At the edge of the Sea Devil deck, Hook stood staring at the Second Star to the right off in the outskirts, waiting anxiously. He did his best to control his anxiety and body motions that came from it. He couldn’t let his crew see his state. It didn’t matter if it was a twitch of a hand or a shake of a leg, he had to seem like the most confident captain there ever was. Hook twirled his mustache using his hook, figuring if he had to have an anxious twitch, it’d be better to have one that looked both nefarious and sinister. In moments time, he spotted the Jolly Roger on its way to the wormhole. “Yes!” Captain Hook cheered and then quickly recomposed himself. “I knew he would do it! Never a doubt!” he exclaimed. “Move the ship in blasting range!” Hook commanded as his entire crew scrambled to accelerate the ship and prepare for the final act.
They arrived right near the wormhole. Starkey came up beside Hook, to bask in the glory of their accomplished mission. “Well, sir, got to hand it to you. It all worked out just as you, and you yourself, planned,” Starkey kissed up to him.
“I told ya he’d do it. He would do anything for that putrid galaxy. And now he’ll have all the time in the world.” Hook grinned. Starkey listened to an incoming report on his com link.
“Boss, before we strand him there,” Starkey started but as he spoke a Hook came to his neck.
“Did you not see the Jolly Roger go through the wormhole?”
“Umm no sir, but-”
“Is there an issue with the bomb?”
“Ummm, technically no.”
“Then why would you ruin one of my greatest achievements?”
Starkey bit his tongue and swallowed his pride, an action he was all too used to doing. He could warn the captain, but decided his life wasn’t worth the risk.
“All yours sir,” he mumbled out.
“Perfect!” he barked as he lowered his hook. “Crew!” he yelled as he raised his hook to the sky. Pirates will talk about this for ages, he thought. The time Captain Hook bested Peter Pan. “Prepare to detonate the bomb! Destroy the Second Star to the Right! Strand him there!” Multiple cheers and hollers followed from the crew not long after Hook finished. Hook stared off in the distance toward the wormhole and felt a strange amount of sorrow wash over him, sad that it was over. After all the years they had together, this would be their final goodbye. “So long Peter, good form ol’ chap. Good form,” he said to himself and then quickly transformed back into the nefarious captain. “Say goodbye to Peter Pan everyone!”
“THAT was your plan, Hook?” Hook heard an all too familiar voice say. A voice that should be going through a wormhole at that very moment. Hook and his entire crew turned around to find Peter and the girl, Winter, flying toward them, swords activated at the ready. “You spent all these years,” Peter spoke in disbelief. “Crafting a bomb that would destroy a wormhole? And that’s it?” Hook and the crew remained silent. He gritted his teeth staring at Pan. “Tink? You hear that? A bomb! That was the whole plan!”
Meanwhile aboard the Jolly Roger, the cabin remained completely empty as Tink piloted it using the ship’s server. “Quite humorous sir, as this plan will be dismantled within the next few minutes. I have already located the bomb and am already in the process of deactivating it.”
“Perfect! You hear that Hook? Minutes away from this all ending!” Peter shouted with glee. “I’ll give it to ya, Hook. You really had me wondering what your whole grand master plan was. Get me to go back to Earth and then destroy the wormhole, stranding me there for all eternity. You should know better, Hook. Even if I did fall right into your trap, I would find a way. Sure, you would be victorious, but I would do whatever possible to come back and strike you down in front of your entire crew.”
Hook couldn’t believe what just happened. He could activate the bomb, but that would be entirely useless only destroying his old ship. Peter Pan had just embarrassed him in front of his entire crew and this will be something they won’t easily forget. Staring up at the stars, Peter and Winter floated, acting as if they had already won. But perhaps, this could be salvaged.
“You’re not in the best bargaining position right now Peter. You’re stranded without a ship and your trusty android. You have a blaster and two swords to face against my entire crew!”
“You’re right, Hook! Maybe I should have brought a fleet or something,” Peter sarcastically pondered. “Someone to help me out that I could hire. What’s their name Winter, it’s lost on me.” Peter snapped eagerly. “Oh, that’s right, I’ve already thought about this.” As Peter uttered his words the entire fleet of the Lost Boys came up behind him.
Slightly piloted the Dodger, slouching in his captain’s chair knowing this fight would be a piece of cake. “We’re all here waiting on your order, Pan,” Slightly radioed to Peter.
“All of us,” Nibs said piloting his own ship, The Twin Flames. He lounged back in his ship for the first time in what felt like ages. Looking over to his right, he looked at the empty co-captain’s chair that his brother used to pilot beside him. He took out two scraps of paper from his pocket. He unfolded one and revealed it was an old photograph of him and his brother. He unfolded the second paper to see a makeshift drawing he did of his brother. It was absolutely terrible and looked nothing like him, but it still brought a smile to his face.
Hook had to give it Peter. He called nearly every one of his moves, but he still made a drastic mistake not giving Hook enough credit for his planning. “So, you brought a whole fleet? Not bad, Peter! Too bad I thought of the same thing!” Hook raised his arms up and behind him the Krag fleet appeared right behind him.
“Did he plan that, like that? With his arms raised and everything?” Winter asked Peter.
“Oh, yes he loves theatrics,” he whispered to her.
“We’re pretty evenly matched right now Peter. But you’re still at a severe disadvantage.”
“How so?” Peter asked. What else does Hook have up his sleeve, he wondered.
“You have your greatest weakness beside you!” Peter gripped his sword tighter, not liking where this was heading. “And I’ll take it right from you, repeating your worst mistake.”
“Shut up!” Peter belted out.
“Smee was quite the information provider,” he grinned. “Leaving her all alone like that, not like you at all, Pan.”
“Peter, don’t let him get in your head,” Winter spoke to Peter.
“Don’t worry Peter, I wouldn’t let anyone suffer the same fate you allowed Wendy Darling to suffer. No one deserves that,” he snarled, knowing he had full control of Pan. “But I will kill her if you don’t go through that wormhole right now!”
Peter’s whole body tensed up, fuming. “Don’t worry about me, Pete. I can handle them,” she lied. She may have gotten away the first few times, but with the close memory of almost dying, Winter wasn’t sure she could handle another battle. But knew she couldn’t be used as a pawn.
“Come on Peter! I’m waiting!” Peter stared at Hook with malice, wanting to kill him with his own hook. “No?” Hook gave out a petty laugh. “I’m really sorry about this Peter.” Hook changed his hook to an activated laser sword.
“Hook, don’t do it.”
Hook smiled, knowing he had Peter right in his hand. “Kill her!” he announced to the crew. All at once, the entire crew flew off the deck, aiming right for Winter. One by one the Krags came out of their own ships and flew in her direction. Some stayed in their ships and decided ramming her directly would be a much easier and efficient way to kill.
Blind with rage, Peter darted toward Hook. Hook clearly prepared for this however as half of his crew flew in front of Peter, preparing to either kill him or slow him down. “Tink! Lost Boys! Save Winter!” he yelled as he slashed toward Hook’s men.
“Save the girl!” Slightly commanded as he gripped his throttle forward toward her. The Lost Boys fleet followed the Dodger, but were met with complications similar to Peter. The Krag fleet were not aiming for Winter now, but were flying right past her firing upon the Lost Boys. They fought harder than their previous battle with the Red Men, some ships flying directly into the Lost Boys even if the Krag were still in their cockpit.
Meanwhile, Winter flew as fast as she could to get away from Hook’s men and the Krag. Somehow this was worse than the first battle she had with them. It appeared they were going easy on her back then. They weren’t just slashing to disarm her, but they were fighting to kill her!
One of Hook’s henchman had her in his grasp. He flung his sword at her and she blocked just in time, locking their blades together. After they locked, another pirate launched by with a swing of his sword. Winter quickly pushed her sword away from the pirate to face the oncoming one. But she was too late! The pirate’s sword pierced her skin, slashing open a wound on her shoulder. She yelped out in pain.
“Winter!” Peter yelled trying to get closer to her. “Fly away! Don’t bother fighting them!” Winter knew she was in danger, but wasn’t going to let Hook win. Hook’s men or the Krag would eventually catch up to her. It was best to fight rather than to flee and allow them to have the upper hand.
“I got this Pete! Focus on Hook!” she yelled out as she blocked another sword coming at her.
“No you don’t!” he argued as he killed one of Hook’s men by stabbing them in the chest. “Leave! Now!”
Winter kicked a Krag away, she was doing okay actually. Perhaps she could fight them on her own, she thought which was quickly proved false as 10 more henchmen came her way. “Just think happy thoughts, right?” she yelled to Peter as she flew off to gain more ground from the oncoming henchman. She had to keep a positive attitude, not just for herself, but for Peter. He needed to be level headed right now.
“Wendy you could…” Peter quickly cleared his mind as he disarmed one of Hook’s men and then kicked them away with a flipping rocket boot kick! “Winter, you could die!”
The possibility rang true in Winter’s head. Only a little bit longer, she thought. They had to either run out of men or the Lost Boys would come for her, she hoped. Putting on a fake grin, she yelled “The only one dying is Hook’s me-AH!” She belted out a scream as one of Hook’s men landed a successful blow to Winter’s backside. Winter looked around with her sword up realizing that they had her surrounded. She flew down, barely escaping them. But they were too quick and caught up to her, creating a game of cat and mouse.
“Winter!” Peter yelled as he found a clear way to fly to her. But it was nothing more than a trap. Hook’s men had planned that and collided into Peter’s body. They grabbed hold of one another, effectively creating a human ball around Peter. Peter was unable to move to break them off of him. His flying speed drastically slowed down as he tried his best to fling them off him.
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Hook’s men closed in on Winter. Two of them started going at her from both sides, slicing into her arms as they passed by her. She tried to contain her screams with each pass. But deep down, she knew this was it. No more adventures were to be had after this. Memories flashed through her mind of her father, her mother both sick and well, her drawing at the cemetery, all little things that she hadn’t realized how important they were to her until now. One henchman swooped around the long way and was heading right in her direction, his sword aiming right for her chest.
Peter barrel rolled through the sky causing each pirate to lose their grip and allow Peter to fly freely. But Winter was too far, there wasn’t enough time to save her. A pirate flew at Peter with a sword aiming directly at his chest. Peter grabbed hold of the pirate’s arm, holding it in place and giving Peter entire control of his body. He looked around the battlefield, everything seemed to slow down as he did. He saw the Krag blocking all the Lost Boys ships and their men fighting off the few Lost Boys that were able to leave their ships.
He looked over to Winter. Hook’s men were regrouping causing more of a blockade between himself and Winter. He couldn’t see Winter anymore, but he heard her screams reign throughout the stars. His eyes welled up and he gulped, knowing what he must do.
“Hook! My dying wish!” he belted throughout the entire galaxy, still holding onto the pirate’s arm equipped with a sword. The whole fleet suddenly stopped and looked in Peter’s direction. Winter was just inches from death as the sword coming towards her stopped. She swiped it away and flew to a safer location. Meanwhile on the Sea Devil deck, Hook came to the front of the bow with Starkey and found Peter.
“Peter! What are you doing?” Slightly yelled out over his com link, but Peter silenced it. Peter looked down to the Sea Devil, confirming he had Hook’s attention.
“Peter! Don’t do anything stupid!” Hook pleaded. Starkey had never seen Hook so concerned over Pan before.
Peter’s arm trembled holding the pirate’s sword wielding arm. He scanned the battlefield and found Winter, who was beaten to a pulp. Everywhere you looked on her, there was some battle wound. “I’m sorry,” he whispered to her.
“Peter, what are you doing?” Winter radioed back as Peter turned his attention back to Hook.
“Hook, my dying wish” Peter continued with a heavy breath.
“Peter!” Hook yelled. “Stop whatever you’re doing!” Hook screamed, but was too late! Peter plunged the pirate’s sword deep into his chest!
“No!” Hook belted out. Winter tried to scream, but couldn’t find the noise. The pirate unleased his grip from his sword, stunned just as any, that Peter just killed himself. Blood started to pour out of Peter’s mouth.
“Winter! Please go home. Live your wildest dreams. Do it for Neverland, for those who can’t,” Peter shouted as loud as he could with a sword in his chest. “You were right. Remember who you used to be.” He turned back to Hook, who was still utter shock. “Hook, take Winter home, safely.” His mind found it hard to find the words. So this is what dying is like, Peter thought. “Do no harm, please.” Hook hadn’t an idea on how to respond to him.
“But…Peter…why?” was all he could manage. Peter grinned showcasing his teeth lined in blood.
“To die…” he began and then stopped to pull the sword out of his chest. “Would be an awfully big…” Peter continued, but couldn’t finish. He felt the light leaving his body, but peace encompassing him. He closed his eyes and floated throughout space and let out one last breath.
Peter’s body floated toward a field of wormholes. His body picked up speed once it got into its gravitational pull. “No!” Winter yelled flying toward his body. “Peter!” But she was too late, his body completed its course and was swept into a wormhole, and completely disappeared, as if he never even existed. “Peter!” she cried out.
Hook felt a single tear fall down his cheek. He didn’t care what the crew thought of it. His oldest friend had just died.
The Jolly Roger flew through the second star to the right and joined the halted battle. Silence rang throughout the Jolly Roger. “Peter?” Tink uttered. “Peter,” was all she could say as disbelief set it.
Slightly sat in the Dodger, astounded with what just happened. “Boys,” he radioed to his men, “we lost the Pan.” The Lost Boys around him started crying and consoling everyone. Slightly felt the urge to cry, but nothing came. “He actually did it,” he muttered out. At that point, Slightly lost all control of his body and just let emotion fill it. And to his surprise, a smile came across his face, though he wasn’t sure if he was smiling thinking back on the memory of Peter, or something far more sinister.
Starkey lost all control and collapsed onto the hard floor of the deck. He tried to fight tears, but let them out anyway. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry captain,” he apologized.
“It’s fine, it’s fine, Starkey,” Hook told him, still comprehending what just happened. He looked around and saw his crew in disarray. Hook could hear multiple conversations about what just happened, trying to get a grip on their new reality. “A moment of silence!” he growled. “For our fallen friend.”
Hook leaned against the deck, processing that he just lost his greatest enemy, and his oldest friend. As he replayed his death in his mind, an uncontrollable laugh came over him. “You always knew how to get me, Peter.” He looked up to the stars where Peter took his own life. “Farewell, good friend.”
Back to business, he thought right before he snarled, “Bring me the girl!” His crew quickly cheered now that they were allowed to and went back to the task at hand.
Winter was still near the wormhole where she had lost Peter. Nothing could be processed at that moment. As far as she was concerned, a part of her died when Peter did. Hook’s men came up to her and grabbed her arms. She didn’t even put up a fight and complied entirely. Her whole body was lifeless, as if they were grabbing Peter’s body and not hers.
They threw her onto the deck in front of Hook’s boots. Hook expected her to look up at him and plead for her life, but she just sat there, staring at nothing. Empathy washed over him, he wasn’t the only one who lost a friend. He produced a smile at her, nothing sinister or dark about it however, one of pure sincerity and sympathy. “Don’t worry, little girl. We always fulfill a dying wish. Peter may not have been the most conventional pirate, but he lived a pirate’s life and we will honor that.”
“Th-thank you,” she managed to utter out.
“And then,” Hook focused his gaze onto his fleet of men on the deck. “We take Neverland for ours!” he exclaimed as he threw his hook into the air. The whole crew cheered. After so many years of battling and fighting, they had finally reached their goal of becoming the ruling force that Neverland had yet to see.
“After all these years!” Slightly yelled at from a distance. Hook turned around and found Slightly and the Lost Boys flying toward him on rocket boots. Perhaps there is still more to the fight than just Peter, Hook thought. Slightly flew down and landed on the Sea Devil, right in front of Hook. “Just ruling Neverland? I expected something far better from the nefarious Captain Hook.”
Life came back into Winter, she grinned after hearing Slightly’s thoughts. They would still continue the fight in Peter’s name. Neverland would never see the rule of Hook. Herself and the Lost Boys would be sure of that.
“No wonder you never got anywhere in this galaxy,” Slightly continued. “Pan didn’t even have to try!” More Lost Boys joined Slightly on the deck of the ship. Winter looked up and noticed that Nibs was among them. Things would get better, she believed.
Hook sauntered over to Slightly. If it was a fight he wanted, a fight he would give him. He quickly aimed his hook at Slightly’s throat. As the cold metal nearly pierced his skin, Slightly didn’t flinch one bit. Confidence was oozing out of him. “And what did you expect, from the legend of the nefarious Captain Hook?” The words had a nice tingle to it that Hook loved. Perhaps he would always say that when mentioning himself. Slightly produced a grin, he had Hook exactly where he wanted him.
“Why only rule Neverland? When you could easily take Earth?” he said as gasps and confusion sprang throughout the ship.
Winter’s eyes widened as Slightly’s words entered her ears. Multiple Lost Boys started giving each other baffled and skeptical looks. Would they stay loyal to their own leader? Hook was skeptical at the idea. Earth was always Peter’s thing and he never quite understood his fascination with that place. He plunged his hook deeper into Slightly’s neck, not enough to break the skin however. Slightly took this as Hook needing more understanding of his idea. But he was still somewhat into it, otherwise he would be a dead man.
“Earth is right there for the taking, Hook,” Slightly explained as he shunned the hook away from him. “Their tech is not nearly as great as ours. They don’t have any laser weapons and it takes them months to prepare for a simple space launch.”
“Why would I waste my efforts on such a simple planet then? What use would they actually have for me?” The Lost Boys behind Slightly were getting restless, they clearly wanted to leave this conversation.
“They have lots of workers, Hook. If you’re going to rule a galaxy, you’ll need bodies. And who would be more loyal than people who have no power against you? No way of even thinking they could possibly overthrow you. And you could throw another galaxy under your belt. Why rule one, when you could rule two. You’re thinking way too small, mate.”
Hook gritted his teeth as he thought about this. The boy did have a point. And if it would take next to no time at all, why not simply do it?
“No!” Winter yelled out as she sprang from the ground and charged at Slightly. “Peter would never-” Winter’s words were cut short when Slightly headbutted her back to the ground. Nibs tried to charge at him, but several Lost Boys held him back, even though they were unsure of who’s side they were on. Their leader who they pledged their loyalty to? Or to Pan who was now a dead man?
“Sorry, love. Pan isn’t here anymore to control it,” he spat at her.
“The girl does bring up a good point, however,” Hook commented. “Why the sudden change of heart when Pan loved that place oh so dearly. Are you not as loyal as I believe?” Slightly knew he almost had him, just needed a touch more convincing.
“I’d follow Pan to the ends of the universe. Everyone knows that. But it wasn’t right of him to declare a planet off limits, especially in the barren kill or be killed nature of Neverland. None of us really remember it,” he gestured to the Lost Boys. “But I’ve always wanted to go back. I missed it and I want to help them. But Pan would never allow it and I respected him and his decision. I’m as loyal as a sea dog…but he’s gone.” Slightly looked down at Winter. “It’s time for me to get what I want.” Winter returned with a glare.
All of the Lost Boys looked disgusted at Slightly’s thoughts. They agreed with parts of Slightly’s argument, but couldn’t believe the tactics that Slightly was using. He may have been loyal, but they took this as him showing his true colors. Nibs’s fists grew iron shut, wanting nothing more than to pounce on Slightly.
Hook pondered over this as he paced, making a decision. The tactics would probably benefit the boy more than it would Hook, but what did it really matter? Hook turned to Slightly and changed his hook into a cybernetic hand and extended it to him.
Slightly looked down and saw his entire future. After so many years, all he had to do was shake it, and it would be over. Doubt clouded his mind as his thoughts filled with memories of Peter. He felt as if he would be betraying him. But those thoughts were quickly drowned out by thoughts of hate and resentment. “Slight,” he heard Nibs say behind him. “Don’t do it.” He sounded exactly like how Peter would, disappointed. But Pan wasn’t here anymore. Slightly took Hook’s hand and shook it.
The ship was split into two factions. One filled with cheer and praise having won Neverland and would soon conquer an entirely new galaxy. And the other filled with sorrow and betrayal. “Take the girl down to the brig!”
“Near the escape pods sir?” Starkey asked to clarify.
“Wherever the brig is! And put up the oxygen shield! Set course for Earth! We’ll have it by dawn!” he ordered. “Starkey! Show the boy how we do things!” Slightly took that as confirmation that he would be with Hook’s crew from that moment forward. He turned to the Lost Boys. Even though they probably hated him, he still wanted to give a proper goodbye, they had done him well over the years.
They all approached him with all different kinds of looks. Some were vengeful, others were disappointed. Nibs led the pack toward him. “Slight, how could you? After all these years and you just throw it all away? All while disgracing Peter?”
“Don’t any of you want to go back? To your home? Peter had no right taking us as orphans!” Slightly defended himself.
“He was doing us a favor! We aged out! You know damn well we would have been stranded without food or work! He also gave us a choice! Stay or come with him.”
“What choice did we have back then? He knew what he was doing. And now I have a choice. And I’m not choosing to follow the words of a dead man.”
“Peter may be dead, but his principles won’t be forgotten. We still stand by him,” Nibs said as the Lost Boys nodded in agreement.
“Fine then. Live in the past if you want. I’m heading towards the future,” Slightly said as he turned toward Starkey. He nodded at him, prepared to start working for Hook. Slightly and Starkey picked up a fuming Winter. She gave a slight struggle, but knew it would be useless.
“Peter would never allow this,” Winter barked at Slightly.
“And look where that got him?” he said has he pushed her forward.
“Winter!” Winter looked over to see Nibs, now seemingly leading the Lost Boys. “We’ll check in soon. Make sure you get home safe, as Peter wanted.” She nodded her head. “We just,” he looked back toward the Lost Boys, “need to figure some things out first.” Their entire world was just disrupted. They were without a leader and without the one who found them. “I’m sorry, Winter,” Nibs said as the Lost Boys activated their rocket boots and took off toward their ships.
Winter was pushed toward an open staircase leading down. Even though she trusted Hook’s word, she still felt completely unsafe. Slightly gave her another push to head down the staircase. She saw an opaque shimmery shield start rising over the Sea Devil as she plunged down into the belly of the beast.