Sup fuckers?
Twisted here cause Dark's making vegan cookies-
Which...
Hope you guys enjoy the chapter!
It was nice to feel some tension draining.
Even if it was only just a little.
He sighs as he looks down to Mal, who was watching the barge intently.
Eyes narrowed.
Jaw tense.
Gripping on to his hand like a vice.
He turns to Jay, finding a slightly more resolved expression above the crossed arms.
Evie was squeezing the tube of lip gloss with determination stamped clearly on her face.
David and Nani were standing behind them, hand in hand as they watched over the group and the barge.
Concern was the only thing he could read in their faces.
"We loaded up all the provisions we could, they're taking a smaller load of trash this time out so they don't have to go as slow." He explains, feeling the need to share all the information he had.
Hope.
He just hoped it might help.
Somehow.
"They'll go even faster on the return back with the group." He continues.
"Smart," Jay nods somberly.
"Thank you for being so thoughtful," Evie adds.
Neither of them take their eyes off the barge.
"We'll send more on the next barge. Supplies are still being collected, but we won't know the full extent of what is needed until the others come over."
He looks up when a hand settles on his shoulder to find David with a half-hearted grin.
"Brah, you're doing everything you can do under the circumstances."
"Yeah man, don't beat yourself up over this." Jay adds, finally taking his eyes off the barge to stare at him, "You got it fixed as soon as you knew."
"They're tough. And Uma's crew looks out for each other, and T and Harry promised-" Evie takes a deep breath as she squeezes the gloss in one hand, "They promised they'd look out for others. And T and Deez have always gone out of their way to look out for people. It'll be okay."
It'd better be.
He glances around the group.
How could people not get it, see it? How good these kids were. Here they were, comforting him when they were the ones who had the most at stake.
His chest constricts.
"Besides, they had all those fucking supplies already. And Uma's a fucking softy, no way she'd hoard that all to herself." Mal finally adds as she hugs him.
He smiles at the softness she did her best to hide behind the disdain.
But, he hadn't missed the way Shrimpy had shifted to Uma over the last few weeks.
It was a good sign.
He'd need both of them to help get the rest settled enough to actually be able to function.
He'd seen how hard it was on the pack when they'd come over.
Culture shock didn't even begin to cover it.
Their entire world had been turned upside down, and that was just at the sight of a blue sky.
He takes a deep breath, "I'm sure you're all right." He nods, "You're all incredibly resourceful, and underneath the facades you were forced into, so very kind. I just- I don't think it'll ever feel like enough."
A blue sky.
Something most took for granted.
Something almost no one thought to stop and appreciate.
It hurt.
He'd ached over it.
Their looks when they'd stepped out of the limo.
How unsure they were under the tension.
How surprised.
He'd noted every expression when they'd stumbled upon something new.
Some things as simple as a rose.
Others, disturbing, even more so now, with his knowledge of why the cafeteria had bothered them so much.
He'd watched it all, captivated by their curious innocence.
Would the others be as enraptured?
So hesitantly appreciative?
Or-
He bites his lip.
How many would be jaded?
He couldn't imagine after all that Auradon had done to them-
Their entire lives.
-after two months of no food…
His teeth sink in deeper.
What could he ever possibly do for those ones, when he didn't even feel like he could make up for the ones who would just be happy to gain freedom?
It would be completely understandable, but…
What was he going to do for them?
Would it be all of them that had been left behind after he'd called upon the pack?
He closes his eyes and swallows whatever noise that had almost escaped his lips.
T's letter had been very poignant before they'd been cut off from-
He schools his grimace.
-food.
Let alone the basic essentials.
He takes a deep breath.
He was going to need to talk to Mal about that.
About the other kids who felt like T.
About T in general.
He was by no means the only protective one on the Isle. Deez had spoken about several others that were just as fiercely protective of their own.
Their own.
T though?
T viewed mostly everyone on the Isle as his to guard, as much as Deez needed to advocate for them.
He takes another deep breath, were any of them even going to be willing to trust him?
Trust the invitation?
That was going to be a very tentative situation.
And one he should've thought of much sooner.
He waits with them, standing there in the easy silence until the barge makes it out of the harbor and starts turning to head for the Isle before he sighs. "I should go excuse the council for the start of summer break."
David nods as he squeezes his shoulder once more before he steps back, "Give it to 'em good, brah."
"Good luck," Evie bats her eyes, though he was sure it was more to blink away her tears than anything else. "I know how difficult those meetings can be for you."
"I know it isn't easy," Nani smiles softly, "But you need a break from those hūpō*, too." She pats his back. "You can only swallow so much stupid before you end up making a Hiro of yourself."
He smiles up at them, grateful for the support.
"I'll go with you," Mal offers before she shrugs, "I can just wait in the car to help you get out of there faster."
He squeezes her hand, "Thank you."
He needed to speak with her about how to deal with his sudden epiphany before it could swallow him.
"See you guys for dinner?" Jay tilts his head to the side, "I mean, it's the last Mrs. Potts' meal we'll get before summer break starts."
Mal glares up at him as she points to Jay, "That. I want that."
He can't help his amusement, for all the world looks like the girl from Chuck's Chocolate factory as she stomped her foot. "Wouldn't dare." He clears his throat to keep from laughing.
She nods curtly, before she turns to Jay, "See ya there."
"Yep." Jay nods as he wraps his arm around Evie's shoulder and pulls her against his side protectively.
He smiles as he waves to them before he guides Mal to the car and opens the door for her, chuckling when she rolls her eyes.
"Chivalry takes some getting used to." Mal huffs as she ducks into the car.
He smiles before he quickly walks around the car and slides into the driver's seat, grinning when he sees she'd already fastened her seatbelt.
"I'll keep it up to give you plenty of practice."
She looks up at him, her face screaming 'i'm so done with you right now'.
"Too much?" He asks as he clicks his seatbelt in place.
"Oh, yeah." She shakes her head.
He half smiles, settling back into the seat as he grips the steering wheel.
"Beastie?" She lifts an eyebrow. "As funny as it would be, you're not going to rip off the steering wheel right?"
He blinks, "What? No."
He sighs.
He wasn't angry. Wasn't fighting a rage.
If anything, he felt-
Sad.
Sad and worried.
She snorts. "Don't be so indignant, s'not like I'm hating this side of you, just saying, you'd apologize about it forever and I'm not about that life."
She really wasn't hating this new thing?
The rage.
The anger.
The confusion over how he was becoming so good at damaging things.
Auradon help him if Evie ever discovered he was somehow shredding clothes.
"You just caught me off guard." He admits with a small smile.
"Ah," She nods, "back to being a space head it is."
"A little." He nods before he shifts in his seat, turning just enough to be able to face her, "I um, I had an uncomfortable realization while we were watching the barge, and I actually feel like an idiot for not thinking about it sooner."
She tilts her head to the side, "Intrigued, go on."
"How can anyone trust me after this? Trust an invitation? Trust my intentions?"
Her eyes narrow thoughtfully before she shrugs, "After two months with no food, they'll jump at the invite, and as for the rest? You earned ours, and have us backing you- So, like, they will. It might just take them a minute, but you're you, and we're shrewd."
It made him feel better to hear her speak about it with so much confidence.
He had worked hard to get them to trust him, had celebrated every victory he earned and relished in the friendships he formed with them.
But, that was before the Isle saw the barrier attacked. Before Maleficent left. Before the barges stopped coming.
"And what about the ones jaded by this?"
She closes her mouth to bite her lip instead, thinking for a long moment before she nods, "Jay and me can take care of it." She pauses, "And it isn't like Uma's leaving him behind. And I'm sure she's learned a trick or two when dealing with the shitiot."
That sounded bitter.
Did everyone have tricks up their sleeves for dealing with T?
Her eyes narrow, "I've found dangling the pup and the princess over his head works pretty well for me." She snaps her fingers, "Fucking, lost oppurtunities." She pouts before she lets out a mournful sigh, "Probably could've gotten him to roll over like Dude."
He snorts before his gaze drops to his hands, "Hopefully you'll get a chance to test that out."
"And here I thought you'd disapprove." She sighs, "But now that I have your blessings, noted."
"I wouldn't say blessing," He chuckles as he looks back up, "Just the understanding that I have no right to stop you."
"No, no, totally your blessing, remember I noted it," She points out, "I'mma get him to bark too." She rolls her eyes, "It's not like his boyfriend doesn't already, idiots." She snorts with a little too much glee, "Fuck, poor Uma. How the fuck is she dealing with those two?" Her eyes narrow, "Actually, now that I think about it, he does really respond to bones being dangled."
"They sound like a handful." He admits before he chuckles at her imaginative thoughts on what tricks Uma might be using to deal with T.
She suddenly bursts into laughter, "Fuck, the more I think about, the more him and Dude have in common. The bones. The begging. The attention-seeking. The following. The inability to read a room and a penchant for getting into trouble and getting underfoot."
He laughs with her.
At her pointed descriptions and comparisons. He never would have made the jump, but hearing it from her...
As true as she believed it to be, she was definitely trying to get him to smile with her tangent thoughts at this point.
Teasing him.
Distracting him from his concerns.
Comforting him just like she and the others had done at the dock.
"Thank you." He smiles at her when they both finally fall silent.
"For what?" She blinks up at him too innocently, "For realizing the Isle's fearsome Shadow is actually just a puppy in disguise?"
He snorts again, "Well, yes. Though you have kind of ruined my whole superhero image of him."
"You're welcome." She smiles before she shakes her head. "But, seriously, don't worry about his biting. We can keep him on a leash."
"The dog analogy is going to persist for a while, isn't it?"
"Oh, there's so much." She smiles wickedly her green eyes brimming with glee, "And he's going to loathe it." She rubs her hands together. "This is going to be beautiful." Her laugh was just as wicked as her smile. "That's it, I'm getting him a collar." She snorts, "With one of those dumb bells." She glances at him, "Seriously Ben, we've got it."
He chuckles as he turns back to face the steering wheel.
Her glee was enough to help him push through the worry.
Enough to get him through this meeting with the council.
He smiles as he pulls out of the parking lot.
"Thank you." He whispers again, "It's a lot easier to face these things when I have you on my side."
"And don't you forget it." She grins at him, "Cause pretty sure I can buy collars in bulk."
He snorts, though he also glances at her briefly from the side of his eye.
She was serious.
Huh.
Noted, somewhere in the back of his head for now.
"I can even get those little tags for them." She taps a finger to her lips. "Can we stop at Allmart before dinner?"
He sighs.
She already knew he would.
He loved taking her into stores.
This time he was just a little more resigned to a fate he was pretty sure he had mixed feelings on.
"Of course, but if you're getting one for me I demand a blue one." He teases.
If this was the line of thinking she was choosing to be on, might as well have fun with it.
"I'm not a monster Ben," She looks at him, "You can pick yours out. T though? I'm thinking pink."
"He'd never wear that."
"Please, E and C are two of that kid's favorite bones."
He snorts.
"But, fair, I'll only make him wear the pink one when he's earned his spot in the dog house."
He shakes his head as he relaxes in his seat and drives.
She'd managed to break his melancholy with the strangest conversation.
"Finally." Jay grins as he jumps up from the couch the moment he walks into Cobra's office.
"Yep," He breathes as he runs a hand through his hair.
"So," Jay prompts as he looks over his shoulder, "what do we have to do? How do we get around the barrier? Tomorrow's the first."
"And aren't you cutting it a little close?"
He glares at Cobra, "No shit." He frowns. "But," He glances at Jay before he rubs the back of his neck, and sighs as he looks away, "We're missing a component."
One.
One fucking goddamn piece of tech.
A piece of tech there were no useful equivalents of here.
Here, being their useless fucking galaxy.
Fuck, this planet was so behind technological times.
He scowls.
Cobra steeples his fingers as he stares him down with the barest hint of 'are you fucking serious' written all over his micro-expressions.
His head tips back as he stares at the ceiling before he runs a hand down his face. "I know. I know, okay?" He groans.
Kids.
So many fucking starving kids.
Kids they had no access to.
Well, real access to.
Operation Tailspin was an ongoing success at least.
It wasn't much, but...
He rolls his eyes.
At least one thing they'd gotten right.
Jay takes a deep breath before he nods, "That's okay. It's just one thing, right? You and Carlos can like, science one up and we'll get this done."
"Tch," He shoves his hands in his pockets. "Is it ever that easy?" He turns when he feels Cobra's eyes boring into him. "I know, I know all right." He rolls his eyes. "Take it down a notch Agent K."
Cobra sighs before he turns to Jay, "Please go get David and Nani, we need to rework the plan."
Jay nods before he darts out of the room.
He shakes his head before he shuts the door behind him, "We have like fifteen tops."
"I don't like keeping the video contents from the Isle hidden, but we all agreed it can not become public knowledge before we know if these kids are alive." Cobra crosses his arms behind his back as he stands from his desk. "We don't want to push Mal, Jay, Evie, or Carlos into crisis."
He walks over and falls back on the couch, one leg off to the side as the other hangs off the arm. He huffs as he slings his arm over his eyes.
Great.
"I know that," He groans, "So what, we give it to the King or some shit?"
Cobra looks down at his desk, "Handing the footage over to the King is the right thing to do, but not the best thing for these kids. It's not that I don't trust him to do something about it."
He groans. "You could just tell him your concerns. Keep it in the room and whatever other shit you do to shove shit in the shadows."
"And put the King in a position where he will be forced to not act on the information? Or risk that the footage will be leaked, like so many other things surrounding this situation have been?"
"Hey!" He braces himself on his elbows and glares, "I built his new tech myself."
"It's not the tech I have concerns about." Cobra slowly shakes his head, "It is the way this place is run. Adam is not the only one in power, he's just the herder of the squabbling councils built to run various areas. In this case, I believe that leaving him and Ben out of it, for now, would be for the best. It provides them the necessary plausible deniability if our conspiracy is found out. The last thing we need is for this Kingdom to fall to pieces because he kept such sensitive information private."
"Tch. Fuck this Kingdom's stupid backwards-ass bureaucracy. "
"In theory, it's a good system." Cobra sighs, "But in practice, it's hard to hold complete accountability." He takes his glasses off, "Which is the basis for our need to operate on our own, without the crown. The kids already struggle with the King without dealing with his hands being tied on this. That would only hinder their trust in him, leaving us with an even larger problem."
He makes a crude gesture, "-this system."
Cobra tilts his head to the side, clearly resigned as he nods in agreement, "Moving on. How long do you need to get the part? I assume that's the hold-up here, you can't build something quick enough or something powerful enough to counteract the magic of the barrier without risking destabilizing it completely."
"Yep," He groans, "a week or two. Hopefully less."
Dumb.
This was so fucking dumb.
Everything here was so ass-backward…
He frowns.
And, yeah, sure, their country was a shit show too, but, fuck man.
Basic human rights and shit should never be a question when it came to innocent kids who were locked away with fucking-
Murderers.
Curse casting psychos.
And kami damn fucking-
-rapists.
He drops his arm to scowl at the ceiling.
"Where?"
"Evil eye, NGC forty-eight twenty-six."
"Sounds ominous."
"Sounds. It's like the convention spot. It's a pretty isolated galaxy which makes it neutral turf. I wouldn't take Chibi-chan and Scary Girl if I-"
"You're taking Evie as well?"
"Figured it would just be safer," He shrugs, "With evil cunt squared hangin' 'bout. Good luck gettin' past my ship's security while we're moving a ridic amount of lightyears an hour." He folds his arms under his head, "Bitches will be mosquitoes on a windshield. 'Sides there's like ten conventions there this month and one of them is like a designer something or other-ish."
"Getting Carlos and Evie off-planet will make it significantly simpler to track my theories down." Cobra nods, "So long as you can acquire the part quickly and make it back."
"Don't be dumb, in and out of the tech fair, a couple of- fuck I only hope like two hours- at the fashion exchange, meet the seller, grab the part-" He grins, "and boom. I'll make sure we have plenty of fuel to burn hot on the way back."
Cobra nods before his door opens.
"It's called knocking," He teases.
"You mean like you did on my session?" Jay crosses his arms over his chest.
"Just like." He grunts as he ends up on the floor, looking up to find David. "Sup, brah?"
"Brah, respect the session."
"Right." He nods at the glare on the usually laid-back man's face.
"I'm not upset," Jay shrugs, "this is way more important. I was just making a point."
Nani shakes her head as she looks between them and then turns to Cobra, "What's changing?"
"A week or two, apparently." Cobra leans against the wall.
"Hai." He nods as he pushes himself up from the floor, "About a week to get there, meet the seller, get the part, and back in less than a week." He turns to Jay, "But it's the only thing standin' between us and the barrier so after that, it'll be nothing but grand theft, treason, kidnapping, some aiding mostly abetting, a fuck ton of conspiracy and consensual crimes between us and the rest o' you."
"Piece of cake." Cobra nods.
Jay shakes his head, "I don't care-" He blinks, "I mean I do care about you guys, and I don't want anything to happen to you, but seriously I don't care if I get in trouble."
"Legit," He grins at the kid, "You'd make a great superhero, ya know that." He chuckles before pain blossoms from the back of his head, "Naaaaani!?* I was just sayin'!"
"Focus Lolo," Nani glares at him from across the room.
"So violent today, brah." He rubs the back of his head as he looks at David in amusement.
"You know what you did." David shakes his head, "Anyways," He sighs, "Is Tailspin gonna be able to keep going in your absence?"
"I'm an ass, not a monster." He huffs, "I've had that shit on lock since we located the target yesterday."
Jay narrows his eyes at him for a moment before he shakes his head, gesturing as if he were dismissing something. "Good. Is that where the Pup is?"
"Nah, he's collecting Scary Girl."
"For what?" Nani glares.
"She'll be accompanying Hiro and Carlos to keep them away from their MIA OV's."
He can't help the snort when he catches David and Nani looking at Jay.
"No." Jay shakes his head as he looks between them, "Just no, I'm staying here."
"Don't worry brah," He jumps to his feet and walks over to clap him on the back, "You weren't invited."
Like fuck was he dealing with that.
He was broody enough.
He and Jay would set Carlos on edge.
"See, not even invited." Jay shrugs, "I'd be hurt, but no. Evie can keep an eye on him and the Pup. He's scared of her. I actually like this idea."
"He ain't wrong." He slides his hands in his pockets as he pointedly avoids David and Nani's glares.
"Jay-"
"C'mon, he's bad enough when he can't see the barrier, you really want him having a heart attack, with me and, yeah sure Baymax, but I mean, anxiety-induced heart attacks are a bit different than functional ones, in space? Don't do him dirty like that."
David sighs, but Nani continues to glare at him and Jay.
"Mom, please, I'll chill or whatever you want to do," Jay quickly promises, "but I'm not leaving. Not when we're this close."
"'Sides as much as I love Malgon, ain't like I can take princess in waiting without adding extra unnecessary attention." He adds. "You think he's gonna be able to leave her with just the HKs? As awesome as they are, no. Which brings us right back to an anxiety-induced heart attack."
"Okay, not everything is about heart attacks here-"
"Ssshhh," He shakes his head.
"It's about knowing what I can and can't do-"
"Yeah, also that." He nods as he rocks back and forth on his heels.
"And I can't leave right now." Jay finally finishes.
"And shouldn't be forced to. Scary Girl and Chibi-Chan are going to actually get something outta this trip-"
Nani holds her hand up, silencing him before she walks over and takes Jay by the shoulders, "You lolo, I was never going to force you." She hugs him as she glares over his shoulder, "I would, however, liked to have talked about it more."
"Brah," David steps to Jay's other side, "We do get it. It'd just make us feel better." He sighs before he turns to him.
"What?"
David looks to Nani and back before he rubs the back of his head "I forget." He shrugs sheepishly.
Then why did he look so damn grateful? And not want to say whatever it was in front of-
Oh.
Got it.
Standing up for Jay.
Duh.
The kid didn't need to be put up against a fence. Even if it was a fence crackling with parental worry.
He grins, "No big." He shrugs.
"Now that we all agree Jay needs to stay-" Cobra interrupts as he levels his gaze at all of them in turn, "We need to think of what we'll be telling Snow White."
"We're taking her to Hawaii for ideas on new bathing suits RL so she can see how they actually fit real people. Boom." He crosses his arms as he leans against the wall.
"Correction, you're taking her and Carlos." David grins, "If Jay is staying near Mal, then we are too."
He nods, "True. 'Sides, I can just throw in the part where it'll probably confuse the shit outta Queen Bitch."
"Then why are you still standing here?" Cobra asks.
He sighs as he pushes himself off the wall and glances at Jay, "I expect you to be at lunch for the send-off. Gonna be weird if your scowl is missin'." He heads for door, "Celebratory pizza party if the rest of you are interested."
"Can't wait for that part." Jay admits with a small smile.
He chuckles as he throws his hand over his shoulder, "Ja ne*."
*Ja ne - is japanese for 'see ya'
*Nani- Japanese for 'what'
*hūpō- Hawaiin for idiots
OMG, that convo between Ben and Mal is just nothing but gold.
Bonus, wasn't even sexual just Mal being gleeful about the thought of having that much control over T.
Do you guys think he'd seriously do it though? Wear a collar at Mal's behest?
And Ben just rolling with it?
Can you imagine?
Prince of the Kingdom walking around with a dog collar?
Though let's be honest, Ben's mind was so in the gutter on that one. *cough* Dark *cough*
We are trying our best to get the Core 4 more like the Sea Fam where they're more *narrows eyes* Hormonal? Or at least interested in sex. But C is too young. E is definitely the 'wait till you're married' type. Mal is emotionally repressed as you can get in every sense of the word, and thus doesn't recognize what she's feeling even if she has been turned on the last few chapters. And Jay was a slut on the Isle but is 1. Taking it at Lonnie's pace and 2. Is chock-full of anxiety.
So if you were hoping for them sex scenes, I'm sorry we're not there yet.
D.S. Rider looking at you. We totes haven't forgotten your request. We just haven't been able to work it into the story naturally yet, but rest assured that scene will be written the minute it makes sense. We promise we remember and are sad that it's not happening in this book cause we really want that scene for you.
As for the rest,
What did you guys think about Cobra and Hiro's convo?
A week?
A week until we get to see who survived?
A week till we see what condition these kids are in?
A week to see what's happened to our beloved Sea Fam?
That's a long fucking time when you put it in that perspective.
But, are you guys excited to see C and E in space?
Does it make sense that Hiro wants to take the two?
Fave Quote:
"Hai." He nods as he pushes himself up from the floor, "I'll be able to meet the seller, get the part, and be back in a week." He turns to Jay, "But it's the only thing standin' between us and the barrier so after that it'll be nothing but grand theft, treason, kidnapping, some aiding mostly abetting, a fuck ton of conspiracy and consensual crimes between us and the rest o' you."
What was yours?
Much love and shit,
-Twisted