“Evie!” Sophie leapt off the bench as the blue-clad princess strolled into the Chip Shop, completely forgetting the pirates were just behind, “I’m so glad—”
“It’s great to see you too, Sophie!” the blue-clad girl bolted forward with daggers in her eyes, forcing the Sorcerer’s apprentice back down onto the bench, “What are they serving tonight?”
Sophie’s mouth snapped shut like a blowfish and her face flamed, “Th-they haven’t given me a menu.”
“For shame!” Evie looked scandalized, spinning on her heels to glare at the pirates, “Even villains spare no expense for a guest!”
“Oh, she can have the other half of that cookie that you threw out last week.” Uma drummed her fingers on the edge of the table, “Or maybe a leftover from your date with what’s his name a couple days ago.”
“My mother taught me how to treat a guest.” Evie gave the room a disdainful once over, “And, ugh, how to clean.”
“Well, my mother didn’t worry about that.” Uma sulked for a moment before continuing, “Don’t worry about it though. You guys can have something. I just want you to answer a couple questions first.”
“Like what?” Evie pulled out her lip gloss and reapplied nonchalantly, smacking her lips in Gil’s direction with a little wave when she’d finished, “I haven’t forgotten you, big boy.”
“Like, for starters, why’d you come back?” the green-clad girl bristling voice snapped Evie’s head back around, “What’s going on over there in Auradon that would make you, of all people, come back here?”
“What’s going on is very simple,” Evie dodged the question as she flipped her hair off her shoulder, “I came back and Mal and I spent the day hamming it up, just like old times. She’s even throwing me a party tonight.”
“That’s ironic,” Gil had a knowing smile, “Because, you know, when we were six—”
“Gil!” Uma glared at him, “Be quiet!”
“May I?” Harry raised his hook.
“Naw, he can stay—for now.” She turned back to Evie, “That doesn’t answer my question. Why did you come back?”
“I already told you, that’s none of your business.”
Uma slammed her fist down on the table then spun around and stalked away. She took a few purposeful strides, then stormed back.
“I-I-I,” Sophie, stumbled for words, thinking that she should help her friend, “Yen Sid said—”
But the blue-clad girl’s look stopped her short.
*o*o*0*o*o*
“Shouldn’t she be back by now?” Doug asked anxiously, pleading with his eyes as Mal walked past the coach he was hiding behind.
“She probably found someone to hang with,” the purple-clad smiled sympathetically, “You know, trying to act natural so no one will come poking around later.”
“I thought you guys weren’t popular over here anymore,” he whimpered.
“Evie can charm anymore,” she shrugged, taking her place at the center of the room, “Uh, listen, guys. I’ve got a little announcement. We’re gonna have to have—”
“I think she’s in trouble,” Doug interrupted, his voice barely audible, “I think she needs help.”
“Doug, don’t you dare leave this castle!”
He shrank back under her withering green gaze, then gathered his courage and rose to his feet, “Mal, I have to go find her!”
“Doug,” Jay and Carlos immediately stood him up, looking like sympathetic gangsters, “You can’t leave, buddy.”
“What if it was Lonnie out there?” he pleaded, “Or Jane?”
“Doug,” Ben came out of hiding to lay a hand on his shoulder, “I know it’s tough, but we all promised that we’d do exactly what they told us. We gotta trust ’em.”
“What if it was Mal out there?” Doug cried, tears cascading down his face. Spinning around, he caught everyone’s eye, hardly believing that no one would speak up.
Mal snorted, “He knows I can handle myself.”
“Look Doug, I know this stinks,” she continued in a softer tone, coming to lay her hand on his other shoulder, “But you gotta remember that Evie is Evil Queen’s daughter. We grew up here. She’s fine. Trust me, Doug.”
“Besides,” she continued, turning her attention back to the group with a grimly sympathetic smile, “I’m sorry to say, but we’ve got to get our slumber party started.”
*o*o*0*o*o*
Two wharf rats pushed through the batwing doors of the Chip Shop and sauntered up Uma.
“Yes?” she eyed them hopefully, needing something to kickstart her interrogation.
“We saw a bunch of people going into Mal’s a little while ago.” one stated without preamble, “We stuck around to see what would happen, but they haven’t come out yet.” Pointing at Evie, he added, “Only her.”
“We recognized Jay, Carlos, Freddie, and the other traitors,” the other one spoke up, “but we couldn’t figure out who the others were.”
Uma noticed Sophie squirming in her seat. “Did you want to tell me something?”
“Those are my party guests,” Evie quickly interrupted, giving the green-clad girl a scornful look, “If I hadn’t had to come out to kiss Gil, I’d still be hamming it up with them.”
“Are you gonna send your mommy after me?” the green-clad girl didn’t miss the meaning in those eyes.
“Now, now,” Harry intervened, fixing his hook under Evie’s chin as she opened her mouth to retort, “I can’t have you threatening my captain…no matter how pretty you are.”
“What are you gonna do about it, Harry?” Evie frowned, “Hook me?”
“What do you want us to do?” the rats quickly interrupted, their eyes bulging at the sight of the Isle’s beautiful princess captured by the resident buccaneer.
“Are you sure you don’t want to tell me something?” Uma’s attention returned to Sophie.
The Sorcerer’s apprentice’s face was pale with fear and her tongue was dry at the sight of Harry’s hook around Evie’s face. She didn’t respond. She couldn’t.
*o*o*0*o*o
“Alright, alright,” Mal tried to regain control as an uproar broke out following her announcement, “I think we all need a little distraction here!”
“Ooo,” Ally clasped her hands together, “I love distractions!”
“That explains a lot,” Jordan muttered, sneering good-naturedly at her friend. She winked and Jane covered her mouth to suppress a giggle.
“So…I…was thinking…” Mal continued cautiously, trying to work up her courage, “that I could give you guys a tour of this place.” She shrugged and smiled, hoping that they wouldn’t riot, “It’s not like the castles in Auradon, but since we’ve got to stay here tonight, I figure I better at least show you where the bathroom is.”
“I’d love to see more of your place!” Ben supported her enthusiastically, wanting to help her anyway he could.
“Yeah!” Big Murph slapped hi-fives with a few other antiheroes, “Let’s do it! I haven’t been in the dungeon in years!”
Mal laughed. “You’ve never been in mom’s dungeon!”
“Yeah!” Yzla snorted, “We didn’t take part in the ransacking after…you know…so you didn’t go in then either.”
“Wait a minute, wait a minute!” Audrey’s voice rose shrilly, “Isn’t this the place where—?”
“No, no, no,” Mal shook her head vehemently, her eyes widening; how could she have forgotten about Prince Philip? “This is not where my mom imprisoned your dad! The Forbidden Fortress is on the Isle of the Doomed.” She pointed in the direction, “There’s water between here and there too.”
“I don’t know…” Audrey cringed, snuggling into Chad as he wrapped his arms around her.
“What’s this, huh?” he challenged, self-righteously thrusting his chin out, “You turned your back on good and came back here. Now you wanna make poor Audrey tour the place where her parents almost died! What’s up with that, huh?”
He pointed at Big Murph, continuing in a surly tone, “He might not have ever been in Maleficent’s dungeon, but I know someone who was!” His eyes caught the other AKs, “We all know him!”
“Take it easy, Chad…” Ben warned, stepping between his purple-clad ex-girlfriend and the arrogant prince to deescalate the tension, “I don’t think—”
“What? Just because she’s your girlfriend,” Chad clenching his fists, “You let them—”
“Okay, okay,” Jay and Carlos moved to block him, “We can’t do this, guys!”
“Someone might hear us.” Freddie added anxiously, stepping up as tension between the two groups mounted.
“If you want,” the Badums approached Audrey with big cheeky grins on their faces, as if completely oblivious to the mounting strain, “We could stay down here with you while everyone else explores.”
“What?” Chad was incredulous, taking a step towards them with fire in his eyes, “Really?”
The cousins instantly fled to the wall and, perceiving their friends’ mistreatment, the other antiheroes jumped to their defense. Then most of the AK’s did the same and it was almost a brawl before Mal, Jay, Carlos, Freddie, and Ben could separate them.
“What part of stop don’t you understand, Chad?” Jay snarled, standing nose to nose with him. He pointed at the door, “Out there are people that want to kill you guys. It’s not hard!”
“Yeah,” Ben glared at his friend, trying to insert royal authority, ”What happened to all for one and one for all?”
“Don’t even—” Chad snarled, raising his fist again, “They—”
Mal caught his hand and strong-armed him backwards with her intense green glare, “Chad, you need to stop!” Then she spun around to encompass everyone in her glare, “Listen guys, we’re stuck here together tonight, alright? There’s nothing else to do. So chill!”
“I’d like to see more of this place,” Doug suddenly came out from behind the couch, having not taken part in the fight.
“You would?” Jane was shocked.
“That’s wonderful!” Ally approved, clapping her hands together, “I have to admit, I’ve been wondering where the bathroom is.”
Jordan’s eyebrows arched upward, “I didn’t see that coming.”
“Neither did I.” Claudine muttered.
The two girls smiled at each other, embarrassed that they’d been pulling each others’ hair just moments before.
“Friends?” Claudine hesitantly stuck out her hand.
“Yeah.” Jordan took it.
“Well, I know I need a distraction.” Doug admitted sheepishly, turning as red as his Uncle Bashful, “Otherwise, I’ll go crazy thinking about Evie.”
Freddie grasped his shoulder as everyone silently followed Mal towards the stairs, “Doug, she’s probably having the time of her life.”
“Aww, not your room first!” Hadie complained, realizing where they were headed, “Show ‘em your mom’s room first!”
“No, the dungeon!” Big Murph insisted again.
“No, the throne room!” Hermie Bing cried.
Other antiheroes offered other suggestions.
“Uh, whose castle is this?” Mal frowned, “We’re going to my room first.”
“Mine has a wonderland theme.” Ally said, as the little group stepped over the threshold a minute later.
“Mine is definitely cooler than this,” Jordan folded her arms over her chest.
“Yeah, well,” Mal ignored the slight, knowing that she didn’t mean harm, “we use what we have on the Isle, which isn’t much. Home freak home and all.”
“It’s great,” Ben said, “even if I’d rather have you back in Auradon.” He smiled, “I’m glad you have a place like this—a place you love.”
Mal forced herself to return the smile, trying to ignore the stab in her gut. “Thank you.”
“So, where is Evie’s bedroom?” Jane asked, when they finished looking around, “Do you think she’d mind if we saw it next?”
“Wherever she wants it to be,” the purple-clad girl replied, relieved that they were engaging in the tour, “But she just got back this morning and we were out all day visiting an old friend so she hasn’t picked one yet.”
“Can we go to the dungeon now?” Big Murph whined.
“Alright, fine,” Mal rolled her eyes with a sigh, “Come along, peeps. To the dungeon we go.”
But as they trouped back down the stairs Doug lagged behind, falling into step with Chad and Audrey as they brought up the rear.
“I’m going after Evie,” he whispered, “I can’t stand it another minute.”
“You’re going out there?” Chad was incredulous, tightening his grip around his quivering girlfriend.
“Yeah,” Doug nodded seriously, “I’ve gotta find her. Then we’ll go to Yen Sid and get him to call a limo.” He glanced down the hallway to where Mal was describing some old statues along the wall, “They can catch another one tomorrow if they want, but I’m getting Evie out of here tonight.”
“Can we come with you?” Audrey asked, pitifully glancing up at Chad for reassurance.