The final bell rang just as Fairy Godmother was hanging up the phone after a long conversation with Yen Sid and she sighed with relief, thankful that everything was finally arranged and the school day had ended without further trouble. Then her office door flew open and Grumpy’s son stormed in with a deep scowl on his face.
“Ben and Chad’s cars are blocking the gate!” he complained, “We can’t find them anywhere! How are we supposed to get out?”
She cringed inwardly, working hard to keep a straight face, “I’m very sorry, Gordon, but I’m sure there’s a perfectly good explanation. Ben and Chad are two of the most responsible—”
“But, we checked everywhere!” he exploded, raising his fists in exclamation, “They’re not here! No one can get out!”
“Well, maybe they were, huh, called away…” she mused, knowing that didn’t make sense, “They’re usually so good about telling me if they have to leave school…” Keeping a smile plastered on her face no matter how futile it was, she suggested, “How about if I try to get them on the phone?”
“Please do!” he nodded curtly, spinning around; he slammed the door on his way out, “I need to get to the mine for the afternoon shift!”
“Of course,” she sighed, reaching for the phone again, “Of course.”
*o*o*0*o*o*
Dragon Hall loomed above Freddie as she swiped a large cobweb out of her way and stopped to take in the sight. For the first time in her life, the place actually looked more sinister than boring. Taking a deep breath, she tried and failed to steady her nerves as she rehearsed the excuses she would give her father if she ran into him. Then, suddenly, the old bell began tolling rhythmically in the tower and she felt a surge of adrenaline as a new idea popped into her head.
Even though the antiheroes had professed a willingness to be good instead of evil, living on the Isle made keeping that pledge extremely difficult. And, sometimes, it was even harder for the self-reliant streetwise VKs to admit that they were struggling.
So Freddie and the core four had come up with a plan for them to have a secret hideout, beyond the knowledge of Yen Sid, where they could talk about their troubles and comfort one another.
“Boy,” Freddie muttered, grinning with satisfaction as she found a grip on the high brick tower and slowly began climbing, “That hideout is gonna save my butt!”
“Claudine!” she snapped hoarsely, breathlessly pulling herself up to just below the ledge, “Help me up; it’s urgent!”
Instantly her old friend’s head popped over the side.
“Freddie?” Claudine hissed with surprise, reaching down to haul her up. It took a few minutes of struggling, but finally both girls toppled into the floor, “What are you doing here? Is everyone leaving Auradon?”
“Naw,” Freddie panted, propping herself up on her elbows, “But we’ve got a big problem and I’m afraid to tell Yen Sid.”
“What’s up?”
“Well, I guess you know that Mal came back—” Freddie started at the beginning.
“Old news,” Claudine waved her hand, still puffing hard on her back, “I haven’t seen her. We tried but Uma has Maleficent’s old place under siege.”
“Great.” Freddie winced, scowling as she inspected the new scrapes on her hands, “Well, Evie came back this morning too—last night, actually.”
“Evie’s back?” Claudine bolted upright, her jaw dropping. Then she snorted, “Well, that figures. The bellringer is always the last to know!”
“She missed Mal too much.” Freddie explained, “Apparently, Fairy Godmother found out and helped her come back with her wand.”
“Wow.”
“Yeah, well,” Freddie started rambling, “when Jay and Carlos found out this morning, they tried to come back to talk with em, but Ben, Doug, Lonnie, and Jane were following them so they had to agree to bring them.”
“Only, they wouldn’t bring Jane because she can’t fight. But when they brought her back to school, Chad was bringing me and some other girls back from our externships and when we found out everyone wanted to come and Jay and Carlos and I couldn’t stop them so now there’s a whole lot of AK’s on the Isle and I’m afraid of what Yen Sid will say, but we have to protect them!”
“Whew,” Claudine was dumbstruck, taking a long minute to process everything, “That is something…but, how can I help?”
“The old bell signals.” Freddie rolled her eyes, “We need the antiheroes to help us get them through town and the hideout is the only safe place to talk about this.”
“How-how many are there?” Claudine gulped nervously.
“Eight…besides me, Carlos and Jay,” Freddie looked anxious, “Can you help? Can you round everyone up?”
“Of course,” Frollo’s daughter waved away the concern and hopped to her feet, suddenly grinning, “And don’t worry. We will help!”
*o*o*0*o*o*
Gordon was positively livid when he stomped back into Fairy Godmother’s office, “I thought you were going to call them!”
She was startled. “Oh, well, I left them a message, dear. Their phones were turned off. But, I’m sure they sent a representative to move their cars if they couldn’t come. You know they both have—”
“Other responsibilities,” he sneered, rolling his eyes, “I know, I know. King Ben and Prince Chad are so very important while the rest of us are just sidekicks.” He stomped his foot into the thick carpet, “Well, this sidekick has to be at work and their high and mightinesses’’ cars are still in the way!”
“Well, I’m sure that nothing has happened to them,” she reasoned, gulping as a strange feeling prickled her spine, “Ah, maybe the security footage will tell us what happened…why don’t I check that now, hmm?”
“And how’s that gonna help me?” he snapped, “I’m already late for my shift!”
“I’m afraid you’ll have to take a coach, dear.” she winced, “I’m awfully sorry.”
“Oh, you look real sorry!” he growled, stomping out and slamming the door again.
Fairy Godmother shook her head as she listened to him storm down the hall. Then, biting her lip, she set aside her paperwork and pressed some buttons to begin scrolling through the security footage.
Setting the speed on fast-forward she watched the first few hours in a matter of minutes then drastically slowed things down when she saw Carlos and Jay slip away.
Of course… She thought, with a grim sigh, “I’ll have to talk to them—”
Her voice cut off and her heart leapt into her throat as Ben’s car entered the fame and slipped away from the school. Inside was not just the king, but Doug, Lonnie, and her own daughter!
“Jane,” she muttered, irritated as she instinctively reached for her phone as the footage continued to scroll, “What are you doing…?”
Pausing to collect her thoughts before making the call, she watched Ben’s car return and Chad pull up. Biting her lip until she tasted blood, she listened as her daughter sobbed out their story and her eyes widened in horror when Audrey suggested that they should all go to the Isle.
“Oh, my, oh my!” she gasped, pressing her hands against her ashen face when the group suddenly disappeared into thin air, “I’d better get ahold of Yen Sid again!”
*o*o*0*o*o*
Claudine and Freddie left the belltower and slipped into the foggy gloom as the last notes of the signal vibrated through the air. Gliding through the dreary alleyways with a nonchalant air, they were relieved to find that no one paid attention as they browsed in a few unoccupied shops to kill time and look normal before heading to the hideout.
“So, what’s up with everyone?” Freddie asked as they stole clothes to disguise the AKs, wrinkling her nose as yet another group of VKs scurried past, talking and laughing wildly.
“Coachman rebuilt Pleasure Island.” Claudine shrugged, “You mean, you didn’t know?”
“Say again?” Freddie’s jaw dropped.
“Remember how Uma rebuilt her mom’s necklace?”
“Yeah…”
“Well, there’s magic under the barrier now and Coachman took advantage by giving us all something fun to do.”
“Cool!”
“It is!” Claudine suddenly grinned, “Tonight is opening night!”
“Cool!”
“I just hope everyone isn’t too upset about missing out,” Claudine sighed, “now that the AKs are here.”
“Well, they better get over it!” Freddie’s eyes flashed.
“I’m sure glad I thought of the hideout!” she continued, when they finally slipped into the dark Poisonous Forest, “It’s perfect for this.”
“When you founded it, I thought it was too secretive,” Claudine admitted, “but we need it! We’re not that good yet!”
Freddie snorted, “Please, girl. Even AKs sneak off to be alone!”
“Really?”
“Yep.”
“Freddie!” Yzla shrieked with joy, practically tackling her as they neared the hideout, “How’d you get here?”
“Shhhh!” Freddie hissed, looking like she could kill, “Shut up, Yzla!”
“Hey, Freddie’s back!” Big Murph yelled, “I knew it was something huge when Claudine signaled us on opening night! Are you coming to Pleasure Island, Freddie?”
Dr. Facilier’s eldest daughter whirled furiously but before she could clobber him the others swarmed around, peppering her with relentless questions and comments.
“Did you come back to get Mal?”
“Uma has her castle under siege!”
“We can’t break through!”
“Did King Ben come up with a plan to rescue her?”
“Does he still love her?”
“Do you need our help?”
“Where are Jay and Carlos?
“Why did Evie come back?”
“Alright, alright,” Freddie held up her hands to fend them off.
“Let her talk, guys!” Claudine barked, getting into the middle of the fray to push them back, “Get back! Shut up!”
“Keep it down!” Freddie hissed, her eyes bulging with fear.
“Claudine’s right!” Big Murph yelled, “We’ve gotta remember our good manners!” He looped an arm around her shoulders and tried to lead her into the cave, “You’ll be our guest of honor tonight.”
“We want to escort her!” Jace and Harry Badum eagerly stepped in his way.
“But, I got here first!” he argued.
“But we want too!”
“What about using our good manners?” Hermie Bing kicked all three boys in their shins then rolled her eyes when they immediately sat down to rub the bruises. “Minions,” she huffed, using her favorite swear word, “You guys are such idiots!”
“Hermie, that’s not nice,” Eddie frowned.
“Enough!” Freddie exploded, “Guys, we don’t have time for this! I’m not here for a social call!”
“We kinda figured that.” Hadie muttered, rolling his eyes.
“You guys, listen!” Freddie pleaded, “When Carlos and Jay found out that Evie came back this morning, they tried to follow her. But some AKs found out and they came with us so now there’s a bunch of AKs on the Isle!”
“What? Where?”
“Seriously?”
“Cool!”
“I’d love to meet an AK!”
“How many are there?”
“Which AKs?”
“Guys,” Claudine groaned, “Chill, chill!”
“They’re on the beach,” Freddie answered, nervously scanning the dark forest, “We need you guys to help us protect them. Will you do it?”
The answer was a resounding yes.