Author: Ponderosa
Pairings: None
Warnings: [PG]
Notes: Written for the pirates500 comedy and tragedy challenge.


Let Go

"Are those the keys?" Ragetti asked in a harsh whisper. He hovered behind Pintel, craning his long neck over the stocky pirate's shoulder. With his good eye, he peered at the curious bit of rusted metal Pintel was holding.

"Shh!" Pintel clutched the ring of keys closer to his chest, trying to conceal it with a broad hand.

"They are the keys!" Ragetti said, reaching around and grabbing the ring before Pintel could swat him away. He held them up in front of his face to get a closer look. There were a half dozen keys on the ring, one of which presumably fit the lock of their cell. "How'd you get 'em?"

"None of your business," Pintel said. He tried to snatch the ring back, but Ragetti's spindly fingers curled tight around it and refused to budge. "Let go, you dimwit!"

"What for?" Ragetti asked. His eyebrows drew together and he blinked. "D'you think I can't unlock a door by meself?"

Pintel rolled his yellowed eyes and tugged at the ring. It jingled noisily as he tried to wrest it from Ragetti's grip. "Let go!!" he snarled.

Things turned into a tug of war, with the poor keys pulled between them like a jingling jangling rag doll.

"Let go!"

"No!"

"Let go of the damn things right now!"

"Why should I?!"

"Because I said so!"

"You're always bossin' me around!" Ragetti cried, jerking the keys back his way. "Why can't you trust me to do anything? I thought we was friends!"

"I got the keys, I get to open the door!" Pintel roared. His nostrils flared like a bull's as he yanked the keys back in his direction.

"Alright," Ragetti said, relinquishing his hold abruptly.

Pintel stumbled backwards, and his back slammed against the bars. The keys flew from his stunned hand, spiralling lazily through the air before they landed squarely in the middle of the cell on the opposite side of the brig.

Jack scrambled forward to scoop them up. "Thank ye kindly, gentlemen," he said, eyeballing his prize greedily as he stood. He clasped his hands together, bowing sketchily to the men staring slack-jawed in the other cell.

Jack tested each key on the lock, and he grinned broadly when he finally found the right one. "I shall put in a good word for you with the Commodore if I see him on my way out," he said, twirling the keyring around his finger as he ambled towards the exit.

A shadow darkened the steps leading to the upper deck and Jack heard the menacing click of a pistol being cocked.

"Going somewhere, Sparrow?"

"Evidently not," Jack replied, spinning on his heel without losing a beat. He headed back for his cell under Norrington's vigilant eye.

Pintel and Ragetti huddled in the corner of their cell glaring at Jack as he returned to the tiny square across the way and shut the door firmly behind himself.

"The keys, if you would, Mister Sparrow," Norrington reminded him.

"Bugger."

---

End


Disclaimer: Characters belong to their respective copyright owners, like Disney. Plot, if you can call it that, belongs to Ponderosa.