Passing Ships | Our flag means death

Always an escape

That day on the beach, everything moved so slow for Blackbeard. He saw Hornigold shift to twist his arm but as he pulled away it was already too late and he had been caught, along with Stede who was now getting dragged further from his reach by Fang. He relentlessly tugged at his captors, a dislocated shoulder a mere afterthought as his only focus was protecting what he held dearest to his heart. However, the biting sensation of cold iron pressed to his temple had him ceasing his struggles as the situation abruptly became a lot more lethal. Yet despite it all, he never broke the stare he held with Stede, trying to reassure him it'll be okay with his eyes alone. A hand covered his eyes and tethered their connection as he watched Izzy swing the arm that held the gun from Ed to where Stede stood.

"No, Izzy, don't fucking do this, don't you dare fucking do this!" He roared, lurching forward so strongly that his arm left its socket but pain was a temporary sacrifice to save Stede. Then that sickening rumble of gunfire reverberated through his very bones. But... Stede remained standing, the ball of lead having missed him. He watched hopelessly as his lover panicked, desperately trying to see who had been shot and his heart broke for all the fear he must be feeling at the moment. Ed opened his mouth to shout that he was alright so he didn't have to see Stede fall apart under the assumption he was dead but a powerful jab to his jaw had everything going dark.

---

When he came to, he noticed he familiar creaking wood and rock of a ship before he even saw the azure water surrounding him. His arm and jaw had been set back in place but that didn't stop them from aching any less, along with the pain from the rope rubbing against his wrists that were bound to the mast at his back . Hornigold, followed by Izzy, came into view and his features clouded over with murderous wrath as the memories came flooding back. Stede was all alone probably mourning him and he was overcome with helplessness at the thought of the anguish his love was enduring.
"Morning, Blackbeard," Hornigold greeted, his smug face just as detestable as it has always been.
"It's Ed," he spat back but he was merely ignored as the pirate continued to speak.
"I know you're already thinking of a million ways to escape. But I'll tell you now, there's no leaving here. Because if you do, then we will kill your plaything Stede Bonnet. We know where he is and we can have him snuffed out before you even reach him. And we've made sure he won't seek you out since he believes you to be dead. It's quite perfect actually, you've out done yourself Izzy," Hornigold cast an impressed nod towards his new right hand, who modestly shrugged off the compliment, "now I understand you've softened over time which we are going to fix. You were a prodigy I broke down and built up and it has saddened me deeply to see you cast it all away. You have real grit and genius, you are feared. But you've lost your way, so you will be working under me just like old times and Blackbeard will be a man to quiver before once again. I'll make sure of it."
Ed was dead pan as he listened to the nonsense they spewed; a quiet, deadly, sort of anger dawning on him.
"I will never work for you. I will never do anything you say," he hissed, causing the Captain to grab him by the top of his hair and smack his head against the mast he was tied to.
Above the ringing in his ears he could just about head Hornigold say, "you'll be changing your mind soon enough."

The captain had Blackbeard on his knees, tied down to the floor, and stood above him as he removed his jacket and he rolled his shoulder. "Say you're Blackbeard," he demanded.
"Never," Ed contended, only earning himself a kick from steel toed boot, blood trickling from his cheekbone in its wake.
Hornigold repeated his commands and was met with the same answer. Ed's nose made a hideous crack under his boot that time.
Again they shared the same exchange. And again. And again.
But Ed never relented, despite the blood that poured from a broken nose or the black eye he could barely open. He just stared down at the crumpled flowers that fell from his hair and thought of Stede; it was his own little escape, he could suffer anything for him.
Hornigold took a handful of his tresses and yanked his head up to face him, "say you're fucking Blackbeard," he seethed through lips that quivered with contempt.
He gradually dragged his indifferent gaze up to him and gave him his answer by spitting blood in his face.
The man jolted away from him and wiped it off with his sleeve, "Fine, Fine. We'll try again tomorrow. Izzy, pour salt water in the wounds," he sneered before walking away.
Izzy followed his orders and pressed a rag soaked in sea water onto every open wound as Ed hissed through clenched teeth. "I'm sorry, Blackbeard, but you brought this upon yourself. But it's for the best, you'll be thanking us soon enough. You will always be a pirate," Izzy soothed before jumping back as Ed jerked to headbutt him.
"I'm going to rip your head off and shove it so far up your arse it comes out your neck again," Ed growled.
His old right hand sighed and threw the rag down, leaving the wounded man to sit in silence. It was just the sort of peacefulness he needed to collect his thoughts, to plan his way out from this god forsaken vessel; Hornigold might've said there was no escape, but there always was an escape. He observed his surroundings, at where the sun set and the direction they were heading in and noticed they were potentially heading towards the republic of pirates. An idea was beginning to piece itself together in his mind.

--

The next day followed a similar routine as Hornigold attempted to break him in and he stomached the beatings for a time before he slumped forward and gasped, "I'm Blackbeard, I'm fucking Blackbeard."

Hornigold cut through his bindings and released him with a triumphant expression, "ah finally, you're seeing sense again. It's good to have you back. You will have to have someone keeping an eye on you until we can trust you though, " he grabbed his hand and helped him on his feet. Ed nodded to the pirate that had been assigned to watch him and shadowed him as he helped with his chores.
A day later they had indeed docked at the Republic of Pirates and he nudged the cartographer that stood on the deck he was in the middle of mopping, "hey, you wouldn't have some paper I could borrow? There's a friend here I wanna write a note to," when the cartographer gave him a skeptical look he added, "you can read it to make sure I haven't written anything suspicious"
The man gave in and lead him to the captain's office, allowing him to sit at his desk to write the note. As he flicked through the papers to find a blank one, his eyes skimmed the maps and sailing routes that were stacked there, memorising them. With a flourish he produced a blank paper and sat down to write, however, he paused to begin peeling the orange he snagged off the cook when he claimed to have scurvy. The cartographer raised an exasperated brow.
"What? I've been working hard and I'm hungry," Ed shrugged nonchalantly.
"Just hurry it up, okay," the man impatiently sighed, leaving the room to seek out whoever was calling after him.
Once he was alone, he squeezed the orange juice into a small ink jar and began writing his note in ink before switching to the juice to write the locations. Citrus juice was perfect invisible ink to relay secret messages since it only appeared when the reader held the letter over a candle. Right on cue the cartographer returned and hurried him out the room, reading his note as he did so.
"Would you mind giving that to Spanish Jackie? Along with a bottle of orange liqueur? Today's her birthday and I always give her a bottle. She might think something is wrong if I don't," Ed pleaded with an innocent smile. The reedy man pushed his spectacles up his nose and reluctantly took the paper before he left the ship, just in time for Ed's watcher to catch up with him and get him back to work.

--
The days ticked by and there was no word or indication that his note had reached Jackie or if she even understood what he was trying to say. All he could do was endure the gruelling work, the burning sun and the punishments from Hornigold. 'It was like forging a strong blade' he'd claim, ruling with an iron fist like he did back in the day. Nothing had changed about him but Ed had changed and his old tricks did not fracture his spirit in the slightest. All he could think about was Stede, about seeing him again, holding him close and telling him it was all okay. Little did he know, he would be able to do that much sooner than he thought. That hint of lavender he smelt before he retreated to the sleeping quarters that night was not his imagination.