in pain as she tried to lift him up without his help. The Cancer looked up to see she was crying like he was. He was nearly out when a hand reached for his ankle and pulled him and the Scale back into the HQ room. Terezi fell across Karkat, crushing his budge and waist. When they looked up, they could only see three tall figures heavily towering them. Their faces were black but their purple eyes and razor teeth shone in the moonlight like in the drawings of the mystical ancestors in books. Karkat kept his head high and closed his eyes, awaiting none other than death.

- Take them to the Condesce.
- What? But we have them at our mercy!!
- Are you questioning me, Deimos? Do as I say or you will end up like that worthless Makara.
- N-no, sir. Yes, Sir…
- That was your only warning.
- Yes, Sir…

Merked picked his mass up and left the building, leaving the rebels under the care of the young subjugulators. They glanced at each other before grabbing each one of them. The captives were thrown and locked in the back of a van filled with other lowbloods but they could care less. Even leaders had a limit on stepping on their wounds and swallowing pain for the sake of others. Sitting at the very end of the vehicle, Karkat slid his arm around Terezi’s shoulders and pulled her close. The Scale leaned over him and grabbed his free hand. Wrapped in his cape, the trolls rested their foreheads against one another and mourned their friend’s tragic death silently. They couldn’t know for sure if others made it out alive or if they were all killed in the commotion yet.

Both had fallen asleep when light erupted into the dark cubicle. They didn’t even have the time to blink the sleep off their eyes that the Deimos brothers forced them out of the truck and their hands were bounded behind their backs. They didn’t remember the golden palace to be this bright. The walls seemed to reflect every little flicker of light directly into their eyes, even Terezi’s were hurting from it. The rebels were brought to the throne room where the Condesce was sitting on the massive cushioned seat meant for the king. The trolls were thrown at her feet and boots were pressed against their backs to remain bowed in front of their new ruler.

- Well, well, well, what have we hear?
- The prospitian rebels’leaders
- Oh really? How disappointing. I didn’t expect the leaders to be… mere children.
- CHILDREN WHO NEARLY KICKED YOUR ASS, OH QUEEN OF LAMES!

Silence fell on the room as the Condesce’s face turned into a mix of surprise and disgust. The sound of her heels echoed on the pristine walls as she stood up and walked forward, her hips rolling from side to side. Her boot connected with Karkat’s jaw, sending him flying meters away. Terezi turned her head away as soon as she felt the wind from the kick. She didn’t need to see to know her friend was bleeding, his unique scent reached her nostrils. The Queen raised a perplexed eyebrow as she noticed the red stain turn a vibrant orange on the yellow carpet. The spectators gasped as she licked the finger she had whipped across one of them, many obviously disgusted her precious lips touched such a disgraceful fluid. Her highpitched laugh echoed on the walls of the room.

- I shouldn’t have expected any less! Only lowbloods are foolish enough to have a mutant as their leader!

She laughed once more as Karkat glared daggers at her. He would have replied something if he wasn’t afraid his jaw was broken. The Batterwhitch ceased her laugh but her arrogant smile remained. Now that she looked at it, the young troll did bear a striking resemblance to the Signless. How odd though she thought she had erased his lineage eons ago when she finally assassinated his mourning widow. She should have been more careful but it didn’t matter now, this young man would meet the same fate as his predecessor.

- And I believe this young woman over here is your lover; an olive blood.

Terezi felt shivers roll down her spine when she felt the Queen’s intense gaze rested on her. The pounding of her heart matched the rhythm of her stilettos clicking against the ground. She delicately lifted the prisoner’s chin as she knelt down to just slightly be taller than she was. Terezi gritted her teeth, holding back a cry as the Condesce cut her cheek open with a sharp fingernail. To everyone’s surprise, the blood that spilled from the gash was of a vivid teal. The crowd was quiet in stupor, the Queen had been wrong; until a foolish troll cracked up. Everyone’s eyes turned to the culprit whom laughter died down rather quickly. The Batterwitch was now standing in front of him with her legs locked into a reversed ‘’V’’ stance and trident in hand. Before the troll could even beg for forgiveness, he crumbled to a bloody purple pile to the ground. The trident had gone through skin and bones like a hot knife through butter through the head, throat and chest. There was no chance of survival. Both prisoners shuddered in horror while the Deimos brothers hurried to cover their pet, ereb’s, mouth before he would also say a word too much.

- Matters not. Bring them to the torture chamber! I want to know the name of every rebel who ever dared to think against me!

Karkat and Terezi were brought to their feet and taken away. As they were slowly walking away, Terezi scanned the buzzing audience. Through the mass of grey, she could see a few colored patches she knew of. Now were they also prisoners of the Great Troll or traitors could not be clear at that moment.

Terezi was basically thrown into Karkat’s arms before the iron door closed behind her. Her face had been beaten black and blue and her clothes had been even more damaged. Karkat’s state was about the same as hers. He had been tortured before her so he knew what she had just gone through.

- Did you tell them anything? He asked as softly as he could
- No… No I did not give them as much as a hint. Her Imperial Butt is furious. Hehe…
- Good. I am proud of you. I didn’t tell anything to those fuckers either. They won’t get anything from us!
- True that… You know they will kill us by sunrise, right?
- … Yeah I know…
Terezi looked depressed and Karkat immediately regretted his words.
- H-Hey! But don’t worry!! We’ll get out of here before they can do that! Those fuckers won’t know what hit them!
- You sure about that?
- Of… Of course I am, Pyrope! I bet my ass our friends are working their fucking pea-sized brains out to get us out of there as we are talking!!

Terezi cackled and Karkat sighed of relief. They knew the chances what Karkat had said to be true were nearly non-existent but holding on to imaginary hopes was soothing to the heart.

- Do you think He will come to save you?

Karkat didn’t need to ask who was she talking about, it was obvious to him. They sat down and held hands as they talked about roms amongst other things as if it was another sleepover like they had countless times before. As the night grew colder, they huddled closer and closer to keep their warmth. A single kiss was shared during that night. Was it out of nostalgia of old matespriteship they once thought they could have when they first met? Were they even thinking about each other or their respective crush? Or was because they knew they were the last person they would ever be able to get close to? It didn’t matter at the time; it simply felt right for both of them.

Sunrise came before they were done talking. There was still so much to say, so much to do but Kreans who came to pick them up would hear none of it. Their trials were over and the punishment had been chosen. As they walked across the golden corridors, their breath was wasted in the large space. There was no sign of hope or light in the windows. The walls were void of life and time had frozen still in their heart.

The day was beautiful, Skaia shone brightly above the golden planet. Karkat described to Terezi what he was seeing so the blind girl could quickly visualise it. Nearly all the buildings’front side had been covered by fuchsia drapes bearing the Condesce’s red fork. The soldiers made them walked across the city to the low district where most of the population now lived. The bakery Terezi loved so much was now a stand for the Batterwitch’s propaganda. She looked up when they walked in front of her house. The sight of her father at the window of the library with his hat resting over his heart brought tears back to her.

- Kill that carapace. Merkes suddenly ordered
- NO!!!

Terezi broke from the line and dashed toward her house, surprising Ereb who yelped as he got out of the way. Sadly, Merkes was not even startled and violently pinned the young troll to the ground. She groaned in pain, catching a glimpse of the brothers entering her house with a few carapace soldiers. The large subjugulator lifted her up by the chain restraining her wrists and proceeded to drag her way despite her resistance.

- FATHER! RUN!! FATHER, PLEASE!!

The old carapace didn’t have anywhere to run to though. He wasn’t planning on running anyway. He knew Terezi was too young to understand and she never would have the chance to grow up for it. It was through those horrified child’s eyes that she saw her caretaker fall from the second floor with a sword pierced through his sternum. She couldn’t talk at first, her voice was snuffed in her knotted throat but hearing the Deimos laugh at the murder provoked a flow of emotions that forced it out.

- Fucking monsters!! How can you laugh at this?! Don’t tell me you don’t know what family is! HOW WOULD YOU LIK3 TO H4V3 YOUR PR3C1OUS MOTH3R K1LL3D?!
- SHUT UP, YOU LITTLE BITCH.

The punch Merkes gave her with his monstrous arm lifted the Scale off the ground and roughly hit the ground, back first. Karkat ran in front of her out of pure cavalry instinct even though he was harmless bounded the way he was.

- HEY!!

Karkat was full of courage but a single glare from the imposing troll was enough to make him gulp. He tried to help Terezi up, the carapaces not chasing him away from his friend. Merkes pulled on both their chains he was now holding. He couldn’t stand hearing troll use words that wasn’t meant for their vocabulary. A troll had no family, it had no parent; it had a lusus. To him, his clown apprentices had no mother and were only subjugulation brothers like it was supposed to be.

They passed by the school where Karkat had been bullied until his very last day. He had no good memory from there, really. Aliyah refreshed it by smacking him behind the skull as they walked by the gate. At long last they reached the low district where a crowd gathered around a high wooden structure. Whistles and screams made the city tremble under their strength when the prisoners climbed the few steps leading to the platform. Terezi vision faded in a distant memory from the past where she used to play executioner with her friends. It was the exact feeling she imaged it would be. Silent acceptance, humble regrets. Outside of her dreamworld, trolls and carapaces alike were thirsty for blood and the Condesce was about to give it to them. Her Imperial Condescension sat on a massive fuchsia throne on a balcony in front of the execution ground. She arose from her seat and the crowd fell quiet.

- Prisoners. You’ve proven guilty of high treachery. You lead the rebel movement on the Prospit planet. The sentence for high treachery is death by hanging. Your deaths will serve as an example to those who will try to oppose her Imperial Condescension.
The crowd exploded in a thunder of cheers, covering Karkat’s burst of anger. The Queen laughed gingerly before sitting back on her throne and pointed her trident to open the execution ceremony.
- Watch your precious subjects fall for the pleasure of mines. Oh.
The Witch petted the White Queen’s leg as she breathed the words. The fair carapace had been seated right beside her. The troll had authorised an exception for the Queen to see her precious rebels’last stand. The gentle carapace kept her head low and ignored the Batterwitch’s ministrations.

The carapaces pushed Terezi toward the noose first. Karkat panicked as his moiriail was taken away from him. There was still time; they could still make it out of here. A vicious pain on the back of his head blurred his vision and brought him to his knees.
Terezi faced the crowd as the rope was loosely passed around her neck. Like in the throne room, splashes of colors polka dotted the mass of the gray, black and white. Many of the surviving rebels had shown their faces. She was well aware none would do a thing to save them though. It was too risky; it wasn’t strategic to play the hero. High above, dominated the fuchsia queen and the palette by its side. Anger filled her veins as she recognised Minthaal and Kreans who had sold them in exchange of fame and recognition. Vriska whom had Dave assassinated out of jealousy by revealing his true role was also standing in the royal suite. All of these bastards were getting away without judgement. It was unfair. Her fairy tales were shattered, the villains were winning again. She was any better than her descendant.

A vibrant red flashed in her mind. She understood why when she turned her head away from the audience.

- Karkles…

Her companion’s red eyes were widely open in horror, tears streaming from them. Teal tears escaped from the Scale’s own eyes as she smiled to her lovely leader one last time.

- We did our best, Karkles…

They truly did. Her smile disappeared to be replaced by an expression of sheer fear a nanosecond before the ground opened under her feet.

- TEREZIIII

A haunting snap was heard when the rope tensed. The rough and sudden stop to her fall had broken the girl’s neck. The spectators shooed as her lifeless corpse swung from side to side. It had been too quick, she had barely struggled. Bile filled Karkat’s mouth as the crowd kept on voicing their displeasure because there hadn’t been enough bloodshed. He felt disgusted by his race. The Condesce was right; their deaths would be in vain. He rose to his feet on his own as his moirial’s body was freed from the rope. He also saw everyone in the crowd. He looked each and every one of them in the eyes too. Wrath shook his body the more he did. Dirk advert his eyes away from his and Karkat nearly spat at him.

- YEAH YOU BETTER LOOK DOWN YOU FUCKING BITCH! IT’S ALL YOUR STUPID FAULT IF I’M HERE! IF TEREZI AND GAMZEE ARE DEAD!! YOU’RE A WASTE OF SPACE! A WORHTLESS COWARD! I HOPE TO DAMN HELL YOU’RE THE NEXT ONE THEY CATCH!!

The crowd looked in itself in confusion but Karkat could see Dirk shrink from where he was and enjoyed every last bit. Guards grabbed Karkat in fear he would jump off the stage to go and punch whoever he was talking to. Dirk took advantage of those few seconds to disappear into thin air. When Karkat could not see the human’s face anymore, he just found another one. The Witch was now part of the normal citizen, how cute he thought. Too bad it was cute enough for him to quell his rage.

- AND YOU! I THOUGHT I COULD BELIEVE YOU, I THOUGHT I COULD TRUST YOU BUT YOU ARE JUST LIKE EVERY GODDAMN HUMAN! THIS IS PART OF YOUR FAULT IF WE FAILED! YOU SAID WE SHOULD TRUST THEM AND THE NEXT THING THEY FUCKING DO IS STAB US FROM BEHIND LIKE THE GODDAMN TRAITORS THEY FUCKING WERE TO BEGIN WITH! I DON'T FUCKING CARE ANYMORE, YOU ARE THE ONE TRUE TRAITOR TO ME, JADE!

Karkat had spared screaming Dirk’s name on top of his lungs but not the Jade’s. Everyone knew her role and what she looked like in any case. It was a surprise she was not in the royal suite with the rest of the closely watched humans. What was a surprise was that Jade was actually there at all. Her imperialness shot a glare to Jack Noir who was supposed to have the Witch’s lair guarded. The human took a stand in the crowd, her big green eyes shining with sadness and pain; she too had lost close ones in that conflict and Karkat was completely overlooking that.

- Karkat… I’m sorry!! I’m so very sorry!! I—
- FUCK YOU I DON'T WANT TO HEAR ANYTHING FROM YOUR GODDAMN SHAMELESS SELF! FUCK YOU AND YOU FALSE FRIENDSHIP! FUCK YOU AND YOU FAKE TRUST! FUCK YOU!FUCK YOU!FUCK YOU!

Jade’s knees gave out her under her from how hard she was shaking. A green lightning rose from the ground in a great cry and faded in the sky before the Witch touched the ground. Everyone turned to Karkat who was once again out to unleash his rage on someone. While he was looking for it, the rope was passed and tightened around his neck. He found his next victim when he noticed big blue eyes resembling those of the witch. A wicked smile petrified everyone when it suddenly appeared on the Cancer’s face. The heir had been kind enough to assist at his execution under a bad disguise. Oh, it would feel so good to break his dumb cover-up.

- AND YOU, OH YOU, THE MOTHERFUCKING HEIR. WHO THE HELL AM I KIDDING, YOU ARE JUST THE LOWEST PIECE OF SHIT I'VE FUCKING MET IN MY ENTIRE LIFE. YOUR WHOLE GODDAMN EXISTENCE CONSTISTED ON SAVING US ALL AND YOU COULDNT EVEN SAVE YOUR FUCKING UNDERWEARS! I HOPE FOR YOU THE ENDLESS TORTURES OF GUILT TO HUNT YOU DOWN FOR THE REST OF YOUR FUCKING MISERABLE LIFE! ALL THE DEATH THAT HAD THIS CURSED REVOLUTION SHOULD BE YOUR GODDAMN FAULT! WHERE’S YOUR DOG NOW?!

The Condescension jumped up her seat as she yelled to every guard to leave their post and catch the heir. That annoying human and two of his accomplices had vanished right before she upstaged the Prospit’s royal family. That descendant had finally proven himself to be useless. Too bad she knew stubbornness ran deep in the Singlesses, sparing him would only be dangerous for her. Mara tried to protect the Heir in vain and only ended up captured. Karkat laughed like madman as he saw John try to evade by the air but ropes bringing down. It was sad Mara had do go down with this douchebag, he actually liked her. Well, loathed her less than the rest anyway.

The fallen leader aggressively resisted against the pull on the rope around his neck. He still had stuff to say. He felt his rage at a culminating point. Enough things ran through his head for him to rant for hours to come but he thought he could be done after one last outburst of anger. This time, he aimed it to the whole troll race. He stepped forward until his leash would no longer allow it.

- AND YOU PRIDELESS PIECE OF HORSESHIT WHO CALL THEMSLEVES TROLLS, WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU GODDAMN HEAD? WHERE IS YOUR FUCKING SENSE OF JUSTICE? IS THAT REALLY WHAT WE ARE? A FUCKING BUNCH OF HONORLESS BEING WHO NEEDS A FUCKING HIERACHY OF BLOOD TO FEEL BETTER? YOU MAKE ME SICK! ALL OF YOU! AND YOU KNOW WHAT? IM HAPPY THERE WON'T BE ANYMORE OF US GODDAMN BALL-LESS DOUCHEBAGS IN THIS FUCKED UP UNIVERSE. YOU DON'T MOTHERFUCKING DESERVE TO KEEP ON LIVING! WE ALL DESERVE TO DIE IN THE MOST PAINFUL WAY FOR BEING SUCH IDIOTS. AND HERE I THOUGHT I COULD DO SOMETHING FOR OUR CAUSE! I WAS SUCH A FUCKING FOOL!! I DESERVE MY DEATH FOR BEING SO FUCKING STUPID! THINKING I COULD REALLY CHANGE SOMETHING THAT FUCKED UP! FUCK YOU ALL! SEE YOU ALL IN ANOTHER LIFE SUCKERS!

The carapace pulled on the rope for real this time. Karkat groaned as his feet stopped touching the ground. The method of hanging had been changed so the death would be slower and more painful. The carapaces and lowblood trolls were phased by the mutant’s speech of heart but even more by the reaction the majority of trolls had. His words had next to no impact on them; they roared happily as the troll slowly strangled to death. Karkat was right, it would be for the best when the last one of them would die. Saddly, no one knew how long the life-bending witch still had before her.