Chapter Text
Midoriya swam at a leisurely pace, trailing behind his pod. The merchildren were smiling and laughing, darting back and forth between the adults in a game of tag. The adults seemed to be doing well, the elders were chatting at the front right behind the front guards. Mothers and fathers speaking in hushed intimate tones as they journeyed south for the winter. While they were better adapted to the cold as deep sea merfolk, the temperatures dropped too far for them, forcing them to rise each year and move to warmer waters where they could dive once again.
Everyone seemed peacefully oblivious to the anxiety plaguing Midoriya. This morning he rose with a twisting gut. Something was wrong. He couldn't pinpoint it, but the deep harsh grasp he felt tugging on his intestines would not be ignored. His claws flexed with his tightened muscles. His ears were constantly searching for sounds or signs of a threat. In this depth they were still safe. Their dark blue tails blended with the dark waters giving them an evolutionary camouflage. His long extended sharp claws designed for tearing flesh and causing maximum damage. His caudal fin was slightly torn in some areas from his battles but he remained the fastest in the pod. He was the best hunter and the best protector, therefore he guarded the rear alone.
He was ripped from his thoughts with the thudding boom he heard then the slight shift in the water. The pod stopped, adult’s heads swiveled to find the source. Midoriya looked below them first but there was no sign of any living creature. He turned towards the surface and felt his stomach drop. How had he not seen it before? They had risen higher to crest the mid-ocean ridge and they grew too close to the surface. They were at a disadvantage in such bright water and a large net had been cast from the long shadow sitting in the water. He knew what it was but the younger merchildren would not. The adults were grabbing the nearest child and rushing away and down the side of the trench. He remained to make sure everyone was accounted for before he saw the newest member of their pod. A little girl with light blue fins. Eri. she was frozen. Trembling as the net grew closer.
“Eri!” he shot forward like a bullet in the water with one slam of his tail. He pulled her into his chest and continued forward. Swimming close to the coral, he had to slow to avoid the sharp rocks. He slowed too much. The net was nearly upon them and Midoriya flung her away and into the safety of the pod. One of the other guards caught her, his two toned eyes wide with fear and pain as Midoriya was swallowed by the thick twisted net.
“Protect them!” he shouted to his friend. He heard the cries of sorrow from his family as he was pulled towards the surface. He tried tearing the ropes with his claws but they were too thick. His tail thrashed around but it was long and thin, he couldn't break through, merely becoming tangled.
He broke the surface of the water and coughed harshly. He had never breathed air before and while he had the ability to, his throat cried out and he felt like he swallowed the sharpest coral. He hit the deck and was surrounded by a large group of men and a few women. They wore strange baggy clothes and each held a weapon of some kind. Now that his eyes and ears were adjusting he could hear the shouts of joy and victory coming in every direction. The net began to fall away from him and he gripped the deck using his body weight to catch the net in his tail. Flinging it hard, it careened the net over a large section of men. The joy died down immediately and shouts of anger took their place. Several of them springing forward with weapons in hand. He snapped his teeth and swiped at one, leaving five long, deep, blood spurting lines down his torso. He whipped his tail at another, the heavy limb knocking the air from him on impact and sending him flying over the side of the ship. There seemed to be a pause in the assault and he watched them all carefully. Eyes narrowed and fangs bared in warning, inhuman growls escaped him as he crawled back slowly towards the railing behind him.
“Oh no, you don’t.” Midoriya whipped around to see a man with striking blonde spiky hair and deep red eyes. His clothes were nicer than the others. Midoriya didn't care about that though. All he needed to do was fall overboard and return to his pod. Midoriya noticed too late the man behind the new appearance. He raised a tube to his lips and with a puff of air a dart left it and embedded into Midoriya's gills. Midoriya let out a ear shattering roar and ripped the offending needle from his side, flinging it at a different sailor burrowing it deep in his thigh.
Midoriya’s vision blurred and his arms trembled. He shook his head attempting to clear it. The blonde stepped closer as Midoriya growled louder and took a stumbling arms length back. He swiped weakly at the man who easily dodged and his arms gave out. His chest hit the deck and his vision clouded in darkness. He continued to growl, his limbs unresponsive as he tried to blink away the blurry vision. He was granted a brief moment of clarity and was faced with the blonde man only inches from his own face. He left out the last warning growl he could with the last of his energy and then his world was black.