Peter Pan The Killer

Chapter 7: Peter Pan's Affiliation

The Folkestone terminal had an orange hue as the sun set. Dumping the car at the parking and never returning to it proved to be easy. Gwen and Belle looked like backpackers as they bought tickets to cross the channel. Their train was scheduled to leave in a little more than an hour so they had something to eat while waiting at the platform.

The day was sinking into night, twilight seeping into the sky. Gwen devoured her sandwiches and stocked up with more snacks in her bag in case they got hungry along the train ride. Belle was a picky eater, she discovered.

"Honestly, at least eat the whole thing," Gwen ordered.

Belle pushed the plate towards her and shook her head, busy tapping on her phone. Gwen snatched the phone from her hand and put it on the table. Belle looked at her, bewildered.

"Phone down. Eat first. You said you ate nothing for the entire day!" Gwen nagged.

"I don't want to eat," Belle whined. Gwen just stared her down till she eventually grabbed the sandwich and shoved it into her mouth.

"You're annoying," she said, her voice muffled with the food in her mouth. Gwen smirked in response.

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After much argument, Gwen had scored the window seat in the train and they rode in silence through the dark tunnel. The ride was barely half and an hour long. In just a moment, they were on French soil. After they got off the train, they took a walk to the bus station.

The weather was much warmer than in Manchester, the walk pleasant despite the exhaustion that crept up her spine. They reached the Sapins bus station and bought a one-way ticket to Calais Ville. There wasn't much conversation between the two of them during the short bus ride. However, the silence was not awkward as it was in the beginning.

Once they got off the bus at Ville, they had to wait the night, since their bus to Paris was early the next morning. Gwen was tired enough, the gap between traveling was a relief.

"So what's the plan? We book a motel?" Gwen asked.

"We could," Belle replied.

The nearest motel was a tiny shop house. Belle spoke some French thankfully since Gwen could barely utter a greeting in the language. They got a small room fitted with a single bed and a couch. Yellowed floral wallpaper stuck to the walls. Gwen tugged off her sneakers and stretched on the bed.

"Planning to eat dinner? I'm starving," Gwen asked.

"We just ate at Folkestone!" Belle retorted, clearly not a fan of the whole eating thing.

Gwen groaned and grabbed her backpack. She still had a couple of sandwiches and snacks from before. As she munched on them, Belle eyed her.

"How did you and Peter become friends?" Gwen asked.

Belle shrugged and came over to sit on the bed. "I had reports on the subjects. I found out he survived. Didn't take long for me to track his location, only to find he was with the likes of Skul," Belle said, she laid flat on the bed staring at the ceiling.

"How did you escape the place?"

"Hacking my way out, obviously. Lowering their security defenses etcetera," she replied. She was silent for a moment, pondering.

"The thing is... Leaving the foundation, as great as it was... I felt lost. Despite being equipped with a crazy skill set, I knew close to nothing about the outside world. But I managed... I was old enough to get a job, sixteen when I escaped."

"Wait... That was ten years ago. You're 26?!" Gwen exclaimed. The girl was so petite and youthful, Gwen believed they were about the same age.

"Yeah, surprised? Anyway, I found my place. Soon enough, there were people who recognized my capabilities and hired me for various jobs... Some legal, some not. Been living life like that ever since," she said with a sigh grabbing a sandwich from Gwen's bag.

She unwrapped the plastic wrapping and took a bite. "I used to think living alone without a guardian, without protection, was bad... But when I met Peter, I felt my life was a million times better than his."

Her eyes were distant as she recalled, "You should have seen him... Skul was his savior. He believed every single word that came out of that man. Accepted whatever Skul threw at him, did all his dirty work for him. He was only a child, ten at the most. And Skul was a manipulator. Peter trusted him with his life. His perception of what was wrong and what was right were altered forever. Skul cultivated him to become who he is today. Trust me, I tried talking sense into him, but he never listened. He stuck to Skul like a loyal dog."

"And when Skul left?" Gwen asked.

"Peter disappeared for a while. I couldn't track him. And when I did years later, he had changed... I knew I lost him. Skul broke him beyond repair. I decided the least I could do was be a friend, when he needed one..." She replied.

Gwen let out a sigh and stopped eating. The food did not seem appetizing anymore. She let this new information roll around her head. Beyond repair. Gwen knew otherwise. She had seen him, the real him. When his mask cracked, he yearned comfort. And she had given it to him, he hesitantly accepted.

"What about you, Gwen? What kind of affiliation do you have with Peter?" Belle asked.

Gwen turned to her, contemplating to what extent did she want to reveal? At last she made her mind.

"Two years ago... My sister died. She jumped off her apartment window right before my eyes..." Gwen felt her throat constrict as she started talking about Anna.

"Peter... Lured her to do so..." A shaky sigh escaped her lips.

"My sister only listened to him because he promised to set her free... Something I should have done instead. I left my sister to die in depression, when I could have been there for her and healed her," Gwen realized how her voice cracked, she took a breath to steady her emotions.

"I blamed Peter for her death... I was so determined to bring justice to my sister's death... But the more I got to know Peter..."

"He reminded you of your sister," Belle continued for her. Gwen nodded.

"I don't want to make the same mistake twice... I need to save him before it's too late."

"But what if it is too late?" Belle said, her eyes betraying regret as well. She tried and failed. What chance did Gwen have?

Gwen had nothing to say in response. She rolled over to her side and shut her eyes. Belle peeked over her shoulder. In her eyes there was a glimmer of pity.

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