May the Father of Understanding Guide Us (Open)

For the most part, no one really did anything. It wasn't hard to tell the pirates apart from the common folk; one half was drunk off their arses, and the other was on their asses begging for a drink. The unjust 'glory' of the pirate nation is all it was. A few of the soldiers actually stopped, offering their food and water to many of the beggars. Roger couldn't tell if it was a ploy or genuine kindness, all he knew was it was good either way. He'd called in dedicated, well-supplied ships, meaning the marines onboard weren't the sore folk many islands were used to.

Some time passed, before the first shot sounded, and then a hail more followed. Roger rushed to the scene, to see a trio of pirates dead, with three redcoats dead not far from them, a firing line racked up in a nearby opening, reloading their rifles after taking down the pirates. They seemed to disagree on who shot first, but Roger didn't care. The sounds of swords clashing began to overcome Nassau, and then more shots. The chaos was upon them.

Roger moved through the town, passing the pub and a few other buildings, as he hunted down the place he had to suspect Elizabeth was in. Assassins and pirates had one thing in common, and that was prostitution, though generally they favoured it for different reasons. When he noticed the immense pirate presence around the brothel, he knew he'd been right in his presumption. He had his force line up, and let out a hail of lead. Pirates fell one by one, clinging to their lives as best they could. Roger began his march then and there.

The door fell apart, splintered by three strong kicks. Roger stood in the way, his sword dripping with pirates blood, his wheellock still smoking. He looked around the dimly lit room, noticing it was empty. The fighting outside kept going, but Roger had faith. He moved through the room, calling out low, knowing they were alone.

"Come out, Liz. I'm not here to kill you again."

"Pity. I was really hoping you would" Elizabeth said with a laugh. Elizabeth stepped out from the shadows, holding a small bottle in one hand. This was her own personal attack on the Admiral, the breaking point.

"Do you know what this is, Admiral? No? Allow me to explain. This is a poison of my own design. A single drop, that's all I need to kill this thing inside of me. The whole bottle? That's enough to kill fifteen men."

Elizabeth removed the cork from the bottle, and smiled happily before she looked up at the Admiral. "Go on then, I'm listening."

"You really think you'll do it? Kill your new child? You look at me now like you did when we first met. Are you willing to do the same thing I did back then? To be the monster?"

Roger stood still, looking at her and trying to figure her out, like he had so often done. She hadn't lost it. She wasn't insane, not like the legends told, not yet at least. He smirked, the blade in his hand twitching for a moment - he could've just shot her then and there, remove the risk of her being stupid. She'd made a fatal miscalculation in all of this, and it was one he planned to exploit.

"You think this is my child? Yes, perhaps we made it. Perhaps it is my offspring. But I'm not raising it, am I? It's not going to know me. This is your child. If you kill it, you're killing your child, your future. I will turn and leave this place an unfazed man. But you wont leave it an unfazed woman. You know this. What if I'm to meet Hornigold out there fighting? What then? Should I take him from you as well? No. Besides, this isn't why I'm here."

He sheathed his sword, and holstered his pistol, crossing his arms and looking down at Elizabeth through dead eyes, eyes that didn't show the emotion they once had. He was cold, he was heartless. He was 'the Commodore' again.

"End this fight. Surrender, announce which of you are pirates, and we will deal with you as the law sees fit. I'll even let those of you who can hide, hide. But those who admit themselves, those who fight? They must lay down their arms, and surrender. We will end the bloodshed. I don't think you want anymore destruction than we already have."

"This child means nothing to me! As for the pirates? Well, we're much smarter than you give us credit for." Elizabeth drank the contents of the bottle, and tossed it aside.
"Now that that's over, I think it's time that I put you down like the dog that you are" Elizabeth said with a sinister laugh before she quickly drew two of her golden flintlocks, took aim at the Admiral's chest, and fired.

Each shot hit. One was just barely stopped by leather armour, burying itself less than an inch into his flesh, but the other tore through Roger's chest. He felt the lead embed itself in his torso, and pondered just what it may have hit. From the sudden pain, it felt like he'd been hit in the heart. Though judging by where he felt the hole, he must've been wrong. He staggered back, and drew his pistol, holding it at hip level before firing at Elizabeth. The one thing he'd been best at had always been shooting, he had faith he'd hit.

The Admiral fell back, feeling blood seep into his clothes as his heart raced. He looked up at the ceiling, panting, gasping, before rolling over and forcing himself up onto his feet, staggering up against the nearest wall. He grabbed the hilt of his blade, growling, looking back to see where Elizabeth was.

Elizabeth stepped out of the way in the knick of time, the bullet simply grazing her thigh.
"Not this time, love" Elizabeth said mockingly. She drew her twin boarding axes from their holsters, ready to fight the Admiral. "There goes your bastard child, Admiral" Elizabeth growled as she felt the blood run down her legs. She calmly approached the Admiral, boarding axes ready to strike. She seemed unhindered by the poison flowing through her veins, the bullet wound, and the child that she was losing. She seemed like a Demon, like Satan given earthly form. She was, once again, Elizabeth Shay.

Roger looked up at Elizabeth as she strode over to him, her back held upright, her head held high. He fell to one knee, using his sword to keep him stable. He growled furiously, holding his tongue - half of him, more than half of him wanted to call out, have the redcoats storm the building and overwhelm her. But his better half knew better than to do that now. For all that he'd said, all he'd thought, looking up at her made him oddly happy. Perhaps he was glad that it would be her that finished him.

"Go on... Do what you must..."

He looked up, a small smile spreading across his lips, still clear through the muck and mire of his face, the dirt and blood he'd been splattered with during the march, and the sweat and pain he'd earned here. He looked into her eyes, smirking softly, coughing up a small amount of blood.

"For what it's worth... I'm glad it's you... Liz..."

"No, love, not like this" Elizabeth said softly as she gently cupped his cheek with a soft, bloodied hand. "For your crimes against the Black Flag, you will dance the hempen jig at the gallows." Elizabeth stabbed a sleep-dart into the Admiral's neck, and laughed as Ben emerged from another room before kissing Hornigold passionately.

By the time Roger awoke, he could still hear shots every so often, the sound of cannons firing and people yelling, or screaming. He looked out, before realising he was in some poorly made cage. If he wanted, he'd be able to break out pretty easily, judging by the quality of the bars. But he didn't want to. He could see where he was, he could see his fate already. He felt ill, and could see his shots had been poorly patched up with old bandages and... what looked like the rags of his coat. He only then realised his clothes were in tatters, and he sighed softly. Whatever came next, he had no clue.

"Come on, love, it's time for your final performance" Elizabeth said with a laugh as she unlocked the Admiral's cell. Two men, her own personal guards, followed her closely. Elizabeth slapped the Admiral in irons, and smiled rather smugly.

Elizabeth personally marched the Admiral up to the gallows, the very same gallows that had claimed the lives of many a pirate. She smiled happily as she slipped the noose over his head, and around his neck.
"Admiral Roger Stodd of the British Royal Navy, you hereby stand accused of multiple crimes against the Black Flag. We have found you guilty of torturing a captain, foeticide, and murder. As a result, you have been sentenced to death by hanging." The crowd of pirates cheered happily as Elizabeth made her way to the lever. The town had fallen into chaos as the pirates had taken back the town. Fallen British soldiers lay in heaps, their corpses set ablaze. Elizabeth laughed maniacally as she pulled the lever, thus snuffing out the dark light of the Admiral's life.
"Down among the dead men,
Down among the dead men,
Down, down, down, down,
Down among the dead men let him lie."
The rum flowed freely, the musicians played a jolly tune, and the town was filled with cheer.

((OOC: What a tragic ending. Ah well, that's that then.))

(It is, isn't it? Well here's a little song to finish things off)