Red-Handed Jill (A Peter Pan Fanfiction)

Chapter 16~ The Sacrifices We Make

Vinny's POV

"AAARG!"

I slammed the butt of my sword into a pirate's face and sent him tumbling into the water. Another came running at me but Tubby took care of him.

"Keep pushing foreword!" he yelled, "We need to get Pat and Tommy!"

We were running out of time. The tide was getting higher and higher by the minute and we were still no closer to getting Pat and Tommy than when we had started.

We had miscalculated the number of pirates that we would be fighting. I thought that there would me maybe twenty at most, but there were at least fifty here. I had all ready beaten ten men and they just kept coming. Peter was at a standoff with Hook so he was no help.

Peter dancing with Hook was something truly marvelous to behold. They were two perfect adversaries, each of their skills balancing the others impeccably. They fought like gentlemen but with the skills of artists and the ferocity of barbarians. Back on the ship, we used to call him Twinkle-Toes and Pixie-Boy just to make fun of him. Hook always called him a coward since he was always flying away. Secretly, I had always admired Peter for his skill and agility with a blade but I'd never admit that to anyone.

Suddenly two men ran at me and slammed me to the ground. My back crashed against the rocky flooring and I grunted with pain as some of the pebbles jabbed into my back.

"That's gonna leave a mark," I groaned.

"Hello Vincent," hissed a familiar voice, "Long time, no see eh old buddy?"

I was dragged to my feet with my arms held securely behind me. It was Pete and Archie. Their eyes were filled with bloodlust and I knew that I was in trouble. I struggled to get free but the person holding me was too strong.

"Wot is this ol' chap?" I heard Bucky's voice pipe up from behind me, "You're not gon' leave sow soon now aren't ya'?"

"Yeah Vin," said Archie, "Stay a while."

"Yeah," Pete sneered, "Let's catch up."

Without hesitation Archie kneed me in the stomach. I kneeled over, trying to regain my breath, just to have them drag me back up to my feet for more.

"I hear you're running with a new crew now," he sneered, "A much younger and much more -annoying crew than this one."

"You know, I kinda like 'em," I said, "They don't look like something that came out of the back end of an ass."

His fist smacked into my face and my head snapped to the side. I could feel the bruises forming on my cheekbones.

"That was a very bad choice Vinny," he hissed, "A very bad choice indeed."

He punched me in the face again. Upon the impact my bottom lip tore open and the cool, metallic taste of blood filled my mouth. He laughed at me and I spit blood in his face. That got him even more pissed off at me. He wiped off his face with the back of his hand and then slammed his fists and knees into my chest, delivering blow after painful blow to my all ready battered body.

I kneeled over, almost unable to stand. Pete laughed and spit in my face, "Where is your little storyteller girlfriend now Vinny?"

"RIGHT HERE!"

Pete spun around just in time for a knife to lodge itself in his chest. His buggy, blue eyes bugged out even farther as he tumbled to the ground. 

"Jill!" I cried. I had never been so happy to see her in my life.

She looked as valiant as an angel fresh from Heaven in my eyes but to the pirates she looked like a ghost fresh from Hell, thirsty for revenge on the living. She was floating six feet in the air above us with a long, tattered blanket draped around her shoulders and her face painted with ghostly black war paint.