Chapter Text
"Chloe, what are you doing?" Red asked nervously as Chloe and Max got to the entrance of the hedge maze. Beside her was Luis per usual, following Red like a lost puppy, never giving her a moment alone.
"Oh you know, just having some fun. Being good got kinda boring so I figured I'd try and be more like you." Chloe monologue taking steps towards the other girl who did not budge even as they were just millimeters apart. She smiles cruely at Red's confusion. "Selfish, Heartless, cruel" she explained with something akin to pride, but warped into something so wrong.
"Do you like it?"she asked backing away to lean on her new 'friend' "you can thank Max."
"You did this to her?" Red asked her seething with rage and Max stood unfazed.
"It's crazy how quickly a life can change isn't it?"
Red glared at him, but it was actually Chloe who spoke up next. "You know I hoped you'd like the new me, seeing as you'd always had a soft spot for villains I thought you'd embrace this change." She mumbles mainly to herself "how disappointing" she adds and it's true, a part of her had hoped Red would be impressed by what she'd become. But a much larger part of her self just couldn't bring herself to care. This new dark magic coursing within her promised her anything she could ever want, and right now that was Red kneeling before her, seeing her, loving her, the image was so clear in her mind she could feel the edges of her lips rise at the thought. Her hand subconscious graced across her bracelet and another wave of dark magic reinforced the certainty of her fantasy.
"You know what we want, just let us go and nobody has to get hurt."
"No"
"No?" Chloe questioned glaring at the princess.
"If you go in there alone you'll get lost maybe for years searching for an exit, it's a security measure for the kingdom to keep outsiders out. Max wouldn't know how to get through because his family was exiled in this timeline. You'll both be trapped." She states seriously.
"I'll go with you."
"What? Red you can't" Luis said, finally speaking up and Chloe shot him the Sharpest look she could manage.
"Quiet!" She demanded reaching for her dagger and Chloe could see the way they all flinched at the force of his voice. It felt good, she felt powerful, and Red unconsciously stepped between her line of sight to keep her focus away from Luis.
"Chloe listen, let me help okay? I'll take you to the pocket watch, I promise."
"And why should we trust you?" Max asked
"Because if I wanted to hurt you I would have just let you go in there and waited for you to die without food or water." Red told him her tone much harsher than when she spoke with Chloe.
"Please, let me help" she insists, and Max turns to Chloe knowing that she could probably tell if she was bluffing.
"It's not like you to offer to help the enemy" Chloe said reaching a hand out of to cup her face and expression of interest forming on her features. Red flinches at first before gently covering Chloe's hand with her own.
"You're not the enemy Chloe, you're my best friend." Chloe considers the statement a smile coming to her face and Red thinks she'd finally gotten through to her when suddenly she tilted Red's head down harshly looking at her with dead eyes and a cruel smile.
"I wouldn't be so sure" Chloe states letting her go, a wave of validation flowing through her as she turned to Max.
"We could use here, unfortunately Mr. Muscles is of no use to us." Chloe decides and Luis immediately tries to protest.
"No way, I'm not leaving her."
"Luis please just go, find the others take them home. Make sure Pink is okay."
"But—"
"You should listen to Red, don't be a hero" Chloe states and he glares at her but does as asked, running into the woods to find the rest of their team leaving the three of them alone.
Max takes out a pair of handcuffs to shackle Red's wrist, the girl glaring daggers at him as he does so. "Just in case" Max states with a sly smirk, "shouldn't be a problem sense you just want to 'help' right?" He adds and before she could make one of her classic snarky remarks a jolt of electricity shocks her with such an intensity it brings her to her knees letting out a scream of agony.
Chloe doesn't hesitate to attack Max, grabbing him by the shirt before throwing him against a tree. "That's not what we talked about" Chloe states as the pain subsided and Chloe could hear deep breaths coming from Red behind her.
"Take them off"
Max struggles against her grip her fist pushing into his chest making it hard to breathe. "Perimeter… lock… can't run… 5ft… you" he wheezed tapping on her arm to surrender and Chloe let him go.
"Are you saying she can't leave my side?" She questioned unsure if she'd misunderstood, and Max nods wheezing.
"You're her reference point." He said after catching his breath."Do you still want me to disable it?" He asked smugly already knowing the answer. She smiles.
"No, I suppose they can stay on. Just as a precaution."
"As you wish."