Strike

Chapter 5

"Give me a break." Jay muttered, his eyes fixated on the glowing screen. "Do not tell me it's another song."

He flipped the remote into his palm, slamming his finger down on the power button. The television died out with a soft hiss. "Hey!" Mal shouted, raising her head from its position along the pillows. "I was watching that!"

"Sure." Jay said. "You were actually paying attention to a show that only talks about Heroes and their purity."

Mal paused, eyes darting nervously. "Touché." She finally remarked, packing her hands in a tight lock behind her head. Carlos awoke with jumbled sentences as he sprang upward, squinting.

"What, it's over?" He questioned. "No." Jay retorted. "but none of us want to watch prissy little rich kids run about with paddles and a ball."

Evie snorted. "I bet if you could be there you'd join the team like that." she snapped, the sound echoing through the darkening hallways. Mal chuckled as Jay fumed. "Would not!" He shouted.

"Would too." Evie said, tone remaining unchanged.

Jay crawled over to the daughter of the Evil Queen, challenging her with his stare. "Would not." He nearly growled out. Evie blinked, then smirked victoriously. "Would...too." Her voice was bubbly.

"Stop it, both of you." Mal forced her arms between them both, palms close to each of their noses. "You're acting like your heroes in conflict."

Evie reared back, disgusted. "Weird." She muttered.

She felt the shift in mass and watched as Carlos stood. "You're the ones who did it." He pointed out.

He then began his journey to the door, but froze as Mal blocked his path. "Just where do you think you're going?" She interrogated. Carlos' calm washed away as he flinched. "Home." He squeaked.

Mal's eye brightened as an old ideas came tumbling back. "We'll we have to escort you home, right guys?"

"Definitely." Evie agreed, placing her own feet on the floor.

Jay nodded. "Well, duh."

Carlos gained an expression of pure shock. "What?" He yelled as the others gathered the items they needed to acquire. "I thought you said you weren't going!"

He grumbled as Mal traced her finger on his nose, causing a heated blush to form on his cheeks. "Evil." She remarked. "Seriously, how did you not think this would happen?"

"I've been living far from town with only my mother. What do you think?" Carlos deadpanned. Mal rolled her eyes as she latched onto the boy's ear, him shouting in protest as she now dragged him out the door.

"Ooh, night!" Evie cheered. "The greatest time to be out doing evil!"

Carlos groaned.

"Come on guys, I don't feel like going now!" Carlos whined, kicking his feet against Mal's vulnerable spine. "We can head there tomorrow!"

He yelped as he was suddenly dropped onto the cold ground. "To bad," Jay said as he strode past, refusing to help the boy up. "We're heading their now. No one can fight against Mal's decisions."

"Have you even tried?" Carlos grumbled as he climbed to his feet, but almost tumbled back as Jay whipped around. "Many times." He remarked, then turned back without a word, leaving Carlos in a stunned silence.

The group continued on in silence. The lack of animals created a tense atmosphere, each creak of siding or snapping of a twig making Carlos shudder.

He yelped as Mal come to an abrupt halt, causing the younger villain to face plant into her back. "Watch it." She growled under her breath.

Carlos instantly began nearly shouting out apologies, acting as if he had been reprimanded. He then froze when Evie placed a hand along his shoulder, as if he had been hurt. "It's ok." The boy calmed.

"Mal gets like his sometimes. Sh-" Evie paused, as if deciding whether or not to continue. "She always wants to impress her mother."

"Maleficent?" Carlos asked quietly, grasping Evie's hand as he pushed to an upright position. Evie nodded in confirmation. "Being the daughter of the evilest of them all can be difficult. Have a lot to look up to. You should be lucky you only have Cruella."

"A single pup!"

Carlos sighed. "Not that lucky." He murmured, voice low. But Evie still the remark and slowed, head tilted.

"What does that mean?"

"What are you guys taking about!" Jay interrupted, straying away from Mal as she moved closer. Evie frowned back, her annoyance clear. "Just talking." She answered simply.

Jay leaned in. "About what?" He ventured.

Evie gingerly lifted his chin up. "About nothing." She said in a sickening sweet tone, then dropped back, turning away. Jay sighed as her retreating form went for Mal. Carlos squinted, then almost gasped as his conclusion.

"You like her." He taunted.

Jay let out a sputter, face erupting into a red fire. But he had no time to return as Mal shushed them both. "We're at a Dead End." She explained.

"No we're not." Carlos intervened, causing the group to stare at him in surprise. "This is just how mother keeps away intruders." He pushed past his much larger partners and eyed the boulder blocking their path closely.

Mal shrugged. "I don't really know what you can do with a rock but hey, you're the one who lives there."

"Man, when you said Underground, I didn't think under a rock." Jay commented. Carlos ignored the comment and flicked the stone, pebbles flying...

And he then slammed his fist down, a single part caving in. The stone fell backward, tumbling into the abyss below, where the group was destined to head next. "Someone could get seriously injured." Evie said.

"Eh," Carlos responded; dipping his foot down until he caught the dampening soil. "Kinda hard to miss the noise so you can dodge it pretty easily."

Mal smiled. "Alright, let's get going."

"Ah, ah," Mal felt her blood turn cold as as a familiar voice not entitled to her friends purred behind her. She was swung back by a cold palm, and cringed as she stared in flashing green eyes.

Maleficent grinned at them all in vicious delight. "What are you doing up at this hour?"