Chapter Text
She didn't know what was worse, the constant dripping of water or the constant chattering of the guards who roamed about.
If anything, she would save the lobsters some rope and kill herself right there with a sharp rock or something. Just a simple slash or maybe just bash her head in with the stone wall right behind her.
After all, what did she have to lose?
Mary already lost her child to some rich aristocrats, her mentality has already hit bottom and Anne was nowhere to be found. God only knows where that bouncing redhead might be, probably dead somewhere in this hell.
Better off dead then alive, Mary supposed.
Putting a bandaged hand on her sweaty and scared forehead, Mary shook her head at the thought of Anne dying. It wasn't like Anne to just fall over and die, no, something else must've happened to her.
A sharp stabbing sensation picked at Mary's thumb and whipping her head over to her hand, she grabbed a piece of stone and smashed the rat that was chewing her thumb.
The sudden movement, unfortunately, caused a piercing sensation to travel up her spine to her brain, making her cower in pain.
"This damn headache," Mary mumbled to herself.
Sickness had gotten to her and headaches weren't the only thing that went along with it. Mary laid herself against the cold stone wall and huffed to herself in annoyance. She turned her head slightly and shrugged her shoulders.
As Mary shifted herself to smash the back of her head on the wall, the cell door opened up. Her stone grey eyes looked up at the visitor's face and widened.
The visitor was tall, lean and was dressed in a guard's outfit, but Mary knew this wasn't an ordinary guard. The strands of bright red hair sprouting from the hat on top of their head made Mary smile.
"Surprise?" The visitor said as they helped Mary up from the ground.
"I don't know whether I should kiss you or stab you, Anne," Mary said to the red head. Anne smiled a toothy grin and threw a bundle in Mary's direction.
Catching it and opening it, Mary found all her weapons and a brown sac. A hat was then pressed down on the brunette's head, causing her to chuckle a bit.
"Well, I did bring ya a bunch of weapons and a sack to put em' in so I think a kiss is in order," Anne said as she pointed to her cheek. Looking back up at Anne, Mary stood up and kissed the redhead on her freckled cheek.
"Thank you"
"Thought it might brighten your mood a bit," Anne said. After putting everything on her person, Mary looked to Anne," you got everything, bandage man?"
"We're going back to that again?"" Mary said as she tugged on the bandages wrapping around her neck. The two silently exited the cell and went to the left, towards the back of the prison, "how'd you even sneak in let alone get a guard's clothes?" Anne looked at the pirate from the corner of her eye.
"What do you think?" Anne asked.
"No, you didn't-not with-wha-no but-Anne," Mary recoiled back in disgust. Anne caught on to what Mary was getting at and slapped her shoulder.
"Not that ya numpty," Anne said," I just, well-"
"Well what, Anne?" Mary asked.
"I just-you know what? I'm not getting into this with you now," Anne said as she pressed her back to the wall. She slowly peeked over to see three men laughing and chatter loudly over a game of cards.
Looking to her left, Anne began to panic as Mary was nowhere to be found," Mary? Mary! Jesus I hate it when she does this!"
Looking around a bit more, Anne sighed as she looked past the wall again.
The three guards were seemingly cut short of their card game since, in reality, they were cut short.
Mary could only pull her blade from one of the men's chests with a small shink and looked up at Anne, wiping the blood splatter off her face. Anne groaned a bit and quickly walked up to Mary, continuing their venture to the back of the jail.
That was the one thing that set Anne off, how quiet Mary could be.
It was useful of course, with disabling guards or running from trouble but it was also frightening. It reminded everyone that knew Mary about how horrifying she really is and on how much she held back in fights didn't help ease the stress at all.
The first time Anne ever saw Mary fight for real was in a small pub with two soldiers. It was as quick as blowing air into someone's ear, unnerving and sudden. Within one minute, they were on the ground.
All butchered and mutilated, not even their faces were recognizable to even the ones closest to them.
The accuracy was what also scared Anne.
No matter the size or shape, Mary found out the exact vital point of the opponent. In another lifetime, perhaps, she could've been an amazing doctor.
"It's peaceful now, ain't it?" Mary said as she walked a bit ahead. Anne sighed and looked up at her friend, a smile making way to her features.
"Sure. Whatever you say," Anne said.
"Those Joe Bloggs where always too -shit- Anne!" Mary rushed to the red head and pulled her towards the wall, dodging various bullets that whizzed past.
One, however, had managed to wedge itself in Mary's shoulder, making a groan of pain escape her lips.
"Mary!" Anne yelled as she looked to find at least five guards coming their way. Mary grabbed Anne by her forearm and pulled her to the next hallway where multiple doors were.
Opening the second to the last, Mary pulled out her pistol and fired a decoy down the hallway. Closing the door behind, Mary slid down to the ground, creating a line of smeared blood.
Anne crouched next to Mary and tore off a part of her jacket. She then wrapped it around Mary's arm and made a tight knot, causing Mary to wince in pain.
It probably might've been better to just go through with the head smashing plan, Mary thought to herself. Much less exciting and less, though unlikely, painful.
At least she wasn't going to become a hotel for lead when she would do it.
"Stop it -huff- I'm fine," Mary mumbled as she stood up. Of all times for it to happen, Mary stumbled to the wall of the small room and began to cough. Pellets of red began to cascade down her chin and onto the floor below, some even falling on her blouse. Anne gasped and placed a hand on Mary's back," I shoulda told you about this, huh?"
"About you spittin' up blood? I don't think that's something someone forgets easily, Read," Anne said as she helped Mary stand up straight.
Taking a step forward, Mary soon began to stumble as a tremendous headache began to fester in her head. Grasping her head tightly, Mary bent down in pain as she tried her hardest to muffle groans of pain.
Why didn't she do it?
If anything, to make it easier on herself, Mary should just shoot herself in the head and get it done and over with. Anne could get out of here and Mary would be pain free.
Simple plan, right? Right?
Resting her hand on her pistol, Mary looked up to meet a pair of blue eyes shining down upon her.
No. Not now at least, not like this.
Taking her hand off the pistol, Mary shuffled towards the door and leaned on it.
"I didn't want to worry you about this but I guess that was stupid of me," Mary said. Anne opened her mouth to retort but held it back, seeing as though it really wasn't the time to argue. Instead, she hoisted Mary up on her back and kicked the door opened.
She ran throughout various hallways past unsuspecting guards. At one end of a hallway, a huge crack leading to the outside was seen and Anne sighed in relief.
Quickening the pace, Anne skidded to a stop in front of it and began to pull the loose bricks to make for a bigger exit.
Mary laid on the stable part of the wall and watched with tired eyes as beads of sweat rolled down Anne's face. Her ears perked up as multiple footsteps were heard coming in their general direction.
"Shite," Anne muttered as she put a brick down," this has to be big enough for us to fit through. I don't have enough time to make it bigger" She then looked at Mary and furrowed her brows.
"Stop it, please"
"What?"
"I'm dying as we speak, Anne," Mary coughed," you're carrying a corpse"
"Mary, stop it"
"I'm gonna end up dying anyway, Bunny," Mary said as she put a hand on Anne's cheek.
Bunny.
Mary had began to use that after she had first met Anne. It had been an awkward and embarrassing mistake on both parties. At first it was used for simple teasing but had festered to become the ultimate form of endearment between the two.
"What about Robert, Mary? You can't just leave your son," Anne said. The footsteps grew louder as Mary slumped even further into the ground.
"That's why you'll be there. He'll be your son, not mine. The name Mary Read will be void to him," Mary said as she let her hand fall from Anne's face.
Those blue eyes in front of Mary soon narrowed in anger as Anne grabbed a hold of Mary's waist. Ignoring Mary's plead, Anne jumped out of the small crack and into the water below.
As soon as the cold, bitter water hit both of their faces, Anne began to swim with Mary grasping at the red cloth of the jacket.
"No, he's your son," Anne said as she kept swimming. She looked back to see the jail was a while away and relaxed a bit, allowing the water to drift her to the mass of foliage in front of her. A boat was hidden under huge palm tree leaves and Anne, due to how shallow the water was, stood up slightly and brushed the leaves off. Resting Mary on the bottom of the boat, Anne hopped in and grabbed a hold of an oar," just me, you and Robert in the Louisiana countryside, serving beer and whiskey at our own bar. Maybe have a dog in the mix too, some chickens in the backyard maybe for fresh eggs. We'll get to live freely and do as we wish like we always wanted"
Anne looked at Mary, waiting for a response. The air grew tense as she bent down to check a pulse.
It was still there, yet it was faint.
A wave of panic washed over Anne as she began to shake Mary, trying to wake the woman up anyway she could," don't do this to me, Mary. Don't you dare"
Only silence was in the air as Anne stared down at Mary. The blood from her coughing had been smudged from the water, painting her whole chin a pinkish color.
Mary's skin was clammy and almost white, the veins around her eyes popping out. It was like watching death caress someone's face, with its thin fingers and long nails drawing small circles on the person's cheeks.
"Anne," Mary suddenly croaked out, blood and water coming out from the corner of her mouth. Anne's eyes widened as she took hold of both of Mary's hands, intertwining both of their fingers. They were cold and as clammy as her skin," promise me, you'll forgive me"
"I prom-"
"Will you really? You say that now as if you -cough- know what I'm talking about," Mary said as she pulled out of Anne's grasp and combed her hands through her fiery locks,"please forgive me. I never wanted any of this to happen." A strained smile made way to Mary's pale features as Anne pulled her hand to her heart.
"You're saying this like you're actually-," Anne stopped as Mary chuckled, droplets of blood running down her chin as she laughed.
"Protect Robert. Let him grow up to be the great Mr. Robert William Read," Mary said as she leaned up to Anne's ear, her voice only in but a whisper now," please forgive me, Anne. I love you"
A shot soon rang out throughout the area and Anne widened her eyes as Mary fell limp, a small smile gracing her pale lips.
A pool of crimson began to appear beneath Mary as her eyes fluttered shut. Anne wrapped her arms around Mary's body, one on her back and the other behind her head, cradling her softly and whimpering.