Disclaimer: I only own Mickey McAllister!
Off the coast of Mexico, in the Yucatan, a ship was floating innocently on the water. It was small compared to your average ship, but it was home to a group of the best cave divers and rock climbers around.
"No picture, Charlie," A man with an accent called to a young woman who was trying to fix the antennae on the boat. "This antenna's a piece of junk."
"How's that?" Charlie called back down after tweaking a few wires.
"Got it!" the guy said as the radar cleared up on the computers.
"I don't know why we have Strode working with the tech," a woman said coming on deck. "All he does is have problems." The woman joked. Her dark black hair was pulled back in a ponytail and she walked around deck wearing a pair of white shorts paired with a men's t-shirt.
"I don't see you volunteering, Mickey." Strode told her.
"Hey!" she defended. "I offered but you thought you were better than a professional hacker."
Charlie laughed at the two of them as they 'argued' like brother and sister. Charlie turned back once she heard two people coming out of the water.
"Briggs and Top are back!" she called to the bickering 'children'.
"Strodey!" Briggs called, alerting the others of his presence just after Charlie spoke. "Get your skinny ass down here."
Strode walked over as the two diver stood on the platform attached to the boat. "Boys," he greeted. "You found it yet?"
"No," Briggs told him. "We looked exactly where your sonic mapping said we should."
Mickey, having heard the complaint walked over, patting Strode on the back. "I told you I should have done it."
"Christ," Strode said, ignoring Mickey's remark. "My kids could get in and find faster than you two."
Briggs shook his head, leaning down to help pull Top on the boat, as he was still weighed down with diving gear.
'Jack and Tyler back yet?" the black man asked.
"Not yet," Mickey shook her head. "Let's hope they have better luck." She sent another look in Strode's direction, as if saying that she could have been more accurate.
Strode shook his head, not replying before taking the boy's gear below deck.
The four of them then stood in front of the monitors looking for Tyler or Jack's unit. The screen beeped before outlining a section on the computer.
"That's Tyler's unit," Top noticed. "He found it."
Strode tapped a few keys to bring up a closer image.
"Bastard did it again," Briggs shook his head.
"Boy got all the luck," Mickey told him with a smile. "He did learn from the best."
Top let out a laugh. "You're being conceited again."
Mickey just shrugged, she was the best, and it was a fact.
"Yeah well Jack's gonna be pissed,' Briggs said walking away as he unzipped his wet suit, Top having already changed out of his. "He called time five minutes ago."
Mickey rolled her eyes. "Tyler never listens," she reminded him.
A few minutes later they could all hear Jack and Tyler at the stern of the boat.
"You don't have to say anything," the younger man said straight away. "I know it was stupid, but we got it."
"I call time and you surface," Jack told him.
Tyler nodded just as Mickey stooped at the step leading onto the deck watching the brothers. Jack dropped his flippers and tank onto the ground before turning and grabbing Mickey from behind.
"Hey, baby," he said kissing her cheek as she squirmed.
"Your getting me wet," she giggled pushing away from him. Jack shook his head with a laugh before following her into their cabin to get changed.
Just as was unzipping his wetsuit he noticed what she was wearing.
"Is that my shirt?" she shrugged not answering the question. Jack shook his head with a smile before switching out into warmer clothes. "You wear my clothes more than you wear yours."
"And?" Mickey asked raising a brow. Jack didn't say anything; he just put on a pair of pants and a shirt before walking over and lifting her onto the small desk that was in the room.
"I'm not complaining," he told her before giving her a kiss. A knock on the door sounded before Charlie's voice came through.
"Hey guys, we're receiving a video call from Dr. Nicolai. Strode's just working on the connection."
"We'll be right there Charlie," Mickey replied throwing on a sweater that coincidentally wasn't hers, before walking out the door with Jack in tow.
"How's that?" they heard from in the engine room as Strode fiddled with a few wires. "You got a signal there yet?"
"Not yet, Strodey," Charlie told him, looking at the computer.
'And now?"
"Yeah!" Charlie said just as Dr. Nicolai appeared on screen drinking coffee.
"Dr. Nicolai," Jack greeted, letting him know that they were they.
"Hello," the doctor replied with a smile.
"Hey. It's Jack. You got some good news?"
"Yeah," Nicolai said. "I got the funding."
"You do?" Jack asked shocked. "Really?"
"We've done the surface scans," Nicolai informed him. "The cave is huge, Jack. There is a river," He said, pointing at a few pictures behind him. "Off the main cavern and there's nowhere it can come out for at least 90 miles."
"Sounds like the Amazon of underground rivers, huh?" Tyler said to a grinning Jack.
"Yeah, it does," he agreed, giddy.
"Dr. Jennings," Dr. Nicolai continued. "Our biologist is bringing a cameraman to shoot the whole thing. But, you know, it's gonna be tough. Which is why I need your team, and I need you to run the show."
"Great," Jack said as everyone smiled. "When do we start?"
"We want to start right away." Nicolai told the team.
"We're in a 100 percent," Jack affirmed. "You got it."
"That's great, Jack!" Nicolai said pleased. "I can't wait to see you here. Ciao!"
"Thanks, Dr. Nicolai," Jack waved as everyone else called a goodbye. Everyone started high fiving each other, excited before leaving to get some rest for their early morning.
Back in their cabin, Mickey curled up next to Jack as they both stared at the ceiling.
"A new adventure?" Mickey asked tracing her fingers over his stomach.
"Yeah," Jack smiled, running his fingers through her hair. "Somewhere that has never been explored before."