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Chapter 14
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Despite the cheerful chattering of the group, you could almost sense the tense anxiousness that surrounded them.
Ever since Nate had announced to the community that the 'Wall Patrollers' were also mermaids and mermen that could become human, the town had been in uproar searching for possible Mers. Several teens that believed that it wasn't a hoax, unlike most the adults, had taken to wearing a water gun on their belt loop.
Unfortunately, the matter was made worse, when Nate made sure that they knew what to look for. He had warned everyone that the Mers wore glowing jewels.
Our favorite group of friends made sure to hide the stones while in public. They would have just taken them off entirely, if Lewis hadn't discovered that they had apparently been absorbing their Mer magic while they were in human form.
After researching the scrolls in the Council's Cavern, they had learned that if they were to remove the moonstone at this point more than just their eye color would show. The magic of the Island was amplifying their own and thus transforming even their human forms.
In fact when Alison had removed hers as an experiment, her contacts dissolved exposing her eyes and her normally black hair acquired orange stripes.
Without the stones absorbing their ambient magic it was impossible to appear human.
Thus the predicament that the crew was fretting over.
They just needed to wait one more week. During the Queens visit to Sydney, they would announce themselves to her and hope they would be recognized as an independent nation.
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While they sipped at their juices, Nate and his currently ever present camera, walked into the Café.
He had searched the entire town and hadn't seen a single stone. Frustrated and more than a bit impatient Nate had taken to squirting people randomly just to test them.
Of course when he had squirted Zane, Zane had promptly told him that if he sprayed the damn gun in his Café again he would be banned faster than a yeast infection could spread through a college.
"I'll have a turkey on rye with tomato and mayo please," Nate requested pleasantly enough from the employee behind the register.
To his right was a rather pretty little blond wearing pink shorts and a tight white tank top.
"Hello there babe, what's your name," Nate asked the blonde, as she sat at the counter on a stool waiting for her order.
The girl turned with a smile, which quickly turned sour as she recognized his face.
"Rose," she answered stiffly.
"Hey there, why so cold," Nate flirted with the cute teen. He wasn't sure of her age but with his recent fame he could get away with it.
"I have a boyfriend thank you," Rose stated before turning her back to him and hopping off the stool.
As she did this the keys to the motor bike Zane had recently bought her, fell from her pocket to the floor. With a quick huff of frustration she leaned down to pick them up only to be intercepted by a distinctly male hand which snatched the keys.
Rose didn't feel her necklace as it slipped from its hiding place beneath her shirt, as she stood from her bent over position and snatched the keys from the suddenly still hand of Nate Cunningham.
"You're one of them," was all that Nate could manage as he stared at the glowing pink stone at the end of a chain around her neck.
"I-I don't know what you're talking about," Rose stuttered as she grabbed her order and headed towards the door intending to drive away from this.
"HEY EVERYBODY SHE'S ONE OF THEM," Nate shouted getting the attention of the patrons as he snatched the necklace from around her neck, breaking the delicate chain.
The crowd stared as the blonde suddenly became pink haired and her blue eyes became a bright rosy color.
Before Rose could react farther than making a terrified face, Nate pulled his the small yellow water gun from his pocket and emptied it onto the pink haired girl.
Thud
Rose lay on her stomach with her tail and seashell bra exposed for all to see, including the excited Channel 7 camera man.
Nate reached down and grabbed her by the arm, wrenching her up with some difficulty as she struggled against him.
"Proof, solid evidence for all of you that said it was a hoax," Nate said as he held Rose's arms tightly against him.
Leon had just come out of the men's room to see a crying Rose in her mermaid form being held hostage by Nate.
Seeing red, Leon pushed his way through the crowd and into the cleared area around Nate.
"You think that exposing and humiliating a seventeen year old girl makes you a hero," Leon challenged, he needed to catch Nate off guard.
"It's not about humiliation, I just proved that mermaids existed," Nate boasted to the crowd. Said crowd seemed to have a mixed response.
All seemed surprised but more than half of them seem to sympathize with Leon's words.
"I say you let her go before you end up with a shiner instead of a shiny medal for your stupidity," Leon threatened.
Nate looking around at the faces of the café's patrons realized he wasn't the good guy in this. Unfortunately, Nate isn't well known for his lack of stubbornness.
Still clutching a sobbing, squirming Rose, Nate pushes his way through the surprised crowd, past the deck and onto the sand of the beach adjacent to the Café.
"What do you plan on doing swimming away," Leon taunted.
The crowd had followed them outside and was watching from the deck of the Café.
Nate realizing the futility in his action dropped Rose and was about to make a run for it when he spotted the red glow of a ruby set ring that was swinging from a previously hidden chain around his neck.
"HE'S ONE OF THEM," Nate shouted to the crowd, "HE'S ONE OF THE FISH PEOPLE."
The crowd seemed shocked and unsure as they looked at the seemingly normal man. Rose had used her arms to crawl into the surf and had disappeared.
Rolling his eyes Leon raised his fist and decked Nate sending him into a spin. Catching himself by landing on his knee Nate shook the stars from his eyes and remembering his judo training spun a leg out knocking Leon to back in the sand.
Quickly jumping to their feet the two of them circled each other. Nate had skill but Leon had the brute strength that came with being a Mer.
Nate came at him attempting to kick him in the chest. Using his better than human agility Leon, bent back at the knee and caught Nate's foot. With his closest knee Leon tried and would have succeeded to knee the younger boy in the gonads if Nate hadn't surprised him by snapping the chain holding his wedding band and spinning out of his grasp.
Leon hissed and snarled to the shock of the watching café as his eyes turned to their natural stripes. Most surprising of all is that instead of his hair changing like Rose's had his arms sprouted the venomous spines of a Lionfish.
"WHAT THE FUCK," Nate screamed scrambling away.
Realizing that he had an audience, Nate summoned up his courage and launched himself at the hissing man.
A gasp rose from the crowd as Leon crossed his arms in front of himself to prevent Nate's attack. Nate stopped, but not until Leon's venomous spines had embedded themselves a half inch into his skin.
Gasping in pain, Nate collapsed backward, leaving Leon's spines glistening with red.
"Shit, man are you alright," Leon dropped down next to the now convulsing boy.
Realizing that he had to act fast, Leon used his razor sharp finger nails to rip the boys t-shirt away from his chest. Concentrating on affect, Leon pierced the barely breathing Nate with his thumb nail and allowed the antidote to fill the cut he had created.
It would be a while before Nate was a hundred percent but it was better than never getting up again.
Hearing the sirens in the distance Leon leaped to his feet, kemala in hand and left the unconscious boy in the sand as he disappeared into the waves.
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Emergency personnel had arrived and were questioning each of the witnesses.
"Name and date of birth," the Officer asked attentively. At the first mention of mermaids being uncovered, the local authorities had made sure to follow protocol to the tee knowing that the following investigation would be intensively critiqued.
"William Benjamin, June 7th 1991," Will answered quickly hoping to join the others in Zane's office.
"Benjamin you say," the Officer asks.
At the moment the Officer was reminded of a story about a boy named Will Benjamin that his friend Bruce had told him about. Bruce had first met Will on an Emergency call. His old friend, swore up and down that Will couldn't be human because if he was he'd be dead.
It was rather suspicious that someone 'who couldn't be human' was at the scene of two fish people being discovered.
"Do you have anything you'd like to declare," the Officer asked suddenly.
"What, this isn't the airport," Will said absent mindedly as he notices his wife being questioned.
"Sir, are you wearing any jewelry matching the description of a glowing stone set in a necklace, bracelet or ring," the officer narrowed his eyes at the glint of silver around Will's neck.
"No are we done or are you going to ask something relevant about what happened," Will said suddenly nervous.
Bella had been the last of his group to be questioned and she disappeared into the office closing the door behind her.
Protocol to hell, if there were more of those creepy fish people then he was going to uncover them.
While William Benjamin was looking to the side the Police Officer reached out and pulled the necklace into full view.
Will grabbed the man's wrist before he could completely snap the chain.
"He's one of them," the Officer shouts out causing his uniformed buddies to turn, hand on their holstered tasers.
"That's ridiculous, I was just trying to stop you from stealing my necklace," Will said releasing the officer's arm.
Regrettably, the Officer did not release the necklace and upon removing his clenched hand from the vicinity of Will's neck, broke the chain.
The remaining witnesses that hadn't been questioned gasped along with the officers as Will's blue eyes turned to a bright glowing purple and shimmering indigo highlights appeared in his hair. Black Henna swirled into existence as intricate waves on his arms.
Before he could move handcuffs were slapped onto his wrists as two men started pushing him towards the waiting car.
"Alright so I'm a Mer, what's my bloody crime," Will asked as he came to a halt in the middle of a staring crowd.
The entire town seems to have turned up for the breaking news.
Looking back and forth at each other the cops seem to realize that they couldn't arrest him without a crime.
"You assaulted an officer of the law," one offers obviously uncertain.
"He assaulted me first," Will says childishly before remembering who he was, "And if you don't want to start a war then you'll release me from these cuffs."
"W-war," one of the officers asks suddenly nervous.
"Yes War, those earlier Mer were just regular run of the mill citizens. I on the other hand, happen to be a member of the Royal Council. So I'd be much obliged if you'd remove these cuffs!"
Without removing the cuffs, four of the highest ranking cops huddled up to discuss the predicament. After reaching an apparent agreement the largest one approached Will who was nonchalantly leaning against the cop car still in his handcuffs.
"We've decided that you need to come down to headquarters with us and when we get there we'll decide what to do," the Officer said.
"Alright but if my siblings get angry about it, I'm not taking the blame and I truly feel sorry for you if my wife gets a hold of you," Will laughed as he was half pushed into the cop car.
The Council had already agreed that if any of them were captured, that the person taken was to be cooperative, warn their captures that it could start a war and then wait. After giving them a chance to release them, an already chosen group would come and free the captive mer.
He was only to use his powers against them if absolutely necessary. No maiming but a demonstration or two was allowed.
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Will had been sitting in the interrogation room for at least an hour before the cops had been brave enough to actually talk to him.
He calmly refused any drink or food in case it was poisoned or they wanted a DNA sample. Finally the door opened and a man that looked to be about thirty entered carrying a case file.
"William Benjamin, age 21, born in Australia, spent five years from ages 12 to 17 traveling the world with your parents then returned to Australia for the last 4 years. Oddly enough it says you were a diving champion, I suppose that you had a bit of an unfair advantage. Now..what I can't figure out is how you have human records, fish-boy."
"No need to be derisive, until four years ago I was a human," Will replied evenly. They were going to expose themselves soon anyway, might as well start by showing cooperation with the local authorities.
"Mind telling me how it's possible to suddenly change species like that," the interrogator asked gruffly.
"First tell me your name, I'd at least like to be introduced to the man who's questioning me like I'm some inferior fish," Will rolled his eyes in response.
"My name is Officer Robert Havenash and it is my understanding that you are a fish," Robert Havenash retorts.
"I'm not a fish, I'm a highly evolved aquatic humanoid," Will sneered at the prejudicial man.
"Highly evolved my ass. From here you don't look like anything more than a two-bit punk that dyed his hair and is wearing contacts," Robert the interrogator quipped, "If you're so 'evolved' then how come you ain't got cities or nothing like we do. In fact from my understanding you freaks walk around wearing ratty canvas and seashells."
"I'm sorry that unlike you we attempt to work with and preserve the environment as is our duty, instead of ripping it to pieces and building fugly ass buildings like this piece of crap we're sitting in right here. Clothes wise we merely use whatever is on hand in the ocean. Until recently our species was barely surviving after humans destroyed massacred our people two thousand years ago. And to the city comment, ever hear of Atlantis. Ever turn the Telly on and here about the city that's being built out at Mako," Will returned irately.
Right as he finishes, the door opens admitting a grey haired man in a well cut business suit.
"Officer Havenash, if you would leave, your superior would like a word with you on protocol and how you just breached it," the new man admonishes calmly. Robert Havenash looks between the two of you as if he's unsure of himself, before standing up and exiting the room.
"I'm sorry for anything he said that may have upset or offended you. I'm Senator Lawrence McCallahan. Lawrence is fine," the Senator introduced, as he shook Will's hand and sat down across the table.
"Prince Lemah, Guardian of the Earth and a member of the Atlantean Royal Council. Will is fine," Will returned politely with a mischievious smile.
"A prince really? Would you care to explain your other titles," Lawrence asks amiably taking notes.
"I am Guardian of the Earth, I control the soils and metals and use my abilities to protect the ocean when it is threatened. The Atlantean Royal Council is a council consisting of seven other Guardians other than myself. Seven of us are Mer and one is human. We decide on things such as laws, expansions, the ocean and its health, and though we have yet to have need to do so, deliberate on any punishments that might be needed."
"Interesting, can I ask what you are building out at Mako," Lawrence asked with a sudden change of topic.
"I can't tell you. The other council members don't want it revealed until we are done but it is a residential place for my kind," Will explained.
"How do we know it's not something dangerous and all this mermaid stuff isn't a hoax to cover up a terrorist attack," Lawrence asked suddenly suspicious.
Will rolled his eyes and grabbed the water bottle off the table in front of him. Twisting the cap off he poured a small amount onto his hand.
"That's how you know it's not a hoax," Will answered.
The Senator stared at his muscular indigo tail.
"That's—that's amazing," Lawrence said getting up from his chair and coming around the table to get a closer look, "How does it change like that."
"Magic."
Lawrence laughed, "No really, how do you make your legs disappear. Is it a chemical or something?"
"No it's magic, plain and simple," Will answered, wiping the water off his hand with a Kleenex from the box in front of him.
"But…magic doesn't exist," Lawrence said unsure.
"Magic is to Mer as Electricity is to Humans," Will said sagely while grinning, "We use it for everything, it powers our cities, it constructs our buildings, it protects our territories and we use it to keep the ocean healthy."
"C-Can you do magic," Lawrence asked excitedly as he returned to his seat across the metal table.
"Yes, and I'd show you but first you'll have to tell me. Are the handcuffs really necessary?" Will asked holding his wrist up for the man to see.
"Oh, of-of course not. Here let me get those," Lawrence stuttered scrambling for the key on a ring he had been given. For a senator he really wasn't very smooth spoken but in his defense it was not everyday one gets to meet a magical Mer prince.
Lawrence the Senator froze half way around the table, key in hand as he stared at Will's wrists.
The hand cuffs seemed to be melting off his wrists into a pool of cool liquid metal on the table.
"That's better," Will said as the pool of handcuff began reformed into a tiny bird which took off flying in circles around their heads.
"Magic is real?" Lawrence exclaimed his eyes never leaving the little metal bird.
The bird flew down and landed on Will's head and began forming into a circular ban with intricate carvings. It was a crown.
"Told you I was a prince," Will smirked, standing up.
"Now Senator Lawrence, I believe we can be allies. Of course you'll have to return the necklace that officer took from me, otherwise you might have a problem on your hands," Will suggested heavily.
"Of course," Lawrence said as he turned to the two way mirror, "Officer Riley can you come in here please."
A few moments later asuspicious officer walked in. WEARING HIS Atlantean Royal Seal and Kemala.
"Hand it over you shouldn't be wearing that," Will said suddenly angry. The Magical medallion was NOT to be worn by anyone but the Atlantean Royal Council member it belonged to.
"Senator with all due respect I don't believe we should be letting it free," Officer Riley said to the Senator ignoring Will's complaint.
"I am not an IT, human. If you do not hand me the seal around your neck, you are declaring an act of WAR. That seal is not to be worn by anyone but the Guardian of the Earth and the Kemala attached to it is spelled to maim or kill anyone who hasn't participated in the ceremony of ascension."
The Officer looked at the necklace in worry.
Will still angry that his property was being worn, by the idiot that had exposed him, pulled his hand back in a snatching motion and caught the necklace as the metal flew through the air into his hand.
"HEY," the Officer said pulling his gun.
"Riley, stand down. Do you want to cause a war," Lawrence asked.
"Actually yeah, I don't see why we should have to pretend these things are anything more than over glorified fish," Riley growled cocking his gun.
"You, like that other cop think you are our superiors. Go ahead shoot me it won't hurt me, and if it did and you started a war, we would win. Any missile thrown at us we'd catch and throw back like a too small fish. If you succeeded in killing me, my brother Prince Semasan would probably drown half your country in a tsunami. My wife would turn your crops to poison and Princess Cahaya and Princess Ndari would take turns putting the world through Ice ages and intense desert droughts every other month."
Riley lowered the gun, his face tight with fear.
"Yeah, I bet you feel real superior now you prejudicial ass wipe," Will said flicking his hand at the gun, causing it to crumble into metal dust.
Riley ran screaming out the door about demons.
"I apologize on his behalf," Lawrence said stoically, "I hope our country has no problem with yours."
"None at all, there will always be people like that. Hopefully they are the exception and not the rule. I will however have to ask that you not tell the world at large too much about us, we'll be revealing ourselves soon," Will asked as he walked out of the interrogation room with the Senator.
"Understood your majesty. We'll say you wouldn't talk," the Senator answered immediately, "However to keep with protocol we'll have to keep you overnight."
"That's fine my family will come 'bail me out'. And for your politeness, when we open the gates, you're definitely invited what we are doing on the island," Will grinned. Politician or not, the Senator was going to be a good ally.
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Tiny cliffhanger I suppose
Reviews please and ideas are nice I might not use them but if there is something you always wanted from the series and never got that is related to Atlantis then review with it and I'll see if I can work it in and make a longer story.