Misty knew what she was doing was against every rule. Against everything she had been taught. The rules were there to protect their species. That's what her father always said to everyone. That if they were ever found out they would be captured and tested. That the humans would be so scared of them that they would completely wipe out their species. But Misty didn't believe that. She hadn't only been a child for a little while before the humans started building their cities under the water. If you could call them cities, they were more of test sites, testing to see if they could survive under the water because they had slowly started to lose space on land. She had seen them trying the same thing in the air too, but there was nothing there that was hiding from them. Her whole species had managed to stay hidden, even after there were cameras put under the water, after they started sending giant metal ships that stayed under the water. But now that there were cities Misty didn't give it long before they were found out. Before the humans had so many little underwater cities that the mermaids had no where else to hide, no where to escape them.

But she had a soft spot for the humans. They didn't think so, but they were helpless under the water. They didn't know the rules of the water and they couldn't breath under the water without their metal tanks full of air. She loved to watch them from a distance, to watch how they interacted with each other. Sometimes she would poke her head out of the water and watch them on the beaches enjoying the sun together. There had been a few times she went ashore herself and tried to interact with them, but she could only stay up for so long before she had to return to the water, before she had to return home before someone missed her. Her father knew that she liked to explore on her own, and she knew it worried him more than anything, but she was a free spirit. She had to see what the outside world held.

Today was no different. She was more aware of what was going on with the humans than any of her kind because the rest hid, trained to fight if they had to, but stayed out of site. Misty would watch them, follow the divers and watch what they did. Watched the battles between the different countries that had their little underworld cities trying to lay claim to the spaces. Today there was a group of eight divers, all men, that were heading towards a Russian city under the water. Misty liked these divers, they were around a lot checking things out and making sure that things were kept in line. She saw them as the guarders of the ocean in a way. They were tough, strong and a team. She didn't like the Russians, they didn't care what they did to the creatures of the ocean, didn't care if they were polluting the water and destroying the homes of the helpless creatures that lived in it. She didn't know why the group was heading towards the city, but it intrigued her.

She kept her distance like she always did, stayed out of site. She had managed to never been seen no matter how many times she followed the group. She knew what the weapons they carried were capable of and they scared her a little. But she also knew that the weapons had never been turned on a sea creature unless it had been trying to harm them. It only happened once, they had been attacked by one of the sharks and had killed it. None of them had been harmed, but part of her thought they hadn't wanted to kill the shark. It gave them no option though. She slipped a little closer, gliding behind a rock as she watched them moving fluidly through the water. Even though they didn't have any fins like she did, they seemed at home in the water.

"Alright men! Your missions is in the Pacific Ocean." The tall man had told them. "At 0700 local time we intercepted a distress message from the Russian city of New Moscow." The man said as a holographic image appeared behind him. It showed the underwater city of New Moscow. The 6 men at the table looked at it with eager eyes. It was about time they got off the sub.

"What did the message say?" Asked the leader of the group. He had an air of cocky easea to him. Like most West Coast SEALS he was always like that. They were known for being jokers. His team was no different. Eacxh of them were like brothers to each other. They had gone through the training together and each trusted the others. They would lay down their lives if the chance presented itself. It was their way. They had not expected the mission to go so wrong.

"The message stated that something had gotten loose. It was free. That was all if said." The man told them. The image then changed to a satelite image of the area. "Alright since you morons can't read so history. New Moscow was built five years ago. It was designed in response to our own underwater cities of New New York and New Chicago. Like usual the Russians are late to the party." That line earned a few laughs. "We have always thought that the Russians were doing something terrible in the area. Examinations of local wildlife have shown increased mutations. Truly nasty things. We think they are doing genetic expirements there. We have advised the Russians blow the place up if they have lost control but we doubt they will listen."

"Your mission is to infiltrate the base and find out why the Ruskies are so scared. You will be dropped 5 klicks away from the site to swim the rest. You lot need to work on your names. Be like Seals. In out in 3 hours. SEAL Team you have your orders. You leave at 0500. Dismissed." The man said leaving the room with a turn. The team went tehir seperate ways and the next morning they went off.

The mission was standard affair. A shark tried to take a bite out of the team leader. He stabbed it through the eye but did not feel a rush from it. They had invaded its area. "Looks like them sharks prefer surfers after all." A thich Texan accent drawled in his ear piece. "Shut it Shoefield." The leader quipped back the laughter from their team in his ears. "Look sharp we are there." He said as they reached the city.

The rest was a blur really. He remembered the city filled with monsters. Well mutants. He remembered ordering his team to leave him when he tried to hold back the creatures. He remembered the explosion forcing him into the ocean. At least his suit would protect him. This was how he was going to die. In the ocean. He closed his eyes. Death was coming he knew it.

Misty had seen some of the things that the Russians had made, she had been chased by one of them and helped the guards kill it when it followed her all the way home to one of the mermaid safe zones. They were horrible things, it would be one thing if they were making things that would be nice, would work well with the environment. But they were making things that were killed and destroying the natural creatures when they got out. They didn't get out much, Misty knew her father had even made a team that hunted the mutations down in hopes of protecting the sea creatures. When she watched the team move in, watched them start to lose the fight she found it harder and harder to stay hidden. She wanted so desperately to go in and help save the humans that she had grown fond of!

She watched in vein as the team backed up, all but one of them, regrouped and got ready to go back in, that's when all hell really broke lose. Something exploded, the shockwave sent her back and put a halt to the team going back in to save their other member. The explosion had killed the majority of the mutations and she knew they ones that had escaped wouldn't last long once her father's team found them. But what she was more concerned with was the man that was pushed too far for his team to find him. The man that had been closest to the explosion. She took off at full speed after him, her heart dropping when she saw his limp form. She had to get him out of the water. The bubbles coming from his tank meant he wouldn't have the oxygen that he needed to survive.

She pushed faster through the water snatching the man as she swam past him towards the surface of the water. He was heavy, but she was a strong swimmer and she could breathe. Once she surfaced she yanked the gadget that was on his face off and managed to get the tank that was attached to his back off also so he wouldn't be so heavy. He still didn't stir though, she could tell he was alive, but he was unconscious. She couldn't just leave him here, he would die! She quickly swam towards a small island that the humans never went to. She couldn't risk being seen dragging him to shore, she wouldn't be able to hide what she was!

As soon as she got to the beach she pulled him up as far as she could until she had to drag herself to shore, her legs turning to human legs. She quickly grabbed his shoulders and pulled him up further on the beach making sure he was breathing. There was a small cut on his forehead and it had started to bleed a little more once he was out of the water. She ran quickly back into the ocean diving down to a deeper spot and grabbing a handful of some of the seaweed the healer used on cuts. She hurried back where she had left the man and quickly cleaned off the cut applying the seaweed the way she had been taught.

Biting her lip she looked around. She couldn't stay, couldn't risk being seen, but she wanted to make sure he was ok. She quickly ran towards the inner part of the island and hide behind some of the trees wanting to wait until he woke up before she went back out to sea. Found a way to let someone know where he was!

Shane went in and out of focus. One minute he swor he saw a beautiful girl carrying him the next he was out again. He was dreaming of home. A small town on the California coast. He was dreaming of his family. Of his house. He was returning from a surf session when it had happened. A starnge undertow had carried him out. He fell into the water and felt he would die. But somehow he had made it to shore alive. He had no idea how he hd gotten there but he felt the sea had given him his life. A loan if you will. One he planned repay. He had always loved the sea after that. Some said saltwater flowed through his viens instead of blood. He had never tested that theory.

The thing missing from the dream was his own family. The job made having kids and a wife rather hard. He wanted one but he had a low life chance so no one would marry him. He thought he was rather good looking. Well some people said he did. His hair was a constant shade of blonde. His face was always a bit rugged since that was the style of a SEAL.

The dream eneded suddenly with the sounds of waves crashing over him. He felt the cool sea air on his face. Was he alive? Had the ocean really released him twice? He opened his eyes and looked around. He could see the sky and knew that he was safe. He sat up a piece of seaweeed sliding off of his forehead. Odd... He looked around and started to laugh. He was safe. He was so damn luckily. He had to get out of the wetsuit since it did not doo good when dry. He was wearing only a pair of workout shorts underneath but that was fine with him. His skin was tanned from years under the sun but it was covered in scars. He was extremely muscular but that came with the job.

As he lay with his bare back to the sand he noticed something. Footprints leading away from him. He looked around and saw they led to the treeline. They looked female so he did not take his knife. He walked towards the trees and could have sworn he saw someone. "Hey? Is anyone out there? Cause if there is I owe you my life. You must have dragged me to shore right?" He asked the trees. "I won't hurt you I promise." He said hoping he would conivince the person to come out. While he waited he climbed up one of the trees and grabbed some mangos. He started to eat one and left one for the mystery woman.

Misty had found her stash of human clothes and had pulled on one of the things they wore to go swimming. It was a two piece thing, no where comfortable in her opinion, but it was proper. She went back to the treeline and saw the human sitting up looking around as if a little surprised. He pulled the suit he had on off and she couldn't help but stare at all the scars on his tanned skin. She jumped a little when he looked her direction and she quickly hid behind one of the larger trees. When he called out to her she wasn't sure what to do. Should she respond? Should she go talk to him, or just go hide in the water now that he was better.

He climbed up in one of the trees and got some of the fruit from it climbing back down. She watched him set one at the tree line then start to eat another one of them. She had had the mangos before, they really weren't all that bad. But she was more scared of going so close to the human. He was taller then here, and built like some of the fighters from her group. She didn't know what made her slowly inch her way closer, but she made sure she was between him and the ocean. If she needed to she could take off and swim away to safety. She may end up exposing what she was in the process, but she would take the risk if it meant surviving.

She grabbed the mango up and walked a little ways away from him as she took a bite trying to remember how normal human females reacted to things and just acted in general.

"How does your head feel?" She asked eyeing the cut that was on his forehead as she glanced back towards the ocean.

He had been right. There had been someone there. A woman. A rather e beautiful one at that. Not that he was checking her out but he totally was. He thought share looks odd. Like there was something off about her. Maybe she lived around here. Like she was a castaway. What good luck then that she had found him. He looked at her and smiled. It was a glowing smiling. Some said it was his best feature. His smile.

She was shorter than he was. Still beautiful but smaller. Nothing wrong with th that. He had imagined his rescuer to be big and tough. Still she would be nice company here. Oddly she kept looking at the sea.

"I'm fine thank you. " He said still grinning. "Uhh so you saved me? Dragged me out of the ocean?" If so I owe you my life. But I don't know your name. Captain Shane Ryan. Just Shane though. I was part of a covert SEAL unit till the explosion. " He said sadly. Was his team alright? " What's your name?" He asked hoping she would tell him.

Misty took everything in as she looked him over. He held himself like he was used to being in charge. Seemed to be confident and in control even though he had nearly been blown to bits earlier and was now on a deserted island. She needed to figure out a way to fix the last part, she knew humans liked to be around other humans. She noticed his voice sound a little sad his face showing the same expression when he talked about his team. She knew she couldn't tell him they were fine though, not without letting him know she had been there and that just wouldn't have been possible. She still wasn't sure what he thought of her, if he was buying the whole human thing or not. She thought up a lie quickly and shrugged a little.

"I saw you floating out there, unconscious, so I pulled you in." She replied with another small shrug. She took another bite of the mango as she looked out over the ocean keeping an eye out for his team, which would surprise her if they came this far, or any other mermaids who would spot her. "I'm Misty, it's nice to meet you Captain Shane Ryan. What explosion are you talking about? I didn't see anything."

She knew at the distance from the explosion they were at, she wouldn't have seen it, and if he went back in the water he would figure that out. She couldn't take the chance of being caught in a lie, though she still wasn't sure if she was going to be able to explain how she was on this island to begin with. Especially sense there wasn't a house or anything like humans normally stayed in.

Shane smiled when she said his name wrong. "It is just Shane. Like how your name is just Misty. Pretty name by the way." He said looking at her smiling. She was different then he had expected her. She seemed like she did know a lot about this area. Odd as it was but he still wanted to be around her. She seemed friendly enough .
He looked at her for a minute. Why did he feel that she was bit off. Maybe she did know a lot of people? Had she been raised here? Part of him thought that she did not talk to alot of people. He looked at her and sat down.

"My team and I were investigating something important. I stayed back to cover my team. They hopefully survived. I was caught in the explosion.So uhh Misty do you live here? " He asked trying to get out of the sad mood he was in.

"I'm sure they are fine." Misty smiled trying to make him feel better. A shrill sound coming from the ocean hit her ears and she felt her heart sink. She had to get back home and get back right now! She knew Shane probably wouldn't have picked up on the sound, but she did. She dropped the mango she had in her hand and spun around running towards the woods at full speeds heading towards one of the cave systems that were in the middle of the island. She could jump straight down into the cave and then swim out back into the ocean. She made sure not to run a straight line to the cave or run on the sand so that hopefully Shane couldn't follow her. She dove straight down into the cave system pulling off her swinsuit as she did.

As soon as she hit the water she felt her tail form again and the covering for her chest. She swam skillfully through the cave systems and straight towards home finding her father talking to the whole shimmer of mermaids and mermen. She slipped in the back and listened to him talking about the explosion and the mutants that had escaped. There was a fool proof plan to take them out. He also talked about a group of humans that were swimming around as if looking for something or someone. He warned no one approached them and fled as soon as they saw them. Misty couldn't help but think maybe that was Shane's group that he had been separated from. When her father dismissed everyone she turned to go back to Shane and hopefully help him build a shelter or something, try and figure out a way to get him home.

"Where have you been? I've been looking for you everywhere after the explosion, I was so scared it had killed you." Her father said looking her up and down to make sure she was ok.

"I'm fine, I was no where near it when it exploded. Just exploring a little." She shrugged.

"I wish you would stay closer to home, Misty, it's dangerous out there." Her father said crossing his arms. "You need to find a mate, settle down."

"I've no interest in finding a mate anytime soon. I can't take care of myself." She huffed as she spun around and took off towards her island and the human that was trapped on it. On the way she caught a few fish that she knew humans liked to eat. She slipped on the beach opposite where she had left him and quickly found her stash of clothes. She jogged into the woods and saw the starts of a shelter that she had attempted to build a long time ago. She wasn't sure how it all worked, but she wanted a human home. It didn't keep rain out, or any weather for that matter. But she had made a little cot like thing and cleared the area around it. There was a hole dug in the ground for a fire, and when a ship overturned she had salvaged some waterproof matches and some lighters that hadn't gotten too wet before she put them in a bag. She kept those things stashed away in a little trunk in the cot with other little knicknacks she had picked up here and there.

Misty laid the fish out on a stump by the shack and started a fire slipping back into the woods once it was burning. She hoped Shane would find it on his own, she wasn't sure she wanted to face more questions like the one before. But she could easily watch him from the woods. Make sure he was ok. Try and plan a way to get him back with his own kind.

Shane tried to chase her to the tree line. He lost her eventually. She was faster than she looked and he was still dazed. He was desperate though. He was not going to lose the one person he had here. She was his only friend right now. His only chance at talking to someone. Except what if she was some kind of mental breakdown on his part? That all of this was his dying brain's attempt to save itself by creating a world around him. He had seen it before. Soldiers who were dying would make up illusions as their brains died. As they lost more and more they would lose everything. But something about this felt real. Like Misty was for real. Though that would be his luck. His mind creates a woman who saves him but is hiding something from him. He did not have a lot of luck when it came to this type of stuff. Well he had never had a near death event like this but he was hoping it was real. It had to be right?

He looked around the trees. He had this feeling he was being watched but unlike before with Misty it fel like whoever was glaring at him did not like him all that much. It could be some kind of animal? a tiger? Were those native to this area? He had no idea but part of him was hoping not. Hewnet back to the beach and grabbed his stuff. His radio was fried. He could get bits of information but not a lot. He heard his name a few times but he could not respond. He heard something about them searching for him. He was praying thsat they would find him. But till then he would have to find shelter. He grabbed his knife and walked back to the trees.

Eventually he swore he could smell the scent of a fire. MAybe that was where Misty was? He walked till he found the place. It looked like a shelter. He would have to do a lot of work to make it a place he could live. He grabbed the fish and put it on a stick to roast it. he thought he was a good cook. Once it was done he took his knife and cut it in half. He knew Misty was out there. "Misty? I know you are out there. I want to see you again and I thought you might be hungry." He was terrible at talking to women. He hoped that she was there. He clearly looked lonely. The fire light played on his skin accenting each muscle.

Misty chewed on her lip a little as she watched him looked around the campsite, then started to cook one of the fish. She wanted to get to know him, learn more about his kind but she was scared to also. What if he found out what she was, captured her to be tested on and she put her entire species at risk? Her curiosity got the best of her though. What was the saying the humans had. Curiosity killed the cat? Whatever a cat was. She slowly walked over to where he was and sat down on a log across the fire from him still keeping her distance a little.

"I know this place isn't much." She said softly as she looked around the small campsite. "I'm not exactly good at building shelter."

She looked back at him studying the way the fire light seemed to dance on his skin. She had so many questions, but if she asked them he would think she was either crazy or that she wasn't human. She wanted to know everything she could about the humans, including what a cat was now that she had succumbed to curiosity. She didn't want to kill something and definitely didn't want to die because of it.

"I'm sorry I left so quickly." She said looking down at her hands a little. What would her excuse be? "I'm not used to anyone being here."

Shane looked up as she came into the campsite. She seened to be studying him. Watching everything that he was doing like she had never seen a man before. What if she had not? What if she was a castaway who had never had anyone here It would explain why she ran. She was scared of him. Heck most people were scared of him. She was no exception. He watchd her sitting away from him.Odd. Most lonely people would want the company. Not her though.

"You know with a bit of work I could get it to be a great shelter. We were trained on how to live off the land. I could teach ypu." He said smiling at her.

He watched her when she looked away for a bit. he was curious about her? How had she gotten here? Why? He looked away quickly. He wanted o help her honestly and tomorrow he would fix this place up. Make it so she could live here better. or maybe get her off the island. Save her. He wondered if she had any family on the mainland. He had no way of knowing.

"It's okay. I was worried I had scared you. Honestly I sort of missed you. I mean you are the only other person here." he admitted. "So uhh how did you get here? On the island I mean."

Misty chewed on her lip a little as she felt the heat from the fire lapping at her legs. It was going to make it where she needed to get back in the water sooner than she normally would've have. She wasn't sure how to answer his question, she had noticed that sometimes when a human didn't want to answer something they would just ignore the question all together. Change the subject. At least that was what she had witnessed the few times she had tried to blend in with them.

"That's one of the reasons I like this place so much, it's so quiet and peaceful." She shrugged a little looking towards the woods. "There aren't any right or wrong way to do things. You didn't scare me, I thought maybe you would want more than mangos so I went and got some fish."

She stood up, she needed to move away from the fire. She slipped over towards the treeline and looked through the woods.

He knew she was lying. Heck a dead body could have told him she was lying. He had all the mangos he needed with in his grasp. He did not need her to get him more. She ws hiding something rather huge from him by lying but what? Was it something bad? Was she a russian sent here to get him to talk? It would make sense from a paranoid perspective. She was acting strange.

"It must get pretty lonely out here all alone. Unless there are others out there? Is that true are you trying to kill me? You have been cagey since I got here. What is the deal?" he asked not taking her changing the subject again. He could have sworn he saw something in the trees.

Misty spun around and looked at him shocked when he said she was trying to kill him! She wasn't sure what would make him think that. She had pulled him to safety, saved his life, tried to treat his wound, brought him food! How was that trying to kill him?

"I saved your life? Why would I do that if I was trying to kill you. I've never killed anyone in my whole life, minus the fish I eat. I would never kill another living being unless I had to to survive. It's the way of the se...earth. You take what you have to to survive, and leave enough behind for it to continue multiplying and thriving." She replied slightly hurt that he would think she wanted to do him harm. Learn about him, maybe, but harm him! "There is no one else on this island, least not that I'm aware of. Sailors avoid it because whether they believe it or not there is an old myth that it's home to sirens."

Sirens were something that were real, but they hadn't inhabited this island in centuries. They had moved on to other hunting grounds. Sirens were like the mermaids, but they were pure evil. All they wanted to do was cause suffering and death, mermaids cherished all life and wanted nothing but to coexist with everything else, everything else that was natural at least. The mutations were a different story.

Shane looked at her sadly. he had not mean to claim she was a murderer. She did not have the eyes. All killers did. Heck he had the eyes. he sighed. he had not meant to claim she was a killer since he did not know her. She had saved him right? He owed her his life.

"You know something? I am paid to kill. Heck I am good at it. I kill bad people. Those who would destroy the world. I am not that bad of a guy. My team and I were sent to kill and that is what we did. Pure and simple. I would not hurt you. I don't kill innocents. Ever no matter what." He told her looking her in the eyes. There was an innocence to her. It was childlike. She did not know a lot about the world but that did not matter. "How do I know you are not a siren? They say sirens are beautiful. You are beautiful." He comlimented her. "I'm sorry for claiming you would kill me. You saved me and I owe you my life. I'll protect you. I promise."

"Sirens are horrible, evil, murderous beings!" She said her eyes going wide. She clamped a hand over her mout not having thought before she said it. "If they existed that is."

She kept from saying she could take care of herself, but she decided against it. She thought about what he said about killing for a living. But he only killed the bad in the world. That was a good thing. People who mutated evil creatures deserved to be killed.

"So you are paid to get rid of the evil. Thats not a bad thing. My father says evil has no place on the earth. That it breeds too fast and it takes villigent people to keep it in check." She replied with a small smile.

"Cause they aren't real right?" He joked. There were no such things as mermaids sirens or sea monsters. As cool as it would be to see. "Of course they aren't real." he thought thinking her crazy. He was positive she was bonkers. Or maybe not?

He looked her over. She look compentent enough. Not a great fight but not terrible either. He might have to teach her how to fight better. He wanted her to be safe if the mutants came here.

"Your father and I would get along great by the sounds of it. I mean we have the same ideas." He said looking her over. He wanted to see how she would react to his statement. "As long as I'm here I'll kepp you safe." He promised.

Misty did her best to keep her face blank when he said that mermaids or sirens weren't real. She knew otherwise, but was kind of glad he didn't think they were. Course at the same time it was slightly disheartening. When he said he would get along with her father, she fought a laugh. Her father would kill her if he knew she was on land talking to a human.

Her thoughts quickly shifted when she heard someone walking through the woods quietly. They weren't alone and that scared her, no one else ever came on this island and she didn't want to leave Shane alone to face whatever it was, but she couldn't take him into the ocean with her for safety if it came to that.

Shane looked at her confused. She did sort of react to him saying that mermaid were not real. Now she was even more crazy than she looked. He then heard the noise again. There was something here with them. Alive. He grabbed his knife and motioned for her to hide. He knew it had to be one of the mutants.

He was right. A shark looking thing came tumbling out of the trees. It was hideous to look at. It looked like some sort of shark thing. It charged for Misty first. Shane moved like a snake and attacked it. It focused on his next clawing at him and drawing blood. He managed to stab it in the throat and it went down in a puddle of blood. Shane looked at her breathing heavy. "You... You okay?" He asked not looking so great himself. He had killed it with relative ease but it had been painful.