Carlos had no idea how he went from worrying about making amends with Meredith and hopefully asking her to the cotillion, to suddenly being back on the Isle of the Lost.
How exactly did he wind up there, anyway? Unfortunately, the stress of being the Lady of the Court got to Mal, and she ended up running back to the Isle with only a short note to her friends explaining her reason for it. Evie, Jay, Carlos, and Ben went after her as soon as they got the chance to, of course. They tried everything to make sure their plan worked: they drove to the Isle late at night and hid the limo they used so that nobody would find them, they taught Ben how to act more like a villain, and they let Ben be the one to go up to Mal and try to reason with her.
However, things didn't go as planned. Mal insisted that she couldn't go back to Auradon and fought with Ben about it, and now, there was a new problem. The young king had disappeared from sight just a minute after he had gone back down to Evie, Jay, and Carlos. He was literally by their side one second and gone in the next.
"Guys," Carlos said urgently, being the first one to notice. "Where's Ben?"
Evie and Jay joined Carlos in looking around the dimly-lit alleyway. Only a few seconds had passed when a tall, male figure came walking their way.
"Ben? Ben!" Evie said. The person started walking into the light, and she let out a sigh of relief, thinking it was who she was looking for. "Ben, don't scare us like that!"
Instead, Harry Hook had walked up to them.
"Don't scare you?" he questioned with a smirk. "That's my specialty."
"What did you do with Ben?" Jay demanded.
"Oh, ah, we nicked him! Mhmm, yeah, if you want to see him again, have Mal come to the Chip Shoppe tonight — alone. Uma wants a little visit."
All the three of them could do was glare at Harry. He wasn't phased in the slightest and instead pouted playfully.
"Aw, Jay. Seems like you've lost your touch," he said. Everyone knew that Jay used to be the most skilled person on the Isle when it came to stealing and thieving around, and now, he had become a victim of the very same things he was once good at doing, not realizing that Ben had been taken from him in plain sight.
Harry's comment riled Jay up just as he wanted. He made a move to attack Harry, but Evie instantly grabbed his shoulder.
"Jay!" she warned. Harry laughed at them condescendingly, enjoying their predicament. He strutted away without any care in the world, whistling some tune he heard recently as he did.
Evie, Jay, and Carlos looked at one another once he was gone. They knew they had no choice but to tell Mal what happened, and they needed her help. Jay began climbing up the fence to open it from the other side, and once he did, the three of them dashed up the stairs to reach Mal.
Needless to say, they got scolded by the purple-haired girl the moment they finished telling her what happened to Ben.
"If you guys never would have brought him here, this never would have happened!" she shouted. "What were you thinking?"
"He was gonna come with or without us. We just wanted to protect him!" Evie tried.
"Yeah, and we completely blew it, guys," Carlos pointed out.
"Okay! Okay," Jay raised his voice, hoping to calm everyone down. "So, what are we gonna do?"
"We are not doing anything. This is between Uma and me," said Mal, walking down the steps. "And she's a punk, and guess what? Now I have to go get him."
"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Mal," Carlos stopped her. "You're still gonna have to go through Harry Hook and his wharf rats."
"Yeah, you're gonna need us," Jay agreed.
"Uma said to come alone."
"Mal, come on," Evie tried to reason with her best friend.
"She said to come alone," Carlos said in a quiet voice, realizing that maybe Mal was right. They couldn't risk all four of them going to Uma in fear of what she would do to Ben. "I know one thing: I'm not going anywhere."
He plopped down on the couch as if to prove his point, and Jay soon followed.
"We'll be here when you get back," he said reassuringly.
They kept their promise. They waited for what felt like hours when it had barely been one until Mal returned, only to tell them what Uma wanted in exchange for Ben back.
"There's no way we're gonna give Uma the wand. We can't just let her destroy Auradon!" Evie said frantically.
"If Uma doesn't get the wand, then Ben is toast, guys," Carlos sighed.
"Right, so, we're gonna give Uma, of all people, the wand?"
"Yeah, but like —" Jay began.
"Do we have another choice?" Carlos finished.
"Wait, you guys!" Mal exclaimed. "Your 3D printer."
"A phony wand," Carlos said in realization.
"Yes!"
"In my sleep."
"And the second Uma tests it, she'll know it's fake," Evie cut in.
"Well, okay, so then we just get Ben out really fast. We need some kind of diversion," said Mal.
"Smoke bombs!" Jay suggested, sitting up in his seat. Mal pointed at him, impressed by his idea.
"That's perfect."
"I'll get the chemicals I need from Lady Tremaine's place — that could work." Evie made her way towards Mal to touch her newly dyed and styled hair. "Oh, and sick hair, by the way. Evil Stepmom seriously stepped up her game."
"Okay, do you want to know something?" Mal said excitedly. "Dizzy did this."
"Little Dizzy? Shut up!"
"I know. I'm like, loving it. It's like, a lot lighter."
"I'm really proud of her!"
Jay and Carlos shared knowing looks, sensing that the girls were getting distracted. Jay cleared his throat loudly while Carlos said, "Hellooo?"
Evie and Mal stopped gushing over the latter's new hairstyle and Dizzy Tremaine, getting their heads back into the game.
"Right," Evie said, flipping her hair and placing her hands on her hips as if to show that she was back to focusing on their original task. Mal clapped her hands and got back to business as well.
"Carlos, Jay, you guys meet us at Pirates Bay no later than noon," she ordered. "And, you guys, losing? Not an option. 'Cause we're rotten..."
"To the core," they chorused.
"Let's do this."
♚ ♚ ♚
Meredith hadn't seen Carlos the entire evening. She was still avoiding him, but it was a bit strange since she would at least see him walking around the dorm during the past few nights even when she wasn't speaking to him already. She started to wonder where Dude was as well because he was usually by Carlos's side if he wasn't with her. Wanting to check if the campus mutt was okay, Meredith decided to search the dorm for him. She had also just crammed some last minute preparations for the Royal Cotillion, so there was no better time than now to look for Dude and play with him so she could unwind before going to sleep. She slipped out of her room in her pajamas just as the clock struck three o'clock, quietly closing the door behind her so as not to wake Jane.
It didn't take her long to spot Dude. He was just on the other end of the second floor hallway, looking as if he was waiting for something. He looked fine, but Meredith still found it odd that he was alone and outside Carlos and Jay's room. She began making her way towards the dog, halting in place when footsteps began bounding up the staircase. She hurriedly hid behind the wall that led to another corridor, thinking it was one of those routinely checks after curfew. But when she took a peek, she saw that it was only Jay and Carlos. They looked like they were in a rush as they brisk walked towards their room, briefly stopping when Dude came up to them with his tail wagging excitedly.
"Hi," Carlos grinned, picking him up. "Oh, I'm sorry I'm so late, Dude. Ben got captured."
Meredith's heart stopped. Ben got captured? When and where did happen? How did he get captured? Who did it? So many questions rang through her head at that moment.
"Don't —"
Jay held Carlos back before he could enter their room and said, "Why is our door open?"
The two boys entered their dorm room, only to find Chad in the middle of using their 3D printer. Meredith took this chance to tiptoe her way towards them, wanting to eavesdrop some more.
"You've got to be kidding me," Carlos said in disbelief. Chad jumped with a start, pressing the off button before facing them with a nervous smile.
"I knocked," he chuckled.
"Go on, Dude." Carlos put Dude back on the ground. The dog trotted towards the bed, jumped up, and sat down in its own cot. Meanwhile, Carlos held his hand out towards Chad, who sighed and gave in to what he knew was being asked of him. He fumbled through his pocket to retrieve the key to the room and reluctantly gave it to Carlos.
"What is that?" Jay questioned, staring at the figure inside the 3D printer. Chad opened the printer and carefully took the unfinished item out.
"Oh, that's a little Chad action figure. Vrooom!" He waved it right in front of Jay and Carlos's faces childishly. "Well, minus the head."
"Sounds like an improvement," Carlos said, unamused. Done with Chad's antics, he pushed past him to use the 3D printer as well. "Excuse me. All right... here we go."
"Meredith?" someone said from behind the redhead as she hid behind the doorframe. "What're you —"
"Shhh!" she said in a low voice to whoever it was — it turned out to be Lonnie. The girl was dressed in the Swords and Shields Team practice uniform she technically stole from them. It seemed like she was on her way to yet another secret training session even after Jay rejected her request to join the team.
"Well, okay, then," Lonnie whispered, making a confused face. "I'll be on my way."
As she walked past the opened room without worrying she'd get caught, Meredith continued to try and stay hidden. She peeped from where she was crouched by the door and tried to decipher what Carlos was typing on his phone, but she couldn't see from the distance. Thankfully, Chad questioned them out loud.
"Why are you guys making Fairy Godmother's wand?"
This seemed to catch Lonnie's attention. She came to a standstill and shared a curious look with Meredith. Then, she backtracked and copied her friend by hiding behind the other side of the door.
"O-Oh," Carlos stuttered. "Uh, why are we making Fairy Godmother's wand?
"Because, uh..." Jay started.
"Ben's been captured!" Dude said. Meredith's eyes nearly burst out of their sockets. Dude could talk? But that was impossible... he was as normal as any other dog in Auradon as far as she knew. That is, unless someone did something to him to suddenly make him capable of speaking...
"What?" Chad gasped. "Dude can talk?"
"I was stalling!" Carlos said irritatedly.
"I thought you forgot," Dude defended himself, only shocking Meredith even more. It sounded like he and Carlos were used to speaking to one another. When did that happen?
Meredith couldn't just sit back and watch anymore. Aside from the fact that Dude was talking now, there was a more important matter at hand that was her reason for eavesdropping in the first place: Ben had been captured. She knew she had to do something. She motioned for Lonnie to follow her, and she did, carefully making her way to Meredith's side without a noise.
"Don't tell anyone!" Jay warned Chad as Lonnie and Meredith slowly backed away from the room, near enough to still hear what they were saying inside but far enough so that they could talk to each other. "Ben's life depends on it."
"Really?" Chad said slowly. "So, if something were to happen... you know what I'm saying..."
"Something bad, we get it," Carlos said.
"God forbid," said Chad with a small laugh. "But if something were to happen, who do you think would be in line to be king?" As if to give them a hint, he flashed his action figure, causing Jay to scoff.
"Is it me, or is that in really poor taste?" he said.
"Chad's unbelievable," Meredith whispered after hearing all that, causing Lonnie to nod her head. "So, what should we do now?"
"We're going to help them, of course," Lonnie whispered back determinedly. "If I leave now, I can run to the amphitheater's stock room and grab some more swords. We don't know who took Ben, so we need to be prepared."
Meredith wasn't a very spontaneous person, but when it came to helping out her friends, she would do anything. If Ben was in trouble, there was no way she was going to just sit back and wait. So, she agreed to Lonnie's plan.
"Okay, it's settled, then." She moved as if she was going to head down the stairs, but Lonnie stopped her. "What?"
"Uh, don't you want to get changed first?" Meredith looked down at her mint green and white pajamas and cringed.
"Oh, right."
"Okay, you go dress up into something more appropriate while I grab the swords. Let's meet back here in half an hour."
Lonnie and Meredith ran to their respective destinations just as Chad walked out the door. Fortunately, he wasn't a very observant person to begin with, so he didn't notice the two girls and what they were up to, his attention directed only at his headless figurine.
♚ ♚ ♚
"I can't believe you made me change into this."
"What? I wanted you to match with me. I want us to look good in a fight."
Meredith looked down at the outfit she had changed into: a yellow top with a matching blue and white tracksuit. She had originally switched from her pajamas to a green shirt and a pair of black sweatpants after she and Lonnie separated, but when the taller girl returned to the dorm with the swords, she dragged Meredith back into the room to pick an outfit for her instead. While Meredith secretly liked what Lonnie chose for her, she also felt like she was representing Auradon Prep's colors a little too well and that it was unnecessary since they didn't need their clothes match when they saved Ben. Lonnie insisted, though, so Meredith was stuck wearing the same colors as her friend and their school.
"It's been hours," Lonnie said after a while. "How long do you think it's gonna take?"
She and Meredith had been hiding by the bushes for quite some time already even after the whole outfit change fiasco, waiting for Jay and Carlos to finally exit the dorm so they could confront them.
"I honestly don't know, but Carlos's printer is usually pretty fast since he modified it. He's really good when it comes to technology. You know, he installed all those hacks and updated the software and stuff and —" Meredith stopped short, only realizing she was blabbing about Carlos when she saw the look Lonnie was giving her. "Uh, you get what I mean. I guess it's taking a while because Fairy Godmother's wand is hard to replicate."
"No, keep going. You can talk about Carlos some more since I'm bored anyway," Lonnie teased, causing Meredith to blush in embarrassment.
"I was just talking about his 3D printer," she said defensively.
"Okay, okay, I believe you. Don't you think this is exciting, though?" Lonnie said giddily.
"Which part? The one where Ben was captured and is stuck in the Isle of the Lost?"
"No, silly. That's not good at all, but the idea of fighting people to save him sounds so fun to me!"
Meredith paused, trying to understand what she meant but not quite getting it. It must be exciting for Lonnie because she genuinely enjoyed sparring, but for Meredith, she was more of worried. She did have some experience in fighting, not to mention the fact that she also practiced with Lonnie for a while, but actually being in a legitimate fight while one of her best friends' life was on the line admittedly sounded a bit scary.
Suddenly, the front doors of the dormitory burst open. The two girls peeked through the leaves to see who it was — Jay and Carlos. Finally.
"Let's go —" said Lonnie, straightening up. Meredith was about to follow her but pulled her back when she saw Doug approach the two boys from the other side. Jay immediately hid the 3D printed wand behind his back upon seeing him.
"Oh, hey, have you seen Evie?" Doug asked them innocently.
"Uh..." Carlos sent Jay a pleading look. "She went camping."
Doug was not convinced at all, narrowing his eyes at that statement.
"Evie-I-want-to-live-in-a-castle sleeping on the ground with no place to plug in a hair dryer?"
"You know how spontaneous she is, bro!"
"Yeah," Jay faked a laugh as he and Carlos began to walk backwards. "Totally. Totally."
"Later, Doug," Carlos said as Doug eventually gave up, walking into the dorm instead. Meredith and Lonnie finally came out from the bushes and strode up to them, stopping just as the two boys turned around. They jumped in surprise when they came face to face with Lonnie and Meredith.
"We're coming with you guys," Lonnie said, folding her arms.
"What?" Jay laughed unconvincingly once again. "We don't need swords at the... Waffle Hut." Carlos sent him an annoyed glance, not believing how bad of a liar he was nowadays.
"We know you're going to the Isle to rescue Ben. Besides, we can see you holding that wand," Meredith said firmly, making Carlos look at her. They held eye contact for a few seconds, which was probably the longest they had acknowledged each other in the past few days.
"Look, it's either you take us or we're gonna have to tell Fairy Godmother," said Lonnie.
Jay and Carlos exchanged uncertain looks. It seemed like they were internally communicating, because after a moment, they both nodded, even though it was obvious that they were hesitant about it.
"Okay! Really?" Lonnie beamed, throwing her arms around their shoulders. Somehow, she had pulled Meredith into it, squeezing the girl in between herself and Carlos. Both Meredith and Carlos couldn't help but think about how this was the first time they had been that physically close to one another since their argument.
When Lonnie released her hold on all of them, Meredith found herself still walking alongside Carlos, although they didn't address each other. To say the air was tense was an understatement, and their only saving grace was Lonnie's excited chatter as they walked down the road. Carlos kept glancing at the redhead next to him from his peripherals, trying to come up with something, anything to say to her.
"So, uh," began Carlos. "How did you find out about Ben?"
"I was looking for Dude when I saw you guys," Meredith explained. Carlos was mildly surprised that she had answered at all. "Then I heard you say that Ben's been captured."
"Oh. Why were you still up?"
"I was just doing a few things for the cotillion."
The cotillion. That stupid cotillion was why they fought in the first place. Carlos wracked his brain for the apology he had been planning, but no words came out of his mouth. Meredith also wanted to bring it up, knowing that their argument was just petty and full of misunderstandings, but her pride was keeping her from saying anything.
Eventually, the two of them lapsed into a silence again, the only noise coming from Lonnie as she talked nonstop to Jay. This was going to be a long day.