Poppet: It's bad luck to have a woman writing, no reviews…even a miniature one.

FallenCherub: Was that a short joke? (starts beating Poppet)

Note from Poppet: What's wrong with you people?! Review!

Abi sat brooding in the corner of her tiny cell.

"Abi?"

She rolled her eyes. "Yeah?"

"Are you alright?"

"Yeah."

"Well…why'd you give up?"

"Wha'?" She turned to face him in the next cell.

"You didn't fight."

"Oh," she sighed, falling back into her depression. "Didn' think we would win."

It was a sad excuse, but Sam didn't reply.

James rubbed his hands together warming them. He was supposed to be guarding the boat until the last pirates were found. He turned his head, seeing one of his fellow sentinels walking up, a struggling female in tow.

"Who goes there?" James shouted, lifting his gun.

"Oh, put it up," said the man, apparently annoyed. "I got a real cat here. I need to get her to the ship."

"Why can't she just stay here till we round up the others?"

"I dunno, orders from above," said the stranger, shrugging.

"Alright," said James dubiously.

"Right, so where's the brig?" Dom asked as they got onto the ship.

Sofia stopped struggling and looked at him.

"Well, it's not like I spent much time in one!" Sofia continued to look doubtful. "Fine, alright. I'll just tell you. I was the cook. Me and Sam worked in the galley, alright? Are you happy?"

Sofia gaped…and laughed. "Yer next left."

Abi jumped up as Sofia and Dom came in. "Sofia, not you too," she cried, doing more of the pre-planned, poorly acted routines they had. "Put her in my cell. I need some final…comfort…before I'm hung."

The guard who had been stationed near the brig to make sure that no ne'er do well cads escaped before the ship set sail spun and stared at Abi, his mouth hanging open. Abi saw the tip of Sofia's sword protruded from his stomach.

"That'll work," Abi said. "Get me out."

Dom unlocked the cells. Sofia looked around thoughtfully, her mind working out the logistics of a lunatic plan.

"Sofia?" asked Abi, waving her hand in front of her friend's face. "Fia?"

"It might work…" said Sofia dreamily.

"Uh-oh," Abi said, her mind racing along a similar track. "No, Sofi. It would never work! You're crazy!"

Dom glanced at Sam, "Are you as lost as I am?" Sam responded with a shrug.

"But it could! Almost all the soldiers are onshore, and mot of the crewmembers too!"

"No, Fia."

"Come on, Abi, it's a 28 gun sloop. It's our ticket outta here."

"What?!" said Dom, alarmed.

"I'm suggesting—" Sofia started.

"She's suggesting," interrupted Abi, "that the four of us, take over this ship!"

The four of them walked quietly along the wall, swords out, hoping not to stumble upon any of the crew, but knowing they would have to deal with them eventually.

Turning the corner they found five men. They threw themselves back against the wall.

"Right," Sofia said. "Abi, you know what to do."

Abi cleared her throat, adjusted her long hair so that it hung around her face and made her look mysterious. Then she walked around the corner silently, swinging her hips. They didn't hear her so they didn't turn. She used this to walk in a half-circle around them approaching from the front.

Their brows wrinkled in confusion and the one closet began to speak.

"Shh," Abi said, putting her fingers on his lips. Then she kissed him, a very adult kiss, and just as he relaxed she took the pistol she had slipped out of his belt and shot one of his companions in the head, stabbing the soldier she was seducing in the stomach.

At that instant, Sofia stabbed a soldier and slit another's throat as she ran past them. Dom stabbed the final one in the back, piercing his lung. (FallenCherub: Sorry. Random graphic detail.)

A gunshot from behind them made them all spin, sped on by Sam's scream of pain. Another shot and pain streaked through Abi's arm.

Sofia yelled and grabbed a pistol from a soldier's dead hand and dove behind a barrel. The pistol had only one shot (ironically enough). She didn't want to miss. A shot tore the wood. Sofia peered over the barrel firing with a crack. There was a distant scream and a splash.

Abi and Dom found similar hiding places, also snatching up pistols. "Why'd you have to dismantle our goddamn pistol, Sof?" Abi screamed, leaning forward to shoot at one of the crew.

"It seemed like a good idea at the time!"