I don't own anything, kthxbye.
When his memory doesn't fail him, Mermaid Man reminisces about the good ol' days. He remembered about his childhood, when he first got his powers, of how he found the love of his life, of how his wife turned to the dark side, and how he grieved. His particular favorite was his and Barnacle Boy's first mission together.
It had been a simple patrol. The two were traveling down the barren, empty roads of Bikini Bottom. The moon and stars twinkled at them through the water's surface. The only sounds were the squishing of their latex boots on the rock and their breathing. Barnacle Boy was glancing around like a paranoid hermit coming out of his house for the first time while Mermaid Man did his best to ignore the silence surrounding them.
The two were still amateurs at their trade. Barnacle Boy was still a self-aware teenager, and Mermaid Man was still new at being a mentor. They were young and a bit reckless, but it was their strength and charm that won the hearts of Bikini Bottom's citizens.
Even Mermaid Man noticed how very quiet this night was. Barnacle Boy had been jittery the entire circle they did around the edge of the city, and when they went to do an interior sweep, he leapt away from a few shadows –which turned out to be his own- and was told to relax by Mermaid Man a plethora of times.
Barnacle Boy turned his face up to Mermaid Man. His hero, standing at a proud six feet, glanced down back at him. Barnacle Boy averted his bright brown eyes and swept his hair out of his face. "Mermaid man, I have a question for you," he began. Mermaid Man stopped walking and turned his entire body to face his apprentice. Barnacle Boy continued. "What makes you keep wanting to be a superhero?"
"What do you mean, Barnacle Boy?" Mermaid Man inquired. "Do you want to quit?"
"Oh, no! I love defending the city! Beating up super villains, keeping everyone safe, it's a great responsibility, but I'll do it for as long as I live!" Barnacle Boy passionately defended. Then, in a quieter voice, "But I was wondering what drove YOU to be your best…"
Mermaid Man smiled and put a hand on Barnacle Boy's shoulder. "Barnacle Boy, I'm not sure if you've ever been thanked by the civilians before, but as soon as you have, I think you'll see why I want to keep being a super hero."
Barnacle Boy cast him a skeptic glance before looking around the city again. He was diligent- Mermaid Man had to give him that. Barnacle Boy spotted something and ran forward, but Mermaid Man hung back. Barnacle Boy had done this a few times before; it was probably just a false alarm.
Then Barnacle Boy cried out. Mermaid Man sprinted towards him, but Barnacle Boy was sent flying in a flash of bright red light.
"Barnacle Boy!" Mermaid Man shouted, changing directions and hurrying to the aid of his side kick. "Barnacle Boy, are you okay? What's wrong?"
Barnacle Boy coughed and sat up uneasily. "It's Manray, sir," he informed his idol, then sent a fierce gaze at the trash cans. Someone was emerging from behind them, a dark blob against the corner of the wall the trash cans were pushed against. "It was going to be an ambush. He was watching us approach when I saw him." Barnacle Boy stood and readied himself, hand going for the weapons on his belt.
Admiration filled Mermaid Man for a moment for this boy's tenacity. He himself had been hit by Manray's laser, and it wasn't a pleasant feeling. It left you disoriented and nauseated, but here was his student, standing up as if it was nothing. Mermaid Man followed Barnacle Boy's example and slid into a fighting stance, already forming a cyclone in his mind. His hands itched to make it a reality, but he forced them to be calm.
"Mermaid Man and Barnacle Boy," a voice sang. The dark blob entered a cone of light from a street light, and Manray revealed himself. He had his laser gun pointed right at the two. "It's so good to see the two of you again! Out for a midnight stroll?"
Barnacle Boy bristled, but Mermaid Man whispered, "Duck when I tell you." Barnacle Boy nodded.
As soon as Manray's hand tightened on his weapon, Mermaid Man held out his hands and yelled, "DUCK!"
Barnacle Boy fell to the ground and a blast of water shot over his head and into Manray. The gun went flying, the owner slammed into a wall by the sheer force of the water current. Barnacle Boy hopped to his feet again and Mermaid Man urged him forward with one hand. "Get the gun, son," he ordered. He did as he was ordered, and was returning when a sickening cackle was emitted from the criminal on the other side of the streetlight. Both teams were cloaked in darkness.
"Good job, boy. You've just sent yourself to your GRAVE!" Manray screamed.
The gun started to beep. There was a tiny red dot on its side that started to flash. Barnacle Boy immediately knew what it meant.
Before even Mermaid Man could react, the gun was in the air, and Barnacle Boy was crouched, throwing a bomb at it. The two went off at the same time, and the more powerful of the two, the gun's self disintegration, was cancelled out by the water bomb Barnacle Boy had countered with. There was a disbelieving grunt from Manray, and an approving, and slightly astonished, nod from Mermaid Man. The object of their amazement straightened and whipped around to face Manray.
"Good job, scum bag. You just sent yourself to jail," Barnacle Boy smirked and charged.
Mermaid Man waited in the shadows while he heard Barnacle Boy rage at Manray, and, by the sounds of Manray's cries, Barnacle Boy was doing a good job. Mermaid Man smiled to himself. "I could get used to him."
"I could get used to him," Mermaid Man repeated to himself. He looked over at his now aged partner, sleeping soundly on the couch, and let his head fall back, asleep as fast as the memory was fleeing him.