Chapter One

"Marissa, the beautiful Ice Princess, glided over to the two young rogues. 'Young men?' She asked, 'Why were you trespassing on my palace grounds?' The two young rogues looked up into her gorgeous face and one said--"

"I'm tired of this game. I want to be a king." Linus scowled up at Marissa from where he knelt. Max looked at his two new friends sighed as they started bickering. He liked both of his friends but Linus and Marissa had trouble getting along together. Suddenly, out of no where, Lavagirl appeared. The two stopped fighting and stared at the beautiful flaming girl before them. But something was different about her, Max noticed. Her hot pink hair hung limp and her eyes were full of tears. Some spilled over onto her cheeks, however they sizzled and evaporated.

"Max, you've got to help me." She said as more tears fell.

Max walked up to her, Marissa and Linus close behind.

"What's wrong, Lavagirl?" Max asked, concerned.

"It's Sharkboy. Something's happened to him. He's disappeared."

"What? What happened?" Max sounded anxious.

"I was talking to him on the phone and the line got all fuzzy and I heard something in the background that sounded like a crash and we lost contact. I need your help to find him. Please?"

Marissa and Linus stepped up. Marissa spoke, "Can we come too?"

"Yes, yes, of course. Just please say you'll come and help me."

Max smiled at her. "Of course we'll come."

000000

Sharkboy awoke at the bottom of the ocean. He had put on his breather right before his sub went down so he took a deep breath and shook his head groggily. Suddenly he jerked up. Lavagirl! She's was going to be so worried. She would probably cry. Sharkboy smiled. He would like to see Lavagirl cry for him. He stood and surveyed his surrounding. He knew that he was far from Australia. If he could just get up there . . . he started swimming. Living with sharks had its advantages. He popped up out of the water and looked around. He saw land and struck out for it. When he was three-quarters of the way there he spotted a boat coming towards him. He rolled his eyes. That's just what I need, he thought. Someone to think I'm crazy and put me in a loony bin. As the person in the boat got closer, Sharkboy could see that it was a kid not much older than himself.

"Hey," the kid called. The boat came alongside Sharkboy. "Are you all right?"

Sharkboy grunted. The boy sounded funny, like he had a weird accent. He wondered if the boy was from Australia.

"You're pretty far away from land." The boy tried again.

Sharkboy grunted again.

"Get in, I'll take you to shore."

Sharkboy sighed and hoisted himself up into the boat. The boy gasped when he saw Sharkboy's fin sticking out from the middle of his back.

"Yes it's real and no I'm not a monster." Sharkboy said then muttered under his breath, "'though some would argue that last fact."

"Cool!" The boy smiled. He had an interesting smile. His brown eyes lit up and his freckled cheeks widened showing slightly crooked white teeth. He was kind of good looking with a thick head of brown hair and wire-rimmed glasses on a slightly turned up nose. The fear of the strange boy in front of him seemed to be wearing off. "So, are you half-boy half-shark?"

"Yeah."

"Awesome! You have to meet my brother. He doesn't believe in things like this. My name is Danny, by the way. My brother's name is Tucker but I call him Tuck. What are you called?"

"Sharkboy, obviously."

"Of course."

The boy started the engine and the boat started towards the line of sand in the distance.

"What is this place called anyway?" Sharkboy asked.

"North Island, New Zealand."