The Valley

The Valley surrounding Hemopolis is massive. It spans what can be only described as an entire section of the planet. The ends of the valley can not be seen at any spot. This is one of the most lush, and therefore most dangerous sections on the entire planet.

*Nepeta flies over the gates with ease, grabbing a tree and sliding down with her claws on the outside. She drops to her feet, crouched, knife out, tears running down her face, a wild look in her eyes. One of her coworkers spies her, returning from a job.

oh HEY nepeta WHAT are YOU doing-

*Nepeta brushes past the troll and she shivers with what can only be described as fear. She starts and looks back at Nepeta only to see her trembling as she disappears into the brush. The troll watches after where she disappeared for a long time before slowly turning around and heading for the gates.*

*As Nepeta gets bearings on where she is, she breaks into a run. As she slips through the bushes and massive trees of the valley, her mind wanders to what happened. The look on Karkat's face, Equius saying nothing, and the look of terror that Feferi had. She clenches her teeth so hard they start cracking. That look Feferi had was the same one she had when she was fighting Gamzee. Never again. She would be the strongest. She would never let that happen to her or any of her friends ever again. She broke from the lush forest and entered a large, rocky plain. The mountains rose higher here, and the wind was a viscious enemy as much as the large creatures that roamed these plains. This area was off limits to anyone who wasn't a hunter, and even then it wasn't advised.*

*Nepeta quickly scales one of the nearby rocks to look around, and spies it immediately. The behezmon, a hulking creature 9 stories tall with claws and teeth so razor sharp that being glanced by them could slice you in half. This was a top level hunter task, and most rarely took jobs like this. The reward was hardly worth the risk.*

*Nepeta looks down at the ground, her face darkened. WHY hadn't Equius thought of her when he let himself die? What was the point of having such strength and being so nice if you just let yourself be killed. She grabs a knife and stabs a smaller creature's gaping maw in the roof of it's mouth as it starts to roar behind her. She spins, rotating around her knife hilt, yanking it free and landing on top of the creature's head, then reaches down and slices it's neck open. It falls to the ground with a loud thump, the green blood that runs through it's veins pooling underneath it. Nepeta flips off of the creature's back, landing back on the rock where she had stood. No, she would never be like Equius. She would be even STRONGER! She would be there for her friends, no matter WHAT or WHO the threat might be. That highblood superiority complex Equius had, she would shatter it with her bare hands, even if she had to do so by force. With a desperate cry of sorrow, Nepeta leaps at the behezmon, claws out. The behezmon turns and roars, it's voice echoing for miles.*

Karkat and Innsta left the city gates, heading into the forest.
THERE AREN'T REALLY THAT MANY STRONG MONSTERS AROUND THE CITY WALLS, SO YOU SHOULD BE GOOD.
The behezmon's roar filled the air.
LIKE WHATEVER THE FUCK THAT WAS, IT SHOULD BE RELATIVELY EASY FOR TRAINING AGAINST.

*Nepeta is currently hanging on the back of the Behezmon as it moves closer to the walls of the city. God if she doesn't kill this thing quick she's sure to get an earful from her coworkers for sloppily leading it to the city, but she's off her game. She growls as it tramples on a few of the trees of the jungle, letting out a pained roar as she claws her way up it's back. She jumps on top of it's spiked head and gouges out it's eyes, generating another below of agony from the beast. It swings for her and she hooks on it's arm, shredding it down like a zipline all the way to the shoulder, before leaping for it's neck and slicing it open.

The creature stumbles and reaches for it's neck, seeming stunned. It falls to it's knees, then collapses face first. Nepeta rides down the ridge of it's nose and does a flip, landing on her feet, crouched in front of the now dead creature. She purrs with satisfaction of the kill and pulls out her knife to take a souvenier. Suddenly, feeling watched, she has her claws equipped again and has all her weight on her back leg, ready to dash through any moron who would-

And there was Karkat, standing with some other girl she didn't recognize*

Karkat stands with his mouth wide open at Nepeta. He shakes his head, snapping out of it before heading back to the city.
FORGET IT, I CHANGED MY MIND.
He waved his hand dismissively, not even bothering to look at Nepeta or Innsta as he walked.
TOO MUCH BULLSHIT FOR ONE DAY.

Innsta stood there, shaking and still petrified.
H-holy shit Karkat. T-that was a behezmon!
She looked back to Karkat.
We could have DIED!

*Nepeta glares at Karkat and starts stalking towards him*

:33 < karkat where the furrick do you think you are going! dont just walk away you coward

GETTING THE *FUCK* AWAY FROM YOU, IT'S A GOD DAMN ROYAL ORDER FOR YOU TO STAY AWAY YOU CRAZY MEOWBEAST FUCK. I DON'T WANT TO BE THE TARGET OF YOUR WEIRD ASS QUADRANT VACILLATIONS OR WHATEVER THE FUCK THAT WAS AT THE CASTLE.

Innsta managed to free herself from her stance of pure fear and followed behind as closely as she could.
Did she try to snog you or something?

YOU'RE NOT A PART OF THIS CONVERSATION!!! NOTICE THE THREE SHOUT POLES, THIS TALK IS NOT FOR YOU!

So she did try macking on you.

COULD YOU SHUT THE FUCK UP FOR THREE SECONDS FOR THE LOVE OF TROLL WILL SMITH.

Innsta clamped her mouth shut, glancing to Nepeta and Karkat quickly, very concerned over the developments here.

*Nepeta flings her arms out in exasperation*

:33 < oh so NOW you make it obvious you dont want anything to do with me
:33 < what you said at the castle and the way you teamed up against feferi was what got you slapped not some crazy black crush you self centered jerk!

*Nepeta starts crying a little bit, tears running down her cheeks which are still stained with blood*

:33 < did you efur think of me as a friend or was i just someone to avoid

OH FUCK YOU. I DON'T HAVE TO TAKE THIS FROM A PSYCHO HUNTER BITCH WHO COULDN'T TAKE A HINT IF IT WAS A FIFTY FOOT BICLOPS FLINGING IT'S PSIONIC SHIT ACROSS HEMOPOLIS. I'M PART OF THE ROYAL AUTHORITY HERE AND I EXPECT YOU TO ACT AS THOUGH I AM INSTEAD OF UNDERMINING MY AUTHORITY FOR WHATEVER DELUSIONAL REASONS YOU MAY HAVE COME UP WITH IN YOUR DAMAGED SHITLICKING HUSK OF A THINKPAN THAT THOUGHT I COULD HAVE EVER GOTTEN IN A FLUSHED RELATIONSHIP WITH SOMEONE AS FUCKED UP AS YOU.
Karkat stopped walking and twirled around dramatically.
AND FURTHER MORE-
Karkat stared down at Nepeta, finger pointed upwards as though he had more to say before he noticed the tears streaming down her face.

Innsta held her hand to her mouth.
Damn bro, you fucked up.

Karkat's hand slowly lowered and he closed his mouth. He folded his arms together and looked away, avoiding eye contact with Nepeta.
... AND FURTHER MORE I'M TIRED OF DEALING WITH ALL THIS SHIT...
He waved halfheartedly at nothing in particular, not seeming interested in his rant anymore. Regret filled his face.
PLEASE, LET'S JUST END IT. I DON'T WANT TO STOP BEING FRIENDS OVER THIS.
Karkat slowly turned his head back to Nepeta, still not fully looking at her.

*Nepeta stands there, looking stunned and destroyed. She does not move or respond for some time, before finally breaking into gasping tears and collapsing on the floor, her knees buckled forward and her hands covering her face, her eyes wide with shock.*

*Suddenly, her body stills. Her breathing slows to a whisper, and her stance tightens. Without so much as a sound, Nepeta has her claws in hand is already in the air, slashing at Karkat with frightening speed*

Hot fuck Karkat how could you be that heartless.
Innsta finally caught up to the both of them settling by Karkat as Nepeta was on the floor.
Not even a sorry? Fucking cold, man.
She scoffed as Nepeta seemed to freeze up.

Karkat shifted uncomfortably, not responding.

Innsta shook her head before Nepeta suddenly leaped towards Karkat. Reacting instinctively, she held out her arm, the Regisickle coming out of her strife deck and into her hand, the blade protecting Karkat from begging sliced in half. Eyebrows crossed she was rather fucking pissed. Her expression relaxed quickly into a look of worry.
Holy fuck, what the actual fuck man? You don't just try to murder someone like that!

*Nepeta's face is dark, her features expressionless, totally focused. Upon clashing with Innsta's sickle, she does a backflip, landing on her haunches, and uses the moment to launch even faster at Innsta*

((Almost like a certain character))

Karkat's face sped through fifty different emotions at once, settling itself on extreme rage.
WHAT THE EVERLOVING TAINTCHAFING FUCK ARE YOU DOING? FINALLY DECIDE TO FUCKING SNAP LIKE ERIDAN AND MURDER YOUR GODDAMN FRIENDS OVER A FUCKING REJECTION?

Innsta grabbed Karkat and tumbled with him, moving him away from the fight (and where Nepeta was launching herself towards). She popped back up and put herself on the defensive, not really wanting to hurt the cat girl more than she made her have to.
I hate to be the one to say this but now is not the time to talk Karkat!

NO SHE NEEDS TO KNOW HOW MUCH OF A FUCKING GARBAGE HEAP OF MEOWBEAST SHIT SHE'S BEING. THIS ISNT FUCKING ALTERNIA WHERE YOU CULL SOMEONE FOR LOOKING AT YOU FUNNY.

Innsta growled.
Stop agitating her further!

*Landing where Innsta used to be, Nepeta leaps again without so much as a pause, going straight for Innsta's leg. While in the air, she grabs a knife and throws it at Karkat with stunning accuracy. Her eyes glint in the moonlight, showing a glazed expression*

Karkat tries dodging the knife, the blade slicing his cheek open. He holds his hand to the cut, a vague subconscious ingrained sense of paranoia of his blood color keeping him to hide it.

Innsta sliced down by her leg, knocking Nepeta's claws away from her legs before kicking at her with all the force of a blue blood.
Holy shit girl, chill! There's more lusii in the wild. Karkat isn't worth fucking murdering for what he says, he does this shit all the time! You should know this Y now! Just let us go.

*Nepeta declaws her left hand and brings it in front of the foot, using it's momentum to fling her backwards into a tree legs first. She hits the tree, bending her knees, then jumps reflectively to the next tree before leaping back at Innsta*

Innsta's foot collides with the claw, sending it flying. She sighs as Nepeta flings herself to a tree.
And to think I used to think you were cool.
Innsta drops herself to the ground, slashing above herself where Nepeta was headed.

Karkat silently tried to exit the makeshift arena while Innsta and Nepeta were distracted by each other. Clenching his bloodied cheek, he absconded as fast as he could trying to go back to the city to find some help from fucking anyone. Hell, he'd even take Tavros at this point.

*Nepeta tilts slightly to avoid Innsta's sickle and soars over her, eyes narrowing, heading at Karkat like a bullet before her eyes widen and she twists to avoid Karkat, ramming into a tree*

:33 < ow furrick that hurt!

*Nepeta stands up and wobbles slightly, shaking her head before coming to her senses*

:33 < what did i

*Nepeta tears up, her arms shaking, before collapsing in a heap, her hands on her face*

Karkat jumped back in surprise, falling on his ass.

Innsta dashed towards Karkat and Nepeta, trying to keep herself between them.
You alright?
She glanced at Karkat.

OF FUCKING COURSE NOT. I NEARLY GOT SKINNED ALIVE BY A CAT.
He got up and brushed himself off and started towards Nepeta.

Sir-

Karkat pushed Innsta aside and saw Nepeta's pitiful form on the ground. He walked over toward her, staring down towards her body before plopping down next to her. He tentatively put his hand on her arm, trying to comfort her.

*Nepeta starts when she feels Karkat's hand on her and shoves him*

:33 < no get off of me! im worse than gamz33 now

:33 < you cant trust me anymore

:33 < just go away!

*Nepeta gets up, still crying and shaking, and runs away into the deep jungle*

Karkat stands up and runs after Nepeta.
NEPETA, WAIT!
He called back to Innsta, still sprinting away.
GO TO THE PALACE AND GET SOME HELP. THIS IS A GOD DAMN ORDER.

I can't just leave you by yourself out here! What if you run into a monster or she's just leading you to a trap?
She looked up to see Karkat was gone.
Fuck.
Innsta ran back to the entrance, pushing past the guards.

*Nepeta tears through the jungle, confused and scared beyond belief. Not of the monsters, but of what she had done. She'd crossed a line and there was no going back, and she KNEW that, she KNEW what would happen if she lost control but when Karkat said those things she just-*

*A high pitched screech sounds to her left and Nepeta stumbles, only to see a Fadramov, a massively spiked beast with three mouths, roaring towards her. Instinctively, Nepeta lashes out with her claws, taking the beast at the neck and decapitating it. The beast squeals at the top of it's lungs before plopping in a heap to the ground. Calls and roars echo through the jungle and the ground itself shakes as numerous creatures of different sizes and appearances burst from the bushes, anger and hunger glimmering in the eyes of the creatures that actually HAD eyes. Nepeta immediately assumes a battle pose, drawing her knife and gutting the first creatures to draw near. She stabs a creatue in it's nose(?) and leaps on it's back before jumping over the horde of monsters into a tree. She starts scampering through the tree tops when another creature leaps for her. She takes her knife and readies herself, when Karkat's horrified face flashes again in her mind. She drops her knife with a gasp, and the creature knocks the wind out of her, sending her flying to the ground. She lands in a heap with the creature on top, gutting it with her claws. Panting, she heaves the creature off and gets to her feet, just in time to see 8 large Fadramovs emerge from where she had escaped the horde. Nepeta drew into a pose, ready to defend herself*

*Karkat's face flashes again in her mind. She lowers her arms and her head droops, her claws vanishing into her specibus. She falls down on the ground and stares emptily at the creatures cautiously approaching. When she doesn't show any signs of fighting back, the creatures roar triumphantly and rush at her. Nepeta doesn't move to stop them, time slowing for her. Maybe it would be better if she just died here. She wouldn't be a problem to anyone anymore.*

NEPETA!
Karkat called for her as he sliced through the jungle with the clawsickle.
NEPETA WHERE THE TENTACLE GROPING FUCK ARE YOU? THIS ISN'T FUNNY!
The echos of the beasts emanated from the jungle to Karkat.
NEPETA?
He desperately sprinted to the cries of fadramov, hoping to whatever weird ass shitty aliens that created Alternia that Nepeta was not in the mix of that.

He skidded into the area, immediately noticing Nepeta before the beast running right at her.
NEPETA LOOK OUT!
He yelled, jumping in front of Nepeta to get the creatures attention on him instead. One could almost envision the giant blocky letters of "STRIFE" above him as he swung wildly at the closest beast's three mouthed face. If this were a webcomic with flashes of strifes, and music that may have sounded like this, it certainly would have been an amazing sight to behold. Instead it ended with Karkat taking a blunt force of a Fadramov claw and hitting a tree. Successfully distracting the beasts, Karkat took this as a minor win for friendship and a huge loss for his rib cage. He staggered back up, gripping the clawsickle tighter in his hand.
IS THAT ALL YOU FUCKING GOT YOU BULGEFONDLING ASSWHIFFERS?
Karkat charged back at the closest beast, slashing towards its neck as he yelled, trying to keep the monsters attention toward him.

*Nep dully looks looks up at seeing Karkat arrive on the scene but doesn't move. Now she really DID remember why she fell in love with Karkat. When push comes to shove, he was willing to risk himself no matter the circumstances. Gog she was gonna KILL him! She starts crying again, but doesn't lose that vacant expression. Abandoned by her meowrail, her friends changed, and now she'd pushed away the very last person whom she cared for. Dying really was the real choice here.*

:33 < if you ever f33l scared youncan always ask me fur help

T)(ank you so muc)(, N-Ep-Eta

*Feferi smiled at Nepeta through the tears, holding onto her tightly*

*Nepeta gasps and snaps back to reality in time to see a beast jumping at her from the bushes behind. She throws a knife which embeds itself deep between it's eyes. It squeals with agony and falls to the ground with a plop. Nepeta scrambles to her feet, glancing around before snapping her gaze on Karkat running at a group of Fadramovs in what was certainly a suicide mission.*

:33 < karkat!

*Nepeta leaps at the creatures with frightening dexterity, shredding the faces of two of them before skidding and clawing the legs off two more Fadramovs. Hissing, Nepeta leaps at the rest, tearing them to shreds in what can only be described as a meowbeast protecting it's family from danger.*

*Panting, Nepeta drops to the ground, covered in blood, some of it her own. Her claws disappear into her strife specibus and she lays there before starting to cry again.*

Once Nepeta joined in the fray and murdered the fadramovs, Karkat exhaled in relief.
OH THANK GOG.
He took a deep breath, giving him a couple seconds to recover before seeing Nepeta drop to the ground. He stared at her trembling form for what felt like sweeps before sucking it up and sitting down next to her. He sat by her for a few moments before he gently reached his hand out and slowly started to pet her hair. After what felt like hours of silence to him he finally spoke up, his voice quiet and choked up.
... i'm so fucking sorry nep.