#... xd

The aquanaut was out and surveying the waters as soon as they arrived. His Thunderbird glided wordlessly behind him, taking her time slowly as she observed the reef through her internal sensors. The last time they’d been here, there was a situation that required their attention. She’d been so curious to observe it more closely; of course with her limitations of transforming underwater, the most she could do was hover close enough without damaging anything.

The Supreme Barrier Reef. Second to the Great Barrier Reef, and thriving in recovery after an acid leak that could have potentially wiped out the reef in a week.

Thunderbird Four rumbled softly as she followed a school of fish darting between the coral, losing them for a moment before they shot out of the reef again and scattered away from her position. The sub was immensely fascinated; there was only so much she’d been able to see and focus on during their underwater rescues. Now that she had time to drift and just enjoy it all, it was the best kind of overwhelming.

Gordon had paused in his scanning, flipping over to glance back at his craft. The warm pulses of his cybersleeve through his uniform drew his curiosity to what she was discovering, and as much as he wanted to ask her thoughts, he had a job to take care of first.

“… Captain?”

That didn’t stop the Thunderbird from asking questions as she pleased though. The aquanaut hummed a noise in response as he checked his readings again.

“You know… during that rescue, when Lady Penelope said something, about, it being our job to rescue people, not repair a reef… What, exactly made you decide to? Save the reef, I mean.”

Absently watching the numbers on his equipment, Gordon let himself think. He’d sort of, jumped to a decision in the moment and, had never really considered why but, after being informed of the reef and what had come to pass to the one before it, it had touched him. Having grown up with a love for swimming, the sea, and marine life, he was glad to have been able to do something to protect it, despite not following International Rescue’s usual rescue protocols.

“The world’s already lost one reef. Besides, it felt right,” he finally answered, letting himself float a moment. “The Great Barrier Reef was its own little ecosystem for marine life and species. Helen Shelby designed the Supreme Barrier Reef to give the coral a second chance when humanity failed to protect a reef too far damaged to repair. It’s pretty special, Four and, honestly I’m down to do whatever it takes to protect it.”

He’d swum over to small overcrop in the reef, peering at the underside to note a section of coral that seemed to be healing slower than everything else. Just a little bit more time…

“They might not be people but, I think sea life is pretty important to be rescuing too.”

Thunderbird Four quietly backed off from the bit of reef she’d been hovering over, still cautious not to disturb anything, or disrupt the scans in place. That was good enough reason, she decided.

“… Something bad would have happened if we hadn’t gotten rid of that cargo ship then, huh,” she wondered.