Chapter Forty Five

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Metanoia solemnly stood a few feet behind Peter Pan, who was watching Theodore and Elijah slowly lower Charlie's body into the earth with a clenched jaw and a vein protruding from his temple. The atmosphere was thick with heartache, and consistent, quiet sobs would travel through the air from The Lost Boys' lips, Idris and Liam in particular. Peter was devastated, not for the loss of a wonderful soul as everyone grieved, no. He was devastated for allowing the sliver of a chance of the merfolk harming one of his own. It was a wound to his pride, which he took very seriously.

It infuriated him beyond the basic level of comprehension humans were able to absorb. His rage was inhuman - a deadly sort which left everything trembling in its wake. Peter Pan was like a hurricane, causing a mass destruction with effortless ease. His rampage was an ungodly experience one prayed to never witness, but as everyone warily gazed upon their leader as he stood in front of them all, The Lost Boys could forecast the impending storm of doom fast approaching.

"Charlie was a free spirited Lost Boy." Peter announced, his face solemn. "He really was a person who did things his own way."

Metanoia couldn't help but smile at his comment.

"He did the most annoying things sometimes," Pan admitted, causing the Lost Boys to laugh softly, through their pain. "But in spite of that, he had the ability to touch everyone's hearts."

Metanoia's own heart clenched in excruciating pain, and her eyes traveled to his best friends, broken with their backs hunched and their heads hung low as they stifled their cries.

"His death is not in vain. We shall honour his spirit for the rest of our lives." Pan declared, before he gestured with his hands, and suddenly, everyone was slightly alarmed to find themselves clutching wooden cups from camp, filled with a strong-odor liquid. Metanoia scrunched up her face at the stench, and could tell it was alcohol.

Raising his cup in the air before his soldiers, Peter yelled, "To Charlie!"

Everyone raised their cups in unison, all chanting, "To Charlie!"

Metanoia downed the contents in her cup instantly, wishing it could be enough to distract her from her woes, but she feared she might need a lot more than three gulps to be intoxicated. She gazed down at her empty cup disdainfully, before dully staring at the back of Peter's head. Why couldn't he just fill the cup some more?

Everyone slowly began to file out of the graveyard at their own pace, after Pan set the standard mourning period of three days. Metanoia hesitantly stepped forward, discreetly glancing at Idris, who was sat on the ground beside Charlie's fresh grave, his hand resting on the soil affectionately. She gulped down the growing lump of tears at the sight of a broken soul losing his other half, before she fully turned her back on him and walked away. She wished she could comfort him, but Metanoia didn't possess the nature of empathy. She dealt with mourning in her own destructive way, and could therefore not have it in her to make him feel any better. Sighing in defeat, Metanoia opted to walk to her favourite place.


~•~


Athena threw her crystal goblet against the wall of her home in a fit of merciless rage, screaming like a banshee in the process. Just in that very moment, Zeus walked in, with Poseidon hot on his tail. In the corner of the room, Artemis stood with her arms crossed in disapproval, glaring at Athena in disgust, but letting her have her moment of childish tantrum regardless. Zeus's concerned gaze flickered towards the shattered goblet fragments on the marble floor, before focusing onto Athena.

"I take it you've heard, then?" He asked morbidly.

Athena growled lividly. "This little bitch just had to poke her nose into what doesn't concern her, and now with stupid Peter Pan on her side, they're a strong force we can no longer deny."

"You know what this means for us, right?" Artemis drawled in disinterest. "Now that they've unlocked the Seer's key and know who we are and how to get to us through Ares, should they succeed, we might not exist upon their wrath - all three of them."

"This is why I specifically requested to never make an enemy of those most feared, but you lot never heed my warnings." Poseidon huffed angrily, causing Athena to roll her eyes scornfully.

"Oh wow, look at you earning points for knowing better." She shot at him in ridicule, before glaring viciously at Artemis. "And how are you so calm?"

"I'm not." Artemis unfolded her arms and stepped off the wall. "But I have already tried my powers on them, and they somehow all survived it. Even Pan's little mortal minions."

"Because your powers are practically useless, Artemis." Zeus snapped exasperatedly, causing Artemis to raise a perfectly shaped brow at his audacity.

"If I recall correctly, Zeus, it was you who instructed me to shoot lava arrows down to Neverland."

"What use is this right now?" Athena hissed. "What are we going to do about these two outcasts wreaking havoc everywhere they go?"

Poseidon cleared his throat suggestively, causing the three Greek Gods to snap their judgmental gazes onto the fourth with beady eyes.

"I might have a solution for that." Poseidon offered.

"Well, go on. You don't need to build any suspense, Poseidon - it's a waste of time mortals think they have the luxury of spending when they could literally die any second." Athena snapped.

"You don't need to be such a bitch, Athena." Artemis rolled her eyes. "Tell us, Poseidon - what do you have in mind?"

Athena glared sourly at Artemis, but Poseidon launched into an explanation despite the emanating fury building up in the room.

"We've tried King Trident, entrusting him with a crucial detail, and he failed us." He explained.

"You really don't need to list our failures, Poseidon." Zeus stated miserably, rubbing his forehead.

"What I'm saying is, the truest master of the seas wasn't actually King Trident." Poseidon smirked, and Artemis frowned.

"Who is it then?" She questioned curiously.

"I believe the true master of the seas is none other than the world's favourite pirate on the world's favourite pirate ship." Poseidon stated smugly, and everyone's eyes widened.

"You must be out of your mind." Athena gasped in mortification. "A mortal?"

"An unpredictable, unstable one at that." Artemis added in disapproval, causing Zeus to nod along.

"Plus he's only got one hand."

"What's that got to do with anything?" Poseidon asked Zeus, puzzled, but Zeus merely shrugged.

Poseidon sighed. "Listen, I am sure of this one."

"Just as you were about King Trident?" Athena quipped.

"You don't understand!" Poseidon argued. "Captain Hook has a massive thirst for bloodshed - particularly Peter Pan's. Should his hands fall on a supernatural power bestowed to him by myself, I can assure you that we have a fighting chance."

Zeus glanced at Artemis and Athena, who still looked slightly hesitant, but he sighed in defeat, and nodded to Poseidon.

"Get on with it, then. It's not like we've got any better ideas."

Athena gasped. "Are you seriously approving this?!"

"I am." He stated flatly.

"You must be out of your mind!" She wailed, following after him as he existed the room. "How could you approve such a ridiculous plan?!"

Artemis nodded subtly towards Poseidon, who grinned wickedly at her and affirmed, "It will work."

"I do hope you're right, Poseidon - for your sake. You know as well as I do what happens to those of us who share our powers with mortals and they trigger more harm than good." Artemis warned him quietly. "The council would not go easy on you."

Poseidon shook his head stubbornly. "And who will lead this pathetic council, hm? Ares is still held down, and as long as he is, we have nothing to fear."

"And his daughter?" Artemis raised a brow. "Her powers merging with another crawling menace with an ample power at his disposal? What do you make of that?"

"They will never get to Ares. He is the key back to Mount Olympus. Without him, we have nothing to fear, Artemis."



~•~



Metanoia stood right at the edge of her favourite cliff, the same one she'd trained climbing with Nate. One foot hovered in the air, while the other stayed firm on the rock. She gazed blankly at the heart-stopping drop from the cliff with vacancy seizing her soul in her iced irises. It wasn't the biggest cliff on the island, but it was still fairly tall, and a nasty fall from its peak could lead to a potential death depending on the angle of impact.

Would she be able to survive a fall such as this? After all, she was a powerful demigod, so surely a fall off a cliff wouldn't kill her, right? She gulped as the intrusive thoughts plagued her mind, and blinked, taking a ginger step backwards to safety.

"Contemplating to jump, are we?" A male voice teased gently, his voice deeply woven with sorrow, but still carrying the same affection it always did towards her since the very start of their friendship.

Metanoia could instantly feel the knot in her chest loosen ever so slightly, and she turned her head briefly to acknowledge him.

"We are." She murmured softly, the wind carrying her vocal notes towards him, and he slowly stepped forward to lower himself beside her.

"Things won't be the same without him." He whispered grudgingly, and Metanoia briefly shut her eyes.

"No, it won't." She confirmed regretfully.

The Lost Boy pulled out a small container from his pants' pocket, and extended his hand for her to take it. Metanoia eyed the container confusedly, before her gaze flickered up to his face.

He smiled. "Theo and I would often get wasted here to cope with our grief."

Metanoia couldn't help the cheeky smile that spread across her face at his words, and she mused, "You got your ass kicked by Pan because of it, Nate. What makes you think he won't kick your ass again when it's me you're getting wasted?"

Nate shrugged playfully, before he enticed her. "Well if you won't drink it, I will."

Immediately, the bottle was snatched off his grip and Metanoia grinned, before throwing her head back slightly to take a sip. She then passed it back to him to take a sip of his own.

"This is a terrible coping mechanism." Metanoia winced, tasting the bitter content lingering on her tongue.

"Yes," Nate agreed. "But it still helps for a little while."

As the two of them quietly gazed out at the landscape before them, Metanoia's gaze drifted over to the pirates' ship and narrowed her eyes distastefully.

"How long d'you reckon before Pan decides the Pirates go down next?" She asked quietly, and Nate seemed to contemplate it for a few seconds.

"Not long. There's only the fairies and them left, and knowing the alliance Pan holds with Queen Clarion is one which he surprisingly respects, he'd probably leave that division for last." Nate explained his theory, and sighed in exhaustion, his shoulders slumping forward and he took another gulp of the alcoholic beverage.

Metanoia took it off his hands and took a gulp herself. "Great." She mumbled miserably. "Another go at Captain Hook and his barbaric ways."

"More barbaric than Pan's?" Nate raised an eyebrow.

Metanoia huffed. "Fair enough."

"For now, let's just enjoy the quiet while it lasts, eh Emmy?" He smiled, and Metanoia's heart ached painfully.

"Another nickname gone to the dumps." She stated flatly, a hollow portion of her heart carved permanently at the loss of yet another person she cared about more than her own self.


~•~


Captain Hook was standing tall behind the wheel of his beloved Jolly Roger, a permanent scowl harboring his handsome faced weathered by centuries of being out at sea, the salt in the air not going easy on him. Every day, he would gaze upon the shores of Neverland, and he would fantasize ways in which he could hurt Peter Pan in the most sadistic and brutal ways possible.

It was difficult to imagine anything when Peter Pan held no emotion in him, and although he did for a particular brunette with the fiercest soul in her, Captain Hook was not aware of the affection Peter possessed for her. Otherwise, he would have used it to his advantage. He may not be able to touch Peter Pan, but he can certainly harm Metanoia.

Suddenly, a rough rigor rumbled the Jolly Roger, and the pirates swayed to stabilise themselves, instantly glancing up at the upper level of the ship where Killian Jones, their Captain, stood. Hook's frown deepened, puzzled.

"Should we investigate, Captain?" A pirate hollered from below, and Hook waved his hook forward, motioning for him to go ahead.

A few pirates moved towards the edge of the ship, but upon another violent rumble, half of his crew were sent overboard and flung underwater.

"CAREFUL!" Hook yelled to his pirates, those who were left aboard on his ship.

But it was no use. Another massive rumble flung the remaining pirates in one smooth, clean swoop, and just like that, Captain Hook was alone on his ship. His body tensed stressfully, his vision as sharp as ever, and his ears straining to listen to any indicators of his enemy. Slowly pulling his sword out of its sheathe, his eyes darted everywhere to spot his opponent.

"Whoever it is, I'm not afraid of you!" Killian yelled anxiously, and when a deep voice spoke behind him, he felt chills icing his spine.

"That would be unwise."

Swiveling around, Captain Hook was met with a large man with braided silver hair reaching his shoulders. He was shirtless, exposing his dark complexion. His green, unforgiving eyes bore onto Captain Hook intimidatingly, but the Captain of the Jolly Roger would never go down without a fight.

"Who are you?" He demanded.

"I am Poseidon. The God of the Oceans." Poseidon stated simply, watching Hook scoff in annoyance.

"And I'm supposed to actually believe you? I wasn't born yesterday." Killian stated bitterly.

"You should believe me, because what I'm about to offer you will fulfill your lifelong dream of ending Peter Pan once and for all." Poseidon promised, putting Hook in a curious stance, yet guarded with hesitance.

"And what would that be?" He slowly asked.

"I will bestow upon you a portion of the Greek God's powers. With it, you would be a worthy opponent to Peter Pan."

"And what do you want in return? What's the catch?" Hook's eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"I want the same thing you do. To obliterate Peter Pan."

Hook's eyes darkened as the deliciously sinful taste of vengeance overpowered his ability to think cautiously, before he spat vehemently, "Consider it done. Now show me what these powers can do."



~•~


Peter Pan was sat in a circle with Metanoia and the Lost Boys around the night fire, not a single person daring to speak. They all comforted one another in the silence they provided, but Metanoia was restless. She'd keep glancing at Peter from where she sat between Sam and Elijah. She had missed the comfort Peter offers her, and she yearned to be in his arms without having to worry about a single thing.

The silence was cut short when Peter announced, "We hit the fairies next."

Metanoia immediately snapped her gaze towards Nate, who was already looking at her with a mildly surprised look on his face.

"But Pan, what about your long standing alliance with their Queen?" Theodore asked in concern. "They're literally just helped us with the war against the mermaids too."

"Yes, but I no longer have use for her. Our alliance was never meant to last forever, and she knew that. The time has come for us to break that alliance and claim what's rightfully ours." Pan declared.

Metanoia could feel Sam tense up beside her, and she discreetly grabbed his leg, silently begging him not to do or say anything foolish. But Sam was exasperated, heartbroken, and hopeless.

"We've literally just lost a lifelong friend, Pan. A brother. And you're talking about another fucking war?" He snapped in disbelief.

Metanoia clenched her jaw. "Sam, not now." She whispered to him, urging him to keep quiet.

"I understand the delicate situation we are in at the moment, Sam." Pan replied calmly. "But life does not stop for anyone, whether you'd like to admit it or not."

Sam gulped angrily. "And if we lose another one of us?"

"Then you must be better trained to avoid another loss." Pan stated simply, eyeing him warningly.

Sam breathed loudly, and bitterly looked away to the far end of camp, but did not say another word.

"Why not the pirates first, Pan?" Jacob wondered.

Pan shrugged, gazing into the fire. "They are the least of my concerns. Our skills far outweigh theirs - and they lack something we have. Magic."

Everyone looked at the other, silently agreeing with Pan's argument, before Pan elaborated. "So taking them out would be fairly easy. Their territory is literally just a stupid pirate ship. Ending them would give us full access to the ocean. So, the fairies go out first, and then the pirates."

"Sounds like a plan, then." Theodore mumbled, with everyone grunting or murmuring in agreement.

Everyone could tell the toll war had taken on all of them, especially with Charlie being snatched away from them by it. It was something they might not ever process and move on from. But, in each of their minds, they still held onto the sliver of hope that after all of this is over, they would go back to being a peaceful group of boys who live on an island, and carrying out their daily duties with humor in everything they take part in or say.

Not long left until then, but they prayed they wouldn't lose anyone else through the journey.



A/N: Hello helloooo! Finally a peaceful chapter lol, thought we all might need it. 🙊 But it's not for long lmao, the next chapter's going to be INTENSE!! I hope you guys enjoyed reading this chapter! Please comment your thoughts, and please vote.
Thank you so much for reading!! 💗💗

On another note, I had an assignment for one of my classes due last night and I stayed up until 2:00am to finish it, but then I had to wake up at 6:30am to head off to work, so I'm writing this right now as I'm on the train with eyes half-open lmao.
I hope you guys are all doing okay and that you always stay happy and safe!

Love you guys always, see you next time with a new chapter soon!! 💗
- lucidreamshade


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