Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

It was going to be a bad day. It just was. Carlos could tell the second he woke up. The problem? Nothing even remotely seemed off. He woke up on time. School was great- he aced his Advanced Chem and Engineering tests. His friends were in great moods and having great days as well. Dude was happy and healthy. Nothing was wrong or off. Not until the opposing Tourney team showed up for their match later that afternoon that is.

He and Chad had been tasked with greeting them so they now found themselves in the courtyard, waiting for the rival team's bus to pull up. Jay and Ben would have been there but the coach had wanted to see Jay and the other co-captain about something and Ben had to wrap up some of his kingly duties before the game. That left Chad and Carlos while the rest of the team got ready for the game. Harry and Gil, who had joined the team with him and Jay had laughed and ruffled his hair, refusing to also come greet the other team stating that there would be plenty of opportunity to introduce themselves on the field. Traitors.

(Carlos wanted it on the record that he had told them It was probably not been the best idea to have him be on the welcoming committee seeing as he was an awkward mess on a good day but hey. Who listens to him anyway?)

The white-haired boy glanced over at his companion who was staring at himself in a little compact mirror and- was that Evie's? A year ago, Carlos would have rather been sent back to the Isle than spend time with the normally arrogant prince. After all this time though, Carlos and the rest of the original four VKs had gotten used to his... charm? Well, his own version of it. He didn't actively seek out the VKs and put them down anymore nor did he compare them to their parents. It especially helped when he began to meet more and more of the children of the Isle including Dizzy. So, progress. Chad was just Chad to them at this point.

As they waited, the white-haired boy took to watching the younger kids run around laughing and excited for tonight's game. He smiled as he spotted Dizzy and Celia who waved at him as they walked out of the building. Dizzy ran up to him, a dazzling smile overtaking everything and hugged him.

"Hey, Carlos! Chad."

"Hey, Dizzy," Carlos smiled back.

Chad waved back as well, smiling fondly at his cousin when she gave him a hug. One thing that surprised them all was his soft spot for the younger girl. The older VKs had wondered how he would react to her being there seeing as her mother had tortured his when they were kids. He took to her quickly however after realizing what her living conditions had been, even going as far as to convince his parents to take her in which Cinderella had been all too happy to do.

They talked with the two girls for a bit before they had to leave to get ready for the game.

"We'll see you guys out there," Celia promised as she grabbed Dizzy's hand to drag her girlfriend away.

"Good luck!

As the two girls walked away, Carlos' eyes caught on the statue in the courtyard that he had steadfastly been ignoring. He shivered at the sight. Even after a year here, he still received chills every time he saw it in 'Beast Mode'. It reminded him too vividly of things he wished he could put out of his mind completely. He raised a hand to the scars that decorated his Thankfully, Chad pulled him out of his lingering thoughts.

"Ugh, how much longer are they going to make us wait!? I have things to do."

Carlos' gaze fell on the older boy. "Such as?"

The blonde gestured to his head, a mix of angst and disbelief coloring his tone. "I've been having a terrible hair day. Obviously."

The younger rolled his eyes at that, a grin pulling at his lips. "Just today?"

Chad blew on through, opting to ignore the other's comment. "This is a serious issue, De Vil! We're talking about a royal treasure here!"

"Oh, sure."

Chad spoke slower this time as if trying to spell it out for a child. "I need time to fix it in order to gift you guys with the treasure you've become so accustomed to!" He stared into the little compact mirror he had most definitely stolen from Evie whining in frustration. "I mean this is just a travesty!"

Carlos snorted at that. "How will you manage in the face of such peril?" "He gestured toward the other's hair. "I mean you'd need more than a couple of hours to tame... that."

The prince squawked at the continued digs toward his hair, considering whether he should flash the middle finger to his teammate or not. Nah... not too princely.

"Also," Carlos continued, "you'll be wearing a helmet."

"I'm not gonna listen to someone who doesn't even own a comb!

"I showed up with unbrushed hair once."

"Oh really? How co-"

Carlos placed a hand over Chad's mouth suddenly becoming aware of something ahead. "Quiet, dumbass," he whisper-yelled. "Look."

The other team's bus had finally pulled up while they were talking and they were now making their way toward them, forcing Chad and Carlos to snap out of their spat.

Chad whipped up a charming smile and held a hand out to the coach while Carlos extended a hand to the team captain standing next to him.

"Welcome to Auradon Prep, sir."

"It's good to have you guys here, Coach Tate." Carlos continued as he let go of the other teen's hand.

"Thank you, Mr. Charming. ...Mr. De Vil."

The transition between politeness to wariness, minuscule as it may have been, did not go unnoticed by Carlos. The white-haired boy sighed inwardly. 'Here we go', he thought to himself. He studied the coach and the other players, letting Chad steer the conversation. No one else seemed to be sending him looks of apprehension so maybe it would be fine? Maybe he should just focus on the game ahead and put this nonexistent issue behind him. Maybe he should say something since he hadn't spoken for a few minutes and Chad was looking at him expectantly.

Carlos shook his head and focused on his teammate. "I'm sorry, what was that?"

Chad gave him an odd look before repeating himself. "Coach Tate was just asking where the rest of the team was and I was just saying that we're sorry that Ben and the others couldn't be here but we would see them at the game."

Carlos nodded in agreement. "Ben had some last-minute business to attend to and Coach Carson needed to see Jay and Aziz."

They all exchanged a few more pleasantries between everyone before Chad and Carlos were escorting them to their own set of locker rooms. As the two Auradon Prep students were making sure everyone was settled, one of the players spoke up.

"Coach, I forgot something on the bus."

The older man pinched the bridge of his nose, letting loose a resigned sigh. "Didn't I tell you all to make sure you had everything with you? I don't talk just to hear myself talk you know." He looked up at the teen. "Is it absolutely important that you grab it now, Henderson?"

"...It's my helmet."

The man threw his hands in the air, incredulous. "Well, I suppose you do need that. Do you know your way there and back, then?"

"Not really..."

"I'll walk you back there," Carlos volunteered.

"Oh... that's fine. I'm sure I can figure it out."

Carlos barely resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Oh, it's no problem. Come on."

Coach Tate waved at the two dismissively. "Very, well then. Make it quick."

The player, Henderson, a tall brunette with a hooked nose, nodded and followed the shorter boy out of the room and back toward the courtyard. Carlos attempted to strike up a conversation with him but kept coming up short when the other teen only offered curt, one-word answers that lightly nudged his anxiety. And this is what he was talking about. This is why he told Ben and Coach that he was not the best idea for the 'welcoming committee'. Not only was he a former villain- which is what the other teen seemed to be fixating on if his body language was anything to go by, he was absolute trash at talking with someone new. It had even taken him months to open up to Mal, Evie and Jay when they were kids- and they were his friends family. Not to mention how long it had taken him to open up to Ben, Lonnie, Doug and Jane.

Reaching the bus, the freckled teen waited for the other to climb through the bus door and retrieve his helmet. He sighed, leaning against the side of the bus. The courtyard was abandoned now, with everyone probably at the Tourney field. Carlos glanced at his phone to check the time, drumming his fingers in a growing rhythm of anxiety. He and Chad both should have been back with their team by now. He groaned to himself. If they weren't back soon, Coach would no doubt make him and Chad run sprints every day, all day for who knows how long. Brown eyes found King Adam's statue again as it was transforming into a beast once more. 

"Well, well. If it isn't one of the Isle freaks."

Carlos nearly jumped out of his skin at the sudden and new voice. He whipped around to see another member of the opposing team's players, this one tall and exploding with muscle. If Hercules hadn't been a literal demigod, this kid may have been able to take him on.

Chad, who had opted to escort the other player back to the courtyard as well, arched an eyebrow at hearing that. "Is that the best you can come up with?" He looked the other boy up and down. "Really original coming from someone in a Hercules cosplay."

The other boy, James it would seem according to the name on his jersey, sent a sour look to the prince. "Can it, Goldilocks."

"Ooo, sore spot huh?" The prince replied, setting a hand on Carlos' shoulder in his own kind of bizarre comfort.

James plowed on, ignoring the other teen. "Saw you checking out the statue of King Adam, De Vil. Fantasizing about furs, huh?"

"No, I wasn't. I-" Carlos' gaze flitted over to the statue, discomfort at the still current state showing.

Realization dawned on the other's face, a smirk settling on his lips. "Oh! Don't tell me you're scared of it. That is rich! How could you of all people be?"

Henderson chose that moment to speak up. "It's not like you don't have experience with beasts. Seeing as you've killed so many just like your kook mother."

Carlos frowned at that. "You have no idea what you're talking about. I'm not my mother."

"Sure you are, Spot," Henderson replied.

Carlos shivered at the nickname he had hated for so many years. "Please don't call me that."

"Don't call you what? Spot?"

Carlos tensed at that, fingers curling into fists. He was beginning to tremble not just from fear but also from anger.

James snickered. "Aw, why not? It's fitting don't you think? It matches the Dalmatian theme your mother was so famous for, it matches your freckles so well. Not that you can see many of them with those hideous scars."

Carlos flinched back as James reached out a hand to try and poke at the lines on his cheeks.

"Okay, maybe you guys should back off and head back to your team. We all have a game to play," Chad cut in. The unease in his gut had grown increasingly with each word Henderson and James spoke and with every flinch from Carlos.

"Please don't tell me you're actually concerned for the villain, huh, Charming?"

"He's not-"

"Perhaps someone should give the dogs some revenge and lock him in with them, see how he likes being attacked."

And that was the worst thing they could have said. In that moment, Carlos was back in Hell Hall. Back to that awful night. Back to his mother, the barn, the tub. The closet. Teeth and claws and snarls and hammers and water and everything swirled around in a massive all-consuming haze in his mind, clouding his vision. The white-haired boy clutched his chest, running through the different breathing exercises that he had learned from both Uma and Lonnie. He wanted to calm down and breathe normally. He did. But that didn't seem to be his fate today because, at that moment, King Adam's statue chose to turn into a beast again. A beast just like that night. All conscious thought left his mind and he was back to not breathing or being able to hold himself up. Vaguely he could feel the sting of fingernails on his cheeks and in his hair.

Chad tensed when Carlos fell to the ground. "Hey! De Vil! What's going on?"

"Whoa, what the hell is wrong with him?!"

Ignoring the other two boys Chad dropped next to Carlos, hands hovering and unsure. "Come on, man. Talk to me! What's going on?" The younger boy didn't respond.

Carlos wasn't hearing anything. Black spots danced in and out of his vision, intermittently veiling and unveiling the statue of King Adam. The stinging on his cheeks trickled down to his neck but he was far too gone by then.

Chad turned furiously to look at them. "Don't just stand there, assholes! Go get a teacher!"

James scoffed at that, foot lightly nudging the boy on the ground. "Why would I help a villain?"

"James! Man, shut up. We need to find someone."

"I'm good." The blonde teen sauntered away and back into the school.

The brunette shook his head and headed into the building, hopefully, to bring someone, anyone, back.

"De Vil? Carlos! Shit, you know I'm not good at this comforting thing so please do me a favor and breathe."

No response. Just the younger reaching up his hands to shield himself and claw at his scars. Chad winced as blood started to streak down his cheeks.

"Chad? Carlos? Oh my gods! What happened?"

Celia and Dizzy appeared out of nowhere, crouching next to the two boys.

Chad shook his head. "I don't know what happened! Two of the players from the other team said some things to him about the Isle and something about it set him off."

"Carlos? Sweetie, breathe." Dizzy took the older boy's hand and placed it over her heart. "Come on. Just like this."

"I didn't mean to. I didn't. No, mom. Please stop."

Celia held his other hand so he would stop scratching at his scars. The three could only watch in shock and growing horror as Carlos kept thrashing, trying to get away from something they couldn't see or hear.

"What do we do?" Dizzy asked, looking at Chad with pleading eyes.

"I'm going to go find someone. Those assholes were supposed to but I don't think they did and-"

"Oh goodness, what is going on here?"

The three of them looked up from where they had been concentrating on Carlos to see Fairy Godmother approaching with Henderson following behind.

"I-I don't know. One minute we were dealing with those assholes and the next Carlos was on the ground, gasping for air."

Fairy Godmother didn't even comment on the prince's language being as focused on Carlos as she was. "Carlos dear? Can you listen to me? I need you to breathe. That's it, good boy."

Carlos' eyes still held that same dazed gloss that had yet to leave. The same one that was freaking Chad the hell out. "Is he going to be okay?"

"I'm sure he will." She continued to soothe a hand through the boy's white locks, offering soft words of comfort. "There we are, dear. Do you think you can stand?"

Carlos could only offer a barely there nod. He tried standing but was still a bit shaky so Chad helped him the rest of the way. Once he was standing, Fairy Godmother grabbed his hand and started to gently guide him toward the infirmary, Celia following closely behind.

Dizzy turned around when she noticed Chad wasn't following. "Aren't you coming, Chad?" she asked.

"I will but... I should call Coach and the rest of the team first."

The young girl winced at that, knowing just what that call would entail but she nodded just the same.

As they all left, Chad pulled out his phone and dialed the last person he wanted to face. "Jay, man? It's Carlos."

"Where the hell are those two?" Coach Carson gripped his clipboard in frustration as he paced back and forth in front of the rest of the team. Gil, who was stood right behind him was beginning to get dizzy watching him go back and forth.

"I'm sure the girls found them and they are on their way," Aziz stated from his spot next to Jay.

"They had better be or I will have them running sprints every day for the next two weeks."

Jay was about to respond himself when his phone went off.

The man eyed Jay in annoyance. "What have I said about phones on the field?"

"Sorry, coach." Jay glanced at the name flashing across the screen and looked back up at everyone. "It's Chad."

"Well, answer it!" Gil prompted, foot tapping impatiently. "Where are they?"

Concern flashed in Jay's eyes as he listened to the other boy speak on the other end. "I'll be right there!" He looked up at the coach and the rest of the team. "It's Carlos." Harry and Gil tensed at those words. "He's being taken to the infirmary. Chad said a couple of guys from the other team were trying to-" He trailed off as his eyes landed on said team, making their way onto the field.

"What were they trying to do, man?" Gil asked.

The other boy didn't hear him, however. Anger filled Jay and he stepped forward, ready to hunt down whoever had hurt Carlos. Harry didn't look like he was too far behind.

Aziz stood in front of his friend and shook his head. "Jay! Do not do anything stupid. I will handle this. You go check on Carlos. That's where you want to be."

"No, I will handle whatever has happened. None of you are to go anywhere near the other team." Coach pinched the bridge of his nose. "But, yes. Go check on Carlos." He sighed as Gil and Harry took off after him. It was no secret to anyone at Arodaun Prep that the original four VKs had grown close with Gil and Harry and their other friend, Uma. Of course they were going to follow after.

"Thank you, Coach." Jay called back as they took off toward the bleachers where Mal, Evie and Uma were sitting. "It's Carlos. He's in the infirmary," he whispered so no one else would hear.

Dude's head popped up at the mention of his owner, a low whine escaping from him. He hopped up from where he had been sitting in Evie's lap and took off the six friends not far behind.

"Why is he in the infirmary?"

"All Chad said was he had a panic attack and the other team was responsible for it."

"What does he mean they were responsible?"

"You know as much as I do."

"Mal? What's going on? Why aren't you all at the Tourney field?"

They turned to see Audrey walking towards them, a confused look on her face.

Mal stopped to talk to her as the others hurried along. "Carlos is in the infirmary and we don't know why."

Audrey's eyes narrowed at that, a frown pulling down at her lips. "I'm coming with you."

They were all bursting into the infirmary moments later.

"Fairy Godmother!" Evie called out. "What's going on? Where's Carlos?"

"Shhh, children. He's asleep right now. We managed to get him down a few minutes ago."

Dude ran past everyone and started to scratch at the door separating him from Carlos, desperately whining for his boy.

Ben, who they had just now noticed, stepped over to the door to let the dog in. He softly shut it again as soon as Dude disappeared inside but not before the Isle kids caught sight of their friend.

Evie gasped in shock at the scratches covering his cheeks, cuts standing stark red against his paler-than-normal skin. "Oh my gods? What happened?"

That was when Chad chose to make himself known. "I- I'm not sure. He ju-"

Harry grabbed a hold of the prince's shirt, lifting him against the wall. "What the hell did ya' do to him, Charming?"

The prince shook his head violently, trying to get away from the intimidating ex-pirate. "I didn't! I swear! It was one of the visiting team members."

"It's true!" Dizzy spoke in his defense. "Chad tried to help Carlos calm down but it was like he couldn't hear any of us."

Harry glared at Chad a moment longer before putting him back down, mumbling an apology.

"What did they say?" Uma asked, placing a steadying hand on Harry's shoulder.

"A lot of things but the one that seemed to set him off was the comment they made about locking him in with the dogs and seeing how he liked being attacked."

Silence fell over the Isle kids at that. The tension was thick and heavy like molasses.

"How could they say something so awful?" Celia's voice wavered at the thought of her friend being threatened with that.

"They. Said. What?"

Everyone looked at Mal who had spoken. The girl's eyes were glowing green and her knuckles were stark white against the purple of her gloves.

"What? What is going on?" Ben asked in confusion.

The older VKs erupted in a fury.

"Who were they?"

"I'll kill them."

"Now, kids, I-"

"Not if I get ta' them first."

"Tell us who they were right now, Charming."

"I don't-"

"If I had my mirror, we could find out."

"If I had my spellbook-"

"Whoa, hey, wait. Everyone stop!"

They all stopped to stare at Ben who had called out. The king stood to his full height, eyes a mixture of stern and puzzled. "No one is going to do anything until I have the full story. No one is going to cast any spells. No one is going after anyone. I understand Carlos had a massive panic attack- a pretty traumatising one it seems, and I realize that someone caused this and I want to know who they are as well. But no one is to react in any way. Not without me knowing the full story. Now, what is going on? This is a pretty strong reaction for all of you even considering what was said to him."

"Fuck not doing anything. We-"

"Gil." Uma held up a hand to her friend. "He's right. We need to breathe and calmly think about how we are going to exact revenge. Besides, Ben only said we couldn't do anything until we told him what was going on."

Fairy Godmother cut in, hands clapping to get their attention. "No one is going to get revenge on anyone. But I would like to know what is going on as well."

The older Isle kids looked amongst each other, not sure how to respond while Celia and Dizzy stood off to the side looking just as puzzled as the king and Fairy Godmother.

"Mal, Evie what's going on?" Dizzy asked, unsure if she would be able to handle the answer.

"Celia, Dizzy, maybe you two shouldn't hear this."

Celia felt betrayed by those words. No they were not leaving. Carlos was their friend too and they wanted to make sure he was okay just as much as the rest of them.

"But that's not f-"

"No! We wa-"

Audrey chose that moment to cut in, soft but stern. "Come on, girls. Let's trust them on this one. Here- I'll walk you back to your dorm room."

"But what about Carlos?" Dizzy sent a worried glance over to the next room

"You can see him later," Audrey soothed. "Let's give everyone some room. If Carlos wants to talk about anything later, he will."

Celia considered arguing further but decided better of it at the look in Mal's eyes. She sighed in defeat. "Fine," was her whispered reply. She grabbed Dizzy's hand as they let themselves be led out of the room.

Audrey gently steered the two younger girls to the exit of the infirmary. Before she stepped out, she placed a comforting hand on Mal's shoulder. They shared a silent conversation before the purple-haired girl nodded, a promise to talk later.

"Okay, children, now do you want to tell us what is going on?"

Jay shook his head, arms crossed. "It's really his story to tell. I don't want to breach his trust."

"You can tell them."

They all jumped at the soft voice that breached the silence after Jay's words. Carlos stood in the doorway, Dude clutched tightly to his chest. His skin was pale

"Carlos!" Evie pulled him into a tight hug, taking note of the way Carlos didn't fight the open display of affection opting instead to lean into her touch.

The two of them looked up as Gil appeared next to them, the older boy placing a hand on the younger's shoulder. "Hey, Los"

Mal crossed her arms over her chest, lips pursed. "Carlos, are you sure?"

The white-haired boy nodded in response after being released from Evie and Gil's hold. "You can tell them but I don't want to be here for it. I just want to go back to the dorm." He pulled Dude tighter to his chest when the dog settled his head on the boy's shoulder.

"I'll walk you back to the dorm," Jay said, walking over to his best friend. He immediately wrapped a steady arm around Carlos once he was next to him. No one said a word when the younger boy, leaned heavily on him.

Carlos nodded in silent response before he and Jay left the infirmary.

Once they were well out of earshot, Fairy Godmother turned to look at them in trepidation. "Maybe we should all have a seat in my office- somewhere more private."

It didn't take long for them all to reach the older woman's office and soon enough they were all settling down.

"Look, I know he said he didn't care if you told us what happened but if it is too much then-"

Mal shook her head. "No. It's okay, it's just... a lot."

No one said anything beyond that for a bit before Uma breached the silence.

"Carlos went through something right before he turned twelve. It was-" She faltered, something that never happened with the normally confident girl. "It was horrific even by Isle standards."

"His mother..." Evie bit her lip, looking down.

Harry picked up when she couldn't continue. "That cow put him through hell on a good day but that night was something else entirely."

"Oh dear," Fairy Godmother sat down at her desk, fingers steepling together as she rested her chin against them. She knew anything involving the Isle parents was a rough topic for all the kids involved. She quickly summoned some tea for everyone, passing it out to all the inhabitants of the room. "Alright, my dears. Where were we?"

"We're not even sure where to begin," Evie admitted.

Ben reached out a hand to her, covering her own with his. "Just start from the beginning."

Mal and Uma shared a look before nodding to each other.

"There are two parts to this story. The one we're familiar with and the one Mal, Evie and Jay are."

"We'll start with ours and then Uma will fill in the rest of the gaps," Mal continued."

Ben, Chad and Fairy Godmother nodded in agreement.

"It started when Cruella..."

After leaving the infirmary and everyone else, traitorous tears spilled from Carlos' eyes. Dude lifted his head toward the boy's face, trying to nuzzle away the tears. Carlos squeezed the dog tighter to him, taking comfort in being surrounded by both him and Jay. They had been walking for a few moments when Carlos chose to finally speak.

"I didn't mean to, J-Jay." His voice was wobbling.

"I know, buddy. You did nothing wrong though. Absolutely nothing."

Carlos didn't respond further, opting to bury his face in Dude's fur, trusting Jay to guide him to the safety of their dorm room.

Once they reached the dorm, Carlos stood in the doorway not sure what to do next. He wanted so desperately to just lay down and sleep for the next year but sleep meant nightmares. Nightmares meant seeing her. Meant seeing that. The sixteen-year-old also wanted a shower so he could scrub off the grime and blood and the horrible remnants of this awful day. Taking a shower meant letting go of Dude, however. And right now, Dude was the only thing keeping him grounded.

Jay didn't receive a lot of credit for being as observant as he could be. Sure he may be rash and loud and he may not have Mal's patience or Evie's tact but being as skilled a thief as he used to be took a great deal of patience as well. A great deal of observance. And right now, the older teen could sense his friend's inner turmoil. "Come on, fluffball. Let's get you cleaned up."

He led Carlos to the bathroom, turning the shower on. Jay turned to Dude, kneeling down a little so he was eye to eye with the dog. "Dude, I know you hate baths, but do you think you can do me a favor and hop in with Carlos? He needs to get cleaned but I don't think he'll let go of you anytime soon."

In response, Dude barked, leaning forward to lick Jay's nose. An agreement. He wiggled out of Carlos' arms and hopped into the tub, turning to look at his master expectantly.

Jay turned to exit the bathroom, squeezing Carlos' shoulder lightly. "I'll be right outside, man. If you need me just let me know."

Carlos nodded silently, stepping towards the tub.

Jay shut the door behind him, taking a moment for the first time in the last hour to regroup his thoughts. He let the anger that had been simmering ever since that phone call boil up. How dare they? Traumatic past aside, how dare anyone say something like that to anyone? To Carlos of all people. He wanted to scream. He wanted to punch something. Jay roughly shoved everything off his nightstand including his alarm clock. Ignoring the thud that emitted from it falling against the baseboard of the wall, Jay ran his hands through his hair. He needed to calm down. He didn't want to be the one to add further to his friend's distressed state. He decided to distract himself by grabbing something for Carlos to wear when he got done cleaning up.

One thing that the older three VKs had realized about their youngest, was that he was his own kind of thief. He had a habit of borrowing stealing various items of their clothing for what they realized was comfort and familiarity. It was something they never spoke about, not really. It had seemed odd to them at first but it made sense once they had become more aware of the younger boy's living arrangements. They had eventually grown fond of the habit, the three of them leaving something purposefully behind in Carlos' treehouse from time to time so he had something new to hold on to.

Jay quickly grabbed one of Mal's shirts that the younger boy had stolen, a pair of Evie's sweatpants and one of his own beanies. He chuckled when he found one of Harry's hoodies lying at the foot of Carlos' bed and he snatched that up as well. "Carlos? He called out as he cracked the door to the bathroom open. I'm going to leave some clothes by the door for you." He didn't expect an answer so he shut the door as soon as he set the clothes down.

A few minutes later, while Jay was sitting on his bed texting Gil updates on how their youngest was doing, Carlos emerged from the bathroom, decked out in everything Jay had picked out for him to wear. Carlos had managed to grow a couple of inches ever since coming to Auradon and receiving a proper diet but he was still pretty short. And, given the day's events and being surrounded by his friend's clothing, even though Mal's shirt and Evie's pants were a little tight on him, he appeared smaller in that moment.

Jay patted the spot next to him on his bed, beckoning Carlos over. Carlos offered a small smile in return, walking over and setting Dude on the bed first before climbing in next to him. Jay threw his arm around Carlos once more, pulling him close while Dude settled across his lap. They sat in silence for a while, each taking solace in the fact they were here in Auradon. Not on the Isle. They were both safe and couldn't be touched by their parents. Carlos couldn't be hurt by his mom.

"It was so real, Jay. I saw her, I saw the barn all over again. Those two players, they kept calling me 'Spot' and that's what she-" Carlos' breath hitched. "They tried touching my scars."

Jay felt traces of his earlier anger begin to seep into his mind once more but he snuffed them out swiftly. He couldn't get angry. At least not in front of his friend. He would not be the reason Carlos fell into another panic attack.

"She can't get to you, Carlos. Never again," Jay spoke up, arm briefly squeezing the younger boy closer. "And, even if she was here, which she isn't, I would never, ever let her hurt you again. Neither would Evie and Mal. Pretty sure, Harry, Gil and Uma would think of all sorts of nasty things to do to her as well. And Dude? Dude might be the most vengeful of us all."

As if to prove Jay's point, Dude let out a soft growl. Not intense enough to scare his boy but just enough to let everyone know that when it came to Carlos' safety, he meant business.

Carlos leaned his head against the older teen's shoulder, nodding his understanding.

After a little while longer, Jay leaned away, moving so Carlos was able to lie down. "Get some sleep, fluffball. I'll be here when you wake up."

The white-haired teen pulled the blankets closer to him. "Hmm, you're a good brother, Jay," was the sleepy mumble he received in response.

Jay smiled down at him in fondness as the younger fell asleep. "Take care of him, Dude."

The dog barked softly at him before curling tighter next to his boy.

Chapter Text

Mal sighed, dragging a hand through her hair. “It began when Cruella was punishing Carlos. All our parents were harsh in some way and they could be abusive, physically, mentally or emotionally. That’s just the way the Isle was. Cruella however? She was just cruel- a true evil. Even then, she never seemed to be truly all there.” 

Evie picked up where Mal had stopped. "The day it started, Carlos said it was like any other punishment. He was so casual about it too. He always was." A disturbed look colored her features. "He said that when his punishment was over, she asked to speak with him." 

....

|| Five years ago || 

...... 

Carlos groaned as he shakily stood from where he had been kneeling on the rice-covered floor. Bits of dried rice peeled off his knees like he was shedding old skin, hissing when he noticed little specks of blood coating the grains. As light as tonight's punishment had been, it had been especially brutal to his knees. He quickly grabbed a broom to sweep up the mess he had made, stopping every so often to give his knees a break. When he had cleaned up everything and ensured there were no stains anywhere, he made his way to the bathroom to find the first-aid kit. In the middle of cleaning out the last of the lingering rice that had molded to his knees, he heard his name being called. 

"Carlos, dear. Come here, darling." 

Apprehension coiled tight in his gut. What did she want? He had done his chores and cleaned up after his punishment... not that he even understood completely what today’s punishment was for, just that she seemed more irritated than normal. Had she found something that he did wrong? He hoped not. His body still ached from his punishment a few days ago and he really just wanted to go to sleep at this point. "Yes, ma'am," he called out. He winced slightly as he stood up from the toilet seat. His knees 

He made his way to the sitting room where he found his mother surveying all the furs she had taken from the closet. She wore a pensive look, arms crossed as she paced back and forth between each piece of material.  

He stood there, hands clasped together in nervous energy. "What can I do for you, mother?" 

“What do you think of these, darling?”  

A puzzled look settled upon the boy’s features. What did he think of what? He looked around the room. Did she mean the furs? She never asked for his opinion on anything, let alone on her most prized possessions. “I-I’m sorry?”  

Sighing in annoyance she gestured in front of her. “The furs. What do you think of them?”  

That same apprehension from earlier was curling tighter and tighter in on itself, almost like a cobra that was getting ready to strike. This felt like a trick. No matter what he said, it would be the wrong thing. But if he didn’t say anything, she would be pissed and she may think of something else to do to punish him for not complying and-  

“Carlos, darling, I asked you a question. Let’s not forget your manners.”  

“Yes, ma’am, sorry ma’am.” He looked over to the furs laid out on the couch, walking closer so he could get a better look. Well, for starters, all these selections had spots he observed. “They- they all have spots?” He said tentatively, the comment coming out as more of a question. 

She reached out her hand stroking the material so lovingly. "Hmm. Yes, they do. So many spots." She stopped pacing, perching on the armrest of the couch. "Spots are a beautiful thing aren't they?" 

"I... yes?" 

“Yes, they are. One of the gods’ great creations.” She looked over to him, a considering look on her face. “Of course, people don’t seem to appreciate them so much anymore. But they might something new...” She held out a hand to him beckoning him forward. "Come closer. Let me take a closer look at you." 

Carlos looked up at the woman in curiosity. "Ma'am?" 

She gestured again, finger beckoning him forward. "Come, come." 

Slowly he trudged over to her trying not to trip over the furs that still lay everywhere. 

She reached out, caressing his cheeks tenderly causing the boy to tense with how close her nails were to him. Cruella chose to ignore this, hand reaching for his hair next. "Spots. So many spots.” She continued to trace her finger all over his cheeks, a far-off look in her eyes. “Mommy just loves your spots- loves your fur."  

A shiver ran up and down his spine. His what? "M-mom?"  She brought her hand down so it was gripping his chin, forcing him to look her in the eyes as she continued her inspection. Her eyes held a calculative look and something in that unnerved Carlos to his very core. 

"Yes- you would make the perfect fur coat, darling." 

Ice trickled into Carlos’ veins, at those words. "I-I'm sorry?” He leaned back, head shaking. Maybe he misunderstood? “Are- are you alright, mother?" 

She hadn’t seemed to hear him, though. "Hmmm... perhaps.” And just like that, the far-off look disappeared, a more present and alert Cruella taking its place. “Well, it's time for bed, darling. Come on, off to bed! Don’t forget to put my furs away." 

She left him standing there, confusion still clouding his thoughts and a sense of foreboding pooling in his gut. What that had been Carlos didn’t know but it didn’t feel pleasant. He found himself shivering in the suddenly too-cold room, surrounded by the now eerie materials. His mom running the bath upstairs brought him out of his thoughts. Quickly pushing everything to the back of his mind for the time being, he gathered up the furs and delicately placed them upon their respective hangers in the closet where they resided most of the time. As he lay in bed trying to sleep, his traitorous thoughts flitted back to his mother’s bizarre actions from earlier. The same dread from earlier had uncoiled in his gut but instead of dissipating, it had settled over his entire body like an oppressive force. What had that been? 

Sleep had eventually taken over that night but even in slumber, he could not shake the unease. For the next few weeks, his mother continued to make similar comments, often stroking his cheeks or running her fingers through his hair. This disconcerting behavior only served to make the already jumpy boy feel even more unsteady. With each instance, the boy found himself constantly looking over his shoulder in and out of the house, as if expecting... something to happen. What that was, he didn’t know but he still expected it. The Isle was already a place to not let your guard down and that was proven every day. This was different, however. He didn’t feel safe in Hell Hall. Whatever safe meant that was. Sure, his mom punished him a lot and yes, those punishments were physical, but she had yet to use her actual hands on him, never wanting to dirty or bloody them, yet he had taken to pushing his desk in front of his door in the middle of the night after the second time she made these comments about his spots- well freckles he had determined. 

"Carlos? Are you alright?" 

“Hmm, what?” Carlos was pulled from his musings by the hand that was laid on his shoulder. He looked up to see Evie, staring at him with something akin to concern- as much as you could from an inhabitant of the Isle that is. 

He pulled the jacket he was wearing- Mal’s old one if the coloring was anything to go by, closer to him, smiling at the older girl. “I’m fine. Why?” 

“Well, we’ve been calling your name for the last five minutes for starters.” Jay grinned at him, reaching out to ruffle his hair, frowning at the barely-there flinch he received. 

Affection on the Isle was far and few between, any form of physical affection even more so. It was a weakness to be affectionate, and it was something that everyone, the Rotten Four included, had little experience with. Being that their parents were who they were, it was also driven home that any sort of feeling other than power and anger was frowned upon. That said, the four had grown up together and knew each other so well, that it was impossible not to feel something akin to comradery. In public, they didn’t show any feeling, but behind closed doors, they were free to the occasional side hug or hair ruffle, or pat on the back. Since they had known him, Carlos had been averse to such touch, and it wasn’t hard to determine why but Jay, Evie, and Mal liked to think that over the years he had grown to not mind when it was them doing the touching. He even borrowed their clothes from time to time, an odd but strangely... enduring habit that of course never left the treehouse. So the backslide these past few weeks had been odd to them. 

“That’s also not the first time you’ve zoned out in the last month. What’s up with you, Spot?” Mal’s own frown deepened at the way Carlos froze at that. She shared a look with Jay and Evie before sitting across from Carlos, Evie sitting down next to him. “Alright. It’s obvious that we won’t get anywhere with planning until you’re more focused so let’s just cut through all the ‘I’m fine and there’s nothing wrong’ bull shit. What’s going on, Spot?” 

“Don’t call me ‘Spot’,” Carlos mumbled, bringing his knees up to his chest.” 

Despite the out of nowhere request, Mal didn’t miss a beat. “Okay, we won’t call you ‘Spot’ anymore. Now what’s going on?” 

“Is it Harry again? Because I’ve been itching for a rematch lately. That hook is mine next time I see him?” Jay bumped shoulders with the younger boy, grinning inwardly in victory when he elicited the smallest of smiles. 

Carlos’ smile dropped instantly though as he thought about the real reason he had been so unfocused today. “It’s Cruella.” 

Evie nodded having figured as much. “What did she do now? Do you need more medical supplies?” 

Carlos shook his head. “No, I still have quite a few things from the last time it was really bad.” Evie nodded her acceptance of the answer before gesturing for the younger to continue. “She hasn’t actually punished me lately. Not physically at least.” 

“But?” 

“But she’s been saying things. I don’t know how to describe it.” He pulled the jacket tighter around himself when he felt a chill run up his spine. “She keeps making comments about my spots, well my freckles and how they remind her of spots. She keeps saying that... that I would make the perfect fur coat.” 

The other three frowned at that. Cruella had earned her name well. She was always known to be... a nut job. Angry and unpredictable and someone a lot of people didn’t want to cross. Her treatment of Carlos was probably one of a few of the more extreme cases of abuse on the Isle not just physically but what she mentally put him through. To hear that she hadn’t touched him in the past few weeks was shocking behavior on her part (although welcome news to Jay, Evie, and Mal). Her words, however, were what unsettled them. The perfect fur coat? 

“What does she mean by that?” 

“I don’t know. She... I keep finding her staring though and once when I thought she would punish me, she laughed and said that she couldn’t ruin my fur- couldn't ruin the merchandise.” 

It was the other threes’ turn to feel chills, dread settling into their bones much like it had with Carlos. 

“What the fuck?” Jay turned to fully look at the boy. “You can’t stay in that house. Not anymore.” 

Carlos scoffed, letting the jacket fall off his shoulders. “Where would I go? Here?” He gestured around their hideout incredulously. 

Evie placed a hand on the younger boy’s shoulder, prompting him to look at her. “You could stay with my mom and me, at least for a few nights. She likes you.” 

“I don’t know if Cruella would allow that.” 

“If she tries anything, then you can stay with us as well. It may not be much better of an environment, but Maleficent is one of the few who isn’t intimidated by her. She is tired of her bullshit and always looking for a way to challenge or humiliate her.” 

Carlos offered the girls a small smile. “Thank you, guys. I don’t want to put any of you on her radar.” 

The older three could see where he was coming from. Cruella made them nervous, though Mal and Jay would never admit that out loud, and the only reason they ever would be in the same room or house as her was because of Carlos. But in this case, it didn’t matter to them. He was a part of their... gang? Or whatever you would call this, and they looked after each other. 

“Dude, we’re fine. We can handle ourselves.” Jay took a chance and threw an arm around Carlos’ shoulders, offering a grin when the boy leaned slightly into it. Victory! “Don’t worry so much about us and worry about yourself for once.” 

Mal ‘hmmed’ in agreement. “If I can put up with my mother, then I can handle Cruella.” 

It took some convincing, Carlos forever wanting them to be safe, but they eventually managed to get him to agree to stay with Evie for a few days. Carlos still had to go home and complete his chores of course, but at night he would sneak out and curl up on Evie’s bed, a far cry from the mattress he usually resided on at home, feeling safer than if he had been at home with just a dresser and a door between him and his mother. This bliss could only last for a few days however as Cruella finally caught on a week later and demanded Carlos come home right away. 

He wished he had had the courage to sneak out just one more time. He wished he had done many things differently leading up to everything. That night, everything changed. 

“Carlos, get down here, darling! I have something exciting to show you!” 

Carlos shivered at the edge in her voice- it almost seemed maniacal. If he had thought he felt dread weeks before, it was nothing compared to the panic he felt now. It seized his heart and rooted him to the floor. When he had arrived home that day, her eyes appeared wild and gleeful, wide with excitement and contentment. She had caressed his cheeks lovingly offering up confusing words such as ‘soon’ and ‘this will be great’. He considered sneaking back out, no matter what future consequences may be. She called out to him again, voice annoyed and dangerous. 

“Carlos, now!” 

The young boy inhaled deeply before letting loose his breath, willing himself to calm his rapidly beating heart. He was probably overreacting. Right? He just needed to stop being a coward and get this over with. He could hear Jay and Evie’s voices in his head arguing that he wasn’t a coward, and he could hear Mal’s voice saying he was wise to stay in his room and away from Cruella. But staying was not an option because the longer he ignored her, the more likely she was to come and find him and that would not be pleasant. He peeled himself away from his mattress and dragged himself out of his room and down the stairs. 

“Ah, there you are, Darling.” She beckoned him to follow her, and he complied. “Horace and Jasper have agreed to help me with a little project. And you get to help them!” 

He looked up at her in question. What? 

She continued to lead him down the stairs to the basement and he paused a moment, an action that did not go unnoticed by the woman. She reached out and snatched his arm, dragging him behind her. “Come now. It is rude to keep others waiting.” 

They eventually stopped in front of a room he had never really paid attention to before. Now that he was being ushered inside, he noticed several things that only continued to add to his anxiety. A bathtub. Tools hanging in the corner. Several furs hanging across the room. Horace and Jasper standing next to all the tools, wearing aprons and gloves. This did nothing to alleviate Carlos’ growing concern. 

“Here we go, my sweet Carlos. This is where you’ll be helping them.” 

“H-helping them with what?” 

The woman brought him closer to the furs, pointing at them. “It’s time you joined the family business, Carlos.” 

“Family business...?” 

“Yes, darling. It’s time you contributed to my new fashion line.” 

The boy shook his head in defiance. He had never believed in or approved of her ideals and, despite everything she told him about dogs, he didn’t believe her for a second. “B-but I don’t want- I don’t want to kill dogs. I-” 

She held up her hand to stop him. “Silly boy. You won’t be killing anything or anyone.” 

“But I sti-” 

Cruella pulled him closer, towering over him, a hard look on her face. “You will listen, boy.” 

Carlos gulped at that before nodding. “Okay,” he whispered. 

“Now, as I was saying,” she started as she let go of him, pushing him towards the older two men in the room, “you will be helping Horace and Jasper in a big way. A way that no one else can.” 

“What do you need me to do?” His voice still came out as a whisper. Carlos did a doubletake when her chuckle was filled with ice. 

“Why, dear, you are going to be the fur. 

... 

.... 

.... 

“ Mommy just loves your spots .” 

No. 

“ You would make the perfect fur coat .” 

No. No. No. 

His heart was in his throat. 

Ice filled his veins. 

He wanted to throw up. 

This couldn’t be what she meant. This couldn’t- 

He whirled around to find his mother standing by the door, a cruel look on her face. Her eyes were wild and sadistic. Manic. “You will be a nice addition to my collection. Something never before seen.” 

"Mom? N-no Mom. Wait! What are you doing?" Time slowed down and his movements made him feel as if he were wading through quicksand. He reached the door as it shut in his face, Cruella on the other side laughing maniacally. "Please!” He pleaded. “Please let me out." But there was no response as she disappeared from the window. He was reminded that he wasn’t alone when a voice spoke out. 

“Now, runt... let’s just take this nice and easy,” Horace said, tone placating as he walked towards the boy. 

“Yea, we’re sorry to do this, kid. But ya know. Cruella’s orders.” 

Carlos turned around, fear in his eyes as the two advanced on him. The thing about Horace and Jasper was they weren’t in the greatest of shape. It was easy enough to run away from them. But it wasn’t easy when they were in a small space and there wasn’t anywhere to go. He leaped to the side as they reached where he stood making his way to the  

“This would go a whole lot quicker if ya just stayed still, runt.” 

“No! Stay away from me!” Carlos overturned the table that was meant to strap him down before grabbing one of the tools, a hammer, from the wall. Years of learning from Jay on how to aim with a slingshot gave the boy a pretty good advantage as he threw the hammer at Horace. It managed to hit its target and Carlos took advantage of the two being distracted and to take a look around the room, desperate to find a way out. And there in the corner on the far end of the room was a small opening. A dumbwaiter. The one that led to the kitchen! If he could get to it and get the door closed, he’d be safe. The problem? He would have to get through the other two occupants in the room. 

Grabbing a scalpel he slowly edged himself forward, staying close to the wall. As he made his way, he kept a careful eye on the two men who were starting to advance on him once more. 

“You little shit!” 

“Get back here!” 

Carlos ran. What he hadn’t been expecting though was to run right into the table he had kicked down earlier. He cried out as his arms scraped the ground when he landed with a hard thud. 

“Careful there, runt. We don’t want to ruin the merchandise now do we?” Rough hands grabbed his shoulders, yanking him up. Carlos was still too stunned to do anything. “Now let’s try this again, shall we?” 

“W-why are you doing this?” The boy struggled even more when he saw the tub. “How is this going to work? I have skin, not fur? Do you really think anyone is going to buy something like this?” 

Jasper shrugged. “Listen, I know this is as insane idea as it gets but we’ve learned a long time ago to not question that devil woman. It’s best to just do as she says.” 

They stopped in front of the tub, filled to the brim with water. “Now, how did it go again, Jasper?” 

“I believe it was something like drown them or bash them on the head,” Jasper laughed gleefully. 

“Well let’s get started then.” 

Water surrounded Carlos as his head was forced under the surface. He flailed around in desperation, trying so hard to get away from the two men. He needed to find his way out of this. He needed to do something. He felt his lungs begin to burn and he saw black spots dancing across his vision when he saw it. One of their hands had slipped into the tub, coming to rest beside his head probably in an effort to keep the boy’s head down. Carlos saw an opportunity though and turned his head to the side so he could grab the hand between his teeth. He bit down. Hard. There was muffled screaming above him and he felt the grip on him loosen. He ripped his arms out of his assailants’ hands, pushing himself up from the tub. He began to cough immediately once his head broke the surface of the water. He tried to gain any sense of reality as the burning continued to spread through his lungs and water continued to leak out of his mouth. 

“That bitch bit me!” 

“Well don’t just sit there. Get him.” 

He felt someone grab him again. “You’ll pay for that, runt.” 

Not wanting to go under again, Carlos pushed harder this time around. Adrenaline coursing through his veins, he brought his head back, hitting something behind him hard and he didn’t stop there. He shoved his foot back next, managing to land another hit. 

“OW! What the hell?” 

Carlos twisted his body around, taking in his surroundings. He had managed to hit Horace and he had gone down hard if the way he was holding his stomach was anything to go by. But Jasper was still staring at him, eyes hardened by rage. 

“Apparently the runt doesn’t know his place huh, Horace?” He reached forward for the boy again. 

Carlos reacted by kicking forward, catching Jasper’s chin with his foot and next his chest, knocking the man backward. His hand found the scalpel he had dropped and he brought it down on Jasper’s hand, only slightly relishing in the scream he received. Adrenaline still pumping through his veins, the white-haired boy stood up on unsteady feet and broke into a run towards the dumbwaiter. He crawled inside and reached out to slam his hand down on the button to the side. He looked up fearfully when he heard Horace and Jasper begin to advance on him. 

“Come on, come on, come on,” Carlos chanted as the door to the dumbwaiter dragged itself shut. 

The door finally shut in their faces and the machine began its ascent before they could get him. He winced at all the noise the dumbwaiter was creating as it lifted to the floor above. He had been hoping to sneak out of here and the creaking of the machine was not helping his situation. As he came to a stop, the door slowly crept open, giving Carlos a view of the kitchen. He tentatively stepped out of his hiding spot, looking around with cautious eyes. Something glinted in his peripheral vision, and he caught sight of the knives that rested in their block on the counter. He wasted no time grabbing one before he moved out of the kitchen and to the parlor. He just needed to make it to the front door. 

He made his way into the living room, keeping an eye out for Cruella. So far, she was nowhere to be seen. He was almost to the door to the main hall when he caught himself in the mirror that hung in the room. He gasped at what he saw. He looked terrible. His hair was plastered to his head and there was a cut that started on his forehead and disappeared into his hair. His shirt was also plastered to his body and there were bruises and scrapes all over his arms. His eyes traveled from his abused arms, up to his face. His freckles, his spots actually, stood in stark contrast to his pale skin. They mocked him, reminding him of how this all began. Reminding him of what was going to kill him if he didn’t run now. But first... He glanced down at the knife in his hands. They wouldn’t want to use his ‘spots’ if they were ruined. With that in mind, he took the knife and drew it across his cheek. He winced at the deep sting that echoed across his cheeks when the knife dug into them but he kept going until each cheek held three identical marks. 

He jumped, almost dropping the now bloodied knife when he heard a crash from downstairs. “WHERE IS HE?” 

Time to go. Carlos raced out of the living room and into the main hall. There was the front door. He just had to make it outside. That’s all he needed to do. And then he could run down the hill to Mal’s house. He reached the front door and was pulling it open when he heard his name called from the other room. 

“Carlos, darling. I know you’re here. Come on out.” 

And with that, Carlos was out the door and running down the path that led him away from Hell Hall. He had almost made it to the gates when he was tackled to the ground by a heavyweight. The breath was knocked from his lungs as he landed hard on his stomach. Pain exploded from his hands to his wrists and up his arms as he tried to break the fall. He was roughly grabbed by his hair and yanked up from where he lay on the ground. 

“Where ya goin’, runt? We weren’t done having our fun yet.” 

“Let me go fucking assholes,” Carlos bit out as he tried in vain to wave around the knife he had swiped from the kitchen. 

“Whoa, hey, calm down, lil’ runt.” 

The knife was yanked out of his hand and thrown a few agonizing feet away. “NO! HELP! SOMEONE HELP!” He knew no one would hear him, much less care but still... 

“Shut up,” Jasper hissed as he backhanded the boy. The man frowned when he pulled away his bloodied hand. “Ah hell. What did you do to your spots, runt?” 

Carlos growled at that, still trying relentlessly to kick at his two captors. “They’re not spots you fucking psycho. They’re not spots.” 

“Try telling that to the boss.” 

They dragged him back up the hill and into hell. That didn’t stop him from struggling the entire way. He felt his energy fading by the time he was put in front of his mother. 

“Carlos... I am so disappointed in you, darling. Making a mess, attacking your elders... it’s like you remember nothing that I taught you and-” she grabbed his chin a bruising grip and forced his head up so his eyes met hers. “Look at me when I am talking to you. I hav-” she shrieked. Carlos flinched at that, his ears ringing from the sound. 

"WHAT DID YOU DO?" she screeched when she saw the scars on her son's cheeks. Scars that now marred his beautiful spots. His beautiful fur . “YOU RUINED EVERYTHING.” She retracted her hand, only to bring it back down again, slapping him hard. If it hadn’t been for Horace and Jasper restraining him, he would have fallen to the ground. Blows began to rain down at him as she kept yelling about how he had ruined everything. “MY COAT! WHAT ABOUT MY COAT!?!! 

The blows stopped and Carlos chanced a look up to see Cruella pacing back and forth, rage still radiating from her form. “I’ve been a good mother, Carlos. I’ve made sacrifices you could never dream of and this is how you repay me?” She stopped suddenly, turning hateful eyes onto her son. “I believe this calls for a different kind of punishment.” She gestured to Horace and Jasper. Take him to the barn.” 

Horace and Jasper paled at that. “Ma’am... don’t you think that-” 

“I didn’t ask for your opinion,” she hissed. “Take him there now .” 

Fear raced through Carlos’ body when Horace leaned over him to whisper, “I’m sorry, runt. Cruella’s orders.”

The last thing he remembered was a sharp blow delivered to the back of his head, followed by darkness.