Little Bro
Sixteen fifteen year old (supposed) orphans sat patiently in one big huddle in the chill of the wee hours of the morning. Though they were all very tired from being roused suddenly in the night, the sleepiest among them was always the littlest one, a kitten named Nepeta Lejion, and today was no exception. She hadn't been able to keep her eyes open past a solid three minutes before she blacked out, face down on the concrete sidewalk before her. And so, like many times before, Equius held her in his arms like a baby, keeping her warm and safe from harm...or at least, from another faceplant.
Another among them was a certain Aradia Megido. Aradia happened to be the lightest sleeper anyone had ever seen. Her eyes were always dead as she was, and it was rumored among them that the most she slept in a week was a maximum three hours. But that was just a dumb rumor. However, it wasn't far off. "The dead don't rest," Aradia had always said, "and do I look alive to you?" She sat very close by Sollux, who barely even noticed her whilst sitting next to Feferi, who had little time or patience to notice him whilst sitting next to Eridan, who nagged her like a mother.
"I told you, Fef, but you didn't listen. Bring a coat! You knew it would be fucking bone chattering out here." He mumbled.
"It's not that bad." Feferi lied stubbornly. "And as my own woman I don't need you to remind me."
Sollux grinned, taking pleasure in the fact that she wouldn't have even been able to say that if it wasn't for him. She would have been far too scared. As a little compliment, he gave her hand (that yes, he had been holding prior) a gentle squeeze. He was answered with a duplicate with the same amount of affection.
Between Sollux and Eridan however...
Their relationship to each other is one black as the oncoming night. Black as the fur of the wolves that are responsible for the bloody carcasses of children found eaten in the woods. Black as the pupil of your eye. It's been like that for a long, long time. Way before Feferi was even a part of the equation. But it wasn't always like that. Once upon a time their feelings for each other were a very pale red, a red in the palest of shades: moirails. It's a long story. And it all began-
But there's no time to explain because all up out of nowhere a wild bus appeared!
Terezi gasped, in what her peers thought was surprise, but it was actually disappointment. She gaped at the bus, her mouth wide open, gasping. "That's the greyhound?" She asked. "Why is it so lame?"
But the real surprise was the bus driver. The man behind the wheel opened the door and stood up to face his baffled audience. His eyes hidden behind a pair of opaque black triangular shades, a baseball cap holding down wild blonde hair, and one hand casually resting in his pocket and one limp at his side, professor Dirk, home economics teacher, master of irony, surprise emergency drill official and puppet enthusiast, stepped calmly off of his bus and before his students.
"So," he said with a toothy grin, "who died?"
"Rose, almost." Terezi answered. Rose showed off a huge bandage covering her empty socket.
"Impressive," he nodded.
"Was that ironic?" John asked.
"Sarcastic." Dave corrected.
"Correct." Dirk said. A long pause of total bewilderment and silence kept them quiet and Dirk inpatient. "Why are you looking at me like I'm a genetic mutation or something?"
And suddenly he was swarmed by his students, all hugging and grabbing at pieces of him- his jacket, his jeans, his shirt- and laughing happily. Dirk laughed a little at this warm ambush of arms and torsos before he spoke again. "Alright, come on, let's get going." One by one the students piled onto the greyhound, carefully choosing seats with each other for the ride. Nepeta and Equius of course sat together, Nepeta raising up her armrest to lay across the two seats, her head nestled in Equius's lap. He stroked her hair gently as he could and tucked loose strands neatly behind her ear. Nepeta purred sweetly, yawning and dozing off. Things were not as easy for Sollux and Feferi. Feferi chose a window seat and patted the seat beside her for Sollux to join her. As Sollux was about to, Eridan made his presence known.
"Not so fast." He hissed like a snake, narrowing his ocean blue eyes and giving Sollux a push to the chest.
"What the hell'th your problem?" Sollux rolled his eyes behind his shades.
"As I've said before," Eridan said, "you're a bad influence on Fef."
"I think it's her job to decide who she spends her time with." Sollux said calmly, his arms crossing across his chest.
"Um, excuse me, kismesi?" Karkat rolled his eyes. "You're holding up the aisle. Do I need to sort this out myself?"
"So I see you picked a leader?" Dirk raised an eyebrow. Karkat nodded proudly before turning back to his situation.
"Sollux next to Fef. Eridan in the far back or far front." Karkat said. And with a huff Eridan stomped away. Dave and Terezi struck like glue. Vriska sat with Tavros, and Rose sat with Kanaya. Gamzee joined Eridan in the back, and John chose a seat across from Jade. And Jade sat with Karkat. Karkat, of course, was baffled by this move. Why, of all places, would she sit next to me? He wondered with a roll of his amber eyes. Before he knew it Jade was smiling at him.
"Hello Mister Leader." She smiled warmly. "Sure is exciting, isn't it?"
"Um," Karkat blushed angrily. "Sure. Whatever."
Dirk gave him a grin and a nod. He jerked his head subtly in Jade's direction. Karkat flushed and glared knives at Dirk. Dirk just smiled and turned back to the wheel.
"Everyone all ready?" He asked.
"Yes." A cacophony of affirmative answers answered him, and the bus quivered as he fired it up. Without a moments notice they were off. And every teenager found themselves fast asleep.
Karkat was the first to wake, roused by Jade's hand over his, her fingernails pricking on his hand. He opened his eyes to glare at her. "What are you-"
"Shh." Jade scolded him. "Look." She twisted herself around to point at Dave and Terezi. Their armrest was picked up, and they were clearly cuddling. Terezi's head was resting wholly on Dave's shoulder, and Dave's head lightly on hers. Their hands were holding together in Dave's lap. They crouched behind the seats when they realized that Dave was awake. They watched him lift his head sleepily, look around to make sure no one was watching, and then plant a tender kiss on Terezi's forehead. Terezi happened to wake at this. She gave him a sweet smile and nestled her head in the crook of his neck. Dave kissed her again on top of her head and went back to sleep on top of her head.
Jade twisted back around with a smile wider than the Grand Canyon. She giggled to herself. "Aren't they so cute, Karkat?" She whispered.
"No. As a matter of fact I couldn't give a shit." Karkat rolled his eyes. Jade shrugged and looked back ahead.
"So you managed to survive a couple days alone, eh?" Dirk said, his voice shakier than it had ever been before. From behind his glasses his eyes watered in fear. Jade looked at him quizzically. He gave a weak smile. "I love you kids. More than I've ever loved anything else. Make sure you tell them that, leader." He told Karkat. "And Karkat, don't waste time being afraid of the outcome. Just do it, okay? One day it'll be too late."
"Why are you telling us this?" Karkat asked. Dirk laughed, but it sounded more like a sob.
"I love you all," he said. "So, so much." He cleared his throat suddenly. "You did well for a couple days. Let's see how you do with a car crash." With that they sped up ridiculously and Dirk swerved hard, the bus crashing over and smashing into many other cars. In an instant the morning was caught in flames. There was screaming. So much screaming. Karkat acted fast, kicking open the emergency window and getting everyone awake and safe. One after one they filed out of the window. Momentarily Karkat rushed to the wheel to see Dirk. There was a knife lodged in his esophagus and a blood soaked letter on the knife. In tears Karkat snatched it and rushed out of the bus before it got to hot in the flaming bus. Almost out of sight and led by Kanaya, the students hurried into the woods. Kanaya motioned him to follow.
"Knife," panted Karkat, "a knife in his throat."
"What?" Dave asked hurriedly,
Karkat coughed out a cry. "It was suicide."
"What?!" Dave cried.
"He stabbed himself in the throat and left a note." Karkat said. "It's addressed to you." He handed him Dirk's last letter. Dave snatched it and opened it hurriedly.
Dave,
I know you wonder where you came from. I wonder that, too, sometimes. I only found out when I was twenty years old. I'm sorry I couldn't tell you sooner.
You were never born. At least, not in the traditional manner.
To understand what I mean you will have to know where I come from. Where we all come from.
Jake, Roxy, Jane and I weren't really born, just like you were. We were experiments of a few ectobiologists reclused from society. While that sounds cool, it really wasn't. The four of us raised ourselves, while also being constantly experimented on. When I was fourteen my DNA was sampled and used to make more ecto-fuckers like myself. And you were what came of me.
As you may have guessed, John came of Jane, and Jade of Jake, and Rose of Roxy.
At fifteen I found you four alone in the hallway of the facility I was in. I realized what they had done and what awaited you, and I decided that I didn't want that for anything else. So with the other three of you and the rest of my band of ectofreaks, we escaped the facility. And we ran away. But not before finding the twelve others.
They were reject babies, all with their names on their toe tags, left to die in the cold. We took them with us.
We found a collection of broken down abandoned cabins and we squatted in them, raising ourselves and you, making a life for ourselves. We worked for everything that was ours. And we raised sixteen little rejections to be the strongest, funniest, best little brats that I've ever met.
But we were found. We sent you off so that you would never be taken back to that filthy place.
Jake and Jane and Roxy are dead. They died peacefully. But someone had to warn you kids that you're being followed. You're being tracked. I drew the short straw.
Briefly...
You're on your own now.
Dave, you are the closest thing I will ever have to a son of my own, and I have raised you as such. I'm not your dad. I'm just your bro. I have never loved anything or anyone like I love you, and I never will again. I love you.
Don't give up just yet, little bro.
-Prof. Dirk.