16Note: This is a story I've had in the works since... sometime in January, I think. Treasure Planet was a movie my dad first showed me when I was a wee one and I remember thinking it was... weird and creepy back then. Honestly, the only thing I remembered was the eyeball in the soup, lol!
Now it's my favorite Disney movie. Silver and Jim are such fascinating characters- I love them both. And! A Disney movie that was focused on a father/son relationship? I was immediately in love.
As always, I'm a little nervous about posting in a new fandom. But I've been really excited about this story.
And to anyone else out there who is like me and desperate for new content in this fandom, this story is dedicated to you guys.
This story is about... 90% finished, so I'll try my hardest to give you guys regular updates.
The stunt with Mr. Arrow.
It felt like he couldn't breathe. So it hadn't been him. It had been Scroop. It had been Scroop all along.
And Silver had known.
Silver had known and he had let Jim go on blaming himself, hating himself, for a mistake that wasn't even his.
For something that wasn't even a mistake.
It was murder.
Jim fell back heavily against the purp barrel's side. Morph let out an indignant mewl, stifled only slightly by Jim's hand, when he was crushed harder than Jim had meant to.
Ye've got the makin's of greatness in ye.
Had he really been so stupid as to believe that?
Of course he had been.
And Silver had known it too.
Silver had seen Jim for what he was- he had recognized Jim's desperate need for guidance- and he had taken full advantage of it.
Worse, he'd actually played along with it, as if he'd really thought Jim was destined for great things.
He'd said the words Jim had needed so badly to hear exactly when Jim had needed to hear them.
He'd been leading Jim by the nose.
Jim's vision swam, the figures in the room blurring, much to his horror. He thumbed away the moisture, teeth clenched.
Morph chittered again, squirming again in Jim's hold.
With a silent apology, Jim clutched him tighter against his chest. He couldn't afford to give him anymore leeway than he already had. Any noise at this point would give him away. What would happen if he were discovered… A shudder ran up his spine. He'd never have thought he would be afraid of Silver, the jolly, sometimes stern, but kind-hearted old cook, but this man in the galley was someone entirely new.
Was anything he ever said to me true?
Had all of it been just an act or had some measure of the man Jim had worked in and out with daily been true?
Another shout penetrated his thoughts, drawing him back to the present. Through the gap in the purp barrel's boards, he could see that Silver still had Scroop by the throat, shaking him. Any other day and he would have been satisfied, pleased even. There was nothing he would have wanted more than to see the Arachnid put back in his place.
Now, blood pounding in his ears, he struggled to come to terms with everything he had just heard.
Pirates.
Of course, it all made sense. The Loot of a Thousand Worlds. There were plenty of people who would want to get their hands on something like that. It was likely that most of them weren't the pleasant sort.
Silver flung Scroop from him with another shout.
Jim wasn't given a second to react, before the spider collided full on with the side of the barrel. He was smashed against the side of the barrel with a grunt- and then the barrel was tipping over. He fell forward, spilling out onto the floor amid a sea of purps.
Morph flew around his head with a worried chitter.
Jim blinked. No. Nonononono. This couldn't be happening. This couldn't be happening.
There wasn't a sound around him.
Maybe the pirates were just as surprised as he was.
Good. He could use that.
He started to push himself up. If he could just run… maybe there was a chance he could get past them. Warn the captain. Get them out of here.
He didn't get the chance. The back of his collar was snagged, fabric digging into the soft flesh of his throat. He was hauled back, slammed against a table. His chin came down hard and he bit his tongue, tasting blood. His arm was twisted around and wrenched behind his back. He stifled a cry behind his teeth.
"Well, Silver," Scroop hissed above him, "looks like your cabin boy still hasn't learned his lesson."
Breathing hard, Jim dared to raise his eyes to Silver.
The old cyborg regarded him stonily, face an unreadable mask. Once before, Silver had been the one to come to his aid when Scroop had threatened him during the first stage of their voyage.
Though Jim hadn't known it yet, that move was the one to cement the beginnings of the trust between them.
When Scroop had dragged him forth, Jim had expected there to be an uproar, bloodlust, a clamor for his death.
Instead, no one said a word. They hung back, gazes flitting back and forth between Silver and Scroop.
Were they waiting to see what the outcome of this standoff would be? Is that what this was? A standoff?
There was a hard set to Silver's jaw, but he said nothing.
It seemed there would be no stepping in this time.
But then again, could he say before had even meant something knowing what he did now?
Probably not.
It stung, knowing that everything that had happened, at least on Silver's part, it had all been part of the great game.
"I say we kill him now," Scroop continued. A claw pressed into the back of his neck.
Jim shut his eyes and pressed his lips together. He didn't want to die, but if he was going to die, far be it from him to ever let Scroop see how afraid he was.
The claw pressed harder. Something warm trickled down the back of his neck.
Jim bit his lip. However much it hurt, he was determined not to make a sound. He'd die like a man. He was sure it would give them something to talk about. Give his mother something to be proud of.
No. If he thought about his mother, there would be no way he could keep his composure.
"Kill him now and be done with it. The other two will follow shortly."
Jim's eyes widened. It should come as no surprise that, after they were finished with him, they would seek to eliminate the captain and the doctor, but hearing it aloud electrified every pore in his body.
"No." Silver's voice, when it finally came, was low, dangerously so, and unbreakable as rock. "Kill him now and ye'll be killin' a valuable hostage."
"Hostage?" There was a mocking drawl to Scroop's tone now. It was clear he didn't think Jim would be any use to them as a hostage.
Not that Jim could blame him when he couldn't see the use himself.
"Hardly needed when there are so many of us and only two of them. We'll crush them," the hand at his neck was pulled away. With a clack, Scroop snapped his claw shut and Jim flinched, "like a pair of purps. Or have you really," he tilted his head and a smirk twisted the airachnid's features into something even uglier, "gone soft on us all."
Jim could see
Silver's face darkened. The spider had him trapped and he knew it.
Jim wasn't an idiot. He had known from the beginning that the spider psycho had had it out for him for one reason or another.
Maybe he even would have killed him if he had ever got the chance.
Now, it looked like Scroop might be getting that chance. Silver didn't seem too inclined to try hard to stop him.
Just think. It could have been you, instead of Mr. Arrow. Jim felt sick.
He squirmed, but there was no give to the grip on his wrist.
"You won't be able to use the map without me." Jim spoke quickly, words spilling out over his tongue. He didn't know why he chose to speak. He didn't even know if what he said was one hundred percent true.
"You're lying," he growled. He slammed Jim's head against the table. Taken off guard, Jim couldn't completely hold back the cry.
He tasted blood.
Still, he grinned fiercely. His gamble had worked. Scroop was now hesitant."You really want to take that chance?" he challenged. There was a chance Scroop might call his bluff. He probably would if they were alone. But the other pirates were muttering amongst themselves now.
Silver was watching him. His expression was unreadable, but Jim got the feeling that he knew what Jim was doing. That he got the feeling that Jim wasn't sure he was speaking the truth and that he… what? Approved?
Jim's gut twisted uncomfortably. Silver's approval was something he didn't think he wanted. Not after everything that had happened.
He took a deep breath. He'd already given himself an advantage by instilling doubt in the pirates. "You can kill me," he said, struggling to keep his voice calm. He kept his glare focused on Silver. Somehow that was easier, "but where would that leave you? You still won't have any idea how to open the map!"
Scroop hesitated.
Jim jerked, taking advantage of the moment.
"Captain!" he hollered. "Pirates! Get out of…"
Scroop yanked him back with an enraged hiss, backhanding him across the face.
Jim grunted, back colliding with a post. He slid down it and his butt hit the floor. His cheek smarted something fierce and the metallic taste of copper filled his mouth.
The mantavor loomed over him, face contorted in rage.
"Why you little…" One claw was raised over his head to strike.
Jim cringed back, lifting one arm to cover his face defensively. It wouldn't make a difference in the end, he knew.
To his surprise, Silver intervened.
With a wordless snarl, he grabbed the arachnid's wrist, tossing him away from Jim. He reached down and caught the boy's upper arm in his flesh hand, hauling him to his feet.
"What are ye waiting for?" he roared at the rest of them. "Have ye all grown roots? Get to work and get the map!"
Just like that, the spell was broken.
A general shout went up and fists were thrown into the air. They remembered who they were and what they had come for. The lust for treasure was in the air. Eager for action, the pirates raced up the galley stairs and onto the deck.
Jim watched them go.
"That was a mistake."
The mantavor's low voice was like nails on a chalkboard to Jim's ears.
Scroop had pushed himself back to his feet, regarding both of them with murder in his eyes.
Jim took some satisfaction in seeing that it seemed like the spider was using one of the table's to support himself.
Scroop's shoulders heaved. A thin line of yellow blood trickled down the side of his face, but he looked remarkably unharmed.
Struck with the sudden thought that Scroop might actually attack them both, Jim pressed back. Silver's iron fist around his arm kept him from retreating entirely.
"I suggest ye watch yer step carefully from now on, Mr. Scroop," Silver said. He didn't take his eyes off the arachnid.
Scroop's eyes narrowed and he bared his teeth.
Jim held no love for the spider, but something in Silver's tone chilled him to the bone.
"Yes, I'd suggest ye watch it very carefully indeed."
Scroop snarled. Subdued for now, but not defeated.
Jim pressed closer to Silver. Despite the unveiling of the cook's- pirate captain's- true colors, there was still that association that spoke unequivocally of safety.
Silver turned and lumbered up the stairs onto the deck.
Jim stumbled up the steps behind him. Silver's grip wasn't tight enough to be painful, but there wasn't a chance he could break free.
One of the pirates had already broken into the weapon's hold. The door was smashed and hanging off its hinges. Others had broken down the door to the Captain's quarters.
The sight of it staggered Jim just a little.
Doppler and the Captain… Where were they? What had happened to them? Were they prisoners now, like Jim? Or were they…?
He couldn't finish the thought.
Would Silver even care what had happened to them? While he was on that train of thought, would he even care about what happened to Jim once he had the map in his hands?
One of the crew, a short, squat and fishlike creature rushed out, leaning over the railing to holler down, "They're gone, Captain Silver!"
"What?" Silver released Jim, hurrying up to the next level.
Jim's knees gave out and he dropped to the deck. His hands were shaking from the leftover adrenaline and terror and he clenched his fists, fingernails digging into the palms of his hands.
The pirates were all in the captain's quarters. Whatever they had found had left them all dismayed. Their shouts and curses carried out into the open air.
Jim took that to mean the captain and the doctor had escaped. He glanced around him. There was no one around. He was sure there had to be another skiff on board the Legacy. If he could make his way to it...
"Cabin boy…"
Jim's eyes widened and he scrambled to his feet, whipping around in time to see Scroop emerge onto the deck.
The spider grinned.
Jim was alone. Silver was nowhere in sight.
He backed up a step warily, teeth clenched. The steps to the captain's quarters were only a few yards away. Close enough for him to reach in a hurry if he needed to, he thought. Maybe.
Close enough for Silver to be in earshot. If he cared enough to answer.
He knew now that Silver was an enemy. They were no longer on the same side. Even after hearing what he had heard down in the galley, it was hard to remember he couldn't automatically turn to the man for help.
The blood pounded in his ears.
Jim stood alert, legs apart. He needed to be ready.
There might be no rescue this time if something happened. The thought hurt more than he was willing to admit.
Scroop prowled around him and Jim rotated to keep the mantavor in his sight.
But Scroop made no move to attack him. He stopped at the railing.
"Better watch your step, cabin boy. I'm always watching."
He made a snipping motion, bringing his claw together with a sharp clack.
"Wouldn't want an accident to befall you like poor Mr. Arrow, now would we?"
Jim clenched his teeth, hand fisting by his side.
"Mr. Scroop!" Silver's voice bellowed from above.
Jim flinched, but took some satisfaction that Scroop seemed to have been just as affected. He turned, looking up.
Silver stood atop the deck, fingers of his flesh hand curled around the railing. There was fury ablaze in his organic eye.
"Down to the skiffs. They can't be far off."
Only a handful of pirates filed out behind Silver. So much in a hurry that they just about collide into each other.
Jim wondered where the others were, until he realized, with a sick feeling in the pit of his stomach, that they were probably following the captain and the doctor down whichever route they had made their escape.
He prayed that his cry of warning had given them enough of a head start to safely make it.
Silver strode down the flight of steps to the main deck. He grasped Jim again by the upper arm.
"Hey!" Jim stumbled along behind him, struggling to match the galley cook's much larger strides. For someone of his size, Silver could move with surprising speed when he wanted to. If he had heard Jim's protest, he gave no indication. Jim may as well have been an insect for all the good his resistance did in slowing Silver down.
Morph swirled around his head, chirping worriedly, before flitting to Silver and repeating the behaviour. He whirled around Silver's head, before crossing the distance halfway between their heads and hovering in the air there.
The intended message, Jim thought, was clear.
Morph was distressed by the behaviour of his companions. He wanted them to stop, make up.
Jim wondered, not for the first time, how aware the morph actually was. Did he know how deep the conflict went?
"Morph…" Silver's voice was quieter than Jim thought he'd ever heard it before, tone laced with something like…? Sadness? Regret?
Regret for what?
For betraying Jim and his friends? For this? If he regretted it, why didn't he stop it? He was the captain of this crew, the one in charge of this mutiny, wasn't he?
"There they go!" Grewnge had run to the ship's port side, clutching and half-leaning over the railing in his excitement, waving one finger in the air. "There they go!"
And then he was running, scrambling for the ship's cannon, and Jim's heart was stuck in his throat. He couldn't even call out. Could only watch as maybe the only two truly good people left on this expedition were about to be blown out of the sky.
But Silver was already clenching a fist in the air, Morph forgotten. "Have ye gone daft?" he bellowed. "Ye shoot them down and we lose the bloody map, ye fools!"
Grewnge stumbled, came to a halt, and looked suitably disappointed. "But, Boss…" He made a sort of gesture with his hands, something along the lines of "but they're getting away" Jim would figure.
"Ye forgetting there's a second skiff? We follow them."
Silver moved his hand from Jim's arm to his shoulder, pushing him along in front of him.
Note: Just to get this out of the way- no, I don't plan to rewrite the entire movie from this point on. It was just sort of a tangent I wanted to explore and I was also desperate to play around with Scroop a bit.
