Title: Collapse

Author: immortaljedi aka jedipati

Characters: Will, Bill, others mentioned

Rating: PG

Summary: Most of the time, Will just got people out of jail. This time, he destroyed the prison.

Disclaimer: I see no profit in this for me, so don't bother suing.

Author's notes: This was written for potcfest prompt #67: Will learns a new trick

Captain Will Turner stared at his helmsman (who also happened to be his father). Bill Turner returned the stare. The Flying Dutchman floated off the shore of a land neither was entirely sure was actually there.

"It worked." Maccus, the first mate, said.

Will glanced at him. "Of course it worked," He said.

"Sorry, Captain, but none of us have been here."

"I have," Will responded. "There are a lot of people here, and we're going to get them out." He said. "Unfortunately…"

"It's land." Bill said.

"Not really," Will said. "It's an illusion." He frowned. "I want the crew out there, find as many people as you can." He sighed. "Many of them will be completely mad."

He shook his head. "I can feel the despair. We should have come sooner."

"We couldn't, Captain." Maccus said.

"We should have made a way." Will frowned. "Get the crew out there. The illusions shouldn't affect them."

"Aye, Captain."

Will watched as the crew brought aboard the lost souls one after the other. Most of them were, as he'd expected, insane. He moved among them, doing his best to sooth some and wake others.

Finally, the crew returned. "We can't find any more, Captain."

Will frowned. "There's more there." He said. "We have to find them. I don't want anyone stuck there."

He stared at the land that wasn't really there. He knew he could do this. "Return your prisoners." He ordered. "As your master, I demand them."

A second later, several men appeared on deck. These ones were the worst off, the ones that had been there since Jones had started putting people in the Locker. Will nodded. That was all of them. He frowned and made a quick decision.

"Mr. Turner, take the wheel. Everyone else, get ready. This might have unexpected consequences. Get our passengers below."

The crew scrambled into action. Will wandered to the side of the ship and placed his hands on the railing. Can we do this? He asked both himself and his ship.

Within moments, he realized the answer was yes, and that he knew how. "Is everyone ready?" He asked.

"Aye, Captain!"

"Ship secure, sir."

"Everyone hold on!" With that, Will gripped the power that was his and pulled. The illusion of the island began to break apart. Several crewmen cried out as the Dutchman began to rock on the still water.

Will didn't react. In fact, he didn't even see it. His gaze was focused on the Locker itself. It was beginning to break up.

"Get ready to take us down, Mr. Turner, and return us to the land of the dead!" He knew that they were close enough that they would escape, even as the water around them shuddered. They would not get trapped by the collapse of the Locker.

While his crew tried not to panic, Will focused. "This place will never exist again," He said. "There will never be a need for the Locker again." His voice would have been heard throughout the Locker, if there had been anyone to hear him.

Will watched as the island disappeared. "TAKE US DOWN, NOW!" Will yelled.

They dove. Even as they dove, Will could see the water disappearing around them. There was the now-familiar feeling of switching to the true land of the dead. He felt, in the part of him that was connected to the Dutchman, the final destruction of the Locker.

Will smiled. His crew was staring at him. "Good."

"Captain what… I've never seen anything like that."

"I just destroyed the Locker," Will told his father. "Jones set it up, so as Captain, I could destroy it."

Everyone within hearing range blinked at him.

"Why?" Bill shook his head. "That's not quite right. It's a good thing the Locker is gone, but…" He trailed off, unable to explain what he wanted to ask.

Will shook his head. "The Locker was never meant to exist. It was a horrible misuse of his powers. I just set it to rights." He turned to his father. "Keep us on this course. We'll arrive at the dock in a few hours. I'm going to see what I can do for our passengers."

He headed below deck. Behind him, he could hear his crew's reaction to the entire adventure.

He wondered how they'd feel if they knew that he had decided to destroy the Locker only once they were actually there.

He hadn't even been entirely sure that he could. But, by tapping into power he wasn't sure he'd had, he'd done it.

Will smiled. The Locker was gone. No longer could the Captain of the Flying Dutchman torment others by using the Locker.

That meant that if he was ever replaced, his successor couldn't use it either. That was a good day's work.

Please R&R