Wendy parried Hook's attack with surprising swiftness. She'd grabbed the sword Peter had let her have from her belt and clashed it against Hook's blade. Hook looked shocked that Wendy could now fend for herself. She thanked past Wendy for all the hours she'd spent in her garden at home practicing moves she'd remembered Peter doing.
"Little girl," Hook said, wild eyes almost spinning in his skull. "If you give yourself over, you needn't be harmed. You can go back home, and be safe, you can forget Peter ever was."
"Neverland is my home!" Wendy shouted, kicking Hook's legs. Hook fell, and Wendy used this moment to go to Peter.
Peter was struggling to his feet, his breathing was hard, and his legs shook ever so slightly. Wendy cursed his odd desire to wear clothing of leaves. If he'd been wearing something thicker, more durable, that sword wouldn't have slashed him quite so badly.
"It's shallow," Peter huffed as he stood, he removed his sword as he spoke.
"Oh no," Hook had picked himself up, and looked unenthused by the situation. "You aren't really going to try to fight are you? Come on Peter Pan, we've got you surrounded. It's dozens to two."
"Come on Hook," Peter said, forcing a grin, which looked more like a grimace, onto his face.
"Would you really be satisfied if I came quietly?" He asked, and with that he swung his sword around and hit the pirate nearest him. The pirate collapsed.
"Attack!" Hook screeched with a wild and ragged voice. The Pirates did just that. Wendy and Peter fought back to back, fending off pirates as best they could. She noticed that neither her, nor Peter, were landing blows that could kill the men and women.
Wendy didn't think for a moment they could do this on their own, she had to get over to Slightly, Tootles, and Tink, any help would be appreciated. She thought that maybe if she left for a moment, Peter could protect himself, after all, he healed very quickly. If the wound really was shallow as he said, he shouldn't take too long to feel better.
Wendy fought her way over to her bound companions as best she could. She noticed one of her arms was dripping blood, but she was so pumped full of adrenaline she hadn't even felt the pain. Sweat dripped down her face, and she cursed herself for not tying her hair up. As hard as she tried, her progress towards her friends kept being blocked.
"Peter!" there was a scream from the entrance. Cubby and Nibs looked in horror at their leader who was white as a sheet, struggling to fight four pirates at once. Wendy's heart began to ache with worry. Why wasn't he healing? Why did he still look so sick?
Nibs rushed to Peter's aid, while Cubby ran to help Wendy. They still weren't making much progress, as Cubby was clumsy with a sword and didn't know his own strength. His swings were often overpowered and threw him off balance.
Meanwhile, Tink had been inching her cage slowly toward Wendy by slamming against the glass. She'd actually made it about a foot. Wendy saw this, and told Cubby to cover her for a moment.
"Watch out Tink!" She yelled before slamming her foot down on the glass. The cage broke, and Wendy's foot throbbed with pain. She ignored it for the time being as Tink flew out a bit dazedly. Wendy knew she had no time to free the others, but with Tink emancipated, perhaps she could get help.
Wendy ran back to help Cubby, but they were losing quickly. The numbers were too many. Soon Wendy's arms had been painfully yanked behind her back as a disgusting smelling woman tied her wrists together with rope. Cubby was cornered by two large pirates, and one decided to sit on him to keep him quiet. Nibs was hanging on the wall, someone had stuck a knife through his bunny ears. He was struggling and spinning, but he couldn't reach the knife. Peter, well, Peter had tried his best, but now Hook was taking him on himself.
Peter's moves were slower than usual, his eyes lacked their shine. He looked horrible. Wendy noticed more bloody spots on him. He'd been stabbed multiple times.
Just as Peter reached out to block one of Hook's blows, another Pirate hit him hard on the back, and Peter fell like a chopped tree. He scrambled on the ground, dirt mixing with blood, but Hook placed a boot covered foot on Peter's neck.
Wendy had to turn away. She'd never seen Peter so weak. Hook was grinning at him with glowing eyes. Hook looked like this was the best day of his life, and Peter looked like it was his last.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the island.
Fay had heard nothing from Tink the whole while she'd been waiting. Her and The Twins were beginning to get bored. She'd played every card game she knew with them. No one had come to attack the house.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, a dark, shaggy head popped out from a bush. Fay nearly fell off her stump, and The Twins pulled out their daggers.
"Hiya Fay," said the grinning pirate boy.
"Pirate!" The Twins said in unison.
"Maverick what are you doing here?" Fay demand.
"Are you looking to get cut up?" asked one Twin.
"You'll never live to see your way out of Peter Pan's territory," said the other.
"I'm not here to fight, just to see Fay," Maverick said, hands up in defense. He even took out his sword and threw it on the forest floor. One Twin snatched it up quickly.
"I can't stop thinking about you," Maverick said to Fay.
"Maverick," Fay sighed. "Can't you see, we're on different sides?"
"Star crossed lovers," Maverick said dreamily.
"More like star crossed acquaintances," Fay mumbled.
"Well, I'd like to get to know you better," Maverick sat down with them as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
"I'm on watch, I can't talk," She grumbled, though she actually would have liked to talk to him. She felt as though she'd exhausted every topic of conversation with The Twins and it was starting to get boring.
"Watch for what?" He asked.
"Pirates," She responded giving him a pointed look.
"I don't see any around here," He said with a chuckle, and side of her mouth quirked up at the joke.
"How are you even here?" She asked. "Doesn't Hook notice you are missing?"
"Him and the crew are doing something," Maverick said, not meeting her eyes.
"What are they doing?" She asked.
"Umm, well, actually that doesn't matter, I've got to tell you something," he said, still not meeting her gaze.
"What?" She asked, still worried about what Maverick's father might be up to.
"I've actually come here to capture you three," He said, and snapped handcuffs around Fay's wrists in a flash.
"What the Hell!" Fay said in shock. Maverick had The Twins tied up in no time.
"Sorry Fay," Maverick said, and he did look sorry. "Hook and the crew are ambushing Peter, they know about his plan. I'm supposed to bring you three in."
"Maverick, please don't do this," Fay begged, immediately struggling with her bonds.
"I don't want to, but he'll feed the crew if we finally get Peter," Maverick said dismally.
"Maverick, let me go, and we'll go to Skull Rock, and you'll declare a mutiny. You know it's what you want to do. You hate Hook," Fay said, trying to convince him.
"They won't listen! I know they won't, I won't get a single member," Maverick said.
"Maverick," Fay whispered.
"Yes?" He answered.
"Come here," She made him come close so she could whisper in his ear. She didn't want The Twins hearing.
"If you let us go, and help us save Peter. I'll be your crew member," She bribed. Maverick's eyes became the size of dinner plates.
"Really?" He asked. "You promise?"
"I promise, but you have to let us go, to save Peter," She begged. He looked unsure for a moment, but then, he let her loose.
Immediately, Fay put the plan she'd been concocting since Maverick mentioned Hook's ambush, into action. She told The Twins to go to Tigerlily, and beg her to send some people to help Peter. She decided she and Maverick would go to the Pixies, and see if they'd lend their aid.
They split up, and Fay tried to navigate her way back to Pixie Hollow by memory. When she got there, Tink was also there, out of breath and weeping. She and Tink rallied the Pixies, and a swarm of fairies flew off with Fay and Maverick, to Skull Rock.
Maverick kept up a commentary the entire trip about how wonderful flying was. He'd never done it before, and Fay had, had to share her bag of Pixie Dust with him, since Tink had refused to help a pirate. Fay had tried to explain why he was necessary, but Tink saw it as a betrayal to Peter.
"How shall I kill you Pan, hmmm?" Hook said in a sing song voice.
"Roast you? Drown you? Feed you to a particularly bloodthirst crocodile?"
Hook's crew shouted their approval. Hook was beaming at the limp Peter. Wendy was trying very hard to break out from the woman's bonds. It was no use, she wouldn't get far anyway. Well, if Peter was going to die, she wanted to go with him.
"Hook!" She shouted. Hook turned to her.
"Can I say goodbye?" Was all she could think to say.
A nasty smile curled onto the lips of Captain Hook.
"I think that not saying goodbye to you, would hurt Pan more than crocodile teeth, or last gasping breaths, or flames licking his skin. So I shant let you say goodbye, in fact."
Hook looked almost as if he were about to start dancing with joy, a gleeful smile twisting his features.
"I shall kill you first I think, in front of his eyes," Hook squealed.
"NO!" Peter's voice was hoarse, but strong.
"You won't lay a finger on her! Kill me if you must, but touch Wendy and you'll regret it all your days!"
"I shall, and you will have to watch," Hook sneered.
Peter, finally, finally, began to struggle. The fierceness came back into his eyes, burning like a green fire. He looked practically feral as he fought against Hook's pressing foot. Somehow, Wendy wasn't quite sure how, it kind of happened in a blur, Peter was up and free. Hook gnashed his teeth, preparing to raise his sword against Peter. Peter then did something Wendy would've never expected. Instead of using a sword, bow, or power of flight, he socked Hook right in his overly large nose. Hook reeled back, holding his face. Wendy saw blood drip down towards his mouth. Peter moved quickly. Within moments Peter had shoved the pirate woman out of the way, and grabbed Wendy's arms. He released Wendy from her bonds, and Wendy felt the ache in her muscles subside a little.
"You blasted child!" Hook was wailing. The Pirates waited to be commanded.
Peter shoved Wendy behind him, keeping a grip on her hand. He looked at Hook with the darkest expression he'd ever worn. Though he was still bleeding, and his legs shook slightly, he still looked very formidable.
"You will not touch Wendy!" Peter declared. "Drop your sword," he demanded of Hook.
Hook burst into laughter, and his crew followed nervously. Soon the laugher was echoing off the cavern walls. Peter kept hold of Wendy, and his stance didn't falter.
"You really think you have a chance?" Hook cackled. "It's all of us against two, and you are injured Pan. I know the status of the island, I know the secret. You cannot beat me any longer!"
Wendy's heart was struck with fear. What did Hook know? What could the woman from the heart have been about to say. Peter wasn't even denying it.
"Even if I die, I will still defend Wendy. You will have to kill me if you want to get to her," Peter promised.
"Dramatic as always Peter," a voice echoed through the room. Everyone turned in surprise to see a tall, frightening figure in the doorway.
"There will be no dying to defend Wendy," the deep voice continued. Tigerlily came out from the shadows, a smirk on her beautiful lips. Her face was decorated with war paint, she wore a many feathered headdress, and clothes made for fighting. She looked incredibly intimidating.
"Surrender Hook, for you are surrounded. My men and women are all behind me, and we will fight for Peter," She promised.
"Little girl," Hook seethed. "You would do well to stay out of matters that don't concern you!"
"I am not a little girl, I am a chief, and you will respect me or pay the price," Tigerlily told him harshly.
Hook's eyebrows were raised, but his teeth were bared. A mixture between disbelief and anger. He gritted his teeth, and pulled out his sword.
"I will not give up! I am so close to killing him," He looked like a wild man who'd been left in the forest too long. His hair was sweaty, but also sticking up in many places. His body seemed to vibrate with madness. His eyes swirled red and yellow. Crusted blood still covered the area under his nose. Broken blood vessels were showing up as purple dots and lines on his skin, from the strain of his intense anger.
"Suit yourself," Tigerlily shrugged.
The fighting broke out immediately. The madness was so great that Wendy and Peter were quickly knocked to the ground. Wendy felt her fingers being trodden on, and tried to pull them back up.
"The fighting will stop if I leave," Peter shouted to Wendy. Wendy took his hand in her smarting fingers. They tried desperately to navigate their way through the crowd of fighting men and women. Wendy's lungs were on fire, she was already so tired from fighting, and now the running felt like almost too much. Everything ached.
Suddenly, they were yanked off their feet. Two burly pirates pressed them against the wall. Wendy felt her wind pipes being crushed by the meaty hands. The pirate holding Peter slammed his fist into Peter's face.
"That's for Hook!" the Pirate growled, as Wendy screamed for Peter. The scream wasn't very loud though, because she was quickly losing air. Peter's head hung down, curly blond hair blocking his face from Wendy's view. Another punch landed on Peter's face.
Wendy clawed and struggled against the fist that held her. It seemed as if the pirates were reluctant to actually hurt her too badly. Hook wasn't above torturing a mortal girl, but it seemed some of his crew were. Wendy wasn't the goal, she wasn't the prize, Peter was, she was an afterthought. In that moment she was very happy to be an afterthought, because it meant the pirate holding her wasn't looking at her, he was looking at Peter's beating.
Wendy moved her hand down and grabbed a small blade concealed in her boot. She slammed the sharp point into the pirates hand. He howled in dismay and Wendy was dropped. Wendy took a huge gulp of fresh air before going to aid Peter. She didn't hesitate to push the blade into the side of the pirate wailing on Peter. He fell over, clutching his side.
"Peter," Wendy said sorrowfully, hauling him to his feet. He looked incredibly dazed, his head lulling from side to side. Wendy didn't think she could possibly carry Peter out of here with how exhausted she already was.
"Peter you have to walk a little, I can't support you," Wendy was practically in tears of frustration.
"I can barely hear you," Peter shouted. "I just hear ringing."
Wendy got him nearer the exit but it was hard to maneuver through all the fighting. Wendy was supporting most of Peter's weight, and she felt the strain on her muscles. She was about to collapse, she really couldn't hold him up much longer. Wendy was easily knocked to the ground by a dueling pair. She felt hot tears pour down her face as she struggled to get Peter up again.
"He's on the ground!" Someone shouted and a vicious looking woman came racing toward Peter with a cutlass. Wendy screamed and threw herself over Peter's limp body. Wendy braced herself for the sharp ripping feeling of the sword on her flesh. However, all she felt was a small prick of pain, similar to that of a thumbtack brushing the skin.
Wendy looked up to see a red haze around the head of the woman. She swatted and flapped at the little creatures, but it was fruitless. She was too panicked to be very damaging.
The Pixies were surrounding the bodies of the pirates, poking them with miniature swords, throwing leg weakening potions on them, distracting them so that they missed their targets. Fay stood in the middle of it all, confidently. Peter and Wendy stared at Fay in awe as she directed the Pixies.
"Tink!" Peter called out when he saw his small fairy passing by. Tink's light turned blue the moment she saw Peter, sorrow filling her small body.
"I-I can't fly for some reason," Peter coughed. "We need dust."
"Father!" A booming voice called, distracting the three.
Maverick stood with a longsword in hand. His brown skin looked golden in the light from the heart. He stood with impeccable posture, and he towered over his father. He was beautiful to behold, and fierce. For once he looked serious, the pink scar across his face making him even more intimidating.
"Maverick, why haven't you captured these fools!" Hook howled.
"I no longer work for you father!" Maverick announced.
"What is the meaning of this!" Hook snapped.
"I am declaring a mutiny! For too long Hook's crew has been mistreated, chasing after a child who can fly, at the expense of our bodies and souls. Well I say no more! I am going to take over The Jolly Roger, and I will run it right."
The pirates looked confused, and some looked tempted. Hook looked outright furious. Smee cowered behind his captain. Tigerlily and her people looked on in interest. Even the fairies had stopped their onslaught.
Wendy and Peter did not get to see what happened next because Tink sprinkled them quickly with dust, and they made it out the door. Peter seemed to be getting a little better with the dust on him. He could run again at least. They made it to one of the eyes, and in desperation not to have to run down any more staircases, they flew out.
Peter was fine at first, but after a few minutes he began to sink lower and lower in the air. Wendy zoomed down, and used the last her her strength to haul him back up into the air. She held him bridal style like he had when he'd saved her from walking the plank. This was how she flew with him back to the tree house.
Surprisingly, when Peter and Wendy finally made it to the hideout Fay, and The Lost Boys, were all there as well. Fay explained that after Peter left there was no real reason to fight, and that all the pirates were reeling from Maverick's announcement.
"You were excellent!" Peter spoke, his voice slightly slurred from the pain. Fay beamed at the compliment.
"You did exactly the right thing, we would have been dead without you," Peter exclaimed, and threw his arms around Fay. Fay hugged back eagerly, and Wendy swallowed the jealousy that threatened to overtake her. She had to think of Peter and his wounds, he was really bad off.
"What can we do for Peter?" Asked Cubby, tugging on Wendy's dress.
"Bring me all the medical supplies you have, and run a hot bath," Wendy instructed.
"We haven't got many supplies," Nibs said dejectedly. "He never usually gets hurt, or if he does, he doesn't stay that way long."
"I know this is hard," Wendy said, eyeing Peter, who was still complimenting Fay and couldn't hear her.
"We've got to be strong for him, something weird is going on. If you haven't got supplies, ask Tink who would and bring them to me as soon as possible."
The Lost Boys saluted her, and ran off to find what they could. Wendy went back over to Peter, and took his arm from Fay so that she was supporting him again.
"Peter, you are going to get in some swimming trunks or something, and get in the bath, then I'll be there to help with your wounds," Wendy ordered.
"What are swimming trunks?" He asked.
"Like long underwear, I might have some in the bag I brought," Wendy thought.
"Okay, get them, I can make it to the bathroom myself," He said, and Wendy let him go.
"Wendy wasn't it amazing all those things he said about me," Fay said the moment Peter was gone.
"Yes, you really did help us. I think we'd both be dead without you Fay."
"He really appreciated me," Fay said, still in her own little world. Finally Fay couldn't keep her excitement in any longer, she had to tell Wendy.
"I'm going to tell him I like him," Fay said.
"What!" Wendy asked.
"I really, really do, and I think he might like me as well," Fay said.
"I-" Wendy stopped herself, she didn't quite know what to say. Why did she feel so odd about this, so resentful? She should be happy for her friends. Did maybe she not want Fay to be with Peter. She wanted Peter for herself? Did she, love him? Was it possible that all the time she'd spent dreaming about him coming back for her had made her fall in love.
She felt dazed and confused, like she'd just stepped out into the bright sun after being in a dark room. She didn't know if being in love with Peter was good or bad. She thought all of that longing had been for Neverland, The Lost Boys, the magic, and for Peter, but perhaps all along, it had just been for him. Maybe she didn't care where she was if Peter was there, he made all the difference. She thought about all the things she'd ever thought love was. Caring about someone's well being more than your own, she'd demonstrated that by laying over Peter when that sword was coming down. Wanting to always be with them, that was easy, she loved being with Peter. Caring about what they cared about, yes, definitely, she was trying to find a way to fix Neverland afterall. Loving all the parts of them, even sometimes, their faults. Wendy agreed that this one also made sense. She loved so many things about Peter, his bravery, his kindness, his fun-loving attitude, his voice, his eyes, his curls, his intelligence. She even loved the not so nice parts, like his stubbornness, his temper, she had one too after all, his magnetism for trouble, it made things more interesting, his pride. She didn't know how she could love such negative attributes, but somehow she did. It was true, she was in love with Peter. She wanted to kiss him, to hold him, to stare into his eyes, to be with him forever and ever.
As she sought out the swim trunks she'd brought for Peter, she walked as if in a dream. In a slightly mechanic voice she told Peter to put on the trunks and call her when he was decent. He told her thank you through the bathroom door, but she didn't respond. The revelation kept hitting her, over and over like a wave, washing over her whole body like fast moving water, she was in love with Peter Pan. Desperately, wholeheartedly, relentlessly, in love, and if Fay and him got together, there would be some problems.