CHAPTER FIVE
Warning: Chapter contains graphic violence
Authors Note: I'm posting this ahead of Sunday's Season 2 winter finale, where I have a suspicion that this Captain Swan Ship is about to well and truly sink. Ah well, I guess they'll live on in our hopeful little hearts on here instead. Thank you to those of you leaving reviews and following this story, I haven't posted a in a while and not for ouat before, so it's nice to know I haven't gotten too rusty.
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Mutiny. The word seethed through him.
"Starkey, Jukes." Hook roared, the sudden sound startling Emma, as she grasped onto Jack's blade, which she had obviously felt the need to draw. The two trusted men appeared at his cabin, their shrewd eyes taking in the scene without comment.
"Mutiny." Hook rasped, pouring malice and dark excitement into the word. Starkey's face split with the feral grin.
"Oh yes Captain. Mutiny most foul." He stepped into the room, a serrated blade drawn.
"What'll it be Cap'tin?" Jukes crossed his heavily tattooed arms, his eyes fixed on the offending sailors, not once had he looked Emma's way. "The plank? The blade? The Rack?"
Hook stood, feeling the rage vibrating through him until he was all but consumed with the desperate need to rend. "The Hook." He all but snarled. "Get them out of my sight. String them up. I want them to dance for me first."
"Get in here." Starkey barked to the men waiting just outside, they filtered in, Hook's feral excitement spreading to each one in turn as they grasped the condemned men apparently Emma had done more damage than he realised, because the condemned men needed to be physically hauled out of the room, followed by the sound of pained shouts and vicious laughter.
Starkey gave him a brief nod as the others filtered out. "Ten minutes Captain. We'll have them dancing from the main sail."
Hook nodded, not trusting himself to speak past the fury which curled his fist. The door closed and he bowed his head.
"Hook, you don't have to..." Emma spoke, her hand reaching out to him, he spun, not giving her the chance to finish her pointless sentence as he raised the hook to her face, the threat implied but never touching, which for him, was showing restraint.
"They betrayed me." He snarled. "I will see their insides outside for this." Emma opened her mouth, then closed it again wisely, her eyes widening in the kind of horror that should have bothered him, except that he was so used to seeing it on the faces of women that got to close. He stalked forward, grasping her arm barely registering her flinch, as he examined her from head to toe. "Did they touch you?" he saw it then, the slowly blooming bruise across her cheek, his hand froze. Some men trembled with rage, not him, Hook grew incredibly still. "Where else." He hissed the words, trying not to simply peel off her clothes and search every inch of her for the full extent of their betrayal.
Emma was perfect in that moment, so still, no sudden movements, her breathing utterly calm, her voice a low soothing sound that reached into his soul. "Nowhere." Her eyes held his and he felt her lie sear him as she stubbornly refused to justify his rage.
He didn't dare touch her, not in his fury. "DO NOT LIE TO ME!" he bellowed, seeing her rock back momentarily stunned, but not in the least bit surprised he realised. She had known this was inside of him... had seen the rotten raging core of him the moment she'd laid eyes on him, even masked as it was, safely away from Neverland. He filed that information away for a saner moment as he grasped her shoulders, the knowledge giving him some measure of calm as his fingers bit into her skin, she didn't even flinch. "They are dead men walking Love. Do not think you can protect them from my wrath. Tell me what else, or I shall imagine it for myself and seek my vengeance in a pound of flesh for each precious inch of you they defiled."
Emma was trembling, he felt it beneath his fingers as he bored his gaze into her; but he was starting to wonder if it was out of anger rather than fear as she defiantly raised her chin and lifted her simple black top, revealing the darkening bloom of skin around her ribs where an arm had clearly clung too tightly trying to restrain her in a futile effort. His eyes lowered to the torn buttoned fastening of her trousers where his incompetent men had tried and failed to comprehend the trick to gaining entrance.
"They surprised me." Emma admitted lowering the top, sounding tired as she peeled his fingers off her shoulders and neatly sidestepped him. "There were so many new noises, I couldn't distinguish the sound of them in the room from the creak of the boat in the water. They were quiet. They were on me before I even knew they were inside. They tried to hold me down, to keep me quiet, but I guess they've never tried to attack a women who knows how to fight back. I broke the one's nose, took out the knee of the other and smashed his ankles together, the other one tripped over his friend so when he went down I stomped on his manhood until he stopped trying to get up. Wasn't too hard to truss them up after that."
Hook's expression twisted, they had gotten too close. Any other woman and they'd have had their wicked way with her long before he'd have gotten back, slit her throat and left him with no way of knowing who'd betrayed him.
"Did they put their lips on you." he released her, turning his back to her to save her the look he knew he bore.
"The one with the broken nose shoved his tongue down my throat when I tried to shout for help." She admitted quietly, he could feel her resistance to tell him, her desire to spare the men who had assaulted her some of the agony she must now know awaited them. It only fuelled his anger further that she would care anything for them.
"Their hands?" Hook turned to look back at her, willing her not to lie.
Emma dropped her head, her arms coming up to wrap around herself. "Much like yours." She admitted, "They tried to get everywhere."
Hook slammed his fist into the wall, hearing the crack of the panel, and wishing it was his hand. He spun on her, her words were biting, and some attempt to shame him, but he was too beyond himself to register the deeper implications now. "I swear to you Emma. I had no idea they would attempt something so blatant, so soon. That they would forget so easily who I am." He bit out, this was his fault. "I would never have left you alone." He apologised. "The example I will make of them will hold for now and until the end of time."
"I'm starting to think I should have just shot them." Emma murmured as he turned to leave, forcing him to stop dead and stare at her evenly. "I'm thinking it would have been a better fate than what you have planned."
Hook felt his lips purse. "Better." He acknowledged. "But far less satisfying." He knew where her mind was at as the pained look crossed her features, she didn't like people to suffer, even if they were her would-be-rapists. The idea that they would suffer was clearly causing her some sense of misplaced guilt, which was endearing... if it wasn't so damn pathetic. He noted that he would need to make sure she grew a thicker skin if she was going to remain here, because this life might just break her if he didn't.
He stalked from the room banishing those concerns for now as he focused his entire being on the betrayal that swirled through his veins. Emma followed him slowly, he wanted to stop her, to force her to wait inside, but he needed her to see, needed his men to see. His crew was assembled on the deck when they emerged, all eyes turned to him, none he noticed dared to linger on her as she came to stand away from them all.
Hook stalked onto the deck like a tornado of suppressed rage, feeling as though he could have split flames his fury burned so brightly inside his chest. The offending men were strung up by the necks to the centre mast, limbs cast out bound and straining against the power of the sail as they fought to breathe.
"Mutiny!" Hook roared, his crew bellowed back in answering rage, to betray the Captain was to betray them all. Hook turned to the offenders, certain now that this was an isolated incident, his crew was his once more as the memory of the last mutiny lay before them all.
"My orders were clear." Hook's voice was deadly calm as it swept over them all. "The Princess was off limits." He pointed to her with his hooked appendage, knowing how it flashed in the candlelight. "Fortunately, my lovely," he swept towards her with dangerous energy bouncing through each foot, he reached for her chin, tilting it into the light, "viscous little Swan." He breathed, "Is more than capable of taking care of herself." He pressed a kiss to her trembling lips, the only part of her that gave away a thing as he stared her in the eye; if she insisted on being here, then she needed to be a stone for this. He watched as the steel crept into her gaze... she could do this.
Hook spun to face the dangling desperate men, their naked bodies revealing as clearly as he could the damage she'd managed to inflict for every second they'd attempted to hold her.
"Captain, we didn't touch her." Mullins, Hook recognised the cowardly weasel, even now he thought he could slip out of this.
"It wasn't for a lack of trying." Hook snarled, darting forwards his hook flashed and a gash identical to the one he gave Noodler as a stark warning to the others marred his face, the fool roared in pain, but Hook was only spurred on by the sound. "How's the knee?" he queried lightly, the inflamed twisted appendage looked unsightly as Hook twisted it sharply causing the pirate to scream without dignity. "I'd imagine it's as well as those smashed ankles?" Hook laughed, causing a rousing chorus from his men as he hefted an oar, swinging it with a crack that had the bastard blacking out.
"Wake him up." Hook instructed Jukes, disgusted with the hanging sap of a man as he turned on Foggerty.
"Are you going to tell me you didn't betray me... that you didn't touch her?" Hook danced forward, his Hook flashing and causing the other man to flinch. But Foggerty was made of sterner stuff, he spat on the ground at his feet, refusing to be cowed, letting Hook know that this was the ring leader.
Foggerty grinned into a leer, staring him straight in the eye. "She tasted like sunshine."
Hook grinned savagely right back, "Did you enjoy it Foggerty? How about when she crushed your pathetic excuse for manhood beneath her boot?"
Foggerty barked out a laugh that masked the agony he was clearly in, his smashed nose, making his eyes little more than swollen slits that he stared malevolently out of now. "Worth it." He hissed, turning his gaze on Emma. "Do your worst Captain." He drawled the word with derision, "I can still taste her... you try and tell any of these pitiful dogs now that she ain't worth the risk. That nailing a Princess to the ground ain't worth the fight." He grinned back, knowing just what effect his words were having on the easily swayed men all around, who glanced back at Emma once more with hungry, contemplating gazes.
Hook swayed, incandescent with rage he had to act, had to stop this, whatever it was, dead in its tracks, he would not have this bilge swigging bottom feeder threaten his authority... not on his own goddamn ship! His weaponised hand shot out, the mutineers skin parted like butter as the curved blade slid in and with practiced ease he tore his still beating heart from his chest, his meagre hard won magic more than enough to take this. Hook caught it deftly in his good hand, as he held the pulsating glowing thing in front of Foggerty's face, seeing the horrified man comprehend for the first time the true price of mutiny on board this ship. Hook held the enchanted heart aloft, his hook flashing anew as every eye watched with bated breath.
"A pound of flesh, for every inch of her you laid your grubby fingers upon. It's only sporting." Hook grinned as he bought the curved blade down again relishing the scream of agony that tore free as his eyes finally reflected the fear imminent death bought all men, no matter how brave they pretended to be. Hook stopped whilst he was still twitching, his skin a patchwork of non-fatal wounds that were nowhere near as satisfying as he'd hoped. The beating heart still clasped aloft in his hand, Hook once more brought it to Foggerty's eyeline, giving it a sharp squeeze that saw his eyes bulge out of his head with agony; his life literally in Hook's hand. "How are you at fetch Foggerty?" Hook flashed him a grin of sheer malice that only partially masked the thrill, as he hurled the heart into the ocean. The condemned man spluttered, his shout for mercy lost as water began to pour out of his open orifice, drowning on deck. But still Hook was not content, he raised his hook one last time. "Drowning... it lacks something doesn't it Foggerty. Far better for a Pirate to go out in a fight, no?" he grasped the man's bound arm, retrieving his own sword from his belt and in one fluid movement, taking his hand clean off. He held the separated limb aloft. "Something to muddy the waters." Hook grinned, tossing the hand overboard whilst the mutineer gasped desperately for air that would never come.
Hook watched as his men one by one, began to inch towards the edge, peering over, taking in the sight he knew was looming... the circling fins, attached to razor sharp jaws, all focused intently on finding the meat that had so carelessly found itself in their waters. The first bite was the worst, it damn near halved the man. But clearly the sharks were in a playful mood taking their time with his heart, as chunk after chunk began to disappear. Silence wracked Hook's ship save for the thrashing sound of the sharks in the water as they feasted. Hook waited, watching until there was nothing left of the man just a few chunks on the deck... the parts they didn't like. Hook met the eye of every sailor on his ship unflinchingly, ignoring his own internal horror that such a fate might one day await him, if he ever failed to keep order again.
Starkey's hand came down on his shoulder "Fresh meat there Captain." He indicated the now conscious form of Mullins who was white as a sheet and shaking like the coward he was as Hook approached carelessly kicking a left over limb out of his path; hearing the squelch of blood beneath his boots and smelling the distinctive scent of a man emptying his bowels in terror.
Hook was aware of Emma some way behind him, aware of her unusually harsh breathing, as his own breathing calmed. He hadn't heard her screaming and as he glanced back at her he realised she hadn't even shed a tear, her eyes were wide and her skin was almost translucent the colour drained completely from her, but she was silent. Although he noticed her hand was gripping her gun like a lifeline. He wondered what it had cost her not to use it, to spare the condemned his fate... or perhaps to shoot him himself and stop the madness he had wrought? Their eyes locked and her expression gave away nothing, which unnerved him as he returned his attention to the still breathing betrayer.
He'd let his rage get the best of him, he had meant Foggerty to have a slow death, but he had to silence that mouth of his, which meant Mullins here would have to be made the example of.
"My dear Lady, thinks I should show you mercy Mullins, do you think you deserve mercy?" Hook teased, stroking the hook down his cheek, threatening the other eye. The fool was too addled to even nod hopefully, he just gaped back. He placed the bloodied hook beneath Mullins chin and turned the man's head so that they were both now staring at Emma who had backed herself up to the entrance of the cabin door as if to flee. "I have no use for a cripple..." he was speaking directly to her now, but she wouldn't meet his eyes, refusing to be culpable for his sins it seemed. So he turned his attention back to his victim "and from the looks of it she most definitely crippled you." Hook smirked taking in his twisted ankles, he leant in close, letting the fool see his death the instant before his blade sung into the flesh of his gut and tore across, spilling the contents onto the deck. The pirate jerked in agony, but still alive as Hook raised his curved weapon, holding it to his throat in threat, watching as the man closed his eyes, happy to die and end the agony.
Hook pulled away, leaving his neck untouched. "Wait for him to die. Then cut them down, toss his body to the sharks if they'll have him and then scrub their stink out of my decks." His order barked, he waited for the response he needed.
"Could take a while," Starkey spoke up just as Hook required, "Looks like you missed the vitals." Hook smiled thinly at him, letting it become perfectly apparent that he'd missed nothing.
"Two hours is our record is it not." Hook turned to his crew, seeing the fear and respect shining back as one. He wouldn't need to refresh their memory for some time after this little demonstration. "There's a trip to Tortuga in it for you all if you can keep that scurvy dog alive longer than that."
It was a horrific fate, the agony of hanging with your insides outside, waiting only for death, but it was necessary Hook conceded as he congratulated himself and the others as they set about their gruesome task, forcing them all to play a part in enforcing his example.
Emma gave him one long dark look, before she wrenched open the door to the inner deck and disappeared, clearly witnessing his little example had cost her more than she'd expected. He imagined she'd gone to lock herself securely in his cabin with her gun aimed at the door, silent tears streaking down her eyes, a part of him thought it was the only sane thing to do. He stood watching the door, she would need time now, he'd shattered the fragile trust they'd been building, revealed his monster in far too cruel a manner for her to simply take it in her stride, strong though she was. But it was better it happened now, to ensure his word was law again, particularly where she was concerned, for the remainder of her time on board. He turned back to watch his men tormenting the condemned man into wakefulness, not even permitting him the peace of unconsciousness.
They'd made a liar out of him. That wasn't going to happen again. He was Captain Hook, they'd damn well remember it and so would he...