Warning: Here there be Mpreg. Flee if you must.

Part 2

The Downfall of a Master

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"You CANNOT POSSIBLY be doing what I think you're doing." The Gromble let his voice slide from its impressive full volume down to an infinitely more menacing growl.

But they were doing it. They were standing there, standing up to him. Both Oblina and Krumm were shaking in their little booties as well they should be, but with a stance that made it clear that they weren't going to move. It looked as though they would actually resort to physical force, if need be, to keep the Gromble out of their bedroom, or more accurately, out of their roommate's bedroom - away from said roommate Ickis, who was at this very moment, the Gromble was certain, hiding from him as he had been for the past two weeks.

So be it.

The Gromble cracked his knuckles. It has actually been a long time since anyone had actually held up through his impressive force of intimidation.

Ten seconds later two young monsters lay flung across the room, groaning and no doubt broken in several places. Dusting off his hands, the Gromble bashed in their door with one swift kick.

******

Later, in the Gromble's office. . .

The clicking sound of his ruby shoes on the floor didn't soothe his nerves as it usually did, so the Gromble stopped pacing and took to staring at the diplomas and certificates on his wall.

Sitting uncomfortably on the deliberately uncomfortable chair that the Gromble kept in his office for students, Ickis wrapped his arms around his bloated stomach, seemingly in a ridiculous attempt to hide his pregnancy. Clearly the stress was getting to his brain. It had gotten to the Gromble's brain long since now.

Damn the school nurse. What had he been thinking to bring such a delicate matter to one of the biggest known gossips in the dump? That was just it - the Gromble hadn't been thinking. Those two phrases uttered by Ickis in that dorm room had erased all cogent thought from his mind.

"I'm pregnant." And later, after the cursing and yelling and half-finished lecture about the importance of his career - "It was a human."

The Gromble hadn't believed him. It wasn't possible. That's why he'd promptly dragged the young monster to the nurse.

Thank the Pit he'd grabbed the test result himself. The nurse hadn't had the chance to see what it said before the Gromble promptly ripped it to shreds.

"The test confirms he's pregnant." Said the Gromble. He didn't mention that the test also confirmed the pregnancy was abnormal – abomination said the second test strip, a ridiculous observance kept in honour of an ancient law to guard against circumstances such as these.

So it was true. The Gromble wasn't thinking before, but he was thinking now. Except one thought kept intruding into his mind, over and over: Ickis was going to be best pupil he ever had. He would be the one.

The Gromble's own mentor had told him about it once - there were not many who would understand. There was nothing like it in the world, as a master teacher, to find the one who would be better than you. He'd seen it from the boy's first year. Ickis had the potential to become a phenomenon in the monster community - surpassing his friends, his teachers, and even his father, easily. He would be the next legend. The Gromble had seen it.

The boy couldn't be charged with Consorting. It couldn't happen.

"They'll destroy you, you know. The punishment for joining with a human is death. One of the few monster laws still kept from antiquity." Said the Gromble absently. He supposed the boy ought to know.

Ickis squealed incoherently.

There weren't many options. The Gromble was going through them as fast as he could. Flight would be pointless, he concluded. Exile is so unsavoury – no glory at all, between hiding from society and scratching for survival. Ickis would just have to own up to the fact that he was with blob. It was a disadvantageous position for someone his age, but no disaster. Deny any human involvement – that was they key. Who, then could the father be? If Ickis tried to falsely accuse someone, it could easily be dis-proven with a test. And he'd had the bad luck to have conceived during a week when both of his friends, Oblina and Krumm, had air-tight alibis, with witnesses. Even if one of them wanted to claim responsibility, it could be easily disproved.

A pox on the nurse!! Representatives from the school board were already knocking at the Gromble's door. He couldn't very well hide – he welcomed them in with all due cordiality.

When Slickis walked in with the rest of them (damn, that nurse was fast), Ickis, the fool, scurried to hide behind him, giving everyone in the room ample opportunity to see just how large his stomach was.

"So, he is pregnant." Said superintendent Blork.

"Of course he is, I'm not blind. He's about three weeks along – he's only got one more before he pops. Like I couldn't recognize a pregnant student." The Gromble was killing time and they knew it.

"Who's the other parent?" Ms. Loogorga cut right to the quick.

Ickis trembled into his father's shoulder, squeaking.

"It's, ahh," The Gromble gulped.

Seconds ticked by. The board stared at him.

"Me." The Gromble finished at last.

The room went dead silent except for Ickis's well-timed shriek. With one look the Gromble quelled him – this was it, they both knew it. Everyone would be shocked and appalled, and totally unsuspecting of the truth. The boy had stopped trembling already.

The Gromble looked calmly from face to angry face. It wasn't illegal, per se, for a teacher to consort with a student, but it was highly frowned upon. And Ickis wasn't yet of age – there was that.

Slickis looked as though he could have torn the Gromble limb from limb.

"I was getting tired of this job anyways." Said the Gromble. "You'll have my resignation tomorrow. And of course, I intend to the right thing." He drew himself up. "The wedding will follow very shortly."

Without further ado the school board members filed out, already in their minds preparing the salacious story for their friends and relative. Ickis scampered away to his friends, too shocked by the turn of events to say thank you.

Only Slickis stayed. It was an unwritten law that the parents of newly impregnated students were allowed a certain amount of. . .retaliation. He couldn't break any bone more than twice, he couldn't damage any organs, and he couldn't cause any lasting scars, but he would take the price for his son's virtue in pain.

"Wait, wait. . .at least let me take off my shoes! Maybe this wasn't the best idea." The Gromble's voice rose to a whine as Slickis advanced.

*******