Captured By Pirates

This chapter depicts Ben's kidnapping by the pirate crew of The Lost Revenge. This chapter is rated K+: Some content may not be suitable for young children.

[Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters from Descendants 2, nor the dialogue used from the film. Some dialogue from the film has been included in order to maintain continuity with the events of the film. No copyright infringement or theft of intellectual property is intended.]

Chapter 3

"Help, help, please somebody help, h..." the frantic voice cut off and Ben could hear the sounds of a scuffle and a pathetic moan. Without thinking Ben threw open the door and rushed through the darkened entrance. He couldn't see much in the murky shadows of the buildings interior. Still, he frantically rushed forward, his hands outstretched hoping to find the one who had cried out for help. As his eyes adjusted to the dim light he saw a figure huddled on the floor. Fearing that he may already be too late, Ben ran to the body and turned it over. He was surprised to see the face of the young man from earlier. The one who had recognized him as the King of Auradon. The same person from whom the VKs had rushed Ben away from before the king could find out who he was.

Now, as he looked down at the seemingly unconscious man, Ben heard him murmuring something. He leaned in to hear him better.

"Gotcha," the man whispered wickedly.

Eyes wide, Ben felt a hand grab his neck and yank him backwards. Immediately six or seven bodies jumped him, seizing his arms, legs, waist, and head. He soon felt ropes tighten around his torso and limbs. But no matter how hard he fought he could not repel the assailants. Soon the king was completely tied up. He lay on the ground in a daze, his wrists secured behind his back, and his arms pinned to his sides by the many cords winding around his torso. A knotted cloth had been forced into his mouth and another piece of fabric had been tied over this, effectively robbing him of speech.

"Stand him up," a woman commanded from the darkness.

The words filled Ben with dread. He could tell that the owner of this fierce voice would show him no mercy. His attackers yanked at the many strands trailing away from the king like leashes. He was pulled up off the ground and made to stand to face the leader of this group of kidnappers. A match was struck and held before the captive king. The light cast stark shadows on the face of a young woman who appeared to be close in age to Mal and Evie. Bright, aqua-blue braids waved like tendrils around the face of a dark skinned beauty. Her eyes flashed with amusement and malice.

"I set my trap for a king," the woman said with a mocking smile, "and lo, I catch a king. Take that Mal." Ben's eyes widened with renewed fear, this time not just for himself, but also for the woman he loved.

The match quickly burned out, then Ben was roughly pulled through the backdoor, which exited out onto another alley. One that was gloomier and more deserted, than the one he had entered by. The woman led her crew down one dreary path after another. As they hurried along, the king struggled to stay upright. And his captors delighted in giving his tethers a hard jerk every time he slowed down to try and catch his breath through the suffocating gags. They laughed each time he struggled to regain his balance. A few times he crashed into the narrow alley walls. One time he tripped and fell onto the uneven stone path. The men dragged him along by the ropes for a few feet, before the woman ordered them to pick him up again.

The king was beginning to feel faint. The pain from being tackled, forcibly tied up, and bashed into walls, was sapping Ben's strength. His whole body was covered in bruises, his arms felt like they were being pulled out of their sockets, and the tight cords were biting into his wrists and chest.

'How much longer will this go on?' Ben wondered.

He was just beginning to fear that his strength would give out and his limp body would be dragged the rest of the way, when they stopped. Ben barely had enough strength to look up and see that they had come to a wharf. His captors hollered to the crew of a large sailing ship anchored in the deep harbor. Its two masts towering high above them silhouetted against the clouded night sky. The sails were tied fast, but a Jolly Rodger flapped in the light breeze above the crow's nest.

'Pirates!' Ben thought in panic, 'I've been captured by pirates!'

The woman called to the crew and a gangplank emerged from the ship and perched atop the wooden planks of the dock where they stood. "Take him to the brig," the woman commanded the kidnappers. And again realization dawned on the king.

'The woman must be the captain,' Ben thought, 'and these guys are part of her crew, just like those on the ship. Her ship.'

Again Ben wondered what this woman had against Mal. Although he feared for his own safety, he was even more worried about Mal and what plans this villainous captain had for her.

As the pirates tugged him past her, the captain called out, "Oh, and make sure our guest is comfortable." Ben could hear her laughing as he was pulled across the gangplank and towards the ominous pirate ship looming ahead.