A few days later on the Isle of the Lost...
Gil thought Hali was handling the effects of Cupid's arrow much better than Harry was. Then again, that was probably to be expected. Hali had already spent supposedly years hiding her budding affection for the son of Captain Hook. In sharp contrast, Harry had spent years flirting shamelessly with pretty much everyone he encountered. Gil was constantly catching the two sneaking glances when they thought the other wasn't looking. Although, if he was being honest, they had been doing that even before the arrow came into play. The tension that seemed to plague the ship ever since Uma's second letter reached them had completely been replaced with the warm glow of new romance.
Although, the recent boost in morale also might have something to do with the fact that earlier on the Lost Revenge two immaculately dressed royal messengers showed up with invitations for Harry and Gil to transfer to Auradon Prep.
With a confident step, the three of them prowled the open air market near the wharf. While people seemed somewhat surprised to see what remained of Uma's crew after a few days reprieve from their pilfering, they knew well enough to stay out of their way. Hali regally weaved in and out between the market stalls, a demigoddess among mortal men. The smitten pirate next to Gil tracked her every graceful step with an admiring eye. Gil couldn't hide the brilliant smile on his face as he in turn watched the first mate stare after Hali. Words couldn't express how relieved Gil was that there no longer seemed to be any lingering hostility between his crewmates. No longer did he have to worry that Harry would hurt himself out of grief especially since he wasn't the only one watching out for the semi-unstable boy while the captain was away.
Hali stopped to inspect a spread of dresses at a stall across the way from the two boys. Harry paused and continued to stare at the garments with great interest through a vendor's ragged tarp. Gil instantly knew that one way or another that clothing vendor was getting robbed that day.
Hali was drawn to a particular lengthy slip of a dress. Pitch black of course. The vendor eyed her wearily and flinched when they made eye contact accidentally. The corner of her matte black lip curled upwards with mirth Hali turned away to resume browsing through a rack of jackets, oblivious of her crewmates watching her from afar.
Damnation she felt good! There were actual people who cared about her! And she cared about them in return! Plus it wasn't a silly crush that glued it all together. She genuinely cared about her crewmates and trusted them unreservedly. Said trust extended to Uma especially in light of Harry and Gil's invitations to Auradon. Even though she didn't understand how or why such a thing was even possible, she instinctively knew that it was Uma's doing. The bond they now shared was positively magical and she wouldn't trade it for the world.
"Hali?"
She looked up from her admiring, startled.
"Hadie?"
The blue haired boy stood before her, sweating and a little out of breath as if he had just been running. She turned away from the vendors wares, out of her crewmates line of sight, and faced her brother fully with her hands on her hips. "Where have you been? I haven't seen you in days!"
Hadie huffed, his chest rising and falling rapidly while he caught his breath. "Listen, there's something you need to know. Something big happened." He held up his hands in a placating manner.
Her mouth dipped into a frown. "What are you talking about? What happened?"
Hadie wiped his brow nervously. His eyes shifted towards the curious vendor and the people around them giving them major side eye. "Hang on," he muttered in frustration before he snatched her hand and towed Hali away from the market. She followed him reluctantly, bemused by her brother's paranoid antics. After growing up with him, she had gotten used to Hadie's overreaction to the smallest thing so she didn't immediately pick up on the very real danger slowly encroaching on the siblings.
Finally, they stopped in an alleyway between two shops. The noise from the market was far away from them now and there wasn't a soul around that Hali could see. She raised a brow when her brother leaned close and spoke in hushed tones, "The king's men showed up at the house just now. They had invitations for of us to go to Auradon Prep."
Hali's eyes went wide. Uma's plan to break her curse worked! She was so happy and relieved she didn't know what to say to her brother who was watching her reaction searchingly. Her immediate thought was filled with elation. Hercules and Meg must've found out her curse was broken and that she could finally leave the were probably the ones who pushed for her invitation just as Uma predicted. And now she, her brother, Harry, and Gil were going to Auradon!
"This is great news! Don't look so worried little brother." She nudged Hadie's arm playfully. "We're finally getting out of this hell hole."
Hadie scowled and rubbed his arm, really making a show of how hard she had hit him to portray how annoyed he was, or so she thought. "No you don't get it!"
Hali stared at him blankly, not understanding what he was getting at, and shrugged.
"They told dad!" Hadie growled at her. "He is furious. I came here to warn you that he sent Pain and Panic after you."
Her face paled instantly, the gravity of the situation sinking in like lead through water. "Oh no."
There, at the end of the alley loomed one of Hades' dreaded demons called Panic. The creature sneered cruelly at her as their eyes locked over Hadie's shoulder. His massive deep blue wings took up the entire space between the buildings, effectively blocking the exit. In the gloom of the passageway, the demon's bluish green, leathery skin melded with his surroundings creating a lean silhouette with horns so tall they pierced the optical illusion along with his winding tail sweeping this way and that.
"RUN!" Hali cried, her hand shooting out to grip a fistful of Hadie's jacket, propelling him in the opposite direction of the demon.
Unable to tear her eyes from Panic, the siblings didn't get five feet before Hadie suddenly shouted, "Hali wait!"
Hali stumbled into her brother as he froze suddenly. Confused and alarmed, her gaze followed Hadie's down the alleyway where it came to rest on the hulking form of Pain. If she thought Panic had looked immense in the narrow passageway, his companion appeared colossal. The burly purplish red demon barely managed to squeeze into the way with his vast shoulder width and sweeping wingspan even as they were folded.
The demigoddess pivoted to look behind her at a slowly approaching Panic. Her fingers dug into the black fabric of her brother's jacket as her eyes darted back to Pain and then back to Panic once more. Her heart pounded in her chest and her feet shuffled away from the advancing Panic which only brought her and Hadie closer towards a waiting Pain. There was no escape. On the verge of hyperventilating, Hali realized they were trapped between Pain and Panic.
Hali's fingers released Hadie's jacket and clenched into fists at her sides as she faced Pain. "I'm only going to say this once: Get out of our way or else," she ground out lowly.
The demons cackled in what Hali guessed was supposed to be laughter. Pain bared row upon row of sharp teeth at her as he leaned over to get in her face. "Or else what little girl?"
Her temper flared. "Or else this!"
As easily as knocking over a cardboard box, Hali planted two hands on Pain's chest, pushed, and the demon went flying backwards. The moment was suspended in disbelief as everyone present were forced to reconcile the marvel they had just witnessed. Hali brought the natural progression of time speeding back into place as she screamed at Hadie to run. She maneuvered around the disorientated demon sprawled on the ground rubbing his head.
"Hadie-!" her voice died in her throat as she tossed a glance behind her expecting to see her brother following her. Instead she was met with the gruesome sight of her little brother's pale neck grasped in Panic's monstrous clawed hand as he struggled for air, the tips of his shoes barely touching the ground's surface.
Hali became paralyzed, giving Pain enough time to find his feet and grab her arm. "You'll come with us now or we're gonna hurt him," the demon's voice rumbled in her ear.
Her heart lodged in her throat, Hali nodded. "Okay," she choked out. "Just let him go."
"There's my favorite not-daughter!" Hades crooned as Hali was forcefully escorted inside her childhood home.
The cramped apartment wasn't anything to write, well, home about. Most of the windows were boarded up to cover where the glass was broken. There was a kitchenette that actually served as a storage space for tortured and defaced Hercules merchandise, a musty living room with an uneven floor, a moldy bathroom, and three bedrooms. Oh yeah, and there were countless scorch marks everywhere. Between it all, Hali held no fond memories that would allow her to call the place home.
"What happened to you?" Hades inquired of Pain in confusion.
The gargantuan demon rubbed the swollen lump on the back of his head self consciously. "She's got her dad's strength, boss. Took us by surprise."
"That so?" The god's gaze flicked to Hali in mild surprise. She quickly tampered down the urge to show him up close and personal just how strong she had become.
"So it's true then," he stated more than asked. "You broke the curse. I wonder how you managed that."
Hali did not like the suggestive tone he used, but she bit her tongue and shifted her gaze towards the living room floor. Hades floated towards her, and she tried to keep still even though every cell in her body wanted to squirm away. He stopped in front of her but she refused to lift her head. She flinched when he tipped her head back with two fingers.
"You know, you remind me of your parents an awful lot. Trust me, that is not a good thing."
The muscles in her jaw tensed at his touch, remembering the heat of the flames burning her the last time he touched her.
"You thought you could just find a loophole in my deal and live happily ever after? I've got news for you kiddo; it's not that easy."
She glared daggers at him. It would be so easy for her to break out of Pain's grip and shove Hades through a wall. Probably wouldn't even break a sweat. The only reason she didn't was because she knew that Hades wasn't above hurting his own kid. A tired Hadie was struggling to stay upright in Panic's iron hold. It looked like the demon was the only thing keeping the boy from slumping over.
"How about a new deal?" Hades asked suddenly.
"Pass," she drawled with a pouty sneer.
Hades chuckled. "I don't know why that sounded like a question. That would mean you actually have a choice. You don't, by the way." He squeezed her chin, digging his claws in before letting go harshly so that he scratched her.
She blinked rapidly, her eyes watering at the sting.
Hades snapped her fingers and Panic brought Hadie forward. He pulled a face at his father who looked disparagingly at the boy like he was something unpleasant stuck to the bottom of his sandal. "Take my son to his room. He's grounded."
Hadie looked to Hali in fear as the demon seized the back of his jacket and hauled him down the hallway. Hali kept her eyes on the blooming bruises around the boy's slender neck. She opened her mouth to say something, anything to protest, but no words came out. Once Hadie was out of sight, she faced Hades.
"What do you want?"
The flames on his head burned a little fiercer as he grinned savagely. "Don't look so grim. Pretty girls like you should smile more."
"Just tell me what you want already!" she snapped at him, prompting Pain to jostle her violently.
"I didn't raise you to have an attitude, Halimeda, so watch your tone," the god of the underworld warned.
Hali quietly seethed.
"Don't worry, you'll like this deal," he assured her, albeit carelessly.
He settled into what was probably meant to be patio furniture but now served as Hades' stone throne taking up most of the living space. Hali had always thought it looked uncomfortable and didn't understand why the god favored it so. It was cracked and crumbling around the edges and stood out in the modern styled apartment like a sore thumb.
"I'll let you go to Auradon. Just you, though." He rested his elbow on the flat arm of the chair so he could rest his pointed chin on his fist. "When you get there, though, I need you to get something for me."
She rolled her eyes. "Let me guess: fairy godmother's wand?" Hali replied moodily.
Hades chuckled before his expression soured in the span of a millisecond. "You really think I'm that unoriginal? Come on. No. What I want… is one of Zeus' lightning bolts."
Hali let that information process for a second before she swiftly came to a certain conclusion.
"And if I don't, you're going to hurt Hadie?" she asked despite already knowing the answer.
"The little guy is my own flesh and blood. I am in my rights. Besides, he's a demigod. What lasting harm can come to him?"
She felt like she was going to be sick. "Won't it seem suspicious if he's not there when the people from Auradon come to collect us?" she argued.
Hades didn't appear phased by her point. In fact, he seemed downright tickled by her response. "I highly doubt it. Hadie already turned down an invitation once. So a second time probably won't be suspicious at all."
Hali felt like she'd been suckerpunched. Had she heard him right? Was Hades telling the truth? There was no way Hadie had been invited to Auradon before. He would have told her. Her little brother didn't have secrets. At least, she didn't think he did. They may not have been as close as some siblings, but something this huge he surely wouldn't keep from her. She wanted more than anything to talk to her brother so he could tell her Hades was just trying to mess with her head by telling her lies.
"I...I don't believe you," she murmured, stunned.
The god winked at her. "Sure you don't. Either way, you're going to do what I told you to do anyway."
And of course, he was right.
It was night by the time Hali returned to the Lost Revenge, minus a demon and minus her brother. Harry was waiting on the deck when she stepped off the gangway. He was a welcome sight even though he practically radiated with anxiousness.
"Ye disappeared today. Had me worried something happened," he told her with an easy smirk but she could see how strained the expression was.
Before Harry could comment on the defeated look on her face, Gil choose that moment to exit the Captain's cabin and spotted her with a delighted grin.
"Hey Hali! Guess what Harry did for you today." He, of course was talking about the entire wardrobe of clothes the first mate had lifted from the market that morning. However, before he could go into detail, he zeroed in on the down spirited air the demigoddess had returned in. "Something wrong Hali?"
She glanced from Gil to Harry, debating with herself whether or not she should tell them the truth.
"I saw Hadie today. I got invited to Auradon Prep too," she started.
Both boys were overjoyed to hear the news and they experienced that euphoric moment of realization that they were that much closer to being reunited with their captain and her revenge. They didn't completely start celebrating on the other hand when they noticed the tears shining in Hali's eyes. Immediately on high alert, they crowded around her forming a protective barrier.
"Goddess? Tell us what's the matter," Harry pleaded, tucking a strand of her hair behind her ear.
Hali nearly broke.
She clenched her fists so tight, digging her nails into her palms hard enough to draw blood. The pain helped a little, or at least enough to fight back a wave of tears that threatened to fall. Refusing to cry, she drew on her inner Uma and projected a calm composure.
"I made a deal with the devil… and I need your help."
