Ryan followed Mal to a private room in Honeymoon Castle. Normally he wouldn't exactly be thrilled with being away from Henry but he knew he was safe with Claudine. Plus Sammy was enjoying her time with Harriet and Brooke so it only made sense for him to pair off with Mal.
"How've you been?" Mal asked, giving the younger boy a small smile. "You look well, at least since the last time I saw you."
Ryan sighed. "I've had good days and bad days. More good than bad but since CJ left the Isle, it's been...having Brooke in the crew's helped."
Mal gave Ryan a small, sad smile and rested a hand on his shoulder. "Ben won't be happy with what I'm about to do but how'd you like a little one-on-one time with Freddy before he becomes an ex-person?"
"Wait, seriously?" Ryan asked, looking at Mal in shock. "But...but I thought you, Uma, Harry, and Jay would have called dibs."
Mal shook her head. "Apparently those three had their fun at Cotillion when I was making sure Ben was okay. Besides, Uma's on Ben duty with Evie and Jay and Harry are busy sparring with Carlos and Gil to get their energy out before it all goes down."
"...Evie?"
"Oh yeah you're unaware of that change. Yeah we're aligned with Evie now, and yes Harry can be around Gil and not try to kill him."
Ryan shook his head as if to clear away the shock. "I...I don't know which is more strange. The fact that Harry isn't trying to kill Gil anymore apparently or the fact that you referred to Blueberry by her first name."
"Who's to say it can't be both?" Mal chuckled. "Now come on. Ben doesn't want to waste too much time in waiting lest we give Freddy the chance to escape yet again. Meaning we only have so much time before someone realizes what it is we're doing."
Holding out her hand, she gave Ryan a reassuring smile. "You trust me right Ryan?"
"Of course," Ryan nodded, taking Mal's hand. "With my life, cap'n."
"That's co-captain Mr. Williams," Mal said but her voice lacked any scolding tone that would have normally been there. A cloud of dark purple smoke surrounded them and when it faded, Ryan found himself in a dark, musty smelling room; each side lined with bars and narrow holes for windows.
"Lady Mal," one of the guards nodded as they approached what Ryan could only assume to be Freddy's cell. Granted it was the only cell with guards by the entrance so it was an easy assumption to make. "What do we owe the honor?"
"My friend here requests a one on one interview with the accused," Mal said, nodding her head back at them.
The guards hesitated, as if unsure to allow such a request though Ryan could tell that the guard wanted nothing more than to let Mal and Ryan into the cell. "King Ben said no one's...no one's to enter the accused's cell before he's to be taken to trial."
"Of course and you wouldn't be doing your job properly if you just let us in," Mal said before holding out her hand so that her palm faced the ceiling. "If you're worried about an imitation, you needn't be. Magic can not be replicated after all."
With that, a bright lilac fireball grew in the palm of Mal's hand and Ryan watched as the guards seemed to almost relax in relief. As if they'd been concerned that Audrey or another Angel was imitating Mal to get access to Freddy.
You know, if it wasn't for Freddy's absolute hatred of magic, I'd say that would be a good plan for them to potentially try, Ryan thought. Well and the fact that I'm pretty sure that Shayla and Locklyn share one brain cell and Strat would never take orders from a woman for them to get over to Auradon in the first place. Plus you know Mal would just kick their butts back to the Isle.
"Very well," the guard said. "But what about him?"
"I've throughly verified his identity," Mal said, her voice firm." Believe me when I say that he would never cause the accused to run rampant through Auradon or through the Isle ever again."
You know," the second guard said, having been silent for most of the conversation. "I think it's just about time for our break anyway. In all honesty Lady Mal, you'll not find many among the guards who are all that fond of Mr. Frollo here. Not after his actions at Cotillion."
"I figured as much," Mal nodded. "Go take your break gentlemen. I'll make sure Freddy doesn't escape."
The guards smiled at her and walked off as Mal and Ryan slipped in to Freddy's cell. Unlike the last time Freddy was in their custody, this time he was chained to the wall with the keys kept with the guards.
"Hold up," Mal said as they stood in the doorway and looked at Ryan. "Hand me your sword."
"What? Why?!"
"You're not killing him."
"But if he's slated for execution, why...?"
Mal sighed, keeping her voice low as to avoid Freddy overhearing her. "He's slated for execution so I will be killing him. Ben doesn't necessarily like it but I told him it's the only way we can make sure it's over."
"So...so why'd you bring me here?" Ryan asked.
"Because he took advantage of the stampede at the docks to escape the first time," Mal said simply, resting a hand on Ryan's shoulder. "Henry told me once, in one of his reports. He told me you were training like something was going to happen. Kristy told you something that day didn't she? The day I took you to the Underworld?"
Ryan nodded hesitantly, shooting Freddy a glare before looking back over to Mal. "She...Freddy was there. She saw him. He was there and he didn't help her at all! He could have at least gotten her to the hospital you and Ben were building! They might not have been able to do much but they might have gotten her to Auradon!"
"I know," Mal said, her voice soft. "And I know how much you loved your sister. Ben could tell too, when he was in the Underworld with you. So why don't you remind Freddy why it's a bad idea to mess with the Warf Rats?"
Ryan nodded and undid his sword from his belt, handing it to Mal before walking forward toward Freddy.
Hold on...Ben? But I thought Mitchell was the one with me? Ryan thought. Then again...King Ben does look a lot like Mitchell, minus the beanie...and King Ben is Mitchell isn't he?
"Well isn't it little Ryan?" Freddy taunted as Ryan closed the distance between them. "Henry finally let you drift from his side?"
Ryan didn't hesitate before letting his fist fly, a grim smile tugging at his lips as he felt the feeling of Freddy's nose crunch against his fist.
"That was for my sister," Ryan growled as he pulled his fist back and let it fly once more. "That was for the pain and suffering she felt being trampled to death and you just stood by and watched!"
"Now, now, what about me makes you think I'd help? Especially a Rat in training? You Rats already overpopulated the Isle and took up resources that the rest of us deserved," Freddy told him, a smirk on his face despite the blood dripping from his nose.
"She trusted you!"
"Her mistake."
Mal watched as Ryan's foot lashed out and hit Freddy square in the ribs. She wanted to make sure the kind hearted boy didn't go too far, that he didn't lose the innocence most of the Rats lost long before this point.
But then again, maybe he already lost it, Mal thought. After all, he was the one to find his sister after that stampede. No amount of time can regain that innocence.
"She trusted you! She took your advice to get the food!" Ryan shouted, kneeling down so that his blooded fist was clutching Freddy's shirt. "What, did you plan that? That the crowd would be bigger to aim for more chaos?"
"The Lord works in mysterious ways—."
"Cut the bull and give me a straight answer for once Freddy!" Ryan growled, his fist tightening so that his knuckles were almost white. "Did. You. Plan. That. Stampede?"
Freddy smirked. "Oh now Ryan, don't act like you're that tough. I heard how you screamed when you found her. You honestly had the gall to complain that the other Rats were treating you like a child when you acted like a child? Actually worse than that, you acted like the prissy Princesses those of us who're actually strong enough to handle the Isle mocked."
"Watch it Freddy," Mal growled.
"Oh? What will you do if I don't?" Freddy asked, raising an eyebrow as he looked at Mal. "How can Ryan truly call himself a VK if he—?"
Mal didn't know exactly what Ryan was according to Freddy because the brunet's fist flew once more. If Mal was a different person, she might have winced upon hearing the crunch of bone against Ryan's fist.
However, Mal could still remember the pain that Freddy brought to Ben. The pain the former leader of the Angels had brought to the Isle, especially the girls who had to go to him to have a shot of getting food.
I should probably step in before Ryan goes too far shouldn't I? Mal thought as Ryan continued to wail on Freddy. The former leader of the Angel's face honestly resembled ground beef instead of anything that looked human. Not like Freddy could ever be considered human.
"Ryan," Mal said, her voice soft yet firm at the same time. "Enough."
Ryan looked over at Mal in shock. "What?!"
"You heard me," Mal said, shaking her head. "You go too far, there'll always be a rumor that Freddy survived. You really want to give the Angels on the Isle a rallying cry and make Freddy here a martyr?"
"He needs to pay!" Ryan growled.
"And he will. But I'm not making one of my crew a murderer for Freddy of all people," Mal said, walking over and resting a hand on his shoulder. "You made him pay in a way that I'm sure even Henry would be jealous of."
"Why would Henry be jealous of this?" Freddy scoffed. "That Ryan couldn't take me in a one on one where I could actually fight back? Then again he's still hiding on the Isle—."
"Henry's here," Ryan snapped. "He's here in Auradon and he's going to watch as Mal finally makes it so you see your precious Hellfire!"
Mal buffed her fingers on her jacket. "I'll certainly try though dad never really said what Tartarus is like. Just that Freddy's definitely not going to like it."
"If I am going to die, I'm going to be greeted by St. Peter!" Freddy snapped.
"Freddy, you were arrested assisting in breaking and entering and potential regicide," Mal said, her voice flat. "I don't think that's the kind of thing that earns a warm welcome to the upstairs now is it?"
"You sinners are all the—."
"Yeah yeah," Mal shook her head. "Gods Jay was right. You really are a broken record aren't you? Let me guess. Smite the wicked, firey depths, we will forever hate one another and you're under the delusion that someone will come rescue you?"
"My gang is loyal to me!"
"The brains of your gang are currently here in Auradon," Mal said with a smirk. "You and I both know that Shayla and Locklyn would kill each other for your approval and Strat is just biding his time before he can take control of the Angels. I honestly wouldn't be surprised if they merged to join Zevon's gang—Piper's certainly not going to take her sister back. Not after everything Locklyn's done in your name."
She shook her head and knelt down so that she was eye level with Freddy. "I won't be able to say it out there so I'll say it here. I won. You're going to live your afterlife knowing that the one thing you wanted to do more than anything, you failed to. You didn't kill me when I was nine and you shoved me into the Cove, you didn't kill me when you threw that dagger at me when I snuck onto the Isle before Ben's coronation. And you didn't kill me at Cotillion."
"Because you cheated," Freddy snarled.
"I'm a Pirate," Mal smirked. "Of course I cheated Freddy. When it comes to a life or death situation, I'll always cheat to make sure my friends and I stay alive. That's one of the rules of the Isle after all."
Standing up, Mal walked back over to Ryan. "We should get that blood washed off your hands before the trial," she told him. "The last thing we'd want is to worry anyone. Plus I doubt you'd want to see CJ again after all this time with blood on your hands."
"CJ'll be there?" Ryan asked, perking up.
Mal chuckled. "If she's not there, it'll be because Harry and Harriet have found a way to keep her at Evie's. Now come on, I think we've been in this cesspool for far too long."
Freddy lunged but the short chains on his shackles stopped him before he could even think of closing the distance between him and Mal.
"You'll pay for this witch!"
"Get new material Freddy," Mal said before making her way to the cell's door, giving him a half hearted wave with a slight waggle of her fingers. "Then again, I doubt my dad will give you time to think. He's waited for this day almost as long as I have."
"Well then let's not disappoint Lord Hades," Ryan said, a grin gracing his lips as the two Rats made their way out of the dungeons, the slamming of the cell door echoing in their wake.