His first encounter with a particular Liyuen Exorcist had left Kliment quite shaken. He prided himself to be a reliable soldier yet, he was still thinking about what the sixth Harbinger threatened a few hours before. Slowly, Kliment turned to a dark building, moving his arms to cross over his chest.
Two fellow Fatui soldiers had their backs leaning against the door and perked up once they noticed a certain Fatui Agent making his way towards the restaurant entrance. They sluggishly stepped to the side and studied how the other man adjusted the mask on his face.
Kliment was face-to-face with a wooden door, sighing uneasily at the burning thought on his mind. He wondered if this level of interrogation was worth it. Was it worth it to storm this humble restaurant in the middle of the night? Would it help bring back his comrade? He wasn't so sure. He was almost scared of an answer.
His doubts flickered in his mind while a decision was slowly closing in on his heels. The wind blew Kliment's blond hair to the side, ruining his slick-back hairstyle and letting all of Teyvat know that he was getting weaker. Even the cold light of the moon was casting a meek shadow by his feet. It seemed like Scaramouche's words were still echoing in his head.
"Still on the missing secretary case aren't you, comrade Kliment?" An agent spoke up almost on the verge of laughing and nudging another soldier next to him.
"Comrade Javert, I did not summon you from your debt collection duty to make fun of Harbinger Scaramouche's orders. Your job is to be quiet and be on the lookout for Millelith guards. Do I make myself clear?"
"I thought that job was yours."
"Change of plans, I am responsible for taking in the accomplice of secretary [Y/N]'s disappearance. You are in charge of the lookout. Now, do I make myself clear?"
The soldiers were ultimately silenced by Kliment's reprimandments, but couldn't help but mutter; "I bet Lieutenant Nikolai would have loved to see you in his place."
"Watch your tone." Kliment's voice rumbled under his mask as he let out a testy scoff. They spoke of him as if he was dead. It seemed like what happened that day seemed to have had a different perspective for other people.
"So what if secretary [Y/N] made her great escape. If I were in command, I would have murdered that traitor. Why are we still continuing to search for her?" Fatui Agent Javert was then silenced once again.
"They were Harbinger Scaramouche's orders, I will say that for the last time. So, get it through that thick skull of yours and do what I tell you to do."
"Power-tripper..." Javert wanted the last word before the door to the Wanmin Restaurant was pushed open.
Kliment and the other soldiers found a girl sitting stiffly against a wooden chair. Her eyes were puffy and fear washed over her features. She saw how the men crowded the doorway, handling the entrance without much precaution.
They simply stood between her and the door.
"I don't know where she is, I swear..."
"We have not asked about her yet."
Xiangling sat upright, rigidly leaning forward to support her tense posture. Her foot bounced anxiously while she chewed on her nail. Every now and then, glancing at and away from the Fatui Agents standing motionless in the dark restaurant.
The usual sparkle in her eyes was long snuffed out, all that was left were empty stares and uneasy blinking. Guoba was the same. The little bear wobbled around, occasionally standing by his owner's side before walking again in another circle.
Kliment, accompanied by the other agents, stepped forward into Xiangling's personal space. The recently promoted lieutenant strategically placed himself in front of the chef girl to block her vision of the exit. They trapped her in her own restaurant, beginning the interrogation with a hard slap against the wooden table, knocking over everything on the surface.
"This is a nice place. It would be a shame if it loses one of its chefs."
"I don't where she is...!" Xiangling cried out sharply.
"You're getting ahead of yourself." Kliment could hear her grief clearly.
"I don't know where she is!" Xiangling repeated.
"This girl is useless." Javert pointed with a defeated attitude.
"Archons, I don't know where she is!"
"I don't want to be stuck here all night, Kliment."
"I don't know where she is!"
"Rest easy, Javert."
"I don't know where she is!"
"If you won't shut her up, I will!"
"She never told me she was going to leave- ahh!" Xiangling braced as Javert lifted an arm up to strike her across the face, however, the hit was intercepted as Kliment grabbed a firm hold of his wrist.
"What did you say?" Kliment focused on Xiangling, increasingly putting pressure on the other agent's joints - causing Javert to wince angrily. He asked again, "Repeat yourself."
The chef stared back bitterly, furrowing her eyebrows and sniffing poshly out of pure spite. On the other hand, seeing how the leader Fatui Agent stopped the other soldier from hitting her, Xiangling had to cut her losses and climb into the high ground of awareness.
Only once Javert pulled his arm back did Kliment step forward to tower over a shrinking Xiangling, "What kind of relationship did you have with the Harbinger's Secretary?"
Her lips needed to be pried open for her to speak, Xiangling showed a look of pure resentment as she finally confessed, "She was my friend."
"Your friend?"
"Yes."
Javert bursted out laughing from behind his mask, "The Harbinger's Secretary?! The secretary [Y/N]?! How funny! She's never had any friends while under the command of Harbinger Scaramouche! Kliment, come on, this girl is lying to get us to believe her-!"
"Well maybe from where you're from; she was my comrade!" Xiangling shouted back, mourning at the flashing memory of you calling her that as well. She closed her teary eyes, feeling that terrible feeling reawakening within her gut; regret.
Kliment was amused by this development, and Javert fell silent.
Xiangling continued to cry, "I guess, I failed to fully understand her influence in Snezhnaya - in the Fatui. I thought I knew her so well... I thought..."
Secretary [Y/N] has outsmarted us, it seems... Kliment tried not to look impressed as he pondered about your actions. To run away from the Fatui, to run from a potentially deranged Harbinger, is complete madness. Perhaps it wasn't the Traveller calling the shots, it must have been the cold, calculated secretary-assistant.
No sane person would run off into an unknown nation with little to no knowledge about its people or policies. Kliment figured that this girl crying in front of him was not an assailant - but a pawn. Ironically, the secretary was the one who took control of her own escape. Though, it was only Kliment's speculation.
"I heard a gunshot from the top of the Wangsheng Funeral Parlour. Guoba heard it as well, he turned his head towards the noise and looked at me - then back and forth. I knew the sound of that gunshot was from [Y/N] firing one of her weapons."
Who seemed the most competent? A simple chef girl or a war theorist, expert debt collector, Fatui soldier, Cryogunner Legionnaire, Harbinger-chosen, secretary-assistant? Kliment tried to imagine how much planning had to take place in order to exploit the chef girl's kindness and sympathy. He almost thought admirably of you.
"It seemed like I fell asleep on the countertop of my restaurant, again. My neck felt stiff at one angle and ached in another. The sound of a gun being fired jolted me awake, I felt like my soul left my body. I don't doubt that I was the only one that heard it..."
"A gunshot in the middle of the night..." Kliment hung on those words.
"I heard whispering rumours that the Fatui had broken into the Funeral Parlour. I was worried about [Y/N]. I was worried about my friend. I wanted to go check on her..."
Javert, who was now calm, began to whisper to himself, "Harbinger Scaramouche ordered that raid. Everyone at the Northland Bank was very upset from the lack of notice ahead of time."
Xiangling choked up, "But I stayed in my restaurant. I hid like a child. She must have been so scared... I wonder if she thought that we were going to come and rescue her-"
"Who is we?"
A sudden cut-off from her words left Xiangling struggling to even gasp a single lick of air. Her eyes were left wide open like petrified saucers, a tear threatened to fall down. Her heart broke from the inside. Xiangling would soon be to blame for the future deaths of her two best friends.
"Who is we?" Kliment asked again.
"I... I didn't... mean..."
"There were other accomplices?"
"No..."
"She's lying again, Kliment. We should find the others, surely they'll be more helpful than her."
With a high nod, Kliment agreed, "You're right, comrade Javert. Let's set off as soon as possible."
"No... No, no, no! Don't hurt them! Please!" Xiangling wailed helplessly as the Fatui Agents turned their backs to her, walking for the exit. "They're my only friends...!"
Stopping by the doorway, the lieutenant merely turned his head to give a warning; "Tell us who the other accomplices are, that way we will know whether or not we will enter with weapons drawn."
Xiangling's lips were pulled into a deep frown, her voice was interrupted by her uncontrollable sobbing. Shaky sentences tumbled out of her mouth, "If you hurt my friends... you won't... get the bounty... I'll report you to the Millelith..."
Kliment felt like he couldn't have stopped his laughter before letting out a chuckle, "For us, it's not about the bounty. It's in honour of our commitment to the Fatui. Our mission is to hunt down a traitor. Seeing that you know about the ten million Mora bounty, only prompts us to investigate your friends further."
Javert had already stepped ahead, the other soldier began to make way further down into the city. The night soon turned into twilight, the sun was on its way from going around Teyvat.
"Do you know what we found in the room above the Funeral Parlour?" Kliment asked out of the blue.
Xiangling's tear-stricken face contorted into a scowl, "What...? What are you talking about...?"
She answered incorrectly.
Though mildly disappointed he did not get an answer, Kliment continued onwards. Without much explanation, the young chef was left alone and cold. She shivered at the mere thought of her dear friends being harassed the same she was by these Fatui Agents. Xiangling knew she had to do something, tell someone.
Xiangling knew she needed the help of the Liyue Qixing.
"I wish I said goodbye to you, [Y/N]..." Then, she continued to cry until morning came.
•••
They approached the Wanwen Bookstore before daybreak began. Finally, the sun was climbing up from the edge of the sea and inching its way to the sky. Kliment, still, could not stop thinking about Scaramouche's wholehearted threat.
Amongst the other soldiers, Javert noticed how the lieutenant was lost in his thoughts. Kliment's usual combed hair was now unkept, neglected, and uncared for. Javert thought it was very strange how his comrade was suddenly brought back to his senses.
"Agents, prepare to interfere with any Millelith guard sighted."
"It's your call, high and mighty Lieutenant Kliment."
"Stop showing attitude to your superior, Javert."
"You're not Lieutenant Nikolai, stop pretending to be like him."
"For the last time, do not bring up any useless chatter."
Once Kliment, Javert, and the other silent Fatui Agent finally made their way up the stairs, they found a certain swordsman already sitting casually on a chair. Puzzled by the lack of other customers in the bookshop, they all figured that they walked into some sort of trap.
As if he expected their arrival, Xingqiu uncrossed his legs and slowly stood up to his full height, raising his chin to appear to look down at the other men. A strand of his blue hair swept over his striking amber-coloured eyes, challenging whoever dared to make the first move.
Seeing that the group was being cautious, Xingqiu prepared for battle.
"Alright," The young man's sword was drawn from its sheath and was pointed directly at Kliment. "Let's get this over with. Ready your weapon if you want a fair fight."
Kliment stuck his arm out to stop Javert from blindly advancing toward the Hydro user, holding him back only resulting in the agent scowling in return.
The lieutenant figured it would be wiser to appeal for a civil interaction; "We mean no harm. We only want to talk."
"I expected to be visited by Fatui soldiers with the goal of extracting information from me. Well, I should say outright that I have no idea where your beloved Harbinger's Secretary has disappeared to. So, let us be gentlemen and part our separate ways."
"Xingqiu, second son of the Feiyun Commerce Guild, we want to know of your whereabouts the night of the secretary's last known location at the Funeral Parlour." Kliment watched how the grip on his sword tightened. "If you won't tell us, we will have to make a visit to your two friends."
Javert was quick to pick up on the lie that Kliment had said. Tricking Xingqiu, a potentially dangerous opponent who was willing to fight, into thinking that he was the first of the trio to be interrogated will most likely have him compliant in hopes of sparing his two friends. Such a simple tactic straight from the book; friendships can sometimes be a burden.
Xingqiu seemed to be defeated, "How did you find me...?"
"Harbinger Scaramouche relayed information in regards to a regular Wanwen Bookhouse customer. It wasn't hard to estimate where your location might be at this time."
Javert added, "Though, I'll admit that it is way too early in the day for shopping."
It was clear that the Fatui Agents knew that Xingqiu was trying to hide. Instead of hiding out in his guild building, he thought it would be clever to hide out in the bookhouse in the early hours. The fact alone that he was trying to hide only suggests that he does know something that the Fatui doesn't know about.
"Get out of here. I do not wish to discuss any matter with Fatui Agents." Xingqiu spat at the floor at the mention of the name.
"Do you wish for us to seek out your friends instead?"
Xingqiu felt insulted, he felt as if he was slapped in the face with someone's glove. The darkening of his eyes told the soldiers that he was still not ready to give in to their threats. His sword stood steady and looked like he was prepared to strike at any moment.
Kliment decided to press further, "We know their locations as well."
"It's useless, they don't know where [Y/N] is."
"But you do?"
It seemed like Xingqiu was having an internal battle with himself. He knew it would be more honourable to sacrifice himself in order to save Xiangling and Chongyun, but what about you? He felt torn between the two sides.
To favour one over the other is not fair at all. In this case of survival, there are a lot of things to consider. Xingqiu pondered his decision's consequences; keeping his friends safe can only mean you would be sacrificed. To protect you, risks his friends getting arrested by this foreign organization.
Xingqiu decided to claim the role of the liar. With that decision, he lowered his sword.
"My location from that night is not important. In fact, I did not see where she went after leaving the Wangsheng Funeral Parlour."
Kliment was being reeled in, "So, you did see secretary [Y/N] in the Funeral Parlour. What was she doing before she left?"
Xingqiu added a bit of truth to his words in order to not lose the Fatui Agents' interest, "While I was at the Heyu Tea House, I could see in the building right across, the room where [Y/N] was staying in. I saw the moment both she and the Traveller drew their weapons at each other. I was by the balcony on the lookout for the Millelith and Fatui soldiers while the Traveller went to the Funeral Parlour."
"The Traveller." Javert's tone was filled with agitation. "So, it was the Traveller who took the secretary away?"
"It's always been hard to track her down," Kliment recalled the many failed missions of him trying to locate the Traveller. "Even with a lead like this."
Xingqiu remembered watching the moment you fired a shot at Lumine, he was there, after all. Watching from afar, helplessly watching the Traveller use her own elemental powers to obliterate the ice bullet. Xingqiu was frightened at his revelation; Fatui will always be Fatui... when pushed to their limits.
"They were in combat with each other?" Kliment was puzzled. "Could this mean that the secretary was forced to leave with the Traveller? Or maybe the other way around."
"I don't know, I was in the building across from them." Xingqiu was being truthful this time. He wasn't told beforehand what the Traveller was planning on doing; she only informed him that she was going to make a visit - not an extraction.
Kliment stared blankly at the Hydro user from behind his mask. He saw the way Xingqiu's thin eyebrows furrowed opposingly, as if the young man was waiting for Kliment to speak. Javert also glanced at his lieutenant, waiting for any sort of order to begin a fight.
However, no order came.
"Alright then, if that's all you know then we will leave you alone."
"Hold it!" Xingqiu stepped forward at that declaration, preparing to raise his weapon once again. "You're correct that I told you all that I know. Do not pursue my friends. They know nothing more than what I do. You leave them alone."
Javert was stopped again from reaching into his dark cloak to retrieve his Sacrificial Knives. Kliment was ready to challenge Xingqiu with one question, "Since you claim to know more than your friends if you answer our last question we will not go after them."
"What is your question?"
"Do you know what we found in the room last night?"
All at once, Xingqiu's eyes went wide as his lips parted in surprise. His heart skipped a beat as the tip of his sword swayed from the rapid-fire question. He knew the only out-of-place object in the Funeral Parlour room was the one thing that was able to incriminate his friend.
"The talisman..."
Xingqiu answered incorrectly.
Kliment was disappointed; it seemed like Xingqiu didn't know everything after all. Still, the Fatui Agent did not say a word after that. With a swift hand signal, Javert and the other soldier began to march away, down the stairs and out of sight.
The young man was left speechless, he was confused about whether or not he was able to deflect the blame away from his friends. Sensing how the Fatui Agents left without any further explanation, he knew he had to find the Traveller again.
He too felt betrayed at your sudden departure.
"Goodbye, my dear, [Y/N]..." Xingqiu whispered quietly. "I'm sorry... I just wanted to protect sweet Xiangling and dear Chongyun..."
•••
"Where is the Funeral Director? I thought I told you to find that girl as the last suspect for our interrogation."
"If you have been paying attention Lieutenant, Director Hu Tao has an alliance with master Childe."
"That doesn't answer my question, comrade Javert. I told you that we needed her for our interrogation. Get it through that head of yours."
"Why would she double cross us? She originally had some sort of deal with the Traveller, then she shifted her interest to aid the Fatui." Javert moved his fingers along with his words. "Unless she triple crossed us...?"
Kliment grabbed Javert by the collar and forced him to come closer, yelling loudly; "Just do as I say! It's not difficult! You've been getting on my nerves during this whole mission!"
"There it is again!" Javert almost wanted to shove the other soldier. "You're acting just like him! You don't think I was there when Lieutenant Nikolai said that to you?! Huh?! Do you think I'm stupid?"
In the realization of his actions, Kliment released his hold on Javert's collar and took a step backwards. The mask was not able to hide his shaky breaths, it was clear that the Fatui Agent was cut deeply by his comrade's words.
"Archons! Ever since the day the lieutenant left, the other agents noticed your sudden change of attitude. Poor performance, always lost in your thoughts, even failing missions - we all noticed it. What is wrong with you, comrade Kliment? Why do you keep holding on to him? You don't even know if he still cares about you-"
"Nikolai was my partner."
Emotions can kill soldiers on the battlefield. Any sort of emotion or feeling is bound to be an exploitable weakness. So when Kliment said with pride that Nikolai was his partner, he indeed mean it the way you think. He was Kliment's weakness, it seems.
"I've known him for twelve years. He's nothing like what you think of him. You don't believe he still remembers me?"
Though, it can be argued that emotions can also be a mission driver. Why do you think Scaramouche asked specifically Agent Kliment to search for his missing secretary? In order to be a leader, you must be able to motivate your men with their own weaknesses. That's what separates a Harbinger from a soldier.
"I was his..."
"Okay, whatever. I shouldn't have said anything." Javert pushed past the lieutenant. "We're wasting time. Let's find that exorcist instead."
Kliment was left alone as the other silent Agent walked ahead of him. Once again, he tried to comb back his unkempt blond hair with his fingers, to no avail. All he could do was adjust his black uniform and hide behind his mask. He was equally embarrassed and heartbroken, his pitiful posture said so.
Now standing idly at the entrance of the Liyue Harbour itself, Kliment and his men were left watching the ships come and go. He felt that he had just run into a dead end; he needed to go back to Scaramouche with actual evidence if he didn't want to get sliced to bits with his own weapons.
They barely got any information about Chongyun's whereabouts; the only possible location he could be at is at Mount Tianheng - and no one had the time and energy to go there. It seemed like they were all running out of options and ideas, maybe it would be best to go back to the drawing board.
It was until Kliment saw a certain exorcist peering over a wooden fence to watch the incoming and outgoing ships. His back was to the group, unaware and focused on the busy Harbour. A sitting duck.
With a swift and silent hand signal, the agents closed in on the young man until they were directly behind him. Kliment touched the underside of his rib, it still ached from being cut deeply by the brutal attack. It wasn't long ago that he was close to death in the infirmary. The dressings and bandages are still soaking up his blood.
"Excuse me," Kliment daringly spoke up. "Do you know which ships are docked in the Harbour?"
"How should I know? Go ask someone else. I'm just trying to find the Crux fleet and... Oh, shit..."
As Chongyun turned around, he was met with a trio of Fatui Agents standing right behind him. He noted how the leader reached into his coat and took a hold of his Sacrificial Knives. A tense gulp was almost enough to make him feel light-headed.
Kliment smiled wickedly, he was almost laughing.
"Hello again, Exorcist Chongyun."
The look on his face was almost picture-worthy.
•••
They dragged him to a dark alleyway away from nosy locals and prying Millelith Guards. With a rough shove, Chongyun found himself with his back against a brick wall trying to stand upright to see eye to eye with the masked Fatui Agent. Chongyun showed no signs of weakness, even boldly leering in the face of danger.
His confident smile clashed with Kliment's emotionless gaze.
"Fatui... What do you want?" Chongyun sighed. "If it's about her, I have nothing else to tell you but that she's gone. I doubt she will miss you as much as she misses me... and you have no idea."
All at once, the exorcist was silenced when Kliment impelled a swift hand to the side of the young man's face. The agent remained poised and all the more the one in control of the situation. In the corner of his eye, Chongyun saw the striking glint of some type of metal and began to turn toward it.
"Stop! Stay still!" Kliment snapped, keeping his hand at bay. "I hold at your neck a Sacrificial Knife. Its blade is infused with Pyro and will easily tear through the skin even at close contact. Do not attempt to pull away or retrieve your weapon if you wish to live."
Chongyun stood still, the only movement he made was to let out one last shaky breath before raising his chin boldly, "I'll ask again. What do you want?"
"Where is the Harbinger's Secretary?"
"I don't know."
Chongyun's cocky tone in his response landed him a harsh jab to the underside of his rib. He exclaimed loudly in sharp pain and in turn, the knife was pressed closer to his neck the more he moved.
The heat from the blade washed over the side of Chongyun's face, it coated his already sweaty cheek and taunted his fight or flight response. He wanted to get away from the knife, it's gross waves of Pyro energy made him sick to his stomach and his head spin. Not only was it a hair strand away from his neck, the sharp edge felt like it was already burning into his skin.
Without warning, another agent stepped forward. Javert took a hold of Chongyun's jaw and forced his head upwards. The exorcist grabbed the agent's wrist out of refusal but was eventually overpowered and was forced backwards, he found himself rising up to his tiptoes in order not to choke from the sharp angle. Javert demanded an answer.
"What's that scar?"
The rest of the agents focused on the fresh, partially healed wound on the other side of Chongyun's neck. As experienced soldiers, they recognized that it was a bullet graze injury. The small roots spreading from the middle of the scar resembled the cracked ice of a frozen lake; only a Cryo-infused bullet is capable of causing that kind of destruction to the skin.
"Cryogunner Legionnaires..." Kliment muttered. "Capable of releasing jets of frost from their guns. Those soldiers wield elemental powers that are beyond Archon-blessed Visions... except one."
As soon as Javert's hand slipped down to his throat, Chongyun's gasp for air resembled the sound of an ugly gurgle, stuttering and all the more deprived of oxygen. Kliment steadied his grip on the knife, smiling madly behind his mask.
"The only known Cryogunner Legionnaire that is able to fire short shots... The only one who fights with those deadly Cryo bullets is... Secretary [Y/N]. You were either courageous or stupid enough to get in her line of fire."
With a weak hand, Chongyun clawed at Javert's wrist, his efforts of escaping were growing grimmer by the second. His breathing slowed when he really wanted to inhale more air, Chongyun's body seemed to be nearing a state of unconsciousness.
Finally, a break.
"So, it seems like he had fallen into combat with her." Javert released Chongyun's jaw. "And survived."
His blue eyes shot open and were greeted by the sight of red embers, Chongyun focused on the knife still at his neck. After regaining his breath, he felt fury fire up within him. The Pyro infused blade only added fuel to the fire.
"I understand now," Chongyun sputtered hatefully at the memory. "That day... You only decided to kidnap Fatui girl because she was stripped of her weapons...! The only time she was without her guns... Other than that, you knew you would have been killed if you chose any other day! Like that damn Cicin Mage!"
"Now the boy is talking," Kliment laughed while the other agents taunted. "Talk. Talk! The only thing you can do to survive is to talk!"
Javert was ready to wipe his hands clean from the mission, "We will send a report to Harbinger Scaramouche. Nonetheless, the exorcist will soon be dead along with his other two friends."
A nerve was struck in Chongyun, "I hope you believe in Celestia. May your souls be spared by the Archons that will even bother wasting their time with you!"
"Give us the secretary's location or we will send you there instead."
Chongyun spat at Kliment, "I should have purged you that day."
The lieutenant never felt that victory was so close before.
"I regret holding back the urge to kill you."
"I would like to say, exorcist Chongyun, you have an impressive amount of charges laid out in relation to secretary [Y/N]'s treason and disappearance." Kliment toyed around with the knife, angling it dangerously close to the young man's vital artery. "Did you have some sort of influence on the secretary-assistant that made her betray Harbinger Scaramouche and, essentially, her entire nation?"
"No."
"Did you entice her in any way?"
"No..." Chongyun seemed to struggle with limiting his words.
Kliment enjoyed this, "I'll tell you something. Prisons in Snezhnaya are brutal. The guards are more unforgiving than the inmates. Dying on the boat ride to the prison is more merciful than whatever treatment you'll receive in there. So, if you want to finally own up to your involvement in this mess, I suggest you do it now. Harbinger Scaramouche will take care of you, he won't let you suffer."
"She didn't leave the Fatui for me..."
"Who then?"
"She left for her brother."
Immediately, Kliment was plunged into darkness.
In fragments, he reverted back to the day he saw his beloved lieutenant storm into the Harbinger's tent - blinded by anger ignited by love for family. Kliment didn't know what that was like, to be driven by something other than money and power. He wanted to know what he would have been capable of.
What followed after, Kliment still refuses to replay it in his mind.
Seeing you the following day still loyal to that Harbinger made Kliment bitter with betrayal. How could someone as coldhearted as you be able to tolerate breathing the same air as the man who attempted to kill your brother? How could you still work side-by-side with that Harbinger? How could you still be standing next to Scaramouche without the urge to take aim with your weapons? How could you! Kliment wanted to scream it to your face.
Then, he saw how you bowed your head to Scaramouche's hand.
Rage.
The Sacrificial Knife fell to the ground when Kliment spiralled deeper into delirium. The blade crashed beside Chongyun's shoe, narrowly missing his foot and ankle on the way down. Javert took it upon himself to step in, reaching over to grab Kliment's shoulder to snap him out of his excruciating trance.
"Last time I saw Fatui girl... Things were complicated... Trust me, I have no clue where she ran off to."
It was unnerving, to say the least, how heavily Kliment was heaving from behind his mask. Still, Chongyun was trapped and he needed to figure out how to get out of this situation alive. Javert listened to him intently while the silent agent stared blankly.
"Whatever happened, I doubt that I had something to do with her disappearance. What I told her wasn't a lie. It was the truth I knew she wanted to hear." Chongyun confessed. "I loved her. The same way I love my friends and my family. The same way I love popsicles. The same way I love fighting. The same way I love killing evil spirits. But something changed me..."
Chongyun recalled that night very well. He sputtered out the last remaining red mush of that mistake of a popsicle right in the middle between his feet, spitting a second time at the realization of his selfishness. A groan of embarrassment resonated from his throat and he covered his face with his hands. Peeking through his half-gloved fingers, he stared straight ahead to remember what he had done.
"I can only recall half of what happened."
"How convenient for you." Javert sneered.
"I hurt her... Then, Fatui girl shot me. I should have seen it coming from a mile away. That's how I got this." Once again, Chongyun raised his head up and presented the scar that raked over the side of his neck. "My neck felt cold to the touch, I could trace the trail of a sharp ice shard along my skin. I'm sure this will leave a scar for life..."
In the middle of his rambling, Chongyun's thoughts wandered. The burning Sacrificial Knife can be blamed for his sudden memory gain, he grew shameful as he remembered how inappropriate he acted. Warmth rose on his face.
"Auntie Shenhe is going to be furious with me. Dealing with the Fatui, what was I thinking...?"
Kliment seemed to have returned from his dark place, the lieutenant steadily reached down to retrieve the fallen weapon. With Javert's hand still supporting his arm, Kliment huffed deeply and held the blade up to Chongyun's face once more.
"I told you everything I know."
"One last question..." Kliment angled the knife to the side. "Do you know what we found in the room above the Funeral Parlour?"
Chongyun stared at his reflection on the blade, a drop of sweat rolled down the edge of his cheek. For a moment, he saw blood - dripping from his forehead all the way down his forearms to the tips of his fingers. He felt the rush. Out of breath. Overheated. Vengeful.
"I think you know the answer."
"Treasure Hoarder Insignias..." His words tumbled out without him knowing. Collecting those Insignias was as easy as walking up to the unmoving Treasure Hoarder corpse and digging through their pockets, taking their most prized possession. It was proof that Chongyun was never the bad guy at all.
Right...?
"You're under arrest."
With that correct answer, Kliment knew that Chongyun was the very last person in the room before you disappeared.
The aghast look on his face was enough to provide a guilty verdict, he was caught and will soon be punished for his crime.
"What...? Wait...!" Chongyun was forced with his chest against the wall, having his arms pulled behind him, and his wrists handcuffed. Javert locked them tight, even giving them a harsh tug which almost brought the young man down to the ground.
"By order of the sixth Fatui Harbinger, your involvement with secretary-assistant [Y/N]'s withdrawal from her respectful position will be investigated further by our agents. In the meantime, you will be sent to a holding cell in the Northland Bank."
"You can't...! Hold on a second..."
"If it is found that you were a key instrument to the traitor's escape, you will face the mercy of the Harbingers in Snezhnaya." Kliment grinned at the mention of his home nation. "And I'll bring you there myself."
"I know a really good legal advisor...! Let me talk to her first!"
"Check the ports again," Kliment ignored Chongyun's pleads and ordered the other agent to attend to another matter. "Go quickly! The secretary might still be in the city."
Then, Javert was given a stern nod and he immediately grabbed the exorcist's hood to drag him up to his feet. The sudden shove made Chongyun stumble forward, his blue hair tussling to the side as he daringly looked over his shoulder to glare angrily at the other man. Clenched fists are useless when bound.
As he was led out by the two agents, Chongyun couldn't help but stare up at the sky. He wished he could reach up and grab a hold of the clouds and go anywhere other than the Northland Bank. For the first time, he was not looking forward to the upcoming events.
Being arrested by the Fatui was certainly nothing Chongyun had ever expected. This is what you get for messing around with an ambiguous Snezhnayan organization that centralizes in collecting debts and enforcing strict rules.
He knew that getting out of this mess was going to be close to impossible.
"Goodbye, Fatui girl. I'll explain myself some other time..." Chongyun wished he could say it aloud.
Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed!
Originally Xiangling, Xingqiu, and Chongyun were going to have their own separate chapters but then I was like no I'll just make it one big fuckoff chapter LOL
The titles were supposed to be
"The Things Xiangling Heard"
"The Things Xingqiu Saw"
"The Things Chongyun Said"
It was intended to be a play-on to "Hear no evil, see no evil, speak no evil" pretty clever right ahahhaha
ART CREDIT: @_Lyrurix_ OR @_Lyurix_ (WATTPAD)
Sheesh he's such a psycho that its ok
ART CREDIT: @ScarasBallzSucker (WATTPAD)
A story in three parts (THESE ARE SO COOL)
ART CREDIT: @Tebbit_is_sleeping
DAMNNNNNNNN mmmm
ART CREDIT: @O3Chl (TWITTER)
I love the blue and gold colours, I think they're so good as a combo
ART CREDIT: @Julia_forever16 (INSTAGRAM)
This is so cute I just wanna crush her uwu
ART CREDIT: @12bloopbloop12 (INSTAGRAM)
HOT DAWG
ART CREDIT: @_sachimmi_ (INSTAGRAM)
Beautiful, I'm crying
ART CREDIT: @alumettecasse (INSTAGRAM)
I love the hair colour and outfit!!
ART CREDIT: @RikaNakpil (TWITTER)
HGGGGGGHHBNNNNBNNNN
ART CREDIT: @Hxpelesslvr (TWITTER)
SHES A SHES A LADY
ART CREDIT: @xatewus (TWITTER)
:D
ART CREDIT: @Ariquii11 (TWITTER)
SO CUTEEEE
ART CREDIT: @ValMainsNoelle (TWITTER)
She's so pretty I wish I was her
MEME CREDIT: @yandere_yenaVA (TWITTER)
My favourite meme atm
ART CREDIT: luvbotrisa (TWITTER)
SLAY ME PLS
If you guys want your art or memes uploaded with the chapter, please submit them through the Google Form (I'll share the link again) or tag me on Twitter with your submission (preferably adding if I do or do not have permission to post them) It makes things so much easier!!
Until next time!!