Beidou was quiet the whole time.
She was thinking.
How would she escape this ghastly place?
How could she escape him?
She always had confidence in her own abilities.
But he...
He was different.
The captain was worlds beyond her when it came to differences in power.
His methods were brutal and devastating even for a pirate, and his existence was written off as half truths across the seas as no ship survives an encounter with him unscathed.
Was her crew safe? She will never know, it seems.
Capitano was nothing if not unpredictable.
And it wasn't even because of an eccentric personality or an uncontrollable drive for the dramatics.
She has known him long enough to realize that this trait of his was purposefully displayed, so that his enemies will never truly understand him well enough to form an effective strategy against him.
The only reason why she could even assume this much was because...
"Sister." A husky voice resounded from the door.
"Captain", Beidou answered coldly.
The young man simply smiled, walking past the bench Beidou was sitting on, and leaning against the lavish balcony that was beside what used to be her bed.
"Come." He invited.
Beidou ignored him.
"Come." He asked again. This time, the obedience collar on Beidou's neck tightened, tugging her toward his direction.
The silver ring- dotted and studded with shining green emeralds, was intricately and meticulously designed in the likeness of a serpent consuming its own tail.
Anyone would have thought that it was an artifact of pure beauty if they didn't know its true purpose.
Beidou did nothing.
It was the only thing she could do to defy the enemy before her.
Capitano chuckled.
His pyro vision glowing dangerously red with the searing heat of the obedience ring that burned into the skin of the woman before him.
She struggled not to croak as her breath was stolen away from her.
She could hear a faint sniggering coming from il capitano as the burning grip on her throat grew ever tighter.
Then, silence.
Capitano stopped his snickering and simply stared at her with soulless eyes.
It was almost as if he pondered against what he was going to do next.
He then sighed, the vermillion orb on his hip losing its vibrancy once again.
"You know," he began.
"I left your crew alive."
Beidou snorted.
"Should I be thanking you for your mercy, senior brother?"
"You shouldn't." Capitano laughed.
"After all... mercy is for lesser creatures."
The captain waltzed toward Beidou's position.
"Don't get me wrong. I really considered killing them... To set you free from your disgraceful past."
The former leader of the crux simply spat in his face before retorting," You've gotten it wrong... The only disgraceful thing from my past is you."
The man wiped off the liquid with a handkerchief, snarling as he continued.
"No. I think not. It is you who are mistaken."
He then raised his arm clenching his fist, pyro vision now once again exploding with color and light.
The obedience disk boiled and smoked with even greater intensity than before, finally eliciting a pained cry from the woman.
The man growled as he pulled beidou before him telekinetically.
"Sister... We shine with the golden light of providence. But you... you chose to side with these... animals to go against us."
He then swiped his hand, flinging her across the room.
Beidou could only grunt.
She would not give capitano the pleasure of hearing her pain.
"And that, sister... is something I cannot have." He finished.
Now, it was Capitano's hydro delusion that glowed sapphire.
Water from the sea flowed in from the balcony and into the room in a controlled, refined stream before settling as an orb of shining blue.
"Why do you think I really let your crew go? I needed someone to relay a message to those you really care about." He sneered.
The water orb transformed into an image of the traveller and his familiar, the pixie Paimon.
"You truly have made some good friends during your travels."
He began.
"You plan on threatening him? I guess you haven't learnt from your junior siblings," beidou smirked.
"Touché. But we will never know, will we?" The man laughed, before closing in.
"But don't think for a moment that he is my only leverage against you." Capitano replied.
The water projection then morphed into an image of the liyue qixing member ningguang.
Beidou's eyes widened.
He couldn't have known...
Capitano laughed.
"You always were smart, little sister... I think you know what happens if you oppose me again."
Beidou snarled.
"You think you can just attack the liyue tianquan without repercussions? Didn't your little brother drag the fatui's reputation through the dirt enough?"
"Childe was careless. He made the fatui's involvement too obvious in his enthusiasm to destroy liyue." Capitano began.
"But my spies aren't of Fatui affiliation. They are part of a covert group of assassins I gathered in my many visits to liyue. Some of which have already infiltrated the ranks of high ranking millileith."
Capitano produced a locket from his pocket, presenting it to Beidou as proof.
It was a gift from Beidou to Ningguang.
"I have yet to make a move on her. But I only need to say the word..."
Capitano smiled gleefully.
"And goodbye."
Beidou could only remain speechless, as the young man waltzed out of her chambers.
Capitano flashed one last smirk at her before leaving.
"Dearest sister... we have much to do. I will look forward to your cooperation for her sake."
