“Muahaha! Muahahahahahaha!”

 

Elise stared as a wave of water rose into the air, blocking the bullets from her machine gun. She was hovering over the ocean, folding away her guns.

 

“Annoyed Observation: This unit’s arsenal is unsuitable for maritime warfare.”

 

“Fear not, friend Elise! My ancestors were masters of the waves!”

 

“Annoyed Query: Then why is this unit devoting resources to lifting friendly Arvid?”

 

“T-That is…I, um, don’t have a longship at the moment. If we could just find some wood…”

 

Elise turned to look at him. Arvid averted his gaze.

 

As they spoke, the wave dropped, revealing a seventy-foot long skeleton shark. Upon its head rode a young man, wearing a fish-bone mask and a pair of swim trunks. In his hands was a staff of driftwood and bleached coral.

 

“Tremble and despair, you foolish peons! With the power of my Dead-Fish Eyes, I can reach beyond the boundaries of the deep and pull the denizens from the abyss! The oceans are the graveyards of the world, holding a bounty of death no land can compare to! And all that power is at my disposal! For I am the Necro-Megalodon, and I am your doom!”

 

The team heard Cikizwa sigh into their earpieces.

 

“I am going to talk with Carl about his branding after this. All right team, you know the drill, find the crucible of his power, and eliminate it.”

 

“Acknowledgement: Elise scanning for abnormal energy readings. Deploying ‘master of waves’ improvised maritime projectile.”

 

“Friend Elise, what do you mean by that last paaaarrrrttttt!!!!”

 

Arvid cried as Elise launched him at the undead fish. He spun around in the air and managed to draw his blade, slicing through the monster’s head before plunging into the ocean.

 

The giant shark spun around, slamming Arvid with its tail and sending him bouncing across the waves. Kiyosuke and Nana ran along the surface of the water, and leapt into action. Nana fired an explosive shot from her chakra blaster, sending a column of water in front of Arvid to slow him down. Kiyosuke leapt towards the column, catching Arvid and tossing him back into the air. A purple glow surrounded him and lifted him back up towards Elise.

 

“Friend Elise, I appreciate the…creative tactics, but I would appreciate a bit of forewarning.”

 

“Response: A master of the waves can handle that much.”

 

“Ugh.”

 

The Necro-Megalodon lifted his hand, his eyes glowing purple, as well as the severed head of the skeletal shark. The head shifted into three smaller skeleton sharks that dove into the waves, streaming towards the two shinobi on the surface. The two scattered as the sharks dove up from under them, breaching the surface. Kiyosuke beheaded one and Nana shot the other two before they could dive back under.

 

Meanwhile sand streamed up from the depths and coalesced around the headless shark, swirling into a new head with a purple flash. The sand also formed into a row of bone harpoons, and launched into the air towards Elise. Saydaa flew in front of her and stretched out her hands, a red circle covered in geometric patterns growing before her. The harpoons shattered as they collided with the shield.

 

The skeletal shark breached the waves, jaws wide open and surrounding Saydaa, but Arvid dropped from the sky once more, slamming his sword into the shark and sending it careening back into the ocean.

 

“Scan Report: Highest power source located. Target: pearl embedded in staff.”

 

Nana nodded.

 

“On it!”

 

Saydaa’s shield in the sky broke into pieces which then formed into spears of light, raining down on the skeletal shark and its fell rider. The shark’s ribs folded upwards, forming a sphere around the man as the spears impacted it. The sphere dropped revealing the Necro-Megalodon pointing his staff towards Saydaa.

 

Nana pulled out a scroll and a sniper rifle appeared with a puff of smoke. She chambered the round and took aim…

 

BAM!

 

A pearl in the necromancer’s staff shattered, sending out a wave of purple energy.

 

“Nice shot, friend Nana…gah!”

 

The giant shark leapt into the air, knocking Arvid away with its tail. The Necro-Megalodon fell into the water and extended his hands, his whole body glowing purple.

 

“Conjecture: Target may have been empowered by serum. Crucible may not have been ultimate source of his power.”

 

“We noticed! How do we stop him?”

 

Nana cried as a dozen more sharks appeared, swimming after her. She put away the sniper rifle and began to run, a gun blazing in each hand.

 

Arvid popped out out from the surface only for a giant shark to swallow him. He held his sword up with both hands, trying to block the shark from closing its mouth.

 

“We take out the man himself!”

 

Elise stuck her hands together and opened fire with her laser cannon, but more skeletal sharks leapt in front of the Necro-Megalodon, who dove under the water. Kiyosuke flickered across the ocean, running towards the man with a hand on his hilt…

 

“Oh screw this! ENOUGH!”

 

Saydaa swung her hands out, her hair swirling around like a burning flame. A massive cyclone appeared, sending water and skeletal sharks spiraling into the sky. As the cyclone died down Saydaa thrust her hand forward, closed it into a fist, and pulled it back with all her might.

 

The Necro-Megalodon flew out of the cyclone, surrounded by a red aura holding him still. His eyes widened and quivered.

 

“What…what is this? This power…t-this is impossible! I-I am the Necro-Megalodon! I command the watery graves of the Earth!”

 

“JUST SHUT UP AND DIE ALREADY!”

 

Saydaa grit her teeth and raised her hand. She was just about to grasp it closed when something flew past her, landing with a thud. Both her and the Necro-Megalodon’s eyes widened.

 

A greatsword extended from the necromancer’s chest.

 

“Im…possible…”

 

And the Necro-Megalodon was still.

 

Elise and Arvid floated down towards the man in the water, Arvid grabbing his blade before it sank.

 

“Analysis: vital signs terminated. No energy surges detected in final moments. All signs point to successful mission.”

 

Saydaa spun around and glared at Arvid.

 

“What was that for?! I had him!”

 

Arvid gave a slow nod as he cleaned his blade.

 

“I’ve no doubt you did, friend Saydaa.”

 

“Then why did you interfere?! Don’t lie to me!”

 

Arvid gave her a sad smile.

 

“To take the life of another…it is no small thing. It leaves a mark upon you. And you were agitated, my friend. To make your first kill in such a state…is something you would regret.”

 

“Screw you, I don’t need your help! You went and killed him no problem!”

 

Arvid heaved a sigh.

 

“That is because…he was not my first.”

 

Saydaa opened her mouth to respond when Kiyosuke appeared behind her, soaking wet with some tears on his clothes.

 

“What on Earth are you doing?”

 

“What do you want, jerk?”

 

Kiyosuke narrowed his eyes at her.

 

“What do I want? You caught me up in that attack! You could have killed me!”

 

Saydaa scoffed and turned away from him.

 

“That never stopped you.”

 

“SNAP OUT OF IT!”

 

“DON’T YELL AT ME YOU JERK!”

 

“SERIOUSLY! KNOCK IT OFF! SOMETHING’S WRONG WITH YOU!”

 

“SOMETHING’S WRONG WITH ME?! SOMETHING’S WRONG WITH YOU! YOU TRIED TO KILL ME THE FIRST TIME WE MET! I WAS JUST DOING MY JOB! IF YOU GOT CAUGHT IN IT THEN YOU SHOULD HAVE STAYED OUT OF MY WAY!”

 

The pair continued to scream at each other. The other three teens exchanged glances.

 

Just then Saydaa’s eyes began to glow.

 

“OH SCREW YOU! YOU WANT TO GO?! LET’S GO!”

 

Kiyosuke narrowed his eyes and pulled out his stun blade.

 

“...fine with me.”

 

Arvid glanced at Elise and she sent him flying forward, landing in between the two.

 

“That’s enough. My friends, this is a great victory, we should be celebrating! Why don’t we head on home, have ourselves a mighty feast? Then you two can continue your spar afterwards?”

 

The pair glared at each other, then Kiyosuke sighed and sheathed his weapon.

 

“Fine.”

 

Saydaa grit her teeth but Arvid looked her in the eye. She spun around with a huff and flew off. Arvid just let out another sigh.

 

---

 

Nemesis was back on the jet with Cikizwa. Not a word was spoken. Kiyosuke and Saydaa refused to look at each other, or any other member of the team. Nana kept glancing at them while Arvid leaned back with his eyes closed. Elise…well Elise was running through simulations on maritime warfare.

 

Just then Cikizwa got a call.

 

“Yes, what is it?”

 

“We need you again.”

 

Cikizwa sighed.

 

“Our contract is already fulfilled.”

 

“We’ll pay you, just get over here.”

 

“Can it wait? My team needs to rest from a mission.”

 

“It cannot.”

 

Cikizwa heaved another sigh.

 

“Fine. But it will cost you extra.”

 

“I’ll send you the details, see you soon.”

 

Cikizwa turned to the team.

 

“Sorry team, priority mission from Grenada. I know you need to rest, but this seems urgent and we’re in the area. Let’s finish this up quickly and get home.”

 

“Affirmative.”

 

“Yes, Ms. Mzolisa.”

 

Two out of five members responded. Cikizwa held the bridge of her nose. Well, at least those two were always ready. Seriously, dealing with teenage drama is not her job!

 

---

 

In a dimly lit building in Grenada, a man at a computer took off his head set. Sweat dripped from the side of his brow and he trembled slightly.

 

“T-There. It’s done. They’re coming.”

 

A figure shrouded in darkness stood behind him.

 

“Well done.”

 

The man gasped. A blade protruded from his chest. The blade slide back out through the chair and the man dropped on his desk. Behind him the figure licked some blood off the blade.

 

“Let’s have some fun…little brother.”