AN: Well, here ya go! Chapter 2, hot off the press! :D

Why is it so short, you ask? Well... I WANT REVIEWS. :( Well, I'm not that mad actually, but still. Review review review! Then you get more. Then you can review more! See? It's a cycle. :D

Disclaimer: Don't own dis. D':

"Ahh, Tortuga. Rich with the smell of rum and treachery, and one of my favorite places! Gibbs, set up station in…" Jack stood on the spot and spun, his finger pointing straight. When he stopped spinning he looked to see where his finger landed: a filthy pub known as the Sullen Sailor. "There. The rest of you, try not to get too drunk."

Captain Jack's men nodded and took off towards the pub, where women and alcohol were waiting for them.

Captain Jack and Gibbs set off as well. Gibbs turned to his faithful captain. "So, what's next? I know you have got some kind of plan… How are we to know which men are more powerful than others?"

"I don't know if you've noticed this or not yet, but most of my plans are made up as I go along, Mr. Gibbs."

"Aye." Gibbs replied, rubbing his side burns thoughtfully.

The pair made their way into the already rowdy bar and set up one of the grungy tables for sign-ups for the roughest crew they could find. The last time he had done this, Captain Jack mused, any man was acceptable. Now, the rules were much different, and the stakes- dare he say it- were much higher.

"I think I'm rather tough, I mean, I haven't killed a man or anything, but…" A short, although rather muscular man stated, his hair long and eyes tired.

"Can you handle a sword?" Gibbs asked.

The man shrugged. "Depends on your meaning of 'handle'."

"Just take him, Mr. Gibbs." Jack sighed in disgust. "We'll get more than twelve so our, erm, captain, can pick and choose for the best."

The man looked excited, and Jack shook his head. "Next!"

A taller and skinnier man stepped forward. "I win every bar-brawl I'm ever in, sir." The man stated, his voice cracking.

"You sure about that?" Gibbs laughed through his question.

The man didn't answer- instead, he turned began marching out of the pub. His strides, however, were interrupted by a rather graceless trip and fall over a drunken man on the floor. Jack groaned and turned to Gibbs.

"Now what? We've been here four hours and we've two men." Gibbs asked his captain. "I don't think we're going to get much better…"

"Mr. Gibbs, we simply cannot take any men to Lillith- what if they aren't up to her standards? What will she do then? Did you think about that?" Captain Jack countered, sitting on the table and striking a thoughtful pose.

"Did you say Lillith?" A voice asked from Jack's left. Jack and Gibbs looked to the corner of the bar where the voice came from and saw a table hidden in shadows.

"Why do you ask?" Jack asked.

The disembodied voice spoke again. "Because if it's the Lillith I think you're talking about, I know how to help you."

"Well, let's see. Is the Lillith you're thinking of strikingly beautiful and a blood-thirsty demon?"

A man stepped out from the darkness, and Jack immediately recognized him as the Cabin Boy from Blackbeard's crew. "What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to help!" The boy smiled. "My father told me all about-"

"Yeah, yeah, sorry, sonny, but you're a bit too young for this excursion. Maybe the next time we go fishing or coconut-picking we'll give you notice." Jack interrupted, and began to walk out of the bar.

"She's offered you a time limit to find her a dozen men before she makes you her slave, am I right?" The boy persisted. Jack stopped on the spot and spun around, pointing a finger at the younger man.

"What is it with people knowing more than they should today?" Jack mumbled to himself. To the boy, he said, "Alright, I'll listen for a bit, cabin boy, but you aren't coming with us."

The boy shot him a look. "If I'm not going with you, then I'm not helping you. And it's Louis."

"No, it's cabin boy. And you aren't part of my crew… We need fit, strong men with agility and wit… Men with…" Jack trailed off as he glanced at his crew- Pintel and Ragetti arguing over whether it was pronounced 'cahriBEEan' or 'caRIHbein'; Cotton's parrot cursing at another pirate who was threatening to kill the damned bird; Franklin nursing himself with a pint- and groaned. "Nevermind. Let's get on the ship, and you can tell me all you know about Lillith."

Jack gestured for only Gibbs and Louis to follow him out to the Black Pearl. They were almost out of the pub before a hand grabbed Jack by the back of his collar. He turned his head slowly to see who had a hold of him and was met with a tanned, scowling face.

A face he had not expected to see for quite a while.

All I have to say is CLIFFHANGER. *mwahaha*