(A/N: Merry Christmas, everyone. Well, a few days past, but a Merry Christmas all the same. So, for your belated present, I give you the next chapter. Now that character introductions are over, we can get back to the ones we already know and love. And you know what that means; some classic Jack Sparrow shenanigans. Let's get to it.)
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Chapter 2: Museum Heist
Museums were a far cry from what they would one day be in the future, but that didn't mean that they didn't have many fascinating displays, nor did it mean that they didn't gain the attention of many visitors eager to see the displays and learn about the history of them.
Of course, museums required guides to show visitors around. Not just to provide the history of the displays, but also to make sure that nothing was stolen. And while the museums did have security, they were mostly present at the entrance, with just a few guards scattered throughout them wandering about. They attempted to stay out of the way of the visitors, though they were sure to keep an eye on them to make sure no one so much as touched the displays.
Currently, a tour was taking place in this particular, the guide leading the group through one section after another, providing a detailed history on the displays, sometimes lingering, sometimes simply gesturing to them in passing. At the moment, the tour guide led the group down a hall that displayed medieval suits of armors standing across from each other down a hall. The guide didn't so much as glance at them as he led his group along, droning on in great detail about things the visitors would likely forget about the moment the tour ended.
"Many knights would wear these suits of armor in battle," the guide explained as he walked past them. "In some cases, there were knights who were so committed to their duties that the armor they wore could not be removed unless it was destroyed. Although this armor protected most of their body, there are some weak parts that could exploited by…"
The guide droned on, and as the group walked by the suits of armor, one of the heads slowly turned to watch them as they turned the corner. As the guide's voice faded off as the group got further and further way, the suit of armor stepped down from the stand it was on and began carefully making its way through the museum, poking its head around corners to make sure no one was looking before quickly tiptoeing down another hall.
It didn't go by completely unseen though, as another group seeing a different part of the museum came walking by. The suit of armor quickly entered display mode, freezing where it was and assuming position, despite the fact that it was clearly in the wrong section.
Fortunately, all the tour guides seemed to be moving on autopilot, some of them not even bothering to open their eyes as they smugly walked through the museum, knowing its layout by heart. Those that still bothered to keep their eyes open were only semi-aware of their surroundings as they more or less zoned out, and so didn't even notice that something was out of place. As for the visitors, they were too ignorant to question the misplaced armor, and even if they weren't, all questions were asked to be held until the end of the tour. As for the museum's security, they simply made sure none of the visitors so much as touched anything; they didn't concern themselves with misplaced displays.
And speaking of the security, as the suit of armor neared its destination, it once more became inanimate as a guard walked past, coming to a pause a few feet away. Reaching into his picket, the guard pulled out a pocket watch, checking the time until his shift ended. The suit of armor's head slowly turned in his direction to watch him. The guard seemed to become aware that he was being watched and glanced at the suit of armor, but its head quickly faced forward again.
Giving the suit of armor a strange look, the guard moved on, and the suit of armor went on the move once more, taking a turn down a hall that led to displays of Ancient Greece. Many statues, artifacts, and other historical items were on display in the room, and the suit of armor, looking very out of place, made its way over to the one it was looking for.
They found it soon enough, coming to a stop in front of two statues. The first was of a girl dressed in the clothes of royalty that one would expect of in Ancient Greece, reaching out as if to embrace the statue in front of it. This statue was of a king, who, for some reason, had the ears of a donkey. The king was reaching out with one hand, his index finger extended to touch the statue of the girl. Unlike the rest of the statue, which was carved from marble, this hand was made of solid gold, its wrist made of iron.
Reaching up, the suit of armor removed the helmet, revealing the smirking face of Jack Sparrow beneath it. "Hello, your majesty."
His gaze ran down the statue of the king, settling on the golden hand. He began to reach for it, then hesitated. He pulled his hand back and removed the metal glove, then retracted his hand up into the suit of armor. He shifted around for a few moments before the blade of his sword slid down the metal sleeve, and he gently tapped it to the golden hand, as if testing it for something.
When nothing happened, he smiled again, and his hand took the place of his sword in the metal sleeve, and he reached for the golden hand again. He grasped it and tried to pull it loose, but the hand didn't budge. A frown grazed Jack's face as he pulled harder. Still nothing, so he grasped it with both hands and tried to wiggle it loose.
As he wiggled, the hand suddenly turned. Jack raised an eyebrow at that and instead turned the hand. It began to unscrew, and Jack smiled once more. He kept unscrewing until the hand came free, revealing that the metal base had a hilt about a foot long that he could hold it by.
Jack held up the golden hand, examining it curiously, a look of interest on his face. He brought it close to his face, and used the extended index finger to scratch his nose, then went back to examining it again.
"What is this?"
Jack froze at the voice that came from behind him. He slowly turned around to find the same guard from before standing behind him, a look of bewilderment on his face. Jack slowly glanced down at himself, still dressed in the suit of armor, then back up at the guard. In one quick motion, he swung the helmet he had worn, hitting the guard in the head and knocking him out.
"Sorry about that, mate," he told him, as if he hadn't just hit him over the head. "I don't envy you the headache you'll have when you wake up."
He smiled at the statue of the king he had stolen the hand from and gave it a small salute. His eyes drifted lower to where the hand had been, and he noticed something poking out of the wrist. He curiously took it, and found that it was a rolled-up piece of paper. He removed the seal and unrolled it, revealing what appeared to be a map.
"Well that's convenient," he commented, looking it over.
As he examined the map, the voices of either the previous tour guide or a new one suddenly reached his ears, and he looked up from the map and glanced in the direction of the incoming voice. He then looked at the missing hand of the statue, down at the unconscious guard on the floor, and then at himself in the suit of armor.
"Oh, bugger."
As the tour group entered the room, they came to a stop. The museum guides might know their way through the museum and could give the tour like clockwork to the point where they didn't notice certain different details, but they definitely noticed the unconscious guard lying on the ground.
The guide and the tour group looked from the unconscious guard to the trail of armor that led through an exit to the room, while elsewhere in the museum, Jack made a run for it. The only problem was, he wasn't exactly sure which way to go to get out. It was a big museum, and being in the suit of armor had greatly obstructed his vision, making it hard to recognize which way he had come from. And with so many twists and turns, he found himself going in circles.
"You need a bloody map just to get through this place," he muttered irritably.
The sound of angry voices and rushing footsteps soon reached him, and he became aware that his presence had become known. That was going to make getting out even more difficult. More likely than not, guards would be station around all the exits too. What more, they would likely be calling more guards from outside the museum to come assist them.
This proved to be true, for as Jack hurried along, he suddenly had to skid to a halt as three more guards rushed down the hall he had been planning on turning down. Fortunately, they didn't see him, but it was safe to assume that that way was not safe.
He backed away slowly so as to not let his footsteps be heard echoing down the hall, and turned around to possibly go back the way he came and head in a different direction. But then his gaze turned to a large window, and he pointed to it before nodding to himself and walking over to it.
Pushing the window open, he hopped up on the ledge and surveyed his surroundings. Looking down, he saw that there were several small stands lined up against the museum, and he considered the drop down to them. But then the sound of voices and footsteps coming his way were heard, and that made up his mind for him.
Jumping down, he fell towards the stand below, intending to have the tent break his fall and allow him to bounce right off of it. But, apparently, the tent wasn't in the best condition, because instead of bouncing off of it, he tore straight through it, startling the fruit stand owner as he landed in their lap.
"Oi!" the owner cried. "What do you think you're doing?"
Jack glanced at him. "Terribly sorry. Just dropping in."
He quickly scrambled out of the owner's lap and over the counter, snatching up a watermelon in the process as he slipped into the crowd, the stand owner shouting for the guards. He pushed his way through the crowd, rushing into the street and up to a carriage being pulled along by a horse. Holding the watermelon under one arm, he climbed up onto the side and shuffled his way to the front, slipping into the seat beside the coachman, who gave him a bewildered look.
"Who the blazes!?" he exclaimed.
Without missing a beat, Jack raised the watermelon over his head and brought it down on the coachman's head, who slumped over, unconscious. The commotion drew the attention of the passenger in the carriage, who stuck their head out of the small window.
"What is going on?"
Jack looked back at them. "I'm afraid your ride has faced an unscheduled delay."
Pulling his sword out, he hoped onto the horse and cut it free of the carriage. He rode off as the carriage flopped down, causing the coachman to tumble to the ground and the passenger to nearly fall out the window. Jack paid them no mind as he rode along, but, unfortunately, the commotion he had caused had drawn the attention of the already active guards, and they were soon after him.
Jack rode through the town as the guards chased after him, the townsfolk jumping out of the way as he went off road. He jumped over obstacles in his way, then turned down an alley. As he rode down it, he carefully got into a crouching position on the horse's back, trying to balance as he road along. He timed things just right, then jumped up to grab hold of a clothesline that ran from one home structure to another. It couldn't bear his weight, and one of the ends came loose, but that had been part of the plan, and Jack climbed up the clothesline until he reached the windowsill, the pulled himself up onto the roof.
Brushing himself off, Jack walked along the rooftops, hopping from one roof to another, watching in mild amusement as the guards ran down alleyways looking for him. He eventually came to the final structure. Any further and he would be walking out into the ocean.
Humming nonchalantly, he walked over to the edge of the roof, to where a barrel sat. Picking it up, he put it over his head, and it came down to his waist. He then jumped from the roof, splashing down into the water. The barrel bobbed to the surface with Jack inside it, and he began kicking along, looking nothing more than a lone barrel floating along in the water. Using the hole in the barrel to see through, he made his way along to his destination.
It was slow going, but he eventually got to the dock. Taking a breath, he came out of the barrel, and then climbed up onto the dingy tied to the dock. He casually untied it and raised the sail, then reached up to lift the cord around his neck, at the end of which was a compass that he popped open. He watched as the needle pointed in a direction, and he looked out into the horizon. Several ships could be seen, and the compass pointed to one in particular. Just to be sure, Jack broke out his miniature telescope and looked through it.
Sure enough, there it was, the Black Pearl, the fastest ship in the Caribbean, and Jack's pride and joy. It never failed to bring a smile to Jack's face, and he closed his telescope before pushing off the dock, setting sail for his beloved ship.
Soon enough, he was being hoisted up onto the deck, and was greeted by the smiling face of his oldest and best friend, his ever loyal first mate, Joshamee Gibbs. Jack casually reached into his jacket and brought out the rod with the golden hand at the end that he had stolen and placed it in Gibbs' hands.
The first mate glanced down at it, then a Jack once more. "I take it everything went according to plan."
Jack casually began making his way across his ship, not even glancing at his first mate. "It always does, Gibbs. You should know that by now."
This was met by a narrow-eyed look from Gibbs as he followed after him. "Not to disagree, but I can think of many instances where your plans don't go the way you intend."
"No," Jack stubbornly countered, "I simply had to improvise along the way a bit, but they still go according to plan. Speaking of which…" He reached into his jacket once more and pulled out the map he had obtained from the statue that was still damp from his swimming adventure. "I got a little bonus. Turns out there was a map hidden with it as well."
He handed the map to Gibbs as well, who took it without question. Jack placed his hands on his hips, looking rather pleased with himself. Suddenly though, a monkey dropped down onto Jack's shoulder, startling him. He got over his surprise quickly though as the monkey pulled on one of his braids.
Rolling his eyes, Jack reached into his jacket once more and pulled out a banana he had also obtained from the fruit stand and handed it to the monkey. "There you go, beastie."
Jack the Monkey accepted the banana and hopped off. Even though he now seemed to recognize Jack as his new owner ever since his previous one, Hector Barbossa, died saving his daughter, Jack still wasn't overly fond of the cursed undead monkey, though he did admit that the little imp had its uses.
Gibbs paid them no mind as he unrolled the map and looked at its contents, his eyes going wide as his eyes scammed it. "By gods, Jack. This map shows us just where to find what it is we're looking for."
"Mmm-hmm," Jack muttered proudly. "Soon enough, we'll get our hands on the greatest treasure the world has ever seen."
Gibbs' eyes were bright with excitement as he continued looking over the map. "The Tomb of Midas. One can only wonder what kinds of riches are inside."
"Considering it's the real thing this time," another more skeptical voice spoke out.
Both Jack and Gibbs turned to the speaker, and found the other members of the crew, which currently consisted of five others. The one who had spoken was known as Scrum, whom Jack had first met aboard the ship of Black Beard, the Queen Anna's Revenge, and whom had stuck by Jack's side ever since, excluding the brief period where the entire crew had lost faith in Jack as a captain and left him.
Standing a foot and a half shorter than Scrum was Marty, one of Jack's most loyal crew members, also excluding the time where he too had joined Scrum in abandoning Jack when they lost faith in him, and the time Barbossa and convinced Jack's former crew to ditch him in Tortuga and take off on the Pearl.
Beside him was Mr. Cotton, someone who Jack had mixed feelings about. While Jack liked the man well enough, the fact that he'd had his tongue cut out, preventing him from being able to talk anymore, Cotton had somehow taught his parrot to talk for him. This, Jack found to be annoying at times, especially when he still couldn't always make sense out of what the bird was saying.
The last two were the newest members of the crew, but were very loyal. Mullroy and Murtogg were former members of the British Royal Navy, who had switched sides during the final battle with Davy Jones and the East India Trading Company, opting to become pirates rather than be forced to follow the immoral orders of Jones and Lord Cutler Beckett. Ever since they joined Barbossa's crew, they had been faithful and loyal to him up until his death, after which they had joined Jack's crew, becoming just as loyal to him as they were to their former captain.
Jack could honestly say that he was proud of his crew. Even though they had all, technically, betrayed him at some point, he trusted them, at least as much as he could bring himself to trust a person. And while Cotton and Marty had indeed gone with Barbossa when he took the Pearl, their consciences had gotten the better of them, and so they hopped ship at their earliest chance. Which, fortunately for them, had spared them of Barbossa and his crew's encounter with the dreaded pirate Edward Teague, more commonly known as Blackbeard.
Mullroy and Murtogg hadn't been so lucky, but the two of them, along with a handful of other crew members, had managed to escape the Pearl in a lifeboat before Blackbeard had trapped it in a magic bottle, taking care of their captain who had cut off his own leg in order escape, then later rejoined his crew after Barbossa took over the Queen Anna's Revenge, unlike poor Jack the Monkey, who had been trapped in the bottle with the Pearl until Barbossa broke it, and his pet, out of the bottle.
But all that was in the past. Whatever loyalty they had to Barbossa died with him, and their allegiances were now to Jack. As long as he didn't prove himself to be an incompetent captain again. But as long as he had the Black Pearl, Jack was certain that that would never happen.
"What makes you think this won't be the real thing?" Jack asked in regards to Scrum's question.
The crewmember in question crossed his arms. "You know bloody well why. We went searching for Midas' treasure before, and as I recall, that didn't turn out so well."
"Aye," Marty nodded in agreement.
Jack reluctantly admitted that they had a point. Back when the Pearl was still sealed in a bottle, they had gone in search of King Midas' treasure before. What they had found instead was, as Scrum had put it, "a pile of donkey dung". It was just one of the many disappointments that had led to his crew abandoning him.
But with the return of the Black Pearl, Jack too had been restored to his former glory, and as such, had returned to doing what he did best, sailing the seas, searching for treasure. It was on one of these journeys that they had stumbled across some information that indicated that perhaps their search for Midas' treasure wasn't quite the dead-end they had thought it was. Which had eventually led them to where they were right now. And Jack was confident that they would be able to find what they were looking for this time.
"A-ha!" he exclaimed, holding up his index fingers. "But this is different. This isn't the treasure of Midas. This is the Tomb of Midas. And you know what's in there."
"A corpse!" Murtogg answered immediately, looking proud of himself.
Jack resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Not just a corpse. The ultimate treasure."
"Rawk!" Cotton's parrot squawked. "Myths and legends! Myths and legends!"
Gibbs came up beside Jack, giving the men a determined look. "Aye, but myths and legends stem from truth." He held up the map and the golden hand. "And these here items be the truth. Once we find Midas' tomb, there's sure to be something valuable in there."
Jack gave a firm nod. "Aye. And if what should be in there is really in there, then we all of us will be the richest blokes who ever sailed the seas. Savvy."
The crewmates looked at each other, seemingly having some unspoken communication, and coming to a decision. Marty then crossed his arms and gave Jack a look. "Alright, we're in. But we're going to need a bigger crew for a job like this."
"Aye," Mullroy agreed. "We're tired of having a bare minimum crew who has to do all the work."
Smiling in satisfaction, Jack snapped his fingers. "Our very next objective. Set sail for Tortuga. Come on, men, look alive; this is the job of a lifetime."
Heeding his orders, the crew set out get the ship ready for open sea travel. Once more looking proud of himself, Jack made his way towards the captain's quarters for some well-deserved rest after his heist in town. Gibbs followed after him, looking somewhat skeptical, despite his earlier claims.
"Well, you best hope this be the job of a lifetime," he told Jack. "Both of us have reached our sixties. I'm not sure how much longer either of us can keep this up."
"Age is but a number, Gibbs," Jack told him carelessly. "You're only as old as you feel."
"Well, I'm feelin' it, Jack. Not sure how much more adventure I have in me."
Jack paused mid-step, then turned around and pointed both index fingers at him. "Are you saying you want to retire to land, Gibbs?"
His first mate rolled his eyes. "I wouldn't go that far. Just sayin' that I don't know how many more of these grand adventures I can take. And land ain't all that bad. I know you love the sea, Jack, but have you never once considering finding a place on land, even if it's for a limited time."
A strange look crossed over Jack's face, as if he were considering it, but then he shook his head as if the very idea were ridiculous. "Nope, not once. If I can't sail the seas forever, then I'll die at them."
Gibbs rolled his eyes as Jack turned around and continued on his way. "You ever consider that may not be the best idea now that the Dutchman no longer ferries the souls of those who died at sea to the afterlife."
Jack uncaringly waved this off. Truthfully though, it was something he hadn't considered. Ever since the Trident of Poseidon was destroyed, thus ending all the magic and curses of the sea, the Flying Dutchman had lost all its supernatural powers. Long ago, the goddess Calypso had given her lover, Davy Jones, the job of ferrying the souls of those who died at sea to the afterlife. Seeing as how those deaths were usually a result of drowning or something similarly as traumatic, this was meant to make the journey and transition from life to death easier.
Jones had been deeply in love with Calypso, and she with him. However, as a mortal, he would eventually die and be separated her forever. By becoming the captain of the Flying Dutchman, he gained eternal life and borderline immortality. And every ten years, he would have been able to return to land for a single day to be with her. It was steep price, but it was one he was willing to pay if it meant he could forever be with his love, even if it was for a single day every ten years. After all, the two of them would have eternity.
Unbeknownst to him, however, way back during the war between the gods and the titans, Calypso had sided with her father, the titan known as Atlas. And when the titans lost the war, Calypso's punishment for siding with them was to never be with those she loved. And so, when Jones had served his first ten years and gone to land to be with Calypso, she had not been there.
Feeling betrayed, thinking he had been tricked into an eternity of servitude, Jones had abandoned his duty, leaving the souls of those who died at sea to find their way to the afterlife on their own. In doing so, he corrupted his purpose, using his position as the Dutchman's captain for his own agenda. That is, until he was killed, and Will Turner had become the new captain, restoring the Dutchman to its former glory and purpose. At least until Poseidon's Trident had been destroyed, ending all the magic of the sea, reducing the Dutchman to a normal ship, and leaving its crew as normal people once more. Which meant once again having the souls of those who died at sea having to find their own way to the afterlife.
While it was true that Jack hadn't thought about this before, he found that it didn't concern him, and he told Gibbs as much. "Souls have been finding their way to the afterlife on their own just fine the whole time Jones wasn't doing his job, they'll continue to do so now, and so will I when my time comes." He glanced back at Gibbs. "I mean, so what if it takes them a little longer to get there than it would if the Dutchman brought them. The afterlife isn't going anywhere, mate, and they're all dead, so they have all the time in the world."
Gibbs just rolled his eyes at Jack's easy dismissal. "The real reason I brought up the Dutchman is because now that all the Turners are free, perhaps one of them would might want to come along on this little journey. Or maybe Carina; she is Barbossa's daughter after all. Hell, maybe even Bootstrap would be interested."
He watched Jack wince, as if the memory of the people in question was unpleasant. Gibbs knew it was mostly an act though. Despite the Turners occasionally being enemies of Jack, they were actually some of his best and closest friends. He liked to pretend otherwise and act as if he couldn't stand them, but Gibbs knew that he was actually rather fond of them. And how could he not be after everything they had been through?
It was quite a tale too. Jack had first met Will Turner, son of his then most loyal crewmember, Bootstrap Bill Turner, many years ago. He'd helped Will save Elizabeth Swann, Will's eventual future wife, from Barbossa after she had been kidnapped, and Will had helped Jack reclaim the Pearl. They had even combated Jones and Beckett together. And while there had been betrayal on all of their parts, they had also saved each other's lives many times. Jack had even given up his chance at immortality by allowing Will to become the new captain of the Flying Dutchman in order to save his life.
Years later, Jack had even befriended Henry Turner, son of Will and Elizabeth. As the captain of the Dutchman, Will could only return to land once every ten years. Upon meeting up with his wife for the first time in a decade, he had discovered that the two of them had a son, Henry. Since he could not stay with them himself, Will had asked his father, Bootstrap, to stay with his wife and son to help them get by, freeing him from his duty to the Dutchman.
Bootstrap had agreed to stay with them, but upon losing the last ties to his family, especially now knowing that he had a son, Will had fallen into a depression, and had begun unintentionally neglecting his duties as captain. As such, the same corruption that had taken over Jones had begun to settle into Will, along with the Dutchman and its crew.
Henry had become determine to free his father from the cursed ship, and so, upon learning about Jack from his mother and grandfather, had sought him out. Ironically, he had met up with the long lost daughter of Barbossa, Carina, and together they had taken part in the fall of the pirate killer, Captain Salazar, helped Jack regain his former glory, and freed Will from his bond to the Dutchman and the corruption taking hold of him, allowing him to go home to his family as a normal living person.
But just as Gibbs expected, Jack refused to acknowledge his fondness for the Turner family, and instead, made a show of looking appalled. "You expect me to shanghai them? I've had more than enough of the Turners. Besides, young Henry and Carina probably have a load of little ones to take care of right now. Honestly, Gibbs, next you'll probably suggest that I try to recruit the missionary and his mermaid love."
Gibbs knew that Jack was referring to the Phillip Swift, the missionary he had met aboard Blackbeard's ship, and the mermaid he named Syrena. Gibbs always did wonder what happened to the boy. From what he had been heard, Phillip had taken off to save the mermaid he had fallen in love with from a horrible death.
If Gibbs had to wager a guess though, he would assume that she had taken him into the sea with her. That's what mermaids did after all. Primarily, they would feast on the flesh of men, but when they chose one for a mate, they would turn them into one of the merfolk so they could be together; anyone else they would happily devour. Just as Jack said about Henry and Carina, Phillip and Syrena probably had a whole school of mer-babies to deal with. Gibbs certainly hoped the two of them would teach their young not to prey on humans.
"I was actually thinking of Bootstrap more so than the others," Gibbs clarified.
Jack's expression changed, and a look of nostalgia crossed his face. Bootstrap Bill Turner was one of Jack's best and oldest friends, whom he had a great deal of respect for. And although he had taken part in the mutiny that had caused Jack to initially lose the Pearl decades ago, he had only done so because he had been outvoted by the rest of the crew. Had he not taken part in the mutiny, he too would have been marooned on a deserted island along with Jack.
"I think old Bootstrap's time at sea is over," Jack replied regretfully. "Even when he served on the Pearl, he always regretted leaving his family. I doubt he could bring himself to do it again."
Reluctantly agreeing, Gibbs gave a small nod. "Aye, you're probably right."
Shaking his head of such memories, Jack brightened up. "Besides, there are countless other fools who'd be happy to sail under Jack Sparrow."
Gibbs wobbled his head in acknowledgement. While it was true that Jack's reputation had suffered over the years, he was still a great pirate and had made quite a name for himself, ever since he was a boy and first became the captain of the Black Pearl and defeated Salazar. The stories of his many adventures since them had only made his reputation become that much greater. True, there had many things that had been exaggerated, even made up, but he had still accomplished many incredibly feats. There would indeed be many who would be eager to join his crew. Especially when they learned what he would be sailing for this time.
"We'll certainly find what we're looking for in Tortuga," Gibbs acknowledged.
Jack raised an eyebrow. "Yes… that's why I told the crew to set sail for it." He gave his first mate a sympathetic look. "Honestly, mate, maybe you are getting too old."
(A/N: Ah, good old Jack, up to his old tricks again. I really tried to capture the magic of his character, and let me tell you, that's not an easy thing to do. I also couldn't help referencing the past movies a bit. In case you couldn't tell, this story takes place a few years after Dead Men Tell No Tales. And now they're off on another adventure. But little do they know that trouble is on the horizon, and trouble certainly loves Jack. Let's see how long he can stay out of it. I'll see you next time. Next update will be in two weeks instead of three. That should be the standard from here on out.)