Embers & Raindrops - VixenRose1996 (2024)

Chapter 1: (35) Growth

Chapter Text

Sleeping on an actual bed with actual blankets was a strange experience for both Sharkboy and Lavagirl. For all that Max had given them when he dreamed them into this new world, this new life —both the good and bad— was something they were left to navigate.

Sharkboy had vague memories of sleeping on a bunk when he was very young, but after the storm, it was usually sandbanks or kelp beds. Lavagirl had never slept in a bed before coming to this new world, as her powers would only destroy them. Instead always sleeping on the ground, in the sand next to Sharkboy, or in the lava pools of her volcano home. So, needless to say, learning to sleep in a bed together took a lot of trial and error.

Oh, they’d slept next to each other plenty of times, curled up on their beach as close as they could be without Sharkboy burning up. And, now that they could touch, there was nothing to stop him from wrapping his arms around Lavagirl and pressing as close as physically possible. In those early days, he was so bad about it that LG used to joke that he should change his name to ‘Octopus-boy.’

But, in Sharkboy’s opinion, that had been the only good thing about beds.

They were too soft, too squishy, and he couldn’t sleep on his back because it would hurt his fin. And, f*ck, he hated blankets. Lavagirl loved them, to the point of collecting an entire closet of different types. She loved the silky, cool ones, the warm, fuzzy ones, the light, breezy ones, and the heavy, thick ones. She’d change them out ever so often so she could experience each one in different ways.

Sharkboy, for his part, endured this silently —mainly because it made his love happy. But he hated them. He hated that they made him too warm when Lavagirl provided all the heat he needed; and that they tangled around his legs like loose fishing nets entangling sharks and dolphins. He hated how he couldn’t sleep on his stomach either, because his fin would tent the covers and disturb her.

But now, lying here awake at night, Sharkboy thinks he might be wrong about blankets. Sometimes he used to lay awake and watch Lavagirl sleep, taking advantage of her relaxed state to touch her hand, her hair, her face, and her mouth as gently as he could. Despite physical contact having become their new normal, he still liked to reassure himself that she was there.

Now there was another reason; he liked to lay there and just marvel at her stomach, watching it swell with their child little by little each day. The fact that they could even have a child was wondrous as being able to watch it grow was mind-blowing! Sharkboy couldn’t bear to miss a moment of it!

So the night his keen eyes picked up the slightest moment in the blanket draped over Lavagirl’s stomach, he nearly cried. And, when he put his hand over the spot gently as he could so as not to wake his beloved wife and felt a small, yet unmistakable kick against his palm, the tears came freely and unrestrained.

He was definitely wrong about blankets.

Chapter 2: (6) Sweet Treat

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(6) Sweet Treat

Now that Max was asleep and, hopefully, dreaming of a way to get them and Planet Drool out of this mess, Sharkboy let himself wander off —not far enough to leave their ‘only hope’— in search of Lavagirl.

His partner had shied away from them after burning one too many things in the Land of Milk and Cookies, shame and sadness over her face. Part of Sharkboy had wanted to abandon Max to go after her, yet resisted; both because he knew LG would be angry that he did so, and that she always needed a chance to cool off alone. Now though, he felt enough time had passed, and it was time for her to come back.

He, predictably, found his partner sitting on the ground, her arms wrapped around her legs, and hiding her face against her knees. Around her there was a ring of burnt and blackened cookie-ground, pits of marshmallow turned into burned, molten stickiness. Sharkboy’s nose twitched at the smell of burning sugar and chocolate, but he ignored it, crouching down in front of Lavagirl.

“Hey, it wasn’t so bad,” he said. “Chocolate melts easy, that’s all.”

“You don’t need to lie to me, Sharky,” Lavagirl said, her voice muffled and shaky. “I screwed up again! It was stupid to think that I wouldn’t burn that stuff! It's just like back at Max’s house, I tried to have a snack there too, and destroyed his parents’ stuff.”

Sharkboy flinched, he hated when Lavegirl got like this —he never knew how to comfort her. Sharks, by their very nature, were not compassionate animals, with the ones who took him in an extreme abnormality, and he couldn’t even hug Lavagirl like his dad used to do for him. He was lost.

“It’s not that big of a deal,” he tried. “Chocolate is overrated. Kinda nasty, actually.”

He remembered liking chocolate as a little, regular kid, remembering it being a special treat for rare occasions. Of course, there hadn’t been any chocolate in the ocean so, when they found the cookies at Max’s house, he decided to indulge for old times sake. ...Only to immediately spit them back out at the alien taste. Lavagirl speculated that, after living off of salty, savory fish for so long, his body forgot what ‘sweet’ was.

Her own cookie had turned to ash as soon as she’d touched it, but he didn’t mention that.

“I just wish I could decide that for myself,” Lavagirl said sadly. “There are only so many times you can eat lava rocks before wanting to taste other things.”

‘I wonder if…’

“...Close your eyes and open your mouth,” he instructed, standing up.

Lavagirl’s head popped up and she frowned at him, brows furrowed in confusion. “Huh? Why?”

“Just do it.”

“What are you planning, Sharky?”

Sharkboy rolled his eyes, giving his partner a crooked, sharp-toothed smile. “You trust me, don’t you?”

Lavagirl’s eyes went wide, “Of course I do! You’re my best friend.”

Best friend… He liked it when she said that. Sharkboy slotted it into the list of titles that are rightfully his —right above ‘King of the Ocean.’ But, recently, it had left Sharkboy feeling like something… something he couldn’t put his finger on was lacking.

“Then do as I say. Close your eyes and open your mouth.”

After only a slight hesitation, Lavagirl finally closed her pretty dark eyes and let her mouth drop open. Sharkboy shot over to the nearest giant cookie that was sticking out of the ground like a boulder, and ripped a chunk out of its side. He tried to grab a piece that had a little of everything, because he didn’t even know if this would work, but if it did, it might only work once.

“Here,” he whispered, kneeling in front of Lavagirl. The heat of being this close made Sharkboy wince, yet he ignored it; this was more important than his momentary discomfort. “Don’t move.”

Carefully he put a small piece of the cookie into her mouth, the thickness of his gloves protecting his skin when he brushed against Lavagirl’s lips. She gasped, fingers flexing into the ashen ground beneath her as she chewed. Lavagirl kept her eyes closed though, and when she swallowed and opened her mouth again, Sharkboy fed his partner another small piece. Again and again, until the cookie chunk was gone.

“So, what do you think of your first taste of chocolate?” he asked as Lavagirl opened her eyes again.

“It was… sweet,” she said slowly, licking her bottom lip. Sharkboy found her eyes fixed to her mouth, admiring the slight glance of her pink lips. “Thank you, Sharky.”

He swallowed hard, mouth suddenly dry, and only silently nodded.

‘Sweet.’

Chapter 3: (11) First Kiss

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“Hey, Sharky, does it bother you that we can’t…” Lavagirl trailed off, glancing away shyly.

Sharkboy looked over to her, once again momentarily startled when the first thing he saw was the top of her head. They’d both been changing in these past couple of years — a fact LG attributed to Max growing up too — but Sharkboy, in particular, had been shooting up in height, having finally grown taller than his partner a few months ago; much to Lavagirl’s annoyance.

“We can’t… what?” he asked.

LG bit her lip, a bright pink blush spreading across her cheeks. It was adorable, and Sharkboy abandoned all thoughts of taking mercy on her by letting the topic drop.

“C’mon,” he pushed, giving a sneaky little grin. “You know you can say anything to me.”

“Does it… does it bother you that we can’t —” she looked away again “—kiss?”

“Oh.”

‘Oooohhhhh.’

With a face that was probably the same shade as LG’s hair, Sharkboy glanced down at their intertwined pinkies, the only little bit of touch they could enjoy. Even this had taken time —they used to only be able to brush fingertips— and came with its own dangers, but he loved it too much to care. Most of his time was devoted to being the King of the Ocean and searching for his dad, so his visits with Lavagirl, with long walks on the beach, or even just talking for hours, were rare, sweet treasures.

“No,” he said after a moment. “Not, really.”

To his surprise, Lavagirl pulled back, tugging her hand from hers, looking hurt. “You don’t want to kiss me?”

‘sh*t!’

“No! No, that’s not it at all! I’ve wanted to kiss you for years,” he babbled. "It’s just that- that I know we can’t, so why get hung up on it?”

“...You’ve wanted to kiss me for years?” Lavagirl asked, co*cking her head as a small grin tugged at her lips.

Now it was Sharkboy’s turn to duck his head and look away in embarrassment. He rubbed the back of his neck, nearly scratching himself, and said, “I mean, yeah…. Since it first learned what kissing was. But we can’t, and I’m happy with what we have, so why bother wishing for the impossible?”

He could dream though. God, he could dream of kissing Lavagirl, of touching her hair, and holding her in her arms. Sometimes it was all he ever dreamed of, and, sometimes, he hated that Max dreamed them up this way. Being so different, so incompatible, and yet so irresistibly drawn to each other. Except, in the end, reality was cruel, and Sharkboy knew better than to long for the impossible.

“Oh, that makes sense,” Lavagirl whispered, brushing their fingertips together once more. “But I only asked because I… I think I may have thought of a way for us to do it.”

“To kiss?” he asked, the blush on his face creeping down his neck. “How?”

Lavagirl took a deep breath, “You know how I cool down enough to touch when I’m asleep? Well, what if you kiss me when I’m sleeping? So long as I don’t wake up, you should be fine.”

‘Kiss. Kiss. Kiss.’

“I don’t know,” Sharkboy said, trying to ignore the thoughts and images racing through his mind. His mind had been coming up with more and more… creative images recently, which Sharkboy firmly blamed on Max and his puberty. “I mean, you wouldn’t remember it happening that way. Would you?”

“No,” LG admitted. “But I’ll know it happened, and I’ll know it was with you, so its okay. It’ll be like one of those fairytales where a prince kisses the princess to save the day.”

For a second, Sharkboy considered reminding his partner that he was king and she was queen, Queen of the Volcanos, but shoved that thought away because THAT made him think of how every king needs a queen.

“Doesn’t the prince kiss the princess to wake her up in that story?” he asked. “And I’m still not sure—”

“It’s fine,” Lavagirl said, cutting him off as she pulled away again. “Sorry for bringing it up. It was stupid to think that—”

His partner sounded like she was about to cry, turning away from him to hide her face. As always, Sharkboy felt his heart lurch; he hated when Lavagirl was upset and hated when she retreated in on herself. All he wanted was for her to be happy, all he wanted was to make her happy.

“I’ll do it,” he said, in turn cutting his partner off.

Lavagirl’s eyes went wide. “Really?”

“Yeah, tonight,” he nodded. “I’ll do it tonight.”

The smile LG gave him was so bright he swore that it was brighter than any light in the universe.

“Are you going to sing me to sleep, Sharky?” Lavagirl teased as she settled back into the soft sand, one arm tucked behind her head.

“Considering my last lullaby gave someone nightmares, I probably shouldn’t,” he joked, stretching out beside her.

“Shame,” his partner hummed, already falling asleep. “I like the sound of your voice.”

Sharkboy felt himself smile like an idiot as he hummed a simple tune, watching as Lavagirl drifted further and further off. Soon enough, her breathing had leveled out and her body relaxed completely. The true test, however, came when he took off his glove and delicately took his girlfriend’s hand.

‘Warm and soft,’ he thought, lacing their fingers together. ‘Warm but not burning.’

Lavagirl was safe to touch now but Sharkgirl still found himself staring at her lips for a long while, trying to build up the courage to do what he promised. It shouldn’t have been hard, not after everything he’s accomplished. But… What if he screwed this up?

‘Could I screw it up more than if I didn’t do it at all?’ he reminded himself. ‘C’mon, you promised LG you’d do this! I’ll make her happy!’

Before what little courage he’d manage to gather fled, Sharkboy leaned over his sleeping partner and pressed his lips against hers.

Hard.

Too Hard.

“ Ermmmm ,” Lavagirl gruntled, face scrunching up as she began to wake up.

The skin underneath his lips began heating up and Sharkboy jumped back, just before LG’s eyes shot open. The air around them immediately heated back up, the sand growing warm underneath them, and Sharkboy fought the urge to flee into the ocean, his skin already turning dry and itchy.

“What happened?” Lavagirl asked, sitting up and blinking at him in confusion. “Did it work?”

Sharkboy licked his own lip, the reality that they just had their first kiss finally dawning on him. “Y-yeah.”

“Well, how was it?” she asked eagerly, leaning close.

Too close. So close that he was tempted to lean in and kiss her again.

“G-good.”

It hadn’t been, not really. He’s basically just knocked their mouths together; in fact, Sharkboy was pretty sure that he’d cut the inside of his mouth on his own teeth. And yet… Lavagirl’s lips had been warm, but in the right way. They’d tasted sweet too, though that could have been Sharkboy’s imagination.

“I was a little rough though,” he admitted.

Lavagirl frowned and gave a thoughtful hum. “I guess we’ll just have to practice until we get it right.”

“...Okay!”

And so they did. Night after night, Sharkboy kissed his love again and again until he got it right. Of course, he didn’t quite know what it meant to get kissing ‘right.’ Yet he was pretty sure he was getting close the night he kissed Lavagirl again and again, only looking up after the fifth kiss to see her staring back at him through half-lidded eyes —just awake enough to know what was happening. And, when Sharkboy pulled back, she smiled at him.

Chapter 4: (36) Hope

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(36) Hope

The young couple endured a lot of questions and comments once it became obvious that Lavagirl was pregnant—some polite, some thoughtless, some kind, and some cruel.

“Are you hoping for a boy or a girl?” Ms. Vox had asked, putting her hand on Lavagirl’s growing belly without asking first. Lavagirl fought the urge to flinch or flame up, and just said she didn’t really have a preference.

“I hope you understand the mess you’re getting into by having a kid so young,” Blinding Fast had commented, shaking his head like twenty-three (judging by best estimates, and how old Max would be by now) was too young to have a baby, despite it apparently being a perfectly fine age to fight crime.

“How long do you hope to stay on active duty?” Anita Moreno asked, stern but not unkind. When Lavagirl admitted she was planning on taking maternity leave effective immediately, unsure if she could safely use her magma form while pregnant, the old woman just nodded and wrote down some tea recipes to treat morning sickness.

“Are you hoping for powers or no powers? And remember, super-powered babies aren’t nearly as much fun as they sound,” Crimson Legend had joked, earning him a flick on the ear from his wife.

“You’re going to scare them,” she scolded him. Turning to the couple, she smiled, “It was hard, I won’t lie, but it's worth it. I hope you both find parenthood as rewarding as we do.”

“I hope you know you can do better than Fishboy,” Miracle Guy whispered in her ear, wrapping an unwanted arm around Lavagirl’s waist to pull her in close for a ‘friendly’ publicity photo —her last for a while. He drummed his fingers against her belly as he took advantage of how she could not use her heat, “Laney and I broke up, so if you’re ever up for a good time, give me a call. I don’t mind a little extra baggage.”

Lavagirl went cold, a forced smile still plastered to her face as the cameras went off. Conrad never had gotten over his rejection of her all those years ago. Now that Laney had dumped him and their son to travel the globe, he was back on the prowl in full force.

Over the top of a reporter's shoulder, she saw Sharkboy go stiff for just a second before making a beeline straight for them. Lavagirl had known her best friend for almost as long as she’d known anything, and she recognized the way his body shook with rage. Her husband was on the verge of a full-on Shark Frenzy with his sights set right on Miracle Guy. With his advanced hearing, Sharkboy would have heard anything the older man had said.

While she didn’t care for the man —in fact, LG considered that it might do his ego good to get wrecked in front of his ‘adoring fans’— she didn’t want to go through the fallout of Sharkboy publicly mauling one of their teammates. So she let out a sigh of relief when she saw Marcus rush forward to put his arm around Sharkboy’s shoulders, effectively stopping her husband in his tracks; what many would mistake as a friendly gesture, Lavagirl recognized as their team leader throwing the complete strength of his telekinesis into stopping Sharkboy from ripping Miracle Guy’s throat out.

She was so fixated on the scene in front of her that Lavagirl didn’t notice Marisol Moreno until the Second-in-Command was right by her side, taking her by the elbow.

“Sorry everyone, it's time for the soon-to-be-mommy to head out. We don’t want her getting overwhelmed,” she told the reporters, a cheery smile on her face, but with a stern tone of voice that left no room for argument. The older woman nudged her amidst the hemming and hawing of the paparazzi. “C’mon, let's get you out of here.”

Lavagirl let herself be pulled away from the crowd to where Marcus had dragged Sharkboy. The instant her husband saw her, he was pulling her into an embrace. She squeezed him tight, all too aware of the space her baby bump created between them, and tried not to let the tears come. Stupid pregnancy hormones!

“I’m going to rip his throat out,” Sharkboy promised through bared, jagged teeth as he took her face in his hands.

“No, you’re not!” snapped Marcus.

“You didn’t hear what that bastard said,” her husband hissed.

“It’s fine, Sharky,” Lavagirl said, taking in a deep, shaky breath. “Conrad was being a chauvinist creep, yeah, but I’m just overreacting. It's these damn hormones! They make me—”

“Listen to yourself, LG!” Sharkboy said. “You should have fried that asshole the second he touched you! Why did you hold back?”

“Because Lavagirl understands the need to stay in control while in public,” Marisol cut in. She put a hand on Sharkboy’s shoulder and said, “Take your wife home, Sharkboy, and enjoy your leave. Both of you. And don’t worry about Miracle Guy, we’ll take care of him.”

“Yeah, we might not know what he said, but I promise that he’ll more than pay for it in training,” Marcus said, giving them a mischievous wink that made Lavagirl chuckle.

Sharkboy still didn’t look happy about it, yet, between her taking his hand, and his begrudging respect for their leaders, eventually he grunted in agreement and let it go. He pulled Lavagirl close, wrapping an arm around her to rest a protective hand over their child. “Fine, let’s go home.”

Months had passed since that day and Lavagirl’s due date was drawing close. Even without the weekly doctor’s visits, she’d know this by the way their little guppy wanted out!

“Shhhh, calm down,” she cooed, rubbing her massive belly as she paced around the kitchen. God, she felt like a beached whale. “Please calm down so Mommy can sleep!”

She only got a flurry of solid, insistent kicks to her kidneys as an answer, followed by more intense squirming against her insides.

“Aaaargggghhhh!” she all but shrieked, sliding down the front of the fridge until she was curled up on the floor. ‘I don’t think I can do this. My baby isn’t even here yet and I already can’t do anything right!’

“LG?”

She looked up to see Sharkboy hovering at the doorway looking concerned. Despite everything, Lavagirl couldn’t help but admire her husband’s toned, shirtless body… Then she got a little bit angry with herself since it was that admiration that got her in this situation in the first place!

“What’s going on?” he asked, voice rough with sleep as he stepped closer.

Lavagirl gave him a tired smile and pointed at her belly. “Your daughter is keeping me awake.”

“Oh, so she’s my daughter now?”

“Now that she is driving me crazy? Yes, absolutely!”

Sharkboy laughed, coming to snuggle up against her on the floor. He rubbed her belly and leaned over, whispering, “Hey there, little guppy, this is your daddy talking. I know you’re excited to meet us and we can’t wait for you to get here either, but you need to calm down. Mommy needs her sleep to help you grow big and strong.”

To Lavagirl’s amazement, the squirming in her belly slowed until their daughter calmed entirely. Seeing the surprise on her face, Sharkboy gave a smug smirk and asked, “Better? I guess she really is my daughter. C’mon, let’s get you to bed.”

He stood up and held out a hand to pull her up. But Lavagirl could only stare at that perfect face, those warm eyes, and those hands that were only ever gentle with her.

“...I hope she takes after you.”

“What?”

“I hope our daughter is kind,” Lavagirl said, rising up to look her husband in the eye. “I hope she’s strong enough to not let others put her down, and brave enough to protect others. I hope she is loyal to those she loves and stubborn enough to never give up on what she believes in.”

She took Sharkboy’s face in her hands, and continued, “I hope she loves me as much as you do.”

He started to say something but Lavagirl just kissed him and hoped their daughter would get here soon.

Chapter 5: (12) Doubt

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Living in the center of the Earth, ruling over its volcanoes, was where Lavagirl felt most comfortable, even her volcano home on Planet Drool hadn’t been this comfortable and peaceful.

But, as beautiful as it could be, it was also lonely.

While Lavagirl had usually kept her distance from most of the other inhabitants of Planet Droop, not wanting to risk hurting them or destroying anything, they’d at least been there. Here she was all alone, alone with the warmth and the light and the rock and lava and sand and the—

SPLASH!

—the water.

Lavagirl ran towards the beach, the gauze-like fabric of her dress flowing around her legs as hard rock turned to dark sand. Her heart soared as there it was: Sharkboy’s submarine emerged from the cold depths of the ocean. Her boyfriend, her best friend, and her only visitor. Even Max, who visited in his Dreams, couldn't compare. Sharkboy was the one who’d visit to keep her company, bring her gifts, and tell her stories of the world above.

‘Sharky might not realize it, but he is my life as much as I am his,’ she thought. “Hey, Sharky! How was the—”

She trailed off as the door to the submarine was slammed open, and Sharkboy —not that either of them were children anymore, but 'Sharkteen' sounded stupid and, well, Lavagirl couldn’t imagine being called anything else— stumbled out, splashing down in the shallow water on all hands and knees. He swore loudly, punching down into the water, and impossibly was nearly overturned by a wave.

“Sharkboy?” she called out, worrying growing in her stomach. “Sharkboy, what’s wrong? Are you hurt?”

He said nothing, just ignored her as he continued swearing and trying to struggle to his feet. Lavagirl couldn’t believe what she was seeing —her normally agile, aware, and sure-footed partner was moving like he tried to stumble through syrup. He couldn’t even stand up!

‘What happened to him? Is he hurt? Did he get attacked!? Poisoned!? Is he sick!?’ If any of that was the case, then Lavagirl couldn’t just stand there watching as he suffered! She had to save him, no matter what!

Lavagirl rushed forward, only coming to a stop when the water began to hiss and bubble when it touched her skin. She flinched, but ignored the pain, “Sharkboy, just wait there!”

It was only then that Sharkboy acknowledged her, somewhat.

“Go away, LG!” he snarled, looking away. “Leave me alone!”

“No! You’re hurting! You can’t expect me to just ignore that!” she yelled back. Looking down at the waves, Lavagirl closed her eyes and took a deep breath. ‘Just think cool thoughts. You can do this, you’ve been practicing.’

She stepped forward, deeper into the water. Despite the water only being up to her shins, Lavagirl couldn’t help the whimper of pain that escaped her lips, nor the shaking of her knees.

‘One step at a time. One step at a time.’

“I’m coming to get you, Sharky!” she promised, half to herself and half to her other half.

“I told you, leave me a—Lavagirl!”

Blinking against the dark clouds filling her vision, Lavagirl stumbled and fell forward as all consciousness left her. The last thing she remembered before oblivion came was the feeling of strong arms wrapping around her.

“—ke up! Wake up! Please! Please don’t leave me! I love you!”

Lavagirl loved waking up to Sharkboy’s voice. It reminded her that she wasn’t alone, that she didn’t drive away everyone she knew, and that she was loved.

And yet, he sounded so sad right now and she hated that. Lavagirl just wanted him to be happy, as happy as he made her.

“Sharky?” she croaked, trying to lift her head off the sand. “Are you okay?”

Her boyfriend looked down at her, his dark eyes red and tearful, and let out a breathless laugh. “Am I okay? LG, you almost died! Again! Why would you do that?”

Lavagirl tried to take Sharkboy’s hand, missing it by a mile, and frowned. “You were hurting. I wanted to help you.”

With a barely choked back sob, Sharkboy took her hand in his and pressed it against his cheek.

“Wait, you’ll hurt—”

“You’re too cold, LG,” Sharky said. “Never do that again, you hear me! I can’t lose you too!”

“Me… Too…?” Lavagirl asked, awareness coming back to her fast and painful. “What are you talking about? And why do you smell so bad?”

Strong arms gathered her up and Sharkboy clutched her tight to his chest. Dangerous as it was, Lavagirl tucked her face into her boyfriend’s neck and muttered, “I’m going to heat up again soon. I’ll burn you.”

“I don’t care. I’m not ready to let you go,” the teenage hybrid said, shaking his head “I- I- I couldn’t find my dad. Again! No matter how many leads I follow, no matter how many times I ask Max, no matter how hard I search, and no matter what I do, I can’t find him!”

‘Oh, Sharky…’ she thought, reaching up to trace Sharkboy’s face with her fingertips. “I’m sorry.”

“I’ll never find him!” Sharkboy snarled. “I can’t protect you! I can’t help anyone!”

“...I doubt that.”

“What?” Sharky asked, confused.

“You saved me, today, and after I pulled you out of the water. You save me every time you visit,” Lavagirl said, staring up into Sharkboy’s eyes. “You’ll find your dad, Sharkboy, I know you will. It might take time, but I have no doubt about it. And, when you do, bring him to visit me, okay?”

The only answer Sharkboy gave was to hug her tight, even as Lavagirl’s skin began to heat up again. He would rather burn than let her go, of this LG didn’t doubt.

Chapter 6: (7) Unfair

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(7) Unfair

As a general rule, Sharkboy did fine in the cold. Sure, he wasn’t built for the arctic waters, and the sight of the frozen ocean still made him shake with rage, but he could deal with a bit of chill just fine. It was the heat that he couldn’t stand. It was the heat that made Sharkboy shrivel up. It was the heat that kept him from staying too long in Planet Drool’s volcano caves. And it was the heat that kept him from being able to touch his best friend.

Lavagirl didn’t like the cold but, typically, it didn’t hurt her, as she burned far too hot for that. Instead, it was water and wetness that were the danger. Water made her fizzle out, her body growing stiff and hard as she cooled. There were times she’d attempted to overcome that, like when she tried to calm down and focus enough to dip her feet in the water, but it had never gone well. After a few near disasters that almost ended with Lavagirl falling into the ocean, Sharkboy had put his foot down and stopped their experiments. He could tolerate the heat for far longer than Lavagirl could survive in his home environment, so Sharkboy visited her —not the other way around.

It was unfair, he’d often thought, that he could never get too close or spend too much time around his best friend and partner.

But, then again, Sharkboy was used to life being unfair.

It wasn’t fair that he’d never had a mom.

It wasn’t fair that he’d lost his dad in that damn storm.

It wasn’t fair that, despite everything, Sharkboy wasn’t King of the Ocean.

It wasn’t fair that his home had come under attack by the Darkness.

It wasn’t fair that Lavagirl liked Max better than him, even though Max was the reason everything was so bad in the first place.

It wasn’t fair that Sharkboy couldn’t even hug his best friend when she was upset.

And it wasn’t fair that Lavagirl was dying.

“She knew this would happen if she saved you,” Max said, voice and soft, as Sharkboy crawled up to the limp, lifeless form of his best friend. “But I couldn't stop her.”

‘Of course, you couldn’t. No one could ever make LG do anything; she burned too hot for that.’ he thought.

Max’s voice sounded muffled and distant, like Sharkboy was hearing it from miles underwater. His focus was completely on the blue tint of Lavagirl’s lips and the ice crystals clinging to her wet hair splayed out on the ground. Everything around them might as well have been a dream.

‘She’s too still.’

Too still, too quiet, too pale, and too cold. When Sharkboy brushed his fingertips against her cheek and felt only soft, cold skin under his glove, he nearly cried. In this moment, he wished more than anything to be burned by Lavagirl’s skin; the pain would be more than worth it to know she was alive.

‘Wake up!’ he wanted to beg. ‘Wake up and tell me how much of an idiot I am! Yell! Scream! Insult me! Just be okay! I can’t lose you! You’re all I have!’

It wasn’t fair.

IT WASN’T FAIR!

Why did everyone he loved have to leave him?

Goudougoudou!

Planet Drool shook beneath Sharkboy and a bright light burned in the corner of his eye, catching his attention.

“Look! Lava!”

Lavagirl’s home was lit up, spewing fire and molten rock into the skin. It looked as if the volcano could sense its mistress slipping away, and this was its final death throes.

‘It’s angry,’ he realized.

Sharkboy could understand. He too wanted to scream and destroy things in anger. He wanted to kill Mr. Electric, wanted to rip the villain into pieces with his bare hands and make him suffer. Minus too —Sharkboy hated him for corrupting Planet Drool and those within it. And, finally, he hated Max.

He hated his creator for putting them —both he and Lavagirl— through so much pain and heartache. He hated that Max allowed this to happen, hated that the boy had let down Lavagirl’s starry-eyed belief in him. He hated that his own creator cared so little for them that he’d allow Lavagirl to die!

“We have to get her to that volcano!”

And, mostly, Sharkboy hated that he needed Max.

“I'll go,” he said, mind already made up. “I'm stronger and faster.”

Max grabbed his arm, “You'll burn up!”

‘I don’t care.’

It was true. Sharkboy didn’t care if he shriveled up or burned into ash... He didn’t care if this meant that the Darkness could fully consume Planet Drool. Let it all be destroyed, just so long as Lavagirl would live.

Wordlessly, Sharkboy shoved Max away and gathered Lavagirl up in his arms. Her head bumped against his shoulder and he realized that, for the first time, he was touching Lavagirl. More than that, he was holding her.

And it was only because Lavagirl was dying.

How unfair was that?

“Sure this will save her?” he asked, staring up at the giant pillar of fire and rock —Sharkboy’s only hope to save his best friend— on the horizon.

“It'll do more than save her,” Max said.

The boy sounded different now; older, wiser, and stronger.

‘He’s back.’

Sharkboy’s skin burned and stung as he approached the volcano. Ash clung to his hair, hot air burning at his lungs.

He dodged around cracks of molten magma open in the rock beneath his feet. He had hoped being in the volcano’s mere presence would be enough to heal Lavagirl, except it seemed to Sharkboy that she grew colder with each step he took.

By the time he reached the mouth of the volcano, Sharkboy would swear his blood was boiling. His eyes burned and he could barely think straight, but when he looked down at Lavagirl’s pale —almost blue— face, he realized this might be the last time he ever got to touch her.

If he tossed her into this volcano and it worked, then Lavagirl’s skin would once again burn. And, if it didn’t work, then not only would Sharkboy never touch her again, he wouldn’t even be able to see her! Lavagirl would be gone, with only ash and his own painful memories remaining. But Sharkboy couldn’t live in this world or any other without his best friend, so he’d take the risk.

He’d take the risk and hope the universe would decide to be fair for once.

‘Please come back to me.’

“Stand back.”

A pillar of light cut through the Darkness as swirls of pink and orange flames filled the air, and Lavagirl banished it to the farthest corners of Planet Drool.

Light-headed and dry-mouthed, Sharkboy could only gap at the brightness before him. Lavagirl had always glowed, even in the coldest of nights, but this was more than just a flame—it was a guiding light of warmth and hope to all those who saw it. It was the power and life, creation and destruction, beauty and terror all in one.

It was unfair that Lavagirl was so beautiful.

Chapter 7: 19) Allies & Enemies

Chapter Text

19) Allies & Enemies

Since their arrival in this new world, Sharkboy and Lavagirl had been bombarded by new people wanting to ask questions, demand explanations for where they came from, get to know them, pleading to run tests on their powers, and a million other things.

For two people who'd only ever really had each other for company, the constant attention was uncomfortable at best, and unwanted at worst. For Lavagirl, who'd always wanted to live amongst people and make friends, it wasn't so bad —although Sharkboy had seen her flair up on days when people tried to get too close too fast. But Sharkboy had never been a particularly social boy, preferring the company of his father and the great white sharks to other children, so the constant hovering was only tolerated for LG's sake.

And that included the company of their new teammates.

"So this is the gym, its state of the art and open to members of the Heroics at all times," Marcus explained, having insisted on giving them the grand tour in person. "We even have an Olympic-size lap pool."

"Chlorine water?" Sharkboy asked, nose wrinkling at the thought.

"Saltwater," Marcus said with a wink.

As far as Sharkboy was concerned, their new team leader was by far the most tolerable of all the idiots he was stuck with now. The older man had been the one to vouch for him and LG in the first place, even after Sharkboy had bitten a chunk out of Marcus' arm, and sent them over to his mother's for training. He even visited them there and, if nothing else, was a good sparring partner.

"Awesome!" Lavagirl smiled. She took Sharkboy's hand, "That means you'll always have a place to swim while we're here, Sharky."

He grunted in agreement, flashing a sharp tooth grin.

'It could be worse.'

If nothing else, at least he and LG were together. So long as he had her by his side, Sharkboy was pretty sure he could tolerate just about anything.

"So how is the grand tour going?"

Marcus laughed and pulled the beautiful woman in a tight silver and black uniform close, kissing her cheek. "Sharkboy, Lavagirl, I'd like you to meet my wife and Second-in-Command, Lady Mercury."

"But you can just call me Marisol," she said, shaking their hands. "I hope my husband has been on his best behavior."

"He's been very helpful in getting us settled in," Lavagirl replied, Sharkboy nodding in agreement.

"Good, good. And, please, feel free to let us know if you need anything. Be it advice on getting around the city, a place to stay, or even a hot dinner. We're happy to help you—"

"Thanks, but we're good," Sharkboy cut her off.

Marcus and Marisol both blinked, taken aback by Sharkboy's roughness.

"...We just want to focus on getting settled in. You know, just the two of us," Lavagirl said, forcing a smile. "Thank you for the offer though. It is very kind of you."

"Aw, you're so cute," a young woman with golden blonde hair in a glittery blue uniform said the second she laid eyes on the pair, rushing up to kiss Lavagirl's cheek. "The news is going to love you, sweetheart."

Sharkboy forced the growl growing in his throat down when he saw Lavagirl freeze at the unexpected tough. He told himself that if she really hated it, then she could just flame up and deal with it. As much as he loved taking care of her, his partner did not need his protection. Lavagirl was by far the more powerful of the pair.

'But she's always wanted to be around others. That might make her put up with more than she should,' he argued with himself.

"Wow, Miss Vox, and here I'd thought that you'd be jealous that you're no longer the youngest," a bearded, dark-haired man said. "Aren't you worried that she'll steal your spotlight?"

"Piss off, Crushing Low. You're the one who can't deal with people showing you up!" the woman, Miss Vox, sneered. When she turned back to Sharkboy and Lavagirl, the bright smile returned, "We should definitely do some joint appearances though. Don't worry, I'll help you get all dolled up and talk you through them. Maybe we can do something with this hair; tame these curls into something manageable."

She reached up to touch one of Lavagirl's vibrant, wild pink curls, only to yank her hand back with a yep when LG's locks started to ignite. Sharkboy fought the urge to snicker at Miss Vox's shocked face. Crushing Low didn't even bother.

"I'm so sorry!' Lavagirl said, cheeks burning with embarrassment. She grabbed her hair, trying to put out the flames. "It's just instinct! I’m not used to—"

"Oh, that was good!" CL laughed, wiping a fake tear from his eyes as he sauntered closer. "Looks like this one is too hot to handle, Vox."

He stuck his hand out for Sharkboy to shake. "Crushing Low. Nice to meet you, kid."

Sharkboy eyed the hand, considering just turning around, grabbing LG's hand, and walking out of the room; nothing about either of these two made him want to be friendly. Vox looked at LG in a way that was a little too forcefully friendly, and this guy seemed like the type to push and poke at others' sore spots. It was only after Lavagirl caught his eye and gave him a 'please be nice' look, that he reluctantly shook the other man's hand. It was a tense moment and Sharkboy felt CL squeeze down with more force than strictly necessary—a clear attempt at dominance.

Well, two could play that game.

Sharkboy grinned, letting his sharp teeth push through his gums. He returned the sentiment, baring down with just enough strength that it would be uncomfortable, if not outright painful. When Crushing Low tried to pull his arm back, Sharkboy held on just long enough to prove his point.

"Quite a grip you've got there," CL commented, flexing his hand.

"Shark strength comes in handy."

"And I take it you're a bit of a hothead?" the older man asked, turning to LG.

His partner shrugged. Even years after learning her true purpose, Lavagirl still wasn't entirely comfortable with her powers and how dangerous they could be. Especially now, in this new world with her new body that Lavagirl didn't quite understand the limits of, she had to be careful.

She wiggled her fingers, summoning sparks of flames. "Something like that."

"Too hot to handle, eh? That must drive all the boys mad."

Vox giggled, "That's right. Someone as pretty as you will have marriage proposals coming out of the woodwork."

"That's not a problem," Sharkboy said sharply, drawing attention away from the increasingly skittish Lavagirl.

The two other heroes glanced back and forth between the two, confused by his statement.

"Not a—Oh! I see!" Vox said, a sneaky grin creeping on her face.

"The two of you are a thing?" Crushing Low asked, eyebrows raised.

Sharkboy nodded and took LG by the hand, pulling her to his side. He wrapped a protective arm around her waist. Even in this new body, the natural heat she put off was a familiar comfort. More resistant to heat now, the hybrid was able to fully enjoy the sensation of having Lavagirl's body pressed against him, the scent of her hair, and the softness of her skin.

"That makes sense. It explains why you're hovering over her like an overprotective mama."

'That's not true.'

While Sharkboy was certainly protective, he'd admit that, but he never assumed he could control Lavagirl. His partner was a bright, burning soul with more power than Sharkboy would ever have. And yet, whenever the hybrid closed his eyes, the sight of Lavagirl lying cold and still on the ice haunted him.

She was all he had, now more than ever, and Sharkboy couldn't lose her to his own stupidity again.

"You two are adorable. The public is going to have a field day," Vox said. "I can't wait to see it."

Sharkboy certainly could.

Much like Marcus and Marisol, the other husband and wife duo of Red Lightning Fury and Crimson Legend both made attempts to take Sharkboy and Lavagirl under their wing, especially after it became public knowledge that the two were a couple. It was a thoughtful gesture, one Sharkboy wished he could be more thankful for than he was, but he still found himself chafing under the constant attempts to offer assistance or advice.

He was happy about a lot of things in this new world. That didn't mean Sharkboy didn't miss the days when it was just him and Lavagirl though.

"So, how long have you two been together?" Crimson asked.

The older couple had managed to corner Sharkboy and Lavagirl in the Headquarters' cafeteria, and joined them for lunch. Like just about everyone else, Crimson and his wife were hankering for details about their lives and pasts. They weren't mean about it, and Sharkboy didn't think they meant him or LG any harm, but he still didn't appreciate the prying.

"Since we were kids," Sharkboy said, popping another piece of sushi —the real stuff— in his mouth.

"Aw, that's sweet," Lightning cooed.

"Yeah, you could say we were made for each other."

Under the table, Lavagirl kicked him in the shin, and he shot her a sneaky grin in return. They hadn't told the truth of their lives, their entire existence, to anyone. At best, no one would believe them and think the pair were crazy, and, at worse, decided they'd make interesting science experiments.

That didn't mean Sharkboy couldn't enjoy an inside joke here or there though.

"What about you two?" Lavagirl asked, trying to turn the conversation away from them. "Were you married before joining the team or..."

"We actually met when we were teenagers," Crimson said. "She kicked my ass on the first day of training and I was completely gone, almost got down on one knee and proposed right then and there."

"You looked like a slapped mackerel when I pinned you down," Lightning added. She laughed, "You wouldn't know it now, but back then he looked like a complete idiot. Huge ears, about 100 lbs soaking wet, and these giant glasses. It was no wonder it took almost two years for me to break down and agree to a date."

The older man rolled his eyes, "Thanks, honey. You're doing wonders for my self-confidence. And, if I remember correctly, it was you that made the first move."

"That's because you were too shy."

"I plead the Fifth."

As the pair playful bickered, Sharkboy found himself smiling. The two were happy, both with one another and the life they'd built together.

Is this what he and LG would be like in another decade?

There'd never been a point when they’d 'officially' started dating. The transitions from being just best friends and partners had been a silent unspoken thing. After nearly losing with one another, they seemed to have a mutual understanding of their shared love —young and confused as it was— and desire to be together as something more. Perhaps the attraction had always been there —it certainly had for Sharkboy— but it was only after defeating Minus that it had finally bubbled to the surface.

"Anyway, the rest is history," Crimson continued. "We got married, joined the Heroics, and had some kids. The whole American Apple Pie life."

"You know, aside from the whole capes 'n' tights things," Lightning joked, tugging at the fabric of her uniform.

"Yeah, aside from that."

~~~

Later that night, laying in bed with his girlfriend, Sharkboy thought back on the conversation. If Crimson and Lightning managed to carve out a happy life for themselves despite the craziness of their lives, then he and Lavagirl could too.

And that was a happy thought.

"So I'm thinking of the Atlantis Hotel for your first interview, Sharkboy. The VIP lounge there is perfect; high-class but also elegant. And it has a great view of the bay!"

Sharkboy could only stare incredulously at the overly perky woman in front of him. Who the hell was this woman again? He’d seen Vox introducing her to LG, but hadn’t given it much thought. And what was she talking about?

"I already gave an interview," he said. "Back when Lavagirl and I first joined the team."

"That was your announcement ceremony, silly" the woman giggled, a high-pitched annoying sound that graded on his sensitive ears. "Hardly the same thing. This will be your first one-on-one interview, a chance for your fans to get to know the real you."

"What fans? We only joined the team a month ago."

"Actually, pulling shows that you're becoming very popular with 9-12-year-old boys."

"I'm what?"

The woman's painted grin grew even larger, "You should be thrilled! That is a very profitable target demographic! Once we start getting merchandise rolling, you'll be collecting some nice, fat royalty cheques."

With a scowl, Sharkboy stood up to leave. "I signed up to be on your little hero team, not to be some damn cash-cow show-pony."

"But—"

Before he could hit the 'open' button on the door, it slid open and he found himself face-to-face with Director Granada.

"Ah, good. Sharkboy, can you come with me? I would like a word," she asked, though it clearly wasn't a question.

He considered brushing it off and heading back to the dorm room he and Sharkgirl were sharing. His patience was wearing thin, and he needed his girlfriend to soothe his temper before he did something he regretted.

But the stone-cold, determined look in Granada's eyes gave him pause. Sharkboy knew she was a formidable woman, knew it for the second they met, but this was something different. He imagined that if he attempted to walk past her, she'd grab ahold and drag him down to her office. Perhaps he should have expected this from a director for a superhero team.

"Sure."

He trailed after the woman, her heels clacking against the linoleum floor of the headquarters as she sashayed ahead of him.

"Are you two settling in well?"

"Huh?"

"You and Lavagirl, are you settling in well?"

"Well enough," he shrugged. "We're trying to find our own place."

"Hmmm, that is a big step for a couple. I can give you the number of a good realtor if you'd like."

Sharkboy shrugged again. To be totally truthful, both he and LG had agreed that some house with a white picket fence in the suburbs would be ill-fitted for them. Sharkboy would hate being away from the ocean, and Lavagirl was terrified that she'd slip up and burn the place down. They had found a spacious cave in the side of a volcano with both open-air and underwater chambers. They'd have to do some work, like get electricity hooked up, put water pipes in, set up furniture, internet, etc., but it would be a good, private home for them. It would be a place to put down roots and really start a life together.

"Have a seat."

"I'll stand."

"I insist."

At her words, Sharkboy dropped into a stool in front of Granada's desk as the door slid shut and locked behind them.

'Is this what Max was talking about when he said it sucked being called to the principal's office?' he couldn't help but wonder. The older woman watched him out of the corner of her eye and Sharkboy shifted uncomfortably in the chair.

"Tea?"

"No."

"Alright." With the grace of a dancer, Granada slid into her desk chair and folded her hands. "Why do you insist on being so difficult?"

"What?"

"You've resisted bonding with your new teammates, appearing in public, or working with our scientists to learn more about your abilities," Granada said, firm but not harsh. "And now you are being difficult about simple interviews. I know they aren't pleasant, but hardly a crushing hardship in the grand scheme of things."

The annoyance bubbled hotter and he felt his internal shark teeth start to fight their way to the surface.

'You promised LG that you wouldn't get into fights with these people,’ Sharkboy reminded himself. He took a deep breath, "Look, don't get me wrong, I'm thankful for all the help everyone here has given us but—"

"And yet you insist on making life harder on all of us?" the woman asked, co*cking an eyebrow.

"...I—"

"In your contract, it clearly states that the money brought in from merchandise and public appearances is how this organization brings in most of their income, in addition to paying for property damage and victim relief funds. It is also how the members of the Heroics, including you and your girlfriend, earn most of their salary," Granada said. "I'm assuming you'd like to create a comfortable life for yourself and Lavagirl? Well, to do that you need to suck it up and talk to reporters once in a while."

Sharkboy looked down at his boots, not knowing what to say. He’d barely even skimmed the damn contract. Lavagirl had read it over and signed, so he’d followed her lead without thought.

"Now, you both can always leave. No one is keeping you here and we'd help you get established in the city if that is what you choose, but if not, you need to start being a team player."

"...She's just... so annoying."

Granada frowned in confusion, "Who?"

"Her! The lady trying to set up the interview!"

The woman's lips twitched. "Connie? Yes, she can be a little... overwhelming. Admittedly, I hate dealing with her as well. But she means well and is good at what she does, so bare with her."

"Fine, but I have one—actually, make that two conditions."

"Oh?"

"The first is that I'll only do interviews with Lavagirl; no solo ones." When that got him a questioning look, he added. "I'm not... much of a people person. LG keeps me calm. It'll be easier for everyone if she is there with me."

Granada nodded slowly. "I can arrange that. While solo interviews give the illusion of an intimate moment with the interviewee, the public also goes crazy for superhero couples."

Sharkboy wasn't thrilled about the idea of his relationship being marketed to the masses, but if it meant his love would be there with him, then so be it.

"What is your second condition?"

"I want to give interviews about ocean conservation, and the protection of aquatic animals."

.

.

.

"I like that," Granada laughed. "Yes, I like that idea very much. Consider it done."

One of their first big missions after joining the team was a bank robbery. Under most situations, this wouldn't be something one of the newly-coined heavy hitters like Lavagirl would be called in to deal with, but the robbery had escalated into a hostage situation with no less than ten people being held inside Coast Side Bank.

Lavagirl's job was to hit the front of the bank hard, fast, and flashy, distracting the robbers long enough for InvisiGirl to slip inside through the skylight, and evacuate the hostages through the back entrance to the water where Sharkboy was waiting.

"Lavagirl, are you ready?" Granada asked through the com-link. "Sharkboy and InvisiGirl are in position."

"Yeah, I've got this," she said, blasting off.

BOOM!

The ground shook when she landed in front of the bank, the ground lighting up in flames. The police and onlookers cheered when they saw her, and Lavagirl's heart leaped.

'This is what it is like to be accepted!'

The volcano goddess took a deep breath and shouted out, "Alright, come out! You know this isn't going to end well! Turn yourselves in and it'll be easy on you in the long run!

.

.

.

Bang!

One of the glass windows in the front of the bank exploded as a bullet tore through the air and embedded into Lavagirl's chest. She winced, her body working to repair the damage. It didn't necessarily hurt, sensations didn't affect Lavagirl's magma form as it would her more sensitive, squishy human one. It never had. And one of the few benefits of that was not feeling pain like others and the ability to heal injuries, even lost limbs, without issue. If anything, she had only reacted out of surprise.

The crowd gasped but Lavagirl paid them no mind. She reached into the bullet wound and pulled it out, the bullet more like putty in her hand as she dropped it to the ground.

"Lavagirl, are you alright? Report!" Granada said.

Her voice was overtaken by Sharkboy's. "LG? LG, what's wrong? I heard gunfire. Are you hurt?"

"No, I'm fine. Don't break position, Sharky," Lavagirl replied. Her hair flamed up, "I'm pretty angry though."

Her boyfriend chuckled over the com, "I feel bad for the robbers then."

"Let's focus on the mission, Love Birds," InvisiGirl snapped. "I have eyes on the hostages, but they're being guarded and staying put. Lavagirl, you need to draw them further away. Try to get them into the lobby, at least."

"Got it!"

Lavagirl turned to one of the police officers, "Keep everyone back!"

She rushed for the front door. They were fancy yet deceptively strong, with pearl ornamentation and sea glass covering reinforced steel.

She tore through them in half a second, the metal melting through her fingers.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

More bullets hit her chest as a trio of the criminals screamed. Lavagirl grabbed the closest one by the arm and yanked him into the air. She melted the gun in his hand, causing him to scream as his flesh burned, and then tossed him overhead into the street for the police to deal with. The two robbers left tried to swarm her, but well, there is only so much you can do to fight a woman you can't touch and who is impervious to bullets.

So out the door, they flew.

'Alright, that is three down. Now, where is the leader?' Lavagirl asked herself, glancing out the door to make sure the cops were hauling away the three she'd already dealt with.

Thud!

She realized her mistake a second too late and turned just in time for a massive metal fist to slam into the side of her face.

"Ack!" she hissed as she was knocked back. The force of the blow would have turned a normal person's skull to mush, but to Lavagirl, there was just a brief, harsh pain.

"I'm almost insulted," the leader of the criminals said, sauntering forward. He was a large man, nearly ten feet tall, and covered in a layer of shiny metal. "They sent one little girl to deal with me instead of one of the big guns. I was hoping for Crushing Low, at least."

'Damn, we didn't know the leader had powers.'

"I guess they didn't think you were worth the trouble," she said, keeping the man's attention on her. Over the man's shoulder, Lavagirl could see the entrance to the room where the hostages were gathered. Though she couldn't see it, she hoped Invisigirl would move fast, as having a superpowered enemy made everything more dangerous. "One little girl is more than enough."

She caught the man's fist as he swung at her but only just. Using his arm as leverage, she flipped him over on the ground, landing three quick punches on his face before the man was able to kick her off.

"Ugh!" She rolled across the floor, her molten skin and flaming hair igniting the ground.

"You're holding back," the man said. "Why?"

Why indeed? This man was a villain, he threatened to hurt people for something as stupid as money. He deserved to have his ass kicked. For the sake of the hostages and for just plain common sense, Lavagirl should take him out. But...

"Maybe I just don't want to hurt anyone?"

"Then you're an idiot."

He charged once more, grabbing Lavagirl by the neck and pinning her to a wall, squeezing down. While there were no bones in her neck to break, much like a flame needs oxygen to survive and grow, even Lavagirl needed air to survive.

'I need to act fast. I could destabilize and melt through his grip. Or-'

"Get off of her!"

An arm wrapped around the robber's neck from behind, tightening so hard the metal in his neck dented, and yanked him away. Sharkboy had always been physically stronger than her, especially as he aged, but even now he was straining against their opponent's strength. Even the sharp talons built into his gloves, usually so deadly in a fight, had a hard time finding purchase. Clearly, metal skin had its advantages.

'Metal! He's made of metal!'

"Hold him still, Sharkboy!" she said.

"What does it look like I'm doing?"

Lavagirl slammed her palms into the man's chest. 'Heat him up. Just the skin though; don't cook him inside out.'

It took a second but soon the robber's skin began to glow. He started screaming as the heat spread throughout his skin, lighting up bright orange. Once he was completely covered, Lavagirl knew it was time.

"Sharkboy, blast him with water!"

Having fought together for so long, her partner immediately understood what she meant. Reacting to Sharkboy’s heightened anger and battlelust, a nearby water cooler exploded, showering them all. But it wasn't enough; even in this new world, his power over water was nowhere near as complete as her power over fire and lava. Even Sharkboy was only just learning how to understand it.

The robber charged at Lavagirl once more. He was slower this time though, and a hard punch to the jaw sent him stumbling. Even through the molten metal that was his skin, Lavagirl could see the man glaring daggers at her.

"I'll kill you, you bitch!"

"Like hell, you will," Sharkboy growled and blasted him with the jets built into his suit.

Hissssssssss!

The man screamed again. He tried to go after her partner, but before he could take more than three steps before the water did its job. After being superheated and then rapidly cooled, the robber was frozen, his skin brown and stiff.

Her plan had worked.

Sharkboy slid up beside her, "Good plan. Do you think he’s still alive in there?"

Lavagirl's stomach jumped. She hadn't thought of that!

"Uh, I hope so," she said, leaning forward and tapping on the robber's forehead. His eyes snapped to her, still glaring. "Ah!"

~~~

"Thanks for both of your help, Sharkboy and Lavagirl," the police commissioner said. Around them, behind the police barricades, people cheered and took pictures. Reporters hovered nearby, hoping to get an interview, or at the very least, overhear something juicy. "All the hostages have been accounted for, nothing was stolen, property damage was minimal for such a crisis, and we were able to recapture a dangerous fugitive."

"Our pleasure, we're just glad no one got hurt."

"Yeah." Sharkboy glanced over to where the ringleader was being carted off while still frozen solid into a police van to be taken to the Heroics’ special prison for super-powered beings. "What are you going to do with that?"

"A cursory examination has one of our scientists sure they can fix him," InvisiGirl said, appearing near Lavagirl's elbow, who jumped. Sharkboy remained motionless; he must have heard her approaching.

Or he just wanted to look cool, the jerk.

InvisiGirl's appearance earned a fresh way of excited cheer from the crowd. She smiled kindly at them, and waved for the cameras before turning to the commissioner.

"Commissioner Jorden, I trust all is well?"

"Excellent job as always, Ma'am," he said. "And, I have to say, it was a genuine pleasure getting to see these two" he nodded towards Sharkboy and Lavagirl “—at work. I'm sure we'll see many great things from them in the future."

Lavagirl perked up from the praise, except her grin fell at her new teammate's response. "We'll see."

At the woman’s lukewarm tone, Sharkboy took a half-step closer to LG, protective as always. Though it could drive her crazy, Lavagirl would never deny him this closeness, as it was a balm for both of their angers and anxieties.

'What did I screw up?'

~~~

"You were rash and acted without thinking," Jane scolded. "You fought the thieves without keeping tabs on all of them. Their leader could have easily started killing hostages when you took out his men."

Lavagirl felt her internal light dim as the older heroine berated her. In the moment, she'd been so sure in her actions, but looking back, there was so much that could have gone wrong, so much she could have done differently.

"And you, Sharkboy! You abandoned your post to help your little girlfriend!"

Sharkboy scowled, "I already got the hostages out of the bank. Lavagirl was struggling; I wasn't going to leave her hanging."

"They may have gotten out, but you didn't stay with them or escort them to the police line. Anything could have happened! Someone could have died because you were more worried about her than our objective!"

"...Lavagirl will always be my priority."

Something inside Lavagirl lit up, bright and warm. She wanted to reach out and take Sharkboy's hand, yet the dark look of the senior heroine made it clear this wasn't the right time.

"Then maybe you shouldn't be a hero," InvisiGirl said, crossing her arms.

"Maybe not," Lavagirl finally spoke up. "But we're here to stay all the same."

"Do you think he'll build me a shark spaceship," Sharkboy whispered in her ear.

Lavagirl fought back a snort, smacking her boyfriend on the arm. "Hush, you. And pay attention; I think we're next."

As it turned out, Tech-No had been head of the HAO’s R&D division before he became a member of the Heroics proper, and even now still liked to work in the lab to oversee the development of support equipment for the team. Which, in turn, meant that he was the one to present the team with their new toys during the infamously long Quarter Review Meetings.

"These new boots are three times tougher than the last model—"

"So I can wear them for three weeks before they fall apart, instead of three days?" Blinding Fast joked.

"—and we've increased the streamline of your uniform in an attempt to cut down on drag," Tech-No said, continuing on in his rant like he hadn't been interrupted. "We're also working on some compression splints for your ankles and knees. They should help with the swelling you've been complaining about."

BF caught the small yellow band that was tossed to him, turning it over in his hands and checking how far it could stretch. "Better than nothing."

"Oh, quit complaining, old man," Lightning said, rolling her eyes.

"The only reason I'm an 'Old Man' is that I've been doing this longer than any of you—"

"Hey! Hey! Shut up, all of you!" Marisol snapped, quieting everyone. "Let's focus! Techy, do you have anything else?"

"Oh, yeah! Last but certainly not least, we've got goodies for our newest members," he said.

Lavagirl elbowed Sharkboy in the side, snapping him back to attention.

"Eh?"

"Alright, Lavagirl! The bad news is the natural heat you put out while in your magma form is too much for most of our stuff. But, we have managed to develop a better com device, and a utility belt containing your tracker, vitals monitor, and general equipment. They aren't perfect, and will probably need regular maintenance and replacement, but for now it's better than nothing."

"I told you she was a hothead," Crushing Low mock whispered to Miracle Guy, who snickered.

Lavagirl ignored them, and smiled gratefully as she took the equipment, "Thank you."

"With time, we should be able to develop better stuff for you. Not that you need much, eh?" he said with a wink.

"Well, I wouldn't say no to a lava bike."

Tech-No laughed. "I get right on that. Now, Sharkboy, moving on to you. Thankfully, you provide a lot more to work with than Lavagirl."

For all her lover wanted to appear disinterested and unengaged in the Heroics in general, Lavagirl grinned at the way Sharkboy perked up.

'Boys and their toys.'

"One of the things that we've discovered since studying your abilities, is that your skin has many of the same properties of shark skin, to the point of having a rougher texture and higher density than normal human skin. In short, your skin is armor in and of itself!"

This was no big news to either Sharkboy or Lavagirl. Sharkboy knew both sharks and his own body better than anyone, and LG knew his body almost as well. She'd felt the roughness of his skin many times and, though it never hurt her, Lavagirl had no doubt it would be painful for a normal human. And, of course, Sharky was tough enough to walk off plenty of ‘deadly’ wounds without a scratch—especially as he'd aged and his powers developed. The test the scientists ran only served as confirmation for what they already knew.

"That being said, you can never be too careful!" Tech-No continued. "Your new armor is based on both the skin of great white sharks, and your own skin. We needed to keep it tough but flexible enough to move around in, in addition to being streamlined for the water. All things kevlar aren’t exactly the best for. It needs some fine-tuning, of course, but if you drop by the labs to try it out, we're hoping you'll provide enough feedback to make the necessary adjustments."

After a moment, Sharkboy nodded with a grunt. He'd cooperate with this at least.

"You've admitted that one of your main weaknesses is long-range attacks, so given your super-strength we've been working on some throwing weapons as a possible solution to remedy that," the older man said, holding out a throwing star, the blades designed to look like shark's teeth. "They're still in the development stage though."

"Great, so now we're giving death frisbees to temperamental teenagers now," Blinding Fast said, rolling his eyes.

Lavagirl felt Sharkboy grow tense beside her.

Tech-No paused, stumbling over the next part of his spiel. "What?"

The older hero sighed and looked around. "Look, someone has to say it. I'm not denying these two—" he waved his hand in Sharkboy and Lavagirl's direction "—are strong enough to be on this team, but they don't belong here! They're too young, too rough around the edges! They should still be in school, and living the lives of young lovebirds. Vox, you used to be the youngest of us, how old were you when you joined?"

"Twenty-Three," the blonde woman answered. "But don't go dragging me into this. I'm happy to have them here."

"Oh, come on, we all know you hate not being the center of attention."

Lavagirl caught Sharkboy's eyes and her boyfriend just shrugged. He mimed slashing his own throat making her giggle, a sound that she smothered with a hand over her mouth. She knew that Sharky didn't particularly care if he was liked by their new teammates, but Lavagril really wanted this to work! She missed being able to help others, and didn't want to ruin this second chance that Max had given them. If that meant that she needed to suck it up and play nice with people she'd rather avoid, then, well, so be it.

"C'mon, LG, tell us, how long have you had your powers?" Binding Fast asked.

Sharkboy's fingertips brushed against her elbow, a silent reassurance, a question, and a promise that he'd get the older man to back off if that's what she wanted, all in one. She brushed her own against his—an 'I'm alright,' and a 'thank you,' all in one.

"I've had them for as long as I can remember," she answered truthfully. "For all I know, I've had them since I was born."

Was she even really 'born’? Or was she simply created? If they ever got a chance to speak again, Lavagirl would have to ask Max what he thought.

The speedster rolled his eyes. "Alright, sure."

Then, under his break, grumbled, "Sarcastic-ass kids."

Sharkboy let out a low growl, growing tense by her side. Lavagirl brushed her fingers against his again —'Calm down.’—and was about to change the subject to get the attention back on Tech-No, when Marcus spoke up.

"Look, Sharkboy and Lavagirl passed their training with flying colors," the team leader said. "They’ve even beat some of our old records. That means they've earned their spot on this team. And I can personally attest to their skills. If anyone wants to contest their membership, I'll be happy to discuss it with them later. Now, let Tech-No finish his presentation so we can all get to lunch."

Blinding Fast rolled his eyes, but aside from shaking his head, said nothing. After a tense moment, the presentation continued, and Lavagirl let out a breath she didn't realize she'd been holding. Sharkboy relaxed by her side. Another confrontation averted.

Miracle Guy was very handsome, Lavagirl couldn't deny that. That, combined with his impressive powerset, meant it was no surprise that he always ranked at or very near the top of the annual popularity rankings.

But god was he annoying.

"You know, all the online forms are debating which one of us is more powerful," he said, sauntering up beside her in the gym.

Lavagirl wasn't quite sure if the other hero really needed to work out —she just enjoyed the feeling of working out her muscles the old fashion way— but Miracle Guy was never one to miss the opportunity to take flattering pictures of himself, and, well, he filled out tight-fitting gym clothes nicely.

"Oh?" she asked, adding another weight to each side of the dumbbell for her next set of deadlifts. Lavagirl had come to find weight training to be relaxing ever since Marisol had introduced it to her. Something about the repetitive motion was soothing after a long day. "I didn't know that."

Despite Connie, the Head of Public Relations, having set up some social media profiles for Lavagirl, she still hadn't spent much time on the internet. For the first time, she could explore the entire world without (much) fear of hurting someone or being rejected. Why would she waste time staring at a screen when she could be out in the city instead, finally experiencing all the things she had read about online?

"Yep, you have the internet in a tizzy. Smile."

Lavagirl smiled on instinct, not even realizing what Miracle Guy was doing until the camera flash went off.

"Oh, that's a good one," he said, already typing something on his phone. "What do you think of 'Hot and Healthy as Hell' as a caption? Catchy, right?"

He didn't even wait for Lavagirl to finish formulating a response before nodding to himself, quickly typing something on his phone. "Yeah, the fans will like that."

Miracle Guy tucked his phone back into his pocket and smiled. "So, I was thinking, maybe you and I should get together for some... private sparring? You know, for research purposes."

.

.

.

"Sharkboy is my boyfriend," she blurted out. 'Was he suggesting what I think he was suggesting?"

The other hero scowled at her response, but the ugly look was gone before Lavagirl could blink, replaced by another charming grin.

"Oh no! That wasn't what I meant! I'm actually taken myself," he promised. He sounded sincere, yet Lavagirl was still uneasy. "I was just suggesting that we spend some one-on-one time together. Teammates must get to know one another, after all."

"Look, Miracle—"

"Please, call me Conrad when we're back at the headquarters. There is no need for codenames between friends."

'Oh, so we're friends now?' Lavagirl fought the urge to roll her eyes. "Well, Conrad-"

Hissss!

The door to the gym slid open, and she let out a sigh of relief when the familiar form of her partner appeared.

"Everything alright, LG?" he asked, sliding up beside her.

The familiar weight of Sharkboy's hand on the small of her waist made Lavagirl smile. "Hey Sharky, Conrad here was just saying how he wanted to get to know us better. Maybe through some sparring?"

Sharkboy's eyes narrowed. "Sounds fun."

A palpable tension filled the air, so thick the Lavagirl almost regretted not just taking the opportunity to excuse herself from the gym. By his own admission, her boyfriend was protective on a good day, and possessive on a bad one; even if he still listened when she told him to give some space. As fun as it had been in the moment to bait Sharkboy with what Miracle Guy had said, nothing good could come of it if the older hero decided he wanted to press some buttons.

Thankfully, the standoff ended when Miracle Guy laughed, loud and fake. "I'll have Marcus schedule a sparring session then. I'm sure the eggheads would love to watch us throw down, with how they're always going on about gathering combat data. Oh, and thanks for the photo, LG. See you both later."

He gave Sharkboy a 'friendly' slap on the back before sauntering away, the gym door sliding shut behind him.

"What did he mean by 'photo'?" Sharky asked, a deep frown lining his handsome face.

"Don't worry about it," she said, sneaking a quick kiss. "I just don't like that guy."

"Me neither."

Chapter 8: (43) In Memoriam

Chapter Text

(43) In Memoriam

Even after Silverback and Miss Dragon had been arrested, the attacks on superheroes kept coming—harder and faster with every week that passed.

Crushing Low had his truck sabotaged, and had he not noticed the smell of fish oil, might never have realized his brakes had been disabled. Two days after that, the restaurant where Miracle Guy was being interviewed was firebombed, resulting in five near-fatal injuries. And, worst of all, there'd been a bomb found in the lobby of Miss Vox's music studio.

Security was tightened in every way possible, but there was nothing that could be done to ease the unspoken fears of the Heroics. Chiefly, that their children could soon become the primary targets of these attacks. After all, villains had come after Guppy, even knowing Sharkboy and Lavagirl's reputations, so what was to stop this new wave of assailants from coming after their own kids? They couldn't keep them locked up in the safe basem*nt of the Heroics' Headquarters forever.

In the end, it wasn't the children they should have been worried about.

It was a Sunday when Lady Mercury reported for what looked like a routine villain attack. Only to find herself in an ambush, staring down a terrible choice: save an innocent toddler, leaving herself open to attack, or go for the villain and risk letting the boy die.

In the end, Marisol Moreno AKA Lady Mercury, died as she'd lived -protecting the innocent.

~~~

'It should be raining,' Sharkboy thought, eyeing the clear November sky out the church window. 'In movies, it always rains during funerals.'

Guppy shifted in his arms. and looking for comfort, buried her little face against his neck. Too young to fully understand what was happening, but still able to pick up on the painfully sad atmosphere. She'd be two next month, the same age as the boy Marisol died saving. Now, standing in front of his friend's coffin, Sharkboy could only think how lucky he was that it wasn't his wife or daughter in this coffin. If that made him a horrible person, then so be it, but LG and Guppy would always be his priority.

He hoped Marisol could understand that.

Wherever she was now.

Shifting Guppy to his hip, Sharkboy placed a hand on the coffin lid and closed his eyes. 'I'm sorry, Marisol. I wish I'd been there to help you. You deserved better. From all of us.'

By his side, Lavagirl sniffled. Tears flowed freely down her cheeks, evaporating into steam long before they ever got a chance to fall. She and Marisol had always been close; the older woman had taken them both under her wing, but while Sharkboy had liked Marisol, it was with LG that she really bonded. Now, Sharkboy wished that he'd spent more time with her.

"Mommy?" Guppy whispered, peeking up from Sharkboy's neck. "What's wrong?"

The question only brought a fresh wave of tears to Lavagirl's eyes. "Oh, sweetie, it's just... I..."

Silently, Sharkboy passed LG their daughter. Guppy's weight a warm reassurance in her arms, Lavagirl hugged the girl tightly and said nothing as Sharkboy gently led them both away. Lavagirl's tears were a rare thing; her fears did not need to be put on display like this, especially on a day meant for the mourning of another. Over the top of his wife's head, Sharboy watched as Marcus shakily rose from his seat and escaped the church.

"What will you do now?" Sharkboy asked.

For a long time, Marcus said nothing. The newly widowed superhero kept his eyes glued to the gravel beneath his meticulously shined dress shoes, fingers loosely wound in his hair. The silence went on so long that Sharkboy nearly left before...

"I'm going to kill them."

"...Okay. Want an alibi?"

Marcus gave a humorless snort of laughter. "Don't joke about that sort of thing."

"When do I ever joke?

Sharkboy's blase response finally made Marcus look up.

"You're a hero, Sharkboy, you should be telling me that revenge isn't worth it! That it isn't what Marisol would want!"

The hybrid just shrugged. "If I was in your position, nothing on this planet or any other would stop me from hunting the bastards that killed my wife down and making them pay. If you want someone to talk you out of revenge, it won't be me."

At that, Marcus gave a dry huff of laughter. "You're not good at this whole 'comforting' thing, are you?"

Another shrug. "That's always been Lavagirl's department. Plus, this is my first funeral."

"Really?"

"My mom died when I was too young to remember and my dad... Well, there was no funeral for him."

"Oh."

An uncomfortable quiet settled over the two for a moment, broken only by the quaking of ducks and rustling of leaves. Sharkboy shifted from one foot to the other and tugged at the knot of his tie. Was he supposed to be doing something? Should he have said something more poetic or comforting? Should—

"Thank you," Marcus whispered.

Now that confused Sharkboy. "For what?"

"For being you."

"..."

"In the past three days, I've heard every version of 'I'm sorry for your loss' and 'How are you doing?' imaginable," the older man explained. "And I'm sick of it. My wife is dead, my daughter is motherless, and I'm sick of people telling me how bad it must be! So, yeah, thank you for being your usual grouchy self."

"...My pleasure." Then, after a pause, Sharkboy added, "I miss her."

Bitter tears leaked from the corner of Marcus' eyes. "I haven't even had time to miss Marisol yet. I've been too answering questions, making funeral arrangements, and trying to comfort Mis—!

The man choked on his daughter's name. "She's old enough to understand that her mommy is gone. She's old enough to know that I could die too! Missy screams whenever I try to leave the room now. If she wakes up from a nap and I'm gone, she cries for hours! I don't know what to do. She was so hysterical this morning I had to leave her with my mother!"

Sharkboy had no advice to offer. If Lavagirl ever died... No, he refused to even think about that possibility. If his Light were to ever die… this world would have no more use to him anymore.

"Be there for her." It was the only advice he could offer. "She just lost a parent. She'll need care, comfort, and someone to teach her how to move on. Hold her."

His shark family loved him. They protected him, housed him, instructed him in the way of the oceanic predators, and gave him the means to survive. With them, Sharkboy had been able to become the man he was today: a hero, husband, king, protector, and father. But they hadn't been great at comforting. Sharks were not men; they did not experience love and familial ties the ways humans did. For crying out loud, they ate their siblings in the womb! Goodmilk, Piggy, Eggback, and Kraken all understood he lost his parent —the only scientist they tolerated due to his respectful nature and liberal use of chum in the water— and understood that this was a loss, but they could not share nor comprehend his pain.

Things between Marcus and Missy would not be the same. Sharkboy was sure of this; both by bond and by nature, Marcus would not leave his daughter lacking comfort.

Marcus nodded slowly. "I might be taking some time away from the team, just enough to get—get settled. I've talked to Lighting and Crimson; I'm handing over temporary leadership to them... Hope you aren't insulted by that choice."

He said that last part like it was a bad joke, even turning to give Sharkboy a forced, unsteady half-smile.

Maybe it would have bothered him back when Sharkboy was younger and full of confidence that he knew better than anyone else, but by now, he knew better. Sharkboy would be a terrible team leader. For one, he worked better alone or with LG, and for another, he didn't care about most of his teammates all that much. Honestly, his only issue was that Lavagirl hadn't been considered for the role. She was a natural when it came to inspiring others. Then again... his love had been under tremendous pressure lately. LG didn't need the burden of leadership on top of raising a young daughter, and dealing with her dear friend's death.

"They’re a good choice," he said. "Neither is a complete idiot, and they have a lot of experience. They'll hold things together."

"You'll go easy on them?"

Another joke, but one with some truth behind it. Sharkboy was well-aware of his own stubbornness and callousness when it came to authority. He listens to Lavagirl because he loved her, he followed Marcus because he respected the man. He liked Tamara and Dywane well enough too, though not to the same level as Marcus and Marisol. Nor did he respect them as much. Still, Sharkboy could deal with the change. It wasn't like Marcus was handing over control of the team to Miracle Guy or Blinding Fast.

If that happened, he'd have quit before he sent one of them to the ER.

"Take your time," he said. Shiff and awkwardly, he patted Marcus on the shoulder. Aside from Lavagirl and Guppy, physical affection and comfort weren't something he was comfortable with. "We'll be here for you, all of us. We're not going to let this go unpunished."

In this, Sharkboy was confident. For all the Heroics had their personal, petty grudges and arguments, they'd at least be able to come together in the mourning of Marisol. Even Conrad had shown the appropriate respect, somberly keeping his phone tucked in his pocket, and his ego in check. The superhero community would not hesitate to avenge the murder of one of their own with the fury like villains had never seen. Even if no one else helped, Sharkboy would see justice done against Marisol's killers.

By the time this was over, everyone would understand the consequences of such a crime.

"...See that you don't."

Chapter 9: (15) A Better Dream

Chapter Text

(15) A Better Dream

"You've got to do something!" Sharkboy demanded.

She's dying.

That was what Max had said. He'd taken one look at Lavagirl, still pale and unconscious as her inner light faded into nothingness, and shattered Sharkboy's world with one agonizing declaration.

Max shook his head, tears streaming down his face. "I- I can't, the damage is done!"

No. No, that wasn't good enough.

"I'll take her to another volcano. It saved her before, it can save her again."

"Sharkboy... You know that won't work," Max said, putting a tentative hand on the hybrid's shoulder. "You know it and I know it."

"No—"

"Lavagirl's fire has gone out, all that's left are embers."

The Dreamer hung his head and fought back a sob. "This is all my fault."

Sharkboy looked up from where he was clutching LG's hand. She was cool enough to touch, but there was no joy in the act. Lavagirl's hand was too cold, too stiff, and was growing hard and black like a chuck of igneous rock. But, if the fire in his girlfriend was going out, a spark of something hot and rageful lit in his chest.

He looked up at Max. "What do you mean?"

The blond teenager swallowed hard, shame radiating off of him. "I- I had a dream. A dream that Lavagirl's time in this world was coming to an end."

.

.

.

BAM!

Sharkboy slammed Max into the nearest wall so hard the drywall cracked. "Why did you do it?"

"I did- didn't mean to!" Max crocked out against the crushing grip on his throat. "I couldn't control it! I'm sorry! She’s my friend, I love her too!"

As much as he wanted to hang onto it, Sharkboy felt his anger slipping away. The grief and regret in Max's eyes were all too real, all too genuine for the rage to remain. Instead, he looked at Lavagirl, lying there on the table. Laying there with her eyes closed, Sharkboy could almost convince himself that she was just sleeping. That she wasn't... wasn't...

"I can't live without her," he said.

Sharkboy couldn't... wouldn't live without his Light. There was no reason to.

"I'm sorry," Max repeated. "I wish there was something I could do! But I already tried dreaming something different! I already tried changing it and it didn't work!"

Dream something different...

Something formed in Sharkboy's head. An idea... A vague hope... A change to save the love of his life.

"...Then dream a better dream."

"What?"

"It worked once. You saved us that way once." Sharkboy said. "You made us once, you can do it again. Dream us one more time, but better. Dream us somewhere better. Dream us into a better life. Into a better world where we can finally be happy."

"...No, no way that would work," Max shook his head, pulling away. "I can't do it!"

Sharkboy grabbed his wrist, pulling his friend and creator back. "You've got to try! You've got to give us a second chance. For Lavagirl! Are you really just going to let her die?"

"Don't say that!" Max snapped. "She is important to me too! Do you think this isn't killing me too? I made her! Lavagirl is the Heart and Light of everything I dreamed as a kid!"

"Then save her!

"It's not that simple!" The blond teenager slammed his hand down on the kitchen table, a surprising display of anger for the normally shy Dreamer.

But before Sharkboy could say anything, all that anger evaporated. Max slumped down in the chair across from the hybrid and took LG's other hand in his own.

"If I try this and something goes wrong, you and Lavagirl could just... stop existing," Max said, voice rough and so much older than his actual age. "You'd both be gone."

'So it might work?' Sharkboy squeezed Lavagirl's hand tighter, trying to find any lingering warmth. "If LG d—I don't want to exist without her. If there is any chance this will work at all, then I want to take it. Do it!"

.

.

.

"I don't want to lose you guys," Max whispered, ducking his head.

The hybrid smiled softly. Even after all these years, Max was still a gooey chocolate chip cookie inside. Lavagirl liked that about him. Sharkboy would never admit it, but he did too. It was nice to have someone so different around, to remind him of what Sharkboy might have been if he and his father hadn't been separated all those years ago.

"You'll always have us, Max," he said. "We're always going to be in your dreams."

"...Fine, I'll try. For Lavagirl's sake." Max held out a hand, the other still clutching LG's, "Take my hand and close your eyes."

Under any circ*mstances, Sharkboy would have grumbled about the handholding. Right now though? He took Max's hand without question. He rubbed his thumb against the back of Lavagirl's cold hand; Sharkboy doubted she could feel it, but the action made him feel better all the same.

'It'll all be over soon, LG. I promise.'

Max took a deep breath, "See you later, Sharkboy."

"Goodbye, Max."

Sharkboy closed his eyes and hoped for the best.

Across from him, Maxwell Carpenter closed his eyes, and dreamed of a better world.

Chapter 10: (41) Close Call

Chapter Text

(41) Close Call

Lavagirl had only just managed to lull Guppy to sleep when the call came in. With her little girl deep in the throes of the Terrible Two, the silence was a rare thing, and the ringing of her Heroics communicator had her hair flaming up.

Beep! Beep! Be—

"You better have a damn good reason for calling!" she hissed, one eye fixed on her thankfully still-sleeping daughter. "I'm still on family lea—"

"Lavagirl," Marisol's gentle voice, quieter than usual, cut her off. "It's Sharkboy. He's been hurt."

Something deep inside the volcano goddess fractured.

Lavagirl threw open the door to the HAO's infirmary wing, ripping the solid steel right off its hinges. Still in her pajamas, it was only her whimpering daughter in her arms that kept Lavagirl's temperature in check.

"Where is Sharkboy?" she demanded. "Where’s my husband?"

"I WANT DADDY!" Guppy cried out, burying her face into LG's neck as she started to sob.

"Hey, hey! It's alright." Marisol rushed around the corner, Marcus right behind her. She grabbed Lavagirl by the arm despite the risk, forcing her to look the older woman in the eye. "Sharkboy is fine. He took a lot of damage and is still unconscious, but he's healing fast, and will be back on his feet in no time."

The hand squeezing Lavagirl's heart loosened its grip ever so slightly.

"I want to see him," she said. "I need to know that he's okay."

Guppy decided to add her two cents.

"WANT DADDY NOW!"

"And you will see him," Marisol promised. "But first you need to calm down and prepare yourself. Sharkboy looks bad, worse than he actually is."

At those words, Lavagirl swallowed hard but tried to remain calm. Rocking Guppy in her arms to soothe her, she turned to Marcus. "How bad is he?"

It took the team leader a moment to answer. "Well, let's just say that it's good that loverboy is made of tough stuff. Otherwise, he'd be dead. Instead... he'll have some scars, and be sore for a while, but, with some pampering, he'll be fine."

Marcus was never one to lie, and rarely one to sugarcoat things. If he said Sharkboy would be fine, then Lavagirl believed it. The fist around her heart finally eased, and LG let out the breath that she hadn't realized she was holding.

"I want to see him," she repeated. "I need to see him! I need to know he's—"

Lavagirl choked on the words caught in her throat. Now that the fear was gone, the sadness was coming in overwhelming waves.

"I know, I know," Marisol said, pulling her into a hug. "How about I take Guppy for a little walk, and Marcus can take you down to see Sharkboy?"

Instinctively, Lavagirl's grip on her daughter tightened. After more than a year, LG still flinched at the idea of anyone aside from Sharkboy taking their daughter, even the woman who'd been nothing but an amazing friend and mentor to her.

'This is Marisol,' Lavagirl reminded herself. 'You trust her. Maybe more than anyone else aside from Sharky.'

She shifted Guppy in her arms, "Hey, sweetheart, do you want to go with Auntie Mari for a little while?"

The little girl shook her head. "Wanna see Daddy."

"I know you do, little fishie. You just need to wait a minute for Mommy to check on something."

Guppy frowned, and for a minute, Lavagirl was sure her strong-willed daughter would argue. She certainly loved doing that these days; everyone said it was normal, but she still wasn't sure. Thankfully, eventually, the little girl just nodded.

"Hi there, sweetheart," Marisol muttered, taking Guppy from Lavagirl's arms. She kissed the crown of the cranky little girl's head, "I think a nice little treat is in order. How do you feel about milkshakes, Guppy Gups?"

"Chocolate," the girl said, head already on tucked against her favorite auntie's shoulder.

"Anything you want, Guppy. Anything you want."

Lavagirl couldn't tear her eyes off her daughter as Marisol carried Guppy away, disappearing around a corner in the direction of headquarters ' cafeteria. She was so entranced by the sight that she jumped when Marcus put a hand on her shoulder.

"LG, are you alright?"

"Yeah, my mind is just a little... frazzled right now," she said.

Marcus nodded sympathetically, "You don't have to see Sharkboy yet, he's still asleep. You can wait until he's recovered more."

Lavagirl shook her head but gave her team leader's hand a grateful squeeze. "No, I need to be with him. He's always been by my side when I've been sick or hurt, how could I not do the same?"

"Sharky wouldn't want you to be distressed, especially with Guppy to care for," Marcus said.

The heroine let out a brief, humorless laugh, "He also wouldn't want you to call him 'Sharky'."

"Fair enough," Marcus replied with a small grin. "Follow me."

Through the infirmary observation window, Lavagirl could see that Sharkboy's entire left arm, half of his torso, a chunk of his left thigh, and parts of his neck and cheek, were covered in ugly red and black burns and abrasions. The nasty color stood in stark, frightening contrast to the sterile white sheets and blankets of the infirmary bed. Despite how horrifying and clearly painful the wound must have been, the young man looked peaceful lying there. Not that it stopped Lavagirl from having to stifle a sob when she laid eyes on him.

"What happened?" she croaked. "Who did this to him?"

"We don't know," Marcus admitted, face twisted into half a snarl and half a wince. "It was a new face. Nothing about this villain showed up in our databases. We went in blind, didn't even know his powers at first."

She eyed the burns, "A fire user?"

"No, explosion generation. Sharkboy was caught in one trying to pull a car to safety. It was straight in the line of fire, but there was a family trapped inside and, well, you know your husband."

"Yeah, I do."

A dark part of Lavagirl was glad Sharky hadn't been injured by a fire user. The idea that her own element, something that was a part of her very being as much as blood was a part of a human, could harm the man she loved was terrifying. Worst still was the possibility that he'd grow to fear or resent her for being kin to what had hurt him.

"Believe it or not, he already looks better than he did an hour ago," one of the attending doctors said, sliding up to the two heroes. A little too enthusiastically, the young man held up his tablet, "Do you want to see the pictures from when he was first rushed it?"

Lavagirl felt herself flinch back. An action the doctor repeated when Marcus growled at him, glare hard and sharp.

"Errrr... Sorry, that was insensitive. But I am serious about Sharkboy already being on the mend," the doctor said. "If you look at the pictures and compare, you can see how much of a difference just a couple of hours has made. I just wanted to show how much he’s improving. Bad as it looks, most of the damage is surface-level. We didn't even have to stitch up most of his lacerations; they were closing so quickly it just wasn’t necessary, on top of his muscles being so dense that it's hard getting a needle through. At this rate, he'll probably be able to walk out of here by tomorrow morning."

"Really?" Marcus sounded surprised, even though he himself had promised Sharkboy's injuries weren't as bad as they looked.

The doctor shrugged, "On top of being plain old tough, sharks and rays are very resilient to injury, and they can heal quickly after most things. It's what allows them to survive when caught up in minor fights for food or mates. And, being a hybrid, Sharkboy seems to have inherited that too. It's actually fascinating, we and the science division knew he was strong and tough, except this healing factor is news to all of us because he's never been injured on this level before, and it’s not something we could really test for before. Still feels pain though, we actually had to sedate him into unconsciousness because he kept writhing around like a fish on a-"

This time it's Lavagirl's glare that shuts the young doctor up.

"Well... anyway, you probably don't have to worry about him ever getting cancer," he said, squirming and looking for the best out of the situation. "You can go in whenever you feel like. You'll need to scrub up well, and not touch his burns, but otherwise, you're free to hold his hand and talk to him. Whatever makes the both of you feel better. Once you give the okay, we'll start lessening the sedation to bring him back to consciousness. We figured it'd be better if you were here when he woke up."

Then he scampered off before Lavagirl could even thank him for the consideration.

Marcus scoffed as the doctor ran off, before turning back to Lavagirl. "Do you want me to go with you?"

Lavagirl shook her head, "No, the doctor is right. It would be best if only I was in the room when Sharky woke up. Actually, could you go check on Marisol and Guppy, please? It's not that I don't trust her but..."

"I get it," Marcus said. "I was the exact same way when Missy was that young."

He leaned in to give her a quick, brotherly kiss on the forehead. "Go easy on yourself, okay?"

"What do you mean?"

"You'll get it soon. Just remember that, even if you were with him, it's no guarantee that things would have gone differently."

'Is that true?'

From what she'd heard, Lavagirl's power set would have been perfect for that situation. She'd been out of the field for two years by now. A long time, even for maternity leave. She and Sharkboy had discussed it in length and decided it was for the best but now? She wasn't so sure.

"He should start waking up in a couple of minutes now that we've dropped the dosage," a kindly nurse said, fiddling with Sharkboy's IV lines. "He processes drugs and other substances incredibly quickly."

Lavagirl nodded, "Yes, we've always figured that part of his healing factor."

"I'll make a note of that in his file. Anything else I should put in?"

"His body dries out quickly, especially if he can't be in the water."

The nurse pursed her lips and scrolled through something on her tablet. “Yes… We do have note of that in his file, including to closely monitor his IV bags closely. S]ince this is the first time Sharkboy has ever been our guest, we could only estimate his bodily needs and limits from the data we have. Anything else?”

Lavagirl rubbed her thumb across the back of her husband's hand. "Can you also get me a damp towel? His skin feels dry."

"Of course, let me know if you need anything else. I’ll have to report how quickly his skin was drying out so we can watch for it."

She nodded and the nurse left, leaving Lavagirl alone with Sharkboy. "You've gone to new lengths to worry me this time, lover. Don't you have anything to stay for yourself?"

Sharkboy, of course, said nothing. His chest rose and fell in a smooth rhythm, reassuring her that, at the very least, he was still breathing. With his eyes closed, Lavagirl could almost convince herself that she was just sleeping.

Ping!

Lavagirl pulled out her phone, opened the new message, and smiled at the picture that popped. She held out her phone like Sharky could see the photo of Guppy curled up in Marcus' lap, passed out with a massive stuffed shark clutched in her arms.

"It looks like Guppy couldn't even make it through the milkshake," she told Sharkboy. "Which is probably a good thing, she doesn't need all that sugar."

She looked at her sleeping husband, "She needs her daddy though, so wake up soon."

As if he could hear her —and maybe Sharkboy could, between his heightened hearing and their deep connection— he began to stir only a moment later. Face scrunching up as his eyes flickered open. The hand Lavagirl was clutching tightened as her husband's awareness returned. He looked around the room frantically before finally landing on her.

"Hi," she whispered. "I'm here."

Sharkboy blinked at her slowly before nodding, "I screwed up, didn't I?"

His voice was raspy and rough. Lavagirl grabbed a water bottle from the bedside table and held it to his lips, helping Sharkboy take slow sips to rehydrate himself.

"You got hurt on a mission, yes," she said. "How do you feel?"

"...Itchy, but not in pain."

"You can thank the drugs for your lack of pain. I hear they pumped you up on the good stuff."

"And the itchiness?'

"Probably from your injuries healing. Don't scratch."

Sharkboy groaned, settling back into the mattress. "Don't worry, I don't think I could if I want to. I can barely move."

"That means you can't run away from this, eh?" She leaned down to kiss his cheek.

"Why would I want to?" Sharkboy chuckled. Then he let out a soft hiss, "Ugh, that villain must have tossed me around good."

"You got caught in one of his explosions."

"Mmmm, how long am I going to be stuck here?"

"One of the doctors thinks you'll be able to leave by the morning, so long as you don't—" Lavagirl put her hand on Sharkboy's shoulder, gently pressing him back down on the mattress when he tried to sit up "—aggravate your injuries. So park it, Loverboy."

Her husband rolled his eyes but didn't try to sit back up. He did look around again though, "Where’s Guppy?"

"With Marcus and Marisol. She just sent me a picture. Apparently, our little fishy couldn't even finish a milkshake before passing out."

Sharkboy grinned at the picture, before looking back down at his injured body and frowning. "Hopefully she'll sleep through the night. I don't want her seeing me like this."

"It's not a great sight."

Her husband flinched. Looking guilty, Sharky kisses the back of her hand. "Sorry. I never meant to worry you."

"I know, I know," she said. Then Lavagirl took a deep breath and steeled herself for a tough conversation, "I'm going back on active duty."

This time Sharkboy did force himself upright. "What? Lavagirl, we talked about this!"

"I know, and I was on board with staying home until Guppy was three, but now I can't focus on her when I'm constantly worrying about you out in the field without me."

Her husband shook his head, "I'm at my best with you by my side, but don't let my screw-up mess with our plans. This is the first time I’ve ever been badly injured in the field. You gotta admit, I’ve got a pretty good record. There isn’t any reason to think it’ll happen again in the next year."

"It's not just that," Lavagirl said. "As much as I love staying home with Guppy, I don't think I can stand being cooped up at home much longer. Max made me to be a hero, to protect and guide others. I love being a mother but it can't be all I am."

.

.

.

"Can we talk about this later?" Sharkboy asked desperately. "I'm not saying no. I know I can't force you to do anything, not that I would want to. And I know, if one of us should be out in the field then you're far stronger than me. It's just... Not now, let's not talk about it now."

Lavagirl nodded, "Yes, we shouldn't be arguing when you're hurt. You need your rest."

She kissed his forehead, his cheek, and then pressed a soft, lingering kiss on the corner of her husband's mouth. "I love you."

"I love you too," Sharkboy said, squeezing her hand again. "And I'm looking forward to having you nurse me back to health."

That got him an eye roll. "Go back to sleep, or I'll tell the nurses to up your painkillers again."

"Yes ma'am," Sharkboy chuckled, settling back in. He patted the bed next to him, "There is room for both of us. You look like you could use some sleep too."

"Are you sure? I don't want to risk hurting—"

"I'm sure. I always sleep better with you by my side."

Without further hesitation, if careful of his wounds, Lavagirl curled up next to Sharkboy on the small infirmary bed. "I hope I don't get kicked out for this."

Her husband kissed the side of her head, "As if I'd let them. Just like you said, you belong by my side."

"Until the end."

"Until the end."

Okay guys, this story will be going on a short hiatus. I write this story in chapter chunks of 10 chapters and unfortunately fell a little behind due to some other projects. If you come check out/follow my ko-fi page (VixenRose), you can see updates, sneak peaks, and extras for this story and others. I plan on posting the 'real names' and some of the history for the rest of the Heroics -at least as far as I envision them in this story within a few days.

Chapter 11: (18) Heroes

Chapter Text

(18) Heroes

The final day of their training with Anita Moreno came without warning or indication.

They'd woken up, eaten, spent the morning running through various exercises, drill scenarios, and obstacle courses, before a good, hardy lunch of Huachinango a la Veracruzana. After a quick rest, Sharkboy and Lavagirl had to endure two hours of studying for something called the GED, followed by another two hours of reviewing all the standardized laws, practices, common scenarios, and events that any self-respecting professional Hero would need to know. After six months, this had all become routine to the point that Lavagirl even found comfort in it.

Sharkboy still wasn't a fan of the book learning, but had come to a point where he could endure it silently so long as his lessons of the day included plenty of information on oceanography and marine biology.

The first and really only sign that anything strange was afoot was when Marcus showed up late in the afternoon. And, even then, it was hardly the first time the leader of the Heroics had visited to check on their progress since dropping them of at his mother’s home for training

"Instead of first aid training, we will be having a sparring match," Anita announced, after a quick round of pleasantries and snacks.

"One-on-one?" Sharkboy asked.

Marcus shook his head and grinned, "Two-on-One. You both versus me.”

The hybrid co*cked head to the side, "Are you joking? We're both way stronger than you! I bit a chunk out of your arm the first time we met!"

"Yeah, I don't need reminding of that!" Marcus said, rolling up his sleeve to reveal an ugly knot of fresh scar tissue. He put his arm down, "And don't you worry about me. There is a reason I'm the leader of the Heroics."

"Whatever," Sharkboy scoffed. "It's your funeral, old man."

Immediately, Anita smacked Sharky on the back of the head with her cane.

"Hey!"

"What have I told you about that rudeness, boy?" the old woman said sharply. "When you are out in the field, representing the Heroics team to the public, you need to behave in a presentable manner. Si no tiene nada bueno que decir, mejor no digas nada."

"I don't understand you when you speak Spanish!"

Lavagirl hid a chuckle into her coffee mug. Marcus caught her eye and grinned, giving an exaggerated roll of the eye.

"She is saying, more or less, that 'If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all,' or, less kindly, 'No one asked for your opinion’," Marcus said. "My mother has always been very strict on proper behavior in the field. It has been drilled into me ever since—OW!"

"No one asked for your opinion either," Anita snapped, brandishing her cane like a sword. "¡Ya tengo canas verdes por su culpa! You, and every member of that little team of yours! No matter how many lessons I tried to beat into your skulls, you all seemed determined to ignore every single one."

The old woman shook her head. "Why can't you all be like her—" she pointed to Lavagirl, causing a blush to rise from her cheeks "—or my sweet Marisol? They never cause me any trouble at all."

Marcus snorted, "There are days I wonder if you like her more than me."

"There’s no need to wonder about it."

Sharkboy snickered, and leaned over and whispered into Lavagirl's ear. "Well, I definitely like you more than him. So I suppose the old lady and I can agree on something after all."

She smacked him on the chest, "Flirt."

Anita clicked her tongue. "Enough of this. Finish your drinks, get suited up, and report to the sparring arena."

"Yes, ma'am," Marcus mumbled, slurping his coffee like a child.

"Alright, your test is to disarm me of my swords and keep me disarmed in under two minutes," the leader of the Heroics explained, pacing up and down the training mat. "Work together. Fight smart. Strategize. Play to each other's strengths and cover each other's weaknesses."

After so long being Sharkboy's partner, best friend, girlfriend, and lover, fighting alongside one another was as easy and instinctual as breathing. In fact, they worked so well with each other, that Lavagirl was genuinely concerned whether or not they'd ever be able to be as effective with anyone else.

"You never have to worry about that with LG and I," Sharkboy said, seeming to read her mind like so many times before. "We were made to be partners."

At his words, Marcus gave a feral, Cheshire cat grin. "Excellent! BEGIN!"

Before either of them could react, the man drew one of his katanas and threw it straight into Lavagirl's heart.

"My swords are made from Titanium, among other things," Marcus said, taking advantage of both her and Sharkboy's shock. "Strong enough to withstand the temperature of lava. Strong enough to withstand you. For short periods of time, at least."

"RwarrrRRRRrrr!" With a cry of near mindless rage, Sharkboy charged.

He leaped at Marcus, talons and teeth bared, ready to tear the man apart. A lesser man would have run at this display of animalistic rage, while Marcus remained calm. He raised a hand and, using his telekinesis, yanked the sword out of the shocked Lavagirl's chest. He caught it just in time to bring his blades up, reinforcing them with a telekinetic brace as they clashed with Sharkboy's attack. Even so, Lavagirl clearly saw the way his arms nearly buckled at the force of the impact.

"No doubt, you're stronger than me," he grunted. "Physically, at least. But physical strength isn't everything."

With that, Marcus unleashed a TK blast that knocked Sharkboy back, and then countered with his own attack.

Watching this, Lavagirl shook herself back to the present. She rubbed the area on her chest where she'd been impaled. Of course, it hadn't hurt exactly, more of a mild, nagging discomfort, but it was so sudden that she'd been completely stunned. Now though, it was time to get back into the game.

From what Lavagirl understood, Marcus' powers weren't 'pure' telekinesis, but closer to being able to identify the specific atomic frequency of a given material, and then alter the gravitational field around it. After many years of training and practice, he'd even gotten to the point where he could create both protective and offensive force fields in the air around him, and reinforce strikes to make them stronger.

It was a unique ability, one that was only truly useful after years of intense training and practice. That being said, Lavagirl thought it spoke volumes of the team leader that Marcus still preferred to use his katanas in combat rather than his mastered powers.

"Ugh! That was close, Sharkboy; you almost took my head off with that one. But you need to stop telegraphing your moves so wildly," the man said, leaping up from the roll he'd used to dodge a swipe. He ducked to avoid another one. "Your speed and strength mean nothing if your enemy can predict your movements and avoid them."

'Avoid them...'

To be as effective as he liked to be in combat, Marcus needed to be mobile. He needed to be able to dance around the battlefield, to duck and dodge and maintain that sweet spot where Marcus could effectively use his blades. In a space that was too tightly enclosed, he wouldn't be able to draw or swing them. In a space too big, it could be hard to get close enough to his opponent. And there was the Catch-22, trapping Marcus in a smaller area meant trapping themselves in that sweet spot.

'But we're two against one,' Lavagirl told herself. 'And we can tank a lot more damage.'

Reaching inside of herself, the volcano goddess summoned a barrier of flames that encircled the training rink. Rushing forward, she leapt through it with ease —the heat and smoke as clear fresh air to her— and rushed straight for the team leader. Being the veteran hero that he was, Marus sensed the shift in the battlefield even before he registered the flames’ heat. He pivoted on the ball of his foot, trying to find an escape route. Finding none, and the flame wall a solid two feet about his head, Marcus turned to face Lavagirl, eyes going wide as she approached. Sharkboy seized the opportunity created by Marcus’ brief moment of hesitation to smack one of the man's katanas to the ground.

"The Ring of Fire, eh?" Sharkboy asked, co*cking an eyebrow at her. Sweat was already beginning to bead on his brow. "You know I hate the technique."

Sharkboy could take more heat now. It was one of the 'improvements' Max had made when he dreamed them up again in this new world. He still wasn't a fan, and prolonged exposure still weakened him, and actual contact was too dangerous, but it was that very change that allowed them to pull off stunts like this.

As if needing to prove her point, Sharky locked eyes with Marcus and defiantly kicked the discarded katana through the flames and out of bounds.

"One down, one to go," he said.

Marcus just grinned. "One is all I need."

He launched into another attack, slashing at the Lavagirl before spinning back around to smack Sharkboy across the head with the blunt edge of his blade. Even pinned into close quarters like this, Marcus was more than able to keep Sharky and her at bay. Short of tightening the fire ring —which risked Sharkboy being hurt— or starting to throw balls of fire and magma at the man's head, Lavagirl was having trouble figuring out the way to end the battle.

The clock was ticking. Things were starting to heat up.

'Heat up... His swords may not melt, but metal is still metal. If I can get my hands on it, it should heat up like any other.'

Lavagirl had to time this right. They only had thirty seconds left to pass this test or... or something. Marcus and Anita weren't clear about what this whole thing was for.

"Sharky, hold his arm!"

The second he heard her words, Sharkboy was on it. From the position he and Marcus were grappling in, Sharky was able to pin the other man in an arm lock. In the back of her mind, LG was impressed and proud that her boyfriend was still in enough control to not shatter their future team leader's arm. Sure, that would probably make Marcus drop his sword but that wasn't the impression either wanted to make. Not after everything the man and his mother had done for them.

Instead, she'd make him drop it.

One of techniques that Lavagirl had developed since arriving in the new world was limited control of her density. She'd always had some control of her viscosity, but only in the sense that damage to her body caused it to return to a state of lower viscosity so Lavagirl could avoid injury and reform more easily. Any willful control took time and a tremendous amount of concentration, especially when it came to, quite literally, pulling herself back together.

Now though, it just took a second of thought to solidify her hands into something akin to magma putty—fluid enough to not be cut, but solid enough Lavagirl could still grip anything she needed to.

Like a sword.

Thankfully, Marcus was currently distracted with his struggles against Sharkboy. He fought hard, bringing his knee up into Sharkboy’s stomach, and kicking at his ankles, and generally doing whatever he could to gain enough leverage to break the hold on his arm. At one point, Marcus tried twisting his arm to elbow Sharkboy in the jaw… only to jerk back when he remembered that was where the hybrid’s razor-sharp teeth were. All of that made it plenty easy to sneak up and grab ahold of Marcus’ remaining blade.

"Your sword might not melt but I'm willing to bet that your hands will still burn," she warned Marcus.

A flash of confusion crossed the man's face, it only lasted for half-a-second though. As soon as Lavagirl grabbed the blade and started to channel her heat into it, Marcus' eyes went wide and he dropped his sword. With five seconds left of the clock, the volcano goddess tossed the sword out of bounds and breathed a sigh of relief.

"We win."

Marcus nodded, a broad grin splitting his face. "Yes, you did... Now, get off of me, Fishboy! You are crushing my arm."

"Oh... sorry."

As Sharkboy released his hold on the man, Lavagirl recalled the flames into her body. Marcus rolled to his feet, shook out his arm, and summoned his swords back into his hands before sheathing them.

"Ugh, I'm getting too old for this," he grumbled, stretching out his neck and shoulder. Without another world, he stuck out his hand. "Congratulations, you've both passed your final test. I, Marcus Moreno, am here to officially invite you both to join the Heroics."

.

.

.

"WHAT?"

The familiar sound of Anita's cane tapping against the ground approached. "My son and I are in agreement, both of you are ready to join the team. At least in terms of power and skill. This was your final test."

"Seriously? This came out of nowhere!" Lavagirl said.

Sharkboy nodded in agreement. "Yeah, why weren't we warned?"

Marcus just shrugged. "I thought it would be best to catch you unaware. The less amount of time you had to prepare, the more authentic the fight. So, do you guys accept?"

Lavagirl looked over at her boyfriend, his blue eyes staring at her in that Oh So Trusting way of his.

'Do you want to do this?' he asked wordlessly.

"...Yes, we do," she said after a moment, taking Sharkboy's hand in her own. "We accept."

"Good," Marcus said, his grin growing even larger. "I'll get the paperwork."

Three days later, the two stood up on a decorated stage in full costume with the rest of the Heroics team gathered around them. In front of the stage was a massive crowd of people, press and the general public alike. In-between the camera flashes were going off every second and people screaming out in adoration, Lavagirl felt her anxiety rising inside of her.

This was a big group of people, all crammed in together tight for this press release. Just one out of control flame could cause so much damage...

It was only Sharkboy's strong grip on her hand and the side of his arm pressed into hers that kept Lavagirl grounded. Which was ironic because she was pretty sure that Sharkboy was holding her hand to help keep himself in check.

'Sharky never did like crowds,' she thought. Lavagirl didn't either but that was mostly due to the fear of accidentally hurting someone.

"The Heroics are proud to announce today that we are expanding our ranks," Marcus said into a microphone.

"Hey, think we can do this?" Lavagirl whispered to her boyfriend.

Sharky gave her hand a comforting squeeze and tried not to wince at the volume level. "After all the paperwork I had to fill out, I'm not letting you back down now."

"Everyone, please welcome Sharkboy and Lavagirl!"

As another round of camera flashes, applause, and shouted questions rang out, Lavagirl had to smile. Yes, she was still nervous. But, as long as she had Sharky by her side, Lavagirl knew things would be okay.

'I guess this is where our new lives really start.'

Chapter 12: (39) Twelve Months

Chapter Text

(39) Twelve Months

O Months

Bringing Guppy home for the first time was a surreal experience. For how long they dreamed about holding their little girl in their arms, and for how they planned for it while lovingly setting up the nursery, actually having her here was almost unbelievable.

"She's so tiny," Sharkboy said as they hovered around Guppy's crib. "Are babies supposed to be that tiny?"

"How am I supposed to know?" Lavagirl asked, jokingly knocking her hip into his. "It's not like I've ever been around babies before."

"Well, I haven't either! And, before you say it, baby sharks don't count either!"

"Hey, it's okay. The doctors say she's fine. You saw all the pictures and diagrams of newborns in those baby books, and Marisol showed me pictures of how small Missy was when she was born. Her head was smaller than Marcus' palm." Lavagirl reached over to take Sharkboy's hand, kissing him on the cheek. "We did pretty good, Sharky. You can relax."

"I know but—"

"Here, watch this," Lavagirl said, cutting him off. She tapped her finger against Guppy's little hand, smiling when a tiny fist clasped into her fingertip, squeezing down. Despite only being one week old, Guppy's strength was enough that it'd be painful to anyone without super strength. "She has your strength, Sharky. Our baby might be small now, but I just know she is going to be as strong as you, if not more so. Go on, test it for yourself."

After a moment, Sharkboy reached out and, almost reverently, stroked the back of Guppy's free hand. When she latched onto his finger as well, the hybrid gave a choked laugh. "Yeah, she definitely got that grip from me."

He leaned further into the crib, "Hear that, baby girl, you're strong like your daddy." Then he glanced up, "I hope you take after your mommy in everything else though. She's kind of awesome."

At that moment, Guppy opened those beautiful blue eyes of hers. She blinked up at them before letting go of fingers to start waving her arms around. "Bah!"

Then one of her tiny fists smacked Sharkboy upside the chin, causing him to wince. "This could be a problem."

~~~

One Month

Sharkboy had never been the most patient of individuals, he could admit that. It'd often been a problem in his life and, secretly, it had been a concern of his while Lavagirl had been pregnant. After all, babies were loud, smelly, and had no way of controlling themselves. Loud sounds had a long history of driving him crazy, so what if... what if...

Well, it didn't matter now. Despite how loud she could be, despite how smelly she could be, the toys she broke, despite that fact she never slept, or let her parents sleep, and despite the fact she didn't really do much, Sharkboy found he never lost his patience with Guppy. He could watch Guppy wiggle around on her playmat, not even noticing how hours would pass. At six weeks old, Guppy still couldn't move all that much. But, when they put Guppy on her tummy, the baby would stretch her arms out to grab at toys and kick around her chubby little legs. In the last few days, Guppy had even been lifting her head up for brief moments.

It truly was extradentary how fast little humans could grow.

"The real question is when your powers will start showing," Sharkboy asked his daughter, laying on her stomach so he could look each other in the eye. "You're already pretty strong, but is that going to be it? I gotta admit, I'm glad you aren't bursting into flames or anything. I'm still curious though... What kind of hero will you be? Or will you even want to be one?"

"Gah!"

"Oh, you think so?" he asked, smiling. "Good to know."

"Are you interrogating our daughter again?" Lavagirl called out from the kitchen.

"She has a lot to say, we've just need to listen right," Sharkboy called right back. He turned back to his daughter, "Don't you?"

"Drahhh!"

"That's what I thought."

Guppy pushed herself up and looked at him with a gummy, misshapen, but undeniable smile. With another shove of her tiny arms, she rolled over onto her back.

Sharkboy's eyes went wide. "LG, get in here quick! Guppy just rolled over for the first time!"

~~~

Two Months

By the time she was ten weeks old, Guppy discovered that there’s more to life than just eating, sleeping, and crying. She was awake for longer periods of time, finding more and more entertainment in the bright, loud toys, and smiling up a storm, constantly laughing and squealing in delight whenever Sharkboy or Lavagirl would tickle her belly or make funny faces. Guppy even seemed to take a special delight in being propped up in-front of the super-baby-safe mirror they'd installed in her play area. Though all the baby development books Sharkboy had read said that Guppy wouldn't realize she was looking at herself just yet, that babies in general find reflections fascinating. That was definitely the case for his little girl, who could spend hours smiling, cooing, and waving her arms at the 'other baby.'

Yes, Guppy had proven to be a very easy baby to entertain. But, to Sharkboy's great delight, her favorite thing was, without a doubt, bath time.

"GHaaa-AH!" his baby girl squealed, happily splashing the water in the tub.

"Oh, you like that huh?" Sharkboy asked.

He knew the answer of course, and it wasn't like Guppy could actually respond, but all the parenting books said that talking to babies like they were normal people helped them develop their language skills.

"I wonder how you'd do in actual water?" he asked, soaping up a washcloth. "What do you say, Guppy Gups? I can take you into one of the shallower pools."

"Ahhha."

"I'm afraid I have to protest here," Lavagirl said. Leaning against the bathroom door frame, she watched them with a grin. "Guppy is still a little too young to go swimming with your shark friends. Let's hold off on that until her first birthday, at least."

Sharkboy rolled his eyes. "That wasn't what I meant. I was thinking about those baby survival swimming lessons.

~~~

Three Months

Guppy was, in general, a happy and cooperative baby. She usually went down to naps and bedtime without issue, had a more than healthy appetite, loved baths, and didn't struggle when it came time to change clothes. That last of which was probably a good thing, because even at only three months old, a Guppy was strong enough to rip her clothes when she wiggled around.

However, Guppy hated being put down.

"Whaaaaa!"

"Oh, sweetheart!"

Yes, Lavagirl's little princess was most content when she was being cuddled by her mommy and daddy. Anything aside from that just wouldn't do for more than a half hour.

"Mommy needs her hands free. Those dishes are going to do themselves."

Clink!

A bright flash nearly caused LG to flame up before she realized it was Sharkboy with his phone's camera.

"Seriously?" she asked, bouncing Guppy up and down as the little baby wound chubby hands into her hair.

Sharky glanced at the phone, "Yep, that's a keeper. I'll add this one to the scrapbook."

"Ooooor you could make yourself useful and wash some dishes."

Her tone was light, teasing. This was an old game of theirs, fake petty arguments and complaints used to convey actual issues and wants from the other. It was a good way of getting what they wanted without the bite of whining or nagging.

"But watching you two is so much fun," he said, shooting her a sharp-toothed grin even as he walked to the sink. "You're so cute together."

Guppy yawned against Lavagirl's neck, nuzzling even closer as her breathing evened out. She pressed a kiss against her baby's silky wisps of hair. There were worse ways to spend a day than holding her daughter as the love of her life watched on.

~~~

Four Months

By four months, Guppy had pretty good control over her little head. When someone sat her up and held her there, she would look around excitedly, gawking at every interesting thing that caught her attention. When she was having tummy time, Sharkboy and Lavagirl's little one could lift and hold her head upright, kicking and pushing her tiny yet powerful feet while watching her parents go about their day. As she was becoming increasingly more aware of everything around her, Sharkboy decided it was time for Guppy's first trip out into the world.

After getting tentative approval from his wife and making the appropriate phone calls, he packed up the seemingly hundreds of things necessary to take a day trip with a baby, and set off, leaving LG to enjoy a day of much-deserved rest, relaxation, and self-pampering. They'd taken Guppy out of the house before of course; they'd taken her to their private beach to play in the sands and waves, as well as to the Heroics Headquarters for checkups and to meet everyone. Never out in the general populous though, and never in a public, non-secured area. He and Lavagirl were both far too protective for that.

But it had to happen eventually , and the hybrid was confident he could handle it. In nothing else, LG deserved a day off and Sharkboy needed to prove —to himself and the world at large— that he was capable of taking care of his daughter alone for one damn day,

Besides, Sharkboy had his own secret reasons for this little outing.

"Don't tell Mama but we're going to see if anything is tickling in that brain of yours, girlie," he said, leaning over the stroller, filled to the brim with supplies, to grin at his daughter.

"Gah!"

"I knew you'd be on board. You get that from my side."

Guppy squealed again as Sharkboy steered the stroller to the private, VIP entrance of the Silverberg Aquarium. Being a famous superhero had benefits, and getting special treatment nearly wherever he went was (sometimes) one of them. He didn’t usually have desire or cause to ‘pull rank,’ but if Ms. Vox used it to cut to the front of the Starbucks line, then why couldn’t Sharkboy use it to get some privacy for him and his baby girl?

"Right this way, Sharkboy," the aquarium director, Norman Quates, said. "Happy as we are to have you visiting, we couldn't close down the entire building on such short notice. We already had this section shut down for standard cleaning, maintenance, and remodeling though. Under normal circ*mstances, no one but aquarium workers and contractors would be allowed in it, but this is obviously not a usual situation. After all the work you've done with us, we're happy to accommodate you and your family whenever possible."

As part of his work on oceanic preservation and the protection of aquatic creatures, Sharkboy had come to know most of the managing staff at the aquarium quite well. They were good people who were dedicated to their work and enjoyed doing it. The aquarium treated its 'residents' well, and their Rehabilitation 'n' Release program was excellent. So while Sharkboy could not say he was friends with the people here, he liked them well-enough, and was happy to spend free time volunteering and doing charity work here. Less so since Guppy had been born, but the hybrid still makes a point of stopping by at least once a month.

Sharkboy nodded in thanks to Norman, both for making the arrangements he'd asked for, and for not openly gawking at Guppy. Not that he blamed people for wanting to stare at his baby girl —she was adorable— but while Guppy's existence was technically known to the public, he, LG, Granada, and even the ever-annoying Connie had worked hard to keep her out of the media. Aside from the initial announcement that Guppy had been born and that mother and child were both in good health, there were no pictures of Guppy out there. Even Conrad respected that, and kept all photos off his social media. Perhaps it was him choosing to be decent for once, or perhaps it was just a habit at this point. All of the heroes were similarly protective of their children, though Vox's daughter was already making quite a name for herself in the talent show and beauty pageant circuit.

"You'll outshine them all, I'm sure of it," he told Guppy.

"Baaagwah!

"Exactly," he nodded. They rounded the corner, "Now, what do you think of all... this?"

They came to a stop in front of a massive tank, lit up in the darkness. A dozen or so different species swam through the flora, rocks, coral, and other enrichment objects of the exhibits. At first, they paid no attention to their new visitors, by this point far too used to humans to care. But when Sharkboy got closer, Guppu propped up in his arms so she could see everything, their interest peaked, a few swimming closer to the glass. Sharkboy felt their primitive, simple minds brushed against his. He 'reached' back out in acknowledgement, but for the moment, ignored them to focus on his daughter.

Secure in her father's arms, Guppy was squealing in delight as she looked around at the different creatures wildly. She waved her arms, grabbing at a parrot fish that swam close enough to bump into the tank. Before Sharkboy could stop her, Guppy leaned forward to smack her tiny hands against the glass, scaring and scattering the closest fish.

That was, however, except for a massive broadnose sevengill shark. Old and with a scar stretched across the length of his head matched by several others across its body, Sharkboy held great respect for this old warrior. He'd fought hard his entire life, and after an intense battle with a younger rival, he'd been so injured that he washed ashore on a nearby beach. Onlookers had found him, and barely alive, the shark had been transported to the aquarium for treatment and rehabilitation. A year later, the shark was still here, having grown comfortable and confident in his new environment as king of his tank.

The shark swam closer until he was only feet away. Sharkboy felt the creature's mind against his, and he gave a respectful acknowledgement as he sensed the elder study them. Guppy fell silent, blue eyes going wide. Through their connection, Sharkboy felt a single 'word' —not quite a word, not quite language. Just feeling, just instinct— come through, loud and clear.

Kin.

~~~

Five Months

Five months old and growing at a seemingly impossible rate, Guppy was stronger than a normal baby. She had been since the day she'd been born, but now it was getting ridiculous. To date, the little one had destroyed three different cribs, all made of increasingly sturdy, solid wood.

More mundanely, Guppy was getting ready to crawl. At least once a day, the baby would push herself up onto her hands and knees. Guppy would rock back and forth over and over again as she watched the world go by around her.

"I bet you $10 that she'll be crawling in a month,'' Marcus said, sitting on the floor next to Sharkboy as they watched Guppy rock. Over in the kitchen, he heard LG and Marisol laugh about something. "Missy started doing this before she got moving."

"Three weeks," the hybrid countered. "My Guppy Gups is a prodigy."

At the sound of her name, Guppy looked up and gave the two men a gummy smile. After they finished cooing over the adorableness, Sharkboy nudged Marcus. "Did Missy ever do anything like that?"

He nodded towards the splintered remains of crib #3 where it was piled up in a corner, waiting for trash day.

"No," the man said, eyes going wide at the sight. "Missy hasn't displayed any power yet, but wow, no. That's actually impressive."

"No kidding! Still not fun when you're trying to sleep and, suddenly, BAM! Then you find your daughter laying in the shattered remains of her crib, screaming her head off."

"Yikes."

"Yeah, the first time it happened was terrifying, and the second time it happened was surprising, but after the third time I was pretty done with it. LG and I are considering just letting Guppy sleep on the floor for now."

"Everyone else on the team always complains about how hard dealing with super-powered tykes is. I guess Marisol and I are lucky in that regard, at least for now." Marcus scratched his stubble, starting at the busted crib. "You know... Conrad had a similar problem when his boy, Westley, was born. Travis ended up having to make him a specialized crib. Maybe he can whip up another one?"

In general, Sharkboy hated asking for help or charity. When he accepted it at all, it was more for Lavagirl's benefit than his.

Still, he smiled at the news.

"I knew there was a reason I didn't bite your bead off when you and Marisol showed up unannounced."

~~~

Six Months

Six months into her life, Guppy started getting teeth.

And she started getting them all at once.

"Whaaaaaa!" Guppy shrieked, slamming her little fists down on the reinforced steel serving tray of her high chair.

"I know it hurts, sweetie, but try to relax," Lavagirl said as she vainly attempted to soothe their daughter.

Sharkboy watched as his wife tried to get Guppy to bite down on a frozen teething ring, wincing as it was knocked away in favor of more screaming. He rubbed Guppy's back, making calming noises. Her skin felt hotter to the touch than normal; the pediatrician assured them that a slight fever during teething was normal, but the hybrid remained unconvinced. It wasn’t like there was much of a medical basis for the doctors to create a ‘baseline’ off of. Sharkboy’s was 75 degrees, while LG’s was 112. Guppy’s had, for most of her short life, sat at around 99 degrees. But who's to say that couldn’t change at some point?

"I just hate seeing her like this," LG said, leaning back against the counter. Exhaustion was clear in her eyes, and Sharkboy knew he didn't look much better.

"Because she's in pain, or because she won't let us sleep?" he asked in a half-hearted attempt at humor.

"Both," Lavagirl chuckled. She leaned down, taking Guppy's face in her hands to massage her little jaw. "Maybe I can soothe some of her pain a—Ow!"

"What's wrong?"

Lavagirl looked at her thumb in disbelief. "Guppy bit me!"

Sharkboy felt his eyebrows shoot up. "How? She doesn't even have any full teeth yet!"

"Well, maybe but whatever she does have is sharp enough to hurt like hell!" Lavagirl said, shaking out her hand. She shot him a look, "I think we can safely say she takes more after you."

The hybrid didn't even bother pretending to hide his pride at that. "At least she isn't coughing up fireballs all over the place.”

"Haha," LG rolled her eyes. "I don't suppose you have any ideas on how to help our daughter then?"

Sharkboy rocked back in his seat and thought back to when he lost his baby teeth, only for them to be replaced by his first set of jagged, uneven and not-yet retractable shark teeth. They'd been awful at first. Sharkboy kept accidentally biting his own lips bloody and his jaw ached something horrible. When he mentioned this to Kraken, the elder shark told the boy that he'd need to learn to use his teeth properly if Sharkboy wanted to stop hurting himself; advice that was unhelpful to this situation. But, for the jaw pain, he'd been given...

"I think I might have an idea," Sharkboy said.

***

"I can't believe this!"

"What? She likes it and it's working!"

Lavagirl rubbed her face in exasperation. "You gave Guppy a bone to gnaw on! She isn't a dog!"

Guppy looked up, cleaned-off seal rib bone still clamped tightly in her mouth. In less than two hours, the baby had gone from a shrieking ball of rage and pain to a happy little squish who was struggling to stay awake. All that screaming had clearly taken a lot out of her.

"I cleaned the rib off completely and the seal was already dead, so what's the big deal?" Sharkboy asked. "Gnawing on the bone feels good on her jaw, and the marrow tastes good. This is how I dealt with my first shark teeth coming in."

He dropped down to eye-level with his baby girl. "What do you think, Guppy Gups?"

"Bah-ah!"

"See?" he asked LG.

The volcano goddess just sighed.

~~~

Seven Months

Guppy had a sense of humor. Sharkboy could only assume she got that from her mother.

"Kiss," he said, smooching his daughter on the nose at the low point of his push-up's descent. Guppy squealed in delight and flailed out her arm to smack him on the cheek as he pushed himself back up. He dropped back down, "Kiss."

They'd been at this for close to three hours now, Guppy enjoying every second of it. Wriggling on her back as she happily stared up at her Daddy, grabbing up at him whenever he got close. Sharkboy finally collapsed on the play mat beside his daughter, reaching over to tickle that chubby little baby belly.

"Gah!" Guppy shouted. With considerable effort, she rolled over onto her belly so they were completely facing each other. With an adorable scowl, Guppy reached out and smacked Sharkboy on the mouth. "Keee!"

It took a moment before the hero realized what she meant. When it dawned on him though, Sharkboy laughed and scootched closer. He leaned down, "Aw, are you upset there are no more kissies? Don't worry, sweetheart. Don't be sad!"

He leaned down to give Guppy another smooth only for his lips to brush the back of her hands. He pulled back, co*cking his head to the side as he stared down at his daughter. "What are you doing, little squish?"

The baby giggled, chubby hands covered her mouth as she beamed up at him. Her bright little eyes twinkled with innocent mischievousness.

"You goof," he said. "You're going to drive me crazy just like your Mommy, huh?"

"Yaaahhh!"

~~~

Eight Months

"Baby on the loose!" Sharkboy half-shouted and half-laughed as he 'chased' his daughter as she crawled into the living room.

Lavagirl looked up from where she was preparing lunch, and sighed. "Really, Sharky? You're a married superhero and can't even stop his own infant daughter from crawling off?"

"Hey, all the doctors say it's important to let Guppy crawl around as much as possible," he laughed, kicking away a hand weight that Guppy was grabbing at. "Strengthen her muscles and all that."

His wife co*cked an unamused eyebrow, making the hybrid sigh as he scooped up his daughter. "Alright, Mama Bear, I got her. See?"

"Mama Shark, not bear," LG corrected, a smile tugging at the corner of her lips. "And it's lunch time, so put our daughter in her high chair and sit down."

"Yes, ma'am~"

Snapping the belt of Guppy's (brand new and even stronger) high chair, Sharkboy called over his shoulder. "What's for lunch?"

"Hoe."

"What?!"

"It's a Korean dish, raw slices of salmon, herring, and pollock with soy sauce or hot pepper paste dipping sauce. Ji-Hoon gave me the recipe, apparently his wife ate it all the time after giving birth i—t's got all sorts of good proteins and nutrients while being low in saturated fat— and I've been waiting to give it a try," she said. "Grab two plates?"

Sharkboy obliged, grabbing two plates with blue and gold fish patterns from the cabin. "Sounds good. What about Guppy? You said you wanted her to start eating with us."

"I do." Lavagirl held up a small plastic tasting platter with cubed fruits, vegetables, cereal, and eggs. "I'm trying to get her to eat different foods. The doctors are a little concerned that she hasn't shown much interest in solids yet.

"Hmmm."

That was a mystery. Guppy definitely likes biting and chewing on things, the legs of their tables and chairs could attest to that. So why wasn't she shoving everything remotely solid down her gullet?

"Here you go, Guppy Gups," Lavagirl said sweetly, putting the tray down in front of their baby. She picked up a banana slice, "Oh, look! Yummy bananas, don't they look good?"

"Naaaa!" Guppy shrieked, waving her arm around to smack the fruit out of LG's hand.

"Well, that's a no," Sharkboy said, half-smiling as Guppy smashed the other bits of fruit in front of her. He co*cked his head to the side. "I wonder if she doesn't like sweet things."

"What? All babies like sweet things. I think they’re coded for it or something."

"Yeah, but I don't like sugary stuff and Guppy is definitely taking more after me," he pointed out. "Maybe that applies to more than just abilities? Here, let me test something."

Sharkboy hopped up to rustle around in the pantry, pulling out a box of Goldfish Crackers.

"Seriously?" his wife asked incredulously, co*cking an unimpressed eyebrow at him.

"Hush you, Guppy and I don't need your negative energy," he shot back with a teasing grin. He shook out a handful of crackers. "Here you go, Guppy. What do you think about these guys?"

The infant blinked at the offered snack, her cute little face scrunching up. After a moment, Guppy leaned forward and grabbed a goldfish from his hand before cramming it into her mouth.

"Ah-ha!" the hybrid declared with the triumph grin in Lavagirl's direction. "I knew it!"

"So she is tasting something new, doesn't mean anything," LG replied.

That was immediately proven incorrect when Guppy went for another cracker. And then another. And another.

"I won't say it," he smirked.

"Say what?"

"That I told you so. Ow!"

Sharkboy rubbed his pinched ear as Lavagirl crossed her arms, a contemplative look on her face. "Well, she can't just live on crackers. If she isn't going to eat fruits, what can we feed her? I want to start weaning her soon."

"Fish, I guess." At the look on his wife's face, the hybrid quickly added, "Not raw! Cooked bits of healthy fish and other meats. Maybe we can get her to eat some more vegetables if we dab a little salty dressing on them?"

"That's as good of a plan as anything," LG shrugged. She headed back over to the fridge, "Good think I have some extra fish to cook up."

"And it's stuff like this that earns you all those WORLD'S BEST MOM mugs."

"MAaaahhhhh!" Guppy shrieked in agreement.

~~~

Nine Months

Another day, another visit from Marisol and Marcus. In general, Sharkboy was wary about visitors in his home, personal territory being very important. But, hey, they always came bearing food and gifts for Guppy, so he wasn't going to complain.

It was also kind of nice to be able to talk with other adults.

"Guppy Gups, you are the cutest thing ever," Marisol cooed, hugging the infant close to her chest and kissing her head. Guppy, in turn, was clutching a plush seal in a death grip and gnawing on its head

"So quick to replace Missy?" Marcus teased his wife. "Does our daughter mean so little to you?"

"Oh, hush," the superheroine said. "Missy wasn't cute, she was perfect! A league of her own!"

"Then you're saying that my daughter isn't good enough for you?" Sharkboy asked, being sure to keep his face blank.

Smack!

"Alright, both of you need to shoo," Lavagirl said, pointing to the hallway with the other hand on her hip. "Go bond over fighting or killing some wild animal or something. The living area is now a No Husband zone."

Marcus looked over at him, "It looks like we're being banished."

Sharkboy pulled the damp dish towel from his face. "Yeah, and here I thought this was my house too."

LG co*cked an eyebrow in their direction. "Oh, so you want to stick around while we talk about chapped nipples and hemorrhoids?"

"Nope!"

"No, thank you!" Marcus was on his feet immediately. "C'mon, kid. Let's leave the womenfolk to their tea and cookies. I'm sure you have some way to kill time around this place."

"Be civilized!" Marisol called out.

"Don't worry, this time we'll be sure to cook the wooly mammoth before we eat it!"

***

"You know, this isn't what people mean by 'Man-Cave,'" Marcus joked.

"I don't know what that means," Sharkboy said, not looking up from the torso-deep water of the sinkhole he was submerged in.

He'd led Marcus to one of the small dry-cave caverns that Sharkboy had turned into his own personal training room. On top of the usual weights and training maps, there were targets and other devices set up to hone his other abilities and skills. Additionally, he'd set up the necessary systems to allow him to track and monitor various oceanic factors along with the local sea life.

Momo, an impressive specimen of a shortfin mako shark, swam up to him. She bumped against his tight, rubbing against the hybrid like a cat. Ducking down, Sharkboy rubbed his hand against her underside.

"Hmmm, I'd say we have another three months before birth," Sharkboy said. He looked over at his team leader. "Did you get that? Remember, Momo is shark M—"

"M37! I know, I know!" Marcus replied. He made a notebook on the clipboard Sharkboy had given him. When another shark, a large male great white, swam close to the edge, the hero quickly pulled his legs from the water.

"They won't hurt you, not while I'm around," the hybrid said. "They know better than to disobey their king."

"I trust you, I do. I just rather not risk literal life 'n' limb outside of the field missions."

Sharkboy laughed. "I've seen you go toe-to-toe with some of the worst villains out there but a little fishie scares you."

Marcus pointed at the twelve-foot-long shark. "If that is what you consider small, I'd rather not see the big ones. Next you'll be telling me that the megalodon really is still out there."

"..."

"...No," the older man said. "You mean—"

"I plead the Fifth," Sharkboy shrugged, gesturing for the male shark. "Come 'ere, Bruno. Let me check that gash."

Marcus shook his head. "I wish you'd have never learned that phrase."

"Shouldn't have left us with your mother then. Wouldn't know what it means otherwise."

The two lapsed into a comfortable silence, only broken when Sharkboy called out information for Marcus to copy down. When he was finally done checking over his sharks of the day, the hybrid joined his team leader on the ledge.

"Hey, Sharky, there is something we need to talk about," the older man said after a moment.

The hybrid fought a wince. The only time he'd heard something like that and it turned out to be good news was when LG told him she was pregnant. Somehow he doubted that is what Marcus wanted to talk about.

"What?" he growled.

"Have you... given any thought to when you both are going back on active duty?"

Sharkboy drew in a quick, harsh breath at the very thought of leaving his wife and baby. His blood started boiling and the hybrid felt his retractable teeth start to push their way to the surface.

Before he could lash out, though, Marcus quickly added. "It doesn't have to be anytime soon! We're obviously not going to force either of you into anything. The HAO grants an automatic year long paid parental leave to heroes with newborn children. You and LG still have a few months before that period ends, and it can even be extended if you fill out the right forms."

"But?" Sharkboy asked, not even bothering to hide the cold, harsh edge to his voice. He narrowed his eyes on the older man. "You brought it up for a reason."

"Just so you'd start thinking about it," Marcus said. "Remember, Sharky, I was in your boat not too long ago. I've got a daughter too, and, I'm not going to lie, going back into the field was hard."

Sharkboy chewed on his lip. "Was it worth it?"

"...Yes, I think so," Marcus said after a moment, nodding slowly. "And I'm sure Marisol would say the same thing. We love Missy. We love being parents. But it can't be all we are."

The man's words swirling in his head, Sharkboy turned away. "I'll mention it to Lavagirl."

~~~

Ten Months

"DAAAaaaaaa!"

"Give me one second, Guppy! Daddy just needs to finish something real quick, then we can go for a swim." Sharkboy called out as he did his best to assemble a shelf.

At ten months old, his darling Guppy had set out on a mission to seek and destroy. It seemed like she woke up every day with the sole purpose of getting into things she shouldn’t be getting into, and getting out of things she shouldn’t be getting out of. There was no surface too high or cabinet too deep to deter her, and absolutely nothing that wasn't a perfect projectile. And considering Guppy's not inconsiderable strength, that was not good.

Seriously, he had tried taking handles off of one cabinet, only to find her scaling it with a tight grip of her hands and teeth. He was so proud he almost forgot to grab her.

Thus led to a doubling down of the already intensive child proofing.

"You better not learn to climb shelves any time soon," he grumbled, twisting uncomfortably to finish fixing the shelves to the stone wall with solid steel. "Or worse, pull these right out. Maybe we should just—"

"DAAAAAAAAADAAAAAAAHHH!

"f*ck!" Sharkboy jumped, the top of his head hitting and going straight through the top plank of the shelf.

The loud shriek still ringing in his ears, the hybrid stumbled as he turned around to see Guppy standing in front of him

"Guppy?" he asked, surprised he hadn't heard the tell-tale shuffle of her crawling over the rug. 'I know I was distracted trying to get the shelves together but I am pretty good at keeping an ear on her.'

"Dada!" Guppy repeated, smiling sweetly as she reached out to smack one of her tiny fists against Sharkboy's knee. "Go!"

"Ah," he grunted in surprise, taking a few steps back. "Guppy, we don't hit!"

His baby girl just beamed with him with a massive, sweet smile. "Dada!"

Then Guppy took three wobbly steps forward towards him before losing her balance and pitching forward, crashing into Sharkboy's legs.

.
.
.

"What?"

What the hell had he just seen?

Sharkboy looked down at his baby girl. "Guppy, did you just... walk?"

"Go! Go! Go!" Guppy chanted, smacking his knee with each word as she stamped her little feet. "Swwmmmm!"

"You did!" he said, face splitting into an uncharacteristically wide smile. "Lavagirl! Babe! Come here!"

Sharkboy knelt down, dropping a quick kiss on Guppy's forehead. "Alright, let's see you do it again. Gotta show off for mommy! She is going to be so jealous I got to see you walk first."

"Mama!"

"Exactly!"

~~~

Eleven Months

Sadly, as Guppy began walking more and more, as it became obvious that she was getting older, it became more and more evident that Sharkboy needed to follow through on his promise to talk to Lavagirl about going back into the field.

"So, what do you think?" Lavagirl asked quietly.

"I don't know," Sharkboy replied. He dragged a hand through his hair and sighed. "I... don't want to leave you... to leave Guppy, even if it's just a couple of hours during the day. But, and I'll never admit it to his face, Marcus was right. Max made us to fight, made us to protect people, and as much as I love being Guppy's father and your husband, I need to be a hero too."

"You have been getting more and more restless," Lavagirl said.

Sharkboy grunted in agreement. It was true, sometimes he felt ready to crawl out of his skin as annoyance began bubbling within him. At first, it only happened every once in a while, but in the past couple of months it had been happening more and more often. Sometimes it got so bad that Sharkboy had to spend hours on end working out in his own personal gym. LG would sometimes join him while Guppy napped, claiming she wanted to stay in habit, but the hybrid never got the sense she was as restless as him. Watching their colleagues fight crime on the news did nothing to help matters either; sometimes, the inability to help with situations only made the restlessness worse.

"I'm worried," Sharkboy admitted.

"About what?"

The hybrid gnawed on his lower lip, so hard that he tasted blood. "That I... That I might resent the two of you one day, if I don't go back into the field."

Lavagirl sucked in a sharp breath, but nodded slowly. "I get it. The idea scares me, but I get it. You want to go fight bad guys. You've got energy and aggression to work out."

"It wouldn't be for another month, not until Guppy turns one at least," he said. "I still need to go through a couple of evaluations to make sure I'm fit for the field. But yeah... What do you think?"

.
.
.

"I... think it is the right plan for you," Lavagirl said quietly. She pulled Guppy into a tight hug, hiding her facing in their baby's hair. "But I don't think I can join you. Not yet at least."

"That's fine!" Sharkboy perked up, "Marcus told me there are ways we can extend your maternity leave. Maybe until Guppy is a little older, old enough so that we feel safe leaving her at the Heroics Headquarters' daycare."

"But when will that be?"

Sharkboy shrugged. "Whenever it happens. We don't have to figure it out now."

"Okay," Lavagirl nodded. "Okay. It's decided then, you'll go back on active duty, and I'll stay on leave for a little while longer."

'I really don't deserve her,' Sharkboy thought. Max had made them both as complete opposites, and yet they fit together completely. No one else could understand him so well, not even himself.

"Okay," he echoed. "I'll call Marcus."

~~~

Twelve Months

"You'll be careful, right?"

"Aren't I always?"

Lavagirl scoffed, co*cking an eyebrow at him "Do you really want me to answer that?"

"Ouch!" Sharkboy chuckled for a moment before growing serious. "I will come back though, back to you and back to Guppy."

At the sound of her name, Guppy looked up at him from her place cuddled in her mother's arms. She reached out, cooing and waving her hands at Sharkboy.

"It's okay, sweetheart," he mumbled, leaning down to kiss her forehead. Sharkboy looked back at his wife. "I promise."

"I believe you," Lavagirl said, leaning forward to give him a long, lingering kiss. "Now... go get the bad guys, Sharky."

Chapter 13: (49) A Father’s Love

Chapter Text

(49) A Father’s Love

There were days when it felt like Bruce Antilles had worked at Neptune's Theme Park & Habitat Reserve forever. Even if it had only been around a decade now, ever since he… Well, ever since Bruce decided it was time to finally start a new chapter of his life. At the park, the warm, sunny days seemed to stretch on into an endless dream where he could stay forever content with his life. Perhaps fittingly, he rarely left the park, spending on average ten hours a day monitoring the different animals, checking on the exhibits, or showing off a little for the tourists. Hell, he even had a bungalow down on the beach, outside of where the public could go, but still on park grounds.

It wasn't a hardship. The park did good work with rescued sea life; the animals were their primary concern, while the theme park was more for raising funds and public awareness. The people who ran it were the real deal, and Bruce wouldn't have worked here otherwise.

Yet, no matter how much he enjoyed it, the truth was Bruce devoted so much time to his job because it was a distraction. A distraction from the hardships of his life, and the son he lost so many years ago.

'Good morning, Finny,' Bruce thought, stroking a finger down the side of the picture frame that sat on his bedside table.

For nearly twenty years now, the first thing he'd do in the morning was greet the only remaining photo he had of his son. It was a framed cut-out from a newspaper article some oceanography magazine had written about the famous Father & Son Shark Team, as they had been known. When Bruce had been recovering in a mainland hospital after a Search & Rescue team had dragged his sorry butt out of the ocean, an old colleague had dropped it off. It was a morbid memento, and an unhealthy habit, but it was his prized possession all the same. After all, it was what little he had left of his old life.

"Gotta big day ahead of us, Finny," he said, hauling himself out of bed to get ready for the day. All the joints and muscles of his body seemed to creak and ache as he did so. 'Christ, I'm getting old. Coffee. Yes, coffee is the best way to fix this.'

Pouring his first cup of the day, Bruce turned back to the photo of his son. "We've got one of those super families coming to visit today. All the department heads were alerted ahead of time, and told to keep it on the down low. Don't know who it is, but we're supposed to give the VIP treatment. Backstage passes, encounters with the animals, fast passes, the whole shabang. I just hope they aren't a bunch of entitled, obnoxious snots. I don't care how many times they've saved the planet, no one disrespects my sharks."

The picture of his son didn't respond, of course. The day it did would be the day Bruce checked himself into the nearest nuthouse. For now though, it was enough to help him pretend that he wasn't a lonely old man with nothing except his work left.

"Up until fairly recently, it was almost unheard of to keep a large shark in captivity for a year or more before they'd pass away from any number of ailments. That is, of course, if they didn't die in transport, which itself is an extremely complex ordeal. Due to the difficulties in capturing, moving, and then safely maintaining the majority of shark species, most aquariums only house a few of the smaller, more docile species of benthic sharks, such as horn sharks, leopard sharks, catsharks, and zebra sharks. All of which you can view in our Walk on the Watery Side exhibit. If you are lucky, you may even be able to interact with some of our juveniles in the supervised Touch Pool."

Bruce had given this speech hundreds of times since taking a job at the park —hell, this was the third time he'd given it today!— with only slight changes made as time went on. And while he didn't get the same glee as he did the first dozen or so times he'd given it, Bruce would be lying if he claimed it'd become boring. Sharing knowledge about his passion was never boring, especially when it was with little kids. In many ways, Bruce preferred teaching children over college students and other adults. Kids still possessed unrestrained curiosity, a raw fascination of the world around them that hadn't yet been beaten out of them by life and judgmental parents. Parents who were, more often than not, content to stare glassy-eyed at their phones during Bruce's presentations.

'Not my fault they can't appreciate the little things in life,' he mentally sighed before hitting the button to flip to the next slide of his presentation. "Now scientists have a better understanding of sharks’ needs, and there are success stories of keeping larger, Pelagic species such as lemon, nurse, blacktip, bull, sandbar sharks, and reef sharks. Even the massive whale and basking sharks have been kept in captivity successfully for both conservation and rehabilitation purposes. One of these, I'm excited to announce, is Big Mama. Our park's very own female whale shark, whom our researchers estimate as being roughly 80 years old! You can see her in our Gentle Giant of the Deep exhibits."

It warmed Bruce's heart to see how the ways the little kids' faces lit up at the possibility of seeing such creatures up close. And, as nice as it was to see that young girls were interested in marine biology, Bruce couldn't deny that he took special delight in the curiosity shown by the boys. He was biased, of course, but Bruce still couldn't help but see his lost son in the eyes of each of them.

"Yes, we can only marvel both at how far our ability to understand the needs of these amazing creatures has come, and how much we've been able to learn about them through studying their lives in captivity. Hopefully, this understanding will only continue to develop as time goes on. Especially since one particular species has continued to evade our ability to keep them contained. Would anyone like to guess which that is?"

Six or seven small hands shot into the air, each waving excitedly. Bruce scanned the crowd before pointing at a little girl sitting in the back row. "You there, the little lady in the back with the sunglasses."

The girl looked up at her mother —a pretty, young woman wearing a yellow-orange sundress with all her hair tucked up into a sunhat— and, after getting an encouraging nod, belted out a confident, "Great white sharks!"

Bruce chuckled. The kid was a little cutie for sure, maybe six or seven with long, strawberry blonde hair and denim overalls that covered a pink, fish-themed t-shirt. The blue sunglasses were... strange, especially considering the dimmed lights of the auditorium. But, hey, kids can be weird. There had once been an entire month where Finn absolutely refused to wear anything except for his junior wetsuit. His son had even worn the damn thing to bed! So Bruce wasn't going to judge.

"You are absolutely correct, sweetheart," he said with a smile. Bruce clicked over to the next slide, this one a picture he'd personally captured of a beautiful female great white, roughly seventeen feet long, and with a notable scar across the back of her head. "Now, despite having the dubious honor of being the most well-known species of sharks, there have been no examples of Great Whites being successfully kept in long-term captivity in public aquariums.

"The occasional short-term placements have shown promise. The Monterey Bay Aquarium in California hosted five more juvenile white sharks for temporary stays, though that program has since been ended. But any attempts to keep adults in captivity have ended in absolute failure, usually within just a few days of arrival at the facility. For example, one great white was placed in the Okinawa Churaumi Aquarium in Japan, where it only survived for three days.

“Some short-term placements have been fairly successful, except they all ended in release after a week or so. While scientists and researchers have a fairly cohesive understanding of some of the complications behind keeping great whites, for example their high levels of aggression, the massive space needed to keep them happy, their tendency to attack and eat any other live creature also housed in the tank, and an general refusal to be fed by humans, we are still are not sure what exactly makes great whites so different other species in this regard, though we hope to know more with future study. Are there any final questions?"

A pre-teen boy raised his hand. Not ever bothering to wait being called on, the kid asked, "So does that mean you don't have any great whites for us to see?"

He sounded so devastated by the news that Bruce had to resist the urge to chuckle. "Unfortunately not. However, the park does have several underwater cameras set up near several chum releases that allow our scientists and researchers to study wild great whites that live off the coast. Feeds from the cameras are on display in our Under the Deep theater house. You can also access them on the park's website 24/7. With parental permission, of course."

His last comment earned Bruce a wave of chuckles from the adults in the audience, and groans from the children.

"And I'm afraid that is the end of our presentation today. I'll be around to answer any questions you might have, but otherwise, I hope you all enjoy your time at our wonderful park," he said, hitting the buttons on the podium control panel to both raise the lights and turn off the projector behind him.

As soon as the presentation ended, the crowd faded into the background for Bruce. He'd done this so many times that it was easy to tune out the shuffle of the crowd gathering their things to leave. The old selachologist shoved his laptop and assorted papers back into his bag, already mentally sorting through the rest of the schedule for the day.

'I've got those meetings about the new exploration program in Cape Town. That'll take up the majority of the afternoon, joy.' He'd have to get one of his assistants, Melinda Sails, to handle the two afternoon presentations. She was a good student, excited to learn, and a natural with both animals and kids. 'First stop is lunch though. Let's see... I could just go back home, eat that leftover meatloaf, and maybe catch a nap. But, I could also go try out that new sushi place that just opened in the park. Melinda swears that—'

"You're wrong!"

A young, insistent voice jolted Bruce out of his thoughts. He looked up to see the young girl from before, still wearing her sunglasses, but now an adorable little scowl on her face.

"Huh?"

The girl put her hands on her hips, and Bruce could only imagine the fierce glare she was leveling in his direction. "I said that you're wrong!"

Before he could respond, the girl's mother rushed over. She was not a particularly tall woman, and though she had an athletic enough frame, Bruce was surprised by how effortlessly she was able to swoop the girl up. "Guppy, you're being rude!"

'Guppy? Must be a nickname. How cute,' Bruce smiled, a warm rush of affection spreading through him. "Not to worry ma'am. I can take some professional criticism."

He came closer, crouching slightly so he was at the girl's eye-level. "Alright, sweetie, can you tell me what I'm wrong about?"

Most children tended to shy away from direct conversations with adults. Even if they spoke up first, kids were more likely to hide their faces against a parent's side than answer a strange adult's question.

Not little Guppy thought, she jutted out her tiny chin and said, "About how long sharks can be kept in a tank. My daddy says that some have lived in one for a lot longer than a week."

'Her father must be a fan of sharks, that he’s or an ichthyologist himself. It might explain the nickname,' Bruce thought, impressed. "Hmmm, well your daddy would actually be right on that one! The Monterey Bay Aquarium was able to keep a great white alive for 198 days back in 2004, which is by far the longest any aquarium has ever been able to keep one. However, that beauty was kept in a large outdoor tank that was better able to mimic its home environment as opposed to one of the smaller, indoor tanks most aquariums have. I suppose I should have been more clear in my presentation. I'll be sure to change that in future."

He gave Guppy a warm smile. "You know quite a bit about sharks, huh?"

The girl nodded. "Yes, my daddy knows more about sharks than anybody!"

"Anybody?" Bruce co*cked an eyebrow at Guppy's mother, who let out a strangely nervous chuckle before adjusting her sunhat. In that moment, the feeling dawned on Bruce that he'd seen her somewhere before.

"Oh... well... My husband works with sharks in a... professional capacity, you see? And he's passed that passion onto our daughter, as you can see. He—"

All of a sudden, Guppy twisted around in her mother's arms and called out, "Daddy! You're back! Come say hi to the nice shark doctor!"

'Shark doctor...'

The title sent a twist of pain through Bruce's heart. Finny had called him that. Pushing that thought away, he glanced over the top of Guppy's head to see a muscular young man, also in sunglasses approaching. When the little girl began squirming in her mother's arms, the woman let her down. Fast as a whip, Guppy shot off to throw herself into her father's arms.

"Did the behind the scenes tour meet your standards, babe?" the woman asked.

"Eh, I didn't see anything too bad, but—" the young man stopped dead in his tracks, his body going limp in shock. Guppy slid out of her father's arms, a confused look on her little face. The man's jaw fell open as his lips trembled, unable to form words.

Bruce looked on, confused. He was about to ask if he should call one of the park's medics when a single word tumbled out of the young man's mouth.

"Dad?"

In a single second, it was like all the air had been sucked out of the room. For a long while, no one said anything. Bruce, Guppy, and the woman all just stared at the man, dumbfounded and in disbelief at what he'd just said.

All too soon, the shocked numbness turned to a poisonous mixture of aching pain and burning anger.

"Excuse me," he snarled. "I need to be going!"

Bruce turned on his heel, ready to storm away before he punched his man in the face. But, before he could make it more than a few steps, a hand caught his wrist in a steel-like grip.

"No, wait!"

Bruce turned to yell at the young man, only to be cut off as he continued.

"Twenty-Five years ago," he said, taking a deep, frantic breath. "Twenty-five years ago you headed a marine research base and laboratory in the North Atlantic ocean. Your aim was to investigate claims of hyper-intelligent great white sharks. That all ended when there was a massive storm, one big enough to wipe out the entire base. You managed to survive on a life raft, and you weren't alone. Your son survived too, but on a different raft. He drifted away from you, on the other side of the wreckage. You searched for him after being rescued, even though you never found anything."

Bruce wanted to say something, wanted to shout and claim this was all just a well-researched, incredibly cruel joke. All of this was, if not common knowledge, at least publicly available information .

"Listen here, if this is—"

"Your son searched for you too. Year after year, he searched until... until something happened and he had to leave that part of his life behind. He thought he lost you. Until now."

And, with that, the young man pulled off his sunglasses, revealing a pair of eyes that looked painfully familiar.

'No. Nononononono!' Bruce thought, shaking his head. But, the more he looked, the more he saw!

He saw a chin that belonged to his father. He saw a nose that was a mirror of his late brother's. He saw his own eyes staring back at him; though in the back of his mind, Bruce swore his son's eyes used to be brown. He saw the tanned skin and dark hair that had always held up so well in the sun, one of the only impacts Bruce's ex-wife ever had on their son. He saw an unmistakable birthmark on the temple of the son Bruce thought he'd never see again.

"Finny," he breathed, tears forming at the corner of his eyes.

The young man —HIS SON!— gave a shaky smile. "Hi, Dad."

"How...?" The woman... Finn's wife? His daughter-in-law? "How could he be here?"

"Max must have brought him over too," Finn said.

"What are you talking about?" Bruce asked, looking between the little family. His son's little family. HIS little family!

Finn shook his head. "Don't worry about it, D-Dad. I've just—"

He shot forward, engulfing his father in a vice-like hug that Bruce immediately returned. He heard his son let out a choked son. "I never thought I'd see you again!"

"Shhhh, shhhhh, Finny. I love you, I love you so much. I never stopped loving you," he whispered. He reached a hand up to rub his son's back, only to touch something... strange.

A fin.

A shark dorsal fin.

A fin like he'd only ever seen on...

"Sharkboy?" he asked. 'How did I not see that before? That name... Who else could come up with that name?'

Finn smiled. "I've changed a bit since I was a kid. Got bigger. Got a, uh, wife—" the woman, who Bruce was now realizing must be the heroine Lavagirl, gave him a small wave "—and you've already met my daughter, Guppy."

Daughter.

Bruce had a granddaughter.

A granddaughter who’d pulled off her sunglasses to reveal a pair bright, intense blue eyes that were slowly growing wide with understanding.

All of it was nearly too much. Bruce felt as if the world around him started spinning and his floor nearly pulled out from under him. "I don't— How could— I mean— I never—"

Finn hugged him again. "Don't worry about it, Dad. I'll explain it all later, we've got... so much to tell you."

And that was okay. Bruce was okay. Finn was okay. His family was okay. And, as Lavagirl and little Guppy came to wrap their arms around father and son, Bruce knew everything would be okay.

Chapter 14: (3) Hello, Goodbye

Chapter Text

When Maxwell Carpenter was seven, he watched an episode of Shark Week where scientists were talking about a theoretical procedure that would splice shark DNA into human beings as a way to combat cancer and degenerative mental disorders. Being so young, he didn't understand most of what was being said. The closest he could get was the idea of shark people. ‘Hybrid’ was a word he'd hear later on in his life. But, for now, he could only call this idea a 'shark-boy.'

When Maxwell Carpenter was eight, he found a copy of an old New Mutants comic from the 80s in a box on the floor of his father's closet. There on the floor, he flipped through the worn pages, admiring the colorful art and fun-looking characters. His favorite of these was the character who could turn herself bright and fiery, like a star given human shape. When Max took the comic to his Dad, asking him about the character, the man simply shrugged.

"That's Magma," he said. "She's some sort of lava-girl. I don't know much about her, I was always more of a Wolverine guy myself."

These ideas would work their way into Max's dreams, twisting and growing until they seemed to take on a life of their own. He dreamed of a boy raised by sharks after losing his human family. He learns their ways and secrets, internalizing them so much his very body starts to change. The boy grows strong and strange, capable of surviving in the deepest oceans. Yet, no matter how much he loves his shark family, he longs to find his beloved father again. So the boy searches far and wide, until he is looking past the bounds of Earth's seas. It never did any good though, leading to the boy becoming angry and aggressive.

Max dreams of a girl born of the earth's core —Mother Earth herself— who was designed to walk upon the Earth's so that they may better understand their innate purpose: to guide and protect life on the planet with their Light. The girl's story is a tragic one though. For true love is born of pain, and pain comes from emptiness. The girl, the world's Light, is forced onto the surface alone and scared, with no memories or companionship to aid her. Some on Earth feared her, some worshiped her. Both were terrifying, and in time the girl would flee and hide on another planet far away. Mother Earth may love Life dearly, but love is rarely kind or soft. Still, Max dreams the two will find each other.

Maxwell Carpenter is a special boy, and his dreams shape reality.

Max met Sharkboy when he was fishing off a pier during the summer he turned ten. He went there often, it was only a fifteen-minute bike ride away, and a good way to get away from the house when his parents were arguing. Most of the time, Max caught nothing. Not that day though. No, that day, Max reeled in something... strange. And yet, despite having never met Sharkboy before, when Max saw him for the first time, he knew they were connected. Max wasn't sure how; neither knew what the other truly was in the grand scheme of things. But the connection was there. Sharkboy must have known it too, otherwise, Max doubted he'd have shown himself, let alone follow Max home. He certainly wouldn't have stayed and shared his history.

But he did. Sharkboy stayed with Max for over a week. Hiding him was easy, Max's parents were more focused on yelling at each other than they were on paying attention to what he was doing. It was fun, like having a tough, cool brother. For the first time, Max felt like he had someone who understood him. Sharkboy never judged Max when he talked about his dreams, just nodded along, asking questions, and explained his own. He was rough, sometimes harsh and cold, yet never cruel. Never dismissive.

Then she came. The Light.

She was the most beautiful thing Max had ever seen. The strangest too, stranger than even Sharkboy. Lava ran through her veins, glowing bright under the surface of her skin. Her hair was made of pink and purple flames that flickered out constantly, always being burned and shriveled, but growing back just as quickly. Alive and full of energy in its own right. She felt out of place in Max's living room, like some fairy plucked out of a storybook and thrown harshly into an uncaring, mundane world completely unsuited for her. Not when she seemed to burn brighter than the sun, and at least twice as warm. Three times as much when she smiled at him. When she smiled, all the hope of the world radiating off of this girl.

"Lavagirl," he said, staring at her.

Max didn't know where she came from, or how she was made, or if there were more like her. But he knew that. He knew her name. He knew that she was Lavagirl, and that she was Max's Lavagirl. It was then, Max thinks, he starts remembering his Dreams. It was then he starts realizing who and what Lavagirl and Sharkboy were to him, and he to them.

Lavagirl, he thinks, always knew. But, then again, Lavagirl had always been a little different; truly one of a kind. And clearly, Max wasn't the only one who thought so, because after he was finally able to tear his eyes away from the Light in front of him, he saw Sharkboy staring at Lavagirl like she was the only thing in his entire world. In some ways, it hurts to be so easily ignored for a newcomer. Yet, Lavagirl wasn't really a newcomer, not to Sharkboy and not to Max, not really. And, in some ways, he understood, the two were made to be together after all; two halves of the same whole, two sides of the same coin.

Almost as soon as Lavagirl arrived, it was time for her to leave. This time with Sharkboy by her side.

"There is trouble brewing on Planet Drool," Lavagirl explained. "I couldn't handle it on my own, that's why I had to come get Sharkboy."

She gave her partner a small, guilty smile. "Sorry, Sharky. I know you were looking for your dad again, but—"

The hybrid waved her off. "No, I get it. Don't feel bad."

Don't feel bad.

For as easy as it was for Sharkboy to say that, Max knew the guilt Lavagirl must have felt for pulling him away from Earth, no matter how good her reason might have been. His next words must have only added to that guilt, no matter how unintentional it was on Max's part.

"You're leaving?" he asked, hurt filling his voice. "You're leaving me behind?"

"Well, we've got to protect Planet Drool," Sharkboy said simply, already gathering his things. "It's our job, remember? We're superheroes."

"But I don't want you to go!" he said. It was selfish, Max was mature enough to know that. And yet he'd never known himself better than he did while he was with Sharkboy and Lavagirl.

LG's face lit up and she dragged him out onto the front yard. Her skin was hot to the touch, but not unbearably so. In Max's soul, he knew that was because she was at peace in this moment. It wouldn't last, he knew that too, but he felt honored to be a part of this moment.

"You should come with us," the young goddess said, showing Max's their spaceship. "You could see Planet Drool in person for the first time."

'The first time...'

Something about the phrasing of her sentence scared Max. If there was a first time, that meant there would be a last time. Even if he went now, Max would one day grow too old to visit. Eventually, Planet Drool could decide to lock him out forever. Eventually, Sharkboy and Lavagirl would forget him, too wrapped up in one another and their own destinies to care about some human boy.

So, when Lavagirl and Sharkboy waited hopefully for his answer, Max swallowed his desire and took a step back. "Sorry," he said, shaking his head. "I—I can't. I have school tomorrow."

Lavagirl frowned, the light in her eyes growing sad and dim. "That's okay, I understand. I just wish—"

Sharkboy cut her off, giving her a quick tap on the shoulder—-pulling back quick enough to not be burned— as he rolled his eyes. "Forget it, LG. As much as you want him to be, the kid isn't ready yet."

The girl's frown deepened but she nodded and turned to go.

"Wait!" Max screamed. He couldn't let them leave like this. Even if he couldn't go with them now, Max had to know... "When can I see you again?"

Sharkboy scoffed, disappearing into the depths of the ship. Lavagirl smiled though —still sad, yet sweet and warm once more— and said, "You can see us whenever you want, Max."

"But... But Planet Drool is so far away!"

She shook her head. "It's only as far away as your dreams."

"What does that mean?"

"Just remember, Max, next time you close your eyes to sleep... make sure to keep your mind wide open. Do that, and you'll be right by our sides."

'What does that mean?' Max wanted to demand. Instead, he could only ask, "So is this goodbye?"

"Only for now. We'll see each other again. I believe in you, Max. Remember that."

And then Sharkboy and Lavagirl were gone, leaving Max alone with his thoughts. His thoughts and his dreams. Three weeks later, Max closed his eyes to dream of a place where he'd have the best friends imaginable, and where he wouldn't have to listen to his parents fight about every little thing under the sun. When he opened them again, Max was staring up at a strange sky made of every color imaginable. Sitting up, he heard a familiar voice say,

"Hello, Max."

Chapter 15: (40) Family

Chapter Text

Guppy's introduction to the Heroics was, in all honesty, not something Sharkboy had been looking forward to. It wasn't that he didn't trust his teammates. He did.

On the battlefield.

Under the right circ*mstances.

And in the right combinations.

Anyway, he definitely didn't trust them with his daughter, aside from Marcus and Marisol. Maybe. Well, he trusted them enough to leave Guppy alone with the couple for short periods of time. After thirty minutes, he started getting antsy with the urge to snatch his baby back.

Deep down, Sharkboy felt a little guilty about that. His team leader had stood by him and Lavagirl since day one, and Marisol had been nothing but kind and supportive; they'd earned Sharkboy's respect, he should be able to trust them too. And yet, they also understood. When Sharkboy had reluctantly admitted the issue after snapping at Marcus for trying to pick up Guppy, Marisol had just given him a gentle laugh while Marcus explained he had felt the same after Missy had been born.

But there lay the problem. After all, Marcus and Marisol were friends! They'd met Guppy before, in the safety, comfort, and familiarity of Sharkboy and Lavagirl's own home. Not at the Heroics’ Headquarters, a massive building filled with hundreds of people and uncontrollable variables. Full of unknown dangers that Sharkboy couldn’t predict, let alone defend against.

"I don't like this," he said, not for the first time, as they pulled into their designated parking spot. The facility kept track of all vehicles that entered or exited the secure, underground lot, and theirs was no exception. When LG caught his eye, he sighed. "Before you ask... No, I don't want to go home and push this off for another day. I agreed to this. I know it needs to happen eventually. I gave my word, and I intend to stick to that. I just..."

Sharkboy trailed off. He glanced up into the rearview mirror, smiling at the sight of his ten-month-old daughter playing with one of her plushies while still safely secured in her custom-made car seat. After a moment, Guppy seemed to sense that she was being watched. Her bright blue eyes looked around before looking in the direction of the mirror.

"Dada! Hi! Hi!" she said, waving a pudgy hand in his direction.

"Hi, sweetheart," he said, reaching back to tickle her fingers with his own.

The tender action had Lavagirl giggling. She leaned forward, kissing Sharkboy's cheek. "I promise that if anyone tries to overstep, I'll burn them."

After a moment of consideration, Sharkboy nodded. "All I ask is that I’m there to see it."

And, with that, he pulled his phone to shoot Marcus a text that they were here, and a reminder to try to control the idiots.

"Oh my goodness," Miss Vox squealed when they first entered the meeting room. She broke from the group, rushing forward with her hands already outstretched as if to pull Guppy from her stroller. "Come here, you little cutie!"

Instinctively, Sharkboy stepped forward, his teeth already bared. By his side, he felt the temperature of the air rise as Lavagirl grew agitated by the unwanted advancement. Thankfully, Marisol stepped forward before either of them could do anything, catching Gale by the elbow.

"Wow, there, Gale! I know you’re excited, but you can’t go grabbing any baby you see," Marisol laughed, voice light and friendly. "And be careful, you're going to scare the little squish."

Vox frowned, though she nodded and stepped back as she regained control of herself. "Aw, but she really is so cute! Just like her mama."

At those words, Sharkboy relaxed a touch. While it was clear that Guppy was taking after him in terms of powers, he was quite sure that Guppy would take more after Lavagirl in terms of looks. This included her hair; while it wasn't the hot, vibrant pink of LG's curls, there was a notably pink tint to her silky strawberry blonde hair. As such, Sharkboy couldn't help but soften to anyone able to appreciate Guppy's cuteness.

After a moment of internal conflict, Sharkboy unbuckled Guppy from her stroller and hauled her up onto his hip.

"Say hi to everyone, Guppy," he said, forcing himself to sound as enthusiastic as possible. He shifted so that Guppy was more directly facing Vox. "Say hi to Miss Vox."

"Auntie Gale. Miss Vox sounds like a stuffy music teacher, Auntie Gale sounds like the fun lady who spoils you rotten," Vox corrected. She stepped closer but kept enough distance that Sharkboy didn't need to react. She let out a delighted coo when Guppy waved a hand at her. "Awwww. You look sweet as sugar. Gonna be a real beauty, I can tell. Just like my Hailey. Yep, I bet you're going to break a lot of hearts when you get older."

Lavagirl forced a smile, one Sharkboy mirrored. "Yeah, well, we'll burn that bridge when we come to it."

"C'mon now, don't go hogging the kid," said Dwayne.

"Oh, back off, Crimson! I've been waiting to meet her for so long!"

Tamara wasn't nearly as gentle as her husband. She all but shouldered Vox out of the way to get a better look at Guppy. Sharkboy liked Crimson and Lightning Fury well enough —they were probably his second favorites after Marcus and Marisol— so he allowed Tamara to reach out, prodding Guppy's little hand with her own.

"Careful," he warned. "She's got quite the grip on her."

The heroine nodded and pulled her hand back before Guppy could grab her finger. "I'd heard you'd been having some issues with her strength. We warned you about super-powered babies."

"Does it get easier?" Lavagirl asked, half amused and half genuinely curious.

"Uhhhhh, no. Let's just say I purposely don't think much about what went down to the terrible two," Dwyane said, shaking his head. "Wait a minute... Guppy? I thought her name was—"

"It's a nickname," LG said with a shrug. "Rolls of the tongue a little better. Considering how much she takes after her daddy, I'd say it fits."

Tamara went to say something when InvisiGirl passed them, a stack of papers and files tucked under her arm. She paused slightly, glancing down at Guppy, and grunted, "Make sure you follow the appropriate protocols for having her here."

Sharkboy fought the urge to growl, and once more the temperature spiked as InvisiGirl left.

"And she wonders why we don't invite her to parties," Crushing Low grumbled. He lumbered closer, evidently deciding that it was his turn to meet Guppy. He squinted at her, his lips twitching upward when Guppy blew a wet raspberry.

Then, after his investigation had been concluded, decided to share his findings. "She's fat."

The declaration was so abrupt that Sharkboy couldn't even register it at first.

"Huh?" Lavagirl asked, clearly just as confused.

Despite being pretty sure that was an insult, Blinding Fast spoke up before Sharkboy could decide if he needed to defend his daughter's honor.

"All babies are fat, you idiot," BF said, rolling his eyes.

"Exactly, it just means this one—" he pointed a finger in Guppy's face, wincing when she excitedly smacked it "—has a lot of hard work ahead. Got it, kid?"

Guppy giggled. "Got it! Got it!"

"Good. We'll be expecting great things out of you."

"You're a moron," Blinding Fast said, still exasperated. Glancing down at Guppy, the speedster grinned and stuck out his tongue. "Not you though, you look pretty smart. Yepeuge keora! Eoma, appa mal jal deureo, arachi?"

Another giggle. Guppy, and Sharkboy for that matter, obviously couldn't understand Korean. But the words sounded sweet enough. For all BF had insisted that them having a kid would be a bad idea, his eyes were soft as he stared down at Guppy.

Then it was Travis' turn. Sharkboy liked the powerless superhero, despite how buddy-buddy the man could be with Miracle Guy, so he didn't react when Travis reached out to play with Guppy. At least, not until he saw the grease and oil stains that covered the man's hands.

"Dude, wash your hands!" he snapped, pulling Guppy back.

Travis blinked before glancing down at his hands and laughing. "Yeah, I was in the workshop before coming here. I guess it slipped my mind. Oh, speaking of that, how is the crib I made for her holding up?"

The question left LG smiling. "There are some dents in it, but it is holding it up. Thank you again though, it's been a lifesaver."

"No problem. It was just recycling an old design. Now if little Guppy here had some sort of heat-based power, then we would have a real issue! No one wants to deal with a baby around molten metal. Nope, I've had to deal with plenty of that kind of stuff with Will. Still am, actually."

Lavagirl nodded silently, no doubt flashing back to the many, many times she'd accidentally melted or burnt everything around her. Or maybe that was just what Sharkboy was imagining? Both? Probably, they tended to be on the same wavelength like that.

Time passed, long enough that Sharkboy was able to relax slightly as snacks were passed out and casual conversions were able to begin. Crushing Low talked about his ex wanting to take their kid to Australia for one of her concerts. Vox tried to steer the conversation toward her daughter's budding acting career, only for Blinding Fast to swing it back to Guppy with questions about when they were planning on starting her in the Headquarters' daycare.

"Ummm... We're actually planning to keep her home for at least a year," Lavagirl said, bouncing Guppy on her knee. "Not that we don't trust the daycare, it's just..."

"Nah, new parent jitters. I think we all get that," Travis said, waving him off.

Around the room, all the other parents let out their own chuckles of agreement. That alone was enough to make Sharkboy relax further. It was comforting to know that, no matter how much they might bicker and buttheads, the Team could always agree when it came to their kids. It may be the only thing they could ever unite over, but perhaps that was enough.

"Now, was that so bad?" Marcus asked teasingly.

Sharkboy rolled his eyes and bounced Guppy higher in his arms. "Yeah, yeah. You were right. It wasn't that bad. Human interaction didn't suck for once. I still don't want any of them at my house though."

Marcus clasped him on the shoulder, and steered him back into the hall to follow their respective wives. "Well, if I had to guess, Marisol and LG are planning a dinner party we'll both have to suffer through, so we'll see how long you'll be able to hold to that."

"Hmmm, do you think you could pull Marisol away before they set anything in stone?"

"Do you?" Marcus asked, co*cking an eyebrow.

"...No, probably not."

"Smart man. You're learning the rules of married life well."

Sharkboy rolled his eyes. He'd learned when to just nod and go along with Lavagirl's whims long before they got married.

"So long as she doesn't invite—"

"Marcus! Sharky! Wait up!"

Sharkboy let out an audible groan and rolled his eyes. 'Think of an asshole and he will appear.’

He tried to ignore Miracle Guy and keep walking, but Marcus' hand on his shoulder kept him in place. The man wasn't using his powers, so he could have pulled away easily. So perhaps it was more accurate to say that it was Sharkboy's respect for his team leader that kept him in place.

"Sorry I'm late, I got caught up at an autograph signing. You know how fans can be," the blond hero said, jogging up to join them. When Sharkboy reluctantly turned to face him, Miracle Guy finally caught sight of Guppy.

"Awwwww," he cooed, crouching down so he was face-to-face with the baby. "Is this her?"

'No, you idiot. I found a random baby and brought her in to show off,' Sharkboy thought. He bit his tongue though, hard enough to draw blood.

Thankfully, Marcus decided to speak for him.

"Yep, this is the new little fishy for our ranks," he said, giving Guppy a little tickle under the chin. "Isn't she the cutest thing you've ever seen?"

"Well, I don't know about that. I'm pretty partial to my own kid myself, but—" he leaned closer to Guppy, so their noses were almost touching.

Sharkboy had to resist the urge to pull away, reminding himself once more that, no matter how much he hated the man, Conrad wouldn't ever hurt Guppy or any of the kids. Hell, he even followed the unspoken rules about keeping all the kids out of his constant social media posts.

"—you definitely got your mama's smile, didn't you?"

.

.

.

"WWwwwwaaaahhhhhhh!" Guppy wailed, loud enough that even Marcus' unaltered hearing was suffering for it. Guppy swung her cubby arms wildly as she flailed in Sharkboy's arms, a tiny first connecting with Miracle Guy's chin. The impact against the man's invulnerable form must have hurt, because she started screaming louder.

"Ouch," Conrad flinched, standing up to rub his cheek. "She's got quite the swing!"

"Yeah, she gets that from me," Sharkboy couldn't help but brag. "We've already had to deal with plenty of busted furniture because of it."

The other man's face lit up. "Westley was the same way! Floor, walls, cribs, high chairs, couches, himself... nothing was safe from him, especially during temper tantrums. It's better now that he's older and calmer but still... I worry about him and his lack of control. I mean, I was the same way as a kid and learned how to deal, so I have no doubt that Wes will too one day. It's just hard."

There was an honest warmth in Conrad's voice that Sharkboy rarely heard. For a moment, he felt as if he was getting a peak under the layers of ego, pomp, vanity, and super strength. To his surprise, Sharkboy thought he even might like what he saw.

"Maybe I'll pick your brain later about how you dealt with it," he said. "I get the feeling Guppy's toddler years will be terrible, especially if her temper is anything like mine or her mom's."

Marcus gave him a surprised look, one mirrored by Miracle Guy. But when Sharkboy didn't add any thinly veiled insults or sardonic comments, he found himself staring down two twin smiles.

'I'm never going to hear the end of this. Oh well, it'll be good for Guppy to have more people looking after her. I may not like them all that much, but as far as extended families go, Guppy could do a lot worse.'

Chapter 16: (28) Wedding Plans

Chapter Text

As soon as the public fallout of their engagement died down, a whole new storm was upon them.

Lavagirl barely had the engagement ring on her finger for three weeks before she was yanked into a meeting room with Director Granada, Connie from the social media team, Gale, still clad in her Ms. Vox uniform, and a woman she didn't recognize.

"Great, you're here!" Connie says, waving her over to where she and Gale were pouring over stacks of papers and pictures. "We need your opinion of stuff."

"Uhhhh..."

Granada took over, clicking her tongue and gesturing to the mystery woman. "Lavagirl, say hello to Ilonka Lakatos. One of the best wedding planners in the world. I've taken the liberty of securing her services to help with your and Sharkboy's upcoming nuptials."

An imaginary dial-up noise filled Lavagirl’s ears. "Huh?"

Connie rolled her eyes and sighed in a big, exaggerated fashion. "Your wedding, silly! The public loves weddings, and this will be the first one between a superhero couple since Red Lightning Fury and Crimson Legend. Oh, you should have seen the excitement around that! There was so much merchandise: commemorative plates, tote bags, t-shirts, hats, figurines, dolls, mugs, teacups, and even specialty jewelry! Of course, being permanently —fingers crossed— taken off the market does put a dent in how well you track with certain segments of the male demographic, but the revenue and publicity more than makeup for it."

The dial-up noise was replaced by the sound of a car crashing. "Wait, wait! Sharkboy and I don't want this to turn into some big mess!"

The wedding planner, Ilonka, adjusted her glasses. "A smaller affair then? Perfectly doable, and with an added benefit of giving an appearance of humbleness and intimacy."

"It will be intimate!" Lavagirl insisted, feeling her internal temperature rising. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and tried to calm down. "My... fiancé and I have already talked about what we want for our wedding. Our current plans are just to have a small ceremony on the beach, with an officiant, and Marcus and Marisol as witnesses."

Neither Sharkboy or Lavagirl had any particular attachment to religion. Kind of hard to get into it when you were created from a child's imagination, instead of any higher power. But all the weddings Lavagirl had seen on TV and in movies had one, so, yeah, she kind of wanted one there.

"No good. Beach weddings always sound nice, but are always more trouble than they're worth," Ilonka said, shuffling through some papers. "You've got to consider the tides, seagulls are complete pests, sand gets everywhere, and there is just the wind! It's hard to maintain the romantic ambiance when your hair keeps getting blown into your face."

"Well, we—"

"How about a beachfront wedding instead?" Gale offered. She held up a picture of a nice-looking hotel, "The Sunset Serenity is beautiful, and its patio stretches right over to the beach, perfect for an outdoor wedding if the weather is nice. There is also a lovely conference area that can be used for the reception."

"Wait—"

Connie took the picture, examining it carefully. "It's perfect! Spacious, bright... Lots of natural light, and plenty of room for photographers... I'm just worried if it will be able to hold all the guests. There will need to be at least 100 of them. You know—"

"Stop it!" Lavagirl snapped, her hair flaming up in furious pink flames. The four women stared at her in shock but the volcano goddess pressed on. "Look, I'm not going to stand here and let you all plan my wedding for me! That is a day for Sharkboy and I, not for the rest of the world! So get the idea of a massive circus out of mind right now, and throw out all of this—" she waved a hand at the pile of papers on the table "—junk."

With that, she turned on her heel and stormed out of the room. Lavagirl was halfway to the exit until when the rage-fueled pounding in her head finally died down enough to hear the clattering of high heels on the linoleum floor behind her.

"Lavagirl! Lavagirl! Stop being foolish! You cannot run away from me!" Granada called out.

Before Lavagirl could escape or stop her, the older woman grabbed her by the forearm. "No, wait—!"

"Ow!" Granada cried, looking down at her hand. The skin looked pinked, but thankfully not outright burned. It would be sensitive for the next couple of days, yet would heal with no lasting issues.

"Sorry! I'm just... a little heated."

The older woman gave her a stern look. "You should get that under control. One day you may end up killing someone."

Having her greatest fear brought up so casually horrified Lavagirl, and it must have shown but Granada sighed, her face softening. "I only mean that you need to be careful."

"I usually am," Lavagirl replied. "It's just when I get overly defensive or feel cornered. I think it is some sort of... defensive mechanism."

Granada crossed her arms, head co*cked to the side. "Well, you're certainly getting unnecessarily aggressive in the face of help, especially to poor Mrs. Lakatos. She traveled very far for this meeting, you know. Not to mention the money I spent on the consolation."

Lavagirl gave a sharp glare. "I feel bad about wasting Mrs. Lakatos' time, but you called her without asking me or Sharkboy. You didn’t even tell me about this meeting, or that it mattered to you. You wasted your own money. You can pass on my apologies to the wedding planner's time, but my fiancé and I are happy with our small, private wedding."

"Well, I'm sorry but that's just not possible," Granada said. "If you were a civilian or marrying a civilian, it would be a different story. But by joining the Heroics and marrying another hero, you've given up the right to that level of privacy. I’ve told you all many times how the public loves to tear down celebrities, and how they’ll do the same to heroes if they feel slighted. You know what happened with Gale and her divorce? That’s why she wants to help you so badly!

“This? Denying them their dream hero wedding will do the exact same thing. The only thing you can do is control and color the way the public will get to see you. "

"That's not fair!"

"Life isn't fair."

Granada's voice was not unkind or unsympathetic, but rather flat and matter-of-fact. Even then, the sternness in her eyes and face made it clear there was no room for argument. Sure, she and Sharky could run off to the courthouse and sign the paperwork that afternoon, but that would mean sacrificing what they wanted as well.

The older woman co*cked an eyebrow at her, clearly unimpressed by whatever argument Lavagirl was about to sputter out.

After a long minute of being stared down, the volcano goddess let out a sigh. "I'll... talk to Sharkboy. We won't do a massive circus of a wedding, no matter what you or Connie or the public wants. But we'll talk about the other stuff."

"That's appropriate," Granada said. She passed Lavagirl a glittery pink pamphlet. "Here, this has a list of things to consider when planning a wedding. Look over it with Sharkboy, and decide on what you're willing to compromise on, and what you are firm about. Having those in mind before you come for the next planning session. Doing that gives you leveraging power."

Lavagirl glanced down at the pamphlet, reading the first couple of lines.

• Work out your budget and establish your top priorities—where to save/where to splurge.
• Get your creative juices flowing. Start browsing our Wedding Ideas, Real Weddings, and Pinterest, as well as wedding blogs and magazines to identify your wedding style and color palette.
• Compile your preliminary guest list (you'll need that guest count!).
• Choose your wedding party—who do you want by your side at the altar?
• Find a venue for your ceremony and reception, and reserve your date. Know what questions to ask when evaluating a wedding venue.

'Maybe elopement isn't such a bad idea.'

Then, after a moment, she called out to Granada’s retreating back. “Could you maybe tell me when the next planning session will be? You dropped this one in my lap out of nowhere!”

Three days later, Sharkboy and Lavagirl were sitting across from Gale, Connie, and Ilonka, with Granada in between.

"So, we've discussed it and decided that the Seashell Serenity would be a lovely location for the wedding. We're thinking of a late spring wedding, so the weather should be appropriate for an outdoor venue as well." Lavagirl said. Sharkboy nodded silently, having agreed to just let her do most of the talking. "However, we are firm on this being a smaller event. Fifteen guests max."

"Fifteen?" Connie gasped, looking ashen. "That is not nearly enough for such an event. You need press, the mayor, at least a few celebrities—"

"We're willing to allow up to fifty people at the wedding reception, approved by us of course, but the ceremony will be small and private. The rest of the team and their families, in addition to key members of staff and outside friends but that is all. That is final," Lavagirl said, as firmly as she'd rehearsed in the mirror. Under the table, Sharkboy took her hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.

"I thought the other Heroics would be in your wedding party, it's tradition!" Connie all but shrieked. By her side, Gale looked hurt.

"And we aren't completely tossing it," Lavagirl said smoothly. "The wedding party will be limited to Marcus as the Best Man, and Marisol as the Matron of Honor. Like I said, small and private."

"I already asked, and he agreed," Sharkboy grunted, speaking up for the first time.

When Connie still looked like she wanted to cry, rip out her hair, or both, Lavagirl sighed and added, "We're also willing to do an official engagement wedding shoot to release to the public, so long as it isn't over the top or revealing."

"That is a fair compromise," Granada said, cutting off any further complaints. "These events are good for publicity and all, but they always pose a significant security risk. A small event will be easy to keep protected and secure."

To her credit, Ilonka simply nodded and made a note on her iPad. "Small weddings have their charm. Easier to customize. Have you decided on a date yet?"

"We're considering some options, and consulting with others to find the day that works best for everyone."

The woman nodded again. "The date is the most important thing to decide on. Followed by the guest list and venue. Aside from that, I took the liberty of bringing along a list of different contractors or businesses in the industry that I often work with. Very high-end, very discrete. Perfect for such an important event. If you care to, I would like to ask a couple of questions about your preferences that will allow us to narrow down different options. If you are shooting for a spring wedding, then we don't have much time, and I'm sure you both are far too busy to waste time."

Lavagirl glanced at Sharkboy, who gave a reluctant nod. She turned back to Ilonka. "Yes, that would be acceptable."

"Excellent." With more shuffling of papers, the wedding planner clicked her pen. "Alright, we'll start with food. I assume we're going with seafood for the menu?"

"Thoughts on the salted caramel cake?" the baker asked.

Lavagirl licked her lips, the sweet, sticky flavor lingering there. "It's good... but I'm worried it isn't something everyone would like."

The baker clicked her tongue. "Other people's preferences should have that much sway over you and your fiance's own preference. This is your special day, after all."

It was nice to hear that. Even with Granada —tentatively— on their side, Lavagirl often could not help but feel like the entire world was more invested in her and Sharkboy's wedding than they were. And, more than that, everyone seemed to have their own opinions that NEEDED to be shared.

She smiled at the woman. "Thank you. But I also worry about the stickiness. I can't imagine caramel is easy to get out of wedding lace."

"Fair enough," the baker laughed. She pulled out the next sample plate, sliding it over. "Since we've tried the light and sweet with the Fresh Strawberries & Cream Cake, the simple with the Cookies 'n' Cream cake, and the tart and fruity with the Lemon Summer Berry cake, how about we try something a little different? This is our Chocolate Raspberry Truffle Cake. It is a decadent chocolate cake brushed with Chambord Liqueur and filled with dark chocolate ganache and a hint of raspberry preserves, and is often topped with fresh raspberries as well. I enjoy the raspberry as it not only adds to the richness of the cake but its tartness also provides a good contrast to the sweetness of the cake."

Lavagirl's eyes widened at the chocolatey dessert. "OooOOOooo, I do like chocolate."

"Then your last sample slice should be the Chocolate Decadence Cake," the baker said. "That one is a chocolate fanatic's dream come true. It combines a dark chocolate cake base with amaretto, chocolate buttercream, and dark chocolate ganache."

"Bring it on!"

"Chocolate cake can be messy, especially while wearing a white dress," Ilonka said over the top of her ever-present iPad. "But, if you take my advice to have a separate dress for the reception, that issue is mitigated."

Here they go again.

"We'll consider it," Lavagirl said evenly. The first bite of the cake had her brightening, "Oh, that's really good!"

"You like that one, babe?" Sharkboy asked, opening his eyes. He'd had them closed for so long, the volcano goddess almost thought he was asleep.

"Yeah! I still want to try that last one, but I think this might be the one."

"Good to hear."

"Why don't you try it, sir?" the baker said. "As I said, this is a special day for both of you. It's important that you both agree on every element of the day, including the cake."

Sharkboy shrugged. "No point. All cakes taste the same to me."

The baker looked hurt. Worried she took his words as a personal insult, Lavagirl was quick to add, "He’s just not a sweets person. I keep joking about making sure they serve him some fish cakes during the dessert portion of dinner."

"You're sweet enough for the both of us, babe," Sharky said, earning himself a quick kiss to the cheek. He turned to the baker, "But yeah, I'm just here to help find something she—" he jerked his hair towards Lavagirl "—wants. What it is, I don't really care. Hell, I probably won't even end up eating any of it."

With that, Ilonka and the baker both looked at the hybrid in surprise.

"You aren't going to eat any of your own wedding cake?" Ilonka asked, brow furrowed in confusion.

"Nah. Like I said, I don't like cake," Sharkboy shrugged. He scratched the back of his neck. "Look, to be totally honest, I don't really care about all this wedding stuff. It's just a bunch of fluff to me. If I had it my way, I'd skip it all and get to the point where I'm married to Lavagirl for the rest of my life. That is what I really care about... I don't mind raspberries though."

.

.

.

"Congratulations," the baker and Ilonka both said to Lavagirl, who just blushed and hid her face in her hands.

"So you both have decided on the Neptune Supreme Seafood Wedding course, correct?"

"Right," Sharkboy said. He'd been slightly more involved with crafting the menu than he had been with anything else so far. Probably because seafood was something he actually enjoyed.

By his side, Lavagirl nodded before glancing over the list of choices. In a few weeks, they'd get a fancy-looking 'official' printout of the menu. But, for now, it was just on regular computer paper.

• Appetizers: Seared Tuna Bites, Salmon Rolls, Maryland Crab Cakes, and Soft Pretzels with a side of Crab Dip.
• Soups: Cream of Crab, Slow-Cooked Manhattan Clam Chowder, Spicy Fresh Seafood Cioppino, and Wild Rice & Mushroom Soup.
• Salads: Grilled Shrimp Louie, Crab Ceviche, Salmon Niçoise Salad, and Bright Spring Salad.
• Main Course: Spicy Seafood Pasta, Seafood Risotto, Cedar Planked Salmon, and Ratatouille.
• Additional Desserts: Bananas Foster, Lemon Pie, Jumbo Chocolate Chip Cookie, and Citrus and Pomegranate Fruit Salad.
• *Complimentary bread roll baskets to be provided.

Lavagirl looked at the price at the bottom of the sheet, and winced at the long string of numbers. ‘Glad we’re not paying for any of this.’

Technically speaking, Granada had put a budget on the wedding, but she’d given it to Ilonka, and never spoken a word of it to either of them. Lavagirl had no idea what it even was!

“Excellent!” the caterer said. “Now that the food is sorted, it is time to decide on the alcohol list. Your wedding planner sent word ahead to have the standard open bar, so we’ll have our selection of specialty beers and ciders, so you two really just need to decide on the wines and liquors.”

“No liquors,” Lavagirl and Sharkboy both said simultaneously.

The caterer gave them a startled look, which the volcano goddess answered with a sheepish grin. “Lots of people with powers… Hard liquor just seems like a bad idea. Wine is good though, harder to get drunk off that.”

“Oh… yes, that makes… a disturbing amount of sense,” the man said with a slow nod. He shook it off though, bright smile returning. “Okay then, I’ll go get our in-house sommelier, he pulled a selection of wines that pair well with seafood, and is excited to help you pick a few for your special day. Are there any questions I can answer for you two before I go?”

“Yeah, how long will this take?” Sharkboy asked.

“Not too long, just a couple of hours,” the caterer said. “Sit tight, the sommelier will be in soon.”

Once he disappeared around the corner, Sharkboy gave Lavagirl A Look. “You think it's too late to run for it?”

“Granada and Gale would probably hunt us down, hog-tie us, and drag us to the altar if we tried,” she replied.

“Meh, good point.”

The floral shop was warm, the air damp and earthy with a thick sweetness from the rows of sample flowers. But even as she admired the beautiful flora lining the walls, Lavagirl felt awkward and out of place. The familiar urge to pull herself inward and take up as little space as possible reared its ugly head as she tip-toed around the plants, not wanting to catch any on fire.

Seeming to sense her discomfort, Marisol rubbed her shoulder and passed Lavagirl one of the complimentary bottles of sparkling water. "Just breathe, sweetheart. Remember what I told you: you control your powers, your power—"

"Don't control me," the young volcano goddess finished, smiling at the older woman.

For all that Marcus and his mother had worked to teach Lavagirl to harness the physical aspect of her power, Marisol worked equally hard to help her with the mental and emotional aspects of them. For that, Lavagirl would forever be grateful.

"Ready?"

Lavagirl took a deep breath, feeling the tension seep out of her body. "Yeah... Ready."

***

"Your wedding planner called ahead to say that your wedding colors are rose gold, ocean blue, and silver. At a beachside venue. Is that right?"

The florist was an older woman, with long silver-blonde hair pulled up into a messy bun, and soft green eyes. Lavagirl had liked her on sight, relaxing even more for every minute she spent in the woman's comforting presence.

"Yes, that's right."

The florist, Johanna, hummed and flipped open a thick, earmarked folder. "Obviously, there aren't any silver flowers, but we can work that in with some ribbon, wrapping, and the vase color for the bouquets and flower arrangement."

Lavagirl nodded, not sure what else she was supposed to do or say. That sounded like a good idea for her but, then again, what did she know? It wasn't like she'd ever planned or even been to a wedding! Still, Marisol didn't argue with Johanna's suggestion, so Lavagirl felt safe in trusting the florist's judgment.

"As for the flowers," Johanna continued. "I recommend we select some white and soft pink flowers to compliment the rose gold."

"Roses?" Lavagirl asked. She gave a small, sheepish smile. "I've always liked roses."

"Roses are classic for a reason." The old woman rubbed her chin and flipped through the pages of the folder, before finishing on a page labeled 'Rose Menu'. "Might I suggest Sweet Akito pink roses? Pink roses in general represent, among other things, the innocent joy that can come from young love. More specifically, Sweet Akito roses can represent autumn. Which I find... oddly appropriate for the union between fire and water."

"We have to share that with Connie, I'm sure she'll find a way to work it into some social media post about the wedding," Marisol said, laughing when Lavagirl cringed at the joke.

Johanna's lip curled upward in a confused, yet amused manner. Still, ever the professional, she continued onward. "Should I recommend other flowers?"

"No, sorry. Those roses are fine. More than fine, actually, they're really pretty. Sorry, I'm babbling!"

"Think nothing of it, I've dealt with many brides before and know how stressful this can be."

Lavagirl glanced down at the woman's hand to see a wedding ring —old and worn, and nothing fancy, yet clearly much loved— and smiled. 'How long ago did you plan your own wedding? Were you stressed too? Was it worth it in the end?'

"White flowers are extremely versatile, and as such, you have a large selection of white flowers to choose from," Johanna said, shuffling pages about. "There are hydrangeas, stephanotis, roses, orchids, lilies, anemones, protea, and—"

"Lilies," Lavagirl cut in. She recalled the fields of giant, rainbow-colored lilies on Planet Drool. She'd never been able to walk among them, not wanting to damage the beautiful flowers with her fire, but she'd often admired them from the nearby cliffs. Max's mother had a garden full of lilies, that must have been where the inspiration for them had come from. "Can you tell me about the lilies?"

"Hmmm, if it is lilies you're looking at, then I recommend Easter lilies, which symbolize grace, innocence, and purity.” She flipped open to a picture of them, and pointed out their features. “In addition to having interior portions of the bloom that are yellowish that, along with their golden stamens, would pair nicely with the rose gold color scheme. Aside from that, there are the large and lovely Casablanca lilies. A personal favorite of mine, they are typically representative of joy and life. And equally popular at both funerals and weddings, interestingly enough."

'I don't know how I feel about that,' Lavagirl thought. She studied the pictures in front of her, each type of flower looked so much alike, did it really matter what she chose? Deep in her heart, Lavagirl knew that it did. She loved being a hero, yet it demanded so much of her and Sharkboy's lives. If they had to share their wedding with it, Lavagirl was going to be damn sure she got as much say over the fine details that she could.

"Hmmm, what about this one?" she asked, tapping a fingertip against the image of a simple, trumpet-shaped lily with no individual petals.

Marisol leaned over to look, eyes widening with joy. "Oh, Calla Lilies! Those are nice, Marcus and I had them at our wedding!"

As soon as she said that, Lavagirl knew she had to have them. Marisol had done so much for her, sharing this thing felt... right.

This resolve was only doubled when Johanna nodded approvingly. "There is beauty in simplicity, and few flowers prove that as much as the Calla Lily. They also represent love, which is one of the reasons that they are so popular as wedding flowers, and as gifts to loved ones. They're actually the traditional flower for the 6th wedding anniversary."

"I'll make sure I tell my fiance that, we'll see if he remembers in six years," Lavagirl said, earning a laugh from the two other women. Despite the joke though, Lavagirl was confident that Sharkboy would. For all her love could be rough and callous to others, he always remembered the important things when it came to them.

"So I'm going to assume Calla Lilies are the winner then?" the old woman asked. When Lavagirl nodded, she started flipping through the pages again. "Now, the problem with blue flowers is that there are not many of them, and most of them look more purple or indigo than proper blue. But there are a couple, and for you, I'm going to suggest Forget-Me-Nots, which represent fidelity, and being truthful to someone you love, and Blue Orchids, which represent the natural beauty found in people near and dear to your heart. Or course, if you don't like either of those options, I am happy to show you more."

"They're both so pretty," Lavagirl said, studying the glossy pictures. "I don't know how I'm going to choose."

Maybe whichever smelt nicer?

"You know... you could get both," Marisol said. "There isn't anything stopping you, especially with Granada footing the bill."

The possibility hadn't occurred to Lavagirl.

"Could I?" she asked Johanna. "I mean, would it look good?"

"With a bit of greenery to balance it all out? Yes, I think it would look lovely," the old woman shrugged.

"Great! Then I want to do both. And I want the blue orchids to be used in bo... bo... boutonniere too, if that is possible? My fiance isn't much for flowers, but he likes blue."

"Absolutely, I'll note that," Johanna said. "Alright, with flowers decided it is time to pick arrangement styles."

Picking her dress was perhaps what Lavagirl had been looking forward to the most.

There was, even to a volcano goddess created from a child's imagination, a certain amount of fantastic romanticism in finding one's dream dress. The idea that the perfect gown —the one that would make her fiance's jaw drop when he laid eyes upon you— was out there somewhere, buried in the back corner of a little boutique to be found at the last minute, and save the entire day. Of course, like many things in the wedding planning process, it wasn't turning out quite how Lavagirl had expected. As it turned out, wedding dresses included a lot of annoying things, like layers of scratchy tulle, clasps that pinched her back, beading that was rough against the underside of her arms when she put them by her side, and a lot of weight in fabric even for someone of her strength!

Part of her was jealous that Sharkboy had already grabbed his suit in a single (properly chaperoned) outing.

"So, what about this one? Is this your dress?" the chipper shop assistant, Chloe, asked. "I know you mentioned wanting something a little on the simpler side, and this immediately popped into my mind."

Lavagirl examined herself in the mirror, moving the thick skirts of the gown —her fourth one today— to see how it looked in motion. It was a pretty dress, soft white with layers of glittery tulle dress. The fitted bodice was comfortable enough, and the neckline was tastefully modest, even with spaghetti straps. The full, floor-length A-line skirt seemed easy enough to move in, and the many lace appliques were beautiful. And yet...

"What do you think?" she asked, turning to Marisol and Gale.

Both women hemmed and hawed for a moment before answering.

"It's beautiful," Marisol said, "and you look beautiful in it, but it’s—"

"Too plain!" Gale cut it. She waved for her champagne glass to be refilled before continuing. "I get it, you don't want a big, fancy Cinderella gown. That's fine, it's not your style and you need to be able to fight if some villains drop a killer robot down on the wedding reception. But you still need something with more... Umph! in it! This is your big day, your dress should reflect that. It needs to help you blow everyone's mind when they see you."

Lavagirl felt her lips twitch. "Sharky is the only one I care about impressing, and he would think I'm stunning in a potato sack."

"Imagine how he'd feel if you walked down the aisle naked," Marisol said, waggling her eyebrows suggestively, earning juvenile snickers from all the women.

"Trust me, he gets to see that plenty," Lavagirl replied unphased. Turning back to Gale, she asked, "Well, what did you do for your wedding dress?"

"Oh, I had this gorgeous custom-made dress. It was the stuff of fairytales, an illusion sequin gown with a drop waist, layers of lace skirts, and fourteen beaded lace embellishments and embroidered appliques! It had this sexy little V-neck and an open back. But the best part is that all the beading was made of pure quartz."

"Why is that so special?"

"Quartz crystals react to sound waves in a special way, and considering that I was giving a big singing performance to cap off the reception, it all came together to really make me stand out," Gale explained. She took another long drink of the champagne before rolling her eyes. "I gave it to Connie to auction off after my divorce."

Lavagirl fought the urge to wince at the talk of divorce while picking out her wedding dress. She'd heard the story of Gale's ex-husband, Hector Gonzales. One of the biggest producers in Hollywood, their romance had apparently been the hottest top of gossip at the time. Of course, a superstar singer/superheroine and Hollywood bigwig both lived busy lives and it hadn't been long before the relationship turned sour, ending in an explosive divorce. Being such big names, there was a lot of red tape and messiness involved. In the end, Hector had gotten half of his ex's fortune, but Gale had gotten their daughter.

"C'mon, Gale, don't go sharing scary stories like that today," Marisol said.

She rose to her feet, coming to Lavagirl's side to fix a few loose curls. Her hair was pulled up into a braided crown to keep it out of the way, a simplified version of what would be Lavagirl's eventual hairstyle at the wedding. Glancing at their reflection in the mirror once more, Lavagirl couldn't help but admire how beautiful and elegant the older woman looked. It had been almost painfully easy for the woman to find a suitable matron of honor dress. A sleeveless deep blue crinkle chiffon dress, with cascade skirt and sweetheart neckline and ruched detail, completed with some subtle rose gold glitter around the edge of the fabric. She'd be gorgeous in it and Lavagirl could only hope that, one day, she could match Marisol's internal strength and effortless beauty.

"What about you, Marisol?" she asked. "What was your wedding dress like?'

"Special," the older woman said. "It was the dress that Abuela had worn for her own wedding, handmade by her abuela. Honestly, it wasn't really my style otherwise, but seeing the love and history that was in every stitch made me adore it. I hope we can pass it down to Missy one day."

The warm longing in Marisol's voice made Lavagirl smile, though not an entirely happy one. "I wish I had something like that. Don't have anyone to pass on an heirloom like that to me though."

Marisol's hand paused where it was fixing her curls. "Hmmm, you might not have many things from the past to bring in... but you can start making things for the future now."

Gale nodded enthusiastically. "And you can start with the perfect dress."

Lavagirl hummed in consideration. "How will I know which one is perfect?"

"You will," Marisol said. She stepped back, scanning Lavagirl with sharp eyes. co*cking her head to the side, the woman seemed to consider something. "...Give me one minute, I have an idea."

***

"So, what do you think?"

Lavagirl twirled around on the stool, the skirt swooshing out around her. She giggled like a little girl, beaming at the other three women in the room. "I love it! I really love it!"

The dress was a scalloped lace cap-sleeved number with a cute little v-neckline, open back cut-out, and amazingly intricate pale rose-gold floral designed lace pieces over the bodice and skirt. The design was more intricate than Lavagirl thought she might have wanted, yet when it caught in the bright light of the display mirror, it sparkled and even seemed to glow!

"I feel like a princess!" the volcano goddess declared, earning a smile from Gale. "I swear I've seen it somewhere before."

"Maybe in your dreams?" Gale joked.

Marisol nodded, looking pleased with herself. "It's basically a fancier, white version of that dress I helped you pick out for your first official date with Sharkboy. It's... the closest thing I could think of to bring something from the past into your married future."

"Thank you," Lavagirl said, gentle and warm.

"Of course," the older woman said, "That's what friends are for."

Warmth flooded Lavagirl's heart. A different kind of warmth that she was used to, one Lavagirl only ever experienced once she learned to be close with other people.

"Sooo..." Chloe started, "I'm going to say that is a-"

"Yes!" Lavagirl said immediately. "Yes! Yes! Absolutely yes!"

"Excellent, I have some forms for you to fill out and then we can get you rung up," Chloe said. "I can even recommend some great tailors to do alterations."

Lavagirl nodded excitedly. Giving in the soaring emotions of the moment, she hugged Marisol tight. The older woman giggled and patted her arm, while Gale approached to hand them both glasses of complimentary champagne.

"Well, now that the most important parts of the planning phase are taken care of, are you ready to get married?" Gale asked.

Lavagirl stared down into the bubbling liquid, and imagined what her future might hold.

'Whatever it holds, I know Sharkboy will be there with me. And that's all I ever wanted.'

"I'm more than ready," she said after a moment, bringing the champagne to her lips with a satisfied grin.

Chapter 17: (2) First Meeting

Chapter Text

Sharkboy had always been drawn to the volcano of Planet Drool.

At first, it had been because the sea around it was warmer, and teaming with fish and crabs that always made a good snack. But, over time, he found himself surfacing to stare at the fiery mountain with its lava flow shining against the dark sky like bright orange veins. Sometimes, the volcano roared and rumbled, and spat out lava in what Sharkboy could have sworn was anger. Other times, it went dark and quiet, the fire dimming so greatly that it was almost completely gone.

"It has not always been like that," Jabbers, one of the oldest sharks on the planet, told him when Sharkboy expressed interest. "In the beginning, the volcano was empty and lifeless. It stayed that way for many years. Long, cold years where there was little food or warmth. Joy was rare in those Dark Times. I do not like remembering it."

"But it didn't stay like that, right?" Sharkboy asked. Jabbers’ description of Planet Droop was nothing like the bright, colorful, and playful world he'd come to call home.

"No," the elder said. "Shortly before you arrived, little hybrid, the Goddess came. It was Her that breathed life into Planet Drool; it is by Her will and power that all exists the way you see it."

That was a lot of important information, but Sharkboy could only pay attention to one thing. "There's a person living there?"

Jabbers let out a low growl, revealing rows of razor-sharp teeth. "A Goddess, not a person. Something wholly different from I or even you. And She is not to be bothered!"

He added the last bit sharply when he noticed Sharkboy still staring in the direction of the Goddess' Volcano. With another growl, Jabbers bumped his nose against Sharkboy's side, right under his gills, effectively knocking the breath out of the young hybrid.

"Don't do that!" he snapped, baring his own mouth of sharp teeth. Normally, Sharkboy wouldn't speak that way to an elder, but that had hurt! "I was just—"

"You may think yourself our Boy-King, but you have no business bothering the light that brings life to Planet Drool!" Jabbers cut him off. When Sharkboy continued to glare, the shark let out a huff —or as near as a shark could— and added, "Besides, the heat of the volcano would dry out your skin and lungs. Spending too long on the surface will be your end, little hybrid. Now, come... You have duties to attend to."

That should have been the end of it. Sharkboy had a bad temper, he could admit, but he wasn't an overly curious child —at least, not when it came to anything other than his father's location— and he knew when to listen to his elders.

And yet... Sharkboy still found himself staring out at the Goddess' Volcano, fascinated by its changing moods, and curious about the being that dwelled inside. The interest and desire to GO THERE grew and grew, until Sharkboy couldn't even sleep without seeing its fire in his mind. After that, Sharkboy lost the ability to sleep at all. Sharkboy tried to tell himself that it was just the mystery, the danger of going near the volcano that appealed to him. But he wasn't that stupid, and only a month after his talk with Jabber, the hybrid found himself in the warm water outside of the Goddess' home.

He was being smart about it! Sharkboy had watched and waited for the fire of the volcano to dim once more; he didn't think it was a good thing when this happened, the planet was always darker and colder when it happened, but he figured that would be the safest time for him to visit. Sharkboy had also made sure he was properly hydrated, fed, and rested, all things that would help him not immediately dry out. Finally, he brought gifts: a big chunk of turquoise he dug out from some underwater rocks, and a nice, plump lobster.

The gemstone was because the Goddess was (probably) a girl, and from Sharkboy's limited knowledge of the species, they (usually) liked pretty rocks. The lobster was because everyone liked food, and if the Goddess didn't want it, then Sharkboy could always eat it himself.

Yet, despite all of his prep, Sharkboy still found himself swimming around near the shore in front of the cave for nearly an entire day before plucking up the courage to go in.

"C'mon," he growled to himself, hand gripping the rocky edge of the shore. "C'mon, you've got to do this. If you don't do it now, then who knows when it'll be calm enough to come again?"

As if hearing his words, the fire of the volcano flared up briefly, its veins glowing bright orange before cooling once more. However, even that brief pulse of heat was enough to irritate Sharkboy's skin.

'Pulse... Yeah, it was almost like a heartbeat.'

Silly as it sounded, that thought was enough to make Sharkboy shove his discomfort away and haul himself up onto the solid ground. With one last moment of mental bracing, the hybrid headed inside the opening at the base of the volcano with his offerings in hand.

As it turned out, Jabbers hadn't been lying when he said being near the volcano would be hard for Sharkboy. Each step he took deeper into the volcano's depths made it harder to breathe; the dry air hurt his skin and eyes, and whenever he breathed in, ash coated his tongue. As he passed through a series of empty tunnels and chambers, at least a dozen times the hybrid considered turning back—it wasn't like he found a sign that anyone was living here yet. But, step by step, he persisted.

"Hello?" he called out again, trying not to cough when he got a fresh mouthful of ash.

'Nothing... Nothing... Nothing... Noth—Wait, what was that?'

It was a small sound, barely audible over the natural sounds of an active volcano, only capable of being picked up by Sharkboy's sensitive ears.

A sniffle. No, a series of soft, feminine sniffles. Like someone was crying.

"Hello?" he called out again, heading in the direction of the noise. "Is anyone there?"

.

.

.

"Go away!"

The second voice echoed through the caverns of the volcano, nearly scaring Sharkboy right out of his skin. Once he got over his initial fright though, Sharkboy noticed how young the voice sounded. As in, not much older than him! The hybrid didn't know much about goddesses, but he was pretty sure they weren't supposed to sound like that.

"My name is Sharkboy," he said, ignoring the order for him to leave. "I'm here to... meet you. I brought gifts."

"...What?"

This time, the hybrid didn't answer. Instead, he used the sound of the goddess' voice to lead him even closer. Turning the corner, Sharkboy felt his eyes go wide.

"You're the Goddess?"

The girl in front of him, if she even was a girl, gave him a confused look. "What did you call me?"

She looked tiny. Only about his height, but far more slender and delicate looking. Her hair was pink, which was odd enough, but more importantly, it was moving! The pink curls shifted and shimmered on her head, glowing and burning away before springing back to life.

"Wow," Sharkboy whispered, gifts forgotten. His eyes drifted downward to the goddess' body, gawking in wonder and confusion when he realized that she didn't have skin past that on her neck.

Or, at least, not normal skin. Instead, much like her hair, the Goddess' skin glowed brightly as fire. It wasn't smooth either, some areas were thick and dark like a cracked stone, while other places were so thin that Sharkboy could see a glowing liquid shifting and stirring around. It was unnerving, yet he didn't want to pull his eyes away —no matter how much they started to hurt from the bright light and ash which filled the air.

"Goddess... Is that my name?"

Sharkboy blinked. "Uhhhhh... That's what all the other sharks call you."

"Other people have called me that too. That or 'monster.' 'Witch' too, sometimes," the... Goddess(?) said, facing scrunching up in unhappiness. "I don't think that's my name though."

"Do you not remember your name?"

That happened to Sharkboy sometimes. When he thought about it really, really hard, he could sometimes remember that his human name was Finn Antilles. And that was a good name, he supposed. But it didn't fit right, not after all these years—if it ever did at all.

Maybe the name "Goddess" fit the fiery spirit in front of him poorly too?

"No, I don't remember anything before I..." The Goddess stumbled over her words. Her brow furrowed, lips pursing. "I don't know how to explain it, to myself or you. One minute, I didn't exist, and then I did. I don't know how I existed, or why. I just did. That's all I know."

'Huh... That's a lot. Not really sure what to say to that,' Sharkboy thought. "What do you call yourself then?"

The fiery girl shrugged."‘Me,’ I guess. ‘I’."

'That's not helpful,' Sharkboy thought. "Well... What do you want to be called?"

Another shrug. "My name."

Sharkboy felt a twinge of annoyance at the unhelpful answers. He fought back a growl, gnawing on the inside of his cheek. The girl looked at him, dark eyes so sad that Sharkboy flinched.

"Sorry," she mumbled. "I don't really... talk to people."

That made sense. "The sharks say you're too busy to talk to us, too important."

"Some of the people back on Earth were like that too. Others were too afraid to talk to me. That didn't feel good. It made me sad, I'd like to talk to people."

"I'm talking to you," Sharkboy said quickly. He hated seeing the Goddess sad. Deep in his gut, he knew it was wrong, and bad, and not how things should be. "I haven't talked to anyone from Earth for a while. It's nice."

The last human he talked to was his dad, and that was... who knows how long ago. Though, from the sounds of it, the Goddess hadn't talked to people from Earth at all. Still, she smiled up at him when he said that, and that made Sharkboy feel very good. A smile looked much better on the Goddess' face than a frown.

"I can talk to you for as long as you'd like," he continued. It was a bald-faced lie. The heat of the volcano was making him weak, and the ash was clogging his throat. He should go back into the ocean. He probably should have never surfaced in the first place.

But Sharkboy can't say he regretted it.

He swallowed hard, trying not to wince at the ash clogging his throat. "Maybe I can help you figure out your name."

The Goddess brightened, though her eyes were still cautious. "How?"

That was a good question. One Sharkboy hadn't given much thought to. "Uhhhh, maybe I could try calling you something different each day? Eventually, it might jog something loose in your brain."

The fiery sprite nodded thoughtfully. "That sounds like it could take a very long time."

Now it was Sharkboy's turn to shrug. "I have a very long time."

Then a coughing fit escaped his throat. Taking a deep breath did little good, only surviving to dry out Sharkboy's throat.

"Are you okay?" the Goddess asked, eyes worried once more.

"Fine," he gasped once the coughing subsided. "Pinky."

"Pinky?!"

Sharkboy tried to blink the spots in his eyes. "Yeah, that's what I'm calling you today. Does it ring any bells?"

"I'm not sure I know what bells sound like!"

"I'll take that as a 'no' then," he said. "It's okay, I'll get there eventually. We can—"

The ground beneath Sharkboy spun out from under him and he fell to his knees.

"W-what's happening?!"

The heat around Sharkboy increased, and when he opened his eyes, he saw the Goddess' face was so close to his that he could count her eyelashes.

"I... can't be out of the water... for too long," Sharkboy stammered. "The heat... It isn't good for me."

"...Then why are you here?" the G—Pinky cried. "Why did you stay so long?"

Sharkboy swallowed again. "Because we were talking."

Was it possible for a girl to look so pretty and so sad at the same time? It seemed crazy.

"I need to get to the ocean. I'll come back though, by tomorrow. I promise," the hybrid said, struggling to his feet.

Pinky hovered nearby, fingers twitching fretfully. "I wish I could help. But when I get too close to people, I—"

She reached out to him but as soon as her fingers came close to Sharkboy's skin, the heat and pain intensified and he cried out in pain.

The girl jerked back. "Sorry! Sorry! That's what always happens!"

"Just... walk with me then," Sharkboy said, getting a nod from Pinky in return.

He limped towards the entrance of the cave, to the safety of the water, with Pinky shuffling close behind. The air outside the cave wasn't much cooler but the cool breeze coming off the ocean felt like heaven. Sharkboy took a deep breath, sighing as his lungs started to clear out and the spots in his eyes faded away.

"Do you... Do you feel better now?" Pinky asked, wringing her hands together.

Sharkboy nodded, watching with fascination as Pinky's fiery hair flared up in the breeze, twisting and flickering before dying out— only to flare up again after a moment. It was only then that Sharkboy realized he was still holding the gifts he'd brought for the G— for Pinky.

"Oh, here," he said. "I brought these for you."

He reached out to hand them to her, only for Pinky to shrink away.

"Don't get too close, I don't want to burn you again," she warned.

Sharkboy winced, his skin aching at the very thought. "...Right. How about I just toss them to you?"

Pinky looked nervous but hesitantly held out her hands. Sharkboy tossed her the chunk of turquoise first, smiling as Pinky's eyes widened in delight as she turned the pretty rock in her hands. Deciding she liked it, Pinky tucked the turquoise under her arm and held her arms out again. But, this time, when the lobster landed in Pinky's hand it burst into flame, the red shell turning black until it crumbled to white ash and blew away.

"Oh no, your gift," Pinky whimpered. "I ruined it."

She sounded so defeated, so sad, that Sharkboy wanted to hug her. It was only the fresh memory of the pain close contact could cause that held him back.

"It's fine," he promised. "I can find you another one. Or something else. Something you'd like better. I should’ve thought how it could burn."

"I... don't know what I like," Pinky admitted.

Huh...

"I can help with that," Sharkboy said, puffing out his chest confidently. Then he groaned at the flare of pain that shot through his skin. "Tomorrow."

And, with that, he dove into the water. His gills fluttered with relief, and the pain in his skin soothed. Part of Sharkboy wanted to sink to the seafloor for a nap, but decided he needed to say goodbye first.

He broke the surface to see Pinky crouched by the water's edge. Her face brightened when she saw him.

"All better now?" she asked.

"All better," he smiled. "I'll see you tomorrow, okay? I promise!"

He turned to swim away, only to stop when Pinky called out again. "Wait! You didn't tell me your name!"

"You can call me Sharkboy," he called back. "Everyone does!"

Pinky seemed to glow brighter as she waved. "See you tomorrow Sharky! I can't wait to see you again!"

'Me neither,' the hybrid thought, diving back under the waves.

Chapter 18: (16) A New World

Chapter Text

The first thing that Sharkboy became aware of was light.

Bright, intense, and unyielding, it batters down at him from above, penetrating through his eyelids with a red glow. As he was slowly pulled from a deep sleep, his face scrunched and twisting at the unwelcome brightness; Sharkboy rolled from his side to his chest, burying his face into his arms to block out the sun.

'Much better...' Sharkboy thought to himself as he relaxed into the sand under him, enjoying its texture against his bare skin.

.

.

.

'Bare skin? Huh?'

Sharkboy kept the specialized wetsuit that Max designed for him on at all times, really only taking it off to wash it and himself. It was a necessary evil. His strength and durability were still developing, and the wetsuit helped compensate for that. It also helped with temperature regulation, allowing the hybrid to stay in the cold depths longer, and most importantly, withstand Lavagirl's heat. Plus, you know, pockets.

So, yeah, Sharkboy definitely never slept shirtless. It was too much of a risk.

'What is going on?' he thought, forcing himself upward. "Aaaggggh!"

It was only now that the hybrid realized how much his body ached. A deep sort of muscular pain radiated from every part of his body. It felt like he'd been thrown around in a fight against something fierce!

Rolling so he was sitting upright, Sharkboy took a moment to check himself over; pushing through the pain, he wiggled his fingers and toes before stretching and rotating his limbs. Good news? Nothing was broken. Bad news? Something had stripped Sharkboy of his wetsuit and gear, leaving him in a pair of gray swim trunks that he'd never seen before.

Worst news?

"Where the hell am I?" he wondered aloud.

The sand he was laying on was connected to a thin strip of beach that turned into beachgrass behind him, and a pleasant-looking bay in front of him. Across the water, Sharkboy could see the tall skyscrapers of a city skyline. Earth then, but not any place the hybrid recognized.

Looking around again, searching his memory for any hint of how he got there, Sharkboy caught a glimpse of pink and his stomach dropped.

"Lavagirl!"

Sharkboy forced himself to his feet, ignoring the sensation of knives which shot through his body. He stumbled over to his love, falling to his knees beside where she lay in the sand. It was then that memories came crashing back.

The fight... Lavagirl's injury... Her inner fire dying as she grew cold and stiff... Going to Max for help... What was it that the Dreamer had said?

"I— I had a dream. A dream that Lavagirl's time in this world was coming to an end."

'No!' Heedless of the danger, Sharkboy took Lavagirl's face in his hands, and nearly cried when he felt her breathing. Her skin was soft against his palm, but he scarcely had time to make a note of that as he pleaded. "Please, Lavagirl, wake up! Wake up!"

He leaned down to whisper in her ear. "Please, don't leave me alone. I can't do this without you!"

.

.

.

Sharkboy felt the soft tickle of eyelashes moving against his cheek as Lavagirl began to stir awake.

"Shhhhrrrrrk..."

"Oh, thank god!" he breathed, pulling Lavagirl in for a crushing hug. "Never do that again!"

That got him another groan and a head lolling onto his shoulder as arms weakly circled his chest to hug him back. Sharkboy couldn't say how long they stayed like this. He knew this was the longest he'd ever gotten to hold Lavagirl in his arms, but was too lost in the haze of bliss, pain, and relief to wonder about any strangeness in the situation. In the end, it was Lavagirl who reacted first.

The young goddess leaped back out of his arms, eyes wide with worry. "Sharkboy, you'll burn!"

The hybrid glanced down at himself. No burns, no scratches... nothing but some smudges of dirt and sand. "I'm fine. It's okay."

Lavagirl shook her head, "No, no! That can't be true. You're skin..." She glanced down at herself, sucking in a surprised breath. "My skin..."

Only then did Sharkboy shove aside his own racing emotions to really look at Lavagirl. More specifically, her body. "Oh wow..."

Gone was the shifting, fluid skin that glowed and hardened like molten magma. Now she looked... human, for the lack of a better world. Her hair was a mane of pink curls; her limbs still long and elegant, yet leaner now; and her eyes still glowed with intense heat, but her skin was now smooth and peachy. It looked so soft, Sharkboy's hands ached to touch it again. And, much like him, she'd been dressed in new clothing. In her case, it was a short-sleeved, gauzy gold dress that caught the sun. It was so thin and sheer that Sharkboy felt himself flushing red just looking at her.

Touching her face and hair and neck, exploring her new body, Lavagirl turned back to Sharkboy. "Wha—what happened to me? To us? Where are we?"

Another memory returned.

"Dream us one more time, but better. Dream us somewhere better. Dream us into a better life. Into a better world where we can finally be happy."

"Y—you were hurt in a fight," he said slowly, throat swelling as the pain returned. "You were... you were dy—Please don't make me say it. I took you to Max, hoping he could heal you. Or, at least, know a way to help you. But he... He said there was no way, that you were fading. But I couldn't live without you, so I asked him to dream us into a better world. So we could have another chance. I guess... I guess it worked. And I guess he changed you a bit."

Lavagirl's brow furrowed. "So... so am I still me? Are you still you?"

"I don't know, I feel like me," the hybrid replied. Glancing at the water, Sharkboy felt the call of the waves. Looking back at Lavagirl, he was filled with overwhelming love and awe. And that was enough. "But I don't care. So long as I'm here with you, I'm happy."

He approached her then, slowly and cautiously so as not to frighten her. Still, Lavagirl flinched away when he reached out. Undeterred, Sharkboy took her hand and squeezed it tight—bare skin on bare skin.

"See?" he asked. " Max changed us. Now we're truly perfect for each other."

Lavagirl stared at their hands, eyes almost comically wide. "This... This has to be a dream. It has to be, and I know that because I always had this dream. Pretty soon I'm gonna open my eyes and then cry because it wasn't real."

Sharkboy's heart ached at the thought. Max had given them a second chance, he didn't want it to start with tears.

"Don't cry," he murmured. "This isn't a dream. Or, if it is, it must be my own dream, because this is what I've always wanted too. Let's not think about it, let's just enjoy it and see where it goes."

Lavagirl looked like she didn't quite believe him about this not being a dream, but she nodded all the same, her pink lips quivering as if trying to start to form words but never quite making it past the first few sounds. Sharkboy watched them move and steeled himself, pushing away thoughts of burnt lips, sad girlfriends, and failed experiments.

One hand still holding Lavagirl's, the other came up and cupped her face. The Volcano Goddess quivered at the touch, letting out of soft, low keen that had Sharkboy's stomach doing flip-flops, the hybrid refused to let himself hesitate and pulled Lavagirl into a kiss. It wasn't their first, and it certainly would not be their last, yet for the first time, Sharkboy did not pull away immediately. Instead, he let himself linger, flexing his hand when Lavagirl tried to pull away, and letting instinct guide him. Over the years, Sharkboy had learned to temper his instincts, but now he trusted that they would serve him and Lavagirl well.

Her gasp was muffled by his lips, surprise melting into bliss when she realized that he did not burn. Well, Sharkboy did burn but this was an entirely different type of heat. This was a sensation of warmth and serenity and want that flooded his body; this was a heat that he'd gladly burned to death in.

Something he knew was beyond his imagination to fabricate.

Their lips moved together, mutual inexperience matched only by passion. And after only a few seconds, or maybe an eternity had passed, Sharkboy's felt his love's hand cup the back of his neck. Their other hands remain clasped together though. As much as Sharkboy was tempted to release that one so he could touch Lavagirl's hair and the legs and every other part of her body that he could think of, he didn't. In fact, the hybrid would have been perfectly happy to hold hands for the rest of their lives.

The kiss only broke when Sharkboy remembered that he did in fact need to breathe air. Even still, he was loathed to pull away. That was lessened slightly by getting to see the euphoric look on Lavagirl's face, her eyes bright with joy and her cheeks flushed red.

Both knowing this was very much real.

"Wow," he breathed.

Lavagirl giggled. "Wow."

Panting slightly, Sharkboy looked over Lavagirl's shoulder at the city across the water. "We should— We should probably try and figure out where we are."

"Good thinking," Lavagirl said. Then she kissed him again, arms wrapping around his neck.

Any thoughts of responsibility and smart choices were wiped from Sharkboy's mind as his hands fumbled to find the best handholds on Lavagirl's body. After exploring just about everything he could get his hands on, the hybrids settled on a tight grip of Lavagirl's hips, pulling them against his. If there was any space left between their bodies at all, Sharkboy did his best to eliminate it. He pressed himself against her, tighter and tighter until eventually—

"Umpf!"

They both grunted as they fell down into the sand, Lavagirl having lost her balance and pulling Sharkboy down with her. She landed sprawled in the sand, Sharkboy half on top of her. There is no pain for the hybrid, just a touch of surprise, and he suspected the same was true for Lavagirl as well. A theory that was confirmed when she started laughing. Surprisingly, he found himself joining in too.

"I can't believe this," Lavagirl said. "I never thought I'd be this happy. I never thought I'd be able to touch you like this."

She put her hand over Sharkboy's heart to emphasize your point, running her thumb back and forth over his skin. The hybrid felt himself twitch at the contact, the sensation of her skin on his body sending him into near overdrive. This opened up so many questions. Wherever Max had sent them, what were they supposed to do now? Sharkboy felt the same as he always had, looked at two from what he could tell, but what about Lavagirl? Did she still have her powers, or did Max take them away to give her a chance at a new life? She certainly felt warm to the touch, but the hybrid could admit that there were probably other reasons for that.

Once again, he settled on letting his instincts guide him. Sharkboy shifted so he was more comfortably kneeling above Lavagirl. The sand felt cool beneath him, a delightful contrast to the warmth of his love's smile and skin. And, at the moment, he was sure that was all that mattered in the world.

"We will be happy here," he said, leaning down to kiss the Volcano Goddess' bare shoulder. "I know it."

Tomorrow, or the day after, or maybe even next week, Sharkboy and Lavagirl would both wrestle with thoughts and guilt of everything they'd left behind.

Sharkboy would think of the father he never found, and now likely never would. Lavagirl would wonder if she was abandoning her purpose in life. After all, if she was to be the world's Light, then did her going away mean she doomed her home planet to darkness? Then there was Max. Their creator, their brother, and their best friend. He remade them at least twice, perhaps many more times, and who knew if they'd ever get a chance to see him again.

Right now though, they were content to bask in the fact that they were together. Together in a way they never had been before.

Lavagirl flexed her body, starting to wiggle down into a more comfortable position on the sand... Only to freeze, her body growing tense underneath Sharkboy's. As the temperature around them seemed to rise, the hybrid pulled back ever so slightly.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

Silently, Lavagirl met his gaze before looking over his shoulder, and giving a small, nearly indiscernible nod in that direction.

Now it was Sharkboy's turn to grow tense, his sensitive ears picking up on several sets of footballs on the sand underneath the sound of the waves, wind, and birds. He turned slowly, rolling his body into a crouched position on the sand, perfect for springing up and attacking if need be. More importantly, it put him in the prime spot to shield Lavagirl if a fight were to break out. After all, they still didn't know about any potential downsides to this new body of hers, and Sharkboy wasn't about to take any chances with their new life.

He narrowed his eyes at the approaching figure: a tall man with dark hair that matched his dark clothes. He was well built, though not particularly bulky or intimidating. If not for the handles of two swords that poked out over each shoulder, then Shark Boy would not have considered him a threat at all. Yet the existence of those swords spoke to someone who knew how to fight, something the man's calm, even, and unafraid gate reinforced. To make matters worse, further down the beach hovered a group of other adults—all clad in increasingly ridiculous-looking outfits.

When the man had approached close enough that he was only a dozen paces away, he stopped. The air around them grew tight and heavy, the beach that had seemed so peaceful just minutes ago now felt like a battleground. Sharkboy felt his retractable set of jagged shark teeth push their way through his gums, coming to cover his more ordinary human teeth.

Then the man waved.

"Hey there," he call out. "You two doing alright? We picked up an energy surge coming from this area, and came out to see the problem. Do you kids happen to now what caused it?"

Sharkboy refused to let himself show shock at the man's mild, pleasantly calm voice in the face of the obvious threat of his teeth.

Instead, he glanced at Lavagirl out of the corner of his eye. Her gaze met his, and it was obvious they were both thinking the same thing. Whatever energy surge this man was talking about, it had likely been the result of them appearing in this world. Why that happened, or the quantum specifics of it, Shark Boy didn't even care to think about or try to understand. Max was powerful, and that was enough of an explanation for him.

So he stayed silent, glaring up at the older man, just waiting for his hands to twitch towards his blades. If he did that, Sharkboy would be going through the throat. It was brutal, bloody, and not at all what a hero should think about doing to another person, but Sharkboy wasn't willing to sacrifice his second chance with Lavagirl.

"Not interested in talking, eh? Okay, we can work around that," the man said. Putting his hands on his hips, he let out a long, slow breath. But, before Sharkboy had a chance to wonder what the man was thinking, he was closer -almost in touching distance- kneeling down in the sand to be at roughly eye-level with Sharkboy and Lavagirl. Sharkboy bristled at the closeness, eyes darting between the man in front of him and the other figures who were hanging back.

"Do you understand what I'm saying?" he asked slowly.

Sharkboy considered ignoring him. Or hitting him. Then again... If the guy knew Sharkboy could understand what he was saying, they might be able to get more info out of him. So, reluctantly, he gave a sharp, quick nod.

The man smiled. "Good, that's good. It means we can get somewhere. Now, what are your names?"

Nothing.

"How old are you both?"

Nothing.

"Where are you from?"

Nothing.

The man let out another deep sigh, this one of frustration. Sharkboy didn't feel any sympathy for him. He was the one who showed up on this beach. The hybrid certainly didn't want him there.

"Are either of you two hurt?" the man asked. He glanced over both of them. "Or maybe cold? I can find you some shoes, if you need me too."

Sharkboy let out a low growl when the man turned to address Lavagirl. "What about you, sweetheart? Is there anything I can help you with?"

It was then the man made the worse mistake he could. He reached out to Lavagirl, coming close enough to almost touch her arm.

"AHHHHHHHHH!"

The man's scream battered against Sharkboy's sensitive eardrums. Still, he forced away the pain as he clamped down even harder with his jaws.

Blood filled his mouth, hot and thick on his tongue, as he bit through the strong muscle of the man's forearm. Just as the hybrid had felt the tips of his sharp teeth clink against each other, Sharkboy felt himself be thrown back by an unseen force. It was strong enough that his body ached, but Sharkboy forced himself to his feet immediately. Pausing only long enough to spit the bloody chunk of flesh out onto the sand before bearing his teeth once more. Behind the man, Sharkboy saw the rest of the costume-clad group start to sprint forward. He growled, lowering himself into a fighting stance. He wished he had his suit, and maybe even the crude tools he had started to fashion himself, but it looked like brawl strength mixed with sharp teeth and claws would have to be enough in this fight.

By his side, Lavagirl leaped to her feet. Sharkboy heard a woosh! and a wave of heat came over him. A glance out of the corner of his eye showed the hybrid that Lavagirl had returned to the form he always knew as her. No, that wasn't quite true. This looked like a more refined version of her, as her magma glowed more brightly than ever, and the igneous rock was smoother and more graceful looking. Her hair still burned though, this time matched by the flames glowing in her eyes.

'More beautiful than she was yesterday,' Sharkboy thought. 'Max, did you make her more powerful too? Or was her strength the trade-off when you dreamed us into this world?'

He didn't have time to ponder those questions long, however, with the approaching group. Sharkboy didn't know who they were, yet, with Lavagirl by his side, he was sure the others would be no threat to them.

And Sharkboy was right, though not for the reasons he thought.

"Stop! Stop!" the man demanded, waving his non-damaged arm wildly at the group.

To Sharkboy's surprise, the group listened. Skirting to a stop a few yards away. The hybrid could see the group better now: two men, and two women. All wearing costumes, all looking pissed off. Under different circ*mstances, Sharkboy would be picking one to attack first. But, right now, his attention was drawn back to the first man.

"It looks like we got off to a rough start," he said, smile now tight and pained. "I get that. You both look like you both have been through a hard time, and are probably scared. Understandable. So, how about I do this?"

Sharkboy growled as the man reached with his undamaged arm for a sword, an action matched by Lavagirl's flaring up with a fresh wave of near-burning heat. Both of which died down when the man pulled his sword free... and tossed it out into the grass, where it was quickly joined by the other blade.

"There, hopefully, that can help you trust me," the man continued, back to pressing down on his wound. "Because my name is Marcus, and I think I can help you."

Chapter 19: (10) Gifts

Chapter Text

1) Turquoise

Time worked strangely on Planet Drool, as it did in all dreams. A year could pass in the blink of an eye, or a day could seemingly drag on forever.

You got used to it.

'It has its uses too,' Sharkboy thought.

It meant visits with his friend could last long before needing to leave to attend to his duties, especially if he took regular breaks in the water to cool down and rehydrate. Something made a lot easier now that'd started to spend his visits on the shore in front of the caves.

"Pay attention, Sharky! I want to show you what I figured out how to do."

The hybrid's attention snapped back to the God—his friend, grinning at the pout that twisted her mouth.

"Sorry," then, after a moment, "Lizzie."

The pout fell away, replaced by pursed lips and a furrowed brow before... "No," she shook her head, "I don't think it's that either."

It was the 30th name they'd tried so far. Sharkboy was running out of ideas.

"I like the sound of it though," his friend said, as if sensing the hybrid's disappointment. "So you can keep calling me that if you want."

"...For today," Sharkboy decided. "Next time, we'll try something else. Who knows, it might be the right one."

'Lizzie' smiled sweetly, making his stomach flip, but she said nothing. Not for the first time, Sharkboy wondered if his friend was only going along with this name game for his benefit instead of her own.

He cleared his throat. "What did you want to show me?"

The fiery-haired girl perked up. "Watch this!"

'Lizzie,' knelt down, picking up two chunks of rocks and squeezing them tightly in her first.

"What are you—"

"Shhh!" 'Lizzie' hissed. "I have to focus."

Sharkboy obediently shut his mouth, dropping to the ground to sit as he waited for his friend to do whatever it was she was doing. After a moment, her hair flared up as the lava cracks that wound around her body like blood veins began to glow. Smoke rose from her clenched fists, and there was a long, low hissss. The hybrid winced at the rush of new heat, yet said nothing. Lizzie always felt guilty when her powers caused him discomfort, so Sharkboy had taken to masking it whenever possible. Even with her eyes closed, he wouldn't risk her noticing.

Then Lizzie's eyes popped open and that bright, pretty smile of hers returned once more. She thrust her hands towards him, opening her fists, "Look at these!"

Once more, Sharkboy obeyed. Blinking away the ash that got caught in his eye, he looked down at the rocks in Lizzie's hands. They were different now, no longer the rough, black stone they had been just a few moments earlier. Now they were colorful, one orangeish and the other a light brown. But more than that, they were nearly see-through, and caught the light from the sun, and that radiated from Lizzie's body.

Sharkboy co*cked his head to the side. "Are those—"

"Diamonds!" Lizzie said, absolute delight clear in her voice. "Or, at least, I think they are. I'm pretty sure this is what diamonds are. Diamonds are made from heat and pressure right?"

Sharkboy shrugged. Why would he know that?

Lizzie though, sometimes she knew things. She knew them without knowing how she knew them. She knew that light and heat came from the sun, she knew the difference between lava and magma, and she knew what caused earthquakes. She could tell different types of rocks apart by just holding them. She knew that she didn't need to eat, at least not like Sharkboy did. While also knowing that she enjoyed occasionally nibbling on lava rocks, and never once needed to drink. She knew that she could turn sand into glass just by touching it and that ice would melt if she got too close. Of course, Lizzie still didn't know her name, where she was from, or what she was. But she knew other things.

And she had admitted to Sharkboy that the list of things she knew had been growing since they met. He thinks he's allowed to take a little bit of pride in that.

"I was mapping out some of the other tunnels, the ones I don't go into too often, and I found some diamonds in the wall," Lizzie explained. "They were pretty, so I pried them loose and took them with me. And as I found more and more, I got to thinking that if the volcano I lived in could make diamonds, then I could too. So I grabbed some rocks and started practicing. It didn't work so well at first though, the little ones crumbled, and the big ones didn't come out right."

Sharkboy looked down at the gems still clutched in each of Lizzie's hands, and tried to match them to what he remembered of diamonds from before. The shape didn't match, and they weren't as sparkly. They also weren't completely clear. And yet... They reminded him of his friend: strange, rare, and pretty.

"It looks like you figured it out," he said.

Lizzie nodded happily. "The cool thing is, they come out in different colors depending on what kind of rocks I use. The ones around my volcano have given me orange, yellow, blue, and white. But I'm sure I could make ones that are different than that too if I had the rocks. I want to try making one that's every color of the rainbow."

"I could bring you rocks from other places around Planet Drool," Sharkboy offered immediately. The delight that filled Lizzie's eyes told him it was the right move though.

"Really?!"

Sharkboy shifted, trying not to openly preen under Lizzie's excitement. "Yeah. I mean, it wouldn't be hard. And it'd be neat to see what else you can make."

Lizzie hopped up. "Thank you, Sharky!"

She moved forward, arms opening... only to freeze. The air between them became stiff, awkward, and heavy. Even if it was just Sharkboy's imagination, the space between them stretched out into a massive chasm.

He bit his tongue hard enough to draw a salty tang of blood. "Can you show me the other diamonds you've made? If you kept them, that is."

Lizzie shifted uncomfortably. "Yeah... but they're all inside my cave. Do you want to wait out here and I can bring them out?"

"No, I can go inside."

"But—"

"It's okay, I can take the heat for a little while. The first time we met, I spent a while in your cave. Remember?"

"And you got sick from it!"

Sharkboy forced a nonchalant shrug. "Spending time around you has made it so I can endure the heat better. As long as I don't spend the night or anything, I'll be fine. You just have to show me real quick. Unless... you don't want me to come inside?"

Lizzie's eyes went wide and she shook her head rapidly. "Of course not!! I love it when you visit, I just worry about you being hurt. If something happened to you... I don't know what I would do."

If something happened to Sharkboy, Lizzie would be left alone. Neither said it out loud but that was the truth of their relationship. If something happened to Sharkboy, she would have no one to visit, no one to talk to, and no one to help her remember her name.

"Good, then show me where they are," the hybrid said, allowing himself a touch of smugness at his victory.

"Okay," Lizzie said slowly. "But you can only stay inside for five minutes tops! Got it? And dunk yourself in the water first to make sure you’re extra cool."

'Her face is cute like that,' Sharkboy thought, eyeing Lizzie's pursed lips and narrowed eyes. "Sure."

An accord reached, Sharkboy paused to briefly submerge himself in the ocean —better to be safe than sorry, after all— before following Lizzie into the winding tunnels of her volcano. It only took a few steps past the cave's entrance for the hybrid to start feeling the effects of the environment. Ash-thick air caught in his throat and stung his eyes, not to mention the uncomfortable half-itching/half-burning sensation that broke out over his skin.

Sharkboy was careful to only rub his eyes or swallow hard when Lizzie wasn't paying attention. He didn't want to be banished from the caves, after all.

"Here we go," Lizzie said, leading Sharkboy into the chamber that served as her pseudo-bedroom.

The hybrid scanned the chamber, frowning. There wasn't much there, a large pool of lava served both as Lizzie's bed and the room's light source. Rocks of different sizes and shapes were scattered about, their position giving the impression of furniture like couches and tables. On the walls of the caves, Lizzie had used her powers to craft large pictures as decorations. Most were crude things, only identifiable as people, animals, or landscapes if you tilted your head to the side and squinted. But others —Sharkboy presumed the newer ones— were clearer, the lines neater and more even. The hybrid grinned when he spotted one that looked like a shark.

Running along one of the curved, uneven walls was a section of rock that jutted outward by a foot or so. It seemed to be a natural feature of the cavern, and one Lizzie had turned into a display shelf. She didn't have much there, mostly just a collection of colorful, handmade diamonds. Well, the diamonds and—

"Hey, that's the turquoise I brought you!" Sharkboy said, pointing to the chuck of blue stone that sat at the very far end of the 'shelf'. "You kept that thing?"

Lizzie turned to smile at him, bemusem*nt clear in her eyes. "Of course, I did, silly! It was the very first gift I ever got. And, besides, you gave it to me. That makes it precious."

Sharkboy felt his face flush red. He tried to convince himself that it was just the natural heat of the volcanic caves, but it was a futile effort.

2) Seashells

A wide grin stretched across Sharkboy's face as he spotted his prize—the final piece he needed for his gift to be complete.

Kicking his feet, he propelled himself through the water, disturbing sand in his wake. His hand sinking into the seabed as he steadied himself, Sharkboy reached between two algae-covered boulders to pull a Hundred-Eyed cowrie shell loose. Turning the seashell over in his hands, the hybrid took a moment to admire its creamy coloring, and the many distinct brown circles that covered its surface.

After double-checking that no one was home, Sharkboy rubbed the bit of dirt, sand, and algae growth off before tucking it into the satchel attached to his belt. Kicking his feet off of the seabed, Sharkboy shot back through the water towards the so-called Goddess' Cave. His friend was going to love this!

Soon enough, his head broke the surface of the lagoon outside his friend's cave. Taking a minute to catch his breath as his body shut its gills in preparation to breathe air the 'normal' way, Sharkboy tapped the satchel once more to reassure himself it was there.

"Hey, I'm here!" he called out. Sharkboy flipped through the mental list of names he hadn't tried yet and picked one. "Samantha, come on out!"

For a few agonizingly long moments, there was no sign of anything. Panic began seizing the hybrid's mind as worry that something happened to his friend. When he swam for the shoreline, his movements were erratic and frantic, not at all like the smooth, swift oceanic predators Sharkboy had been raised by. He was almost there when—

"Hi, Sharky!" His friend emerged from the cave, her pink flaming locks catching in the breeze. "What are you up to?"

Hauling himself up onto the rocky shore, Sharkboy let out a relieved sigh that he did his best to cover up. "I've got a surprise for you."

"Huh?"

Sharkboy motioned for Samantha to sit down next to him as he pulled the satchel from his belt. She did so, sitting just close enough that her heat started prickling his skin. The hybrid ignored it though, and pulled out the first shell; this one a more standard scallop shell, though an excellent example of one with its red-streaked, pink coloration.

"Here," Sharkboy said, offering Samantha the shell. "Take it."

The fiery girl reached out, her fingertips nearly brushing the rim of the shell before yanking her hand back. "What if I burn it?"

"It's a seashell, I don't think it can burn," the hybrid replied, holding it out further. "And, even if it could... it's just a seashell."

He could find his friend another one. He would find a hundred more for her if asked.

Hesitantly, Samantha took the shell, her fingertips brushing against Sharkboy's glove. It was quick and light enough that all he felt was a quick burst of warmth. It felt nice.

Samantha cradled the shell in her palms, steam hissing off the shell as the water evaporated from her natural heat. "It's pretty."

"It's the shell of a King's scallop," Sharkboy explained. "They're pretty common. Some of them even have pearls inside. I couldn't find one of them though."

He had tried. A pearl would have been a nice addition to his friend's collection of gemstones.

"That's fine," Samantha said. She gave him a confused look, "Thank you, Sharky, but... why did you bring me this?"

Sharkboy scratched the back of his neck. "I, uh, thought you would like having more things for your collection. You can't go into the ocean, so I brought some of the ocean to you."

Something inside the hybrid melted as Samantha's eyes went wide, a sweet smile spreading across her face and a small gasp escaped her lips.

"Thank you," she whispered again. "Thank you, Sharky."

.

.

.

"No problem," Sharkboy mumbled, ducking his head. Shoving his hand into the satchel, he blindly pulled out another shell and shoved it toward Samantha. "Here, that's a... a..." he paused, sounding out the name in his mind. “An Abalone shell. They don't look much on the outside but on the inside..."

He motioned for Samantha to turn it over, grinning as squealed in delight at the beautiful

iridescence metallic blue and green inner surface. "You'll see how special they really are."

"It's amazing what nature can make," Samantha said. Setting the shell down beside her, she turned back to Sharkboy and asked, "So what else do you have?"

3) Boat Ride

It was stupid to be jealous of Max, Sharkboy could admit to that. Max was their creator, their friend, and the ruler of Planet Drool. In so many ways Sharkboy wasn't yet able to understand, they belong to him.

And yet... Sharkboy still couldn't help but find it unfair that Max was the one who had given his friend her name. Lavagirl. It was a good name, one Sharkboy could have never thought of in 100 years; even if it seemed stupidly obvious in hindsight. And Sharkboy was glad she found it, if only for the peace it brought to his friend. He just wished... Well, it didn't matter. Not really.

The name was the biggest thing, the most significant. The thing Sharkboy could never top. But, if that wasn't enough, Max had to give Lavagirl other gifts on top of that. Now, to be fair, the hybrid got gifts too: a new wetsuit for one, and a set of retractable shark teeth that meant he no longer had to worry about cutting open his own mouth. Sharkboy even got a spaceship. Each gift had been lovingly crafted by Max for them, his favorite creations. But watching Lavagirl squeal in delight over her new lava-bike still made Sharkboy want to hit Max. Not enough to do any serious damage, of course, just enough to make him cry and maybe wet himself. Lavagirl wouldn't think their creator was so cool then.

At least he got the reprieve of Max sometimes having to Wake Up and go back to Earth (even if his absence did mean Sharkboy had to sit there and think about what a moron he was being). With Max gone, Sharkboy would once more have Lavagirl all to himself.

As his partner.

Just like it was meant to be.

And after they finished attending to their duties on Planet Drool, it meant that Sharkboy and Lavagirl could spend their free time together.

Today, that meant a special surprise.

"Where are we going?" Lavagirl asked, not for the first time as they walked towards the shore of the island.

"You'll see when we get there," Sharkboy replied, not for the first time.

Lavagirl huffed, giving the appearance that she would have crossed her arms if they weren't stretched hesitantly out in front of her. "Well, I wouldn't complain as much if you let me actually see where we were going."

Even with the complaints, Lavagirl's eyes remained tightly shut, just as Sharkboy had instructed.

"Letting you know where we are going means spoiling the surprise. Do you want that?"

Lavagirl refused to answer, only lifting out a small, "Hmmm!"

Sharkboy chuckled, glancing at the docks ahead of them. Only about 100 feet to go. "Can you ever listen to me without complaining? Just keep walking straight for now, listen to my voice."

"Sharky..." Lavagirl replied. It was only one word, but it told Sharkboy all he needed to hear.

~I do trust you. There's no one I trust more. I'm not afraid. I just want to know what's happening.~

"Okayyyyy... Stop!" Sharkboy said. At the sound of his voice, Lavagirl froze obediently. "You can open your eyes."

Warm dark eyes opened on command, leaving a confused Lavagirl to scan the world around her. "A dock? What did you want to show me here?"

"This," Sharkboy replied, jerking his head in the direction of a small metal dinghy tied to the end of a pier, its shark scale-themed paint job catching the light brilliantly. "I thought we could go out on the water today."

Lavagirl’s lips widened slightly and she took a step forward, only to hesitate and take three steps back. “Is it safe?”

“Should be,” the hybrid replied. He tried to sound nonchalant, but the truth is he had given this a lot of thought. “You'll have to be careful on the dock, but the boat is metal so you won't burn through that. And since I’ll be in the water, I won’t have to worry about it heating up.”

The smile that crossed Lavagirl's face sent a wave of warmth over Sharkboy's body.

“Let’s get started then!” she cried, rushing toward the end of the dock. Steam rose from the damp wood with every step, yet when Lavagirl reached the end, she only hesitated for a heartbeat before she hopped into the dinghy. It wobbled with the sudden motion. “Wow!”

Sharkboy chuckled and with a running start, dove into the water. He took a moment to relish in the sensation of cold, salty water rushing over his skin, before turning his body and shooting back to the surface. The hybrid pushed his damp bangs out of his eyes and grinned up at his partner, who was hanging off the side of the boat and waving her fingers at him.

“Hi there, Sharky! How’s the—EEEP!” Lavagirl squeaked as she tried to lean out of the way of the droplets of water that Sharkboy splashed at her.

“Sit back and try not to move too much. You'll rock the boat otherwise,” he instructed. The hybrid didn't want to think about it, but the idea of the little dinghy capsizing… Sharkboy shivered, no that wouldn't happen. It couldn't.

Lavagirl listened, settling back into a comfortable seat on the dinghy’s center bench. Folding her hands in her lap she peered at Sharkboy as he swam closer to grab ahold of the rope he had left dangling in the water.

Arranging it over his shoulder and making sure his grip was tight, the hybrid called over his shoulder, “Hang on!”

Without any more thought, Sharkboy kicked his legs as hard as he could, shooting through the water and building up an impressive speed in little time. It wasn't as fast as he could usually go, but the extra 250 or so pounds of weight slowed him down. Within only a few minutes, the shoulder the rope was tugged over began to ache.

And yet, when he heard Lavagirl's laughter over the wind on the water, Sharkboy felt as if he was swimming through air.

~~~

“That was awesome!” Lavagirl exclaimed. “Thank you so much, Sharky.”

The lava goddess was crouched by the water's edge, the closest they could get without risking burns or fizzling out on either end. Sharkboy flashed his partner a wide toothy grin as he floated in the waves, hoping she couldn't tell how tired he was.

“No problem,” he said. Then, like the past two hours hadn’t been hell on his body, added, “Just let me know when you want to do it again.”

Light shown from Lavagirl's hair and skin. “Really?! You mean that?”

“ I wouldn't offer something I didn't mean,” the hybrid promised.

Lavagirl leaned closer. Sharkboy could count her eyelashes.

“I mean it, Sharky. Thank you. This was the best gift anyone has ever given me.”

The pride that filled Sharkboy's chest was probably stupid. But then he thought of the lava bike, the name, and the dozen other little gifts Max had given her over the years, and wanted to crow that his boat ride had been considered superior.

With the final round of goodbyes and a promise to come back tomorrow, Sharkboy drifted off again letting themselves ride the currents back to his cave home. He had a shoulder to nurse. but that was okay. Lavagirl had fun and that’s what mattered.

Chapter 20: (27) Fall Out

Chapter Text

Sharkboy strode through the corridor of the Heroics’ headquarters, a cup of coffee and bagel from the commissary clutched in his hands, desperately trying to remember how to be alive as he questioned why he had been called in so goddamn early. It wasn’t even 6:30 in the morning yet! He was so out of it he could barely even react when a hand seized him by the bicep and tugged him into one of the various conference rooms that dotted the building.

It probably had a name and an assigned purpose, but Sharkboy still needed to care more to learn. Especially right now, when his sluggish brain was still trying to figure out if he needed to rip the head off of whoever nearly made him drop his pitiful breakfast.

“Hey, I—”

“Shhhhhhhh!” Marcus —Oh, Good thing Sharkboy didn't go on the offensive then— hissed. “I'm doing you a favor. Don't ruin it by drawing Connie here. She's on a warpath!”

“...Huh?” the hybrid blinked in confusion.

Marcus sighed and fished around in his pocket, pulling out his smartphone and tapping at it momentarily before holding it up to Sharkboy. He squinted at the screen, the wheels of his sluggish brain turning slowly as it dawned on him what it was a picture of.

He and Lavagirl were on the beach two nights ago. He was down on one knee, dressed in a suit he hated. She was in that flowy sundress she loved, hands clasped over her mouth. The sunset was behind them.

The picture was a bit blurry and taken from a distance. There was a slight tilt to it, and the light wasn't great. But there was no mistake in what this moment was and who the people in it were.

“sh*t!” Sharkboy growled, his stomach sinking.

“sh*t is right,” Marcus agreed. He dragged a hand down his tired-looking face. “Someone posted that yesterday. The original has been up for less than 24 hours, and it's already been reblogged and reposted over a million times. It's on every news site, every celebrity gossip rag, every social media platform, and hell, I even heard the guys on the radio talking about it this morning! And I listen to sports news when I drive! The cat is out of the bag, Pandora's Box has been opened, and I honestly can't believe you don't know about this!”

Sharkboy squeezed down on his bagel, cream cheese barfing out over his hand. “Well, excuse me, but Lavagirl and I didn’t exactly spend yesterday scrolling through Instagram! We were busy!”

“Doing what? What could have possibly kept you two so busy that you didn’t realize your engagement had gone viral?” the Heroics leader demanded.

The hybrid started to respond… only to close his mouth when a dark red blush covered his cheeks.

Marcus eyed his face, snorted, and then sarcastically, “Ah, young love.”

Still red, Sharkboy glared at his friend. “I don’t get what the big deal is. You knew I was planning on proposing to LG! I mean, you helped me find someone to make the ring!”

“That doesn't mean I thought you were ready to propose so quickly! I thought we had time to prepare, and I definitely thought you would give me a heads-up!”

“It wasn't a planned thing, Marcus! I mean, I had the ring in my pocket, but I've been carrying it around since I picked it up from the jeweler. Lavagirl and I had just gone to dinner. But then we went for a walk, and, I don't know, it just felt right,” the hybrid tried to explain. “And what do you mean, ‘time to prepare’?”

Marcus looked at him, wondering how Sharkboy could be this stupid. He opened his mouth to say something, then closed it, shut his eyes, and took a deep breath. After a moment, he started again. “I'm happy for you too, I really am. You and LG are perfect for each other. I love seeing how happy you make each other.”

“Thanks,” Sharkboy grunted.

“But, Sharkboy, you've got to understand. Our lives as heroes are not always our own. I know it sucks, but we are under constant public watch. They always have their noses in our business and think they're entitled to it.” Marcus put his hand on Sharkboy’s shoulders. “And, the fact is, we can't do anything about that. It's the sacrifice we make when we choose to become heroes. The only thing we can do is always to try and control the narrative. That's Connie's entire job. Hell, that's Connie's entire life!”

The hybrid considered telling Marcus he’d never chosen to be a hero. Not really. It was the role he was created for, a role around which Sharkboy’s entire existence had been shaped. But that would open the door for more questions than he’d want to deal with. Instead, he grimaced. “She’s so annoying, though.”

“No one is denying that! But if you had told her what we were planning, she could have crafted a way to control what people would say about you and Lavagirl.”

Sharkboy blinked. “What could they possibly be saying?”

Marcus snorted. “Well, you'll be happy to know 90% of people are happy for you. We're already starting to get wedding gifts, catering offers, and enough bouquets to take up an entire conference room. But then there are the crazies…”

Turning back to his phone, he gave it a couple more taps and swipes before holding the screen out again.

“...They think Lavagirl is pregnant!?”

Sharkboy wasn't sure if he should be insulted, enraged, or bemused. Of course, he and Lavagirl had talked about the possibility of children in the future, but they weren't even sure if she could get pregnant. The medical team had given no answers, and it wasn't like they could ask Max if he had taken that into consideration when building them in this new world.

“That's what people tend to assume when a pair of early 20-somethings get engaged! And I'm not saying that's right, but it's a common enough assumption that it sticks around.” Marcus rubbed a hand down his face, scratching at his stubble. “And I'll only be showing you those because you don't need to know the messed up comments people are leaving. Our security and research divisions are filing those away.”

By the time the words made sense in Sharkboy's mind, Marcus was already putting his phone away. He grabbed it but only swiped at the air. The hybrid decided to blame his still sluggish mind for his poor reflexes. At least no one else would be here to see that embarrassing miss.

“Hey—”

Marcus ignored him and began pacing the room. “ Okay, okay. Connie was ready to go on a rampage, but I convinced her to let me speak with you first. That's why I only sent the SOS to you and not you and your… fiance.”

“Yeah, I was wondering about that,” Sharkboy grunted, thinking back to how he was woken up by the ping ping ping of his smartphone. Unlike Marcus' usual friendly, long, emoji-filled text messages, these were quick and to the point.

Come to the headquarters immediately.

There is no danger.

But we must speak ASAP.

“And now that I've made you aware of the situation, I want you to call Lavagirl and tell her to come in as soon as possible so we can all sit down with Connie and work out a plan to deal with the social media aspect of your engagement.”

“Why didn't you just call us both here at the same time?”

“Because Lavagirl is sweet, cooperative, and likable. You, however, are a stubborn ball of teeth, self-righteous, have a bad attitude, and have no people skills. I knew she'd be far easier to work with while you would need far more time to work on,” Marcus replied. Before Sharkboy would argue, the older man shot him a stern look. “Shut up, take out your phone, and call your soon-to-be wife, loverboy. We don't have time to waste.”

‘...You’re lucky I like you, Marcus,’ the hybrid grumbled as he pulled out his phone. After hitting the button to call Lavagirl, he made a mental note to look up the crazy comments that Marcus had mentioned.

“Okay, clearly, this story has gotten ahead of all of us. And that's okay. I would have liked to be informed so I could go into these next weeks with a plan. But that's okay. We must be quick and clever when we cast out the containment net. And that's okay. Whenever we don't have the official story, people make up their versions of how things went. But that's okay. Rather than create the narrative, we'll just have to shift the narrative,” Connie said, her voice tight and perky as she paced back and forth across the conference room.

“I don't get what you mean by ‘narrative,’” Sharkboy said, arms crossed as he watched the woman. There is no narrative. People already knew that Lavagirl and I were in a relationship. And people in a relationship get married—sometimes, at least. And engagement is the first step to that. This can't be that big of a surprise.”

Connie let out a sound halfway between a shriek and a sigh. Lavagirl half expected the woman to stomp her foot on the floor like a toddler.

“The story matters,” she declared. The story the public gets matters, as does the plan for dealing with the public's reaction.”

With a final huff, Connie returned a bright, forced smile onto her face and sat across from Sharkboy and Lavagirl. “Okay, we will all put together a simple, succinct phrase to release to the public, along with one or two photos. Ideally, you guys would have already done your engagement photo shoot, and we could release those photos. I considered calling a photographer to have an emergency session, but by now, it's too late. That would look staged. Simple and sweet, that's how we need to play this.”

Lavagirl pressed her lips together, keeping her breathing smooth so she wouldn't heat up. Even so, she heard the telltale crinkling in her ear of her strands of hair, desperately wanting to catch on fire.

‘Deep breaths,’ she reminded herself. ‘Don't think about all the people speculating on your relationship, theorizing about your marriage, or getting jealous because they had a delusion of getting with one of you themselves.’

Looking down at her engagement ring, she couldn't help but smile as the blue stone and silver band caught the light. She felt her breathing relax and, with a swallow, said, “What about a picture of this?” She held up her hand to show off the ring. “That's simple. And I've seen plenty of people post photos like that after getting engaged.”

“Marisol and I did something similar when we got engaged,” Marcus offered. He shot Lavagirl a quick grin. “You know, a million years ago.”

Connie drummed her fingers on the tabletop, still looking twitchy and high-strung. “It's certainly not a terrible idea. It's not as fancy as I would have liked. You two are such a popular couple in the public eye. This was supposed to be a big event. Lots of merchandising and publicity opportunities.”

“Yeesh, if I had known you were planning on making that much money off of us, I would have insisted you paid for the engagement ring,” Sharkboy grumbled, arms crossed.

Connie looked hurt by the suggestion. Her lips moved silently for a moment as if she were trying to think of what to say, but Marcus let out a loud groan that cut her off.

“Oh, come on, Connie!” he said. “Just go with what the kids want! The cat is already out of the bag, so let's make the post and get this all over with. Maybe mention it was an impulsive act of ‘young, passionate love’ or something sappy like that.”

At times like this, Lavagirl was genuinely able to appreciate Marcus and the role he played in their lives. Lavagirl didn't have a father. Not unless you counted Max, and she didn't want to. That would be awkward for a lot of reasons. And the only reason she could conceive of what that role was supposed to be was through media and stories. But she had Marcus, someone who had always tried his best to protect and guide them. And it certainly helped that his role as the Heroics leader meant that he held more sway over the outcomes of what went on in the organization.

“...Fine,” the media liaison huffed. Undoubtedly heartbroken that whatever folder of carefully laid plans she had made up was now useless.

Lavagirl wept for her. Inside. Very quietly.

In the end, the public statement was indeed simple and sweet. A picture of the pairs’ interwound hands, Lavagirl’s atop Sharkboy’s, their fingers intertwined and the ring prominently in focus, along with a statement that read:

After a lifetime of friendship and many years of romance, it is time for a union of water and fire. We are proud to announce that the rumors are true: the Heroes’ favorite sweethearts, Sharkboy and Lavagirl, are indeed engaged to be married. More details are coming soon.

It was posted on the Heroics' official social media, followed by reblogs on the profiles of Sharkboy, Lavagirl, and all the other Heroics members. Their teammates all gave carefully scripted words of congratulations: some true, some lies, most somewhere in between. Predictably, the post blew up all over the internet with hundreds of thousands of likes, comments, and reblogs.

Despite this, Lavagirl decided not to read any of the comments or watch any of the many YouTube videos and tiktoks that had been made about the news. All their lives had to be public spectacles, the engagement was about her and Sharky. It was their love, the first step in their future, and even if Blinding Fast may mumble under his breath that they were too young for marriage, Lavagirl was determined to enjoy it with her soon-to-be husband.

‘More details coming soon, huh? Well, not until we decide on them.’