Superboy: Dragons Beneath the Waters

by ThatLong-HairedCreepyGuy

Request Fic! While aimlessly flying above the ocean near The Compound, Superboy happens to come across a young mermaid in danger. Meanwhile, a series of electronic thefts are taking place, and the perps appear to be fish people! Dedicated to Erik Mauricio

Superboy:
Dragons Beneath the Waters

by That Long-Haired Creepy Guy

Kon-El lay on his back as a gentle night breeze drifted lightly over his body. The youth stretched naked in his sleep, the muscles of his taut body tensing unconsciously. Beside his bed lay Krypto, his faithful dog, whose soft snoring was barely heard over the sounds of the surf and the sea echoing outside the Compound. Abruptly, Superboy felt himself jolted away, and he raised up sharply to look out his open bedroom window.

Something had roused him from his sleep, though he was having trouble pinpointing what it was after having woken up. Thinking it over for a moment, Superboy reached down to snag a pair of boxer-briefs off the floor that were emblazoned with the S-shield, another one of Rex Leech's million dollar ideas.

Slipping them on, he reached down to scratch between Krypto's ears, giving the dog a light pat on the head before slipping out the window.

"Go back to sleep," he told the canine, who was watching him hover outside the window. "I shouldn't be gone long."

Turning in mid-air, Superboy headed off toward the beach, keeping his eyes peeled for signs of trouble. So far, nothing seemed amiss, but with the Silicon Dragons giving him so much trouble lately, he figured it was better to be safe than sorry. Dubbilex would be upset at him leaving the Compound without telling anyone, but if this turned out to be a figment of his paranoid imagination, he could fly back to his room within a few seconds before the telepath realized something was amiss.

Keeping his flight pattern level with the tops of the trees in case someone was spying on him, Superboy flew in a circle around the Compound grounds. Once he reached the shoreline again, he flew out a little bit further, just to be on the safe side. It was here, over the dull roar of the low tide, that he heard it.

Someone was singing.

A chill went up Kon-El's spine as the notes drifted up across the churning water to his ears. Looking out across the ocean, he spotted a figure swimming over the surface. At first glance, Superboy was afraid they were drowning, and took off to rescue them. The closer he got, though, the more apparent it became that this wasn't the case.

Even still, he wasn't prepared for what he found out there.

There was a loud splash as the sea stilled for a moment. There, against the darkness, Superboy spotted a tail flopping in the air. It sunk into the water, and the area rocked gently for a moment, undisturbed by anything save the waves. Then, with a rush, the figure rose up out of the sea water directly below him.

Her song wavered up through the air to his ears as Superboy floated down through the air toward her. Fearful of scaring her off, Kon-El waited a moment more before revealing himself.

"You're a mermaid," he said, feeling a twinge of excitement.

The mermaid stopped singing at the sound of his voice and looked up. "You're Superboy, aren't you?" she asked, splashing closer to him. "What are you doing out at sea so late at night?"

"I heard your singing," he admitted.

Upon closer look, the mermaid was striking in an exotic sort of way. Her hair hung wet around her shoulders. Even in the dark, Superboy could tell it was a dark shade of green. Her body was covered in gold and emerald scales, which reflected off the moonlight like precious gemstones.

Superboy felt his throat go dry. "You don't seem bothered by the fact that I'm a mermaid," she said to him, frowning slightly. "How come?"

"I know all about mermaids," he said proudly, sticking his chest out some. "I've met Aquaman before, and there are other Atlanteans out there besides him. Plus," he added, grinning sheepishly. "You're kind of pretty."

The mermaid smiled at the compliment. "My name is Lori," she said. "I was hoping I might get to meet you. Someone told me you were here on this side of the island."

Superboy wracked his brain for something to say as Lori swam back and forth in the waves for a moment. "Why are you out here in your underwear?" she asked suddenly.

"Um," Superboy said, thinking fast. "It's a disguise. Part of a secret mission I'm on."

Lori seemed to consider this for a moment. "Would you help me?" she blurted out as the waves around her kicked up again. "I think something might be following me."

"Hey, I'm Superboy," he replied with confidence. "Helping others is in the job description. Besides, I'd never forgive myself if I didn't help out a lady in distress, especially one as beautiful as you."

The mermaid blushed in response. "Something was chasing me earlier," she confided, turning serious now. "I thought I managed to lose it, but it could come back for me. It's too strong for me to fight on my own. I came up to the surface to rest, thinking it wouldn't follow me here. Then..."

Lori froze. "I think it's found me!" she cried out, pointing off in the distance behind where Superboy was hovering.

Superboy turned, and felt his eyes widen. "King Shark?" he gasped, as the savage humanoid man-shark leaped into the air out of the ocean right at him with his massive jaws wide open.

The rows of sharp teeth almost clamped down on Superboy's head before he managed to dodge, planting a foot straight down into the man-shark's nose.

"Go fish!" he yelled, swinging hard into the man-shark's face. "This girl is my date for tonight, and that means she's off the menu!"

King Shark fell back down into the ocean. Rather than taking another shot at Superboy, the man-shark raced through the water's surface toward Lori, who was already swimming away from the scene as fast as her fins would carry her. Superboy saw this and dove toward the two, keeping King Shark in his sights as he flew low over the ocean waves. Lori had gotten a head start, but wasn't nearly as fast a swimmer as King Shark. Fortunately, she had the Boy of Steel on her side.

Superboy brought both his hands down in a single fist against King Shark's tough hide, slamming into the brute with everything he had. The man-shark roared and swung back, missing due to Superboy's power of flight, and kept going. Knowing better than to fight the monster in his own element, Superboy kept his assault up, swooping in low and striking whenever he spotted an opening. Each time, he made sure to stay out of range of King Shark's arms and jaws, the man-shark's preferred weapons of choice.

With one final strike, Superboy managed to beat King Shark back. "This isn't over," the man-shark growled, bearing his multiple rows of teeth. "She will be mine."

"Heh, not likely," Superboy scoffed, proud of himself. "I mean, what girl would pick you over me? Isn't that right, Lori?"

Kon-El turned around expecting to see his new mermaid lady friend, but was greeted by the sight of empty ocean.

"Lori," he called out louder. "Hey, what happened to her?"

{} {} {} {} {}

"So, she ditched you?"

Superboy glared across the aisle at his best friend, Hillary Chang, as she threw him a smug grin while the teacher droned on to the rest of the class.

"She didn't ditch me," he hissed, making sure to keep his voice low. "I guess she slipped off during the fight with King Shark."

"I'm pretty sure that's the textbook definition of being ditched," Hillary countered, clearly enjoying herself. "Still, a real live mermaid in Hawaii. At least you're getting blown off by a much classier breed of women lately, unlike the Knockout fiasco."

Superboy winced at hearing this. "Must you keep bringing that up?" he bit back, looking away so she wouldn't see the pained expression on his face.

"It wasn't one of your prouder moments," Hillary reminded him, albeit much more gently than before. "So why do you think King Shark wanted this Lori character?"

"Who knows?" Superboy admitted, staring forlornly up at the chalkboard.

They were supposed to be studying pre-Calculus for the finals coming up. Part of the advantage of being a clone of the Cadmus Project was that his brain came pre-programed with such knowledge. It made school even more boring than usual.

"Maybe he wanted her for food," Hillary suggested.

"Gross," Superboy replied at once, a little louder than intended. Up front, the teacher turned slightly to glare at them. Both students faced forward silently until she went back to explaining complex numbers and composite functions.

"I was being serious," Hillary whispered, once they were sure the coast was clear. "Maybe he was just hungry."

"He would've tried to eat me, then," Superboy pointed out. "And there are other fish in the sea, literally. I think he was chasing her for some other reason."

"The question is, what?"

Both the conversation and the class lecture ended abruptly as the bell rang, signally the end of school.

"I've got to meet up with Agent Makoa," he told her as they made their way out the door and through the hall together. "He wants an update on the Silicon Dragons. Plus, I thought I would tell him about King Shark while I was at it. If he's back in Hawaii, Makoa will want to know."

"Have fun saving the world," Hillary told him, giving Superboy a wave goodbye as they parted on the school's front steps. "Remember, we've got the tests to prepare for. I expect to see you tonight so we can study."

"Saving the world is easy," Superboy joked, keeping her in sight as he walked backward. "I'll leave the homework up to you."

Hillary smiled. "I make it look easy," she teased. "Just like you do."

Twenty minutes later, Superboy was landing outside the Tiki Coffeehouse where Agent Makoa was waiting. The federal agent scowled slightly at first sight of him, but otherwise remained perfectly calm. Kon-El slowed his pace a little at this, but kept moving forward. He and the agent had gotten off to a particularly rough start when he first arrived in Hawaii. The Silicon Dragons were known for repaying any perceived slight with equal force, and Makoa felt his presence was more a liability than a help. In the end, however, the two had forged an uneasy alliance with one another.

Uneasy being the appropriate term.

"How's it hanging?" Superboy asked, taking a seat opposite Makoa. "Is the coffee here any good?"

Makoa looked across the table over his cup at Superboy. "You couldn't have changed first?" he demanded softly, before glancing around. "You're a walking target with that S-shield printed all over your damn shirt."

Superboy shrugged. "I gotta be me," he replied. "So what's the story on the Silicon Dragons so far. Is the Suicide Squad ready to move in yet?"

Makoa winced as he set the cup down. "Waller's being problematic," he answered, folding his hands together in front of him. "She seems to think it would be better to move without you on the team."

"Who else can keep Knockout in line, though?" Superboy pointed out, raising a finger at the older man. "Besides, you and I both know I owe the Dragons some serious payback."

"Let's not bring personal feelings into this," Makoa warned, before signally a nearby waitress for a refill. "I really don't think Waller will try to keep you out of the operation in the end. She wants to think she has control over you."

Superboy grinned. "I seem to attract women with a flair for that sort of thing," he said, before turning serious. "Speaking of personal feelings, I had a fight with King Shark last night out on the ocean. He was chasing after a mermaid."

Makoa went rigid as he raised the cup back to his lips. "King Shark?" he repeated, his eyes going dark as his fingers gripped the cup handle. "He's back in town?"

Superboy wished he'd broken the news to the agent more gently. Makoa and King Shark had a history, one that had left the man with scars both outside and in.

"What's this about a mermaid, though?" Makoa added, putting his cup down again. "Have you been getting into those native herbs again?"

"I never inhaled," Kon-El countered, before blushing. "No, I'm sure it was a mermaid. She had a tail and everything, along with some really nice... eyes."

Superboy brought his legs closer together as Agent Makoa glared at him. "Anyway," he said, giving his head a shake. "King Shark wants her for some reason. I thought you ought to know."

Makoa thought hard for a moment before giving Superboy a nod. "Thanks," he said. "I appreciate it."

"No prob," the Kid of Steel said, getting up out of the chair. "If I find out anything more, I'll let you know. Dubbilex says hi, by the way."

Makoa didn't answer. Superboy left the agent to stew in his own thoughts. Taking to the sky once he was clear of the cafe, the Kid of Steel scouted the nearby area for any signs of trouble. With school out for the day, he had time for a quick patrol before his study date with Hillary.

From his altitude high above the city, Kon-El could see Diamond Head, the volcanic cone that stood at the edge of town. For a moment, Superboy let himself drift aimlessly through the air, feeling the wind currents blow underneath and around him. This was it, the very best thing in the whole world about being him, having the power of flight. Gazing down, Superboy took in the view from above, feeling like a god for a brief moment.

The explosion that reached his ears startled him out of his revere. Looking around, he spotted smoke way off in the distance, and took off for it at once. Once he had flown in close enough, Superboy spotted what the problem was. A fire had apparently broken out on one of the docks. The flames were spreading to what looked like oil drums someone had just finished unloading from a tanker. The drums were beginning to explode thanks to the heat, filling the air with black clouds.

Holding his breath, and making a mental note that he was not as invulnerable to fire as the big Man himself, Superboy shot forward toward the ocean. As the water came up on him, he turned sharply back away from the docks where the fire was centralized and increased his speed slightly. The wave that kicked up splashed back down, extinguishing some of the fire. Superboy was already moving again, charging forward at the point where the fire persisted.

Before his body slammed hard into the loading bay, Superboy made a sharp U-turn, creating another small tidal wave. The crest from this one was must higher, and took out the remaining flames in one fail swoop, dousing the oil drums in the process. Steam began rising as Superboy touched down atop what few remaining embers there were. The dock area was strangely deserted.

"Weird," he noted, looking around suspiciously. "That fire was big enough to get my attention from high up. How come no one around here noticed?"

A noise not far away caught his attention. Taking to the air again, Superboy floated up until he stood on the edge of one of the many warehouses lined up in a row. Seeing the number on the side, he recognized it as one of the Silicon Dragons old targets.

Down below, a figure was standing guard at the entrance, looking around in all directions but up. "Typical," Superboy said to himself, grinning. "No one ever stops to look up."

Superboy hesitated a moment, debating whether to take the guard out or not. Something was clearly not on the up and up, but experience had taught him not to go rushing into things without a plan. Crouching down, he lowered his X-Ray Specs and switched them over to telescopic vision mode.

Upon closer look, he received quite a shock. "More merfolk?" he wondered, adjusting the Specs to make sure they weren't on the fritz.

These did not resemble the mermaid Lori he'd spoken to last night. The creatures joining the guard by the door looked more like monsters from an old horror film. Their webbed hands had long, hooked claws made for ripping and tearing. Huge fangs adorned impossibly wide mouths. Their scales were a puke green color, made for living deep on the ocean floor.

Some of them were clutching air-tight plastic bags filled with what looked like high-tech computer chips and motherboards. This was the sort of crime Superboy would have expected to find the Silicon Dragons involved in, not fish people.

Confused, but knowing a crime when he saw one, Superboy raised the Specs off his face and leaped down onto the pier in front of them.

"Sorry Charlie," he joked. "Maybe you should check Radio Shack instead?"

Kon-El counted four merfolk totally. All of them turned to one another at once, then simultaneously charged him. Superboy was taken aback for a second, amazed that they wanted a fight, but steeled himself for one all the same. However, the merfolk raced right past him for the edge of the dock, then leaped over the side.

"Hey," he said, suddenly feeling like he'd just been punked. "Hey!"

The merfolk were swimming farther out to sea. Superboy launched himself into the air in an effort to catch up, but the fish people were amazingly fast. Even with just the small head start they'd received, the four of them were making great time in the water.

"Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!" he muttered to himself. "Letting them get in the water like that. It's their natural element, obviously!"

Then again, it wasn't as though he'd gotten up expecting to deal with merfolk stealing computer parts. Superboy pushed himself further, forcing his body to catch up. Just as he was almost on top of them, the four merfolk dove under the surface. Without hesitating, Superboy went in after them, drawing in a deep breath as his body submerged in the ocean. The merfolk were already nearing the deep end, moving out of his reach. Superboy tried to follow, but ultimately resurfaced to refill his lungs.

"Fish people stealing computer tech," he mused, shaking the water out of his face. "What next?"

{} {} {} {} {}

"Admittedly, it does sound strange."

Hillary turned to where Dubbilex was watching them from across the room. "'Strange' sounds like a misnomer," she countered critically. "Fish people stealing tech? Aside from the obvious part where the sea water would short anything they tried to use out, what other use could they have for it?"

Superboy was drumming a pencil against the table they were sitting at. "Superboy," Hillary said, wrinkling her nose at the sound. "Could you stop that, please?"

"Sorry," he muttered absent-mindedly, still tapping away at the table's surface. "I just can't wrap my head around it."

"Perhaps an answer lies with your mermaid friend," Dubbilex suggested, levitating the pencil away from Superboy into his hand. "Surely, she would know something about these 'fish people', as you both call them."

"Yeah," Superboy mused, staring off into the distance. "Maybe I'll go look for her."

"Great," Hillary groaned, glaring across the table at him. "It's not like either of us is going to get any studying done tonight."

"Finish your studies," Dubbilex insisted, passing the pencil back to Superboy by hand. "Then go search for the mermaid. I imagine she would welcome a familiar face after her encounter with King Shark, assuming she managed to get away."

Superboy frowned hard at that. "Not helping," he hissed, wincing at the thought.

Hillary managed to hold his attention long enough for some of the test's answers to sink it. It was a slow process, made worse by Superboy constantly picturing Lori at the mercy of King Shark. In the end, Hillary gave up and suggested they call it a night.

"Typical boy," she teased, gathering the books up into her bag. "Can't keep his mind off girls for five minutes."

"I'm going to suit up and fly Hillary home," Superboy said to Dubbilex, who had spent the last half-hour resting in the living room watching an old soap opera re-run. "Then go look for Lori. I mean, the mermaid. Don't wait up."

"Do not stay out late," Dubbilex warned, as Superboy dashed to his room. "It is a school night, after all."

Kon-El made a quick change into his uniform, then dashed for the door where Hillary was waiting. Gathering her up in his arms, he nudged the front door open with his foot and took to the sky. Hillary gasped slightly as the wind bit into her face.

"I feel like I should be slightly offended," she told him, holding on tightly. "You've never moved this fast for me before."

"You were never being chased by King Shark," Superboy replied, grinning at her once before his face turned serious. "Pray it never happens. I've seen what King Shark will do to someone. Agent Makoa has the scars to prove it. He'd like nothing better than to take that sick freak down once and for all."

"So is King Shark a metahuman like you?" Hillary asked as they came up on her house. "Or is he really the song of a god like the rumors said."

"Who knows?" Superboy said, shrugging. "Does it really matter? He's a bad guy, and everybody knows I take down the bad guys in the end, god or no god."

Hillary laughed. "One day," she warned, looking severely at him. "That ego of yours is going to lead you straight into trouble. Be careful tonight while you're out hunting down your mermaid girlfriend."

"She's not my girlfriend," Superboy insisted, before setting her down on the ground in front of her doorstep. "I just met her. She's... someone I know."

Hillary shook her head as she turned the doorknob to let herself in. "If you say so," she replied, before stepping indoors. "Good luck."

Superboy waved goodbye as he took off into the air. Once he'd gained enough altitude, he aimed for the waters out close to the Compound where Lori had been before. It seemed like the best spot to start looking from. An hour later, he was still criss-crossing back and forth along the ocean surface looking for her. He'd been up and down all along this part of the island's waters with no luck whatsoever. Feeling dejected, Superboy decided to look elsewhere in the hopes of having better fortune. With no discernible clues washing back and forth amid the waves, however, he was forced to go on pure instinct. Taking off toward the east, he flew low enough over the tides to spot something out of the ordinary amid the surf.

Once farther out, something drifted through his ears faintly. It took a moment for him to confirm it, but once he was sure, Superboy almost let out a whoop of joy. Changing directions again, he pushed himself forward toward the sound of Lori's singing. In the distance, his eyes could just make out the outline of a small island, barely a speck against the darkness. Moving up slightly, Superboy saw it was vaguely crescent-shaped, and composed of sand and a few trees. The cove it formed contained jagged looking rocks.

And out in the churning waters formed by the night waves crashing against them was Lori. Her head bobbed up and down as her voice rang clearly in the night.

"Lori!" he called out as his body floated down toward her.

The mermaid froze up as her singing ceased. Whirling around, she looked frantically for the voice calling out for her, but relaxed as Superboy drifted into sight.

"Superboy," she called out happily. "You came!"

Hearing the joy in her voice brought a smile to his face, and made certain things under his costume jump. Clearing his throat, he looked down into the mermaid's eyes and felt his face warm.

"I heard you singing," he told her, hoping his nervousness didn't show. "Good to see you're alright."

"I managed to get away from the man-shark," she said, splashing around in the waves. "He chased me for a while, but you must have injured him during your fight. I was able to give him the slip, and came here to this cove."

"Why here?"

Superboy looked around at the little cove, empty save for the rocks. "It doesn't look like much," he said honestly, cocking an eyebrow.

"This is my special place," she explained, smiling up at him now. "I've been here before. Beneath the surface is a small coral reef. It's difficult for really big fish to swim through it, so I thought King Shark would avoid coming here, but I've been afraid to leave since."

"Why is King Shark after you?" Superboy demanded. "What does he want?"

Lori opened her mouth to speak, then froze again as her eyes landed on something behind Superboy. Considering what had happened last time, Superboy didn't hesitate, and dove out of the way in time to avoid several laser blasts. Whirling around in confusion, he saw several of the fish people treading the ocean's surface, armed with energy rifles.

"Whoa!" he gasped, as one blast came particularly close. "Now these guys are packing heat? Where did they get this stuff?"

Lori rushed forward through the waves and swung her tail out, smacking one of the fish people across the face and knocking the rifle out of his webbed hands at the same time. Superboy managed to get the drop on another one, and snatched the rifle away, curling it up into a ball with his tactile telekinesis.

"Can't a guy have a conversation in private?" he growled, sucker punching the third one. "There's always someone trying to muscle in on you while you're working your game with a lady."

"Hurry," Lori insisted, swimming toward the shore. "If they're here, more will be nearby. We've got to get away."

"I've got that covered," said Superboy, swooping down to gather her up in his arms. "Don't worry. We'll be out of here before you know it."

"You don't understand," Lori insisted, as Superboy flew low over the island's shore. "They're the only chance I've got. My..."

Something huge moved in the shadows below them. Superboy dodged as King Shark leaped up through the air, reaching for Lori. Tossing her up into the air momentarily, he automatically sent a spinning kick into the man-shark's jaw. King Shark fell backwards into the beach, swallowing some of it in the process.

"Gotcha," he cried out, catching Lori in his arms. "This is why I never go to the beach anymore. Too many sand bullies."

"I will have my prize," King Shark said in a low, dangerous voice. "One way or another, Superboy."

"Not in this lifetime," Superboy replied confidently, grinning broadly. "Like I told you before, this is my date. Go get your own."

King Shark lowered his gaze to the ground behind where Superboy was hovering. "Do it," he snarled.

Pain flared across Kon-El's back as a laser blast struck him from behind. The Kid of Steel felt his muscles jerk, releasing Lori from his grip as the electrical pulse traveled through his nervous system. King Shark rushed forward, snatching Lori up in one hand before she hit the ground. Leering, the man-shark held her up by the throat, bearing his teeth at her.

"Get your fins of her!" Superboy roared, as more laser-armed fish people emerged out of the shadows around them.

King Shark merely motioned with his available hand, giving the signal for them to fire as Kid of Steel dove toward him. The blasts struck him, scrambling the telekinetic field protecting him. More pain coursed through his body as Superboy felt his knees connect with the ground. Stll, he refused to surrender as the beams continued their assault.

"Maybe you didn't..." he gasped, fighting against the urge to pass out. "...hear me the first... time. I said... let her... go!"

King Shark was waiting for him as he lunged at the beast, knocking Superboy back with a punch that connected like a thunderclap. Darkness finally claimed him as Lori struggled against the grip of her captor.

"Time for my next meal," he heard King Shark say before passing out completely.

{} {} {} {} {}

"You're awake."

The voice was familiar. "There's no point in trying to pretend otherwise," the woman said confidently. "The equipment is monitoring your brainwave activity. We knew the exact moment when you began regaining consciousness."

Superboy opened his eyes. "Lady Dragon," he confirmed, giving the older woman a once-over. "I guess I shouldn't be surprised that you were behind this."

Lady Dragon leveled an icy gaze at him. "You brought this on yourself," she insisted. "My organization only reacts to the level of force directed at it. When you arrived on my islands, calamity followed, and the Silicon Dragons responded in kind."

"So that makes it okay for you to gun down kids in the street?"

Superboy looked around, finding himself strapped to a table underneath some sort of light. At once, he tried to free himself, but to his shock, nothing happened. His strength appeared to have left him, and his tactile telekinesis failed to react to the simple straps holding him down.

"It's called a genetic field dampener," she explained conversationally. "We procured the design for it from a Star Labs subsidiary facility. The pieces had to be smuggled in little by little. I believe you encountered some of my men earlier today when I sent them to collected the last few parts needed to assemble it."

Superboy frowned hard. "The fish people?" he wondered. "They work for you?"

Lady Dragon laughed. "They are members of my organization," she replied, sneering. "The suits were something we developed months ago. Because of your meddling in our affairs, I chose to move our operation underground. The suits allow an ordinary human to breath underwater by simply separating the oxygen and hydrogen molecules in water, oxidizing the bloodstream as an infant's is while in a mother's womb."

"Okay?" said Superboy as he tried to wrap his head around everything as Lady Dragon continued to monologue. "Why make them look like the Creature from the Black Lagoon, though?"

"That was one of my more brilliant ideas," she crowed, brushing the front of his abs with a finger. "People on these islands are notoriously superstitious. It's much easier to scare them off if they believe fish monsters are committing thefts. Inside of a year, I should have these fools believe their presence is a sign that the gods are angry."

Superboy scowled as Lady Dragon laughed again. "You don't just steal tech like this," he insisted, still struggling against the dampener field's effects on him. "Stuff like this isn't out on the black market for just anyone to buy."

"Of course it isn't," Lady Dragon replied calmly. "We didn't have to steal it, not when there was someone available to construct it for us."

A noise cut Lady Dragon off before she could continue.

"Yes?" she asked impatiently, after pressing a button on the comm device she wore around her left wrist.

"The doctor has conceded to continue his work," a voice on the other end informed. "He wishes to speak with you first to confirm his daughter will not be harmed."

"Bring him to the containment chamber," she ordered, terminating the call.

"What about King Shark?" Superboy pressed, hoping to keep her talking. "How does he fit into all this? He's never been interested in sub-contracting before."

"The Silicon Dragons can be very persuasive," she said, smiling. "A highly carbonized thermite explosive was unknowingly swallowed by the beast. With but a push of a button, it will detonate, shredding that abomination to pieces from the inside out."

Behind them, a door opened. A bearded man with slightly graying hair was led in by two Silicon Dragon members. The two were heavily armed, keeping their weapons aimed at him the whole time as they escorted the man Superboy guessed to be the doctor mentioned earlier before Lady Dragon.

"Where is my daughter?" he demanded at once. "Where is Lori? I refuse to do anything until I know she is safe from you people."

"She is safe," Lady Dragon answered in a droll tone, narrowing both eyes at him. "For the time being, and you are in no position to refuse anything, Dr. Thompson. So long as you work for my organization, no harm will come to your little girl."

"Wait," Superboy interrupted. "Lori? You're her father?"

Dr. Thompson looked past Lady Dragon at where Superboy was strapped to the table. "You don't look like a mermaid," he said, before correcting himself. "I mean, merman, I guess. Or is this like that old Splash movie they show on cable where you look human until some jerk sprays you with water?"

"Take him away," Lady Dragon ordered, pointing to Dr. Thompson. "Put him to work in the laboratory, and have more guards brought up with anti-Superboy rifles."

Superboy grimaces as the doctor was forced at gunpoint toward the door. "That doesn't sound good," he muttered.

Dr. Thompson glanced back at him. "Superboy," he called out, keeping his voice low. "Can you hear me?"

Superboy nodded his head once in answer. Lady Dragon spotted the exchange, but Dr. Thompson was already moving. In one quick motion, he slammed a fist against a panel set in the wall next to the door as the guards were ushering him out.

"Move!"

The field generator holding him down powered down as the button the doctor had struck glowed a bright red.

"Stop him!" Lady Dragon ordered, drawing her sword as the straps keeping him held to the table tore away by themselves.

Superboy grinned as the guards turned their guns on him. He could already feel his tactile telekinesis and super-strength returning.

"Have you seen this one?" he asked cockily, pressing his fingertips against the floor in front of the table.

His power flowed out into the metal floor's surface, causing it to buck. The wave he created flew toward the two guards, knocking them off their feet. Lady Dragon brought her sword down, aiming for Superboy's neck as he moved back out of the way. The metal itself didn't worry him much, but the energy field surrounding it presented a problem. Lady Dragon dove out of the way as Superboy swung a punch at her, then struck again.

"Get out of the way," Dr. Thompson called out.

Superboy saw the man hold up a rifle one of the guards had been carrying, and flew back into the air as Lady Dragon advanced. The doctor took aim and fired, missing Lady Dragon, but giving Superboy an opening as the sword-wielder turned around in a rage. The punch he threw knocked her clear across the room. Lady Dragon struck the wall, falling to the floor in a limp state, unconscious, as Superboy set his feet on the ground.

"I know," he said defensively, as the doctor looked on. "I'm not supposed to hit girls. But if you knew her like I do, you'd have done the same thing."

"Did you hear me complaining?" Dr. Thompson retorted, keeping a tight grip on the rifle. "Let's find my little girl and get out of here."

Superboy scooped the doctor up into his arms, getting a good grip under the man's surprisingly strong biceps. Together, they flew out the door and into a narrow corridor.

"Where are we?" he wondered, glancing around aimlessly, hoping to spot a sign somewhere with directions.

"In an old Star Lab underwater facility," Thompson informed, keeping the rifle armed and ready. "I've seen blueprints of this place. It was supposedly abandoned back in the late seventies. I guess the Silicon Dragons must have found the place and re-opened it for business."

"Then you know a way out of here hopefully," Superboy said, turning when the doctor prompted him to. "What did the Dragons want with you anyway?"

"I'm a designer and engineer for Star Labs' Hawaii facility," he explained, pointing for Superboy to turn down another corridor. "Several months ago, my daughter vanished. The police thought she had run away, but none of her clothes were missing from her closet. There was no ransom note, no word for a kidnapper. Then, I get jumped in the parking lot as I was leaving work. Next thing I know, these guys are holding me prisoner, and Lori as a hostage."

Superboy stopped beside a door at Dr. Thompson's prompting, setting the man down. "I'd been working on a new type of suit for deep-sea exploration," he continued, while fiddling with the door's controls. "My nano-fiber suits can allow a person to survive undersea pressure to a much greater extend than ordinary diver uniforms, and breath water naturally like air. That Dragon woman wanted me to build them, along with a bunch of weapons to take you on."

"Here," Superboy said, stepping past the doctor to place a hand on the metal door. "Let me."

The metal door folded back at once like a scroll. Inside, a young girl about the age of nineteen or so raised up in shock. Her alarm quickly faded to surprise, then joy, as her eyes took in the sight of Superboy.

"Lori?" he asked tentatively.

"Superboy!" she exclaimed, getting to her feet. "You came for me!"

"Someone else did too," he told her, moving aside so Thompson could get through.

"Dad!"

Superboy couldn't resist smiling as Lori jumped into her father's arms. "I'm so glad you're alright," Thompson gasped, holding her tightly. "Did they hurt you?"

"I'm fine," Lori said a little too quickly, wincing slightly at her father's tight grip. "I just want to get out of here."

"None of you are going anywhere!"

All three turned to find Lady Dragon blocking the hallway from the direction they'd come. Several armed Dragon members were posed behind her, pointing their rifles directly at Superboy.

"Go," Superboy said to Thompson, stepping in front of them. "I've got this. Take your daughter and get out of here."

"Forget them for now," Lady Dragon instructed. "The Superboy is the one I want."

"Those lasers disrupt electro-kinetic fields, Superboy," Dr. Thompson called out as he dragged his daughter away. "They can kill you."

Superboy dodged at super-speed as one blast came close to taking his head off. "Good to know," he grumbled. "You don't build things by halves, do ya, Doc?"

The hallway was a horrible place to have a fight. There was no room to maneuver, and Lady Dragon had too many armed guards with her. All to fast, one blast struck Superboy in the chest, knocking him to the ground. A strange sensation rippled through him as he felt his protective telekinetic field dissipate.

"I guess that was what the Doc meant by electro-kinetic disruption," he grunted in pain, getting to his feet.

Superboy leaped into the air to fly off, but found himself landing back on the floor as the guards continued their assault. "Flying's out, also."

"After him," Lady Dragon ordered, as Superboy retreated back the way the doctor and Lori had gone. "Continue the pursuit, and don't stop firing. The weapons are weakening him!"

Superboy turned on the speed, feeling the ache in his body as the blast he'd taken before continued its effects.

"Superboy!"

Kon-El turned at the sound of Lori's voice. Down another hall, he spotted her waving to him from halfway inside a door.

"This way," she called out as he ran toward her, fighting down the pain. "My dad knows a way for us to get out of here."

Lori's face changed from excited to worry as Kon-El reached her. "What's wrong?" she asked, seeing the sweat come off him. "What happened to you?"

"It's the weapons I was forced to build," Dr. Thompson explained, shutting the door and sealing it electronically as Lori led Superboy inside. "A while back, Superboy allowed a Dr. Hamilton to examine him to learn how his powers work. That information was black-level security at Star Labs, but the Silicon Dragons were somehow able to get their hands on it anyway. Using that information, they forced me to build weapons that could temporarily short out Superboy's powers, leaving him vulnerable."

"Quality craftsmanship," Superboy joked, leaning against the wall. "You may have done your job a little too well, though. My flight and invulnerability are down."

"That's not a problem," Dr. Thompson assured him, pointing to a containment rack on the other side of the room. "I've found us a way out of here."

Superboy looked, and saw the fish suits the doctor had developed hanging next to what looked like a decompression tube.

"I've seen the blueprints to this place," the doctor reminded, heading over to where the suits were stored. "And this used to be a Star Labs facility. I knew there had to be a release chamber somewhere nearby."

"Just slide this on over your costume," Lori instructed as Superboy followed her. "Once it's on, the on-board computer wired throughout the scales will adjust the oxygen levels to your personal weight and body mass."

"Here's the one I built using you as a model," Thompson told her, passing a suit to her that had clearly been modeled to fit a woman's physique. "Is this how you escaped the first time?"

"That's why I thought you were a mermaid!" Superboy exclaimed. "You were wearing one of your dad's suits?"

Lori nodded. "I stole it after knocking out one of the guards," she said while slipping out of her clothes. "This was the prototype dad built for me, but it's a tight fit, so I have to change first."

"I've disabled the door," Thompson told Superboy, "but it won't hold them for long. We need to get out of here fast."

Thompson's eyes narrowed as Superboy continued to watch Lori change. "Why don't you get into yours," he suggested warningly. "While I go set the decompression tubes for the three of us. And make sure you keep your eyes to yourself, son."

Lori grinned at Superboy before he turned away, yanking the fish suit over his costume while keeping his eyes averted. Once the two of them were suited up, he lifted Lori up into his strong arms and carried her over where her father was waiting.

"How'd you get out the first time wearing that tail?" Superboy wondered, before setting her inside the tube.

"It wasn't easy," Lori assured him as the door to the tube slammed shut. "I'll never laugh at beached sea life ever again!"

Thompson showed Superboy how to set his own decompression tube automatically to release him before moving back over to his own. Just as Superboy was climbing in, the door to the chamber exploded inward. Lady Dragon entered, leading a small army behind her.

"Go!" Superboy yelled, slamming the tube shut.

"Stop them!" Lady Dragon shouted furiously as her men fired. "Summon King Shark to intercept them!"

The tube began to fill with water immediately. In mere moments, Superboy felt his ears pop, and he was being forced out through the tube into the sea beyond. Looking around frantically, he spotted Lori almost at once, followed by Dr. Thompson coming up along behind.

Lori pointed up to the surface, to which Superboy nodded at once. The two men kicked their legs hard to keep up with Lori, who seemed to be having a much easier time. Even with his super-strength, swimming upwards underwater was no easy task.

"Aquaman makes this look easy," Superboy grumbled.

It seemed to take forever, but the three of them broke the surface. Superboy kept his eyes peeled the whole time for King Shark in case the monster decided to attack.

"There!" Lori cried out, pointing eastward. "Head for the shore!"

Off in the distance, Superboy saw the shoreline where Lori indicated. As he kicked off, it felt like some of his power was returning. Grabbing Dr. Thompson with one arm and Lori under the other, he took a chance and tried to rise up out of the sea. The water almost seemed to weigh him down for a moment, as if unwilling to let him go. With a burst of willpower, he forced himself to rise up above the waves.

The three of them sailed unevenly over the crest of the rising waves. As Superboy felt himself pick up speed, he thought something moved behind him, but it turned out to be just a burst of sea water.

The three of them gasped with relief as their feet touched sandy ground. "We're safe," Lori gasped.

"Not hardly," Thompson said in a grave tone while helping his daughter out of her suit. "Neither of us will be safe unless we leave Hawaii forever."

"I know a federal agent," Superboy told them as he struggled out of his own suit. "He can get you off the islands no problem. We'll go there right now."

"No one's going anywhere."

Lori screamed as King Shark rose up out of the surf waters near the shoreline, teeth glistening in the sunlight as his small eyes zeroed in on Superboy.

Superboy didn't hesitate. "I know what the Silicon Dragons did to you," he said to the man-shark, standing between him and the Thompsons. "I know why you're working for them, so I'll give you this one chance to back down. Surrender, and we'll get someone to remove that thermite grenade inside of you."

"Stupid boy," King Shark jeered, exposing the rows of teeth in his mouth further. "I was furious when the humans conscripted me into their service, but for the opportunity to suck the marrow out of your tender bones, I'd have volunteered willingly!"

Superboy glared. "Gross," he said flatly.

King Shark lunged for him, but the Kid of Steel met the man-shark head-on with a punch to the face, driving him back into the surf.

"You can't beat me," King Shark insisted as he bore down on Superboy. "The weapons manufactured by the Silicon Dragons have weakened you."

"Yeah," Superboy admitted, dodging King Shark's next blow, which created a deep indentation in the sand. "But guess what?"

King Shark turned sharply as Superboy swung another fist at him. "They wear off real quick," he announced proudly.

King Shark staggered at Superboy's next punch. Superboy gave no quarter, slamming into the man-shark with every last ounce of strength he possessed. Each blow that landed drove the beast back farther and farther away from the ocean, ensuring he would have no chance to escape. King Shark was determined not to go down, however, and lunged at the Kid of Steel at every other turn, snapping at him with his jaws wide open.

Superboy finally spotted an opening and brought both of his feet down hard from high up. The man-shark's head collided with a sharp rock covered in sand near the edge of the beach line, and his eyes fluttered half-closed as consciousness slipped away.

Superboy grinned as he spotted Lori watching from a distance. "I'm the man," he declared, resting a foot on top of King Shark's head. "You can kiss my feet later, fish-man. Right now, I've got a lady to charm."

{} {} {} {} {}

School was boring, as always.

Hillary had gotten him through their rigorous study schedule with a positive attitude and help from Dubbilex. In the end, their finals had gone well. After tackling a monster like King Shark, exams should have been simple enough, but Superboy's brain felt like a wrung out sponge when the bell rang at last.

He hadn't seen Lori or Dr. Thompson since leaving them with Agent Makoa. The fed had been surprised when he'd dropped the two off at headquarters along with a still unconscious King Shark. Makoa had promised to get the paperwork put through right away so the father and daughter could be moved to a safe location ASAP. All that remained afterward was putting King Shark in a tank.

Superboy had filled Makoa in on the thermite grenade inside the man-shark as a squad was hauling the beast away, as well as the Dragons new anti-Superboy weaponry. Makoa had looked surprisingly worried by that, but Superboy insisted the rifles didn't work for more than a few minutes.

"Still," the agent had warned. "I'd watch out if I were you. Waller will want to know about this anyway. This may be just the ticket we need to get her to step up our move on the Silicon Dragons once and for all."

Since then, it had been business as usual. Between school and the occasional outbreak or random disaster, life in Hawaii had settled into an unusual peace. Makoa and Hillary both agreed that the Dragons were likely gearing up for something huge. Fortunately, it looked as though Waller was finally ready for the operation to move forward. Superboy was supposed to meet with them once school was over.

Out in the courtyard beyond the front doors, Superboy stopped short as he spotted a figure waiting near the edge of the street. Lori smiled as she spotted him, and gave a small wave.

"Go on," Hillary recommended, appearing from behind. "I'll see you later tonight once you're done with your big shot meeting."

Superboy nodded, and slowly approached his would-be mermaid.

"Hi," she said sheepishly.

"Hi," Superboy said back. "I'm not used to seeing you without the dorsal fin."

Lori blushed. "I wanted to tell you," she told him insistently. "There just wasn't enough time. After I escaped from that facility, the suit seemed like the best way to disappear. Then after I got away from King Shark, you found me singing in the water, and..."

"About that," Superboy interrupted, looking confused. "Why were you singing exactly?"

Lori blushed again. "It's something I would always do whenever I felt nervous or scared," she explained, glancing away. "My mom taught me how to sing before she died. Singing calms me down because it reminds me of her."

"Oh." Superboy couldn't think of anything else to add. "I really did think you were a mermaid at first. I guess it felt kind of nice knowing there was someone different around here like me."

"I wasn't trying to lie to you," she swore, willing him to believe her with her gorgeous eyes. Superboy felt himself sink a little as he stared into them.

"I believe you," he assured her, before clearing his throat. "Are you busy right now? I have this thing I gotta take care of, but afterward..."

Lori winced. "I can't," she said apologetically. "I just came by to say goodbye, and thank you for all your help. Agent Makoa was able to get us transferred to the mainland. We're going into hiding, so I probably won't get another chance to tell you how grateful I was for everything you've done."

Superboy kept his face in check as Lori stared sadly at him. "It's cool," he made himself say, smiling despite the slight pain in his chest. "I was happy to help."

Lori smiled slightly, looking relieved now. "If you ever need me, I'll come flying," Superboy promised. "You won't even have to dress up like a mermaid next time!"

Lori laughed, and it sounded like bells. "I have to go," she said, looking regretful already. "Take care of yourself, Superboy. You'll always be my hero!"

Superboy watched his mermaid walked across the street to where a dark car was waiting for her. The girl gave one last wave to him before climbing inside. Watching it leave, he sighed.

"I know it sucks," Hillary's voice said, startling him.

"I thought you left," he exclaimed, turning sharply toward her on his right.

"I wasn't going to just leave you like that," she replied dismissively, waving a hand. "It looked like she had come here to say goodbye. I figured you might need some cheering up after that."

Kon-El looked down at the concrete sidewalk sadly. "Yeah," he admitted. "Even when I found out she wasn't a mermaid, I still thought she was cool."

"I know," Hillary told him gingerly, placing a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Listen, you've got a couple of minutes before your big pow-wow with the big boys. What say we grab a quick drink at the coffeehouse?"

Superboy saved them both a lot of time and frustration by flying himself and Hillary there directly. Not more than a few minutes after arriving, a mob of young girls from school burst through the front door, grinning from ear-to-ear, and making a beeline for Kon-El.

Hillary rolled her eyes as Superboy began signing autographs and posing for pictures. "At least he's cheering up," she mused to the nearby barrister, who laughed at the scene in front of them.

"What can I say?" Superboy said, snaking an arm around the young blond next to him as her friend pointed the camera. "It's great to be me!"