Chapter Text
He was confused.
Full body aching worse than he’d ever felt. It burned his limbs, stretching like rubber bands seconds from snapping.
He didn’t know what had happened but whatever it was it felt awful.
His first instinct was to move but quickly discovered harsh ropes binding his wrists. They were splintering and itchy, digging into his flesh in a way he was certain would leave a permanent mark.
His legs were bound in a similar fashion with one final chain around his torso that connected him to what seemed to be a support beam.
He didn’t know where he was, eyes blinded by a cloth, but from the ever present rocking he was pretty sure it was a boat.
He also didn’t know how long he’d been here, the hunger knotting in his stomach told him it was long enough.
One thing that was apparent was that he was alone.
The last thing he remembered was somebody slashing his heels before shoving a rag soaked in some unknown poison down his throat. He’d faded out frantically searching for his co-captains and attempting to fight his attackers. They’d caught him off guard and disarmed, striking fast leaving him no time to fight back.
He didn’t know where Chip and Jay were now but from what he could remember they had been in a market place. Pretzel was with Chip bowl decor shopping after Chip had insisted. Gillion begrudgingly agreed and had gone searching for a blacksmith alone. At the time he’d been hesitant but now he was grateful.
Jay had split off earlier, skipping off after some gorgeous shop owner; determine to win a bet with Chip.
As long as they remained there and safe he could handle this by himself.
A few more painstaking hours of blindness were telling him that perhaps he couldn’t.
He yelled for anybody who would listen, daring them to duels or just general threats hoping that somebody would get fed up and talk to him. Anything was better than this mind numbing nothingness.
No results and barely any voice left had finally convinced him to quit.
He moved on to the restraints and tried to break them. It didn’t take long to find out that magic doesn’t work here, something prevented it. At first his theory was a barrier spell on the room but after a bit more trial and error he discovered that it was the chain around him causing it.
It was also progressively getting hotter, the chains contact with his wet skin creating a soft hissing noise that grew louder as the heat increased. Steam arose from him like a fog dispenser. It was only a matter of time before he began drying out.
He kept telling himself it was worth it to keep trying if it meant there was a chance he could escape but with each movement the binds on his wrists dug deeper and it reached a point where the pain wasn’t worth it.
He was stuck and powerless.
The sound of footsteps caught his attention and his head shot up. “Who are you?”
Without an answer he heard a blade drawn and then there was a flash of pain. The blindfold was cut off violently and his cheek began to leak dark blue.
“Hello, chosen one.” A well built yet thin man with long black hair was kneeled in front of him. One eye sewn shut via a nasty injury. They wore a fitted white suit that was stained red from what he could only assume was previous victims. “I’m Captain Price.”
To confirm his suspicions the man wiped their blade off on the suit jacket and left a new streak of blue.
“That would be me. What do you want?” Normally it filled him with pride to hear such a thing but something about this mans presence filled him with dread. “If there’s a deal you want to make I can maybe take you up on that, unless you work for somebody named Niklaus-“
“Quiet fish boy. You run a little pirate crew do you not? Now forgive me for saying this but isn’t that a sin? Not too holy of you.” He clicked his tongue and shook his head in a scolding fashion.
Gillion chose to ignore his last comments. “Heard stories?”
“You could say I’m familiar with your members. A Ferin is not somebody who flies under the radar. Especially not a Ferin pirate.”
He tensed. “What do you want with Jay.”
“Oh it’s not her I’m interested in.” He traces the blade over the markings on Gillions arm, pushing just hard enough to sting but not enough to draw blood. “Its the other little bastard you’ve got aboard.”
Now he knew why the name had sounded familiar. “What about him.”
“Oh me and him go way back. Not that it’s any of your concern. I have just a small favor to ask of you for our little reunion and then I’ll let you go back to whatever it is you’ve been doing.”
“Why would I ever help you.” He could only glare and hope he looked intimidating. They both knew he couldn’t do anything.
“Thats just fine. I don’t really need your consent.” He rolled up his sleeve ever so slightly and revealed a watch that even without magic, Gillion could feel strong traces of arcana emanating from. “Put me through to Chip of the Riptide Pirates.”
The watches hands begun spinning as it glowed a dark purple. Gillion watched it with bated breath, unsure of what was about to happen.
Before he could get a word out Price picked up the now blood stained blindfold and shoved it into Gillions mouth. He choked at the unexpected movement and before he could spit it out Price held the blade to his throat, trapping Gillions in a pose where his head faced the ceiling.
There was a low humming noise and he could hear Chips voice cut through, it was fuzzy and electronic but it was Chip no doubt.
“Who the fuck is calling-“ his voice caught in his throat and Gillion strained his eyes to see.
The watch projected a small screen like a facetime, from Chips horrified expression he could infer that the visuals went both ways.
“Good evening, Chip. It’s been awhile since we last spoke.” Price had a smug grin on his face. His voice relaxed like this really was a simple chat.
“This is between us Reuben.” His face went serious, anger etching his features but fear still lingered in his eyes. “Let him go.”
Gillion was breathing heavily, each inhale pressing the blade into his throat from how close it was. He looked at Chip and shook his head lightly.
Chip tried hard not to look, afraid to acknowledge him.
“It’s Captain Price. You made it his problem when you befriended him.” Price laughed eerily before he dropped the knife and slammed Gillions head into the wooden post he was tied to. The tritons eyes went wide and he let out a muffled cry of pain. “You never learn.”
“Hey easy!” Chip cried. “He didn’t do anything to you!”
“I have a challenge to propose. A game of sorts.” He kept his grip firm on Gillions head, voice still impossibly calm. “Sort of like hide and seek.”
“You’re fucked in the head, you know that? You’re sick.”
“24 hours to find me or you’ll be finding pieces of him all across the ocean.” He used his free hand to draw his blade along Gillions cheek, leaving a long gash in its place.
“Okay lets chill the fuck out!” He looked at something off camera, desperation plain in his face before he looked back. “How the fuck am I supposed to find you?”
“Figure it out.”
Gillion shook his head free of the others tight hold and spat out the fabric. “Boat! Its a boat!”
Prices calm demeanor shattered in an instant and he bashed Gillions head once more, this time powered by flaming anger that knocked him out. As he faded once more he could hear Chip yelling something. Probably his name.
When he came back the next time it was with a fresh gag around his mouth but his eyes free. His head pounded and he was pretty sure it was concussed. There was dry blood caked around his lips, the source was soon discovered to be his nose.
This time there was a different feeling as his eyes adjusted. He wasn’t alone.
A few feet in front of him, Captain Price was sitting in a red bathrobe.
“I was hoping you’d wake up soon. Yknow I’ve noticed you have a very nice figure. I might just find some other fish to cut up and let you live to serve me. I got a nice line of business you’d fit right at home in.” He winked and Gillion recoiled in disgust.
“Not a fan? You’re loss.” He sighed disappointedly and scooted to be right next to him. “You know I like to think after all our time together I’m getting to know you quite well.”
Gillion rolled his eyes and Price continued. “You may not have been conscious but since your little slip up I’ve been observing.”
His eyes traced up and down Gillions body and he felt nauseous once more. “I also got to talking with Chip a bit more. With you gone he had a lot more to say. I hate to give good people bad news but they aren’t coming for you.”
Gillion shuffled suddenly feeling much more alert. He lifted his feet and slammed them against the floor, trying desperately to convey words but not having a way to communicate. Not having a voice was very frustrating.
“Oh don’t worry they’re fine.” Price smiled wickedly, pleased at finally getting a reaction. “They told me that they just weren’t coming. Plain and simple. Only six hours and they quit. Can you believe it?”
He knew subconsciously that this was supposed to make him feel bad but he couldn’t hide the relief that surfaced. Relief that they wouldn’t be diving headfirst into this dangerous situation after all. He knew how dangerous this guy was.
He didn’t know what he’d do if something happened to them all because he was to weak to fight off the kidnappers initially. No matter how painful, as long as they were safe he couldn’t care less what happened to him.
He knew Chip could be impulsive and when Jay set her mind to something she wouldn’t back down. It was nice to know that he was not the one they chose to prioritize.
This was all his fault anyway, he should be the one to handle it.
Had he just been stronger.
Price raised his eyebrows. “Why the fuck are you happy?”
Gillion rested his head back on the beam and untensed, sighing beneath the fabric.
Prices face on the other hand shriveled to a dangerous look. “You mocking me?”
He brought a fist down on Gillions shoulder, pushing it to a point that no shoulder should bend.
Gillion grit his teeth but remained his composure. Claws digging into his palms behind him as he tried not to scream. He could handle this. Just as the Elders had taught him. Do not react.
“They don’t fucking care about you, you little shit! They don’t care if you live or die! You were a fucking liability, a worthless piece of shit! You don’t care about that?” With a quick jerking motion there was a pop and pain exploded in Gillions left shoulder.
He kept his eyes squeezed shut and tried to ignore the words he knew all too well. After all, he’d been telling himself the same things his whole life.
Do not react.
“Some fucking chosen one you turned out to be. Not even a bunch of nobodies could love you, how unloveable do you have to be? It’s pathetic.” Price ripped the fabric out of his mouth causing a slight gag reflection. “Got something to say motherfucker? Anything to add?”
“I know.” Was all he said. Voice loopy and broken like a warped record, his jaw ached from being held open. His lips upturned in a smile that he knew would rile his capture up.
Do not submit.
Price growled angrily. “You know? Your crew hates you that fucking much that you already know?” He pushed harder on the already dislocated shoulder and Gillions vision went white; blinded by the pain.
Do not submit.
He could handle this. It was nothing that he hadn’t already been subjected to by the Elders.
“Say something!” Price was shouting in his ears and it made his head throb. “Say something you useless science project! What suddenly you have nothing to add? You were so chatty earlier when Chip was there!”
Do not submit.
He didn’t give him the satisfaction of words, only a deafening silence. That made Prices face turn red with fury.
“You wanna know what he said? He said I could keep you and do whatever I wanted because it didn’t matter to him. Whatever I want, you hear that?” He stood up and kicked Gillions head, leaving a mark of the sole of his shoe. “I have a lot of wants Gillion Tidestrider, and you aren’t going to like them.”
Gillion kept an even face, even if his throat burned and his eyes blurred, he would be damned if he ever let that show.
Do not react. Do not submit. Show no weakness.
Price didn’t spare him a final look as he stormed out, shouting behind him “You have eighteen hours left. I’d get to praying if I were you, if not for your life than for the moon goddesses mercy.”
In a familiar silence once more Gillion looked around, taking in the bottom deck of a ship. It was completely bare save for a few dried blood splotches and rope. Probably their version of a dungeon.
He felt a weird euphoric emptiness. Like he’d just simultaneously won and lost.
He rested his head against the beam and looked at the ceiling.
He knew they weren’t coming.
He was glad they weren’t.
So why did he feel this way?
Why did he want them to?
He’d lived a long life of solitude but he’d never once felt this alone.
Maybe it was because at least at the end of each long training session, he had Edyn to collapse into.
Maybe it was because once he’d thought the same about his crew.
He’d been foolish to think he could bend the rules. The chosen one was never meant to have connections. He was never meant to feel.
At the end of the day he was weak. He always would be.
The next time somebody went below deck it was the same person he’d been hoping would stay away.
“Lost my cool a little earlier. Dreadful manners.” He sat down once more, sloshing a glass of strong smelling wine. “To show how sorry I am I’ve decided to give Chip another shot. Who knows, maybe he’ll reconsider.”
Gillion only glared.
“No thank you? Spoiled I see.” He pulled out the same watch and with the same command as before it glistened to life.
Chip looked scattered, hair disheveled and face flushed. “You motherfucker.” He spat.
“Sorry to bother you, we know you’ve moved on. But he’s been so very polite we were wondering if you’d reconsider.” His voice was so plainly exaggerated, sugar coated like a pastry.
“Don’t look for me.” Gillion interrupted.
Chips angered expression darkened. “Whatever you have threatening him you better hope its not there when I am. I am going to fucking kill you.”
“It is my battle and I intend to fight it. Do not waste your efforts.” Gillion said solemnly.
“What the fuck are you-“ His voice cut out suddenly with a well timed glitch.
Price put one hand over his heart and the other over his mouth. “You should be glad you can’t hear the things he’s saying right now.”
Chip furrowed his brows in confusion and continued to shout with no noise. Gillion also cocked his head.
”I could hear him just fine.”
”You poor thing, you must be tired. See, with magic like this only I can hear him. Anything you hear can only be made up.” He explained “I can’t believe you stayed with those abusive pirates for so long, must’ve been terrible. I mean really, you should be glad I’m putting you out of your misery.”
”The hell are you talking about I heard him earlier.” He looked at Chip as if the boy could provide clarity and found him looking just as bewildered. He found himself suddenly wishing he could read lips as well as Jay.
“Are you feeling alright?” Price put a hand on his forehead like he was checking the temperature and when he did Gillion bared his teeth and sunk them into the tattooed flesh.
“Shit! You fucking animal!” He wretched his arm back and slapped Gillion across the face. He clutched his wrist which had deep tooth markings now. “Damn, last time I offer you any sympathy.”
Chips mouth was moving but no sound was coming out on their end, Gillion noticed by the way his hair blew that he was actively moving.
”What’s he saying now.”
”He’s saying you had that one coming.” Price murmured, caressing his injury.
Gillion looked back at Chip who was making wild hand gestures that he had never seen before. He furrowed his brows and Chip continued to do them more frantically.
”Times up! Clock is ticking traitor, if you even care. I won’t call back don’t worry its clear you don’t care.” Price slammed the watch before Chip could get a final word out. “Guess you really are out of luck.”
”Woe is me.” Gillion deadpanned.
”You think you’re hot shit huh? God what is with you and your stupid fucking joke of a crew and never learning.” He drew a switchblade and stabbed it into his knee.
Gillion reared back with a sharp inhale.
Show no weakness.
”What’s it gonna take? What gets under your skin?” He twisted the blade slowly and Gillion dug his claws deeper into his palms to try and even out the agony.
”Nothing you can do.” He strained. It occurred to him just how true that was. He would take it all. Verbal berates, physical pain, whatever was thrown at him he could take it.
He’d take on anything for Chip and Jay.
Price groaned, “So fucking dramatic. Go die alone then, I’m bored of you.”
He stood up, looked at his still full glass then back at Gillion, and in a split second decision to be an asshole he dumped it on Gillion. With a little laugh he made his way back up the staircase.
Gillion took deep grounding breaths, biting his lip as the liquid stung his injuries. The longer he stayed here the more he was feeling the chains.
At first it was the noise that alerted him it was there, now it was the warmth. It wouldn’t be long now until that warmth was a flame.
He wanted to be strong but he couldn’t.
He supposed it didn’t matter, nobody was here to watch him fall apart.
He’d always thought he’d die in battle. Going out heroically after fulfilling his life's goal as the prophecy foretold.
Somewhere along the way that goal had changed to dying side by side with his co-captains.
He never thought it’d be like this.
Slow. Avoidable. Pathetic.
He let out a choked sob. Trying hard but inevitably failing to stop the tremors from consuming his entire body. It hurt to cry with his raw throat but he couldn’t help it.
He missed his friends. He missed Edyn. He missed Pretzel. He missed Oliver, Alphonse, Caspian, Marshall John. He missed all the other beautiful people he’d been lucky enough to cross paths with in his lifetime.
He missed their adventures, their laughs, their love. He missed them with his whole heart and as another sob wracked his tired frame he cried for them.
Like a child after a nightmare he yearned for their comfort just once more before he went.
It was pathetic.
It was reacting. It was submitting. It was all his weaknesses on full display.
He was being selfish and he knew that, but he wished for one second that maybe they had cared about him. Maybe they would come for him.
Gillion Tidestriders biggest flaw was that he loved.
There was a loud bang and the ship rocked violently, if he wasn’t chained to the wall he would’ve surely gone flying. The movement made the restraints dig into his skin harder and he bit back a cry of pain.
He couldn’t even process what that could be, mind muddied by so many things at once it overwhelmed him.
All he could do was cry.
He cried for his family and he cried for himself.
There was shouting upstairs and footsteps clacking over the wooden planks. Gunshots were fired, swords were drawn, back up was called, people were screaming.
All of it was silenced by the ringing in his ears. The only sound was his own choking.
All he could do was cry.