bringmethatnpc | Stabbing the Heart

Stabbing the Heart

He'd almost made it. Jack had been sneaking across the Dutchman's deck, chest secure in hand, when Jones and his crew had spotted him.

"Looky here, boys -- a lost bird that never learned to fly!"

As they advance on him, Jack backs up against the edge of the deck -- then leaps up on the rail and wraps one hand in a particular lanyard. His sudden grin is filled with manic amusement.

"Never too late to learn, aye?" With no more warning than that, he slams the chest against the half-rotten wood brace securing the line and is promptly yanked aloft.

Unfortunately, Jones doesn't need any such trick to go wherever he wishes to on this particular ship, and as Jack turns to make his swaying way toward the tenuous safety of the mainmast, he finds himself facing the Dutchman's furious captain over the point of a sword.

"The chest-- hand it over!"

Jack backs up a step, drawing his own sword, and there's something strangely knowing in the black eyes.

"I can set you free, mate."

"My freedom was forfeit long ago!" Jones snarls, and strikes.

Now, as one battle rages on the decks below, another takes place on the yardarm of the Flying Dutchman. With a wild slash, Jack sends several wiggling tentacles from Jones's beard falling to the deck below -- one of them still clutching the key to the chest. He receives a blow in return that sends him staggering backward, and as he brings his sword up in defense Jones snaps it in two with his claw.

Having no other defense left, Jack counters the next strike by using the chest itself as club, which in turn brings it within reach of Jones, who promptly grabs it. As Jack Sparrow and Davy Jones engage in a strange tug-of-war over the chest that contains Jones's heart, Jack can't help but grin.

Bloody ridiculous, is what this is.

Evidently Jones agrees, for with a particularly harsh, violent swing, he manages to yank Jack from his perch and send him flying through the air in truth.

It's a stroke of fortune that the air's so full of invading fishy pirates, however, and as he falls Jack collides with one swinging across on a rope. In the ensuing scramble for a good grip, Jack notices a pistol shoved in the other man's belt. Black eyes widen in shock.

I know that gun!

On the instant, Jack snatches Mal's pistol free and delivers a hard blow to Clanker's head with the butt of the gun.

"Oi! My pistol!"

As the stunned pirate falls, Jack swings himself around, searching for Jones--

--there!

BANG!

Jack's a good shot, and as Mal Reynolds could tell anyone who asked, it's a good gun. The bullet goes true, knocking the chest from Davy Jones's hands and into the chaos below.

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If he were less determined and single-minded, he might be amused at Jack's misfortune -- especially as the the instrument of that sword's blunting.

As it is, all he can think of is pursuit, which he launches into with only a feral, animal noise; chasing Jack from one end of the ship to the other.

After all; Jack is only mortal and must tire. Jones? Jones will never get winded, will never need rest. Such is the pact between Dutchman and captain.

The deck beneath his feet is treacherous, being soaked with water (and other things), and as a result Jack's flailing his arms wildly for balance as he runs.

He dodges around the capstan and shelters behind it, dodging back and forth to keep it between himself and Jones.

Shouldn't you know better, Jack, then to run from the Dutchman's captain on his own ship?

Jones gets tired of the cat and mouse game -- the back and forth bores him. So instead, he simply starts to march through the capstan, leering with every step.

Didn't think of that, didya, Sparra'?

Jack looks slightly queasy at this approach.

"Eeew."

But as soon as Jones reaches the middle of the capstan, Jack Sparrow grins. He snatches hold of the nearest bit of wooden leverage and sets the capstan spinning around in a circle-- and Davy Jones with it.

"Ha!"

Jack's smugly triumphant look lasts until the spinning capstan brings Jones around to face him again with a snarl, at which point his reaction is rather different.

"AAAH!"

With a shriek Jack's off, scrambling frantically away across the deck, with Jones in close pursuit.

Things are not going well for the employees of the EIC.

They're not going particularly badly - the nasty fish-people appear to be winning, keeping control of the Dutchman, but they're also running out of pirates to slaughter, and are turning on all the normal humans, regardless of allegience.

Mullroy and Murtogg are of an accord: better to risk it over on the Black Pearl and its legendarily evil Captain, than to stay here and definitely be killed by an ugly fish-man.

They grab the same rope, nod wordlessly to each other, and swing across to the other ship.

Mullroy decides it's all Murtogg's fault in miscalculating the swing so that they hit the side of the hull instead of landing on the deck.

What is unfortunate for Mullroy and Murtogg is a stroke of good luck for Elizabeth, all things considered. She's been fighting on the Pearl, but has had enough of not knowing how Will is doing. Grabbing the recently arrived rope, she looks over her shoulder at Gibbs and the still raging battle on deck. Her mind is made up, but it would be nice to know that she's not sending anyone to their doom (this time) by following her heart.

Gibbs sees Elizabeth ready to leap in to battle. It really makes no sense for her to do it, but given that everything she's done makes no sense and still seems to work...

"Go!"

He hopes he'll see her again.

Jack's probably hoping to see her again too -- or maybe he's just hoping to catch sight of that tentacle with the damned key creeping around the deck.

Might be hard with Jones in hot pursuit, though.

Hard's a good word for it, especially given how uncertain the footing is. Jack dodges a blow and turns his movement into a forward somersault, diving across the deck and snatching up a broken piece of railing as he regains his feet.

He spins around and raises it up in defense just in time to block a blow from Jones's sword.

Rain pelting her face, Elizabeth doesn't see much when she lets go of the rope at the end of the swing and lands firmly on the Dutchman's deck. When she looks up, she finds herself confronted with Davy Jones himself.

This ought to be interesting.

Will is going to be so annoyed that she didn't find another place to land.

On the other hand, a right misogyinst like jones finds this is a great place for her to land. Distracted from Jack with this new prize, the fishman roars, "Harridan! Ye'll see no mercy from me!"

He makes good on those words with the vicious attacks he leads in with.

While a small part of Elizabeth is floundering at the thought of fighting the legendary Davy Jones, the rest is ready and willing, eager to jump into the fray. She draws her sword and yells:

"That's why I brought this!"

She blocks the blow and fights passionately, because if there's one thing she knows, it's that she has a great deal for which to live.

Bugger.

At this point Jack's flat on the deck and trying to regain his breath, having been sent flying by a blow not from Jones's sword, but from his clawed hand.

As he lies there, he finally, finally spots the sneaky thieving tentacle, inching its way across the deck with the key in tow.

Ah-HA!

Unnoticed by anyone else, Jack crawls after it.

He swings the corroded sword again and again,

you know my name

raining heavy overhand blows down on the invader in the rhythm of the chant in his head,

my name. my name is. I can almost remember

part of the ship, part of the crew.

Will parries again and again, effort only required in holding back. His father's technique is non-existent, but his determination makes him formidable.

However, Will have the advantage of being in full command of his mental capacities. If this were anyone else, he could run him through in a second.

But it isnt anyone else.

Will forces his father's hand down onto the railing of the Dutchman and brings the hilt of his sword hand down hard on the prone wrist, knocking Bootstrap's sword to the ground. It's the same movement that snaps Will's own sowrd up and holds it to his father's neck. A threat, and a show of what he can do.

Then a feminine gasp behind him catches his attention. Will looksover his shoulder to see Elizabeth -

- His wife. On the Dutchman, come after him -

- knocked flying, and sprawled on the steps to the upper deck, where a blow to the head leaves her unconscious, and at Jones' mercy.

Turning back to his father, Will draws the knifehis father once gave him, on which he made a vow.

"I'm not going to kill you. I made you a promise."

The knife goes down hard in the railing beside his fallen father, and Will turns away to his bride.

part of the --

His eyes fix on the scarred knife handle, and everything else goes away.

must always have a captain / he's coming / part of the / never shall we

Bootstrap's eyes widen.

I made you a promise.

Turning away from his father, a fog draws over Will's eyes.

He doesn't have time to think what kindof monster would advance on and kill an unconscious woman as she lies. Nor does he bother to think who it is he's against, or where the important parts of their anatomy lie.

He turns and sees someone about to kill his Elizabeth, and he acts without thinking.

He thrusts his sword straight through Jones' back, into his chest from behind.

If Jones notices beyond a brief and minor irritation, it -- only shows in the fact that Elizabeth gets a break from his assault. He looks at the tip of the blade, jutting from his breast.

"Did ye forget? I'm a heartless wretch!"

His claw clinches the blade, twisting it -- making it impossible to draw from his damned flesh.

Oh. Not good.

Will tugs on his sword, again and again yanking hard on it,only to have it catch each time on Jones' body.

Of all of Will's ideas. he suddenly can't help thinking that using his only sword to stab someone without a heart is perhaps one of the stupidest.

Still, it's drawn his attention away from Elizabeth.

Which will only bring his full attention to the beat down at hand.

OR at claw. Take your pick. >

With Will's refusal to release the sword, Jones has him at a disadvantage. HE can't hurt Jones, but Jones can twirl him about and smack at him rather fiercely, using his great claw as a rather effective bludgeon.

Not a good say for someone who relies on the sword to fix all problems, is it?

Sometimes Will uses a pistol.

He doesn't have one on him now, though, and he's lost his sword, so he has no way of stopping the blow to the head, which sends him flying across the deck, where he falls against the railing.

He doesn't try to get up yet, but glances over to Elizabeth,just to make sure she's unharmed.

The fight with Jones hadn't been going well. Gasping for breath, she'd failed to block a blow and gone flying; it's the last thing she remembers. Now she's lying on a hard, wet surface, body twisted and completely vulnerable.

Elizabeth surfaces with a start, pushing damp, lank hair out of her face. Her head is pounding and her legs refuse to cooperate, but she's aware enough to seek out her husband, to make sure he's all right.

He's not. Will is lying on the deck in a similarly awkward fashion, staring at her, and Jones looms between them.

Instantly alert, Elizabeth swallows hard.

The Look is seen -- Jones knows it all too well.

"Love," he sneers. "A dreadful bond. And yet..." His lips curl. "So easily severed."

His blade finds Will's throat, but does not pierce it. He merely lets the boy know it's there, the power of it known to the smith. "Tell me, Will Turner. Do ye fear death?"

From behind Jones comes a cry, strident and harsh and easily cutting through the chaos on deck.

"Do you?"

What surprised Will was that he was prepared to answer no. The only death he actually feared was Elizabeth's, and he's happily diverted the blade to his throat without regrets. That doesn't mean he isn't delighted to hear the interruption, and to look up to see the beating heart in Jack's hand, a broken sword held above it.

(No sword turned by Will's hand would break so irregularly.)

His panting breath turns into sighs of relief, and he looks once again over at Elizabeth.

This is it. This is what he and Jack planned all along. Now all Jack has to do is stab the heart and it'll all be over. They've won.

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