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The Adventures of "Fish Guy" (Superhero fiction)


Hermit

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Still more great stuff, sir. FIsh-G... er, Eel is very much like most of my PC's. I really like him and the rest of the Samaritans.

 

I would absolutely pay $10 for a copy of this novel (after completion, editing, etc.of course).

 

I know this is a novel, not a comic book, but as a visual person I was wondering if/when we'll get to see graphic representations of the main characters?

Okay, this is all very good news to me. I'm particularly glad folks are liking the Team. None of them are perfect, but while they should be human, I also prefer my superheroes be better people than I am. 

 

About the art... mmm... need to think on it.

I might know a guy...

Amusing word-play there.

 

 

 

Yeah, I kinda wanted to reach into the story and smack him upside the head.

 

 

 

Public relations... relations with the public... what's the difference?  :winkgrin:

 

 

I like that bit.  Nicely written.

 

Actually, all of it is well written.  But I enjoy clever turns of phrase that communicate important info.  And you have a talent for sprinking those in.  Keep up the good work.

 

Glad you are enjoying. I try to be clever, with mixed results.

 

And yes, he'll be wanting to kick his own ass when he thinks on it. Right now, I at least have the excuse that he's worried about some gang bangers who may not live through the night. 

 

Let's see if the readers buy it...

 

oh I shouldn't type this stuff out when I'm scheming.

 

"Yeah, I kinda wanted to reach into the story and smack him upside the head."

 

Ditto. Hope there turns out to be a "Keep this on the down low" attachment to the sending. 

 

By the way, and I don't want to seem, well, you know. . . But if Arianne is getting $15 for calling Fish Guy, "Fish Guy," then where's mine?

 

If Pinprick is too cheap to give more than 15 bucks to Ariana, someone sharing a setting with him, you really think he's going to go out of his way to pay the postage for meta mail delivery?  Not everyone has Deadpool's budget.

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Sorry folks, short one this time. I may do more later tonight but right now, this is all I got in me today.

 

 
Lady Obsidian might be able to drag my amphibious ass back to the base, but she couldn't make me sleep. Okay, she could probably knock me out, but that is not the same thing. Heck, tired as I was, I couldn't make myself sleep. I soaked in the tub and let it restore me. I got dressed, not in costume but in a pair of jeans and a t shirt I bought at a concert once.  I checked on late night news reports with Mabel, and I paced the building. Maybe I should have burnt up my nervous energy in the pool, but somehow enjoying a swim felt wrong right now.
 
People were on a hospital table.
 
Bad people, I suppose, but good or bad they'd been under my protection, and they'd gotten hurt. Logically, I knew this happened. No one, not even the greats like Lady Obsidian or Mister Ultra have a one hundred precent track record of keeping the Grim Reaper from claiming his due. I recognized that. 
 
I still didn't like it.
 
The was once a mall, so I shouldn't have been surprised at how immense the base was. I did what mall walkers do. I walked in circles, well, now and then I jogged. I would stop and peek in at various sections I hadn't seen yet. Ex stores now converted to labs were plentiful. The most important was probably the med bay. My healing in water trick meant I got to avoid the place, which is fine by me. As a rule, hospitals always seem unfriendly. Not the staff per se, I've met some amiable doctors and nurses who were amazingly friendly given their huge work load. It's the feel of them. Yes, they tend to be drab and sterile, but even when they try to spruce the areas in bright colors or floral prints, it feels like putting a pink collar on an angry tiger. Yes, that is adorable, but odds are you still will get a hole in you if not flat out cut open.
 
Maybe it was time to test out the training area? Superteams with the resources have training areas where they can cut loose with their powers and face battle simulations, sometimes the training areas have cute trademarked nicknames. Mabel had told me the nick name of this one was the Rumble Room. Mind you, they didn't say out loud. Something about skirting legal issues with a team in upstate New York.
 
"You should be asleep," Mabel's voice still purred, but there was no flirtatious endearment, "And you are not up to the Rumble Room right now."
 
"I'm fine, Mabel, I've got energy to burn, I've recovered from the shock and being shot..I..."
 
"I mean your headspace," She said, "And lack of sleep."
 
"Look, I can.."  I started to snap, then I blinked, "I can't sleep." I sighed, "Any news from the hospital?"
 
"Not in the last ten minutes since you asked last time, no," she said.
 
"I asked ten minutes ago?" I honestly didn't remember.
 
"Yes, and that's another reason you need to sleep," Mabel said. Yeah, the flirtatious tones were definitely being downplayed.
 
I almost said 'I don't wanna' but if anything would confirm that my adult mind was in danger of shutting down that would do it. Instead of fighting with Mabel about how I could not sleep despite being more exhausted than I realized. I tried to change the subject.
"Where do those go?" I gestured to a sealed door that, had this still been a mall, would have been for employees only.
 
"Well, some of them do go behind the other labs and so on, but it also leads to the basement and the top security areas," She explained.
 
"I thought this whole place was top security?" I said surprised.
 
"Please, guests come here often, down there? Team members only and I require a voice check, a retinal scan of your eye, and a password," Mabel said, "Some serious stuff down there?"
 
I was too tired to filter my curiosity, "Such as?"
 
"Devices that supervillains and governments alike would love to get their hands on. A few mystical, some are alien tech we managed to snatch up first, but most of it is cutting edge doomsday level superscience made right here on Earth that the world is just not ready to handle. You'd have to ask Lady Obsidian what's what. Some of it is on its own closed system in case I ever get compromised. No point in ultra high security if someone could just hack me and have me help them," her normally purring voice almost shuddered.
 
"You can be hacked?" I said with concern, and a bit of sympathy, "I mean, there's a lot I don't know about you but... that would scare me."
 
"It should, and any of us can be hacked," Mabel said, "We live in a world of telepaths and mind controllers, of shapeshifters and reality benders. Even taking that out, normal humans manipulate their fellow man every day. But thank you for your concerns," A pause, "Yes, it does scare me."
 
"You're an AI... I mean, actually sentient and sapient," again, no filter, so the fact that I was doing the equivalent of judging her (Was she really a her?) rights as an individual didn't sink in, "I didn't think Lady Obsidian would make one. The ethical implications...."
 
A return of her own chuckle, "Really, handsome, does Dr. Vernon seem the type that if she was going to make an AI she'd construct one with this personality?"
 
"Who made you then?" I asked, then realized how that could come out, "I'm sorry, that was rude of me."
 
"He's gone now," Mabel said after a pause, her voice sad and there was nothing flirtatious or husky about it, "If I promise to wake you as soon as I get more updates on the wounded gang members, will you at least put your head on your pillow?"
 
"Sure," I said, "And sorry again. I'm not always an idiot."
 
"Fortunately for you, some ladies find part time idiots kind of cute," She said as I walked towards my room here, "I bet Ariana does."
 
I groaned, "I knew you were watching when I showed off at the pool for her."
 
"mmm very nice," I know she didn't have a face but it was easy to visualize a grin, "I quite liked it."
 
"You're great and all, Mabel, but I think I'm more concerned if Ariana liked it," I confessed.
 
"She did," Mabel's purr was back, "Normally I'd never betray another lady for a fellow's sake, but if it'll take your mind off things..." 
 
"If anything would," I confessed slash wheedled.
 
"Because someone might drown in there, I have some bio-scanners in the pool area. Her heart rate increased, her temperature went up a degree, and her pupils dilated...all very promising signs," the AI sounded a bit intrigued herself. I wondered if the team played the part of her soap opera? I mean, she had lots of TV to watch but...
 
"Hot damn," I grinned wearily.
 
"You abuse this knowledge, and I will let her know you know and make it sound like you ordered me to tell," She warned.
 
"That'd be lying!" I objected.
 
"And you wondered if I was sentient," She cooed wickedly.
 
"I'm going to bed," I said trying to mask my delight at the confirmation she'd given me, "People are mean out here."
 
"Oh good," Mabel said, "I thought I was going to have to lure you into the med bay and asked which sample of chloroform you thought had the nicer fragrance..."
 
On that note, I went to bed.
 
And to my surprise, I did sleep. I guess my body had finally decided enough was enough, either that or Mabel's chatter and assurances to wake me with any news had helped me settle my concerns.
 
And I got the news when I woke...
 
"All of them are alive," Mabel told me as I came out for another free breakfast.
 
"YUSS!" I pumped my fist into the air.
 
"But one will never walk again.." She finished.
 
My hand went down even as my face fell.
 
"He would have died if not for you, sugar," She told me, "Remember that."
 
"Yeah," I said, "Doesn't keep me from wanting to find Blood Watch and beat him with his own gun."
 
"You may get a chance, we'll see," She tried to assure me, "Now, what do you want for breakfast?"
 
"Not hungry anymore," I said, and sighed, "Thanks anyway."
 
Mabel gave a frustrated sort of mmmm. But let it be.
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A short one is still one.  And it's really not that short.  It was 2 1/3 pages (single spaced, 1" margins).  For comparison, the first piece you wrote was about 2 3/4 pages long.

 

I have to say, I admire your dedication.  I expected you to take days off along the way, but you haven't missed a day.  In fact, on the 13th you put out two. 

 

Don't take that to mean that I want you to take days off.  I'm loving the story, and I hope you're enjoying writing it as much as we all enjoy reading it.  Just don't burn yourself out.

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He's got a lot of heart to care even for the lowlifes. But he'd better watch out or he's going to burn his heart out.

Yeah.  Clearly he needs another talk. I have a couple of options to see who will drive a few lessons home. Fish Guy is soft hearted and hard headed.

 

 

A short one is still one.  And it's really not that short.  It was 2 1/3 pages (single spaced, 1" margins).  For comparison, the first piece you wrote was about 2 3/4 pages long.

 

I have to say, I admire your dedication.  I expected you to take days off along the way, but you haven't missed a day.  In fact, on the 13th you put out two. 

 

Don't take that to mean that I want you to take days off.  I'm loving the story, and I hope you're enjoying writing it as much as we all enjoy reading it.  Just don't burn yourself out.

 

Pushing to get it done period is kind of my goal (Which is why so many of you are suffering through vlonks, typos, and terrible grammar) . But don't worry. If need be you guys will peek in and see a paragraph like this:

 

I struggled with the choice, biting my bottom lip and tensing. Who would live, who would die? And could I live with the ramifications of knowing I had left one behind to their confinement favoring another soul over them? Their expressions were filled with hope. Hope I was destined to dash in one of them even as I gave light to it with the other. The burden of this decision was heavier than that post office building had ever been.

 

I shot a pleading look to Dr. Vernon, surely she'd understand, "Can't we rescue both?"

 

Her voice lowered so none could hear, "No. It's a base, not a petting zoo. Now either get the Lab Mix or that Poodle Corgi thing, but we are not taking both. And stop looking at me that way, it's no-kill shelter."

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Superheroes can't just 'go' to the bank

 

 

 
So, the idea that some ganger who probably was not a very nice young man had been crippled on my watch was eating up at me. To make it worse, that feeling I had missed something important regarding the mystic sending continued to poke at the back of my mind. Holding an idiot ball is embarrassing enough, feeling like you were sure you were holding two of them? Well, it's down right frustrating.
 
I had my apartment, but I was barely using it. It was time to move some furniture in or Aaron was going to get suspicious. Though, so far, he wasn't asking questions about why I had gotten a room, was only now moving into it. Nope, he just wailed on his guitar and yelled some lyrics. He had a good voice , but I still only understood about half of it.
 
Something about capitalism being dead and worshiped, and how it was now a skin suit the corporations and banks wore hoping no one would notice their welfare scam. I think there were lyrics about the government practicing necrophilia on its corpse. I'll give this much for Aaron, he had a gift for imagery in his lyrics.
 
They were the kind of images I wouldn't want any kid under age eighteen around, but they were imaginative. Today his T-shirt had the words 'Choking Hazard' with an arrow arching down to his crotch area. I resolved to myself to try to make sure if my folks ever visited to make sure they were either well warned about Aaron or never met him.
 
"So how are the performances coming?" I said as I carried a dresser in. I tried to make it look like I was straining a bit, "You get a lot of applause."
 
"Oh," He said taking a break, "We don't measure in applause. But we did trigger fifteen people of various political stances on the right and left. So... good night."
 
"You count success in the number of people who freak out when you sing rather than them clapping or so on?" I looked at him out of my room now that I put the dresser down.
 
"Welcome to Cali, Caleb," A grin, and another screeching riff on his guitar, which I would later find out, he had named Lizzie Borden. 
 
His music had reminded me of something.
 
"Later, Aaron. I'm hitting the bank, I need to set up some automatic payments on  my account," I told him.
 
I think he said something like 'steal a pen for me' as I left, but as he was playing still I couldn't be sure.
 

I didn't want Aaron waiting for his half of the rent in case I went into an adventure in space or something. Mind you, I had not yet been in space, but in this calling its best to be prepared to go full on Armstrong. Aliens were a thing. Earth had alien superheroes. It had alien supervillains. We had even been invaded twice, three times if you counted a tiny island nation now ruled by an alien overlord for four years now. Said Conqueror rules with the blessing of the locals who benefited almost overnight from his technology being used to feed them, clothe them, and who are no longer facing death squads from rival political factions. The UN is still freaking out about it with a lot of finger pointing. More than one nation tried to liberate the island (And help themselves to all that juicy alien technology) only to find their efforts repulsed with more ease than a grown man swatting a fly. The whole island has a force dome it can click on at will.

 

Yet your average joe still couldn't get a flying car. It almost makes me feel guilty I get to cruise around in one: almost.
 
Of course, a flying car can't help you in your secret identity as you wait in a god awfully long bank line. I had thought I had beaten the lunch crowd, but this city, while no metropolis, had a good population and that meant some places were busier than I'd expect them.
 
The blinds were down, which is probably why we didn't see the supervillain until he walked in. There used to be rules to superhero costumes. For example, there was a time purple and green combo automatically meant villain. White and gold? Total hero. Red, White and Blue? Definitely hero. Black could go either way, but black and red usually had scary over tones.Yadda Yadda… well, confine folks to rules even more fussy than no white after Labor Day, and before long generations will rebel. What that means: Today anything goes.
 

So, I couldn't be sure if the guy in the off-white tuxedo with the stylish P on his tie and a hat and mask combo was a villain or not. Odds were good he was up to no good. Most heroes don't do their banking in costume, after all. 

 
"Greetings all," He said smugly, "I am Magic Word! Now, PLEASE make no attempt to trigger any alarms or contact anyone outside the bank!"
 
And just like that, I realized I couldn't contact the team. Others who had been reaching for their cellphones let their hands fall to their sides. One bank teller looked very uncomfortable. No doubt she'd been trained to hit a silent alarm, but now? Nada.
 
The two security guards on duty didn't know what exactly was going on, but they were smart enough to realize a mask was suspicious and that command sealed it.
 
"Freeze," One said, "Don't make a move until..." 
 
While he was delivering his warning, I appraised the situation. Way too many people were in here. I was caught in the classic mask trap. If I demonstrated my powers, I'd out myself. If I didn't, this guy might rob the place blind.
 
"PLEASE," Magic Word said smugly, "Don't shot me and don't touch me. That goes for everyone.'"
 
The poor guards looked baffled as they put their guns away.  Then one grabbed his night stick!  I guess whatever form of mind control Magic Word used, it had some rather specific limitations. He managed to smash a pretty good blow on Magic Word in the shoulder who cried out in pain and surprise. 
 
I raced towards Magic Word myself. If I gauged my strength right, I would be noted as just one of those reckless guys who got lucky trying to help. Nothing super about that, right? But I couldn't touch him. My hands shook as they tried and failed to cross those last few inches.
 
"Son a... PLEASE hand me your night stick, Mr. guard, and hold perfectly still," Magic Word almost hissed it, and he got a really mean look in his eye as he said so. This time there was no compulsion on me. He'd been too specific, not that that helped me right now. I still couldn't lay hands on him and I didn't have a weapon. Then I eyed the little desk/display they had set up with papers about promotional offers, forms ready to fill out, and yes, two ink pens chained firmly to the thing.
 

Magic Word took the nightstick and said, "PLEASE, don't defend yourself, and don't dodge, guard."

 

He raised the stick and struck the guard who had hit him earlier. Magic Word's blow hit the man hard across the mouth bloodying the guard's lips. Then he raised the night stick again.

 

Magic Word might dress like a gent, but he was an awfully petty bully.
 
Thank god the blinds were down. This might work.
 
I tore a pen free from it's chain while the other hostages begged Magic Word not to continue striking the guard! While it was not the distraction I wanted, it's what I had, and I used it. I threw the pen with all my might into the largest overhead light above us.
 
Now when I use the phrase 'all my might' I am talking steel breaking level punches.  So it didn't surprise me when the pen hit with the force of a sling bullet and then some! The light shattered in a rain of glass, and then dimmed- all in one fell swoop.
 
 
It had suddenly gotten very shadowy. I see fine in shadow.
 
"What the hell?" Magic Word cursed. No doubt he was about to mind control whoever did that to identify themselves or worse,, stop whatever they were doing.
 
I didn't give him the chance. I seized the stand the pen had been attached to, a weighty object, and before you could say batter up, struck him with it sending him flying away from the blinking and blinded guard where he smashed into a wall.
 
Magic Word slumped and went out cold. I don't think I broke his shoulder or did any serious long lasting injury to him, but I'll admit neither was I feeling too sympathetic. All around the room people found themselves able to act again, and new light sources, dozens and dozens of smart phones, lit the place up.
 
By that time, I had put the display back where it was and tried to look as confused as the next guy, "Did you see that?" I asked a lady near me.
 
"I didn't see anything once the lights got screwed," the lady admitted. 
 
"I think I saw Tornado streak by and punch that guy!" I said putting as much hero worship in my eyes as I could muster, "But it was so fast.. if that was him, he was in and out."
 
Well, that soon go around with discussions of how Tornado had saved them, and how there must have been another crisis going on at the same time for him not to hang around. Not that it was a problem. Some villains need power suppressing tech or state of the art knock out drugs. Others need a pair of handcuffs and duct  tape over their mouths.
 
Like everyone else, I got a brief questioning from the police, where I acted just as clueless as everyone else. EMTs declared that they wanted to X-Ray Magic Word's shoulder, but other than that he was fine. And about an hour and a half later I even got my accounts set. I was surprised. I expected the bank to close up for the day.
 
But this was a high supervillain activity town. So I guess they were somewhat jaded about it.
 
My head stung, not sure where the headache had come from, but a good guess would be a side effect of Magic Word messing with it. I didn't see others taking or aspirin or anything mind you. 
 
I needed to get to the ocean.
 
Where had that thought come from?
 
 
Outside of the bank, I contacted the base and filled Mabel in on the bank robbery and how I handled it, "I just hope I didn't leave finger prints all over the place," I confessed to her.
 
"Do you know how many people touch those areas every day? You're fine," Amused, "Better than actually, there's a job for Eel."
 
"Ah, well, my headache can wait," I said, "Hit me with it."
 
"Ariana has a free afternoon, and we have the gear for her to scuba. She called me to call you and say she knows its short notice but..."
 
I grinned, "Let me check my calendar ....yes. Absolutely yes."
 
Huh, I had almost forgotten my offer to Ariana which I couldn't believe myself as she was definitely memorable. Maybe that's why the Ocean was so strongly on my mind suddenly? 
 
As for the headache, I'd scarf some aspirin. It had been so long since I had a date, I was not going to miss this for anything.
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Magic Word is an interesting one-trick pony villain. Is his civilian name Heywood U. Kindly? ;)

 

BTW, I noticed you mentioned that reality benders are a thing in this universe. One idea that might be worth exploring is how disturbingly common it is for those who attain reality bending powers to be raging egomaniacs and try to reshape the entire world to suit their tastes. One such person, for example, the first things he did with his new powers was to create himself a palatial mansion on public lands and a vast army of themed minions.

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Magic Word is an interesting one-trick pony villain. Is his civilian name Heywood U. Kindly? ;)

 

BTW, I noticed you mentioned that reality benders are a thing in this universe. One idea that might be worth exploring is how disturbingly common it is for those who attain reality bending powers to be raging egomaniacs and try to reshape the entire world to suit their tastes. One such person, for example, the first things he did with his new powers was to create himself a palatial mansion on public lands and a vast army of themed minions.

 

Okay, I laughed at the Heywood U. Kindly suggestion. :D

 

At this time, I don't have plans for Reality Warpers as a key point. Now that may change if whim strikes me, or even be the main point in another Fish Guy book if I ever write it. One thing I'm enjoying about Eel is that while he is a profoundly decent guy, he does have his biases regarding some aspects of super living. Mystics creep him out, for example. Given what he may soon be facing well, let's see how he handles his discomfort ;)

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I like Magic Word.  It's amusing to see a villain who can feasibly be stopped by sticking your fingers in your ears.

 

Coming up for Eel... trouble in the ocean in 3... 2... 1...

Yeah. Behold the power of Gillnet, and the Walls of Death!

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I like Magic Word.  It's amusing to see a villain who can feasibly be stopped by sticking your fingers in your ears.

 

Coming up for Eel... trouble in the ocean in 3... 2... 1...

You may have realized I do not mind embracing the absurd :) I am glad you like his concept.

 

 

Yeah. Behold the power of Gillnet, and the Walls of Death!

 

Oh there will some traps in the future..dun dun dun...

 

Seems to me that Aaron doesn't like the establishment any better than a certain vigilante that Fish Guy's recently encountered. And who better to disguise their voice than a trained vocalist? :whistle:

 

I don't want to spoil stuff for you, but as I don't know how far I will get with that sub plot...

 

 

I have considered making Aaron a supervillain. :)

 

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Today's effort includes a girl in a wet suit.

 

Why do Californians often have such great tans? Well, I suspect it's because while they love to go to the beach, most of them are not swimming. And that's understandable. The Pacific, at least the part of the Pacific on the California Coast, is chilly.  Obviously, there are souls that brave the waves, particularly in the summer but even then, it rarely gets above seventy degrees Fahrenheit.

 

For me, this is no barrier. My powers allow me to handle even freezing waters without trouble. For Ariana? Well, a wetsuit was required.

 

And damned if it didn't look good on her. The material of the blue and black wetsuit hugged her form nicely, and she tried to pretend she didn't notice that I was noticing even as I tried not to notice too obviously. Neither of us quite pulled our respective ruses off, which I call even-stevens on.

 

 

Finally, I just confessed, "It looks good on you."

 

"I thought it would be bulkier," She said demurely, "But since the first time you saw me I was in a swimsuit, I can't exactly clutch my pearls now."

 

I laughed, "Probably touched up with better materials than usual thanks to Dr. Vernon. I hope I wasn't staring too much."

 

"No, you were staring just enough," She said.

 

I was losing the quip war here, and loving it.

 

"Shall we?" I gestured to the ocean beyond.

 

She grabbed the light weight state of the art scuba and turned to the ocean's face, "Let's," She put it on.

 

Shielded from the chill of the waters by said wetsuit, she began to swim out along the surface. I joined her, doing lazy circles along the same as she strained against low waves trying to push her back. She was a strong swimmer, but I suppose I was making her look bad.

 

"Show off!" She said with a mix of annoyance and amusement.

 

"Mind if I help get us further out?" I offered a hand.

 

"You said you would," she reminded, putting her breather in her mouth. Her tank held a lot for it's small size.

 

I smiled shark like at her and took her hands, each one in my own. I was going to enjoy this.

 

"Uh oh," Her dark chocolate eyes widened in realization behind the goggles.

 

"Hold my beer," I said in the language of my people, even though there was no beer to hold.

 

We were off like a proverbial torpedo and its lovely Latina payload. She had taken the precaution of putting her rebreather in, and with that in mind I was free to not just carry us over the surface, but to plunge us into the depths! Well, I had to remember not to rise too fast later. I didn't want anyone getting the bends. The Pacific was still new to me, and while we humans know less about the depths of the Ocean than we do the moon's surface, I had taken the time to study what was known. I had just the place to take her.

 

The coral reef here wasn't as legendary as some larger ones, but it is bursting with color, and when she switched the light on her belt on, those colors really came alive! Not to be outdone, stripped fish of orange and blue broke into a pattern all about us and Ariana forgot all about me for a moment as she took out her underwater camera and snapped shots as quickly as she could.

 

I laughed. I can do that under water. Look, mom, no bubbles, "Enjoying yourself?" I asked her.

 

That's when it sunk in (no pun intended) on her that I could talk down here, she couldn't, not really. She poked me playfully and then looked about again for the next sight. Excitedly, she pointed. Along the sea floor here, there was a skate shooting along. She took pictures carefully, but as it was getting away, Ariana looked at me winsomely (well as winsomely as one can with a face full of scuba gear) and I could tell she wanted something but details were lacking.

 

"What do you want?" I just flat out asked her.

 

She pointed to the skate, then to me, and then made the 'head clutch' motion and managed a 'doo dee doo' sound at the cost of releasing a few bubbles.

Oh, for the love of…

 

"I don't do that," I said, "No habla Ray or Skate.. parley not a fish?"

 

That earned me another poke, which I might have deserved. I smiled.

 

If one could give a wistful underwater sigh, she managed it. But it didn't keep her 'down' long. She was off looking around, and I realized I was letting her wander a bit far afield. I don't care which ocean you're in, it can be a dangerous place. One encounter with the wrong sort of jellyfish, and kiss your ass goodbye.

 

"Hey, don’t' get too far," I warned her.

 

Ariana heard me, but while she didn't dart off further, she wasn't exactly racing back to me. Why is we superheroes are never attracted to the overly cautious homebodies? It would solve a lot of our problems if we were.

 

As it was, I was enjoying her enjoyment. The delight emanated from her like a current all her own, and dragged me pleasantly along with it. I was having fun because she was having fun. Not that I wasn't caught up in some of the wonder myself.

 

One of my uncles lived in the mountain side of North Carolina. He loved those low mountains and woods as much as any sailor ever loved the sea. I appreciated them, but not as much as he did. He used to say that if he ever got bored with those forests, then he'd know he was bored with life. 

 

When the cancer took him, his sons and I took his ashes, went to his favorite high peak, and let his remains rip loose in the wind. It was what he wanted. And, I think, for me? It'll be my ashes mixed with the currents off the Carolina Coast.

 

Which I suppose means Fish Guy will become fish food, but to heck with it. All that means is I'll be cutting out the middle men ala worms.

 

Then I saw the shadow pass over us! She was in for a real treat! I pointed up and smiled.

 

She gasped, and began to rise with surprising speed, I mean surprising! I remembered her doing that in the pool somehow. She wasn't kicking her legs or anything, it was as if she had just suddenly become rather buoyant!

 

I needed to ask about that but I could see why she was hasty. Even in California, not everyone gets close to a Gray Whale.

 

Our visitor was a migrating behemoth of the California coastal waters. The baleen munching marine mammal wasn't really trying to get away, so Ariana was gaining on him rapidly. Maybe a bit too much so. I put an arm around her waist, and was surprised at how…cushy she felt. That's not slam on her figure or anything. I mean she felt pillowy in areas I didn't expect her to be given her well-toned figure. What was going on?

 

While I slowed her down a little, I didn't stop her and she rather than be offended at the gesture, she seemed to realize I was just trying to protect her from ascending too quickly.

 

Maybe I was being over cautious.

 

She ran her hands along the side of the gentle giant, with a sense of wonder. The whale, for his part, actually seemed to enjoy the attention. Huh, big bull was threatening to pull my date away from me entirely.

 

I guess size really does…  stop that, Caleb. You're better than that.

 

Sometimes.

 

I let go of Ariana to give the gray a few light pats myself. He was an old one I think. Judging by the scars along his flanks, he might have even surfaced an orca or shark attack at one time. The guy was a survivor.

 

"I shall call you, Whale Guy," I told him with the most serious tone I could manage.

 

There was a scuba blocked snarf from Arania at that.

 

It was an unfair advantage, but as I could talk and she couldn't, I went on, "Yes, Whale Guy. You shall my sidekick. I shall punch people, and you shall roll over them and then sing beautifully…together, we'll fight crime."

 

Another snarf, and yes, underwater laughter. She shot me a look as if my making her laugh was somehow below the belt.

 

I felt no guilt.

 

And Whale Guy was in my corner! Whale Guy wasn't trying to steal my date. Whale Guy was clearly my wingman. Whale Guy was loyal! Whale Guy was on my side…

Whale Guy was leaving?

 

I am not telepathic. I do not read the minds of marine life, I don't care how smart it is.

 

But I knew panic when I saw it.

 

Whale Guy was booking as fast as his fins and flukes could take him! Whatever was coming, out of a fight or flight response, he'd picked flight.

 

I whirled and moved back towards Ariana, expecting either a really gutsy shark, or more likely, a pack of killer whales. The later was actually far more dangerous to baleen whales. They don't call orca "sea wolves" for nothing. They are smart, organized, hungry and deadly.

 

The fact they can be adorable in their way doesn't change that.

 

They have to eat like anyone else. Despite that bit of nature and the necessity of the circle of life and all that. I was tempted to slow them down and keep them off Whale Guy. I never should have named him.

 

But what came next was not a pack of killer whales.

 

In fact, it wasn't like anything I'd ever seen at all.

 

Well, maybe in my dreams, or, at least, one particular dream.

 

That was coming back to me in a rush!

 

Five figures were riding what appeared to be another whale, but I'd never seen a whale like this in any documentary ever. It had similarities to a humpback but instead of the strands of baleen, it had fangs surrounding a gapping maw. Its eyes were not gentle and wise, but glowing red.

 

Riding him were five warriors dressed in strange and archaic armor. None of them were human, and one of them was as pale as snow.

 

"Mayo?" I gasped, "Oh god, it's real!"

 

That's when another of the warriors threw a spear at me cutting a gash along my supposedly nigh- invincible shoulder.

 

There was blood in the water, and it was mine!

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