Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

When Carl's dad was a kid he learned what he believed was the way of the world. The stronger man was always the leader. And that man is never challenged. He trained himself to be that man.

He became that man. The leader of his biker group. The crusher of the weak. He was the rightful king of his mountain. He had a girl to prove it. And all she wanted was kid and that's fine give her his rightful seed.

But when that little shit was born things began to change.

She named him Carl but he honestly didn't care what he was called. She was happy and she was off his ass. But something felt off about the infant. Like he wasn't the king of his fucking mountain anymore. But he blew it off. It's a goddamned baby it had nothing on him. But that feeling was still there. Still eating at him. So he made it his goal to make sure that little shit would know who the king was.

It didn't really go as planned the kid was almost always around his mom when he was little. She said she liked him nearby and that he didn't fuss much. Which was true he didn't do much of anything other then be a tumor on his life. His own fucking wife looked like she preferred the baby's company over her own husband. Who's priorities came first if his father taught him anything.

When Carl was a toddler he started walking around and she was so happy. But something nagged at him that same feeling from before.

That he wasn't the king. Carl's Dad always felt like Carl was watching him. The way he always looked up at him with that disgusting happy smile. But something always off about it. Like he wasn't actually smiling like he was threatening him.

He decided to tell his wife about giving up the kid. Said he didn't want a kid that was that creepy.

The next day she was gone along with the kid. Left him a note saying she was leaving him and when she gets the money together she would send the divorce papers.

Like hell she was going to do that.

He eventually found her in Texas living at her parents house. They were walking back from the grocery store. They looked like the picture of fucking happiness. It pissed him off that she went pale at the sight of him. But they came back willingly. She didn't want him growing up without a father. He also promised to never talk about giving up Carl again. He honestly never wanted to see the kid again. He hated him he hated how for some reason there was something in the little tyke that he couldn't break. Carl's dad felt if he did that he could do that. He would be the true alpha king.

But even when Carl damaged his precious motorcycle and beat his ass to oblivion. Even when he broke Carl's toys. Even when he put him outside because of a nose bleed. He never broke. He never let it really get to him. Not truly. And that scared the living shit out of his father. The only time he felt in control was when he was locked in the basement playing the dumb frogger machine. He was out of the way and he was in control.

It didn't help the fact that his bitch of a wife always fawned over Carl. She always tried to make compromises between them but it didn't matter it was his way or no other fucking way at all.

It all came to a head on the little fuckers fifteenth birthday. The little shit asked for what he usually asked for, a bike. For one thing he didn't want Carl upstaging his ass and two it was funny watching him chase the other kids who rode away on bikes. Plus his reason was so fucking lame. Making friends what a fucking joke. He already had one freaky friend whose mom almost called a wellness check for him. He didn't get it for him and got him some cheap dime store book he got half price. His mother though made him a cake. A nice perfectly frosted cake. Little fucker didn't deserve this. Plus it was good time to teach the kid dominance. She went away wanting to talk to Carl about something and he grabbed a plate and took a piece.

Next thing he knew he was in the ER getting his stomach pumped for poison. She planned to kill him. That bitch was going to kill him. Then she had the nerve to kill herself.

And of course Carl was being a whiny bitch about it. Apparently he saw her dead. And he didn't take it well like usual. Carl's dad wished Carl took a piece too. Just to seal the deal and so he didn't hear his bitching.

A few months went by in a blink of an eye. Is what he would've said if the fucker wasn't so uncooperative. Everything was a fight with him. God why wasn't Carl as silent as he was when he was a baby? It was like his mother killing herself meant something to him. It was like as if Carl was.... no... The little tyke wasn't seriously planning on asserting his dominance? No he was THE fucking king. And this brat was nothing.

But the only time Carl backed down was he, the fucking king broke the stupid fish tank. That little fucker finally learned his place he thought as he saw Carl frantically trying to pick up the fish and try to save them.

The next few weeks felt great. Carl learned his place under his boot and he could do whatever he wanted. But then one night his friends and him got into a fight about something.

Something about him being a parent to his kid or whatever. He didn't care he just wanted a road trip with his boys. But they weren't having it, even went as far as to try and beat the shit out of him. They weren't successful. He walked out of the bar and drove home.

The fucker was awake still when he came home. He was pretty much sobered up at this point. Carl was standing there in the living room looking up at the portrait of his own father's glorious wedding. When he, his own father asked him why he was still awake the fucker didn't answer like he was searching for something.

He asked him again this time louder. That usually got his attention but not this time. He finally grabbed the kid and asked if he was paying any attention but the moment, he did he looked into Carl's eyes. The eyes of a madman. A madman who wouldn't hesitate to kill his father right then and there. He was so distracted by the look he gave him he didn't notice that Carl was yelling at him to just fucking leave, and his own nose was bleeding.

Carl had punched him. Carl had punched him so hard he broke his own father nose. Instead of beating him he laughed. He laughed so hard it made Carl confused. He smirked "You got me there. You really did but think for a solid second your gonna be fine without me," he pointed at the boy "You'll die in a gutter without me. You need me. You think your just going to be fine? What will you do, You disrespectful little shit? You will break after just one day. And then you'll die. That's what you'll do, just like your fucking bitch of a mother." He said and Carl spat back quick "Your a bully, your a bully and no one likes you. It's why mom left." He began laughing again seriously he was scared of this? That was the best Carl had? "I don't need you to like me," He said bridging the distance in a second picking the kid up by his shirt. He leaned in real close "But you will respect me." He said threateningly but Carl. Little bitch boy Carl wasn't scared of him. And that made him afraid. That made him mad. He was about to beat the little shit but Carl looked him dead in the eyes and said "Never, she'd almost gotten ya. Just wait until I'm big enough to finish the job." He dropped Carl onto the ground. He had to stop himself from shaking. What in the fuck was that? He felt no he knew this fucker might be able to do it. Still he still he had to play it off. He had to leave and never come back.

Which he did. He never looked the fuck back. The little fucker was probably in a home or whatever and he was a free man. Doing whatever the fuck he wanted. Away from the one person who genuinely terrified him.

He even settled down again after a while had another kid but luckily this kid knew his place. The wife did too. Didn't plan on running. Had a thing for gardening which didn't bother him none.

But what did bother him was the fact that he got cancer. Fucking cancer. And now here the fuck he was lying on his death bed, and she wasn’t here. He needed his boost she needed to be home. And when she did come home finally, she gave him a lethal dose of morphine.

That fucking bitch.

Chapter Text

Carl almost got himself killed today. Which at this point wasn’t too different than any other day. Carl was trying to kill a group of mobs with a poorly made explosive that even the Ai called it Made by a Dumbass because only a dumbass would use this. *Deep Breath* Please just don’t aim it in some way your feet get affected Carl, that’s all I’m asking.

The bombs effects were non-stop burns. Which caused the person to have third degree burns at all times without the proper treatment or after waiting a prolonged period.

He apparently was trying to save the Nun and Paz, and he did aim the explosive at a bunch of monk seals too close to him and they hit it back towards him. When they hit it back it caused it to go off and then he got burns that were on his arms and legs. After Carl came too, Donut was near him as Sister Inez helped him down a healing potion which only healed the less damaged parts but not the burns. And while she was yelling at him for using the bomb she messaged Mordecai immediately as Carl was thinking of downing a health potion after the first one didn’t work. When Mordecai learned about this after Donut told him he was understandably pissed off and told them to come back to the saferoom so he could treat the burns.

So, they were currently walking back to the saferoom in complete silence while Sister Inez and her group scouted ahead looking for another location to get monsters. He could still walk but it hurt to move. Mordecai worked on the potion as the children played in the saferoom outside. He liked the kids better for some reason “Probably because they weren’t trying to get themselves killed every chance they got.”  Mordecai thought bitterly as he mixed together two vials.

The moment he saw on his minimap that Carl and Donut were entering the safe room just as he was about finished with the potion. He slammed his meaty pink hands onto the table as he stood up. The table shook under his weight “He always does this,” Mordecai thought “He always put himself in danger for others. When will he stop?” Mordecai opened the crafting room door and took a solid second. He looked like he was looney toon character with the way his whole front was covered in soot, hair blown backwards. He was looking away from the cyclops with a look that screamed I know I fucked up.

Mordecai shook his cyclops head “What a dumbass. Who raised him?” he thought as he told Donut to stay out there and keep an eye on the kids she nodded deciding to put a movie on for the kids. “As for you get your sorry ass in here.” He said pointing at Carl who nodded and walked over wincing every step. The kids clearing a path for him.

The moment Carl crossed the threshold Mordecai slammed the door shut “What the hell am I gonna do with you?” Mordecai yelled at him causing Carl to wince. “Maybe not scream in my ear for one thing.” Carl said rubbing his ear. Mordecai rolled his eye and pointed at the sappers table chair “Sit.” He barked at the crawler. Carl plopped himself into the chair with zero amount of gracefulness. Which caused him to almost fall out of it. Mordecai almost laughed at that. Almost. He was too pissed off to laugh.

He sat at the alchemist table grabbing the cloth and some water in a potion bottle to clean off the burn. He poured some of the water onto a cloth. He sighed gently pulling at the crawlers right arm “Why are you like this,” Mordecai said rubbing his arm “Seriously any chance you can throw your life away you decide that’s what your gonna do.” Mordecai said focusing on the red burns “Fuck me those are nasty.” He said as he grabbed the potion from the table not looking away from the arm. Carl said nothing as a part the potion was directly poured on his skin causing Carl to shiver. After the burn healed Carl said, “It’s not as if I’m trying to throw myself into danger.” Mordecai grabbed his arm right on the burn which made Carl wince in pain as Mordecai pulled it up to his face. Glaring at the crawler who looked away, “Really because your burns tell a very different story.” Mordecai said taking his hand directly off of the burn cleaning the arm with water. “Seriously it just happens Mordecai. I just always end up in these situ-“He shivered as the cold potion touched the burn. Mordecai grabbed his left leg rubbing, “That’s all you have to say seriously? Honestly, who raised you-“Mordecai stopped himself as he felt Carl go tense after saying that.

He asked Donut once about his family, she said he only said his mother left on his birthday and didn’t know a thing about his father. But he could tell by some of the reactions Carl had in the time he had been with him that he definitely didn’t have a loving family. Carl did try to be subtle about his reactions but subtly was never Carl’s forte. Mordecai sighed pouring the potion onto his right leg, left leg already finished “In any case you have more people depending on you to be alive then dead so can you at least try to not to throw your life away every chance you get.” He said as he stared at Carl who just nodded. The burn healed up as Mordecai says only half-joking “There now your healed up and your boyfriend isn’t gonna throw a fit for having you legs look like barbecue.” Carl snapped out of his funk immediately and yelled “The AI is not my fucking boyfriend!” Mordecai laughed “Yeah and I’m not pink neither.” He managed to say through laughter. It felt good to laugh.