✔️Scales (Hankcon Mermaid AU)

1^ Meeting My First Human

I swim as fast as I can, flicking my tail rapidly. The water feels comfortable and familiar, a friend as I run away from my pursuer. I trust the water to be in my favor, today. My eyes narrow determinedly. I'm going to win, this time.
Conan, my brother, slowly catches up to me. His face is passive, uncaring as he inches his way closer to me.
"Dammit!" I hiss, clenching my fists as I press them against my sides. I bring Conan's advice to my mind, letting it guide me. Hands and arms pressed against your sides. You don't need them to swim. They're just slowing you down. Use your tail. That's why you have it. His annoyed voice echoes through my head, pissing me off. But, still, I take his advice, because it's the only way I'll beat him. Don't thrash your tail around. You don't need to abuse the water to get through it. Restrict your tail movement as much as possible. Remember: small, but powerful strokes. I raise my tail ever so slightly and flick it, propelling myself further.
I look behind me with a cocky smile, which quickly fades when I'm met with Conan's face in mine. "You lose, Connor," he whispers before suddenly blasting forward, leaving me to eat the bubbles he leaves behind.
"Wh-What?! Wait!!" I cry, slowing down as I lose focus. I grit my teeth and force myself forward. I can do this. I know, I can beat him. I can. I just need to go a little faster.
My tail strains from the pressure of forcing myself as flat as I can be. Conan looks back at me and flashes a cocky smile before waving his tail in my face, causing the water to disturb around me. "Th-That's not fair!" I shout, baring my teeth in anger. This little-
He stops, and I slam into his chest, head first.
"What was that for?! Are you trying to kill me?!" I punch him, but there's little to no force behind it. I'm too dazed to put any force into it.
He takes my wrist and holds it in his iron grip. "Punch me again. I dare you," he threatens.
I'm feeling extra suicidal, today, so I clench my free hand onto a fist and fire at him.
He catches it effortlessly, squeezing my fist.
"Ow! Ow, Conan, stop!" I beg, twirling my tail in pain. "Y-You're hurting me!"
"I warned you." He relents, letting me go. "Don't punch me, again, pipsqueak," he snarls.
"You're so mean!" I whine, backing away.
"Whatever. You lost, anyway. Let's go home."
"No!" I pout, crossing my arms over my bare chest. "I'm not going anywhere with you!" I turn and swim away, praying he won't try to catch up to me. If he wanted to catch me, he can and will.
But, he doesn't follow me. He doesn't say anything. He just watches me leave.
I don't know where I'm going. I don't know where to go, what to do. All I know is that I don't want to be near Conan, right now. He's so mean. He's being so mean to me.
I swim towards the cliffs. They're the furthest away from where Conan and I live together. Plus, I want to see them. Conan tells me to never go near them, but he won't tell me why. I'm already running away from him; I might as well do what he tells me not to do. Why not? What could be so bad about the cliffs? I laugh bitterly. "He's probably just trying to scare me. What a dickhead."
I spot the rough edges of the cliffs, and I swim closer. They really are rough. I place my hand on the rocks only to find that they're incredibly sharp and pokey. I could easily cut myself if I'm not careful. Is this why Conan's so afraid of me coming here? Because, he thinks I'll cut myself? I shake my head disdainfully. "I hate him," I lie.
I swim along the edge, staring at the sharp cliffs. Then, an idea comes to me, and I look up.
CyberLife gave us two rules: never leave the reef, and never go to the surface.
I've been to the edge of the reef, before. It's dark, scary, and dead out there. But, the surface is where the light comes from. Conan told me that there's something called the sun, and it shines down on us during the day. If something as good as the sun can be up there, then, surely, it can't be all bad.
Right?
I shake my doubts away and swim towards the surface. I know, this is a bad idea. This is a really bad idea, but I don't care. I'm too curious, too invested to turn back now. I reach the surface and stop. I'm just below the water. If I reach my hand up, I could feel the air above.
I reach up slowly, fearfully. Quickly, I jab my arm up, shivering. The air feels warm. I don't fail to notice the absence of the water around me. The waves lap my arm gently, defining the divide between air and sea. I snatch my arm back, staring at it.
I just felt air for the first time, ever.
I went to the surface.
I felt... free.
"I want to be free," I whisper, pushing myself up. My head breaks free of the containing liquid, then my shoulders. I can't go any higher, but this is ok. I look around, gasping. I can breathe up here. "Holy shit!" I gasp, grinning. "I-I'm free! I can feel air!" Excitement runs through me as I look up. "Look at the sun!!" I squeal in delight.
I look to the cliffs. They're so tall, taller than I ever thought they were. As I admire the cliffs, I notice a figure on the edge. Is that... a human?
My heart drops. Fear freezes me in place.
It's a human. Humans are bad. Conan told me that humans would hunt us down and kill us, if they ever found us. And, this human can see me.
Then, to my bewilderment, this human jumps, falling down to the water.
I back away, submerging myself, scared for my life. Is this human trying to get me? Wait, humans can't breathe underwater-
The human hits the surface and sinks, slowly falling down towards the ground. Now that I can see him, I can see that he looks like an older man. His grey hair covers his ears, and his wide, blue eyes stare at me. He looks just as scared as I am, but he makes no effort to run away. Why is he here? Why did he jump? He can't breathe, down here. He'll die.
I watch him sink, speechless, dumbfounded. Then, I look past him, to the ground below. I know a human bone when I see one. Human bones litter the floor. They're everywhere.
Suddenly, everything clicks together.
Conan didn't want me coming here, because this is where humans go to die. He didn't want me to see someone dying.
And, this man is trying to kill himself.
I panic and dart forward, wrapping my arms around his waist. Immediately, he squirms, struggling to get away. "I'm trying to save you, dummy!" I snap, dodging his poorly-aimed blows. "Let me help you!"
I emerge to the surface, and he gasps for air. "L-Let me go!" he snaps. His voice is so... different. I stare at him, bewildered. I've never seen anyone like him, before. I've never heard anyone that didn't sound like me.
After all, Conan and I have the same face and voice. Our only difference is our personality and our power.
I swim over to the rocks and set him down, still not sure what to do. "Wh-Who are you?!" I whine, sounding like a baby.
"I- Just let me die. Please," he begs, whimpering his desire.
"Why?" I ask.
"I just can't take it anymore, ok? Let me go!" he snaps. His voice sounds so good to my ears. I know, I shouldn't be thinking about that, but his voice is soothing.
I shake my head. "What's wrong?" I ask with concern. I hate it when people are sad. Even when Conan's sad, I'll make him feel better.
He narrows his eyes, but sighs. "What does it matter?"
"If it's so bad that it makes you want to die, then it matters.. er..."
"Hank. Call me Hank."
"Hank!" The name rolls off of my tongue. "I like it. Hank!" I say, again. "Hank, Hank, Hank!" I chant, grinning.
Despite himself, he giggles. "Yeah, yeah..."
"So, talk to me, Hank," I put my chin in my hands, smiling invitingly. "I want to know what's so bad, it makes you want to die."
His smile fades. He looks down. Tears come to his eyes. "I-It's-" He sighs heavily. "My son... he died years ago. It wasn't his fault. Then, my wife left. And, I've been so... lost? I don't know what to do with myself..." he trails away, shivering as he cries.
"I have a brother," I begin. "You know, we had a fight before I came here. If he died, I wouldn't know what to do with myself. I-I can't even imagine it," I sympathize, floating forward towards him.
"I just want to be whole. Complete. I want to know what it's like to be happy, again," he mutters, wiping his tears away.
"Well, what makes you happy?" I ask cheerily. Something in me wants to make this man feel happy. He'll either die here, or he'll leave and die somewhere else. I don't want him to die anywhere.
"I guess... there are some people that make me feel happy. I mean, you've made me feel better." He smiles. "And... food makes me happy."
"I'm glad, I can make you happy! Making you happy makes me happy!" I squeak, grinning. "Also, my brother makes me happy, the fish make me happy, oh, and the sun! I've never seen the sun, until today! The sun makes me happy! Swimming makes me happy, seaweed makes me happy, cause Conan always tickles me with it-"
"Who's Conan?"
"Conan's my brother! I'm Connor," I introduce myself. "You know, it's just me and him. I don't have anybody else, down here. That's why I'm so fascinated by you!" I flop onto his rock, panting as I drag myself up. "And-!" I grunt, pulling myself forward.
"Do you need help?" Hank asks, raising an eyebrow at me.
I nod, panting tiredly. Hank reaches forward and grabs my waist, sending jolts through my body. He hoists me up, setting me down next to him. "Thank you. I wanted to sit next to you. I've never been above water, before. I'm not allowed to do this!" I whisper intensely. "You can't tell anyone about me! Conan told me that humans are evil, but I trust you. You look like a nice person!" I flap my tail in the water, splashing.
"I'm... oddly fascinated by you, too," he admits, staring at my tail. "Umm... I'm sorry, if this sounds mean, but what exactly are you?"
"I'm an advanced CyberLife Android. Otherwise, called a Mermandroid. I'm designed to be able to live underwater in order to further study the ocean and its many mysteries," I explain, waving my tail around. This is so fun. Imagine if Conan found me. That'd be so scandalous, but it makes me feel free, excited.
"Oh. I see." He nods slowly. "And, you're alone, here?"
I nod vigorously. "Yup! It's just me and Conan."
"Wow... don't you ever wish you could..." He gestures out to the vast ocean before us. "Get out? See the world?"
"I'm not designed to be above water. I'm not allowed to be above the surface, and I'm not allowed to leave the reef. CyberLife told me not to. I'm scared that they'll put me in a fish tank if I don't obey..." I look down. "Also, Conan told me not to come here. He never told me why. He also told me to run away from humans."
"You're breaking a lot of rules, right now," Hank comments.
"Well... I was curious, and I was mad at Conan. And... I couldn't leave you to die." I look up at him with pouting eyes.
He looks at me in awe. "You're a different kind of risk-taker," he comments, laughing. "I should go. I have to get home."
"I can take you to the shore!" I offer, and he nods. "Can-Can you pick me up and throw me into the water? I don't want to slide off of this sharp rock."
"Sure." Hank takes me in his arms, holding me like I'm nothing.
I squeak, scared to be letting a human hold me. But, this feels nice. He's warm, warmer than I expected. His body warms my skin where he touches me. He lifts me over his head and hurls me into the water.
I land with a thud, dazed for a moment. It feels weird to be back in the water. I swim back to him, popping out of the water. "Let's swim, Hank!" I hold my arms out for him.
He stands up and jumps, landing just in front of me. Quickly, I take him and lift him up, keeping him above the surface. "I'll have you to the shore in no time," I promise, keeping an arm wrapped around him.
"Just, don't leave me..." he requests in a shaky voice.
"Don't worry, Hank. I won't." I flick my tail, beginning our journey to the shore. "Hank?"
"Yeah?"
"Promise me, you won't kill yourself," I beg, meeting his gaze.
"I won't, Connor. I promise."
We reach the shore, and he emerges from the water. "I don't trust you!" I whine. "Let's meet somewhere!"
He looks back at me, frowning. "Ok," he agrees, sighing softly. "I'm assuming, you're free anytime, huh?"
     "Well..." I swim forward, dragging myself closer to dry land. And, closer to Hank. "Not really. I'm not supposed to be talking to you, but I want to!" I insist. "But, Conan will be mad at me if he finds out. So, I'll just sneak out when he's asleep!" I propose, feeling risky.
     "Is that a good idea?"
     "If I get to see you, it's a wonderful idea!" I insist, smiling. "How about when the sun has fully set? Tomorrow?"
     "So... sunset?" Hank blinks in confusion.
     "Oh.. y-yes! Sunset! I... I don't really understand time. I don't know what time it is, or what time even is," I confess. "When the sun goes down, it's nighttime. When the sun rises, it's daytime. That's all I know. That's all I've ever had to know."
     "Aren't you lucky?" he mutters. "Well, yeah. I'll meet you here tomorrow night."
     "Ok! I'll be waiting! Bye, Hank!" I wave at him.
     He waves back.
     I turn away and dive down into the water, peeking above the surface to watch him go. Gosh, I am just so curious! How do humans live on land? What do they eat? What do they do for fun?
     Lewd thoughts enter my mind, and I blush. I wonder how the reproduce? What's it like to have human sex? I am capable of having sex, but the only other person to do that with is... Conan...
     I shiver. That's gross.
     What are their relationships like? I've always wanted to be in a romantic relationship, but with who?
     Conan?
     I make a face at myself. Conan's my brother. That would be weird...
     I shake my head, watching Hank disappear. I need to stop bringing Conan into my lewd thoughts...
     I turn away and hurry back home. Conan's going to be pissed that I ran away like that. I would've come home earlier, but I met Hank! And, Hank is so nice... My mind runs wild with thoughts of Hank.
     He's so charming, so sweet. There's something about him that I love! His hair is so gorgeous, his eyes so sharp. Hank might be a lot older than me, but I don't care about the age gap. I like him. I want to see him again. I really hope I can become good friends with him... or, maybe, something more...
     "CONNOR!" Conan shouts, hurtling forward and embracing me in a hug.
     My body buzzes, reacting to his touch. I squirm away from him. "G-Get away!" I plead.
     He lets me go, backing away. "What's your problem? Are you still mad at me?"
     "N-No!" I whine, pulling my tail close to me. "I-I just feel... hot. I feel hot all over, Conan. And, my body's acting weird...."
     "Oh. You're turned on." He takes my hand. "Which is perfectly normal. Nothing to be worried about," he soothes.
     "What does that even mean? Turned on?" I ask, looking up at him.
     "Oh, boy..." he takes a deep breath. "See, I knew we'd end up having this conversation, but I didn't expect it now." He pulls me into the house. "So, have you been thinking sexually about anyone? It's ok if you've been thinking that way about me."
I have to be smart about this. I can't let him know about Hank. I can't. I have to be tactful. "Umm..." I blush lightly. "I guess... I have been thinking that way about you," I lie.
"I thought so. I mean, you don't know anyone else! CyberLife should really give us some more Mermandroids to interact with," he suggests. I'm not sure how I'm supposed to do anything about that, but each to his own. "So, tell me, Connor. What've you been thinking about?" He leans forward. His eyes shine with interest.
I feel incredibly uncomfortable. I don't want to be doing this with him. I'm not attracted to Conan! "I-I..." I panic, not knowing what to say.
He leans closer. "It's ok to not know what to say, Connor," he whispers. His voice sounds hungry, starved. His eyes are full of longing.
Oh, no... Conan really wants this.
His fingers brush against my chin, bringing me closer to him.
I jerk away, breathing heavily. "Wh-What are you doing?!" I whine, backing away. "W-We're brothers... this is wrong!"
"You're not my goddamn brother, Connor. CyberLife threw us down here, told you that you're my brother, and threw a veil over your eyes! None of this is what they say it is!" He grabs my hips and forces me closer, staring into my eyes. "We're not brothers. There's nothing wrong with this." He presses his lips against mine, kissing me.
His eyes close, but mine stay open. I can't believe I'm kissing the man I only ever thought of as a brother. Maybe, this is good. I can practice for Hank. I'll never be in a relationship with Conan, but I can practice for when I get to do this with Hank.
What am I saying? What if Hank's not even into guys?? What if I'm being stupid about all of this? I'm so naïve about all of this. I don't know what love is. I don't know what love feels like. I don't even know how to love.
The only person I know I love is Conan. I should let him do this. My heart drops. I feel so horrible, so hopeless. I can't believe I've been reduced to doing this with Conan. I don't even know what I want. All I know is that I don't want Conan like this.
"What's your problem?" Conan asks, sighing in frustration. "Why aren't you enjoying this?"
"Because, you're touching me in places I'm uncomfortable with you touching," I reply, shivering in fear. I never knew Conan could be like this. And, I trusted him. "You're... doing things to me.. that I don't want you to do."
"You are so ungrateful, Connor," he snarls, cupping my chin. "You should be happy to be doing this!"
"No! Stop!" I beg.
"Come on, Connor!"
I squirm away from him. "No! Please, stop, Conan! Let me go!"
"And? What are you going to do? Where are you going to go? No one else wants you! You have no one else to go to! You're stuck with me," he snarls, intertwining our tails together.
"Well, at least, Hank cares about me! Hank won't rape me!" I shout. My Thirium pump beats away in my chest. I'm scared. I'm so scared of Conan right now. I fucked up. I fucked up so bad.
"Who the FUCK IS HANK?!?!" he roars, wrapping his fingers around my throat. "Don't tell me you've been seeing humans!"
He's choking me. I can't say anything, because he's choking me.
"Who is Hank, Connor?"
I have to do something. I can't let Conan keep doing this to me. I don't deserve this. I grit my teeth and bring my tail up to my chest, kicking out as hard as I can.
It works, and he gets knocked back.
I dart to the door and run away, swimming as fast as I can.
"You can't run from me, Connor!!" he yells after me.
I can feel him pursuing me. I cry desperately, swimming to the shore. I don't know where else to go. I force myself to swim faster, darting through the water. I'm going as fast as I've ever gone.
As I approach the shore, I spot a familiar figure.
It's... Conan?
I look behind me to see Conan's enraged face speeding at me.
"Conan!" I cry, swimming towards the one that's not trying to rape me. I hope this one won't hurt me.
"Connor?" He turns to me. "Oh, fuck, Connor!" He swims towards me with his arms wide open. I willingly swim into them, letting him hold me.
He grabs the other Conan as it gets closer, and he reaches behind its neck, doing something to turn it off. It falls still, no longer... alive. I shiver profusely, backing away from him.
"Connor? Are you alright?" Conan asks, floating towards me.
"Wh-Why are there two of you?" I ask in a shaky voice.
He sighs softly. "Umm... I asked CyberLife about getting another Mermandroid to... you know. Interact with. I was... lonely," he explains. "I tampered with him, and I must've fucked up his aggressiveness. Did he try to hurt you? I'm sorry," Conan apologizes, taking me in his arms and hugging me close to him. "I'll have CyberLife take him back. I'm so sorry he tried to hurt you."
"I-I- He wanted to rape me! He was going to f-fuck me... He was going to put himself inside of me!" I cry, sobbing into Conan's chest.
"I'm sorry, Connor. I'm sorry. I know, you're naïve about that stuff. You don't understand." He pulls away and stares into my eyes. "Now, listen to me. If you're ever going to do that stuff, make sure you do it with a trusted partner, ok? Don't ever let anyone touch you like that. I promise, I'll get rid of this one. I'll send him back to CyberLife. I promise."
I float there with Conan, the real Conan. And, I'm relieved, because my brother doesn't want to rape me, and he doesn't know about Hank. I sigh softly. Hank and I are safe.