Author's note: It has been quite some time since the last update for which I apologise! I had a bit of writer's block and struggled with this chapter much more than I expected. I tried a few different things to fit Mary into the Singapore sequence of AWE, had to figure out how much Hector PoV should be included and had to fill a few holes the movie left. By the time the chapter started to work for me, December had rolled around. Again, sorry for the wait! And to make the next wait (hopefully a shorter one) easier: I do not abandon my works. I will complete this story. I have so much more planned for it (another 22 chapters currently). So please bear with me! I'm grateful for everyone who is reading, liking and commenting! Happy holidays!

"You call that a boat?", Mary said with raised eyebrows, eyeing the vessel in disgust. The wood seemed rotten, the sails had holes in them and it was small, offering hardly enough room for the ten of them or rather twelve, if one counted the monkey and the parrot. "Even if the ship could carry us, make it to Singapore, how are we supposed to get enough water and food rations on board? And what about bad weather? One storm and we're done for."

"Aye", Hector agreed.

"I'd say we have to steal a ship", Will suggested. "Shouldn't be too hard for a bunch of pirates."

"We have no crew to man a bigger ship", Gibbs said, scratching his whiskers in frustration.

"Didn't Will and Jack sail the Interceptor to Tortuga on their own?", Elizabeth offered.

"We need a better ship, not necessarily a much bigger one", Will pointed out.

"May I remind you that we would need a functional ship to steal another ship", Mary said.

"This is gettin' us nowhere", Hector grumbled.

"Neither will that boat", Mary countered, earning an annoyed glare from Hector.

"It will get us to Havanna", Tia Dalma said. "And there we will find a ship."

Everyone eyed the woman skeptically. "I keep forgetting that she has some kind of powers", Mary mumbled.

"How could you forget? You got your reminder standing right there!", Will told her, pointing at Hector. "Or failed your good captain to leave an impression?"

Elizabeth bit her bottom lip to stop herself from laughing while Hector was practically murdering Will with his eyes. Mary didn't even blink and replied calmly: "My good captain is a very capable sailor."

"Well, since that is settled now, how about we try to prepare the boat?", Gibbs suggested.

"Aye", Pintel and Ragetti shouted, glad to escape the discussion. Mary eyed the boat closely as the men stepped on board. After a few moments, she dared to follow. "It seems to float", she said. "To Havanna then!"

…

They arrived by nightfall which proofed useful for their mission. The crews were scattered all over the taverns, their ships abandoned except for a few grumpy guards. They came ashore near the docks, leaving the boat behind. Hector used his spyglass to scout the docks nearest to them. "Schooner, fine condition", he said after a while.

"Guards?", Mary asked.

Hector took a moment. "I can see four."

"Shouldn't be too hard", Will commented.

"Bloody hell", Hector grumbled.

"What now, captain?", Will asked annoyed.

"Company soldiers patrolling the docks", he explained. "In pairs, seems like they always stay within earshot of their comrades."

"We can board the ship unseen if we swim", Elizabeth suggested.

"Aye", Mary agreed.

"The soldiers are too close. They will hear us, no matter how quietly we dispose of the guards on board", Hector said.

"Since when are you afraid of a fight?", Will wondered.

Hector gave him a dangerous glare. "Since I happen to be mortal again, boy."

Mary stepped in, before the two men were at each other's throats. "Hector and I can take care of the guards on board if the rest of you secures the docks on this side", she said. "And should you come across an alarm bell, disable it."

"That might work, but what about yer leg?", Hector asked.

"My leg is fine", Mary assured him. "Give us a signal when you are in position", she ordered the crew.

Hector waited until they were alone before he spoke again. "Are ye sure yer all right?"

"Aye, whatever herbs Tia Dalma used, they work wonders", she told him.

He nodded, satisfied with her reply. A few minutes later Cotton's parrot flew across the harbour. "I believe that is the signal", Mary said. They slowly waded into the water. Hector took off his hat and held it in one hand as they swam quietly towards the targeted vessel. They reached the rear and climbed up. The noise from the harbour and the sea covered them along with the darkness. No one was on the quarter deck and they sneaked past the helm onto the lower deck. Two guards were standing at the mast, their backs turned to the pirates. They were playing cards, using a barrel as a table. Mary and Hector grabbed one each and killed them quickly and quietly. "Where are the other two?", Mary whispered. Hector put one finger on his lips to signal her to be quiet. Then he pointed towards the schooner's front and up into the rigging. Mary spotted the guard on deck first, but had to search a while until her gaze fell upon the one above them. He was sitting in the small crow's nest, legs dangling in the air. Mary gestured for Hector to take care of the guard on deck while she tiptoed to the rigging. The rope was rough in her hands as she climbed up, careful not to make a sound. When she reached the top, she turned to see if Hector had succeeded and indeed he had. The dead body lay in the shadows where nothing, but the edge of the captain's hat was in plain view. Mary drew a knife which she could easily hold while still using the hand to support her climb. She was balancing towards the last guard who was quietly humming to himself. Making sure she had a safe standing, she thrust the knife into his neck. He twitched and gurgled blood, before his body slumped down. Mary was unable to prevent him from tipping over and off the wood down onto deck, where he landed with a loud thud. She froze, staring towards the docks, expecting to hear the alarm ring any moment, but all remained quiet. Letting out a breath, she hadn't realised she had been holding, she made her way back down on deck. Hector seemed displeased about the noise she had made, but he didn't say anything. A few moments later, the crew climbed on board.

"We disposed of three soldiers and enabled the nearest alarm bell", Will informed them.

Hector nodded. "Good. Prepare to clear port."

"Make ready the sails", Gibbs ordered quietly and the men disposed.

"I'll see what they have on board", Mary said and climbed underneath deck. The schooner had only recently refilled their provisions. Luck was on their side. She went back up to report her discovery. They were slowly moving away from the docks, yet undetected. But then all hell broke lose in the harbour.

"Seems like they found the bodies", Will said.

"Couldn't you have hidden them better?", Mary complained.

"There was no time", Will replied.

Mary sighed and grabbed her spyglass. The soldiers had spotted them, gesturing wildly towards the schooner. One was trying to ring the alarm bell, but no sound echoed from it. Mary watched as they argued and then ran to get reinforcements.

"We should get some distance between us and Havanna quickly", Mary warned.

"Aye, time to gain speed", Hector said. That was easier said than done as the wind blew only half-heartedly. Mary could still make out the island in the distance with ease when she spotted white sails. The night was clear so that she could easily see the war ship that was leaving port to pursue them. By the size of it, the ship could have been a man-o-war. "They are coming", she warned Hector who was at the helm.

"No worries, they won't catch up", he assured her.

"I'm not so sure about that", she admitted.

"We're faster", he told her.

"They don't need to get very close to get their canons in range", she pointed out.

"Aye, but they can't shoot what they can't see."

Mary frowned. "What do you mean?"

"We'll disappear into the night", he said with a grin. Mary wasn't quite sure how, but Hector did indeed manage to use the dark to get rid of their pursuers. Once they were on the open ocean and quite the distance away from Havanna, the crew disposed of the bodies by throwing them overboard. Mary lay awake for some time after that and eventually gave up. She joined Hector on deck who had taken the first night watch. She could tell that he was enjoying the cold breeze and the peaceful night. He smiled when he saw her, inviting her to stand close to him. "Can't sleep?", he asked.

"Not really", Mary answered, leaning against him. "I wanted to talk to you."

"What about?", he said, looking at her expectantly.

"I should have talked to you about this back at Tia Dalma's hut, but I was…"

"Ye were quite shaken."

"Aye, and it made me forget asking you how you could be there." She looked up at him, watching how he raised a brow quizzically.

"What do ye mean?"

"How can you be alive?", Mary asked. "I watched you die. You took a bullet to the heart."

"Ye of all people should know that not everything that seems impossible is impossible."

"Aye, but I still don't understand."

"Does it matter?", Hector wondered. "Aren't ye glad to have me back, no matter how that came to be?"

"You know how glad I am to have you back", she said. "But I'd still like to understand."

He furrowed his brow. "I am a pirate lord. I failed to pass on my title before I died so I had to be brought back." He could see that this answer did not satisfy Mary. "All nine pirate lords are needed to fight this war."

Mary shook her head. "You are not telling me something, Hector. We are on our way to save Jack from the land of the dead for a reason. And that reason is not loyalty or guilt as the others might believe. It's the same reason why that woman brought you back. What is it that only all nine pirate lords can do?"

Hector grabbed the helm tightly. "Only all of us can free Calypso", he replied reluctantly.

"Calypso? The goddess?", Mary asked and received a nod from Hector.

"Do ye understand now?"

Mary shook her head. "No, I'm just more confused. Why would anyone want to free a goddess? And why would Tia Dalma deem it so important that she resurrected you? What does she gain in this?"

"Yer asking too much", he grumbled.

"I wouldn't have to ask so much if you would just be honest with me!"

"Ha!", Hector exclaimed. "I'm a pirate, missy. And we are a dishonest bunch."

Mary clenched her teeth angrily, but decided to not speak her mind that was raging at Hector's distrust. "I'll get some sleep."

…

The journey to Singapore was quite dull. Hector knew how to stay away from the navy. They only had to face one small storm. The crew spent the days playing cards, arguing over nonsense and emptying the wine stocks. Mary and Elizabeth trained together, dueling on deck for at least an hour a day. Tia Dalma was unusually quiet, observing from the shadows. She made Mary uncomfortable, but she learned to ignore the woman's watchful eyes. Hector remained mostly at the helm, spending his time in his monkey's company. Mary avoided him for weeks. It seemed silly to her at times that she had gotten him back only to keep her distance. But it made her so frustratingly angry that Hector would not be honest with her, after all they had been through. To her surprise he came to her when they were nearing their destination. She was lying in her hammock in a small room underneath deck that she shared with Elizabeth, away from the men. Mary was dozing when he walked in quietly. She knew his steps and didn't bother to open her eyes. He managed to climb in behind her without causing the hammock to sway too wildly. His warmth wrapped around her when he hugged her to him and snuck one arm around her middle. She took his hand in hers. "I'll tell ye all when we got Jack back", he promised and dropped a kiss to her temple.

"All right", she whispered, smiling at that small triumph before falling asleep.

They were woken by Elizabeth. "We've reached Singapore", she let them know and left. Hector rubbed the sleep from his eyes which was something Mary had never before seen him do. She thought it was quite adorable. "Good morning", she greeted him with a grin.

"Am I forgiven?", he replied with a smirk.

"You know you are", Mary said. "But don't you dare break your word!", she warned him.

"Understood", he replied and leaned in for a kiss. The moment she responded, he deepened the kiss, making sure to leave her breathless. "All hands on deck", he breathed into her ear. Mary watched as he got up and elegantly put his hat on. She shook her head at him and followed him on deck. The crew gathered around a barrel where Gibbs had put a map of Singapore and the surrounding sea and islands. "The map we need is locked away in a well-guarded temple here", Hector began, pointing to a specific spot north of the town itself. "Turner, ye will infiltrate the temple on yer own. It's yer best chance to remain undetected and succeed. Ye will have two days to scout the area. Get the map on the third day and meet us in the harbour later that same day. We should have a ship and crew by then."

Will crossed his arms in front of his chest. "And what makes you so sure that I will succeed?"

"I trust yer skills", Hector told him. "As ye will trust mine in securing a crew and ship for our endeavour."

Will nodded. "And what is your plan?"

"I suspect that the company will be patrolling all over town", he said.

"Aye, they are capturing and hanging pirates in the hundreds", Gibbs said. "The song has been sung."

"What song?", Will wondered.

"The song that summons the Brethren Court", Gibbs said and seemed to shudder at the thought. "Things are much worse now."

"How do you kno…?", Mary began and then sighed. "Forget I asked", she finished, eyeing Tia Dalma.

"Sao Feng is hiding in Singapore. I will arrange a meetin'", Hector said. "We won't all be goin'. Should things go badly, we will need to fight our way out. That means I and whoever will go with me will rely on the rest of ye to save us if necessary."

"Surely Mary should go with you", Elizabeth said.

"I think Gibbs should go. I don't think Sao Feng will be much impressed by a woman", Will disagreed.

"Mary is younger than me and the better fighter", Gibbs pointed out.

"Aye", Hector agreed.

"Elizabeth should go", Mary said, silencing everyone.

"What?", they asked simultaneously.

"I won't let her go! It's too dangerous!", Will protested.

"Shut it!", Elizabeth said. "Why do you think I should go?", she asked Mary, knowing that she wouldn't have suggested it without good reason.

"The whole mission… It comes down to the two of us", Mary said, pointing at Elizabeth and herself.

"And why is that?", Hector inquired with raised eyebrows.

"I thought that was obvious", Mary replied and then sighed, realising that an explanation was needed. "Out of all of us who trusts whom the most?", she asked. "Elizabeth trusts Will the most, but as he is out of the game I take that place. I also happen to be the one you trust the most", she pointed out, addressing Hector. "Now should the worst happen the two of you would want the one person you trust the most to have your back - me. So I will provide the escape route while Elizabeth accompanies you. And you will both accept this cause the second most you trust each other. Besides, I'm too much of a pirate. Elizabeth on the other hand is still somewhat a proper lady which might soften Sao Feng a little. Not to mention that she and I are equally good fighters."

Elizabeth nodded in agreement, looking at Hector who was clenching his teeth, having a hard time to admit that Mary was right. "Fine then", he growled, hoping Elizabeth would let the topic of trust fall.

"I take that as a compliment", she told him with a smug grin.

Hector rolled his eyes.

"There, there, Captain", Mary mocked him. "We all know you respect her."

"And how would we ensure your escape should something go wrong?", Gibbs inquired.

"That will proof somewhat of a challenge", Hector admitted.

"We expected no less", Mary assured him.

…

Mary blinked the water out of her eyes as she grabbed the wall in front of her for support. The men appeared out of the water behind her and positioned themselves around the bars blocking the canal that would lead them underneath the bathhouse. It had taken them almost two whole days to get their hands on the town's plans to figure out a possible escape route. They had finished their preparations just in time not to miss the agreed meeting with Sao Feng. Elizabeth and Hector were probably already being escorted to the pirate lord. Mary observed their surroundings carefully. Company soldiers were marching through the town in the dozens. At last Tia Dalma moved onto the bridge above them. The monkey started playing on a loud and terrible sounding hand organ, covering the noise Gibbs and the others made while rasping through the bars. They got through the old, rusty metal quickly. Mary climbed in first, crawling through the tunnel as quickly as possible. After about fifty metres, the tunnel got broader and higher, allowing her to get up. An almost unbearable heat greeted them when they reached the steam room of the bathing house. Mary signaled the crew to stop as she leaned forward to peek into the room. Two men were operating the fire, only armed with knives. She watched carefully as a small wheel of wooden plates turned, making a rattling sound that seemed to signal something. One of the men walked to a couple of odd looking handles, pulling one, causing steam to rise. The sound of voices echoed through the wooden floor above their heads, but Mary was too focused on the task at hand to understand what was being said. A tall and quite massive third man walked in, shoveling more coal into the oven with ease. Ragetti let out a scared whimper and tried to run back into the tunnel, but Gibbs stopped him. "None of that! If things don't go the way we want, we are the only chance they've got."

Mary nodded and quietly grabbed a shovel that was standing nearby. Gibbs and Pintel were holding a large rock each and took aim. When Mary sneaked past the two men, they waited until she raised the shovel over her head to strike the giant down and threw the rocks with a terrifying precision. The moment the rocks smashed against their heads and knocked them out, the shovel hit its target. He stumbled on his knees, but didn't pass out until after the second blow. The crew tied the men together and stuffed their mouths while Marty took the shovel from Mary to guard the giant. Meanwhile, the others began to place explosives around. Once they were done, she and Gibbs moved to stand underneath Hector and Elizabeth. They were still debating with Sao Feng. Now Mary began to pay attention to what they were saying.

"More steam", Sao Feng demanded and the wooden wheel turned. Cotton was standing at the handles, but had no idea which one to pull. Mary began to gesticulate wildly to help him out. "More steam!", Sao Feng bellowed and the rattling sound of the wood echoed again, warning Mary that their plan would fail should no steam rise now. Fortunately, Cotton was quite clever and understood her gestures, pulling the right handle. Mary breathed in deeply to calm her nerves. The discussion above continued.

"There is a price on all our heads", Sao Feng said, much calmer than moments ago. Mary could hear him walk around in the room above, but couldn't spot him, even though the wooden planks forming the floor had a large number of slits in them. "It is true", Sao Feng continued. "It seems the only way a pirate can turn profit anymore is by betraying other pirates."

Mary couldn't understand Hector's response as Gibbs unpacked weapons next to her. "Wait for the signal", he reminded them.

"What was that signal again?", Mary asked. "Chaos? The threat of death?"

"Something like that", Gibbs replied nervously.

"Against the East India Trading Company what value is the Brethren Court?", Sao Feng challenged Hector. "What can any of us do?"

"You can fight!", Elizabeth exclaimed. "Get off me!", she told someone Mary could not see, but she could hear how Elizabeth stepped forward. "You are Sao Feng, the pirate lord of Singapore. You command in an age of piracy where bold captains sail free waters. Where waves aren't measured in feet, but as increments of fear, and those who pass the test become legend. Would you have that era come to an end on your watch? The most notorious pirates from around the world are uniting against our enemy and yet you sit here, cowering in your bath water!"

Mary was both impressed and worried by Elizabeth's boldness and waited anxiously for Sao Feng's reply.

"Elizabeth Swann, there is more to you than meets the eye, isn't there? And the eye does not go wanting", Sao Feng said, circling Elizabeth. "But I cannot help but notice: You have failed to answer my question", he pointed out, clearly meaning Hector. "What is it you seek in Davy Jones' locker?"

"Jack Sparrow", Will's voice replied, making Mary frown. Why the bloody hell was he there? "He is one of the pirate lords."

Sao Feng moved again, becoming easier to follow, yet his face remained hidden. "The only reason I would want Jack Sparrow return from the land of the dead is so I can send him back myself!", he raged, kicking what sounded like a chair.

Hector walked to him, the limp in his walk giving away his position clearly. "Jack Sparrow holds one of the nine pieces of eight. He failed to pass it along to a successor before he died. So we must go and get him back", he explained. Mary decided to ask him later why Sao Feng despised Jack, though she had an idea or two why that could be.

Sao Feng remained silent for a few moments and when he began to speak again he sounded a lot calmer, yet the content of his words set Mary on edge. "So, you admit you have deceived me." A pause followed. Mary could easily picture the look on Hector's face, before they got the signal Mary had hoped not to get: "Weapons!", Sao Feng ordered loudly and the screams of his men echoed through the bathing house.

"Weapons", Mary ordered immediately.

"Sao Feng, I assure ye our intentions are strictly honourable", Hector said, just when Mary, Pintel, Gibbs and Cotton threw one sword each up into the hands of their allies.

"Drop your weapons or I kill the man!", Sao Feng warned them.

Mary frowned. Who was he talking about?

"Kill him, he's not our man!", Hector replied, the shrug evident in his voice.

"If he's not with you and he's not with us…", Will said. "Then who is he with?"

The moment he finished, doors were kicked open, men screamed and shots went off. The sound of muskets was familiar to Mary, so she knew that it were soldiers attacking the pirates above. The crew gathered at the tunnel entrance, preparing to set off the explosives. The chaos above them had reached its full potential when the explosion went off. It blew a hole into the floor and left them a wooden ramp to walk up and join the fight. "Come on, pals!", Gibbs shouted, going up first, firing his pistols, followed by Pintel and Ragetti. Mary appeared behind them, aiming one pistol at a soldier who tried to stab Hector in the back with his bayonet while the captain was busy keeping two soldiers away from him. Her second shot hit another soldier harassing Hector. He disposed of the last one and turned to look at her. He didn't seem surprised that it had been her who had come to his aid and he had a moment of peace to thank her with a nod. With a loud scream another soldier attacked Mary. A classic mistake to announce an attack with a battle scream. She used the two pistols to block the strike. He stumbled and was knocked out when she smashed her knee into his face. She could feel his nose break, but already moved to the next opponent while the previous one was dropping to the floor. As the pistols weren't loaded anymore, she threw them one after the other into soldier's faces and then drew her sword. She followed Hector outside where they fought off more soldiers. They seemed to be everywhere. Mary lost Hector in the chaos, but trusted him to find his way to the docks. She cut her way there when a mighty explosion cut off the company's reinforcements, killing a good number of them. Suddenly, Hector was at her side again, accompanied by the crew and Elizabeth. Will appeared behind them, followed by a large number of pirates.

"Ye have the charts?", Hector asked, catching them as Will threw them to him.

"And better yet. A ship and a crew", he said.

"Where is Sao Feng?", Elizabeth wanted to know.

"He will cover our escape and meet us at Shipwreck Cove."

"This way, quickly!", one of Sao Feng's men said and led them through the docks. More shots went off in the distance, but soon they found themselves aboard a ship, leaving Singapore behind.

Hector was storming towards the quarter deck, catching Will who was leaning at the rail a few feet away from the stairs. Mary was close behind, expecting Hector to throttle Will on the spot.

"Ye weren't supposed to get caught!", Hector growled. Mary had to smile at that, remembering the last time he had told her that. It seemed a lifetime ago. Hector had been cursed, the Pearl had been his, a much different crew had been around and Mary had been full of hope that all would be well. A hope she struggled to uphold these days.

"It worked out the way I wanted", Will replied, leaving Hector to wonder about his words. Mary watched Will disappear with a frown. She had a feeling that he was up to something.

"We should keep an eye on him", she told Hector who was staring back to the docks.

"Probably, but at the end of the day I trust him to be on our side", he replied as Jack jumped up next to him on the rail.

"For now", Mary agreed.

"I have to get familiar with these", Hector said then, pointing at the charts in his hands with his chin. "Would ye take the helm for the time being?"

"Aye, where to?"

"East towards the open sea where we came from. By the time we leave the islands behind, I should be able to provide us with a more precise course", he explained.

Mary nodded. "To world's end then."

Yet another note: Since Tia Dalma's hut is located on Cuba I thought it would make sense to have them set sail to Singapore from Havanna. I do not know which route would have typically been chosen to sail from the Caribbean to Singapore in the 1730s, but I assumed that they would have chosen to sail around the South American Continent. I also assume that world's end is located somewhere in the Antarctic due to the iceberg sequence from the movie and the fact that the Antarctic is located somewhat close to Singapore (compared to the Arctic). Let me know what you think!