GROAN. #swats halfheartedly as random person pokes at the lifeless body on the ground# Band camp… God, please just let me die… Wait, what do you mean I'm late updating! ACK!
OMG, I'm so sorry everyone!
Okay, I have officially decided to replace all torture in my story with band camp. Granted, none of them will live as long, but if I have to suffer so will they.
Wow, I can not believe I have 75 reviews! Talk about a warm fuzzy feeling inside.
Now, down to business. As far as the bidding goes, Chris currently belongs to Silverpaw for 120 cookies, Grant goes to Marie Crosby for 10 million, and BlackSword also goes to Marie Crosby for 10 gazillion cookies. Roxy is also going to Daphnebandweenie for 500 cookies. Wow, I'm going to be fat. Anyway, the bettings not over until the stories over. I like cookies. #grin#
Smithy – I hope you're not really upset about all the torture. And I shall make no comment on Elizabeth, for that might possibly spoil the story. #evil smirk#
Trinilee Greenleaf – Wow, this is a major hugfest, isn't it? Oh well. #Hugs back# We're a bunch of hugging fools here. Hehe, Adam is so cute. Shirtless is good. Glad you like this whole thing and sorry this is late. Enjoy.
Sanquinedarkness666 – Dude, we were so stylish. With the HELL hat and the POWER RANGERS SPD shirt. We were SO hot. HEHE. And sensing he had suppressed chewing gum issues. Anyway, see you at school Tuesday. Wee, the fun.
Daphnebandweenie – No, you can't have my shirt! And I'm sorry, but that band-aid isn't quite big enough for Will. I still want my binder back. I like my binder. Binders are good. Especially when they hold 420 pages of my life's greatest achievement.
Williz - #HUG!# Yes, ouchied is the nice way of saying it. Anyway, hope you like this chapter. Leave your reviews, I love hearing from you.
Silverpaw – Glad the torture is believable. And different is good, so thank you. Here you go on the next chapter.
Marie Crosby – I don't hate him. It goes a little more like this. I love watching the interactions between close friends and seeing their reactions to each other's pain. I love all the emotions. That's why I like torture. I like the emotions it draws from those not undergoing the torture. And I'm sorry, but the suspense is going to last a little longer. Hope you like this chapter.
Kristina – Okay, okay, here's the next chapter. But no guarantees about Will though.
MagRowan – Strange is good. Glad you're sticking around to read. And nope, no guarantees about Will's safety. Still don't know who Dawg or Frank Langella is, but I'll take you word for it about BlackSword.
WillTurnerLuv – Can't promise anything about Will. You'll have to read to find out what happens.
LivebythegunDiebythegun – Here's the next chapter. Sorry it took so long.
Mooboo – Once again, I can't promise he'll live, but here's a new chapter, so read on.
Dancin – I'm so sorry it took me so long to update, but here's the next chapter.
I think that covers all my reviewers. If I missed anyone, I'm sorry.
Anyways, I think this is enough jabber-jabber before the story. On to the chapter.
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BlackSword
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Chapter 10
Four Days Later
"Captain Sparrow, there is a ship off the starboard bow. It looks…" the man acting as a lookout hesitated, trying to identify the make of the ship.
Instantly, Jack's attention was caught, and he spun to face the lookout. "Is it the Assassin?" There was no way for him to keep the hope out of his voice.
"No, it appears to… be of Asian make."
Disappointment flooded through him and he sighed. "Avoid it," he ordered. "We don't have time to bother with another ship."
"But Captain," Miguel protested, "They're hailing us. Shouldn't we go see if they are okay?"
Jack groaned. He really didn't feel like doing anything but find the Assassin. Yet he knew he should check on the other ship. Finally, he relented and the Pearl sailed silently up to the oriental ship.
One of the crewmembers was waving frantically, obviously trying to catch their attention. Once he realized he had been noticed, the Asian began to jabber away in his own language. Jack stood listening closely, using what little he knew of oriental languages in an attempt to understand.
Finally, he said, in halting Japanese, "Do you… know English? Don't really… know Japanese."
Fortunately, the other understood and he nodded while smiling brightly. Motioning for them to stay, he then ran off.
A few minutes later the man returned, followed by another, presumably his captain. The other captain glanced up and studied Jack carefully. Finally, he said in heavily accented, yet understandable English, "Are you here to help us?"
Jack nodded, "Yes, I'm Captain Jack Sparrow, and this is my ship, the Black Pearl. What's the problem?"
The Captain motioned Jack Sparrow onto the ship, the Hornet Dragon. The Japanese man that had first seen them tossed Jack a rope. Swinging onto the ship, Jack then stood, waiting to help lower the gangplank, and then helping the rest onto the ship.
"Follow me," the captain said, turning and leading some into the ship.
"You two," Jack said, pointing to two of his crewmembers, "stay aboard the Pearl."
The two men nodded, eager to follow their captain's commands. The rest quickly followed Jack down into the Japanese ship.
"I am Captain Yin Sao and this is my ship, the Hornet Dragon," the captain said as he led them through the ship. "This is my first mate, Bin Hyun." He indicated the man that had flagged them down.
Yin Sao stopped abruptly and turned, raising a pistol level with Jack's head. "Drop your weapons, Captain, if you please." He then scanned the rest of Jack's crew, "You as well."
"How do you expect to pull this off?" Miguel asked from behind Jack. "There's one of you and more than twenty of us."
"Not so," a second voice said, this one also heavily accented. It was Bin Hyun. Glancing quickly around, Jack slowly realized it had been a trap. They were surrounded, completely.
"Now, as I said before, drop your weapons." Yin Sao ordered, cocking the pistol threateningly.
Slowly, Jack and his crew obeyed, placing their swords and guns on the floor. Yin Sao barked something in hurried Japanese and Bin Hyun quickly began collecting the weapons.
"Sparrow… you two, follow me," Yin Sao commanded, motioning to Jack, Miguel, and Paul. "Hyun, put the rest into the cells. I only need these three."
Motioning to the side, Yin Sao let the three pass him. Jack trudged angrily down the hall, upset that he had fallen for the trap.
"You said you needed help," Miguel said indignantly, voice reflecting his feelings about the betrayal.
"That we do," Yin Sao said, still leading them through the ship.
Paul's green eyes darkened, "If you need help, this isn't the way to ask for it."
Yin spun, "No one in their right mind would willingly help us." His dark, slanted eyes glinted. "That is why it was necessary for us to capture you."
Caramel eyes took a near-begging tone. "Please," Jack said, voice surprisingly soft, "you must let us go. Another group of pirates has taken my best friend captive and if we don't find him in less than a week-and-a-half, they are going to kill him. You have to let us go."
Suddenly, the Japanese man motioned for Miguel and Paul to enter the cell he had stopped at. "I am sorry about your friend, truly I am. I know how it feels to lose someone close to you. But that is why I need your help."
He locked the door after Miguel and Paul had reluctantly entered the cell. He waved his gun towards a chair, indicating he wanted Jack to sit. "My brother was killed not long ago; I was right there. He died in my arms. I could feel it as his heart slowly stopped; I felt it as his blood ran over me."
"What happened to him?" Jack couldn't help but ask. He also couldn't help the memories that came, unbidden and unwanted. Memories of holding Will's limp body aboard the Assassin and how it had felt to have his blood staining his hands.
"He had been stabbed by a poisoned blade. His death was slow and agonizing. And now I'm trying to replicate the poison used on him so I can kill his murderer with it."
"What do you need me for?" Jack demanded, beginning to get a sinking feeling that he would never get the chance to save Will.
The smile that flashed across Yin's face made slight fear creep up the pirate's spine. "Well, we need someone to test the poison on." As he said this he pulled out a jar that had been inside a beautiful, ornate chest. The jar had a thick white liquid inside.
Miguel and Paul slammed themselves angrily against the cell bars. "If you use that poison on the captain, we'll kill you," Paul warned, raising his voice for the first time that Jack could recall.
Jack almost smiled. 'If we all get out of this alive, I'll have to ask Miguel and Paul to become members of my crew full time.'
"How? It seems to me that you are in that cell, while I am not." Yin Sao slowly unscrewed the lid, "Besides, I don't intend to kill him, only check his reaction to the poison. I'm not putting it in his blood stream, merely on his skin."
"Oh, that's so much better," Jack said, voice laced heavily with sarcasm. His dark eyes flickered grimly.
"You're right," Yin said, completely missing the sarcasm. "You won't die this way." He paused then added, almost as an afterthought, "Yet away."
Yin Sao slowly dipped the knife into the jar; covering the blade in the thick, white substance. Turning back towards the pirate captain, Yin slowly approached Jack, dripping knife in one hand and gun in the other.
"Remove your shirt," Yin Sao ordered, leveling the gun with Jack's head. He would take no chances.
Slowly, Jack obeyed, unbuttoning the thick, white shirt and pulling it off his muscular, scarred shoulders. He sat there, watching Yin Sao and wondering if he would ever get the opportunity to save Will.
He couldn't help but wonder what exactly was in the jar. He had never seen anything like it. Impatiently, he flexed the muscles in his arms, feeling the way his scars pulled the skin tighter than normal across them.
Yin stopped in front of Jack, black eyes full of eagerness and anticipation. "Obviously, you're wondering what this is, am I correct?" When his question earned him a nod, he continued, "It is the venom of a giant hornet from my country. Highly dangerous and quite painful. The chemicals in it are capable of inducing severe pain and melting skin. If enough poison enters the bloodstream it's fatal. Even better, there is currently no cure for it."
Gnawing fear coursed through Jack's veins, though it was more a fear of what would happen to Will if he died than a fear for himself. "Are you sure you want to do this?"
"More than you can know. I've been waiting for the opportunity to test this for more than two years."
Yin Sao turned the blade so that the flat was parallel with Jack's chest. Slowly, he pressed the knife forward until it rested against the pirate's chest.
The instant the poisoned blade came in contact with his chest, Jack became painfully aware of what Yin Sao had meant. Pain flashed through his awareness and he could only half control the scream that escaped him. The blade was slowly drug along his chest, drawing a burning line along it.
He could feel it as his skin began to slowly melt along where the knife had passed. It wasn't the same as when he had been cursed and everything had melted away from his bones; no, the feeling was far from that. It was more of a burning feeling and his muscles spasmed slightly in anguish.
Crossing his arms over his chest, he began to breathe in shallow gasps in an attempt to stifle some of the pain. Every time his lungs expanded, the skin across his chest and ribs tightened, placing even more pressure on the half melted skin. He groaned softly, pain beginning to steal his whole world.
Laughing softly, Yin Sao placed the knife on the table. "I see the potency of the giant wasp's venom has not diminished over time." He let a slight smile flicker across his face. "Good," the smile disappeared, "I'm sorry it had to be you."
Jack's breath caught in his throat and finally the pain caused him to sway in the chair. Consciousness fled him and he fell forward, crashing to the ground.
Miguel and Paul started in surprise and concern as he hit the ground, unmoving. Anger flashed through their eyes simultaneously, all of it directed towards Yin Sao.
Bending down, Yin Sao picked up Jack's unconscious body and, unlocking the cell, pressed the pirate into it with the two members of his crew. Miguel and Paul rushed to his side, checking to see if he was alright.
"Don't worry, your captain will be fine. It is only fatal if the poison enters the bloodstream," Yin informed them reassuringly. "I don't intend to kill him or you." He locked the cell again and left, heading back to the deck.
"Damn it," Miguel said darkly once the Japanese man had left. "This is not good."
Paul nodded in agreement. "If we don't escape, the Captain won't be able to save his friend," he pointed out softly.
Dark eyes flickered in curiosity. That hadn't been what he had meant by the comment, yet Paul had made a valid point.
Miguel sighed, "The Captain won't be pleased." The Spaniard glanced down at the unresponsive man before him.
"Will he be okay?" Paul asked, voice soft with concern.
Shrugging uneasily, Miguel replied, "I don't know. I've never heard of a giant hornet." He shrugged again. "I just don't know."
One Week Later
Blacksword grunted angrily, watching as Grant and Ricky beat the hell out of the prisoner. 'Why isn't Sparrow here yet?' he wondered furiously. That was the source of his anger towards Will Turner. Unfortunately he couldn't just ask the young man; that would destroy everything.
Grant and Ricky had more freedom with Will than they had the week before. Blacksword, finally realizing that the young man wouldn't survive the week, had given him a slight respite from the beatings. The blacksmith had actually regained the strength to stand; yet that had nothing to do with his emotional state. While his health had improved, his emotional stability had decreased sharply. If he had been given the opportunity to handle a weapon he would have, without hesitation, ended his own existence.
Another broken scream escaped his prisoner. Andrew began to pace back and forth. 'What if Sparrow doesn't come? What will I do? Should I kill Turner?'
Slowly, though, the conversation between tormenters and prisoner slipped into his awareness. "Come on, Will," Grant taunted mercilessly, still mocking Jack's voice. "You scream like a child caught in a bloody nightmare. Suck it up, boy."
Tears rolled down Will's face, agony coursing through him. His shoulder burned unforgivingly; after all it had been broken for two weeks without being given a chance to heal or even being set back into place. "Jack…" he moaned, barely understandable. "Stop… go… rot in… hell."
Black Andrew almost laughed, and suddenly he made up his mind. 'If Sparrow doesn't get here, I'll just kill the boy. Even I'm not cruel enough to keep him alive so Sparrow can go through the hell of having his friend turned against him like this.'
Indeed, over the last week, Grant had turned Will's loyalty to Jack upside-down. They had seen momentary flashes of anger and dislike simmer through his eyes. As much as he wanted Jack Sparrow to feel how it felt to be betrayed by his best friend, he was not going to force that.
Blood had long ago soaked through the wood and now it was no longer able to seep into it. A large puddle had formed under the blacksmith's body. Had this beating occurred the week prior, he never would have survived.
Ricky paused, watching Will and considering his options. He had his knife buried into the young man's lower arm, parallel with the skin in a failed attempt to separate the two. Suddenly, he jerked it out, causing a strangled cry to escape the man in front of him.
A grim smile flickered across Grant's face as he guessed what Ricky was about to do. "Will, did you ever learn about native islanders as a kid?" he asked.
"No… bastard," Will answered softly, voice belying his weakness.
"Too bad," Grant responded. "Well, what they do is skin people. Wonder how that feels?"
Dark brown orbs became huge muddy pools. "Oh, God… Jack, please… don't do this to me." Will's body began to tremble uncontrollably, fear radiating from every fiber of his being.
Grant smirked and placed the edge of his blade on Will's good arm, slowly forcing the edge down into the skin. Suddenly, he flipped the blade on its side and quickly ran it down the length of his arm.
Will's eyes popped open even wider and he began screaming again. His tears left thin trails through the blood on his face.
"Stop," Blacksword ordered suddenly. Grant and Ricky instantly ceased their torture, pulling the blade from his shuddering body. "I need him to be able to use at least the one arm so we can duel," he explained.
Grant's eyes darkened but he nodded. Ricky, though, let his displeasure show and he kicked Will hard in his injured ribs. Pain flashed through his awareness and he passed out, his body still too weak to handle that much pain.
"That wasn't very nice, Ricky," Black Andrew said, but there was a small smile on his lips. "Now, Ricky, since you knocked him out, you can take him back to his cell."
Ricky complied, unwillingly. He carried the unmoving body out of the small room, muttering to himself.
Grant glanced over at his captain. "What if Sparrow doesn't get here?" he asked quietly.
"We keep our promise."
"Sparrow, you're quite fortunate, did you know that?" Yin Sao said as he entered the room.
Jack stared miserably at him. His time was almost out and he knew it. If he didn't find Will by tomorrow, Blacksword would kill him and he would fail in his self appointed duty to protect the other.
"Fortunate?" Jack repeated incredulously. "How the hell am I fortunate? My best friend is about to be killed if I don't save him before tomorrow night. This is going to be my fault."
A slight shrug told him Yin Sao didn't know what to say to that. "I was going to say that at least you're not a prisoner aboard one ship we passed. Poor bastard didn't have a chance. He was strapped to a mast and getting beaten. He passed them not even seven hours ago."
Jack's head snapped up. "What?" he demanded, remembering what Chris had told him about how Blacksword had tortured Will. "Do you know what the ship was called?" Despite the fact that the other had continually tested the giant hornet's venom on him, Jack found it hard to hate him.
"I believe it was the… the Assassin?" Yin Sao said with a shrug. "I don't really remember."
"The… the Assassin?" Jack asked, voice barely containing his excitement. "Yin Sao, if you go after that ship, I swear I will come back and let you do what you want to me. My best friend is the prisoner you saw on board that ship."
Yin's eyes widened slightly, and he seemed to consider it. "Bin!" he called suddenly. "Bin, come down here!"
The young man came running down the hall. "Yes, Captain?"
"Do you remember the ship we passed? The Assassin, I believe?" When Bin nodded, Sao continued, "Follow it. Captain Sparrow requested that we chase it."
Nodding, Bin rushed back out, intent on giving the orders to the rest of the crew.
A grateful smile slid across Jack's face. "Thank you," he said softly.
Yin Sao nodded, "I will release you long enough for you to rescue your friend." He couldn't help it; he knew how it felt to lose someone he cared about so that was the one pain he couldn't bare to force upon someone else. "Are you well enough to fight and free him?"
Jack nodded, "I'm fine. It's him I'm worried about. When you saw him, was he okay? Was he alive? Was he conscious?"
"He was alive, though I don't know about the answers to the other questions. You would have to ask Bin, he was on duty then."
Then, to Jack's surprise, Yin Sao unlocked his cell, letting him out. Jack eyed him. "Why are you letting me out?"
"You need to regain your strength. I do not wish for you to go aboard that ship merely to be killed. Besides, you gave your word to come back if we helped you rescue your friend."
"Actually the deal was for you to chase down the Assassin and let me rescue him, but I would greatly appreciate any help you offer," Jack said. "It would be a lot easier to get him off the ship if the crew were distracted."
"Done," Yin Sao agreed.
"One more question. There was a boy aboard my ship, only about eight years old-"
"Jackie is fine. In fact, Miguel and Paul are with him," Yin Sao interrupted.
"I had been wondering where you had taken them."
Black eyes met his, "Why don't you go see them? We'll call you as soon as we catch up to the Assassin."
Jack nodded. "Okay. I think I will."
Blacksword stared angrily out over the sea. "Sparrow has less than five hours until I kill Will Turner. He'd best hurry."
The only ship he had seen within the last two days had been a Japanese ship. The ship had passed by and aside from earning several dark looks while torturing their prisoner, they had not been bothered.
Ricky slid up beside him. "Captain, there is a ship following us. It's that Japanese ship again."
Green eyes turned towards him. "Doesn't matter, if it's not the Black Pearl then I don't care."
Slowly Ricky nodded. "Very well… Can I kill him now?"
"No! Captain Sparrow still has five hours left."
"There is no way he can get here by then if we can't even see him by now."
"The Black Pearl is the fastest ship in the Caribbean. Don't doubt his ability to be here."
Ricky turned and stared out over the sea. "He should be here by now."
"Perhaps young Jack Turner gave us incorrect information; perhaps Sparrow doesn't care about Will."
Ricky shrugged, "Perhaps."
TBC
Sorry about the short chapter, but trust me, you people will be happy I broke it up here rather than a little later.