THE BAD GUYS IN: raising princess

Princess secret: final

(A request from AlicornNorth )

The night of the Parent Council Event had arrived at Los Angeles High. The gym was transformed into a dazzling ballroom of sorts—streamers in the school colors of deep blue and gold were draped across the ceiling, fairy lights twinkled along the walls, and round tables were set for the parents and faculty. The student body was buzzing, with kids dressed in semi-formal outfits and music softly playing through the speakers while people mingled.

The Bad Guys made a striking entrance through the gym doors in full style. Wolf wore a classic black suit and tie, with his silver fur slicked back. Snake was in a sleek emerald green blazer, Piranha sported a sharp maroon jacket with gold trim, Shark rocked a navy pinstripe tuxedo, and Tarantula—aka Webs—wore a fitted black jumpsuit with circuit patterns glowing faintly on the sleeves.

Diane looked stunning in a scarlet cocktail dress with crystal accents. But stealing the spotlight was Princess Chesterfield herself. She walked in with flawless confidence, wearing a hot pink and white ombré dress that shimmered under the gym lights. The puff sleeves gave her a doll-like elegance, while her cherry-red ankle boots added a playful edge. Her pink hair was tied in a high ponytail with curled ends bouncing, and a delicate pearl necklace graced her neck. Flower-shaped earrings sparkled with each graceful turn of her head.

As she made her way through the crowd, she spotted her squad—Zoey, Claudine, Laura, and Kira—already gathered near the refreshments. They were all dressed in stunning outfits Laura had designed especially for the event, each tailored to match their unique styles. Princess beamed.

"You girls look absolutely gorgeous!" she said, taking a moment to admire each one.

"Thank you!" they all chimed in chorus, clearly proud.

Princess then asked, "Where's Eddie?"

Laura smiled, brushing back a strand of her blonde hair. "He and his football friends are backstage, helping the AV crew get everything ready for his surprise performance."

Zoey's eyes narrowed. "Hey guys. Overgrown lizard at 2 o'clock."

The group turned just in time to see Bowser Daimao walk in, flanked by his sharply dressed mom and dad. The bulky, cocky alligator snapping turtle had swapped his usual gym gear for a dark maroon blazer with gold buttons and matching slacks. He had an evil smirk on his face and was spinning his phone in one hand.

Princess let out a low, irritated cat growl. "He's got that look on his face again."

Zoey leaned over and whispered, "Easy, girl. He'll get what's coming to him."

Princess managed a grin. "Oh, he definitely will."

Just then, Eddie stepped onto the stage. He wore a dark grey hoodie over a red Doctor Strange T-shirt, navy pants, and yellow sneakers. He caught Princess's eye and gave her a finger-gun gesture—their secret signal.

Princess nodded back, turning to her friends. "Okay, ladies. As my dad Wolf would say... it's showtime."

The squad came together, bumping fists. "Let's do this!"

But just as they were heading to the backstage area, Bowser intercepted them. With a growl, he pinned Princess against the wall near the exit doors, gripping both her wrists in one hand.

"Nice try, kitty," he said, voice low and dangerous. "But when I show this little gem"—he held up his phone—"to your criminal family, they'll probably ground you for life. And that redhead boyfriend of yours? He'll dump you. Then you'll come crawling to me."

"Get your claws off her!" Claudine shouted, and without hesitation, she launched a spinning roundhouse kick that struck Bowser square in the face, knocking him back.

She stood protectively in front of Princess. "HEY, BACK OFF, GODZILLA! When you mess with our girl, you deal with us."

Bowser wiped the blood from his lip, his pride stung more than his face. "You don't get it," he sneered. "I've had a thing for her since freshman year. I'm not losing her to some redheaded mama's boy. I'm Bowser Daimao—the son of the Daimao Mafia—and I always get what I want!"

Without warning, he ran onto the stage and grabbed the microphone. "Everyone listen up!"

The room went quiet. Parents, students, teachers—all eyes turned toward the stage.

"I've got something to show you about the school's little darling, Princess Chesterfield!" he roared. "She's not as perfect as you all think!"

He hit play on his phone and beamed as a video began to play on the big screen.

Except it wasn't the photo he had planned.

Instead, it was a ridiculous video of himself—drunk, in his underwear, sloppily kissing a printed-out photo of Princess while singing "I Will Always Love You" off-key. The students roared with laughter. The parents stared in stunned silence, and then started murmuring in shock.

Bowser's eyes widened in horror. "WHAT?! No, no, no!! This isn't—!!"

Principal Regina marched up to the stage, lips pursed. "Bowser Daimao, you are officially suspended for two months. Get off the stage."

His mother didn't even speak—she marched up and grabbed Bowser by the nose, dragging him out by his snout.

The Dream Squad smirked in victory.

Backstage, the music started. The lights dimmed. And Eddie took the mic.

He looked out over the audience and began to sing When Can I See You Again by Owl City. His voice echoed sweetly, his energy bringing the crowd to life. Students clapped, parents smiled, and even the Bad Guys raised their brows in pleasant surprise.

Eddie winked at Princess. She winked back and whispered, "Alright, Claudine. Do your thing."

While the crowd was distracted, Claudine moved like a shadow, slipped into Bowser's seat, and grabbed his phone. She gave Princess a thumbs-up and hurried backstage.

With everything in place, Princess pulled out her ultrabook laptop—covered in Barbie stickers—and began hacking into Bowser's phone using the skills her mom Webs had taught her.

"There!" she said triumphantly. "Deleted the photo... and replaced it with something way better."

The squad gathered around to see—an even worse video of Bowser. This time, he was wearing pink bunny slippers, acting out a dramatic monologue to a life-size plush doll of Princess.

Zoey laughed so hard she nearly dropped her phone. "Oh my GOD! He's done for!"

Princess smiled, closing the laptop. "He tried to play dirty. Now he knows not to mess with the daughter of the Bad Guys."

The squad cheered and hugged each other, their plan a perfect success.

And out on the stage, under the glowing lights, Eddie was still singing—his eyes locked on Princess.

As far as she was concerned, this night was hers.

And no one—not even Bowser Daimao—could take that away.