Hi!
I live! This fic lives on!
I'm so sorry this fic has taken so long to update, life has been insane. I promise I actually do intend to get this all finished soon, we're definitely more than halfway now and this chapter was so fun to write once I finally got the chance to sit down and focus on it. I will say however that I don't feel particularly happy with it since I think it doesn't really have the best consistency carrying on from the previous chapters and I know that's it's not my best work. That being said, I have tried and I'm honestly just glad to finally be able to update.
Sorry again that it took so long and for anyone still reading this after all this time, thank you. I genuinely can't even express enough thanks and love to you all, you're all incredible.
I hope you enjoy!
"So, when we get out of here, I think I'm going to get cookies and watch the new Kaiju movie with Jeffrey," Ant said, "And obviously hug my family and everything, I might even hug Fontaine when we get out, I never thought I'd miss her as much as I do,"
Madeline seemed to grin a little at that, her breathing slowing slightly.
"What about you?" Ant prompted again, "What will you do when you get out?"
"I'll hug Finn, and Dad," She replied, her voice reduced almost entirely to a weakened, croaky whisper, "Then probably read some stuff or something, I would watch the new Kaiju movie but I haven't had the chance to get it yet,"
"Wait, you watch Kaiju?" Ant asked suddenly, utterly stunned and internally delighted, he never met people who watched his favourite movies, least of all those who were close to his age.
"Yeah, sometimes, when I can, there's a guy on the floating black market who got me into them, when I was younger" the pirate responded, sounding slightly less short of breath.
"Wait, wait, let me get this right, you, Mad Madeline, one of our mortal enemies, watch Kaiju?" Ant asked, his shock still abundantly evident.
Madeline rolled her eyes, "Yes, I do, because it's the best series of all time, and I'm going to presume you do as well, Anteaus,"
Ant wasn't even thrown off by the annoying use of his full name, he was just purely overjoyed at the fact that someone else seemed to love his favourite series just as much as he did - even if she was a pirate whose entire family and crew were feuding with him and his family.
"Yes! Yes, I do, because it's my favourite series of all time and it's the best ever created," Ant declared.
"Agreed," Madeline acknowledged with a mere nod, as though it were blatantly obvious.
"Oh, and don't call me that," Ant added as an afterthought.
"What?" Madeline asked, genuinely confused by his sudden topic change.
"Anteaus, don't call me Anteaus, no one calls me that, apart from my mum when she's mad at me, or my grandparents when they were around," Ant told her.
"Oh, right," Madeline said, "Then... I suppose... you can call me Maddie," She finished.
"Whoa, really?" Ant asked, definitely all the more shocked, that felt like a big step.
"Yeah... don't make me regret it, or I'll make you regret it, I swear," She said, the closest thing to a threat she'd made in a while.
Ant grinned at that, as not-good as it seemed to be threatened by a pirate, he didn't realise that he'd actually missed it when Madeline - no, Maddie - had been panicking and had gone strangely quiet for so long.
There was a sudden thump as the clam jostled startlingly and sent both of its inhabitants flying into the tough wall of the clam with a short yelp.
"Ant, Madeline, how's everything going in there?" Came Kaiko's voice through the comms.
"We're alright, Mum, it's just getting very hot in here and we'd like to get out soon," Ant replied as he raised his comm to speak before hesitantly holding his wrist to Maddie in silent question if she wished to say anything.
" Yeah, so if you could please pick up the pace, " Madeline added, giving Ant a look which could almost be considered akin to grateful and shuffling forward to speak into the comm.
"Copy that, we're doing our best," came Kaiko's response.
"Okay, Maddie, so why haven't you watched the new Kaiju yet? It's such a good one! Fontaine says it's just the same as all the rest but she's clearly wrong," Ant asked, doing his best to distract her from their predicament, as well as also eagerly awaiting the opportunity to talk about the best franchise in all the world with a fellow fan.
"Like I said, there's a guy on the black market who got me onto watching them, he sells pirated copies of them, although he hasn't got the new one in yet so I haven't had the chance to watch it, I do want to though," she replied, "No spoilers!" she added quickly with a sharp look at Ant.
"I wouldn't dare," Ant promised, raising his hands in surrender, "Watching it for the first time is an experience I wouldn't take away from anyone - not even my worst enemy,"
"Good," Maddie grinned, "Like I said, since I can't watch it, I'll probably just read or something instead,"
"Oh cool,"
Ant was lying, he didn't find reading particularly 'cool'. The last time he came close to reading was comic books, or a conspiracy theorist's article about the Yonaguni Monument, which according to Fontaine 'didn't count' as reading, but he wanted to keep Maddie talking and avoid her becoming oddly silent again.
"What are you going to read?" he asked, doing his best to seem interested, since he was to some extent curious to learn more about the pirate.
"I've got some old newspaper articles to go through, and a few actual books, about local marine myths," Maddie answered, a sparkle seeming to return to her eyes as she spoke.
"Woah, no way! I love oceanic urban legends! Anything specific you're looking for?" Ant rescinded his previous thoughts about his lack of interest, he was now fully immersed in the conversation.
She turned to Ant, leaned in slightly, and said in a soft, quiet tone, "If I tell you this, you have to swear not to tell anyone,"
Ant nodded at her, wide-eyed as she spoke, he had no idea what she was about to say but he was interested regardless, plus it kept both their minds off the impending doom they could soon experience if they didn't escape this volcano quickly enough.
"Why's it so 'eavy?" Hammerhead whined his complaints as he held the clam as best as he could from below.
"Would you just stop complaining for ten seconds?" Fontaine groaned, even Finn rolling his eyes at his dad's consistent grumbling.
"In case you've forgotten, your daughter is in this clam, stop moaning and help us get it back to the Aronnax so we can get her out of it!" Fontaine continued, snapping in an alarmingly similar manner to Kaiko.
"She's right, Dad, we're doing this to help Maddie," Finn added.
Hammerhead let out a loud sigh and muttered something under his breath but didn't verbalize anymore protests, meanwhile, Kaiko and Will exchanged a grin at seeing Fontaine stand up to the pirate captain.
There was a sudden loud noise not too far behind them and an uncomfortable wave of hot water washing over them as the volcano continued with its eruptive activity.
This abrupt sound startled all of them and caused them to jostle the clam rather hazardously - especially considering its inhabitants.
"Ant, Madeline, how's everything going in there?" Kaiko asked, speaking through the comms.
"We're alright, Mum, it's just getting very hot in here and we'd like to get out soon," came Ant's voice.
" Yeah, so if you could please pick up the pace, " Madeline's voice continued.
"Copy that, we're doing our best," Kaiko replied.
"Come on, guys, you heard them, they want out, the quicker we get the clam to the Aronnax, the sooner we can get them out," Will spoke.
Sooooo, I hope you enjoyed. This was a bit of a happier chapter with some nice bonding moments.
Sorry again that this chapter took so long, I'm hoping the next one won't take over a year (fingers crossed, still no promises though). Please let me know what you thought, I'd love to hear your opinions. I still don't feel completely happy with this chapter but I'd definitely kept you all waiting for far too long so it was only fair to update for you all.
Thank you so much for reading!
Until next time! :D