I don't want to write one of these things, but this chapter does take a turn for the worse near the end. Sorry for the spoiler but I think it's good to have you guys prepared since it's not really a happy subject. Which is why I switched the rating of this story to 'T' because I decided it's a little mature for young innocent minds. So yeah, don't say I didn't warn you.

Chapter Thirty-one

Cold

The sub arrives the next day as promised. Eagerly, the sub is placed inside the shop. Rex said he wouldn't mind since they have plenty of open shop space for the boys to work on their sub. And work on it they do. The plans are already laid out on tables. Trevor explains to them all what he thinks they should do to it. The others offer insight and their own ideas to the design, making the sub truly theirs. So eager they are to start working, the tools are soon pulled out once the designs are finalized.

First step is demolition. The back panel of the sub along with the rear propellers are removed. The sides near the front of the sub are also removed. The bolts and washers are placed in containers so that they are not lost in the process. Once demolition is complete, they discuss how they will shape and form the sub. They don't have the rebar or any of the supplies they need, but they have to figure out how they are going to build it. Finding supplies can take place on the weekend. For now they have to worry about how they will attach the tail of the sub. Plus there is the matter of Trevor's artificial muscles.

Trevor is set up in a separate part of the shop so he can focus solely on his project. With a few scrap pieces of metal, some simple electronics, and a few nearly dead batteries, Trevor has just enough to create the first prototype of the muscles. It will take some time along with some failed test trials, but once Trevor has his mind set on something, he will work on it until it is perfected.

Without any supplies to work on the tail end of the sub, the boys spend their free time sleeping and relaxing for the next work day. On the weekends they will go out and scour the surrounding places for the gear they need. It is going to be a very long time until their sub is ready, but that gives Trevor plenty of time to perfect the artificial muscles.

After work every day Trevor disappears into the shop to work on his prototype. He returns for dinner only to go back out until he is too tired to carry on.

Finally the weekend arrives. Another journey is made out to the Trade Station. Of course the people at the home wonder what the boys are doing with the rebar and various tools and other pieces of metal. But they don't ask any questions. Everyone has their own secrets and no one wants to pry into other people's lives. Only a world of trouble can come out of getting too involved with other people's lives.

So the weeks start to go by slowly. The sub begins to take shape. The tail extends from the back. A dorsal fin rises up on the top of the sub near the hatch. Fins extend from the sides, and the snout forms in the front. Their new home is taking shape. Little by little it begins to resemble the great white shark they envisioned it to be.

One day Trevor finishes his prototype and invites everyone to check it out. In a small channel of water Trevor places the prototype. He connects some wires to the end of the prototype to a battery, making the connection. The prototype begins to wiggle its way through the channel, meeting the end of it quickly and with ease.

The others congratulate him for his success. It worked better than any of them could imagine. Trevor says it'll be easy to build the real thing but they need a lot of supplies to make it possible. Richard says they'll go out on the weekend and look some more.

A few more weeks pass. Richard's twentieth birthday passes with a very colourful birthday card from Gemma.

Dear Richard,

Happy birthday! I hope you have a fantastic day out on the ocean without me. I miss you lots. Maybe you can come back to the city and we can have some quality time together. What do you say? My treat.

I hope you are doing well out there. It's been so long since we've last seen each other. I miss you more every day.

Happy birthday once more. I hope you have a great day.

Love Gemma

He sets down the letter after reading it for the hundredth time. He misses her so much. It has been almost two years since they've last seen each other. She's fourteen now, a young lady. He wants to be there for her and watch her grow up. She's the last family he has. He doesn't want to abandon her to the world, but then again he has to. He wants her to grow up straight, unlike him. He wants her to have a good future, unlike him. More importantly, he wants her to have a better life, unlike him. He writes a quick letter, saying thanks for the wish and slips in the next set of money, sealing the envelope.

At work, Ace and Richard talk about the next step in their plans.

"We all have to have new identities," Ace says. "We can't go gallivanting around the ocean like us."

"I think Peter's already got that figured out," Richard says and glances over at his friend quickly. Of course as soon as Peter left his uncle, he began to grow out his hair once more. It already reaches his shoulders, providing a nice cover for his scar.

"Names too," Ace says. "It'll be easier that way."

"What types of names?" Richard asks.

"Something simple," he muses. "Something we can all remember."

"Something close to our original names so that way we know who we're talking to," Richard adds.

"And you need to shave your hair," Ace finishes.

Richard sighs. "Again? We've been through this before."

"We have and your hair needs to go." He guts another fish before continuing. "Think about it this way, you'll be able to camouflage better."

Richard groans in approval. "Fine. You can have it your way."

"Have you thought about how you're going to, you know, do it?" Ace asks.

Richard nods. "A little. We'll talk about it after work."

Once they have their chance to talk about it, they slip away from the others and disappear into the shop where the half-finished sub lies under a tarp. The artificial muscles are in place. Now they are working on the fan system in the gills. So far everything seems to be working. In a few weeks they will be ready to leave.

"So," Ace says and jumps up onto a bench, "what's your great idea for pulling this off?"

"I've been thinking about it for a while," Richard says. "To make sure we're all safe, you guys will have darkened dive helmets. That way they won't be able to see who you are."

"And you?"

Richard smiles. "This is where it gets fun. I'll be posing as an albino."

Ace frowns. "Albino?"

Richard nods and holds up one of his arms, making it turn completely white. "They'll see an albino when we're robbing them, but whenever we're not, I'll be looking like this." The white turns into a series of black lines almost like snakes. They cover his entire arm. "They'll be looking for an albino while I'm sitting up top free and easy since no one will recognize me."

Ace's frown turns into a grin. "Nice. Sounds like a foolproof plan. Have you thought of a name?"

"A little bit," Richard replies. "Haven't found one that suits me yet. You?"

Ace shakes his head. "It's harder than you think. Have you heard from the others?"

Richard nods. "Trevor wants his name to be Trilo?"

"What?"

"Trilo," he says again. "Short for Trilobite."

"Oh, okay. Sounds good. Any others?"

He nods again. "Henry's going to be Hatchet, and that's it so far. The others are still thinking."

Ace nods and jumps off the bench. He paces back and forth while looking at the tarp covering the sub. "We need a name for the sub," he says. "Every ship needs a good name. And to top it all off, we need a name for us."

"You mean like a gang name?" Richard asks.

Ace nods. Before he speaks again, he quickly looks around the shop to see if anyone is nearby. No one is. "I've been thinking we should call ourselves the Seablite Gang."

Richard tests out the name, seeing how it sounds. "It's got a nice ring to it."

"I thought so," Ace says. "Do you think it'll do?"

Richard shrugs. "We'll take it up with the others after dinner tonight, see what they think. I think it's pretty good. Have you thought of a name for the sub?"

"A few," Ace admits. "None of them are any good, though. Although one did stick with me."

"And what's that?"

"Specter."

Richard lets the name sink in. "What does it mean?"

"Ghost," Ace replies. "Something that vanishes within a blink of the eye. I think it suits the sub just fine considering it'll be a stealth sub."

Richard nods. "It sounds good. We'll tell the others tonight and see what they think."

Ace nods. "Sounds like a plan then. Let's get something to eat. I'm starving."

Richard nods and follows his friend out of the shop and back to the home. Their discussion was pretty productive. The names are almost done. All they have to do now is think up some names for themselves and finish making the sub.

After dinner the boys retire to the shop and begin to work on the sub once more. They work on the propeller system until it works correctly and to the way they want it. With the way things are progressing, Richard hopes to be ready to leave in two weeks. There are just a few loose ends to tie up before they do. One of the loose ends is called Elsa.

"Why do you need my help?" Peter asks and receives a not too gentle push down the stairs towards the kitchen.

"Because you're the only one who can do this," Richard says. "I don't want you to do this, but Elsa knows too much."

"You want me to make her forget," Peter concludes.

"Just the stuff about the Dark Gifts and the fact that we have one."

Peter sighs and steps into the kitchen. Immediately Elsa is at his side, eager to have a helper. With no chance of escape, Peter is ushered further into the kitchen.

"Turn around," she says. Without allowing him to get a word out, she turns him around and quickly pulls back all of his hair and slaps a hair net over his hair to keep it out of the food. If Elsa is anything, she is fearless.

"There," she says. "Now, you can chop up this celery while I go get the clams."

This is not how things are supposed to go. Peter was supposed to hypnotize her quickly and quietly. And now he's here with his hair tied back, a knife in his hand, and a celery stalk on a cutting board, waiting to be chopped up.

She returns with several cans of clams. She fishes around in one of the drawers and produces a can opener. "When you're done, you can start with the carrot, if you don't mind."

Peter doesn't feel like he has a choice in the matter. No one can say no to Elsa. He looks at Richard, who is still standing in the hallway. He points to Elsa, giving Richard a look of 'help me'. Richard only gives him a thumbs-up and walks away. With no choice but to stay here and help Elsa, Peter begins to cut the stalk of celery.

"You boys have been busy lately," Elsa says as she pulls out a frying pan and sets it down on the stovetop. "Every spare moment you guys seem to have are spent in the shop. What are you guys up to out there?"

Peter continues to cut up the celery and moves onto the carrot. Elsa can also be described as curious, nosy, and annoying. Looks like he has a lot of work ahead of him.

"Not much," he answers. "Just helping Rex out with repairs."

"He keeps you guys busy then," she says.

"Busy enough," he says. He pauses in cutting the carrot and looks to Elsa nervously. Her movements begin to slow and vacant expression begins to cross her face. Peter continues to hypnotize her, using his Gift. When she's in the most susceptible state, he moves closer to her and begins to speak. He talks of forgetting what Dark Gifts are and the fact that Richard and the others have them. He also says that she will also think that the boys are to become prospectors and the things they do in the shop are so they can fix their own subs if they ever need to. He makes her repeat these things to him before bringing her out of the trance.

The vacant expression leaves Elsa's face. She smiles brightly again and returns to preparing the next meal. She begins to talk Peter's ear off once more. Peter rolls his eyes and says nothing, seeing as he can never get a word in when Elsa goes off on one of her rants. That's one thing he should've suggested to her. He should've told her that Richard loves to help her out in the kitchen.

The countdown begins to when they will depart. The sub is completely built. The systems are in place and after a test run, they are completely happy with how silent the sub cuts through the water. The eight births up top on the sub are given those final touches to make the place seem a little more like a home. The padded benches down below are cleaned thoroughly. No one wants to know what sat on those benches previously. Some things are better left unknown. Other simple touches are added to the lower level of the sub such as a punching bag and a dart board. They will add other things to the walls to make it more like a home than a cold piece of metal. For now they are all happy with the way things are progressing.

Other than the finishing touches to give the sub personality proper dive gear and supplies are added to their rightful places. Food is stuffed away in the galley along with fresh water. It took them many weeks to gather all of the dive gear. Most of the food they have is specially prepared for people who go down in the ocean for longer periods of time, meaning their food does not spoil easily.

With everything packed away, all they have to do now is think up of a name for the sub as well as a few more names for themselves. Kyle comes up with his own name which is very close to his real name, Kale, a slang term for money. Eli becomes Eel after realizing that there's a specie of electric eel out in the world. He feels that his Dark Gift of electromagnetic pulse gives him a connection with the electric eel. Peter becomes Pretty. Of course the others ask him 'why Pretty'? He replies that ever since he started growing his hair out, Eli has been calling him pretty boy. Pretty just decided to stick. Ace and Richard still haven't decided on final names. Both don't know what to call themselves. It's hard to think of a name that suits them.

On one of the last nights at the home, Richard and Ace stay up late, talking of the final preparations for they hope to leave in three days.

"The sub is ready," Ace says and stretches out on one of the couches. "All of the gear is in place along with all of the supplies. Everyone has their name expect us and the sub still needs a name, but other than that, everything is ready."

"Have you thought of name yet?" Richard asks.

Ace shakes his head and yawns. "Not yet. Maybe tomorrow but I've got nothing. You?"

Richard shakes his head too. "Not yet. Nothing fits me, you know?"

"I know," Ace says. "By the way, you still have to cut your hair."

"And you still have to stop reminding me," Richard says. "I'll get it done."

"You better."

Silence descends in the room. Both are tired and stressed out from the past few months of preparation. Hopefully all the cuts, bruises, lost sleep and tense shoulders will be worth it.

"Just a few more days," Ace says. "A few more days and we'll be out in the ocean."

Richard nods while yawning. "It'll feel good to be out of here."

Ace agrees with his friend and yawns. "I think I'm going to go to bed now. Work tomorrow."

"Right," Richard says and pushes himself to sit up. That took a lot effort than he thought it would. Finally he is on his feet; swaying a little since he is quite tired. "Goodnight."

"Yeah," Ace says from where he still lies on the couch. "Goodnight." After a moment he adds, "Sweet dreams." They both have a bitter laugh about that since neither has had a 'sweet dream' in quite some time.

Richard finally goes down to his room and collapses on the bed. The one thing he will miss of the home is his room. He's enjoyed the space he has been allowed to have for nearly two years. On the sub he'll be back to living in cramped quarters with six other friends. But would he have it any other way? To be honest, no. He wouldn't have it any other way.

Next morning the boys are in much better spirits than they have been in, well, years. They eat their breakfast together and begin to make their way to the sub for work. One person, however, is missing. Ace.

"Maybe he slept in," Henry says. "He didn't look so good yesterday."

Richard nods and heads back for the home. "I'll get him." He runs down the stairs and heads to Ace's room. He knocks on the door loud enough to wake the dead. No response. He knocks again and receives no response.

"Ace," he calls out, "time to get going. The sub will be leaving soon." Still no response.

Fed up, Richard opens the door. The room is dark. "Ace, get up already," he says and flicks on the light. Ace is still in bed, sleeping perhaps. Richard sighs and goes up to his friend, shaking him roughly. "Ace, enough fooling around. We've got work to do." Ace still does not wake up. Frowning, Richard touches Ace's hand real quickly only to gasp as he feels how cold it is, like ice.

"Ace?" Richard calls out softly this time. His friend shouldn't be like this. He's too still. Something is wrong. Then he notices that Ace is not breathing and there's an empty pill bottle on the dresser.

Oh that was so depressing. The reason why is so you can see that final push that turns Richard into Shade. So yeah... hopefully I didn't ruin your happy, little bubble.