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Israel Hands is seething. The ponce, otherwise known as Stede Bonnet, wasn't manipulating Blackbeard. He wasn't even manipulating Ed.
No. The twat has the utter unmitigated gall to be sincere in his compliments. To mean it when he chirps "You wear fine things well."
Izzy is losing his carefully constructed invisible control over Edward Teach. And that . . . That can't be allowed.
He sets Bonnets losers to tasks even they can't fuck up. "Ivan. Fang. With me."
These were his most loyal men. His. They were polite enough to the Captain, but they follow Izzy's orders. They know who's really in charge.
They aren't all that bright, though. Today, Izzy is grateful for that. It means that when Izzy remarks, nonchalantly, "Doesn't seem fair that Blackbeard's keeping his pet, a far more expensive pet than a dog, when he doesn't let anyone else have one." Fang agrees without bothering to realize that Izzy was the one to order his dog put down.
Ivan is confused, "Captain has a pet?"
"Well, what else do you call Bonnet?" Izzy asks, innocence himself, "He's certainly not capable of looking after himself."
It takes a little more convincing, but eventually, Fang and Ivan see it Izzy's way. Now to tell Blackbeard what he has to do.
Izzy's looking forward to it.
The fuckery that Bonnet and his losers are planning isn't worthy of even being witnessed by Blackbeard, much less having Blackbeard participate in or praise it. Izzy can do better, and Izzy doesn't think all twisted like this.
But while the twats plan and have their sewing circle, Izzy and his boys confront Blackbeard.
"Blackbeard" Izzy rasps " doesn't allow pets on board. "Right Fang?"
Fang sniffles, and agrees.
"What are you talking about, Iz?"
"The ponce. You told me we were going to kill him. Smash his face. Dress him in your clothes. Let you retire."
Edward nods.
Izzy lowers his voice, makes Edward strain to hear him, "So why is your pet still prancing around alive?"
"C'mon Iz . . ." Edward pleads.
"No. Pets. Do it tonight. During the fuckery. He'll die doing something he likes, then. Unless you need me to?"
Edward shakes his head. "No, no, I'll take care of it. During the fuckery."
Izzy nods, caresses the hilt of his sword, "see that you do. Blackbeard doesn't need pets."
Izzy ignores the rebellious "What if Ed wants a pet. Not that Stede's a pet." That he can hear as Blackbeard leaves.
Izzy dismisses Ivan and Fang, "go make sure these idiots don't . . . Sink the ship or something. I want them all alive. Especially the insubordinate one, the scribe. They're useful."
He needs to find Bonnet and do his own part of getting the pieces into place.
"Bonnet."
"Iggy."
Ugh. The captain of the Revenge is still on that. But Izzy needs to be nice for this to work. "Is there anything I can do to help with tonight's fuckery?"
Stede narrows his eyes, "Why do you care?"
"Because Edward cares. It's my job to keep him content. And having this work would keep him content."
The ponce pushes, Izzy should know by now that he always will, "Content? Not happy?"
"Content. Pirates don't need to be happy." Izzy sneers.
Stede frowns, but Izzy turns away before he can make a rejoinder.
Night falls. The fake fog starts up. The Swede begins to sing something in a language Izzy never learned.
He thinks there's supposed to be a cohesive story to the whole thing, but he spends the entire show trying to muffle his laughter. Right up until the scribe loses a finger. "Roach!" Izzy hisses as the Dutch sailors go running by, "help the boy!"
Roach, already on it, shoots Izzy a dirty look, but no matter. The first mate needs to find Edward and help him get rid of the body.
He finds both of them, captains Bonnet and Teach, behind the door of Bonnet's ridiculous 'en-suite'. Like he's too good for a quick wash with cold sea water line the rest of them.
Izzy grinds his teeth. Bonnet is not only still alive, but Edward is confessing! Fuck, fuck, fucking fuck.
Izzy goes out on deck to wait. He'll have to take care of this himself, before he loses Edward completely.
He doesn't wait long. Edward isn't wearing his leathers, he has one of Bonnet's ridiculous robes on. Izzy lurks on the shadows until after Stede gives his 'notes' on the fuckery.
Then, when all is quiet, he steps out. "Stede fucking Bonnet, I challenge you to a fucking duel."
The twat accepts, of course. Of course, he's not wearing a sword, so Izzy finds him one while Stede tries to reassure Edward, "You've taught me a lot."
Edward, of course, was flirting, not teaching, but it's not Izzy's job to tell Bonnet that.
"Loser," Izzy grins nastily, "if he survives, leaves the ship. Do you agree, Bonnet?"
Izzy can see it, in Bonnet's eyes, the fear. But all the ponce says is, "I accept those terms."
And the fight is on. Stede is better than Izzy thought - he's improved since the island, or he hadn't been giving it his all in the island.
There's even a dirty trick or two, but in the end, Izzy's sword is through Stede's abdomen, driven fast into the mast.
And it won't come out. It's a technicality, but it is Izzy's loss. The captain- either of them - could declare him the winner, is clear he won, after all, but Izzy put them in this situation, and Stede won't concede, and Edward . . .
Edward can't forgive the betrayal. They leave Bonnet pinned like a moth, and escort Izzy to the dinghy.
"This isn't over, Edward! I'll be back!" He cries out as he starts to row away. Edward looks down at him and nods. Edward knows. Blackbeard is expecting it. Blackbeard needs it.
Izzy immediately starts planning his next move. If this was checkmate, he needs to change the game.