X Marks the Spot

Chapter Two

Killian steered the Jolly Roger out of the harbor until they were far enough out at sea to where they could just see Storybrooke behind them in the distance. Once they made it past the bar and into the middle of the ocean, the ship's Captain stepped away from the wheel, then walked down onto the deck where Henry was leaning over one of the sides, silently looking out at the waves surrounding them.

"I know you're worried about your mother, as am I of course," Killian said gently after he moved to stand beside the young man. "But she's not going to allow this… figure under the hood defeat her. And I will fight against this villain with all the strength in my body to keep her safe. I hope you know that."

"I do know that," Henry replied as he turned his head to look over at his friend and the man who loved his mother. "But I don't want to see you, or anyone else here get hurt or killed trying to protect her either. I've already seen too many people I care about die like you did, like Robin, and others like my other mom and Belle suffer as they have for fighting against those trying to hurt us. The Evil Queen is still loose, my grandfather is the darkest of Dark Ones after he betrayed us again, and at any time now some new villain will arrive and try to kill Mom because she's destined to die. What did we ever do to deserve the life of constantly having to fight against all this evil completely unknown by the outside world?"

Hook sighed as he turned away for a moment to think, then he responded, "I ask myself the same question. I was a villain and long ago I accepted that my life would continuously be a dark one, until I met your mother and all that changed. Emma has given me hope and has guided me through the darkness that was in me for centuries. I am doing my very best to be that hope and guide for her and for you as well. Just as you've been for all of us. What I'm trying to say, is that we are all here to lift everyone up when our lives are bleak. None of you deserve this kind of life, but I do believe that you are all strong enough to beat the evils that threaten to destroy us when those out in the world are not."

Henry glance over at the Captain as he answered, "That was surprisingly deep. Not that you don't know how to be, but…"

"It was surprisingly deep," a strange voice spoke out from behind them as Hook swiftly pulled his cutlass from its scabbard hanging at his side to face off against the stranger upon seeing him with an old pistol raised and aimed directly at Henry. "For a man who claimed himself to still be the ruthless pirate I once knew that is. Captain Hook has indeed gone soft."

"Black Beard?" Killian stated in surprise upon seeing one of his past enemies standing before him again, only no longer looking like the villainous pirate of old. "You look…"

The other Captain laughed haughtily and clicked back the weapon's hammer, then he replied, "Different than you expected, Hook? Indeed. I couldn't very well remain unnoticed wearing my usual attire."

Hook glared at him as he retorted, "You mean that hideous wig and extravagant red coat that did nothing for you, except make you look like the louse that you really are? Just because you look like a normal human being with short hair and a neatly trimmed beard and mustache, it doesn't mean you belong here."

"You're not the only one who has changed his appearance in order to blend in," Black Beard continued coldly. "But unlike you, I haven't become a completely different man. I'm still the dreaded pirate we both were once. And you're weak, just as I always knew you were."

"How the bloody hell did you arrive here in Storybrooke, and on my ship?" Killian asked angrily.

The pirate holding the gun smiled as he responded, "That's a long story. Actually, I've been here for some time now. Ever since Hyde brought a number of us over in that flying contraption of his from that realm you lot here call the Land of Untold Stories. A lot's happened since our last encounter when you traded the Jolly Roger to me for a magic bean. And now I know it was all for some wench and this child here. My ship was stolen from me. It was seized and enchanted to become entombed within a glass bottle by an ice witch that ruled another kingdom as punishment for trying to kill her magicless sister and some oaf. She imprisoned me for months until I was finally exiled, but I escaped from the soldiers escorting me out of the Queen's kingdom and discovered a portal into an unknown world. I had no choice except to step through. I would have been killed. I had no idea what I was walking into, or that I would ever wind up here… once again in the same land as my enemy, who's in possession of what rightfully belongs to me. I've been given another chance to steal your life away."

Killian quickly looked at Henry with worry and slowly stepped forward to stand between him and Black Beard to protect Emma's son, then he asked curtly, "If you've been in Storybrooke all this time, why wait until now to attack? Surely you've had plenty of opportunities to kill me."

"It's not often you're alone and when I watched you prepare to take the lad here out on the Jolly Roger, I couldn't pass up the opportunity to do to you as you tried to do to me in front of my men," Black Beard answered cruelly, then lowered his gun and drew his own sword as he raised it up to call Hook to a duel. "Fight me. Or refuse and I will shoot you, then kill the boy you're trying to protect for good measure. The wench you love so dearly will lose both her lover and her son."

"Henry, whatever happens…" Killian whispered tensely, turning to the sixteen year old as he grabbed him by his neck and chin to force Henry to look at him. "I need you to promise me that you won't try to interfere."

Henry shook his head as he objected, "No. I can't just let you fight him because you're protecting me from getting hurt. I hate it when all of you do that. I'm not a child any longer. I don't need…"

All of a sudden, Killian shouted angrily, "Now's not the time to argue with me! I… I'm sorry, Henry. I didn't mean… I know that you're not a child. And I know that you're plenty capable of protecting yourself. But it's like I told you. I will protect you because it's my job to and I promised Emma I would. Don't worry, I've fought Black Beard before and I have always beaten him. Just please stay back when it begins. I would never forgive myself if you were hurt because of someone from my past with a grievance against me."

"Fine," he said worryingly. "Just… Be careful."

"Are you ready, Hook?" Black Beard asked again as he raised his sword higher, while Killian turned to face his enemy, his own blade raised, and the duel between the two pirate Captains finally began.

Henry watched his friend and the villain cross swords for a few minutes, then pulled his phone from his pocket and texted his mom to ask for her help as quickly as he could, hoping she would arrive to stop this fight before Killian could be hurt in case Black Beard chooses to play dirty.

He only met the other pirate once when they all had become trapped within Isaac's alternate reality and the man was easily taken out by a teenager because that version of Black Beard was cocky and smug, just as he is now. But while he trusted the real Hook could defeat this nemesis, the teenager knew this man wasn't past cheating. He also saw that there more than cockiness in him now. His eyes showed Henry that the villain was at the end of his rope and desperate to see Killian dead.