Hey Descendants,

Sorry for the late chapter. I lost a few days to a migraine's wrath.

Not fun.

But the moment I was not seeing double I remembered to post; yay me!

Anyway, on to the chapter.

Lots of Love!

-Dark-

It was so nice to be in a real shelter.

Safe.

Well, as safe as they could be.

He was so relieved that this part of the district managed to stay standing for the most part.

Sure, there was a giant crack in the ceiling.

And it was a complete mess.

But overall?

It could've been so much worse.

More amazing was the fact they hadn't run into any trouble on the way here.

Well, amazing and eerie.

It was disturbing to see the town so empty.

So quiet.

Everything just felt so surreal right now.

So just-

The last time he'd been awake, it had been business as usual.

Now though?

Now it was like the entire world had been turned upside down.

He sighs as he looks around.

The pictures Harry had taken of Mal's art had been far from justice.

He smiles at the picture of Carlos.

As much as his absence felt like a hole in his heart, he had never been happier his friend wasn't here.

He wasn't sure what the younger boy would've done.

He grimaces.

Though he was pretty sure it would have involved a lot of blood and cleaning.

He lets out a heavy sigh before he shakes his head and stares at the wall across from him.

The mural there left him confused, but at the same time, it amused him as well.

It was gorgeous.

So well done.

From one artist to another, he could definitely appreciate the time and effort Mal put into it.

It was just so-

He winces at the memory of her treatment of T at the library.

But looking at this mural?

He never would've guessed that Mal had such violent proclivities when it came to the Isle's guardian.

It had been hard to make out at first.

Hard to discern the dark shades of grey from the black.

But after they lit a few candles?

It was beautiful.

Every bit as dark and menacing as T wished he was.

He was going to have to bring Uma here to see it herself.

He turns towards Deez's corner.

The Dragon had undoubtedly done his family justice.

The wicked smile on his Treasures lips.

The way the flames surrounding her licked the walls?

The way her eyes sparkled, hinting at her more mischievous side.

It was everything he'd been sure Mal hated about Deez, but here? In her sanctuary?

It was as clear as day the love she had for them, and that more than anything else since he'd woken up had warmth curling in his chest.

He drops his eyes down to where Deez was sleeping on her bed.

Her bed.

As in, Mal put a bed in here for her.

His eyes glance back to Carlos's side of the room.

They were the only two that slept here, apparently.

Well, and probably T if the art in front of the couch was any indication.

The Dragon, contrary to popular belief, really did take care of her own.

He frowns as his heart goes out for the shorter girl.

How hard it must've been for her.

How thick her mask must've been.

To feel so deeply and be so afraid to show it.

It made his heart hurt.

He sighs as he stands and walks over to where Deez was resting.

He'd wanted to keep watch.

Had to fight her about it.

It should have scared him, would have if it had been any other time, that she'd given in quickly.

Even she had no idea how long she'd been awake.

He'd wanted to stand guard.

But he was exhausted, and his head injury wasn't helping anything.

She made a good point. They were as secure as they could be, especially with the way they'd barred the door.

He smiles.

And she would be super happy to see him keeping his promise.

That sealed the deal.

He crawls into the bed and pulls Deez close, carefully minding her shoulder as he curls around her protectively.

She whimpers in her sleep, the sound stabbing his heart like a dagger, before she adjusts to nuzzle the back of her head against his chest.

He grimaces as he rests his cheek against her pillow.

She was putting up a strong front.

She was doing her best to not worry him.

But he was worried.

They needed to figure out what to do about her shoulder.

They needed their family together.

He knew they were all doing their best, wherever they were, just like he and Deez were.

Uma had Harry.

They wouldn't let anything happen to each other.

T had Faustina to think about.

He wouldn't let anything happen to her.

So, for now, it would be best to get the rest they needed before they hunted down their wayward family.

Fuck!

He shoots up so quickly the room spins as he staggers to his feet.

What had-

That had been glass.

Glass shattering.

Hell, he looks around wearily as he gets his bearings.

Had it shattered here?

Or had it been outside?

Did it matter?

He slowly makes his way through the hideout, ready to protect Deez with everything he was worth.

Why she hadn't woken up- though concerning- was going to have to wait.

Right now he needed to-

His eyes widen as he lets out a scream and scrambles back.

What the-

His eyes open in terror as one massive hairy leg plants itself on the ceiling.

Was he still sleeping?

What the hell type of nightmare-

He'd never felt so awake in a dream-

He'd never wished he was in a night terror before, but as another leg appears-

He scrambles back to the wall.

"Hello?" A hooded head sticks through the window underneath whatever fucking monster was above them.

He swallows.

No.

There was no way.

Not so easily.

But it sounded like-

And who else would be okay with-

His thoughts shut off when two more legs join the others.

And then a giant head appears.

He was too afraid to take his eyes off the giant spider; the only movement he seemed capable of was dragging his hands down his face.

Deez!

Shit!

He scrambles to his feet before he's grappled with so much force it knocks him off balance.

The scream meant to warn Deez gets cut off.

Swallowed by-

Lips?

He slowly opens one eye.

"Gil!" T cries in disbelief as he grips him so tight he can barely breathe, tears leaving streaks down what he could see of his dirty face beneath the hood.

He stares up at him, all thoughts of the spider gone.

"T?"

"Jesus fucking- What happened to your- Did you fucking forget who I was?" T jumps off of him and backs up, hands up. "Cause I swear we know each other."

He blinks, "I know."

"Gil?" He hears Deez call out for him before he looks up to see her sliding off the foot of the bed.

"Shit!" A black blur beats him.

Deez squeaks in pain as she's tackled to the floor, T straddling her as he presses her to him.

"T!" Deez screams, "Arm, arm!"

It would have been comical if it wasn't for the circumstances.

T shoots up and scrambles away, only to trip and fall.

He flaps awkwardly, as if trying desperately to keep his balance-

Oh, he was trying not to fall on the bed!

-and yet somehow manages to faceplant.

He sighs at the yelp of pain.

T wasn't a yelper, especially not from a fall like that.

It would've been too much to ask for them to be unharmed anyways.

What mattered was the fact they were two members closer to having their full family again.

"Sorry!" Deez pants as she stares up at the ceiling from her back.

And then she starts screaming.

Screaming and kicking as if she were trying to dig through the floor.

T stares at her before his hood tilts to the side.

"Deez!" He pulls her to him as carefully as he can with her fighting to put distance between her and the spider looming overhead, "It's-"

"Spi- Spi-" She grimaces as her shoulder pops, "Fuck!"

"Oh," T falls to his back as he looks up at the beast clinging to the ceiling, "That's a cute nickname. Can I call you Spi-Spi? Or do ya jus' want me to call you Addy?"

Deez shakes her head against his chest as he presses his back to the wall.

The fuck was he-

"T…" he says, slowly and calmly as he watches the spider in the corner of the room, "come. Here."

T turns to look at him, "You do remember me," he languidly rolls to his feet as he walks over to him.

Like there wasn't-

No.

No.

Addy had been huge-

But this thing was massive.

Bigger than Senior.

Like one leg was Senior massive.

"I am sorry if I have scared your nestmates."

"No! No no no," Deez screams before it becomes a whimper, "it's in my head!"

T turns up to the spider, "S'not your fault, but I 'preciate it."

He grabs T's hood, yanking him back before he could walk towards it.

"T!" He hisses before dropping the hood in surprise when he sees how rough the other boy was.

His eyes sweep over his bruised jaw and busted lip before they linger on the dark circles under his glassy eyes.

And his skin?

He looked nearly as pale as Deez.

He frowns as concern stabs him.

What the hell had he gotten into since the last time they'd seen him?

What happened at Maleficent's?

"What?" T asks as he somehow takes that as permission to walk over and-

He pulls Deez to his chest, protecting her from the sight of T reaching up to pet the damned spider.

"Did you guys know she eats-" T stops mid-sentence as he looks up at her, frowns, and wags his finger before he turns to them, "jerky."

Did he even want to know?

"I was only concerned. She seems to be in a lot of pain."

"Out out out." Deez's arm tightens painfully around his neck, "I want out. Spider wins. She can keep the hangout."

"Oh, cool, cause she needed a place to crash." T grins sheepishly. "Isn't that right, Adz?" He scratches her head.

"I very much appreciate the new nest."

He shivers. "Right, so you can have it. Nice, um, T we're leaving."

"Now! Now please."

"Kay," T nods as he scratches the spider one last time. "Later Adz. See ya soon."

He's out the door when the spider reaches out to pat T's head.

"Just breathe Baby Girl."

"I'm trying." She gulps in a deep breath, "I promise, I'm trying."

"Here." Gil takes her hand and presses it against his bare chest.

His chest rising and falling under her hand and the steady sound of his heart help to soothe her frayed nerves.

Right.

She takes in a shaky breath.

If she could swim to safety, she could deal with a spider.

A giant spider.

That nearly dwarfed her father.

"Stupid spider."

"Is she okay?" T tilts his head to the side.

"Are fucking you!" Gil snaps back.

"I mean, yeah, mostly." T nods.

"I am so glad you're alive!" She wipes at her face with one hand, "Less glad the first thing I really saw was a huge, fucking, spider!"

"Oh, I thought- What's up with your arm?" T asks as he meets them in the middle of the street.

"The fuck was that?" Gil demands.

"Addy?" T responds in confusion. "Arm?"

"It's dislocated." Gil huffs in exasperation.

"Seriously?" T asks in concern as he looks her over. "How the-"

She looks away a heat pricks her eyes, "It was a huge wave. The cove is gone."

The thought still shook her to her core.

"Shit," T frowns before he sighs and starts walking away, only to look back at them. "Comin'?"

She looks up at Gil before she bites her lip.

"Have you seen the ship?" She asks as she looks back to T hopefully.

"Uh…" T rubs the back of his head, "I uh…" He looks away. "No."

Gil lets out a long-suffering sigh, "Did you even look?"

"So, dislocated arm, an' fixing it?" He asks as he starts walking in a familiar direction.

A dreadfully familiar direction.

She drops her chin to her chest.

If T didn't know where the ship was-

Then they weren't going to Uma.

He wanted to go to him.

Wanted them to go to the temple.

Which was the last place she wanted to go with a dislocated shoulder.

Her one hand fists at her side.

It didn't matter that it was a huge wave that broke her.

Didn't matter that the rest of the Isle was in ruin because of the thing that broke her.

She was less than because of it.

It didn't matter to Gil.

Or T.

It wouldn't matter to the rest of their family.

But to him?

To a god?

It would.

It would be a reminder of how little she was like him.

Of how much of a failure she was.

How mortal.

Because that was what it always came down to.

No matter how much he smiled or how many caring parent moments he had, she only existed for one thing.

She was a key.

His key.

To freedom.

From the bands.

From the Isle.

And right now, she was useless.

To him.

Just like always.

His disappointment.

Less than.

Worthless.

Good for nothing.

Why did it always hurt so fucking much?

Even just knowing it was coming made her chest tighten.

She closes her eyes against the fear.

At the resignation.

Who else was going to be able to help her?

She bites her lip to keep her tears at bay.

Help her.

Because she was weak.

Worthless.

Useless.

"Treasure?" Gil asks softly before he glances at T's back, his eyes hard with concern, "What's wrong?" He asks as he looks down at her, his eyes soft once more.

"T figured out who can fix my shoulder." She admits with a sigh before she wipes at her face.

"But he just said he doesn't know where Uma and Yensid were." He frowns down at her.

T turns back in confusion, "The fuck are they gonna do? Tie the anchor to her arm and drop it?"

Gil's brow furrows before he pulls her to him protectively, "No."

T sighs, "I know you don't want to hear it, but… It'll be quicker and less painful for everyone involved."

"It depends on his price." She huffs before she laces her fingers with Gil's.

T purses his lips, "Got a better idea? Cause I'm all ears."

She slowly shakes her head.

"I'll try to take it if I can," T sighs again. "I don't want you to have to owe him shit."

She bites her lip.

Owe him?

She owed him her life twice over.

Owed him her powers.

Her abilities.

She was a Hades.

She was nothing without him.

Gil looks between them both, "No one's going to owe him anything cause we're not going."

She closes her eyes again, "I- I don't- I don't have to like it, but T's right. I don't want to hurt anyone with this. I see how much it already hurts you." She opens her eyes to press her hand over Gil's heart.

"And no ones gonna wanna hurt you." T eyes Gil, before his eyes land on her, "So, really it's a moot point."

"And if there's a chance we can show up back home with me fine, I'd like to avoid Uma and Harry freaking out."

It would hurt to have them look so helpless. So afraid of how desperate the situation had been.

She didn't want them to hurt because she was injured.

She'd rather face her father.

It was a pain she was familiar with.

It would hurt to have him stare at her like she was disgusting.

Human.

Mortal.

So easily injured.

Broken.

But, she'd take it.

She didn't want Gil to try resetting it again.

It made her shoulder hurt like fuck and throb for hours, but it hurt her chest more to see Gil beat himself up over it.

Gil swallows hard and pulls her to him before he sighs in acceptance. "I don't like it." He looks down at her, "I don't want him touching you. Hurting you. But…" He glances at T before he returns his gaze to meet her eyes, "Just, I love you. We love you. Whatever happens, just know we'll get through this. Together. As a family. Remember that."

She smiles up at him.

She might be nothing but a broken key to her father.

But not to her family.

They treasured her, even when she didn't feel precious.

"I'll remember." She promises as she squeezes his hand.

Gil nods in approval before he glares at T. "I really wish you didn't know how to get to the temple from anywhere."

"It's just that way 'til you can't walk anymore." T points towards the center of the Isle before he shrugs. "So, we gonna get this over with or what?"

She nods before she looks up at Gil, "I- I wouldn't mind being carried if you don't-"

"Thank you," He breathes as he scoops her up and starts reluctantly following T.

She smiles as she nuzzles against his chest. "It won't be long. I can ask Pain and Panic if they've seen the ship now." She offers.

He nods with another sigh, "At least there's that."

There ya go!

Two completely reasonable reactions to a monstrous man-eating telepathic spider.

And look, two-thirds of the fam reunited!

Finally.

Amiright, or amiright?

LoLz, Gil and Deez's reaction to Adz was fucking priceless tho, wasn't it?

Not that I can blame them, cause, yeah- Fuck waking up to that.

Seriously yo, I'd fucking die straight-up of a heart attack.

Still, talk about ruined reunions.

Speaking of tho, how do you think the visit to Seniors is going to go?

Shocked that it was T's first thought?

No. Didn't think so-

But still, seriously, what the fuck are ya supposed to do with a demigod's dislocated arm? Tie it to the back of Cruella's hell mobile and floor it? Attach it to a boulder and drop it down a well?

If you guys have any altered suggestions, we're all ears, but it was the best (and yeah, sure easiest and obvious) solution I could come up with-

But fuck, poor Deez.

Barely at it and already doomed to have to deal with her prick of a father.

Can't blame her for spiraling.

They've already been through so much.

Like, so, so, so much, and now she has to deal with being judged and criticized because she hurt herself saving someone's life?

Ugh.

It's crazy, isn't it?

How differently Senior treats Deez compared to T.

Fucking asshole.

Anyways-

Much love and appreciation

-Twisted