Chapter Fifteen: The Way of the World
"Sky Captain, eh? Am I supposed to be impressed?" The warrior king asked, running his tongue over sharpened incisors. It was a tradition the Blackbeards practiced since the days of their primarch, giving the men of their family a vampiric appearance. They stood on the bridge of Blackbeard's flying castle fortress, overlooking the vast armada amassed around him. Hundreds of thousands of black airships cast shadows across the early morning sky. They, in turn, were supported by legions of mercenary fighter pilots. Crossing the Pacific en route to America, the Extinction Agenda was well underway and King Blackbeard was pleased.
"Impressed? No." Sky Captain replied, glaring at Blackbeard from under his eyebrows. "But you should be afraid. I have a habit of destroying despots and madmen like you." Blackbeard spun on his heel and approached Sky Captain, his black cape billowing behind him. Face to face, Sky Captain glanced up, noting with subdued concern that he just came up to Blackbeard's chest.
"Is that right, boy?" he growled. Before Sky Captain could answer, Blackbeard tossed his head back and laughed maniacally. "Devil's tits, this one has balls! I'll enjoy skinning him."
While the two men bantered, Polly quietly worked on loosening the rope binding her hands behind her. Bai-Ling and a Deathstalker were still on board, but were both standing behind her towering cousin, offering her privacy with which to escape.
An officer, dressed in a charcoal gray military uniform, approached the king and bowed his head reverently. "Sir, twelve hours until we reach the American west coast. Shall I activate the Stealth Storm?"
"Proceed, lad," Blackbeard ordered before again facing his prey. "Violence and bloodshed, Sky Captain. These are the foundations of civilization, and the tools I will use to bring humanity to its knees."
"True," Sky Captain admitted. "But we're made of sterner stuff, too. Hope, for instance, and the desire to fight for something better when bastards like you are determined to take us all to hell."
That's it Joe, Polly thought to herself, working even harder to undo her bindings. Keep him busy. Blackbeard's eyes narrowed into cruel slits.
"Hope be damned," he growled, driving a fist into Joe's stomach before returning to his command of the armada. "The game is over, Sky Captain, and frankly you were pathetic. Strap them to some missiles, Bai-Ling. You've wasted my time with this, my dear. I'll deal with you later."
The fortress trembled suddenly, every stone of the titan castle shaking as if caught in an earthquake. "Damnit, what was that!?" Blackbeard screamed, stomping towards the large viewscreen cut into a broad wall. "Sir, we've been hit," a navigator cried. Rather than reply, Blackbeard, in a fit of rage, pulled a pistol from his hip and shot the navigator through the back. "Yes," he snidely hissed. "But by what!?"
Polly shimmied off the rope around her wrists and slid it into her coat pocket. Using the sudden confusion to her advantage, Polly palmed a pocket knife into her hand and, feigning doe-like fear, back up against her cousin. "Oh Rock, I'm so scared," she cooed, quietly cutting away at his bindings. Rock caught on and smiled knowingly.
Another salvo struck the fortress broadside, triggering red warning lights and alarms across the bridge. Consoles sparked and burst into flames and, for the first time, a palpable air of fear and uncertainty lingered in the air. One of the radios squawked to life. Amidst the crackle of static, a distinctly familiar voice could be heard.
"Blackbeard, this is Commander Jolly Roger of the City of Lost Souls. You killed my husband, tried to kill me, and nearly destroyed my city. Prepare for war, you evil bastard. I'm pissed."
Stay Tuned for Chapter Sixteen: Fire in the Sky