Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Roll pushed open the door to the Medical Room, then leaned back to grab the handle of her little doctor kit with her teeth before wiggling inside.

Rock was out at sea, trying to calm their rampaging brothers, and Dad was out there with him, leaving Roll all alone in the lab.

Well. Not quite alone.

No, one of her brothers was in the Medical Room, in the very very large tank pressed up against the back wall.

She remembered Dad and a few of his drones carrying him in. Dad was frantic, seeing his son injured and unresponsive. Saying that the colors were dull and how his scales were starting to flake away.

(Roll was just surprised at how large her brother was...she knew Rock and herself weren't very big, but seeing him from the safety of her small tank, and how he barely fit through the door …was she going to grow up to be that big one day?)

Dad couldn't stay long. He wanted to, but the others needed him and Rock, so he gave Roll a kiss on the forehead and ran out the door.

She didn't have Rock’s copy ability. Nor did she have his bravery. But Roll wasn't about to sit around and do nothing .

So she dragged in her little doctor kit into the Medical Room, staring at the large tank and the grey lump inside. Said lump was connected to a plethora of wires and tubes, a faint heart monitor beeping somewhere in the room.

Roll did not share Rock’s dislike of the Medical Room. In all honesty, she found it rather fascinating. All of these devices had a purpose, the purpose of making others feel better. Maybe she could learn how they worked, and she could make others better too!

Roll pressed her cheek against the glass, looking at the flowing orange fins and the occasional red scales running down his body. She thought back to pictures Dad had shown her of her older brothers. If memory served…

“You’re…DLN-006? No, 007? Fire?”

The lump stirred, emitting a low, mournful whine.

“Oh, sorry!” she whispered. “ Sorry! One second-”

Roll briefly left the tank’s side, grabbing some boxes and whatever was laying around the room to build a rough staircase. Once completed, she grabbed her kit and clambered up, splashing inside the tank with little grace.

Immediately she could practically taste all the medicine that had been mixed into the water. Fire must be very sick, more than she anticipated. Could she even help?

No, she had to try.

Swimming down, she took a moment just to look. Roll was meeting one of her big brothers for the first time…ever! She and Rock had been so excited to meet them, she just didn’t expect it to be like…this.

With an excited trill, she nuzzled against his arm. (He was so warm!)

Fire blearily cracked open an eye, gazing in her general direction.

Roll beamed at this. “Hi! Hi hi!! I'm Roll! I'm your little sister! It's so nice to finally meet you!”

All she got in reply was an ear twitch. His gaze seemed distant, and overall he just looked so…so tired . 

“I’ll make you feel better. I promise.” She said, voice full of determination as she nuzzled his arm once more.

While hesitant to leave his side, Roll swam around to see if he had any lingering injuries. And he did, but they were already bandaged and covered with gauze. So much for using her little doctor kit here.

She tried to think of what Dad did whenever she or Rock got sick. Unfortunately, she wasn’t allowed to use the stove, so making her brother some soup wasn’t an option.

(Even though she totally could. She could totally make soup if Dad would let her. And she'd be so good at it.)

Roll thought harder, thinking of what else they did when someone fell ill. Soup, rest, making them comfy…

Wait. She knew what to do!

She swam around, a soft purr in her throat as she wiggled a bit closer to him, settling on his back. Once settled, she nuzzled her cheek against him, starting to gently knead on him.

She was trying not to be rough, trying not to use her claws.

Roll couldn't make him soup, or bring him toys, or bandage him up more than he already was. But she could try to make him comfy, try and show he was safe and loved and cared for. That she was right here, and that he wasn't alone.

After a minute of her purring as much as she could, she felt Fire stir underneath her paws. He met her purring with a deep rumbling from his chest, the tension and stress slowly leaving him.

It was working! It was working!! Roll could feel him relaxing, and sure he still seemed tired, but at least he was finally settling down-

Something tugged at her tail. Then tugged harder. Then she was dragged off his back and onto the tank floor.

Fire had grabbed her by the tail, and was now staring at her with a half-exhausted, half-apologetic expression. With a quiet huff, he brought her close again, almost tucking her under his chin.

Then, he sighed, satisfied.

Roll had no idea how to react to any of this. She knew (hoped anyway) that Fire wouldn’t hurt her. But now here she was, curled up under him. Was this normal? Was this because he felt sick?

Fire started to rumble-purr again, and she could practically feel it in her bones with her so close to his throat and chest now.

Was he…trying to comfort her now?

…Because it was kinda working?

Something deep down reassured her that this was nice. This was good, even. Fire was warm and would keep her safe, his rumbling purr lulling her into a relaxed doze.

And as she wiggled closer, nuzzling against his chin and closing her eyes, she purred with him.

Chapter Text

Rock carefully crept through the lab, nudging open doors and wiggling under furniture.

Finally, he reached the door to the Medical Room. Rock had never liked the Medical Room, an opinion he had shared with his father once.

“Your physiology is very different from what most doctors are used to.” He explained with a smile, ruffling Rock’s hair. “If something happens to you - and I hope nothing does - we can use that room and all the equipment inside to treat you.”

“When your brothers were smaller, they'd go there if they got sick. But they're bigger now, and very strong. They don't need that room anymore, and hopefully, in the future, neither will you.”

That wasn't true, but in Dr. Light's defense, he couldn't predict his old colleague would give all of Rock’s brothers earpieces that would drive them mad.

Each one had a smattering of cuts and bruises, exhausted from days of constant audio torment. No sleeping, no eating, only a constant, high pitched nightmare.

Rock certainly didn't blame them for acting so aggressively. It wasn't their fault, but he wished he didn't have to be the one to fix it.

After each encounter, Dr. Light and his drones would scoop up one of his brothers and carry them back to the lab and into the Medical Room.

And as Rock nudged open the door, he could confidently confirm that he still did not like the Medical Room.

It was just too clean. Completely sterile. There wasn't the typical clutter from Dad, or any of their toys or games or books, the walls and floor and ceiling a stark white. Scary looking instruments and tools and machines were arranged in a claustrophobic manner, forcing Rock to awkwardly slither and wiggle to navigate to the tank.

The tank.

The very large tank. Completely devoid of toys or plants or anything fun.

A very large tank with water tinted blue from medicine, with tubes and wires and other strangeness inside.

Currently, all the lights were off. The only light came from the dim glow of the tank and medical machines.

Rock wiggled closer, hesitant, cautious, to look at the tank’s only occupant.

Elec wasn’t the largest of his brothers, nor was he the strongest physically - Guts took both of those titles - but Elec had been so dangerously fast, his electrical attacks so threatening, and the overall confrontation so very terrifying…it had been the worst one by far. 

Rock was glad that Elec had been last. No more fights with his brothers.

And now, the same mer who had snarled and hissed and shot electricity and tried to kill him just a few hours ago was laying motionless in the tank. It was almost hard to believe, as he lay completely still, curled up in such a way that he was almost unrecognizable. All Rock could see were his large fins and tail, covered in wrappings and bandages, with tubes and wires attached to him.

The only sign of life was the faint beeping of a heart monitor somewhere else in the room.

What a terrible first meeting.

Rock and Roll were going to meet their older brothers soon, Dad had planned it, he had given the all clear, the two of them were big enough for brief ‘field trips’ to the water…

And this happened instead.

He briefly wondered if they'd get a “do-over” after all of this was said and done.

Rock had no intention of disturbing his brother. He clearly needed rest.

When he had finally managed to yank Wily’s communication devices out of Elec’s ears, it was almost as if someone had flipped a switch. Elec had immediately passed out, sinking to the floor like a stone. Rock nudged and tried to wake him up, with no success.

But now, Rock could confirm his brother was stable, and didn't want to wake him up (and he really wanted to get out of this room).

Just as he turned away, he heard shifting and the tank water sloshing against the glass walls.

A voice rasped, “...You're…Rock.”

He turned, seeing Elec shifting in his tank, still mostly curled up, still mostly hidden behind fins and tail, but now facing towards the little pup sitting on the floor. Kinda. 

Slowly, Elec lowered his head to the bottom of the tank, cheek against the floor, as if it was too tiring to even keep his head up. He just stared at Rock with half-lidded eyes, waiting.

Rock struggled to swallow the lump in his throat. Elec really shouldn’t be awake, not this early, and he had no idea if his older brother could be holding a potential grudge.

“Y…Yes sir, I-I’m sorry-”

“Don’t.” he growled, firmly, then he winced at his own volume. Softer, he continued, “Don’t apologize. This isn’t your fault.”

Rock said nothing. He could feel himself instinctively curl his tail closer, appearing smaller in the presence of his - still kinda scary - brother.

He watched Elec’s eyes quickly flicker over him. “...I hurt you.” Not really a question, more of a statement. 

Rock said nothing. Instead focusing on a speck on the floor, ears tilted down and fins flat.

(What was he supposed to say? “ Yes”?)

How terribly awkward. He didn't just want to leave, not with Elec staring him down like this.

“Are the others alright?”

Finally, a question he could answer. “Yes. Dad patched them up, they're in the cove. They're tired, b-but dad says they'll be alright.” Rock briefly made eye contact with his brother before looking back down at a different speck on the floor.

More agonizing silence. Rock shifted his claws against the floor, wondering if he could scoot backwards and out of the room, and if that would be worse than just turning around to leave. Before he could come to a decision,

“You're scared of me.”

Anxiety bubbled in Rock's chest at his words. No, no, he wasn't, he wasn't! They just had a bad first impression, that could be fixed! Dad had told him and Roll over and over how excited their brothers were to meet them, how they already loved them so so much-

But Rock couldn't help but stammer, struggling to find the right words to explain.

This was all Elec needed to hear.

With a tired sigh, he shifted in his tank. “Please leave.”

“W-wait, no, it's not like that-”

But Elec had already turned away, silent and still once more.

Rock let out a mournful croon, pawing at the tank to try and get his attention. All he succeeded in doing was causing his brother to curl up even further.

He wasn’t getting a response from his older brother. Rock let himself slump back onto the floor, giving the tank one last look before quietly leaving the Medical Room.

Chapter Text

Fear doesn’t have a scent, not exactly. And in this aquarium, in this strange environment with fish and people and other Mers, he isn’t sure how he can even pick up the smell; but Rock is terrified.

He had every right to be.

It started as a demonstration to other scientists, ones with a speciality in the field of aquatic animals, not just two men and a woman who happened to be scientists that stumbled upon Merpups. And it was going…well enough. Elec was still unsure of the whole thing; the strange new people that stared at him, the strange other Mers that were there, the strange air of the aquarium in general-

It was going well.

Until it wasn’t.

There were new humans in the room, new humans with guns and armor and loud voices, demanding the monsters be put in a tank, or else something bad will happen.

(Elec notices when Rock looks around, confused. There were no monsters, only them. How innocent the little pup was.)

There was screaming. There was panicky, jerky movement from all around, from everyone in the room. Shoving, pushing, there was the flash of silver of a gun, of multiple guns, pointing at him-

Somehow, somehow, through all the panic, all the chaos, all of the stimuli, Elec, Rock, and the two other Mers (Pharaoh? Tempo? He wasn’t sure) were unceremoniously dumped into one of the aquarium tanks, and left there.

And all they could do was wait.

Fear didn’t have a smell. Not one that could be described with words, at least. But as Rock curls up underneath him with a frightened chitter, he can smell the terror coming off the pup - his pup - in sickening waves. It sends an uncomfortable tingle down the back of his neck down his spine, makes his teeth and claws itch. 

Elec brought Rock closer with a careful nudge, a deep purr rumbling in his chest. He hoped his presence could bring comfort, because words were currently failing him.

A plan. He needed a plan.

Dr. Light, Dr. Cossack, and Dr. Lalinde were currently being held hostage by the scary people with guns. Roll was MIA (having gone off with a little blonde girl he believed to be Cossack’s daughter…? Elec was unsure.) and Rush was sitting outside the tank, just as lost and as stuck as they were.

There was Pharaoh, another adult Mer who was slowly pacing the aquarium walls, as if looking for something. Elec…didn’t know him well. Perhaps it was just his past experiences talking, but he was immediately suspicious of another adult he didn’t recognize.

There was Tempo, a relatively young mer, she must’ve only been a few years older than Rock and Roll. She was being…amazingly calm, all things considered. It was taking all of his willpower not to drag her over and start preening her, replacing her unfamiliar scent with his own. He did not do that. That would be rude.

He wished someone else was here with him, someone else to shoulder the burden of being the metaphorical rock to…Rock. He’d take anyone, Fire, Bomb, Guts, Time, he’d even take Cut, really, just someone else he knew, someone familiar in this tank of strange fish and strange mers and strange smells. Even the sand under his claws felt almost hostile and unknowable.

Elec felt another uncomfortable shiver down his spine, all the way down to the very tip of his tail, and he hoped to whatever God that was watching that he didn’t start sparking electricity in such a confined space.

“You are not used to tanks.” came not a question, more of an observation, the voice thick with an unfamiliar accent.

Pharaoh was staring at him. Elec was curled up in a corner, guarding a terrified pup with the quiet ferocity that threatened to bubble over with just the mere presence of the unfamiliar mer.

He forced himself to remain calm. It was just a question. “No, I'm not. Dr. Light didn’t have much space, so having large tanks isn’t possible. This is…different from what I’m used to.”

The other nodded. “Waters are too cold, where we live. During the winter we stay inside large tanks.” Pharaoh paused, glancing around. “This tank is small. But all tanks are the same. There are two layers. The bottom layer, with the glass, and the top layer, to allow people access.

Pharaoh then grew silent. One of the armed humans began slowly walking around their tank, watching them closely. Elec could feel the enraged snarl in his throat, something he struggled to swallow. (It tasted like bile.)

Either satisfied with his patrols, or wary of the two (three, counting Tempo) mers watching him, the armed human turned back to where he came, ducking down a corridor.

“They want us in the tank.” Pharaoh finally continued, gaze lingering on where the man disappeared. “They want us visible. To keep a better eye on us.”

“They’re scared of us.” Tempo finally said, speaking for the first time since all of this started.

They should be scared. Came a venomous hiss in Elec’s head. He felt himself bristle at the thought, but did nothing. Instead, he asked, “What are you suggesting?”

“We leave the tank.”

“That sounds like sui-” Elec paused, glancing between Tempo and Rock, who was now peeking at the others, wanting to be part of the conversation. Selecting his words a bit more carefully, he tried again, “That sounds like a poor decision.”

“You can say suicide, I know what that is.” Tempo muttered.

“There are only twenty-five of them.” said Pharaoh, almost smug and matter-of-factly. “I counted, before we were sent into this tank. If they want to cover the most ground to find us, their numbers will be thin. Easy to…hm.” He finally glanced away at nothing in particular, tail twitching in thought. “...in-ca-paci-tate them.”

This was a risky plan. A risky, risky plan. Elec knew for a fact that he was not graceful on land, nor was he very stealthy. He doubted the other three would be better.

He had no doubt he could easily take on a human, perhaps two. But with a quick glance at Rock, his resolve wavered. What would Rock think of him? The thought of his little brother fearing him felt like a knife right through his heart.

Roll was still unaccounted for, Dr. Light was in danger, and to his utter dismay…Elec wasn't coming up with any better ideas. Instead he was curled up, practically bristling with pent up anger and fury.

All rational thought briefly left his head as Rock fully left his side, now open and exposed to every possible threat-

Absolutely not. Absolutely fucking not.

“Where do you think you're going??” Elec asked, grabbing Rock’s tail and starting to drag him back.

“I-I’m going with Pharaoh!” he squeaked. “I need to find Roll!”

The undeniable smell of fear was palpable and near overpowering. And from the way Pharaoh gave Rock a pitiful look, the others could smell it too. 

It wasn't safe. It wasn't safe. Returned the hissing voice. Rock was so small and so frail, far too gentle and far too kind, and the thought of him getting hurt was physically nauseating. 

Every fiber in his being wanted to scoop up his pup and hold him close to his chest. Tucked right under his chin and next to his throat, where nothing with even half a brain cell would dare to come close. Safe, safe, safe…

But looking at the little pup's determined eyes, Elec managed to reign in all of those thoughts. That was what he wanted…not what Rock wanted.

He sighed, feeling his shoulders slump and his ears droop. His hands were shaking, so he crossed his arms over his chest to try and hide it. “...alright. Just, please promise me you'll be safe?”

Rock nodded, “I will! I promise I will!”

This…was satisfactory. It did not quell the tingling down his spine or the aching in his claws, but it was good enough to quiet such feelings. “Do not leave my side, unless-”

Elec looked up to see Pharaoh and Tempo were gone.

“What the fuck-?!” he spat, before quickly adding, “Do not repeat what I just said.”

“Oh, I won't!” Said Rock, with a coy smile that meant he absolutely would.

Elec could deal with that later. He'd much rather have Dr. Light alive and scolding him than not.

“We're up here.” Came Tempo’s monotone voice from the top of the tank. She was mostly outside, but had stuck her face back into the water to talk. “We wanted to give you two a moment. Pharaoh is ready to go.”

Rock needed no further encouragement, swimming right up and allowing Tempo - a complete stranger to him - to help him out of the tank.

Elec had no idea how Rock was so…brave in the face of such adversity.

…perhaps Rock was the bravest out of all of them.

Chapter Text

Thomas had always wanted children, at least a little subconsciously. A little bundle of joy, a darling little baby to hold close. To watch them grow, to act as a guiding hand as they come into their own. He’d take them around town, he’d show them art and music and culture. He’d show them his blueprints and his plans, and maybe, if they were interested, they could even help around the lab. He’d keep them safe, bandage them up when they scraped their little knees, kiss them on the forehead…

It just wasn’t in the cards, it seemed. Too busy with work, too busy with life, never feeling like the time was right. 

And so it remained as a soft, warm thought in his chest whenever he passed by a baby in a stroller, or seeing a child propped up on a parent’s shoulders, both of them smiling, looking so happy…

Maybe…maybe one day.

As his 4 AM alarm began to incessantly beep, Thomas couldn’t stop the tired little sigh from escaping him. He missed sleep. He missed sleep a lot.

But his little… guests needed him.

Putting on his slippers and a robe, he shuffled into his lab, although one might be hard-pressed to assume this was the laboratory of esteemed Doctor Thomas Light, what with the large fish tank in the middle table.

And inside the tank were eight, wiggly little things, peeping and peeping and peeping the moment Thomas came into the room.

“Hello, little ones.” he said with a tired smile, leaning down to look at them. He counted all eight - thank God, the octopus didn’t escape again - and they seemed to be active and ‘normal’, as normal as…this could be.

Thomas had found them on the beach over the course of a few weeks, having been washed ashore. No doubt from the terrible winter storms they’ve been having. At a brief glance, they resembled aquatic creatures of all shapes and sizes. But the colors were… wrong. Little rays should not be bright yellow, or little porcupinefish shouldn’t be orange.

Then there were the little hands, their little faces, their little eyes (still shut tight) that could cry real, almost human tears…

They weren’t fish. Thomas…wasn’t sure what they were. He knew very little about them.

But he knew that they needed him.

…and that they needed to eat every few hours.

He walked to the fridge in his kitchen area, pulling out an assortment of bottles and powders. Learning what the little creatures would eat was a challenge in itself; they were clearly too young for solid foods, so after some trial and error, a mix of heavy cream, milk, and fish oil seemed to satisfy them.

Thomas filled a small container with warm water, placing in the bottles of his dairy concoctions to warm.

“Whooo’s hungry?” he asked, walking over to the tank and starting to lift the lid. The eight little fish peeped louder, and even though their eyes were still closed, they clambered at the glass wall closest to him.

The tank was a rushed job. A quick container for these little things cobbled together from a pet store and the baby section of the local superstore. Filter, heater, a little sand at the bottom. They had little interest in plants or rocks - and part of him feared they’d try and eat it - so instead he laid in soft towels and some of his less nice blankets for them to cuddle up against.

Rolling up his sleeves, he reached into the tank. He could feel their little paws clambering on him, some even nibbling on him experimentally. Finally, he carefully wrapped his fingers around one and pulled it out of the tank for the first feeding.

“Ah, 008.”

The newest rescue, a little ray of some kind. It had a dark backside, but a bright yellow underside save for its red chest, and a little yellow ‘mask’ on the face. It mewled in his hand, protesting its empty tummy as loudly as it could.

All of the creatures had numbers for identifiers. He didn’t want to name them, then he’d get attached…and really, he was just. Just… looking after them. This wasn’t long-term. Surely there was a rescue center of some kind…surely.

“So dramatic.” Thomas cooed, holding 008 to his chest. Instantly, it started to settle, little paws starting to knead against his clothes, its starved cries shifting to whining croons. “So dramatic.” he repeated, rubbing its back.

He was just glad 008 didn’t zap him again. Befitting of its appearance, 008 also had the mild electrical abilities just like an electric ray. Evidently it was either used to his presence or too hungry to do so.

With the bottles at a nice, warm temperature, he grabbed one and offered it to the little creature in his arms. It took a moment to latch, but once it did, it immediately - and greedily - started to drink. Peeping cries silenced and replaced with quiet, content little noises. 

Thomas took note of how it began to slowly wag its tail and how its ears wiggled as it drank. Signs of contentment? Happiness? Perhaps he should write that down. If these were a new species, documentation could be helpful.

It was foolish of him to assign human emotions onto an animal, of course.

In no time at all, 008 had drank nearly the entire eight ounce bottle. With just a few drops left, it pushed the bottle away with a small huff. It was honestly astounding how much these little things could eat in one sitting.

Using a soft tissue, Thomas carefully cleaned around its mouth and face. It barely put up a fight, small paws sleepily waving in the general direction, but mostly nuzzling into his arm. “Don’t get too comfortable-” he muttered, setting the tissue down and placing the creature over his shoulder to try and burp it.

(He had no evidence this was a necessary step in the process, but dozens of parenting books that he had skimmed over the years floated to the surface of his mind as he did so. It felt right.)

Thomas gave 008 a final look-over and a final clean with another tissue, then carefully returned it to the tank. Sleepy and full, 008 let out a big yawn and curled up to sleep off its meal.

Finally. One had been fed. Seven left.

Each of them had their own little quirks and issues.

001 - small, purple jellyfish - was the most impatient of the bunch, with small tentacles that could cause a bit of pain if Thomas wasn’t careful. 002 - blue-grey octopus - was slippery and sometimes squirted ink on him. 003 - small, orange lionfish - was very sharp and could definitely hurt if he wasn’t careful. 004 - very large, almost prehistoric looking fish - was twice the size of the others with twice the appetite. 005 - small white seal - was very clingy and was difficult for him to put back in the tank. 006 - orange and yellow porcupine fish - was also a little sharp, but not nearly as much as 003. 007 - a little orange and grey fish - was honestly…the easiest of the bunch, if slightly warmer.

After a little longer than two hours, all eight of them were fed, cleaned, and quietly sleeping in their tank. All cuddled up with one another in a big pile, some of them kneading against the towels and each other.

Thomas had about four or five hours before they’d need to be fed again. The work was…exhausting. But the work had to be done, they depended on him for everything right now, completely helpless…

Almost like an infant.

Thomas blinked at the thought. He hadn’t really made that comparison before.

(At least, not consciously.)

He tried to shake the idea from his head. Lots of young animals were helpless at birth…right? He was a doctor of robotics, not tiny baby animals. In no time at all they’d be independent animals, fully capable of supporting themselves, and he’d release them back into the ocean like a good person doing their best to help.

Just a blip in his life. Maybe he’d create an aquatic robot to check data inspired by these creatures. Study their movement for robotic movement underwater. Maybe if he produced something like that, he could make the government happy enough to leave him alone and end their contract.

Speaking of, he really should get to work. He only had a few hours before the little ones woke up.

Instead of opening up his work, he instead found himself browsing shopping websites. If he was going to care for them, he should probably get them their own blankets, not just towels, might as well add some special burp cloths and some gentle cleaning towels. And he should probably buy some more bottles, and maybe experiment with kitten formula and milk powders. And maybe they might benefit from a pacifier to suckle on, so he better buy some. And if he was going to document their behavior he should get a good quality camera for pictures and a photo album to store them in-

Chapter Text

• Dr Light is a Robotics Scientist that sells his patents and some of his inventions and is doing fairly well for himself. He lives in a sleepy coastal town in Maine, with a lab on the coast.
• 25ish years ago, Dr Light discovered the 1st numbers as pups after bad storms and took them in as his own. They live in a cove nearby but visit frequently; Dr Light has told them to keep themselves secret to humanity, as he fears what might happen if they are discovered.
• Currently, within Dr Light’s lab are Rock and Roll, two pups he’s raised from eggs (also found after a storm) and they are ten years old. Due to being relatively small (and Dr Light having lingering Blues Trauma) the two have not left the lab nor have they met their older brothers in person.
• Rock and Roll are getting a bit too big for the lab, and Dr Light plans on starting to acclimate them to the cove with the others. Everyone is very excited.
• Dr Wily, Dr Light’s old colleague and ex visits. He’s upset that Dr Light has once again turned out a major contract from the government, something he’d kill for, but Dr Light has no interest.
• (None of the Lightmers like Dr Wily, but they tolerate him for Dr Light’s sake)
• Regardless, Dr Wily has presents for the big day; ear pieces to allow the mers to communicate with Dr Light easier. And at a glance, they appear to work.
• The next day, something is very wrong. The earpieces for Rock and Roll (that they’re not wearing) are emitting a high pitched noise that, even when not wearing, hurts their ears.
• Dr Light deactivates them, but grows worried for the others and goes out to check. They’re nowhere to be found.
• Now extremely worried, Dr Light turns on the local news to find reports of sea monsters attacking boats, bridges, etc etc. The Lightmers are on a rampage.
• (Note: Dr Wily does not do a speech about taking over the world, because technically his plan was to try and control the Mers, but that didn’t work. So he’s mostly just observing them.)
• Dr Light is, understandably, horrified. He has no idea how to solve the issue; he’s dabbled with some underwater robots but he has nothing solid yet, and the idea of having to incapacitate his sons is something he doesn’t think he can handle (he’s a 50 year old man afterall)
• Rock immediately volunteers to go get them. He can’t just sit there and let his brothers do this. Dr Light and Roll immediately try to dissuade him, but Rock insists that he’ll go do it whether or not Dr Light wants to or not (Cue Blues Trauma)
• Dr Light finally relents, as long as Rock wears some armor + some of the tech he’s been working on
• Dr Light is able to track the destruction and brings Rock to Cut first. Cut is inside a kelp forest and is doing a very good job of cutting everything. This is when Rock (and the audience) learn that the Lightmers are clearly not acting right, as Cut is also covered in scratches and bite marks that are clearly self inflicted.
• Rock notices Cut has the ear pieces and remembers how they were back in the lab. There is a scuffle, but eventually Rock manages to yank the earpieces out.
• Cut has a brief convo with Rock before passing out. Rock carefully carries him to the surface, where Dr Light takes him to the lab for medical eval.
• Once Cut is settled, Rock goes out to the next one; Bomb. Bomb is set up by an old sunken ship, and like cut, is acting feral with self inflicted wounds. Same as Cut, dodge the bombs and get the earpieces out. Bomb is then carefully taken back to the lab.
• Dr Light suspects foul play. He was acting on the assumption the ear pieces are just faulty but now he’s unsure.
• Gutsmaaaaaaaaan (mer). He’s in an outcropping of rocks and has been throwing them everywhere. He looks more injured than the ones before. Same as the others! Is taken back to the lab.
• Tiiiiiiime time! Time keeps rewinding and stopping near him at a reef near the drop off. Things are bad. He’s really more of a danger to himself than Rock, at this point. They’re getting worse. Same as the others! Is taken back to the lab.
• Oillllll! He’s crawled onto an oil rig and is causing damage. Mostly to himself at this rate. Rock manages to lure him back down into the water to subdue him, back to the lab.
• Dr Light is sure that the earpieces are to blame, and that its intentional by Dr Wily. He’s unsure what to do with this information. He doesnt know where Wily is or how to confront him.
• Iceeeee is by the coast, freezing everything in sight. He is really tough with the freezing thing, but is subdued.
• Fireman :) he’s by the docks. He’s also an issue because the water is boiling around him, but using Ice’s power, he is subdued.
• Elec is last and is immediately the most dangerous. And he really puts poor Rock through the wringer. Rock barely manages to subdue him, and Elec is taken back to the lab.
• Dr Light uses the earpieces to track down where Wily is - on a giant ship. He considers telling the authorities but worries for the safety of his very injured sons (who definitely hurt civilians during the rampage)
• Dr Light settles on talking to Wily himself, Man to Man, (With Rock in tow).
• The 1sts, who are mostly lucid and swimming around by this point, are pissed. They want to confront Wily also, and begin following.
• Dr Light realizes that Wily’s ship is basically a warship. Rock says he’ll go in and get Wily, but before he can, he is confronted by the 1sts. Elec firmly (Scarily) tells Rock to go home, and they’ll take care of it.
• Rock refuses. This causes in-fighting within the 1sts, and Rock slips onto the ship. Not about to be deterred, the 1sts start doing what damage they can to the ship.
• Rock manages to get Wily onto the bridge so Dr Light can yell at him. It goes nowhere.
• The 1sts do a lot of damage to the ship, and it lurches around. Elec is extremely pissed, running on fumes, not in a good mindset, and wants that old man dead. Very scary for everyone involved, but the others manage to calm him down. (Plus seeing the horrified faces of Dr Light and Rock).
• They leave Wily with a lifeboat and his sinking ship and return home.

Chapter Text

• Wily declares war from his new ship and demands Light to send Rock to fight his own merfolk (just rock)
• The rest of the Light-mers accompany him regardless because they do not respect Wily nor do they respect his request.
• Only Rock is let inside the Warship, but has communications with his brothers via a communication thingy in his helmet (brothers have a few walkie talkies)
• Rock slips inside, and Wily does a speech about how he’s the best ever and how he’s got his own Merfolk for Rock to fight and how Rock will definitely die. Spooky spooky ominous spooky
• Metal is first after Rock tries going through the pipes and literally falls into Metal’s Tank/Arena. Metal is extremely ominous, spooky, and aggressive. (He also makes allusions to definitely eating Rock but Rock doesn’t understand)
• Using the cracks in the ship thanks to Metal Blade, Rock escapes. (Metal begins slowly following him)
• Rock is technically not supposed to be here, as it’s mostly hallways and empty spaces, and Wily is pissed. (He set up all these Arenas and Rock is ‘cheating’). Rock does not care, and while looking for Wily, wiggles himself into Bubble’s room
• Bubble is confused but does his very best. Fairly certain this isn’t where Wily is, Rock slips back out, but Bubble uses his weapon to follow. The warship's empty space is no longer safe.
• Bubble is slow and manages to lose him, but after narrowly dodging Metal in a pipe filled Hallway. Air is already out and about, having broken out of his arena because he was bored. Rock manages to slip away, with Air also making comments that Rock still doesn’t quite get.
• Rock is lured into a dark room, finding Flash. Flash ‘fight’ ensues. Flash manages to actually catch Rock, at least until Quick intervenes (having also escaped his arena similarly to Air)
• Quick makes it extremely clear that he plans on eating Rock but wants a bit of “fun” first by playing tag. Rock calls his siblings for help, and Time/Oil/Cut/Ice begin sneaking in through the pipes.
• Rock is barely avoiding Quick, (not helped by Metal, Bubble, and Air also roaming around looking for him), until he is eventually caught. Flash steps in to start fighting with Quick, and Rock uses this as a distraction to slip away
• The Tiny Squad (Time/Oil/Cut/Ice) have managed to get inside and pop out of the pipes….right next to Flash and Quick. The two quickly deduce that 4 is greater than 1 and essentially trap the 4 Lightmers inside the pipe, but are unable to remove them. The 4 quickly alert the others outside that the situation is bad and they don’t know where Rock is. The other 4 begin looking for a spot to bomb open.
• Rock, now in Crash’s container, is now absolutely convinced these fish want to eat him, and is rightfully fucking terrified. Crash is by far the most aggressive of the bunch, and plants so many bombs that he also lets Heat and Wood out of their arena (and a good chunk of the walls inside the ship). He manages to pin Rock down with his claws, until Heat tries to “steal” him, and Rock manages to escape.
• Not for very long, though, before Wood grabs him with the intent of bringing Rock to one of his brothers to eat.
• With the explosions from earlier, Rock can definitely see the doors leading to Wily, and uses his copy abilities (just from touching the others, not defeating them) to escape Wood and make a break for it.
• Metal makes a mad dash to catch him, but fails. He will start chipping at the door with sawblades.
• Meanwhile the rest of the 2nds are now closing in on the 4 Lightmers trapped in the pipe. Just as Wood manages to pull Time out for Bubble to have, the other 4 Lightmers explode an opening in the ship wall and attack. (Note: reference the Megamix Mangas with who goes after who. EX: Elec goes after Wood but gets extremely hurt by Quick in the process.)
• Wily, still incredibly pissed that Rock ‘cheated’ and destroyed a good chunk of his ship (which is slowly sinking), sends out robot after robot for Rock to defeat. (MechaSeadragon, PicoPico, Boobeam. I cannot fit Gutsdozer in here im sorry 😔)
• Finally, Wily throws out his last attempt; a robotic copy of Rock, with all of the copy abilities from MM1. Rock is at a complete loss of how to fight his copy, as they are very evenly matched.

• Rock, faced with his robot doppelganger, has an epiphany and lures the robot to the large doors, cracks the doors open, and shoves the copy Rock outside. The 2nds see this and take their chance, with one of them (most likely quick) biting the copy robot in half
• Rock gives himself a pat on the back and continues back in to challenge Wily himself at the top of the ship.
• The 2nds quickly realize that ‘Rock’ wasn't actually Rock. The 1sts, however, do not. And as far as they know, they just watched their baby brother get bitten in half and partially eaten
• The 1sts numbers absolutely lose their shit at this point. The 2nds may technically be stronger but the 1sts are running off pure rage. The fight is not fun for the 2nds in the slightest and they basically get mauled.
• Rock confronts Dr Wily who tries his alien trick. Rock is initially confused and frightened until one of his weapons temporarily dispel the hologram.
• Trick ruined, Wily escapes and goes “well guess what I’m blowing up the ship anyway fucker”
• Rock scrambles back down to find the aftermath of the fight. His brothers are beyond delighted that he’s OK, although they’re fairly injured and need to leave the ship before it explodes.
• The 2nds, also very injured, hear that the ship is going to explode and scramble off deeper into the ship. Rock expresses some worry, but the 1sts are still extremely upset, injured, and their “Protect Pup” instincts are still going nuts, so they drag Rock out of the ship with them.
• Rock watches the ship explode, with part of the ship sinking deep into the ocean before climbing aboard Dr Light’s small boat for medical attention