Part 25 – Devil's Trap

Dagon had brought out the force of a kingdom. As he sat inside Bimbette's trucks carrying three dozen soldiers were heading straight for him. Adam sat in the lead truck, his expression stern and hard. As they neared their location, all he could see in his mind was Belle laying in that hospital bed, injured and weakened. His blood boiled and he felt an overwhelming urge to break something – anything. Dagon's bones will do, he thought.

The trucks stopped just a block away. The villagers in the surrounding businesses, and those enjoying the outdoors, watched as more troops than they could ever remember seeing flooded out and lined up before the former king and one of their commanders.

"Most of you have never been called for this kind of duty," Adam began addressing the soldiers. He looked next to him, to the commander of the unit, a battle hardened General nearly the same age as himself. One of the few people in the Auradon military that was there when Dagon was active fifteen years earlier. "And while trained for this, you probably assumed a day like this would never happen in this kingdom. But today you're being called to defend Auradon from one of its most feared adversaries. I won't lie to any of you; Dagon is formidable. He's already put a dozen of your comrades in the hospital. But there is a chance that at this moment, he's in a state of weakness. If true, or if he's at full strength again, we will be counting on you to do your duty should he try to escape. General," he said, deferring to the man next to him.

The General cleared his throat.

"Dagon is an enemy like you've never truly been prepared for. Should you be forced to engage him, I am ordering the use of lethal force," he said sternly and with no reluctance. "To your positions."

The soldiers gave a "yes, sir" and began separating, moving to different positions around the business.

"Are you sure you want to do it this way, Sire?" the General asked Adam as they turned to face the front of the building.

"Whether I want to or not is irrelevant. It needs to be done," Adam answered. "What about you? Are you comfortable facing the man who trained you?"

The General looked back at the former king. "When the kingdom is at stake, what you feel doesn't matter. The mission does. He taught me that. Now he gets to live the consequences of those words."

Adam and the General stared at each other, each knowing that one wrong move, one misspoken word, and this could turn into a bloodbath.


"I've never seen anyone take down that much food," Clarice said as she stood to the far side of bar next to her aunt, watching as Dagon took down a greasy double cheeseburger.

"Magic is a like a muscle, you don't use it, it atrophies," Laurette explained to her niece.

Clarice looked over at her aunt, a look of astonishment on her face. "And you would know that how?" Laurette cocked her head in Dagon's direction. "So did you two ever…you know…?"

"Hook up as you kids say?" Laurette finished. Clarice nodded. "Remember when your mother told you who Gaston was?"

Clarice nodded again. "Yeah, said you three were hopelessly in love with the guy when you were my age."

"We followed him around, letting him know in no uncertain terms that he could have any one of us, or all three of us." Clarice recoiled with a grossed out expression. "Yeah, we weren't exactly very good at picking men back then. But Gaston never took the bait; too in love – obsessed actually – with Queen Belle. Dagon didn't have that problem."

Clarice's eyes widened at those words. "So you and him have…?"

Laurette nodded. "I was young-er and well, what girl doesn't love a bad boy?" Clarice giggled and nodded in affirmation.

Without being obvious, Laurette cast a quick glance at the security monitor near where Clarice and she were standing and immediately became concerned. "Something wrong, Aunt Laurette?"

"No," she said, "just some visitors are a little early."

Laurette moved away from her niece and began making her way toward Dagon. Clarice cast a glance at the monitor and saw what had caught her aunt's attention. On the camera feed showing the front of the building, she could see a group of soldiers beginning to surround the bar.

Dagon looked up when Laurette stood in front of him, a look of worry on her face. "You're going to make me pay aren't you?"

"How are you feeling?"

"Better."

"Strong enough for a fight?" she asked him bluntly. Dagon raised an eyebrow at her. "Adam's here, and he brought friends. Lots of them."

Dagon turned his head, looking behind him toward the scattered tables. He counted at least thirty people. Definitely more than when I came in, he thought.

"Do you know how many friends?"

"Over twenty by the look of it," she answered him.

"I'm feeling better," he told her. "But not well enough to take on that many yet."

"I have a back way out," she informed him. She placed her hands on top of his. "Use it."

Before Dagon could refuse the offer, he heard the front entrance open. Everyone looked up and immediately the light hum of conversation halted, leaving only a tense silence. Without turning, Dagon could hear two pairs of boots waking through the room, coming to a stop a few feet behind him.

"Your Majesty," Dagon said while looking at Laurette's face. He watched her mouth the word star to him. "General."

"Turn around."

Dagon didn't need to be facing the pair of men to know that Adam had spoken. He could hear the authority in his voice. He started to push away from the counter, pausing when Laurette's hand gripped his tighter. He looked at her, gave a small curling of his lips at the expression of concern, and winked at her. The message was clear; I've got this. Dagon turned, but remained sitting on his stool.

"Matthews," he greeted the General. "Congratulations on the pair of stars."

Without any words spoken, Matthews pulled his weapon and aimed it at Dagon. Dagon didn't flinch.

"Are you here to kill me, Adam?"

"It's Your Majesty," Adam corrected him.

"Whatever the once and former king says," Dagon jabbed. He saw Adam's jaw clench.

"We can do this easily," Adam began, crossing his arms in front of himself. "You can come peacefully, and no one needs to get hurt."

"No option B?"

"Me and my guards are option B," Matthews answered, his glare still locked on Dagon.

"If you're going to hold a gun on me, do it right," Dagon scolded Matthews as he shifted his gaze toward him. "I taught you to aim for head or heart, not shoulder." He then turned his attention back to Adam. "No wonder his troops failed so spectacularly today," Dagon criticized with restrained glee.

General Matthews stepped forward, putting his weapon mere inches from Dagon's face. Dagon stared at Matthews eyes. "You don't have the stones," he said to his former protégé. With a flick of his thumb Matthews fed a round into the chamber.

The next thing anyone saw, and just barely, was Dagon grabbing hold of Matthews' wrist with his left hand and yanking him forward. He delivered a quick shot to Matthews' throat with two of the fingers on his right hand. As Matthews began choking and gasping, Dagon grabbed the gun out of his hand. He then pistol whipped the General, forcing him to the floor. Immediately there were gaps and screams as the customers in the bar began leaving their seats and moving toward the door.

"Dagon, no," Laurette screamed from behind the bar. Clarice screamed as well, but unlike her aunt, she dove for cover under the bar.

Adam put his hands up and took a step back.

"Aww, Adam," Dagon tisked as he pointed the gun at the former king, "you and I both know that as well as I can use these things, I don't like them."

Adam and Laurette then watched Dagon take apart the gun, forcing the chambered round out and to the floor. He then threw the gun at Adam's feet and placed the clip on the bar on front of Laurette.

"As much as I'd like to impress the pretty blonde by fighting my way out of here and past the troops you brought, better to live and fight another day and all that."

To everyone's astonishment, Dagon proceeded to stand and raised his hands in surrender.

Part 26 – A Queen's Mercy

Despite knowing what her fate was going to be, Harriet felt no fear as she laid in her hospital bed. After all, it just meant she was going home. Sure, there were some nerves as she realized that she'd have to face her father who no doubt was going to be beyond angry for her going away for so long. There was also some annoyance at the thought of Harry and CJ becoming way too happy at that sight of her father shouting at her. But there was no fear.

No, what Harriet felt more than anything…was boredom. All she could do was lay there, and think, and lay there. The TV wasn't connected, and even if it was, the remote had been disconnected from the bed. If it wasn't for the food she'd been brought, she'd have nothing to focus on. As it was, she was glad that she hadn't been disallowed a meal.

"Are you still working on that, hon?" a nurse asked as she entered the room.

"Is the plate empty?" Harriet responded sarcastically toward the half eaten plate. The nurse huffed and gave the teenage pirate a forced smile. Without another word, the nurse walked up to the tray and placed the cover back on it. "I'm still eating," Harriet snarled placing her hands on top of the tray and holding down.

"Dinnertime is over," the nurse said back, and even though she was smiling, her voice was tense firm.

Before Harriet could even try and contemplating some kind of response – verbal or otherwise – a new player entered the room.

"Hello, everyone," Belle said cheerfully as she made her way over the side of Harriet's bed, a yellow robe over what must be her hospital gown. Following behind her was Jane, still wearing that comically oversized coat.

"Your Majesty," the nurse gasped, bowing quickly out of the shock.

"How's…," Belle trailed off, glancing at Jane.

"Harriet."

"How's Harriet doing?"

"Just fine, ma'am. In fact, I was just removing her tray now that dinner is over," the nurse answered nervously.

Belle noticed the way that Harriet was practically guarding the covered tray. She reached down and gently waved Harriet's hand off. She then lifted the cover and saw how much was still left on the plate. "It looks like she's still working on it," Belle commented. "How about we pick it up a little later?" The tone of Belle's voice let the nurse know that this wasn't really a question.

"Yes, Your Majesty," the nurse replied, quickly making her way out of the room.

"So you're the new villain child causing quite the commotion around here? Hello, my name's Belle."

"Harriet Hook," Harriet told Belle cautiously. "You'll forgive me if I don't curtsy Your Highness, but," she added glibly, raising the arm that was still handcuffed, the sound of the restraint hitting the railing a reminder to everyone of her current state as a fugitive.

"Harry, be nice," Jane scolded.

"It's alright, Jane," she told the younger girl. "It's nice to see that you have your father's defiant sense of…humor," Belle told Harriet. Harriet looked at Belle questioningly. "You may find this difficult to believe, but I know your father."

"How?"

"That's not important at this moment. What is important is that I want to thank you." Harriet looked at the Queen Mother in disbelief. She then looked to Jane, who smiled at her. "You put yourself at quite the risk to protect Jane, here."

"Well, she's…she, um, rather grows on you," Harriet replied.

"Yes she does," Belle smiled. "And I must say, knowing Dagon the way I do as well, I'm surprised to see how well you handled yourself against him."

"Dad's been teaching me how to handle a sword since I was four."

"And he did a good job," Jane gushed.

"Yeah, but it's still not enough to have my sentence commuted is it?" Harriet asked snidely.

"Sadly no," Belle told the young girl. "Adam has already arranged for your transfer back to the Isle once Dagon's been caught."

"But Belle," Jane implored.

Belle held up her hand. Just like her husband, Harriet thought.

"I'm sorry, Jane, there's nothing I can do to stop it." But as she finished that statement, both girls watched a sly little smirk grace her lips. "All I can do at this point is maybe slow down the process…while I work on Ben, who can stop it."

Jane let out a gasp, her face glowing with her smile. "She can stay?"

"I never said that," Belle answered. "Only Ben can make that call, but knowing him, especially after what she did to protect you and me, it's a strong possibility."

Jane squealed and hugged Belle. She said thank you as she released her and then looked to Harriet. "What's wrong?" she asked when she saw that Harriet still looked stoic rather than as elated as she was. "You're gonna get to stay."

"I'm…I'm just trying not to get too excited yet. In case it doesn't…"

"Oh, I'm gonna make sure it happens," Jane said firmly. "Just watch me."

Belle looked at Jane, hardly recognizing her. This was not the same shy, meek, mousey girl that she was accustomed to. Something had gotten into her, and it was bringing out a confidence that wasn't there before. While she was cautious about, she was also happy to see it.

The three of them were brought out of their moment by a knock in the door. They turned to look at it and saw Mal.

"Ben's on his way back to the castle. They caught him."

Part 27 – Jailbird

Ben was waiting in a place he didn't know end existed – the dungeons. It was a fortified structure that was laid several feet underneath the palace. It was a place that had laid empty for almost twenty years. No one in Auradon had committed a crime severe enough to ever be put here. No one in Auradon had ever really committed a crime, Ben mused to himself.

But now, now they would finally see some use as now, being flanked by about fifty guards, Ben stood ready to see what both his mother and father regarded as the most dangerous man in the kingdom. He watched as the large black armored vehicle bringing in Dagon approached. It came to a stop in front of the assembled mass of guards, its back to them and the door to the dungeons. At the command of the highest ranking officer, the guards readied the aim of their weapons at the truck.

A guard walked up and punched in a code and then opened the door. Two guards moved out from the units and positioned themselves in flanking positions to the door. Several tense seconds later, a man dressed in a black suit came walking out. His hands and feet were shackled and he was wearing some kind of muzzle. This was Dagon, captured and restrained. Even through the mask however, Ben couldn't help but feel like Dagon looked familiar.

Once Dagon was clear of the truck, Ben watched his father emerge, a steel case in his hands. He handed the case off to another guard. "Lock this away," he ordered. The guard gave a "yes, sir" and left with the case.

Ben motioned in the guard's direction. "Dagon wears gloves that act as a form of magic wand to focus his magic. They're in the box."

"While we're at it, do you think we have enough guards?" Ben asked.

"Considering that Dagon is shackled and incapable of speech, for once: yes," Adam answered confidently. "Take him inside. His cell's already been prepared."

The guards leading Dagon began pulling him in toward the dungeons. Once they were inside, the large steel door shut behind them.

"Speaking of incapable of speech, why is he muzzle? It's inhumane," Ben told his father.

"I took his gloves away, but he's still capable of speaking spells. So Fairy Godmother provided us with the muzzle to keep him from talking. It's also been etched with enchantments to keep his magic subdued so he can't use spells said in his mind. Do I like having to use it? No, because you're right, it is inhumane. But the alternative is far worse."

Ben looked like he was about to speak. Adam placed ha hand on his son's shoulder. "Don't worry, once he's inside his cell, the muzzle, and leg shackles will be taken off. Unlike him, we're not monsters."