"She's the devil. She'll make you feel all right."

- She's the Devil by Interim.

*

Stiles has been on the boat for four full days and still has no further information other than where they are sailing to. Not much has changed since he got here. He's allowed to eat with the crew now, but that's the only time he gets to interact with them. He keeps his head low as told, and tries to build trust with the men when he can. It doesn't always work, though. They still look at him with these prying eyes, and if Stiles doesn't remove himself from the situation, either Der or Zac step in.

However,  no one's one made a move on him. He can't help but feel the captain might have something to do with that.

The captain. Mal. Stiles has learned her full first name, but he's also learned never to say it out loud. It's the name her mother gave her, and Mal killed that name the day she killed her mother.

 That's another thing Stiles has learned about the captain – she's incredibly violent. A youngster crew member by the name of Jackie made a sly comment directed at her and she broke his nose without a moment's hesitation. Mal may have inherited this crew, but she sure does know how to keep them under her control.

Besides a few details here and there, Stiles is still in the dark. They are almost halfway to London, and he still does not know what Mal plans on getting back there. Majority of things he's learned are from bits and pieces of information he's overheard and that one time Zac was a bit too drunk to care (which was also the night Stiles learned about Mal's real name and her mother). He's done as he's told but he's still not trusted. Special protection or not, Stiles still needs to prove himself to her. And he needs to do it soon if he hopes to live long enough to see the day an opportunity for escape comes knocking.

*

Two swords meet together with a fierce strike as Mal advances forward and her opponent struggles to step backward. He tries to move quickly, but she's too fast for him. Mal plunges her sword forward and swings beneath him, knocking the boy to his feet. He's on his back in an instant, the wind knocked out him. He tries to scramble to his feet, but she's got her boot on his chest before he can even get his back off the floor. She smiles down at him. "Check and mate."

The boy groans as his head falls back. "Every single time."

Around them, laughter erupts. Mal takes her boot off his chest and holds out a hand to help him up. "Face it, Theo. You're no match for me."

Theo eyes her hand but lets Mal pull him up anyway. He dusts off his shirt with a groan. He looks at Mal and points his finger at her. "One day, victory will be mine."

Mal scoffs. "When pigs fly, maybe."

Stiles watches from the side of the main deck as the interaction between Mal and Theo become more playful than aggressive. Zac is beside him, talking with Der about how he wants his bet money by sundown, and Cora and Fox are laughing together not too far away. It's the afternoon of his fifth day on the Talia, and Mal decided to let the crew take a break from all the hard work by challenging them to sword fights. Zac told him that she was the best swordsman on the boat, and after being a witness to that fight Stiles doesn't doubt him. She's phenomenal, graceful and skillful in each step, each strike that she takes. Stiles has watched plenty of sword fights before, but he's never enjoyed them. Not like this.

Theo bends down to pick up his sword and Mal pushes his shoulder as he does. Stiles grins as the boy stumbles over a bit before catching his footing, and makes a fake swing at Mal, who in turn fakes a scream. It's a good atmosphere to be surrounded by. For the first time since he got on the boat, Stiles isn't completely terrified or looking for an escape. For the first time, he thinks maybe it won't be so bad.

But then Theo turns away from the Captain and catches his eye. And he doesn't look away. Not as he walks across to where the other boys sit, not even when Mal asks for the next opponent. Uncomfortable is not the word Stiles would use to describe the feeling. He doesn't call for Der or Zac, who are too wrapped up in their conversation to notice. He doesn't even look away himself. If he is to survive, he has to stand his ground. But the way Theo is staring at him, the way Theo won't stop staring at him, makes him think that maybe surviving isn't the best idea after all.

"Stiles!" A voice suddenly shouts, and Stiles whips his head to find the captain looking at him. Her sword is pointed straight at him. She smiles. "I want Stiles as my next opponent."

The entire deck begins to shout in hype as Stiles' all but shuts down. Zac claps him on the back, with a loud, "AY GO GET HER, LAD!" right in his ear. Mal motions him forward with her sword, a teasing expression on her face. She's taunting him. And it's working.

Stiles shakes his head and steps forward, the ship once again erupting in shouts and screams. Someone passes him a sword, and he struggles with the weight of it at first. Mal notices and laughs. "Think you'll be able to keep up?"

Stiles gives her a smile as he bows. "It would be an honor to have my sword broken by you."

She laughs. "So he's charming as well." She takes her stance then, sword raised and feet grounded. "Let's see how far that charm will get you, sweetheart."

And then she's swinging at him. Stiles had been watching her this entire time, but watching her fight and actually fighting her are two completely different things. She is so much faster than he imagined. Agile and quick, swift in the way she moves this way and that. She makes a swing for his head, and Stiles just about manages to block her attack. He freezes. She grins. He pushes her off and buys himself three seconds before she's coming for him again. But he's starting to get the hang of it now, the weight of the sword and the way she moves. He's beginning to move with her.

They dance around the ship, dodging crew members as she chases him. People are cheering him on now, shouting everytime his sword hits hers. Even Mal looks impressed. She nods her head at him as he steps back, and even manages to give him a smile as she advances forward. Suddenly filled with a confidence he's never known before, Stiles is sure he can do this. Maybe not beat her, but at least become her match, her equal. He takes a deep breath. This is it.

Stiles steps forward as he thrusts his sword toward her. Mal is caught off guard. She steps back as he takes another step forward. She manages to block his attack from the right, but she's completely open on the left. Stiles side steps and turns just in time to catch the sword against her left shoulder. He's got her now. She's stumbling. He prepares to make the final attack – but she trips on a piece of rope and falls over. Caught off guard, Stiles cannot stop himself from the advancement he's already started to make. With a loud thump, he falls right on top of her.

The entire ship is quiet. Not a sound is made, not a muscle is moved.

Stiles groans. When he opens his eyes, she's staring at him. And she looks pissed.

"Oh my god," Stiles gasps, scrambles to get off her. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, I –"

"Stiles." The voice is so stern it makes him stop in an instant. "Never apologize for getting the upper hand." And then she's smiling, widely, like she's not mad at all. "And definitely never do it while on top of a woman."

Stiles tilts his head, confused, just as Mal bursts out laughing. The crew joins in shortly after, laughing heartily as Stiles stares. But then he starts laughing too. He rolls onto his back so he and Mal are side by side, laughing together. Their swords lay abandon somewhere around them, and Stiles' supposed victory is the last on either of their minds. He turns his head to look at her to find she is already staring at him. She is no longer laughing. Instead, she is smiling a smile he has never seen her wear, and the very sight of it makes his own laughter die down. When he looks at her now, he does not see the captain of the Talia, or some mysterious woman who's defied all the rules. He just sees a girl gazing at a boy in such a way it sends butterflies fluttering straight through his stomach.

The moment is short lived when Zac and Der come running to help them up. Zac slaps his shoulder with an over enthusiastic shout, while Der teases Mal about losing her touch. She glares at him in response. "Mark my words, boy. I have not lost my touch." She turns to Stiles then, the familiar smirk replacing the adoring smile she wore just a few moments ago. "I have just simply underestimated the new recruit."

Stiles cocks his head and he raises an eyebrow. He nods toward her, even bending his knees in a slight bow. "Captain."

Mal bends down to pick up her sword, and points it right at his face. "And don't you forget it."

And then she walks away.

Stiles watches as her figure disappears into the crowd of bodies before Zac once again grabs his attention. "That was bloody insane! Where the hell did you learn to fight like that? Alsp, do you think you can teach me?"

Stiles' heart skips a beat. He looks at Zac and tries to play off the questions with a shrug. "I don't know. Instinct, I guess."

But Zac just laughs. Like, literally, actually laughs right in Stiles' face. "That was not instinct, my fair friend. That was hard, trained-for-years skill."

He's getting suspicious. Stiles can hear it in his voice.

So Stiles tries to laugh right back at him. "I don't know about that. Luck and instinct, that's all it was."

He turns to walk away from the conversation before it can get worse to find Theo still staring at him. Stiles hangs his head and changes direction. As he passes, men clap his back and try to tease him about the fight, but he ignores them. He avoids Theo and Zac for the rest of the night.

*

The atmosphere is entirely different on his sixth day. He can feel it the instant he opens his eyes. Something is different. Something is wrong.

Everyone is already on the main deck by the time Stiles gets there. They're crowding around the big pillar, the one that leads to the pole that hoists the ship's colours. He can't see anything past the balding heads and bandanas, but he finds Zac standing with Jackie and Aiden. Zac spots him as he makes his way towards them, and tells him to hurry with a worried expression. Stiles pushed through the crew with a struggle, weaving his way through all the bodies. "What's going on?" Stiles asks as he reaches them. "Why's everyone standing around like this?"

Zac is alarmed, wide blue eyes and pale faced. Stiles has never seen him look so scared before. Zan whispers with a horror in his tone, "Mal's lost it."

Stiles is confused. He gets this feeling in the pit of his stomach like something is terribly wrong. Like something really horrible is about to happen.

Jackie drops his voice to a whisper as well and leans towards Stiles. "One of the boys was talking about you. Mal didn't like the tone he took."

Stiles' heart skips a beat. "Who?"

"Theo."

Stiles' heart stops altogether.

Aiden continues to explain but makes sure to keep his voice low, too. "He was interested in you. Interested in ways Mal had made clear were off limits. She overheard him talking to some of the boys about what he was gonna do to you. She almost killed him right then and there."

The young brunette swallows as he struggles to get the words out. "Why... Why didn't she?" Stiles isn't sure he actually wants to know the answer.

"She wanted to make an example of it."

It's then that Stiles' sees it. All talking stops the moment Mal steps onto the uppder deck, and Theo is dragged up moments later by Cora and Der. Theo looks like shit, all bruised and bloodied, but that's not what grabs Stiles' attention. It's Mal. Just the sight of her sends chills up and down his spine. Stiles has never seen her so angry. Stiles has never seen anyone so angry period. 

She stands before her crew, captain's hat proudly sat upon her head. She holds a sword in her hand, her grip so tight her knuckles turn white. Behind her, Theo cries and weeps for help, but no one listens to him. Not Mal, not Cora and Der who hold him captive, and not the crew. His presence is completely ignored. All focus is on the captain.

"One rule." She starts speaking so suddenly, so loudly, that Stiles and some of the other boys actually jump back. "I gave you all one fucking rule and that was that no one in any way, shape, or form, threatens the safety of the kid. And what do I hear you whispering about in the night? Threatening the kid! Now, everyone's welcome here. You guys know that. Pete didn't care about what kind of freaky shit you were into, and quite frankly, neither do I. As long as it's not my shit."

Stiles seems to be the only one surprised to hear that last part. He looks to Zac and Aiden for some kind of answer, some kind of confirmation, but both boys are looking straight ahead, solely focused on their captain.

Her voice grows louder now, angrier and more vicious. "This ship is not a prison. It's a safe place where you're all free to express your voices and experiment in whatever way you want, so long as it's respectful to me and to Pete. I will not tolerate any threat to that."

And then, without warning, she spins on her heel and drives her sword straight through Theo's adam's apple. Though the crew try their best not react, soft gasps and cries escape from a few unprepared boys. Stiles closes his eyes so he doesn't have to see it. He hears her push the sword until the hilt touches Theo's neck before she yanks it out and they let him fall to the floor. When Stiles opens his eyes again, she's looking straight at him. And there isn't an ounce of emotion in her eyes. "The ones he spoke to can clean up this mess."

She doesn't name any names. She doesn't say anything at all. Mal turns around and walks into the captain's quarters without sparing another look at her crew, who are left on the deck, scared, confused, and unsure of what to do next. Stiles thinks he's going to be sick. Apparently, Jackie's already beat him to it.