Once Upon a Dream:

Page 82: Dead Man's Peak:

"You lost someone, didn't you?" David asked Hook, but Hook just sighed.

"This is where we ascend. I'll climb ahead and throw down the rope." Hook said when the two looked up at the tall mountain.

"It was your brother, right?" David asked, walking next to Hook, but Hook did not say anything. "I had a brother, too, you know. A twin. He died before I ever met him." David continued to say.

"There were two of you? I can barely stomach one." Hook said, making David chuckle at his comment.

"Well, you would have liked him; he was a thief and a liar," David said to Hook, who sighed. "Yeah? You would've liked my brother. He could be stubborn. Now, wait here." Hook told him when he moved to start climbing up the rocks.

*Many, Many Years Ago*

Killian and Liam rowed a smaller boat to the island while their crew waited on the Jolly Roger. Killian looked around while Liam got a sealed letter out of the small boat. "What exactly does the King hope to find on this island?" Killian asked when Liam walked over to him, opening the letter. "A plant? We journeyed across the realms for a plant?" Killian asked his brother, sounding annoyed and confused.

"Our sources say it's magical. Potent enough to heal any injury." Liam said to his brother.

"So, we'd never have to bury another sailor at sea again?"

"Now, you understand the importance of our mission--" Liam said, but their conversation was interrupted.

"Are you two lost?"

The two brothers turned to see a boy appear behind them. The two Navy sailors pulled out their swords, aiming them toward the teenage boy. "You look lost to me." The boy said to the two of them, while Liam looked at the boy, while Killian glanced around. "Identify yourself, boy," Liam said to him.

"I'm Peter Pan. I live here. Who are you?" The boy asked them while the brothers put their swords away.

"Captain Jones and my lieutenant. We're here by order of the King." Liam said to them, while Peter looked at the confused Killian. "The King, huh? We don't have any kings in Neverland, just me." Peter said to the brothers. 

"That's funny," Liam said, but there was no reaction to his comment. "We seek this plant. Now tell us, boy, where can we find it?" Liam asked, holding up his paper with the name and picture of the Dreamshade plant.

"Your King sent you for this plant?" Peter asked them, taking the paper from Liam.

"You know it?" Liam asked him.

"Dreamshade? It's the deadliest plant on the island. Your King is really ruthless." Peter said to the brothers. 

"Nonsense." Liam scoffed at the boy.

"It's medicine." Killian smiled at the boy after what Liam told him.

"It's doom. Why fight a messy battle when you can kill an entire army with the sap of one plant?" Peter asked when Killian moved to whisper to his brother.

"Is it possible the King would turn poison upon our enemies?" Killian whispered to his brother, looking concerned. "Don't be so gullible," Liam said to Killian before looking back to the boy. "This boy is playing games with us. And I'm quickly tiring of them. Come. We should keep moving." Liam said, taking the paper from Peter.

Liam started walking towards the island while Killian moved to follow him, pausing to glance back at the boy. "Don't say I didn't warn you," Peter said to him, making Killian move to catch up with his older brother.

*Present Day*

Once Hook climbed up to the top, he was about to drop the rope down to David. He tied it to a rock, about to drop it down, but someone appeared behind him. He looked down to see David waiting, waving at him to make sure Hook saw him.

"Don't pull him up yet." 

Hook turned at the sound of the familiar voice, seeing Pan. "I want to talk. Alone." Pan continued, making Hook set the rope to the side, walking closer to the boy. "What do you want?" Hook asked him, sounding annoyed by the boy's presence.

"To offer you a deal. Come back and work for me. Like the old days."

"I don't miss the old days." Hook scoffed out, smirking at the boy. 

"What if I were to offer you something very hard to come by?" Pan said, using his magic to appear right in front of Hook. "Passage off the island." He said, trying to get to the old Hook he knew.

"Still not interested." Hook continued to smirk when he shook his head at the offer.

"What if I were to sweeten the deal? You can take someone with you. Dream." Pan said, taking a few steps back. "Dream would never leave her family." Hook sighed, making Pan smirk. 

"She did once before," Pan said, using his magic to show an image of Dream when she was eighteen, packing to leave Storybrooke for school. Dream's desire was to leave home and travel the world like she heard "her father" did when he was her age. But she could not leave home, which Pan did not tell Hook. "And you can be there to pick up the pieces. We've known each other a very long time, Killian. We've done business before. And I think this is the perfect time to restart that relationship." Pan continued, trying to persuade Hook.

"What if I'm not interested?" Hook asked him, knowing that Dream would never leave her family.

"Of course you are. Because that's what I've always liked about you. You're good at surviving." Pan said, walking closer to Hook again. "What do you want me to do?" Hook asked him. "You'll be in my employ. Do my dirty work." Pan continued to explain to him.

"What dirty work?"

"When the time comes, I'll let you know. But first, I need a signal that you've taken my deal." Pan continued, making Hook sigh. 

"So, my word right now wouldn't be good enough?" Hook asked, raising a brow at him. 

"You know me," Pan said, moving to appear behind Hook. "I like action. I'll know you've taken my deal when I see the Prince's dead body up on that peak." Pan said, making Hook turn to face him.

"Well, you'll see that anyway. He's on his last legs, thanks to Dreamshade."

"I want to see you kill him before the poison. I want to see your hook inside his body." Pan continued. 

"And what if I don't take your offer?" Hook asked him. 

"Remember the last time you didn't listen to me? Have a drink. You know it always helps you think." Pan said, holding up Hook's flask before disappearing as David climbed up. "I told you to wait." Hook scoffed, seeing that Pan had disappeared when David was trying to catch her breath. 

"Were you talking to someone?" David asked, panting from being out of breath. "Just talking to myself. Old habit from many nights on the lonely seas." Hook lied when David sighed, looking at Hook's hand to see the flask. "Well, I'm glad to see you're enjoying the refreshments while you do it." David scoffed at him before continuing on. 

"Apologies, mate. It isn't much farther now." Hook said, turning to watch David walk ahead when he raised his hook up, debating to take Pan's deal.

~season 3, episode 5: "Good Form"~

~1907 words~