Hi everyone! Happy New Year! I'm very grateful to have been part of this long journey with many of you, and there are just too many people for me to thank.I've been writing over the last two years, and although it has been gruelling, I've realised that my faith in many of you has not been misplaced, and I've rarely been let down by my readers.

As is tradition, I'd like to thank the people who reviewed my story since I posted my last chapter: THExPOTxHEAD, Iron Carnotaur, TH3 EL3TR1C, TheGreatAthlon5, koipbuiop, pyro159, Reaper Whisper, NoahTheOverlander, Jacob Laroche, Im Blu, Clytuis, phantom1299, PincheeX (pleasure to meet you) and last but not least, Gyltig.

The intensity in this chapter isn't very high, but I wanted to have Gregor meet with each family member and either iron his differences out with them or build upon their relationship. I hope you enjoy it!

This chapter is written from Gregor's perspective.


Chapter 27: Painful Reunion

Gregor dragged the last couple of bodies towards the corner of the kitchen and piled them on top of the rest. The one mercenary still alive was bound and gagged, and Gregor had deliberately placed him in the opposite corner of the room. When he woke up- and he was going to wake up soon- he would be greeted by his silent comrades. That would be enough time for the fear to rise up in his chest again.

He hadn't escaped from the fight unscathed. His fight with the mercenaries downstairs had left him with a nasty gash on his inner thigh. But with the typical doggedness that Gregor had learned to teach himself through harsh discipline, he just shrugged it off. That gash was nothing compared to the fatal wounds he had inflicted on at least a dozen of them.

He had frightened himself just as much as he had frightened everyone else who had witnessed his rampage. His massacre was a chilling reminder of how he could lose control of himself when driven to a certain point. A certain point which was particularly familiar in his case, because in the seconds leading up to his fight with the mercenaries, he remembered when he had felt that feeling before-

It was when he thought Boots had died. He recognised the ice which crept up his body, making him feel numb as it encircled his heart and turning him into a ruthless killer when it reached his forehead. He had lost all emotions- they were bland and tasteless to him. Fear was merely a word, while anger had somehow been dissolved by the coldness which now fueled his actions.

He still tried to use Damien's image to restrain and leash his desire to succumb to his rager abilities, but even then it was far from adequate. He could still bullishly block out the image through sheer anger, especially when the safety of his family was at stake. And yet he knew that his family's safety should never serve as justification for a moment of rage.

He had blitzed his way through them like he was tearing through paper. None of their lives had any kind of value to him, and that was the crux of the problem. While Gregor plowed through them, he had forgotten about their humanity. Killing some of them was perhaps necessary, but the way he almost eviscerated others… Gregor had deliberately tried to strike fear into their hearts.

He could almost imagine the hopelessness and resignation some of the mercenaries felt as he swatted their bullets aside as if they were flies, advancing forward with ruthless menace. He had trapped them in a real life horror movie, and it was just as terrifying to him as it was to them. He almost savoured every stroke or cut or kill.

In a moment of pure brutality, he had become more a force of nature than a man. And that concerned him because he had been training himself over the last couple of years to rein in his hunger to become a rager. If anger could push him over the edge so easily, then Snake could manipulate it to push him to hurt others he didn't want to hurt.

It was all about self-discipline and control, which Gregor had failed to master. It was only when he truly possessed complete and utter control that he would be able to wield unstoppable power. But without that control, the power would threaten to consume him and dictate his actions, which would make him just as corrupt as someone like Flavius.

He glanced over at the mercenary he had left alive. The only reason he had been left alive was because Gregor had decided to look at his mother. He saw a myriad of emotions in her eyes, ranging from fear to confusion to surprise. And somewhere amongst that cocktail of emotions, he caught a glimpse of disappointment- the son she knew would never bring his blade down on another human being.

The mercenary in front of him had suddenly become a human, a person who had a wife and a kid. Someone who was probably trying to seek a better life for his family and himself, but was consigned to this fate for the time being. Everybody was a victim of circumstance at some point, so maybe… just maybe… he was being forced to do this. Gregor had no right to execute him wildly, especially since he had offered to leave quietly.

It was all about striking a balance, and Gregor had to contend with that balance every day. His paradoxical role as the Warrior invited that kind of dilemma and conflict. He hated every moment of it, but someone had to do the dirty work. It was moments when he was at odds with himself that he wondered if he was better off dead- Dead, and in paradise with Luxa. He had no right to impose that kind of outcome on her, but personally? He wanted to escape it all. Escape this reality and hide in a fantasy for the rest of his life.

He lifted his blade up and gazed at his own reflection. The dirt and blood symbolised the gritty violence he had been a part of for years, while the pain in his eyes screamed of the conflict that existed deep down in his soul. It wasn't just about his murderous instincts… It was about home as well. He was deeply conflicted about his opinion of coming back as the prodigal son to a place which had represented the growing hatred that had killed the old, innocent Gregor in him.

"I thought you broke that," Lizzie's voice resounded through the deathly silence.

He turned around to face his sister, who was leaning against the wall in fresh clothes. She was paler than a ghost, but that was understandable considering what she had just experienced. The ordeal seemed to bring out the wisdom in her eyes, which seemed a bit more piercing through square-rimmed spectacles. Her hair fell like placid waves over her shoulder, the only part of her that seemed uncontaminated by the mercenaries' kidnapping.

Gregor was glad to see her again.

"I did," he replied, holding it up against the sunlight that broke through fading clouds. "They repaired it for me."

"You resurrected the Warrior?" Lizzie asked, seemingly intrigued.

"I guess you could say that," he answered, placing it down on the table. He paused for a moment, before asking, "How have the last five years been?"

Lizzie sighed. "It's been tough. Dad was pretty shaken up when you left. I think he's just sick of losing family members over and over again."

Gregor just grunted. He didn't know how to respond to that.

"We recovered, though," Lizzie went on. "Boots is doing alright in school, and Dad's been promoted to being a department head. And I was accepted into Princeton."

"Princeton?"

"For science," she quickly added.

"Wow," Gregor said, nodding his head in pride and approval. "You've done great, Liz."

"Thanks," she said shyly, before her tone dropped slightly. "I wish you were here to celebrate with us."

"I'm sorry, Lizzie," Gregor replied grimly. "It wasn't the right time…. It still isn't."

"You came back for us," she said staunchly. "That's all that matters."

"I should have been here from the start," he said, grimacing on the inside. "I left you all exposed to this."

"How would you have defended us?" Lizzie pointed out. "They surprised us. If you were here, they would have killed you before you could even reach out for your sword."

Damn, Lizzie was still as sharp as ever… Even after being put through hell.

"How was the Underland?" she asked him, changing the topic quickly.

"It's been tough," he admitted. "Things aren't that rosy down there either. It's… complicated."

"And Ripred?" she pressed urgently.

Gregor could hear the fear in her voice, like she was worried that the one Underlander who truly understood her was dead. At that thought, Gregor almost flinched in disgust at his own actions. Ripred's life meant the world to his sister, yet Gregor had smashed and hacked the rat to a pulp, blinded him in one eye and was seconds away from ending his life before he abruptly came to his senses.

Gregor would tell Lizzie about it another day. He didn't know how he was going to explain the whole situation to her. It would be a very long story.

"The old rat's still alive," he replied. "He's sustained a lot of shit over the last few years, but he's still largely in one piece."

Lizzie breathed a tremendous sigh of relief. "I'm glad he's still alive. I've always wanted to see him one last time before he goes."

Gregor tided over another awkward moment with quick thinking, swiftly saying, "He's a hard rat. I'm sure you'll get to see the son of a bitch again."

"Who's Calvin?" Lizzie asked abruptly, doing the hard work for Gregor by switching topics once more.

"My friend," Gregor replied. "He brought me back to the Underland. You saw him?"

Lizzie frowned, and the frown soon evolved into a downcast wince. "He came here to fight the mercenaries with an older man. He was beaten up and taken alive by them but the old man was killed by-"

"Snake," Gregor finished, unable to keep the resentment out of his voice. "He killed Mr Carter and has Calvin down there."

Lizzie looked genuinely disturbed by the mention of Snake's name. "It was awful to witness," she said softly. "Calvin was distraught. Snake killed Mr Carter right in front of him."

"Poor kid," Gregor mumbled. Mr Carter had been a father figure for Calvin in the aftermath of Richard Oberton's death. It was pretty much the equivalent of Gregor losing his own dad.

"I've seen Calvin in newspapers" Lizzie remarked. "He's appeared on Forbes and The Economist. He's the world's youngest male billionaire."

"He's been living quite the life," Gregor commented.

"He's a very eligible bachelor," Lizzie said. "Handsome and rich… The press couldn't get enough of him. You have quite a friend, Gregor."

"He's saved my life a number of times," Gregor admitted. "He's more than just handsome and rich. He's a good kid and has a heart of gold. I only wish I was as brave as he was."

"You used to be, you know," Gregor's father suddenly interjected as he entered through the damaged door frame.

"I changed," Gregor said weakly. "I left that side of me behind when we first left. I left the old Gregor behind and brought the Warrior up here."

"No," his father disagreed, shaking his head. "You and the Warrior are one and the same. Both sides of you are shaped by the other's personality. And the result is you, Gregor."

Once again, Gregor found himself having to navigate another awkward situation. A particular tendency of his father's was to view things in a very philosophical way, being the intellectual he was. It was an unspoken fact that Lizzie had inherited his father's brains, and right now he was demonstrating why he was sometimes too smart for his own good.

The truth was that Gregor knew himself best. He used to be more idealistic and he remembered standing up for his principles and beliefs. Violence was not to be used if it was unnecessary. Peace trumped war. And yet all his righteousness had come to naught when he was exposed to the horrors of the War of Time. And without even realising it, that virtuous part of himself had died down there.

He was trying his darndest to bring it back to life, though. It was a gruelling path to redemption which had only begun after his fight with Ripred, but he was on his way there. The fight with the mercenaries was a brief relapse into darker territory, but he was adamant on pulling himself out of the abyss of anger and rage.

"Whatever," he responded with a shrug. "I'm trying my best to pick myself up."

"Good for you," Lizzie said with a half-smile. "We didn't expect you back so soon, but… Things change, I guess."

"Neither did I," Gregor confessed. "I never thought I'd ever come back here. I mean, fighting with Mom and all was tough… I'm sure it was tough for you guys as well. I just… I just couldn't come back to face her."

"We would welcome you back with open arms," his father promised. "I swear to you, there's always a place for you at our table."

Gregor glanced at the battered table and afforded himself a chuckle. He wasn't going to be dining here anytime soon. "What are you guys going to do?"

"Your mom's calling the cops," his father told him. "They'll be here soon."

"How soon?" Gregor asked concernedly.

"I suspect half an hour at most," his father said honestly. "Why?"

"I'll have to leave this place before then," Gregor said gravely. "They'll have too many awkward questions to ask, and I won't be ready to answer them."

"Is it the armour?" Lizzie asked. "If it is, we can hide it for you. We can hide your sword and dagger too, if you'd like."

"No," Gregor replied. "They'll be wondering how these trained mercs were killed and why I'm suddenly back in Virginia. It's not hard to put two and two together. These mercs took out an ENTIRE police squad."

"Your mom won't like the fact that you're leaving again," his father warned him. "She's lost her children on countless occasions over the last few years. She needs you to be by her side."

"I know," Gregor said solemnly. "But I can't stay here. Calvin's still out there and he's counting on me."

"Your family needs you too," his father said pointedly. "We just got you back, Gregor. Leaving again would break your mother's heart, and mine as well."

Gregor turned to look at Lizzie. "You gonna back me up this time?"

Lizzie actually allowed a wry smile to play on her lips, before saying, "Dad, we have to let him go."

"But your mom-" his father began, but Lizzie quickly cut him off.

"She'll have to wait," Lizzie said softly. "Gregor doesn't belong here for now. I'm sure he'll come back when he can."

"I will," Gregor promised.

His father looked away for a second, before releasing a huge sigh in concession. "Fine," he said reluctantly. "Stay safe, son."

Gregor stepped forward and embraced his father, feeling the soulfulness in his father's hug. It was undoubtedly painful for his family to let go of him, but they had no choice. Gregor had to restrain tears as he felt his father's hug tighten, almost as if he wanted to keep Gregor by his side forever.

His father finally let go of him and limped out of the room. "Help me say 'hi' to Ripred," Lizzie said to Gregor, giving him a hug as well.

"I will," Gregor replied.

"What happened to you down there?" Lizzie asked.

"What do you mean?"

"The way you fought," she said. "You looked like a monster to me. I've never seen you fight like that."

Gregor sighed, before replying, "A lot of things happened down there, Liz. I'll tell you the whole story when I come back."

"Make sure you come back," she said fiercely.

Gregor reached out and ruffled her hair. "I'm proud of you, Lizzie. You've done well for this family and yourself."

She brushed her hand lightly against his. "Fly you high, Gregor."

He nodded gratefully, before leaving the room and walking up the creaking stairs. He winced as he stepped on the sticky redness which stained the stairs, unable to ignore how bullet-riddled they were and how the whole house was in shambles. It literally looked like a building which was plucked out of Mosul and dropped into the middle of Virginia.

He entered a relatively untouched room, where Boots was presenting tea to Mr Bennett. "Thank you, dear." he said gratefully to her.

"Boots," Gregor called out to her.

She turned around and faced him, brushing her fringe to one side to reveal lacerations on her temple. Her jaw was set firmly, as if she was determined not to show any pain. Eyes of soft chocolate brown, but again displaying ferocity and independence. She looked very much like Luxa in that sense.

"Nobody really calls me that anymore," she told him.

Gregor chuckled. "You go by Margaret now?"

"Either that or Maggie," she replied stiffly.

"Margaret's quite a mouthful," he said. "You ok with Maggie?"

"I literally just told you Maggie was ok," she replied bluntly.

"This one's feisty," Mr Bennett laughed.

Gregor actually broke out into a grin. "You've changed."

She grinned back. "So have you, apparently."

"When all this is over," Gregor said "I'll bring you down to the Underland and show you where you've been. You might not remember it, but I think it'll be cool to see the legacy you left down there."

"Sounds cool," she said tersely.

Gregor almost broke down out of nowhere. He was suddenly hit by a wave of nostalgia as he remembered all his adventures together with her- the good and the bad, the laughs and the tears, the despair and the hope. He had bonded with her all those years ago, and while she may not have remembered it, he did.

And to see his little sister change so much was simultaneously heartbreaking and satisfying. She was growing up, and the remnants of her childhood would be consigned to history. He impulsively walked forward and gave her a hug. "I'm gonna come back for you," he said to her as tears slipped out of his eyes.

She hugged him back and said, "Love you, Gregor."

He let go of her and turned to Mr Bennett. "You ready to leave?"

Mr Bennett nearly spewed out the tea in his mouth. He coughed violently, before clearing his throat and saying, "I just got this cup of tea."

"I don't know where Calvin is," Gregor told him. "We have to start our search for him as soon as possible if we are to find him."

Mr Bennett immediately took one last sip of tea and placed the cup down. "Thank you very much for the tea, Margaret," he said to her, before springing to his feet.

"Bye Maggie," Gregor said to Boots.

She waved good bye to him, and breathing another heavy sigh, he elt the room with Mr Bennett. Just as he walked out of the house, he heard someone call out to him, "Gregor!"

Gregor spun around to find his mother waiting for him by the door. "Go and get the car ready first," he instructed Mr Bennett. "I'll join you in a moment."

Mr Bennett nodded and walked over to the car, which was still parked rather conspicuously against the forest green. He turned back to his mother, who had tears in her eyes.

"Your father told me you had to leave," she said simply.

"Mom-" he began, but she cut him off by putting up her hands.

"You don't need to explain to me," she said. "I understand it's necessary. Doesn't make the goodbye any easier, though."

Gregor's head dipped in sadness. "I'm sorry Mom," he apologised. "I don't want to make you suffer anymore, but it has to be done."

"Stay safe," she said to him, cupping his face with her hands now. "They won't spare you, Gregor. If you have to surrender to survive, do it."

Gregor hesitated, before replying, "I will do what I must."

"Swear to me that you'll come back to us," she begged him. "Swear to me."

"I swear I'll come back," he swore, his heart aching from the pleading look in her eyes. "You'll see me again."

She sighed in relief. "I thought I'd never see you again. I didn't want you to come back for us."

"I'll always come back for my family," Gregor said firmly. "Always."

"I thought they'd kill you," she admitted. "I thought you didn't stand a chance. I didn't know… didn't know… you were so skilled."

Skilled? She probably wanted to say murderous. His mother had never seen him fight as a rager. The only person who had truly witnessed it was Boots, and she couldn't remember what it was like. It must have come as a shock to his mother to see her son fighting like a bloodthirsty, barbaric maniac.

"I went through a lot when I was gone," he responded. "I was so.. Angry and frustrated and… Broken."

"I'm sorry for arguing with you, Gregor," she said. "I didn't know how much that place and its people meant to you. If I did, I think I would have let you go, but… I'd lost so much. We'd lost so much. I didn't want to lose you too."

"I understand Mom," he said. "I would have done the same if I were you."

She smiled gently and tenderly, but also with a hint of melancholy. The last forty-eight hours of turmoil and chaos had brought her on a heart-stopping roller coaster ride which must have liberated her just as much as it devastated her.

"How's Luxa?" she asked abruptly.

He froze for a split second, as his journey with Luxa seemed to realise itself before his very eyes. They had gone through so much together, both as friends and as a couple. He remembered the disdain he felt for her when she arrogantly showed off in front of Boots and him. But as time went on, he soon discovered that she was way more layered… As if she wore different masks for different occasions, and deep down inside was just a vulnerable girl who bore the world on her shoulders.

In a certain sense, he knew exactly how Luxa and his mother felt sometimes. At various points in their lives, they all had to bear the burden of supporting a whole family or society on their own. Gregor, of course, didn't have it as tough as either woman. Sure, he risked his day every single time he flew into battle with Ares or Apollo, but his mother and Luxa had to be strong when no one else could be.

They had to be role models for those they cared for- in the case of his mother, she had to stand up and fight to keep the family together, as Lizzie and Boots looked up to her as an example. Luxa had a more unenviable task- to become a figure of pride and strength for the rest of her people. Sure, her marriage with Conrad and certain policies she proposed ended up making her unpopular, but her commitment to the city meant she still had many, many admirers.

"Gregor?" his mother asked, snapping him out of his brief lapse into the memory lane.

"Luxa's doing fine, I guess," he answered. "She's really stressed and she's had a topsy-turvy year… But yea, I think she's fine."

"That's good to hear," his mother said with another warm smile. "Are you… Are you and Luxa… you know… together?"

"It's complicated," he replied awkwardly. "We were together, but the last couple of weeks have really strained things."

His mother's warm smile faded slightly. "Oh dear," she sighed. "I liked Luxa. She had real attitude. And I've always liked girls with real attitude."

"Mmm," Gregor just grunted, shifting from foot to foot uncomfortably.

"She's a good girl, Gregor," his mother said earnestly. "You don't want to lose someone like her. I've had arguments with your dad before, but… I always tried not to let it get in the way of the relationship. So no matter what happens between you and Luxa, you should always do your best to stay together. I have a good feeling you two make each other better."

He pondered on his mother's words seriously. Luxa… was one of a kind. That description didn't even do her justice, and it wasn't just because of her position as queen. To find a woman so independent and yet so kind and loving was… like winning the lottery ticket. Sure, she could be difficult, but his mother was absolutely right. He had to treasure her like gold.

"I'll do my best," he assured his mother.

"That's good to hear," she replied. "I hope to meet her again some day, you know. When you come back here, please bring her with you."

"We'll see," Gregor said, almost too cheerfully.

"Gregor!" Mr Bennett called out.

Gregor's expression darkened considerably. Lowering his head once more, his voice softened to a whisper. "Goodbye, Mom."

"Goodbye, son," she said, pulling him into one last hug on this compound. "Remember, I will always love you. Always."

"I love you too, Mom," he said in return.

"Stay safe," she said. "Remember the promise you kept."

Gregor let go of her and nodded firmly to reassure her. She just smiled at him one last time and wiped her tears on her sleeve, before walking back into the house.

Yet another painful goodbye for Gregor. Saving his family had brought him great comfort, but had brought along a great deal of misery as well. Having come back into their love and then bid it farewell within the space of a couple of hours was extremely strenuous for his broken heart. He had been spun around in a whirlwind of emotions, and yet he couldn't take a break from it all. There was still so much to do.

Suddenly, out of the corner of his eye, he spotted a weird object amongst the grass.

A… bomb?

Gregor's rager senses peaked once more, and he approached it carefully with his sword. The small object could barely be seen by the naked eye, but Gregor's vision had splintered and he could see it a bit more clearly. It seemed to beep ever so softly, threatening to…

He quickly snatched it up. It was some weird mechanism or machine, which irked Gregor slightly because he wasn't particularly well-versed in the different technological advancements over the last two or three years. But upon closer examination, he could see a screen, with faint lines spreading across it. Was it.. Was it…

A map?

Amongst all the confusing lines lay a glaring red dot which was constantly flashing. It seemed like it was trying to pinpoint a location on this map, to signal to its user that a certain object lay somewhere…

The cloud of confusion began to dissipate ever so slightly. He glanced around aimlessly, before looking back down at this machine. Clearly whatever it was tracking wasn't anywhere around here, so this tracking device was pinpointing the location of someone or something far away from here.

Did it belong to the mercenaries? Or perhaps…

He flipped the device over and almost gawked in shock.

Calvin's family logo was printed on the device.

This tracking device belonged to Calvin, and he had probably activated it so that someone out there could find him. In fact, Gregor wagered that Calvin had deliberately left that for him. He must have known that Gregor was going to come back for his family, and that he would find the device.

That kid really was clever.

He quickly rushed over to Mr Bennett, who had somehow revved the car engine up despite all the damage the vehicle had suffered. The caretaker drove it over to Gregor, who quickly sprang into the backseat.

"Why the rush, sir?" Mr Bennett asked excitedly. "Do you have a lead on Calvin?"

"Perhaps," Gregor replied, eyeing the device a bit more.

"Where to, sir?"

"Back to the mansion, Mr Bennett."

"Sir?" Mr Bennett asked questioningly. "I thought you had a lead on Calvin?"

"Maybe I do," Gregor replied. "I need to use one of the computers back in the mansion and see whether I can figure this little thing out."

He lifted the tracking machine up for Mr Bennett to see. The old caretaker's eyes widened in surprise and delight. "So he's still alive?" Mr Bennett asked.

"He may not be," Gregor said grimly. "But he should be. They need to interrogate him about Regalia. I just hope he's held them off long enough."

"Sir, with all due respect shouldn't we be following the directions from this device?" Mr Bennett questioned Gregor.

"I need time to get a better understanding of it," Gregor explained. "I'm going to need to find similar devices to find out how it works. Then you'll just stay at the mansion and handle the press."

"Sir?"

"One of the mercenaries told me that Calvin's down in the Underland, being held by Snake and Flavius. There's not much help you can provide."

"But you can't be going alone, sir!" Mr Bennett exclaimed.

"I won't be," Gregor replied, feeling adrenaline pumping through his body.

He knew that whilst the timing wasn't exactly right, he had no choice but to ask for help. Calvin was going to need all the support he was going to get, but it could only be achieved if Gregor embarked on a covert mission. A covert mission where they would sneak in, kill quickly and break Calvin out of there. It was going to take more than just Gregor, and it was going to require the best.

Three individuals at most- Gregor, Apollo and…

Gregor could barely contain his smile at the thought. Things had been… rough… between the two of them, but Gregor was going to have to bite the bullet on this one. He knew that Calvin was counting on him, and now wasn't the time to let any personal grievances get in the way. Besides, there was a certain element of thrill about the whole thing.

Although despair had been the overwhelming sentiment shared by Mr Bennett and him over the last twenty-four hours or so, a new feeling began to burgeon in his chest.

Hope.


If you haven't noticed, the last word of this chapter is meant to be a tribute to Carrie Fisher. I grew up with Star Wars, and even though my love for it has waned, I just thought I'd honour a great actress with this final word. Some of you might get it, others won't.

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. It was quite fun to write. The ending of this chapter is deliberately vague and incoherent to build up some anticipation, but some of you might get it. Essentially, it alludes to the fact that Gregor will be turning to a certain someone to join him on the mission to save Calvin. Do you know who it is? This is my question for this chapter.

Also, if you haven't checked out my Christmas special, do check it out! I don't expect any kind of reviews or reactions, but if you'd like to express your thoughts please feel free to.

The New Year offers us a chance to change and become better people. It might seem insignificant to some, but try to think of it as a fresh start for all of us. Hopefully, 2017 will be a great year for us all. And I do expect this story to be complete by the end of 2017… Maybe even by summer.

I hope to see out this journey with all of you. It's been a privilege, and I'm really looking forward to the future.

For auld lang syne,

Fly you high.

Vengeous