"The supreme art of war is to subdue the enemy without fighting." –Sun Tzu
***
Felix crosses his arms. "What are we doing?"
Peter finishes the letter, signing his name with flourish. "Sending a letter to our friends in the north."
Felix raises an eyebrow. "A letter? I thought you didn't care that they were up there."
Peter attaches the letter to the foot of his raven with string. "I don't."
Felix raises his other eyebrow and wonders when Peter will stop lying to himself. "What's it say?"
"Something along the lines of..."
***
"Dear Elly and friends," Sahara starts, "it has come to my attention that you're, well, alive. I have to say I'm a little relieved. I was beginning to regret my actions of banishing you. I also heard that you have a group similar to the Lost Boys. I think it's great that you're surviving. Would you meet with me by the line today at noon? I'd love to chat in person. Signed, Peter Pan."
Everyone exchanges glances. Menthol finally asks, "Are you going to meet with him?"
Elly shakes her head. "Absolutely not. It's too dangerous. He could be waiting to ambush me or something."
"We could come with you and hide," Joro suggests.
Elly frowns. "I'm writing back. I'm not going. He wanted me dead when he banished me over here. I doubt anything has changed." Elly reads aloud as she writes,
"Dear Peter Pan and Lost Boys,
I'm afraid I'm going to have to decline your invitation. Seeing any of you isn't exactly the most appealing prospect to date.
Signed,
The Wayward Women
"He's going to be disappointed," Cyanide says as Elly attaches the letter to the leg of her peregrine. "Good."
Only an hour later, a crow lands on the window and pecks at it until they take the response.
"It says," Elly reads with a sigh, "Fine. I see you have no intention of seeing me again. I completely understand. But listen here: I can find you. I can destroy you. Don't underestimate my power. You may have skills, but I have skills and magic. You don't. Come to the border in an hour. Come alone; I'll be alone, too. If you still refuse, I understand. I'll just come to you. And trust me, I won't be alone then. Choose wisely."
"He sucks at being threatening, and he talks too much," Bubbles says. "Will you go?"
Elly sighs. "I don't see why not. He probably just wants to intimidate me. I'll go."
"Be careful," Menthol warns.
"Yes, take a weapon," Cyanide adds.
"And use the signal if something goes wrong. We'll be there in a flash," Sahara says. The signal is a fireball into the sky. It's the easiest magic on the island after cutting off shadows; everyone was able to master it in one day.
"Be careful, Deadshot," Bubbles says.
Elly turns at the door with a smirk. "I'm not afraid of Peter Pan."
***
"Where's Peter going?" Devin asks Felix as he spots him stalking away from the Lost Boys' base.
"To talk to Ender," he replies.
"Have you told Griffin that she's alive?" Devin asks next. "He's still in denial that that shelter just disappeared. I mean, it was obviously hers, wasn't it?"
"Yes, it was. I told Griffin last night."
"Why is Peter making such a big deal out of this? So what if she's alive?"
Felix hates questions. "I don't know. She has other people over there with her, like a Lost Boys group of her own. Peter seems to be under the illusion that she's going to try to overtake the island."
"Why would she want to do that?"
Felix claps him on the shoulder. "I really fucking hate questions."
YOU ARE READING
Grim (A Peter Pan Fanfic)
FanfictionNo one on Neverland is permitted to leave, even someone as repulsing to the Lost Boys as a girl. So Elly is going to have to survive the island that bites back...and then some. Hook is planning his most deadly strike yet; will the Lost Boys and Elly...
