Chapter Text
Carlos is headed to the loft that he and his friends hang out in. He'd stayed back at their parents' place at the request of his mother, and it had taken far too long before she'd finally let him sneak out from her clawed grasp.
It should be easy to get there, and it would've been had he not bumped into some thugs. Carlos knows these streets like the back of his hand, but its dark, and he's tired. He makes a wrong turn, a mistake that could cost him everything.
By everything he means all the belongings in his pockets, which mostly consists of stolen goods, maybe his jacket if he was unlucky, and definitely injuries that'd take two weeks to heal properly. As properly as they could on the isle.
There wasn't really any hospitals or places of that like. You might be able to gather some first-aid supplies, but it's not like he had the time to rest and heal the injuries anyway. He was a busy guy.
The palms of his hands are scraped open. Prickling, red droplets mix with dirt, the cuts sting as his pulse rushes through. He pushes himself off the ground, keeps running. The right direction this time. No more mistakes.
The sound of footsteps behind him grows and he picks up the pace. He's used to running, he's good at it. He's almost there. This was no place to get caught, right before the doorsteps of his haven.
A hand reaches out, fingers fumble to grasp the fabric of his clothes. They quickly retract to avoid a fate of solid metal as he slams the gate shut before them. The very last of his breath leaves his lungs.
The group of teens that had been following him are visibly upset at his escape. He sticks his tongue out and waves his hands by his head, mocking them before he walks up the stairs.
He wipes his hands clean when he gets inside. He'd forgotten his gloves before he left. It stings. He ignores it and joins his friends' conversation, laughing at today's pranks and thefts.
Everything was normal. Not great, but not completely horrible either. Just a little horrible. Compared to Auradon it could might as well be hell they're living in, but Carlos likes it.
He's got his friends, they're doing okay, he tries to avoid his mom as much as possible. It's alright.
He wonders what life is like off the isle. It's best not to think about it. It doesn't affect him, and it won't. There's no way off the isle. It's all been tried before and nothing has ever worked.
So no matter how insistent Mal's mother is that they're gonna find a way to rule the world, he doesn't expect anything like that to happen.
However, his belief is proved wrong the very next day.
There's a royal happening on the the television in their parents' lair. Not that anyone on isle really cared for what happened in Auradon.
Sometimes they'd watch it just to throw insults and popcorn at the screen, muttering to themselves about how they almost had succeeded.
This time, though, their parents were intensively paying attention. Maleficent almost pressed her face into the screen, occasionally leaning back to shake the Evil Queen. Carlos and the others had gathered around behind the adults on the couch.
On the screen they could see the prince, about to be king, Ben Beast. The only reason any of them were paying attention was that this was his very first proclamation. Not particularly interesting in itself, but ears all around the island had pricked up once he mentioned his plans for them.
Mal's mom loudly shushes everyone, despite being the main source of the noise herself, waving her arms. "My dad, the king, created the Isle of the lost to protect the people of Auradon." The prince begins, and a silence settles over the room.
"It worked. Trapping all the villains in one place to ensure safety for others." he drones on with his boring Auradon royal talk, "Get to the point!" The Evil Queen throws her popcorn at the television. "But that's twenty years ago now. I believe that it's time for a change."
The prince's statement is maybe the last thing any of them would've expected. Would he open the barrier? Carlos looks at his friends for their answer to the silent question written on his face.
Evie's smile is slowly stretching across her face, eyes lighting up with her dream of being a princess. A real princess. Jay looks unsure, eyebrows going up in the middle as if he's confused. He doesn't think so.
Both the boys look over at Mal, their designated leader. Her lips are pursed, the way she doesn't when she's thinking, considering. She feels their eyes on her, but her glance at them doesn't answer a lot. Wait and find out.
"There's plenty of innocent people living there. Children of the villains. They haven't done anything to deserve being stuck there." The villains all look over at their children.
Jafar's look is brief, face set in a barely hidden scowl, with an underlaying look of guilt. Jay was lucky. The Evil Queen nodded in agreement of the statement, her glance at Evie was confident. She knew she'd raised her daughter well.
Mal's mother barely looks at her. There's no staring contest this time, like there so often is. It's a sly side eye, and lips curling into a contemplating smirk. Mal had always been a pawn in her mother's game. A desperation for approval that they all could understand.
Cruella's wide eyed stare creeps him out as much as usual. Carlos tries avoiding eye contact, but her crazed eyes bore into him. He feels guilty. Her eye twitches in what he's learned is jealousy. A chill runs down his spine.
They all seem to be holding their breaths, waiting for the prince to continue. "That's why I have decided to bring a handful of children from the Isle to live in Auradon." His mouth drops open in shock.
"I've already chosen them." Anticipation fills the room, so thick you could cut it with a knife. Carlos holds his breath as the names of his friends are listed in order. Then his own name is announced as well.
Their parents have gotten up from their seats, the whole room is a chaos of people hurrying around. It's a blur, and all Carlos knows is that his mother is running her hands through his hair, nails a little too sharp for it to be comfortable. No one is watching the tv anymore.
Maleficent is estatic. She's already halfway through explaining her plan for them to take reign of Auradon and get her the wand. Evie's discussing looks and proper etiquette with her mom.
Their excitement dies down when Jafar speaks. "Jay can't go. I need him to stock the shelves in my shop." Jay chuckles, it's not often their parents admit their liking to them. Maleficent stares at him in frustration, eyes about to pop out of her head. "Of course he's going!"
Carlos suppresses a whimper when his hair is pulled. "My Carlos definitely isn't going. I'd miss him too much." He looks at her, "Really?" he asks hopefully. "Yes, who else would do my chores?" his smile falters, he shrugs her arm off his back.
"Besides, there are dogs in Auradon." she points out, and he hides behind her, "Oh, I'm definitely not going." his voice shakes. "They're all going!" Maleficent groans loudly.
After going through the plan at least three times in a row, including arguments and comments from the rest of the villains, they finally let their kids go.
They're back at the clubhouse, quietly sitting around. "I never thought we'd get to leave." Jay admits, saying what they've all been thinking. "I can't wait." Evie says, voice bubbling with excitement.
Mal snorts. "We're not going there to become princesses, you realize that, right? We're going there to steal the wand and avenge our parents." The silence falls over them again.
They all exchange nervous looks. This was a lot of pressure. Carlos goes to sleep worrying his lips between his teeth.