"Jeez Jasper, you didn't have to knock her upside the head like that!"
"It was about to take off, Greg. I couldn't let it get away! This was likely our only chance at ever catching one of these things!"
"Well... couldn't you have just... grabbed her? She was right there... all's you had to do was-"
"Tch! Just be grateful I actually managed to get one. Your weak methods barely even got us close to catching one!"
"...well at least nets don't leave bruises like this..."
Uuugh... what is that...?
You felt something touch the side of your forehead, almost immediately flaring up in a stinging pain at the contact, making you groan and pull away from the source.
Where am I..?
You go to shake your head, trying to think through the pounding. However, upon trying to rub your head, found that your hands were bound behind you back. Still a bit groggy, you squirmed and pulled at them subtly to confirm your situation only to find that not only were your arms bound, but your legs and tail were also binded together as well. Even your wings were victim to the mysterious restrictions, as they had something tied over your wings, preventing them from even opening.
You couldn't even open your eyes, as even they had something on them!
What the...
To top it off, you found that you couldn't exactly move well at all, as you were slung over someone's shoulder, and was held in place by a muscular arm. Despite this, however on instinct, you struggled sluggishly against the bindings, grumbling in a confused, drowsy protest.
What's going on?!
"Uh... I think she's coming to..." a friendly male's voice spoke in front of you. "Tch. It better not try anything stupid." You heard a cross hum. "I doubt she wants to try after a blow like that..." something suddenly touches your forehead, in which you jerk your head up with an alarmed hiss. "Eesh, those are some sharp teeth..." you heard him mutter. "Don't do anything stupid, Greg!" You hear the woman snap gruffly. "Last thing I need is for you to break yourself." There was a small huff. "Well the least she deserves is an explanation..."
The blindfold suddenly lifted allowing you to see out of one eye. It was none other than the man, by the name of Greg, up close. Now you saw that he had mildly visible bags beneath his eyes, signaling a lack of sleep, as well as a bit of sweat running down his forehead, as he not only struggled to keep up with the one carrying you, but he also appeared to be rather tense at something. Even so, he had a very warm, genuinely friendly smile on his face. Seeing he had your attention, he gave a small nod of greeting to you.
"Uhm... hi there." He greets awkwardly, to which you reply with an uncertain clicking in your throat. "So uh... you're probably confused about what's happening right now..." his eyes trailed to the person who carried you, and judging by the fluffy mane of hair and the muscular orange arm holding you in place, it was the same orange woman that assaulted you. "But I-I promise you... it's not like you're going anywhere bad... it's just uhm-"
"Your kind is needed for my diamond." The orange woman gruffly explained, cutting him off. My diamond? "His temper has been getting worse over the years and you're our only hope in getting it under control..." ...Temper?? Greg winced slightly, rubbing the back of his head uneasily with a very troubled expression, but nodded. "Well... yeah... That's... kinda what's going on... but don't worry!" He places his hand on your head in reassurance. "He's really nice once you get to know him. Honest!"
"Tell that to his most recent Ameythyst guard." There was a contemptuously grunt from your orange assailant as the sound of doors opening. "Yellow's still having trouble to put her back together..." ...back together??! You are then roughly tossed into the rather thinly cushioned metal interior of a vehicle, eliciting a yelp of surprise at the suddenness. You writhed on the thin blanket from the impact and cursed at not being able to break your fall due to your bindings.
"You could be a bit more gentle with her, jasper..." uttered the man, as he twiddled his thumbs. "We don't want to send her to him all broken up, right?" The orange Amazon turns to glare at the comparatively small man, making him shrink back. "He's probably gonna break her anyway, so what's the big deal??" She steps back, crossing her arms. "I'll meet you at the beach house." She jabbed a finger into his forehead, making him grunt in discomfort. "Don't be long." With that she disappears from your view, her rapidly descending footsteps being the only signal of her departure.
He rubbed the place her finger jabbed him and sighed looking back at your helpless form. He leaned forward slightly. "Sorry." He whispered, before pulling your blindfold back down over your eye, putting you back into an unnerving darkness. "That's just to keep you from doing anything silly." you heard the slams of the van doors leaving you in a temporary silence.
Finally, you have the opportunity to gather your thoughts and try to make sense as to what was transpiring.
How did all of this happen so quickly...?
One second I'm swimming in the ocean, the next, I'm kidnapped and being shipped off to who knows where to deal with someone with an apperant temper...
You grunted, pulling at your bindings again, muttering bitterly in regret. Ugh, this is what I get for being nosy, I guess...
You whimpered helplessly, writhing in your tight binds, as you tried to figure out a plan to get out of this. You thought briefly about simply pulling at your restraints. With enough tension, perhaps it'd snap the binds?
But thanks to the blindfold, you didn't know what exactly they restricted you with. It didn't feel like simple rope, but at the same time, you knew it wasn't just regular metal. For all you knew, an attempt to break your bondage might risk in breaking your wrists.
Well, what else can I do now...?
Just then, you felt a slight shuffle as he entered the van, and you hear him huff softly to himself as he put the keys into the ignition. And with a revv of the engine and a vibration of your enclosure, the vehicle was in motion.
At that point, your options were quiet minimal. Even if you managed to get yourself undone, the van's backdoor was likely locked and your only means of escape was through the human accomplice. You grumbled indignantly, wiggling again in a frustration. Humans are soft beings... you thought to yourself faintly baring your teeth. Perhaps if I do it right... I could probably-
"I... I'm really sorry about this." You hear Greg mutter in the front seat. "I... wish there was another way to take care of this... but... nothing has been working..." he sighs sadly. "His episodes are getting more and more frequent and... I'm worried it might.. escalate from there..." there was a period of silence as you contemplated his words.
"What... does this person have to do with me..?" You croaked, in which you heard a startled 'huh?' He probably wasn't expecting you to speak, let alone sound so... small. "How can I help him?"
Greg frowned deeply in immense guilt, as he bit his lip. "Well..." he struggles to find the right words "Connie had read something about Sirens. it's got something to do with their singing... it got like this... hypnotic effect on humans, right?"
"...yes." You replied after a lengthy pause. "Our voices are strong enough to entice even the strongest of sailors into crashing their ships onto the rocky coasts."
"Well..." he coughs lightly, expressing quite a bit of discomfort. "Good thing there's no rocky coasts where you're going." He chuckled awkwardly. "Maybe an asteroid or two, but I doubt you'll be too far from the palace anyways... they hardly let him leave nowadays..."
"Who's them??" You asked, the tip of your tail twitching in anxiousness.
"The uh... the diamonds. I-I don't know if you know this, but there's a whole race of aliens called "Gems"... like the one that knocked you upside the head... she's a gem..." you felt your breath get caught in your throat. Aliens!? "They have their own planet and a caste system that I still don't fully get..." there was a small huff in what sounded like frustration. "He.. He'll explain it all to you, don't worry." He reassures warmly. "L-Like I said, he's a real nice guy once you get to know him."
"Okay..." you muttered, squirming slightly, trying to get comfortable in your bounds. There was a period of silence between you two as you continued the rather placid drive, Greg tapping at his steering wheel with his fingers and you just mulling your situation over. "How... how do you know all of this?" You asked quietly. "Who is this... person...?"
There was a moment silence between you both before he heaves a heavy sigh.
"This person... he's my son."
There was a lot of weight in his words.
"His mother... she was a uh... gem... diamond as well... and... uhm..." he appeared to struggle with his explanation, as if he'd been repressing the memory for a long time. Clearly, he didn't want to remember whatever transpired.
"I... I see." You uttered. You didn't fully get it just yet, but from the amount of the solemnity in the man's voice was enough to paint you a picture of what the man's current situation. "I'll... try my best."
"You will?" He asked, sounding genuinely astonished. "T-Thank you... so much... miss..?"
Despite yourself, the smallest of smiles enlightened your face.
"(Name)."
"Heh... Okay then, (Name)..." his voice took on much lighter tone, and surprisingly, you yourself felt lighter with the human as well. "Uh... I don't know how you sirens view human music... but I'm gonna put some on to ease some tensions. Try to relax a bit until we get there."
You hear the click of a radio, and the sounds of (genre) music filled your ears, helping you relax even more. Not bad for human standards...
Not knowing what else to do or say, you decided to let yourself zone out and try to enjoy the ride.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
You know for being the boy's father, Greg is rarely acknowledged when it comes to the Pink Steven AU on wattpad.