Chapter Eleven

"Alright, we got one fucking shot at this. Fish face, keep your shit together, okay?"

Gamzee nodded from his place at the table, smiling briefly at Tavros before picking up the phone. He was seated on the first floor in his wheelchair, surrounded by his matesprit and best bro. His hand didn't shake as he punched the buttons, which might have had something to do with Tavros' hand on his knee under the table.

The phone rang twice before someone picked it up, "This is the Aquarium, how may I help you?"

Gamzee swallowed, and then steadied himself as he felt Tavros give him a reassuring squeeze, "Hi, I'd like to speak to Feferi about some Lemon sharks and a possible trade."

Karkat winced, mouthing, "You forgot to say who you were!"

Gamzee's eyes widened but the person was already speaking, "I'll page you through. Who is calling?"

"Rufio, from Mituna."

"Right, just give me a second and I'll have you paged over."

Gamzee grinned broadly and flashed them a thumbs up, which earned two sets of smiles.

"Hello this is the Aquarium, how may I help you?"

"Is this Feferi? I'm Rufio, calling from Mituna about some Lemon sharks." Gamzee said as the voice on the other end answered.

There was a slight pause, then the voice pitched itself slightly higher, as though in recognition, "Yes this is Feferi! What would you like to know about our sharks?"

Gamzee nodded and grinned, signaling he'd finally gotten to Feferi. That was a lot easier than he'd been expecting. Now to finally tell her everything and go back…back to that cage…Gamzee didn't speak for a minute. He knew, from Karkat's own explanations, that Feferi had been the one to save him. He himself didn't really remember much of anything from that day…just certain flashes every now and then…and a half forgotten name…

A squeeze on his knee alerted him he'd been zoning out, and Gamzee quickly made a decision. "…Feferi, I know this is going to sound hard to believe, but just hear me out. I'm not some motherfucker from Me Tuna or whatever. I'm that…that person you saved a while ago. On a boat. I'm sure you know what I'm talking about. My friends saved me a couple nights ago from someone called Erin—oh, sorry, Eridan, who wanted to steal me…Look, I'm at a friend's house right now, but if you could…I dunno, do something? That'd be all kinds of motherfucking helpful."

After everything Tavros and Karkat had been through, this was the least Gamzee could do in return.

"Oh…well yes I did notice you were missing. Look, tell your friends to meet me at the east docks in an hour, alright? Come alone and try to make yourselves inconspicuous. How many are you?"

"Three, including myself."

" Alright, see you then." The line went dead, and Gamzee set the phone down with a feeling of dread. "She said to all up and meet at the east docks in an hour. Be all sneaky like, and such."

"Fucking fantastic." Karkat groaned in relief, leaning back in his chair and grinning, "Holy shit Gamzee, you actually fucking did it." He laughed and grinned at him, shaking his head in wonderment.

Tavros just smiled at him, which made Gamzee feel a little better.

But when they looked away to discuss how they were going to get there, the smile fell from Gamzee's lips. He sat in his chair and brooded silently; letting the other two bask in their victory.

Gamzee had on Tavros' sweatshirt again as they drove to the harbor, taking the back streets to avoid any traffic or prying eyes who might notice a purple skinned person in the back of the car. They were completely silent as Karkat drove them to the docks, everyone's mind on a similar subject.

Tavros had opted for sitting in the back with Gamzee this time, and has his tail across his lap, covered by a blanket. He was absentmindedly running his hands over the slick scales, gazing out the window. Something had occurred to him, as they'd started this trip to the docks. Feferi was going to move Gamzee to a safer location, which meant he wouldn't be in the Aquarium anymore. Sure, she could just fire Eridan—but he already knew about the room and could easily tell other people. So of course he would be moved somewhere.

Somewhere were Tavros couldn't see him anymore.

Tavros glanced at Gamzee, but the merman's eyes were closed. He had on a pained expression, which made Tavros wonder if being out of the water this long might be hurting him.

"Get your shit around you, we're here." Karkat announced, pulling into the entrance way of the east docks. "Okay, I'll sit with the car in case some fucker tries to tow it, which means you fuckers need to find Fef on your own. Can you handle that?"

Tavros smiled thinly, "I think we'll manage."

Gamzee shifted his tail off Tavros' lap without a word, straightening up in his seat as his Matesprit got out of the car and went to the trunk, pulling out the wheelchair.

Brining it around to the side of the car, Tavros opened the door and situated it, letting Gamzee haul himself into the chair. He knew from personal experience that offering to help would be unwelcomed. He watched as Gamzee situated himself in the chair, adjusting the blanket over his tail so it covered every scale.

They both looked up at the sound of a car door opening, surprised to see Karkat stepping out. He scowled at both of them, "What? Can't a fuckass say goodbye?"

Tavros backed away out of earshot, watching as Karkat stuffed his hands in his pockets and looked down at Gamzee, not yet talking.

They stayed like that for a bit, until Gamzee said something and Karkat laughed shortly, then said something with a small smile. Karkat reached out and touched Gamzee's shoulder, his smile faltering slightly and then walked back to the car without another word.

Tavros came back over, looking down at Gamzee, "Everything okay?"

"Fine, bro." Gamzee said quietly, staring after Karkat forlornly.

"…are you okay?"

Gamzee shrugged, picking at the blanket, "Let's just hurry up, yeah?"

"Okay." Tavros gripped the handles and pushed Gamzee away towards where the docks were, glancing back in time to see Karkat watching them with a strange expression on his face. Then they were out of sight from the car.

The docks were completely empty, nothing but white sail boats tied up for the week. The smell of salt permeated the air, along with the cries of seagulls that seemed to catch Gamzee's attention. They walked along the docks, not quite sure what to look for, though Gamzee seemed to be getting agitated. After a bit of watching him twist around, staring at random things with a confused expression, Tavros finally spoke up.

"Gamz, what's wrong? You're acting weird."

"That smell…" Gamzee said, so quietly Tavros almost missed it, "What is it…"

"The ocean." Tavros replied, feeling a small stab of guilt. Was it triggering something in Gamzee? A longing for home? But he wasn't quite sure, especially when Gamzee's tail began to flick nervously under the blanket.

"No…not the ocean…something else."

Tavros sniffed the air, not smelling anything out of the ordinary. There was just the smell of boats, ocean, and the crisp breeze. Salt carried on the breeze, with a hint of motor oil from a dingy, no doubt. But whatever it was seemed to be working Gamzee up something fierce. "Gamzee, hey, what's going on?"

"I…I dunno Tav…something…something is…" Gamzee made a small sound, like a low growl, and twisted around in his seat.

"Gamzee, what—?"

"Ah, there you two are. How nice of you to leave your otter friend behind, that'll make this so much easier."

Tavros stiffened. He'd recognize those horrible fish puns anywhere. He looked over his shoulder and felt his heart stop momentarily at the sight of the people walking towards him. It looked like they'd come off that large fishing boat at the end of the dock, which meant they'd been waiting.

Two young men were leading the trio, dressed in similar clean, but simple suits and matching purple ties. But it was clear even from the distance that it was the third man who was leading the party. Tavros recognized him instantly, even though the last time he'd seen him it had been a brief glimpse of his back.

He was tall, with a strong, cruel face and hard eyes. He was broad shouldered with large, workman's hands. But despite of the weathered look, he was dressed pristinely in a tailored suit, with numerous rings on his fingers.

One of the men Tavros hadn't seen before, with two zigzagging scars over his eye and a nasty smirk curled around a cigarette.

"Ampora." Tavros said stiffly, his mind racing. If he could somehow get to the water, he could toss Gamzee in and then…what? He couldn't run. He hadn't run since before the accident. So maybe he'd dive in too? But those thoughts were erased when he noticed the slight bump in the smoking guy's suit jacket. It could be a gun…and he didn't want to take that chance with Gamzee.

"Nitram." Eridan sneered, his eyes gleaming maliciously. But before he could say anything else, his father spoke.

"Enough of this bullshit, grab the thing and get rid of the boy."

Gamzee, who'd been silent the entire time, now spoke up, "I remember you." His voice was hesitant, unsure, but with a sharp edge that Tavros hadn't heard before.

Eridan and the other guy, who might've been his brother, moved forward briskly towards them.

Tavros stepped in front of Gamzee, watching them approach with a sense of dread. He couldn't take them. He might've been able to take down Eridan, but that other guy…he didn't like the look of his expression.

"Tavros," Gamzee snapped, "get out of here."

"No."

Karkat sighed and leaned on the steering wheel, his mind mulling over his friend. Gamzee would be taken to a safer spot, somewhere new, with a nice big pool. But who would get his ball for him when that stupid fucker knocked it up to the rafters? Who knew his favorite color was red? Who knew that he liked to talk to people? That he needed company?

With a growl he snapped himself out of it. It was for the best—he needed to stop being such a little bitch and deal with it.

His phone rang suddenly, startling Karkat from his thoughts. With a sigh he pulled it out, not bothering to glance at the name before flipping it open. After all, it could only be so many people. "What?"

"Oh! Karkat! Hi there!"

Karkat blinked, "Feferi?"

"Yeah! I heard you were out for tuna days! Are you feeling alright?"

A cold feeling settled in Karkat's gut, "…Fef, where are you?"

"Work! Where else?"

"Oh shit. And Eridan?"

"He must've caught what you have too. He's out."

Karkat was out of the car and running before she even finished her sentence, "Fuck oh fuck no, TAVROS!" He raced towards the docks, looking around wildly while Feferi's voice babbled in his ear. "Shit! Feferi get down to the east docks right fucking now. It's an emergency."

"I…alright I'll be right there."

He snapped his phone shut and swore, looking around for any clue as to where they might've gone. He jogged to the docks, eyes roving frantically over the boats and docks for any sign of his friends. Something limp and gray caught his eye a few yards away, and he raced over only to find Tavros' discarded sweatshirt.

"Oh hell." Karkat looked around, his pulse racing. It didn't take a fucking genius to figure out what happened here. Gamzee wouldn't have recognized Feferi's voice, and fuck did Eridan sound like a woman sometimes. No fucking wonder it had been so easy.

He looked up, his eyes narrowed as he looked over the boats, spotting what he was looking for in minutes.

A single boat driving off towards the open waters.

"Gamzee."

Karkat turned sprinted towards the end of the dock, skidding to a halt as the wood ran out, leaving him miles away from his friends. "Fuck. FUCK!"

"Karkat!"

Karkat whipped around, expecting Feferi, but there was nobody there. He paused, listening intently. He knew he'd heard it.

"Hello? Is that you, Karkat?"

The voice came from below him, and Karkat turned to stare at a boat, drifting nonchalantly against the pier. Not giving a shit that he had no business on somebody else's boat, he hopped into the galley and crouched down, frowning as he spotted the way below deck. It had been bolted shut from the outside, typical if you were leaving your boat from the weekend. Reaching out, he rapped his knuckles on the wood, "Tavros?"

"Karkat!"

Not sparing a second to think, Karkat stood up and snapped, "Get away from the door!" before bringing his foot violently down on the cheap plywood. It splintered on the first blow, and then gave way with a loud crack on the second kick. Grinning triumphantly, Karkat leapt down below decks, "I haven't done that since high school."

"Karkat they have Gamzee! It's Eridan and his, uh, family I think. They took him and got on their boat—!"

"I know, Fefer is coming now as I speak—shit Tavros. What the fuck happened to you?"

Tavros had a grim look of satisfaction on his face, "I put up more of a fight then either of them thought I could."

"Well shit, good for you fuckass." Karkat surveyed the black eye, busted lip, and bloody nose with a grin. Judging by how Tavros was holding himself, he'd be black and blue all over tomorrow. But today was what mattered. "Come on, get out so we can go get Gamzee back."

Karkat scrambled out of the boat and then turned around, helping Tavros out. He wrapped an arm around him, letting Tavros use him as support as they waited at the dock. Karkat would periodically glance between the entrance of the gate and the rapidly shrinking boat, mentally keeping track of the time as Gamzee moved further and further away.

"Let me go! Let me go you motherfucking pieces of—!" Gamzee's snarls were cut off by the sharp crack of a hand across his face, stunning him momentarily.

"I forgot how irritating your voice is." The man sneered, watching as Gamzee glared at him furiously, "Is that anyway for you to behave at a reunion? Didn't that slimy scaled father of yours teach you any manners before I turned him into fish food?"

Gamzee stared at him, torn between revulsion and confusion, "What the motherfuck are you talking about? Get the hell off my, you sick fuck!"

"You don't remember." The man stared at Gamzee with a hungry expression, amusement slicing through his gaze like a torpedo through water, "How ironic. Cronus, I think it's time for a family reunion, don't you?"

"Sure thing, Dad." Cronus grinned, his muscles straining from holding the thrashing fishman. For someone as lanky as this fucker, he could sure put up a fight. "Come on, you fish fuck."

"And Cronus," the man said, his voice changing into something far more threatening, "I don't want a single scale on him harmed. He's to be in pristine condition, understand?"

Gamzee hissed angrily as he felt the man's thick arms contract around him, keeping his arms pinned to his sides.

"Aye aye, Captain." Cronus said gruffly, and then hauled the thrashing merman away in a fit of snarling and hissing. He headed below decks, grunting as Gamzee's tail smacked the wall and nearly unbalanced him. In response he tightened his grip until he heard bones crack warningly, accompanied by a high pitched hiss of pain. "Yeah that's right, shut the hell up."

Gamzee tried to twist around to bite him, but Cronus had him completely pinned.

The interior of the boat was startlingly posh. Wood gleaned and bronze sparkled as Cronus dragged Gamzee to the main attraction; a massive tank built into the back of the boat. A small set of stairs was by the side of it, and Cronus mounted them and, with a groan, tossed Gamzee into the water with a sizable splash.

It felt good to be back in his natural setting, and Gamzee might've enjoyed the familiar cool kiss of the water over his skin if it hadn't been for the fact he'd just been stolen. He swam up against the glass and a loud, feral growl tore from his throat as he watched Cronus retreat. Gamzee pounded his fists against the glass, making dull 'thump'ing noises travel throughout the massive tank.

As the sound bounced back, Gamzee suddenly went completely still.

There was something in here with him.

Whipping around, Gamzee pressed back into his corner and snarled ferociously, only for it to cut off midway as he realized what was floating in front of him.

He was larger than Gamzee, but otherwise looked hauntingly like him. His back was a dark purple, graduating into a light lavender streak on his stomach and underneath his tail. His markings, those lines on his torso and cuffs on his arms, were the same, along with the claws, sharp teeth, and yellow eyes. But the facial markings were completely different.

Instead of the small white line tips that Gamzee had on his forehead, this one's white markings came all the way down to his cheeks, forming a strange, almost skull like pattern on his face.

He was staring at Gamzee in shock, silently hovering there, his tail gently sweeping back and forth.

"W-what the hell?!" Gamzee shouted, though his words were lost underwater.

The other merman flinched, snapping out of whatever trance he'd been in, and then raised his hands, palms out.

A gesture of peace.

Gamzee shrunk back into the corner, staring in fascination and horror at the merman in front of him. He'd never seen himself before, though he knew what he looked like. But to see another one…

Something tickled the back of his mind again, that name, but with a new urgency.

"Who are you?" Gamzee whispered. Though the words were lost, the meaning was clear.

A look of unbearable sadness formed on the creatures face, and he sunk down to the bottom of the tank and stared mournfully at Gamzee. He opened his mouth and silently mouthed, "You don't remember me?"

Gamzee shook his head mutely, watching with wide golden eyes as the other merman gazed up at him.

"You don't remember our father?" The merman asked, his eyes pleading silently as he mouthed the words, "You don't remember me, Gamzee?"

"Stoppit, stop what are you talking about?" Gamzee wailed, bubbles flying silently from his lips. He slid away from him and swam to the other side of the tank. "I have to get out! I have to find Tavros! Tavros…" Gamzee made a strangled sound as he remembered his Matesprit being dragged off by that fucker with the scars. "Tavros, Tavros I'm so sorry…" He sunk to the bottom of the tank, curling his tail under him and leaning against the chilly glass.

The other merman watched him, and then slowly swam forwards, stopping a fair distance from Gamzee. He sat there, watching Gamzee claw at the glass and keen mournfully, his own face mirroring the agony Gamzee felt.

After a while, Gamzee stopped. He knew it was useless. So he turned to the silent merman and pointed upwards, towards the open top, "We can talk up there, if you want."

He shook his head slowly, and then opened his mouth.

Gamzee hissed and recoiled, eyes huge, "Shit! Shit what the fuck happened to you?"

Closing his mouth, the merman pointed outwards silently and mouthed, "Ampora."

Gamzee blinked, and then slowly reached up and traced his fingers over the three scars across his face, "Ampora…" Something was there, something just at the tip of his memory, boiling over, waiting for that one final push. "Who are you?" He asked, looking at the merman, "Who are you to me?"

The merman reached down and began to trace words in the fake sand, spelling out the thing that had been ripped from Gamzee all those years ago.

Shifting closer, careful not to disturb the letters, Gamzee read out, "My name is Kurloz. I'm your…" he looked up, his eyes huge, "brother."

And it all came back.