A/N: A filler chapter before the battle of the mortals ;) Hope You Enjoy! (The more reviews I get the faster I update.)
Disclaimer: Not Mine
Chapter 17- Hoist The Colors
Pain so familiar and close to the heart- Breaking Benjamin
Once back on board, Beckett turned to Will. "Your former fiancé is a fool." He looked over Will's shoulder. "Lock our young traitor in the brig."
"Aye sir." Mercer answered, whistling for some soldiers to restrain Will.
"This was not part of our bargain!" Will spat, trying to break free to no avail.
"Oh. Was it not? So sorry. My mistake." Beckett replied sarcastically.
JEJEJEJEJE
"We can use the Black Pearl as a flagship to lead the attack." Elizabeth said, stepping up next to Jack.
"Will we, now?" Barbossa asked.
Pintel and Ragetti lead Tia, bound in ropes from the brig and onto the deck. "All right, Mrs. Fish, c'mon."
"Freeing her is not part of the agreement!" Elizabeth blurted looking frantically between the two captains.
"Apologies, your majesty! Too long me fate has not been in my own hands—no longer." He eyed the necklace she was wearing and then yanked it away from her neck.
He turned his back to her and swept his hat off, revealing the rest of the pieces of eight.
Elizabeth turned to Jack. "Do something!"
"And just what do you propose I do, hm?"
"It's your ship! Have him clapped in irons! If we release her we'll be doomed!"
"We already are. She's our only hope. Trust me."
Elizabeth shut her mouth. If there was anyone left to trust, it was him, whether he was angry with her or not.
"Be there some sort of rite or incantation?" Gibbs questioned as Barbossa lit the items on fire.
He nodded. "Aye. Items to be brought together…done. Items to be burned…and someone must speak the words, 'Calypso, I release you from your human bonds.'
"That's it?" Pintel spoke up, confused at how simple it was.
"It was said it must be spoken as if to a lover." Jack spoke up, coincidentally making eye contact with Elizabeth.
Barbossa shrugged. "Calypso, I release you from your human bonds."
Nothing happened. Elizabeth frowned at Jack. He's doing it wrong.
"Is that it?" Ragetti, this time.
"You're doing it all wrong. Calypso, I release you from your human bonds." Jack's eyes met Elizabeth's as he spoke the words. Her whole body tingled at the low timbre of his voice, reminding her of the night before.
Suddenly, the bowl jerked from Barbossa's hands, rose up, and slammed to the deck.
Tia Dalma began to shake violently. The whites of her eyes showed as if in some kind of convulsion.
Gibbs crossed himself furiously.
Pintel and Ragetti followed suit, looking frightened.
The ropes she was imprisoned in shot from the hands of the men holding it and snapped straight up into the air, followed by her body. She began to spin upright, the rope unraveling around her, an aura of white light surrounding her.
Elizabeth grabbed onto Jack's arm unconsciously, her eyes widening.
The air pressure began to build as if a storm was preparing to boil on the horizon. Elizabeth's ears popped at the intensity of it.
A piercing scream rent the air as Tia Dalma's eyes snapped open. They weren't the dark eyes of an obeah woman. They were blue-green; the color of a fathomless sea. Elizabeth gripped Jack's arm tighter. It was no scream of anguish or fear that escaped the goddess' lips. It was one of pure rage and it ended nearly as soon as it began.
The woman raised her arms into the air and a furious wind blew across the ship from behind them. It was hard enough to knock them all to their knees.
Barbossa chose this time to speak up. "Calypso! I come before you as but a servant, humble and contrite. I have fulfilled me vow, and now ask your favor. Spare meself, me ship, me crew, but unleash your fury upon those who dare pretend themselves your masters, or mine."
Calypso tossed her head back and roared with laughter. Her laugh was horrifyingly deep and very much amused. "Hector Barbossa, when are you ever contrite, hm? You're not sorry. NONE of you. Especially you." Calypso murmured pointing directly at Elizabeth.
At this point, her knuckles were white on Jack's arm, but she stood her ground admirably. "You're wrong."
Calypso tilted her head to the side. "Am I now? How so?"
Elizabeth let go of Jack's arm and moved forward a bit. The rest of the crew looked on in silence. "I am sorry and we didn't betray you."
Calypso dropped to the deck. "You're pirates, are you not?"
She looked down. "We are."
"Then you are a liar. You are all betrayers." Calypso's eyes landed on Jack. "And the deepest circle of hell is reserved for betrayers and mutineers." Then she turned to Barbossa. "You and Captain Swann will know all about that before we are done here."
"We have never betrayed you." Elizabeth spoke up. "I've only betrayed three men in my life, Calypso, GOOD MEN, and I've suffered for it more than anyone can imagine. I've spent months coming to terms with what I am, but I'm not completely callous just because I'm a pirate, and you know it. You're the one who helped me see that. So don't you dare say that. I will drop to my knees in front of two of those good men right here and right now and beg for their forgiveness if either would but give me so much as the slightest hope that he could forgive me. So don't you DARE tell me what you KNOW."
Jack stood up then. "She has no need to beg. None of us do."
James stood up as well. "Captain Sparrow is right."
Elizabeth turned to look into Jack's eyes, her own damp with the intensity of the moment.
Calypso watched them, surprised at Miss Swann's boldness.
James looked at Calypso. "When the Brethren Court first imprisoned you, who was it that told them how? Who was it that betrayed you? It certainly was not us."
Calypso met his gaze. "Name him."
"Davy Jones."
Elizabeth watched the emotions raging on the goddess' face in something very akin to pity. Davy Jones was the real betrayer here…and this woman loved him. She loved him with a passion that most obviously could rival what she felt for the man standing at her own side.
A single tear slid down Calypso's face and dripped onto her palm, turning into a pearl. She closed her fist around it and squeezed, beginning to shake. "He will PAY." The pearl shattered in her hand.
Barbossa chose to speak up then. "And what of the battle of us mortals, eh?"
"There's still a fight to be had." Jack reminded her.
"We've an entire armada against us." Gibbs added. "There's no chance of our survival."
"Only a fool's chance." Elizabeth added.
"Revenge won't bring your father back, Miss Swann." Calypso murmured, knowing she would take charge if given a reason. "It's not something these men are willing to die for."
Elizabeth stared at Calypso taking it as the intended challenge. "Then what shall we die for?" She hopped onto the railing so the entire crew could see her, catching Jack's eye. "You will listen to me. Listen! The brethren will still be looking here to us, to the Black Pearl to lead, and what will they see? Frightened bilge rats about a derelict ship? NO! They will see free men…and freedom. And what the enemy will see is the flash of our cannons, they will hear the ring of our swords and they will KNOW WHAT WE CAN DO! By the sweat of our brows and the strength of our backs…" She met Barbossa's eyes then. "…and the courage of our hearts."
Barbossa's eyebrows shot up. Someone had been listening to his speeches.
The crew stared at her in awe. She looked at Jack first. His eyes were dark and a devilish smirk was beginning to slide across his face. The one that made grown ladies swoon like schoolgirls…she couldn't help but answer it with a grin of her own.
All his anger forgotten, he stared at her with pride. Beautiful…
"Listen to your king." Calypso cut in. "The East India Company shall not prevail this day. And Davy Jones? Ye leave him to me."
Jack turned to Elizabeth. "Hoist the colors."
"HOIST THE COLORS!" She shouted, the crew jumping into action as did the motley selection of floating vessels behind the Pearl. Even James Norrington jumped into action.
Gibbs grinned. "The winds on our side boys that's all we need!"
Calypso's grin was that of a shark. "You cannot win this one, Davy Jones."