DISCLAIMER: No, I'm not back, not completely, anyway, but I had this written up from before and I was bored. It's mostly familiar stuff, but different in part from when it was originally chapter 25. Just cleaning house. I don't own anyone here, either, other than the HMS Falcon, at least this version of it.
Enjoy!
xxxxx
Chapter 26 - Of Rum and Honor
The four brothers watched as the battle rage on, huddling impatiently from under the safety of the stairs. Above them at the helm, Jack managed the wheel. They waited and hoped – with one of them hoping not nearly as much as the others were – that the two captains would call it 'square' and part ways. However, it was a lot to expect. After all, the Falcon's role in the deal was to bring to justice any pirate it found in the Caribbean, while the Black Pearl's crew had a more heady responsibility…kill and subdue anything in its path.
And the HMS Falcon was most definitely in their path.
Nevertheless, as the minutes ticked by without anyone making headway in the fight, it seemed that neither side was willing to give up. Given the curse, Leo knew that Jack would not simply order his men to stand down. It wouldn't be prudent for one, considering how hard the other side was fighting, and - for another - the curse heightened even the most passive to bouts of violence. Donatello was a perfect example of that.
It was then when Leonardo realized that something else would have to happen for either captain to part ways and it was that which worried him the most.
As the Pearl fired cannon shot after cannon shot at the Falcon, further damaging the Royal navy's finest, Don leaned into his elder brother and whispered, "If this keeps up, Leo, we won't have to worry about boarding the Falcon because there won't be anything left of it."
"Yeah, I know and that's what concerns me," Leo replied, "and that will only mean more men will die." He then asked Raphael, "Hey, Raph, you think you can work your way over to release one of the longboats…"
Just as Raphael snapped his head around to give Leo an incredulous stare, his mouth gapping, the deck suddenly shifted beneath their feet. Surprised, Raph looked out across the length of the Pearl and noticed the horizon had changed. As he considered the other ship's position, now, instead of keeping its distance, the pirate ship seemed to be bridging the gap between it and the HMS Falcon.
"Jack must've changed his mind!" Raphael cheered quietly, smiling expectantly at his brother in blue, "Guess ya don't have t'worry about that longboat, eh?"
Leo muttered, "Guess not."
The unexpected development wasn't lost on any of the two crews, either. An excited roar billowed up from both sides and a temporary but very brief ceasefire ensued, as each side prepared to board the other. Men took the opportunity to reload their pistols, while some strapped cutlasses to their bandoliers. As the vessels sidled up to each other and as the distance between them shortened to only a few yards, just as the frigate's captain gave the order for his men to board, the pirates' salacious need for blood rushed the Falcon. A few British sailors did manage to gain a foothold on the Pearl's deck first, though, but they soon found themselves viciously cut down by the pirates before they could even fire a shot or draw swords.
"Okay, NOW we fight?" Raphael asked excitedly, ginning at Leo.
Sighing, Leo could only say, "Yes, Raph, I guess now we fight!"
Before long, the four turtles rejoined the skirmish again, exchanging their pistols in favor of their tried and true weapons of choice. Like a giant wave of insanity, they joined the pirates and rushed aboard the Falcon in eager anticipation.
Some of the pirates leapt from one deck to the other, while a few swung over using ropes tethered high up to the Pearl's yardarms.
As for the turtles, given their experience with leaping between buildings back in New York City, they had little difficulty bridging the distance between the two ships.
Once Leo and his brothers landed onto the HMS Falcon's deck, they worked at tossing overboard what men they could. When they met too much resistance, they did their best to disable their opponents and with as little bloodshed as possible.
Of course, it helped that the moment the British sailors saw the four turtles, they were startled into stunned inactivity. The frigate's crew seemed terrified, at least at first. Never had these men seen anything as bizarre as Leo and his brothers and many thought for sure that Davy Jones and his Flying Dutchman was close by, if only to pick off stragglers.
However, a sharp order from their captain cut through their fear and had them rallying again, fighting harder than before.
As expected, though, Leonardo had been right. Even with the Pearl taking many cannon shots from the British frigate, the cursed vessel remained virtually unscathed, as did its crew, while the Royal navy suffered the most. All totaled, a dozen of the Falcon's crew died because the turtles couldn't be everywhere at once. Many of the casualties floundered in the sea, wounded, while some floated dead in the water. Others still found themselves suddenly tossed overboard, unharmed. They grabbed onto flotsam splintered from the damaged British ship to stay afloat, lest they drown, and for the moment out of the conflict. A few managed to claw their way up the side of their ship to rejoin the fight, but they had little effect on the battle's outcome.
The end came quickly enough, nonetheless, and as Jack claimed victory while his men held their captives in arm, they cheered and yelled in frenzied jubilation. That was when Leo found himself lost to the allure of the curse. Keeping people alive was one thing, but participating in the fight had heightened other aspects of the curse that he hadn't counted on, something he had never felt before...something unexpected.
Greed.
His own order to protect both crew now forgotten, Leonardo beamed triumphantly, and stood next to Jack Sparrow. The turtle counted his task complete. The roar of cheers from the rest of the pirate crew became a heady drug and so he turned to the pirate, his eyes bright with an unholy light, "THIS WAS A GREAT VICTORY, CAPTAIN!"
"Yes, turtle, indeed it is!" grinned Jack, who gave the terrapin a hearty slap on his carapace. Jack then turned to gaze over his crew. Suddenly, a new expression shone from his face, something not so new, something that overshadowed his lust for blood. Although he had resisted succumbing to the need to kill, he had not done so well when it came time to parting ways with the enemy ship. Like Leo, he had put everything into exercising self-control. That was what motivated Sparrow in keeping the two ships as far apart as possible. However, as the battle continued, like a sudden epiphany, Jack realised – the way Leo had - that the fight would not end until one side had boarded the other. It was why he had changed the Pearl's course, of keeping a bit of distance from the Falcon. He counted on the curse to keep his men and the ship intact, but once his men boarded the frigate, however, it was a matter of complete and total annihilation of the enemy. From then on, it was a 'downhill slide on ice'. It was only then when his intentions slipped away and his self-control faded into something that he was more familiar. Something universally felt by the rest of his crew and the turtles, too.
Greed.
Now, as Sparrow stood atop the Falcon's quarterdeck, the idea of acquiring whatever treasure the Falcon held in its hold swung the pirate captain further into the cursed insanity. With hands on hips, he assessed his triumph. He looked out over the length of the defeated ship and saw what a grand ship she was. He could see where the Falcon had suffered much damage, but he could also ascertain that it was fixable and, therefore, the ship was still seaworthy. He smiled very wide, quite happy with his conquest.
Turning to his first mate, who stood next to him opposite from Leonardo, Jack remarked lustfully, "This ship can be repaired, Mr. Gibbs, and once we rid it of its crew, I will add it to the Pearl and create me own fleet of ships." Sparrow's grin widened further, "I may very well haves me the start of a pirate navy."
"Aye, Captain!" Gibbs concurred eagerly.
Fully entrenched within the tenacious embrace of the curse, Leonardo grinned in appreciation for Jack's remark. He then brightened and wondered which of his men the captain would choose to helm the Falcon. Yet, there was something else that the captain had said that bothered him. His smile faded just a bit as he pondered his concern.
As Jack's smile grew more malevolent and dangerous, his eyes bright with self-amusement, he rubbed his hands together in anticipation. He seemed to have succumbed fully to the curse and his sense of rapaciousness finally took control. However, as he gave a sideways glance to his first mate, his expression suddenly changed. Jack began to hum quietly to himself as if considering a thought and then, suddenly, he loudly proclaimed to his crew, his voice echoing over the beleaguered HMS Falcon.
"We will dispense with this lot, take what is duly ours - spoils of war if you cares to call it - and then…" Jack lowered his voice, just enough to add a bit of threat and foreboding, "…we scuttle this ship to the briny deep!"
The pirate crew cheered loudly in reply.
"I thought you wanted a navy, Captain?" a voice beside him asked, surprised.
"Yes, I did, Leonardo, but I also do NOT want competition." He turned to the turtle, "How's it pos'ble to manage both ships if I cannaw be everywhere at once? To put any of me men – even Mr. Gibbs, even YOU – at either helm would invite a bit of rebellion, of them goin' their own way. It only makes sense t'scuttle this frigate and that way keeps me crew in one place, under ONE captain…ME!" He smiled wryly at Leo, "As your one brother would say, jus'a matter o' 'rithmatic!"
As the crew continued cheering, Leo saw Raphael, Michelangelo, and Donatello join in, their own satiated bloodlust replaced with another hunger all together, one they had danced with briefly back on Isla de Muerta. Under the curse, it seemed that greed was just as intoxicating as the urge to spill blood.
However, as the pirate captain began detailing his orders for his men to disembowel or behead the crew before tossing them to the sea like chum, in one brief clarifying moment and challenging his vexed mental state, a voice from Leonardo's past drilled into his mind. It involved some other skirmish, another war, one where he had found himself tempted in some way. Regardless, in that moment, he knew the voice quite well. It belonged to someone he loved.
"My son, do not forget your honor and do not forget who and what you are!"
Suddenly, the very notion of what Jack wanted his men to do with the British made Leonardo ill. And, as a result, he nearly retched. Leo swallowed it back down and he took a deep breath of the salted air and blinked, then blinked again. He stared out at the somber faces of the British soldiers and their captain, all standing beaten and defeated, as the pirates prepared to follow through with their captain's request. Some of the enlistments had resigned themselves to their fate, eyes closed, while others appeared angry and hostile.
Still, there were a few who seemed overcome with emotion. One in particular was a boy, possibly new to sea-life, and not at all a seasoned sailor. Leo saw tears stain the child's face and how the boy's chest heaved and hitched from sobbing. The youngster looked thoroughly terrified.
"He…looks so young! Not even twelve." And then Leonardo remembered his orders from earlier.
Suddenly, he found himself yelling at the top of his lungs, screaming, "STOP, CAPTIAN, NO, DON'T KILL ANYONE!" He grabbed the man's arm, desperation in his voice, "we leave, NOW! We let these men go and allow them to find their way back to port. We've done enough damage already."
"WHAT? ARE YE DAFT?" The man could not believe the turtle's request. With one hand on his rapier, Jack prepared to disable the mutant, just in case the turtle used steel to press his words.
Leo didn't miss Jack's discrete movement and so the turtle quickly explained, releasing the man's arm, "If you stop short of decimating your enemy, Captain Sparrow, they will remember YOU long after the event." He further added, "If you kill them, however, there won't be any witnesses to your mercy. Keep in mind that you can only defeat your enemy by making him your friend."
"Ye really are new 'round here, aren't ya?" Jack snorted and shook his head in disbelief. He pulled out his gun, pressing it to the turtle's snout, "Careful with your next set of words, mate…I don't have much patience for mutin…"
"I may be new 'round here," Leo interrupted, "but my advice is sage advice, and advice older than most civilizations." As Leo carefully pushed the gun away from his face, while his other hand cautiously gripping his unsheathed katana, he lowered his voice just a little, "I have no desire to take this ship. However, I believe we must let these men live, let them tell their tale, let them report back that the pirate, Jack Sparrow, had mercy on them!" Leo smiled, "It will make a fine entry in any history book!"
"T'HELL with HISTORY! BUT LET 'EM LIVE? GIVE 'EM MERCY?" Jack snorted loudly and the roar of equal shock reverberated from his men below seemed to give support.
Defining shouts of "we deserve spoils of war!" and "gut these spineless turtles 'fore we gut YOU Captain!" replaced their earlier exclamations of victory.
Suddenly, Leonardo worried that the pirates would turn on him and his brothers. It was obvious to Leo that none of Jack's men approved of his idea. Even Leonardo's brothers seemed struck by his request, their own vocal protests saying much with how the curse was affecting them.
Suddenly, Leo noticed Donatello's expression change. It was almost as if his brother was having a contrary thought from what he was thinking a second ago. Don paused for a moment and then he turned to Raphael and said something. Though Leo could not tell what exactly, considering his hotheaded brother's response - which was to grab Don by the throat and raise one sai up in threat - Leo was certain that Don had indeed realized the same thing that he had. Mike joined in with the argument between his two brothers, as well, apparently taking Raphael's side in the matter. With all three now shouting at each other, it was the most surrealist scene Leonardo had ever witnessed. Usually Mike was one to discourage arguments, joking around, getting Raphael's attention on him and away from his antagonist. Yet, there he was, shouting into Donatello's face, shaking his chucks in threat, his expression contorting in anger and in the same way as Raphael.
"Incredible!" Leo muttered softly.
For the moment and ignoring his family's own dissention, Leo addressed Jack, again, "Captain, the curse is motivating you to do this. You have to see that. I can't believe you would simply murder these men, especially since their ship is out of commission." He pressed the issue further, his eyes pleading, "PLEASE…leave the frigate alone, don't kill her crew. We have more important issues to consider. We need to find the Aztecs, remember? Considering the damage to their ship, the British can't follow us anyway!"
Jack stood there staring at the reptile, his face a mixture of confusion and indecision. He looked down at his crew and suddenly, he saw the all too-familiar 'crazed look', the very expression that Barbossa and his men had on their faces, back not long ago when Sparrow was not so afflicted. Even Elizabeth Swann and Will Turner had greedy sneers gracing their lips. Jack studied the girl again, noting her expression had somehow made the wench seem even more ominous.
Shivering slightly and grimacing, the pirate captain turned to Leonardo, "All right, turtle, we'll do it your way." Jack then turned to his crew, yelling loudly, "I HAVE HAD A CHANGE OF HEART. IN A SHOW OF MERCY, WE WILL LEAVE THIS SHIP AND ITS CREW INTACT AND CONTINUE OUR QUEST TO RETURN THE GO…" A sudden touch to his shoulder by Gibbs, however, told the captain to temper his information, "Ah…right, Mr. Gibbs…thank you." Jack again turned to the men, "TO RETURN THAT WHICH…UM…which ah…"
"Belongs t'someone else, Captain?" Gibbs whispered his assist.
"Aye, yes, Mr. Gibbs…SOMEONE ELSE!" Jack grinned wide, with one finger raised high in proclamation, as if he had made a fantastic announcement.
His men stared back, though, completely surprised, if not confused, by their captain's sudden change in plans.
Finally, one pirate dared to ask, "But…WHAT ABOUT PILLAGING. WE'RE PIRATES, THAT'S WHAT WE'RE SUPPOSED TO DO, RIGHT?"
Jack thought quickly and replied, "The Falcon's captain said there isn't anything to pillage, but…" and for a moment, he didn't know what to tell them, since he really didn't know if the vessel had anything at all worthy of taking.
Before he had a chance to worry about that, a rather distinctive voice called out from below, "Is there any rum?"
Jack looked down and discovered, much to his amusement, that it had been…Elizabeth. He smiled wide, "I'm sure there is, Ms. Swann…" and the pirate addressed the Falcon's commander, Captain Williamson, held fast by Will Turner, "So, Captain, do ye have any rum?"
At first, Williamson refused to answer, but a hard scuff to the back of his head by a pirate standing next to him encouraged a reply, "Aye…two barrels."
Jack raised his pistol in declaration, his voice loud and bright, "WILL TWO BARRELS O'RUM SATSIFY YE?"
A chorus of cheers drifted over the deck, the men's lust for more valuable treasure forgotten in lieu of grog.
"So, Captain, what do we do w'the Brits?"
"Indeed, Mr. Gibbs." Jack then addressed the turtle standing next to him, "Since it's your idea, what say you, reptile?"
"I say we tie them up to give us enough time to set sail and distance ourselves before they can regroup." He glanced around at the condition of the ship, "Considering the damage, they have a couple days worth of repairs to do, anyway, and by the time they set sail again, we'll be too far away for them to catch us."
"You sure you've never pirated before?" Jack grinned, rather pleased with Leonardo's foresight.
"I may never have pirated, but I have fought before and I can recognize an advantage when I see one!" Leonardo then pointed to his brothers below on deck, as he offered, "Let my brothers and me do the tying. We know a trick or two about knots – other than nautical ones - that can guarantee that these men will not free themselves too quickly."
Jack studied the mutant and, seeing nothing but sincerity, "Okay, reptile, you and your brothers do your part, we'll do ours."
As some of his men went to collect the barrels of rum from the hold, Leo and his brothers went about their task of tying up the enemy. They made sure not to tie so tightly that the men couldn't free themselves, but it would definitely take them a while to undo the knots, that much was certain. At most, it would take them only an hour for the most dexterous, but by then the Pearl would be well on her way. Just the same, with as much damage that the frigate suffered, the soldiers would have their work cut out for them with repairing the ship well enough to set sail. Resuming their hunt for the Black Pearl would not be their first task, but getting back to port would be their number one priority, if only to gather reinforcement.
In either event, the pirates returned to the Black Pearl, some reluctantly, and those men grabbed what weapons they could, if only to bolster their own armament. Some also took errant bits of destruction, just to appease whatever lingered of their lustful need to loot, but most left the HMS Falcon empty-handed, save for the barrels of rum. There was much rejoicing over it, too, as if that alone would be enough to satisfy their longings.
Of course, getting drunk would be impossible, considering the curse, but Jack knew the anticipation was at least half the fun in the trying. Then again, once the men finally realized the truth, there'd be a bit of a row between him and them. Nevertheless, the pirate captain would gladly accept that over trying to convince them to leave empty handed. That alone would have been impossible.
Now, as the Pearl sailed away from the HMS Falcon and as his men and the turtles went about fixing whatever damage they found on the Pearl, Jack kept the ship on course. He stood proudly at the helm, thinking, and brooding. Despite his victory (and the cache of rum), he seemed unfulfilled.
He took one last long look at the stricken HMS Falcon behind him and realized why he felt so glum.
Mumbling under his breath, Jack lamented, "An' I was so lookin' forward to pillagin'. Stupid turtle and his stupid honor. What's with that, anyway?"
Jack harrumphed sullenly and returned his gaze to his horizon. He shrugged nonchalantly, then, "Well, at least we'll have the extra rum to celebrate with, once we get the bloody curse removed!"
Just thinking about tasting his beloved grog again finally improved his mood and, once more, Jack Sparrow grinned wide, his gold teeth glinting in agreement, "Yo ho, yo ho, tis a pirate's life fer me!"
Xxxxxx
A/N: Yes, that last line was corny, but…I had to use it somewhere, yes? LOL