Chapter 29

"How are you back here?" she questioned knowing this was Uma's place. She turned and saw Mal a bit to his right and Drac really had no answer for her. "Why are you back here?"

He could tell by her voice that she was not happy about seeing him again. Her tone was angry and there was something in her eyes she was trying to hide behind that. Drac had never been to Ursula's Fish and Chips for any reason other then to make trouble – and that was before Harry became Uma's first mate. Drac didn't want to mess with CJ's family, at the end of the day they were still blood and blood ran thick with villains. But Harry was holding Ben hostage and there was no peaceful way to free him – aside from giving Uma the wand. And he knew Mal wasn't going to do that. It left him with no response other then his mouth hanging open trying to find the words to begin but coming up short. He could see a calculating look in her dark lined eyes but he had no real way to quickly explain what was going on. It was all kind of a long story.

"I, we were, it's just –"

"Isn't it obvious little sister?" came a new voice and Drac turned to see Harry step out of the shadows, cross his arms and lean on the building. "He up and left and went to Auradon. To that bright shiny land of freedom and he didn't think to even tell ye goodbye. Now he's brought his sister back to take over their turf and ours. He used ye. Shows how much ye mean to him after all."

CJ raised her hand to Harry's face and turned to Drac. He knew she wouldn't fall for Harry's words alone, she was smarter then that, but she did turn to him and he could tell she was angry.

"You left without a word." She began and he knew he was going to get a pirate worthy interrogation.

"CJ –"

"Next thing we knew you showed up on a television screen being swarmed by cameras in Auradon." he knew by 'we' she meant the anti-heroes club and the people who had stood by him, "Thought you'd fight for us." She shrugged, "Now you're back and the first thing you're doing is letting her drag you back into her drama?"

CJ nodded at Mal who was standing behind him and she tilted her head at the veiled insult. She didn't say anything, which was unlike her and although he was tongue tied Drac appreciated that she was letting him handle his own problems this time.

"CJ, there is so much I need to tell you but -"

"I've been tellin ya for years sis." Harry spoke up again, "Dragons are heartless beasts."

CJ looked at him like she was breaking inside and he could see her trying to hide it. But he knew her too well and knew what Harry was saying was starting to get to her.

She scoffed and looked away before meeting his eyes again, "I never thought you of all people would turn out to be cold blooded. But I guess it makes sense, you take after your mom."

The insinuation that Drac had as much love in his heart as that tiny little lizard seemed to cross the line for Mal and she stepped forward looking ready to fight CJ.

"That's it you little –"

But Harry pushed himself off the wall and spun to stand in front of his sister and hold his hook to Mal's neck at the same time.

Everything seemed to freeze as they all waited to see who would make the first move. Even pirates all around them turned to watch, some of them rested their hands on their swords ready to jump in and help the Hook's. Drac swallowed nervously knowing that if a fight did break out they were very, very outnumbered.

"If ye weren't bringin' that wand for Uma." Harry began, his voice low and deadly, "I'd keel haul yeh right now." Then he chuckled and smirked, "But on the other hand, it will be much more fun to hook your love when yeh fail."

He lowered his hook and stepped back pushing CJ with him as Mal turned and kept Drac behind her as she and Harry circled so Mal was on the side of the dock that led back to the alleys. Both elder siblings standing protectively in front of the younger ones. Mal glared at him for a moment more before she took a few steps back, looked around at the pirates surrounding them and took off with Drac's jacket clutched in her hand. He turned back only for a moment to look at CJ over his shoulder. Her face looked hard as stone and he could only imagine what was going on inside her that she was hiding from the world.

- - LONG LIVE EVIL - -

"There is no way we can give Uma the wand. We can't just let her destroy Auradon." Evie said immediately after Mal and Drac returned and filled in the others at what happened at Uma's. Drac was only half listening from where he sat on his bed in the small side room, staring up at the ceiling and the fire breathing dragons he'd drawn. Most of his mind was preoccupied trying to come up with a way to get CJ alone so he could explain things to her. He knew she'd listen to his side and hear him out but he'd have to get her alone first, which would be practically impossible given that Harry now seemed to be keeping an extra close watch on her. That must be driving her crazy, he thought.

"If Uma doesn't get the wand then Ben is toast." Carlos spoke up.

"So we're going to give Uma –of all people – the wand?" Evie debated as they began to bicker but Mal had a better plan.

"Wait, you guys! Your 3-D printer!"

"A phony wand." Jay smirked.

"In my sleep." Carlos said smiling.

"The second Uma tests it she'll know its fake." Evie said concerned.

"So we just get Ben out really fast, we need some kind of diversion."

"Smoke bombs!" Jay suggested as Drac hauled himself out of bed and moved to the door. He pushed the tattered black curtain aside and leaned on the frame sticking his hand into his pocket while the other stroked Diaval who landed on his shoulder once more.

"That's perfect! I can get the chemicals I need from Lady Tremaine's place, that could work." Evie said excited as the plan started to come together, "And sick hair by the way Evil Stepmom really stepped up her game."

"Okay you want to know something? Dizzy did this." Mal told her.

"Little Dizzy? Shut up."

Drac shared a look with the guys and they all shrugged.

"Hello?" Carlos called getting their attention.

Mal cleared her throat and got serious, "Okay Carlos, Jay, Drac, you guys meet us at Pirates Bay, no later then noon. And you guys losing, not an option. Cause we're rotten."

"To the core." They all said.

"Let's do this." Evie said smiling as they all left to get what they needed to pull off their plan.

Drac was hesitant to do as his sister said. He wanted time to slip away and find CJ. But time was something they didn't have. Jay and Carlos brought him to where they'd stashed the limo and they all hopped in. Jay took out the button and activated the magic bridge getting them across the Sea of Serenity and back to Auradon. Luckily it was the middle of the night so sneaking around would be that much easier since everyone would be asleep. They hurried to the school and made it to their dorm. Waiting out in the hall for them was Carlos' dog Dude. He bent down and picked up his four legged friend and pet his head. From Drac's shoulder Diaval cawed at the dog and Drac remembered his feathered friend was never a fan of the campus mutt.

"Hi. I'm sorry I'm so late Dude. Ben got captured." Carlos told the dog before they turned and noticed the door was open.

"Why is our door open?" Jay asked. When they looked inside Drac saw Chad Charming at the 3-D printer and he couldn't help but roll his eyes.

"You have got to be kidding me." Carlos said and Chad turned abruptly.

"I knocked." He said like that excused his breaking and entering. If that had been their excuse every time they'd broken into a place growing up on the Isle it wouldn't have been enough to save their skins. Chad had no idea how lucky he was that he hadn't been born on the Isle.

Carlos walked up to him, put down Dude and held out his hand. The prince sighed and handed over another key. Then Jay noticed what he'd been using the printer for.

"What is that?" he asked.

"Oh! Hehe, that's a Chad action figure." He said proudly zooming it in front of Jay's face, "Well, minus the head."

"Sounds like an improvement. Excuse me." Carlos said as he knocked past Charming and pulled out his phone. Drac watched over his shoulder as he uploaded an image of Fairy Godmother's wand and the machine began to get to work.

"Why are you making Fairy Godmother's wand?" Chad asked from over his shoulder.

"Why are we making Fairy Godmother's wand?" Carlos asked.

"Uh, because. . uh –" They all stammered looking for a reason Chad would believe.

"Ben's been captured!" Dude called from his bed.

Chad did a double take, "What? Dude can talk?"

"I was stalling." Carlos scolded the dog.

"I thought you forgot." He shrugged, well, if a dog could shrug.

"Don't tell anyone." Jay said to Chad as he hit the prince in the shoulder, "Ben's life depends on it."

"Really? So if something were to happen. . . you know what I'm saying?" Chad let on smiling as if this could be a good thing.

"Something bad we get it." Drac said with an implied duh, they were villains after all and understanding cryptic messages was actually a class required at Dragon Hall, you know, a skill people used in the real world, not like trigonometry or chemistry.

"God forbid." Chad said insincerely, "But if something were to happen. . . who do you think would be in line to be king?" he asked holding up his headless action figure.

"Is it me or is that in really poor taste?" Jay asked and Drac nodded in agreement.

"Yeah I'm pretty sure hoping for your king's demise is more of an Isle thing than an Auradon thing." He added and Chad looked at him and pouted at the comparison. Jay made his way to the door and gestured for Chad to get out. The prince seemed appalled as he held up his action figure.

"I'm taking this." He said as he left then turned back to Jay, "And if you think –" Jay slammed the door in his face before Charming could finish and walked over to Carlos and Drac who were working on making the phony wand.

"Thank you Jay." Carlos said as the machine started making the wand.

"Do it sooner next time." Drac asked and Jay chuckled.

Once Carlos set up the machine and it got to work all that was left was to wait. Jay sat down and took a nap while Carlos sat with Dude and started explaining that just because he could talk didn't mean he always should. Drac, meanwhile, had gone back to his desk and started looking through his notes from his magic lessons. He hadn't taken them before since there was very little magic on the Isle and he already knew what tricks he could pull off with that. But he looked again just to see if there was anything that could help them get Ben back from the pirates.

The hours ticked by, the 3D printer hummed away as it crafted the phony wand. Jay spent some time playing a video game while Carlos searched on his laptop 'how to get out of the friend zone.' Drac had gone through his notes on magic three times, going slowly so he didn't skip anything that could be helpful or important. He rested his elbow on the desk and leaned his head into his hand, his fingers combed through his hair nervously. If this didn't work Ben was a goner and Auradon would follow.

When he sighed in exasperation something on his desk caught his eye. Off to the side were a few fragments of the purple shell from the new Dragon's Egg talisman. He looked back over to where Carlos was now joining Jay in a chair by the 3-D printer.

Then a crazy idea hit him and he looked back down at the Dragon's Egg shell and bit his lip. It was crazy, absolutely, dangerously crazy.

But. . . it could help them save Ben.

"I'll be right back." Drac said as he made his way for the door.

"Where are you going?" Jay asked sitting up and looking at him, making Drac freeze in the doorway.

Slowly, so he had time to think, he turned and looked at them over his shoulder, "Bathroom?" he said and they looked suspicious, he shrugged, "You should never fight pirates with a full bladder."

Carlos and Jay looked to each other and Carlos nodded, then Jay looked back at him and nodded and Drac could tell they agreed with him. With a nervous chuckle he turned back and left breathing a sigh of relief when the door shut behind him.

He rushed over lawns and through courtyards ignoring the more time consuming sidewalks that wove around the shrubbery and flowers. When he reached the museum and got inside he saw another sleeping security guard. Seriously? Auradon hadn't learned a thing? He sighed, at least it helped him out and made this easier, he'd tell Ben to buff up security later, once the king was back safe in his kingdom.

Drac snuck around the halls, staying away from the guard's station as he felt his way around. The museum was preparing for another memorial anniversary exhibit so things had been moved around. He wasn't sure where he was going but something deep inside him tugged him closer to his mother's scepter. Since the power in it was the same as the power in his veins it called to each other. It was one of the rules of magic, like magic attracted like magic, and magic from the same source couldn't be used against itself.

Drac was passing a black curtain when he felt a stronger tug then the rest and he stopped and turned to pull back the curtain and there it was. The scepter was sitting in the middle of the room, other trinkets from villains resting on pillars around it. Slowly, he made his way to it.

He looked up to the scepter and saw the glowing orb in it fade then glow brighter than ever, over and over. He felt the magic flowing into him from the egg and he looked down at it as his eyes shone with green. He had all the power in the world just sitting there, ripe for the taking. He could rule Auradon and the Isle if he wanted to. He could save Ben from Uma and sink every pirate ship in the bay. He could get CJ back and keep Harry away from her forever, he could obliterate him so he'd never stand in his way or take his friend from him again. CJ would love him, with all that power, she could do whatever she wanted just by being associated with him. She could sail the world and all her dreams could come true. His father would let everyone know that Drac was his son because who would deny siring a ruler as powerful as him? Even his mother would be proud. Forget being a lord he'd be a conqueror. It would all be his. He could even make a place for Mal and Ben to have their happily ever after where no paparazzi could bother her or cause her any distress. Everything would be better, all he had to do was use the power that was his by birth and by right. The power that had yielded to him back in the Catacombs on the Forbidden Mountain. It was his, why should he surrender it? He felt the magic surge making a gust of wind that shook the things in the room. Belle's magic mirror that the Beast had given her, a basket of poison apples, a vial of pixie dust, the Black Cauldron, but the final item actually fell and clattered to the floor.

His eyes snapped away from the scepter for the first time and he realized he hadn't been blinking. His eyes now blinked rapidly to help how dry they felt as the neon green faded from them and his natural blue returned. He looked to the floor at the Fate's scissors that had fallen. Instantly they reminded him of his father. Hades was already proud of him, he just wanted him to grow into his own person, not another shadow of someone else's reputation. And Mal, Mal wouldn't want him to rule everyone with fear, that was why they left the Isle, they'd seen how great life could be outside of that dark cloud of evil and wickedness. Even though that was their home, they both had seen that Auradon was just people who wanted to live in peace. They weren't plotting, or mocking their parents failures. And Ben had seen past even all that and knew that every VK could be something great if they were given the chance.

Drac picked up the scissors and set them back on their pedestal, he looked back over to the glowing scepter. It was more powerful, more seductive and alluring then he'd thought. He felt the surge of magic that wanted to be free, not restrained. He walked back over and bracing himself gripped the hilt of the scepter. Immediately the Dragon's Egg glowed, lighting up the entire room like a spotlight had been turned on. He had to cover it with his hand just to shield his eyes from the strong light as best he could. When it dimmed back to its usual color he pulled his hand back and noticed the glove had been singed away and his skin was bright pink with a burn. Drac had never been burned before, fire had never hurt him before.

He took a moment to catch his breath and get over his shock, when he did he looked back at the scepter. Still gripping the hilt he pulled it loose from its holder and held it gently. He caressed the wood and couldn't believe he was holding it in his hands. The last time he'd touched it was back on the Isle when his mother had tossed it to him and he'd had one short moment with it in his grasp. This had been what he'd dreamt of his whole life, calling this weapon his and commanding it's strength for whatever he wanted to do with it.

He shook his head and reminded himself that he didn't have time to get sentimental. Instead he looked at the scepter and recited a spell. "Powerful scepter in my hand, I command you to conceal. Transform your shape and hide from all what is truly real."

The scepter became hazy as it changed and before he knew it he was holding a sword, like what they used in R.O.A.R. only this one had a black blade and a dark green handle and hilt. In the center of the black metal he could see, very faintly, a green light pulsing like the weapon was alive. And he smirked.