Into the Depths

Chapter 25

"I'm not telling you this to make you feel guilty or anything since your dad set up the Isle and everything," Carlos said softly. If Ben hadn't been looking at the boy's face and seen his lips move, he might not have known Carlos had said anything. "I just...look Ben when you go from sleeping in a nest of furs surrounded by bear traps to living in Auradon and sleeping in your own bed, you want to try to give back if you can."

"Wait, bear traps?" Ben asked, stunned. He definitely didn't expect that. Where did they even get bear traps on the Isle?

Carlos shrugged, almost as if he had expected Ben's reaction. "She's got cruel in her name for a reason."

Ben didn't have to ask who 'she' was—he already knew.

His mother did that to him? Ben thought, still stunned at the thought of a parent being able to do that to their child. Yeah he knew the Isle wasn't the greatest which after two viewings, dating Mal for a year and discovering the truth behind the food deliveries, Ben knew to be an understatement. Still, the idea of a mother doing that to her own son...

Ben had a sudden urge to go and give his mother the biggest hug known to man.

"That scar on your ankle," Ben said softly as the realization came to him, "the one Akiho, Emir and I saw at the sleepover after Cotillion? That's what that was from?"

Carlos shrugged again. "It was before I knew how to just stay put," he muttered. "Clearly I kept the foot though so no harm done."

No harm done?! Ben thought, staring at Carlos incredulously. Ben knew, thanks to what Jay and Carlos had told him after cotillion, that the Isle didn't have a medical system. Carlos had been incredibly lucky to somehow avoid losing his foot. That could have made the difference between life or death on the Isle from what Ben had seen.

"Look Ben, I'd...I'd rather not talk about my past," Carlos said. "I mean, you saw what Cruella was like in the first viewing and you know she's the one who gave me my fear of dogs. I just don't see how getting shocked or angry would help, especially when there are kids in situations similar to what mine were growing up and they don't have Rodger or Anita to help them out."

Ben nodded. "Of course. Work with Mal to get that set up Carlos. I can get you guys whatever you need."

"We may need to take another trip to the Isle Ben," Carlos told him. "To get the place set up and everything. This trip would have to be an officially sanctioned one too, we can't risk you getting hurt by sneaking you onto the Isle again."

"And this time you bring me! I'm good for protection!" Dude chimed in as he looked up from the food bowl, causing Ben to chuckle and Carlos to roll his eyes.

"I thought we agreed you were going to stay quiet?"

"We both knew that wasn't going to happen so why were we fooling ourselves?" Dude asked before ducking his head back down and Carlos sighed, shaking his head.

"I hate the fact that he has a point," he told Ben.

"Hey, I don't mind if he talks," Ben said, still chuckling a little. "It may have been a little jarring at first, during the video, but now it's actually kinda cool."

"Thank you Ben!" Dude said, looking back up at Ben with a little doggy grin on his face before hopping up onto Ben's lap. "I always liked you!"

"Really? And it wasn't the fact that I used to sneak you chicken when I'd visit you on the Tourney field?" Ben said dryly.

"That helped! Kitty did the same thing, I like her too! Even if she is named after a cat!"

Ben and Carlos chuckled, both boys shaking their heads in amusement at the dog.