Author's Notes:
I'm not entirely sure of this or not, but I think I've been spelling Author's incorrectly. Wouldn't I want to spell it as Authors' Note to show possession? Or something? Oh well, I've done it for ten chapters now, and no one's been complaining so I guess it doesn't matter.
Welcome one and all to another thrilling chapter of a fanfiction with an original character in it. I was to thank each and every one of you for your love and support, or if you hate it, your hatred and rejection. Either way, I still enjoy you reading the story.
Not much to say in the beginning, remember to write a review if you want to. If you have any questions or suggestions, PM me, I'll make sure to get back to you on whatever you may ask.
So... yeah, let's go.
You couldn't tell where the gray skies ended and the gray seas began. Clouds swirled in a tumult of stormy air above while blue-gray waves swirled below, crashing into the side of the iron-gray freighter as it rode the swells. Lighting cracked across the sky as thunder rumbled with heavy rains pouring down on the deck. Three crewmen stumbled about, struggling to secure a tarp over a group of several dozen 55-gallon drums; two other such collections had already been covered. At the helm, the captain steered the steadiest course possible under the circumstances as waves broke on the bow and wind threatened to pull the sheeting out of the men's hands.
As one more wave crashed onto the deck, one of the barrels tipped over and rolled across the deck, only to stop when a booted foot came down on it. When it stopped, the crewmen could see it marked with the universal symbol for radiation hazards. "Watch it!" The captain's voice shouted through the decks' loudspeakers, "Any of that toxic junk goes into the bay, we're all in deep trouble!" He finished before the crew-members carefully rolled the overturned barrel back with the rest.
Clambering its' way up the side of the ship, a silhouette, reptilian in figure with glowing yellow eyes, hung in front of a window that led to the helm before lifting a long trident. On deck, the men were still struggling to get the waste squared away. However, an explosion from around the corner of the wheelhouse, followed by the walls and windows blowing out, caught their attention as they turned to see what just transpired.
Having ruined the interior of the ships' helm, the silhouette slowly approached the captain, who was sprawled on his back due to the explosion. "Who… or what are you?" The captain struggled to ask as he looked up at the figure.
The creature took a few steps before responding, "I am excellence. I am perfection. I am Trident!" The silhouette, referring to itself as Trident, boasted as he raised his weapon into the air. A flash from the three-pronged spears' points illuminated him fully, exposing his body; covered in green scales, except for his chest, hands, and face, and black vein like lines coming from the edges of his gray face toward the center and a whisker coming from the edges of his mouth in a downward angle. His chest was the same color gray as his face, looking much like plated armor that reached down his torso and stopping at his waist.
The light from the spear flashed to intensely for the captain, causing him to cry out as he shielded his eyes with his arm from the sudden flare. When the light died, the captain moved his arm away to see that the creature that stood in front of him had disappeared.
The storm finally took a turn for the worse and began bombarding the ship with more and more waves. On the port side, the waves spilled across the deck, carrying the creature up with them. In its' hands it held a large clamp with a cable attached to it.
"Hey!" One of the crewmen yelled as the creature attached the device to the railing before diving over the side. The men on the ship were caught by surprise when they faced starboard and saw the same reptilian creature latching another device on the side of the ship before leaping into the bay.
"He's everywhere!" Another working hand cried out as they barely had time to look toward the stern before seeing the same figure place another clamp there as well.
Staggering and groaning, the captain crossed the wheelhouse and looked out through the hole in its walls as he braced himself against the blown out metal. After watching the creature dive off the ship, the cables on the clamps pulled taut and started dragging the ship into the bay, stern first.
"Abandon ship! Abandon ship!" The captain ordered as he shouted through the loudspeakers. The panicking crew wasted no time in following this order and barely made it to the life rafts as the bow of the freighter rose higher and higher before finally slipping beneath the waves.
The last the captain and the crew saw of their vessel was when the mysterious creature, silhouetted against flashes of lightning, perched triumphantly atop the prow before disappearing below the surface. The utterly flabbergasted seafarers tried figuring out how they lost their ship and a huge consignment of radioactive leftovers as their rubber craft bobbed radically in the maelstrom.
0-0
After the major storm the night before, the sun was shining beautifully over Jump City the next morning. However, after receiving a call from the coast guards after the recovery of the crewmen who had lost their freighter, the Titans sprang into action and readied themselves for a deep-sea adventure. Unfortunately, the only person well equipped for deep-sea exploration was the resident shape-shifter. Luckily, both Cyborg and Kylar were working on a vehicle suited perfectly for occasions such as this. Having revealed a perfectly crafted submarine, the Titans were ready to take on any threat they might face when below the Earth's surface.
"Begin launch sequence." The masked leader of the team said through a microphone headset. He appeared to be seated in what appeared to be a cockpit with windows protecting him from the outside. "Main power online." Robin added as he pressed several buttons on a panel.
"Oxygen tanks at maximum." Starfire said as she too was seated in a similar looking cockpit as the Boy Wonder with a microphone headset on.
"Defensive systems active." Raven stated as she glanced down at her own controls.
"Navigational equipment fully functional." Kylar said through his headset.
"Twin-turbo hydrojet engine, purring like a kitten." Cyborg commented happily as he spoke through his microphone.
"And your secret weapon is ready to rock." Beast Boy finally stated as he lounged in the chair of his own cockpit.
"Only time you qualify as a secret weapon is after eating a tofu bean burrito." The bionic Titan joked over the headset. These words surprised the little green guy, causing him to flail about in his chair before a vein popped out of his forehead.
"Uh, 'scuse me, bud." The changeling returned over the headset, "Can you breathe underwater? Uh-uh. Can you be any fish in the sea?"
"Uh-uh." Cyborg responded grudgingly as he heard the green teen taunt him from his cockpit.
"Didn't think so." Beast Boy said as he cracked his knuckles.
" Beast Boy's right. His skills are essential to our mission." Robin said, reinforcing the importance of the shape-shifters' abilities. The compliment seemed to have gone to Beast Boys' head as a sight gag showed him blowing a loud raspberry with his tongue flicking out from the headphones to cover the hefty Titan with drool. "We have to find out what this Trident guy is planning. If it takes forty barrels of toxic waste, I doubt it's environmentally friendly." The masked teen added, saying the words from his cockpit over the microphone.
The engines had finished warming up as the entire sub rested on a platform that descended through a water-filled shaft to a horizontal exit tunnel deep below the Tower that shot straight out into the bay. Orange in color, and shaped something like a manta ray with gray trim on the front, back ends of the wings, and the thrusters connected to said wings, along with two greenish-blue cannons situated on the front, the submarine was built large enough to hold the six members of the team. Two cockpits placed in the front, working as co-captains for the entire vessel, three cockpits lined behind, one on each wing and one in the middle, and the final cockpit situated on the tail of the sub. Robin and Cyborg occupied the two cockpits on the bow, Starfire occupied the port side cockpit, Beast Boy in the center, Raven in the starboard cockpit, and Kylar seated in the stern cockpit. All of whom were buckled with a harness that crossed over both of their shoulders to keep them secure in their chairs.
After sliding down level with the passageway, the engines roared to life. "Titans! Launch!" Robin shouted. On his word, the submarine shot out at full force along the chute, steadily gaining speed and pushing every juvenile hero back into his or her seat. The vessel approached a closed hatch, which slid open to reveal the bottom of Jump City Bay.
"WAAAA-HOOOO!" Cyborg whooped as the ship blasted out of the opening and into the blue depths. Whatever waited for the team, surely it would be no match for their combined teamwork.
0-0
As the submarine made its' way through the deep blue depths, it chugged straight through a school of passing fish, disrupting the formation.
"Oooh, wondrous!" Starfire awed as she watched the fish scatter around the vessel.
"If you think they're cool, wait 'til you see me out there kicking butt." The green teen taunted as he raised a fist, "First, I'm going shark." He added before turning his teeth to points and gnashing them together, the sound echoing through each team members' headsets.
In a different cockpit, a robotic finger reached up and pressed a button labeled MIC. Once pressed, the sound of Beast Boys' teeth clicking together was cut off.
Back in the little showoffs' cockpit, the sound of his teeth were softened and sounded very muffled to the rest of the crew. "Hey! What just… is this thing on?" The changeling asked as he tapped on his headset, his dental profile returning to normal. "Hey, cut it out!"
Back to the bionic mans' cockpit, Cyborg pressed the button again, allowing Beast Boys' audio to return to normal, "Goodness me." He said, feigning innocence, "I seem to have accidentally switched off Beast Boy's microphone."
"Could you go ahead and accidentally leave it off?" Raven asked flatly through the headset. The comment caused the same vein in the green teens' forehead to throb again as he shot the mage a dirty look through the glass of their cockpits.
Kylar chuckled lightly before the sound of the sonar caught his attention. He looked at his controls and saw a red dot flashing on his radar display, "Guys, sonar's found something."
"Right, Beast Boy. Ready to go?" Robin asked his green teammate.
"Dude, I was born ready." Said Titan smirked as he removed his headset and unbuckled his harness. "Time to do what I do best. Try not to be jealous." He gloated as he sank through his chair, looking at Raven before exiting the ship through an airlock.
Once exiting the vessel, Beast Boy transformed into a gargantuan green-and-black creature and floated level with the vessel as it peered into the mages' cockpit. "He just put on three hundred thousand pounds. I am so jealous." Raven sarcastically remarked as the massive whale ascended above the sub.
"I thought he was 'going shark.'" Kylar quipped as the green sea creature swam ahead of the sub before transforming into a hammerhead shark. "There he goes."
As the vessel with the remaining Titans followed, the green shark swam toward a wreckage of a freighter at the floor of the bay. "There's our ship," the Boy Wonder said. As they got closer, it became apparent that the substance it was once carrying had vanished long before they got there, "But where's the cargo?"
As the green predator swam along the hull of the wreckage, a set of exterior searchlights shined from the sub to keep a fix on the creatures' position. "If this dude's bad enough to sink a whole ship, those barrels could be anywhere by now." Cyborg stated as the shark swam through an opening in the freighter.
While the hammerhead shark continued its' search, it passed a figure hidden in the murky shadows. The shadow resembled that of a young man who looked after him before swimming up and away through the ship. Outside, the submarine described a slow circle around the wreck, keeping both lights trained on it for any movement.
Inside, another shadowed figure floated by the hull, watching the search for a moment before swimming along the ship's length to the breach.
"Anyone see anything?" Robin asked through the headset as they made another pass of the freighter.
"Just a lot of rocks." Kylar responded as a school of fish swam out of the ship's hull, "And fish, little fish. Sponges."
The team continued their search as the floodlight beams reached another opening in the hull. Just as the lights passed by, a shadowed figure shot out of the hole closely followed by the green shark. "Looks like Beast Boy found Trident." The spiky-haired teen said. They sub pulled away from the freighter to follow the chase, but to their misfortune the second, more menacing figure dropped into their wake and tailed everyone.
A blast from the figures' weapon struck the starboard wing, catching each pilots' attention, "Looks like Trident found us!" Cyborg groaned angrily.
Beast Boy, still as a shark, continued his pursue of the other mysterious swimmer, transforming into a barracuda as he unleashed a burst of speed to close the gap between him and his target, leaving the submarine to face the underwater villain by itself.
The mysterious enemy's shots peppered the water around the vessel, scoring a hit just off the port side of Robin's cockpit. "Kylar! Bring us about! Raven! Get ready to fire!" On his word, the brunette turned his steering wheel sharply, causing the sub to move in a swift U-turn, only to find the water calm and silent after doing so.
"Where'd he go?" The metallic Titan asked as he looked around fervently.
Still unable to find anything, the rest of the team scanned the depths through their own canopy. It wasn't until a blast struck Starfires' glass that the five teens reacted.
"He is there!" The auburn-haired alien gasped as the shadowed figure swam past her cockpit.
"No! That way!" Raven cried as she also spotted their attacker swimming past her canopy.
"Back here!" The black-jacketed Titan yelled as he watched the figure swim over him and disappear behind the vessel.
Finally, the enemy floated in front of the sub where both Cyborg and Robin caught a glimpse of it, "It's him!" The bionic man cried before the figure dove beneath their deep-sea vehicle.
More blasts struck the vessel before the Titans put the pedal to the metal and plowed through the depths in an attempt to escape their attacker. "He can't be in four places at once!" The masked Titan exclaimed, "Head for that-"
The sounds of alarms going off in the cockpits cut the boy off. Cyborg looked down and noticed the screen for the power gauges flashing red, while the power in the battery images depleted drastically. "The engines are fried! We're going down!" He cried as the sub dropped through the depths at an alarming rate.
Back with the chase between the mysterious figure and Beast Boy, the figure quickly turned around and watched as the sub descended far too quickly for its' own good, with their attacker bombarding the stern at will. The figure quickly turned to its pursuer as waves of energy began radiating from the forehead.
'Your friends are in danger.' The voice of the mysterious figure echoed through the mind of Beast Boy, who was now in the shape of a bull shark, when the waves of energy reached him.
'My friends are in what?' The shark asked, completely confused as it stopped its pursuit, 'Whoa! How did you say that? Dude! How did I say that?" The shape-shifter asked. However, he had no time for an answer as he turned toward the scene of his friends plummeting to their doom, 'Hey!' He cried before charging off to rescue his teammates. 'Okay.' The shark quickly morphed into a green swordfish, 'Hero time. This is my big chance to prove I'm the-' Something blue and black flashed past him, catching his attention, '-best?' He looked forward and saw the person he was chasing shoot past him, leaving him in the dust.
The sub, meanwhile, was being used for the villains' target practice. Blazing away, the villainous fish-man was suddenly knocked through the water from a hit from behind. He quickly turned around and faced the one who struck him, a young male teen, roughly around the same age as the Titans; blue scaly skin on his fingers, upper arms, and chest; black scales on his forearms, hands, legs, and neck; along with pure black eyes without whites and long, flowing hair of the same color.
In their attempt to evade their attacker, the Titans found themselves further away from the city coast and now in the ocean as the badly damaged craft dropped into a fissure in the floor. Inside the sub, water began spurting through cracks in the hull, shorting out the controls.
"Main power's down! Hydrojets are toast and we're leaking air!" Cyborg exclaimed as he braced himself in his seat.
"Tell me something I don't know." Robin stated flatly.
"Okay. We're all going to drown." The resident mage deadpanned as the sub descended deeper into the fissure.
As it sank, the outer structure of the sub began creaking, finally giving way to the depths' pressure, "The hull's starting to break," Kylar said as the glass of his canopy cracked, "Any deeper, and the pressure will crush us."
At a nearby rock formation, the blue and black teen slammed against it; back first, as the villainous fish-man approached him. A sudden charge by the young fellow sent both tumbling into the open to grapple a bit before the evil opponent started throwing punches. The longhaired teen dodged each swing before swimming up quickly, then coming down behind his opponent and placing him in a headlock.
The green swordfish quickly zipped past the struggle and dove into the chasm, 'Let Pretty Boy wrestle.' The fish thought before transforming into a squid, 'Only Beast Boy can save a whole submarine.' He dove further, picking up speed, to do just that.
"Titans! Brace for impact!" Robin shouted.
"Oh man!" The bionic teen cried as they fell further and further into the dark chasm and grinded against the wall, causing a massive cloud of dust to float through the water.
At the edge of the fissure, the escaping villain kicked the blue-and-black clad teen down. Looking after him, then down at the impending disaster, the teen focused his mind as he used his telepathic powers to summon two nearby whales.
The Titans' vessel sank faster and faster, as the green squid raced after it. 'I got it, I got it!' Beast Boy exclaimed before the two whales swam past him, 'Huh?' Both sea creatures floated neatly under the doomed vessel and lifted it to the top of the fissure. Beast Boy could only watch in hopeless confusion at the sight. 'They got it? How come they got it?'
'Because I asked for their help.' The young sea teen thought as he floated next to the squid.
'You talk to fish? Yeah, right.' The green squid pouted as it crossed two of its tentacles across its' front.
'I'm talking to you, aren't I?' The pretty boy asked with a friendly smile.
The comment caused a big sweat drop to slide down the squid's head, 'Well, I, uh… technically I'm a squid.' Beast Boy returned.
'It's called telepathy.' The teen explained, 'Follow me.' He finished before swimming away, following the direction of the two whales.
'It's called telepathy.' The green squid mocked in a very snarky tone as a vein throbbed on its' head.
'I heard that.' The blue and black male said, causing the squid to blush in embarrassment.
'Who is this guy?' The changeling thought before following.
0-0
After a very close call, the submarine rose from the water of a large body of water inside an even larger cavern before floating slowly to the shore. Robin and Starfire were the first ones to exit the vessel. Once they touched down on solid ground, both teens looked around in amazement.
"Beautiful." The orange-skinned teen awed as the spiky-haired boy let off a low whistle.
"It's not beautiful!" The two teens heard a disgruntled voice cry out. They turned and saw Cyborg and Kylar next to the damaged vessel, the former standing and rubbing his hands on his head, while the latter knelt on the ground and pounded his right fist against the rocks, "It's totaled! Aw, man, I never even got to use the seismic blasters!"
"So much money went into getting those parts… And for what?" The brunette sighed sadly.
Raven debarked the sub and floated to the shore, "Where are we?" She asked once she touched down and looked around.
"My place." A voice echoed throughout the cavern. All five Titans turned their heads and faced the water where the blue and black clad teen from before rose to the surface on the back of a beaching whale. Jumping high and far, he landed on the shore as the marine mammal submerged again. "I told the whales to bring you here." The pretty boy admitted as he approached the cloaked girl.
"Okay… uh… thanks." The sorceress blushed as she turned away from the handsome male.
"Oh, yes, truly, truly, thank you so much for saving us." Starfire popped up next to the young swimmer, also blushing deeply.
"He saved you?" The teens heard an irritated voice come from the body of water. They turned again and saw Beast Boy lifting himself onto the shore, "Hel-lo? I was there too, you know." He cried as he shook off a starfish from his left boot.
"You stopped Trident from kebabbin' us with that souped-up shrimp fork?" The bionic teen asked sarcastically as he slid up next to the green teen.
"And pulled us out of that chasm just before the pressure crushed us?" The brunette inquired as he popped up behind the changeling.
"Way to go!" Robin sarcastically cheered as he slid up on the other side their teammate.
A sweat drop fell down Beast Boys' temple as he was bombarded with the statements, "Well, I was gonna, but…" He couldn't come up with any sort of excuse.
"I'm Aqualad." Mr. Long, Tan, and Handsome said as he walked up to the quad of boys, "Sorry I didn't introduce myself earlier. We Atlanteans try to keep a low profile." He extended his hand.
The green changeling took it and shook, "Good job." He said sarcastically, "Don't think anybody even noticed you."
To be completely honest, it would appear as though the girls definitely noticed the potential ally's presence. Raven and Starfire were completely smitten; their eyes became hearts while more of them floated up from their bodies as they ogled the Atlantean from behind his back.
The normally gloomy mage was the first to snap out of her infatuation, "You're from Atlantis?" She asked, causing Aqualad to turn to her.
He nodded in response, "And so is Trident." He said before leading the team to a holographic projector. Once they reached the device, the young Atlantean showed a freeze-frame of Trident blasting the landscape, along with another scene of him lifting a piece of marble column he broke, "He's the worst criminal in Atlantis," Aqualad stated as he showed another scene of the villain firing blasts from his weapon at fleeing people, "With an ego to match." He then showed a full-figure shot of said criminal and stepped in front of it. "Trident claims he's perfect in every way, so he thinks he can do whatever he wants."
"Any idea what he wants with all that toxic waste?" The masked Titan asked.
"Whatever it is, it'll be bad for both our worlds." The deep-sea swimmer replied, "He's already gained some kind of new power. It's like he can be everywhere at once." He added as he stepped away from the projector.
"Noticed that." The mage commented.
"As long as we're after the same guy, maybe we can help each other." Aqualad offered.
The offer surprised Beast Boy, "Whoa, hey, no, we're good." He hastily answered as he pushed his masked and cloaked teammates away from the Atlantean, "Got the whole Trident thing under control. 'Sides, I'm sure there's a school of minnows somewhere that need your- Uh!" He was cut off when a green-gloved hand reached over and yanked him away.
All six Titans leaned in for a huddle after Robin pulled the short green member in, "We're at the bottom of the ocean." Raven said.
"Our sub's Swiss cheese." Cyborg stated begrudgingly, motioning to their damaged vehicle.
"Communication with the surface is complete cut." Kylar added.
"And we cannot breath water." Starfire finished.
After a brief moment of silence, the team leader quickly poked his head up from the huddle, "We'll take any help you can give us."
With a nod and smile, the young Atlantean turned his head to the side, "Hey, Tramm!" He called out.
At the other end of the cavern, a half-clamshell on the floor flipped up to reveal a manhole underneath. What climbed out was a reptilian humanoid, perhaps three feet tall, in short overalls and wearing a backpack. The eyes were very large and protruded from the sides of its' head. The creature leapt out of the hole and ran to the group, saying something in its' own language as it approached.
Aqualad knelt when the little guy reached him, "Want to give these people a hand with their sub?" The jubilant reptilian babbled excitedly as he cracked his knuckles and clapped his hands before running to the submarine. "Tramm's good with tools." The blue and black clad teen said as he watched his friend rush over to the damaged vessel.
One high jump carried the creature known as Tramm onto the hull and deposited him near a breach in the hull. Muttering to himself a bit, he reached in and brought up the severed ends of two groups of cables before stretching them out and laying them over the broken edges. He then dipped into his pack and yanked out a jackhammer-like device, which he plied with gusto.
Cyborg and Kylar rushed over, "Yo, careful! That's our sub you're messing with!" The metallic Titan cried.
"We need that to get home!" The brunette added with a bit of caution in his voice.
"And while he's helping you, I'll track down Trident." Aqualad said as he crossed in front of the other Titans. He nearly reached the water's edge when Beast Boy ran up to him.
"You mean I'll track down Trident." The changeling said as he pushed the Atlantean out of the way.
"That's okay, I can handle it." Aqualad said as he pushed the shorter teen out of the way.
"Thanks, but I think I should do this." Beast Boy began pushing harder against the taller underwater diver.
"Seriously, I'll take care of it!" Said diver cried as he rushed back over and lifted the shape-shifter off the ground and placed said teen behind him.
The greenling then jumped in front the young Atlantean and tried pushing him away again; "Would you just get out of my-" They both grabbed each other.
"Let me go!" They both yelled in unison as the fracas continued. It wasn't until Robin ran over and pushed them apart did they stop fighting.
"Guys!" The spiky-haired Titan yelled as he stood between the two conflicting teens, "Why don't you both track him down together?"
"I usually work alone." Aqualad answered as he glared at the green teen.
"Yeah. Me too." Beast Boy said smugly with his arms crossed in front of him.
"You do not! You're part of a team!" The blue-scaled teen cried, pointing accusing at the changeling.
"And you hang out with Tramm the fish-boy!" Said changeling returned, shaping his head into the likeness of the reptilian he was talking about, "What's your point?" They both glared at each other before Robin pushed them apart again.
"Hey! Arguing isn't going to stop Trident. Now get out and search-both of you." The leader of the Titans ordered.
The two gave each other one more dirty look before diving into the water. Robin just stood there and shook his head disgustedly as Kylar walked up next to him.
"What's so great about working alone? Is it supposed to be cool or something?" The brunette asked. His teammate only shrugged in response to his questions.
0-0
Deep below sea level, Aqualad and Beast Boy, in the form of a green squid again, were swimming near the ocean floor before stopping for a look around.
'I searched that region yesterday.' The Atlantean thought as he pointed to his left. He began moving in the opposite direction, 'We'll start over-"
'Look. I'm sure you're some kind of local hero,' the jealous squid cut him off, 'but I'm the real hero from the big city. So just let me call the shots-" He thought before turning into a green dolphin, '-and try to keep up.' Clicking sounds emerged from the dolphin, the equivalent of sonar tracking or echolocation for the mammal, as he swam around Aqualad a bit. Finally the marine mammal concentrated on one heading, 'I'm picking something up on my sonar! Come on!' The animal moved out quickly, but his partner only eased forward a bit.
What was located was a group of real dolphins that darted playfully around the green one. 'Congratulations. You found other dolphins.' The young swimmer smirked as he crossed his arms.
'…I knew that.' Beast Boy returned.
Aqualad moved in and hit the mammals with a burst of telepathy, after which they swam off together. 'They told me where to find Trident. Try to keep up.' He beckoned as he swam to follow the animals.
'Oh, I'll do better than that.' The dolphin thought as he quickly rushed off to catch up. Once he reached the Atlantean, he quickly pulled ahead. As a response, Aqualad kicked into gear, and the informal race ranged over the ocean floor, weaving around the occasional rock formations.
Finding himself neck and neck with Beast Boy, who changed from a dolphin to a barracuda, Aqualad kept accelerating to try and maintain the lead. In a twinkling, the barracuda turned into a swordfish and moved ahead once more despite the swimmers' best efforts. Something ahead of the two racers caught his attention, causing the Atlantean to suddenly halt. 'Beast Boy! Stop!' He called out in an alarmed tone.
'What's the matter? Am I too fast for y-Guh!" A collision with a foreign object cut off the shape-shifters' taunt, causing him to drop to the floor, dazed, as his partner caught up. After collecting his bearing, Beast Boy looked up to come face to face with the one they were searching for: Trident. 'Heh… how's it going?' He asked nervously.
"Keep your thoughts to yourself, inferior fool!" Trident growled as he aimed his weapon at the green fish and fired it up. The swordfish ducked away just in time to avoid the attack, causing the villain to strafe the ground near his feet before Aqualad tackled him, sending both of them tumbling behind a ridge.
'Oh, no, you don't!' Beast Boy thought as he transformed into a bull shark. 'This time he's mine!' As a shark, he approached the ridge, but stopped short when Trident jumped up onto it from behind.
The three prongs on his spear started blazing like a machine gun, but a lucky snap of the jaws broke the shaft and silenced them. Not giving up so easily, Trident reached out with one big hand and seized the predator, who quickly morphed into a squid and wrapped its' tentacles around the enemy, causing both to tumble behind the ridge.
Behind another formation of rocks, Aqualad and his opponent were grappling for a hold on the fork the villain held. The black-haired hero finally wrenched it away, throwing his opponent several yards, and breaking the weapon over his knee.
'INCOMING!' The young Atlantean heard the voice of his partner call out from behind him. He turned around, only to be greeted by a large green squid wrapping itself around his face. Struggling to peel those tentacles away, Aqualad gave the marine animal a very nasty look once he got free. 'I said, "incoming."' Both looked over to see their target swimming away into a dark grotto.
'He's getting away!' The blue-scaled teen exclaimed as both he and Beast Boy moved in to chase him. Once they entered the grotto, they stopped and looked around a bit only to find no one there.
'Hmmm…' Beast Boy thought as he brought his tentacles around to make it look as though he was thinking intensely on a subject, curling one up into a ball and placing it in between his eyes.
'Where were you back there?' Aqualad asked furiously.
'Where was I? Fighting Trident, by myself!' The green squid returned.
'You barely laid a tentacle on him!' The swimmer snapped back in disbelief, 'At least I managed to break his weapon!' He thought as he pointed a thumb at himself.
Beast Boy shot him an uneasy look, 'Dude, that's just wrong.' He thought as he shook his head, 'I so broke that fork thing!'
The Atlantean gritted his teeth, ready to deliver a crushing response… or a right hook. But before he could make up his mind, he noticed Trident swimming past them, heading deeper into the grotto. Beast Boy looked in a different direction and saw a pair of eyes shining in the black distance before disappearing behind a column of rocks.
'There he goes!' Both teens thought in unison as they pointed in opposite direction. Both shot each other a dirty glare, as they just can't agree on anything.
'I saw him! He's that way! I'm right, you're wrong! End of story!' The squid shouted mentally as he began swimming in the direction he indicated, 'If you don't believe me, see you later!'
'I'm telling you he's this way! If you want to go that way, be my guest-but I'm going to catch Trident!' The other teen exclaimed before swimming in the direction he indicated.
0-0
As the disgruntled Atlantean made his way through the darkened grotto, columns of flame and steam shot up from undersea geysers. He made his way through, weaving around each very dangerous, and probably scalding hot streams of steam. After he passed, Trident emerged from within the boiling fumes and set off in pursuit. Suddenly, Aqualad found himself on the receiving end of a tackle, much like the one he laid on the evildoer earlier, sending both tumbling through another cloud of smoke and out of sight.
0-0
On the other side of the grotto, Beast Boy made his way through the path he chose, sulking as he swam through the archways of rocks. 'Pretty-boy know-it-all showoff.' The green squid thought angrily, 'Thinks he's so-'
"Worthless scum!" A menacing voice growled, catching the changelings' attention, "You cannot defeat perfection!"
Beast Boy quickly turned around and saw the evil Atlantean standing on a boulder carrying another three-pronged spear in his hand, 'How many of those fork thingies do you have?' He asked. Instead of an answer, Trident just snarled and unloaded a few blasts that caused Beast Boy to almost tie himself in knots as he dodged.
The aquatic villain fired again and again, sending the green kraken speeding away for cover. As the aggressor closed in, Beast Boy transformed into a turtle and yanked his head and legs into the shell. Once he did so, the spear Trident held thrust at him, but merely clanged off the hard carapace when it connected. A follow-up blast did no damage either, but it did send the poor animal hurtling through the dark depths.
As the green sea turtle fell from view, Trident drifted after him. "I will win! I always win!" The Zod-wannabe gloated, "I am superior!"
However, a large claw shot out from the blackness that clocked onto the wooden shaft of the villains' spear. Trident backed away in an attempt to escape the incoming attack, 'And I thought Aqualad had a big ego.' Beast Boy thought as he was hauled out of the darkness, revealing himself to be a giant crab, and lashed out with his other claw.
0-0
Among the geysers, Aqualad found himself on the losing side of a battle with his underwater foe as he was kicked down toward the seafloor, landing flat on his back once he hit. Rubbing his head, he looked up and found Trident hurling himself downward, namesake at the ready. The young aquatic teen quickly swam out of the way just in time as a bolt of energy cracked the spot he occupied.
Trident lost track of him as the Atlantean teen swam away, but only for a moment as the blue-and-black-skinned fighter darted back in and kicked him in the head, sending the trident and its' user flying in different directions; the former landing prong-side down and sticking up among the fire spurts.
Both swimmers charged it, but to the misfortune of the teen, Trident was the first to reach it. Wrapping his fingers around the weapon and yanking it from the ground, the villainous fish-man took a couple of swings that barely missed Aqualads' blue-scaled chest.
More lunges from Trident forced the young swimmer back toward the edge of one geyser. One last swing caused him to lose his balance and stumble near the lip. Trident raised the fork, ready to impale the half-prone boy beneath him. As he brought it down, Aqualad seized the head, stopping the sharp points just inches from his face. The two struggled, but the evil creature from the black lagoon gradually pushed the points toward their intended target. In one final, desperate attempt to avoid death, the young Atlantean performed a quick underwater sidestep and released his grip. With his force no longer meeting any more resistance, Trident flew forward into the geyser, which blew its top right as he entered.
As the steam cleared, Aqualad found himself alone before making a beeline for a patch of light shining down from an above opening.
0-0
Once Aqualad made it to the surface, he leapt from the water and landed on a rocky shore at the water's edge. The aquatic teen looked around and noticed he was in a cavern similar to the one he called home, only a bit darker in color. As he walked further into the cavern, he came across Beast Boy, who was back in human form.
"I just saw Trident!" Both teens shouted in unison. They shot each other a confused look, "No, you didn't!" They yelled as they leaned closer to each other, "Yes, I did!" Flames began surrounding them, symbolizing their frustration with each other, "Cut it out!" They yelled as the flames died down.
"I don't care what you saw! I fought Trident!" The green shape-shifter argued as he pointed a finger accusingly at the taller teen.
"That's impossible!" Aqualad cried in disbelief.
A vein throbbed on the shorter Titans' forehead, "Okay, dude. What is your problem?" He asked angrily as he flailed his arms about in an attempt to hit the Atlantean. However, his attacks were useless as a long arm and hand planted on his head stopped him from getting close enough to do so.
"What is your problem? We're supposed to be on the same side, but you treat me like an enemy!" Aqualad returned, irritation prevalent in his voice.
"I don't need you on my side!" The changeling snapped back as he continued flailing about, "This was my mission until you showed up!" He let up and pushed Aqualad's hand away, "You think you're so cool, but I've got a news flash for you: You're not better than me!" Beast Boy shouted angrily.
"I don't think I'm better than you!" Aqualad shouted back with the same intensity.
His response left the green teen completely stunned, "You don't?" Were the only words he could muster.
"Maybe you're better than me. Who cares? I just want to catch Trident." The blue-and-black clad teen said as he walked past Beast Boy, "And to do that, we need to stop fighting and start working together." He added before walking off in a huff.
His last words were enough to slip the shape-shifters' brain into gear, "Working together…" He mused over the thought before his eyes lit up. "Aqualad!" He called out as he ran after the teen, "What if there's more than one Trident?" He asked once he reached the other boy.
Aqualad turned and looked at the smaller teen, "Don't be ridiculous. How could there be-"
"I know, but what if there is?" Beast Boy knew his idea sounded impossible, but it was the only thing that would explain both of them fighting the same enemy, "If he found a way to copy himself? He could be in two places at once. There wouldn't be just one Trident. There'd be-" A large glob of yellow slime fell onto his face, cutting him off mid-sentence.
Wiping himself clean, Beast Boy and his partner looked toward the ceiling. What greeted them was a forest of large, gooey, translucent globules suspended from vines that connected to the cavern ceiling, each having the outline of a figure inside.
"-thousands." The Atlantean muttered, completely shocked at the sight. Upon closer inspection, both teens noticed the figures inside to be clones of the evil villain they had been fighting multiple times.
"Uh-oh." The green teen said softly.
"One Trident is bad…" Aqualad began.
"…but this is…" Beast Boy continued.
"…an army!" Multiple menacing voices finished in unison. Both teens turned around and saw the explanation to how the "impossible" attacks and maneuvers performed by the villain were accomplished; a horde of Tridents stood ready to fight.
On the other side of the cavern, the hazardous waste drums from the sunken freighter stood in groups, with pipes running from them up to the forest of developing clones, nourishing them.
The multitude on the ground roared and ran at Beast Boy and Aqualad, who braced themselves for a full-scale throw down and charged. Aqualad quickly dodged an incoming blast and leapt behind one of the many clones. Gripping the weapon his enemy held, he fired a few blasts at other clones, knocking a few of them out.
Beast Boy rushed into the battle as well. Transforming into a polar bear, he raised an enormous paw and brought it down on one Trident, sending him tumbling to the ground. He then followed up with swatting away another clone, then another, until one Trident, armed with a spear, raised his weapon and fired it at the green artic ursine. The result of the blast sent Beast Boy flying backwards until he crashed into a console. As he slumped to the ground, a red-letter message that read: Hatching Sequence Beginning flashed on the screen while sparks flew out of the device.
Back in human form, the green Titan quickly stood up and rubbed his head, a big drop of sweat rolled down his temple as he saw what he just did. "Oops." He chuckles sheepishly as Aqualad fetched up next to him, "Great." He sighed sarcastically as more and more clones surrounded them.
"My brilliant plan is already a success." One of the Tridents said.
"If one of me was perfect…" Another began.
"…why not make more?" Yet another clone finished.
"You can never have too much of a good thing."
"Once my army conquers Atlantis…"
"…I will declare war on the surface world! Everyone on the planet will bow down before me…" Wow, this guy really likes the sound of his voice.
"…And praise my perfection!" All the Tridents cheered in unison.
"Any bright ideas?" Aqualad asked the shape-shifting Titan.
Beast Boy smirked, "Just one. Try to keep up." He walked forward and spoke to the horde of Tridents, "So, if you're all perfect, which one of you is the best?" He asked.
"I am!" Each copy replied simultaneously. They all turned and faced each other, "Huh?"
"Come on. You can't all be the best." The longhaired Atlantean added, catching on to what Beast Boy was thinking, "One of you must be better than the rest."
"I am the original! I am the best!" One of the Tridents cried out from among the sea of clones.
"You are not the original!" Another clone snapped back.
"I am!" All the Tridents cried out in unison again.
"Nonsense, you inferior fools! I am perfection! I am Trident!" Another vain clone boasted. As the tension became too much between the copies, a brawl broke out.
Beast Boy and Aqualad only watched, with great satisfaction, the chaos they provoked and winced at the sound of the ruckus. Once it died down, dazed or unconscious Tridents were sprawled everywhere on the cavern floor.
"Great idea." The young Atlantean complimented his partner.
"Kinda got it from you." The changeling admitted, "Now we just have to stop those clones from hatching." With that, both teens turned to the panel, which flashed as the final three seconds ticked away. At zero, the red flashing screen was replaced with a single word: Begin.
"Too late!" The two teens cried in unison. Screeches and howls from above drew their attention; the newly matured Trident clones strained at the membranes holding them and broke through, sending each of them falling and landing on the ground.
With some quick thinking, Beast Boy shifted into a hippopotamus and barreled into the ranks, knocking them every which way like bowling pins. He charged toward the water's edge with Aqualad close behind. Once they reached the shore, the pair dove into the water, the changeling becoming a swordfish upon submerging, while several members of the fresh crop dove in after them.
'We can't let them escape! We have to find some way of sealing the exit!' Aqualad thought as he and the green fish did the underwater equivalent of burning rubber.
'Right now, I'm just worried about getting to the exit.' Beast Boy responded worriedly as the fast approaching opposition, now out in full force, made this chase into a full-fledged horse race.
The young Atlantean and green swordfish charged at a patch of light that marked the cavern's entrance and got clear of the place. As the Tridents pulled closer, a very familiar silhouette pulled into view, causing the clones to stop short. "Huh?" The clones grunted as they further inspected the silhouette.
At a closer glance, they recognized the figure to be the Titans' submarine, back in proper working order thanks to Tramm's efforts. Two huge beams, issuing from emitters on the bow, sliced through the water and struck the upper edge of the cavern entrance, creating a mighty flash upon impact. Once the flash faded, broken rocks that poured down from the blast zone to wall up the pathway came into view.
"Yes!" Robin smiled at the success of the attack.
"Cool!" Raven admitted as she too gave a faint smile.
"Just as planned." Kylar smirked as he folded his arms in front of him.
"Victory!" Starfire cheered as she flashed a V-for-Victory hand sign.
"Boo-yah! Seismic blasters worked like a charm!" Cyborg whooped as he punched the air around him, "Nice repair job, Tramm." He thanked as he gave the reptilian repairman a 'thumbs-up.'
The fish-boy of the hour was in Beast Boy's cockpit as he waved his fists and blabbered happily in gratitude.
Beast Boy, who had now transformed into a squid, and Aqualad looked toward the submarines' handiwork. 'Good thing Trident likes himself so much, 'cause I'm thinking he won't see anybody else for a looong time.' The green squid joked.
0-0
After thwarting the devious plans of the Atlantean villain and safely returning home, the Titans invited their newfound allies to the Tower the next day to properly thank them for all their help.
On the island's shore, Aqualad, Tramm, and the four male Titans stood among the rocks.
"Consider yourself an honorary Teen Titan." Robin said graciously as he handed the young blue-and-black scaled teen a yellow communicator identical to the ones they had. Aqualad smiled calmly at the gift as it played an odd sounding ringtone in his hand. Behind him, Starfire and Raven practically hung over his left shoulder to look at it. "We couldn't have done it without you. Thanks." The spiky-haired Titan added.
"Right back at you. It's good to know there's people up here I can trust." The handsome Atlantean smiled.
"And it's good to know there's folks down there who can fix a hyperjet." The metallic teen said to the aquatic repairman as he held out a fist.
Tramm replied with a hearty bit of gibberish that ended in an easily recognizable, "Boo-yah!" as he tapped his fists against Cyborg's.
"Yeah, maybe you can help us out with our next project soon." Kylar said with a grin as he held up a hand for a high five, Tramm jumping up to happily return it.
Aqualad turned and made eye contact with the love-struck girls, "Bye, Raven… Starfire."
"It was… nice to meet you." The flustered mage said with hearts covering her eyes.
"Oh, very, very, very nice!" The orange-skinned teen happily cheered as she leaned closer and closer into the Honoree, causing him to back away until he was standing next to Beast Boy.
"What can I say, dude? You're the best." The changeling said as he placed his hands on his hips.
"Nah. You're the best." The Honoree returned with a smile.
"Yeah, you're right." Beast Boy cockily said as he walked forward and stretched his limbs. "And if you ever want me to prove it, I'm always up for a race."
Aqualad patted the shorter Titans' head, "Just try and keep up." He chuckled.
Soon after, the two rivals, turned reluctant partners, turned fast friends began running down a path along the shore in an impromptu sprint, shoulder-to-shoulder and smiling broadly.
The world, what a glorious place! Seek freedom and it will lie stretched out before your eyes. If the endless dream guides your restless spirit, seize it! Raise your flag and stand tall!
-Gol D. Roger
Author's Notes:
I think I know why this episode was considered a filler when it originally aired on TV, not much happened main story wise. I like it though, and writing it was interesting with the telepathy. Did you know that Wil Wheaton voiced Aqualad? I didn't. Also, did you know Clancy Brown, the voice of Mr. Krabs from Spongebob Squarepants and Lex Luthor from many Justice League Animated shows, voiced Trident? I didn't.
I don't think Aqualad gets enough credit, he was in only like what? Five episodes where he did something? That's a shame.
But enough talk, have at the reviews if you want to. Any questions or suggestions, just PM me, I love hearing your thoughts.
Until next time, See You Space Cowboys.
Disclaimer: I do not own anything from the DC Universe nor do I own anything from Teen Titans. Any references made belong to their respective owners, again I own nothing.