A/N: Hello everyone! I just revised these chapters to fix Ororo's language. Thank you allyg1990 for informing me!
Chapter 4: Tortuga
"They've taken her. They've taken Elizabeth!" Will said as he approached the group of soldiers that surrounded Norrington and the governor. Rogue would have been run over if she hadn't side stepped toward Jean with a minor limp. Jean was studying the map laid about on the table when Norrington stiffened slightly.
"Mr. Murtogg, remove this man," Norrington spoke in a monotone and returned to his relaxed position over the map. The soldier stepped over toward Will and went to grab his shoulder. Will shrugged him off and turned his attention back to Norrington.
"We have to hunt them down. We must save her."
"And where do you propose we start? If you have any information concerning my daughter, please share it," the governor stepped forward wearily. The look he gave Will caused him to look down with a hollow feeling.
"That Jack Sparrow. He talked about the Black Pearl," Will's head snapped up with determination.
"Mentioned it, is more what he did," Mullroy asserted. Ororo glanced in his direction.
"Ask him where it is. Make a deal with him. He could lead us to it—" Will was cut off as Norrington slammed his hands down on the desk.
"No! The pirates who invaded this Fort left Sparrow locked in his cell ergo they are not his allies." Norrington became increasingly irritated as time went on. "Governor, we will establish their most likely course?"
"That's not good enough!" Will flung his hatchet and jabbed it into the table. Norrington stopped in the direction toward the governor and strode over the Will. His jaw clenched as he walked around a soldier and wrench Will by the elbow and toward the exit.
"Mr. Turner, you are not a military man, you are not a sailor. You are a blacksmith and this is not the moment for rash actions. Do not make the mistake of thinking you are the only man here who cares for Elizabeth!" Norrington handed the hatchet back and stiffly walked back around the table. Will took a step back and looked down. He headed around the corner and straight into the girls.
"Where are you going?" Kitty asked as she tried to catch up with a fuming Will. She lifted up the hem of her dress and ran to him.
"I'm going to find Jack. No one takes my ideas seriously!" He continued forward without a backward glance.
"Jack's the only one who would know where the ship is headed," Jean said, causing Will to pause. "That ship last night just vanished out of thin air. No ship can move that quickly." Will turned around in front of the dusty prison entrance.
"You saw it leave?"
"Not entirely. There was a lot of mist and an explosion blocked our view," Ororo explained gently.
"I cannot believe I allowed that pirate to get the best of me," Will put his hand through his hair.
"You didn't miss much," Rogue assured. Will led them into the jail and marched down the steps into a musty hall. There were a few cells with heaps of hay lying about.
"Kitty, try not to kill yourself on these stairs," Jean breathed when she reached the bottom step.
"Thanks Red," Kitty grumbled when she was on the verge of twisting her ankle. She griped the rail at the last second before she could take a plunge to the floor. Once Will entered the bottom floor, a clang and a thump resonated through the abandoned area as if someone fell on the ground. The group rounded the corner to find Jack lying on a pile of hay with an innocent look on his face. He was in some weird sprawled out position with most of his body covered in sunlight that seeped through the barred window.
"Don't try to be innocent. I know you attempted to get the lock open with that bone over there," Jean sang with a gleam in her eye. Jack lifted his head off the ground and gave her a look of feigned confusion.
"You, Sparrow!" Will approached Jack, grasping the iron bars.
"So the lovely ladies and the blacksmith have come to this humble abode," Jack dragged on as he lowered his head down onto the hay.
"We need your help," Kitty bluntly stated.
"You are familiar with that ship, the Black Pearl?" Will held on to the iron of the bars.
"I've heard of it."
"That's wonderful," Rogue sarcastically stated as she rolled her eyes.
"Where does it make berth?" Will demanded.
"Where does it make berth? Have you not heard the stories?" Jack lifted his upper body off the ground. "Captain Barbossa and his crew of miscreants sail from the dreaded Isla de Muerta. It's an island that cannot be found except by those who already know where it is."
"What?" Kitty took a step forward with a sense of bewilderment. "How can you find a place that someone else already knows where when they couldn't have found it without already knowing where it is…"
"There she goes on the genius ramble of hers," Jean sighed. "We all know the ship is real. We saw it last night after almost being blown to pieces."
"Why ask me?" He was lazily moving his wrist around while still in the sprawled position.
"Because you're a pirate," Will retorted, unclenching the bars.
"And you want to turn pirate yourself, is that it? To think that you ladies would want to join this great life. How marvelous." He was now leaning on his elbows.
"Of course not!"
"They took Miss Swan." Will cut him off and began pacing around. Dust floated about his heels.
"Oh, so it is that you've found a girl." Jack swung his legs and heaved his body to a sit up position.
"You definitely are in need of one," Ororo interjected.
"Well the position is open," Jack grinned, leaning closer to the bars. Ororo scowled. "I see. Well, if you're intending to brave all, hasten to her rescue and so win fair lady's heart you'll have to do it alone, mate. I see no profit in it for me."
"We could help you out," Jean bargained.
"How's that. The key's run off," Jack picked a piece of hay off his shirt. "If you spring me from this cell I swear on pain of death I shall take you to the Black Pearl and your bonny lass. Do we have an accord?"
"Agreed." Will walked around inspecting the rusting bars. "I helped build these cells. These are half pin-barrel the right leverage and the proper application of strength the door will lift free," He started as he went to grab a bench. He hoisted it up to the bars and pushed it forward.
"Here, Ah'll help yah," Rogue said as she grabbed one end of the bench. The bars were easily yanked off with a clang and thrust aside. Jack sauntered out of the cell and passed Jean, grumbling something under his breath. She looked at him curiously as he stood next to Will with a smirk.
"What's your problem?" Rogue growled. Jack did not reply and instead whipped around toward the stairs. His dreadlocks knocked Rogue in the forehead and she had to pause a few seconds before she could inflict any serious damage on him. Kitty started to laugh and abruptly stopped once she was shot with a death glare.
"What's your name?" Jack asked.
"Will Turner." Will eyed him strangely.
"That will be short for William, I imagine. Good, strong name. No doubt, named for your father, eh?" Jack said.
"Yes." Will answered. The moment was cut off by a large clang as the bars fell to the ground, extremely close to Ororo's foot. She jumped back in surprise and almost landed on Will.
"Hurry up. The soldiers outside could have heard that," Jean warned as she glanced around.
"Not without my effects," Jack grinned as he grabbed his compass and scabbard. He sprinted in front of the group to lead them out of the prison and down to the shore. Their heels dug into the sand as they ran under a stone bridge. Small pools of water splashed around their feet.
"Ah mah dress!" Rogue lifted the hem of the garb which now was soaked and darkened.
"Don't worry, that's the least of your troubles," Jean cautioned just as Jack skidded to a halt at the edge of the stone wall. She mentally told her that she read his mind. I don't want to ruin his moment. Let him explain it.
Fine.
"What do you mean?" Ororo questioned. Kitty ran a little too quickly and almost knocked Jean into Jack.
"We're going to steal the ship. That ship?" Will pointed toward the large vessel that had the name Dauntless.
"Commandeer. We're going to commandeer that ship. Nautical term," Jack corrected. "Ororo over here already had the…pleasure of coming with me." He hooked his arm around her shoulders with a large grin.
"Just splendid," she gritted through a false smile.
"One question about your business, boy, or there's no use going. This girl, how far are you willing to go to save her?" Jack questioned as he swayed a little.
"I'd die for her."
"Oh good. No worries, then," Jack peered around the corner and came back in when three soldiers darted across. "How 'bout you?"
"We're just here for the ride," Rogue answered. Jack looked taken aback until she gave a large sigh. "We want to get Elizabeth back just as much yah do!"
"On we go then!"
"What's the plan Jack?" Kitty asked. He shifted his gaze toward a line of rowboats that were lying on their tops.
"I cannot believe we are actually following this idea," Ororo groaned. They found themselves under one of the rowboats and shuffling toward the water. The boat was only a foot above the ground and all that was seen was their feet. They plunged into the water in their crouched positions.
"This is a little farfetched just to get on a boat," Kitty said as they slowly walked against the water. The boat left their heads dry with an air bubble as they held it above them.
"I'm surprised at how we are even doing this," Jean stated. "Is there even enough air?"
"This is either madness or brilliance," Will sighed.
"It's remarkable how often those two traits coincide," Jack quipped. They continued forward and heard a crunch. Jean sensed Will's surprise. He stopped for a second as he kicked his leg. He then continued forward with a hopeless expression.
"Did you just step in something?" Jean asked.
"Yes," Will grumbled. He dragged along a wooden crate that his foot broken through. Jack abruptly stopped causing everyone to crash into each other.
"Destination I presume." Jack swam up first, followed by Will, and then the girls. They surfaced and looked up at the large ship. Jack grabbed onto a ledge and heaved himself up. He swung his left hand up and grabbed onto the first balcony. Jean rolled her eyes.
"Here we go then." Ororo grabbed onto a ledge and heaved herself up. She almost slipped off when she reached for the second balcony.
"This is insane!" Kitty exclaimed as she wrung out her hair on the balcony. She and Rogue were the last to come up on the deck. "Let's not use our powers and make it harder. I think we should do it blindfolded while we're at it!"
"Shhhh!" Rogue growled. "There are soldiers on this ship!" Rogue gasped as they fell over the railing and onto the deck. She scrambled around and stood up with the help of Jean. "Jack!" He was already heading down the steps with Will behind him.
"Everyone stay calm! We are taking over the ship!" Jack announced as he swayed in place. Will ran up behind him and drew his sword.
"Aye! Avast!" Will stood there looking very serious. Jack looked back at him with a blank face and Will lifted his eyebrows.
"That was convincing," Ororo whistled from behind as she tried to walk in the wet dress. The soldiers laughed at the pirate and blacksmith.
"This ship cannot be crewed by two men. You'll never make it out of the bay," Gillete sneered. Jack pulled out a pistol and aimed it at the soldier's nose.
"Son, I'm Captain Jack Sparrow. Savvy?" Jack said with a smirk.
"Did you force these ladies on board with you!"
"Here we go again," Jean rolled her eyes. After a mere few minutes, Jack was able to get the soldiers to abandon ship and sail toward port in a small rowboat. "That was unexpected."
"How did that happen…?" Rogue muttered.
Kitty ran over to Jack while he was showing Will something. "Norrington is going to come on board!"
"That's the plan," Jack smiled.
"Here they come!" Will pointed toward the Interceptor as it turned toward their ship. The ship quickly veered toward the Dauntless and anchored itself in place. From the sides, ropes were being thrown and attached to railings. Soldiers swung aboard from different ends of the boat.
"Search every cabin, every hold, down to the bilges," Norrington ordered.
"Are you sure about this?" Jean whispered as they ran to the railing by the Interceptor.
"Of course!" Jack held onto the rope and grabbed the nearest person next to him.
"Jack!" Ororo was swung across the two boats and landed on the deck with Jack. "I swear!"
"Ms. Pryde?" Will held out his arm.
"Why thank you." Kitty grabbed onto him and they went across.
"Oh Marie!" Jean said in a forced manly voice. She made a large heroic gesture and held out her arm. Rogue's eyes widened.
"I don't know what to say to that," Rogue commented. They both swung across and ran toward the other four.
"Cut the ropes." Jack took out his sword and began to slice any means of connection between the two vessels.
"Sailors, back to the Interceptor! Now!" Norrington ran over and sneered as he saw the group beginning to sail away.
"Quickly men!" One soldier yelled. Another soldier clad in a blue uniform tried to swing to the interceptor. He missed it by a couple of feet and flipped into the water.
"Well that, like, has to hurt," Kitty flinched.
"Thank you, Commodore, for getting us ready to make way. We'd have had a hard time of it by ourselves." Jack held onto the wheel as he swung his hat around.
"Watch where you swing that!" Jean yelped as she ducked from the swing. They heard yelling and shouts from the commodore and crew. Jean contorted her face into one of confusion as the soldier's ship did not set sail toward the Interceptor. The soldiers instead ran to the edges of the boat and pulled out their rifles.
In the front of their ship, they heard the soldiers who abandoned the ship earlier. "Jump!" The boat was crushed under the ship as the group swam away.
"They're going to shoot at us!" Rogue ducked for cover. The soldiers opened fire on the ship. Some of the bullets made it onto the deck while others missed it entirely. Jean caused most to deflect back.
"That's got to be the best pirate I've ever seen!" One of the soldiers yelled.
As they made their way out into sea, the girls went below deck.
"Jean, do you have any idea what is going on?" Ororo asked as she sat in one of the wooden chairs near the desk.
"I tried to pick up any thoughts from Elizabeth, but I found a lot of static. Something's blocking it," Jean sighed. Kitty stepped around the corner and almost tripped over her own feet.
"What! I, like, haven't got my sea legs," Kitty piped as she grabbed onto the shelf as the boat lurched.
"Yah haven't even had land legs," Rogue grumbled.
"Quiet for a second," Jean held up her hand. They all listened as a conversation became less muffled.
"When I was a lad living in England, my mother raised me by herself. After she died, I came out here, looking for my father," Will started.
"Is that so?" Jack's voice sounded through the door.
"My father, Will Turner. At the jail, it was only after you learned my name that you agreed to help. Since that's what I wanted, I didn't press the matter. I'm not a simpleton, Jack. You knew my father."
"I knew 'im. Probably one the few who knew him as William Turner. Everyone else just called him Bootstrap or Bootstrap Bill."
"Bootstrap?"
"Good man. Good pirate. I swear you look just like him."
"It's not true. He was a merchant sailor. A good, respectable man who obeyed the law."
"He was a bloody pirate, a scallywag."
"My father was not a pirate." They heard a sword being unsheathed.
"Put it away, son. It's not worth you getting beat again."
"You didn't beat me. You ignored the rules of engagement. In a fair fight, I'd killed you."
"Then that's not much incentive for me to fight fair, then, is it?" The girls jumped from a large smashing noise and a grunt. "Now, as long as you're just hanging there, pay attention. The only rules that really matter are these; what a man can do and what a man can't do. For instance, you can accept that your father was a pirate and a good man or you can't. But pirate is in your blood, boy, so you'll have to square with that someday. Now, me, for example, I can let you drown but I can't bring this ship into Tortuga all by me onesy, savvy? So?" Jack drawled.
"What was that?" Kitty questioned.
"Time to intervene," Jean said as she ran to open the door. She flung the door open and ran into the blazing sunlight, causing her to squint. "Jack! What are you doing?"
"I'm making a point here," Jack quickly inserted. They came out of the ship's hold to find Jack leaning over the railing and Will hanging onto the sail over the ocean. Jack swung him back onboard. "Can you sail under the command of a pirate? Or can you not?" He held out a sword and put the blade toward Will's neck, who was in a heap on the deck. He then flipped it so that the handle of the weapon was next to him.
"Tortuga?" Will stood up after he grasped the sword.
"What's Tortuga?" Rogue asked.
By dusk, Jack was able to steer them toward a cove where the town was. Waves crashed about the rocks and lights were faintly seen from the waters. The ship entered the cove and the town was on the side of one of the many rocky hills. Dark masses stretched around the town, enclosing it in a ring of protection. As they exited the ship and went onto the port, the air became full of shouts and crashes. The town was in utter chaos. People were shooting pistols at random and were running around the streets. Many were in a brawl while some sat around drinking from kegs on the dirt.
"Tortuga. More importantly, it is indeed a sad life that has never breathed deep this sweet, proliferous bouquet that is Tortuga, savvy? What do you think?" Jack led the group through a small ally way and into the chaos.
"It'll linger," Will breathed.
"Lovely," Ororo muttered.
"This is only the port," Jack sang as he put his arm around Ororo's shoulders. She was just about ready to flip him when a fiery red head strode over.
"Looks like Jeanie has some competition," Rogue whispered to Kitty. She snickered and turned serious before the girl came over fuming.
"I'll tell you mates, if every town in the world were like this one, no man would ever feel unwanted," Jack continued on. "Scarlet!" The red head came up to him and slapped across the face. Jack had a confused look on his face as she strode away. "Not sure I deserved that. Giselle!" Another girl, who had makeup piled on her face and blonde hair, marched up to the Jack.
"Who's she?" The girl asked.
"What?—" Jack didn't finish before she slapped him across the face. His head snapped backward to the group who rolled their eyes. "I may have deserved that."
"Who would've thought," Jean told Will who started grumbling something about pirates. Jack led them through the masses and toward a stable. Jean held onto a wooden beam that was very brittle and rough.
"Why are we here?" Kitty questioned as her heel became stuck in a mound of mud. She lifted her dress and squirmed to get her foot out. Jack gave another trademark grin as he reached for a bucket of water. He unceremoniously threw it at the occupant of the dirt-floored shack. The man was previously sleeping with his head resting on a hog. Once the cool water hit his mud covered face, he shot up and fiercely wiped his face.
"Curse you for breathing, you slack-jawed idiot!" Once the man saw he was talking to, his eyes widened. "Mother's love! Jack! You should know better than to wake a man when he's sleeping. 's bad luck," The man propped himself up on his right elbow.
"Ah, fortunately I know how to counter it. The man who did the waking buys, the man who was sleeping, a drink. The man who was sleeping drinks it while listening to a proposition from the man who did the waking," Jack ranted on.
"He always tries to talk his way out of things doesn't he," Rogue huffed. Jack walked into the stable and reached his hand out to help the man up.
"Aye, that'll about do it," the man smiled.
"Ladies and….gentleman…this is Gibbs," Jack announced. He swayed in place and almost fell over a mound of hay. Rogue had to side step out of the way before any collision could occur.
"Pleasure," Rogue grumbled. Kitty elbowed her in the side.
"Like, I'm Kitty, she is Marie," Kitty gestured toward the girl and to the other two, "Ororo, and Jean." As Gibbs stood up, he looked at Rogue and Ororo' hair with surprise. Will threw a bucket of water at him.
"Blast! I'm already awake!" Gibbs shouted as he stumbled from the cold shock.
"That was for the smell," Will retorted. Gibbs glared for a minute and then nodded in agreement. Jack continued onward through the streets of Tortuga and straight for his own idea of calmness.
"Wonderful….a bar," Jean muttered as Jack stepped through the threshold.
"Keep a sharp eye," Jack warned. Will just rolled his eyes as he stood the farthest away from the center of the room. He leaned against a beam with his arms crossed.
"Ah'm not stayin' in here," Rogue growled as some of the occupants gawked at her and Ororo's hair.
"Why not? Don't you want to get in on all the action?" Ororo joked.
"That's what we all need," Jean groaned as she moved slightly toward the center of the room to find Jack. He was sitting down with Gibbs and both had two mugs.
"Jack, we'll be outside if you need us," Kitty said once she reached the table.
"Aye! So you want to see more of this wonderful place!" Jack replied.
"Something like that…" Ororo sighed.
"Have fun Will," Rogue sighed as she passed him.
"I will try," Will grumbled from his position leaning on a pillar.
"Okay so," Jean began as the four managed to get out of the fray of drunks and fights. "What do we have so far?"
"Well, a dark ship, creepy crew, and random fog that seems to come around a lot on clear nights," Kitty answered. They strolled onto the pier and sat on the many wooden posts that held the wooden planks.
"You mean undead crew. One of the pirates did not even have a mark from the bolt of lightning I gave him," Ororo surmised.
"Yeah. Ah didn't even get a thought or memory from the guy I held onto. He was a skeleton or something," Rogue cringed.
"Why would an undead crew want a governor's daughter? They could do anything without having to worry of getting killed. It's not like they're getting treasures for the ransom. They could probably get it themselves if they really wanted to." Jean was pacing. "I still can't reach her. There's so much static."
"They are going to get, like, a fully loaded navy coming after them," Kitty quipped after she yanked off her heeled shoes. She had a sigh of relief once she was able to move her toes.
"Wait a minute, it has to be something about that gold necklace," Jean remarked. She stopped pacing and sat on one of the posts.
"What necklace?" Ororo asked.
"We were talking with her the night before the attack and she had a chain with a gold piece. It was some sort of skull in a circular pattern," Rogue informed.
"That could have been the cause of that weird pulse in the water," Jean realized. "I haven't sensed any power signature in Elizabeth."
"Why would they want that necklace though?" Kitty wondered.
"Ah have no clue." Rogue shifted from her spot.
"We should get back before something happens and Jack puts Will in the middle of it." Jean stood up and beckoned for the others to follow. She felt a wave of fatigue wash over her as she moved down the ramp.
"I was hoping we could just stay on the ship," Ororo groaned.
"Oh we know you want to get back to Jack," Kitty teased.
"Like my life depended on it," Ororo deadpanned which aroused a snicker from the group. As they made their way down the port, they heard creaks from behind them.
"There's someone behind us!" Kitty whispered, not making a move of alarm.
"More like three," Jean informed. She kept walking forward and tensed up when she felt their presence closer. She whirled around and saw the tall figure extremely close. She thrust out a hand and was about to throw the person backwards.
"Hey! Hold on Jean!" The figure took a step forward into a streak of lamplight. He gave a nervous grin.
"Scott?" Jean was completely shocked and somewhat relieved.
"Wait! Chere—Arghh!" Rogue dove down and swung a foot out to knock the figure down. The figure jumped up before she did any damage. She came up and went to swing at him.
"Rogue stop. It's Remy!" Ororo yelled before the girl could deck him in the face.
"Mon chere!" Remy walked into the light to reveal himself. "You tryin' to kill Remy!" He stood there in a colonial type outfit and had a sword in a sheath that dangled from his side.
"Swamp Rat! Yah could've said something. Yah deserve to get hit for creepin' around like that!" Rogue fumed and gave him a swat across the top of his head.
"Oi! We were tryin to get to you femmes without causin' a scene," Remy said.
"To late for that," Kitty coughed. "Piotr, how did you guys, like, get here?" Piotr came forward and towered over her.
"On someone's ship. They somehow knew how to get here without any map or compass," Colossus spoke in a thick Russian accent.
"We have to find a way back and fast," Scott told them. "Any idea on our whereabouts?"
"It's only been a few moments and he's already in 'fearless leader' mode," Kitty grumbled.
"Scott, we know pretty much the same as you. I'll key you guys in on some strange things," Jean notified. She made a mental link and explained everything about what had happened from Ororo's little encounter to the attack. Scott's expression turned from slight confusion to grim.
"We were there too!" Scott exclaimed. "For some reason, the navy thought I was recruiting and I had to follow some guy, Norrington or something."
"So that is why you are wearing that strange outfit," Ororo realized. Scott crossed his arms from the concealed laughs. His mouth contorted into a frown.
"It's not that bad. The outfit suits you," Kitty tried to keep a straight face. Scott was clad in a red-coated uniform, wig and all. He also had on an outlandish pair of colonial looking glasses with a white scarf wrapped around his head, concealing his eyes. He quickly whipped his arm out and yanked the white powdered nuisance off his head, revealing tousled brown hair.
"I almost took out an entire wall when we woke up here. My glasses were gone," Scott explained.
"You should find another outfit before going in this place. Can you even see?" Rogue warned with a grin.
"I have to squint to be able to look around. It's a little hazy." Kitty and Ororo started to laugh when the wig let out a puff of powder that caused Scott to cough. "You try walking around in this blazing heat in this. It's not my fault I looked regal and official!"
"No you be de one lookin' like a stiff," Remy quipped. He received a jab in the side by Rogue.
Thankyou everyone for reading. Sorry for the long wait. Please Review! ^-^