Chapter Text
For most at Auradon Prep, Fairy Godmother's office was aplace they would go to get praise, or be asked to complete tasks, but today, the tension could be cut with a knife as Chloe and Luis stood in front of Fairy Godmother who was sat at the desk, Headmistress Uma who stood beside her, King Ben and Queen Mal, both standing just at Fairy Godmother's other side.
Chloe looked at her hands, playing with her charm bracelet while Luis looked around the room at random things, picture frames hung on the walls, papers on Fairy Godmother's desk, even at Chloe, counting the individual flecks of glitter in her eyeshadow, anything not to make eye contact with the people in front of them.
Through the window, the Isle of the Lost could be seen in the distance, the barrier unmoving around it. Today was the day, the next group of VKs would be chosen to come over to Auradon as part of the new tradition established by King Ben, Queen Mal and their council to give VKs on the Isle a chance to live in Auradon. And this year, as student council president and her deputy, Chloe and Luis were to deliver the list of VKs that the student council had selected.
Well half of them. Most of them stayed out of it, still in the belief that no one should come over from the Isle, whether that be out of fear or prejudice.
Fairy Godmother cleared her throat as a way to make Chloe and Luis look at her. She placed her wand on the desk and looked at Ben and Mal, letting them speak first.
"Chloe, Luis," Mal started, both of them looked at her. She continued, "First of all, there's no need to be nervous. Secondly, we understand this is a huge responsibility but we assume that the student council has made the list,"
"Yes, Your Highness, well... it was difficult but we agreed on five VKs who will be brought over," Chloe said.
Ben nodded, "Great. Who are their parents?"
Chloe and Luis shared a look before Luis cleared his throat;
"Captain James Hook, Mr Smee, Dr Facilier... and Maddox Hatter,"
The room suddenly fell cold. Mal's eyes widened slightly as she turned to Ben who looked equally as stunned. Uma looked mildly shocked for a second before looking proud. At the desk, Fairy Godmother dropped her pen and slowly stood, looking at Chloe and Luis like they spoke in a foreign language.
"Maddox Hatter?" She repeated.
"...Yes, Ma'am," Luis responded quietly.
"But he is the worst villain in Auradon, he terrorised the kingdoms for years after the pocket watch was destroyed," Fairy Godmother looked genuinely frightened as she spoke, "Despite that, he's lost any sanity he has, he's a madman and since he's a Hatter, it runs in the family so there's a chance that his son is just like him,"
"But he might not be. Isn't that the whole point if this program, to give VKs a chance, to prove that they aren't like their parents?" Chloe inquired.
"Fairy Godmother, if I may," Mal held up he hand before before Fairy Godmother could speak, "the same things were said about me when I first came over from the Isle, people thought I was just like my mother, and granted my early actions kinda proved everyone right, but I worked hard to prove that I'm not Maleficent, and if I can prove I'm not my mom, then this boy can prove he isn't Maddox,"
"Besides, it's good that the student council this year has chose more... well known villains. For the past few years, the council has chosen some of the least dangerous or less known villains because of fear. Now, if these five VKs can prove that even with parents with their history, are nothing like them, then maybe we can increase the number of VKs brought next year," Uma continued.
Fairy Godmother sighed and said, "I'm sorry, I'm just afraid that with the children of such... prominent villains, something might go wrong, but, you are all right, this is a good opportunity for children on the Isle to prove that they're nothing like their parents. King Ben, Queen Mal, Uma and I will have the invitations drafted and delivered by the end of the day and if they accept, then we should expect the five of them by Friday. You two may go back to your extracurricular activities now, and make sure to thank the student council for their contribution,"
"Thank you, Fairy Godmother," Chloe said as her and Luis bowed to the king and queen before leaving Fairy Godmother's office.
Outside, Red, Pink and Robbie waited for the two of them, looking anxious. When she heard the door open, Red pushed herself up from leaning against the wall and stepped forward, taking Chloe's hand.
"So?" She asked.
Chloe and Luis looked at each other before nodding at the others, breaking out into smiles.
"We're getting some new VKs!" Luis said, happily.
"Holy crap, dude!" Robbie exclaimed, slinging an arm over Luis's shoulder, "We just joined the VK Day tradition,"
"Hell yeah, we did!" Luis remarked back with the same enthusiasm.
"I can't believe we're gonna see Max again," Pink said, looking at Red.
"I know. We haven't seen him since we were five," Red replied as the five of them started walking down the hall, "Do you think he still wears his glasses?"
"He wore glasses?" Luis asked, sounding surprised, turning to Red.
"Yeah, they were huge," she replied, mimicking the shape with her hands over her eyes, "his eyesight was so bad when we were kids,"
"Well, guys, in three days, the VKs will be here to start a new life, and we'll be the ones to thank," Chloe said.
"Cocky much?" Red teased.
Pink squealed, "Do you think they'll like cupcakes? Do they have those on the Isle? Oh, they're going to love baking class!"
"One step at a time, Pink," Red said, "They have to get here first,"
...
Meanwhile, across the water, beneath the barrier, the Isle of the Lost was... well, like it was every day. The streets were full of people keeping their heads down, everyone keeping to themselves, surviving rather than living.
But on the mostly gloomy island, one marketplace echoed with angry yelling from market vendors and customers met with laughter from the infamous Hat Trix, fleeing the scene, leaving the vendors to deal with the carnage they created, as they headed for Pirate's Bay.
The five of them crossed the dock and jumped onto the deck of the ship, they had deemed their's before flopping on the deck; Max laying flat on his back, Felix doing the same just across from him, Hazel sat down with her legs splayed out in front of her as she tossed her head back and shook out her hair, and Squeaky and Squirmy were clambering on top of each other.
Technically, the ship was Hazel's. It was a gift from her father. Well, he framed it as a gift but it was more like a hand-me-down, it being his old ship and all. With his other kids in Auradon, and Hazel still being trapped on the Isle, he gave his ship to her, having not use for it himself but he knew Hazel's dream of owning her own ship. And now she did, though her and the others used it as their hang out place.
The laughter on the deck continued as Squeaky sat up and looked at Felix.
"How did you manage to get on top of that stall and take one of the posts without it falling down?"
Felix sat up and shrugged, his ego inflating in real time.
"I wanna know how he had such a wide wooden post and yet didn't manage to hit anything me and Squeaky threw at him," Squirmy piped up.
Felix looked offended, "It’s not my fault, you guys can't throw properly," he quipped, throwing a bruised apple he stole at Squirmy's head, making him yelp.
Felix's laughter slowed when he turned to Max, "Hey," Max looked at him, "How's your old man today?"
The atmosphere on the deck seemed to cool as the other three stopped laughing too and turned to Max who pushed himself up on his elbows until he was sat upright and bent one knee to rest his hat on, shaking out his hair.
He shrugged, "Still the same,"
To most, Maddox Hatter was a madman, a wacko, the kind of person you would cross the street to get away from. A dangerous man who could go from plotting a kingdom's destruction to laughing to himself as he paced around a room. That was all people saw.
But no one knew the Maddox that Max lived with, the Maddox that Hazel, Felix, Squeaky, Squirmy and their parents see. The Maddox that could no longer form a coherent sentence. The Maddox who would spend his days pacing and mumbling to himself, forgetting to eat, sleep or drink. The Maddox who was getting thinner and weaker as the days went on. The Maddox who needed help, not just for his mind, but for his health.
Hazel, Felix and the twins shared glances before looking back at Max who was staring at his hat, tracing the gold pins with his eyes.
"It’s ok, though," Hazel said suddenly, making the other four look at her, "One of these days, well get off this shit heap of an island and get Maddox the help he needs. Then we can get it through to the king and queen that bringing over a stupidly little number of VKs once a year isn't fixing the problems of rotting or lack of food, no healthcare or education systems or every other problem this place has,"
"She's right. They think they're so righteous and noble for giving only five VKs a year the chance to leave and start fresh, like we should bow to them and worship them while we're still stuck here," Felix stated.
"One of these days, we'll be free, but not just us. Everyone on the Isle will be free and that barrier will be taken down once and for all," Max continued.
"Yeah!" Squeaky agreed and Max ruffled his hair through his beanie and pulled it over the Smee's eyes, making him complain and the others laugh.
But Squirmy's smile faded when he looked towards the deck before standing.
"Uh oh,"
"What?" Hazel asked but when she looked over at the deck her heart hammered in her chest as she stood too.
The other three began to stand; Squeaky shoulder-to-shoulder with his brother, Max while adjusting his hat over his hair and Felix with tight shoulders.
Heavy boots hit the bridge connecting the ship to the dock until James Hook, Dr Facilier and Mr Smee were standing on the deck, facing the teens, looking serious.
"Dad?" Felix stepped forward but Dr Facilier's expression never changed as he looked at his son.
"What's going on?" Hazel asked, standing beside Felix.
James pulled a letter our of his coat pocket and held it up, the Auradon letterhead staring the five teens in the face as their eyes moved from the letter to their parents.
James's expression stayed the same as he spoke, clear and final;
"You're going to Auradon,"