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Tommy loved visiting the rehabilitation lab his brother worked at. He’d been around ever since he was young and the facility felt like a second home as he ran around the halls.
His presence bothered Wilbur and many other employees specifically from the way he interacted with the mers. He was well known by the ‘specimens’ and often protected fiercely by the creatures whenever a human tried to put Tommy in his place.
Tommy loved the mers. They saw him as a child and treated as such by sharing food, taking him on swims (which was prohibited in the facility) and allowing him to rest in the shallows. Mers his own age played games with him and they traded trinkets like best friends. Tommy loved bringing them new items to gasp over.
The adults running the rehabilitation lab thought Tommy dumb for the way he acted (a kid treating the mers like fairytale friends) but he’d learnt a lot from the way he talked to them.
Mers had instincts, they had social rules and a culture shared among them. They struggled to understand humans and were wary no matter how long they had been around them but Tommy broke that barrier when he indulged in their worldview…
He easily slipped into the water when asked and followed under their fins when they directed him there. Having something young to look after eased them. The child being human made it easier to care for the odd land creatures that always kept some form of formality. Tommy didn’t. He liked sneaking into rooms and meeting new mers. He whistled to them and from the songs he’d learnt from his mer caretakers newcomers would perk in interest.
How did a human know these things?
Wilbur tried to keep Tommy away from the facility (it was ruining his work status. He was threatened to be fired many times) but Tommy never listened.
After months of failing to keep him away Wilbur talked to Tommy. He learnt about all his brother had observed. He wrote down notes and tested his theories. His brother was right. And he was right about a lot…
Wilbur copied his brothers practices. Mers were opening up to him when he entered the room a certain way. He would blink slowly and dip his head before walking in, he whistled and clicked as he readied gauze pads and food. He informed them of how the facility was run and what he was going to do to help them.
The mers nodded and accepted the food he gave them. No one had ever been able to feed the mers except Tommy. Wilbur smiled shyly ducking his head. The mer he was with watched him then relaxed at his gesture.
Every employee at the rehabilitation lab acted with authority. They pushed and demanded the mers cooperate. This was for their good and quotas needed to be met, reports needed to be filled. If the mers weren't recovering the facility would be shut down.
Wilbur realised the mers didn’t need to know about that.... they didn't need to shoulder that burden.
He whistled lowly then moved to leave the room.
“Thank you."
He turned to the mer and squinted his eyes. The mer chirped back as Wilbur left. Tommy’s advice had worked…
Wilbur began using it for every mer he interacted with.
-------
Wilbur was dangerously close to losing it all. Months of his superiors insisting Tommy leave they gave him one last strike.
“If you or your brother do anything else against our policies you'll be fired Wilbur. We don't care how good you are at your job, if an inspector sees Tommy in the pool with a mer this place is going down.”
Wilbur understood. Tommy wasn't seeing how fresh this rehab lab was. The scientists were fighting to keep the government funding them and there were laws in place for this operation to keep existing.
Wilbur was now one of their best marine biologists thanks to his brothers input but if that got this place shut down it would do no good.
-------
A new head marine biologist was assigned to their facility. Wilbur had been informed of the change but not of who was arriving.
Philza walked in and Wilbur hit his brothers arm. “That's Philza! He’s the leading scientist in mer studies!”
“Oh I know Will.” Tommy rubbed his arm. “You have the front cover of every magazine he’s ever been on plastered around your room.”
“Don’t you dare mention that to him.” Wilbur hissed in embarrassment. “This is my only chance to talk to him! Do you think I can work beside him?!” He gasped.
Tommy smirked. “Only if you can hide your fan-boying.”
Wilbur slapped him and walked away with a groan. “You're insufferable!”
He heard Tommy's snickers behind him and smiled in exasperation. Philza was Wilbur’s entire inspiration for entering the field. He’d watched every documentary the man posted and read every article Philza wrote. His passion and expertise on the rehabilitation of mers was astounding. He’d always had an eye for detail in mer behaviour but a few years ago made a leap in his career. Wilbur couldn't believe he was assigned to this facility.
He'd be working with his hero!
He was so excited.
-------
Wilbur got fired a few days later.
Tommy walked by his room and heard his muffled crying.
Guilt tore at his throat. He was the reason they got rid of Wilbur. His brother had told him to stay out of the water but he couldn’t… a mer had been crying for him…
Another sob hitched behind the door. Now Wilbur was crying and it was just as hard to bear.
Tommy inhaled and steeled his resolve. The humans in that place were always terrible. He wouldn't be staying away any time soon. They hated him 'following at his brothers heels?’ Well now they’d have to deal with him without his brother nearby to keep him in check.
He headed to the front door and marched to his brother's old workplace.
Those guys were going to experience the unhindered chaos of an unsupervised teenager.
He was going to give them hell.
-------
Tommy found the worse case he had ever seen.
There was a mer his age furious as employees tried to calm him down. He splashed in the water flaring his massive fins and spines. The yellow and black pattern to his scales made Tommy dizzy as he moved. The mer hissed and stung the humans causing them to yelp and fall back.
“He’s venomous!" Someone shouted.
The biologists all fled the room carrying two unconscious people who spasmed and choked for air.
The chaos of the room fell into silence and the mer growled narrowing his bright eyes before slipping into the water.
Tommy waited from his hiding spot then pushed open the vent.
He wasn't surprised when the mer reared up out of the water.
“Woah. Hey, easy." Tommy chuckled as he closed the vent. His back was to the dangerous beast catching the mer off guard. "That was impressive." Tommy turned around with a grin. He nodded to the closed door and tried not to be too happy at someone getting hurt. “What even was that? You stung them or something?” He dropped his bag next to the wall and sat down.
The mer rattled a growl as he looked him over but Tommy didn't flinch. He dipped his head and purred an appeasing sound. “I have got to say that was the coolest thing I've ever seen. We've never had a venomous mer here before. I bet it made them all cocky." He scoffed. “The losers should’ve treated you with more care. Your colours and pattern scream danger.”
The mer rattled another hiss. "Then why are you here?” He shifted his weight and slapped the water with his tail.
Tommy smiled and shrugged. “Wanted to talk.”
The mer exhaled harshly and glared.
“So what's your name?" Tommy asked. "I'm Tommy!”
“Tubbo.” The mer flapped his flared fins.
Tommy smiled. “You look so sick dude. I haven’t met someone with this many spines.”
Tubbo scoffed and let some of them fall down. “It's dangerous where I live.” He supplied. “Sharks and all that.” He waved a hand. “What do you want from me? You can’t possibly be here just to talk.”
Tommy pouted and crossed his arms. “I’m not like them.” He lifted his chin to the door. “Do you see me wearing stuffy white coats? No. I don’t even work here. I’m sixteen.”
Tubbo perked and leaned forward. Tommy knew exactly what caught his attention; his age.
“Sixteen? No way.” Tubbo looked him over.
Tommy puffed his chest. “Yep! I’m so old! My brother said he’s going to get me a license for my next birthday!” He paused. “Wait you don’t know what a car is nevermind. Hey! How old are you?”
“Sixteen." Tubbo still kept looking him over.
“Oh! How can you tell in your species? Will your colours change? That would suck. I like your colours. Or will you grow new spines?" Tommy asked.
Tubbo gave him a wary look. “These are my adult colours. I’ll grow a larger sail when I hit twenty."
Tommy nodded. “I still need to change height! Maybe change weight a bit. I think with humans you can mostly tell by looking at their face?" He patted his cheeks.
Tubbo hummed losing his threat display completely. Tommy learnt it was important to give mers reference on human design.
“Wilbur says I’m freakishly tall for my age.” Tommy stood up. “He’s around this height.” He indicated with his hand. “And I bet I’ll match him soon! That would be cool if I was taller!”
Tubbo chuckled leaning back and bristling his fins.
Tommy grinned. “How tall are you? Er, well…” He narrowed his eyes at the mer. “I guess you wouldn’t know huh? You guys call it length because you swim like this.” He held his hand in a horizontal position. “Hm… maybe we can tell by comparing hand size? Look at this,” He stepped forward and crouched low. He held his hand out and kept it still. Tubbo stiffened and glared at him. “If you put your hand against mine we can see who is vaguely bigger!”
Tubbo leaned forward and sniffed his hand.
“Bruh.” Tommy frowned. “It’s not like I have venom. Wait, should I be touching you?” He withdrew his hand and tilted his head. “I don’t want to look like those guys.” He looked at the door again and shivered. “Can you like control it or is poisoning people involuntary?”
Tubbo smirked. “I can control it.”
“Cool.” Tommy nodded. “But that doesn’t explain if I can touch your hand. Do you have like poison receptors there?”
The mer chuckled. “No… I have a barb here.” He pointed to his wrist just under his palm.
Tommy’s eyes went wide. “Woah… So you could totally grab me and like stab me huh?”
Tubbo met his eye and Tommy smiled. “Who needs self defence lessons when you have inbuilt knives in your wrist?” He laughed and held his hand out again inbetween them. “Just don’t like trip in my direction yeah? I just want to compare hand size.”
Tubbo smiled and held out his hand as well.
Tommy touched him and narrowed his eyes at their hands. “Wow man… I thought you were bigger than that. Am I taller than you?” He lifted his hand and compared the length of their forearms. Tubbo had a lot of fins running up his arm with thin spines sticking out but he was smaller. “Guess that answers that.” Tommy withdrew his hand before the mer got uncomfortable. “I’m taller!” He grinned.
Tubbo pouted. “Why is that such an achievement?”
“I dunno! I guess it means I’m better than you!” He waved his hand.
“No you’re not!” The mer hissed.
“Sorry! Those are the rules!”
“I’m literally bigger!” Tubbo flared his fins. Tommy gaped at his display.
“Hey that's not fair!" Tommy shouted. “Fins don't count!”
“Why not?” Tubbo raised his chin.
“Because I don't have any!”
Tubbo grinned. "Guess that means I'm better than you.”
Tommy growled. “No!”
Tubbo shifted his stance at the edge of the tank. Tommy took it as permission to lunge.
-------
Philza walked in to find a teenager talking to one of the mers. He stiffened at the boy in the water but he didn't appear to be in any danger as he talked to their most volatile creature.
Tubbo talked and joked glad to meet someone his own age. He didn’t believe Tommy at first with no fins or scales to determine his age but after their banter he knew they were alike.
Tubbo had stabbed every adult to walk in and attempt to calm him down. His venom kept people away and yet he allowed his new friend to share the waters.
Tommy didn’t want anything from him. He specifically told Tubbo to change the subject because it was boring and a constant topic in the facility.
Tubbo liked him. He flicked his fins and tilted his head at Tommy’s soaked hair. The human obviously didn't win their roughhousing.
Tommy pulled a face. “Ever eaten a crab? Because they’re kinda weird aren’t they? I had a mer hunt one for me. They insisted I bite a leg off while the pincers were still snapping at my face.”
Tubbo laughed leaning closer to him. This guy knew what adult mers were like to their young. Or well, teenagers as the two were.
Tubbo fully relaxed into the water as the human felt like a close friend from a neighbouring pod.
Philza watched them before sitting down placatingly nearby. He gently asked how they were doing and Tubbo whipped his head to him.
Tommy laughed. “All good. I’m just keeping Tubbo company here. You guys are terrible at decent manners when a new one comes in.”
Philza tilted his head. “Oh?”
“Yeah.” Tommy laughed. "I guess you’d know all about that since you're the new head honcho around this place.”
Tubbo poked Tommy's arm and the human leaned over. "That means head of the pod.” He whispered.
“Ah.” Tubbo nodded.
Phil smiled. “I don’t actually. Everyone’s on their best behaviour when I walk in so I don’t get to see their true nature.”
Tommy nodded sagely. “I get that. Well you can trust I’ll always be nothing but honest!” He turned a sharp grin to Tubbo. “Guess who got kicked out of the facility and still finds his way in?”
Tubbo giggled shaking his head. “If you don’t visit me again I’m throwing a fit.”
“Oh you wouldn’t be the only one.” Tommy laughed looking meaningfully at Phil. “That reminds me, I have to see the rest of my pod. I’ve got three matrons wrapped around my finger and two males who insist I eat more.” He said getting out of the water.
“How does that work since you can’t eat raw fish?” Tubbo swam closer to the edge of the pool. It was the closest Philza had ever seen the mer come to the edge willingly.
Tommy laughed. “That’s why I eat in front of them.” He got to the backpack he’d thrown next to the wall and pulled out a sandwich. “They still try to feed me but it helps a bit.”
Tubbo laughed in understanding. His podmates had always overfed him. “Good luck.” He flicked his tail.
“Thanks I need it.” Tommy made a dramatic swoop of his arm to then land on his forehead. “Oh! Woe is the tale of an adopted human!”
Phil snorted and stood up watching the boy head to the door. “I’ll talk to you later.” He told Tubbo. “I have a few concerns about your injuries and feeding habits but I’m sure we can work things out.”
Tubbo snorted and rolled his eyes which was progress from the previous hissing.
Philza followed Tommy to the larger tanks where their permanent residents resided. Tommy dropped his bag to the side again and got in without fuss.
Philza stepped forward in worry as the mers inside rushed to meet him but the happy trills calmed him down as Tommy was greeted and they swam circles around him.
-------
Philza could see the facilities mers were very close to Tommy.
It begged the question on how Tommy got 'kicked out' when forcing him to leave would have disastrous effects on the creatures they were trying to rehabilitate.
He asked Tommy about it and the boy shrugged. "My brother worked here. He got fired a few days ago and has been a mess ever since." He frowned letting the mer next to him rake her claws through his hair to detangle it. “He loved your work by the way and was so excited to meet you which was why he got booted so fast.” Tommy made a pinched expression. “The biologists here have threatened to call the police on me a few times but the mers are more important. I can't leave them, they would literally feel like a pod member had died.”
“And a young one at that.” The mer next to him muttered unhappily.
Tommy grinned at her. “I’m not leaving you-“
“Oh I know.” She said with a determined expression. “You’re stuck with me. I’d hunt you down.”
Tommy turned and gave Phil a look. “See? I’ve had some of them escape to the ocean to talk to me. That didn’t go well when they tried to drag the mers back.”
Philza shook his head. “I imagine it wouldn’t.”
He was discovering a picture that was terrible to see. Whoever was in power was mismanaging and for everyone to completely miss how the boy was rehabilitating the mers meant more than ignorance. There was a corruption that needed to be weeded out. This was most likely the cause for him being reassigned to run this facility.
He vowed to keep a close eye on Tommy. Whoever was against him was most likely against the health of the mers.
-------
Tommy thought Philza was cool.
That wasn’t his opinion at first, I mean the guy had a terrible fashion sense but Wilbur was on to something. As the man gathered all the biologists around for a meeting the humans were shocked and wary at the large mer who curled protectively around Philza from the platform behind him.
He was big. The mer was black and red with a large sail and fins that flared in warning.
Tommy smiled from the shadows and when Techno locked eyes on him like he had with everyone else he bowed his head and lowered his gaze in the proper respect.
He could tell the mer would keep an eye on him for that. The biologists might have looked away but Tommy was deliberate in how did it.
He was the only one who did it like a mer would.
-------
“Tommy. I want you to meet Technoblade.” Philza introduced the boy to the mer.
Tommy grinned and moved closer carefully. He’d learnt a long time ago to respect the space of large aggressive males.
“Greetings.” Tommy smiled.
The mer narrowed his eyes. “Philza told me all about you.” He said.
Tommy laughed. “Good things I hope!” He looked to the human.
Philza gave him a soft smile but Techno rattled in irritation. No looking at Phil then…
Tommy turned his eyes back to Techno and tried to hide his amusement. It was immediately obvious that the mer was protective of Philza. Since he was an adult… Tommy wondered what their relationship was.
-------
Technoblade found Tommy odd. He was incredibly well versed in the nature of mers and asked him many questions that no human had ever thought to ask him before.
It begrudgingly earnt his respect… the bar was low for how mers bonded to humans and yet not many were ever able to do it.
Technoblade liked the kid.
As Techno traveled through the facility he watched the humans for how they operated. They were incompetent… He scoffed. That was embarrassing considering a literal child could do better than them.
The humans whispered between each other forgetting the sensitivity of his ears. They feared Techno… And they didn’t like that Philza gave him authority over the staff.
He narrowed his eyes at them.
He visited Tommy in one of the pools and chirped questioningly at the female there. She huffed and told him the kid had already been claimed by two males so he shouldn’t try anything.
Techno flared his fins in offence until Tommy laughed.
“Techno, she’s not doubting your ability, she’s just saying the peace would be broken if you started anything like that. They’d die before letting me go. Don’t start any bloodshed.”
Techno was relieved Tommy was mistaking his body language. The truth was he was embarrassed. He shouldn’t have fallen for the kid that fast and the mer across from him shouldn’t have pegged his territorial behaviour so quickly.
She smiled from behind the kid, avoiding his eye as she braided the boys hair.
-------
Techno met the other mers and got the pools to switch around so they could be grouped and paired better.
The biologists didn’t like the changes he made but Philza trusted his decisions completely. They’d been doing this kind of thing long enough to settle into roles. Philza handled the humans and Techno handled the mers.
A majority of the mers that ended up sharing a pool adored Tommy. When he came over after the change he had to handle so much more affection at once. Techno was almost worried…
The mers snapped at each other wanting to be the sole providers and Techno growled setting the hierarchy straight. Tommy smiled knowingly and Techno huffed at him.
Tommy was part of the facility therefore he was a part of Techno’s ecosystem.
He glared at the mers and clicked. They all found some semblance of order and went back to doting over Tommy.
This time the boy wasn’t as overwhelmed.
-------
Philza could tell things were improving in the rehabilitation facility as he worked on firing closed minded biologists and hiring new people.
He had taken Wilbur on board fairly fast with Tommy’s recommendation and he was glad he took the chance on him as Wilbur proved his worth.
Tommy looked after the mers socially and Wilbur worked on logistics. He fed every mer the correct diet and wrapped each injury with special seaweed to put them at ease.
Tubbo only let Wilbur poke his wounds since the man was gentle and patient, always stepping back as soon as Tubbo's spines raised in anxiety.
The mer confided to Tommy that he had a pretty cool brother.
"I know." Tommy smiled. For all the trouble he had caused Wilbur his brother never blamed it on him. Since coming back to the facility he thanked Tommy every day.
-------
Wilbur was a great biologist and one Phil was learning to rely on. He could see how much that meant to the man.
Philza kept track of the new mers entering their rehab whilst sharing the more healed mers to facilities that would help them transition back into the ocean life.
Technoblade patrolled every room, checking in on everyone's work ethic and slowly becoming an accepted part of the facility.
Phil smiled when he ended up adopting Wilbur and Tommy into their pod. He’d been in denial for so long about liking Tommy but all the mers reminded him he wasn’t immune to the boys charm.
Everything was settling as the mers became the main focus of the facility and as much as Techno helped newcomers settle in Tommy did an amazing job picking up any slack.
Philza was thankful he had the new boys on his team. It was lucky they crossed paths and a blessing that all of them got to do the most important work in the world.
Their rehab lab soon became the best in the industry.
Mers were finally getting the love and support they needed.