Desert Sea

+++ Chapter One +++

One Month Earlier

After a long night of tossing and turning in her bed while being forced to listen to her father's lackey's fighting, Scarlet was even more unbearable than normal. She walked up the stairs toward her father's office, a permanent scowl on her face. When she arrived at the top of the stairs, her father's head of security Mick Rowles took a step and blocked her path.

"Out of the way Mick, I need to talk to my dad," Scarlet stared at him, not wanting to deal with him or anyone for that matter, but she needed to get her duties for the day, so she had to talk to her dad.

"He's in a meeting right now, and he doesn't know when it'll end. You'll have to come back later Scarlet," he told her and she punched the wall beside her.

"He knows I meet up with him at this specific time of the day, every day! First I have to be kept up all freaking night by his stupid lackey's fighting and now this. Fine, tell his royal highness that I'll be down by the docks," she turned from Mick but before she could take a step he put a hand on her shoulder.

"Actually, Scar told me to tell you that a group of teenagers want him to endorse them. Go check them out and decide if it's worth his time," he ordered her and she sighed, closing her eyes for a second.

"Of course he wants me to do that. Fine, where are they?" She turned to face Mick.

"On some ship by the docks. Look for a girl named Uma," he told her and she groaned. Of course Uma wants Scar to endorse her stupid pirate crew.

"Yeah yeah, I got it. I know who she is. I'll be back by the end of the day with my answer," she saluted Mick and descended the stairs until she was in the alleyway. As she stalked through the sidestreets, Scarlet passed by a lot of young children stealing and older teenagers play fighting. All around, people weren't all that interested in much of anything, but the second she walked past, they all stopped and stared, waiting to see if she was going to do something. When she didn't, they went back to what they were doing, but were still aware that she was near.

As she grew closer to the docks, she could hear the sounds of Uma and her crewmates milling about their ship and the surrounding dock. When Scarlet came into view, many of her crewmates on the docks stopped and stared, doing what the others she had passed did. A little kid ran past laughing but was soon hushed by someone.

"Anyone know where Uma is?" She called out to anyone who was willing to answer.

"Who's askin'?" She heard from her left. It always annoyed her when people asked that, as if they didn't know who she was. On Maleficent's side of the Isle she understands when no one knows her, but on her dad's side, it was an expectation.

"The gang lord himself, Scar," she responded and she noticed someone walking closer to her. He was clad in a red leather jacket and had a fake silver hook on his hand. Harry Hook.

"Follow me then," he told her while holding a hand out to her. She glanced at it and raised an eyebrow

"Don't. Just show me," she snapped and he held up his hands in defense.

"Only trying to be chivalrous to the princess," he turned and began walking toward the ship.

"Call me princess again and I'll make sure you don't see the light of day Hook," she threatened him and he chuckled.

"As if you'd do anything without daddy's permission," he retorted and she sighed loudly as the two walked onto the ship.

"My dad may be the gang lord of the Isle, but everyone knows I am the one to fear. Now, where is Uma?" Scarlet stopped walking and crossed her arms. Harry pointed to a door in the floor with his hook and tilted his head.

"Down there darlin'. Don't let the crustaceans bite you on the way down," he giggled before walking away from her.

"You do realize no one is scared of that hook, right?" She questioned him and he just continued to giggle and walk away. Another sigh left Scarlet's chest before she walked over to the door and pulled it open. From the bottom of the stairs, she could hear laughter from multiple people. She began climbing down the stairs and when she was at the bottom, the laughter stopped and everyone was staring at her.

"Scarlet," she heard the dumb one Gil call out.

"Gil. Let me talk to Uma alone guys," Scarlet ordered and the five others in the room quickly left, closing the door behind them.

"Did daddy decide to do what is good for him?" Uma asked and Scarlet just stared at her.

"No actually, he sent me to see if you are even worth it. And from what I've seen, that is a hard no," she sat down on one of the chairs.

"We're not worth it? My gang is the biggest one on the Isle, we are more than worth it," the blue haired daughter of Ursula snapped back.

"You see Uma, what I see when I look at you and your band of miscreants is not a gang, but instead a group of teenagers who don't know what they are doing. A real gang has a purpose to fulfill. Sitting around on a ship or at your mom's chip shop is not being a gang. It's kids hanging out. So if you don't have any hard evidence to prove otherwise, I'm going to have to tell my dad to not bother," Scarlet hissed at the other girl.

"We are more than just kids hanging out Scarlet. We fight, we exact revenge on those who have wronged us, and my crew listens to me," she explained.

"All of that still just sounds like a bunch of teenagers who are bored."

"If you want to know our purpose, it's to wreak havoc on this side of the Isle, and with the VK's gone, on their side too. We steal from kids and the elderly. We wreck things and make people's lives miserable," Uma was trying her hardest to prove that her crew were worth it.

"And that differs from any other person on this forsaken island, how?" Scarlet was growing tired of hearing Uma's excuses.

"People fear me."

"Oh Uma, Uma, Uma. People do not fear you. If they did, you wouldn't want my dad to endorse you. Just because you didn't get your way with King Ben and Auradon doesn't mean you can act like a needy teenager who didn't get their way. Now, I am going to leave now and you can kiss that endorsement goodbye Uma. Because I am not impressed by any of this, and it's me who you need on your side not my dad," the brunette girl stood from her chair and began walking toward the stairs.

"Wait Scarlet. What do I have to do to make you say yes?"

"Nothing, because you are a complete waste of time. Go back to washing your mom's dishes and forget about your stupid gang," Scarlet snapped back before she climbed the stairs and went above deck. Most of Uma's crewmates were standing nearby, waiting and listening. When she began walking toward the dock, none of them moved out of the way.

"Move," she growled. They then made an opening for her to pass through. From behind her, Uma climbed up from below deck, an angry look on her face.

"You are going to regret your decision Scarlet King! People will know my name!" She yelled at Scarlet's back. The only response she got from the daughter of Scar was a chuckle and a shoulder shrug.