Disclaimer: This is a work of fan fiction using characters from Monster High, Ever After High, Disney Descendants, DC Super Hero Girls, and Project MC2 worlds which is trademarked by Mattel, Guru Studio, Disney, Dreamworks Animation's AwesomenessTV and MGA respectively. All characters are created and owned by Mattel, Disney and MGA and I do not claim any ownership over them or their story and it is not purported or believed to be part of the original story canon. This story is for entertainment only.

Privateer Prep:

Season One:

So, You're Going to Be a Pirate

Episode One:

Filched by The Face Stealer

"Someone else was kidnapped last night."

Twyla Boogey paused mid-bite of her carrot to glance up at the speaker. It was her werewolf friend, Howleen Wolf, plopping down on the cafeteria bench to sit across from her. The table wobbled slightly under the uneven weight so Twyla slid out of the shadows as she asked, "Who was kidnapped?"

Howleen's gold eyes widened comically as she gestured towards the gossiping cacophony of students in the cafeteria, "How could you not know who was kidnapped? Deuce Gorgon, only the hottest guy in the school was taken along with Petra De Nile!"

Twyla furrowed her thin brows and scrunched her nose at the smell of wet-fur. She noted the sheen of Howleen's coat as she spoke, "Another De Nile? Cleo must be up in arms about both her sisters being kidnapped."

Howleen propped her fur-covered elbows on the table and tapped it with her claw, carving strikes into the wood as she emphasized, "Rumor has it that the vampires of Belfry Prep are taking monsters for an epic Fright Tube prank and since Monster High has all monster types our school is their main target."

Twyla rolled her eyes, "Why would vamps fly all the way down to New Salem, Massachusetts for-" She winced and covered her ears as multiple trays clattered to the floor from the force of a screaming Cleo. When the room ceased shaking and the glass of the shattered window finished it chimes Twyla uncovered her ears and continued, "-ugh. What kind of Fright Tube prank would that be?"

Howleen shrugged, "I don't know, vampires are weird."

Twyla shook her head and pointed a carrot at Howleen, "Hey no need to stereotype vampires, not all of them are weird. Besides I heard the ghost of Haunted High were responsible. It would explain how Spectra and some of the other ghost students went missing."

Howleen rolled her eyes and scoffed, "You're only defending vampires because you have more in common with them."

Twyla leaned back in her seat and squinted at Howleen, "What?"

Howleen pursed her lips and nodded, "Let's face it. The kidnappings only happen at night. No one ever sees anyone enter or leave the school and they bypass all the curses made by Headless Headmistress Bloodgood. Vampires only do things at night, boogey monsters only do things at night. Vampires can wield powerful magics, boogey monsters can walk through powerful magics-"

Twyla rolled her eyes, "Okay, first of all, vampires can't walk through the shadow. I do. They sleep in coffins, I sleep under the bed. They may wield powerful magics but they can't avoid the curse of a headless horsemen and Headless Headmistress Bloodgood is the strongest. No monster enters this school without her permission."

Howleen gasped, "You don't think Headless Headmistress Bloodgood is in on it do you?"

Twyla lowered her eyelids, "Why would she be in on an epic kidnapping prank?"

Howleen shrugged, "I don't know. It's just weird that so many have gone missing and nobody's been able to find a culprit."

Howleen's iCoffin rang and she glanced at it, "Ah, Twyla, I have to go. My brother has been extra paranoid about where I'm at since Clawdeen was kidnapped. You should come and join us."

Twyla shook her head and slid back into the shadows becoming one with the dark, "Nah. You go ahead, I'll be in the shadow if you need me."

Howleen scowled at the empty seat before her, "Look here my testy bestie, just because you're a monster of shadow doesn't mean you can't go missing."

Twyla chuckled as her violet eyes glowed electric blue in the shadow, "If a monster was capable of ripping me out of shadow my dad would sense the change and come to my rescue. No need to worry. Go be with your brother, don't make him worry."

Howleen whimpered and held her hands close together in front of her chest as she stared wide-eyed at the shadow.

Twyla closed her eyes, "Puppy eyes won't work on me. Go on. I'll see you later."

Howleen blew a short blast of air out of her nostrils as she got up and weaved her way through the crowd of tables towards her brother. Twyla continued her lunch in relative silence as she observed the student body of Monster High. Paranoia was at an all-time high. The normal mix of ghouls and mansters sat segregated by monster type as they eyed each other warily. Snide remarks about whose kind did what wafted through the air as hisses and snarls met every comment ten-fold.

Twyla dropped her carrot on her tray, her appetite dissipated. She moved through the shadow to drop it off at the tray spot. All around her students suspected one another of being in on the terrifying joke. She recalled last month when it all started as several members of her class had gone missing. A few monsters every night and no one could make contact with them.

Twyla slipped through the long shadows of the candle-lit hall towards her locker. When she opened it, a leaflet fluttered to the floor. It was the advertisement for the metal band Spellstorm. Twyla sighed as she picked it up. A few weeks ago, Casta Spell, the lead singer, went missing the night before the concert.

She grabbed her books for class and balled up the leaflet, tossing it into the trash bin. No point in overthinking it. While ghost and mummies and ghouls had gone missing she could not. No monster would take on the boogeyman and live to tell the tale. As his daughter, Twyla was confident no one would dare to try. Twyla drifted from shadow to shadow as she made her way towards her next class. It was going to be a long week and she couldn't wait until she graduated on Friday, June third. Then she would go home and learn how to weave pleasant dreams from her mother, a dream-weaver spider. She just hoped her father would understand her decision.

It was around two twenty-two in the morning. Twyla was sound asleep under her bed, wrapped cozy in her sheets when the creak of her dorm floor stirred her awake. She was ripped from under the bed. Her hands tied to her feet and a burlap sack shoved over her head.

She was floating in the air or carried by someone without a body though she did feel deathly cold hands pulling her arms out of socket as she was placed on a pole. She growled as she tried to shake the bag loose but it was tied around her neck. The rough material scratched at her skin. It irritated her. She kicked upwards in hopes of bucking the pole she was hanging from, she screamed but to no avail. Whoever had her intended to keep her. Her sight adjusted to the lights that pierced the sack, but she could only vaguely see streaks of violet from her surroundings as she was carried out the dorms.

She struggled against her captor, "Hey! Put me down, this isn't funny! Whoever you are, my dad will find you and haunt your nightmares for the rest of your life!"

She heard a high-pitched raspy snicker close to her ear and she thrust her head back to hit it. She only succeeded in hitting her head on a nearby wall. "I mean it! My dad is the Boogey man! If you let me go right now, we can pretend this never happened."

Her words were met with more laughter that echoed around her head. She worried her lip as she tried to pinpoint its location. Aggravated she tried sensing for shadows, hoping to slide into one and make her escape. But the shadows eluded her. The scent of rotting leaves suffocated her as she swung from side to side and tree branches smacked her backside. She was in the forest surrounding the school but she hadn't heard the creak of the wrought tungsten gate so they weren't taking her through the front entrance.

The forest was silent except for the occasional snap of a twig. Her captors had to have feet to physically effect their surroundings, but what kind of ghoul was it. Soon she heard water gurgle as it cascaded over rocks. She knew she was near the Drearrimack river, though for what reason she was uncertain. Waves slapped against an object and water in the wind wet her side. Her weight shifted towards her feet as she was taken up a slope. Boots clomped against wood behind her. A squealing chortle sounded close to her ear as she was carried down wooden stairs. Sound intensified as though the hallway was narrow and the musty air reeked of citrus and sea. She slid forward as the pole was tilted and she slammed face first onto a wooden floor. She took in a breath to calm her nerves but her eyes widened when she felt her world rock beneath her.

The metal clang of a cell door slammed behind her. She sat up and growled, "If this is some type of prank it's gone too far!"

Nothing but laughter answered her; and as the laughter sounded further and further away, Twyla was filled with dread. Shortly thereafter; the footsteps returned and she could hear screams echo from a distance. Some of the voices sounded quite familiar, but she was unable to confirm as her captors would rattle the bars of her cell anytime she started to speak. Her captors returned at least half a dozen times and deposited prisoners. Twyla completely lost track of time. After a while, she felt the ship lurch and roll forward.

She knew they had set sail, "Seriously, if you're doing this to make an epic prank video for Fright Tube; it's not funny at all."

A manster's familiar low-pitched voice rang out from a nearby cell, "Twyla?"

Twyla perked up and gasped, "Billy? Is that you?"

Billy replied, "Yeah, I'm here. Hopefully these ghouls let us go soon. I have to pick up my graduation robes tomorrow."

Twyla scooted forward until she touched a cell bar so she could hear him better, "Ghouls? Did you get a good look at them? Were they from a rival school?"

Billy let out a deep breath, "Well I think one was a ghoul. I'm not sure. The girl who grabbed me looked like a normie, if she's a monster I don't know what type but she had all these floating haunts around her. I couldn't give her the slip either, it's like she could see me the whole time."

Twyla gasped, "They could see you? How? Were you sleeping under a light?"

Billy sighed, "No, I was my normal invisible self but it didn't seem to matter."

"Maybe the ghoul was a monster type, what did she look like?" Twyla inquired.

Billy replied, "She had two arms and two legs and two pigtails on top of her head. She stunk though, smelled like dried blood and graveyard soil, so rotten."

"Eww. Are you sure she's not a monster?"

"She's probably a witch now that I think about it. They can pass for normies when they want."

Twyla chewed her cheek as she tried to peer through the material covering her face, "But why would a witch kidnap a bunch of other monsters?"

"Why do witches do anything? Who knows-" Billy fell silent as boots clomped down the stairs.

The air became charged and Twyla sensed the familiar spark of a startled stitch monster. She instinctively leaned away from the metal bars of her cell. Electricity struck the bars and she scrunched her nose as metal singed the dust. Sharp light pierced her vision as multiple strikes ripped through the room. A whoosh and a shriek further down signaled the sparks had created flames. Two cell doors were slammed shut as a presence calmed the flame. Twyla strained her ear to listen but it was ghostly quiet except for the groaning of a familiar zombie.

When the presence ascended the stairs Twyla called out, "Who else is here?"

Billy stated, "We're locked up just as you are."

Frankie's cheerful voice called from a cell further down the row, "Oh my ghoul! Is that Billy and Twyla?"

Twyla turned towards her, "Frankie?"

Ghoulia groaned with resignation. Frankie sighed, "Yep, the whole gang is here. We were having our last slumber party before graduation, but hey! Now you guys are having a slumber party with us too."

Twyla drawled, "Oh goody and me without my sleeping bag."

Frankie giggled, "Its fine. I don't have mine right now either. Plus, no offense Billy, but most times we don't invite mansters."

Billy let out a dry laugh, "I guess I'm one of the privileged few."

Frankie chuckled and laughed, "I guess today is your lucky day. Although…" She hummed thoughtfully, "Can either one of you move your hands? Because this bag is rubbing my bolts something awful." Ghoulia groaned informatively. Frankie gasped, "Oh! I guess we all would be in the same condition, huh."

Twyla responded, "Well we won't be in this position for too long, my father will sense the change in the shadows on be on his way. Our rescue is imminent."

Wood clanked as the walls rattled. Footsteps echoed down the stairs as another was brought kicking and screaming. Twyla winced as she realized it was the royal diva and last of the De Nile daughters, Cleo.

When the cell was slammed shut and the captor ascended Frankie's perky voice shouted, "Hi Cleo, guess we're continuing our party here."

Cleo sighed haughtily, "It's a tragedy, I know. This setting is hardly worthy of me, but weep not, I look good from all angles."

Twyla drawled, "This feels beyond a simple Fright Tube prank."

Cleo scoffed, "If this is going to be a Fright Tube prank I will still look regal." Ghoulia gurgled a compliment. Cleo squealed, "Why thank you- They took you as well Ghoulia? Well, I will have words with these captors, far too many of my adoring fa- people have been taken and I will not stand for it."

Billy chuckled, "Are you standing right now?"

Cleo huffed, "Invisi Billy I don't need any sarcasm from you… wait, how were you taken? Were you sleeping under a fluffy blanket or something?"

Billy sighed and footsteps echoed down the stairs once more. Twyla grimaced as another surge of electricity hit the bars of her cell. The air was overheated. She feared another fire and scooted towards the center of her cell. The cell to the right of her creaked open and the loud clang of metal crumpled on the floor. The subtle whirring of gears and hum of electricity clued her in to the cell's occupant. Another cell door slammed as pulses of electricity ran through all the cell bars. A voice like an aggressive backfiring hooptie cursed and shouted at the departing captors.

Frankie cooed, "Crecha, I don't think they're down here anymore."

Crecha, Frankie's twin sister, screeched, "Frankie! They stole you! How dare they! I'll give them the shock of their unlife."

The bars hummed with vibrating electricity and Twyla sighed, "Please stop throwing volts around, some of us here don't survive on it."

A soft polite voice like an antique phonograph sounded from Twyla's right as Robecca called out from her cell, "Hello everyone, I do hope you all are not too uncomfortable. I, however seem to have been removed from my charging station. If it's not too much trouble, Frankie could you please fill me up?"

Crecha scoffed, "Uh, Robecca we are currently tied up in a cell in a wooden ship. As much as I would love to help you out, throwing electricity around haphazardly would not be recommended."

Robecca gasped, "Oh how right you are! My apologies."

Billy snorted, "Didn't stop you from shocking the bars just a second ago."

"Shut up Invisi Billy!" Crecha huffed, "Wait… how were you-"

"I don't know! The ghoul looked like a witch or something, probably cast a spell." Billy grumbled.

Robecca asked, "Er, Billy, did I hear you say you took a gander at our pranksters? Were you able to determine their school of origin?"

Billy hummed thoughtfully, "Hmmm, the witch, I'm not so sure about but I want to say the haunts were from Haunted High, Although I know haunts tend to stay secluded."

Twyla sucked her teeth, "Whoever they are, they will be in huge trouble for breaking and entering the dorms at school. Though if I recall correctly, ghost get major chains for haunting the monster world."

Her voice caught in her throat as a sudden chill filled the room. Footsteps bounded down the stairs as a gruff voice shouted insults at her captors. Droplets of water plinked onto the floorboards as another monster was carried down and tossed into a nearby cell. As a distant cell door creaked open the captor chuckled in a voice as smooth as velvet. Twyla strained her ear to hear what was being said but the captor was practically purring her insults. The cell doors slammed shut as the captor sauntered out of the room. Boots tapping intimidation with each step.

Cleo growled, "Abbey keep the cold to yourself, you're freezing my bandages."

Abbey's blunt voice growled out, "They cowards who only know sneak at night. When I see their faces, I give them piece of my mind."

Ghoulia gurgled with guttural emphasis. Lagoona chuckled lightly, "Well that's bound to get their attention, Ghoulia."

Frankie gasped, "Lagoona they got you too?"

Lagoona sighed, "You know me mate, I really don't like to make waves."

An unfamiliar girl's serene voice called out from a distant cell, "So, do you all go to the same school?"

Everyone stopped talking. The girl's voice called out again, "Please don't stop talking, I didn't mean to interrupt. I just got excited to hear some friendly voices for a change. That Freddie has become a real nightmare."

Twyla turned towards the voice, "Who are you? Who's Freddie?"

The girl took a deep breath, "I'm Evie, and while I would normally love to tell you all about me, I'm not sure how much time we have before Freddie comes back down here. Freddie's the one behind all this. We grew up together; she had always been a bit…off, a bit of a control freak; but the way she seems now scares me. I don't know what kind of elaborate prank this would be, but if it's from her it can't be good."

Cleo called out, "So this Fred person… is she known for pulling crazy pranks? What does she typically do and why would she involve another school?"

Evie sighed, "I have no idea what's going through her mind right now or what she's trying to do."

The ship lurched to a halt and footsteps were heard up above. Evie groaned, "There they go again."

Frankie asked, "Again? Wait, is she nabbing more people? This seems pretty excessive for a Fright Tube prank. I guess that Freddie is a go big or go home kind of ghoul."

Evie replied, "Yeah, not really sure what Fright Tube is, but Freddie is either taking more people or stealing things. I overheard her talking about it when we stopped the first time. Shh, someone is coming!"

Twyla couldn't hear any footsteps but she suddenly felt a presence in the room that chilled the air and made the hair on the back of her neck stand up. Everyone remained silent as more people were loaded screaming into cells. Twyla heard the quiet sobbing of a girl in the cell to the left of her. It felt like hours had passed. No one wanted to speak as the ghostly presence seemed to linger in the atmosphere around them.

After a while a woman's voice from above called out, "All hands on deck!"

The presence left and soon she heard chains splashing into the water.

Billy sighed, "Sounds like we've docked."

Twyla pinched her lips together. She didn't know where in the world they were but she could only hope that wherever they were she could find and jump into a shadow to contact her dad so everyone could be rescued.