Singapore - Nightfall
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Artemis slipped through the dark alleys, a black cloak and hood helping her blend in with the darkness of the night. Like a cat, she hid and made her way towards the bathhouse, avoiding pirates and soldiers of the East Indian Company.
At last, the building came into view and just in time. For under the dim lights of the lanterns and the moon in the sky, she noticed Barbossa and Elizabeth being led inside and she knew that her time had come. She hid from shadow to shadow and made the turn of the building before finding what she was looking for.
A very simple door, barely noticeable with two guards standing right outside. Her hand went to her sword but then a different plan came to mind. A more efficient and smarter one that would make Jack grin with pride. An image of the man flashed into her mind and she took a deep breath to clear her mind and focus, ignoring the aching coming from her chest.
She grabbed a nearby stone and threw it into a nearby alley.
The sound of something, clacking drew their attention and after speaking in their native tongue, one of them went to investigate. Nothing was heard or seen. A few moments later the man came back but seemed to have lost weight.
His fellow guard noticed and was about to draw his sword but a strong hit on the head with a rock knocked him to the floor unconscious. Artemis raised her head and lifted the straw hat she was wearing, having taken the clothes of the guard she knocked out first to camouflage herself.
The robe of the pirate stunk of sweat but she would need it until she was on safe ground. She dragged the unconscious man into the darkness of an alley and tied both of them with a rope she had brought with her.
Then she ripped some of the other's guy robes and stuffed the piece of cloth in their mouths to keep them quiet before walking through the back door.
She passed a few other men but kept her face hidden under the straw hat and with a faint nod she was allowed to pass. Walking a few corridors, she ended up behind a changing screen. The light was not strong enough to make it transparent and allowed her to hide there.
Making a small hole carefully with her dagger, she had a view of the whole room. At her very right, Sao Feng sat all mighty with steam coming from the wooden planks below him. Across from him, different hot baths with his men sitting there.
Tattoos of dragons could be seen on their backs.
Her eyes went to the two figures that were pushed in, Barbossa and Elizabeth. The man was fine, but the woman was stripped of every clothing she had until she was wearing a simple bathrobe.
She stayed quiet and listened to their talk.
"Captain Barbossa. Welcome to Singapore" the Pirate Lord said and then turned to one of his female servants. "More steam" The woman pulled a rope and soon steam once again came from below him. "I understand you have a request to make of me"
"More of a proposal to put to ye. I have a venture underway and happen to find myself in need of a ship and a crew" Barbossa explained, putting on his most charming smile.
"This is an odd coincidence"
"Because you happen to have a ship and crew you don't need?" Elizabeth asked.
"No. Because, earlier this day, not far from here, a thief broke into my most revered uncle's temple and tried to make off with these." he held up some rolled-up papers. "The navigational charts. The route to the farthest gate. Wouldn't it be amazing if this venture of yours took you to the world beyond this one?" Sao Feng explained, and Artemis bit her bottom lip.
Damn it Will, she mentally cursed as she realised that her friend had failed but wondered if he was okay or had been got caught.
"It would strain credulity at that," Barbossa said.
Sao Feng then motioned to his men and they ended up pulling Will up out of a tub of hot water that was right next to the changing screen Artemis was hiding. She bit her bottom lip and her hand instinctively went to her sword but she controlled herself. She could not do any risky movements yet, since the plan could still be executed if Barbossa and Elizabeth played their roles respectively.
The Pirate Lord was about to talk when another man approached her and Artemis recognised him as one of the two guards she had knocked out. Curses left her mouth in whispers as the man spoke to his boss.
"I see. There has been another intruder who knocked out my guards and is at this moment somewhere in this room. You wouldn't know anything about that, would you?"
"Of course not. We came here to negotiate" Barbossa said but Sao Feng didn't believe him.
"Make this spy of yours come forward or you will die at this spot"
With his words, all men drew weapons from the water or their waists and pointed them at the duo. At the same time, Gibbs was very close to giving them the backup they needed.
"There is no need," Artemis said as she took off the robe and exposed her usual outfit. She walked into the light and took off the straw hat as well.
Sao Feng looked at her and recognised her, causing a sadistic smirk to appear on his face. They might have never truly met in person but the woman was not unfamiliar to most men. It was not often someone of her gender left the mark she did and her red hair was the trademark that easily made people recognise her, no matter what.
"Artemis Crow... Jack's Sparrow little bitch" he said and in seconds, the redhead had not only closed the distance between them enough but also drawn her gun and was aiming at Sao Feng's head.
All the swords were quickly directed in her direction. She did not bother and her single eye showed that she was not intimidated by them. "Try it but my bullets are faster than your swords," she said calmly as Barbossa kept glaring at her.
"If I remember correctly, you came here to negotiate. Killing me won't help it" Sao Feng said, unphased by the gun pointed at him.
He kept his smirk, taking a good look at the familiar woman who had been by Jack's side for more than a year. She had the exotic beauty and fierceness rumours said she did. Those who had seen her clearly did no justice to her unique nature or her character. Of course, many just questioned how a loser like Jack managed to get such a catch by his side; a question that Sao Feng would not mind having an answer for, eventually.
"It will. Whether you are alive or dead plays a small role. Simple the latter option won't have us to make deals with a fat coward such as yourself" she explained.
Whatever filter Artemis had was long gone. She started to get tired of waiting, of seeing her friends in danger. Her emotions had been bottled up for months and she was close to unleashing all the fury she had within her.
Barbossa bit his bottom lip and rolled his eyes, now sure that they were done for. To his surprise, Sao Feng started to laugh.
"Such fire. The rumours are not doing you any good nor being in the company of such..." he glanced at Barbossa. "...lower men." He continued and motioned for his men to lower their weapons. Artemis lowered her gun but kept her single eye on him, daring him to try anything. "Very well. Shall we return to our discussion? Where were we? Oh yes, this man... "He pointed at the tied-up Will. "...is the thief. Is his face familiar to you?" All three of them shook their heads in denial but the Pirate Lord was smarter than he looked. "Then I guess he has no further need for it," he said and made a move to kill Will with a knife, but Elizabeth gasped while covering the mouth with her hands. That was all he needed. "So, you come to my city and betray my hospitality"
"Not true. This lady simply cannot stand watching a man being killed" Artemis explained, trying to save it.
"Do you think I am a fool?!" he asked as he turned to her with an angry look.
Barbossa tried to save everyone but mostly his own skin, as was expected of him. "Sao Feng, I assure you, I had no idea..."
"That he would get caught?!" he shouted and interrupted him. "You intend to attempt a voyage to Davy Jones' locker. When I cannot help but wonder, why?"
Barbossa then tossed a piece of eight to Sao Feng who caught it. "The song has been sung. The time is upon us. We must convene the Brethren Court. As one of the nine pirate lords, you must honour the call"
"More steam" was all he said. The woman pulled the lever, but no steam came. "More steam!" She pulled the lever again as our 3 heroes exchanged worried looks. At last, steam came. "There's a price on all our heads, it is true. Since it seems that the only way a pirate can turn a profit anymore is by betraying other pirates..."
Loyalty is dead I see, Artemis thought and rolled her eyes while one hand was holding the pistol and the other was on her sword.
"...the first Brethren Court gave us the rule of the seas. That rule has been challenged by Lord Cutler Beckett"
"Against the East India Trading Company, what value is the Brethren Court? What can any of us do?"
Artemis scoffed. "Unbelievable" she muttered under her breath, but it was heard.
However, the attention was drawn by Elisabeth, who marched forward. "You can fight!" she argued as she took a step forward. One of Sao Feng's men tried to grab her shoulder but she just shook him off, clearly not in the mood to be touched by anyone. "Get off me!" she threatened and then faced to glare at the Pirate Lord in front of her. "You are Sao Feng, the pirate lord of Singapore! ...would you have that era come to an end on your watch? The most notorious pirates from around the world are uniting against our enemy, and yet you sit here, cowering in your bath water!"
Sao Feng seemed to be intrigued all of a sudden, eyeing the woman carefully and that only made Artemis' skin crawl with disgust. "Elizabeth Swann, there's more to you than meets the eye, isn't there? And the eye does not go wanting. But I cannot help but notice. You have failed to answer my question. What is it you seek in Davy Jones' locker?"
"Jack Sparrow," Will said as the girls giggled. "He's one of the pirate lords"
"The only reason I would want Jack Sparrow returned from the land of the dead... is so I can send him back myself!"
"Jack Sparrow holds one of the nine pieces of eight. He failed to pass it along to a successor before he died. So, we must go and get him back" Barbossa explained, trying to earn the Pirate Lord by their side.
Suddenly, Sao Feng noticed the tattoo on one of the men in front of him, which had begun to drip off. "So, you admit, you have deceived me. Weapons!"
All the swords and guns were once again brought forward and aimed at our heroes. Artemis subconsciously had taken out her sword and raised her gun towards Sao Feng.
"Sao Feng I assure you, our intentions are strictly honourable-"Barbossa's words were cut short by four swords popping up through the floorboard. Elizabeth and he caught them and laughed awkwardly at the situation.
"Drop your weapons or I kill the man!" The pirate Lord ordered as he placed his blade on the neck of the same man.
"Kill him, he's not our man," Barbossa said.
Will seemed to be the most troubled and he decided to voice out his thoughts. "If he's not with you, and he's not with us...who's he with?"
Boom!
The main doors of the bathhouse were kicked open as East India Trading Company soldiers busted into the room and a fight quickly started.
Using the commotions as her chance, Artemis moved fast. The pirates that held Will had dropped him to defend their captain and had just left him there, tied and defenceless. She used her sword to free Will from the ropes that held him bound on the wooden beam and he gave her a thankful look as he quickly got up on his feet, ready to help in any way he could.
Grabbing one random sword from a pirate, she passed it to him, knowing too well that they would have to fight to escape. Thankfully for them, Will was a formidable opponent with a sword and the East Indian Trading Company Soldiers lacked true skill but they did make up for it in numbers. Elizabeth was quick to join them and the trio started to work together, fending off soldiers while making their way towards the backdoor.
Suddenly, many soldiers got into firing formation and aimed at all of them. However, before they could pull the trigger or even be given the order, the floor beneath them exploded. Marty with Gibbs and the rest of the crew charged with their weapons.
"Come on!" Artemis ordered as she pulled Elizabeth out of a bullet's way while guiding everyone to the backdoor. She shot a soldier before he could shoot them and sliced another one, while everyone, including Sao Feng, ran for their lives.
Through the steam and the crowd, she spotted a face. A man dressed fully in black shot one of Sao Feng's men and then turned his head. Their eyes met and a shiver went down her spine as she recognised those cold black eyes. The man didn't shoot her but seemed slightly surprised to find her in the chaos.
They stared at one another for a little longer than one would expect. However, it all ended when Barbossa gave Artemis a push and forced her to continue her retreat, not even questioning why she had stopped like a frightened animal that had spotted a predator.
She ran through the back door and along with the others, escaped in the middle of the night.
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Our heroes now away and temporarily safe from the soldiers, met on the docks.
"You got the charts?" Barbossa asked Will.
"And better yet, a ship and a crew" he explained and pointed at the men behind him.
Artemis looked at Will, having the feeling that something odd was happening. The whole secret deal and persuasion seemed... stinky. However, she didn't let her thoughts be heard and instead kept them to herself.
"Where's Sao Feng?" Elizabeth asked.
"He'll cover our escape and meet us at Shipwreck Cove"
"This way, be quick" one of Sao Feng's men, whom Artemis later found out was called Tai Huang, led them to where their latest ship was docked.
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Beckett's Office, Port Royal - The Next Day - Morning
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Beckett was in his office, staring intensely at the coins that he had obtained and had been specifically placed on the map. They were the same coins Artemis had seen and to many, they might look insignificant but he had spent years studying Pirates in order to hunt them down. There were a lot of interesting things, some more important than others; and he was going to use them all to get what he truly wanted in the end.
While he was studying the coins, his loyal right hand named Mercer was standing not that far away from him. While short for a man, he had a rather harsh expression on his face and he was good enough to get information either himself or through others in his 'employment'. It was why Beckett kept him around, despite how odd that might look for a man of his station.
"A piece of eight, nine of them you say?" he asked him, ensuring he had heard right.
"Our new friend in Singapore was very specific, nine pieces of eight" Mercer explained.
"What's the significance of that, I wonder?"
"Does it matter? There's nothing that can hold against the armada, not with the Flying Dutchman at the lead" Mercer pointed out.
Ever since James Norrington had shown up on their doorstep with the heart of Davy Jones in a simple pouch, things had changed. Beckett's power skyrocketed by commanding the cursed captain and his crew to do his bindings, resulting in him breaking a record for all those pirates he imprisoned and of course; hanged. With the Flying Dutchman in their powerful armada, truly no one would be able to stand against them; at least for long.
Beckett, however, did not seem to share the same thoughts as he did."Nothing we know of." he pointed out, proving he was thinking rather differently than him. It was, after all, what had made him rise into such a powerful position in such a short amount of time. "Did your friend happen to mention where the Brethren Court is meeting?"
Mercer shook his head faintly. "He was mam on that, sir"
"Well then, he knows the value of information. Best keep this between us. Don't want anyone running off to Singapore, now do we?"
"There is one more thing sir"
Before Mercer could say anything else, James Norrington entered through the door. He was dressed back into his Admiral Uniform with the familiar white wig on his head. He looked back to his old self as if nothing had changed since the arrival of Jack on Port Royal. However, if one would look in his eyes, one would see that he had changed.
The humiliation he suffered when he was at his lowest and the hardships he endured had aged his gaze, making it look harsher but also wiser. Yet, with his clean-shaved face and his spotless uniform; he did not look a day younger from afar.
"Ahh, Admiral" Beckett greeted him with a small fake smile; not happy that he interrupted Mercer from telling him something else, most likely important to their mission.
"You summoned me, Lord Beckett" James said, hands behind his back as he stood in attention in the middle of the room.
"Yes. Something for you there. Your new station deserves an old friend" Beckett explained and motioned for the black long case placed on his desk.
Norrington walked towards the case on the desk and opened it, only to find his sword which was given to him when he was promoted to commodore. He had left it behind when he lost his title and everything he had once again, courtesy of Jack and his damned crew. Now, however, he had it all back and yet his heart was not fully there since Elizabeth was somewhere away and most likely; in danger.
While he was busy admiring the sword and remembering the past, Beckett had moved to be closer to Mercer since he wanted to hear the last piece of report. "Sir, there was someone else in there... Ms Hazelstone"
James, overhearing the familiar surname stretched his ear to listen better while Beckett grinned wickedly.
The image of the redhead woman flashed into his mind. She had heard of her accomplishments from the moment she left with Turner to save Elizabeth, to escaping with Jack on the day of the hanging.
And of course, the spreading rumours of a redhead woman on top of the Pearl. He knew it was her and just hearing that she was in all of this, amused and pleased him greatly; no one truly knew why, no one but him and her. "Well, well... so our dear Artemis is in the scheme as well...How fascinating"
Mercer had been working for Beckett enough to know both him and Artemis. It was clear that he had recognised him back then and so, he had to ask. "What are your orders, sir?"
Beckett looked at him, thinking about it for a minute. "She will be dealt with when the time is right. For now, we focus on our plan. The Brethren know they face extinction. All that remains is for them to decide where they make their final stand. Once they are all dealt with, she will have nowhere to hide and things shall continue as they had been planned 2 years ago"
EDITED: 06/03/2024