Chapter 26: Those Eyes

Peter could feel a fresh ocean breeze when the whiteness faded.

As he opened his eyes, he saw that they were standing in a forest area overlooking the busy village of Berk.

“Wait . . . is this the same Berk?” Peter asked.

“Yes, but a long time ago,” Mr.Haddock replied solemnly. 

Peter looked out once more and he could see dragons and Vikings everywhere. 

“It’s  . . . amazing,”Peter whispered.

“I wish I could go down there and ride a dragon,” Allan said. 

As he was talking, he leaned on a tree filled with Terrible Terrors. Soon they swarmed the group and erupted loudly into the sky.

Allan screamed in shock but Peter covered his mouth quickly.

“We must get to the wormhole now before they . . .,” Mr.Haddock started but a screeching noise filled the air, frightening the entire group. Well, except Asia and Paul who were looking the sky feverishly. 

“Run!” Mr.Haddock whispered harshly. 

The group followed him into the woods that revealed a road to the peak. Before they could reach the hidden bikes, they were cut off by a plasma blast. That was when they scattered into the bushes. 

Peter could hear a loud thud right next to his bush. He looked over to see that Paul was with him but strangely calm in this situation. 

“I was sure someone was here,”said the sound of a uncertain boy. 

The voice was followed by a low grumble. 

Peter tentatively looked through the bush and saw the boy and the dragon from Asia’s book. 

Hiccup and Toothless, he thought. 

As much as he wanted to meet them, he couldn’t because they probably won’t let them get to the bridge without any suspicion. 

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Allan sat with Mr.Haddock and Asia, who were looking over the deathly pale Elysie.

“We can’t stay like this for much longer. Elysie is getting worse,”Mr.Haddock mumbled. 

Allan looked over at Elysie’s pack on her back and eyed it for a while. Then he went over and unzipped it.

“What are you . . .?” Mr.Haddock asked before Allan said, “A gun.”

Then Mr.Haddock grabbed his wrist and said,”No, you are not shooting him.”

“What? I am going to shoot a sedative dart at them.”

Mr.Haddock nodded in understanding and released his wrist. 

Allan finally found what he was looking for and loaded the fun. 

He crouched near a bush and aimed it at the dragon’s leg.

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Peter and Paul were sweating in desperation when Hiccup came close to their hiding spot. 

Then they heard a thud. 

Peter got out from the bush and saw the dragon unconscious at his feet. 

Then he looked up and saw Hiccup staring at him with green eyes that could look into your very soul.

“What? . . .  How? . . .  Who?” He started confusedly until a dart hit him in the shoulder. 

Hiccup groaned and starting falling to the ground but Peter caught him in time. 

How much lighter can this kid get? Peter thought. 

Paul quickly darted out of the bush and knelt next to Peter. 

“Is he dead?” Paul asks. 

Peter looked closely at Hiccup’s shoulder and saw a sedative dart.

“No, he’s going to okay,”Peter confirmed.

Soon enough, Allan, Asia, and Mr.Haddock emerged from the bushes. 

“Nice shots, Allan,”Peter said.

“Thanks. I really like shooting guns, a lot. Maybe I want to become a sniper and ditch the policeman job,”Allan said with a grin on his face. 

“Giving up your jelly donuts?” 

“Gross,”Asia commented.

“Hey, a donut is a policeman’s pride,”Allan defended.

“A fat policeman’s pride?” Paul teased.

“Shut up,”Allan said, pushing Paul aside.

“We leave now,” Mr.Haddock said, not looking phased by the whole ordeal. 

As they hopped on their bikes to take off, Peter stole a glance back at the boy.

Those eyes . . . I feel like this won’t be the last time I will have to confront them. 

Chapter 25: The Bridge

“Peter?! Elysie?!” Chelsie yelled again and again in her earpiece. 

It has been a hour since the escape group last had contact with the base. 

“Something’s wrong,” she concluded.

The group was huddled around a fire in a cave on Dragon Island . 

Paul and Asia have stayed quiet while their dad, Chelsie, and Allan bantered back and forth, flustered from the current miscommunication. 

“Do you think the Others have them?” Chelsie asked.

“It’s possible,” Mr.Haddock replied. 

“What do we do now?” Paul asked. 

“I  . . . don’t really know,”Chelsie replied. 

“Should we go back?” Allan suggested.

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Peter slowly opened his eyes as he felt himself coming back to consciousness. He groaned and gripped his head from the spinning nausea.

Ignore it. Got to get to Elysie, he thought.

He dragged himself to his feet and limped very slowly over to Elysie.

He collapsed next to her and felt for a pulse. There was one but her shallow breathing concerned him. He looked over at her neck, which was slightly discolored and bleeding. He grabbed his backpack and pulled out a gauze and wrapped it gently around her neck. 

How are we going to get out of here?, he thought.

Then he remembered the bridge. 

Maybe . .  if we can get to the bridge, we can transport ourselves back to America, Peter thought.

Then there be a rip in the space time continuum because you already exist in this time, Pan said.

Peter yelped in surprise when he heard Pan’s voice speak unexpectedly in his mind. 

“What do I do?”

Go to the bridge.

“But didn’t you say I can’t?”

You can’t go to this time, but the past.

“Why would I want to go back to the past?

Because Elysie is in pretty bad condition. Even if you take a jet, it probably be too late.

Peter thought this through.

Then he remembered the group. He limped over to the radio and turned it on.

“Chelsie, can you hear me?” Peter asked. 

There was a silence until a hopeful crackle sounded. 

“Peter! Are you okay?” Chelsie asked.

“Little beat up but Elysie needs help. Where are you guys?”

“On Dragon Island.”

“Can you ask Mr.Haddock if there is a nearby town with a hospital?”

There was distant chattering. 

“He said about an hour out by plane.”

“That’s too slow. We can’t risk her condition, who knows what the Skeleton did. Though Pan had a idea.”

“Pan? Wait, is he there?!”

“Not really . . . but I can hear him in my mind.”

“Woah, dude, that’s weird.”

“Anyway, can you meet me at the bridge?”
“Why the bridge?”

“Well, we can’t go to the present but we can go to the past. It will be quicker to get Elysie medical attention.”

“Um, where in the past?”

“I don’t know! Anywhere.”

“Okay, okay. Let me discuss this with the rest of the group.”

Peter played with his fingers nervously as the chattering went on for 3 minutes.

“What if I could heal her?”Peter asked to Pan. 

With starstuff?

“Yea.”

You can try . . . but, I don’t know if you have that power. 

“Just, let me try.”

Peter concentrated all the starstuff he could think of in his hands but nothing happened. 

“But . . . I could do it before!” Peter said, frustratedly.

You’re too weak. It won’t come.

Peter banged his head in his hands.

“Really?”

Then he heard Chelsie say,”Peter, we have a suggestion.”

“What is it?” he asked.

“Mr.Haddock said we can go to the past, then immediately go back to the future. Kinda like a slingshot from which Allan described.”

“Sounds great. I can try anything right now.”

“See you at the bridge.”

Then Peter removed the headset and picked up Elysie. He was getting really worried since she hasn’t stirred yet. He tried to ignore the dizziness in his vision as he made his way to the door. That was not a priority right now. 

As he got outside, he tried to pinpoint the biggest heat wave. He could feel it a little lower down the hill so he headed towards it. Soon enough, he just came face to face with a rock wall.
“Well, now what?” Peter said, tiredly.

“I’ll tell you what. Why don’t you step aside?”Chelsie said from behind him. 

Peter jumped ten feet and said,”Chelsie! Thank God, you’re here!”

Then he saw the Haddock family and Allan trudging behind. 

Mr. Haddock took Elysie out of Peter’s weary arms and said,”Hold each other hands tight. This is not going to be the smoothest wormhole travel.”

Then he pulled out his locket and placed it in a slot in the rock. The slab of rock lifted and revealed darkness. 

“Step through this doorway together and soon enough, we will no longer be here,” Mr.Haddock directed. 

The group stepped through the doorway and all went white.

Chapter 24: Never

Peter flew as fast as he could, not caring of how drained he felt. He made it to the bottom of the mountain before he falls from the sky from exhaustion. 

Must keep going, he repeated to himself while he picked himself off the ground.

Hopping onto a snow bike with no hesitation, he sped up the peak. It wasn’t long until he felt something terribly wrong. 

The shadows had a dark presence but this presence felt a lot stronger. He barged into the base and came face to face with a lone yellow eye.

“Ah!” Peter screamed while he scrambled away.

“We meet again, Peter,” said a raspy voice. 

Peter could only stare at the horrible face, trying to figure out who he is. Then he remembered the dream that had the exact thing. 

The Skeleton, he thought.

Then Peter got back up and looked at the Skeleton.

“I guess so,”Peter replied, trying to keep his nervousness concealed.

If a vacant hole can smile, Peter thought it did. 

“Where’s Elysie?” he asked.

The Skeleton stepped aside and Peter saw Elysie sprawled out on the floor. 

“Elysie!” Peter screamed and started running towards her.

The Skeleton cut Peter’s pursuit short as he brushed Peter’s neck. He collapsed to the ground, moaning in pain. 

“Before I let you go, I want to know something. How are you still here?” the Skeleton asked. 

“Wouldn’t you like to know,” Peter spat back. 

This time, the Skeleton picked Peter up by the neck and dangled him off the ground. 

Peter could barely concentrate on anything when he felt like his entire body was going to explode from the pain. 

“Tell me!” the Skeleton roared.

“Never!” Peter yelled back.

Then the Skeleton threw him across the room and he crashed into the security control panel. Peter could feel himself slipping away from the pain and exhaustion but he felt something inside of him that was forcing to keep his eyes open. 

I need rest, Peter thought. 

No, not yet, said another voice in his mind. 

Then  Peter felt his arm move towards his jacket pocket where the tip was hidden. 

The Skeleton started walking over to Peter and said, “I will finish you off, right here, right now. I will avenge the King.”

Peter gained control of his mouth and struggled to say,”Please . . . stop . . .”

He inwardly whimpered because as much as this thing is evil, he doesn’t want to kill it. But the other person in his mind, Peter Pan, wants to see this thing gone forever. 

“Please. I have no control over him. I am just a ordinary kid. Please, don’t,”Peter pleaded.

“Too bad. It’s Pan’s fault for letting you die,”the Skeleton rasped. 

Then Peter heard someone roar in his mind and before he knew it, he drawn the tip and ran towards the Skeleton. The Skeleton stepped aside and brushed Peter’s neck. who crashed into the opposite wall. But he got back up to attack again until he saw the Skeleton holding Elysie by the neck, her face contorted in pain. 

“Get any closer and the girl will die,” the Skeleton rasped.

Peter halted and stared at the Skeleton with boiling fury.

He could feel heat gathering up in his hands. Then he shot a burst of light at the Skeleton, which connected with the lone yellow eye. The Skeleton roared and clenched at Elysie’s neck, who unconsciously screamed in pain. But Peter punched the Skeleton away and grabbed Elysie. She fell limply to the ground, her face turning a sickly pale.

“No . . .,” Peter said as he ran to Elysie’s side but the Skeleton blocked his path.

“You attacked first. You must finish your fight,” it rasped. 

Peter didn’t know what to do, even his other self was wavering. 

“You sure about that?” Peter asked.

Then the Skeleton charged at him and slammed Peter into the monitors. Peter could feel the tip fall out of his grip and slide across the room. 

I got to get the tip, he thought. 

Peter lit his hands with starstuff and slammed them on the Skeleton’s chest. It roared and backed away in pain. Peter took this opportunity and ran towards the tip until he felt himself being shoved to the ground, a few feet away from the tip. 

Despite the waves of blinding pain, Peter reached for the tip. 

“Give it up,” the Skeleton rasped in his ear.

“Never,” Peter whimpered. 

Then the pain became worse then before. Peter felt himself slipping away slightly, but he could feel the tip brushing his fingers right as blackness started entering his view. He used his last bit of strength and grabbed the it.

Before the Skeleton could react, Peter spun around and stabbed him in the heart. 

The Skeleton roared in pain and dissolved into nothing. 

Peter stared at him dissolve and felt the urge to vomit from the sight of it. 

But Peter felt himself say,”It’s all happened before, and it will all happen again.”

Then all went black. 

Chapter 23: Saving Haddocks

Peter walked outside and closed his eyes intently. He could feel the wave of heat from the ‘bridge’ but that is not what he is looking for. As he walked further into the North Forest, he started feeling small pings of heat. 

Starcatcher lockets, he thought. 

Then he dashed off, following the small heat source. After he dodged a few bushes, he ran into a clearing. In the middle of it was a hole, like a godzilla sized gopher hole. 

Peter slowly looked around, making sure there were no shadows. Then he jumped into the hole. 

He landed on a somewhat curved ground. The walls looked uneven and jagged, like someone chewed this tunnel through. 

Peter concentrated some more and felt the ping of heat once again. He went towards the right caverns and soon enough, he found the cells and the Haddocks. The only problems is that it was flocking with shadows. 

“Elysie, where are Chelsie and Allan’s location?” Peter whispered.

“Not far,” she replied. 

“Direct them to me. I found them.”

Then he slowly backed away and climbed up the hole. 

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After a few minutes, Peter could see Chelsie and Allan slowly walking towards his hiding spot in the rocks. 

“Over here,” he intercoms. 

He looked again and saw them walking towards him. 

“What did you find?” Allan asked.

“A cell area and the Haddocks.”

“How do we get them out?” Chelsie asked. 

“A distraction. I draw the shadows away from here so you guys can come and rescue the Haddocks,” Peter directed. 

They nodded their heads and Chelsie reviewed it to Elysie. 

Before Peter could move, Chelsie grabbed his arm. 

“Be careful. They want you too,” she warned. 

“I know,” Peter replied, his voice shaking with nervousness.

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Peter got out quickly and made his way towards the hole. Then he let out the loudest rooster crow that anyone heard by far. 

If I am going to play Peter Pan, I might as well act like him, he thought. 

“Come and get me, you shadowy scum!” Peter yelled, whipping his arms wide open.

Soon enough, a wave of shadowy figures streamed out of the hole and went straight towards Peter. Then Peter ran as fast as he could, away from the hole. A large cloud of shadows followed closely behind him.

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 Paul perked up when he heard a rooster crow.

A rooster? There are no roosters here, he thought confused. 

Then his dad said, “He’s here. He is really here.”

“Who’s here, daddy?” Asia asked. 

Mr.Haddock looked at them intently in the eyes. 

“Peter Pan.”

They both gasped. 

Then they heard the sound of footsteps, a boy and a girl dressed in some military uniform ran in. Paul instantly recognized the boy.

“Allan! What are you doing here?” Paul asked. 

“Saving your life. What else?” Allan replied. 

The girl easily unlocked the cell with some sort of device.

“Follow closely behind us until he reach our destination. Try to make as little noise as possible,” she whispered. 

“Where are we going?”Asia asked. 

“According to your dad’s notes, Dragon Island is the evacuation protocol. Is that right?”

“Yes, it is. I have a jet that can get us there in no time,” Mr.Haddock said. 

“Is it far?”

“Not really.”

“Okay. Keep up, we are heading out.”

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Peter sadly found himself at a cliff edge. It seemed to be a big drop with a jagged rock shore at the bottom. 

Should have made a bucket list, I’m about to die, he thought.

He turned around and saw the shadows making a half circle formation around him. 

“If you want a fight, I give you a fight.”

Peter pulled out his gun and shot at them. Unfortunately, the bullets passed right through.

You can’t shoot a shadow, a voice said inside his head. 

Then he felt something warm in his jacket pocket. He reached in and pulled out the tip of Curtana. 

“Well, last resort,” he muttered.

He charged at the shadows and started swiping them with the tip. The shadows crumbled into nothing and every time he used the tip, he could feel a course of energy going through him.

When he thought all were gone, he was wrong. 

A bigger mass of shadows surrounded him. He backed up until he couldn’t back up no more.

What to do . . . what to do . . . , he thought nervously. 

Then he looked down.

What if I could fly, he thought.

He looked back up and saw the shadows approaching. 

“Better than nothing.”

Then Peter dove off the cliff. 

The water was getting closer and closer. He almost doubted his ability to fly.

Then he automatically lifted his gaze to the horizon and swooped upward, barely brushing the water. The entire mass of shadows plummeted into the ocean waters. 

Peter let out a breathe of relief as he flew farther away from the cliff. As he started to head towards shore, he lost a lot of altitude. He barely made it to land before he crashed into the waves.

He resurfaced shortly and dragged himself to shore. Completely drained and worn out, he closed his eyes and laid still, enjoying the peace. Until a ear-piercing scream rang out from his ear piece.

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I looked at the monitors, satisfied that the Haddocks arrived safely on Dragon Island. I was amazed at how Peter just flew on the spot. 

Well, now we can go home and get this business behind us.

I was far from right. 

I heard a raspy voice whisper into my ear, “You missed something.”

Then I felt something brush my shoulder and a horrible pain swept through me. I screamed in pain before I lost consciousness.

Chapter 22: The Search

“Go to 12 o’clock,”I directed over a headphone to Melana. 

If you don’t know what’s going on, today is the day that we save the Haddocks. 

Chelsie and Allan were sent out into the north woods to search for them. Thankfully, the computers at the base can sense Other activity. There is a lot of activity in the central areas of the north woods. 

Peter and I are in charge of giving orders at the base, 

“Do you think they are still alive?” Peter asked.

“Positive. The Skeleton doesn’t usually kill his hostages in a short amount of time,”I replied. 

“Doesn’t the family seem kinda . . . strange?”

“Define strange.”

“Like, their heritage. We are long off from any Viking era . . . so why do they have the same last name?”

“I don’t know. Lots of sons.”

“Those are a lot of sons.”

There was a silence when we watched the cams, following Chelsie and Allan. 

“But, where do they get yak milk?” Peter asked.

I looked at him questionably. 

“Well, there are no farm animals at all on this island. Where do they get their food?” Peter inquired. 

“Are you saying . . . ,”I started.

“I am saying that they all weren’t born in this generation.”

There was another silence.

“There is another bridge,”I mumbled.

“What?” Peter asked, confused. 

“A bridge! Mr.Haddock probably knows where the bridge is but doesn’t want the Starcatchers to know.”

“A bridge . . . as in a bridge to a wormhole?’

I nodded. 

“Probably that’s why the Others are here. They know that there is a bridge and want to use it to get back to Neverland,”I concluded.

Peter just nodded uneasily, not sure what to think about the whole Neverland deal.

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Allan followed closely behind Chelsie as Elysie was directing her through the forest. 

“Couldn’t we use the snow bikes?” Allan complained. 

“Yea, and get stuck in all these bushes,” Chelsie spat back. 

Soon enough, they were at their destination. 

It was a cliff. 

“A cliff? You led us to a cliff?” Chelsie said to Elysie.

“Go down. It looks like you are on top,”Elysie said through her earpiece. 

Allan looked down and was the first to know. Luckily, it was just a small sand bank that had veru little ocean water running through. He looked around and saw a big tunnel that has multiple caverns. Before he could say something, Chelsie tackled him into a nearby crevice. 

“What are you doing standing there like a idiot? This place is crawling with Others,”Chelsie said. 

“Sorry, but did you see that cave?” Allan said. 

“Yea,”Chelsie mumbled and then connected to Elysie,”They seem to be in a network of caves under Berk. What should we do?”

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“Caves? You know, they can’t just walk into them and say, ‘Hello, I am just here to free your hostages’. It can be crawling with shadows,”Peter said. Once he said ‘shadows’ he looked shocked. 

“Wait, how did you know there were shadows?” I asked. 

“I  . . . don’t really know.”

Then I remembered that the Peter Pan I knew could trace starstuff. 

“I remember the kids having starstuff lockets . . . do you think you can locate a small starstuff signature?” I asked.

“How do I know?” Peter asked, looking deeply confused. 

“Heat.”

Then I saw realization come to Peter’s face as he remembered the early incident with heat.

“Okay,” Peter said, grabbing his coat and pack. 

“Stay safe and make sure no one sees you. If they find out that you are Peter Pan, it will not end well for you,”I warned. 

Peter nodded and said, “Be back soon.”

Then he connected his earpiece and walked out.

Chapter 21: The Truth

Think of circle time at preschool, that was exactly how we did it. Well, minus the comfortable pillows. 

“So, Peter, tell me. How much do you know about starstuff?”I asked.

Peter visibly flinched. There was a silence while we watched Peter fidgeting and looking around uneasily. 

“I feel like I know it, the starstuff I mean. I have been having so many dreams that don’t seem to be dreams at all. Actually, they don’t even seem to be my own dreams. My first dream, I was talking to a girl named Molly. Then a porpoise taught me how to fly and some man clarified to me that I will be a flying boy forever,”Peter explained, then his gaze darkened,”When I held a plank in my hand that read “Neverland”, I knew that I am not what I think I am anymore.”

There was a silence while Peter was deeply breathing. I could only watch him in empathy. 

So it is true . . . 

“Then I had another dream. This time I was facing the Skeleton and Ombra, whoever they are, in a train and I held a sword in my hand. Then I broke a chest lock with the sword . . . when I woke up . . . the tip of that exact sword was under my bed,”Peter said, voice trembling as he pulled out a sword tip from his jacket.

Everyone gasped. I was speechless without any words. Tears threatened to fall out of my eyes. I knew what was coming, but to see the tip of the Sword of Mercy takes it to a whole different level.

Peter stared intently at me and asked,”Elysie . . . am I, Peter Pan?”

The name seemed to linger in the air for a while.

I closed my eyes, trying to gather all my racing emotions. But all I could do is think of Peter, Peter Pan to be specific. 

“Will I ever see you again?”I asked.

He just looked at me sadly.

“I don’t know. Maybe . . . but you probably won’t recognize me for a while.”

“I believe so,” I stuttered out, “All the dreams you have are true.”

“But, how am I Peter Pan?”

“Maybe, he is possessing you. You may not be him, but you have his thoughts and powers.”

“Like flying,” Allan said, recalling back to the time they went flying with Paul and Asia. 

“Yea. Maybe the more memories triggered, the more Peter Pan wakes up,”I mumbled. 

Peter just sat bewildered, feeling very overwhelmed by everything spoken to him. 

“What if he fully possesses me? What will happen to my soul?” he asked,

I looked down glumly,” . . . I don’t know. But we will take it step by step.”

There was another silence.

“Woah, Peter, can you believe how amazing it will be to be Peter Pan?” Allan encouraged, trying to lighten the mood. 

“Haha, yea . . . great,”Peter stuttered nervously. 

“Do you think you can handle it? There are a lot of strings attached,”I clarified. 

Peter just looked me in the eyes. 

“I’ll manage. You know, I did actually listen at the youth group. If this is some sort of calling from God, that big guy, I’ll do it. Maybe I was meant to be Peter Pan’s keeper all along,”Peter said. 

“Well said brother,”Allan teased in a southern baptist accent. 

After we shared a time of stories and laughs, I decided to cut it there.

“Well, let’s get ready. It’s time for action.”

Chapter 20: Captives in Shadows

The only thing Paul could see was darkness. 

He could feel a grainy rocky floor under him, but that is as much as he knows of his surroundings. He could feel Asia’s feebly arms wrap around his and his father’s calming breathes nearby.

He could see a dimly lit lantern, slowly lighting up the tunnel. The keeper of the lantern, he dreaded to see for the air got very cold. As the lantern got close, he could see that they were in an ancient jail cell.

“Hope you enjoyed your stay,”the keeper rasped.

“Using the executing cell. Pretty cliche don’t you think?”his dad spat back sarcastically.

Then a horrible molten hand . . . no claw, reached out and brushed his father’s shoulder. He slowly fell to the ground, immense pain shown on his face.

Asia screamed and gripped Paul’s arm tighter. 

What just happened? Paul thought, frozen in fear. 

“I prefer you to keep your mouth quiet,” the keeper rasped.

Then Paul and Asia could see the figure turn towards their direction, though they couldn’t see his face since the hood of its cloak shadowed its eyes. 

“I could do the same for your children,” he continued.

“Who are you?” Mr.Haddock panted.

The man lifted the lantern towards his face. Paul wished that he didn’t do that at all. It looked like the man’s skin was melted and then cooled liked used wax. He had only one lone yellow eye and a void socket. There was no mouth but another void hole on his face that would give anyone the creeps. 

“I am the Skeleton,” he rasped. 

Mr.Haddock looked shocked. 

Then, the Skeleton let out a laugh, well, as close as he could get to a laugh. 

“I never died. Demons never die. They can be killed though.”

“What do you want?”

“What I alway wanted. Starstuff.” then he knelt close to Mr.Haddock’s face, “Where is it?”

Mr.Haddock looked at him straight in the eyes, well, eye.

“I don’t know.”

The Skeleton growled and swiped his hand across Mr.Haddock’s arm, leaving him crying in pain.

“You will tell me soon enough. Or every single one of your children will die, just like your wife. Though what a tragedy of how she died, pity,” he rasped in Mr.Haddock’s ears.

Mr.Haddock’s eyes widened as he remembered that vivid memory. A memory that wasn’t that long ago. So vivid, it felt like yesterday.

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“Kie!”Dreki yelled, in the swarm of Vikings. 

There was another raid from the Traitorous, but this one was more war then raid.

Dreki lost his wife and children in the sea of fighting Vikings. 

Soon enough, he found his two of his children, Paul and Asia. He grabbed then and ran for cover in one of the nearby houses. He clutched them tightly for a moment.

“Never leave my sight again,”he scolded. 

He left his children in the safe haven, going back out to find his wife and their youngest children, Ender and Estelle. 

He looked around feverishly, knocking down anyone trying to attack him. 

“Aim . . .,”he heard a familiar voice say. Then he turned and saw his father and his troop aiming fire catapults towards a big Traitorous ship. Then he remembered where his wife went. She was held captive on the Traitorous ship. 

“No! Dad!” he screamed, running towards his father.

His father seemed oblivious to his cry,”FIRE!”

Then Dreki could see the glimpse of his wife and his children as they stumbled out of the doors in the ship. But it was too late.

As if in slow motion, he saw the ship bomb and sink very rapidly, engulfed in flames. 

He couldn’t think or speak. Just feel his hot tears streaming down his blood stained face. 

In anger, he walked up to his father and yelled,”HOW COULD YOU?”

“How could I what?”he answered coldly. 

“How could . . . how could,”Dreki said, trying to get his words in other,”take out that ship and knoxw that my wife and children were on that ship?!’”

There was no reply. 

“You see, Dreki, there is a choice of a chief between his tribe and his family. If you want your tribe to survive, you have to risk your family.,”he replied.

Then he pointed to the retreating Traitorous tribe.

“Besides, you have enough kids. Paul seems to be a good heir, what was the use of the others?”he continued.

Dreki couldn’t believe it. How could his father be so cold? So cold at heart? 

“Why? Why don’t you care about family anymore? Is it because we lost mom?Or is it because you lost Toothless? What is it? Why make me suffer? Why? TELL ME WHY?” Dreki ranted.

When his father just stared down at him, no emotion at all, Dreki couldn’t help but blurt out the words in his heart,”You are no better then the Traitorous. You are a traitor.” He tried his best to bite back the tears,”I’m leaving. I never want to see you or think of you again.”

“Dreki . . .,”he started, sounding like his voice was  . . . breaking?

“Don’t you dare call me that. For now on, my name is Calvin. I am no longer your son and my children are no longer associated with you.”

Then Calvin walked away. 

---------------------------------------------------

Calvin and his children walked up the peak. 

He knew that there was a bridge to a different time. A time far from this time. 

He held up the locket that was given to his family by the people of the future. A locket he stole from his father so many years ago, when the dragons disappeared from the face of the Earth. 

Soon they were in the cave with a special device. 

He gripped his children’s hands tightly. 

Then he looked back at Berk.

“Goodbye,”he whispered.

Then he flicked the locket open and all went white.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Tears came to his eyes as he was forced to relive the memory that he tried so hard to erase from his memory. So hard to forget because every time he looked at his children, it kept reminding him.

“Your father wasn’t all what he seemed to be. Gave into the coldness that slowly creeped into his heart. What was him name again?” the Skeleton rasped.

“Please . . . no . . .,”Calvin pleaded.

“Oh, yes. Hiccup, wasn’t it? Hiccup Horrendous Haddock the Third, the greatest chief in the archipelago, until his dragon disappeared. Probably that’s what he was trying to teach you. Teaching you to not hold your love ones so dear because you will fail. Fail because of them,”he continued and knelt down to Mr.Haddock,”So he killed your wife and kids.”

“STOP! PLEASE STOP!” Mr.Haddock screamed, wanting the Skeleton to stop replaying it in his mind all over again. 

The Skeleton backed off, clearly pleased on how much he broke Mr.Haddock.

“Stop hiding. There is nowhere to hide anymore. It’s the end of the line.”

Mr.Haddock just stared at the ground, tears in his eyes.

He looked towards his kids who were also brimming with tears. In shock that their dad never told them before. In shock that they didn’t belong in this time. In shock that their admired hero was their mom’s murderer.

“You know where it is. You used it. I will give you time to think,”the Skeleton said.

At that, he blew out the lantern and the darkness returned.

Chapter 19: Base Camp

“The camp is just up this road,”Allan said, constantly looking down at his GPS.

Being put as the tracker did make him a little antsy. 

“This road looks pretty steep. How long?” he asked.

“A little over a mile. Mr.Haddock does mention that there is a . . . gas station?”Peter said, looking rather confused at the directions. 

I looked over Peter’s shoulder and the gas station seemed to be a,”Garage. There is a garage that holds a automobile that can take us up the hill,”I concluded.

We walked to the base and saw the fault line. I ran my hand over the fault and felt a button. Of course, I pressed it. The rock lifted up like a regular garage would and inside were . . . “Snow bikes! Pretty fancy,”Chelsie said.

There seemed to be only three. 

“I will get one snow bike. Melana, you share with Peter. Chelsie, you share with Allan,”I directed. 

They nodded and ran off to their bikes.

---------------------------------------------

Peter held onto Melana tightly as the bikes climbed higher and higher up the road. As they were barely at the center of the peak, the air became very frosty. 

Just as the road turned off into the cave, a wave of heat hit Peter. He took a sharp intake of breathe, confused on where this heat is coming from. It wasn’t very near but he could tell that it was very strong.

But  . . . how can I tell? He thought, very confused. 

His confusion only made the heat more annoying and unbearable. He became very clammy and his hair was matted in sweat, despite the cold weather. 

Melana could feel Peter heating up.

“Are you okay?”Melana asked.

“So . . . hot,”Peter said, fighting to keep his eyes open.

Immediately, Melana knew something was wrong and sped past Elysie.

“What are you doing?”Elysie yelled.

Melana couldn’t reply, all she knew was to get to the base. Peter could slowly feel the heat reside and the cold come back in as they sped farther up the peak. 

What was that? He thought.

Peter limply held on to Melana as they neared a sealed automobile door. Melana turned around and helped Peter sit near the rock wall. He shivered slightly but didn’t care after a while. 

Soon enough, the team caught up.

-------------------------------------------

I pushed my bike to the limit when I saw Melana speed off with a unresponsive Peter

“What’s wrong?”I asked as I halted my bike when I was in the entrance. Soon enough, Chelsie and Allan’s bike halted after me. 

“I don’t know. Peter got really hot even though it was super cold,”Melana said.

“Is he still hot?”I asked as I walked over to her.

“Not anymore.”

I paced around a little.

What if that heat was heat from starstuff? But, only a Watcher can sense that. None of us experienced any extreme heat . . . except him.

“Let’s just get inside,”I said.

Allan and I walked up to the door and typed in the code written on the blueprints. The doors slide open to reveal a dimly lit hallway with a door at the other end. We walked up to the door and typed in another code. We heard a low hum as the doors opened. The room lit up with monitor and controls of the entire island. 

A dome of security. 

We all walked around in amazement.

Melana and Chelsie helped Peter sit down in one of the chairs. 

“Wow,” he muttered, also in amazement.

“Yes. But before we move on, what happened back there?”I asked, kneeling in front of Peter.

His eyes flashed with fear and confusion. 

“I really don’t know. Once we were at mid peak, there was a rush of heat that felt so unreal,”he explained. 

Then he looked at me, hands shaking. “Elysie, what’s wrong with me? The flying, dreams, and heat . . . what’s happening to me? I feel like you know more about it then I do.”

I sighed and looked at the ground. I glanced to the other agents.

They need to know too.

“I will tell you the truth,”I said, looking Peter straight into the eyes, as if those eyes didn’t bore a hole into my soul already.

Chapter 18: Skeleton

The team decided to rest the night at the Haddock’s house, planned to set out first thing to the security base.

Peter kept his tossing and turning on a shark mattress that he was forced to sleep on. 

How was this considered as comfortable?

He couldn’t stop thinking about the evens that happened today. Apparently his gut feeling was right. Somehow, the Starcatchers are in this mission and from his dreams, he can’t help but know that he will play a big role. He knows the Others took the Haddocks because there were no signs of break in. 

Which Others are we up against? Peter thought to himself as he slowly let himself fall into a deep sleep.

------------------------------

He remembered Wendy’s words. Leave us behind if you have to. Just don’t let him get the stone.

He started to crawl back the way back he and others had come, away from the struggle. Slowly, he rose to his feet and shuffled forward, feeling for the wall in the utter blackness. Behind him the shouts continued. He heard Wendy scream. And then an odd sound, a deep rumbling, then a fearsome roar. The sounds of struggle increased, a confusing mix of shouting and banging. Peter listened for a minute, paralyzed, then again started shuffling away from the noise. 

Stop!

Tink’s urgent chime was right in his ear. Peter froze.

Close your eyes.

Knowing what was coming, Peter shut his eyes tight. Through his eyelids he saw the brilliant flash. He opened them just as the flash ended, and saw the reason for Tink’s alarm. 

The hooded man was in front of him, not even three feet away. His back to Peter.

Either he had been looking the wrong way, or he had somehow known that the flash was coming. It had not blinded him. 

He was turning around . . . as the last of Tink’s light faded, Peter saw the gaping hole where a mouth should have been, the empty socket, the lone yellow eye . . . 

The claw-hand reaching out . . .

Peter screamed and turned. In the blackness, he stumbled away from the hideous thing,

-------------------------------------

“Peter,” she said

He didn’t move.

“We’re going to need you tonight,” she said.

His head snapped up. His eyes red, his face tear-streaked. 

“Why?” he said. “So I can fail again?”

“Peter, it wasn’t your fault. That man, or that thing, whatever it was, would have been too much for any of us.”

“I ran away, Wendy. I left the stone. I left Tink. I left Tink. Because I am afraid of him. I am afraid of him.”

--------------------------------------

Peter screamed, and it wasn’t a quiet one. He gripped the sides of the shark mattress as he tried to ease the entire dream away. 

But all he could think of is the hooded figure. That figure who scared the wits out of him, even in his dream

“Peter?” called out a familiar voice. Though Peter still flinched like he was about to run.

“Woah, woah, dude, I’m no ghost,”Allan joked.

“Oh, it’s just you,”Peter panted.

“Wow, that’s hurtful,”Allan said, then noticed Peter’s odd behavior. “What’s wrong?”

“Oh nothing. Just a nightmare. Just a normal nightmare,”Peter said, mostly to himself.

“Ah, I see,”Allan said. “Yea, this place does give you the creeps.”

Peter just nervously laughed.

“Well, get some sleep. You will need it,”Allan said.

“Yea, night.”

--------------------------------------

A hooded figure stood at a cliff, waves rumbling below him. 

The figure smiled, whatever was left of his smile that it.

“He’s here,”he rasped. “He’s here.”

Chapter 17: Berk

I tied the last knot to keep out boat on the ancient dock. We all had to put on our coats since the temperature dropped dramatically after we enter Berk waters. 

The first sign.

I took out my sniper and Chelsie did the same.

“Do . . . do we get one?”Allan asked.

I nodded and tossed both boys a couple. Their faces broke out in grins as they played with the guns in their hands. Probably excited to use a weapon since the juniors at JUSS just train.

I really don’t blame them. Training is boring.

We slowly walked into the abandoned village area. Most of the buildings were worn away: rotted wood, cracks, and broken windows. The village seemed to be from the Viking era since there was a forge filled with trashed weapons and dragon gargoyles. Allan tried to grab one of the weapons but I snapped at him. 

I couldn’t help but shake the feeling that we were being watched. Specifically by the Others.

“So, their home is on top of the hill. Commonly known as the Chieftain house since the chiefs used to live there,”I directed.

We walked up the hill and arrived at the steps of the home that seems more refurbished then the rest. I slowly opened the door, its creaks echoing through the silent home. 

Once we got inside, we saw furniture thrown about, plates broke, and stuff thrown everywhere.

“An ambush?”Allan whispered.

“Yea,”I murmured back.

I looked around, trying to find any clues of where they went. Apparently shadows don’t leave any evidence. But I am not going to explain it to the newbies.

“Search the upstairs,”I commanded.

Chelsie lead the way as we walked upstairs to the two rooms. The first room to our right seemed to be Mr.Haddock’s room. We searched throughout his entire room for any clues.

“Wait! I found something,”Allan said.

I walked over to Allan as he held a coffee stained notebook.

“Inside, it explains where the base is and how to get there. Lots of blue prints though,” he continued. 

“Great job,”I said.

“Umm, I don’t know if this is going to help but there are some interesting things in the kid’s room,”Peter shouted from the other room.

“He already searched it?‘Chelsie said, surprised that Peter checked there without orders. 

“Deal with it,”I said.

We walked into the room and saw Peter next to an open floorboard next to one of the beds.

“What did you find?”I asked.

Peter pulled out a large book, a ancient piece of some sort of faded red fabric, and a ancient notebook.

“What’s this?”

We opened the book and notebook and all it read in sticks. 

“Old Norse. Haha, the only language we never learned,”Chelsie commented. 

“This book is the Book of Dragons according to Asia. She told me that Berk used to be inhabited by dragons,”Peter said.

“Really?”

He nodded and flipped to a page with a black dragon and a boy.

“The writer of this book is a young viking who I forgot the name of. He trained the dragons and brought peace. It is said that he is one of the most famous chieftain of Berk.”

“Wait . . . you don’t mean,”Allan started then pointed to the pictures of the viking boy pressing his palm on the dragon’s snout,”that this boy is Hiccup and the dragon is Toothless from How to Train Your Dragon.”

“No stickin’ way,”Chelsie and Peter said.

“The movie,”I questioned.

“Yes. This means that this red thing is Toothless’s tail and the notebook is Hiccup’s”Allan said.

“Unbelievable,”Chelsie kept sayinf.

“Snap out of it,”I said.

I took the notebook from Peter and opened it. It had many drawings and a lot of writing. I took out my phone which had a sight translator. 

“When did you get that?”Chelsie asked.

“ A month ago. Don’t have it? Too bad,”I teased.

The pages mostly read about information of dragons and ‘flight training’. The last few pages caught my eye. And strangely, it was in really horrible English handwriting.

It read - Mission: Stuff. 

I read it aloud to the team:

I was told not to journal about this but I feel like I really should.

The stuff is located where the forbidden happened.

Beneath the picture, under the stars.

*Gosh I sound like Hamish the Second*

“A riddle? Hiccup left us a stupid riddle? Why can’t he write like, clear instructions? Did he train  people with riddles?”Chelsie complained.

“Cool it, we will figure it out somehow,”I said.

“The forbidden. If we find out where that is, we are good,”Peter said.

There was a moment of silence. 

“The cove,”Chelsie said. 

“What?”I asked. 

“Hiccup made a forbidden friendship with Toothless in a place known as the cove. And the picture must be the picture he drew with Toothless.”

“What about the star?”Allan asked.

“Sign of the Starcatcher. This sign usually leads to . . . starstuff. Which means that Hiccup somehow had connections with the Starcatchers to obtain the starstuff,”I concluded.

Everyone looked shocked.

Chapter 16: The Journey Begins

It’s Saturday and it’s the day we set out to our journey. Currently, I am double checking that the new agents have all their stuff.

“Jacket?”I asked.

“Check,” chorused the other agents.

“Gloves?”

“Check.”

“Hand wa -,”but interrupted by Chelsie,”Check, can we please continue?”

“Yea, whatever. Berk isn’t the warmest tropical island in the world,”I noted.

“We know. I wish Melana didn’t have to go to her grandma’s funeral.”

“well, it is her grandma . . .,”Peter added.

“So what? If she were here, we wouldn’t be listening to Elysie’s constant babbling.”

I just rolled my eyes. 

“So, what’s our transportation?”Allan asked.

“We are going to fly to Scotland and take a small boat to Berk,”I said.

The boys nodded.

“So . . . we ready?”I asked.

“Ready,”the entire team said.

-----------------------------------

“Does this boat have any food?”Allan complained, looking everywhere to find  a good piece of food. 

“No, because it is a old rusty fisherman’s boat that no one used since the 50’s,”Peter replied.

“Perfect.”

I looked over the map of Berk, trying to locate the possible base. Calvin had planted a security base in the middle of Berk peak to monitor all activity on the island. How we are going to find it and get there is a whole other story.

“So, any background you can give us about our destination?”Peter asked.

“So . . . I have to be true right now on why we are actually here, right?”I mumbled.

I heard Peter gulp and fidget a little.

He knows something.

“So, there is a family who takes care of this island. They are called the Haddocks and there is only a father and two kids. We don’t know what happened to the mother but we are assuming that she is dead. They have recently no been in touch with their organization for three days and has raised alarm.”

“What organization?” Allan asked.

I hesitated for a little until I said,”the Starcatchers.”

Peter took a harsh intake of breathe and starting coughing. Like this entire subject is harsh on Peter. 

Dad is right. Something is up with this kid.

“Our job is to find the family and secure their security.”

“Seems pretty easy to me,”Chelsie said.

“So, Asia and Paul are missing? Man, I love those kids,”Allan said.

“Only because Paul believed everything you said,”Peter added.

“Because he knows who’s boss, unlike you.”

“Yea, like you ever will be a boss at anything.”

While Peter and Allan bickered about each other, I just couldn’t help but pray that they will stay safe until we get there. 

Somehow I know that this island will be infested with Others and there may be a leader that I am not looking forward to seeing. 

After an hour, the peak of Berk could be seen from our location and strangely, the waves quieted.

The cold set in.

We’re here.

Chapter 15: Oceans

It’s finally Friday night, a day right before we set out to Berk. 

My favorite thing to go to is youth group at my church. Tonight, I decided to drag some additional persons. 

“Why do we have to waste out time hearing a man talk?”Allan complained. 

“Can’t we go to a bowling alley or something?”Peter added.

“Because you guys need to be reenergized,”I said.

“By an ancient book?” Peter questioned.

“Yes, because the Bible knows more then you think.”

--------------------------------------------

In the morning, as they went along, they saw the fig tree withered from the roots. Peter remembered and said to Jesus,”Rabbi, look! The fig tree you cursed had withered!”

“Have faith in God,” Jesus answered.

“I will tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea’, and does not doubt it in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive your sins. - Mark 11:20-25

“From this small chunk of Mark, you see Jesus talking about faith over a withered fig tree. From last week’s study, the tree is used as an example for his disciples. In Mark 11:12-14, Jesus passed by a fig tree, hungry. Seeing that the fig tree had no figs, he said to the tree “May no one ever eat fruit from you again.” The next day, it withered. But this passing example of the fig tree is an example of humans at times. 

Have you ever made a promise and just flaked out at times? For example, you promised your best friend that you will help them with a school project but you always give an excuse not to because you need to take care of your own. This is what this passage is talking about, but on a deeper level.

The fig tree is us, when we believe in God, we promise him that we are all in. Ready to get our hands dirty for his glory. But when he expects something out of us that we don’t want to do or think we can’t do, we don’t do it. Thus, we bear no fruit. And as you can see from this passage, believers who bear no fruit are no good. If you don’t bear fruit, you probably might not reach the kingdom of God. 

You may be asking, how can I bear fruit?

Well, first of all, you have to give your life to Christ. 

But that’s the first step. There is more afterwards. 

Everyone should take note of this: A believer must always have faith to back up their belief.

If you don’t have faith in God, why did you believe in him in the first place? 

You become the one flaking out in your promise. 

That’s how Jesus explains it to his disciples. He told them to “Have faith”, because that is one of the most important factors of the Christian life. 

Jesus used the example of a mountain throwing itself into the sea. And it did. This is a example of how God’s capabilities are endless. If a mountain can be able to jump into the sea, we sure can do what God wants us to do. 

As believers, God calls us to do certain jobs for him. And he wants us to follow through. Sometimes they seem absurd, but we have to believe that we can do it with God’s help because in the basic verse of Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things in Christ, who strengthens me”; through Christ, we can do anything. If it’s His will. If it’s our, probably not. 

Another thing Jesus brought up is prayer. 

If you are having a difficult time, ask him for help. Believe that it will actually go higher than the ceiling and that someone is listening in the other end because I can tell you a 100% of the time, God hears your every prayer. And he will answer. 

Jesus used this explain before in Matthew 7:7-8 ;

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened.”

Finally, the last thing Jesus mentioned is to forgive. 

Forgive your enemies as He forgave you. 

You may know some really difficult people in your life that you are not that forgiving too. They may bully you, say snide remarks, or just act flat out not-so-nice with you. Even though you want to hate them so much, you have to learn to love them. If you don’t have a loving heart towards your enemies (which is really hard), you will have no loving heart in your service. 

Our main job is to bring others to Christ. Which means we have to have a open and forgiving heart to everyone like Jesus does. This doesn’t mean that we will be like Jesus because we will never be like him, but we are to be examples of him. I am pretty sure that Jesus didn’t forgive us because we were nice. We were probably real jerks in his eyes. Sinning all over the place. But he died on the cross and forgave us of our sins anyways. He loved us so much that he died for the sins of people that weren’t even born yet. 

So have an open heart and mind and forgive/love your enemies and neighbors. That shows an example of Jesus Christ working in your life because sinners would never think of loving on their enemies. 

To conclude our message, remember: Through faith, we will be able to shine the work of God to the people around us.”

Oceans (Where Feet May Fail) - Hillsong 

You call me out upon the waters

The great unknown

Where feet may fail

And there I find You in the mystery

In oceans deep

My faith will stand

And I will call upon Your name

And keep my eyes above the waves

When oceans rise

My soul will rest in Your embrace

For I am Yours and You are mine

Your grace abounds in deepest waters

Your sovereign hand

Will be my guide

Where feet may fail and fear surrounds me

You’ve never failed and You won’t start now

So I will call upon Your name

And keep my eyes above the waves

When oceans rise

My soul will rest in Your embrace

For I am Yours and You are mine

Spirit lead me where my trust is without borders

Let me walk upon the waters 

Wherever You would call me

Take me deeper than my feet could ever wander 

And my faith will be made stronger

In the presence of my Savior

So I will call upon Your name

And keep my eyes above the waves

When oceans rise

My soul will rest in Your embrace

For I am Yours and You are mine

Chapter 14: Is This Real?

Peter kept looking across the room, towards his neatly folded JUSS uniform which had a really dull green color.

Why can’t it be the cool black color like the elites? Probably be I am a “junior” elite.

To Peter, it makes no sense. Either you are an elite or not, there can’t be any in between. 

The whole apollo has taken his life by storm. All the plans he made with his team (Elysie, Melana, Chelsie, and Allan) made his mind so overwhelmed. 

This apollo doesn’t seem right through. He has a feeling that this apollo is more then it seems. That it’s more important top him then it seems. It gives him a sense of fear. A fear that his inner feeling thinks is true.

He shakes it off quickly.

 Stop psyching yourself off. Just go to sleep.

Peter laid back in bed and slowly dozed off. Again, not knowing that another dream is about to haunt him further.

--------------------------------

Peter picked up the sword.

“Get into the front car,”he said. “Everybody.”

“What are you going to do?”said Wendy.

“The only thing that will stop them,” he said, looking at the chest.

“Peter,”said Wendy,”you can’t.”

“Please,”said Peter,”I’ll be all right. This is our only chance. They’ll have us in another minute.”

There was no argument to that.

“Go to the front, and stay away from the passageway,”said Peter. “Mr.Magill, when I tell you, call Karl.”

Reluctantly, the others went into the front car. Peter holding the sword, positioning himself next to the chest. Karl, still snarling had been backed up halfway through the cart. The Skeleton came relentlessly forwards, followed by the guards and Ombra. Peter tried not to look at the glowing eyes, He knew they were looking at him. 

Another station flashed past.

Peter took a breath, then turned to Magill.

“Now!”he shouted. 

Magill growled something with a roar, Karl reared up on his hind legs, took a massive swiped at the Skeleton, then spun and ran past Peter, into the front car.

Now Peter stood alone next to the chest. He tapped the lock with the sword.

“If you come any close,”he said. “I’ll break it open.”

The Skeleton hesitated. 

Ombra spoke, his groan coming through the charred hole that had once been von Schatten’s mouth: “You don’t know that the sword will break the lock..”

“You don’t know that it won’t,”said Peter.

A moment of silence. Another station flashed past. The train rocked violently as it rounded a curve it was not to take at such a high speed. Peter staggered sideways, then caught himself. 

Ombra moved forward, toward the Skeleton. The guards spread to the sides of the car. Ombra groaned something, too low for Peter to hear. Peter gripped the sword tightly and drew it back. 

There was an urgent sound from Tink, and at the same instant the two creatures moved toward Peter, the Skeleton to his right and Ombra to his left. With all his strength, Peter swung the sword at the lock. The two piece of metal clashed together in a brilliant cascade of sparks; there was a clattering sound as the tip broke off and fell to the floor. A light whiter than white filled the car.

-------------------

Bam!

Peter groaned loudly when he connected with the floor. He slowly rubbed his eyes and noticed that there was something under his bed, Something shiny.

He slowly reached out and touched the shiny thing. 

It felt really warm. Then he grabbed it and felt it cutting into his hand.

“Ouch!” he mumble and drew back his hand with a hiss.

He looked at his palm and blood was quickly dripping out of the slit in his hand. 

He then again, tentatively reached for the tip, not wanting to cut his other hand. 

When he looked at it in bright moonlight, he knew what it was.

The Sword of Mercy. 

Then he remembered the dream. 

“Ahh!” He yelled a little too loudly as he dropped the tip and backed up into the wall, away from the tip.

Was that dream real? Why is the tip here? What is happening? Why is this happening?

All Peter could do is look in fear at the tip. All he could think is why the tip was still there, gleaming in the middle of the room. 

Was that nightmare real? Was he actually in that dream?

Was it really real?

Chapter 13: New Schedule

“On three,” Peter said, dangling by his legs on the roof of the school. 

There were three boys who were currently running away from the school officials for selling drugs. 

Peter’s plan: eat their dust, literally.

Right when they were a few feet from the tree, Allan let go of Peter’s leg and Peter flipped continuously towards the ground. His legs kicked the first two guys to the ground while Allan finished off the third. After their stunt, they immediately sprinted away, leaving the boys to the officials.

----------------------

Peter rounded a alleyway near the school and took deep breathes to calm his frantic breathing. 

“Dude, that was awesome,”Allan said breathlessly.

“Yea,”Peter replied. 

Once they got their breathing back in control, they strolled casually into their schools, as usual, like the entire ambush never fazed them. 

This part of their day is called action, it is very common in their schedule. 

What comes next is very new.

---------------------------

“19 . . . 20!”Allan yelled in desperation after doing twenty pull ups on a bar over a foam pit. 

This part of their day is called training. 

Ever since they joined the JUSS, everything was training in knowledge and physical ability. Nothing exciting. 

“When do we get to do the guns and stuff?”Peter asked, getting himself ready for his set of pull ups.

“That’s at the next level, which the test isn’t towards the end of this month.”

“Darn, training is so boring.”

-----------------------------

After their long hours of training, they finally were able to leave the base. 

When they neared the entrance, they saw the same three girls who recruited them a couple of days ago.

“Hey,”Allan said.

“Hey, can I talk to you two for a minute?”Elysie asked.

They nodded.

“So I saw your stunt today and I have come to a conclusion.”

Peter motioned her to continue.

“I talked with the JUSS and we have arranged an apollo to a remote island near Scotland. This mission is just securing bases and setting up security systems, no big danger involved. I have been given the permission to assign you two as temporary agents for this apollo.”

“This rarely happens so take this as a honorable privilege,”Chelsie said.

“Why us?”Peter asked. 

“You shown capable abilities,”Melana replied.

“But when are you going to need it?”Allan asked.

“That can be explained further once you accept this apollo,”Elysie said.

Peter and Allan looked towards each other and shrugged.

“Sure, we’re in,”Peter replied.

Chapter 12: Contact Loss

“It has been three days and their has been no contact with base Berk. Jon, something is wrong,”Mike said to my dad. 

“Mike, it is not a big deal. They probably forgot and going on another dragon fossil exhibition on Dragon Island,”dad said. 

“Yea, Asia was ranting on that she found the crushed skull of the Red Death,”I added. 

“Not helping. Please, we might need to consider the worst,”Mike said. 

“The Others?” Dad asked. Mike nodded in reply. 

“Well, there has been suspicious things according to the recent meeting,”I said. 

“But the starstuff on Berk is impossible to find. No one knows who hid it, where they hid it, and why. We just have a hunch that starstuff is there,” Dad said.

“Well apparently the Others think so, too,”I said. 

“What should we do?”

“Send a team,”Mike replied. 

“That’s ridiculous. Everyone is too busy right now, especially in tax season,”Dad said, frustrated.

“Well, I’m open,”I said. 

They both turned to me. 

“No Elysie, it’s too dangerous for you,”Dad said.

“Please. I am a trained and very well qualified JUSS agent. I can gather a small team with the JUSS and go to Berk. No biggie. Just another mission,”I said.

“But this is the Others we are talking about.”

“As in the Others last year in Neverland?”

My dad stopped speaking after that. 

After a silence of glances between my dad and Uncle Mike, they finally came to their decision. 

“All right. You can go,”Dad said.