Dead Reckoning

Chapter Fourteen

Thirty-two years earlier…

Once the Jolly Roger was finished being loaded up and had begun on its way out of Neverland, Hook walked down below deck and into the brig to have a talk with the prisoner within. The fifteen year old brute had to be locked in shackles and then bound tightly by thick ropes before he was thrown into the cell by the Captain's men when he was brought onboard in order to prevent him from being able to break loose and breakdown the door on account of his size.

"You know, I've got to say I'm quite impressed," Hook said smugly when he appeared in front of the cell and turned to face the first Lost Boy to have been banished by Pan for the lack of loyalty. "Not because you thought you could actually win, but because you were actually brave enough to make a stand against Pan. It was foolhardy mind you, but brave. The truth is, you were beaten before I ever walked into that camp. And even if you did kill me in that fight, Pan would have beaten you down one way or another. That demon always wins. Why do you think I've done my best to try to avoid him and the rest of you imps?"

"Someone had to try," Badrick answered quietly without raising his head to look up at the man who had beaten him in their duel. "You may defy Pan, but you are only in this war against him for yourself. You care about no one and nothing else."

Hook glared at the boy as he retorted angrily, "I cared about two people in my life. And they were both taken from me. One of them died partly because of your former ruler and the other is the reason why I've lived the last two centuries trapped on this cursed island. Everything I've done is to avenge them. So, don't tell me I don't care for anything else."

The fifteen year old finally looked into the pirate's eyes as he replied, "Maybe so. If you have come down here to offer me a job among your crew, you can forget it. I would sooner die than to fight this war of yours alongside you."

"I didn't come down here to offer you a place among my crew, or anything else of the sort," the pirate Captain responded coldly. "I wanted to inform you I planned to simply drop you off once we reach Longbourn when we stop for supplies. You might have had a chance to be a free man. However, I think that is much too generous for a brute such as yourself. I have a better place in mind that's far better suited for those of your stature. The Longbourn Mining Quarry is always looking for strong young men just like you."

"Do with me as you will, Captain," Badrick sneered cruelly. "One day, perhaps we will meet again. And on that day, we shall see who of us is the stronger man."

Back at Granny's…

The heroes continued to talk amongst themselves while they waited for Emma and Killian to return. The owner of the diner continued to serve them drinks and finally lunch, though Liam and his men who were now ghosts declined because the food and drink of this world were of no sustenance to them on account of them being long dead. The older Jones was talking with Archie and Grumpy until all of a sudden, a strong sense of dread came over him. However, it wasn't his own distress Liam felt, but that of his brother's and Liam knew Killian was in trouble.

When Liam slowly rose to his feet again while he struggled to make sense of what he was feeling, David noticed the concern on his face as he stood too and asked, "Liam… are you alright?"

Everyone stopped talking as they all turned to their friend's older brother who then answered worryingly, "Killian's in danger. Perhaps Emma too. I don't know how or why, but he is. I have to find him."

"Wait!" David quickly called out to him as he reached out to grab Liam's arm to hold him back, as the rest of his crew moved to gather around their Captain. "Do you know how to find him? I mean, you clearly found him when you first arrived to save him from the wreckage of his ship, but…"

"Allow me," Regina said when she stood from the table and then flicked her wrist to conjure a mirror in her hand so they could look for where Killian and Emma were in that moment. "I haven't really spied on anyone in quite awhile. It feels kind of strange now."

Henry raced around his adopted mother to look at the images that appeared over the glass and replied, "It looks like they're somewhere in the cemetery. Killian's fighting against some big brute. I don't even see Mom."

David looked at Liam and then responded, "Let's go. These men want a fight, they'll get one."

Meanwhile…

"I am glad you survived our attack on the ocean," Bishop continued coldly as he loomed over Killian, who was still kneeling on the ground while he held his wife within his arms. "This way, we can continue our battle that began thirty-two years ago in Neverland. Shall we see who of us is the stronger man?"

"Badrick?" Killian uttered strangely while he glared up at his assailant above him, then gently laid Emma on the ground so he could stand to defend her and himself against the men slowly surrounding them as he carefully lowered his hand over the hold of his gun, having lost his cutlass when his ship was destroyed. "You've gotten older. And perhaps even bigger than the last time I saw you."

The brute smiled, then answered smugly, "I go by Bishop now. And you still look the same as you always did. Hardly a day older."

Hook shrugged as he replied, "Neverland isn't the only way to retain one's youth, but my time since our last meeting isn't important. You really want to fight against me again, then let's fight. But this town and the inhabitants in it have done nothing against you. Please just leave them be."

"So, Captain Hook has hardly aged a day older, yet he has grown to become sentimental and weaker than I believed before," the former Lost Boy sneered, then pulled out what appeared to be an ancient steel brand from the scabbard he still wore on his back to carry his axe. "Worry not about your woman. It was nothing more than a blow dart from the island."

"No!" Killian shouted when he turned his head as two of the brute's men moved to stand over Emma so they could lift her body off the ground and immediately pulled his gun, until one of the other men shot the weapon from his hand before he could fire off a single round.

The moment Killian became distracted, Bishop immediately rushed his enemy to attack him using his bare fists after he handed the brand over to his right-hand man to hold until it could be used. The men then carried Emma off to take her back to their ship as their prisoner and her husband could do nothing to help her.

Killian struggled against Bishop as he used his hook to defend himself against the sudden onslaught, then the bigger man pulled one of the daggers from his belt and the two men fought until Killian was finally knocked down to the ground on his knees. Before he could lift himself back up, the remaining men aside from the crew's first mate grabbed their target by his arms and pinned him down in front of their leader. Without hesitating, the brute then wrapped his big hands tightly around his enemy's throat and began to squeeze.

When Hook slowly began to lose consciousness, the former Lost Boy finally released him and shoved down hard against the ground, then ordered his men to lift Killian back onto his knees and to rip open the pirate's shirt so that his chest would be bare for what came next. While they did so, Bishop swiftly grabbed the steel brand from his friend's hands and without having to stoke it within a fire, he suddenly forced it down against his chest causing Killian to scream in sheer anguish as the brand burned hot against his skin.

Magic within the steel began to flow through the weapon into Killian's body while his pain heightened until the brute finally released his enemy, allowing Hook to collapse heavily against the ground, then Bishop spoke up again cruelly saying, "This steel consists of magical properties, as its fire now burning within your chest will guarantee a slow and agonizing death which cannot be healed by any magic that can be found here in this strange world. I attacked you in haste before when I destroyed your ship. But this way, is much better. It is a gift… from yet another enemy you made long ago in Neverland. You may have killed Rufio when you thrust your sword through his heart, but his shadow still lives. He wanted an equal hand in your death and I gladly agreed. His shadow recognized my need for vengeance and while I cannot kill Pan no longer, killing you will help to appease my thirst for that need. This is my reckoning, Captain Hook."

Killian remained against the ground writhing, his eyes becoming dark as he struggled to see in front of him, but he managed to gather enough strength despite his pain to lift his head and then pronounced, "If an… anything happens to my wife… If you hurt… ah! … hurt her in anyway, I... will ki… kill you."

The brute grabbed Killian again by the front of his jacket and forced him up so that their faces were only inches apart as Bishop responded coldly, "You will try. But you will fail on account of your weakness."

"Let my brother go!" Liam shouted as he and his men, David, August, Leroy, and Anton all charged against the pirate crew fighting for Killian's assailant, which allowed for Bishop and his closest friend to disappear in the attack after the large man released his hold on his enemy once again. "Killian!"

"Hook," Charming whispered to him in concern, managing to reach his son in law first and gently pulled Killian against him upon seeing his body trembling, then he saw the cause when he saw the strange branding burned into his chest. "Hold on. We'll get you to… Where's Emma? What happened?"

Liam knelt down on the other side of his brother and saw as David saw, taking Killian's hand in his own while Killian tightly squeezed his eyes closed to help quell his pain, then answered weakly, "They took her. Emma… they took… They took her. You nee… need to find… her."

The older Jones looked down at his brother in fear, then he raised his head so he could look at David as he stated, "Take care of Killian for me. My men and I will find that bastard and save your daughter. They can't hurt us. I promise you, we'll get her back."

"Liam?" Killian then uttered strangely after David simply nodded his response to the older brother's plea, and they both turned their eyes back down on wounded man within their arms while he struggled to clear the darkness in his eyes. "David… I can't… I can't see."

"We're going to get you to the hospital for now," the Prince said quietly as he looked up at their friends now surrounding them and motioned to Anton to pick Killian up so he could carry him for them. "Just hang in there."

Before the giant could lift their friend into his arms, Killian weakly managed to re-open his eyes more widely and when he did, they found his eyes were now milky white, indicating that whatever the brute had done to him caused their friend to become blind. Unfortunately, his consciousness faded seconds later as Killian's eyes suddenly rolled back in his head and his head lolled to his side. Anton immediately lifted him up and started walking back towards town while David looked at Liam again, patted his shoulder, then quickly followed after their friend. Liam looked between his own men as they nodded by way of showing they were ready to join him against the villains who attacked their Captain's brother, then together they ran off to chase after them and to find the Savior before she could be harmed.