A/N: Welcome back! Not much of an announcement here, but I'm going to say that there is a big reveal in this chapter!
CHAPTER 3- Mark of the Talon
Since that day, a week had passed, and Weiss had slowly started to gain the trust of the inhabitants of Beacon, especially gaining some close friends in Teams ARKS & RBY. Not too long after she had made her first act of piracy, she had sailed her ship, which she called the Myrtenaster, back to Beacon, and she was given her own black flag to fly from the ship's mast. She fondly remembered the scene, and was sure she would never forget it.
1 week ago...
"Well, I think that's all the loot for one day, eh Schnee?"Adam said, as the last of the Valesian ships disappeared below the waves. "Time to head back."Weiss said, stepping up to the wheel, and turning the ship back towards Beacon. They encountered no problems, and were soon anchored in the bay, and they disembarked onto the pier. Adam had then asked Weiss what she would call her ship, to which Weiss took a second, before replying with, "Myrtenaster. It was the name of my first rapier, which I lost at sea. Now, I have a bigger weapon. That's why I chose it." Adam smiled, before looking back at the ship. "The cannons are in a sorry state. They'll need fixing up. Ah, look who it is!"He said, turning as he heard someone approaching. Turning round, he saw it was Ruby. "Good haul, Schnee?"the red wearing captain asked, the former heiress nodding. "Good enough, but I fear some of the loot will go towards upgrading my cannons."she said, Ruby smiling before she grabbed Weiss's arm. "Good, as I need to get more ammunition! I can show you how to upgrade your ship. I'll be taking her for a bit, that OK with you, Adam?"she said, Adam nodding. "I have something to do anyway. Be gentle with her!"He shouted, as the two captains, were already leaving by the time he had nodded. "Women. Anyways, hey you!"He said, grabbing a crewman from his own ship who had just appeared next to him. Pulling a piece of cloth from his tunic, he handed it to the man, whispering in his ear, pointing upwards, and slipping him a few gold pieces. "Do this for me, and you'll have a belly full of rum tonight!"He said, the crewman smiling before he disappeared. "Alright, now to wait..."Adam thought, waiting for the Ice Queen to return...
After Ruby had taught Weiss how to upgrade and maintain her ship, she lead her back toward the pier, rambling on about how important a ship was to being a captain. "You have to constantly make sure your ship is up to snuff, as it's like a baby, you have to keep an ever watchful eye on it. Keep your crew happy as well, so they don't mutiny on you. That can be ugly!"Ruby said as they walked through Beacon, before she saw what Adam had done to the heiress's ship. Smiling, she grabbed Weiss's shoulders, and lead her down to where Adam stood. "I saw the amount of cargo that you used to make that cannon upgrade. Not a bad haul today. Keep this up, and Beacon will be the first city where men and women can live as God truly made them, easy and free. And all it takes is a few drops of blood, sweat, ..."she said, before pointing an arm up to the top of the mast, "...and a swatch of cloth!" Looking up, Weiss saw a black cloth with a white skull flying from her mast. She then heard Adam speak. "We fly no colours out here Weiss, but praise the lack of them. So let the Black Flag signal nothing but your allegiance to Man's natural freedoms. This one's yours."he said, raising a hand for Weiss to shake."Fly it proud." Taking his hand, Weiss simply said, "I will."
Back in the present day...
"Yo, Ice Queen! You still there?"Ryan's voice said, snapping Weiss out of her recollections. "Sorry, got lost in thought. What were we talking about?"the girl asked, the whole table around her sniggering at her being caught off guard. "The word is, the Atlesian governor himself is fixing to receive a mass of gold from a nearby fort."Weiss heard Shannon say, as she had lain a map of the seas of Remnant on the table. The fact that it was the Atlesian governor himself, Weiss's interest was peaked. "Governor Ironwood himself? Sounds promising."she stated, causing the gathered pirates to murmur in agreement.
"The fort was built by the Schnee Company, so it can take a fair pounding. But if we manage to breach it, the gold's just sitting there, itching to be took!"Shannon said, which caused Adam to look at Kayleigh, who Weiss had learned was both his first mate and his wife, before nodding. "We need more men to attack that fort. We can't do it with only 8 of us between three ships. We need help."he said, just as the lookout outside yelled, "Ship sighted! It's the Talon!", causing the pirates inside the tavern to freeze, and look at Weiss in fear.
"Adam..."Kayleigh started, before Adam cut her off. "I know, I know! Weiss get that hair up, now!"He roared, Weiss quickly obeying, and putting her hair into a bun. "Alright, now..."Adam said, scanning the tavern, before he quickly reached his arm out and grabbed a tricorne hat off of a crewman that he saw on Ruby's ship. Jamming it on top of Weiss's head, Adam said, "Don't reveal your face until I give the all clear! Understand?", Weiss nodding, before Adam ushered the remaining pirates in the room to the pier. "Weiss, keep your head down! Follow me, but not too close!" With that, Adam led the group down to the pier, as the new arrival docked, and it's crew disembarked. At their head was a man that Weiss swore was an exact duplicate of Adam, only this one appeared to be older, maybe by a few years. As the man stepped up to Beacon's founder, there was a noticeable tension in the air, before the new arrival spoke. "You've gotten fat!"the man said, causing the gathered pirates to gasp, before Adam simply nodded down at the man's own belly, which caused the man to burst out laughing, Adam alongside him, before they embraced each other tightly. "Welcome back, brother! Good to see the seas haven't claimed you yet! But, if I may, you weren't expected back for at least another week. What causes such an early return, Jamie?"Adam said, causing his brother to release him, his face darkening. "There's a weed here at Beacon, and I've come to rip it out!"He said, which causes Weiss to tense up, as she knew what the man was on about.
"What are you talking about, Jamie?"Adam asked, even though he clearly knew what his brother was talking about. Jamie, seeing through his brother's attempt, scoffed. "Don't play stupid with me, Adam! There's a member of the Schnee family here at Beacon! And apparently, she's a part of the Republic! You know what we think about Schnees here, Adam! Let it be known, if I find her, I will have her head! Anyone who stands in my way will share her fate!"Jamie said, before he barged past the crowd that had gathered, before his first mate, a man called Cameron who none of the other pirates liked, walked past Adam, stating, "You know what the Schnees did to your brother in the past. Don't think he's joking now, as he's deadly serious.", before he walked off. Adam scowled, his fists clenching. "Those men are pricks!"he said to himself, before he turned to his fellow captains. Pointing to Weiss, he growled, "You do not go anywhere without another pirate present, understand?", the white haired girl nodding. "And for God's sake, keep that hair hidden!"Adam said, before he motioned for his fellow pirates to disperse. With that, they headed for the tavern, where they saw Jamie and Cameron talking.
Drawing a chair to his brother's table, Adam struck up a conversation with him, whilst his friends went to an empty table. Weiss tried her best to blend in, but she couldn't help but look over at Jamie who locked eyes with her. A smug grin spread on his face, before he pushed his chair back, and strode towards her, a hand going for his sword, but stopping short of drawing it. "Take your hat off, miss. I've not seen you around here, and I'd like to know the face of Beacon's newest member. So I'll ask again. Take it off!"Jamie said, his voice quiet, which Adam knew he wasn't in a good mood. Looking at the members of Team ARKS and RBY, all of which shook their heads, Weiss lifted her hands to the hat she wore, and lifted it, revealing her white hair, causing Jamie and Cameron to immediately draw their swords. "Well, it seems you were bullshitting me, Adam! There is a Schnee here, and now she'll meet her fate!"Jamie shouted, raising his sword, but before he could bring it down, he heard the sound of a pistol being cocked. Turning round, he saw his brother aiming one at him. "Put it down, Jamie."Adam said, before nodding to the rest of his team, who quickly ushered Weiss away, leaving only Adam, Jamie, Cameron and Team RBY in the tavern. "You three, allow me to have a chat with my brother for a moment, will ya?"Adam asked, not even tearing his eyes away from his brother, as Ruby lead her sister and Blake away.
"You wouldn't shoot me, Adam. You don't have the stones to do it. And besides, she's a Schnee! I'm shocked you didn't kill her the day she arrived!"Jamie said, after the girls left. "Aye, I'm protecting a Schnee, because she's joined the Republic! And you know we don't kill other pirates, Jamie! Weiss there has brought more gold in for Beacon in the week she's been here than you bring in in a month! So, sheathe your swords, you two, and I'll lower this!"Adam said, causing Jamie to look at Cameron, who nodded. Sheathing their weapons, Adam spun his pistol into it's holster, before he sat back down. "Now, I know you harbor a grudge against the Schnees for your...injury, Jamie,"Adam said, before he continued. "...But you'll have to learn to put up with Weiss."he said, Jamie and Cameron scoffing at his statement. "Fine, but as soon as you let your guard down around her, she dies! I don't care who sees me do it, for the safety of Beacon..."Jamie said, which caused Adam to cut him off, "I'll decide what's right for the safety of Beacon, Jamie. Don't forget your place.", which shut Jamie up, but not Cameron, who was never known to hold his tongue. "Then perhaps Beacon needs a new leader..."was all he managed to say, before Adam stood up and punched him. "Beacon will only get a new leader when I'm at the bottom of the ocean."Adam said, before he headed towards the tavern door, but he stopped short,and turned to his fellow pirates. "Just remember, if you were anyone else, I would have shot you, Jamie. I gave you a place at Beacon, but I can just as easily take it away."Adam said, before he left the tavern.
As Cameron picked himself up, he spoke to his captain, who he knew shared his thoughts. "He's become weak. Things need to change around here. Your brother he may be, but Beacon needs a leader that will always keep to the laws that are set. Someone like you."Cameron said, causing Jamie to think on his words for a second, before he nodded. "Soon, but first, we deal with Schnee."Jamie said, before he raised his tankard of rum to Cameron who did the same. "To Beacon?"Jamie asked, Cameron smiling before he replied, "To Beacon." With that, they clanged their tankards together, and emptied them in one gulp, then slammed them on the table. "Right, we should go see what our fellow captains are planning. C'mon."Jamie said, rising to his feet, his first mate following him.
After they found Adam and the remaining captains, up at the fort on Beacon's hill, Jamie shot Weiss a glare, but Adam shot him one as well, which made him pull up a chair, and he and Cameron sat on the opposite side of the room. "So, what target are you lot stalking now?"Jamie asked, placing his feet on a table, as well as gaining a glare from every other pirate in the room, except Cameron, before Adam responded with, "If you must know,we are planning to attack a nearby fort and rob the gold Governor Ironwood is expecting to receive from it. Only problem is, we can't launch such an attack with only the eight of us between three ships. We need more men." This caused Jamie to pull his feet off the table, and straightening up on his chair. "Well, it seems you've got the captain for the job!"He said, before he looked to Cameron, who got to his feet himself. Stepping over to the room's map table, Jamie saw the area that Shannon had marked to show how far the fort's mortars could reach. "Alright, I'll gather my crew and meet you there. You taking your ship?"he asked Adam, who nodded. Jamie then turned to Cameron, nodded, then both of them left the room.
After Jamie had left the room, Team RBY looked at Adam, but the dark look on his face told them all that they should shut up and get to work. With that, the three girls left to go get their ship ready to leave. This left Weiss and Team ARKS in the room. Weiss hesitated for a second, before a nagging thought entered her head. "Adam? I couldn't help but notice that you kept talking about more ships than Myrtenaster, Crescent Rose & the Talon. You have your own ship?"she asked, causing the rest of ARKS to look at her angrily, before the man in question smiled. Standing up, he offered a hand to Weiss, which was taken quickly, before he pulled her to her feet. "Come with us."he ordered, before he led his fellow pirates to a hidden cove built into the side of Beacon's cliff. As he lit a torch, before entering, Ryan pulled Weiss to one side and asked her, "Tell me, Weiss. What do you know about the ship called the Shadow?" As he said the name, Weiss gasped. "The Black Ship? I've heard stories. Attacks rarely, but it leaves few survivors. Apparently, the ship has been around for a long time, before pirates were much of a threat, but that's impossible, isn't it?"she asked, Ryan simply indicated to the cave, which Weiss knew she should enter.
After she clambered over many jagged rocks, she found Adam standing next to a large vat filled with some sort of liquid, half of his face covered in darkness, half illuminated by his torch. "Weiss, there's something I've been keeping from you since you joined us here at Beacon, for fear of how you'd react. You know how they call me the most feared pirate in Remnant?" Adam asked, Weiss nodding, while remaining silent. "Well, there's a reason for that, which you're just about to see. But I have to ask: Are you 100% certain you're a defender of Man's freedom?"he asked, which caused Weiss to hesitate, before she nodded. This caused Adam to smile, before he touched the torch to the liquid in the vat. Immediately, the liquid ignited, also lighting a trail of the same liquid that ran up a series of half pipes on the wall, igniting various braziers that were located on the wall around the vast cave. As the last brazier was lit, Weiss saw that in the middle of the cave, was a large frigate, with at least 20 cannons on each side, a black model of a shade, a fabled hooded creature associated with death as the ship's figurehead, and a black flag with an open book with the words "We Know All" below it flying from the mast. But the ship's most striking feature, was the large black sails, that were featuring a large skull on each of them. Just the pure sight of it made Weiss feel weak. Turning to Adam and Team ARKS, she asked them, her voice shaking: "You...You're the...?", before Adam nodded. "Aye, that's what you think it is. Team ARKS are the four captains of the Black Ship, also known as the Shadow."he said, before Weiss collapsed from exhaustion, but Adam and Kayleigh moved to catch her.
"Easy there, Ice Queen."Kayleigh said, before she looked to her husband, who was giving orders to the other two members of ARKS. "Get Weiss to her ship. Then get back here."he said before Ryan and Shannon helped Kayleigh get Weiss to her feet, and then led her out of the cove. "Think she'll be alright?"Kayleigh asked, causing Adam to simply shrug, before they entered the captain's cabin, and opened a cabinet on the wall. After pulling out a black coat and hat, Adam changed into his new outfit. "Right. Let's go get some gold."he said, placing the hat on his head, as the Shadow's crew arrived, Ryan and Shannon at their head. "Alright, men! I want the ship sailing within five minutes!"Adam shouted, causing the crew to scramble. Within the allotted time, Adam's crew had the ship sailing out the cove, and soon enough, the Shadow caught up to the Talon, Crescent Rose, and Myrtenaster.
As Adam pulled up alongside the Crescent Rose, where his fellow pirates were gathered, he shouted over to them. "Ready, you lot?" His fellow pirates cheered in confirmation. "Alright, then! Let's get this show on the road! Full canvas!"He shouted, his fellow captains roaring in anticipation of the upcoming battle. Soon, the 4 ships were in firing distance of the fort. Immediately, Jamie's ship went into battle, and the first volley of cannon fire was ordered...
A/N: And I bet that big reveal you all saw coming! I wouldn't have introduced that concept if it didn't serve a purpose. As for the character of Adam, I'm imagining him as a combination of Benjamin Hornigold and Blackbeard from ACIV:Black Flag, as well as Jack Sparrow from PoTC. Anyways, see you lot next chapter. Madman out.
