"Oh, sure, he calls you 'Captain!" Jack mumbled to Barbossa.
Barbossa ignored him, "Nathaniel Coldwood," he shouted, "either surrender or fight us! I will not let you get a hold of the Jewels!"
Coldwood laughed menacingly. "Really? Because in case you haven't noticed, Hector, you are outnumbered!"
Jack cocked his head at Coldwood's large group. "Gibbs? Marty?" He said to his crew mates, who looked rather exhausted.
"Cap'n!" Pintel exclaimed, "You survived!"
"You sound surprised!" Jack said.
"JASON!" Angelica finally cried, almost charging past Jack and towards the unconscious body on the ground. Coldwood's first mate, One-Eyed Rex, quickly pulled out a pistol and aimed it at Jason's head. Angelica halted the same time Jack grabbed her arm.
"Stay back, lady," Rex warned, his eye glaring at her, "or else."
"WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO HIM?" Angelica demanded to Coldwood. Her voice echoed throughout the cave.
"What was necessary." He answered calmly.
"Uncle, how could you?" The girl sobbed, trying to get free of the large arms that held her back.
"Quiet, Anya!"
"NO!" Anya screamed, more tears spilling down her face, "and Ares, let me go!" She looked up at the pirate keeping her at bay. Ares didn't say a word nor change his expression.
Coldwood turned away from his niece and said to Barbossa, "I will never surrender! I am this close to having the greatest treasure of all time and no one is going to stand in my way. Especially you and Sparrow!"
Barbossa lifted his sword a tad higher, "Very well," and before anyone could protest or say another word, he yelled, "ATTACK!" and his crew charged towards Coldwood's crew.
Jack had put his arms up to cover himself from the pirates running around him, but he did notice Angelica weave her way through the forming battle, and towards her unconscious son. And at the same time, Coldwood was slashing a path to the glittering chest.
He was torn. One part told him to run after Angelica, for he could see her already in a duel with One-Eyed Rex. The other part was listening to Barbossa shout from a distance, "Jack! Stop Coldwood! Destroy the Jewels!"
His mind made itself up after endless arguing, and he rushed after Coldwood. Angelica will be fine...she knows how to defend herself... He kept thinking to himself, but a tug in his chest told him to go back...
People were fighting around the raised platform where the chest was. Jack casually walked up to it, careful not to bump anyone. The chest sparkled under the beam of light as he neared it. He reached out to open the latch, hearing lots of yells and screams behind him from the battle.
Then something was pressing against his neck, hard. He reached up, choking, but found there was nothing there. The invisible force tightened, and he couldn't get any air in. Jack took a few steps back, his heart beating quickly. What is happening?
A menacing laugh could be heard behind him, and out of the corner of his eye, Jack could make out a tall, dark figure. The figure was holding up the voodoo doll while wrapping his fingers around the doll's neck. "Please, Sparrow. It's like you want me to kill you!" Coldwood said with a crazed smile.
He released his fingers around the doll's neck, and instantly Jack's windpipe opened. He gasped for air and leaned over, breathing heavily. "Now, back away, and you just might be spared..." Coldwood's other hand held up one of his silver swords, which was covered in red blood. Jack stared at it, still out of breath.
Jack slowly unsheathed his own sword, and pointed it at the other captain, "I...have seen...what happens when...one person tries...to...control the seas." He said between breaths.
Coldwood grin grew broader, "As you wish." And before Jack could draw in another breath, he lunged at him, sword slashing down. Jack deflected it, and sliced towards Coldwood's chest. But Coldwood was much quicker, and more swift on his moves than Jack. He swung down on Jack from above, and Jack blocked it just in time before it his his forehead. "Give up, Sparrow. I've been training since I could barely walk in the art of sword fighting. There's no way you could beat me." Coldwood hissed at Jack, a sneer on his face as he pressed his sword against Jack's, the voodoo doll still clutched in his hand.
Jack tried to concentrate on pushing himself back up, but all he was focused on was a duel happening on the other side of the cave. It was Angelica, slashing away at One-Eyed Rex, who was brutally fighting back. Already her arm was bleeding, and her side. But she ignored her wounds, and turned and twisted her body with the battle. Rex was a lot larger than her, and brought his sword down angrily at her chest right under her collarbone. Blood splattered and Angelica was forced backwards to the rocky ground.
Anger and worry flared in Jack, enough to bring him strength to get Coldwood's weight of of his weapon. The other captain staggered backwards, a bit surprised. Jack knew he would have to deal with Coldwood before he could help Angelica.
"Are you really going to try to beat me again, Sparrow?" He asked, holding the voodoo doll up slightly, as if to remind Jack that he still had it.
Before Jack could answer, someone came behind him and said, "He's not going to do it alone." Jack turned sharply and saw Jason with a slightly bloody sword and the cut above his eye covered in dried blood. His expression showed hatred, and his stance was a little crooked. He almost looked like it was difficult to stand for so long.
"Jason? You look awful!" was the first thing that came out of Jack's mouth.
Coldwood simply laughed, "You can't be serious! You will fight me as well?"
"Oh, but I am. I think you forget that my mother has been teaching me how to use a sword since I was a child. And I haven't forgotten that you kidnapped her and forced us to come to this bloody island to get some damn jewels that will you let you control the wind and tide!" Jason's voice raised, and his eyebrows narrowed.
"You two are going to keep me from the greatest treasure of all time?" Coldwood sounded if such a thing was preposterous.
Jack looked at him square in the eye, "I'm going to tell you something I told to a young man a while ago," He leaned forward slightly and raised his weapon higher, "Not all treasure is silver and gold." Jason nodded in agreement.
Coldwood looked back and forth at them, the battle between his and Barbossa's crew was still happening around them, but he didn't even seem to notice. "Alright, young Jason, it is your choice to fight alongside for the man who has been lying to you this entire time."
Jason blinked, "What?"
"To avenge the abduction of the mother who also has been keeping the truth from you." Coldwood shifted his stance and gave a smug grin to Jack.
"Don't listen to him, Jason-" Jack began to say.
"What secrets?"Jason's brown eyes were wide as he stared into Jack's. "Have you been lying to me?"
Jack couldn't find the right words. He could see Angelica trying to get up, and one of Barbossa's crew came to help her, but then got shot in the back and collapsed to the ground.
Coldwood smiled evilly, his dark eyes glanced at the chest, then at Jack, then at Jason. "Sparrow is your real father." He reached up to touch a ruby strung around his neck, and Jack remembered Angelica saying something about it...how he can force you to do whatever he wants...
Jason was flabbergasted, his eyes darting around the ground, as if trying to sort something out. "But...how...why...?"
"Look, none of that matters now, does it?" Coldwood inched his way to the chest, "I'm sure they had their reasons." He then snapped his fingers the same time he set his other hand on the diamond chest.
Jack didn't know what to think. Was Jason upset? Disappointed? He tried to search his son's face, but before he could tell what the expression read, a large hand grabbed him around the throat, and the same happened to Jason.
Ares was choking them both, and had enough strength to lift them both off the ground and squeeze even tighter. At the same time, Coldwood slowly opened the sparkling diamond chest.
A/N: I know! This chapter took FOREVER to post! Because I started writing it...then went blank...then two days later I'd start again...then blank out. Ugh! It was so frustrating!
But now it's done! And all you lovelies can review! Didya like it? Or no like it? Tell please! I love the feedback from you guys!
And thanks again and again for the reviews so far and favorites and waiting! I feel so bad it took this long! Hopefully the next chapter will be out sooner!