Aquata Cove Ch. 42

Merrick closed his eyes for a moment, sensing Adam struggling to stand up behind him. He reopened his eyes once more. "Turn back now. Forget everything you have ever heard of merfolk. Never think of it ever again, and move on with your life."

Nigel rose a brow, "You are a rogue, Merrick. What authority could you have to make such demands?"

"I am giving you this one, final chance, Human."

"And what if I am to decline?" Nigel said, "You know I can't turn back now."

"Then as a Triton of the Piscien Merfolk," Merrick declared, "I will summon Guardian Leviathan from the depths of the ocean, and destroy you all! Even as an outcast of my kind, I still have my birthright to call forth the might of the deep! I warn you -- if you follow me now, you will meet your end in the sea!"

"Merrick," Nigel said, chuckling, "Do you even realize what you are saying?"

"Do YOU realize what you have DONE??" Merrick demanded, "You mocked me, you tortured me, to tore me apart, and laughed at my face! You starved me, burned me, and deprived me of my home!" He angrily yelled, "All that I can forgive..." Adam grunted as his legs shook, the patches of his make-shift bandages turning deeper red, "But you have harmed my Adam..." Merrick's eyes watered through his rage as his voice turned savage, "You have brought him agony when your business was with me... And you will suffer for it...

"TO EVERY HUMAN HERE!" Merrick called out, "Hear me now!" He peered over the blinding lights of the land-subs, "If you have families, go home! If you have a mate, hold them close! If you have children, never let them fall! If you ever, in this entire moon, have ever had any sense to how I have suffered... If you know the kind of pain you have all allowed..." Merrick said, "... Then let. Us. Go."

"I keep telling you, Merrick." Nigel raised a hand, signaling his gunmen to get ready to fire, "I can't just let you walk away."

Merrick seethed in deep hatred at the human, "Then watch me swim, or perish. I pray you not waste my mercy."

Nigel thrust his arm out.

Merrick whirled around, and sprinted. Shots were taken and littered erratically at the ground, thankfully all narrow misses.

Adam coughed as Merrick grabbed him, and together, they fell over the cliff. Merrick turned in midair, with his back to the surface, and clutching Adam as they fell through the air.

~^~^~^~

The blue satin boxers Yuri had brought quickly slid from Merrick's legs before they morphed together into a tail, and left the shorts to drift into the water. The merman tucked one of Adam's arms over his shoulder, and put his arm around his lover as well. Adam tried kicking his legs as best he could, but the gunshot wound is incredibly distracting.

As they moved, slowly, Merrick called several signals -- he can't sense any sharks right now, but if any should come, he commands them to stay away from them, what with Adam's blood seeping through the tourniquet and leaving a vague red trail.

"AhhHH!" Merrick yelped as he heard several loud booms in the water. He looked over his shoulder, and saw several large objects come down into the ocean -- it's those land-subs!

The tanks stayed suspended in the water for several seconds before floating back up, and then became boats.

~~~

Nigel stepped out of the deck below, and went to a metal slate on the deck of the boat. He slid it up, and revealed a sonar system. He switched it on, and smirked as he saw Merrick's shape on the graph.

The other men that came along did the same, speeding their boats out into the ocean, and covering a wide spectrum of area.

"Alright." Nigel said, "Lets bring them in."

~~~

"Ghhhh!" Merrick whined in pain as he kicked his tail as hard as he can, but with his tail fin ragged and torn, he is not only unable to go very fast, but it's making his fin worse.

"I won't... Let them... They can't..." Merrick panted as he pulled Adam further, sensing the large boats circling around them in broad cycles.

He REALLY doesn't want to have to end these lives here...

~~~

"The sound matrix is ready, sir." Said one of the guards, "Shall we initiate the noise now?"

"Yes," Nigel said, "I want them put back in their places before the night club closes to finish my party."

The guard sent the message to the other guards to turn on the noise to immobilize the merman. With eight boats out of the ten that followed into the sea, that's eight sources of the noise, emitting into the water. Merrick should be captured in no time.

~~~

EEEPEEEPEEEPEEEPEEEPEEEPEEEP EEEPEEEPEEEPEEEPEEEPEEEPEEEP

EEEPEEEPEEEPEEEPEEEPEEEPEEEP EEEPEEEPEEEPEEEPEEEPEEEPEEEP

EEEPEEEPEEEPEEEPEEEPEEEPEEEP EEEPEEEPEEEPEEEPEEEPEEEPEEEP

EEEPEEEPEEEPEEEPEEEPEEEPEEEP EEEPEEEPEEEPEEEPEEEPEEEPEEEP

EEEPEEEPEEEPEEEPEEEPEEEPEEEP EEEPEEEPEEEPEEEPEEEPEEEPEEEP

EEEPEEEPEEEPEEEPEEEPEEEPEEEP EEEPEEEPEEEPEEEPEEEPEEEPEEEP

EEEPEEEPEEEPEEEPEEEPEEEPEEEP EEEPEEEPEEEPEEEPEEEPEEEPEEEP

EEEPEEEPEEEPEEEPEEEPEEEPEEEP EEEPEEEPEEEPEEEPEEEPEEEPEEEP

"AHHHHHH!" Merrick roared in pain as the noise rang out from everywhere in the ocean! The loud ringing, sound that feels like glass urchins scrapping against his brain! "GHHHHH! RRRGGGHHHHH!!" It was horrible enough on dry land, but now there is so much of it now!

Merrick let go of Adam to cover his head, thrashing around in the water as the noise attacked his senses.

~~~

"We have confirmed that the merman has ceased to move." The guard said, "All guards, stop the noise in exactly two minutes."

Nigel watched the waters in satisfaction, just waiting for the unconscious bodies of Adam and Merrick to float to the surface, just barely alive.

~~~

"Rrrrrrrggggghhhhhhhhh!" Merrick growled as darkness began to overflow his being. Hatred, rage, pain, bloodlust.

These humans... These are the demons of the land and sky... These are the monsters merfolk have come to fear...

Merrick's gills began to flare.

These are the monsters... That want everything...

Merrick's eyes dilated.

These monsters... Will bring ruin to merfolk everywhere...

Merrick's scales began to shimmer deep blue.

"Monsters..."

Merrick's arms lowered from his head.

Monsters deserve to die.

Ignoring the mind-numbing noises, Merrick opened his mouth, and let out a shrill, loud roar.

"KEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNNKKKKKKKOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!"

~~~

"Ahh!" The noise matrix crashed in the tech of each and every boat in the area. The sonar monitors fritzed and cracked as an even louder noise filled the speakers.

"What the devil was that?!" Nigel shouted as he looked around, seeing the other boats having the same problem.

"Come on! What's going on?!" The guard said as he slapped the sonar, trying to get it to focus, "The noise matrix is out!"

"Get the sonar going! We can't lose them!" Nigel said.

-Dnnnnnnn-

The ocean pulsed for a moment, and the surface of the waters suddenly became still. "What?" Nigel squinted. Everything seems quiet... Too quiet...

"Sir?" The guard said, "Something is coming up on the sonar." He tuned it in, "I think it's just a whale."

~~~

"Ennnhhhh..." Adam moaned in pain as Merrick pushed his human onto a rock out of the water, "Merrick..."

"Stay here, Adam..." Merrick hushed as he gently nudged his lover.

"Merrick... Don't go..." Adam groaned in a raspy voice, "Please..."

"I have to end this, Adam..." Merrick said, "It will be over soon..." The merman nuzzled Adam's cheek, before kissing his lips, "I love you."

"... I love you too..." Adam groaned out. Merrick swerved into the water, and Adam drearily watched as the blue tail channeled into the water, and the ripped up white fin slapped the surface.

~~~

"Sir, I think we might have a problem."

"What is it?!" Nigel said.

"This thing coming up on the sonar..." The guard said, "It looks a lot bigger than a whale..."

"What??" Nigel shoved the guard aside, and viewed the strange, large shape on the sonar.

~~~

Merrick swam around, keeping his eyes in the dark depths.

"RRRRRRRRRRRRREEEEEEEAAANNNNNNNNNGGGGGGGGG!" Came a mighty rumble from the deep. Merrick can see two large, glowing white orbs.

"KYEEEEEEEEEEGGGAAAANNNN!" Merrick screeched as he swam down.

~~~

The water began to rise all around the boats. White fizz can be seen from the ocean. The sonars are all detecting a huge creature down below.

"RRRNNNNNNNNGGGGGHHH!" A low call came from the speakers.

"No..." Nigel shook his head, "He can't have... He wouldn't dare!" He glared at the rising tide, "It doesn't even exist!"

He gasped as he turned around, and saw a large body of shining blue and black ride along the surface, like a whale taking a breath, spotting a large, white, soaking sail rotating out of the water, and into the sea.

"MAN YOUR STATIONS!!" Nigel commanded.

The speakers gave more eerie roars from a mysterious source. The boats began to drift around in a slow circle in the ocean. The motors of the boats did little except for make noise in an effort to pull away from the area. Nigel looked around, and saw the large sail-like fins rise from the water, and circle down. In the far distance, he can see a huge, white tailfin rise up from the water. It levitated above one of the ships.

Another roar came from the speakers, and the tail SMASHED into the boat! The men screamed as the sub-boat broke in half from the mighty crash of the fin!

"RRRAAAAAAANNNNGGGGHHHHH!"

Nigel gasped as he turned to the side, and saw a jet of fangs rise from the water, and tackled onto one of the boats!

"By all that is holy!" He exclaimed as a large, blue and dark fish chomped another one of the subs in half, destroying it completely! Nigel's eyes widened as he spotted Merrick, on the monster!

The colossal fish dove down into the water. Its thick, scaled body like slate armor folding into the deep, counting up to ten dorsal fins, and twenty pectoral fins, which sliced deeply into another nearby ship, causing it to quickly take on water.

~~~

"KYEEEEOOOOONN!!" Merrick commanded as he clutched onto the many horns along the Leviathan's head. As a Triton to command the Guardian, he must guide it to carry on the task at hand.

~~~

"NNNnnnhhhh..." Adam shook and cringed as he can barely feel the cold water wash up to him. He feels so cold...

"Uhhhhhh..." Adam's eyes closed as his world turned into darkness. A wave fell upon his unmoving body. He lay there helplessly as he is carried off into the sea by the ravenous water.

~~~

Leviathan turned, and aimed up at a smaller boat. Merrick screeched as they elevated quickly up. The Leviathan opened its mighty jaws, and broke the surface. The men screamed as their life boat suddenly rose up out of the water, with some of the guards falling out of the boat before the Leviathan CRUSHED it between its enormous fangs!

"FIRE! TAKE IT DOWN!!!" Nigel commanded. What remained of the sub/tanks started firing heavy artillery at the beast. Leviathan roared as the bullets and small explosions did little to dent its armor-like body.

~~~

"Oh my god..." Erin said as she looked in horror at the blue and black and white dragon-like fish attacked the subs. To think that creatures like that exist in the ocean... Did Merrick call that thing??

Daniel and Jacob looked on where they are, just as started as they can hear the battle cry of the aquatic beast.

~~~

Nigel quickly ran down below his sub, in attempts to dive and escape. Hopefully, Merrick hasn't seen the sub he's located in time for him to get away!

Merrick steered the Leviathan to crash the side of its mighty form into a boat, not only destroying it too, but also sinking it down into the depths. Once again, Guardian Leviathan slunk into the depths, its elongated body flashing its many broad fins as it went, until its tailfin was what remained, and SLAMMED the surface, causing a brutal wave to crash onto another boat-sub, damaging it greatly.

Leviathan turned, and swam forth to devour another human. Merrick roared with it, until he realized the human before them. Floating in the water, mouth ajar, with white pants on, and with a white and red wrapping around his torso, Adam is unable to move away.

Guardian Leviathan opened its mouth, and began to inhale water like a riptide current, drawing the unconscious lover to its many teeth. The water coursed through its body, and pumped through the four sets of gills it has along its enormous body.

"NNNNIIIIIIIAAAHHH!" Merrick screech as he flew from the Guardian, and clutched onto his human, beating his tail hard as he roared the command at Leviathan. The beast immediately obeyed, looking to the Triton who summoned him.

Merrick gave one final roaring command to Guardian Leviathan, before swimming away quickly. Ever the loyal Piscien Guardian, Leviathan complied, and dove down deep.

~~~

As the van drove down the road, Belinda sat sobbing as she curled up. "I could no keep heem..." She cried sparkling tears as she remembers how Adam was able to break free of her coils, "He broke free, and I promeese Merrick I protect heem..."

"Don't get yourself down, love." Grandma patted, "Ya can't stop a boy in love."

"Yeah. Any of us prolly woulda done the same thing..." Jamal said as he drove.

"Where could he be now?" Yuri said, "I still think we should have followed him. They shouldn't have to fight alone, you know?"

"I hear ya. But something tells me we needed else where." Jamal said, as he looked further out the window. His eyes locked onto the large seagull from before, flapping its wings as it flew overhead, strange out its able to fly as fast as it can in contrast with the car. The same seagull with the yellow flower tied to its leg.

~~~

Merrick called and called, his tailfin all but gone from all the effort of swimming as fast as he could while carrying Adam.

Finally, a strange, neigh-sound rang up from the deep. Merrick looked in gratitude as a Hippocampus rose from the darkness. The horse-like fish stroked its strong flippers swiftly, and made it to the merman's side. Merrick put his arms around it, and held his long tail to keep Adam positioned right next to him, nestled on the Hippocamp's many soft, bed-like fins.

The Hippocampus gently rode a nearby current as Merrick directed it on where to go, very careful as to hang on to Adam while he clung on himself.

~~~

Nigel panted as he switched on the works of the sub. Everything turned on, and hummed into life.

"Yes!" He switched on the lights of the sub, but immediately wished he didn't. He screamed in terror as the enormous Leviathan swam forward -- RIGHT in front of him!

Guardian Leviathan screeched as it tackled the sub, and spun it out of balance. Its fins made several deep cuts into the sub, and disrupted the electricity within the vehicle.

Nigel turned the wheel and jammed the propellers to work! Just as he moved a few feet, the sub took another heavy hit! The propellers have been destroyed, if not knocked clean off.

"Come on NO!" He yelled as he banged onto the works, "Not like this!!" He demanded, "I just got cured of my cancer! NOT LIKE THIS!!!"

He can hear the Leviathan rumble and growl from outside. Nigel whimpered as he cranked a few levers in an attempt to turn the sub into an escape pod.

KHHHHLLL!

"GAHH!" He jumped as the entire sub shifted! He gasped as he looked as several long, sharp, curved cone-like objects had penetrated the sub's haul! He went to one, and touched it. Solid, cold, and wet, if not slimy. "No..." He backed away from the tooth, and went to the controls. His eyes bugged out as he read the depth meter.

"What?!" According to the monitor, he was reaching VERY harsh depths, fast!

PSSSSSSHHHHHHHH!

Nigel gasped as a burst of water shot into the sub!

Kkggghhhhhkkkk!

His head turned, and gapped as he saw cracks spreading quickly across the glass of the sub's window.

Pssssshhhhhh!

Nigel sputtered as his face felt the icy cold sprits of the deep waters.

"Nooo, stop, please, no!" He begged as more water shot into his sub, quickly flooding in. "NOOOOOOOOOOHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!"

CRINGH!

Leviathan's jaws crushed what was left of the sub. The Guardian hummed lowly as it let the remains of the sub flush from its mouth, and swam deeper to rest.

~~~

A pink and golden dawn slowly peers over the trees. Morning is early this day. Light illuminates the world slightly as it woke slowly to the sky. The waterfall of Aquata Cove pours on as ever.

The waves of the shore near the rocky grotto, a blue and silver merman sleeps on the water-saturated sand. Too exhausted to spend one second awake, the young Triton holds close to a dormant human. Both men keep close together as the tide brought up, and washed over their bodies. The human, pale and cold, lies motionless in the arms of the merman, his white-red bandages loose and soaked, unable to even stir in the protective hold of his lover.

As the two males stay huddled on the push and pull of the shore, Atarah walks to them, and looks down in pity of them. Oyana, her bunyip, pulls herself sloppily beside her. Oyana rumbled as it looked up at the dark-toned woman with a seaturtle-shell sunhat. Atarah sighed as she tenderly rubbed along Adam's soaked air and Merrick's chipped head-fins.

"Time... To heal..." Atarah said quietly to the unconscious males.