Disclaimer: I own nothing. Sue me, and you'll end up with…um…a guilty conscience for bankrupting a poor student, and…Oh! You can take my calculus exam for me:D
Chapter (4): Sword fighting is bad for the eyes…(last time)
Soldiers tore down the streets after Jack, running in loose formation. "Search upstairs. Look lively, men!" They were to capture the escaped pirates…and some few unlucky souls were left behind to deal with the remaining pirate.
Sesshoumaru kept walking from the docks until, just as he was just at the main entrance to town two other soldiers came up behind him, looking rather unhappy with their current lives and circumstances. "You there, halt! We're arresting you until Commodore Norrington has the opportunity to interrogate you!"
Slowly, Sesshoumaru turned around. The two men quailed slightly.
(Now)
"You will arrest me?" Sesshoumaru almost appeared amused. The very idea was laughable!
He held out his hand and let lime green poison pool on his palm menacingly, ready for them. He nearly laughed as he saw the two frightened men pause. He didn't think they would try to do anything if he merely let them know who they were dealing with…
The soldiers, predictably, freaked. One screamed and ran while the other paled and slowly backed away, muttering prayers in a desperate voice under his breath.
Sesshoumaru let his hand drop to his side, turned, and walked off. He hadn't even needed to draw his sword! The humans here were a lot less brave than the Samurai, or even the bandits, at home. Insects…
He set off to find Inuyasha and Kagome, though why he wanted to find them was somewhat of a mystery. He didn't like Inuyasha's company, and since Kagome was now able to 'down' him…
He followed no discernible path in his wanderings over town, stopping occasionally to check on the trail visible only to his sensitive nose. Finally, he caught Inuyasha's scent and walked towards a house, jumping lightly up the narrow stairs at the back and onto the flat rooftop.
Jack dashed down the street, backtracking quickly as the way became blocked by soldiers rushing down the street, with more coming up behind him. He glanced to both sides, then ducked into the alcove holding a statue of a blacksmith. He remained perfectly still as a party of men in red uniforms raced past, searching and eventually passing him by.
He sighed. They hadn't seen him. But there would be more coming behind him, and he still had to find a hiding spot, and the rest of his comrades-in-running-away.
Inuyasha jumped from building to building, Kagome clinging tightly to his back. At last he came to a stop on a flat rooftop and let Kagome off. He checked the area, but it seemed they'd shaken the minimal amount of pursuit they had. Inuyasha relaxed slightly, and watched Kagome as she sat down in the shade.
"I wonder what happened back there?" It had gotten rather confused, with soldiers running every which way, and she and Inuyasha trying to get away from them all…they were like Jack-in-the-boxes, popping up on every street they'd gone down!
"We've lost Jack and Sesshoumaru, and I think we should go back to look for them" Kagome got up and watched from the edge of the roof as a troop of soldiers ran by beneath them, not bothering to look up at the roofs.
"Feh. Leave Sesshoumaru to rot for all I care." Inuyasha crossed his arms and glared at the retreating soldiers. Sesshoumaru could take care of himself well enough. It was what he was best at. Besides…if his opponents were humans, Kagome should be more worried about the soldiers than his brother. If any of them got in his way they'd end up very dead, very fast.
"What about Jack? We can't just leave him alone in the town! We need him to find Barbossa." She didn't want to leave the pirate alone with a mob of angry redcoats hot on his trail. Maybe pointing out why they needed him would prod Inuyasha into action.
Inuyasha just looked down at the street, and frowned, wrinkling his nose a little. Sesshoumaru had found them. He didn't smell like blood though, so maybe all the soldiers had been sensible and stayed out of his way…
"I know you're there."
Sesshoumaru landed lightly beside Inuyasha, quite calm for someone who'd just avoided being 'arrested'. He walked slowly over to the center of the roof, glancing at Kagome as he went by.
"Where's Jack? He didn't get caught did he?" Hadn't Jack been with Sesshoumaru…? Or had they gotten separated as well? Kagome crossed her arms. "Well?"
"I saw him escape before leaving myself." The human could take care of himself, no doubt. Sesshoumaru certainly wasn't about to.
"We need to find him! He's the only lead we have on Barbossa!" Kagome started towards the stairs, fully intending to go hunting for him. They did need him, but she was also reluctant to just…abandon him like that. He wasn't a bad guy. He'd handled having them fall out of the sky practically into his lap fairly well, actually. Even if he'd been drunk at the time. He'd helped them get this far, and it wouldn't be right to forget about him now.
"Oh no you don't! The place is crawling with soldiers and I'm not going to wade through heaps of them just to find Jack. He isn't that important." Kagome was going to get them all into trouble, the way she was going. He didn't feel like running around hiding from a bunch of half assed soldiers again. Jack had probably gone to earth anyway, and in a town this size, they wouldn't find him easily without sniffing him out. He didn't want to be constantly interrupted by marauding soldiers while he was looking.
Kagome thought for a moment, and then sat down. He was right, and there was no point in getting the entire army after them for no good reason. Not when she had cause to believe he was still free, and could wait for a more opportune moment to look. Inuyasha sat down beside her, while Sesshoumaru took up a position as far away from them as he could get without actually leaving the roof.
Inuyasha glared at his brother, and Sesshoumaru stared back in a particularly irritating way.
Kagome sighed, and slouched against the wall. This was going to be a very long wait…
More soldiers ran past him, not looking into the dark recesses of the hole he'd found. Jack grimaced at their retreating backs, and sneaked out of his alcove. He had to find a better place to hide, so he could wait out the fuss. Then he'd try to regroup and find the rest of his motley crew.
The woman…Elisabeth…had the medallion. He wasn't sure what that meant…was Bootstrap's son here? Was he married to her? He shook his head. However she'd gotten her hands on it, he would get it from her. He needed it as a bargaining chip, and if he could buy it from her, it would be good for him.
And if she wouldn't part with it – quite likely, after this afternoon – then, well… he wasn't a pirate for nothing. He'd just have to steal it…
Jack slipped inside the nearest building, which happened to be a smithy. He grinned. Perfect! He could try and rid himself of these rather annoying manacles!
He set his hat down and picked up a hammer, then paused as he heard a slight noise in the back. He spotted the drunk in the corner and crept over, carefully poked him to see if he'd awaken. There was no reaction. Satisfied he was out for the count, Jack went back over to the anvil and tried to hammer at the irons, without much success.
He paused for a moment, then caught sight of the gears hanging from the rafters. He grinned, and prodded the donkey into action, placing his chains in the gears teeth. As the machine turned, they snapped. He massaged his wrist, a triumphant smile on his face, until the door rattled.
Jack dove for cover just in time as someone entered the shop. A young man walked into the room, and went to calm the donkey, a frown on his face.
He looked over to where the drunk was snoring loudly in his corner. "Right where I left you." He caught sight of the hammer left sitting out. "Not where I left you." Jack mentally swore. Great…he was going to be found out. Stupid hammer…
Will frowned as he caught sight of the unfamiliar hat sitting out. He reached for it, but recoiled as a naked sword blade smacked his hand away. Jack grimaced, holding his blade steady. Will stared in incomprehension at him for a moment before what Jack was sank in.
"You're one of the pirates they're hunting for."
Jack frowned at him. Why did his face look so familiar…? "You seem somewhat familiar. Have I threatened you before?"
Will scowled back at him "I make a point of avoiding familiarity with pirates."
"Ah, well, then it would be a shame to put a black mark on your record, wouldn't it? So, if you'll excuse me…" Jack sheathed his sword and made to leave, snatching his hat on the way by. Will watched him for a moment, then grabbed his own sword and turned to face Jack
"Do you think this wise, boy – crossing blades with a pirate?" inquired Jack with a slight smile in his voice. He hadn't done anything much, and the boy looked so serious…
"You threatened Miss Swann." That was reason enough. He was sure it must be this pirate who'd threatened his Elisabeth. The two white haired men hadn't, and neither had the woman pirate according to the rumors already growing.
Which left the man in front of him as the culprit
Jack ran his sword up and down Wills, letting the sounds of steel on steel fill the shop. "Only a little. They threatened Kagome though, which wasn't terribly wise, what with Inuyasha hanging over her like a mother hen."
"But you still threatened her."
"I suppose." If he was going to be like that about the whole thing…Jack sighed slightly, and moved his sword to counter Wills, parrying. He probably wasn't going to get out of this one without a fight…
"You know what you're doing. I'll give you that. Excellent form. But how's your footwork? If I step here" Jack moved to the side. If he could just get to the door… "Very good. Now I step again. Ta." He sheathed his sword and hurried to the door. Maybe he could get out after all…fighting wasn't the wisest choice right now…
Will clenched his teeth and threw his sword, embedding it in the door. He wouldn't get away that easily! He'd tricked him! Ruddy pirate!
Will's sword vibrated a few centimeters from Jacks wide eyes. Jack tried to pull it out, jerking on the hilt, but couldn't quite manage to get the blade out. He gave up in disgust.
"That is a wonderful trick… except, once again you are between me and my way out. And now you have no weapon." Jack jumped down and headed for the back entrance. Maybe now the stubborn man would let him by…
Will had no intentions of doing so. He snatched a hot iron bar from the fire, and Jack quickly brought his own blade up to counter it. Jack winced. The man meant business… This was bad. He couldn't just nip out the back way and go find his companions like he'd planned on doing…
They traded blows and moved slowly around the shop, fighting around and through the racks of weapons already finished.
"Who makes all these?" exclaimed Jack, looking pointedly at the swords and jerking his head a little.
Will grinned boyishly. "I do! And I practice with them… three hours a day!"
Jack shook his head slightly "You need to find yourself a girl, mate! Or perhaps the reason you practice three hours a day is that you already found one and are otherwise incapable of wooing said strumpet. You're not a eunuch, are you?" He deliberately looked downwards insultingly, and grinned.
Will's face twisted. "I practice three hours a day so that when I meet a pirate, I can kill it!" He fought back stronger than before, backing Jack up onto the cart.
The cart swayed in place and both Will and Jack swayed with it, barely managing to stand. They fought up into the rafters. Will swung his sword quickly, knocking Jacks blade out of his hands. Jack jumped down from the crossbeams and seized the bellows, opening it and spraying dust into Wills face as he followed him down.
Will fell back, startled, scrubbing desperately at his eyes to clear them of the irritating motes of dirt, while Jack took out his pistol and pointed it at Wills face.
The first thing Will saw once he could see again was a pistol pointed directly at him. Not an ideal place for a pistol to be aimed…
"You cheated!"
Jack looked as though him cheating ought to have been expected…. He was a pirate after all…they never fought fairly.
"Pirate!" In the sudden quiet, Jack could hear the sounds of the door being forced. Will didn't budge. "Move away." He gestured slightly with the pistol
Will stepped back a pace. "No."
Jack sighed. "Please move?" He would end up fighting against a young, morally uncorrupted blacksmith without much sense of self preservation, wouldn't he?
"No! I cannot just step aside and let you escape!"
Jack looked as though he'd just swallowed a whole bottle of vinegar. He cocked the trigger. "This shot was not meant for you." He grimaced. He hated killing people when it was unnecessary…but he did not want to go to jail to be hung. He didn't know weather Inuyasha, Kagome and Sesshoumaru would rescue him.
They had better do it if he was caught because of this moron…or he'd come back and haunt them…
Thunk!
Jack slowly toppled forwards without changing expression at all.
The door finally burst, and men in red flooded the room. "There he is! Over here."
Norrington entered the room behind his men, privately relieved it was the more…normal…pirate they'd cornered. The one-armed man had shaken a few of his men quite badly, and he really had no desire to meet him, or the other two oddballs again soon… Pity he was the man in charge of finding them…
Norrington snapped back to reality. "Excellent work, Mr. Brown. You've assisted in the capture of a dangerous fugitive."
Mr. Brown swayed on the spot a little, and slurred "Jus' doing me civic duty, sir." He clutched the broken bottle, tipping forwards a little. Will rolled his eyes. Norrington was blind…
Norrington looked at the motionless figure on the dusty floor. "Well, I trust you will always remember this as the day that Captain Jack Sparrow almost escaped. Take him away, and keep looking. His crew should not be far."
At least one was caught… Now for the other three…And they were probably the more dangerous of the lot too…
And there be chapter 4 for you. Hope you enjoy…I'm off to listen to my Alice Copper CD's, to reminisce about last years concert… (Alice Cooper! XD)
My homepage 'Dark Gardens', contains a large amount of writing, (original and fanfiction), and an art section. Come visit! (FF .net won't allow underscores to be posted in a ch, so you'll have to visit my profile for the link)
Originally posted: April 4 2004
Revised: Jan 4 2006
