Chapter Text
Jesse leaned over the edge of the boat, staring into the water below. He wished he could just jump in and cool off. The heat of the gulf coast’s sun beat down on him, turning the very air itself into hazy waves. He considered cursing Reyes out for the fifth time that day, for making him sit outside like some pretty decoration.
“Hey kid, it’s time we brought in the catch!” Gabe called, leaning out from the captain's cabin. Jesse sat up with a jerk. He didn’t want to be caught slacking off, especially on the second day of his job. Besides, they would be out on the water for another few days at the very least. There was no way he was going to get on his bad side and end up stranded on the open ocean alone.
“Yes, boss!” He called, saluting. Gabe rolled his eyes at him, turning back into the cabin and shutting the door. Jesse raced to the other side of the boat. He heard the cables begin their endless screech, and got into position to drag the netting over the deck as soon as it broke the surface. Being a fisherman wasn’t near as exciting as Jesse had expected it to be. There had been no storms, no sense of danger to hauling in the dwindling catches of tuna and whatever the hell else they managed to bring in. At least it was slightly above minimum wage. That was, if they brought in a decent catch.
The first of the fish broke the surface, and began their frenzied dance as they hit the air. Jesse moved the bandana from around his neck to his face, tightening it. If there was one thing he hated getting in his mouth, it was fish water. The net rose higher and higher, the cables screaming. Jesse gave a whoop of excitement. For the first time since Jesse had been hired, they were getting a catch that was more than a couple of beer cans and one or two fish.
He guided the net over the deck and into the holding tank. He leaned in over the net and unhooked the cables, watching closely for any plastics as the fish spilled into the shallow waters. A massive tail caught his eye, and Jesse gripped the sides of the tank. Shit, did they catch a shark? A pile of fish shifted suspiciously, and Jesse leaned in further. With an explosion of noise, a hissing creature leaped from the tank, snarling. Jesse lunged back, scrabbling away in horror.
“What the absolute fuck,” He swore, tearing his bandana down off of his face. Jesse grabbed the switchblade he carried with him out of his cargo shorts. He gripped the hilt tightly in one fist, and pulled his cross out from under his shirt to kiss it. Whatever the hell just tried to eat his face off was going to meet its maker soon. He got to his feet, and wearily approached the tank. He glanced over the edge.
What he saw was a merman. The creature was twisting around the bodies of fish, hissing in rage, the crest along his back and forearms standing up in harsh contrast to the hued colour of his skin. The merman’s hair masked his face, long and inky black as it was. Jesse swallowed, hard. He moved forward again, kicking the side of the tank on accident. The creature's head snapped up, and the merman snarled at him in warning.
“Hey kid, what the hell has you so spooked?” Gabe asked, coming up from behind him. Jesse whirled around, forgetting about the switchblade in hand.
“Watch yourself, put that away before you cut someone. What the hell is wrong with you?” Gabe said, glaring at Jesse.
“I-uh, there’s some kinda fuckin’ mermaid or some shit,” Jesse said, jabbing a finger at the tank. Gabe sized Jesse up and down for a moment, hands crossed over his chest.
“I think you got a case of heatstroke, you should go sit inside for a bit,” Gabe said, walking past Jesse and looking into the tank himself. Jesse glared at his boss.
“Well. Would you look at that,” Gabe whistled, reaching up and pulling the beanie off the top of his head.
“Yeah, wanna make an apology now?” Jesse asked dryly.
“Hell, we’re gonna be millionaires the second we get ahold of those scales on this bastard. I’ll have to verify his existence, probably going to make a ton of calls…” Gabe trailed off, heading right back to the cabin. Jesse watched him go, a little irritated he had been forgotten.
Against his better judgement, Jesse glanced over the tank. The merman had settled down now, and was consuming one of the fish they had captured. His eyes flickered up to glare at Jesse, yellow and cat-like in appearance. Jesse raised a hand cautiously and waved down to him. The merman glanced away again, flipped his tail to the other side and shifted so his back was to Jesse.
“Are ya….ignorin’ me?” Jesse asked incredulously. The merman twitched the end of his tail, the only sign that he heard him.
“You know what I’m sayin’ dontcha?” Jesse asked, leaning on the tank’s ledge. The merman gave no response. He lifted an arm and tossed the spine of the fish upwards, so that it landed just outside of the tank. He picked up another fish.
“Hey now, you cant be sittin’ here eatin’ all that. I’m paid extra by the pound,” Jesse added on. The merman purposefully picked up a second fish in his other hand.
“Lord almighty,” Jesse sighed. He turned away from the tank and headed towards the cabin. True to his word, Gabe was in the middle of a call, swearing up and down that he just wasn’t making this shit up. Jesse stole Gabe’s chair and cracked open a beer, settling in for the long haul. He assumed they wouldn’t be fishing anymore, unless merfolk as a rule had a voracious appetite.
Gabe slammed his phone on the counter beside Jesse, cursing.
“They think you got a bit of heatstroke?” Jesse asked lightly.
“Shut your mouth,” Gabe snapped. He glared outside at the tank, chewing on his bottom lip for a moment.
“We’ll need photos. Proof that that thing exists,” Gabe said.
“Hey now boss, you didn’t tell part of the job was photoshoots,” Jesse said.
“This isn’t a job anymore, whatever we get for it, we’ll be living comfortably for the rest of our lives,” Gabe said. “Stop acting the fool, we need to be smart about this.”
“Just tell me what I need to do, and I’ll do it,” Jesse said, tilting his head back as he finished the rest of his beer.
The photoshoot was quickly going to hell. Jesse could no longer argue that the thing wasn’t unintelligent, because the damned thing had covered itself in fish and refused to move out from underneath them.
“C’mon you bastard, don’t make me get in there with you,” Gabe threatened. The creature seemed to laugh from far below, a low keening noise that could be hardly heard over the waves. Jesse sighed, fiddling with the dial on the camera. Looked like the whole endeavor was gonna be a bust.
“If we used a flare gun, spooked it out from under all the goddamn fish…” Gabe said, turning away from the tank.
“How bout we give it time? It’s not like we’ll be back in a week, and he’s not goin’ anywhere,” Jesse said. He couldn’t see anything good coming from coercing the merman into doing anything.
“Yeah, and by then all my connections will be labelling me as insane,” Gabe said. He stalked past Jesse and slammed the cabin door. Jesse watched him go, nonplussed. He turned back to the tank and watched the creature for a couple of minutes.
“Tell ya what, I won't take any photos so you can get out from all that stinking fish,” Jesse suggested. The mound hardly moved. He set the camera on the ledge, making sure it clanked on the smooth surface.
“Look, I’m settin’ the camera right on the ledge. I won't touch it even if you do a backflip,” Jesse said. There was a prolonged pause, and slowly the creature shifted out from underneath the mounds of fish. Jesse raised his hand in greeting.
“Good to see ya, how’s my paycheck feedin’ ya?” Jesse asked. The merman lifted a fishbone from the water and pointedly began to clean his teeth, glaring at Jesse all the while.
“Listen, I don’t wanna get too attached or anythin’ but you’re lookin’ pretty depressed,” Jesse said. The creature snorted, turning his gaze away from Jesse and focusing once more on the opposing wall.
“Is there someone you’re missin’?” Jesse guessed. No response came from him. Jesse stroked his beard thoughtfully. He figured the thing didn’t want them fishing for anymore of his kind. He knew he’d be doing the same thing, given the situation.
“I won’t be tellin’ the captain, if that’s what you’re concerned about. Honestly, I’m just in it for the pay,” Jesse said. Again, Jesse received no response from him.
“Well, I ain’t goin’ nowhere, so we’ll be gettin’ to know each other real well,” Jesse drawled. If this thing thought he was more stubborn than Jesse McCree, he had another thing coming.
He almost missed it, the sound of the merman singing. It was a low keening noise, lovely to hear. Full of heartbreak. Jesse kept quiet, listening closely. He wondered if his merfolk could hear him beneath the ocean, hearing his goodbyes to them. He pictured little merkids, the size of his arm clinging to seaweed as they searched for their father that had gone hunting the day before. Never to return.
Jesse sighed. He didn’t need to be getting a conscience now, he had to be focusing on the job.
“I don't think it’ll hurt much,” Jesse said at last. The singing ceased entirely.
“I mean, I’ve never been poached myself, but I’m certain they’ll be ethical about it and all,” he continued. Jesse wondered if Gabe would give him the honor of killing the merman. He knew that he would try to make quick work of it, at the very least. There was a nobility to the creature, the kind that invoked a sense of respect. Whichever way the creature was going to meet his end, Jesse just hoped it would be merciful.
“This doesn’t make for much conversation, does it?” Jesse said. He leaned against the railing, accidentally pushing the camera into the tank.
“Shit,” Jesse said.
Hanzo took great care in shredding the camera to pieces. And, to drive the insult home, he chucked every single piece out of the tank and in Jesse’s general direction.
“You’re a real pain in the ass, you know what?” Jesse called down. The merman grinned maliciously up at him, all teeth and burning hatred.
“Jesse, what the fuck,” Gabe called. Jesse flipped the merman off, turning back to Gabe.
“The damned thing leaped and snatched it from my hands,” Jesse said.
The quarter moon hung low in the heavens as Jesse crept out onto the deck. He left behind the loud snores of Gabe, who had crashed after his tenth beer. Jesse lit his cigarette and leaned against the railing of the boat. There wasn’t a chance in hell he was sleeping tonight. There was something that kept tugging at his heart, reminding him of his morals. He carelessly tossed the cigarette into the ocean and wandered over to the tank.
The merman flopped down into the water immediately, hissing his frustration at the sight of Jesse. Jesse just waved haughtily down at him. The merman turned his back to him once more, lashing his tail from side to side.
“I’m figurin’ you tried to claw yourself out?” Jesse said. The creature thrummed in reply, and Jesse took that as a yes.
“I’m tellin’ ya, there’s nothin’ good at the end of this boat ride. They’re gonna kill ya and make sure not a drop of blood is wasted,” Jesse said. He rested his chin in his hand, gazing at the stars that floated iridescent above the pitch black of the railing. There was no reply from below.
“I’d free ya, but I think Gabe would kill me,” Jesse confessed. He pulled the cross out from under his shirt, palming it in his hand until it glowed a soft shade of silver in the moonlight. Jesse closed his hand around the crucifix, tucking it under his shirt. Damn it.
“Listen here, you attack me and you’re finished,” Jesse warned, swinging one leg over the railing. He wondered what on earth had gotten into him. He swung the other leg over. He paused, heart in his throat. But before he could back out, the creature lunged, wrapping one webbed hand around Jesse’s boot and yanking him into the tank with him.
He hit the water hard. The creature was on him in a second, spitting and hissing as it pinned Jesse’s arms above his head. Jesse twisted helplessly, fighting to get his head above the water.
“You think you can threaten me? I will kill you, and be glad of it,” A voice hissed, and Jesse opened his eyes, startled. He gazed up at the merman, eyes full of righteous fury. Jesse opened his mouth to reply, and convulsed as his body screamed for air. The creature narrowed his eyes, and disappeared from the gloom. Jesse felt himself yanked upwards, and began choking the second he hit air. The creature dug his claws into Jesse’s wrists, holding him upwards as Jesse fought to catch his breath.
“Fuck you,” He managed, before the merman pushed him under once more.
Jesse’s vision began to go black before the merman let him up again. Jesse felt the wall of the tank on the back of his head, and he closed his eyes. For awhile all he could do was struggle to keep consciousness. At last he opened his eyes, to see the merman glaring at him.
“Shit, you fish-faced bastard, that’s not how you welcome your savior,” Jesse gasped. The merman lifted him with ease, and thrust him back under the water.
“My name is Hanzo, you split-tailed scum of the waters,” Hanzo snarled. Jesse glared at him, refusing to be impressed by the glimmer of luminescent light that pulsed down Hanzo’s body. He guessed that was a threat, too. Jesse raised an eyebrow, flicking his eyes from Hanzo to the surface. Hanzo scowled, and lifted him once more.
“Nice to meet ya, Hanzo. I’m afraid to tell ya this but since you tossed me in here with ya, I can’t get out either,” Jesse said flatly. Hanzo snarled impatiently, letting go of Jesse in order to move to the other side of the tank. Jesse pushed the hair out of his eyes, watching Hanzo wearily.
Well, that settled one thing. There was no way in hell he was going to let Gabe butcher this creature for a couple of million bucks. Even if he had called him a split-tailed something of the ocean or whatever.
They eyed each other from across the way for a few hours. Jesse was continuously shoving away the carcasses of the fish, skin crawling. The moon slowly ebbed its way to hover directly above their heads. Jesse lifted his head, watching the sallow-cheeked merman tear at a fish absently. He looked positively ghoulish in the light, something from another world entirely. Jesse shifted, rising to his feet slowly, as not to startle Hanzo.
“I think I got an idea of sorts, but you gotta rough me up a little,” Jesse said, eyeing the edge of the tank. He just hoped that Gabe wasn’t too deeply asleep. Hanzo gestured to the water.
“Goddamn your method of communication,” Jesse grumbled, plopping back down in the tank and lowering his head under the water.
Hanzo was a little too pleased with the plan, all things considered. Jesse took position on the side of the tank that was nearest to the cabin. Jesse made a quick prayer before nodding his assent to Hanzo. The crests on Hanzo lifted, and with a snarl, the merman lunged, tackling Jesse to the ground. Jesse yelled in mock horror.
Hanzo reared back, one arm raised high in the air before he slashed downwards, opening Jesse’s face from cheek to nose. Jesse screamed in agony, twisting away from Hanzo on instinct. He felt a tug around his neck, and noticed the telltale sign of a chain dangling from Hanzo’s closed fist. Hanzo grinned menacingly, feral and full of death as he used his other hand to claw Jesse’s chest arender. Jesse bucked, trying to throw Hanzo off from under him. This wasn’t a part of the plan, the damn thing was gonna kill him-
“Jesse! Fuck, christ, get back you demon!” Gabe shouted. There was a blast from a gun, and the tank flared a brilliant red as Gabe fired a flare gun into the tank. Hanzo reared away, hissing in outrage. Jesse heard a rope splash into the water, and he struggled to get to his knees. The tank was awash in black blood and floating fish. He stumbled forward, gripping onto the rope. He felt the rope tighten, and little by little Gabe hauled him out of the tank. It took all he had to cling on, to not let go.
At last, Gabe pulled him over the edge of the tank, pulling Jesse into his arms. Jesse threw the rope over the edge and into the tank, as was part of the deal.
“C’mon, let’s get you inside. Shit, that thing is dangerous,” Gabe said, pulling him towards the cabin. Jesse glanced back at the edge of the tank, at the rope that was tied against the far railing. Thank god. He would get out.