POTC: Cortez's Uncharted Islands Chapter 18: Executing The Plan, a pirates of the caribbean fanfic

Chapter 18

Every single member of the Pearl crew currently standing on the main deck of the ship immediately hit the deck as soon as the first few cannonballs made contact with the vessel. Debris and splintered pieces of wood went flying into the air as the loud booming of the firing cannons persisted unmercifully. Over the roar of the cannons, Jack called out an order to his crew.

"FIRE!"

Seconds later, the deck rattled from the cannons below letting loose their fury. Cannonballs shot out from their homes, racing across the wind to shatter various portions of the Spanish Armada ship attacking the Black Pearl. More cannon fire shook both ships, but soon each vessel ran out of ammo and the crew knew that they had to fill the time needed to reload the cannons by fighting with pistols and rifles.

That soon transpired, as Will and Elizabeth slowly helped each other up after the rapid cannonfire had ceased. For an infinitesimal moment, all was quiet...until the sounds of firing guns filled the air, causing everyone to take cover once more. Will and Elizabeth dropped to their hands and knees for the second time, noticing instantly that weapons of their own were being distributed to the crew members.

Both Will and Elizabeth went over to the guns and took some for themselves after checking to make sure that they were properly loaded. The couple took their time in preparing themselves for combat, but others quickly dashed over to the Pearl's railing, weapons loaded and ready to fire. The abrupt burst of gunfire did not deter Jack, Will or Elizabeth in any way; they simply finished arming themselves and loaded their guns before joining their crew members at the railing and pulling the triggers of each weapon clutched in their hands. Once their bullets had been spent, the trio ducked down swiftly in order to avoid bullets being fired in return.

"We need to get on that ship to save Jacquelyn!" Jack stated above the loud madness transpiring around them.

"You need to!" replied Will. "We'll stay here and defend the Pearl!"

"What?"

"She's your daughter!" shouted Elizabeth. "And Michael's our son! We need to protect him...you protect Jacquelyn!"

Jack looked from one friend to the other and finally nodded in understanding. Making sure to keep low, Jack raced across the deck to retrieve a rope with a grappling hook attached to the end of it, and ran back to where Will and Elizabeth were once again firing off shots. Jack then stared across at Cortez's vessel and took careful aim as he raised the rope over his head and at last, threw the end with the grappling hook toward the Spanish Armada vessel. The grappling hook caught just where Jack wanted it to and once it did, he tugged on the rope to be certain that it was firm enough to swing on. Without any other thought, Jack leaped up onto the railing and looked back at his crew, mainly Will and Elizabeth.

"GO! GO!" Will ordered him.

Giving his comrades one last smile of assurance, Jack jumped from the railing of the Black Pearl, swinging across the wide gap between his ship and Cortez's, and landing steadily on the railing of the Spanish Armada vessel. Jack let the rope go limp as he released it, staring down at Cortez's brutish crew members.

"Sparrow!" came Cortez's cold voice above the chaos and from a short distance away on the deck.

A single gunshot rang out and Jack's hat was lifted off his head by the bullet, however Jack managed to catch his three-cornered hat just in time. "Why dol they always go for the hat?" Jack mumbled to himself as he replaced his hat and drew his sword gallantly.

The closest henchman of Cortez's raised his rifle to aim it at Jack, but Jack simply kicked the barrel of the weapon away as he leapt down onto the main deck, immediately beginning his quest for his daughter, as well as Calypso's locket and The Golden Sword. Jack took on as many of Cortez's men as he could at once, his focus never wavering. He maneuvered his blade flawlessly, parrying each swipe of the sword directed at him with little effort. Jack kicked, punched, and stabbed his way to victory each time an opponent reared their ugly head. Currently, Jack was dueling a rather large brute...one that seemed quite swift, despite his hefty appearance. Jack matched each blow perfectly, but he was waiting for an opportunity to overpower his opponent. And finally, that opportunity came.

Jack and his adversary both locked their blades together in the same instant, bringing them down to the deck, each struggling for control. Coming to a quick decision, Jack brought his right leg up and behind the left leg of Cortez's crewmate, kicking him just behind the knee. The action brought the brute down on one knee, but he still maintained his firm grip on his sword. Shrugging, Jack kicked the pirate right in the face, knocking hin unconscious. But right after that, three more crew members came charging at Jack, and Jack made another quick decision. He rolled the limp form of his former opponent away so that it was rolling directly in the path of the oncoming villains. The body did indeed knock all three of them off their feet. Smirking in triumph, Jack leapt back into action.

The pirate captain raised his blade up to block yet another sword swipe, and Jack used his free left hand to sucker-punch the brute in the face. But that did nothing to disorient the crewmate, as he lunged forward ruthlessly, applying his weight as much as possible in an attempt to shove Jack away. However, Jack would not be beaten. He shoved back, his face contorted in determination. Suddenly, Cortez's man swiped violently at Jack, and Jack jumped back while using his booted foot to kick the lunging blade from underneath, sending his opponent's sword flipping up into the air; Jack caught it and plunged the tip into the chest of his adversary, killing the brute instantly. Jack yanked back on the sword and kept it, now twice as dangerous.

Next, Jack encountered two more henchmen. They both drew pistols and pulled back the hammers of each, but Jack knew what to do. He started with the pirate on his left, punching him in the gut and struggling over the pistol. The man of Cortez's tried to angle the barrel of the pistol downward so that it would be pointing directly at Jack's head, but Jack would not let that happen. He was able to force the pirate to fire off the single shot in midair, making the weapon absolutely useless. All the while, Jack was aware of the other crew member behind them, who was more likely taking aim with his own pistol. Thinking fast, Jack forced an alteration of their positions so that Jack's newest opponent now had his back to his comrade, resulting in the desired effect. In reality, the switch of positions had happened so fast that the pirate aiming his pistol did not have time to stop himself from firing off his shot straight into the back of his friend. The shot pirate's face became empty instantly, and Jack slammed his fist hard into the space between his eyes, dropping the body like a sack of potatoes.

Jack then jumped forward and tackled the stunned pirate who was still just standing there. The two went rolling a short distance across the deck, knocking into others as they went along. Finally, the pair came to a stop and they both leapt to their feet without any hesitation. The pirate of Cortez's brought his pistol up instantly, but Jack was prepared; he slammed his elbow down on the arm joint and wrested the empty pistol from the Spanish soldier's grasp. When the soldier tried to lash out, Jack flipped the pistol over and brought the butt of said pistol down on the top of the soldier's head. After that, Jack went back to business.

But at the very same moment, crew members of Cortez's sent grappling ropes over to the Pearl so that they could swing onto the ship, just as Jack had. Jack himself witnessed this and wished that he could do something, but there were more important matters at hand. Focusing back on his task, Jack dashed off to find Cortez.

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Onboard the Black Pearl, the crew watched as Cortez's men swung onto the vessel, weapons at the ready. The crew drew their own weapons and engaged the new arrivals.

Will, sword at the ready, took on two men at once, each of whom had decidedly imposing blades clutched in their hands. Will twisted and turned, parrying each and every blow, until he finally got into the position he wanted. With his back to both of the pirates, Will blindly caught the two swipes aimed at him and maneuvered his arms so that his hands were now holding onto the hilts of each sword. The swords now in his grasp, Will forced the blades, which were facing backward, deep into the chests of both brutes. Once Will was fully satisfied, he yanked the swords out from the flesh and twisted on the spot to block an incoming blade.

Elizabeth had already taken down two of Cortez's men with little effort. She was currently dueling a very muscular man who was obviously employing every ounce of physical strength he could into the fight. He lunged at Elizabeth's throat, but Elizabeth managed to dodge it and bring her blade up under the exposed arm so that it ran straight through the flesh and emerged slightly on the upper side of the arm. Elizabeth was a bit put off by the gruesome action, but still, she continued on with the duel; she pulled her sword free and punched the brute in the face before plunging the sword directly into the pirate's heart.

Elizabeth moved on to her next opponent.

Back onboard Cortez's ship, Jack had made his way over to the Spanish conquistador himself, prepared for the most enduring battle yet. Jack noticed the locket draped around Cortez's neck and The Golden Sword, which Cortez drew in a form of challenge.

"Jack Sparrow..."

"Captain Jack Sparrow."

"I find your resistance to die tiresome."

Jack smirked. "I get that a lot."

Without wasting another second, the two lunged at each other and clanged their swords together; Cortez used The Golden Sword as his weapon. Jack matched each swipe with skillful ease, never taking his eyes off of his opponent's sword. Cortez's latest attack caused Jack to twirl around on the balls of his feet, bringing his blade down to meet his adversary's right before it could make contact with his flesh. Jack then used his free hand to grab the hilt of his own sword in order to help him gain more leverage. He shoved both his sword and Cortez's sword away from them, giving Jack a clear shot at grabbing Cortez's locket. Jack made to snatch it, but Cortez was too fast for him; he shoved Jack away a few feet by pushing on his chest with his booted foot. Jack did indeed stagger backward a couple of steps, but he did not let that faze him. He advanced with his sword again, aiming for Cortez's right shoulder, but the Spanish conquistador dodged it while grabbing Jack by the arm and pulling him forward so that the two were face-to-face.

Cortez smirked sinisterly. "Any last words, Sparrow?"

In return, Jack flashed a roguish smile of his own. "Yeah...your breath smells funny!"

Cortez's face took on an expression of surprised confusion, and Jack took the opportunity. He smashed his forehead against Cortez's nose, the pain immediate and throbbing. The action caused Cortez to release Jack as he grabbed his nose in pain. Shaking his head in order to try to get rid of the pain, Jack ran at Cortez and brought his elbow up to make contact with the area just beneath the Spanish conquistador's neck. Next, Jack kicked Cortez full-on in the chest, sending The Golden Sword flying from his grasp and Cortez himself crashing through the closed doors of his Captain's Quarters.

Jack bent down and picked up The Golden Sword before following Cortez into his cabin.

Onboard The Black Pearl, Elizabeth was still fighting one of what remained of the henchmen who had boarded the ship. Her sword had been knocked from her grasp and she was currently struggling over a pistol that was tightly grasped in her opponent's hand. Elizabeth had both her hands enclosed over the dirty one that held the weapon while the pirate behind her was trying to toss her away. Elizabeth's fingers slowly wrapped around the trigger of the pistol as her gaze was diverted to another pirate with whom Will was dueling. It was evident that the evil brute had the upper hand, so Elizabeth decided to do something about that.

She managed to aim the pistol at said pirate while still overpowering the henchman behind her. The first moment she could, Elizabeth squeezed the trigger of the gun, the bullet flying out of its home and embedding itself inside the left leg of Will's adversary. Next, Elizabeth twisted out of her opponent's hold and forced the empty and smoking pistol to slam into the brute's right cheek; the henchman went down instantly. After that, Elizabeth watched her husband kill the last remaining member of Cortez's crew.

Then, Elizabeth found herself wondering about how Jack was holding up with Cortez over on the other ship.

The moment Jack stepped foot inside Cortez's cabin, he saw the villain pick himself up from the floor, wiping away a line of blood dripping from his nostrils. Jack tossed him the sword he had been using to duel the Spanish conquistador earlier, keeping The Golden Sword for himself. Cortez caught the sword tossed his way just as he rose to both feet from one knee.

"What's the matter?" Jack asked tauntingly. "Exhausted?"

"Never," Cortez replied shortly.

Cortez advanced, and Jack blocked the blow easily as golden sparks flew into the air upon contact. For the next few minutes, the two of then continued to furiously duel, each blade a blur in between the two bodies. The first major move Jack was able to pull off was shoving Cortez into his desk right before attempting to impale him; Cortez moved out of the way just in time. The Golden Sword became lodged into the wood and made Jack struggle to pull it free. Once he did, Jack dodged a swipe aimed at his neck and jumped on top of the desk, leaping into the air once again to avoid yet another swipe for his legs. Jack parried more blows before kicking Cortez in the face and leaping down to level ground. While Cortez was still reeling, Jack spotted Jacquelyn hiding in a corner of the cabin, her eyes fixated upon the duel. Not wanting her to be put in any more danger, Jack motioned for Jacquelyn to stay where she was; Jacquelyn obeyed.

The vicious duel between Jack and Cortez persisted all around the cabin until they finally came to a halt in front of the raging fireplace. Cortez managed to knock The Golden Sword from Jack's grasp and it went skidding across the floor to the opposite side of the cabin. Jack quickly looked around him, searching for an alternative weapon...and he found it. It was sticking out of the fireplace, ready for Jack to grab it and use it. Jack swiftly scooped up the flaming hot poker and brought it up to meet Cortez's incoming blade. The two struggled for control over the other for a few seconds, their faces contorted in concentration. Finally, Jack was able to overpower Cortez, resulting in him sticking the flaming red end of the poker right onto Cortez's left cheek. The Spanish conquistador screamed in agony as he staggered away, clutching at the portion of his face that was leaking blood.

Jack literally leaped the length of floor separating him from The Golden Sword, and he scooped it up into his grasp once he hit the wooden floor. He then saw Cortez charging him, sword at the ready and a dangerous fury blazing in his eyes. Not wasting even a millisecond, Jack swung The Golden Sword upward, the majestic blade piercing Cortez's body and sinking straight into his heart.

Cortez's face instantly became a mask of pure shock and pain. He stared down at the weapon protruding from his chest in amazement, hardly believing what just happened.

Jack slowly got to his feet, his hand still holding the hilt of The Golden Sword. Even more slowly, he reached out and lifted Calypso's locket off Cortez's neck. Once he did that, Jack removed his weapon from the chest of Hernando Cortez; the body dropped to the floor in a crumpled heap.

Next, Jack stared down at the locket, which was now glowing brilliantly with its bluish light. Out of thin air, Calypso appeared inside the cabin, her face stoic yet beautiful in every way. She stared at the locket in Jack's hand.

"Well?"

"I want you to destroy these ships. For good," said Jack without hesitation.

"I'd get off the ship then." Calypso's voice carried a very defined coldness.

Jack listened to her and stuffed The Golden Sword into his hilt and raced over to get Jacquelyn. He did not notice that he dropped the locket in his haste to do so. And as Jack raced out of the cabin with Jacquelyn in his arms, Calypso calmly waltzed over to the locket and scooped it up, an evil and satisfied smile playing across her lips.

Out on the main deck, Jack struggled to keep steady as he ran over to the railing of Cortez's ship, the ship starting to rock violently. Jack spotted a rope connected to The Black Pearl and addressed Jacquelyn.

"Get on my back."

Jacquelyn did so, her arms gently but firmly wrapping around Jack's neck. Jack grabbed the grappling rope and leaped onto the railing, making sure that Jacquelyn had a good hold on him. That done, Jack swung across to his ship just as a column of water shot up from the ocean and encased Cortez's ship within it.

Jack closed his eyes and didn't open them until he felt his feet touch firm ground again. He opened his eyes and saw that he was back aboard his ship; he let Jacquelyn down. Once Jacquelyn set foot on the deck, she immediately ran over to Michael and hugged him tightly. Jack, meanwhile, turned around and witnessed an awe-inspiring sight.

Each and every vessel of the Spanish Armada was being swallowed up by enormous columns of water and when the water columns receded, the ships were nowhere to be seen.

Jack slumped against the railing, catching his breath. Will and Elizabeth approached him, slightly smiling.

"Exhausted?" asked Will.

"You have no idea."