Just weeks away. That was the sentence repeating over and over in the brain of Kennon. It was the last week of October, and good ol' Kenny was a little less than a month away from his marriage to Astrid. The butterflies were flying in his gut and his mind, knowing he was about to be mated for the rest of his life... well, as long as didn't fuck up somehow, which was always a fear in his mind. As his mind drifted to the big day, he was brought out of his thoughts by the sounds of "Dead Skin Mask" by Slayer. His cell phone was going off, and when that song played, there was only one person who could be calling him. Knowing he was still stocked up on weed, and he had no plans on going to the bar for a few days, he knew something had to be up, so he answered the phone, getting straight to the point the moment he picked up. "Yeah Nick, what's up?" On the other end was the man who was genetically his father, but just from a different timeline, so it wasn't really his dad. Nick was the patriarch of one of the larger bloodlines of gargoyles residing in Silvercliff, as well as Ken's drug dealer, drinking buddy, and liason to his slowly budding occasional wrestling career. As well as some odd adventures that could never be understood how he got pulled into, or how he was connected to these employers. "I'll get right to it. Wanna go on a recon mission? No real chance of injury or death. No fighting. Once in a lifetime opportunity. Up for it?" Ken had to wonder about this, so he decided to enquire further. "No fighting? What, is that the order? Not to engage the enemy?" "No. There is no enemy. In fact, it's more of a science mission than anything." "Science? Since when have you been into anything scientifical short of growing the ultimate marijuana plant or maximum pleasure from fucking?" Over the line, Nick could almost be heard smiling though his laughter. "Well, because it's something that interests me, and the money is way too good to pass up. In fact, it's something that would cost quite a lot of money if I was to do it in any different way. This way, instead of paying a fortune for a special vacation, we'd get paid to do it, but we'd also spend a bit of time working too. I was told to bring someone with me if I wanted to. Midori's too young, and it's something you could really enjoy. Besides, consider it your last adventure before becoming tied down." Like a cat, Kennon's curiousity was killing him. "Ok. I'm in. Where we going?" "400 miles off the coast of Newfoundland." --------------------------------------------------------------- 4 days later --------------------------------------------------------------- "Nick-san, Kennon-san. Welcome aboard the science vessel Onita." The person greeting them was a middle aged japanese man named Dr. Yoshihiro Matsunaga. Not much of anything distinguishable about him other than he was much smaller than the gargoyles. It was his claim to fame that made him known. He was one of Japan's most studied oceanographers, as well as ocean-sciences geniuses. "Have you both been brought up to speed on what your duties are?" Other than the location of where they were going, the reason wasn't quite clear. This led both Nick and Kenny to shake their heads almost in unison to the negative. "Can't say as we have," Nick responded. "Well, allow me to shed some light into the situation. My company has come up with a restorative agent that can keep items from rusting away under the most extreme circumstances. It even has the ability to be applied underwater. However, it has been requested by several government agencies that we give it an ultimate test. To do so, however, we needed the ultimate test subject. In an agreement with several museums and the National Geographic Society, we've been funded to apply it to one of the greatest artifacts ever--- The Titanic." Nick and Kennon just blinked. Enough stoned viewings of the History channel, as well as Nick's oddly large collection of Titanic-based movies, documentaries, and books, with minimal Leonardo DiCaprio intrusion, put everything in perspective for Ken. The meaning of this trip was something astronomical to Nick, and he suddenly knew that his being there, let alone his invitation to come, was meant as an ultimate show of friendship from Nick to Ken. To be included in one of Nick's life's dreams. It was an honor. even if it wasn't said aloud. He looked to Nick, who had moved over the the gaurdrail, staring into the water. "So why did you need us here? I mean, I know was allowed to bring Ken with me, but why was I invited to come? I'm not exactally a scientist." Nick's question did carry merit. He was a wrestler, a stoner, and a father. No where in there did his skills in the world of science pass anything past exlpaining how Ramen Noodles were cooked, and even that was almost over his head. "Because, my employer, and the largest investor in the making of my anti-rust product, Mr. Inoki, requested you come along, because out of anyone under his employ amongst all of the businesses he owns, you were the most knowledgeable in the history, design, build, and other information concerning this ship. You are an invaluable asset in this journey." Dr. Matsunaga smiled. "Plus, in addition, Inoki-san made the comment that this could bring you and he extra fame, because not only are you the first gargoyle to be a part of the world of professional wrestling, you'd also be the first gargoyle to ever descend miles below the water's surface, and he would be the one who got you there. The fact that you brought another gargoyle with you also gives him the chance to study you both as guinea pigs, so to speak. As you know, since your business connections to him, the study of gargoyle genetics at Inoki Labs has led to amazing scientific breakthroughs in both human and gargoyle genetics." Ken was confused, and it showed. "Could you dumb that down a bit for me, please?" Dr. Matsunaga just chuckled. "To simplfy, while I will be applying the agent to parts of the Titanic, you both will be monitored to see if there are any health changes by being submerged in such depths, for there have been noticable changes in human health at such depths." Ken got that, and just nodded. Then Nick spoke up. "So... when do we go down?" -------------------------------------------------- "We have reached the bottom. we should be about 500 yards due east of the bow of the ship." Kennon, Nick, Dr. Matsunaga, and the submarine's captain, Dr. Richard "Dick" Thornton had taken a 3 hour journey to the bottom of the ocean aboard the largest submersible ever to reach such depths. Looking out a porthole, Kenny had to point out a serious piece of irony that had yet to be addressed. "Dr. Matsunaga, I just gotta ask: Who had the kooky idea to name a submarine Icarus?" "I did. The story of how Icarus made wings that melted when he flew too close to the sun gave me the idea to name this submarine to remind me that even the most ingenious idea can still be highly flawed." Matsunaga just continued to look out his own porthole, never looking away as he explained. "....... That's not exactally reassuring." Ken couldn't help but note aloud. As the four watched the sea floor pass by for several minutes, Dick finally spoke up again. "Ok guys, turn on the brights, because in mere moments, we'll be seeing her." Almost instantly, the good doctor and the two oversized gargoyles gathered around the large porthole, crowding the captain. "Doc, you're gonna get a heartreate spike like you've never seen in mere momen...." Nick had started to speak, but then went quiet as she came into view. Almost as if she was plowing ahead at full speed, the mud caked up along the edge of the bow, there she sat. The Titanic. Having last seen the surface on April 15th, 1912, she sat now, silently, on the bottom. The only sound heard in the cabin was the sharp inhale of breath by Nick as something he had only dreamed of ever seeing had finally become reality. "Wow." Those three letters letters stated more than any thought of any size in the human vocabulary of any language could ever state. Ken took a moment to look at his friend, and examine his reaction. He could tell that this was a dream come true for his friend. Something very few ever got to do, and something he had to have dreamed about many times. Hell, he knew what it meant. He could remember sitting back, smoking blunts as Nick went over some of the stories of various survivors and victims of the tragedy of the sinking that night. Second Officer Charles Lighttoller, Gen. Archibald Butt, Capt. Edward Smith. 'the Unsinkable' Molly Brown. The millions of innaccuracies of Kate Winslet and DiCaprio in James Cameron's movie about the ship. All these things came back to his mind as he watched Nick, then watched the ship pass by as Icarus lifted up, and started gliding over, along, and around the ship. Like a oddly-shaped underwater gargoyle, it just glided past this technological marvel that was lost only a handful of days into her maiden voyage. Kenny just had to ask. "So... Nick... ever expect to be here?" Nick just shook his head. "Never. It's... it's so close, like I could reach out and touch it." As they went past the fallen mast, Nick quietly sang. Ken listened to him, but was intrigued because it wasn't what he expected. Not just the singing, but the fact it wasn't some random Motörhead or Slayer tune. "Darkness, darkness... be my pillow... take my hand... and let me sleep... in the coldnesssss... of your shadow.... in the silence... of your deep." As what was left of the bridge of the ship, where 1st officer William Murdoch was on duty, and Quartermaster Robert Hitchens stood as the iceberg came into view almost a century before, Nick continued singing... almost hauntingly. "Darkness, darkness... be my blanket... cover meee... in the endless night... take awaaaay... the pain away... fill the emmmmptiness with liiiight...." They then passed the over the area that had once been an amazing glass ceiling that covered the top of the grand staircase. Looking down, they could see for stories, from the outside of the ship all the way down for several decks. "Darkness, darkness... hide my yearning... for the thiiiings... that caaaannot be... keep my mind... from constant turniiing... for the things... that cannot see...." As he listened, Ken knew the tune. It was a song from one of the documentaries he'd watched with Nick about the ship. But listening to it while stoned, coming from a TV, sang by some songstress was a lot different than listening to his friend singing it, looking at the subject of the song up close. It gave it new meaning. ----------------------------------------------------------- Nine days later ----------------------------------------------------------- Nick and Kennon had taken four more dives together, while Nick had gone on every single one. Eight dives over ten days. It was an endurance run that even Dick Thornton was amazed by, noting that no one he'd ever known had ever been able to withstand all that. The constant pressure changes and everything that the body had to withstand to do that. Ken knew that when Nick's heart was into something, he put his life into it. But this was something that even amazed him. So when it was the night before their departure back to land, Ken stood on the back deck of the ship, watching the seas, the stars and moon shining high above in the slightly above freezing temperatures that had arrived during their time in the ocean. As he stood there, gazing, Nick walked up and joined him on the back of the ship. For a while, they stood there, silently, both obviously knowing the other was there, but lost in their own thoughts over everything that had happened. Parts of the ship had been sprayed. Dr. Matsunaga had also gathered all the information for Inoki labs on the health of both gargs. There'd been no issues with the submarine, the spray guns, or anything. In fact, it had been one of the most successful trips to the ship by any team ever. Maybe it was the gods shining upon them. Maybe just blind luck. Maybe the teams that went there learned from every mistake every crew that went before them. But to the two gargoyles, it was something else. It was destiny. Nick finally spoke. "Ken..." It snapped Kennon out of his trance. "Before you say anything... thanks. I know what this meant to you, and I'm glad you brought me with you. This was amazing." Nick had to smile. "I'm glad you think so... because I wondered if you'd grasp the whole meaning of this trip." Kenny just nodded. "For you... yeah." They just looked out over the sea again before Nick spoke back up. "You remember what I said, about how for the most part, unless you totally grasp the concept of the situation, that you should leave places like this untouched?" He had to think for a moment, but then Ken remembered the conversation, and nodded. "Yeah." "Do you grasp all of this? Understand it?" All Kennon could do was nod. He wasn't sure what Nick was getting to, but knew it was something important. "Well...I'm glad you do. Because if you didn't... well..." He trailed off some for a moment... then spoke back up. "I want you to have this. A wedding gift to you and Astrid." Ken looked at Nick, and saw he had sat a small box beside Kennon's feet. As he kneeled down, and opened the flaps, he couldn't believe his eyes. ".... where... but... how?" Nick pulled out a cigarette, and lit up. "that last trip you didn't take down there... I actually got something. I was taught how to use the claw and basket on Icarus, and decided to grab something. Well... actually, I made a trade. I believe that to disturb their final resting place, I had to leave something for them. But in return, I got y'all these. Most museums would pay beyond a fortune for them, so be careful." Ken looked at the set of two china plates, two saucers, and two teacups. Made specifically for the first class passengers of the Titanic. All bearing the White Star Line logo and Titanic insignias. He knew it was the most simple, yet amazing things he had ever seen. And knowing Nick, who's take on removing artifacts from the ship he'd heard bitching about many times, was the one who got them for he and his future wife. It made them mean all that much more. ".... Thank you." As he flicked some ashes from his cigarette, Nick just nodded. "Welcome. Now, let's go home. You got a wife to marry."