Chapter 7: Fishing

Grandpa Max and I rock back and forth in the wooden row boat with our fishing lines cast out into the lake.

Max: " This is relaxing, isn't it Alex?"

" Definitely, I'm happy to get a break away from Ben and Gwen's bickering."

A large metal fishing vessel pulls up next to our little dingy. A man with ginger hair looks down at us with a friendly smile.

???: " Hello down there, this area is currently off limits. I'm sorry you'll have to vacate these premises."

I look to Grandpa Max, waiting for his response.

Max: " No problem, we'll be on our way."

Grandpa Max and I pick up the ores and row our way back to shore.

(Back on Shore)

The wave breaks and the small boat skids onto the sandy shore, we disembark the small vessel and gather our gear.

" Do you think those guys were really DNR?"

Max: " Of course not. Did you notice that high-tech scanning equipment?"

" Then why did we come back to shore?"

Max: " So we can grab Ben and Gwen, then head back out to figure out what they're scanning for."

(Back out on the Lake)

" What's the plan Grandpa?"

Max: " You and Ben will search under the water, while me and Gwen look above it."

Ben and I nod in confirmation.

Ben activates the Omnitrix, he's engulfed in a bright green light, when it dies down standing in his place is a humanoid fish man with rows of sharp, jagged teeth, that look like they could tear through steel, he had an angler fish light hanging from his head.

Ripjaws: " Ripjaws!"

My arms begin to turn gray and scaly, and my hands become webbed, the gray scales travel up to my neck, creating gills and making my teeth sharper. I dive into the lake, followed by Ripjaws, and both of our legs transform into black scaly fish tails.

Ripjaws: " What exactly are we looking for?"

" Anything suspicious."

I notice an old ship wreck, covered in rust and algae.

" Over there, let's check that ship wreck out."

I swim over to the ship, tailed by Ripjaws. We swim in through a large opening in the ship's hull. Ripjaws makes his light glow, allowing us to see.

" This is amazing, to actually be able to see a ship wreck this up close."

Out of the corner of my eye, I spot a large shadowy figure swim by the window.

" Did you see that?"

Ripjaws: " See what?"

The top of the wreck is ripped off by a large four legged creature with webbed hands and feet, a pair of gills on its neck, it's tail ends in a fin and it has two weird tubes on either side of its face.

Ripjaws: " What is that?!"

" I have no idea, but we need to get out of here!"

Me and Ripjaws swim away from the ship wreck as fast as we can, the large creature giving chase.

I leap out of the water and land in Grandpa Max's fishing boat, Ripjaws grabs the back of the boat and pushes us forward.

Gwen: " What's going on?"

The monster emerges from the water, glaring at the boat invading its territory.

Gwen: " What is that!?"

Ripjaws continues to push the boat as fast as he can, desperately trying to get away from the rampaging water monster.

We near the shore, but before we can make it the large creature slams down on the boat, launching us back onto shore, and breaking the boat to splinters.

The creature turns around and dives back into the depths of the lake.

The Omnitrix flashes red and returns Ripjaws to his human form, and I revert back to normal.

" Owww, my head."

Max: " Is everyone all right?"

Gwen: " I think so."

Ben: " What was that thing?"

" Was it an alien, Grandpa?"

Max: " Maybe, a lot of aliens make there home on earth."

Gwen: " What do we do now? We can't go back out on the lake, our boat is destroyed."

Max: " We get another boat, and head back out there."

" How are we going to get a new boat? Unless there's one just lying around."

Max: " Leave it to me."

(Later)

" Grandpa, can you run the plan by us again?"

Max: " It's simple, we're going to use the Rustbucket's Water Traversal Mode to get back out on the lake."

Gwen: " You're going to drive the Rustbucket on the lake?"

Ben: " Is it harder to believe than anything else we've seen recently?"

Grandpa Max starts driving towards the edge of the shore, as the Rustbucket drives onto the water, he presses a button on its dash, a yellow raft pops out from under the RV, and a speed boat engine replaces the mufflers.

" The Rustbucket is actually on the water."

Grandpa Max pilots the Rustbucket on water, heading back to the spot where the sea monster attacked.

(Above the shipwreck)

" Are you ready Ben?"

Ripjaws: " Good to go."

Max: " Be careful down there, you don't know what that thing is capable of."

Ripjaws: " Don't worry grandpa, we got this."

I leap into the lake, my legs becoming a single fin as I hit the water, my hands become webbed, and gills grow on my neck. Ripjaws follows after me, his legs becoming a fin as well.

We swim back down to the destroyed ship wreck.

" What could be in here that's so valuable, that those DNR frauds would want?"

Ripjaws: " Maybe it's some hidden treasure?"

" I don't it, it might be the ship itself."

Ripjaws and I split up and begin searching all over the ship. We search for a few minutes and then regroup in the main room.

" Did you find anything?"

Ripjaws: " No, there's nothing here but fish and algae."

" Then what are those guys looking for? This is the only valuable thing under this area of the lake."

Ripjaws: " Hey, I think I found something."

Ripjaws grabs a piece of wood and remove it from the ground, revealing a hidden compartment with thee tire sized eggs.

Ripjaws: " Eggs?"

" I think I'm beginning to see the picture. Those fake DNR guys are looking for these to most likely sell on the black market and that sea monster is just trying to protect her eggs, which is why it chased us away from here."

Ripjaws: " And how did you put all this together?"

" Elementary, my dear Watson."

Ripjaws: " What?"

" Never mind, Gwen would've find it funny."

A net flies by and wraps around Ripjaws, electrocuting him.

Ripjaws: " Ahhhhhh!!"

I look over and notice a man in a wetsuit walk into the wreck, he aims his net launcher at me and fires. I manage to just barely avoid the net.

???: " I was just expecting to get some eggs, but now I'm gonna get not one, but two sea monsters. You'll both go for a nice price."

" Over my dead body!"

I quickly swim over to Ripjaws, and using my claws, I slice him free of the net.

Ripjaws: " Thanks."

" No problem, now let's take care of this guy."

I rush over and slash my claws at him, but he manages to avoid my attacks. The man takes out a knife and slashes at me, nicking me in the side.

???: " Take that, you freak!"

Ripjaws slams into the man's side, sending him flying through the wall and back out the ship.

A loud, ear piercing roar resounds throughout the area.

" We need to get the eggs away from him!"

Ripjaws grabs two of the eggs and I grab the other one. We swim out of the ship and towards the origin of the roar.

???: " Where are you going with my eggs?!"

The man chases after us, not being able to keep up.

Ripjaws: " So, what's the plan?"

" We take the eggs to their mama."

Ripjaws: " You mean, we're just gonna go up to that giant monster with its eggs."

" Exactly, hopefully she will understand that we're just trying to help."

I look ahead of me and notice the sea monster, it was chained to a large metal crate, preventing it from moving.

" Hold off that guy."

Ripjaws: " Can do."

Ripjaws stops, and sets the eggs down behind him.

I swim as fast as I can, once I reach the monster I set her egg down in front of her.

" We don't want your eggs, we just want to help."

I swim to the chain, and using all my strength, I try to break it, but am unable.

" This is gonna be risky, but's all I got."

My arms change from gray and scaly to red and muscular, I grow another pair of arms and the gills disappear. I grab the chain and snap it into two pieces, freeing the sea creature.

I begin gasping for breath, unable to breath underwater with my current form. The monster grabs me and takes me to the surface. It then dives back under the water to save its eggs.

(Gasp….Gasp….Gasp) " It saved my life?"

I swim over to the Rustbucket and pull myself in.

Max: " Alex, are you ok? Where's Ben?"

" He's still down there with the monster and some guy in a wetsuit."

Max: " Guy in a wetsuit?"

" I think it was one of those DNR frauds, there after the sea monster's eggs, that's why it's been so aggressive."

We look out the door and notice a red flash come from under the water.

Gwen: " The Omnitrix timed out, Ben might be in trouble!"

I shift my arms back to gray scales and regrow the gills, but before I can dive in, two people are brought to the surface by the monster, Ben and the man.

I swim out and grab the both of them, then bring them back to the RV.

Gwen: " It save them? Why?"

" Because all it wanted was its eggs."

(Back on Shore)

???: " You can't arrest me! Do you know who I am!?"

The poacher was dragged away by the police, he was apparently wanted in many countries.

" So, where to next grandpa?"

Max: " Hmmm, how does New Orleans sound?"

" A boat cruise through the Bayou, count me in."