A Pirate's Life for Me Part 12
"The mark?" Barton pulled down his collar. "It's what they branded me with after I agreed to do the navigational work."
Duo nodded. He glanced at Heero out of the corner of his eye. During the recitation of Mr. Barton's trials at the hands of the pirates, Heero had been like a coiled spring. It worried Duo. He wanted revenge for the slaughter of his family, the destruction of his house, but Heero seemed to burn with it.
Then again, Duo thought bleakly, Heero had more time with his family growing up. He knew them well enough to miss them.
"Do all the pirates have it?" Heero asked and Barton nodded.
"Whitebeard makes sure of it. Something to do with his house. He claims to be of good blood." Mr. Barton snorted.
"Can you describe him for me?"
"Of course. Tall, blond- white blond, thus the Whitebeard name- long hair, long beard. I never got close enough to see more than that, I'm afraid."
"That's plenty, thank you." Duo said when Heero stayed quiet. "Please don't be upset with Cook for telling us."
"Of course not sir," Mr. Barton glanced at Quatre's back. The Cook had been quietly making breakfast as they talked.
"Yes, thank you very much." Heero added, sounding distracted. Duo waited until they were out of the galley before he grabbed Heero's shoulder and forced the other man to look at him.
"What are you thinking?"
"He's close." Heero met Duo's eyes and Duo's heart sunk at his expression. "I've never gotten this close to him before. If you'd let me take one of the longboats…"
Duo reacted angrily. "To do what? Go and try to slip aboard his ship? Try to get him to impress you into service? What are you thinking?! You can't just go rushing off into danger! He's got a whole shipload of pirates and you're one man. Besides he might not have even survived the battle with the pirate hunters."
He shook Heero. "Listen to me. You will not be serving me very well if you go rushing off to get killed. I won't let you."
He expected an argument. Expected Heero to punch him or walk away or ignore him.
Heero blinked. "You're right," he said in a quiet tone and Duo relaxed a little. "It would be stupid to go rushing off. My father would be furious at me."
"He wouldn't be the only one." Duo released his grip on Heero. "If you went rushing off and got yourself killed, I'd be very upset with you."
Heero gave Duo a small half-smile. "I know, but- Captain- I have to face him. I promised."
"I understand that." Duo returned the smile. "I want to take him down too- but I want to survive it."
Heero nodded. "So- what do we do? I don't want to risk your crew."
"We'll think of something. We know who he is now. Maybe we can ambush him in one of the towns? There's got to be a good way to do it. We just have to figure it out."
"All right." Heero agreed, but Duo still wasn't sure of him. Once he'd sent Heero off to start chores, he went to find Hilde and give her an order.
"Guard the boats?" She asked and frowned. "You don't think our prisoner is going to try and escape do you?" She gestured at Chang who was helping a few others with the sails. "He's been very polite actually."
"Not him. It's Heero I'm worried about."
"Why would he leave?" She demanded.
"It's Whitebeard. He's the head of the house that took out our families. Barton identified him for us and Heero wanted to take one of the longboats and go after him."
Hilde's eyes widened. "On his own? Captain, didn't you tell him that you'd just swing the ship around?"
"And risk my crew?" Duo countered. "No, this is my fight, not yours. I'm not going to sail back towards those two ships- for all we know, the hunters sank Whitebeard's."
"What are you going to do?"
"I don't know yet." Duo admitted. "I'm working on that part."
Hilde smiled. "With all due respect Captain, you're being an idiot. We're your crew and we fight for you. This man killed your family? Then we'll help you kill him. Figure us into your plans."
Duo smiled at her. "I'd rather not risk a ship to ship battle. He's got the better ship."
"Then we think of another way. But if you think your crew is going to stand by and let you do this on your own, then you don't know us."
~*~
Duo stood by the wheel, watching the sun begin to set. It had been a long day- trying to keep the ship running as he tried to come up with a plan.
As he stood there, various members of his crew had approached him and told him that they were willing to help him avenge his family. He appreciated their support- but at the same time he worried about it. Whitebeard had already taken away his real family. He'd found another one- but was he going to lose them to Whitebeard too?
He didn't want to risk it. What to do?
"Captain!" Lu approached him, one hand pointing at the water behind them. "Look."
He turned and saw sails on the horizon. "Damn it." He groped for his spyglass as he headed for the railing.
Opening it, he focused on the distant sail. He could just make out the flag on the topsail. Damn it.
"Which one is it?" Lu asked.
He closed the spyglass. "It's Whitebeard."
Lu rushed off and Duo frowned. Now he just needed a plan. He still didn't want to fight ship to ship…
A thought occurred to him.
That might work.
"It's him isn't it?" Heero joined him at the rail, scowling at the approaching ship.
"It is." Duo turned to him. "And I have a plan."
"What are we going to do?"
"Hilde!" Duo looked for his first mate. She came rushing up, panting.
"Sir? Are we preparing for battle?"
"Yes, but before we do I'd like to send a message to the Captain of the other ship. Use the signal flags."
"Sir?"
"Tell him instead of a ship battle I'm challenging him to single combat. And head the ship over there-" Duo pointed to the coastline. "We'll do it on dry land."
"Sir!" "Captain!" The two of them protested.
Duo gave Hilde a look. "Let me do this my way. That's an order."
"Yes sir!" She turned away and Duo looked at Heero.
"This way I don't risk the crew."
"But-"
"I know. If I go down, you can challenge him. Hopefully one of us will take him out."
Heero bit his lip. "I don't like this."
"Do you have a better plan?"
"No," he admitted.
Hilde was back. "He accepts Captain. On the shore at dawn."
TBC...
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