Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

After finding Treasure Planet and escaping Captain Amelia, Silver is was still on the run from the Navy. Unfortunately for him, a year after finding and leaving Treasure Planet somewhat empty-handed, he had no ship, no crew, and a higher bounty on his head, courtesy of the Felinid captain. On top of all that, he was currently being chased by another pirate with the whole shebang. 

Captain Elias Smiles was a bloodthirsty bastard that Silver wanted nothing to do with. It was just bad luck that he found himself sailing the same route as the pirate, both of them most likely on their way to the Ceánomar spaceport.

Silver did his best to steer his longboat through the barrage of laser balls. He could feel the heat and static electricity as they whizzed past, almost nicking the vessel. However, Silver felt his heart drop at the sound and impact of a harpoon lodging itself into the floor boards. The sudden halt threw the old cyborg forward and the Urisd received a harsh hit to his head. The last thing he felt was the rock of the ship as it was reeled back towards the looming ship.

Captain Smiles stalked the deck as the Ursid pirate was hauled onto the deck, his head bleeding from a wound. “We’ve got’im Captain!” 

“Excellent, men. Throw him in the brig! Destroy his metal and disarm the damned cyborg. The collectors will pay good money for his head.” he sneered proudly, using his boot to push at the Ursid’s side. He could almost taste the rewar-

“CAPTAIN!!” His lookout yelled from the crow’s next. “HUNTEERRRS!!” His eyes widened and ran to the gunwale to see for himself. In the distance, he could see another ship, just as big as his, built for speed and approaching fast. It sailed a flag of a hunter’s guild.

“Those blasted sons of a Blind Mack! What are they doing in these parts? Leave the longboat, fire up the engines! We’re going into the Carion Belt!” He ordered. He felt a pit forming in his stomach as they entered the misty, soft currents.

The crew grew silent as they sailed forward, the sailing master grew tense at the wheel as they neared the darkness “We’ve got nowhere to go, Captain! We’re coming to the edge of the Carion Belt!” he shouted, just as ready to turn the wheel.

Captain Smiled looked back with his spyglass and still saw the silhouette of the hunter’s ship pursuing them. Finally, he decided to take a calculated risk, anything was better than being caught by hunters. “BLAST IT! We will lose them in the Expanse! The currents are not that strong at this time of the stellar cycle. If they don’t know better they won’t follow us.”

His crew members looked at him in shock, Smiles knew they were calling him crazy in their minds. However, they too knew that falling into the hands of their pursuers would mean certain death

So they sailed on, letting the Expanse draw them into its embrace.

Chapter Text

Fisch sat in their little nook of a crow’s nest, covered wall to wall with pillows and comforters. The cushioned confined space was the perfect area to nap, relax, and stare back at the emptiness of the Expanse. Taking a long breath in, Fisch raised their arms to give their back a good long stretch.

Looking around Fisch saw nothing, and all was good…. Or not. “What is that?” They squinted.

Bringing their spyglass to their eye, a ship made itself know, a pirate ship of all things. Fisch would have thought those days were over, but it kept calling them back.

“Mara!” They yelled to their companion on the deck “Ready the cannons.”

The Hybrid stayed in the crow’s nest, watching as the pirate ship neared and anchored itself to their ship with grapples and ropes. Rude. They continued to watch as the figures boarded their ship with their filthy boots and looked around their ship that was just cleaned yesterday, Fisch complained metally. 

“Search the ship! Get as many supplies as you can and we’ll head out!” Their eyes locked onto the man that spoke and Fisch could almost feel the glitter in them when they recognised his ugly mug.

Captain Elias Smiles, bounty reward of 3 million gold, charged with murder, kidnapping, arson, drifting civilian ships. The Hybrid’s lips curled into a maniacal grin, they could smell the gold now. But why was he in the Expanse? No spacer in the right mind would even think about going near the Carion belt, lest the currents of the Expanse drag you in and you will never see the light of the stars again. Though Fisch knew that it was around this time that the currents were weaker, Smiles probably knew that too. However, they weren’t going to let him out.

Fisch scanned over the wandering figures on their now dirtied deck, 10 bodies, 5 or so more probably on the ship. 16 in total counting Smiles. The plan will go as usual.

As Smiles neared the mainmast, Fisch took this opportunity to leap down and land right on top of the unsuspecting pirate. The cybernetic claws on their foot dug into his shoulders and spine and Hybrid pressed him into the wooden floor. The crew members whipped around at the sudden thud, guns drawn and pointed at their host. The booster at the back of their metal hallux grew warm with threat.

“Well well well, look what the Pantharis dragged in. I’m just as surprised to see you here, dear 3 million, or did it change? I haven’t been updated for a while.” Fisch sang at the flattened pirate.

"And it looks like you've found yourself in quite a predicament." They looked up to survey the rest of the crew. "Wouldn't you all say so?" Addressing them.

All of their weapons were trained on them, Fisch’s playful demeanour drops and stares at them with soulless eyes. “You will drop your weapons, or your dear Captain will end up with a beautiful gaping hole in his chest, followed by the rest of you.” They purred. Suddenly, all around them, the ship’s laser cannons turned around to face the crew, an outmatched standoff. “Even if you did start shooting, all of you will get more hurt than me. I mean, just look at me, all metal parts. And you? Oh so fleshy.” They teased. They could see some of them faltering in their stance while others had fear written all over their face.

Smiles grunts. “Hook. So this is where you’ve been huh?” The Captain struggled underfoot, trying to push them off, only to be pressed back down in the claw digging into his spine.

“Yes, quite enjoying my time here too until you showed up and made it even better. Who would have thought a lovely treasure such as yourself would fall right into my lap.” They smirked.

“I don’t know what brought you to the expanse, but you’re either damn lucky or unfortunate that you ran into me.” Fisch huffed. There indeed could be worse things, being dragged deeper by stray currents, siren pods, void sharks, etc.

"I suggest you come quietly with me so as to move this along as smooth as possible, hmm?"

“Mara!” All of the active laser cannons gave a charging up noise. The pirates tensed up, whipping their heads to stare at the number of faintly glowing barrels pointed at them  “Watch over these deck dirting pond scum as I search their ship. I have a feeling that they’re carrying something they shouldn’t.”

Addressing the pirate crew, Fisch raised their voice to a comfortable level. "Now, I am only here for him, the rest of you.... are not on my list. Well, not yet at least." They shrugged.

"You could say that I’m, I'm letting you off the hook." They laughed, reaching down to tie up the pirate captain’s wrists and legs together tightly.

When Fisch was satisfied with the job, they grabbed him by his bound wrists and leaned in to whisper into his ear. “I’m serious about blasting a hole in your sorry chest if you don’t behave.”

Once they saw that he understood their warning, Fisch threw him overboard. A sturdy rope tethering him to the gunwale. His yells could be heard as he floated out in the 0 gravity void. “I’d keep quiet if I were you, the void sharks would be swimming around at this time. That’s a guaranteed slow and painful death.” They called towards him.

Fisch hopped over and onto the pirates’ ship, side-eyeing the remaining pirates so they won’t be tempted to attempt anything funny. They made their way below deck and was hit with a stench of grease and blood. They had kept their plundered gold in a room but that wasn’t what they were looking for. The smell led them to the brig. 

Slowly, they opened the doors. The floor was littered with metal parts, looking like the cybernetic parts of their arm model. Behind the bars, Fisch could see a hulking figure on the floor. It was hard to tell who or what it was but as they stepped closer, they could see a mangled arm prosthetic, leaving only the torn metal around his shoulder and a leg prosthetic in pieces. It was as if it was sawed and ripped off his person.

They felt their heart drop when they recognised who it was. John Silver.

They were furious. But they had to keep their calm, or he could be harmed further...

“Well if it ain’t my lucky day. Two treasures in one!” Fisch smiled hopping back onto their ship. “I’ll tell you gentlemen what, as payment for dirtying my deck, letting you all go, except your captain of course, and pointing you in the right directing out of the Expanse-” Fisch paused, surveying their reactions.

“-You will hand over the Ursid in your brig.” 

The pirates were surprised. “That’s it? We give you the Ursid and you let us go?” One of them asked.

Fisch raised an eyebrow in challenge. “Would you rather I kill all of you and then take the Ursid myself? 3 million is the only one worth more alive here, I could very well cash in your corpses if you don’t comply.” They threw a thumb over to where their Captain was floating.

“N-NO! It’s a deal! We’ll give him to you.” The same pirate sputtered out.

“Excellent! You two.” Fisch gestured to the two largest pirates they saw “Bring him over and put him here.” they pointed to where they stood. “If you damage my goods any further, I can’t say I’ll keep up my end of the promise. The rest of you can leave when he is delivered.” Warned Fisch.

The pirates gulped anxiously. The seconds ticked by before the two returned above deck with a beaten and bloodied Silver in tow. Fisch gave them a silent nod to head back to their ship. Counting the pirates as they left, making sure everyone was counted for, don’t want any stowaways. “Head 12 degrees north from here and keep going straight. You will feel a current pushing you back, increase your thrusters until you feel the current pushing you forward. You’ll be out in no time from there.” They supplied.

“Bye now, have a safe trip back!” They waved to the retreating ship.

Dropping the playful facade Fisch marched back to the gunwale from which Smiles was dangling from…. Smiles could wait a bit longer. The anger simmering under their skin and scales and they travelled to their cabin. Tuning the nobs of their radio, Fisch’s ears twitched as it caught onto the shared frequency. “This is ex-Captain Hook calling any hunters around the Carion Belt. Calling any hunters around the Carion Belt."

"Ah! It's good to hear you Captain! How's the retirement?" A cheerful voice replied. Fisch recognised it to be Marcus, the human cabin boy, now rookie hunter captain.

"It would be going smoothly if the ship you chased didn't end up with me, Marcus." They scolded.

"Oh uh... sorry Captain. We wanted to continue the chase but you said never to leave the belt"

Fisch tried to take a calming breath in and out. "Never mind, you were right not to leave the belt. they should be coming back out soon, give it a few minutes.  Capture the crew and turn them in at Ceánomar spaceport, you can take some treasure in the galley. After that come back to the belt in 3 solar cycles with backup and first aid supplies. I have their captain." Fisch ordered.

"First aid?! Are you okay Captain?" Marcus exclaimed in worry.

"I'm fine, just needed to stock up. I need the full set along with some food you can pick up from the port. I will see you in 3 solar cycles." they hung up.

Going back up to the gunwale, Fisch switched out their hand for their infamous hook. They launched it out into space, and another cry could be heard as the impact of it being reeled back nicked his inner arm. The pirate is hauled back onto the deck with a grunt and a hiss as the metal of the hook dug into his open wound. "Oh don't be such a kit. You won't die from that. More importantly, how did you come across John Silver." They brought the hook up to his neck, the needle-sharp tip pressing into his soft flesh.

Chapter Text

It’s been a few months since joining the Academy, and as much as the prestige of simply being in it and the joy that it brought his mother to see him in his uniform, Jim found it difficult to fit in. Frankly, he wasn’t used to this life. The high standards of the school, the rules, and worst of all, the rich and spoilt cadets. They hung around the grounds, picking out the best spots, and sniffing out their next victim to pick on. And Jim, was unfortunately their present target. With his suspicious background, no major connections other than Captain Amelia and apparent behaviour that betrayed his experience as a cabin boy or a server at his mother’s inn, the entitled cadets decided to pick on the teen.

Who’s to stop them? Not the school, as much as the teachers have tried. Jim lamented, it was better to be a cabin boy than a student here. Well, a cabin boy in a crew without Scroop. The bullies had nothing on that spider psycho’s physical threats.

Jim could only hope that things would go smoothly today. Captain Amelia and her officers were accompanying his cohort on a trip out into the Etherium. They were able to get an opportunity to interview a crew of bounty hunters for the cadets to get a better understanding of catching pirates and the life of a spacer. They were to meet at a relatively new spaceport, a few weeks travel from the academy. Jim recognised that part of space to be the borders of the Expanse. A few years ago, no one would ever think of sailing near the Carion belt, but it wasn’t until recently that the ship traffic increased there when the spaceport was revitalised. 

At least he wasn’t alone on this trip. When he told his mother about his extended absence from home, Morph was adamant about following him and the little ectomorph had somehow snuck into his luggage. Jim only found out that night when they were well away from the port. Perhaps this trip won’t be so bad after all. 

To his luck, Jim was put into a group with his few friends, Alice, Carrid and Merik, they had a rather smooth trip to the spaceport. As they arrived, a ship much smaller than their docked next to them. A terran that Jim assumed to be their captain swung from the ship’s yard and landed on their deck. He dusted off his cloak and dipped his hat towards Captain Amelia who was approaching him.

“Greeting Captain Amelia, I apologise for the sudden change of plans, but we’ve got to sail further out to meet up with someone else, I promise it will be worth the travel.” He started with a little pep in his tone.

“And who might this someone be Captain Marcus? They must be incredibly esteemed for you to take us to the open Etherium with a ship full of cadets.” Amelia replied with suspicion laced in her voice. Her eyebrow arched in question as she watched the underlying disagreement go right past his head.

“Ah but it’s a surprise! You’ll see when we get there! Excellent material for the kids! I tell you, it’s a once in a lifetime chance for them!” He rambled on excitedly, not giving slip to what this surprise entails.

“Very well, lead the way, Captain Marcus.” Amelia replied with some hesitance. She clearly thought that this was a bad idea, but the sea of eyes watching her in interest and the promise of an interesting encounter ‘forced’ her hand. She couldn’t deny that she was just a little interested.

“Roger that! Good day children!” he waved to the cadets before grabbing the rope he boarded with and jumped off the gunwale to his ship.

“Where do you think they’re taking us?”Alice directed to the rest of them.

“Maybe it’s a trap! Someone here’s got a huge bounty on them and it's the only way to catch them. 50 silver that its Officer Denrik, he seemed rather pale when we were nearing the port.” Carrid hissed, his eye darted left and right as he leaned in like he was telling them a dark secret, or in this case, his conspiracy theories.

“I’m sure he’s just a bit space sick.” Another, Merik huffed, shaking her head at Carrid’s antics.

“Or the raw malfic clams he had 2 nights ago.” Jim added teasingly.

“You guys are no fun.” Carrid pouted, crossing his arms childishly. The rest of them laughed amongst themselves, and that didn’t go unnoticed by malicious eyes.

Half an hour away from port, the cadets were littered around the perimeter of the ship, especially the bow of the ship.  “Is that what I think it is?” Merik gapped.

“The Carion Belt.” Jim added in equal awe

The Carion Belt was less of a belt but a large looming wall of suspended red mist and dust that made itself apparent the closer you sailed towards it. It’s said that the irregular magnetic fields and erratic solar wind currents created the misty environment around the Expanse, the deceivingly calm looking barrier. However, how it was described in their books was nothing like seeing it up close. A silent giant that warned of the rumoured horrors of what lies past it.

The bounty hunter ship’s engine output went down to a stall and their ship did the same. Jim looked out into the space in front of them, wondering if whoever they were supposed to meet had arrived. And no doubt, in the distance, he could see a small vessel making its way towards them. 

“There. There’s a ship coming towards us.” He pointed out to his friends.

They all tried to follow his line of sight and where his finger pointed to. What he found strange was how it seemed to come from the direction of the belt.

The bounty hunter crew leaned a railed gangway onto their gunwale, connecting the two ships

“Come on! They are almost on their way!” he waved the cadets over to his ship deck.

The cadets looked at each other then at Amelia and the other accompanying officers and professors. The Felinid studied the approaching ship, it was much smaller than the bounty hunter’s brigantine, perhaps as big as a sloop or slightly larger. Amelia continued to have her doubts, but the presence of a threat was now unlikely with the size of the mystery vessel. “Make your way on board, cadets.” She ordered. “An experience awaits.”

As the ship approached, Jim noted that it looked like a modified sloop. It was slightly larger, perhaps had more or larger rooms below deck. It didn’t fly a flag, not uncommon, but you would think that a vessel somewhat connected to the bounty hunters would fly its colours. It slowed to a stop on the other side of the bounty hunter’s ship. Captain Markus and the other hunters slid the gangway that they used across and over to the sloop, connecting the hunter ship to the much smaller vessel. It looked like they could just fit the Academy guests on the main deck.

“Down we go, young'uns!” Markus slid down the rail excitedly and started walking around the deck, looking around as if trying to find someone.

As they boarded the ship, Jim realised that he didn’t see anyone at the wheel, so who on Terra was sailing this ship? His questions increased even more when what seemed like the only being on this ship emerged from the hatch leading below deck. 

A rather comedic moment occurred when the.... person? Jim couldn’t put a finger on their species. As the Hybrid’s appeared from the shadows, their advance was immediately halted when they saw the many cadets, navy officers and bounty hunter captain that surrounded the hatch. Their eyes widened and their ears lifted in surprise, but their gaze quickly turned stern as they focused on Captain Markus.

A weird sense of deja vu washed over him as the mysterious Hybrid emerged fully to the main deck. The whirl of machinery and clank with each of their steps, and the metal dull gleam of metal that replaced their flesh. This hybrid was a cyborg. A slight pang hit Jim as the thought of Silver flashed through his mind. The young teen missed the Ursid that helped him get to where he was today...

“Captain!” Their bounty hunter guide greeted the Hybrid cyborg, that looked rather irked at the captain

“Marcus?” Their eyebrow arched as they looked at him disapprovingly.

The man in question begins to falter at their unwelcoming tone. “Y-yes Captain?” Jim could see a hint of fear from the man’s posture.

The hybrid turned and beckoned him with a single metal finger, like a parent about to scold their child. Jim almost felt sorry for the Captain. He followed them up to the quarter deck where they talked in hushed voices, but Jim could clearly see that the hybrid was somewhat angry. As this was happening, the cadets began to murmur amongst themselves, some wondering what was happening while others delved into their own conversations.

Amelia decides to check things out for herself. “Stay put, and don’t wander around or you will be sent back to the ship.”

Jim looked around not seeing any of his group mates in sight. Perhaps they lost him as they were moving down to this ship-

“Hey Hawkins! Why aren’t you helping with the ropes, isn’t that your job, cabin boy?” The leader of his tormentors snickered.

“Nah nah, I heard Captain Amelia needed him to stay on our ship and mop the deck.” One of his two lackies added with a sly smirk.

Jim sighed and turned away from them, however, he was aggressively shoved. “Don’t ignore me when I’m talking to you Hawkins.” he growled.

Jim stubbled forward and fell down the steps of the hatch. The startled Morph let out a shriek, transformed out of Jim’s pin and dashed down the dark hall. Jim grunted as he tried to pull himself up. “Morph, wait. Come back!” Looking back he could see the gaggle of bullies descending down the stairs after him. 

Jim’s boots shuffled quickly as he righted himself, the sudden movement sent a jolt of pain as his body protested. But he needed to get away from them and get Morph back. So he started down the hall, trying the doors to see if Morph had entered any of the rooms. Most of them were locked, but he managed to open one. To his dismay, it was a regular supply closet. 

He suddenly felt another rough push from behind and Jim was sent falling into the room. The leader gave him a prideful sneer as he closed the door on him. Jim’s eyes widened in horror. They weren’t going to lock him in were they?

A series of clustering noises against the door followed. “This will show you. Stay here and make a better use of yourself, cabin boy.” The muffled voice of the leader mocked and their rude chuckles slowly faded in the distance. Jim once again, pulled himself up from the floor and tried to rattle the door nob. The door did not budge. Jim was locked in. He cursed as he banged a fist against the door, sliding down to lean against it as he succumbed to his injuries.

“Why have you brought a school’s worth of children onto my ship?” Fisch demanded as calmly as they could.

“Well, we were kind of scheduled to show them the day to day of bounty hunters for their project and educational purposes. And I thought it would be a good idea to bring them here to show them how you did things... you know.... being… Captain Hook… and all.” he started to trail off as the glare they gave him intensified with each word.

“I intend to leave that part of my life behind and live like a regular fisherman without the Navy looking for me for things like this .” Fisch hissed. 

“But you said you needed first aid supplies-“ 

“They’re not-!” Fisch stopped themself from exclaiming too loudly, trying to take a calming breath in and out. “I said that I was stocking up. If it was urgent I would have told you, who in the stars waits 3 solar cycles for urgent aid?” They sighed again, shaking their head slightly.

“If you had told me that your ship was occupied today, I could have waited for someone else.” They tilted their head at him.

The previously boisterous bounty hunter Captain was now shrivelled up in himself, as he tried to make himself even smaller than the cyborg. "But I-"

It was at this moment Amelia stepped onto the quarter deck, wondering what the hold up was about. “Is there a problem, Captain Marcus.”

“Uh-” Markus looked to Amelia and to Fisch.

“The problem is a simple miscommunication, officer.” They gave him a side eye before turning to face their guest. “How exactly did he convince you to go with him into open space, dangerously close to the Carrion Belt.” They nodded over to said mist behind.

“We were promised a once in a lifetime experience, but I’m afraid that we’ve only disturbed you.” It was Amelia’s turn to throw Markus a look. The Terran was desperately trying to hide his face from them.

Fisch sighed and gently massaged the arch of their nose. “Oh it would be a once in a lifetime experience alright.” They grumbled, thinking of the 3 million gold bounty tied up in the brig. “I apprehended a relatively high bounty target, and called dear Markus here for assistance and to bring back up with him.” they waved over to him. 

“Nevertheless, thank you for coming, despite vague details. It’s good to see you Markus.” They patted his shoulder lightly.

“It’s good to see you too Captain.” They replied sheepishly.

“And you are?” Amelia piped up.

“His ex Captain.” Fisch answered. “And we’ll leave it at that.” They pointed at Markus as a warning.

“Just… bring over the supplies and I’ll be on my way. I’ll… give something to the kits to learn about.” They added before making their way down. Their ears picked up a hint of a scuffle below deck, their ear twitched in annoyance. Some kits were where they didn’t belong.

Fisch stood on the stairs leading to the main deck, looking over the sea of heads. They didn't pay much attention to Marcus who scampered past them to retrieve their goods. “What year are the lot of you in?” 

“It’s our first year….Ma’am?” Someone piped up.

“Just call me Captain, pleasantries won’t matter if I’m chasing you off my ship.” They waved dismissively before continuing. “And are you kits aware that they are dangerously close to the Carion belt?”

“But the Carion belt is all the way over there. The solar wind currents don’t reach this far… do they?” 

“They do during certain periods of the lunar cycle, you’re all very lucky that the winds are at their weakest. They will pick back up by the end of the solar cycle, so I suggest we make this quick before the lot of you get sucked in. Any more questions?” 

“Have you ever been inside the Expanse?”

Cadets, curious as any other spacer. Best to disperse that particular curiosity if it will only lead to trouble. “Can anyone tell me why no spacer should ever wander into the Expanse?” Fisch looked over the teens.

Someone raised his hand. “You.”

“It is the uncharted part of the Etherium, uh Captain. It has been left uncharted due to the larger species of galactic beasts living in the lower light conditions due to it have the least dense spread of stars in the Etherium.” Carrid answered.

“Full marks for you." They pointed at him. 

Fisch continued, walking to the other side. "The Expanse is also a home to violent solar wind currents that may pull you deeper into the darkness and the lack of stars and planets decreases the strength of all magnetic navigators. If being trapped in there doesn’t kill you, the Expanse houses many aggressive creatures, all of which specialise in hunting in the dark. They can smell you, and sense your struggle in their space before you can even see them.” They warned.

The officers and cadets look at each other with wide eyes and murmurs start to arise. Fisch cleared their throat loudly, demanding their attention back. "Now, if Ihad known about your supposed schedule, I would have been more specific to my associate when I requested for back up. Nevertheless, I assume you are here to learn about bounty hunting, pirate finding, the whole shebang?"

"Yes Captain." They answered.

Fisch nodded “Has Markus talked to you about anything?”

The cadets looked at each other again. “Not really, Captain.” Someone speaks up.

Fisch sighed, shaking their head dismissively. "Alright, first lesson, always have back up when capturing a bounty. A crew with 2 ships among yourselves is good when you are chasing so when one ship is downed, the other can follow. Second lesson, have a memory bank of the bounties so that whenever a ship sails by, you can check them…. Wait here.” Fisch’s ears picked up another slam against wood from below deck. What on earth were those kits up to, they growled internally. 

They walked down to the brig, which was close to the hatch, if anyone were to walk past, Fisch would see them. There, sat Elias Smiles, tied up in various ropes and chains, keeping his arms pinned to his back and legs together, like a rope worm. “Congratulations, 3 million, you have been promoted to a showpiece.” They teased, grabbing the chain at his upper back to drag him out. The man growled behind his gag in response. 

As they were about to exit, they heard the approaching steps of 3. Fisch grimaced I’m annoyance as their laughing voices came closer. They stepped out, the one in front immediately bumping into their chest.

“Hey-“ before he could continue his routine insult, the cyborg bunched up the front of his collar and pulled him up slightly. They towered over the three, tilting their head down to glare at them but not bending their back to lower themself further.

“And what do you meddling brats think you’re doing on my ship.” They growled, lips pulled up to expose their teeth as they’re golden eyes glowed in the darkness with as much menace they could muster.

The boys’ faces immediately paled at the sight of them, coupled with the shock of bumping into the person that owned the ship. Fisch let out another short growl and pushed them in the direction of the hatch to the deck. “Walk.”

The one they grabbed stumbled forward, hands going up to where Fisch had grabbed him. The material was bunched up and Fisch’s claws had left some small holes in them. “Hey you ruined my shirt! I’ll-“ 

“ I’ll throw you overboard if you don’t shut up.” They warned. Behind, Smiles huffed a laugh before he was roughly pulled forward.

They walked in silence towards the exit, only the sound of Smile’s chains and ropes dragged across the floor could be heard. As they emerged, Fisch pushed the cadets toward, turning to Amelia. “I believe these wandering mentoi mites belong to you.”

Amelia’s eyes widened at the appearance of the boys with them. They gave them a stern glare and turned to one of her officers. “Escort them to Captain Markus’ ship. I will deal with these three cadets shortly.”

She quickly turned back to Fisch “My sincerest apologies Captain. They must have wandered off when I left them unattended.” She apologised.

Fisch waved it off dismissively. “It’s alright, what’s done is done. Now, the main event.” They dragged the tied up Captain and sat him in front of their feet.

"Third lesson, always incapacitate and restrain your targets." They projected their voice back out to the cadets “This is Captain Elias, he has a 3 million gold bounty on his head, as far as I’m concerned.”

“Um- it’s 4.5 million now… uh.. Captain.” Merik raised her hand.

Fisch’s eyebrows raised at the increased reward. “Well, someone’s been busy. More for me, 4.5 million.” They smirked, nodding at Smiles. He huffed back indignation.

“Well, as you can see, he is thoroughly restrained. 4 bundles of rope, chains and a combination of various ship knots should do the trick.” They gestured.

"What happened to his arm?" Someone pointed.

They looked down at the dried blood on his sleeve  "A small struggle, nothing life-threatening." They dismissed. The pirate scoffed in his gag and rolled his eyes.

Marcus finally returned with bags of first aid supplies together with some food.

"Thank you Markus. This is for you~" They dragged Smiles over to him.

“Huh! You got Smiles, we were chasing his crew when they entered the Carrion Belt.”

Fisch blinked. “Did you not capture their ship when it came out?”

Markus tilted his head. “We were waiting outside for a full solar cycle but nothing came out.”

Fisch hummed. The currents should have been calm… the sirens must have gotten to them. Hopefully they had their fill for the rest of the lunar cycle.

"Well, I am going to go back to my holiday, I am supposed to catch some dinner for myself later. I'd advise the lot of you to leave before the weaker winds carry you closer to the Expanse." Fisch waved the off.

“Leave me his half million. The other 4 is for you.” Fisch pointed at the bounty in question.

Markus’ eyes widened and waved his hand in front of him in denial “No no no, I can’t do that Captain. You were the one that caught him!” He insisted.

Fisch sighed, nudging Smiles forward with their foot. “What am I going to do with that much money? I’m still working my way through my savings. Just take it and pay your crew well.”

“I- thank you Captain.” He gave them a bow.

“Thank me by getting them off my ship. I’ll have to clean my deck later…” They nodded over cadets slowly streaming out through the gang way.

Chapter Text

Fisch stood at the bow and watched the two ships sail away. Once they were satisfied with the distance they’d covered, they turned to the steering wheel. With a crank of a few levers and the flip of a switch, the ship’s thrusters roared back to life.

The Hybrid steered the ship back into the red mist of the Carrion belt. The ship was promptly met with buffering winds. Fisch’s metal claws dug into the well worn deep grooves in the floor boards, anchoring them to the ship for the whirlwind of a journey. They expertly steered from wind tunnel to wind tunnel as billowing winds rocked the ship violently and rattled furled solar sails in their reinforced straps. The path in was easily navigated with their muscle memory, but the winds were ever challenging.

A few minutes later, the ship was finally thrusted into the dark, calm, starless space of the Expanse.

Fisch steered the thrusters until the ship stopped fully, no longer drifting further into the void. Once they felt the winds still around them, they killed the thrusters. The hybrid heaved a satisfied sigh before making their way below to check on their guest.

Jim held on to the shelves for dear life as the ship’s sudden swerves threw him against the walls. The first invisible turn bruised his back as he fell into the edge of the shelf.

After what felt like hours, the turbulence finally halted. The stillness of the ship felt like a bad joke that was going to throw him back into the washing cycle. But after bracing himself against the walls for a prolonged pause, nothing came. There was no rumble of the ship’s engine either, which Jim found strange. 

The Terran slowly straightened himself, rubbing the growing bruise on left shoulder blade. He needed to get out of here. Seeing no other option, Jim banged his fist against door. “Hey! Anyone out there?! I’ve been locked in!” Like that wasn’t obvious.

He sighed and stepped back, letting his fists take a break. Just then, a sound of footsteps graced his ears. As the sound got closer, Jim recognised the gentle clanks of metal against wood from the Hybrid he spotted earlier. “Hey! In here! Can you let me out please?!” His exit assault renewed as the sound of the clanks approached.

Relief flooded him as the shuffling of wood could be heard behind the door. He took a step back as the door opened to reveal the cyborg. “Thank-“

"Banging on the door when you want to stowaway isnt very discrete y'know. You would think that being a cadet you would have listened to my talk to the rest.” The hybrid interrupted him. 

“What- but i didn’t-” Jim blinked in astonishment.

“I know, it was a joke. Come on.” They nodded their head for him to get out and continued walking. Jim closed the door of the supply closet behind him and followed them down the narrow hallway. He wanted to feel annoyed at the hybrid for that, and with his injuries fuelling his bad mood, but he supposed he had to put up with it if he wanted to get back. If he survived on board with pirates, he could convince a… cranky(?) cyborg to get him to the nearest port to be picked up at the very least.

“I would ask why you were in there, but I’ve got a good guess who was responsible.” The hybrid glanced back at him.

“How d’you figure?” He quickened his pace to keep up with the cyborg’s much wider steps

“Caught a few brats where they shouldn’t have been earlier. Making friends going well for you?”

“Hah, yeah right.” Jim scoffed.

“What’s their deal?” The cyborg continued.

“Those… stuck ups can’t imagine someone like me could belong i the academy. Like they’ve got anything better going for them, damned spoiled rich kids”

“Hmm, and who would someone like you be?”

“…nobody. Where are we anyway?”

“The Expanse.”

Jim halts in his steps. “What?” His eyes widened with disbelief, before remembering their previous jest. “Ah, right. Another joke. But really, where are we?“

The hybrid walked up the stairs to the deck, lifting the hatch with them. “See for yourself.”

The sight that greeted him was indescribable, so much so his body froze half way through his ascent onto the deck. The only word that repeated itself in his mind was “wrong.” A pit formed in his stomach as he gripped the side of the hatch to anchor himself to what felt “real”.

When Jim thought of the Etherium, the vision of stars and different coloured gas clouds lighting up the sky. Maybe a creature or so traveling in the distance. The breeze in his hair and in the sails. This, this was truly the void. Void of light as he gazed into the black abyss all around him. It felt… unnatural. On top of that, the wind, or lack there of. Even when they stopped in open space there would be a gentle breeze. But the air here was as still as can be. 

“You look like you’re about to faint.” The cyborg smirked in amusement. 

They leaned against the taffrail looking right at home despite the internal crisis he was having. “If you are, I suggest taking a few steps forward before you crack your skull on a step.”

“How can you be so calm?? We’re in the Expanse!”

“Yeah, I brought us here. Well, I brought  me  here. I didn’t take into account a stowaway.”

“Why?” Jim waved his arms in exasperation.

“Retirement.” They replied simply.

"I don’t think it’s normal adult behaviour to retire in the worst place in the Etherium."

“Maybe I’m not a normal adult. You don’t look like a normal teenager either.”

“What makes you say that?”

“Just a hunch.” They shrugged.

“…Then, the stories of the Expanse  aren’t  true?”

“Oh no no, they are  all  true. Some supplied by myself to the scientific community too. It’s  wild  what undiscovered horrors you can find here.”

“How long have you been in here?”

“Well, I started my retirement a good 5 years ago. I go back and forth between the port and the Expanse, but spend more time here. It’s nice and quiet and I don’t have to talk to people.”

“You must be quite popular huh.” He remarked with a huff.

“You have no idea kit.” They let out a deep sigh.

After their banter, Jim realised that he didn’t feel as overwhelmed as before. Perhaps it was their plan to do so, or their personality unintentionally relaxed him. It was then Jim realised that he didn’t know the cyborg’s name and they, his. 

“… I’m Jim. Jim Hawkins.” He introduced himself, taking the final steps out onto the deck. The void still had its suffocating effect, but less so if he didn’t think too much about it.

“You can call me Fisch.” The nodded in return.

“Fish?” A chuckle bubbled out of him.

“Yes it’s exactly how it sounds, Jimothy.”

“Hey!”

“You laugh at my name I get to make fun of yours.” Their head tilted confidently upwards.

“Fair. So… Fisch. Can you, turn the ship around and drop me off at the nearest port…please?” He takes a few slow steps forward with each pause.

Fisch shook their head. “You have manners, but I cant send you back now. The winds have changed at the path I take. It’ll change back in 2 weeks.” 

“What happens if you do?”

“Either an unfamiliar wind tunnel will blow us off course further along the Carrion belt with more violent and unfamiliar wind tunnels until we are spat back into Expanse of which I will have a harder time navigating us back to port. Last time I did that I was more or less stranded for 2 months. So yes, waiting 2 whole weeks is the best option for you.”

“Fine, you’re the captain.” He crossed his arms as he glanced to the side with a sigh.

“Exactly... I’ll inform the academy about this later and you can explain why you’re here.”

His gaze returned back up to them with suspicion. “And you can’t do it now because?”

“Connection’s not good, violent wind tunnels from Carrion cause interference. You’ll remember certain things after living 5 years in it.” They threw him a pointed look.

“Then, how would… someone with 5 minutes of experience not… die?” His arms gestured as he spoke, breaching the topic as politely and urgently as he could. 

"That’s why we have Fisch's Stowaway 2 week Crash Course on how to be a solo spacer. Take notes, there'll be a test at the end."

“A test?!”

"The test will simply be if you survive.” Fisch threw him a smirk in challenge. Jim met their gaze and returned his own determined smirk.

“Now, where did I leave off... Ah! Lesson 5, secure a place to sleep." Fisch pushed off the taffrail and took a step towards the hatch before their expression changed. Their ears flicked upwards in altertness as their eyes turned to the darkness. Jim paused at their reaction, his eyes studied their new expression closely. He glanced out to where their gaze settled but saw nothing so he returned to observing the hybrid. It looked like measured malice not unlike a predator sizing another up.

“Scratch that. Lesson 5, feel the wind, feel how it’s changed. What does that mean?” Their golden gaze focused back on him.

Jim’s eyebrows raised in confusion but he followed their instructions nevertheless. He turned to the direction of the Expanse that Fisch was looking at. The cyborg watched him in silence as he tried to sense what Fisch did. They said that the wind was different, so it must be moving somehow?

Jim focused, closed his eyes and held his breath. Then, there, he could feel it. The wind puffed against his body, but it came like a heart beat. “It feels… strange. It’s pulsing? But gentle. What does that mean?” He turned to Fisch only to see them glaring back into the void.

“Sirens.”

Chapter Text

As if on cue, Jim heard sweet vocalisations in the distance. It was like humming, singing, and whistling all at once but in perfect harmony. It was just out of his hearing too, making him want to move closer to hear the strange melodies better-

Fisch yanked him back from his collar roughly. It was the disappearing pressure off his stomach that Jim realised he was leaning against the taffrail and out to the void. “Lesson 6, when encountering a siren’s lull, think of something that will cringe you to your core to block it out. A family member kissing should be enough for you.”

A memory of Dr Doppler kissing Captain Amelia on their journey back was rudely inserted into his mind and he physically recoiled. “Eugh…” He did not want to see that, nor remember it at all and how passionately they were going at it. 

“Good, I was running out of PG ideas for a teenager.” Fisch spared him a glance before focusing back into the void

“Lesson 7, never run, they will always be faster than your ship. This is their home. Stand next to your best chance of survival, me, and don’t say a word or show fear. They will smell it and seize the opportunity. Instead, stand your ground. Show that they don’t affect you. Sirens are actually very weak creatures and need the upper hand on their prey, either with their lull or your fear of their presence if the lull doesn’t work. If neither works, they will think you are stronger than them and won’t risk hunting you.”

“Y-yes Captain.” Jim did his best to process all of that.

Fisch hummed in satisfaction at his response. “That being said, stay behind me just in case.” Fisch guided him with an arm so that they stood between him and the void. 

Jim peaked out past their arm to watch the darkness. Then, in the distance, he saw them. In the starless sky, dots of light floated closer to the ship. The dots grew into a cluster of blue green stars, moving like lazy fish in a dark ocean. One cluster grew even closer to the ship, until the ship’s dim lights illuminated the creature.

Jim made the connection to why Fisch talked about fear.. 

A creature as long as the ship they were on. Their eyes were two large black pools in their head, he could not see a distinction between iris and pupil, perhaps they didn’t have irises.

Large fins that fanned out from their arms and head like a mohawk made of cloth, flowing around them in the void with graceful purpose. An eel like tail connected to their humanoid torso, their lithe body littered with scars. Some scars resembled bite marks from a much larger creature…

 The lights were from bioluminescent spots and patterns that lined the entirely of their bodies. And lastly, hooked sharp claws on each of their webbed fingers.

Needle sharp teeth greeted him when the siren spoke. “Fischelera, you have brought morsels for us? How kind~” the large siren eyed Jim. A shiver travelled down his entire being as he instinctively took a step back. The sirens lull laced in their words tickled his mind as Jim forced to stay focused.

“They are not your meal and never will be. I’m sure you and your pod had enough from the pirates you’ve feasted on.” Fisch stood their ground unfazed.

“Yes, we have to thank you for that, so generous~ They will last us a while. But this one, a young one, fresh and tastier. And the scent of blood~ it has been calling to us.” The siren purred.

Blood? What blood? Was he bleeding from the fall? Was Fisch injured? Doesn’t look like it. Could they smell the blood inside people?

“You will not have them, Pod leader. They are my charge. That’s final .” The hybrid bared their teeth at the siren in a snarl. Their eyes glaring hard at the creature filled with their will.

Jim desperately tried to hide his fear when the siren's lips morphed into a frown. The anticipation of danger had his flight or flight instincts in a chokehold. “Hmm unfortunate, but we will respect your choice. Do call us if you change your mind.”

Fisch's face relaxed and nodded to them. “Safe hunting, Pod Leader.”

The siren nodded back. “Safe hunting, Fischelera.” Finally, the siren turned and swam to the others waiting in the darkness. Jim and Fisch watched as the lights retreated back, disappearing into the distance.

Fisch let out a sigh of relief “That went well.”

“It could have gone otherwise?” Jim yell whispered, fearing that the assumed man eaters were still around in the dark.

“I was banking on the fact that they were the ones that ate Smile’s crew, since their ship didn’t emerge, and was satisfied after it. That’s usually the case here. If it was a void shark, scraps would be blown out. But the Sirens most likely drew them off course and deeper into the Expanse to feast.”

“What would happen if it didn’t go well?” His voice gradually recovered its normal volume with his growing assurance.

“I would fight them off.” Fisch stated simply. 

“Not the first time I had to do that, and it wouldn’t be good in my conscience if I let anything happen to you.” They shrugged, patting his shoulder casually as they walked towards the hatch. Jim gave the void one final look before trailing after them.

“Nevertheless, whatever happens on this ship, stays on this ship. I don’t want it getting out that I’m doing some guided tours of the Expanse.” They shuddered at the hypothetical. They continued until both of them were surrounded by the walls of the hallway below deck. 

“Though, I’m sure that won’t be too difficult for you, Jim Hawkins .” The emphasis of his name rubbed Jim the wrong way and the boy stopped at the bottom of the steps.

“What does that mean?” Caution laced his voice. 

Fisch turned and leaned their regular shoulder against the wood wall. “I may be a hermit, but I’m informed well enough. Especially when it concerns the discovery and destruction of Treasure Planet , accompanying one Dr Delbert Doppler.” His eyes widened in shock as the hybrid continued.

“The voyage was coincidentally led by Captain Amelia Smollet. Though, I find quite reasonable if you got recommended to Academy due to your significant involvement. I knew your name was familiar...” 

Their body language didn’t betray any signs of intention to harm him. Bravely, or stupidly, he prodded. “Captain Amelia made sure I was not included in any articles or reports. So how would you know about that?”

“I have my sources, none you should be worried about. Your secret is safe with me as long as all of this-” a cybernetic hand gestured around them “-stays with you. Deal?” They stuck their hand out.

Jim looked at it and gripped it in a firm hand shake.“Deal.” 

He noticed that their fingers just barely touched the back of his hand. “Glad we can come to an agreement. Sorry if that sounded like a threat, kit… Though it probably was. So, sorry for threatening you.” 

“It's fine. I would have done the same if I were you.” Jim waved it off casually, stepping closer to them.

Fisch let our a short chuckle as they continued their journey down the hallway. “You'll do alright here.”

Jim's mouth tugged into a smile at their acceptance and began to relax around them. A few seconds in, he remembered something the sirens said. “Are you… injured?”

“Excuse me?” A long ear flicked upwards in attention as their head turned to him. They looked visibly confused with their furrowed brows, so he continued.

“Sorry, I mean, the siren mentioned something about blood “calling” to them. I’m not bleeding, at least I don’t see anywhere that I am…”

There was a flash of recognition and understanding in their golden gaze and it was Fisch's turn to explain. “No, I’m not injured. I picked up a… guest . It was a good thing I found him before it was too late. He was half dead on his ship. So I took him in. I’m keeping him in one of the spare rooms I have, my ectomorph companion is taking care of him. I’d advise against disturbing his rest.”

The way that they said “guest” was really suspicious, but Jim decided to accept their answer with healthy caution.

Ectomorph? Reminded him of Morph-

“Morph!”

Chapter Text

The pink sentient blob let out a whimper, shrinking in on himself when he heard the aggressive voices directed at Jim. He was afraid and there was not much he could do to help Jim. Then suddenly, he was tumbling with Jim. He felt all the tumbles his friend took.

“Scary! Run! Hide!” The frightened Morph shrieked. He frantically darted through the dimly lit hallways despite Jim calling out to him. He finally stopped and squeezed behind a bottle on a high shelf. 

A few moments pass and the ectomorph’s eyes peek out from his hiding spot. It was quiet. He looked around. The place he was in was all foreign to him. Wooden walls and closed doors, no Jim.

“Jim?” He chittered with worry. The young blob floated out of his hiding space and into the corridor.

“Lost….” He whines hopelessly. He continued wander until a familiar scent greeted him. “Silver?”

He now floated with purpose, following the scent of his first caretaker. It led him to a wooden door. He could see light shinning out of the keyhole so he squished his body into the opening.

His eyes pop out on the other side of the door. Inside the room, he saw a blob much like himself but bigger and a different colour. The other’s ecto shimmered and shined in the dim lighting like the gold coins he saw at the core of Treasure Planet. Then at the back of the room, he saw his old caretaker. Morph wiggled and squeezed out from the key hole with a pop into the room.

“A child? Where did you come from?” The older ectomorph blinked in surprise.

Her eyes followed him as darted towards the motionless Ursid on the bed. “Silver! Silver wake up! It’s Morph!” He circled above his face, but all he got in response were shallow breaths.

“He’s been hurt. He is resting to get better.” The other morph shifted closer with a hushed voice.

“Hurt? But Silver strong! Why no wake up?” Morph turned to looked into the eyes of the bigger blob.

The gold ecto morph’s eyes softened. “He was hurt badly by pirates, Fisch has been taking care of him. If you let him rest he will wake faster.”

“Pirate bad, but Silver not bad. Want him to wake now. Miss him...” His jelly like exterior trembled with sadness.

“I know child. It’s better to not disturb him… you can help me watch over him. Would you like to do that?”

He perked up at that. “Yes! Morph great at watching!”

The other smiled. “Good, it’s a tough job. Watch and stay in this room, it’s very dangerous outside.”

“Pirates?”

“No, big creatures that want to eat you. Stay in the room so Fisch and I can protect you and Silver.” 

“Okay, we help Silver… Who are you, big Morph?” He gave a curious thrill.

“My name is Mara.” Returned the other.

Around them, the ship rumbled with the roar of engines signaling the departure of the ship. “We are going now, I need to hold the bed steady so he does not rock too much.” Mara’s body stretched and pulled like a water balloon till she covered the whole underside of the bed and more. Then, the bed and Silver was lifted up into her jelly body, stabilising and cushioning it from the rocks of the ship as it started to move.

“Big Mara!” The tiny pink blob circled Mara and the bed. “What can Morph do?”

“You can help to cool his head down. Can you try to match this cold?” Mara stretched out an arm to Morph.

Morph's little hands came up to touch the extension. “Cold!”

“That’s right, try to make your body cold liked this. Think of cold things, cold drinks ice cream…”

“Morph likes ice cream!” The pink blob chirped happily.

“Yes, think of how the ice cream felt. Yes, you got it! Well done Morph.” Mara praised as the young ectomorph successful changed his temperature.

“Now lie on his forehead. He still has a fever and I need to focus on stabilising the bed. You have a very important job to make him better. Try to keep that level of cold until we are done.” Morph floated over to Silver's head, concentrating hard to maintain the chilling feeling. He was just big enough to cover the Ursid’s hot forehead when he melted his body to rest on him. 

The ship began to shake and rock violently around them, scaring the little pink ectomorph. However, he did his very best to concentrate on helping his previous caretaker. Mara’s body kept the bed incredibly stable, not a rock or vibration from their rough travel was felt by Morph.

Then, it all stopped. The two ectomorphs heard the engines die down, leaving them in the silence of the room and steady shallow breaths of the Ursid.

“You did great Morph, you can take a rest.” Mara slowly let the bed back down.

Morph felt exhaustion soak into his body when he released his concentration, his body returning to his normal temperature with a bubbly sigh.

The little blob remained on Silver's forehead, too tired to moved. Suddenly, he remembered. “Jim! Morph left Jim… What Morph do now…” His melted body perked up lighting from his state.

“Who’s Jim?” Mara asked, her eyed looking over the Ursids body for any complications she missed during the travel, she was satisfied when she saw none.

“Morph friend.” He explained.

“Well, if he’s still on the ship, Fisch will take care of him.” 

“Jim in trouble, bad people don't like Jim. Hurt Jim, Morph run, hide.” He sank back down in sadness.

“Is that how you ended up here?” The gold ectomorph looked to him.

“Morph thinks so, wanted to stay with Jim…” He let our a defeated whimper.

“I understand, you were scared and tried to find somewhere safe. You are safe here, Morph.” Mara gently patted his melted body with an extension. “I will ask Fisch when they visit if he is on the ship, alright?”

Morph let out a soft thrill, his eyes grew heavy as sleep took him.

--

“Hmm, I haven't heard much a commotion below deck, so your ectomorph should be fine… maybe they found Mara and is staying with her.” Fisch tapped their chin with metal fingers.

Jim’s eyebrow raised in question. “You have another person on board?”

“Technically, she’s an older ectomorph that’s helping me take care of my guest.” They explained.

So a creature like Morph, that… should be alright if Morph was with someone of his species. Jim has never seen any other like Morph so he was rather curious to what this Mara looked like. “I see. Well, if you find him can you please let me know?”

“I will. Come on, it's been a long day and you need a place to sleep.” Fisch stepped ahead and Jim continued close behind them.

“I can sleep in a hammock somewhere… if you’ve got one and the space.”

“I may have a hammock in the store room, probably came with the ship. As for space…. We might have to put you in the store room. Don’t worry, its bigger than the cupboard you were stuck in. Only other place is the kitchen, but it may be dangerous on the chance that something happens.”

“Yeah sure, I can live with that.” Beats sleeping under Snuff.

“Great, continuing with the lessons, let's see how well you can set your own hammock up.”

Chapter Text

Fisch approached the buzzing table, their first mate and shipwright on either side a spread of bounty posters. “Who are you talking about?”

“Some new, delusional pirate. He hasn’t done much yet, but is doing enough to make a name for himself.” Their first mate, Rechil, slid over a fresh sheet.

The Captain’s eyes scanned over the name. “Long John Silver?... What’s his deal?” 

“His schick is just looking for Treasure Planet.” On the other side, Niki shrugged.

“…That’s it?” Fisch blinked.

“Yeah that’s it. He’s mostly been chasing leads on the map’s whereabouts. Causing commotion around sightings of Flint’s old crew mates.” The Polar Ursid continued.

“I heard he’s got a few small bounties on his crew” Rechil added.

“Any victims?” Fisch looked between the two.

“Mostly property damage and injured casualties. Mostly pirates.” Niki listed.

"That's… good. Does our job for us I suppose.” Fisch hummed.

“Are we forgetting the ‘long’ part? How did that get added?” The Dragnian asked.

“Hey, maybe he’s long somewhere-” The shipwright smirked.

“Niki!” Rechil swatted his arm.

“Whaaat? You asked!”

“So? Is he on the list Captain?” Rechil turned back to her Captain.

Fisch looked at his bounty for a pause. “...No, leave him be.”

“You’re really good at tying knots, did that happen before or during Treasure Planet?” Fisch sat across Jim, spooning warm stew into their mouth

Jim blinked in surprise at them before looking back down at his bowl, averting their gaze. “During. The…cook taught me how after I was to work under him”

“Hmm, I suppose this cook was also part of the crew that turned out to be pirates?”

Jim exhaled through his nose. “Yeah. It was… not the best moment when I found out.”

“I figured.” Fisch nodded solemnly. Their golden gaze studied the teenager. He stared passively at the bowl of fish stew, there was luckily enough leftover from earlier that day for the two of them. His expression shifted since Fisch brought that up, lost in his thoughts. “You look like you want to talk about it.” The hybrid noted as an invitation.

Jim continued, not meeting their eyes. “It’s…a long story. I don’t want to bore you with it” He shrugged.

“We’ve got all the time out here, and I like stories. Only if you want to, kit.” 

Then, he looked up at them. They already knew more than others, and they've been nice enough to take care of him, fed him. Jim felt he could trust Fisch with that much.

He began to tell Fisch of the adventures on the RLS Legacy, how he met Silver to him dealing Jim all sorts of chores and mentoring him. He told them about Mr Arrow’s murder and the things Silver said to him after. Then it was the betrayal he felt hiding in the barrel and how Silver saved him instead of holding onto the ship full of riches. Through it all, Fisch saw the boy light up as he became more animated with his storytelling.

“Huh, didn’t think he had it in him.” They hummed, resting chin on cool cybernetic palm.

“Who? Silver?” 

“Mmhm, I’ve always heard gossip from others about this pirate, dead serious on finding Flint’s Trove like all the others. But he was different somehow, with a pretty stable track record, relative to the others. You must be one special kit to change him like that, and or he always had it in him to be a good man.” The hybrid finished with a shrug.

“I think… he can be a good person if he wants to, and a free spirit on top of that. Even if it was an act in the beginning, he helped me a lot. He's the reason I started believing I could do more in my future. I had the makings of greatness in me, he said…” Jim was leaned back, staring at the table in front of him with a nostalgic, warm smile. 

Fisch felt the corner of their eyes crinkle seeing the boy speak so fondly of the pirate-

“Then again, he did try to shoot me when I found out about the mutiny.”

Fisch was about to say something about giving himself some credit before his confession. Their face dropped in confusion and concerned shock. “What?”

“Yeah, I heard the whirl of his cybernetic gears change and the loading hammer of his pistol behind his back. I stabbed his steam-powered leg and ran.” Jim explained with an air of nonchalance. 

Fisch’s eyes were wide, thin eyebrows furrowed with deep concern. “And are you…doing fine mentally after that?” Their metal finger drew a vertical line across their lips.

Jim looked at them in surprise, he took a moment to think before he answered. “...I don't know. Maybe?”

“What does maybe mean?”

“I don't know? Maybe! There hasn't been a moment where that moment came back to haunt me… maybe because we made up at the end? He never meant to harm me, even though he had so many chances to...” He looked everywhere but at Fisch, his hand rubbing the back of his neck.

Fisch let out a deep exasperated sigh, metal digits pinching their high nose bridge. “Have you told anyone else about this?”

“No? I didn’t want to worry my mom, or make Captain Amelia go after him...”

Fisch took a deep breath in, and then out. “Okay… okay, I get where you’re coming from. Just… If anything happens on this ship that makes you, I don’t know, uncomfortable? Please say so. I don’t want to send you back with more potential trauma.”

Jim chuckled. “Aye aye Captain.” He gave them a two fingered salute.

“I’m holding you to that, Jim, I’m serious. You’re a young man that probably emotionally literate enough to recognise when that is.” Fisch pointed at him. “Wait, how old are you?”

“17.”

“Huh, I was around your age when I first started bounty hunting.”

“Really?” Jim’s eyebrows raised in surprise.

“Yes, though I wouldn't recommend it.”

“Then why did you become a bounty hunter?”

“That’s a story for another time.” They dismissed, standing up from the table.

“We have time, and I like stories.” He threw their words back at them with a confident smirk.

Fisch let out a huff in amusement. “I know, I’ll tell you another time. It's getting late now, and tomorrow is going to be busy. So I suggest you turn in for the night, I’ll come wake you up for breakfast.” They collected both their bowls, bringing it to the sink to wash

“What’s happening tomorrow?”

“Fishing.” Jim continued to look at Fisch, but that was all they gave him. “Now off you go, kit. See you tomorrow.”

“Thanks Fisch, good night.”

“Good night.”

“Captain! Over here!” Fisch spotted the pair seated at the back of the tavern.

The Hybrid smiled, seeing their familiar faces. “So, what’s been happening?” They eased themself into the empty seat.

Rechil leaned forward in excitement. “Oh my stars, BIG things. Remember Long John Silver?”

“Yes?”

“So, one Captain Amelia Smolette led a voyage sponsored by astrophysics Dr Delbert Doppler to Treasure Planet-”

“They found it?” Fisch’s eyes widened as their ears perked up in attention.

“Yeah! This isn’t in the papers, but I overheard that an acquaintance of Dr Doppler’s, a kid named Jim Hawkins found the map and is the only one that could open it. So he was brought along too.”

“What’s this about Silver then?… Don’t tell me-”

“Oh yeah, definitely. When Doppler was hiring a crew, goodness knows why he didn’t just get more navy spacers, Silver got himself and the rest of his pirates on the ship as its crew!”

“Seriously?”

“Yeah! Amelia was apparently suspicious of them at the start but Silver put up a good act as the cook. It wasn’t until the mutiny when they approached Treasure Planet when shit hit the fan.”

“Hm, was he arrested when they returned?”

“That’s the thing, they arrested a handful of what was left of the pirates, but Silver escaped.” The Polar Ursid added.

“His bounty has since been revised to 5 times his original one.” Rechil nodded.

“That's what you get for messing with the Navy.” Niki guffawed.

Fisch let out a chuckle of their own in disbelief. “I can’t say I wasn’t rooting for him.”

Fisch knocked on the door. “Mara.” They spoke in a low voice.

The door unlocked from the inside and Fisch pushed it open quietly and swiftly shut it behind themself. 

On the bed lay John Silver, bandages wrapped all around his bare chest. The only sign of life was the slow, steady rise and fall to his breathing. “How is he?” 

“Still in restorative hibernation. He’d stir every now and then, but never fully woke up. He’s been having fevers, but not too serious. We’ve got that covered.” The gold ectomorph snaked around and over their shoulder, looking over the Ursid with Fisch.

“Hmm. And his wounds?”

“Closing up and healing well.”

“Alright, thank you dear friend.” Fisch leaned their head into Mara’s soft body

“There’s one thing, is there a boy on the ship?”

“Yes… is there a…’Morph’?”

The ice pack on his head suddenly shuddered and flew up towards them, changing from a blue to a pink blob with eyes. The small ectomorph thrilled at them excitedly as he got right up to their face.

“Oh! Hello, young one.” Fisch danced their cybernetic fingers slowly around the young blob as he weaved through them expertly.

“I didn't think your kind could come this small.” Fisch smiled.

“He’ll grow as big as I am as he ages. He’s been a big help with cooling his head.”

“Thank you for taking such good care of him. Could I ask you to watch over him a bit longer?”

In response, Morph turned into a pair of gigantic eyes that used up all of his ecto matter.

Fisch let out a soft chuckle. “I'll be sure to tell Jim you’re doing well.”

The pink blob returned to his natural self at the mention of his friend. “Jim!” Morph mimicked.

“Yes, Jim is safe and doing well, I found him in a supply closet. You may get to see him soon, but not now. We are going to be catching some food tomorrow so I’ll need you to stay in here with Mara, OK? I brought some dinner, figured you and our new guest would be hungry.” Fisch pulled out a bag of biscuits from their pocket.

Mara took it from them, extending her body to open the bag with ease. Morph thrilled in response, diving into the bag to retrieve a few discs. Mara and Fisch smiled at the sight.

Turning back to the sleeping Ursid, Fisch let out a sigh as they sat on a chair next to the bed. A metal finger swept a few stray brown locks away from his face. 

“You did it… what now?”

Chapter Text

Fisch stepped out of their quarters onto the pitch dark deck. Their senses opened to the all encompassing void of the Expanse. The muscles of their long pointed ears stretched to listen to any signs of life near the ship. Air filled their lungs as they drew in the scents. Nothing but the wood of the ship and hints of their guests below deck.

Following their mental layout of the ship, with a little help from their night vision, Fisch made their way towards the closed hatch in the dark. Closing their eyes, they pulled open the wooden hatch. They walked down the steps, looking through squinted lids to adjust to the much brighter, dim lighting. Fisch made their way to the kitchen, toasting two slices of bread, cut up some veggies and melted a mix of cheese on top of them to finish.

They set the two plates down on either side of the table and started towards the storeroom where Jim was sleeping. Fisch knocked on the door and was greeted with a “Coming!” They waited patiently as the sounds of his shuffling ceased before the door opened.

“You’re up early.” Fisch noted with a huff.

“My body clock is used to it from the Academy.” Jim shrugged with a smile.

“Hmm, that's convenient.” Fisch hummed with a small smile. “Come on, before breakfast gets cold.”

As they sat in the galley, Jim asked Fisch the questions he accumulated in his mind from last night. “What kind of bait will we be using?” The teen took a bite out of his. “Hm! This is nice.” 

“Thank you. We're going to be using a different kind of bait than what you are thinking of. Lesson 9 in the Expanse, creatures that live here don't use their eyes as much to hunt prey.”

“Because of the darkness?”

“Because of the darkness.” Fisch nods. “Much like creatures that live in deep oceans of aqua worlds. Predators also use their bioluminescence to attract curious prey. On the other hand, prey will emit lights to warn others when they are in distress. Which is why ships get ambushed when they enter the Expanse.”

“So that's why the lights are so dim” Jim’s face brightened at the connection.

Fisch smiled at his discovery. “Yes. When we are below deck I turn them off completely, so please don't come out without me.”

“Hah! You won't catch me anywhere near the hatch. The whole ‘emptiness’ thing is not for me. So to attract prey do we just turn up the lights?”

“Yes, but not just that. What else do you think can attract prey when you don't know how far away they are and you can't see where they are?”

“Hmm….Sound!”

“Bingo, full marks for you.” Fisch shot him a finger gun. Jim grinned brightly with pride.

Seeing that they had both finished their breakfast, Fisch decided it was a good time to start. “And with that, I have a surprise.”

Fisch stood and walked over to the shelf where they kept a gadget adjusted for Jim. The metal and straps gave a muffled clunk as they placed it on the table.

Jim’s eyes glittered as they studied the gadget in front of him like a child in a candy store. 

It had thick straps with buckles to tighten. At the supposed centre of it all, was a metal box. “What is this?” His hands itched to explore the curiosity in front of him.

“This-” Fisch continued, hooking their fingers through the sides of the gadget. They lifted the thing up and Jim recognised its purpose from the Academy. “-is your harness.”

“What exactly are we doing that needs a harness?... You're not going to use me as bait are you?” Jim shuffled back.

“Ha! No. As amusing as that sounds, that would be too chaotic and throw the ship off course.”

“We're on a course?”

“Not technically, we are hovering in one space. If we move too far out of this calm pocket, the currents may take us and getting out will be a bigger issue.”

“But if that happens you can sail us out right?”

“Yes, but it's not something I'd like to do again. Back to the harness. I'll be using the ship itself as bait, However to get the shark close enough I'll need to turn the artificial gravity off.”

“Hold on, wait, shark?”

“Yes, shark. I like to call them Void Sharks. The scientists have their own long scientific name for them but I’ll stick to that.”

“And how big exactly are Void Sharks?”

“Fully grown sharks are around the average of 20 or so feet.”

“And you want to fish that?!?”

“I have caught them in the past without a hitch. You won't be involved at all. In fact, your job is to keep as out of sight as possible.”

“Then what's the harness for?”

“So you don't float off.” Fisch looked at him like it was obvious and Jim's gaze sassed them back. “The shark won't be here immediately, and I want to show you something on the deck. You can stay at the hatch and watch while I hunt.”

“Oookay…” Jim strapped the harness around his waist and legs, the box sat just below his belly button. “And the life line is supposed to attach… here??” He knocks on the box twice.

“That is your life line.” Fisch reached to grab the front halve of the box. They twisted it clockwise and it clicked. When the hybrid removed thand hand, Jim could see a round metal loop jutting out from the half twisted box.

He looped his thumb into it and pulled. From the box, a cord of wire emerged connected to the reinforced carabiner around his thumb. When he released the tension of his arm, bringing it down, the wire remained the same length and drooped with gravity. “Cool.” Jim glowed.

“Hold the wire in place for it to lock, and short pull to retract it back.” Fisch told him. Jim gave the wire a short tug and the wire fed itself back into the box at a steady pace. 

“Did you make this?” Jim asked.

“Technically? It's an old arm part that didn't fit when I got an upgrade, so I repurposed it into that for whoever may need it. You can take a closer look at it later.” Fisch smirked with their added comment as they walked out. A light blush dusted Jim’s face when he realised how much he practically drooled over the gadget.

Together the two made their way to the dimly lit deck. Jim stayed near the hatch as Fisch went up to the quarter deck. Their metal fingers tapped at the controls and the holo projectors around the ship glowed to life. Projections of people appeared on the deck, a whole mix of different characters and races. In the small crowd of around 20 individuals, he spotted Fisch frozen in time, smiling with the others. In another part, he saw what looked like Captain Marcus in a playful headlock.

“Is this your crew?” Jim asked as Fisch rejoined him.

“Ex-crew. I disbanded us 5 years ago, but we still meet from time to time to catch up. You've met Marcus.” Fisch gestured to the hologram man.

Jim unconsciously drifted away from the safety of the hatch to get a closer look at the people around the deck. As Jim looked around, there were races he didn't recognize and others that looked familiar, but like a sub race of the one he knows. One man looked like an Ursid, like Silver, but his skin was darker and he had a lot more white body hair. Even then, his features told Jim that he was younger than what the white hair reflected.

“That's Niki, our shipwright and one of my closest friends.” Fisch noticed him studying the large man.

“He looks like an Ursid.” His curiosity laced in the statement.

“Yes, specifically a Polar Ursid. His sub race originates from colder regions of their home planet, hence his adaptations to retain heat that differ from other Ursids. He used to keep a fuller beard that made him look 60 at 30.” Fisch exhaled through their nose.

“How old is he here?”

“45.”

“Huh.” Jim noted. His eyes were drawn to another more feminine individual. “And what about her, I haven’t seen her race before.”

“She's a Dragnian. Rechil, my first mate and other closest friend. You would typically find Dragnians in the Marvolyth system. Her family immigrated out and her mother became the Master of the hunter’s guild.”

“I didn't know there's a guild.” Jim turned back to them filled with curiosity.

“Yeah we don't advertise it much. You'll only know of it when you're connected by another hunter. So now you know.” Fisch nodded a smile at him. “If the Navy life isn't for you, let me know in the future.”

Jim huffed a laugh. “Sure. So when does the harness come into this?”

“First, lock yourself onto the railing below deck, where the hatch is at.” Fisch explained, continuing with how to lock and unlock the carabiner.

“Once you've done that, stick a thumbs up out of the hatch. That will be my signal to turn the artificial gravity off. Got it?” Fisch raised a thumb at the question.

Jim mirrored their gesture. “Got it.”

Fisch gently bumped their fist against his. “Great, fishing is a go.” Jim's eyebrows rose at the unexpected fist bump. A small smile tugged at his lips as his fist remained in the gesture of approval. He didn't realise that was an option, his arm bumped the air, mimicking Fisch’s action.

As soon as Jim reached the railing by the stairs, he pulled out the carabiner and secured it to the metal bar. He twisted the lock and tugged at it, testing its strength. Once satisfied, he walked up the stairs and raised a thumbs like they agreed on.

Now he'll just wait for Fisch to turn the ar-

Jim's body froze as he floated off the ground. Weightlessness ambushed his senses when he jolted up in shock. The overbearing dark expanse he floated towards only caused his heart to race faster. The rapid beats in his ears was all he could hear as his eyes were wide in terror, absorbed by the void. He was going to die, he thought.

Then, a tug of his life line grounded him to the moment. Still in his panic, he scrambled to grab onto the life line, pulling himself back into the 4 encompassing walls below deck. Jim pulled himself as close as he could to the wooden wall, hand on his chest as he felt the thrum of his heart. Why did he panic? He was safe with the life line…

“Jim?” Their voice called out to him. The teen inhaled and exhaled deeply in an attempt to calm himself. He could hear the clank and soft crunch of wood as Fisch travelled closer.

“Y-yeah! We're good to go!” He replied, but his voice sounded like he had lost his breath.

Fisch entered the frame of the hatch. They looked down at him with worry. “You okay kit? Saw you disappeared down the hatch rather quickly.”

“Yeah, just surprised is all… Haha.” He tried to shrug off, however his hand had a vice grip on the railing.

His words did nothing to dissuade Fisch and he could see it. Their golden gaze scanned his framen, picking up on all the signs that suggest he was distressed. “I'm fine now, really… we can talk about it later? I want to see you hunt the shark.”

Fisch looked at him for another moment before they let out a sigh. “I'll hold you to that, okay kit?” They relented.

Jim wordlessly gave them a thumbs up and Fish continued. “I'll close the hatch till here.” They propped the built in stand up, leaving Jim with a two hands width of space to look through. “Safe enough for you to retreat down if you need while still being able to watch. I'll be up in the yards so don't be too worried if you can't see me. I'll start playing the holo vid so you can enjoy that as we wait for a shark. When I feel a shark around us, I will turn the holo off. Do not make a sound or you might draw its attention. It will most likely swim on top of the deck to check around for the source of the sound and movement from the holos. Which is why the artificial gravity needs to be turned off.”

“Because you need it to be close enough to strike.” Jim imagined Fisch jumping down from the yards up top onto the Void Shark.

“That’s right. I try to kill sharks as swiftly as quickly as possible by piercing the top of its skull so that it doesn't damage the boat. Don't come out until I get you as there may be a stray shark or other fish near that may have also been attracted to the sound.” They explained.

“Stay quiet and don't come out, got it.” Jim nodded.

“Good. Well, hope you enjoy the show kit.” Fisch patted the top of the hatch twice before they walked off. Peaking towards the deck floor, Jim saw that Fisch's metal claws that made up their feet dug into the wooden deck, anchoring themself to the surface as they walked. How convenient.

Fisch returned to the controls by the wheel and started the holo vid. Immediately, the holograms on board came to life. They were laughing and singing the last melodies of the previous song, the instruments started to play the next song and everyone cheered. 

Jim saw Fisch grab something in their hand before they jumped up, floating towards the yards and out of his sight. He turned his attention back to the joyous crew as they began to sing and sway. An ex crew member's voice rose among the crowd.

Good evening, aren't we lucky to be here right now?

And I can't remember when the sun went down

We'll all be surprised if there's a bar in town

That welcomes us tonight, that welcomes us tonight

But there's money in our pockets and the Llandoger's in sight

A couple of people started twirling and dancing with each other in the centre of the deck as the strumming of the guitar and fiddle picked up. 

Heave and ho (and ho!), a-roving we will go

Down the roads of cobbles to the everlasting flow

Of ale and cider, whiskey, boys, it's flowing like the wine

We'll all be well tonight, we'll all be well tonight

While there's money in our pockets and the Llandoger's in sight

This time, Fisch raised their pint and began to sing to them.

Stand and sing (yes sir), the walls begin to ring

With the sound of centuries gone past and history in the beams

Where Defoe and Stevenson both put the world to rights, and

We'll all be well tonight, we'll all be well tonight

While there's money in our pockets and the Llandoger's in sight

The song returned to the crew. The people next to Fisch bumped their shoulders into them and the Hybrid pushed them back playfully.

Your time, it is precious

And there's plenty to be done

But I hear that Jack can be a dull, dull boy

So drink with us tonight, drink with us tonight

'Cause there's money in our pockets and the Llandoger's in sight

Well, the spirits have got us in every way I know!

I see angels in the rafters taking in the show

The smartest fool, the dumbest sage are singing in the back

And we'll all be well tonight, put your troubles in the past

We'll all be well tonight, and we've found heaven at l-

The holos disappeared, the last note left Jim hanging. However, he quickly remembered what that meant and pressed himself closer to the wooden steps. His eyes scanned the Expanse, searching for any signs of the Void Shark. 

Fisch said they could sense the shark, would that be like feeling the Sirens’ approach? Jim tried to focus, perhaps he could feel something in the air like with the sirens. He waited and waited. Then, against his face, he could feel the wind change ever so slightly. From the unmoving air, came puffs of a gentle breeze. It continues for a few more minutes, until he saw it enter the light of the deck.

Like the sirens, it was huge. Its large head, probably as tall as two adult terrans, inched forward between the two masts. Its body was black like ink, its body dotted with pale spots, perhaps there were points for its bioluminescence. When the shark was halfway into the ship, Fisch struck.

There was barely a sound that alerted him or the shark of their descent. Jim just saw a flash of their fall and heard a pop, accompanied by a low crunch. The body of the Void Shark jolted and continued to float. 

Fisch emerged once again, this time standing by its fin. From their cybernetic arm, their hand shot out and grabbed the mast behind him. The wire from their arm grew taut as they floated closer to the mast, body in tow. 

They disappeared out of sight for a while, until Jim heard the sound of Fisch’s hand shooting out again and he saw it catch the mast on the other side of the ship. As it was pulled taut, the tail half of the shark loomed into view as Fisch brought it to the mast. He watched as they tied a rope around the tail and connected it to the mast. They must have tied the head to the mast behind him too.

When they were done, the pushed off the shark and floated up to the yards again. Seconds turned to minutes as Jim waited in silence for them to return. Finally, Fisch’s hand launched out from above, grabbing hold of the taffrail. Fisch descended weightlessly as if they were slowly flying back to the boat. Their feet connected to the deck and they turned to his hiding spot. 

“Coast is clear, you can come out kit. Good job on keeping out of sight.” They walked over and lifted the hatch.

The length of the shark was revealed to him when they did, its head hovered above his. “Come on, time for your lessons.” Fisch held out a hand for him to take.

Chapter Text

Jim looked at their cybernetic hand and back down to his tether. He was safe with Fisch, or at the very least, Fisch wont let him die. Feeling more confident, he grabbed their hand and they pulled him up onto the deck. Jim felt the tension of the wire as the distance between him and the carabiner increased.

“If you need to, just tug on it and it will bring you back. Give it a try.” Fisch suggested, letting go of the teen's hand to let him find his bearings on his own. Jim floundered a bit, arms shooting out as an attempt to balance himself in zero gravity. Then, he focused back on Fisch's words, his hand grabbed the wire below his belly button and gave it a tug out of the box. When he'd let go, the box drew the wire back into itself, dragging Jim with it along the wire back to the carabiner.

Jim caught himself against the wall before it could retract fully. “Come on back up. We're about to start our lesson.” 

“Yeah, got it!” Jim returned. The gadget had proven itself trustworthy enough to keep him from floating into oblivion. Taking a deep breath in and out, he resolved to go back out. Jim tried to launch himself off the wall, the wire extruded until the mechanism's tension was stronger than the decreasing force of his launch, stopping Jim midair.

Jim was halfway through the hatch, looking up he saw that Fisch stood a few metres away. Using the hatch as support, Jim pulled more wire out from the box. When he had given himself enough slack, he pushed out of the hatch and towards Fisch. The teen continued to float towards them, a relieved smile on their face.

They held their hand out to him again and Jim took it. “Hold on to me, I'll be walking around.” They said, bringing him over to their back. Jim set his hands on their shoulders, his left hand placed closer to their neck, away from their cybernetic's shoulder plating.

“Good? Alright, lesson…9, gutting a fish. Like all fish, you want to start by gutting and cleaning the innards, so we will do just that.” They strode over to the mast where a smaller floor hatch sat behind the entrance below deck.

Fisch knelt down and lifted the hatch, revealing a set of sharp knives. They picked up a relatively short blade and stood back up, shutting the hatch. “A knife with a shorter blade is always good when gutting so as to not accidentally puncture the organs. You would typically just use one knife to gut and fillet a fish, but the knife I have to fillet sharks is the length of my forearm.” They raised their arm for Jim to imagine the picture.

With the teen in tow, Fisch walked over to the tail end of the shark. “First, insert the tip of your knife into the vent of the fish, sharp side facing the head. Then, carefully saw it back and forth, shallow strokes to not puncture the guts, all the way until you meet bone.” Jim watched as they started cutting, the knife sliding through the tough skin of the shark like butter. 

“With a short knife like this, it won't cut through the belly all the way to certain areas, so I'll go through it again to cut away at the remaining muscle to access the guts.” They spread the flesh of the carcass apart, locating the remaining thinner connections and slicing them apart to reveal the dark cavity and organs.

Once the cavity was opened, Fisch went back to the hatch, they let the knife hang in space while they knelt down, acquired two zip ties and stood back up. They grabbed the floating knife as they turned back to the shark. “The astrozoologists want to study the organs so we'll tie them off with these and store them in the freezer.” 

Fisch pried the belly opened and Jim stared up in amazement and morbid curiosity with how the organs stayed in place instead of spilling all over them. The Hybrid dug around the head cavity and must have found where the stomach started as they proceeded to tie it off. Then, with the knife, they sliced it off. The anus of the shark was easier to locate and Fisch made quick work of it. 

They gingerly pried the organs out of the shark and floated it to the bow of the ship. They slid open the doors to reveal a set of metal ones behind it. Jim could see frost coating the glass window. They twisted the freezer door open and pushed the floating guts in. “The artificial gravity doesn't cover the freezer so they will remain in suspension.” They told him.

“All right, now’s time for the fun part.” Fisch started once the doors were closed. “You can watch from the mast up there.” They pinned to the ledge that circled the mast. “I'll jump up and drop you off there before I start filleting, is that alright? If you want to get down, well, just tug on your wire and it'll real you back in.”

“Uh, sure!” He responded, more confident in anti gravity. Somehow being towed around by Fisch as the rest of his body floated behind them like a cape helped him overcome his initial panic.

They towed him to the base of the mast before holding his hand on their shoulder. “Ready?” Fisch turned their head to him.

“Ready.” Jim squeezed their shoulders tighter.

With that, Fisch launched off the deck, the anti gravity not restricting their upward propulsion. Jim held on tight as he was pulled upwards with the Hybrid. The wind swept past his face and hair before Fisch caught the mast and the rest of his body continued to float upwards.

Before he could panic, Fisch’s hand grabbed his wrist and pulled him into the mast. Once Fisch could see he was holding onto the ledge, they adjusted their grip to push his waist down until he was upright. “There we go, kit. Safe and sound.”

Jim let out a breathy laugh as he gripped the ledge, his hands shook ever so slightly. “Just sit tight for lesson 10 alright?” Fisch patted his shoulder.

“Y-yeah.” He gave her small nods.

Seeing that he was fine, Fisch pushed off the mast and floated down to tshadeck. They reopened the hatch and as they said, a knife with a blade as long as their arm emerged. 

“This is the fillet knife.” They held it up. Fisch hopped up and latched onto the shark carcass.

“We start by cutting the shark in half at the gills, not cutting through the bone.” They jammed the knife into the shark and sawed down, their clawed feet and hands held onto the carcass.

Once they were done with both sides, they walked their way to the top of the shark. “Then, we cut along the spine, starting from the tail, separating the flesh from bone.” 

He watched as Fisch sank the knife into carcass. As they began to saw upwards, their position changed where they used their clawed feet to pry the meat from the carcass, looking down to see where they were making cuts. An image of his mother filleting a fish at the inn popped into his mind. It was almost like magic how a whole clean piece of fish was separated from the body, leaving only slivers of meat on the bone. He didn't remember her having to look where she was cutting… but maybe cutting a shark was different.

When they finished cutting the whole fillet off the shark, Fisch floated it down to the deck. They used the fillet knife to slice a small piece off and popped it into their mouth. Jim’s eyes widened as they chewed, he's never eaten a fish raw before. He heard that you could, but only for certain fish and it's got to be really fresh. 

“Mmm, nice. Hmm, I would let you try some, but I'm not sure how terran biology would react to this and I don't want to accidentally poison you before you get home.” Fisch chuckled at his incredulous gaze at them.

“What does it taste like?” He asked.

“Hmm, gamey in a fish way, a tiny bit of sweetness like Portifun Tuna. It melts in your mouth too after a few chews. But the tingling, spiciness is what's making me hesitate letting you try it raw.” Fisch hummed.

“Am I able to eat it cooked?”

“Oh sure. It's a delicacy back at the port whenever I come back with a catch. I think the heat denatures the poison, either way I've seen terrans eat it before. The extra rich kind anyways.” They shrugged.

Jim was immediately interested at the idea of eating something so highly sought after so easily. It was something he could hold over people like the high and mighty acting brats in the Academy.

He continued to watch with drool pooling in his mouth as Fisch separated two perfectly large fillets from the spine. They reopened the freezer and floated them in.

“And lesson 11?” Jim wondered how they were going to break down the rest of the shark.

“Lesson 11, throw the rest out to the Expanse.” Fisch replied, cutting the knots off the shark.

“What? But- there's still meat on that!” Jim leaned out from the mast, instinctively moving to stop them before he realised where his body was and drew himself back in.

“We are part of the ecosystem of the Expanse. When we take, we also need to return. I, in all accounts, am an invasion into the ecosystem that was otherwise closed off. Void Sharks were the apex predator before I started hunting. Since five years ago, the sirens have reported their increase in pod numbers. To not lead to the over-hunting of their prey, I return what I don't need to feed the sirens to maintain the balance.” They explained, cutting the last knot off. 

The teen watched as Fisch pushed the carcass overboard, the flesh and bones floating out to the void. “Huh.” Jim hummed at the reasoning. He didn't think of an outsider's impact on the Expanse. If Fisch were to over hunt the sharks, they might destroy the ecosystem and its inhabitants. Jim remembered learning in class about how some planetary colonists drove many species of native flora and fauna to extinction or endangerment when they settled onto unregistered planets.  

“You can reel yourself in now, kit.” Fisch called up to him, bringing him out of his thoughts.

Jim looked down from the ledge, the distance to the deck was daunting. A hand shifted to his harness, his anchor. Jim took a deep breath in and let it out slowly. Like he practiced moments earlier, he tugged on the wire and it immediately started to reel him down towards the open hatch.

A laugh bubbled out of Jim as he was slowly pulled to the deck. He let his limbs float around him, enjoying the weightlessness of it all. As the deck grew closer, Jim grabbed the wire, stopping his descent. He braced his legs as he landed on the deck, pulling the wire in as he started to feel himself bounce off the wooden surface.

“All good?” Fisch asked, walking towards him.

“Yeah. All’s good.” He returned with a glowing smile.

“Good. I'll turn the artificial gravity back on and you can take the harness off. Rest a bit or wait for me in the galley, I'll prepare the next batch of soup with this catch.” Fisch gestured to the freezer.

“Got it.” Jim threw a thumbs up. Fisch leaned forward with their own gesture and bumped it against his before the two parted.

Jim hopped down the steps, pulling himself down the steps as the wire reeled into the box. He held onto the railing with his feet planted the floor and waited for the gravity to return. Moments passed before he felt his self sink back to the floor. He unlatched the carabiner from the railing and made his way to the storage room where he stayed.

After setting the harness aside, Jim lay in his hammock, thoughts of today’s events racing through his mind. He was probably going to have to talk to Fisch about his episode. They looked worried. It would be nice if they forgot about it and he didn't have to. They would be even more worried for him if they learned of the other life threatening events on his voyage. Jim was not keen on that, he didn't like other people's pity. 

He had a sense of deja vu. It almost felt like when Silver took him under his wing after he told him about his… parental situation. Sure it was most likely part of keeping him off the pirates’ scent, but Jim enjoyed those moments with him. Having Silver as a mentor were the most valuable moments of his life, and now he had Fisch. (If he had a bronze coin for every time he had a cyborg mentor on a ship, he would have two coins. Which isn’t a lot but it's weird that it happened twice.)

Jim wondered about the old ursid. Where was he now and what was he doing? Would he ever meet him again? Would he have the chance to show him how much he had grown? Jim sighed at his wandering thoughts. He missed Silver. Though, if Fisch and him met, he didn't think that would go down well, with their ex profession and all. 

Jim decided it was time to see what Fisch was up to. Maybe he could help them out… Or face their questioning. He sighed once again before making his way out.

Stepping into the galley, the smell of fried oil greeted his senses. On the table, sat a plate of battered and grilled meat. It was most likely the shark that Fisch promised. The aroma of the rare delicacy drew him to the plate, hypnotised. 

“It's all yours, dig in kit.” Fisch placed a fork and knife in front of him before turning back to the sink. Jim noted the pale green rubber gloves that reached their elbows, covering their cybernetics. They proceeded to wash their gloved hands before it was removed and hung over the sink.

When Fisch sat in front of Jim, his taste buds were in the middle of processing the explosive flavour of the shark. The battered, thinly sliced meat was buttery and he could taste the sweetness of the meat that Fisch talked about. The grilled shark was saltier, seasoned with flakes of salt but nothing else. With this one he could feel the texture of the fish. It had more of a chew to it with its thicker cut. But with every bite, more of its flavour flooded into his mouth.

“Good, isn't it?” Fisch grinned, resting their chin in their hand.

“Mmph!” He nodded eagerly, savouring each bite.

Fisch continued to watch Jim indulge himself on the fish, allowing him a sense of enjoyment before speaking up. “So… can we talk about what happened at the hatch?”

It was a trap. Fisch remembered and the shark meat was a trap he walked right into. “Hmm? Um… What happened?” He feigned innocent glancing at them from his meal.

Fisch gave him a pointed look, making Jim shrink slightly under their gaze. “Okay, okay, fine.” He deflated.

Their features softened back. “Take your time.” Their voice warm and patient.

Jim took a moment to himself to swallow and wash down his food with the cup of water that sat by his plate. He thought for a moment, inhaled, and exhaled. Then he started his story.

“When we got to Treasure planet, Silver and his crew mutinied and we escaped. Captain Amelia got hurt on the way down and I grabbed Morph disguised as the map instead of the actual thing… so I had to get it back.

When I was on the ship, Scroop was there. He's this….Spider-crab race, I'm sure they are chill but Scroop was just… Psycho. The guy tried to kill me before Silver stopped him… Yeah, so he caught me, attacked and chased me to the deck. That was when the artificial gravity went out… Probably because BEN was messing with the wires. Anyways, I kicked him away from me and we broke through the deck floor. He caught onto the mast but I continued going up. I thought I was going to die floating away from the ship, into the atmosphere, but I managed to catch onto the Jolly Roger.” 

Jim's eyes were looking everywhere but at Fisch as he told his story. When he finally did when he took a breath, they had a look of silent, restraint shock with their wide eyes. He could see the whole gold circle of their iris, like two coins with black ink dots in their centre. They blinked and their gaze relaxed slightly, but he could still see their worry. Fisch nodded for him to continue and he did.

“He- he tried to cut the flag away but I managed to grab onto the mast. Then he jumps at me, but I kicked him into their Jolly Roger, and he went flying into space… So… Yeah, that's probably where the panic came from…” He trailed off.

Fisch took a deep breath in a out. “A near death situation like that would do it-” They buried their head in their hands with a groan. “Uhrrrr and I floated you up at the mast.” They realised.

“It's alright.” Jim waved his hands around to reassure them. “Somehow, when you held me then I felt… safer? I didn't panic as much on the mast… I think I got acclimated to the anti gravity when you ”

“That's… that's good… I think.” Fisch slowly straightened back up.

“Yeah…” 

The two sat in awkward silence before Fisch spoke up again. “I suppose… it's also no wonder how the pirates go on board without raising too many red flags.”

Jim perked up. “Yeah, I was wondering that too. Wouldn't the Navy have picked up on that when they tried to apply for the job?”

“Only high bounty targets are monitored by the Navy across the systems. If I'm not wrong, the Scroop you mentioned had a bounty of five thousand gold in the Beteloos system.” They explained.

“Is that a lot? Five thousand?” His head tilted with the question.

“In the Beteloos system? No. That's at most 1 murder or 10 robberies. Pirates are unfortunately more common there. You are only a threat when you hit the hundred thousands. The rest of the pirate crew likely float around that range of bounties. Which is why as sketchy as they looked, Amelia would not have known, nor could she have done anything about it because they weren’t in the inter system database.”

Jim rubbed his chin and lips as he continued to think. “Would that matter to bounty hunters? Do you just go for the higher rewards?”

Fisch leaned back into their seat, this was territory they were familiar with. “They are our main targets, yes, but we will capture smaller bounties when we meet them on our hunt. There are many different types of hunters. Some focus and patrol one system and capture targets within it, some even just focus on the port or planet they station themselves at. So don't you worry, hunters do their best to capture all kinds of pirates.”

Jim thought for a moment before he asked again. “Who’s the highest bounty you've ever captured?”

“Mmm, perhaps it was 13 million? That guy was a slippery bastard and pissed off a good number of governments.” Fisch tapped their chin.

“Woah, you must be rich rich!” His eyes widened as he leaned forward at the insane amount of gold.

“Hah! Maybe, but remember, each reward is split up amongst the crew and a portion is kept for repairs and supplies. But yes, we did relax for a bit after that capture.” The Hybrid had a nostalgic smile on their lips.

“....Are you like, a famous hunter? We learn about bounty hunters in school and how the navy works with them sometimes for certain captures. Capturing high bounty pirates must have put you and your crew somewhere.” He continued.

“I guess you could say that…”

“Then why don't I recognise you?” Jim pressed.

“I wasn't known for my face.” Fisch shrugged.

The teen's eyebrows furrowed at their answer. “You're a confusing person.”

“Thank you, I like to befuddle. And how in the stars did this conversation become ‘guess Fisch’s backstory’. It should be yours that we should be talking about.” Fisch exclaimed in mock accusation, poking his shoulder from across the table.

Jim laughed, pushing their hand back. Fisch chuckled in return, smiling warmly at the teen as their laughter died down.

“Thank you for opening up to me Jim, I'll better warn you the next time I turn the artificial gravity off. And hopefully, you find the harness trustworthy enough to keep you close to your anchor.” The Hybrid said softly.

“It's not going to break on me now is it?” Jim joked. But it was a concern of his, especially with how Scroop killed Mr Arrow.

“The wire is cut, shock, and heat proof, so you're as safe as you can get with that. With the mechanism, I always do a check, clean and oil after each use. That way I’m familiar with what gears do what and if something feels off or makes sounds it shouldn't, I know what to fix.” Fisch wiggled their fingers, demonstrating the smooth movements of the digits and they emitted soft whirls.

“How often do you do all of that for your cybernetics?”

“Daily. I could go a week without checking it but it's part of my routine now. If you'd like, you can join me in a cleaning session one of these days and I can show you the inner workings of a cybernetic.” 

Jim's eyes sparkled at the offer. “Really?! I mean, I would like that, thank you.”

“Don't mention it, kit.” They smiled. “Oh right, I forgot to tell you. I found your Morph yesterday.”

He jolted up at that. “What? Where is he?” Jim felt incredibly relieved that his friend was on the ship with him.

“He's helping Mara with my guest.” They explained. However, the teen wasn’t satisfied with their short answer.

“Can I see him?”

“I'm afraid not, my guest is still a critical condition and I do not wish to disturb his rest any further. He is in a restorative hibernation, and Morph is safe with Mara.” They tried to explain. 

“I don't like it when you confuse me” Jim’s eyebrows furrowed with restrained frustration.

“Well you're going to have to. I know it doesn't make much sense to you, but it's all I ask at the moment. You will see Morph, and I hope you do, but soon. Is that understood?” Their eyes searched his for understanding.

Jim met their gaze but looked down from it when answered. “Yeah.” 

“Thank you for your patience, Jim. You can take the rest of today for yourself. Go… um, check your harness out and have a rest. I'll find you for dinner, okay?”

“Yeah, I can do that.” Jim replied, not looking at Fisch.

The hybrid watched him exit the galley. They were going to have to talk to Mara about this.