Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters or plotlines of "Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl." If I did, I wouldn't be sitting here writing fanfiction; I'd be off making money. Which I am not doing with this work. I do, however, lay claim to the characters of Genesis Wolfe and Rosalyn O'Brien, and would be pleased as punch if you did not use them without my permission. Thank you, darlings.
Chapter 15: In Which The Girls Are Separated Again
Genesis was currently a ball of trembling fetal position in the brig of the Pearl. The sounds of the battle echoed all around her, and once in a while a random artifact from the Interceptor flew into the brig, a silver mug nearly decapitating her at one point. She had discovered that the back left corner of the cell was safest, and there she sat, huddled, despite the fact that she was sitting in almost a foot of water.
She was so concentrated on her absolute terror that she failed to notice that the sounds of the struggle had died down. The door to the brig suddenly flew open, and the massive hulk that was Bo'sun strode in, moving to her cell with the key in his hand.
"Captain requests your presence on deck," he said with an malevolent sneer. He unlocked the door, and Gen stood up, water dripping from her shorts, boots very squishy and uncomfortable. He didn't manhandle her this time, but simply followed her out the door and up the steps.
Gen stood frozen once she reached the top of the steps. The entire crew of the Interceptor was tied to the mast, Jack being held by some of the cursed crew. She looked to the water. The Interceptor was, alarmingly, nowhere to be seen. She glanced back to Jack, but spotted a redhead.
"Roz!" she said, moving to run to her friend, but Bo'sun grabbed her, holding her back. Which earned him what Jack later termed the "Morgan Treatment" that involved his family line, his manhood, and something in French and possibly Japanese. She was silenced by a massive hand over her mouth.
Elizabeth was currently tugging at Barbossa. "You've got to stop it! Stop it!"
"Welcome back, miss," Barbossa said with a sneer. "You took advantage of our hospitality last time. It holds fair now that you return the favor." He pushed her into the throng of men behind her, who wasted no time in groping the beautiful young woman now in their grasp. Rosalyn struggled against the pirate holding her, trying to get to Elizabeth and pull her free, but whoever was holding her kept his grip tight.
"Barbossa!"
Everyone's attention turned to a nearby railing, where a very wet Will Turner stood, pointing Jack's pistol at Barbossa.
"What's in your head, boy?" Barbossa asked warily.
"She goes free!" Will shouted. Jack and Gen caught each other's looks, both rolling their eyes at Will's blindly led heroism. Bo'sun had apparently decided that Gen had been effectively silenced, and released her face.
"You've only got one shot, and we can't die," Barbossa said.
"Don't do anything stupid," Jack muttered.
"You can't," Will said dramatically. He moved the pistol to his temple. "But I can."
"Like that, for instance," Gen said, exasperated. Barbossa narrowed his eyes at Will.
"Who are you?"
Jack broke free from his captors, moving to Barbossa's side. "No one," he said. "He's no one. A distant cousin of my aunt's nephew, twice removed. Lovely singing voice though." His voice dropped to a whisper. "Eunuch."
"My name is Will Turner," Will proclaimed. "My father was Bootstrap Bill Turner. His blood runs through my veins."
"Oh. My. God," Gen growled. "Will you just shut the hell up?"
"On my word," Will said, apparently not hearing her. "Do as I say, or I'll pull this trigger and be lost to Davy Jones' locker."
"Name your terms, Mr. Turner," Barbossa said suspiciously.
"Elizabeth goes free."
"Yes, we know that one. Anything else?"
Jack was pointing at himself, while Gen attempted to wave his attention her way.
"And the crew," Will said. "The crew are not to be harmed."
Barbossa smiled, then glanced at Genesis. "And your sister? Are you not concerned for her?"
Will was the picture of confusion. "I have no sister."
Barbossa looked back to Gen, who gave him a sweet, hopeful smile. He smirked. "Don't you, now?" He looked to Will, nodding. "Agreed."
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"Couldn't just play along, could you, William? I mean, does it pain you that much to pretend I'm your sister?"
"Yes."
Will, being the heroic genius that he was, had failed to be specific. From his spot in the grasp of two pirates, he growled at Barbossa. "Barbossa, you lying bastard! You swore she'd go free!"
"Don't dare impugn me honor, boy," Barbossa sneered. "I agreed she'd go free, but it was you who failed to specify when or where." He nodded at one of his men, who quickly bound and gagged Will. Barbossa glanced out to Elizabeth, who stood at the end of the plank, deep burgundy skirts blowing in the breeze. "Though it does seem a shame to lose something so fine, don't it, lads?"
The deck echoed with numerous "ayes" and snickers from the pirates.
"So I'll be having that dress back before you go," Barbossa said with a gut-turning grin. Elizabeth's glare could have frozen molten lava. Jack, who was being held near Genesis, looked over his shoulder at one of his former crewmen.
"I always liked you," he said hopefully. Gen followed his lead, looking back at the man holding onto her.
"You know, with some soap, a sponge, and a paint scraper, you'd be a pretty good-looking guy."
She was rewarded with the heel of his hand to the back of her head.
"Fine, you're ugly."
Elizabeth had succeeded in removing the dress, to the hoots and cheers of the crew, and threw it forcefully at Barbossa. "It goes with your black heart."
Barbossa grinned, holding the fine fabric to his face and inhaling. "Ooh, it's still warm." He threw it to a crewman, turning back to Elizabeth. "Go on, Miss Swann, you're holding up the line, and I'm sure Jack's itching to make this little trip again."
Elizabeth's eyes widened. "You can't leave me alone on that island with him!"
"Of course not," Barbossa said, as if suddenly realizing his folly. "Can't be a noblewoman without your maid." Without warning, he wrenched Rosalyn from her captor.
"Let go of me, you son of aaaAAAAH!"
Genesis once again tried to tear herself away from the pirates as Barbossa pushed Rosalyn over the railing of the ship. She and Elizabeth simultaneously yelled her name, listening with sickened looks on their faces at the sound of the splash far below.
"Too long!" Bo'sun yelled suddenly, stomping on the plank that Elizabeth was perched on. Elizabeth faltered, losing her balance and falling to the water below. Genesis managed to twist out of the pirate's grasp, running to the railing, but was grabbed by Barbossa before she could dive overboard.
"Where do you think you're going, Miss Morgan?" he asked calmly, even as the woman in his grasp writhed and clawed at him.
"You have to let me go," she said, trying to pull away. "You have what you want. Let me go!"
"Aye, I have Turner," he said in a low voice. He cast a look at Jack, making sure his former captain could hear. "But you see, Miss Morgan, it's been so long since I've been satisfied, by food or otherwise, and I would love to have you here to remind me as soon as possible what that feels like."
Gen's eyes widened, and Jack tried to surge forward, held back now by three men, as Barbossa pushed Genesis back into Bo'sun's arms. "Take her back to the brig. We'll save her for later."
Jack watched helplessly as his companion, normally so cool-headed and sarcastic, was dragged, kicking and screaming like a hellcat, back down to the brig.
"Jack."
He could still hear her screaming.
"Jack."
His attention was suddenly on Barbossa, who had stepped in front of him and was guiding him to the plank.
"I'd really rather hoped we were past all this," Jack said, his tone darker than the cynical comment implied.
"Did you not notice?" Barbossa asked, guiding Jack's line of sight to the island nearby. "That be the same little island that we made you governor of on our last little trip."
Jack swung his head to look with a grimace. "I did notice."
"Perhaps you'll be able to conjure up another miraculous escape," Barbossa said. "But I doubt it." He pulled out his sword, pointing it at Jack's throat. "Off you go."
Jack glanced at the door Bo'sun and Genesis had disappeared through, then looked back at Barbossa. "Last time, you left me a pistol with one shot."
"By the powers, you're right," Barbossa said, sheathing his sword. "Where be Jack's pistol? Bring it forward."
"Seeing as there are three of us, a gentlemen would give us three pistols," Jack said hopefully.
"It'll be one pistol, as before," Barbossa said sternly. "And you can be the gentleman and shoot the lady, drown the Irish wench, and starve to death yourself."
With that, he threw the pistol overboard. Jack followed. Even as he hit the water, he could swear he heard the screaming.