"On your feet," said a stern voice. Jack slowly trailed his eyes up the sword and onto the face of a man who showed clear disgust for him.
Jack held up his hands and stepped backwards.
A man in fine attire, with a large hat and a feather bluer than the foggy sky, came forward. "Elizabeth. Are you all right?"
"Yes, I'm fine," said Elizabeth as a blanket was draped over her slender shoulders.
The man glanced at Ponytail and the corset in his hand. He swiftly dropped it and pointed at Jack.
Without a second though the feathered man said, "shoot him."
"Father!" Said Elizabeth. She looked at the other gentleman who had held his sword to Jack. "Commodore, do you really intend to kill my rescuer?"
The commodore seemed to think it over and retracted his sword.
Jack gave Elizabeth an appreciative look. And looked at the commodore smugly.
"I believe thanks are in order." The commodore held out his hand to a hesitant Jack. When Jack took it, the commodore pulled him in and pulled up his sleeve, revealing the pink "p" burn. "Had a brush wit the East India Trading Company, did we, pirate?"
Jack winced internally.
"Hang him," said Elizabeth's father.
Jack turned to him, an offended look plastered on his face.
"Keep your guns on him," said the commodore. "Gillette, fetch some irons." He pulled up Jacks Sleeve further, revealing a tattoo of a sparrows over water. It was one that symbolized a sailors gratefulness for returning to sea. Jack had gotten it ironically since it was the sea he yearned for when he was on land. "Well, well. Jack Sparrow, isn't it?"
Jack smiled weakly. "Captain Jack Sparrow, if you please, sir."
The commodore looked around mockingly. "I don't see your ship, Captain."
"I'm in the market, as it were." Jack looked at him acutely. Almost challengingly.
"He said he's come to commandeer one," said Ponytail.
"Told you he was telling the truth," said Chubby. Then he showed the commodore Jacks effects. "These are his, sir."
Jack held back from taking his effects from the commodores hands as he inspected them.
The commodore took the gun. "No additional shots not powder." He took Jacks compass. "A compass that doesn't point north." He smiled in a jesters way.
Little did he know the compass' true value, not having noted that it had pointed at Jack.
The commodore continued, unsheathing Jacks sword. "And I half expected it to be made of wood." He shoved it back in. "You are without doubt the worst pirate I have ever heard of."
Jack smiled. "But you have heard of me."
At this, the commodore grabbed him and pulled him towards Gillette. All the while Elizabeth walked after them saying,
"Commodore, I really must protest."
Gillette helped Jack into his irons. "Carefully lieutenant," said the Commodore.
Elizabeth stood in front of Jack and said, "pirate or not, this man saved my life."
"On good deed does not redeem a man of a lifetime of wickedness."
"Though it seems enough to condemn him," Jack said.
"Indeed."
Gillette finished putting Jack in his irons. "Finally." Jack used the linked part to tie the irons around Elizabeth's neck, causing her to gasp.
The officers held up their guns, taking a hesitant step forward.
"No, no! Don't shoot!" Said Elizabeth's father.
"I knew you'd warm up to me," Jack said cynically. Then he looked at the Commodore. "Commodore Norrington, my effects, please. And my hat." They didn't move. "Commodore."
Commodore Norrington begrudgingly took Jacks things.
"Elizabeth," Jack said into her ear. "It is Elizabeth, isn't it?"
"It's Miss Swann," she replied sharply.
"Miss Swann, if you'd be so kind." She looked down at Jacks possessions. "Come, come, dear. We don't have all day." She took them and Jack pointed his gun at her head as he turned her to face him. "Now if you'll be very kind."
Jack smiled down at her as she tied his belt around him. She grabbed his hat and aggressively placed it on his head. She wrapped her arms around him to tie something making it look like they were hugging. Jack relished this and smiled at the commodore, causing him to roll his eyes.
Elizabeth continued to work something about his hips so Jack said, "easy on the goods there, darling."
She finished tying. "You're despicable."
Jack had been told he was much worse. "Sticks and stones, love. I save your life, you save mine. We're square." Jack turned her around, still holding the gun at her and taking steps backwards. "Gentlemen, my lady, you will always remember this as the day that you almost caught Jack Sparrow."
Jack threw Elizabeth at them and pulled himself up a rope. He swung around as the officers shot at him until he was able to climb down. He ran away from the dock, past a bridge. His hands were all over the place as he ran.
Jack hid behind a statue until the officers passed by. When the coast was clear, he opened the door and entered Browns Blacksmiths.
Jack looked around at the place. It was quiet, seemingly empty for all but a donkey. It was what you would expect in a blacksmiths. There was a fire and an array of swords and shaping tools. Tools that could help hi get out of his irons.
Jack walked forwards and placed down his hat on a table when he heard the clattering of a bottle. Then a snore. Jack turned around and saw an old man, drunk off his ass, sleeping in his chair. He tiptoed towards him, tapping the drunk who merely stirred in his sleep. Jack turned, as if walking away, and then turned back to yell. Just in case the drunk was faking it. But he wasn't. The man was knocked out.
Satisfied, Jack went to work. He took a hammer, laid the link of his irons over an anvil, and repeatedly hit the link. it didn't work, frustrating Jack. That was until he saw the contraption that the donkeys was tied to.
Jack heated up an iron pole until it was red with heat. He placed the red part on the Donkeys behind to get him to move. The donkey brayed in protest but started moving. And with it, the other gears. Jack placed the linked part of his irons into a hole in a gear and let it spin until it was met with another. There, it snapped the link in two.
Jack smiled at his freed arms until he heard the door opening. He ducked away as a young man entered the Blacksmiths.
The young man looked around, quickly heading for the donkey to calm them down. He left it and walked away, removing his coat. He, too, looked at the drunk, who hadn't moved.
"Right where I left you," the young man said to himself. He turned around and noticed the hammer Jack had been using. He tilted his head quizzically. "Not where I left you." Then he looked at Jacks hat.
As the young man went to pick it up, Jack tapped it with his sword. This took the young man aback.
"You're the one they're hunting," he said. "The pirate."
Jack ignored this. "You seem somewhat familiar. Have I threatened you before?
"I make a point of avoiding familiarity with pirates."
"Ah. Then it would be a shame to put a black mark on your record." Jack went to take his hat. "So if you'll excuse me." The young man grabbed a sword and pointed it at Jack, but he seemed unfazed. "Do you think this wise, boy? Crossing blades with a pirate?"
The young mans hold on his sword tightened as he said, "You threatened Miss Swann."
Jack teasingly dragged his swords blade across the young mans. "Only a little."
Their swords clashed. Up and down and all around, you could hear the constant clang of the blades. They took turns pressing each other backwards, trying their best to slash at the other.
You know what you're doing, ill give you that," decided Jack during a pause. "Excellent form. But hows your foot work?" He stepped to the right. "If I step here?" Their blades fought once more. "Very good. And now I step again." Jack fought him as he walked in a circle around him. He mockingly stepped forward once but then put away his sword. "Ta." He headed for the door but a sword was thrown, blocking his exit.
The sword swung back and forth, creating an almost swishy sound. It continued until Jack stopped it by grabbing the handle. Using both hands, he tried to pull it out. However, it was deeply imbedded into the wood and wouldn't budge as he jumped in his struggle to get it out.
When he gave up, he turned to the young man, who was wearing a stupidly proud smile. Jack, annoyed, said, "That is a wonderful trick. Except, once again, you are between me and my way out. And now," Jack took out his sword once more, "You have no weapon."
The young man grabbed one that had been heating in the fire. The donkey seemed to wince.
Jack glanced at and tried to walk around him but the young man stopped him. Swords clashed once more, but this time with a little extra. Sparks flew every time blade touched blade. Bits in pieces of burning iron water thrown around.
The donkey began to move again. This drew attention to all the swords that were held under the wheel.
"Who makes all these? Asks Jack.
The young man swung at him. "I do. And I practice with them three hours a day."
"You need to find yourself a girl, mate." Jack began throwing other items and then stopped to hold away the young mans blade. "Or perhaps the reason you practice three hours a day is that you already found one and are otherwise incapable of wooing said strumpet." a horrible thought crossed Jack's mind. "You're not a eunuch, are you?" Jack glanced down.
The young man ignored this and said, "I practice three hours a day as that when I meet a pirate, I can kill it!" He swung his sword, forcing jack back onto a plank of wood that was balanced over a wheel. They fought on top, the plank swaying back and forth like a see saw.
This went on until the young man, who had grabbed another sword, tangled one of Jacks irons with his blade and pinned it to the wood above them. Jack fought him off with one hand and was able to push him off the plank. Once managed, he pulled his legs up to tie them around the log. He tugged at the sword desperately until it let go. He fell back, onto the see saw, and pushed the young man up onto the system of logs above their heads. Jack, dazed, stood on the see saw and looked up at the young man like he had won. That was before Will dropped something heavy opposite to Jack and had him jump upwards as well.
Jack had barely got a hold onto the log and pulled himself up. He blanched himself, one foot in front of the other, to keep from falling down. All the while, he jumped around, fighting the young man, who managed to throw Jacks sword away. Immediately they both jumped down and Jack opened a bag full of a red powder, having it fall all over the young man.
Jack held up his pistol.
"You cheated," said the young man.
"Pirate," said Jack matter-of-factly. There was the sound of men grunting; the officers trying to open the door to the blacksmiths. the young man still stood in front of the other exit. "Move away."
"No."
"Please, move!"
"No! I cannot just step aside and let you escape."
Jack cocked his gun. "This shot is not meant for you."
The young man gave him a puzzled look.
Then there was the sound of glass shattering and Jack fell to the ground. He had been knocked out by the drunk, ho had just woken up, and had hit him with the liquor bottle.
Just then, the officers broke through, pointing their muskets at an unconscious Jack.
"Excellent work Mr. Brown," said Commodore Norrington. "You've assisted in the capture of a dangerous fugitive."
"Just doing my civic duty, sir," said the drunk in a raspy voice.
"Well, I trust that you will always remember this as the day Captain Jack Sparrow almost escaped. Take him away."