Disclaimer: I don't own the characters of "Pirates of the Caribbean", the only character I own is John Kevins.
A/N: Review count still on 3...come on guys, I know you can do better than that! lol Seriously though, this is not the way to encourage someone to keep writing...and of you hate my story, leave me a flame, but at least let me know! Ok, now that this is said, let's go on with the story, shall we? ;)
Chapter 7: Final Showdown
As the Bullet was quickly sailing toward Port Royal, where they hoped to find the heart, Will would pass more time than usual in his cabin. Kevins had told him he would be called if the need be, but for now weather was fine, there wasn't a battle to fight, so he could relax a bit. Will was grateful to the captain as he was so worried about Elizabeth that he could barely focus on his job on the deck, and that almost resulted in him dropping one cannon while they were lifting it up.
After that episode, Captain Kevins had excused him, although maybe having something to do would have prevented him from mulling over Elizabeth's fate all the time.
But it was not going to last. Suddenly the wind started howling against them, and the sky clouded. Will was called on the deck to help bring the ship trough the storm, but the captain knew they would not pass through it without fighting. He had sent Pintel on the crow's nest, to look behind the ship, in case something arrived, and made everyone else be prepared to fight.
He knew only too well that there was a big chance that the Dutchman was on their tail. And he was honestly happy for it.
"Time to close those bills opened way too much time ago" the captain thought.
And so it was. Soon the form of the damned ship appeared on the horizon, and it was constantly gaining on them.
"Not good" Jack said, when Pintel announced it. "John, not to put pressure on you, but what are we going to do?"
"Fight, of course" Kevins said, as it was the most evident thing in the world.
"Oh"
Will ran toward them. However he couldn't even speak that John did before him.
"Yes, young Turner. I know what you're going to suggest. They are faster, so why are we trying to escape? Let's fight, turning on the anchor, right?"
"Yes" Will said, surprised that his suggestion was so easily anticipated.
"Lad, I'm not captain of this ship for nothing. I've gone trough many battles, and I know what we can or can't do to win this one. Turning on the anchor is a good idea, but not useful this time. I understand you want to start the fight as soon as it is possible, so you can save your lass, but let's try and not rush things, savvy? After all we've got cannons on all sides of the ship, so there's no need to turn like that to shoot at them. Now, if you were so kind to send Gibbs to me…"
When the sailor arrived, John explained him his plan. "I know the Dutchman has deadly cannons on its prow. So, when you see them ready to shoot, you tell me, and we will hastily turn and engage them, avoiding those dangerous weapons"
"I like it. Simple, effective, easy to remember" Jack said, drinking his rum. John smirked.
Gibbs wondered if they would really manage to avoid those cannons, as turning the ship would request some time, but was ready to do as ordered all the same.
And so it was done. When he gave the signal Kevins turned the ship on starboard with an impressive rapidity, and while they were still in front of the Dutchman, completing the turn, he made the cannons on that side shoot, to keep the crew of the other ship preoccupied with avoiding their attack, so that they would not have the time to use the triple cannons.
They succeeded in the diversion, and then when the two ships were side to side cannons started to shoot on both sides. The Bullet managed to hit repeatedly the opponent, causing more damages than it suffered. Its cannons were, after all, more powerful. Jones understood there were high chances that his ship would be sunk, so he tried something risky. More than once he led his ship moving around the Bullet, from one side to the other, searching for an opening in the Bullet's battery of cannons, but to no avail. He had to admit that captain Kevins had armed his ship well when he got hit twice by the stern cannons, something not even the Dutchman had. So he and his crew went on the deck of the Bullet and engaged Will and the rest of the crew before the damage to his ship became insufferable.
A cannonball fired from the Bullet passed through the sides of the Dutchman, right where the brig was, freeing Bootstrap, and the two officers, and the three of them immediately joined the fight, but leaving Elizabeth trapped.
Bootstrap wanted to free her but thought she would be safer away from the battle. He didn't, after all, know her well enough to know she was more than able to fight, and that his son had trained her in the use of the sword.
A cannonball from the Dutchman hit the Bullet just mere inches from the mainmast, blasting away the rail and some equipment on the deck. That was soon followed by the Bullet's cannons hitting the other ship's prow and main masts, so that now there was just the stern one. The Dutchman was effectively crippled, and would not be able to follow them if they managed to escape, but Kevins was not satisfied with that. He wanted it sunk and Jones dead.
On the Bullet's deck, swords clashed, and Will showed all his skill with a blade, taking two of Jones' crewmen, and avoiding their blows effortless. Then he started counterattacking, and with a circular blow managed to disarm one of his opponents, then he slashed him through his chest, effectively killing him, as he cut through his heart. The other one, Hammerhead, was quick to take his companion's sword, so now he faced Will double armed. The young man however kept his calm demeanour, and repelled every attack from his opponent. Finally he managed to kick him in the stomach, thus causing Hammerhead to lose focus that single moment in which Will cut his head.
"Not really fair, but this is war after all" he thought while looking around for someone who might need help. He saw his father surrounded by three opponents. He grinned seeing he was still alive, and seemingly fine, and threw the knife he had given him against one of them, hitting him square on the back, so that the half human creature fell on the deck.
The two officers entered the battle too, while Bootstrap saw his son, who had reached him and helped kill the two other enemies who were attacking his father, having by now realised where Bootstrap's loyalty really was.
"You seemed like you could use some help" Will teased him.
"I was doing fine, but thanks all the same" he said, while going to search some other enemy.
Around the deck the dead bodies were scattered everywhere. Captain Kevins was battling Jones himself, while Norrington was duelling with Jack, helped by Beckett.
Will noticed them, but decided to go and save Elizabeth first. He snuck on the Dutchman, and thanks to the days he had passed there he knew his way around the ship, so he reached the brig quickly. He spotted her.
"Elizabeth!" he called. "Are you alright?"
"Yes, I'm fine" she answered him.
"I'm gonna take you out of here. I'm not blacksmith for nothing" he said, and with a couple of tools tried to force the door open, but he didn't succeed.
"The keys! Jones has them in his quarters!" Elizabeth suggested. Will nodded and left, entering the cabin with the organ. He searched everywhere, but to no avail.
"Are you searching these, lad?" a voice sounded behind him.
A guard was standing there, the keys of the brig in his not human hand. Will lost no time, and charged him, and with few blows of his sword managed to put him out of the scene. Then he went back to Elizabeth and freed her. The two of them returned on the Bullet where the battle was raging. Bootstrap kept clashing swords with other enemies. Once he had reached Jack and the two officers, Will punched Beckett hard.
"Feel like duelling me, Lord?"
"Turner! With great pleasure!" Beckett answered, and so it began. The two of them moved around the whole deck, attacking and defending themselves, one moment one seemed to have the upper hand, but then the other would gain an advantage.
"Learned pretty well for being a blacksmith, have you?" Beckett mocked Will.
"I may be just a blacksmith but I'm a better person than you'll ever be, so I'm fine this way" Will answered, and managed to slice slightly the opponent's arm. However, previously Beckett had sliced him on a leg, so they were even now.
Few meters away, Jack and Norrington were clashing their swords furiously.
"I still don't get why you're so angry at me. I've always been on your side when you wanted to marry little ol' Lizzy there" Jack said.
"Who knows, maybe because you've got a "P" on your right arm" Norrington spat.
"Oh. Well, if you put it that way, I should be the one who's angry, because I was the one who's got his arm disfigured by that mark, don't you think?" Jack spat back, his sense of humour never lost even during such an hard battle.
With that he tried once again to slash the Commodore across his chest but to no avail. "You're quite good, you know"
"I'm a Royal Navy officer, Sparrow"
"Captain! Captain Jack Sparrow!" the pirate said, attacking once again.
Near the wheel, John and Jones were duelling, without showing tiredness but even without managing to overcome their opponent.
"You're tougher than I thought, Jones" John smirked. "Good, I like a challenge"
"A challenge? I'll show you a challenge once I've got you in my crew, Kevins!" Jones snarled.
"That is, if you'll ever have me in your crew. But I'm not inclined to acquiesce to you taking my soul, you know"
Blades kept meeting blades in these three duels, and it seemed like they would go on forever. But Will and Beckett were the ones moving around the ship more than the others, and they happened to pass by Jones and Kevins. This last one eyed the sack where the heart should be on Beckett's belt, and pushing away his opponent's blade, he rolled on the deck and managed to grab it.
"So, what are we going to do now, gentlemen?" he triumphantly said.
"That's not fair!" Beckett shouted.
"Of course it isn't, I'm a pirate" Kevins said, annoyed. "Never going to say something sane, are you?"
"Give me my heart!" Jones bellowed.
"Of course I will, Davy, but not before you go and sink the Royal Navy ship still in these seas. Savvy?"
"He already has a deal with us" Norrington shouted.
"Well, but you're not in a position to order him around anymore, Commodore" Jack said, taking that only chance to pass his sword through his enemy's chest, right through his heart.
"Neither are you Beckett" Will said, having taken the chance of the distraction and having disarmed the Lord.
"You swear to me you will give me my heart once I destroy that last ship?"
Jack nodded, but Kevins spoke. "No. I don't want you to destroy it, I'll do that myself. But, you have Lord Beckett, and you already have a deal with them. Bring them in the open, lure them in a trap, and then after I've destroyed the ship I shall give you your heart. Do we have a deal?"
"Yes, we do" Jones begrudgingly nodded.
However, no one noticed that the Commodore was still alive, and had his gun pointed on Elizabeth.
"I…wouldn't do…it…if I…was…in…you" he said. "Or…I…kill…her"
"Elizabeth!" Will shouted. Then he turned to Kevins. "Give them the heart, soon!"
John could see how scared the young man was, and her too, and sighed.
"Very well, gentlemen. I'll give you the heart, but you will give the girl back, and you will let us escape"
"And what if we don't let you escape?" Beckett sneered.
"I kill Jones, you kill the girl, but you still won't have defeated piracy, and you never will" Kevins simply stated.
Norrington pulled back the hammer of his gun, but Will was faster, and he threw a dagger his way, knocking the gun off his hand, where Elizabeth could take it.
"The roles are reversed now, uh?" she said, sneering.
"I never knew you to be one to sneer" Norrington said, before dying.
"Now, where were we?" Kevins said, playing with the sack with the heart. "Oh, yes. I reckon we have a deal, Jones. Bring me that ship, and the heart is yours"
So Jones and the few of his crew that still were alive returned on the crippled Dutchman. But Bootstrap remained on the Bullet.
Once they reached the last ship of the fleet, with Beckett's not so willing help they managed to convince the crew to sail toward where the Bullet was. Three days after the deal with captain Kevins, the Dutchman returned with the other ship.
Looking at the telescope, John sneered. "They are here. Quick, everyone, ready the cannons. We've got two ships to sink"
Jack looked at the other captain confused, before what Kevins meant dawned on him. They would be sinking the already damaged Dutchman too.
Will, who had passed that day to bond with his father, immediately stood up, and started working on the cannons with Gibbs and the others.
Soon the Royal Navy new admiral ship, the White Lady, was near enough for the Bullet to attack her, but not near enough to reply to the attack.
From the Dutchman Jones enjoyed the show, with Beckett, already savouring the feeling of having his heart again.
When the White Lady was sunk, he and Beckett moved to the Bullet so that he could collect what was his.
"What is right is right. Here it is" Kevins said, passing a small sack to Jones.
The moment the pirate had it in his hand, he understood he had been tricked, but could do nothing because he suddenly felt death overcoming him. From the captain's cabin, Will emerged, his dad's knife safely planted in Jones' heart, while the "Devil of the Depths" could only whisper, "You don't play fair, Kevins"
"Pirate" the captain replied, smirking. "Now I believe we're even. I've not forgotten you killing my fiancé, Jones, and this is just the right retribution for that" he added then, his eyes cold and blazing. With a gesture, he commanded the cannons to shoot again, this time aiming at the Dutchman. The last thing Jones saw was his ship slowly sinking, his crew unable to avoid it.
Once the Dutchman had gone to keep company to the White Lady on the bottom of the ocean, Kevins glared at Beckett, who had in the meantime been held by Gibbs.
"Lock him in the brig" the captain disdainfully said. "We'll get rid of him at the first deserted island we find"
Jack then went to whisper something to John, with his usual ample gestures and staggering. John grinned and nodded.
One day later, Beckett was brought on deck.
"You'll be Governor, Mr. Beckett. You should thank us" John said.
"Governor? Of what?" Beckett said, suspicious.
"Of that island" Jack said, pointing to a little piece of land in the ocean. "And now, walk the plank"
"I'm a Lord, you can't toss me in the ocean like this!"
"Stop me, if you can" Kevins dared him, then laughed loudly.
"At least give me a gun and a shot. Everyone who is obliged to walk the plank receives that!"
"I'm sorry to inform you that the rule you mentioned is valid only for pirates, and you, as yourself pointed out just moments ago, are not a pirate. Mr. Gibbs, maybe he would like an help…"
Gibbs smiled knowingly and stepped on the plank so that the vibration unbalanced Beckett, who fell in the water.
The Bullet then started its voyage to Port Royal.
"Jack" Elizabeth asked.
"Aye"
"Isn't it the same island where Barbossa left us?"
"That it is, luv, that it is" Sparrow answered, taking a long swig of rum.