Jeff the Accountant Escapes the Wretched Burning Depths of Hades

We Need To Talk About Izzy

Reaching The Revenge and climbing aboard, seeing Izzy's grin was too much for Jim. They attacked him. In a flash Izzy's arm was twisted behind his back, Jim's dagger at his throat.

"Jim! Jim!" Fang cried.

"What? This, this ghoul thinks it's funny that my friends are gone. They might be dead, they might be enslaved."

"Iz, you really stepped in it, didn't you?" Blackbeard said to his first mate. "Jim, put your dagger away. It's time to settle this."

Jim resisted. "Who's speaking, huh? Blackbeard, or Edward? And how long before the other one shows up and reneges on what the first one says?"

"You're going to let them speak to you that way?" Izzy sneered.

Edward backhanded Izzy violently and swiftly relieved Jim of their weapon.

Lucius appeared from below deck just in time to see Blackbeard's actions. He watched, not knowing what to expect. Then he spoke. "Izzy, you can't tell me that this is what you actually want. Blackbeard's wrath on a hair-trigger? Your shipmates ready to slit your throat at any time?"

"Not my shipmates, just Jim." Izzy said. But he had to eat those words when he saw Fang and Ivan shaking their heads, stern expressions on their faces.

"And you" Lucius was addressing Blackbeard now. "Jim has a perfectly valid point. How do we know if we're going to be dealing with 'Hi, I'm Edward. Just one of the guys, we're all friends here', or 'I am Blackbeard, and the only balm that will soothe the pain of my bleeding heart is the blood of innocents.' ?"

Izzy started to speak, but Ivan quieted him with a kick.

Blackbeard maintained his self-control. Barely. "You're as bad as Stede." he yelled at Lucius. "This. Is. Me." "I am a pirate, I am a man. With feelings. With needs. A man who can fly off the handle, who wins duels against the best of them, who can appreciate - - and desire the finer things in life. A man who knows how to have fun, and who knows how to care for another so much... that he's in danger of losing himself."

"For fuck's sake" Izzy started.

"Shut. Your. Fucking mouth. Dog." Blackbeard ordered.

"Well. Buttons is the person we need here, don't you think?" It was Frenchie. "He probably knows a hex or an exorcism, or a bit of sorcery that could, I don't know, integrate the disparate parts of the captain's personality into one well rounded seafaring boss."

Open mouthed stares at the speaker of those words, from everyone.

"No. No sorcery necessary." Blackbeard said calmly  "You", he was talking to Izzy as he helped him to stand. "Who is the captain of this ship?"

"You, Blackbeard" Izzy replied.

"Who do you serve?" Blackbeard asked.

"You" Izzy repeated.

"You have exactly zero more chances, Iz. I'll figure my shit out, you figure yours. Look at how few we are in number. If we can't function as a team, what do you think will happen to us?"

"Give me your sword." Izzy complied. "Your gun." The gun was surrendered. "Your dagger." Finally Blackbeard was standing with a weapons-free Izzy.

"Zero chances, Izzy. You're part of the team, or we'll sail to a place of your choosing and you can leave."

A squall was brewing in the first mate, visible to anyone looking into his eyes. He stormed away. To consider his options.

"Boy" Blackbeard was speaking to Lucius. "I'd like your help. In my room. Fang, Ivan, Jim, Frenchie, you four devise a plan for finding the ones I cast out, if you think that's a worthy objective, and bring it to me when you're ready.