[a/n: Sorry for the delay. And now, onto the chappy!]
Chapter 9
The Black Pearl pulled up rapidly alongside the chase, both ships at full-sail.
"Elizabeth, get below! I'll not have you participating in another of these fights!" Will snapped, shoving a boarding ax into his belt.
Before Elizabeth could protest, one of the crewmen grabbed her wrist and quickly escorted her below decks.
The Pearl let off a broadside volley, tearing a few holes in the other ship's hull, but not causing her to take on water. The unmarked ship returned the volley. However, having a few more guns than the Pearl, she punched a few more holes. Both ships were now slightly damaged, but neither taking on water.
"Prepare to board!" Came the shout from commanders on both of the ships.
The command was met with energy as both sides began tossing grappling hooks, which caught on the rails and rigging of both ships. Pirates began swinging from one ship to the other, cutlasses, pistols, and boarding axes at the ready.
Ana-Maria and Bootstrap were among the first to board the unmarked vessel and promptly fired their pistols, taking down a man each. Will and Gibbs landed a few moments later and discharged their firearms. All four promptly drew their cutlasses and engaged themselves in the fray.
"Lass, go find Jack!" Gibbs called. "Bootstrap, Will, go with 'er!"
The three nodded, and, finishing off their opponents, they dashed for the stairs.
Just as the three were about to descend the stairs, a tall figure stepped in their way, effectively cutting off their route.
"Bo'sun." Bootstrap growled, his grip on the cutlass tightening.
Bo'sun raised his own cutlass and began slashing at the group without preamble. The two men jumped back to avoid getting their midsections sliced by the blade's arc.
Ana-Maria used her cutlass to stop Bo'sun's blade, putting some of her weight behind the maneuver for it to be effective. "Go!" She snapped at Will and Bootstrap, ducking a swinging blade.
The two waited only a moment before dashing below decks, leaving Ana- Maria to cope with her opponent.
~*~
The resounding sounds of footsteps and fighting above deck echoed through the brig, but Jack's mind was too listless from pain and fatigue to register them fully. He had been hanging from that hook by the binds on his hands for about two full days now. Give or take. It was rather difficult to keep track of time while imprisoned in the dark brig. And quite frankly, Jack had given up caring.
"Jack? Jack, please wake up . . ." Chelsea begged.
When she got no response from the pirate, she turned her back on him, not wanting to see all the blood any longer. A few moments later, a thought dawned on her. She reached into her sash and withdrew the cell key.
The quickly descending thumps of footsteps resonated across the brig, reaching Jack's inattentive ears. Not long after, the owners of the footsteps rounded the brig's corner and stopped dead in their tracks as a basin flew their way, narrowly missing their heads.
"Leave him be or you die!" An unfamiliar female voice snapped, shaking a bit with barely suppressed fear.
The two men scanned the dimly lit room for any signs of life. Their gazes first fell on the girl who was struggling to hold a cutlass upright; however she had to use both hands to get it even halfway up. Her arms were trembling with exertion, but her facial expression showed that she meant business.
~*~
Ana-Maria and Bo'sun exchanged and parried blows. Both had drawn blood since the start of their not-too-friendly bout, but Bo'sun had the lead in hits. Parrying another blow, Ana-Maria decided to change tactics, knowing she couldn't keep up her line of defense much longer.
When the next swing came, she jumped to the side and the blade drove itself into the deck, throwing a few small splinters.
Bo'sun effortlessly removed the blade from the wood and lifted it for another strike.
Ana-Maria took her chance to make another score, this time cutting the man's upper arm. Had she gotten the other arm, she may have been able to falter his grip.
Bo'sun growled a bit and swung the sword out at her, forcing her to back towards the stairs. She backed, dodging and occasionally parrying the blows that came her way, but never realizing how close to the quarterdeck stairs she was getting.
Bo'sun slashed his sword out in a wide arc and Ana-Maria had to jump back quite a bit to avoid getting sliced in half. When her feet attempted to reconnect with the deck, they landed on an uneven plain, causing her to fall back.
She landed hard on her back on the stairs, the edges of the steps digging into her skin. She instinctively brought her blade up in defense and her whole body tensed, expecting another attack.
~*~
The thuds from above deck had quieted down quite a bit and it almost sounded as if the battle were ending . . . that, or it had moved to the Pearl.
That's when Bootstrap and Will heard it: the shallow, rasping breaths coming from a figure hanging not too far ahead. They stepped towards the sound, only to be met by the tip of the cutlass in the girl's hands.
"Back away." The girl growled, her arms shaking more so than before, but her voice full of conviction. "I won't let you hurt him anymore—he doesn't deserve it."
"Hurt him?" Will repeated in confusion.
"Lass, what're ye talkin' 'bout?" Bootstrap asked.
The girl's face contorted in confusion. "Can't you see?! Look at what you're crew has done to him!"
"We're not part o' this ship's crew." Bootstrap stated firmly, Will shaking his head in agreement.
The girl slowly lowered the cutlass. "You're not? But you're pirates . . ."
"So is he." Will said, pointing at Jack, who still had not reacted to the voices.
"I know that. Who doesn't know Jack Sparrow?" The girl said this last part, glancing over at said pirate and noting that he hadn't moved to correct her as she had expected.
"Yer're not 'elpin', lad." Bootstrap said under his breath. "Yea we're pirates, but we're 'is friends."
"We need to get him back to his ship." Will added, nervous anxiety entering his voice as he noticed just how much blood the pirate had really lost.
[a/n: Please review.]
Chapter 9
The Black Pearl pulled up rapidly alongside the chase, both ships at full-sail.
"Elizabeth, get below! I'll not have you participating in another of these fights!" Will snapped, shoving a boarding ax into his belt.
Before Elizabeth could protest, one of the crewmen grabbed her wrist and quickly escorted her below decks.
The Pearl let off a broadside volley, tearing a few holes in the other ship's hull, but not causing her to take on water. The unmarked ship returned the volley. However, having a few more guns than the Pearl, she punched a few more holes. Both ships were now slightly damaged, but neither taking on water.
"Prepare to board!" Came the shout from commanders on both of the ships.
The command was met with energy as both sides began tossing grappling hooks, which caught on the rails and rigging of both ships. Pirates began swinging from one ship to the other, cutlasses, pistols, and boarding axes at the ready.
Ana-Maria and Bootstrap were among the first to board the unmarked vessel and promptly fired their pistols, taking down a man each. Will and Gibbs landed a few moments later and discharged their firearms. All four promptly drew their cutlasses and engaged themselves in the fray.
"Lass, go find Jack!" Gibbs called. "Bootstrap, Will, go with 'er!"
The three nodded, and, finishing off their opponents, they dashed for the stairs.
Just as the three were about to descend the stairs, a tall figure stepped in their way, effectively cutting off their route.
"Bo'sun." Bootstrap growled, his grip on the cutlass tightening.
Bo'sun raised his own cutlass and began slashing at the group without preamble. The two men jumped back to avoid getting their midsections sliced by the blade's arc.
Ana-Maria used her cutlass to stop Bo'sun's blade, putting some of her weight behind the maneuver for it to be effective. "Go!" She snapped at Will and Bootstrap, ducking a swinging blade.
The two waited only a moment before dashing below decks, leaving Ana- Maria to cope with her opponent.
~*~
The resounding sounds of footsteps and fighting above deck echoed through the brig, but Jack's mind was too listless from pain and fatigue to register them fully. He had been hanging from that hook by the binds on his hands for about two full days now. Give or take. It was rather difficult to keep track of time while imprisoned in the dark brig. And quite frankly, Jack had given up caring.
"Jack? Jack, please wake up . . ." Chelsea begged.
When she got no response from the pirate, she turned her back on him, not wanting to see all the blood any longer. A few moments later, a thought dawned on her. She reached into her sash and withdrew the cell key.
The quickly descending thumps of footsteps resonated across the brig, reaching Jack's inattentive ears. Not long after, the owners of the footsteps rounded the brig's corner and stopped dead in their tracks as a basin flew their way, narrowly missing their heads.
"Leave him be or you die!" An unfamiliar female voice snapped, shaking a bit with barely suppressed fear.
The two men scanned the dimly lit room for any signs of life. Their gazes first fell on the girl who was struggling to hold a cutlass upright; however she had to use both hands to get it even halfway up. Her arms were trembling with exertion, but her facial expression showed that she meant business.
~*~
Ana-Maria and Bo'sun exchanged and parried blows. Both had drawn blood since the start of their not-too-friendly bout, but Bo'sun had the lead in hits. Parrying another blow, Ana-Maria decided to change tactics, knowing she couldn't keep up her line of defense much longer.
When the next swing came, she jumped to the side and the blade drove itself into the deck, throwing a few small splinters.
Bo'sun effortlessly removed the blade from the wood and lifted it for another strike.
Ana-Maria took her chance to make another score, this time cutting the man's upper arm. Had she gotten the other arm, she may have been able to falter his grip.
Bo'sun growled a bit and swung the sword out at her, forcing her to back towards the stairs. She backed, dodging and occasionally parrying the blows that came her way, but never realizing how close to the quarterdeck stairs she was getting.
Bo'sun slashed his sword out in a wide arc and Ana-Maria had to jump back quite a bit to avoid getting sliced in half. When her feet attempted to reconnect with the deck, they landed on an uneven plain, causing her to fall back.
She landed hard on her back on the stairs, the edges of the steps digging into her skin. She instinctively brought her blade up in defense and her whole body tensed, expecting another attack.
~*~
The thuds from above deck had quieted down quite a bit and it almost sounded as if the battle were ending . . . that, or it had moved to the Pearl.
That's when Bootstrap and Will heard it: the shallow, rasping breaths coming from a figure hanging not too far ahead. They stepped towards the sound, only to be met by the tip of the cutlass in the girl's hands.
"Back away." The girl growled, her arms shaking more so than before, but her voice full of conviction. "I won't let you hurt him anymore—he doesn't deserve it."
"Hurt him?" Will repeated in confusion.
"Lass, what're ye talkin' 'bout?" Bootstrap asked.
The girl's face contorted in confusion. "Can't you see?! Look at what you're crew has done to him!"
"We're not part o' this ship's crew." Bootstrap stated firmly, Will shaking his head in agreement.
The girl slowly lowered the cutlass. "You're not? But you're pirates . . ."
"So is he." Will said, pointing at Jack, who still had not reacted to the voices.
"I know that. Who doesn't know Jack Sparrow?" The girl said this last part, glancing over at said pirate and noting that he hadn't moved to correct her as she had expected.
"Yer're not 'elpin', lad." Bootstrap said under his breath. "Yea we're pirates, but we're 'is friends."
"We need to get him back to his ship." Will added, nervous anxiety entering his voice as he noticed just how much blood the pirate had really lost.
[a/n: Please review.]