Hades was clad in a stiff robe, not unlike a toga, but made of more solid fabric and structured closer to the body. He was an intimidating figure, twice the size of an average man, and built solidly. The firelight was able to illuminate a part of his sad, pale, sullen face, but he also had a natural glow. The helmet clutched in his thin hands was undoubtedly the Helm of Darkness, and suddenly Jack knew that he was the source of the tortured scream they heard when first entering the Underworld.
"You should not have come," he stated, plainly and sadly. "I cannot let you have what you want."
"I am Captain Porter of the English Navy and we have come-" Captain Porter stepped up, his sickly looking face darting up and down the god.
"I know why you have come. I know who you are. And I know that your mission will fail." He spoke unassumingly, not threateningly, not menacingly, just stating what he knew. "Porter, you are a weak man. You do not fear death, you fear life. Let me speak to Jack Sparrow."
Porter stepped back, abashed at being insulted in front of his crew. Jack, who had uncharacteristically remained silent throughout the conversation, cleared his through.
"Aye, your… Godliness." He grimaced, certain that he was about to be imploded.
A ghost of a smile appeared on Hades' face. "You've amused me for years, Sparrow. I've heard the tales of the men you've sent here, and the men that sent you to Davy Jones Locker. I can assure you, my home is a much better place."
"Yessir, I'm not one for the upholstery but I'm sure, when the time comes I will manage."
"You are bold, Sparrow, but foolish. You do not want the Helm, do you? This is not what you seek." He indicated to his helmet, which Porter was eyeing greedily.
"No, sir."
Hades' lips tightened. "But you have stolen from me already, pirate?"
Jack cleared his throat. "I haven't the foggiest, sir."
"Your pocket…" Hades' voice was in Jack's head, reminding him of the volcanic stone he picked off the beach. "… keep it, Sparrow. But let that be the only thing you steal from me tonight." He spoke the last part aloud, and the crew sent him questioning stares.
"Thank you, sir." Jack nodded.
"Angelica…" Hades began, and he went through the entire crew. Listing for everyone to hear, their dreams, their flaws, their futures, should they choose to abandon their insane mission. All the while, Porter inched closer and closer to the God, his eyes hungry for the Helm.
When Porter got a breath away from the God, in one swift movement, Hades grasped his wrist and turned him around. Breathing down his neck, Hades' good humor was gone. "You still wish to steal my Helm from me, after what I told you? You will not lay your hands on my possessions!" He threw the Captain away from him, banging on the rock wall nearly twenty feet away. He stirred at the bottom of the wall.
"However, I will let one of you have it. Sparrow, step forth." Jack, who had never respected anyone so much, stumbled forward to receive the gift. "Sparrow, I have chosen you to carry my gift. Let it be known, however, whomever else besides this man places his hands on my gift, will suffer more wrath than I have just bestowed on Captain Porter, and far much less mercy. You have been warned."
With that, he placed his helmet into Jack's hands and disappeared. Jack clutched the bulky metal to his chest, not entirely sure what he was going to do with this supernatural present.
"Excellent, ye've got it." The burly voice of Captain Barbossa echoed in the chamber merely a second after the god disappeared. "Now, I don't be wanting ter touch it, but that don't mean I can't make yeh follow me ter yer boat." He raised his sword threateningly, stepping into the firelight.
"Where's the rest of yer crew?" Gibbs asked.
Barbossa scowled. "Our own Will Turner took care of them, I just escaped in a dingy. Which will be why I shall in fact be taking possession of the illustrious English Navy's boat parked right outside this here cave."
"I'm not surprised you didn't go down with your ship, you bastard!" Angelica growled, her own sword drawn.
"Sparrow will be accompanying me back to my ship," Porter said, firmly, though still winded from his fall. His pistol and his sword was out, ready to make a stand. "And you will be left in the Underworld, you traitorous dog."
"I'm not the only one who bails out when I need to," Barbossa snarled quietly and Porter got paler. "That's right, your little side supplier… one of me oldest friends. Sent me on me way in case you got confused again where yer loyalties lie. You see, the King's crew, this man is no man of the crown. He's just as double crossing as the pirates he slaughters. Why don't you tell yer crew where you'd been plannin' on dumping the Helm once you got yer grubby hands on it?" Porter remained resolute, his face full of hatred for this man. "No? Fine, I will. I'm not one for working for the man either, mind you, but this one man, this one pirate has a price ain't no one can match. He has many names, but I like to call 'im Eduard the Maimer. He's gotta bit of a signature move, don't he, Porter? That scar on yer face you got from 'im, dinja?"
"That is none of your business, pirate," Porter snarled, raising his sword higher. "Come crew, it's one man versus the King's fleet!"
"No sir," the same timid solider who had told him off before stepped forward. "It seems like this fight will be one on one. What this pirate says, speaks true, sir. You're no Captain of ours." The rest of the fleet nodded their agreement.
"So you all feel this way, then? Consider yourselves dishonorably discharged, to be hung when we make port! You are the most disloyal crew I have ever had to deal with. You should be ashamed to be Englishmen!"
"And you sir, you should be ashamed to be a deserter." And with that, the crew made a ring around the two Captains, their swords out, no escape allowed for either of them.
"Really," said Jack, forgotten near the throne, still clutching the Helm. "There's no need to fight over me."
Barbossa rolled his eyes and struck. Soon it became clear that Barbossa was the more skilled fighter, on the offense rather than defense, of which Porter was having some difficulty. He was more injured by the godly throw than he originally let on, and though talented with a blade, he was slow on the uptake. They did not have much room to fight, as the ring of swords was slowly closing in.
"Should we help?" Angelica asked Jack as he stood there, just as he was, watching on.
"This isn't our fight, love."
This Jack Sparrow was a different one, although he was protecting his hide by refusing to fight, he was touched by the God's trust in him. Angelica looked on him, impressed.
Gibb's gasp ruined the moment, however, and Jack focused back on the match to discover Porter, sprawled on the ground, Barbossa's sword inches from his throat.
"Do it," he snarled. "Do it, pirate, the Maimer is going to kill me anyway."
Barbossa smiled his gnarled smile. "Which is why I'm not going to be killin you just yet." He straightened, his blade still poised near the fallen Captain's body. "It seems yer crew isn't loyal to you no more, escort the dear captain back to his ship. You know what ta do."
Two men grasped the Captain by the arms and pulled him up. Snarling and spitting, they escorted him out of the cavern, flanked by two others armed with torches.
"Now, Sparrow, if you'll be followin' me…" Barbossa reached out to Jack, smiling sadistically.
"Wait just a moment, dear Captain, with Porter out of commission the crew refers to me as their Captain, thereby disrupting your apparent claim to the ship. It seems that the next person you'll be needing to fight is me." He held up the Helm. "And I've got this thingy, if that helps."
Barbossa bowed. "Indeed you do… Captain. But I urge you to think of yer options. Hades said you can't give it to no one, that no one can take it from you. So, you are now the undeniable ruler of the seas. Congratulations. Now, Jack, what if you accepted bribery? You could win the war of whoever paid you most. You and I… kings of the sea."
"Why would I be needing you, yer royalness by association?"
Barbossa's smile grew. "Because I've got the connections. I know where the money'd be comin' from."
Jack considered this. "Well, it seems that the English Navy's got a right hard on for it, so they'd give a pretty penny. Maybe I want to go honest."
Barbossa rolled his eyes. "Perhaps you'd be needin' some more, persuasion?" He raised his sword pointedly. As he did, the remaining crew raised theirs a little higher, against him. "Hmm, finally picked yerself up a loyal bunch, eh? Fine."
"I think it's time we went back to them boats, whatdda you think?" The sailors took the hint and overpowered Barbossa, leading him away in a similar manner as Porter. Angelica turned to Jack.
"What are you going to do, Jack?"
"I'm going to try to bring it back to the Big Man. I don't want this no more."
Angelica laughed a little. "But with this, Jack, you could rule the seas."
Jack looked down at her, suddenly feeling more sober than he'd ever been before. "Nah. All I want is me Pearl and… well, I won't say no to immortality neither. And…" he paused, a tad intoxicated by her proximity. "Well. Let's just say I'm no good at leading much of anyone besides meself."
Angelica nodded. "That is true. But I am sure, if you wanted to try to let someone else in, they would let you. Assuming you did not double cross them again." They smiled at each other. Angelica had put the ball in his court, and Jack knew what she wanted. It was up to him, now, if he wanted to try and settle down. For now, he settled with nodding.
"Well," Angelica sighed. "I will meet you by the ships. I will speak with Gibbs and try to find a way out of this hell." She began to walk away, but hesitated. "You are making the right decision, Jack."
With that, she walked away, her Spanish hips swaggering away from him. God, Jack wondered if he would ever tire of that view. Once her torch disappeared, he was alone in the dark cavern.
"Er, your Godliness?" Jack called out to the empty cavern. "Master Hades, sir? Lord of the Underworld?"
"What is it, Sparrow?"
The tired voice of the God of the Underworld appeared behind Jack, and he spun around comically. He stood there, tall form glowing, rubbing his temples.
"I wanted to give you this back." He held out the Helm, which Hades took.
"To be honest, I expected to be getting this back pried from the hands of a dead general at sea. Not willingly given back by the same pirate I gave it to mere moments ago. I was also expecting more numbers added to my kingdom tonight."
"Why did you give it to me?"
Hades shrugged. "Partly because I enjoy testing the brink of humanity. Those who live in my kingdom are so dull sometimes. Partly because I knew the mercenary in you wanted something else, something greater. Partly, because you are the worst pirate I have ever heard of."
"Yes, but you have heard of me." Jack saluted Hades, who gave another tiny smile. He pulled two flasks from his coat, clear liquid shining in them. "What…?"
"Immortality," Hades whispered. "Your greatest wish."
"Yessir, but… the Fountain of Youth was destroyed." Jack felt foolish reminding a God of life on the earth, but this water was of no use to him.
"Everything dead comes here, to the Underworld. I have quite the museum, perhaps when it is your turn you can visit it. Although, if you do decide to use this water on yourself, it could be a long time yet before that happens."
Jack swallowed. "Who else would I use it on?"
"Can you think of no one?" Hades whispered, voice soft but strong.
A face floated before his consciousness, which he quickly suppressed. "But for the Fountain to work, doesn't one take life away?"
Hades gave Jack a flask and opened the other, taking a large swig. He shuddered. "The God of the Dead cannot die."
Jack pocketed the flask of good water in his pants, patting it. Hades turned to disappear, but Jack coughed. "Sir, just a few quick questions before we… depart. Er, how do we depart?"
"Do not worry about that, I have dealt with that for you, because of your unselfish actions today. You are learning, Sparrow. The birds will not attack, and neither will Cerberus."
"Cerberus?"
Hades smiled a real smile now. "Don't you do your research before invading someone's home? Cerberus is my dog. He is trained to attack my enemies, I held him off when you arrived, and I will do the same now that you leave."
"Ah, yes, the three headed beastie." Jack looked down. "And the Pearl?"
Suddenly his pant leg became significantly heavier. He pulled out the ship in the bottle of The Black Pearl. "Thank you! But, eh, how am I supposed to be getting it out?"
"When you pass the twins, toss it into the water and my brother Poseidon, God of Water, will do the rest. It is ancient magic, but magic of the sea nonetheless."
Captain Jack, newly appointed owner of The Black Pearl, scowled. "You mean we still have to go past those harlots?"
"I cannot do everything for you, Sparrow! As for the last thing you desire, she is yours if you are willing to take the next step. But if you are not, be sure to communicate that to her." Hades rolled his eyes. "I cannot believe I am playing the middle man."
"Thank you, your holiness. I will be seeing you again, eventually, eh?"
Hades smirked. "As long as you don't end up in the other place."
"Good Lord, how many afterlifes are there?"
Hades smiled mysteriously and disappeared, leaving a trail of blue and purple fire down the cavern to the ships.
"Jack!" Angelica called as she saw him emerge out of the cave, running to him. "We can not figure out a way out, we have tried…"
She trailed off, because as Jack walked in the cavern, the firelight expanded all over the island and the cave, lighting a way out of the cave. The waterfall in the distance parted, and on the other side the wide berth of The Flying Dutchman was seen in the distance.
"I guess Hector's ship is at the bottom of the waterfall by now, along with his crew," Jack though to himself as he walked over to Angelica and Gibbs. "You'll never guess what happened, the Lord of the Dead and ol' Jack are now the best of friends."
"Who'd a thought, eh, Cap't?" Gibbs smiled proudly, thumping Jack on the back, but quickly stopping at Jack's glare.
Even though Hades said he couldn't do much about the monster twins, the way back through them was infinitely easier, and the heads that would eat the sailors seemed to just be toying with them as they bobbed over the boats, their seaweed hair tickling sailor's necks without really biting. And the other sister's usually massive suck was a halfhearted pull every so often, just to keep them guessing.
The Englishmen would be returning to their country on their boat, an alibi for the disappearance of the skillful pirate rehearsed throughout the sailors. They still had their Captain prisoner in the hold, preparing to hand him over to his employer, and his death, when they reached land. The timid sailor had replaced Porter, shouting commands from the helm like a seasoned Captain.
As for Barbossa, they kept him in the hold of Angelica's ship. This boat had undeniably turned into the pirate boat, for Angelica, Jack, and Gibbs had moved of their own free will over to her vessel. Jack told his two companions of the Pearl and Hades' promise. They agreed that he should resurrect his ship once the English left their company, and that Jack should be the one to keep Barbossa. They informed Will, who had indeed overtaken Barbossa's mutinied crew, who was very happy to see them. He gave his love to Elizabeth through Jack, who promised to relay the message when he had the chance next. Since he had been away from his duties for so long, Will Turner and his undead crew left them soon after their easy encounter with the twins.
Soon, the English had gone their separate ways, Angelica and Jack set up a meeting at a familiar, illusive port, and promised to talk guidelines of their renewed acquaintance. There had been no goodbye kiss, but Jack was okay with that for now. He supposed it was the holy encounter with the God of the Dead, but he also figured he just might be getting too damn old to be running around.
And with that, The Black Pearl sailed again.
Captain Teague no longer wished to live in this world. His beard and hair was falling off his face in clumps, he awoke every morning stiff and hurting, and he had no friends to turn to. He simply wanted the pain to go away.
One day, a few weeks after he saw his son in the bar, he opened his front door to let the cat out, and saw a flask placed neatly on his doormat. Picking it up, the wrapping around the flask had nothing but the imprint of a sparrow on the crinkled parchment.
He heard the clinking of glasses in his apartment behind him, and he reminded himself to once again tell his son to sneak through the front door, not the side window.
But now, without even knowing it, Captain Teague would have many more years to tell his son every little thing he should and should not be doing. Because mysteriously, after sharing the strange liquid in the flask with his son that day, he would wake up and face the day with no pain.
THE END.