"Wendy!" cried Peter. His eyes held pure horror at the sight of the captain's hook against her neck. He had failed. He had failed to keep her safe. He drew his sword and charged, but Hook pressed into her neck, and Peter stooped abruptly. "If you hurt her, so help me I'll chop off more than your hand. I'll scatter your remains across Neverland"
Hook gave an ugly chuckle. "I have the upper hand now. You think you're a man? You're still nothing but a child."
"I'm man enough to kill you," said Peter darkly.
"I don't have time for games Peter, I'm here for what she carries," he gestured to the Fairy Queen, and her Toad-like body guards raised their spears. Hook sighed impatiently, and pressed his hook into Wendy's throat. She winced.
"NO!" cried Peter.
"Give me the power to control living things Queen, or she dies."
"It's not what you think it is," said Curly.
Hook turned his sadistic eyes on him. "Is that what she told you?" He laughed. "She's lying."
"No, it's true," said Tiger Lily.
Hook regarded her for a moment. "Why Tiger Lily, how lovely you look," he said. She put her head down and glared at him. "Quite the beautiful young lady; especially with no clothes on."
John's face turned crimson. Hook had seen them. He had seen them in the hot springs, and they had led him here. His anger for the intrusion and his own stupidity overwhelmed him. He looked ashamedly at Tiger Lily. He'd let Peter take him, but he was going to get a piece of him too.
"Of course, I have a beautiful young lady in my arms right now." He bent his head to breathe in the scent of Wendy's hair. Peter could only watch helpless as the hook bared down on her neck, naming the ways in which he would destroy the man in front of him for touching Wendy.
Hook's hand left her arm and traveled up her body, Wendy squirming beneath his touch. "Please don't!" she said.
"Then give me what I want!" he shrieked.
"Give it to him!" cried Peter. "Please! Give it to him." He hung his head defeated.
The Fairy Queen regarded him quietly. "Give him the scepter," she said with a nod of her head.
Peter took it carefully from her and walked toward Hook, holding it out between his fingers. Hook pressed his metal appendage to Wendy's throat again.
"Take it my dear," Hook whispered in Wendy's ear.
Wendy stared into Peter's hurting eyes. "No," she said.
"TAKE IT!" he yelled, drawing blood with his hook. Wendy cried out and Peter shoved the scepter into her hand.
"Take it Wendy!" said Peter, "Now let her go! LET HER GO!"
Hook let out a triumphant cackle and held Wendy tighter. "I think not."
"I'm warning you," said Peter, his arms out, ready to hack and slash.
"I'm in the mood for taking things today and I think I'll just take this nubile morsel back with me as well," he said, kissing Wendy's cheek. He turned to his men. "Kill them all."
"NO!" screamed Peter. His sword began to blindly hack at whatever was in front of him as Hook backed out, holding a flailing Wendy in his arms.
The lost boys drew their swords and fighting ensued. It wasn't a game this time. It was life or death. John stuck his sword deep into a pirate. He turned to Tiger Lily who had drawn her dagger. He grabbed her waist and slammed her to him, kissing her with a passionate apology. "I'm sorry," he whispered.
She smiled at him for a brief moment, and pushed him away. "It is not the time John," she said. She ducked as a sword flew over her head. She moved with the nimbleness of a deer, and dove between the pirate's legs. She tripped him, grabbed his sword and plunged it into his back in one swift movement.
John stood entranced by her. He saw a pirate grab Michael. "NO!" he cried, running at the pirate. Tiger Lily turned to where John was running and saw Michael, squished in the pirate's arms. A ferocity rose in her bones. She let out a warrior's cry and ran at him. "Catch him!" she screamed at John, as the pirate saw her lunging for him and threw Michael toward the wall of the tree. John leapt into the air. Michael slammed into him hard. They hit the floor skittering across the moss as it broke their fall.
Tiger Lily grabbed the pirates arm and swung herself around him, landing on her back. She sliced the dagger across his throat as he fell down dead.
John lay on his back panting, his spectacles crooked on his nose. Michael sat on his stomach. He had stopped crying, and instead held a gleeful smile. "That was sort of fun John! Can we do it again?" he asked, patting his brother on his chest. John let his head fall to the floor with a sigh.
Tiger Lily rushed to them and grabbed Michael, holding his head to her chest. "Are you alright my little one?" she asked rocking him. She examined him for injuries.
"I'm ok Tiger Lily," he said. John stood, still breathing heavily, and wrapped his arms around them.
There was no more noise and they surveyed the room, filled with dead pirates. The guards had slaughtered most of them and the boys had killed the rest.
The lost boys were gathered around in a circle looking down at something still and motionless on the ground. Nibs was laying on the floor of the throne room, blood seeping from a wound in his side.
"Nibs!" cried Tiger Lily. She put Michael down and ran to his side. "Where is Peter?" she asked the fairies, now buzzing above their heads.
The Fairy Queen spoke something to her fairies, and they flew off to gather the herbs she had asked for. She fluttered down to hover in front of Tiger Lily's face. She chimed at her in fairy language and Tiger Lily looked around, asking for clarification from the others.
"She says, he ran off to fight Hook," said Slightly. "She says to help him."
"What is to be done about Nibs?" she asked. The Fairy Queen chimed at her again.
"She said we'll heal him. Go Tiger Lily!"
Tiger Lily looked up at John, and he nodded pulling a sword from the ground. "Let's go," he said. She stood up and pointed at the boys.
"Stay with Nibs, look after Michael." She and John ran out of the tree after Peter.