The guardian

Professional

Rose moved Maggie to the couch in the living room and closed the curtains, so no one could peak in from outside. Rose had been in Maggie's apartment quite a few times for different reasons. She knew her way around here. She went to the built-in kitchen and took out a kettle. She poured water into the kettle and turned on the stove. She then opened a cupboard and took out the tea bags. "I guessing you'll take your usual ginger lemon tea with the truth serum," Rose said to Maggie. Maggie just nodded, since her mouth was still covered with pumpkin vines. That's when the guy from before stormed in, "How dare you tell me what to do! Listen, I'm a hero and the grandson of Snow White. I should also be involved... Why are you making tea?" Rose rolled her eyes. How hadn't she realized it sooner. This was Travis' popular male friend, Hawk Snow White. "Look, prince-dude, I got my own way of handling things. I'm getting tea ready for the disgusting truth serum. Now, how about you go back to your friends and let the professional do her job."
The prince gaped at her for moment, then countered with harsher tone, "I am a professional. I have a lot of experience." "Sure, but your little <adventures> happened in the fairytale world. This is Earth, we do things differently here. Ain't that right Mags," Rose turned to the older woman on the couch, who just nodded again. She probably wasn't even listening, just heard her name and made a gesture.

Hawk had to say he was losing his temper. Not only was she calling him an incompetent hero, she still thought she could command him around. "Little adventures!" he growled, "I'll have you know, I've saved hundreds of princesses, not to mention the Regal Academy!" "Good for you. You want a medal?" Rose replied in a monotone voice. She checked the kettle, than took out a mug and poured tea in it. Hawk glared at her, thinking of a better comeback. Rose was literally the hardest girl, he had ever dealt with. He was more used to annoying fangirls like Ruby or respectful girls like Joy or LingLing. Astoria was the only bossy girl he had ever known, but she was only bossy with grades. She had never taken the command away from him on missions. He watched Rose, as she poured two purple drops from a green vile into the tea. She then walked over to the Shortbread Witch and removed the vines from the witch's mouth. "Drink it or I'll force it down your throat," Rose said in a dark voice as she lifted the mug to the witch's lips. The older woman took quick gulps without hesitation until the mug was empty. Rose then set down the mug on the cafe table and sat herself in a chair opposite to the couch. She pulled out a block of paper and a pen. She turned to Hawk. "Watch and learn," she drawled, before facing the witch again. Hawk gritted his teeth. "She didn't just say that, did she?" he snarled in his mind.

"So, Maggie, besides making your oven come alive and turning people into gingerbread, what else have you been doing with your current magic?" Rose began. She and her team had a simple interrogation structure. First, find out what spells the villain had already cast. Second, find out what the plan was and if there were others involved. Third, find out how they got their magic back. "I made a cookie army again. Wasn't a big army, the oven took too much energy," Mags answered automatically. Rose quickly scribbled down the information.

"So how much magic did you have?"

"I got a vile full of regenerating potion. My powers needed more time to regenerate for bigger spells."

"What was your plan?"

"Seriously!" Hawk shouted, "She's evil. She wanted to take over the fairytale world and imprison my grandmother and the other teachers!"

"But how?" Rose countered, "Was she going to lure them here? Was she going to make a trade, the students for a magical item?"

Hawk opened his mouth, then closed it again.

"I thought so, too. Maggie, you may answer the question now."

"First capture the whole class, then wait for the teachers to get worried. The teachers would come looking for the students and I would lure them here to the oven. Then I would turn them into gingerbread and go take over Regal Academy."

Rose sighed, "So just the typical luring people with sweets into your home. Well, that's lame. How were you planning on getting to Regal Academy? You don't suddenly have a key, do you?"

Maggie stared at the ground for a moment. She looked a bit embarrassed. "No, I don't have a key. I actually didn't think that part through."

Rose stared at Maggie, "Don't tell me, you forgot to think about how you were going to reach Regal Academy again?"

Maggie sighed, "Yes, Rose, I forgot that little detail."

"Well, it's always the little details that make the big difference," Rose said, as she looked over her notes.
"How did you even get that regenerating potion?"

Maggie stared at the ceiling this time. It was clear, she was trying so hard to not to tell the truth. But the serum was stronger. "Vicky gave it to me. She told me, that she had managed to trick the teachers into sending her whole class to Earth."

"Vicky did this! I should have known," Rose said, as she rose up from her chair. "Thanks, Mags. It was a pleasure seeing you again. Now for the final step." Rose pulled out a crystal ball from her backpack. She threw it in the air and waved her wand, while casting the spell, "Crystal Ball from my uncle's attic, captue all the shortbread magic!" At once a purple string of magic was sucked out of Maggie's body. It zoomed into the crystal ball along with two other purple stings, that came from the bakery. "There we go," Rose smiled, "That wasn't so bad, was it Mags? The serum will wear off in a couple of minutes. I'm going to leave you tied up until we're out of this neighborhood. Bye, til the next inspection." She then turned to Hawk, "You didn't take notes. Why am I not surprised?" With that Rose quickly gathered her stuff and walked out of the apartment, leaving a fuming Hawk behind.