"They're gaining on us, Captain!"

Adrien didn't need Kim's warning to know that the enemy was closing in. One glance over his shoulder was enough to see the ominous colors of the flag flying on their mast.

Pirates. Of course it had to be pirates.

And not just any pirates. The emblem blazing on the black cloth was one he had encountered before. This group wasn't likely to let them go, let alone live, even if they surrendered peacefully.

"Damn those Spanish ships!" Nino yelled from somewhere on the lower deck while Adrien stood at the wheel, ignoring the burning pain and the feeling of blood dripping down his side. At some point, their pursuers had lobbed a powder flask, and the explosion had sent shrapnel across the deck. He hadn't noticed he'd been caught in it until he grabbed the wheel to steer and the injury had flared up.

"Kim! Man the cannons!" Alix barked out as she rolled a barrel of gun powder along the deck. "They're coming up on our starboard!"

They weren't in the best of circumstances, so he probably should have been paying more attention to his crew, but Adrien couldn't help his drifting thoughts. Maybe it was the wound making his head woozy, looking for an escape from the turmoil around him. Whatever the reason, it was all too easy to shift part of the blame for their situation on his father.

Adrien had already been wary upon finding a young, eligible woman that his father opened their home to in a troubling situation. While he didn't say anything directly, Gabriel hadn't wasted any time in confirming Adrien's suspicions when he insisted his son give Lila a tour of the Agreste mansion so that she didn't get lost while staying there.

His father almost convinced Max to remain behind, leaving Adrien and Lila alone to traverse the grounds, but Adrien had dragged his navigator along under the guise that he hadn't yet seen the home's garden in autumn. Gabriel's only response was to hum with what sounded like displeasure, but he hadn't said anything to argue against it.

It was unfortunate that Lila had recently suffered the loss of her family to a terrible accident, but that didn't give his father the right to try and set them up when she was grieving her deceased parents. The girl was an only child with no other relatives, vulnerable after enduring a recent tragedy, and his father had tried to take advantage of that. Had he thought Adrien might want to marry her out of pity?

Granted, he did feel sorry for the girl, but deemed she needed her space to properly mourn. Adrien had offered his condolences and politely shown her around the house, listening to her recount stories of her own family before he escaped with the excuse that he needed to set off on another trade route, this one with an encroaching deadline. He made for damn sure to find his father and mention that he had to return to captaining The Emelie .

Lila was understanding and wished him well, while Adrien had pretended not to notice the pained wince from his father. He did feel a little guilty about using his mother's name, but it had been the perfect title to give the non-existent ship to keep his father from ever wanting to set foot on it, let alone see it. Gabriel was obviously not comfortable with it, but thankfully he had also respected his son's way of honoring his mother's memory.

In reality, The Cataclysm was a corsair with dark wood panels that helped it to blend into the shadows; a far-cry from something he might name after his mother. It was still a majestic ship despite its age and need of more frequent repairs—which it would certainly require if they managed to escape the bloody pirates blowing holes in it!

And he wouldn't have run into said pirates if he hadn't been in such a rush to escape all thoughts of his father and his stupid schemes.

Cannon fire echoed from his right, yanking him out of his thoughts, and the bannister behind him exploded in a spray of splinters. Adrien cursed as he tried to steer the ship away, but the Spanish galleon mimicked their own movements in close pursuit.

"Give it up, Chat Noir!" He turned his head to find that the enemy ship was now close enough for him to hear its captain yelling at him from her own deck. "You won't slip away this time!"

"Captain Hardrock!" Adrien called, his tone dripping with false cheer. "I thought that flag might have belonged to you!"

"They'll be the last colors you see before we send ya to Davy Jones!" Hardrock screamed back before turning to shout orders at her crew. Adrien felt a chill run down his spine at the amount of cannons lining up at the gun ports. She was certainly riled up this time.

Well, that probably had to do with the fact that the previous Chat Noir had a hand in the demise of her husband. While Adrien had no beef with the once infamous pirate pair, Hardrock obviously wanted revenge. He wasn't about to reveal the legacy behind the immortal captain of The Cataclysm, a ship that he had only recently inherited, but he was certain she wouldn't have cared whether he was the same Chat Noir or not when skewering him with her sword.

"Kim!" he barked as he tried to out-maneuver the other ship. "Hurry up with those defenses!"

"Already on it, Captain!" Kim ran below him on the deck, lugging a split cannonball with a metal beam between the two parts and stuffing it into the barrel. "Just taking some time to execute the perfect plan!"

Nino stepped back from his own cannon as the fuse lit in a spray of sparks and yelled at Kim from across the deck, "This isn't the time for one of your crazy ideas!"

The ship shook as another explosion rocked the decks below, but this didn't seem to deter Kim as he lengthened the fuse, lit it, then handed a rope to Nino. "Tie this to my cannon!" he yelled over the noise before running to the mast and climbing it with little effort.

"What!?" Nino shouted over the sound of explosions, nearly toppling over as the enemy fire hit the ship again.

"Just trust me!" Kim yelled back, swinging across the riggings for the mainsail. Nino didn't look happy, but did as he was told, securing the rope around the barrel with worried glances at the shrinking fuze.

"Step back!" Kim shouted, and Nino practically dove away as Kim jumped off the beam with the attached rope slung over it. The simple pulley system miraculously yanked the cannon up, angling it much more than a man could accomplish normally, right before the chain ball exploded out of the barrel in a flash of light and powder.

The projectile hit high up on Hardrock's ship, the metal bar ripping apart the sail and taking a good chunk of the mast with it. The small crow's nest toppled over, causing even more damage as it crashed to the deck.

Though another ripple of fire rang out from the opposing ship, Adrien let out a cry of relief when the galleon started losing speed. Soon enough, the pirates were struggling to keep up with The Cataclysm as they lagged behind.

"Their main sail is destroyed!" Alix laughed as she sprinted across the deck, shooting Hardrock a very unladylike gesture while the captain screamed at her crew to hurry and fix the damage.

"Max!" Adrien called out as his friend scrambled up onto the deck, looking disheveled from all the maintenance he must have been keeping up with below. "I'd rather not tango with Hardrock again so soon. Know of any places nearby we could hide out?"

"Ah! Uh..." Max saluted with a look of panic before his eyes widened. "Yes, Captain! I know of the perfect spot where they won't find us!"

"Great!" Adrien released the spokes of the ship's wheel and stumbled back, recovering quickly only to fall forward against the railing. "Take over for me?" he panted, grinning even as a flash of pain flared along his back. "I think I need a cat-nap."

"Stop making jokes like that!" Adrien heard Nino shout while his vision started to fade. Through the ringing in his ears, heavy footsteps pounded up the stairs beside him, announcing that his crewmates were scrambling to assist. A soft murmur indicated someone was speaking to him, but he couldn't make out any words through the haze.

Max will find us a safe place , Adrien thought to himself as a strong pair of arms carefully assisted him down to his quarters. He was only vaguely aware of sunlight shifting into the flicker of lanterns from the interior of his ship, and soon enough he felt the soft sheets of his bed beneath him.

- o - o - o - o - o - o -

Darkness surrounded her on all sides with no means of escape.

The pressure of the water squeezed her relentlessly, forcing the air from her burning lungs as she sank deeper and deeper.

"Marinette?"

She heard a friendly voice, soft and echoing… But it couldn't help her. Whoever was calling to her wasn't close enough.

"Marinette!"

The voice suddenly grew sharper, louder, and with a start, Marinette felt a tug on her arm. The hazy vision of water surrounding and suffocating her dispersed like a million foaming bubbles, and she quickly snapped out of the nightmare.

"Marinette?" Alya's voice reached her ears in a more gentle tone, and Marinette opened her eyes to see the concerned face of her friend floating over her. "Did you have that dream again?" she asked softly.

Marinette was quiet for a moment as she took in her surroundings, which weren't really much different from the nightmare she had just escaped. Water indeed pressed all around her, but it wasn't drowning her; it couldn't.

"It's been a while since I've had that one…" Marinette closed her eyes and rubbed her hands against her forehead. With that slight movement, she felt her body drift closer to the ocean floor and instinctively curled her tail around a nearby rock to stabilize herself, the deep red of her fins almost blending with the dark surface.

"You know we can't drown, right?"

Marinette peeked through an eyelid to see her friend with her hands on her hips as she flicked her tailfin to the side. "No offense, but it's a really weird fear for a mermaid to have."

"I know!" Marinette groaned as she flipped over and covered her face. "I don't know why I keep having that dream, Alya! Leave it to me to have some crazy worries that don't even make any sense."

"Girls!"

Alya and Marinette turned to the entrance of their underwater cave where Tikki swam in through the opening. The spotted tail of their pod's matriarch stirred up bubbles as she sped toward them. "Is something wrong? I heard shouting."

Marinette lifted her hands in front of her, putting a reassuring smile on her face. "It was noth—"

"Marinette had that nightmare again," Alya interrupted and Marinette shot her friend an annoyed glare. Alya simply shrugged.

"Oh, Marinette," Tikki sighed and drifted closer, wrapping her arms around her in a gentle hug. "It's not absurd to have that kind of dream, you know."

"It's just a nightmare," Marinette mumbled, but her arms came up around Tikki's back to return the gesture, finding a little of the discomfort brought about by her dream ebb away in the warmth of her embrace. "It doesn't matter to me once I'm awake."

"Perhaps," Tikki mused, pulling away slightly to look down at Marinette. "But rather than being a part of your fears, it could instead be trying to tell you something important."

"If it's telling her to avoid the ocean, I think we've got a problem." Alya swam over their shoulders and flailed her arms out to point all around them. "Kind of hard considering we live in it."

Tikki giggled softly and released Marinette's shoulders. "Maybe it's not as straightforward as that, but it might be something to keep in mind."

A faint, high-pitched wail drew their attention to the cave opening as Rose swam inside, her face scrunched in a pained expression as she held one of her hands in front of her. Tikki turned to meet their distressed friend with a concerned look. "Rose, what happened?"

"U-um…" Rose stammered softly and drew her hand closer to her chest. "I-I got bit by an octopus..."

Alya let out a sigh that sounded more like a groan. "You tried to pet one again, didn't you?" She swam around Tikki and pointed an accusatory finger at Rose. "You know how super protective they are of their babies!"

"I know." Rose deflated a little before perking right back up, the soft light in her eyes appearing to shimmer. "But… but the little ones are just too cute and fluffy!"

Marinette giggled. "Only you would call an octopus 'fluffy.'"

"That's because they are!" Rose cupped her cheeks with her hands, a big smile lighting up her face before she winced. "Oww…"

"Here." Tikki reached out and gently turned Rose's palm up to inspect the bite. A hazy trail of blood drifted up through the water from the puncture. "We should stop that up before you attract something."

Alya shivered. "Ugh, bottomfeeders and sharks? No thank you."

"I can take care of that…" Marinette quickly offered while reaching out toward Rose. Her hand hovered over the cut, and she closed her eyes. As she concentrated, a familiar warmth built up around her fingertips to emit a soft glow. When her eyelids fluttered open, the bite on Rose's palm was only a small pink welt.

"Thank Triton for our miraculous healer." Alya grinned as Rose inspected her mended wound with wide eyes.

"It's not 'miraculous,'" Marinette mumbled. "You can still see it."

"Your ability is nothing short of incredible, Marinette," Tikki praised her. "You stopped the bleeding. Who knows what more you can do if you hone that skill." Tikki gently took a hold of Rose's wrist and pulled her toward the cave entrance. "Now, let's go find that octopus. You're going to apologize for scaring it."

Marinette and Alya returned Rose's wave as she disappeared out the opening behind Tikki. The two girls failed to contain their giggles when a sharp, "And no touching the babies again!" echoed through the water.

"Well," Alya sighed as she moved toward the front of the cave, glancing around with a sly look. "I think Tikki should be able to keep Rose out of trouble this time. C'mon!" She darted out into the open water, waving for Marinette to join her. "While they're busy with that, let's go soak up some sun!"

"Alya..." Though Marinette swam after her friend, she couldn't help the concerned expression that crossed her face. "Tikki probably won't like us going to the surface. You know what she'll say—"

"I know," Alya interrupted with a quiet laugh. "Watch out for pirates, bandits, cut-throats and basically anything that walks on two legs." Alya waved her hand through the water with a shrug. "As long as we're careful, she won't mind. And—" Alya started before Marinette could open her mouth and say another word "—If she's worried enough, I'll just communicate with her using the siren's call."

"Right..." Marinette nodded slowly, feeling a little less worried as she swam after Alya and left the cavern behind. The bright blue of the ocean lit up around them as the gentle light from above filtered in through the surface.

"Now this is way better than staying cooped up in that depressing cave for three days!" Alya swam ahead and spun around in the water, splaying her arms out to either side. "No wonder you were having nightmares again!"

Marinette drifted up beside her friend with a lazy flick of her tail. "It has been a long time since I've had that dream." She pressed a hand to her forehead as she squeezed her eyes shut. "I wish I could remember more, but any time I try, it just gets... fuzzy."

"You still can't recall anything, huh?" She felt Alya place a comforting hand on her shoulder, gently patting the small patch of scales that dotted her skin.

Marinette opened her eyes to look down at the charm bracelet she wore around her wrist. Though she had no memory of where it had come from, the item was like a treasure to her. It was one of the only things she had from before she met Alya, Tikki and Rose.

"You were probably just worried about the hurricane." Alya tilted her body, and the glow from above hit her orange and white scales, reflecting back golden highlights. "That stupid storm made a complete mess of everything."

Marinette suddenly stopped in the water, concern furrowing her brow. "You think the cove is okay?"

Now it was Alya's turn to appear worried, and the two exchanged a similar look, seeming to share the same thought.

Alya had been the one to find Marinette, beached on the shore of the small island several months ago. Mermaids didn't go anywhere without a pod, so that she had been alone had been a factor of alarm, especially with her amnesia.

They had returned there many times in an attempt to jog Marinette's memories, but nothing had ever returned to her, and no one had ever come searching for her. In the end, it simply became a special place for them to explore and relax.

"We can go check it out if you want. We were going to the surface already, so why not hit the best beach this side of the ocean?" Marinette followed after her as Alya suddenly rushed ahead. "Besides, I want to get as much sun as I possibly can!"

It didn't take them long to reach the island, the water turning from a deep blue to a crisp and gentle aqua, with white sand leading all the way up to the shore. The surrounding cove was deep enough for them to swim comfortably, where they were able to go right up to the beach without breaking the surface.

As Marinette surged up with the waves and landed carefully on the sand, her friend quickly alighted next to her, both of them scanning along the shore to survey the damage.

The storm looked to have hit the island fairly hard. Despite the beautiful calm on such a clear day, broken palms and driftwood littered the sand around them, scattered along with the occasional human-made boat or broken contraption half-buried in the sand.

"Ugh… This will take forever to clear away." Alya propped herself up on her elbows and drummed her fingers against her cheek. "The debris is all the way up to the trees."

"I don't even want to see how much of a mess the waterfall is," Marinette grumbled while flipping over onto her back and spreading her arms out, closing her eyes gratefully as her scales quickly soaked up the heat. The cold of the ocean couldn't bother her as long as she was submerged, but once the breeze from the open air touched her, goosebumps were quick to spread along the exposed parts of her skin.

"I just hope all those trees survived," Alya said, slapping her tail against the waves. "You know how much Tikki loves it when we bring back fresh-picked... fruit..."

Marinette popped a single eyelid open as her friend went quiet. "What?" She quickly caught sight of Alya's expression and rolled over onto her stomach, lifting herself up on her arms to follow her friend's blank stare.

Looking out across the distant shore, it took her a moment to notice something large hidden behind the treeline as it floated over the waves.

"Is that…?" Marinette's voice squeaked with fear.

"A ship?" Alya's tone was not so much afraid as it was curious, and Marinette whipped her head around.

"We have to leave!" Marinette moved to launch away from the shore, but Alya grabbed Marinette's wrist before she could flee.

"Hold on, Marinette! We don't even know if it's a pirate ship or not."

"A pirate ship!?" Marinette hissed in a panic. "You know what Tikki told us!" She held up a pair of fingers in Alya's face. "There are two kinds of dangerous humans: pirates and not pirates!"

"Come on, Marinette!" Alya threw her hands out. "Don't you want to get to the bottom of this? Why are they even on this island? We haven't seen any humans here before. It's supposed to be deserted!"

"Alya! That doesn't matter," Marinette groaned. "If they see us, pirate or not, they'll try to capture us and-and… chop us into parts for magic mumbo-jumbo or something!"

Tikki's stories warning her to steer clear of any humans all came bubbling back to the surface of her mind. Even if they weren't pirates looking to sell them or anything, Marinette could remember mention of how sailors might try to whisk them away simply for their own 'enjoyment.'

"Doing that would be useless to them anyway." Alya crossed her arms over her chest. "The magic is in the mermaid, not our 'parts.'" She flipped one of her hands toward the waves, and in response, a spluttering of foam crashed into the sand.

"They don't know that!" Marinette swung her arms out toward the ship docked in the distance. "Besides, I don't have magic like yours to defend myself! I can't even use the siren's call!"

Alya's expression softened as she placed a hand on Marinette's shoulder. "You'll figure it out sooner or later, some just take longer than others."

"Until then, I'm stuck needing a nanny," Marinette grumbled with a pout. "When I sing, it doesn't carry through the water, and I can't navigate the ocean like other mermaids."

"Excuse me?" Alya planted her hands on her hips and narrowed her eyes. "I am not your nanny , I'm your friend ." She then pushed away from the beach, diving into the waves before Marinette could stop her. "So, as your friend, I'm going to investigate that ship while you stay here!"

"What!? No!" Marinette cried out, but Alya was already halfway down the shore. She bit at her lip nervously as her eyes flicked between her friend and the ship that she was headed toward. "Damnit, Alya!" Marinette yelled before launching after her.

Marinette eventually caught up to Alya, who she found peeking around an outcropping of rocks along the surface of the bay. "See enough yet?" Marinette couldn't help the nervous edge in her voice.

"You didn't have to come with me, you know." Alya raised an eyebrow as she glanced over her shoulder.

"I can't just leave you alone." Marinette sighed. "What if they spot you?" Her gaze quickly flitted over the small group of humans ambling about on the shore. "They outnumber us!"

"If they try anything, I'll just drown them," Alya said with a mischievous grin before a confused expression flickered across her face. "Did Tikki ever mention if they can breathe underwater?"

Marinette slapped her forehead and quietly groaned.

Alya opened her mouth to say something when loud shouting caused her to shut it, and both of them stiffened with fear.

"Relax," Alya eventually whispered, her head peeking just slightly over the top of the rocks. "We haven't been spotted."

Before Marinette could try to drag her away, Alya darted around the barrier and swam further into the bay. As much as Marinette wanted to get as far away as possible, she reluctantly followed after her, not wanting to leave Alya alone so close to humans.

The small boat that Alya swam toward carried only three men, and Marinette hoped that they didn't see them as she and Alya darted behind a stack of boulders jutting up from the water.

Even though one of them shouted loud enough for his voice to carry, Marinette couldn't make out the words. She watched him, and curiosity eventually won out as she took in the mask and mop of blond hair obscuring his face. For some reason, he was leaning so far over the water that it was a wonder he didn't fall in.

Was he searching for them!? Marinette had a moment of panic, but that subsided when he suddenly jumped into the water and briefly floundered about. He didn't come anywhere near them, and appeared to be searching for something in the sand below.

He hadn't been submerged long before he returned to the surface, empty-handed, and Marinette got a better look at his face when he pushed the sopping bangs from his eyes. Green eyes... They were sharp and piercing, with a different shape to them than a normal human's. Why does that feel... so...

"They don't seem like pirates," Alya mused softly beside her as the three humans in the dinghy appeared to argue. "Rose said they have wooden sticks for legs, but I don't see any. Then again, I can't really get a good look at their feet."

Alya's voice sounded as if it had moved far away, because Marinette's thoughts were struggling to drag something to the surface of her mind. There was a familiarity about the man's face, despite the mask he wore.

Was it his voice?

The color of his hair...?

...His eyes...?

As she tried to reach for that thought, it slipped through her fingers. That man had stirred something in her memory.

Marinette gasped at a sudden, sharp ache in her head, and she quickly dove beneath the water with a splash, her fingers rubbing her forehead to try and ease away the pain.

"What's wrong?" Alya was instantly there beside her, reaching hesitantly toward her.

"I…" Marinette shook her head and winced from the dull throb. "I don't know. My head started to hurt." She pulled her hands away slowly and looked back at Alya, her friend's brow furrowed with concern. "Alya, I… I feel like I know that man..."

"What?" Alya jerked back with a start, her eyes wide with surprise. Her mouth then quickly pulled into a thin frown as she gently took Marinette's hands in her own. "You were right, it was a terrible idea to come here."

"But… I recognized him…?" Marinette whispered. "If I know him…"

Alya put an arm around her shoulder and started to steer her away. "If a human is connected to your past, then he could very well be the reason your memory is gone." Alya swam around to her front, clasping her hands again. "What if he hurt you? You don't remember anything about him, right? You only recognize him? Do you even know who he is?"

Marinette was quiet as she thought about that. What Alya said was true. She couldn't actually recall anything about him, aside from the fact that he only looked familiar. As terrified as she had been about going near them, it surprised her that knowing she might have had a connection with a human suddenly made her more curious to learn who they were.

With a determined frown, Marinette pulled away. "I want to figure this out. It's the first clue I've found in relation to my memories." Marinette swam around the rocky cove. "I'll stay at a distance. You can tell Tikki where I'm at—without mentioning the humans—so she won't have to worry."

"Oh, no." Alya shook her head. "I'm staying with you." She tapped her chin with a frown. "But I agree, Tikki can't know about this, she wouldn't let us stay." Alya crossed her arms with a worried look. "But are you sure you want to do this, Marinette?"

Marinette nodded, closing her hands into determined fists. "If that man is connected to my memories, I have to know more about him." She turned to the cove, watching as their boat slowly rowed in toward shore. "We'll come back when they're gone. First, I want to see what he was looking for."