Heroes of Disney #1: Rise of the Firebird

Ch. 32: My Name is James

Kate and I climbed inside the porthole leading toward my friends and any other captives that happened to be down here.

"So, Kate. Do you know the total amount of prisoners that are down here?" I asked her as I stepped onto the ground from the ladder.

She nodded. "A total of four. Perry the Platypus, The Spring Sprite, Princess Tiana and Jim Hawkins."

"No James Herinson?"

She looked at me confused. "Who?"

My heart sank. For some reason I was actually glad my father was down here. Well, not the fact that he was in captivity, but because he was here for me. To try to rescue me.

Then what was Belle talking about?

"Nevermind. Just a false hope."

Kate and I ran down the hall only guided by the light of Kate's phone, when the light shined on a cell up ahead and to the left. A caught a glimpse of a familiar fedora.

"Perry!" I called out joyfully.

The Platypus who was lying down on his bed suddenly sat up and looked in my direction. He grinned.

"GGGGGRRRRRGGGGGGG!"

"Jamie!" called out the lovely voice of Spring. I noticed she was sitting in the cell opposite of Perry's. "I'm so glad you're safe!"

As Kate ran up to unlock Perry, I ran up to Spring's cage. "Are you guys alright?"

She nodded. Her face was wet, as if she had been crying recently. Her turquoise hair was all tangled up into knots. She reached her arm through the cage bars and gripped my hand. "How did you escape?"

"With Kate's help. But I'll explain more later. Right now we have to get to Tiana and Jim."

Kate, with Perry by her side, came over and unlocked Spring's cage. She lept out of her prison and immediately tackled me with a bear hug, crying all over again.

"Spring, it's ok." I pulled her up and smiled. "Can you tell me where Tiana and Jim are?"

She gulped and nodded. "Further down the hallway. I'm not sure how far, but far enough to be out of hearing range. Hurry back."

I nodded and took the keys and the phone from Kate. "I'll take it from here. Stay with these two."

Kate complied and stayed put as I, with her phone in one hand and her keys in the other, ran down the hallway at top speeds. We couldn't waste any time. For all I knew, Pinky had woken up and called on reinforcements. And reinforcements for the flamingos most likely meant The Firebird.

I ran down until I saw Tiana's face illuminated on my right.

"Jamie! How did-"

"No time." I interrupted and unlocked Tiana's cage. Apparently all the keys worked on every lock. Strange.

As Tiana was letting herself out, I turned around to find, in the opposite cell, a teenage boy who looked to be about 17. He was wearing a yellow sailor's shirt that split at the collar. The boy sported grey cargo jeans with thick, heavy-set boots. As for his head, his brown hair was tied back in a short ponytail. He had a small, gold, round earing in his left ear. This was none other than the mischievous teenage adventurer, James Pleiades Hawkins, or Jim Hawkins.

His darkened face brightened up when he saw me. Both because I shined the light on his face and because he was probably excited to have a rescuer.

But little did I know he was more excited about something else.