Mark let Nate heft Sean's unconscious body up into his arms. Hector winced at the sight, mumbling out. "Whoops. Guess that was a conversation for another time." Nate cradled Sean in his arms better, telling Hector. "It's not just you. It's been... a long day for all of us." Granny hung her head grimly, before informing Hector in a soft voice. "We're all tired and things just keep getting worse... Between the Sirens, the Cecaelia, and this mutiny..." Hector moved closer to her, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. She looked up at him with fragile eyes that caused him to say boldly. "Get some rest. I'll take over." She put her hands on her hips, muttering out lightly. "You just got here. You and your crew are probably tried." Mark watched a few mersharks swing onto his ship, landing heavily onto the deck. Their eyes were a solid black and they flexed their muscles like they were ready to fight. Hector chuckled, glancing over his shoulder briefly before telling her confidently. "We guarded Atlantis. We're built for this shit. Go rest. We've got this."

Hector turned to face his men, ordering them with an authority that Mark had never seen come from him. Puffing himself up, Hector pointed in different directions, ordering out loudly. "I want Great Whites on patrol. Tigers on sentry. I want Whale Sharks in the water with the ships. Any others who want to help can keep watch in the water. If there is even a drop of blood within a two-mile radius of us, I wanna know about it. Anyone who thinks they see something unusual, I wanna know about it. Sirens will likely be trying to watch the ships. Our job is to keep them away. Got it?!" The men banged a fist to their chest in unison as a response and then broke off to bark orders of their own to others still on the Sea Star. Hector then turned back to Granny, smirking as he uttered out to her. "Just like old times, huh?" Granny brushed a loose strand of her long hair back with a blush. Hector strolled up to Mark then, firmly telling him. "I'll round up a few men to collect the bodies. We have room for them on the Sea Star. We'll hold them until we can give them proper burials in the morning. What shall we do with the traitors?"

Nate growled out to Mark coldly. "Toss them overboard. Let the sea claim them, Mark." Mark nodded to Nate but told Hector sternly. "Collect them too. But keep them on this ship. I want my men to see them and I want the merfolk to see them. Let them put faces to their friend's death and give them solace that they were taken care of. Then we'll toss them." Hector nodded, turning to intercept one of his men to rely information. From the upper deck, Bob called down to him hesitantly. "Captain, a word?" Mark turned to Nate who told him seriously. "I'm going to lay Sean down. But someone should stay with him... and you're necklace..." Granny stepped up, telling them both proudly. "Nate, you stay with Sean. You leave his side again and I'll clatter you across the ears, got it? I'll make the necklace myself. I wanna go below deck to see my son anyway. I'll be back when it's done." She turned on her heel, her fishnet dress flowing in her wake. Mark turned to watch her go, asking curiously. "Marianne, was it?"

She stopped just short of the stairs but didn't turn around. Mark held himself regally, telling her with respect. "I know you didn't do it for me. But thank you. I owe you a debt. Name your price." She finally looked over her shoulder, her beautiful eyes reflecting moonlight as she smugly replied. "I'll get back to you on it, Lad. Know that I shall hold you to your word." Nate quickly stepped up beside Mark, interjecting with a curiosity of his own. "That trick you did to double your size... How did you that? I've never seen a mermaid do that." Marianne grinned almost wickedly upon telling him. "A lady never reveals her secrets... but you're clever. I'm sure you'll figure it out. Take care of my grandson." Without another word, she strolled down the deck with the grace of someone much younger than she looked. Nate gave Mark a weary look, then slipped back into the Captain's cabin with Sean. Mark let out a heavy exhale, heading up the steps to see what Bob wanted.

As he made his way up though, he spotted Hector leaning on the banister. Hector smirked at him, pointing off in Marianne's direction as he purred out playfully. "You know that old lady look is an illusion, right? She's not as innocent as she appears. She's really quite the lethal beauty." Mark gave him a cautious smile, mumbling out. "Ya. I've suspected that for a little while now... and you don't have to tell me. I've seen how scary she can be. And if she's anything like Sean... I'd be afraid of the man that can handle her." Hector's eyes turned black as he suddenly growled out. "Tiger should have been the one to protect her. Her paramour was nice... but I still think she settled for him." Hector moved away from the rail, suddenly avoiding his gaze as he stomped down the steps. Mark raised a hand to pinch the bridge of his nose. He was never very good at dealing with family relatives. His memory flashed briefly to Nate's dad and he quickly grabbed the railing for support. He could hear the distant cannons and Nate's screams.

For a moment his hand shook on the railing as the memory lingered. Bob's voice cut through his memory, asking him hesitantly. "Captain? Are you alright?" Mark jerked his head up, sliding his hand off the rail as he composed himself. Looking into Bob's eyes, he lied confidently. "Ya. I'm fine. Just tired. What do you want?" Bob pointed toward Tyler's dead body, then discreetly whispered to him. "I know it's not my place. But you killed your Quartermaster... and I must ask... who will replace him?" Mark looked across the deck, before defiantly answering. "Nate will replace him." Bob frowned, openly retorting gently. "Captain, I'm concerned." Mark turned cold eyes on Bob, uttering out icily. "Are you now? You think Nate won't treat the men fair? You have another man you think can fill a post like that? You think any man on this ship WANTS to take his place and question my every action? Well?! Speak up!" Bob shook his head, stepping back to grab the helm without a word.

Mark glared at him still, darkly informing him through his teeth. "You tell the crew. If they think I'm too weak to do my job... They can follow Tyler off this ship when we dump him in the middle of the Atlantic! I will become Pirate King... and no one is going to get in my way. I think it is time to remind the crew of that. You go tell them to be on the deck at dawn. Send Felix up. Now!" Bob released the helm, racing down below deck as Mark stepped up to the helm. Looking up at the crow's nest, Mark shouted up at him. "Keep a look out on the horizon!" Wade quickly adjusted himself, shouting down obediently. "Aye aye, Captain!" Mark glanced over at the Sea Star, then stared off toward the horizon. Keeping the ship heading south, Mark discussed charters with Felix. They needed supplies that had been left behind and the men were clearly in need of a good fight. Something to unit them in something other than drinking. Felix showed him one trading route that they were close to, but it carried a risk that they'd run into another Pirate Lord that was raiding.

Felix exhaled nervously, telling him wearily. "Captain... This route. It belongs to the Red Viper. We cross her path... She'll blow us clear out of the water. Might I suggest a safer route. One that won't put us in the path of a Pirate warship. We're not supposed to be out here, remember? They won't hesitant to sink us for going against the code." Mark shot an unfazed glare at Felix, telling him firmly. "Good. I won't hesitant to sink her either. We're going straight through. If she gets territorial, that's her funeral." Felix rolled up the map, coolly informing him. "Are you so confident because the merfolk will help us? Cause we'll need a miracle to get through there alive. The Red Viper has an eighty-man crew and forty-eight guns at her disposal. She's just as fast in the water as us and knows her territory. We come in flying colors and she'll gun us down before we even get to any merchant ship." Mark removed his compass to check the course with the stars, while answering Felix nonchalantly. "Merchant ship or the Red Viper. I don't care. With or without the Merfolk, I know we can take her."

Patting Felix on the back, he told him seriously. "Make it so, Felix. Or you can explain to the crew why I have to start making lists of who gets fed and who doesn't." Mark started to make his way to the stairs as Bob came up to relieve him of the helm. Felix whirled around to mutter out a bit darkly. "Maybe if we didn't have to feed the Merfolk..." Mark stopped short, slowly turning to face him with merciless eyes. Felix quickly lowered his eyes, mumbling out. "My apologizes. I didn't mean it to come out like that. It's just..." Felix drifted off as Mark stepped back up to him. Glaring at Felix's face, daring him to meet his eyes, he growled out. "I'm not feeding the Merfolk. They provide for themselves. Anything we have lost on their account has been OFFERED to them. Now. I'm only going to say this once. Don't raise your voice to me and the next person that lashes out at me like that again... will get lashed for their trouble, Savy?" Felix nodded without looking at him and Mark took that moment to slowly turn back around.

Storming down the steps, Mark let out a heavily sigh. Walking throughout his ship on a patrol of his own, he took account for how many men he lost and who. Most were men he had hired on. None that he knew personally. Devan helped mersharks account for the dead Merfolk and took every dead member with a heavy heart. He seemed to know every member of his men and their deaths took a toll on him. It was made even worse by merfolk that were sobering up to learn of what transpired. Some took the news with simple bowed heads and tears. While others fell to their knees to weep more deeply for their fallen friends. It pleased Mark a little to see some of his crew offering comfort to them in the form of hugs, or helping to stay with them and talk. His crew was rather used to loss and death. The life of a pirate was unforgiving in that regard. Venturing farther below deck, he checked on the supplies that they had and the cargo. Hearing hushed voices, he peeked in a far corner to see Hector and Marianne leaning over the body of the dead Siren. Marianne was gutting the Siren and discussing how many charms should be made.

When Hector interrupted her to ask her curiously. "Why do you make yourself look like that? You're not that old. And from what I've heard... You're one of the youngest Elders in the Northern Merfolk clan." Marianne smiled a bit grimly, answering in a low mumbling voice. "After loosing both my paramours, it just felt... easier. No one could ever replace them. The ocean of secrets I've kept... Using this illusion helped the other Elders forget about my 'blasphemous' love for Tiger. It helped me seem wiser than I am to them. So that when they wanted Devan kicked from the Clan after seeing his... His beautiful tail... I reminded them of how his could help protect us." Hector reached out to stop her hand from digging around in the gut. From where his hand touched her, her skin became younger and as flawless as smooth silk. When the illusion faded her face back to the beautiful woman he had seen on the deck, Mark smirked to himself. The way she looked at Hector was so different from the way she looked at anyone else.

Hector lifted his hand to pull a strand of her long white hair off her shoulder, upon whispering to her. "That illusion may have scared other Gam members away from you... but not me. I know you. And you're still just as beautiful as you are in my memory." Marianne grabbed his wrist to stop him, mumbling out under her breath sadly. "Hector... After what I did to your brother... How can you stand to look at me?" Hector cupped her face with his hand, bringing her closer as he whispered to her lovingly. "You loved him, and he loved you despite the risk. He was willing to die for you. If I had known you had survived... I would have come for all three of you." Marianne pulled his hand off politely, weakly rebuffing him. "Hector... I'm an old Mermaid. I'm a grandmother. Why don't you find a nice mermaid shark? I imagine you're still young as far as Mersharks go." Hector rose to his knees, cupping her face to tilt her head back to look up at him.

Staring into her eyes, he whispered over her lips lovingly. "We're old, not dead. I've lost everyone close to me too... and now I can't help feeling drawn to you. Tell me you don't feel the same? Why does being old mean we have to be lonely? Don't you feel younger just being close to me?" Marianne giggled, then pressed her lips to his. Mark quietly slipped away toward the stairs to the brig. He was going to ask how long it would take her to make the necklace... and as much as it pained him to wait... he didn't want to interrupt them. Descending the steps down into the brig, he groaned with disgust. He had hoped that Silver had been killed... but clearly even Tyler knew better than to approach her. Silver was still shackled to the wall of a cell, her lower half entirely transformed into long white tentacles. Her tentacles were stretched out over the entire floor of her cell, their suction cups playfully 'popping' off the bars in a menacing and bored fashion.

She must have sensed his presence through his vibrations on the floor, because she slowly raised her head to look at him. Her long silvery white hair parting just enough to reveal to him her devilish grin. Tilting her head a bit to see him more clearly, she chuckled out smugly. "Well, isn't that disappointing. Not only did you escape prison... but you survived the mutiny. What a fucking shame... Still. At least, I'll get another try at killing you." Mark rolled his eyes, turning to walk away when she added with a darker chuckle. "I was told you were the one who shot Tyler. Poor guy. He was always so scared of me... Tell me. Did you shoot him before or after you learned that he was working for me?" To Be Continued...