Captain's Legacy

How The Apple Falls

Chapter9: How The Apple Falls

It's been almost a year since we stole all of that treasure. So far the craziest thing I've gotten is a pair of golden swords with Ruby handles. My bounty's hiring than it's ever been. Dead or alive. We've been sailing for a while only stopping for food. Peaceful times. Hell, i'm almost enjoying it. Me and Rose have finally had time to really start something.

"We've reached land Captain." Terry says from outside the door. I grab my swords and my red and black jacket. I step outside of my cabin only to feel the cold chill of winter rush through me. I shiver like a ghost had just flown through me. "Grow a pair James I've been out here all day." Lockjaw shouts from behind me.

"Yeah well I'm still not sure you're all human lad. Now where's Rose?" I respond smiling. He shrugs his shoulders. "She went into town. Said something about a cat." Garcia says building grenades. She does that. No clue why. "I'm gonna go find her." I tell them as I step off the ship. My boots sink into the snow. I walk around for about an hour and there's no sign of her.

"Well well if it isn't Captain James Hawk. Well you've made quite the name for yourself haven't ya?" A voice says from behind me. I turn to see the devil himself. My father, Theodore Hawk. My eyes widen with shock. "Give me one good reason not to slit your throat and leave you gasping for air in the cold." I tell him.

"Is that anyway to talk your old man. I get that you Anne could hold a grudge but what have I ever done to you my boy?" He asks. Something inside me. Snaps. I rush at him and grab him by his coat. "Don't you ever speak her name! What'd you ever do!? You don't remember coming home drunker than your entire crew and beating my mother and I senseless. She got it the worst. I remember every time, every night. She'd cry herself to sleep." I shout tearing up.

"I never laid a hand on you and I barely touched your mother." He responds. "Are you fucking kidding me!? My mother hid me in my room so she could take the beating for the both of us. You left her bruised and scarred. One day I tried to defend her..." I begin. I lift my hair back to show my forehead to show him the scar. "You slammed the bottle on my head and threw me out the window. I was 8 years old!" I shout.

He looks shocked. "I'm sober now. Haven't drunk since. The day" he starts. "Since the day you left?" I ask. He takes a deep breath. "I thought you'd be better off without me. how is your mother?" He asks. I turn my back on him. "She's dead. After you left she got sick and we didn't have the coin for medicine. She died from an infection after you left. When you shot her for not making dinner on time. The bullet didn't kill her the infection did. You killed my mother." I tell him walking away.

"Wait, son. I'm so sorry." he tells me. I stop. "Apologize to my mother. And I'm not your son. My father died the day he picked up the bottle." I respond as I start walking again. The tears freeze on my face. I wipe them the best I can but I can still feel their frozen touch on my cheeks. I should've killed him. But I thought of what my mother would say. She'd tell me to walk away and so I did.

I finally find Rose walking out of the circus. She walk out with a...a bloody tiger!? I run over to her in shock. "The hell is this?" I ask in shock. "I was looking for a pet and I stumbled upon this circus they were gonna leave him to die in the cold. He's well trained so I bought him." She replies. I consider arguing but you can't change her mind. "Have...have you been crying?" She asks rubbing my face.

I move her hand. "My father's alive Rose." I tell her looking down at my boots. "He's here!? Well Where is he? I'll put the bullet in him myself!" She responds grabbing her pistol. "I can't let you do that Rose." I say grabbing her hand. "He killed your mother James. He deserves to die. Look at what he did to you!" She says lifting my hair up to show my scar.

"My mother wouldn't want that." I tell her. This is stressful enough I can't involve Rose or anyone else in my problems. Especially not this one. She stares at me with anger then walks away. I continue walking the frozen streets. "Captain Hawk. You've got a pretty bounty on your head you do. My boys and I'd love to cash it in. Dead or alive it says." A man says.

I turn to see about 8 men holding swords to me. "I didn't get that bounty for nothing. You wanna bet your life you can take me?" I ask grabbing my swords. One man from the back rushes at me. I block with one sword and cut his stomach right open with the other. Blood comes spilling out of him as he falls to the cold ground in agony. "Next?" I ask putting him out of his misery.

Two more rush me. I block both of them with every attack they throw at me. I swing my arm as hard as I can at one of them cutting his arm clean off. He screams and drops to the ground. I disarm the other and press my sword against his throat and slit it. His blood splatters all over my face.

"That's three down. Five left. "Rush him all at once boys!" The leader shouts. They all come at me full force. I block and dodge as much as I can but they keep getting cuts in on me. It burns and I feel my energy draining. Damn it they're gonna kill me. I jump back as far as I can to get away. I stumble to stay on my feet. Blood loss... it's... getting to me. I can't think ... straight.

I fall down onto one knee holding myself up with my sword. He run at me again. Damn. Gun shots fire and two of them drop. My vision gets blurry. But I see a man in black leaps down he kills the rest of them with ease. I see...damn it i'm going down...

I feel a warm heat on my face. Tell me I'm not dead. My eyes open and I leap up but pain runs through my body like lightning. I shout in pain. "Take it easy son." A voice says. And turn and see my father. I'm on his ship. A fire burning right in front me. I see a man in the corner. In an all black outfit and a cloak with symbol on it. Symbol of a white horse.

IT'S THE MAN. THE WHO SHOT LOCKJAW IN THE EYE AND THE MAN WHO WAS ON CRUSHES SHIP WITH ME. "What are you looking at?" He asks. "Not sure step closer and take off that hood and I'll find out." I respond. He does. He looks like me only difference is his hair is longer and he doesn't have scars on his face like I do. And his eyes... they're bloody purple.

"What the hell is this!?" I shout. "You're brother." My father says. Bullshit. "Bullshit!" I shout. "Purple eyes are the sign of a demon says all of those superstitious lots. When you were both born they would've killed him so I sent him to leave with my sister on Guapito Island. He's your twin brother. Theodore Hawk Jr." My father explains.

"My mother would never give up her child like that." I tell them. "She knew the risks of keeping him around." He tells me. I wanna deny it but there's no other explanation and I don't believe in magic or witchcraft. "I've had enough craziness for one day. My life was doing fine without you two and I'd like it to stay that way. Thanks for the save back there brother. I'm out of here.

I get up to leave the room but the doors locked. What the hell? I look out the window. I'm out in the bloody sea! "The fuck is going on here!" I shout. Then I feel. Around my ankle i'm chained. Damn it. "The bounty." I whisper. "I wanted you dead but father insisted otherwise." Theo tells me. "Sorry kid but coin is short right now. You understand." My father says. They begin walking towards the door to leave. "When I get out of here I'm gonna cut your bloody heads off." I threaten. Damn it damn it damn it.

Bloody hell...