Usual disclaimers apply (reads: I have a lack of creativity right now, so I don't own this and don't sue. Nothing cute to add.).

ESCAPE FROM REALITY
CHAPTER 5: The Interceptor and the Dauntless

"I need a sword," I muttered tensely to myself. That was about the fifth time I had said that in the past five minutes. We were under an arc that was very near the port and the place I was two days ago.

Jack turned to me with a very annoyed look on his face. "Love, yeh'll get one once we get on the ship, savvy?" I stopped saying that from now on and inwardly smiled. He looked so cute when he was annoyed.

A new realization dawned upon Will. "We're stealing a boat? That boat?" he said as he pointed his head at a boat, the Dauntless, alarmed.

"Commandeer. We're going to commandeer that boat. Nautical term." Jack realized something that would be essential for the journey. "One question about your business boy, or there's no use going. This girl, how far are you willing to go to save her?"

Will scowled at him as he answered, "I'd die for her." I knew that he meant it.

"Good. No worries then."

About fifteen minutes later, we were under a canoe, walking slowly to the shoreline.

"Jack, you really think that no one will notice that a boat has sprouted three sets of legs and is walking to the sea?" I asked him.

"You'd be surprised at what people here miss," Will replied and we went under water. After about ten minutes of being under water and a few near encounters with a school of fish, Will continued by saying, "Jack, this is either madness or brilliance."

"It's remarkable how often those two traits coincide," Jack replied simply as Will stepped in a wooden lobster catcher. I suppressed a giggle as Will walked with it still connected, knowing what was going on the surface.

We climbed up to the Dauntless. Now I know why it's called The Dauntless; you'd have to be fearless to climb up it. But nonetheless, I climbed it clumsily, slipping and losing my balance every two seconds. I was in front and Jack was behind me, so he muttered quickly, "Find the armory." I scampered off, not having the faintest idea what an armory looked like from the outside. All I knew was that it meant that it would contain a lot of weapons.

I opened every chamber door and found the armory at about my fourth try. I grabbed a sword belt, sword, dagger, gunpowder and matches. Just the essentials. Then, as I got up to the steering place I heard Will say very unnecessarily, "Here they come." Jack smiled a cheeky smile and I repressed another squeak. Not the last time I would do that.

The Interceptor came, quick and elegant, to the Dauntless. Soldiers boarded as we hid. Once we knew that they were gone to search for us, we popped out and grabbed three ropes to get to the Interceptor. This is one of Jack's better ideas, I thought as my feet found foothold and I landed face first on the Interceptor's wooden floor.

"C'mon, Natalie, up!" Will encouraged as Jack steered our new home out to sea. As he pulled me up and helped me find a room in the lower deck, I heard Jack yell, "Thank you, Commodore, for getting us ready to make way. We'd have a hard time of it by ourselves!"

I found a cozy one and placed the dagger in it. I had the sword around my hips on the belt with my gunpowder and matches. I laid down on my bed as Will asked me, "So, how did you get here?"

I sighed. Must he be so thick headed? "I've already told you. I don't know how I got here."

"Well, are you French?"

"No, but I'm Scotch-Irish, German, Welsh, and English." I said that all very fast.

Will gawked at me, probably because of the speed of how I said my heritage. "How did you get so many ethnic backgrounds?"

"Well, where I come from, most people are very mixed."

"Where would that be?"

"Umm...Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania."

"Oh, Penn's Woods, that explains it." I just nodded. "So what is it like in the New World?"

"America isn't the New World where I come from. You see, I'm from... well, the future. That's why I'm dressed like this. That's why I know so much of your world. That's why I have a 'P' on my arm—"

"You have a 'P' on your arm?"

"You assumed me pirate, didn't you?"

"Yes."

"Then, why wouldn't I have a 'P' on my arm?" I flipped my arm over to reveal my permanent marker marking. Will gasped.

"So, it's true?"

"No, I just think pirates are cool." Will looked at me like I had grown four other heads. "In the future, there is a movie called 'Pirates of the Caribbean'—a movie is like a transporter to another place—and it's basically what happened so far…minus the music. There's music in movies." Will just ogled in awe some more. I continued talking. "This 'P' on my arm comes right off. It'll fade in a few days."

Another awkward pause, broken by Jack screaming for us to get up there. We scurried up and Jack gave us our orders. I guess he was made to be captain, I thought in awe as I scrubbed the floor. Jack came over to me I scrubbed the same spot after about a half an hour.

"Yeh might want to scrub somewhere else, love, before yeh run a hole through me ship."

It was true, for the spot I had been cleaning was turning lighter, so I moved over to a new spot, but Jack followed. "Don't you have a ship to steer or something?" I asked him as he stared at me with his seductive, chestnut eyes…NO! I cannot fall in love with him! He just wants to get into my pants! No, I will NOT let that happen!

"No, Will's steering it for me," he replied and then shouted to Will, "More to the left, mate!" I sighed. Why Jack? WHY must HE be a pirate! WHY! "So, you mentioned that you know how to parry?" Jack asked me and I nodded.

"A little bit."

"Would yeh like to learn?"

"No, I wouldn't. My lifelong dream has always been to be killed by a undead pirate," I said sarcastically. "Of course, I want to learn!"

"All right, love. Meet me in my cabin at noon." And with that he stormed to the steering wheel and relieved Will of his duties. I dashed to him, wanting to learn more about him.