Richard sat in his cabin at a desk covered in maps, his head in his hands. There was a knock on the door and Victor entered. "I've brought your dinner, Cap'n," he said grimly.

"Just put it on the table Vic," he ordered. Victor did as he was told. "Thanks."

"Lately, you aren't getting much sleep have you?" Richard looked at him sharply.

"No. Is it really that obvious?" Victor nodded. "I just can't sleep. I don't know why, but it's going to drive me insane."

Victor thought for a moment. "You like the new crew member don't you?" He saw Richard stiffen. "Ha! I knew it! Oh, this is great! Wait until Garret hears this."

"I don't suppose I can talk you out of it?"

"Nope. My mind's set. I might even have a little chat with Raven about this."

Richard's head snapped up. "You do that and I'll have you keelhauled." The first mate laughed. "I'm serious."

"Well, she's in the galley, now if you want to talk to her. She's more strict than you are with the top boys."

"I'll be dining with te crew tonight," Richard informed Vic.

"Aye, Cap'n." He turned to leave. "Oh, and if I were you, I'd consider casual dress tonight." He closed the door before Richard's boot hit him in The head.

Raven sat down on the bench next to Garret for dinner that night. The rest of the crew talked and laughed loudly. She heard them tell about ships that they'd overtaken and the spoils they'd literally buried on an island. They're pirates! she though. I'm on a pirate ship! She sat there and listened until Garret prodded her.

"Got any good storied?" he asked. "We love new ones. After a while, these ones get old."

She grinned. "Are you sure?" The crew chorused agreement. "Alright. I'll tell you a tale of my life." They groaned sarcastically, but listened anyway. "From the time I could walk, I've been on a ship. My mother died when I was two and my father was killed when I was seven. My brother ran off to fight for the Royal Navy and never cam home. The lady who owned the tavern I recently worked for hired me on and asked no questions about my past. That is where she went wrong.

"After my brother left, I walked down to the docks and sat on the edge of them to watch the ships come in." The men leaned forward. Nobody noticed when Richard came down the stairs. "The year I turned fourteen, I met a man in the city. He was scary looking and picking on a bunch of little kids as he was drunk. I went over and shoved him away. He kind of glared at me. That was when I realized I'd come face to face with the world's most notorious pirate. He had thick black hair and a black beard. On the right side of his face, a scar ran all that way down to his jaw."

"Black Beard!" gasped the crew in unison. Alexander stood. "This is a load of bull. Black Beard would have killed you the moment you interfered with him."

Raven stood abruptly and lifted the hem of her shirt, revealing a scar about six inches long on her left side. "He tried," she snarled. "He stabbed me and left me for dead. Some of the kids went and got their father who carried me back to their house and nursed me back to health." Alexander sat down as she tucked her shirt back in. "When I went down to the dock next time, his ship was there. He recognized me and laughed 'till he cried. He welcomed me on board and that's when it all started."

"Wait a sec." Everyone turned to look at a scrawny old man. "I was a few years younger when all this happened. Rumors spread that a girl had stood up to Black Beard for a few kids. Her name was Rachel Roth." He pulled a faded old wanted poster from his pocket and opened it up. "HA!" he shouted slapping it down. "I knew it!"

The crew gathered around the poster and stared at it wide-eyed. "She's the one," Garret whispered. "She was the only girl to ever sail with Black Beard." On the poster it said;

Wanted:

Reward for one Raven Roth

Sailed with Black Beard for many months. May have changed her appearance.

Reward: $1000.00

Under the writing was a picture of the lilac haired teen holding a pair of cutlasses across her chest, an evil grin on her face. Raven stood to leave and ran into Richard blocking the stairs up. "Captain?" she questioned with a raised eyebrow.

"What was that?" he asked calmly.

"That was a shortened story of my life," she replied blankly. "Weren't you listening?" The crew behind her gasped. Nobody spoke to Captain Richard Grayson that way and went unpunished.

"And she yells at me for calling him Dickie," she heard Alex mutter.

"Yes," he answered. "And I found it highly entertaining. Why didn't you tell anyone that you were part of the Brotherhood?"

"That was supposed to be my little secret, but then I found out that you and you crew are pirates." He raised his eyebrows in a silent question. "Several things gave you away. First, there's the fact that all of them talk like a bunch of bloodthirsty pirates. Second, there's a Union Jack flying on your masts. Only pirates are crazy enough to fly a Union Jack in the middle of rebel territory. Third, your collection of flags in the cargo bay. Not smart to leave the Jolly Roger up on the top."

"How did you know there's a Union Jack on the mast and a Jolly Roger in the cargo bay?" he interrupted.

She raised a hand and silenced him. "Fourth, your ship isn't an SS or a HMS or a USS something-or-other. It's just The Rogue." The entire crew stared at her in amazement as she shoved past the captain.

He followed her up on deck and grabbed her arm. She whirled around and almost punched him in the face. He grabbed her fist and put it to her side. "What was that for?" he snapped.

"Reflexes," she said, tugging herself from his grasp. She didn't like the way her organs rearranged themselves when he touched her. "I've got to go find a hammock," Raven muttered as she walked down the steps to the crew quarters. Richard stared after her, amazed at the disrespect she gave him, but still amazed with her all the same.