Sanders Sides AU August

Caught [Duke Sleep]

AU: Mermaid AU

TW: Blood Mention

WC: 1610

Date: 8/20/21

Humans were terrifying callus creatures that cared only for their own safety. At least, that's what Remy had always been taught, but he didn't like to just believe things he was told. He preferred to experience things. That way, when he had an opinion, it was actually from his own experience.

Traditional knowledge was so boring; it ignored that the world grew and changed. Remy hated the older generation. They were so afraid to explore. Not that he would ever admit out loud to enjoying something.

Instead, he pretended it was spite. When he learned that they could use the heat vents with certain plants from the seafloor to make a drink which gave meres more energy, his brother had been so pissed that he even went near the heat vents.

Both of them had learned growing up that the vents were dangerous. Apparently, hot steam coming out of the ground was nothing but trouble, still, Remy had wanted to prove people wrong. He went about trying to figure out a way to make the vents useful, and he had. Proving that one piece of "traditional knowledge" was bullshit pushed him to investigate the other things he had been taught, his brother's disapproving face pushing him on.

Apparently, not all traditional knowledge was bullshit though, and if Remy ever escaped the net he was caught in, he would never hear the end of it from Virgil.

Remy flexed his tail, hoping to get some traction and untangle himself, but all it managed to do was force the barbed spines on the net to dig deeper into his scales. He didn't want to admit how completely screwed he was. The net was wrapped completely around him, even breathing in through his gills hurt.

"I am really screwed." He muttered, the fear having subsided after a few hours of sitting in his own pain. He was honestly getting a bit bored and was just hoping someone might come by to cut him out. "Neptune, even a shark would be better than sitting here bored."

He was resigning himself to his fate, closing his eyes, when the net jerked up towards the surface, fresh blood mixing in with the water. The fear returned in an instant and Remy began jerking around in the net. He needed to escape. He'd be damned if he let the humans get their hands on him. This net was proof of how cruel they could be when they weren't even around. He didn't want to see what happened when they actually got their hands on him.

So, despite the pain it caused, Remy continued to thrash, trying to find any escape.

"You know, I love the smell of blood, but if you keep thrashing I can't cut you down." A voice called from next to Remy and he almost regretted looking. There was another mer, all sharp lines, and teeth, probably a shark of some kind, but his vision was getting blurry.

In that moment, he had to decide if he would rather be eaten by a shark, or taken apart by the humans. He didn't have much of a choice though as the adrenaline began to fade and the blood loss took over. He curled in on himself, the barbs in the net tearing more at his already abused skin and his eyes glazed over as unconsciousness took him. He wouldn't admit it, he wouldn't admit that Virgil had been right. God he hoped he got to see his brother again.

~~~~~~~~

Remy was not prepared to feel the world slowly come back into focus. He had honestly been expecting to never wake up again. His mind was hazily trying to figure everything out, the pain still rippling through his body. He let out a rather pathetic whimper that he really hoped no one would hear.

"Oh, the ass is awake."

"I'm a black bass."

"Isn't that what I said?"