The waves crashed against the hull of my ship, spraying my face with the cool salty water. The refreshing ocean air blew through my hair, the long tendrils of red whipping against my face. I closed my eyes and sighed in content. I heard the sounds of my crew laughing and shouted orders in the background and smiled. Being at sea was...something else; something that I loved.

I opened my eyes as I felt a hand touch my shoulder. I turned sharply to see the familiar red hair of my first mate, Natasha. She placed her hands on her hips, gripping the hilt of her sword.

"What happened?" I asked her, without waiting for her to explain. She smirked and leaned over the side with me.

"Who said anything was wrong?" she quipped, holding her hands in defense. I chuckled and shook my head, turning around to face her and leaning my back against the side. She copied my movements and nodded her head over to our scout, Carol.

"Carol says she caught sight of something off the starboard side. A port maybe."

"Do we need to stop?" I asked her, thinking back on our supplies. It had been a while since we landed in a port and restocked our provisions, but we weren't in desperate need. Nat shrugged her shoulders and pressed her lips into a thin line.

"It's up to you, Cap'n."

I thought about it for a moment. There were benefits to stopping besides picking up supplies. I bit my lower lip and nodded my head, looking straight ahead.

"Let's stop. It'll give the crew a chance to take a break before we move on our way." I pushed off the side of my ship and began to walk in the direction of my quarters, before I stopped and turned back around to Natasha. "Send Carol to my quarters so we can plan a course."

"Aye, aye, Captain," she said saluting me as she left my sight, walking over to Carol. I shook my head at her and opened the door to my quarters and walked down the small number of steps before entering my room.

I walked over to a small bookshelf and scanned the different rolled up scrolls before grabbing one and placing it on my desk, unrolling it and placing different weighted objects on the corners to keep it from rolling back up. I studied the map and took out my compass, finding north, and tried to find our position on the map. A small knock on my door took my attention away for a brief moment, causing me to look up and say, "Enter," before looking back down at the map again.

Carol walked in and briefly saluted and said, "You called for me, Captain?"

I looked up at her and waved her over.

"Yes, Carol. Natasha tells me that you spotted land off the starboard side."

"That's right, Captain. I think it may be an island or a port."

"Very good," I said nodding and pointing at the map. "Help me plan a course and we'll change direction as soon as possible." Carol nodded and came over to the map and looked at it.

○○○

We set a course for Isle Catavan, estimating that we'd reach the port by nightfall, and the whole ship was bustling with my crew preparing to dock. Inventory was taken to see what was needed and what we could do without, the docks were cleaned and empty containers were brought on deck to be refilled or thrown away.

I looked up at the billowing sails as my crew moved around me, going about their duties. The wind was good; we might get there early. Natasha's voice barking orders snapped me back and I walked up to the poop deck, standing next to Peggy who's eyes were fixed on the open ocean in front of us. She tightly held the helm with both hands, her knuckles turning white. The wind blew the loose brown curls away from her face, highlighting her intimidated stare. Her ruby red lips were pressed in a tight line as her jaw clenched. I chuckled lightly and laid a hand on hers, startling her a bit. She flinched, blinked rapidly and shook her head, turning to look at me.

"Captain," she said tipping her head before fixing her eyes on the horizon, the little picture of land getting bigger and bigger with each passing second.

"Carter," I said greeting her back, patting her hand to ease the tension. "At ease, Carter. You don't want to break the wheel," I joked. She smiled at me and loosened her grip on the helm. Her hands turned a bright red as blood rushed back into them, then they settled to normal pink.

"The wind is good, Captain. We should arrive no later than nightfall," she said, glancing at me. I nodded my head and started to hum a gentle song. Peggy looked at me fully and raised her brow questioningly. "What song is that?"

"I don't know," I shrugged, "but I know I've heard it before."

"Well, whatever it is, it's very pretty, Captain."

As we neared the island, a wave of excitement washed over me. There was always something to be had stopping into a port town. Usually, my crew and I would—after stocking up on supplies and completing any important business—find the closest tavern and just spend the night drinking and playing games, though sometimes some of them would wander off with interested young men (or women in my case) and just enjoy one night of pleasure. If we were lucky, a fight would break out in the tavern, and if we were luckier, the fight would be to the death. It was always fun to place playful bets on the outcome of a fight with my crew members. Ah, they're a good group of girls.

"Hope," I called out, looking at the growing horizon. An average height woman with long brown hair ran up the steps of the poop deck and stopped behind me. I turned to her and pointed to one of the cannons that lined the sides of the decks. "Signal our arrival. Fire the cannon." She nodded and walked briskly down the steps and walked over to a cannon. She loaded it, grabbed the linstock and stood behind it as she lit the fuse. The cannon fired in a loud explosion, the vibrations reverberating throughout the entire ship.

A few minutes passed before a similar explosion was heard coming from the port town. the Black Wolf pulled into port a few minutes later and docked quickly. Natasha and I walked down the gangplank first, meeting the harbor master at the bottom, giving him the small monetary price for docking and smiling at him as he walked away. Natasha walked over to me and nudged me in the arm.

"So, should we resupply and then have fun?" I laughed and looked over at her with a stern expression.

"Work first, then fun." She nodded and walked back up the gangplank and helped the rest of the girls bring down the empty containers off the ship. Natasha followed me into the main town, passing the different venders and merchants that lined the streets.

"Have any plans tonight?" Nat asked me as we pulled a small cart of provisions back to the Black Wolf. I could hear the suggestive smirk in her voice and picture her wiggling eyebrows. I shook my head at her and tried to wave her off.

"Why? Are you interested?"

"Not particularly, but I was just wondering if you planned on actually having fun tonight."

"When don't I have fun?" I asked, raising a brow.

"You have fun, but you don't have fun. At least, not as much as you should. You need to get out there," she said, shrugging and lifting a small barrel out of the cart and carrying it up the gangplank, placing it on the deck.

"I have fun. I just...need to find the right person." I felt my face grow hot as Natasha's light green eyes snapped over to me. "I'm sorry that I need to establish a connection first."

"Claire," she sighed as she walked over to me and rested her hands on my shoulders, "tonight, I need you to grab the first beautiful girl that catches your eye and show her a good time. That's an order." She patted my shoulder and grabbed another barrel and a burlap sack and carried them up to the deck. I furrowed my brows, grabbing a larger barrel and following her.

"Since when do you give orders to the captain?"

"Since the captain wasn't taking care of herself." We laughed and finished unloading the cart, bringing our new provisions below deck.

○○○

Drunken laughter filled the air of the tavern. I took a swig of my rum and looked over to my left, watching as a few of my crewmates were deeply engaged in a drunken card game. My head teetered to the right where Natasha leaned against the arm of a ruggedly handsome looking young man who smiled brightly at her. Nat looked over at me and winked before subtly pointing to my farther right at a young woman walking through a drunken crowd carrying multiple pitchers. I waved her off and shook my head, turning my attention back to my drink.

"Can I get you another one, miss," a voice asked. I slowly turned my head and was met with a very busty young women with light blonde hair and bright blue eyes, wearing a white and red dress that only helped to accentuate her cleavage. She leaned down on the table, her head held up on her raised arm, providing me with a very clear view of her breasts. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and proceeded to do the same with me. I flinched a little as I stopped myself from staring at her and sent her a small sly smile.

"No, but there is something else you can do for me..." She gave me a smirk and leaned closer, getting in my face.

"Oh yeah? Well, how can I help you?"

I grabbed her arm and pulled her to me, quickly sitting her on my lap, and ran my fingers through her hair. She laughed and pulled herself closer to me, snaking her arms around the back of my neck.

"You know, I'm kinda lonely tonight and I can use the company..."

"Hmm...poor baby. I think I can help you with that."

I smiled and leaned forward, placing a series of small gentle kisses along her neck and collar bone. She closed her eyes and hummed and twirled her fingers in my hair. I pulled away from her neck and captured her lips with mine, moving fiercely against her as my self-control started to dwindle. She responded by moaning into the kiss and trailing her fingers lower to the laces of my dress, lightly pulling on them. Taking the hint, I suddenly stood up, catching her by surprise and pulled her out of the tavern and all the way to the docks to my ship.

○○○

I woke up the next morning with a pounding headache and the beautiful woman from last night lying beside me, still fast asleep. She laid on her stomach, the thin sheets wrapped around the lower half of her body, her hair was messily strewn across her face and her arm was curled in a tight fist under her head. He mouth hung open just a little bit and a soft snore crept past her plump lips that were slightly swollen from the night before. I smiled briefly and laid back down, scooting close to her and resting me hand gently against her bare back. Her lips pulled into a small smile and she chuckled and stirred, though her eyes did not open.

"You're up already? I thought maybe I would get the chance to sleep in," she mumbled, moving her hand from her head and finding my own. I brought her hand up to my lips and kissed her knuckles. This time, her eyes opened, revealing her beautiful blue irises.

"Well, I wanted to watch the sun rise. Very rarely does humanity get the opportunity to see it twice in one day." She laughed and sat up, the sheet falling from her body. The bright morning sunlight shined through the great window, casting a golden silhouette behind her. She stood up from the bed and started getting dressed. Coming around the bed, she kissed me once more and brushed some stray strands of hair behind my ears, looking me in my similar blue eyes. I nodded, understanding the time, and pointed at my bedside table. " " I sat up and stared ahead, feeling empty.

She opened the drawer, took two shillings, and looked back at me, leaning down to kiss me once more. "You're very generous. For a pirate." I looked up to see her smirk a bit and gave her a fake smile.

"Well, you worked very hard last night and deserve this compensation."

"Thank you, miss." She tipped her head and left my quarters, forever leaving my ship. I sighed and got up, got dressed, and walked on deck, coming face to face with Natasha eating a juicy looking fruit.

"Good morning, Captain. Sleep well?" she asked me, her eyebrows wiggling, as she took another bite. I rolled my eyes and stepped around her. "Have you eaten?"

"Not yet." I turned to her and she tossed another fruit like the one that she was eating at me, and I caught it with ease.

"Try that. It's very sweet. Like nothing I've ever tasted." I bit into the fruit, the juice running down my chin. It's sweet taste exploded in my mouth. I looked at her with wide eyes and she laughed. "The natives call it a 'mango.' It's good right?"

"It's...delicious." I winced in pain, my headache coming back full force. Natasha strolled over to me and handed me a small jug.

"You might need this." I took a huge swig, placing my lips to the mouth of the jug, of the rum, and sighed when I swallowed. I felt my headache start to ease and I took another sip before handing the jug back to Natasha.

"Thank you."

Natasha nodded and bit her fruit again.

"The crew still asleep?"

"Aye. Most of them got in late last night."

"Cast off at noon. I don't want to lose the wind." I started to walk down the gangplank.

"Aye, Captain."

I walked back into the merchant town and looked back at the various stalls and shops. Even at this time of day, there were a multitude of people about, going about their business and collecting provisions. The loud chatter did nothing for my headache, and I flinched when a loud cannon blast sounded in the distance, alerting the port of a coming ship.

"Everything alright, miss? You look like you have a rough night."

I turned sharply to meet a cleanshaven man with messy blonde hair and clear blue eyes with a broad build dressed in a blue long-coat. A man with long black hair, a beard and blue eyes of the same shade dressed in a black long-coat, his left sleeve resting limp beside him, void of the extremity, stood behind him, smirking. Captain Steve Rogers laughed and pulled me in for a hug, patting my back in a friendly manner.

"It's good to see you, Captain."

"Steve. What brings you here?"

"Probably the reason you're here." We pulled out of the hug and I turned to Bucky, a wide smile on my face and ran to him, embracing him tightly.

"About time someone was happy to see me," he said chuckling. I let him go and smacked his arm.

"Shut up, Bucky."

"Leave her alone, Buck," Steve said laughing.

"Yes, sir."

"So how is everything, Steve? Have you had a good journey?"

"Ah, can't complain. Weather's been good, so hopefully that will continue. Have you heard from Fury?"

"No, has he sent anything?" I asked furrowing my brows in confusion. Steve pulled out a weathered letter from a pocket in his long-coat and handed it to me. I read it carefully and reread it again, making sure I was completely understanding its message.

"What do you mean he's calling a council of the federation?" Anger started to course through me. Captain Nick Fury was notorious for calling council meetings at the last second and not tolerating tardiness and/or being absent from said council meetings. Steve shrugged and took the note back.

"I don't know, but it seems important. Like all the other ones," he sighed, trailing off at the end, clearly frustrated.

"We're meeting in the same place?"

"I guess so. Better be on our way soon to get there in time. You know how Fury is about being late."

"Yeah...Good thing we got our supplies yesterday. We're about to cast off." Steve nodded and Bucky took out a gold pocket watch.

"We better go, Steve. If we want to make it on time."

"You're right, Buck. We'll see you there, Claire. Safe journeys."

"Safe journeys, Steve."

Steve and Bucky tipped their caps and went on their way, stopping at different vendors and shops. I turned on my heels and walked back to the docks, quickly boarded my ship and rushed over to Natasha.

"Captain, we're just getting everything ship-shape—"

"We need to go now and change our heading. Captain Fury called a council meeting of the federation."

"So we need to go to—"

"Aye. Have Carol set a course. I'll be in my quarters."

Natasha nodded and barked orders to the crew and I walked into my quarters and sat on my bed, sighing and rubbing my face with my hands. Council meetings were always frustrating, especially when Captain Fury called them. They were always about things that weren't necessarily important and didn't apply to the majority of the federation. I sighed again and stood up from my bed, walking over to my bookshelf and pulling different charts and papers from it, and plopped down at my desk. I flipped through the different charts, looking them over individually, and grasped my quill. I continued to work for a few hours, not leaving my quarters the whole time. Nat stopped by every hour, checking up on me and bringing me food each time, and updated me on our heading. It was lucky when we made port when we did, considering that it wasn't far from the council meeting place.

○○○

I leaned my face against my hand and heaved a heavy sigh. The loud angry arguing of the other members of the federation started getting on my nerves. Natasha frowned and grasped my shoulders, pressing firmly in a soothing massage.

"Everyone shut up!" she yelled over the noise. The room quieted down and looked at us. I rubbed my temples and sat up in my chair and laid my hands flat on the table, taking a deep breath.

"We were called here under the guise that there was some important business to discuss, so if it pleases the council, can we please get to it so we can get the fuck out of here?" I asked, raising my voice a little. Steve looked over at me from across the table and laughed as he took a sip of his drink. Captain Nick Fury leaned his head up and rested his hand on the table, standing up.

"Friends, we have a witch in our midst," he spoke in his deep and authoritative voice. A series of gasps and mutters of superstitious responses circulated around the room. Steve looked a little worried but my face didn't change expression. "She was captured in ­­Sokovia and we have been charged with escorting her to the Raft. Now, I need a volunteer to...escort her quickly before General Ross and his lackey Captain Stark gets word and tries to get her."

Natasha looked around the room and then finally at me, silently asking our course. I thought about it. I knew no one would jump at the chance to escort a witch anywhere. God, I hate how superstitious others were.

"We'll take her," I said standing up from my seat. Natasha's eyes widened as she looked at me. She pulled me harshly and leaned into my ear.

"Claire, what are you doing?"

Nick Fury looked over at me and nodded. He stood up and led me over to a large metal cage that housed a young woman bound at her hands in metal cuffs that covered her hands. She had long mangled brown hair that covered her face and was dressed in red rags that were ripped and torn in numerous places, revealing her pale skin. She sat on the floor of the cage; her legs tucked underneath her. I could hear her deep breaths and I watched her as her shoulders rose and fell quickly. Her body trembled and I wasn't sure if it was because she was cold or scared or both.

Her head slowly lifted and her eyes locked with mine. A shiver ran down my spine as a set a bright piercing green eyes stared right through my light blue eyes. Her face was covered in patches of dirt and she had a small gash above her left eyebrow, but there was something about her that was still...beautiful. She continued to stare at me, her face void of expression, but she finally blinked and switched her gaze to Nick when he banged harshly on the wall of the cage.

"Eyes down!" The girl hesitantly obeyed, looking at me once more before casting her eyes downward. "Whatever you do, don't let her hands get free. That's how she channels her dark magic."

"So, you just want her transported to the Raft? That's it?"

"Aye."

"And why can't we just hand her over to the Navy? I mean, for once, we both have a common enemy. Why not give them something that isn't us?" I asked, keeping my eyes on the girl.

"If the Ross gets his hands on her, he'll move to kill her, and killing a witch doesn't defeat them; it only releases the evil spirit, allowing it to inhabit another being. As dangerous as she is, we need to keep her alive, if only to keep the spirit contained. Are you up for it?"

"Think about this, Claire. Having a witch on board is dangerous. Anything can happen, and contrary to people's belief, I like you and I don't want to see anything happen to you," Nat said as she pulled me aside and whispered to me, glancing over at the woman.

"I know you're worried, but it's just superstition. Nothing's gonna happen if she comes aboard. There's no such thing as witches. She's probably a thief or a murderer or something, but she's no witch." I turned back towards the cage and stood in front of Nick. "We'll take her."

Nick nodded and looked to one of his crewmembers, Phil Coulson, motioning to him to help move the cage out. Phil and a few other men helped loaded the cage onto a cart and pulled it out to the docks. Nick stepped towards me and placed his hands on his belt.

"Be careful, Captain Stowell." His voice lowered to a whisper. "She's a tricky one."

○○○

We've been at sea for a few weeks, and for those weeks I leaned against the side of the ship, staring at the cage. The girl sat in the middle, her knees propped up, her arms resting on top, and her head resting in her arms. The metal cuffs still embraced her hands, digging into her wrists. She looked sad and in pain, and part of me wanted to ignore her—to pretend that I didn't care about her—but I did care, to some extent.

I wanted to free her from her bondage and to allow the last few weeks of freedom to spent in relative comfort. I wanted to just sail to a random port and let her go free, explaining to the council that we were attacked by General Ross or Captain Stark and that they took her and killed her. I wanted...to take back my agreement to take her in the first place.

I didn't notice Jemma walking up beside me, and I flinched when she cleared her throat.

"Captain, I'm sorry to interrupt, but I was wondering if it would be acceptable to give the prisoner her meal." I looked between her and the girl, contemplating her mood rather than the question asked by the slightly older woman.

"We have meat. Make sure to give her a few pieces."

Jemma nodded and walked off, heading below deck. The girl in the cage looked up and over at me, her green eyes boring into me and I felt...I weight in my mind, like a presence, but as soon as it appeared, it left and the girl blinked. Weird. Jemma soon returned with a plate of food and a cup and I stopped her.

"Take it to my quarters," I told her, stepping away from my perch. Jemma nodded. I walked over to the cage and pulled out a key that Nick gave me and placed it in the latch. Unlocking her cage, I grasped the long chain that connected her cuffs and pulled a bit, probably too harshly, making the girl stand up. I led her out of the cage and pulled her in the direction of my quarters.

"Captain, what are you doing?" Hope asked, gaining the attention of the rest of my crew.

"I just want to ask her a few questions and I would prefer a little privacy."

As we entered my quarters, I noticed the plate of food sitting on my desk and thanked Jemma, waiting until she left and closed the door before I spoke to the girl. I took the end of the chain and placed it on the floor and rested a chair on top of it, the leg resting inside one of the links. I pulled a different chair over to the other side of my desk. I sat down at my desk and pushed the plate of food closer to her. She just stood in the middle of the room, staring at me.

"Sit," I told her, gesturing to the chair. After a minute, she reluctantly listened to me and sat down. She looked down at the plate, then her hands, and finally at me before she finally spoke.

"I need my hands to eat." I leaned back in my seat and propped my boots up on my desk.

"I was told to not take those cuffs off you."

"How else am I supposed to eat?"

I kicked my feet off the desk and grabbed a dagger from my belt and began to cut her food, speared it, and held it out to her to bite. She...growled a bit under her breath, but ultimately she began to eat.

"What's your name?" I asked her as I cut another piece of meat and held it out to her. She paused and widened her eyes, but quickly brought back her poker face.

"Wanda."

"You believe what they say about you? That you're a witch?" I asked, peeking up at her from my eyelashes. She smirked and looked down at her hands briefly before looking at me again.

"Kind of have to believe when it happens to you," she replied, taking another bite. "Do you believe?"

"That you're a witch? Not really."

"What about the superstition?"

"I'm not a believer in superstitions."

"What do you believe in?"

Her green eyes glistened in the soft light of the lanterns on my wall. They connected with mine and I once again felt the weight in my mind again as she stared at me. The weight shifted to different parts of my mind, filtering through like a mist that touched every nook and cranny. Whatever it was, it had a gentle touch and was careful to not disturb anything. The intensity of Wanda's gaze increased and the pressure in my mind built, becoming painful. It felt...like I was congested and the pressure pushed against every surface of my mind as it tried to find an escape.

I closed my eyes tightly and winced, pressing my fingers against my temples, and Wanda's eyes widened and before I knew it...the pressure was gone. The weight had been lifted and the mist had cleared out. Wanda blushed and looked down.

"I don't really believe in anything," I told her, avoiding her gaze. Her eyes softened and she shifted on her feet.

"You have to believe in something, Capt—"

"Claire. Call me, Claire."

Wanda smiled a little but took a little step back.

"I'm full." I nodded and dropped the plate on my desk.

"So seriously. You don't believe in anything?"

I walked back to my desk and sat down in my chair, propping my feet up on the wooden desk. I folded my hands and breathed heavily. I believed in a lot of things; just not superstitious things. I don't know why I never believed in superstitions, but they just...never made sense to me.

"I believe in things, but superstitions were never really my thing. I...they never made sense to me."

"What do you believe in?"

What was with her and the questions? Was this an interrogation?

"Believe it or not, I believe in love, I guess; or at least I always wanted to believe in it. I always wanted to find someone...special, but I don't know. I don't think I'm in the right line of work for that." Wanda pouted and shifted again, taking a seat in a chair. She looked down at her cuffed hands, knocking them together, creating a light clang and jingle as the chains moved. "So. Wanda. What's your story?" She looked up at me, a slight glimmer of tears resting on the brim of her eyes. She hesitated for a few minutes, continuing to look down at her bound hands, a small tear rolling down her cheek.

"It's not something one is interested in," she mumbled.

"Please. I mean it."

Wanda nodded once and took a deep shaky breath.

"My brother and I grew up alone in Sokovia. Our parents died when we were younger, so we lived on the streets, stealing food and other things to survive and make some money. One day...he stole from the wrong shop. He was arrested and hanged without so much as a trial." Another tear rolled down her face and she gulped loudly, swallowing the large lump in her throat. "He was only fourteen."

I took out my handkerchief and stood up from my desk, walking over to her and crouching before her, and wiped her face. She looked up at me, her big green eyes twinkling with unshed tears. She blushed at our close proximity and I cleared my throat as I pulled away a little. She leaned back in the chair and jumped when Natasha burst through the door.

"Claire, do you have a minute?" I glared at her and standing up from my crouch, placed a hand on the back of her chair, my fingers brushing against her shoulder.

"You know that when the door is closed you knock. Now, what do you want?"

She grasped my arm and pulled me close to whisper in my ear. "Why isn't she in her cage?"

"Nat, she is a person, and as long as she's on this ship she will be treated as such. Now what do you want?" Nat glared harder at me and at Wanda. I kept my eyes on her, staring her down. I loved Natasha—she's like a sister to me and a damn fine first mate—but sometimes, very rarely, she had a habit of challenging me. It wasn't often when she disagreed with my orders, but whenever she did, she made it perfectly clear that she did, and often tried to steamroll me into changing it. I wasn't going to let her steamroll me over this. Natasha glared at Wanda and brushed past me, walking over to her.

"I don't know who you are or what you're doing to her, but I've got my eye on you. I won't fall for your tricks."

She quickly stormed out of my quarters. I looked over at Wanda and moved back behind my desk. Wanda sat down again and looked down at her bound hands. I pressed my hands against the sturdy wood and leaned over toward her. Her big and sad green eyes looked up at me and I saw the little shimmer of tears.

"I'm not what they think I am," she whispered as a tear fell from its perch in her eye.

"Look Wanda, I don't necessarily believe in witches, magic or evil spirits, but I do believe in fairness. Everyone that comes aboard this ship—no matter who they are, where they come from, or what they've done—will be treated with respect; and that includes you." I walked over to her and grasped her forearm, the cold metal cuff sending a shiver down my spine as it grazed my skin. "I swear on my life that as long as you are aboard the Black Wolf, no harm will come to you."

A blush crept up onto her damp cheeks and she leaned in a little bit, moving slowly and hesitantly towards me, her mouth hanging open just the tiniest bit, revealing a tiny glimmer of her pearly white teeth.

"Captain!" screamed a voice from above deck. I sighed and pulled away and left, walking up to the main deck, the cool ocean breeze hitting my skin and rustling through my hair. Carol ran up to me, spyglass in her hand and a worried expression on her face. "The Iron Legion was spotted off port side heading straight towards us."

"What are their colors?" I asked, taking the spyglass from her and looking out over the port side, my voice growing serious.

"It's the royal flag, Captain, overshadowed with red."

I gazed at the ship, speeding fast in the distance, the royal flag billowing in the breeze. I growled under my breath and slammed shut the spyglass. I lightly touched the left side of my face, my fingers running over the raised scars that ran down the whole side of my face. I growled again as the memory resurfaced. Captain Stark: the absolute bane of my existence. I've had run-ins with him in the past, and the last one ended with the two of us locked in duel that gave me the scar. I felt its familiar sting creep up on my face. I felt the haunting chillness of his blades slicing against my skin.

I turned sharply on my heels away from the side of the ship and began barking orders for defensive and offensive maneuvers at my crew. Understanding their orders, they split into sections that prepare to defend the ship and ready an attack against our attackers. I grasped the hilt of my sword and pulled it out of its sheath. The ship sped ahead, the Iron Legion getting closer and closer, but we were ready. Our cannons were loaded and manned, aimed at our enemy, ready to fire.

I looked around at the brave women that I called my crew. They stood ready, grasping their swords and pistols tightly as they stared at the ship that could very well spell their doom loomed towards us. Natasha came up beside me, a sword in each of her hands, and shot me a look. She nodded once and I reciprocated.

"Are you with me?" I asked her. She smiled and lightly clashed her sword with mine and held it there.

"To the death."

As the Iron Legion grew closer and the sounds of her crew's shouts reached our ears, a feeling a dread pierced my insides. I wasn't afraid to die, but ever since I became a captain and responsible for the lives of so many people, I became hesitant about getting into skirmishes with other pirates or even the royal navy. I didn't want anyone to die on my watch.

Once they were in range, I raised my sword into the air and gave the order to fire. The cannons along the starboard side of the ship burst with loud explosions that propelled the deadly projectiles forward at the wooden hull. The Iron Legion turned their cannons on us and fired too, though only one or two actually hit us. As our ships moved along-side each other, long planks were laid across the sides of the ships, and members of Stark's crew rushed over, weapons raised and ready, and shouting out battle cries.

Myself and my crew rushed forward to meet them and the clanging of metal against metal ensued. I cut down a few of his men, scanning my eyes across the deck, looking for Stark. After a minute, I found him.

"Stark!" I growled at him, catching his attention and running at him. He smirked at me and lifted his pistol, pointing the barrel into the air and circled his fingers tightly around his sword. He took some slow steps towards me, still smirking.

"Captain Stowell. It's great to see you again. I see you haven't changed much since our last meeting," he said pointing the tip of his sword to his face. I narrowed my eyes into a glare and held up my sword.

"Look Claire, I'm not here for a fight."

"Then what do you want?" I growled out, narrowing my eyes more.

"A witch has been identified and a little bird told me that she is in your possession." His smirk morphed into a sickening smile. I might not believe in superstitions, but I knew that it wasn't right to kill someone without a fair trial. I kept up my poker face and shrugged a bit, though being careful to not let my guard down.

"I don't know what you're talking about," I lied. Stark's smile turned to a frown and his dark brown eyes hardened.

"Don't lie to me, Claire. It won't do you any good."

"Honest. There's no witch here."

"Hand over the witch and we'll let you and your crew go safely on your way. Fail to comply, and your ship will be blown to smithereens and you and your crew will be slaughtered. Choose carefully, Stowell. Believe it or not, you're one of my favorites." I looked around the deck of my ship and each one of my girls was trapped in a headlock with swords pressed against their necks. Natasha struggled against her hold causing the sharp blade to pierce and slice her skin, creating a small trail of blood to run down her neck.

"Don't do it, Claire," she said through gritted teeth as she tried to buck against the man who held her.

"Keep your grip on her, Rhodes. She's a feisty one," Stark said to the man, keeping his eyes on me.

"Yes sir," he replied. Natasha let out a little cry as Rhodes tightened his grip on her and pressed the sword harder against her.

I turned back to Stark and sighed deeply. I had no other choice.

"No! Let go of me!"

I turned my head sharply to see Wanda get harshly led out of my quarters. Her bound hands were pinned behind her back and the chain they were attached to was held by a large man with a strong grip. Three different men held her and dragged her over to where me and Stark were standing. He smirked at me once more before walking over to her. Wanda struggled and tried to break free, but the men held their grip, refusing to give her any slack.

"Ah, the witch." Stark held his sword up and placed the tip under her chin, forcing it up to look him in the eye. He stared at her for only a moment, her green eyes taking on a scarlet hue before he blinked, shook his head, and nodded at the men who held her. They swiftly kicked her, knocking her down to her knees with a cry and the clatter of metal hitting the wooden floor. Stark's blade rested just beside the back of her neck, slightly dangling above it. "Wanda Maximoff, for crimes against the Royal Crown such as theft, prostitution, and practicing witchcraft, in the name of his royal highness, I sentence you to death."

"No!" I went to move to stop him, but man came up behind me and grabbed me, holding me against him as I bucked and screamed and failed my limbs as I tried to break free.

Stark brought his sword back and aimed for Wanda's neck. Her eyes widened and in an instant, her eyes flashed a bright red and she pulled harshly on the metal cuffs, breaking the chains and freeing her hands from them. A scarlet mist erupted from her hands and held the broken pieces of metal in midair. She grunted and the scarlet mist expanded quickly, knocking Stark and the men that held her back.

She slowly stood up and turned towards Stark, her eyes still the same scarlet as the mist, and reached her hand out towards him, allowing a bright red energy to filter through a grab him, hoisting him up in the air. He screamed in pain as the energy started to pull at him.

Distracted by Wanda, my crew fought back from their captors and another battle awakened. I escaped from Rhodes's grip on my and swung my sword at him as I turned, narrowly missing his face as he ducked out of the way just in time. Our swords clashed with a ferocity that matched my growing anger. I growled and swung again, adding speed and power as it sliced through the air, roughly hitting his and knocking it from his hands. He scrambled to pick up his weapon before I could ready another attack. He held it up above his head, blocking mine as it came crashing down upon him. I kicked him, making him fall back with a thud. Clumsily, he stood back up and rushed over to where Stark laid on the floor in front of Wanda.

Many of Stark's men were killed in the brutal fight, and as far as I knew, I hadn't lost any of my own. Natasha wielded her double swords and let out a loud battle cry as she sliced through men that came at her, leaping into the air and crushing them with her thighs. Carol stood in the background, pointing her pistols at different men and pulling the trigger. Jemma was engaged in a duel with an unknown man. Peggy and Hope swung from sailing lines and swung their swords at Stark's men.

The tide was beginning to turn as my girls cut through Stark's men. I turned towards Stark and Rhodes, and standing next to Wanda, raised my sword against Stark's neck.

"This is your only chance, Stark. You know I tend to not leave people alive."

Wanda's hands and eyes still glowed in a threatening manner. Stark looked between the both of us and huffed out a growl.

"Ceasefire," he shouted above the noise of the fighting. Everyone stopped and looked over at us. Natasha sent me a look, asking if I was sure. I nodded in response and she lowered her weapons. "Retreat."

Stark's men—those that were still alive anyway—hobbled back over the planks and onto their ship, with Stark and Rhodes in tow. Before stepping on the plank, Stark turned to me, and with a final smirk said, "I'm sure we'll see each other again very soon."