Writer: israelproject

Firelight flickered and burned aboard the pirate ship of Neverland's infamous Captain Hook, the wicks of the many kerosene lamps that hung and swayed from various hooks across the main deck brightly lit. The glow reflected off of glass surfaces, glinting against metal, as the ship gently bobbed upon the perpetually gentle ocean. Hook's crew went about their duties with a sense of laziness, though their eyes shone sharply, sly glances being exchanged, cast out casually upon the waters, as if inspecting the wind. To watch them from a safe distance, it would be easy to assume that they were sleepily unprepared for anything more than just another night anchored off of Neverland's twinkling shores, the night sky above them an ignored map to the lands above and beyond.

Deeper down, in the Captain's quarters, a sumptuous meal had been laid out upon the grand table, Hook sitting at one end, Riku at the other, with Smee standing in the corner, bulbous nose swung into the air, a dishcloth draped over one arm as he played waiter. Hook, using his namesake as easily as any hand, tore into a turkey drumstick, his pleasure evident in the meal, in the wine, in the company. His eyes echoed the same glint as those outside. Elegantly, noticing that his guest was not touching his own meal, the man gestured to his lackey. "Smee, methinks young master Riku needs a top-up of his drink."

The short first-mate sniffed disapprovingly, but scuttled over as bidden, snatching up a wine-jug as he went. Squinting one eye at the boy sitting stonily at the other end, he went to pour, stopped short. "But Cap'n – he hasn't even tasted his first cup, yet!"

Hook dabbed daintily at his mouth with the corner of the table-cloth. "Why, Riku, are ye not hungry, m'lad? Do you not thirst?"

"I already told you," the silver-haired boy replied sharply, "I don't like wine, and I don't feel like eating." The black-haired, black-hearted knave leaned on one elbow, fixing the boy with a patronising smile.

"It isn't poisoned, I give you my word, if that's your fear." He fluttered his hand, sitting back. "Not a bite, not a sip! Why, if you put it all into Smee, forced every morsel down his throat, he'd only be sick from stomach ache." He smiled thinly. "And as for not liking the wine – well… I suppose I can understand. Children aren't supposed to drink, are they? Young ones such as yourself, so small and fragile…"

"Hey, I'm taller than most of the others," Riku argued, flaring. "And I'll get taller still!"

"Will you now?"

Recognising his mistake, Riku subsided, albeit fumingly. He crossed his arms, glaring down to the side. "What are we even waiting for, anyway? I thought you'd be rushing off to find Peter Pan. I told you where he is, didn't I? And you…" Intense, fiery aqua eyes drifted up to meet glittering black. "You want him, right? So what're you sitting around here for?"

"It's true," Hook mused, holding the wickedly sharp metal of his missing hand in front of his eyes, inspecting it carefully. "I was all set to charge off with me crew and slay the dragon that is that brat of a boy… but then…"

"Then the crocodile ruined all our plans!" Smee interrupted in his nasal, congested voice, eyes widening on behalf of his captain's horror. He waddled around the table, placing the jug near the captain's elbow. "There we was, all ready to get gathered, and that darn devilish thing came along going tick... tock… tick… tock…"

"Enough!" The hook was slammed into the table, piercing the cloth, sending a bowl of boiled, wilted cabbage spinning off onto the floor. While the first mate yelped and hurried to clean up the mess, Hook composed himself. Riku sneered slightly.

"So, you had the opportunity to go take care of your worst enemy, and some clock-swallowing reptile sent you scuttling back below-deck."

The hook smashed into the wood a second time, Hook's gaze dangerous, wild, as he hauled himself onto the table, crashed along its length to where the boy sat, knocking off everything in his path. He snarled, "You'd best watch your tongue, boy, else you'll find it cut off whilst you're sleeping!" He brandished the deadly point of his prosthetic attachment under the silver-haired boy's nose. Riku, falling still, let the mocking expression harden into dullness once again. "Fine," he said flatly. "It just surprises me you weren't willing to risk it. Pan could be locked up in the brig by now, but instead we're all just hanging about. What, the croc hasn't gone yet?"

Muttering and cursing, Hook slid noisily from the table, straightening his clothing, slapping Smee away as the man tried to help. "For your information, whelp, I changed my mind," he growled, brushing the stray splatters from his jacket. "I've had enough of Peter Pan getting the better of me. If it's not by catching us on land and making fools of us from knowing the territory better than we ship-men, it's because he sneaks up when we're least expecting it on the boat." He turned grandly, stalked back down to his end of the table, ignoring the crunch and squelch of the mess under his shoes. "I've decided that enough is enough." He snatched up his cup, undisturbed by the ruckus, downed the purple-red wine in a single swallow, gestured for more from the flustered Smee, who was trying feebly to scrape the mess of the meal from the floor.

Reluctantly, Riku was interested. After all, he'd been part of countless raids the likes of which Hook was describing, and found his observation to be sound. Out on land, Pan's boys were in their element, knowing every bolt-hole, every knot of the woods, every inch of the battle-ground, and made merry in driving Hook's crew half-mad with their taunting attacks. Out here on the water, their movements were often unpredictable, no two attacks precisely the same, their flying abilities putting them far above the pirates in terms of agility and speed, turning potential danger at the sharp weapons into child's-play. So, had Hook finally learned his lesson? What exactly was he proposing?

"What did you have in mind?" the boy curiously asked. Smugly, the captain swirled his wine as Smee poured it, took a sip.

"Peter Pan is nothing if not a gallant fool. He'll be back, determined to play the hero and snatch you back to the bosom of the Lost Boys." As a slightly unsettled expression shadowed Riku's features, he added lightly, "And I imagine he's dying to show that Kairi girl what he's capable of." He sniffed, pretending to not notice the sudden darkness in the boy's face. "I'm sure she'll swoon like the good little girl she is. No doubt declare her undying love on the spot…" He sipped his drink, the gleaming goblet masking the sly grin that split his lips. Riku was looking positively murderous in that moment, whatever misgivings that had slowly been forming in the hours since he'd divulged the location of Hangman's Hollow to the crook dissipating like mist to the sun.

"So you're ready for him?" the boy demanded, fingers clutching at the arms of the chair, knuckles reddening. "What's to say this won't just end up like all those other times?"

Hook assumed a thoughtful face, placing his cup down, tucking his fingers into the sash belted at his waist. He paced slowly, steps graceful as he wearily sighed, "I admit, in the past, I've played my cards wrongly… Allowed mistakes that wouldn't have happened, if only I'd not underestimated my enemy…" His voice turned cold. "But those times are past now. Now, I have something that I've never used before, something I never expected…" His gaze found Riku, serpentine, a slow smile spreading with vicious triumph over thin lips, and for a swift moment, the boy had to fight the urge to recoil. "Live… willing… bait."

Smee sniggered on the sidelines, as Hook approached Riku again, bent down to his level, meeting the narrowed aqua eyes with a savage satisfaction. "Oh, yes, young Riku – Peter Pan will be here. They're already on their way. And my men are waiting."

--

And so, once the meal was done with, Riku was dragged out on deck. Through his angry protests, Hook smoothly interjected, "Just in case any scouts are watching, Riku – we want this to look like you're actually resisting, don't we?"

Livid, Riku submitted, was locked in chains a moment later, thick manacles around his wrists and ankles, an especially large one clamping uncomfortably around his neck, making every breath and swallow difficult. But, though his looks became dagger-sharp, Riku didn't complain. He sat on the cold deck, all but wrapped in chains, swallowed by them, with the crew making its rounds around him.

He waited. They waited. He stared stonily ahead while everyone else, with increasing impatience, searched the skies, the water.

At last, towards dawn, with the sun's glow entering the horizon, Hook came striding out on deck. He roared, "It's been hours! Where the blazes have those godforsaken brats got to?!" Whipping out his sword, he stomped over to Riku, levelled its biting tip at the pinched skin of the boy's throat, demanded, "You! Why aren't they here? What did you do, send a secret message? Answer me!"

"I didn't do anything," Riku snapped hoarsely. "I've just been sitting here, ask any of your stupid crew and they'll tell you. I can barely even move." He turned his gaze to the distance, a sliver of concern entering his expression. "I don't know why they're not here; they should have been. Like you said, Peter… he should have come for me. And if not Peter – Sora, at least…" He trailed off for a moment, before murmuring, as the early-morning breeze swept gently through his silver locks, "Why didn't Sora come?"

He hadn't expected much from the majority of the Lost Boys – they were Peter's men, through and through – but Sora was Riku's. They were best friends… it had been Sora, along with Kairi, that he'd sworn Hook to give his word to not harm during the raid. They would have been immune to attack… if only they'd been there. If only they'd bothered to come.

Riku blinked in confusion, Hook standing over him observing the boy's distress shrewdly. "I suppose they've given you up already," he said softly, his words cruel on the boy's heart. "Perhaps they never cared at all." His voice was sinuous. "Perhaps… they're happier this way, without you." He gazed down at the slowly hardening face of the youngster. Inhaling the fresh air swiftly, he lifted his head, commanded of a passing crewmember, "Get the boy inside. He's of no use to us bound up like that. And prepare the men; if Pan and his lackeys haven't made an appearance by nightfall, we attack Hangman's Hollow."

Riku was unchained, and went quietly, making no move to escape, even when, for a full minute, there was no one holding onto him.