With Wildmutt knocked off him, Hex floated menacingly toward Lucky Girl. Meanwhile, Charmcaster summoned two rock golems to keep Fred occupied. "Luck can only lead you so far, girl," Hex taunted as the theater curtains animated under his command, grabbing hold of her.
"Oh yeah? *Grunt* Well, it's good that *grunt* I don't rely solely on luck anymore," Gwen shot back. She opened her palms, summoning a glowing magic circle. Orange chains sprang out, wrapping around Hex and binding him in place.
"What?!" Hex exclaimed, his confidence faltering as he struggled against the restraints.
Charmcaster froze for a moment, watching the scene unfold with wide eyes. Something about Gwen's spellcasting struck a chord. She had seen someone earlier—someone young, like Gwen—use a similar method of magic.
"Charmcaster! What are you doing?!" Hex barked, jolting her back into action.
"R-right!" she stammered, tossing small enchanted rocks. They exploded on impact, breaking apart the floor beneath Lucky Girl. Gwen fell through the crumbling wood, vanishing into the lower level. Hex used the opportunity to focus his energy, unleashing a gust of wind that blew everyone outside into the maze of hedges surrounding the building.
The gang landed with a thud. Hex hovered above, barking orders to Charmcaster. "Find Lucky Girl!" he commanded, flying off to search one side of the maze while Charmcaster took the other.
Fred pushed himself up, helping Max to his feet. "Y'all good?" he asked, brushing off some dirt.
"Uh… I didn't see that one coming," Gwen admitted, rubbing her shoulder.
"We're fine, but we need to—" Max began before rustling from the shrubs cut him off. Everyone tensed, preparing to pounce on whatever emerged.
After a suspenseful pause, Ben burst through the foliage, grumbling to himself. "Man! I wanted to turn into Gax, but the stupid Omnitrix gave me Wildmutt instead!"
The tension shattered as the group collectively sighed. "Ben!" Gwen scolded, throwing her hands up in exasperation. "We thought you were Hex!"
Fred shook his head, a smirk tugging at his lips. "Really milking the drama there, buddy," he teased.
Regrouping, they cautiously continued through the maze. Hearing more rustling, Gwen took the initiative this time. She leapt over the hedge, aiming to ambush Hex, but instead landed on Charmcaster. The two tumbled to the ground, Gwen snatching Charmcaster's pouch in the process. Wasting no time, Gwen muttered a spell, creating a glowing circle beneath her. Chains erupted from the ground, binding Charmcaster tightly.
By the time the others caught up, Gwen stood triumphantly over her captive. "I knew that magic looked familiar," Charmcaster muttered, glaring at Fred.
"We meet again," Fred greeted with an easy smile, though it was met with a frown.
"You guys know each other?" Gwen asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Not really. More like acquaintances," Fred replied casually.
"Well, either way, if she's with Hex, then she has to be a bad person," Gwen asserted firmly.
"Well, that's… a bit biased," Fred muttered under his breath.
"N-no! Wait, it's not like that at all!" Charmcaster protested. "My uncle brought me here—I… I mean, you've seen him, right? I had to come along!"
"Pssh, yeah right," Ben retorted, arms crossed.
"Honest! I even know why he's here—I can tell you!" she exclaimed.
"Yeah, we got that already. He's here for my charm," Gwen said, unimpressed.
"That's not all! If he gets that charm, he'll be able to remake all the other Keystones you destroyed. He's planning to perform the Ritual of Bezel at the height of the eclipse!" Charmcaster revealed.
"If he manages to get all those charms, then…" Ben started.
"He'll be unstoppable," Max finished grimly.
"I can help you," Charmcaster offered. "If you promise to send him back to prison, then I'll be free—and I won't cause any more harm!"
"Yeah, not buying it," Ben replied skeptically.
Before anyone could respond further, Hex's voice boomed through the maze. "Well, well, what do we have here?" he sneered, materializing in a cloud of red smoke. "The Keystone—it belongs to me!"
"Quick, hurry!" Charmcaster urged. "If you separate him from his staff, you'll be able to overpower him!"
Gwen nodded, releasing Charmcaster and bolting toward Hex. Freed, Charmcaster grabbed her pouch and released enchanted bats to distract him.
"How bold of you to go against me, child," Hex growled, his voice laced with menace.
Gwen didn't falter. She cast a spell, sending a compressed air blast that struck Hex in the stomach. The bats swooped in, striking his hand and forcing him to drop his staff. Seizing the moment, Gwen kicked the staff away and conjured a mana bullet, blasting Hex into the wall of a nearby pool house.
People screamed and scattered in panic as Fred and the others arrived on the scene. "Nice!" Fred called to Gwen, impressed.
Fred summoned vines to bind Hex securely as they contacted the authorities. With Hex neutralized, the group finally took a moment to breathe.
"Man! That was a disappointment," Gwen said, though a small smile tugged at her lips. She turned to Charmcaster, extending a hand. "But anyway, thanks for the help."
Charmcaster hesitated before shaking Gwen's hand. "Sure. I hope we can meet again," she said, a hint of happiness in her voice as she walked away.
Later in the Rust Bucket
"So… does this mean Lucky Girl has returned?" Ben teased, glancing at Gwen's bracelet.
"I guess so…" Gwen began, but her expression darkened as she noticed something. The Keystone was gone.
"Charmcaster…" she muttered under her breath.
The realization hit them all at once. Hex's staff had vanished too.
"It seems we've been played," Max said, his tone resigned.
Far from the convention, in an abandoned building, Charmcaster grinned as she examined her spoils. "Although I don't know how to recite the Ritual of Bezel yet, one Keystone is sufficient for now. And once I master Uncle Hex's spells, this staff will be under my control too," she said confidently.
"Well, you seem pleased," a voice said, startling her. She whipped around to see Fred stepping into the room, his demeanor calm and carefree.
"You! What are you doing here?!" she demanded.
"Well, you did steal my friend's Keystone. She bought it with her own money, you know," Fred replied with a shrug.
"So what? With the Keystone, you can't do anything to me!" she snapped, readying herself to fight.
Before she could react, Fred was suddenly behind her, holding the Keystone in his hand. "You can keep the staff. I have other uses for this," he said casually, twirling the charm between his fingers.
Charmcaster stared at him, dumbfounded. "How…?"
"Relax. I'm not here to fight," Fred said, plopping down on a chair he conjured with magic. The room shifted as he snapped his fingers, transforming into a cozy, well-furnished space. "Let's chat."
"What do you even want to talk about?" she asked warily, sitting across from him.
"Simple. Why are you so bent on gaining power?" Fred asked, leaning back casually.
"That's none of your business," she replied defensively.
"Fair enough," Fred said, unbothered. "But I've got time. I'm just curious, y'know? What's the grand plan once you have all this power?"
Charmcaster hesitated, the question catching her off guard. "I… don't know. I just… I want to be stronger, to surpass my uncle, to…" She trailed off.
"To prove yourself?" Fred finished for her. "Look, I get it. Power's tempting. But trust me, power without direction is just chaos waiting to happen. If you're serious about wanting to surpass Hex—or even Lucky Girl—I could teach you a few things."
Charmcaster eyed him suspiciously. "And what's in it for you?"
Fred grinned. "I like seeing potential grow. Plus, it's fun having rivals who keep things interesting. No pressure, though. Think it over."
With that, he stood, snapped his fingers, and vanished, leaving Charmcaster alone in the redecorated room. She looked around, a mix of confusion and intrigue flickering across her face.
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