POTC Book 3: Together At Last

Chapter 8: A Final Battle

It was early morning and the fleet of pirate ships bobbed in the water, I stood next to Barbossa on the deck of the Black Pearl, we see Beckett's ship the Endeavor appear out of the fog.

Marty broke the silence, "The enemy's here!  Let's take her!"

"Abandon ship!  Abandon ship!" Cotton's parrot flew away.

"Parlay?" Jack suggested.

Barbossa, Jack Elizabeth and I ended up meeting with Beckett, Will and Davy Jones on a small spit of land.

"You be the cur that led these wolves to our door." Barbossa glared at Will.

"Don't blame Turner, he was merely the tool of your betrayal.  If you wish to see its grand architect, look to your left." Beckett said smugly.

Barbossa and I looked at Elizabeth, she looked at Jack, who said, "My hands are clean in this." he looked at his dirty nails, "Figuratively."

"My actions were my own and to my own purpose.  Jack had nothing to do with it." Will stated.

"Well spoke, listen to the tool." Jack smiled.

"Will, I've been aboard the Dutchman, I understand the burden you bear, but I fear that cause is lost." Elizabeth sighed.

"No cause is lost if there is but one fool left to fight for it." Will looked at Jack.

"If Turner was not acting on your behalf, then how did he come to give me this?" he held up Jack's compass, "You made a deal with me, Jack, to deliver the pirates, and here they are.  Don't be bashful, step up, claim your reward."

Beckett tossed Jack his compass.

"Your debt to me is still to be satisfied.  One hundred years in service aboard the Dutchman.  As a start." Davy growled.

"That debt was paid, mate." he gestures to me, "With help."

"You escaped!" Davy spat.

"Technically..." Jack began.

Elizabeth interrupted, "I propose an exchange.  Will leaves with us, and you can take Jack."

"Done." Will said.

Jack's eyes widened, "Undone."

Elizabeth spoke up, "Done."

Barbossa turned to her, "Jack is one of the nine pirate lords, ye have no right...

"King." Elizabeth reminded him smugly.

"As you command." Jack took off his hat and bowed to Elizabeth.

In a split second, Barbossa whipped out his sword and cut the piece of eight out of Jack's hair, the monkey ran over and picked it up.

Barbossa stepped up to Jack, "If ye be sayin' something, I might be sayin' something as well."

But Jack didn't say anything, he just quietly switched places with Will.

"Do you fear death?" Davy asked him.

Jack swallowed hard, "You have no idea."

Beckett stepped forward, "Advise your brethren, you can fight and all of you will die, or you can not fight in which case only most of you will die."

Elizabeth stepped forward also, "You murdered my father."

"He chose his own fate." Beckett said calmly.

"And you have chosen yours.  We will fight, and you will die." Elizabeth said through gritted.

"So be it." Beckett said.