AN;
Hi guys! Quick disclaimer. I've never been shanked, and never had to deal with a situation like that. So everything you see here is not how it should be handled in reality.
Thanks!
The Cheshire Cat's daughter wasn't particularly sure how long she'd been sitting there. Although, in her own defence, her cognitive thought had all but burned down when she realised Ginny had shoved a knife into her side. Any attempt to move around was excruciating and would jostle the dagger snug inside of her, triggering a blinding burn-like pain through her lower half. So, there she stayed, frantically rummaging through her mind for a way out of this horrifying situation.
Trying to get up was out of the question. Simply breathing too hard would nudge the dagger, which Cassie, unfortunately, discovered a moment or two ago when she almost passed out on the second try. Plus, she'd lost contact with her legs around five minutes beforehand. She could only guess this was from shock, since the dagger was firmly rooted and spared only a little room for blood to trickle.
Cassie didn't know when Ginny had finally disappeared. She'd been a little too occupied to focus on the daughter of Gothel. Ginny had to have gone running back to wherever Maddy and the gang hid, gleefully desperate to announce to the mad witch that she'd succeeded in her vicious task. This, in Cassie's opinion, was extremely fucked. She'd never considered that Maddy would go to such extreme measures in order to spite Harry. Although, thinking on it further, Cassie should have really considered it. She'd overestimated the witch's interest, apparently.
Carefully, she inhaled, a slight whine moving through her lips. Turning her head, she hoped to find someone she recognised. She was incredibly sleepy, and keeping her eyes open was becoming a bit of a struggle. Strange, given she'd been sleeping for the majority of the day. Until she realised, worryingly, that it was the knife in her stomach that was causing it.
"You're okay, you're okay," she muttered over and over, hopeful that if she said it enough, it'd sink in and reassure her somehow. Besides, the fight was about to start. All she had to do was stay awake.
Speaking of, would Maddy and her gang still show up for the duel if Ginny had shanked Cassie? The whole point of it was to battle for the little cat, which didn't exactly make sense if she wasn't alive. Unless, of course, it was all in the name of ego. It was also likely to have something to do with the turf Uma was aiming to take over. Whoever won the fight not only won Cassie, but the Core Four's old hunting grounds as well. Thus, all things considered, there was a good chance Maddy would still turn up.
Then came a whistle. At first, Cassie thought it was just the wind. Until she clocked on to the familiar tune.
"Yo-ho, all hands."
Cassie couldn't help but laugh, only to grimace a moment later when it shuffled the dagger. She hadn't run out of lives just yet.
"Hoist the colours hi—holy Hades, what the fuck happened to you?" Kody, though somewhat blurry, given Cassie's state, was practically a blessing from Auradon.
"Uh, well." Cassie pointedly gestured to the dagger. "Got stabbed."
The young pirate took his damned time walking over and crouched down when he got close enough. "Shit," he mumbled, almost as flabbergasted as Cassie had been when Ginny had the nerve to shank her. Then a contemplative expression crossed his face. "You think this is your karma for getting me stabbed?"
Cassie was, naturally, taken aback. "You're serious?"
Kody nodded. "Yup." He studied the wound from where he was. "Same place too! Look at that." The smile that stretched his lips was far too joyful.
The little cat took a second to pause. She knew very little about him except that he was infatuated with his lifelong rival and had been stabbed because Cassie had been too stubborn to allow Harry to take her treasures. In the simplest of terms, he owed Cassie no loyalty. He could very well leave her here to rot and lose no sleep over it and, worst of all, Cassie could understand where he was coming from. If she'd gotten hurt because someone else had done something stupid, it would take her a minute or two to decide whether or not she wanted to help them out of a sticky situation.
He mumbled, "I could leave you here," but it seemed more like he was thinking aloud than actually speaking to her.
"You could," agreed Cassie, maintaining her composure in the face of extreme desperation.
Kody's eyes met Cassie's. "If I take it out, you'll bleed out." His fingers twitched for the dagger. "If we don't get you back to Uma right away, you're screwed."
"I am," she acknowledged. She could always beg for her life and apologise to him for what had happened. But what would it change? Regardless of what she said, he was going to do whatever he was thinking.
"They won't know it was me," he continued, his gaze swaying down to the handle of the dagger.
Cassie lightly shook her head. "Nope."
He tipped his head and knitted his brows, returning his gaze to Cassie's face. He sighed, sounding almost disappointed. "But you're Harry's 'Maizie'."
For once, Cassie withheld an argument against it. "I am."
Kody straightened as a flicker of incredulity appeared in his eyes. Clearly, he hadn't thought Cassie would know what he was talking about. "A favour, then," he proposed.
"What kind'a favour?" asked Cassie, somewhat hesitant. Whatever it was, she'd agree to it anyway. It wasn't her time to go just yet.
"Help her figure it out," he said, as if it were the easiest thing in the world. "I know she likes me too. But she won't back down easy."
Cassie rolled her eyes. All she had to do to get him to save her was help him with his crush. Of all the things he could've asked of her, it was this?
"Fine, deal," she replied.
Like magic, Kody's indifference switched to a friendly demeanour. "Great!" he cheered. "Okay, now we have to figure out how to get you back." He frowned, tonguing the inside of his cheek as he pondered how to move Cassie. In the end, he said, "I'm gonna have to carry you back."
Cassie was unsure. Kody was tall, yes, but he wasn't exactly built like Gaston. He had very little meat on his bones for the most part. It also wasn't helped by the fact that Cassie had been well fed since joining Uma's pirates.
"Try not to hurt yourself," she pleaded as he shuffled closer.
"Just because I don't look like Harry—" Kody put one arm beneath Cassie's knees and the other around her waist. "—doesn't mean I can't do the same things." When he pulled her up, a puff of air passed through his lips, and a small moan escaped as soon as he straightened up. Surprisingly, though, he held her without much difficulty.
Unfortunately for Cassie, being lifted caused a slight shift in her body, and her stomach had a few words to say about it. A searing pain shot through her lower abdomen, with a sharp concentration right where the dagger was sticking out. So far, at least, she liked to think she'd been handling it rather well, but the cry that escaped her throat was far too powerful to hold back.
Kody seemed to understand it, at least. "I know," he muttered. "Hurts like hell, huh?"
With one arm hanging around Kody's neck, Cassie's other hand gripped at the handle of the dagger, like it would somehow help stop it from moving. "Oh, I fucking hate it here," she moaned, allowing her head to fall back. Every step Kody took was agonising, and, strangely enough, the closer they got to the shoppe, the worse it got. Apparently, now that she was headed for safety, her brain had finally made her body realise what condition it was in.
"Captain!" yelled Kody, almost bursting Cassie's eardrums in the process. "Someone fucked up our cat!"
Even though Cassie was exhausted and the sounds she had become accustomed to in pirate territory were becoming unintelligible, she couldn't suppress a laugh. It was a bad move on her part, really, because it made the agony even worse.
Cassie wasn't too certain what the captain said in reply. The little cat was only partially aware of the frantic voices surrounding her, but there was one thing she heard quite clearly.
"Get her in the kitchen!"
Fighting to keep her eyes open, Cassie became dizzy. The world around her was twisting and turning, and Kody's hasty movements hardly helped. The blinding pain in her side was the only thing that managed to keep her awake.
Then Cassie was laid out flat. The surface below her was hard and cold, but, in truth, she'd been freezing since Ginny caught her, so it didn't further her discomfort too badly. However, the excruciating pain in her stomach was somewhat relieved now that she was stretched out. It still throbbed, but at least the burn wouldn't return unless someone moved her again.
"Cassie, hey!"
Cassie's eyes opened again after a few forceful pats on the cheek. "Oh, hey, Uma," she grumbled. A chagrined smile tugged at her lips. "Should've listened, huh?"
The concern in the captain's eyes was startling. It wasn't often that Cassie found herself on the receiving end. "What happened, pussycat?"
"Hm." Cassie attempted to lean up onto her elbows, only to fall back down when her arms began to shake. "I, uh, got stabbed," she replied, earning a raised brow from Uma. "Ginny did it."
Uma's lips pressed together. "You're sure?"
"In what world would I not be sure?!" exclaimed Cassie, a hiss bubbling up from the back of her throat when another ache moved through her stomach. "Maddy told her to do it."
The captain leaned away from Cassie, gritting her teeth. What she did next, the little cat wasn't too sure, but the echoing 'clang' of pots of pans gave her some idea.
"They're boiled." Kody's voice came from somewhere in the kitchen. "Orders, captain?"
"Boiled?" whispered Cassie, a sudden terror grasping at her chest. "What does he mean, boiled?"
"Put them up!" demanded Uma, momentarily ignoring Cassie's question. "We're gonna have to take that knife out, pussycat," the captain informed her with a pitying grimace.
Cassie's body went numb, but then her fear returned, stronger than ever. "Nuh-uh," she protested right away. Cassie felt a fresh sense of urgency course through her body, and she was able to get her hands under her more easily. "It's just gonna have to stay in."
"You're being stupid, Cassie," warned Uma, but she made no move to stop her. "Kody." After a sharp nod towards the doorway, the young pirate fled from the room.
As Cassie stood up, she staggered back into the counter that they had placed her on. Her head hadn't always been this heavy, had it?
"Tell me how this happened, pussycat," requested Uma, crossing her arms beneath her chest as she leaned back.
Pressing a hand to her forehead, Cassie did her best to recount the night's events. "Uh, I went to the bridge to wait for you guys." Turning so her back was to the door, she put her hands down on the counter, hunching slightly in a poor attempt to soothe her ache. "Ginny showed up, said Maddy wanted me to go with her." Every fibre of her being prevented her from looking down. If she looked down, she was done for.
Uma hummed. "What did you say?"
Cassie looked up at Uma, her eyes going wide with disbelief. "What the fuck do you think?!" she snapped.
"Okay, damn," sang Uma, raising her hands. "What happened next?"
Cassie inhaled, only to release a mewl when she exhaled. "Oh, this fucking hurts." The room had become frustratingly hot now, and she didn't know if it was because they were in the kitchen or because her nerves were climbing to inhuman levels.
Uma remarked, rather condescendingly, "The more you move, the more it's gonna hurt. We have to take it out."
Irritated, Cassie mumbled, "No fucking way." Actually, she was on the verge of ripping it out on her own. Something inside her brain reassured her that, the second it was out, the infuriating burn would end. On the other hand, Cassie was, understandably, scared to death.
"Fine," groaned Uma, her eyes rolling skyward. "Why did Ginny stab you?"
"Oh, uh, something about proving herself to Maddy," explained Cassie, pushing her hair out of her face. She was sweating now. "I didn't think it'd hurt this much," she laughed. Only when she reached up to rub her eye did she notice the tears.
Uma chuckled. "Were you expecting it to tickle?"
The little cat would've jumped the table to strangle her captain, if only she had the energy to do so. It was strange, really, she'd expected Uma to put up more of a fight when it came to removing the dagger.
Through tears and the occasional blur of exhaustion, Cassie managed to make out the boiling pot of water on top of the stove. Pinned onto a clothesline directly above it was an assortment of soaking strips of fabric. She had no idea what they were hoping to do with them and had no real desire to find out.
There was the unmistakable 'thud' of footsteps coming from the main area of the shoppe; many, by the sounds of it. Whoever they were, they were gunning right for the kitchen.
The door crashed open, slamming into the wall, giving Cassie just enough time to scramble around to the other side of the counter. It became annoyingly obvious then, why Uma hadn't seemed so concerned when she jumped up from the table.
"Hello, kitty."
The little cat's desire to murder the captain doubled. "Hi, Harry," she returned, doing her best to keep her voice from wavering.
His gaze flitted to Uma behind her as he strode into the room, with less tenacity than when he entered. He looked back at Cassie and tilted his head, saying, "Heard ye' got into a bit of a situation, love."
A fake smile spread across Cassie's lips. Lifting her hand to press her thumb and index finger together, she said, "Just a tiny one. Got a little caught off guard."
Harry came further into the room. Occupying the area she'd been standing in only a moment ago, he placed his hands down on the counter, stretching down to meet her level. "Ye're usually so quick, Kitty," he mentioned.
This raised a tinge of guilt. "I know," she whispered, her eyes lowering. "I don't know what happened."
Gently, he positioned his knuckles beneath her chin and raised her head. "Ye' can't let down ye'r guard here, kitty, not for a second." Though the rebuke was hardly subtle, Cassie sensed something more lurking in his tone.
Unfairly trapped by his gaze, she promised, "Next time. I'll do better then."
The pirate hummed, but Cassie sensed his lack of certainty. His eyes parted from hers and dipped. "There won't be a 'next time' if we don't get it outta there."
Cassie began to panic. "You can't." She was adamant about what she said, but the mischievous twinkle in his eyes undermined her resolve.
"I can."
Cassie felt a twinge in her stomach and let out a quick yelp. The fire in her veins turned to ice as she finally gave in and peered down, even though she knew it would only terrify her more.
"Ye' either lay down on the table, like a good little kitty, an' we do this the easy way," he advised, his grip tightening around the handle of the dagger. "Or, I yank it out here an' ye' bleed all over the floor."
Struck with anger, Cassie's eyes narrowed. "You wouldn't."
Cassie let out a gasp of discomfort as Harry flicked the handle. "I would," he asserted.
It was hard to fully recall, right now at least, how she'd ever considered giving him anything more than absolute hatred. She tried to spit out, "You are such an asshole," but it came out as a whine.
"Aye," he shrugged in agreement. "So, what's it gonna be?"
Cassie's rage subsided into hopelessness. "Am I gonna die if you take it out?" she asked quietly, low enough for only him to hear.
"Ye' might," he candidly replied, biting the inside of his cheek. "But ye' definitely will if we don' get it out."
The little cat sucked in a breath and winced immediately after. "All right," she gave in, though reluctantly. "I hate you." Was she throwing a tantrum? Maybe. But she thought it was justified, given the situation.
"Yeah, ye're gonna kill me, blah, blah." He rapped his knuckles against the counter. "Hop on."
Cassie gingerly moved back onto the table, realising with embarrassment that she ought to have just stayed there. When hopping off, she'd been numbed by fear and focused more on getting away from Uma than the dagger. But now it was all she could think about, and the pain was unbearable.
Laying back down on the table felt akin to signing her own life away, which, in some strange way, she was. Cassie wasn't familiar with stab wounds or the removal of daggers, but the pirates seemed to be, and so her pathetic little life was in their hands. She hadn't been with them that long—only a week or so—so trusting them with this was almost outrageous. She'd almost killed Uma's best friend and managed to get Kody shanked by Harry, and Harry, well, he needed no encouragement to put her down. The three pirates that juggled her fate had every justifiable reason to not assist her, and that alone was terrifying.
Cassie was scared enough when lying down, but when two other pirates she recognised but wasn't exactly familiar with came into the kitchen, it felt like a thousand bugs were crawling across her skin.
"Frankie, get her legs," commanded Uma. "Harry, you're on arms. Kody, you're with me. Marco, you know where the Queen of Hearts is, yeah?" The pirate gave a sharp nod. "Good, go get her."
Cassie did her best to remain calm; truly, she did. Unfortunately, having her legs pinned down near her ankles and her wrists held to the table by Harry didn't encourage comfort of any kind. All she could wonder was why they'd need to keep her down.
Then she fully registered what Uma had ordered. "Helena?" she asked.
Uma shrugged off her coat, pulling her braids back and tying them into a knot at her nape. "Yup. You need her," replied the captain, wandering over to the pot on the stove.
"Why would I—"
Uma was quick to interrupt. "You're terrified, pussycat," she pointed out. "Which we get, by the way. You haven't been here long, and we aren't 'besties'. You don't trust us yet."
Cassie, though in the midst of battling an oncoming panic, managed to reply, "You all have reasons to kill me."
"Yeah, well, you had a reason to push Harry off your tower," contended Uma, reaching for a silver ladle. "You had a reason to go with Maddy instead of me." The captain looked over her shoulder with a knowing look in her eyes. "Why didn't you?"
Cassie huffed. "I'm not a good VK, I guess." She could understand where Uma was coming from. Although there had been many chances for one of them to kill the other, they had never really gone for it. However, people liked to toy with the long game on the Isle, usually to generate torment in whoever they hated. So it wasn't a stretch to assume the pirates were doing the same.
Yanking down two strips of cloth from the pegs, Uma scoffed, "We're more than our parents, pussycat."
It was an odd kind of reassurance, one Cassie hadn't known she needed. Yes, the Isle's great villains determined around eighty or so percent of how their children turned out, but ultimately it was down to them. Whether or not they joined their parents' determination to enslave the rest of the Isle was their choice, and nothing the originals did or said could change it. Hades, Maleficent's daughter had proven as much. They didn't have to hold grudges for family disputes or loathe another VK purely because their parent was higher on the food chain than the other. For the children of the Isle, being wicked was not a choice; it was a way of life. It was something Cassie had known about herself for a while now, but she hadn't expected others on the Isle to have a similar way of thinking.
Dragging over a nearby stool, Uma, with the assistance of Kody, brought the pot over from the stove and placed it on top of the stool. Uma lowered the ladle into the pot and glanced at Cassie. "She's gonna bite her tongue off."
Cassie's heart began to beat rapidly. "Say that again?"
"Got it." Harry, who'd been pressing down on Cassie's wrists, hunched over. Hovering his arm slightly above Cassie's mouth, he rested his elbow on her forearm to keep her right hand out of the way.
Cassie looked up, shoving her head as far back into the table as she could. "You're kidding?" she mumbled, her gaze bouncing between his own and his arm.
"It's gonna kill," he informed her. "Not gonna be much fun to play with ye' if ye' can't speak."
Cassie's mouth curled into a small smile. "You can't tell me you're not enjoying this," she uttered, her brow twitching upwards.
"Hm, maybe a bit," he admitted with a breathy chuckle. "It don't feel as great, though, if I'm not the one doin' it."
It was quite difficult for her to determine how he was feeling, but that had always been one of her struggles when it came to Harry. Most of the time, she would just push different buttons until one of them managed to stick, and around that point, there was no way to turn it back. He was irritatingly skilled at hiding what he truly felt, and it was trickier now that he was upside down. But he'd never lied to her—that much she was sure of. If there was something she wanted to know, all she had to do was ask.
"Aw," she cooed playfully. "Are you worried about me, Hook?"
Quick as ever, he replied, "Aye, just a smidge."
Cassie's smile wavered. It was one thing to know he didn't quite want her dead, but another to hear it directly from him. She still hadn't figured out if she believed it, but he was making it incredibly hard for her to say otherwise.
The little cat's lips parted as she readied a response, only for an extended shriek to escape instead. A white-hot pain spread across Cassie's side, and it was a good thing Uma had prepped her pirates ahead of time and insisted they hold down her arms and legs, because they were the first to twist and pull.
"Harry!" shouted Uma.
Cassie's chest moved rapidly, whines of discomfort moving through her lips with every exhale. A pale forearm brushed against her mouth in the next moment.
"Givin' ye' a chance to hurt me, kitty, don't let it go to waste," teased the hook-wielding pirate.
Cassie struggled to formulate a worthy retort and found herself unable to do so when another wave of agony poured through. Another scream moved through the air, abruptly paused when a choked cry forced its way out. All the pain she'd ever faced on the Isle was a simple pinprick compared to this. It was stifling and all-consuming, and fanned to greater heights with her body held down to the table. Everything inside of her begged her to move and get out of the shoppe, far away from whatever the damn captain was doing.
"Okay, we're gonna get it out, pussycat," reassured Uma.
Cassie's eyes widened, and through her heavy breathing, she exclaimed, "You haven't taken it out yet?!"
"Nope," confirmed the captain. "Had to clean around it first."
Cassie was momentarily stumped. Until a specific moment from her time with Helena crept up in her mind.
"What are you doing?" She'd inquired, bouncing a babbling Gilzean on her hip.
"Yen Sid said it burns out the germs," explained Helena, prodding the baby bottles around the steaming pot. "Don't know how it works, but it doesn't hurt."
Cassie mumbled, "Oh." That explained the pot and ladle, but didn't exactly soothe her frantic nerves. After all, they were scalding her with hot water.
"You ready?" asked Uma, but Cassie had a feeling it didn't matter if she was or not. The captain was only asking to be nice.
"Hell no!" yelled Cassie, wriggling slightly on the table. She was drenched in sweat by this point, but she was still trembling.
"Bite down, kitty," barked Harry impatiently.
Cassie looked up again. "It's gonna hurt," she cautioned.
The cocksure grin she'd become long acquainted with made its great return. "I can take it."
Cassie didn't say another word, but she did allow her mouth to stretch open, and her teeth clamped down on Harry's skin.
A searing pain shot through her side the instant his arm touched her mouth. The sudden release of pressure from her stomach was somewhat relieving, even though it was extremely painful. However, it was short-lived. A moment later, a terrible jolt of excruciating pain engulfed her whole body.
Cassie obeyed, her eyes clenched shut, and sank her teeth into Harry's arm, his skin stifling the scream that was bubbling up in her throat. It hurt, just as promised; she knew that by the tense moan that escaped him in that same instant.
Cassie became irritated as she noticed an odd prodding near the spot where the knife had been. Their incessant touching wasn't doing anything to ease the excruciating pain in her side. On the other hand, the removal of the dagger had, like Uma said, made everything infinitely better. It was like she'd been walking around with someone's fist inside her stomach, crushing her organs and bruising everything in its path. Now that it was gone, she felt like she could breathe again.
"Cassie!"
The little cat's lids fluttered. She was aware of someone calling her name, but it was muffled, like she'd escaped to dreamland and now someone was trying to pull her out of it. It wasn't fair. She just wanted to sleep; she deserved as much.
Cassie moaned in objection. "Leave me alone."
"Is she gonna be okay, captain?" asked Kody.
Through a blurry gaze, Cassie watched as Uma shrugged. "Don't know," responded the captain. "It's all up to her now."
Grateful to find her limbs had been freed, Cassie reached up with a trembling hand and pushed her damp strands away from her skin. She was cold now, and there wasn't a single part of her that didn't ache in some way.
"Ye' did good, Cassie," commended Harry, coming around to stand at her side.
A shaky sigh moved through her lips. "I-I hurt you, huh?" She was partly aware of the metallic taste dancing around her tongue, and her eyes narrowed in on the trickle of red staining his forearm.
"Eh, ye've done worse," he said, rather indifferent to the wound on his arm.
"Hmm, it'll h-heal," she mumbled weakly. "Spit's on it."
Harry lifted his arm. "Huh, so it is." He dropped it back to his side. "Ye' feelin' alright?"
She was far from 'alright', but still, she nodded. "Better now." Her eyes fought to stay open. "Just tired."
A booming yell came from the main area of the shoppe, startling the little cat. The fatigue that, only a second ago, sought to drag her under was bypassed by a familiar and enraged screech from next door.
"Where is she?!"
There were very few moments Helena could recall where she'd been subdued by fear. The night she'd killed her mother had been the reigning champion so far, purely since it'd been the very first time she'd done something so vicious. Even now, it all seemed a bit hazy to her. She'd been going through a bit of a rebellious streak then, brought on by Gaston Jr. introducing her to his gang and doing everything in his power to draw out the confidence he sensed was hiding somewhere inside of her. She'd traded elegant dresses for ripped jeans and risqué shirts, which had, unsurprisingly, triggered her mother's temper. Trying to avoid running into the former Queen of Hearts, she had crept in through the window, only to run straight into her on the stairs. There had been shouting and screaming, and both their faces had flushed a startling shade of red. Then, her mother had reached for the broom. Everything after that was a flash of consuming heat and flailing arms, until, eventually, Helena found herself staring down at her mother, who'd tumbled horribly down the stairs. She remembered yelling for her father, who'd stumbled out of the bedroom he'd been banished to by her mother. The sight of his wife, motionless at the bottom and heavily bleeding from her head, had, oddly enough, not seemed to bother him too much. If anything, he'd seemed to have almost been expecting it. He'd calmly instructed Helena to take a nice, warm bath and head to bed. Her dad had never been one to show anything other than detachment, especially after her mother took over her teachings, but the dark marks beneath his eyes told a greater tale. He might've loved her mother once, but she'd grown into a nuisance for him as well.
The second time was when Helena found out she was having Gilzean. It shouldn't have surprised her as much as it had, of course. Even on the Isle, sex-ed was a common and highly-attended class in Dragon Hall. Not that it was ever taken seriously, though. The VK's had almost driven Yen Sid to the brink of insanity, probing the poor man with questions of all kinds. Nonetheless, he'd managed to drill the basics into their chaotic minds. If they let the rooster sneak into the hen house, then they shouldn't be shocked when they find a few eggs. Easier said than done, though. Helena hadn't known what kind of preventative measures they'd had over in Auradon—if they had any, anyway. Evidently, procreation hadn't played a part in King Beast's orders to banish the villains on the Isle. It was highly likely that he had never given it much thought. He'd likely been too blinded by his own ego and hatred for all the wrongdoers and shipped them off to the Isle without a second thought. It was quite a poor decision on his part. Throwing an unfathomable amount of villains and side-kicks onto a tightly squeezed island with no magic or exit didn't exactly encourage rational thought. Hades, it was a struggle to find anything even remotely interesting on the Isle. It made sense why the originals had looked to one another for a little "fun."
Still, Helena had been terrified. She'd only been a child herself, and running with a group like Maddy's earned her more than a few enemies. Plus, her mother and father hadn't exactly been wonderful role models. With a temper that could bring down the entire Isle, her mother had been strict and terrifying. And her father had been hopelessly weak to her mother's demands, enabling her behaviour even if he didn't particularly agree with it. He'd never once stepped in to help Helena or take her away from their awful situation, and simply treating her wounds after her mother was done with her was far from reassuring. If anything, it probably encouraged her mother's behaviour, since the ruthless woman knew Helena would always bounce back from whatever punishment she inflicted. And yet, despite having absolutely no idea what she was supposed to do, Helena had powered through. She'd ignored the horrid voices in her head that told her Gaston Jr. would lose interest or that she'd somehow do to her son what her mother had done to her, and she became the parent she knew she'd always deserved.
Having been on the Isle for this long, nothing really spooked the Queen of Hearts. She'd seen it all and often participated in most of it—all before Gilzean, of course. Killing, tormenting, and rampaging through the streets—if it floated into Maddy's cruel mind, they'd done it. So when a scrawny little pirate came fumbling into her salon like Maleficent herself was on his tail, she'd hardly been moved. At least until he explained his reason for barging in.
"Cat—no! Shit!" His ramblings hadn't made any sense, and his winded state didn't seem to help. "Cassie. Got hurt. Needs you."
The fear had been instantaneous. "Watch the baby!" she'd ordered before fleeing from her salon, sprinting through the alleyways of the Isle and towards pirate territory with a great surge of urgency she hadn't felt in a very, very long time.
To be honest, the fear nearly consumed her. The boots on her feet pounded against the stony ground as she ran, and she was only half aware of the occasional whistle or crude remark from any straggler stupid enough to walk around the Isle at this time of night. All she could fully comprehend was the fact that Cassie was hurt badly enough for Uma to send one of her guys to fetch Helena, and it flooded her veins with ice. It would be stupid of anyone to get in her way, and Hades help them if she didn't reach Cassie in time.
Shoving through the doors and staggering into Uma's shoppe, Helena's eyes darted about the room, panic gripping her heart when she found no trace of the little cat.
"Where is she?!" she yelled, marching further into the room.
A rickety wooden door near the other side of the shoppe swung open, and the captain herself stepped out from behind it. "In here."
Helena needed nothing else. Rushing towards Uma and practically shoving her out of the way in her determination, the Queen of Hearts found herself in the shoppe's kitchen.
"Helena."
She hadn't realised how desperate she'd been to hear the little cat's voice, but the relief was immediate. "Cassie."
Helena moved slowly over to the table where her friend had been laid out. First, her eyes zeroed in on Cassie's face. Eyes lidded and on the verge of closing completely, swollen and soaked by tears. Beads of sweat covered Cassie's body, her skin deathly pale and her body trembling. Then Helena clocked on to the strips of cloth that overlapped near Cassie's left hip.
"What happened, pussycat?" asked Helena, leaning down on Cassie's left side.
"Uh, Ginny caught me," she quietly replied, the weakness of her voice likely caused by whatever the pirates had to do to keep her alive. "Maddy ordered it."
A curse passed through Helena's red lips. She'd always known how crazy Maddy was, but to go as far as killing Cassie? It stretched past the point of insanity. It'd always been inevitable, though, that the mad witch would attempt to snatch Cassie away before the fight was due. But Helena had been reassured by the fact that Cassie was surrounded by pirates most of the time, and while there might have been hostility brewing between them before, the little cat was now one of them and under Uma's protection. At least that was the impression Helena had been under.
Smoothing a hand over Cassie's forehead, Helena soothed, "You're okay, pussycat." The little cat's skin was damp and terrifyingly warm. "She needs a bed," snapped Helena, turning to the pirate closest to her.
"We'll get her to the ship," the eye-patch-wearing crew member assured.
Nodding, Helena stepped aside so he could bend down and take Cassie into his arms. The small cat let out a sound of discomfort, but other than that, she stayed motionless, too exhausted to even consider moving.
A flash of red popped up in the corner of Helena's eye, and her worries for Cassie's safety were quickly replaced with rage. Helena at least controlled herself until Cassie had been carried out of the room, not wanting to wake her friend up or cause her more distress. When she was gone, however, the Queen of Hearts turned on Harry.
"Where were you, huh?!" she bellowed, shoving against his chest. "I knew you were fucked up, but letting one of your own get hurt?!" Helena's laugh was deeply unsettling.
"Are ye' really blamin' me for this?" he rebuked, sneering down at the Queen of Hearts. "She was stupid enough to go out on her own, an' look what happened."
Helena's laugh was deeply unsettling. "I will take your fucking head off, I swear to Hades!"
"You think this is our fault?"
Helena turned to find Uma standing in the doorway. "She's one of yours now, right?" the queen snapped. "Don't you have an obligation to keep her safe?"
"If she'd been here, then yeah, we would'a helped her out. But she wasn't," the captain pointed out. "Cassie's gonna do whatever she wants, and you know that as well as we do."
To that, Helena had no argument. Cassie was just as stubborn now as she had been when they first met. The fussy little thing was going to run around unprotected whether they liked it or not, regardless of the danger. The Cheshire Cat's daughter was a wonderful friend, but she was going to be the death of Helena one day.
"Besides, shouldn't you be taking it out on your lover boy?" taunted Uma.
Helena paused, and her glare wavered. "What're you talking about?"
"Well," sighed Uma, crossing her arms. "He's one of Maddy's, right? He had to know what Ginny was gonna do."
Something churned in Helena's stomach, and she had a feeling it wasn't because of the little rascal growing in there. "He wouldn't."
"He would," insisted the captain. Her brow twitched upwards. "He's as loyal to Maddy as he is to you, Helena. Can you really stand there and tell me, one hundred percent, he didn't have a little idea of what Ginny was gonna do?"
Unfortunately, Helena couldn't help but hesitate. Having known Maddy for a long time prior to meeting Helena, Gaston Jr. was more than willing to comply with any request she made of him. It'd been somewhat discouraging when Helena realised she felt something a little more than she should've for the son of Gaston. Happily Ever Afters were non-existent on the Isle, but she'd still crafted a rough draft of what she imagined her future boyfriend would be like. She'd wanted someone loyal and fierce, someone who'd look out for her in the same way she'd look out for him. Gaston had seemed to match her type perfectly, but his attachment to Maddy had swayed Helena's decision slightly.
A part of Helena refused to entertain the idea, but her more rational side argued against it. While Gaston Jr. had always promised to keep Helena and Gilzean safe, he held no desire to do the same for others. If they weren't one of his inner circle, he wouldn't give them a second thought. Naturally, it would make sense that he did not really care for Cassie. But Helena hadn't ever kept her fondness for the little cat a secret. There had been many occasions where he'd come to see her and she'd talk about Cassie, gushing over how wonderful it'd been to have someone other than Gilzean to talk to or how nice it was to finally have an actual friend, rather than a mere 'ally' who only hung around for Isle-related purposes. If Gaston Jr. had known about Ginny's motives and refused to tell Helena, it would tear her apart.
"Captain!"
Helena's head snapped to the side. A pretty little pirate girl came running into the room with a distressed look in her eyes.
"What's up?" asked Uma.
The youngster sucked in a breath. "The fight."
With the chaos of the evening, it had been easy to forget. Apparently Maddy still wanted to go ahead with it all, despite having ordered Ginny to take Cassie out not too long ago. Although, if their aim had been to leave Cassie do die alone, knowing no one would find her for a short while, it made sense for the group to still show up. They could play ignorant and deny any involvement in Cassie's demise, since the truth of it would've died with Cassie. It would spare them any furious attacks from the pirates, who clearly outnumbered the gang, and still provide Maddy with an opportunity to have Harry defeated by her strongest fighter, thus shaming the pirates. To take away their newest member and then try to shame them in front of the entire Isle was, to put it mildly, quite cruel.
Helena turned to Harry. "You're still gonna fight him?"
"Aye," he replied. "Rules are rules." It didn't matter if he wanted to fight or not. Once a battle between gangs was confirmed, the only way out was for one of the fighters to yield beforehand or kick the bucket.
"Do you want to?" asked Helena, curious.
Harry's head tilted to the side. "I'm gonna shove my hook right up his arse," he admitted, frighteningly thrilled by the very idea.
A long-winded sigh eventually escaped Helena's lips. "Let me do it."
"Ye're joking, aren't ye'?" he laughed, entirely bewildered. "Piss off."
Still, Helena remained firm. "I gave Cassie to Maddy. I set the meeting, and I let her go on a run with them." Her eyes lowered. "If it wasn't for me, Maddy wouldn't have met Cassie. I caused this. Let me undo it."
The sounds were almost audible from Uma's shoppe, and it was a nerve-wracking testament as to how many of the Isle's residents had shown up. A multitude of voices were booming throughout the Isle, some cheering and some arguing, but all on the brink of bursting with anticipation from the oncoming fight.
Long ago, before the king had made the decision to abandon the Isle and create a prison, the area had been something of a welcome court, with a balcony above the tunnel for royals and three strips of seating on either side for the subjects. Sometime during Maleficent's reign, it'd been spray-painted with crude terms and high-skilled paintings and scattered with trash and other random items the residents deemed unworthy of keeping. It was rare for any inhabitants of the Isle to come near the archway that led to Auradon, so the place was, naturally, in quite a state of disarray.
Turning into the open area that held the old road to Auradon, a brief spark of apprehension moved through Helena's stomach. The stands were filled to the brim with VK's and nameless hooligans, though those without high-ranking family ties were forced to sit or stand on the concrete floor directly in front of the seating area.
On arrival, the pirates, who'd rallied behind Uma, headed for the stands on the right, snatching the seats from whoever had been unfortunate enough to think they could stay. There were a few groans of objection, but those were abruptly put to a stop after the third refusal had one of them thrown down the steps.
Hardening her expression, Helena turned her back to the barrier and looked up at the balcony.
It'd seemed like a good idea on her journey, but now she was coming to the brutal realisation that it'd been much easier said than done. Things such as this weren't taken lightly on the Isle. If anything, it was the worst thing a VK could commit. It showed a lack of integrity and had always been seen as an act of cowardice. To do such a thing was unheard of, much less to do it publicly. The VK making the decision was looked down on, yes, but the gang they were abandoning were shamed beyond belief for not being able to properly care for one of their own. It was the greatest humiliation for the children of the Isle, and one of the main reasons gang leaders were so careful with who they let in.
"Oh, what's this?" sang the green-haired witch. Leaning forward on the balcony, she folded her arms above the railing and peered down at Helena with a glint of amusement.
Taking a comforting breath, Helena told herself that this was what was needed, particularly for Cassie's survival. "I'm cutting our ties, Mad's," declared the Queen of Hearts, loudly enough for all who'd attended to hear.
The surrounding crowd, rather baffled considering they'd only come here to witness a duel, lowered their voices until it was completely silent.
Maddy chuckled, almost in denial. "You're what?" she asked, her voice pitching at the end. Even from where she was standing, Helena could see the flare of irritation in Maddy's green eyes.
"You weren't good enough," replied Helena, her lips stretching into a mocking smile. "I've decided it's best for me to join another gang." Her brows furrowed in thought. "Or crew, I guess."
"You wanna join the crew?" Uma deadpanned.
Helena rolled her eyes. "Hell no!" she refused. "But I can't tap into the fight if I'm not a pirate. Only one of your own can take Harry's place."
A laugh of utter disbelief came from the hook-wielding pirate. "Are ye' jokin'? What makes ye' think I don't wanna fight, eh?" Taking a step closer, he breached Helena's personal space and dragged his nose against her cheek. "Scared for ye'r boyfriend?"
Indifferent to Harry's intimidation, Helena turned her head, the tip of her nose brushing against his as she met his gaze. "Back the fuck off before I gouge your eyes out," she seethed. "And if you want Cassie to take you seriously, don't ever get this close to another girl again." Her threat wasn't done lightly; she meant every word. Having been on the receiving end of that particular sting of betrayal, she wouldn't ever accept it should Harry do the same to Cassie.
He backed off, thankfully, and Helena continued. "I can make them yield," she offered. "There doesn't have to be a fight. It'll crush Maddy's standing, too."
Uma, though intrigued by the idea, wondered, "How are you gonna do that?"
"Right," drawled Maddy, her head tipping to the side. "You can't leave without cause; you know that, right?" Her condescension only spurred Helena's determination to put her on her ass.
Helena grinned. "I was hoping you'd say that." There was a momentary falter in Maddy's expression, but it was quickly sealed away. "I have plenty of cause," assured the queen, clasping her hands behind her back. "But I don't wanna do that. I'm proposing a duel. I'll take on one of you for my release."
Helena truly loathed the fact that Cassie wasn't able to see Maddy's reaction. If looks could kill, Helena would've been bleeding out on the floor. Once upon a time, Maddy's dark glare would've had Helena shaking where she stood, but the Queen of Hearts had come a very long way since then. She wasn't the scared little sixteen-year-old who'd come shuffling in with Gaston Jr. anymore—the girl who'd hid behind his large build at the risk his gang would see just how weak she truly was. She was a damn queen now, and it was about time the Fearsome Five realised it.
Maddy's agitation was understandable. In terms of battle, her group were somewhat lacking. Even without the multiple cuts and bruises, Ginny had never made a strong fighter. Her whole persona revolved around seduction and stealing, and she was never capable of engaging in another one-on-one encounter unless it truly threatened her life. Her tactics with Cassie had proven as much. If she couldn't catch them off guard, then she was screwed. Maddy was about the same, but her attacks had a certain ferocity to them. The witch was clever; that much was true. However, her strength would not ensure victory unless something set off her fierce temper. Not only that, but the witch was not willing to take a chance on the Queen of Hearts replacing her as the leader of the Fearsome Five if Helena succeeded in defeating Maddy. Not that Helena was even interested in it, of course; she was far too busy looking after Gilzean and running the salon.
Out of Maddy's group, only three would guarantee success. Anthony was quite a scrapper, despite his thin build, and always managed to catch his opponents off guard. He was quiet for the most part, until he was fighting, in which he'd become a sly little beast with underhanded tactics. Then there was the matter of the twins. Gaston Jr. and his brother took after their father, with bulging muscles and overpowering frames. They'd been trained to fight since they were old enough to stand straight, ruthlessly forced into their father's duelling ring to 'make them better men', according to the original Gaston. He hadn't cared if they were scared or severely outmatched; he'd demanded results from his sons. In fact, the twins had often joined the duels voluntarily when Gil reached 'fighting age', if only to spare their baby brother the same torment they'd had to endure growing up. They were two of the Isle's greatest fist fighters as a result. Prior to now, only one had defeated them, and that victory came from a one-on-one fight. The twins were feared as a pair, and for good reason.
In truth, Helena wasn't entirely sure if her plan would play out the way she wanted it to. For it to work, she had to believe Gaston Jr. truly loved her the way she loved him—unconditionally and relentlessly. It hurt her even now to do this to him, but the ache of deception was still fresh and demanding retaliation.
Helena's panic flared when Gaston Jr. came down the stairs. He wouldn't really hurt her, would he?
"What the fuck are you doing?" he hissed once he was close enough.
Helena glowered. "What am I doing?!" she yelled, bringing her hands up to shove against his stomach. It wouldn't move him, but it'd certainly make her feel better. "What did you do?"
There was a flicker of understanding in his eyes, and his earlier annoyance softened when his mind put the pieces together. "Baby-"
"No!" snapped Helena, pushing him back when he tried to come closer. She'd known it even before she came here, but to have him admit it was something else. "You knew she was coming here," she said lowly, far too occupied with him to even give a thought to those trying to hear. "You knew what she was gonna do to Cassie, and you didn't tell me." Helena reached into her hair and grasped her roots. He had hurt her many times before, but this time was different.
"Helena," he groaned, sparing a glance at those behind him. He was warring with himself, she could tell. There was a part of him that desired to comfort her, to be kind to her in a way that he only ever did when they were by themselves. However, there was another side to him—the one he showed the Isle—that was desperate to keep him from being embarrassed like this. "I don't get what the big fucking deal is," he eventually said, oblivious to the devastation it would cause her. "She's just a damn cat."
Helena's lips parted, but her voice caught in her throat. It lasted for a split second. "She's my best friend," she admitted. "When you were running around the Isle with Maddy, going to parties, and enjoying your freedom, I had Cassie. Hades, even Gil came around more than you did. You had the gang, and Gil had the pirates. But Cassie was mine." Her hand smacked against his chest. "She was my friend! And you had the fucking nerve to think it was okay to hurt her."
He had far more control over his temper than she did. Helena was aware that she was straining a delicate nerve, though. "You can make other friends," he fought, his hands clenching at his sides.
Helena giggled and stretched up, staring deep into his eyes. "And you can find another girlfriend." At that point, she adjusted her distance from him. "So, who's gonna take my challenge?" Disregarding the man in front of her, she raised her voice for everyone to hear.
There was silence, but she'd assumed as much. Maddy and Ginny wouldn't dare put themselves forward, and Anthony and Gaston Jr. Jr. were understandably stuck between a rock and a hard place. If their leader demanded it, then it had to be done, but at the same time, Helena was known to them as Gaston Jr.'s girlfriend. His knocked up girlfriend, to be more specific. Their loyalty to Maddy would naturally go against their friendship with Gaston Jr. if she decided to force their hand.
Looking up at Maddy, Helena was delighted to find the witch's expression twisted into one of overbearing resentment. For all her craziness, it seemed even Maddy knew that she had a better chance at casting a spell on the Isle than getting one of her guys to fight Helena. And since Helena hadn't gone into further detail on why she was deciding to abandon Maddy's gang, the bunch were spared even greater disgrace. A small mercy on Helena's part, and one she'd only granted them because of their time together
"Where the fuck is Harry?" the witch demanded.
Helena gave a shrug. "He's in a grieving process." Not exactly true. Getting him to stay behind at the shoppe had been a task in itself, since his ego could hardly even wrap its petty little mind around the idea of backing down from a fight. But Cassie was in a rather precarious state, and until she was in the clear, Helena couldn't let Maddy know Ginny had failed. "As one of the pirates, I decided to volunteer in his place." This caused murmurs of question and dismay from the surrounding crowd. They'd come for a fight, and they were agitated to know it wasn't going to happen.
"You planned this, didn't you?" Gaston Jr. looked up from the floor, infuriated. "You joined them to take his place. You knew I wouldn't let them hurt you." His eyes darted to her stomach. "Or hurt him, at least."
His words pricked Helena in the gut. To insinuate that it wasn't her he actually cared for, but the mistake they'd made a month ago, was a new kind of agony. "Did you expect anything less of me?" she taunted, clasping her bottom lip between her teeth to prevent it from quivering.
"She won't let you get away with it," he warned, eyeing the queen with extreme distain. "I won't let you get away with it."
Batting down the sadness Helena could feel swelling up inside of her, she did her best to right her expression. "So I have eight months, huh?" Her eyes rolled skyward. "I'll see you then, I guess." Helena turned her back on him and made her way towards the road that led into pirate territory. On the outside, she was a shining example of composure. But on the inside, her heart was trying to rip its way out of her chest.
"You did good," praised Uma, having watched the entire thing from beside her large crowd of pirates.
"Don't think I did it for you," spat Helena, not even giving the pirate a single glance. "I did it for Cassie. So you'd better hope she survives."
AN;
Hello readers!
First, have any of you guys watched Descendants 4 yet? I watched it the other night and I swear these new movies are gonna cock up my plotline somehow 😅 On the other hand, 'Life is Sweeter' was a bit of a banger, and it's stuck in my head now.
Second, I really hope you guys liked this chapter. I'm sure this isn't how you saw the fight going down, and you might be a bit disappointed, but it's just the direction I decided to take it.
Reviews;
Awa22: Hi! Hope your finals went well :) Thank you for leaving a review, I hope you enjoyed this chapter!
CallMeDella: First, thank you so much for your reviews! They're some of my favourites :)
Saint isn't Frollo's kid, but thinking on it now, I should've made him Frollo's kid 😅 It would make more sense! I don't wanna say who his dad is since I'm not sure if he'll crop up again in here, but if not, then I'll definitely let you know. Nope, Cassie is totally oblivious to the baby-making process! Which makes sense given she never went to school 😂 The hand holding thing, I looked it up and found out it forces some kind of hormone that brings people closer, so our dear captain uses it as punishment for misbehaving pirates. Thank you for your wonderful reviews! And I hope you liked this chapter :)
Skylar96: Welcome back! I feel like the new movies are gonna be a bit of a hiccup in terms of relationships and timelines, and there's a lot to figure out, but I think I'll manage somehow 😅 I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far, and I hope you liked this chapter. Thank you for leaving a review!
musicluver246: Thank you for leaving a review! I hope you enjoyed this chapter.
Anyway, much love to all who've reviewed, favourited, or followed. It means so much that you're enjoying the story so far.
Thanks!