First of all, I would like to apologize dearly to all the readers out there. I've been so busy the past 3 weeks, and I am sincerely sorry for the very long delay. Of course, I hope you haven't lost interest x.x…anyway, here's Chapter 25. It's been dreadful not having time to get the story done.
Chapter 25: An Assassin's Gambit
Zi played around with the trigun. It was the only thing handed from Tsau that helped her remember him. What could they be doing to him? She felt sick, because it was she that didn't stop him…she didn't even attempt to go after him when they were in the cave. And it is quite odd that Blackwell let them go. Perhaps they were sparing the Dutchman and Pearl for later. The two ships were stationed on the island Jack spoke of when they were back in the cave.
"Do not submit into poignancy, love," Jack said from behind.
Zi stood up from her stool and stood in a salute-like form. "Captain, I'm sorry, I was just…thinking. It won't bother me."
"Aye, he was a good man," said Gibbs from behind Jack.
"A genuine person, indeed," Pintel added, mopping the deck. "Couldn't have survived a day wit'out 'im."
She shook her head and sighed. "No, no," and she stood up, looking at the people around her. Jack and the Pearl crew, Will, Elizabeth, Bill…but no Tsau. Only 3 days of his absence and the world seems to have turned upside down. Tsau knew what to do. He knew the exact direction that they should head towards. "Tsau is a man that doesn't change…a man that doesn't need to. And in order to press onward, sacrifices must be made. I'm just going to have to live with it."
Elizabeth then looked at Jack. "So, what shall the plan be? You lied to us regarding the chest, therefore we'll have to devise a scheme."
"Yeah, Jack," Zi spoke. "What are we going to do?"
Jack looked over towards Barbossa. "They cannot afford the death of Tsau, for he is a significant playing card in this. It is likely that they will try to negotiate him for the dagger."
"So…you haven't answered my question," Elizabeth stated.
"I'm getting there, thank-you-very-much-for-interrupting-me," Jack retorted. "If I know Blackwell, he'll probably discover us earlier than we do him. Let me negotiate with him when they find us."
She raised an eyebrow and gave Jack a suspecting look. "What do you mean, 'when they find us'?"
"They plan to destroy the Necromortalis…or so they told me," Jack replied noticeably.
Elizabeth and the others looked over to Barbossa, who seemed to look a way as if this wasn't any of his business. "What happened while we were gone?"
A wave of silence pummeled the aura, and the tipping point of suspicion stung the allies. The alliance between the two ships were shaky, and the shady deals behind each other's backs were showing through. Barbossa and Jack drew their guns and pointed them at the members of the Dutchman crew.
"We be needin' that dagger now, missy," Barbossa said.
Elizabeth backed away, almost completely surprised by the sudden change in the air.
The Dutchman's captain gave a soft, unimpressed grin. "Why am I not surprised, Jack?"
"Because you're a eunuch," Jack replied provokingly.
The statement was followed with Will pulling out the sack that held his heart that was strapped to his item belt. He pulled out his gun and pointed at the heart. Jack and Barbossa backed away slightly in hidden shock, with their guns in a hinted tremble. Elizabeth looked at her husband with wide eyes, and so did the crew. The united crews were now divided into two, exchanging glances at their former comrades.
"If I die, the Dutchman dies," Will stated, standing valiantly in front of his crew. "My men will be free, and everything will disappear."
Jack released a cocky smirk. "It's not worth it, William. You realize that when you unload that bullet, you'll be abandoning your wife and dear child to eternal loneliness?"
"If killing myself brings peace to my family as a result, I am more than willing to apprehend this method," Will stated firmly.
"Well, I guess you'll be doin' all of us a favor, then," Jack expressed in sarcasm half-soberly.
Will then pointed the gun at Jack and pulled the hammer on the flintlock backwards. "…or I could kill you and spare everyone another moment of stupidity."
Jack stared down the barrel and showed his teeth in disgust. "I'm Immortal Captain Jack Sparrow, mate."
"The gift of immortality does not include invincibility," Will smirked. "This bullet will penetrate your skull with ease."
"Jack?" Zi asked, looking out towards the sea.
Jack kept a strong gaze on Will. "But I know you won't pull the trigger."
"You'd be impressed how far I am willing to traverse," Will said, keeping his gun aimed at the pirate.
"Jack!" Zi repeated.
"What?!" Jack replied loudly, looking over at her.
Zi pointed out towards the sea, where two ships were floating in their direction. Jack walked towards the shipside to look forward. He pulled out a spectroscope and examined the sails on the encroaching ships. Glancing in that direction, Will lowered his weapon and watched. The sudden silence in the air caused an excessive amount of anxiety, and the tension began to rise. Breaths drew faster, body heat increased, and even some people trembled.
The Dutchman's captain smiled again. "That's Blackwell's navy, and he's coming for us."
"I shall devise a plan, then," Jack mumbled under his breath.
When the ship was close enough, Jack could see a small figure in white standing on the ships. "Of course…it is Blackwell's messenger."
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"I bring a message from our Lord Blackwell," the messenger said. The two crews looked at him suspiciously, with the tension nearing its breaking point. "He is willing to spare you the decree of piracy through the surrender of the Dagger of Black Death."
Zi did not speak at them, with her eyes glancing around the opposing ships, trying to figure out where Tsau was. Jack said he saw him, but now he's gone.
Jack smiled. "And the Dutchman?"
"The Captain of the Dutchman will remain as incumbent," the messenger answered.
"Come back when you have a more appropriate deal," Zi said to the messenger.
The messenger smiled and turned around. "There are other methods to attain that dagger."
"Tsau?" Zi asked. "…as a bargaining chip, right?"
"Tsau is not present," the messenger replied automatically. "It does not matter. However…the Reaper has undergone a few…changes of heart."
Zi's eyes widened as she stepped forward, in front of the conflicting captains. "What have you done to him?!"
He smirked. "Us? Oh, no. Not us. What he has done for himself."
"I don't understand. Why?"
"Why? Well…he is—"
Catching the man off guard, Zi immediately pulled out her trigun and unloaded a bullet into the brazen messenger. He let out a breath of blood and dropped to his knees as she shot him two more times. The navy men that accompanied him all lifted their weapons, and proceeded to pull their triggers, along with the same reaction by the pirates. A swift arm of halt ceased their muscular contractions completely, and no shots from the navy were returned, although the tension was still heavy, with guns ready to strike at any moment. The captain of the ship lowered his arm and stepped up ahead of the dead messenger.
"No more bloodshed is necessary," he said. "If you do not wish to trade, then I shall deliver the news to Lord Blackwell."
In almost a heartbeat, the men were ready to leave, but footsteps stopped the rhythm. A hooded man stepped out of the cabin and made his way slowly towards the wooden plank. The faint Falcon insignia imprinted on the coat was still there, and he looked like nothing had changed. The sense of temporary victory was somewhat distracted completely by his entrance.
"There is no why," Tsau spoke deeply, referring to Zi's last statement. "And nothing is needed to be understood."
"Why?" Zi asked again, un-holstering the gun. "Why are you doing this? Why side with them?"
"You're a pirate," Tsau stated with his unchanged expression. "You of all people should know that the world is not just black and white. Everything is a shade of gray. You should really thank Jack for saving your asses."
Zi shook her head after glancing at him. "I don't care what Jack has done. He still carries the decency to spare lives—"
"—says the person who just shot an unarmed messenger," Tsau caustically spoke. "…the same person who shot an overwhelmingly attractive female assassin. You have certainly done quite a bit for yourself, Izzi."
"Only Tsau calls me Izzi," Zi replied in denial, almost at a complete loss for words. "I don't know who this person is."
"You knew this was coming," Tsau said. "I've already told you this before we split up to look for Jack and the chest. I even said that 'you knew this was coming'…"
She shook her head. "I never expected you to be like this. You were the one who benevolently volunteered to help us. Why?"
"Again, with that question," he said annoyingly. "Pawns are always a delight. There was always something in it for me."
"We asked many times," Elizabeth asked, stepping in front of her son. "You never answered. The moment feels appropriate."
Tsau looked down, then back up. "That letter. The one from under the piano. I knew everything about it…what to do, why it should be done, but I couldn't get past the how, because you all were in my way."
"Meaning…?"
"I am the Fifth of the Third. The Fifth servant of the Angel of Death. I undertook the duty to restore the natural order of death, which is why the Necromortalis has been haunting me for the past two years.
"Why, you ask?" Tsau gave off a troubled smirk. "I am a killer. Throughout my lifetime, I've killed countless and countless of human beings; generations of mothers, fathers…then this talk of death came along. About natural order."
A moment of silence was evident, as the information sunk in to those who never knew.
"So you're doing this for the Captain of the Dutchman?" Zi asked. "You're doing this for natural order?"
Tsau shook his head and scowled. "No. I'm doing this for myself. The Angel of Death grants the one who restores it anything they wish."
"Then I suppose said Angel can grant me the Dutchman," Jack muttered.
"No," Tsau sharply said. "That is where the line stops, and that is why I need the dagger."
Will put away his pistol. "What are you hoping to receive from this?"
The Falcon looked down and shut his eyes in a state of disturbed tranquility. "Salvation," and with those words, the three captains and Elizabeth were taken aback, while it was everything Zi expected to hear. "I do not even know if I can be saved anymore…but it's the only shred of hope I have left."
"You don't have to do this," Zi said. "Salvation should not be given through a duty."
"I am tired, Izzi," Tsau replied with a sense of hurt behind his voice. The composure that once surrounded him dissolved. "Tired of fighting. I can no longer stand running away from the trouble that follows me. I can no longer stand how death is breathing right behind my shoulder. I have been praying to God the past five years…and he isn't answering me, so now I'm going to take my fate into my own hands. It is all I have left.
"Now…you have two options. Hand me the dagger or I'll take it," Tsau said abruptly. The intimidation in his voice caused the tension to rise even faster.
A slow pause delayed the ensuing moment.
Jack swiftly pulled his pistol and pointed it at Will. "I think I'll be leaving here with that dagger, eunuch."
The sound of the hammer clicking backwards caused Jack to look down below, and the sight of the gun barrel pointed toward his crotch sent a chill down his spine.
"I wonder if you will still make eunuch remarks after I pull the trigger," Will replied.
Barbossa then pointed two pistols at the both of them. "I'm afraid I must be doin' me own work now, laddies. The Dagger and the Dutchman will be under Commodore Barbossa."
Elizabeth then came in with a pistol behind Barbossa. "Not if I have anything to say about it."
Jack pointed a second pistol at her. "Just to be safe, love."
From behind, Tsau held up a trigun at Jack and his blade towards Elizabeth. "I'm not playing any games here. Don't expect me to spare you like a friend would."
"I wouldn't, either," Zi spoke, holding the trigun to the back of her friend's head.
"That's it," Tsau spoke in encouragement, but his voice soon died into seriousness. "But…just how far are you willing to go to stop me?"
Zi had trouble grasping her focus. The gun began to shake.
"Tsau…don't do this," she stated redundantly. "You don't want to do this."
"Desire is irrelevant," Tsau said.
Zi's composure began to fracture. "Why, Tsau?! Why are you so loyal to that…that Nesirus?!"
"Who says I'm with Nesirus?" Tsau stated. "There's only one person I dedicate my complete loyalty to. If I have to kill you…"
"—you would have done it already," Zi cut him off.
The explosion of collision took the breath out of the pirates as an object smashed into the Pearl, killing off a few of the overseas bandits. Cannonfire, but who? An echo from far away pummeled the navy, and the standoff between the dagger-hunters broke off as they tried to regain their balance.
Gibbs looked far into the distance, and spotted a completely black ship. Undead roars could be faintly heard, and in front of the wild undead beasts stood a cloaked being, stable and composed, and looked like it commanded the ship. The Necromortalis.
"Cap'n! Cap'n!"
Jack stood up. "I know! Retrieve that dagger first!"
As Jack scurried clumsily around to get to the dagger, he went over to Zi and kneeled beside her.
"Where is it?! Where is it?!" he asked in a state of panic.
"No!" Zi exclaimed, shaking her head.
Jack pulled out his pistol and pulled the hammer backwards. "Come on now, love. Show me where it is!"
Another cannonball sank into the ship, and supplies scattered all over the top deck.
He stood up and yelled out to his crew, "Return fire, you scallywags! A premature death is not wanted! No one sinks my damn ship!"
The crew immediately stood up and went to work, along with the navy, fighting against the untamed Necromortalis. Jack scanned the deck hopelessly, but a glimpse of the black dagger brought his hopes up. As he drew closer, he could already feel the Dutchman in his hands. He reached for it, but in one swift swoop, it was gone from the floor. Jack looked up and saw the Falcon swinging on a rope, with the dagger in his hands. On the ark back down, Tsau sheathed the dagger and landed back down on the far side of the deck. As he stood back up, the hammer click could be heard, and he turned to face Elizabeth. In an act of deception, he pretended to look behind her as if the black ship was about to return fire, and she took the bait, turning to look at what was behind her. At the blink of an eye, Tsau's arm promptly knocked her arm away, causing the gun to fly out of her grip at the expense of a misfired gunshot.
Bill watched in awe as the assassin quickly scaled up the mast and flew onto one of the ropes effortlessly, with the momentum into the direction of the navy ship. Tsau's swing was short-lived, however, as another gunshot hit the rope he swung on right as he gripped it. Looking at the shooter, Bill watched his dad toss the navy rifle and draw his sword, awaiting Tsau's arrival from the air. Tsau landed safely and spotted the captain of the Dutchman. Drawing his blade and the dagger, Tsau clashed with the captain and initiated a swordfight. After blocking a few attacks, Will defended another one, but this time delivered by Barbossa. While the three fought rigorously for the dagger, Jack jumped into the fight as well, engaging into a four man duel. The presence of the Necromortalis came closer, and the sky began to darken and cloud up. Rain began to fall hard within a matter of minutes. As they traded blows and utilized most of the deck, Jack split off from Tsau and Will and fought against Barbossa. Will was still fighting against Tsau, and the two seemed equally matched in their blade skills.
"How often do you practice?" Will asked, ducking and dodging Tsau's quick strokes.
"Enough," Tsau replied. "You?"
"I used to practice 3 hours a day," he said, colliding with Tsau. "With the abundance of time on the Dutchman, I practice 5 hours."
Tsau engaged in a powers struggle with Will as the two had their blades up in opposition, forcing their strengths onto one another.
"Practice does not give you experience," Tsau said as Will began to overpower him. "I have experience."
The purposeful weakening of Tsau in the power struggle caused Will to have a hint of underestimation, which opened up for a surprise. Tsau planted his feet firmly on the ground and exploded upwards, throwing Will off his balance, and cut him across the abdomen in the process.
Will stood back up, drenched in the rain, and inspected his wound. "You fool. I am invincible."
Tsau held up the dagger that had blood stains on it. "This disproves it."
A sharp, piercing pain overwhelmed the Dutchman's captain. The Dagger of Black Death nullifies his invulnerability, and now a significant loss of hope overcame him.
"Are you going to kill me?" Will asked with his hand over his cut. It was not deep, although Will wondered if Tsau purposefully made it that way.
Tsau shook his head. "I'm not under contract to kill you. Get in my way again, and I shall do so."
Bill rushed over to his father, along with Elizabeth, and watched as the assassin rushed towards the navy ship. The troops on the ship were already fighting against the undead forces.
"Will…what happened?" Elizabeth asked.
Will sat up and watched Tsau. "The dagger hurts."
The son kept a close eye on his father, then looked back up. "Maria! She's still in the cabin somewhere!"
"The girl," Will acknowledged. He stood up and started walking towards the Dutchman. "We must save her, then."
Elizabeth helped her husband on the small trip towards his ship.
Tsau shoved and hacked his way through the undead soldiers and even some of the opposing navy. As he stared through the chaos, the being on the other end gave him a menacing look. It appears that the Necromortalis just couldn't resist not fighting Tsau. Drawing his blade, Tsau watched as the Necromortalis unsheathed a black rapier. They began to make their way towards one another, killing off any opposition in their path.
"I've beaten myself," Tsau spoke under his breath. "Now I can beat you."
In Tsau's mind, this was the opportune moment. Will Turner's blood was on the dagger, cleansed by the blood of its liberator, and he was now ready to finish off the monster that has been haunting him for the past three years. But the Necromortalis knew that restoring the natural order was out of the question here.
"We shall see…" the Necromortalis spoke in a twisted voice.
The true liberator is sitting behind a desk, reviewing some battle plans right now. Governor Blackwell. The foolish, young Falcon will be the cause of his own demise.
Once again, I am sorry to the readers out there for the looooong delay. Following this delay, I'll try to get more time to work on the story on the weekend, because the story is nearing its end. Uh…please review if you can. Thanks for being patient.