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Enjoy!

Chapter 3: Old Friends

"How about I go first? I'm more familiar with her fighting style. It'll give her more of a chance to warm up a bit and lessen the odds of her overextending herself or getting hurt." Archer suggested, playfully twirling one of Auradon Prep's blunt S.A.S. swords in his hand as he prepared to take on Chloe in a sparring session.

He, CJ and Chloe had all changed into some spare practice uniforms. Chloe had pulled her long blue curls into a ponytail, which swayed behind her with every slight movement. She fidgeted with her collar, trying to stop her hands from shaking. The practice sword Archer had given her was slightly heavier than what she was used to, and it did not possess the finesse of her regular steel sword. To her side, both her and CJ's scabbards stood against the wall. It was forbidden for Auradon students to use real swords during sparring sessions or competitive matches, for obvious reasons.

"Sure. Just don't take it easy on her, okay? I wanna see what the girl's made off." CJ replied.

Above their heads, a persistent murmuring echoed through the large open space. A few dozen people had opted to come along and watch the sparring session from up on the stands. Only Chad, Celia and Freddie were standing along the sidelines, their expressions ranging from dreadful worry to excitement.

"Kick his ass, Chlo!" Celia cheered, clapping her hands.

"Good to know whose team you're on!" Archer protested, though his tone was far from serious.

Chloe watched as he and CJ exchanged a quick kiss before he donned his mask. He performed a few more practice swings, and Chloe felt the nerves eating away at her. Archer was renowned as the greatest swordsman on the continent, she had looked up to him ever since she had first held a sword, and now she was supposed to go up against him?

"Just take it easy…" He told her as he got closer. "You don't have to prove anything to me…"

"I know." Chloe answered, carefully exhaling before pulling her own mask down. "But I gotta prove something to myself."

Archer gave a subtle nod as he took the first stance. Chloe mirrored him. The two bowed to each other. The people on the stands went quiet. Chloe could see dozens of pairs of eyes peering over the stands, but tried to ignore them.

"Assemble!" CJ called out, acting as referee.

Both Chloe and Archer raised their swords.

"Salute!"

They lowered them again.

"En Garde!"

Chloe immediately took a step back. She wanted to create some space to think and move around a bit. Archer approached her, the tip of his sword at shoulder height. He began probing a little, sending quick slashes and jabs at Chloe, who parried all.

"Not bad." Archer shrugged.

"Come on!" Chloe urged. She had already started breathing a little heavier. Being in the arena always brought out the more competitive and uncompromising side of her. "Didn't your girlfriend tell you not to hold back?"

Where the heck did that come from?

Archer seemed surprised as well. Chloe could practically see him raise his eyebrows underneath his mask. Anyway, Archer did start putting in some more effort, but Chloe could tell he was still holding back. He probably still saw her as the little girl she used to be, one he should protect and care for. This was actually something she could maybe take advantage of…

Archer was a lot bigger and stronger than her. His reach and the strength of his strikes far outmatched hers, so she had to play it smart. She allowed him to keep forcing her back slightly, and she made a show of acting like holding him back took a lot of effort, while in reality she was quite relaxed.

After about half a minute of this, she noticed Archer growing more lax, just like she planned. She parried his next strike, and forced his sword to the side with much more force than she had previously used. Archer's eyes widened in surprise as he was caught unawares. Chloe immediately took advantage, leaning in and thrusting out her sword as far as possible before Archer would have a chance to react. She managed to tag him just below his shoulder, barely a second before he jumped back and retook his stance.

"Point!" CJ called out, raising her hand.

Celia cheered loudly, but the rest of the audience seemed shocked into silence. Chloe could practically hear their thoughts. 'Had Archer, the greatest swordsman in the world, just lost a point against a freshman girl?'

"Wow…" Archer muttered as he and Chloe both took off their masks for a second. "You got me there. I admit it."

"You weren't trying your hardest." Chloe retorted, both as a complaint and a way to justify her momentary victory.

"I wasn't." Archer admitted. "Sorry, Chlo, but you gotta understand that it's difficult for me to hurt you, or even just to try to beat you at something."

"I'm not a little girl anymore, Archer." Chloe protested. "Please. If you respect me at all, you will not hold back from now on. Also, think of what everyone will say when word gets out you got your ass handed to you by a little girl…"

Archer's eyes narrowed. "Very well, princess." He teasingly sneered as he lowered his mask again.

CJ, who had been watching their interaction with an amused grin, started them off once more.

With the benefit of hindsight, Chloe might have asked Archer to at least take it a little easy on her. From the second round onward, it became clear how much he had been holding back at first. It was evident that he did not nearly have to give it his all to defeat Chloe. The strength of his strikes caused her sword to rattle in her hands. His movement, jumps and footwork made Chloe's head spin. He struck from the most impossible angles and always seemed two steps ahead of her at any given time.

The ordinary rules for an S.A.S. sparring session was that the first competitor who reached seven points would be proclaimed the winner. Following Chloe's first point, Archer ran out to a 7 – 1 victory.

"Game!" CJ announced following the final point, where Archer had tripped Chloe and held the tip of his sword to her throat. "Winner, Archer!"

Now the people in the stands did start cheering.

"You did good, squirt." Archer complimented her as he helped her up.

Chloe was breathing a little heavily, but felt fine overall. She had not expected to win against Archer, no matter how much Celia had previously tried to hype up her abilities. Truthfully, despite having lost quite one-sidedly, she was happy with her performance. She had at least made Archer work for his victory a little, judging from the slight sheen of sweat on his forehead. "I need to get better…" She panted, stretching her arms a little.

"You still got plenty of time." Archer reassured her. "Honestly, I wasn't a whole lot better than you at your age, and I had already spent some time training in Northern Wei and Corona. How'd you get so good?"

Chloe's heart fluttered at hearing Archer's compliments. "I-I took your advice. At least two hours of practice each day. A-And I'm regularly alternating between styles and opponents, so as not to get too wooden…"

Archer smiled, seemingly impressed. "Well. You keep this up, you will definitely give me a run for my money someday."

"Enough talking." A voice snapped, and CJ approached. "Chloe, you did pretty well. Your parrying in particular is top notch, but you gotta work on the strength of your strikes. Archer, I'm disappointed. You held back, and it cost you."

"In real life, I won't hold back." Archer told his girlfriend in a pleading tone. "You know that. And Chloe already taught me a lesson." He pointed out, turning back to Chloe. "Honestly, I will not hear the end of this for over a month, so thank you…" His tone was sarcastic, making her giggle.

"Alright. You had your chance. Now it's my turn. Chloe, you still up for another bout?" CJ inquired.

Chloe nodded. Her heart was beating rapidly again at the thought of actually going up against CJ.

"Let's go then." CJ nudged her head. "Archer, you be the ref, okay?"

"Yes, ma'am." Archer saluted her.

Chloe tried to steady her breathing as she met CJ in the center of the arena. The people on the stands were murmuring again. She looked to her side, where Celia, Freddie and Chad were still looking on eagerly.

"I'm rooting for both of you!" Celia shouted, giving a double thumbs up.

Both girls took their stances. Chloe looked CJ over. She was a little shorter than her, and a lot smaller than Archer. Chloe knew her fighting style very well from all the hours she had spent examining her matches. Whereas with Archer, Chloe had to worry about his strength and discipline, CJ primarily relied on speed and athleticism.

Archer counted them down, looking a little apprehensive.

A loud cheer went up from the crowd when the sparring session commenced.

Opposed to Archer, CJ did go all out right from the get-go. She did not give Chloe a second to gain her bearings as she jumped at her and ferociously hacked away at her. Chloe's years of practice had allowed her to gain enough skill to hold CJ off for a few seconds, but after that she was quickly forced to simply retreat.

CJ was so incredibly fast. One second, she was right in front of Chloe, and the next she had somehow summersaulted over her head and appeared right behind her. She spun around, twirled and jumped, striking at Chloe all the while. All Chloe could see was a blue-and-yellow flash before suddenly feeling the blunt tip of the practice sword jab her in the abdomen.

"Point." Archer stated. His eyebrows were raised.

"I wouldn't blame if you if you gave up." CJ told her in a cocky tone as she stepped back, her eyes twinkling through the slits in her mask.

"I don't give up." Chloe panted, raising her sword in a determined fashion.

"I respect that." CJ acknowledged.

Over the next few minutes, CJ continued to dominate, but Chloe did make her work for it. The longer the match went on, the longer Chloe was able to hold her opponent back. She was a little bigger than CJ, and sometimes managed to use her longer reach to force her on the defensive for a few seconds. It wasn't much, but it boosted Chloe's confidence nonetheless.

It was only after CJ was already up 5 – 0, that Chloe finally managed to exploit an opening. CJ executed one of her most iconic moves – a backwards over-the-shoulder strike that was notoriously difficult to block. Chloe just managed to see it coming and parried it. CJ had obviously not expected this, as she staggered slightly and left her side exposed. Chloe pounced, tagging CJ on the hip.

"Point!" Archer immediately yelled, his enthusiasm obvious.

CJ shot him a glare, and he quickly dialed it back.

"Ehm… T-That was a point… The score is 5 – 1, CJ…"

Chloe felt energized. She had actually managed to score a point against her idol! This was the best day ever! She then saw the way CJ's eyes narrowed as she took her stance again, and gulped loudly.

It was obvious that CJ's pride had been hurt just a tat by Chloe managing to score just a single point against her, and she stopped holding back entirely. The final two rounds were the most one-sided of the bunch, with CJ's speed and agility allowing her to cruise past Chloe's defenses and earn two more points in quick succession.

"That's game…" Archer stepped closer. "Winner, CJ!"

The people in the crowd applauded, and Chloe allowed herself to drop to the floor, where she planned on lying down until she got her breathing back under control.

"Chloe! You were amazing!" Celia's face emerged right above her, blocking out the light.

"I lost." Chloe complained.

"Against Archer and CJ…" Celia rolled her eyes. "Still, you scored a point against both of them! There are seasoned fighters out there who would kill to be able to say that…"

Chloe couldn't help but let out a hesitant laugh as Chad then also entered her field of vision. "What are you doing on the floor? You did great! Now, come and accept everyone's congratulations."

He and Celia pulled Chloe back up to her feet, where she then found herself right opposite CJ and Archer.

"I gotta say…" CJ began, a cunning look in her eyes. "I sorta expected a spoiled princess who'd gotten cocky after a few fencing lessons… But you proved me wrong, Chloe… You're good. Give it a year or two, some more training and more opportunity to finetune your own style, and you could be a genuine contender…"

"Thank you." Chloe breathlessly replied. CJ complimenting her was enough to almost make her knees buckle.

"I just can't believe she's your sister." CJ went on, eyeing Chad teasingly. "Like, how is she so much cooler than you?"

"Now wait just a minute…" Chad complained, while others started laughing.

At that moment, the arena doors opened up and their friends who had been watching from the stands approached them. Chloe received more praise for her performance.

"You were so good! That spinny-blocky move you did looked amazing! And you should wear your hair like this more often! It looks so cute! Maybe you can finally introduce some style in this arena!" Dizzy blabbered on, practically jumping in place.

"R-Remind me not to get on your bad side…" Dillon joked, laughing hesitantly.

"Nice job, kiddo. Tell me, have you ever gone up against Chad? If not, I would pay good money to see that…" Royce added in a teasing tone.

"Our mother would feed me to the mice if I would ever so much as crank a single blue hair on my baby sister's head." Chad muttered, a slight blush appearing on his cheeks.

"You act like you would actually be able to 'crank a single blue hair on my head'… Like you would stand a chance…" Chloe teased, much to the amusement of the onlookers. Going head to head with two of Auradon's greatest fighters had given her confidence an incredible boost.

Everyone laughed, and they continued to happily discuss the sparring session and their plans for the rest of the day and week.

The arena door opened again. Chloe watched as a newcomer approached them. He looked to be a little older than her, was tall and lean, with bright orange hair and pale skin. A notable scar ran across his cheekbone, enhancing is already incredibly sharp features. He was clad in a green leather tunic and wore a rapier and dagger on his belt. Chloe vaguely recognized him, but could not put a name to the face.

A few others had also noticed the newcomer's arrival. Evie, Carlos and CJ had innocent, questioning looks on their faces. Archer, Lancelot, Aden and Alex had immediately gone rigid the second they laid eyes on the orange-haired boy. Audrey and Jane even went as far as to put their hands in front of their mouths as they gasped in shock.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Archer asked in a sharp tone.

Chloe was astonished. She had never heard Archer speak to someone with such an undertone of clear animosity.

"I was just enjoying the fight." The boy smirked. "Seeing you lose a point to a freshman girl was worth the trip to Auradon alone…"

Chloe blushed when the boy looked in her direction for a second.

"I'm sorry, who are you?" Carlos asked in a demanding, yet still polite tone.

"He knows." The boy pointed at Archer. "He knows very well…"

Archer did not appear intimidated. "Perhaps I should have been more clear. What brings you here, to Auradon Prep?"

"It's introduction week…" The boy answered, grinning broadly. "Friends and family are welcome, no?"

"You speak as if you have friends." Aden spat, joining Archer by his side.

"We haven't seen each other in so long… Times change…" The newcomer spoke casually. As if on cue, four more people appeared in the door opening and went to stand in a row behind the orange-haired boy.

The furthest one to the left was a plump, tall and sturdy boy with friendly features, a large chin and messy strands of mouse-colored hair. Chloe remembered meeting him before. He was Johnny, son of Little John.

"Johnny!?" Royce called out, his tone both shocked and slightly amused. "What the hell!?"

Next to Johnny stood a girl. She was short and slender, with lilac and red streaks in her curly hair. She had a round face with large blue eyes. She did not appear to need to blink all that much. Chloe recognized her as well. This was Mabel, daughter of the Mad Hatter. She and her father had visited Chloe's parents in Cinderellasberg once, in what her mother still describes as the worst tea party she had ever attended.

Next to Mabel stood another girl. She was tall and slim, with long, dark-green hair hanging like a curtain in front of her face, giving her a somewhat creepy appearance. Underneath her hair, Chloe was able to discern a long, pale face with bright, emerald eyes. This girl was familiar to her as well. Nera, daughter of the Enchantress, renowned throughout the kingdom as somewhat unpleasant and unruly, having been kicked out of numerous schools.

Last was another boy. Short and stout, with broad shoulders and large upper arms. He wore his dark hair in a buzzcut and his grey eyes were nearly hidden behind his plump features. Chloe knew him too. He was another son of one of the seven dwarfs, but she could not remember his name or who is father was.

"Gordon!?" Both Doug and Dillon gasped. Chloe had her answer. This was Gordon, son of Grumpy.

"Yes, yes…" The orange-haired boy dismissively waved his hand. "Meet my band…"

"What? You're making music?" Chad scoffed, stepping up next to Archer and Aden and puffing out his chest.

"We dabble." The newcomer shrugged. "But primarily we roam the kingdom and help the people of Auradon. You wouldn't believe what sort of pests terrorize the outskirts of the land… Beasts… Blights… Outsiders…"

He eyed the group of VK's with obvious disdain. Evie, Carlos, Freddie and CJ immediately took note and joined up with their friends, forming a united front. There was a clear tension in the air. CJ had even picked up her scabbard and was holding onto the hilt of her sword with one hand. Chloe shot Celia and Dizzy and uncomfortable glance, before they too joined their friends.

"We have not been introduced." Evie spoke in a cold tone, which would have sent shivers through even the most hardened spine. "I am Evie, daughter of the Evil Queen, and you are?"

"Perhaps she can tell you." The boy pointed at CJ. "We go way back… Well, our parents do, anyway…"

CJ's mouth dropped. "You're Peter Pan's son?"

"Levi…" The boy mockingly nodded his head. "In the flesh…"

Chloe's eyes widened. Levi, son of Peter Pan… Of course… She had heard the story a thousand times. Years ago, when the likes of Ben and Archer had first enrolled into military service, a rivalry had formed between different companies within the camp, with Archer emerging as the leading figure on one side, and Levi on the other. This rivalry had famously culminated in Levi challenging Archer for the possession of Excalibur, after which Archer had defeated him in one-on-one combat. The scar on Levi's cheek was a testament to his loss. This altercation had apparently set the tone for both their military careers, with Archer going on to lead a renowned company, while Levi had been sent to some faraway backwater faction.

Chloe examined Levi more thoroughly. He looked toned and battle-hardened, with callouses on his hands and sun-burned blotches on his skin. It appeared as though he had spent months living out in the open air.

"What do you want, Levi?" Archer inquired, his tone still uncharacteristically cold, though Chloe could guess their rivalry had not cooled down during the time they hadn't seen each other.

"What? Can't an old friend say hello?" Levi scoffed as he examined everyone in the room more thoroughly. "Hmm… Are Ben and his lovely queen not here? I had hoped to exchange pleasantries…"

"They were busy." Aden sneered. "Lucky them…"

Levi seemed more annoyed by this revelation than Chloe had expected him to be, but he quickly conjured up another sinister smile. He was really starting to give her the creeps.

"No matter. I still got the lot of you to converse with." Levi's eyes moved from one person to another, resting a little longer on both Chloe and CJ.

"If this has anything to do with what happened back during military service, then we can move this conversation to somewhere more private." Archer snapped. "There's no need to involve anyone else in your drama."

"What? Scared about what the others might hear?" Levi took a step in Archer's direction. "Surely everyone knows the complete story, including your own girlfriend…"

"Back off, Levi!" Royce sneered.

"What is he talking about?" CJ whispered to Archer.

"Oh, boy…" Levi's smile broadened. "It's one hell of a story, miss Hook. You see, Archer and I were once thick as thieves… We had enrolled into the military together… We led separate companies… Our rivalry was light and friendly…"

"Levi, stop." Archer interrupted him in an exasperated tone. "You don't have to do this here."

"Afraid of the truth?" Gordon piped up, snickering meanly.

"Gordon, what are you even doing here?" Doug spoke up. "We haven't seen you in years. We thought you were working somewhere up north."

"I was. Until I wasn't." Gordon chuckled, unhelpful.

"And Johnny…" Royce began. "You're hanging out with him? Really?"

Johnny just shrugged. "He's my commanding officer. What am I supposed to do?"

"I don't know… Have you tried not blindly following around an egotistical maniac?" Royce spat.

Both Gordon and Mabel made a move as though they wanted to threateningly approach Royce, but Levi urged them to stay back with a raised hand. "Now, now… No need to get unfriendly… Yet…"

"Levi, this is not the time or place to go looking for trouble." Archer stated. "We settled our differences a long time ago."

"And look how that worked out for you…" Levi rolled his eyes. "And look how that worked out for me… Quite a difference, no? You're out here, living your best life, while my duties never brought me closer to Auradon than freaking Skull Island…"

"That was not my fault." Archer hissed. "You made your choice. You placed your bets and now you have to live with the consequences."

"We were children!" Levi spat. "And you were all too glad for them to send me away to some desolate hellhole!"

CJ interjected before Archer could retort. "Archer, what is he talking about? What happened?"

"I was telling that story before I got interrupted…" Levi impatiently waved his hand. "You want me to tell it, or your boyfriend, miss Hook?"

CJ's eyes narrowed at the derogatory tone with which he spoke her name. "Archer?"

Archer took a few deep breaths. "I'll let you tell it, Levi. But don't go making up lies."

"I wouldn't dare." Levi's smile grew wider. "Well, as I was saying, I was in the armed forces, alongside dear old Archer and our beloved king Ben. The three of us were among the top in every class… Things were fine… We ate together… We fought together… We learned about how to best protect our kingdoms… From the villains…"

Evie rolled her eyes and Freddie notably scoffed.

"I thought of a way to protect Auradon. To keep our families and our kingdoms safe. I proposed it to Ben and Archer, and was promptly demoted… Imagine my outrage and disappointment…" Levi sighed.

"Yes, but…" Aden tried to interject.

"Uh, uh… I was speaking!" Levi snapped in an incredibly annoying tone. "As I said, I was demoted, but I was not going to let that hold me back… Most of you must know what happened next, right? Surely dear old Archer loves to brag…" He then directed himself primarily at CJ. "I challenged your boyfriend here for Excalibur. Wielding the sword would give me the necessary authority to fulfill my plans… But, alas, Archer unfairly defeated me and gave me this scar to remember him by…" He ran a finger across his cheek.

"That fight was fair." said Lancelot in a steely tone. "Don't try to besmirch Archer with your lies."

"And your insane plan was just the final nail in the coffin that made our superiors decide to demote you." Alex jumped in. "In their official statement, they labeled you, and I quote, a psychopath."

All the people who had not heard this story before, predominantly the younger kids and the VK's, looked on anxiously. Chloe's breathing was a little unsteady. Her hands trembled, and her gaze uncomfortably kept shifting to her own sword, which was sheathed in its scabbard and standing against the wall to her right, out of her reach. She felt as though the tension could boil over any moment.

Levi dismissively waved his hand. "Lancelot, Alex… That wasn't even the point of that story, old friends. I haven't even gone into detail about what my genius plan was all those years ago… Did you know… I'm talking to you here, villain kids…" He went on, directing himself to the VK's present. "That it was me who originally came up with the idea to bring the children on the Isle of the Lost over to Auradon?" Levi went on, a maniacal grin on his face.

"What!?" All the VK's exclaimed, looking to Archer in the hopes he would protest that statement. He did no such thing.

Chloe was astonished as well. She had never heard about this. She had always believed that it was Ben who was the first leader in Auradon kind and generous enough to consider the lives of the villain kids. He had been the one to bridge the gap and improve the lives of everyone involved.

"Yes…" Levi spoke, enjoying the looks of confusion and distress on everyone's faces. "I proposed bringing all you miserable, sniveling little brats over here…"

"And you are saying you wanted to do so out of kindness?" Lancelot spoke up. His tone too was more confrontational than Chloe had ever heard. "You wanted to bring those kids over to brainwash and reprogram them. You believed the crown was wasting an opportunity by not turning the villain kids into loyal servants and menial laborers."

This reveal obviously sparked a big reaction. Evie, Celia and Dizzy gasped in disgust. Carlos and Freddie both yelled obscenities at Levi. CJ's eyes darkened, and she tightened her grip on the hilt of her sword.

Levi just shrugged. "It would have been a good plan. It would have saved the kingdom from the destruction of the second great war, which in turn was the obvious result from our dear king's decision to bring those first few rotten apples over…"

"The only reason we are still standing here is because of those 'rotten apples'!" Archer protested. "They fought alongside us, unlike you. It is only because of Mal that Solomon was defeated… Evie, Jay, Carlos and Freddie were all invaluable… And if not for CJ…" He turned to her with a meaningful look. "I would not be here…"

"Touching." Levi scoffed. "Yes, the news of your demise spread like wildfire… Imagine my glee… I barely even needed fairy dust to fly… And then you came back, because of her…" His gaze rested darkly on CJ.

"Gonna cry?" CJ snapped in a challenging tone.

"How dare you even speak to me?" Levi growled. "After what your father did to mine? You should be groveling for forgiveness…"

"Like your father was such a saint…" CJ retorted. "Kidnapping children and forcing them to live on a faraway island where they have to battle pirates and deal with dangerous crocodiles and mermaids? Freaking father of the year…"

Levi immediately drew his blade and pointed it at CJ.

Everyone on Chloe's side took a step back. Chad hastily went to stand in front of her in a protective gesture. Evie and Freddie did the same with Dizzy and Celia. CJ had wanted to draw her own sword, but Archer put a gentle hand on top hers to hold her back.

"You want to draw blood in this arena?" Archer's tone was more disgusted than ever. "And here I thought you could not sink any lower…"

"Only if your pet keeps running her mouth…" Levi spat, his face red with anger. "How dare she? After her family's crimes…"

"Keep talking and I'll add another crime to the list!" CJ shouted, but Archer still kept her from unsheathing her sword.

"You two want to stand against me?" Levi challenged. "I heard about what happened to Excalibur, Archer… If I had won that sword off your hands all those years ago, you bet your ass I wouldn't have allowed it to get destroyed… It just proved what I always knew, that you were never worthy… So, you think you stand a chance without Excalibur to boost your odds?"

"Excalibur or a butter knife… It makes no difference against you." Archer sneered, causing multiple people to laugh. Even Johnny chuckled slightly, causing Mabel to smack him on his arm.

Levi started blushing slightly. "You might want to reconsider that statement… Care to take a look at my new sword?"

Everyone, including Chloe, examined it. It was an admittedly beautiful rapier, with a blade of sharp, stainless steel and a glistening golden hilt adorned with a number of red gemstones. An emblem was engraved on the hilt as well – a skull and two crossed bones.

"That's…" CJ began, her eyes narrowing. "That's my father's crest… That's my father's sword!"

"Very perceptive of you." Levi mockingly applauded her.

"You stole it?" CJ's voice trembled slightly.

"Stole it? My father won it far and square when he valiantly vanquished your father. Now, doesn't it seem fitting for me to use it against you, given that your father almost killed mine with it? Not only that, but did you know it is still imbued with fairy dust? Yes… This wonderful sword allows me to fly, which makes it so much easier to cut my enemies into little pieces… So, Archer, still think you can take me on without a magical sword of your own?"

"Who said we don't have a magical sword?" CJ snapped as she finally stepped around Archer and unsheathed her own weapon. The dark steel of the blade shone brightly.

Levi and his band were momentarily thrown off by the magnificence of CJ's blade, which seemed to exude some sort of tangible aura.

"Impressed?" CJ mockingly tapped the tip of Levi's sword with that of her own. "You don't know half the things this baby can do…"

Levi did appear to be thrown off a little. He had obviously not expected to be confronted with a magical weapon right here and now.

"You've told your story…" Archer directed himself at Levi while also placing a hand on CJ's shoulder to hold her back. "You've said your piece, and we are still as unimpressed as we were all those years back. Was there anything else, or will you improve everyone's mood by going literally anywhere else?"

Levi looked back at the others members of his band, as if to make sure they would have his back if push would come to shove. The others, in turn, looked to him for guidance. Doubt dripped from all of their faces. Their earlier bravado and air of superiority had practically all disappeared.

"Come on, Levi. These plebes bore me." Nera sneered. Her voice was deep and hoarse.

"Wait, weren't we supposed to-" Johnny spoke up, but Mabel interrupted him by smacking him on the arm again.

"Hush, you idiot!"

Chloe was a little intrigued by this interaction, and she noticed that Archer was as well. Before another one of Levi's band spoke up.

"Yeah, why would we wanna hang around them anyway? Bunch of weaklings…" Gordon spat, his frown making his already small eyes almost disappear completely from view. He then eyed Evie with obvious revulsion. "Not to mention witches…"

Evie gasped, and Doug hastily stepped forward. Gordon was practically twice as broad as his cousin, who, to Chloe's knowledge, had not even so much as harmed a fly in his entire life.

"I do hope you were not referring to my wife!" Doug's face had turned an alarming shade of red.

"And what if I was?" Gordon chuckled, crossing his muscular arms. "What are you gonna do about it, cuz?"

For a second, it appeared as though Doug seemed to genuinely consider throwing hands with his cousin, but the combined strength of Evie and Alex held him back.

"Shh… He's not worth it…" Evie shushed her husband, trying to calm him down.

Gordon kept laughing like an intoxicated hyena. "Hahaha… Little Dougie, I never knew you had a temper…"

Levi smirked evilly as he sheathed his rapier and took a step back, seemingly amused and delighted that he and his band had managed to get a rise out of the others.

"Dillon!" Gordon then called out his other, younger cousin.

Chloe's hair swished through the air as she hastily whipped her head around to stair at Dillon, who had gone pale the second he was called out. He was a built more stocky than Doug, but Chloe knew he was similarly timid and harmless.

"Dillon, come along. You don't need to stay with these weaklings!" Gordon went on, beckoning him.

"You don't need to do what he says!" Chloe's voice was a little more high-pitched than usual.

Levi and his band all eyed her with obvious hilarity.

"Ooh, the other blue-haired birdie's got a voice of her own… How delightful…" Mabel cackled.

"Oh, I know you didn't just disrespect my sister!" Chad put up his fists.

"Relax, Charming… We wouldn't dream of insulting someone of your esteemed stature…" Levi's tone was mocking and insolent. "But we were waiting for young Dillon's reply…"

Dillon started blushing uncontrollably, his gaze shifting from Gordon to Doug and Chloe. "I… I… I… N-No… I-I'm staying here… Y-You c-can go…" He stammered, squaring his shoulders as he stared at Levi's band.

"Well said, sport." Aden nodded approvingly.

Gordon scoffed. He gazed unflatteringly at Evie once more before turning his back on the group and leaving the arena. Nera followed immediately, letting out a bored sigh. Mabel playfully winked at Archer and CJ before following her associates, skipping backwards. Johnny waved at Royce before he too left.

Only Levi remained. He bit his lip as he looked over the people in front of him.

"Any last insults?" Archer asked in a disinterested tone.

Levi's eyes narrowed. "I'm just imagining how much I will enjoy making you eat your words… Just you wait, one day you won't be able to do anything but sit there and watch as I get what I want… So long, Archer… Old friend…"

The group let out a collective sigh of relief as Levi finally turned around and exited the arena.

"What a jerk!" Audrey shivered.

"What is he doing here? And how did he manage to gather his band of 'lovable' miscreants?" Royce spat.

"No idea." Archer pondered. "Lance, how much trouble do you think they can cause?"

"If they get out of line, we can always hand the reigns over to Fairy Godmother. She possesses the necessary authority to make them vacate the premises." Lancelot suggested.

"I can't say I'm not a little worried. Levi hasn't shown his face in Auradon in years… There has to be a specific reason…" Archer continued to frown.

"Archer…" CJ whispered, tapping him on the shoulder after having sheathed her sword.

Turning around, Archer was able to see the wide-eyed expressions of all his friends. Chloe too was a little freaked out by the confrontation between them and Levi's band. What was supposed to be a day filled with joy and new opportunities, had instead turned into somewhat of a sour and stressful affair.

Archer appeared to realize that his comments did not have a calming effect, primarily on the freshmen, so he quickly conjured up a reassuring smile. "Don't worry about him. He's mostly bark, and very little bite. This week is about you guys, so why don't we leave all this dreariness behind us and instead go grab some lunch before trying out one of the amazing activities Auradon Prep has to offer?"

The others nodded and mumbled in agreement. They gradually made their way out of the arena.

Chloe picked up her own sword again exhaled deeply to try and calm herself. Holding the weapon did somehow make her feel more secure.

"You okay?" Celia asked, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Yeah… Fine… That guy just gave me the creeps is all." Chloe replied.

"That's a freaking understatement." Celia stuck out her tongue in the direction of the arena's exit. "The way he talked about the villains… Freddie always told me there were people like him out there in Auradon… Turns out it's not all sunshine and rainbows here after all…"

"Most of us aren't like him." Chloe tried to reassure her in a pleading tone.

Celia looked surprised. "What? No! I wasn't trying to insinuate or anything… Chlo, you're my friend, and you're incredible! You're nothing like him. It's just like with the villains… Some of us are like Solomon or Uma, blegh, but on the other side of the spectrum you got incredibly amazing, gorgeous and talented people… Like me!"

Chloe laughed. "I just hope he doesn't ruin our perfect week."

"Pff, he's already old news." Celia made a dismissive gesture with her hand. "And what can he do? I got you to protect me, and you got me to protect you. Together, we're unstoppable."

Chloe felt a warm sensation in her chest.

Celia grabbed Chloe's hand, and they left the arena together. They were already busy joking around and making plans again. It was only in the furthest regions of Chloe's mind that a persistent and unshakable fear and worry were still running rampant, but these were ignored for now.