"Hey I thought you were going to make this a one shot or just two big chapters, not a multi chapter fic-"
Shh!
"Don't you still need to finish your other stingray story-?"
SHH!
"Don't you still need to finish multiple other multichapter fics else where?"
SSSHUSHHH!

Had running up that hill on blast and repeat for this. This had so many working titles hence the polls. The after math of episode The Master Plan. Some dialogue lines lifted right from the episode, and some from the comics/audio adventures.

Trigger warnings for higher than usual/cannon/levels of: violence, injury, anxiety, poisoning, unreality re nightmares, and one use of mild swearing. Hurt comfort abound but also a fair amount of emotional whump whump-!

Xxx

WhumpWhumpWhump-!

It is not a good sound. It is a loud, most unhealthy sounding engine, especially underwater. There was a buzzing from where a pip should be, the sonar scanner spluttering to work. Every flexing and slow flap of the metal tail reminds them of how fast those fins should go. And how many knots they were going instead. The ship itself creaked ominously. Even pitching to a noticeable angle as the Terror Fish picked up speed; causing its crew to waste precious time readjusting to maintain course.

"If I'd known we'd be piloting this again, I wouldn't have let the science guys and engineers pull it apart to see how it worked!" Troy complained. He gave the console a thump. Twice. Something Marina knew he'd never done to his ship. But the electrics beeped and complied. "They've really pulled a number on us."

"I don't think they put bits back where they found them, Troy. Dang, wish we'd had more time to check it was seaworthy." Phones agreed. He had the throttle tipped to max and when it complained he started muttering under his breath, "come on, baby. Come on."

All Marina could do is stand there, as the cabin lights flicker, blink. Dim. Brighten. Flicker twice. She felt still too stunned to move. Silent in the human's perspective as always, but in her head, she is screaming. Crying. Calling out to them. Both in joy and fear. She hasn't stopped since Troy had jumped out in Titan's own throne room, weapon drawn.

It's freezing on the ship. It's not something that would normally bother her. But it's far colder then she's used to submarines being.

A small thought that's been reading training manuals reminds her if this was happening in Stingray, this temperature could mean the isolator units in the bridge to counter the dive systems overheating had activated, forming a protective barrier between the crew area and the core. Or that the air con just needed adjusting.

But they aren't in Stingray.

And anyway, it is not from the cold Marina finds herself shaking. Adrenaline certainly. Hope. Nerves. An odd shocked sort of Numb and calm. Delight. Joy. Fear. A lot of fear actually? She'd not yet drawn breath. She daren't.

They're escaping Titanica all over again.

Only this time, Troy and Phones have freed her. not the other way around. And not on route to Aquatraz. This time from within the palace itself. The men had run from the throne room and dragged Marina through the confusion. (She can't sprint like they can. Neither can the Aquaphibians, really? But they're still faster than her.)

Troy had turned about at one corridor holding fire, Phones doing the same for him at another junction. She'd then pulled them down a side corridor, knowing the guard posts. Then they'd Piled in onto the little transporter shuttle, Troy shooting at the door controls behind them to seal them off. All three had been terrified the transport tube would shut down on them before they reached the end. But it held out. Even with alarms blaring and Titan's threatening them all their way over the radio. And then they'd been scrambling into a Terror fish. One that apparently had been the boys' way into the city. Marina still doesn't know how Troy and Phones got past the guards. but they can explain later.

if they get a chance.

Now the dark waters of the trenched kingdom were slipping away behind them. They are reaching the open sea. So close to the open ocean. Freedom was so close. But Titanica was still closer than home, hard as Troy and Phones were pushing the vessel. And there's something else even closer behind them.

Marina didn't want to distract them. But didn't want to be any distance away. Not anymore. Marina slipped behind them, as she would in Stingray. Only now she clung to them both (Phones at the shoulder and Troy at the elbow) rather than stand ready behind those silver chairs. She was so relieved to see them. To be here, seeing them work in sync once again. But not as one with the machine as they are with Stingray. The mechanics are made from bigger three fingered hands after all. They are not as adapted to this ship as they are to theirs.

Tense minutes tick by.

"Retract the claws, would you? We're going to be okay Marina." The captain tells her.

Marina nodded, flexing her fingers and loosening her grip. But she can't help but notice there's sweat on his brow. Phones counting off in a stressed sort of way. Marina herself is sure she was dreaming. But not even in her dreams daring a rescue literally from Titan's clutches. Not when she's been having nightmares of-

Don't think about that. She chides herself.

Troy was alive. In front of her alive. Solid under her hand. Breathing. Breathing on his own. Real. Not dead. Not left for dead like King Titan said. Titan did keep his word after all. Troy was Alive. here. Alive.

But now he was going to die. Phones too. they all were. Titan had called out, "Death awaits you Tempest!" in the tunnel, and he'd meant it. All Because they came to rescue her. Because the WASPs came to fetch her. They were back tracking on Titan's deal. Troy was safe and now they were saving her. But terror fish- or mechanical fish as non pacifcan's call them, are not built for speed. Not like Stingray.

And this fish was too slow compared to the shoal Titan sent after them. She counted six, at least. Possibly more following. The crew might have had the element of surprise, a head start, and have better pilots at the helm. But what was that against Forces of scrambled Bloodthirsty titan-pleasing aquaphibians?

The first time Troy and Phones had escaped Titan and taken the terror-fish; they'd let Titan's servants free, booting them into and out the tiny air lock before heading home towing Stingray. It didn't seem like the Aquaphibians were willing to return the favour.

"It's all my fault." Marina said, thinking it hard and loud just on the off chance one of them might hear her. I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm -!

"Look out!" Troy said suddenly at the same time Phones called out,

"Impact red 10!"

A missile whizzed past them. Too wide to score a hit, but it was enough to make them veer a hard turn sideways away from falling rock.

"That was too close-! Phones ready, get a mask on!" Troy ordered. Phones obeyed, grabbing at tanks and equipment had been stashed by the console. Then took back over the controls to allow Troy to do the same, both forgoing wetsuits to fix the gear Over their uniform.

Marina fumbled to help them both. It won't help. Not If they get hit. When they get hit- no -no if. If they got hit. But the pressure at this depth would crush them. She might possibly be okay if she wasn't killed outright in the blast. but the humans? Aquaphibians were ridiculous tough. They could take a hit in their flimsy ships, and still often swim back to their base.

But they'd heard the orders. Titan wanted them destroyed. his terror fish would shoot to kill not to capture. Their mechanical fish would simply be blown apart. Titan's armada were on their tail (literally) and no sting missiles. No missiles at all even judging by the way Troy wasn't even attempting to engage in combat and focusing on trying to lose them instead.

Another pot shot from the swarm had them swerving, pulling up. A move that saved them sure but ate into the gap they'd worked hard to build between the fishes.

"Closest one is Fifteen hundred yards and they're still gaining on us." Phones warned.

"There's nothing more I can do!" Troy frowned. "we're at full power now. If they get any closer than nine hundred, we've had it.."

"Yeah. They won't miss from that range," Phones agreed. "We haven't even a slingshot to fight back with!"

Troy thumped the controls again. "There's got to be a way-!"

Marina shook her head, gripping them both tight again and feeling scared. So scared. mostly for them, her friends. Phones shift, to tuck her side and draw her close; but his eyes never leave the controls.

"Twelve hundred." He says, his jaw now set. "Still gaining."

"Eleven hundred."

Another terror fish open fired. The seabed below Troy's fish erupted, rocking their ship back and loose more precious distance trying to surf the waves it caused. Too much distance this time.

"Nine hundred yards!"

"Impact range, less than ten seconds now." Troy confirmed. "Nine."

"Eight."

"Seven."

"Six."

Marina squeezed her tight shut, unable to watch.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry-!"

"Five."

"Four t-!"

The fellas didn't get to finish counting down. A missile struck home with deadly accuracy. And a terror fish is left dead in the water...