Keeping Fantasia: The Third Book of the Fantasia Series

Chapter 48: Neverland Misadventures - Father Time

Chapter 48: Neverland Misadventures – Father Time

(When: Somewhere in Time)

Jim was old. Peter was young.

Jim didn't remember his thirty-three-year-old self. Peter did.

Jim handled the situation well.

Peter did not.

"This is SO STUPID! I can't find Wendy! I've been searching all night! I've literally looked everywhere! Hook must have found her, that's the only explanation! Someone wake up Jim! We've got to find the Jolly Roger! We've got to save Wendy! We've –"

"Don't you dare wake Jim!" Ariel swung her trident. Herding Peter away, she nodded at the falling snow. "It's a blizzard out there. Wendy probably found shelter, just like the rest of us. We can't risk exposing ourselves to Captain Hook until we've actually looked everywhere for her."

Peter shoved the trident. "I have looked everywhere!"

"Oh I seriously doubt that! Did you search inland?"

"Yes!"

"How far?"

"Far enough!"

"Far enough or not enough?"

"Ariel I'm going to the Jolly Roger whether you like it or not! I'm not letting that codfish kidnap Wendy again!"

"You don't know that he kidnapped her!"

"And you don't know if he didn't! Come on Ariel! Wouldn't you rather be safe than sorry? Or would you rather sit on your mermaid tail and wait for Hook to kill her?"

Silver blared his robotic eye at Peter. The red laser diverted Peter's attention long enough for the cyborg to speak.

"Yer being daft lad! Trust me, if Hook had kidnapped Wendy then we'd know by now! Hook is a diplomat; he'd use Wendy as bait if he had her. I've been watching the Jolly Roger all night and she's been silent as the grave. Hook hasn't even attacked our ship! He's just sitting there."

"Perfect time to attack!" Peter countered. "If Hook's a sitting duck, let's blow him out of the water!"

Ariel shook her head. "It's not that simple Peter. Stop thinking like a child and start thinking like a guardian. We can't just blow up Hook without a plan. First, we need to find Wendy –"

"I just told you, Wendy might be on the ship!"

"Peter you don't know that! Wendy could be anywhere at any age! Until we figure out what time we landed in –"

Peter slashed his arms. "I don't care! Wendy is missing! Hook is out there! I say there's no time like the present, so here's the plan: you can shut up or you can help me find my wife! Got it?!"

Ariel started to retaliate, but she stopped as Jim sat upright.

"Jesus Christ." Stiffly, Jim kneaded his forehead.  "Still got your head in your ass, huh Pan?"

Peter spun.

"Well, well, well," he sneered. "Looks like Grandpa decided to wake up."

Jim grumbled something into his hand. Still rubbing the sleep from his eyes, he reached for the remainder of his clothes. Ariel had dressed him in the driest layers, but she had left the space gear for Jim to don himself.

Jim's style hadn't changed: it was still a blend of graphene, leather, and punk.

However, Jim's spacesuit had definitely undergone a technological upgrade. As before, the fabric was reinforced with graphene, but Jim had added a separate armored vest and trappings running ankle to spine. A control module blinked faintly across his chest plate, and a biometric implant glowed along his jugular artery.