﹅ ۰ ۰ ۰ 𝗗𝗘𝗦𝗖𝗘𝗡𝗗𝗔𝗡𝗧𝗦 ┊ ❪ 𝑨𝙲𝙴 𝙾𝙵 𝑺𝙿𝙰𝙳𝙴𝚂! ❫
▍𝗜𝗡 𝗪𝗛𝗜𝗖𝗛 ｡ ｡ ｡ ｡ kids from all different backgrounds,
whether that being raised by a villain, raised by a hero,
raised by a mom, raised by a dad, or raised by b...
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៸ ━━━━━ CHAPTER SEVENTEEN, MOVIE TWO! ﹆◞ ·˚ ༘🌹˚.*°࿐ 。 act two: pirates prelude ·˚ ༘☆ ▍ ❝ nice to see you, too, 𝒍𝒂𝒔𝒔 ❞
𝐁𝐄𝐍 𝐖𝐀𝐋𝐊𝐄𝐃 𝐃𝐎𝐖𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐏𝐒 𝐎𝐅 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐕𝐊𝐒 𝐎𝐋𝐃 𝐇𝐈𝐃𝐄𝐎𝐔𝐓 𝐀𝐋𝐎𝐍𝐄, his shoulders slumped and his expression somber. He sighed deeply, his footsteps echoing in the stillness. "She's not coming back," he murmured, voice heavy with defeat. He stopped at the bottom, looking up at the group with a mix of regret and sorrow.
"What?" Elizabeth whispered ━ her voice barely audible. Her brows furrowed in confusion as she locked eyes with Ben, concern flickering in her gaze. She stepped closer, trying to understand the weight of his words
Evie, sensing the tension, quickly moved to the large pipe that extended up to the hideout, a makeshift communication tool they'd often used. She leaned in, her voice urgent but gentle. "Mal, it's Evie. Let me just talk to you for a second."
The group waited in tense silence; the air thick with anticipation. Elizabeth glanced nervously at the door, biting her lip. Suddenly, Mal's voice burst through the pipe, sharp and full of anger. "Go away!"
Elizabeth flinched at the outburst, her heart sinking. She exchanged worried glances with Jay and Carlos. Jay, ever the protector, moved to Evie's side, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Let's give her a couple of hours to cool off," he suggested softly, though his eyes betrayed his own concern.
"Guys!" Carlos's voice cut through the moment; his tone laced with alarm. He spun around, eyes darting frantically. "Where's Ben?"
Panic set in as they all looked around, realizing their friend had vanished. Evie spotted a figure emerging from the shadows at the end of the alley. Her initial relief quickly turned to confusion as the figure approached.
"Ben...?" Evie called out cautiously, her eyes narrowing as she tried to make out the figure in the dim light. But as the figure came closer, the familiar cocky swagger and the glint of a silver hook became unmistakable.
"Ben! Don't scare us like that," Evie began, her voice trailing off as realization hit.
A thick Scottish accent, smooth and mocking, responded instead. "Don't scare you? That's my specialty." Harry Hook stepped into the dim light, his blue eyes glinting with mischief and malice. He twirled his hook casually, an amused smirk tugging at his lips as he took in their shocked expressions.
Elizabeth's heart skipped a beat. She froze, her breath catching in her throat. As Harry's gaze found hers, a flicker of something unspoken passed between them. His smirk widened into a grin, and he sent her a teasing wink.
Her stomach twisted in knots as she quickly averted her gaze, feeling the heat rise to her cheeks. She took a step back, trying to steady her breathing, her mind racing with memories she thought she'd buried long ago.
Jay stepped forward, his body tense, every muscle ready for action. "What did you do with Ben?" he demanded, his voice a low, dangerous growl.
Harry chuckled, clearly enjoying the tension. He held up a finger, shushing them playfully. "Oh, we nicked him. Mmm-hmm," he said with an exaggerated nod. He turned and pointed down the alley, where shadows seemed to grow darker.
"And if you want to see him again, have Mal come to the Chip Shoppe tonight. Alone." He punctuated the last word with a slow, deliberate point at each of them, his grin never faltering.
The group exchanged uneasy glances, the weight of his words sinking in. Evie clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms as she fought to keep her composure.
Harry continued with a dramatic sigh, as if relishing the moment. "Uma wants a little visit." His eyes flicked to Jay, a smirk playing on his lips. "Aw, Jay. Seems like you've lost your touch."
Jay bristled, anger flashing in his eyes. He lunged forward, but Evie quickly grabbed his arm, holding him back. "Not now," she whispered urgently, her eyes pleading.
Harry's laughter echoed through the alleyway, a sound full of taunt and mockery. He looked Jay up and down, his gaze condescending. Then, with a swift movement, he turned to Carlos, who was trying to hold his ground. With a sudden bark, Harry startled him, causing Carlos to jump.
Harry's eyes then landed on Elizabeth again, a sly smile creeping onto his face. He took a step closer, leaning in slightly. "Nice to see you too, Lass," he said softly, his voice dripping with a mix of sarcasm and something more intimate. He gave her a lingering look, making sure she caught the double meaning before turning away.
As he walked off, his hook swinging at his side, he began to whistle a jaunty tune, leaving the group in tense silence. Evie frowned, her mind racing. The nickname, the familiarity ━ Harry's behavior was unsettling, and she couldn't shake the feeling that there was more to his words than they all knew.
Elizabeth stood frozen, her mind a whirlwind of emotions. The past she'd kept hidden, the secret relationship with Harry that no one knew about ━ it all felt like it was crashing down around her.
Elizabeth tried to compose herself, but the look Harry had given her lingered, a silent reminder of their shared history and the complications it now posed.
With heavy hearts and unresolved questions, they prepared to face the unknown, knowing that the night would bring challenges none of them were fully prepared for. And as they moved out, Elizabeth couldn't help but feel that this was only the beginning of a much larger storm.
