Chapter 35:  Like Lord Beckett

 

Jack pretended to be was asleep as the door to the brig opened and two soldiers entered.  “Come on, get up.”  Jack did not move.  Someone unlocked the door to his cell.  Jack kept his eyes closed and his breathing slow.  “Come with us.”

Surely Norrington had already done enough damage.  And he likely would not dare to anything on that scale with Robin aboard…unless he had done, or was willing to do, the same to Robin.  Jack felt a sinking feeling in his stomach.  No, Norrington would not have harmed Robin.  He couldn’t.  But Jack would also never believed the Admiral capable of the atrocity he had already committed.

“I know you’re awake, Sparrow,” the soldier said exasperatedly.  “And we have our orders.”  Jack felt a hand on his shoulder.

If Jack had been in full health, he would have used this moment to gain the advantage and make a miraculous escape.  But, of course, he was not in full health, thanks to Norrington.

The soldier growled in annoyance and the two men lifted him to his feet.  Jack finally opened his eyes a little, searching for some way to escape, though he doubted he would find one.  He dragged his feet as the men carried him from the brig.  “Where are you taking me?” Jack asked, his voice raspy.

Without hesitation, one of the soldiers answered, “The Admiral’s quarters.”

“No…” Jack moaned, his knees buckling beneath him.  No, he could not take anymore; he would not survive more.  Jack’s body was broken, and his soul was not much better.  Another torture session like the last would most certainly kill him.

The solders both appeared quite frustrated with Jack when he refused to walk any further, but they said nothing as they dragged him along to Norrington’s quarters.  There were two guards stationed outside the Admiral’s quarters, one of whom unlocked the door, allowing the soldiers to shove Jack inside.

Jack was unable to stand on his own, and he fell onto his hands and knees as the soldiers closed and locked the door.  His arms shook as he tried to hold himself up, but he did not dare look up.  The penknife would come down on his face again, or a boot would strike him in the mouth, or…

“Jack?”

Jack lifted his head slowly at the voice.  That was most certainly not Norrington saying his name.  He smiled slightly when he realized that it was his daughter speaking, but frowned when he saw her seated on the Admiral’s bed, a penknife…the penknife…in her hands.

Robin slid off of the bed, still clutching the penknife, and came over to him.  Jack froze, watching the sharp blade closely as Robin approached.  Robin gazed silently at him for a moment before shocking Jack by hugging him tightly.  He flinched when he realized that now the knife was at his back, but there was nothing he could do about it.

“I am so sorry I didn’t believe you, Jack,” she whispered as she pulled away.  “I just…I couldn’t believe that James would…”  Robin’s eyes surveyed his body, taking in the dried blood and cuts that covered him.

“Nor can I, love, but he did.”  Jack was thankful that his daughter believed him now, though he was not sure why she had changed her mind.  He eyed the penknife in fear and backed away.

Robin looked at the penknife and took a deep breath.  “He’s…”

“Like Lord Beckett,” Jack finished bitterly when his daughter fell silent.

Robin turned to him sharply, her blue eyes filled with such rage that, for a moment, Jack saw Norrington in her place.  Fear filled him as he remembered Norrington’s glare, his burning hatred, the feeling of the knife slicing his skin, the blood seeping from the wounds…

Robin’s grip tightened on the handle of the knife.  Jack’s eyes widened with horror as she shoved him back against the door, the blade at his throat and gently pressing against his skin.

“Robin,” Jack said quietly, shaking in fear and surprise at Robin’s sudden fury towards him.  His daughter’s eyes remained cold.  “Jackie,” he breathed.

The old nickname seemed to trigger something in Robin, and her eyes softened as she stood and backed away, looking at the trace amount of blood on the knife in shock.  She dropped the penknife, which nearly impaled her foot, but she did not seem to care.  “I’m…I’m sorry.  I…I don’t know what came over me…”  Her eyes filled with tears.  “My God, he is…”

“What?” Jack asked when his daughter trailed off.  She put her head in her hands.

“Like Beckett,” she answered quietly.  “I can’t believe I didn’t see that…Cutler acted just like that, before…”  She closed her eyes and shook her head.  Jack wondered what Robin meant.  Before Jack had been branded a pirate, Beckett had been a bit less than gentlemanlike when alone with Robin, he knew that, but Norrington would never do anything short of proper.  Jack turned his gaze to the Admiral’s bed.

His eyes widened as he noticed the way the bed was disarranged.  Two had obviously slept there the night before and gotten up on different sides of the bed.

“We have to get out of here, Jack,” Robin said, but Jack hardly heard it.

Jack continued to stare at the bed in shock, now also noticing that there was evidence of people rolling on top of the sheets.  His daughter and the Admiral?  The thought sickened him as he slowly turned back to his daughter.  “And…and how do you propose we get off this ship?  I’m afraid I can’t swim far, love,” he said, motioning to the wounds on his body.

“I know,” Robin said sadly.  Her eyes hardened.  “Admiral Norrington plans on destroying all pirates, starting with the Black Pearl.”

Jack chuckled.  “He’ll have to catch it first, love.”

The ship suddenly rocked and the sound of cannon fire filled Jack’s ears.  “They already have,” Robin said remorsefully.  “Damn it,” she said under her breath.

“That’s my ship they’re shooting at!” Jack exclaimed in anger, attempting to stand.  He fell back against the wall, his body still greatly weakened.

Robin bent down and picked up the penknife, turning it over in her hands thoughtfully.  Jack was not sure he liked the gleam in his daughter’s eyes…

* * *

“Fire all!” Elizabeth shouted again.  The battle was not going well.  No matter what they did, it seemed as though the enemy ship did more damage.  Elizabeth was still slightly in shock.  She had recently avoided having her head blown off—by none other than James.  “What the bloody hell is wrong with that man?” she asked herself as she ran up to where Barbossa stood at the helm.

Pintel and Ragetti ran up behind her.  “Isn’t it about time that we start headin’ away from them?” Pintel asked nervously.

“Nay, they’ll follow us to Shipwreck Cove, and we can’t have that.  Now get back to your posts!”  The two pirates quickly gave Barbossa a little salute and ran back down to the main deck.

A grappling hook suddenly caught onto the rigging above them.  “They aren’t really going to board,” Elizabeth said in surprise.  They were blowing the ship to pieces; there was no advantage to coming on board.  But there were two people clearly swinging on a rope from the Ruthless and onto the Pearl.  The two fell roughly to the deck of the ship.  Elizabeth aimed a flintlock at them, preparing to fire, when the flash of cannon fire illuminated their faces.

“Jack!” Elizabeth exclaimed, rushing to his side.  Her only acknowledgement of Robin was a suspicious glare, but she embraced Jack warmly.  Another flash of cannons revealed the harsh lines cut into Jack’s face and the dried blood that covered his skin and clothing.  The sight was revolting and terrifying.  “Oh, my God, Jack, what happened?”

“Your first fiancé,” he growled in response.

“My—what?”  Elizabeth looked over onto the deck of the other ship.  Through the smoke, she could just make out Admiral Norrington’s form as he shouted orders to the crew.  “James would never…”  Elizabeth surveyed Jack’s body again.  James could never do something as dreadful as that.

“He did,” Robin said coldly, her eyes strangely empty.

A nearby railing was suddenly blown to pieces.  Barbossa yelled in pain, apparently struck by some of the debris.  He fell to the ground, clutching his side as Robin took his place at the wheel and kept it from spinning out of control.  Another volley of cannon fire rocked the ship.  Elizabeth heard someone from the Ruthless shout, “The captain’s down!”

Elizabeth glanced at Robin, who closed her eyes and took a deep breath, almost as though she was pained by the enemy captain’s fate.  But that did not make sense.  Robin opened her eyes again just as the main mast of the other vessel began to fall towards the Black Pearl.  Robin turned the wheel vigorously to the starboard, watching the mast as it came down toward them.

A sudden wave forced the two ships apart, and the mast fell harmlessly (for the Pearl, at least) into the sea.  “That was lucky,” Elizabeth muttered as Robin steered the ship around, now heading to Shipwreck Cove and leaving the enemy ship stranded.  Elizabeth noticed that Jack was staring at Robin strangely, as though extremely surprised about something.

Elizabeth felt a small pang of guilt as she realized the cruel, drawn-out death they had just left James and his crew to.  One glance at Jack, however, and she decided that was exactly what they deserved.

“Robin.”

Elizabeth and Robin both turned to look at Barbossa.  In the mist of the battle, Elizabeth had not noticed how badly wounded Barbossa had been.  But now she saw that there was blood pouring from multiple wounds and that each breath seemed to pain him greatly.

“I’ll take over,” Jack said quietly, motioning for Elizabeth to help him stand.  Jack used the wheel of the Pearl as support for his weak body.  Elizabeth watched Robin curiously as she cautiously approached Captain Barbossa.

“Robin…you know I despise you.”

Elizabeth smirked and Robin smiled faintly at Barbossa’s comment.  “But no one can deny that you are a true pirate.”  Barbossa’s voice lowered and Elizabeth could hear no more, only watch the two speak quietly.  Whatever Barbossa was saying seemed to stun Robin.  The pirate captain’s eyes were becoming dim, and Elizabeth realized—he was dying.  Robin nodded slightly as Barbossa said something else, and she took his hand in her own.  Barbossa’s grip tightened for a moment before the light suddenly vanished from his eyes and his hand slipped from Robin’s grasp.

Captain Barbossa was dead.

Robin remained kneeling before him for a moment before she slowly stood, clutching something tightly in her hand.  Her hand was covered in Barbossa’s blood.  Jack the Monkey chattered softly as he poked at Barbossa’s body as though trying to get a response.

Elizabeth almost could not believe that Barbossa was gone.  He was so tough; he had lived through so much, including death.  She had had no idea that she would feel such pain for the pirate’s death.

“What did he say?” Jack asked curiously after a moment of silence.

Robin turned slowly, her eyes revealing her confusion.  “He…”  She glanced at her fist as she slowly opened it, revealing that she was holding a piece of eight.  “He made me a Pirate Lord,” she said in disbelief.  The monkey climbed up onto Robin’s shoulder.  “He made me captain.”