They were good and lost now Sam made sure of that he pushed the throttle forward and let the waves steer the ship as they drifted further and further into the night. Was it the best way to do this? Probably not but he’d much rather have a boat lose power than the X-Jet, Tricity wouldn’t be the happiest if he had to crash the jet in the ocean. It already happened once in the past few years and he’d be happy if he didn’t have to tarnish his safe landing streak with the X-Jet.

”See anything Gawain?” Sam asked hoping that Gawain would have better luck on the radar or with the binoculars. There was a reason a few dozen ships and planes started to go down in the area and he was determined to figure out why. Sure the Bermuda triangle was known for ships and plans getting lost in it over the years but the past month alone the numbers turned into the dozens.

Few in the area thought it to be pirates others thought it was due to the weather, Sam on the other hand didn’t think it was either no it had to be something else entirely he just didn’t know what which was why he and his first mate Gawain the gender bending mirror hopper were going to figure out what was going on. Should he have brought some other team members? Probably but so far he and Gawain/Maya had a winning streak going after the incident in Germany and he wanted to keep it going. Not only that but the two of them excelled in the stealth field and if it was something dangerous this was strictly a recon mission.

”Good and lost, that’s what the old sea captain said right?” Sam asked rhetorically as the wave started to rock the forty-foot boat they rented. It had a small cabin underneath the deck large enough for two small beds and a smaller kitchen not that they’d be needing the kitchen with the dry and canned rations Sam had made Gawain mule onto the ship. ”I know he seemed a bit crazy but I really hope it isn’t mermaids. Raina would be furious if we got into a tussle with some fish people.” Sam said laughing as he straightened the wheel until the ship cut into the next wave.

The ship jumped the wave and landed with a loud crash. ”Yargghhh!” Sam yelled in a mocking pirate voice to sound similar to the old guy who told them it was actual mermaids kidnapping people and sinking boats and planes. Still not sure how mermaids were capable of sinking planes Sam slowed the throttle and let the ship bob in the water shifting back and forth. It was a good thing he wasn’t sea sick otherwise this would be a very bad night.

Patting Gawain on the back Sam cleared his throat, ”Take the wheel and keep the speed, we’re around the area where all the ships and the planes sent out their last distress signals, I think.” he paused and shrugged his shoulders, ”I’ll go on deck and see if I get any luck feeling something the radar can’t see.” Sam said his sixth sense turning on as the air around him got colder.

Stepping out of the control cabin Sam shut the door behind him and moved onto the front of the deck where he sat and iced himself to the boat so he wouldn’t be able to be thrown off suddenly if they hit a huge wave (something Sam deemed unlikely due to the clear skies and somewhat mellow waters other than the occasion swell) or Gawain’s poor driving skills. It was better to be safe than sorry.

The X-missions had gotten increasingly weirder in the past months. And it wasn't even about New York City.

>>"See anything Gawain?"

"Water." the young knight said stoically, checking the radar. Of course, if this was really the Bermuda triangle, they might was well shut the thing off and wait for Nessie to show.

>>"Good and lost, that's what the old sea captain said right? I know he seemed a bit crazy but I really hope it isn't mermaids. Raina would be furious if we got into a tussle with some fish people."

Raina was on the team before Gawain's time, but he had heard about her. That made the young X-man one of the few people on the planet that knew for a fact that mermaids were real. He just had a hard time seeing them as a threat.

"I wonder how they wound bring down a plane, though" he echoed Sam's unsaid thoughts.

>>"Take the wheel and keep the speed, we're around the area where all the ships and the planes sent out their last distress signals, I think. I'll go on deck and see if I get any luck feeling something the radar can't see."

Gawain took the wheel and watched through the window as Sam walked out onto the front deck. It was dark outside, but light enough on the endless water to make out shapes.

The radar gave a blip, and went out a second after Gawain looked at it.

"Uh-oh." Stopping the ship and letting it drift, Gawain poked his head out of the cabin.

"Sam? We have..."

The other ship seemed to come out of nowhere, gliding soundlessly along, close enough to make out the shapes on its deck.

"... company?"

The waters were silent except for the crashing of the waves on the hull of the boat. Rocking back and forth ever so slightly as the motor pushed them along in the vast open waters. Sam closed his good eye and focused on feeling the heat of everything around him. The motor was the brightest followed by Gawain who was still in the cabin. Sam breathed in then out continuing to focus on everything around him. His attention was pointed downward under the surface of the water his first guess was something was indeed lurking under it, a force capable of sinking ships or shooting down planes. A submarine maybe?

‘No’ Sam thought to himself in silence as the wind brushed up against his cheeks something like that would have been noticed by someone by now. Submarines weren’t the easiest to hide at least from what he could guess. Shortly after his thoughts traced back over themselves nit picking every detail running through his mind Gawain answered the questions he could not.

From the second the engine stopped propelling the boat forward Sam snapped his eye open and released the hold he held over the ice keeping him fixed to the boat. He stood up and ran back alongside the ship into the cabin. ”We’re cousins got it?” Sam said opening a drawer near the steering wheel. Pulling out a gun something that Sam was never fond of he pulled the clip out to make sure it was still loaded. Slamming the clip back and making sure the safety was on he tossed it to Gawain without much thought. ”We’re humans, you know how to work that right?” Sam asked pulling out a flare gun from the drawer next to the one he just pulled the gun from and putting it between his pants and his belt behind his back.

”Wait for my signal for all we know this is just some random people.” Looking out the cabin windows to where the radar was pointing the ship to be Sam waited as the ship approached getting larger and larger. It was a fishing ship from the looks of it and the closer it got the faster he realized they were heading right for them. Walking outside the cabin Sam pulled the flare gun from behind his back and shot it in the air.

The fishing ship slowed and altered course slightly heading towards them in an arc instead of right for them. The features of the ship becoming more and more clear as it closed the distance. Sam blinked once with his eye and spotted the huge net on the pulley system rigged to catch the fish once dropped then his eye shifted to the bow of the ship. He blinked again and looked back to Gawain, ”Is that a half naked chick?”

>> ”We’re cousins got it? We’re humans, you know how to work that right?”

"Sure, we've got a few hours till midnight." the young knight smirked and caught the gun, hiding it under the back of his jacket. If this lasted more than a few hours, they were in trouble anyway, gender-bending or not.

>>”Wait for my signal for all we know this is just some random people.”

"Aye aye Capt'n."

It sounded strangely appropriate on the deck of a ship.

Gawain followed Sam out of the cabin and they stood side by side, waiting for the fishing boat to approach them. Gawain felt the tingling sensation of his body being ready for fight or flight.

>> ”Is that a half naked chick?”

Gawain blinked.

"A whut now?"

This was not really a good time for Sam to be sharing his private fantasies. Gawain's eyes narrowed as the peered through the darkness in the fleeting light of the flare gun.

"Um."

Blink.

"I do believe it is a half naked chick... chicks, actually. So, what's your bet, spring breakers drifting, set for Privates of the Caribbean, or girls gone wild come true?..."

”No idea… we either hit the jackpot on right place right time…. Chicks… nice” Sam said hiding the flare gun again on his person while he kept his eye fixed forward as the heat coming from the engine on the opposite boat grew in brightness as it got closer under the power of his heat sense. ”A lot of chicks…” Sam added as the body temperatures of the women started to make them apparent even a few that were under the deck of the fishing ship.

”Grab that flashlight and aim it on the ship. Let’s find out if these girls are the reason we’re here or the reason I want to stay…” Sam said smirking but not really lightening his thought process just in case. ”Guard up, not the first time some half naked women tried to kill me.” Sam said not looking back but rather stepping out of the cabin trying to seem as harmless as possible. Waving his arms over his head Sam called out, ”A-hoy!”

The ship kept getting closer till it pulled on the side of their boat, the scantly cladded women started to appear on the side of the boat nearest them. “Heyyy!” a blonde said as she waved back to Sam. Even in the combination of the moonlight and the lights on both ships Sam could tell she was very attractive. Sam turned his head towards Gawain and gave him a smirk not sure or not if the gender shifted could see his facial expression. ”We’re a bit lost! My idiot cousin got a tad tipsy behind the wheel while I was sleeping. At least there isn’t anything to crash into right?” Sam said fabricating a simple lie on the spot one he expected Gawain to play along with.

“Well that’s no good!” the blonde said as another three good-looking scantly dressed women appeared next to the blonde. “We got stranded on this island back that way and managed to find this boat there.” The blonde explained pointing in the direction of the island. ”There is an island that way? Our maps don’t show anything that way maybe that is why we are lost.” Sam said shrugging his shoulders, ”You have gas there? We are almost out!” Sam said nodding his head backwards to the engine.

The blonde and the other three girls nearest her all giggled and nodded, “We can tow you back if you want.” Sam noted the giggle and the material the girls were dressed with. It looked almost like fur or a mesh of rags sewed together. ”That would be great!” Sam said turning his head and looking to Gawain, ”Grab the rope.”

>>”No idea… we either hit the jackpot on right place right time…. Chicks… nice... A lot of chicks…”

A lot of chicks indeed. Pretty ladies, too. Gawain rolled his eyes at Sam's reaction - it was just his luck, getting stuck on this mission with the biggest player on the team. Contrary to popular belief, Gawain's track record with womanizing was nowhere in the ballpark of what Sam was hiding in his files.

>>”Grab that flashlight and aim it on the ship. Let’s find out if these girls are the reason we’re here or the reason I want to stay… Guard up, not the first time some half naked women tried to kill me.”

"But you haven't slept with these ones yet." Gawain grinned, grabbing the flashlight and watching the crew on the other ship. If this was not a set for a movie of certain sorts, it was definitely developing into something rated M.

>>”We’re a bit lost! My idiot cousin got a tad tipsy behind the wheel while I was sleeping. At least there isn’t anything to crash into right?”

"Gee, thanks" Gawain muttered, blushing against his better judgement. Next time, he decided, he was going to come up with the cover story.

Sam negotiated a tow to the island nearby that was not on the maps. Or the radar. Gawain caught the rope and fastened it to the deck so they could be towed. The scantily clad crew on the other ship worked like a well-oiled machine, more than a bunch of stranded tourists. That caught the young X-man's eye.

"Is it just me, or are Destiny's Children a little too good at life on the high seas?" he muttered to Sam as the boat jerked and started to move.

”What you thought the only reason I wanted to go with them back to their island was because they were hot?” Sam asked smirking as the fishing ship was towing their ship. ”the giggle was what did it for me.” Sam said shrugging slightly heading back into the cabin where he and Gawain could have some more private words just in case they were somehow overheard.

”Hot women, hardly dressed over eager to take us back to their island where they are ‘stranded’… sounds like a party to me.” Sam said shrugging his shoulders and fixing his eye forward through the windows of the cock pit. ”At least we have a few minutes to think before we get to their island…” Sam said running a hand through his hair.

”Think you can hop over and take a look around and see if everything checks out?” Sam asked curiously. ”Stay out of sight though and don’t stay long. I don’t know where this island is and if they are the ones kidnapping people I don’t want to be caught alone and unaware.” Sam said closing his eye again before adding, ”Only twelve on that fishing ship… all women looks like.” Sam said opening his eye again and leaning up against the wall in the cabin.

>>”Think you can hop over and take a look around and see if everything checks out? Stay out of sight though and don’t stay long. I don’t know where this island is and if they are the ones kidnapping people I don’t want to be caught alone and unaware. Only twelve on that fishing ship… all women looks like.”

"Aye aye Capt'n" Gawain melted into the reflection in the mirror and moved over to the other ship. The light was tricky and all kinds of shadows were moving across the surfaces of the fishing boat: Gawain dodged them and melted into them, trying to see all the women on the boat, and catch parts of their conversation. Once one of them, a young brunette, stopped in her tracks and tilted her head, listening... but then she moved on with her tasks.

Gawain slipped back to their own boat.

"Looks like we are in for a party" he grinned "All I heard was them discussing how we look. They seem to be up to something, though. They don't seem like a bunch of girls stranded on an island. I think they live there. They called it 'home' anyway..." he looked at Sam "Should we call this in to the team?..."

Just like that Sam was alone to console his thoughts where they really stranded? Highly doubtful at this point Gawain was right they rigged the tow far too easily and they didn’t even check to see if the boat he was on was actually out of gas. A few things about these girls were continuing to become more and more suspect. Sam reached into his pocket and took a look at his phone and noticed he had no bars then he found his earpiece and tried that. Nothing either, which never really happened because regardless of the location he never was without the ability to contact any of the fellow X’s in fact he was told a few times it wasn’t possible they were supposed to be satellite linked or something like that.

Putting both away Sam waited around for Gawain to return in silence only to gather up a few supplies he thought would come in handy. Rope, a lighter a flash light and a few other pieces that would come in handy if they were really trying to rough it for survival. The flare gun remained on his back and occasionally he tried to read the radar, which was acting… difficult. It flashed on and off and looked like it caught a bad case of the white noise you occasionally saw on the old televisions.

Gawain returned with a smirk and what he thought was good news. Sam stared at him for a second then returned the smirk, ”Party time it is then! Though they are gonna be in for a surprise when you shift on them… unless they are into that…” Sam said reaching into the backpack lifting a bottle of whiskey he found in the ships cupboards. Sam laughed for a second then nodded his head, ”Defiantly not stranded. They have a boat.” Sam said agreeing with Gawain. If they were indeed heading to their home Sam fully intended to figure out why no one has seen this ‘home’ before.

”I tried to call the team while you were on their boat. No service with the phones, radars acting up and for some reason com–link is down. Something I have been told numerous times was impossible.” Sam said opening the bottle of whiskey and taking a small swig before putting it back in the bag. ”Here…” Sam said tossing the bag with all the survival necessities at Gawain. ”Something does happen I want you to split off and look around. Your methods of stealth and transportation are far less flashy than mine.” Sam said without thinking much of it. ”Keep that gun on you as well.”

>> ”Party time it is then! Though they are gonna be in for a surprise when you shift on them… unless they are into that…”

"If they are not, they will" Gawain grinned. He had no idea how a bunch of party-ready girls would react to him shifting into Maya. He still hoped against hope this mission would not last that long. Or take a turn for the better.

>>”I tried to call the team while you were on their boat. No service with the phones, radars acting up and for some reason com–link is down. Something I have been told numerous times was impossible.”

"That's not good" the grin disappeared from Gawain's face. He watched Sam take a swig of liquor. Drinking on the job? Really?
He snatched the backpack out of the air and flung it over his shoulder.

>>”Here… Something does happen I want you to split off and look around. Your methods of stealth and transportation are far less flashy than mine. Keep that gun on you as well.”

"I hate guns" he frowned, touching the weapon at the small of his back. He much preferred archery, but for this mission a bow and a quiver full of arrows would have been more than suspicious. Not that a gun was any better. Just easier to hide.

Land slowly came into view as the fishing boat towed them into a small natural harbor.

"Here goes nothing..."

”I don’t like them much either but they can mean the difference between a dead Gawain and an alive one right? Sam shrugged his shoulders and left it at that figuring Gawain would get the point. Sam waited a second longer then land started to show itself. ”They got to have some way to jam the communicators.” Sam said trying to see if there was an obvious radio tower or something of the like but not really seeing much on the island, at least not on the shore line.

Even in the moonlight and his one eye Sam could see the bay the fishing ship was taking them to it opened and from what he could it went into the island a bit like a cove his eye sifted to both sides of land that enclosed the harbor. ”Great vantage points if you were to get a sniper or in your case a few dozen archers there.” Sam said his eye still fixed on everything outside of the cabin. Firelight danced off in the distance the closer they got to the island small pyres on both sides of the cove danced while from what he could tell people were standing around them.

”Hmmmm….” was all Sam said as their ship came closer and closer to one of the fires on the beach where a few other boats were stationed none as big as the fishing boat. ”Well if that is their biggest ship it makes sense they wouldn’t want to cross the distance to the next island…” Sam doubted that was the reason these women claimed they were stranded but kept the rest of his thoughts to himself no doubt they’d set Gawain thinking the same way as Sam.

Some time passed and as both ships pulled into the make shift docks leading to the beach Sam exited the cabin first making sure to keep a smile on his face to make it seem like he and his ‘cousin’ were truly harmless. Stepping off the boat and onto the dock Sam was greeted by the three women from the fishing ship all of which were grinning and giggling. Sam smiled more and waved to them, ”You got quite the set up here.” Sam said nodding his head to the half dozen fires on the beach. ”How many of you are there?” Sam asked curiously.

“About a two-hundred.”[/color] the blonde said shrugging her shoulders, “We were on a cruise liner for spring break and it started to sink luckily we were close enough to this island.” She said looking to the other two girls and nodding her head. Both of which walked over to Gawain and reached out for his arms, “You two must be starving!” the brunette said as the black haired girl nodded her head, “We have tons of food if you guys want to join us round one of the fires.”

Sam smirked and then nodded, ”Famished.” the blonde walked over to Sam and locked her arm around his, “Your gonna love it here.” Sam laughed and shifted his good eye down in the darkness to scope out the blondes body. ”Yeah… think we will.”

>>”I don’t like them much either but they can mean the difference between a dead Gawain and an alive one right?... They got to have some way to jam the communicators... Great vantage points if you were to get a sniper or in your case a few dozen archers there.”

Gawain hummed in agreement as he surveyed the coastline in the light of the fires.

"Archers would not have the fires up there though. They would have them down here so they can aim."

So, for the moment, they were safe. Even if the lovely ladies turned out to be cannibals, they were not into skewering their meal with arrows. Good to know.

>>”How many of you are there?”
>>“About a two-hundred. We were on a cruise liner for spring break and it started to sink luckily we were close enough to this island.,, You two must be starving! We have tons of food if you guys want to join us round one of the fires.”

This was definitely too good to be true. Sunken ship, tons of food, fishing boat with fuel in it? These chicks were up to no good. Gawain flashed a grin and let them pull him by the hands towards the fires on the higher ground.

>>“Your gonna love it here.”

"I am sure" he chuckled, smiling at the girls who were still pulling him by the hands. Might as well be nice to the ladies. Could be the difference between laid and dead.

Around the fires were more of the scantily clad womenfolk, making various sorts of food, from canned soup to small mammals on sticks. There were tents pitched around the site, although they looked very temporary for people so well adjusted. They all smiled, waved and giggled. Gawain smiled back, and glanced at Sam from the corner of his eyes.

Sam didn’t make it far to the fires before he started to notice that the majority… okay all of the occupants he could see on the island were women, scantly dressed women. Ones that he’d defiantly hit on back home if he ran into them at a bar or in a park. “You see something you like?” the blonde asked him after giving Sam a small tug on his arm. Shifting his attention from the women to the blonde next to him he shrugged and responded how any guy who was trying to not get caught staring down some women, ”Pictured grass huts opposed to tents.” Sam said trying to smile to the blonde. ”I never got your name…” the blonde smiled and pointed to her chest almost making her finger disappear in her outfit, “Layla.”

Nodding his head Sam did the same only pointing to his own chest where his finger didn’t vanish at all. ”Sam” Layla smiled and then added, “Nice to meet you Sam, not to often do we have men visiting our island.” This comment was of note and Sam tilted his head to the side when she said it, ”So you get visitors? Why don’t you leave with them?” Sam asked curiously smelling the grease from the small mammals on the fire. “Well, it is kinda sad,” she started only to trail off staring into the nearest group of woman around a fire. ”I’m all ears---- mhmm.” Sam didn’t get to finish his thoughts because the blonde closed the distance between them and latched her lips on his.

Sam blinked his free hand to his side till the woman pulled away, ”Right…” Sam said brining his free hand up to the back of his head when he noticed they just put on a show to a group of now giggling girls around the fire. ”Marking your territory?” Sam asked smirking almost forgetting what she had just said seconds before the kiss, almost. ”So about this sad story?” Sam asked curiously wiping his lip slightly with his thumb.

They continued to walk over to the nearest and largest fire on the beach where a large mass of women were gathered around eating laughing and the occasional dancing to the drums from the sound of it were made on the island. “Something like that…” Layla said before adding, “Well when ever we find someone close enough to the island we go out and try to see if they have a ship large enough to take us all off this godforsaken island, no one ever does and when we ask them to send for help no one ever comes.” The girl said looking from one of the nearest girls back to the sand they were walking on.

”Gotta be rough…” Sam said trying to believe the story ignoring the facts he had seen so far… like the lack of men and or children in the groups of the women. ”So was it just your ship?” Sam asked being led to a vacant spot in front of the fire where a log was placed for some seating. Once they were sitting Sam asked another question, ”So you ladies just sleeping in tents or…?” Sam trialed off as a skewer with a fish on it was handed to him one he took without much thought and sniffed it before biting into it. “You ask a lot of questions, Sam.” Layla said laughing after she grabbed a skewer of her own and raised it up to Sam before biting into it. ”Call me curious, sad to see you girls stranded out here.”

Layla stopped biting into the fish and stared at him for a moment, “Just because we are women doesn’t mean we are helpless!” she said staring at him Sam noticed a few of the woman right around them staring as well. If it wasn’t for the fires Sam would have had his sixth sense activated however seeing as he couldn’t use that he had to rely on Gawain wherever he was. ”Didn’t mean that at all!” Sam said taking a bite of his fish and waving his hand dismissively, ”Got my ass kicked by many a woman in my day!” Sam said, ”I just meant you all are stranded out here.”

There were... a lot of women. Some lifted Gawain's bag from his shoulders while others offered a drink from a flask, it tasted sweet like some kind of a fruit juice. Gawain licked his lips and then someone else licked them for him. Hmm.

Glancing around when he came up for air he saw Sam similarly occupied with the blondie. No kidding, these women had been stranded her forever.
The trained X-man in Gawain's mind said something was seriously, unexplainable off. At the same time the male part of his brain was resisting to work properly due to lack of oxygen.

Damn I need to shift.

He was pulled down to sit by the fire and fed pieces of food by a bunch of girls his age who were giggling without a break. He could only catch glimpses of Sam, who was becoming really popular.

Where is a telepath when we need one?...

Layla looked from Sam down to her fish then quickly darted her eyes back up to him, “Sorry” she said setting the fish down and grabbing what looked like a coconut with the top sawed off. She took a sip of it and offered it to Sam who took it with a silent thanks. “We just don’t like to be made weak is all. I know you meant nothing by it you seem nice…” Sam blinked once and looked to the fire trying to make some interpretation of Layla’s sudden mood swings. Looking over the fire Sam spotted Gawain in a gaggle of women surrounding him offering the same food and beverage.

A second passed and Sam noticed a dark haired woman pushing him to the side slightly to grab the seat on the opposite side of Sam. Distracted by another smile Sam took another bite of a fish and another sip of the coconut concoction. ”Hi.” Sam said to the girl as she offered him some fruit. Sam took it with a smile and continued to chow down and occasionally talk to the dark haired woman whose name was Jessica who from what he could tell didn’t get along too well with Layla it was apparent every time one of them started to talk with Sam the other would glare at the one who was doing the talking.

Sam did his best to eat without engaging both of the girls at the same time in a conversation Layla had been increasingly silent since she snapped at Sam and offered him the cup of whatever this great mix of drink was. It was fruity like a cross between mint, coconut and bananas. Sam blinked once and then lifted the now empty coconut, ”Pretty good… what’s in this?” Sam asked finishing his fish now and biting into some kind of fruit. “Well,” Jessica started to explain as she was cut off by Layla who continued, “Just a few things found on the island, the sedative in it is only effective if you finish the whole thing though.”

Sam blinked and looked to Layla trying to make sure what he heard her say was right, ”Sedatives?” Sam stood up quickly and almost fell backwards catching himself in a stumble. Both girls stood up trying to catch him but let Sam catch himself before he realized how dizzy and lightheaded he actually was now. ”Gawain! Don’t drink – “ Sam didn’t get to finish his warning because he face planted into the sand.