Grannus was exactly as any member of the crew might have imagined it; an entire planet modeled in the image of ancient Greece. The clothing, the architecture, the agriculture, the land, the seas, the statues and temples and coliseums were all the perfect picture from an old book of Greek myths. The crew stared around the marketplace where they currently stood in awe, watching all the people bustling around and rambling in both Greek and English. A couple of people- Eric, Mr. Arrow, Cookie, Audrey, and Jim- remained on the ship to watch it and do maintenance while they were in port. Captain Amelia led Phoebus and John to go find Hercules while the rest of the crew excitedly began to explore- some just to see the sights, some to buy supplies.
John left Alice in the care of Jane, Belle and Wendy while he went off to do business. The group of girls explored awhile, Jane scribbling images into her sketchbook, Belle searching around for Grecian tomes and storybooks, Wendy eagerly taking in all the amazing artwork, pottery, and intricate clothing. After a short while, Alice grew bored and looked around for something else to do. She looked over her shoulder and saw another crewmember- the young red-headed boy who was constantly being trailed by the sprite- quickly duck into a small shop to avoid being seen. Alice smirked and quietly snuck away from the other girls.
When the boy re-emerged from the shop, Alice was standing right in front of him. He jumped and his fairy friend squealed, making Alice giggle.
"You know, it's not very polite to follow people around." She playfully chided.
He rolled his eyes. "Please. I wasn't following you."
Alice raised her eyebrows. "Who were you following then?"
"What makes you think I was following anybody?" He scoffed.
"Well, you really didn't seem to want me to notice you just now... Do you just like to sneak around like that?"
He grinned mischievously. "Sometimes."
"Only when you have nothing else to do?"
He narrowed his eyes at her. "What's your name?"
"Alice. Alice Smith."
He nodded in understanding. "John Smith's little sister. I'd heard you were around."
"And who are you?"
"Peter Pan."
"Ah, that explains the sneaking around, then. I've heard you're quite the troublemaker."
He got a proud look on his face. He smugly crossed his arms over his chest. "Oh, really?"
"Yes. So I must tell you, whichever one of us you were following..." She leaned in closer and whispered, "...she's not interested." With that, Alice turned on her heel, her glossy blond hair nearly whipping Peter's nose, and walked away.
Peter scoffed as he watched her go, slightly shocked, but mostly irritated. He looked up at his chittering alien companion. "Can you believe that, Tink?"
Tink whined angrily in response.
He shook his head. "The disrespect... Well, don't you worry. We'll show her." He cast one more look toward the group of girls before walking away to torment some vendors.
Meanwhile, on the ship, Jim was unhappily mopping the deck, silently wishing Peter harm for ditching him to do the chores while he got to explore. Jim sighed as he dragged the old mop over the wood, sometimes looking over the side of the ship for a glimpse of the marketplace. Mr. Arrow had given up on supervising him awhile ago, so he took his sweet time cleaning.
"Want some help?" Audrey's voice surprised him.
He turned to see her appearing from downstairs, smiling at him. He immediately blushed, but tried to play it cool. He nodded toward the railing on the side of the ship. "Having someone to talk to would be great."
She grinned and followed his cue, sitting on the railing next to him while he worked.
Back in the village, Merida had dragged Adam away from Tarzan and a few other crew members. He stared down at her suspiciously as she led him through the market, a purpose in her stride.
"What are you doing?" Adam demanded.
Merida scoffed. "I'm taking you to find Belle, genius."
Adam stopped in his tracks, bringing the unsuspecting Merida to a sudden halt. She turned to glare at him and tugged on his arm as forcefully as she could, but he wasn't budging. And, though she'd never admit it aloud, he was much stronger than her.
"I can't just go talk to her!" Adam snapped. "I made too big a fool of myself. It's not the right time."
"Did I say anything about talking to her? Hm?" Merida cut in.
Adam frowned. "Why else would we need to find her?"
"Listen, you might love this girl. But do you actually know anything about her?"
Adam stared begrudgingly down at her, tilting his head slightly.
Merida nodded. "That's what I thought. So, what you need to do is figure out what she likes, what she's interested in. Find something the two of you might have in common."
"So... You're saying we're going to...spy on her?" Adam asked slowly, hoping Merida was joking.
She rolled her eyes. "Not spy. Just... Watch and listen to her without her noticing."
"This is a crazy idea. You know that, right?"
"Do you have any other ideas?"
"Well... No..."
"Well, then. I guess we'll just have to go with mine." She said smugly, tugging on his arm again.
He slowly started to follow her, his nervousness plain on his face. "I just don't think-"
Merida groaned as she led him onward. "Do you want this girl or not? Honestly... It's not like you can make a bigger fool of yourself!"
Meanwhile, Amelia and her two helpers were busy looking for Hercules.
"Are you sure this is the right port, Captain?" Phoebus asked.
She nodded as she peered through the crowd. "I'd heard that this is the city where he spends most of his time..."
"But it's also quite possible that he could be anywhere else on this planet?" John asked.
She sighed. "Well, he is kind of like Grannus' Superman... Of sorts..."
Phoebus sighed. "Captain, I'm not sure we have the kind of time to-"
He was interrupted by a loud crash from nearby, immediately followed by a round of screams from the villagers. People began to run wildly around to try to hide or escape as a large creature- half man, half horse, with glowing eyes and a dastardly grin- trampled his way through the market, destroying tents and carts of peoples' livelihoods as he terrorized the village.
"It's Nessus! Hide the women!" A man shouted from somewhere in the crowd.
"Well, I don't like the sound of that." Meg muttered from her brother's side.
"We should listen to them. You and Marina head back to the ship." Sinbad told her.
Marina scoffed and casually leaned on his shoulder. "What, and let you boys have all the fun?"
"Captain, I think it might be in everyone's best interest if we send our female crewmembers out of harm's way..." Phoebus said, sharing Sinbad's cautiousness. Noticing the pointed look Amelia was giving him, he cleared his throat and added, "Except for you, of course, Captain."
Amelia smirked and shook her head, eyeing the beastly Centaur deviously. "No, Phoebus. This crew sticks together, no matter what. It'll take all of us to bring this behemoth down... Now, let's show him what we're made of." She pulled out her dual blaster guns and eagerly cocked them. John and Phoebus each took out their swords and stood at the ready.
Phoebus turned to call to rest of the crew, "Prepare yourselves!" He shared a short look with Meg, who already had a pistol out, before turning back to attention.
John was distractedly looking around for his sister, and had to force himself to focus on the attacker. Amelia hastily instructed Mr. Porter, Dr. Doppler and Merlin to lead those less fit to fight away from here. John noticed Alice scurrying away with that group and was instantly relieved. Unfortunately, Nessus, who had been too busy destroying the marketplace to notice the crew until now, also had his attention caught by a particular individual in the retreating group. He narrowed his eyes on Belle and began to chase her. Amelia and her remaining team were expecting that he was running to attack them, and readied themselves to fight back. They were all a little shocked when he deftly leapt over them. He landed thunderously and galloped after the group being led by Merlin, prompting Amelia and the others to give chase.
Nessus easily caught up to the group and trotted ahead of them to cut them off. They all skidded to a halt, then tried to run around him. He laughed cruelly and jumped in their path, warding them off with his monstrous hooves that shook the earth when he landed.
"Split up!" Doppler cried fearfully.
"No, you idiots! Don't-!" Amelia called as she and her team ran toward their trapped crew mates.
But she was unheard, and the group scrambled and ran in all different directions, now seeming more like the crazed, panicking villagers from before. Belle, who'd been at the back of the group, noticed how Nessus' eyes focused on her and felt her stomach sink as she realized what he was after. She turned and ran straight ahead of him, and he immediately followed. She sprinted onward, slightly hindered by the skirt that swished around her legs. She was running straight toward Amelia and the others, hoping to give them a chance to attack the monster and protect her, while also keeping him from harming any other civilians or destroying more of the village. She heard all the people around shouting and cheering for her to keep running, encouraging her to move faster. For a moment, it seemed that she would actually make it.
But then Nessus picked up speed as well. Belle heard the shouting around her become more frantic as the sound of his heavy hooves came right behind her. A sickening wave of expectation washed over her, but even though she knew what was about to happen, she still cried out when Nessus plucked her up off the ground in one mighty hand. He laughed triumphantly as he held her up in the air like a trophy. All of Belle's crew mates were immediately on the attack.
"Belle!" Adam cried.
"This can be how you win her over!" Merida quickly hissed at Adam.
Adam's eyes went wide. "What?! Me, take that thing down? Are you crazy?!"
Merida rolled her eyes and walked ahead of him, facing the creature head-on. "Oi, ya big oaf!" Merida cried, shooting an arrow from her bow. The arrow met its mark, planting itself in one of the Centaur's eyes. While Nessus shrieked unhappily, shaking his head back and forth and howling like a wounded animal, Robin turned to smirk a little at her and said, "Nice shot."
Merida noted the initials carved into his own bow and grinned back at the Fox. "Thanks."
Suddenly, Nessus was charging. Merida and Robin both released a slew of arrows at the creature. The tips dug into his thick skin, but did little damage, for he never stopped moving. He continued to barrel toward them with the shafts sticking out all over his body like quills. Robin realized that Nessus wasn't going to hesitate to trample them and quickly tackled Merida out of the way. Nessus continued to gallop past them, running straight into another onslaught of attacks from the crew's guns, both regular and blaster. The shots rang out in the air, and every once in a while Nessus was hit in a tender spot and stumbled a little or shouted in pain. But, no matter what the crew did, Nessus could not be stopped. He continued to storm toward them. At some point, his apparent infatuation with Belle was forgotten and he started to hold her out in front of him like a tiny shield.
Amelia groaned and lowered her guns. The rest of the crew was hesitantly following suit. The Centaur's imposing approach forced them all to start falling back.
"Captain, we cannot pursue a fight without Belle getting hurt in the process." John said worriedly. "What should we do?"
"Give me a minute to think..." Amelia growled.
"We don't have a minute! He's coming to kill us now! " Meg snapped.
"We won't be able to stall for long, Captain." Phoebus said, much more gently but no less urgent.
"Stand down, fiend!" A new voice boomed from the treeline.
Everyone froze and turned to see a remarkably tall and muscular- but unmistakably young- man approaching from the nearby forest, clad in Grecian armor, sandals and short cape. He was tanned, with bright blue eyes and a tidy mop of auburn hair that turned gold when the sunlight hit it. He strolled casually into the market, like he owned the place, and frowned up at the hybrid goliath, as if wondering what kind of nerve this monster had to come here. He didn't seem to feel like he was looking into the face of danger at all.
"What's the deal with Wonder Boy?" Meg asked sarcastically, obviously doubtful of the stranger.
Amelia grinned, turning slightly to look at the proud statue in the center of the village, which bore an impeccable resemblance to the young man. She turned back to watch the action, her eyes gleaming. "It's Hercules."
"How many times have I told you that you aren't welcome here, Nessus?" Hercules scolded the Centaur. The creature huffed and snarled angrily at him. Hercules spotted Belle trapped in Nessus's grip and asked her in a much softer voice, his boyish face giving away his gentleness, "Are you alright, ma'am?"
Belle gaped back at him for a moment, then nodded, dumbfounded by the situation she currently found herself in. She shakily replied, "Yes."
Hercules nodded, then looked sternly up at the growling Centaur. "I think you would find it in your best interest to put the young lady down, Nessus."
Nessus roared in disapproval of the statement, standing threateningly over Hercules.
Hercules sighed. "When has this ever worked out for you, Nessus? Give it up. Put her down."
The Centaur defiantly stomped his front hooves, attempting to trample Hercules, who swiftly jumped backward. Hercules rolled his eyes, reared back a little, and suddenly lunged forward and up a bit, leaping through the air to head-butt Nessus in the gut. Nessus sailed backward, losing his grip on Belle as he flew into a nearby shop and toppled the building. Belle screamed as she started to plummet toward the ground, but her scream was suddenly halted when a pair of strong, warm arms stopped her descent. She peeked down to see the ground a few feet below her and sighed a little in releif, then glanced upward at her savior. Her cheeks immediately turned pink as she looked into the eyes of Hercules.
"You're not hurt, are you?" He asked her soothingly.
She quickly shook her head.
He smiled and carefully put her down, one hand lingering on her waist. "I'll be right back." He turned and jogged off to keep fighting Nessus. Belle watched him go in awe. She was soon surrounded by the rest of the crew, Jane and Wendy and their father wrapping her up in their arms.
"Belle, are you alright?" Amelia asked her. "I should have gotten you out of here sooner. I'm sorry..."
Belle chuckled a little, feeling flustered by all the attention and slightly embarrassed by her need for rescue. "I'm really fine, Amelia. Really."
"Well. He really lives up to the hype." Phoebus said as he watched Hercules continue to pummel Nessus in the distance.
"I'll say." Meg mumbled. Phoebus raised his eyebrows at her and she smirked up at him, offering him a quick wink.
"Yes. Wouldn't he make an excellent addition to our crew?" Amelia asked proudly.
"Well, I hope so, after all the trouble we just went through to find him!" Flynn retorted, earning a sharp elbow in the ribs from Aladdin. "Ow!"
They heard a howl from across the village and looked up to see Nessus' large form sailing across the sky, a dark blot as it passed the sun. With a loud crash through the treetops, he vanished into the forest, supposedly never to be seen again. Phoebus whistled lowly after a moment of silence. As they'd been talking, they hadn't even realized that Hercules had driven Nessus out of the city. Now he was jogging back toward them nonchalantly. As he came to a stop, he wasn't breathing heavily or sweating or anything; there was no sign of fatigue. The man was unshakeable, it seemed.
Hercules grinned around at them all, in a genuinely friendly way. "I go for a quick walk in the woods, and suddenly the city's in peril." He chuckled, then shook his head. "Where are my manners? Welcome to Grannus, folks! I'm Hercules, by the way."
Esmeralda nodded, unashamedly looking over Hercules' muscles. "Yeah, we kinda figured..."
John gestured slightly toward Hercules' statue standing in the square.
Hercules sighed, a little ashamed. "Oh, that thing again... You know, that wasn't my idea. But the citizens, they're, uh... Well, they're a little fanatical."
"I think they have good reason." Amelia told him, holding out one gloved hand. "Pleasure to meet you, Hercules. Captain Amelia of the RLS Legacy."
Hercules nodded in understanding as he shook her hand. "You're sailors. So I guess you're not staying long?"
"Unfortunately, we can't possibly remain in port much longer. We'll be leaving at dawn, sad to say."
"Oh..." Hercules looked briefly at Belle, the disappointment obvious in his eyes. He quickly ducked his head. "Well, I hope your visit isn't any more eventful. I'm sure our markets will give you all you need." He nodded briefly at Amelia and turned to leave.
Amelia opened her mouth to speak, but it was Belle who suddenly stepped up and called after him, "Thank you!"
Hercules froze and slowly turned around, looking at her in surprise. And unabashed hope.
She smiled nervously. "I wanted to thank you for... For saving my life just now. That was..." She laughed a little, knowing her face must be bright red. "That was amazing. So... Thank you."
Hercules smiled back at her and nodded, taking a step toward her. "It was my pleasure... Um..." He trailed off.
"Belle." She took a step closer now. "My name is Belle."
He nodded as he gazed down at her. "Belle..."
They stared at each other for a moment while everyone else watched or shifted uncomfortably. It seemed that they would have gone on staring at each other forever if Amelia hadn't cleared her throat and stepped up next to Hercules, making him turn to look at her. Belle bit her lip and walked away to stand with the rest of the Porters and the crew.
"Yes, well, Hercules, I've actually come to Grannus for a reason other than simple trade or exploration. This was kind of an impromptu visit, but still very important." Amelia started to explain to him.
His eyebrows popped up. "Oh?"
She nodded. "Yes. I have come to offer you a job on our ship. A chance to explore the galaxy with us."
He furrowed his brow now. "Oh..."
"You don't seem very excited."
"Well... It's an excellent opportunity, but... I have a responsibility to my people. I couldn't possibly leave. Without me, the whole planet could fall to ruin."
Amelia thought this over, then squinted up at him. "Hercules... Just how often do incidents like this one happen?"
"Well, uh... To be honest with you, not that often. Today was kind of a fluke. I have cleaned things up pretty well over the last few years. Truthfully, most of the other Centaurs are pretty well-behaved. They know their place, stay in the woods. Nessus is just a bit more stubborn, but... I think I finally got through to him just now." Hercules shrugged.
"So... Sounds like this planet would be left off a lot better than before you came along, correct? That's all these people can really ask for. And besides, just think of how much you can help other people, in places that you didn't even know existed before, which could possibly be doing a lot worse than here."
"Really?"
"Really! All across this universe, there are innocent people waiting for a hero like you to come along! And so much more! Think of all the culture you'll experience, the people you'll meet, the sights, the wildlife, the adventure!"
"Adventure?" Hercules brightened now. He loved his home planet, but things were a little dull now that all the crime was pretty much wiped out. And even when he did get to fight, it was hardly exciting because he knew he'd win. Maybe now he could come across some worthy apponents... His face fell. "I couldn't leave. As soon as I'm gone, all the evil will come seeping out of this city like a disease. The monsters and criminals will take advantage of my absence for sure."
Amelia sighed. "Hercules, is there not a form of government here? Authorities, maybe?"
He smirked. "Yes, but do you think that if they were competent at all, I would be doing what I do? I mean, they tried their best, but-"
"And now they've probably just let themselves fall flat because you've been doing all the work! I say you leave them to their own devices, encourage them to get back on top of things. It's time to let the people take care of themselves, Hercules."
"I don't know, Captain..."
"Look, it's not like I'm offering you a lifetime contract. Come with us on this voyage, and then decide where you'd like to go from there. You can always come back here if you want to... And- there is a holophone somewhere here, yes?"
He nodded. "Yes."
"Well, if they really need you, they can contact us. But, Hercules, if that call never comes... How disappointed will you be? Hm?"
He stared down at her for a moment. "I... I really need to think about it." He knew he was fooling himself. With the money from this job, he could buy his aging parents the home they deserved. Traveling as far as he could to help as many people as he could was enticing, as well. But what really made him sure that he would leave was the sight of the blushing Belle. He knew that wherever she went, he would follow. He was powerless to the connection that he felt bound them together. It was so sudden, but he'd never felt anything like this before, and he felt it deserved his attention.
Amelia seemed to pick up on this and smirked knowingly. "That's fine. Take all the time you need. You've got until sunrise." She patted him on the shoulder and turned to walk away with her crew. Belle's hazel eyes lingered on Hercules for a moment before she turned to follow the captain.
"I'll meet you on the dock at dawn!" Hercules called after them.
Amelia waved her hand without turning to face him, but her pride and elation were obvious in her tone. "I knew you wouldn't disappoint! See you then!"
Hercules grinned and turned to help the villagers fix the marketplace, already excited to run home and tell his parents the good news and pack for his journey.
As they were walking back to the ship, Merida and the obviously jealous Adam drifted behind the rest of the group. She rolled her eyes and quietly mocked him.
"Me? Fight that thing? Are you crazy? " She mimicked him in a soft, whiny tome. When he glared at her, she sighed. "See, that's how you lose a girl."
"Shut up." Adam growled.
The Next Day...
The Legacy enjoyed a successful departure from Grannus, leaving the crew cheerful and boisterous as they welcomed their new crew mate. But another ship, which came into port at Grannus not long after they left, was not sharing their luck.
The dark, gloomy galley of the Jolly Roger was momentarily disturbed when a large, foreboding figure slammed through the doors, his dark robes billowing around him as he stormed into the room, his heavy footsteps echoing through the air. Running a deathly-pale hand through the blue flames that served as his hair, Hades growled and dropped himself into a seat at the head table, his yellow eyes glowing as he seethed. Despite his diminished power, the silent room seemed to quiver under duress of his anger.
"It seems my dear nephew has already departed... And what's worse, he's taken off on the 'RLS Goody-Two-Shoes'." He slammed a white-knuckled fist on the table, his flames and eyes momentarily burning red. Then he sighed and ran a hand over his tired face.
He felt a lean, cool body lounge against him and turned to see Eris smirking at him.
"Come on, Hot-head. It's not so bad. We'll find him." She drawled, running one lithe hand up and down his back, then draping her arms around his shoulders.
"We better. I want my revenge on the sunspot before it's too late." Hades shook his head, then snarled, "If Pain and Panic had just killed that brat in the first place, this wouldn't even be an issue!"
Hades, Eris and Hercules all originally belonged to a planet of super-powered (some might say "godly") beings called Olympus. Hades was one of three powerful brothers- direct descendents of the Titans- who ruled over the planet. And it was always obvious that Hades was not the favorite of the three. He was despised by most, left to rule over the most undesirable region, which mostly consisted of monsters as his subjects, and was constantly rebuked and ridiculed by the rest of his royal family, who were more or less responsible for his predicament. His greed for more power and regular conspirating against his two brothers didn't win him much favor.
Then, Hercules was born. And Zeus (the favorite brother) and Hera (his wife) and the rest of the rotten planet began to fawn over him as if he was the most magical, miraculous being to ever grace them with his presence. And this made Hades worry. No other child of Zeus- and he had many, by many different women- had won so much affection before. No other one of his heirs had ever captured his attention- his love- so. Hercules was the favorite of the favorite. This caused Hades to become overwhelmed with jealousy and rage. All his years of work, and now this little brat was going to come along and squash any chance he had of stealing his brothers' power! He had to do something. So, with the help of Eris, his confidante, Hades spiked Hercules' food with a special serum to strip him of his longevity. (Every being on Olympus was practically immortal.) And two of Hades' cretinous followers- Pain and Panic- were meant to kill the boy afterward. But, the baby had retained unnatural strength and fought the creatures off, leaving his parents to discover him nearly dying as his body lost its resilience to their environment.
Realizing that the extreme atmosphere of the planet was making the infant sick, Zeus and Hera had no other choice but to send him away. With his powers so diminished- the boy was practically a human- they knew he could not survive on Olympus. So the boy was sent away in a travel pod, and wound up on Grannus a galaxy over, and was taken in by an old farmer and his wife. And Hades thought that would be the end of it.
But no.
Of course, Zeus did eventually find out who was responsible for his son having to leave. As punishment for their treason, Hades and Eris were both forced to take the same serum that they'd given Hercules. Both nearly drained of their power, they were banished from Olympus forever, as penance for cursing Hercules to never know his true home and family.
This was a big mistake. As far as Hades was concerned, they deserved the ultimate punishment for taking all that was rightfully his, driving him away from his home. For their arrogance, he would kill Hercules and send them his head wrapped in a pretty bow.
Eris gripped him by the chin and made him turn his head to look at her. "Hey. You and I were both forced from our home because of that boy. Remember? We're in this together. And if I say we'll find him, then we will find him."
Hades stared at her for a moment, then sighed. "I know. I know."
She nodded and let go of his chin, fondly running her fingertips over his cheek.
"Might I remind you that we have more important things to were about than your revenge?" A gruff, British voice demanded from across the table. Hades and Eris glared over at their Captain, James Hook.
Hook was a tall, lean- but also quite muscular- man, his wiry build hidden under a long red coat, layers upon layers of protective armor and weapons, and tall black boots. His long black hair was tamed in a million intricate little braids and decorated with numerous beads and charms and little decorative treasures he'd "picked up" over the years, and hidden under a proud pirate hat with a large feather adorning the brim. He took a long huff off of his cigar, the smoke leaking from his thin lips and weaving through the dark beard that kept the lower half of his face hidden, making it nearly impossible to tell what the man was thinking due to his guarded expression. The only way to judge the pirate's emotions was by his piercing blue eyes, which were rumored to glow red like a demon's right before he gutted his victims.
And his weapon of choice for that, as well as other unspeakable acts, was the gleaming silver hook he wore in place of his right hand, which he'd lost to some unknown assailant years ago.
Hook regarded their scowls with a blank stare while his right-hand man, Smee, poured him another shot of whiskey. He continued gravely, "Like the treasures which the Legacy will undoubtedly be hiding from us unless we beat them to their destinations."
"I'll go talk to Helga and Rourke about calculating the Legacy's trajectory from here." Eris said, standing up from her seat, but keeping a hand on Hades' shoulder. "There are only so many places they could be going. With our navigation skills, I don't doubt that we'll be able to head them off soon enough." She flipped her dark hair over her shoulder, wearing a smug expression.
Hook nodded slightly and replied in a dark tone, "Get to it, then."
Eris shared a look with Hades before leaving the galley. Hades watched her go, then looked over at Hook in irritation. Hook's eyes flashed briefly in amusement.
"You two ought to remember whose command you're under." Hook told him lowly. "I don't give a damn about your little sob story, or your business with Hercules. This is my ship, and you're a part of my crew. Make yourselves useful to me or prepare to be marooned. Understand?" He downed his shot in one greedy gulp.
Hades nodded, glowering at the pirate.
Hook stared him down for a minute, then called across the galley, "Smee! Another round of drinks for the lot, if you please."
The few members of the crew who still lingered (quite a few had cleared out after Hades walked in) mumbled gratefully while Smee eagerly ran around to refill their cups. Hook held up his shot glass in a languid grasp, waiting patiently while Smee replenished his drink. Hades carelessly crossed his arms and watched Smee serve him a stout. After Smee had scurried away, Hades eyed his captain curiously. He opened his mouth to speak, but stopped himself when he heard a pair of heels clicking across the galley and approaching their table. He rolled his eyes as a tall, lithe woman with pale green skin and reptilian eyes took a seat beside Hook. Her black hair was piled elegantly on top of her head, loose bits dangling in the front to frame a delicately angular face. Hades tried to hide his discomfort as he caught a glimpse of her tatto- a spindly black dragon that seemed to be a living, breathing entity- slithering from her bare shoulder to her back. Hades resisted the urge to shudder and tore his gaze away from the dancing shape on her sickly skin, instead looking sharply into the gleaming eyes of this peculiar woman. She looked evenly back at him for a moment, then shrugged carelessly and turned her attention to Hook, draping one slim arm over the captain's shoulders.
"So... Where do we go from here, dear?" She drawled, her tone both sultry and elegant. Hades spotted the living tattoo drift over her arm and turned away.
Hook tilted his head to one side. "Not sure yet. We'll hear from our helmsman soon enough."
"I just can't stand the thought of those glorified sailors slipping away from us again." She pouted slightly.
For a brief instant, Hook smirked. But quickly the slight quirk of his lips was gone, and his face was once more a blank mask. The change was so fast that Hades was sure he'd just imagined the smirk had happened.
"Don't you worry, Maleficent. That ship will be ours in due time. And we'll rid this galaxy of those boy scouts once and for all." Hook promised her.
"What is it on that ship that's so important to you?" Hades suddenly asked. The way that Hook's harsh gaze flickered toward him made him regret asking, but he kept a firm expression and awaited an answer.
Hook slowly leaned forward, fishing a small, metallic device from his coat pocket. With a flick of his thumb, the device popped open, and a quiet hum filled the room while the pale, flickering hologram of a young boy popped up from the device. Hook glared up at the hologram.
"This boy is the one I've been looking for. He stole what's rightfully mine. And he's on that ship. Now that I've found him, I won't let him get away." Hook explained stonily.
Hades frowned. "What did he steal?"
Hook raised the horrific metal appendage that was his namesake, immediately filling everyone's stomachs with dread. He meticulously reached the hook upward and pointed it toward a small bright spot by the boy's head. "You see that? That is a sprite from Neverland."
A few other pirates murmured in awe while Maleficent's yellow eyes gleamed in amazement and Hades looked at Hook doubtfully.
"Neverland? I thought the place was just a myth." Hades said.
Hook shook his head, dropping his hook onto the table, where it planted itself deeply into the wood, making everyone flinch.
"No. Neverland is real. I've been there." Hook snapped the little device shut, making the hologram disappear. As he tucked it back into his pocket, he continued, "It's a small island, residing on the planet Kanaloa."
Hades shook his head in confusion. "I thought that planet consisted completely of deep oceans."
"Neverland is the only bit of land on that horrid dew drop. No one has explored Kanaloa long enough to find it. But I did." There was a slight prideful tone to his deep voice. "I was searching for a great treasure that has eluded many before me, figuring that if there was any place the treasure could be, it was Kanaloa. And I was right. The treasure does reside there. But it is impossible to find. And the only one being on Neverland that knew the exact location was that sprite. So I took her, tried to force her to lead me to the treasure. She refused, and fought and did everything she could to escape. And eventually, she did. Because someone..." His eyes rolled toward a very nervous Smee, "...wasn't watching her. She vanished without a trace, and somehow turned up on Montressor, where she found that boy and clung to him for safety. I didn't realize this until many years later..." He looked distractedly down at the metal hook that was fixed to his wrist. "I lost a lot to get that sprite. I won't have my loss be in vain."
"We'll get her back." Maleficent told him soothingly, rubbing his tense shoulders.
"We must. She's the only one who can lead us to the treasure." Hook said.
"What's the treasure?" Hades asked. "What's on Neverland that's so valuable?"
Hook's eyes seemed to glow with an obsessive excitement. "The Fountain of Youth."
The door to the galley was suddenly pushed open and everyone turned toward the newcomer. It was Grimhilde, a strikingly tall and regal-looking woman, whose dark hair was hidden under a black cowl that flowed downward into a swaying, billowing robe that hugged her figure quite flatteringly. Her venomous green eyes scanned boredly around the room until they settled on the captain, flashing briefly with some unrecognizable emotion. Her full red lips curved in a smirk and she said, "Helga has calculated a course that should put us on the right track. On your word, we'll take off."
Hook slowly rose from his seat and walked toward the middle of the room. "Well... I say we get some supplies before we leave port. We can't take off without giving these people something to remember us by, can we?"
A few unsettling chuckles rang out around the room while the crew started to pull out their weapons.