Apologies for the delay, but I hope you all enjoy the next chapter!

I do not own Star vs the Forces of Evil

-G

Chapter 3

Highway to Hell

Star tapped on the door to room 115 as her, Marco, and Janna gazed in at the lying figure on the bed. The sleeping face of Tom was slightly turned from them as his chest rose and fell beneath the covers. Marco looked over at Tom's near still body and noticed that he no longer had any visible cuts or bruises.

"It's amazing to think just how powerful he is. I kicked him into the ground with enough force that they should've felt the Underworld shake. But yet, here he is, looking like he's just taking a nap in the hospital, and hadn't had surgery." Marco commented in disbelief. He stuffed his hands into his hoodie pocket and continued his dumbfounded expression towards Tom.

"Well now that we know he's okay, I think we should just let him rest up for a little while. No need for us to be a bunch of creeps and watch him sleep." Star turned as she finished and began walking towards the door with Marco quickly following suit. But Janna continued to look over the resting demon.

"Janna." Marco called out to her from the room entrance. "You coming?"

"Huh?" She turned around to look at him then glanced back at Tom. "Yeah. I'm coming." Before she walked out the door she took one more look at Tom. For some reason she couldn't quite let go of the fact that one of the most powerful people she knew was bedridden. And by one of her least powerful friends. Yeah, that was it. She shook the thought loose and caught up to Star and Marco as they headed through the corridor and out of the medical wing.

"So, Marco, I told Janna about the gemstone and she wants to see it." Star looked over to Janna. "What was it you wanted to do with it again?"

"Trace it." Janna replied. "Like I said before, something that powerful has to leave an energy signature wherever it goes, even if it's there for only a moment. I want to look into the whole story about the sword more, but if there could be one source of energy this powerful, maybe there could be more. It could be possible that the stone you two found could have broken off from a parent chunk and we only have a portion of what's out there. There are a few possibilities, but first things first. I need more information. Books, scrolls, stories and even knowledge passed down in other dimensions. Who knows how old this thing is or where it originated from. I need to put as much effort into this as Marco does into doing his hair."

"My hair is very uncooperative and requires extensive care." Marco defended, bushing his bangs out of the way.

"Whatever." Janna brushes him off. "I never said it looked bad. Just that you'd be better off bald." She ruffled his hair, to which Marco swatted her hand away. "So, Star, you think you could grab that for me before your meeting with your mom?"

Star's eyes grew wide and she gasped before grabbing Janna. "The meeting! Oh no I completely forgot about it! I'm going to be late! Marco! Get the stone for Janna so she can do her tracing thing. I'll meet up with you two later. Hopefully not too much later..." She grumbled, knowing full well that any meeting which included the Mewman Armed Forces would drag on for an eternity. She took off down the hall and waved goodbye to her friends as she sped out of sight.

"She won't be back for hours." Marco deadpanned.

"Nope. Now let's get moving and get that stone. The less time I have to spend with a whiny sidekick, the better."

"Hey!" Marco protested.

"My point."

They entered Star's room and Marco went over to the small box where Star left the stone before they were forcefully drug out. He opened it up and started digging through its contents, moving away cards, some bits of jewelry, a plastic rectangle, and some movie ticket stubs until he found it. He put the stone in his pocket and left Star's room, heading towards the magic wing with Janna.

"So, I have some critiques on the suit for when you finalize it." Marco started.

"What are they? And I swear to god, if you say the color again I will kick your ass so hard you'll be tasting boot for a month."

"Well, that's not the only thing I had in mind..." Marco said hesitantly.

Janna scowled and balled her fists.

"Ahem. Right. Well, is there any way to make the suit automatically reassemble itself after spontaneous disassembly? Or detect when I'm hurt and fix me accordingly? The fact that it does it at all is great, but if I'm in a fight and have to stop to start and sustain the process, I may end up dead."

Janna puckered her lips, contemplating the various options for improvement she had at her disposal. "I think I have some primal spells which could detect material malformation from a predetermined design. The automatic healing process will probably be difficult to get down because most detection spells I have are standardized in regard to their threshold of initiation."

Marco blinked dumbfounded before Janna rolled her eyes and continued.

"That basically means if you or a baby got hit with the same amount of force, the baby could end up with internal bleeding and possibly die while you'd be able to just rub it off. And the detection spell wouldn't act on the baby because it wasn't enough force to injure a normal person, because you'd be just fine. But I guess I could dig some more to try and find a spell specific to your threshold of injury. And then we'd have to figure out what that threshold is." Janna gave Marco a devious smile that sent shivers down his spine. "Bend over."

"Nope! That's never gonna happen!" He clenched up and covered up behind him.

Janna laughed at the sight of him turning as red as a cherry tomato. "Relax, Diaz. You're too easy to get a rile out of. But seriously, I should run some tests to see where your threshold is before I finish up."

"I don't want to be a lab rat..." He droned. "Oh! One more thing that I did think of before I forget. A camouflage function. Not like the invisible to the naked eye kind necessarily, although that would be pretty awesome too. Something like where it would detect where I am and adjust my outward appearance. Kind of like an on the spot wardrobe change. I occasionally have interdimensional missions that require some element of stealth or blending among the locals."

"Dude, what kind of knight are you? I can barely see you as a normal knight, let alone some kind of spy."

"Oh, I'm many things Janna. Knight. Spy. Personal guard. Karate master. Future-" He posed to emphasize his roles before Janna cut him off.

"Stuff it Diaz, we're here." Janna said as she put her hand flush against the door to the Mage wing. The door began to glow yellow around her hand, revealing intertwining symbols extending from each of her fingertips. They joined together at the tips making a circle with bat wings which extended from the sides of her hand. A vertical yellow light began to shine through the conjoined portions of the doors as a loud crack emanated from them.

The doors began to slowly creek open revealing a large circular, almost medieval, room lit by a pillar of fire in the center. There were multiple tables with piles of books scattered around the room. Smaller wall candles were located on either side of the four doors on the four sides of the room. There was a faint berry smell which Marco noticed as they both entered. He looked around and spotted an armor stand near the center of the room, presumably where his suit resided during its creation. They walked towards a table near the back portion of the room which had test tubes positioned on top around its perimeter and a large book opened in the center.

Janna took a seat in front of the book and turned back to Marco. "Okay, let me see that stone." Marco reached into his pocket and pulled out the glowing stone, handing it over. "Now, the first thing you need to do is back off. I don't want you breathing down my neck." Marco grumbled, but obliged and stepped back, giving her more than enough working room. "Next, I need to figure out what kind of power source this is. And that's going to be the longest part, guaranteed." She placed the stone into a beaker containing a pulsating lime green liquid and covered it up. "Well, that's all I can do for now."

"That's it?" Marco questioned. "All you did was place it into Mountain Dew. What's that supposed to do?"

"Well, if you really must know, it's a primary detection solution. There are so many different types of energy that exist, that to narrow an unknown down to one, will take a whole hell of a lot of trials. And each trial has its own timeframe, which- wait. Why am I even trying to explain this to you? Just let me do my testing. I'm pretty good at this, so it'll probably only take a day or two in total. Maybe longer if you're here..." She purred, sliding close to him.

"I… Uh… Ahem. I'll just leave you to it if that's the case." Marco's voice cracked as he turned around and began hastily walking towards the door.

"Oh, get over yourself. You're too big of a wimp to interest me anyhow. It's just fun to mess with you and make you all stuttery and embarrassed. Not to mention I know you have a thing for Star, and as her best friend, it is my duty to screen out all undesirable suitors. Especially ones that continue to wear the same hoodies for years. I mean, come on man. Get a jacket or something. Anything." Janna slouched back into her chair and propped her leg on her other knee, waiting for Marco to get his wits about him.

"Hey! This is a quality article of clothing and=" Marco stopped and furrowed his brow. "I do not have a thing for Star. That was a once and done thing and we both agreed to put it behind us to preserve our friendship. There's absolutely nothing more than feelings of strong mutual friendship. And I'm not going to have you suggesting anything contrary to that. It's not true. No ifs ands or buts."

"Mhm, right. Well anyways, I'll have time while the stone is cooking so I can poke around at your suit for a bit. Now, strip for me, squire." She twirled her finger, to which Marco was not akin. He knew that Janna was just joking, but the sexual jokes get old after being relentlessly piled on. Janna senses his hesitation and rolled her eyes in response.

"Seriously though, take it off so I can work on it. I have some of your clothes in my bedroom." She pointed over towards one of the doors which had a large letter J carved into it.

"I'm not even going to ask." Marco grumbled.

"I wouldn't if I were you."

Marco walked into her bedroom and quickly changed into his street clothes, bringing out the suit of armor for Janna. She set it up on the stand in the center of the room and walked back, trying to get a more complete feel of it.

"Man, what was I thinking? Black on red? Let's just switch that around. She walked over to one of her tables and grabbed a pair of long black gloves as well as some goggles. "I'd stand back if I were you. It can get a little messy sometimes."

Marco moved back towards the bedroom, never letting his gaze leave the suit.

Janna slipped on the gloves and goggles and cracked her knuckles. She held one hand out towards the suit and began chanting in an old mewman language. A short circle of black fire appeared and rotated around her feet as she continued. She started to twist and clench her outstretched hand and pulled it back as she pushed her other hand forward. A circle of red fire surrounded the armor and began spinning faster and growing in height until the suit was no longer able to be seen. Janna finished her chant, clutched her outward hand, and the circles of fire immediately disappeared. "Well that's one problem down." Janna said nonchalantly as she removed her goggles and gloves, tossing them back on to the table.

Marco looked back over to the suit which was now a sleek jet-black color. It was covered in hoodie red lines moving straight down the front and back of the appendages, stopping to outline certain symbols, such as the daggers. It was like a whole new suit all over again. His heart began to race with excitement. He wanted to try the amazing new color out. He went to reach for it and was stopped by Janna grabbing his wrist.

"This may be for you, but it's my creation and I'll be damned if you ruin it before I even start on the modifications. It might look better. Well, it definitely looks better, but nothing has actually changed. It's still the same suit. You're welcome to stay here if you want while I work on it, but you'll probably just get in the way and make it take longer anyway. So, actually, just go do something else. I'll take care of this alone." Janna shooed Marco with the flick of her wrist and turned back around to the suit.

"Fine. Guess I'll go lay down for a bit since today's been pretty exhausting. Almost eaten by a flying alligator, almost killed one of my best friends. Yeah, it's well deserved nap time."

"If I don't see you before then, I'll track you down once I finish the suit or find where the other sword pieces are located. Don't let the door hit you on the way out."

"Yeah yeah. See ya, Janna." Marco said as he made his way out of her dungeon. He walked down the hall towards his room deep in thought about earlier. He was almost killed by something that could've easily swallowed him whole, and he almost killed one of his best friends. And the worst part was, he almost enjoyed that devastating blow he delivered to Tom. The way his skull cracked sent shivers down his spine, like he wanted more. He was lucky he snapped out of it from looking down on Tom's motionless body at the bottom of the pit. Otherwise, he may have even continued with his protruding instincts. Marco shuddered at the thought and opened the door to his room. He threw himself on the bed and tried not to relive that horrid moment as he drifted off to sleep.

/- ... . / ..-. - -..-/

Star walked down the hall towards the war room, twirling her wand in hand. She was already late to the point where her mom would severely chew her out, so why bother trying to make that time up? She wasn't sure what to expect from this meeting. Her mom was acting a little out of the ordinary when it came to speaking about the meeting today. For the past week she would mumble to herself about the general and her father, amongst others. Even earlier today before she left with Marco on their treasure hunt, she saw her mother half asleep in her throne with dark bags under her eyes. Whatever was keeping her awake was not something Star wanted to concern herself with. But she knew that she would be told 'it will be your duty as future queen to deal with important matters such as these' and blah blah blah. She knew full well the responsibilities which would be transferred to her, and she knew that taking them on full force without practice would basically be psychological suicide which would put her on the brink of total exhaustion. So here she was, preparing herself by going to this nightmare of a meeting, even if she was just a little late. Not without warrant of course, but her mother will still probably have a few choice words for her afterwards.

She finally reached the military wing and rounded the corner into the long hall with the war room at the end. She was immediately hit by the smell of coffee and BO. You would think that with the amount of wealth and prestige these officers have, they would be able to afford somewhere to sleep besides their office. And be able to get a shower once in a while. Oh well, guess it was just something else that she would have to ignore during the meeting. As she approached the end of the hall, the faint arguing of her mother with what could only be assumed as one of the generals came to ear. She opened the double doors to the room and immediately wished she hadn't.

"I don't care if it's considered 'unethical'! It's not only for the safety of this kingdom, but for the safety of all the surrounding kingdoms as well! We don't know what exactly we're up against here and we need to be prepared to handle the worst. Even if it means sacrificing soldiers. The good of the whole outweighs the lives of the few." A short, stout man was hunched over the table eyeing down the queen as she looked down upon him with rising internal anger.

Moon took a deep breath. "General Oland, I understand the reason that you're willing to take such measures, but in doing so, you're only hurting the people you're trying to protect. That is why I cannot authorize such a heavy preemptive strike. That is my final decision on the matter and I will not have it brought up again. Do I make myself clear?" She spoke sternly as the general stood up straight.

"You don't know the repercussions this will have on us Queen Moon. There will be much more bloodshed on your hands with this option than with mine. I hope you're ready to deal with the consequences. For all of our sake." He gritted through his teeth.

Oland took his seat, brushing off his lavish blue military uniform. He took a sip of his beverage and crossed his arms, making him look like a large cube. The greying old man looked downright disappointed in Moon. He took a deep breath and looked over towards Star who was creeping in, trying her best to go unnoticed. "Glad you could finally join us, Princess." He said calmly.

The rest of the room's occupants glanced over towards the door where Star was hunched over, mid tip toe. "Heh." She muttered, completely embarrassed. "Something kinda came up and took a little longer than I thought. But don't let me interrupt. Please, continue." She continued over to her seat beside Moon who eyed her, following every movement. "I'm in trouble, aren't I?" She sheepishly whispered.

"Trouble doesn't even begin to describe it. We'll talk later." Moon turned to the rest of the military officers and cleared her throat. "Now, we need to increase our defenses and activate the dimensional disruptors. We should be able to identify and ward off any attack that could be set on us with more patrols and the new threat detectors developed by the engineers. All reserve soldiers will be retrained in use of our weaponry and defensive measures including the M-Cannons, laser rifles, and anti-magic discs. Basic training will start in exactly one week at 6 am sharp. I also want the entirety of the Mage staff to accelerate their research on magical defenses and weapons. They're some of the best and brightest, so if anyone can help to increase our odds of winning, it's them. Star and I will be in the training grounds as well, alongside the existing and future Knights and Warlocks to help them prepare during our less pressing time. Something big is on the way, and it is our duty as the protectors of the kingdom to see to it that we are not eradicated. We will have another meeting in three days time to discuss the precise measures that will be taken for training, experimentation, and all other aspects we discussed in the last hour. I want all information regarding your allotted sectors brought as well. Bring your coffee next meeting, it will be a long one. Dismissed."

The officers began gathering their things and filed out of the room leaving only Moon and Star behind. Moon walked over to the doors and closed them to keep some privacy. "Star. Why exactly were you late? I've been telling you for weeks now that the upcoming meetings are of the utmost importance and that it is your duty as the princess to learn what to do and how to do it. Showing up late is not something that should happen. Especially when it's something as important as this."

"Well for it being so important, I don't remember you actually telling me anything about it besides that it's important, the hundred times I asked! You want me to learn the ropes and show up on time for important meetings? Fine. But you could at least tell me what all this Is about. I'm never told anything around here, and I'm the freakin princess! Not to mention you always treat me like I'm still a little kid. I'm 20 now, mom. I've done a lot of growing up since you first gave me this wand, and I think I've shown enough growth to be considered worthy of being told what a simple meeting is going to be about."

Star knew that pushing her mother like this usually ended poorly, and she could only hope for a miracle that this wouldn't be the case again. But she knew she was in the right this time. If she was going to be a part of something, something big, then she should certainly know what it is. Luckily for her, fate seemed to be on her side today.

"You have done a lot of growing up since then, Star. And believe it or not, I am very proud of who you've become. You aren't just a rebel princess anymore. You're a model that everyone should learn from, time management aside." Star puckered her lips at the jab but Moon continued as though she hadn't even seen it. "And yes, you're most certainly not perfect, but no one is. So, maybe I should put more trust in you. And after I tell you what the meeting was about, I fully expect you to never be late again. Protection of the kingdom is your first and foremost duty, and it begins in this room with those people. They may not be the most pleasant bunch, but when it comes to keeping our people safe, there's no group that can head it better than them."

Star was at a complete and utter loss for words. She stood there baffled that her mother would call her someone who everyone wants to look up to. She looked down at her hands and thought of how one day she would be sitting on the throne with nobody to look up to. Her mother wouldn't be around forever and who knows how much of a toll being queen takes on your body; she may not be able to seek out answers from her mother for long during her own reign, so she should do it now, while she still has the chance. And with the Queen being so open right now, it's the perfect opportunity.

"Mom..." Star began hesitantly. "Before you start telling me about what these meetings are about, I have something that I should probably tell you first."

Moon cocked her eyebrow. "Alright sweetheart. What is it?"

Star reluctantly looked away for a split second before returning her gaze to Moon. "Today, Marco and I found something together. Something that I didn't think was real. But we found it. Something I think is so powerful, it could change this kingdom forever."

Moon solemnly sighed. "I remember that feeling. That's the same thing that I felt when I met your father. There's nothing more powerful than love, Star. No matter what kind of weapons or destructive tactics may be pulled on you, it will beat them all. Marco is a nice young man, and as your mother, I only want to see you happy. And if he's able to do that, then-"

"What? No! No no no. Marco and I are just friends! There's... There's nothing actually there between us like that. And even if there was, I... We need to keep our friendship intact. No sense in losing each other over something dumb like that anyhow, right? Heh..." Her face turned from a half smile to a frown as she finished up her thought.

"Star, if you do care about him like that, which I'm not saying that you do, it's worth trying. Otherwise you'll only grow to resent yourself years later for never attempting to take that step. And if it's not meant to be, I'm sure you two will be able to work it out and keep your friendship intact." Moon placed a hand on Star's shoulder and smiled at her.

Star looked up and half smiled back. "Yeah… Thanks mom." She pulled Moon into a tight hug.

"You're welcome sweetie. Now let's go. I think we should talk about the meeting a little later. How does some lunch sound? I always end up with the biggest appetite after sitting around with those crotchety old men."

They both laughed and began walking out of the room. "That sounds great mom. And I know the perfect place too. But you're going to have to change into something a lot less formal than your dress." Star motioned over Moon's attire.

"That sounds perfect. This dress does get a bit stuffy at times. Where are we going?"

"It's called Britta's Tacos, and it's on Earth. It's amaaazing." Star's mouth began to water at the thought of her sugary burrito.

"Well I'm always open to trying interdimensional cuisines. Give me a minute to change and we can go."

"Oh, you're going to love it. I usually get a burrito or a horchata and they're really good on their own, but when you put sugar on them they're even better. Marco says I'm just ruining them, but…"

Moon smiled as she walked with Star going off on how much she loved what they called a Mexican dish. Moon knew the horrors that awaited them and the kingdom in the not too distant future, but just for a few hours she'd like to forget them and enjoy some time with her daughter. Something big was coming, and she might not get the chance to be with Star for much longer.

/.- .. .-.. .-.. / -... .-. . .- -.-/

Marco swung the door to his bedroom open and began his journey towards the castle kitchen to find something to eat. Midnight snacks were a delicacy no matter what dimension you were in. Hopefully the chefs still had the materials for huevos rancheros. He asked them for the ingredients before and they said they would need time to import some of the ingredients, but they are reliable to those staying in the castle, so he kept his hopes up.

On his way down the hall he noticed some of the furniture had been rearranged giving the place a more open feeling. The table that once cluttered the middle of the hallway no longer sat there, some of the weaponry which was scattered all over the walls was nowhere to be seen, and there was a fresh spring aroma which filled the air. It was as if someone had jumped into his mind and pulled out all the superb ideas which constantly bombarded him. It was nice to have things how you like it, even if they were strangely similar to his thoughts. He shrugged it off, stomach taking precedence of his mind.

Marco continued through the corridor of the castle admiring all the new things which must have occurred overnight. He eventually made it to the kitchen, but there were no chefs anywhere in sight. He took a moment to look around and check for anyone who should be working, but he found nobody in sight. So, he decided to just go about his business and make it himself. They always were best when he did it himself anyway. Unless it was his father making them. Nobody could cook up a breakfast quite like he could. He smiled at the thought of his family. Maybe later today he would take a trip to visit them. He's sure little Mariposa would be happy to see him.

After he finished cooking his snack, Marco decided to take his food on the go and walked around the castle looking for someone. Anyone. The whole castle was like a ghost town. He trekked up and down the halls, looking in each public room, out every window, and over the balconies, but it was as if everyone just disappeared without a trace. At least he had his delectable meal to keep him company. Marco walked back towards his room to get his phone. Maybe Star was up and had some sort of idea on what's going on around here. He rounded the corner to the hallway where his room was located and bumped into someone, knocking his half-eaten breakfast dish all over the floor.

Marco heard a grumble from who he bumped into. "Oh man I'm sorry. I was so deep in thought that I wasn't paying much attention to anything else." He began wiping eggs and sauce off his shirt as he apologized. Looking up Marco saw that the one he ended up spilling his food on was Tom. "Tom! You're here!" Marco smiled as he looked down, seeing the mess he made all over him. "Sorry about the food on your clothes, but I'm glad you're okay. I wanted to apologize for what I did to you yesterday. I honestly don't know what came over me. It feels like such a blur now, but that's no excuse for what happened. I owe you more than just an apology, and if there's any way I can make it up to you, please just give the word and I'll do it."

"Look dude, I'm a little freaked at what happened too, but I'm definitely one to know what it's like to lose control during a fight. It literally happened seconds before you did. You just didn't end up in the ground is all. Don't sweat it. It's not like you did anything intentionally." Tom crouched down and began helping Marco clean up the eggs and bits of shattered plate which were sprawled across the floor. He reached for a large piece and gripped it too hard, drawing blood. "Damn! I know there's worse, but something about getting sliced like that, it sucks." He gripped his now bleeding hand, droplets of red falling to the floor.

"Yeah..." Marco said halfheartedly, his focus being drawn to the blood. His heart began to beat faster as he tasted the salty water which had begun covering his lips. He focused on Tom's hand more and more intently as his own hands started to tremble and his breathing became more rapid.

"Hey man, you're not looking so hot. And I'm the one that's supposed to be injured here." Tom joked, trying to lighten the increasingly uncomfortable situation. "Well... I think I'll just head over to the medical wing. They can patch me up real quick. They just did that not too long ago anyways." Tom coughed awkwardly into his fist and began to shuffle backwards.

"Wait! I can fix it." Marco quickly spat out. He snagged Tom's bleeding arm and pulled him close. Tom tried to jerk away, but he couldn't free himself of Marco's death grip.

"Dude, let me go." Tom insisted as he tried prying Marco's fingers off. But Marco wouldn't budge. Feeling as if there were no other way, Tom ignited his opposing fist and reared his arm back, throwing a punch that could knock out even his mother. Marco barely flinched. Tom's eyes widened with horror as he was pulled in close to Marco.

Marco's skin began to change hue, going from his normal bronze to a jet black. His hair grew out in soft spikes as he tore out of his shirt, his muscles growing and twitching. His eyes began to glow purple and his nails were honed into sharp claws which extended from his fingertips.

Marco opened his mouth and revealed rows of sharp serrated teeth. He drew a line in Tom's forearm with his claw and smiled before sinking his teeth deep into it. Tom let out a blood curdling scream as he desperately tried to pull away. For what seemed like an eternity he tried to escape his once friend's hold on him, but nothing was working. He was becoming weak, the rapid loss of blood getting the best of him. Vision fading, Tom saw Marco unhinge his jaw and move towards his face. "P- please..." He sputtered out, holding his good arm out in a desperate attempt to stop the madness as he slipped into unconsciousness.

Marco shot up from his bed, sweat encompassing every square inch of his head. His rapid heavy breathing was the only sound that could be heard. His eyes darted around the room trying to take in any information on where he was and what had happened. After a few moment of initial panic, he looked down at his watch reading 4:07. He wiped down his face with the bed sheets and looked down at himself seeing his red hoodie and pants. Exactly what he left Janna's in.

Flopping back down, Marco's mind began to race. Was it all a dream? More like a nightmare, but still. He stuck his finger to his teeth. Normal. It had to have been a dream. There is no way that anything like that could happen to him, or that he would ever do such a thing to Tom. Marco drug his hands over his face wallowing in his own self turmoil.

On one hand, Tom was one of his best friends and he would never actively do anything to harm him; but on the other hand, he had no control over himself during their match and look what happened there. There was no way to tell what was going to occur if he ever lost it again. All he knew was that he had to do his best to keep himself on a fairly tight leash and pray that didn't happen again. Because if it were to, there could be a much more unfortunate fate for them both.

At 4:17 am and not really anything to show for his mental self therapy session, Marco decided it was best to try and get back to sleep. There's always tomorrow to try and sort through his thoughts. It's not like he was doing anything of great importance anyhow. He drifted off to sleep with the hope of tomorrow bringing him the clarity he so desperately desired.

/..-. .-. . ./

Tom woke up in a panic as he tried to comprehend the situation he was in. Quickly pulling his arms towards his face, he saw that he was in one whole piece. Nothing was different from earlier in the day. He looked around the dimly lit room in an attempt to figure out what had happened to him. The faint glow of lights from beyond the door to his room illuminated his surroundings just enough for him to see.

There was a small mobile table that could reach over his bed, an IV pole which hung by his head with a line running from a clear bag into his arm, and he was wearing some kind of gown. Great. He grumbled with the fact that he couldn't say he was never in a gown anymore. If nothing else, he at least knew that he was in the hospital. Probably in Mewni considering hospitals in the Underworld are much warmer and cozier with their complementary fire pits and classy strung up skeletons.

He continued skimming the room when he saw someone slumped in a chair to his right. They were in a long black robe which had a few yellow symbols stitched into it. They had a bit of black hair falling out of the hood, but he couldn't tell who was sitting there. Not like it much mattered. If it were anyone who wanted him dead, he wouldn't have woken up, and they sure as hell wouldn't be asleep in the chair next to him.

Exhausted, Tom fell backwards onto the bed. What had happened felt so real. He had thought that Marco was actually eating him alive, and that he died watching it happen. He let out a deep breath he didn't know he was holding and closed his eyes. If he was in a hospital he may as well get some sleep. Tomorrow was going to be a very long day.

I know this one is a little shorter but I'm hoping I'll be able to get the next chapter out faster. Thanks for reading!