Song for a Siren

by SolarRush

Summary:

As a kid, ever since you attended your first show at the Faz Aquarium and Research Center you were determined to become like the mer handlers you admired. Now fresh out of college, you've made it to your first day at the ARC!

It's not quite as....glamorous...as you expected.

An abandoned exhibit and its inhabitants stir up questions about Faz Corp's true intentions, and you find yourself caught in the middle. Can one person change a bleak future, or will you be sleeping with the fishes?

Notes:

First fanfic in a long while, might as well be mermay inspired! Updates on Sundays; I'm a bit rusty so please be gentle!

Chapter 1: Welcome Aboard!

Just one drop of blood contains billions of strands of DNA — the building blocks of life! It’s a blueprint for building a living thing. As our world faces the extinction of millions of species, the need for new, radical ideas to save those species has grown. That’s where our Faz Researchers step in. 

Using sophisticated technology, our team of scientists have collected and stored tens of thousands of samples from species great and small. Our geneticists teamed up with other like-minded partners across the world to create the first successful clones of endangered species. Through careful planning, animals that faced rapid population decreases, like salmon, would be boosted exponentially over several seasons, improving the overall health of local ecosystems.  Now, Faz Corp’s vision to advocate and educate future generations on our planet’s most important resource — our oceans — has led to the foundation of the Faz Aquarium and Research Center, or The ARC…

ARC? That seems a bit…pretentious. You can feel yourself going cross-eyed as you stared at the black box before you, distracted by its ancient appearance. For a job orientation you half expected a…well, honestly, a show of sorts. This was the Faz ARC you’d been hired at, after all; a place where a mad scientist’s dreams could come true. Creatures from children’s stories were brought to life here, for Pete’s sake. 

You’d been surprised when, instead of a grand presentation, your team lead wheeled in this little 90s TV on a rolling cart and popped the DVD in (at least it wasn’t a VHS, you supposed). 

Whatever. You weren’t here to be a part of the Research Team, not the cutting-edge one, anyway. Your job would be in the Children’s Education Center, teaching kids cool facts about the tide pools. 

Like how one defense mechanism of the sea cucumber is forcefully ejecting their internal organs out their ass. 

…Anyway.

You realize you’ve zoned out for a good portion of the orientation video at this point. Whoops. Hopefully nothing you couldn’t Wiki later. Correcting your slouched posture and giving a stretch, the sound of the break room door opening signaled the return of your team lead. 

“Alright, let’s get you your badge and uniform.” 

Vanessa gestured loosely for you to follow as she promptly turned right back around and walked out the door. You had to jog to catch up, matching her pace while soaking in your surroundings.

“Work day starts at 8:00am, make sure to clock in on time and take your breaks as scheduled. Your days end at 4:30, but there might be times you’re asked to swing shift.” She droned, handing over a paper bag with your name scrawled across the top and two outfits within. A badge is activated at the employee check-in desk and snapped to a lanyard, which you take and slip over your head. A ring of keys are handed over last, snapped to your belt loop for safe keeping.

Exiting the employee building takes you out into the main park where families were already bustling about. The ARC was a massive campus sectioned off into three areas: the public aquarium, the research centers and a restricted zone where only upper management had access. 

The entire campus criss-crossed with eco-friendly, recycled terrain paths and large gardens of native flora. As the name suggested, much of the architecture of surrounding buildings had a vaguely ship-like appearance; abstract enough to go unnoticed by most, but a wink-wink nudge-nudge for those who did. 

Down the grassy hill a crowd had begun to gather at the Faz ARC’s main attraction: the ARC Theater. It was nearly 10:00am, which meant the first show of the day was about to start. 

While their story might have started in conservation, what Faz was really known for was their “species ambassadors.” Better recognized to the populace as the glamorous marvels of bio-engineering, the ARC homed four of the only merfolk in the world: Freddy, Roxy, Chica and Monty.

These merfolk were ambassadors for the species meticulously chosen for them and their purpose was to bring awareness to those species’ endangered status. How exactly the arguably “human” features came about wasn’t something Faz went about sharing, though. 

Following Vanessa down the stairs towards the back entrance of the theater, you’re welcomed by familiar smells and noises of your childhood. A popcorn cart fizzled and popped continuously, buttery goodness wafting out every time the glass door was opened. Greasy hotdogs and tooth-rotting cotton candy delighted and satisfied early-lunch cravings.

From the employee back stage path you could survey the dome’s full layout. Colorful murals depicting the four stars flowed across the walls, up-lit in blues, purples and green spotlights. Facts about the ocean and its inhabitants bubbled up beside the depictions of Faz’s merfolk, little kids hopped up on adrenaline spinning the circular sign installments with “did you know” trivia. Obligatory gift shop to the back left, already full of squabbling kids; bleachers surrounded the massive show tank in a half crescent, echoing with the metallic sounds of thousands of feet taking a seat. 

“Wow…” You’re hit with a brief moment of nostalgia as you recall begging your folks to see the merfolk perform. 

“Ya know, when I was a kid seeing this show was all anyone in my class talked about. Some of the older kids would compare stories or what merch their folks got them. I was always so jealous,” you chuckle, smiling wistfully at the crowd of kids. Vanessa said nothing, sparing a brief glance your way but looking away in the next beat.

“Wasn’t till my tenth birthday did my folks take me to my first show. I couldn’t help but be absolutely captivated by the merfolk and the trainers they worked with.” Ever since then you were dead set on working at the aquarium when you were older. 

Each mer’s dedicated handler and trainer tended to their every need. A round-the-clock position, they oversaw the health both physical and mental of their mer. To the public it appeared to be all fun and games at their shows, not knowing just how much time and dedication the job really demanded. 

That didn’t deter you at all, however. Becoming a handler had always been the goal, and while you were starting small you were still one big step closer to that dream! 

Your gaze zeroed in on the handlers just below deck and did a double take when one appeared fairly shorter than the rest. 

“What’s that kid doing down there?” You ask before the brain-mouth filter kicked in. Vanessa barely glanced up from the tablet — when’d she grab that? — in her hands. 

“Gregory, our summer intern. He’s paired with Freddy.”

“I didn’t know Faz hired interns…”

“We don’t.”

You watched her type away, waiting for an explanation. When none came you cleared your throat. “So…what’s the deal?”

Vanessa gave a withering sigh through her nose before finally lowering the tablet and looking out at the intern. “Management noticed Freddy had taken a particular interest in the kid last summer. Freddy’s always been engaging and amiable with everyone he works with, but something clicked I guess with that kid.” Her face screwed tight momentarily. “Management likes to call it a ‘bond’ of sorts. They’re very interested. So…now we have an intern.”

Lucky bastard, you couldn’t help but think. The chances of that happening seemed a million to one. 

Wait.

Were you jealous of a teenager?

….

Ok. Yeah, maybe. What, you could admit that to yourself, you were an adult after all!

Gregory appeared to be speaking and gesturing to Freddy, dwarfed almost comically by the mer whose rapt attention was only on the boy. Even when Gregory started walking towards the stairs that led up to the show platform Freddy’s shadow slowly followed along with lazy strokes of his shimmering tail. You’d been so focused on the pair that the sudden and loud sound of the announcer’s voice over the intercom gave you a jolt. Vanessa merely cocked an eyebrow at you as you flashed a sheepish grin in return.

“Welcome, Faz Friends, to today’s first show at the ARC Theater!” A pause for cheers, background music bumps steadily growing in volume to feed the hype. The lights in the theater slowly dimmed until only the pool remained fully lit, glowing a mesmerizing teal. 

“We’re so glad you could visit us today! Our glamorous mer friends have a wonderful show for you they can’t wait to share!”

All at once the four mer leapt out of the water from the depths of the pool, delighting those in the crowd close enough to get caught in the resulting wave as they crashed back into the water. Colored lights danced over the rippling surface, bouncing off the shimmering scales of the mer as they swam in mesmerizing patterns before breaking apart. From above your perch the massive LED wall lit up with the show’s intro, the narration sounding similar to the orientation video you’d finished this morning.

Well, look at that. Seems you’ll be getting that show after all. 

Nice.

“Here at the Faz ARC, our work with these magnificent creatures provides valuable data for conservation efforts around the globe.”

As the narration droned on your gaze drifts to the handlers. Despite being in shadow you could make out how their black wet suits sported accent colors according to the mer they worked with. Even Gregory wore one, you realized. He stood beside the senior handler, nodding along while pulling treats from the nearby cooler and into the bucket they’d take up. Glancing about, the other handlers are doing the same thing. 

On cue, the handlers mounted their individual platforms and waited as the mer and handler introductions began. 

“Hi everybody!” A young woman with a ponytail of bright red curly hair stepped into the pink spotlight at her platform, waving to the crowd. Her wet suit screamed "Chica" with pink and green ribs, both patterned accordingly. “My name’s Alexi, and this is my wonderful friend Chica!” The crowd ooh’d at Chica’s twirling launch into the air, splashing the front row before returning to her spotlit platform. 

“Chica is our ambassador for several species of tropical fish and rays.” A sweeping gesture with one arm sends the white, pink and green mer out to swim the edge of the pool in a showy display. “Her tiger-like stripes and spotted scales make her captivating to watch, but also serve to help Chica blend into her surroundings.” 

You hum to yourself as you watch the pool become bathed in leopard-patterned spotlights, Chica’s form occasionally lost amongst the visual chaos. She was the second in popularity for the merfolk, appealing unsurprisingly to little girls in particular. 

The lights went out and the next platform lit up in pale purple. A young man grinned at his turn, fists planted on his hips. Unlike Alexi, his suit was a solid black and purple. “Hey, guys! My name’s Jax and this rockstar is Roxy!” One fist pumps the air in time with the gray and purple mer jumping into the air, drawing hoots and hollers from the crowd. “Roxy’s got the highest agility of the mer with her leopard seal and mako shark primary genetics. Check out how she maneuvers these obstacles in the blink of an eye!” 

A mechanical hum accompanied by a rush of bubbles from below revealed a version of Roxy’s course, the mer immediately darting through hoops and around pillars with precision. Roxy’s sea leopard face was certainly cute, but she had no qualms about flashing her sharp canines at the visitors who stood by the glass. 

You couldn’t help leaning forward over the railing just a bit as the next mer was introduced. His size alone was a marvel, and, quite frankly, Monty had to be the most badass of the crew.  His handler was petite in an all-black suit contrasted by their cropped, lime green hair.

“Hey folks, make some noise for the baddest mer on the block!” Their stance spread beneath the green spotlight as their arms opened wide, the crowd screaming in delight as Monty’s massive form rose from below and breached to his dorsal spines, intimidating maw snapping shut on morsel suspended from the ceiling. Splashing back into the water, Monty lazily swam back to his handler, swallowing the morsel whole. 

“I’m Jessie, and this big guy is my partner Monty! Monty’s size and thick scales are courtesy of his sturgeon DNA. You might recognize some of his traits as being similar to a mosasaur too — an ancient predator from oceans long gone.” 

Monty and Roxy definitely had the “danger” and “edgy” factor on their side, appealing largely to teenagers and young adults. You’re pretty sure Monty doesn’t have actual mosasaur DNA, but it’s still a very cool comparison. Crocodile seemed more likely. Although, you weren’t sure what they crossed him with to get that oil-slick green sheen over his scales. Eel or sea snake, you supposed. 

An energy had begun to grow in the crowd with each introduction, dripping with anticipation for the final mer. No surprise there, of course. 

Monty’s spotlight went out and at last came a beam of gold light on the fourth and final platform. The oldest handler stepped forward, smiling broadly. “We’re so thankful you all could join us in another celebration of our oceans. My name's Tony and now it’s time to meet our final member of the species ambassadors: Freddy!”

If you’d thought the crowd was loud before, you cringed when the screams doubled at the final mer’s introduction jump. 

Freddy looked exactly as you remembered him so many years ago: dazzling orange-gold scales accented by bolts of turquoise sparkling with every stroke of his tail. He was always the star of the show; second biggest of the four, his gentle-giant personality made him a hit for visitors of all ages hoping to have a close encounter (for a fee, of course). 

"Freddy's primary species is a combination of shark, tropical fish and nudibranch. The nudibranch DNA is what gives him such striking patterns and colors!" 

All mer now accounted for, the show could commence. While you half expected to be able to watch the dazzling show in its entirety, Vanessa was walking away from you.

“Oh, we’re not staying?”

“No, we have a lot to cover for your first day.” Came the blunt reply, your shoulders slumping minutely as you hurried after her back. 

Casting one last glance back at the show, you felt your resolve harden once more. One day that’d be you up there.

---

“Please don’t pick up the sea cucumber, he’ll puke his guts again and no one wants that,” The plea rolls off your tongue for the hundredth time today as you reach across the tide pool to gently brush away the grabby hands from poor cucumber Larry. 

It’d been a few weeks since you started working at the ARC as the “Tide Pool Guide” for visitors. All in all, about what you had been anticipating; demanding parents wanting their gremlin children pushed ahead of the ones patiently waiting, other gremlins snatching hermit crabs from their pools and running off to “show their friends.” Larry was depending on you to prevent another repeat of the birthday kid trying to squeeze it like those water wigglers sold in the gift shop. 

There were only two mer-shows a day, one in the morning and one in the evening, so a good chunk of the day could be spent exploring the rest of the ARC. Which meant, in this case, a manic rush of kids high on mer-adrenaline flooding the interactive exhibits for a solid five or so hours. 

It could be worse, you suppose. You could be still working retail. This was your first big job out of college and damnit you were going to be an Adult™ and do it well. Armed with a plethora of SpongeBob references and fun (gross) facts about the critters you care for, you let yourself get lost in the children’s awe and wonder. 

“See this guy right here?” You wave your hand across the vision of several 8 year olds, directing their attention to the chunky pink starfish. “He’s growing back an arm ‘cause the original fell off,” you point towards some rocks beneath the surface not far away, “and now it’s going to become a new starfish!” 

A gasp to your right and you glance up at the little tike in a Freddy shirt. “Baby starfish!?”

“Yup! Wanna feel how bumpy they are?” Giggles answered as you took the child’s hand to gently pet the starfish. 

“Weird!” “I wanna touch too!” 

You watched with a smile as the kids took turns cautiously petting, some braver than others. Glancing over your shoulder you survey the rest of the tide pools. A few teenagers huddled together filming the sting rays, several visitors were watching the octopus tank and a handful more petting the anemones. This late in the day meant guests slowly started filtering out and wandered off in search of a bite to eat or planning on claiming their seats for the evening show. 

Glancing at your watch, a rush of relief hits you with the realization that soon enough you could close up and focus on your end-of-day routine. While every shift got easier and you slipped more comfortably into your kids “show” persona, getting some quiet time with the tide pool critters was a nice way to end the day. 

When that final call for the show chimed across the intercom you happily led guests out of the tunnel and hung up the chain.

“Not bad, shrimp.” Vanessa appeared from behind you, tapping on her tablet. 

“V, it was one time,” you whined, head dropping back against your shoulders. Almost eating shit after slipping on a shrimp earned you the nickname for the foreseeable future, apparently. 

“One’s all it takes,” came the smug reply, Vanessa glancing up from her screen to smirk. “Full house tonight. I’ll be with the others doing crowd control; you’re on meal prep for the Pools and Cove.” With a taunting wink, she turned and promptly disappeared into one of the tunnels leading out to the rest of the aquarium. 

For a beat you just stared where she’d been, grimacing at the thought of sticking your hands in the cold feed bins. Shivering, you shook the thought away and went about cleaning and locking up the exhibit. You had about an hour before clocking-out, lest the wrath of Faz-god fall upon you for not being on time, so you make quick work sweeping up wrappers, scraping up unnamed (gum? you hoped it was gum) substances from the floor and peeling stickers off the tank glass. 

Food prep always took you a hot minute, still learning the correct measurements and which supplements went to which inhabitant, so you wanted to maximize your time appropriately. Hoofing it back to the “kitchen” through the employee tunnel you run through your mental checklist. 

One drawback to doing meal prep was just how damn far it was from the Tide Pools. You practically went half way through the aquarium to get there and you rarely came across another team member during the trek this time of day. The occasional chatter from your walkie was a welcome comfort on the otherwise silent walk. 

A map caught your eye, easy to pass over tucked in between colorful posters and other employee notes. Peering closer, you skim the employee-only paths to the Tide Pools. The tunnel you were currently walking went out along the outer edge of the building, but according to this there was another route that cut through the Reef. 

Your brows furrow in consideration. The Reef had been a brief part of the orientation tour, more of a “there it is” than anything. You certainly didn’t recall taking a corridor down that way. Maybe you simply missed it?

Glancing at your watch, you decide that now wasn’t the time to stand and ponder the logic of the building’s maze of hallways. Taking a quick snap of the map with your phone, you hurried along to the kitchen. 

When you arrive you can’t help but sigh in relief to see Vanessa had actually already done some of the meal prep, laminated notes left behind for what still needed to be done. Not about to let this gesture go to waste, you're quick to pick up where she left off. 

Thanks to Vanessa’s head start you finish the prep in record time, snagging your feed bucket for the Tide Pool’s evening meal and booking it outta there. 

You must’ve taken a wrong turn, however, because now you’re in a hall you don’t recognize. 

“Uh…” You glance at your watch. 30 minutes till clock out. Calculations race through your head, figuring how reasonably fast you could dump the food in the tanks and head out. Taking the route you’d gone on your way here wouldn’t leave you enough time, but if you were to cut through this Reef area…well, the shortest distance between two points is straight, right?

Chewing your lip in indecision, you decide to pull up the map on your phone again and speed walk in the supposed direction of the Reef corridor. Familiar murals and tanks greeted you, but it wasn’t until you walked past a darkened hallway that you realized a “staff only” sign was hung up at the door. 

Ok, “door” was generous — it was more a pvc temporary door that had been covered in black vinyl and vague reef illustrations to blend into the rest of the murals on the wall. That must have been how you missed it the first time.

Feeling more confident that this would save you time, you fumble for your keys and unlock the door. 

“Holy crap it’s dark in here…” you slap your hand on the nearest wall, wet and cold, feeling along for the light switch. Stumbling over a few leftover boxes and whatever else, you sigh in frustration and instead pull out your phone once more and shine its flashlight around you. 

“Oh, weird…” These walls appeared to have a character you didn’t recognize on them — a mer with features similar to a leafy sea dragon or perhaps lionfish. None of the glam-mers had these kinds of features. “What is this…?” You slowly walk along the wall, shining your phone on reef facts and across fake coral installments. 

From the amount of materials and boxes strewn about, sporting a thin film of gunky dust, you’d think this part of the reef was shut down. But it didn’t take long to hear the hum of what must have been a significant filtration system, very much on and not at all offline. Having seen what decommissioned tanks looked like, and considering the illustrations, a strange sense of unease began to fill your chest.

“No personnel beyond this point…” You frown at the sign hanging from a chain cutting off your path. Up ahead plastic tarps hung from the walls, giving off very alien biohazard vibes. 

Was it technically trespassing if you worked there?

The sign’s fine print about hazards and construction ahead seemed reasonable. Surely the “no personnel” was just a warning for the general public…

Right? Besides, the aquarium map you found clearly showed cutting through here would lead you back to the tide pools faster than going around. Employees surely used to cut through here all the time before renovation. Shifting your feed-filled bucket to the other hand, you steel your nerves and step over the chain.

“Just don’t touch anything…it’ll be fine.” You attempt to reassure yourself, carefully maneuvering through the plastic curtains. 

It was only a tad darker than the rest of the aquarium, huge fish nets, more tools and random construction supplies scattered alongside the walls. The filtration system’s soft hum and your echoing footsteps were all you heard as you made your way through the winding tunnel. For an abandoned exhibit, you half expected the tanks to be empty. But the kelp fronds and small schools of fish said otherwise as you walked along the glass, the cool, damp room illuminated by the green-blue glow of their lights. Jellyfish lazily floated up and over the glass tunnel you found yourself in, bringing you to a pause to watch their white and pink bodies drift by. 

The lights along the edge of these tanks may be on, but staring further into them revealed barely any light — natural or otherwise. 

“Creepy…” Shaking off the feeling, you focus back on the task at hand: feeding time and clocking out. Exiting the underwater tunnel brought you into what looked like a main viewing area, circular in shape and half of one wall essentially glass panels to observe what was held within.

You were almost at the end of the exhibit when a large shadow moved out of the corner of your eye, drawing you to a halt. Immediately your heart leapt to your throat, every muscle in your body holding perfectly still. 

For a long moment nothing moved. 

Then, through the misty, algae-covered glass a shape emerged from out behind a section of reef. At first, watching it move reminded you of a shark. But as it approached its frilled features came into focus.

“Holy shit…” The air was sucked right out of your lungs as you came face-to-face with big glowing eyes. Distantly you felt your watch buzz with a heart rate warning, but you were helpless to do anything but stare back at the creature before you. 

Merfolk might be the ARC’s main marketing angle, but as far as the public (or you) knew, only four lived here. Why was this one separated from the rest in a supposedly closed exhibit?

A soft thump startled you from your spiraling thoughts, focusing back on the creature in time to watch its webbed hand slide down from the glass. Were those scratch marks on the glass?

Without thinking, you placed your hand where theirs had been. The creature’s head tilts to the side ever so slightly, eyes unblinking and seemingly peering into your soul. A mutual curiosity kept you both close to the glass, barely more than a foot or two separating you from something that 10 minutes ago didn’t exist. 

“What….Who are you…?” Your voice sounds strange even to you, tongue thick and mouth uncomfortably dry. The mural from earlier flashes through your mind as you leaned close enough to fog the glass. “Another mer…”

The creature glided back at your advancement, but didn’t stray far. Its feather-like fins flared slowly on either side of its body, a proper display that could easily be interpreted as a threat. 

But your human instincts are instead distracted by the display, both hands now on the glass. “Whoa. You’re the mer from the wall — the sea dragon lookin one. Yeah? Do you have a name? What are you doing here?” You frown as the mer tilted its head the opposite way, seeming to consider you. 

“Ah, hey, wait!” With a flick of its tail the mer turned away, swimming along the glass. You’d think it had lost interest in you if it weren’t for the fact that the mer clearly was glancing back to be sure you were following. 

Stumbling over your own feet and painfully knocking the feed bucket into your knee, you curse as you try to keep up. For the second time in your short career here you nearly ate shit on the stairs you definitely did not see in your distracted state. 

“Oh fu-!” Catching yourself on the railing, your gaze trails up the dark stairwell. “What the hell…” 

Your fishy companion wasn’t in the window anymore, but you could vaguely make out the end  fronds of their tail. Supposing there must be a second level (and you’ve come this far already) you make your way up. 

Pushing through a creaky wood door at the top, you step out onto the observation deck level. It reminded you of a larger-scale version of your tide pool — this floor was basically a huge donut with the tank taking up the center. A protective wire and plexiglass barrier circled the perimeter, tall enough to prevent little kids from falling in. Much like the ARC Theater, this room had educational illustrations on its colorful walls, now muted from dust and mold. Part of it was covered in more plastic tarp, and the wall sported strange gouges that cracked fake coral. 

Your hand brushes over the textured surface as you walk along the length of the room. Finally you came upon the sea dragon mer, taking in all its patterns and spines. “Wow…”

A splash from behind startles you from your thoughts, drawing your focus back to the water. At its surface you could just make out white eyes peering out at you, one fin crest drooped back from gravity. Against better judgment, you find your feet carrying you closer. 

“What are you doing here all alone?” 

The mer didn’t answer, but did glance (you think it did, anyway. It didn’t have pupils) at your bucket. 

“Oh! Are you hungry?” You reach in to grab a handful of smelt, holding it up for the mer to see. A sound like an alligator’s rumble meets your ears, and you can’t help your grin. “I guess the others can share, huh?” You toss the fish up and watch as the mer disappears briefly to snatch the morsels out of the water. 

Your smile fades as you begin to worry. When was the last time this mer was fed? Was anyone taking care of it? You’d seen no evidence of its existence anywhere. One would assume such an asset would be flaunted along with the other mer. 

Judging from the algae growth and just overall unkempt appearance of the exhibit, you weren’t so sure this mer had a handler. Actually, this place looked properly abandoned; posters ripped from the walls and random debris scattered across the floor, plastic tarps sectioning off half of the room from the rest and just an overall dreary vibe. A play area with foam fish and coral to climb had long since faded like the rest of the room. What was probably a gift shop looked like Black Friday gone wrong with its shattered glass doors and cracked display window. 

Wandering that way, you lean down to scoop up a plush from the floor. Its colors were long since muted from time, but you could make out its sunset stripes and sun ray-like head fins. Big eyes and cat-like mouth screamed kid-friendly. Way more friendly than what was in the tank only a few yards away. 

“Ah, that’s kinda unfair…” you mumble to yourself, shaking your head. Obviously this mer was part of something more kid-oriented, perhaps even a daycare of sorts judging by the play area and registration desk nearby. 

Plush in-hand, you wander back to the tank and startle yet again to see the mer’s head poking out of the water entirely. It watched you in eerie silence, head fins seeming to flow ever so slight even in the open air. Like this, you’re reminded of the Teletubby Sun Baby and can’t help smiling at the creature.

“You remind me of a children’s cartoon sun, ya’know?” Its head tilts one way, then the other, fins flicking. “I’m gonna call you Sunny, ok?” Leaning down to your bucket, you pick up a couple more fish and toss them into the water. They’re gobbled up in seconds. “That cool?”

Sunny gave an indifferent sniff and disappeared back into the water. 

“Alrighty then, I’m gonna take that as a yes.” Pleased with yourself, your gaze falls to the plush in your hand. Perhaps you could take this home and wash it up? 

A buzzing from your watch flashed the 15 minute warning before you’d need to clock out, shocking you from your thoughts. “Shit! I gotta go, uh, Sunny? I’ll come back tomorrow, ok? Bye!” You don’t look back to see if the mer heard you, racing down the stairs as fast as you dared and booking it down the hall with your bucket in tow. 

So much for saving you time!!

Chapter 2: Mer 101

Summary:

Nobody said being a single-parent for a mer would be easy.

You make it work.

“Whoa you look like shit.”

“Thanks,” you grumble, glancing up from the break room table and freezing when you saw who had addressed you. 

Alexi flashed a brilliant smile in response, her Ariel-hair swishing with how she leaned down towards you. “Those bags are designer. Aren’t you the new hire?” 

“Uhhh….yeah, ha.” Leaning enough to give yourself your personal space back but not, ya know, in a rude way, you clear your throat while searching for a response. 

“Long night, didn’t sleep well.” You try, grimacing when her perfectly shaped eye brows started waggling. “Not like that, geez.” 

You’re not sure you could actually explain yourself, though. How could you? 

Yeah, woke up at 3am in a cold sweat, the full weight of discovering a fifth unknown mer in an abandoned(?) aquarium hit like a freight train and I’m not sure what I should do about it. Crazy, right?  

Honestly, the entire situation felt highly suspicious. No way did Faz just forget they had another mer swimming around an abandoned exhibit. There had to be a reason for its isolation, but why? For how long had it been alone, and was someone taking care of it? What about the rest of the room, did it ever open for service or did it close before it even got passed day one?

“…Binge watched Blue Planet,” you fib, not feeling confident in your excuse, “ya know, for uh…facts to share with the kiddos.” Surprisingly, Alexi merely nodded as if completely understanding the need to binge a documentary to unholy hours of the morning.

“That’s some straight dedication, newbie,” Alexi turned on her heel and bounced over to the coffee pot. “Do you like working the Tide Pools? I remember being stationed there!”

“You started at the Tide Pools?” You thank her for the cup of coffee placed on the table before you, taking a moment to slowly sip the energy-giving sustenance. 

“Oh yeah, it’s kinda like a right of passage. If you can deal with the kids on that level, then after your first 6 months they evaluate your potential to move to another exhibit.” Alexi hummed, adding what you were sure was too much sugar to her coffee. “I worked with the penguins after that, and a few years of exhibit-hopping later they let me meet Chica! We’ve been working together ever since.”

“Has there always been just the four mer?” You carefully train your gaze on the cup in front of you, not wanting to arise any suspicion. It remained unclear just how sketchy this situation you could be finding yourself in was. 

Alexi, for her part, merely laughed. “Of course! Faz wouldn’t miss the opportunity otherwise, are you kidding me?” She shook her head in amusement, as if the mere thought was just preposterous. 

“What, lookin to take one of our jobs, newbie?” A second voice joined, a hand landing none-too-gently on your shoulder. Jax came into focus in your peripheral, flashing a taunting smirk.

“Wh-no! No, are you kidding?” Nervous laughter bubbled in your chest, uncomfortable with everyone’s apparent need to invade your personal space. “I’m still learning the ropes!”

“Jax! Don’t tease them, asshole,” Alexi smacked his hand off your shoulder, rolling her eyes at his shenanigans. “Jax is actually our newest handler, excluding the intern, so he’s got no place givin’ ya grief. He geeked out about the mer too — everyone does!”

“Aw, man, c’mon Lexi you’re cramping my style…”

The shift in attitude brought on a great rush of relief for you as you came to realize how tight you held yourself. Forcing your shoulders to relax, you try a small smile at the pair. “Ha, yeah…kinda hard not to be fascinated by them. What’s it like? Being a handler, I mean.”

Alexi and Jax both exchanged a glance, shrugging in sync.

“It’s cool, obviously. But it’s not just us, there’s actually whole teams who help take care of the mer. The Researchers watch how we interact with the mer and take notes,” Jax rubbed the back of his neck, grimacing, “honestly kinda feels like we’re the ones being evaluated.”

“We also have to sign an NDA when we agree to be handlers, so no talk about mer outside of work. No surprise there.” Alexi chugged the remainder of her coffee, sighing. “Ahh…there’s not enough sugar to make break room coffee taste good,” you watched her cup sail across the table and into the trashcan, Jax’s “score!” commentary accompanying the flex.

“Hm….Yeah, I didn’t sign one of those to work with cucumber Larry.” 

Your dead-pan delivery drew a snort and laughter from both your coworkers. 

“Alright, break time’s over, kids.” Tony cut in, appearing from the door with Gregory in tow. Your eyes briefly meet the intern’s and you think there might’ve been something exchanged in that glance but it’s too quick to decipher. Straightening and stretching your back with a satisfying crack, you toss your empty cup in the trash and grab your gear.

“See ya around, shrimp!”

“Are you serious —“

 

---

 

To say you were distracted during today’s shift would be an understatement. 

The looming sense that you were being watched plagued you constantly, fed by a guilty conscious. But nobody made indication that your trespassing had been noticed, so you kept your mouth shut. 

During the crowd lulls you busied yourself with what clean up you could get done early, hoping to shave off whatever precious minutes you could spare during closing to spend with your new mystery companion.

The long walk back to the closed exhibit provided an unwelcome time for reflection. This whole situation definitely screamed fired “at will” should you be discovered. You could explain away the first time as an accident, but now? A bag of tuna weighed heavily in your hand, a physical representation of your transgression. 

Ah, screw it. There wasn’t any chance of ignoring this now that you knew. 

Walking the exhibit a second time gave you a better grasp on its layout. From what you could discern, it consisted of three levels: a sub-floor you’d yet to access, but noticed the elevator to; the main entrance where you first spied the lion-dragon mer, and the observation deck. You spent a few minutes peering through boxes and bins left behind on the main floor, hoping to find some sort of indication as to what was going on. Much of it was just random construction notes and instructions to avoid certain sections of wall where main pipes ran through. 

A build of this scale had several firsts in the world — while some information on the how and who were “trade secrets,” other details could be dug up. You just had to be creative. Cursory investigations on your phone didn’t reveal anything about the reef having a mer, no surprise there, so you resolve to dig deeper when off work. 

Taking a pic of the company’s logo at the top and any names you came across, you resumed your rummaging. Maybe you’d just…let your imagination get ahead of you. From all these papers it really did look like the place was under renovation. 

Cautiously retracing your steps up the stairs and out onto the observation deck, you peek around both corners for any signs of life. 

Unsurprisingly, nothing appeared out of place from when you were here last. With time ticking away, you’re quick to shuffle towards the center. 

“Sunny? You there?” 

Your eyes scan the water, waiting. When nothing happened, you reached down into the bag. “Ugh, this stinks….” Pulling out a hefty chunk, you lean back and cock your arm “I brought you some food. Hope you like tuna.” 

Tossing the fish into the tank you watch it sink for just a moment, smiling to yourself at the emergence of a yellow hand to snag your offering. 

“There you are. I’ve been thinking about you all morning, ya know. Literally.”

Sun merely tilts his head at you before tossing the whole piece in his mouth and swallowing. One hand rises out of the water, palm up, towards you. Smitten, you’re quick to toss more into the enclosure. 

From what you could tell at this distance, and with only his shoulders up above water, Sun’s scales looked dull, much like the rest of this place. You’d like to get a closer look at what you suspected was fin rot as well, worried about the tears going too far up his tail fin. Everything you’ve heard from the mer handlers indicated round-the-clock care of their individual mer’s needs. That didn’t seem to be happening here.

“Do you have a handler?”

Again he tilts his head, considering. Sun’s gaze falls on your bag, swallowing the handful of tuna he had left before holding the now empty hand out towards you once more. 

“Cheeky fish…” you chuckle, relenting and tossing a few more chunks down. “Who taught you to beg, hm?” 

The mer gave no answer, but did swim a few feet closer towards you. You’re sure he looked stunning if only someone gave him, and his home, the necessary care. You were no stranger to aquarium maintenance — albeit on a much, much, much smaller scale. Still, that had to count for something, right? Water temperature, nitrate levels, aquaculture…scaled way up.

“Tell ya what, Sunny. I’m not sure why you’re here, but I’ll do my best to visit and take care of you, ok?” You hesitate, glancing around. “Assuming no one else is.”

If a mer could look skeptical, you’re pretty sure that’s the face Sun gave you. 

“I can’t visit for long, but I’ll come back.” Despite appearing nonchalant, you’re certain Sun’s head frills perked up. Pleased with this small step but still anxious about lingering here too long, you toss the remaining food from your bag. 

“Alright, see you later, Sunny.” 

 

---

 

“How much food do the mer eat?” 

Jax and Alexi glanced up from their lunches to peer over at you, Alexi squinting in thought. 

“Depends on their size and primary species. Usually between .5 and 10 percent of their body weight. Some digest slower than others, like Monty, so he’ll get a big meal every few weeks or so. Chica is really food motivated, so we give her smaller portions more often. But still with a day or so gap in between feedings.” Alexi shrugged, stabbing her fork into her salad a few times before actually taking a bite. 

Jax merely nodded beside her, casting a curious glance your way. “Why? Urchins getting picky at the Pools?”

You roll your eyes and shrug vaguely. “I figure if I’m gonna do your job one day, better take some notes,” you wave your little notepad under his nose, smirking at the affronted gasp your taunt earned. 

“Ha! Hope you’ve got enough notepads cause you’ll be taking those notes for years,” Jax retorted, arms crossed and face smug. 

“It’s ok, I’m patient,” you assure, leaning back in your rickety plastic chair. “So, what do they eat?”

 

---

 

Luckily for you, your coworkers are happy to humor your “curiosities” from time to time, slowly but surely growing your notebooks to include a wide range of facts that could help you care for Sun. Supplement that with your own observations, marine biology degree and all e-journals you could access, you were feeling pretty confident. It certainly felt like the long way of doing things, and you didn’t exactly have all the necessary resources easily accessible to you. But, bright side! This was progress.

Every lunch and break, any days you could afford to arrive early or leave a little late, you spent your time with Sun at his exhibit. The lingering anxiety of getting caught niggled at the back of your mind, but pushed further and further away with each passing day. It was hard to think about the negatives when Sun started to show up at the glass to greet you, following your trek along the tank and up the stairs. 

Catching sight of Sun slowly pacing his tank in the distance, you gave a low whistle to announce your arrival. The reaction was instant, Sun breaking his figure-eight pattern to greet you with happy clicks and whistles of his own. Grinning with barely contained glee, you picked up your pace to a slow jog. Your companion easily changed course, watching you with rapt attention. 

“Hey buddy! How ya doing today, hm?” A standard greeting, Sun trilling happily with a little barrel roll to the side before returning to the glass. His antics draw a giggle out of you, delighted by how much he’d opened up since your first meeting.  

Leaning to the side to check his tail, you hum in approval. It had taken a lot of snooping around to find Sun’s tank filtration system and start a full recycle of the water. Slow increases in water temperature, several water quality tests, medicine dosing and nerve-wracking hours of cleaning the equipment finally appeared to be making a difference (besides the one on your bank account). Sun started to help too, bringing up any garbage or dead plants that cluttered the bottom of his tank.

“Busy day? I notice the glass looks a bit cleaner, lookin good!” 

You resist the urge to laugh aloud at how this makes Sun preen, his frills and spines flaring out with obvious delight. He starts gesturing here and there, pointing out the coral and rocks he rearranged. But when Sun looks back to you you’re nowhere to be seen, giving the mer pause. Confused clicks bubble out of him, unable to see your crouched figure pressed against the wall just below. Covering your mouth and nose to avoid giving yourself away, you slowly crab walk over to the next section of window. 

Inside, Sun had begun to pace to and fro in front of the glass, anxiety building. You were just there! Where — !?

Unaware of Sun’s turmoil, you peer over the edge of the window a few feet away and wait for him to turn. When he does, you pop up the rest of the way. “Hey!” 

You can hear the scolding clicks as Sun darts over to you, an indignant squawk following when you ducked back down and shuffled towards another window. Laughter threatens to spill from your chest the longer the game goes on, Sun’s huffs turning into amusement when he caught on to your shenanigans. 

Sun would get the last laugh though. While you scuttle across the ground, crouched like a little kid sneaking cookies, Sun watches your shadow and chooses the next likely window you’d pop up at. 

Unawares, you yelp when instead of open water you’re face-to-face with Sun’s maw. “Oh shit—!” Feet tangling, you fall on your ass with all the grace of a newborn fawn and an undignified “oof.” Rubbing your back, you glance up to see Sun twirling around and clicking/squeaking in his equivalent of laughing. 

“Oh ok, ok. You win, big guy.” Gathering your feet beneath you, you stand and brush your shorts off. 

Sun gives another twirl in delight, following you back to the stairs and up to the observation deck. 

“I think we can stop your meds soon, yeah? Lemme see your tail, buddy.” You pull out your notebook and phone, waiting as Sun lifted his tail fin up out of the water for your inspection. Taking a new photo and jotting down observations, you hum with approval. “On the right track. We sure got lucky the back closet had some unopened jugs, pretty sure Amazon wouldn’t sell me enough gallons to treat your tank.” Chewing the tip of your pen, your feet carry you to the closet for an inventory review. “Nor could I afford that…”

Replacing the bulbs that hung above the tank out of sight from potential visitors had been a harrowing experience without the right tools — you should consider yourself so fortunate not to have electrocuted yourself. But it was done, and the coral and other plants no doubt would thrive with proper lighting now. While Sun could help clean up algae from the glass, there were still spots you’d need to buff out scratches. To do that, though, you’d actually need to be in the water and….yeah. You weren’t so sure you were ready for that. 

All-in-all, considering tanks of this size required a team to maintain, you had to hand it to yourself. It wasn’t much in the grand scheme of things, but done by one individual? Not bad. 

Wandering out of the closet you survey the observation deck. Breaks from tank maintenance were spent straightening and sweeping up the rest of the floor. Section by section, you tossed glass and paper shreds into bins, straightened overturned furniture and generally reduced the amount of hazards present. 

Singing drew your attention back to the water. Sun’s croons beckoned you closer from his spot at the center rock formation, arms folded on a low boulder and tail lazily swishing behind him. The first time you’d heard Sun sing, you nearly went head over heels right into a trash bin from surprise. It sent shivers up your spine, a pleasant hum overtaking whatever thoughts you were distracted by and narrowing your field of focus to just Sun. 

Depending on your definition of “singing,” arguably all the mer could do this to some degree. But Sun’s singing felt almost hypnotizing, like a siren call Hollywood liked to overuse. Finding yourself at the plexiglass barrier, you close your eyes to just…listen. Perhaps you were getting too attached, but the song felt…happier, compared to when you first heard it. That first night captivated you in the worst way, bringing on an unexpected sense of longing. His song followed you home to bed, where you stared up at the ceiling grappling with the chilly feelings in your chest. 

Coming back to yourself, you open your eyes and blink a few times to focus. Sun had stopped singing now, instead hovering in the water just below you. His head tilts in silent questioning, cooing sweetly. 

“Hey, silly….What was that, hm? Happy?” Your voice came out softer than intended, but Sun heard you all the same. His eyes squint with a smile, spines twitching out along his dorsal fins. Your eyes slide to the side and consider the gate blocking you from the platform at water level. 

When you found the key to the barrier gate stashed at registration, you’d at first assumed it went to the till. You half entertained the idea of it going to the gate, but dismissed the notion as wishful thinking. Discovering that it actually did unlock the gate, however…

“Maybe next time…” You speak to the air, smiling back down at Sun. “Tomorrow I’ll bring you a special treat I’ve been working on. I think you’ll like it,” you tease, packing up your backpack and stuffing your notes away. 

Following your path down the stairs and to the exit, Sun gives a sad trill at the glass, both hands pressed to the window separating you two. 

“Aw, it’s ok big guy. Tomorrow, promise.” Placing your free hand to one of his, you smile once more before walking out.

 

---

 

“Hey.”

The announcement gave you a start, clocking your head against the door of the feed fridge you were currently rummaging through. “Ah, fuck—“ Rubbing your smarting head, you’re surprised to find a scowling intern staring you down. “Gregory? What’s up, man?”

Brushing off the blunder, you bend over again to pull out bottles of krill and blood worms, a box of shrimp and crab already set aside for the critters in your tide pools.

When Gregory failed to elaborate, you level a confused frown his way. An awkward moment commenced as the two of you simply stared back at each other, Gregory crossing his arms over his chest and breaking eye contact first.

“I don’t know what you’re doing, but stop it.” 

“Uh…My job…?” You supply, closing the fridge and placing the food containers in your bucket. “Sorry, kinda want to keep making money sooo…”

“Not that,” Gregory snapped back, sighing and mussing the hair at the back of his neck. Casting a strangely cautious glance around the kitchen, Gregory’s eyes finally meet yours once again.

“I…heard…that you’ve been up to something.”

A shock of anxiety spikes you through the chest, but you maintain a straight face. “Ok? And that’d be…?”

Clearly your false blasé attitude wasn’t sitting with the teenager, whose scowl only deepened by the minute. 

“Look, just…whatever it is, stop. It’s not safe.”

“Who told you this,” you pry back, brows lowering with suspicion. You’d been making an effort to include yourself in your coworkers’ circles, and this was the first indication that something was amiss. 

“Doesn’t matter,” Gregory deflected, turning away now. “Whatever, don’t say I didn’t warn you, though.”

Gregory’s exit left you standing alone in the kitchen, perplexed and more than a little on edge. Your watch pings a warning to calm down, breaking you out of the unsettled trance the conversation left you in. 

“Ooooookay…” you exhale slowly, shaking your head and resuming your routine. 

The anxiety you’d worked hard to burry since your first meeting with Sun apparently took that conversation as a green light to hit you full-force once more. Not safe? That could mean any number of things — without some sort of indication as to what exactly threatened your safety, you weren’t sure how to proceed. 

Obviously the biggest “hazard” would be your involvement with Sun. But as far as you were aware, no one had seen or caught you. At this point, weeks into your visits, you’d imagine a confrontation would have happened by now. But no summons from Vanessa, management, HR or otherwise ever came. 

Nevermind that you rarely ever saw Gregory. Besides being an intern on part-time hours, 90% of his time at the ARC was with Tony and Freddy. Needless to say, nowhere near where you were stationed.

Forcing yourself to put the conversation behind you, a smile habitually returns to your face at the presence of children and their parents awaiting the “show” your return promised. Aka: lunch time for the Tide Pools. For the meantime, you could pretend that conversation didn’t happen while your audience ooh’ed and laughed at the feeding frenzy you’d started. 

When closing finally came and you made your way to the reef you couldn’t help but be overly cautious. Nothing appeared out of place, the usual foot traffic greeting you in the employee halls but no one tried to stop you. All in all, pretty normal. 

Pulling a plastic bag bundle and its contents from the freezer, you clock out and cross the remaining distance to the reef. Just to be safe, every so often you’d cast a glance over your shoulder or took a different turn than you typically would. A trip to the bathroom where you lingered gave you a small sense of reassurance by the time you were ready to continue on. 

“Hey, Sunny?” You call, quieter than normal. He hadn’t been at the glass to greet you on the main level today, so you went straight to the tank surface. Nothing moved at first, the water rippling with gentle crashes from the wave-maker you’d finally figured out how to turn on. 

“Sun? I’ve got that treat I promised.” Setting the bags down you dig out the frozen sphere. A bit wet from sweating on your trek here, you carefully pick up the ball and look out to the water again. “It has all sorts of good stuff in here for ya.” 

Just when the silence was starting to make you antsy a familiar flash of gold brought a wave of relief through your body. Sun’s head emerged with a shake, chirping in greeting as if you hadn’t been standing around like an idiot for five minutes. His gaze zeroes in on the now very slippery ice ball in your hands, jaw clicking with interest. 

“There you are, geez. Taking a nap, big guy?” Sighing, you shift your stance and chuck the basketball-sized treat over the barrier and into the water. “Bon appetite. Blood worms, shrimp and salmon.” You smile in satisfaction as Sun eagerly tried to take a big bite out of the ice, chuckling to yourself. This would surely provide at least a few minutes of enrichment. 

“Had a weird encounter with the intern, Gregory, today…” You find yourself admitting without thinking, smile falling. Leaning against the railing, you prop your chin on your hand. “Said I should “stop” but didn’t exactly elaborate on the what or why…”

The fins closest to you flicked in indication that Sun was listening, otherwise focused on holding the ice ball in his claws while breaking off chunks with powerful jaws. 

…Ok, maybe a “few minutes” was a generous estimation. You’ll have to fill bigger balloons next time. 

You stood observing Sun for a little longer, eventually straightening when your nerves about the situation persisted. 

“I should head out…enjoy the treat, Sun.” You wave goodbye, smiling to yourself when the gesture is returned.

The drive home provided a necessary quiet time to repeat your conversation with Gregory several times over. 

“Maybe I should take a few days off from visiting…” you mumble to yourself, drumming your fingers against the wheel in a nervous fidget. There had to be some reason for Gregory reaching out; it’d be foolish to completely dismiss his warning. Especially, well…considering you technically were doing something “dangerous.” Potentially. 

With that plan in mind, you instead focus your energy towards prepping more enrichment activities for Sun and reading up on articles regarding such. 

 

---

 

You hold yourself to taking a few days break from visiting the reef exhibit, instead putting all your focus into improving your tide pool fun facts and methods for engaging the kids. But that wasn’t all — your humble tide pools also received a new installation. Like in the much bigger exhibits, an immersive “bubble” was added to the high-tide pool. Kids could crawl through a short tunnel into a submerged dome where they sit among a field of plumed and strawberry anemones, sponges, feather duster worms, starfish and rockweed fish. 

While your knees protested the crawl to clean up this new area, you were sure to take a few minutes to sit in the dome and watch your fishy charges from this new perspective. 

In the following days after Gregory’s warning you half expected…something to happen. But whatever that “something” was, it never came. Part of you entertained the idea that maybe he was just messing with you. Even still, it wasn’t until the following week did you resolve to resume your daily visits to the reef. 

“Hopefully Sun’s not upset with my being gone…” you mumble to yourself, finishing your rounds at the Tide Pools and closing up. Several smaller ice treats were packed away in the unused faculty freezer waiting to be served, which you snatch up and shove into your backpack on your way out. 

Feeling a bit silly for letting your paranoia get the better of you, an eager swell fills your nerves as you slip through the plastic tarps and enter the reef exhibit.

Your greeting whistle dies in your throat at the sight that met you.

“What the hell happened…?” Frozen, you glance between the tank windows at the uprooted kelp fronds and general disarray of the tank. Spying a familiar shape in the tank, you watch in stunned confusion as Sun seemed to pace the tank in tight patterns. Something in his hand, coral, you realize, is brought up to be chewed on and broken apart. 

Alarm bells scream in your head just as your watch pinged an alert. 

“Sun!” You practically toss your backpack aside as you rush to the window, hands pressed to the cold surface. “Sunny, I’m here!” 

Whether he didn’t notice or simply was ignoring you, Sun continued to pace his tank and chew at the coral, tossing it away to instead grab a kelp stem and shake it in his jaws till it ripped apart. 

The signs of his distress felt like a sucker punch to the stomach, momentarily rooting your feet to the floor. Snatching your bag up and racing up the stairs, you scramble to pull free one of the soft ball sized treats. You hoped the disturbance of the water would snap him out of it long enough for you to correct the situation and make amends. 

Fumbling the treats and cursing your shaking hands, you hurriedly aim for a spot that wouldn’t risk hitting Sun and toss the first few. When no immediate response answer you try again, this time accompanied by a high pitched whistle. That finally got a reaction, Sun’s pacing halting to assess what now floated in his tank. 

“Sun! Hey, hey big guy, over here!” You manage to tone down your frantic arm flailing to a somewhat normal wave, weakly smiling when Sun’s head popped up from below. “Hey! Wh-What are you—“ 

You’re not really sure what you were expecting would happen, but getting a face full of tank water wasn’t on the list. Sputtering and pulling away to swipe at your face in a poor attempt to dry your face, you distantly hear the upset clicks and growls from Sun.

“I’m sorry, I know, I’m sorry! Listen—“ another wave nearly made you slip, one hand shooting out to grab the guard rail. “Come on, let me explain!” 

Sun’s rumbling growl echoed in the empty room as he sank so just his eyes up were visible. Lowering your arms you release a breath and approach once more, thoroughly shamed. “Sunny…” He turned away from you, sulking and dropping below the surface. 

Guilt thoroughly stacked on your shoulders, you pick up your bag and move around the barrier towards the gate. A familiar tightness had overtaken your throat, sharp and painful as your face burned with shame and upset. Hesitating for just a second, you sucked in a stabilizing breath before unlocking the gate and climbing down the ladder to the platform. Bag to one side, you carefully sit crosslegged on the grate. 

“Sun…please come here? I’m…I’m sorry, I didn’t….I didn’t think about how you’d feel with my absence.” You fiddle with your sleeves, pushing them up to your elbows before reaching into your bag and releasing another treat in an attempted peace offering. You’re absolutely soaked now, but still kept an air of caution about the open water. If Sun really wanted to, it’d take very little effort to haul you off the platform and down to a watery grave. 

A sad keen interrupts that train of thought as Sun slowly peeked out of the water at you. His face was screwed up and his fins pinned back to express his upset, clawed hands fidgeting at the edge of the platform. 

“Aw, buddy…” your shoulders slump at the way Sun tried to make himself small. Before you could think better of it, your hand reaches forward towards his face. 

At first Sun flinches away, blinking at your hand and glancing between it and your face. When you made no further move, he slowly leaned closer until his cool, smooth cheek pressed into your hand. 

“I’m sorry, Sunny…” Thumb brushing over his cheek bone, you reach with your other hand and smile sadly at the way he sinks into your hands, eyes closed. “I thought there’d be trouble if I kept coming, so I stayed away for a few days…But I was wrong, so…Forgive me?” 

Sun seemed to debate this, eyes opening half way. The growling had faded into a purr, Sun nuzzling into your palm with a soft whistle-click.

Emboldened, you let your hands carefully wander over his face and fins, stroking the long fronds and smiling more normally at his approving chitter. You were freezing, soaked through your clothes as you were, but being this close for the first time brought a giddy warmth that temporarily blocked the chill. 

The magic of the moment ended rather abruptly when Sun jolted up, spinning around to face the open water with a squeak. Startled, you looked to where Sun did but frowned when you saw nothing. “Sun? Wha— holy SHIT!” A massive form loomed too close for comfort over you left shoulder, sharp teeth like a shark’s maw glinting threateningly in your face. Your shrill shriek cut off when, with a loud clang, the back of your head made contact with the ladder railing in your attempt to scramble back. Hissing in pain and immediately folding in on yourself as you cradle your head, you distantly hear splashing and hissing between Sun and whatever had emerged from the depths. 

Your platform rattled with the tousling, lasting only a few seconds of splashing and screeching before falling silent. You’re pretty sure your heart was trying to burst from your chest at this point, feeling like you aged ten years in the last 60 seconds. You’re just about to blindly grab the ladder and haul yourself out, backpack be damned, when Sun’s familiar coos give you pause. 

Cautiously, you lower your arms to peer out at the water. Sun floated nearby, somehow appearing sheepish given the situation. And the “situation?” It glared at you with unsettling bright red eyes, just barely above the surface of the water. Unlike Sun, this….mer….was a deep blue with glowing yellow spots that faded the deeper they went in the water. 

Also unlike your experience with Sun, and perhaps largely due to how very up-close-and-personal it was, your instincts screamed “threat,” pinning you in place.

Too bad the “it can’t see you if you remain absolutely still” logic didn’t apply here. 

Sun, for his part, is the first to try and break the tension. Despite the loud growls from his blue counterpart, Sun approaches your side and reaches up to awkwardly pat at your head. 

“What the fuck…What—“ You shake your head, rubbing the new bruise tenderly. “Who are you!?” Pointing an accusing finger at the unknown mer felt pointless but also very necessary in the moment.

Sun twitters and fiddles with the platform for a second before leaving you to tug on the other. The growls just increase, accompanied by a warning snap of their jaws. Sun, unfazed, still pulls them closer. 

“Has…has he…? Have they been here the whole time?” You stress, staring in disbelief as the blue mer plucked an ice treat from the water and broke it in half with one bite. Your head buzzed with what felt like too many thoughts, one placating and attempting reassurance while the others gave off a hostile, indifferent vibe. “Sun what the hell!?”

Said mer blows bubbles, pouting. But eventually he nods, admitting to the obvious.

“How…on earth have I not seen—“ You paused. The sub-level, the one you hadn’t explored yet… “Were you down below this whole time?” Sun’s companion cast an uninterested glance your way, finishing off the treat and reaching for another. 

This close you noticed a long crescent-shaped scar starting from their sagittal crest and tearing down the middle of their face, down to their chin. Sun didn’t sport any sort of marks like this, and it didn’t strike you as something claws would make. “How’d that happen…?” You’re about to reach towards this new mer when common sense kicks in. Just as well, for the mer immediately barred its teeth and snapped at your hand. Clearly having had enough, they took their leave and splashed you for good measure with a hefty sweep of their shark-like tail fin.

Sputtering for a third time this evening, you push your hair back from your face and look to Sun again. You both hold each other’s gaze in silence for a long moment.

“….I hope you were at least sharing the food I brought.”

Notes:

Thanks for reading! Song for a Siren updates on Sundays — two more chapters to go!

Chapter 3: Loss

Summary:

It wasn't always like this.

Notes:

Please mind the tags!

“Sunny! Look, I found these in the back,” you haul a cart filled with hard plastic balls and rope toys thicker than your arm out from the supply closet you’d been rummaging through. Sun’s head popped up from the water, chirping curiously as he watched you drag your find over. 

“It doesn’t look like they were used a lot, there’s also a few more puzzles? I’ve seen them use something similar for the dolphins…” Your voice trails off in thought, digging around and chucking a red ball first. 

Sun watches the toy splash in his tank, blinking curiously at how it bobbed on the surface. You weren’t sure he’d take to it, so when Sun suddenly lunged and tried to submerge the ball you can’t help but laugh when it ricochets off his body and across the pool. 

“It’s not supposed to sink, Sun,” you giggle, smiling when he took that to be a challenge and tried to drag the ball down with limited success. Glancing around, your smile falls slightly at the blue mer’s absence. Your gaze unconsciously drifts across the water and to the plastic tarp you’ve yet to breach, wondering if perhaps answers hid behind it. 

With Sun distracted, you make your way up to the tarp and plant your fists on your hips. The wall was easily 20 feet high, clips securing the tarp in place at the top. At the bottom, buckets and cement blocks weigh down the plastic, forcing you to painstakingly shuffle and stack each one out of the way. 

Straightening from the impromptu weightlifting session, you survey the situation again. Chewing your cheek, you give an experimental tug on the tarp. 

Nothing budged.

Huffing to yourself, you take a bigger fistful of the tarp and yank with more gusto. One of the clips snaps open and you pull harder, managing to break free from a few more clips before the plastic tore uselessly. Scowling, you’re about to move further down the wall to try again when a dark splash of color caught your eye. 

For a brief second you jerk back in surprise to come face-to-face once more with the blue mer. 

“Holy shit…” you breathe a sigh of relief when you realize it was only an illustration, stepping back with a tilt of your head. Bubbled facts guide your eye across the wall, highlighting information on some of the reef’s deadlier creatures — sharks and barracudas, to name a few — but also mentioning what lie below…

“…the drop off?” That sounds foreboding, you thought. Stealing a glance over your shoulder, you turn back to the tarp and push it away from the wall to slip through. 

You were half expecting some sort of grand reveal, honestly. Not a bunch of supplies and random aquarium equipment. The blue mer’s mural stretches further to a darker ocean blue, dotted by glowing moon jellies. It takes a moment of staring into the dark before you realize the painted jellyfish actually guide you to an elevator door. Reminded of the one on the main level below, your feet carry you over.

“What’re the odds you’ll work…” 

Pressing the down button, a small smirk tugs at your face when it lit up and the machine dinged to life. Stepping in you hum at the sight of a third button on the panel. “That must be the drop off…”

You hesitate. This felt an awful lot like your first time exploring the observation deck — but vaguely more threatening with the knowledge of what, or rather who, could be lurking down there. Second, getting stuck in a potentially faulty elevator when no one knew of your location? No thanks. 

Still…

You’ve come this far, haven’t you? 

Selecting the third floor and swallowing the growing nerves you wait a short moment for the elevator to take you below. When you finally step out you’re caught off guard by just how dark it was. 

“Uh…hello?”

The way your voice echoed sounded stupid even to you. Awkwardly shifting your weight, you’re forced to wait as your eyes adjusted to the dim light. From what you could tell feeling your hand along the wall, the main tank served as the core of this level. Sections branched off on all four sides, big enough for some starfish and other small clusters of coral or plants to fix themselves to the walls while also allowing something as big as the mer to pass through. These branches stretched the length of the ceiling before disappearing up to the level above. 

Finally able to see, you’re struck by the sight of bioluminescent jellyfish floating in graceful clouds around the room. It felt like you’d walked into another world, or perhaps into a sea of stars with how small some of the jellyfish were. 

Stumbling slightly after your first few steps you realize the floor actually slopes gently down, leading you around the main tank, railing keeping you from tumbling off the edge. Coral and anemone you’d never seen before (and suspect were not mother nature’s doing) give off soft white and blue auras; kelp that stretched all the way up to the levels above sport glowing dots along their leaves; crab shuffled along the white sandy floor, their carapace covered in similar accents as the environment they lived in. 

Slowly wandering around the main tank, you eventually come to the start of the floor-to-ceiling glass window. It’s hard to tell just how far back it goes in the dark, but you’re pretty sure you see small schools of fish shimmering just beyond your vision. You’re so distracted by the otherworldly vibe that you almost miss movement amongst the rocks and coral. 

You can’t help the soft gasp when the blue mer emerged from the depths. “Oh…there you are…” Your voice comes out a whisper as you meet the blue mer’s glowing red eyes. 

He doesn’t look particularly happy to see you, body slowly arching in a convincingly intimidating hover just above you. Briefly, you catch a thought concerning the thickness of the glass. 

The stare down ends when you realize the mer’s body seemed to be pulsing with small dots of color in mesmerizing patterns. It was subtle enough you almost missed it, but you’re immediately struck with the image of deep sea squid changing colors to communicate. While those squid went from white to red, this mer only seemed to flash patterns in a star-like white pattern. Bigger, golden yellow patches patterned along his back and sides to break up the stars, also pulsing in time with the rest of his luminescent markings. 

“Whoa…” Your feet carry you closer despite the “danger,” hands pressing lightly to the glass. “What are you saying…?” 

His eyes merely narrow at you, the light show dimming until just the gold markings remained. 

“You’ve been down here this whole time, huh…” You glance at the ceiling where the tank disappeared into the levels above. “But you could come up if you wanted. Why stay down here?” 

Your company doesn’t provide so much as a chirp in answer, instead turning to slowly swim along the glass opposite of you. Feeling emboldened by the safety of a physical barrier between you two, you’re quick to follow his sedate pace. 

“Is it Sunny? Do you not like him?” That earned you a stink eye, though so quick you nearly missed it. “…Me?” Your shoulders drop a smidgen when a sour face and hiss is your answer. “Right…We got off to a bad start, huh…”

The mer doesn’t bother looking at you in reply, instead picking up a crab and proceeding to rip its legs off and eating the meat inside. It shocks you so much that you can only stare with your mouth agape, eyes wide. 

“Guess…that’s, uh, how you were getting enough food…aha…” 

He stares you dead in the eye while taking a big bite of the crab, not breaking contact the entire time. Some part of you feels insulted somehow, strengthening your resolve to scowl right back at the mer and cross your arms in defiance. “Fine, alright. If this is about before, I already apologized! I didn’t know if something bad would happen or not,” your eyes narrow, bowing at the waist to lean closer. “but now I’m starting to wonder if it’s you I was being warned about.”

An eye roll is your answer, the blue mer turning away to find another crab while neatly tossing his scraps in a pile. You watch in silence for a few moments, gathering your thoughts. Sunny seemed most receptive to your attention, always eager for more. This mer — Moon, you decide to call him — reminded you of an aloof cat. 

That was fine, you’d owned cats and knew how to play the game. 

“I brought toys out if you’re interested. Sun’s trying to drown a ball right now.” Your gaze trails up to the ceiling, then back to Moon. His back is to you, but the tilt of his head indicated he was at least listening. “Ok, well…see ya around, I guess.” 

Returning to the elevator you spare one more glance back to see Moon watching you from a distance, not budging. 

That’s ok, you think. Just needs some time.

 

 

---

 

 

Discovering Moon’s existence plagued your thoughts ever since that first meeting and well into the weeks that followed. You thought one mer being left to their own devices was strange, but two? What’s more, during your snooping you found a folded flyer beneath registration. It had the silhouettes of both mer on it circling the ARC logo, “grand opening!” printed across the top and fun icons highlight the exhibit’s key attractions. The date below was from almost two years ago, confirming your suspicion that the exhibit never actually opened. 

Knowing this, however, didn’t really help your current situation. 

On your breaks you consulted your notes and eavesdropped on conversations regarding the glam mer. Each mer had their preferences when it came to enrichment, both accounting for their physical and personality traits. Not super great for you, but one common thread that all four enjoyed: music. Bonding with Sun had been much easier than the prickly Moon, so you resolve to try anything that could win him over.

Armed with a plan, the next evening you’re able to visit the boys you do so with one goal in mind: meet Moon halfway. Taking a quick detour to the bathroom and shimmying into a one-piece suit and swim trunks, you slip on your water shoes and observe yourself in the mirror. 

Oh yeah, this was going to work. 

Confidence boosted, the rest of the trip is a short walk until you’re slipping behind plastic tarps and closed doors.

“Evening, boys!” You call, whistling a greeting that’s immediately returned by Sun’s tittering coos. A pleasant warmth spread through your body whenever you visited the mer, a sense of belonging growing each day. In a place as fabulous as the ARC, it was easy to feel small and insignificant. But here? The three (you’re going to include Moon, screw his attitude) of you felt less like misfits and more like long time friends. 

“Thought we’d do something new today,” you start, opening the gate and climbing down the ladder to sit on the platform. Sun immediately swims up to you, hands holding onto the edge. Curious twitters and squeaks fill the air around you as you set up the speaker on the platform.

“Like music, Sunny?” Connecting your bluetooth, you tug out your phone and pull up Spotify. “Hmm….you strike me as a…pop-rock kind of mer…” Musing over your choices, you hum idly in thought “or maybe broadway musicals…” 

The opening rift to the Pilot’s “Magic” breaks the silence of the room, punctuated by Sun’s surprised chirp of delight. Humming along, you grin at Sun and sing along. 

“Oh-ho-ho it’s magic~!” You bite back a laugh when Sun pushed himself further out of the water to be closer to the speaker, squeaking excitedly. You continue to sing along with the song, grinning when Sun started to match the tune. When the solo played you bust out your best air guitar, laughing when Sun tried to mimic you in the water. 

“Magic” faded away and Van Halen’s “Jump” began next. Struck with an idea, you hop to your feet and emphasize the chorus’ “jump!” by throwing your arms up. Sun didn’t need further instructing, gleefully jumping backwards and then timing each following jump with the music. Your clapping only further encouraged him to show off, triggering a mer equivalent of the zoomies that took Sun around the perimeter of the pool at a speed you hadn’t seen him use before. 

This goes on for several more songs before you noticed a dark shadow lurking just out of reach beside the basking rock. Smiling to yourself, you eagerly scroll for a song you think he might like. But as you’re about to select one, you feel your legs gets splashed with cold water and snap your gaze to the side just in time to watch your speaker fall into the water. 

Moon, only his eyes and up visible above the surface of the water, stares you down. Thumb still hovering over your playlist, you stare right back.

“….Nice try, asshole. It’s waterproof.” You tap your nose and smirk at the disgruntled growling Moon answers with, not breaking eye contact with him as you crouch down and reach over. “Also,” you snag a taught piece of thin rope, pulling it up and fishing out your speaker. “I thought you might try something like that.”

Another splash of water hits you, sputtering and wiping the water from your face. Sun could be heard protesting nearby, upset the music had stopped. Moon’s grumbles increase in volume to match Sun until you raise your own voice. 

“Ok, ok! Enough, c’mon guys.” You sit back down, smiling at the pair of them. “Moon,” you ignore how his eyes narrow at you, “what kind of song would you like to hear?” 

Moon doesn’t answer, no surprise there, but Sun does perk beside him. The sound that graced your ears gives you pause, staring wide-eyed at the yellow mer. A soothing melody drifted through the air, as beautiful as it was haunting. You’re overcome by a fuzzy sense of ease, forgetting briefly that you’d even asked a question. 

“Ah….a lullaby?” The idea strikes you like a bolt of lightning, sitting up abruptly. Moon appears ready to protest, but you’re already scrolling through your playlists. 

It’s a stark contrast to the rock and upbeat songs you played for Sun, but the stillness that returned to the room when Clair De Lune began to play brought a new sense of peace. Lifting your gaze from your phone’s screen, you’re taken aback by how much Moon’s features had softened. You’d only seen him in various levels of disgruntlement till now, so this was a first. 

A thrill of excitement fills your chest at the progress Moon’s docility represented, trying not to let it outwardly show too much. Instead, you reach for your bag and pull out a few ice ball treats, letting them gently float over to the boys. Sun picked up both and handed one to Moon with a coo, bringing a smile to your face. 

Yeah, ok, you were absolutely smitten.

 

 

---

 

 

“Hey, space shrimp. You with us?”

Jax’s voice jolted you from your thoughts, blinking blankly at him. “Huh?”

“I said, Alexi, Jessie and I are heading to the bar after work,” Jax repeated himself, gesturing to the others at the break table. “Want to come with?”

Your gut reaction is to decline, but the fact that they extended the invitation… After your one-second-too-long pause, Alexi flaps her hand as if to wave away the awkward vibe. 

“B-But it’s ok if you don’t want to!” She tapped her index fingers together, searching for her words. “We just, well, you’ve been here for a few months now and we should do some team bonding!” 

Her uncharacteristic fumbling is endearing, your hesitation melting into an easy smile. “Aw, thanks, guys. I’d love to, but I’ve got a prior engagement.” To lessen the disappointment you could see in the downward glance from Alexi and vague shrug Jax gave, you speak up again. “But! Maybe we could do something next Friday?”

That seemed to pacify and perk your coworkers up, and honestly you were feeling pretty good about it too. You’d learned your lesson, however, regarding leaving the boys without notice and you didn’t want to lose what little progress you had with Moon. You’re pretty sure upsetting Sun again wouldn’t gain you any brownie points. 

When your shift ended and you waved your coworkers off, you began your trek to the reef. Musing over the earlier invitation, your mind wanders to Gregory. You hadn’t seen the intern in a few weeks now, which seemed odd. While you two weren’t speaking face-to-face after the initial encounter in the kitchen, you’d still exchanged glances from afar. You hoped the long stare you leveled on him post-Moon discovery accurately translated your displeasure with his vague warning. 

Unfortunately you wouldn’t find out if the message was received, because shortly after you stopped seeing him. When asked about his absence, Vanessa and your other coworkers waved it off as Gregory having taking vacation time. 

You supposed, from personal experience, Freddy’s apparent restlessness would make sense if that were the case. All the mer seemed to be awfully attached to their people. 

Whistling a greeting to your own mer, the answer call brings a smile to your face without fail. Seeing Moon there only sweetened the greeting.

“Hiya boys, have a good day?” Nodding along to Sun’s chirps and clicks, you go about pulling bags of fish and shellfish out of your backpack (you’d long since gotten over the fact that it’d be doomed to smell vaguely like the ocean at all times). Settling in your now usual perch on the tank platform, you toss the fish first. “Salmon today, and some tuna.” 

Sun continued to chatter while ripping into his fish, Moon quietly floating beside him. You were a bit hesitant to directly hand Moon his meal, unlike Sun, so you carefully nudged the chunks as close as you dared before retreating. Despite your progress, some lines you weren’t sure should be crossed yet. 

“Freddy, one of the other mer here, looked like he could use some company. I was thinking of visiting him sometime soon,” you think aloud, tossing a clam to Sun for him to pry open. “Gregory, our intern, is on vacay apparently.” You smirk faintly, reaching out to rub the top of Sun’s head affectionately. “Must be nice to have some paid time off as an intern, huh?”

Neither mer seemed to catch what you meant, but they did exchange a glance and soft clicks. Missing the exchange, you hand over the remainder of the fish. 

“The others invited me out tonight but…well, I have you two, yeah?”

Sun chirped brightly, bobbing his head happily. You giggle at his antics, shaking your head and giving him another clam. “Silly.” Sun briefly disappeared below then, darting across the length of the tank. You hum in wonder as he eventually returns and proudly presents you with a collection of shells woven in between plant fibers. Your eyes brighten at the sight of the gift, a soft gasp escaping you.

“Oh, for me? Thank you, Sunny!” Carefully lifting the chain, you drape it around your wrist and secure it in place. “I’ll always keep this on me, promise.” 

Sun preened at the acceptance, swaying side to side in delight. A rumble drew your focus back to Moon, your heart skipping a beat at how close he’d gotten now. It would take very little effort to reach out and touch him, but all your willpower in that second went to holding still. “Moon?”

The blue mer stared hard at you for a long moment, then closed his eyes and hummed once more. You weren’t really sure what he was doing, but listened anyhow as the sound vibrations shook you to your core. Distantly you heard Sun clicking and cooing, but your attention remained on the blue mer in front of you. Something about how Moon sang felt like a story of sorts; gentle waves rocked your conscious side to side, soothing and calm in how mesmerizing the surface of the water could be; a boat lost at sea with no destination but unwilling to sink. 

You’re not sure what happened, but in the next minute you’re coughing up water and gasping for air on the basking rock. Voices shouted beside you, garbled at first and punctuated by splashing and hissing. 

-Why would you do that!?-

-It’s their fault for inhaling the water!-

-You lulled them, Moonie!-

“Hh-…Wha…” you cough more water up on the rock, glancing around and focusing your blurry vision on the blue and yellow blobs not too far away. 

-Friend! Oh dear, oh no! Are you ok??- Sun scrambled closer, reaching to pat your cheeks with webbed hands. 

Did you die? What happened? Last you remembered you were on the platform, then…

Then?

Wait, there was the voice again —

-Moonie lulled you, we’re sorry!- Sun waved his hands around, looking properly panicked at the situation while Moon sulked nearby. 

“What the fuck.”

Sun immediately bowed up, fins flaring out with offense. -Well you don’t need to curse!-

You balk when it suddenly clicks that the voice belonged to Sun. A rather undignified yelp escaped you as you scrambled backwards, gasping when your hands slip and you find yourself tumbling backwards off the rock and into the water once more. Sputtering and righting yourself, you break the surface and grapple for the rock like a wet cat. 

A nudge from Sun helps you up the rest of the way, where you proceed to tuck your legs close against your chest and stare wide-eyed back at him. “You talk!!” 

-Not so loud, human.- Came Moon’s hiss behind you, the blue mer lurking nearby. -We’ve always been able to talk. You just hear us now.-

“What the fu-“

-Language!-

You can only stare back at the pair with mouth agape, brows up to your hairline and brain producing the worst AOL dialup sound as you tried to process the situation. 

“How…How is this possible…? Wait — do all the mer talk?”

-Some choose not to. Some aren’t bonded. That is what we’ve heard, anyway,- Sun hums, frills and spines drooping down as the tension faded from the air. 

“Heard?”

-Through the pipes,- Moon’s raspy voice was practically a whisper in comparison to Sun’s bright and sing-song inflections. 

-Our songs carry through the pipes!- Sun supplied helpfully, eyes squinting with his smile. -It’s how we know what’s going on outside. Well, sometimes.- 

-You said the boy hasn’t been around,- Moon drew your attention, gaze hard with suspicion. 

“Ah…yeah. Wait, what about the bonding bit?” You shake your head, attempting to process everything. “Hang on, this is a lot to take in.”

Sun hummed patiently, waiting for you to settle. Taking a deep breath, you wait a few seconds before letting it out slowly through your nose.

“Ok. Ok so.” A deep breath. “Y’all could talk this whole time by…what, what is this? Telepathic connection?” 

The mer shared a glance, then both shrugged. 

-We don’t know how we gained the ability to, it wasn’t always possible. But with certain people we can.- Sun clarified with a happy chirp. Your frown only increased. 

“You guys have been talking to other people? This whole time—“ An ugly emotion bubbled in your chest, feeling strangely like betrayal. Had you been made a fool since the beginning? Was this all a joke?

-No, human.- Moon’s voice cut through your thoughts, scowl deep on his pale blue face. -Just two. You, and one other.-

-But…they’re not here anymore. So just you now!- Sun tried to put a reassuring spin to this statement with another smile. -See? No need to be upset!-

That…didn’t really sit well with you either, honestly. Your head and throat hurt, body shivering uncontrollably in absolutely soaked clothes. 

-Now…we do want to ask about the boy, though.- Sun began cautiously, fidgeting with a frond of kelp that floated closer by. -Can you find him? Freddy’s worried, we think.- 

“Uh…look, guys…” Your teeth chatter as you glance over at the platform. “Greg’s on vacation…I can’t get a hold of him. Even if I wanted to, I don’t have his cell number to text…”

-What’s a text?- Sun cooed, head tilting cutely. You stare back, pretty sure your brain short circuited and this whole conversation wasn’t actually happening. 

“Uh…ah, a message. Sent on a phone…” You shake your head for a second time. “Wait, hang on, not important. Why do you think Freddy is worried? What’s going on? Is it something to do with why you two are alone here?” A sense of urgency filled your voice as the thoughts began racing through your mind. You could actually find real answers for this whole situation! No more questions —

-We…we don’t know. Maybe?- Now Sun began to fidget and glance around nervously, fins flicking a few times. -It’s been a-a while since we heard him sing…-

-Forget it,- Moon snapped finally, scowling and grabbing your wrist suddenly. With a cry you’re hauled off the rock, splashing for a third time in the hour. Flailing to pull away and keep your head above water, you gasp when Moon deposited you on top of the platform. 

“Dude—!”

-Go home, human.- Moon’s voice was final, staring hard at you. Sun hovered nearby, unsure but not interrupting Moon. 

Realizing neither would provide further elaboration, you steal your face and slowly stand. “Fine. I’ll find out for myself, then.” With that declaration you climb out of the tank. It should have felt like having the last word, but all you feel is a tangle of doubt, fear, elation and conflict. 

Watching your retreating form, both mer slowly returned to the water below. Regarding Moon’s frown, Sun bumped shoulders with him. 

-What’s wrong? You want to know what happened to the boy too, don’t you?-

-….I want to know what he has planned.- 

 

 

---

 

 

“How’s it looking, Syd?”

“Great! They’ve done exceedingly well on the puzzles, especially little Sunshine here. Can’t get enough of it.”

“And their test results?”

Sydney straightened up to pack away another vile of blood on the deck beside them. Their young patient floated quietly nearby, tail kept still where the sample had been drawn. “Perfect, as always. Normal levels, heart and lungs are strong, soon enough they’ll be full grown.” 

“You don’t think they’re fully grown yet? They’ve gotta be, what, six-eight feet long now?”

The blue mer rolled over when signaled, no longer belly-up, and swam closer to curl around their handler’s waist and legs. Small webbed hands reached to hold onto the belt secured to Sydney’s waist, fiddling with the pouch of treats.

“Hm, yeah.” Sydney smiled, reaching down to caress the blue mer’s head and dig out a few shrimp for good behavior. “Some of their DNA should influence their size to be as long as 20 feet, maybe more if we continue the supplements and healthy diet.”

“You’re assuming they outlive the average.”

Sydney paused what they were doing, leveling a frown on their company. “They will. I’ll make sure of it.” Sydney affirmed, smiling at the mer who gazed up at them in wonder. “These two are special.” 

 

—

 

“Look at how they’re gesturing, and hear that?” Sydney pulled over one of several tablet screens, a chart of recorded sound frequencies open. “They’ve developed a hundred new sounds this week alone.” Sydney’s excitement grew, scrolling through the chart for emphasis. “What’s more, they repeat certain frequencies for particular activities.” Bright eyes turned up to their lead, grinning broadly. 

“They’re developing a language!”

The man’s gaze tracked each of the sound bytes, brows furrowed. “Does this mean they can be taught to communicate like us?”

“Well, no…They don’t have the right structure to speak like we do. But, in theory, we could work with them like dolphins or even chimps.” Sydney hummed, tapping a few times on their tablet and closing the frequencies. “It’s all very fascinating, nowhere in our research did we expect this!”

“Perhaps they will have a use beyond conservation awareness,” he hummed, rubbing his chin in thought. Beside him Sydney chuckled.

“What, like those…”spy” whales the navy uses? Yeah, right,” Sydney shook their head, smile strained.

 

—

 

“These two are quite the marvel, aren’t they.”

“Hm?” Sydney hardly turned their head to indicate their attention, instead busily taking measurements for the yellow mer. “Well of course, a lot of research went into their creation and care, after all.”

“True…. None of the other specimens have made it this far. Something has always gone wrong — still born, failing organs — but these two… They’re the first to thrive like this. And their growth rate is incredible —“

“I told you the supplements would help.” Sydney interjected, smirking to themselves and leaning back to grab a treat for Sun. “I think…” Sydney paused, considering the creatures before them as the two stared right back. “I think the team just…got it right this time.”

“Yes, yes. Of course.” A beat of silence. “It seems they’re the key for creating even more of their kind.”

 

—

 

“Big day today, boys. Finally time to leave the nursery!” Sydney triple checked the soft sling securing the two, smiling. “You’ll have a lot more room to stretch and swim in your new tank.”

Moon protested with grumbles and clicks, shifting restlessly within the sling and making grabby hands at Sydney. Sun wiggled in the sling beside his, squeaking unhappily. Sydney merely chuckled, giving them both treats and a scratch on the head.

“Just a few minutes in the sling, don’t want you two getting hurt.” 

 

—

 

“They should be ready to leave the acclimation tanks here soon.” 

“I’ll let the team know.”

The blue mer broke away from its companion to follow the face of their caretaker, singing sweetly to them. Sydney smiled from their perch on the deck above, glancing around to confirm they were alone before climbing down to sit on the ledge. 

“That’s right, you’ll get a big new tank to explore and play in, Moonie.” They chuckled when Sun joined in with a tittering tune. “Yes, both of you, silly.” Reaching out, Sydney gave the pair an affectionate rub atop their heads, gaining purrs and chirps. 

“Some day soon we’re going to open up the Reef Experience, and the whole world will know you two. Then they’ll see how special you two are, just like I do.” A proud smile shone on their face, giving their cheeks a pat each.

Moon tilt his head into the touch, sinking back into the water with uncertainty while Sun twirled around in delight. Moon’s soft grip and tug on Sydney’s wet suit drew another chuckle out of them. 

“Want to swim, hm? Ok, but not for too long.” Setting aside their notes, Sydney zipped up their wet suit the rest of the way and eased in beside the two. 

Without prompting the pair eagerly took hold of their wrists, pulling Sydney out towards the center of the pool with playful chirps and clicks. Familiar with their antics, Sydney merely giggled, allowing themselves to be led. 

Despite now reaching over ten feet, the boys remained aware of their size compared to Sydney. As guppies they could easily echelon swim beside or over Sydney’s back. Now they take lead, Sydney gently holding Moon’s dorsal as the trio dove down to swim lazy laps around the pool.

 

—

 

“Check this out, boys!” Sydney held up the new wet suit, grinning broadly. The orange and green accents of the suit sported patterns of coral, and on the chest the mer’s silhouettes circled the familiar ARC text in a custom logo. “This is what I’ll be wearing for your shows!”

Sun cooed and twirled with excitement, Moon humming along beside him. 

“We’re so close to opening day, the crews will be finished with final touches soon! Since we still have some time, I wanted to give this a test swim, what do you think?” Sydney laughed at how both mer perked up and chattered at them in response, nodding. “I’ll take that as a yes!” 

Matching orange-green face mask in hand, Sydney stepped through the platform gate and entered the tank. Pulling the new gear over their suit and zipping up, they eased in to join the thrilled mer impatiently circling nearby.

 

—

 

This wasn’t supposed to happen — it couldn’t be happening — how do you stop the bleeding — where are the others — help! Help! HELP!! Somebody!!

Pulling the limp body from below the surface and over to the basking rock, Sun watched helplessly as the blood seeped over his hands, the rocks and water slicking a murky red. He could see the wound at the base of their skull, bludgeoned by a crowbar now wedged between the wall and fake coral somewhere above them. Despite his efforts to stem the flow, nothing was working.

-Moonie! Moonie, please—!- The call died in Sun’s throat when his frantic gaze found Moon, freezing in shock. Moon, jaws locked around the assailant’s forearm, barely gave pause before entering a roll and snapping the limb off with a sickening crunch. 

Red, red, even more red — the water was flooding with red. Moon, Sydney, and now this man who tried to break their family. Who broke their family. 

Adrenaline kept the man alive, kicking and screaming until he jerked free and scrambled up and away from the water. Moon was quick to lunge, swiping but missing by just a hair. One eye squeezed shut, stinging from the burn and blood of his wound that ripped across his face. Despite Moon’s efforts he still failed —

Sun could feel the near insatiable desire to hunt, kill, maim, tear, shred from his counterpart, Sun’s focus narrowing on that blood lust but fighting to remain present. 

-Moonie! Stop! Sydney—! - 

The suffocating panic pushing forward in his mind was enough to finally bring Moon to his senses. The smell of death, copper and salt hung heavy in the air and on his tongue, instincts screaming to hunt and finish what he’d started. Whirling around to face the basking rock, it wasn’t until Moon zeroed in on the crumpled form of their caretaker could he clear his head and focus on what really mattered.

Rushing over, trembling hands hovered uselessly near Sydney’s prone body. Briefly, Sydney’s eyes fluttered open just barely, gaze distant and foggy. One hand twitched at their side, Moon carefully clasping it in both of his own.

“H-Hey…” Their voice came out a raspy whisper, the boys having to crowd closer to hear. “It’s….ok. You’ll…b-be ok.” A long pause, Sydney’s eyes closing and then opening once more. 

“Be….g’d…. I…l’ve y….” 

Sun did nothing to hold back his helpless cries, weakly shaking Sydney’s shoulder in a desperate bid to get them to open their eyes again. Moon fought back against his own wail of despair threatening to tear free from his throat, swallowing it down if only to be strong for Sun and Sydney.

-Wake up, please, wake up!- 

They were still breathing, but barely. If they could just get help —

A sudden splash, and the man is back in the water. 

 

—

 

The loss is a gaping hole, consuming what once was warm and loved. Moon retreated into the dark waters below their reef, unable and unwilling to remain in Sun’s presence. Not even their connection could soothe the ache, merely compounding it until their bodies felt like nothing but a vessel for anger, despair and emptiness. 

Investigators retrieved what was left of the man’s body. Several failed attempts were made to restrain Moon for observation within a separate hospital tank. Overhearing the intention to separate the two, however, the pair made an unspoken agreement to remain within their dens and out of sight. 

When it became clear that capture was near impossible without risking further injury or, worse, death, the mer found themselves alone. Every so often someone came and threw in a bucket of food, but as time passed those visits happened less and less. The only comfort in those weeks and months following would be found in each other.

Until…

 

 

---

 

 

Arriving at your residence felt an awful lot like you’d just completed your walk of shame. Soaked clothes in a plastic store bag, you numbly stumble through the living room towards your washing machine and toss the clothes in. The lights remained off as you shuffled along and forced yourself to change into pajamas and complete a proper bedtime routine, skipping dinner entirely in favor of crashing into bed.

But despite the deep set exhaustion in your bones, your brain refuses to shut off. 

Today’s discovery should have provided you with the answers you seek. Instead, you’re grappling with even more. Not only that, but now your mer friends(?) could talk back — and even they suspected something was afoot. 

Grumbling and huffing, you sit up and reach for your laptop, opening old tabs you’d saved from previous searches. 

“There’s gotta be something I’m missing…” you mutter, opening your phone and scrolling through the photos taken when you first found the reef exhibit. Finding the papers with construction notes, you flip through until you find one with a legible logo stamped in the corner. 

The search results gave you nothing out of the ordinary, pretty typical services for a general construction contractor. Thinking back to the state of the exhibit when you first found it, you decide to try and dig for any accident reports the company might have reported to the union safety commission.

“Let’s see…To view safety violations within the past five years…” Your mouse hovered over the “data and statistics” tab before clicking. A search by establishment engine populated, prompting you to fill in the company name. 

Knowing when the exhibit’s grand opening was supposed to be, you scroll through the citations list to the year and months leading up to that date. Most reports detailed the loss of a limb or other serious injuries requiring hospitalization. One, however, mentioned a death on the job site, closed for investigation due to the nature of the incident. Of the search results, this one had the least amount of information, but occurred the closest to the grand opening date. A note that this incident investigation was resolved merely a year later was the only further detail you could gather. 

Chewing your cheek, you open a new tab and repeat the process with Faz Corp. While you wouldn’t find any reports for non-union employees, plenty of results still populated. Most take place in the early years of the ARC, when much of the campus was in various stages of completion. This number dropped over time, and ultimately you found no incriminating reports that could point you in a better direction. Cross referencing dates, there’s a lack of any reports around the grand opening of the reef.

Well, not great, but the grand opening did hold one more potential lead. Faz Corp’s Marketing department was one of the best when it came to driving company initiatives. Something like a grand opening no doubt would have had public promotion at some point. 

Unsurprisingly, this leads you down a rabbit hole of sub threads and social media accounts. Almost all trace of there being an interactive reef exhibit with mer appeared to be scrubbed entirely from the internet. What you did find was a very short exchange on an old thread for vacation attraction suggestions. You’d lost track of how many pages you’d combed through to find it, but you immediately screenshot it for reference later. 

The original poster’s request for suggestions had one top comment that briefly mentioned Faz and the ARC’s reef exhibit. It dated before the incident report, but from the very brief description of the place you were fairly confident it was the same exhibit. Scrolling further down only confirmed your suspicion when another user commented several weeks later saying the exhibit wouldn’t be opening, a “bummer,” because of delays with equipment supposedly. From there the conversation took a turn to other local attractions, nowadays barely spoken about, consumed by Faz Corp’s shadow.

Glancing at the time you groan at the fluorescent red numbers flashing 3:00AM at your face. You would have to be back at work in less than 5 hours, a part of you withering away at the thought of so little sleep. Saving your searches and taking screenshots of the results just in case, you tuck your laptop away and attempt to get any amount of sleep you could. 

Arriving at work a few hours later looking and feeling a bit like death earned you teasing from your coworkers, unsurprisingly. Going through the motions was all that kept you present in the moment, routine a saving grace. What wasn’t helping you right now was the weekend crowd rush. While you pride yourself on improving your interception techniques to save cucumber Larry and his hermit crab friends, the amount of kids flooding your exhibit was a lot more than you were used to. 

By mid-afternoon you were nursing a killer headache, feeling like your brain could simultaneously float away and implode from the pressure. A nagging uncertainty ate away at what little patience you had lingering, until finally you decide to seek Vanessa out with the intent to go home on sick pay. 

The shriek that echoed in your head came on suddenly and completely threw you off balance, sending you stumbling into the nearest wall.

“God! What the hell—“ Pressing your hands to your head, you crouch and fold in on yourself till your head was between your knees. “Stop-stop-stopstopSTOPSTOPSTOP!” But the pain wouldn’t let up, a persistent throbbing gripping your brain in a way you’d never experienced before. You….you needed to get to Vanessa, something wasn’t right. She would help you…! 

Forcing yourself to move you resume your agonizing mission to find Vanessa’s office. But your feet guide you elsewhere without your realizing. It wasn’t until voices started to take form amongst the sensory chaos did you notice where you’d wound up. 

Stumbling up the stairs and through the door to the observation deck, you cringe at Sun’s and Moon’s shrieks and howls. “Sunny! Moonie!” You call without thinking, taking one step, then another, towards the tank. The pair are silent for a split second, then Sun fills your head with cries of your name. 

“What is going on!?” Looking around, your blood freezes through every inch of your body; a transportation tank had Moon tangled in netting, thrashing around and attempting to break free. Sun paced the tank waters below, avoiding more nets and prods from men reaching in from the perimeter. As easily as he could hide to avoid the nets, it was clear he wouldn’t abandon Moon to whatever fate was planned for him. 

A new kind of white-hot rage brings you momentary clarity as your fists tightened till they cracked, shaking by your sides. 

“HEY! Leave them the FUCK alone!!” You’re about ready to grab the nearest chair to chuck at the group when you make eye contact with a familiar face. “What—“

“Now, now. Let’s take a deep breath, I realize they must be making quite the racket for you, hm?”

“…Tony…?” 

Notes:

Thank you for reading! Song for a Siren has just one more chapter to go — updates on Sunday!

Chapter 4: Trust

Summary:

Building a brand new future...but will you be in it?

“Dr. Afton?”

“Please, call me Tony.”

Sydney smiled weakly at the correction, nodding. “Right, sorry. I was hoping to review these charts from the latest specimens with you.” Tucked under their arm, Sydney pulled out two tablets and held them out to Tony. “They’ve made it past the first stage and might be viable to be placed in a tank.”

“Really?” Tony peered at the results, humming. “Responsive to light and touch stimuli…Have you tried transitioning from the tubes to real food?” 

“Yes, although they had to be shown how to eat it. Once they picked up on it, however, they were efficient for being essentially babies.”

“Excellent, let’s move forward then.”

 

—

 

“Tony, do you remember when I mentioned the boys might be developing a language…?”

Tony glanced up from the papers at his desk, squinting at Sydney over his glasses. They appeared rather unsure, shifting their weight and clicking a pen at their side. 

“…Yes? What’s wrong, Sydney?” He watched as they once again cast a glance around the room, as if expecting someone to jump out from a corner. 

“Ah, well…uhm, you see, I’ve been hearing voices—“ Tony’s brows jumped up his forehead, Sydney sputtering at the incredulous expression across his face. “Not like that! At least, I’m pretty sure.” Sydney sighed slowly, mustering the courage to explain themselves.

“Words. Sometimes small phrases, repeating what I’ve said. But no one else seems to be able to hear them—“

“Like a parrot?” Tony clarified, removing his glasses and giving Sydney his full attention.

“Er…well, I suppose? Except—“

“Tell you what,” Tony held up a hand, interrupting. “Let’s keep this between you and me. Does anyone else know?” At Sydney’s head shake Tony hummed in approval. “Good. Continue to monitor their progress and let me know if anything changes.” 

“Of course, sir…”

 

—

 

Using sophisticated technology, our team of scientists have collected and stored tens of thousands of samples from species great and small. Our geneticists teamed up with other like-minded partners across the world to create the first successful clones of endangered species…

The final draft of the latest advertisement faded into the background as Tony turned back to his business partner.

“Their potential is wasted here, in a tank, Henry. We could be making millions — no, billions — with this research.” 

Henry set aside the tablets, brows knit, as he pinched the bridge of his nose. “The mer are meant to be ambassadors, Tony. Not weapons, or-or some sort of money grab. Not to mention, who knows what kind of ramifications introducing a larger, new predator into our oceans would be. We could single-handedly cause a collapse of the very ecosystems we’re trying to protect!” 

“My assistant’s research seems to indicate a possible, and viable, way to control these creatures —!”

“Tony, no,” Henry shook his head, standing from his desk and walking away from Tony. On his office mantel is a picture of his daughter in a pool with dolphins. “I can’t allow it. I won’t allow it. I’m not having this conversation with you again. We agreed when we founded this place to do it for the betterment of our planet. And we’ve been very successful in doing that!” Henry shook his head, picking up the picture and brushing his fingers across the image of his smiling daughter. “I promised to make this place a haven, Tony.”

Fists tightening till his knuckles popped, Tony glared at the back of his business partner’s head. Schooling his features in the next moment and letting out a slow breath, Tony rolled his shoulders and stood. “Very well. We’ll continue with the development of the other four and construction of the ARC theater.”

“Thank you, Tony.” 

 

—

 

“Here is 250k, you’ll get the other 250k after delivery.”

“Sure, sure.“ The man waved off Tony, grinning at the contents of the paper sack handed to him beneath the table. “Easy, just a couple of samples—“ 

“That attitude will get you killed, idiot. They’re smart; you’re going to be asking an ocean’s version of a tiger with a higher IQ than yours to hold still long enough for a blood sample,” Tony scowled at the man, handing over a smaller hard case. “Don’t lose these tools. The case is built to keep samples cool short-term. Long enough for you to bring them back to our drop off. You know how to find their veins?”

“Yeah, yeah, I read the thumb drive like ya asked. I got this. Ice box for the blood, don’t stop for coffee on the way.” The man smirked, adjusting his cigarette to the other side of his mouth. “Anything else, boss?” 

Tony leveled an unimpressed frown on the man. “The mer have a handler, Sydney. They sometimes stay after-hours to work with the mer, but should be gone by the time you get there. If for some reason Sydney is there, wait until they leave. Don’t engage — they’ll know something is amiss if they see you wandering around. They’re….protective, of the mer.” 

With a shrug the man tucked away his payment and case. “No problem.”

 

—

 

“Who the hell are you?” Sydney stared up at the man standing in front of the tank’s gate, mid-motion pulling themselves from the water. Behind them the mer chirped curiously, glancing between the two humans in confusion.

“Just an inspector, ’s all.” The man recovered from his initial startle, shrugging idly. “From the construction company working on this exhibit.”

“Uh-huh…” Sydney slowly climbed the ladder and stepped down to stand before him, scrutinizing the man. “After work hours?” They glanced around. “And…just you?” 

“You must be Sydney, hm?” He deflected instead, edging the case with his foot out of view. “You work with the mer? Perhaps you could fill me in on, ah…any feedback you have for the place? I’m told you’re the one who knows most around here.”

Sydney didn’t miss the motion, however, approaching and pushing aside the man to pick up the case. “What’s this?” They turned their gaze back on the man, stare hardening. “Who are you, really?” When he didn’t answer, Sydney’s eyes narrowed. “Perhaps you’d be fine with following me to the office, then? Just to confirm your credentials,” Sydney offered calmly despite their gaze never losing its intensity. “This way, please,” they gestured, turning towards the exit.  

“Ah, shit—“ The man muttered under his breath, glancing around in mild panic before attempting to grab and stop Sydney. “Now hang on just a minute—“

“Wh-! Let go of me!” 

The mer below began shrieking at the sight of their handler grappling with the man, splashing and scrambling for the platform as if to try and intervene. Struggling for the upper hand, and the case, the two humans shoved and pulled in an attempt to stop the other from advancing. Snatching Sydney by the back of their wet suit, with a grunt the man heaved them off their feet and to the ground, dropping atop them and struggling to secure their arms so he could grab the case. 

“Hold still, dammit! Don’t make me hurt you—“ 

Sydney’s hands scraped across the ground for anything to use as a weapon, gasping to regain the breath knocked from their chest at the impact with the floor. A piece of cracked coral stem, broken from someone’s body knocking into it, is just close enough for Sydney to grab and rake across the man’s face. 

“Fuck!!” Reeling back and pressing a hand to his face, the inspector grunts when Sydney succeeded in shoving him off and scrambling to their feet. “God— dammit!” 

Sydney turned just in time to see the crowbar coming, but not fast enough to dodge. The first hit grazed their temple, but the second connected with the back of their skull. With a sickening thud Sydney collapsed to the floor, accompanied by the rising cries and shrieks from the mer below.

Heaving to catch his breath, the inspector stumbled back from their body and reached up to wipe the blood from his face. “Look what you made me do…”

“Tigers get hungry….ay? Nothin personal…” Grabbing Sydney under the arms and hauling their body over to the gate, with a grunt he dumps Sydney’s body into the water, a flurry of activity accompanying along with a piercing noise.

Shoving his hands over his ears in a pointless effort to block out the eardrum-bursting decibels, he stumbles across the floor. “Enough, knock it off!!” 

There’s sharp sting in his calf, the inspector instinctively lashing out with the crowbar again and making contact with something solid. The shrieking and growling only intensified as he struggled to fend off the creature practically entirely out of the water and hauling him closer and closer towards its depths. Despite the several strikes making contact, it’s not enough to deter the creature from exacting its revenge. A big lunge forward and the inspector has lost his weapon and is swallowing water.

 

—

 

“He’s late…” Tony glanced at his watch, then around, scowl deepening the lines on his face. 

Tapping one foot on the ground, Tony grunted in annoyance before stalking down the hall in search of the moron he hired. 

Finding a frenzy of blood and water was not something he expected, nor the body on the rock. Tony’s feet carried him across the exhibit in record time, blazing gaze set on the staggering form of the man emerging from the tank platform. Below the water churned with the hisses and growls of the blue mer, and the cries of the yellow mer uselessly trying to help Sydney. 

Snatching the man by his soaking collar, Tony leaned in to peer into glassy, blood-shot eyes and hissed.

“You had one job.” 

Before the man could cough up an excuse, Tony shoved him over the foot ledge of the gate and tumbling into the water.

 

—

 

Tony watched from a distance as a boy he’d never seen before wandered ever closer to the glass. Freddy swam above them, performing lazy loops that delighted the younger kids squabbling nearby. The boy’s face was knit in concentration, almost scrutinizing Freddy. Tony half expected some snide remark about mer “not looking like that” or something similar. 

What he did overhear the boy murmur, however, gave him pause. 

“Is that you singing…?”

 

—

 

“An internship?” The boy, Gregory, squinted at Tony with suspicion. Tony couldn’t help but chuckle at the expression, vaguely amused by his boldness. 

After noticing Gregory return to the aquarium on a near-weekly basis, Tony decided it was about time to find out if his suspicions were true. What better way to conduct research than in the field with your subject?

“Yes, we don’t normally host interns but I couldn’t help but notice your connection with Freddy. It’d be paid and would count towards your graduation credits. You’d follow me and help take care of Freddy here,” Tony gestured up to the mer watching them, who bobbed his head in delight.

Gregory mouth twitched with a small smile when he met Freddy’s gaze, nodding after a beat and shaking Tony’s hand. “Alright. Thank you for the offer, Dr. Afton.”

“Please, call me Tony.”

 

 

---

 

 

“Tony…What are you doing here?” What righteous rage that fueled your confidence two seconds before now withered in the presence of Tony, unconsciously shrinking back from his approach. 

Tony merely smiled, calm but giving off an unsettling air you’ve never felt from him before. “The better question would be: what do you think you’re doing, hm? Didn’t you read the sign? No personnel beyond this point.”

You’re so caught off guard all you can do is gawk, standing between the transport tank holding a thrashing Moon and Tony, separating you from Sun and the other men. “The sign—“

“I must thank you, actually,” Tony continued as if you hadn’t spoken, slowly approaching and gazing upon Moon’s threatening display with indifference. “I’d feared the bond was a unique experience to one person, especially when the previous handler died,” he cast a side-long glance your way, freezing you in place. 

“When Gregory formed a bond with Freddy, I thought ‘at last, a chance to see their full potential.’ Then, to my surprise, you came along and managed to not only lure out this specimen, but bond with both of them as well.” Tony reached up to tap the glass with two fingers, smirking when Moon lashed out and raked his claws across the plexiglass. “Two years you eluded us, but look at you now… So willing to protect even at the cost of your own freedom.” 

“I didn’t —"

“Listen, kid,” Tony straightening his shoulders, smoothing out his shirt and turning towards you once more. “I am going to make you an offer. We’re still not sure how the bond is formed, so while it’s proven that I don’t need you, waiting for another to be the right match just isn’t in my timeline. Since you can control these specimen, come and work for me. You’ll be paid handsomely, and what’s more: you’ll be a part of a new order on the world stage.”

“What the fuck —“ Came out of your mouth first, not believing what your were hearing. The Tony you knew, calm and collected and a respected mer handler, and this ruthless man before you barely seemed like the same person. The buzz from Moon and Sun in your head made it difficult to process the situation you found yourself in as you struggled to answer. 

“First of all, it’s not about control. It’s about trust, got that?” You push through the waver in your voice, gradually regaining confidence. “I didn’t make Moon or Sun do anything they didn’t want to. They’re sure as shit not going to work for you —” Eyes narrowing, you boldly take a step towards Tony. “—and I don’t think Gregory would want to either!” 

Tony appeared unfazed, humming. “I suspected as much.”  Too casually, Tony glanced over at the main tank and snapped a finger. Both you and Moon flinched at the sound of Sun’s shrieks returning, the nets snagging on his many frills and spines, tangling him. Horror flashes through your mind, followed by a sharp burning pain and the intense need to take that pain away. Through the haze you could hear Moon screaming your name, begging you to do something and save Sun.

“Stop it! Stop, you’re hurting him!!” You rush forward, drawing short when Tony’s arm is thrown out and cuts off your path. A painful, vice-like grip closes on your upper arm, drawing a gasp out of you as you’re pulled closer to Tony’s face. His calm expression had melted into one far more menacing, triggering alarms in every cell of your body.

“I don’t like to repeat myself —“ 

Moon’s thrashing followed by the sound of creaking made both of you pause. You’re knocked off your feet in the next moment with a flood of water, debris and a massive body slamming into both you and Tony. Your arm absolutely burns when your muscles are pulled, nearly dislocating the shoulder. 

The sound of several pairs of feet rushing over and shouting just adds to the chaos of the moment, stretching seconds into what feels like hours. A blur of dark blue passes over your head and the footsteps abruptly stop, replaced instead with cries of pain and the thuds of bodies hitting the floor. Disoriented, you glance over to see the men struggling back to their feet. 

“Moon!?” You yell, rolling off your back and onto your knees to see Moon clawing across the floor in a rage-fueled bid to grab and tear into Tony. Despite the shards of plexiglass wedged in his tail, leaving a horrible trail of dark blood across the ground, Moon thrashes forward in pursuit. That one second of horror gives you an almost slow-motion view of the gun hastily being jerked from its holster under Tony’s jacket. 

You think you screamed — a warning or just in pure fear of what was to come you aren’t sure. Your body moved on its own, skinning your knees and the pads of your fingers as you grappled for traction on the rough concrete. Dashing at the pair, Tony near flat on his back and Moon’s own body crushing him from the waist down, you practically bodyslam into Moon in a desperate attempt to get out of the way. 

The gun shots ring out with a deafening silence, a blooming heat searing across your already abused arm. Moon’s flailing beneath you hinted at contact being made somewhere on his body as well, though you were confident in the knowledge that at least it wasn’t anywhere near vital organs. You made sure of that.

Yet again another arm pushes you back, but this time with a much gentler touch. Moon’s face comes into focus from the corner of your eye, meeting your gaze with a grumble. You smile back. 

“S-Sorry, couldn’t…let it happen.” 

Moon seems to understand, if the quieting of your headspace was anything to go by. The moment he noticed movement, however, Moon’s head whipped away from you and his frills all flared out with a nasty hiss. 

“Touching…” Tony slowly stood, scowling at the pair of you and adjusting his grip on the gun. “I suppose you leave me with no choice —“ 

A sudden seizing of Tony’s body takes everyone by surprise. Watching him jerk and completely lock up leaves you bewildered up until the point he drops to the ground. Behind him stood none other than Gregory, looking worse for wear but alive. 

And very much not on vacation.

“Take that you old FUCK!” 

“Gregory!?” You could feel your legs turn to jelly as the adrenaline dropped from your body, refusing to let you stand and move around. “What the hell!?” 

Moon hissed low in his throat beside you, tail curling around your in a loose arch. The adrenaline seemed to be fading for him as well judging by the way his upper body began to lean against your back.

Gregory turned off the taser once it was clear Tony wouldn’t be standing back up, scowling at the other men who made no move to take up Tony’s defense. Tossing the taser aside, Gregory’s gaze returns to you.

“You guys look like shit.”

His flat tone takes you so off guard all you can do is bark a laugh, slumping back against Moon. “You don’t look so great yourself, tough guy.” 

Gregory glanced at the various bandages around his wrists and forearms, shrugging without a care. “Still better than you two.”

You nod, not going to disagree. Hearing Moon’s labored breathing above you gives enough of a jolt of energy for you to stand. “Hey, Gregory, help me get Moonie back in with Sun, yeah?”

 

 

---

 

 

Watching Tony be taken away in cuffs didn’t feel nearly as satisfying as it should. Between your account and Gregory’s you hoped it’d be enough to keep him in jail for years to come. But honestly? You half expected him to buy his way out — such was the privileges afforded him.

Management sent their lawyers and non-disclosures, unsurprisingly. The amount of zeroes on your “keep quiet” check did shock you, however. Perhaps even more surprising was the offer for you to keep your job.

“So he basically kidnapped you,” you munch on a handful of chips, sitting on the tank platform for Sun and Moon’s tank. Gregory leaned back on his hands beside you, shoving chips in his mouth before nodding. 

“Mhm. Took me to the research facilities on the other side of the campus for “testing.” I thought he meant on samples, not me.” A scowl crossed his face, tossing a chip to Sun who ate it with a happy chirp. 

“When he wouldn’t let me leave, that’s when I got locked up. Lucky he was distracted with your progress here to leave me alone long enough to break out.”

“How’d you find this place?”

“Freddy told me,” Gregory shrugged, offering another chip to Sun. You watched in amusement, glancing to your left and offering a handful of chips to the shadow lurking just below the surface. 

“I see…Guess I should thank him in person, then.”

“He’d like that, he wants to meet you properly.” A beat of comfortable silence passed between you two, merely watching the mer enjoy their snacks. “How’s your arm?”

“Sore as hell but…I’m getting range of motion back. Should only be a few more weeks and I’ll be good to go.” You smile when Moon’s head poked out of the water, reaching out to rub gentle circles over his crown. “Moonie’s recovering a lot faster than me, thankfully. Got a few new battle scars, huh, bud.” 

-You are just a frail human— -

-Moonie! Don’t be mean! After they got you your favorite urchins treat, for shame!- Sun nipped at Moon’s shoulder, grumbling in protest at the teasing. Moon let it happen, unaffected. 

“Alright, alright, yeah I know. We humans aren’t as robust as you guys,” you chuckle, smiling wide. Gregory snorts beside you, nodding along. 

“Freddy said the same thing to me once—“

You cast a glance over at him, interrupting. “Can you hear them too? Sun and Moon.”

“Huh? No, of course not. Don’t know how exactly it happens but it seems to only work with those they’ve bonded with.” Gregory shrugged, idly kicking his feet in the water. “If you hear their song, or rather feel it, then you’ve got the start of a bond. I can’t hear or feel anything from these two. Not like I do Freddy.”

“Huh…Guess there’s just…too few of us to know how it works for sure.” You squint up at the ceiling, deep in thought. “If it’s a shared frequency or….”

A loud groan beside you interrupts your thoughts.

“Come on I just told you Tony tried to run those kinda tests, they didn’t work! Just,” he waved one hand in a vaguely gesture. “accept it.”

You chuckle, reaching out and ruffling his hair. “What’s this, wisdom from a teenager?”

“A teenager that saved your ass.”

“Fair.”

 

---

 

 

“Stop fidgeting, your nerves are going to make everyone else anxious,” Vanessa, the new director for the ARC, smacked your hands away from the zipper at your neck. “You look good.” She offered, awkwardly.

You weakly chuckle, taking a deep breath. “You being supportive sounds weird, don’t do that again.” Vanessa lightly punched your shoulder for that one, picking up her tablet and typing away. 

Your gaze drifts down once more, taking in the new wet suit. One sleeve was entirely yellow, the other blue, with a matching contour along your ribs and sides. Your favorite little detail was the colored soles, though. Felt just a little extra but in a very satisfying way. 

After the dust settled and you’d given your report enough times to make your tongue fall off, a small sense of normalcy returned to the workplace. Because this happened in a closed exhibit, the public was largely unaware of it (you’re pretty sure this is how you were able to keep your job, honestly). Nothing changed right away; you still worked the Tide Pools, your coworkers still called you Shrimp and your days often began and ended with Sun and Moon. Now, two years later, the opportunity you’d been hoping for was presented to you: lead handler at the Reef Experience exhibit. 

Feeling antsy and awkward standing by yourself, you wander away from the other employees bustling about to quietly take in the room. 

While everything outside the exhibit had remained largely unaffected, the same couldn’t be said for the Reef. A full remodel of all three floors expanded not just the tanks themselves, but the interactive areas as well; now Sun and Moon could travel through shallow channels and interact with the guests (under supervision, of course); the walls received a much-needed wash and repaint, coming with plenty of kid-friendly installments to practice their whale calls or identifying coral; each tank underwent a thorough deep-scrub and careful planting of new corals and plants to brighten up the reef, and Moon’s drop off zone housed even more bioluminescent creatures and plants just like him. 

Between the well-deserved update to the facility itself and the overall effort put into ensuring this exhibit met its new grand opening date, seeing the place bright and full of life brought you so much pride and joy. Sun, predictably, could barely contain his excitement over all the activity. Moon took a lot more convincing, and plenty of quiet discussions down below before he too began to warm up to the idea.

Following the sound of singing, you take the employee stairs down a level to the main floor. Sun was flitting about, fussing with the placement of corals and shells. Its his song you heard, and how you knew that, despite appearing mildly unsatisfied with his work, Sun was the happiest he’d been in a long time.

“Looks good, Sunny.”

-You think so? Oh I don’t know, I’ve been moving this here and there all morning and it just doesn’t feel right!- Sun whined, slumping against the glass. From the reef’s shadow Moon watched, bemused at Sun’s antics. 

-Just pick a spot, Sunny. It will look good either way.- He waved a hand idly, a gesture you realized he picked up from you at some point. 

Sun, unimpressed, merely huffed. -I just want everything to be perfect for our first day!-

“Guys, guys,” you chuckle, smiling fondly. “It looks amazing. The kids are gonna absolutely lose their minds when they see you.” Your smile grows at the thought, brimming with pride. Both mer exchanged a glance, chirping happily in agreement. 

-Right, right. It’ll be great! So many new friends to play with!- 

Moon hums along, watching as Sun returned to his fussing with the shells. A flurry of fish flickers past, one of the newer additions to the tank. You catch the hungry look on Moon’s face, clicking your tongue. 

“Ah, no, don’t eat those. They’re for decoration.” When Moon looked ready to protest, you cut him off with a grin. “Besides, you’ll spoil your appetite.”

-Food!?- Just as suddenly as he had left, Sun returned to the glass, frills and spines flared out in his excitement. -We’re starving!- 

You chuckle at the antics, reminded of a cat who insists they weren’t fed 20 minutes ago. “Yep, food. Got you both something special for the big day! So don’t go eating your new tank mates.” 

A pinging from your watch alerted you to the 15 minutes until opening, jolting you in your spot. “Ah, gotta run to the back real quick, I’ll see y’all shortly!” 

Darting back up the stairs, you greet each of your new teammates as they settle in at their stations. These next few minutes were the longest 15 minutes of your life, so much so that you almost didn’t register the presence of the first crowd of guests. Taking a deep breath and psyching yourself up, you grin and grab your gear from the rack. 

“Alright, showtime!”

 

Notes:

Aaaaand we're done! THANK YOU to everyone who read this silly little fish story of mine! I didn't get to cover EVERYTHING I wanted to, little moments I had to scrap for the sake of time. But perhaps I'll just doodle those out instead. ;3c Reading all your comments never fails to make me smile, they are perhaps my favorite part of this project! Until next time!

Series this work belongs to:

• Part 1 of FNAF Fish Tales