Gregor and the Prophecy of Destruction - a Gregor the Overlander fanfiction

Chapter 7

"NO!" Gregor screamed, bursting into the room. "Do CPR!" he shouted to the doctors.

"I'm sorry, he's gone," the doctor nearest to Gregor said.

Gregor shook his head. "No, no, he can't be! Not now! Not like this!" He started thumping on Mareth's chest, praying that he would start breathing. Not even two seconds later, the doctors were pulling him off.

"LET ME GO!" Gregor yelled, waiting for the rager sensation to kick in. But he never felt it. He struggled to escape the doctor's grips, but he couldn't.

Suddenly, a familiar-looking white rat ran for Gregor, it's teeth bared. It was the Bane.

"YOU MONSTER!" the doctors shrieked, holding Gregor in place. He screamed as the Bane got closer, slashing at him with his claws.

Gregor woke up sweating and panting. The dream had felt so real. Lizzie's panic attack, Mareth's death, even the Bane had been so realistic in his mind. He sat up and looked around. The room was dark, but with his echolocation, he could clearly see the time - 1:32 A.M. He figured he'd been asleep for about four hours or so. Maybe the lack of sleep had contributed to his nightmare.

Gregor wasn't tired anymore. He got up from his bed and walked towards the hospital. There were guards, of course, but they let Gregor by. Probably because he was the "Warrior" and he "saved the Underland."

Gregor headed down the hall towards Mareth's room. Mareth was awake, and when he saw Gregor through the glass, he waved weakly. Gregor pushed open the door and stepped inside, making sure to close it behind him.

"Hi, Mareth," Gregor said. "I'm so glad you're okay."

Mareth smiled and, in a tired voice, said, "Why wouldn't... I be?"

Gregor sighed. "Had a nightmare. You died. The doctors didn't try CPR or anything. Then, the Bane came running in and killed me."

Mareth's face softened. "I'm sorry. But I'm... *cough* ...fine."

Gregor nodded. "Yeah."

It was silent in the room for a minute or two before Mareth spoke again.

"How are you sisters?" he asked.

Gregor grinned. "Boots is great. Lizzie's... well... a little anxious, but that's to be expected. She's brave. She rode on a bat for the first time yesterday."

Mareth smiled. "Wow. Must've... *cough* ...really been a big step for her." His smile faded. "How is Luxa?"

Gregor paused for a moment, then shook his head. "She has two weeks left."

Mareth sighed and looked down at the ground. "Who do you think will rule, then?"

Gregor shrugged. "Maybe Vikus? I don't know. Speaking of Vikus, how is he?"

Mareth gave a weak, sad smile. "You know just as much as I do. Look, I know this is all just... small talk leading up to the big point."

Gregor tilted his head. "What do you mean?"

"They tortured me," Mareth said. "They captured me from the battlefield. I was trying to fight with Andromeda, because we were outnumbered and I wanted to help, but..." he sighed. "It's not the same with one leg. So they took me. Andromeda had no choice but to flee from the battle."

"Isn't it illegal to abandon your bond?" Gregor asked. "I mean, Ares was on trial many time for Henry..."

Ares. Just saying his name made Gregor feel a pang in his chest. He looked down and sighed, staring at one spot on the floor and trying not to feel the hole in his heart. He reached in his pocket and squeezed the rubber bat that Boots had given him.

"Andromeda was blocked by the rats. She couldn't physically fight through them; it would be a death wish," Mareth replied. "Anyway, the rats took me. They saw me as a weakness... because of my injury. And they knocked me out and took me to their dungeons. When I woke up, I..." Mareth sighed. "I thought I was in hell."

"What happened next?" Gregor wanted to know.

"They had tied me to a... a pole or something. I'm not quite sure. But then, they demanded information on the humans and their plans. When I refused, they... they tortured me."

Mareth groaned. "The pain was nearly unbearable. They slashed at me with their claws. They whacked me with their tails. They charged at me from long distances. One even suggested eating me, but they didn't want me dead. They wanted information."

"I... I'm so sorry." Gregor didn't know what to say. Mareth's expression clearly showed pain, as if he was feeling it right then. Gregor couldn't imagine what it must have been like.

"But do you know what kept me going?" Mareth asked. Gregor shook his head. Mareth continued. "It was you. I knew that Luxa had written a letter, telling you to come down... and it was what I thought about when I was about to break. I thought of seeing you again."

Gregor was stunned. "I... thank you. I think of you a lot of times, too, you know?"

Mareth nodded. "The point is, I was hopeful that you would come. That hope kept me going until Ripred saved me."

"H-how long were you... tortured for?" Gregor asked, starting to get a little scared.

"It felt like months had gone by," Mareth responded, "but when Ripred rescued me, I asked him. He said it had been three days."

"Three days," Gregor breathed. "Wow. I... man, I just feel so bad for you. Can I help you in any way?"

Mareth smiled sadly. "No, there's nothing you can do to help me right now. Being here is enough."

"You couldn't sleep?" Gregor asked. "It's, like, 3:45 A.M."

"Yeah, I know," Mareth said. "You should get some rest, Gregor. Don't you start training tomorrow or something?"

Gregor was confused. "Wait, training? Who told you that?"

"Lizzie came in here about... three hours ago," Mareth replied after checking his watch. "Ripred told her he was going to train you."

"But I don't need training. I've been through that a million times," Gregor complained. He sighed. "I could have it worse, though."

Mareth chuckled softly. "Yeah, you could. Hey, get some rest, okay? You can come talk to me later."

Gregor nodded. "Night, Mareth."

"G'night, Gregor," Mareth responded. Gregor noticed his quiet snoring only a few moments after he left the room. He smiled to himself, knowing Mareth was okay, and walked back to his room. He laid down on his bed and fell asleep.

A/N: Sooooo, kind of a filler chapter, but... eh, whatever. Now you know Mareth's story!