"Hurry! Slide down!" Hook urged the kids. "They will be coming for us!"
Peter looked hesitant before he soon slid down and the others began to join him.
"I feel siiick!" Cherry cried out on the way down.
"Don't worry! I won't let ya get hurt!" Lionel promised her.
"Wahoo!" Patch cheered with a howl.
"This is fun!" Thor cheered.
"When it comes to sliding, how is it not fun?" Jill giggled while sliding down.
"Even in situations like this!" Mo added.
Cherry just groaned, looking a bit sick to her stomach.
"Well, not fun for everyone." Lionel remarked, though luckily, Cherry didn't throw up this time.
Meanwhile, the pirates and boys continued to mine, working all day and night without a proper break.
"Left foot in front of the other. Put the right one in front of the other," Smiegal began to order around the boys as a couple of large baskets flowed through the water, covered up in some laundry. "That is it. It has called walking. Go on. Go on."
"Smee." Hook's voice whispered.
"Well! Go on, then. Carry on." Smiegal continued, not hearing that at first.
"Smee. Down here!" Hook's voice whispered again, a little bit louder now.
Smee looked around before he looked around, still confused. "Whoa! 6:00... I do not-"
"Darn it, Smee, in the basket." Hook grumbled then.
"Get over here!" Lionel added in a Scorpion-like voice.
"Please do not call me Smee?" Smee asked before he looked into the basket to see that Hook was hiding inside of it.
"Hey, uh, sir? Could ya maybe get us up to the surface?" Jack asked. "Mr. Hook said that you could help us."
"There is no use," Smee whispered to them. "Once you are up there, you cannot get anywhere else."
"Not today~" Hook smirked as he made a gesture.
Smee soon looked over and moved the blankets again to show Peter and the rest of the group as Patch let out a small, friendly, cute bark. He then gasped before he soon took them into a larger, covered-up cart, and they rode in through the mines together before they came inside what looked like an elevator shaft.
"Good knowing you," Hook said to their helper once they were safe to come out, but not just yet. "You have been a true friend. Someday I will find a way to repay you. Now! Send us up." he then commanded.
Smee nodded, but instead of leaving, he shut the doors with him inside with them.
"Hey! What the heck are you doing?" Thor asked in confusion.
"Hook just said someday... He will find a way to repay me." Smee explained.
"Someday, not today! Get out!" Hook clarified and snapped.
"I think that is a very minor technicality," Smee replied innocently. "Someday could be today, if you think about it, and-"
"Smee!" Hook complained.
"Smee... That name suits him more..." Jill commented.
"Trust me, you better get used to that name." Cherry replied as they began to escape.
"So where are we headed?" Jack asked.
"The Skyport." Hook replied.
"What's the Skyport?" Thor asked.
"And won't Blackbeard notice us missing?" Mo added.
"Oh, would you rather go back to him right now so he doesn't worry about you?" Hook smirked.
"Erm... No thanks, Mr. Hook..." Mo grinned nervously.
"Ah... There it is," Hook said as they made it to the clouds. "The Skyport."
"Is it a hot air balloon?" Thor asked. "It looks like a hot air balloon."
"Let's just say that it'll be a great help to us from here on out," Hook replied mysteriously. "We can take one of the cable cars up to the dock," he then told Peter. "Then you will fly us to a ship. Okay?"
Peter only answered by hiding under the blankets, looking scared.
"Peter, you seem scared." Jack remarked.
"Shut it! I am not scared!" Peter pouted while hiding.
"Okay, this will be a problem." Patch whispered to Atticus.
"Yeah. It's obvious he's scared of heights." Atticus whispered back.
"So, what's our second option of getting out of here?" Jill asked Hook.
"Like I told your fat friend," Hook replied. "It's this or going back to toiling in the mines."
Jack and Jill frowned at each other.
"So, do you trust me?" Hook asked.
"For now..." Cherry said mysteriously.
"Then I suggest you come with me and Smee and get over that fear of heights." Hook then said sternly.
"We'll help you through this Peter." Jill said.
Peter shook his head as he looked all around, feeling incredibly nervous. A different pirate soon came to take the covers off only to get suddenly kicked in the face.
"Pirate attack!" Thor called out.
Jill let out a scared scream before Jack frowned at her before glaring as he grabbed a shovel and whacked the pirate in the face with it. Peter laughed as that made him laugh while they came out of the mine cart.
"Looks like you boys could use a slide." Jack smirked as he wheeled the mine cart over to a slide before tipping it over with Peter and the two pirates rolled out and slid down, flat on the ground below.
"And down they go." Mo smiled.
"Hopefully we can get out of here before any more pirates decide to try to get the jump on us." Thor said.
"Kinda wishful thinking, Storm Cloud." Lionel replied.
"Keep your heads down, guys." Hook advised as he crouched down on the floor.
Peter and the others then followed Hook, keeping themselves as low as possible Another pirate soon came out only for Hook to punch him right in the face, knocking him over the railing, and falling right to the ground. One pirate soon came out from the corner, taking out a sword, then ran right towards the group before Peter tripped him with his shovel's handle. A third pirate rushed out as Hook kicked a bucket to the second pirate's face, then Cherry tossed one of her Batarangs at the new pirate before it knocked him out, then he tripped, and a net came out from the Batarang, ensnaring the pirate.
"Go! Go!" Hook told Smee, Peter, and the group as they ran out of the way until he pulled a lever so that they could ride away through the Skyport.
"Please tell us you know how to drive this thing!" Jill yelped.
"Of course I do, but it's a little more difficult!" Hook replied.
"Well, this is going to be interesting." Jack said.
"My stomach is beating me up inside already." Cherry grumbled.
They soon rode through the sky before being quickly lowered near the ground and the caves below.
"See? They anchor the galleons far enough off the dock so, they are impossible to steal." Hook pointed out to the others.
"Gotcha." Thor commented.
"So, you want me to fly from the dock, over to one of the-" Peter spoke up, uneasily and nervously.
"What?" Hook asked him. "Speak now, or forever hold your peace."
"How are we supposed to stop this thing?" Mo wondered before yelping suddenly.
The car soon shook around a bit before they began to go backwards.
Atticus took a closer look from further away with telescopic vision to see what was making them backwards. "It's those thieving pirates!" he then noted.
"Forget the Skyport," Hook soon told Peter urgently. "You have to do it now."
Peter soon went wide-eyed as he went back to the other side of the car before seeing how far The Skyport was and how high they were.
"Are you waiting for an invitation?" Hook asked him. "Go! Now!"
"I'm afraid heights!" Peter told him.
"Dude, how do you think I feel?!" Cherry retorted sharply.
"Yes, but this kid can fly!" Hook reminded both of them.
"Yesterday was my first time." Peter retorted nervously.
"Well, you better fly again before we fall for the last time!" Hook then told him.
"Might we bicker about this later?" Smee suggested as they were rocking back and forth.
"There must be some other way out of this." Jack said, trying to spare Peter from his fears.
Peter then suddenly had an idea. "Smee! The sword!" he then suggested.
"The sword?" Cherry asked.
"I have an idea!" Peter smiled before taking the sword and climbed out of the crane car.
"Yeah! That is going to work, kid," Hook remarked as Peter climbed up and out. "Get up there and, wave it at them."
"No, I think he's going to try and cut the cable." Jill said.
"With a sword? Yeah, I don't know if that will work." Mo said.
Peter began to try and do just that, but didn't know that swords were not sharp enough to cut the cable from the cable car.
"Peter, that blade isn't sharp enough!" Atticus told the boy.
Peter sighed before looking down and he saw the cable and thought of a Plan B.
"...Peter, what're you doing?" Lionel asked.
"This is the only way." Peter said before taking out the cable, sending the cable car shooting right down through the air.
"AAAARRRGH!" Cherry cried out as Lionel and Thor held onto her protectively and comfortingly.
Nearly everyone else screamed, though Hook seemed to be laughing while Jack held onto Jill good and tight. The cable car then went flying and zipped through one of the pirate ship's sails before they hit another sail, then rolled out from the cable car, riding down the sail, then landed on flour sacks.
"Well, at least it was a soft landing." Cherry groaned sickly.
"Incoming!" Thor warned as the cable car came crashing down on top of them before they moved out of the way in time.
"Well, that was close." Hook said after seeing the cable car crash down.
"Do you know how to work a ship?" Peter asked him.
"How hard could it be?" Hook asked.
"Well, we're doomed." Cherry said bluntly.
"Smee! The ropes!" Hook suddenly called out.
"Yes! Yes!" Smee nodded as he went to help out.
"Get used to a lifetime of that." Cherry told him bluntly then.
"Clear!" Smee called out after he took care of the ropes.
"Boy!" Hook then called out to Peter to do the same.
Peter soon did what he had to do next while Hook took the helm.
"Augh!" Mo cried out. "This is like a pirate ship ride at an amusement park, but more out of control!"
"This is a lot harder than it looks!" Hook agreed before steering the helm and they soon rode through the air. "Yeah! We're sailin' now!"
"Whew." Mo sighed.
"We're free!" Jill cheered.
Blackbeard was seen clearing off the ship figurines off the table out of frustration after one of the pirates had told him that Hook Peter and the others had stolen a ship. "Well! Do you have anything to say?" he then complained.
"I worked hard setting up that table." The pirate under the table frowned as he saw the mess.
"What? Forget the table. Pick them up later!" Blackbeard glared. "If that boy makes it to the natives, you can forget any chance of us winning this war. All will be lost."
"We will find them, sir," The pirate replied as he looked out the window. "They cannot have gone far."
"Well! Then where are they?" Blackbeard scowled.
Eventually, the pirate ship was zooming back and forth, passing by the window before part of the mast broke off, crashing against the window, shattering it, answering Blackbeard's question.
"Get me that boy before the savages do it!" Blackbeard then demanded.
The ship continued to fly until a new pirate ship came up.
"Captain! Other ship dead ahead!" Lionel warned.
The pirate ship then shot cannonballs at them before Hook steered the helm and sent them spinning to the side and even going upside down while in the air, flopping them all around on deck.
"I wish I was in a coma right now." Cherry said, looking very sick.
"I have a bad feeling about this!" Mo yelped.
"Well, luckily we're going to survive this." Atticus said while holding onto Patch.
"Hopefully." Jack replied.
"Smee! Get off my leg!" Hook complained.
"I think I'm gonna be sick!" Smee cried out.
Peter gulped nervously as he dangled onto the mast while they were flying all around in the air with the pirate ship.
"Guys, I'm starting to think letting Peter Pan join Looking Glass isn't gonna be worth it!" Jack said.
"Yeah, can't you guys send us back home?" Jill added. "I'm sure Aunt Alice will understand!"
"I think that I might agree with them." Cherry said to her friends.
"I'm not sure if it's that simple though," Thor replied. "We accepted this mission, so it's our responsibility."
The cannonballs soon hit the great wall in front of them, nearly crumbling.
"The wall! THE WALL!" Peter cried out as that looked very dangerous.
Hook soon kicked the helm with his feet as they dangled upside down before moving the ship right-side-up and they were soon spinning around before they made it over the wall while Blackbeard's ship tried to shoot at them again only to get stuck in the wall, freeing Hook, Smee, Peter, and the rest of their group from Blackbeard's territory.
"Smee! Get the sails up!" Hook called out as he held the helm once they were back on top. "We need a strong headwind to make the jump!"
"What jump?" Peter asked him.
"You never told us that we'd be doing any jumps." Jill said to Hook.
"Home?! We're getting the heck off this island!" Hook replied.
"What?!" Jack asked out of surprise.
"Not home! You promised to help me find my mother!" Peter told Hook.
"That's right." Jill nodded.
"You did promise!" Jack added, firmly pouting with Jill and Peter.
"I'd settle for the ground any day of the week." Cherry said, sounding rather sick to her stomach.
Hook just glanced at them while looking back at the sky while sailing the ship.
"I am not leaving Neverland!" Peter firmly exclaimed.
"And I'll stay here with him if I have to!" Jill added before blushing at what she just said.
"And it looks like the ship could fall apart at any minute." Atticus remarked.
Hook soon looked around as it almost looked like the ship was about to fall apart, making Atticus's statement true. "Well! Not now, anyway!" he then told the kids.
They soon began to fly right through the jungle of Neverland.
"Get the sails up!" Smee cried out as he held onto the mast as they went out of control. "The sails!"
"This is gonna be a little rough!" Hook warned the others.
"Brace yourselves!" Atticus called out.
Their ship began to start going down looking like it was going to crash land as they all began to scream for their lives.
"I sure do hope we'll make this out alive!" Thor cried out.
Meanwhile back on a certain ship...
One pirate appeared to be concocting something while on his cot, covering himself up with a blanket before using some sort of remedy to help mask himself and relax himself as he appeared to be old and withered. He then removed his mask to reveal that he was actually Blackbeard and somehow made himself appear to be decades younger. He sighed deeply as he looked in the mirror before hearing a knock at the door that triggered him. "How many times I am not to be disturbed when I am at the rejuvenation?!" he then snarled once he heard the knock and threw a blade at the door before answering the door calmly. "Yes?"
"I am sorry, Captain, however, it is about the kids and their mongrel," The pirate at the door explained calmly and carefully. "The stolen ship went down in the Neverwood."
"So... The kids and their pet are lost?" Blackbeard guessed.
"Yes, sir, they are a lost dog, lost boys, and lost girls, but our best men are searching for them now." The pirate informed.
"Imbeciles surround me," Blackbeard growled. "Must I do everything myself?"
"Sir, you cannot really, believe that the flying pipsqueak is the one," The pirate then replied. "He hardly seems capable."
"His mother hardly seemed capable either, and, yet, here we are." Blackbeard retorted before slamming the door on his face.
Meanwhile in the Neverwoods...
"The deal was that you were going to help me find my mother." Peter told Hook.
"You were going to leave Neverland and break that promise." Jill added.
"In fact, I think I'll do Peter a favor for ya." Thor smirked as he took out a random knife.
"Whoa! Whoa, whoa, whoa, time-out, big guy!" Lionel scolded, holding Thor back. "Man... That's dark, even for you."
"...Aw, I'm sorry, Lionel," Thor said bashfully. "I just feel so frustrated."
"We all do, but relax a little." Lionel advised, rubbing Thor's back to get him in a better mood.
Thor soon groaned before cupping his mouth and his foot tapped up and down rapidly like an excited bunny rabbit.
"No, your flying friend broke the deal first!" Hook glared. "He lied to us!"
"No. I fibbed," Peter retorted. "I can fly... Just not every day."
Suddenly, Smee cried out as he ran toward them and they had to run from the trees as the ship came crashing down as they were lost in the woods.
"The ship is goin' down, Captain!" Lionel cried out in a Scottish voice like from Star Trek.
"Ah, our only way off this island and is in pieces, satisfied?" Hook asked Peter.
"Well, yes, I am quite content because I don't want to get off this island." Peter replied.
"And we're not leaving either." Jack said.
"That's right." Jill nodded.
"Kids..." Hook sighed at them.
"If Jill doesn't leave, I don't leave either," Jack stated strongly. "We've been taking care of each other our whole lives."
"And one of us comes before the other," Jill added. "So you might as well get comfortable with our company if you know what's good for you."
"...Didn't expect a sweet girl like Jill to say something like that." Mo remarked as the others agreed.
They soon came into the ship to look around a bit further.
"All gone," Hook sighed before seeing Peter heading inside the ship where the others were going after him. "Hey! Quit messing around. It is not safe in here."
"Every ship has one." Peter said to himself.
"What?" Thor asked. "You looking for something, buddy?"
"A map!" Peter beamed once he found what he was looking for and opened up the rolled-up piece of paper. He then looked over, squinting his eyes at one section of the map. "What does that say?" he then asked.
Hook looked over his shoulder before reading it for him. "'Tribal Territory'." he then read.
"Exactly. The prophecy said: 'A boy would lead the tribe'," Peter then explained before pouting as Hook seemed to be ignoring him. "So, what? You do not care!"
"I do. Keep going." Smee replied as Peter came out.
"Blackbeard thinks the prophecy is about me which means my mum is from here and which means the natives might know where she is too." Peter said.
Smee began to look like he had followed everything Peter said, only he was lost for words.
"Are you insane?" Hook asked Peter. "If those savages would just kill you. I help you."
"Ever meet one?" Peter smirked smugly.
"No!" Hook glared. "And, I do not plan to meet."
"Well, they might be very nice," Peter replied. "I am not afraid of them."
"There is a fine line between bravery and suicide, kid." Hook warned.
"I have to agree with him here." Lionel spoke up.
"I am going off to find the Tribal Territory. Goodbye!" Peter decided as he walked on, following the map.
Jill soon walked after Peter while the rest of the group pondered on what to do next.
"He will not last an hour out there." Smee spoke up.
"His problem. Not ours." Hook told him.
"Thing in this, if he was the chosen one... If that prophecy is real-" Smee began.
"Trust me, he is not it." Hook retorted.
"But, if they thought, he was... They believed he was... I bet they would handsomely reward..." Smee disagreed. "Anyone who brought him to them."
"Well, they do not have a ship." Hook retorted then.
"Wait up, Peter!" Jill called out as she followed after.
"I better go after Jill," Jack sighed. "We can't be separated."
"And she is our friend." Atticus said.
"And family and friends stick together." Mo said.
"So we better go with em." Patch said.
"Hmm..." Lionel paused before shrugging.
The others then decided to follow Jill after Peter as they thought that it would be the right thing to do.
Suddenly, night fell over the woods, as Peter continued to follow the map as best as he could as Jill stood close behind him and the rest of the group continued to travel together.
"Who has fought the pirates more than natives?" Hook asked as they continued, using his hat to swat away some bugs that swarmed them.
"If anyone could find a way, it's them." Peter reminded.
"Just remember, when we find those... So, sweet-natured locals, true or not, you tell them you are their savior, then, we will go our separate ways," Hook then said a bit sharply. "Got it?"
"Why would you want to leave a place like this?" Peter ignored with a small smile. "Where will you go?"
"This place seems like Kid Heaven, especially away from that mean old Mother Barnabus." Jill added.
"I don't know," Hook shrugged at them with a scoff. "Somewhere I'm a little higher up on the food chain, for starters."
A shadow then whizzed by suddenly, passing them.
"What was that?" Peter asked with a gasp.
"Something a little higher up on the food chain." Hook remarked.
Cherry snickered, finding that a bit funny. They continued to go forward as they followed the map to the natives until they began to notice something flying around.
"Uh, Smee, are you seeing this?" Lionel asked.
"They look like some kind of bugs or something." Thor said.
More things flew by as they walked along through the Neverwoods together.
Jill gasped as she huddled closer to Peter for protection.
Jack frowned softly for his sister before beginning to narrow his eyes at Peter. Eventually, what looked like bugs were flying around and they seemed to be glowing like fireflies.
"That is pretty, Hook. Do you see that?" Smee soon remarked. "We got pirates trying to shoot us down with cannons. Nearly falling a thousand feet to our deaths. Twice. Shipwrecked. And, you see something like that, and, you think to yourself. 'Worth it'."
The others glanced at Smee awkwardly before going on a bit further.
"We should probably stop for the night," Jack suggested. "It's pretty late and we won't see much in the dark."
"Except for maybe me." Cherry smirked smugly.
Once they stopped for the night they soon began to build a campfire. Once they had a campfire, they began to start having a little chat.
"Were you once an orphan?" Peter asked Hook.
"My ma left me if that counts." Hook replied.
"Well, do you remember her?" Peter asked him.
"I can't imagine life without my mom," Thor smiled. "She's so awesome!" he then pouted a bit to himself. "Except when she calls me 'Thornton'."
Hook looked like he was trying to think about it before shaking his head. "I am not wasting tears missing someone who never missed me." he seemed to scowl.
"Maybe she does," Peter shrugged. "How can you know?"
"I don't remember much about Mother," Jill said softly. "But at least we reconnected before she disappeared with Death's Messengers."
"That was so hard." Jack added, remembering their latest Avengers Grimm mission.
"Do you really believe your mom is here?" Hook scoffed at Peter.
"Well, she left me a note saying-" Peter began as a strange sound was heard as Patch turned his head, bringing his ear up as he heard with his special dog sense of sound.
"Well, if she left you a note, sure." Hook scoffed at the boy.
"Just because yours never loved you-" Peter began as the sound got stronger before Hook covered his mouth.
"Stop." Hook warned.
"Does not mean my mom never loved me." Peter continued before muffling.
"Stop talking right now!" Hook hissed before looking cautious. "Did you hear that?"
"It was a deafening nightmare shriek," Smee panicked. "How can anyone not have heard-"
The sound got stronger before he was suddenly quiet and a giant red feather fell from the sky and landed in the puddle in front of them. They looked into the puddle before a face looked at them and jumped out from behind, roaring and shrieking at them, showing to be a rather large bird, but he was no Big Bird from Sesame Street.
"Demon parrot!" Thor gasped and ducked down behind the trees. "Hit the deck!"
"No, that's a Neverbird." Hook replied.
They soon saw another one land close by.
"Looks like that one's got company because there's another one." Jack said.
"What do we do?" Mo asked.
"Hopefully not become bird food." Thor added nervously.
"We need a plan! We need a plan!" Smee gasped.
"RUUUUUN!" Hook cried out before he ran ahead of them.
"That's his plan?" Jack and Jill asked while sweat-dropping.
The Neverbirds soon chased after the group as Hook ran ahead of them, acting as the leader.
"We'll lose 'em in the mists! GO!" Hook urged to the others.
One of the Neverbirds got caught in a trap, but the second one was still flying after them.
"Their faces are terrible, however, their feathers are quite lovely." Smee commented as they ran away.
"Shut up and run!" Cherry replied.
They began to run into the mist and where it seemed to work, but not for long as the fog wasn't too thick as one of the Neverbirds flew down and grabbed Smee with its talons.
"Mr. Smee!" Peter cried out.
Smee began screaming for his life as he was taken away by the Neverbird.
"Oh, no!" Thor cried out.
"Leave him!" Cherry replied.
"Cherry!" The others scolded.
"What?" Cherry shrugged.
Peter and the other kids kept running before they suddenly stopped and caught their breath before looking around as they were surrounded by colorful lights.
"...Colorful." Mo had to admit it as she gasped to catch her breath.
However, they suddenly got alert as they heard various sounds in the distance that almost sounded like yelling.
"Hook...? Is that you?" Peter asked hopefully before going to check out the sound up close.
"Kids..." Hook panted as he found them and caught up with them.
"That giant bird got Smee." Lionel spoke up.
"Don't worry, everything is going to be all right." Hook said softly.
The next Neverbird shrieked and flew out, startling them and making them fall before it landed in the corner, then became to approach them.
"Or maybe not!" Cherry said. "One Neverbird was bad enough, now we have another one to deal with!"
But as it began to approach them it soon fell into a trap before they were greeted by a native person.
"Whew." Jill sighed.
"I knew we would find the natives." Peter said.
"Same here." Jill smiled.
"I'm glad we did," Jack smiled back before looking cautious. "I just hope that they're friendly natives."
"They should be." Patch whispered to himself and nodded.
The native girl looked down at them as they laid on the ground together.
"We're saved!" Peter smiled at his friends in excitement.
The native girl soon took out a blade and sliced the air after the group flinched, but luckily, neither of them were cut, and soon Smee yelled out as he plummeted and fell right in the middle of the ground, away from the Neverbird.
"Please! I am ready to go home now. Please." Smee begged before thumping.
Everyone looked around and more natives came out from the bushes.
"Let me handle this," Hook told the group before winking at them and he soon approached the native girl, removing his hat, trying to sound like a civilized gentleman. "Good, fair woman. We come in peace, and, with treasure. May I proudly present to you-"
The native girl suddenly punched him right in the face, knocking him out instantly.
"Guess that didn't work." Patch said.
"No kidding." Thor said.
"Now what?" Jill asked.
"Well, to not start any fights or have her knock any of us out either I suggest we let them take us to their village." Atticus suggested.
The native girl came closer to them.
"Greetings... Friend?" Jill said nervously.
"Look, we won't hurt you," Cherry spoke calmly to the native girl. "We come in peace. I'm sorry if our friend was an idiot to you, but you can trust us."
The native girl looked up and down at them, though mostly to Peter, and soon held out her hand. Peter smiled hopefully before the native girl suddenly grabbed him over her shoulders and other natives came out to tie him up, then began to do the same to Hook and Smee.
"I guess they're gonna be taking us to their village in one way or another." Lionel said.
"Well, at least they haven't tied us up yet." Thor replied.
"I have a feeling they might just do that." Mo said.
"Oh, come on. Would they really do that?" Thor asked.a