𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐋𝐀𝐂𝐊 𝐏𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐋 floated strongly. behind it were the collected pirate ships, all ready for battle.
on a rope, marty peered ahead into the fog-shrouded waters. out of the tragic clouds, a single ship appeared — the endeavour.
"the enemy is here! let's take 'em!" he shouted.
the pirates screamed and yelled their approval, a loud, confident battle cry ringing out across the ships.
but in the distance, more ships appeared . . . then more . . . and even more. with each visible ship, the yells of the pirates grew less strong.
the fog cleared, revealing the huge armada of the east india trading company. hundreds of polished ships, poised and ready for battle, faced them.
the silence on the black pearl soon became deafening.
cotton's parrot flapped its wings and took flight. "awk! abandon ship! abandon ship!" it squawked, making its escape.
all eyes on the pearl turned to jack and bella in anger.
jack smiled nervously. "parlay?"
* * *
jack, bella, elizabeth, and barbossa walked down a narrow strip of white sand, coming to a stop near the end. waiting for them were will, beckett, and davy jones.
the two groups regarded each other in silence for a moment before barbossa spoke.
"you be the cur that led these wolves to our door," he snarled towards will.
"don't blame turner. he was merely the tool of your betrayal. if you wish to see its grand architect, look to your left," beckett replied smirkingly, with a glance towards jack and bella.
barbossa, elizabeth, and bella looked to their lefts, then jack looked to his left too.
"my hands are clean in this," he denied. ". . . figuratively."
"my actions were my own and to my own purpose. jack had nothing to do with it," will spoke.
"well spoke! listen to the tool," jack smiled.
"will, i've been aboard the dutchman... i understand the burden you bear, but i fear that cause is lost," elizabeth said to will.
"no cause is lost if there is but one fool left to fight for it," he answered with a glance to jack.
"if turner was not acting on your behalf, then how did he come to give me this?" beckett held up jack's compass.
the slight grins on bella and jack's faces immediately dimmed.
"you made a deal with me, jack, to deliver the pirates — and here they are. don't be bashful; step up and claim your reward," beckett announced, tossing the compass to jack, who was visibly regretful.
barbossa looked somewhat enraged. "and what reward does such chicanery fetch these days?" he turned and stepped towards jack.
there was silence for a moment.
"her."
bella whipped her head in beckett's direction. he eyed her confidently.
"when the cannon smoke clears and the brethren is slaughtered, off he sails on the pearl, mirabella in his arms, and the blame dead square upon his rival."
bella immediately caught on, as did barbossa, will, and elizabeth.
jack looked at bella. there was a sliver of guilt behind his otherwise defiant eyes. "even if that was my plan —and i'm not admitting to anything— there's not a tinker's chance of it coming off anymore. we're too deep into this ordeal now, and my priorities have shifted greatly."
"ah, your logic is flawed, jack," said beckett. "there never was a chance at all."
but bella looked back at jack understandingly. even though he had first attempted to save his own skin by negotiating with beckett, his plan had indeed shifted since then.
"your debt to me is still to be satisfied. one hundred years in servitude aboard the dutchman, as a start," interrupted davy jones.
from the corner of her eye, bella saw elizabeth glance at will and receive an indication of something.
"that debt was paid, mate," jack said, then looking to bella. "with some... help."
"i propose an exchange," elizabeth declared. "will leaves with us... and you can have jack."
"done," will responded.
bella immediately saw the plan in elizabeth's eyes.
jack still wanted to find the chest. even though bella didn't know if he wanted to stab the heart or not, it was their best chance.
"undone!" jack looked frightened, but bella turned to him. surveying her expression, he immediately understood as well.
"done," she finished.
"bella, love, you seem to be sentencing me. again." jack said somewhat sarcastically. thankfully, nobody picked up on it.
"jack is one of the nine pirate lords. you have no right!" exclaimed barbossa.
"king," elizabeth retorted, gesturing to bella.
jack smirked. "as you command, your nibs," he bowed towards bella and started to walk over to will.
however, barbossa drew his sword and quickly sliced through the air. jack's piece of eight dropped to the sand, and jack the monkey scurried over to pick up the coin.
"if you have something to say, i might be saying something as well," barbossa said to him menacingly.
jack raised his eyebrows challengingly. "first to the finish, then?"
he and will switched places, and davy jones smiled.
"do you fear death?" jones asked in a smug and merry voice.
"you have no idea," came jack's disgruntled response.
"advise your brethren, you can fight and all of you will die, or you can not fight, in which case only most of you will die," beckett said, slippery as ever. "but... i can still offer you an escape, mirabella."
bella narrowed her eyes. "you mean, by marrying you?" she controlled herself from punching him in the face. "i'm afraid my answer remains the same." she laced her voice with innocence. "you're a murderer."
beckett grimaced, not understanding her tone, but he quickly covered it up. "your mother chose her own fate, miss stevens, as did governor swann. what do you choose?" he retorted, transitioning to a smirk.
a faint smile appeared on her lips as she prepared to give him the news.
"apparently nobody ever told you that i'm not the perfect port royal princess," she spoke, stepping closer to him. "my mother was actually just rich and my father was in fact, a pirate. captain michael stevens, lord of the mediterranean. he sailed the wicked wench . . . before it became your slave ship."
a look of realization dawned beckett's face.
"see? it would have never worked out between us." bella stood tall. "besides, you have chosen your fate, cutler," she said, using his first name as he had used hers. "we will fight, and you will die."
she spun around and left the group, elizabeth and will on either side of her.
"king?" will asked.
"of the brethren court," she clarified. "courtesy of jack."
"maybe he really does know what he's doing," will said, impressed.
"caught on, have you?" replied bella with a tight smile as they made their way back to the pearl.
a/n
good morning, hope you enjoyed this chapter!
i hate e-learning and i hate school, that's about all i have to say :)
thank you so much for 26K views, i love you!
sarah