Jeff the Accountant Escapes the Wretched Burning Depths of Hades

Can Someone Just Kill Izzy Now?

"You head up, Iz. You head up, Iz." The derisive tone Izzy used while repeating Blackbeard's words spoke plainly of his resentment. He resented every other person on the ship. His men, Stede's men, Blackbeard's men - whose men were whose anymore?

He himself had been captain for, what, 4 days, a week, half a day? Nothing made sense anymore. Not since fucking Stede Bonnett showed up.

"But Stede Bonnett isn't here. Not any more" Izzy said, declaring it out loud to make it that much more real. He decided to get himself a strong cup of tea and then  "head up Iz", like the boss said.

Cup in hand, Izzy left the galley. "Oh fuck" he groaned.

"Oh, hello, Mr. Hands, First Mate Hands, sir." It was that imbecile Frenchie. "Heading up top? Me too. Blackbeard wants me to get the helm back from Fang. Walk together?"

"No, we will not walk together!"

But it was impossible not to. The ship was small, with narrow passageways, and they were  headed to the same place. Walking at more or less the same pace. 

They split up when they reached the quarterdeck. Frenchie took the wheel from Fang, who joined the others. It was hard not to take note of how few of them there still were.

Blackbeard, Ivan, Izzy, Jim.

"You've got to get some more crew members, boss" Fang said, quickly searching Blackbeard's face. Had he overstepped?

Edward looked at the others. "Hmm. You're right. Four of you, plus Frenchie over there" he nodded his head in Frenchie's direction.

"So we are six. Six bloodthirsty pirates. Six against", Blackbeard looked through the spyglass. "...considerably more than six men on the ship you plan to invade, Izzy"

"Blackbeard, it's not my plan. I asked you for a decision. You're the captain, Edward."

"Alright. Raid's off" Blackbeard quipped. "We're going to have a meeting, everyone. A vote." And the raid ended before it started.

"This is what we're deciding. Go back to get the others from the island, before we set sail for Barbados, or go straight to Barbados, and get new crew members while we're there."

"Boss", Izzy started.

"Yes, good. I want discussion. I haven't been myself, I know that. So we should decide this together."

"We've got to go back for the others." Jim demanded.

"Blackbeard," Izzy was trying to make himself heard.

"Jim," Ivan said. "It's been days." He looked at Edward. "It's been days, boss".

Jim understood the implications of Ivan's words.

"We don't know if they're still alive, Jim."

"We don't know if they're not", Jim glowered.

"Edward! I can't let you kill Bonnett's wife and children!" Izzy shouted.

That brought everyone to silence.

"Kill...kill Stede's wife and children?" Blackbeard was dumbstruck.

"You want to kill Stede's wife and children?" an incredulous Fang asked.

"Boss." Ivan spoke up. "We're pirates - bloodthirsty pirates, but we don't kill a man's wife and children. Izzy, did you put him up to this? Did you tell him to kill Bonnett's wife and children?"

"No! It wasn't my idea to kill Bonnett's wife and children."

"Frenchie!" Jim called to the helmsman. "Blackbeard wants to kill Bonnett's wife and children."

"Kill Stede's wife and children? That's horrifying."

"Everyone is against this, Edward."

"What are you talking about, Izzy?"

"Killing Bonnett's wife and children."

"I DO NOT WANT TO KILL STEDE'S WIFE AND CHILDREN!" "My, god, man. You really think I'm some kind of a monster, don't you?"

"But, Blackbeard, you said. That day, after we hoisted the new flag. You bid farewell to Bonnett's playthings, and you said 'onto the next. To Barbados...to find his wife and children'."

"Not to kill them, Iz. I can't believe that's what you thought. To kill a man's wife and children would be pure evil." "Hang on. Is that what my mum thought??? She thought I was capable of doing something as evil as killing Stede's wife and children?" Blackbeard was lost in thought again.

Ivan asked Fang, "isn't Blackbeard's mother dead?"

Snapping out of it, Blackbeard mused "Guess my mother was just a poor judge of character. She probably thought my dad was a good person when she first met 'im."

"Then what did you mean, Edward? You said you wanted to make The Revenge live up to it's name. Why did you want to find them?"

Edward Teach became downright demure. "I s'pose I wanted to get Stede in trouble. I wanted...to tattle on him. To tell them that while they were stuck at home, he was with me, having adventures on the high seas."

"Kill me now!!!" Izzy cried, storming away.