Alright, people, welcome back to the third chapter. Are you ready to see the plan in action? Either way, it is coming right up. Plus, if this chapter is a little long... well, everything I wanted to say is mentioned in this chapter. I'm just going to reply to your reviews and then you can read this chapter, okay? (Or you can just go straight to the chapter - your choice):

Kingson24601: Thanks for reviewing! That's the plan. It's supposed to be different from the film in some ways, because not everything can be the same as the original in this crazy world (though there are some things I didn't want to change). I loved to write that part!

Decembra1998: I'm surprised nobody else tried this before (or maybe they have and I'm just not aware of it). Maleficent isn't happy with just a piece - she wants to rule all of Auradon. Yeah, things can't always go as planned. We'll see today if Ben believes her or not. Narissa is very evil, indeed. (One of my favorite Disney villains). Thanks for reviewing!

anonimo: Thanks for reviewing! Here's the update.

pinksakura271: No, there wasn't any dialogue about that. I tried not to make the chapter too long, so some parts had to be cut. That's exactly the villain hierarchy I had in mind! Long live girl power! They need the rehearsal. We'll see if Ben buys it or not. Thanks for reviewing!

TKDP: Thanks for reviewing! They did (his name's Ben). They'll figure something out to make it work. Maleficent doesn't, but Evie and her mother do. They prefer locking them up at Maleficnt's castle 'cause it's closer to the village and they don't want those boys to be locked up in their own castle. Yeah, that about sums it up, though I hadn't thought of it that way. It's a harsh world they're living in and it can get pretty dark in the (near) future.

PurpleNicole531: Your suspicion is right. Their friendship may not last that long, sadly enough - I wish there was another way. Those items will certainly come in handy later. Thanks for reviewing!

Enjoy!

-Writer207

Ben had no idea how long he had been in this dungeon. He did know he was stuck here for longer than 48 hours. His only companions were seven of Evie's latest victims, but they weren't very talkative. Maybe it was better that way, so they wouldn't continuously talk about her. Their hearts may be broken, but he did not want to hear them complain or whine. Besides, there were worse things that needed his attention.

First of all, his ankle. The guards only came to bring him some old bread and a bit of water from time to time, and since they put him here, nobody came to check upon the wound. He saw no other option than to rip a piece from his shirt and wrap it around the wound. He hoped it would stop the bleeding and keep out infections. He hasn't changed the improvised bandage yet, mostly because he was afraid of what he would see. He figured he'd only see dry blood and maybe an infected wound that has trouble with healing. That wound was also the reason he wasn't able to walk properly, so he wouldn't be able to leave, even if he wanted to.

From his position he couldn't see it, but the heavy door opened again. It could be anyone – from the guards to the son of Jafar. Today, the visitors were the guards. He could only watch as the two guards opened the cell and forced him to get on his feet. This is it, he thought, enjoy your last moments. He didn't struggle, let the guards pick him up and drag him out of his cell. Just a week ago, he would have never thought he'd let guards bring him to the square and just kill him. What's the point? Nobody would be able to save him once he was there. His friends couldn't risk getting caught. The others were too afraid.

They drag him away from the seven other prisoners. He tried to walk, but his ankle hurt too much to be able to properly walk. He didn't have a choice, though. While they walked through the hallway, the guards suddenly stopped. Ben wondered what made them stop until his eyes fell on the second door. He and the guards were silent, but the same couldn't be said about the creatures behind the door. They growled, barked dangerously, attacked the door. Ben noticed the guards were just as nervous as he was. He thought he'd be brought to the square.

"Does this one have to be replaced?" One of the guards wondered out loud. The other shrugged.

"Why don't we find that out right now?" the guards straightened their backs when they heard that voice. A shiver went down Ben's spine once she had said that. He already guessed who was coming to see him, and he didn't like it one bit. Descending the stairs, frightening Ben and the guards alike, was Maleficent, who showed them a wicked smile. She stopped when she was about three feet away from Ben.

"Let's see what you've got," she said and grabbed his jaw, to check him out. Ben could barely hide his fear, but was already surprised he didn't pee in his pants. Nobody said a word as Maleficent looked at Ben, who wouldn't keep his eyes off of her. The creatures behind the door had also stopped growling and attacking the door. Eventually, she pulled her hand back, leaving him wondering what that was good for.

"Bring him to the square," Maleficent said, "this one will not be replaced." She turned around and walked away. The guards stared at each other for a while, then pushed Ben forward, forcing him to walk past the door. As soon as Maleficent was gone, the creatures started barking and attacking the door again.

"It looks like you're lucky, kid," one of them whispered. Ben had no idea if he was meant to hear it or not, but those words hit him nonetheless. Lucky, what for? Because he was not going to be 'replaced', whatever that meant? That he was going to die within an hour?

He decided not to think about it too much. His concentration went to trying to go upstairs without hurting his painful ankle too much.

Mal was watching the people gather for the execution. It was mandatory for everyone who lived in the village. The only exception was made for the old, babies and people who, due to illness or something else, weren't able to get out of bed to witness the event. The people were gathering, waiting for the resistance member to arrive and be killed.

Mal was sitting at what she and her friends considered 'the best spot' to watch the execution – from a completely different angle as the townsfolk, but they would still be able to see those who were to die clearly. For now, the resistance member hadn't arrived yet, but two goons were already standing to separate the crowd from the wooden stage where the poor unfortunate soul would meet his end.

From the corner of her eyes, she could see how Carlos ran towards her. She turned around, firmly holding her spell book in her hand. Once he reached her, he rested for some seconds and panted before telling her what she needed to know.

"Maleficent knows of the plan," he said and Mal nodded, "She knows it's just a set-up. She won't be mad at you or us." There was a chance that, when Maleficent had no idea what was going on, she would turn to Carlos, Jay and Evie to explain it and (probably) be punished because they couldn't stop her daughter.

"Good," Mal responded, "Now find Jay and Evie. It's going to begin." The resistance member could be brought any minute now, so they had to be ready to respond the way they rehearsed it. Talk loud enough for the people to hear it. Stop Mal just before the guy loses his head. After he's dead, let Mal 'escape' and make a spectacular exit, telling them she would try to stop any execution in this region from now on before actually disappearing.

Carlos nodded, glanced at something behind Mal, turned around and went to look for Evie and Jay. Mal turned around to see what Carlos was looking at, only to see a young blonde teenage boy stand there. He had his hands in his pockets and was looking at the for now empty stage with a smirk on his face.

"Quite a view you've got up here," he said, turning his head at Mal. He didn't show any sign of fear. Mal couldn't keep her anger under control – this was the spot reserved for the children of villains, not for peasants. She took her spell book out of the bag she was holding close, filled with supplies just in case she souldn't find any place to stay during her search for the wand. She opened her book and looked at him with her most evil look.

"Go where you belong, peasant, or your last moments will be spent in the middle of the square," she said it as menacing as possible. He stared at her and then shrugged, turning his head back to the stage.

"Then I'm good," he said and he sat down on the grass. "Besides, if I were to die, I would've known and wouldn't have come here. Got anything to eat?" Mal stare at him, surprised by his reaction. When she spoke with that voice, most people turned around and ran. This was the first time someone acted as if he couldn't care less. She kept her spell book open, glared at him, ready to strike at any moment.

"Who are you?" She asked him. If she really is going to kill him, she had to know what his name was.

"My name is Hadrian," the boy said, "I'm sure you've never heard of me." He had a point – Mal had no idea who he was. This made it more likely that he indeed was a peasant with a big mouth and too much stupidity which he mistook for courage.

"If you are not who you say you are…" she couldn't finish her threat. Hadrian interrupted her, turning his head at her.

"Believe me, Witch," he said – the use of the nickname made her believe even more he was a peasant, "this is no joke. I never come to these parts of the kingdom because your mother intimidates my father. I only came here to see death." Hadrian looked back at the stage.

Mal closed the book, not taking her eyes off of Hadrian. He didn't seem to be intimidated by her at all. Now that she thought of it, he sat there, relaxed, as if he had no worries whatsoever in life – a privilege only given to the children of the villain elite.

"Who are you?" she asked him again. "Really?"

"I should have introduced myself with my other name," Hadrian said, finally introducing himself properly and making his true identity known, "I am Hadrian, also known as the Demigod of Death. You're a smart girl, you'll know who I am." Mal made the connection as soon as he mentioned the nickname the people gave him.

"You are Hades' son," Mal then said. He looked at her.

"Correction," he said, "one of Hades' sons. For a guy who doesn't like mortals, he seems to have a thing for mortal women." He didn't say anything else and didn't make any other attempts to continue the conversation, so Mal didn't, too. Instead, she put her spell book back in the bag and looked around to see if Carlos, Evie and Jay were already coming. There were no signs of them yet. And the spectacle was about to begin! Her gaze soon fell upon Hadrian again, who was minding his own business, waiting for the spectacle to begin. She would leave him alone, but not after asking one more question.

"How did you earn your nickname?" Mal asked him eventually. She just had to know. There was a reason for every nickname, and it wasn't given with only the heritage in mind.

"It isn't as spectacular as you'd think it is," he said, "Some my brothers and sisters are stronger than me, some have inherited nothing from our father." He turned his head to Mal. The smirk had disappeared. "I know when people die. Not how or why or where or even the exact hour, but I do know when the people around me die. Whenever I look at a person, I know when he will meet his end: it's either not yet, soon or late." As a son of Hades, it made sense he had powers related to death. Still, she wanted to know how he knew some resistance member was going to be killed today. He didn't mention knowing where they would die.

"How did you…" Mal began, but Hadrian was faster than her.

"It's some sort of sixth sense that pulls me to places where they die. Apparently it likes seeing resistance members and murder over natural deaths. It pulled me here. Must've been such an important death." Mal frowned when she heard the last sentence.

"Must have been?" She wondered out loud. The resistance member was going to die today, that was part of the plan. Then why did he mention it 'must have been' such an important death, as if he would survive?

"As soon as we started talking," he explained, "the feeling I have whenever someone is going to die disappeared. Vanished in thin air. It's never happened before, except for those few times when someone showed up to save their lives. Your mother will be very angry if she knew what you're doing." Mal stared at him. Was he being serious or not? She would never save someone who pledged allegiance with the resistance.

"Do you really think I will free him?" she wondered.

"Yes, I am certain you will. If not, I would've still felt it." He sounded serious, not in the mood to lie to her – then again, who would ever lie to the daughter of Maleficent? He showed his smirk again and turned his head back to the stage. If the death of the resistance member was what made him stay, then why wasn't he leaving? Maybe he was lying after all.

"Mal!" She turned her head when Carlos shouted her name. He was walking closer to her, followed by Jay and Evie. Not far away from where they were walking, followed two of the guards with the to-be-executed resistance member. He was having trouble walking, resting on one feet longer than the other, limping forward. There was no way he could get far with running if he ever was saved.

"Who is that?" Jay wanted to know, looking at Hadrian, who chose to ignore the three newcomers and mind his own business.

"Hadrian, son of Hades," Mal said. She paused for second or two before she continued, "I want to begin early. When they've started proclaiming his crimes, we strike. I am going to save his life." Her friends' eyes widened in surprise, looking at each other.

"What?" Carlos said, "I thought we'd stop you and let you escape when he was already dead." Mal shook her head. The guards with the resistance guy were coming closer to the stage. The crowd had fallen silence from the moment he came into view. The guards pushed him, tried to make him walk faster.

"Change of plans," Mal said, "He has to live. I'll have a better chance of finding out where the resistance is and the wand when that guy can show me himself. After all, I'll have saved his life." The guards and the resistance member reached the stage, making him stumble. He hit the wooden boards, but didn't show any sign of pain. Yet.

"But what if he's replaced?" Evie wondered, "I mean, if he is, he won't be able to show you anything." Mal nodded, admitted she had thought about that, too. She turned her head to see they placed the guy on his knees, chin resting on a wooden block, ready to be killed. The two guards left his side, walked towards their two colleagues to calm the crowd. The executioner walked onto the stage.

"We'll have to take that risk," Mal responded. So what if he was replaced? She was certain someone in the crowd has pledged allegiance to the resistance, so they'd know what she did. The goon who accompanied the executioner held a paper in his hand with the crimes of the convicted written on it. He started to read them aloud, giving Mal two minutes to act.

"Was it Hades' kid who told you to save his life or not?" Jay then asked her. Mal realized he tried to keep her talking, so they could stick to the original plan. Kill the guy, but show compassion and run away. Mal shook her head.

"He didn't," she said, keeping her answer short. She then turned around and walked a little closer to the stage. Not too close, but still close enough for everyone to hear her. "Leave him alone!" she said. As soon as she said that, everyone turned their attention to her. The goon who was reading the crimes to the crowd, had stopped and looked at her, too. he didn't continue right away – as Maleficent's daughter, she maintained a certain level of authority, but still not as high as her mother.

"Mal!" Evie shouted it, "Come back here? What are you doing?" she then continued with a softer tone, barely a whisper only the villain kids could hear. "This isn't part of the plan." Mal knew she couldn't just start whispering back, so instead she chose to rely on the rehearsed reaction to a similar question.

"I can't just watch an innocent boy getting killed because of something he is not." She hoped the crowd would believe it. So far, they were watching with big interest. Even the goons and guards watched the scene unfold. Only the resistance guy who would've soon been killed wasn't looking in her direction.

"What happened to her?" Carlos said, remembering the prewritten reaction to that phrase.

"Mal, you should really take a drink," Jay then said, reaching out a small flacon with water, which was supposed to represent the brew that would make Mal evil. They had thought out an entire fake backstory – the better you were prepared, the more people would believe it.

The only one who wouldn't play along was Evie, because she wanted to see him die. That meant one less resistance member to worry about. Yet, if they played it well, they could take care of him, too, once they've found the wand.

"Don't stand in my way," Mal said, then turned around and walked a little closer again until she was right at the stage. "Let him go," Mal said in a threatening voice. The guards looked at each other, unsure what to do. Maleficent told them to kill the boy, but her daughter was telling them to let go. While they wondered what they were supposed to do, Mal took the spell book from the bag again and opened it at the right page. She had bookmarked it last evening so she wouldn't forget the page where the stunning spell was located.

Only when she opened the book, the boys jumped into action. They ran to her and tried to take her down and get her to drink the so-called evil potion. Mal was faster. She quickly read the spell, then turned around right in time to stun Carlos and Jay. They were running at her with full speed, thenthey stopped and fell to the ground, seemingly unconscious. Evie preferred to stay out of trouble, watching as Mal progressed with the plan on her own terms.

There were loud gasps from the crowd. Finally, some sounds rose from them, whispering about their disbelief and Mal's actions. The resistance guy tried to turn his head, but the executioner positioned his head back in place. Her attack convinced the guards and goons something was wrong and that they should hurry up.

Mal was faster. She put her spell book away (she now knew the spell) and walked up on the stage. Again, she pronounced the spell, knocking out the executioner and his friend. She had barely cast it or she was already standing next to the resistance guy and continued to cast a spell she's always wanted to use.

"Coast, woods, far or near, take us far away from here," she said, grabbing the resistance guy before she pronounced the last words. The guards were coming to her, ready to arrest her and bring her to her mother. She then vanished in thin air, along with the resistance guy.

Ben had no idea what was going on. While he was sitting there on his knees, he looked out in the crowd to find at least a few familiar faces. There were none, which scared and relaxed him at the same time. Relaxed, because they wouldn't have to see him die. Scared, because he'd have to face his end alone. Then again, he's always known this was going to be his end. The crowd was silent, he noticed, and he tried to listen to the fight between Mal – at least, he guessed it was her – and her friends. After the crowd had gasped, everything went so fast. The executioner behind him collapsed, the daughter of Maleficent came closer, grabbed him and dragged him away from the stage.

They landed in the dense forest. He looked around, trying to orientate himself. He recognized where he was after a while, about thirty miles away from the village. The alliance was a little further away, yet close enough to go there on foot. His ankle still hurt and he had gotten small cuts and a lot of pain from landing at this spot, where a plant with sharp thorns grew.

"What just happened?" He said out loud.

"I saved your life," a very familiar voice said behind him. He turned around and then saw Maleficent's daughter sitting not far away from him. He froze and could've sworn he turned pale when he saw her. How did he not see her when he looked around the first time? He decided not to take her eyes off of her, only because of how dangerous she can be. Some more questions arose when he stared at her. What was she doing here? What was her reason for 'saving' him? What would she do now they had arrived here, miles away from any civilization, too easy to commit murder?

Fear kicked in once she looked at him. That fear has kept him alive for a very long time. But now, during one of the rare moments someone of the villain elite wasn't trying to kill him immediately, Ben found some bravery in himself. It wasn't much, but it was enough to talk to her.

"Why did you do it?" he said, trying to get up with the help of a tree – the sooner he was away from her, the better. "For your mother, your friends, your…"

"I just wanted to help you," she said in response. Ben eventually got up and tried not to stand too much on his painful ankle.

"So, now what?" he wondered where he found the courage to continue talking, "We're out of the village, all alone, so if there's anything you want to do with me, don't even bother." He still couldn't take his eyes off of her. Mal, on the other hand, couldn't stop staring at her, seemingly taking in every detail. She stared at his feet for a longer time than any other body part.

"There is something I should do," she then said. She reached in her bag. Ben's eyes widened when he saw the old spell book. Fear kicked in again, this time bigger than a minute ago. It was stronger than himself – he started to walk away as fast as he could, occasionally looking behind him to see if she was following him.

During one moment of not paying attention, he stumbled and fell on his stomach. His ankle ached and he didn't immediately get up. When he finally turned on his back and sat up straight, Mal was kneeling in front of him with the open spell book in her hands, already citing the spell out loud.

Once she was done talking, the aching in his ankle stopped. He looked at her, surprised. She put away her book and then reached out for the improvised bandage. He tried to say something and make her stop, but she was already removing it. When it was removed, the bullet wound wasn't anywhere to be seen. His leg and foot were still dirty and covered with blood, but at least the wound was gone.

Ben could barely believe his eyes. He reached out for his ankle and felt nothing but his rough skin with no sign of the wound. He looked up at Mal, who faintly smiled when she saw him. It freaked him out, but he was to astonished to think about her smile.

"You healed it," he said. you could hear the surprise in his voice.

"Yes," she said, "that's what good people do."

"But you're evil." He couldn't help it, he just blurted it out. Luckily, she only shrugged after he said that.

"I was. I never really wanted to be evil," she said and then sighed, "Look, I'm sure mother is looking for me. I don't know what she'll do to me if she finds me. Do you know a place to stay?" Ben wanted to help her – after all, she did save his life – but had no idea where to take her. They would look for her wherever they went. Actually, there was only one place where she could stay and where they wouldn't find her – but he didn't think the alliance would be happy with that.

"Can I trust you?" he asked her. If he couldn't trust her, he probably shouldn't take her to the alliance. As the current leader, his first act shouldn't be bringing an enemy inside. He needed to know if she could be trusted. Besides, someone of her kind already lived with them in peace for several months. Maybe she could be just like him.

"Yes, you can. I promise," she said. It sounded somewhat forced. Ben shook his head.

"I don't know if you…" while he stammered those words, she muttered something he couldn't quite hear – he thought she was swearing – and eventually stopped talking when she decided not to whisper anymore and talk out loud.

"Please," Mal started to beg, "Everyone I know is looking for me. I'm not safe at this moment. I'm not yet skilled enough to save myself. Would you please help me?" Ben looked at her again. After hearing these words, he knew he had to help her. If he was in her situation, he would want some help, too. He may still be a little wary, but at least he started to trust her. The emotion behind those words can't be faked.

"Follow me," he said, finally getting up from the ground, "I know where we can stay." Mal got up, too, and they started walking through the forest, with Ben leading the way.

"Are we going to the resistance?" she immediately asked. Ben stopped and turned around, having a puzzled look on his face. Mal immediately corrected herself. "I'm sorry, that's what mother always called it." He forgave her, only because she is used to calling them that.

"Yes, we're going to the alliance," he said. This was the first time (and maybe only time) she heard the word coming out of an alliance member's mouth. Ben continued walking and hoped this wasn't the biggest mistake of his life.