There was no stopping it.
Once the battle had begun, once the brigands had seen fear in the eyes of their quarry, there was no way to pull them off until the deed was done, or they were dead.
Stede watched with terror as the men dropped boards or swung on ropes to land on the deck of the passenger ship.
"What do we do?" Frenchie asked as the two of them hugged the corner of the ship, out of both line of sight and blunderbuss fire.
Stede felt that familiar fear grip him. He felt the icy fingers of terror and paralysis grip his heart, sending waves of tension through his body. He had fought his whole life against the paralysis that came with situations like this. First, from his father's cruelty, then school bullies, then moments after the death of the brothers Badminton.
Of fight or flight, flight was certainly Stede's stronger impulse. But recent events had taught him that wasn't always the best course of action. In fact, his desire to flee had been the cause of much of the pain he inflicted on himself and others.
So when he saw Ed cross the plank between ships, sword in hand, Stede pushed down every impulse to hide and instead sprinted after the man.
"Captain! Where are you going? You'll get yourself killed!"
"Probably!" yelled Stede as he very inelegantly and in too-tight pants and too-big shoes, scrambled over the plank connecting the two ships.
The deck of the Antelope was a sickening sight. Civilians were fleeing from the murderous intent of the brigands. From the glee with which the men gutted the crewmembers who tried to defend their passengers, Stede began to think Ed was right to stop Wheezer when he walked in on them. Each of the brigands cut through the decently-trained crewmembers with surprising and terrifying ease and with brutal efficiency.
He couldn't find Ed through the chaos as people ran screaming, some covered in blood. Someone jostled him and knocked him onto the deck. He smacked the side of his temple on a boat line on the way down. The impact knocked the wind out of him and caused a surge of nausea that took a moment of lying there face down on the deck for it to pass.
When he stood, he saw Ed in front of him, sword in hand. He looked half-mad, as if instinct and blood lust were drowning him.
Ed was engaged in a swordfight with one of the more competent crewmembers. The pirate was clearly the superior combatant, and Ed's blows were both furious and precise.
Stede tried to get himself on his feet, but stumbled and felt blood trickling down his cheek. "Ed!" he croaked, but his voice was lost over the chaos of battle and the distant boom of cannon fire.
It didn't take long for Ed to best the other man. He was on his knees, bloodied and bruised. The man reached for his sword and took an ineffectual swipe at Ed, who dodged easily and continued to advance. Stede saw Ed reach down and close his hand around the man's throat and lifted him to his feet. Then the sword hand pulled back in preparation for a killing blow.
Fear rose in the pit of his stomach. If Ed kept killing in cold blood, Stede might lose him forever. And that was the worst thing Stede could possibly imagine, short of Ed's death. In fact, losing him to darkness would be worse.
"Ed, no!" cried Stede as he surged forward and reached for the man's shoulder.
He heard the sound of the sword cutting the air before he felt it bite into his shoulder.
Almost immediately, Ed grabbed him by the waist. The dark shadow in his eyes disappeared the moment he realized what he'd done.
"Stede! Oh fuck. Stede!" Ed's voice hitched and he looked helplessly at the sword buried deep in his shoulder.
Stede felt the taste of iron rising in the back of his throat and felt the heat of his own blood soaking through his shirt.
Ed looked utterly broken and distressed, clasping at him with desperate hands. "Stede! I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. Hold on..."
Ed lowered him awkwardly to the deck. The edge of the sword caught on the edge of the mast and pushed the blade back out sending another hot shoot of blood and a sharp bolt of pain. Stede let out a sound.
"No, no, no. What have I done? Stede..."
Stede felt hands pawing at his face.
The last thing he heard before things started to get fuzzy was Ed's voice croaking, "I surrender! Help. I need help. I surrender!"
YOU ARE READING
A Pirate's Life For Us
FanfictionEd is trapped on his ship with Izzy Hands and a new crew of murderous pirates who will kill him at the first sign of weakness. Meanwhile, Stede has returned and realized his terrible mistake. With no ship and no money, he goes to Spanish Jackie for...
