Finn's POV

Usually, for me, the more high-tech a place is, then the creepier it feels to be in it. The Aronnax is a lot more modern than the Orca, and I mean a lot! It has stable oxygen levels, for a start. Well, it did. Before it sank.

Anyhow, I'm getting off topic. For me, high-tech equals creepy. When said high-tech place is abandoned and deserted, things just start to get a little weirder. Not quite scary, but unnerving. Uncanny.

Shadows dart across the wall behind me, and I twist around sharply. "Anyone there?" I call, my voice wavering. A shiver crawls down my spine and I gulp. Deep breaths. Calm down. I regain most of my composure and continue swimming.

It's a lot darker than I remember. The red emergency lights are getting dimmer and I can't see three feet in front of my face. I grope around in the dark, murky water to find a handhold. My fingers lock into a gap in the wall, and I pull myself along again. The ephemychron's hiding place was this way, right?

I try to swallow but my mouth is too dry. The shadowiness starts to close in on me, primeval responses kicking in. Fight or flight? Flight. I want to get out of here, now!

A cold hand touches my shoulder. I instinctively jerk away.

"Finn? Is that you?" a voice suddenly asks.

This is all too much! My heart pounds loudly in my chest, my head spinning. Who said that? Ghost? Monster? Nightmare?

"Err, Finn? You ok?"

I close my eyes and take a deep breath, turning around slowly. Ok, Finn. Prepare to meet Fear itself.

My eyes flick open and I scream.

The figure before me stares disapprovingly at me, folding its arms deliberately. "I'm offended, Finn. I'd have thought you'd at least recognise my voice."

"Oh, Ant! I'm sorry. It's dark, and I was -"

Ant smirked, making no obvious attempt to contain his delight. "Scared? I thought pirates didn't get scared."

I sighed audibly. "For the last time, I never wanted to be a pirate." I managed to say through gritted teeth.

"Meh." he replied nonchalantly.

Summoning every inch of my self-control, I said, "Do you at least know the way out? I came in easily enough, but this place's like a maze." I laughed halfheartedly.

"Sure." Ant said, "Just turn left, then right, then left, then right, then left, then-"

"You're making those up, aren't you." I said slowly, fixing him with a withering death stare.

He shrugged it off and ignored my penetrating gaze. "What can I say? I like to annoy people. It comes naturally to me."

If looks could kill, Ant would have a one-way ticket to the afterlife.

3rd person POV

Ant turned away from Finn and struggled to stifle his laughter. He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, then opened them again. Better. He tapped the side of his mask, and whispered quietly.

"Hello? Mum, are you there?"

"Receiving you clearly. Is everything ok?"

"I've found Finn, I think I'm keeping him distracted enough."

"Excellent news. Did he find it?"

"Find what- oh, the ephemychron. Nope. He's completely lost in here."

"Okay. You get him to the bridge and out, and I'll ask Fontaine to get rid of that tracker."

"Sounds like a good plan!" replied Ant. He switched the radio channel and spun around to face the intruder, who was still eyeballing him.

"So, pirate boy." he said calmly. "You still want to get out of here, right?"

"Yes," growled Finn whilst maintaining eye contact, "yes I do."

"Well, good. I have made the difficult decision to-" Ant shuddered. "-help you. I will show you the way out."

"What's the catch?"

"No catch. No trick." Ant paused for a moment in mock concentration. "Oh, yeah. There might be one."

Finn looked unimpressed.

"You can get out of here… but you'll have to keep up!" Ant put on a sudden burst of speed and darted out of view.

"Hey! Come back!" called Finn, frantically trying to make up lost distance.

Ant easily glided through the flooded submarine, the layout of the twisting corridors committed to memory. Finn struggled behind him, guessing the direction at each junction. He panted, sucking in a large lungful of air, and adjusted the bulky oxygen tank on his back. He leaned against the wall of the corridor and rested.

Outside, Fontaine was scanning the ship for the tracker. She quickly found it, just above the window from the bridge, perfectly positioned to hear all their conversations. Using the Mimic Knight's laser, she cut it off, annoyed that the pirates had managed to put it there without them finding out. She grasped the microphone bug, briefly surveyed the area, dived down and mercilessly whacked it against a large rock. The tracker bleeped once. Its small screen momentarily crackled with static, then nothing. Fontaine cheered, victorious, then reported her success to Kaiko.

Upon hearing the good news, Kaiko whooped with joy. "Well done! We're one step closer to getting out of here."

"Any luck with getting Finn away?" Fontaine queried. A moment later, one rather dishevelled-looking pirate was ejected through the small exit in the glass.

"And stay out!" yelled Ant triumphantly.

"Well done, Ant!" called Fontaine. "Two problems down, and one to go."

Inside the Aronnax, the White Knight jetted into the bridge and Kaiko signalled thumbs-up. "Ant," she said over comms, "can you and Fontaine pull the shields down when I say?"

"On it." he replied, swimming up to the top of the submarine. Fontaine followed, her knight propelling her through the water with ease.

"Okay." said Kaiko. "Pull on three."

Fontaine and Ant counted down and simultaneously pulled the shields over the cracked glass window. The first tug was difficult, Ant straining to hold the metal. The Mimic Knight's tail threshed and churned up the sea with the effort. Eventually, something clicked, and the shields rolled down.

Ant celebrated with his victory dance and Fontaine simply grinned.

Kaiko flipped a switch and the water drained away. She got out from her knight, and although the water was still waist-deep, waded across to the main control panel. The water level was now low enough for her to sit down on the pilot's chair. She leaned over one arm and pressed several buttons, hearing the familiar hum of the engines starting up. Kaiko experimentally moved the joysticks forwards, and the Aronnax pushed forward off the seafloor. It rose slightly, then settled about ten metres from the seabed. "Kids," Kaiko called. "Come back inside. The water's out. The shields are down. Let's get outta here."

Fontaine let Ant hold on to the Mimic Knight and they went back inside the now-floating submarine. She surfaced and Ant flicked off his rebreather, taking in the fresh, cold oxygen. He breathed a sigh of relief and climbed out of the moonpool.