gasp Bruce took his first breath above the waves as he crawls onto the shore in his new land dweller form, he shivers slightly with the sense of wrongness that shivers up his spine as he looks at his... his legs, standing up is the hardest part but he knows he's got to do it if he wants to blend in with the land dwellers more effectively, his new found limbs shiver and shake in pain and wrongness as he takes a sharp intake of breath thanking the moon he shifted near a rock letting him have something to hold onto as he learns how to use these things, his mind screams at him as he takes another breath, everything is wrong, the oxygen feels thick in his throat his limbs feel wrong the sun hitting him hurts everything is just so wrong.
A slight laugh distracts him from his minds screaming only a few paces away a beautiful land dweller stands there with bright green eyes almost unnatural in the sunset glow with rich brown flowing hair, "Do you need some help there? I know from experience how hard learning to walk can be after all" that almost instantly set his mind to ease realising it was no land dweller but just Talia the beautiful Mer that offered to help him learn about humans and how to best defend the seas from them, Talia walks over to him as if she had always been walking and offers him a hand with a beautiful smile, Bruce takes her hand and tries to stabilise himself "Thank you Talia" Bruce says in gratitude, "of course my beloved, now come along, my father has a place for us to stay and for you to train in this new form" Talia says as she leads him away from the seas, it feels wrong to be moving so far away from the waters but he knows it's necessary, this is all so he can protect his home, so he can protect the families that need it.
It's been months since he first became a land dweller- or human he guesses he should say, and the feeling of wrongness continues to persist with every step he takes, every time he looks down, every time he blinks even. Legs bring an unimaginable new pain, they stretch wrong, they move wrong, they feel wrong, they hurt wrong. Why is everything about it just so wrong. Talia says he'll learn and adapt and he of course believes her after all she managed to do the same but it's just so difficult.
Training is the same day in day out, adapt and survive and keep his origins hidden. Only Talia and Ra's who he actually is and like so he's the only one to know that they are also like him. This entire League is run by mer's pretending to be humans so that they can assassinate those trying to harm mer's and although he hates killing he hates the idea of it even after all the humans have done he can't say that they aren't effective.
"Oh my beloved you've gotten so good at this" Talia comments a few times when there in private, and he has, he's better at walking now, his limbs don't feel so wrong anymore nor does breathing, there's still wrongness to it all but it's less so as long as he doesnt look down. "Thank you Talia" Bruce says as he kisses the back of her hand "you've been a great teacher after all"
"Ah you're such a tease beloved, now come, my father wishes to talk to you" Talia responds with her usual elegance before leading Bruce to Ra's meeting room or what he calls his meeting room. It more resembles that of a throne room but Bruce doesn't like the idea of pointing that out while he's surrounded by trained assassins.
"Ah there you are, thank you for bringing him Daughter" Ra's says as the door opens with Bruce and Talia walking in, Talia nods before kissing Bruce on the cheek and leaving the room with Bruce walking closer to where Ra's is sitting, "you wanted to talk to me?" Bruce questions
"Yes yes I did, see you've been here for a couple months now since you first arrived and well I need you to do something for me okay?" Ra's says in an almost malicious tone
"What do you need me to do?" Bruce asks carefully sensing that whatever it is he most likely won't like
"I need you to prove your training has been effective and go kill this politician that has proven to be quite troublesome for us"
"What have they done?" Bruce asks wanting more information, killing anyone even a human still makes his mind squirm at the thought
"He's planning to make hunting Mers a completely legal thing to do" Ra's informs.
This freezes Bruce mid thought, making killing Mers legal? What is wrong with these humans?? First kidnapping and killing Mers for 'Science' now just outright killing us?!
"... Fine, where does he live?" Bruce questions failing to see the evil grin Ra's makes after his agreement
A few days later and Bruce is breaking into the man's house, he's broken into the study as that had the easiest security to dismantle, sneaking through the window he sees a file on the desk and against his better judgement he decides to read it. My plans for if I am elected into this position is first and foremost the protection of the children. I will implement new safety features into our schools and have more on gun regulations in our state.
My second implementation will be the protection of our sea life as it is common knowledge our scientists have been trying to capture and research these Merpeople we have found that they are on par with human intelligence if not more so and thus I would implement laws in there protection and try and come to a peaceful treaty with them
That causes Bruce to stop reading "what does he mean stop the scientists from hunting us?? Ra's said he was trying to get more to hunt us? Unless he lied? But no he wouldn't lie would he? Why would he do that? Why would he want to kill someone that wants to protect us? What is going on??" Bruce closes the file and looks around for more evidence of what's going on soon finding that this Politician has no intentions of harming his kind in fact it seems to be the opposite but that leads to the question. Why does Ra's want him dead?
Bruce decides he needs to stay for a bit longer than first thought to gather more information to figure out what's going on.
Months later and he finally goes back to the League of Assassins to confront Ra's he storms into the 'meeting' room instantly grabbing the attention of Ra's and Talia "you lied to me" Bruce growls
"What are you talking about?" Talia asks looking between Ra's and Bruce
"He told me that a politician I was supposed to assassinate wanted to pass laws so hunting us mers would be completely legal. The politician wants to do the exact opposite." Bruce says coldly
Talia tries to speak but is stopped by Ra's raising his hand to stop her, "yes I lied but it was only a test young detective, I knew you would never kill anyone without doing your own research, and clearly I have been proven right" Ra's says calmly but Bruce can tell he's scrambling he wants to keep Bruce loyal but he won't stay. Not anymore. Not now that he know that Ra's couldn't care less about the rest of his kind as long as he's safe held up in his home.
"I don't care what your excuses are, this is just so I can tell you both that I am leaving. Never com back to Gotham you will not be welcomed Ra's" and with that Bruce turns away to leave intending to never come back
"Beloved! Wait" Talia calls out to him one last time before turning to her father before running after him
YOU ARE READING
The Batfish
Fanfictionthis is a batfamily au where they're all merpeople, there will be several books with this being the first
