The year is 1786. Wally West is a fisherman on the Greek shores, working to feed himself and his dog, Pongo. His best friend, Dick Grayson, had disappeared two years ago. Supposedly, a witch had cursed him for saving a little girl from being her lunch. Wally still missed him every day.
One day, after a particularly nasty storm, Wally went walking along the shore, seeing what came up. Pongo raced ahead, barking at something. "Pongo! Come back, bud!" Wally called, running after the dog. Pongo didn't slow, trying to find something.
Wally burst through some bushes, panting. "Pongo, slow down, bud! What got–woah." There was a merman on the beach, laying on his side. His arms were tangled in netting, his tail bleeding. Pongo was nosing at the merman's face, but there was no reaction.
Wally knelt down behind the merman, hands resting on his arm. He could feel the merman breathing, and he seemed unconscious. "Hang on, I'm going to help you. Stay still." Wally said as he pulled out his knife, moving to cut away the net.
The merman had a beautiful blue tail, the red blood trickling between his scales. His black hair reminded Wally so much of Dick's, it hurt. He was tan, scars laying all over his body. He must have been washed in by the storm, Wally thought.
The net was cut away, and Wally inspected the injury. It didn't seem deep, but it was definitely infected. There was no telling how long this guy had been out of water.
Wally rolled him onto his back and gasped. That face…there was no mistaking it. This injured and unconscious merman was his best friend that went missing two years ago. This was Dick Grayson. Wally had found him again.
Wally picked the weak merman up. "Pongo, heel!" Pongo trotted over to Wally. Wally quickly walked home, mind reeling. Dick wasn't dead. He was a merman. An injured one, at that. Wally started running, his house within his sights.
Wally set Dick in the tub, starting the water. Wally applied an ointment to the wound and wrapped it, hoping Dick would wake up soon. Maybe Wally could figure out how to reverse this. He could find that witch, make her undo the curse.
Wally turned the water off when it reached Dick's gills. A thousand thoughts were racing in his mind. Wally briefly wondered what food mermen ate when he heard a groan. Wally grabbed Dick's hand, sighing when he saw Dick's eyes crack open. "Dickie? You with me?" Wally asked, hope in his voice.
"Walls?" Dick asked hoarsely. He sounded horrible, but Wally was so happy to hear him again. "Yeah. Yeah, it's me, Dickie." "What…what happened?" Dick asked, trying to sit up. "There was a storm last night. I'm not sure exactly what happened, but I think it blew you in. Your tail was injured, and your arms were trapped in some netting. I brought you to my house, and I've put some ointment on your tail for the infection. I'm so happy to see you, Dickie." Wally said, tears in his eyes.
"I missed you so much, Wally. I stayed as close as I could without getting caught in the nets. During storms, I usually stay in this cave, just off the coast. I guess I didn't get there in time." Dick smiled, a tear leaking from his eye.
Wally leaned in, touching Dick's forehead with his own. Dick wrapped one arm around Wally's neck as Wally cupped his face. "I was so worried. Every night, I prayed that you were alright. I can't believe it. Did that witch do this?" Wally asked. "Yes. She said I'm stuck like this until someone trusts me enough to become one themself. I don't know if that'll ever happen."
Wally smiled. "Well, you've always got me. If I need, I will take every potion so we can stay together. I lost you once; I can't lose you again." Dick chuckled. "You are insane." "I know. Anyway, how are you feeling?" "Better. Thanks for helping me." "I will do whatever I can to help you. Are you hungry?" "A little." "What do you eat?" "Anything. If I could, I would go near the grove and get some of the fruit that dropped in the water. It didn't happen often, but it was good when I could get them."
"How about roasted sardines?" Wally asked. "I'm good with that. It's been forever since I've had anything cooked." Dick said, grinning at Wally. "I'll have to make it, but I'm always here if you need anything." Wally said happily. It had been almost three years since he'd been able to cook for Dick.
Pongo was whining by Wally. He wanted to see his friend again. He hadn't smelled that scent in a long time. Wally pulled a stool by the tub, and Pongo leapt on it. Dick smiled and began petting the bulldog. "Hey, bud. It's been a long time since I've seen you." Pongo whined and started licking Dick's face, his stub wagging excitedly. Wally smiled and went to get the food for his best friend.
The two talked as Dick ate, catching up on two years of missed time. Dick's life had been dull in his opinion, the only exciting parts when he got to see Wally and when he experienced his first storm. Wally's had been constant fishing. Dick had been disappointed to hear Artemis had dumped Wally. He thought they were a cute couple.
Wally slept in the bathroom, laying next to the tub. Dick slept as well, finding the calm and quiet tub more relaxing than the wild and noisy sea. Pongo sat at the door, guarding his people.
It took two weeks for Wally to understand what the witch meant. Wally had taken Dick to a small freshwater pool, where he could get used to swimming again. Wally could also keep an eye on him, where he might lose Dick if they were in the ocean.
Dick had been nervous at first. In his two years of being a merman, he'd never had his tail injured. Wally had calmed Dick as much as he could, promising to never leave Dick's side. Wally held onto Dick as the younger started using his tail again, watching for any pain. Dick swam surprisingly well, his injury causing little pain.
After two hours of the pool, Dick decided he was ready for the ocean. Wally carried his best friend over, a sinking feeling in his gut. He ignored it, setting Dick in the waves. Dick started swimming around, giggling. Wally followed, getting farther from the shore
A shot caught both of their attentions. A man was standing on the shore, a gun in his hands. Dick hid behind Wally, who was watching the man closely. "Hand over the mermaid, and no one gets hurt." He called. "No. He's not mine, anyway." Wally growled out. "Wally, what are you doing? You're going to make him mad. He'll hurt you." Dick whispered. "I trust you, Dick. You can get away." "And leave you? Not happening."
"You got one more chance. Hand him over, or you're dead." "You heard me. I said no." Wally said firmly. The hunter grinned. "Then you're dead." He cocked his gun, and fired.
Dick pulled Wally under the waves, moving him out of the way of the shot. Wally held onto Dick, trusting the merman to keep him safe. "Wally, I can help you. I can make you like me. I need you to trust me. Please." Dick whispered in his ear. Wally nodded, running out of air.
A pair of lips met his own. A tingling feeling ran through Wally, making him shiver. Dick held onto him, kept him steady. Wally suddenly felt as if the ocean wasn't just a friend. It was him. He felt everything.
When Dick pulled off, Wally found himself able to breathe easily. He opened his eyes to see a yellow tail where his legs used to be. Dick was smiling, tears in his eyes. Wally could see the difference between the ocean and Dick's tears. "You trusted me." "Of course I did. Now, you think I could get another kiss?" Wally smirked. Dick laughed, but complied.
"What about Pongo?" Wally asked. "Wally, you broke the curse. When this man is gone, we can be human again. We can have a home, we can be together. After two years apart, we never have to leave each other again. Pongo can be ours. We can do it all, Wally." Dick smiled, the tears beginning to fall. "Then let's do it all." Wally smiled, leaning in again. Wally decided his favorite place to be was in Dick's arms, kissing him forevermore.
