In the clean water Tony Piccolo frantically scrubbed his body as clean as
he could, his fingers brushing through his hair as he almost tried to tear
out the hairs. Slowly he felt his skin begin to stop its slight burning
from the filth that had completely covered him. That had been the most
disgusting thing he'd ever had to do, he shuddered in remembrance.
The adrenalin rush caused by his desperate attempt at freedom was beginning to wear off and he could feel his body weakening. His chest, where that psycho had scratched him, felt like it was throbbing in tune to his heartbeat. He was sure the tiny open wounds were becoming infected because of the itchiness that irritated them. There must have been some form of chemical in the waste pool. His gills were also beginning to feel like they were on fire. He took a deep breath and let the water flow through him slowly, cleansing him of the recycled tanks water and the taste of imprisonment. The ocean was so different from that place. It was less sterile and cleaner at the same time, but he wasn't sure how logical that sounded.
The tickle along his legs drew his attention to the shiny, tight and shredded pants that he hadn't yet pealed off. Frantically he tore at them, their dirtiness, their representation was making him sick, and he let them slowly float in the water in front of his face. Sighing he grabbed them and tied them into a small tight ball, it wouldn't due to pollute his home. Finally he looked around and let his body begin its transformation to its more natural state in this environment. There were lots of large rocks on the floor below him that were beginning to sprout coral. Several fish were approaching him warily and then swimming off in delight, only to edge closer a minute later. He grinned at their antics, and then grimaced a moment in pain, until finally he could swim away from this place at a speed that rivalled the SeaQuest.well, maybe not quite that fast, but easily at the speed of dolphins.
The water became deeper, but he could still easily see its surface. The coral was branching out in magnificent colours, the life was flourishing. He felt the energetic vibe of the creatures, their greetings, their love, and he returned it. And then his body began to shut down on him, weakening. He slowed his torpedoing body to a mere glide through the ocean depths. His head was beginning to throb, a deep pounding that followed the beat of his heart and matched that on his cut chest. His back was beginning to ache in a way he'd only ever felt once before, after his escape from the labs and onto SeaQuest. His muscles began to shake and briefly spasm in different places. It was the sickness that he refused to give into while he'd been locked up in those tanks. The sickness from the experimentation and fear that he couldn't hold off anymore. His body knew he was free and now it was giving in to its pain and he wanted nothing more than to curl up and float to the bottom of this wild place and sleep. But he couldn't.
He looked at an eel slowly emerging from a rock and asked for the closest uninhabited island. The eel had pointed its snout further south and Tony moved on, trying to pick a pace he could manage. This was unfamiliar territory to him, and while he trusted most animals he still knew you could never trust them all, especially sharks.or giant squids. Or giant alligators for that matter.
A shadow passed over him and he twisted to face upwards, ready to defend himself, and he gasped in relief as the giant Manta continued to glide slowly above him. Her wings were spread out gracefully on both sides, rising and falling in a rhythm that steadied his panicked breaths. He wasn't feeling well enough to protect himself. Looking past her he noticed six more of the giant creatures that flew like elegant ships, only so much more beautiful.
*we'll help you.* Their leader above him sang out and he wanted to reach out to her so desperately. *We'll take you to your friends, you will be safe again.* And this time he did reach out as her soft words caressed him, soothing him and slightly easing the pain. With an easy twist he found her back rising up under him and he rolled over and waited as its warm skin caressed his chest, stomach and fin. He held onto the front of her wing, securing the cloth ball between them, and finally relaxed. Letting tears mix with the water surrounding him, not noticing the easy pull of his body against the current or his arms. He remembered her. Two years before he'd cut her free from a fishermen's net and found himself tangled instead. He trusted her, and she sang to him, and they swam on.
()()Q()()
Commander Ford's face was set in grim determination as he led the group of well-armed security officers and Brody to the front door of the giant complex. At least what they perceived to be a giant complex. The front door had a building attached to it, which branched off into what looked like several giant above ground tanks, but considering the reputation that Lucas had dug up about this place Ford guessed that the main attractions were underneath the surface.
Not pausing to look up at the sign boasting that this was a privately owned building belonging to Mr. Miner, Ford marched until he was eye to lens with the doors flat-screened security camera. He didn't wait for a greeting.
"This is the UEO. We have a warrant to search every corner of this facility immediately, any hesitance will be determined as uncooperative and we will arrest every person within this facility." He didn't blink once as he rolled the threatening speech off his tongue with formidable threat. And, as he demanded, the door opened immediately, and they marched inside. Brody sidled up to Ford and spoke quietly while they looked around the large room that's walls had built in aquarium's from floor to ceiling.
"Did you hear that klaxon going off when we arrived?"
"Yes."
"Any ideas?"
"No, unless it was for us, which I doubt."
"Right." Ford looked around the large and mostly empty room, noticing his men's footsteps echoing with every step. He turned to address the group of 13 men who stood stiffly at attention, ready for action.
"Split into groups of three. Rodriguez, your group takes far left and the other groups take the other doors heading off to the right. Marcel, you're with me." A series of yes sirs were hollered and the men dashed off to their destinations. Noticing the grim look on Brody's face Ford gave him an encouraging nod before heading out to their set of doors. When they reached them and the doors failed to open the large black man simply levelled his weapon and fired a clean shot at the locking mechanism. The door instantly slid open and he repressed the urge to grin in satisfaction. And the search for Tony Piccolo began.
()()
Despite attempts in the past to obtain a full warrant to search this facility by other authorities, Ford had been able to get full authority. Of course, as serious as illegally owning endangered species was, kidnapping of a human being was much more serious. With Miners track record it wasn't difficult to gain full access into every crevice of this building, and they had found enough evidence to put Dustan Miner away for a very long time, regardless of whether Tony was here or not.
Ford stood at the end of a very long corridor. Off to his left was a long deceased blue whale, its giant body floating morbidly in the motionless water. Ford suppressed a shudder as he averted his eyes to the door in front of him. The security on this place was incredible and he didn't want to think about how difficult it would have been to break in here. It might have been impossible, and reaching this door made him want to yell in frustration. A blue orb stuck out from the door, obviously the finally lock which probably required no less that Miner's hand himself. Ford, bathed in the blue light of the tanks around him, heard Brody and Marcel looking around behind them. Not knowing how to get through the door he called out in what he hopped was an authoritative voice.
"Open the door." Nothing happened.
"The game is up. There is no reason to hide anything else from us. So you can open the door now, or you can wait for us to cut through it and come in anyway." He forced himself to not hold his breath, he could feel that this is where Tony would be. It had been so long since he'd seen the shorter man, so long since he'd been locked in this underground hell. God he hoped he was okay. The door slid silently open in front of him and with Brody and Marcel firmly on his heels he walked through.
Walking down a short corridor and through another door they came to a room, where a lone man stood in the centre. Ford and Brody shared a look before slowly approaching him. He was staring at the empty scene on the other side of the glass and Ford wasn't sure Miner even knew they were there. He frowned, but then the man spoke.
"Commander Ford. Welcome, though I see you only came to retrieve something I've worked so hard to obtain." Miner turned and glanced briefly before his eyes shifted back to the clear blue water.
"He was never an object to obtain, you can't own a person." The atmosphere was almost surreal as Miner chuckled slightly. Ford wasn't sure how to react in such a calm face.
"I don't think you realize how inhuman Mr. Piccolo is, Commander. A human can not live amongst the creatures of the sea."
"Its amazing what technology can do." Brody growled and they both startled at the sharp laugh that was returned.
"Technology indeed. It can create all these underwater homes, it can save lives, it can take us to space.but it cannot yet create a being like him. He is above us." He turned his cobalt eyes and stared directly at Ford, searching for something. "He is so much more than you give him the chance to be. Did you know he has the memory of an elephant? Show him something once and he never forgets. It was very difficult to keep him here, his spirit was too strong to stay caged. I tried but in the end he still broke free." Ford frowned and stepped closer to him.
"Where is he?" He demanded, and Miner raised his eyebrows.
"I wish I could tell you, but it appears he felt it was time to leave. I don't suppose he wanted us to discover his true potential. He was so beautiful." Miner's voice was soft and whimsical, yet they also sounded heartbroken. Ford was becoming annoyed with all the talk. It was obvious that Miner should be in a psych ward. He wanted to find his friend, and he wanted him back now.
"Where is he Miner?"
"Oh I assure he's not dead, I don't think. He escaped into the ocean just before you arrived. Impeccable timing really, you UEO soldiers always show up a step behind. I suppose he'll always be a step ahead of you, of us." He laughed and stepped up to a wall, activating a projection of Tony with an eerie layout of his anatomy.
"What are you doing?" Ford asked, raising his weapon in warning.
"Nothing really, I'm just going to delete.ah there we go." Miner turned to face him as the spitting image of a vertically dissected Piccolo disappeared. "If I can't have him anymore, than I am not about to give the UEO the satisfaction of three months of solid research. I have everything up here" he tapped his head "and that will help me sleep at night better than any drug." He held out his wrists. "I'm ready to go now." Ford nodded to Marcel who stepped forward and cuffed the lunatic, leading him back down the passageway.
"That guy is a little strange." Brody said as he went to the computer counsel. He looked at it a moment. "Everything that was here is deleted, permanently. I don't think Lucas could get it back, and I'm pretty sure this computer links up to the entire system. Commander?" Ford had opened a somewhat hidden door of to the right and stood there staring. He wasn't sure what to say. Brody walked up behind him and stopped as well, taking a deep breath. "We left him here for three months." He whispered, and Ford felt bile slowly rising in his throat. He swallowed it back and fought for composure as he gazed over the various medical counsels, a metal table, several giant test tube tanks that were no doubt for studying specimens, for studying Tony. Ford took a breath and stepped back, shutting the door silently.
"Get a team in here to find evidence of his presence. I want Miner to go away for the rest of his life. I'm going to contact the Captain and inform him of the situation-" His communicator beeped and he immediately responded.
"Ford here."
"Commander, what's the current situation?" Bridger's soft but demanding voice echoed around the room.
"We have Miner in custody, and judging by the amount of illegal animals he has locked up here, he'll be going to prison for a long time. He did have Tony here," Ford took a breath, trying to think about how he should word this, "but he broke out just before we arrived. I believe our man is in the ocean, but sir, I'm not sure of his condition. It can't be great after being locked up in this place for three months."
"Commander, I want you to return and give me a full report. Brody can handle whatever else needs to be wrapped up."
"Aye sir." He ended the connection and nodded at Brody, who was still staring into the room, anger in flowing from his dark eyes.
"Brody, clean up well."
"Yes sir." He nodded and Ford left, heading back to SeaQuest at a pace that spoke of his anger. Every officer he met on his march back cleared from his path and saluted sharply before hustling away. Ford was silent the entire way.
()()Q()()
"Captain, there's something going on outside. Just within scanning parameters." Miguel Ortiz announced as he intently watched his screen. Then Darwin announced that he was going off the ship and instantly disappeared. Bridger looked at the tank a moment with a frown and then turned his attention back to the screen.
"What is it?" "It.looks like a large gathering of sea animals sir." Ortiz sounded perplexed. "I've never seen anything quite like it. I can't get a proper reading on a specific animal, there's too many of them."
"Listen to this." O'Neil suddenly, and brashly, ordered and the bridge was suddenly flooded with sound. Whistles, and clicks, from what must have been at least thirty dolphins. There was lots of movement interference, the water's churned movement creating a swishing static, and then, out of nowhere came one defining sound that echoed with no hesitation through the speakers, around the ship and no doubt miles into the distance. It was powerful and beautiful, deeper than a whale's song but following the same, long held tune, rising and changing in pitch occasionally. All the other creatures seemed to fall silent, not a single whisper was heard on the bridge as its strength wrapped around them. Tim felt his eyes tearing slightly and hastily blinked it back. After about a minute it abruptly ended, and in its absence there was a strange feeling among the crew. It was as if, though the singing had ceased, it had left its memory within the walls, as though it were meant to protect them. Finally Bridger broke the silence".
"What was that? Ortiz, I want to know what's going on in that crowd of creatures, why they're there, and what made that sound. O'Neil, call Darwin back!"
"Aye sir."
"Sir." Ortiz spoke again. "The crowd seems to be.separating. There's a large pod of dolphins heading north, masses of fish, I still can't determine the specific kinds. I'm also detecting about forty eels."
"Eels? Are you sure there is forty of them?" Bridger sounded perplexed.
"Yes sir. There's also.sir there's seven enormous Manta Ray's heading south! I've never seen anything like it!"
"Where there any whales?" Bridger knew it was unlikely, but he had to ask; it was the only creature he could come close to associating that sound with. The call of the Siren.
"No sir." Just then Dr. Wendy Smith walked onto the bridge, tear tracks running down her cheeks and her eyes glistening unashamedly.
"Captain. Tony's coming back. I'm requesting yours and Lucas's presence at the moon pool." She looked into his eyes and the sincerity and hope that mingled with fear and worry instantly had his undivided attention.
"O'Neil, you have the bridge, and please call Lucas to join us." He marched off, following Wendy in the direction of the moon pool. O'Neil turned to look at Ortiz, and through their head set he quietly asked
"Are you picking Tony up on the sensor's?" Ortiz's brows furrowed and he looked up to meet his best friend's eyes.
"Yes, he's with Darwin. They just came from the crowd of animals."
"I hope he's okay." Was all O'Neil said as they promised, in their minds, to talk privately about it later.
()()Q()()
Piccolo held weakly to the base of Darwin's Dorsal and right pectoral fins. He could feel the tickling of the shredded pants at the base of his legs but couldn't be bothered to even get annoyed at it. He was so tired, he just wanted to sleep. He was barley aware as Darwin pulled him through the entrance to the aqua tunnels and towards the moon pool. He was so tired that he didn't even realize when they had stopped moving. Then a hand gently gripped his arm and he was awake so fast he might have been electrified. He tore hastily out of the grip and tried to move away, but Darwin blocked his instinctive retreat. He looked up through the water and realized that it was Captain Nathan Bridger that had touched him, and the difference between his warm hands and the scientist's cold ones should have been enough to distinguish between the two. His panicked adrenalin rush began to ebb and he pushed to the surface. He needed to get out of the water before his body decided to transform back into its natural state, whether he wanted it to or not.
He managed a weak grin, but didn't really hear anything the Captain was saying. Then Lucas was in his line of vision and through his dulled mind he noticed the teenagers intense worry. He mumbled a very quite "Hey Luc" and patiently waited as three sets of arms pulled him bodily from the pool and placed him onto a soft, dry gurney. He instantly felt Wendy's mind gently probing, to see if she could gain knowledge of his injuries from his mind. He politely blocked her out, forgetting that he hadn't told her he could do that. She looked at Bridger and said something, something about tests, and Piccolo instantly disagreed.
"No tests, please. Of any kind. I just need to sleep, I'll be fine once I get some sleep. No more tests." to his own ears his pleading sounded far away, yet he felt it was determined enough to get his point across. Just for extra kick he pleaded to her with his mind and then, feeling safe, he drifted into the sleep he craved so much.
Wendy Smith had seen and felt many things, but she had never felt so much exhaustion coming from one person. Whatever had happened to him had placed him in an energy comatose. She wanted to cry, but her professional persona was in place and she was brisk but gentle as she worked. They'd pulled him out of the water, after their initial attempt had scared him to move quickly, more quickly than she thought possible, to the bottom of the shallow pool. Her mind catalogued the incident, he'd instinctively retreated from human contact in fear. Upon recognition he'd succumbed to them with no hesitation, and again she'd had to fight to control her tears. It was because of that trust in them that she had abided by his pleads to just be left to sleep, and not run any tests to determine his condition, no matter how much her physician instinct begged her to.
Lucas and Bridger wore equal masks of worry, their gazes hardly breaking from the sleeping mans form as Lucas had gently placed a blanket over Tony and lightly tucked him in before they wheeled him to the infirmary. There was something in the young mans eyes though, something that Wendy read as a mixture of guilt and hate and love. Each emotion seemed to war heavily within him and she made another note to speak with him later.
Upon entrance to the empty infirmary she asked them to stay a while, so that they could help her transfer Tony after she dried him and changed him into a med gown. It took twenty minutes, and during that time she was all too aware of how well developed his muscles had been kept, yet how much mass he seemed to have loss. Often the result of too much exercise and not enough food. Whether Tony had been given the food and hadn't eaten it was another question.
His gills were slightly inflamed, but she didn't touch them. She had no experience in that area at all, despite her attempts at getting him to let her examine him for just such instances. There were some inflamed scratches on his chest that looked suspiciously like they came from a human hand, she applied an ointment and let it do its work.
She'd stared at his pants, which where glistening in the overhead lights. The base of them looked tailored to specifically be shredded, no doubt extremely annoying whenever they contacted his ankles. As an afterthought she scratched her own and paused, thinking about the action. She recalled the amount of times these last three months, that she had felt a tickle on her leg, but she wasn't sure if these two instances were connected. Could she have been picking up the annoying sensation from him? She wasn't sure.
She stood and stared at Tony for a moment, and finally let her worry show. Three months he'd been going through God knows what, all because of his gills. If he had it his way she, and everybody else, would never fully know. Yet despite that she felt things would be okay, it would take time of course, but it would be okay. Now, she needed to focus more on his apparent psychic abilities that had apparently come forward within his time in that scientific prison. She'd known he'd had the abilities, but they were weak and highly undeveloped, however; Dagwood seemed certain that Tony had purposely manipulated his memory somehow. It was so much to think about all at once, she needed some time to herself.
Calling the Captain and Lucas back in she noticed that Commander Ford followed them, his face more worried than theirs, as if he had more of an idea of what happened to Tony. She watched him carefully a moment, and when he picked up on her gaze he just nodded grimly. She'd have a talk with him later too.
They helped her move Tony's short but heavy slumbering form, now completely dry, onto a bed and wrapped him in blankets. He didn't move. Lucas took a chair and sat down on his right side, gently pulling out his arm so he could hold his hand. Though none of them knew exactly what was going on they were going to consider Tony as sick and recovering. Lucas stared at his best friend and roommate sadly, but didn't say anything. In general agreement by all in the room Wendy pulled the curtain and left the two alone. She followed Bridger and Ford into her office and they spoke for an hour over what Ford thought had happened. By the end they determined that Tony had been held as a pet that was experimented on, but they didn't know how. Two days later it would become apparent that there was not one word of information left in Miner's computer about what they did to Tony. And Tony had woken up, moved back to the room he'd shared with Lucas, and promptly fell asleep again.
Darwin wasn't saying anything about the large assortment of animals that Tony had been in just before his return to the ship and everything was getting back to normal.in a manner of speaking. Lucas was very tight lipped about his feelings and he spent as much time with Tony as his duty shifts allowed. The crew was happy with his return and at the one appearance he'd made to the mess hall had him in high spirits and greeting everyone with his usual open and joking manner. Except for his obvious tiredness he was obviously okay. When asked what happened he'd given the speech of "they put me in tanks of water and basically watched me breath. A couple of x-rays happened, a few examinations.nothing short of what the UEO did his first time around." That comment had seemed to bother Lucas and Dagwood but nobody else seemed to notice the comparison, not even Wendy. Though whether she missed it because of Tony's interference or her own lack of perception shall remain unsaid.
Now it was two weeks later and Tony was almost at full energy level again, which meant he was already more restless than any member on the crew. At his insistence he'd been put back to work and was happy, but Lucas wasn't. He watched Tony as much as he could, and being the only person that really lived with the man, he was the only person privy to the silent gasp of fear that constantly woke his friend in the middle of the nights. And he was the only one privy to seeing Tony slip out the door to go and swim with Darwin for an hour.
Lucas had been in turmoil since Tony got back, but not because of his feelings of guilt at his lack of concern to his friend's disappearance in the first place. He'd had a long talk with Tony about that, and the man had stated quite firmly that he deceived the entire crew to the best of his abilities, which meant that Lucas had nothing to feel guilty about, and the fact that he'd been apart of Tony's search and fumbled rescue was more than the man could have ever hoped for in a friend. That had settled Lucas's doubts in himself as a friend, but what it hadn't settled was why Tony had set out to deceive them in the first place.
It was apparent that he'd gone willingly with Miner, at least at first, but nobody knew why he'd gone to such great lengths to deceive them. Tony hadn't come out and said it, despite the questions directly asked, but he had dropped the hint that Miner held something over his head, and that it wasn't based solely on Tony. Lucas had figured, right off the bat, that it had something to do with a threat against the crew of SeaQuest, but apparently nobody would ever know because Tony didn't give any other information about it.
The problem was that Lucas knew more than anybody else, and he was afraid. He was afraid he'd lose his friend if he asked him for the truth. He was afraid of hurting his friend, but in the end his need for the answers drove him to the moon pool one early morning, to where Tony had recently gone. When he arrived he heard Tony arguing quietly with Dagwood, and Darwin's clicks where in the back ground, ignored by the two men, one artificially bred, the other a fish. Lucas stayed silent a moment and listened, trying to figure out what was going on. It worried him that these two would fight, seeing as Dagwood was the person closest to Piccolo after Lucas.
"Dagwood, you're not making any sense! I didn't erase your memory! How could I?" Piccolo looked nervous despite his insistent words.
"I remember Tony. I know you didn't want to leave, and I know you made me forget so we wouldn't find out what you were doing!" The big man slowly insisted. "I know something else too." He said, almost as if he wasn't sure he should keep speaking. Tony just frowned back at him and waited politely for him to continue, curious. "I know it was you who sang out loud into the water!" Tony's face faltered and Lucas felt his shoulders tense.
"Dagwood, I heard about that but I don't think my vocal cords could quite manage something of that magnitude." He tried to reason but the Dagger shook his head negatively.
"I know it was you Tony. I felt you, in here." He touched his head, and then his heart. "I know you don't want anybody to know, but I understand. You're different from everyone else. I can feel that too. Ever since I met you you've been different from them!"
"Dag, I'm the same as everyone else here! With the exception of my gills I'm perfectly human!"
"But that's the problem." Lucas finally stood out of the shadows and walked forward, joining the two men who looked at him. Dagwood looked startled but Tony seemed as though he'd been expecting him to jump out and announce his presence. Had he known he was there the whole time? Lucas continued with his point, nervously. "You're not like everyone else here Tony, and don't deny it. Not to us. We know you too well." Tony opened and closed his mouth a moment but Lucas trudged on, wanting to tell the man everything he knew about him. Wanting to relieve himself of the guilt of not being honest.
"I know that you have gills Tony. I know that the UEO didn't give them to you."
"Lucas, you're talking nonsense." "I'm not, you don't need to pretend with us Tony. What the UEO did to you, it was inhuman. What Miner did to you was just as much an act against every ethic a person should have!" Lucas looked right into Tony's eyes, he stared into them so deeply that for the first time he could see blue shift and change colours, like ripples on the waters surface, so faint it wasn't normally noticeable, and Tony shifted his eyes away, aware that Lucas had noticed the true hue of his eyes for the first time. Lucas took a breath. "I know that you're not fully human Tony. I know that your gills are natural." Tony stood silent for a moment, thinking hard.
"Why would you think that Lucas?"
"I wasn't sure until I hacked Miner's computer."
"Nothing was retrieved from that computer, he deleted everything." Tony immediately pointed out, there was a feeling of slight panic around the room.
"I didn't get much when I looked at it. He'd just left a sentence that was extremely well hidden. He said 'In this world you only survive as you are, and not as you were not meant to be.' I deleted that too, but I started thinking about what it meant Tony. And these past few weeks you've been so tired and sick, though nobody really knew how sick you were."
"Lucas-" The teenager didn't let him get another word out, as he continued insistently.
"Just like the first time Tony! Nobody recognized how sick you were when you first came aboard SeaQuest. Darwin didn't let you escape through the aqua tunnels because he knew you couldn't take care of yourself, just like he stopped you from trying to swim away when you first came back on board two weeks ago. Because he knew you needed help, and he trusted us to help you the first time. You trusted us the second time. You trusted us to help you, why can't you trust Dagwood and I to help you now?" He saw Tony's eyes furrow in worry, in fear. He frowned. "Tony, we won't hurt you."
"I know that." Tony said sadly. "If I didn't believe it than I would have been off this ship and out of your thoughts a long time ago. It's complicated Lucas, what I am.I " He stumbled for words and sat down, leaning against the tanks wall.
"Tony prince." Darwin spoke up and Piccolo chuckled without humour.
"Umm, I believe Darwin. Tony is a prince of the water." Dagwood stated and sat beside Tony, patting him lightly on the shoulder. Lucas had never really seen Dagwood act so.grown up around them before. "But for now he stays with us, until he has to go back."
"Dagwood, you guys don't understand. I'm not sure if I can stay."
"Don't be stupid Tony, I might be younger than you."
"you have no idea how much younger." Tony mumbled, wiping his hand down his face.
"But I know that the only reason you'd be leaving us is because you're afraid. You're afraid that because we know that you're.some underwater prince of the ocean, that we'll hurt you, like they did." Tony sighed, and spoke quietly.
"I've been around a long time Lucas, I don't even know my real age anymore, but despite how long I have been alive I'm still trying to understand you humans. I'll be the first to admit that my maturity level is sometimes low, but the fact is that I have never, in my entire life, ever trusted people before. Then I started to trust them, to learn about your society because, lets face it, I have a lot in common with you if I leave the water. Then the UEO got me and I didn't think I ever wanted to be around people again."
"But you came to SeaQuest.doesn't that mean you struck a deal with them?"
"Lucas, I'm still learning about how your societies work, especially your technology. One thing I did figure out is that the more you're in the public eye, the more freedom you really have. I got lucky and managed to break in on a reporters interview in the prison, I introduced the world to my gills and the fact that I was an experiment at the correctional facility. Public knowledge from there allowed me to manipulate them enough to create an identity for me, and from there I worked on my freedom. The problem is that here, on the SeaQuest, I've met the people I'd like to know in this world. I've come to understand that what they did was wrong and not how everybody acts. That's the reason I stayed. Miner is just another demonstration of the idiots up here. They're kind of like sharks, the bigger you are the more dangerous you are. Except for the whale shark of course."
Lucas felt the floor grids digging into his knees but he kept his eyes on Tony. He didn't understand what the man was going through, but he did know that right then and there he'd never respected anything as much as Tony Piccolo. He was his best friend, and despite their, now major, differences, he was more determined than ever to keep him around. He wanted to give him hope in people again, he didn't want him to go back to the ocean to.do whatever it was he did.
"Stay Tony. We won't tell. Just, give us a chance to make it up to you." The blue eyes finally met his again, and this time the look was determined and sure, and so old that it took Lucas's breath away. Amazing how eyes, when you really looked, could tell you ones true age.
"Lucas, you have nothing to make up for. Nobody on the SeaQuest does. I know that the people who did those things to me, they act on their own. I am not planning on leaving you yet, there's too much to see to give it up. Besides, you guys are the first real friends, well human friends, I've ever had." He didn't get a chance to finish because Lucas was smothering him with a hug. Apparently Dagwood felt he needed to join in and his strong arms momentarily crushed them both.
"Okay, okay." Tony hissed, trying to get them to back off. "I think I've done enough soul searching and truth telling to last you a life time. I've got to talk to Darwin a moment, so I'll see you guys later." They graciously took the hint and left, then Tony stripped to his boxers and jumped in the water. Darwin swam to him and for a few minutes he floated there, the dolphin leaning against his side.
Lucas and Dagwood now knew, and though it was terrifying to willingly give up his secret, he had to admit he felt better having two people on his side. He felt content, but he'd have to be careful for a while. He was sure Wendy suspected something, and Ford and Brody knew more than they were letting on. Miguel and Tim had appeared just fine, but he suspected that they knew something as well. They were all high quality individuals, and he trusted them enough to stay for a while. He wanted to make sure that they were all kept safe anyway, and he couldn't do that if he wasn't with them.
"Tony sing." Darwin requested but Tony replied negatively and kept floating. His people, or animals he should call them, they had helped him when he needed it. They'd brought him back without question, but at the time he'd felt as if her were abandoning them. He couldn't think of any way to thank them for their aid, though they said they would never have it any other way. He'd felt so free, so powerful and surrounded by beauty when he was in the water. Using the last of his strength he'd called out, to the ocean and every creature in it. He called out to announce that he would always be there for them, that he was free, that he would survive anything. And then he'd headed back to SeaQuest, leaving them in an awed silence. Apparently Dagwood and the entire crew had heard him clearly, but only Dagwood, and now maybe Lucas had figured out that it had been him. You see, the prince of the ocean, as he'd been dubbed century's ago, had returned, he was just making sure that everyone knew it.
The adrenalin rush caused by his desperate attempt at freedom was beginning to wear off and he could feel his body weakening. His chest, where that psycho had scratched him, felt like it was throbbing in tune to his heartbeat. He was sure the tiny open wounds were becoming infected because of the itchiness that irritated them. There must have been some form of chemical in the waste pool. His gills were also beginning to feel like they were on fire. He took a deep breath and let the water flow through him slowly, cleansing him of the recycled tanks water and the taste of imprisonment. The ocean was so different from that place. It was less sterile and cleaner at the same time, but he wasn't sure how logical that sounded.
The tickle along his legs drew his attention to the shiny, tight and shredded pants that he hadn't yet pealed off. Frantically he tore at them, their dirtiness, their representation was making him sick, and he let them slowly float in the water in front of his face. Sighing he grabbed them and tied them into a small tight ball, it wouldn't due to pollute his home. Finally he looked around and let his body begin its transformation to its more natural state in this environment. There were lots of large rocks on the floor below him that were beginning to sprout coral. Several fish were approaching him warily and then swimming off in delight, only to edge closer a minute later. He grinned at their antics, and then grimaced a moment in pain, until finally he could swim away from this place at a speed that rivalled the SeaQuest.well, maybe not quite that fast, but easily at the speed of dolphins.
The water became deeper, but he could still easily see its surface. The coral was branching out in magnificent colours, the life was flourishing. He felt the energetic vibe of the creatures, their greetings, their love, and he returned it. And then his body began to shut down on him, weakening. He slowed his torpedoing body to a mere glide through the ocean depths. His head was beginning to throb, a deep pounding that followed the beat of his heart and matched that on his cut chest. His back was beginning to ache in a way he'd only ever felt once before, after his escape from the labs and onto SeaQuest. His muscles began to shake and briefly spasm in different places. It was the sickness that he refused to give into while he'd been locked up in those tanks. The sickness from the experimentation and fear that he couldn't hold off anymore. His body knew he was free and now it was giving in to its pain and he wanted nothing more than to curl up and float to the bottom of this wild place and sleep. But he couldn't.
He looked at an eel slowly emerging from a rock and asked for the closest uninhabited island. The eel had pointed its snout further south and Tony moved on, trying to pick a pace he could manage. This was unfamiliar territory to him, and while he trusted most animals he still knew you could never trust them all, especially sharks.or giant squids. Or giant alligators for that matter.
A shadow passed over him and he twisted to face upwards, ready to defend himself, and he gasped in relief as the giant Manta continued to glide slowly above him. Her wings were spread out gracefully on both sides, rising and falling in a rhythm that steadied his panicked breaths. He wasn't feeling well enough to protect himself. Looking past her he noticed six more of the giant creatures that flew like elegant ships, only so much more beautiful.
*we'll help you.* Their leader above him sang out and he wanted to reach out to her so desperately. *We'll take you to your friends, you will be safe again.* And this time he did reach out as her soft words caressed him, soothing him and slightly easing the pain. With an easy twist he found her back rising up under him and he rolled over and waited as its warm skin caressed his chest, stomach and fin. He held onto the front of her wing, securing the cloth ball between them, and finally relaxed. Letting tears mix with the water surrounding him, not noticing the easy pull of his body against the current or his arms. He remembered her. Two years before he'd cut her free from a fishermen's net and found himself tangled instead. He trusted her, and she sang to him, and they swam on.
()()Q()()
Commander Ford's face was set in grim determination as he led the group of well-armed security officers and Brody to the front door of the giant complex. At least what they perceived to be a giant complex. The front door had a building attached to it, which branched off into what looked like several giant above ground tanks, but considering the reputation that Lucas had dug up about this place Ford guessed that the main attractions were underneath the surface.
Not pausing to look up at the sign boasting that this was a privately owned building belonging to Mr. Miner, Ford marched until he was eye to lens with the doors flat-screened security camera. He didn't wait for a greeting.
"This is the UEO. We have a warrant to search every corner of this facility immediately, any hesitance will be determined as uncooperative and we will arrest every person within this facility." He didn't blink once as he rolled the threatening speech off his tongue with formidable threat. And, as he demanded, the door opened immediately, and they marched inside. Brody sidled up to Ford and spoke quietly while they looked around the large room that's walls had built in aquarium's from floor to ceiling.
"Did you hear that klaxon going off when we arrived?"
"Yes."
"Any ideas?"
"No, unless it was for us, which I doubt."
"Right." Ford looked around the large and mostly empty room, noticing his men's footsteps echoing with every step. He turned to address the group of 13 men who stood stiffly at attention, ready for action.
"Split into groups of three. Rodriguez, your group takes far left and the other groups take the other doors heading off to the right. Marcel, you're with me." A series of yes sirs were hollered and the men dashed off to their destinations. Noticing the grim look on Brody's face Ford gave him an encouraging nod before heading out to their set of doors. When they reached them and the doors failed to open the large black man simply levelled his weapon and fired a clean shot at the locking mechanism. The door instantly slid open and he repressed the urge to grin in satisfaction. And the search for Tony Piccolo began.
()()
Despite attempts in the past to obtain a full warrant to search this facility by other authorities, Ford had been able to get full authority. Of course, as serious as illegally owning endangered species was, kidnapping of a human being was much more serious. With Miners track record it wasn't difficult to gain full access into every crevice of this building, and they had found enough evidence to put Dustan Miner away for a very long time, regardless of whether Tony was here or not.
Ford stood at the end of a very long corridor. Off to his left was a long deceased blue whale, its giant body floating morbidly in the motionless water. Ford suppressed a shudder as he averted his eyes to the door in front of him. The security on this place was incredible and he didn't want to think about how difficult it would have been to break in here. It might have been impossible, and reaching this door made him want to yell in frustration. A blue orb stuck out from the door, obviously the finally lock which probably required no less that Miner's hand himself. Ford, bathed in the blue light of the tanks around him, heard Brody and Marcel looking around behind them. Not knowing how to get through the door he called out in what he hopped was an authoritative voice.
"Open the door." Nothing happened.
"The game is up. There is no reason to hide anything else from us. So you can open the door now, or you can wait for us to cut through it and come in anyway." He forced himself to not hold his breath, he could feel that this is where Tony would be. It had been so long since he'd seen the shorter man, so long since he'd been locked in this underground hell. God he hoped he was okay. The door slid silently open in front of him and with Brody and Marcel firmly on his heels he walked through.
Walking down a short corridor and through another door they came to a room, where a lone man stood in the centre. Ford and Brody shared a look before slowly approaching him. He was staring at the empty scene on the other side of the glass and Ford wasn't sure Miner even knew they were there. He frowned, but then the man spoke.
"Commander Ford. Welcome, though I see you only came to retrieve something I've worked so hard to obtain." Miner turned and glanced briefly before his eyes shifted back to the clear blue water.
"He was never an object to obtain, you can't own a person." The atmosphere was almost surreal as Miner chuckled slightly. Ford wasn't sure how to react in such a calm face.
"I don't think you realize how inhuman Mr. Piccolo is, Commander. A human can not live amongst the creatures of the sea."
"Its amazing what technology can do." Brody growled and they both startled at the sharp laugh that was returned.
"Technology indeed. It can create all these underwater homes, it can save lives, it can take us to space.but it cannot yet create a being like him. He is above us." He turned his cobalt eyes and stared directly at Ford, searching for something. "He is so much more than you give him the chance to be. Did you know he has the memory of an elephant? Show him something once and he never forgets. It was very difficult to keep him here, his spirit was too strong to stay caged. I tried but in the end he still broke free." Ford frowned and stepped closer to him.
"Where is he?" He demanded, and Miner raised his eyebrows.
"I wish I could tell you, but it appears he felt it was time to leave. I don't suppose he wanted us to discover his true potential. He was so beautiful." Miner's voice was soft and whimsical, yet they also sounded heartbroken. Ford was becoming annoyed with all the talk. It was obvious that Miner should be in a psych ward. He wanted to find his friend, and he wanted him back now.
"Where is he Miner?"
"Oh I assure he's not dead, I don't think. He escaped into the ocean just before you arrived. Impeccable timing really, you UEO soldiers always show up a step behind. I suppose he'll always be a step ahead of you, of us." He laughed and stepped up to a wall, activating a projection of Tony with an eerie layout of his anatomy.
"What are you doing?" Ford asked, raising his weapon in warning.
"Nothing really, I'm just going to delete.ah there we go." Miner turned to face him as the spitting image of a vertically dissected Piccolo disappeared. "If I can't have him anymore, than I am not about to give the UEO the satisfaction of three months of solid research. I have everything up here" he tapped his head "and that will help me sleep at night better than any drug." He held out his wrists. "I'm ready to go now." Ford nodded to Marcel who stepped forward and cuffed the lunatic, leading him back down the passageway.
"That guy is a little strange." Brody said as he went to the computer counsel. He looked at it a moment. "Everything that was here is deleted, permanently. I don't think Lucas could get it back, and I'm pretty sure this computer links up to the entire system. Commander?" Ford had opened a somewhat hidden door of to the right and stood there staring. He wasn't sure what to say. Brody walked up behind him and stopped as well, taking a deep breath. "We left him here for three months." He whispered, and Ford felt bile slowly rising in his throat. He swallowed it back and fought for composure as he gazed over the various medical counsels, a metal table, several giant test tube tanks that were no doubt for studying specimens, for studying Tony. Ford took a breath and stepped back, shutting the door silently.
"Get a team in here to find evidence of his presence. I want Miner to go away for the rest of his life. I'm going to contact the Captain and inform him of the situation-" His communicator beeped and he immediately responded.
"Ford here."
"Commander, what's the current situation?" Bridger's soft but demanding voice echoed around the room.
"We have Miner in custody, and judging by the amount of illegal animals he has locked up here, he'll be going to prison for a long time. He did have Tony here," Ford took a breath, trying to think about how he should word this, "but he broke out just before we arrived. I believe our man is in the ocean, but sir, I'm not sure of his condition. It can't be great after being locked up in this place for three months."
"Commander, I want you to return and give me a full report. Brody can handle whatever else needs to be wrapped up."
"Aye sir." He ended the connection and nodded at Brody, who was still staring into the room, anger in flowing from his dark eyes.
"Brody, clean up well."
"Yes sir." He nodded and Ford left, heading back to SeaQuest at a pace that spoke of his anger. Every officer he met on his march back cleared from his path and saluted sharply before hustling away. Ford was silent the entire way.
()()Q()()
"Captain, there's something going on outside. Just within scanning parameters." Miguel Ortiz announced as he intently watched his screen. Then Darwin announced that he was going off the ship and instantly disappeared. Bridger looked at the tank a moment with a frown and then turned his attention back to the screen.
"What is it?" "It.looks like a large gathering of sea animals sir." Ortiz sounded perplexed. "I've never seen anything quite like it. I can't get a proper reading on a specific animal, there's too many of them."
"Listen to this." O'Neil suddenly, and brashly, ordered and the bridge was suddenly flooded with sound. Whistles, and clicks, from what must have been at least thirty dolphins. There was lots of movement interference, the water's churned movement creating a swishing static, and then, out of nowhere came one defining sound that echoed with no hesitation through the speakers, around the ship and no doubt miles into the distance. It was powerful and beautiful, deeper than a whale's song but following the same, long held tune, rising and changing in pitch occasionally. All the other creatures seemed to fall silent, not a single whisper was heard on the bridge as its strength wrapped around them. Tim felt his eyes tearing slightly and hastily blinked it back. After about a minute it abruptly ended, and in its absence there was a strange feeling among the crew. It was as if, though the singing had ceased, it had left its memory within the walls, as though it were meant to protect them. Finally Bridger broke the silence".
"What was that? Ortiz, I want to know what's going on in that crowd of creatures, why they're there, and what made that sound. O'Neil, call Darwin back!"
"Aye sir."
"Sir." Ortiz spoke again. "The crowd seems to be.separating. There's a large pod of dolphins heading north, masses of fish, I still can't determine the specific kinds. I'm also detecting about forty eels."
"Eels? Are you sure there is forty of them?" Bridger sounded perplexed.
"Yes sir. There's also.sir there's seven enormous Manta Ray's heading south! I've never seen anything like it!"
"Where there any whales?" Bridger knew it was unlikely, but he had to ask; it was the only creature he could come close to associating that sound with. The call of the Siren.
"No sir." Just then Dr. Wendy Smith walked onto the bridge, tear tracks running down her cheeks and her eyes glistening unashamedly.
"Captain. Tony's coming back. I'm requesting yours and Lucas's presence at the moon pool." She looked into his eyes and the sincerity and hope that mingled with fear and worry instantly had his undivided attention.
"O'Neil, you have the bridge, and please call Lucas to join us." He marched off, following Wendy in the direction of the moon pool. O'Neil turned to look at Ortiz, and through their head set he quietly asked
"Are you picking Tony up on the sensor's?" Ortiz's brows furrowed and he looked up to meet his best friend's eyes.
"Yes, he's with Darwin. They just came from the crowd of animals."
"I hope he's okay." Was all O'Neil said as they promised, in their minds, to talk privately about it later.
()()Q()()
Piccolo held weakly to the base of Darwin's Dorsal and right pectoral fins. He could feel the tickling of the shredded pants at the base of his legs but couldn't be bothered to even get annoyed at it. He was so tired, he just wanted to sleep. He was barley aware as Darwin pulled him through the entrance to the aqua tunnels and towards the moon pool. He was so tired that he didn't even realize when they had stopped moving. Then a hand gently gripped his arm and he was awake so fast he might have been electrified. He tore hastily out of the grip and tried to move away, but Darwin blocked his instinctive retreat. He looked up through the water and realized that it was Captain Nathan Bridger that had touched him, and the difference between his warm hands and the scientist's cold ones should have been enough to distinguish between the two. His panicked adrenalin rush began to ebb and he pushed to the surface. He needed to get out of the water before his body decided to transform back into its natural state, whether he wanted it to or not.
He managed a weak grin, but didn't really hear anything the Captain was saying. Then Lucas was in his line of vision and through his dulled mind he noticed the teenagers intense worry. He mumbled a very quite "Hey Luc" and patiently waited as three sets of arms pulled him bodily from the pool and placed him onto a soft, dry gurney. He instantly felt Wendy's mind gently probing, to see if she could gain knowledge of his injuries from his mind. He politely blocked her out, forgetting that he hadn't told her he could do that. She looked at Bridger and said something, something about tests, and Piccolo instantly disagreed.
"No tests, please. Of any kind. I just need to sleep, I'll be fine once I get some sleep. No more tests." to his own ears his pleading sounded far away, yet he felt it was determined enough to get his point across. Just for extra kick he pleaded to her with his mind and then, feeling safe, he drifted into the sleep he craved so much.
Wendy Smith had seen and felt many things, but she had never felt so much exhaustion coming from one person. Whatever had happened to him had placed him in an energy comatose. She wanted to cry, but her professional persona was in place and she was brisk but gentle as she worked. They'd pulled him out of the water, after their initial attempt had scared him to move quickly, more quickly than she thought possible, to the bottom of the shallow pool. Her mind catalogued the incident, he'd instinctively retreated from human contact in fear. Upon recognition he'd succumbed to them with no hesitation, and again she'd had to fight to control her tears. It was because of that trust in them that she had abided by his pleads to just be left to sleep, and not run any tests to determine his condition, no matter how much her physician instinct begged her to.
Lucas and Bridger wore equal masks of worry, their gazes hardly breaking from the sleeping mans form as Lucas had gently placed a blanket over Tony and lightly tucked him in before they wheeled him to the infirmary. There was something in the young mans eyes though, something that Wendy read as a mixture of guilt and hate and love. Each emotion seemed to war heavily within him and she made another note to speak with him later.
Upon entrance to the empty infirmary she asked them to stay a while, so that they could help her transfer Tony after she dried him and changed him into a med gown. It took twenty minutes, and during that time she was all too aware of how well developed his muscles had been kept, yet how much mass he seemed to have loss. Often the result of too much exercise and not enough food. Whether Tony had been given the food and hadn't eaten it was another question.
His gills were slightly inflamed, but she didn't touch them. She had no experience in that area at all, despite her attempts at getting him to let her examine him for just such instances. There were some inflamed scratches on his chest that looked suspiciously like they came from a human hand, she applied an ointment and let it do its work.
She'd stared at his pants, which where glistening in the overhead lights. The base of them looked tailored to specifically be shredded, no doubt extremely annoying whenever they contacted his ankles. As an afterthought she scratched her own and paused, thinking about the action. She recalled the amount of times these last three months, that she had felt a tickle on her leg, but she wasn't sure if these two instances were connected. Could she have been picking up the annoying sensation from him? She wasn't sure.
She stood and stared at Tony for a moment, and finally let her worry show. Three months he'd been going through God knows what, all because of his gills. If he had it his way she, and everybody else, would never fully know. Yet despite that she felt things would be okay, it would take time of course, but it would be okay. Now, she needed to focus more on his apparent psychic abilities that had apparently come forward within his time in that scientific prison. She'd known he'd had the abilities, but they were weak and highly undeveloped, however; Dagwood seemed certain that Tony had purposely manipulated his memory somehow. It was so much to think about all at once, she needed some time to herself.
Calling the Captain and Lucas back in she noticed that Commander Ford followed them, his face more worried than theirs, as if he had more of an idea of what happened to Tony. She watched him carefully a moment, and when he picked up on her gaze he just nodded grimly. She'd have a talk with him later too.
They helped her move Tony's short but heavy slumbering form, now completely dry, onto a bed and wrapped him in blankets. He didn't move. Lucas took a chair and sat down on his right side, gently pulling out his arm so he could hold his hand. Though none of them knew exactly what was going on they were going to consider Tony as sick and recovering. Lucas stared at his best friend and roommate sadly, but didn't say anything. In general agreement by all in the room Wendy pulled the curtain and left the two alone. She followed Bridger and Ford into her office and they spoke for an hour over what Ford thought had happened. By the end they determined that Tony had been held as a pet that was experimented on, but they didn't know how. Two days later it would become apparent that there was not one word of information left in Miner's computer about what they did to Tony. And Tony had woken up, moved back to the room he'd shared with Lucas, and promptly fell asleep again.
Darwin wasn't saying anything about the large assortment of animals that Tony had been in just before his return to the ship and everything was getting back to normal.in a manner of speaking. Lucas was very tight lipped about his feelings and he spent as much time with Tony as his duty shifts allowed. The crew was happy with his return and at the one appearance he'd made to the mess hall had him in high spirits and greeting everyone with his usual open and joking manner. Except for his obvious tiredness he was obviously okay. When asked what happened he'd given the speech of "they put me in tanks of water and basically watched me breath. A couple of x-rays happened, a few examinations.nothing short of what the UEO did his first time around." That comment had seemed to bother Lucas and Dagwood but nobody else seemed to notice the comparison, not even Wendy. Though whether she missed it because of Tony's interference or her own lack of perception shall remain unsaid.
Now it was two weeks later and Tony was almost at full energy level again, which meant he was already more restless than any member on the crew. At his insistence he'd been put back to work and was happy, but Lucas wasn't. He watched Tony as much as he could, and being the only person that really lived with the man, he was the only person privy to the silent gasp of fear that constantly woke his friend in the middle of the nights. And he was the only one privy to seeing Tony slip out the door to go and swim with Darwin for an hour.
Lucas had been in turmoil since Tony got back, but not because of his feelings of guilt at his lack of concern to his friend's disappearance in the first place. He'd had a long talk with Tony about that, and the man had stated quite firmly that he deceived the entire crew to the best of his abilities, which meant that Lucas had nothing to feel guilty about, and the fact that he'd been apart of Tony's search and fumbled rescue was more than the man could have ever hoped for in a friend. That had settled Lucas's doubts in himself as a friend, but what it hadn't settled was why Tony had set out to deceive them in the first place.
It was apparent that he'd gone willingly with Miner, at least at first, but nobody knew why he'd gone to such great lengths to deceive them. Tony hadn't come out and said it, despite the questions directly asked, but he had dropped the hint that Miner held something over his head, and that it wasn't based solely on Tony. Lucas had figured, right off the bat, that it had something to do with a threat against the crew of SeaQuest, but apparently nobody would ever know because Tony didn't give any other information about it.
The problem was that Lucas knew more than anybody else, and he was afraid. He was afraid he'd lose his friend if he asked him for the truth. He was afraid of hurting his friend, but in the end his need for the answers drove him to the moon pool one early morning, to where Tony had recently gone. When he arrived he heard Tony arguing quietly with Dagwood, and Darwin's clicks where in the back ground, ignored by the two men, one artificially bred, the other a fish. Lucas stayed silent a moment and listened, trying to figure out what was going on. It worried him that these two would fight, seeing as Dagwood was the person closest to Piccolo after Lucas.
"Dagwood, you're not making any sense! I didn't erase your memory! How could I?" Piccolo looked nervous despite his insistent words.
"I remember Tony. I know you didn't want to leave, and I know you made me forget so we wouldn't find out what you were doing!" The big man slowly insisted. "I know something else too." He said, almost as if he wasn't sure he should keep speaking. Tony just frowned back at him and waited politely for him to continue, curious. "I know it was you who sang out loud into the water!" Tony's face faltered and Lucas felt his shoulders tense.
"Dagwood, I heard about that but I don't think my vocal cords could quite manage something of that magnitude." He tried to reason but the Dagger shook his head negatively.
"I know it was you Tony. I felt you, in here." He touched his head, and then his heart. "I know you don't want anybody to know, but I understand. You're different from everyone else. I can feel that too. Ever since I met you you've been different from them!"
"Dag, I'm the same as everyone else here! With the exception of my gills I'm perfectly human!"
"But that's the problem." Lucas finally stood out of the shadows and walked forward, joining the two men who looked at him. Dagwood looked startled but Tony seemed as though he'd been expecting him to jump out and announce his presence. Had he known he was there the whole time? Lucas continued with his point, nervously. "You're not like everyone else here Tony, and don't deny it. Not to us. We know you too well." Tony opened and closed his mouth a moment but Lucas trudged on, wanting to tell the man everything he knew about him. Wanting to relieve himself of the guilt of not being honest.
"I know that you have gills Tony. I know that the UEO didn't give them to you."
"Lucas, you're talking nonsense." "I'm not, you don't need to pretend with us Tony. What the UEO did to you, it was inhuman. What Miner did to you was just as much an act against every ethic a person should have!" Lucas looked right into Tony's eyes, he stared into them so deeply that for the first time he could see blue shift and change colours, like ripples on the waters surface, so faint it wasn't normally noticeable, and Tony shifted his eyes away, aware that Lucas had noticed the true hue of his eyes for the first time. Lucas took a breath. "I know that you're not fully human Tony. I know that your gills are natural." Tony stood silent for a moment, thinking hard.
"Why would you think that Lucas?"
"I wasn't sure until I hacked Miner's computer."
"Nothing was retrieved from that computer, he deleted everything." Tony immediately pointed out, there was a feeling of slight panic around the room.
"I didn't get much when I looked at it. He'd just left a sentence that was extremely well hidden. He said 'In this world you only survive as you are, and not as you were not meant to be.' I deleted that too, but I started thinking about what it meant Tony. And these past few weeks you've been so tired and sick, though nobody really knew how sick you were."
"Lucas-" The teenager didn't let him get another word out, as he continued insistently.
"Just like the first time Tony! Nobody recognized how sick you were when you first came aboard SeaQuest. Darwin didn't let you escape through the aqua tunnels because he knew you couldn't take care of yourself, just like he stopped you from trying to swim away when you first came back on board two weeks ago. Because he knew you needed help, and he trusted us to help you the first time. You trusted us the second time. You trusted us to help you, why can't you trust Dagwood and I to help you now?" He saw Tony's eyes furrow in worry, in fear. He frowned. "Tony, we won't hurt you."
"I know that." Tony said sadly. "If I didn't believe it than I would have been off this ship and out of your thoughts a long time ago. It's complicated Lucas, what I am.I " He stumbled for words and sat down, leaning against the tanks wall.
"Tony prince." Darwin spoke up and Piccolo chuckled without humour.
"Umm, I believe Darwin. Tony is a prince of the water." Dagwood stated and sat beside Tony, patting him lightly on the shoulder. Lucas had never really seen Dagwood act so.grown up around them before. "But for now he stays with us, until he has to go back."
"Dagwood, you guys don't understand. I'm not sure if I can stay."
"Don't be stupid Tony, I might be younger than you."
"you have no idea how much younger." Tony mumbled, wiping his hand down his face.
"But I know that the only reason you'd be leaving us is because you're afraid. You're afraid that because we know that you're.some underwater prince of the ocean, that we'll hurt you, like they did." Tony sighed, and spoke quietly.
"I've been around a long time Lucas, I don't even know my real age anymore, but despite how long I have been alive I'm still trying to understand you humans. I'll be the first to admit that my maturity level is sometimes low, but the fact is that I have never, in my entire life, ever trusted people before. Then I started to trust them, to learn about your society because, lets face it, I have a lot in common with you if I leave the water. Then the UEO got me and I didn't think I ever wanted to be around people again."
"But you came to SeaQuest.doesn't that mean you struck a deal with them?"
"Lucas, I'm still learning about how your societies work, especially your technology. One thing I did figure out is that the more you're in the public eye, the more freedom you really have. I got lucky and managed to break in on a reporters interview in the prison, I introduced the world to my gills and the fact that I was an experiment at the correctional facility. Public knowledge from there allowed me to manipulate them enough to create an identity for me, and from there I worked on my freedom. The problem is that here, on the SeaQuest, I've met the people I'd like to know in this world. I've come to understand that what they did was wrong and not how everybody acts. That's the reason I stayed. Miner is just another demonstration of the idiots up here. They're kind of like sharks, the bigger you are the more dangerous you are. Except for the whale shark of course."
Lucas felt the floor grids digging into his knees but he kept his eyes on Tony. He didn't understand what the man was going through, but he did know that right then and there he'd never respected anything as much as Tony Piccolo. He was his best friend, and despite their, now major, differences, he was more determined than ever to keep him around. He wanted to give him hope in people again, he didn't want him to go back to the ocean to.do whatever it was he did.
"Stay Tony. We won't tell. Just, give us a chance to make it up to you." The blue eyes finally met his again, and this time the look was determined and sure, and so old that it took Lucas's breath away. Amazing how eyes, when you really looked, could tell you ones true age.
"Lucas, you have nothing to make up for. Nobody on the SeaQuest does. I know that the people who did those things to me, they act on their own. I am not planning on leaving you yet, there's too much to see to give it up. Besides, you guys are the first real friends, well human friends, I've ever had." He didn't get a chance to finish because Lucas was smothering him with a hug. Apparently Dagwood felt he needed to join in and his strong arms momentarily crushed them both.
"Okay, okay." Tony hissed, trying to get them to back off. "I think I've done enough soul searching and truth telling to last you a life time. I've got to talk to Darwin a moment, so I'll see you guys later." They graciously took the hint and left, then Tony stripped to his boxers and jumped in the water. Darwin swam to him and for a few minutes he floated there, the dolphin leaning against his side.
Lucas and Dagwood now knew, and though it was terrifying to willingly give up his secret, he had to admit he felt better having two people on his side. He felt content, but he'd have to be careful for a while. He was sure Wendy suspected something, and Ford and Brody knew more than they were letting on. Miguel and Tim had appeared just fine, but he suspected that they knew something as well. They were all high quality individuals, and he trusted them enough to stay for a while. He wanted to make sure that they were all kept safe anyway, and he couldn't do that if he wasn't with them.
"Tony sing." Darwin requested but Tony replied negatively and kept floating. His people, or animals he should call them, they had helped him when he needed it. They'd brought him back without question, but at the time he'd felt as if her were abandoning them. He couldn't think of any way to thank them for their aid, though they said they would never have it any other way. He'd felt so free, so powerful and surrounded by beauty when he was in the water. Using the last of his strength he'd called out, to the ocean and every creature in it. He called out to announce that he would always be there for them, that he was free, that he would survive anything. And then he'd headed back to SeaQuest, leaving them in an awed silence. Apparently Dagwood and the entire crew had heard him clearly, but only Dagwood, and now maybe Lucas had figured out that it had been him. You see, the prince of the ocean, as he'd been dubbed century's ago, had returned, he was just making sure that everyone knew it.