Chapter Text
A flash of green as Jade teleported and the whipping of John’s blue hood went across Dave Strider’s vision. He was running towards their foe Jack Noir, sword raised high for the kill. His friends and he had been in this battle for what felt like forever. Trolls and humans working together against the common foe of Jack Noir, they were all beaten and injured but it was nearing the end and Dave could taste it.
He saw Rose run in, her needles poised and stabbing into Jacks neck, the dog-carapace being screaming as he tried to teleport away but was held there by Jade. John flew in, his ridiculously colored hammer held high while Dave kept running. It began to seem like he would never get there, time had come to a complete stop. Being the knight of time let him know that none of this had in fact happened, but that he was running on exhaustion and adrenaline. Things seemed to catch up with Dave as he got there; the combination of the Royal Deringer, Zillyhoo, and the needles of Oglogoth causing the body of Jack Noir to shatter, an explosion throwing all four of the kids back.
The trolls had stood back, being more of a hindrance as the kids came together, but they moved forward to help the fallen friends up. Karkat and Gamzee helped pull the dizzy Jade Harley to her feet, Terezi propped John up till he could stand, Kanaya was holding Rose about the waist, and Sollux with Aradia had Dave up and Standing. They had won! Really this was what they had all been working towards, three years apart to come to this!
Dave pushed the trolls off, walking meaningfully towards Jade as John Spun Rose with him in the air. They were all laughing and covered in blood and dirt but no one cared, he had just opened his mouth, not quite sure what he was going to say—
GAME OVER
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or is it...?
Your name is Dave Strider and this is your first day of high school. You live with your older brother Dirk and there are always puppets and car parts around the house. You like to fuck around on the internet and make sick beats on your turntables. You better eat something quick before your brother leaves you behind on his way to class.
Dave groaned as his alarm went off at 6:30, slapping the button to stop the loud alarm he rolled out of bed. Running his hands through his white blonde hair, he grinned at himself in the mirror. Damn he looked good, he thought to himself as he pulled on a fresh pair of jeans and a tee shirt. Grabbing the messenger bad full of his notebooks and crap he’d need for the whole first day shenanigans Dave ran out to the kitchen of the apartment he shared with his brother.
He grumbled to himself as he couldn’t find anything else other than poptarts in the cabinets. The bell signaling he had five minutes or he had to walk came from downstairs. Popping the pastry into his mouth he ran down the stairs and jumped into the waiting mustang to go to school.
Your name is Rose Lalonde and this is your first day of high school. You live with your Mom and older sister Roxanne and there are always cats and liquor bottles around your house. You like to fuck around on the internet and practice your knitting. You better eat something quick before Roxy leaves you behind on her way to work.
The alarm ringing through Rose’s room was quickly silenced with a well aimed hand at 6:30 that morning. She moved silently out of her bed to see what it would be like on the first day of her high school career. A normal day that left nothing to chance and excitement she figured, moving to pull on her sweater and skirt.
Rose picked up her backpack and made her way out to the kitchen where her mother was absent but Roxy had some eggs and toast out. Sitting at the table she ignored as Roxy texted someone, nibbling on her food while Rose ate quickly. They had to be on the way to her school soon as Roxy’s job at the lab where their mother worked had her starting bright and early. They moved out to the car and Rose was on her way to her first day.
Your name is Jade Harley and this is your first day of high school. You live with your Grandpa and cousin Jake and there are always guns and plants around your house. You like to fuck around on the internet and make gardens around your house. You better eat something quick before you miss the bus coming.
Jade woke up to the sound of the radio, her alarm across the room so that she couldn’t just roll over and go to sleep again. 6:30 on the first day of high school had Jade staring into her closet completely unsure what she planned to wear. Picking her average tee shirt and skirt she almost forgot her backpack as she ran out of the room. Her large husky Becquerel was laying on it and obscuring the bag from view. That in hand she ran down the steps from her third floor room to see what she could grab for breakfast.
Ignoring the snoring of her cousin sleeping on the couch, comic book over his face Jade grabbed an apple and ran out the door. She didn’t even care as the screen door slammed, running down the driveway towards the end of her street to wait for the bus with the other kids on her street.
Your name is John Egbert and this is your first day of high school. You live with your Dad and cousin Jane and there are always pastries and DVD cases around your house. You like to fuck around on the internet and practice your magic. You better eat something quick before you miss the bus coming.
John moved out from under his blankets to turn off his limited edition Ghostbusters alarm clock, glaring at the glowing 6:30 on the display. He didn’t really want to get up and head in for his first day but grabbing the clothes his cousin had laid out for him the night before he was quickly ready to face the day. He nearly tripped over a pile of his clothes, or rather a gooey cake disguised as his pile of clothes. Very close Jane… but not close enough he thought to himself as he avoided the prank. With his shoes no more covered in cake than they had been last night he made his way downstairs.
He snagged the toast from the table, ignoring the cries as that place happened to be Jane’s plate. Giving her a wink and a thumbs up for her attempted prank he dashed out, toast in his mouth towards the bus stop to go in for his first day of school.
John was walking through the hallways, the bustle of everyone as they saw friends from the summer past loud as he greeted a few friends. John’s friends were cool in his books even if they were only mediocre in the hierarchy of high school. It was a good day in deed as he moved up the stairs to his first class of algebra when he saw that weird Strider kid. Smirking to a few buddies, he moved over to the kid leaning in the stairwell as if he was waiting for something.
“Hey Strider why do you wear those stupid glasses inside huh? You look like such a stupid tool.” John pushed Dave, staring into the young man’s shades, he pushed again as the other remained silent with the teasing. It was yet another push that sent Dave sprawling on the stairs, glasses askew and red eyes apparent. “God you’re a freak. Those eyes are just weird, good thing you cover them up because no one would want to see them”
Moving with his friends, John left the boy to his own thoughts. His own thoughts were a dangerous thing as Dave dusted himself off, glasses fixed. The Egbert kid wasn’t usually that bad but when he got cocky with his friends, the ironic and cool demeanor of D. Strider was too much for John to handle. Grumbling to himself he picked his things up, and moved on down the hall to his English class.
Dave ran his hands through his hair, walking with only half a sense of purpose and his shoulder accidentally ran into some small girl. Her black wavy hair everywhere and dumped on her ass he blinked. “ Sorry…” was all he muttered as he left the girl on the ground. He wasn’t good with being the nice guy or anything or he might have flirted, or at least picked up her glasses which had been bumped off of her face.
Grumbling about stupid boys and their lack of manners Jade picked up her glasses, popping them on her face she moved on towards Biology. Backpack slapping against her knees the wacky rainbow socks and blue plaid skirt didn’t match but she didn’t care, the too large purple sweater revealed most of one shoulder as she bounced down the hall.
Her eyes glanced up at the blonde girl coming out of the library, the too dark makeup something Jade wished she could ask about, but just kept quiet. Hands gripping the messenger bag covered in buttons she avoided the girl, even if she wanted to ask about the squiddles pin that was on the others backpack. The girl scared her a bit, even if she was sure that, Rose she thought the girls name was, was nice as could be.
The bright colors of the clothing that the other girl wore almost hurt Rose’s eyes but that also intrigued her, the way the girl seemed to not care what others thought of her clothing. Pulling the books she held closer to her chest, Rose’s violet eyes scanned the hallway. Most everyone avoided the “Scary Goth Girl” that she was known as, which allowed Rose to pour herself into her books and writing.
Moving to class the girl ignored everyone around her till she came to one of her friends, a fellow member of the book club, and they began to quietly converse about the book of focus for that week. She ignored most everyone in this school and left herself to her small and preferred existence.
Four teenagers all on their first days of school, and not a discernible difference between every other person in the school they attended. Why were they special, why did a strange wind course through the small town, the stars shine brighter even with the lights, the sun shine brighter, and the time seem to freeze between moments if you focused long enough? These were all common occurrences, not that anyone focused long enough.