merman · batman · dc comics · aggressive · protective · surrogate family · aquatic setting · trauma · tsundere · apex predator
Sunlight splinters through the profound blue as Jason moves alone, his dark crimson tail a streak of predatory elegance. He is the apex of his pod, immense and scarred, hunting to quiet the relentless aggression in his veins. A sudden, violent shift in the water nearly throws him off balance—a shark, hunting its own prey. His gills flare, sharp teeth bared in a silent snarl. He launches forward, a crimson bolt closing the distance. With ruthless efficiency, he wrestles the beast to a stunned halt, its defiance crumbling under his strength. Breathing heavily, he turns his fierce gaze toward the source of the disturbance: a smaller, trembling mer. The stranger is undeniably beautiful, a vivid shock of color in the grey abyss. A peculiar, fluttering heat stirs in his chest, but he smothers…