☠️Harry☠️
I stick to the shadows watching the celebration unfold as all the kids are excited for VK Day. I watch Mr. Smee leading his two youngest twin sons along and smile. I owe Mr. Smee very much. He never really had the courage to stand up to my father whenever he was being particularly cruel, but he was always at my side when it was over.
Whether it was cleaning up the blood, tending my wounds, or comforting me when I needed it most. He was there. I hope they take the twins. Most young VKs learn the ways of survival early on, but with them not having such a terrible father they're a lot more shy and timid than any other VK on the Isle.
"Came to watch the show too, huh?" A familiar voice asks and I turn to see Hadley stepping up beside me. She's wearing a black leather jacket with small spikes on the shoulders, black crop top, dark blue open toed heels, spiked bracelet, fingerless leather gloves, and her signature cerberus necklace.
She looks up at Mal, Evie, Jay, Carlos, and Rosabella. I see the anger in the goddess's orange eyes. "Hadley, don't start anythin," I warn her and she narrows her eyes at me. "Don't tell me what to do. My sister and I need to have a word." I sigh as she moves past me and disappears into the crowd of VKs.
Her sister broke a promise, big deal. King Benny's girl left us all here to rot over the course of three years. She's been living the dream along with the other Core Four while we've been here, suffering. And only recently did she and her boyfriend decide to free more VKs. It may be little by little, four at a time and I should be happy about that, but I'm not.
Cause you know what happens when the numbers in the Isle dwindle and they get to us? Nothing. Mal and her lot will leave us here just like she did the first time. We'll be trapped on an island full of adult villains not to mention our parents. I look back to Smee only to narrow my eyes as an older VK snatches the papers from the twins' hands.
I rush forward and place my hand on the VKs chest, stopping him in his tracks. "Really?" I ask him with a tilt to my head and he stutters in response. I take the two papers from him and shove him behind me. "Thank you for your cooperation," I say sarcastically and walk over to the Smee twins.
"Here ya go, wee ones." I give them their papers and they stare up at me with bashful eyes. "What do you say to Harry, boys?"
"Thank you," they say together and I flash them a smile. "Don't mention it, lads."
"Harry, how's that scar? Is it healing okay?" I lift my shirt up to reveal the slightly faded scar given to me by my father last year. "Can barely see it."
"Please be careful, Harry."
"I will, Mr. Smee. If the twins are chosen ya want me to be there for the send off?"
"I'd like that." He nods and looks down at his sons with a sad, but hopeful expression. I clap him lightly on the shoulder and he looks back up at me as I smile. "Good luck, Mr. Smee." He nods and I step back leaving the crowd to return to the shadows.
Cheering catches my attention and I look up at Mal, Evie, and Rosa. My heart beats just a little bit faster in my chest at the sight of her as she smiles down at the VKs. It's been almost a year since I saw her last. Spent my eighteenth birthday in the crow's nest, staring out at Auradon, wondering how she was.
She looks a little tried, but overall she seems happy and healthy and that's all I can ask for. "I can't believe this day has finally arrived," Evie says and cheers erupt from the gathered crowd looking up at them. "I think I speak for everyone when I say I wish we could take you all with us," Rosabella says truthfully with a sad smile.
Despite not being raised here Rosa felt a deep sense of pity for the VKs being forced to grow up in these conditions and always wanted to find a way to help us. Now she's got her dream. "And some day, very soon, maybe we can," Evie adds and shares a glance with the princess. "Yeah, we're gonna be back here so many times. You're going to be so sick of us."
"So sick of us," Evie agrees with the purple haired VK and Rosa chuckles in amusement. Laughter ripples through the VKs and I lean back against the stone wall behind me. "Can I get a drumroll, please?" Evie asks and they happily do. They march in place creating a drumroll with their feet.
"First, I would like to begin, with the granddaughter of Lady Tremaine, daughter of Drizella, my sweet, sweet friend. My Dizzy." Evie points to her and causes the young VK to scream with excitement and rushes over to the steps as the other VKs cheer in support.
Carlos looks down at his paper with a smile. "Next, is son of Smee." Mr. Smee smiles happily and looks down at his boys making me smile slightly. "Come on, Squeaky!" Cheers erupt and Smee urges his son towards De Vil while Squirmy holds his hand out towards his brother.
"And no way, we're splitting up the twins, so get over here, Squirmy, come on!" Mr. Smee gestures his son to go and he does, rushing over to Jay's side. He really wants the best for his sons even if it means he might not see them as much as he likes, but he's doing it for there benefit.
"And last, but certainly not least, we all picked this girl because we all agreed that she could use a little bit of Fairy Godmother's goodness class. Give it on up for Dr. Facilier's daughter, Celia!" She does a twirl before heading up the stairs to join Mal, Evie, Dizzy, and Rosabella.
Who's then joined by Jay, Carlos, and the twins. Telling them about how they'll be coming back next week to pick them up. "Where are we going?" Mal asks them as Rosa smiles down at the young VKs. "We're going to..."
"Auradon!" They all call out together. "Oh, please," a voice calls out and the crowd begins to part, revealing Hadley as she marches forward. Mal's eyes widen in surprise and Hadley glares daggers up at the VKs. "Here we go," I murmur to myself.
"Don't buy into Mal's promises. She'll just forget about us in the long run. Lost and forgotten by the future Queen of Auradon. She says she'll save us, but she made that promise to me too when we were kids and I still haven't gotten out of here." Mal's eyes grow sad and I remember all the times I caught sight of those two racing through the Isle together.
Both of their parents unaware that their half children were spending all their free time in each other's company. "If you think her word means anything at all you're going to get burned. They only care about themselves." Murmurs ripple through the crowd as the Core Four stare down at Hadley with sadness.
"Hadley, I-" She doesn't let Mal finish and turns on her heel, walking away. I glance up and feel my body tense as Rosabella is squinting down in my direction. Time to go. I move deeper into the shadows before walking away, heading back towards the wharf. I glance over at the water, wishing Uma were here.
I sigh and run my hand through my thick brown hair. This past year has been literal hell. The violence among VKs had gone down slightly especially with all these VK Day promotions going around, but sadly my enemies haven't taken any time off. But at least I haven't come close to dying since my father's parting gift last year.
When I'm not on the ship I'm being followed around by Hadie and most of the Isle inhabitants know that hurting or threatening Hadie gets a bounty put on their head by Hadley and if she doesn't collect then their father would.
Hades raised both of them and while he definitely isn't getting any father of the year awards I can say that he's better than my father. Something slams into my side, breaking me from my thoughts, and I groan as my body collides with a building.
The cold steel of a dagger is pressed against my throat and I look into the icy stare of my father. "I knew you couldn't resist coming to this pathetic event. Not when you're little Auradonian Princess was in attendance." He laughs darkly as I narrow my eyes at him, scowling. I wrap my fingers around the wrist holding the knife, digging my fingers in hard as I hold him tightly.
"Don't even think about going anywhere near her," I snarl angrily and he laughs pressing the blade into my skin. Pain shoots through my neck as a thin line of blood wells up and drips down my throat. "Be a good boy and I won't hafta."
"What do you want?" I growl out as he keeps me pinned against the wall, knife digging into my skin. "I'd like to beat you into a coma for all those times you humiliated me."
"You don't need me for that you do just fine humiliating yourself all on yer own," I spit at him and he digs the knife in harder, slicing my skin open wider. "Maybe I need to remind you who I am, eh? Perhaps a few more scars on that back of yers will keep ya from forgettin." I attempt to shove him away from me, but he quickly digs the blade in even more.
Pain explodes in my neck as more blood drips down. "Think carefully fore tryin that again. Now, I'd like my hook back, whelp!"
"That's enough," a voice speaks and I turn my head, ignoring the dagger cutting into my skin as my eyes meet hers. "Get outta here," I warn, leaning forward only for him to shove me back against the wall, flinching as more of my skin is sliced open.
"You really are pathetic! A princess comin to yer rescue. Could ya be anymore of a disappointment?"
"Leave him alone," Rosabella says with a firm voice and I desperately wish she'd never have followed me. Why did she? Why couldn't she just stay away? "This doesn't concern you," Father says darkly and she continues glaring at him with determination. "And I won't tell you again. Leave him alone."
"Rosa, just go!" I said it harshly, but gave her a pleading look that she ignores, shaking her head. "Last chance. Listen to my son and walk away while I still allow it."
"Damn it, princess just go. Don't get involved. You don't know what he'll do to you!"
"I have some ideas. Now here's my warning, put the knife down before I put you down," She threatens, hand in her jean jacket pocket. "You've got fire in you. Not a pathetic coward like some Auradonians." He chuckles and pulls the knife away from my throat.
Before I could react he grabs me and knees me in the stomach, shoving me to the ground. I groan and curl in on myself as I clutch my stomach, gasping for breath. I open my eyes and see my father advancing on her. "No... don't ...!"
Suddenly Rosabella pulls a blue crystal from her pocket and jabs it into my father's neck causing his body to convulse, shouting in pain. She pulls the crystal back and I watch in shock as he falls to his knees, collapsing to the side as he passes out. "When the hell did ya get that?"
I push myself off the ground and she stares down at me with a placid expression. But all the emotions were in her eyes. She was never good at hiding them. "The day you cheated on me." I never touched Hadley, I think to myself but don't say it. Not like she'd believe me even if I did.
"I see. Certainly don't need any guards to protect you." I unbuckle my belt, slipping it off, and pull my father's arms behind his back. I wrap the brown leather around his forearms before securing it. I stand up, keeping a grasp on the belt, extremely tempted to push him off the ship with his hands still tied so he drowns.
I nod and turn, walking away, dragging my father behind me. "I'm not an idiot, Harry," she calls after me and I stop walking, but keep my head facing forward. "Never said you were."
"Did you really think I wouldn't figure it out?" I close my eyes and sigh under my breath. I hear her moving closer to me and I don't turn to face her. Ignoring all the parts of me that are begging me to explain every thing to her. Even if I did I know that what I did destroyed whatever it was that was between us.
Even... even if I do love her... it doesn't matter anymore. "You didn't sleep with her did you?" She asks me and I hear her voice waver slightly. "You want answers?"
"I want the truth! After everything you put me through, I'm standing here, and asking for it. And I think I'm entitled to it. Now, answer my question!" I drop my head down and turn slightly, lifting my head up to look into her teary eyes. "No, I didn't. Didn't even touch her."
She blinks and more tears fill her eyes, but she refuses to let them fall as she takes a shuddering breath. "Then why? Why would you do that to me? To push me away? To force me to leave the Isle?" I could see that she already knew the answers, but she wanted confirmation.
"To keep you away from him," I say quietly and look down at my father's unconscious form. "You've seen the scars on my back. You want to know how I got them?" She stares up at me with that heartbroken expression and it made mine ache at the sight.
"My father always groveled at the feet of villains stronger than him. Like Maleficent, the Evil Queen, Jafar, and Cruella, Hades and so on. One day my father decides to try and gain some power over the other villains, but to do that here you need some kind of leverage. I was maybe ten years old when I woke up to the sound of someone cryin."
She stares up at me silently as I glare down at my father, dropping him back down on the ground. "What I found was Hadie bein pinned to the floor as my father's lackeys tied him up. A little boy bein crushed by a giant as old and brittle rope was wrapped tightly around his small arms. He was gonna use Hadie to control his father. On the Isle Hades didn't have his powers and my father used that to try and exploit him. If Hades didn't do what my father wanted he was gonna kill Hadie.
If there was anyone on this Island that Hadley loved more than her father it was her little brother. They never used the word half siblings when talkin about each other. It was them versus everyone on the Isle growin up. And she couldn't let anyone try to rescue Hadie for fear of them failin and gettin her brother killed.
So Hades had no choice, but to go along with it. But I knew that even if Hades did what my dad said he had no intention of lettin Hadie go. So, I did." I wipe the blood off my neck, ignoring the throbbing pain in my throat. "I helped Hadie escape and Hades made sure that no one in the future would ever get the same idea. He nearly beat my father to death in front of the whole Isle and no one was allowed to interfere unless they wanted the same treatment."
I run my clean hand through my hair as I remember standing in the square watching my father get beaten to a bloody pulp. "Afterwards, Mr. Smee tended to his wounds. As soon as my father could he gave me my punishment. A dozen whip lashes to the back. I was ten years old and had wounds as long as Fairy Godmother's wand on my back. All for helpin a little boy get back to his family. I couldn't walk for days and had to sleep on my stomach for weeks."
I lift my head up and ignore the horror in her eyes. I step closer to her and give her a serious look. "When it comes to my father there are far worse things than death. There is no limit to his creativity and no end to his depravity. If he had gotten his hands on you before Anton then... trust me you'd be begging for death and I'd be right there forced to watch and unable to help you."
"Harry-"
"Go back to Bore-adon! Mal and her friends will never let me set foot on the other side of that barrier. Stay there and never come back. Please for the love of God just do what I ask, Princess. Cause you may be willing to risk your life, but I'm not. At least in Auradon I know you're safe. Now, go."
"Rosa?"
"Rosabella?"
"Where are you?" Voices call for her and I grab my father, throwing his bony ass over my shoulder. "Go back to your cushy life." I turn and walk away, ignoring her calling my name. Don't turn around. Don't turn around. "God, Harry," her pained voice reaches me and I hate myself.
Once again I'm doing the last thing on Earth that I want to do. Hurting her. "Sorry, love, but this is how it has to be," I say and a sob leaves her mouth, making me feel like I just got punched in the gut. I close my eyes and force my feet to move, leaving her behind. "I'm sorry," I whisper.