"We did it!" Maya exclaimed happily.

"Yeah, that thing's going nowhere" Dean agreed.

"We should go get Tom and Quinn."

"First let's make sure it's fully secure. We can use rocks to anchor it down."

"Good idea."

Put their snorkels back on and swam back down. As they neared the trapped robot, they saw someone else coming towards them.

He wore a purple wetsuit with dark blue hip-length boots and a metal shoulder harness and belt. Attached to the belt were multiple fishing lures. His head was covered by a yellow cowl with black spots that kept his face hidden in shadow. In his hand was a fishing rod made of silvery metal.

Maya recognised him immediately. The Fisherman!

She had encountered the criminal once before while visiting the superhero Aquaman's new base. They had managed to stop him but it had taken the combined efforts of her, Mike, Flipper and Aquaman.

I hope Flipper's nearby.

She picked up two rocks and started banging them together. If Flipper heard it, she knew he would come to help.

Dean didn't recognise the Fisherman but he knew right away that he was trouble. He kicked his legs and started towards him. Unimpressed, the Fisherman cast his rod forwards and the polymer line shot through the water. Before Dean could react, it had wound itself tightly around him, pinning his legs together and his arms to his sides. His eyes bulged behind his mask as he sank to the sea floor and struggled futilely against his bonds.

The Fisherman tapped a button on his fishing rod and a replacement line extended from the rod's tip. He cast the line at Maya and she narrowly dodged it. As he prepared for a second strike there was a familiar chattering sound.

Flipper!

Flipper came zooming in and slammed his snout into the Fisherman's torso, sending him floundering away. His suit gave him some protection but he still felt it. With a growl he launched his weapon's barbed lure through the water. Flipper merely twisted to one side and let it sail past him.

While Flipper was battling the Fisherman, Maya swam over to Dean and unwound the line wrapped around him. She supported him as they headed for the surface. He gasped for breath the second his head was above water.

"Thanks Maya" he said once he'd regained his breath.

"No problem, Dean. Just be glad Flipper was there."

"I hope he'll be all right."

"He'll be fine. Flipper can handle that creep."

On the seabed the fight was continuing. The Fisherman snarled angrily as he missed Flipper again. Deciding to try a new tactic he pulled one of the explosive lures from his belt, but before he could arm it Flipper rammed him again and it slipped from his fingers. Flipper followed up by bringing his tail down hard on his opponent's wrist. The Fisherman howled in pain and lost his grip on his rod. In a panic he swam upwards, desperate to get away from the dolphin.

He made it to the surface but before he could regain his composure, Dean seized him and forced his arms behind his back. Maya then tied his wrists together with his own line. He yelled in rage and struggled furiously but between them they managed to haul him onto the Institute cruiser. Maya pinned his ankles to the deck while Dean fetched a length of cable which he then used to further secure the villain by tying his ankles together.

"Wait" said the Fisherman frantically as they stood up. "Let me out of this and I'll give both of you kids a cut."

"Sorry, we don't make deals with eco-criminals" Maya replied.

Flipper surfaced and whistled in agreement. The Fisherman yelped in fear. "Aggh! Get me away from that crazy dolphin!"

Maya and Dean laughed and Flipper chattered eagerly, nodding his head back and forth.

A few days later Maya and Dean knocked on Holly's door again. When she greeted them this time her smile was far more vibrant.

"Hi guys" she said, her voice back to normal.

"Hi Holly. You're looking much better," said Dean. He was correct, all of her symptoms were gone.

"I feel much better" she replied. "Thanks again Maya. That herbal tea really helped."

"I knew it would."

"Tom and Quinn dropped by and told me what happened," said Holly. "You guys did something amazing by saving the reef."

"We couldn't have done it without Flipper," said Maya.

"Yeah, he really cleaned that guy's clock" Dean added with a grin.

"I wish I could have seen that," said Holly.

"Well how about the next best thing?" Dean offered. He took out some photographs and shuffled through them. "We took these to help with Dr Daulton's coral reef lectures" he explained. "But this one was for posterity. Good thing there was a tripod on the cruiser."

He handed it over and Holly accepted it. The photo showed Maya and Dean both standing over the trussed-up Fisherman with broad grins on their faces. Behind them Flipper was poking his head out of water and looking right at the camera with his ever-present dolphin smile.

"As you can see, the Fisherman ended up as the catch of the day."

She laughed happily and her friends laughed with her.