A/N I know it's been awhile probably close to a year and I'm sorry for that. I do have good news though a lot of this story has been written out and I have my good friend Writingbookworm to thank for that, if I already said this in chapter 1 then I'm sorry for the reminder but a lot of these characters were made with help from friends Writingbookworm being a big help and I can be a bit of a slow writer so we started roleplaying this story so you'll notice different writing styles from now on. Writingbookworm wrote for Phillip and Song in this chapter. This chapter does backtrack a little so I apologize. Hope you enjoy.

Phillip's point of view

"Stay here, hide," Mei said. "I'm going to get Song."

"Mei, wait!" Even though Launie was out there, Phillip reached out an arm to grab her shoulder, to tell her to think. But she sprinted faster than he could touch her. "Wait!"

She was already halfway down the hill. What was she doing? She was going to get herself killed!

Breaking into a nervous sweat, Phillip scrambled for his bow. He wouldn't be able to stop her. But if he acted quickly enough, maybe he could at least ensure she had someone to help her. Maybe she'd told him to hide, but he couldn't stand by while she threw herself into danger.

The slight crinkle of grass. Phillip froze just as his fingers grazed the fletching of an arrow. To a normal ear, the sound would be imperceptible, but Phillip's father had taught him how to track. How to hear anything in the forest, no matter how quiet.

Phillip spun around just as a blow cracked across his head.

The pain settled in when Phillip woke up. He groaned, lifting his head. He tried to lift the rest of himself up too, but something pinning his wrists prevented him from doing that.

He blinked his eyes open, squinting against the light reflected off the walls. Metallic grey walls. What had happened? Where was he? This room looked more technologically advanced than any in Auroria. He looked down, heart freezing when he saw his wrists and ankles clamped down to a vertical slab of metal. There was a control panel posted to it, a control panel that could do . . . who knew what that could do.

With a jolt of memory, he remembered everything. Mei. Where was she? She'd headed straight into danger last he'd seen her, straight toward her nightmare. And Launie. She'd been outmatched by Song. Was Mei's assistance enough?

It has to be, he told himself. Mei was smart and capable. He didn't know Launie well, but she seemed tough herself. She'd have to be, with Maleficent for a mother. If they got themselves into any danger, they could get themselves out.

The only one in danger was him.

Slipping out of the shadows a girl about 16 came into view

"Glad to see your finally awake Phillip."

Phillip jumped, whipping his head toward the girl. How long had she been there?

He took a moment to recompose himself. "Who are you?" he asked, smoothing his voice to an even level, ironing out any wrinkles fear might have put in it.

She smirked at him jumping.

"Name's Beth."

Phillip nodded, weighing what to say next. Asking her what she wanted with him was pointless, simply because he already had a good idea why he was here. All VKs wanted off the Isle.

"Beth," he said, as amicably as talking to a stranger. Which he supposed he was, just under . . . strenuous circumstances. "Nice to meet you. I'd introduce myself, but if you said my name, I'm assuming it's unnecessary."

"Sweety there isn't one person on the isle who doesn't know who you are." She said in a sickeningly sweet voice.

"I'd offer you food but all we have is rotten or expired." She said with a sneer.

All of their food was rotten? Phillip schooled the shock that threatened to emerge on his face. "Clearly you've been able to manage, under difficult circumstances. I suppose it'd be only fair, if I got a taste of that medicine."

"As you wish," Beth walks away.

About 10 minutes later a guy comes back with a rotten apple and moldy bread and tossed it at Phillip.

Phillip barely managed to catch the apple with his hand, twisting his wrist in his restraints to get it by the stem. The apple was rotten enough that the stem cracked, leaving the apple to plummet to the floor. It rolled halfway to the wall, and Phillip sighed from the place he was bolted. Not much he could do now.

Still, the look of that apple made him want to cringe. He looked back up at Beth.

Remember, she's your captor, he thought. Your sympathy for her can only run so far. Even so, Phillip felt a pang of sadness — if not for her, then for everyone else on the Isle. For Launie. "I'm sorry this is what the food's like," he said, even though it was probably pointless.

"Hey it's no problem right we're all villans here so it's what we deserve." Beth said with a sneer.

"Breath Beth we said he'd be unharmed." The guy seemed to be more levelheaded.

"Then you watch him." She stormed off.

Unharmed. Thank god. That alone took a stifling weight off Phillip's chest, and he closed his eyes in relief. So they'd just hold him, not torture him. That was, if Phillip didn't press any buttons.

Phillip focused his attention on this new man. "Beth thought it was fine to tell me her name. Would you mind telling me yours?"

"Vlad. What brings you to this side of the barrier I passed up an opportunity to go to space when I heard kids from Auradon were here. Don't the teach things other then manners over there?"

"Just for us? I'm flattered," Phillip said. "Some of us happened to have a taste for adventure."

"I guess this will be one hell of a story for the kids if you live." Vlad says with a dark chuckle.

"So it will." Phillip tapped his fingers against the slab. "Have you and Beth been working together for a while? The two of you seem rather different."

"We're like family you could say. She'd say it's more then that but I'm already taken but depending on how things go down that might change, Launie has lost her spunk, but I am to blame for that." Another wicked smile.

Phillip froze.

"The daughter of Maleficent, if I'm not mistaken?" Phillip said, his mind reeling. He'd had a feeling there was something deeply wrong with this man — when he'd been getting a read on Beth, he sensed a lot of anger, but it was born from suffering. Vlad, on the other hand, was more polished. Phillip had wanted to believe that maybe he really was good, but now he saw all that Polish was hiding something infinitely more unrepentant.

If he's hurt Launie . . . Phillip may have never talked to Launie, but Launie was family, and already Phillip wanted to bring down the entire might of Auroria's army down on Vlad, and Phillip wanted to do it HIMSELF.

But that would be later. For now, he had to temper that indignation. "Is Launie involved in this as well?"

"She'll do anything I ask of her, for your sake you better hope your friends aren't complete dimwits."

Oh god. Phillip needed to get Launie out of Vlad's thumb. He had to do that as soon as he humanly could. "The deal seems fairly straightforward — me for a way off the Isle, right? So why send Launie for espionage?"

"Can't tell you all of our plans that'd ruin all our fun."

"Vlad Beth wants you." A younger girl came in.

"Are you taking my place here?"

She nods.

"Try not to have to much fun while I'm gone." Vlad walks out.

"I brought you something decent to eat but you gotta eat it before they get back." She unlocks his binds and gives him some kind of cooked meat.

Phillip rubbed his wrists and accepted the meat from her. "Thank you." He took a bite, appreciating the flavor while he still could — especially since this was such a rarity on the Isle.

He swallowed. "And your name?"

"It's better than here," Phillip admitted. He didn't mention how gilded it was — the surprising amount of bullies like Cameron LaBeouff that would be handwaved, nor, apparently, the cruelty that had gone into the making of this Isle. Phillip hadn't known about Launie for a long time, hadn't known about the food here until now. What else did Phillip not know about the Isle? What else hadn't he been told?

And Sarah saw it on the television, too. To live here, while Auradon News consistently reminded VKs about what they couldn't have? Phillip couldn't stomach this.

"I can tell you have a good heart," Phillip said. "You don't deserve to be here."

"I'm one of the lucky ones I guess. My dad just tells me to do what I gotta do to survive here. At least my dreams can give me some freedom. Can you do me a favor? Don't tell Beth or Vlad I gave you the food. Sith can be very scary."

"I won't," Phillip promised. "Cross my heart."

He glanced up, squinting at the door. Then he leaned forward as much as he could, dropping his voice to a whisper. "Sarah, how would you like real freedom?"

"Sounds like a dream. What do I have to do?"

Phillip had known from the beginning that he could not fight his way out. Even if he'd had a bow and arrow on his side, what was he against Sith and a flood of guards? The only chance he'd ever had at getting out was through negotiation. Beth and Vlad, as it had turned out, couldn't be reasoned with. Sarah, on the other hand . . .

"Help me get out of here," Phillip said quietly. "Vlad and Beth can't get to Auradon. I can't let them hurt my friends. You, on the other hand . . . we'll give you safe passage to Auradon." His tone softened. "I know we just met. I know it's a lot to ask. But if you help me, then I swear on my kingdom, my friends and I will protect you." He allowed himself a small smile when he thought of Mei. "And I have some friends who are very good at protecting people."

"Are you sure they'll let me?"

"What's going on here?" Beth came storming back in.

"Yyyyou promised he'd be unharmed I ffffigured it wwwwouldnt hurt for him to eat sssomething more then bread." Sarah stuttering out of pure fear.

"So you released his bonds, are you stupid he's the enemy here, you think any of them care about us? No they don't they live their perfect little lives and give us their trash."

"Maybe they didn..."

"What didn't know? Did you forget some of us are part of our parents punishment, Vlad, Launie, myself we wouldn't have been born if it hadn't been forced. They don't care and never will. Now get out of here I'll deal with you later."

Sarah ran out near tears.

Beth turns to Phillip.

"She may be hopeful but I know the truth you guys will do anything to keep your perfect little world. Enjoy being unbound, things will start falling into place soon."

Phillip's heart thudded in his throat. He wanted to call out to Sarah, tell her everything was going to be okay, apologize to her for potentially endangering her. But she was already gone.

Beth, in the meantime, stood right in front of him. "I don't agree with it either!" Phillip said, right before cringing at himself. That sounded too desperate.

But he WAS desperate. His only potential ally was terrified out of her wits, and now, Phillip didn't know if he could rely on her. Not because she wouldn't want to, but because he'd put her in enough danger as is. "We could have been on the same side, you know. We both want reform. But my friends aren't going to take this abduction lightly. I'm warning you — I'm serious, I'm actually WARNING you — my guard is not as inclined toward mercy as I am."

A soft snort. "You mean Li Mei?"

Phillip's head jolted up, spotting the woman who had come in after Beth. Tall, raven-haired, hardened with muscle. She removed the hood from her head, revealing a face Phillip hadn't forgotten. A face Mei hadn't forgotten.

Song Yu.

"You deal with him, I'll deal with Sarah and get things ready." Beth walks out still fuming.

Of course. Of course she was involved.

"You go do that," Song said without so much as a look back.

The door hissed shut behind Beth. Calmly, Song advanced toward Phillip, her kohl-lined eyes settled on him.

He wasn't sure what it was that made him lose his nerve around her. Perhaps it was the fact that this woman had already nearly killed him once, scarring Mei as she'd shoved Phillip out of harm's way. But he scrambled back, looking behind him like there might possibly be something that could hide him from her wrath. But her strides easily matched him, and it wasn't long before she slammed him against the wall, pinning him by the throat.

"You promised the rest of them I'd be unharmed," Phillip rasped.

"Maybe we won't," Song said, her voice as flat as ever. Phillip caught the way her hand inched toward her side.

As quick as a viper, she whipped out her knife. Too terrified to scream, Phillip desperately clawed at the hand at his throat, anything, anything to avoid certain death—

Nothing came. No darkness, no pain. Once he could think, Phillip glanced down at the knife's point gently poking underneath his chin. He tried to raise his head to get away from it, but the knife followed him.

"But you're still terrified," Song said. "And Mei? Even more so. As long as we have you, she will be the most frightened of them all."

Phillip dared not speak. He swallowed a lump down his throat.

"So don't count on her." Song finally released him. He gasped for air, putting his hand over his throat, making sure her hand wasn't there. "Don't count on your friends, don't count on Sarah, count on no one. The only thing you can count on is yourself, and you help yourself by not putting yourself in situations that will require us to hurt you." Song turned around to the door. "Goodbye. I hope you've learned your lesson now."

The door closed behind her, leaving Phillip completely alone.

A/N hope you enjoyed ^_^