"B-but, sir, I did as you ask. Please, don't take it out on the crew, they didn't--"

A shotgun blast blew a hole through the ships hull next to Smee. Captain Hook emerged from the shadows, slamming a fist against the wall next to Smee's head.

"You were told to capture Pan, Smee. Not tell me where he is and say you couldn't," Hook snarled.

"I-I understand, sir, but I--"

"QUIET!" Hook bellowed, blasting a second hole next to Smee. Hook raised his amputated hand, revealing a small shotgun attachment connected to it, "The next time I tell you to do something, you'll do it. Are we understood?"

"Y-yes."

"YES WHAT, SMEE?!"

"Yes, Captain!"

Hook glared at Smee for a moment before smiling a wide, golden-toothed smile and backing away, "I'm happy to hear it." The shotgun attachment on Hook's left hand folded back inside in a series of mechanical whirs and clanks, and a hook ejected from where the shotgun once was, "Now burn this place."

Captain Hook strolled up to the ship's deck and onto the docks, and Smee bowed as he passed, scrambling to reach the lighter in his pocket shortly after. The fuse between his feet would take about a minute to burn and led to a stack of barrels filled with gunpowder at the center of the ship. Tied to the ship's supports with their hands bound behind them were the crew members that he'd grown to call his friends. 

He kneeled down and held the lighter up to the fuse.

"Smee," one of the crew members said. Smee looked up to see a face full of disappointment and betrayal instead of the rage he was expecting, "You're a coward."

Smee looked down at the fuse and hesitated, the lighter only inches from its end.

"I'm so sorry," he whimpered, lighting the fuse and running up to the ship's deck. He shut his eyes and ran as fast as he could onto the dock and away from the ship.

"You're a coward, Smee!" the crew shouted from below deck, "A bloody coward! You'll never be anything more than Hook's--"

A series of explosions rocked the docks and the shockwave sent Smee tumbling to the ground. He covered his head as wood fell from the sky and crashed around him. After the thunks of falling bits of the ship stopped, the sound of boots on the street caught his attention and he looked up to see his Captain looking down at him. The two remained silent, not saying a word to one another or moving until Hook eventually lowered a hand down to Smee.

"You did good, Smee. Now come. We have work to do."

Smee took his hand and Hook hoisted him up off the ground, patting him on the back.

No matter how much praise he received, no matter how much gold he would pocket, no matter how many times he tasted victory at the side of his Captain, he would never forget the cries of his crew.

You're a coward, Smee. A bloody coward. 

A few weeks later.

Such a beautiful dinner. Beautiful music, beautiful food, and a beautiful waitress, to boot. Of all the places he liked to eat, this was his favorite.

It's just too bad he made a move on a waitress who was taken.

The brute tossed Peter out onto the street, throwing his half-finished milkshake at him as he crashed onto the cement.

"And stay out!" the man shouted, slamming the diner's doors.

I don't own any pictures all of it goes to their rightful owner.

"Whoa, hey man, are you alright?" a large young man asked, offering down a hand.

Peter took it and pulled himself up, "Yeah, I'm alright. Thanks, Bear."

"Ah, we coulda went in there and showed 'em who's boss! Come on, it's not too late! I'll take Fox and the Raccoons, you just look out for Rabbit and Skunk and we'll be--"

"Bear," Peter interrupted, holding up a hand, "It's all a part of the plan."

Bear cocked his head to the side, "Man, what are you..."

The brute from before was pushed backward out of the diner with his hands out to the side, "But babycakes!" he pleaded.

"Get out!" a woman yelled after him, "And stay out!"

The man glanced over in Peter's direction, "You!" he accused angrily, storming in his direction.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you," Bear said, standing in front of Peter.

"Oh, come on, I can take you, tubby. Bring it."

The roar of motorcycles approached and five more young men came to a stop beside the diner, strolling over and standing between Peter and the brute.

"There a problem here, buddy?" Fox asked with his hands out to his sides. He took off his sunglasses and got in the brute's face, "Cuz there betta' not be a problem."

The brute scanned the gang nervously and scoffed, backing away, "Whatever."

As he turned away, Fox slipped his hand into the man's pocket and pulled out his wallet. 

The man didn't notice.

"Hehe, pleasure doin' business with ya," he said once the Brute was out of earshot, whistling and counting the money before tossing the wallet into the street.

"Thanks, you guys," Peter said, "I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Hey, don't mention it, boss," Bear said, slapping Peter on the back, "Without you, we wouldn't have a family."

"That's right," Fox added, tucking the stolen cash into Peter's jacket pocket, "Where you go, we go. Nothin' else to it."

Peter looked around at his rag-tag gang that he'd come to know as family. Skunk was a quiet little kid-- never says a word-- but his quiet, innocent look was an excellent tool to use to squeeze some cash out of somebody without using force. Rabbit was just a little older than Skunk and was faster than anyone he'd ever known. The kid could outrun an Olympic sprinter, no problem. Next were the Raccoon twins. Mischievous little devils. Despite their lack of any real strength or speed, they were a terrifying duo when they put their heads together. Fox. The oldest of the group besides Peter. Tall and slick, he had a tongue as sharp as a switchblade, and hands just as quick. Then there was Bear. What a humorous fellow he was. By far the biggest and strongest member of the bunch, you'd never guess he was a big softie when it came to anything. Only when one of the gang was in trouble is when the bear within Bear showed itself, and Peter respected that. Every member of the gang wore matching leather jackets with "Lost Boys" stitched into the back of them. On the neck of each member was a tattoo of their respective animal, a sign of loyalty and dedication to the family.

Then there was Peter. The oldest of them all, and their "boss" as they liked to call him. He wore a jacket just like the rest of his gang, but instead of "Lost Boys", the word "PAN" was stitched onto the back of his. He didn't know what it meant, figured it was just someone's initials. A long time ago, someone left this jacket on him while he was sleeping alone on a bench outside in the cold. Ever since he's been known as Peter Pan.

The door of the diner opened, snapping Peter out of his thoughts, and the Lost Boys parted, letting a beautiful woman through. The waitress he'd flirted with.

"I'm sorry about that," she said, "but thank you. He was an idiot, I don't know why I ever went out with him in the first place."

"Don't mention it..." Peter looked at her nametag, "Wendy. Say, that's a beautiful name."

Wendy blushed and played with her hair, "Thanks. Peter's not so bad, either."

"You know my name?"

She laughed, "Everybody knows 'The Pan.' You're practically a legend."

Fox cleared his throat.

"And of course they know the Lost Boys, too," Wendy added, smiling.

The Lost Boys all smiled and nudged each other.

"Anyway," Wendy continued, "Feel free to come back any time, yeah?"

Peter winked, "You can count on it."

Wendy walked back into the diner and every Lost Boy watched her walk away.

After she'd disappeared behind the doors, Bear turned back to Peter and raised an eyebrow, "You sly dog."

Peter shrugged and mounted his motorcycle, "You ready, Lost Boys?"

The rest of them mounted their bikes and sped down the road away from town. His carefree attitude disappeared when his mind drifted back to why they were traveling.

Another city... Nothing. Where are you, Tink?

The final member of the Lost Boys was a girl, Tink. Some call her the Tinkerer, others as Tinkerbell. But to him, she was and always will be just Tink. A few months ago she'd disappeared in the middle of the night, and they hadn't heard a word from her since.

"Where too next, boss?" Bear shouted, riding up beside him.

Where too, indeed... aside from the town they had just left, Peter had no leads to Tink's whereabouts. He cursed. Missing even one family member was too much for him to bare. The Lost Boys were his reason to live, and he'd fight for them before anyone or anything else until the day he died.

An explosion shook the landscape and he slammed on the breaks, skidding sideways to a stop in the middle of the desert road. The Lost Boys did the same, and they all looked back to see what had caused the bang.

To Peter's horror, his worst fear had come true. A ship made of brass flew in the sky above the town, pumping steam out behind and under it through a series of complex pipes and engines. It looked as though the ship was sailing on a cloud.

"There's only one person who could create a beast like that," Bear said, gritting his teeth.

"Tink..." Peter murmured.

Her nickname "Tinkerer" came from her ability to make machines like no one else could. Flying machines made of brass and steam that defied comprehension.

Peter looked at the Lost Boys, and they all nodded.

"Go," they all seemed to say without speaking a word.

Peter revved his engine and shot like a bullet back toward the city. According to legends spread among superstitious men and women through the ages, there was a rider who rode a bike faster than the winds of a hurricane with the ferocity of a wildfire. The legendary rider was said to be immortal-- trapped in an eternity of conflict with someone who was once his closest friend. Having been betrayed, he vowed to bring justice to the one who had wronged him. Revenge in the name of the people he loved. According to legend, the rider could ascend into the heavens and ride with the angels.

The legends were true.

Peter pressed a blue button on the handle of his motorcycle and fins folded out to the side, steam gushing from the bike's engine. In an instant, the bike rocketed into the sky towards the pirate vessel in the clouds.

"It seems I've found myself two hostages!" Hook bellowed from the crows nest, "That's good! I didn't want to have to kill the Tinkerer. I have so much more planned!"

Hook raised his left hand, his shotgun folding out from his arm, and he sent blasts of buckshot in Peter's direction.

Peter swerved to avoid them, but one of the pellets punched a hole in the bike's engine. It sputtered and clanked and began to fall out of the sky. At the last moment, he jumped from the bike and landed roughly on the ship, rolling across its deck. He leaned over the railing and looked down, watching his bike plummet and explode on the street below.

"Peter!"

Peter looked over to see Tink and Wendy tied to the ship's mast. He scrambled to his feet and ran towards them, but Hook jumped from the crows nest, sliding down the mainsail and landing between him and the girls.

"Let them go, Hook! They've got nothing to do with this!" Peter pleaded.

"Oh, but don't they?" he hissed, drawing a scimitar from his side, "The Tinkerer helps make your little gadgets, and Wendy here seems to have recently become very important to you. I'd like to see just how important she actually is."

Hook flipped his left hand again, this time, revealing a revolver. The cylinder spun and five bullets popped out, leaving one still in the gun.

"I'm sure you know how this game works by now, boy," he said, aiming the barrel in Wendy's direction, "Russian roulette has always been such a thrill!"

Click.

Peter roared in outrage and charged Hook, pulling a knife from his jacket. The knife extended into a shortsword and clanged against Hook's scimitar.

"Oh, you're just full of surprises, Pan!" Hook exclaimed, kicking Peter away.

He pointed the revolver at Wendy again.

Click.

Peter pressed a button on his shoes and small brass engines folded out, propelling him into the air.

"Don't do this, Hook! We both know how it ends!" Peter shouted from above, "I'll give you this chance to surrender and you'll never hear from me again!"

Hook laughed and he smiled with a wild look in his eyes, "Just for that insult, here's your prize!"

Click.

Click.

Hook frowned, "Hm, I was sure one of those would kill her. Oh well," He took aim at her again and Peter came crashing down from the sky, tackling Hook and sending them both rolling across the deck. Hook kicked Peter away and regained his footing, getting to his feet.

"How brave of you, Peter, but it's too late!"

He aimed at Wendy once more, and the revolver's hammer cocked back.

Bang.

"NO!" Peter shouted in dismay.

Wendy had braced herself to be shot, but despite the gunshot, there was no pain. She lifted her head and looked around, confused.

Peter looked back at Hook, where a small circle of blood slowly expanded outward from his chest. Hook turned his head and looked behind him.

Standing at the ship's stern was Smee, holding a lever action rifle.

"Smee... why..." Hook wheezed.

Smee shot again, and again, and again. Hook stumbled backward with each shot, getting closer and closer to the ship's edge. He bumped backward against the railing, and Smee pressed the barrel of the rifle against Hook's chest. Smee's hands shook, and he cocked the rifle. Hook looked back with a pale, blank, expression.

"Of all people..." Hook wheezed, "I never thought..."

Smee gripped the rifle's handle and pressed his finger against the trigger, preparing to shoot, but before he could get the shot off, Hook's eyes rolled into the back of his head and he fell over the railing.

Smee hobbled backward and threw the rifle to the ground, falling down onto the ship's deck. He looked over at Peter.

"I..." he said shakily, "I don't want to be a coward anymore."

Peter rose to his feet and walked over to the girls, stopping for only a moment to look at Smee. He knelt down and untied them.

"Are you two alright? You're not hurt are--"

"Oh, Peter!" Wendy shouted, throwing her arms around him, "I was so afraid!"

"Oh, uh, yeah. No problem," Peter replied. He couldn't remember the last time he was flustered like this.

"Ahem," Tink cleared her throat obnoxiously, tapping her foot on the ship's deck, "I'm here too, you know."

Peter laughed and got to his feet, slapping her on the shoulder, "It's good to have you back, Tink!"

She scoffed and rolled her eyes, "Whatever."

"Boss!" familiar voices shouted from behind him.

Peter turned to greet them only to be tackled to the ground shortly after.

"WE WERE SO WORRIED!" Rabbit and the Raccoon twins shouted in unison. Skunk said nothing but buried his face against Peter's chest and sobbed.

"Alright, alright, that's enough," Bear said, hoisting Peter to his feet. He grasped Peter's shoulder and patted it, "Good to know you're safe."

"Yeah," Peter replied absently, glancing over at the edge of the boat.

Smee had lowered a rope ladder to let the Lost Boys up and was now rolling it back up onto the ship.

"Give me a second, you guys," Peter said, parting from the group.

As the Lost Boys made their formal introduction to Wendy and introduced her to Tink, Peter knelt down and helped Smee roll the ladder up.

"So, what are you going to do now?" Peter asked.

Smee stayed silent until the ladder was up, then he sat back, looking at the horizon. The sun was setting over the desert, casting a beautiful red glow onto the earth below. The wind whispered through their hair, and after a moment of thought, he sighed.

"You lost your bike, didn't you?" he asked.

"Yeah. I did," Peter replied.

"Then you'll need a new vessel."

"I suppose I will."

Smee smiled a sad, but hopeful smile, keeping his gaze focused on the horizon, "Then, if you'll allow it, I'll go wherever you go. Captain."

Peter looked at Smee in surprise, but after seeing the resolve in his expression, he smiled and stood up, lowering a hand to his new family. The Lost Boys, Wendy, and Tink all lined up behind Peter, smiling and nodding in approval.

"Then in that case," Peter said as Smee took his hand, "Let's move forward."

Peter pulled Smee up, and they shook hands as if meeting one another for the first time.

"Welcome to the crew, Smee," Peter said.

After the excitement ended, the Lost boys parted ways, and Smee walked to his post.

"We're all proud of you, Smee," a voice whispered on the wind.

Smee turned back to the horizon and saw the ghostly silhouette of a ship sailing through the sky beside them. The crew waved and nodded to him before veering to the left and disappearing into the sky.

Congratulations and thank you for a great read RyderLocke