Titans: Elemental

Chapter 14: Deep Six

We open up with choppy waves roiling in a violent thunderstorm at night. Riding the swells, a freighter sails into view. Three crewmen struggle to secure a tarp over a group of several dozen 55-gallon drums; two other such collections have already been covered. The captain steers the steadiest course possible under the circumstances as waves break on the bow and the wind threatens to pull the sheeting out of the men's hands. The drums are marked with the universal symbol for radiation hazards. One tips over and rolls away across the deck, but a booted foot comes down to stop it.

The Captain speaks into a microphone and says, "watch it! Any of that toxic junk goes into the bay, we're all in deep trouble!"

The ship is in Jump City Bay.

There is a flash of lightning which clears to show a silhouette at the window. It is a reptilian figure with glowing yellow eyes, and it lifts a long trident.

Back to the deck, where the men are still struggling to get the waste squared away. There is an explosion from around the corner of the wheelhouse, followed by the walls and windows blowing out. When the dust clears, we are inside the ruined structure; the captain is sprawled on his back, at the feet of the intruder.

The captain asked, "who…. Or what are you?"

The creature says, "I am excellence. I am perfection. I am Trident!"

A flash from the weapon's points illuminates him fully. The captain cries out and shields his eyes from a sudden flare, then pulls back.

Trident is gone. Now a few waves spill onto the port side, carrying the creature up with them. He holds a large clamp with a cable attached.

A crewman yelled, "hey!"

The clamp is attached to the railing, and Trident goes over the side.

On the starboard, he immediately climbs onto the deck with an identical device.

Another crew member yelled, "he's everywhere!"

This one is also hooked on, and Trident jumps ship again. The crew barely has time to look toward the stern before seeing him repeating the performance there as well; he glares back at them and leaps back into the water. Staggering and groaning, the captain crosses the wheelhouse and looks out through the hole in its walls. After Trident submerges, the cables on his clamps pull taut and start to drag the ship down, stern first.

The Captain yelled, "abandon ship! Abandon ship!"

The panicked crew follows this order. The freighter's bow rises higher and higher and finally slips beneath the waves as a life raft floats by, carrying the captain and crew. The last they see of their vessel is Trident, perched triumphantly atop the prow. They drop below the surface, leaving the seafarers utterly flabbergasted, trying to figure out how they lost their ship and a huge consignment of radioactive leftovers in one fell swoop.

….

We once again return to Titans Tower, seen from the level of the water in the bay. It is now the next morning.

We hear Dick say, "begin launch sequence."

When then see Dick, strapped into a driver's seat with a steering yoke in front of him. He wears a microphone headset and presses several buttons on a panel. Blackfire, Rose, Starfire, Vic, Raven and BB are similarly situated in individual cockpits, and through the windows around them water is flowing by. Blackfire and Starfire share one cockpit, while Rose and Raven share another. The Titans are in the T-Sub, their seven-man submersible.

Jack is in the water with an air bubble around him, keeping him dry and breathing as he swims alongside the sub.

Dick said, "main power online."

Rose said, "secondary power is online."

Starfire said, "oxygen tanks at maximum."

Blackfire said, "communication systems are active."

Raven said, "defensive systems active."

Vic said, "twin-turbo hydro jet engine purring like a kitten."

Jack said, "I can hear you all from out here!"

BB said, "and your secret weapon is ready to rock."

Vic said, "only time you qualify as a secret weapon is after eating a tofu bean burrito."

These words surprise the little green guy and then make him angry.

BB said, "uh, 'scuse me, bud. Can you breathe underwater? Uh-uh. Can you be any fish in the sea?"

Vic said, "uh-uh."

BB said, "didn't think so."

Jack said, "I can only do the former; and that's because of my powers to put this air bubble around me."

Dick said, "Beast Boy's right. His skills are essential to our mission."

BB blows a loud raspberry.

Rose said, "real mature, dude."

Dick said, "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 engines have finished warming up. We then see the entire T-Sub. It is orange, shaped something like a manta ray, with the five cockpits in a cross formation.

Bow: Dick.

Port: Starfire and Blackfire.

Center: BB.

Starboard: Raven and Rose.

Stern: Victor.

The craft is on a platform that is descending in a water-filled shaft.

We see a view of a horizontal chute that connects with this passage; the platform slides down level with this as floodlights in the sides switch on.

Dick said, "Titans! Launch!"

The engines hit first gear, and the T-Sub shoots along the chute, steadily gaining speed and pushing Dick back into his seat. Jack dashes alongside the sub in his bubble.

They approach a closed hatch, which slides open upon approach to reveal the bottom of Jump City Bay. The vessel and Jack blast out, to the sound of jubilant whooping from Vic, and soon recedes into the blue depths.

We see a passing school of fish; the team chugs straight through them, disrupting the formation.

Jack navigates his bubble around the fish.

Starfire watches them while BB watches her.

Starfire said, "oooh, wondrous!"

BB said, "if you think they're cool, wait 'til you see me out there kicking butt. First, I'm going shark."

He turns his teeth to points and gnashes them. Vic reaches up to press a button labeled MIC, and the sound cuts off, he has killed BB's audio.

Back to the little showoff, whose teeth are still heard clicking together, but now much softer and muffled as if underwater.

BB yelled, "hey! What just…. Is this thing on? Hey, cut it out!"

Vic turns the mic back on.

Vic said, "goodness me. I seem to have accidentally switched off Beast Boy's microphone."

Raven asked, "could you go ahead and accidentally leave it off?"

Blackfire starts laughing as Jack says, "c'mon guys, be nice."

That vein in the green forehead throbs again as the sonar starts to beep. A red dot is flashing.

Dick said, "sonar contact. Beast Boy! Ready to go?"

BB takes off his headset, "dude, I was born ready", he unbuckles his harness, "time to do what I do best. Try not to be jealous."

BB slides out.

Through the transparent canopy, a gargantuan green-and-black creature rises into view and stops briefly, with its eye at her level, to blink at her before ascending again.

Raven said, "he just put on three hundred thousand pounds. I am so jealous."

We see BB has become a whale.

He swims off, the T-Sub and Jack following, and heads toward the wreck of the freighter at the floor of the bay. As they move closer, BB becomes a hammerhead shark. The unhealthy cargo that was on the deck has been entirely cleared away.

Dick said, "there's our ship, but where's the cargo?"

He fires up a set of exterior searchlights to keep a fix on BB's position. The green predator swims along the hull until he finds a rip.

Vic said, "if this dude's bad enough to sink a whole ship, those barrels could be anywhere by now."

Jack said, "which is bad news for us all."

BB continues, passing a figure hidden in the murky shadows. It looks after him and then swims up and away.

Outside, the T-Sub describes a slow circle around the wreck, keeping lights trained on it.

We see Trident, who is standing by the hull; who watches for a moment and then swims along the ship's length to the breach.

Inside, BB makes his way out toward open water, and the second figure ducks away from the opening just as the floodlight beam reaches it. The green shark goes after him. The shadowed figure flees the scene as BB keeps a long tail on him.

Dick said, "looks like Beast Boy found Trident."

Blackfire said, "let's hope so."

The chase continues; now the T-Sub and Jack pull away from the freighter to follow them both, but Trident drops into their wake to tail everyone. A blast from his weapon hits the starboard wing.

Vic said, "looks like Trident found us!"

Jack said, "oh crap-baskets!"

BB is still back of the mystery swimmer; transforming into a barracuda, he puts on a burst of speed and begins to close the gap.

Trident's shots pepper the water around the submarine; he scores a hit just off the port side of Dick's cockpit.

Dick yelled, "Victor! Bring us about! Raven and Rose! Get ready to fire!"

The vessel does a swift U-turn, only to find itself alone in the water after doing so.

Jack makes his way on top of the sub.

Vic asked, "where'd he go?"

Still nothing. Now Starfire and Blackfire scan the depths through their canopy; a blast strikes it, and they find him floating dead ahead of them and gasp.

Starfire said, "he is there!"

Blackfire said, "right ahead of us!"

Not for long; now he passes Raven.

Raven said, "no! That way!"

He moves again; Vic catches sight.

Vic exclaimed, "it's him!"

Jack sees Trident float by and yells, "the heck is going on?!"

He opens fire on the fleeing T-Sub, scoring a few near misses before properly correcting his aim. Alarms go off in the cockpits.

Dick growled, "he can't be in three places at once! Head for that-"

We see two draining power gauges on the panel.

Vic yelled, "the engines are fried! We're going down!"

They proceed to do so at an alarming rate.

Jack swims upwards to find BB.

The second figure seen in the freighter takes in the scene; the six Titans descending far too quickly for their own good, Trident bombarding the stern at will. We can see no features except two bright gleams for eyes. Waves of energy begin to radiate from the forehead, exactly after the style of Aquaman's underwater telepathy.

This is Aqualad.

Aqualad said, "your friends are in danger."

We see BB, now a bull shark; the message reaches him.

BB asked, "my friends are in what? Whoa! How did you say that? Dude! How did I say that? Hey!"

He charges after his teammates with Jack catching up to BB to help.

BB said, "okay", he becomes a swordfish, "hero time. This is my big chance to prove I'm the-", something blue and black flashes past, "best?"

Jack asked, "what the?"

Aqualad has just left him in the dust; BB and Jack strain to catch up.

The T-Sub, meanwhile, is being used for Trident's target practice. As he is blazing away; suddenly he is knocked down by a hit from behind.

Aqualad is now seen in full detail for the first time-roughly the same age as the Titans; blue scaly skin on fingers, upper arms and chest; black on forearms, hands, legs, and neck; pure black eyes without whites and long hair of the same color.

The badly damaged craft drops into a fissure on the bay/ocean floor.

Inside, water has begun to spurt in through cracks in the hull, shorting out the controls.

Vic yelled, "main power's down! Hydrojets are toast and we're leaking air!"

Dick groaned, "tell me something I don't know."

Raven said, "okay. We're all going to drown."

Rose said, "I really wish I had practiced holding my breath!"

The outer structure begins to creak as the T-Sub descends toward crush depth in the fissure.

Vic groaned, "Hull's starting to give. We sink much deeper, the pressure's gonna crush us."

Blackfire said, "we gotta do something!"

Aqualad is thrown into view to slam against a rock formation back first, and Trident moves in on him. A sudden charge by the young fellow sends both tumbling into the open to grapple a bit before Trident starts throwing punches. Aqualad swims up quickly, then comes down behind Trident and gets him in a headlock. BB, again a swordfish, zips by with Jack.

BB said, "let Pretty Boy wrestle", he becomes a squid, "only BB can save a whole submarine."

Jack can guess what BB is thinking and says, "don't get cocky dude!"

BB goes into a sharp dive, preparing to do just that.

Dick yelled, "Titans! Brace for impact!"

Vic groaned, "oh, man!"

Rose said, "this is the last time I go on an underwater mission!"

They grind against the wall. At the edge, Aqualad is kicked down to the surface by the escaping Trident; he looks after the villain, then down at the impending disaster, and uses his telepathic powers to summon two nearby whales. The T-Sub drops like a rock, at least, like a rock that has been dropped underwater, as BB and Jack race after it.

BB said, "I got it, I got it! Huh?"

The whales pass him.

Jack said, "I think they got it."

They pull in neatly under the doomed vessel and bear it upward to the top of the fissure. BB can only watch, hopelessly confused, while Jack looks impressed.

BB asked, "they got it? How come they got it?"

Aqualad swims into view by him.

Aqualad said, "because I asked for their help."

BB asked, "you talk to fish? Yeah, right."

Aqualad said, "I'm talking to you, aren't I?"

A big sweat drop appears briefly on the squid's head.

Jack said, "he's right. I can't hear you dude, but I can tell he's talking to you."

BB said awkwardly, "well, I, uh…. Technically, I'm a squid."

Aqualad said, "it's called telepathy. Follow me."

He swims away.

BB mocked, "'it's called telepathy.'"

Aqualad said, "I heard that."

BB asked, "who is this guy?"

Jack said, "let's go dude."

BB and Jack follow Aqualad….

….

We enter a cavern with a large body of water inside. Something approaches the surface from beneath and comes up to reveal itself as the T-Sub, which floats slowly to the shore. Dick and Starfire are the first ones off; they look around in amazement, and Dick lets off a low whistle.

Starfire said, "beautiful."

Vic groaned, "it's not beautiful! It's totaled! Aw, man, I never even got to use the seismic blasters!"

Raven has debarked now and asks, "where are we?"

Aqualad said, "my place."

They see Aqualad rising to the water's surface on the back of a beaching whale. Jumping high and far, he lands on the shore as the marine mammal submerges again.

Aqualad said, "I told the whales to bring you here."

He crosses to Rose as she blushes and says, "okay…. Uh…. Thanks."

Starfire pops up and blushes, "oh, yes, truly, truly, thank you so much for saving us."

Raven stands by and mutters, "I've got a boyfriend. I've got a boyfriend. I've got a boyfriend."

Blackfire smirked and said, "I don't."

BB asked, "he saved you? Hel-lo? I was there, too, you know."

Jack said, "even I have to admit we didn't do anything, Beast Boy…."

Vic said, "you stopped Trident from kebabbing us with that souped-up shrimp fork?"

Dick said, "way to go."

BB said, "well, I was gonna, but…."

Jack said, "he got sidetracked, and I went to get him."

Aqualad crosses to them and says, "I'm Aqualad."

Jack asked, "Aquaman's sidekick?"

Aqualad nodded and said, "sorry I didn't introduce myself earlier. We Atlanteans try to keep a low profile."

BB said, "good job. Don't think anybody even noticed you."

Rose jokes, "obvious sarcasm is obvious."

The girls certainly have noticed him. Behind his back, Rose, Blackfire and Starfire are positively smitten; their eyes have become hearts, and more of these float up from them.

Jack looked at Raven and said, "you don't seem to be flirting."

Raven said, "because I've already got you."

Jack smiles as he and Raven share a quick hug.

Rose asked, "you're from Atlantis? Like Aquaman?"

He nods and says, "yeah. Comes with being his sidekick. And so is Trident."

He shows a holographic image of Trident blasting the landscape, lifting a piece of a marble column he has broken, then firing at fleeing people.

Aqualad said, "he's the worst criminal in Atlantis, with an ego to match. Trident claims he's perfect in every way, so he thinks he can do whatever he wants."

Dick asked, "any idea what he wants with all that toxic waste?"

Blackfire said, "it's clearly not to start a mutant orphanage."

Aqualad said, "whatever it is, it'll be bad for both our worlds. He's already gained some kind of new power. It's like he can be everywhere at once."

Raven said, "noticed that."

Rose said, "it was nuts."

Aqualad said, "as long as we're after the same guy, maybe we can help each other."

BB starts pushing Dick and Raven, "whoa, hey, no, we're good. Got the whole Trident thing under control. 'Sides, I'm sure there's a school of minnows somewhere that need your-"

Dick reaches into view and yanks him away. All of the Titans lean in for a huddle.

Raven said, "we're at the bottom of the ocean."

Blackfire said, "with no way to communicate to people on the surface."

Vic said, "our sub's Swiss cheese."

Rose said, "we're stuck in a cave."

Starfire said, "we cannot breathe water."

Jack said, "except for you and me."

Dick pokes his head up and turns to Aqualad.

Dick said, "we'll take any help you can give us."

Aqualad nods.

Aqualad said, "hey, Tramm!"

At the other end of the cavern, a half-clamshell on the floor flips up to reveal a manhole underneath. What climbs out is a reptilian humanoid, perhaps three feet tall, in short overalls and wearing a backpack. The eyes are very large, protruding from the sides of the head. This is Tramm; he runs to the group, saying something in his own language. Aqualad kneels to him.

Aqualad asked, "want to give these people a hand with their sub?"

Tramm babbles excitedly, cracks his knuckles, and claps his hands before running to it.

Aqualad said, "Tramm's good with tools."

One high jump carries him onto the hull and deposits him near a breach. Muttering to himself a bit, he reaches in and brings up the

severed ends of two groups of cables. These are stretched out and laid over the broken edges; now he dips into his pack and yanks out a jackhammer-like device, which he plies with gusto. Vic runs up.

Vic said, "yo, careful! That's my sub you're messing with!"

Aqualad said, "and while he's helping you, I'll track down Trident."

He has nearly reached the water's edge when BB runs up. They begin to push each other out of the way, becoming gradually more forceful.

BB said, "you mean I'll track down Trident."

Aqualad said, "that's okay, I can handle it."

BB said, "thanks, but I think I should do this."

Aqualad groaned, "seriously, I'll take care of it!"

BB groaned, "would you just get out of my-?"

They grab each other.

BB and Aqualad both yelled, "let me go!"

The fracas continues for a few more seconds before Dick comes over.

Dick said, "guys", he pushed them apart, "why don't you both go track him down together?"

Aqualad said, "I usually work alone."

BB said, "yeah. Me too."

Aqualad said, "you do not! You're part of a team!"

BB growled, "and you hang out with Tramm the fish-boy! What's your point?"

They glare at each other; Dick backs them up again.

Dick said, "hey! Arguing isn't going to stop Trident. Now get out and search, both of you."

Jack said, "I'll go with them. Three heads might be better in this situation."

Dick said, "good idea Jack."

BB and Aqualad give each other one more dirty look before diving into the water. Dick just stands there and shakes his head disgustedly.

Jack forms his bubble of air around him and jumps in after them.

Rose said, "let's hope Jack can keep those two from throttling one another."

Raven said, "agreed."

BB, as a squid, Jack in his bubble, and Aqualad are swimming near the ocean floor. They stop for a look around.

Aqualad said, "I searched that region yesterday. We'll start over-"

BB said, "look. I'm sure you're some kind of local hero, but I'm a real hero from the big city. So just let me call the shots…", he becomes a dolphin, "… And try to keep up."

Clicking sounds emerge from him; the dolphin equivalent of sonar tracking, as he swims around Aqualad a bit. Finally, he concentrates on one heading.

BB said, "I'm picking something up on my sonar! Come on!"

He moves out quickly, but his partners only ease forward a bit. What he has located is a group of real dolphins; they dart playfully around him.

Aqualad said, "congratulations. You found other dolphins."

Jack said, "nice job."

BB said, "I knew that."

Aqualad moves in and hits them with a burst of telepathy, after which they swim off together.

Aqualad said, "they told me where to find Trident. Try to keep up."

BB said, "oh, I'll do better than that."

He follows. We see the Atlantean, making good time, as the Titan catches up and pulls ahead. Jack swims behind at his own pace, rolling his eyes. BB puts in second gear, and the informal race ranges over the ocean floor, weaving around the occasional rock formation. Finding himself neck and neck with BB, who changes from a dolphin to a barracuda, Aqualad keeps accelerating to try and maintain the lead. In a twinkling, the barracuda has turned into a swordfish and moved ahead once more despite Aqualad's best efforts.

Aqualad exclaimed, "Beast Boy! Stop!"

Jack sees what Aqualad does and yells, "dude, stop!"

BB snarked, "what's the matter?"

BB, still going full tilt, races toward Trident, who is squarely in his path.

BB snarked, "am I too fast for yo-?"

A collision with the undersea villain's chest cuts off his taunt; he drops, dazed, to the floor as Aqualad catches up.

BB said nervously, "heh…. How's it going?"

Jack said, "oh grape nuts."

Trident growled, "keep your thoughts to yourself, inferior fool!"

He brings out his weapon and fires it up. BB ducks away just in time to avoid the attack; Trident strafes the ground near his feet, but

Aqualad's swimming tackle cuts him off. Both fall out of sight behind a ridge.

BB said, "oh, no, you don't", he became a bull shark, "this time, he's mine!"

Jack said, "dude, let's make sure he's alright!"

They approach the ridge, but stop short when Trident jumps up onto it from behind. The three prongs blaze like a machine gun, but a lucky snap of the jaws breaks the shaft and silences them. Not giving up so easily, Trident reaches out with one big hand and seizes BB, who becomes a squid and wraps his tentacles around the enemy.

They tumble behind the ridge.

Jack is about to dash forward, but a blast from behind that nearly hits him halts his pursuit!

Jack turns to see Trident there!

Jack asked, "how the heck?"

Trident dashes forward as Jack makes his bubble bigger, and the two duel with their weapons.

….

Aqualad and Trident are grappling for a hold on the fork, which is now whole again. The black-haired hero finally wrenches it away, throwing his opponent several yards, and breaks it over his knee.

On the first ridge. Here comes BB and Trident again; the latter gets himself free of those tentacles and throws the big green squid.

BB yelled, "INCOMING!"

Aqualad catches him with his face and has a very hard time peeling those tentacles away. When he can see again, he gives BB a very nasty look.

BB said, "I said, 'Incoming.'"

Jack is suddenly dropped in front of them, his bubble smaller. He gets up and says, "how the heck did he get the drop on me like that?"

All three look towards Trident, who is swimming towards a dark grotto.

Aqualad exclaimed, "he's getting away!"

All three move in.

BB pondered, "hmmm…."

Aqualad asked, "where were you back there?"

BB asked angrily, "where was I? Fighting Trident by myself!"

Aqualad said, "you barely laid a tentacle on him! At least I managed to break his weapon!"

Jack said, "that makes no sense! I broke it just before he pushed me off of the ridge!"

BB said, "dude, that's just wrong. I so broke that fork thing!"

Aqualad grits his teeth to deliver a crushing response or a right hook, but before he can make up his mind, Trident swims past and goes deeper into the grotto. BB looks in a different direction and sees a pair of eyes shining in the black distance.

Jack manages to catch both and does a serious double-take.

BB and Aqualad point in opposite directions, "there he goes!"

Both glare at each other

BB said, "I saw him! He's that way! I'm right, you're wrong! End of story! If you don't believe me, see you later!"

As BB swims off, Aqualad says, "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!"

Jack goes after Aqualad, since he was the closest.

Jack muttered, "what the heck is going on?!"

In another part of this grotto. As Aqualad and Jack advance, columns of flame and steam shoot up from the ground; undersea geysers spout off. After they have passed, Trident emerges from within the boiling fumes and sets off in pursuit. Aqualad suddenly finds himself on the receiving end of a tackle just like the one he laid on the evildoer. Jack tries to get Trident off of his ally, but keeps getting blocked by steam!

….

We see BB sulking along the path he has chosen.

BB said, "pretty-boy know-it-all showoff. Thinks he's so-"

Trident growled, "worthless scum!"

BB sees Trident standing up with the trident again in his hand.

Trident growled, "you cannot defeat perfection!"

BB asked, "how many of those fork thingies do you have?"

The wielder just snarls and unloads a few blasts that cause BB to almost tie himself in knots as he dodges. Trident fires again and

again to send the green kraken running for cover. As the aggressor closes in, BB turns into a turtle and yanks his head and legs into the shell. Now the trident is thrust at him, but its points merely clang off the hard carapace; a follow-up blast does no damage but sends him hurtling through the dark depths. Trident drifts after him.

Trident yelled, "I will win! I always win! I am superior!"

Out of the blackness shoots a claw that locks onto the wooden shaft.

BB, now a giant crab, is hauled up.

BB said, "and I thought Aqualad had a big ego."

He lashes out with his other claw.

….

Back in the geyser patch, where Aqualad drops into view to land flat on his back. Rubbing his head, he looks up and finds Trident hurling himself downward, namesake at the ready. Aqualad gets out of the way just in time and immediately has to dodge a bolt. Trident loses track of him, but only for a moment until Jack and Aqualad both dart back in and kick him in the head. The trident and its user go flying in different directions; the former lands, points down, and sticks among the fire spurts.

All three swimmers charge toward it, but Trident gets his hand out to reach first. He closes his fingers around it and yanks it out of the muck and takes a couple of swings that barely miss Jack and Aqualad. Next, he pulls it back over his shoulder for a couple of home-run swings that come a hair short of giving Aqualad a high-speed appendectomy. More lunges push him back toward the edge of one geyser, and he loses his balance and stumbles near the lip.

Jack tries to lunge forward, but is sent into the air by the geysers.

As he is in the air, he yells, "I hate these things!"

Trident raises the fork to impale Aqualad, who seizes the head to stop it just inches from his face. The two struggle, Trident gradually pushing the points toward their target, and then Aqualad does a quick sidestep and releases his grip. With his force not meeting any more resistance, Trident is flung forward into the geyser, which blows its top right on cue. The steam clears to leave Aqualad and Jack on their own. They make a beeline for a patch of light shining down from an opening above.

….

In a cavern similar to the one Aqualad calls home, but darker; this was the source of the light seen, with a rocky shore at the water's edge.

Aqualad and Jack jump out and come across BB, who is back in human form. Both gasp, surprised.

Jack, BB and Aqualad all said, "I just saw Trident…."

BB and Aqualad continue with, "no, you didn't…. Yes, I did! Cut it out!"

Jack just looks confused by the whole thing.

BB said, "I don't care what you saw! I fought Trident!"

Aqualad said, "that's impossible!"

Jack said, "Aqualad managed to send him into a geyser!"

BB said, "okay, dude."

BB's arms flailing, he tries to hit Aqualad, but a long arm and a hand planted on his head stop him from getting close enough to do so.

Jack said, "Beast Boy, knock it off."

BB asked, "what is your problem?"

Aqualad asked, "what is your problem? We're supposed to be on the same side, but you treat me like an enemy!"

BB yelled, "I don't need you on my side! This was my mission until you showed up!"

Jack said, "Beast Boy, it's our mission."

BB lets up and pushes Aqualad's hand away.

BB growled, "you think you're so cool, but I've got a newsflash for you. You're not better than me!"

Aqualad yelled, "I don't think I'm better than you!"

BB asked, "you don't?"

Jack said, "no one does dude."

Aqualad said, "maybe you're better than me. Who cares? I just want to catch Trident. And to do that, we need to stop fighting and start working together."

He walks off in a huff, but BB's brain has just slipped into gear.

BB said, "working together…. Aqualad! What if there's more than one Trident?"

Jack said, "I think I see where you're going."

Aqualad said, "don't be ridiculous. How could there be-?"

BB said, "I know, but what if there is? If he found a way to copy himself? He could be in two places at once."

Jack said, "that would explain how we all fought him at the same time! Or how we keep breaking his weapon!"

BB said, "there wouldn't be just one Trident. There'd be…."

A large glob of yellow slime falls onto his face to cut him off. Wiping himself clean, he looks toward the ceiling, as does Aqualad and Jack, to see a forest of large, gooey, translucent globules suspended there. Each has the outline of a figure inside.

Aqualad said, "…. Thousands."

Jack said, "dear God."

The figures are revealed to be clones of Trident, seemingly asleep.

One opens its eyes and growls softly.

BB said, "uh-oh."

Aqualad said, "one Trident is bad…."

Jack said, "and one too many."

BB said, "… But this is…."

The entire ceiling is covered with these sacs, and a horde of Tridents stands ready to fight. The "impossible"attacks and maneuvering seen up to this point need no further explanation.

The Tridents yelled, "… An army!"

The hazardous waste drums from the sunken freighter stand in groups, with pipes running from them up to the forest of developing clones to nourish them. The multitudes on the ground roar and run at BB, Jack and Aqualad, who brace for a full-scale throwdown and charge. Some are armed, others empty-handed. Aqualad knocks out a couple of them, dodging blasts from the trident held by another before levering it upward. One of the sacs is blown open; the Trident inside drops into the fray.

Jack starts freezing several Tridents, and then throws chunks of dirt at them, smashing them up! Jack then covered himself in flames, scaring the Tridentz off!

BB, now a polar bear, rushes in and raises an enormous paw. One clone tumbles to the ground, then another, and then a third raises his weapon and fires. BB is flung backward to crash into a console.

Several drums of waste are connected to it, and on the screen is a red-letter message, "Hatching Sequence Beginning."

Sparks fly after he hits; back in human form, he stands up and rubs his head, and a big drop of sweat rolls down his temple.

BB said, "heh, oops. Great."

Aqualad and Jack run over to BB.

The first Trident said, "my brilliant plan is already a success."

The second Trident said, "if one of me was perfect…."

The third Trident said, "… Why not make more?"

The fourth Trident said, "you can never have too much of a good thing."

The fifth Trident said, "once my army conquers Atlantis…."

The sixth Trident said, "… I will declare war on the surface world! Everyone on the planet will bow down before me…."

The Tridents yelled, "… And praise my perfection!"

Aqualad asked, "any bright ideas?"

BB said, "just one. Try to keep up. So, if you're all perfect, which one of you is the best?"

The Tridents yelled, "I am… Huh?

Aqualad said, "come on. You can't all be the best. One of you must be better than the others."

Jack said, "yeah, like, which of you is better at cooking? Or cleaning? Or public speaking?"

The seventh Trident said, "I am the original! I am the best!"

The eighth Trident said, "you are not the original!"

The Tridents yelled, "I am!"

The ninth Trident said, "nonsense, you inferior fools! I am perfection! I am Trident!"

A brawl breaks out. Jack, BB and Aqualad watch with great satisfaction the chaos they have provoked and wince at the sound of the ruckus. When it dies down, dazed or unconscious Tridents are sprawled everywhere on the cavern floor. Behind the three, the word, "beginning", on the console panel has changed to a countdown clock that is nearly at zero.

Jack said, "quick thinking man."

Aqualad said, "yeah, great idea."

BB said, "kinda got it from you. Now we just have to stop those clones from hatching."

They turn to the panel, which flashes as the final three seconds tick away. At zero, the clock is replaced by the word, "Begin."

Jack groaned, "aw crap-baskets!"

BB and Aqualad said, "too late!"

Screeches and yowls from above draw their attention; the newly matured Trident clones strain at the membranes holding them and break through. BB turns into a hippopotamus and barrels into these ranks, knocking them every which way like bowling pins. He heads toward the water's edge, with Aqualad and Jack close behind, all three dive in; BB becomes a swordfish upon submerging. Several members of the fresh crop go in after the trio, who are doing the underwater equivalent of burning rubber.

Aqualad said, "we can't let them escape! We have to find some way of sealing the exit!"

Jack groaned, "easier said than done!"

BB said, "right now, I'm just worried about getting to the exit."

The opposition, now out in full force, is making it a horse race. BB, Jack and Aqualad charge at the patch of light that marked the cavern's entrance earlier and get clear of the place, and then, as the Tridents pull closer, a very familiar silhouette pulls into view. They stop short.

The Tridents yelled, "huh?"

It is the T-Sub, back in proper working order thanks to Tramm's efforts. Two huge beams, issued from emitters on the bow, slice the water and strike the upper edge of the cavern entrance. There is a mighty flash, which clears to show broken rock pouring down from the blast zone to wall up the pathway.

Dick said, "yes!"

Raven said, "cool!"

Starfire cheered, "Victory!"

She flashes the V-for-Victory hand sign.

Blackfire cheered, "you can say that again sis!"

Starfire cheered, "alright then, VICTORY!"

Blackfire rolled her eyes in amusement.

Vic cheered, "Boo-yah! Seismic blasters worked like a charm", he gives a thumbs-up, "nice repair job, Tramm."

Rose said, "you did amazing dude!"

The fish-boy of the hour is in BB's cockpit; he waves his fists and blabbers happily in gratitude. BB, now a squid, Jack in his bubble, and Aqualad look toward the T-Sub's handiwork.

BB said, "good thing Trident likes himself so much, 'cause I'm thinking he won't see anybody else for a looong time."

….

Later, back at the Tower, we see Aqualad, Tramm, the four male Titans and Raven standing among the rocks near the island's shore. It is now the next day. Rose, Blackfire and Starfire pop up; they are again thoroughly lovestruck as when they first clapped eyes on the Atlantean.

Dick said, "consider yourself an honorary Titan."

Dick hands him a communicator. The device is disc-shaped, yellow around the edge, and black in the center with a large white T. He smiles calmly at the gift as Blackfire, Rose and Starfire practically hang over his shoulder to look at it. They shift position a couple of times to keep Aqualad in plain sight.

Dick said, "we couldn't have done it without you. Thanks."

Aqualad said, "right back at you. It's good to know there's people up here I can trust."

Vic said, "and it's good to know there's folks down there who can fix a hyperjet."

Tramm replies with a hearty bit of gibberish that ends in an easily recognizable, "boo-yah", as he taps his fists against Vic's. Now Aqualad makes eye contact with the girls.

Aqualad said, "Bye, Rose, Blackfire, Starfire."

Rose stuttered, "it was…. Nice to meet you."

Blackfire said, "oh, very, very, nice."

Starfire said, "oh, very, very, very nice!"

Starfire leans into him hard enough to push him, and he ends up next to BB.

BB said, "what can I say, dude? You're the best."

Aqualad said, "nah. You're the best."

BB said, "yeah, you're right. And if you ever want me to prove it, I'm always up for a race."

Aqualad said, "just try and keep up."

The two rivals, turned reluctant partners, and turned fast friends ran towards the bay.

Jack rolls his eyes as Raven just says, "I hope their squabbling wasn't too annoying."

Jack said, "eh, I've dealt with worse."

And thus ended another adventure for the Titans, with a new ally!

….

Reviews:

wearedeadpool: thanks.

Bailey Radcliff: I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter so much. Happy you're doing well.

Canadude2029: I'm glad you found the chapter so sweet. Most of the show's villains will join the Brotherhood.

SuperSentai199: glad you think so.

….

Sorry it took so long to get this chapter up. Life got in the way more than once...

But luckily, we've got a new chapter up for this story!

Also, if you haven't voted already, vote on the poll for my upcoming Borderlands story!