Antuki: A Little Boy's Story

Chapter 3: Face to Face with Hook

"Surely the gods do smile on us today, my friends," said Hook in his inimitable fashion, "for instead of one of Pan's codfish caught in our nets, I find here two!"

"Split up," whispered Tobal urgently. "We've got to find Peter."

"Agreed," replied Akio, shivering.

A moment later, the two friends had separated and were sprinting wildly in opposite directions.

"Ignore the Spaniard!" roared Hook to his men. "Bring me the Mongoloid!"

The pirates gave a cry, and suddenly Akio Sakai was the prime target aboard the Jolly Roger.

He tried to take to the air but found that Hook had stationed men to fire at any flying boy. Worse still, he might get entangled in the ropes which hung like nets everywhere. He had no choice but to stay close to the deck.

"Peter!" he called out frantically. "Peter!"

"Corner him, comrades!" he heard Hook bark out. "Don't let him escape!"

Though Akio was a skilled warrior, he was still the greenest member of Peter's crew. One wrong turn later, the pirates were upon him like a swarm of bees. With nowhere else to run, the scoundrels closed in on their quarry.

As the ghastly villains leered and sneered, a grinning Hook came forward to inspect his prey.

"Well, well, well!" he remarked with satisfaction, "if it isn't the infamous Mongoloid Monkey himself."

Akio's eyes darted furiously around the white men staring at him like a caged animal. Remembering his promise to Peter, he looked up at Hook and said, "I will not fight you, Captain."

"Fancy that!" said Hook with a chuckle of surprise. "A prisoner who won't fight back? If only they were all so considerate."

This line drew howls of laughter from Hook's crew.

Akio forced himself to endure the humiliation, though every fibre of his Japanese being cried out for redress. If he could only find Peter, the mocking pirates would soon be fleeing in terror.

"Very well, my dear codfish, I bid thee adieu," said Hook, as he raised his iron hand to cleave the boy in twain.

It never reached its target, for the end of a bamboo pole flashed out of nowhere and struck the Captain hard on his cheek. He fell to the deck, his plumed hat knocked clean off his crown.

Akio stared at the staff in his own hand. Had he really done what he thought he had? He stared at the stunned pirate before him, and then with horror, realized the truth.

Hook's brief shock was replaced by rage. "Liar!" he roared, as the blue in his eyes was engulfed by red. "You dogs, seize him!"

Akio wasted no time taking to his heels. He batted away one, two, three pirates with his staff, before one of them finally tackled him from behind. Another wrestled the staff out of his hand, and two more carried him kicking and screaming back to Hook.

Making eye contact with Akio, Jas. Hook spat on the ground to show his contempt. The left side of his face was bruising from the strike, a sight which gave Akio some satisfaction.

"Foolish child," he said with ground teeth, "you'd presume to lie to and physically assault James Hook, Captain of the Jolly Roger? You're even more impudent than Pan."

It'd be wrong to say that Akio wasn't taken aback by these words. However, he was mostly thinking of ways to escape from the pirate's grasp.

"For a display of such mean and abominable form," continued Hook quietly, "the standard penalty is evidently quite inapplicable. Instead, I've devised a more fitting punishment for your crime."

Out of the corner of his eye, Akio spied two pirates hauling out a small treasure chest. He suspected that he knew what its contents were soon to be.

"Not to worry," said Hook with false magnanimity, "we shall ensure the best of company for you where you're going."

Sure enough, the pirates opened the empty chest and began dangling Akio over it. Judging by the looks of amusement on their faces, this form of correction must be a grievous one indeed.

"Don't be too hard on yourself, boy," cooed the Captain as they lowered Akio into the container. "I'm sure your parents would be very proud of you."

This, as it turned out, was Hook's fatal error – one which all evildoers would come to curse him for. At the mention of his parents, the fog of forgetfulness which had clouded Akio's mind suddenly evaporated, and a new fire poured into his veins. In that moment, he remembered who he was, and why he'd come here.

"Don't... you... dare speak a word of them, you foreign devil!"

With unexpected strength, Akio Sakai wrestled against his captors' grasp. He needn't have bothered. For some reason, the men holding him up suddenly dropped him and ran off screaming in pain. The metal chest he'd fallen into melted away like butter in a pan.

Picking himself up from the deck, Akio found the Captain and his men staring at him as if he were an otherworldly creature. He didn't understand why until he caught a glimpse of his hands – to his astonishment, his entire body was radiant as a young blue star.

The cause remained an enigma to him until much later. In truth, the magic of Neverland had merged with the radiation in his cells, birthing an energy unknown to man. But in that moment, all Akio knew was this: he had power, and he would use it.

He strode fiercely towards the Captain. "Captain," he said quietly, "I have a few words to exchange with you."

Jas. Hook was no fool; he knew trouble when he saw it. He immediately took off running, and little Akio was hot on his heels.

"Come back here and face me, you miserable coward!" shouted the Japanese boy as he pursued the fleeing pirate. Extending his hand, he was astounded to see a ray of blue plasma leave his fingers and set Hook's beautiful coat alight.

Thinking quickly, the Captain removed his coat and stomped out the flames before they could spread. Wondering how he'd done it, a puzzled Akio 'fired' again, and this time, he set Hook's black curls on fire.

It was a spectacle to behold. Captain James Hook, captain of the Jolly Roger, scourge of the Seven Seas, was rolling comically on the deck of his ship, trying desperately to extinguish the flames consuming his luscious locks. Every pirate and Lost Boy put down their weapons to watch this unexpected scene.

Eventually, the Captain gave up and plunged into the cold waters of the lagoon. Knowing it was no longer safe to return to the ship, he kept on swimming till he'd disappeared from sight.