Kingdom Keepers V(119)

When a fishing net fell from the stage rafters, covering the five waving kids, and Maleficent appeared stage left, her green face enormous on the three screens, the crowd went wild. A team of pirates converged on the stage, contained the net, and pushed the trapped kids back several feet; then the stage dropped out from under them, a hydraulic lift descending. The cheers of the crowd grew even louder.

“Behold the New Order,” Maleficent said in her eerily calm and grating voice. “The dawning of a new age.” Another huge cheer from the adoring crowd. “Enough of all this prince-and-princess spun-sugar nonsense. It’s time for the Grimm in the fairy tales to express itself. The woods are dark, my dears. The beasts within them will eat you for supper, not sing you a song. Wake up and smell the roses.”

The last thing Finn saw of the auditorium was the fanatic crowd looking up to see thousands of falling red roses released from high overhead. The attendees reached up to welcome the flowers, apparently not thinking through that the stems of roses carried thorns, and thorns could scratch. As the hydraulic lift removed him and the others from the stage, Finn heard the cheers turns to shrieks and cries. Then the world went dark as they were hauled off the platform, which quickly returned to seal the stage’s trapdoor shut, removing all sound and light.

“All clear,” Philby said the moment they were pulled as a netted knot from the platform. Perhaps only he understood the seriousness of the situation—or maybe he was just bragging.

If the Overtakers had the nerve to capture the Keepers in broad daylight in front of an audience while announcing a New Order, there would be only one intended outcome.

Death.

The pirates drove their swords through the net and into the kids without warning. No tear-jerking speech from Maleficent, no end-of-the-movie apology or dramatic summary. Just swords into their chests.

They saw the blades coming. The pirates knew nothing of finesse. Finn dodged the one meant for him, as did Maybeck. Philby’s hologram stepped through the net and he bumped the pirate going for Willa. Charlene cried out. Stabbed in the shoulder, bleeding badly. The ignorant pirates cut the net with their sharp blades. Finn launched himself through a resulting hole and delivered a fist into the face of the pirate attempting to finish off Charlene. The pirate dropped his sword and staggered back. Finn clutched his knuckles, wondering if he’d broken his hand.

Maybeck followed Willa out of the net.

Philby took a sword to his body. It passed through, throwing whoever held the sword off balance. Maybeck or Finn helped trip the staggering man, and they moved fluidly in a choreographed way, first drawing the pirates apart, then singling one out and knocking him down.

Armed with fallen swords, Maybeck and Finn fought back while Philby played shape-shifter. A pair of crash-test dummies guarded the room’s only door; there would be no easy exit.

Finn ducked a sword swipe, the pirate’s blade lodging in the wood of the towering crate at the center of the space.

Chernabog?

Willa held a Lion King shield between her and her pirate. His sword bounced off it as she steadily drove him back. He stumbled, lost his balance, and Maybeck swiveled in time to knock him unconscious with a length of pipe. She joined at Maybeck’s side, and together they went after one of the few remaining pirates.

Philby seemed to be enjoying his status as the only 2.0. He stood in place, allowing a frustrated pirate to strike him time and time again, the man’s sword slicing through the light of his projection. Then, as the pirate tired, Philby delivered a soccer kick between the man’s legs, and the pirate collapsed.

Seven pirates had become five, then three. A crash-test dummy left his post at the door and tossed Maybeck against a wall like a rag doll. Maybeck crashed to the floor, groaning. Willa kicked the dummy, failing to do any harm. He backhanded her and sent her to the floor as well.

Philby all clear, Finn not, the two regrouped, armed with swords, back to back near the crate. They faced three very angry pirates and one robotic crash-test dummy. Swords clattered and clanked as they beat off the attempted blows.

“Not good,” Finn said loudly.

“I’m working on it,” Philby said.

You conceited jerk, Finn wanted to shout.

“On three, jump out of the way.”

“I will not!”

“You go for the lights.”

“You call that a plan?” Finn said.

The CTD swung out and hit Finn’s shoulder, turning him so that he was no longer back-to-back with Philby. Instead, both boys had their backs to the crate.

“Change of plans,” Finn said. “Help me out here.” He slammed his back into the crate, rocking it.

“Are you nuts?” Philby said.