Dinner With the Villains

Forte's Entrance

The group of six stared at the man in the wheelchair in silence for a good few minutes, unable to say a word. The old man cleared his throat.

"It's not polite to stare. Isn't that right, Fritz?" He asked.

"Yes, father. Very improper." The young man, Fritz answered smugly.

"Forte?" Beast asked again. "I don't mean to sound rude, but... wow. You... you've really let yourself go, haven't you?"

"Well I might have packed on a few pounds since the last time you saw me, but that shouldn't matter." Forte said, sounding offended.

"Sheesh, someone either needs to shave or pluck their nose hairs." Maleficent whispered to Hades; he snickered under his breath.

Forte shot them a glare. "What's so funny?"

The two villains quickly sat up straight.

"Uh... nothing." Maleficent lied.

"Just a joke." Hades added.

"Is that so?" Forte wheeled over to them and his eyes narrowed at them. "So tell me, old friends... what are you two doing here?"

"They're here for dinner. I invited them." Mal quickly answered.

"And what is this?" Forte turned his head to face Mal. "Well, well, well, look who's all grown up and already making orders as future Queen." He gave her a sinister smile. "My, my, what a beauty you have become."

Hades put an arm in front of Mal to protect her. "Leave her alone, Forte."

"Protecting your half-blood daughter? Even though you were barely a part of her life?" Forte asked with a taunting chuckle.

Hades snarled at him. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, of course. How rude of me. I just came by with my son to see what all the fuss was about. I could hear the commotion you were making from upstairs; it's very distracting, you know. You were laughing so hard I lost my concentration."

"We were only talking. It's none of your business." Maleficent chimed in.

Forte then gave the dark fairy a look that could be defined as either bored or sly. He rolled his eyes at her.

"Okay, look, who are you and what are you doing here?" Mal demanded.

"Mal, it's okay." Beast said. "This is Forte; he used to be the court composer... until he betrayed us and tried to kill us all."

"He did?" Ben asked with wide eyes.

"Yep." Beast answered.

"He was also banished to the Isle of the Lost, along with the rest of us villains, when your father became King." Maleficent told Ben.

"Yes, it's true." Forte said. "But after I was transformed back into my human self, I was completely paralyzed from the waist down. And that is why I'm in a wheelchair, in case any of you were wondering."

"Well, we weren't wondering." Hades bluntly chimed in.

"I didn't ask you... Pluto."

Hades suddenly froze. "...Where did you learn that name?"

Mal looked at her father in confusion. "Dad?"

"Oh, you don't know?" Forte said to Mal. "Pluto is your father's Roman name. Ridiculous, isn't it?"

The God's face suddenly turned bright red; he glared darkly at the old man just as his hair started to flare up. But then he felt something touch his hand; he looked and saw that it wasn't Mal's hand on top of his... it was Maleficent's. He looked at her.