Chapter Ninety Eight

A/N: I do not own anything other than my OCs when they come out to play. Everything else belongs to either Disney or the Greek myths!

Dear Gods, it's almost hard to believe we're two chapters away from one hundred! Thank you all for your help, support, and reading!

Hope you guys enjoy the chapter! Let me know what you think! :D

Hera couldn't help but sigh as she took her scroll. She hoped that Freddy would be dealt with so Mal could go back to the festivities.

Mal glared as Freddy strolled over to her, a twisted smile on his face.

"When doesn't he have a twisted smile?" Henry muttered as he glared at the scroll in Hera's hands.

What in the world was he doing here?! He was supposed to be on the Isle, hiding from the Rats who were determined to personally escort him to Tartarus for what he did to Ryan!

"Oh, what he did to Ryan is just the newest offense on his long list!" Harry glared.

"What, no warm welcome your majesty?" Freddy asked with a slight smirk and Mal pulled herself out of her thoughts.

"The only welcome you'll get is the welcome to Tartarus!" Harry growled.

It wouldn't do to be caught unawares. Especially since no one knew what trick Freddy had up his sleeve. "Or is it my Lady? I know you witches appreciate a good title even if it's completely undeserved."

"Says the guy who demands his gang call him 'his holiness'," Malinda scoffed.

"The only warm welcome you'll receive is the warm embrace of your precious Hellfire, Freddy!" Mal spat, resting a hand on Harry's shoulder as if to keep him from hauling off and decking Freddy right there despite every fiber in her body wanting to obliterate the leader of the Angels.

"Oh just go ahead and do it!" Emma said, shaking her head.

Uma, though, looked from Mal to Harry and then back to Mal as if trying to do the math in her head as to how it was possible for her five foot, two inch tall cousin to comfortably rest her hand on the shoulder of her six foot First Mate. She then shook her head, deciding it wasn't the time to comment on it.

They needed Freddy to make the first attack.

"No, I'm pretty sure we'd all understand if you just went off and punched him," Lonnie said.

Sure the Cotillion guests were gasping in shock, most likely at how rude they were being, but they didn't know who Freddy was.

"Actually…why would that be a shock to us?" Evan asked. "I mean the VKs have only been in Auradon for a few months compared to the years on the Isle. Now if Ben was rude to someone, that'd be gasp worthy."

All they probably were gasping at was Mal's statement. After all, no one there knew what Freddy was truly like. If she or Harry attacked first, it might look like they were just attacking a poor, innocent guest.

"Freddy? Innocent?" Henry and Harry scoffed in unison.

Not that Freddy had ever been innocent but the Auradonians weren't likely to know that.

"Just say his last name, they might get the hint then," Claudine said softly.

Oh sure there might have been a moment when he was innocent as a baby but Frollo more than likely eliminated that. Twisting the babe into someone who shared his fanaticism, his lack of regard of others' lives.

"Unfortunately, that wouldn't surprise me," Phoebus sighed.

A hand on her own shoulder brought Mal out of her thoughts and she looked over to see Ben glaring at Freddy.

More than one head tilted to the side at that.

"Did…did Lady Hera just say Ben was glaring?" Akiho asked.

Ben never glared.

"I didn't even know he knew how to glare," Ruby whispered.

If he was ever upset with someone, he opted to employ a set of disappointed puppy dog eyes that were guaranteed to make you melt into a pool of scummy goo.

"The only problem is Freddy doesn't have anything resembling a conscience to make it so that he felt like scummy goo!" CJ growled.

Leah was probably the only person Ben had actually glared at...well and Natalie had he actually been face to face with her. Sadly only the phone fully felt the brunt of Ben's anger in that instance.

It wouldn't be the last phone to do so, Benji thought with an inward sigh as he tried to not think about the phone he threw against his bedroom wall after his fight with Mal the night Freddy had been tried the first time.

Ben truly was just too...good to glare at people. Even if they deserved it.

"…He did glare at Carlos once," Malinda said.

"He did?"

"I did?"

Malinda nodded with a small smile. "Spirit day? Carlos taking his sweet time to translate the spell to turn us back from dogs? Ringing any bells?"

"Oh yeah…I actually glared?"

Then again...Ben knows what Freddy did to Ryan's sister. He was there when Freddy stabbed my shoulder with his dagger, and I'm sure Harry and Uma have told him stories from our time on the Isle. After all, Harry had called Freddy the spawn of Satan at the planning session, when we were trying to figure out which VKs would make up the next group. If there's anyone in Auradon who knows what Freddy Frollo is truly like, it's Ben, Mal thought.

"Hey! We were there too when he was called the Spawn of Satan!" Emir and Akiho exclaimed.

"What are you doing here?" Ben asked, his voice cool but Mal could tell that even he was struggling to maintain control. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Emir and Akiho staring at Ben in shock, clearly not expecting that question from him.

"I mean…it is a valid question," Aziz said. "Though it's also possible that the shock was from Ben's tone and not the question itself."

"Yeah Freddy, this party is invite only and I'm pretty sure you're not on the guest list!" Uma exclaimed as she came marching up, Jay quickly on her heels.

"Freddy better hope he knows his blood type cause he's gonna need it when Uma's done with him!" Celia said with a grin.

Even in their fancy attire, they moved like they were ready for a fight instead of a dance. The former option much more likely when it came to Freddy, especially when it came to one of the leaders of the Rats.

"Sparring is rather like dancing from what we've read though," Alexandria pointed out.

Uma tilted her head. "A dance that results in Freddy's demise? I could put up with that."

"Same!" Mal nodded.

Mal though scanned the surrounding guests to try to see if she could locate the other VKs.

"Good, good, there's safety in numbers and there's only one of Freddy," Hades muttered. "Get enough people and you could dogpile him and keep him from fleeing until the guards get there."

The last thing she wanted was for Freddy to try to ensnare one of them, or worse, use them to get back at Mal, Uma, Jay, or Harry.

"Uh…Mal? Do you often think about yourself in the third person?" Benji asked.

"Really? That's what you decide to focus on?" Malinda shook her head.

Carlos was busy trying to get Jane and some of the other girls back into the waiting area.

Fairy Godmother let out a sigh of relief as she heard Jane was still safe, and that Carlos was getting her out of the fray.

Even if he hadn't interacted with Freddy much, Mal knew that Carlos was aware of what Freddy was capable of, considering the younger boy had been under the Rats' protection when they were on the Isle.

"I think everyone on the Isle knows what Freddy's capable of," Carlos said softly.

Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Evie trying to do the same with some of the cheerleaders. The girls were at least listening to her but the four boys on the squad were trying to join the Tourney boys in providing backup if they needed it. What exactly they'd do against Freddy, Mal had no idea, but there was safety in numbers.

"I mean…Edmund and Adrian are both princes at least," Elle said. "They'd have experience with weapons with fencing and Adrian has some water magic being my cousin. Hayden and…who's the other guy on the cheer team?"

"Not important?"

"Emma!"

"I'm sorry Elle but it's true! I mean he is important but right now, trying to remember who he is does not top making sure Freddy doesn't harm Mal or Ben!"

Benji shook his head as he looked over at Beast. "Weren't Edmund and Taran in our 'Daddy and Me' jousting classes?"

"I think they were," Beast nodded.

Gil was nowhere to be seen but Mal wasn't all that worried. The last time she had caught a glimpse of the blond, he'd been talking to Harry.

"Plus Harry confirmed he didn't kill Gil so that's a good sign," Hadie added.

The First Mate, Mal assumed, must have given him orders to start getting some of the guests to safety in case this turned into a fight. Besides, with what all Freddy had done to Gil's family, she knew the dim witted younger boy would have probably pummeled Freddy into a pulp.

"Isn't he the same age as you?" Uma asked, looking at Mal.

"He was born three weeks after I was, thus making him older," Mal told her. "And we're the same age Uma!"

"Yes and?"

"So that means you can't call yourself my 'older and wiser cousin' if I can't say Gil's younger than me!"

Not that it would have been a bad thing, Freddy no longer on the planet. But that was something he would have done. Something the Angels would have done.

"Yes but the difference is Freddy deserves it," Henry said.

They were not Angels. They were Rats—they were pirates. They were better than that.

"Well that goes without saying, I'm pretty sure Sleeping Brat over there is better than Freddy," Harry said, gesturing over to Audrey.

With so much death and despair already heavily present on the Isle, what was the use in adding to it?

"But, as has already been stated in the scrolls themselves, removing Freddy from being a person would be a public service!" Jay exclaimed.

…but they weren't on the Isle right now. And with Freddy standing before her, it would really be a matter of self defense. Which was why Mal knew it was taking all of Uma's willpower not to send Freddy flying, all of Jay's strength not to knock the older boy flat on his back. Mal quickly scanned the audience once more to make sure she didn't miss any of the crew.

"Don't worry about the crew, pay attention to Freddy!" Jay insisted. "You and Uma are the ones he wants to hurt the most!"

She didn't see Hadie but she was trying not to panic about that. Their mom was there, she might have taken him to safety and then come back to make sure Mal was alright.

Malinda couldn't help the small smile that came to her lips. "Gil came through there. He and Macaria got Hadie and Herkie to safety," she said.

"Oh thank Gods," Hercules and Meg sighed in relief.

Mal wasn't even mad about her leaving, she knew her brother's safety was the highest priority—she may have trained him on swords but Freddy was still years older than the both of them.

"So? If by some oddity he does best me, I can just kick him in the shins and get away from him," Hadie said.

Sometimes...size did end up beating skill.

"But numbers can beat size any time!" Uma said firmly.

"Why I thought this party was for all of Auradon not just witches who don't know their place," Freddy said, pulling out the invitation he had swiped from his stolen suit jacket with a smirk and Mal's eyes darted to it.

"Yeah well…I think an exception can be made for you," Benji said, his voice low.

"And I have an invitation."

"Because you stole it!" Alexandria exclaimed.

Jay marched over and snatched the invitation out of Freddy's hand, quickly giving the invitation a once over. "Unless you've recently changed your name to Chad Charming, this isn't yours," he growled.

"That monster will never be our brother!" The Charmed ones all cried.

"I didn't say I had been invited Jay. Only that I had an invitation," Freddy shot back. "Now scurry along with your tail between your legs, the adults are talking."

"He's ten times the adult you are, Freddy!" Lonnie snapped.

Mal could hear the gasps coming from the Charming contingent, could see the worry on every one of the royals faces, and couldn't help but wonder where Chad was. She hadn't seen him at all and it wasn't like Chad to miss out on something that could make him the center of attention.

"Why are we gasping? Didn't the scroll before last say Chad texted us to let us know he was going to help Audrey?" Lucy asked.

"Where's Chad?" Akiho demanded, apparently having the same line of thought as Mal. Chad may not have been his favorite person but he didn't deserve to be injured. Or worse. Chad's sisters might have complained about him but Akiho knew they'd be devastated if anything happened to their older brother. "What have you done with him?"

"Considering our scrolls selves don't know the other half of the last scroll it's a fair question," Emir nodded.

"Why so quick to jump to conclusions?" Freddy smirked as the Arendelle Prince's glare only grew. "Charming's fine. In fact, I have no idea who he is—he certainly doesn't matter to me. There's only one person who'll suffer my revenge tonight."

"Honestly I think that's the first time Freddy's ever told the truth," Malinda said.

"In your dreams Freddy!" Mal exclaimed, knowing full well who he was talking about.

"Which I would never occupy," Malinda said with a small shudder of disgust.

"Like you'd ever grace my dreams, witch!" Freddy spat back. "The only ones you'd be in would be my nightmares!"

"Right back atcha!" Mal said with a glare.

Mal glared at him, her green eyes flashing in her anger and irritation. Even the feeling of Ben's hand on her shoulder wasn't enough to pull her back to feeling anything remotely resembling calm.

"This time I don't blame you," Ben muttered.

Though was it her imagination or was Ben's grip tightening a bit?

"Sorry," Benji whispered to Malinda.

"Don't be, it's in the past," Malinda whispered back to him.

Thankfully it wasn't the shoulder that Freddy had stabbed all those months ago—even though it had healed by this point, Mal knew it would probably still hurt if Ben gripped it.

"...Does iron affect you that much? It's been over a month since that wound happened," Elle said, looking at Mal in concern

"I'm going to have to ask you to leave," Ben said, his voice hard and those around him looked at the teenaged King in surprise.

"Call for the guards, call for the guards, call for the guards…"

Kristoff shook his head at his son's chanting, though he couldn't deny he had a point.

Ben had always been one to advocate giving the VKs a second chance...or really even a chance. For Ben to ask one of them to leave...it was something in all fairness they'd expect from Beast, or Fairy Godmother, or maybe even one of the Tourney team. Not him.

"Freddy doesn't deserve a chance! Second or otherwise!" Kitty shouted.

"But I just got here," Freddy smirked. "And I'm not really in the mood to leave. Not with all the excitement."

"Excitement?! He's the one causing the excitement!" Uma exclaimed.

"The excitement you're causing!" Uma growled.

"That's what I said!"

Chip leaned forward so his mouth was by Ben's ear. "Ben, he's got a sword. I can see the hilt on his belt. Say the word and I can rush him before he gets the chance to hurt Mal."

"Over my dead body!" Harry, Jay, Hadie, Hades, and Ben growled.

The former teacup was sure Ben's friends would probably make the same offer but he was older than them. Never mind the fact that they were also heirs to their respective thrones, Chip wasn't going to let anything happen to his brother or his friends.

"What I said," Chip nodded.

"No," Ben muttered back, shaking his head slightly. "Get my parents out of here Chip. If anything happens to me, they can help advise Emma. If possible, I'd get Lady Persephone to safety too. We're in the middle of the water, there's not much her powers would be able to assist with and Mal would be devastated if Freddy there did anything to her mom."

"Ben, when will you get it into your head? You. Are. The. King. You need to be the first one to safety! Ahkio and Emir exclaimed.

"Second you mean," Benji said, wrapping his arms around his pregnant wife. "Or rather third if I have to be prioritized over you guys."

"Ben, Lady Persephone is a Goddess and more importantly you're the King. We've got to—."

"Yes, listen to scroll-me!" Chip urged.

"No Chip. Get my parents out of here," Ben said and then turned back to Freddy. "I think you've misunderstood. That wasn't a request."

"...Did…did Ben just order someone to do something?" Jane said softly.

"Two someones technically, that didn't sound like a request to Chip," Akiho said.

Freddy shook his head and drew his sword, earning more gasps from the panicked Cotillion goers.

"Seriously?! In every timeline, why is it all we can do is gasp when faced with danger or a situation outside of our normal?!" Audie griped, as thoughts of the second viewing's Cotillion came back to her.

Some of them began to rush to the stairs, something that Mal didn't blame them for one bit.

"…Okay apparently in this timeline people are capable of more than gasping! My timeline should take lessons!"

"The only place I'll be going is to Notre Dame after this to celebrate one less witch on the planet. You, Beastie, will be just a momentary distraction before the main event."

"Only in your dreams Freddy!" Harry cried.

"Freddy, don't even think about it!" Mal exclaimed, stepping forward. Freddy may have been able to hurt her crew, may have been able to push her into the Cove when she was nine. But she'd be damned if he hurt Ben! "Your fight's with me!"

"No it's not!" Hades shouted. Persephone, where are you? Get our daughter out of there!

"No Mal!" Ben shouted, shrugging off his suit jacket and handing it to a nearby attendant. He looked over at his best friends, who were looking at Ben with worry dancing in their eyes. "Guys, make sure Mal doesn't get hurt."

"Make sure I don't get hurt?! Ben, what are you thinking?! You can't take on Freddy!" Mal shouted.

"Ben, you've got to be out of your mind."

"What they said!" Mal, Akiho, and Chip all cried.

"Akiho, this is my kingdom," Ben said, his voice soft as he searched for anyone who might have a sword on their person. He wasn't about to fight Freddy unarmed after all. "If I don't fight to protect my citizens, who will?"

" How about the guards?! They should have been there by now!" Ahkio exclaimed.

"I will," Mal stated, turning to look at her boyfriend and crossing her arms over her chest. "Ben, this is madness—."

"Ben, King or not you're still my child! You're not taking on a madman!" Beast yelled.

"To quote or at least paraphrase Ally, life's boring if you don't do at least ten mad things before breakfast," Ben said gently, softly cupping her cheek with his hand.

"Correct me if I'm wrong but she said 'mad' things, not 'life threatening' things!" Chip exclaimed.

"You can't save the day every time Mal. Besides, I owe you one from my coronation."

Malinda shook her head. "You owed me nothing," she said softly.

"She'll be fine Ben," Akiho sighed, resting a hand on Mal's shoulder as if to restrain her. He could see how much Ben cared for Mal, and Mal Ben. If he could, the Arendelle Prince would do whatever possible to prevent anything from happening to either of them—and he knew Emir felt the same way.

"You know it!" Emir nodded.

"But what are you going to do about a sword? It's not like we expected a VK to escape the Isle and gate crash."

"Look to your left," Harriet said lowly, glancing at Harry.

Note to self, rant to Ben about lack of guard situation later, Akiho thought to himself as he looked around. Seriously? I know Fairy Godmother set up the ward around the yacht and tied the invitations to the wards but clearly that wasn't good enough! Also, Chad, did you have to lose your invitation?

Kitty glared at Audrey. "I blame you for this you know!"

Ben sighed, knowing his best friend had a point. But he wasn't about to just sit by and let Freddy harm Mal. Not after all the harm he'd already done.

"And I'm not going to just sit back and let him hurt you Ben!" Mal insisted.

"Did you all really think I'd attend an event and not have a sword?" Harry asked, unsheathing said sword from his belt as everyone turned and looked at him. "A pirate party isn't a good one unless there's one sword fight anyway."

Harriet sighed in relief. "Thank you."

"Who are you thanking cap'n?" Sammy asked. "Evie for including the sheath for the sword or your brother for being stubborn enough to insist on it?"

"…Both?"

"Where were you even keeping that?" Mal asked, tilting her head. "Seriously Harry, that's the first time I've noticed you even having a sword."

"Are you honestly questioning Harry having a sword?" CJ asked.

"That's because your attention has been rightly on Benny here, cap'n," Harry smiled slightly before that smile fell as he turned toward Ben.

"What am I doing? I'm the one with the sword, I should be running Freddy through!" Harry shook his head.

He handed the sword to the teenaged King, an unusually stonily look on his face. "Kick. His. Arse. Ben."

"Oh…I guess if I have to give up my chance, doing it because I respected rank is a good enough reason," Harry nodded.

If he couldn't be the one to show Freddy to Davy Jones' locker, Ben was a good second choice.

"Thanks Harry," Ben said softly. He wished he didn't have to do that but he knew he couldn't have anyone potentially getting hurt because of him.

"With pleasure. I don't want you guys joining in. This is my fight," Ben nodded and turned back to Freddy.

"Um no, it's our fight," Uma said as she gestured to herself, Harry, Mal, and Jay.

"I believe it's my fight too, cap'n," Henry said.

"Yes but you're not in Auradon in the scrolls Henry."

"White moves first," Freddy smirked as the two boys started to circle each other as if vultures circling their prey. Mal tensed as Ben lunged and the sound of clashing steel sounded in the air. Mal bit her lip as Akiho wrapped his arms around her torso, preventing her from joining the fray.

"...You're brave" Harry told Ahkio.

"Very brave. Since you're also doing that in front of Harry," Sammy nodded.

They don't understand. Only a VK can handle sparing with another VK. An AK would fight fairly, would fight with honor. A VK fights only to live to see another day, she thought as her eyes stayed locked on the ensuing battle. There was no denying the fact that Freddy was good—but he was also inexperienced with a sword.

"Of course he is! He's never fought with a sword a day in his life!" Jay scoffed.

Angels opted for daggers after all, a much better weapon to use in the event of a sneak attack.

"Dirty cheats," Harriet growled.

So Mal could tell that Freddy was tiring quickly against the weight of the sword, his arm not used to such a weapon especially one that wasn't defective like the ones that somehow found themselves in the delivery barges.

"He also wouldn't have trained as much as the Rats or even Prince Ben," Henry said. "You need endurance to handle a sword for a long period of time."

And Ben hadn't been made captain of the R.O.A.R and the school's fencing team simply because he was the Crown Prince or because of his good looks. He was able to match every lunge, every parry with ease.

"Of course he is," Malinda nodded with a small, proud smile.

"That's my brother!" Abby grinned.

Plus, because he'd often spar with Mal when he had the chance, he was at least comfortable enough with the VK style of sparring that Ben was able to avoid cheap shots. Like a kick to the groin.

All the men in attendance growled slightly and narrowed their eyes. What a cheap shot!

"And here I thought you'd be above such a move," he snapped, moving his sword to deflect a low hit. They were both men after all, though knowing what he knew Ben would be loathed to call Freddy a gentleman.

"Freddy? Above cheating?" Celia shook her head. "Clearly Mal and Uma need to teach you more about Freddy."

"All's fair in sparring, or at least that's what your little witch of a girlfriend likes to say according to the Isle grapevine," Freddy snarled, his voice barely audible over the clashing steel.

"You mean he actually listens to things not about him?" Uma scoffed.

Mal bit her lip once more in worry as people continued to gasp with every blow brought down by both boys. Sure there were no guards at Cotillion because of the ward Fairy Godmother had set up but surely that didn't mean guards weren't coming did it?

"They should be," Akiho muttered with his fingers crossed.

Thank Gods Belle and Beast aren't here. Belle'd be a nervous wreck watching Ben spar Freddy and I don't even want to think about what Beast would be like, Mal thought. Chip thankfully had been able to drag the former King and Queen to safety, employing the help of a couple of Ben's team mates.

"Where…where are we?" Belle asked softly.

Malinda sighed. "Hadie told me after the fact, Chip got you two up to the Quarterdeck. It had the safety of Freddy not being able to do anything to you but provided you the chance to…to be able to see what was going on," she said softly.

Tearing her gaze away from the fight, Mal could see that Emir had Uma restrained; his arms around her torso the same way Akiho's arms were restraining Mal.

"So I'm guessing Harry's restrained if there was no mention of Emir getting hooked for having his arms around Uma," Henry said.

And the same way Jay's arms were restraining Harry. Mal had to wonder though who would be available to restrain Jay if it came down to it.

"There we go."

Did Freddy bring any of the other Angels? Mal thought before she could stop it from entering her head.

"No he did not!" Emir shook his head.

If the Isle had taught them anything, it was the importance of backup. They could save your life, and provide assistance in case you found yourself in a fight you couldn't win.

"Something Fred should have realized though it's a good thing for everyone in Auradon that he didn't," Claudine said with a small sigh.

Just as Freddy found himself in at that moment. Turning back into the fight, Mal smirked slightly as she saw the older boy and leader of the Angels backing away from Ben.

"Good! Corner him!" Harry shouted.

Ben was still holding his own and, Mal had to admit, looking very attractive fighting Freddy.

Benji chuckled softly. "Good to know," he said, giving Malinda a small smile.

Mal just wished she didn't know that if Ben lost this fight, there was an extremely high possibility that she'd lose Ben.

"Nah, you know dad would chuck Ben out of the Underworld and make it so he was alive again if it meant you'd be happy," Hadie said.

"What is he doing?" Mal heard Uma mutter and saw Freddy reach into his jacket pocket as Estelle began barking in the distance, as if trying to warn the humans as to what was going to happen.

"Oh no!" Everyone in the room cried. Yes, even Audrey.

Mal realized that the pocket Freddy was reaching into was the same pocket that he had reached into to get the invitation.

"Oh no, what's he going to do? Give everyone there paper cuts?" CJ asked, rolling her eyes. "It's not like he's a Caster or anything."

But instead of the invite, Mal stared as Freddy held what, to anyone not familiar with the Isle, looked like a water balloon.

"…I take back my taunt, something I thought I'd never say regarding Freddy."

But Mal was incredibly familiar with the Isle.

"I lived there for sixteen years, I should hope I'm familiar with it!" Mal exclaimed.

And with what Freddy held in his hand. She knew just what it was, having made more than she could count.

"Don't. You. Dare," Beast snarled glaring at the scroll.

The smirk the French fanatic had on his face as he noticed Mal's attention, grey eyes meeting green, only served to eliminate all doubt from her mind.

"Oh he is not going to-" Mal and Uma both yelled.

"Ben, watch out!" Mal exclaimed and Ben turned to look at her. The distraction proved to be all Freddy needed as he slammed the balloon onto the deck of the yacht. In an instant, a cloud of dark red smoke surrounded all of them. Mal coughed as she accidentally breathed some of it in.

"NO!"

"Freddy better not have used one of our smoke bombs to escape!" Uma growled, the glow of her shell necklace and sound of her voice being the only indication of her presence near Mal. "If he does, he'll find out exactly what his hellfire looks like!"

"Do it, do it, do it!" Celia and Hadie started to chant.

Mal nodded and her eyes glowed momentarily as she tried to scan the area, looking for the thorn in her side.

"Yes, Mal! Get rid of the smoke!" Uma nodded

The thick smoke, though, made doing so rather difficult. However, her attention was directed elsewhere as a faint thunk was heard echoing through the smoke.

Malinda took a deep breath, leaning into Benji; trying to fight the memories and stay calm for the sake of their child.

"Uma?!"

"I heard it too Mal."

"Jay, you there?"

"I'm here."

"Harry...?"

"If Freddy thinks he can touch me, he's got another thing coming," Harry said, a slight snarl to his voice.

"The only contact Freddy would have with me is slumping against me as my sword came through the other side of him!" Harry growled in agreement.

"Harry! Smee twins!" Harriet warned.

Mal's blood ran cold as she realized there was only one other person Freddy might attack at that moment.

"No…" Belle gasped, her eyes widening.

Well, other than her that was.

"Ben'll be okay though, he's had more insane situations than this," Emir said though it was clear to everyone that he was trying to convince himself.

"Beware, foreswear, make this smoke disappear!" Mal exclaimed, forgetting in her fear and anger that Akiho still had his arms wrapped around her torso. All she was focused on was making sure that Ben was alright. That Freddy hadn't done anything to him while under cover of smoke.

"If he lays one finger you girls….…" Hades growled.

"Whatever you're planning, you'll have help Hades," Poseidon nodded.

But the hand gesture she'd grown used to proved not to be needed as the thick red smoke began to slowly vanish from view. Mal glared as she saw Freddy was still there.

"...Good, cause that means I can run him through!" Harry growled.

Why didn't he take this chance to escape? None of us would have been able to stop him, Mal thought, her eyes narrowing as she realized that someone was lying on the deck of the yacht.

"He wants to *gloat" Malinda muttered with a glare.

That Freddy was standing over the person's body, his sword hilt raised as if he had used it to knock against the person's skull.

"Oh I'm going to possess him and kill him…" Abby growled.

Way to take a cheap shot, she thought with a growing glare.

"It's Freddy, what did you expect?" Sammy grumbled.

"No," Mal heard Akiho gasp in realization. She looked at the blond and saw an almost pained look on his face. It almost looked as if he'd been punched in the stomach or witnessed the death of a beloved family member.

The room seemed to go cold as everyone but Benji and Malinda stared at the scroll in horror. Aziz began to rub Emir gently on the back, providing as much comfort as he could to his little brother.

Mal noticed that the same look present on Emir's as well. There was only one person who could earn that look from both boys and yet...she prayed to every God she knew as she turned back to the person on the ground, that the unconscious figure wasn't who she thought it was.

Beast paled though he tried to keep his reaction minimal as he glanced at his son, to avoid worrying Belle. Please…please don't be who I think it is…please don't be Ben, he thought.

It was then, as she studied the near lifeless figure, that she realized something. Something important.

"No!" Belle gasped, her hands going to her mouth in realization.

As the smoke faded completely from view, she hadn't heard anything from Ben.

"Oh Gods…" Abby gasped as she came to the same realization as her mother.

Hadn't seen him. That...that could only mean one thing. That the person who was lying on the deck of the yacht, the one with the light brown hair, the hazel green eyes that were currently shut to the world, the one who was at the mercy of Freddy Frollo, was…

"No, no, no, no, no….it's not…it can't be…" Chip muttered, shaking his head.

"Ben!"

"Twice in a row?! Who does that?!" Emir shouted.

Poseidon shook his head. "I'll read next, something tells me we shouldn't delay," he said.

"Good idea," Hades said.