Chapter 14
Ana flinched at the raggedness with which he voiced his trademark word. There was definitely something wrong.
"Wha's th' matter, wench?" Jack drawled casually, his eyes contrarily hard.
Ana's eyes sparked at the use of the derogative word in reference to her, but remained silent, clenching her jaw agitatedly.
'Did you see that, Jack?'
'See wha'?'
'That spark in her eyes…doesn't it seem dangerously familiar?'
Jack's mind shot back in time to the looks he had received from his crew—his supposed friends—right before they marooned him the first time and he felt a gentle throbbing from the twin, ancient bullet wounds in his right shoulder. A fearful rage rose within him, survival instinct instating itself.
'Don't let it happen again.'
Jack's fingers twitched and a moment later, his sword was drawn, gleaming smartly in the intense Caribbean sunlight. He advanced towards Will, carrying himself like a wolf approaching its prey: slow step by step, eyes never leaving their target.
"Jack…what're you doing?" Will asked a measure of uncertainty in his voice.
Elizabeth wisely moved off, still shaken from her visit with the deck, to stand beside Gibbs and Ana. The three, as well as a good majority of the crew, watched in hesitant fascination as Will drew his sword wearily and the two began circling.
"Jack, what's this about?"
Jack's eyes gleamed with a feral light. "Ye come aboard my ship wit'out permission and ye're askin' what this is about?" The words were followed instantly with an unexpected attack, which Will scrambled to deflect but was too late, receiving a slice across his left upper arm as payment.
The attacks continued with unequaled fervor, knocking aside Will's defenses as fast as he could place them. In their previous fight in the forge, Jack had been a worthy adversary indeed, but never in their past had Will ever known him to be so focused on a task. Not even when exacting revenge on Barbossa had he been so zealous with his actions.
"Jack—Cap'n, knock it off!" Ana called, fearing for the blacksmith's safety. True, Jack wasn't the best swordsman in the Caribbean, Will by far surpassed him, but the lust for some unknown outcome he possessed made his skill rise to exceed that of the younger man.
Jack ignored the plea, continuing to thrust, slice, and hack at the blacksmith and not giving the other a chance to score a hit. Jack was at his peak and his stamina could not be matched.
Slowly but surely, Jack managed to back Will all the way across the Pearl's main deck and to the stairs leading to the quarterdeck. Will's energy was waning, having taken many hits from the pirate, but holding back with his strikes; the last thing he wanted to do was cause his friend harm.
Ana half-growled, half-sighed and drew her cutlass.
"What're you doing?" Elizabeth asked quickly.
"'m goin' in there…he's my cap'n after all."
The entrance of another blade to the skirmish took Jack by surprise, but he recovered quickly, scoring more hits to Will while defending himself from Ana's controlled blows.
"Jack stop, this is madness!" Ana hissed, jabbing for his right forearm, but missing as his blade met hers.
"Madness, now where 'ave I heard that before…oh yes…" Jack returned vehemently, backing and bringing his blade in an arc, scoring a long slice across her collarbone.
Ana backed quickly, pressing her free arm to the freely bleeding cut and glaring at Jack, who grinned without a hint of amusement. No, the look in his eyes was one of a man seeking his slow revenge and enjoying every drop of blood doing so derived.
Will locked eyes with Ana, silently inquiring as to her condition. She nodded the movement barely visible, her eyes begging for him to end this; one way or another. With an equally short nod and painful regret gleaming in his eyes, Will silently approached the pirate captain from behind, sword raised for a deathblow.
[A/n: Sorry to end it there, but I figured, heck, this is as good a place as any, ne? Please review.]