"Sorry. I'm far too paranoid to do that." Deckle lowered it, but she kept it by her side and aimed in their direction. "I don't trust you one bit."

Kiwi held her, still shielding her from them. "Meriel. Your bite...is it poisonous? Harmful? Toxic?" He tried to use as many words as possible, so he could find one she understood. "If so, is there a way to remedy it?"

Meriel blinked, trying to remember. Some of them did not have poisonous bites, but those that did could paralyze predators and prey to get away or eat it. Their bite, squeeze, tail, and aposable thumbs were the things that kept merfolk alive.

Unfortunately, it seemed Meriel was somewhat toxic, the mans hand swelled and a deep plumb, the edge a vile green. "Antidote. now!" alerted the researcher, a person who dubled as a doctor, having earned his doctorate. "We need to draw blood and get a sample of saliva to prepare the antidote."

"I'm not letting her go, so you're going to have to do this gently, and here." Kiwi was still shielding Meriel. He returned his attention to her. "They have to take a few things from you, not much, so they can fix that man's hand. Please don't bite people anymore, okay?"

"I'm supervising that," Deckle muttered, gun still at the ready. "Get going. Hurry up."

Glaring at them, the scientist sighed in irritation, taking the briefcase from his side and opening it. "Consider yourselves lucky. I would have dragged you to the lab, but I have my emergency kit here. Hold her still."

Meriel nodded, whimpering as she saw him take out a few strange tubes and swabs, and two needled syringes. Clinging to Kiwi, Meriel shivered in fear. "Meriel scared..."

Just then, Gavin peered over and reeapeared, backpack of supplies at the ready. Standing by Deckle, he was pleasantly surprised to see they were still there. "I'm back! What the...?! Why are those guys not away yet? They should be away? Are you guys in trouble? What the hell is going on?!"

Kiwi held her, shifting slightly so that she was slightly visible to them. "It'll be fine. It will hurt a little, but this is so that if another of your kind bites someone, and they didn't deserve it for some reason, they could get treatment so the poison won't affect them. You'll be helping people. I won't let them do anything bad, okay?"

"She bit one of the guards," Deckle informed him in a whisper, so the others couldn't hear, gun still ready. Quite paranoid, she was... "The only thing they're getting out of this is a little anti-venom ingredients--her bite is poisonous. Then, we're going to find a way to get out of here. Either by boat, or with the help of Meriel and her father."

"Sounds good, I've already got a emergency kit with me. Wanted to have stuff to save the day with." Gavin nodded, nudging a thumb in direction of the backback he was carrying.

Nodding, Meriel whimpered a bit, otherwise managing to sit still and wait, clinging to Kiwi.

Taking an alchohol swab, the man rubbed it on her jugular, telling Kiwi to lift her neck like she was a cat or dog. Meriel resisted, not liking that. With a scowl, the man grabbed her arm instead, cleaning the injection target. Meriel sat still, but flinched, whimpering softly.

Without a warning, he stuck it in, gathering two vials of blood. Then, he looked up at Kiwi.

"Get her to hold her mouth open."

"She's not an animal. She can do it herself. And if you're not gentle with her, you will regret it."

There was a hint of warning in Kiwi's voice, like he would punch the man in the face if he kept treating her like that, or tell his trigger-happy friend to shoot him in the foot. He glanced at Meriel, still holding her. "Can you open your mouth, please? So he can get what he needs?"

"So what should we do?" Deckle asked him, in the same low voice. "Since water is, er...more accessible...I think it would be quicker to have Meriel find her father...but more risky. I have a feeling he won't like the situation, at all."

The man scowled, irritation and greed in his eyes as he wanted this scientific discovery to be his.

Meriel looked worried, but again nodded and opened her mouth as Kiwi asked, whimpers coming from the frightened female. Taking two swabs, the man then held out a cup, instructing the mermaid to spit into it. Reluctantly she did so, curling and burying her face into Kiwi's chest as soon as the man let go and put away his samples.

"She's not human boy, she's a creature of the sea, an animal."


With a visible shudder, Gavin shook his head. "That could work. Only problem is, I really don't want to die so young. I don't really want to meet her father and help Kiwi explain what happened unless absolutely necessary. Perhaps we should try another idea first..."

"She's intelligent enough to understand and use human speech. We're all animals--humans and her kind are intelligent animals." Kiwi's voice was bitter, filled with venom. It was a clear warning. "Watch your mouth." He held Meriel close.

"If someone gets me a phone--mine fried itself yesterday--I can call my father. He can send a boat out here if we give him direct coordinates. Oh, before I forget..." Deckle glanced at the unwelcome people in the room. "You. All of you. We have connections to that girl's world. If we find out you're fiddling in it and killing her kind for research, or capturing them, I will inform my father...and if you know him, which you probably do because he's famous, he would not like that, seeing as I would not like that...be smart about it..."

"Hmph, everyone has their own way of putting it I supposse." drawled the man, taking the samples and the security guard to his wing. With a scowl of hatred and irritation, he glared at Deckle. If it weren't for her father....or her...he'd be rich and famous!

Meriel clung to Kiwi, calming down in his protective, gentle hold. She began to nuzzle his neck in gratitude and affection, a nervous smile upon her face.

With a smile, Gavin handed over his cellphone without another word. It was green, and fully charged. "Sounds like a plan, now to let Kiwi and the missy in on it." he whispered to her softly.

Kiwi sighed, relieved once they left. He patted Meriel's head. "Don't worry. Everything should be fine..."

Deckle nodded, and then glanced at Kiwi and Meriel. "We're going to have my father send a crew out to pick us up...either by boat or by helicopter--which might be quicker." Deckle turned away, flipped open the phone, and began to dial.

Gavin came over, watching the others leave and smiling at his buddy. "So, you ready to leave? get some stuff ready, if you don't want to lose it, take it in a backback mate."

Meriel smiled, hugging Kiwi as if to let him go would be to lose him. At the strange word, she blinked and tilted her head curiously. "H-helicopter?"

"The only important stuff I brought with me on this ship...that'd be my clothing and my bathroom supplies. And that's it," Kiwi revealed. "I, uh..." He glanced at Meriel, who looked like she'd be lost without him at the moment. "I think you should go and get everything...please?"

Deckle spoke with whoever was on the other line of the phone. She sounded amused.

Gavin nodded, chuckling. "And your electronics, don't forget those mate. So, how did the bite look? Was it a doozy?" Gavin seemed interested in hearing the details, imagining all sorts of deformities or effects of mermaid poison.

Meriel blinked at Kiwi, looking slightly worried at his tone, but nodded enthusiastically none the less. "Meriel get stuff..but...meriel gets lost easy...which direction is room?"

"Yeah, it wasn't pretty. Hm...on second thought..." Kiwi glanced at Gavin and then held out his room key. "Go and get everything. We'll stay here until Deckle's secured everything with her father."

"Eh?! Oh fine, watch my bag then mate, and tell me more when I get back." Taking the key, the eccentric male scurried off to fetch his best friend's things.

Kiwi kept watch on everything around him, vigilantly, as Gavin did so. He didn't want any trouble.

At this point, Deckle hung up the phone and sighed, wearily, but happily. "Eureka. A ship will be here for us, soon. I sure am lucky that my father has so many contacts in so many different places."

Meriel simply stayed by Kiwi's side, waiting for any instructions. Looking up at Deckle's oice, Meriel smiled, piecing together what she understood. "Another ship?"

Finally, Gavin came back, Kiwi's important items stowed in a large, lumpy backpack. "All accounted for buddy!"

"Thanks..." Kiwi snatched up the backpack and slung it over his back. He then stood up, slowly. "We should get out to the deck. How big is this ship coming to get us?"

"Not that big. But it's well-armed. Mounted weapons," Deckle replied, absently, as she scooted towards the door. Her gun was still drawn. "Let's get moving."

Grinning, Gavin nodded, following Deckle as he tried to picture the ship coming to get them. This was great! Almost like a heist or getaway in a movie. It was dangerous and kinda unfortunate for the scare and the trouble, but it was undoubtedly exciting.


Meriel smiled, albeit confusedly as she took Kiwi's hand. "Want help?" she asked, pointing to his bag. she was happy and greatful to the human who had done so much in their time otogether for her. she wanted to help him too.

[soo sorry for absence, this was at bottom of subscription page, and i was having some mind blockage. i be back, not quitting, just sporadically posting, please forgive delays]]

((It's okay!))

Deckle was overjoyed about heading outside to meet her father's men. She missed her father already, and was dying to get back home. No ships for her for a while.

"Oh. No, it's all right. I've got it," Kiwi assured her, smiling. He squeezed her hand reassuringly and then followed Deckle and Gavin above deck.

Gavin grinned, then decided to be a bit bold. Taking Deckle's hand, he smiled at her, winking. "I know I should be concerned, but this is too cool, just like a movie espionage or something."

Meriel smiled, grinning and letting out a soft chirp at the squeeze, glad to be going somewhere with him. The mermaid had no clue what would happen, but she found she didn't really care, so long as her friends were with her.

"Two things I know my father gets involved in," Deckle retorted cooly, as she stood by the railing near the lifeboats. They would lower themselves down in one of the lifeboats, so they could reach the other boat.

Kiwi didn't lean over the railing. He was instead keeping a good watch out for potential threats.

Flinching at her cool retort, Gavin pulled awy, deciding now was not the time to slirt or chat with the firey maiden. "Sorry, didn't mean anything or want to pry. sorry bout that." he muttered, looking down and checking the boats. Like all boats, they had more boats than needed to fit all the passengers, even with a full ship, as was the law. Good, even if something were to happen, the crew and passengers would be fine missing just one boat.

Meriel let her gaze follow Kiwi's, looking for what he was looking for, but seeing no threats. As she turned, she saw the boats, the same kind Kiwi used when he found her. "Kiwii! B-boat...kiwi's boat."

"Heh, it's all right. Oohh." Deckle straightened up. "I'm just antsy about getting out of here. There's the boat, now..."

In the distance was a fast-moving, large speedboat. A mounted weapon was on its hull...it looked like a large machine gun. There were three men on board--tall, large, burly men.

Kiwi sighed in relief. "Good...we can get out of here for sure, then...and we have all of our things."