Mutated Ectoplasm

7. Plans for the Future

And the story keeps moving ahead! Hope you enjoy this next chapter, though it isn't as action packed as the rest. Some decisions will be made, some that'll set things into motion for the story proper.

Also, if anyone reading this happens to make or wants to make fanart or fanfiction of this, feel free to while properly crediting me! It sounds egotistical when I put it that way, but I figure I should put the offer out there.

Either way, enjoy reading!

Everything ached, but that was the only pain he felt right now

It wasn't much of a good thing, but Karkat was taking any positive thing he could get out of this if he could. After the breakdown, he checked himself over thoroughly to make sure no more ectoplasm and blood leaked out of him. He was right in the fact he wasn't bleeding anymore, probably due to a freakish healing factor that was going to stay with him for the rest of his life.

He made a note to send some flowers or some candy Doris's way after this. He had a feeling ghosts wouldn't be the first thing on people's minds when it came to this, so she'd mostly likely get fired for this.

That reminded him that he had to change back to human.

He heard some shouting and footsteps behind him as pure white rings enveloped him, his heart beating again in his chest. The aches intensified, making him stumble forward as the exhaustion hit him all at once. Karkat probably would've landed face first on the ground if he didn't feel two pairs of hands grab him and hold him upright. He registered the fact that someone was talking to him, but it took him a few seconds to actually hear the words.

It was Sollux's voice that broke through. "KK, get up." He pulled his friend up desperately, looking around them like he was expecting something to pop up and attack them. "I don't know if anyone's coming around, but I sure as fuck don't want to explain this shit to police."

"Sollux, he's injured! You saw the fight, he's probably not even remotely fine." Aradia put one of Karkat's arms over his shoulder, trying to hold him up carefully. "We don't even know where the ghost is anymore."

"In the thermos." Karkat mumbled, feeling a little out of it. He fingered the device and dangled it in front of them, the metal shining in his hand. "Dad's out front. Took it from him."

"Seriously?" The incredulous tone from Captor was expected, but he really didn't want to hear it. "You know what, I'm not going to question it. Let's get you out of here, man. We didn't exactly do shit during the fight."

"Sorry about that." Aradia, along with Sollux, sounded guilty. They couldn't exactly do anything for obvious reasons, but that didn't exactly assuage them.

"S'fine." Karkat was trying his best to be supportive, giving a gentle pap to one of their faces- he was too tired to know who- but he knew it wasn't doing much. "Head out front. Hand the thermos to dad and tell him everything."

The two looked at each other briefly with pensive gazes, but they nodded along. Maybe it would be a better if they just got this over with.

"Yeah, I don't think we'll be able to do this all over again. Maybe we can even get some weapons off him if it does." Sollux said it conversationally, but he was actually starting to wonder. Aradia seemed to agree with him as she nodded discreetly, moving Karkat up higher.

"That'd be nice." Karkat just wanted to go home if he was honest with himself.

And god, he really hoped there wouldn't be a second time.

"You can't prove that had anything to do with ghosts."

"You fucking heard it! Don't even try to lie to me, for fucks- Heido, knock some sense into this man, please?!"