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"MAGIC doesn't work on the Isle. The rules were established to make sure no villains escaped. But the rules didn't consider villains escaping villains. Limited resources always been her go-to... ropes like these only applied to the weak, the bullied... I'm not weak," Mal pondered aloud, her purple hair becoming mixed with the falling dust particles and humid air of pirate stench.

Her green eyes fell onto the ropes tying her legs together. Maybe it was her pride, or maybe it was her disdain, but something inside of her refused to admit Uma would be smart enough to not use average ropes on her sworn enemy she wants to keep captive.

Growing up with the girl let Mal read her personality; her thought process. Uma's character was tactical, more of a logical type than an emotional type. Uma bounded traps with the mindset of knowing who she was trapping. She didn't consider how you'd feel in the trap, letting the thinking into the set-up she was establishing. No. Uma considered your mind when setting up her traps. Whether she hated you or liked you, Uma always considered your brain.

Mal never understood it.

Mal wasn't one to panic. Okay, she was. She panicked when Ben found out she spelled him, she panicked when the paparazzi ambushed her with questions, she panicked when her friends left her alone, she panicked when Carlos broke into the cameras to find the person writing in her diary, Mal always panicked. And it was never her fault.

They suffocated her with their words, never knowing rather their opinions would leave her heart to cry.

Mal watched the room's door. The door was dented on the side of the knob, being the aftermath of a pirate fight happening most likely from what she could tell. The smell of the door reached her nostrils despite being the farthest from her, the hanging sailboats covered in mold and moss. She refused to stay in this room. She refused to give in and be granted freedom after confessing why she was on the Isle again. Mal felt disrespected.

First, she was humiliated. Being outnumbered in an area where people hated you never granted you a fair fight. Not only was she there to apologize to Uma, she was there for her territory back. This was Mal's. It was obvious Uma took the opportunity of Mal being gone to run the Isle. She never had the courage to that when Mal was still there; she never had the courage to laugh in Mal's face when she was still there.

Second, Uma had the audacity to tell her she played victim. She had the audacity to kick that chair at her knowing Mal was tied up and couldn't fight back. And to think Mal was here because she wanted to change. Coming back to the Isle was the wrong decision. She was going to kill somebody before she kills herself.

Uma grew a new found personality it seemed. And Mal was going to get rid of it.

"Mother and I was always able to use the magic in our eyes. She loved being stronger than me. She loved winning our battles..." She thought, her leg now shaking out of anticipation. The growing feeling inside gave her the sense of hunger. A hunger for freedom. A hunger to prove Uma wrong.

Mal adjusted in her seat to the best of her ability, "But...how? How did mother..." her tone softened as her eyes began to glisten. How was her mother doing? She took her and hid her in the hideout for her protection, not wanting wild animals to find her, but was she okay? Mal has been gone for hours. She hasn't fed her nor talked to her. She didn't want her mother to believe she abandoned her; Mal knew that feeling all too well. No, she needed to get back to her mom. Uma was going to have to play this rivalry game a different time.

Mal tossed her head back as she withheld a scream of frustration. Not too long ago she was in Auradon pacing her bedroom as she showed Carlos the threatening messages she was receiving from the mystery. Now she was trapped in Uma's fish shop with nobody to save her.

Not like she needed saving. Mal didn't need them. Not her friends, not Ben, not her associates. She's been riding life alone for years and she didn't need extra passengers slowing her down.

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HARRIET waved goodbye to their father as she closed the cabins door, calling for Gil to keep lookout as she slapped her brother on the shoulder to wake the trio up.

Following the events of them getting knocked out by the Hook's family henchmen, they were taken to the Hook's family territory where they were tied up in the abandoned cabin Captain Hook used to use to play fish bait with his children. Under the creaking sink attached to the wall was a ledge to pull open the floor, replacing the wood with the ocean filled with crocodiles beneath them. It was a game he rather enjoyed and he adored playing it with Harry the most, as Harry would scream for their father to play with it him instead of his sister's - Harriet and CJ.

The trio jerked awake in synchronization, their instincts making them fight to be released. Harry and Harriet watched them a tad bit of glee. A tad bit.

"Let us go! We didn't come here for this!" Evie whined. The blue-haired girl let out a breath of frustration as she looked back at the fish-covered wires tying the trio to each other. Carlos remained silent, thinking about how she wouldn't be in this situation if he worked harder to help Mal. As much as he hated it, all his current thoughts led back to the purple-head. A feeling of cold regret sinking into his heart the more time went on.

Harry ran his hook through the strings of her curly hair, "We'll see th' idea whin ye tell us how come yer gang is back, princess," he soothingly said, looking back at his sister who was leaned against the wall.

"Don't touch her," Jay and Carlos snapped at him.

Harriet sent two daggers flying through the gap separating their heads, "Watch howfur ye speak tae mah brother. Harry, git back 'ere," as she said the sentence, Harry winked at the duo before going to his sister's side. Harriet slowly walked over to the sink, a tune escaping her lips as she did so.

"Look - we understand why you're angry at us. Believe me, I pushed hard for you guys but nobody listened. I wanted you guys to have a chance! I did!" Evie cried, her heart now beating out of her chest as she watched the older girl. She didn't want this; she didn't expect this.

It was supposed to be easy. Get Mal, leave and be happy. Evie didn't participate in bullying, nor did she participate in being evil. She didn't know the history about the rivalries between gangs or the rivalries between Mal and nearly everybody.

But the second she decided to join her; the second they became friends, they became her enemies as well.

And Evie didn't want that.

"Ah coudnae care less aboot yer prissy schuil. This is ma hame, princess. Whilk is how come..." Harriet replied, stopping at the sink and squatting next to it, "A'm waantin' tae ken how come ye'r trespassing in it," She finished. Giving them a crooked smile, Evie dug her nails into her palms.

Where was Mal?

No, what a hypocritical question on her part. Mal didn't need to come save them. She owed them nothing after they ditched her. Evie had to grow up. She had to stop being that little girl who wants to cry when they face problems.

"We're not here to stay, aight?" Jay spoke up, catching the pirate girl off guard.

She shared a look with her brother, both furrowing their eyebrows. Harry slid his finger across his hook, "Then how come urr ye 'ere, bonny laddie?" His eyes glistened with curiosity. So, they must have been here for Mal. Did Mal run away? He found that rather funny seeing as she was the quickest one to leave.

Jay huffed, "If we tell you, would you let us go? I hate Auardon myself, okay? I don't fit in with those guys. We don't relate and every time they speak about their families I see the judgement in their eyes. You can be in a new home and still feel like a visitor," As he confessed the truth, Evie and Carlos' hearts sunk to their stomachs. Yes, the group has their problems - they all did. But none of them ever considered Jay's. He was the big brother, the one you could talk to. Jay helped them when they were down and defended them when they couldn't. Jay wasn't the type of guy you saw as having problems. He carried himself as care free and chill. But in the end he's human. They all are.

"I like you," Maddy butted in, pushing past Gil and walking towards the trio, "But we don't care about your sob stories. You had every chance to come back, Jafar Jr. Have you guys ever considered what your parents did to us?" She asked, her tone going from lighthearted to dark.

The mood in the air shifted as she asked the question. Harriet's eyes fell to the floor and Harry's jaw clenched as Gil awkwardly rubbed his arm.

Evie met her in the eyes, the nervous feeling in her stomach beginning to rise again, "W-what?" She choked out.

Maddy cracked a sad smile, "Of course you didn't give a second thought to how they reacted. We paid for what you did. All of us. It was a fight... my home was destroyed. And you come back here with the goal to take her back and leave, right? That's what the henchmen told me. We know where your friend is...but I'll be damned if you don't pay like we did. I'll be damned, Evie!"

Evie's tears came as if, at long last, her accumulated ocean of brine was trickling through, "W-what... what.. what happened..." There was something in her voice, a pain behind it.

Mad Maddy tapped her fingers against her head as she humorously hummed, "Well, princess, don't I have a story for you!" She giggled, but no pure intentions were behind it. It was a giggle of anger, a giggle of hurt.

And Maddy was going to tell them the reason behind that hurt.

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