Disclaimer: This is a work of fan fiction using characters from Monster High, Ever After High, Disney Descendants, DC Super Hero Girls, and Project MC2 worlds which is trademarked by Mattel, Guru Studio, Disney, Dreamworks Animation's AwesomenessTV and MGA respectively. All characters are created and owned by Mattel, Disney and MGA and I do not claim any ownership over them or their story and it is not purported or believed to be part of the original story canon. This story is for entertainment only.

Episode Three:

Lost Lunch Woes

Twyla was harshly woken the next morning by Freddie's shadow spirits. They dragged her out from under the bed by the leg and tossed her 10 feet onto the cold hard floor. Twyla tasted blood in her mouth as she rose, her head throbbed as the sound of buzzing fluorescent lights flooded her ears. She didn't have long to orient herself as Freddie had crossed the room and grabbed her by the throat.

Freddie pulled Twyla close to her face and demanded, "Purple girl, what's your name?"

Twyla had to stand on tip-toe to ease the pressure on her neck, she winced as she answered, "My name is Twyla."

Freddie rolled her eyes and gripped Twyla's neck harder, "Do I look like I care about your given name? What's your last name, Hun?"

Twyla tried prying Freddie's hands off of her neck but Freddie had a vice grip around her throat. Gasping for air, Twyla rasped out, "Boogey." She furrowed her brow as she struggled to break free of Freddie. Out the corner of her eye she saw Darling, a girl with platinum blonde hair throw a pillow.

Freddie turned just as a shadow spirit grabbed the pillow before it hit her face. She tossed Twyla aside, "I'll deal with you later."

Darling boldly strode up to Freddie, "Cease and desist!"

Freddie looked at her sharp fingernails and sighed. She glanced at the nearest shadow spirit and jerked her head towards the girl, "Kids these days, no respect for their elders. Did you hear her make a reporting statement in any of that?"

Darling put her fist on her hips and glared at Freddie, "Here's a statement you can report to, any further transgressions against myself or my fellow detainees will result in punishment. Executable by me, Darling Bellona Charming."

Everyone else started cheering and clapping, Cleo sashayed next to Darling, flipped her hair over her shoulder and smiled, "I couldn't agree more. To add to that, I Cleo De Nile of the De Niles demand that you properly escort us to whoever oversees this facility and return us to our homes. I will not tolerate this abhorrent treatment." Cleo waved and smiled as everyone cheered again.

Freddie rolled her eyes then looked at the nearest shadow spirit and jerked her thumb towards Darling and Cleo. "Did you hear something? I think I heard the sound of falling on their face."

Shadow spirits swarmed everyone and slammed them face first onto the floor. Twyla groaned as the familiar taste of blood filled her mouth.

Freddie slowly prowled through the bed bay looking down her nose at everyone, her shadow spirits cackled as they held the class prostrate before her. She stomped on Darling's back, "Cute little rebellion, but you have no power here and when you speak to me…" She gestured towards the other seniors in the room, "…my corporals, or anyone who outranks you, you are to give a reporting statement. Do I make myself clear?"

Freddie ground the heel of her shoe into Darling's back, eliciting a gasp from Darling.

Cleo growled out, "Ugh, we don't even know what the reporting statement is! Now get these things off of me, how dare you slam my face to the ground."

Freddie turned around and kicked Cleo in the stomach which scattered the shadow spirits. Cleo coughed on the ground and clutched her side. Freddie snickered as she addressed another senior, "Melody, teach these cronies how to properly report."

Melody Piper was a petite mouse-like girl with ochre beige skin and a treble tattoo on her left calf. She walked to the center of the room with her head down and spoke in a monotonous tone, "When addressing an officer of Privateer Prep you are to stand at the position of attention, wait for verbal acknowledgement and state in a clear concise voice the addressees rank and name, followed by your rank and name followed by reports as ordered. If you are speaking to an enlisted member such as myself or Corporal Facilier you are to stand at the position of parade rest before proceeding the previous statement-" She jumped back startled as a knife clinked off the floor at her feet. Large brown eyes trembled as she looked to Freddie for clarification.

Freddie grinned while holding another knife, "Good grief you are putting me to sleep. Let's jazz up our morning routine, shall we?"

Melody shuttered as she reached with trembling hands for the black messenger bag at her side. She brushed tendrils of her long burgundy hair out of the way and flipped the bag open to reveal a portable turntable. She pulled a record out of the side pocket and placed the disc on the platter, playing a quick paced but sad blues song.

Twyla raised an eyebrow at the setup but didn't question it. If music kept Freddie's attention away from her, she was all for it. She began searching for a shadow to slide into so she could try running away, but once again there wasn't one available.

Freddie prowled around Melody and caressed her neck, "That is a lovely melody my dear Dahlia, thank you so much." Melody's entire being trembled as though she dared not move. Freddie grinned as she let go and turned back to everyone in the room, "First things first, I'm Freddie Facilier, but all of you will call me Corporal Facilier. These three over here-"

She pointed to Melody, Duchess and Spectra, "-are the other corporals in my class. You disrespect them, you disrespect me and trust me when I say you do not want to disrespect me. Now, I am taking precious time out of my day to teach you fools the rules to the school so pay attention because I will only tell you once."

Twyla tried to pay attention but the music made it hard to focus on words, the only thing she felt like doing was dancing and she was not the only one. Across from her she spotted Cleo and Darling trying and failing to stand still and listen. No one was listening, but Freddie kept speaking. As Freddie droned on and on, Twyla grew more and more irritated. Freddie was obviously the type that loved to hear herself speak and Twyla couldn't stand her but she was also afraid of her. She had never met anyone outside of her family that had such precise control of the shadows.

Freddie snapped her fingers and the shadow spirits whipped out knives. As they urged everyone into the latrine Freddie commanded, "Get in there, brush your nasty little teeth, wash your grimy little faces and be back in the bed bay in less than five minutes to get dresses. I'm not waiting here all day for you."

Twyla and crew scrambled into the latrine and away from the shadow spirits. There were only two sinks. With fourteen people trying to brush their teeth and wash their face it was damn near impossible to complete the task in less than five minutes. Twyla did not want to be last, she really didn't but her petite frame and lack of shadow maneuverability made it nigh impossible for her to push her way forward. She envied the two fairies in her class that could shrink at will and fly past the crowd. They got in and out before she did.

When the five minutes were up, Freddie sauntered into the latrine just as Twyla applied toothpaste to her toothbrush. Freddie smirked and pointed a long finger at Twyla. Four shadow spirits grabbed Twyla's arm and held out the toothbrush for Freddie to grab.

As Freddie grabbed it she chuckled, "Oh Boogey, did you want to dance with me already? After our chat last night I figured you were just like the rest but here you are pushing the limits doing what you want to do." She twirled the toothbrush between her fingers, "Well I've got news for you, only those with power can make the rules and I'm the one with the power."

Freddie jerked her chin upwards and additional shadow spirits gripped Twyla's jaw to pry open her mouth. She shoved the toothbrush inside and began to brush. Twyla winced and gagged as Freddie's none too gentle technique caused her already cut gums to ooze blood once more.

Freddie finished scrubbing and pulled the toothbrush out of Twyla's mouth before tossing it into the sink. She peered into Twyla's mouth and nodded then pointed to the sink, "Spit."

The shadow spirits shoved Twyla's head forward into the sink. She spit just as Freddie turned on the faucet and rubbed water all over her face. Water rushed into Twyla's nose and open mouth, and her vision was completely obscured, Freddie's black tipped coffin nails scratched at Twyla's skin. She flailed when it felt as though Freddie was going to drown her in the sink. Just as her lungs began to beg for air Twyla was pulled from the sink by the roots of her hair. Looking at her reflection in the mirror she saw that her cool wisteria skin was marred red from the excessive rubbing.

Freddie wrapped an arm around Twyla's shoulders, "Oh tiny Tina, you have so much potential. I was in your shoes four years ago, unsure of what would happen then I embraced this place. I learned all I could and now I have the power to rob royals without repercussion. My destiny was to be dragged away and now I drag them away." She flexed her arms to display her muscle, "All this power that I have, you could have it too. All you have to do is stop fighting the system, just like I did."

Twyla glared at their reflection, "I'm nothing like you."

"Pity," Freddie shoved Twyla forward, "Get in there and get dressed, you're eating into my time little girl."

Twyla dashed into the dorm bay and headed straight for her trunk. The spirits circled everyone and jabbed with knives as they dressed. Twyla threw her clothes on and jumped into line with the rest of her class.

Freddie stalked up and down the line almost daring anyone to make a move. She turned sharply on her heel toward Duchess, "Take these ugly ducklings down to the chow hall."

Duchess put her hand on her hip and shook her head, "I'm the Swan Princess, the Ugly Duckling is a bird of another tale! That joke was awwwwful!"

Freddie tossed a knife in the air and caught it repeatedly while tapping her foot, "Care to repeat that, chicken little?"

Duchess stiffened, turned and opened the dorm door, "No, we're going. Come on ducklings, follow me."

Twyla and crew followed Duchess Swan out of the dorm. Duchess skipped on tip-toe down the stairs like a ballerina making a stage entrance. She was a slender elegant girl with creamy beige skin, hip length black hair with one swath of white tied in a sideways ponytail. Her eyes may have been a cold muddy brown as she sneered but they were framed by inviting long eyelashes.

Upon arrival to the chow hall, Duchess pointed to the food line. "Now remember, stay heel to toe with the person in front of you. Do not look to the left or the right, file in and fill up the tables on both sides and-"

Freddie came up behind Duchess and smacked her upside the head. Duchess screeched and turned into a black swan, her feathers scattered everywhere as she tried to recompose herself. Freddie swatted her out of the way and pointed to the food line, "I already told you brats what to do, now show me how you follow orders." She folded her arms and smirked as Twyla and crew filed into the chow hall.

Twyla hadn't realized how hungry she was until the scent of fresh baked bread, bacon and fried eggs massaged her senses. Cleo was the first one to grab a tray, she placed the tray on the counter and side-stepped smartly responding with a yes ma'am or a no ma'am to the questions the lunch-ladies asked. Twyla followed close behind, her eyes widen at the full breakfast spread. Not only was there fresh baked bread for toast, there were waffles, crepes, baguettes, chapattis, arepas, and rice with several different types of meats to include sausages, bacons, and fish; there was yogurt, granola, and a wide variety of fruits and beans.

Twyla was genuinely excited for breakfast, plus it would give her the strength she needed to find a way to escape the school. Once she loaded her tray with yummy eats she followed the line, sat at a table, placed her tray and sat down. Barely had she placed a hand on her fork when shadow spirits snatched her food tray and threw it in the garbage.

Freddie from across the room cackled loudly as she kicked the nearest table, "I know I gave you fools the chow hall rules. And I know for a fact that I said to walk all the way down to the last table before you put your sweaty butt in a seat. You will not come into my chow hall and disrespect me. Spectra! Remind these heathens of the reason they lost their food."

Spectra lowered her eyes, floated over to Twyla and crew and explained the chow hall rules once more. A few of Freddie's shadow spirits kept flying around Twyla and pulling at her hair. She swatted at them but they would duck, laugh, and continue pulling. Twyla pulled her hair out of their grip just as Spectra finished her explanation.

As Spectra began to float away Frankie, a girl with stitches all over her green skin, stomped over to Freddie and put her finger in Freddie's face. "This is not fair! I think we've put up with quite a few bad things from you since we got here but you have to let us eat. This isn't right!"

Freddie looked down her nose at Frankie then smirked, "Not right, huh?" She pulled a butcher's knife out of a floating shadow, grabbed the hand in her face and sliced clean through the wrist. She swirled the knife around and laughed.

Frankie snatched her hand out of Freddie's grip and reattached it to her wrist frowning as she wiggled her fingers.

Freddie cocked her hip to the side and raised an eyebrow, "Peh, that's not right. You aren't even human; you probably eat brains or something. Any ways-"

Crecha, the identical twin of Frankie just with white hair, black streaks and a green and brown eye, growled in rage. She rushed Freddie and threw a bolt of lightning as she screamed, "How dare you hurt my sister!"

Freddie's hair stood on end as the electricity went through her. A few shadows oozed out the bottom of her blouse, as they had taken the brunt of the shock. She dodged Crecha's fist, grabbed Crecha by the throat, and wrapped her fingers around the bolts. Freddie choked slammed Crecha into a table as she hissed, "Looks like you want to go back to the grave."

Crecha narrowed her eyes as she gripped Freddie's wrist tightly and whispered, "Only if I can take you with me."

Freddie snorted and tossed Crecha aside, ripping a bolt out of her neck, "Spectra get these freaks out of my sight."

Spectra's shoulders slumped down and her lips trembled as she muttered, "Follow me everyone."

Freddie lobbed the bolt into the back of Crecha's head as she passed. Crecha grimaced as she struggled to dislodge the bolt from her skull, pulling out scalp and hair in the process. Twyla winced in sympathy as the chow hall doors creaked close behind them. Their stomachs sang a chorus of the hungry as they trailed behind Spectra through the tall hall. Disembodied laughter echoed around her and she glanced out the corner of her eye to see the shadow spirits dancing between the arched windows. How she wanted to smack them and their abusive mistress. Shadows shouldn't behave like that. If her father were here…

Twyla sighed as she shuffled past the dorms stairs and under the twisted black steel arch, its arms were branches that gripped the cream walls. Her father was not here, wherever here was and with the shadows under Freddie's control he wouldn't arrive. There seemed to only be a small window of opportunity during the night when the shadows returned but nighttime was also when her father had to be at work and if Twyla was on the other side of the world she wouldn't even be within his jurisdiction. Perhaps one of her uncles would find her and direct her father here. Perhaps, but in the mean time she needed to find a way out on her own.