A job.

[bringmethatnpc]

On the banks of the Singapore River, a small bamboo-and-stone structure stands out as being one of the newest, and best cared for buildings in the area; a temple for a religion the Western world only hears of in stories from disreputable sailors. Inside, the acolytes sleep soundly on minimalist pallets, biding the time before midnight rituals.

The stillness within is a strange departure from the all-night activity in the town without, and stands apart as a silent haven. The silence is broken only by the movement of unwelcome boots sneaking across bamboo floors designed for bare feet only.

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[badinlatin]

Mal straightens, catching the roll in his left hand and unholstering his pistol in his right.

"Figured as much. Was getting bored with all the sneaking. After you?" Mal opens the door for Will to walk out first.

[turned_captain]

Leaving the unconscious man... well, unconscious, Will pulls his pistol out and checks its readiness before stepping to the edge of the room and looking around and heading out into the hallway.

The first men to heed their boss's cry are apparently unarmed acolytes, and Will shoulders his way past them, knocking them in the head and neck where possible to knock them out completely.

[badinlatin]

Mal happy enough not to have to shoot unarmed men and they're running fast enough through the hallways of the temple that it's harder than usual for Mal to keep track of whether or not they are retracing their steps.

The pair stops, though when two novices are a little more than unarmed. 'Little more', here, meaning showing off an intricate series of martial arts moves the likes of which Mal has never seen.

He shoots the first one in the kneecap and he goes down with a curse and a scream. Mal adjusts his sights on the second.

"We done?" Mal asks in English.

There's a firm nodding from the second novice as he lets Mal and Will pass him by while attending to his friend.

[turned_captain]

Will meanwhile has his sword out in the other hand. His pistol only has one shot, and he's not going to waste it while Mal has that strange multi-shooter from the far future.

He rounds a corner and runs into a much larger group of men, this time clearly not monks at all, but recognisable pirates, with swords drawn.

They don't help much, because Will launches into them quickly and cuts through two in one swing.

[badinlatin]

Mal really does hate swords. Will convinced him to claim one for himself on the ship -- even gave him a couple of lessons that were vaguely more helpful than Inara's way back when -- but he'd still prefer his gun.

When a pirate charges at him swinging like Mal used to with a heavy blade, Mal leans to the left to get on the man's instep and knock the blade out of his hand and head-butting him to the ground.

[turned_captain]

Will's eyeline happened to be on Mal at the time, and he nods at the technique, even as he spins and cuts deep into one man's chest before stabbing another straight through.

He's fighting now, which means he doens't have to think about what he's doing or how to move: it's natural.

Which means he's free to think.

These are pirates he's fighting now. He can tell from the way they're all bravado and fear when they realise how good he is, how ready they are to let their comrades die, and how dirty they fight.

Behind them, unconscious, is the uncle of Sao Feng, the Pirate Captain Barbossa wanted the help of so badly.

Barbossa didn't want him to know this.

Will slices his way through the mean, all the while thinking, and a plan begins to form.

To Mal, with his free hand out; "give me your sword."

[badinlatin]

He's already stripped one man of his; he throws the one previously left idle at his side to Will pommel-first.

He hears footsteps growing closer behind him, and he crouches before he lets his right fist fly backwards in a suckerpunch.

Grinning, That never gets old.

[turned_captain]

Will catches the sword expertly and brings it around across a man's throat before leading the way on, protecting Mal only nominally: he trusts the captain to hold his own and the charts, as long as the superior swordsman has his way.

But at the back of his mind, Will wonders if Mal's realised what Will's realised: these pirates must have a leader.

[hai-dao.livejournal.com]

Arms crossed, unsmiling, he steps forward to block the way.

Stealth is always an asset, but the strength in numbers is as great if not greater than strength in stealth.

He shakes his head and there's a complete halt to movment.

A heavy moment's silence: everybody simply... stops and watches and listens. Finally, the Pirate Lord of the South China Sea speaks.

"Gentlemen, welcome to Singapore."

He does not sound happy.

[turned_captain]

Will raises his chin as he inspects the newcomer; his bearing, the way the pirates heed his bidding; and he lowers his swords slowly.

"Sao Feng?"

[badinlatin]

"Sao Feng," Mal repeats, digging out his flintlock and drawing on the big boss now on the scene.

Mal looks to Will now, momentarily lost.

Can't blame him though -- not with a bitty gun and surrounded by pirates.

[hai-dao.livejournal.com]

"I have been called many things; Sao Feng is in fact one of them."

Some pirates need swords and some need guns. Some need knives, some work exclusively with explosives.

The most powerful of all need nothing. He takes his time, looking these xī kè, these strangers, up and down slowly. They pose little threat against his superior manpower.

"As always, it depends who's asking."

[turned_captain]

"Someone with information you might have use of."

Will barely gives a look to Mal, his swords still lowered, but ready to rise. He's cut through most of Sao Feng's men. He could probably make it out of here alive if he needed to.

But he doesn't want to, not yet.

"Regarding Captains Barbossa and Sparrow."

[badinlatin]

The gun's now not so much drawn on Sao Feng as it is aimed directly at Will's head.

"One word."

The gun's cocked, and Mal's holding the maps less like a package to be delivered and more like a club for defending himself.

[turned_captain]

Will was primed for this though, and he moves quickly as soon as Mal starts. His swords flash in the weak moonlight as he steps back behind Mal and raised one quickly, pressing against his throat.

"Plan's changed," he says.

[badinlatin]

Will being shorter than Mal forces him to arch backward away from the blade at his throat, maps being forced between his back and Will's chest.

Turning his head slightly inward toward Will, Mal hisses, "At least they have keels in this century for the likes o' you."

[hai-dao.livejournal.com]

"Enough." With a single twitch of his head in the taller man's direction, the two interlopers are surrounded. "That one with the gun: disarm him and take him to the cells. I would have a word with this other... guest in our temple."

As his men do his bidding, he turns to the one who spoke of Barbossa and Jack Sparrow.

"Your friend's attitude needs adjustment; my men will see to that. You tell me what you know of these hǎi dào, these pirates who are reportedly dead." The names come out in a hiss filled simultaneously with awe and disdain. "These captains Barbossa and Sparrow."

[turned_captain]

Will spreads his hands submissively as Mal is taken away, sparing him not a single glance of regret.

He slides his swords away, but otherwise stands still, confident.

"Barbossa is sailing to meet you even now," Will explains. "He's coming to ask of you a crew and ship with which to bring back Jack Sparrow. I think you might need reason to provide this."

[hai-dao.livejournal.com]

Things have not been easy for pirates lately, but he is still Sao Feng. None dare oppose him... or at least none here in Singapore. He eyes the stranger with great suspicion.

"Barbossa."

Glancing off to one side, his eyes narrow in thoughtfulness and his hand moves to cover the scars evident on his head and face. "It took 18,000 years for chaos to balance into yin and yang before Pangu could begin to create the world we know." And in what seems the blink of an eye, all of Pangu's yin/yang balance has been defeated. The nature of that defeat wears the uniform of the East India Trading Company: to him, this makes little sense. But he also knows that this is not a time for imperiousness. If this man has something to offer -- something of actual use -- he'll find out.

"Some days I think the fleas that fell from Pangu's fur became one too many race of human beings."

One that looks and sounds suspiciously like this man in front of him right now.

"Now, why do you think I have reason to provide your Captain Barbossa with a ship? These are precious commodities, not to be given away lightly to the first tāmāde húndàn who has the gall to break into my home and fight with my men and ask."

[turned_captain]

Will really isn't used to this. His approach to bargaining so far in his life has been 'If you don't I'll kill myself' or 'Jack told me to!'. Right now he's playing with fire, and has gambled everything he has already.

He'd better try really hard not to do anything stupid.

Will holds Sao Feng's eye steady.

"It's a hard time for pirates right now." Even now, he pronounces the word in such a way that defines it as people who aren't Will Turner.

"Lord Cutler Beckett has been given full reign in fighting pirates, and he holds the heart of Davy Jones."

Will pauses long enough to take a breath, and shift his weight.

"What if I were to say that Jack Sparrow has in his possession something Lord Beckett would very dearly like to have for his own?"

[hai-dao.livejournal.com]

Beckett: that name is like a slow-acting poison. He would slice off his head and not give it a second thought. And people say there's a scourge of piracy in the world: they don't know what they're talking about.

He considers the man's words carefully. Any misstep now could result in losing face, and he will kill before that happens. "Then I would say it would be... beneficial to both of us to know what that item might be, and keep it from anyone with ties to the East India Trading Company at all cost."

This man is absolutely right about one thing: it is a hard time for pirates. It used to be that they could go wherever they wanted, take whatever was there for the taking, return home, give homage where homage was due, and enjoy the spoils. Those days are becoming desperately rare.

He takes a step forward, looming tall over this liúmáng. "Tell me your name, insolent intruder, and what you know of Jack Sparrow's whereabouts."

[turned_captain]

"My name is William Turner," Will says, uncowered by the other man's height. He has no idea if the name carries any weight, but is willing to assume it means nothing to anyone who hasn't served on the Pearl.

"And I know Jack Sparrow is in Davy Jones' locker because I was there when he was taken."

He was in his room, and didn't find out about it until the next morning, but he's not going to say that.

[hai-dao.livejournal.com]

He hasn't suffered for all his scars stupidly; this is his home and this William Turner is trespassing. Sao Feng sees exactly where this is going. But he believes he's smarter than this foreigner, so he holds back.

No suspicions need be voiced.

"And you think I can help you find Jack Sparrow for this unnamed point-of-barter item. Tell me, William Turner, do I look like a fool to you?" This pirate and his talk are beginning to become tiresome.

He has the map. He knows how to get there. It's a journey that only either the most dedicated or the most foolish would undertake, and he's neither dedicated to rescuing Jack Sparrow or foolish enough to think it could actually be done.

"Tell me precisely what you want from me. My patience is not without limits."

[turned_captain]

But Will is foolish enough to believe anything if it furthers his agenda. He replies steadily,

"I want you to give Barbossa the ship and the crew he asks for, to help retrieve Jack and the Pearl. Then I will hand both Barbossa and Jack Sparrow over to you, along with a compass that points towards whatever you most want.

"All I want is the Pearl."

[hai-dao.livejournal.com]

"The Pearl is just a ship. One of many." It's almost sacrilegious to speak of the Pearl that way -- she is the most legendary ship on the seven seas -- but he's as ruthless as the next pirate when all is said and done. Everybody wants something they can't have.

Still, every man has his reasons. If he has Sparrow, Barbossa, and one of Sparrow's small treasures, that's a potent bargaining chip against Beckett and the ruinous East India company.

"And how does Barbossa propose to find World's End?"

He, after all, holds the only known map.

And he has never used it.