SWNOVELXO Chapter 4: 3
In Parker Tower, the penthouse level, Eva is walking up to John.
Eva: Any trouble recruiting those kids?
John: No....they'll be a great addition to the team. Just making sure while Genesis is behind bars, we have time to build our team.
Eva: And Scarlett and Axel?
John: Still trying to locate them....hey, we both knew that they couldn't stay behind bars.
Eva: I thought our goals were to put everyone at ease...human or Enhuman.
John: It is.
Eva: You're not alone, James.....you have your kids and your team behind you.....
John: Thought that's why we hired that informant, Eva....to keep everyone from knowing about the Supers...our involvement.
Eva: Well, since the world saw what the Supers did and how mad Tarmac was....human relationships are getting better.
John: Yeah....at least, for now....
Eva: It's kinda hard to convince everyone else though that they can sleep safe without worrying about a giant base falling from the sky or robots getting hacked.
John: Tombs is never getting out....I made that clear.
Eva: but Scarlett, Mammoth and Red Dragon are still out there...somewhere ready to strike....I know James and Charles created V.O.X to keep an eye out for loose ends.
John: V.O.X is a secret from both the humans and our enemies. Our enemies can't fight what they don't know.
Eva: Can you take some advice from you're your wisest child? Something Mom would say?
John: What's that?
Eva: Stop trying to be Quantum and be a little more John Parker. Smile. People feel more comfortable when you smile....not to mention, mom would say you look much more handsome when you smile.....
In the Libya Sea, in a ship graveyard, two divers, Dallas Walden and his companion, Fred Aimes are searching the wreckage of a ship.
Fred: Hey, Aimes. Wait up!
Dallas: Fred! Hurry up! (talks in radio) Antoinette, how we doin?
On the ocean, in a boat, Antoinette is on deck of their boat, talking to Dallas through a radio.
Antoinette: We're doing okay so far.....weather's nice. We got the right permits to be out here. We're about to possibly find some treasure down in a massive graveyard. This could be our lucky streak, boys. Just watch out for anything spooky down there.
Dallas: The hell you talking about?
Antoinette: Rumor has it that something down there is actually seen guarding those graveyards.
Dallas: Like what? A sea guardian?
Antoinette: Who knows? Just be careful.
Dallas: Yes, Mama. Hey, if I find anything suspicious or creepy, I'll buy you a drink.
Antoinette: And if you come up safe and sound....
Dallas: Bar and a Hotel tonight?
Antoinette: (laughs) In your dreams, lover boy.
Fred catches up to Dallas.
Fred: You know I can't swim that fast, man.
Dallas: You see that, Fred?
The two scopes out the wreckage of an old pirate ship.
Dallas: Amazing, isn't it? You got your head camera on?
Fred: Yeah, great. Now, let's see what's in there and get out of here....my tank's full and this place is giving me the creeps.
Dallas: (laughs) Don't get cold feet now, brother....or in this case, wet feet.
Dallas and Fred swim to the sunken ship.
Dallas: Oh, man....this has to be it.....this is the U.S Kingston. She fell between 1845 during a massive storm....
Fred: same as all these other ships.
Dallas: You coming in?
Fred: Nah...nah...I'll stay out here.
Dallas: Yeah, good idea. You know, watch out for things like sharks.
Dallas heads inside as Fred nervously laughs.
Fred: You are joking about the sharks, right? Dallas? Dallas?
Fred swims inside the ship as Dallas helps him.
Fred: Dallas, there aren't rally sharks around here, are there?
Dallas: Fred, don't be a such a whoosy.
Dallas helps Fred in while outside, a giant shark figure is swimming around. Inside the cabin of the ship, Dallas and Fred search around, before making their way to the Captains quarters. There, they find the skeleton corpse of the captain with a blade plunged into his chest.
Fred: Well, another dead end.
Dallas: Hold up.
Dallas swims to the captains' corpse and pulls out the blade, revealed to be an Atlantean blade encrypted with Atlantean language.
Fred: What the hell is that?
Dallas: It's a blade of course.
Fred: Yeah, but what kind of blade?
Dallas: Hmm...is it Latin? Greek? Looks like these pirates were attacked.
Fred: Yeah, but by who?
Dallas: Hell, if I know, man, but I bet forensics will.
The massive shark swims outside the captains' quarters as Fred looks around.
Fred: What was that? Did you hear that?
Dallas: Hear what?
Fred: There's something out here, man.
Dallas: Fred, will you quit worrying so much.
Suddenly, the massive shark sneaks up as Fred looks behind him to notice the massive shark preparing to attack. The shark breaks through the glass, chomping at the two divers, who narrowly avoid the massive shark. Dallas manages to trap the shark with a net, allowing the two to swim to a safe distance as Dallas calls Antoinette on the radio.
Dallas: Antoinette! We got a shark! A big one! It's on our tail!
Antoinette: Jesus...hurry!
As Dallas and Antoinette attempt to swim out of the ship graveyard, the shark gives chase as it rams into a boulder. The debris of the boulder pierces Fred's oxygen tank.
Fred: Damn it! My tank's been hit! I'm losing oxygen!
With his oxygen decreasing, Fred's breathing decreases, forcing Dallas to help him. The two are forced to sink in order to avoid the massive sharks attack, before retreating to a boat.
Dallas: Fred! Stay here! I'm going to try to get its attention.
Fred: Dallas! Wait!
Dallas swims outside, before the massive shark notices and gives chase, eventually cornering Dallas. The massive shark opens its jaws, attempting to eat Dallas. However, as Dallas closes his eyes and accepts his fate, he opens his eyes to notice an adult Caspian in Atlantean armor holding off the massive jaws of the massive Shark, before he punches down the shark and kicks it away. Caspian and the Massive Shark swim at each other as a struggle ensues, before Caspian throws the shark away. Caspian swims to an anchor chain and swings it around the shark, managing to swing it around and around, before releasing the chain, throwing the massive shark into a sunken ship. Caspian then swims up to Dallas as Fred pokes his head out.
Caspian: Do yourself a favor, human-
Suddenly, the massive shark swims up and charges at Caspian, who knocks the shark out with a punch while staring at Dallas.
Caspian: And leave the loot you seek in the ships at rest.
Caspian grabs the unconscious massive shark and swims away as Dallas and Fred stand amazed. At his apartment complex, Alex is tinkering with his temperature conduit.
Alex: C'mon. This has to work. Just has to.
Alex pulls out the kinetic energy shield barrier part James had gave him during his visit to Parker Tower.
Alex: hope this is legit.
Alex places the kinetic energy shield barrier around the thermos temperature conduit. At first, the conduit doesn't do any change.
Alex: Damn it....
Alex looks around at the conduit and realizes there's a button on the shield barrier.
Alex: Oh....
Alex presses the button as the conduit activates, generating kinetic energy from the conduit both heat and cold energy, transferring that energy into Alex's body. An energy blast then sends Alex back. Alex recovers, only to discover that his right arm is on fire.
Alex: Oh, crap! I'm on fire! I'm on fire!
Alex waves his arm around, suddenly, the fire doses out. Alex looks at his arm, astonished. Donald bursts into the room, looking around.
Donald: Alex! What's going on in here?!
Alex: Uh.....
Alex's eyes look around the room.
Alex: I was messing with my science project.
Donald sighs.
Donald: What was that bump I heard?
Alex: I fell....
Donald shakes his head.
Donald: One day; your science projects are gonna be the death of you. Now take your butt to bed, boy.
Donald shuts the door.
At the Parker Tower, Josh and Trisha are playing a game of thumb war while Jessica is drawing.
Joseph: I'm going to get you this time!
Trisha: No, you're not!
Josh: Uh-huh!
Trisha manages to overpower Josh in the thumb war.
Trisha: Ha! Told you!
Josh: Oh, you cheated!
Trisha: Like hell I did!
Josh: Okay, we need another game I can beat you at!
Trisha: Which is?
Joseph: Rock-paper-scissors.
Trisha: Alright; let's even the stakes a little.
Josh: Okay....what are you thinking?
Trisha: If I win, you are going to my personal vacation maid...first vacation we do.
Josh: And if I win, you ride into the crazy blue waves with me...oh and a night of skinny dipping.
Trisha: Oooh...spicy.
Jessica: (laughing)
Josh: What are you laughing at, Jessica?
Jessica: Oh, nothing....
Josh: Hey, what are you drawing?
Jessica presents her drawing (a sketch of Josh electrocuting Trisha as they kiss)
Trisha: (laughs) it's kind of cute...
Josh: Yeah, kind of....
Jessica: It's a demonstration of what happens when Enhumans with electrocuting powers get happy.
Josh: Dude, you just had to piss on the moment.
Trisha: So, Jessica, you're from Paris. Right?
Jessica: Indeed I am. And you are from the small town of...how do you say it? "Owogo"?
Trisha: Owego. It's north of New York.
Jessica: I see...and you are the Neon Crane woman, correct? With the neon powers?
Trisha: Yes....it wasn't my choice to get these powers.
Jessica turns to Josh.
Jessica: And you, Josh....you have the power of electricity, yes?
Josh: Yeah...how long have you had the power of invisibility?
Jessica: For the last two months....it has been an experience.
Trisha: How'd you discover your powers?
Jessica: So....I was in my room, drawing. Suddenly, I felt stressed, but then I look at my hand. It is completely transparent. I cannot see myself in the mirror. So...I wonder if I get powers, so I test out my transparent and levitate a glass vase....
Josh: Well....at least you didn't electrocute anyone when you discovered your powers.
Jessica: Uh....it was actually my grandmother's ashes.
Trisha and Josh's eyes widen.
Trisha: Damn....you get a teenage ass whoopin for that?
Jessica: No, but I did get one helluva lecture.
Trisha: And Dasher...what's her story?
Jessica: She was a common American girl who I befriended. She had noticed my Enhuman powers and together we became a team.
Josh: A team? Robbing banks?
Jessica: Think of us as the female Robin Hood.
Josh: Well, who'd be Big John?
In Atlantis, Caspian returns and throws the massive shark into the pool.
Caspian: How many times have I told you not to go out into those ship graveyards....how many? Young lady, you get out of your shark form when I'm talking to you!
The massive shark suddenly transforms into Caspian's young daughter, Keera, who sits naked in the pool.
Keera: Oh, I wasn't going to eat them. I was trying to scare them.....Besides, I hate the taste of humans anyway....also, that's where grandmother was buried.....that blade was hers, before those pirates killed her....
Caspian: I get that, but-honey, can you get dressed first?
Keera: (looking down) Oh, right...
Keera steps out of the pool and gets dressed behind a curtain in her Atlantean dress.
Caspian: Honey, you've got to be more careful.....I just don't know what we're going to do with you....As a result of your careless behavior, you missed on the celebration...your grandfather has appointed me as king....you are getting very careless.....
Keera: "Careless". Father, the humans on the surface are the ones who are careless. They poison, pollute and even urinate in our oceans.
Caspian: And how would you know that?
Keera: Uh....uh....
Caspian: You and Ezra have been going up to the surface again, haven't you? Haven't you?
Keera: Uh...maybe....
Caspian walks up to Keera's drawer to find an old cell phone.
Caspian: "Maybe"? Huh?
Keera: Okay, Ezra and I went up to the surface....some bad humans were polluting our oceans with....uh...what's the white powder that humans sniff up their noses to get all hyper?
Caspian: I think it's called Coca Cola....
Keera: No, that's a soda....
Caspian: Honey!
Keera: Dad, I'm sorry.
Caspian: You forget it's not just the humans we have to worry about up there? It's Enhumans as well.
Keera: (scoffs) Enhumans.....like the ones who killed Mom.
Caspian: We're getting off the subject....
Keera: They're barbaric....and humans have every right to hate them.
Caspian: They're not barbaric, Keera....some of them protect humans....
Keera: But most hate them.....why do you defend them?
Caspian: Young lady, as long you live under my ocean.....you stay in the ocean.....am I understood?
Keera walks off while Tarnak walks into the room.
Tarnak: You're becoming like your mother....soft on humans....a thousand years ago, you would slaughter a human on sight.
Caspian: I'm not that same man I once was...I've changed.....I promised Lidia I would.....and for my daughter's sake, I planned too.
Tarnak: That's why I plan on making you the next king of Atlantis, son....because you understand....that not everything can be solved through fear and tyranny, but by wisdom and speech....that two or more species can be connected.....it is what makes this city stand....the ocean is a beautiful void....
A short pause.
Caspian: Father, Ramses is older....you know; he should've be throned the next king instead of me.
Tarnak: Ramses is the oldest and the strongest warrior in my army, but like your daughter, he has hate for both the humans and the Enhumans....you and your brother were named after two God's of the sea...you both have similar powers...you both have control over the entire ocean.
Caspian: Can you blame him his hate? I mean....we do live at the bottom of the ocean because of Enhumans....and mother is gone....
Tarnak: don't think like that, son...the Enhumans are strong, but they also deal with their own issues.
As Tarnak hugs Caspian, Ramses, who is listening to the conversation, leaves. A few minutes later, Ramses is sitting on statue while Caspian walks and leans on the statue wall.
Ramses: I see your daughter snuck out again.
Caspian: Are all teenagers like this?
Ramses: (laughs) Brother, we were once teenagers too....sneaking out late...swimming over to the beautiful females of the sea.....father grounded us for ten years...
Caspian: It's like we can get any older...we have been here for over thousands of years....Keera's only ninety-eight years old and still acts like she's sixteen....she's still dating your student.
Ramses: Who? Ezra? The boy's got potential. Compassion. Hell, the strength of a warrior. I've taught him well....he would make an excellent body guard someday....what did you and father talk about?
A short pause.
Caspian: My soon destiny to rule Atlantis.....you really should have the throne....you are the oldest and the best out of all our warriors.
Ramses: No....you are the best of us, Caspian....our people...they respect you.....or mainly because we were Keera's age, we were having too much fun....destroying temples....riding dolphins....sleeping with the high priestesses daughter.
Caspian: Uh...that was me.
The brothers laugh.
Caspian: Ramses, we will rule this throne together.....as brothers....
The two share a brotherly moment, before Caspian walks off. Ramses gives a stern look, before walking to his room, where he contacts Krull, Sea Warlock and Leader of the Sea Goblins.
Krull: What news do you bring, Son of Atlantis?
Ramses: The time for war is coming, Goblin....and soon....we will strike against the humans and Enhumans.....we just need to get my little brother out of the way.