AN: As usual, I don't own POTC. I own Vanessa, Carrie and other original characters that you've never heard of yet. I also own this plot so no taking. Read, review and enjoy!
"From the looks the two of you are giving me, you must have thought I was already dead or something. Guess what? I'm back." - Sharpshooter Marine
Chapter 3 - An Impressive Impostor
The loud raucous noise in the tavern, compared to the loud, heavily raining storm outside, was relaxing to her ears as she sat down at a dark corner of the room. Vanessa had missed her time as Sharpshooter Marine, the most fearsome and fearless female pirate in the whole of the Caribbean sea, and usually found herself remembering it most whenever she was at the docks, on a ship or at a tavern like the one she was in presently. Men from previous nights came to her and offered to play cards with her again but she had refused them that night, saying that she wasn't in the mood to play. The events that occurred earlier that day were bothering her now. She couldn't understand what was happening to her or why it was happening to her; she just knew that it was.
And as if answering her prayers for revelation, a very soaked, dirty, suspicious looking man entered the tavern and looked about for a place to sit at. As fate would have it, he sat down on a table right beside Vanessa's. Other men began to group around him and spoke with him in a friendly gesture. The man was happy to let them join him and engross himself in a game of cards and a couple of mugs of rum. As they played, they spoke of their adventures, wondrous tales and myths that they claimed they have gone to. Vanessa listened to them with half-an ear as she struggled to stay awake.
"Aye an' all of a sudden our captn' was tossed overboard and eaten whole by a large sea snake!" The new man explained, throwing his arms wide to emphasize the size. The others around the table snorted and scoffed at the man as they held their cards. "Tis' true I tell ye! It was as large as any ship that ever set sail in these waters. Then this lass, a very fierce and cruel lass, appeared standin' on top of said snake, jumped onto the deck of our ship, and announced that she was to captain it."
"Well I saw with me very own eyes, the Kraken that was said to roam about the coasts near Nassau Port swimmin' around 'ere and swallowed a ship whole. An' guess what? It came up to me an' told me that I could own it." One of the men said in sarcasm as he threw a few coins onto the pile at the center of the table. The one beside the former considered his cards then took a card from the deck while chuckling along with the other cardholders at the light mockery in the man's voice.
"Oh she mentioned that she owned that creature as well in fact, but said the creature was busy enjoyin' itself inside some underwater cave o' sumthin'. So I won't be believin' yer tale." The man told him grimly. "I tell ye, ye won't believe it 'till ye've seen it for yourselves. The lass is most probably the most frightenin' thing ye've ever seen."
"Who the bloody 'ell is this lass man? She must be daft to claim that she owns two ferocious creatures like the Kraken an' a sea snake."
"Ye haven't heard then? Tis' Sharpshooter Marine who owns them creatures." The man whispered to them. All of the heads on the table snapped to the side as they heard a loud, hoarse and unnatural cough. Vanessa looked up at them and gave them the most intense stare she could muster up in such short notice.
"Waddaya think yer lookin' at ye scallywags?" She cried in a low and rough voice. Whether they were intimidated or not, the men on the table turned their attentions back to the man speaking, who was now whispering softer to the men surrounding him. Vanessa gave a soft sigh of relief at first, then cursed to herself for being so loud and almost blowing off her cover. Fortunately for Vanessa, the man who was speaking was loud enough for her to hear and understand. The alcohol he's consumed must have gotten to his head then.
"As I was sayin', ye all probably know how she looks like. Short spiky black hair, blue eyes, blue bandanna around her neck an' three ear clips on her left ear. The lass has it all an' her famous skill is n'credible. I doubt anyone can aim as good as she does." Vanessa looked down at her hands again, as if the answers to her question would simply shoot out of them like magic. She was supposed to be Sharpshooter Marine. She was supposed to have the great skills in accuracy and precision. If the man was to be believed, then there's someone out there who was impersonating her. Very impressively, she should add. Like the man said, no one could throw a target in perfect accuracy as good as she did. She gripped the edge of the table tightly, barely noticing the knuckles turning white because of it.
"So what are ye doin' in this town?" One of them asked. Vanessa's ears pricked at the question and she unconsciously leaned forward on her chair to try and listen. "Port Royal's not a likely place to stay in for our likes after all." The man placed his hands behind his back as he watched the cards being dealt with again for another round. He grinned mischievously at all of them before he answered.
"I 'ave some business to attend to 'ere. The capt'n's orders. Better get up now an' get to it though. She'll skin me an' feed it to the dogs if I don't come back with what she wants." He muttered a bit disappointedly as he stood up from his chair. The other men around the table looked up at him and bade him goodbye as they watched him retreat from the warmth and comfort of the tavern before going back to their card game. Vanessa's eyes narrowed as they followed the man's form leave and turn to the left. Her fingers tapped lightly on the table, her unreadable, pondering gaze at nothing in particular.
"What does Sharpshooter Marine want...?" She mumbled to herself. Standing up from her own chair, she bade her small group of friends goodbye and walked out into the cold rainy night. She was immediately drenched with rain from top to bottom as soon as she stepped out of the warm tavern, but she could care less about that. She kept her hands in the coat pockets as she trudged along the dark and muddy road, trying to estimate where the other man had gone to. She caught a flash of the clothes that the man was wearing around a corner of the alleyway beside them and quickly but quietly made her way towards that same direction. As she briskly walked, she steadied her hand inside the coat, where she held a small knife she had stolen before tightly in her hand. Somehow despite wearing the black high heeled shoes, she was still capable of walking in silence. But that didn't mean she was going to let her guard down for one second.
She noticed that they were headed for the homes of the higher classed men and women, as the number of people who were still awake dwindled down to just her and the man before her. Noises that usually came out of taverns and some of the brothels slowly faded away the farther they went, until nothing but her breathing, her footsteps and his own footsteps could be heard. Vanessa made her way through the empty roads and past the dark windows of the houses they passed by, following every step the man in front of her made. She began to ponder on the things the man in front of her was ordered to do. There were too many possibilities for her to strike on the right one though and she was still recovering from her shock pertaining to the strange news she heard back at the tavern.
Her right foot stopped in mid-air as she realized the man in front of her stop walking. She cursed silently to herself and sprang to the side behind a bush just in time as the man looked behind him cautiously. The man had heard the sound, but was too impatient to take too much notice of it. Vanessa could not help but heave a sigh of relief as the man went on with his walk without looking back. She peered over the top of the bush, brushing against the straying branches that blocked her view and widened her eyes as the man entered into a very familiar looking mansion. Most of the lights were off, but there was a couple of rooms on the second floor that were still bristling with life. She assumed these were bedrooms. She wanted to go there and stop the man from getting away with what he's doing, but she knew that going there blindly would get her nowhere. She decided to wait and find out first what the man was doing.
Waiting wasn't that difficult to do, especially since it only took the man a few minutes before he went back out of the house. Vanessa widened her eyes when the man came out dragging a woman with him with another hanging limp over his shoulder. She pushed herself back down to keep them from spotting her, and listened as two pairs of footsteps pounding on the puddles on the ground moved past her and began to fade away. Once she was sure that it was far enough, Vanessa stood up from where she hid and looked at the direction they went. She couldn't see them anymore, and she could barely manage to hear their footsteps amidst the sound of the rain. But there was only one place where the man could have gone to after completing his so called mission, and she knew a way to it without bumping into the man and his hostages. She ran at a different direction and began to weave her way through the empty, confusing alleyways behind the houses of Port Royal, ignoring the pelting rain hitting her face. As she ran, she went over her questions and thoughts in her mind.
What does he plan to do with Elizabeth and that other woman? What does Sharpshooter Marine want with them?
Vanessa managed to arrive at the port just in time as the man she was following came up from behind. She flattened herself against the cold wall and watched from the corner of her eye as the man walked towards one of the rowboats tied up to a post. He made the other woman get into it, while unceremoniously dropping Elizabeth right after. He stood up and began to untie the ropes that led to the boat. Vanessa took this as her chance to make her own move and sneaked her way towards the man. She barely breathed as she slowly moved forward, one silent and careful step at a time. If she was too hasty, she might slip under the wet wooden planks and alert him of her presence. Her hand subconsciously slid to the knife hiding inside her coat and gripped the hilt firmly. Her muscles grew tense as she prepared herself to fight with the man when it came to that. She gritted her teeth and furrowed her brows as she focused on the man and started to pull back a fist...
The first thing that Elizabeth noticed as she opened her eyes were the long steel bars caging her like an animal. It wasn't that dark inside the cells since there were windows set at regular intervals which splashed some light into the room. She could see the interior of the cell she was in and after taking note of the slow and gentle sway of the floorboards and the strong smell of the salty waters, she realized that she was on a ship. Something shifted beside her, and she looked to the side to find Carrie sleeping on the ground uncomfortably. That was when she remembered what had happened the night before, when a man suddenly barged into their room and took her captive. She couldn't remember most of what had happened after that, but Carrie probably did. She leaned closer to her and began to nudge her gently.
"Carrie...Carrie wake up." She whispered. The smaller blond haired girl gave a soft grumble in discomfort as she turned slightly to one side. Opening one eye, she peered up at Elizabeth and furrowed her brows in confusion. She was about to ask Elizabeth what was wrong and what had happened when she remembered the dirty bastard who suddenly came into the room and grabbed the two of them out of the house by force. She immediately sat up from the ground and looked at the other woman wildly.
"Where is he? Where are we? What's happening?" She asked. Elizabeth held her shoulders and tried to calm her down before she explained their situation to her; or what she knew of it. She looked at Carrie in concern, as the other girl bit her lip to keep from going into mad hysterics.
"Calm down Carrie, I'll try and tell you as much as I could. One, we are in the brigs of a ship. And two, the man who took us here is gone, as you can see from the empty room. I just woke up, so that's about as much as I know. Tell me first Carrie, what happened as the man took us away from my home?" She asked. Carrie held her hands together in a tight grip and took a deep breath as if she sensed that she was going to have a long story to tell.
"Well it was mostly walking under the heavy rain. The man took us to the port and towards a rowboat he probably decided to steal from someone. All of a sudden this stranger appears and starts attacking the man who kidnapped us. He probably saw us with the man, sensed something was wrong, and tried to save us. They were really fighting, throwing punches here and there, swinging blades until the two of them managed to release their holds on them. I heard a very loud shout and saw a vague figure of someone who was headed towards us and the two men, but I guess I fainted at that moment because the next thing I know, I'm here waking up beside you. Guess the man failed to rescue us and the man who was kidnapping us managed to get into the bow and take us here onto this ship." She explained as she looked worriedly at Elizabeth and held her hands, seeking comfort.
"What are they planning to do with us Liz? I'm so scared..." Elizabeth gave her a small smile and hugged her tight. She was just as afraid as Carrie was but she knew better on what she was supposed to do, since she had been kidnapped by pirates before. She assumed they were pirates, since they were on a ship. She could try declaring parley again, but that won't take her and Carrie to safety. They don't have anything to bargain with for one and God only knows how much help that would give her. Even so, she had the better experience, and she was the one Carrie depended on. She had to stay strong for the two of them or else they'll both go mad with fear.
"It's alright, you don't have to be so worried. I'm sure Will will find a way to find us and save us from whatever it is these men plan on doing to us. While we're here under their grasps, I want you to stay calm and help me think of a possible way to escape. In the meantime, have faith and never give up." She told her. Carrie stared at her for a few seconds before nodding to her, the fear that was clearly etched onto her face slowly disappearing. Now she looked at Elizabeth with a new light in her eyes.
"I'm sorry about that, I must have been a fool to act so desperate and weak when I should be helping you. Thank you for making me realize my mistake." She told her with a smile. "You know, you remind me a lot of my friend back in my own world. She used to give me these similar kinds of pep talks too. They always cheered me up and made me move on with whatever it is I'm facing." Elizabeth listened interestedly and tilted her head curiously.
"Oh? She must be a very good friend to you then. Strange as it seems, I didn't have any sort of friends like that. Most of the women I am acquainted with were very, prim and proper, and...well they're just not the type who would love to go on adventures the way I sometimes feel. They're all very conservative in terms of relationships, and only spoke when it concerns gossip or rumors. It wasn't until recently that I found lots of truly good friends. What is your friend like Carrie?" She asked her.
"Well..." Carrie began, wondering how she was going to start her explanations. "Vanessa is a great person to be with. She's strong-headed, very athletic, tough. She loves doing any sort of physical activity and is good at it too. She's also kind, caring, compassionate, understanding, and...well she's my best friend. I tell her everything and somehow she makes things seem better whenever she comforts me. I don't know what I would do if she wasn't around. In fact, I had no idea what I was doing when she disappeared all of a sudden."
"What happened to her?"
"I don't know...we came back from a...performance. She went to the bathroom to take a bath while I stayed at her room and made myself at home. A few hours later I noticed that it was taking her a very long time so I tried to see what she was doing. When I opened the door, she was gone. There was water on the tub, so it meant that she had been taking a bath. But she just suddenly disappeared. As if she winked out of existence. It was strange, but I decided that Vanessa must have just felt like leaving and getting a break or something. But I heard nothing of her for five days so I grew worried. I called her parents and they decided to come and stay with me." As she continued with her story small tears began to fall down her eyes. "The next day an officer called me and told me that her parents were robbed and killed." Elizabeth couldn't help but gasp in horror.
"I'm so sorry to hear that Carrie..." The young woman wiped the tears from her eyes and stopped herself from crying further, but her face revealed that she was still upset about it. "What about your friend Vanessa? Does she..."
"I don't think she knows. If she did, she would have come back and asked for an explanation or something like that. Vanessa would never abandon her parents. She loves them as much as she would love her real, biological ones. They were technically her real parents since they're the only ones she's had. She just can't simply ignore the news of their deaths and move on with her life without giving them a proper goodbye or a burial or...or...something. Vanessa would never do that to them after everything they've done for her. It's just not like Vanessa!" She cried, not knowing how else to explain the jumble of confused ideas in her head. Elizabeth listened as much as she could, but stopped even before Carrie got halfway through her speech. She looked at the new friend in slight confusion.
"You mean your friend was adopted?" Carrie looked at her but didn't notice her expression as she nodded to her absently.
"That's right. Her real father and mother weren't with her. She's been taken to a foster home where she could have at least a couple who would care for her like real parents would."
"My friend...the one I mentioned who had been from another world...also had foster parents." Elizabeth told her. Slowly ideas started going through Elizabeth's head and she looked at the other woman excitedly. "Carrie, does the name Marine or Sharpshooter Marine sound familiar to you? What does your friend look like?" She asked her. Carrie blinked at Elizabeth and shook her head.
"No, it doesn't sound familiar. I've never heard of a name like that before." She slowly scratched her head as she continued to look at Elizabeth. She didn't understand what was going on yet, but hopefully Elizabeth would let her know if she's figured out something very important. "Vanessa is about your height, with short spiky black hair and blue eyes. She's thin but athletic so she's pretty strong." As she explained her friend's appearance, she heard the sound of footsteps coming down from above. She looked up from Elizabeth and watched as someone began going down the stairs.
"That's very strange...the description of your friend sounds exactly like..." Elizabeth's words died down as she turned her gaze at the person who had stopped at the very end and observed them quietly. She widened her eyes and stared dumbly as the person walked closer to them and stood right before the steel bars. Carrie was staring at the person as well, with her mouth hanging open wide in shock. No one spoke immediately, each gazing at the other in silence. It was only when the third person chuckled that both women inside the brig were brought back from their thoughts. But even so, the two were still staring at the other person on the other side of the bars incredulously.
"From the looks the two of you are giving me, you must have thought I was already dead or something." That earned them another hearty chuckle from said person. Ocean blue eyes twinkled as they gazed at the two prisoners with amusement. "Guess what? I'm back."
Will, dressed in more fitting clothes for a rough journey, leaned over the railings and stared silently at the sun that was rising over the horizon. A soft sea breeze brushed past him and kissed his face gently, giving him a sense of calm despite the purpose of his little voyage. One hour had passed since they left Port Royal and yet it seemed to Will as if he had never left the deck of a ship in his whole life. The pirate blood in him rejoiced at the adventure, at the fact that they were on board a ship setting sail. He closed his eyes and reveled in the wonderful feeling of being free; of being a man of the sea. His sense of peace and contentment disappeared though, as soon as he heard the footsteps of another man walking towards him. Will didn't bother looking to the side to see who it was, as the other man placed his arms on the railings and stared off at the same sunrise Will was gazing at. There was only one person on that ship who was going to speak with him.
"Do you think we'll catch up with them?" He asked the newcomer. "We don't even know their location, let alone their destination." Norrington turned to face Will with a bit of irritation.
"I shall forgive you for your ignorance this time, and I shall be happy to enlighten you as to why I am confident that catching up with these vagabonds is no problem at all. This ship we are sailing on is the newest, fastest ship of His Majesty's. Made after the late Interceptor which, if you clearly remembered, was stolen and destroyed by pirates." At this he turned an accusing eye on Will who simply smirked in amusement. "Its speed is less than that of the renowned Black Pearl though, I must admit. But the Accelerator shall no doubt, catch up with the pirate ship especially since it has not left the port long."
"I see..." Will muttered as he went back to staring at the water as they lapped against the hull in a slow, rhythmic beat. Then something that he had pushed in the back of his head came back up again. He turned to Norrington first, then to the stairs leading below deck, where the prison cells were. "What of the man you brought along this trip? The one who was spotted close to the boat that was stolen. What has become of him?" He asked. Norrington grimaced as he remembered the man as well. He had been too busy with preparations for sailing and the like that he had forgotten about their captive.
"We did not have the chance to question him immediately while we were still busy setting sail. Let us go to him now while there is still a bit of time left before we catch up with the pirates." He answered. "We might find out information about Sharpshooter Marine to use against her." Will gave a curt nod and followed Norrington as they made their way down the steps into the brig. When the two men arrived in the prison cells, they saw the man being held in his soggy coat, sitting on his knees and leaning against the wooden wall with his hat covering the front of his face. He made no move or sign that he was awake as the Commodore ordered one of his guards to unlock the door. But when Norrington was about to reach towards his hat, the man swatted the hand away with a sudden burst of energy that surprised everyone in the room. Norrington took a step back warily before recomposing himself and glaring down at the man who crossed his arms in a relaxing position.
"Identify yourself and answer my questions. What you say shall determine your fate on the ship so I suggest you speak honestly or suffer the consequences." Norrington warned in a very cold tone. The man's head moved slightly though not enough for anyone to see his face. And in a very hoarse and low voice he answered.
"I see that you've moved me while I was still unconscious. And from what I've learned from that very rude guard over there, I'm on a ship headed to god knows where." The guard who was standing outside of the cell stiffened and glared angrily at the man. The prisoner gave a soft sigh before he turned to face Norrington. "My name is John Knightley and I'm just a simple fisherman in Port Royal. There was a man who was dragging a woman and carrying another onto one of the boats of one of my good friends. I figured that the thug was up to no good and so I tried to help the two lassies out by fighting their kidnapper. Well as you can see...I failed. Guess the man was stronger than I thought." He explained, scratching the back of his head while chuckling softly. Then he pointed a finger at Norrington. "Say, aren't you the Commodore? Is it true that ye let the scoundrel Jack Sparrow escape from his hanging?" Norrington ignored the man's question and threw one of his own back.
"Did you see the face of your assailant?"
"Not really...it was dark and there was barely any light on the port. I was about to go home after checking on my own boats when I spotted their forms headed towards my friend's boat. I was just there by happenstance and decided to be a good citizen to my town."
"Do you have any idea where they're headed to?"
"I was knocked unconscious. I wouldn't know even if he did mention it. And you wouldn't think anyone would simply tell a complete stranger who's attacking him, where he's going would you? There, I answered your questions. Now can I please get out of this cell? It's really uncomfortable in here." He complained. Norrington stared at John for a long while, considering the man's words. Will looked expectantly and anxiously at Norrington, wondering what the Commodore was thinking of based on the little that they've learned. John on the other hand didn't move a muscle and patiently, confidently waited for Norrington to release him from the brig. After a few minutes, Norrington turned around and began walking out of the prison cell.
"Keep an eye on him at all times. I don't want to find out about his sudden disappearance is that clear?" The guard standing outside nodded to him in reply. "And make sure he gets enough food and water. He might be a prisoner but there's a possibility that he truly is who he claims to be." John stiffened and with sudden speed he crawled towards the door just as it closed in front of his face with a loud clank. The guard who closed it grinned with victory at the man's defeat, glad to see the man get what he deserved. But John completely ignored him as he held the steel bars in his hands and growled under his breath.
"What the hell is the meaning of this Commodore? Let me out!" He cried. "I answered your stupid questions. Why are you still keeping me here?" Norrington stopped and simply looked over his shoulder for a brief second before walking away once more. John gritted his teeth and his knuckles began to turn white as he held the bars tightly in his hands. As Will followed the other man up the deck, he could hear the loud growling curses and empty threats coming from the imprisoned man echoing throughout the whole ship. No one paid any mind to it, and the young blacksmith was smart enough not to bother Norrington about it.
"Last time I decided to trust someone I ended up almost dying while trying to defend myself from cursed pirates. I won't take any more chances." Norrington said, as if reading Will's mind. Will didn't know what else to say after that and so let Norrington make his way to the helm. Once he was behind the wheel he took a looking glass from his right hand man and peered through it intently.
"Now...show yourselves pirates." He muttered with intense passion. He was going to capture all of the pirates in the world and send them all to the gallows if it was the last thing he'll ever do. Not a single one would be spared. Not one.
While Norrington and the other Royal Navy Guards went about the ship doing chores and the like, Will spent his time sharpening the soldier's swords and knives at the galley. He sat on one table, sharpening one sword in his hand while he set two tables for swords that weren't sharpened and ones that were. He inspected his recent work, moving a thumb across the sharp edge, and nodded in satisfaction when he decided that it was sharp enough. He placed it gently on the table filled with similar swords and moved to the other table to pick another unsharpened sword. He adjusted the rock he was using on his hand and began to sharpen the newest sword he'd picked. The sound of rock scraping on metal steel was as relaxing to him as the sound of the waves crashing onto the hull of the ship. He gave a soft chuckle at the thought. Was it possible for blacksmith and seaman to go together?
Before he could answer his own thoughts or make more sense of them, he heard the sound of one of the guards giving a loud alarming shout. He carefully put down the sword he was sharpening at that moment and began walking on the deck to find out what was happening. Guards rushed across the whole deck in all directions while Norrington shouted commands to and fro. Will walked up towards the helm and stood beside Norrington in question.
"What is happening Commodore?" He asked. Norrington turned to look at Will as he waved a hand to a guard to give permission to grab their swords and rifles. He then handed Will his looking glass and guided him towards a direction ahead of them.
"We have caught up with the pirate ship." He answered as Will took in sight the small form of a ship growing slightly bigger by the minute. He would not have thought it a pirate ship if it wasn't for the black sails of the Jolly Roger fluttering along the sea breeze and displaying its symbol to anyone on sea. "It will be a few more hours before we can ride side by side so use that time to prepare yourself Turner." He added before shouting another order at a guard who was running and trying to fasten his belt, with the sword swinging wildly from side to side, around his waist. He stopped to give a salute to Norrington before running off once more to do as he was told. Will let down the looking glass from his eye and returned it to Norrington.
"I'll be down the galley handing out whatever swords remained that your guards forgot to take." Will told him as he began to go down the steps. Norrington gave no sign that he had heard but Will knew that the Commodore would have heard him at such a short distance. As Will walked down into the darker part of the ship, he wondered what had happened to his female pirate friend and why she was kidnapping Elizabeth and the other woman. From what he'd seen of Sharpshooter Marine, she was one of the 'best' pirates he'd ever met, aside from Jack Sparrow that is. Marine was friendly, good-hearted, kind, and considerate of others. If he had not seen Marine kill men with her weapons and steal her share of treasures with his own eyes, he would have never believed it from the young black haired woman.
Most of the guards he passed by barely noticed him, only stopping for a minute or two to ask where their swords were. He ended up arriving at the galley with nothing at all on the table where he had worked. He decided then to start preparing himself and briskly made his way to where he kept his weapons. For a brief moment, he hoped that the Royal Navy had mistaken the person for another female pirate. There were female pirates in existence after all; Marine and Anamaria were living proofs of that. Fighting a pirate whom he knew was supposedly a good person might be a bit difficult for him.
Will arrived in the cabin that was assigned to him and fastened the belt around him, making sure that the sword hanging on his left hip was secure. He then stuffed a pistol into his belt while holding onto the other one firmly. He was still busy preparing himself for battle when he heard a loud battle cry followed by a thunderous clashing of metal on metal. He looked up where the deck should be and stared in confusion as numerous pairs of footsteps pounded on the wood. Curious as to what was happening, Will went back up on deck only to find himself suddenly immersed in a battle with three pirates. He automatically fired his pistol against one of them and threw that to the side as the pirate he aimed at fell to the ground. The other two charged, and Will had managed to take out his sword just as one of them raised his sword and slashed vertically. He blocked and pushed one away from him only to be met by more pirates who continued to climb aboard the Accelerator in what seemed to him an endless flow.
Will skillfully brandished his sword against all of the men and charged out of the little circle they formed around him. He swiftly turned around and slashed across the chest of one then as quickly ducking before another sword went through his body. The rest of the pirates he had been fighting with were immediately occupied by other guards and so he made to move towards another who was not fighting with anyone.
A few minutes during the battle, Will found himself fighting a short distance from Norrington. He took this opportunity to ask the question he'd been meaning to ask him ever since the fight began. He stepped a little to the side, evading a thrust from his attacker, and continued moving and defending himself until he was side-by-side with the Commodore. He called his name once, then again when the other man didn't reply. It was only after the third time that Norrington snapped back in irritation.
"What do you want Turner?"
"I want to ask you..." Will paused as he stabbed the pirate he was presently fighting with through the chest and kicked him out of the way. He opened his mouth to continue just as another came towards him. "How did we engage ourselves," Duck. Parry. Attack. Block. "...in a battle hours earlier than what was to be expected?" More dodging, then more attacking. "No, let me rephrase that. Hours earlier than what you expected." Norrington grunted as he pulled his sword from a very portly man he stabbed and moved him aside to face more.
"We were caught by surprise when their blasted ship suddenly turned around and began sailing towards us. As a result, the time it took to reach their ship was cut short." He explained. Norrington raised his sword above his head to block a sword flying downwards towards him and took one step back. "I don't understand how it happened. One moment we were chasing them, the next they were suddenly headed towards us and within our sides after a few minutes." Will gave his sword a thrust at the pirate's throat and knocked him away for Norrington, his earlier expression of confusion now replaced with comprehension.
"It was probably the same feat we did before." Will began before falling into another fight with another pirate. "First they dropped the anchor, then they released their hold on the wheel and let the momentum of the ship swing itself around quicker than what a normal method would do." Norrington was shooting bullets with his rifle and was about to make a comment when Will interrupted him. "It been has done Norrington, and it can be done again."
"Whether or not your explanation is to be believed does not matter anymore." Norrington said while swinging the butt of his rifle on his assailant's head. "Despite their advantage on surprise, we have the upper hand on combat now."
But all of a sudden, both Norrington and Will could hear successive cries of pain and agony from all around the deck. Will's sword was suddenly knocked out of his hand while he was distracted by the noise. The sword flew in the air and fell to the ground away from his reach with a loud clank. He was about to get his other pistol from his belt as retaliation when a cutlass was raised to his throat. Norrington looked around him and widened his eyes as four daggers came flying towards two of his guards. All four made their mark on the two men and instantly sent them falling to the ground dead. More daggers flew, and each one managed to hit one of the guards. Before Norrington knew it, only Will and himself remained standing on the side of the Royal Navy.
"How-how is this possible?!" Norrington cried in disbelief. "Every single one of my men...killed by mere daggers within seconds!"
"Only one person is capable of doing that don't ye know Commodore?" One of the pirates jeered at him as he aimed a pistol threateningly. "The only person who can hit a target from a really great distance 100 out of 100 tries repeatedly. The person with the best skills in hitting targets-" He was quickly interrupted by the sound of footsteps growing louder as a person wearing a hooded cloak made their way towards Will and Norrington. He stepped aside immediately and let the hooded person face Norrington.
"Bring the other here." The person commanded. Neither Will nor Norrington could tell if the person was female or male by the tone of the voice. It was too monotone to give out any hint of the hooded stranger's gender. Will was forcefully pushed to Norrington's side while the stranger before them inspected the two carefully. "You must be the Commodore. And you...well you don't seem to be part of the Royal Navy, so what's your reason for embarking on this lovely trip?"
"I've come here to save my fiancee from you!" Will cried angrily. The stranger chuckled heartily to Will's annoyance as he moved away from the two men.
"Save your fiancee? Well then, my congratulations for a job well done. Oh." He stopped and looked around him as if taking note of where he was for the first time. "You haven't saved your fiancee yet, have you? My mistake." Will gritted his teeth and clenched his fist in anger as he narrowed his eyes at the hooded stranger. But before he could open his mouth and answer back, the man began to walk away. "I'll leave this to you my dear. Clean up the mess for me will you?"
"With pleasure." Will and Norrington looked away from the retreating figure of the hooded man and instead stared at the person coming towards them. Will widened his eyes in surprise and gaped with his mouth wide open while Norrington sneered.
"Well, if it isn't Sharpshooter Marine herself. Have you decided to come back to Port Royal after running away from the gallows?" The young black haired woman looked at both Norrington and Will with an evil smile on her face.
"It's nice to see the two of you too."
