Chapter 27
"What's gotten into you?" Mal asked as Drac pulled her along by the hand. He had slipped them into a tunnel just outside the Curl Up and Dye, maybe a piece of the Endless Catacombs that still existed? She didn't have time to ask too much about how her brother knew it was there. Drac's sudden shift in behavior was on the forefront of her mind. If they were above ground she never would have let anyone see her getting tugged along like this.
"I have some business that needs tending to." He replied not slowing down.
"We've only been here a few hours." She scoffed in her playful way.
Drac stopped immediately and turned to her. She was caught off guard by the seriousness in his eyes. "You haven't had to take back the Isle before. I have. Trust me. We've got a lot of damage control to do and we need a good, or rather bad, first impression."
He let go of her arm as he continued on and Mal followed silently. She began reanalyzing her brother, unsure of exactly who was walking with her. This was a different Drac then the one she'd grown up with, a different Drac then the one she'd seen in Auradon. Her brother was using skills she'd never had to learn and she knew the best thing to do was observe what he did and how he did it.
When they got to the entrance to the Slop Shop Drac again stopped. He held his hand up to her. "Wait here."
Not the one to take orders Mal scoffed again, but that serious look on her brother's face made her pause.
"Wait. Here." He repeated. She gave a nod and he stepped into the café. Immediately the goblins inside went mad, hopping and leaping while they cheered in their grunting and snorting way. Drac smirked evilly as he stepped onto a chair then up onto the counter where he sat and held court. He grabbed a cup of muddy coffee and sipped at it. He hid his disgust behind a solid mask, his tongue more used to Auradon food now. But he continued to sip leisurely with his elbows resting on his knees.
After Drac had left his father he had stepped outside and grabbed the first goblin he saw.
There was a prior matter that was long overdue.
Many of the goblins crowded around him, some thanked him for his work on the embargo disassembly, others kissed his feet propped on the barstool while others chanted his name. Finally a group of them burst through the door and the crowd made way for them. In the center was a goblin with each arm held tightly by one of his brothers as he was dragged inside kicking and screaming. Customers seated along the far walls watched, some with fear, others entertained like it was dinner theater.
"Here he is Drac!"
"We got him!"
"Scum among scum!"
"Traitor!"
"We got him!"
The goblin in question was thrown on the floor before Drac who looked down on him as he finished off the coffee. Then he threw aside the cup.
"Grimgar." He noted and Mal watched from behind the curtain impressed. She'd never known any of the goblins names. And her mother certainly hadn't cared to learn any of them. But Drac had won over the goblins and maybe treating them better then Maleficent had played in his favor.
The goblin, Grimgar, trembled on the concrete floor but tried to look calm. Drac stood, a foot on each barstool as he kept looking down at the traitor.
"You are charged with treason." Drac said very casually.
"My ruthless one I'd never –"
"You sold my sister out to Mad Maddy and her crew of pathetic has-beens. Do you deny it?"
"I was tricked o vicious one."
"How?" Drac demanded in a tone Mal had never heard.
"The witch said she was working for a dragon." He snorted pig-like.
"A false dragon!" one of the goblins shouted.
"A fake! A phony!"
"True goblins can tell the difference!"
Drac raised a hand which silenced the room. As he lowered it a green flame appeared in his palm and Grimgar looked to the floor bowing his head. Drac turned to the flame and wiggled his fingers, watching the fire the way an adoring mother looked at her newborn. Mal could see the inner conflict in her brother behind his tough mask. He knew he had to make a statement. Something that would run through the Isle's gossip chains and remind people he was still cruel. That the lord to be in Auradon that they saw on television wasn't the only side of him. That he was still someone to fear.
"Killing you would be the punishment my mother would choose." He said and a murmur of agreement went through the goblins. "It's the punishment my father would approve of as well."
All went silent. Even Mal held her breath. Everyone in the room looked to Drac, no one knew who his father was and they were waiting to see if they were about to find out.
Drac looked around the room at all in the crowd. "A man who Maleficent, the mistress of all evil, found worthy. How wicked would you think a man like that could be?"
No one replied.
"And I am the child of them both." He stepped down from the stool and took a couple steps toward Grimgar. The goblin was shaking by now expecting to be burnt to a crisp any second.
Drac lifted his hand and Mal covered her mouth in shock. Then her brother threw the fire across the room into the fireplace setting it ablaze.
"But that's too simple."
The goblins began to murmur again in agreement. Drac looked to the nearest one. "How many boats are now at your disposal since the embargo was lifted?"
The goblin grinned, his yellow cracked and crooked teeth glowing in the green firelight. "Enough."
Drac turned back to Grimgar. "Ship him to the Isle of the Doomed and never let me see him again!"
The goblins erupted in evil glee as they grabbed Grimgar and dragged him out, squealing, snorting and making a bunch of other sounds no creature could imitate. Drac turned and headed back into the tunnel, when the curtain fell behind him he looked to Mal.
"You learned how to hold your own." She commented unsure of how else to address the situation.
"If I didn't remedy that then anyone would think they can turn on me."
"Us." She reminded, "You're not alone this time."
"But you need to remember how to step up your game."
The sentence was harsh, but it was true. Mal gave another single nod.
- - LONG LIVE EVIL - -
"Jay!" Ben called to him as they rushed down the stairs after night had fallen. Ben tossed him the car keys to the limo as Carlos and Evie hurried behind the king. Then Ben threw him the most important part, "Remote."
"Wait!" Evie exclaimed, "Something's wrong."
They all looked around for danger or any chance they had been caught. But then Evie fixed the blue beanie on Ben's head and the studded jacket she had given him when she reworked his look to fit in on the Isle.
"There." she smiled pleased with her final product.
"Shotgun!" a new voice shouted and Carlos turned to dude on the steps
"No Dude. Stay. The Isle is way too dangerous."
Evie's mouth fell open, Ben's eyes widened and Jay asked, "Did he just. . . "
"Talk?" Carlos finished for him, "Yeah. I know. Tell ya later."
Then he headed for the car, the others refocused on the mission at hand and followed him, Jay taking the driver's seat.
"Let's go." ben said.
"Ok, once we cross the bridge park under the pier near the old garage. Got it?" Evie instructed.
"Got it." Jay nodded. And they were off.
- - LONG LIVE EVIL - -
Drac's little court session in the Slop Shop would no doubt spread like wildfire. Meaning that when phase one was complete: get people rallying to the siblings, they needed to have a plan ready for phase 2: taking back their turf, and eventually taking as much of Uma's as possible. However, they had no plan. Drac's biggest assets were now unavailable to him, the Sandersons were out of the picture, Mal would never agree to work with their father and CJ. . . Drac still had to riddle out what it was Harry had said about her.
After leaving the Slop Shop through the same tunnels they'd entered, the siblings split up. Mal wanted to get a plan hammered out and the best way for her to clear her head and think was to go back to their lair and paint. In that headspace Mal always came up with her greatest schemes. It was why she spent so much time sketching the magic wand when they first went to Auradon. Drac left her to it while he tried to track down Diego or Freddie. He wanted to get an idea of what had been going on with the anti-heroes club, if it still existed. With Uma running things the group might have disbanded for their own safety. But that still meant Drac had some allies hiding in the shadows. He just had to find them. That was the tricky part.
"Hey!" he exclaimed after bumping into someone. He noted he'd had very bad luck with that today. "Watch where you're -Hey-ey guys."
He changed his tone when he saw who he'd bumped, the Isle facade fading instantly and a nervous expression hiding behind his grin. Evie, Jay, Carlos and Ben looked at him with shock, before Evie's expression became filled with relief and she hurried to hug him.
"Oh thank goodness we found you."
Drac wormed out of her hold, "Easy on the goodness Princess Evie, this is the Isle."
Half of him couldn't believe they'd followed him and Mal back to the Isle while the other half that could believe it was wondering how they'd even gotten here. Jay came over and fist bumped him before Carlos did the same. Ben just smiled and gave him a nod but Drac only looked him up and down.
"New look?" he asked noticing the king looked like he'd gotten an Isle makeover. Ben blushed and shrugged tugging on his jacket and avoiding eye contact as he looked around the disheveled alley around him. This had to be a big change for Ben, he'd only ever heard about the Isle from them and who knew what he thought they'd exaggerated that was actually true and being proven right before his eyes.
"Have you seen Mal?" Evie asked him pulling him from his thoughts.
"Uh. . ." He stuttered knowing his sister was not in the mood for company right now but also not wanting to lie to his friends. "Yeah. But I'm not sure what kind of mood she'll be in." he said knowing they probably wanted to take him and Mal back to Auradon and he knew that was the last place she wanted to be right now.
"Okay well we need to find her." Evie said as Ben kept looking around at the dark Isle around them.
"Without attracting your parents attention right?" Drac asked knowing there was no way their parents would be happy to see them after their betrayal and taking their talismans right out from under their noses in the Catacombs.
"Yeah, get in get out, that's the plan." Jay said.
"It might take a little longer than that." Drac warned them, "I've never seen Mal like this."
"Ben just needs a chance to apologize." Carlos explained, "Can you help us get him that? Five minutes man, please."
Drac let out a deep breath, "Okay well first of all you're going the wrong way. You're headed for Bargain Castle but Mal's back at the old hangout. Second, your king just went thatta way." He pointed over Jay's shoulder as they turned and saw Ben walking along looking at the Isle and not really paying attention to where he was going.
"Ben." Evie scoffed as they followed to go get him. When they caught up Ben was smiling and offering a handshake to a villain who growled at him and looked ready for a fight.
"Ben, stop just stop." Evie said pulling him away and Jay and Carlos scared the thief off.
"Why?" Ben asked cluelessly.
"This isn't a parade it's the Isle." Evie told him.
"Keep your hands in your pockets unless you're stealing." Jay said.
"You either slouch or strut." Carlos advised.
"And never ever smile." Evie added.
"Unless it's over someone else's loss, pain or misery." Drac spoke up.
"Okay thank –"
"No." Evie said, "No thank you's and drop the please too, just. . . chill." Then she put her arm on Ben's shoulder and sang.
"Let me tell you something you can really trust. Everybody's got a wicked side. I know you think that you can never be like us. Watch and learn so you can get it right."
"You need to drag your feet." All three boys said, "You need to nod your head. You need to lean back. Slip through the cracks." They all flipped in the air and landed the same way before getting up without using their hands, "You need to not care."
"Uh, you need to not stare." Carlos added.
"You need a whole lot of help." They all said as Jay swiped Ben's wallet.
"You need to not be yourself." Evie said pointing it out. "You wanna be cool? Let me show you how. You need to break the rules? I can show you how. And once you catch this feeling."
"Yeah once you catch this feeling. You'll be chillin' chillin. Ohhh Chillin like a villain. Chillin' Chillin like a villain. Chillin. Chillin like a villain, Hey! Chillin like, chillin like, a villain."
They rounded a corner and Ben almost fell for the next person's scheme.
"You draw attention when you act like that." Evie said pulling him away and scaring the guy off. "Let us teach you how to disappear."
Drac jumped onto a rail behind them in front of Hades Souvlaki shop and leaned on his knee looking at the king, "You look like you would lose a fight to the Cheshire Cat." He sang, "You gotta be wrong to get it right round here."
The others joined him on the rail as they all stood and balanced on it.
"You need to watch your back. You need to creep around. You need to slide real smooth. Don't make a sound." They said as Ben tried to slide and knocked over a trash can and they all jumped off the rail and ducked under it.
"And if you want it take it. And if you can't take it break it. If you care about your health –"
"Seriously you need to not be yourself." Evie said flipping her hair, "You wanna be cool? Let me show you how. You need to break the rules? I can show you how. And once you catch this feeling."
"Yeah once you catch this feeling. You'll be chillin' chillin. Ohhh Chillin like a villain. Chillin' Chillin like a villain. Chillin. Chillin like –"
"I really wanna be bad a lot and I'm giving it my best shot." Ben sang, "But it's hard being what I'm not."
"Well if you don't you're gonna get us caught." Carlos told him.
"He's right we gotta stay low key." Evie agreed, "Now show us how bad you can be."
"Like this?" he asked pulling out Jay's wallet now, "Like this?" he held up Carlos phone, "Oh yeah I think I got this. Let's go. I'm ready to rock this. And I ain't gonna thank you for your help. I think I found the worst in myself."
"You wanna be cool? Let me show you how. You need to break the rules? I can show you how. And once you catch this feeling."
"Yeah once you catch this feeling. You'll be chillin' chillin. Ohhh Chillin like a villain. Chillin' Chillin like a villain. Chillin. Chillin like a villain, Chillin, chillin like a villain chillin Hey! Chillin like, a villain."
They all smirked at each other watching Ben embrace his wicked side. Evie applauded and Jay 'whooped' while he smiled. It didn't take Ben long to bump into someone but at least this time he didn't automatically apologize. But that wasn't their biggest problem once Drac saw who he'd bumped into.
"Hey man." Gil said and Drac swallowed nervously, "Hey. . hey I know you."
"Uhhh, no. Don't know you either man." Ben said casually, only the others realized his slip up but this time it wasn't Ben's fault. How was he to know he'd just bumped into the son of Gaston? The one who worked on Uma's crew and with Uma rising to power everyone on the Isle knew Gil just like they all knew Harry Hook.
"Uhh yeah you do. Come on man. 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. Ben looked to them for an answer but there was no way they could give one without drawing attention to themselves, they were lucky Gil hadn't noticed them already.
"Come on man I know – huh?" he stopped mid sentence as he noticed a graffitied 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 Drac but he wasn't paying attention to that right now. Even though the poster had 'ride with the tide' sprayed over it Gil still looked back and forth between the sign and Ben, then it hit him.
"Ohhh, your King Ben!" he said in surprise.
"No, no I don't think so –" Ben stuttered as they 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, Drac hey guys!" Gil said cheerfully before he realized that all of them should be in Auradon not on the Isle.
"Ohh, Uma's gonna love this!" Drac heard him laugh and they moved Ben out of there quicker and headed for their hideout.