DISCLAIMER: I think we all know the truth. But for those who want to know, here it is: I do not claim ownership of anything you recognize. They belong to whom they belong and those people know who they are. Savvy?
Summary: For years Jack has kept his darkest secret close beside him. However, he is forced to tell Ana the truth when a mysterious figure confronts Jack and claims to know the answers Jack seeks. J/A. Rating for some violence.
Half-Life
Part 7
"I know wha' happens from there, mate," Jack mumbled carefully, not really wishing a repeat introduction with the horseshoe that his tormentor had returned to the fire.
"Really? And I suppose you remember the feeling of being tied up underwater, eh?" The man's tone of voice sent chills down Ana's spine and in the dim glow of the forge fire it appeared as if Jack had gone suddenly pale. Out of fear or pain, it was hard to tell.
"Let's see if we can jog your memory, shall we?"
"Let's not," Ana hissed after a moment, getting suddenly very defensive of her captain. If Jack wasn't going to stand up for himself, she sure wouldn't let him take it lying down. The man's dark eyes turned their harsh gaze on Ana before he delivered a sharp backhand slap to her face. Ana's head snapped around and she remained like that for a few moments, completely stunned.
"'ey! Leave her outta this!" Jack snapped viciously, pulling against his bonds with a burst of strength. The hard gaze returned to the pirate captain once more as the man took measured steps toward Jack meant to instill fear. The pirate did not back down from the scare tactic and instead clenched his jaw angrily.
"Would you prefer it be you on the receiving end of the pain?" the man whispered huskily into Jack's ear.
Jack's infamous lopsided grin lit his face. "Nothin' like a lil' fun on a stormy day, eh?" As if to back the pirate up another rumble of thunder shook the building, knocking dust and rubble loose from the rafters to shower the floor in grit.
"I couldn't have said it better myself." The man spat into Jack's face before drawing a knife from his belt and cutting Jack's bonds.
Jack took his chance and shoved away from both the beam and his captor and dashed toward the table where his cutlass lay. He was pulled up short by the stronger man who then spun Jack to face him before sending the pirate captain reeling to the ground with a punch. As the man hauled Jack to his feet Ana saw that there were four large gouges in Jack's cheek where the man's knuckles had touched the pirate's skin.
With one arm wrapped around the pirate the man cleared the table off with a swipe of his free hand. Jack was effortlessly slammed down on his back on the tabletop and tied down. After the pirate captain was secured the man stretched his right hand and removed a string of spiked rings from his fingers.
"It's funny, but when I bought these I never thought I'd get the pleasure of scarring your flesh with them Jack. And now the real fun begins."
"Yah mean tha' wasn't fun 'nough?" Jack mocked with a wide grin despite the pain the expression caused to flare in the bleeding gouges along his cheekbone.
The older man's face darkened and he turned his back on both the pirates, stepping over to where a series of buckets littered the ground, each filled to overflowing with rainwater caught from the numerous leaks. "I'll teach you to mind your place yet boy."
The man returned to Jack's side moments later with a crunched up, grimy cloth and one of the buckets of rainwater. "Do you remember, Jack?" the man asked evenly, forcing the rough cloth into Jack's mouth and pushing it down so it scratched the back of the pirate's throat. "Do you remember the feel of it? The feel of being beaten and trapped?" As he spoke, the man proceeded to pour the water from one of the buckets slowly through the cloth and into Jack's mouth. "Of being trapped…alone…unable to breathe…sinking hopelessly to the bottom of the sea?" he hissed harshly, dumping the water into Jack's mouth at a quicker pace, causing the rough material to tear at the pirate's throat.
Despite Jack's attempts to spit the gag out or turn his head away from the stream of water the older man kept one step ahead of him. Jack was forced to swallow the water and as he did something clicked in his memory and he finally began to feel the sheer terror he had experienced as a half-conscious teen tied and bloodied in a sack. He began struggling wildly against his binds but the water continued to come, slowly suffocating him as he tried desperately to draw a breath. When he did draw a breath it was one of water instead of air and he coughed roughly into the gag as water entered his lungs.
Finally it stopped.
The gag was removed from Jack's mouth and despite the sudden freedom Jack saw small dots dancing in his vision. He took great gulps of air in through his mouth but soon found it to be a bad idea; his throat was scraped, bleeding, and sore. Jack coughed hollowly and Ana was terrified to see drops of blood soar through the air and land only to stain Jack's shirt.
"Yer terrible! What'd Jack e'er do t' you!?" Ana demanded, pushing against the ropes holding her in place with fire in her eyes.
The man ignored Ana's outburst and kept his dark gaze trained on the pirate whose breathing was coming in shallow gasps as he tried to breathe without further aggravating his torn throat. Often the pirate coughed hollowly, sending more of his blood into the air as he tried to rid his lungs of the water they had taken in.
"So Jack, having fun?" the man asked with a wicked sneer which broadened when the pirate's eyes fell shut and his breathing continued to rasp more evenly. The man nodded slightly to himself and turned to the forge once more.
Jack tilted his head to the side and opened his eyes so he was staring at the rain pouring down outside. He watched as the grayish blue shadows the rain cast onto the dirty floor through the window played and danced slowly, eerily. The building was illuminated by a flash of lightning with a tremendous rumble of thunder not a minute later.
The golden smirk lit on Jack's face once more and his eyes fell shut.