Drabble: 'Grave Error'

[dwgm]

A little Jack backstory for the current challenge at Black Pearl Sails ("error").

Can't believe I wrote Beckett and Mercer.



~ Grave Error ~


"Sparrow's disappeared, sir. We've had word that his ship was sighted off Barbados a month back. He should've made port here ..."

"A week ago. At least."

Beckett's voice... Mercer thrilled to the mix of fear and that strange euphoria he felt more and more often at the imminence of cruelty.

Beckett said, "You are certain? There has been no mishap? Though I don't recall that there were storms, particularly, in the last weeks."

"No," Mercer assured his employer. "There is no error. The ship is gone, out of our reckoning."

Beckett was silent for a moment, expressionless but for a slow tightening of his full lips. Then the man turned his cool gaze on Mercer once more. "You are mistaken. There has been a grave error. Most grave. I'm afraid the cost will be... painfully high. For us. And most certainly for Captain Jack Sparrow."

Mercer shivered.


~.~

Comments

[elissali.livejournal.com]

ah, but you wrote it so well! :)

[honorat.livejournal.com]

Yay! Jack backstory! That period of his life is so fascinating and you do a great job at creating the consternation and mayhem he has always been so good at causing the powers that be.

[woolymonkey.livejournal.com]

that strange euphoria he felt more and more often at the imminence of cruelty.

Such a creepy line!

You create a strong sense of EVERYONE getting into a hell of a lot of trouble for a very long time to come. I'm downright anxious now!

[hereswith.livejournal.com]

Oh, it's great! I can picture this scene so clearly, and you really manage to convey the sense that terrible things are about to happen. This line struck me as especially effective: Mercer thrilled to the mix of fear and that strange euphoria he felt more and more often at the imminence of cruelty.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Thank you! They are so very evil. But I suppose that's what makes them interesting, in a sense. Glad you read and enjoyed!

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much for taking the time to read this and comment. I hope all is well on the home front -- have been thinking about you so much these last couple of days.

*many hugs*

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Such a creepy line!

Mercer's a creepy guy -- I can see him being one of those people who savor the misery of others, and working for Beckett would give him plenty of chance to indulge his tastes.

Thank you for reading and commenting!

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Mercer probably developed a taste for that sort of thing over the years. Horrid men, he and Beckett. I am very glad you liked this!

xo

[sinningia.livejournal.com]

Can't believe I wrote Beckett and Mercer. I couldn't either but you did *very* well!
I liked this and both seemed very in-character to me.
I imagine Mercer is hard to write, is he?! He seems the most disturbing sort of man.

~sinningia~

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

I imagine Mercer is hard to write, is he?! He seems the most disturbing sort of man.

I wouldn't like to write him on a regular basis. He sort of makes my skin crawl. But he wasn't that difficult, particularly as this is set many years before the movies. I tried to write him as though he wasn't quite as hardened yet, though the potential is certainly there.

Thank you so much for reading and commenting!

[hendercats.livejournal.com]

Oh! Nassssty Beckett, icky Mercer. And Mercer isn't the only one who's shivering - this just gave me chills:
You are mistaken. There has been a grave error. Most grave. I'm afraid the cost will be... painfully high.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Horrid little men, aren't they? Must write some funny sexy Jack for mermaidinblack and some Will/Elizabeth for yoiebear to counteract the icky factor. ;)

[djarum99.livejournal.com]

*shivers* indeed. So much in such spare lines - Beckett's arrogant cruelty and Mercer's psychopathy, and Jack the trickster about to be hunted down.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

So much in such spare lines

I tried to pare it down to a hundred words, but it wouldn't go, quite.

Thank you so much for reading and commenting!

[erinya.livejournal.com]

Mercer thrilled to the mix of fear and that strange euphoria he felt more and more often at the imminence of cruelty.

Ooh, interesting character insight. Mercer is such an interesting villain, even though we didn't see him all that much in DMC. Hope he'll show up again in AWE.

[longlostblue.livejournal.com]

I'm afraid the cost will be... painfully high.

Oooh, I would pay big money to hear him say that...

[sharklady35.livejournal.com]

What everybody else said. Brrrr....

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Beckett and Mercer are enough to give anyone chills. *g*

[mary684.livejournal.com]

RUN, JACK, RUN!

We should all be seriously glad Mercer never rose any higher than he did. Can you imagine? Guy is almost too creepy to be in any fanfic! You did good with them. The guys everyone loves to hate!