Spring break for me is this week, so why not celebrate it by posting a new chapter of Death on the Water? As we near the end game, the chapters will get longer (If you guys are ok with that sort of thing). We also get our first actual major character death, so be warned.
It was now January, and Hercules found himself going Up River one evening. He received word from one of Starr's secretaries that Big Mac had gotten into an accident and needed to be repaired. The other tugs could manage just fine, but Hercules was needed to assist in contracts that the other tugs had difficulty with.
As he was sailing up, he found himself getting stuck. His one weakness was the river, as his draft made it difficult for him to properly navigate without getting stuck. He tried to back out, but that would cause damage to his hull. As he struggled, he spotted a shape in the distance and flashed his light. Seeing what it was, he sighed a breath of relief.
"Say mister, ya need a hand?" Billy asked, trying to be polite. It was very rare for him to see Hercules, let alone anyone larger than Zorran. "These waters aren't made for you ocean going folk. Say, what does Captain Starr need you all the way up here? Especially since these waters aren't made for you and all." He shot forth a tow rope, and tried to secure the large ocean tug.
"Well…" Hercules was incredibly embarrassed to say the least, and his cheeks went pink. Especially since he didn't like this weakness being so casually pointed out. "Captain Starr's secretary asked me to come up and assist. Here-" He quickly shot forth his own tow ropes, and assisted Billy in making sure that he was secure.
"Yeah Big Mac blew his engine big time." Billy sighed, thanking Hercules for his help. "Something about trying to take on something the Zeds threw at him. Or whatever happened when he got hit. I wish I could've helped him, but the Navy took away my dynamite!" His voice showed anger, something that was uncommon with the alligator tug.
"The Navy, confiscate your dynamite?" Hercules was intrigued. He felt Hades panic, and he tried his best to get those feelings to leave. "I know the Fire Authority and the Munitions Company get leery each time you use that stuff but the Navy… that is most unusual. Reminds me of the times human soldiers stole weapons from others."
"Bluenose got shut up by his boss, and possibly for good." The alligator tug said, getting a stare from the ocean tug. "She was getting nowhere with the whole reaper thing, so she had to do it to him-"
"Not surprised in the slightest." Hercules interrupted. However, something wasn't right. If Bluenose was indeed disposed of, would the feelings of impending death come up? Or was it a ruse to lure him? "It seems Timberwolf is getting desperate to get any sort of information. Her reputation is on the line, yet she blames the reaper for it."
"Heh I believe ya alright." Billy chuckled, now positive again. "Sounds like that woman needs to get sent back to her port. To be honest, I liked it when Bluenose was in charge. I don't know if you disagree with me, but I think he was more humane."
There were times where Hercules was tempted to send Bluenose to a watery grave, but Billy had a point. He knew that Bluenose would not go that far to subdue such a threat like Hades, or even Johnny Cuba for that fact. What Timberwolf was doing felt so… wrong. He now had every reason to be furious at the Navy.
Billy decided to focus on the main task of getting Hercules unstuck, but getting that was not as easy as it looked. Hercules was massive after all, and so Billy struggled. Hercules then applied some of his engine power to try and assist, and after a while, he was freed. After a long trip, Hercules quietly thanked Billy and slipped through before falling asleep.
The next morning, Ten Cents and Sunshine woke up to find Hercules moored at one of the docks close by. This caught them by surprise, and they hurried over to see what had happened. "Hercules, what're you doing up here? You aren't even made for rivers!" Sunshine gasped, trying to process what he was seeing.
"Apparently Captain Starr asked me to come up here to assist you. Big Mac damaged his engine, or so I heard." Hercules replied, being honest. It was useless to lie around the switchers, especially after everything that happened. "Billy helped tow me, and told me many things. Listen, do you two know what happened to Bluenose by any chance? Billy said that Bluenose was-"
"He told you about Bluenose?" Sunshine asked. "He actually got sent through shakedown! Billy thought Timberwolf blew him up, but the Munitions Company bought him!"
Hercules chuckled at the irony before asking, "Who told you?" That made a lot more sense, especially since he didn't get the impression that there was death in the harbor. However, something still wasn't adding up.
"That would be me." Bluenose sailed over, his Navy hat replaced with with a plain black cap. His grey Navy colors were also done away, now replaced with a blue color scheme similar to Sea Rogue's. "Timberwolf discharged me from service and had the Navy put me up for sale. It's disgraceful, but-"
"No buts." Hercules said, trying to wrap his head around what Timberwolf had done. " You still had many years left of service in the Navy sweetie. How long does Timberwolf have anyway?"
"Sweetie?! I'm not your wife!" Bluenose snapped, prompting giggles from Ten Cents and Sunshine. "Timberwolf is supposed to be retired in a few months anyway, and she wants to retire in style. However, more vessels are becoming aware that she takes bribes."
"So that's why she took Billy's dynamite!" Sunshine exclaimed. "Has she tried taking away items from the Munitions Company?"
"As far as I know, no." Bluenose replied, shaking his head. "Say, aren't you three supposed to be doing something? You might be late!" Ten Cents and Sunshine chuckled and hurried off, leaving Bluenose and Hercules behind.
It was getting close to the evening, and Hercules was sailing back to the dock after a long day of work. The other Star Tugs were surprised to see Hercules so far up, but they appreciated his help. As he sailed on, he heard something and went quiet at once. There, near the pier, were two men walking along. Based on their outfits, they worked at one of the repair facilities close by.
"Some Navy boat came in the dead of night and struck Big Mac. Poor Mac got his engine damaged in the process." One man said, not noticing that Hercules was watching them. "I noticed some blue paint on the guy's body too. We don't usually see the Navy so far up here too, so it's definitely off."
"What makes you say that?" The other man asked, raising an eyebrow. "I know the tugs have lines and shoot them up like tentacles. However, that's goin' too far. How would it know where to hit?"
"Exactly! That's why Mac was rammed first before his engine was sabotaged!" The first man smiled, feeling proud of himself. "Come on, let's get something to eat before we head home."
Hercules was left with more questions than ever before. Sabotaged? By someone in the Navy? The only Navy tug who was up here was Bluenose, and he was turned into a civilian tug! Unless...
The ocean tug soon felt Hades' presence, and he could tell how lost in thought the other was. "Something tells me it is a trick." He hissed, piercing the deepest pits of Hercules' being. "A ruse you will, to get you in a corner you cannot get out of. And I do not want us to get stuck in that situation."
"How? I may need to lie low, but someone might be observing our actions." Hercules mentally replied, now sailing away from the pier. "Even then, the Navy might send more spies if one fails their mission! I don't want you, us to be destroyed!"
"Wouldn't killing them all suffice? After all, your sense of justice is stronger than even their mightiest ships." Hades purred. "Maybe not all, but most prefer fame over what is actually needed. Give the spy time, they'll show themselves eventually."
Hercules hummed at the suggestion, the desired dock in sight. "Now stay low for a little while. I do not want any tricks." He said, the nagging feelings for vengeance fading away. He was pleased to see his friends, but now, more than ever, was to make sure they were all kept safe.
Hercules was working hard, and took his time to catch up on what was happening Up River. Ten Cents and Sunshine introduced him to Boomer, the Unlucky Tug. He also mingled with some of the leisure boats who called this place home. However, he couldn't help but notice that he was being watched by Bluenose, who sometimes tried to get too close for comfort. Hercules dismissed it as Bluenose falling back to old habits, but it was starting to get bothersome. He kept low though, keeping Bluenose away.
One snowy afternoon, Hercules was taking a break after doing a lumber contract in Mittsville. He was about to go to sleep when Ten Cents steamed up to him. "Hey Herc!" The switcher greeted. "Taking a quick snooze I see? Lazy bum!"
"Me, lazy? Ha I'm the one doing all the long distance contracts!" Hercules teased, letting out a chuckle. "Don't get your hopes down darling, I can make these contracts simple."
After a moment of thinking, Ten Cents quietly asked, "So this has been on my mind for a little while, especially after the whole thing with Columbus. How did you know you could become Hades anyway?"
"How I became Hades? Ten, this story goes a long ways. You're familiar with Honda Point, right?" Hercules asked, frowning. This subject was very difficult to speak about, and he had only told this to Grampus.
"I know some ships ran aground, but that's about it. Why?" The switcher replied, wondering why his friend was asking such a thing.
"Honda Point was when the Navy made themselves the laughingstock of the whole world." Hercules replied. "The ships that ran aground were Navy destroyers. They lost an entire fleet of them too."
"An entire fleet?" Ten Cents asked, eyes widening. "How do you and Hades fit into all of this anyway? Were you at the port or happened or-"
Hercules sighed and began his story. "It all started a few days after the incident happened. I was a bit of a fireball during my younger years, but I started getting mature."
-1923-
Hercules was sailing down from his home port in San Francisco to Lompoc, wondering what exactly the Navy needed him for. His interactions with them were only negative, leading him to worry that he was going to be tried. Or the Navy had gotten desperate and needed him. Either way, it left him confused. As he sailed on, he found his answer.
Several Navy destroyers bobbed above the ocean waves, all in various states of death and near-death. Hercules was used to seeing many things come in and out of port, but this made those encounters a cake walk! He tried to keep a cool head, but it was difficult to not lose it. He had to quickly sail away, as he would have certainly broken down in tears. When he arrived at port, he spotted several Navy tugs. One of the tugs, who was larger than the rest, spotted Hercules at once.
"Ah, there you are Hercules!" The Navy tug said, blowing his hooter to greet the ocean tug. "I take it your journey went smoothly yes?"
"Went smoothly sir. However my charts were affected due to the quake in Japan." Hercules replied, straightening up. "The destroyers sir, what is to happen to them?"
"We have contracted a scrapper, but they have not sent anyone as far as I know. However, there is a more pressing matter we need to discuss." The Navy tug replied, looking right into Hercules' eyes. "We have received reports of a rogue ship spotted near one of the destroyers. However, the fog has made it very difficult for eyewitnesses to get a good description of it."
"So instead of sending one of your stronger vessels to take this ship on, you send me?" Hercules was befuddled. And furious. "What makes you think such an idea could work? Especially since we don't know what this ship is like and what it does."
"Some of our stronger tugs are not in fine shape, but you are." The Navy tug calmly replied, having taken on many tugs like Hercules during his years of service. "You can put your temper to good use and scare the ship into submission. If that's what you prefer."
"Anything to stop crime would do. I prefer it done by my own terms though." Hercules said, still defiant. "I'll help you out, but if I can't do it, you're on your own." With that, he headed to the nearest port to prepare and refuel. The Navy tug was speechless, but soon went his own way.
That evening, Hercules sailed on into the night. He heard rumors from other ships in port of how the ship would go out at night to avoid detection. Perhaps by doing so, he might catch his opponent by surprise. The journey to the wreck uneventful, and Hercules took his time to familiarize himself with what he was about to do. He heard the twisting of metal, and headed towards one of the capsized destroyers.
He flashed his light, and was befuddled by what he saw. Right near one of the wrecked destroyers was a fishing boat. "Gotten lost sweetheart?" He asked, his voice calm. After all, he wanted to lull the other into a false sense of security. "Come on, I'll take you to port."
The fishing vessel hissed, and the area started to get foggy. "No, you need to leave! I have business to attend to!" She replied, showing fear in her voice. "It's getting awfully dangerous for someone like yourself!"
"Business hm? If business involves fishing near Navy vessels, that is a poor business decision." Hercules huffed, his polite demeanour now changed. Now he had to use bigger cards to get her to surrender. "Or are you doing something more sinister? I've seen vessels like you be used for criminal activity."
The fishing vessel panicked, surprised Hercules saw through her ruse. She tried to look for an escape route, the fog getting thicker to where Hercules could barely see past his bow. Then, she could make her getaway! Hercules was not phased, and shot forth one of his tow ropes at the fishing vessel. He watched in horror as the rope was shredded. He shot forth another tow rope, but was instead greeted by a horrible sight. The fog unravelled, revealing that the fishing vessel was painted maroon. Her face showed anger and malice, eyes glowing a fiery red.
"You are making this difficult for everyone. I am doing the Navy a favor by letting their dead and dying pass on peacefully!" She snapped, but her voice wasn't her own. It shook the core of Hercules's soul, but the tug was determined to not let the fishing vessel get away.
"Hun, you're only doing yourself a favor." Hercules replied. "Now cut your engine and come with-argh!" The fishing vessel shot forth one of her own tow ropes, but due to the accuracy of the hit, struck Hercules on the nose!
The normally calm and cool-headed ocean tug was now furious. Blood was trickling down his face, and the water around him was boiling to where even the fishing vessel was uncomfortable. The only way to subdue the vessel at this point was force, and fortunately Hercules had plenty of steam to do such a thing. Perhaps a single charge would do, as he knew that would get most vessels limping. The fishing vessel inched back nervously, but something inside her urged her to charge as well and be done with it. She was about to make her move when-
Wham!
The fishing vessel screamed in agony to where her voice went hoarse, feeling her body crack due to the force of the charge. Hercules quickly dislodged himself from her hull, revealing a massive hole near her bow. The fishing vessel looked up at the ocean tug in terror and fear, her vision slowly fading to nothing more than the fog fading away. As she slipped under the calm ocean waters, she curved her lips into a grin.
Hercules, satisfied with what he had done, was getting ready to head back to the dock to let the Navy know what happened. However, the smile on the fishing vessel's face disturbed him. Was she demanding death, even if her actions clearly did not show it? Or was something causing her to act like this, to sail out at night? He put those worries aside and hurried home, struggling to stop the wound from getting infected.
-Present Day-
"So that was it? Was Hades taking control of the-" Ten Cents was about to ask when he was hushed by Hercules. "How did you exactly meet Hades anyway?"
"I didn't know that the fishing vessel was being controlled by Hades at the time." Hercules explained, gesturing to Hades grinning in the water below. "It wasn't until a few days after the confrontation with her that he first started showing up in my head."
"Showing up?" The switcher was now concerned. "Are you two separate guys sharing a body? Or am I missing something here?"
"Hades is his own being. However, he'll really reveal himself under dire circumstances. Usually he takes control of me to reap souls or fight when needed." Hercules explained, getting nervous.
"I take it you're uncomfortable with sharing that bit." Ten Cents remarked, noticing Hercules tense up. "Are you sure you want to tell the rest of your story, or can you-"
"If you have a being introducing itself by suddenly appearing in your head, it drives you mad." Hercules simply answered. "I didn't go mad, but I was driven to the point of madness on several occasions. That is all you need to know, I do not want to traumatize you."
Ten Cents frowned, but Hercules had a point. He was simply too young to understand such things, and trying to even think of what his friend went through would give him nightmares for days. He sighed and said in a quiet voice, "Thanks Herc. For telling the story. It kinda gives me closure as well."
"Don't gush it out my little angel." Hercules chuckled, playfully nudging the switcher. "In fact, I'm feeling quite chipper since telling you the story. Come on, let's get back before the sun sets."
Ten Cents nodded, and the two tugs sailed back to the port. Big Mac was back, meaning that he was successfully repaired. This meant that Hercules would now have to go back to Bigg City until he was needed again or until spring had come.
That evening, Hercules was sailing out of the dock Up River towards the main way back to Bigg City. All was quiet it seemed, but Hercules felt he was being followed. He turned on his light, and moved cautiously as to not draw attention. Then, out of the blue, he noticed something coming in the opposite direction.
He blew hooter to let whatever it was know what was about to happen. As the shape got closer, he was caught by surprise. "Bluenose, what are you doing at this time of night?" He asked.
"I'm sorry Hercules, but I was patrolling. Really hard to kick the old Navy habits out you know." Bluenose replied. "What are you doing here?"
"Heading home." The ocean tug replied. "Say, you know about what happened to Big Mac? I was very curious about the whole thing, so it might be best to ask you."
"Big Mac was struck in a collision by the Zeds! I was just sailing up to the Munitions Company at the time to start a new civilian life." Bluenose answered. "Is something wrong?"
"Well, it's that I overheard a conversation a few days ago." Hercules replied. "One man said that Big Mac was struck by a Navy vessel and his engine was damaged. The give away was the paint on the dent."
"Nonsense!" Bluenose retorted. "I was sailing up here at the time of the collision! You're making stuff up!" However, he was sweating nervously. "What makes you think I intentionally sabotaged Big Mac, huh?"
Hercules noticed a patch of paint on Bluenose's bow, but it looked sloppily done. Perhaps there was more than what Bluenose was willing to tell him. He squinted and noticed that there was a considerable dent, but the paint did a good job at hiding it. Immediately, his temper started to flare, making it hard for him to remain calm. "Did Timberwolf send you up here to try and trap me?" He spat, his voice becoming cold and harsh. "Did she?" With that, he rammed into Bluenose!
"Yes yes, she did! She was getting tips from an anonymous source that somehow you were tied to the Grim Reaper case!" Bluenose replied, fearing for his life. He hissed in pain and tried to limp forward, but the dent was starting to become more obvious. "She sent me up here to try and coax you so that way we could detain you for questioning. Please, spare me!"
"Sparing you won't be beneficial to anyone but Timberwolf herself. You're simply just a pawn in her game." Hercules bluntly said, striking the Navy tug again. "Who told Timberwolf exactly? Tell me!"
Bluenose went silent, refusing to let the name escape his lips. The area around him started to become increasingly foggy, and suddenly- "GAH!" Bluenose found himself being frozen, watching as the ice imprisoned him. He was now subject to whoever was doing this, as he knew that movement would lead to serious damage.
Hercules had disappeared, only for Hades to take his place. The maroon tug hissed and let out a few puffs of smoke, which slowly slinked around the Navy tug before slicing his eyes. Bluenose howled in pain, and tried to shoot out his lines. However, they had become frozen solid. Within minutes, the smoke wrapped around Bluenose and started to crush him.
"Would you like to tell me who told Timberwolf? Or would you rather get decimated by things you can't even see?" Hades asked, smiling at the other's suffering.
"Never..." Bluenose mumbled, too weak to properly speak without feeling pain. "I would rather die a free man than to suffer." His body started to crack due to the pressure the smoke was putting on it, and eventually it shattered. Bluenose was no more.
Hades immediately turned back into Hercules, and he went to work making sure the fragmented remains were unrecognizable to other vessels and humans. Then, he quietly headed for home.
Word of Bluenose's disappearance spread quickly through Bigg City and the surrounding area, but he was never found. Because of the circumstances of the disappearance, many believed that a munitions accident led to Bluenose's demise.
At the Star Dock, Hercules was getting ready to go out into the open ocean. He was to go assist in handling distress calls, as floating ice could pose a risk to smaller ships. He just shook off some ice when he spotted Ten Cents.
"Hey Herc!" The switcher smiled, steaming up to his friend. "You heading to the sea again?"
"Yes. Floating ice means risk for smaller vessels in the area." Hercules answered. "I swear one of these days we need an icebreaker ship. I know some countries use them when dealing with ice."
"I take it we aren't as advanced as them." Ten Cents replied, mimicking Hercules' voice. "Teasing, teasing! Anyways, how have you been holding up?"
"Just fine. No need to fuss over me anyways." Hercules chuckled, shaking his head. "Just be sure to stay on top of things. And do what you feel is best!" With that, Hercules left the Star Dock.
Author notes:
The Honda Point disaster was one of the most major naval disasters in American history. An entire fleet struck rocks due to a navigation error, but a few managed to break free. The rusted hulls of the other ships are still there.
The decision to kill off Bluenose was on a whim. I originally decided that he would be retired for good, but I chose to kill him off after playing around with the possibility that he be used by Timberwolf.
6/4 edit- I fixed up some grammatical errors!