Unnamed Little Island, Middle of the Caribbean
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After Artemis finished explaining the tragic event that changed her life forever, she took a deep breath to calm down. Bringing back painful memories was never something pleasant, for anyone especially her who tried her best to bury them; and forget them in hopes of keeping her sanity intact and her sleep nightmare-free.
"I was saved by James, fully coincidental and ironic. I was in the sea for around 7 days. Doctors called it a miracle I was alive when I was found... After we returned to Port Royal, the Governor took me in since I had no one else and raised me as his second daughter... not much of an adventurous life but I owed him my life"
"I am sorry to hear that Lassie" were the only words Jack could say.
After such a story, he was for once, out of words.
She offered a small smile, somehow knowing that Jack's words were sincere. She did not need pity and she did not get that from him. On the contrary, she felt as if she was getting...empathy from him. "It's okay. Have it been different, I would have never ended up meeting you or ending up stranded in the middle of the Caribbean"
The duo laughed slightly and as they looked at each other, Artemis gave a smile and looked down at the sand. A hand went under her chin and raised her head until she was looking at the Pirate in front of her.
"And I would have never seen the day where a woman spit on Barbossa's face"
His hand let go of her chin and gently went above the eyepatch. She closed her eyes and brought the face a little forward, giving him the sign that he could remove the eyepatch. Indeed, Jack's hand gently went to the back of her head and loosened the knot.
The white eye patch fell on the sand as he took a good look at her face. A long scar was diagonally marking her face. Starting from the forehead, crossing the eye and stopping a little after her cheekbone. It was a nasty one and he had seen his fair share of them. Taking a deep breath, she opened her eyes, exposing that the wounded eye had lost its colour.
Now fully blind, the deep blue was a very light blue-white.
"You are the very first man to see me like that"
"Like what?"
"Scarred, broken. Most men don't and can't stand a woman with an imperfect face" she explained as she placed the eyepatch back on. "I better go check on Liz," she said, trying to keep a grip on herself and hide that vulnerable side she had just chosen for him to see.
Jack opened his mouth to say something, but he was too late. The vulnerable side of hers was once again concealed and the tough woman had taken its place. He watched her walk away and let out a deep sigh before taking a few big sips of rum.
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It did not take long for Artemis to find Elizabeth, considering just how small the island was. Her adopted sister was leaning against a palm tree, her hands folded in front of her chest and her brown eyes locked on the vast sea.
"Hey"
"Hey," she greeted back. "Finished talking?"
"Yes. Finished being angry?"
"Sort of. We cannot stay here Artemis. We have to do something and go and save Will"
"I know. I know" She placed a hand on the shoulder of the younger woman and gave a sad smile. "We cannot do much though, not now... not in our situation"
To Artemis' surprise, Elizabeth gave her famous cat-like smirk. "Actually... I think we can"
"You have an idea?" She asked with a lifted eyebrow.
"More like a plan. But I will need your help"
"Count me in," Artemis said after a moment of deep thinking. She had to save Will; she couldn't just sit here waiting. No, she sat down doing nothing once; never again.
"Good. Here is the plan"
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Night had fallen and a small fire had been lit on the sand. Jack had taken a few bottles of rum from the hidden stash he had and passed them to the girls.
It didn't take long for the mood to turn festive as the alcohol
Elizabeth, Artemis and Jack were singing and dancing around a fire, the starry sky right above them. They drank rum and showed no care in the world.
"We're devils and black sheep and really bad eggs. Drink up me 'earties yo ho! Yo ho, yo ho a pirate's life for me" the two women sang, a childhood song they had in their head for years now.
None truly remembered how or when they first learnt that song but they liked it and had learnt it to heart, singing it when they were alone and letting their imaginations run the wildest of adventures. Back then, when the world was more innocent and less dark.
"I love this song! Really bad eggs! Ooh," Jack exclaimed as he fell on his butt on the sand. He laughed a little and pulled the hand of Artemis, causing her to fall next to him. "When I get the Pearl back, I'm going to teach it to the whole crew, and we? We will sing it all the time!"
"And you will be positively the most fearsome pirate in the Spanish Main" Elizabeth added as she sat on the opposite side of his.
"Not just the Spanish Main, love. The entire ocean. The entire world. Wherever we want to go, we will go. That's what a ship is, you know. It's not just a keel and a hull and a deck and sails that's what a ship needs but what a ship is? what the Black Pearl is? Is freedom"
Artemis smiled at how Jack explained it, feeling the same way. She let out a sigh and took a sip of rum, her eyes going to the sea in front of them. She was so in her thoughts that she didn't notice his hand around her waist.
"Jack? it must be terrible for you to be trapped on this island" Elizabeth said.
"Oh, yes" he agreed as he put his other arm around Elizabeth's shoulder. But the company is infinitely better than last time, I think. The scenery has improved" he looked at Artemis, who turned once she sensed his gaze and gave a faint smile.
"Mr Sparrow? I'm not entirely sure that I've had enough rum to allow that kind of talk" she said, going with the plan and ignoring the faint guilt existing in her guts.
"I know exactly what you mean, love"
"To freedom" Elizabeth toasted and raised her bottle of rum.
"To the Black Pearl"
"To the Black Pearl," Artemis said and watched as Jack emptied his bottle before falling back into a deep slumber. She let out a sigh and let down her bottle before looking at her adopted sister.
"Come on. We have work to do"
With that, the two women left their bottles and stood up before walking back to the cellar, ready to put their plans in motion with one of them feeling her heart weighing more than last time. She had to stop feeling guilty so often, especially for a certain drunk man.
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The next morning, Jack woke up due to the smell of smoke. Thinking he was dreaming, he opened his brown eyes only to see that there was indeed smoke. Blinking twice, he trailed the smoke to its source which was none other than a giant fire.
A giant fire that was burning his rum barrels, the wooden doors of the cellar, some palm bark and palm leaves. In front of it, stood Elizabeth and not too far away stood Artemis who had her eyes on the vast sea.
"No! Not good! Stop! Not good! What are you doing? You burned all the food, the shade! The rum!" he shouted as he ran to the blond, drawing the attention of the redhead as well.
"Yes, the rum is gone" the said woman pointed out.
"Why is the rum gone?"
"One, because it is a vile drink that turns even the most respectable men into complete scoundrels. Two, that signal is over a thousand feet high. The entire Royal Navy is out looking for us, do you think that there is even the slightest chance that they won't see it?" Elizabeth explained.
"But why is the rum gone"
"Sorry, Jack. But we need to save Will, one way or another" Artemis said as she turned her full body to look at the two.
"Just wait, Captain Sparrow. You give it one hour, maybe two, keep a weather eye out and then you will see white sails on that horizon"
Jack took out his pistol, thought for a while and then put it back before stalking off. "Must have been terrible for you to be trapped here, Jack. Must have been terrible for you. Well, it bloody is now!" he mimicked Elizabeth and then he spotted the Dauntless on the horizon. "There will be no living with her after this"
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On top of the Dauntless
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On top of the Dauntless. Elizabeth and Artemis had been reunited with the Governor and the latter received a short scolding from both him and the Commodore. Once it was over, they decided to sail back to Port Royal, but the girls never planned to agree on that.
"But we have got to save Will," Elizabeth said for the third time.
"No. You two are safe now. We will return to Port Royal immediately, not go gallivanting after pirates!"
"Then we condemn him to death," Artemis said right after.
"The boy's fate is regrettable, but, then, so was his decision to engage in piracy"
"To rescue me. To prevent anything from happening to me"
"And I also did the same. How is my case different than his?" Artemis asked right after her.
"Don't be ridiculous Artemis. You are..." the Governor tried to say but he hesitated.
"I am your what?"
"You are my daughter and you weren't in your right mind. This boy affected you too much"
"No!" Artemis argued, surprising the older man by her tone and the way she stomped her foot on the wooden floor. "I am not your daughter Governor; thus I am no different than Will. It was all my idea. I persuaded Will to go and talk to Sparrow and start this voyage. He should be saved and let me take the punishment for our actions"
"Now you are being utterly ridiculous Artemis" Norrington commented as he decided to join the conversation. "You should be thankful that the Governor has a genuine heart and decided to forgive you. If it was me, I would have made sure to be taught a lesson for engaging with Pirates; yet I am. Therefore, be thankful and accept the situation"
"If I may be so bold as to inject my professional opinion. The Pearl was listing near to scuppers after the battle. It's very unlikely she will be able to make good time. Think about it. The Black Pearl. The last real pirate threat in the Caribbean, mate. How can you pass that up?" Jack popped up and tried to lure the Commodore.
"By remembering that I serve others, Mr Sparrow, not only myself"
"Commodore, I beg you, please do this. For me. As a wedding gift," Elizabeth pleaded as a last attempt, shocking everyone.
"Elizabeth. Are you accepting the Commodore's proposal?" her father asked surprised.
"I am"
Artemis' mouth stayed open, looking with disbelief at her adopted sister. She knew she was desperate to save Will but would have never seen such words coming from her mouth any time soon.
"A wedding! I love weddings. Drinks all around!" Jack commented in his usual, relaxed way while also extending his arms. "I know. Clap him in irons? Right?"
"Mr Sparrow, you will accompany these fine men to the helm and provide us with the bearing to Isla de Muerta. You will then spend the rest of the voyage contemplating all possible meanings of the phrase, silent as the grave? Do I make myself clear?" James ordered.
"Inescapably clear."
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Not long after, a boat had been dismissed carrying soldiers, James and Jack as they were making their way to the cave where Barbossa and his men were.
"I don't care about the situation. Any attempt to storm the caves could turn into an ambush" James said.
"Not if you are the one doing the ambushing. I go in, I convince Barbossa to send his men out with their little boats. You and your mates return to the Dauntless and blast the bejesus at them with your little cannons, eh? *puts an arm on Norrington's shoulder* What do you have to lose?"
"Nothing I'd lament being rid of," he said and peeled Jack's hand away.
"Now, to be quite honest with you, there's still a slight risk for those aboard the Dauntless which includes the future, Mrs Commodore"
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On the Dauntless, Gillette was pulling Elizabeth along with another soldier. Artemis was in a similar situation, being led via force by two other soldiers. She tried to fight back, digging her heels into the wooden floor but her body was tired and the two men were stronger than they looked.
"Sorry, but it's for your safety," Gillette said.
"Coward! The commodore ordered. I have to tell him! The Pirates! They're cursed! They cannot be killed!" Elizabeth shouted.
"Don't worry, miss, he is already informed of that. A little mermaid flopped up on deck and told him the whole story"
With those words, the two women were pushed inside the Captain's cabin and locked in. Artemis looked around her, the gears inside her head already working.
"This is Jack Sparrow's doing!"
"Most likely. He must have a reason and I am afraid that he has a very bad plan" Artemis agreed.
"Don't tell me you defend him?!"
"Of course not. I am stating the obvious. Now, no matter what he had in mind for us, he will have to make a new plan because we will get out of here" Artemis explained and gave the famous smirk she always had when a good idea was in her mind.
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Hidden Cave, Unknown Island - Sometime Later
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Inside the cave, Will was led towards the chest with the Aztec gold, ready to be used to free the Pirates from the curse.
"No reason to fret. It's just a prick of the finger, a few drops of blood" Pintel explained to him.
"No mistakes this time. He's only a half-turner. We spill it all!" Twigg said and the rest of the crew roared in agreement.
"Guess there is a reason to fret"
"Beg your pardon" Jack's voice was heard as he pushed people away and tried to make his way towards Will.
"Begun by blood?" Barbossa started as he was about to cut Will's throat but came to a halt when he noticed the other Pirate.
"Excuse me"
"Jack!" Will exclaimed, never be happier to see him.
"It's not possible," Barbossa said.
"Not probable"
"Where's Elizabeth and Artemis?" Will asked.
"They are safe, just like I promised. Your bonnie lass is all set to marry Norrington, just like she promised. And you get to die for her, just like you promised. So we're all men of our word really except for Elizabeth who is, in fact, a woman"
"Shut up! You're next" The captain of the Pearl said and was about to slit Will's throat, once again.
"You don't want to be doing that, mate"
"No, I think I do"
"Your funeral"
Barbossa posed for a moment, Jack getting under his skin once again. "Why don't I want to be doing it?"
"Well, because the Dauntless, pride of the Royal Navy, is floating just offshore. Waiting for you. Just hear me out, mate. You order your men to row out to the Dauntless. They do what they do best... where you end up with two ships. The makings of your very own fleet. Course you will take the grandest as your flagship, and who's to argue? But what of the Pearl? Name me Captain, I'll sail under your colours, I'll give you ten per cent of my plunder and you get to introduce yourself as Commodore Barbossa. Savvy?"
"I suppose in exchange; you want me not to kill the whelp"
"No, no, not at all, by all means, kill the whelp. Just not yet. Wait to lift the curse until the opportune moment. For instance?" he stopped for a second a she picked up a few coins from the chest. "After you've killed Norrington's men...every... last... one" As Jack spoke, he was slowly tossing the coins in his hand back to the chest, one by one.
"You have been planning this from the beginning. Ever since you learned my name" Will pointed out, not failing to see that Jack had pickpocketed one coin.
"Yeah"
"I want fifty per cent of your plunder" Barbossa interrupted.
"Fifteen"
"Forty"
"Twenty-five. And I'll buy you a hat. A really big one. Commodore"
"We have an accord," Barbossa said after a moment of deep thinking.
With those words, the two Pirates shook hands; sealing the deal.
Jack grinned and turned to the undead crew. "All hands to the boats!" he ordered but then saw how both the crew and Barbossa were looking at him. "Apologies. You give the orders" he took a step back, selling fully his character.
"Gents? Take a walk"
The Pirates start to walk towards the water, shocking Jack for a few seconds, whose plans had been changed "Not to the boats?"
EDITED: 05/03/2024