A/N: Happy Valentine's Day, my fabulous readers! So sorry for the late update. There was so much going on in this chapter, that I had to change some things from the original idea I had in my head. I am not sure how many more chapters this little adventure will have. You'll understand why in a minute. Hopefully, there are still a few more left to go, but for now, let's just play it by ear.

On with the show! Enjoy Chapter 11!

Disclaimer: Psst! I have a secret to tell you. I still down the Kingdom Keepers or Disney! Shh!

Chapter 11

Castle Torture Chamber, Several Hours Later…

ZAP!

"AGH!"

"I grow tired of your stubbornness, Finn," growled Hades. "Where is the Resistance?"

Finn, who was once again hanging by his wrists from the ceiling, stared at his enemy in hatred. He had regained consciousness an hour before, only to find himself with his arms chained above his head and a very angry Hades in front of him. The Overtakers were too impatient to wait for him to fully recover from the sedative this time.

Somehow, Hades had found out that he had been with the Resistance.

"I don't know about any 'Resistance'." He said through gritted teeth. "You're wasting your ti-AGHH!"

The guard held the cattle prod against Finn's bare side for nearly a minute. Hades pinched his nose in frustration as the boy's screams echoed in the dungeons.

When the cattle prod was finally taken away, Finn hung limply in his chains. His entire torso was covered in bruises from the torture session. He was pretty sure that he had broken a rib or two. But no matter what horrors the villain had in store for him, Finn refused to break.

"I really don't have time for these games, Kid. Tonight is kind of the most important night of my life, here! You have a destiny to fulfill, too! It's a shame to see such potential wasted. You could have lived like a king by my side forever. But instead, you chose to fight against me. Not your wisest decision."

Finn was silent for several minutes. Every breath was painful to take, and his arms felt like lead. Hades watched him impatiently until Finn spoke again.

Forcing himself to look his enemy straight in the eye, he said clearly, "I make my own destiny. And I will never stop fighting you!"

ZAP!

Just as Finn felt like he was going to pass out from the pain from the cattle prod, he felt Hades grab him by the chin.

"She is going to enjoy tormenting you."

Finn's blood ran cold. He had known for months that he had been promised to Maleficent after the Red Moon ritual. Hades had told him in the early days of the curse that if he didn't join the Overtakers, then he would spend eternity suffering at the hands of Maleficent. Though the thought terrified him, he refused to give Hades the satisfaction of his fear.

"I will break the curse even if it is the last thing I ever do! You will lose, you ugly, son of a-AGHH!"

"I think we have enough of this nonsense for one day," sighed Hades when the cattle prod had once again been taken away. "We will continue our little chat soon."

As Hades began to leave the torture chamber, he paused at the door.

"Prepare him for the ceremony. I want his injuries treated immediately. Make sure he is secured at all times! The boy will be the first to suffer the wrath of our eternal victory."

He looked back at Finn, who was attempting to break free from the guards who had grabbed him.

"See you tonight, my little Kingdom Keeper."

Before Finn could yell back at the god of the Underworld, a gag was placed in his mouth. The guards quickly adjusted his chains behind his back and led him out of the chamber. Through the window of the dungeon infirmary, the Red Moon began to rise.

Time had just run out…

Kingdom of Darkness Hub, A few moments later…

Hades watched from the castle stage as the guards took up their posts. At least a hundred were lined up along either side of Main Street. Dozens more stood watch directly in front of the stage and the station entrance of the Kingdom. The Lord of the Dead was certain that there would be some sort of resistance interference. Despite Finn's objections, Hades knew that the boy had found the rebels during his brief freedom. He wouldn't be surprised if they were already planning a rescue attempt.

Up above on the castle balcony, the Beacon of Darkness was being put in place. Captain Hook supervised the pirates who were carefully positioning it at the right angle. The Red Moon would be in the perfect position needed to complete the ritual within the hour. According to the information the Fates had gathered, once the moonlight made contact with the Beacon, it would need several minutes to charge completely. At the last stroke of midnight, the ritual would be finished, and the curse made permanent. No power on Earth could change that.

But something still didn't sit right with Hades.

Finn continued to fight against him. The boy's stubbornness grew with each passing day, and it was becoming a problem. The last thing the Dark Lord needed was for his rebellious prisoner to inspire an uprising. He still had no idea how the resistance had managed to vanish without a trace during the attack on the castle.

Perhaps, the people needed a little reminder about who was in charge.

And Finn Whitman was the perfect example…

Resistance Emergency Rendezvous Point

"I can't believe we just let him sacrifice himself like that," Amanda said softly. "Finn is suffering the wrath of the Overtakers, and we left him behind!"

The Resistance members had reunited inside what had once been Typhoon Lagoon. The water park looked as if it had been abandoned for decades, making it the perfect place to hide. Night had fallen, and everyone could see the Red Moon slowly rising in the sky.

"We'll never make it in time, Amanda!" Maybeck pointed out. "The Red Moon is already happening. Even if we could rescue Finn, you heard what he was saying about the curse! When the Beacon is fully charged by the Red Moon's energy, the curse will be permanent. We're out of time, and out of options."

"That didn't stop you from saving me from prison the other night!"

Maybeck opened his mouth as if to argue with her, but Philby cut him off.

"Amanda's right. We must do something!"

"Quite right, my young friends," agreed Merlin. "Let us waste no more time! Now, here is what we're going to do…"

Dark Castle

The terrified civilians had no idea what was in store for them as the guards continued to push them further down Main Street. Mrs. Whitman found herself at the front of the crowd where she had a perfect view of the stage. She couldn't help but feel a sense of unease, as if something or someone important was missing from her life.

When all of the people had been accounted for, Hades finally addressed them all.

"My loyal subjects," he began, "how wonderful it is to see you on this joyous night! You are about to witness a truly extraordinary event; one that you will never see again in this lifetime. The Red Moon you see in the sky holds a very special power, as you shall see in a few moments. But before we get to the main event of the evening, I would like to share a little piece of advice. By now, you have all heard the news of the fugitive known as Finn Whitman's escape yesterday. Rest assured that he was quickly found and arrested, thanks to our kingdom guards and Chief of Police. I also know that many of you might be tempted to join the so called, "resistance". I too, have heard the rumors, and I strongly suggest that you pay them no mind. Allow me to demonstrate what happens to those who try to resist me."

Hades snapped his fingers, and the crowd gasped in horror at the figure that had appeared behind him.

Finn was on his knees in the center of the castle stage. His arms were secured at an angle on either side of his body. The chains that bound him to the floor sparked with electricity and glowed an eerie green. A gag was in his mouth, and he had been dressed in a plain white prisoner's uniform. The boy was staring at the floor until Hades grabbed him by the hair and forced him to look at the crowd.

Finn felt his heart skip a beat as he stared into his mother's eyes. Mrs. Whitman stared back, feeling a strange connection to the young man on the platform in front of her. He yelled something at her through his gag and struggled to break free from the chains.

As if on cue, the chains that bound Finn began to glow even brighter. The electricity that came from within them wrapped itself around his body, making him scream in agony. Hades kept a firm grip on his prisoner, relishing his pain. A few of the onlookers pleaded for the god to have mercy, but their words fell on deaf ears.

Finally, the chains reverted to their normal state, leaving Finn sweating and panting from the ordeal. He stared up at Hades with a look that was both defiant and submissive.

Leave my mother out of this!

Hades smirked and finally released his grip on Finn. With another snap of his fingers, the boy disappeared. He reappeared seconds later on the top of the raised platform on the other side of the stage. His body was now in perfect alignment with the Beacon of Darkness.

Hades was addressing the crowd again.

"In a few moments, the Red Moon will be in its position for our little ceremony. If anyone attempts to flee or interfere with the proceedings, then they will meet the same consequences as my young friend here. Do enjoy the show."

A pair of guards walked up on the stage and stood behind Finn. Though their helmets completely covered their faces, there was something different about them.

Hades walked to where his prisoner was chained grinning from ear to ear. He leaned close and whispered so that only Finn and the guards could hear his words.

"Last chance, Kid," he said, as the gag was briefly removed from Finn's mouth. "Join my empire or spend eternity in chains. The resistance cannot save you, now. What's it going to be?"

Summoning what was left of his courage, Finn held his head up high. A fire was starting to grow inside his belly as he opened his mouth to speak.

"Bite me!"

The gag was quickly replaced before he could say another word.

"Such a shame to waste so much potential," tsked Hades, shaking his head. "You're going to regret that one day, my young friend. Ahh, look! Your Mistress is ready to begin!"

Above them, they could see Maleficent on the balcony. She stared down at them with a cruel smile on her face.

"Oh, how stupid of me! I almost forgot the most important ingredient for the spell!"

The next thing Finn knew, there was a sharp pain in his arm. Hades removed the knife and collected a few drops of Finn's blood in a tiny vial. Before Finn could even recover from what had just happened, the vial vanished from Hades' hand and reappeared in Maleficent's.

Maleficent added the blood to the golden chalice in her hand. She then held it out in front her and summoned a bolt of lightning from the sky. The potion began to bubble, and a green steam was now rising from it.

Finn felt himself go numb as he realized that he was doomed. There was a slight tingling feeling in his fingers and toes, but he was too horrified to register it.

Maleficent drank the potion in one gulp and placed one hand on the Beacon just as soon as the Red Moon came into alignment.

What happened next made the captive audience and Finn scream in terror.

A blast of red energy came down from the moon and hit Finn directly in the chest. At the same moment, a second beam branched off from the first and connected to the Beacon. Maleficent's magic poured from her fingertips as the Beacon began to glow. Slowly, the heart changed from blue to red, with the power growing from the bottom of the jewel.

Finn could do nothing but watch in agony as his body became warmer by the minute.

The curse was going to become permanent, and it was all because of him.

I've failed us all…

A/N: Uh oh! It looks like the Red Moon ritual has already started! Can Finn break free and stop it before it is too late? Or, is the world doomed to a lifetime of servitude to the OTs? Keep reading to find out! Please make sure to leave a review if you are enjoying this story.

Until we meet again, Happy Reading!

Love, Mickeygirl20 :)