Chapter 45
When Harry and Camilla left Uma's room and returned to the main level of the chip shop they found their captain leaning angrily on the bar as she and several others who had gathered around her watched the television that was showing a photo of Mal, Evie, Carlos and Jay each holding a piece of paper as they smiled. The announcer was talking and Harry shoved some other pirates out of the way as they made their way next to Uma and watched the broadcast.
"Mal and the other VK's will collect the applications and choose who gets to go to Auradon Prep!" the narrator was saying as text scrolled along the bottom of the photo reading Next Four go Ashore! Uma slammed her hands on the bar making several of the others jump and back away returning to their tables as they spoke to each other in low whispers.
"That little traitor." Uma snarled as Harry rested his arm across Camilla's shoulders. "Abandons the Isle, forgets all about us and now she's suddenly offering up trips to Auradon?"
"I thought that's what we wanted?" Harry said as he picked at some food on a tray in front of them not caring who he was stealing from, "Ta get everyone off this rock?"
"We were going to get everyone off this rock. Now she is!" Uma shouted at him slapping his hand and making him drop his food but Harry didn't react, he let Uma have her tantrum. She picked up a fish patty and threw it at the screen hitting the image of Mal in the face before she turned to Camilla.
"You know what this means don't you?"
"Mal's going to get everyone on the Isle on her side and leave us in the dirt – again." Camilla said bringing a hand to her hip with Harry still attached to her other side eating his chips.
"We can't let this happen." Uma said crossing her arms and pacing around the table until she was on the other side of them. Then she used a chair to step up onto the bar and shouted to get everyone's attention.
"All hands on deck!" she cried and every pirate in the place stopped what they were doing and turned to her, "Listen up! I want every pirate in my crew turning the Isle upside down for these applications they're sending. When you find them you tear them from people's hands and rip them to shreds! We are not going to lose our turf and our people to Auradon!"
Everyone raised their swords and cheered for her before leaving the shop and following her orders. Uma got down from the table with a smile as she pushed her teal hair over her shoulder and joined Harry in eating, satisfied her crew would be enough to stop Mal's 'VK Day'.
- -ROTTEN TO THE CORE - -
It wasn't. No matter how fast the pirates worked or how many applications they tore up there always seemed to be more. And what was worse was that with each day that went by there were less and less people coming to the Fish and Chip shop, they all knew that Uma had ordered the destruction of these applications and with each day more and more kids on the Isle decided the risk of her wrath was worth it for the chance to leave with Mal. The biggest supplier of applications was Dizzy Tremaine and all of the Isle knew that if a pirate stole their application all they had to do was run to the Curl Up and Dye and be given another one. And the supply seemed endless, more and more showed up at the barge each day and stacks sat on nearly every countertop of every store on the Isle. Every parent on the Isle wanted their kids to either have a chance at a better life or a chance to tear Auradon down from the inside. Camilla knew that even those who left with wicked intentions would see how good life was in Auradon and convert to good like Mal and the others had. And this VK day would be followed by another, then another, then another until there was no one left for them to terrorize, no one for them to pilfer from and Mal would have taken Uma's power and restored her own reputation all in one move and Camilla hated it! She could see how now in one move Mal had changed her reputation from the girl who abandoned the Isle, to the girl who came back to save it, and suddenly what Camilla did, her display of loyalty was nothing in comparison to someone who can free the people from this prison.
About a week after the initial announcement there was another broadcast saying the very next day Mal and the others would be on the Isle to collect the applications before making the trip back to announce who they had chosen. Camilla rolled her eyes when she heard the news, sure she couldn't just broadcast it she'd have to come back and make a big celebration of the selection. While Camilla was annoyed Uma seemed to brighten at this news. Mal on the Isle meant she'd be easy to get to and the barrier would have to open to let her in and out. They only had that day to plan how they'd get Mal, Gil was hoping King Ben would show up too, he was eager to fight Beast's son again and Camilla smiled at the grin on Gil's face at the idea of a fight. Harry on the other hand kept asking Uma if he could hook them all which Uma told him would be too quick, she wanted Mal to suffer, though that didn't stop Harry from trying to change the captain's mind. Camilla stayed quiet while they talked about different means of revenge, her mind focusing on Carlos. The last time she'd seen him he'd been fleeing the battle on the docks and according to Harry her brother hadn't come back even after he saw she'd been injured. She remembered back to their talk in the brig and knew Carlos didn't harbor any resentment towards her and it filled her mind with questions as to why he'd leave her when he could see she was so badly wounded. She could always ask him herself when he came over with Mal but she was nervous, something she'd never admit to anyone, but she was. She knew even if there was an explanation her brother would want to try to talk her into joining him in Auradon, especially now that they were bringing all other VK's too. She turned to Harry as he tried to talk Uma into letting him hook Jay.
"Just Jay." He said, "And yeh can have Mal fer whatever yer conniving mind can concoct."
Camilla smirked as she saw the light in his eyes as he reveled in plotting these villainous schemes. Whatever Carlos might try to say or do to convince her to go to Auradon it wouldn't be enough. They'd never let Harry go with her and she wasn't about to leave his side. She hoped Carlos would respect that, after all he had said he wanted her to be happy no matter what side of the barrier she chose. But she knew in his mind Auradon was the better option and he might still try to convince her. Maybe it would be better to just lay low and not see him at all. And it wasn't like her crew would give her much chance to be alone with her brother, they'd be aiming for Mal and if it turned into a fight she'd be doing more battle with her brother than talking. She remembered back at the duel on the docks when for a moment their blades had crossed. They had both frozen up, neither one wanting to attack the other. She'd been lucky that none of the crew had seen her, she didn't want them to think she might betray them for her old gang but she knew she couldn't harm Carlos either, she didn't want to. No, it would be better to just stay out of it, stick to Uma and go for Mal and hope Carlos wasn't around when it all went down.
- -ROTTEN TO THE CORE - -
When they got to the Broken Bridge at the barrier the VK's were already inside and the barrier had closed behind them. Well so much for plan A: get out while they were coming in, and it looked like plan B: get Mal alone so Uma could make her move, wouldn't work either. Not only had the VK's come but they'd brought about a dozen members of the Auradon royal guard. Several had metal posts that they were carrying and they split up to go with each VK to a different part of the Isle.
"There's too many." Uma said from where the four of them were hiding in the shadows watching three guards go with each VK as groups of kids surrounded them smiling and waving their applications. "Harry shadow Jay, Gil follow Carlos. Camilla will get Evie and Mal's mine."
They split up and followed their assigned VK, it was easy for Camilla to track Evie from a distance and not get close enough to get caught since her blue hair stood out like a sore thumb. She made her way to the Curl Up and Dye and Dizzy rushed out to hug her. The two exchanged words and smiles as the three guards who had accompanied Evie started installing the post they'd brought. When they'd finished putting it up Camilla saw there was a sign on the top of it that read 'Evie's Alley' and Camilla rolled her eyes. She knew Uma would hate this, it only showed how much favor her enemies had gained on her own turf. There was a high pitched shriek and she looked back to see it was only Dizzy squealing with delight and bouncing on her toes as she looked at Evie who thanked the men who then helped her collect applications from the crowd around her.
"Thank you so much." She overheard Evie saying as she collected papers and younger children hugged her tight as she smiled, "Don't worry, one day you'll all be in Auradon, I promise. We won't forget about any of you."
Feeling like she was going to be sick Camilla ducked into the shadows and left hoping to meet up with one of the others. Uma was the first one she bumped into and it looked like she'd probably seen something similar while she'd been following Mal judging from the angry look on her face.
"Well, the street outside the Curl Up and Dye is officially 'Evie's Alley' now." Camilla reported while they leaned against the spray painted wall of a building. It had Uma's logo painted on the bricks but over that were now signs for VK Day that showed Mal, Evie Carlos or Jay.
Uma scoffed, "Mal's Court." She sneered at what must have been on Mal's street sign, "If she's this insufferable now what's it going to be like when she's Queen of Auradon huh?"
"Well what can we do about it?" Camilla asked, "We're already on plan C, unless you've got a D, E or F."
Then Uma snapped her fingers and her eyes lit up, "There is one thing. Come on."
Third Person POV
Carlos was at the newly dubbed 'Carlos House, A Safe Haven' collecting applications from the swarms of VK's around him. The three Auradon guards who had come with him to help put the sign up were also taking papers as quickly as they could since it seemed the number of VK's coming to pass them in wasn't going to slow down anytime soon.
"Hey cousin." He heard a call and looked up to see Diego De Vil approaching. Carlos smiled when he saw his cousin had an application in his hand and Carlos made his way through the crowd leaving the guards to collect the applications while he and Diego gave each other a quick hug.
"It's been a while Diego." Carlos said when they'd pulled apart.
"Too long." He agreed.
"Glad to see you came out to apply." He replied gesturing to the application in his hand.
"Well I figured why not take the shot?" he said with a shrug as a small boy in a white and blue striped shirt, red hat and glasses tugged on Carlos' arm and held up his paper. Carlos smiled down at one of Smee's twin boys and took the application.
"Thank you." He said but the timid boy only nodded and ran back to where his brother and father were waiting at the edge of the crowd. Then Carlos turned back to Diego though he was still looking at the application in his hands.
"Something wrong?" Diego asked.
"No it's just. . . " he looked up at him, "I was hoping my sister would be here. I thought, maybe she'd changed her mind and would fill one out." He said remembering back to the last time he'd seen her when she'd been bleeding and seriously hurt.
"Hey, how has she been by the way?" he asked Diego, "Have you seen her?"
Diego gave a small nod, "No one likes mentioning what happened to her."
Carlos felt his heart sink in his chest at his cousin's words. Camilla wouldn't have. . . no, no, he told himself, she was with Hook and Hook was Uma's first mate, the pirates would have taken good care of her. But he couldn't stop the little voice in his head that asked, did the Isle have the help his sister had needed? He cleared his throat and shook his head trying to push thoughts like that out of his mind. He turned to Diego and held out his hand to take his cousin's application but Diego pulled it away and Carlos looked up at him confused. But his cousin wasn't looking at him he was looking over at Mr. Smee and his two young boys.
"You know kids like that always have it the hardest here." Diego said, "With all the older kids around with something to prove. They're bigger and stronger and they just take what those kids have and they don't really stand a chance of fighting back."
"Yeah. . . I remember." Carlos said agreeing.
Then Diego took his own application and tore it in two then he smirked at the shock on Carlos' face, "Kids like that need this shot more than I do."
- -ROTTEN TO THE CORE - -
Diego hung around until all the kids had handed in their applications and dispersed. Then he said goodbye to Carlos and headed off into the alleys of the Isle again. Not much later Jay showed up and together their six Auradon traveling companions headed back to the limo while Jay and Carlos hung back taking in the buildings around them and reminiscing about the old days. Then they heard footsteps and shortly after that their moment was ruined.
"Well, well, well." came a voice and they turned to see Harry Hook, he'd ditched his old classic red jacket for a darker vest with a high collar and coattails and as always had Gil beside him as they walked toward the pair of VK's. "Look what we've got 'ere."
"Yeah, you're babysitters get tired of you?" Gil asked referring to the Auradon guards they'd brought with them.
"Or were ya so scared to come back ya felt ya needed the help?" Hook mocked with a laugh.
"You know it's a good thing you guys didn't turn in an application." Jay said, "It'd be so embarrassing for you when we picked someone else and I think you've had enough embarrassment after the last time we were here right?"
Hook sneered while the smile that was usually plastered to Gil's face dropped.
"Aye, ye bested me." Hook admitted, "I can count the number of people who have done that with one hand."
"Is that supposed to be funny?" Carlos asked.
"Ya got lucky!" Harry said holding out his hook threateningly, "But yer luck will run out one day and I can assure ye I'll be there ta gut ye when it does."
Jay scoffed, "Yeah sure you will. But first you'd have to get through the barrier and make the swim to Auradon and I'm sure before you even reached Auradon's shore there'd be some hungry sea creature that will finish you off the same way your father went."
Hook lunged but Gil held him back seeing the Auradon guards that weren't far off and knew enough that if they heard a fight they'd turn around and then it'd be them who'd be outmatched. Jay laughed and headed back to the limo but Carlos hesitated to leave, even when the pirate pair turned to leave he stayed where he was.
"Hook!" he finally shouted just before he and Gil reached the shadows and vanished. Harry paused but didn't turn around. "Where's Camilla? What happened to her after we left? Is she okay?"
There was a long silence before Harry looked over his shoulder and glared at the younger De Vil boy.
"She died." He spat and saw the shock on Carlos' face then Harry turned back around and headed back to his ship. He hadn't lied, Camilla had died, he'd just elected not to tell her brother that his true love's kiss had brought her back. He wanted him to suffer the way Camilla had after he'd chosen good over his own kin. He wanted Carlos De Vil to know what it was like to feel like ya had no family left in the world.