Again, I'm sorry for the delay. I've recently been sucked back into the Star Wars fandom, but I promise to try to keep Revenge going, too, for those of you who still care (there aren't terribly many of you, are there? Ah, well… as long as there is one…). The show must go on!
"Oi! Who tied me all up?"
Jack looked up from his fight, both pirates momentarily distracted by the confused yell. On closer inspection, Jack realized that a good majority of the unconscious pirates were bound with lengths of gold and sliver beads… and there, cowering in a corner, sat a trembling Elizabeth, clutching a handful of beaded cords in one hand and hurriedly tightening the knot she'd been tying with the other. Jack nearly laughed out loud, but instead he chose to use the opportunity to attack his opponent.
With that pirate unconscious, he threw an encouraging wink in Miss Swann's direction and jumped in to help Gibbs get his opponent out. There weren't many pirates left, and now that Jack's crew outnumbered them, they had no hope of aiding their incapacitated comrades. Pintel and Ragetti, however, were still trying. Will and AnaMaria made short work of the both of them, but not before they had managed to free two of their crewmates. The other two set into Will and AnaMaria with a vengeance, and Jack shook his head, grinning. Things were going amazingly well, as evidenced by the dismayed cries from the pirates who were slowly returning to consciousness. Nobody had moved to stop Elizabeth, and she had gotten over her fright to a point where she was gladly tying up the unconscious pirates. Soon, she had caught up to Jack's crew, and she had to wait for someone else to be knocked out before she could do anything. Jack was delighted with her ingenuity, and made a mental note to reward her with a bottle of rum at some point.
But his next opponent was Barbossa, and Jack wasn't entirely certain that he could defeat his former first mate. By now, Barbossa was well aware of what Jack's crew was trying to do, and it showed in the way he fought. If Jack could just get someone to distract his opponent for even a few seconds, he knew that he could knock Barbossa unconscious. But, unfortunately, a mix of bloodthirst and hubris had caused him to give his crew strict instructions not to harm Barbossa until all his crew were disabled, and he was on his own. Watching the look on Barbossa's face as they fought, Jack realized that Barbossa understood all too well his predicament, and was planning to take full advantage of it. He narrowed his eyes in determination. Barbossa would not get the best of Jack Sparrow ever again!
He was tiring, though, and he knew that Barbossa suffered under no such ailment. In fact, his old first mate seemed refreshed, as though he'd just woken from a nice nap and had time to slumber before taking on the match. Jack growled low in his throat in annoyance, but he made certain that the sound was low enough that Barbossa didn't hear.eheHe
Just as he thought he could go no further, though, someone crept up behind Barbossa carrying a long golden bar. He hid his smile as he recognized Elizabeth, but he could not hide his laugh when she swung the bar with all her might and knocked his opponent out cold.
"Well done indeed, Miss Swann. My thanks and congratulations," Jack said, still laughing as he shook her hand.
Elizabeth looked confused at his thanks, but she smiled tentatively at him and pulled a string of beads out of the bodice of her dress to tie Barbossa up. Jack raised an eyebrow at her choice of storage space, but a glare from Elizabeth shut him up. "I am merely trying to help," she said.
Jack nodded and looked around. Barbossa had been the last to fall; the rest of his crew was pulling the unconscious pirates into a pile in the middle of the cavern. He grinned and rubbed his hands together. Things were working out just perfectly.
Elizabeth stood and wiped her hands on her filthy skirt, finished with her job. Jack stood over Barbossa and smirked, knowing that his revenge would be better than he had dared to hope for.
"Well, mates, this has proven to be a most satisfying day. I wonder if one of you would like to run back to the ships and fetch some ropes and bins? We really ought to secure these fine gentlemen better before we set about hauling this loot aboard."
About half the crew volunteered, but Jack only sent Will, Elizabeth and Gibbs back. Before they left, Jack pulled Will aside and whispered to him, "You might want to keep your lass aboard the ship, if you can. What I plan to do with Barbossa is not for a lady's eyes."
Will frowned at him. "Just what are you planning, Jack?" he demanded.
"Revenge, mate. Good old-fashioned revenge. It won't be pretty, I can assure you. Trust me, anyone with a weak stomach will not want to witness this. Though, it will be rather amusing, if I do say so myself," Jack answered with a grin. "Oh, and Will, if you find a birdcage, will you bring that back, too?"
Will nodded, furrowing his brow, and followed Gibbs and Elizabeth to the ships.
Jack turned back to his crew and clapped his hands. "What are ye all soggerin' about for? Start collecting this loot into barrels and whatnot! Just don' touch the Aztec gold. Ye saw what that'd do to ye."
The crew laughed and hurried to follow his instructions. Jack turned back to Barbossa, still unconscious, slumped in a heap on the ground and tied with—appropriately—a string of black pearls. He chuckled.
"That 'Lizabeth. She knows a thing or two," he muttered as he pulled out his sword. This would be a grisly task, but he was looking forward to it. It would be the ultimate revenge.
Oh, this is going to be so much fun. I can't wait to see what you all think of my Revenge. It's going to be… unique, I can guarantee that. But if you want to know what it is, you'll have to review, because reviews are what keep me going. Besides, I already have the next chapter pretty much done, so the faster you review, the sooner I'll update. Promise.