Project Chaos: Disneyland

Chapter Two

There was a sound of feet slapping against the pavement outside, and Teddy was on his feet. But the second he took one step, his arm was hauled back, nearly out of socket, and Teddy found himself tossed against a nearby shelf. He looked up at the figure of the person who had grabbed him, and saw a group of figures ranged out around the room.

The light by the door hummed and then buzzed inside, flitting over the heads of the people surrounding Teddy. They were all boys, looking to be anywhere from 15 to early 20s. They each had a version of a smirk on their faces, some looking mischievous, others plain cruel. The big guy who had grabbed Teddy looked like he was going to thoroughly enjoy what was about to follow. Teddy swallowed hard.

But then the light made of rapid twinkling noise, and the boys acted instantly, stepping away from the door, making a path. Teddy felt a chill rise up from his feet. A tall figure stepped into the shop, and the light paused in it's chaotic whirring to cast its illumination on the newcomer's face.

The first thing to strike Teddy was his mohawk. A fan of hair on top, the rest of his head shaved bare. His hair had been dyed a violent shade of purple, and the odd style seemed to weigh down his head as the guy cocked his chin to regard Teddy. This man had intense eyes, narrowed and filled with a wicked kind of fire. For second, Teddy thought his eyes matched the shade of his hair.

"So, who the hell are you?" the guy said, taking his time in approaching Teddy. The others were all eagerly looking between Mohawk and Teddy, and he didn't need his instincts to tell him he was in some serious trouble.

The guy arched an eyebrow and popped his knuckles in a very theatrical manner. He was wearing gloves.

"I said, who are you?"

Teddy was fairly certain he was going to get hit either way, so he decided to keep his name to himself. Besides, other than that, he had no idea who he was.

Mohawk sighed, dropping his head to one side. His purple hair flopped over, nearly covering one eye, and the light flew over to hover just beside his ear.

"Do you have any idea who I am?" he asked, his voice low with boredom and disdain. The light glinted off two thick rings in the side of his ear.

Then he grinned, a wide, slightly manic expression.

"I'm Raf," he exclaimed, throwing his arms out wide. "I'm the Pan to these Lost Boys. Now you? I'm just gonna call you fresh meat."

The Lost Boys chuckled, shifting energetically from foot to foot, and Raf casually reached out to grab something from a barrel beside him. His smirk burned into Teddy as he leveled a very real sword at Teddy's chest.

"This is my turf, kid," he declared, and then swung for Teddy's neck.

Teddy didn't have time to think, he just lurched backwards, arms windmilling to keep his balance. The blade whistled right through where he'd been standing, but far from appearing annoyed at the miss, Raf's eyes lit up with excitement. Teddy didn't wait for the next swing. Twisting, he grabbed a blade of his own from the barrel and brought it up just in time to block Raf's downward chop. Teddy shoved the other sword aside and snapped his weapon back around at Raf's shoulder.

Raf barely swung his blade over in time, but he was grinning fully now, eyes wild. Teddy stared at the guy incredulously and then pulled away. He spun on his foot and took off out the nearest exit.

"Get him!" Raf yelled behind him, and the Lost Boys let off whoops and shouts. They crashed after him, shoving aside shelves and displays. Teddy dashed through store after store, eyes picking a route and feet following a second later. No time to think, just run. No time to wonder where the hell his skill with a blade came from. Just escape.

They were calling after him, taunting him for running away, but he had seen something in Raf's eyes that made him want to avoid a fight at all costs.

Light glowed outside the next open doorway, and Teddy spilled out into an open circle. The buildings ended with the street in front of a hill. Bushes and trees had overgrown their fences, but Teddy could see a statue in their midst, a man holding hands with the creature from before. But beyond that, a castle reached for the sky, illuminated in shades of blue and purple. Flags floated at the tops of towers, and a great drawbridge was lowered, portcullis open and inviting.

Instinct tugged Teddy towards the safety promised by that castle, but something else sent a warning through his body.

More whoops and shouts echoed from behind - Teddy didn't have time to hesitate. His feet took off, but instead of the castle, he sprinted left, towards a couple of buildings with grass roofs and an archway sign suspended between them.

Adventureland?

Never pausing, Teddy ran beneath the arch and followed the path through an open-walled shop into what looked like the middle of a jungle. He skidded to a halt. A boat depot was to his left, a massive treehouse up ahead. The path continued on, around the treehouse and out of sight. Chest heaving with fear and adrenaline, Teddy took off again.

He barely noticed the pause in pursuit until he heard Raf yell, "What are you waiting for? He's getting away!"

There were no enthusiastic shouts in reply this time.

Teddy had just passed what appeared to be an ancient temple hidden away in a forest of bamboo when they appeared.

Figures swept out of the shadows around and in front of him, swarming out to form a line across the path.

Pulling up short, Teddy swung is blade wildly, but they were just out of reach. None of the figures reacted to him, but in the dim light of the lamp behind him, Teddy could see that they were armed with swords of their own. All except one. As Teddy watched, he took a step forward, heeled boots clicking on the ground.

This man had a very long, pale blonde hair that fell straight down his back, thick bangs framing his stern face. Ice blue eyes froze Teddy fast as the man lifted his arm, taking aim with a large flintlock pistol. The tails of his white coat drifted around his legs as those around him readied their own weapons, blades glinting.

Teddy froze, but noticed a second later at the curses and angry noises coming from behind him that the pistol wasn't aimed at him.

The pale-haired man spoke.

"Adventureland is not your domain, Pan. Take your boys elsewhere." His voice was calm and deep, filled with an effortless kind of authority, as if he knew without a doubt that every word he spoke would be obeyed to the letter without comment. It was emotionless yet firm, like the aura his entire being gave off.

Teddy was beyond impressed.

Raf's sneering voice sounded immature and volatile in response.

"I don't take orders from you, pirate," he spat out. Teddy glanced over his shoulder and saw the purple fan of hair stalking up and down the line of Lost Boys.

"You've yet to defy my orders," the man, this pirate, calmly observed in his nearly monotone voice. "Take another step, if you will. Set your boys against my men."

He cocked the hammer of his pistol.

Raf was silent for a minute, his Lost Boys nervously looking between their leader and these foes. Finally, Raf tilted his head back and gave the pirate a derisive grin, eyes - were they really purple? - burning.

"One day, Blondie, I'm gonna burn this place to the ground with my own hands," Raf casually promised. "And when you and your captain come crawling out of the ashes, I'll shoot you both with your own damn gun."

Jerking his head back in the direction they'd come from, Raf led his Lost Boys out of Adventureland. They left Teddy to stand cautiously in front of the armed pirate, who did not lower his pistol until the last of the boys disappeared around the corner. Then he snapped his gloved fingers and three of the men behind him took off after Raf and the Lost Boys.

Only then did the blond pirate turn to Teddy.

"I am Abraxas Ellory, first mate to Captain Redwing of the Pirates of the Caribbean," he said quietly, stowing his pistol somewhere beneath his long coat. "Welcome to Disneyland."