Wings of a Sparrow

A Deal with the Devil

A bloodied Jack Sparrow stood before Hector Barbossa, two crewmen holding his arms and surrounded by even more of them. Jack had a glare of death on his face, but Barbossa wasn't fazed. He even laughed. "I'm inclined to kill you now, Jack Sparrow, without so much as a word, if you don't lose that glare from your face."

Jack's spat on the ground, a mixture of blood and spit covering Hector's boots. The two crewmen holding Jack shoved him to the ground, forcing him to let out a small grunt of pain. Barbossa put a hand to his cutlass-

"The girl's blood didn't work, did it?"

Barbossa stopped, a new look forming on his own face.

Jack pressed on. "I know whose blood you need, to end the curse."

Barbossa drew the sword. "Say the name, or I slit your throat."

Jack smiled, displaying the blood tainting his teeth. "No you won't."

Barbossa smiled and let out a bellowing laugh. "No. I won't." He nodded to Pintel.

Pintel stepped forward and put his knife to Jack's throat, pressing just hard enough to have three drops of blood fall. Jack's smile widened. Just as Pintel was about to draw the blade across his throat, Barbossa stopped him with a hand. "No, wait." 

Surprised, Pintel lowered his blade. Jack's expression hadn't changed. If anything, his smile only grew.

"Name your terms, Sparrow."

Jack shook off the crewmen holding him and slowly rose, holding his stomach but a smile still on his face. "Simple. I have something you want more than anything. The way to free you from the curse of the treasure. You have something I want more than anything."

"The Pearl?" Barbossa laughed. "Oh, that's fine. And just how do you expect this to work?"

"You give me the Pearl. Then I tell you who you need."

Barbossa stared at him, incredulous. "That's your offer? You, sailing away nice and pretty with the Black Pearl, and all I have is a name?"

Jack nodded. "Ideally, I'd take my ship back without giving you a name at all, but sometimes we must compromise."

"I'm supposed to... trust you?" The pirates laughed.

Jack held his head higher. "I'm a man of my word."

The pirates laughed louder.

Jack glared at them. "You see, I've got this honest streak in me. In its own way, a sort of curse. I'm also the only man in this room that hasn't mutinied against my Captain, so there's that going for me as well. You don't have much choice in this one, mate."

"I'll torture you." Barbossa growled.

Jack smirked. "Love to see you try." He was still smiling, intentionally smug now. 

Barbossa saw his options dwindling and began to pace. "Blast you! I'll throw you in prison."

Jack yawned. "Wait as long as you like."

"You're setting me up for a double cross, you with the ship, and me with nothing more than your word!"

"Let's say I tell you the wrong person. What would you do?"

"Track you down and-"

"Exactly. And if I tell you the truth, you become mortal. Where then you won't come near me because you know I'd kill you. Either way, you don't come near me and that's a bright side for me."

Barbossa hesitated. The crew was amazed at how the tides had turned; Barbossa had gone way past considering the idea, and now could even do it. 

"Jack, I don't trust you, and that's a fact. Never trust a smiling man, you can lay to that."

"See, that's where we're different. I trust you... to do what it takes to get what you want."

"You're playing this as close to the edge as any man, I'll give you that." he paced one more time, then decided. "We might just have to sign articles, you and I. Jack, you're a pirate at heart, that's certain."

Jack nodded. Barbossa continued, "Pintel, set sail. If this fool plan is to work, we'll need the medallion, and that means catching the ship which brought 'em here."

Jack was caught completely off guard. For the first time, his smile faded. "What, you don't have the medallion?"

"That fool woman took it. You be careful around her, Jack. She's pretty enough, she'll steal your heart... but pure evil inside. Bosun! Set up Mr. Sparrow's quarters, nice and fine... in the brig." To Jack, a smile. "Meaning no disrespect, of course."

Jack rolled his eyes and spat, "You've a hell of a nerve, throwing me in the brig of my own ship."

Barbossa drew his cutlass and held it to the side of Jack's face, giving him a long, thin cut on his cheek. "Be grateful I don't leave you here to bleed to death, Sparrow. Not that what I have planned for you be much better."

Barbossa smacked Jack in the temple with the butt of his sword, effectively knocking him unconscious to be taken to the Pearl.