An Awfully Big Adventure

Chapter 9: Sharp Sand in Cloying Darkness

The forest was a blur of green as Louis flew at top speed. The sun was just rising and he had been thinking all night. He had decided that Harry ⁠— Hook ⁠— needed a reminder. Before the day started or the boys could even miss him, he would fly to Hook's ship to tell him it was time he took fighting seriously. Louis would fight him right then, if need be, to prove his point.

He landed gracefully on the deck and made his way belowdecks to Hook's sleeping quarters. Louis stopped briefly at the door to collect himself before turning the knob and stepping in quickly, shutting it behind him.

Harry looked over from his place on the hammock, staring boredly at the ceiling.

"Lou⁠— Pan. Why are you here?"

"I needed to talk to you. We need to be clear about this whole enemies thing, right? I need you to actually be setting up some attacks and such. You're the fierce Hook, and you've gotta try to capture me and the Lost Boys. That's how this works. Time to stop being nice and talking like we're just normal people."

"If I'm the fierce Hook, then shouldn't I not do everything you just said, just to spite Pan?" Harry asked calmly.

"No! Because you're not. You've got to play the game, okay? I'll fight you right now, if I have to."

"Why would you do that?" Harry rocked his hammock lazily, looking unbothered.

"I ought to at least get a few jabs in. You've almost used my real name twice now. I meant it when I said I'd kill you on the spot."

"Sure, sure. You called me 'Harry' though."

"I did no such thing. I have respect for the importance of names."

"You did, though. In the pixie clearing, when you told me to believe."

"I didn't," Louis repeated, sounding less certain.

"You most certainly did. You said 'Believe, Harry. Just believe.'"

"Well, even if I did ⁠— which I didn't ⁠— it was different."

"How so?"

"It was⁠— we were⁠— it just was, okay? And no more of that."

"Whatever you say...Lou."

Louis flew over to hover above Harry, knife out.

"I'm not kidding, Hook."

"What?" Harry put his hands up in mock surrender, even as he continued lazily lying back and rocking his hammock. "It's not your name. Maybe I just got tired of 'Pan' and started calling you a random syllable."

"Well don't."

"Ah, but how can you stop me? If I'm Hook, then infuriating you is what I should do."

"But you're not!"

"You just told me that I am. So which is it? Am I Hook, or am I not?"

Louis sighed and sat cross legged in mid air, crossing his arms as well.

"You're supposed to be."

"Well what am I supposed to do with that information?"

"Pretend. Play along."

"So I pretend to be Hook, but I'm not actually allowed to be him?"

"Yeah. You're too...not-Hookish."

"I resent that. If I'm not Hook then when do I have to be Hook and when do I not have to be Hook?"

"I don't know, but come up with some plans for fighting."