Chapter 7-The Robbery
"So, tonight's the night, huh?" Claire said as they were getting ready for school the next morning.
"Yeah. I'm can't wait! I just wish our parents were here so they could see what we're about to do!" Fran said excitedly.
"Trust me, we'll tell them all about it once we steal the wand and the scepter! And then we'll get to watch Auradon burn to ashes as our parents take it all for themselves!" Claire said.
"Oh, for sure! I just hope I get to rule a decent section of Auradon once we take over. I'd hate to be stuck watching over farmland. It's actually gorgeous here. And this is just part of the country!" Fran said.
"What are you talking about?" a voice in the doorway said.
Hayden and Harley came walking into the room, each of them holding a jar, and Hayden holding a black bundle.
"Fran, you're not supposed to think this place is nice. This is the home of the people who killed your father. What are their names again?" Hayden asked.
"Quasimodo, Esmeralda, and Phoebus." Fran growled.
"Right. Don't you want vengeance on them and their children for letting your father fall to his death into a raging fire from the roof of Notre Dame?!" Hayden said.
"More than anything!" Fran said coldly.
"Good. Remember that. You're evil, Fran. You're cruel, malicious, treacherous, and wicked! Don't forget that! Long live evil!" Hayden said.
Fran took a deep breath and said, "Thanks. I needed that."
"So, anyway, we're going after the staff tonight, right?" Claire asked.
"Yeah. But there's still parts of the plan I'm confused about." Harley said.
"What's that?" Fran asked.
"How are we going to knock out our neighbors and the head security guard all at once without getting caught?" Harley asked.
"I'm glad you asked, Harley." Hayden said, pulling something out of his book bag.
He pulled out a clear potion in several small beakers, and said, "One of us going to need to cause a distraction at dinner time so that the rest of us can sneak the potion into our targets drinks."
"Won't they notice something wrong with their drinks?" Claire asked.
Hayden grinned and said, "That's the beauty of the sleep potion. It's colorless, odorless, and tasteless. By the time they realize something's wrong, it'll be too late to do anything!"
"Excellent." Fran said, smirking.
"Okay, but how are we going to keep in touch with each other while we're off doing our own thing to contribute to the plan? And how will we get avoid getting spotted until we shut off the security systems?" Harley asked.
"Simple. Here." Hayden said as he distributed the black bundles.
The villain kids unwrapped the bundles to find a black hoodie and a walkie talkie in each of them.
"The walkie talkies are how we'll be staying in touch. And the hoodies will conceal our faces until Harley shuts down the security system at the museum. And I'm sure we all have black pants-and for Fran, leggings, and shoes, so we're good to go!" Hayden said.
"Wow, you really have thought of everything, haven't you, Hayden?" Fran asked.
"Hell yeah. I've been waiting for this moment for years. The last thing I want to happen is for us to mess up." Hayden said confidently.
"Sounds like it's settled, then. Tonight, we're going after the staff." Claire said.
"This is going to be epic!" Harley said.
"By the way, Claire. I brought you some hair gel, and Harley brought you some red dye if you still want to do a pixie cut." Hayden suggested.
"Yes, please!" Claire said, sitting down on her bed.
"Okay. Just FYI, the gel will wash out if it's exposed to large amounts of water, such as heavy rain. Be careful." Hayden said.
"I will, thanks." Claire said, as Hayden began doing her hair.
"…And then I was like, 'Well, at least I know how to not sound like a moron when I talk'!" Audrey said.
Mal was sitting with her friends for breakfast, as usual, and they were talking about their classes, which had turned into Audrey complaining about her group members for a project.
Then, out of nowhere, Lonnie's eyes went wide, and she made a sound like she was choking on her tea.
"Lonnie? What's wrong?" Mal asked.
Audrey looked where Lonnie was looking and gasped.
"What on earth did Claire do to her hair?" Audrey cried.
The rest of the group turned and saw Claire's very interesting hairdo. It was choppy and uneven all over the place, and some strands were sticking out or up, and all the tips had been dyed red.
Claire noticed them gaping at her and tauntingly asked, "What's the matter? Never done anything wild with your look?"
She laughed wickedly and walked away, still grinning.
Evie shuddered, and Audrey said, "I know, right? That haircut is just awful."
"I think it's called a pixie cut." Jane said, "It's supposed to look like that, to some degree."
"I didn't shudder because of the hair. It's just…they look awfully happy about something." Evie said.
"Why is it bad that they're happy?" Ally asked.
"They have that look on their faces that says they're planning something evil." Evie said.
Mal looked closely at Hayden, Harley, Fran, and Claire, and saw that Evie was right. The new villain kids were grinning wickedly and trying to do whatever they could to cause trouble.
Fran tripped a girl who was walking to her picnic blanket with her friends, who then fell on to her breakfast, ruining her outfit.
"Why would you do that?!" she cried, "Do you have any idea how expensive this outfit was?!"
"Oh, boo-hoo, your outfit's got egg on it. Go ask your parents to waste more money on you and buy a new one. Or I suppose you could go to the dry cleaners. Oh, wait, that's right, you have no idea what that is!" Fran said, smirking.
Her friends laughed and continued moving to the breakfast table, while her friends counseled her and tried to clean her outfit.
"You're right." Mal said, "What could they be up too?"
"Maybe they're-?"
Evie was cut off by the sound of a boy's startled yelp, and then a large splash.
Mal and her friends turned to see Doug emerging from the lake, completely soaked, his glasses gone.
"Doug!" Evie cried, rushing over to help him. Mal and her friends were close behind her.
"Next we tell you get out of our way, you move, nerd!" Claire sneered.
"I was just trying to get my breakfast!" Doug cried, "Now give me my glasses!"
"You mean these?" Hayden asked, holding up a pair of glasses.
"Yeah. Give them back!" Doug said.
"Sure." Hayden said, handing them back to Doug.
But just as Doug was about to grab it, Hayden threw them to the ground and stomped on them.
"Here you go." Hayden said as he handed back the broken glasses as his friends laughed.
"Those were my only pair!" Doug cried.
"Sucks to be you, then!" Harley said.
"That's enough." Ben growled, as he walked up.
"You four," he said, pointing to the new villain kids, "Apologize to Doug right now and get your breakfasts."
"Or what?" Fran growled.
"Or I'll ask The Fairy Godmother into extend your punishment." Ben said.
Hayden paused, thinking, and then lifted Ben into the air with his magic.
"Sorry." Hayden said, "We say no."
Hayden then used his magic to toss Ben into the lake, while his friends jeered and laughed hysterically.
Ben emerged from the lake, roared, and charged at Hayden. Hayden took an attack stance, and launched a fireball at Ben when he reached the shore. Ben barely managed to get out of the way.
"Evie, help me!" Mal called, grabbing the container of ice water.
"What good will that do?" Audrey asked.
"Hayden's fire powers shut off when he's wet." Evie said, moving away from helping Doug to assist Mal.
"Jay, Carlos!" Mal called, "Stop Ben!"
Jay and Carlos tackled Ben from behind, while Mal and Evie dumped the water on Hayden.
"Argh!" he spluttered as the water fell on him.
Ben knocked Jay and Carlos away, and continued advancing towards Hayden, yelling madly.
"BEN!" Mal stepped in front of him, "STOP!"
Ben heard her plea and halted, the anger in his eyes dying. He looked around, saw the terrified looks on everyone's faces, and looked down, horrified and embarrassed.
Claire, Harley, and Fran started applauding.
"Well done, Ben!" Fran said, "With some more work, you could be a great villain!"
"Maybe we'll let you join our gang!" Harley teased.
Claire laughed and said, "Imagine that! The King of Auradon turns evil! That would be an interesting way to start your reign!"
"Leave him alone!" Mal yelled.
"Guys, stop." Hayden said.
Fran, Claire, and Harley turned towards him, confused, "What?"
"You heard me. We've done enough."
Something odd was in Hayden's eyes, something Mal had never seen before. It seemed impossible, but it almost looked like Hayden was regretting provoking Ben.
Then, it vanished, and Hayden looked hardened and wicked again, "We've got more important matters to discuss."
Harley, Fran, and Claire followed Hayden, smirking and snickering at Ben along the way.
"Feel free and hit us up if you ever want to do something wicked together, Evil King." Fran mumbled.
"FRAN!" Hayden snapped, "I said that's enough!"
Fran walked quickly over to where her friends were sitting, and they began mumbling together about something.
Mal huffed, glad that it was over, until she saw Kris marching over, looking pissed.
"Why on Earth did you invite them here?!" Kris snapped.
"Leave Ben alone, Kris." Evie said.
Kris ignored her and asked, "Are you blind to all the trouble they're causing?! They've broke dozens of rules, vandalized a dorm, hurt people, said terrible things, and committed all kinds of acts of evil, and they've only been here for three days! Why won't you just send them home?!"
"That's enough!" Mal said, as Ben's fists began to clench, his head still down.
"Forgive me for saying this, your majesty." Eli said, bowing to Ben, "But I'm afraid I'd have to agree with Kristina on this issue."
"I agree. That son of Hades-Hayden, I think?-almost made me lose control and set fire to a chemistry lab. A chemistry lab!" Andrew said.
Ben took a deep breath, and raised his head.
"I'm doing everything I can to try and keep the villain kids under control." Ben said evenly.
"Well, it's not enough! They just threw you and Doug into a lake, for crying out loud!" Kris cried.
"With all due respect, your majesty, I'm beginning to think that villains like that can't be changed." Eli said.
"That's not true!" Evie said, "Mal, Jay, Carlos, and I were once evil, but Ben succeeded in turning us around."
"Were you ever that evil?" Kris asked, turning to the VKs.
"Yeah. We probably would've been just like them if we weren't afraid of being booted back to The Isle without The Fairy Godmother's wand. We were just like them on The Isle of The Lost." Mal said.
Andrew, Eli, and Kris paused for a minute, thinking.
Eventually, Andrew sighed, and said, "I just have this weird feeling that something really bad going to happen soon."
"It won't. We won't let it." Jay said confidently.
The rest of the villain kids nodded, and Mal said, "Don't lose hope on them, okay? I get the feeling that if we keep up the pressure, and try to show them new ways to be good, they'll change for the better."
Kris shrugged and walked back to her picnic blanket, saying, "Alright. If you say so."
"Very well, then. I believe in you." Eli said as he walked away, Andrew close behind him.
"Eli, you're not in Arendalle anymore. You don't have to act so...royal." Evie said.
"I wish you were correct. But I need to represent my family and my kingdom well given my cousins-ah-current issues." Eli said, as he continued walking away.
Mal noticed that Ben was starting to walk away, and asked, "Where are you going?"
"I…I need some time by myself, to think." Ben said, walking towards the castle.
"But what about your breakfast?" Jay asked.
"I already ate. I was heading inside anyways so I could get back to work." Ben said absently.
"Are you feeling okay, man?" Carlos asked.
"I'm fine." Ben said.
"Ben-!" Mal cried.
"I said, I'm fine! I just need some space, okay?!" Ben snapped.
He huffed and stormed inside the building.
Something's wrong with him. Mal thought.
"Something's wrong with Ben." Mal said to Evie when they got back to their dorms.
"Yeah. He seems so…distant. Out of focus." Evie agreed.
"He snapped at me. He's…never done that before. Especially not to me." Mal said miserably, "Did I do something wrong?"
"What?! NO!" Evie said, rushing over to Mal's side, "Mal, I'm sure Ben didn't mean to snap at you. He's probably just stressed. A lot of work goes into being king. He's probably under a lot of pressure to make good decisions regarding the kingdom, and still have time for school, and tourney, and being with the people he cares about! Not to mention dealing with all the drama and chaos the new villain kids and Arendalle kids are causing. Trust me, it has absolutely nothing to do with you!"
"…Thanks Evie." Mal said, smiling.
"That's what I'm here for!" Evie said, pulling her best friend into a hug.
Mal and Evie hugged for a few seconds and then pulled away. Evie looked at her vanity set and frowned.
"What is it?" Mal asked.
"That's weird," Evie said, walking over to the vanity set, "My sleep perfume's missing."
"What?" Mal said, jogging over.
"I put it here this morning," Evie said, pointing at an empty space on the top, "But now it's gone."
"Do you think someone took it?" Mal asked.
"Who would take-?"
Evie face darkened when she realized who would've taken her magic perfume.
"Why would they want it?" Evie asked.
"Do you think they're plotting something?" Mal asked.
"Hmm. They were acting pretty suspiciously at breakfast." Evie said thoughtfully, "But how would they get out? They're under an in-school suspension for fighting."
"I don't know, but we have to stop them." Mal said defiantly.
"How? We all know how sneaky Harley, Claire, Hayden, and Fran are. And now that Hayden's in Auradon, his magic's much more powerful. They could do almost anything!" said Evie.
"I guess we'll have to keep our eyes peeled. And I think I'm more magically powerful than Hayden, so I should be able to take him if he tries anything sneaky." Mal said.
"Okay." Evie said, nodding uncertainty.
"No matter what happens, we can't let them win. Not while they're still evil!" Mal said.
Evie cried, "Right!"
"What's going on?" Jay asked, stepping into the room with Carlos.
Mal and Evie filled them on what had happened, and their suspicions.
"Do you still think they're going to try and go after my dad's scepter and Fairy Godmother's wand?" Jay asked.
"I wouldn't put it past them. I mean, their parents want power, and the only way they can get it is if Hades gets his hands on some seriously powerful magic." Carlos said, "Do you think Hayden will try and use it for himself before giving it to his dad?"
"Gosh, I didn't even consider that! He probably will. You know how he loves magic. Having Jafar's scepter and Fairy Godmother's wand would give him more!" Mal said.
"We should warn Ben!" Evie said.
"Do you think he'll believe us? I mean, we don't have much evidence to prove that the new villain kids are going to do something bad except for our own suspicions." Jay said uncertainty.
"He will! I mean, he trusts us, right?" Mal asked.
"Mal's right. We need to tell Ben. If we're right, we'll have stopped something really bad from happening!" Evie said.
"And if we're wrong?" Carlos asked.
"Then we'll apologize and move on. It's like…what do they say here in Auradon…Better sorry than not safe?" Mal asked.
"I think you mean better safe than sorry." Jay said.
Mal shrugged, "Basically the same thing. C'mon, let's go."
The four friends bolted out the door, desperate to alert Ben and save their new home.
As soon as they were out of sight, the wall next to Evie and Mal's door shimmered as Hayden once again became visible.
So, I wasn't just being paranoid when I brewed extra sleep potion last night, he thought, By the looks of things, I'll have just enough to hit Audrey, Lonnie, Ben, Mal, Jay, Evie, Carlos, our neighbors, Fairy Godmother, and the head of security here.
Hayden chuckled darkly and walked away thinking, while they'll be getting lots of beauty sleep, our parents' plan for world domination will start to unfold. And we'll get to begin the process. Man, I can't wait!
"So, what's the plan?" Claire whispered as the villain kids entered the outdoor dining area.
Hayden reached into his backpack, pulled out beakers filled with a clear liquid, and distributed them among his friends.
"I'm going to cause a distraction." Hayden explained, "Meanwhile, while everyone's attention is on me, you guys go around and dump these in our target's drinks. When you're done, give me our special signal."
"What kind of distraction are you thinking about causing?" Fran asked.
"I was thinking I can do what I do best-start a fight." Hayden mumbled, "Hercules and Megara's children are here at Auradon Prep, so I was thinking I could antagonize them until you guys have delivered the potions."
"Good idea." Harley said, "Alright, when do we start?"
"Uh, now." Hayden snapped.
"Oh, okay." Harley mumbled.
He, Fran, and Claire ran off, while Hayden sauntered over to a boy and a girl he recognized as the kids of his dad's sworn enemies. And yet, a strange feeling descended on to Hayden as he walked over. Was he feeling…dread?
What am I doing?! Hayden thought, I can't feel remorseful about this! Dad would be furious if he saw that this place was getting to me. I'm my dad's successor. I'm malicious, and cruel, and calculating, and most importantly, rotten to the core! Long live evil!
"Well, well, who'd have thought that the children of Hercules and Megara would go to Auradon Prep!" Hayden sneered.
The fair-haired boy and brown-haired girl turned towards him, looking confused.
"Uh, hi," the boy said, "Is something wrong with our parents?"
"Oh, no, nothing at all. Except for the fact that your stupid father stopped my dad from earning the throne he worked for years to get." Hayden snapped.
The brown-haired girl frowned and said, "So. You're Hades' son?"
Hayden laughed and said, "You seriously couldn't tell? Did the blue hair and fire powers not give you a big enough clue?! Clearly you both inherited your dad's tendency to be an airhead."
"What did you say?" the fair-haired boy asked, getting to his feet.
His sister shot to her feet, and put a hand on her brother's chest.
"Hermie, calm down. He's trying to bait you," she said. She turned to Hayden and asked, "What do want with us?"
"Gee, I don't know, how about an apology for your parents interfering with my father's plan?!" Hayden yelled.
"Why should we have to apologize for something our parents did?!" the girl cried.
"Not to mention the fact that if your dad had had his way, he would've destroyed the world!" Hermie snapped.
"All my dad wanted was a little recognition! You try ruling The Underworld for thousands of years without getting all depressed and sick of your job!" Hayden barked.
"Your dad deserves to be there after unleashing the Titans and nearly overthrowing our grandfather!" the girl snapped.
"Megan, I think that may have been going a bit too far." Hector said, turning to his sister.
"Yeah, Megan. I think you of all people should know what going to The Underworld's like. Your mother went there once, remember?! Did she not tell you what a horrible place it is?!" Hayden cried.
"Your dad was the one who sent her there in the first place when he nearly knocked that column on to my dad!" Megan cried, her face turning red.
"Well, to be fair, your mom didn't have to sacrifice herself to save Hercules. She could've easily let him take the injury." Hayden said.
"And if she did, our dad would've died because Hades took his strength away! Our mom sacrificed herself to save Dad, and Olympus!" Hermie cried.
"What's going on here?" Ben asked, running up to the quarreling trio.
"The son of Hades here thought it'd be fun to antagonize us because our parents are his dad's worst enemies!" Hermie cried.
"Yeah, because it's your parents fault that my dad ended up on The Isle of The Lost! Do you have any idea what it's like to grow up in a prison?!" Hayden cried, risking a quick peek over his shoulder. Claire, Harley, and Fran were delivering the potions, but they all looked hesitant, listening to what Hayden was saying.
"Yeah, well, your dad did that to himself! I seem to recall that he tried to MURDER OUR PARENTS!" Megan cried.
"Does that give you the right to treat him inhumanely, or any of the villains on The Isle?! And what about their kids?! Do we deserve to be treated like shit because of what our parents did?! Do you guys honestly wonder why we do evil things?! It's because we have no choice! Between our parents constantly putting pressure on us to follow in their footsteps, and you guys shoving us away because you think we're wicked, it's the only thing we can do to make ourselves happy! So who's the evil ones now, huh?!" Hayden snapped, tears forming in his eyes. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his friends give the signal, and then walk over, looking hurt.
The students were silent with shock. Even the good VKs were still with surprise at Hayden's outburst.
"Is…is that really how you feel?" Ben asked quietly.
Hayden nodded and bowed his head.
"All of you?" Ben asked.
Harley, Claire, and Fran were silently avoiding Ben's gaze, but everyone could see the pain in their eyes, and hear Fran sniffling. Ben turned his gaze to Mal and her friends, and saw the same looks on their faces. Were those tears in Mal's and Evie's eyes?
"I…I'm so sorry." Ben said, reaching out to pat Hayden on the back.
"Don't touch me!" Hayden snapped, backing away from him, "I don't want your pity! Your parents are the ones who trapped our parents and us on that god-forsaken island in the first place!"
"I'm not my parents any more than you guys are yours! None of us are! I wasn't even alive then!" Ben cried.
"We weren't alive when our parents committed the crimes that got them banished, and we still got trapped on that stupid isle!" Fran said coldly, drying her eyes.
"And why should we accept your pity when you don't even know half of what we went through living on The Isle of Lost?!" Harley snapped.
"Because you're right!" Mal cried, "They don't know! Which means they're not to blame for what happened to us on The Isle! It's not their faults, guys!"
"You just think that because living here has twisted your way of thinking! What would your mother say if she were here?!" Claire barked.
"We don't care what our parents think! They made their choice, and we made ours! That's why we brought you here, to give you the freedom to choose who you want to be! We don't have to be our parents!" Carlos cried.
Hayden opened his mouth to respond, but Fran put her hand on his shoulder and said, "Forget it, Hayden. Let's just get our dinner and go. Remember what my dad said? Never argue with an idiot, people from afar can't tell which one's which."
"Excuse me?!" Audrey asked,
The four villain kids grabbed their food and went back to their spot on the lawn, trying to fight the surge of emotion coursing through their bodies.
"Everyone's out for the count." Claire whispered into her walkie-talkie, after peeking into Mal and Evie's room. The potion had worked so well on them that they'd fallen asleep with the lights on and still in their clothes for the day.
"We're good over here, too." Hayden replied, "Do you have the keys?"
"Yep." Claire said, swinging the key ring around her finger.
"Great. You know what to do." Harley said.
Claire put the walkie talkie in the pocket of her black hoodie, and ran back to the room she shared with Fran.
"Is everyone asleep?" Fran asked.
Claire nodded, and said "Can you get the window for me?"
Fran ran over to the window and opened, the cool night breeze making the curtains flap.
"It's a beautiful night to commit a robbery." Claire said, breathing in the fresh air.
"Don't forget your hood." Fran reminded her.
"Thanks," Claire said as she pulled her hood up and climbed out the window.
"Be careful, Claire!" Fran hissed.
"I'll be fine. I know what I'm doing." Claire whispered as she began climbing down.
Claire carefully climbed down the stone wall, cautiously placing her hands and feet on footholds.
Finally, she reached the bottom of the wall and sighed in relief, then ran to the front doors.
"I'm at the doors." Claire whispered into her walkie talkie.
"Roger that. We'll be right there." Harley replied.
True to Harley's word, he, Hayden, and Fran showed at the front door about a minute later, dressed in black.
Claire fumbled with the keys and lock for a few seconds, cursing under her breath, until the door opened with a satisfying click.
"Nice job, Claire." Hayden said, "Now we just need to find our ride."
"I think I saw a limo over that way." Fran said, pointing east.
"I don't think any of us can drive. Plus, wouldn't a car attract too much attention?" Harley asked.
"Harley's right, a car would be too noticeable. We're going to have to get there on foot." Claire said.
"Not necessarily." Hayden said, smirking.
"What do you mean?" Harley asked.
"I have magic, remember? I could teleport us there." Hayden suggested.
"Wouldn't that use up a lot of your magic before we even got going?" Claire asked.
Hayden shook his head and said, "It's not too far away, so it won't take too much magic to get there, do our thing, and get back. Trust me, we'll be back before anyone notices we're gone."
"Alright," Fran said, taking Hayden's hand, "Let's go."
"What are you doing?" Harley asked.
"We have to hold on to each other in order for teleportation to work. At least, that's what I overheard in a Theory of Dark Magic class in school one day." Fran said, her heart racing for some reason.
"Ugh, seriously? That's so...goody two-shoes." Claire spat.
"Do you want to get to the museum quickly or not?" Hayden snapped, tightly squeezing Fran's hand and making her yelp.
Harley huffed and said, "Fine," taking Hayden's hand.
Claire rolled her eyes but grabbed Harley and Fran's hands.
A flash of blue light appeared, and suddenly the four of them were standing outside the Auradon Museum of Culture.
"Alright, is everyone ready?" Hayden asked, putting his hood up and gloves on.
"Ready," everyone said, doing the same.
Harley tried tugging on the doors, but they refused to open, despite his strength.
"Oh, let me do it!" Claire said, pulling a hairpin from her pocket.
"I didn't know you wore hairpins, Claire." Fran noted.
"I don't," Claire said, inserting the pin into the lock, "But I do know how to pick locks."
The door clicked and swung open, and Claire threw the hairpin to Fran.
"Borrowed this from you. You can have it back now." Claire said, smirking.
"Harley, Fran, you're up." Hayden said.
Harley and Fran quietly ran up to the control desk. Fran tapped the guard on the shoulder while Harley started hacking into his PC.
"Hi, excuse me." Fran said with a false sweetness.
The guard turned and looked at her, confused.
"What are you doing here, kid? It's the middle of the night. And why are you dressed in all black?" he asked.
"Oh, I was just at a blackout party. You know, come dressed in all black. And I'm here because I wanted to give you something as a thank you gift for protecting the museum so well. It can't be easy, working so late into the night with almost nothing to do." Fran said with fake sympathy.
"You're darn right it's not! Honestly, this is the most boring job in Auradon. Nothing ever happens at night because robberies don't happen here! Well, except for that one time. But anyway, what do you have to give me?" the guard asked.
Fran pulled out the magic sleep perfume and said, "A nice long nap."
Fran sprayed the bottle in his face twice, and the guard yawned and fell into a deep sleep.
"Did you have to keep the charade going on for so long?" Harley asked, looking up from the computer.
"Hmph!" Fran sneered, "I was trying to catch him off guard so that he wouldn't have a chance to sound the alarm before the potion kicked in or turn around and see you! You're welcome for covering your back, your Highness."
"I would've been perfectly capable of defending myself if-!"
"Cool it!" Hayden snapped, entering the room with Claire beside him, "Just focus on your job, Harley. Fran, Claire, you go look for the scepter. I'll cover Harley."
"No need." Harley said, as the security cameras drooped and the monitor screens went black.
"Alright, then." Hayden said, "Guess we'll all go."
Fran, Harley, and Claire nodded and walked alongside Hayden, until Harley suddenly stopped, causing everyone to run into him.
"What's your problem?" Hayden snapped.
Harley walked into the exhibit as if in a trance, and the others followed him, curious.
Harley eventually stopped and the gang finally saw what had spooked him. Towering over him was a life size statue of his mother at the height of her power. The Queen of Hearts was red-faced, both of her fists up in the air with her scepter in one hand, looking like she was in the middle of an order to behead someone.
Harley was a white as sheet and sweating, his eyes wide with terror. His heart was racing as his body ached from the numerous times she had struck him with her club, and he recalled the last thing she'd said to him before coming here.
"Do not fail me, Harley." she'd roared, "If you come home without that staff and that wand, or if you turn good, I'll track you down and make sure you never see the light of day again! I'll knock your eyes right out your skull and feed them to the hounds, then make you serve me for the rest of your days. And if you fail me again, it's OFF WITH YOUR HEAD!"
She'd then slapped and said, "You are an incredibly useless boy and a disgrace to our royal bloodline! I'm glad to be getting rid of you. Maybe for once you'll actually do something to make me proud!
Fran suddenly yelped as she looked beside Harley and found none other than her own father beside the Queen of Hearts. Judge Claude Frollo was riding his wicked steed Snowball, who was rearing, while the villain himself sneered down at her, looking cold and pompous and disapproving.
The scars on Fran's back stung as she remembered what her Dad had said to her.
"It's about time those weak-willed pansies called you into their home. Maybe at least you'll be molded into a daughter worthy of me, and that soft heart of yours will finally harden." Frollo had sneered.
"I...I don't have a soft heart, Father." Fran said, trying to keep her nerve.
"LIAR!" Frollo cried, whipping her thigh.
Fran yelped and Frollo snarled, "I have seen the way you act when you think I'm not looking. Being kind and honest! You are a pathetic little worm!"
Frollo pulled the whip around her leg and she tried not to scream as the rope tore at her flesh.
She looked down and saw her leg bleeding in multiple places.
"Good." Frollo snarled, "Remember that blood. If you fail me, I'll make sure so much of it is spilt that you'll never walk again. Now go!"
Claire found her father right behind Harley, and she trembled. Clayton had his rifle aimed up the air and was snarling, his eyes intense and malicious, ready to take out an entire gorilla tribe.
"I'll make you proud, Dad, I promise." Claire had said to Clayton, "I'm ready to become the villain you want me to be! I'm good with a slingshot, I'm super athletic, I'm in perfect condition, I'm strong and fast-!"
"Bah!" Clayton had barked, cutting her off, "How many times must we discuss this?! There's a difference between being a good hunter and being a good villain. You're not cunning, deceitful, manipulative, and crafty! Not mention, you're a coward!"
"I am not! I'm just as ruthless as you!" Claire protested.
"Don't give me bullshit!" Clayton yelled, kicking her in the side and knocking her to her knees.
"If you were anything like the daughter I expect you to be, you'd have everyone on this wretched island cowering at the very mention of your name and them waiting on you hand and foot! You're useless.." Clayton snapped, grabbing her arm,
"Weak…" he snarled, twisting it,
"Pathetic…" he growled, twisting harder and making Claire's eyes water,
"And a complete, utter failure!" Clayton finished, twisting her arm more.
"STOP, you'll break my arm!" Claire moaned, tears running down her face.
"So what?" her dad yelled.
"If you break my arm, I won't be able to complete the mission!" Claire cried.
"Hmph!" Clayton snarled, releasing her.
He then stood over her and snarled, "Do. Not. Fail Me. Do you understand?"
Claire nodded, her arm throbbing and body shaking with fear.
Hayden felt conflicted about what to do. A villain would let these kids suffer until the curled up like pill bugs and started sobbing on the floor. But these were his friends. And despite what he said about him being heartless, he couldn't stand seeing his friends suffer.
God, he thought, What would Dad say?
Hayden felt his scars sting as he considered what Hades would say if he were here, but shook it off, remembering their task.
"Guys, c'mon!" Hayden snapped, "We have a job to do!"
"But...but they…" Fran stumbled.
"I know," he said with a gentleness that surprised even him, "Our parents are horrible. And I know their statues remind you of them. See look, there's my Dad."
Hayden turned to the statue of Hades and shuddered, feeling a cold wave of fear wash over him, but he took a deep breath, determined not to snap.
"But...now's our chance to prove ourselves to our parents. Prove that were just as good at evil as them, and prove we're worth respecting. They're too evil to ever love us, but maybe once we succeed where Evie, Carlos, Mal, and Jay failed, they'll treat us just maybe the slightest bit better. Things will get better, alright?"
Fran, Harley, and Claire nodded and walked away from their parents, still looking shaken.
"How did you do it?" Claire asked as they continued searching for Jafar's staff.
"Do what?" Hayden asked.
"How did you not freak out when you saw your Dad's statue?" Claire clarified.
"I almost did," Hayden admitted, "But I remembered the mission and told myself that I was looking at a piece of art. We can't be afraid of what's not real, right?"
"But they are real…" Harley mumbled weakly.
"But they're not here, are they. They can't hurt us in Auradon because of the barrier, remember?" Hayden asked.
His friends nodded, and Claire cried, "There! I see it!"
The four friends raced into the Magical Items gallery and stopped in front of a large glass case where the scepter shone in the moonlight.
"It's beautiful." Fran breathed.
"And really well made." Hayden noted, "You can tell just by looking at it how powerful it is!"
"So, now that we've found it, how do we get it out of here?" Harley asked.
"The alarm's off, remember? We can probably just break the glass and take it." Claire said.
"Won't that alert the guards?" Harley asked.
"I can get us out of here with my magic. Let's just smash the glass and go." Hayden said impatiently.
"Okay, then." Harley said, lifting his bat. He struck the glass several times until it formed a large enough hole to pull the scepter through.
"I hear footsteps!" Fran cried, taking Hayden's hand. Claire grabbed Hayden's other hand and Harley's arm, Harley grabbed Fran's open hand, and suddenly the museum disappeared.
In the blink of an eye, the four of them were standing at the main entrance of the Auradon Prep campus, Jafar's staff in Harley's right hand.
"We did it!" Claire cried, looking amazed and excited.
"So, now what? Where are we going to put this so no one else will find it?" Fran asked.
"Oh, that's easy! I found the perfect place for it! Follow me!" Claire said, running off behind the school.
Harley, Hayden, and Fran ran after her until Claire stopped in the middle of the amphitheater.
"Uh, how are we going to hide something here?" Harley asked.
Claire smirked and knelt down on the amphitheater floor. She pushed a nearby button that looked like a pebble, and one of the tiles opened to reveal a large hole.
"The amphitheater has a trap door?" Fran asked.
Claire nodded and said, "I found it one day when I accidentally stepped on the button. No one will think to look for it here since it's camouflaged so well."
"Sounds good to me." Harley said, dropping the staff in as the door began closing.
"Well, now that that's over with, we need to figure out how to get the wand." Hayden said, something in his voice off.
"Are you okay, Hayden?" Fran asked.
"Yeah, I'm fine." Hayden said, sounding more off.
"No, you're not. What's going on?" Claire asked.
Hayden tried to make another excuse until Harley said, "NO! Don't lie to us. If you really trust us and see us as your friends, you'll tell us the truth!"
Hayden snarled and his fists lit fire, but he took a deep breath and the flames went out as pain and sadness filled his eyes.
"It's just...This might sound crazy, but ever since we saw the statues of our parents I've been thinking...if we're sick of our parents abusing us, why even go back to the Isle?" Hayden asked.
Harley, Fran, and Claire looked pained and sad as well, considering what he'd said.
"So...you think we shouldn't complete the mission?" Fran asked.
"I don't know what to think anymore, to be honest. Maybe this place is getting to me." Hayden confessed.
"Why don't we discuss this tomorrow?" Claire said, "We need to get inside before the potion wears off and we get caught."
"You're right." Hayden said.
The four friends nodded and went inside, their bodies tired but minds burning with Hayden's question-why go back to the Isle?
