Chancing Fate - Jack Sparrow x OC

Part 3 - Chapter 1

A/N: Updated 

Very few lights had gone out as night settled over Singapore, and despite the late hour, people still moved along the waterways and narrow streets beneath the lanterns. Most were hardly comforting company, though none of them were Lena Palmer's concern at the moment. She sat beside Elizabeth Swann in a small boat, making their way down the waterway toward their meeting.

As they traveled, Elizabeth sang quietly, "the bell has been raised from its watery grave; hear its sepulchral tone? A call to all, pay heed the squall, and turn your sails toward home!... yo ho, all together, hoist the colors high. Yo ho, thieves-"

"And beggars, never say we die," another voice cut in just as they went to get out. A man stepped out from the shadows, clearly one of Sao Feng's men as he stood guarding a door along with another pirate. "A dangerous song to be singing, for anyone ignorant of its meaning. Particularly women, particularly women alone," he threatened as he stepped up to the two of them.

Neither woman needed to speak as another voice, one Lena had grown quite accustomed to in the past two months, cut into the conversation. "What makes you think they're alone?" Barbossa stepped down, joining their group as he looked down at the man in front of them.

"You protect her?" the pirate asked as he stepped between Lena and Elizabeth, looking at Barbossa. A mistake on his part.

Elizabeth pulled out a knife, holding it against his neck as she asked, "And what makes you think I need protecting?"

Lena stepped forward so she could shoot Elizabeth a look. As if they needed to create problems before they even got inside. She had never imagined Elizabeth to be so impulsive and ready to jump into action, yet she had seen this side of her a lot in the last couple months. Lena, on the other hand, still preferred to still her sword if she could.

"Your master's expectin' us," Barbossa said before sending a particular look to Elizabeth, joining the look Lena had already been giving her. "An unexpected death would cast a slight pall on our meeting."

Taking the hint, Elizabeth released the man, shrugging at Barbossa as she did. The action was unapologetic as she stepped aside, waiting for him to lead.

As they walked, the man, whom they learned was called Tai Huang, and his men led them up the path and through the doors, all the while ignoring their quiet conversation. Otherwise, they most certainly would have been under even more suspicion than they already were.

Tai Huang watched Elizabeth for another moment before turning up the path, his men spreading out ahead of them as silent escorts. Lanterns hanging between the buildings swayed gently overhead, throwing shifting pools of light across the damp stone while voices drifted from open windows and the harbor slowly disappeared behind them. Lena fell into step beside Barbossa, eyes following the guards at the front of the group until the distance between them felt just large enough that they could speak without being overheard.

The plan sounded simple when spoken aloud, yet every step toward Sao Feng made it feel more fragile. Will was somewhere in the city trying to steal charts from a pirate lord while the rest of them attempted to convince that same pirate lord to hand over a ship. Her fingers settled against the worn leather wrapped around the hilt at her side before she looked toward Barbossa. "If this meeting goes poorly, we lose the only chance of getting a ship."

"Aye," Barbossa agreed without hesitation, sidestepping a handcart abandoned in the middle of the street while the rest of the group flowed around it. Nothing about his stride changed as they continued through the narrow passage, his attention fixed ahead as though impossible plans were no more troublesome than rough seas.