Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Lockwood scrambled for his phone the second it beeped, recognising George’s text tone immediately. He opened WhatsApp just as the second message came through, but before he could respond George went offline. 

It wasn’t the message they agreed on. 

His first thought was to leave the Rapier and head straight for the Fittes Institute, but Lockwood hesitated as he skimmed the second message. What fins? He upgraded barely six months ago, he wasn’t looking for any—

George was trying to tell him something. 

Something he couldn’t risk anyone else seeing, which meant he was with either Fittes or Gale. Fantastic.  

Just got an email that those fins you wanted are back in stock x

He wouldn’t be getting an email about that. Which meant that there was something else in his email that Lockwood needed to see. 

He didn’t have access to George’s personal email password — although he’d probably be able to guess it if he had enough time to try — which meant that if George wanted to get the message out quickly, he’d probably have used the joint account.

No new emails since half-ten, which could only mean… Drafts.

Subject: FINS

Lockwood set his phone down with a shaking hand, nausea creeping its way up his throat. 

George was being forced to take Penelope Fittes to the moon pool.

During the full moon.  

He clamped his good hand down over his racing heart, as if that would keep it from breaking out through his ribcage. Lockwood knew he had to get it together, but both of the people who usually managed to help him do that weren’t currently within reach. “Come on,” he muttered under his breath. “George needs you. He needs you to do this. Get up. Find his keycard. Make a plan.”  

Lockwood forced some water down himself before he got to his feet, leaning against the side of the Rapier to steady himself. 

“George needs you,” he repeated, his voice shaking a little still. “Make. A. Plan.” 

He awkwardly pulled on his jacket over the sling and exhaled slowly. 

Where would George hide his keycard?

Lockwood climbed onto the jetty and made his way towards the Fittes building. 

He didn’t expect to actually see George up ahead, flanked by Penelope Fittes herself on one side, and the man they’d come to know as Gale on the other. George locked eyes with him seconds before Lockwood darted out of sight behind a food cart. When he poked his head back out again, neither Penelope or Gale seemed to act as if they’d seen him, so thankfully it had only been George. 

There was no way of knowing if he’d ditched the keycard yet. 

Lockwood slowly started to head the same way as them, pausing every so often to busy himself in case one of them looked back and spotted him. He caught sight of Kipps in what was probably the same moment that George did; Lockwood watched as Kipps nodded at George in acknowledgement, only to get completely blanked and unceremoniously barged into. 

He spun around, prepared to call out to him, but ultimately seemed to decide against it as George kept walking. 

What if...

Lockwood put on a burst of speed, nearly colliding with Kipps himself in his effort to get to him fast enough. “Oi, turn out your pockets.” 

“Is this a mugging?” Kipps asked flatly. “Should I be scared?” 

Lockwood resisted the urge to roll his eyes and instead attempted to appeal to Kipps’ good moral compass. Of course, this method relied on him having one, which was a debate Lockwood could participate in for hours on any given day. Not today though. Today he had to get George’s keycard. “Look, I can’t explain right now, but I think George just slipped you something important. It’s meant for me. So can you please go through your pockets.”

“Well, since you asked so politely,” Kipps drawled, before making a show of going through his pockets. It was clear he didn’t believe him, right up until the point his brow furrowed and he pulled out something thin and rectangular. “Jesus, Tony,” he muttered under his breath. “How bad is it this time?” 

“It’s fine, Kipps, just give me the—” Lockwood cut himself off as Kipps moved the card out of his reach. “Give me the card, or I swear—”

“Swear you’ll what, Tony?” Kipps quirked an eyebrow at him. “I’m tired of getting caught up in whatever it is you two are always caught up in. It’s about time I got some answers out of it. And what the hell happened to your arm?” 

Lockwood scoffed. “If you want to stay out of it, you should probably stop helping us,” he replied bluntly, before reaching for the card with his good hand and resisting the impulse to curse when Kipps moved it out of the way again. “Fucking hell, could you stop being an obtuse prick for two minutes because when I tell you this is life and death I bloody mean it.” 

Kipps paled, and Lockwood instantly regretted the words. 

“Either you tell me what you’re up to, or I tell Barnes that you’re up to something,” he warned, gaze straying to the sling. “And that you’ve already managed to injure yourself once while doing it.” 

“Fine. You want to know what we’re up to?” Lockwood snapped. “We’re going to break into Fittes, and then we’re going to break out an imprisoned mermaid. Want to help?” He regretted those words as soon as they were out of his mouth too, but thankfully it didn’t seem like as much of a mistake as the previous sentence. 

Kipps sighed and handed over the card. “Whatever. Don’t tell me, then. It’s your funeral.” As he walked away, Lockwood could just about make out the words: “Don’t know why I bother.” 

To be honest, he’d been asking himself that question too whenever Kipps appeared. 

But it didn’t matter, because now he had George’s keycard. 

Now he had a way into the Fittes Institute. 

︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵

Lucy had known from the minute Lockwood burst through the door that something was wrong, and it wasn’t just because he came back without George. By the time he’d explained, both her and Holly were practically speechless. George wanted them to rescue Norrie, without him, while he preoccupied Fittes and Gale at the moon pool. 

All signs pointed towards it being a suicide mission for him. Especially if Penelope caught wind of his plan.

She shook her head. “I don’t like this. If they know who I am, why is there any point in hiding it? I could go there, cut them off, and rescue George.” 

Lockwood sighed. “We have to trust him. He’s given us instructions, and this may be our one chance to get to Norrie. I hate it, but it’s the only plan we’ve got. If we deviate from it, it leaves George in the dark and vulnerable. At least this way we’re working with the information that he knows.” 

Holly swallowed thickly. “So we’re breaking into the Fittes Institute during the full moon?” 

He hesitated. “Not exactly…” 

“Lockwood,” Lucy warned. “You better not be about to suggest what I think you’re about to suggest. Especially not while you’ve only got one working arm.” 

Lockwood preemptively raised his good hand in surrender. “Not solo. Flo and I should go. There’s no way of knowing how you two will react to the full moon this time, and we can’t take any chances at Fittes of something happening. If Flo and I get caught, we can deal with it. If either of you get caught, they’ll never let you leave. Especially you, Luce. I don’t know if they know about Holly yet.” 

She hated it.

Lockwood had a point, and she hated it.

“So we just have to sit here at home and do what, exactly? Twiddle our thumbs and try not to panic about the fact that you and George are risking your bloody lives?” Lucy spluttered. “And you expect me to be okay with that? Not to mention you’re still injured!”  

He let out a sigh and leaned against the edge of the table. “I know, I know. We can get Kit to come over after school to keep you company.” 

“To keep an eye on us, you mean?” Holly corrected pointedly. 

Lockwood ran a nervous hand through his hair. “Fine. Okay. Yes, it’s to keep an eye on you.”

Gingerly, Lucy perched against the table next to him. “I can see where you’re coming from, and I get it. But we are going to be fine. Our priorities right now have to be George and Norrie. You’re right, we can’t deviate from George’s plan and leave him out of the loop; it’s too dangerous. And as much as I hate to say it, you’re right about us being a liability too.” 

“I didn’t say—” Lockwood started, but Lucy cut him off gently as she found his good hand and took it between hers. 

“You didn’t have to. But I don’t think you should be doing this injured. George really shouldn’t have put that idea in your head,” she told him firmly.

“Desperate times, Luce,” he murmured. “He knows it can’t be either of you. We haven’t got anyone else, and I won’t let Flo do it alone. Just give me my next dose of painkillers, and let me plan how we’re supposed to do this. George already left with Fittes to go to the island, so we haven’t got much time. If she knows as much as we think she does, they’ll want to be there during the full moon.” 

Holly exhaled slowly, thinking it over. “Right. And what time does the moon peak today?” 

“Twenty to seven,” Lockwood replied. “And high tide’s at about six o’clock.” 

“Which gives us five hours,” Lucy realised. “We have five hours to make a plan and actually put it in motion. And if we don’t, then Penelope gets what she wants.” 

Holly swallowed thickly. “But what about George? We can’t just leave him there.” 

“We won’t,” Lockwood promised. “God, we could never. Once we’ve rescued Norrie, we’ll go straight to him. But he said it himself that we have to get to her first, or we might not get another chance. If we show up there too early, they’ll know he told us what’s happening and he’ll be in more danger, as will we.” 

“That’s assuming they don’t already plan to kill him once he’s given them what they want,” Lucy muttered under her breath. 

Lockwood shook his head. “They won’t, because then they’d have us to worry about. His last message told us he was going on a research trip with them. He was last seen with them. Not just by me, but by Kipps too. Considering how recently Joplin was found, I think they’d have a hard time trying to spin this one. I don’t want to risk calling their bluff, but I’m pretty sure they don’t want him dead.” 

“Well this is a meeting and a half, isn’t it?” Flo raised an eyebrow from the kitchen doorway as everyone’s heads snapped in her direction. A spare key dangled from her hand by way of explanation. “Care to fill me in?” Her expression darkened as she skimmed over each of them. “Georgie.” 

“With Fittes and Gale,” Lockwood explained slowly. “In transit to the moon pool.” 

“Right.” Flo took a second to process that before looking up at them again. “When do we leave?”

Lockwood swallowed thickly. “Probably about five o’clock, because that’s the optimal time to break into the Fittes Institute.” He pulled out his phone and held it out to her. “His idea, not mine. But it’s the only one we’ve got.” 

Flo skimmed the email draft and handed it back to him. “I trust Georgie, and if he says this is the plan, then this is the plan. How do we get into Fittes?” 

Lockwood slipped his hand back into his pocket, this time to produce George’s keycard. “With this. We just need to pair it with either a good enough excuse or a good enough disguise.” 

“Or,” Lucy chimed in. “A good enough distraction.” 

Flo nodded slowly. “Got any ideas on that front?” 

Holly’s eyes widened. “If we got you in before it was dangerous for us to be out and about, we could trigger the sprinklers in the reception area so everyone has to leave? You could sneak in when everyone goes back inside, we just have to throw a bit of water on you first?” 

Lockwood mulled it over. “If we aim for you to get back here by five instead, that could work. And if we text Kit, she could meet you near Fittes to make sure you get back here safely once we’re inside. That could work.” 

“Still run the risk of getting recognised though,” Flo pointed out. “We’d have to dress the part.” She pulled a face. “God knows I’ve not got something that would work.” 

“I might have some old stuff that could,” he admitted. “There’s boxes upstairs.” 

“You sure, Locky?” Flo’s eyebrows shot up. 

Lockwood nodded firmly. “If it’ll help us win this, then I’m sure.” 

“Okay, then we need to focus on the next part of the plan,” Lucy decided. “What do you do once you’re inside? George never drew us a map or anything.” 

“Well we know she’s on the same floor as his lab, because that’s where he was going before he discovered her,” Lockwood pointed out. “That’s the basement level. The call cut out when the door slammed behind him, which makes me think it’s one of the heftier ones. Keycard access, obviously, and his works on it. It probably says ‘restricted’ on it somewhere too.”

“Just one question,” Holly cut in before they could plan any further. “It’s all fair and well saying you can get into the secure area. How the hell do you plan on getting out? Especially if you have a mermaid with you, during a full moon?” 

Lockwood hesitated. “I think we might have to cross that bridge when we get to it. George said he heard running water, which means the tank probably has a connection to the sea directly, and the basement level could have access to that kind of system. If we don’t get caught, we’ll walk Norrie out of the nearest exit with us — after all, if she’s in such a restricted area then no one’s likely to recognise her — and if we are caught, we’ll try and get out that way.” 

If Flo didn’t look apprehensive before, the change was jarring. “You really think you can swim with that arm?” 

“Like I said,” he repeated, somewhat less convincing than the first time. “If we’re caught, we’ll take that route. But I don’t plan on getting caught. Do you?” 

She shook her head firmly. “Fuck no.” 

“Then let’s try not to do that, and try to make this plan more concrete before we attempt to pull it off,” Lockwood decided. 

︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵

George wasn’t in the best attire to be visiting the island; his baggy jeans became sodden and encrusted with sand from the very moment he stepped into the shallow water. It didn’t matter how much he tried rolling them up above his knees, they refused to stay. If he knew he was going to be coming here, he’d have planned much better.

But he couldn’t plan. Because he didn’t come here of his own volition. 

Penelope had changed into a pair of mid-thigh-length beige shorts, and paired with the loose navy shirt she was already wearing it almost seemed like she could’ve walked out of an Indiana Jones movie as the temporary love interest. George hated the fact that was the association his brain had made, but he pushed it aside in favour of focusing on the more urgent matter at hand.

It was quarter to two, and they’d arrived at the island. If George tried to make sure they got in and got out before the full moon rose, it might not give Lockwood enough time to orchestrate Norrie’s escape. If he killed enough time to let the escape plan run its course… Well, then George would have to deal with the fact that Penelope Fittes was in the cave during a full moon.

If anyone should be barred from receiving water-based abilities, it should be her. 

A small part of George wondered if her scientists would turn on her if she became a mermaid. He imagined them locking her inside an aquarium to be studied, and admittedly it brought him just enough satisfaction to take the first step into the woods. Not that he condoned any sort of inhumane testing, but it would be rather poetic if the tables were turned against her favour for once. 

“Move it,” Gale warned, shoulder-checking George harshly as he passed him. “We’re not here to dawdle.” 

Oh, and that was the other thing.

George still wasn’t 100% sure on why they were here. He knew it would be to do with the full moon, but he didn’t know just how much they knew about the full moon yet. By the looks of things, they’d only brought a few bags of supplies with them, so he wasn’t even sure if they would be gathering any samples once they arrived. Penelope had given him zero information to go off, other than the fact that she wanted him to take them there for the “final stage” of Project Luna. 

George swallowed thickly and set off, pulling his sleeves down over his hands in an attempt to hide the way they were shaking. He knew the route like the back of his hand but that didn’t make it any easier to remember when Gale was breathing down the back of his neck constantly. Even if he wasn’t planning to take his time with getting them there, the several wrong turns he took were more out of stress than they were planning. 

“Sorry,” he muttered, taking his glasses off to clean them against his shirt. “I normally have a better sense of direction than this.” 

He didn’t even have a chance to put his glasses back on before Gale had him up against the nearest tree and they were flying out of his grip.

“Stop. Wasting. Our. Time.” Gale’s face was so close that George could almost smell his toothpaste. Unfortunately, it was also close enough for George to see  him without his glasses, which was never an enjoyable experience. “I know you know where you’re supposed to be going.” 

George raised his hands in surrender. “I don’t work well under pressure,” he told him bluntly. “I’d probably be able to think a lot better if you weren’t constantly trying to intimidate me, and I’d probably be able to see a whole lot better if you didn’t make me drop my bloody glasses. So don’t you dare take another step in case you break them.” He moved one hand, holding his palm out expectantly towards Penelope. “They’re fairly new, so I’d rather not have to try and find another pair so quickly. But if I did, I’d be billing you for them.” 

Penelope let out a soft chuckle as she watched the scene play out in front of her. “Calm down, Rupert. Mr Karim has a point.”  

Gale moved to step away from him but this time George latched on with his free hand to keep him from pulling away. “Crush my glasses and you crush your chances of getting to the moon pool along with them.” 

Penelope bent down, and a second later George could feel the frames in his outstretched hand. Her ring brushed against him as she returned them, and a satisfied smile slipped onto his face.

“Thank you,” he replied curtly, before pushing Gale away from him and slipping them back on. 

That alone had cost them enough time for it to have been worth it, and George dusted himself off before continuing on the path ahead. 

But not only had it cost them time, it had given him an idea. Or, rather, it had given him a new plan for himself. 

If he was right, and Penelope’s ring did house a fragment of a moon pool crystal, then that was probably what the final stage of Project Luna was all about. Whether that was Penelope’s plan all along he couldn’t be sure, but at the very least after seeing the video of what happened with his crystal it had to be part of it. 

Somehow, in the next four and a half hours, George had to steal that ring.

︵‿︵‿︵‿︵‿︵

Lockwood winced as he removed his sling and passed it over to Lucy. His work attire wasn’t too far out from his usual style, but he’d gone without a tie — best not to give any angry security guards something to strangle him with — and popped the lenses out of a pair of George’s old glasses. The prescription was wrong, so they’d just been discarded for about a year to collect dust in one of his drawers. Removing the sling was the final piece of the puzzle; it was too conspicuous otherwise.

Flo didn’t look that comfortable in her outfit. Made up of a nice blouse and smart trousers, it was a far cry from her usual sort of thing. Nevertheless, she didn’t object too much for the sake of the disguise. Where Lockwood ran the slight risk of seeming familiar to anyone he’d crossed paths with before, Flo looked virtually unrecognisable now. 

“Are you sure you should be taking this off?” Lucy gestured to the sling. 

Lockwood nodded firmly. “We’re trying to fly under the radar. I can’t blend in if someone tries to be friendly and asks what happened to my arm. I also can’t risk anyone gossiping about the guy they don’t recognise wearing the sling. The less conspicuous we can be, the better. Are we ready?” 

“Ready,” Flo agreed. “Who’s doing the honours with the sprinklers?” 

“I’ll do it,” Holly decided. “They already know Lucy. Sure, they’ve had a run in with me before, but at least that was a while ago. Penelope won’t be looking for me if she looks at the footage, but she’ll definitely be looking for you.” 

Lucy sighed, but conceded. “Yeah, you’ve got a point. Do you think you can handle it?” 

“We’re about to find out, aren’t we?” she replied, forcing a grin onto her face in an attempt to feign confidence. “It’ll be fine.” Holly disappeared around the corner towards the glass entrance, leaving the three of them to wait.

Lockwood watched as Lucy uncapped her bottle and glanced around to make sure no one was watching, before drawing a floating ball of water out of it to hover above his and Flo’s heads. She split it up into smaller portions and backed away before letting them drop.

He shuddered as the cold water hit his head, forcing himself to resist the urge to shake some of it off while he was still within range of Lucy. Flo whistled at the onslaught of water but didn’t say anything else. 

“It looks uneven enough,” Lucy remarked. “Not like you’ve just poured a bottle of water over your heads, so at least there’s that.” 

The three of them jumped as a startled shriek pierced the air, followed by loud complaints and confused chatter as people began to exit the reception area. 

“Looks like Holly’s fulfilled her part of the plan,” Flo noted. “Time for us to do ours.” 

Lockwood exhaled slowly, the gravity of the situation setting in. “Time for us to do ours,” he echoed. 

Lucy managed a small smile. “I’d give you a kiss for good luck, but…” She gestured to his sodden clothes, and he couldn’t help but notice the way her eyes followed one of the water droplets he could feel making its way down his cheek. 

“Just means I have something to look forward to when this is over,” he reassured her. “Stay safe. Meet Kit, and get home before the moon comes out.” 

“Be careful, please,” she told him gently, before her gaze shifted to Flo. “Both of you.”

Flo nodded. “We’ll look out for each other. Just worry about getting yourself and Holly home.” 

And with that, they joined the crowd of people outside the Fittes Institute. 

“I don’t get it?” someone asked loudly. “The fire alarm didn’t even go off?” 

“I’m going to have to rewrite all this paperwork,” another groaned. “I knew I should’ve typed it out to begin with.” 

“I can barely read your writing as it is,” Flo announced, nudging Lockwood. “And now you expect me to decipher it on wet paper? Pass.” 

He tried not to laugh as someone informed them that the sprinklers had since been turned off, and as long as everyone was careful where they stepped, they were allowed back inside the building. It was easy to disappear into the crowd, although Lockwood nearly bit straight through his own damn tongue when someone lost their footing and grabbed his arm to steady themselves. 

Thankfully they didn’t hold onto him for very long, and as the damp crowd dispersed the two of them were able to make their way into one of the lifts. Lockwood didn’t even need to pull out George’s keycard just yet, because at least two other people were headed in the same direction. Everyone was in the same state of trying to dry themselves off in a huff, so Flo and Lockwood slipped out of the lift at their designated stop virtually unnoticed.

Once the lift doors had closed and left them to their own devices, Lockwood turned to Flo. “We just have to figure out which door it is.” 

Flo hesitated, reaching for his good arm. “What if she’s revoked his access?” 

“After inviting him to join her research team? I doubt it. If things have changed, they’ve changed in the last twenty-four hours, and I don’t think she’ll have made those arrangements already,” he replied confidently. “But if she has… We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.” 

She nodded slowly. “Alright. Deal.” 

“I’ll take this side of the hall and you take that side?” Lockwood suggested. “Divide and conquer?” 

“We’ve only got one card,” Flo pointed out.

He winced. “Solid point. You keep watch and I’ll try all the doors that look restricted?” 

Flo made her way over to the end of the corridor, glancing around the corner before staying where she was. She offered him a thumbs up to let him know the coast was clear for now, and Lockwood set to work. 

The first door opened into a janitor’s closet, which for some reason was both unmarked and as secure-looking as the rest. The second appeared to be Mailer’s lab, if the way George had described it was as accurate as the space in front of him. The third was fully restricted, so Lockwood opted to circle back to that one later. 

The fourth—

Flo cleared her throat loudly and Lockwood startled so much he nearly dropped the keycard as he looked up at her. She was already speed walking towards him, gesturing with her hand in a way that was clearly supposed to mean hurry the fuck up.  

Lockwood’s gaze slipped past her in time to see someone with a walkie-talkie clipped to their belt heading straight for them. He swiped the card against the door and tried not to appear too relieved when it flashed green and unlocked for them. He nudged the door with his foot as he slid the card back into his pocket. 

Whether it was the right room or not, at least they could hide out in there until any security passed. 

“Miss, could I see some ID? This is a restricted area,” the guard asked, coming to a stop next to Flo before she could reach Lockwood. 

“No need,” Lockwood answered for her, loud enough for the guard to hear. “She’s with me.” He demonstrated the fact that he already had one foot in the door to help their case; if he wasn’t supposed to be there, there wasn’t an easy logical explanation for how he’d gained access.

Somehow, the guard wasn’t convinced. 

“Alright, then can I see your ID?” He turned to Lockwood instead. 

Flo slipped past him and positioned herself in the doorway for an easy escape.

Lockwood flashed the man a grin and pulled out Georges’ ID, offering just enough of a glimpse to catch the Fittes Institute logo, but not so much that he would catch George’s photo on it. 

The guard held out his hand. “It’s protocol, you know that. All authorised personnel must be prepared to present identification upon request, or I’ll have to take you back upstairs with me.” 

“Right. Well…” Lockwood tried to come up with a decent enough excuse. “You can run my name if you’d like, it’s Dr Quill Kipps. This is my associate and student Ms Vernon. We normally work upstairs, but I took the initiative to show her something more practical today, and I’d appreciate it if you didn’t eat into my tuition time with this nonsense.” He gestured for Flo to head into the room — despite the warning look she gave him — before turning back to the guard and letting his eyes flick down to his name badge. “I’m disappointed in this, Stu. I signed your birthday card last spring.” 

On that final word, Lockwood pulled his foot out from where it was propping the door open and slipped inside before he could be followed. The door slammed shut behind him, and he had a feeling they wouldn’t have very long before someone was banging on the other side of it looking for some real ID. Luckily considering how restricted the area was, he had a feeling the guard wouldn’t be allowed in without prior consent anyway.

“Well, that went well, don’t you think?” Lockwood asked breathlessly as he rested his forehead against the door to steady himself. 

When Flo didn’t respond, he turned around to check in. 

“Oh.” The word escaped his lips in a single exhale.

Flo was standing in front of a tank that spanned almost the entire back wall of the lab. The lights weren’t on in the room itself, but the tank had its own lighting inside that illuminated the room with waves of light that seemed to bounce off the walls. She had one hand against the glass, and as Lockwood got closer he could see that someone else was mirroring the position. 

Someone he recognised instantly.

“Fucking lucky it happened to be this room,” Flo whispered, turning her head slightly to look at him. “Or we’d be royally screwed.”

“Well we’re not home yet, so don’t jinx it,” he murmured, before giving his full attention to the mermaid on the other side of the glass. George had already said that she couldn’t hear him through it, so he pulled out his phone and pressed it face-down against the surface, clicking the side button to present his lockscreen. It was one of his favourite photos of him, George, and Lucy, from one of the many times they’d gone for ice cream. 

Norrie’s face lit up. 

“Right.” Flo ran her hand along the glass surface, checking for any weaknesses. “How do we go about draining this tank then?”