I have a Biology exam later on but I thought you guys might enjoy this.
Guest Reviews:
sparklehannah: Thanks! it's nice and unique compared to the multitude of High school AU's.
Person: Glad you're enjoying! (Love your name, by the way)
Enjoy everyone!
Jack's hand shakes as he places it over the hilt of his cutlass. He's standing on the far end of the ship, the large mast blocking his view of the Captain, who he knew was standing opposite him, near the quarterdeck. Jack, himself, stood on the forecastle.
He hears the crew cheering, impatient for blood to be drawn.
"Phil!" The Captain calls. "Let's get this started."
Jack quickly learns that Phil was the brute he had encountered earlier. He asks for his name.
"Jack." He mutters. If he got out of here alive, he didn't want the Nightmare's crew to know more about him than necessary.
"Men!" Phil cries, effectively silencing the yelling. "Today, we witness a battle between Jack: a stowaway on our ship!"
Despite being on the opposite side of the ship, the shouts of "Die!" and "Kill him!" were deafening.
"He will be fighting none other than our Captain, the most feared pirate on the Eighth Sea: Captain Kozmotis Pitchiner!"
Jack cocks his head in confusion. 'I thought his name was Pitch.'
"The victor of this battle will ultimately decide the fate of this boy! If our Captain wins, Jack'll be paying a visit to old Davy Jones' Locker."
'Can they speak normally? Not everyone on board is a pirate.' Jack grumbled mentally.
"And if, by some slim chance, Jack wins, he keeps his life."
Jack peered to the left of the mast and saw the glimmering of the Captain's cutlass.
'I'm screwed.'
"Winning is simple. The victor is the man," Phil gives a side glance in Jack's direction. "Or boy to disarm the opponent."
Jack didn't know whether to be thankful or worried, that the battle didn't end in death.
"The rules are also simple. There are none. This battle can be won by hook or by crook."
"Of course." Jack murmured.
"Three." Jack pulls out his own cutlass, his right hand shaking at the action. "Two." Jack didn't plan on going down without a fight. "One." Even if he didn't know how to hold his blade correctly. "Fight!"
Pitch feints left then comes from the right, swinging his cutlass in Jack's direction. Jack manages to block the attack but the force of the blow, along with Jack's inexperience with a cutlass, causes the albino to stumble backwards.
The cutlass was swung again, and once again Jack is forced to take a few steps back. They continue in this manner for a minute or so until Jack feels the edge of the ship just behind him.
He chances a look over and gulps at the deep dark abyss. Who knew how far the bottom was.
"This is easy!" He turns his attention back to the Captain who was walking forward slowly, too busy gloating. "I could finish you with my left hand tied behind my back!"
Suddenly, it hit Jack. 'But you couldn't because you're left-handed!' He mentally shrieked at himself. 'You fool! Switch hands! Switch hands! Why on the Eighth Sea are you using your right hand!?'
Pitch swung his cutlass for, what he believed to be, the final blow. Jack wastes no time in switching hands and bringing his cutlass up to meet the Captain's. He feels his confidence skyrocket when he hears the satisfying clash!- followed by Pitch stumbling backwards in surprise.
"What?" Jack mocks. "Not used to fighting a lefty?"
Captain Pitchiner mirrors his grin. "I believe it's time for a real fight."
They fall into a rhythm, exchanging blows, switching between offensive and defensive. The sound of the crews yelling echoes around the ship, the fight having got much more interesting for them. But Jack was starting to worry. He could tell that Pitch was growing accustomed to fighting his left-handed opponent.
He looks around, the rigging and loose ropes behind him effectively catching his attention.
He let Pitch back him up against the mast before quickly sheathing his cutlass and jumping up to grab the rigging. Pitch fell backwards, trying to avoid Jack's swinging feet as the albino clambers higher.
Jack didn't stop to look at his opponent, instead wrapping a loose rope once around his right hand. He leaps off, swinging towards Pitch, who was standing again. When he notices Jack's feet barrelling towards him, he ducks, his hands coming up to cover his head. Jack smirks. He was counting on this.
He reaches down and snatches the Pirate King's cutlass. "Woohoo!" He lets go of the rope, backflipping so he lands on the edge of the ship. He raises the cutlass, yelling "Victory!"
The crew cheers, crowding him and applauding him. Very few had expected him to be alive by the end. Even fewer thought he would win.
After jumping off the edge and receiving several slaps to the back, Jack notices that the crew had parted, leaving a clear path for Captain Pitchiner.
"I believe congratulations are in order."
Jack should have been happy. He had managed to beat the most feared pirate to ever sail the Eighth Sea in close combat. But, instead, he could only feel dread. "Heh, yeah. Well, I should get going. Don't wanna overstay my welco-!" His breath hitches as Pitch once again brings the cutlass to his throat.
'This feels familiar.'
"I believe the terms were you keep your life. I don't recall allowing you to leave."
"I-I thought that was a given." Jack swallows the lump in his throat. Pitch was pressing against his cutlass against his throat harder than before. He could feel the warm blood travel down, and he knew that it was creating a lovely red stain on his already tattered shirt.
"I don't believe it was." Pitch drawls, his eyes shining with mirth. "Phil!" He barks, never taking his gaze from Jack but now lowering and sheathing his blade. "Take our guest down to the brig."
"Aye aye, Captain."
Phil grabs Jack's bare arm and yanks at it, causing Jack to hiss. The lack of sleeve meant his time in the sun had given him a pretty little burn all the way up his arm.
"Wait." They look back at Pitch who snatches Jack's cutlass from his sheath. Using it, Pitch mockingly salutes Jack. Jack growls in response, making Pitch laugh.
As he was dragged down to the brig, he heard Pitch's laugh follow him down to the darkest depths of the ship where the shadows seemed to crawl.
Pirate Glossary:
Quarterdeck - The raised deck at the back of the ship (where the wheel typically resides).
Forecastle - The raised deck at the front of the ship.
Davy Jones' Locker - A fictional place at the bottom of the sea where people who die at sea were said to go.
Rigging - Ropes and chains used to operate the sails and masts of the ship.
Brig - Where prisoners were held hostage in the bottom of the ship