The Redhead of the Sea (Jack Sparrow x OC)

Chapter 35: The Casualties of War

"Do you?" Jack asked, holding the beating heart of the cursed captain in his heart, blood falling between his fingers and landing on the floor below. He had managed to find the chest and the key, getting the heart out in time, from the looks of it. Artemis smirked, holding her aching stomach with one knee bent. Her sword was somewhere lost but her attention was on Jack and Jones. "Heady tonic, holding life and death in the palm of one's hand"

"You're a cruel man, Jack Sparrow," Davy Jones told him, not surprised that he would grab the chance now to stab the heart, and not give it to Will in order to free his father.

Jack simply and quickly glanced at Artemis for a moment, feeling more certain than ever. Then, he smiled and focused back on his arch-nemesis. "Cruel is a matter of perspective"

"Is it, now?" Jones asked and to prove his point, he was quick to spin and stab Will in the chest with his sword.

Elizabeth shouted his name, seeing him lying there with the sword stabbed right through his heart. Wasting no time, she rushed to her loved one, while Jack and Artemis could only watch with wide eyes.

Davy Jones pulled a move none expected and suddenly, it changed everything. The Cursed Captain simply laughed, feeling victorious. He knew Jack would never be that selfish, after all, the Black Pearl was proof of it. Plus, seeing Elizabeth and Will in love sickened him; so he had to make sure and end it, like how he had ended his long time ago.

"Will! Will! Look at me! Stay with me! You're all right!" Elizabeth begged, holding Will's head in her arms and whispering words to him, tears running down her eyes and mixing with the rain. She had just lost her father not so long ago, she could not lose him now...not after Barbossa married them mid-battle on top of the Pearl.

Jack suddenly hesitated to stab the heart, seeing the slowly dying Will on the floor and hearing the cries of Elizabeth. He could stab the heart right here and there but he would let Will die...surprising and ironic as it may sound, Jack could not find the heart to do it.

Suddenly, Bootstrap charged at Davy Jones. "William! My son!" he shouted as he tried to fight him, his memories back and so was his love for his son.

He had seen everything and he refused to let the murderer of his son be left standing. With only a small dagger, however, he was no match for the cursed Captain. The battle ended too quickly with Bootstrap tossed to the side like a ragged doll.

Now free of annoying pests, the cursed captain decided to do a favour to the love-sick couple and simply allow Elizabeth to join Will. Halfway there, he was tackled by someone. He turned fast to stab the intruder, surprised to see Artemis in the middle.

His sword cut right through her upper torso and stomach, the tip of it coming off the other side with red blood dripping. The shock of being stabbed was visible on her face, the sharp pain of the injury surpassing even the one she felt when she almost lost her eye.

Davy Jones could not help but laugh some more, seeing the pained expression on her face. He chose to pull his blade back and end her, only to realise that he could not do it. Artemis' hands wrapped around his blade, holding it tightly and preventing him from pulling his sword back. Her knees shook but she planted her legs as firmly as she could against the wet wooden floors.

Her eyepatch was gone, white and blue eyes stared into the soul of the Cursed Captain as she refused to let him go. She was earning time, for Jack or someone to finish the job. With each pull, her hold weakened, her hands shook and bled from holding the sharp edges of the sword, but she stayed put; too stubborn to let go.

One strong pull and one knee was forced to bend but she kept standing with the other leg, refusing to go down just yet. Adrenaline cursed through her veins, numbing the pain and she gave it all to continue holding the grip; trying to keep the blade from escaping her bloody hands.