Lost and Found

Let's Play

A/N:

Um, I should probably have warned you in the first chapter... Better late than never I guess. Warnings... Not a ton. Some sensual stuff, violence, blood, language, etc. Pretty appropriate for anyone over the age of 10 I guess.

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Y/N accepted the apple, and savored every bite. She hadn't eaten for days, and the taste of any food at all was enough to make her grateful to her rescuer. She watched the boys quietly, studying them. Peter appeared to be their leader, as all the boys did as he said. During the night, Peter had fetched her some clothes, and now she wore her tunic from before beneath a leather corset, pants, and leather boots. A cloak hung from her shoulders, the hood down. Despite his help, she was wary of him. She had spent most of her life hunted, and she wasn't about to let her guard down now.

"Y/N." Pan motioned for her to follow him, so she pulled herself to her feet. "Watch, but do not interfere."

All around them, lost boys were discarding breakfast leftovers and gathering weapons. The air buzzed with an excited energy, and the boys whispered to each other; about the girl, about the upcoming activity. This seemed to be a regular happenstance, as the boys moved swiftly until they were gathered around an open circle of earth, each of them holding some sort of weapon. Peter stepped into the center of the circle, and Y/N watched with narrowed eyes.

"Let's play a game. " A wicked smirk crept onto Pan's face, and he locked eyes with Y/N who tensed in response. "Jack!" He shouted, and a dark-haired boy stepped from the crowd into the circle, a spear slung over his shoulder and a proud gleam in his eyes. "Devin!" Devin joined Peter and Jack in the circle, grinning with anticipation, a fighting stick he brandished like a sword in his grip. "You know what to do." Peter melded back into the exterior ring of boys next to Y/N.

"What are they-" Y/N began to ask, but was interrupted by the violent crack of wooden poles crashing against each other. Peter smiled with satisfaction next to her. She watched with horrified fascination as the boys advances, parried, and attacked each other.

Devin was beginning to slow. They had been fighting for a solid fifteen minutes. He was smaller than Jack, and was struggling to block his blows. Suddenly, Jack swung his spear at Devin's legs, and Devin wasn't fast enough. Bruised and bloody, he was knocked to the ground, gasping for breath.

He held up his hands. "Please," he panted as Jack stood above him. "I need a break."

"Stop!" Peter commanded, stepping into the circle. He pulled Devin to his feet, eyes blazing with anger. "You are done when I tell you you're done. Not when you need a break."

Y/N watched with wide eyes as Pan exited the circle and gestured for the fight to continue. Shouts and laughter rippled around the circle as Jack attacked Devin, throwing punches to the boy who lay helpless on the ground. This was madness.

"Watch, but do not interfere." flew out the window as Y/N herself ran into the circle, pushing Jack off of Devin, who was to shocked to fight back. "Stop!" She yelled, crouching protectively next to the injured boy.

Eyes darted between Peter and the girl who had yet to be introduced to the boys. Whoever she was, she was recklessly brave, to the point of being stupid even. Shocked silence fell as Pan strode forward, grasped the girl's arm, and pulled her up and away from Devin. The circle scattered, all eyes on them.

"What do you think you're doing?" Pan shouted, slamming the girl against the nearest tree.

She gazed defiantly up at him, not the least bit frightened by the position she was in. Something in the back of Pan's mind triggered, and he remembered grown men trembling in fear before him. And yet, there she was with the audacity to defy him.