The Cursed Magnet
By;
Gremblin
A great pleasure in life is doing
what people say you cannot do.
-Walter Bagehot.
Disclaimer: I own no one dammit! Stop accusing me of it!
0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Hanna stood at the helm of her ship, the Cursed Magnet. She watched her small crew run through their countless duties flawlessly due to the many times they had to do them a day. She had chosen the best men she could find to crew with her, and only took in the best. That's why her crew was so small, she refused the men that couldn't keep up with the rest.
"The pack's only as fast as it's slowest member." She said to herself as she steered the ship. It was a good size for her crew, and easy to protect and hide. It had never lost in a fight and that was a fact she was very proud of. It also lived up to its name because it seemed to be a magnet for new captains that seemed to think they could win against a pirate. The captains always ended up cursed and dead at the bottom of whatever body of water they were in. There was only one ship that had ever survived a fight against her ship and it was the Black Pearl.
"Where would we be going, Captain?" her first mate, Bootstrap Bill, asked. She had found him on an island a years ago, and had taken him on. He turned out to be one of her best men and Hanna had chosen him to be her first mate after her old one died in a fight with her. He had thought it bad luck for a ship to be captained by a woman, and he had found out it was. He hadn't lasted two minutes in the fight before her sword was stuck through his gut and two fingers on his left hand were missing. None of her men had ever doubted her since then.
"Port Royal. The governor's daughter be gettin' married and we wouldn't want to miss it would we?" Hanna said, spinning the wheel left.
"Take in some sail!" She shouted when the wind started blowing abnormally hard for the time of day. Black clouds were just ahead of the ship telling everyone on board that there was a storm ahead.
"Batten down th' hatches! There's a storm on th' horizon and i's no' gonna be fun!" Bootstrap shouted as he ran off to help with the storm preparations. That was why he was first mate, because he seemed to be able to read Hanna's mind. She never had to tell him what she wanted, he always seemed to know.
A Capuchin monkey jumped from the rigging above her and landed on her shoulder. She took one of her hands off the wheel to pet his head.
"Ye might want t'get inside, Scadge." She said quietly as her hand returned to the wheel. The monkey, Scadge, chirped in response as he jumped down off Hanna's shoulder and ran off.
One of the crew ran up to her just as the rain started. The crew was tying things down now with a renewed vigor. They couldn't afford to loose anything in the storm, as they weren't planning on stopping for another few days. None of them wanted to stop at the nearest port, Tortuga. The ship had a nasty habit of being attacked when they went there.
"We need to stop at Tortuga, miss." The man shouted through the sound of the wind in their ears.
"And why would that be Mr. James?" Hanna asked him without taking her eyes away from the water in front of her.
"Because the Black Pearl will be there." Mr. James announced with a grin. Hanna returned it with interest.
"Tortuga it is." She said as she changed course. Not one of the crewmen asked any questions, only going about their duties and knowing something was going to happen soon.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0
The Cursed Magnet docked at Tortuga not long after the storm let up. While the storm was short it wasn't by any means weak. It had taken two of her strongest men and Hanna herself to keep the ship going straight. But they had made it with minimal damage and still had time to make it to Port Royal before the wedding happened. But if they were going to make it the ship was going to need to be fixed.
"You gonna be 'ere long?" the pirate watching the docks asked. He staggered up to Hanna and drunkenly clapped a hand onto her shoulder. She brushed it off and snarled at him as she walked past with Bootstrap Bill at her heels. The rest of the crew stayed on or near the ship to fix it and make sure no one stole it. She looked down the dock and saw the Black Pearl and most of her crew there. She threw it a grin and went towards one of the many bars she knew it's captain frequented.
She walked in and ordered herself and Bootstrap pints of beer before looking over the crowd to find the Black Pearl's Captain. She had heard stories about what he looked like but had never actually seen him.
"Oi! Bootstrap!" Someone shouted over the many people. Bootstrap and Hanna looked around for the source of the voice but couldn't. After a few minutes a man with a tankard of rum in his hand and dreadlocks for hair pulled Bootstrap away from the bar and enveloped him in a large one-armed hug.
"Jack! Where 'ave yeh been?" Bootstrap laughed. Hanna watched the exchange carefully. She wanted to know if she could trust the man. In her mind, just because her first mate trusted him didn't mean he was worth her trust. She had learned that the hard way.
"I've been aroun'. I found your lad a while back! 'E's livin' in Port Royal now!" Jack said with a hiccup. He was obviously severely drunk.
"Yeh foun' Will? At Port Royal no less? 'Ow's 'e doin?" Bootstrap asked with a grin. He was obviously comfortable around this man, and excited about the news of his son. Hanna had known that Bootstrap had a son, and had kept an eye out for the boy whenever they landed at a new port.
" 'E's doin' great! 'E's marryin' the Governor's Daughter!" Jack laughed, obviously finding it funny. Bootstrap cast a glance at Hanna, and her eye's widened. They had been planning to kill the lady and her husband, now they couldn't.
Jack's attention finally fell onto Hanna, who had been watching the exchange and the people within earshot of it. He swaggered over to her and attempted to take her hand and pull her away from the wall. She didn't let him however.
"Keep yeh hands to yehself." She growled at him. This only seemed to amuse Jack further.
"Feisty catch, Bill." Jack laughed. He pulled Hanna close to him and planted a sloppy kiss on her lips before finding himself up against the wall with a sword pressed to his neck. Hanna breathed through her mouth so that she didn't have to put up with the smell of many types of rum on Jack's breath.
"This is Hanna, Jack. She's me Cap'n." Bootstrap said with a grin. "And yeh could say she's a catch, but yeh'd probably loose your tongue for it." He added.
"My apologies." Jack said. He tried to move the blade of Hanna's sword away from his neck but found it impossible. Bootstrap did some quick thinking, knowing Hanna wouldn't think twice about beheading his old friend.
"Hanna, yeh wouldn' want t'be doing tha'." Bootstrap said. He threw Jack a look that said to shut up for once and let Bootstrap do the talking.
"Why no'?" Hanna asked through a snarl. She pressed her sword harder to Jack's throat, causing him to wince in pain. A small trickle of blood found it's way down his neck. By now quite a few people were watching the exchange. They all knew that these two pirates were two of the best around.
" 'cause if yeh do then yeh won' 'ave a rival. Jack 'ere's the cap'n o'the Pearl." Bootstrap said quietly into her ear. Hanna's eyes turned into slits as she looked Jack over. He tried to put on a grin but the pain of her sword on his neck turned it into more of a grimace.
After a few seconds Hanna back away and stalked out of the bar. Bootstrap looked from Jack to the door before running a hand through his hair and running after Hanna. He found her in the alley heading towards the docks.
"Hanna! Wait up girl!" Bootstrap shouted. She turned to look at Bootstrap and surprised him when he saw she had tears in her eyes.
"Wha's the matter?" Bootstrap demanded. He wiped a tear away from her face with his shirtsleeve. He sometimes forgot how young Hanna truly was. She was only nineteen, but was a born and bred pirate. She had grown up on the Magnet with her father, the captain. He had died when she was thirteen and had been raised by her fathers crew, most of which was now working of her. She was at least a third his age but acted as if she wasn't.
"Nothing." She whispered. But Bootstrap knew it wasn't nothing. Anyone on the ship would know it wasn't nothing. Hanna never cried unless it was something.
"Tell me wha's wrong." Bootstrap said, suddenly feeling like a fool.
"It's exactly what I said! Nothing! Now ge' back to the ship before yeh loose an eye!" She ordered, putting on the tough mask she wore so well.
"Aye Cap'n." Bootstrap said with a sigh. He went in the direction of the ship and left Hanna where she stood. He went to the ship, only to find the crew missing. He looked around to see the entire crew leaving the Black Pearl. He ran down the gangplank towards them.
When he met up with them they all seemed drunk and happy. He shouted orders at them and they all ran to the ship to fulfill them. Bootstrap saw Jack walking towards the Pearl and called to him.
"That's the lass' ship?" Jack called up.
"Aye." Bill returned.
"It's got nothing on the Pearl." Jack shouted. Bootstrap sighed as the entire crew pulled shotguns and pointed them all at Jack.
"Lower yer weapons!" Bootstrap shouted. "Get back t'yer duties yeh dogs!" Everyone grumbled and did as he said.
"Much obliged, Bootstrap. I'll be gettin' back t'the Pearl now, 'fore I loose me toes." Jack called up as he tipped his pirates hat and continued on to his ship. Not two minutes later Hanna appeared from between two houses. There were no tears in her eyes and she looked angry. She spotted Jack and an evil snarl appeared on her face as she pulled her gun and pointed it at Jack. Seeing this and not willing to let her kill his old friend Bootstrap pulled his own gun. He didn't aim it at anything, rather simply had it out and visible to Hanna.
"Jack! Run!" Bootstrap shouted. Jack didn't even turn to question him, simply started running towards the Pearl. Hanna immediately opened fire and hit Jack in the knee. He crumpled over and the crews of both the Cursed Magnet and the Black Pearl ran off their respective ships and ran towards their respective captains. The crew of the Black Pearl aimed their weapons at Hanna and the crew of the Cursed Magnet aimed theirs at Jack. Bootstrap was the only one torn between who to defend as he didn't want either to die.
"All of yeh lower yer weapons!" Bootstrap shouted. No one listened until both Hanna and Jack did as Bootstrap had said. No one backed away either, however.
"Yesssssss. Lower your weaponssss. If either diessssss the apocalypssssssssse will come." Someone said. No one knew who it was so they all looked around. A half-blind fortune teller hobbled over to them and stood between Jack and Hanna.
"Who are ye, yeh old hag?" Hanna demanded. Annamaria stepped forward and helped Jack up into a standing position.
"I am Amelia O'Connell and I'm here to warn all of ye." The woman said. She was dressed in old rags and had a cut going over one of her eyes.
"Well get with the warnin' so's we can kill them!" Mr. James growled. There were murmurs of agreement in both the crews, as neither was particularly fond of the other.
"Have any of ye wondered why the other wassssss the only ssshhhip to ever sssssurvive a fight betweensssst the two?" The old woman asked. No one said or did anything so the woman took a guess and continued. "The Black Pearl and The Cursed Magnet are ssssissster ssshhipsssss. They were made by the ssssame man and both will alwaysssss be unable to sssssink the other." The old woman cackled. She was laughing at the look of utter disdain on the faces of the two crews. Bootstrap was still the only person that was indifferent.
"So?" Hanna demanded. "That doesn' mean I can' kill that bastard." Hanna stated. She nodded her chin at Jack who grinned. Annamaria leaned over close to Jack's ear.
"Do I even want to know?" She asked. Jack grinned, but shook his head.
"Yessss it doesssss. If Jack diesssss then ssssssso will you. The only reasssssson your two ambassadorships are sssso ssssuccesssssssful is becaussssssse the other issss sssstil able to sssssail." The old lady announced.
"So I can' kill 'im?" Hanna sighed. The old woman shook her head.
"Is there a point to this?" Jack asked. He was once again wincing with pain. Hanna only grinned at Jack's pain, and the scar on his neck.
"Sssssssoon enough both ssssshipssss captainssssss will undersssstand. Sssssssoon, very sssssoon." The old woman said with a grin. She handed Hanna and Jack a piece of gold ring each. Before either could say anything the rings seemed to melt onto the finger of the hand they were in. Both captains tried to get them off with a vigor, but without success. The old woman cackled again and disappeared in a puff of smoke.
"Witch! Get the bloody hell back 'ere!" Hanna shouted as she continued to try and get the ring off. Jack had long ago stopped and now stood there admiring it.
"I rather like it. I've been meaning to get one for this hand." He smiled. "But I must be off, I have a wedding to get to." Jack said. He limped away with the help of his crew and Hanna went to her ship followed by all of her crew but Bootstrap. He stood on the docks, rooted to the spot. He knew that lady, he had met her before, but only once.
flash back
Twenty Years Prior
Bootstrap Bill walked down a street in London, holding hands with his new wife. Then he had only been known as William Turner. He and his wife were expecting and everyone they passed stopped to congratulate them. He was well known and well liked by many in the town.
They were stopped again, this time by an old woman that neither of them recognized.
"You are William Turner, yessss?" The woman asked.
"Aye." Bootstrap replied with a smile.
"Your sssson will be plagued by hardsssshhipssss if you sssstay in hisssss life. Be warned." The woman said before continuing on her way. She turned down a nearby alley and walked away.
"That was odd. Do you know her William?" His wife asked him with a smile.
"No. I don't." Bootstrap replied. He shrugged it off and didn't think of it again until four years later and his son was chased home from school by pirates. Bootstrap just barely chased them away. The next day he signed as a sailor on a ship to keep himself out of his son's life as much as possible.
End Flashback
It sent a shiver up his spine as he ran back to the Magnet and went to talk to Hanna. She was sitting at a desk in her quarters trying to figure out how to get the ring off her fingers. She had a knife in her other hand, trying to use it to pry the ring off.
"Cap'n. I think you should take what the hag said to heart." Bootstrap said nervously. Hanna dropped the knife onto the desk with a frustrated sigh and turned to Bootstrap. The knife hit the desk with a clatter as Hanna stood up.
"An' Why would you think tha'?" Hanna asked, trying to pull the ring off. It seemed to be magically welded to her finger though.
"I've met 'er before. You should take 'er seriously. Look at the Black Pearl, it does look almost exactly like the Cursed Magnet. Save fer a few adjustments from the few times she needed to be seriously fixed o' course." Bootstrap said with a shrug.
"As much as I 'ate t'admit it yer right. But tha' don't mean I 'ave t'like Jack!" she growled. She made another futile attempt to pull the ring off before one of the crew walked into the room.
"Ma'am, we need you on deck. The Cap'n o' the Black Pearl wishes t'board." Upon looking at the newcomer, Hanna saw it was the newest addition to the crew. They had picked her up during their last stop in Tortuga. Her name was Kelly and she seemed to be a promising deckhand.
"Over my bloody arse!" She shouted, forgetting the ring and running out of the room onto the deck. She saw Jack standing on the dock with three members of his crew standing behind him. His smile wasn't near as big as it usually was due to the pain of the bullet lodged in his knee.
"Permission to board?" Jack called up. Hanna seriously thought about telling him no, but she remembered the hag's words and Bootstrap telling her to take them to heart.