Hello! I was going to update this on Monday, but I decided to leave it off at a spot you'll hate me for. Because... I'm just evil like that. Haha. Thank you to the person who reviewed last time, and the alerts, and the favourites. But I must add, because this is bothering me, and this has been bothering me for a while, you guys are worrying me with the lack of reviews lately. If you find something wrong with the chapters I post, please do share, I really don't get offended and after you say what you say, I actually go back over said chapter.

I don't want you all to think that I'm needy, though... I sometimes am, but that is besides the point, but it bothers me a little that I have 300 hits on a chapter and only one review. It makes me think that I'm doing something wrong, but I don't know what that something is to go back and try to fix it. Do you see what I am saying? Sort of? I tried not to make my little lecture sound rude, and if it comes off that way, I sincerely apologize. And I do know that some of you do read and are either a) too shy to review or b) too busy and that's fine. I just wanted to say this...

And I do love you all, I love everyone that reads this first series, I just thought that that needed to be said by me.

Well, that dampened the mood of this epic, a bit gruesome at one part (which I didn't like writing at all) chapter for the scene I've been dreading to write this whole entire story. But I do hope you enjoy the chapter!

Chapter Twenty-Five: The Maelstrom: Part I

Jack dragged Nicolette to Jones' quarters. "Why would our effects be here?" Nicolette asked, trying to keep up with Jack. The swaying of the ship wasn't helping their situation either. Since it swayed, it made Nicolette lose her balance quite frequently. Jack smirked, hearing that question. Why wouldn't they be there? Nicolette looked behind her shoulder wryly, she was worried. What was happening outside that made this ship so bloody rocky. She had a feeling that once they step out on deck things wouldn't be easy going. "He isn't stupid, Jack."

"I know he isn't stupid." Jack stated to her with a roll of his eyes. Nicolette shook her head and stopped walking, making Jack come to an abrupt stop as well. Jack furrowed his brows at her and turned around, "Love, we really don't have any time to fool around now."

"Why would they be in there?" Nicolette asked him with a nod of her head toward that room. It was only a few feet down from where they were, and Jack could taste his sweet victory of recovering his effects and the... chest. Jack almost didn't feel the need to even answer her. Wasn't it obvious? The fish-face would have wanted to hide their things by his chest, since, in turn, he believed that they would not get out of his ill-protected brig. And even if they were to get out, Jones would put their effects in the most obvious place.

Jack developed a smug smirk at her and stated, "Because... it's obvious." Nicky just looked at him like he was crazy... She replayed what he just said to her in her head, it still didn't make sense no matter how many times. "Think about it, Nicky, old Jones doesn't expect us to get out of his brig. If we did... and well we did," Nicolette nodded slowly to him like she understood so far, "he would expect us to go in the least obvious place. Because it is the most obvious place for use to go to. Savvy?"

Nicolette stood there for a moment, searching his eyes to see where he came up with that. That was ridiculous. She answered honestly, "No. It's absurd actually."

"Well then," Jack scoffed, gripping her hand again before dragging her to Jones' quarters. "You will learn that only the absurd will think up the absurd." Nicky arched her brow at him and quickly he turned to enter nonchalantly into the room with the chest. The familiar room held an organ against its wall, that was covered with moss. The chest lied in the middle of the room. Nicolette remembered that it was to serve as way to make sure that Jones did as he was supposed to do by the Company. The cannons were still aimed at it.

Nicolette assumed that they took necessary measures to control Jones even during the fight.

Sure enough, the effects were there. Sitting peacefully and unharmed on the bench of Jones' organ. Jack was right before, who knew that his complicated theory would have been right after all.

But who would've known that they're luck would have just gone up. The two easiest guards were there, with their determined, frightened faces, trembling. Their bodies were tense as they held the cannon aimed at the chest, which contained the heart of Davy Jones. Nicky could have sworn that she saw beads of sweat roll down from their hats on both the plump and the skinny man. She could smirk, these men were the laughing stocks of the Navy, and most likely they were the laughing stocks of the East India Trading Company.

Nicolette even knew them when she was a young girl in Port Royal. Murtogg and Mullroy moved their cannons right when they entered the room to point at her and Jack. "Hold it! Or we'll shoot!" Nicolette laughed out loud as Mullroy shouted that at them. Right. Nicolette would drop dead first before that would happen.

"Funny," Nicolette said with a nod. Murtogg's face fell at her comment as she sauntered around them to get to her effects and quickly put them on.

Jack stood where he was for a moment, before finally realizing who these men were. Ah, he remembered these blokes from Port Royal. In fact, they were the two that were arguing at the dock. He got past these oafs easily, so easily that it was practically criminal (the intention was to be criminal, but that was besides the point). He smirked and chuckled to himself really. The two just looked at each other confused as Jack pointed at both of them, "Good one." He followed Nicolette's lead and went to go get his effects along with him.

Doing this, the cannons just followed. "They are determined ones, aren't they?" Jack commented to Nicolette under his breath.

Putting her sheathe over her shoulder and promptly putting her hat on her head, she said to Jack under her breath, "Never are they determined ones, Jack." Jack chuckled lightly at her as he buckled his belt on his pants. Nicolette assured them while grabbing her pistol with a smile, "Don't worry about us, we just came to get our effects. Can't leave without those, now can we, Jack?"

"No, we certainly cannot, Nicky." Jack put his own hat firmly on his head. Nicolette looked them over, Jack was actually right again. They were still holding their cannons firmly at them and Nicolette saw they did have fear in there eyes, they looked as though they would really shoot. She looked over at Jack, as if telling him that it was time to use his gift of tongue. Jack seemed to get the memo right away. He pointed his finger up in the air and stated, "Admirable though it may be, why are you here when you can be elsewhere?"

Murtogg answered him immediately as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, with his brow furrowed, "Someone has to stay and guard the chest."

Nicolette raised her eyebrow and said, "Really?"

"Well... I-I believe so," Murtogg looked down, his grip on the cannon loosening as he thought over what he said again. Then Mullroy abruptly turned the cannon to Murtogg.

"It's not a question." He said to him. Murtogg turned his cannon toward Mullroy, listening to what he got to say. Nicolette's eyebrows perked as she looked over at Jack triumphantly. She still didn't understand why they went back to forth. They were like brothers, she could swear by that. He continued, "There has been a breakdown in military discipline on board this vessel."

"I blame the fish people." Jack motioned toward the chest and held his hand to keep Nicolette there. She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms over her chest. She watched Jack slowly go to for the chest, the two didn't even notice him making his way toward them. Nicolette looked around the room and saw a locket that was by the top of the organ. The familiar locket that she only saw one other wear on their neck. Nicolette grabbed it quickly and put it in around her neck and in her shirt to hide it. This would come in handy, she felt. For leverage sake.

"Fish people?" Jack tapped her shoulder immediately seeing her distracted gaze at... purely nothing now. Nicolette snapped her head to him and he gave her a incredulously look. "by dint of being fish people, automatically aren't as disciplined as non fish people, is that what you're saying?"

"Saying it's contributory, that's all I'm suggesting." Nicolette nodded to the chest quickly and Jack stretched his fingers before slowly grabbing the chest away from them. Nicolette and Jack were hardly surprised when the two didn't look their way. Instead they kept going at each other. Jack gripped her hand again before mouthing, 'Let's go' to her. Nicolette nodded to him before they left quickly without making a sound.

How little did they know of the mess they were getting into. They stepped out on deck only to be greeted with pouring rain. Nicolette held the brim of her hat as she looked up at the sky to see the angry swirl of clouds above them. "Maelstrom?" She said unsure. A strike of lightening was her answer and she felt her chest heave slowly. "He released her..." she muttered under her breath. She slowly let go of Jack's hand and looked over at him as he scanned the chaos on the deck as he walked forward. Nicolette noticed that Jack hardly realized that she let go of him. She called for him, "Jack!"

"Wha—oh..." He turned around to be greeted by the slight of Davy Jones. Nicolette raised her brow and slowly she turned around to see that Davy Jones and two members of his crew were standing on either side of him. Her eyes slowly widened as she backed away from them. Nicolette gulped.

"Ah ha ha!" Jones laughed at both Jack and Nic. Mainly at Nic, since her eyes widened at the sight of him in fear. "Looky here, boys! Two lost birds!"

"Jack..." Nicolette looked over at him, he had to have plan to get out of this. Right? He was Jack Sparrow, he always had a plan... But Nicolette was not counting to see Jones this soon, and she bet neither did Jack. She backed up slowly with Jack, who was searching for some kind of rope to get himself away.

"Two birds that never learnt to fly!" Nicolette gulped and fingered the hilt of her cutlass.

Jack said to her quickly before talking directly to Jones, "You can handle two of them, can ye, love?"

"I handled more than two men, Jack," she said to him quickly. It was Jones she was afraid of, not the other two.

"Great, then, I'll take care of fish-face and get the key, eh?" He murmured to her in her hair and Nicolette nodded to him curtly, but it was unnoticed by Jones.

Jack picked up his head and stated to Jones, "And to my great regret." He found that rope now. Jack's face quickly brightened up and he used the chest to help him. "But!" He noticed that Jones was the only one actually going after him slowly, the other two looked as though they would rather attack his Nicky. He suddenly felt really guilty about leaving her with him. "Never too late to learn, eh?"

With that, he slammed the chest onto where the rope was tied and grabbed it in his hand. Nicolette watched amazed as Jack swooped up into the air, yelling uncontrollably his way to the mast. She couldn't help but smile at him, "In genius," she said to herself. She looked back to see that the two men... (should she even call them men?) made their way slowly to her. Jones had disappeared, no doubt he went to go get Jack, but how she wondered? "Oh, well this isn't really fair now, is it?" The first mate pulled his axe out from behind. Now, this really wasn't fair at all.

She slowly unsheathed her own cutlass and she held it out in front of her. "Two against one, I really wish that one of you would leave. That's hardly even fair."

"A woman like ye can't handle both of us then, what a shame," the one with the axe told her sarcastically. His head was shaped like it belonged to a hammerhead shark. Nicolette would call him Hammerhead. He didn't have teeth like one, Nicky noted. Nicolette gritted her teeth as she felt her back finally hit the railing, she looked the two men up and down. She noticed the slight gap in between them and decided on a plan of action. When she was going to start on that? She had no idea.

"Too bad we ain't willing to oblige." The other one said. He on the other hand, actually held a cutlass. That would be easier to fend off. She reminded herself about her pistol that she so kindly forgotten.

"I would say otherwise, gentlemen." Before they could even think, Nicolette dipped under them, just fitting that gap between and sprinted off. She would rather run then fight. One of them shouted and went after her. Nicolette stopped in the middle of the ship to see a lonesome officer, looking straight at her. She tilted her head at him curiously before she realized a blade was shining toward her as he lunged it at her. Nicolette blocked it quickly. "That's not nice at all."

The man growled at her like he was some sort of animal. Nicky quickly lunged at him, starting a parry and moved along with him. She was focused now. The man swiped at her, with his timing way off and Nicolette quickly found an opening she decided against taking it though. Her eyes moved away from who she was fighting to see the hammerhead come at her from the corner of her eye. Nicolette thought quickly as she blocked the man's attack yet again. Nicolette muttered lowly under her breath before she clashed her blade against his hard to get it away from her.

It was simple really. This man was hardly a challenge to her. The man looked at her in disbelief as she only pointed her sword at the crook of his neck instead of killing him instantly. Nicolette then sheathed her sword momentarily and grabbed the man by the shoulders in front of her as Hammerhead came at her with an axe. She blocked herself with the man, the cold metal of the axe penetrated the skin of the officer's instead of going into Nicolette. She shield her eyes, not daring to familiarize herself with the sight of his blood splattering. Some of it even went on her clothing.

Nicolette cringed as she heard the man scream in terror, but it quickly faded as he died. She threw his body aside and quickly unsheathed her sword yet again. Hammerhead looked at her darkly, his friend had disappeared. It was just him. Him and her now. He pulled the axe out of the officer's head. Nicky gulped as she took a look at the dead man who fell to the deck, his blood spilling out onto it. No one had the right to die that way and she didn't know if she actually should be guilty for a man who thought it right to work for a murderer in the first place. Nicolette looked up at the blood on the axe Hammerhead advanced to her with.

Nicolette backed away slowly from him with her eyes never leaving the axe in his hand. Nicolette's grip on her cutlass grew tighter than ever. Hammerhead chuckled at her, and Nicolette didn't realize how much she backed up until her back hit the railing.

"In a rut, girly?" He inquired to her. Nicolette gulped and avoided eye contact, she still just stared at that axe, that bloody axe. Nicky gripped it even tighter as she noticed the axe actually rising in front of her.

Nicolette admitted to him hoarsely, "More than a rut actually."

Hammerhead laughed at her again. That laugh... where did she hear that laugh before?

Last time she was aboard here.

Nicolette suddenly remembered why she was doing this... just by hearing that menacing laugh come from Hammerhead. The axe then came down on her and without thinking Nicolette dropped down and shifted away from him as he stuck the axe into the railing. It was now Nicolette's turn to chuckle, but she held it in. She took out her pistol and aimed it at his foot. She wrapped her finger around the trigger and she pulled it.

Immediately Hammerhead stepped away from the railing, and gripped his foot, howling in pain. Nicolette really did chuckle now and she quickly gripped his shoulder, forgetting that he was part of an immortal crew, and took her cutlass, stabbing him in the gut. "Ha ha." She said in his ear mockingly and threw him off her cutlass and onto the deck. She wiped her cutlass against the railing and saw out of the corner of her eye another gleam coming from her side.

She twirled around and clashed her cutlass with another. This was another officer. Nicolette rolled her eyes at him. Really? She asked herself before she jumped back a little to have some room and then parried with the man that attacked her. Surprisingly enough, he showed skill. Nicolette quickly found an opening and went to take it before she saw slimy, monstrous hands grab onto the man's shoulder. Nicolette's eyes widened when she saw the officer being thrown off the ship by Hammerhead. Nicolette gulped.

"Damn it." She muttered under her breath and backed away from him again. He got that axe again. She really hate that he was immortal. She quickly let her sight flash away from him again and looked behind her to see that she was about to walk onto the helm. She slowly went on the steps and carefully continued to back away from him. She really hated that they were immortal. She decided that the only way to get out of this is either to run away and scream... or to actually fight him again.

Nicolette tripped on the last step and landed on the helm, her head hitting hard against it. Hammerhead laughed at her as she scrambled, but only enough so she could use her hands to help her move away from him. The axe had risen and Nicolette's eyes followed it as it had. She was prepared for the worst, when she heard a gun shot erupt from behind her. Nicolette stood there stunned as Hammerhead fell backward from the impact, unfortunately he was still not dead.

Nicolette looked over next to her to see who it was and it was an already fallen officer.

His face was red, swollen and ashy. Nicolette watched as his pistol trembled in his hand as he pointed it where he had shot it. The man had blue eyes, and he looked over at Nicolette, his eyes partly closed. Nicolette felt her eyes brim with tears, she felt sorry for him. She said to him, "Thank you." The East India Trading Company officer only nodded her way before he dropped his pistol. His partly opened eyes had shut, the pile of officers he was in were already dead. His head lolled to the side, resting on top of another man's face. Nicolette went to hold his wrist to feel for some kind of pulse. None.

She breathed in slowly before standing up where she is. The wind from the maelstrom picked up her braid and she held her hat in place as the rain poured on top of her. She sheathed her sword and looked around the helm. The man who was at the helm was only steering and he didn't look her way. He was... actually, he was a regular man. Neither an officer, neither a fish person. This man looked like he was a pirate. "Sir," she said slowly as she walked over to him.

The man shook out of a trance he was in. He was trembling in fear suddenly, but he held that wheel steady like if he would let go it would be the death of him. "Sir? What are you—?"

"Stay away from me!" He said to her. Nicolette was taken aback by him. The outburst from him was something she didn't expect to hear out of that small man. His face looked like a rat, almost. He had a pointy nose and his face was filthy. His beady black eyes, were bloodshot like he lacked sleep. Nicolette furrowed her brow at him. "Stay back! I have to do this!"

Nicolette watched him carefully and she breathed in slowly before she held out her hand to him kindly. "No, you don't... you can come with me. Who are you?"

"Stay away!" He yelled at her and Nicky grimaced at him. She took a step back from him. "Didn't ye hear me? I said, stay away!" Nicolette looked him up and down as the man presumed his dazed position at the helm once again, ignoring what was happening around him. Nicolette watched him wryly before something else caught her eye. Another dead body. She looked past the rat-faced man and almost gasped, her hand flew to her mouth.

"Mercer," she said with gritted teeth and she slowly walked toward her body. She fell down next to it and touched his pale face in disbelief. He was dead. For a brief moment, Nicolette felt sorry for the man. Then she remembered what he had done to her. And, he deserved every bit of this. The blood that was on the corner of his mouth dried up and Nicolette noticed that he had marks on his neck... he was strangled to death. Jones did this to him, she assumed. The marks on his neck were either from fingers or tentacles. Slowly, she stood up. Her eyes went to the Black Pearl, she was glad that it was at least less hectic on the helm. There was just a lot of death on it though, and it made her sick.

She looked down at Mercer with a scowl and then abruptly kicked him in the side like he had done to her, repeatedly. She wanted him to feel it so badly. He made her angry just at the sight of him. Nicolette then picked him up and with difficulty, threw him off the Dutchman. She hated this ship just like any other person, but she hated this man more than the ship that his dead body was on, it wasn't cruel enough to have him there. She wished it was Beckett, though.

Nicolette then stepped onto the railing holding onto the rigging on the helm that went up to one of the mast.

"Nicky!" At Jack's voice from above, she looked up to see him swinging around the ship. Nicolette squinted her eyes to see him, yelling as he held on tightly to the rope. He yelled again, as Nicolette's eyes just followed him in disbelief, "Nicky! Listen to me! Go to the Pearl!"

"What?" Nicolette asked him shocked. Why was he telling her that? No, she was staying here. "No!"

"Nicky, just do it! I have it all handled here, love!" He finished that with another yell as he swung around. Yeah, he definitely had it handled. Nicolette looked around herself for a rope, any rope. She didn't have time to argue with him. She finally gripped one in her hand and looked worriedly up. Could she really leave him on this ship?

No, she couldn't leave him like this. Even if they were separated, she didn't have the inspiration to do so. If she did, then she would've swung off long ago to get to the Pearl. She was about to let go and jump down from the railing, when she heard someone run toward her.

Nicolette looked behind her shoulder to see that it was the other fish person that she was supposed to fight before. Nicolette breathed in slightly, and grabbed the rope tightly before she pushed herself off the railing. The fish person leaned to far over to get her and he fell off the edge of the ship. Nicolette looked behind her shoulder and grimaced as he fell into the gaping hole that was in between the ships.

With a thump, Nicolette landed on the Black Pearl and the deck there was even deadlier than the one of the Dutchman. Nicolette looked around and brandished her cutlass when she saw an officer advance toward her. Nicolette noticed a wide open spot right in the open. She looked at him in disbelief, the man was serious? Then she, without any question, stabbed him where she sought necessary. She took her cutlass out of him as he fell dead onto the floor.

"Nic!" Christopher's voice sounded out to her from the helm and she noticed that Barbossa was standing on top of where the wheel was built. He pointed down to Will and Elizabeth who were adjoined holding hands fighting. They were reciting something. Nicolette narrowed her eyes at them like they were crazy. "Watch out!" Nicolette looked behind her to see another man come at her.

Nicolette rolled her eyes and blocked his attack. The man parried with her and Nicolette actually found herself backing into the railing fighting him. She clashed her sword hard against his and tried to swipe at him, only to be blocked. She shook her head, and quickly she stamped on his foot, having enough of this. He retreated a bit and only gave her enough time to use her pistol and shoot it straight at his heart. She blew away the smoke from her gun as the man fell onto the deck. She hid her pistol under her belt.

Nicolette was about to get away from the railing when she heard Barbossa bellow through the wind loudly, "Miss Brown, your assistance if ye may!" Nicolette looked up at him with her eyebrow raised and saw him fighting off officers and fish people alike while standing on top of the wheel's support. Nicolette quickly ran to give him his assistance, though she had no idea why he would need it.

"What in the bloody hell are you doing?" Nicolette shouted at him. She quickly took out her pistol yet again and aimed it at an officer who was trying to pull Barbossa off. She shot him quickly before throwing him away. Barbossa only gestured to Will and Elizabeth who were now embracing each other.

Nicolette only raised her brow at them and then nodded, not sure if she caught on to what he was really doing. She continued to fight the people that were getting close by him. Barbossa could take a deep breath now. Not having to worry about anyone taking him down. He bellowed to Will and Elizabeth, "I now pronounce ye husband and wife!" Nicolette stabbed a man in his abdomen before looking at Christopher in disbelief.

"A marriage." He stated to her. "They want to be married to each other."

Nicolette shook her head annoyed. "They choose the wrong time for everything, don't they?"

"You may kiss—." Barbossa was caught off as another person tried to attack him on there. Barbossa shook his head mentally, he should have known that Nicolette wouldn't actually help him when he needed. He fought him off, or tried to anyway, with his cutlass. "Nic!" He called, snapping Nicolette out of her disbelieving state of mind. Nicolette quickly went to help him with that man. Barbossa tried again, "You may kiss—."

Another person tried to get at him, only this time he wasn't an officer. He had a long, eel head that extended out of the hole of his shirt. Barbossa cringed away from it, so it wouldn't be by him but when he saw an opening in the neck area he took it right away, swiping at it so he could get the head away from him. "Oh, just kiss!" He finally yelled. Barbossa kicked away the eel person and jumped off of the support. Nicolette tossed away the man she was attacking and looked over to see Will and Elizabeth share a tender, but passionate kiss with each other... as husband and wife.

"Will!" She yelled, running off of the helm. Will broke off the kiss to see Nicolette coming toward them. Elizabeth looked at Nicolette with a smile developing. "I actually got to see the day you wed."

"You did." Will said with a smile. Nicolette smiled kindly at him, though their last couple of words weren't so kind after all. "Where's Jack?" He asked suddenly to her. Nicolette's face fell... right... Jack, the man she just left on the Dutchman.

"He's still aboard the Dutchman." She told him grimly. Nicolette felt someone coming at her and she twirled around, blocking an attack. Not wasting any time and quickly saw a place where the man didn't block before she swiped it. She pushed him away from him. Nicolette stated to Will, "We found the chest, but he didn't stab it yet." Nicolette looked over to see that Will had gone to the other ship on a rope. Nicolette thought that he was just here.

She sighed, and heard footsteps running behind her. Nicolette looked over her shoulder to see Christopher in a rush. "Nic!" He shouted at her. Nicolette saw sweat beading down his forehead as he came to her. "Where did Will go?"

"To the Dutchman. No hello—." Nicolette saw that he left in a rush and grabbed a rope to transfer to the Dutchman. Was she missing something? Nicolette went to board the Dutchman, when she felt someone grab her shoulder right away. Nicolette's eyes widen when she felt a cold blade on her neck. She gritted her teeth before she took the man's arm that held her backward and tried to pry it away from her. Then she heard a pistol shot from behind her. Nicolette felt the grip loosen and then she took hold of the arm and threw him away from her.

Nicolette looked up to see Barbossa moving Cotton roughly away from the helm, but his eyes were on her. He put away his smoking pistol before resuming his position there. Nicolette smirked at him and saluted the cur there gratefully. But she hardly had time to swing over to the Dutchman for someone else had attacked her. She found already that her arm had already gotten sore and her head already ached with all that was going on around her.

Not only did someone else attack her, as Nicolette lunged toward the man and blocked her attacks, she suddenly felt something go into her shoulder. A cold, small metal. Nicolette's hand immediately went to it, pressing down onto it as she seethed. The immense pain in that area from where something had hit her, overwhelmed her. Nicolette breathed weakly as she quickly stabbed the man and she fell to her knees.

Her cutlass fell down on the deck with a clatter.

Huh? Did that just happen? Hehe, a bit of a mean ending, huh? And remember that prediction, Tia Dalma made in one of the chapters? I don't remember which one, I think it was twenty? Or twenty-one, maybe? Well, it refered to this moment in time. The fight isn't over yet! We get to see what Christopher does next. Hope to see you soon.

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