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.
Author's Note: Oh yeah, now THIS is what I'm talking about! Action, action, and more action! Not to mention, we get to see a glimpse of the badasses Genesis and Rosalyn will eventually become. And, if you did not notice, the song that they quote/sing while kicking ass and taking names is "Sugar We're Going Down" by Fall Out Boy.
Chapter 18: In Which They Open a Can of Whoop-Ass
Gen sat on the bed, staring at her handiwork. The lavender dress, once a luscious vision of silk and lace, was now in many, many pieces, scattered throughout the room. Scraps of delicate fabric littered the floor, and surrounded her as she sat Indian-style in the center of the lush bed. She was still breathing a bit heavily from the fit that had destroyed the dress, her cheeks rosy and hair a mess. A couple of wayward scraps of silk floated down from the ceiling, one piece landing on her head. Barbossa would be furious.
Good.
Her eyes traveled to a small porthole to her left, too small for her to fit through, large enough to see the looming cave leading to the treasure of Isle de Muerta. She should have been out there, Will was about to be filleted like a flounder, Roz was stuck on an island with Jack, Jack was…well, who the hell could guess what Jack was doing.
She looked to the door that Barbossa had exited moments ago. He had taken the only weapon that was in the room with him. The dress-smiting tantrum had been brought on by the fact that she had nearly turned the room upside down, and found nothing more than a sewing needle. After a brief moment of contemplation over why Barbossa had a sewing needle in his cabin in the first place, she had proceeded to send the dress to its maker.
She picked the scrap out of her hair, looking at it before throwing herself back onto the bed. What the hell was she going to do now?
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Rosalyn and Elizabeth, with little skill and much cursing, even on Elizabeth's part, had finally managed to row to the Black Pearl. More swearing ensued as they struggled up the rope (Elizabeth was a lady, and Roz was generally anti-exercise, so it was a struggle), ending with a loud exhale of breath by both girls when they finally reached the top.
Elizabeth put a finger to her lips, as if Roz didn't know that silence was a necessity in the situation. They crept over the motionless top deck of the Pearl, tiptoeing on the creaking wood slats that made up the floor.
"You don't happen to remember how to get to the brig, do you?" Elizabeth asked.
"I'm pretty sure we'd have to head down," Roz replied. "Hopefully they left the keys, and OH MY GOD KLEPTO DEATH MONKEY."
Indeed, there sat the hated primate, chittering at them angrily from his perch on the opposite railing they had crossed from. He was still in his ornate little vest, and…had a new silver hoop adorning his right ear.
"That's my earring, you little bastard!" Roz cried. She lunged for the little monkey, which screamed like a little girl and attempted to escape.
Seconds later, the monkey was headed for Davy Jones' locker, taking a brief pit stop at a cannon for good measure, and Roz grabbed Elizabeth's hand.
"Come on," she said. "I'm sure they heard that. We've got to hurry."
They finally made their way to the brig, where most of the Interceptor's crew was shoved together in a single cell.
"Shh," Gibbs said as the door opened. He gasped. "It's Elizabeth! And…friend!"
Roz looked around frantically, finally spotting a ring of keys on the wall. Elizabeth's brown eyes were cast over the faces of the pirates, hands gripping the bars of the cell door. Her face fell.
"Where's Will?" she breathed raggedly.
"Took him, they did," Gibbs explained. "Likely to the cave."
"Brawk," said Cotton's parrot. "Wind in your sails!"
Rosalyn had made her way over with the keys, and fumbled with a few before finding the correct one and releasing the crew. She stared at the mass of them before finally speaking.
"Genesis?"
Gibbs and Anamaria, who were closest to her at the time, gave each other a strange look, then glanced back at Rosalyn. Roz frowned.
"Where is she?"
"Barbossa's got her," Anamaria explained, clearly unnerved by the thought of what may have happened to her fellow piratess. "He was…'saving her for later.'"
Rosalyn paled, frozen to the spot. Her hands shook as she looked at Gibbs, who merely nodded in agreement.
"The hell he is," Rosalyn growled, suddenly storming away and up the stairs. The crew followed, unsure of where the angry redhead was going or what she was planning to do.
"Genesis!"
Well, they were sure now.
"Genesis!"
"Quiet, girl!" Anamaria hissed. "You want the guards up here?"
"Yes."
No sooner had she said it, but a banging began on the other side of a nearby door.
"Roz?"
Roz's eyes widened. "Gen!"
She began to run to the door, eyeing the padlock on it, when the guards came through a different door. Their eyes widened at the crew before them, particularly the wild-eyed girl in front.
Roz's eyes scanned the deck for something, anything. That anything was a hammer. She picked it up, not entirely sure how it would help, but sure it was better than being empty-handed.
"'Allo, pretty," said one of the guards, clearly sizing her up.
"'Allo, unconscious."
"Huh?"
The hammer left her hand in a deadly spin, the sharp, nail-prying end lodging itself in his forehead. The crew grimaced as the pirate fell.
"How did you do that?" Elizabeth asked in awe.
"I have no freaking clue," Rosalyn replied, eyes not leaving the remaining pirate. "Get me another hammer."
She didn't need it. The other pirate made a beeline for the railing, throwing himself overboard. Roz, with an eerie calm, walked over, grabbing the hammer and yanking it from the unconscious pirate's head, and made her way to the door which Genesis was still attempting to beat down. Gibbs commanded two men to dump the knocked-out pirate overboard, as Roz raised the hammer over her head. It took a couple of blows, but the padlock soon gave way, and the door swung open, revealing a very relieved, pink-faced Gen, surrounded by many scraps of lilac-colored silk.
"Gen!" Roz breathed, hugging the air right out of her friend. Her eyes fell on the room. "What the hell happened in there?"
"He tried to make me wear a dress," Gen replied with a grin. "Let's go."
"Right," Elizabeth said. "All of you. Will is in that cave and we must save him."
She made her way to one of the longboats and attempted to shove it off. "Ready? And heave!"
She made a rather humorous attempt at it by herself, nearly slipping at the force of her own push and the immobility of the heavy boat. She turned to look at the crew. "Please, I need your help! Come on!"
"Any port in the storm," squawked Cotton's parrot.
"Cotton's right," Gibbs agreed. "We've got the Pearl."
"And what about Jack?" Elizabeth protested. "You're just going to leave him?"
"Jack owes us a ship," said one of the sailors.
"It was Jack that got your sorry asses back on a ship in the first place, you ungrateful sacks of horse shit," Gen said, stepping up to stand next to Elizabeth.
"There's the Code to consider," Gibbs said in their defense.
"Code schmode," Rosalyn said, joining the other two women.
"You're pirates!" Elizabeth agreed. "Hang the Code, and hang the rules! They're more like guidelines anway."
The pirates looked at each other, silently discussing the options, and Elizabeth looked hopeful.
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Minutes later, Genesis, Rosalyn, and Elizabeth were on their way to the cave on their own, struggling to row in a straight line.
"Bloody pirates."
Rosalyn smirked at Elizabeth's muttered curse, then looked to the cave. "I don't think we've thought this through, kids," she said. "We're three women who, apart from these oars, are kind of unarmed. Discuss."
"It's a cave full of treasure and pirate paraphernalia," Gen replied. "There's got to be some sort of blunt object. Maybe another hammer."
"That was horribly impressive, Rosalyn," Elizabeth said, breathing heavily from the exertion.
"It was pretty damn cool, wasn't it?" Roz said with a proud smile. She looked up as they entered the cave. "Now, shush."
They rowed in silence, the voices of pirates echoing through the caves. Jack's voice suddenly hit Gen's ears, soon followed by an outburst of a battle. "Eff!" she yelled. She pushed Elizabeth off the seat, taking the oars herself. "Move, woman!"
They moved much faster with Gen's adrenaline rush. When they reached shore, they immediately sprang out, looking for weapons.
Will, meanwhile, was engaging in swordplay with a pirate. His eyes fell on his opponent's blade. Silver, wooden cross-decorated hilt. His eyes darkened.
"I believe that sword belongs to my sister," he said with a cold smile, and swung harshly, chopping the pirate's hand off at the wrist. The pirate bellowed and ran away, and Will stomped on the hand, which was still gripping the sword. It finally gave way, scurrying away after its master, and he picked up the sword, using both it and his own sword to cut his way through the other pirates.
Elizabeth caught sight of Will, and grabbed a huge staff, taking off after him and smashing a pirate with the staff, no doubt saying the corset line. Genesis and Rosalyn followed, still looking around for something, anything to use.
"Whose side is Jack on?" Elizabeth was saying, staring up to see Jack in the moonlight, skeleton glowing and eerie bluish white.
"At the moment?" Will replied. He and Elizabeth managed to stick the staff through the abdomens of three undead pirates, toss a grenade into the ribcage of one, and push them back out of the moonlight, thereby sealing the grenade inside.
"No fair," said the grenade-stuffed pirate, and they proceeded to explode.
"Ew," Rosalyn said, wiping some pirate off of her arm.
"Miss Morgan," Will said with a smile. "I believe that you dropped this." He held out the sword, and Gen gave him a friendly smile.
"You know, you're not bad for an obnoxious pretty boy," she said, taking the sword.
"I'd say the same, if you weren't a filthy pirate," he replied with a grin. Elizabeth frowned.
"Cursed pirates!" Rosalyn said, sensing the tension.
"Oh, right!" Gen said, taking off.
Roz frowned, realizing that she was now the only one who was unarmed. Her eyes fell on a long scepter, and she thought back to her color guard days. "Hmm."
A pirate made his way to her, swinging two scimitars wildly while making a rather Xena-like yell. She picked up the scepter, and began spinning and swinging it with gusto, behind the back, over the head, tossing it in the air. The pirate watched in awe, and she took the distraction in stride, swinging the scepter with great force and sending the pirate in an airborne cartwheel to the water below. She finished the swing with the scepter behind her back, in a defensive pose. Elizabeth watched in wonder.
"Rosalyn, you never cease to amaze me," she said.
"I am pretty bad-ass, eh?" Rosalyn said, before scampering off.
Genesis was making her way up the mound of treasure to where Jack and Barbossa were fighting to the death. She must have caught Jack's eye over Barbossa's shoulder, and he faltered long enough for Barbossa to smash him in the side of the head and send him toppling off the mound into the moat around them. Barbossa began laughing, but was shut up by the heel of Gen's boot to the center of his back. He stumbled and spun around.
"Am I more than you bargained for yet?" Gen said with a grin. She leapt out of the way as Barbossa lunged, sliding down a steep heel of treasure. She heard another voice cry out.
"I've been dying to tell you everything you want to hear, 'cause that's just who I am this week."
She looked to see Roz making a bloody pulp out of two pirates with a long, bejeweled rod. She grinned, and began to swordfight with another pirate as they both sang the rest of the words.
"We're going down, down, in an earlier round, and sugar we're goin' down swinging."
Gen managed to take down her foe, and looked to Roz, who was still fighting the pirate in front of her, while another snuck up behind her. Gen grabbed a pistol from her fallen opponent's belt and made her way over as Roz continued singing, swinging away.
"I'll be your number one with a bullet, a loaded God complex…"
The pirate behind her raised his blade.
"Cock it and pull it," Gen said from behind him, pistol aimed at the back of his head. Roz ducked as Gen pulled the trigger, the shot sending the pirate slumping to his feet, a fresh new hole in his head.
"Wow," Roz said. "That was --"
She stopped, eyes and mouth open wide. Gen looked down to see the tip of a blade protruding through her friend's stomach, blood beginning to seep through the corset. The tip disappeared as the pirate behind Rosalyn pulled his sword out, and Rosalyn began to slump down. Gen stood, paralyzed.
"Gen?" Roz whispered.
"ROZ!"
It was feral, unholy, unnatural. Genesis' scream echoed through the cavern, over the din of the battle and the cries of the fighting pirates. All heads turned to the two young women, one slumped and weak, the other one bent, trying to help her friend. Jack had just managed to get to the top of the mound of treasure, and his breath stopped at the sight. Barbossa even paused to see what that heartbreaking cry had been about.
Genesis looked up as the pirate who had stabbed Rosalyn began laughing and wiping the blood off of his blade. He looked about to off Genesis as well, but it wasn't meant to be.
With a spin and a scream, she had cut through the skin, flesh, and bone of his neck, and for a moment, he simply stood there. Then, almost in slow motion, his head cocked to the side and slid off his neck, landing with a solid thunk on the ground next to Rosalyn's suffering form. Shaking with anger, Gen let out a growl and planted her booted foot into the headless chest and kicked him over backward.
As his body hit the ground, the battle continued, almost on cue. Pirates became distracted by Elizabeth and Will, who had run to Gen and Roz's aid. Gen looked around madly, sea-toned eyes falling on the chest full of cursed coins.
"Will, Elizabeth," she yelled. "Cover me."
They nodded, fending off pirates with sword and…whatever Elizabeth had grabbed, and Gen grabbed Rosalyn under the arms. She began the strenuous task of dragging her barely-conscious friend to the cursed treasure of Cortez. She propped Roz against it, and grabbed her friend by the face.
"Roz," she said, shaking her a bit. "Rozzie, c'mon. You've gotta grab one of these damn coins, okay? That's all you have to do, honey, come on."
Will glanced at the girls, noticing, much to his surprise, that the strong-minded brunette's cheeks were stained with tears, her eyes glowing a bright greenish color through the redness of her crying.
"C'mon, Rozzie," she said, picking up Roz's hand and laying it in the chest. "Just one. Just grab it, honey."
Roz's green eyes fluttered open, and her fist clenched suddenly, almost subconsciously seizing one of the coins underneath her fingers. Gen snatched her hand away, lest she drop the coin again, and grasped Roz's fist in her own hand, keeping the medallion safe in Roz's needy clutches.
Roz's eyes fluttered again, then snapped open completely as she inhaled sharply. She looked down to the hole in the front of her corset, prying the fabric apart to reveal merely a scar where the wound had just been.
"Gen?" she said. Gen choked on a mixture between a laugh and a cry, and threw herself onto the smaller girl. "GOD. GET OFF, HEIFER."
"Ladies?" came Jack's voice from a ways off. "We could use your help, if all is well."
Gen helped Roz to her feet. Roz wiped the coin across her stomach, soaking it in her blood, and tossed it into the chest, and they rejoined the fight. Gen saw out of the corner of her eye Jack throwing a shiny bit of something to Will, just as Barbossa was aiming his pistol at Elizabeth. There was a shot, and Roz screamed Elizabeth's name. Elizabeth remained standing, and Barbossa turned to see Jack, who was still aiming his pistol at his chest.
"Ten years you carry that pistol," Barbossa sneered. "And now you waste your shot."
"He didn't waste it."
Barbossa spun to see Will cut his own hand, stain his medallion with his own blood, and drop both he and Jack's medallions into the chest. Barbossa dropped his sword, moving his jacket over with horrified eyes to see blood beginning to spread around the hole in his shirt.
"I feel…cold," he muttered, a strange smile creeping over his face. He fell, an apple rolling from his hand as he hit the ground.
It was a dramatic moment. Which would not stand in the presence of one particular woman.
"Where the hell did that apple come from?" Roz asked suddenly.
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After dispatching of the rest of the pirates in the cave, the small troupe regrouped on the mound of treasure on which the great Barbossa had fallen. "We should return to the Dauntless," Elizabeth said, looking very tired.
"Your fiancé will be wanting to know you're safe," Will said icily. Elizabeth turned, unable to look Will in the eye, and walked off.
"Someone's bitter," Gen muttered, watching Elizabeth walk away in a melancholy state.
Jack swaggered over to Will, dripping with jewels and wearing a lopsided crown. "If you were waiting for the opportune moment," he said quietly. "That was it."
Jack hopped into the boat, turning to help Gen and Rosalyn board as well, both girls now wearing at least three pieces of jewelry that had not been in their possession when they had entered the cave.
"Now," Jack said, finally helping Elizabeth in and sitting down as Will took the oars. "If you'd be so kind, I'd be much obliged if you'd drop me off at my ship."
"Erm, Jack?"
He turned to look at Genesis as Will shoved off from shore. "Yes, love?"
"Um, Rosalyn and I," she said uncomfortably. "Well, we don't really have anywhere to go, and we --"
"Nowhere to go?" Jack said, looking insulted. "Are you telling me you're jumping ship? Well, if you don't think you two have what it takes to be members of my crew, so be it."
"Really?" Rosalyn said happily.
"Aye."
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Jack wasn't the only one whose heart fell to the floor of the boat when they rowed out of the cave to meet only the Dauntless. Genesis and Rosalyn both laid a hand on him in a comforting gesture, though he stayed completely still.
"I'm sorry, Jack," Elizabeth muttered.
"They done what's right by them," he replied curtly. "Can't expect more than that."
Gen looked over to see Norrington and his men rowing toward them She sighed and rolled up the remaining sleeve on her shirt. "Might as well make it easier to cuff me, eh?"
"What are you talking about?" Roz asked.
"I'm a fugitive, remember?" Gen said. "Jack and I have a date with the commodore, if I'm not mistaken."
"Oh. Crap."
Genesis took an instinctive step backward as Norrington leapt off the bow of the longboat before her, motioning for his men to slap irons on the wrists of herself, Jack, Will and Rosalyn. She frowned, shaking her head frantically at the commodore.
"She's innocent," she said, looking to Rosalyn. "What are you doing?"
"Aiding pirates, Miss Morgan, is more than enough to call upon the power of the law," he replied stonily, beginning to shackle her wrists himself.
Genesis looked up at him, eyeing his features as he focused on securing her wrists in the heavy manacles. "Even when it's the right thing to do, Commodore?" she asked quietly.
His eyes met hers for a moment, and he clicked the lock into place. "It will not work, Morgan," he replied just as lowly, clearly not wanting to be heard conversing so intimately with this known pirate. "Twisting words to suit your own needs, manipulation; you and Sparrow may have had luck with the art before, but it will not work on me."
"What won't?" she said darkly. "The truth?"
Another glance, and he released her hands a bit roughly, handing the chain on her shackles to Lieutenant Gillette. "Your kind lacks the knowledge to share the truth, Miss Morgan," he said more loudly, clearly through with this discussion.
"The truth would kill you," she called out after him. He paused, glancing back at her, and her eyes flickered to the form of Elizabeth, who was currently worrying over Will's irons. Norrington followed her gaze, almost visibly wincing, and he looked back to Genesis. He was surprised to see the expression he found on her features; not quite sympathy, not quite anger. She held his gaze for a moment before speaking again.
"And not that merciful heart-stopping variety of death, either, Commodore."