Chapter One: The Encounter

They roared with laughter as they drank their ale. "Did you see the look on his face?" Gibbs laughed out loud. "He didn't know which way was up or down!"

"Priceless it was! Simply priceless! I'd give twenty shillings to see that look again!" Jack agreed. The pub was loud with voices and music as the two men sat and reminisced about their most recent exploit. "I think we need more ale!" Jack exclaimed and raised his hand to get the attention of the barmaid. He stopped dead in mid-laugh when he saw a dark cloaked figure standing amidst the crowd of laughing drunkards. No one noticed this figure at all; they just kept on with their merriment as though nothing were amiss. Jack blinked and the figure was gone. His eyes darted from left to right, his head following the random quick movements looking for the figure. It had disappeared.

"Jack? Is everythin' all right, Cap'in?" Gibbs asked noticing Jack's sudden change in demeanor. "Jack?" he asked again looking in the direction Jack was currently looking.

Shaking his head, Jack smiled at Gibbs and started to laugh again, "Of course I'm fine, Gibbs! We need more ale! I shall return!" he said standing. Rather than waiting for the barmaid, Jack headed to the bar himself. As he neared the bar he kept looking around him, paranoid, waiting for the cloaked figure to come out of nowhere just as it done so before. Finally he reached the bar and relaxed seeing no one. "Barkeep! Two pints!" he bellowed.

"Comin' yer way, Cap'in," the bartender answered.

Jack smiled and turned his back to the bar, resting his elbows on it. He looked over the people surrounding him and thought of the fond memories he had in this place.

"Yer drinks, Cap'in," the bartender said, disturbing his thoughts.

"Ah! Thank ye," Jack answered turning back to the keep. He picked up the pints and turned to head back to his table and Gibbs when suddenly he was standing directly in front of the cloaked figure and the world around them seemed to stop.

"Jack…Sparrow…" A voice came from the hollow where a face should have been.

Jack looked around for any kind of help and saw no way out. "Who's asking?" he said quickly.

The voice repeated, "Jack…Sparrow…"

"If I see him, I shall inform him immediately," Jack replied and tried to go around the figure.

The figure seemed to be three steps ahead of him and was before him again in a flash. Jack found himself staring into pitch black with only two striking green orbs staring back at him. "Jack Sparrow…you have been chosen…" the voice said eerily. It reached out an arm and a skeletal digit touched Jack ever so gently on the forehead.

Jack felt a surge course through his entire being and saw the mysterious green orbs flash behind his lids. "Chosen? For what exactly?"

"You will know when the moment is right…beware the ides…" the voice said and then as though nothing happened the body was gone and time resumed. People all around Jack, laughing and dancing, some even fighting.

"What the bloody 'ell just happened?" Jack asked himself shaking his head. He took a look around the room again and blinked, pausing for a moment before returning to Gibbs with their ale. "'Ere ya go, mate," he said giving Gibbs his mug.

"Ah! Thank ye, Jack! To a life full of adventure!" he gleamed and raised his mug to Jack.

"Aye!"

Meanwhile Hundreds of Miles away elsewhere in the Atlantic…

"Cap'in Jacquard, the Sea Raider is within range of the long nines," Muldoon informed his Captain.

"Excellent, Muldoon, this ship is definitely in the wrong place at the wrong time," the Captain said aloud.

"Just give me the word, Cap'in," he said.

Crewmates scrambled hither and to knowing if things weren't in place in mere moments, their Captain would have their hides hanging out to dry. "Is everything ready?" they heard Captain Jacquard bellow.

"Aye, aye, Cap'in!" was the response.

"Heed to!" was shouted and then, "FIRE!"

Cannonballs flew from their cannons and made short work of the unarmed Sea Raider. Once she was riddled with holes, crew members from the Red Death quickly took over the broken Sea Raider and gave the passengers two options: cooperation or death. Only the bravest of the brave stood their ground as Captain Jacquard boarded the ship.

"Peasant, where is your Captain?" Jacquard rumbled in the ear of a young man afraid for his life. When he didn't answer quickly enough he was run through. "Too slow. YOU!" Attention was turned to a burly man, his chest puffed up, chin jutted out. Jacquard walked slowly over to him, menacing green eyes peering out from beneath a pirate's hat. Jacquard's mouth could not be seen as it was covered with a kerchief with the mark of the Red Death upon it – fear exuded from this Captain. "Where. Is. Your. Captain?"

"Cap'in, Sir! He is in his cabin, Sir!" the man gave up the bearings to his own Captain in hopes of saving his own skin. He had heard of Captain Jacquard; not one to be messed with, rarely left survivors and he hoped to be one of the lucky few.

Eyes seemed to turn up into what could be construed as a smile and a "Thank you" followed before there was a long pause. "Muldoon!"

"Cap'in!"

"Take this one to the ship; we may have use for him aboard. As for the rest, do as you will, but bring me the Captain."

Moments later the Captain of the Sea Raider was brought forth – he was visibly terrified. "Please don't kill me!" were the first words uttered.

The crew laughed as did Captain Jacquard, "So quick to judge, aren't we?"

"I know you; you're a cruel and heartless person! I know you! I've heard all the stories!" Captain Murdock cried.

A sinister, yet gleeful laugh came from Captain Jacquard. A hand shot out and grabbed the sobbing Captain Murdock by the jaw, "Give me what I want and I'll consider your life."

"Anything!"

"The gold…"

"Down below, a total of three chests, filled to the brim!"

"The map…"

Silence.

"THE MAP!" the grip became tighter upon the jaw in which it held.

A cry, "I…i…in my quarters, there is a small box hidden in the bottom of the armoire. The key…" he swallowed hard, "t-t-th-the key is around m-my, my neck!"

The grip Captain Jacquard had upon the sad Captain Murdock released and he fell to the ground thanking God above it was over. Captain Jacquard bent down and found the key about his neck. "Thank you very kindly, Captain," the key being ripped from his neck. "Kill him."

"NO! I told you what you wanted! Please!" Murdock begged.

"I very rarely leave survivors."