Chapter One

"I'll take another," Hades told Lefou who's nose barely reached the top of the bar he stood behind. The small man waddled away to fill another glass with beer that Gaston brewed himself from the leftovers of Auradon. It was terrible but numbed the wretchedness of their prison for a bit.

"I'll have what he's having," a voice said to his left. He turned his head as Lefou slide the glass into his hand.

Maleficent. She never came here, she was too busy pacing the barrier, looking for holes. They'd all done that when they'd first arrived. But that was three years ago. The only one who still held out hope for escape was the dark fairy.

"Given up?"

"Ha! Never," she chuckled and shot back her drink in one go. "There's a way out."

"Now you sound like a hero, full of hope," Hades muttered, sipping his drink slowly. Gaston only served his patron's so much, rationing his supply.

Maleficent's green eyes flashed and the glass cracked in her hand. "I only have hope for evil."

"Of course." Hades tossed his dirty coins onto the bar and stood.

But the fairy caught his eye before he headed out. Her flashing eyes, her snarl. It was nice to see someone who hadn't given up yet.

"Here." He slid a coin to Lefou. "Her next one's on me."

Maleficent stared at the coin and Lefou seemed afraid to touch it. Hades just smirked and walked out, back into the miserable night of captivity.

The next day there were whispers all through town. Maleficent wasn't at the barrier, she wasn't at the market, she wasn't anywhere. Had she finally given up?

Hades was picking rotten apples from a goblin's stand when he heard. "Given up?"

"That's what they're all sayin'," the goblin told him. organizing the oranges so their brown spots were hidden. "Don't know what else could'a kept her in."

The smell of the tavern flashed through his mind and Hades couldn't help but laugh. "You got any eggs?"

It wasn't hard sneaking into her 'castle.' The goblins were all asleep and the doors' locks were broken or rusting off. And just like he suspected, there she was, passed out on her dusty throne, a glass from the tavern resting on her chest.

He didn't say anything, just started cooking. Scrambled eggs, bread toasted in the oven, beets pressed for their juice. He'd done this a time or two before.

"Who dares enter my home?" a voice shrieked and Maleficent stumbled off her throne and down to the kitchen area. Her eyes widened when she saw Hades. "What are you doing?"

"Gaston's drinks are a little stronger than normal ones," Hades replied and he poured the juice into a cracked glass. "This should help the hangover."

"Hangover?"

"Headaches, nausea, dizziness."

"I'm fine," she snapped, swaying as she stepped forward. "Now get out!"

Hades held his hands up in surrender. "Just trying to help evil's last hope."

"Why?"

"You're not the only one who wants to get off this hell hole, darlin'."

This time it was her eyes caught as he left, chuckling as he went.

The next week, same night, Hades was back at the tavern. He listened to Cruella try to list all the dalmatians she'd tried to catch, taking a swig every time she got one wrong. She'd be passed out in about twenty minutes, Hades bet.

Gaston was behind the bar this time, flirting with every female patron.

"Mark my words, that beast was the true villain. I was just trying to save her because that's what I do for women. Save them from monsters!" he declared and the three blonde women who were never far from him melted.

Hades just rolled his eyes and headed out. For some reason he didn't feel like wallowing tonight. Every week, every day was the same. It was torture, staring up at the sky through the barrier, knowing he belonged in Olympus, knowing that a blasted fairy had gotten the best of him. Him! A god! It was worse than death.

He didn't know where his feet were taking him until he was at the cliffs at the edge of the island, the barrier just out of reach. Over the ocean he could see the lights of Auradon, fireworks exploding into the sky. It seemed they always had something to celebrate there.

"Sickening, isn't it?"

He didn't even need to turn around. "There's no way out. Barrier hasn't been open in years."

"Three years!" Maleficent screeched. "What's three years compared to the sixteen I waited for Aurora to grow? Compared to the hundreds you waited for the planets to align? What's three more years?"

"And four and five and six. Face it, we'll always be waiting."

"Evil will have it's revenge. I know it."

He turned to look at her then, her shinning horns and green eyes glowing in the dark.

"Evil's lucky to have you."

Her lips pressed together before she smiled. "You keep doing that. Why?"

"Told you, I don't like being here anymore then you do."

"But I'm not the only one looking for a way out. Others search the barrier."

"None as frequently as you."

Maleficent's face was expressionless as she stared up into his eyes. "I think you like me."

"Like you?" Hades laughed. "Nice try. We're evil, darlin'. We don't like anything."

Maleficent just took a step forward. She was close enough that he could see pale freckles dotting her cheeks. "You bought me a drink. I know what that means."

"That I like you better drunk?"

"That you like me."

Hades stepped back. "I think you're drunk again. Go home, Mistress of Evil."

But as he walked away something light seemed to ping around in his heart. Something he hadn't felt since…. since he'd nearly beaten Zeus.