a.n. warning! Violence and death ahead! You have been warned.
Hans swallowed. He knew it was only a matter of time before they came for him. His cage swung in the wind while he waited. Something wet hit his legs. Kerosene?
They set him on fire.
Hans screamed, trying to douse the flames. His legs flailed as he tried to put himself out. The world froze as the ground beneath him disappeared. His cage hit the deck with a loud 'bang'.
They were on him in seconds. Blades popped through the bars, piercing him again and again. Nails were embedded in his skin as he screamed in pain. The fire died out, but his shins were badly burned.
They kept at him.
Within minutes, he was bleeding to death.
"Come on, boys," said the leader, "We need him alive to kill tomorrow!"
The men crowed their joy, screaming, "Happa Hans! Happa Hans!"
The group continued. Their sticks struck him, bruising his skin. He screamed in pain and tried to go limp, that way the impact would hurt less. Nothing to do about the burn wounds or the nails in his skin.
It continued. Bits of metal were stuck in his face, arms, chest, and legs. One man even lit the prince's waist on fire, but Hans managed to flip over. He went limp as they pushed him past his limit.
Although they obviously desired to torture him some more, his pain would end the next day.
Besides which, he was barely alive, they were so brutal, so quick. He might die before their Leader could properly dispose of him.
Hans felt himself slipping into the seductive arms of oblivion. If he gave up now, he wouldn't have to hurt. Not for a few hours anyway.
"...No..."
Hans fought it. Fought back. Pain, fire, blood, smoke, suffering, ash... these were commonplace in his life. He was a survivor, the prince that had toppled the mighty Snow Queen herself and brought the Black Pirates under heel.
Pain flooded him as he burst back to consciousness. Blood flowed into his eyes, blinding him. He took a single nail out, patient, once more. It dislodged painfully from his hip. He stuck it into the crude lock restraining his legs.
Click... click... click... nothing. He kept at it for ten minutes, in agony the whole time.
Click, click, clack.
He refused to give up, no matter how painful and fruitless it seemed. He almost passed out twice more when he heard a satisfying, "Clunk" as the lock opened. One down, five to go.
He kept moving. His legs and crotch burned from the assault. The loss of blood made him light-headed. Skin scraped off as he wretched himself free of his bonds, using his own blood as a lubricant.
The same pieces of jagged metal served as wedges, damaging the broken down old cage. Many things, these pirates were, but they certainly did not have the military discipline to make sure their tools were in working order. Between the wedges, and using the chains as a fulcrum, Hans managed to open a small hole for himself.
And he was still on fire.
He ripped of his pants and threw them onto a keg by the canons.
A handful of crew members witnessed it, whispering in confusion, "Happa Hans?"
They then noticed the keg was gun pounder and ran for their lives.
The prince himself jumped over-board as the ship exploded. There was only one thing left to do; go back to Arrendelle, and demand his release. He'd more than paid for his crimes.
Han grabbed a piece of wood and started swimming.