A big thank you to everyone who's been keeping up with the story and those that have only recently found out.
A review would mean a lot, I appreciate all feedback.
Don't be afraid to ask any questions, I always try to reply.
Enjoy!
Chapter 14: Persevering
Mal woke up very slowly and groggily. Her eyelids felt heavy, and she drifted in and out of consciousness for what had to be several hours. Her vision was blurry, and most of what she could distinguish during her brief periods of awareness consisted of splotches of bright colors without any discernable shape.
When she finally opened her eyes and was actually able to keep them open, she found herself on a warm and comfortable bed. She blinked a few times, and each time her vision became a little clearer. There was a white ceiling above her, and some cheap ceiling lights illuminated the room she was in. Mal could vaguely hear the sound of people walking and talking, but it sounded muffled and she guessed that there was a closed door between her and these people.
It didn't take her long to realize that she was lying in yet another hospital bed. It took her a little longer to realize that this hospital was definitely not Auradon City hospital. There was a window to Mal's right, through which she was just about able to see a large, tree-covered mountain range that could not be anywhere near Auradon City. After taking a moment to regain her bearings, Mal slowly turned her head both left and right. She half-expected Ben to sit on the side of her bed, and was thus slightly disappointed when she found the room completely empty. This was different from the last time she had found herself in a hospital bed, after her unlucky trip to the isle and subsequent torture session, when Ben had supposedly not left her side during her entire stay. Looking down at her own body, she did not see any beeping machines or casts, meaning that she could not be hurt that bad.
Mal tried to remember why she was here. The last thing she remembered was the battle of Auradon City, and how she had overlooked the combat from her elevated position and occasionally offered magical aid. Though she tried her absolute best, Mal could not remember how the battle ended or how she got to where she was now. A sense of panic immediately washed over her, and she turned to her left and thought about calling for help.
Immediately after turning over, she felt a sharp and stinging pain along the entire left side of her body. Mal fell back onto the mattress with a yelp of pain, and immediately clutched at her left side with her right hand. She bit her lip as to not call out in pain again, and started to slowly and softly feel around her midsection. It all felt like standard bruising, but far worse than Mal had ever experienced before. In a fit of morbid curiosity, she lifted up her blanket and examined her own body.
Even with all the physical trauma she had gone through in her life, what she saw shocked Mal. Almost her entire left side, from her rib cage to her thigh, was covered in one enormous bruise. Mal slowly tried to lift and move her left arm, but it felt painful and stiff. Something had gone wrong… Terribly wrong…
Glancing around, Mal quickly found what she was looking for. A tiny, white remote stuck out from under her pillow. She eagerly pressed the large button in the middle and heard a faint buzzing noise.
Not a minute later, her door opened up and a young woman in a nurse's uniform entered. She had large bags under her eyes and Mal also quickly noticed a slight tremor in both her movement and her speech.
"Oh… Lady Mal… You are awake…" The nurse stammered as she walked further into the room.
"Where am I?" Mal asked. She wanted to get straight to the point and also tried her best to place some authority in her voice, despite her situation not really calling for it.
"You're in the South Riding hospital, your grace… In the kingdom of Corona…" The nurse explained. She then hesitantly approached Mal and began to examine her, also looking beneath the blanket to check on Mal's bruise.
So, Mal found herself in a hospital within the kingdom of Corona. That could only mean one thing…
"D-did we lose the battle?" Mal asked, a slight tremble present in her voice.
The nurse's breathing stocked for a second, and her eyes wouldn't meet Mal's. This hesitance was just as much of a confirmation of Mal's fears as a straight up answer would have been. So, they had lost the battle and Mal had once again managed to end up in a hospital bed. Still, there were about a thousand more questions that Mal needed answered before she could sufficiently form another coherent thought.
"Where is Ben?" Mal inquired of the nurse, her voice sounding a little more harsh than she had intended. She then remembered that she wasn't talking to one of her friends and quickly corrected herself. "Where is king Benjamin?"
"He is, ehm, he is out somewhere…" The nurse stammered in reply as she straightened back up. "He did ask us to keep him up to date on your condition… I-I'll let him know you have regained consciousness… I'll do that now…" She went on, rambling a little as she shuffled back towards the door, bowing before she stepped out.
Mal fell back onto her pillow, breathing a little heavier than usual. She didn't know why she wasn't more panicked. Really, she couldn't explain it to herself. On the one hand, they had lost the biggest battle in Auradon history. Even before Mal lost her knowledge of the battle, she knew that hundreds of soldiers had already perished and that large parts of Auradon City had been reduced to rubble. Still, if anything catastrophic had happened, then the nurse would have surely told her. The simple fact that Mal was alive and being cared for in a hospital meant that all was not yet lost.
Her mind then drifted to the fates of her friends. Ben was alive, that much was certain. Evie must have made it out, right? She was going to marry Doug… Surely fate wouldn't play such a cruel prank by having one of them taken away… But what about the others? Jay had been in the fray during the battle… Carlos had been among the siege weapons that were being blasted to pieces… And what about Adam, Merlin, Lancelot, Lonnie, Archer, the Righteous Sons and CJ?
With nothing else to do other than occasionally try to move her battered and bruised limbs, Mal simply had to wallow away in these uncertain and extremely discomforting thoughts.
It took almost half an hour before Mal heard some commotion outside of her room. She sat up straight just in time before the door was slammed open and Ben entered.
"Mal! You're awake!" He gasped as he swiftly moved towards her.
Mal only had a few seconds to examine him before he practically dove on top of her for a hug, but what she saw worried her. The bags under Ben's eyes were even larger than the nurse's had been, his hair looked sweaty and unwashed, and his clothes were disheveled and covered in mud. Still, he seemed energetic and unhurt, which was all Mal could really ask for.
The two didn't speak for a few seconds as Ben pulled Mal against himself, while still being gentle in regard to her injury. Mal gratefully breathed in his scent, and paid no mind to the blanket and sheets that got dirtier with every second as Ben positioned himself next to her.
"I'm so glad you're okay…" Ben whispered as he planted a kiss on her forehead.
"Same here…" Mal replied. "How long was I out this time?" She added somewhat fearfully.
"Two days." Ben answered, breathing out heavily. "But it could have been much worse…"
"What happened?" Mal followed up. "The last thing I remember is the battle, and I was with your father and Lance… What happened?"
"Y-you don't remember?" Ben questioned. "Not Solomon? Not the dragon?"
"Dragon!?" Mal exclaimed. "D-did I turn into a dragon?"
"Yes." Ben nodded. "B-but Solomon must have expected it, because he had a spell at the ready that repelled you."
"Shit." Mal grunted, looking away from Ben. So, she had indeed used her dragon capabilities in the battle, but Solomon had fended her off. They had taken this possibility into account, since Uma must have told Solomon all about Mal's magic in their strategy planning. Still, this was a major blow. Mal could still be a significant ally naturally, but her most powerful attacking move was all but useless.
"He blew you out of the sky and you crashed back to earth… You made a pretty bad landing…" Ben went on, moving his hand to rub Mal's back.
"I don't remember any of that…" Mal mumbled. "But… How did I survive? Did I fall from the sky?"
"Merlin managed to slow down your fall, a little at least…" Ben explained. "But you still smacked into a wall, that's where the bruises come from… I got back from the frontline immediately to check on you… You were unconscious and we evacuated you this place immediately… The rest soon followed…"
Mal's breathing stocked for a second. "We lost… Didn't we?"
Ben's gaze turned downward, and he suddenly seemed to have aged numerous years in that one instant. "We did…"
"Auradon City?" Mal asked in a hesitant tone.
"Lost… Raised and plundered by the villains if the reports are true…" Ben sighed.
"How many, ehm… Did everyone get out safely? How many did we lose?" Mal continued, her hesitance about asking these questions only increasing.
Ben blinked a few times, and Mal saw tears in the corners of his eyes. He stayed silent for almost thirty seconds after Mal's question, and that concerned her.
"Ben?" Mal inquired in a both suspicious and fearful tone. "Ben, what happened? Who did- Who did we lose?"
Ben again didn't answer straight away, instead swallowing heavily a few times and looking down at his hands. "We, ehm… We lost a lot… Hundreds…"
Mal felt incredibly sorry for Ben. She knew that this had to be his greatest fear. "Ben, I'm so sorry…" She stammered. "B-but we are still fighting, right? We're not done!"
Ben slowly nodded, but still seemed incredibly down.
It then dawned on Mal that things could be far worse than she had previously imagined. "D-did… Did everyone make it out? Is Evie okay? Jay? Carlos? Where are they?" She immediately asked, hearing the panic in her own voice.
"I, ehm, no, they're all fine… Evie, Jay and Carlos… They're all fine…" Ben muttered, meeting Mal's gaze for just a second before looking away again.
"Then who isn't!?" Mal snapped, her hands trembling.
Ben closed his eyes and bit his lip, softly shaking his head. "Archer… We lost Archer…" He muttered, his voice trembling.
Mal felt as though all her insides were pushed down. A cold and sickly feeling began to spread from the back of her throat down to her heart. No… This couldn't be true, right? Archer was their strongest fighter… He was unbeatable, everyone knew that…
She wanted to protest, to call Ben out on his stupidity. Archer couldn't be dead! He just couldn't be! But everything about Ben, from his posture, to the tears emerging in the corners of his eyes, to the fact that he would absolutely, undoubtedly never joke about a matter this severe, told Mal that he was not lying.
"Ben…" Mal simply stammered, feeling the tears start to well up in her own eyes, before she reached out and pulled Ben into a strong hug. She clutched his shoulders as he started shaking. His tears stained her hospital gown, but she couldn't care less. Mal couldn't imagine how Ben must have been feeling… He lost his best friend… His most trusted confidant… The person who was always ready to offer guidance and help… What a nightmare… "Oh, Ben…" Mal continued, not releasing him from her embrace or telling him to stop crying. She knew he needed to let all this sadness out, and she would stay here as a literal shoulder to cry on.
Mal was sad too. She had only known Archer for about two years, during which he had always been a positive, kind and brave spirit on who she could almost always rely. The thought of never seeing him again, never hearing his dry and annoying remarks, and never having him offer his supposedly wise council felt like a stab to the heart. But it all had to be so much worse for Ben…
A nurse entered the room without knocking. She had already opened her mouth to speak, before seeing that Ben and Mal were in a situation where they should not be disturbed. She immediately shuffled back and closed the door with a somewhat loud bang.
This seemingly awoke Ben from his desperation, as he raised his head from Mal's shoulder and cleared his throat before looking her in the eyes. "I, ehm… I'm sorry…" He mumbled.
"Ben, I'm so sorry…" Mal immediately interjected. "I'm so sorry I wasn't there… I-I could have done more… I should have done more…"
"No, no…" Ben sighed, pulling her into yet another hug. "We were all overwhelmed… There were too many of them… We didn't have enough time… And Solomon…" Ben went on, his arms suddenly tightening around Mal. "Solomon will pay for what he did! He will pay!"
Even though Mal wholeheartedly agreed with Ben, she was somewhat repelled by his cruel tone. Really, she had never heard Ben speak with such disgust. "Ben? Ben, please don't make any rash decisions…"
"He killed him." Ben immediately told her, releasing her from his arms and looking her straight in the eyes. "Solomon killed Archer! I saw it happen!"
Mal felt a renewed sense of hatred. "Solomon killed…" She stammered, her hands starting to shake. "He killed Archer!? H-he… He… That snake!" She seethed, her eyes glowing green for a second.
Ben was seemingly only egged on by her intensity, his nostrils flaring. "Archer sacrificed himself! He took on Solomon one-on-one to give the others time to escape."
"Oh my god…" Mal lamented, feeling both a sense of immense gratitude and sorrow when imagining Archer, holding Excalibur, as he stared down Solomon and his army.
She then started thinking about how everybody else must be feeling. Lancelot was basically Archer's half-brother, and could only imagine his possible sadness. And what about Merlin, or Archer's parents? What about the Righteous Sons, who had lost their leader? All of Auradon had to be in mourning…
"Ben, does everyone know?" Mal asked, a little hesitantly.
Ben just nodded, the tears having momentarily stopped flowing. "I talked to Archer's parents…"
Mal felt a wave of pity, for both Ben and Archer's parents. "Oh my god…"
"I-I couldn't… I had to tell them, b-but I couldn't… How do you tell people… Anyway, I haven't seen them yet… They, ehm, they're still in the middle of raising their own army…" Ben stammered, looking to be on the verge of another breakdown.
"They're coming here?" Mal inquired, looking back out the window.
Ben shook his head. "They can't… We're cut off from them… God, it's all such a mess…"
"What's going on? Ben, please tell me everything." Mal pleaded, taking a gentle hold of Ben's hands.
"Y-you should rest…" Ben mumbled, not meeting her gaze. "And the Archer business, it's all too much…"
"Ben, look at me!" Mal said in a slightly commanding tone. "I know that everything… Well, everything's all screwed up right now… But we need to push on, right? Archer would have wanted us to push on…"
Ben stayed silent for about a minute, his eyes closed as well. "I know that." He eventually stated. "That's what everyone has told me… To keep fighting… And yes, Archer would have wanted us to move on and keep fighting…"
Mal affectionately squeezed Ben's shoulder. "I am so sorry that all this has happened… But, as harsh as it sounds, I don't think we have time to mourn…"
"You're right… You're right…" Ben mumbled, nodding his head.
"We need to do this. For Auradon. For Archer." Mal went on, squeezing Ben's shoulder more reassuringly. "So, please tell me everything… I need to be up-to-date… Where are our allies? Are they coming to help us?"
Ben finally looked Mal in the eyes again before taking a deep breath and speaking. "No, we're cut off from them. There's, ehm… It's all a bit complicated…"
"Tell me. I need to know." Mal stated, sitting up a little straighter.
Ben sighed heavily, but his eyes were steadfast when he looked at Mal again. "Solomon and his army have taken control of Auradon City. Right after that they marched east, and we didn't have an army to stop them. They have taken King George Town as well and have been steadily moving south ever since…"
Mal felt a little nauseous, but tried to remain calm. "What does that mean? How can we stop them?"
"We don't know." Ben admitted, looking slightly crestfallen. "The armies from Charmington and Camelot are miles away, so we can't rely on them. All we have are the ground troops from Corona along with whatever's left from the Auradon central force. Solomon's forces are squeezing in from the north, and we have nowhere to go…"
"What about the people!?" Mal asked, her voice a little squeaky. "All the people from Auradon City!? All the people from Corona!? The children!? Ben! Where are they gonna go!?"
Ben's look, which had already been desperate, now turned downright miserable. He cast his eyes downward again and shook his head in a sign of surrender. "We don't know…" He repeated. "Every road by land is blocked off by Solomon's army… W-we have tried to move at least some people by boat, but Uma and her pirate ships have been patrolling the bay, taking out every ship they encounter…"
Mal groaned, both from anger and desperation. Things were worse than she could have ever imagined. So, they were stuck… Solomon knew this… Mal hated the thought of Solomon laughing to himself while he and his army slowly closed in on the remaining Auradonians, most likely with the intend to snuff them all out for good. In any other moment, Mal might have responded with some sly or sarcastic remark, but all the overwhelming sensations of fear, sadness and despair made her head spin.
Trying to regain at least some semblance of order in her thoughts, she asked on. "So, what are we doing? Where is everyone?"
"They're all over…" Ben mumbled, gesturing vaguely. "Dad has taken charge of the frontline… We're trying to dig in to delay the villains' advance, but there's not much we can do. Solomon keeps sending raid parties ahead to test our defenses and burn anything he can find, and these are troublesome enough."
"Is Jay with him?" Mal inquired.
"Yeah. He, Lonnie and most of our army officials are with the troops." Ben explained. "Evie and Carlos are helping to keep the people safe. We have so many casualties and evacuees, and no place to care for them… Everyone in Corona has opened their houses, but there's still not enough space… We've opened emergency hospitals all over the kingdom, and hundreds of people are having to sleep in army tents because there's no space."
Mal's head started hurting from all this information.
"People have started piling into the harbors too. They probably thought that was a way out… In any case, the army's spread thin and it's chaos everywhere…" Ben groaned.
Even though what Ben had told her was pretty much the worst case scenario, Mal felt a new sense of purpose and determination. After all, she had promised both Ben and his kingdom that she would do everything in her power to keep them safe and make the villains go back to where they came from! She turned to her side, away from Ben, and threw the warm blankets off of herself.
"Mal, what are you doing?" Ben asked in both a somewhat fearful and suspicious tone.
"Getting out of here. I'm no use to you in a hospital bed." Mal replied as she slid off the bed and stood up on somewhat wobbly legs.
"No! Not a chance! You need to rest!" Ben told her in a commanding tone as he also stood up and approached her.
"Apparently I've been in bed for the past two days. I call that enough rest!" Mal snapped, taking a few careful steps towards the door.
Ben blocked her path. "Mal, please don't do this. I have plenty to worry about as it is without having to fear you getting injured again."
"You need help, Ben. You can't do all of this alone. You need me, admit it!" Mal retorted, looking up at Ben with defiant eyes.
Ben sighed heavily, looking at Mal both exasperatedly and compassionately. "But Mal…"
"No buts! If you think I'm gonna spend one more second in yet another hospital bed while you're out there doing everything, t-then you're insane! I want to help, s-so I'm going to!" Mal protested, stepping past Ben.
"But you're hurt." Ben objected, following after Mal as she walked out of her room.
"It's not so bad. I can walk, see?" Mal replied, trying not to show how much the bruise on her left side actually hurt.
Many people in the hallway, both hospital staff and regular civilians, looked on in surprise as they watched their soon-to-be queen limp past them, dressed in a hospital gown, with the king hot on her heels.
"You shouldn't overdo it, Mal. Please…" Ben pleaded, still trailing his fiancé.
"Ben, people are dying!" Mal hissed as she stopped walking and turned to him, her eyes fiery. "I can't and won't sit idly by! If I get a little hurt, then so be it! You are out there risking your life every second, and I will be at your side! Now stop trying to stop me and help me find my clothes!"
Ben's doubts appeared to have lessened somewhat. He still looked displeased and very unsure, but nevertheless got around Mal and approached the hospital's service desk to ask about Mal's belongings.
Mal felt satisfied, while Ben looked both grumpy and apprehensive. It took a few minutes for Mal to put her clothes back on, with the bruises on her side severely limiting her maneuverability. When she did finally leave her room for hopefully the last time, Ben awaited her with his hands in his pockets.
"Are you ready?" He asked, looking her over.
"I think so." Mal replied, examining her now leather-clad arms.
"Then let's go. We'll meet most of the others near the frontline." Ben stated before ushering her out the hospital.
"Are Evie and Carlos there as well?" Mal inquired, following Ben.
"I think they're in the city right now, helping to distribute supplies among the evacuees. Doug, Jane and Freddie should be with them." Ben clarified.
"How are they all doing?" Mal asked somewhat fearfully.
"They, ehm… As good as can be expected of them, I guess." Ben sighed. "They still want to help and they're willing to do whatever they can."
"Evie and Doug, have they told everyone?" Mal inquired, referring to the couple's marriage plans.
Ben shook his head. "With everything going on, they're keeping it on the down low. Jay and Carlos know though, but we're keeping it a secret. It's just… It's probably not the best timing with everything that's happened… With all the Archer business…"
Mal had to agree. It was very unfortunate for Evie to have what should be one of the happiest moments of her life coincide with arguably the most perilous time in Auradon's history. While Mal knew that it would not be their intention, it would probably seem somewhat inconsiderate for Evie and Doug to announce their engagement with the defeat and Archer's death so fresh in everyone's minds. Some people would obviously be happy for them, but Mal could imagine an equally large crowd who would not take too kindly to the pair. What about Archer's family? What about Lancelot? What about CJ?
Oh my god… CJ!?
"Ben, where is CJ?" Mal hastily asked, practically cursing herself for not thinking of her sooner.
Ben immediately halted his step, and Mal noticed him balling his fists. "She's, ehm… She's here…"
"What? In the hospital? Is she hurt?" Mal inquired, feeling like she should by now genuinely care about CJ's wellbeing.
"Well, ehm…" Ben muttered. "Physically, not that much… But we're all worried about her… You know, with Archer… They really were, you know…"
"C-Can I see her?" Mal asked, a little surprised herself by the compassion she was showing. "Maybe I should talk to her…"
"Do you want to?" Ben countered, sounding equally perplexed.
"Yes…" Mal answered, still unsure though. "I think I have to, don't I?"
"I'm not forcing you…" Ben shrugged, deliberately turning a corner that did not lead to the exit. "But to say I would be pleasantly surprised would be an understatement…"
Mal only grunted in response, and followed Ben through more corridors of the crowded hospital. Every room was occupied by at least one person. Some had mild bruising, concussions or shallow cuts, but Mal also saw horrific burn victims, people who had lost limbs and others that were on life-support for one reason or another. Eventually they reached a corridor with smaller rooms, and Ben led Mal to the only closed door she had seen thus far.
"This is her…" Ben nodded.
Mal didn't wait for any further clarification and knocked three times, loudly and clearly. There was no response from inside the room. No greeting, no soft grunt, not even the slightest sound…
"She could be sleeping." Ben offered up, listening carefully.
Mal did not feel the need to wait for CJ, and simply opened the door. Ben sputtered a little in protest for a second, but fell silent when he saw the state of the room.
The curtains were closed and the lights turned off, meaning that nearly all Mal could see was pitch black darkness. At Mal's feet, near the door, lay a hospital plate with some food, all of it untouched. The bed, as far as Mal could see, looked similarly unoccupied, with the blanket and pillows all still perfectly straightened out. The only signs that someone had indeed been using the room were a shattered glass on the floor to Mal's right and two muddy boots on the floor next to the bed.
"Ehm, CJ?" Mal asked, extremely hesitantly, as she slowly entered the room. Even as far as hospital rooms went this place was gloomy and unpleasant. "CJ!?" Mal repeated with a little more volume.
Something moved on the other side of the bed, and Mal heard a soft hissing noise. Mal reached the spot with three solid steps, and she did not like what she found.
CJ was still wearing the armor she had worn on the day of the battle, with everything covered in mud, dust and blood. She had a bandage around one of her legs, but a shallow gash along her cheek had thus far gone untreated. The rest of her face was largely covered by the tangled mess that was her hair, and a pungent smell emanated from her, like she hadn't bathed in weeks. Aside from all this, the thing that worried Mal most was CJ's posture. She was sitting, knees pulled up and her arms folded tightly around them, like a child afraid of a thunderstorm.
"CJ…" Mal practically whispered, looking down at her enemy turned ally.
The one eye of CJ that Mal could see flashed up at her, but also quickly looked down again. Aside from that, the girl showed no sign that she had even heard Mal.
"CJ…" Mal repeated, a little louder this time as she took a step in the sitting girl's direction.
This time CJ did react, basically snapping at Mal as she simply pulled her legs more tightly against herself and turned her gaze to the wall.
Mal unwillingly found herself getting a little angry. "CJ, knock it off! You can't do this to yourself!" She said with authority before walking towards the curtains and harshly pulling them open.
CJ squinted a little in the suddenly bright light of the nearly setting sun and turned around again, still holding her knees tightly against her body.
"CJ, this isn't you! Come on, let's get you cleaned up! You look like a wreck!" Mal sneered, crossing her arms and trying to make it look like the bruise on her side no longer bothered her.
"Mal!" Ben exclaimed in a shocked tone as he also entered the room. "You know what she's gone through!" He added with a clearly accusatory tone.
"I know, but I also know who she is." Mal replied, nodding at the shivering heap that was CJ. "The CJ I know wouldn't just sit here, tucked away like a scared little baby…"
That was as far as Mal got before CJ sprung up. Before Mal could react, CJ had jumped at her, and together they crashed into the wall opposite of the bed, making a small portrait fall to the floor and shatter. The crash hurt Mal quite a bit, and she let out an involuntary yelp as CJ pinned her to the wall by placing a forearm across her throat.
"Shut up! Shut up!" CJ shrieked, slamming Mal against the wall two more times. "You don't get to talk to me like that! You don't! You have no idea! You don't know anything!" She went on, sounding totally off the rails as she reached for Mal's hair and began to strongly pull on it.
Ben, who had been totally astounded by this turn of events, now ran for the two girls as soon as he heard Mal's cries of pain. With some effort, he managed to dislodge CJ's grip and push her back towards the center of the room, but not before she had been able to lash out and hit him square in the groin with her foot.
Mal had to take a second to regain her composure. Her bruised side hurt quite badly after being slammed against the wall, but otherwise she felt alright. Ben had meanwhile slumped against the wall, his eyes closed, puffing and holding his groin with both hands. CJ was standing right in front of her hospital bed, and looked every inch the total savage. Her shoulders rose with every deep breath she took, her hair looked totally disheveled, and the one visible eye she had looked straight at Mal with unrivaled hatred.
"CJ, calm down…" Mal spoke softly, holding up her hand in a calming gesture.
"You have no idea…" CJ sneered, her voice sounding coarse, like she hadn't used it in days.
Only now did Mal notice the clear tear streaks on CJ's cheeks and the nails on both hands that been chewed almost clean off. Feeling an immense wave of pity rush over her, Mal took a step in CJ's direction. "I'm sorry…" She said, as serious as she had ever been. "I just needed you to straighten up a little, okay? You can calm down…" She added, her eyes quickly flashing sideways to the still groaning Ben. "You don't need to hit either of us…"
CJ was still breathing heavily, but also appeared to be quickly losing her temper. Her arms dropped down to her sides, and suddenly she seemed all desperate and hopeless again. Mal couldn't help but be reminded of the little girl she had once been forced to leave behind in a hole after a botched robbery of Hades' ember.
"CJ, I know what happened…" Mal practically whispered, expecting another outburst.
She wasn't disappointed, as both CJ's eyes and nostrils flared. "You don't know anything!" She hissed, her balled fists trembling.
"I know about Archer." Mal plainly stated, feeling a slight twinge of grief.
CJ, who Mal could only guess felt innumerable times more grief than her, started breathing heavier. "Get out…" She muttered, softer than Mal had expected.
"CJ, this isn't healthy." Mal replied, gesturing at the disconsolate hospital room. "I know that you feel-"
"You don't know how I feel!" CJ fell out at her, tears rapidly welling up in her eyes and dripping down her cheeks. "You could never know! Leave me alone! Get out!"
"Only if you're coming with us." Mal said straight to the point, crossing her arms.
CJ looked shocked for a moment, but she still did not appear to be calming down any time soon. "Just leave, Mal… I don't want anything to do with you… With any of you…"
Ben turned his gaze downward, apparently disappointed, but Mal kept on staring intently at CJ. "Archer wouldn't have wanted this for you." She said, keeping her voice loud and clear.
CJ's trembling increased.
"Ben, tell her." Mal demanded, nodding her head. "Tell CJ what Archer would have wanted.
"I, ehm, what?" Ben stammered, looking severely uncomfortable. "Ehm, yeah… Yeah, Mal's right…" He added, still sounding a little unsure. "I know for certain, CJ, that he wanted what's best for you… You know that…"
"He's dead…" CJ whispered. "He's gone… It doesn't matter what he wanted…"
"Yes, it does." Mal protested. "Are you really saying that you're just gonna forget about him? Are you gonna forget everything he did for you? Everything he sacrificed for all of us!?"
"I can't!" CJ snapped. "I can't forget! You don't understand! H-he… He…" She went on, seemingly on the verge of a mental breakdown. "It hurts! It hurts so much!" She concluded, finally bursting into tears completely.
Mal honestly didn't know what to do. Sure, she was more than ready to offer advice or challenge CJ in order to get her back to normal, but to truly comfort her was on a whole other level.
"Why does it hurt so much!?" CJ wailed, clutching her chest and stumbling around a little. "I want it to stop! I want everything to stop!"
Mal drew a heavy breath. To her side, Ben was visibly trying his hardest to hold back tears. "CJ, we can't change what has happened…"
CJ didn't give the slightest hint that she had heard what Mal said, instead continuing to bawl her eyes out.
"It's terrible… For you especially… I get that… But we have to keep fighting…" Mal slowly spoke, choosing her words carefully.
"Why?" CJ spat, eyeing Mal with clear frustration. "I don't care anymore… Archer's gone… We lost…"
"No!" Ben jumped in, finding his voice and addressing CJ sternly. "All is not yet lost! We still have people willing to fight! Everyone is working together! As long as we have each other, there's still a chance!"
CJ scoffed, and even Mal had to refrain from rolling her eyes. "Look, Ben might look at things a little differently, but he's right. We 'have' to keep fighting."
"I don't care…" CJ shook her head. "You can all do whatever the hell you want… I'm done…"
"Really!?" Mal snapped. "The great CJ Hook is just gonna roll over and hibernate like a cowardly squirrel!?"
"Mal…" Ben mumbled, eyeing CJ worriedly.
"I don't want to keep insulting you, CJ, but that's really hard when you're acting like such a coward!" Mal spat, stepping closer to CJ.
It looked as though the latter was on the verge of jumping at Mal again, judging from her hard breathing, but she stayed still for now.
"Look, I get that you, ehm, maybe you loved Archer… That's up to you…" Mal went on, a little unsure about this part.
Ben looked on a little uneasily, and CJ had started blushing slightly. Still, she made no attempt of refuting Mal's claim, which could only be a good sign.
"I get that you don't want to fight and maybe lay down your life for anyone else here in Auradon, I get that…" Mal continued. "So, maybe you can fight for a different motivation?"
CJ stayed silent for about a minute, but her gaze never left Mal. "What do you mean?" She eventually mumbled.
"Solomon is still out there." Mal plainly stated, nudging her head. "He's coming for us, with Uma and his army at his side. He wants us all dead. He already killed Archer, and from what I've heard he has really been enjoying his time since."
CJ's eyes shot fire and she balled her fists.
"Are you really telling me that you're okay with that snake continuing to walk around freely? Come on, CJ, I know you…" Mal tried to goad the person opposite her. "I know what I want… I want to see him gone… Not just gone, but beaten to within an inch of his life… Then we can throw him in a dark hole, and have him suffer for the rest of his miserable life…"
Ben again looked a little uneasy, but still did nothing to interrupt Mal. CJ's face, meanwhile, had grown redder and redder with anger.
"Well, what do you say?" Mal inquired. "You can stay here, wallow in misery and sadness, and Solomon will eventually waltz in here and do god knows what to you… Or you can fight with us, for Auradon, and we can try to hold him back… Or… Or you can still fight, but for yourself… Fight Solomon because of what he did to you and Archer…"
"Mal?" Ben whispered, pulling slightly on her arm. "I'm not sure if that's what's right for anyone involved…"
"I'm gonna kill him." CJ stated out of nowhere, causing both Mal and Ben to look at her in surprise. "I'm gonna cut his ugly fucking head off!" CJ went on, straightening up.
"Now, wait a minute…" Ben tried to protest.
"Don't try to stop me!" CJ snapped, immediately brushing past Ben and hastily exiting the room.
"W-What was that!?" Ben exclaimed as both he and Mal walked out of the room as well, just in time to see CJ turn the next corner.
"I got her going, didn't I?" Mal stated, her arms crossed.
"Yeah, but now she's out on a warpath. I'm afraid she might do more harm than good in this state…" Ben replied.
"She's not stupid." Mal countered. "A little impulsive, yes. Hot-headed and stubborn, yes. But she knows she can't do it all alone. Frankly, having a bloodthirsty CJ at the frontlines might be the best Solomon deterrent we could have asked for."
Ben nudged his head, seemingly understanding Mal's point without fully agreeing with her. "But… She can't kill Solomon… She knows that, right? We can't let her kill him…"
Mal hesitated for a second. "What if we have no other choice?" She asked. "Ben, I know your stance on killing, but you know that the world will be a much better place without Solomon in it…"
"Then we lock him up." Ben offered. "There are other solutions, Mal, we talked about this…"
"This would be quicker…" Mal shrugged. "Ben, say one of us has a chance to do it… To kill Solomon in battle… It could save hundreds of lives…"
Ben visibly contemplated this statement, and his eyes kept flashing towards the corner CJ had just turned. "You're right…" He eventually admitted. "But taking a life is such a horrible thing to do… You should have heard Archer's speeches about it…"
"Archer would still be here if it weren't for Solomon." Mal egged him on.
"And I will always hate Solomon for that." Ben hissed. "But we must not allow someone like him to rob us of our ability to care…"
"I'm just asking…" Mal began, reaching out to softly stroke Ben's shoulder. "I'm just asking you to, if it comes down to it, not hesitate… Ben, we must protect the people… To do that, we must stop Solomon… If we get a chance to stop him for good, I believe we should take it…"
Ben stayed silent again for a little while, before nodding slowly. "You're right…" He admitted. "I promise you that I will not hesitate if I get the opportunity, but you must also promise me that you will not actively seek out the chance to do it, okay?"
"I promise." Mal replied, and she was honest.
Ben nodded, his eyes still tired. He reached out his hand to her, and she took it before squeezing reassuringly. Things were looking bleak, but they were also far from over.