Thanks again to all my reviewers! Avery, gossamermouse101, I am a Ridaa and Guest. To reward everyone's patience (SPOILER ALERT!) Welcome back Carlos De Vil!
Chapter 24
It hadn't taken Uma long to finish her shift and soon she had joined Harry and Camilla on the deck of the Lost Revenge. As she and Harry discussed plans Camilla shouted.
"Look!" and they both turned to see the golden bridge light up and create a temporary pathway from Auradon to the Isle. They all knew it must be the others so Uma gave Harry his orders and he left with Camilla to track them down.
- - ROTTEN TO THE CORE - -
Gil had been out doing his usual business of plundering food from lesser villains, his crew often mocked how he was always eating but it had been something his father had always insisted on while he'd been growing up. "When I was a lad I'd eat four dozen eggs every morning to help me get large!" he'd rant as he went on about how important it was that Gil grow up to be big and strong like his father. "Only strength can impress women and kill a beast!" Gil had learned at an early age not to correct his father and say he actually didn't kill the beast, but that had been a whole 'nother lesson. As Gil turned away from another cart he looked back over his shoulder to make sure he hadn't been caught when he bumped into someone.
"Hey man." He said about to tell off the guy when he recognized something familiar about the teen, "Hey. . hey I know you."
"Uhhh, no. Don't know you either man." The guy said casually as his crew joined him but Gil didn't pay attention to them. What did this dude mean he didn't know him? Everyone knew him, he was the son of Gaston! The son of the greatest hunter the world had ever seen!
"Uhh yeah you do." He said to the guy in an obvious tone, "Come on man." But the dude still looked at him blankly, "Really? Dude I'll give you a hint my dad is quick, slick and his neck, ahh, is incredibly thick." He said with a chuckle. The guy looked to his gang for an answer and Gil still couldn't believe this guy, even though at the same time Gil swore he'd seen the dude before but just couldn't place where.
"Come on man I know – huh?" he stopped mid sentence as he noticed an old poster behind them. It was advertising the royal cotillion on Auradon, why they'd found it necessary to hang banners about a party none of the Isle could go to was beyond Gil but he wasn't paying attention to that right now. Even though the poster had ride with the tide graffiti sprayed over it Gil still looked back and forth between the sign and the kid in front of him, then it hit him like lightning.
"Ohhh, your King Ben!" he said in surprise.
"No, no I don't think so –" he stuttered as his group pulled him away and down the alley. As they did Gil finally recognized their faces.
"Yeah you totally are King Ben and you're Jay, Carlos, Evie, hey guys!" he said cheerfully before he realized that none of them should be on the Isle, it was Uma's turf now – wait.
"Ohh, Uma's gonna love this!" he laughed and ran back to the Lost Revenge. However, he never did get back to the ship, he ran into Camilla and Harry making their way in the opposite direction.
"Hey guys, guys, guys!" he said stopping them while Camilla looked confused about Gil's cheery behavior and Harry looked annoyed. "I just saw King Ben –" before he could finish the good news Harry grabbed him by the collar and shoved him up against the nearest wall.
"Where?" he demanded.
"Uh, uh, back over there." He stuttered as he pointed down the alley, "But Jay, Evie and Carlos dragged him off." Harry let go of him as Camilla led them down the alley Gil had pointed to.
"So what's the plan?" Gil asked as he jogged slightly to keep up with their brisk pace.
"Leave that to me."
"Leave that to me." Harry and Camilla said at the same time before suddenly halting and turning to each other.
"Kidnapping is a De Vil specialty." Camilla reasoned.
"Aye, but ye forget my father did have experience in nabbin' Lost Boys." Harry replied raising his arm to lean it on the cold cement wall.
"Please." Camilla scoffed, "Your father took what, a dozen children from Pan's hideout? My mother has that beat by at least ninety. And dogs are harder to nab than children."
"Why?" Gil asked not following.
"You can threaten someone to keep quiet." Camilla explained, "Or gag them, but a dog? Nothing really keeps them from barking." She said with malice in her voice as she turned and continued down the alley mumbling about the 'damn twilight bark.'
- - ROTTEN TO THE CORE - -
The trio sat in the shadows at the end of the alley where the VK's hangout was waiting for the right moment to strike. With Ben that made four against three, not good odds so they decided to use the element of surprise to their advantage. Harry kept pacing back and forth through the fog and smoke and alerted them to Ben's appearance. The King of Auradon looked depressed as he walked their way – alone. Not a good move for anyone on the Isle much less beastie boy. Camilla did have to admit Evie did a good job making him look the part, the blue leather jacket and beanie, the torn yellow beast shirt underneath. Camilla looked away from Ben's approaching form to see Harry and Gil stepping deeper into the shadows as they'd discussed. Camilla leaned her back against the wall bending one leg so the sole of her shoe rested against the cement as well.
"Hey Benny-boo." She greeted as he was about to walk by her. He looked up somewhat startled and Camilla wondered if he was more afraid of running into a villain kid or his ex-girlfriend who had come up with the ridiculous nickname. When he saw Camilla though he relaxed and smiled.
"Hey Camilla. It's been a while." He said cautiously knowing they hadn't parted on the best terms. "How have you been?"
"Super." She replied dryly as she crossed her arms.
"Well I'm glad." He said obliviously, "You deserve to be happy."
"Oh I have been." She said risking a glance at Harry over Ben's shoulder, the pirate caught her eye and smirked back.
"Well, it's nice to see a familiar face." Ben continued and Camilla could see sadness in his eyes, there must be trouble in paradise, she thought. Why else would they all have come back to the Isle?
"I was going to say the same thing." She told him pushing off from the wall and discreetly moving to block Ben's path, "We've been dying for a chance like this." At that Ben's smile faded and he looked at her confused. Poor boy didn't have Isle instincts, he didn't know when to run, instead he was about to ask her what she meant when Gil and Harry came up behind him and shoved a cloth over his nose and mouth as they restrained his arms behind his back. In seconds the king was out cold, the cloth had been dipped in a bit of potion Uma had been able to grab from her mother's clamshell cabinet, she said it might not work as long as it should but it should be enough to get the job done.
"We have to hurry back to the ship." She told Gil who was now supporting Ben's weight.
"What about Harry?"
"He has a message to deliver from Uma." She explained before turning to her boyfriend who had pulled his hook from his belt. "Be sure to give them my regards." She told him before they went their separate ways.
- - ROTTEN TO THE CORE - -
"Guys! Where's Ben?" Carlos asked noticing the king's disappearance. Jay and Evie turned to look down the alley where Ben had last been seen.
"Ben?" Evie asked as they saw a shadowy figure approach them, "Ben!" she said again as he drew nearer, "Ben, don't scare us like that."
"Do I scare yeh?" The figure asked stepping out of the shadows. It wasn't Ben, it was Harry Hook. Carlos's eyes widened in fear at seeing their old foe. "Well that's my specialty." He said with a wide manic smile.
"Harry." Evie sneered.
"What did you do with Ben?" Jay demanded.
"Oh! We nicked 'im! Mm-hmm." He said twirling a finger in the direction he'd come from, "And if ye want to see him again, have Mal come to the chip shop tonight. Alone. Uma wants. . . a little visit." He told them as he held up his hook making the weapon shimmer in the dim light.
"Aww, Jay." He said with fake sadness, "Seems like ye lost yer touch." He mocked and Jay lunged for him but Evie grabbed him and put a stop to a potential brawl. Harry only gave a high pitched laugh before turning to Carlos and barking, obviously trying to scare him and not knowing that Carlos had gotten over his fear of dogs. Then the pirate turned and started heading back down the foggy alley, whistling as he went. Then he suddenly turned as if reminded of something.
"Oh!" he shouted and pointed his hook at Carlos, "Yer sister says hello."
Camilla? He thought his eyes widening further as he looked at the gleeful look in Hook's eye.
"Filthy pirate!" he shouted as he snapped and lunged at Harry. Jay quickly jumped into action and held him back while Harry rolled his eyes.
"There it is again. Why do all ye De Vil's assume I'm dirty?"
"What have you done to my sister?!" Carlos shouted still struggling to break free of Jay's grip. Harry paused then began to laugh a high pitched maniacal laugh. Aww, he thought, Carlos assumed he had Camilla prisoner? Now there was an idea that he could toy with, so he did.
"Oh, I've done quite a few things to her." He trailed off cryptically before whistling his way down the alley again thinking, oh this is going to be fun!