Summary: Avery's come a long way from being the Mutt on Piddle Lane, but sometimes something comes along to remind him of the past he clawed himself out of.
Disclaimer: I do not own Pirate101!
Favorites and Gold.
These days he spends his days in his office, not in his ship. It feels normal now but he still remembers the early days when he was never able to sleep for the lack of gentle rocking. Sometimes he still gets out of bed in the morning and pauses, thinking he has to adjust himself for the next sway of the ship or be knocked down.
His office has accumulated yet more trinkets in recent days. The Polarian rugs, the Valencian statues, the Monquistan gold, Cool Ranch furniture, and Marleybone weapons on display are all the best money could buy or pirates could steal. They help remind him that the days of scrounging for every last penny are over. He could afford to give a thousand gold coins to every Wharf Rat on Skull Island if he had a mind to, all without damaging his new life style.
Mordekai is the first to greet him every morning, the shark is even more busy these days since retirement has only egged on would-be assassins after his head. Avery always pats himself on the back for bringing the able bodied warrior onto his crew so long ago, it was one of the best investments he'd ever made.
The Commodore hasn't been with him as long and his head is going a bit funny, but the dog's waiting in his office every morning with the night's reports. He salutes to Avery and Avery returns it, knowing if he doesn't that the dog will stand there like a statue all day. Avery thinks he could find out the dog's name if he really had a mind to, there is a pirate he knows that's quite good at intel gathering, but he keeps his peace. The Marleybone Navy won't ask for him back if they don't know he's still alive, and the old dog won't have to choose between homeland and Avery.
Ol' Fish Eye meets him at eight that morning to discuss the acquisition of new firearms for the musketeers. The bird is practically salivating over the newest model to come out of Valencia. Avery signs off on it because Fish Eye always knows where to get the best of the best and if he says his musketeers need them to keep up with demand then they likely do. Fish Eye isn't one for exaggeration.
Morgan he meets over elevens, she is the first that day to bring him word of Suri Hawkins. All of his most trusted crewmen bring her up from time to time, keep him informed. Apparently she's helping the Monquistan Rebellion along, he quite likes her flair. Morgan sounds like a proud mother hen, she's taken the young captain under her blade to teach her the finer points of dagger work. Suri is fast proving to the world that swashbucklers are not the weakest class and Morgan half loves her for it. Or maybe it really is love, he's known Morgan to play both fields before and he won't object to it if she does make a move, the closer he can tie Ms. Hawkins to himself the better and she is too young for a man who never dreamed of marriage.
Madame Vadima is the one he has to meet, he wouldn't see her for days at a time otherwise and that simply would not do. She is far too likely to neglect her mortal needs in favor of Hoodoo. He's seen the kinds of horrors she battles every day and sometimes amuses himself by wondering which would win in a fight, Mordekai or Madam Vadima. As usual she is mixing something in her cauldron, the smell permeating the room makes him slightly sleepy, which is why she has so many pillows strewn about the room. Sometimes her fledgling witchdoctors don't yet have the tolerance to keep from falling asleep. The witchdoctor knows the exact minute when he stepped outside his office doors but keeps him waiting anyway and he is comforted by the gesture, so long as his most trusted still treat him as they did when they first met then he hasn't grown so important that he's isolated himself.
Back in his office he finishes the day's work and stops to smoke a fine Marleybone cigar. The day is still young, perhaps he should go to the hidden training room and make sure he hasn't lost his touch.
He's about to get up and go when the door opens and Suri Hawkins walks in, looking none the worse for wear from her latest escapade. As usual she is flanked by her stoic bodyguard, Subodai and has that same self-made smirk on her face. She's looking more and more like a true captain these days, a good one from what his spies tell him. She really inspires loyalty in those who follow her.
Much like he once did, when he was young and determined to get everything his childhood couldn't provide for him. The realization of how similar they truly are shakes him once she leaves again.
He is surrounded by luxury goods and loyal people, he wants for nothing, save to consolidate his power on Skull Island. He has built from the ground up a safe haven for pirates to come and raise their families and they love him for it, this island is a precious gem to all of them. She saved this island from destruction when all he wanted was a bauble he had no real use for back, and then she found Captain Gunn's gold, now she has aided the Monquistan Revolution and earned the thanks of three of their queens. She's even, though she doesn't know it yet, found a piece of Marco Pollo's map.
And people whisper that she works for him, she is his favorite. When they want to get at him these days they sidle up to her. He hadn't considered the importance of those rumors until just now, he's favored other crews here and there so why would this little spit of a girl be any different.
But he trusts her more than he ever trusted them. He trusts that she will be honest in her deals, that she will exceed his expectations no matter how high he raises them (He sends her to retrieve an trade agreement and she saves three queens! Ha!), and most importantly he trusts her to shake things up when things are being too orderly. How many potential coups has she stopped or prevented now?
He's always had an eye for the best and Suri Hawkins is definitely one of the best. If she'd been there twenty years ago he would have moved mountains to get her on his crew. She may even have replaced Morgan as his premier swashbuckler, in time.
Alright then, no use denying it, she is his favorite. These days when he wants a job done right he doesn't have to check their records for a crew specialized in what he's asking, he just has to send word out that he wants to see Ms. Hawkins in his office.
He's not old but he's not young either, maybe it's time to start thinking of heirs.