Chancing Fate - Jack Sparrow x OC

Part 2 - Chapter 2

Things had gone terribly wrong. Land was supposed to be safe. It was the sea they needed to worry about, yet they weren't trapped at sea. No. Instead, they were trapped by a cannibalistic tribe set on killing them all. Nothing like being eaten for dinner.

If Lena could say one thing for certain, it was that she had no intention of ever listening to Jack's ideas when he was in a panic ever again. This was not where she wanted to end up. And to top it all off, she couldn't even complain to Jack about it. He was too busy playing chief and creating the plans for his own funeral.

When they had first been captured, Jack, as usual, tried to talk his way out of the situation and he had certainly impressed the tribespeople in some way. They now believed him to be a god, and they intended to free him by having a grand feast where he would be set free in the form of death.

Needless to say, she was not happy. And to top it all off, she could only sit and worry as she watched the crew disappear one by one. None of them ever returned. It wasn't until days later that she learned why.

Lena and the crew were brought to a large cliff where two large cages sat, ready to be their holding cell for the rest of their time stuck on this island. Eying them as they were ushered inside by force, she felt sick to her stomach as she took in the numerous bones that created the cage. All bones that were far to big to be local animals.

Before long, she was pushed into the cage, keeping company with Gibbs, Cotton and Marty. It was when another figure joined that she was truly surprised. Will Turner appeared, surrounded by numerous tribespeople as they untied him just to trap him along with the rest of the crew.

With the cages hanging over in the open air, precariously strung up by vines, they had settled into their new space, sharing between them everything that had happened. Despite Will coming to find Jack, it seemed his luck was as poor as theirs.

"Why would he do this to us? If Jack is the chief," Will began to ask before Gibbs cut him off.

"Aye. The Pelegostos have made Jack their chief. But he only remains chief as long as he acts like a chief."

Lena leaned around him from her spot on the side, looking at Will. "Believe me, it's not a role you would want."

Nodding, Will said, "so he had no choice. He's a captive there as much as the rest of us."

"Worse, as it turns out," Gibbs explained. "You see, the Pelegostos believe that Jack is a god in human form. And they intend to do him the honor of releasing him from his fleshy prison." To drive home his point, Cotton reached for Gibbs' hand and bit it. "They'll roast him and eat him."

"Where's the rest of the Crew?"

Lena's face went pale with the question as Gibbs answered. "These cages we're in weren't built 'till after we got here. The feast is about to begin. Jack's life will end when the drums stop."

Will nodded thoughtfully. "Well, we can't just sit here and wait then, can we?"

"Have a plan then?" Lena asked.

In the cages, hanging between the two cliff sides, the remaining members of the crew worked together, forcing the cage into a swing. Back and forth, the momentum grew until they finally were within reach of the cliffside. But even when they were close, it was never enough. And when it finally was, there wasn't enough to grab. The motion finally helped them reach their goal as they managed to grab onto the vines strong enough to hold them.

"Put your legs through! Start the climb!" Gibbs shouted as soon as they had a grasp.

Following his orders, Lena silently worked to help them climb, focusing on breathing and not being deadweight. While she was certainly more fit than a year ago, she couldn't say she had too much practice when it came to climbing straight up a cliff face. She would feel this the next day.