A Pirate's Life for Me Part 13
Heero stood on the deck and watched the shadowy shoreline come closer. He'd fetched the Captain breakfast and helped him get dressed. Now Duo was holding a soft-voiced conversation with Hilde. Heero knew he should be listening, but he couldn't focus on anything except the shoreline. The last of the Maxwells might die on that strip of sand- and he knew what his father would have to say about that.
But the challenge had been issued and accepted. He couldn't interfere, would have to stand on the sidelines and watch.
"We're almost there." Chang's voice rumbled over his shoulder.
"So we are. Are you going to slip on board the ship and try to find Lena?"
A faint chuckle. "I thought about it, but I think you will need me on the beach more. Besides, if this ends like I think, I'll have more time afterwards."
Heero turned and faced him. "How do you think it's going to end?"
"One of the captains is going to go down and the crews will fight." Chang rubbed the back of his neck. "I'm just hoping it's Whitebeard that goes down."
"Diplomatic."
Chang shook his head. "Hardly. It would demoralize his crew and then the ladies should be able to wipe the beach with them. Course if Maxwell goes down, his crew is going to be hell-bent for blood."
Nodding, Heero scanned the decks. All of the crew was on deck, some working, some in small groups talking, some like him, watching the shore get closer. The tension in the air made the hair on the back of his neck stand up. These ladies were ready to fight.
"Looks like the boats are about to be lowered," Chang noted and strolled away.
Heero followed a moment later. Father, he thought, if you are up there watching this, I'd appreciate a hand today...
~*~
Whitebeard's crew was already there, waiting in a half circle on the sand, a tall man with long blond hair and a beard standing slightly in front of them.
Duo heard Heero inhale sharply.
"What?"
"That's not him."
"What?!"
"It's not. It looks a little like him, but he's too young!" Heero squinted. "It's not the Merquise."
"Then why is he using the brands?"
"Maybe it's a member of his house?"
Whitebeard lifted his sword in greeting. "Good morning gentlemen- and ladies." He sounded faintly surprised. "Which one of you is the Captain?"
"That would be me." Duo stepped forward and bowed slightly. "Duo Maxwell."
Whitebeard didn't look surprised. "Maxwell? Any relation to Alexander Maxwell of the Isles?"
"My father."
"Ah," Whitebeard smiled faintly. "I thought so, based on what the girl told me." He gestured and his men moved aside. Relena sat on a stump, pouting.
She tilted her nose up in the air at their regard. Duo was slightly relieved to see that she looked unhurt.
"So I see you let the lass and her pirate hunters live?"
Whitebeard chuckled. "Well no. Pretty much just the lass- and that Commodore of theirs. I needed a cabin boy." His eyes narrowed. "Speaking of which, I wanted to ask you about yours. The jade claims his last name is Yuy?"
"It is," Heero spoke quietly from his place behind Duo.
"I am Zechs Merquise. You and yours have given my father a lot of trouble over the years."
"Really?" Heero lifted an eyebrow. "I rather thought he brought it on himself. Where is he anyway?"
"Dead." Whitebeard smiled. "How disappointed you must be."
Heero lifted a shoulder in a shrug. Dead was dead, he wasn't going to quibble.
Whitebeard looked back at Duo. "I have no intention of continuing to fight my father's battles. What he did to your family was an injustice. We will fight here and now, but after I will not seek to hurt the rest of your family."
"I am the only one left in my family, thanks to your father." Duo unsheathed his sword. "Shall we begin?"
"Not yet." Whitebeard frowned. "I wanted your assurance that the rest of my family would not be harmed, that the duel would end here. Since I can't promise the safety of your family?"
Duo saw an opening. The man was obviously worried about his family- wherever or whoever they were. Maybe he had a wife and child someplace? All the better, because then he could ask for something he was worried about.
"The safety of my crew then- and I give you my word that I will not go after your family."
"And Mr. Yuy there?"
Duo cast a glance at Heero, hoping he didn't have to argue. But Heero simply nodded.
"I will do as my lord Maxwell requests. No harm to your family."
"Then no harm to your crew as well." Whitebeard looked over his shoulder. "Did you hear and agree?"
"Aye aye Captain." Said the men in one voice.
"Then let's begin."
~*~
Heero watched carefully as the duel began and the combatants circled each other in the soft sand. The other man was taller, had a longer reach, but Duo was faster. The swords met, clashed, traced silver circles in the air. If it wasn't so deadly, Heero might have admired the style.
The sun crept higher in the sky and still the swords flashed and feinted, neither one gaining an advantage. How long could they do this?
Heero frowned when Duo was slow to parry a blow. Was his shoulder acting up? It was almost healed- but not fully... Damn it. He should've been the one fighting.
"It doesn't look like they hurt Relena," Wufei said from his place beside him.
"No. I'm sure she told them who she was." Ransoming her would bring a fine profit.
Heero looked over at Relena, sitting on the tree stump, watching the fight with a slight smile on her lips. Something was wrong there; he could feel it... but what?
A gasp from Wufei made him look back at the fight. Whitebeard had managed to scratch Duo's wrist.
Damn, damn, damn. His father would've been able to do this better... would've been able to convince Duo to let him fight...
Heero glanced towards Relena again- was she arranging her skirt? What did she think this was? A day in the park?
The girl's smile widened as she pulled out a small pistol from the folds of her skirt.
Heero tensed. She wouldn't!
But Duo's back was to her...
He'd waited too long. She was already aiming- the two pirates beside her either not noticing or not caring.
Heero launched himself between her and Duo's unprotected back.
~*~
Duo was waiting. The bastard was tiring; he could see the shine of sweat on the other's face.
He moved backwards, trying to draw the other closer- it worked. Whitebeard lunged and Duo dodged the blade tip, moving to the side, striking in at his opponent's chest.
He saw Whitebeard's eyes widen in shock as the blade went past his target. Cursed as Duo's own blade struck his opponent's arm instead of his chest.
The sound of a shot echoed in the air.
Duo turned, his sword in Whitebeard's arm still, and saw Heero- impaled on the blade he dodged- and beyond him- Relena with the smoking pistol in her hand.
"Heero!" His cabin boy turned his head towards Duo slightly.
Duo pulled his sword from Whitebeard's arm, cursing, even as Whitebeard let go of his blade, letting it fall into the sand beside Heero.
"My apologies, Captain." Heero landed heavily on his knees, one hand going up to cover the bullet hole in his chest the other reaching for the sword wound.
"I didn't see her in time to warn you." Heero finished as Duo dropped to his knees beside him, his hands moving to cover Heero's. "I'm sorry..."
"Relena!" Whitebeard bellowed, ignoring the two men by his feet. "What the hell are you doing?!"
"You were losing!"
"You've brought disgrace upon our house!"
"Oh, forgive me brother dear, but I rather think the whole running off to be a pirate thing kind of did that already! You broke father's heart when you ran off!"
"He's no doubt spinning in his grave over this! It is dishonorable to shoot an enemy in the back! I should've sent you right back to your foster parents!"
"At least I found Yuy's son! That's more than you did! And I may have been aiming for Maxwell's back, but Yuy was facing me!"
Duo nearly lunged for her, but Heero's blood was pumping out between his fingers and he couldn't move.
Sally was there, suddenly, medical bag beside her. "I've got him Captain," she assured Duo softly. "Watch yourself."
Duo got to his feet reluctantly, his hands stained with Heero's blood.
"And lost him! And hired that crew of incompetents." Whitebeard shook his head. "I should've left you on board. I knew it was a mistake to trust you."
He seemed to realize Duo was beside him. He turned, keeping one eye on Relena. "My apologies, Maxwell. My sister is often headstrong and foolish. I didn't know she was going to try such a trick- and I didn't see Yuy behind you until it was too late." He bent down and picked up his sword, handing it to Duo. "I yield. Kill me and avenge Yuy."
Duo fought the urge to look over his shoulder to check if Heero was still alive. "You aren't responsible for this. She is."
Whitebeard nodded, his eyes cold. "I know I asked for protection for my family, but if you want her for a galley slave, you may have her."
Duo looked towards Chang. "Do we want her?"
"No."
"Wufei!" Relena darted towards him. "What are you saying? We're engaged!" She threw her arms around his neck. "I was only chasing Heero because he was an enemy of my family!" He lifted his hands and seized her wrists, removing himself from her embrace.
"We're not engaged. Not anymore."
Relena stared at him in shock.
Duo risked a look towards Heero and felt panic seize him as nothing but bloodied sand met his gaze.
"Sally took him to the ship," Hilde said softly beside him. "She stopped the bleeding, but couldn't sew him up with all this sand around."
Duo hoped she wasn't lying to spare him.
"So what can I do? Do you want her life?" His attention snapped back to Whitebeard.
"No," Duo shook his head, trying to banish the image of the bloodied sand. "I think we've had enough of that."
"Perhaps you're right." Whitebeard gestured at his pirates and three of them grabbed Relena- who protested at the top of her voice. "Shall we say a truce then, should our ships meet again?"
"Agreed."
Duo watched as Whitebeard and his men headed towards their ship. "Watch them." He said to Hilde. "I still don't trust them."
"Me either." Hilde nodded. "Back to the ship, Captain?"
"Yes. We need to move as soon as possible."
Dorothy was standing outside his cabin when they returned. "Sorry Captain," she said holding a hand up. "Sally said you weren't to come in. She needs to concentrate."
"How is he?"
"Alive," Dorothy met his eyes. "At least for the moment."
"They're moving away Captain," Hilde called. "Back the way they came."
"So we go forward! We have a shipment to deliver."
The crew hurried about on the deck and Duo forced himself to watch, forced himself to think about things other than the man fighting for his life in Duo's cabin.
When Sally finally emerged, Lucrezia beside her, Duo felt his heart grow cold. She looked exhausted and worried- was it bad news?
"How does he?"
Sally lifted a shoulder. "He's alive. None of his major organs were damaged. I cleaned the wounds and sewed him up- but he lost a lot of blood. I won't lie to you Captain- we could lose him any moment- or he might pull through." She smiled suddenly. "I think he has a strong will to live however, so I wouldn't bet against him."
"May I see him?"
"Please. He refused to take the sleeping drug until he saw you."
~*~
Heero's eyelids flickered slightly when Duo bent over the bed. "Cap'n? Are you injured?" His voice was slurred with pain, but his eyes focused intently on Duo.
"No," Duo sat carefully down on the mattress. "You are the only one who got hurt. What were you thinking jumping in front of a bullet like that? I didn't know you were back there! I moved aside thinking to draw Whitebeard closer and he struck you! You shouldn't have been there!"
The corner of Heero's mouth turned up. "M'duty to watch your back."
"Not at the risk of your own."
"Loyal t' death."
Duo shook his head. "I know you are idiot. You don't have to prove it." He sighed. "Sally says you need to take her medicine."
"What happened to Whitebeard?"
"We agreed to a truce. He offered his life, and Relena's, but I couldn't do it. It was their father and his men, not them..." Duo bit his lip. "Are you angry?"
Heero shook his head. "No. Enough death."
"That's what I said." Duo leaned closer. "I don't want to find another cabin boy, so don't you die on me."
The curve deepened a little. "I'll try not to."
Duo reached out and traced the tattoo on Heero's bare shoulder. "I suppose that's good enough out here. Though I could go back now. I could do the gentleman thing and all that."
Heero managed a slight chuckle and shook his head. "You wouldn't like it."
"I daresay you're right. This life suits me better. But what about you? Once you heal up do you want us to put you ashore now that it's safe for you?" Duo didn't want to give Heero up, but he would if that's what Heero wanted.
Heero reached out and caught his Captain's hand in his cold one. Meeting Duo's eyes, he smiled. "As long as you're here, it's a pirate's life for me."
OWARI
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