(A/N: Well, I'm finally getting to this. I've been wanting to do a POTC story for some time and have had this idea for quite awhile. The movies are well-known for using famous pirates in their plots, Blackbeard, Davy Jones, etc. Well, with POTC and Peter Pan belonging to Disney, I just had to use one of their most famous pirates. Seriously, how could I resist throwing Captain Hook into a POTC story? Of course, it'll take some tweaking, but I think I got this. I've been brainstorming for quite awhile, and I'm putting a lot into this, so I hope you enjoy it.)
Disclaimer: I own nothing.
"PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: A PIRATE'S LEGACY"
Chapter 1: The Jolly Roger
"Yo-ho, yo-ho, a pirate's life for me."
The song was sung silently, barely above a whisper, almost lost amongst the sound of the wind blowing and the crashing sound of the waves, but the singer was singing more for herself than for anyone present. It was a curious song though; one that was known to all, but could be loud and merry, or slow and eerie.
In this particular instance, the singer had opted for slow and eerie. It seemed appropriate for this time of day, of what soon would be dusk. The sun was close to beginning its descent upon the horizon, its light casting an orange glow on the girl's olive skin.
No, girl was not the right word. She was a woman in her early to early-thirties. She wasn't dressed like a typical woman though; opting not to go for a dress or fancy clothes, but instead donning the kinds of clothes a hardworking sailor might wear while at sea. Which only made sense, as that was precisely where she was. The only woman among a crew of men onboard a ship that went by the name the Gray Dolphin, and not all of the men were happy about her presence.
"Oi, girl!" one of the crewmen shouted at her.
'Speak of the devil,' she thought irritably, resisting the urge to roll her eyes as she wondered what the probably drunk buffoon of a first mate wanted this time.
Turning to the rather scruffy-looking man, who did indeed appear to have gotten into the rum once more, she crossed her arms. "Yes, Mr. Stanford?"
She hadn't meant to let her disdain slip into her voice, and she hoped he didn't notice. He didn't seem to though as he pointed an accusing finger at her. "Still your tongue, wench. I'll not have yeh singing about pirates on my ship."
She raised an eyebrow at that. "As I have told you before, my name is Jolene, and I do believe this is Captain Morales' ship, not yours."
The first mate, Mr. Stanford, just scowled. "It may be the captain's ship, but it's me who runs it. The captain's an old fool. He never should have brought a woman onboard; 'tis bad luck. And now yeh be singing about pirates. Yeh invite ill will upon us."
This time Jolene couldn't resist rolling her eyes. Having a woman onboard was bad luck? Such nonsense. Why, there were many great seafarers who were women. Her own mother had been the captain of a ship. Two of the current Pirate Lords were women, one of them even being the current Pirate King. Bad luck indeed!
Of course, there was no use in arguing the point with a superstitious fool like Mr. Stanford. Many sailors were superstitious about many things. Which made sense considering all the strange things that happened at sea, but some of the things they believed were completely ludicrous.
However, that did not mean all superstitious were fake. Many myths and legends had proven to be true. Jolene had heard her fair share of stories over the years from trustworthy sources, and had even encountered a few things herself. But still, the sexist belief that she would bring misfortune by being on a ship simply because of her gender was where she drew the line.
But she wasn't in the mood to argue, so instead she put on her best apologetic face. "I'll be sure to keep my singing to myself, sir."
It seemed that Mr. Stanford wasn't quite so drunk that he missed the false sincerity in her voice, or maybe he was just deliberately being rude as he responded, "See that yeh do, otherwise I may just tie yeh to the front of the ship and yeh can spend the rest of the trip serving as the Dolphin's new figurehead. It be the only thing yeh'd be good for if yeh don't intend to spread yer legs for us."
Jolene had the incredible urge to slap him. No, not slap him, punch him square in the jaw. Or maybe a kick in the groin would be more suitable. Unlike the women Mr. Stanford probably associated with, she had standards. Not that she held anything against women who made a living in such a way, they were free to do whatever they wanted with their bodies, but she was not going to whore herself out when she could get what she wanted and needed on her own terms.
Like her place on this ship. She had earned it through hard work and determination, proving that she could hold her own, just like any man, be it in working with her hands, sailing a ship, or using a sword. She supposed she got that from her mother.
Her mother was a strong, brave woman, who had taught her everything she knew, wanting Jolene to be able to handle anything life threw at her. Since Jolene's father wasn't in their lives, her mother had done her best to fill the role of both parents, and she did a damn good job of it as far as Jolene was concerned.
Until she got sick, really sick, and simply didn't get better. The doctors hadn't been able to help, and she had died a few months ago. It been a very tough time for Jolene, but she had pulled through. And now that she was on her own, she had gone out to explore the world. And to seek. Seek something she wanted desperately.
But Jolene was resourceful, and she did what she needed to do to get by, growing into her own person and finding her place in the world, despite the blatant sexism she sometimes faced, especially from pigs like Mr. Stanford. Next time she would have to be more limiting when choosing a crew to join.
As she returned to her duty of swabbing the deck, a job that was, quite frankly, beneath her, she felt a hand pat her back in an almost desperate attempt to get her attention. Jolene let out a frustrated sigh, thinking perhaps Mr. Stanford had returned with more to say, and turned around.
It was not Mr. Stanford though, but another crewmember, one who had also been assigned to deck swabbing duty with her. His name was Stanley, if she recalled correctly, and he was younger than her, barely in his twenties, and he as one of the more polite members of the crew, so she knew this wasn't an attempt to be rude or disrespectful on his part.
Currently though, he had his back to her as he looked off somewhere, reaching out blindly in an attempt to get her attention without looking away from whatever he saw, his hand still insistently patting her shoulder.
"Stop it," Jolene scolded, pushing his hand away. "What do you want?"
Stanley, if that was indeed his name, didn't turn around to face her, but he did stop patting her and slowly raised a hand, pointing into the distance. "Begging your pardon, Miss Jolene, but do you see what I see?"
Sighing, Jolene looked to where he was pointing out on the horizon, but saw nothing but open ocean. She wondered if perhaps he was not cut out to be on a sea vessel for so long and was beginning to see things. She turned to ask him what he thought he saw when she noticed that he wasn't actually looking out at the sea, but more up.
Turning her gaze from sea level to the clouds, she caught sight of what he saw, and her brow furrowed with confused interest. It was still too far away to truly make it out, but it kind of looked like…
"No…" she muttered in disbelief, and reached for the small telescope she kept attached to her belt. "It can't be…"
Stanley was of similar mind, but also seemed to be sure of what they were seeing. "Unless my eyes deceive me, it is indeed what it looks like, Miss Jolene."
Extending the telescope, Jolene held it up to her eye, peering through it. She was provided with a much closer view of the incoming object, and she felt her insides clench in fear.
"My God," she whispered, slowly lowering the telescope and turning to Stanley. "It's the actual Jolly Roger."
The color drained from the young man's face. "But that's just an old sea tale."
"Apparently not," she replied, and rushed from her post, suddenly rethinking what Mr. Stanford had said about her singing bringing them misfortune.
Stanley made the sign of the cross over himself as he looked back up at the approaching figure. "Saints preserve us."
Jolene darted across the ship, pushing past other crewmembers, some of which had also taken notice of what she and Stanley had already seen, and were unable to tear their eyes away from it. Jolene paid them no mind as she sought out the first mate since she didn't know where the captain currently was; he couldn't possibly have gotten that far.
She spotted him making his way up some stairs, and she hurried over to him, grabbing hold of his shirtsleeve and turning him around to face her. "Mr. Stanford!"
He pulled away. "Hands off, wench! What's addled yeh?"
"Sir, we're about to be under attack. We must ready the men and the cannons."
He just scoffed at her. "Have yeh lost yer senses? There's not another ship around for miles."
She pointed up behind him. "It's the Jolly Roger! It's about to be upon us!"
The look that crossed his face was mocking and condemning. "Yeh've lost yer wits. Just goes to show that a woman has no place on a…"
He trailed off as he turned around and looked where she was pointing. He saw what had now occupied the attention of nearly the entire crew, and was suddenly rendered speechless. Anyone would be, for a large pirate ship was flying through the air, angled downward as it flew directly towards the humble cargo ship.
Then cannon-fire was heard. It came from the front of the flying vessel, the cannonball soaring through the air at top speed. The first one hit, tearing through the Dolphin, sending splinters flying everywhere. That seemed to break the spell, and crewmembers began running and screaming as they were peppered with cannon-fire. Some tried to get to their own ship's cannons, but getting them into position and angling them upward at the flying ship proved to be difficult, especially while being under fire.
Jolene took cover as the Gray Dolphin was bombarded. She'd heard tales of the Jolly Roger; it was one of the many legends of the sea. And it seemed as if this legend were true. For the past few hundred years, survivors found floating amongst ship wreckage would tell stories of a ship that sailed through the air, attacking other ships it came across before raiding them and then disappearing into the sky once more. And though the idea of a flying ship sounded utterly ridiculous, there were many legends of ships that defied the natural law.
As the Jolly Roger approached, it suddenly turned, exposing its starboard side to the Gray Dolphin. Several more openings were present on the Jolly Roger's side, from which cannons protruded, and they began launching even more cannon-fire than it did from the front. The Dolphin was torn apart by the balls of metal flying through the air, a sitting duck before the superior ship.
After what felt like an eternity, the cannon-fire stopped. Jolene slowly lowered her hands from her head, pushing aside the debris as she looked around. The Gray Dolphin was in utter ruin, fires and shattered remains of the ships scattered everywhere. Dead bodies laid motionless about the deck, including the body of young Stanley, and Jolene had to look away from the horror.
But it seemed that the nightmare wasn't over yet. The Jolly Roger had now settled directly above the Gray Dolphin, and there it proceeded to hover in the air. And then, suddenly, it dropped anchor, a large heavy anchor, several time larger than any anchor Jolene had ever seen before, bigger than even her when standing at full height. It fell from the flying ship, and Jolene's eyes followed it as it came down, crashing through the deck. It broke through one floor after another, possibly even the very bottom deck, letting water begin to flood the ship, if it hadn't started already. The Jolly Roger's anchor was now the only thing preventing the Dolphin from sinking as the flying ship held it up.
Then, all at once, several ropes dropped down from the Jolly Roger. They were accompanied by excited cries as the flying ship's crew dropped down onto the Gray Dolphin. Definitely pirates. They hooted and hollered, waving swords and pistols through the air, then began running around the ship, checking the bodies for survivors. They began rounding up all those who were still alive, cutting down any who fought back, or even resisted. These men were true cutthroat pirates.
A feeling of dread ran through Jolene. While there were pirates who respected women, there were also those that didn't and would have no qualms about taking advantage of one. And Jolene had a sinking feeling that she knew what kinds of men these particular pirates were, and what would happen to her if they got their hands on her. By the time they were finished, if they didn't decide to just kill her, she might end up wishing she were dead. Or worse, they might decide to keep her.
There was no way Jolene was going to let that happen. Fortunately, in her current attire, she might be able to pass herself off as a man. And so, sending a silent prayer of apology and thanks to the dead man she stumbled across, she snatched the hat off his head that had somehow managed to remain in place. Gathering up her long black hair that she wore in a braid, she placed the hat over her head, making sure her hair was hidden inside it while lower the hat so her face would be hard to see.
She then sought out a place to hide, hoping she could remain hidden until these pirates left, then somehow manage to float to some land on some wreckage, or get picked up by a passing ship before she died of thirst.
No such luck. She hadn't managed to get far before she was captured and herded in with the rest of the Gray Dolphin's surviving crewmembers. At the very least, they didn't seem to realize that she was a woman, so it seemed she had some bit of luck remaining. Not much though, considering she ended up being right next to Mr. Stanford.
"Cursed wench," he grumbled as she was sat down next to him. "I knew we'd face misfortune if we brought yeh along. Never should have let a woman sail with us."
Still keeping her head low, she fixed him with a glare from beneath the hat. "This would have happened with or without me. And unless you wish for me to remove from you that which separates men and women, I suggest you remain silent."
Mr. Stanford looked outraged, but did not provoke her further, and they watched as the pirates finished rounding up the rest of the Gray Dolphin's surviving crew. Afterwards, they went about taking anything of value, food, supplies, weapons, ammunition, anything they could get their hands on, gathering it together and hoisting it up to the flying ship above.
This went on for some time, until, at last, the pirates seemed satisfied with their looting. After that, they began to gather around, watching the Dolphin's crew with eager looks. Jolene didn't like the feeling she was getting from them, knowing it couldn't be anything good.
And then someone else set foot down in the Gray Dolphin, their big black boots hitting the deck with a heavy thud. They were very tall, and dressed almost entirely in red, their clothes very fancy for a pirate, with an extra large and extra fancy maroon hat, complete with a big feather in it, long wavy black hair falling just past their shoulders from beneath the hat.
Jolene knew right away that she was looking at the captain. Not just by the way he was dressed, but in the way he walked, the way he moved, the way he held himself. Everything about him silently declared that he was the one in charge; he even possessed an imperial mustache on his otherwise clean-shaven face.
He was middle-aged, possibly in his late forties or early fifties, but in excellent shape, and actually rather handsome. Unsettlingly though, Jolene could see from where she sat that his eyes were actually bright red. Not bloodshot, but red in color, his red coat bringing out their color all the more, and there wasn't a trace of mercy or kindness in them.
But possibly most disturbing of all was his most notable feature. His left hand was missing, and in its place was a large lethal looking hook. Not just in his missing hand's place, but seemingly part of him, like it was growing out of his actual arm. It was as if it had been forged onto his wrist, flesh and metal melted and fused together to become one. It was enough to let Jolene know exactly who it was she was looking at, despite him supposedly being centuries old.
The captain walked along, dragging his hook along the railing of the ship, leaving a deep groove behind in the wood surface. He carelessly puffed on a long pipe he held in his remaining hand as his heavy boots thumped along with each slow step he took, his red eyes surveying the surviving crewmembers of the Gray Dolphin. He came to a stop in front of them, took a long puff of his pipe, and grinned broadly.
"Good evening, gentlemen," he said pleasantly in a rather charismatic voice. "At least, I'm sure it was before we commandeered your ship. My apologies for that. It wasn't anything personal, we simply needed the supplies. You men were just in the wrong place at the wrong time."
He took a long, deep puff on his pipe, then leaned in close to the frightened crewmember in front of him and breathed a cloud of smoke in his face. Smirking, he leaned back and surveyed the crew once more.
"Allow me to introduce myself," he said in an equally as pleasant voice, his tone containing just a hint of mockery. "Captain James Hook of the Jolly Roger at your service. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance. And now that you all know me, tell me, which one of you is the captain of this fine vessel?"
The crew exchanged uneasy looks as Hook's eyes ran over each of them. He apparently had a keen eye for picking out authority, for his gaze settled on the Dolphin's captain even before the elderly man spoke up.
"That would be me," the humble captain told him. "Captain Edgar Morales of the Gray Dolphin."
A grin spread across Hook's face, exposing a gold tooth, and he marched over to the captain. In a surprising show of manners, he held out his remaining hand. Captain Morales hesitated for a moment before accepting the offered hand and letting Hook pull him to his feet.
"A pleasure to meet you, Captain Morales," Hook told him in what sounded like true sincerity. "I do apologize for reducing your ship to such a state. As I said, it wasn't anything personal. Nor is this."
Quick as lightning, Hook swiped his hook through the air. Captain Morales' eyes bulged out and his hand went to his throat. It did nothing to stop the flow of blood from pouring out if his neck. Jolene stared at the gruesome sight in horror, but Hook immediately crouched down and heaved the captain up and over the side of the ship, and the sound of him hitting the water was heard a moment later.
Grinning, Hook looked back at the Dolphin's remaining crew. Jolene felt like she was going to be sick. She was no stranger to violence, having seen plenty in her life, even having to use her own sword on some less than savory characters, but seeing someone get their throat cut by a hook was far from pleasant.
"Now then," said Hook, looking at those who remained. "Which among you is the fire mate?"
A shudder went through the crew, and one or two eyes darted to Mr. Stanford before glancing away. Hook didn't seem to notice though, but before he could inquire further, Mr. Stanford himself spoke up.
"He's dead, sir. Fell victim to yer cannon-fire. Saw it with me own eyes, I did."
Hook considered him for a few moments before responding. "Did you now? Well, I suppose it makes no difference. Even if he is still alive, his cowardliness tells me that he will be of no trouble. As for the rest of you, you'll be pleased to know that we have no intention of killing you, so long as you don't test us, of course."
There were collective sighs of relief from the Dolphin's crew. Jolene, however, felt no reason to relax. Something was telling her that there was going to be a 'but' to what Hook had said.
"As I explained," Hook continued, "we merely commandeered your ship for its resources. What many fail to realize is that people are also a resource. And it just so happens that my own crew is down a few men. These are positions that need to be filled. Positions that you, my good men, will have the opportunity to fulfill. All those who join my crew will be accepted as one of us. And at the end of our journey, should you survive it, there will be a great many riches waiting for you. And, if you so desire it, eternal life."
Jolene felt her eyebrows rise at the mention of eternal life. There were a few myths and legends that spoke of ways to gain eternal life. She'd even heard tale of how the dreaded Blackbeard sought to find the Fountain of Youth, only to meet a most unfortunate end on his journey.
Had Hook and his men indeed found a way to obtain eternal life? Stories of the Jolly Roger and its crew had been told for centuries, including the ship's ruthless captain with a hook for a hand. Yet here the man stood, alive and well, despite stories of him having been told for three or four centuries, possibly longer.
"However," Hook continued, "there's one small problem with this offer. You see, we stripped your ship for resources because we required them. If we take on too many crewmembers, those valuable resources will go to waste that much sooner. That's why we only have a limited number of spots open for newcomers. And as a rule, when we do have spots available, we only allow one new crewmember to join from the ships we commandeer. I'm sure you understand what that means."
The Dolphin's crew began exchanging looks as they realized what he was saying. Hook and his crew were only willing to take one of them. And something was telling Jolene that a less pleasant fate would be waiting for those who weren't chosen.
"In any case," Hook said loudly, regaining their attention, "we're only looking for the best. So you fine men are going to demonstrate your skills."
He nodded to his own crew, and there were smirks and eager mutters from them. One of the men moved forward, grabbed two of the Dolphin's crew, and pulled them to their feet, one of them being Mr. Stanford. Jolene briefly wondered if they knew that he was lying about the first mate being dead and figured out that he was it.
The Jolly Roger's crew gathered around the two men as they were shoved to the middle of the deck. Two swords were tossed at their feet, and Mr. Stanford and his fellow crewmember looked down at the weapons. Hook moved to get a good view of the upcoming show and motioned towards the two men.
"Give us a good show," he said with a cruel sneer.
Jolene looked on in horror as she realized that Hook intended to have the survivors fight to the death until only one man remained standing, and that man would be the one allowed to join his crew. Her wide eyes looked at the ruthless pirates who had taken them prisoner. How many of them had been in her position, and how could they possibly force such a cruel act on others after having it done to them?
The crewmember who was set to fight Mr. Stanford looked down at the sword at his feet. If Jolene recalled correctly, his name was Thomas, or maybe Timothy; she thought it was the former. He looked from the sword to the equally as bewildered Mr. Stanford, then at Hook.
"You…" he muttered in a terrified voice, "you actually expect us to… to…?"
"Aye," Hook replied with a firm nod. "If you don't have what it takes to be on my crew, then we don't want you."
Thomas looked back down at the sword. "But… but…"
There was a sudden cry as Mr. Stanford scooped up the sword beside him and charged at Thomas. He swung the sword, but Thomas ducked beneath it, snatching up the other sword. He held it out in front of him, his hands shaking as he backed away. Mr. Stanford had turned towards him again, and was slowly moving closer.
"I'm not dying here like this," he growled.
Thomas continued backing away until he reached the crowd of men surrounding them, and they shoved him forward towards Mr. Stanford. The Dolphin's first mate swiped at him, and Thomas dodged the blade, shifting away from him. He backed away some more before tripping over some debris and falling on his backside. Mr. Stanford let out another cry and charged forward, moving to stab his sword into Thomas' heart as the crowd cheered.
Seemingly acting on reflex, Thomas raised his sword as Mr. Stanford fell upon him. The blade stabbed straight through the first mate, and he let out a pained cry, his own sword not even coming close to hitting its mark. A garbled sound escaped Mr. Stanford before he slumped over.
More cheers rang out from the Jolly Roger's crew as they hauled Mr. Stanford's body up and over the side. Hook expressed his own glee by knocking his hook against the side of the ship since his version if applause wouldn't be that affective.
"A short but fair start," he announced, letting a touch of disappointment slip into his voice. "I do hope the rest of you good folk can put on more of a show, otherwise we may decide none of you are worth it."
There were grunts of agreement and mockery from the Jolly Roger's crew, and then another man was pulled to his feet and shoved towards Thomas, the sword Mr. Stanford had been using kicked to him. With absolute horror, Jolene realized that Hook was indeed going to have them all fight to the death. And while she herself was rather skilled with a sword, depending on when she was chosen to fight, she didn't know if she could beat everyone she was paired against. What more, she couldn't allow this barbarism to continue. She needed a way to put a stop to this, and wracked her brain for everything she knew about Captain Hook and the Jolly Roger.
"Wait, stop!" she found herself shouting without having fully considering things.
All heads turned to her, and she suddenly wished she hadn't just carelessly cried out like that, knowing that she had certainly just given herself away as a woman.
A few seconds of uncomfortable silence passed before the heavy footsteps of Hook's boots were heard as he stalked over to her. Jolene kept her eyes downcast until he came to a stop in front of her, then slowly raised her eyes to his. He seemed even taller up close, every line on his face screaming if his cruelty.
He reached out and removed her hat, allowing her braid to fall down to the middle of her back. Then his hook came up under her chin. She dared herself to look directly at him as he raised her face up.
"Well, look at what we have here, men," he said in an almost mocking tone. "Seems this ship has its very own comfort woman. Must have been the clothes that threw us off. Perhaps you should remove them."
There were sneers and chuckles from the crew as others murmured in agreement. It was as if they thought a woman was only good for spreading her legs, and Jolene tried very hard not to show how offended she was by the comment.
"I am no comfort woman," she insisted. "I am a member of this crew, and I work just as hard as anyone else."
"Yes, I'm sure you do," Hook replied with a grin. His eyes ran up and down her body. "Well, should you choose to reconsider your position, I'm sure we could find a spot for you on our ship, even if it's not as a crewmember. A good stress reliever would be very valuable resource." This was followed by more chuckles and jeers from the crew, but Hook simply shrugged. "Or you could fight your fellow shipmates for a spot on the crew. It's up to you."
He began to walk away from her, and Jolene called after him. "I know who you are!"
"Do you now?" he asked mockingly, not even bothering to look back at her. "And what do you know?"
She spoke quickly. "James Bartholomew Hook, captain of the Jolly Roger, the ship that sails threw the sky-"
"Behold, men," Hook interrupted. "It seems our reputation proceeds us. Or the lady can simply use her eyes and ears, seeing as I introduced myself, and my ship is currently hanging in the air above us."
He used his hook to gesture up at the Jolly Roger. This was followed by more laughter from the crew. She had, after all, told them little more than what anyone could see or that he hadn't already revealed about himself already.
Jolene swallowed. If what she had heard of the stories were true, she was about to tread into dangerous waters.
"And I know what you seek beyond all else," she said loudly and surely. She paused for a moment before continuing. "The Pan."
There were no jeers or mocking laughter this time. Instead, the crew looked rather uncomfortable, some glancing away, others stealing uneasy looks at their captain. Hook remained where he was, unmoving. But even with his back to her, Jolene could detect the level of anger radiating off of him.
Finally, he turned to face her, his face barely masking his rage. "And what do you know of the Pan?"
Her mouth felt dry, and she tried to lick her lips to moisten them. "I know that you seek it, and have for a very long time. And I know how you can find it."
Hook suddenly stormed over to her. Jolene backed away until she hit the side of the ship, and Hook loomed over her, bringing his hook up to her face; she could still see traces of Captain Morales' blood on it. "I have indeed spent centuries seeking the Pan. How could you claim to know how to find it?"
Yes, these were most definitely dangerous waters she had entered. If she did not provide him with a satisfactory answer, she knew she would meet the same fate as Captain Morales, even if she was a woman.
"Have you ever heard of a man named Jack Sparrow, captain of the Black Pearl?"
A look of concentration crossed Hook's face as he appeared thoughtful. "Sparrow… Sparrow… Aye, the name does ring a bell. We may not come around often, but I believe I have heard that name before amongst the many sea tales that have been told. But what of him? What's he have to do with the Pan?"
Jolene prayed that this desperate plan of hers would work; it was all she had. "He possesses a compass. An enchanted compass. When you hold it in your hands, it points to whatever it is you want most in this world. You can use it to find the Pan."
Hook stared hard at her, as if he were trying to determine if she were telling the truth or not. Slowly, his hand came up behind her, grabbed hold of her braid, and yanked her head back. Jolene let out a small gasp, then stopped breathing as she felt the point of his hook touch her exposed throat.
"I've encountered several magical items in my life," he told her with a tone of warning. "And I have heard of many others, some of which have turned out to be pure fantasy. How do I know that this compass of yours is real? Have you seen it for yourself?"
She swallowed nervously, feeling the tip of his hook graze her skin. Too afraid to be caught in a lie, she told the truth. "Not me. But someone I trust beyond all others has. I'm certain it is real."
Hook studied her some more, and his grip on her hair loosened slightly. It seemed he believed her, but Jolene couldn't bring herself to relax just yet.
"Assuming that what you say is true," he said in a slightly less threatening manner, "what of it? If it's in the possession of this Jack Sparrow, then you don't have it to give to me."
"I can take you to him," she insisted. "I know where to find him, and I know how to get the compass from him. I can get it for you." She glanced at the crew of the Gray Dolphin. "All I ask is that you let the crew go. You can take me as your hostage. Give me your word that you will spare my crewmates, and I will get you the compass, under the condition that you let me go once I do."
She craned her neck to look up at him. "This could be your only chance to find the Pan. At the very least, is it not worth looking into? What do you say? Do we have an accord?"
Heart pounding in her chest, Jolene waited as Hook considered her offer. Then a large smile crossed his face and he released her, letting out a hearty laugh.
"But of course we have an accord!" he declared loudly. "What more, if the compass can truly do what you say it can, and you can get it for me, I'll even give you a fine reward. Congrats on making the crew, Miss…?"
"Jolene," she said. "You can call me Jolene."
Hook's smile widened, and he almost appeared… charming. "Well then, Miss Jolene, I think we best be on our way, as per our agreement."
He waved his hook, and the crew began making preparations to leave. Hook then turned his attention to the remaining members of the Dolphin.
"Gentlemen, due to recent events, it seems I must retract my original offer. The position has been filled for the time being. But Captain Hook always keeps his promises, so you are all free to go."
Collected sighs of relief escaped the Dolphin's crew. Jolene certainly wished she could have been one of them, but instead she found herself being hoisted up to the Jolly Roger as its crew boarded the flying ship.
"Cast off!" Hook ordered. "We set sail immediately."
Unease gripped Jolene at the thought of being on a flying ship, and she looked down at the Gray Dolphin below. But as the Jolly Roger began to depart, her eyes widened, and a feeling of dread filled her stomach. The ships' anchor was still buried deep in the Dolphin.
"Wait," she said, but her voice came out as little more than a whisper.
The Jolly Roger pulled away from the Gray Dolphin, its anchor's chain soon reaching the end of its length. The Gray Dolphin creaked as the anchor pulled it, tearing its way through the inside of the ship. The Jolly Roger kept moving though, absent the wind, absent the tide. Jolene had no idea how the ship moved through the air, but move it did, and it pulled the Gray Dolphin along with it.
The anchor was apparently very well secured to the Jolly Roger, because it even managed to begin lifting the Dolphin into the air. The Jolly Roger tilted to the side, and the pull of the anchor caused the Dolphin to completely turn on its side, and everything on the deck fell into the sea, including the men onboard who didn't manage to grab onto something in time.
The anchor finally tore free, causing the Jolly Roger to jolt forward into the air, and the Gray Dolphin settled back down into the ocean, turned on its side. It bobbed for a few seconds before it began to sink.
Jolene could do nothing more than look on in horror. She was soon joined by Hook, who peered down at the up-ended sinking ship as he casually cleaned Captain Morales' blood off his hook with a rag.
"Oh dear, that's quite a tragedy," he said with mock sympathy. "I highly doubt any of them will make it to land."
"What have you done?" Jolene cried, unable to tear her eyes away.
Hook looked at her, almost appearing to be amused. "Just as we agreed on, my dear. I spared your crew and let them go, just as you wanted. It's no fault of mine that they no longer have a ship. Perhaps next time you should negotiate that we take them to safety." His amusement then became a look of warning. "We already have an accord; I trust you will not go back on your word."
Somehow, Jolene managed to tear her eyes away from the rapidly sinking Dolphin and looked at him. His threat was clear, she would remain alive as long as she upheld her end of the bargain to get him Jack's compass.
She put on a neutral look and gave him a nod. "Yes, that was our agreement."
He let out a cruel laugh, and Jolene felt utter revulsion. She'd met some sickening people in her life, men and women alike, but Captain James Hook was possibly the worst person she had ever encountered. But she also knew that she no longer had a choice, not if she wanted to live, and she silently asked for forgiveness for failing to save anyone.
"Now then," Hook said calmly. "I believe we have a sparrow to catch. You said you could take me to him. So, where shall we look first?"
For some reason, she felt as if she had made a deal with the devil.
"Tortuga," she told him, hoping she wasn't making a big mistake. "We sail for Tortuga."
(A/N: If this were a movie, this is where the title would come in. So, we've met one of our main characters, Jolene, an OC of mine, and she's met Captain hook. Yeah, he's not the somewhat comedic and rather incompetent one from Peter Pan, but a bit of an... update seemed necessary, especially if I was going to fit him in a POTC story. And now thanks to Jolene, we're seeing how Jack is going to get roped into things. We'll be catching up with him next chapter. For now, I hope this plot has interested you enough to get everyone invested in more. I typically update ever other week on Wednesdays. I still plan to update on Wednesdays, but I don't know if I'll be able to do it every other week. I'll try for every three weeks, but I promise the wait will be worth it. If I'm expecting any other delays, I'll let you know in advance, but for now, plan an update every 3 weeks. I'll see you then. For now, let me know what you think of things so far.)