Chapter Seventeen

Back at Hangman's Tree, Peter lay slumped in a hammock, his usual liveliness dulled by weeks of unrelenting fatigue. He regretted ever setting foot on the Jolly Roger that night with Jake. At first, the pixie fruit had seemed to work miracles, giving him a burst of energy and a flicker of hope. But that ill-advised adventure with Jake had undone his recovery, stretching the healing process far longer than he'd expected.

Above him, Tinkerbell hovered, her tiny wings a blur as she jingled angrily. Her scolding chimes were sharp and incessant, and Peter groaned in response, throwing an arm over his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, I know, Tink," he muttered. "I shouldn't have gone. You've said it a hundred times already."

Her jingling intensified, but before Peter could snap back, a faint sound pricked his ears—someone was coming down the slide. His stomach twisted in panic. Ever since he and Jake returned, he'd been haunted by the threat of those blasted Talsteins, and in his current state, he knew he was in no shape to fend off anything or anybody. Desperate, his eyes darted around the room and landed on a makeshift club, one of the Lost Boys'. It would have to do.

Peter scrambled out of the hammock and stood at the base of the slide, gripping the club tightly. He braced himself, heart pounding, as a small figure shot out of the tunnel. Without thinking, he swung the club.

WHACK!

The figure crumpled to the floor, and Peter straightened, smirking as he twirled the club in his hand.

"Hah!" he let out, cocky despite the sweat trickling down his neck. "Still got it."

A panicked jingle from Tinkerbell shattered his smugness. Her frantic movements drew his gaze downward, where the figure on the floor came into focus. It wasn't a Talstein. It was Jake, sprawled unconscious.

"Whoops!" Peter muttered, dropping the club like it had burned him. He knelt beside Jake, shaking him urgently. "Hey, Jake! Wake up!"

After a few moments, Jake stirred, groaning as he sat up. He rubbed his head, looking dazed.

"What happened?"

"Uh…" Peter's gaze flicked to the discarded club, and he quickly kicked it out of sight. "...You slid down the slide too fast….bonked your head on the floor. Real nasty landing."

Jake squinted, clearly not entirely convinced, but he nodded slowly, still massaging his sore head.

"My bad." he muttered.

Peter grinned nervously and helped him to his feet.

"What're you doing here, anyway? Shouldn't you be with the rest of your crew?"

Jake opened his mouth to answer, but Peter interrupted himself with a wide yawn, swaying slightly.

"Whoa," Jake said, steadying Peter with a hand on his arm. "You okay? You look worse than me."

Peter gave a half-shrug.

"I don't feel like I've spent the day wrestling the Neverbeast, but yeah, I'm not exactly tip-top. A couple more days of rest, and I'll be good as new. What about you? Where's your crew?"

Jake hesitated, then smiled faintly.

"Actually, we've been busy. We found the key!" he explained.

Peter's fatigue vanished in an instant. He shot upright, his green eyes blazing with excitement.

"You what? You found it? Where is it?"

Jake held up his hands defensively.

"Whoa, slow down! Don't worry, it's hidden. But before we do anything with it, I need to know more. What does it do? What's this plague you mentioned? And what do the Talsteins have to do with it?"

Peter's eager expression faltered, replaced by a guarded one. He glanced away, as if deciding how much to say.

"It's complicated. Then again, what hasn't been lately?" he admitted. "But if you've got the key, we don't have much time to waste. If the Talsteins find out, they'll come for it—and for you."

Jake's face hardened with determination.

"Then I need to know everything. I want to help, Peter. Please. Tell me what's going on."

"Alright," Peter let out, after a cough. He began to pace weakly across the room, his every movement weighed down by fatigue.

Peter glanced at Jake, then at the hammock he'd just vacated, as if deciding whether to sit or keep moving. Instead, he leaned against the wall of the treehouse, crossing his arms.

"I've never seen Patrick or Maverick before." he began, his tone tinged with curiosity and suspicion.

Jake frowned.

"What about Jack?"

"Who's Jack?"

"The oldest brother."

"There's another one?"

"Yeah," Jake confirmed. "You've never seen him either, I take it?"

Peter shook his head, his messy hair falling into his face.

"Nope. When we arrived back and bumped into Patrick and Maverick, that's the first and only time I've ever seen them before." the redhead explained.

"Well if it wasn't them then what was it that you say sounded familiar to you?" the little pirate asked.

"Delta." was all he said.

"Huh?"

"The name of their ship is Delta, Jake. And….."

The green eyed boy straightened, curiosity piqued.

"And what Peter?" he squeaked eagerly.

But the boy who never grew up ignored him, his lips twitched into a faint frown, though his eyes held a distant look, as though he was peering into the past.

"Well.…" he sighed, his posture dropping. "It couldn't just be a coincidence, could it?" he murmured, half to himself.

"What couldn't be a coincidence?" Jake pressed.

Peter's voice dropped, adding a weighty, mysterious tone to his words.

"Unless Captain Hook's finally driven me mad after all these years, 'Delta' was the ship name of a pirate who once roamed the Never Seas, Captain Talstein."

"Captain Talstein?" Jake repeated, sitting up straighter. "How long ago was this?"

Peter let out a low whistle, his fingers ruffling the back of his neck.

"Long, Jake. Not long after I became Never Land's guardian," His voice softened, as if the memory was more distant than even he cared to admit. "Talstein was... well, let's just say he was the 'Hook' before there was a 'Hook.'"

Jake blinked, surprised.

"What? Before Captain Hook?"

Peter chuckled faintly, though it sounded hollow.

"Yeah. But Talstein wasn't nearly as memorable as the codfish we know and love today. Not by a long shot," He scratched his head, frowning. "So much so, I can't even remember his first name. I just remember Talstein. That's it." Peter's gaze dropped to the floor, his voice growing quieter, as though the words themselves carried a weight too heavy to bear. "Talstein wasn't just a skilled pirate. He was something more... dangerous. Brilliant, even," His voice then dropped to a whisper and he looked around, as if to make sure they were alone. "He even played a part in putting together the pirate code itself…" he said, his voice secretive and barely audible. "But that didn't seem to be enough for him."

Jake furrowed his brow.

"What do you mean?"

Peter glanced up, his brown eyes shadowed by memory.

"He liked to experiment. And I don't mean trying out new battle tactics or treasure maps. No, he wanted to make Never Land his own little lab rat."

Jake leaned forward, hanging on Peter's words.

"For what?"

Peter hesitated, then spoke slowly.

"Ambition Jake. He believed he could create a divine force—something that could give unimaginable strength to anyone or anything. But it wasn't divine at all." Peter's face twisted, disgust flashing across his expression. "It was a mistake. A parasite. A magic-sucking parasite."

"A parasite?" Jake asked after blinking in confusion. "Like... it feeds on magic?"

Peter nodded grimly.

"Exactly. It would drain the magic from any universe it touched, devouring everything it could just to fuel itself. Talstein didn't care, though. He thought he could control it. Make it his."

Tinker Bell jingled angrily from a perch nearby, and Peter gave her a small nod before continuing.

"Tink and I realized what it really was. And before Talstein could truly bring it to life, we fought him for it. We barely won."

Jake's eyes widened.

"What happened to the parasite?"

Peter straightened, a hint of pride breaking through the solemnity.

"We locked it away. Sealed it in a chest that couldn't be opened without a key."

"The key…" Jake whispered. "That was the key we've been after this whole time isn't it?" Peter nodded. "What about Captain Talstein?"

Peter's expression darkened.

"That's the thing. The night I hid the chest, I noticed something was missing: the key... and Talstein himself."

Jake frowned.

"Wait, so you lost the key and the Captain?"

Peter sighed, running a hand through his messy hair.

"I didn't lose them. They disappeared. Vanished, like smoke in the wind. I hid the chest somewhere I could always keep an eye on it, thinking Talstein would sail back in on the Delta with the key, ready to try again. But he never came."

Jake shivered, feeling a strange chill at Peter's words.

"And…you haven't seen him since?"

"Not him. Not the Delta. Nothing. Not until... now?" His voice wavered on the last word, as though he didn't entirely believe it himself.

Jake's brow furrowed.

"But the only Talsteins we know are Jack, Patrick, and Maverick. And none of them sound like that Captain Talstein. There's no way any of them could be him."

Peter nodded slowly.

"That's just it, Jake. They don't fit. None of this makes sense. How could this be more than just... a coincidence? Three brothers, sharing the same last name as a pirate from a tale so old, even I barely remember it?"

Jake glanced at Tinker Bell, whose wings drooped slightly.

"Do you think they could be connected somehow?" the boy asked.

"They could be, I don't know," Peter said, his voice laced with both uncertainty and a cold, calculating edge. "But I do know one thing: If the ship is back, and…and if the key is back…" He glanced at Jake, his face serious now, a stark contrast to the playful, carefree Peter Jake had always known. "That means Captain Talstein probably isn't too far behind."


The lagoon of the mermaids glowed underneath the moonlight, the water shimmering like liquid silver. Coralie, the queen of the mermaids, lounged comfortably on a smooth, sea-polished rock at the lagoon's center. Her long, glistening tail rested in the cool water, its sea green hues catching the faint glow of the moon above. She let out a heavy sigh, her elegant features softening as she gazed up at the stars.

From the water below, her eldest daughter, Marina, swam gracefully to the surface. Her thick black hair clung to her back in wet strands, and her large, dark blue eyes reflected the calm of the lagoon.

"Are you relaxed now?" Marina asked in a soft, melodic voice.

The mermaid queen gave a small, serene smile.

"Indeed I am." she said, her voice light but tinged with weariness.

From the far side of the rock, a younger, livelier voice chimed in.

"That's good," said Stormy, the queen's youngest daughter. Her petite, curvaceous form popped up from the water, brunette pigtails bobbing atop her head. "You deserve the rest—and the quiet."

At this, the queen's brow furrowed slightly. She tilted her head, brushing a strand of her chestnut hair from her face.

"Quiet..." she repeated thoughtfully. "It actually hasn't been that hard to find lately, has it? Neverland has been rather quiet these days."

Stormy, oblivious, grinned.

"The quieter, the better, I say!"

Marina sighed softly, giving her sister a pointed look.

"Stormy, maybe we should let her rest for a while."

"Fine, fine." Stormy said with a small wave of her hand as the two of them swam a few feet away, their tails creating soft ripples in the lagoon.

Marina glanced back at her mother, who had reclined once more on her rock. She turned to her sister, lowering her voice.

"Have you heard?" she asked.

Stormy tilted her head, curious.

"Heard what?"

"That Peter Pan and Jake have come back to Neverland." the big sister said.

Stormy's eyes widened for a moment, but then she shrugged.

"Nope, I haven't heard anything. Then again, we're in the sea. Not exactly anyone on land to come tell us, is there? We haven't had hardly any visitors lately, have we?"

Marina frowned slightly, her gaze shifting toward the darkened shores of Neverland.

"Don't you think that's strange?" she asked, her voice tinged with unease. "Don't you think something's going on around here?"

Stormy opened her mouth to reply, but before she could, they both instinctively moved closer to the rock where their mother rested, their tails sending small ripples across the still surface of the lagoon.

High above the shimmering waters of the lagoon, the Talstein brothers moved cautiously along a grassy ridge. They ducked behind palm trees and dense shrubs, their footsteps muffled by the soft earth beneath them.

"You could have told me they were kids!" Maverick hissed, glancing nervously at the lagoon below.

"I didn't know!" Patrick shot back, his voice equally hushed. With a firm shove to Maverick's back, he pushed his reluctant brother forward.

"This is not gonna go well." Maverick muttered, digging his heels into the ground as Patrick continued to nudge him along.

"Please, when you're involved, what does go well?" the older brother asked as his brother struggled against his grip. "Now remember Mav, flaunt it."

Maverick froze, looking at him incredulously.

"What–oh!"

Before he could get an answer, Patrick gave him one final, forceful shove. Maverick yelped as he stumbled over the edge of the ridge. He flailed wildly in the air but somehow managed to land on his feet atop a large, smooth rock dead center in the lagoon.

The splash of his boots against the stone echoed across the water, breaking the tranquil silence.

All movement in the lagoon stopped.

Queen Coralie, lounging elegantly on her rock, turned her head toward the unexpected guest. Her pale brows furrowed slightly as her serene expression gave way to mild confusion. Marina and Stormy, floating nearby, exchanged startled glances before looking at the scrawny pirate who had appeared out of nowhere.

Maverick's chest rose and fell rapidly as he tried to catch his breath. His blue eyes darted nervously between the three mermaids, their gazes fixed on him with equal parts suspicion and curiosity.

"Uh...hello, ladies." Maverick said weakly, forcing an uneasy grin. His voice cracked slightly, and he tugged at the collar of his dirty white shirt.

Queen Coralie tilted her head, her expression unreadable. Marina crossed her arms, her dark blue eyes narrowing slightly, while Stormy stifled a giggle at the pirate's awkward demeanor.

Maverick glanced over his shoulder, back toward the ridge.

"Patrick?" he called in a hushed tone. His heart sank when he realized his brother was already gone.

Turning back to the mermaids, Maverick forced another nervous smile, his hands raised in what he hoped was a friendly gesture.

"Sooo...nice night, huh?"

The mermaids remained silent, their shimmering tails swaying just beneath the water's surface as they stared at him, utterly baffled.

Maverick shifted awkwardly on the rock, his scrawny frame trembling slightly as he tried to maintain some semblance of composure under the mermaids' curious gazes. Marina swam closer, her dark blue eyes narrowing as she studied him.

"Who are you?" she asked, her tone firm but curious.

"M-Maverick," he stammered, managing a shaky smile. "Maverick Tal–uh…" He hesitated for a moment, his eyes darting around nervously before deciding not to say his last name. "…Just Maverick."

The Queen's fiery eyebrows arched delicately.

"Well then, Maverick," she said, her voice regal yet warm. "Is there something we can do for you?"

The tension in the young Talstein's chest eased slightly when he realized none of them seemed to see him as a threat. Of course, why would they? He was as lean as Peter Pan, though far less coordinated, and he probably looked like he'd trip over his own feet if he tried to run.

"Uh…" Maverick scratched the back of his neck, his eyes darting nervously. "Not really? I mean, I was just…passing through, you know?"

"Passing through?" Marina echoed, her arms crossing skeptically.

Stormy giggled, propping her chin on her hands as she floated beside her sister.

"Yeah, sure. People always just pass through here. Super common. Or at least it was until this place became a ghost town!"

Maverick chuckled awkwardly at those words, tugging at his collar again.

"Yeah, uh, long story. Been in Neverland for…a while now. Totally know my way around. Yep. I'm with a, uh, great captain and crew."

The Queen tilted her head slightly.

"A captain and crew?" she asked. "And who might they be?"

Maverick blinked rapidly, his mind racing for an answer.

"Oh, uh, you know, just your average…pirates. Nothing special. We keep to ourselves. Real low-key." he said, laughing nervously.

Coralie's serene expression darkened slightly, her sharp intuition cutting through his lies.

"You don't seem very convinced yourself." she said coolly.

"Oh no, no, no! I swear!" Maverick protested, holding up his hands. "It's the truth and if it isn't them my name is not Sir Maverick Talstein—"

His eyes widened in horror as he realized what he'd just said. His hand shot up, clamping over his mouth, but it was too late.

"Talstein!?" Queen Coralie bolted upright, her tail splashing water as she rose from the rock.

Marina and Stormy exchanged confused glances.

"Who's Talstein?" Stormy asked, her pigtails bouncing as she looked up at her mother.

Maverick panicked, waving his arms in front of him.

"Did I say Talstein? No, no, I meant…uh…"

Before he could finish, a sudden clang echoed across the lagoon. The ringing of a ship's bell shattered the stillness, and the water rippled violently as the mermaids turned to see a large, light beige ship looming behind them. Its red, yellow, and green sails billowed in the wind.

Out of nowhere, a heavy net was hurled from the ship, landing squarely over Coralie and her daughters. The mermaids shrieked in alarm as the net dragged them upward.

"Hey!"

"What's going on!? Let us out!"

Maverick stumbled back, slipping off the rock and splashing into the water before scrambling onto the ship's deck. Patrick stood at the edge of the ship, gripping a thick rope tied to the net. He hauled the catch closer with a smug grin.

"I thought you'd never show up, I was drowning out there!" Maverick muttered as he leaped over the rail to the deck.

"Well done, Sir Maverick," Patrick said mockingly, giving the rope a final tug to secure the net. "For once, this actually went perfectly."

Inside the net, Queen Coralie and her daughters squirmed against the bindings.

"You unhand us!" she demanded.

"Please, spare me. The amount of times I've heard that has gone off the charts." Patrick moaned.

"Wait until Peter Pan hears about this!" the queen snapped, her voice laced with venom.

Maverick, let out a chuckle and then smirked.

"Oh, he'll come," he said, his tone dripping with sarcasm. "Right after he learns how to stand—or sit up—again."

Marina's eyes narrowed.

"What have you done to Peter?"

"That's none of your business." Patrick cut in coldly, stepping forward with his usual air of authority.

Queen Coralie's eyes blazed with fury as she straightened within the net.

"Who are you?" she demanded sharply.

Patrick smirked, bowing with a theatrical flourish.

"You may call us," he began, his voice brimming with pride as he stood up again. "The Talstein Pirates."


The dungeon grew more congested with each passing moment. Since their capture, Hook and his crew had watched as the grimy, rat-infested space filled with more unfortunate souls. Among the latest arrivals were the pirate mummy, dragged in effortlessly by Jack and Patrick. His shy, timid demeanor made him an easy target for the two captors, who unceremoniously tossed him into the cell shared by the Pirate Princess and Misty. Without a word, the mummy retreated to a corner, trembling. It took some effort to coax his story from him, but it was nothing different from the others. He had been peacefully tending to his pyramid when the intruders arrived, two strangers who had managed to avoid every single trap he'd set. Before he could react, they were upon him, and then—nothing. And then, he was here.

Captain Frost's account was a surprising variation. How the Talsteins managed to travel to the Never North Sea so quickly, Hook would never know, but they had done it. Frost described his assailant not as a pair of young aggressors, but as an older, seasoned pirate. The lad had been an expert fighter, capable of enduring the biting cold as well as the captain of the cold himself. Using the darkness of the northern shadows to their advantage, the attacker had not only overpowered him, but remained concealed enough to keep their true identity hidden.

LeBeak let out a melodramatic groan, slumping against the grimy stone wall of the cell.

"It is hopeless, I tell you! We will never know zis mysterious mastermind, and we will be stuck 'ere forever!"

Hook rolled his eyes, clearly reaching his limit.

"Oh, do lighten up, birdbrain."

LeBeak's beady eyes narrowed into slits as she sneered.

"Look who is telling moi to lighten up! Ze sneakiest snook in all of Neverland!"

From his spot on the floor, Bones sighed heavily, his legs crossed as he leaned his head on one hand.

"Here we go again." he muttered, eliciting a groan from Sharky, who was sitting nearby.

What followed was nothing but bickering, with LeBeak and Hook trading jabs at each other's expense while the rest of the prisoners rolled their eyes in unison. Even the normally timid pirate mummy shook his bandaged head.

Finally, Mama Hook's voice cut through the racket like a cannon blast.

"Enough! All of you, hush!"

The argument came to an abrupt halt, though Hook muttered something about knowing when to pick one's battles.

Before anyone could respond, the loud creak of the dungeon door echoed through the chamber. Heads turned as Amber and Jack strode in, each carrying cages. Inside the cages fluttered the familiar figures of the Feathered Four, Princess Winger, and the wise old parrot.

Amber's lips curled into a mocking smile as she placed her cage down near the door.

"For once, I agree with the old hag," she said, her icy gaze darting to Mama Hook. "All of you should shut up."

Hook bristled at the insult, but before he could launch into a tirade about what happens to anyone who dares insult his mother, he surprised everyone with a simple calm, question.

"And who might you be, exactly?"

Amber gave a slight bow, her movements elegant but brimming with menace.

"Lieutenant Amberlynn Talstein," she replied, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "But you may call me Amber. And to a few less fortunate fools, I'm simply 'Mother.'" she said, the faces of her two younger boys in mind.

From her corner, Red Jessica raised a skeptical eyebrow.

"Ay, that's certainly some motherly love you're showin' if that's how you talk about your sons behind their backs." she quipped dryly.

Amber sighed theatrically, her eyes rolling toward the ceiling.

"And to think," she said with a rueful shake of her head. "These were supposed to be the most swashbuckling pirates to ever sail the Never Sea. How disappointing."

Captain Frost's icy eyes narrowed as he stepped forward.

"You take that back, Madame." he demanded.

Amber chuckled darkly, smoothing the front of her tailored coat.

"Oh, I would," she mused. "But my dear boy here.." she motioned to Jack with a subtle flick of her wrist, "...and I are a little preoccupied with something else. And as for all of you? You're… what's the word I'm looking for?" She tapped her chin mockingly. "Ah, yes—trapped."

Amber's eyes flicked to them briefly before she waved a dismissive hand.

"Come, Jack. We've wasted enough time here. Let's leave these poor dears to their... bonding time."

With that, Amber's heels clicked against the stone as she strode out of the dungeon, Jack scrambling to keep pace behind her. The heavy door groaned shut, the sound echoing through the dim chamber.

To Be Continued…