WE'VE GOT A DAMSEL IN DISTRESS TO SAVE.

DREAD WAS CREEPING UP ON MALAYSHA the closer and closer to Isla de Muerta they got. A sound-deafening fog had rolled in, adding to the anxious atmosphere. Mal watched carefully as a shape emerged from the fog — the wreckage of a shipped dashed on the reefs. It was only one of many. This place was a graveyard for ships.

For her own comfort, Mal stuck to her father's side. He let her help at the wheel just to give her something to do even though she wasn't the most practiced captain.

"I'm not giving you the compass," Jack said while moving the wheel just the slightest bit so that she wouldn't crash them into some rocks.

"You said I could be navigator," she complained. "Navigators need compasses."

"And is the Pearl what you really want most out of life?" he asked, raising a skeptical eyebrow.

"I want to see Barbossa dead," she said in a hard tone.

"And I don't want you anywhere near him," Jack told her. But when Mal held out her hand, he forked over the compass.

Mal smiled, as she so rarely got to touch it. When she opened it, the needle spun wildly for a moment before angling off to the left.

Not toward the cave where Barbossa was lurking inside.

It was pointing at Will.

Mal's face heated up and she slammed the lid of the compass closed before her father could see. But Jack wasn't an idiot. He could see the way she glanced at the boy.

"Please, tell me that compass isn't pointing to the welp," he groaned.

"Uh, it's not pointing to the welp," she said with a sheepish smile.

"You wretched liar!" he snapped while snatching the compass back. Then he sighed. "Sunfish, he is in lo—"

"I know, Father," she grumbled, focusing on the wheel. "Let's not talk about it."

"Alright, we'll talk about how you're not coming off this ship when we arrive."

Malaysha whirled around and glared at him. "No, I'm not. I have as much right to see this through as you do. He has to die."

"I agree, and I can't do that if I'm worried about you."

"Then don't worry about me."

Jack just gave her a hard look, both knowing that wasn't possible. "You know what happened to your mother."

"And he'll meet the same fate," she said harshly. "I'm far too old for you to boss around anymore."

Then Malaysha let go of the wheel and stormed off. Jack had to rush and grab it before the ship was taken off course, meaning he couldn't chase after Mal until they reached their destination.

Mal passed Cotton's parrot, who was going off about, "Dead men tell no tales." She went straight over to Gibbs and Will — if he was what she wanted most, then she wasn't going to ignore that. The compass never lied.

"Puts in a chill in the bones, how many honest sailors have been claimed by this passage," Gibbs was saying as they looked at the watery grave they were traveling through.

For just a moment, the Interveptor scraped against the hull of a broken ship, but Jack quickly corrected it. Mal ignored him, but Gibbs and Will looked speculatively at Jack.

"How is it that Jack came by that compass?" Will asked, looking to Mal. But she kept her lips sealed, so he looked to Gibbs.

"Not a lot's known about Jack Sparrow 'fore he showed up in Tortuga with a little mermaid and a mind to go after the treasure of Isla de Muerta. That was before I'd met him, back when he was captain of the Black Pearl."

"What?" Will asked in alarm. Then he looked at Jack accusingly. "He failed to mention that."

Realizing he'd made a small error, Gibbs took a swig from his flask. "Well, he plays things close to the vest now. And a hard learned lesson it was. See three days out on the venture, the first mate comes to him and says everything's an equal share – that should mean the location of the treasure, too. So, Jack gives up the bearings. That night, there was mutiny."

Mal's jaw grew tight as anger coursed through her, remembering that night. The night her mother had been killed right before her eyes. And then Barbossa had cut the golden scales from her mother's body to barter them.

"They marooned Jack and Mal on an island, and left him to die — her to swim off once he was dead. But not before he'd gone mad with the heat," Gibbs whispered.

Will glanced at Mal with a frown before saying, "Ahh. So that's the reason for all
the..."

Though she was upset, Mal couldn't help but smile when Will imitated her father with the way he moved his hands and head.

"Reason's got nothing to do with it," Gibbs told him. "Now, Will, when a pirate's marooned, he's given a pistol with a single shot. One shot, well that won't do much good hunting, or to be rescued. But after three weeks of a starving belly and thirst, that pistol start to look real friendly."

To help him along, Mal mimed a gun to Will's head and pulled the trigger, which horrified him, especially since Mal had been a child.

"But Jack, he escaped the island. And he still has that single shot. Oh, but he won't use it, though, save on one man. His mutinous first mate—"

"Barbossa," Will realized.

"Aye."

Will furrowed his brows. "How did Jack get off the island? Did you swim him somewhere else."

"I couldn't carry his weight when I was that young," Mal said, not offering any more information. She knew how important her father's reputation was to him.

"Well, I'll tell ya. He waded out into the shallows and he waited there, three days and three nights, 'til all manner of sea creatures 'came acclimated to his presence. Then on the fourth morning he roped himself a couple of sea turtles, lashed 'em together and made a raft."

Evidently, Will couldn't believe it as he peered at Mal, looking for any sign that it was a lie. "He roped a couple of sea turtles?"

Gibbs nodded, believing the lie wholeheartedly. "Aye. Sea turtles."

Still, he didn't quite buy it, knowing there were so many problems with the story. So, he settled for more questions. "What did he use for rope?"

Gibbs began to answer only to realize he didn't know. But Jack was standing near them and was ready with an answer.

"Human hair. From my back," he said with a smirk.

"And he made me cut it," Mal said with a grimace, playing into it. Just because she was frustrated with him didn't mean she couldn't have some fun with him.

Will and Jack held each other's gaze, both knowing Will didn't believe him. Then Jack raised his voice, speaking to the crew. "Let go of the anchor! Young Mr. Turner and I are to go ashore."

"And me," Mal said, her tone unwavering. After staring down her father for a moment, he caved and looked away, nodding his head.

Gibbs stepped closer to Jack, lowering his voice. "Cap'n! What if the worst should happen?"

"Keep to the Code," Jack said before looking at Malaysha. "Both of you."

"Aye, the code," Gibbs agreed while Mal just nodded somberly.

But she didn't know if she was prepared to keep that promise.

✵︎

The three of them sat in a longboat that was slowly sailing up a stream leading deeper into the cave. Jack was the one rowing while Malaysha held a lantern. Will looked around, spotting a skeleton face-down and half buried in the sand, a sword stuck in its back.

"What code is Gibbs to keep to, if the worst should happen?" Will found himself asking, looking at Mal instead of Jack.

"Pirates' code. Any man who falls behind is left behind," he explained.

Will fought off rolling his eyes, thinking it sounded rather typical of pirates. "No heroes amongst thieves, eh?"

"You know, for having such a bleak outlook on pirates, you're well on your way to becoming one," Jack taunted. "Sprung a man from jail, commandeered a ship of the fleet, sailed with a buccaneer crew out of Tortuga."

Suddenly, several bright circles appeared on the cave wall and roof, and then dozens more beneath the water. Thousands of coins reflected light onto the cave walls. Mal couldn't help but reach a hand down into the water, picking up a shiny coin to marvel at it. And Will marveled at her, thinking she looked heavenly in the lighting.

"And you're completely obsessed with treasure," Jack continued as the reached shore. Jack hopped out while Mal kept looking at the glittering light show.

"That's not true," Will said harshly while pulling the boat ashore. "I am not obsessed with treasure."

Jack shook his head, thinking of the way that Will had been watching Malaysha when she wasn't looking. "Not all treasure is silver and gold, mate."

"But my favorite kind is," Mal said, her pockets a little heavier as she pushed between the two. "Now, we've got a damsel in distress to save."

The trio climbed to a cave opening, and beyond it was Elizabeth Swann. She was shoved to the top of a central pile of treasure. On top was a stone chest, and waiting beside it was the man that made Mal's blood boil. Barbossa.

"Gentlemen, the time has come! Our salvation is nigh! Our torment is near an end," he was saying.

"Elizabeth," Will whispered, finally spotting her.

"For ten years, we've been tested and tried and each man-jack of you here has proved his mettle a hundred times over, and a hundred times again! Punished we were, the lot of us. Disproportionate to our crime!"

As the pirates cheered, Barbossa kicked off the lid to the stone chest, revealing hundreds of golden medallions that were identical to the one currently hanging around Elizabeth's neck. And there was a knife amongst them.

"Here 'tis, the cursed treasure of Cortés himself. Every last piece that went astray we have returned – save for this," Barbossa went on, pointing to the one Elizabeth was wearing.

Will scrambled for the cave opening, but both Jack and Mal pulled him back. "Not yet!" Jack whispered nervously. "We wait for the opportune moment."

They moved back from the cave mouth, Will hesitantly following. Jack led them back to the boats so that they could talk freely.

"When's that?" Will asked angrily. "When it's of greatest profit to you?"

"May I ask you something? Have I ever given you reason not to trust me? Do us a favor, I know it's difficult for you but please, stay here... and try not to do anything... stupid."

Jack turned, ready to go back and watch the ceremony. But before Mal realized what was happening, Will grabbed an oar and hit Jack over the head with it, knocking him out.

"Stupid like that!" Malaysha hiss while getting in front of her father protectively.

Will slowly brought his sad eyes to meet hers that were full of betrayal. "I'm not going to be his leverage. Now, come with me. We'll get Elizabeth and get out of here."

"I can't leave him. He needs me—"

"You said it yourself that he does alright on his own. He always finds a way out," Will told her, offering her his hand. "But you're in danger the longer you're here and with him. Just come with me."

"With you and Elizabeth, you mean," she murmured, her chest aching unfamiliarly. She took one glance at her father and then thought of her mother. Thought of how Barbossa trapped her in a fishing net and killed her. She wanted him dead, but she also didn't want that fate for herself. And Mal knew she wasn't as skilled as her father was at getting out of trouble.

So, she took Will's hand and ran.

Malaysha was the one to follow the stream to the back of the cave. And when they were close enough, she left Will at the longboats, where he stole all of the oars so that the others couldn't follow. She dived into the water, her tail forming as she swam to the back side of the mountain of treasure.

The pirates were in an uproar as the curse wasn't lifted. They were far too upset to pay attention to Elizabeth, who Barbossa had hit and knocked back, completely out of sight.

Mal rose from the surface and covered Elizabeth's mouth with her hand, preventing her from screaming. When she saw the familiar face, she relaxed a bit. Then Mal nodded to the water so that Elizabeth would follow.

But not without grabbing the medallion first.

She led her to the longboat where Will was waiting. And it was safe to say Elizabeth was overjoyed to see him as she hugged his neck. Mal looked away, something deep in her gut twisting.

"Come on," Mal said, giving the boat a push. "No need to row. I'll get us there faster."

"Get us where?" Elizabeth asked.

"The Interceptor," Will explained as they left the cave.

"The Navy's come for me?" she asked hopefully.

"Uh, sure," Mal said, avoiding eye contact. She didn't think Elizabeth would be very pleased when she learned who the rest of her rescuers were.

And she was right.

As Elizabeth climbed aboard, she groaned, seeing the rag-tag group instead of the noble soldiers she was expecting. "Not more pirates."

"Welcome aboard, Miss Elizabeth," Gibbs said, helping her stand.

Clearly, she recognized him from his Navy days. "Mr. Gibbs?"

Will had climbed aboard and then turned around, grabbing Mal's arms and pulling her up. Her tail morphed into legs and she fell on top of his chest unceremoniously, making them both laugh.

"Hey, boy," Gibbs said, spotting the empty longboat, "where be Jack?"

And here Elizabeth thought she couldn't be more perplexed. Malaysha Sparrow was one thing, but her father being on the excursion was a whole other ordeal.

"Jack? Jack Sparrow?" she asked in disbelief.

"He fell behind," Will said stiffly, guilt clearly eating away at him. He moved past him, not wanting to dwell on it.

Gibbs looked at Mal questioningly, who found the deck quite interesting. "Keep to the code, Uncle Gibbs."

"Aye," he said sadly. "Keep to the Code."

"It's AnaMaria's ship now," Mal muttered before brushing past him.