Tech Update
You know that it's going to happen, you just don't know when. Well, this morning it did. My computer's Power Supply died at around 10:15 A.M this morning. The CPU and my files are fine, but I'm going to need to get it replaced. Due to my work schedule, that won't be until Saturday and while I may have limited computer access elsewhere, don't be shocked if there are no updates for the next few days. Again I apologize and thanks for your patience and continued interest in the project.
-JME2-
JLU/Secret of Blue Water: Yesterdays and Tomorrows
Moderator: LadyTevar
Bah.. Sorry about the bad luck with the computer. I hope you get it fixed quickly and painlessly. We will await your return 
Me: Nope, that's why I have you around to tell me.
Nitram: You -are- beautiful. Anyone tries to tell you otherwise kill them.
"A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory. LLAP" -- Leonard Nimoy, last Tweet
YAY!!!!
I'm glad *someone's* computer is running up to speed.
I'm glad *someone's* computer is running up to speed.
Me: Nope, that's why I have you around to tell me.
Nitram: You -are- beautiful. Anyone tries to tell you otherwise kill them.
"A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory. LLAP" -- Leonard Nimoy, last Tweet
Alright, you wanted it? You've got it!
***
Disclaimer: Batman created by Bob Kane, Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, Wonder Woman created by William Moulton Marston. All three are owned by DC Comics. Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water created by Hayo Miyazaki, based upon characters created by Jules Verne, and owned by Gainax. I own the story and any original characters/species. No copyright infringement is intended.
Justice League/ Nadia - The Secret of Blue Water: Yesterdays and Tomorrows
Synopsis: A Justice League/Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water crossover; During a battle with Morgaine Le Fay, Batman and Wonder Woman are, through the witch's magic, thrown back through time and space to an alternate 1889, just as Jean and Nadia's adventures are beginning. What effect will the two Leaguers have in the fight against Gargoyle and the Neo-Atlantean movement?
Enjoy!
***
Chapter VIII -- The Minefield, Part 2
***
To those that knew him well on both sides of the ongoing conflict, Lord Gargoyle could be classified as the type of person who preferred to see things through from start to finish. The fate of the Nautilus was one such instance where he would have wanted a ring-side seat. But he had business elsewhere; bringing the world under Atlantean control for the first time in millennia was not a task for the faint-hearted, after all.
And so, the Calcharodon was making good speed away from the LeMerr Straits, away from the prototype minefield and with it, the trapped Nautilus. He was in his private cabin, still seated in a comfortable chair. The Lord was overlooking what was but a fraction of what would soon be Atlantis’ once again. His aide was behind him, pouring into a tektite goblet a fine vintage from his personal stores, one that he had been saving for a special occasion.
“You seem to be in good spirits, Lord Gargoyle,” she noted aloud as she placed the cup by his side. He nodded in response to her query.
“Yes, I do enjoy a good chess match. I imagine he will be receiving my message within moments.”
***
Aboard the Nautilus, Gargoyle was often the recipient of many a cursing in the many languages spoken aboard Nemo’s all-purpose submarine. Today was no exception to that. He had once again proven his cleverness not only in laying his trap, but in the choice of location. The LeMerr Straits, you must understand, were not known on either Earth for docile waters.
As a result, the undersea current was beginning to shift towards them, pushing them back through the entrance. The changing pressure at their depth had ended up detonating one of the mines near the stern, causing only minimal damage, but rocking the crew back and forth once again. This was the situation that the bridge staff was faced with as the shockwaves from the detonation resided..
“That accursed fiend,” muttered Nemo as his chair stopped shaking.
Before anyone else could agree with his accurate statement on their sworn enemy, something unusual happened. On the forward monitor, a light fixture atop one of the mines suddenly began flashing and beeping in a systematic pattern. From her station, Electra gasped.
“It’s sending us Morse code!”
“Read it,” ordered Nemo.
“Aye.”
Electra opened her mouth, but nothing came out. Or rather, a voice did speak, but it was not hers.
It was instead Batman.
“To my dear friends aboard the Nautilus, I hope you are enjoying the bounty of my technological genius. I apologize for delivering these mines to you without knowing if they will remain stable. I’m sure you are honored to be the proving ground for them, however. The current shall reverse in three hours and ten minutes. Perhaps that will give your time to remove them from your path; let’s hope so. A word of advice, dear friends -- the mines are designed to detonate on contact or with the slightest pressure or magnetic field alteration. As always, you are in my prayers.”
Everyone, Electra included, was shocked silent at the Batman’s natural decoding of the message for a long moment. It wasn’t exactly a superhuman feat. No, it was one of the earliest lessons he had learned on his world-wide sojourn and he heard the words forming in his mind before Electra read them off.
Well that and perhaps the look on Electra’s face was worth it.
Nemo, however, was interested more in the content than yet another demonstration of Batman’s abilities and so he shook his head in disgust at Gargoyle’s words.
“We’re his guinea pigs.”
Electra nodded in agreement, recovering her normal behavior in light of Batman’s stealing the spotlight.
“The enormity of his wickedness knows no bounds.”
That’s an understatement, thought Batman. Definite signs of megalomania, alright. In any event, it wasn’t anything he hadn’t already heard from would-be world conquerors, from Grant Walker and his insane Oceana plot to Vandal Savage and his usage of an orbital-based rail-gun earlier that year.
Based on the now two encounters he had had with the Neo-Atlantean lord. He had thus far concluded that Gargoyle was either insane, deluded, or absolutely brilliant. The cunningness of this trap easily fulfilled the brilliance matter. As for the insane and deluded, he was certain of the latter, but not quite the former now thanks to this little speech
In any event, this analysis would have to wait until later. For the moment, he wasn’t prepared just yet to call this a no-win scenario. He just needed time to think about how they could get the hell out of this one.
***
“That is the present status of the vessel. If there is a means of escape, it has not presented itself to us thus far. Should anyone have a new idea, report to the bridge without delay. That is all”
The occupants of Grandis’ quarters were silent as Nemo’s announcement came in over the intercom. Jean was the first to react.
“This is terrible!”
Sanson raised an eyebrow.
“I think that’s fairly obvious.” He straightened his tie before continuing. “We need to think more deeply to solve this problem. Well, Hanson?”
Sanson’s other partner in crime was deep in thought, options and data going though his head.
“Well, it’s difficult. Any little disturbance can detonate the mines.“
Both he and Jean resumed their meditative stances, trying to think of a way out of their predicament, their meditation shattered by a cry of excitement from Grandis.
“I’ve got it! The Catherine!”
***
From his chair of command, Nemo starred at Grandis.
“You think that if your tank were made airtight, it could manually remove the mines?”
She nodded eagerly.
“And your willing to do this yourself,” said Batman, continuing Nemo‘s line of questioning. Nemo had allowed the Dark Knight to remain on the bridge as a courtesy for having spotted Gargoyle’s trap and his decoding of the message. Electra wasn’t happy with her Captain’s decision, but there was nothing that could be done and so continued her task at hand.
“Don’t you worry about --”
“Now hold on a second!”
Everyone looked back at Hanson, an angry expression upon his chubby face.
“I built the Gratan with my own hands. So wherever it goes, I’m going to go too. Right?”
His question was directed at Sanson, the ex-chauffer leaning against the bridge’s railing and smiling.
“That’s right. And I’ll go with you. Unless…”
“Unless what,” Hanson asked in a slightly suspicious tone. He had known Sanson for many years and he was like a brother to him. He trusted the former chauffeur with his life and for him to refuse to such a mission where all of their lives were in danger…
Thankfully, however, Sanson’s next statement explained his hesitation
“Unless our pointy-eared friend here has a better plan. What about backup from Ms. Diana?”
Batman shook his head.
“Diana’s in no shape to mount this kind of operation. Even is she were, it’s a moot point. While Amazonian bodies can withstand greater pressure and environments than your average human, they are still dependent upon oxygen. I’ve seen Diana hold her breath for long occasions, but this would take too long. And like this ship’s diving equipment, my personal rebreathers aren’t designed to function at a depth this great. If I had the more advanced League-issue variants, perhaps. But they were on board the Bat-plane when it was shot it down.”
He wasn’t exaggerating at all. Diana was not in peak-performance mode and even though she had angrily claimed that she could do it, her body hadn’t agreed with her and she had collapsed back into the sickbay bed. Nadia had in part scolded her, causing a series of mutterings in Greek from the Amazon princess was in no shape to make good on towards Nadia.
“So you’re fine with this plan, then?”
“No, I’m not. You realize that you both could get killed out there.”
The duo of ex-thieves nodded.
“But I’m a sorcerer when it comes to operating the Gratan’s forearms,” explained Hanson.
“And piloting the Catherine is my job. We can do it,” continued Sanson.
Batman sighed. He didn’t want anyone on board this ship, strangers or not, to die here today and if it was up to him, he would be the one in the Gratan. But he had little to no idea of how to operated the confrontation and had to concede that despite his own talents, the ex-thieves were best suited to the job at hand.
“All right, then.”
It was at this point that Jean chose to speak.
“And I’m coming with you. You’ll need my help, right?”
“No, Jean,” Batman stated in a low, quiet tone.
“He’s right. This is a mission for mature adults You stay here and take care of your girlfriend,” continued Sanson. Jean just moaned silently as the Grandis Gang headed out, but inside, he wasn’t prepared to concede defeat that quickly.
***
Two hours later, Sanson tried to ignore the still tingling nerves in his right hand as the Nautilus technicians finished sealing the final piece of hull plating onto the Gratan, scrambling out of the way as the technicians in the control room began filling the chamber with water.
While he was willing to help those who were also fighting against the Neo-Atlantean jackasses that had imprisoned them, he knew that this was likely a suicide mission and his first loyalty was to Ms. Granva and her safety. That was why he had punched in the stomach, knocking her unconscious, and had left her back in her cabin.
Hanson had complained at all. In fact, he had been wondering whether or not Sanson was going to do it or if he, despite his limited combat skills, would have to.
“She’ll understand, Hanson,” Sanson said softly.
“I hope so, old chap.”
There was a long silence, marked only by the sound of water rushing up against the sides of the Gratan. With the sealing of the craft deemed a success, the quartermaster had begun flooding the interior of the hanger in preparation for the Catherine’s departure. Hanson began played his dials like a fine piano player playing his instrument as Hanson began pulling back on the steering mechanism.
“All right, let’s do it.”
***
“Time until the reversal of the current?”
“Twenty-one minutes, Captain.”
Batman and Captain Nemo both shared grimaces. If they were going to do this, it had to be now. With that thought in mind, Nemo tapped the console to the side of his command chair. An old fashioned, nineteenth century-style microphone raised itself from the panel.
“This is Captain Nemo to the Catherine. Do you read me?”
There was silence and static for a moment. Then --
“Loud and clear, Captain sir. The undersea telephone is working perfectly.”
Nemo frowned, not at the statement but at the fact that is was pilot answering.
“What happened to Grandis?”
“Oh, I guess we forgot to bring her with us.”
United in that one moment, Electa, the Captain, and the Dark Knight all looked at each other. Nemo considered this for a moment.
“Hmm. I see. That’s good.”
The brief flash of a smile, however, quickly vanished.
“Four mines block our route. We only have twenty minutes before the current changes. You must hurry.”
“Aye-aye, sir!”
***
Hanson had not been exaggerating when he had confidently stated on the bridge that he was sorcerer with the Gratan’s arms. With great delicacy and form, the first of the four mines had been lifted out of the path of the stern and he had cackled with delight, though their task was far from done; they had throw it out of the way before continuing.
Sanson, however, was frowning as he gunned the Gratan’s foot petal, the sound of protesting gears filling the cockpit.
“The engine is gasping. Try to open the air cylinder a bit, Hanson.”
The mechanic gritted his teeth as he pulled at the levers that operated the Gratan’s arms.
“You may have noticed that my hands are a bit full right now!”
Suddenly, the engine’s sound stabilized without warning.
“I took care of it. What that enough?” asked a voice from behind them.
“Perfect.”
Then Sanson’s eyed widened as he and Hanson looked back into the couch that served as the Gratan’s own chair of command. Under normal circumstances, both might have thought that a certain Dark Knight had snuck aboard their craft. But from the pitch of the voice, it could only be -- and was -- one person.
It was Jean.
***
Though Gotham’s champion was not the type of person who regularly used profanity, it was very tempting to do so in this instance. And though they wouldn’t say it aloud, Electra and Captain Nemo would have gladly joined him in such a task.
He had forbidden the aspiring French inventor to go on this mission for a simple reason. Dick and Tim had been one thing because he had put them through his own training regimens. But Jean was thinker, not a fighter. He was not trained for this.
“We need to bring him back,” yelled Hanson over the line. Batman in turn glanced at the timer and sighed.
“There’s no time. Resume the dismantling of the minefield.”
***
At Diana’s request, sickbay’s line to the bridge had been activated a few moments earlier. She had been drifiting in and out her consciousness, despite her will, and so, she, Nadia, Marie, and King were now listening into the real-time comminque from the operation outside.
“This is the Catherine to the Nautilus. We have recruited another --”
“What are you speaking into? Where’s the transmitter?”
“Hey, wait, don’t…”
The scuffle continued for another few seconds on the other line. Dian and Nadia frowneds, trying to make out the voice, at least until…
“Testing, testing. This is Jean!”
Nadia’s eyes widened.
“Nadia, are you there? Nadia, I’ll be back before you know it. But let’s not fight anymore.”
“Jean,” she said softly, a look of fear and disbelief on her face for her young friend.
“He’s just as bad as Batman,” muttered Diana. But Nadia and the others was so engrossed by the conversation that Diana alone heard the beeping of the League communicator still placed in her ear.
“Yes?”
“Diana, listen carefully.”
***
Despite Jean’s presence, the operation had continued, with the young French boy now regulating the pipes and dials that Hanson and Sanson were unable to reach due to their ongoing tasks. In that regard, it had been a welcome relief and they had now taken care of half of the necessary mines.
However, though the Gratan had been outfitted with air tanks and equipment from the Nautilus, the fact remained that she had been built by late nineteenth century science and that that technology was not meant to operate at a depth as great as the LeMerr Straits. Leaks were already appearing in the hull, despite the welding done by the submarine’s tech crew. But they had no choice but to continue in their mission, otherwise they would all die,.
But as they went for the final mine, two things happened at once. The undersea camera that had been fitted in place of the Gratan’s viewing portals suddenly shut down, the camera giving out to the undersea pressure. Then, just as if things couldn’t get any worse, a familiar, raging voice came over the still-function undersea telephone.
“Just what do you two think you’re doing!?”
***
Just as Jean had come aboard the Gratan, the bridge of the Nautilus had now gained the presence of the Grandis Granva and Nadia, the former chewing out her associates and the latter begging Jean for forgiveness. She blamed herself for Jean having snuck aboard the gang’s craft.
Not likely, Batman thought. If his visit to the bridge and wandering on the island when the Tower of Babel had been fired, Jean would have gone even if he and Nadia had been on good terms. He was very much like Dick Grayson at that age -- and Tim Drake, to a certain extent, though his memories of the second Robin were too recent in his mind -- in that regard of blowing off their elders from time to time.
But now was not the time for such brooding. With the implosion of the camera, the Gratan’s crew had no way of navigating and therefore were relying on Grandis’ instruction. As she continued to slowly give directions and movements -- a number of which were unnecessary in his professional opinion -- Batman watched silently.
“Sir, the current has stopped. It will reverse itself momentarily,” the sensor operator reported. Batman frowned. If the Gratan couldn’t get the last mine out of the way in the next minute, then he was going to initiate his backup plan, risk or no risk.
“Are you in position,” he whispered.
“I’m ready when you say so.”
“Standby.”
He thought about what Diana had told him earlier that morning, about having to build trust and faith with these people until they could find a way to return to their world. He would enact his backup plan if necessary. But for now, he had to have trust and faith in the Gratan and its crew.
***
Hanson cursed under his breath as the pressure that had destroyed the undersea camera now worked its magic on the Gratan’s left grappling arm, crushing it.”
“We’ve lost pressure,” cried Jean from the rear wall of piping.
“Shut off the red valve,” yelled Hanson in response.
“Right!”
With a simple adjustment, the left arm was jettisoned, the right arm now being forced to pick up the slack. With careful maneuvering, it hooked onto the tether of the fourth and final mine.
***
Grandis sighed with relief, but just barely.
“You’ve got it. You’ve got the last one. Don’t let go. Keep her straight and move quickly.”
“We’ve got it!”
From the forward area, Echo looked up from his instruments and the bridge’s clock and then back at Nemo.
“We’re almost out of time, sir.”
“Full speed astern,” ordered the Captain. The helmsman pulled back on the steering apparatus, the great submarine’s forward thrusters propelling the Nautilus back slowly out of the undersea passage.
“Another thirty meters and she’s clear,” he reported.
Nobody was quite ready to join Grandis’ earlier sigh of relief, even if it was only a partial one, the Batman included. In his experience, it was when the situation seemed to be in the clear that, as the expression on the mean streets of Gotham City went, the shit suddenly hit the fan.
And so, he couldn’t claim to be too surprised when the Gratan, rising twenty meters above them, suddenly began rocking, its engines exploding. The undersea pressure had finally taken its toll and the Gratan, with the final mine still in hand, began to fall back towards the retreating Nautilus.
“The Catherine is coming right towards us, Captain! It’s on a collision course,” yelled Echo.
“What are you waiting for!? Let go of that mine! “ Grandis screamed into the transmitter. The Gratan drifted closer and closer to the bridge, no response coming in on the radio.
“All hands brace for impact!” Nemo ordered as he held onto his chair of command. Grandis leaned in towards the microphone, the fear palpable upon her sweating face at the lack of response from the tank.
“Sanson! Hanson!”
At that moment, Nadia pushed her aside and began yelling into the minefield, fear also spreading across his youthful features.
“Jean, please answer me!”
The girl shouldn’t be here, shouldn’t have to hear this, Batman thought angrily. That was of course his personal quest, to prevent people from having to experience anything this. But it was hard to shove her out of the bridge was shaking as the Gratan touched down atop the command deck. On the forward viewer, however, they could see that the mine had been released at the last moment and was spinning off into the distance. Nemo wasted no time whatsoever.
“Engines to full speed! Vertical ascension!”
***
As the Nautilus rose, the Gratan was quickly thrown back towards the stern by the current. But she was saved by the ingenuity of those piloting the craft. Jeasn, almost by instinct, pushed forward the level that operated the forward cylinders. The Gratan’s cylinders expanded and caught onto the submarine, anchoring them onto the rapidly ascending submarine.
But this quickly changed.
The mine that the team had released moments earlier had spun back in the direction of the grotto, contacting with the undersea rock formation and detonating. The detonation in turn set off the other mines and the shockwave shook the custom-built craft off of the Nautilus’ port wing and it went flying back into the depths.
On the bridge, both Nadia and Grandis screamed out the names of the male counterparts, but there was nothing that could be done. The wash from the Nautilus’ engines would only push them farther down if they went after them. In short, everyone was forced to silence at the fact that they would live at the cost of three young lives, three more casualties in the war against Gargoyle.
In fact, the bridge crew was so silent, even over the blare of alarms, that everyone became startled at the Batman placed two of his fingers upon his cowl, specifically his ear, and yelled, “Go Diana!”
***
For rather obvious reasons, the Nautilus had been built to be airtight for its missions beneath the waves. The bulkheads, like an unfortunate Olympic-class ship of the White Star Line twenty-three years later on another world, were designed to be self-sealing and water-tight in the event of a hull breach.
In addition to those measures, a reinforced space-titanium alloy graced the outer hull of the ship. The plates were designed to be shielded against underwater pressure and phenomena as well as explosives, both conventional and of the advanced variety favored by the Neo-Atlantean navy.
The designers of the Nautilus however hadn’t anticipated, at the direction of a urban-based vigilante, that a six-foot, determined Amazon princess might punch through one of the outer-airlocks during a rapid ascent to the surface and leap outwards through the waters in a downward trajectory towards the bottom of the ocean.
***
The Nautilus had barely surfaced as the bridge’s aft hatch burst open, Batman leaping down off the railing onto the main deck, his cape flapping in the breeze. Behind him, the bridge crew slowly shuffled out, Electra leading the charge.
“Just what in the hell do you think you’re --”
She quickly shut up when she once again received slight of The Glare that had terrorized the underworld of Gotham City for twelve years running. His attention was focused on the swirling waters of the Straits, searching for the slightest --
There.
Without any warning -- at least to the untrained eyes of the Nautilus crew, something that the Dark Knight could once again not help but feel a hint of pride in -- the waves erupted, revealing the battered, but otherwise intact form of the Gratan. And to the amazement of the crew of the Nautilus who lived in a world without metahumans or galactic police agencies, the craft was being carried by Wonder Woman.
“Hera, give me strength!”
While her strength wasn’t on the level that it was more the League’s most visible member, the Kryptonian survivor turned-reporter/superhero, the Greek Goddess had blessed Hippolyta’s daughter well. Still, in the shape she was in, it was a far greater burden than usual and came close to dropping the Gratan back into the water.
As Diana set the craft down on the forward deck, Batman went to work, his utility belt laser cutting into the sealed hull as quickly as his steady hands allowed him. He was through in a moment and the outer hatch went flying through the air, Diana catching it -- and crushing it -- with one hand.
With a grunt, he pulled Jean Coq de Raltique out of the craft. The boy inventor was soaked to the bone and coughing up a bit of seawater, but was otherwise fine. He looked up at the Dark Knight and smiled.
“Heh. Looks like you rescued me this time.”
***
Half an hour later, Sanson and Hanson, Jean, and Diana were all laying on the deck, their backs to the bridge’s exterior, soaking up the sun and watching as the Nautilus’ cranes began maneuver the damaged Gratan back towards the hanger. Technicians were working on the bow and stern, repairing damage caused by the mine’s detonation as well as the smashed airlock. If she hadn‘t been coordinating the repairs alongside of her captain, Electra would have presently been reading the Dark Knight the sixth degree for the damage his backup plan had caused.
Instead, it had been Nadia and Grandis who had both yelled at their companions before breaking down and hugging them. In those moments, they had also thanked Diana for saving their boys. As for the Amazon, her own dark companion was atop the bridge itself, looking down at Jean and chewing him out for sneaking aboard the Gratan. Diana was too tired to verbally rebut him.
“So tell me Jean, what did you learn from all of this,” Batman asked in a tone that his associates knew all too well. The boy looked up at the Dark Knight.
“That I really hate mines!”
Everyone on the main deck just starred at the young French inventor. And then Hanson and Sanson began chuckling softly, erupting into full blown laughter. And it was like a narcotic, because soon several of the crewmembers began laughing. Diana too was shaking her head and smiling and despite the scowl, Batman’s face betrayed a hint of a smile as a result of Jean’s statement.
More and more like Dick Grayson indeed.
***
To be continued…
***
* I think that Diana and Batman have fully proven their worth to Nemo’s cause, wouldn’t you agree? The next chapter will deal with the reactions of Nemo and his senior staff to the witnessing of the Dark Knight and the Amazing Amazon’s talents.
* Grant Walker’s Oceana project can be found in the BTAS episode “Deep Freeze”.
* The encounter with Savage and the rail gun occurred in the second season episode “Maid of Honor”.
* The Olympic-class ship is of course the infamous liner R.M.S. Titanic. Again, since naval history is a major interest of mine, you’ll have little references like this popping up form time to time in this story, given of course that we are witnessing the adventures of an all-purpose submarine, after all.
***
Disclaimer: Batman created by Bob Kane, Superman created by Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster, Wonder Woman created by William Moulton Marston. All three are owned by DC Comics. Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water created by Hayo Miyazaki, based upon characters created by Jules Verne, and owned by Gainax. I own the story and any original characters/species. No copyright infringement is intended.
Justice League/ Nadia - The Secret of Blue Water: Yesterdays and Tomorrows
Synopsis: A Justice League/Nadia: The Secret of Blue Water crossover; During a battle with Morgaine Le Fay, Batman and Wonder Woman are, through the witch's magic, thrown back through time and space to an alternate 1889, just as Jean and Nadia's adventures are beginning. What effect will the two Leaguers have in the fight against Gargoyle and the Neo-Atlantean movement?
Enjoy!
***
Chapter VIII -- The Minefield, Part 2
***
To those that knew him well on both sides of the ongoing conflict, Lord Gargoyle could be classified as the type of person who preferred to see things through from start to finish. The fate of the Nautilus was one such instance where he would have wanted a ring-side seat. But he had business elsewhere; bringing the world under Atlantean control for the first time in millennia was not a task for the faint-hearted, after all.
And so, the Calcharodon was making good speed away from the LeMerr Straits, away from the prototype minefield and with it, the trapped Nautilus. He was in his private cabin, still seated in a comfortable chair. The Lord was overlooking what was but a fraction of what would soon be Atlantis’ once again. His aide was behind him, pouring into a tektite goblet a fine vintage from his personal stores, one that he had been saving for a special occasion.
“You seem to be in good spirits, Lord Gargoyle,” she noted aloud as she placed the cup by his side. He nodded in response to her query.
“Yes, I do enjoy a good chess match. I imagine he will be receiving my message within moments.”
***
Aboard the Nautilus, Gargoyle was often the recipient of many a cursing in the many languages spoken aboard Nemo’s all-purpose submarine. Today was no exception to that. He had once again proven his cleverness not only in laying his trap, but in the choice of location. The LeMerr Straits, you must understand, were not known on either Earth for docile waters.
As a result, the undersea current was beginning to shift towards them, pushing them back through the entrance. The changing pressure at their depth had ended up detonating one of the mines near the stern, causing only minimal damage, but rocking the crew back and forth once again. This was the situation that the bridge staff was faced with as the shockwaves from the detonation resided..
“That accursed fiend,” muttered Nemo as his chair stopped shaking.
Before anyone else could agree with his accurate statement on their sworn enemy, something unusual happened. On the forward monitor, a light fixture atop one of the mines suddenly began flashing and beeping in a systematic pattern. From her station, Electra gasped.
“It’s sending us Morse code!”
“Read it,” ordered Nemo.
“Aye.”
Electra opened her mouth, but nothing came out. Or rather, a voice did speak, but it was not hers.
It was instead Batman.
“To my dear friends aboard the Nautilus, I hope you are enjoying the bounty of my technological genius. I apologize for delivering these mines to you without knowing if they will remain stable. I’m sure you are honored to be the proving ground for them, however. The current shall reverse in three hours and ten minutes. Perhaps that will give your time to remove them from your path; let’s hope so. A word of advice, dear friends -- the mines are designed to detonate on contact or with the slightest pressure or magnetic field alteration. As always, you are in my prayers.”
Everyone, Electra included, was shocked silent at the Batman’s natural decoding of the message for a long moment. It wasn’t exactly a superhuman feat. No, it was one of the earliest lessons he had learned on his world-wide sojourn and he heard the words forming in his mind before Electra read them off.
Well that and perhaps the look on Electra’s face was worth it.
Nemo, however, was interested more in the content than yet another demonstration of Batman’s abilities and so he shook his head in disgust at Gargoyle’s words.
“We’re his guinea pigs.”
Electra nodded in agreement, recovering her normal behavior in light of Batman’s stealing the spotlight.
“The enormity of his wickedness knows no bounds.”
That’s an understatement, thought Batman. Definite signs of megalomania, alright. In any event, it wasn’t anything he hadn’t already heard from would-be world conquerors, from Grant Walker and his insane Oceana plot to Vandal Savage and his usage of an orbital-based rail-gun earlier that year.
Based on the now two encounters he had had with the Neo-Atlantean lord. He had thus far concluded that Gargoyle was either insane, deluded, or absolutely brilliant. The cunningness of this trap easily fulfilled the brilliance matter. As for the insane and deluded, he was certain of the latter, but not quite the former now thanks to this little speech
In any event, this analysis would have to wait until later. For the moment, he wasn’t prepared just yet to call this a no-win scenario. He just needed time to think about how they could get the hell out of this one.
***
“That is the present status of the vessel. If there is a means of escape, it has not presented itself to us thus far. Should anyone have a new idea, report to the bridge without delay. That is all”
The occupants of Grandis’ quarters were silent as Nemo’s announcement came in over the intercom. Jean was the first to react.
“This is terrible!”
Sanson raised an eyebrow.
“I think that’s fairly obvious.” He straightened his tie before continuing. “We need to think more deeply to solve this problem. Well, Hanson?”
Sanson’s other partner in crime was deep in thought, options and data going though his head.
“Well, it’s difficult. Any little disturbance can detonate the mines.“
Both he and Jean resumed their meditative stances, trying to think of a way out of their predicament, their meditation shattered by a cry of excitement from Grandis.
“I’ve got it! The Catherine!”
***
From his chair of command, Nemo starred at Grandis.
“You think that if your tank were made airtight, it could manually remove the mines?”
She nodded eagerly.
“And your willing to do this yourself,” said Batman, continuing Nemo‘s line of questioning. Nemo had allowed the Dark Knight to remain on the bridge as a courtesy for having spotted Gargoyle’s trap and his decoding of the message. Electra wasn’t happy with her Captain’s decision, but there was nothing that could be done and so continued her task at hand.
“Don’t you worry about --”
“Now hold on a second!”
Everyone looked back at Hanson, an angry expression upon his chubby face.
“I built the Gratan with my own hands. So wherever it goes, I’m going to go too. Right?”
His question was directed at Sanson, the ex-chauffer leaning against the bridge’s railing and smiling.
“That’s right. And I’ll go with you. Unless…”
“Unless what,” Hanson asked in a slightly suspicious tone. He had known Sanson for many years and he was like a brother to him. He trusted the former chauffeur with his life and for him to refuse to such a mission where all of their lives were in danger…
Thankfully, however, Sanson’s next statement explained his hesitation
“Unless our pointy-eared friend here has a better plan. What about backup from Ms. Diana?”
Batman shook his head.
“Diana’s in no shape to mount this kind of operation. Even is she were, it’s a moot point. While Amazonian bodies can withstand greater pressure and environments than your average human, they are still dependent upon oxygen. I’ve seen Diana hold her breath for long occasions, but this would take too long. And like this ship’s diving equipment, my personal rebreathers aren’t designed to function at a depth this great. If I had the more advanced League-issue variants, perhaps. But they were on board the Bat-plane when it was shot it down.”
He wasn’t exaggerating at all. Diana was not in peak-performance mode and even though she had angrily claimed that she could do it, her body hadn’t agreed with her and she had collapsed back into the sickbay bed. Nadia had in part scolded her, causing a series of mutterings in Greek from the Amazon princess was in no shape to make good on towards Nadia.
“So you’re fine with this plan, then?”
“No, I’m not. You realize that you both could get killed out there.”
The duo of ex-thieves nodded.
“But I’m a sorcerer when it comes to operating the Gratan’s forearms,” explained Hanson.
“And piloting the Catherine is my job. We can do it,” continued Sanson.
Batman sighed. He didn’t want anyone on board this ship, strangers or not, to die here today and if it was up to him, he would be the one in the Gratan. But he had little to no idea of how to operated the confrontation and had to concede that despite his own talents, the ex-thieves were best suited to the job at hand.
“All right, then.”
It was at this point that Jean chose to speak.
“And I’m coming with you. You’ll need my help, right?”
“No, Jean,” Batman stated in a low, quiet tone.
“He’s right. This is a mission for mature adults You stay here and take care of your girlfriend,” continued Sanson. Jean just moaned silently as the Grandis Gang headed out, but inside, he wasn’t prepared to concede defeat that quickly.
***
Two hours later, Sanson tried to ignore the still tingling nerves in his right hand as the Nautilus technicians finished sealing the final piece of hull plating onto the Gratan, scrambling out of the way as the technicians in the control room began filling the chamber with water.
While he was willing to help those who were also fighting against the Neo-Atlantean jackasses that had imprisoned them, he knew that this was likely a suicide mission and his first loyalty was to Ms. Granva and her safety. That was why he had punched in the stomach, knocking her unconscious, and had left her back in her cabin.
Hanson had complained at all. In fact, he had been wondering whether or not Sanson was going to do it or if he, despite his limited combat skills, would have to.
“She’ll understand, Hanson,” Sanson said softly.
“I hope so, old chap.”
There was a long silence, marked only by the sound of water rushing up against the sides of the Gratan. With the sealing of the craft deemed a success, the quartermaster had begun flooding the interior of the hanger in preparation for the Catherine’s departure. Hanson began played his dials like a fine piano player playing his instrument as Hanson began pulling back on the steering mechanism.
“All right, let’s do it.”
***
“Time until the reversal of the current?”
“Twenty-one minutes, Captain.”
Batman and Captain Nemo both shared grimaces. If they were going to do this, it had to be now. With that thought in mind, Nemo tapped the console to the side of his command chair. An old fashioned, nineteenth century-style microphone raised itself from the panel.
“This is Captain Nemo to the Catherine. Do you read me?”
There was silence and static for a moment. Then --
“Loud and clear, Captain sir. The undersea telephone is working perfectly.”
Nemo frowned, not at the statement but at the fact that is was pilot answering.
“What happened to Grandis?”
“Oh, I guess we forgot to bring her with us.”
United in that one moment, Electa, the Captain, and the Dark Knight all looked at each other. Nemo considered this for a moment.
“Hmm. I see. That’s good.”
The brief flash of a smile, however, quickly vanished.
“Four mines block our route. We only have twenty minutes before the current changes. You must hurry.”
“Aye-aye, sir!”
***
Hanson had not been exaggerating when he had confidently stated on the bridge that he was sorcerer with the Gratan’s arms. With great delicacy and form, the first of the four mines had been lifted out of the path of the stern and he had cackled with delight, though their task was far from done; they had throw it out of the way before continuing.
Sanson, however, was frowning as he gunned the Gratan’s foot petal, the sound of protesting gears filling the cockpit.
“The engine is gasping. Try to open the air cylinder a bit, Hanson.”
The mechanic gritted his teeth as he pulled at the levers that operated the Gratan’s arms.
“You may have noticed that my hands are a bit full right now!”
Suddenly, the engine’s sound stabilized without warning.
“I took care of it. What that enough?” asked a voice from behind them.
“Perfect.”
Then Sanson’s eyed widened as he and Hanson looked back into the couch that served as the Gratan’s own chair of command. Under normal circumstances, both might have thought that a certain Dark Knight had snuck aboard their craft. But from the pitch of the voice, it could only be -- and was -- one person.
It was Jean.
***
Though Gotham’s champion was not the type of person who regularly used profanity, it was very tempting to do so in this instance. And though they wouldn’t say it aloud, Electra and Captain Nemo would have gladly joined him in such a task.
He had forbidden the aspiring French inventor to go on this mission for a simple reason. Dick and Tim had been one thing because he had put them through his own training regimens. But Jean was thinker, not a fighter. He was not trained for this.
“We need to bring him back,” yelled Hanson over the line. Batman in turn glanced at the timer and sighed.
“There’s no time. Resume the dismantling of the minefield.”
***
At Diana’s request, sickbay’s line to the bridge had been activated a few moments earlier. She had been drifiting in and out her consciousness, despite her will, and so, she, Nadia, Marie, and King were now listening into the real-time comminque from the operation outside.
“This is the Catherine to the Nautilus. We have recruited another --”
“What are you speaking into? Where’s the transmitter?”
“Hey, wait, don’t…”
The scuffle continued for another few seconds on the other line. Dian and Nadia frowneds, trying to make out the voice, at least until…
“Testing, testing. This is Jean!”
Nadia’s eyes widened.
“Nadia, are you there? Nadia, I’ll be back before you know it. But let’s not fight anymore.”
“Jean,” she said softly, a look of fear and disbelief on her face for her young friend.
“He’s just as bad as Batman,” muttered Diana. But Nadia and the others was so engrossed by the conversation that Diana alone heard the beeping of the League communicator still placed in her ear.
“Yes?”
“Diana, listen carefully.”
***
Despite Jean’s presence, the operation had continued, with the young French boy now regulating the pipes and dials that Hanson and Sanson were unable to reach due to their ongoing tasks. In that regard, it had been a welcome relief and they had now taken care of half of the necessary mines.
However, though the Gratan had been outfitted with air tanks and equipment from the Nautilus, the fact remained that she had been built by late nineteenth century science and that that technology was not meant to operate at a depth as great as the LeMerr Straits. Leaks were already appearing in the hull, despite the welding done by the submarine’s tech crew. But they had no choice but to continue in their mission, otherwise they would all die,.
But as they went for the final mine, two things happened at once. The undersea camera that had been fitted in place of the Gratan’s viewing portals suddenly shut down, the camera giving out to the undersea pressure. Then, just as if things couldn’t get any worse, a familiar, raging voice came over the still-function undersea telephone.
“Just what do you two think you’re doing!?”
***
Just as Jean had come aboard the Gratan, the bridge of the Nautilus had now gained the presence of the Grandis Granva and Nadia, the former chewing out her associates and the latter begging Jean for forgiveness. She blamed herself for Jean having snuck aboard the gang’s craft.
Not likely, Batman thought. If his visit to the bridge and wandering on the island when the Tower of Babel had been fired, Jean would have gone even if he and Nadia had been on good terms. He was very much like Dick Grayson at that age -- and Tim Drake, to a certain extent, though his memories of the second Robin were too recent in his mind -- in that regard of blowing off their elders from time to time.
But now was not the time for such brooding. With the implosion of the camera, the Gratan’s crew had no way of navigating and therefore were relying on Grandis’ instruction. As she continued to slowly give directions and movements -- a number of which were unnecessary in his professional opinion -- Batman watched silently.
“Sir, the current has stopped. It will reverse itself momentarily,” the sensor operator reported. Batman frowned. If the Gratan couldn’t get the last mine out of the way in the next minute, then he was going to initiate his backup plan, risk or no risk.
“Are you in position,” he whispered.
“I’m ready when you say so.”
“Standby.”
He thought about what Diana had told him earlier that morning, about having to build trust and faith with these people until they could find a way to return to their world. He would enact his backup plan if necessary. But for now, he had to have trust and faith in the Gratan and its crew.
***
Hanson cursed under his breath as the pressure that had destroyed the undersea camera now worked its magic on the Gratan’s left grappling arm, crushing it.”
“We’ve lost pressure,” cried Jean from the rear wall of piping.
“Shut off the red valve,” yelled Hanson in response.
“Right!”
With a simple adjustment, the left arm was jettisoned, the right arm now being forced to pick up the slack. With careful maneuvering, it hooked onto the tether of the fourth and final mine.
***
Grandis sighed with relief, but just barely.
“You’ve got it. You’ve got the last one. Don’t let go. Keep her straight and move quickly.”
“We’ve got it!”
From the forward area, Echo looked up from his instruments and the bridge’s clock and then back at Nemo.
“We’re almost out of time, sir.”
“Full speed astern,” ordered the Captain. The helmsman pulled back on the steering apparatus, the great submarine’s forward thrusters propelling the Nautilus back slowly out of the undersea passage.
“Another thirty meters and she’s clear,” he reported.
Nobody was quite ready to join Grandis’ earlier sigh of relief, even if it was only a partial one, the Batman included. In his experience, it was when the situation seemed to be in the clear that, as the expression on the mean streets of Gotham City went, the shit suddenly hit the fan.
And so, he couldn’t claim to be too surprised when the Gratan, rising twenty meters above them, suddenly began rocking, its engines exploding. The undersea pressure had finally taken its toll and the Gratan, with the final mine still in hand, began to fall back towards the retreating Nautilus.
“The Catherine is coming right towards us, Captain! It’s on a collision course,” yelled Echo.
“What are you waiting for!? Let go of that mine! “ Grandis screamed into the transmitter. The Gratan drifted closer and closer to the bridge, no response coming in on the radio.
“All hands brace for impact!” Nemo ordered as he held onto his chair of command. Grandis leaned in towards the microphone, the fear palpable upon her sweating face at the lack of response from the tank.
“Sanson! Hanson!”
At that moment, Nadia pushed her aside and began yelling into the minefield, fear also spreading across his youthful features.
“Jean, please answer me!”
The girl shouldn’t be here, shouldn’t have to hear this, Batman thought angrily. That was of course his personal quest, to prevent people from having to experience anything this. But it was hard to shove her out of the bridge was shaking as the Gratan touched down atop the command deck. On the forward viewer, however, they could see that the mine had been released at the last moment and was spinning off into the distance. Nemo wasted no time whatsoever.
“Engines to full speed! Vertical ascension!”
***
As the Nautilus rose, the Gratan was quickly thrown back towards the stern by the current. But she was saved by the ingenuity of those piloting the craft. Jeasn, almost by instinct, pushed forward the level that operated the forward cylinders. The Gratan’s cylinders expanded and caught onto the submarine, anchoring them onto the rapidly ascending submarine.
But this quickly changed.
The mine that the team had released moments earlier had spun back in the direction of the grotto, contacting with the undersea rock formation and detonating. The detonation in turn set off the other mines and the shockwave shook the custom-built craft off of the Nautilus’ port wing and it went flying back into the depths.
On the bridge, both Nadia and Grandis screamed out the names of the male counterparts, but there was nothing that could be done. The wash from the Nautilus’ engines would only push them farther down if they went after them. In short, everyone was forced to silence at the fact that they would live at the cost of three young lives, three more casualties in the war against Gargoyle.
In fact, the bridge crew was so silent, even over the blare of alarms, that everyone became startled at the Batman placed two of his fingers upon his cowl, specifically his ear, and yelled, “Go Diana!”
***
For rather obvious reasons, the Nautilus had been built to be airtight for its missions beneath the waves. The bulkheads, like an unfortunate Olympic-class ship of the White Star Line twenty-three years later on another world, were designed to be self-sealing and water-tight in the event of a hull breach.
In addition to those measures, a reinforced space-titanium alloy graced the outer hull of the ship. The plates were designed to be shielded against underwater pressure and phenomena as well as explosives, both conventional and of the advanced variety favored by the Neo-Atlantean navy.
The designers of the Nautilus however hadn’t anticipated, at the direction of a urban-based vigilante, that a six-foot, determined Amazon princess might punch through one of the outer-airlocks during a rapid ascent to the surface and leap outwards through the waters in a downward trajectory towards the bottom of the ocean.
***
The Nautilus had barely surfaced as the bridge’s aft hatch burst open, Batman leaping down off the railing onto the main deck, his cape flapping in the breeze. Behind him, the bridge crew slowly shuffled out, Electra leading the charge.
“Just what in the hell do you think you’re --”
She quickly shut up when she once again received slight of The Glare that had terrorized the underworld of Gotham City for twelve years running. His attention was focused on the swirling waters of the Straits, searching for the slightest --
There.
Without any warning -- at least to the untrained eyes of the Nautilus crew, something that the Dark Knight could once again not help but feel a hint of pride in -- the waves erupted, revealing the battered, but otherwise intact form of the Gratan. And to the amazement of the crew of the Nautilus who lived in a world without metahumans or galactic police agencies, the craft was being carried by Wonder Woman.
“Hera, give me strength!”
While her strength wasn’t on the level that it was more the League’s most visible member, the Kryptonian survivor turned-reporter/superhero, the Greek Goddess had blessed Hippolyta’s daughter well. Still, in the shape she was in, it was a far greater burden than usual and came close to dropping the Gratan back into the water.
As Diana set the craft down on the forward deck, Batman went to work, his utility belt laser cutting into the sealed hull as quickly as his steady hands allowed him. He was through in a moment and the outer hatch went flying through the air, Diana catching it -- and crushing it -- with one hand.
With a grunt, he pulled Jean Coq de Raltique out of the craft. The boy inventor was soaked to the bone and coughing up a bit of seawater, but was otherwise fine. He looked up at the Dark Knight and smiled.
“Heh. Looks like you rescued me this time.”
***
Half an hour later, Sanson and Hanson, Jean, and Diana were all laying on the deck, their backs to the bridge’s exterior, soaking up the sun and watching as the Nautilus’ cranes began maneuver the damaged Gratan back towards the hanger. Technicians were working on the bow and stern, repairing damage caused by the mine’s detonation as well as the smashed airlock. If she hadn‘t been coordinating the repairs alongside of her captain, Electra would have presently been reading the Dark Knight the sixth degree for the damage his backup plan had caused.
Instead, it had been Nadia and Grandis who had both yelled at their companions before breaking down and hugging them. In those moments, they had also thanked Diana for saving their boys. As for the Amazon, her own dark companion was atop the bridge itself, looking down at Jean and chewing him out for sneaking aboard the Gratan. Diana was too tired to verbally rebut him.
“So tell me Jean, what did you learn from all of this,” Batman asked in a tone that his associates knew all too well. The boy looked up at the Dark Knight.
“That I really hate mines!”
Everyone on the main deck just starred at the young French inventor. And then Hanson and Sanson began chuckling softly, erupting into full blown laughter. And it was like a narcotic, because soon several of the crewmembers began laughing. Diana too was shaking her head and smiling and despite the scowl, Batman’s face betrayed a hint of a smile as a result of Jean’s statement.
More and more like Dick Grayson indeed.
***
To be continued…
***
* I think that Diana and Batman have fully proven their worth to Nemo’s cause, wouldn’t you agree? The next chapter will deal with the reactions of Nemo and his senior staff to the witnessing of the Dark Knight and the Amazing Amazon’s talents.
* Grant Walker’s Oceana project can be found in the BTAS episode “Deep Freeze”.
* The encounter with Savage and the rail gun occurred in the second season episode “Maid of Honor”.
* The Olympic-class ship is of course the infamous liner R.M.S. Titanic. Again, since naval history is a major interest of mine, you’ll have little references like this popping up form time to time in this story, given of course that we are witnessing the adventures of an all-purpose submarine, after all.
Last edited by JME2 on 2005-04-17 04:02am, edited 2 times in total.
W00t! New chapter! First post!
Great chapter, though I must confess I did not understand the reference to the Titanic at all. When I read "White Star line" I actually thought you might've been talking about B5
Great chapter, though I must confess I did not understand the reference to the Titanic at all. When I read "White Star line" I actually thought you might've been talking about B5
"I want to mow down a bunch of motherfuckers with absurdly large weapons and relative impunity - preferably in and around a skyscraper. Then I want to fight a grim battle against the unlikely duo of the Terminator and Robocop. The last level should involve (but not be limited to) multiple robo-Hitlers and a gorillasaurus rex."--Uraniun235 on his ideal FPS game
"The ability to destroy a planet is insignificant compared to the power of the Force."--Darth Vader
"The ability to destroy a planet is insignificant compared to the power of the Force."--Darth Vader
I caught the WhiteStar liner reference. 
Another great job, and well worth the wait.
Another great job, and well worth the wait.
Me: Nope, that's why I have you around to tell me.
Nitram: You -are- beautiful. Anyone tries to tell you otherwise kill them.
"A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory. LLAP" -- Leonard Nimoy, last Tweet
-
Shroom Man 777
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Awesome. Batman kicks ass again! Not only can he kick the living shit out of deluded, insane, brilliant megalomaniacs, and their Babylonian beam-spewing Towers of Babel, but also underwater depth charging mine bombs! W000t!
"DO YOU WORSHIP HOMOSEXUALS?" - Curtis Saxton (source)shroom is a lovely boy and i wont hear a bad word against him - LUSY-CHAN!
Shit! Man, I didn't think of that! It took Shroom to properly interpret the screams of dying people
- PeZookShroom, I read out the stuff you write about us. You are an endless supply of morale down here. :p - an OWS street medic
Pink Sugar Heart Attack!
Don't worry about the White Star bit. I knew it wasn't B5, but that was the only decent guess I could make when I read it. It was nice to get to see Diana get to do something, and I'm liking Jean alot. Something about nerdy, inventive little kids always appeals to me in fiction.
"I want to mow down a bunch of motherfuckers with absurdly large weapons and relative impunity - preferably in and around a skyscraper. Then I want to fight a grim battle against the unlikely duo of the Terminator and Robocop. The last level should involve (but not be limited to) multiple robo-Hitlers and a gorillasaurus rex."--Uraniun235 on his ideal FPS game
"The ability to destroy a planet is insignificant compared to the power of the Force."--Darth Vader
"The ability to destroy a planet is insignificant compared to the power of the Force."--Darth Vader
It had to happen. Batman had already kicked some Neo-Atlantean ass on the island and Nemo's observation of him in Ch. 6 showed the man's talents and abilities. So, the same had to occur with Diana. The question was how.Trogdor wrote:It was nice to get to see Diana get to do something.
I knew by the time I had finished Chapter 4 that Episode 10, "Gratan in Action", was the ideal starting point. The main problem there was that this was how the Granva Gang proved their own worth to the Nautilus. The key was to still allow that to happen, but in a way where Diana got to strut her stuff.
Glad to hear it.I'm liking Jean alot. Something about nerdy, inventive little kids always appeals to me in fiction.
As the English voice of Nadia, Meg Bauman, said in an interview, "If I found a guy that had the courageous and caring qualities like Jean, I would be with him in a heartbeat."
When writing Jean, I enjoy using his friendly nature and optimism as a contrast to Batman's dark nature, drawing more into how Jean reminds Bats of a young Dick Grayson.
No, it's not a new chapter -- which I'll probably do one more of before Christmas as my gift to you guys. But it's a little more digital manipulation on my part in the form of signatures.
Here is the most recent of the signatures:
Now, we'll begin anew with another warmup:
...followed by the next stage of experimentation:
I like the second new design because it bears similarity to my original design from earlier this year while I was still using MS Paint:
Here is the most recent of the signatures:
Now, we'll begin anew with another warmup:
...followed by the next stage of experimentation:
I like the second new design because it bears similarity to my original design from earlier this year while I was still using MS Paint:
Not bad. Those are very well done.
Me: Nope, that's why I have you around to tell me.
Nitram: You -are- beautiful. Anyone tries to tell you otherwise kill them.
"A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory. LLAP" -- Leonard Nimoy, last Tweet
One last revamp, utilizing the background of the current signature:
+
=
Also, if anyone is getting tired of these signatures and wants me to get back to getting the next chapter out, it's coming. I'll probably wait until right before Christmas, as my present to you guys. Thanks as always for your continued interest in the project and Happy Holidays.
+
=
Also, if anyone is getting tired of these signatures and wants me to get back to getting the next chapter out, it's coming. I'll probably wait until right before Christmas, as my present to you guys. Thanks as always for your continued interest in the project and Happy Holidays.
Bump.
How's the next chapter coming, JM?
How's the next chapter coming, JM?
Me: Nope, that's why I have you around to tell me.
Nitram: You -are- beautiful. Anyone tries to tell you otherwise kill them.
"A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory. LLAP" -- Leonard Nimoy, last Tweet
Bump.
How's things coming, JME? I'd hate for this to end this soon.
How's things coming, JME? I'd hate for this to end this soon.
Me: Nope, that's why I have you around to tell me.
Nitram: You -are- beautiful. Anyone tries to tell you otherwise kill them.
"A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory. LLAP" -- Leonard Nimoy, last Tweet
Never!LadyTevar wrote:Bump.
How's things coming, JME? I'd hate for this to end this soon.
I have every intention of continuing this story. But my schedule and computer access has been less than bountiful in the last month. Everything should be back to normal in another week and work will then continue on both this and The Best of Both Worlds.
I understand, JME. I'll sit down and wait like a good little girl.JME2 wrote: Never!
I have every intention of continuing this story. But my schedule and computer access has been less than bountiful in the last month. Everything should be back to normal in another week and work will then continue on both this and The Best of Both Worlds.
Me: Nope, that's why I have you around to tell me.
Nitram: You -are- beautiful. Anyone tries to tell you otherwise kill them.
"A life is like a garden. Perfect moments can be had, but not preserved, except in memory. LLAP" -- Leonard Nimoy, last Tweet
Thank you.LadyTevar wrote:I understand, JME. I'll sit down and wait like a good little girl.JME2 wrote: Never!
I have every intention of continuing this story. But my schedule and computer access has been less than bountiful in the last month. Everything should be back to normal in another week and work will then continue on both this and The Best of Both Worlds.
Of course, if the next chapter is done early Saturday night (the 22nd), then you'll be forced to choose between reading it or watching the first part of the JLU season finale...