[A/N] - 5 new chapters, all for you my lovely readers!
All 5 are dedicated to @Aya0_k, who left me such amazing reviews that motivated me to put all my ADHD hyperfocus and update. Took me 6 hours but here you are :D. Hope you all enjoy it and let me know in the comments what you guys think and what you expect or suspect will happen.
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Queen Ann's Revenge, Unknown Coordinates - Day
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The following day, Jack had been awoken roughly by someone shouting, for a moment reminding him of when he was a young sailor on board his very first ship. However, that small moment of confusion was not for long, for he was quickly pushed to clean a ship he was unfamiliar with.
The last thing he could remember was finding the imposter who was none other than one of his exes, being chased by soldiers, and also ending up drugged by a zombie.
Now he was on top of the desk, along with dozens of sailors and was ordered to scrub the wooden floors. By his side, a young sailor, named Scrum was quick to fill him some details about his whereabouts.
However, their little talk did not go unnoticed and soon the sound of a whip was heard. Scrum cried out right after the hit and he fell to his knees next to Jack, scrubbing furiously. Close to them passed the man holding the whip, one of the officers of Blackbeard with his mouth and one eye sewn shut.
"That fellow seems odd. French is my guess" Jack commented, keeping his head low as he continued scrubbing the floors.
"He's been Zombified. Blackbeard's doing. All of the officers' are that way, makes 'em compliant" Scrum informed, ignoring the stinging sensation coming from his back, now used to it after having ended up at the other end of that whip far too many times.
"And perpetually ill-tempered." The famous pirate smiled at the Officer but only got a sneer in return.
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The work continued, doing the basic and of course, the most tiring jobs on the ship. Sailing a ship required lots of repairs, constant cleaning and taking care of the vessel that prevented you from drowning.
One of the jobs was for the men to let down a sail cover. As they were finishing, Jack wiped the sweat from his forehead and sniffed the air.
"Five days underway, at least ..." he commented, impressing the young sailor by his side.
"Aye. You can tell by the smell of the sea?" Scrum asked, making Jack smirk faintly.
It made him think of a certain redhead, whose nose was as sharp as ever, The Sea talked to her and she could tell precisely the waters they were in and even the time on the ship. He was always mesmerized to watch her just stare into the sea as if having this mental connection and discussion with it. The smile on her face each time they went to new places or had the feeling of a new adventure coming up.
His smirk disappeared once he reminded himself of the bitter truth and he found himself stopping before his mind got carried away.
20 years he had to hear from Artemis, 20 years of mere rumours.
Sailing along with Barbossa, she made a name of her own and proved that she was born to be on the sea; sailing with endless freedom. A part of him wished that it was with him but she had made her choice, although leaving behind confusing trails.
He then remembered the discussion he had with Barbossa. Meeting after all those years and finding out what fate awaited him.
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"I lost the Pearl like I lost my leg," the former pirate said as he lifted his wooden leg on the fancy table of the British King, earning a reaction from the spoilt rich monarch.
"You lost the pearl?" Jack asked, his fury only growing. He fought too hard to bring that damn ship back and not only did Barbossa steal it from him, but now ended up losing it. However, one thing remained unanswered as his temper got the best of him. "What about Artemis? Did you lose her too?" he almost spat, ready to jump over the clothed and fancy table; just to get his hands around Barbossa's neck and just send him back where he came from.
"The lass stayed on the ship, her loyalty forever attached to it. For all I know, Blackbeard could have killed her along with the rest of the crew"
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He was so angry and destroyed at that moment, even though he never showed it. Both the Pearl and Artemis meant a lot to him. The ignorance Barbossa showed, mocking the loyalty that only Artemis and Jack had for the Pearl, was imprinted on his mind.
Realizing that Scrub was waiting for an answer, he focused back on the present day and the task at hand. "The smell of the crew," He said and tried to distract himself from his thoughts, by looking around. Glancing up, he saw something and had to squint his eyes to be able to see properly. "What did that fellow do, and how can I make sure to not?"
Scrum followed his look, as beneath the crow's nest, laid a prisoner. He was lashed to the mast, hands tied behind his back, being a young man and dressed in a frayed cape.
"Him? Churchly fellow. Always going on about the Lord Almighty."
"A man of the cloth -- on this ship?" Jack looked curiously at Scrum.
It was rare, almost none possible for any Pirate to have a priest on board., the lives of those two societies were very opposites, with many actions that the Pirates took seen not only as a sin and a promise to hell but also barbaric and so many other words.
Pirates for fun would scare priests, who held on their books and prayed for God to help and save them, or shout threats at them that they would be smite down by God for their sins and actions.
"A missionary is the story. What I heard, he got captured in a raid, and everyone else on the ship was killed, but not him. First Mate and the Navigator wouldn't let it happen, on account of his premier standing with the Lord. Odd, if you ask me."
"No, odd is standing mid-ships back there with a whip."
Scrum shrugged. "I accept the Navigator but the First Mate sticking her neck out for some prisoner? That you don't see."
This made Jack look at Scrum once again, the young man proven to constantly say words and sentences that felt alien to Jack. They would leave him also shocked and wanting more details that for some reason; Scrum was not offering on his own.
"Her. Our First Mate is a woman?" he asked, trying to ensure he had heard well.
It was not that uncommon for the First Mate to be a woman, although rare. However, he did not expect the so-called Queen Anne's Revenge to find a woman as a first mate.
On cue, Angelica stepped up to the ship's wheel, piloted by the officer from before, named Gunner. She was still dressed in pirate garb but now she looked more like the exotic and dangerous female that she was.
She kept her eyes focused ahead at the horizon, barely acknowledging anyone at that moment.
"Steady as she goes." She ordered the pirate behind the wheel, her hair moving faintly with the gentle wind.
Jack watched rather intensely, for now, he started to understand. What he saw yesterday, was not some sort of bad twisted dream but very much the truth. Angelica, his former lover, was back and kidnapped him.
With that, he could live but it was the fact that she was the First Mate on top of Queen Anne's Revenge that worried him. There was no way this was the famous ship and her working for none other than Blackbeard himself.
As if life was not done with throwing surprises at him yet, his attention was caught by a second ghost of his past; this one causing more heartache than the previous one.
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Artemis had been by the crow's nest all that time, keeping track of the tides and their destination while a chart was laid on her lap. She wished to stay up there for the rest of the trip, not wishing to see Jack or let him see her.
A part of her truly wanted to just go hug and kiss him but she knew she could not do that. What the two of them had, while might still be alive, could not be exposed in front of Angelica and Blackbeard.
In addition, she doubted that Jack, of all people, would still have feelings for her. It had been almost 20 years and she had dumped him the very next day; a decision that she always regretted but she knew, she could not avoid.
She suddenly noticed something on the charts and through her spyglass, she let out a sigh once she realized that she had to come down. Liking it or not, she was still the Navigator of Queen Anne's Revenge and she had a job to do.
She stood up and grabbed a small rope, passing it above one of the bigger and main ropes supporting the mast and the central sail. With the chart rolled and placed beneath her other arm, she started to slide down the rope. She felt a pair of eyes on her, strongly staring and she didn't have to turn to know to whom they belonged. She kept her attention forward and let the gravity lead her down and towards the upper deck where Angelica was.
The redhead landed on top of the railing with the balance of a cat and placed the small rope back in her pocket. Her outfit had long been changed across the years to better suit her needs; not to mention that her old ones had a few unfortunate encounters and needed to be replaced.
Currently, she had chosen simple pants; similar to what she always favoured and a maroon thin shirt. On top, she had a sleeveless brown vest with brass buttons and a yellow undercoat, visible by her open collar. The vest had two major pockets by each side, useful to hold small or essential items while a leather black belt held her gun holster and her sword sheath at each side of her waist.
A pair of knee-length brown boots was the last thing she had chosen to change and the red ring that Jack had bought for her, was always on her finger; never being taken off. Tia Dalma's shell necklace also remained around her neck, being removed only when she was with Blackbeard; not wishing to expose such sentimental object to him.
"State the course," Angelica said, not surprised seeing her doing her usual stunts.
Artemis sat with her back facing the crew and spread the chart on her lap, balancing perfectly on the thick wooden railing. "The waters are changing here," she said and pointed to an approaching spot on the map. "We should change our course faintly and let the current take us. It should save us time during the night and we will be at our destination a day earlier if the wind favours us"
Angelica had moved to observe the chart, having learnt how good Artemis was with navigation. She knew the sea as if she was made of it and she did not question it, because her father and the ship were always winning whenever they trusted her skills.
"I see. Father will be pleased, now that we have all the vital parts for this mission" she said, glancing once at Jack, who had been staring intensely with his mouth open.
Of all the people Jack had thought he would see on top of the ship, a part of him never truly believed that she would also be one of them. Perhaps he should, because now he was finally aware of her whereabouts and her health.
She was not dead as he had been led to believe and apparently, she had obtained quite the nice spot on top of the ship; Navigator. It was clear that she would be chosen for that place, not only given away by the chart under her arm but also because of her revolutionary and supernatural skills.
Across the years he had heard how her fame grew, how much more capable and fearsome she was becoming. Whenever a rumour such as that reached his ears, he could not help but smile in pride.
That was Artemis...his Artemis
Seeing her alive and up to her old stunts above the ship brought some relief in his heart, for he knew now that she was alive and well...as much as one could be when sailing under the flag of Blackbeard.
Of course, she and Angelica on the same ship felt like a nasty combination for Jack. He could only imagine what those two talked about him, although in his defence, he never dumped Artemis. She was the one to dump him first, to be more precise.
He watched, stared at her turned back as she talked with Angelica; possibly for their course. He hadn't managed to see her face but she seemed well and strong, which was good enough for him.
Although, a part of him wondered how she ended up working for Blackbeard. He knew Artemis was never truly one to chase riches and fancy titles or power. She only wished to sail free with an endless horizon ahead of her, waiting to be explored.
So, now, he was curious as to what occurred for her to end up there. He was determined to find out but one thing was certain, whatever bargain or agreement she had struck with Blackbeard; it was not upon mutual agreement.
EDITED: 13/3/2024