HOLY CRAP! Look who's back! Yes, I apologize for the long absence. Beth and I have gotten back to writing this together and we promise more chappies in the future!
DISCLAIMER: We own nothing but our own ideas, and our characters. The Mouse owns the rest!!
"…particularly a woman alone."
"What makes you think she's alone?" Captain Hector Barbossa questioned as he walked down the stairs, Meg and Beth following silently behind.
"You protect her?" the man named Tai Huang asked Barbossa. Beth and Meg exchanged glances.
"And what makes you think I need protection?" Elizabeth said, suddenly holding a knife at Tai Huang's throat.
"Your master is expecting us," Barbossa replied. "An unexpected death would cast a slight pall on our meeting." Elizabeth released Tai Huang as Meg and Beth raised an eyebrow after glancing at each other.
Tai Huang led the four pirates through a tunnel and only emerging when the streets of Singapore were clear of any East India Trading Company Soldiers.
"Have you heard anything from Will?" Elizabeth asked. Beth gave her a slightly dirty look.
"The whelp is more than capable of taking care of himself, and I trust young Tuner to acquire the charts," Barbossa replied. "But you—all three of you—in the presence of Sao Feng, you'll be wanting to show a bit more diffidence than is your custom. You all need to remember your place."
"Is he that terrifying?" Meg asked curiously with a raised brow.
"He's much like myself, but absent my merciful nature and sense of fair play."
Meg gave him a quizzical look.
They finally stopped in front of a set of rather large round doors. Tai Huang knocked on the door and a small slot opened.
"Hoi!" said a man on the other side. Meg and Beth looked at each other and suppressed fits of giggles. They composed themselves and followed after Barbossa.
"Remove weapons," said the man at the door. Barbossa took out all of his weapons and set them on a table to the left of the group. Elizabeth, Meg and Beth followed suit. Elizabeth moved to enter the bathhouse, but the man stopped her again.
"Do you think because she is a woman we would not suspect her of treachery?"
"Well, when you put it that way…" Barbossa replied with a smile.
"Remove…please," said the doorman. Barbossa nodded to Elizabeth, signaling her to remove any other weapons she was concealing. Then he looked to Beth, who shook her head, and Meg, who did the same. They could not afford to carry around any extra weight.
They had told Elizabeth when she was hiding all her weapons that it was a lost cause and that she'd have to hand them all over anyway. But, of course, she didn't listen to them.
Elizabeth rolled her eyes, keeping them fixed on the doorman as she took of her gigantic hat ('Seriously,' Beth thought. 'Did she really go to all that trouble in order to find the biggest hat out there?!') and took out more guns, swords and a grenade. She made another move to enter the bathhouse when the doorman stopped her yet again.
"Remove. Please," he spoke with a smile. Elizabeth's jaw dropped, realizing what he wanted.
"What about them?!" she pointed back at the two young women behind her.
"They have shown a sense of honesty and have handed over all their weapons from the start. It is you who we cannot trust," he handed over an outfit for Elizabeth to change into.
Meg made a sort of bow to the doorman, showing her thanks. Beth smirked and nodded her head.
When they were finally allowed into the bathhouse, the three girls were not sure they should have in the first place. Men in herbal baths all around with their eyes fixed on the new comers. Meg glanced at Beth who was too busy trying to keep her eyes forward and not to stare. A very large man with a tattoo on his back led the group towards the rear of the bathhouse. The steam in the room caused the pirates to not be able to see those in this room until it cleared away a moment after they entered the room. Standing before them, with his back to them, was the Pirate Lord Sao Feng. The famed pirate turned around and addressed the party cordially.
"Captain Barbossa, welcome to Singapore." Turning to a servant girl on his right he said, "More steam," and she pulled a rope which set off a clicking noise, which somehow resulted in more steam. Beth looked at the intimidating Sao Feng with nervous curiosity. Barbossa mock bowed and urged the others to do so as well, showing respect to the pirate lord. Meg figured the last thing they needed right now was some sort of uproar, and followed Barbossa's instruction. Sao Feng eyed Barbossa, who had finished bowing, and said musically, "I understand you have a request to make of me."
"More of a proposal to put to ye," corrected the captain politely. "I have a venture underway and happen to find myself in need of a ship and a crew,"
Little did anyone but our beloved characters in Singapore know, Mr. Gibbs was leading an attack party down below, ready to hijack the boiler room and help the pirates above if needed.
The pirate lord scratched his bald head after hearing Barbossa with his abnormally long fingernails and replied, "This is an odd coincidence…"
"Because you happen to have a ship and a crew you don't need?" Beth inquired with a hopeful smile. Barbossa shot back a dirty look for her forwardness. Meg smirked while kept her eyes watchful for any signs of men trying to threaten them. Or worse, anyone who wished to have some company that night.
"No," murmured Sao Feng, "because earlier this day, not far from here, a thief broke into my most revered uncle's temple," there was a pause, "and tried to make off with these." the man displayed a cylinder-shaped object. "The navigational charts...the route to the farthest gate." Smiling at Barbossa, he inquired, "Wouldn't it be amazing if this venture of yours took you to the world beyond this one?"
"It would strain credulity at that..." said Barbossa. Meg quirked an eyebrow. "Why can't they use english?' she murmured to Beth,, "...then again...I never was one to study vocab for SATs..."
"And reason," Beth interjected, glancing at Meg who appeared annoyed and puzzled.
Sao Feng casually signalled to two men standing by one of the baths and they hoisted a man out of the water. It was William Turner. "This," Sao Feng gestured towards Will, "is the thief. Is his face familiar to you?" Beth was doing her best to shake her head and remain indifferent. Meg scowled and shook her head as well. Barbossa and Elizabeth did not seem as convincing.
"Then I guess," Sao Feng continued again, holding a large spike((?)) up to Will's neck, "he has no further need for it." The pirate lord moved as if to stab Will in the jugular and Beth could not hold back a wimper. Elizabeth covered her mouth with her hand and made an abnormal noise. "So," Sao Feng drawled out with mocking displeasure, "you come into my city, and betray my hospitality." Beth glanced about awkwardly. Meg glanced at Beth in turn.
"Sao Feng," Barbossa started, "I assure you, I had no idea--"
"That he would get caught!" Sao Feng cut him off in fury. The other pirates of Singapore in the room stood and approached the group menacingly. "You intend to attempt a voyage to Davy Jones Locker," Sao Feng stated, irritated, "but I cannot help but wonder, 'Why'?" Elizabeth looked around nervously. Meg rolled her eyes with a deep breath, then scrunched her nose for a brief moment, not enjoying the smell of sweat and moldy wood. Barbossa tossed a piece of eight to Sao Feng. As he caught it, Barbossa said, "The song has been sung. The time is upon us. We must convene the Brethren Court. As one of the nine pirate lords you must honor the call!" Ignoring Barbossa's important speech for the time being, Sao Feng muttered, "More steam," to the girl again. When none arrived, he repeated his demand much to the bewilderment of the slave girl.
"You think he'd just sit in a bath tub all day if he was really that dehydrated," Beth noted, leaning over to Meg. She smirked, covering it with her hand.
"There's a price on all our heads, it is true," Sao Feng began, "since it seems the only way a pirate can turn a profit anymore...is by betraying other pirates." he finished with a touch of contempt. Beth eyed him wondering exactly what he was trying to get at.
"...the first Brethren Court gave us rule of the seas. That rule has been challenged by Lord Cutler Beckett," Barbossa pointed out. Sao Feng scoffed. "Against the power of the East India Trading Company, what is the value of the Bretheren Court? What can any of us do?" he inquired doubtfully.
"Eh, you can fight...?" Meg butted in with a rather scarcastic attitude, receiving a dirty look from Barbossa. Seeing one of the guards coming for her, she moved ahead with a squeak. "You're Sao Feng, the pirate lord of Singapore, am I right? You command an age of piracy where bold captains sail free waters. Where waves aren't measure in feet, but as increments of fear, and those who pass the test become legend," Meg's voice waivered a little as she thought of Jack, "Do you want that era to come to an end while you're around? The most notorious pirates from around the world are uniting against our enemy...and what do you do? You sit here in your bath water, calling for 'more steam' all day!" Barbossa rolled his eyes, knowing that he'd have to clean up after Meg for the mess she just created.
"It's true," Beth added, backing her friend up and giving her a happy smirk.
"Glad you agree," Meg smiled at her best friend. Sao Feng sneered at Elizabeth Norrington, who merely mimicked the action, then turned his attention toward Meg. "Megan Owen," Meg stepped back.
"Er...you know me?"
Beth: ((You want to know me!!!! rofl))
Meg: ((LOL))
Sao Feng had a pleasant smirk on his face as he approached her. "There is more to you than meets the eye, isn't there?" he paused and circled Meg, "And the eye does not go wanting." Beth furrowed her brow and her mouth hung open for a moment as she stared at Sao Feng with complete disgust.
"Dang Meg," she said, "what is with you and attracting old, wrinkly men?" Barbossa glared at the girl.
"I'm cool!" Beth held up her hands in defense. If it weren't for the fact that Beth was right and in the current curcumstaces, Meg would have laughed. However, she felt very awkward in that moment...hoping Sao Feng would just go away.
Returning to his original position in the focal point of the room, Sao Feng continued. "But I cannot help but notice...you have failed to answer my question. What do ye seek in Davy Jones Locker?"
"Jack Sparrow," Will immediately supplied with conviction.
"You just have to blurt it out, don't you?" Beth muttered angrily, briefly grasping Meg's shoulder and looking at her pityingly. Meg looked at her feet. Thinking about Jack didn't make her cry anymore, but the mention of his name caused something to pull on her heartstrings a little.
"It's okay," she murmured.
"The only reason," Sao Feng fumed, "I would want to bring Jack Sparrow from the land of the dead...is so I can send him back myself!" The man kicked a pot in his wrath. Meg and Beth both glared at the pirate lord for his statement.
"Jack Sparrow holds one of the nine pieces of eight. He failed to pass it along to a successor before he died. So we must go and get him back," Barbossa explained.
"You know," Meg murmured to Beth. "I bet Jack didn't give it to me or anyone because he wanted to ensure himself getting out of the locker..."
"Yeah I was just contemplating that recently. Amazing how he plans so far ahead,"
Suddenly Sao Feng noticed that the dragon tattoo sweating off the back of a man in front of him, who he had supposed was one of his own. Now he supposed the man was in Barbossa' crazy band.
"So," he said again, for he liked so say 'so', "you have deceived me..." There was a moment of silence in which the party stood confused. "Weapons!" Sao Feng exclaimed and immediately tens of pirates burst forth from the bath tubs with swords and other merciless metal equipment. Barbossa raised his arms.
"Sao Feng, I assure you, our intentions are strictly honorable!" Suddenly, swords came flying out of the floorboards and landed in our heros' hands. Barbossa looked at them confused for a moment and then offered a guilty smile. Beth just stood there dumbfounded that she actually caught both of her cutlasses without hurting herself. Seeing that the group opposite was now armed, Sao Feng seized the men whom he assumed was one of them and threatened him with his favorite spike.
"Drop your weapons, or I'll kill the man!" he commanded. Barbossa looked at the others, confused.
"Kill him, he's not our man!"
"If he's not with you," Will expanded, "and he's not with us...who's he with?" Beth glanced at him and a quick terror seized her. Seemingly appearing from nowhere, East India Trading Company soldiers invaded the room, shooting people with rifles and such, causing an epic fight to erupt. Elizabeth called to Will, throwing him a sword, which he readily accepted and freed himself from the wooden pole that he was attached to. Once free, Will began a serious beat-down upon the redcoats. Beth ran around in a frenzy, slicing people and laughing maniacally, causing her enemies to be horribly distracted. This turned into a pattern: laugh, distract, slice, laugh, distract, etc. Meg ran after Beth, hacking any men that Beth had missed before her, picking on a few of her own Gibbs and the rest of the crew came up out of the hole cause by an explosion and attacked alongside everyone as well, running out into the streets of Singapore.
A little while later, Sao Feng managed to catch Will and pin him against a wall.
"It is an odd coincidence that the East India Trading Company finds me the day you show up in Singapore," he said menacingly
"It is coincidence only," Will refuted, putting a dagger to the pirate lord's throat. "If you want to make a deal with Beckett," Mr. Turner continued, "you need what I offer."
"You cross Barbossa." Sao Feng objected, "You're willing to cross Jack Sparrow. Why should I expect any better?"
"I need the Black Pearl to free my father." Will cajoled, drawing back the dagger, "You're helping me to get it."
After the excitement had died down dramatically, our heroes gathered on the main docks, all of them surprised to see Will approaching them with the navigational charts.
"You got the charts?" Barbossa questioned.
"And better yet," Will replied, throwing the charts to Barbossa, "a ship and a crew." Beth eyed him suspiciously.
"You accomplished that very easily for a man with your lack of persuasion." she sneered. Before Will could make any attempt at a reply, Meg pried, "Where's Sao Feng?"
"He'll cover our escape and meet us at Shipwreck Cove," Will explained.
"This way, be quick!" said Tai Huang, who was now apparently a buddy.
----
Meg approached Tia, with Beth in tow, and said, "There's no place left for Sao Feng to cower...do you think he will honor the call?"
"I cannot say." Tia murmured, seemingly distracted. "There is an evil on these seas that even the most staunch and bloodtirsty pirates have come to fear..." Meg could only imagine she meant Beckett's control over Davy Jones.
Okay, looking for a bit of help. What is the thing that Sao Feng uses to almost stab Will with? I knew the name of it a while back, but I can't remember it... Anywhosit, if you know what it's called, please PM me or review here! Thanks!