Pirates of the Caribbean: Venture to Utopia
Chapter 1: Sword of Mercy
Disclaimer: I own NOTHING related to this franchise. Jack Sparrow and all other characters belong to Disney.
AN: This is my first Pirates fanfic. I know they're planning on a fifth and sixth movie, but this is just what I think the next story should be. Hope you like it!
The night air in London sent chills through the royal guard. Brushing it off, he kept his gaze forward as his eyes scanned the fog for any signs of life. Most of His Majesty's soldiers enjoyed fairly relaxed posts where they could spend the remainder of their lifetimes in solitude. Yet this post was far more dangerous than the rest. Even now the troop shook in his boots just at the thought of how risky his job was. He guarded the entrance to the Jewel House of the Tower of London. Hundreds of other Coldstream guards had been killed in defense of the institution in the past. Yet their deaths didn't occur due to religious or vengeful purposes. Every attack on the tower had the same motive: greed.
As honorable as he was, knowing that only fueled his determination to prevent such scum from entering the sacred building. He refused to have any of the crown jewels stolen on his watch.
Suddenly, the guard noticed something approaching in the distance. From the thick fog it seemed to be a black phantom. Yet as it grew closer, the guard realized it was someone dressed in the same uniform. Unlike most members of the Coldstream regiment though, this one had makeup and long hair.
"Halt!" the guard yelled as he aimed his gun.
The intruder stopped a few feet in front of him, bowing a bit. "God save the King!"
The guard stared at him, perplexed by the enthusiastic greeting.
"Strange, I thought you snobs enjoyed hearing that," the man with makeup remarked. "Is your fluffy hat on too tight or something?"
"State your business!" the sentinel demanded.
Smiling, the other figure took off his hat, shuffling his hand into it. A huge clang echoed through the courtyard, and the guard's rifle was suddenly whipped out of his hand. He stared at the hat, realizing a gun nozzle was protruding from it. Dropping the hat, Jack dashed forward incapacitated the stunned guard by slamming the butt of the weapon against his neck. The man was suddenly as immobile as the cold ground lying underneath him.
"My business has been and always will be the underrated art of piracy," he said.
Hearing footsteps, Jack noticed Gibbs rushing past towards the dead body from the fog. "I don't know, Jack. Something just feels wrong about stealing this man's clothes."
"Just ignore the voice of reason in your head and get that disguise," he stated. "Besides, I doubt anyone actually LIKES these stuffy uniforms anyway."
Jack smiled to himself, realizing how happy he was to have Gibbs with him again. In their travels, the two had transcended from allies to best friends who would always look out for one another. Such a trait was generally considered unfit for a pirate, yet Jack Sparrow embodied the very definition of contradiction.
"The Crowned Jewels are the prized possession of Britain, Gibbs," Jack explained. "They will have hundreds if not thousands of guards waiting inside, which is why secrecy is the best policy here."
Gibbs nodded. "True. What part of the Jewel House be they in?"
Jack deadpanned for a moment. "I have no idea."
The first mate stared at his captain, sighing as he followed him inside. If it were anyone else, Gibbs would have given up then and there. Yet for whatever reason, be it fate or something else, Jack always came out in one piece regardless of the odds he faced.
Sauntering about as if he owned the place, Jack calmly traversed down the hallway with Gibbs marching at his side. Jack's eyes danced from side to side, looking for a door that stood out from the rest. Finally, the captain widened his eyes to see one with golden plating at the end of the hallway.
"I'd say it's in there," Jack remarked.
Before he opened the door, the captain turned back to his first mate. "Pretend you're guarding this door. I don't want anyone to be allowed inside."
"Aye, Captain," he responded.
He stood at attention as Jack slipped inside. In the room, he couldn't help but stare in astonishment. The Crown Jewels were everything their reputation had painted them to be. The shimmering reflection of the light seemed to make the crowns glow. Although Jack wasn't searching for jewelry, he couldn't help but admire a glamorous sapphire ring. Somehow captivated by it, he slipped it into his pocket, considering it a souvenir.
Then, he saw a casing with three swords inside. Ignoring the two more elegant ones, Jack reached for the seemingly dull one. He smiled upon noticing the broken tip on it, and his grin grew even more when he saw the cartographical engravings on the blade. Attaching it to his belt, Jack was about to leave the room when he heard voices outside the door. Suddenly, Gibbs rushed inside, slamming the door behind him.
Jack furrowed his brows in confusion. "Too many guards?"
"I wish," Gibbs replied.
Suddenly, the door was blown apart by cannonfire. Jack stared to see the silhouettes of Barbossa and his crew step forth. The man was clearly no longer an admiral of His Majesty. Barbossa was attired in his trademark dark clothing, along with his black hat of course.
"Hector!" Jack greeted cheerily. "Looking for gems to steal?"
"Aye, just one though," the pirate said. "And why do ye have two swords on your belt?"
He innocently narrowed his eyes. "I'm ambidextrous. Didn't you know?"
"I've no time for pretense, Sparrow," he snapped. "Hand over the Sword of Mercy and you'll be free to go."
The Captain glared. "That's hardly a way to thank me. Are you forgetting I was the one who subtly led you to Blackbeard, which allowed you to procure your latest effects?"
Barbossa mused over this. He had to admit, Jack certainly did lend a hand in the last adventure. The man's temperature rose at the very thought of Edward Teach, still infuriated that the notorious pirate had managed to so easily snatch the Pearl from him. He was fully satisfied with now commandeering the former pirate's vessel and weapon, yet the memory of losing Jack's ship still haunted him in his dreams.
Ah yes… JACK'S ship. There was no need to argue it now. Barbossa reveled in the memory of the mutiny he considered justified. Jack was far too helpful and altruistic for a pirate captain. His constant need to play the hero could have endangered the entire crew for trivial reasons eventually. Yet even though he once fought tooth and nail for the Black Pearl, the ship truly should belong to Jack. Hector valued sentimentalism far less than the Lord of the Caribbean, which is why he was proud to call the might Queen Anne's Revenge his ship.
The heat of the room melted Barbossa's rapid thoughts away, and the pirate merely smirked at Jack. "Aye, and for that you have my thanks. But you did it in your own interest, did you not?"
Sparrow sauntered past him, while Gibbs nervously followed behind. "I did it in everyone's best interest. Teach was sadistic and deserves to be among the dead. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a city to search for."
Just as he reached the doors, Ragetti and Pintel crossed their swords to block his path.
"Not so fast," Hector said. "Give me the sword."
Glancing at the odds against him, Jack shrugged and unhinged his weapon. "If you insist."
Barbossa caught the weapon, gazing upon it as Jack and Gibbs exited the room. The pirate had heard tales of the City of Atlantis, yet its location was almost as well-kept as the map leading there. And now, Barbossa finally had the secret of finding it. All he had to do was inspect the detailed description on the sword…
Which wasn't there. Curious if it was the lighting, Barbossa rushed underneath a nearby lantern. Then, he noticed the tip. It was straight and completely unbroken.
Growling, Barbossa stuck his head out of the doorway. "The OTHER one you blundering fool!"
Jack turned around, chuckling. "Oh the OTHER one!"
Suddenly, he became possessive of the blade, holding it as he pouted. "No!"
His eyes seething with anger, Hector dashed like a panther towards his prey. Widening his eyes in shock, Jack whipped around the corner with Gibbs running beside him, yelping at the sound of a cannonball smashing into the wall behind him. Trying to regain his composure, Captain Sparrow began swinging his legs as quickly as he could. Even when he sprinted, Jack still ran like a drunken girl. Yet somehow his stride never made a difference in how fast he could move. Even now his first mate was nearly breathless in trying to keep up with his captain.
Jack saw a pair of British guards ahead, tempted to skid to a halt when they reached for their weapons. Instead, however, the pirates clotheslined them with the hilt of their blades. Scampering on their feet, Jack and Gibbs rushed to the end of the hallway, finding themselves on a balcony high above the ground. Turning, they Barbossa and his crew confronting a squadron of guards. Both groups were completely fixated on each other as they clashed steel with metal and flesh.
He smiled, his golden tooth flashing in the darkness as it always did. "Gentlemen, you will always remember this as the day that you almost caught Captain Jack Sparrow!"
Yet nobody seemed to even hear him. Jack pouted in disappointment. Too often had he been cut off when trying to give his famous exit speech, and now nobody had even paid attention when he had finished. Scowling a bit, he jumped off the balcony, eyes widening when he realized it was a hundred foot drop to the water. His eyebrows furrowed as he oriented himself into a diving position.
"This really isn't scary anymore," he noted.
His hands tore through the water as the liquid sent chills through his body. The last time he had felt so cold was when he sailed back from the end of the world mere months ago. So much had happened since then, yet the freezing sea was hardly a place to reminisce. Jack emerged from the water, calmly breathing once more as he swam towards the shore. Glancing to his left, he saw Gibbs standing on the shore, his clothes as dry as the Sahara.
The captain gazed in shock. "How'd you manage getting down?"
Gibbs held up coils of rope. "Just glanced at my surroundings."
Jack's eyes expanded for a moment, yet he quickly walked past his first mate. "Jumping's more fun though."
The old man laughed heartily, following his friend along the beach.
The Pirate Lord smiled upon seeing his magnificent vessel. Surprisingly, it only took a few days for Jack and Gibbs to free the Pearl from its cursed enchantment. Better yet, upon being freed, the monkey ran away, probably afraid it would be shrunk again. Jack's dark eyes locked on the black sails under the night sky, noticing the ramp was already extended.
"Well that's curious," he noted. "Mr. Gibbs, did you make preparations for our return?"
"No, Captain," he responded.
Stroking his beard, Jack stepped closer, examining the plank in front of him. "Maybe someone's waiting onboard."
"Who would bother trying to take a ship singlehandedly?" a soft voice called out.
Jack turned and gazed at the origin of the voice. Her hair lavishly rested on her shoulders, its color matching her gorgeous eyes. His vision danced from edge to edge of her entire figure, shocked that she was here. On second thought, he shouldn't be so surprised. The woman was as skilled at tracking as he, which made it natural for her to be standing before him.
The pirate gave his trademark grin. "Angie! So good to see you again! I thought you were staying in Tortuga?"
"And I thought you cared about me, but I guess neither of us is omnipotent," she countered.
Jack sighed. The woman was always so MOODY when it came to their relationship… whatever it entailed, that was. Jack was still uncertain as to how he would handle things with the woman, yet right now he needed to focus on how to end the argument and get his ship ready.
He raised a single finger, ready to defend himself. "Actually, I DO care for you."
"You're such a hypocrite!" Angelica scolded. "You claimed you loved me and yet you deserted me on that island, you HIJO DEL DIABLO!"
Jack glared at her, holding his own. "The only hypocrisy here is your name having the word ANGEL in it. And could you stop ranting in that foreign language like an old hag?"
The pirate ducked as she missed in slapping his face. He quickly stood up and caught her hand on the second attempt, only to watch her swing the other arm and sting his cheek.
Jack blinked twice. "Okay, in retrospect I probably deserved that."
"You think?" she yelled. "I still can't believe you did that to me! You had no reason to distrust me!"
"I told you before, the only reason I left you is because you were particularly angry at me. The moment you recovered from your father's death, you jumped at me, so I had no choice but to tie you down and keep myself out of harm's way. If I had brought you with me, Angelica, your Spanish rage would have consumed you and led to my anticlimactic death. Besides, what better place to relax than a tropical resort?"
"I almost starved!" she exclaimed.
He smiled. "But you didn't. In fact, I recall being the one who rescued you."
She pursed her lips in disdain. "Only because I had this…"
Angelica revealed the voodoo doll of Jack. He frowned at the sight of it, irritated that Blackbeard had ever created the monstrosity to begin with. By using the doll, one could control Jack's every move and action, and more importantly, whether he lives or dies. Even now he felt chills crawl up his spine as he remember how Angelica had spent days torturing him by constantly speaking to the miniature figure.
The woman held her defiant gaze. "I kept whispering to the doll, hoping my voice would haunt you and force you to return."
Jack nodded. "Well you succeeded. Though I would appreciate it if I could have it back…"
As he tried to reach for the doll, Angelica pulled it away. "Why do you want it so badly?"
"I may not fear death, but I'd prefer to have control over my own life," he answered. "Besides, pirates shouldn't be playing with dolls."
Angelica crossed her arms. "Jack, do you even know how to break the enchantment?"
He tapped his chin for a moment. "Does it have anything to do with goats, because I still have a few left after a very recent ritual…"
The woman ignored his response, still holding the doll as she stepped away from him. "The process for lifting the curse is very rare, but I'll scratch your back if you scratch mine."
Suddenly, she felt Jack scratching the upper part of her back. The woman whipped around, glaring at him as he innocently stared back.
"Oh, you were being figurative…" he muttered.
She stepped forward. "I want my father's ship back, along with his sword."
"Well I'm sorry to inform you that both have come under the custody of one Hector Barbossa," Jack told her.
"Which is why I need your help to reclaim it," Angelica explained. "Besides, you have to repent for leaving me on that island and for my father's death."
Jack stared off into the distance, contemplating on what to do. On the one hand, Angelica was one of the most dangerous pirates he had ever encountered… particularly because he felt so attached to her. Yet he couldn't deny how skilled she was. In fact, she might be able to even aid him in his latest expedition. He personally had very limited knowledge of Atlantis, and none of it had even come from his father Teague. Surely Blackbeard must have given her some knowledge of Atlantis before he died.
He turned his head at the sound of Coldstream guards shouting nearby. Raising his brows in fear, he grabbed Angelica's hand, rushing up the ramp with her. "We'll discuss this on the ship!"
Staring in shock, Gibbs sighed. "Women onboard only brings trouble…"
Angelica was surprised at how decorative the upper interior of the Black Pearl truly was. She had noticed parts of it when Jack rescued her some weeks ago, yet she never had the chance to enter the captain's room. She glanced at various objects of memorabilia, recognizing a few maps and charts. What truly caught her attention, however, was the sword sitting in a glass case.
She turned her attention back to Jack, inadvertently losing herself in his eyes as usual. The woman couldn't deny it… she LOVED Jack Sparrow. He was unpredictable, deceitful, dangerous… yet all these traits only made her want him even more. Angelica couldn't tell if he felt the same way, however. During their search for the Fountain of Youth, he had saved her life and always seemed protective of her. But did he truly see her as a romantic interest? Or did he really just see her as a sister or something? No, that couldn't be right… he was far too flirty towards her. He had even attempted trying to sleep with her on the Queen Anne's Revenge. Perhaps he was simply afraid of starting a relationship.
Yet what did it matter if he cared for her? He KILLED her father and deserted her TWICE. Jack was far too big of a coward to keep a healthy relationship… wasn't he? Or had the years changed him more than she realized? The man seemed as carefree and eccentric as always. Yet the love she held toward him was so different from how she loved her father.
But did her father even love her? The woman certainly questioned it at times. Perhaps he loved her but simply not as much as he loved himself. After all, he was more than happy to try to steal her years to save himself.
And yet… none of that mattered in the end. She knew deep down that Jack had good intentions. And he had everything she could want in a man… except for commitment, of course. That trait was lacking in him, yet ironically it was the one characteristic she absolutely needed in a lover.
Jack smiled at her, wondering what thoughts were racing through her mind as he passed her a bottle of rum. He took a quick swig from his own, savoring the taste. Exhaling proudly, he smiled at her.
"Tell me, love, what do you know of Atlantis?" he asked.
She gazed in curiosity. "A fair amount. Why are you seeking it?"
"Well if you know the legend, then surely you could see why," Jack said. "The city is rumored to house countless jewels and treasure."
She smirked. "Ah, it's always about material possessions with you."
He shrugged. "I enjoy having a variety of rare items, like the trident inside the city that's rumored to give its user divine powers, savvy?"
Angelica smiled. "I see. What do you want to know then?"
"I'm just wondering what dangers lie on the way there," he replied.
She suddenly became serious. "The path to Atlantis is incredibly treacherous, Jack. The sea on the path is infested with whirlpools and maelstroms. Once you pass that, you'll arrive at Indigo Plateau, which is infested with alligators. The top of the plateau has the entrance to a labyrinth of tunnels. Legend has it that the tunnels are cursed with hallucinations, yet the maze can be unveiled from the other side."
The captain stared for a moment. "So that's it?"
Angelica smirked. "Scared, Jack?"
"Fortunately no," he said. "Though I do appreciate the information. You can leave at your earliest convenience, just put the doll on the table."
She glared at him. "No, I'm not leaving until I have the Queen Anne's Revenge back along with the sword."
The man groaned. "Then I guess you'll have to come along with us since Barbossa is after this as well."
"Does he know the way?" the woman inquired.
"Probably not, but I have a feeling that enhanced sword of his DOES," he responded.
She smiled, reveling in the thought of confronting Barbossa. Although she had blamed Jack for killing her father, Barbossa was the true catalyst of his death. Jack, the absentminded pirate he often is, merely mixed up the chalices in the heat of the moment. Or did he?
No, she couldn't keep questioning what truly happened. Jack liked her and hated her father. It was only natural for him to tell the truth, especially since she convinced him that her father loved her more than anything. The Pirate Lord would have done anything to save Angelica, yet it was a shame her father felt differently.
Snapping out of her thoughts, Angelica smiled. "Fine. But I expect to be First Mate of this ship."
"Sorry, luv, that position already belongs to someone who is more than qualified for it," he said. "However, I can make you Chartwoman... or Quartermaster, as you refer to it."
Noticing the disdain in his face as he said that, the woman raised an eyebrow. "Fine, but do you even have a map?"
He smirked. "Why do you think I went to the trouble of stealing the sword?"
Angelica widened her eyes as Jack took the sword out of its case, placing it on the desk. It was fairly simple in structure, with a symmetrical hilt and flat blade. Upon examining it more closely, Angelica noticed that the tip was broken off.
"The Sword of Mercy," Jack stated. "It's not much of a weapon in its current state, plus it's cursed so that it can only kill those who are truly scum of the Earth… like pirates!"
Angelica didn't even smirk at Jack, prodding him to continue. "More importantly, however, it is engraved with a map of the route to Atlantis."
"The map will bring you to the plateau, Jack, but how do you plan to navigate the tunnels?" she asked.
He smirked. "With a compass of course."
She rolled her eyes. "You'll need more than that."
The man held his grin as he pulled out the trinket. "Obviously you've never seen MY compass…"
Jack pulled out the object, and the two frowned as they stared at it. The needle continued to spin back and forth, refusing to stay in place. Jack's dark eyes looked away from the red arrow as he pondered the conundrum. The last time the compass hadn't worked, it was when he was conflicted about what he truly wanted. Back when he had feelings for a certain damsel…
He shook his head, refusing to go down that road of thought. Blinking a few times, he smiled as he shoved the compass into Angelica's hands. "You try it. I have shaky hands, so it doesn't work well."
The woman roughly grabbed hold of it, gazing as the needle spun around, finally pointing straight…
At Jack. Narrowing his eyes at it, Jack moved to the left, and then to the right, yet found that no matter WHERE he went, the needle followed.
"That's not good," he muttered.
She glared at him, yet softened her leer upon noticing the distress in his expression. "Jack, can you stop playing games and tell me what's wrong?"
He crossed his arms, musing for a moment. "I wish I could, luv… I wish I could."