MEMENTO MORI ✶ our flag means death

⠀⠀⠀𝒙𝒊𝒊. red ensign

⠀⠀⠀"It's just Blackbeard," Ed corrected him with a frown, shaking his head. He was trying not to be fully consumed by the child he had lost, his daughter, dead. He forced it to the back of his brain, stashed deep where if he didn't think too hard, he could imagine her up on the mast, looking down at them. "Like, just run it together as one word. Blackbeard. Don't have to put a gap in there."

⠀⠀⠀"You face death," the Captain continued, unamused and ignoring him. "For general crimes of piracy against the Crown."

⠀⠀⠀"Yeah," Ed muttered, bowing his head.

⠀⠀⠀"But, a friend of the Crown has prevailed upon me to remand you to his custody. You shall be released to Captain Hands in exchange for his service to the King."

⠀⠀⠀Ed turned to see Izzy sitting on the side of the ship. The man looked hesitant, raising a hand to wave, but both knew how much had changed. Ed knew Izzy had taken Nikita from him, and if he thought Ed would be with him, he had another thing coming.

⠀⠀⠀"How is he still alive, anyway?" Roach asked, staring at the man.

⠀⠀⠀"Traitor!" Swede shouted.

⠀⠀⠀"Order!" the Captain yelled. When they settled, he continued. "Stede Bonnet... for the wanton murder of Nigel Badminton... your sentence is death... by firing squad."

⠀⠀⠀"We'll find a way out of this, okay?" Ed said to Stede frantically. He couldn't lose someone else. Not like this, not right in front of him.

⠀⠀⠀"Ed, no. No, I deserve this," Stede said calmly.

⠀⠀⠀"We'll come up with a plan," Ed begged him.

⠀⠀⠀"At some point in a man's life, he has to face the music," Stede said, eerily calm with the notion that death was his next and final journey. "For the things he's done and the people he's hurt. It's time, Ed. The bill has come due."

⠀⠀⠀Stede had turned to look at him, a thin smile coming to his face as he knew what had to be done. He wanted to protect Ed when that was what he should have done for Stede this entire time.

⠀⠀⠀The two men were pulled apart, and were pushed to the side of the ship while Stede was positioned in front of the firing squad on the other side of them. Ed watched on, mind calculating for a plan.

⠀⠀⠀"Hey, boss," Izzy said quietly, coming up to his side.

⠀⠀⠀Ed ignored him. He could hardly think of what the traitorous excuse for a man had done to him. All he could hear was Stede as he begged for his life.

⠀⠀⠀"Edward, I know you're upset, but it was the only—"

⠀⠀⠀Ed turned, punching Izzy in the face. Izzy fell, flipping over his feet and landing on his head. He groaned lowly to himself before pulling himself to stand. When he was beside Ed again, trying to speak, but Ed went again. Once for Nikita, the second for Stede. He should've killed Izzy in the most torturous way possible, but again, he had no time.

⠀⠀⠀"Okay... that's fair. That's fair," Izzy muttered, standing again with a bloody nose and blossoming black eye. He waited a moment for another punch, then continued when the strike didn't land. "Remember though. You said when you made me first mate, 'Above all else is loyalty to your Captain."

⠀⠀⠀Ed dismissed him, looking at the firing squad readying to fire.

⠀⠀⠀"You're my Captain," Izzy continued. "I understood your care for Nikita, but she was becoming nothing but a problem... and I was never gonna stand by and let you destroy yourself for that... twat."