Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Minnie’s eyes glanced up at the cloudy sky; it was a beautiful day in Halverport. The soft warmth of the sunlight, the cool breeze and Renata’s hand in hers: it felt perfect. Minnie glanced over at her love who was happily humming a sea shanty. The redhead recognized the tune pretty quickly, it was one that she had been singing and playing on her hurdy gurdy these last few nights. A soft warmth filled Minnie’s heart when she heard Renata’s playful humming. Her eyes focused on the bright pink flower in her love’s hair before traveling over to her brown eyes that seemed to hold the joy of life itself within them. After a moment though Renata’s eyes glanced over, catching sight of Minnie.

“Caught ya!” A playful smile appeared on Renata’s lips and the brunette got up on her tiptoes and stole a quick kiss from Minnie. The small romantic gesture immediately flustered the redhead, her face turning nearly as red as her hair. The sight made Renata’s smile grow and soon she began to pepper Minnie’s face with a ton of kisses. The overwhelming amount made Minnie giggle uncontrollably as she slipped her arms around Renata’s waist. Once Renata was done with her barrage of kisses Minnie stole a kiss of her own. The action made Renata hum happily as she leaned into the kiss, her hands cupping Minnie’s face gently. After a while though the two pulled back.

“We should probably continue heading towards the bakery,” Minnie whispered. Renata gave a small nod.

“Okay, Mari is probably wondering what's taking me so long to get there,” Renata’s fingers immediately intertwined with Minnie’s and she swayed their joined hands. “Buuuut we could drop by the marketplace real quick to see what's there beforehand,” Renata smiled up at Minnie who mirrored it.

“Yeah, we can probably do that,” Minnie’s thumb gently brushed on the top of Renata’s hand and she felt her heart settle. Her eyes soon snuck another glance at her love, thinking about how lucky she was right now. She had a home with Tenn, she had friends, a town that was always peaceful and that Sophie could visit and Renata, a girl who loved her as deeply as Minnie loved her. A soft smile pulled on the corners of Minnie’s lips and her eyes soon returned to the sky as the smell of cinnamon tickled her nose. Life here in Halverport was everything Minnie could’ve hoped for and more; it really did feel perfect.

Mary’s eyes scanned the port town; it was nothing that special. A simple, carefree town that hadn’t faced the harsh realities of pirates yet. It was the perfect place to take a break and get away from the privateers and pirates that would be more than happy to have her head. Based on a map that one of her crewmates had found, this naive little port town went by the name of Halverport. Her golden eyes glanced around, studying the town carefully as she walked forward with Tomas. There were only a handful of guards for this whole place and they were clearly not on the lookout for any sort of pirates.

“Looks like this will be a good place to rest for a few days. They don’t seem to recognize Sea Wolves on sight,” Tomas noted, his hand brushing against Mary’s. Ever so slowly he interlocked his pinky with hers. Mary allowed him to do so regardless of how she felt about him. She knew his feelings for her and that thusly he would be forever loyal to her. If she played along with it, it would ensure that things stayed that way.

“They’ve never faced raiders or pirates which is good for us. Makes it simpler to blend in and-” Mary paused when she spotted someone from behind her wavy black locks. There, mere feet away, was a face she had hoped was dead and gone. It only took her a moment to remember the name of the one who had stabbed a knife into her side, twisting it as an insurance of her death. Minerva. 

That pathetic slave girl had lived. Mary hadn’t thought that was possible. Her blood boiled as she watched the redhead walking down the marketplace, a happy smile on her face. That bitch and her twin had nearly killed her. Mary’s eyes searched around for the other one, Sophie, but she was nowhere to be seen. Had she died? Or was she happily living here as well? 

It didn’t matter; she wanted revenge and she could so easily get it here and now. With one look it was obvious that Minerva had no weapon on her and her guard was completely down thanks to the girl beside her that Mary could only assume was her lover based on the looks they gave each other. 

She could do it. Walk through the crowd and pierce that traitor’s heart. Or she could simply shoot her from this distance. As Mary considered the options a third, more tempting alternative danced around in her mind. Why kill her right here and now? It would be far more satisfying if she tore her down first before slitting her throat. 

Mary’s eyes focused on the unknown girl as she gave Minerva tender kiss after tender kiss. It would be so easy to break her. The golden-eyed pirate soon glanced over to see a tall young man jog forward. A scar traveled up the side of his face much like Mary’s except his injury had taken part of his ear. Her hand unconsciously reached up to her face, brushing her fingertips against the scar that ran from the corner of her lip up towards her right eye. An injury that Sophie had given her. 

Mary gritted her teeth and her eyes burned with anger as she stared at the young man happily hugging Minerva before getting tackled with a hug by the other girl. She would go forward with this plan. She would take everything from Minerva starting with these two.

“I see she didn’t die,” 

Tomas’ annoyed tone made Mary glance over at her first mate. “Guess not, but we’ll change that soon enough,” Mary felt her lips pull into a small smile. “I need you to follow the scarred one. I’ll be tailing the girl with the flower. Study him carefully for the next two days. I want to know his exact schedule.”

Tomas looked over at his captain, mentally putting together the plan. “Finding a good time to strike. I like it,” He leaned over and pressed a kiss to Mary’s cheek. “I’ll take a few of the men then and see you later,” He gave a loving smile to Mary who returned it although the smile never reached her eyes. Mary watched as her loyal dog walked away, disappearing into the small crowd before she looked back at Minerva. Soon enough she would have her revenge.

Renata hummed happily as she finished up the last few tasks that needed to be done for the evening. The sweet rolls had just finished baking and were ready for the early bird customers while the dough that needed a few hours to rise was set to the side. Renata continued to flutter around the shop, getting the last few things all set for Mariana to take over when she arrived in a couple hours. 

Renata bounced impatiently on the balls of her feet as she waited for the last set of rolls to be done. She really wanted to get back to Minnie, cuddle up close to her on this foggy night and forget about everything else but her and her warmth. The thought made a happy smile appear on Renata’s lips as she pulled out the sheet tray of rolls and placed it on the rack to cool. It had been two days since their last date together and with how busy the shop had been Renata couldn’t seem to find as much time as she would like to visit Minnie. 

But none of that mattered now. Soon enough she would be in her love’s warm embrace again. Renata took off her apron and was about to close up shop when she heard the bell overhead jingle. Perking her ears, Renata wandered forward and poked her head out to see who it could be. Her eyes instantly shone with joy when she saw it was one of her neighbors and best customers.“Hey there, Dilan. Here to sneak in some last minute orders for some pastries?” 

“That's right,” The young man smiled and scratched the back of his head. “I thought Ella could use the treats and who better to ask than my good friend and best baker in all the seven seas.”

“I am pretty great!” Renata beamed at her friend. It was sweet how often he loved to treat his wife to surprises. “Alright, so whatcha thinking of getting this time?”

“Hmm, that's tough,” Dilan tapped a finger to his chin and thought deeply. Renata waited patiently or at least as patiently as she could as her friend tried to decide when all of the sudden the bell overhead the door rang again and a girl with striking golden eyes and black hair strolled in. Damn, now there would be two customers to serve before getting home to Minnie.

“How about the cinnamon bread? Or I just finished baking some sweet rolls that I’m sure Ella would like!” Renata noticed Dilan’s eyes shimmer at those suggestions.

“Okay! That sounds great!” He smiled. “Oh, by the way, you’ve got some flour on your nose,” He motioned to Renata by brushing his own nose.

“Oh shit, where?” Renata tried to brush off the flour.

“A little bit to the ri-” Dilan’s words were stilted when suddenly a cuttoe sword pierced his back and went straight through his heart. His eyes looked down in confusion before his head went limp and fell to the side. Renata felt her heart drop, her eyes growing large with horror as the girl behind Dilan casually kicked him off her sword. Slowly she wiped the blood clean from her blade with her sleeve.

“I normally don’t take any prisoners but it will be way more fun to slit your throat when Minerva finds my ship,” The girl moved forward at an alarming rate and grabbed Renata’s hair harshly, pulling it back she pressed her blade to Renata’s throat. “So you’ll be coming with me. Oh, but first,” She gave a soft whistle and two pirates came into the bakery. “You two, did leave a good trail?”

“Yeah, it was easy, captain. We made sure to make it plenty bloody so she can follow!” One pirate looked over Renata’s way with a twisted smile. “I see you got the girl.”

“That’s right, now hurry and tie her up. I need to leave a message for a certain redhead,” The woman waited for the two crew members to come over. Immediately one of them slammed Renata’s face against the counter, causing her nose to break and the pink flower in her bun to float down to the ground. Soon her hands were bound and her mouth silenced with blood-stained cloth. Renata watched in horror as Marry used two daggers and stabbed them through Dilan’s chest, displaying him on the wall. His blood dripped down onto the ground, gathering into a small pool as Mary used a third dagger to stab a letter into the wall beside him, addressed to Minnie.

“Hopefully it doesn’t take her long to find this. I don’t have the patience to keep you around for long,” Mary smirked over at Renata then motioned for her crewmates to drag her through the door. As Mary strolled behind them she noticed the flower on the floor. With a twisted smile she pressed her bloody boot onto the flower, crushing it underfoot before she walked out of the bakery. This would send a clear message to Minerva.

Minnie tossed and turned in her bed. Renata should be here by now, she said she would be. Minnie felt her worry rising with each passing second. She had been worried for a while now but due to her limited energy and her tendency to overworry she’d thought it best to lay down for a bit. But now here she was, unable to relax at all and more worried than ever that something had happened to Renata. 

It was a stupid thought. Halverport was a peaceful place where the most she’d had to deal with was some street rats pickpocketing her every once in a while. Still Minnie couldn’t help but feel on edge. Her eyes wandered over towards where Tenn was fast asleep. She could be back before he noticed she was gone. 

Minnie quietly got out of her bed and tiptoed towards a small chest that held her calvary blade. Kneeling down she opened the chest and strapped the sword to her hip. Maybe she was being paranoid but better that she show up at the bakery looking like an idiot with a blade than do nothing and let something bad happen even if that possibility was slim. 

Minnie carefully slipped through the front door and began to make her way down the hill. Knowing Renata she was probably distracted talking to one of her regulars; it wouldn’t be the first time that happened. The redhead tried to focus on that being the outcome she would find as she strolled through the foggy streets of Halverport. Her eyes tried to readjust to the limited light of the streets when suddenly she heard a friendly voice.

“Hey there, stranger,”

Minnie spun around, her hand on the hilt of her sword when she saw that it was Mariana. “Shit, Mari. Sorry,” Minnie’s face fell slightly and her hand moved away from her sword.

“It’s okay. Didn’t think I’d see you carrying that sword though. What gives?” Mariana strolled forward and started to walk with Minnie.

“Ren didn’t show up when she said she would and that was over an hour ago. I know she can sometimes get lost in conversations and baking but still...” Minnie’s voice trailed off.

“Still, it would be nice to know everything is okay. I get it,” Mariana clapped Minnie on the back. “Well, I was heading there myself. It’s an hour or two before my shift but I was getting antsy and thought maybe getting an early start would help.” Mariana smiled over at Minnie then looked ahead. “Man, I can’t see shit through this fog though,”

“Yeah, it’s fucking eerie,” Minnie felt herself grow tense again. This weather wasn’t helping her spiraling worries. 

After a few minutes Minnie and Mariana reached the entrance of the bakery. Both of them froze however when they saw the bloody footprints and the open door. Sprinting inside Minnie immediately unsheathed her calvary blade, ready to face any threat if need be when her eyes spotted the body. Her gut twisted at the sight of Dilan and the pool of blood underneath him. Minnie’s eyes frantically scanned the area and soon found Renata’s flower, crushed and bloody. The redhead ran over and examined the flower before realizing that she should shield her friend from this sight.

“Mar-” Minnie paused when she noticed that she was too late. 

Mariana trembled in fear, her eyes filled with horror and sorrow at the sight. “Who the hell would do this?” she whispered, her throat tight as she tried not to throw up when suddenly her eyes spotted the letter. “Minnie,”

Minnie followed her friend’s eyes to the letter. Running forward, Minnie tore it off the wall. Her heart dropped when she read the words.

Minerva, 

We have your lover. If you want to see her one last time, come to my ship. The trail will be easy enough to follow. I’ll be sure to make her death entertaining.

Mary, captain of the Sea Wolves

Minnie felt her heart pound in her ears as her terror bubbled over within her heart along with her rage. Slowly she curled her fist, destroying the letter as a look of pure rage filled her eyes. She would make them regret this.

Chapter Text

Minnie worked alongside Mariana to get Dilan off the wall and cover his body before the redhead stormed out of the bakery. Her eyes scanned the area as she knelt by the bloody footprint. The captors seemed to be heading through the marketplace and in the direction of the docks. It made sense considering Mary’s letter. Minnie rose up and headed for the door until she heard Mariana’s voice.

“Minnie, wait! We have to warn the people of Halverport and what about Tenn?”

Minnie froze at those words, her hand resting on the hilt of her blade. “Go and wake up the rest of your family. Tell Javi and Santi about this; they'll handle the people. As for Tenn, I need you to go to my house and get him, run back to your place, lock the door and arm yourself. Don’t open the door for anyone.”

“And where are you going?” Mariana slowly took a step forward, her hand cautiously reaching out for Minnie in hopes she could get her friend to not do something reckless.

“They have Ren on their ship,” Minnie’s voice wavered with emotion. “So, I’m going to go there and kill them,”

Minnie’s tone sent a shiver down Mariana’s spine. The chill only grew stronger when Minnie glanced back and Mariana saw the rage and murderous intent in her eyes. She had never seen her friend like this.

“You’ll die if you go alone. Let me wake up my uncles and then we can come up with a new plan,” Mariana placed a hand on Minnie’s arm but it was soon smacked off.

“No! I don’t have time to fucking wait! I know what pirates like this do to their captives!” Minnie’s eyes shone with pain and fear before becoming dominated by anger once more. “I’m saving Ren and anyone who tries to stop me will get cut down! I don’t care who!” Minnie’s voice turned low with warning. Not bothering to wait for a response, she spun harshly on her heel and ran off to follow the trail.

“Minnie, wait!” Mariana called out but it was too late. “Shit. Shit!” Mariana ran a trembling hand through her hair. Her heart was panicking, her mind struggling to process all that had happened thus far and all that could still happen. She had to listen to Minnie even though she was reluctant to leave her alone in this state. Summoning all her courage, Mariana sprinted off towards her house. She had to be brave; she had to protect this town and her family.

Minnie slowed down from her sprint, cautiously moving through the fog as her eyes focused on the bloody footprints until she saw something that made her stiffen. There, on the ground and coated in a pool of their own blood, was one of the marketplace vendors. A girl who had been trying to convince Minnie to buy a special trinket for Renata not two days ago. The sight made Minnie’s heart twist in pain and guilt. Had she died because she’d spoken with her? Minnie kneeled down and slowly closed her eyes before carrying her to the side of the street to be properly buried after the Sea Wolves had been dealt with. After a moment Minnie continued on only to spot another familiar face. 

It was Agnes, the old lady Minnie used to buy bread from before she had found the bakery and met Renata. Minnie felt her throat growing rougher as tears stung her eyes. She had just seen Agnes earlier today with Renata when they were discussing old family bread recipes. Minnie felt her anger rise as she curled her fists. Mary would pay for every single death she caused. 

Carefully moving the body, Minnie whispered a quick apology to Agnes then moved on. As she made her way through the marketplace she felt her emotions become more and more overwhelming as the number of kills rose. Soon she had reached the docks where she found an old rowboat to use. Her eyes glanced out to the sea and already noticed the trail of floating corpses Mary had used to guide her. 

Trying to use her limited energy wisely, Minnie began to row towards the Sea Wolves’ ship. The oar dipped into the cool ocean water and sliced through it, propelling the rowboat forward with each stroke. As Minnie drew closer to the first body she soon recognized it as one of the guards that had kept the port of Halverport peaceful. Minnie gritted her teeth and continued onwards, rowing through the foggy sea and further out to sea. 

After around ten minutes of rowing Minnie reached the ship, taking note that they hadn’t used any of their hand cannons to shoot her or her rowboat down. They wanted her to reach it. Fine with her; she would make sure they knew the price for that mistake. Grabbing onto a rope that had been left on the side of the ship for her, Minnie began to climb up. With a small grunt she got onto the ship and immediately unsheathed her calvary blade.

 The fog slipped onto the upper deck of the ship as footsteps echoed around Minnie. The redhead turned her head this way and that, trying to spot her enemies when suddenly one cried out and tried to attack with a dagger aimed for her chest. Minnie sidestepped the attack and used her knee, digging it harshly into their gut before grabbing the back of their neck. Guiding them to the side of the ship, Minnie slammed their face against the wood again and again then threw them overboard. The sound of frantic flailing only lasted a few moments before the sea grew quiet once more.

“Mary! Come out and face me!” Minnie screamed to the sky. 

Her voice drew more pirates who swung from ropes and landed to the deck. Four ran forward to take down Minnie. Two of them danced around with daggers in their hands and started to slice Minnie’s skin on her back into ribbons. Minnie desperately thrust them back and the other two charged forward but froze when they saw her eyes. Minnie used that momentary pause and slit one of their throats before stabbing the other through the heart. Kicking them off her blade, she flicked off the blood. “I’ll kill your whole fucking crew! This is for all the bloodshed that you caused in Halverport!” 

Minnie slashed her sword down against another crew member. Her blade soon was blocked by another pirate’s blade and she fought them back with an animalistic rage. “Once they’re all dead I’ll drag you into Davy Jones’ Locker myself! Now come out of your hiding spot, coward!” Minnie’s voice was filled with venom as it echoed around the ship. Her eyes caught sight of another pirate and she was about to cut her down when suddenly Minnie felt something hook into her back. With a pained hiss she looked back to see a grappling hook used to attach ships together embedded in her shoulder. 

“I’d love to kill you here and now but the captain wants to show you that pretty lady’s death before ye die,” One of the crew gave a twisted smile to Minnie then tugged on the rope, forcing her in his direction.

“You won’t touch Ren!” Minnie twisted the rope around her hand and yanked on it, causing the pirate to stumble forward. Before he could recenter himself Minnie’s blade found his gut and she sliced across it, causing his blood and guts to spill out as he quickly died. “None of you get to live past tonight!” Minnie flicked the blood on her sword onto the deck and she pulled the hook out her back. The look in her eyes made the crew take a few steps back and Minnie felt it deep within her heart. The part of herself that she thought had died with the Delta was quickly coming back to life and she could do nothing to stop it. 

Mariana ran through the streets, taking shortcuts that only she and Gabe knew just in case some of the pirates were in the fog hoping to catch any civilians they could. She couldn’t risk getting caught right now; she had to warn the others. Vaulting over a few crates, Mariana slid under the broken door of a boarded up building. With a few fast jumps and swings Mariana got to the other side of the abandoned building and soon stood in front of her house. Without time to catch her breath, Mariana threw open the door. 

The harsh sound immediately woke up Gabe. Slipping out of Nurgul’s arms he reached for his old sword left to him by his father. Gabe spun around, unsheathing the blade and pointing it at the door, his eyes hardened and determined, until he realized that it was Mariana.

“Mari! Shit. I thought you were a thief or something,” Gabe put his blade away and looked over when Nurgul woke up from the sudden commotion. It took her a few seconds to fully wake before she saw Mariana.

“Hey, Mari,” Nurgul smiled but it soon faded when she saw the look on her face. She was about to ask about it when suddenly Gabe spoke up.

“What's wrong?” Gabe studied his younger sister’s eyes and saw the overwhelming fear and worry within them.

“We have to wake up Javi and Santi. Halverport is in danger,”

Her words made both Gabe and Nurgul’s eyes grow large. Soon the three of them headed over to wake up Javi and Santiago. Once they were awake Mariana started to explain all that had happened. As her tale unfolded she felt the tension grow in the room and noticed the horror and worry in all their eyes.

“Here’s what we’re going to do,” Javi directed. “Gabe, Nurgul, Mari, go and get Tenn and bring him back here. Santi and I will warn the town,” Javi rose up and searched for some weapons while his husband gathered any sort of medical supplies they had.

“Once we’ve done that we have to head over to that ship and make sure Minnie doesn’t get herself killed.” Santiago shook his head, pinching the bridge of his nose as he tried to calm himself. “That stupid kid, being so reckless,”

“She shouldn’t have gone on her own but I can’t fully blame her either. If you were taken,” Javi reached out for Santiago’s hand and held it tightly. “Shit, if any of you were taken, I don’t think I could stop myself from going either,”

“”Either way we have to warn the town and reach the ship before it's too late,” Santiago looked over at his husband who gave a determined nod.

“Right,” Javi walked forward, quickly wrapping Mariana, Gabe and Nurgul in individual hugs. “You three be safe,”

“We will, I promise,” Mariana held onto her uncle’s hug for a moment longer then let go. She tried to be patient but each second spent on goodbyes and double checking supplies was another second closer to Tenn being hurt or worse. That was if he wasn’t already dead. The thought terrified Mariana and she felt her heart sink to her feet.

“I can’t wait any longer! I have to get to Tenn! If you need more time take it but I’m going!” Mariana dashed out of the door before anyone could say otherwise.

“Mari, wait! Shit!” Gabe hurriedly chased after his sister and Nurgul soon followed after him. After a few seconds they had caught up to Mariana who was on her way to Tenn’s house. Her heartbeat pounded in her ears as her mind went back to worrying about what she could potentially find there. What if he was nowhere to be found and had been taken too? What if he was hurt? Mariana’s mind continued to panic until it settled on a question that shook her to her core. What if he was already dead?

“Mari, focus!” Gabe’s voice snapped Mariana back into reality. “We’re finding Tenn, he’s gonna be fine,” His eyes locked with Mariana’s, reassuring her.

Mariana gave a small nod. “Yeah,” Her attention soon returned to climbing up the hill. Within minutes they were nearly at the house when suddenly they heard the sound of fighting. Mariana immediately stopped in her tracks, her heart dropping in that moment. One of the voices that was yelling was Tenn’s.

Chapter Text

Mariana didn’t hesitate. Sprinting forward, she aimed to crash open the front door with her arm.

“Mari, wait!” Gabe cried out but soon saw that it was pointless. “Shit! Come on, Nuri!” 

“I’m right beside you,” Nurgul dashed forward along with Gabe, the two of them trying to catch up with Mariana. 

As Mariana approached the door she heard the argument more clearly.

“Where is she!” Tenn’s voice sounded frantic and scared.

“Put the sword down, kid. I promise to give you a swift death.” A calm voice spoke and soon footsteps were heard creaking across the floorboards.

“Don’t move! Or-” Tenn’s voice caught in his throat, ''Or I’ll kill him!”

The man laughed at that. “Nice try, kid. You may have the skills of a pirate but you don’t have the guts,”

“I said to stop moving!” Tenn’s voice rang out. It was clear that he was panicking. “Tell me what you did with Minnie!”

Mariana couldn’t risk waiting a second longer. Slamming her arm against the door she forced it open, revealing the scene before her. Tenn was holding out his old pirate sword, his hand trembling slightly as the sword scratched against a pirate’s throat. In front of the young adult was the leader of the other two pirates. A man who had a goal in mind that he intended to see through on. A goal that made a shiver run down Mariana’s spine. He wanted to kill Tenn. 

“Mari,” Tenn’s eyes grew large as he looked at his love. “What are you doing here?”

“I’m here to get you to safety,” Mariana tried to make her voice sound less scared than how she was feeling. Based on the smile on the lead pirate’s face though she was failing.

“Oh, who is this young maiden? Your love?” He smiled over at Tenn then took a step towards Mariana.

“One more step and I swear I’ll kill him. Now tell me why you’re here!” Tenn warned as his blade pressed against the pirate’s throat, piercing it slightly. Slowly a thread of blood slipped down the man’s neck.

Gabe and Nurgul soon reached the door. Carefully sneaking up to the window, Gabe snuck a glance inside. His heart pounded harshly in his ears when he saw that there were pirates in the house. Tightening his grip on the hilt of his sword, Gabe was about to charge in but stopped when he felt Nurgul’s hand on his arm.

“We have to be careful. If we charge in, it could cost Tenn or Mari their lives. I know it's hard but we have to wait for an opening,” Nurgul could see the conflict deep within her love’s eyes. Reluctantly Gabe nodded then continued to watch through the window, his heart pounding faster with each second. Moments of silence went by in the house before the lead pirate spoke.

“Fine,” The man readjusted his sleeve. “I’ll tell you the truth. Although you won’t have much use for it seeing as you'll be dead soon. My name is Tomas Montoya. I am the first mate of the Sea Wolves, the most fearsome crew to ever sail the seven seas. My captain has ordered me to kill you so that she can get the revenge that is so rightfully hers on Minerva.”

“Where is Minnie? What did you do to her?” Tenn’s grip on his sword tightened with fear. 

“Dead,” Tomas lied, hoping that it would break his target quicker and make him easier to kill. A content smile appeared on his lips when he saw the look in Tenn’s eyes. How with one word he had shattered his heart.

“No, there’s no way,” Tenn backstepped, his sword falling to his side.

“Her corpse is floating in the sea right about now. Her blood staining the waters,”

“Stop,” The young adult shook his head, trying to ward off the words.

“She got what she deserved,” Tomas slowly moved forward, his eyes locked with the pirate closest to Tenn and with a subtle nod he gave the signal. “And you’ll soon be joining her,”

The pirate closest to Tenn unsheathed his blade and lifted it up high into the air.

“No!” Mariana unsheathed her blade and dashed forward. Holding her sword up, Mariana blocked the attack meant for Tenn. She immediately sent a kick to the man’s gut, sending him back a few steps. “You’re not gonna hurt Tenn,” Mariana held out her blade, trying to radiate confidence as her mind struggled to recall the teachings her father had given before he had abandoned her for the sea. 

Tomas gave a laugh then shook his head. “You are brave, I'll give you that. Brave but stupid.” He slowly took out his cutlass and was about to attack Mariana when footsteps suddenly appeared behind him. Spinning around, Tomas was met with a heavy blow to his gut causing him to keel over in pain. His eyes shot up in anger and spotted Gabe.

“You’re not going anywhere near my sister,” Gabe’s eyes burned with determination as he  entered his fighting stance.

“I will, just as soon as I’ve dealt with you,” Tomas ran forward and swung out his blade. Gabe blocked the attack, the sound of metal clashing throughout the room as the other pirate worked to attack Mariana and Tenn. 

Mariana charged forward and locked swords with the man. Moving her head back she heabutted him harshly, making him dizzy as spots appeared in his vision. Tenn didn’t give him a chance to recover and soon used the hilt of his sword to ram into the pirate’s gut again and again before he swept his leg. The pirate fell to the ground with a thud and Mariana was about to deal the finishing blow when the other pirate’s blade appeared, fast approaching towards her face. Before she could even hope to counter the blade sliced across her right cheek.

“Mari!” Gabe called out, his concern clear in his voice and eyes. Tomas smiled at the free opportunity to strike. Slashing his cutlass horizontally, he hoped to gut his enemy but instead Nurgul appeared, blocking the attack at the last moment. Tomas looked alarmed by the sight of another fighter but couldn’t focus on this news for long. Without warning Nurgul punched the man square in the face, breaking his nose with a disturbing crunch. Tomas’ head swayed in the direction of the punch and tears stung his eyes as he clutched his bleeding nose. 

“You’re not hurting any of them today,” Nurgul took out her curved blade, a sword gifted to her by the Ericson Pirates long ago in hopes that it would help keep her safe. Now she intended to use this gift to protect those she loved. 

“You sneaky little-” Tomas attacked Nurgul with a series of short jabs, some hitting their mark and some missing. Nurgul tried her best to counter attack but each step of the way she was blocked or parried. Tomas smirked; he knew he had the upper hand in this one on one duel. He was about to strike her again when suddenly he felt the cold touch of steel enter his side. Looking over, he saw that Gabe had snuck in an attack.

“Get the hell away from Nuri!” 

Tomas angrily slapped Gabe away then heartlessly kicked his face.

“Gabe!” Nurgul cried and blocked another attack that was meant to harm her love. Gabe struggled to his feet and soon worked on disappearing from his enemy’s sight. Nurgul seemed to pick up on his tactic and adapted quickly. She used the fighting skills she had learned from her lost crew and the training that Ruby had given her in her time aboard the Ol’ Kickass. It took time to get a read on Tomas and learn his strengths and weaknesses but Nurgul and Gabe kept at it, studying his movements in the ways that they had been taught to read opponents from those who taught them long ago. Together they were able to hold their own against the pirate but for how long?

Nurgul backstepped away after receiving a cut on her chin and a heavy strike to her side, her eyes struggling to pinpoint the spot she needed to strike. But it was no use, she was in no condition to win.

“It’s over,” Tomas strode forward with a confident smile “Now you die!” He raised his blade to strike but froze when Gabe slid in front of Nurgul protectively and thrust his sword at Tomas, piercing his heart. Tomas stumbled back, his sword clattering to the ground as he held his wound in shock. Why had he been so foolish? For just one moment he had underestimated the other brat and that had cost him everything. Tomas gasped sharply and fell to his knees, the light fading from his eyes before he collapsed. 

Gabe took a shaky breath then fell to the ground, his body dry heaving from the impact of taking a human life. His entire form shook until he felt the comforting embrace of his wife.

“It’s okay. It’s going to be okay. I’m right here.” Her soft words helped Gabe slightly as he reached up and held onto her arm tightly. 

Gabe scanned the room and saw Tenn defending Mariana from the last pirate. The other lay on the ground, unconscious or dead he couldn’t tell. Tenn parried an attack then set about a series of his own, purposefully using non lethal attacks that slowly chipped away at the man’s ability to fight. The pirate swore angrily and countered, throwing Tenn off balance but Mariana immediately jumped into the fight, making sure that no harm came to Tenn. 

The two worked well together. Tenn’s heavy defense made up for Mariana’s lack of one and her aggressive fighting style made it possible to get in some much needed attacks. With some well-timed teamwork the two of them feigned a joint strike, leaving the man wide open. A harsh hit to the side of the pirate’s head signalled Tenn’s victory. 

Tenn took a moment to catch his breath before placing away his sword when suddenly Mariana tackled him with a hug. “I’m so glad you’re safe,” She whispered in her love’s ear who gently returned the hug.

“Minnie, she’s-” Tenn’s voice caught in his throat and he tried to roughly swallow away the sadness building up inside of him.

“I can’t say for sure but I think he was lying,” Mariana pulled back and looked up into Tenn’s eyes. “I saw her before coming here. Javi and Santi are going to make sure she’s safe. Now I’m gonna make sure you’re safe too. We’re going back to my house, all of us,”

“We should probably tie up those who survived,” Nurgul noted and after giving Gabe a few more moments to process the four of them worked to tie up the men. Once that was done they carried them outside and away from the house before making their way back into the heart of Halverport. As they entered town all of them hoped that the others were okay.

“This way! Head towards the western part of town!” Javi instructed the townsfolk who all frantically made their way forward. The few men that knew how to fight were all gathered in the western part of Halverport. That was where they would make sure most of the people were sheltered before Javi and Santiago would comb through the town for any wandering pirates. 

Soon most of the people had gathered and Javi and Santiago began to wander through the town. Javi unsheathed his rapier, carefully searching the fog for any signs of enemies to the left of the street while Santiago had his estoc sword out and was doing the same with the right. The two kept close, their shoulders touching, and slowly made their way through the town. 

Around every corner they seemed to be met with a pirate. The pair had decided before scouting that it was best to kill rather than spare any of the Sea Wolves. Based on what Mariana told them and what they had seen in the marketplace, killing these foes would make Halverport safer. As they wandered through the fog they were suddenly ambushed by a group of four. Santiago blocked one strike then kicked another pirate away roughly. Javi pulled Santiago back when he spotted another blade and used his sword to block the attack while Santiago was shielded in his arms. 

“Thank you,” Santiago smiled lovingly at his husband then used his estoc to slice a pirate’s arms to ribbons. Using the moment of shock he then silenced the man permanently before rushing to do the same to the other. 

Javi’s blade clashed against a pirate’s. The two of them pressed their full weight into the deadlock until Javi suddenly stopped and sidestepped, causing the pirate to stumble. With a quick flick of his wrist Javi’s rapier sliced through the man, ending him in mere moments.

 It didn’t take long for this fight to end and for another to begin. Based on the sheer number of pirates, Javi and Santiago couldn’t help but assume that at least half of the crew was off the ship and within the town. Regardless of how many there were, the pair was determined to keep Halverport safe and so they kept on fighting until finally they were sure they had cut down the last pirate.

“Mari, Gabe and Nurgul should be back home now with Tenn,” Javi flicked the blood off his blade and sheathed it.

“Most likely,” Santiago cleaned his blade with a handkerchief then placed it away. “So, should we head back home, check on the townsfolk or head to the Sea Wolves’ ship?”
Javi thought deeply on the decision before answering. “The ship. Minnie is alone and Renata could be injured already or worse. We have to make sure those two get home safe. I believe in our family. They’ll keep the people safe if there are any pirates left,”
“Alright, then let’s go. They left us a bloody trail to follow,” Santiago looked at one of the bodies in the marketplace. Javi felt his heart twist in pain at the sight of the boy; he had been no older than Mariana. 

“Let’s end this,” Javi strode forward, Santiago by his side. Both of their eyes shone with pain and determination. They would get rid of these pirates and save their home.

Chapter Text

Minnie gave an impassioned wail as she thrust her sword into a pirate’s neck. “Mary! Give her back! If you’ve even thought about hurting Ren, I’ll fucking kill you!” The redhead cried out to the sky but got no answer in response. Instead more of the hooks flew through the air from foggy spots on the ship and embedded in her back. Minnie gasped in pain, her eyes shaking with agony before hardening as she tried to break free. But more and more ropes appeared and within moments she was being dragged to the ground. Unnerving, gleeful laughter filled the fog as the remaining crew members of the Sea Wolves emerged.

“Looks like we finally got her,” One of them knelt beside Minnie who was feeling her limited energy slipping away at a rapid pace.

“Fucking finally. That bitch was taking forever to subdue. Nearly took the whole fucking lot of us out too,” The most confident of the pirates strode forward. His eyes held pride for the bloodshed, sorrow and agony he had caused over the years. “Maybe since we were successful the captain will allow me to have some alone time with that pretty captive. It would be a shame not to have some fun before her throat is slit,”

Those words enraged Minnie to her core as she struggled with all her might to break free of the ropes. “I’ll cave your fucking face in!” she growled, her eyes shooting daggers at the pirate. He began to chuckle at that, believing that there was no danger anymore.

But he was soon proven wrong. 

As the redhead screamed she tore the hooks out of her back by pure force then proceeded to use her cavalry blade to slice through the rest of the ropes. Before most of the pirates could react she had already started to cut them down. One by one they fell until only the pirate who’d taunted her was left. He collapsed to the ground and tried to crawl away.

“Please, wait, it was just a joke! Some jolly old pirate humor! There’s no need to kill me, it's the captain you’re after,” He smiled desperately up at Minnie but she held nothing in her eyes but disgust for the man. As she loomed over him, he knew that all was lost and that she would go through with the threat she had made.

Once she had ended him, Minnie stumbled towards the stairs to the lower deck. Renata had to be here. The redhead shook her head, trying to regain her strength as she smeared her most recent kill’s blood off onto her shoulder.

“Ren! Are you down here?” Minnie lost her footing for a moment and crashed into the doorframe of the storage area. Her eyes stared on the ground for a minute, fading in and out of focus until she glanced up. Her heart immediately sunk to the bottom of her feet when she saw the sight before her. 

Renata’s arms were harshly tied with rope which dangled from the upper boards of the ceiling. Her eyes seemed hazy as blood slipped down the right side of her face. Bruises and cuts littered her body and she struggled to hold onto the limited footing she had. On the floor lay her right ear, bloody and pale. Slowly Renata’s eyes wandered up from the floor. Her eyes shimmered with joy and relief but Minnie also noticed the concern and fear within them. A warm smile appeared on the baker’s lips. “Min. I knew you’d find me,”

“Renata! Hold on, I’ll get you out of here!” Minnie was about to move forward when suddenly a shadow to her right moved in an odd way. Mary’s golden eyes soon appeared above her twisted smile. She kicked Minnie to the ground. The redhead fell hard, colliding into a rack of wine.

“I was starting to worry that you wouldn’t make it past my men. Another five minutes and you would’ve found a very different scene,” Mary slowly slid out her jagged dagger.

“Mary, how the fuck-”

“Did I live? It was all thanks to a local doctor but I like to think spite helped too,” Mary twirled the blade in between her fingers. “I hope you’re ready. I was patient enough to wait for you,” Mary started to make her way over to Renata. The action made Minnie's heart freeze and she tried her best to summon enough energy to stand. 

“Get the fuck away from her!” Minnie hissed in warning but Mary didn’t listen.

“Did you like the trail I left you? All people you interacted with over the last two days. When I first saw you, alive and happy, it pissed me off. I wanted to slit your throat right then and there. It would only be fair after your bitch of a twin gave me this scar,” Mary motioned to the long scar on her face that traveled from her lips to her right eye. “But then I thought, ‘No, I’m going to take everything from her and then when I finish that, then I will grant her death,’” Mary grabbed Renata’s hair that had completely fallen out of its usual bun and pulled it back. Slowly she placed the dagger against Renata’s throat.

“Don’t you fucking dare! Get away from her!” Minnie screamed with rage, just barely getting up to her feet. 

“It’s going to be okay, Minnie,” Renata tried to reassure her love even though it was clear in her eyes that she was terrified.

“Sweet but pointless,” Mary spoke with apathy then looked over at Minnie. “First I’m gonna kill her, then I’ll kill anyone in this pathetic town that you gave a shit about. In fact, I’m sure Tomas has already killed the one with the sliced ear.”

Minnie’s eyes grew large at that, dancing with sadness, loss and unyielding anger. Then they hardened. Minnie gritted her teeth. “Once I’m done killing you I’ll find Tomas too!”

“There it is, the murderous look that you needed all those years ago when you were a Sea Wolf. You still could’ve been one, hell, I would be lying if I said I wasn’t tempted to force you to join my crew seeing as you slaughtered half of them. Still, revenge is much more satisfying,” Mary moved the blade away from Renata’s neck for a second while she smiled at her enemy. “I’ll sleep so much better when both you and Sophie are floating in the water.”

Minnie spotted her opportunity and took it. Grabbing one of the wine bottles she threw it at Mary’s face, shattering it and causing the captain to stumble backwards. Summoning all the energy Minnie gave a deep, primal yell as she tackled Mary to the ground. Again and again her fist crashed into Mary’s face, turning it into a bloody mess.

“You’re never getting near Ren or anyone I care about ever again!” Minnie swung down another hit but Mary caught it and proceeded to throw Minnie off of her. Unsheathing her cuttoe sword, Mary aimed it for Renata with a heavy slash intended to kill. Minnie desperately pushed her love out of the way but it wasn’t fast enough. The sword sliced across Renata’s back, cutting through skin and chopping off her hair. 

“Ren!” Minnie’s voice wavered with concern when suddenly Mary lunged forward, her sword aimed for Minnie’s heart. Minnie took out her cavalry blade and blocked it at the last possible second. Both of them pressed into the attack, determined to get the upper hand.

“You will lose everything. I’ll make sure of it,” Mary smirked when she saw Minnie’s eyes become more lost in her rage. It made her easier to read.

“You won’t live past tonight!” Minnie cried, digging her heel into the floorboards when all of a sudden Mary backstepped, making Minnie fall forward. Mary’s knee connected with Minnie’s gut, forcing a pained gurgle out of her. The redhead pushed past the pain though and got her footing back just in time to block another attack. 

Minnie felt the world around her spin; her energy was rapidly running out. She couldn’t black out, not yet. She just had to last long enough to kill Mary and get Renata back to land. That motivation made Minnie dash forward and fight with murderous rage. She kept swinging again and again, some attacks harshly slicing across Mary’s limbs but the captain was getting in just as many hits. It wasn’t until a well-timed wave caught Mary off balance that Minnie ran forward, ramming Mary into the wine rack. Wrapping her hands around Mary’s neck, Minnie started to squeeze the life out of her. The force made Mary drop her dagger to the ground but soon enough her survival instinct kicked in and her hands clutched Minnie’s face. Her thumbs slowly moved inwards in hopes of gouging out Minnie’s eyes.

“Will your lover even be alive in the next five minutes?” Mary croaked, her tone still mocking.

“Shut up!” Minnie crashed Mary’s back against some other supplies. 

“She won’t and I can’t wait to see the look in your eyes when she’s dead!” Mary noticed the slight hesitation that those words had caused and with a harsh headbutt she broke free. Pinning the redhead to the ground she began to punch Minnie again and again. Minnie’s eyes blinked in a stunned haze, unsure how she would get free from this when suddenly Renata’s voice brought her back to reality.

“Minnie, to your right!” Renata used her limited mobility to kick the knife over by Minnie’s hand. Minnie’s fingers curled around the hilt and with a heartless slash she tore the blade across Mary’s face. Mary wailed in pain before getting kicked to the ground. Without hesitation Minnie pressed her knee to Mary’s chest and lifted up the blade.

“Fucking die!” She plunged the dagger into Mary’s heart and in mere moments the light within the captain’s eyes was gone. Pulling the dagger out, Minnie stumbled to her feet and made her way to Renata. “It’s okay, I’ve got you,” Minnie sliced the rope that held Renata’s arms up. Putting Renata’s arms around her neck she lifted her up.

“Min...” Renata’s eyes looked completely out of it. “We have to get you help,”

“No, you first,” Minnie walked a few feet forward but soon collapsed against the wall and slid down. No matter how she tried to will the strength to rise, Minnie no longer could. She was completely spent. Her eyes focused on the ceiling as she held Renata close. “I’m so sorry, Ren. It’s all my fault. Everything. It's all my fault,” Tears slipped down Minnie’s face and soon fell on Renata who wanted to comfort her love but didn’t have the energy to even move her arms. 

“We’ll be home soon, Min. Back in our bed, happy and together,” Renata gave Minnie a soft smile as her warm blood slipped from her back and stained Minnie’s clothes underneath crimson red.

“Yeah, we will, I’ll get you home. I promise,” Minnie mumbled before her head slumped forward moments later. Soon the room grew deathly silent.

Javi deftly tied the rowboat to the side of the ship and helped Santiago up on deck. Both of them took out their swords but soon saw there was no need. The upper deck was slick with blood and bodies littered every section of it. The sight sent a shiver down both of their spines but still they continued. Cautiously they made their way downstairs where they spotted Mary’s body. 

“There they are!” Javi’s voice made Santiago look over and spot Minnie clutching Renata close to herself but neither of them were moving. 

Dashing forward, Santiago checked their pulses. “They’re alive,”

Those words made a relieved smile appear on Javi’s lips. “Fuck, I thought for second...” Javi took deep breath, “Let’s get them home,”

“Right,” Santiago nodded and detangled Renata from Minnie’s grasp. Gingerly the two of them carried the girls back to the rowboat. They were going to get them back to Halverport alive. They were going home.