Cobwebs Tend to Want Revenge on Halloween
I don't own anything but my OC's.
Chapter 25
"Montarg!" Maverick shouted, running over to the figure. Everything was black and, though there was only darkness around, there was still a floor. Maverick ran towards him. "Montarg!"
The older man ignored the teenager, fighting some invisible force.
"Montarg! Let me help!" Maverick called.
"Stay back, boy!" Montarg shouted.
"But…I…" Maverick began, but there was no arguing with Montarg. He bit his lip as he watched his role model fight. Suddenly, a blade punctured a hole in Montarg's stomach; the steel blade going through him. Maverick gasped. "NO!"
Montarg fell to the floor, vanishing as he did. Maverick felt his body heat up. Suddenly, his eyes got their purple glow and heat enveloped his body. Suddenly, a hand appeared; holding the blade that had killed Montarg.
Jack Skellington grinned at his grandfather; the sword still clutched in his grasp.
Maverick's glowing eyes widened.
Jack turned to him and threw the sword like a dart. It pierced Maverick's chest. Maverick felt himself begin to fade.
All he heard was Jack's Alucard-like laugh…
…
Maverick's eyes shot open, still adorning their purple glow. He bared his teeth. Someone was holding him down. Maverick thrashed and flailed. They were saying- no, shouting something. A black and white blob stood over him. What was that? What were they saying? Gr…Grand…father? Grandfather? Did he have a grandson? Of course. It was that fellow in the dream. Jack. Jack Skellington. He did have a grandson. Maverick's eyes lost their purple glow. The blob above him became clearer.
Jack stared down at his grandfather, a worried expression on his face. He was holding his arms, holding the sorcerer down. "Grandfather…?"
Maverick blinked, his eyes getting used to the light. "J…Jack?"
"Grandfather!" Jack exclaimed, smiling. "You're awake! Excellent." He helped Maverick sit up; placing a pillow behind his back.
"W-Where am I?" Maverick asked.
"You're in Dr. Finkelstein's lab. Alucard wounded you. You were bleeding, Grandfather, so we brought you here." Jack explained.
"Why're…Why're you dressed like Sandy Claws?"
Jack blinked and looked down at himself. He shrugged. "Grandfather…" Jack began after sitting on the chair beside Maverick's bed.
"Hm?"
Jack tapped the tips of his fingers together, as if nervous. "Uh…Who is…Who is Montarg?"
Maverick's eyes widened. "How the heck do you know Montarg?"
Jack seemed to panic. "Well, I, uh, I just went to Pumpkin King Tower and touched your statue a-and it just showed me a memory of you meeting some fellow called Montarg! I-I was just curious! But if you don't want to talk about it, then-"
"Jack, I'm not mad at you." Maverick told him. "It's just been ages since I've heard that name."
"Oh…"
"So, you wanna know who Montarg is, huh?"
"Yes, please, Grandfather. If that's not too much bother."
Maverick sighed and lifted his right, skeletal arm. "Montarg," He began. "Is the one who gave me this baby."
Jack gasped. "H-He's the who gave you the spell!"
"Yep."
"How can you think he's alright to hang out with? He ruined your life!"
"Nonsense. He made it interesting. Now, calm yourself, Jack."
Jack breathed before nodding. "Continue."
Maverick nodded. "I admired Montarg when I was younger. I still admire him now. Though I can't say he's ever really liked me. If he did, he never really showed it. He rarely called me Maverick. It was either 'boy' or 'small child'. Heck, even when I was a teenager he called me 'small child'. Only once or twice did he call me Maverick."
Jack nodded. "Right."
"I knew Mum didn't approve of me hanging around him and the other sorcerers. See, Montarg was the leader of a cavern filled with sorcerers that had lost their homes for being magically-talented. It wasn't because he was a sorcerer, it was because he was sexist."
"Oh?"
Maverick raised an index finger and shut his eyes. "'Men are for war, women are for the kitchen and children are for the pound', that's what he'd always say. He would only let men in the cavern. No women. No children. No hormonal teenagers. Just men. Adult men."
"Well, I can tell he was a real ladies' man." Jack murmured sarcastically.
Maverick opened his eyes and shook his head. "Oh, no. Montarg was never really attracted to anything. He didn't like the thought of romance. 'Love is a weakness', he'd say. That whole 'no women allowed' rule was hated by a lot of the other sorcerers there. Especially Marcus."
"Marcus?"
"He was the one who kept Montarg in line and, though Montarg would never admit it, he was Montarg's best friend. He was the one who told me jokes and made me laugh. I guess it was a good thing that he was around. I mean, I was a noisy bugger." Maverick grinned. "And I remember, Montarg hated noise."
…
Maverick sobbed and wailed, tears streaming down his cheeks.
Marcus tried to silence the sobbing child. "Maverick! Calm down, would ya? It's ok!"
"You…" Maverick sniffed. "You stepped on my tail!" Said tail was slightly crooked.
Marcus scratched at his red hair. "But it ain't broken!"
Maverick continued to wail and sob, his head thrown back and his eyes closed.
Marcus grimaced when he heard someone growl angrily. He turned.
Montarg threw the curtain- which he used as a door for his room- aside and stomped over to Maverick. The sorcerer crossed his arms.
"I've been trying to shut him up, Montarg! Really, I have!" Marcus insisted.
Montarg bared his teeth and reached into the inside of his coat. He pulled out an orange and black-striped lollipop and proceeded to shove it into Maverick's mouth. The child immediately shut up and stared up at the angry sorcerer. "Now, be silent, small child!" Montarg ordered. "I'm trying to meditate! I can't if you're screaming your head off!" With that, Montarg turned and walked back in to his room, mumbling: "This is why I do not allow children into the cavern!" on his way.
Marcus watched him go, then slowly turned back to Maverick. "You, uh, you like Montarg, don't you?"
Maverick grinned, taking the lollipop from his mouth. "I love Mr. Montarg!" The child proclaimed. Marcus' eyes widened. No one loved Montarg. Maverick began to walk off, his wounded tail wagging slowly, yet happily.
…
Maverick chuckled. "Back then, I didn't know Montarg gave me sweets to shut me up. I thought he gave me sweets as gifts. Guess that's why I thought he liked me…"
Jack nodded in understanding. "I used to give Cobweb sweets to cheer him up. Suppose it works for all children. Be they human or not."
Maverick shrugged. "The only reason I was allowed even near the cavern was because I had Montarg's mark on my arm. That was my pass. Ya know my blue coat?"
"Yes."
"Montarg gave it to me before the war. He said it would protect me. And my hat. That belonged to Montarg. Before he died."
Jack paused and stiffened. Obviously, this was a touchy subject. "You don't have to-"
"He died in the war." Maverick said, cutting Jack off. "He was stabbed by a shape-shifter…right in front of me…I wanted to help him, but he wouldn't let me. That was when I first transformed. I killed a lot of shape-shifters that day. Marcus gave the hat to me at the funeral for Montarg. He said I might want it. I've worn it everyday since."
Jack paused. Watching someone you love die in front of you was not a pleasant experience. It never was. "Grandfather,"
"Hm?"
"In the memory, Montarg mentioned that 'Montarg' wasn't his real name. What is it?"
Maverick paused, looked the other way then turned back to Jack, his eyes soft. He replied with one word:
"Edwin."
…
Author's note:
I'll give ya three guesses about where we've heard Edwin before. Trust me, it's easy.
Well, we now know more about Montarg. Yes, his name is funny, but, hey, it's Halloween Town. There're supposed to be funny names.
Just so you know, I'm not sexist. I believe men and women are equal. Men can be chefs, women can be soldiers. It's just that Montarg doesn't see it that way.
So, Mav seems better, Jack knows about Montarg and we now know Montarg's real name! What's going on with the others? Will Mav get out of bed to help fight? Find out next time…