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Izzy can hear Blackbeard's footsteps coming down the stairs. Interesting. Blackbeard hasn't come to see him once since Bonnet showed back up.
Izzy stands up and is leaning against the bars, arms outside, by the time Blackbeard comes into view.
And it is definitely Blackbeard, not Ed, that Izzy is looking at. He's in his leathers, polished and mended, a few more metal studs added on. His eyes are practically glowing against the black of his make-up. Izzy would be impressed if the entire outfit hadn't been his idea.
Still, he wonders if he should be afraid. Not that he'll show it, even if he is.
"Iz" Blackbeard greets him from the circle of lantern light, just out of Izzy's reach.
"Blackbeard" Izzy returns.
"How did we get here, mate?" Blackbeard asks, pulling over a crate to sit on.
"Pretty sure we were always going to end up here, or side by side on the gallows, boss." Izzy replies, sitting on the floor against the bars of his cage.
"Yeah, probably." Blackbeard agrees. "Long ways from the bottom of the Marianne."
Izzy's lips twitch into a smile for a moment, "All of us piled together like dogs because the more experienced hands stole our blankets, you mean?"
"Yeah. Your elbow in my gut, Jack snoring, Sam talking in his sleep. Anne curled up in a ball a little ways away so we wouldn't discover her secret." the captains voice is fond as he reminsces.
"Did you ever tell her that you clocked her within moments of meeting her?" Izzy asks.
"Hell no, I like my balls where God put 'em." Blackbeard laughs.
Izzy chuckles back, "Good call. Damn that woman could fight like a hellcat."
"Sam said she and Mark are doing well. He'll take them news about Jack if he sees them before I do."
"What's he going to say?" Izzy asks, curious despite himself.
"The truth, that a British cannonball got him." Blackbeard shrugs, "No reason for the whole sordid story to come out."
Izzy nods, "Yeah, I suppose. Wouldn't do them any good."
They lapse into silence for a while, before Blackbeard says, "This, this is why I thought we were friends, Iz. Before Stede, you were the only one left I could talk to."
Izzy shrugs. "Hornigold should have taught you not to trust anyone. Would have thought your da had given you that lesson, though."
This time when Blackbeard laughs, it's a harsher sound, "Yeah, he did at that. Thought you might have been an exception. You sure showed me, though, didn't you?"
Izzy shrugs again, and Blackbeard abruptly stands. "We'll be there, soon."
Izzy perks up a little, "How soon?"
"Less than seven days," Blackbeard tells him, "According to Buttons. We'll do a few days trading then get the tribe's permission to leave you there. Stede says they aren't likely to eat you."
"Aren't likely to?" Izzy asks.
"Something about their religious rites." Blackbeard replies negligently, waving that away. "I came to offer you one last chance to join the crew"
This time, Izzy stops to consider it, perhaps nervous about cannibalism, perhaps just realizing that this is the last decision he can make to steer his own destiny.
"You can tell Stede tomorrow." Blackbeard finally tells him, when the silence has gone on too long.
Izzy nods. He watches Blackbeard leave until he can no longer see him, then listens to his footsteps going up the stairs and across the deck. Then, and only then, does he lay on the slab he uses as a bed to think things over.
Would staying on this farce of a crew with no power and under the ponce really be so bad?