Hey Guys,
So, I apologize for missing the update on Friday last week. There was a death in the family Thursday night and things have just gotten away from me.
I'm posting this chapter now, and then I'll post another chapter when I normally would.
Lots of Love Descendants Fam,
-Dark-
Two days.
It had been two fucking days.
Two days since the swearing-in ceremony.
Two days since Maleficent escaped from the Isle.
Two days since everything went to shit and their friends had run away.
Two days since they'd started hunting them down.
Two days of absolutely nothing.
Two damn days.
And now this.
Where the fuck were they?
He sighs as he turns to look between Lonnie and Doug. "They're not here." He frowns.
He'd been trained to track since he could walk. They were in the wrong place.
Again.
He rubs his temples.
None of them had been able to sleep.
Were too worried to eat.
Seriously, it was all he could do.
Think.
Stare uselessly at maps.
Go over everything he'd ever learned from any of his father's men.
Over.
And over.
And fucking over.
Was he missing something?
Had he lost anything useful in his stupid brain?
Their friends had all been in such rough shape. There should be something-
Anything to track.
Blood trails.
A lopsided gait.
There should be reports.
Missing medical supplies.
A break-in, maybe even break-ins.
But they kept coming up short.
What were they missing?
He chews his lip.
"Well, they have to be somewhere." Doug huffs before he shakes his head, "They wouldn't go back to the Isle."
"Not with Evie and Carlos anyways." Lonnie sighs as she runs her hand through her hair.
His eyes sweep the street until they land on a storm drain. "I know a place we haven't checked yet." He'd suggested it the other day. He'd just hoped he'd been wrong.
The thought of the four in the sewers with so many open wounds made him sick to his stomach with worry.
Lonnie grimaces when she follows his gaze, "They'd have to be-" she sighs, "yeah, I mean desperate is desperate, right?"
He slowly nods. "You guys don't have to come if you don't want to." He shoves his hand through his hair.
"We'll have to call Ben and let him know before we start." Doug continues on as if he hadn't heard him, shouldering the pack on his back firmly before he nods.
"Ugh." Lonnie groans as she stares at the drain. "I got it." She shakes her head as she pulls out her phone and starts thumbing the screen.
"Yeah, with that reaction- I'm even more sure that's where they went." He breathes out. "Doug." He tilts his head towards the drain. "Think they could've slipped down one? They're pretty wide."
Doug frowns as he looks at the opening before he shakes his head. "Maybe Carlos… But it would be hard if they were still carrying-" He sighs. "Give me a minute." He opens his phone.
He shifts. He wasn't a patient person by any stretch of the imagination- But this? This was fucking killing him.
Seriously.
What the fuck was wrong with their kingdom that they would face the sewers in their condition- After saving everyone?
He knew they'd been worried- paranoid even, about being sent back to the isle. But to be this desperate.
He grimaces.
Their parents couldn't touch them here.
That's what they'd all assured them.
Time and fucking time again.
And then Mal's mother came for her.
How bad had that fucked with her? With all of them?
Fuck, no wonder they fucking ran.
They weren't even sure if any of the other villains escaped yet.
He would bet all his games that was the only reason Ben wasn't with them. He was too busy making sure that when they were found, this wouldn't happen again.
That they would be safe.
Not that the gang would ever trust them about that again.
Fuck. He wipes at his eyes furiously.
Trust.
One oh' One was like his best friend.
No, not like.
He was his best friend.
Who gave a shit that he was several years younger.
He'd never connected with someone as quickly as he had Carlos. Had never felt so free to be himself.
So, like, not judged.
That little gamer tech junkie came into his life and actually cared about him.
He wanted to see him win at life and not just exist.
But also didn't make him feel like a loser for wanting simple things.
No wonder he wanted to fucking cry.
And if he felt that way over a best friend…
How were Doug, Ben, and Lonnie keeping their shit together?
Respect.
He looks up when Lonnie sighs. "Ben says if we want to check an entrance, we can carefully go for it, but he's pulling the sewer networks for us when we get back. He also mentioned making sure there would be plenty of hot water and soap waiting for us."
He nods. Go ahead or not, he was going to do it. But he supposed it was nice to have permission. And blueprints would definitely make shit easier.
"Got it!" Doug looks up with a grin. "There's construction a few blocks from the church. If that's where they are, that has to be where they entered."
He nods, "Then let's go check that out."
"Right," Lonnie nods as she looks around. "Just- Give me a minute." She says before she runs into the gas station across the street.
He watches her for a moment before he looks at Doug to ask how he was holding up, but the words die on his tongue.
Badly.
He was holding up Badly.
Dark circles. Red, glassy eyes. Messy hair. Untucked shirt. Forgotten bow tie.
And a bruise from where he kept pinching his nose under his glasses.
"There's no way they're going to let anything bad happen to her."
"I know. She survived that place her whole life. She can handle the streets of Auradon." Doug sighs before he pinches his nose. "But that's what bothers me. They can handle the streets. The sewers. It could take forever to find them… And that's us hoping to find them first."
"If Hiro and us are having a hard time-" He scoffs, "No way we're not finding them first. Fucking hacks."
The confidence in his voice doesn't stop him from readjusting his bow or checking his quiver.
Doug sighs as he slowly nods, "Positive thinking. I know, no sense getting worked up about something that might not even happen." He absently adjusts the first aid kit he had turned his messenger bag into.
"I'm back!" Lonnie catches up to them. "Thanks for waiting. Let's go."
He looks down at the bulging bags in her hands and finds himself smiling. Flashlights, batteries, colored permanent markers, garbage bags, and fruit.
"Good thinking." He nods as he takes a pack of markers and starts attaching them to the strap across his chest, "Better than breadcrumbs."
"My rents raised me right." She grins weakly. "So, let's go find our friends."
She fucking loved their pup.
She honestly didn't know what they would do without him sometimes.
He was so ingenuitive and quick on his feet.
She'd always known that. It was why she'd claimed him on the Isle. But he'd become absolutely indispensable in this new world they'd found themselves in.
So when he'd found his way to this abandoned train thing, she could've kissed him.
But it was all she could do to hug him.
Usually, he flinched when she was unexpectedly affectionate with him.
This time though?
He'd just shouted his concern and pulled her to a bench.
It had been painfully sweet.
She had never fully appreciated her newfound freedom of expression like she had in that moment.
And the fact he'd just hugged her and sat with her quietly when she finally lost it and cried...
It meant so much to her.
She was still embarrassed for losing it.
But she hadn't been able to fully comprehend everything that had happened until they were safe.
And then it all hit her at once.
She'd turned into a fucking dragon.
They'd lost everything they'd been working for.
She was never going to see Ben again.
They were never going to see their friends again.
They were going to be hunted.
They were going to be sent back if they were found.
They'd nearly gotten hundreds of people-
Important people.
Like Kings and Queens important killed.
They were all injured.
They had no idea what was wrong with Evie.
She'd fucking fought her mother.
And won.
Fucking won.
Had somehow managed to turn her into a damn fucking lizard.
She should've stomped it.
If tables had turned, that's what mother would've done to her. But she hadn't been able to bring herself to do more than poke at her in sheer disbelief.
She glances over to where Carlos was curled around Evie.
She hadn't done so much as stir since she'd gone down.
And Jay?
She sighs.
It had to have been over an hour since he'd left.
So much for not splitting up.
She rolls her eyes. Fucking Jay.
What Jay meant to say was, I'm the only one allowed to leave, but only after I get you three safe first.
Tears blur her vision.
He wasn't wrong though.
She hated it, but he was right.
She'd be recognized on sight. Her picture had been plastered all over the news and tabloids the last several weeks. Even with a giant gash on the side of her face, she wouldn't have been able to sneak.
Especially not in this dress.
Or at least what was left of it.
Evie was going to pass right the fuck back out again when she saw the hack job she and Jay had made of the skirt.
She sighs.
Evie and Carlos were also easily recognizable.
Snow White and her husband hadn't made their adoption of Evie a secret, same with Hiro fucking Hamada and Lilo.
Hiro was already well known with nerds, but calling out Queen Leah had turned him into some kind of star.
Not to mention Blue, purple, and white hair stood out like a goblin in a pink dress in Auradon.
Ugh.
She could just hear it.
His lectures.
She scowls.
Fucking T and his need to fucking blend in.
She sighs as she wipes at her face, but stops in disgust when she remembers where she is.
The sad truth was, she would kill to have him here right now. If anyone knew how to keep hidden and survive, it was that little shit.
She'd kill to have Deez too.
Fuck she missed her obnoxious positivity. Her ability to inspire. Her strength.
Her fucking heat.
She rubs her bare arms at the thought.
There were so many things she'd always taken for granted.
A small noise pulls her attention to the bench across from her again.
"E?" Carlos asks as he sits up.
She jumps to their side before she can even think, kneeling to look into Evie's face that was dazed with exhaustion.
"What? Wait… Where are we? What happened?"
She shares a look with Carlos before she sighs. "We ran." She explains softly as she takes Evie's hand in hers. "As for where we are…" She looks around the tunnel.
"We're in an old underground train station." Carlos quickly explains, "No big deal, we're just waiting for Jay to get back.."
"It's so cold." Evie shivers, "And dark."
"Here, lean on me, and Mal can sit on the other side of you."
She nods as she and Carlos help her up and nearly sit on top of her.
"Ahh." Evie breathes out, "Thanks," She adds softly as she pulls her legs to her.
At least she wasn't freaking out about their clothes.
Probably because she couldn't see them well, but still.
She blinks when she feels Evie's shaking, her eyes meeting Carlos right before the sobs hit.
"E…" She frowns as she and Carlos adjust to press close and wrap their arms around her.
"Is- Where is Jay?" Evie struggles to get out. "Did he-"
"He's fucked up." She admits, "But it's Jay, so he insisted we stay here while he went to go find some supplies and food."
Evie nods. "Doug…?"
She bites her lip as she looks away.
"We're not sure… We ran the minute Mother turned into a tiny lizard."
"Wait-" Evie looks up with big eyes, "What? We won?"
She nods. "Yeah," She sighs, "We did…"
She would've sworn that finally beating her mother would make her smile, but saying it out loud only seemed to cement the realness of everything that happened.
"Everyone was still frozen when we ran. Well- Except Fairy Godmother." Carlos adds. "And everyone outside- Fuck E, we thought she'd killed them." He swallows, "But she'd just put them to sleep."
"Can't rule the dead." She grumbles morbidly.
"Oh…" Evie sniffs before another sob hits her. "We were just starting to fit in. I finally- Doug, and you and Ben. And Jay and Lonnie- And and Roy and Carlos- and... and we were fitting in so well!" She wails quietly.
She'd thought her heart couldn't hurt more than it already was, but Evie's lament had a new wave of pain slicing through her chest.
"I know." She closes her eyes as she hugs Evie tighter. "I know." Her words echo eerily in the emptiness around them.
But when a noise echoes back to them in the distance, even Evie manages to go silent as they collectively hold their breath.
When a small beam of light hits them she jumps to her feet, shielding Carlos and Evie behind her as she shoots her nastiest glare in its direction.
"You're getting slower." Jay coughs as he lowers the light.
"Oh fuck you," She sighs in relief, her head reeling from standing so fast.
"Sorry." The beam of light shifts, revealing an arm with bags hanging from them, "It was hard getting back to you."
"Tch, bet it was." She shakes her head as she rushes over to help him. "Stubborn ass." She shakes her head as she supports his weight to guide him back to the others.
"Yeah yeah yeah." Jay chuckles weakly, "Just get the bags, please."
"Fine." She quickly moves to do as asked. "But you look like shit-" She lets out a noise of distress when he falls at her feet. "You fucking dick head!" She glares as she falls to her knees beside him, bracing his shoulder against her chest.
"Oh hey E," Jay smiles as the flashlight in his hand rolls to the ground, "glad to see-"
She groans when he passes out.
How the fuck was she supposed to move him? Even in good shape, it was a struggle.
"I'll help Jay," She hears Carlos say before his hands pass in front of her to take Jay by his shoulders, "You and E sort through the bags?"
"Let me help you first." She shakes her head.
"We just need to get him laying down. The ground is fine."
She looks between Evie and Jay with a frown. "I want him against the wall though," She frowns.
"Got it." Carlos furrows his brow before he looks up at her, "Did he get blankets?"
She jumps when she feels someone at her side.
"Here," Evie shakily takes the bags, kneeling as she looks through them before she pulls a blanket out. "Always so thoughtful." She hands Carlos the blanket.
"Let me lay it out, and we can work together to move him." Carlos smiles as he systematically rips the tags and bits of plastic off the thin blanket, "I think we're all pretty drained."
She nods before she and Carlos struggle to move Jay to the blanket, grimacing when they're forced to roll him onto it.
"Fucking ass hole." She huffs in concern.
"M, he's just protective." Evie defends softly.
"Yeah, I know." She runs a hand through her hair before she pulls it out with a wince. Fuck.
"And he bought a lot of stuff for us." Evie continues as she looks through the bags.
"Sounds like him." She grunts as she and Carlos pull Jay's heavy ass towards the wall.
"We can set up a bed here against this wall," Carlos pats the wall once they settle Jay, "it feels warmer than the others, probably pipes or something on the other side."
She nods, "Thanks, Pup."
See? This. She could hug him all over again.
"He got us, well, I mean they hardly count as real clothes, but it's the thought that matters."
"E-" She rolls her eyes. "I know it's not-" She sighs.
"I'll live M," Evie interrupts her, "I'm just saying."
"Kay." She turns to Carlos, "You can get him settled?"
"Yeah. I uh, I just need, if he got a first aid kit or-"
"Right." She nods before she pushes herself to her feet and walks over to Evie. "Come on you pain in the ass." She breathes as she helps Evie to her feet. "Me and the pup can move the bags over. You-" She knew better, "Need to rest."
"We all need to rest M. And eat. He even got us water."
"E. I love you, but if you don't listen to me right now, I will spell you back to sleep."
Evie looks up at her and blinks once before she nods, "Okay. Fine. I'm going."
"That's our princess." She nods in approval before she helps Evie stagger back to the boys. "Now stay." She orders, leaving out the before she had a heart attack.
They didn't need to know how close she was to full-blown panic.
She rummages through the bags before she pulls out the medical supplies and rushes back to Carlos. "Here." She hands it to him, trusting him to take care of Jay while she slowly drags the rest of the bags closer.
Mother. She groans.
How Jay carried all of this shit in his condition was beyond her.
After several trips back and forth, she finally collapses in front of them, annoyed by how much the simple task exerted her.
"Where're we at?" She asks, trying to keep her voice even.
"We got Jay," Carlos hesitates, "relatively cleaned up."
"I can accept that answer." Evie nods stiffly.
Of course they were both freaking out about cleanliness right now. "The damage?" She rolls her eyes.
"His chest, back, and arms look pretty bruised, and one ankle is swollen. He's got some cuts and scrapes we've taken care of and bandaged, but I'm not sure what to do for his ribs other than wrap them. He was," Carlos sighs, "being very T about all of this."
"That checks." She rolls her eyes before she gathers supplies to stitch. "C'mere Pup." She shifts to her knees and pats the ground in front of her.
The look Carlos gives her almost makes her toss everything aside to pull him into her arms. Fucking lip quivers.
"Does it need stitches?"
"It bled for a couple of hours," She frowns, "Sorry."
"I'll hold your hand C." Evie offers before she shifts to face her, "Let Mal help."
She closes her eyes as she does her best to ignore the whimper, sighing in relief when he settles in front of her without another word.
"I can hold the light, M." Evie reaches for the flashlight at her side.
"Nah," She picks it up. "Just keep him distracted." She pops the flashlight in her mouth to shine it on the nasty but thankfully small gash.
She already hated herself.
This was going to suck.
Fuck if my heart doesn't break after this one.
Hope I'm not suffering alone.
The HKs alone…
And the VKs.
Man. *Shakes head* Just fuck.
That being said, I have a few questions. *I know shocking, right*
What did you think about Roy's introspection?
Par for course or…?
What about their faith in Hiro?
Was Mal's thoughts as heartbreaking for you as it was for us?
Seriously, I like forgot some of this shit existed, and these last couple of chapters?
Mood.
But, yay! Evie woke up!
Boo, Jay passing out.
And what about Mal's thoughts?
Shook she actually wants T?
*Which by the way LoLs her sudden understanding of T's desire for them not to stick out. More LoLz she's so right. He would be hella smug- That is til he saw them at least. Blood would probably have been shed.*
I mean Deez makes a little more sense, but still, it's different for her to actually admit she needs help right?
Fave Quote:
Had somehow managed to turn her into a damn fucking lizard.
She should've stomped it. -Mal
What about yours?
Much love and appreciation
-Twisted