Sorry updates have been few and far between recently. This chapter took ages because I was basically planning an action sequence – lots of fun, I discovered. I tried to make this chapter more like the ones in the first story; more of the strangeness which we know and love. So enjoy, y'all.

Chapter 13 – Battle at sea

There was a loud feminine shriek from up in the rigging. "Helen, are you OK?" called Elizabeth anxiously.

"I'm fine," said Helen, pointing at Mort, who was currently clinging onto the yard arm for dear life. He shrieked again.

"Just cut the ropes and lower the sails!" called Will, and went to the stern to watch Barbossa's approaching ship. This didn't bode well with him at all. He glanced up at Frankie and the others. "How's the signal coming?"

"Marvellously!" shouted down Alex, "Just give us a moment..."

"Will," called down Jackie, "Barbossa's changing course."

Will and all the remaining crew on the deck (except Mro, still holding the wheel) ran to the side of the ship to watch. It had been heading parallel to them towards Port Royal, but was now rapidly swerving towards them. "That course won't cut us off with us going at that speed," said Kathryn, "It'll drive straight into us."

"Maybe that's the idea," said Tobias darkly.

"Should we slow down?" asked Elizabeth.

Will didn't answer straight away. He was glancing from Barbossa's ship to their own ship, and then to the shore. "No," he said, "We're going to speed up. Beat him to the point he's hoping to get us. Get below decks, start throwing things overboard. But not the cannonballs!" he shouted as Kathryn, Tobias, Cirfia and Elizabeth ran below decks. He turned to Mro. "Swerve towards them, they'll change their course slightly. Maybe we can dodge them. And we need the signal NOW!" he shouted up to Frankie, Alex and Gemma.

"All right, elfin boy, don't get your petticoats in a twist," called down Alex. They started raising Will's cloak on the pole like a flag. It seemed to be drenched in something. "Are you sure this is going to work?" she added in an undertone to Gemma.

"When alcohol burns, it's only the vapour that actually ignites, not the material," assured Gemma. Frankie and Alex shrugged and all three started swinging down the rigging, closely followed by Jackie, Mort and Helen. At the bottom, they grabbed a small pistol from the main deck and, taking careful aim, Frankie fired at the flag. With a burst of flame, it caught alight, sending a small ball of fire soaring up into the sky.

"My cloak!" cried Will.

"For the greater good, Will," said Alex, eyes alight with the sheer joy of blowing things up. "Just wait for the flames to spread down the rope."

"Why, what's going to happen then?"

He was answered by a large explosion. The heat of the flames had reached the gunpowder they'd left on the crow's nest, which ignited with a BANG and a flash of flames which would have broken Diana's and Hanna's hearts if they'd known they'd missed it. All of the crew dived for cover as flaming debris went flying in all directions. When Will looked up, he saw that half the top of the mast had been blown away.

"What good did THAT do?" he asked, getting to his feet, staring up at the smouldering mast.

"You wanted a signal, didn't you?" said Alex, rolling her eyes.

"I was just thinking sending up a flag of distress, or something!"

"Please, that'll only be noticed when it's close enough to be seen," said Frankie, "By then, it'll be too late for anyone to come and help. Explosions immediately get the attention of the navy."

Will shook his head. "I never thought I'd see the day when explosions were logical."

For the next few minutes, the crew rapidly shifted everything that was unnecessary from below decks and over the side. "Navy ships sure carry a lot of junk," commented Cirfia as threw a bunch of coats overboard.

Will stopped and ran to the prow of the ship, watching Barbossa's boat come closer. "They've not changed course," he called to the others, "We're still on a collision course. Mro, turn the ship to starboard, travel parallel to the coast. Maybe we'll be able to outstrip them-"

"Wait!" called Kathryn, pointing at the ship, "Look. It's lilting slightly on the starboard side, and the waves are larger against the ship there. It's turning all right. Mro, keep going straight. When they come closer, turn sharply to port."

"That's left, right?"

"Right. Right?"

"What, right as in right or right as in we're going right?"

"What?? Right as in right!"

"But what right is the right right?"

"JUST GO LEFT!"

"Right," said Mro, "Now?"

"NO! When they're nearby!"

"Fine." Mro held the wheel steady. "This right?"

Kathryn seethed.

Several tense minutes passed. The shore hardly seemed to be coming any closer, but Barbossa's ship was nearing by the second. Tobias had been swearing under his breath the entire time. "Mro, ready the ship to turn to port," said Will quietly, not counting on his voice not carrying to Barbossa's ship, "Loosen the wheel up ready to turn, and everyone else, get ready to duck when the boom swings round."

They were getting closer. They could make out the individuals on the deck of the ship, all shouting challenges and threats at them. Mro drummed the wheel nervously. If they kept this course, they would collide head on. "Steady, Mro," said Will, "Be ready in a minute."

They got even nearer. They could see Barbossa now, standing on the main deck. "Mr Turner!" he called across the water, "Don't suppose you have Jack with you? I doubt it, I can't see any rum."

"Here's some," called Kathryn, holding it up, "Want it?"

Even from that distance, they could see Barbossa grinning. "Not today, lass."

"Well, that's your tough luck," said Kathryn. Quickly she set alight to the bottle, and hurled it across the gap. It struck Barbossa's ship, setting alight to the base of one of the sails.

"Now!" shouted Will as flames shot up the material and the shouts from the other ship changes to ones of panic and anger. Mro span the wheel. The ship lurched to the port side, sending the crew tumbling across the deck as it nearly keeled over.

"Good throw," observed Cirfia. They all scrambled to their feet and ran to the side to see what was happening. The ship had turned sharply to the left, and was now going towards Barbossa's ship at a much sharper angle. Barbossa's crew, however, were too intent on dousing the flames engulfing the sail to have done anything yet. For a moment, it looked as though they were still going to hit it, but to their relief, the ship sailed behind Barbossa's ship, the starboard side just feet from the stern.

"Keep this course!" shouted Will over their cheers, "Turn to starboard as soon as possible. Sail towards straight towards Port Royal. That fire will have slowed down Barbossa's ship, so we have a good chance of outstripping them."

Suddenly several things happened at once. "Cannon fire!" shouted down Jackie, closely followed by several large bangs from Barbossa's ship, and several cannon balls punched their way through the sides of the boat, and Mro, in response, span the wheel heavily to starboard, sending everyone flying across the deck again.

"Oh, right, the cannons," said Tobias, "Yeah. Should've thought of those."

"How's the damage below decks?" asked Will.

Alex went and looked. "Oh no! All the water we were transporting is draining out through cannon holes!"

"Uh... I'm guessing that we're taking on water," said Kathryn.

"Oooh! That would make more sense!" said Alex excitedly.

Frankie patted her on the shoulder. "Don't worry, dear. We'll get you help soon."

As Will was looking at Barbossa's ship rapidly gaining on them, Elizabeth took charge. "Cirfia, Helen, get below and see if you can't sort out the holes. The rest of you, start bailing. The water will add weight and pull the ship deeper into the water, slowing us down."

"Do I have to do that?" said Mro reluctantly.

"No, you lazy boy, you just keep holding the wheel."

"I'm not lazy!" said Mro, "I'm actively challenged."

The next few minutes were very tense. Despite all their best efforts, the ship seemed to be lower in the water than it had been, and Barbossa's ship was coming up on the port side. As soon as it was within range, it fired another round of cannon balls, which burst through the hull. "OW!" shouted Mort from below decks.

"Are you all right?" called Mro, "Did you get hit by a cannon ball?"

"No, Helen stood on my toe!!"

"This really isn't going well," observed Elizabeth.

"Not well at all," agreed Will, "Well, at least it can't get much worse, unless the ship actually sinks-"

More cannon balls exploded through the hull. Suddenly the ship lurched dramatically to the left – so dramatically, in fact, the musical score which had been accompanying this plot development suddenly increased in volume and rhythm, thus showing this was, indeed, a dramatic event. "Way to tempt fate, Will!" shouted Frankie.

The ship didn't recover from its sudden drop in the water on the left side; it continued to tilt over to the left, and waves began to wash onto the deck. "It's going to capsize!" shouted Will, "Everyone, abandon ship! Jackie, get down from there!"

"Eeeeep!" squeaked Jackie, and leapt from the crow's nest down into the sea. Luckily, as the ship was already leaning over to the left at such a dramatic angle it wasn't too far a jump. Everyone else ran up from below decks and leapt overboard.

"Hey Will! Doesn't a captain go down with his ship?" called Jackie, from where she was already paddling in the water.

"Well, this ain't my ship," said Will, diving into the water after Elizabeth. As soon as they hit the water, the crew swam rapidly away from the sinking ship. They stopped a safe distance away and watched dejectedly as the sail sank below the waves.

"Good job on your first go at captaining a ship," commented Mort.

"Shut up," replied Will, "What do we now?"

"There doesn't seem to be much," said Elizabeth, "that we CAN do."

"Young Mr Turner!" called Barbossa from the deck of his ship, "Things seem to have gone downhill slightly, haven't they?"

"Isn't there something in the chivalry book about not teasing captains whose boats have just sunk?" asked Gemma.

"Don't know, I'll have to check that out," said Barbossa, "Now, which of you lovely young ladies is coming aboard first? How about you, Elizabeth?"

"I don't know the ladylike way to say this," said Elizabeth, glaring, "But-"

Everyone gasped in surprise at what she said next. "That's it, I'm talking to Jack about the vocabulary he uses around you," said Will in shock. He turned to Barbossa. "What do you want? Haven't we beaten you enough times for you to take a hint?"

"Only twice," said Barbossa, face darkening, "Third time pays for all, as they say."

"Can I suggest something?" said Gemma, "I'd sail away, if I were you."

"Oh really? Why is that?" said Barbossa, "Are you going to blast us out of the water?"

"No," said Gemma, pointing towards the shore, "But they might have a shot at it."

Everyone turned to see the Dauntless sailing from Port Royal, straight towards Barbossa's ship. Barbossa cursed. "Alright, that's it. Get on the ship, now!" he shouted.

"Um, pardon for crushing your dreams of causing Will's untimely and undoubtedly painful demise again," said Gemma, "But factoring in the speed they're going, the size of your sails, and the current wind strength, the only way you have a remote chance of getting away is if you leave now." Barbossa stared. "As in NOW!"

"Go, little boy, go!" said Alex.

"Scoot!" said Mort.

If looks could kill, they would all die very painful, but quick, deaths. "You wait!" said Barbossa, "We'll be back!"

"Barbie, you just decreased your chances of being able to get away by about 83," said Gemma, "Did you not hear me when I said GO NOW??"

Barbossa muttered several things under his breath, and Gemma doubted it was, "My goodness, isn't she nice to calculate the exact percentage like that." However, he said nothing more, and turned and ordered the men to set sail. Within seconds, his ship had turned, and was powering away out to sea. The group breathed a sigh of relief.

"Gemma, if you hadn't just saved our skins, I would currently be killing you," said Frankie, "'Take a shot at it'? You should be keel-hauled just for the sheer terribleness of that pun!!"

"Were their chances of escaping really that small?" asked Kathryn.

"No idea," shrugged Gemma.

They all turned back to look at the Dauntless, now only a little way away. Standing at the prow, as they were all expecting, was Norrington. By the look on his face, however, he evidently hadn't been expecting to see them.

"Elizabeth!" he called, the surprise clear in his voice, "Mr Turner! What are you doing there?"

"Synchronized swimming," said Elizabeth sarcastically, "Why don't you come and join us, the water's lovely?"

A few minutes later, the entire crew, very wet but otherwise unharmed, were standing on the deck of the Dauntless. Elizabeth had started reciting the story she had invented as to where they had all come from; on hearing that they were ALL part of high society, Norrington looked from Tobias, still very battered from the night before, to Alex, singed from the explosion, to Kathryn, still holding an empty bottle, and raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.

"Very well," said Norrington, "Though some details of your story are slightly... peculiar, shall we say, from that attack I can see that you are in genuine trouble. Elizabeth, you and Mr Turner can stay at the Governor's house, but the fort would be safer for the rest of you. I'll have quarters prepared on our return."

"The fort?" said Alex, "As in there'll be sailors? Goodiiiee."

xxx

By the way, my good sense has been recovered. I quit Physics. Yay me!

Gilraen Ar-Feiniel – I just got the part in a play, and I have to go, "Ooooh," at a shiny object. Hardly any acting needed there. Shiny is gooooood.

mronimusha – Latin ain't that bad. No more Physics! Woooo! Your subjects sound way cooler than mine. Other than Latin, I'm taking Biology, Chemistry and Maths. Boring, boring, and boring. However, it does mean that I can battle my friend who's also doing maths. "What's the formula for coding??" "You're an imaginary number, punk!"

theshiz – You don't seem to have been mentioned much lately. We'll be getting back to Jack soon enough.

Eowyn Skywalker – Thanks! Your website rocks, by the way. I visit it whenever I can. My friends despair. (starts imagining a trailer as well) Wow... I wanna make a film...

Freakanature – Thanks! I'm just finding it easier to write serious stuff right now, for some reason. Could it be that I'm (dramatic chord) maturing?? Like cheese, but not in the good way!!

Im a Brandybuck – I want to see the sequel... (sniff) And I wanna see it NOW!! I'm going to see 'Finding Neverland' soon, that new film with Johnny Depp... hey, it's out on Friday! Yay!

Tanuki Yasha – I love that episode! My favourite has to be the pilot though. My friends and I quote it non-stop. It scares all our other friends. Hee hee! And no-one got impaled... Mort got slightly scared, but no impaling...

Alteng – Hey! Maybe that's why Powell seems so strange! He's actually from ANIME! That would explain a lot...

Oof – Never thought I'd say this, but sometimes plot must come before randomness. Whoa. I have changed. EEEEEK!!!!!

Bulma Greenleaf – Yes, the cliffhangers have found their way here... Thanks! I need to write more of the Wob-Wob though, he so rarely appears in stories...

Cat Youkai – I need to tap into my humour stores again, you're right. Hmmm. How to get at them? Usually Tesco brand appleade gets me in... (sends Wob-Wobs to fetch appleade)

Lady Shinimegami – I love the Ballad of Bilbo Baggins! I sing it in the lunch queue and freak people out! Which is always fun!