Kaiba paced his office nervously, doing his best to avoid looking at the golden crown sitting atop his desk which was gleaming threateningly at him.

The stones were lodged tightly in the gold. The merman had called it a crown, and the memory made his stomach churn.
He would have to melt the surrounding gold to get to the stone.

But something felt off about plucking the stones from it, and Kaiba wondered if it would bring bad luck.

Sighing, he sat down behind his desk and picked the crown up gingerly, turning it in the light, admiring the thin engraving along the entire rim.

Maybe he could call a jeweler and see what they could do about removing the stones for him without damaging the crown.

He heard a knock at the door and Mokuba's voice drifted through it, "Seto? Are you busy?"

"Yes, Mokuba," Kaiba replied, palming his face tiredly. "Come back later."

"Okay," Mokuba replied quietly, and he backed away slowly from the door, feeling a rush of resentment towards his older brother.

Seto had been holing himself up in the lab for the past few months, and it was starting to get on his nerves. At least Seto would resurface after several weeks, but this time, it seemed different.

Mokuba had even moved some of his stuff from his room into the spare bunk at the lab to be closer to Seto, hoping to catch more glimpses of his older brother, and it was alarming to see him grow more pale and sallow as the months dragged on.

What's more, the media was tearing their company apart, criticizing them for not being "environmentally conscious" due to Seto's newest venture. It became so prevalent that Mokuba had to set up a filter for his own name in his own computer to avoid seeing negative news about himself.

Today was also a work day, but not a soul was in sight.

Grumbling to himself, Mokuba stalked over to the elevator and slapped his palm against the sensor, watching the door slide open quickly before he stepped in.

Maybe if he stuck his nose into the lab's business, he could get an idea of what they were doing, and find a way to help Seto.

Atem was sitting in the far back of the tank, actively avoiding the sunlight coming in through the tiny square in the ceiling. His skin was terribly dry after his unwelcome soak in fresh water and the sun wasn't helping.

He curled his tail underneath himself, feeling the water grow unbearably warm.

This was another special hell in itself, and Atem was beginning to have an inkling of how his mother may have perished.

Was the human doing this on purpose? Or was he unaware that the sun would slowly roast him alive, just like it would with any other human?

He heard footsteps approaching and froze, seeing another person emerge from the sliding door and stand at the far end of the room, gaping at him.

Another one! Atem's blood ran cold with dread as he wondered if he had it in himself to kill two humans during his escape.

Mokuba stayed rooted to the spot with shock, staring at the man trapped behind the glass.
What the actual heck?!
Was Seto keeping someone prisoner down here?!

He ran forward and almost stumbled on his own feet before reaching the glass, pressing his palms against it and peering at the figure sitting curled in the back.

It was a man, with dark skin and wonderfully wild hair that had three different colors. His eyes were large and angular, and there was a strange fire in his pupils while they stared at each other silently for a long moment.

Mokuba opened and closed his mouth, discovering that his voice had died in his throat.

Atem assessed the human carefully, taking in his long black hair, small stature, large grey eyes and small hands. A child.
A child very close to growth into a full human.

Children were more malleable than adult humans. Perhaps this child could help him.

"I'm dying," Atem said plainly, seeing the child's eyes widen in fear, and a trickle of hope ran through his chest. "My skin is drying out from the sun."

Mokuba obeyed without question, and he ran to slam his palm against the scanner on the wall, tapping the screen frantically, searching for the button that would close the hatch in the ceiling.

Pleased, Atem watched a welcome shadow creep over the large patch of sunlight, and he instantly felt cooler.

Breathing a sigh of relief, he risked a smile at the boy, "Thank you."

Still unable to speak, Mokuba shrugged his shoulders awkwardly, wondering how long this guy had been down here. He was still sitting weirdly in the back, not moving.

Atem wasted no time raining questions down on the boy.

"Could you show me the way back to the ocean? You can open doors? Are strong enough to carry me? I can lend you my strength."

Mokuba blinked, slowly finding his voice, and when he spoke, he thought he sounded oddly squeaky. "A way back…to the ocean?"

"Yes, I live there," Atem replied irritably, wondering if this child was going to react with fear or awe after seeing his tail. It was dark enough in the far corner that his lower half was still conveniently concealed under the water which had once again turned a murky brown.
The human Seto Kaiba had neglected to cycle through the water through since he had left earlier, and Atem once again found himself humiliated, sitting in a pool of his own eliminations.

"What…then what are you doing here?" Mokuba asked quietly, knowing that Seto always had a good reason for his actions and was never unnecessarily cruel…not that he knew of.

But this was his first time discovering a prisoner in the lab. Mokuba wasn't sure what to think of his older brother anymore.

"My tail was pierced with a metal arm."

Atem spoke quickly, doing his best to elicit sympathy from the child. "It dragged me into a sealed tank, so here I am now. Please release me before the man with blue eyes finds out."

"The man with blue eyes," Mokuba repeated, his suspicion rising along with his curiosity. "The owner of this place? Seto Kaiba?" He had to make sure this spiky-haired guy was talking about his Seto, and not another scientist with blue eyes.

"Yes!" Atem nodded stiffly, dread curling low in his stomach when he saw the child's face darken. Perhaps this child looked up to that man. "Please help me."

"But why did Seto put you in here?" Mokuba continued, stepping forward and eying the surface of the water cautiously, thinking he had heard the man say 'tail'. "Because you have a tail?"

Atem fell silent, realizing that this child would not be easily fooled.

"You want to see my tail?" Atem asked hopefully, running his tongue along the tops of his teeth and quickly retracting his fangs. "I'm an ocean fairy and I can grant you a wish…if you release me."

He smiled the warmest smile to he could muster, and to his rising horror, the child let out a curling laugh that made his hair stand on end.

This behavior was strangely…familiar.

"An ocean fairy?" Mokuba jeered, feeling his shoulder shake with residual mirth. "Do you honestly think I'm six years old? I don't believe that story for a minute. Try again. What bad thing did you do that made Seto lock you in here?"

Atem stared blankly at the child, growing numb all over.

So it was a matter of believing?

He quickly shifted himself and flipped the end of his tail carelessly out of the dirty water, seeing the child gasp and stagger back with shock.
Ah good. Freedom was close.

"Tell me your wish," Atem said, his throat slowly closing up at the lie. And I won't kill you, he finished privately in his mind, watching the child narrow his eyes at him.

A mermaid! Mokuba shook all over, unable to take his next breath. No, a merman!

Seto had caught…a mythical creature! Was this real? Was this a dream?

It all made sense now! This creature was the reason why Seto was so torn up.
He had a pretty good idea why Seto was going on so many dives in the same area. His brother was trying to find the dwelling of these creatures!

"I'll release you," Mokuba said firmly, and he saw the creature's face light up. "If you draw me a map of how to get to your home."

Atem's stomach sank so violently, he felt nauseous. This child was even worse than Seto Kaiba!

"Why would you want that?" Atem asked weakly, managing another thin smile. "You want a wish, don't you? You can ask for anything you want! Money? Fame? …A female companion perhaps?"

Mokuba rolled his eyes, understanding that this merman had probably made the same bargain with Seto and had gotten nowhere.

"Fame sucks, and I have money," Mokuba replied plainly, tilting his head at the merman after folding his arms across his chest. "I can find my own girlfriend, thanks. Give me something from your world."

My world? Atem thought, terror stricken.
These humans were smarter than any humans he had ever encountered.
They didn't want basic pleasures from their world.
They sought the pleasures from other realms.
How incredibly…greedy and disgusting.

"I—" Atem began but was cut off by a furious shout coming from the sliding doors at the far end of the room.

"MOKUBA!"

Dread climbed its way up his chest when he saw Seto Kaiba striding towards the child, his handsome features twisted in anger.

"Stay away from it! It's dangerous!"

Atem watched as the child was yanked away by the arm and understanding slowly began to dawn on him.

This child…was Seto Kaiba's kin. And his name was Mokuba.

He had also been called an 'it', and the phrase rattled painfully around in his mind.

"I'm dying!" Atem shouted hoarsely through the glass, pounding on it furiously as he watched the sliding doors shut with a quiet whoosh, leaving him alone in the room once more.

His stomach grumbled painfully and he sagged heavily against the glass, growing angrier by the second.
This behavior was reminding him exactly why he hated humans.

Fine. If the humans were going to leave him here to rot, he would show them exactly how dangerous he could be.

He was done playing nice.

Growling, Atem raised his arm and extended his claws, giving the glass a vicious swipe and feeling his fingertips sting with pain. The result was a deep, grooved scratch, and the glass remained intact.

Covering his ears, Atem took a deep breath and slowly gathered all of his strength before letting out a piercing shriek, feeling the water reverberate dangerously beneath him while the walls of his enclosure began to crack, followed by the glass on all the electronic screens in the room popping and exploding at once.

Above, the Kaiba brothers were thrown off guard as all the screens in the room began to shatter violently.

Kaiba threw Mokuba to the ground protectively, shielding his head.

"Cover your ears!" Kaiba shouted over the deafening screech, and Mokuba nodded fearfully, his hands already clapped over his ears.

Breathless, Atem felt his scream linger horribly in the air.
Maybe…if he was lucky enough, someone in his family would've heard him.

A spiderweb of cracks decorated the entire enclosure, and Atem felt a surge of triumph. Finally.

He inched back on his elbows and gave the barrier a ferocious whip with his tail and shards of broken glass cascaded down around him like magnificent rain.

Now…he would bravely crawl through this debris to his freedom. It would be painful, but worth it.

Getting shakily to his feet, Kaiba helped Mokuba up and drew his little brother into a tight hug, feeling him tremble in his arms.

"Don't ever go down there again," Kaiba said hoarsely, his ears throbbing with pain, the sound ringing horribly in the air. "Do you understand?"

Mokuba nodded silently, on the verge of tears and at a complete loss for words.

Beneath them, Atem was blowing furiously at the glass, trying to clear a path for himself without dragging his tail over the shards.

His palms were already bleeding from tiny pinpricks he had received from placing his hands down at his sides, and he cursed, thinking he had trapped himself in another difficult situation.

The sliding doors opened, and Atem bared his fangs instantly, glaring hatefully at the human named Seto Kaiba, who was standing at the far end of the room, looking generally unshaken.

The glass crunched beneath Kaiba's feet as he walked closer through the mess towards the collapsed tank, and his hair began to stand on end.

The creature was strangely beautiful even though it was helpless, surrounded by a circle snowy glass with its tail curled into its chest, fangs bared and claws raised.

Shallow water puddled around his feet and Kaiba stood his ground, standing an arm's length away from the monster.

"If you keep breaking every enclosure I put you in, I'll change the material, and you won't like it," Kaiba said firmly, willing his voice not to shake. "I'm going to put you in a new one now. Can we get along?"

"No," Atem hissed, leering angrily up at the human, now realizing he was extremely tall. "I will shatter every cage you put me in because I belong in the sea."

"Then we will do this back and forth until one of us gets tired," Kaiba said coldly, folding his arms across his chest, willing his heart to calm down. The creature's fangs were thin and long, like a snake's, and he briefly wondered if they were venomous.

Atem gazed apprehensively up at the human, hating every handsome feature on his face. Vile…disgusting creature.
Fine. If the human wanted to keep him caged, comfort was a top priority.

"You were killing me," Atem said plainly, folding his arms across his chest. "The water is not fresh, and the sun was burning me…" He held up his arm for the human to see that the red patch was beginning to shed a flaky grey film.

There was no energy left in his body to spare for healing now. Having been deprived of food for four days and three nights, everything was taking a toll on him.

Kaiba blinked rapidly, understanding that this creature was more sensitive that he had originally thought.

"…and I'm starving," Atem growled, curling and uncurling his fists. "At least make my enclosure livable, you cruel piece of shit."

That I am, Kaiba thought mildly, giving the creature an appraising look.

"I will help you," Kaiba said, and he heard the creature hiss at him.

"You are not helping me," Atem retaliated. "You are doing the exact opposite. Don't speak lies."

"I will give you…your comforts," Kaiba corrected himself, beginning to grow impatient. "In return—"

"In return, you free me!" Atem sneered, holding up his middle finger again, no longer deciding to play nice. "I refuse to give you anything from my world. I'm not bargaining with you anymore. Release me, or I kill you the first chance I get."

Kaiba stood there for a long moment, wondering if he was hallucinating to a point of no return.
Impossible, because Mokuba had seen this thing too, and he was standing in his lab…surrounded by millions of dollars' worth of damaged equipment.

If this creature let out the scream repeatedly, he'd be ruined.

Gagging it was out of the question. It would create more hostility between them, and releasing it back into the ocean was not something he was willing to do just yet.

Not until he found out more about the mysterious stones.

Threats didn't seem to be working, and at this rate, bribery didn't appear feasible either.

"How about this…" Kaiba began, and he saw the creature flick its tail irritably and look away haughtily. "I give you your crown back. I have not touched it yet."

Atem kept his gaze focused on the silver wall to his far right, feeling his eyes water heavily. He was trapped here until he made a deal with this unmovable human.

"You wear a crown, so you must be…royalty," Kaiba stated, waiting for the creature to correct him, and when he was met with defiant silence, he continued to speak. "There must be something happening in your…kingdom…that you want to change. What is it?"

"Oh, indeed," Atem whipped his head around to glare at the human. "The fear of being seen or captured is high. We're going extinct. Release me."

"Anything else?" Kaiba asked, willing himself to remain composed. He was this close to shouting at the creature, and he couldn't risk another high-pitched scream. Mokuba was already frightened enough.

"Yes, many things," Atem shivered and sat up straighter. "Ugly metal ships have been hovering in our hemisphere. They are as dangerous as they are annoying. They bring garbage with them. Tons and tons of garbage."

"Then our agreement is this," Kaiba declared triumphantly, his blue eyes gleaming handsomely, "My teams will rake up the garbage, and leave your hemisphere."

If his ships were hovering near "the hemisphere" it meant he was close to the monster's lair.

"Why would you do that?" Atem asked, narrowing his eyes suspiciously at the man. So the metal ships belonged to this vile human.
He now had a face to match the crime.

"So that you will agree to live peacefully in a comfortable enclosure…in my lab," Kaiba finished, thinking he would release this half-fish eventually, but not until he got what he wanted.

Atem swallowed thickly, feeling his head spin with nausea and dread.

"For how long?" he whispered, wondering if he would be caged forever. "I miss my family."

"Until you and I can come to an agreement of sorts," Kaiba stated firmly, nodding. "You know what I want. Stones, information about the stones, or a way to get to where they are buried. You want freedom. Obviously."

So obvious… Atem rolled his eyes angrily, thinking that this human was denser than rock. He had told him the stones were laid by sea demons. Had he not been listening?

"Well, I can't give you any information if I'm half-dead and dying," Atem replied coldly.

Kaiba nodded silently and pulled out his phone, speaking quietly into it while he slowly walked away from the creature, feeling weak all over.

Was he a terrible person for doing this to another living creature? Yes. But there was a hierarchy in this world that needed to be balanced.

This was just like any other business negotiation. If the mer-king wanted the ships removed from the water, he would do so willingly, and throw in a little ocean clean-up as an extended apology.
In return, he expected answers that would help him bring about the next scientific and technological revolution.

Atem watched the human talk on the phone for a long while before he hung up and approached him again.

"I've ordered my ships to clean up the water surrounding your kingdom, and they will withdraw once they are done," Kaiba said cleverly, seeing the merman's eyes widen. "I will put you in similar enclosure in another location, and you will promise not to scream. You will tell me exactly what you need, and when you need it. Understood?"

"Ah…whatever," Atem rolled his eyes and folded his arms across his chest, understanding that what this human feared was his scream. "I doubt you could keep me alive for a whole moon cycle. I've almost died twice now."

"Whatever," came the cold reply, and Kaiba went to stand by the elevator just to be extra cautious.

He now knew the merman's intentions was to kill him for freedom, so he wasn't about to make himself an easy target, especially when there was no glass separating them now.

"Where are you going?" Atem asked angrily, gazing around the glass-littered room and feeling his chest tighten with fear and anxiety. "Put me back in water."

"How long until you shrivel up and die?" Kaiba replied tauntingly, mentally kicking himself at how cruel he sounded. "Tell me."

"Twelve hours," Atem growled, baring his fangs once more, thoroughly fed up with the handsome human's debasing comments. "Approximately one of your days in light."

"That's more than enough time for me to set it up," Kaiba said, frowning. "If you hadn't ruined this enclosure, you wouldn't be on the clock. Simple as that."

"I hate you," Atem replied venomously, and to his supreme annoyance, the human laughed heartily.

The elevator doors slid open behind him and Kaiba stepped aside unsteadily, nodding at his men while giving them quick orders.

"He's dangerous. Restrain his arms and make sure he doesn't bite you." Kaiba eyed the gurney being wheeled in and he shot the merman a look over shoulder before adding, "It might be a poisonous. Do not let him draw blood."

Atem blinked, thoroughly surprised.
This human was sharp.
How did he know his bite was poisonous?
Did he know that his scratch was poisonous too?
This human sounded as if he did know of merpeople and was out to hunt them…right?
That had to be it!
The stones were just a guise, when the real intention was to find his kingdom and capture every single one of them!
What would happen if he fought these men?
Nothing good.

Kaiba watched his men circle Atem with mechanical precision, and to his surprise, the merman did not struggle while his arms were being strapped down onto the gurney.

Gritting his teeth and doing his best not to feel humiliated, Atem let the men lift him up onto a rolling bed, and he was wheeled past Seto Kaiba.

They rose upwards while crowded together in a tiny box, and one of the men glanced down at him with his eyes wide, raking his gaze down his body rudely.

"A mermaid," the man said quietly, and his companions nodded stiffly in awkward silence. "Do you think it's real?"

"Shut up," his colleague replied coldly.

Atem jumped when he felt a hand on his hip, sliding intrusively down the side his fin, and he recoiled violently, horrified.

"Nobo-san...it feels just like a fish!" the man cried, and he was roughly shouldered aside by another man, hissing at him. "Do not touch it. He'll fire you."

Do not touch me! Atem thought angrily, deciding to teach the man a lesson.

He gathered his saliva behind his teeth and raised his head, spitting on the man's arm, watching with vicious glee as the acidity from his fluids ate through the man's sleeve and singed his flesh.

A sour smell filled the tiny room, along with horrified yells of fear, and Atem grinned triumphantly, baring his teeth in a wicked smile as chaos erupted around him.

"It fucking hurts! Help!" the man cried, falling to his knees and gripping his arm gingerly while the other men around him cried out in surprise and shock. "It hurts! I've been burned! It's going through my skin! I can see my bone!"

The clamor in the elevator grew more and more panicked, and Atem relished in their fear, wondering if he should spit on someone else.

"Do not break formation!" another man commanded from behind Atem's head, and the room quieted instantly with nothing but the man's ragged breaths.

The sliding doors opened, and Atem felt himself being wheeled forward, surprised to see the face of Seto Kaiba hovering somewhere to his left as they passed by in a blur.

"Sir! Eiji has been burned. He spit..."

Atem strained to hear what the man was reporting, but he was being lifted into another small room, and he heard doors slamming. This room had a shallow ceiling and an odd, familiar smell.

Oil.
Ah…humans used this to move their machines, Atem knew this much.

Kaiba gazed at his bodyguard's bloody arm in silent horror, his nausea rising to an all-time high as the smell of burned flesh invaded his nostrils, and the man whimpered pitifully.

"You're fired," Kaiba said plainly. "Go to a hospital." And he turned to address the head bodyguard once more, asking, "What happened? And don't lie. I will pull security feeds after this."

The bodyguard bowed stiffly, talking directly to the ground while bent in half.

"He touched the creature with one hand, right on the side while stating it felt like a fish. The creature looked offended, and after I shoved him aside, he was spit on, and the acid ate through his sleeve, sir."

"Right," Kaiba grit his teeth nervously. Another new fun fact. The merman had acidic saliva.

"Get in the car. Do not look or talk to it. Tell the driver to ease over bumps in the road. I will follow from behind."

"Yes sir," the man mumbled, and he climbed shakily into the limousine.

Atem heard the door open and close again, and the whole room seemed to shake as they began to move.

Terrified, Atem kept his gaze fixed on the low ceiling, listening to the men talking in low whispers around him.

"Eiji was fired, as expected."

"Was the boss angry?"

"No, he seemed shaken and worried. We turn away from the creature and do not provoke it further."

A deep chorus of "yes sirs'" followed this statement.

"Driver?"

"Sir!"

"Master Kaiba orders we drive gently. The creature is dangerous and can possibly understand us."

I can understand you just fine…you creatures, Atem thought angrily, feeling his shoulders ache from being strapped down in this position. His skin was beginning to dry out terribly but he vowed he would retain his dignity until the very end.

"I'm living in a sci-fi," one man mumbled to his left, and he was giving a hard nudge by his superior.

"Shut up."

Silence blanketed the car once more, and the fearful tension was tangible in the air.

After what felt like an eternity, the car lurched to a stop and Atem found himself being lifted out and wheeled forwards.

He saw the sky fully for the first time in days and he inhaled deeply, staring at the few white wisps of clouds above their heads.

A shadow passed over him, and he saw the tips of a monstrous human shelter.

They passed through a door, and Atem gazed up at the high ceilings of the home, marveling at the sparkling crystals hanging from above. They looked like clear raindrops suspended in mid-air, strung together in a breathtaking arrangement, lit with soft golden lights

It was the most beautiful thing he had ever seen.

I want one of those, Atem thought mildly, finally seeing something he could give Mahad for his birthday…if he would ever see him again.

The ceiling changed again, and he once again found himself in a tiny room with the men, and they slowly began to travel downwards.

Another deep chute, Atem thought nervously, wondering how high up or deep they were relative to the ocean.

The air here was dry, so they must be pretty far.

He was wheeled out of the small chute-room and the ceiling this time was low.

Atem heard Seto Kaiba's voice echoing through the chamber. "Now leave, before he spits on any more of you."

Shuffling footsteps pattered away frantically and Atem strained his neck, seeing no one.

"I'm going to unbuckle you," Kaiba called, his blood running cold at the thought of the merman spitting in his face and ruining his good looks forever. "And then I will carry you into the enclosure. You will not scratch, bite, or spit on me."

"You're going to unhook me," Atem repeated dully, showing that he understood. "You will carry me into the cage, and I will do my best to refrain from hurting you."

"Good," Kaiba said gruffly, striding forward and slowly unbuckling the merman's arms from the gurney restraints. He moved to the end, where the tail was still strapped in, and he felt the merman sit up slowly.

Atem watched apprehensively as pale hands unclipped the restraints from his tail, and he gave it a grateful wave, feeling stiff all over.

Before he could prepare himself, the human was at his side in a flash. Cold arms slid underneath his body, and lifted him up smoothly with surprising force.

His stomach tightened strangely while he was lowered gently into the water.

Pleased, Atem gazed around the enclosure, realizing his requests had been granted. This was a shallow pool, perfect for grazing, and it was deep enough so he could submerge himself completely from the shoulders down.

The edge was made with a smooth beige stone, and two thin pipes lined against the inner walls were cycling the water.

Kaiba released the merman and backed away quickly, cursing the cold. His sleeves had been soaked through completely because he had forgotten to roll them up.

He quickly stripped off his blazer to wring it out. Salt water was fucking corrosive to the dye on his clothes.

Atem took deep, shaking breaths, feeling incredibly warm and relieved.
This water wasn't any plain shallow ocean water. In fact, this water smelled like home.

"I've managed to recreate the conditions of the water from which we pulled you out from," Kaiba said anxiously, wondering if he had balanced everything correctly. "Tell me if something feels off. Immediately. You can press that button there."

Atem followed Kaiba's slender finger pointing at a solid grey button on the wall. Interesting….

He swiveled around and carefully inspected the room behind Seto Kaiba, taking it all in.
There were no screens in this room. The walls were knitted together with a strange texture and a lone chair sat beside a wide table near the door.
The rest was empty space.

Frowning, Atem turned back around to address Kaiba, and was shocked to discover that the man was suddenly shirtless.

He blinked rapidly, feeling his cheeks burn with curiosity. He was fit and toned…for a human, and his skin was ever so pale.

Looking away quickly, Atem couldn't help but think that Seto Kaiba looked familiar enough from the waist up.

I suppose that's how he feels about me, Atem thought nervously, hearing the man clear his throat behind him, and he ignored it, dipping his head underneath the water quickly and taking several deep breaths.

His eyes watered dangerously, but Atem willed himself to keep it together.

The human had done well, recreating water from his home, but that did not make up for all the other terrible things being said and done here.

Kaiba waited patiently for the merman to resurface, and after a while, he did, rising magnificently from the pool with water dripping handsomely down his blonde spiky bangs.

"This will do," Atem said plainly, examining his claws lazily, making sure to extend them several inches as he knew the human was watching him cautiously. "Now bring me some food."

Kaiba bit his tongue lightly to keep himself from shouting back at the man.
It was one demand after another.
Keeping this pet had better be fucking worth it.

"What would you like to eat, your majesty?" Kaiba asked spitefully, and the merman threw him a surprised look.

"Oh, you're being polite now all of a sudden?" Atem smiled gleefully, wondering if his spitting act had really earned him some respect. "Any fish will do. Any of your food will do. I haven't had human food that I didn't like."

"Where the fuck would you get human food?" Kaiba asked, his mouth moving against his will, and he mentally kicked himself for sounding interested.

"Shipwrecks. Preserved rations survive in water quite well," Atem answered thoughtfully, leaning against the edge, feeling sleepy. "People throw food over the sides on vacation ships sometimes. They enjoy littering."

"You really are a fish," Kaiba said, unable to help himself, and turned to leave, hearing a shout of laughter echo from behind him.

Gritting his teeth so tightly that his jaw ached, Kaiba swung his wet shirt and blazer over his shoulder before walking out of the basement.

Sighing, Atem stretched out in the shallow pool and dove down to the bottom, rapping his knuckles against the material, trying to figure out what it was.

It was hard like stone, rough like stone, but unlike anything he had ever encountered. This was a man-made.

Atem quickly resurfaced and ran his palms along the edge of the enclosure, inspecting each tile carefully. This was…marble, perhaps. A type of dyed marble mixed with quartz.

Blinking rapidly, Atem dragged his nail down across it, seeing a light scratch left on the shiny surface. Well, he could easily break out of this shallow pool, but it had been made to his specifications. The human would be angry.

Feeling tears building dangerously behind his eyes, Atem willed himself not to cry.

This was fine. He was alive…for now.

Closing his eyes, Atem propped his head up in his hands and felt himself shake. Damn. Damn it.
No. He had no energy to cry.

Too late.
Atem blinked and felt a tear roll down his cheek, and he palmed it away furiously, hearing it splash into the water.

Ah, wait. He could use his tears as something to bargain with.

Taking deep even breaths, Atem let himself cry in earnest, making sure the tears fell atop the marble edge of the pool.

He gathered them into a small pile and waited for the human to return.

This had better work.

Almost as if he had managed to summon the human with his thoughts, the door clicked, Kaiba entered the room, wheeling in a cartful of food.

He saw the merman sitting at the far back with his arms crossed regally across his chest, and he pushed the cart closer, calling out to him, "Here."

Atem said nothing and watched the human push the food right up to the pool's edge and take a step closer, bending down to inspect his tears.

Kaiba blinked rapidly, wondering if his eyes were playing tricks on him.

It was a pile of precious gems.

Clean and clear-cut rubies, sapphires, diamonds, and emeralds, all glittered up at him, each in various sizes, all rounded at the edges.

"What the fuck is this?" Kaiba cried, taking a step back and feeling faint. "Did you take a shit?"

Atem's mouth dropped open and he found himself at a loss for words.

Was this human a blind idiot? Those were precious gemstones! They had the highest clarity out of all the four kingdoms that surrounded them!
Only a pureblood, and true royal could cry tears of such beauty.

"Y-You think, that I took…a shit?" Atem whispered hoarsely, feeling another laugh clawing its way up his chest, and it was making every breath painful. "You think that…this is what my shit looks like? Tell me human—"

"No, I know you shit in the water." Kaiba grinned boyishly, and he swore he saw the merman redden with embarrassment. "That's why you need me to cycle it every hour or so. You can't control it?"

Atem did not dignify that with an answer. Of course he could control his bowels, but he had been left in the same water for so long, he had no other choice.

"Right, so…" Kaiba tilted his head to the side curiously and Atem blinked rapidly, instantly reminded of the child Mokuba. "How did you make these?"

"Those are my tears," Atem replied through gritted teeth, his cheeks burning hotter with a strange fire. This human had a way with his words that could somehow make him warm all over.

"Very cool," Kaiba commented, sounding completely detatched, and Atem was unable to hide his shock. "I'm more interested in how you managed to do this. What am I supposed to do with these?"

"They are…for you." Atem managed tightly, hating himself for even saying it in a way that sounded marginally polite. "As payment, and thanks. For the food, and for keeping me alive."

"Sure…" Kaiba said, sounding distant. He scooped the gems up and pocketed them quickly, feeling quite odd.

It was a strange but welcome offering from the merman.

"What!" Atem snapped defensively, unhappy with the human's ungrateful reaction. "Are they not to your liking? Not big enough for you?"

"No," Kaiba answered mildly, slipping his phone out and deciding he would call a jeweler after all. "This is going to pay for that arm."

"What arm?" Atem cried, wondering if they were speaking two different languages.

"The arm you spat on!" came the furious reply, and Atem watched Kaiba storm out of the room and slam the door behind him with an echoing bang.

"Ah, that arm," Atem said to himself, nodding with satisfaction.
Human flesh was so weak.
That man deserved it for pawing at him in the first place.

He eyed the cart filled to the brim with gleaming slices of fish, and his mouth began to water.

Finally, food!
He was going to enjoy this meal immensely.

Author's note:

Kaiba is low-key scared of Atem's acidic spit. Cheeky little Mokuba has a run-in with the "ocean fairy" and Atem cries tears of precious gems.

Ugli is trying this new thing. Can you guys tell what it is? :D (its more dialogue lol) I have to admit, dialogue has always been my weak point. This story is my focus to improve that. How am I doing?

Edited by: setokaibaes

xo
Ugli