4.

Several seconds of silence passed with no response from inside the warehouse. Suddenly a pistol shot rang out. In the same instant Jason's arm shot up in front of Uma's face with superhuman speed and the bullet ricocheted off the metal plate in his gauntlet and into the dirt.

"Thank you, Uncle Hephaestus," he said looking at his gauntlet.

"Alright," yelled Uma, "If you bilge rats want to play rough then we'll play rough!"

Uma, Mal, Jace, and the others charged forward before the shooter had time to reload. Jace lowered his shoulder into the doors breaking them open and knocking the down the barricade the renegade pirates had set up to bar the entrance.

They barely got past the barricade before they had to dive for cover from another volley of gunfire. Mal peeked around the crate the was hiding behind.

"Uma," she cried, "It's Spivey, he's up on the catwalk and he's armed to the teeth!"

Spivey was stringy haired pirate who was running around on the catwalk above them with bandolero full of pistols slung over his shoulder.

"We've got to get out of here, before he shoots again," warned Jace, "If he gets above us again, we're sitting ducks!"

"Hey," yelled Spivey to someone further back in the shadows of the darkened warehouse, "I've got them pinned down!"

"Good!" came a voice that Uma recognized, "Hold them there a little longer!"

"That's Tobias!"

"What did he mean by hold them a little longer," asked Evie

"I think I know," said Uma a look of realization flashing across her face, but before she could continue Spivey fired again."

"We've got to do something about him first," said Mal as bullets struck the corner, of the crate, she was hiding behind causing splinters to explode in every direction. Mal suddenly hissed in pain and looked down to find her right hand had several splinters sticking out of it.

"Okay that's it!" said Jace, "Uma can you draw his fire?"

Uma nodded and pulled out her own pistols. She fired one shot that ricocheted off the metal railing of the catwalk throwing a shower of sparks and causing Spivey to duck. he dropped the flintlock pistols he just fired and reached for two more. As he did this Jace sprinted forward and launched himself into the air. He made a superhuman leap twenty feet straight up to the catwalk. In one fluid motion he caught the catwalk railing and swung himself over it to land right in front of a stunned Spivey.

Jace didn't give Spivey a chance to react. He grabbed Spivey and hurled him through the skylight shattering it into a thousand pieces. A split second later, they saw Spivey falling passed a window and into the lagoon outside.

"That ought to cool him off," said Jace jumping down from the catwalk

"What's to keep him from climbing out of the lagoon and coming back in here?" asked Evie as she bandaged Mal's hand.

"Nothing," said Jace, "But if he does, he won't be able to shoot us."

"How do you know?" asked Evie

"Because," said Uma, "The thing about these old pirate pistols is that in order for them to work you have to keep the gunpower dry."
"Right," said Jace, "he landed in the lagoon which means right now his powder is wet."

I get it now, "said Evie nodding

"Come on," said Uma, "We don't have much time."

She led the group back further into the warehouse, she pulled on a lever disguised to look like an old light fixture. A section of the floor slid back revealing a hidden ramp that led down to a hidden door. The door opened and Uma lead them down the ramp into an underground dock. Floating in the middle of the underground pool was a very familiar ship.

"Is that the Nautilus?!" asked Mal

"The Nautilus!?" said Evie, "As in Captain Nemo, 20,000 leagues under the sea Nautilus?"

"The same." Said Uma, "I'll explain later, right now we have to catch Rourke and Tobias before they have a chance to figure out the code that opens the hatch!"

Jason was way ahead of them. He raced around the ship and up the gangplank to the hatch where he grabbed them by the collars and dragged them back down to where Uma was.

"Bring them outside," said Uma

On the way back outside, she explained the presence of the Nautilus.

"I discovered it last year while on a deep-sea dive," she said, "At first, I planned to make it part of my pirate fleet. But as I had it restored and learned more about its technology, I came to the realization that this ship was far more dangerous than anyone realized. Captain Nemo was a hundred years ahead of his time. In time I decided that it just was too dangerous to use. So, I hid it away at the secret dock and swore those who helped me work on it to secrecy.

"Well somehow Rourke and Tobias found out about it." Said Mal

"I know," said Uma, "I realized that when Spivey was told to hold us off a little longer. The Nautilus was the only possible way of escape from that warehouse. I'll deal with whoever blabbed later. Right now, I have something else to take care of.

A few minutes later they were all standing outside. A crowd of pirates and other residents from the Isle had gathered around.

"Alright you two," growled Uma, "Drop your weapons, all of them, and that includes the daggers hidden in your boots."

Uma took off her sword and handed it to Mal along with her pistols and her dagger. Then she removed her coat and hat.

"Now," she said, "It has come to my attention that the two of you as well as others here think that I've gone soft and want to take over the pirate guild, does that about cover it?"

Rourke and Tobias stood hardly daring to blink.

"Well, if that's what you think," continued Uma, "Then I challenge you here and now to prove it. You two will fight me the winner gets the guild."

Rourke and Tobias took one look at each other and charged at Uma. She side-stepped their attack but Rourke whirled around and grabbed her from behind. Tobias then charged into attack but Uma jumped up and kicked him with both feet. Then she reached up and twisted Rourke's thumbs sharply causing him to cry out in pain and release her.

Twisting Rourke's arm behind his back she shoved him into Tobias and they fell to the ground.

"You're going to have to do better than that!" snapped Uma they charged again and Uma went to work in earnest. Every attack they tried met a fist or a foot from Uma.

Finally bruised and bleeding they landed in a heap on the ground.

Uma glared at the crowd.

"Anybody else think I'm too soft lead the guild?!" she yelled angrily

There was dead silence from the crowd.

Now it was Jason's turn he stepped forward and grabbed Rourke and Tobias, one with each hand, and lifted them off the ground holding them in mid-air.

"Listen and Listen good," he growled, "I'm only going to say this once. If either of you ever even so much as look at Dizzy the wrong way again, I'll personally haul both of you out into the lagoon and feet your butts to Uma's pet Sharks!"

"And that goes for the rest of you too!" Said Uma confirming Jace's threat with a warning glare at the other pirates.

The next day, Mal, Evie, Jace Dizzy, Carlos, Jay. Ben and Uma were all sitting under the great Oak having a picnic.

"I don't think you're going to have to worry about Rourke, Tobias, or any of Uma's other Pirates anymore," said Jace, "Uma let them know what would happen if they bother you again."

"Thanks guys," said Dizzy

Mal smiled.

"That's what friends are for."

The end