Stealing the Black Cauldron///A Descendants Applyfic///CLOSED

Chapter Sixteen: Reunion

"Shut up, you're not dying. I will not let you." Gracie slapped the back of CJ's head to stop him from panicking.

CJ stopped his rambling - which he didn't even know he was doing - for a moment. "Did you just-"

"Yes. Now, let's keep going." She pulled down the fire escape ladder and started climbing, moving fast like a rainbow-colored spider. Her limbs seemed to have memorized how to climb, scrambling up in a practiced efficiency.

CJ had been on rooftops before, but it was usually just cottages that he scaled up from window sills and messily-placed bricks. A fire escape was much easier to climb.

Soon, the two were on the roof, while the countless skeletons stumbled and roamed about. They seemed mindless, but the two knew that all their eyes were fixed on them. Along with their minds, bent on capturing them.

Possibly killing them.

Definitely killing them.

Gracie looked at the edge, watching fingers pointed at her and jaws gnashing in grim malice. Slowly, they trudged to the wall of the abandoned apartment complex and started to claw at the bricks. She knew it would only be a matter of time before they found a way to claw up to them.

Her image flashed, the bone form seeming to stay in a matter of survival. It was much more durable than her flesh. CJ took a sharp breath, knowing that they were cornered.

They were cornered here. They had nowhere else to go- wherever they went, they'd be captured in a second. And looking up to Auradon, he felt it was very unlikely for them to help.

The only way they could get out was by air. And there was no way they could-

He paused, heart stopping for just a moment. Air. He could work with that.

"Gracie." CJ looked at her. "I need you to trust me." Gracie looked at him, confused. But she was in absolutely no shape to reject any ideas.

"Alright. What are we doing?" She asked. CJ headed over to one edge of the building, gesturing for her to follow.

He hadn't done this in years. But fuck it all, he had to do this. Once both of them were at the edge, he took Gracie and picked her up, as she let out a small squeak.

"Alright. Just hold on." CJ demanded. Before she could even ask what he was doing, he started running for the other edge.

Gracie gasped in shock and shut her eyes tightly. CJ ran faster until his feet were off the roof. They both had honestly expected to fall- but they stayed in a standstill on the air.

Floating.

Gracie opened her eyes at the sound of wings flapping.

"Flying..." She whispered.

CJ stared at his own wings for a moment- black with leather-like textures connecting each bone with sharp spikes on the top of each. The very ends were still tattered from that fall when he was so young.

"It worked..." He smiled breathlessly.

Gracie's gaze shot back over to him. "Wait- you mean you didn't know if it would work!?" Her voice rose as she sat up.

CJ couldn't seem to stop smiling. "Well, it worked, didn't it?" He rose higher into the air while the deathless warriors jeered from the ground.

"Yes, but- also! You have wings!?" She looked utterly shell-shocked. "I didn't know you had wings!"

"I only just met you, they're a special thing. Pretty cool though, huh?" He asked.

"Well, they do look pretty epic!" Gracie finally cracked a smile. "Idioso, should've seen this coming a mile away! The son of Chernabog has wings!"