Disclaimer: I don't own Love Hina, PotC, or even HotC.

Hina of the Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest

Chapter 2
Deals

An expert painter quietly dabbed his paintbrush, hoping that his work will give him a great payment. He was painting a map, one of the spacestream connections. The spacestream was the system within interspace that connected all of the different worlds together. This most recent version was to become the main map of all the Fanfiction Association. Off on the side, Construct was drinking a cup of tea that was sharp as a sword and bitter as wormwood. They were in his mobile office, currently stationed on the edge of the Love Hina world border. Into the office came two soldiers, Keitaro in tow with handcuffs still on.

"The prisoner as you ordered," one reported.

"Those won't be necessary," Construct ordered, regarding the handcuffs.

The soldiers then unlocked Keitaro's handcuffs and left as he rubbed his wrists in relief. He goes up to Construct as he begins to pour two glasses of wine.

"The Fanfiction Association is in need of your services," Construct began as he raised one of the glasses of wine to offer to Keitaro. When he didn't respond, Construct claimed it as his own and continued talking as he walked over to the fireplace. "We would like for you to represent us in a negotiational meeting with our old friend, the Unknown Alias."

"He's more of an acquaintance on my end," Keitaro spoke, "How do you know him?"

"We've had dealings in the past," Construct answered as he raised something from the fireplace. It was a branding iron with the sign of a 'P', used to mark a Fanfiction Pirate. "And we've each left our mark on the other."

Keitaro's eyebrow raised as he saw the 'P' matching the one he had in the previous story. But if that was the mark he left on Alias, then… "What mark did he leave on you?"

Construct's form stood rigid as the memory came to him.

The offer he made…

The blunt insults and refusal…

The following fight…

"Searing Mark!"

The curse that marked the time he had left.

Construct placed the branding iron down and turned to face his audience as he continued. "It was because of yours, Miss Naru's and Miss Su's actions that led to Alias's escape. As such, I would like for you to go to the child and recover a certain object within his possession."

"'Recover'…" Keitaro contemplated, "By force?"

Construct shook his head. "No. By a way that Alias often prefers. By bargaining."

He then went to his desk in front of Keitaro and opened a box, inside were more letters. He picked one up in particular and displayed it to him. "A Contract of Restoration. It offers what amounts to a full pardon. The Unknown Alias will be free of all charges and will become a head security enforcer of the Fanfiction Community."

Keitaro smiled as he remembered what Alias was like. "Call me crazy, but I don't think Alias will consider employment the same as being free."

Construct let out a low, silent and single laugh. "Freedom." He then walked to the wall-sized window, looking down upon the security robots stationed about the Hinata Sou as Keitaro joined beside him. "Authors such as the Unknown Alias, are dying breeds. The galaxies are shrinking, the blank edges of all the worlds filling in. They must conform to my authority before they are persecuted. Not too different from your current situation Mr. Urashima. Right now both you and your fiancée are facing death penalties."

Keitaro's tone then starts to become grave. "So then you'll get both Alias and the Black Tama."

At this, Construct's eyebrow rose. "The Black Tama?"

"His ship," Keitaro clarified. "The thing that you want that he has."

Construct laughed. "His ship? Hardly. It's just an extremely obsolete version of a gummi ship, and I have countless, more advanced ones in my aviary. No, the thing that I want is of far more importance and far smaller. Something that the Unknown Alias keeps upon his person at all times. A compass, that doesn't point north."

At this, Keitaro's eyes immediately went into surprise as he looks into the air, recalling the curious compass which was what led them and the new crew to the cursed Isla de Muerta and Naru.

This didn't go unnoticed by Construct. "Ah, so you remember it. Bring back that compass, or there's no deal."

With that, Construct left the office, leaving Keitaro to ponder this event. Meanwhile, Construct started to shake in anger as he brought back the memory.

"Just think of the power, the glory, the control which you could gain!"

"What, and work for an iron-jawed blowhard that'll cause the loss of Fanfiction's purpose? Bah! I'd sooner marry the guy and kiss a llama intimately!"

The fight… his might against his hit and run style…

"Searing Mark!"

"The doctor's result confirms it sir. The mark will continue to drain your energy until you become a lifeless corpse."

"How long?"

"If you keep regenerating power as well as increasing on a regular basis, then you could cheat it for years. But it'll never stop until that mark is removed."

"And as such, the now pirate Fanfiction author The Unknown Alias is to be hunted down at all costs!"

The statement echoed in Alias's head as he sat in his room on the ship that night, glancing at the still swelling 'P' mark that rested on his right wrist. He shook his head quickly and refocused on his map of the seas that was laid before him. He used the measuring tool, tracing his course until he stopped at where he was now. He sighed as he looked to his compass, which was open and off to the side. He held his breath and tapped it a few times.

The compass then moved. But again it moved to random directions. And just when it finally seemed to stay in a direction, it went 180 degrees. He shouted a bit as he threw down the measuring tool in anger. He slumped back into his chair before reaching out for two things. One was a yellow straw that he placed in his mouth, the style similar to a cigarette. He then reached for a can of root beer and lifted it to his lips, only to lately register that it was empty.

"Why is the soda always gone?" he whined. He placed his hat on and got up as the ship swayed, realizing the fifty empty cans strewn about the floor. "Oh. That's why."

He put on his Jack Sparrow coat and a lit lantern as he began to make to the lower decks. As he arrived on the first of the floors, he took a quick glance over the group. There five comfortable beds in the middle of the level for the five crewmembers, the Nobodies were just standing still everywhere else, as if awaiting an order. Alias silently laughed at the sight of the snoring crew, and went along his way.

Arriving in the lowest level of the ship, he made his way into the galley. He looked about for a can of soda when he stopped and raised the lantern to the side. He looked to find a manner of sea sponges and barnacles amongst the empty cubbyholes, which elicited a disgusted look. He then looked further and turned to a face of happiness as he spotted a glass bottle of Coca-Cola sticking out. He pulled it out, only to find it empty to his disappointment.

"Time's up Alias," a depressed voice sounded, causing Alias to look up in fright as he accidentally dropped the bottle to the floor, causing it to smash on the floor. He raised the lantern to the back of the room, to reveal a shadowy figure of a green tinge. The voice was too familiar. The figure matched his memory, save of course for the starfish on the man's right cheek.

"Bootstrap, Kei Urashima?" he asked in astonishment.

The figure turned to the light to show what looked more like Seta in the same outfit from the actual PotC movie. "You look good Alias," he replied as water slid from his mouth.

Alias continued to stare in astonishment. Bootstrap's smile became a frown when he continued to not respond. Finally Alias moved his neck a bit, getting a crick from it, before straightening up hanging the lantern on a nearby nail.

"This a dream?" he finally asked.

"…No," Bootstrap replied.

"Didn't think so," Alias spoke with a shoulder shrug as he sat down. "Otherwise, there be root beer."

Bootstrap then raised his right hand to show a slightly moldy bottle. Alias smiled as he pulled on the bottle until it became uncrusted from Bootstrap's hand.

"I see you got the Tama back," Bootstrap said happily as he looked about.

"Yeah, well, I had a little help in doin it," Alias replied as he blew some dust off of the bottleneck. "Ya son."

Bootstrap's look became one of surprise. "Keitaro?" he asked. Alias hummed in the affirmative. Bootstrap then looked sad. "So you got him to go with the story after all."

Alias only breathed a laugh before taking a drink; immediately after which he spewed it onto the floor as he held the bottle at a distance. He rubbed his throat a bit as he coughed. "Rum? Oi! Why's it have to be rum? I don't know how people can stomach this junk!" he wiped his mouth a bit before continuing. "So, to what reason do I owe you being here?"

"… He sent me."

"Who?"

"…Davy Jones."

At this, Alias paused before continuing. "So that's how it is," he said quietly. "Shanghaied ya into service aye?"

"…I chose it. I'm sorry for the part that I played in the mutiny against you Alias. I stood up for you later. Everything went wrong after that." As he spoke a small lobster, not even out of its youngest adult stage, came crawling out of his sleeve. During the talk, Bootstrap had grabbed the crustacean and ate it alive. This caused Alias stick out and bite his tongue in disgust.

"They strapped me to a cannon," he continued, "and sent me to the bottom of the ocean. The water crushed down on me. Unable to breathe, unable to die Alias. And I thought that if the slightest chance would escape from this, then I'd take it. I'd do anything for it."

At this, Alias couldn't help but hand the bottle to Bootstrap and let him take a swig, both now with solemn faces. "You know, it's funny what one would do to delay the inevitable," he spoke as he got up, only to be headed off by a grave Bootstrap.

"You made a deal with him too Alias," he spoke. "He raised the Tama for your story and you've been its captain for seven years."

"But the story's over now-" Alias spoke before interrupted.

"Alias," Bootstrap spoke, "You won't be able to talk yourself out of this one. The terms which apply to me apply to you as well. One soul, bound to crew the Flying Dutchman for 100 years."

"Yes, but the Dutchman already has a captain-" Alias tried to reason.

"Then it'll be the locker for you!" Bootstrap spoke to a now afraid Alias. "Jones's terrible leviathan will find you, and drag the Tama back to the depths and you along with it!"

At this point Bootstrap had gotten so close to Alias face during their talk that Alias was leaning almost 90 degrees back. "… Uh, any idea when Jones is going to release said terrible beast?"

"… I already told you," Bootstrap said as he pulled Alias's right hand. "Your time is up." He then rubbed his hand on Alias's and went to the ship wall. "The beast comes now, drawn by ravenous hunger, to whomsoever bears the black spot."

Bootstrap then disappeared into the woodwork like a ghost as Alias looked at his palm. Right there, his skin became like that of a corpse. Decayed, black, and rotten. Alias clenched his hand as he looked back to where Bootstrap was. He looked back down at his palm, and then up again as only one thing came to mind in response. Run.

Alias ran up the steps loudly, waking the crew and Nobodies as he began to wrap his palm with a white strip of cloth.

"ON DECK ALL HANDS! WIPE THE LEAD OUT OF YOUR PANTS AND GET THE SLEEPIES OUT OF YOUR EYES! I WANT MOVEMENT! MOVEMENT! I WANT MOVEMENT! MAKE LIKE THE DEVIL FOR THE DEVIL HIMSELF IS COMING AFTER US!"

At this point all were scrambling and on top deck as Su came up to Alias. "Captain!"

"AAH!" he screamed with his voice cracking high. "Make to land!"

Su then grabbed his shoulder and turned to face her. "What port?" she asked.

"I didn't say port!" Alias shouted back. "I said land! Any land! Now get goin'!"

At this Alias-tama swooped in from above and stole Alias's pirate hat. It landed in the side ropes and cawed at Alias, to which he replied with a hiss. Alias-tama then tossed the hat with its flipper into the water that didn't go unnoticed by Su.

"Captain's hat!" she shouted. "Bring her about! We gotta get it!"

"NO!" Alias screamed, causing all to stop in surprise. "Leave it. Get going. Get to land. Now."

Alias walked off as an uncertain Su turned to the crew. "Back to your stations," she commanded. She then came to the stairs, behind which I was standing still. "Captain-"

"Shh!" Alias hushed as his eyes shifted about.

"For the love of the Molman Gods Alias! What's comin' after us?"

Alias eyes rested at Su's as his voice was at a fearful but truthful tone. "Nothings coming after us Su."

The next morning, Alias's hat had arrived on the surface to a ship, then fished out by one of the sailors. He put it on as the other sailor came up and noticed the hat. The two spoke only Turkish as the first paced it on his head with a salute. The second then grabbed the hat as they continued to speak and placed it on his own head. They continued to spoke until it arrived.

A tone sounded out, causing the men to become quiet as they listened. Suddenly the ship rocked as it hit something. Both of the men became scared as the second began to shove the hat back to the first who was trying to keep it of him, causing the hat to be dropped to the ground. An animal's cry became the center of their attention as the creaking of the ship began to increase.

Soon, everything was quiet. And then it happened. The ship collapsed in on itself as it was dragged into the sea. All that remained was a new wake of ripples that will eventually stretch out until they no longer existed.

Date of Update: 6/6/2007