The summer before the portal incident, the Fenton parents decided to be responsible for one final time. They realized that their final push on completing their portal would likely be all consuming, and with the school year nearly over, they go through the process of getting their children signed up for camp. Getting their kids out from under foot while also providing them a safe, monitored environment for them to enjoy during the break.
They even found advanced educational summer programs that their kids would enjoy to make things easier. Jazzy was booked into a behavioral studies summer program that would delve into various developmental studies. It was hosted in Metropolis but also moved to Star City and Gotham during different subject focuses. Danny would be going to a very exclusive space camp, one set up by Nasa and Wayne Enterprise. Both had taken a lengthy application process, most of which was done in the lab. Meaning it was not surprising that the leaflets were damaged and nearly illegible when the kids got them.
So the Monday after school let's out Danny and Jazz pack up and head out.
Now here Danny was, two busses later sitting at a... dock? There is a group of six other teens under a banner he could recognize from the leaflet he had. Only Atlantis Expedition, had a different connotation while attached to a boat and waves instead of the blotchy dark smudge on Danny's pamphlet.
A few minutes of confusion and a kind tween later Danny had a not destroyed pamphlet to read. Turns out Atlantis and therefore Atlantians were real, and SOMEHOW his parents had gotten him into an ambassador program. An introduction between the youth of both realms.
"Well, in dad's defense, it IS sponsored by NASA." He mumbled to himself.
"What were you expecting? " The helpful tween asked. As his red headed friend wandered over from where he had been chatting with another older ginger.
"Let's just say this is not the space adventure I was advertised." Danny said awkwardly. "Not gonna complain though, still better than being stuck with my aunt for the summer."
"How is that even possible? I thought that this whole cultural exchange thing was very exclusive." The tallest red head asked incredulously.
"Yeah seems unlikely my dude, didn't your dad do the final cuts for attendance Dick?" The shorter red head asked the helpful boy.
"Yeah I mean it's does- Oh!" Danny admits while flipping the pamphlet to read the back.
"What?" The smallest helpful boy asks.
Danny points to a picture of an environmental suit. "That's the Fenton Suit 2.2. Mom and Dad just sold those blueprints to WE last year. It must have bumped us onto the short list for the program. That plus how distracted they have been in the lab, they probably didn't even read past NASA and WE before sending in an application." Danny explained.
"Oh, you must be Daniel Fenton! Yeah Dad did mention something about an explosion disrupting the video interview he had with your parents. I'm Dick by the way." The smallest boy introduced.
"Ew, no, Danny please... and yeah that sounds about right." Danny says offering his hand to shake.
"Well this will be an interesting summer for you then. I'm Wally." The more freckled ginger introduced himself next.
"Roy." The tallest ginger said with a smirk. "Did you even pack swimming gear?"
"I mean I packed a pair of trunks for the sensory dep tank... I don't think they'll be much use under the sea though." Danny admitted with a laugh.
"No worries, WE is supplying the dive suits for inside the depth suits. Besides the main castle of Atlantis is pressurized with magic so it'll be fine inside. " Dick explained, swatting at Roy for teasing the poor boy.
"Boats Here!" Wally cries and grabs his duffel off the ground and waving at the docking vessel.
They were all quickly aboard the boat and being introduced to the Atlantian kids that would be their buddies and guides for the program. They were left to mingle while the boat got them to the submarine that would take them the rest of the way to Atlantis.
Danny took a chance to break off from the awkward interactions and wander to a railing on the deck. He was quickly joined by a girl who had been introduced as Tula.
"It is even prettier under the water, especially the city." She said also watching the ocean pass by.
"Yeah I bet, I've never even seen the ocean before today. I can hardly imagine that soon I'll be so deep in it." Danny explains
Tula grasps and runs to the emergency box on the side of the hul. Pulling out a life jacket and several lifesavers. "Oh no! Put these on! I'll go get help!"
Roy, Wally, Dick, As well as two other atlantians, Garth and Kaldur come over to the sounds of alarm.
"What’s going on?" Wally asks
"I'm not sure-" Danny mumbles, burried under life preserves.
"He doesn't know how to swim!!" Tula exclaims in alarm.
" Once again Space Boy, how did you manage to get here?" Roy snarks
"Can someone please explain how this happened?" Garth asked exasperatedly.
Dick started to explain the situation to Garth and Tula while Kaldur walked up to Danny.
"Are you okay? Should you be this close to the railing?" He calmly asks.
"I KNOW HOW TO SWIM!" Danny huffed out indignantly.
"But you just said that this is your first time even seeing the ocean!" Tula explains.
"There are these magical things called pools." Roy points out with a laugh.
"Actually more like streams and lakes for me. Parents liked to offroad in search for paranormal entities as family bonding." Danny added.
'Oh... Right..." Tula said through her hands as she blushed.
"Can I put these down now?" Danny asked through the floating devices.
