Jolly Sailor || Elizabeth Swann

10

As soon as they were in the jungle and shrouded by trees, Norrington ripped the chest from Benj's grasp and smacked him around the head. Benj collapsed like a puppet with his strings cut, vision fading in and out with pain. He was dimly aware of the other man grabbing at his clothes and slapped his hands weakly against the invading hands. "Ah!" Norrington grinned as he pulled the heart from Benj's pocket. "Knew you had it. Sticky fucking fingers. Of course you didn't throw that damned key". The sounds of footsteps interrupted him and Benj glimpsed the man stuff the heart in his pocket before running away, leaving the chest at Benj's side. Then his vision went black.

He awoke to a fierce tugging on his arms and the feeling of sand invading his clothes. His head throbbed like hell and when he tried to open his eyes, it worsened. A low groan escaped his lips and the dragging motion paused. "He's waking up", a hissing voice grunted.

"Well send him back to sleep then", a second voice rumbled. "The captain wants us to get a move on". Benji barely had time to wish he was back on the black Pearl before a boot collided with his head and everything went dark again.

The second time he woke up, though his head felt like it was splitting open, he made sure to keep quiet. It took a minute or two for his mind to ignore the blinding pain and focus enough to make sense of his surroundings. There was a gentle rocking of a rowboat under him and the murmur of voices on his left. Human voices this time but none he recognised. There was also heavy weights on his wrists and his ankles, chains rough on his skin and intimately familiar. He mentally sighed at his situation as he readied himself to move.

The navy men in the rowboat, uniforms bright and glaring, all cried out in surprise as Benj suddenly shot up. He took a second to blink at his captors before rolling over the edge of the boat and into the water with a splash. The heavy chains on his wrists and ankles helping him to sink down into the blue quicker than usual as his form changed. The water easing his headache and washing the blood off his face that he hadn't even noticed was there. He took a second to be grateful his arms were chained in front of him rather than behind as he kicked off through the water and towards the familiar hull of the black Pearl in the distance. He had not been having a very good day.

His day was just getting worse as he managed to draw closer to the pearl only for the water to swirl around him. He yelped a stream of bubbles as the Flying Dutchman came looming out of the water underneath him. The currents churned as he was sent spinning dizzyingly around, the prow of the mythical ship breaking the water as Benj smacked against the deck. The water flowing away as he was left gasping and coughing. "Ouch", he groaned as he felt his body return to human. (He was definitely going to bruise after this). The crustacean like crew all pausing to stare at the sudden newcomer lying on their deck as the Dutchman drew up alongside the Pearl. 

A thud of a boot on the deck on Ben's right made him blink upwards as Davy Jones swam into his vision. The octopus man glared down at him, opening his mouth to speak when a shout from the pearl made them both turn their heads. "Hey! Lose something? Eh?" Jack crowed. Benj pulled himself to his feet in time to stare as the pirate captain jumped about waving a jar of dirt over his head. Then the pirate went head over heels down the stairs onto the lower deck. The crew of both ships wincing at the fall. 

"Got it!" The jar of dirt was thrust back into sight and shortly followed by Jack bouncing up again. Benj took the opportunity to begin creeping away from Jones and his fishy crew and towards the ropes by the mast. Bare feet quiet on the water slick wood. "Come to negotiate have you, you slimy git", Jack was crowing. The man serving as a brilliant distraction. "Look what I've got. I've got a jar of dirt", he began to sing. "I've got a jar of dirt. I've got a jar of dirt and guess what's inside it". 

Benj untied a rope from the mast and ran for the railings. Several fishy crew members of the Dutchman reached for him too late as he swung in a high arc over the gap between the two ships, letting go of the rope to land expertly on the rope ladders of the pearl. Benj grinned in triumph and began to climb down. That just happened to be when Davy Jones decided to bring out his cannons. "Hard to starboard!" Elizabeth screamed as the crew of the pearl began to move. Benj hit the deck and practically leapt up the steps to the wheel. He sent it turning in a blur. The pearl moving with it. 

The canons began firing and the floor under his feet vibrated as they blew apart the navigation room. "She's on us!" Someone screamed. Ben's head hurt and his body ached but the Dutchman was behind them and he didn't have any time to rest. 

"First the island of chaos", he muttered as he gripped the wheel. "Then I was knocked out, almost kidnapped, escaped, almost got hit by a underwater ship, almost kidnapped a second time, escaped again. Now I'm in a battle", he sighed and he brushed his hair from his eyes. "And it isn't even mid afternoon yet". Around him, canons boomed and splinters flew. A ball narrowly missed his side, colliding with the prow and knocking a man into the sea with a scream. 

"Give me that", Jack appeared, one arm still cradling his jar, and grabbed the wheel. Benj stepped back and allowed the captain to steer one handed. The man paused to glance over his first mate with a frown. "What in the blazes happened to you?" 

Benj was pretty sure that his head wound was bleeding again. He laughed and shrugged. "Not sure".

"She's given up!" A cry went up. The crew burst into cheers. 

"My father is on that ship", Will stated as he joined Benj and jack at the prow. 

"Hello William", Benji smiled warmly. "Are you going to pay attention to me now?" Will paused to glance over at him. Eyes dark as he paused to stare. 

The man opened his mouth, closed it, blinked and seemed to return to his thoughts. "If we can out run her, then we can take her. We should turn and fight". Benj pouted and mentally wondered if he was losing his charm. Months ago that smile would have had Will blushing and gaping like a fish. It seemed to have lost it's effectiveness. He must be losing his touch and it was a lie if he said that didn't sting slightly. 

"Why fight when we can negotiate?" Jack smirked "All one needs is the proper leverage. Benjy?" He turned to his first mate expectantly. "Cough it up". 

"What?" Benj blinked. "I don't have it". 

"Nonsense", Jack tutted as he reached for the merman's coat, yanking him closer to rummage in his pockets. "I saw that trick with the key". 

"No, really. I don't have it. Norrington took it", Benj huffed as he shoved the captain away. His head hurt and he rubbed the blood from his eye. Fingers to his temple revealed the placement of the cut and he hissed at the red on his fingers. "I got this for my troubles", he scowled as he gestured to it. Jack just stared at him. 

"What do you mean he took it?" Then the ship shuddered, knocking everyone off their feet. The jar of dirt shattered with a crash and the earth went spilling over the deck. 

"We must have hit a reef!" 

Benj felt his stomach drop out in realisation. He was picking himself up and running down the stairs to pull Elizabeth away from the rails. She grabbed him in surprise, eyes scouring over his face as he tugged her back. There was something in her gaze, momentary, that he didn't have time to decipher as Will's voice echoed behind him. "It's the Kraken! To arms!"

Unedited