After being carried around in that disgusting bag, and feeling myself pressed against something wooden, the vomit threat was removed and I could see again. I didn’t like how I was surrounded by a bunch of disgusting-looking men with cutlasses pointed at me. One of them wasted no time tying me and Tiger Lily to the mast of some sort of primitive ship, the kind that relied on the wind to power it. I moved to summon my Keyblade, but one of them smacked me across the face. “Ow! Why you!”
“I beg your pardon.” The man said. “But Cap’n Hook don’t want no trouble from you two.”
“Then he should’ve left us alone,” I said. “Who is this Hook?”
“A vile pirate.” Tiger Lily told me. “And Peter’s sworn enemy. He’s vowed to kill him.”
“But why?” I asked her.
“He took Hook’s treasure and hid it on the island somewhere.” She answered. “Also, he chopped off Hook’s hand and fed it to the crocodile.”
“He did what?!” Eyes widening, I felt my stomach lurch and threaten to expel my lunch. That was just so disgusting and wrong. Shaking my head, I did what I could to suppress my sick feelings. I had to focus and find a way out of this mess.
“Welcome aboard me ship, Miss Tiger Lily.” A pirate dressed in red strode up to us. There was also this hat with a feather sticking out of it, and I noticed his left hand had been replaced with a hook. Guess they didn’t have prosthetics here.
Frowning, my friend inquired, “What do you want now, Hook?”
“You two are ‘guests’ to a party I plan on giving Peter Pan. A farewell party.” The pirate explained. “This time he shall not escape me. This will be his last hurrah.”
“And what makes you think this time will be any different?”
“Because this time I have a secret weapon.”
Frowning, my new friend asked, “What weapon?”
Stepping aside, Hook showed us his ‘secret weapon’, and it made my eyes widen. “Mortem?” I asked.
“You know him?” Tiger Lily asked.
Nodding, I explained, “We’ve crossed blades before.”
“So he’s an enemy.”
“Yeah.”
He gave a pause when he noticed me. “You again?” Crossing his arms, Mortem added, “You got captured by these losers? For a Keybearer, that’s just pathetic.”
“They took us by surprise.” I defended myself.
“Whatever,” he scoffed at me, “Consider yourself lucky as keeping you alive for now will likely draw your idiot friend here as well… so I can finish you both!”
My eyes widened a bit. “What is your problem?” I asked him. “You treat being a Keyblade wielder as a great honor, yet you go around hurting people with yours. That doesn’t sound like a very honorable thing, hypocrite. If anything, it’s dishonorable.”
Mortem seemed to pause for a moment like he was lost in thought, but then he just shook his head. “A Keyblade is a symbol of strength. Nothing more. You would never understand its true meaning.” Before I could speak up he added, “That’s why yours is a joke. A true Keyblade would never choose a coward.”
JASON’S POV
Clenching my fists, I watched the entire exchange from my hiding place. Man, that guy got under my skin. He was welcome to trash-talk me, but talking down to my cousin like that? Gri’s beak, I was so tempted to rush in there and prove him wrong. That was when I felt a tap on my shoulder.
“Don’t go rushing in there. You might get them hurt.” Jiminy warned from my shoulder. As much as I didn’t want to admit it he was right. I couldn’t save them right now. There were too many pirates, and no openings to charge in. All I could do now was wait.
Peter Pan then flew over to us. “You ready?”
Nodding, I watched while Mortem turned his back to my cousin. His little red pet began to taunt her. “Pathetic. You never saw them coming.”
Clair frowned at that before it was replaced by a slight smirk. “You know what, little one? Last time we met I thought you said you are a weapon. That nothing could stop you.” My cousin’s mockery made the little monster growl. “And now it seems like you’ve started to rely on others instead of yourself.”
Leroy’s ear twitched at that. “Don’t push your luck, you big stinky head!”
“Or what? You’ll give me fleas?” She taunted him.
That made the red furball snarl. “Why, you little–”
Mortem then glanced at the monster. “Leroy! Enough!” He shouted before turning his back once again. Leroy growled, but he stayed silent. Obedient little beast.
While he wasn’t looking, Peter flew down and snatched Hook’s hat. “Huh- what?” Hook asked when he noticed his hat was gone, and his only answer was the sound of laughter. The pirates then looked up to see Peter sitting on top of a sail, waving Hook’s hat before putting it on his head. “Blast you, Peter Pan!” Shouted the captain. “Unhand me hat!”
“I might if you let the girls go,” Peter said while resting his chin on his hand.
“Come down here and get them!” Hook ordered, but not everyone waited for the captain to give orders. I saw Mortem summon his Keyblade, as well as some bird-like creatures similar to the Unversed coming out of him. Yep, he’s the source of the Unversed. He then conjured a dark fireball and threw it at Peter.
He then flew out of the way, dodging the attack, although Hook’s hat wasn’t so fortunate. “Missed me.” The kid teased while the Lost Boys came out of their hiding spots and began throwing stuff at the pirates. As they yelled in surprise at this, I saw one get nailed in the face by some sort of brown ball thrown by Cubby.
However, Mortem ended up getting my attention as he climbed, or rather jumped, a rope ladder to the top of the sail. “Come here and fight me, you coward!”
“Coward, me?” Peter asked.
“Of course you!!” The dark boy shouted. “Flying away from a fight? Coercing your infantile slaves to do your dirty work? What’s the matter, afraid to fight yourself?” He then sicked the avian Unversed at him.
The boy who wouldn’t grow up was able to dispatch them easily enough with his knife, but now he looked serious. “Nobody calls Pan a coward and lives. I’ll fight you man to man. With one hand behind my back.” With that, he landed on the sail and the two of them began to fight.
And they said I started fights? Peter ducked and weaved, avoiding Mortem’s slashes until he clashed blades with his dagger against Mortem’s Keyblade. Something inside me felt like I needed to get up there, and if I knew anything about Mortem it was he wasn’t going to stop unless someone else took his attention away. Right now I knew he wanted me more than my cousin, so if I didn’t get up there he would kill Peter. Turning to Jiminy and Scrooge, I said, “You two need to help the Lost Boys. Free Clair and the other, and then hold off the pirates.”
“What about you?” Scrooge asked.
“I have to help fight Mortem. Pan doesn’t seem to know what he’s up against.”
With a nod of understanding, Scrooge and Jiminy raced to help while I made my way up to the fight. As I ascended the rope ladder I heard Peter ask, “So why exactly are you helping that codfish?”
“Honestly, I’m just here for those Keyblade meddlers you’ve befriended.” Mortem answered. “Though to be honest, I’m quite disgusted with you after what Hook told me you’ve done.”
“And what did he tell you I’ve done?” He asked. I had to be honest, he was holding up well despite using a dagger against a Keyblade.
“That you captured those kids and forced them to follow you! Also, you cut off his hand and fed it to a crocodile… just for fun! You have a twisted sense of humor.” Transforming his Keyblade into its scythe mode, he added, “If these aren’t what makes you a dirty coward, I don’t know what does.”
Peter blinked at that. “He said all that?” He floated a bit in the air, readying himself as he prepared to face the new weapon.
“That’s right! Now say your prayers!” As Mortem began to charge electricity through the scythe, I finally made it up to the sail. However, the dark warrior began swinging his scythe at Peter Pan, forcing the hero of Neverland to go on the defensive. If I didn’t do something the Lost Boys might lose their leader.
Climbing up, I summoned my own Keyblade. “Mortem! Did you want my cousin and me? Here I am!”
My words caused him to glance back. “So you decided to show yourself.” He said before pointing the scythe at me, the electricity crackling as it held the charge.
Holding my weapon up, I nodded. “Yeah. I did. And I’ve got news for you: Your information is wrong. Those kids follow Peter Pan of their choosing. He doesn’t force them to do anything.”
“Shut up!”
“Hook has been telling you lies.”
“I told you to shut up!” He then fired an electric beam at me. I couldn’t dodge it, so I ended up taking the attack. With a cry of pain, I fell forward and almost lost my balance. I managed to hold on to the sail twitching from the attack while Mortem approached me. “Give me one good reason why I should believe you! Do you have any idea what it’s like being abused as a child?” During this, Peter tried to sneak up on Mortem, but the dark warrior blasted him back before he could get close enough.
Gritting my teeth, I forced myself back to my feet. “… Yes. That’s something I know too well.” Memories of how my father treated me over the years came back, purging my mind of any happy thoughts. There’d be no flying if this went south.
“Oh, you do huh?” He asked. “Tell me. Was it one person or an entire town?”
“What does that have to do with this?”
“Everything.”
“Is this supposed to be a contest over who had it worse?”
Mortem was silent for a moment. Then he chuckled before saying, “Just as I thought.” He then snarled, “You don’t know pain as I do! You don’t know the pain of being left on the streets at the mercy of nearly everyone in your hometown. Beaten, starved, neglected, forced to steal just to survive, treated like something you never wanted to be all because of something you didn’t even have control over! And that it got so far that they eventually deliberately tried to kill you…as a ten-year-old! You! Know! Nothing!”
“Maybe I don’t.” I agreed. “But I do know what it’s like to live feeling like you have no hope for the future, that no matter what things won’t get any better. To feel like you’re just a lump of clay everyone else can mold into whatever they want you to be. I do know how anger builds up until all you can do is take it out on others who were innocent all in an attempt to fill the hole in your heart. To be seen as nothing but a delinquent. I may not share your pain, but I do know what pain is. So you’re not better just because you had it worse than I did.”
Mortem paused at those words. He seemed to be deep in thought about something. But then he shook his head. “I’ve heard enough.” He readied his scythe before saying, “You still haven’t given me a reason to believe–” he was cut off when a cry of pain was suddenly heard from below.
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