{"id":323,"date":"2014-12-30T05:48:40","date_gmt":"2014-12-30T05:48:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/?page_id=323"},"modified":"2021-11-29T20:40:58","modified_gmt":"2021-11-30T02:40:58","slug":"part6","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/episodes\/episode7\/part6\/","title":{"rendered":"Part 6"},"content":{"rendered":"

Episode 7: \u00a0Here Ye Be Pirates<\/em><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Part 6<\/strong><\/h4>\n

 <\/p>\n

Emerald had had enough. Of this stupid ship. Of all these annoying Pirates Of The Caribbean<\/em> wannabes. Of the fact that she had been stuck with Carter on enough missions to last her for a good long while.<\/p>\n

Chaos had basically run amok upon the vessel. Above, waving in the gentle breeze, the flag of the Jolly Twitches mocked them, reminding her just how moronic all of this truly was. Everyone fought everybody. She couldn\u2019t tell where Jay had gotten to, but he could take care of himself. As for the current bane of her existence, she\u2019d hear him wailing, making some kind of loud noise that would inform her that the so-called Golden Boy needed her help.<\/p>\n

And these other idiots — FANS and whatever group that had created the kraken to begin with — well, they were asking for it. Especially the one who\u2019d decided her ass was perfect for grabbing.<\/p>\n

\u201cOh, FUCK this shit.\u201d She immediately grabbed a bayonet off another pirate, turned, and shot him before stabbing the one who\u2019d grabbed her in the first place. He attempted to dodge the incoming blade and failed as it stabbed his eye. Blood spurted out as he shrieked in pain; his hands flew to his now-wounded eye and flailed around while he kept shrieking.<\/p>\n

She\u2019d just go around and kill anyone who wasn\u2019t Nick or Jay. Hell, they\u2019re all the enemy anyway, and it\u2019s too damn crazy to attempt capturing anyone who ain\u2019t that midget leader from FANS,<\/em> she mused silently.<\/p>\n

Who needed a plan?<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Nick scanned the area, shoving aside anyone who got in his way. He didn\u2019t care about the random pirates or minions scattered about the deck of the ship. No, he wanted someone specific this time. Jay had said he would go after the leader. Nick had someone else in mind. He knew Drums would be here.<\/p>\n

And when Nick\u2019s stare flitted upward, he spotted him within the crow\u2019s nest of the ship. Nick needed to get there, now. He eyed his options. Climbing. Not the quickest route. That was when a wide grin appeared.<\/p>\n

Nick Carter definitely had an idea.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

It was Donnie who saw that idea put into action. He noticed a blond agent, obviously not with FANS or the kraken pirates, messing with the cannons. He stuffed something in, likely a cannonball… but with a rope attached. How… odd. The agent then held on to the other end while aiming the cannon towards the crow\u2019s nest, where one of their own oversaw the chaos below. It was then that he recognized the man as the infamous Agent Carter of Himitsu Takana. The fuse lit, and, within seconds, Carter launched into the air, along with the cannonball, in the direction of the crow\u2019s nest.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s insane!\u201d Donnie heard a female voice yell. He agreed silently.<\/p>\n

Once close enough to one of the rigging yards, Nick let go of the rope and gripped the wooden pole tightly, swinging himself up on top. It was synchronized so perfectly. Yet the action itself was so random. It baffled Donnie. \u201cDo you think he plans it all out\u2026 or just makes it up as he goes along?\u201d he asked himself aloud.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Nick caught his breath as he walked along the yard towards where his enemy stood. Drums turned, facing him with an almost neutral expression; Nick caught the look of surprise before it vanished. As he stared at him, Drums climbed out of the nest and walked to meet him; the red, robotic light of his eye stared relentlessly. Idly, Nick wondered if he was tempting fate by keeping his balance like this, despite his natural clumsiness.<\/p>\n

\u201cKnew you\u2019d try to get up on this, dawg.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nick shrugged. \u201cWhat can I say? I have this whole love for keeping the world safe. You should know how that is — you used to have it too.\u201d<\/p>\n

That was what triggered the first swing of the blade, just as quickly unsheathed by the former HimTak agent. Drums lunged as Nick fumbled before swiftly pulling out his own saber to block the next attack. He reminded himself not to look down. Nick had never been a fan of heights, oddly enough; he hated planes, which wasn\u2019t common in his career field. Drums knew that, too, so he had to be careful.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat man be dead and gone, yo.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe doesn\u2019t have to be!\u201d Nick pressed; he knew it was useless. Yet, out of respect for their old bond, he had to try one last time, even despite Shazam\u2019s demise.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes, it do gotta be like dat! Yo, Nick, you da one who popped a cap in his ass! Justin\u2019s dead!\u201d<\/p>\n

The fierce jab caused Nick to stumble back, struggling to keep his footing. Drums was on a deadly offensive; Nick kept having to back away as the swords clashed against each other in battle. The two dueled on, exchanging blows back and forth, as the boat swayed beneath them. The whole affair felt sadly familiar to Nick. It reminded him of earlier days, back when they would spar in HimTak\u2019s training rooms.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

\u201cCome at me, Kaos! Dawg, you gots to be quicker!\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cDrums, we all know we aren\u2019t gonna swordfight much. My skills are with my Berettas… and with my ladies.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cYa nevah know.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

\u201cEh, you\u2019ll be there to help me out then, aight?\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

It felt ironic, crossing blades with the same man who had helped hone his skills. Their sabers met strike for strike. Each knew the other\u2019s moves too well, able to read each other at a moment\u2019s glance to see what the other was planning to do next. Their sword dance went on amid the rigging, a precarious string of maneuvers along the wooden beam as the weapons clanged and clashed loudly in the air. One wrong step and either of them could plunge some two hundred feet to his death.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is fucking pointless, dude,\u201d Nick muttered, not meaning to say it aloud.<\/p>\n

Drums\u2019s sword dove towards Nick, and, with seconds to spare, he met it with his own, struggling to keep the former agent\u2019s away from its intended target. The swords glimmered with the light of the fading sun above. Justin raised his sole remaining brow at him in silent question. The swords wavered, the strength of each man almost equal, neither quite able to overcome the other.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou and I both know we aren\u2019t going to settle this in a swordfight.\u201d<\/p>\n

Before Nick could actually continue, before Drums could even think and respond, a shriek pierced the air. It caught the attention of both men, and their eyes shifted downward, where another \u201cpirate\u201d was being stabbed in the eye by none other than Emerald Ecstasy. Nick tried really hard not to snicker at the scene below. Not at the man\u2019s injury, but rather at how smug the woman looked as she did it. He laughed even harder at how she then rushed to shoot, slice, and dice any who entered her path.<\/p>\n

Drums, however, was far from amused. \u201cYo, you think dat\u2019s fuckin\u2019 funny, do you, dawg?! You try losin\u2019 an eye! See how you like it!\u201d<\/p>\n

It took Nick only seconds to realize what seeing that must do to Drums. An almost symbolic recreation of the injury that had destroyed his life. Every time Nick thought of it, it stung, more than he would ever say to anyone. And he thought about it more than anybody at HimTak would guess, including Pearl, Jay, Diamond, or Jewel.<\/p>\n

He couldn\u2019t wallow in guilt, however, because his opponent swung the sword dangerously close to his head. It set Nick off balance, forcing him to turn a stumble into an awkward somersault that appeared almost purposeful. While in the air, he swung his sword at Drums. He wanted to move on. He wanted to end all the chaos he\u2019d caused since that fateful mission. He wanted to forget. None of that could happen until everything between the two men was finished, and that meant capture or death for one of them.<\/p>\n

While that didn\u2019t happen, Nick didn\u2019t completely miss his mark. His sword struck flesh.<\/p>\n

The sword was one of the very best, a customized Hattori Hanzo sword with a blade made of Japanese steel designed exclusively for Himitsu Takana back in its days in Japan. HimTak always provided its agents with quality weapons, even for disguises, just in case. The blade was sharp and deadly, able to slice through almost anything.<\/p>\n

That \u201calmost anything\u201d included bone. It slid easily through Drums\u2019s sword hand, sliced right on through as if it was merely butter. Blood sprayed at both Nick and Drums as Nick reached wildly for the cordage of the sails to keep himself from falling. Clutching tightly to the ropes, he watched as the severed limb plummeted carelessly to the depths of the ocean below.<\/p>\n

Nick stared wide-eyed at Drums, startled by what he had just done. \u201cMY HAND!\u201d was the scream of agony with which he was met. Debilitating pain consumed Drums while Nick stood frozen in shock. He hadn\u2019t meant to disfigure Drums again<\/em>. He\u2019d missed the mark, again<\/em>. Mutilated the man, again<\/em>.<\/p>\n

For a second, the noise of helicopters roaring through the air distracted him, catching the attention of everyone on the boat. All fighting ceased on both vessels.<\/p>\n

Great. They had even more company.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Jay still defended himself against Dr. Rough\u2019s slashing blade when, out of the corner of his eye, he noticed what appeared to be a human hand flying through the air, trailing flecks of blood behind it like the tail of a shooting star. Above the shouts and clang of swords on the decks below, he could have sworn he heard a plop as it dropped into the sea.<\/p>\n

\u201cDid you just see that?\u201d he asked, steeling his own sword against Dr. Rough\u2019s.<\/p>\n

\u201cSee what?\u201d sneered his nemesis.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt looked like somebody\u2019s hand. It fell from the sky and landed in the water over there.\u201d With his free hand, he pointed over the deck rail.<\/p>\n

Dr. Rough frowned, perplexed. Their eyes met, and without a word, they both lowered their swords and raced to the rail, pushing each other out of the way in their quest to look for the appendage. It didn\u2019t occur to either to stab the other amidst the distraction.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere!\u201d cried Rough, pointing. Jay looked down and grimaced at the sight of the ghostly hand bobbing in the blood-tinged waves. As realization dawned, they both looked up, craning their necks to see who had lost a hand. A sudden jolt rocked Jay\u2019s stomach. Nick. Nick was up there, clinging to the rigging of the ship, with Drums.<\/p>\n

Suddenly, his attention turned to the skies as he noticed a small fleet of helicopters swooping down from the clouds. His eyes narrowed, trying to make out their insignia. Next to him, he heard Dr. Rough\u2019s low intake of breath.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

Emerald didn\u2019t see the helicopters. After watching Nick manage to blast himself into the rigging of the FANS ship to take on Drums, she had done a little rope swinging of her own — and planned to do a little blasting, too. She would never admit it, but 00Carter and their last mission together — two things she\u2019d hated (and, in the case of Carter, still did) — had inspired her.<\/p>\n

While the pirates ran amok aboard The Jolly Twitches, the kraken was surprisingly deserted, allowing Emerald to poke around in the cargo hold unseen. She made quick work of her task, gathering materials from the eclectic bounty of booty the pirates had pillaged from the cruise ships. Electronics, which she disassembled, laying out batteries and wires across the floor. A handsome, old-fashioned alarm clock that ticked out the time. A large section of pipe, which must have been recovered from the wreckage of one of the sinking vessels. A tube of ping-pong balls. A couple of pool toys. A sewing kit.<\/p>\n

She even plundered some supplies from the pirates themselves. A toolbox. A few lifebuoys. A keg of gunpowder. A fuse from one of the cannons. These she set aside while she got to work assembling her creation. She filled the pipe with gunpowder, inserting the end of the fuse before capping off the ends. She hooked the lifebuoys together and rigged the pipe inside. She attached wires, connected batteries. She set the alarm clock.<\/p>\n

When she\u2019d added the pool toys — a couple of child\u2019s floaties and a long, foam noodle — she sat back to admire her handiwork. Cocking her head to the side, she decided something was missing. It didn\u2019t yet give the visual effect she\u2019d hoped for.<\/p>\n

And so, she stripped off her green dress and started tearing it to pieces, still oblivious of the helicopters circling outside.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

A smile spread like lava across Dr. Rough\u2019s face when he saw the helicopters. He hesitated only a second, long enough to decide he was not about to risk being captured at the last minute, and then tipped his large hat to Jay. \u201cFarewell!\u201d he announced as he flipped headfirst over the rail and dove into the sea.<\/p>\n

When he surfaced, shaking saltwater from his eyes, he could just make out Jay\u2019s stunned expression above the rail of The Jolly Twitches. \u201cWhat do you think you\u2019re doing?\u201d Jay yelled down to him. \u201cYou\u2019re insane, you know that?!\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr. Rough laughed bitterly. \u201cI\u2019m not insane!\u201d he shouted from the water. \u201cI\u2019m a genius!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMaybe, but you\u2019re also fucking nuts, dude! You know that\u2019s why HimTak turned you down, don\u2019t you? You failed the psych exam! Now I see why!\u201d<\/p>\n

Jay turned away from the rail, leaving Dr. Rough treading the waves, screaming, \u201cI am not insane! The mundane minds at Himitsu Takana couldn\u2019t possibly understand the inner workings of a brain like mine! You\u2019re looking at a mastermind! A mastermind they could have had as one of their own! But no, they missed out! Now they shall know their mistake in rejecting me! You don\u2019t want me as your enemy, Agent McLean!\u201d<\/p>\n

But AJ McLean was already out of hearing range of his rantings. Furious, Dr. Rough snatched his waterlogged hat from the sea\u2019s grasp and jammed the dripping thing onto his head. He reached both arms above his head, kicking feverishly beneath the surface of the water, and waved to signal the approaching helicopters.<\/p>\n

As the one nearest descended, he could make out the purple letters emblazoned on the side. FANS<\/strong>. \u201cForgotten agents need status,\u201d he murmured, shivering in the water as he watched a small hatch in the chopper\u2019s black exterior open.<\/p>\n

A long rope ladder dropped when the helicopter approached, and Dr. Rough swam to reach it. As soon as he had hoisted himself up onto the bottom rung, he dug deep into the pockets of his soggy breeches and retrieved a small whistle. This he blew, emanating a shrill pitch as he was lifted out of the sea.<\/p>\n

The chopper moved into position over The Jolly Twitches. Dr. Rough ignored the surprised shouts from the kraken\u2019s crew and the cheers from his own as he clung to the ladder, hovering a few feet above deck. His hopeful eyes found the captain\u2019s quarters and watched until he saw what he\u2019d been waiting for: the lithe body of his ferret, scrambling through one of the portholes.<\/p>\n

\u201cCome, Twitches!\u201d he called, tooting his whistle once more, and watched Dr. Twitches scamper across the ship\u2019s deck towards him, dodging feet and fallen bodies. \u201cJump, my darling!\u201d And Dr. Twitches took a flying leap, soaring through the air like a missile, aiming for the ladder. Dr. Rough caught him by his harness and pulled him to the safety of his shoulder, winding the leash around his arm again. \u201cThere, there,\u201d Dr. Rough cooed, kissing the top of the ferret\u2019s head as he felt the ladder begin to ascend. \u201cDaddy\u2019s got you now.\u201d<\/p>\n

He began to climb the ladder. The boom of cannon fire, the clatter of swords, and the shooting of guns from the decks below still filled the air. He prayed that his faithful minions could hold off their enemies long enough to allow him a safe escape.<\/p>\n

When he finally reached the top of the ladder unscathed, a hand reached down to pull him up into the helicopter. \u201cJust in the nick of time, Fatone,\u201d Dr. Rough panted, setting Dr. Twitches safely down on the floor of the cabin.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe received a page from Drums, saying that HimTak was here, and the numbers were more than anticipated. MJ and I thought you might need some backup!\u201d shouted Joey above the roar of the rotors.<\/p>\n

Dr. Rough smiled briefly at the rockhopper penguin strapped into the co-pilot\u2019s seat. The penguin turned and winked, raising its wing in greeting. It was wearing a headset.<\/p>\n

Joey fit Dr. Rough and Dr. Twitches with their own headsets so they could hear each other without shouting. He thought of Drums, watching the battle from the crow\u2019s nest. Though he hated to admit defeat, Dr. Rough knew his right-hand agent had been wise to call for a rescue crew when he had. There was no telling how he would have escaped otherwise, with his ship overrun with HimTak agents, including that menace 00Carter and dear old AJ himself.<\/p>\n

He gazed down at the crow\u2019s nest, intending to command Joey to fetch Drums next, and blinked in surprise when he saw that it was empty. \u201cWhere\u2019s Drums?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t see him,\u201d Joey\u2019s voice crackled through Dr. Rough\u2019s headset. They both squinted down at the ship, searching for the red gleam of Drums\u2019s eye. \u201cThere,\u201d Joey said, pointing. \u201cThere he is.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dr. Rough followed his finger. He gasped softly when he spotted Drums, clinging to one of the masts with one hand, his knees hooked around the wooden beam. His right arm dangled limply in the air, and Dr. Rough\u2019s eyes widened when he saw that it ended in a bleeding stump.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe\u2019s still alive,\u201d he murmured as he watched Drums struggle to hang on.<\/p>\n

They circled the mast and dropped the ladder again, and Dr. Rough himself climbed back down it to rescue his most prized agent.<\/p>\n

***<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

Part 7<\/a><\/strong><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Episode 7: \u00a0Here Ye Be Pirates Part 6   Emerald had had enough. Of this stupid ship. Of all these annoying Pirates Of The Caribbean wannabes. Of the fact that she had been stuck with Carter on enough missions to last her for a good long while. Chaos had basically\u2026<\/p>\n

Read more<\/span><\/i><\/a> <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":134,"menu_order":6,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","template":"templates\/template-onecolumn.php","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-323","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/P5xaHX-5d","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/323","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=323"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/323\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":903,"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/323\/revisions\/903"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/134"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dreamers-sanctuary.com\/00carter\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=323"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}