Metalocalypse: Impending Doom

Chapter Twenty Four: Skwisgaar

**********Tw: mentions of abuse, torture, death of innocent child. Look for a really long line ( -------------) That comes before and after it.**********

Why should Skwisgaar care who Toki kissed? Why should he care who Toki had a crush on, how much Toki seemed to be pulling away from him, or the fact that Nathalia of all people was chosen before him? She wasn't bad looking, but he was better-looking, right?

So why was he laying in Salem's lap with frustrated tears running down his face, a few hours earlier?

Of course, it had to be Salem's fault for catching him in the hallway already having a mild breakdown, and just their concern was enough to snap the thin thread that was keeping him in place. Now he was curled up on this small person's lap, feeling their fingers scratching the back of his head so gently that it was helping him slip into unconsciousness. Pickles was also in the room, watching with drooping eyes as he leaned his head on Salem's shoulder.

Good for them, or whatever. But seeing them together made the bitter taste of whatever was plaguing Skwisgaar taste even sourer. It wasn't Pickles because he knew he felt nothing sexual toward him. The same thing with Salem. He knew it couldn't be Nathalia because she was... Nathalia. And it definitely wasn't Toki. What could possibly be making him drown in his tears like a pathetic child in the lap of someone he barely knew?

He must have fallen asleep, and he swore he had a dream at some point that he couldn't remember. Maybe something to do with a flower, but that was weird and very un-Skwisgaar of him to dream. Then the next thing he knew, he was on the floor with something jabbing into his back.

With a groan, the guitarist pulled himself up slowly, realizing it was his guitar that had stabbed him in the back, from becoming twisted behind him. Skwisgaar scrambled onto his feet, seeing Pickles and Salem doing the same, also having been tossed onto the floor like ragdolls.

Leaving the room seemed to only disorient them all further when everyone else began crowding the halls (with a few Klokateers on standby) until Abigail's signature heel clicks seemed to ground everyone. Leading them into the stupid little meeting room, Skwisgaar practically choked on his saliva to notice how many damn whales there were, bumping up against the side of Mordhaus or crossing in front of it. He'd never seen this many before and wasn't even sure if this was normal behavior. He certainly was no whale biologist to say.

"As it stands, there's nothing we can do until they get out of our way," Abigail explained to them. 

"Run them over?" Nathalia suggested. 

"No, afraid we can't do that," Abigail sighed. "Luckily it shouldn't take too long... hopefully. They've surrounded us on all sides but we'll be turning Mordhaus the second that there's a definitive opening."

As she spoke, one of the whales must have bumped Mordhaus again, because the place began to jerk violently. None of them had gained their footing fully after the first tumble, so they almost all went scattering again across the floor. Pickles' legs did the split while Salem stumbled forward and hit their knees, and Abigail gritted her teeth and leaned against the wall nearest to her to keep herself up. Even Bones had to catch himself before tripping over someone else but all he did in response to this was cackle maniacally.

"Glad someone's having fun," Nathalia muttered, having been knocked onto her ass.

Meanwhile, Skwisgaar dropped to his hands and knees, his head spinning as his skull smacked into something equally hard.  Blinking the dizziness out of his eyes, he saw Toki also on the ground and realized their heads had bonked together. Skwisgaar involuntarily stiffened up before straightening himself and standing on shaking legs. Nathalia pulled Toki up by his arm and seemed to shoot the swede a dirty look, but he had already turned his head to ignore them by that point. His throat felt so swollen and dry.