Fan Fiction ❯ The Underwater Ace ❯ One-Shot

“The Underwater Ace”

 

In the peaceful morning of the Jump City, most people were still on their bed, but not in the Giant T-Tower, The Teen Titans was in the new T-Sub. This submarine was designed by Cyborg himself. With this submarine, they were capable to operate underwater. And they would do some drills.

 

“Main power online.” Robin said.

 

“Oxygen tanks are maximum.” Starfire said.

 

“Defensive system online.” Raven reported

 

“Engines are OK.” Cyborg reported

 

“And the diver is ready too.” Beast Boy said.

 

“OK, Titans! Launch!” Robin yelled.

 

T-Sub was launched along the chute. Speed was increasing, pushed everybody to their seats. As T-Sub got closer to the hatch, it opened and let T-Sub went outside, to the sea.

 

Cyborg was so excited, although this was not the first launching. He always excited about his invention. That made him couldn't sleep well last night.

 

“So, what's in the drilling list?” Cyborg asked.

 

“At first is acceleration drill.” Robin said. `Then weapons training, defensive drilling, and diver training.”

 

“OK, let's accelerate.” Cyborg said.

Suddenly T-Sub was shook heavily. Then the Teen Titans could see a cigar shaped, black-painted submarine. That sub was 6-7 times bigger than T-Sub.

 

“What's that?” Beast boy asked.

 

“We got a message, from Slade.” Cyborg said.

 

“On screen.” Robin said.

 

When Cyborg brought the picture on screen, there was a man in the picture, with the black suit and half black, half brown mask. It was a well-known villain, Slade.

 

“Teen Titans, I'm glad to meet you again.”

 

“Slade, is that your submarine?” Robin asked.

 

“Calm down, Robin. You're right, that's my submarine.” Slade said. “Don't worry, I'm not on board.”

 

“Whatever you planned, we'll take them out!” Cyborg said.

 

“Titans! Go!” Robin yelled.

 

Cyborg turned the screen off, revealed the enemy submarine. He aimed T-Sub's bow to the submarine's hull and fired both Seismic cannon, which he boasted that it was the most powerful cannon in the world. Two blue beams streaked out and struck the submarine in the hull. Cyborg whooped. But soon he discovered that his cannon weren't making any scratches in Slade's submarine.

 

Then the submarine shot back, two torpedoes streaked out of the tubes, left bubbles trail behind. The Teen Titans tried to maneuver their T-Sub to dodge both torpedoes, but they were homing torpedoes, and the best way to survive from these torpedoes was stay quiet, but the Titans didn't. Their T-Sub was very small and had more speed than bigger submarine. Made them could dodge incoming torpedoes and let them explode on the seabed.

 

When attacker's robot crews discovered that their torpedoes missed. They launched two more torpedoes, remote-controlled. This time the Titans couldn't dodge them. Both torpedoes struck T-Sub's both engines. Made them fried, and the shockwave made Raven's belt torn, her head knocked the panel forcefully, sent her out cold.

 

Cyborg lost the control. He couldn't stop the T-Sub from descending.

 

“We're going to crash! Hang on!” Cyborg yelled.

 

T-Sub harshly crashed to the seabed. Made part of hull breached. The Titans looked for the submarine, but the submarine had gone, after ensured that no more threats, the Titans started to check their damages.

 

“Cyborg, how is our T-Sub?” Robin asked.

 

“Not good, our engines are fried, hull breached, and Raven is down.” Cyborg replied. “I don't think we can get to the surface.”

 

“So what can we do?” Beast boy said.

 

“I prepared for this case. this T-Sub has the emergency buoy that indicate our position.”

 

“And then?”

 

“Waiting for somebody's help.”

 

Cyborg pressed the button, the hatch opened and the orange buoy was shot to the surface, it wouldn't float away from their position because of the wire that tied it to the T-Sub. Its orange painting made it visible from far away. After launched the buoy, the Titans couldn't do anything but wait.

 

…..

 

Somewhere in the sea - 20 km. from the Jump City's shore.

 

Körvettenkapitän (Commander) Günther Prien looked around his submarine via a periscope. He was the commander of the Kriegsmarine's U-boat--U-47, which was assigned a patrol mission at the Jump City offshore, and this was the last day of his patrol before other submarines would come and alternated him.

 

It was 15 days since he had left Wilhelmshaven, Germany, with his crews and his U-Boat. His mission was testing purpose, patrol, and destroy Slade's submarine if he could find it. Then Prien had spent his 15-days boring patrolling and found nothing.

 

Inside his submarine, crews were busying with their routines, a cook took some food from the big freezer, Torpedomen took torpedoes from all 4 tubes and serviced it to make sure that this most valuable weapon was ready to be fired when needed. And major of crews were resting in the mess, because Prien had ordered crews to take a rest after roughly patrolling.

 

Prien lowered the periscope and walked into the mess, to get a glass of fresh water from a desalinizator. He impressed this recently acquired equipment, because it could extend water supply, made crews' life easier.

 

Although U-boat type VIIB, include U-47, was initially designed before WWII, but before the patrol, U-47 had been rebuild with the most hi-tech engineering available and modernized with tons of modern equipments such as modern sonar, new diesel engines, computers that replace the mass of valves and pipes, as well as auxiliary equipment and facilities, include the Desalinizator which provided the infinite clean fresh water from the undrinkable salty water. So crews were authorized to take a bath everyday. The submarine was also equipped with air-conditioner that kept the air dry at 20 C, and also provided NBC protection. In General, the Modernized U-47 was far more advanced and had better crew facilities than the original U-Boat Type XXI or any Cold War era submarine, some equipment even advanced than US's Virginia class submarine, under the mask of the outdated submarine, the truly wolf in sheep's clothing.

 

Prien walked to the diesel engine room, which located in the aft section of the submarine, next to the aft torpedo room. One of engines had mechanical breakdown two days ago, and he didn't like this. His mechanics tried to fix it as much as they can.

 

And this was the third day, which the engine didn't work. Made U-47 that used to `fly' in the sea with maximum speed of 42 knots surfaced and 45 knots submerged could sail only at 21 knots, which was too slow for chasing or fleeing. If the engine was still dead today, he would report the Kriegsmarine, and then bring his U-47 back to the base and get some modification.

 

Inside the engine room, Prien saw three mechanics were examining the engine, as he had seen for two days. They were professional mechanics that could fix everything in the submarine, required only some tools and spare parts. But this time was the longest job ever made.

 

“How is it?” Prien asked.

 

“Alright, finished, sir.” A Mechanic said. “Let's test.”

 

Another mechanic pressed the power button, the first sound was the starter, then all pistons started working, sent its horsepower to the axle, and charged batteries. Prien and mechanics concentrated to the engine, they worried that this would be the `last gasp' before the engine went dead, permanently. They waited for several minutes to make sure that the engine could work at 100%.

 

Firstly, U-47 was redesigned as the nuclear submarine, but the Kriegsmarine couldn't accept the risk about the radiation problem in the nuclear submarine, as in the Soviet K-19. And the design team couldn't hide the fact that several types of modern diesel engines were easier to maintenance than the nuclear reactor submarine. With the newest design, made the diesel engine consumed lesser fuel, provided power as much as in the nuclear submarine.

 

After finished a job with the engine, Prien walked to a Radioman, who was busying with listening sounds and watching the display. The display showed the underwater landscape and his submarine, and that was all.

 

“Is there any signal?” Prien asked.

 

“No, sir. There's no sign of it.”

 

“Keep me informed, I will get on the conning tower.”

 

Prien fetched a breath before climbed onto the submarine's conning tower to look around with his binoculars, as usual. All around him was the blue, peaceful sea, brightly sky and the Giant T-Tower and Jump City's shore far away. This time he ran out of luck again, looked like Slade's submarine wasn't there.

 

Suddenly he could see something in the water, not farer than 120 m., an orange emergency buoy. With instinct of submarine commander and an experience, Prien knew exactly what did it mean, some submarine had a problem and need some help.

 

“Captain,” the Radioman's voice came out of speaker on the conning tower. “We got something on the display.”

 

Prien ran to the sonar panel as fast as he can.

 

“What's going on?” Prien asked.

 

“A submarine detected, 5 km. NE depth 70 m. and getting deeper.” The Radioman said. “The enemy submarine, it is attacking something.”

 

“Keep tracking.” Prien said and then ran to the communication compartment.

 

“Tell the HQ ship, we have found the enemy submarine at this coordinate, request reinforcement immediately.” Prien said.

 

“Aye, sir.”

 

The radioman started his job. In front of him was a machine. It looked like a typewriter. But that was not a typewriter. It was the famous machine of the WWII that every German submarine had it, the Enigma coding machine. It had a complex coding system. In the WWII, the allies almost gave up decrypting this code, until they captured some machines and the assistance from the British computer. (There are several Enigma coding machine simulators on internet, you can find it easily—Author)

 

As he pressed one button, the light would illuminate the different letter, when he finished inputting sentences, he got an encrypted message. Then he sent the message through the radio in Morse code.

 

Only few minutes later, the radioman got the answer from the HQ ship.

 

“Captain, we got two submarines.” He said. “They will come and help us in the hunting.”

 

“Who?” Prien asked.

 

“The first is U-99, Captain.”

 

“That's Kretschmer. Who is another?”

 

“It's Russian Alfa Submarine, Captain.”

 

“That's good.” Prien said. “How long?”

 

“Approximately 2 hours, Captain.”

 

“That's too late.” Prien said. “Until then, we're on our own.”

 

After acknowledged that it was taking too long to wait for Wolf Packs, Prien ran to control room, to his intercom panel. He got it in sight and he wouldn't let it away, although that meant U-47 had to deal with it alone, until reinforcements' arrival. At first, he had to follow and vectored the submarine to other `wolves', but he couldn't do anything without crews. Prien turned on all speakers.

 

“This is the captain, all hands, Battlestation! This is not a drill.” Prien's voice came out of every speaker inside the submarine, made all sleeping crews got up from their bed and stationed at their station. These crews came from all across Germany, the average age of crews was 22, but they were skillful and experienced as 20 years-serviced officers. But the average age exclude Prien himself, who was 33.

 

“Engine room, switch to battery power.” Prien said.

 

“Switched to battery power, sir.” voice came out of the control room's intercom.

 

“Lieutenant, Bring us to 70m. We will blow that boat right out of the water.”

 

“Yes, sir.” Lt. Kohn, the Executive Officer replied.

 

He looked at a LED, all white lights that had a word `Klar'(Stand for `Clear' in German.) on them were illuminated, meant all hatches were all closed and ready to dive.

 

“Dive! Dive!” Lt. Kohn said through an intercom. “Bring us to 70 m.”

 

As the ballast's valves were opened and drove out the air inside, several gallons of water started to flow into the submarine's ballast tank. Waves started rolling over the submarine's bow, and then the conning tower. Then U-47 was fully submerged and was diving to destination.

 

“20 meters,” Kohn reported. “30 meters, 40 meters, 50 meters.”

 

While U-boat was diving, the periscope was lowered, crews were in silence. Both diesel engines had been closed, all powers in the submarine came from modern batteries, which armored and could store almost twice or threefold more power than the standard VIIB's batteries, and they wouldn't create a poison gas when they were shot.

 

“70 meters.” Kohn read the submarine's `Tiefenmesser'(depth gauge) . “Level all propellers.”

 

“Captain, I got another signal.” The Radioman said. “It's Morse code.”

 

“What does it mean?” Prien asked.

 

“Hmm…..Mayday, Mayday, somebody help us, we're Teen Titans.” Radioman said. “I guess they're our enemy's victim.”

 

“Can you track them?”

 

“Aye, sir. 1 km. in the north, 210 meters deep, sir.”

 

“Alright Lieutenant, Bring us to 200 meters. We have to get them.”

 

“Dive to 200 meters.” Lt. Kohn repeated Prien's order.

 

U-47's crews didn't afraid about diving at such depth. U-47 could dive deeper after modified at Wilhelmshaven, Germany. From maximum safe diving at 200 meters was extended to 500 meters, the same depth as several modern U.S. submarines. The ballast was filled with seawater, weighed the submarine, made it sank deeper.

 

Kohn was watching the depth gauge, a needle pointed at 100 meters. And continued its moving through 120……140……160……180……200 meters.

 

“200 meters, level the propeller.” Kohn said slowly.

 

After he finished his sentences, nobody said anything, caused silence for a while, everybody's senses were full alert, tried to listen to any strange noise, after there was no other sound, which made crews sighed. Most of WWII submarines were all crushed by the pressure at this depth. And U-47 was the first WWII submarine that could dive to 200 meters depth without damage, although it was modernized.

 

The submarine moved forward to the destination. Then an Unmanned Underwater Vehicle had been launched from the submarine. It was equipped with flashlight and camera.

 

Prien was looking at a monitor inside the camera controlling sector, next to the control room. He could see anything as the camera see. Beside him was the observation officer. He controlled a camera by a joystick on the panel.

 

“Hans, are you sure they're here?” Prien asked.

 

“Yes, sir.” the Radioman replied. “The signal is still coming.”

 

Suddenly Prien could see something lied on the seabed, Teen Titans' wrecked T-Sub. He ordered the controller to bring the camera closer. He could see Cyborg, Beast boy, Raven, Starfire and Robin. They were stuck in the crippled T-Sub and surviving with the reserve oxygen.

 

“Help! Help!” Starfire looked at the vehicle and yelled. Her voice was soft and muffled as if underwater, came out of speaker on the panel. Prien almost shocked when he saw her.

 

“Heinz! Get down there and help them now!” Prien yelled to his intercom.

 

“I'm on the way, Captain!” the voice came out of the speaker.

 

At the crews' quarter next to the control room, `Heinz' or Lt. Jg. Heinz Beimer was U-47's recently-commissioned deep rescue diver. He and another diver rushed to the locker and put on the high pressure-resistant suit, which looked like a space suit. Then they rushed as fast as they can to the control room.

 

“The deep rescue divers reporting for duty, Captain.”

 

“Go get them, good luck, Heinz.” Prien said.

 

“Sonar contact! 400m. 145 degrees, depth: 200 meters, the enemy submarine!” the Radioman reported.

 

“Cancel the order, Heinz, stay there!” Prien asked.

 

“Where the hell is it comes from?” Beimer said.

 

“It's not important anymore, Lieutenant! Turn to 145! Prepare to launch torpedoes.” Prien yelled.

 

“Turn to 145!” Lt. Kohn repeated the command. “Prepare to launch torpedoes.”

 

U-47's Helmsman steered the submarine by cycled the rudder's wheel. The submarine began to turn right.

 

“I hear the water is flooding the tube, Torpedoes have been fired!” the Radioman yelled.

 

“How many?” Prien asked.

 

“Two torpedoes are coming at us, unguided, Captain.”

 

While the boat was still steering, the torpedoes' noise was getting louder and louder, until the Radioman had to take off his headset. Soon the entire boat could hear it. Everybody glanced follow the screaming sound when it passed by, no hit.

 

“Torpedoes missed.” The Radioman said.

 

“Alright, let's counterattack.” Prien said.

 

“Torpedoes are all ready, Captain.” The voice from the bow torpedo room came out of the speaker.

 

“Planesman, sustain the boat.” Prien said and pressed the intercom's button. “Torpedo 1 and 2 fire!!”

 

A pair of torpedoes streaked out of Prien's submarine. 3 seconds later, they struck directly into Slade's submarine, created the large hole in its bow section. The sound of explosion could be heard by both Teen Titans and Prien's crews, followed by some little shockwave that shook the submarine.

 

“Torpedoes hit, but the submarine is not destroyed.” The Radioman reported.

 

“I hear the submarine's door. It is closing. The flooded compartment has been sealed. The target is not destroyed. I repeat. target is still active.”

 

“Maybe 2 torpedoes are not enough.” Prien said and pressed the intercom's switch again. “Torpedo 3 and 4 fire!!”

 

Two more torpedoes were shot out of the tubes. But this time Slade's submarine was turning, tried to dodge incoming torpedoes, made one of Prien's torpedoes missed. But another collided with the submarine's hull, created one more hole in its side hull.

 

After fired all bow tubes, Prien had to retreat, he ordered crews to break off. U-47 turned around and forwarded at all speed, and reloading all 4 tubes, which had to take some times. Actually, Prien could fire a stern torpedo, but he chose to don't fire. Because all of torpedoes he had was unguided. Meant they required aiming to increase the chance to hit. And that would let U-47 become a still target for the enemy's guided torpedoes.

 

U-47 fled the battle at 25 knots speed. At such speed, it could outrun Slade's submarine. Made somebody in the submarine triggered a couple of torpedoes at Prien's U-Boat.

 

“Captain! Two more torpedoes are coming at us!” The Radioman said. “I think they're so serious at this time, because they're guided torpedoes.”

 

“Activate ECM!” Prien yelled before grabbed the intercom. “All stop! Quick quiet!”

 

After Prien's voice had gone, everybody inside the submarine tried not to move or said anything. All auxiliary system that created loudly noise had been shut down. The ECM had been operated. It would transmit some kind of signal and confused incoming weapons. At first it was installed on the aircraft and proved its effectiveness against proximity missiles by made the missile detonated before reached target. So later it was installed in the submarine.

 

“200 meters.” The Radioman reported. “100 meters, they're still coming directly at us! Torpedo impact in 10 seconds.”

 

“Close the ECM, Activate defensive matrix!” Prien yelled.

 

After discovered that ECM was useless against explode-on-contact torpedoes, Prien decided to operate the defensive matrix, this new hi-tech defensive system came from the Federal Navy, which equipped to science vessels. It provided hi-tech defensive shield to protect the user from attacking. Prien's submarine was the first acquired and still never tested. U-47's crews' life was hanged on this system. If it failed, there would have the name of U-47's crews on the grave in Germany.

 

Everybody on board stood still like a statue, they tried to keep quiet as much as they can, until they could hear their own heartbeat.

 

“Torpedo impact in 6 seconds.” The Radioman reported.

 

Crews heard the screaming from both torpedoes, and it was coming closer and closer. They knew well about getting hit from torpedoes. If there was a pain, it would be less than second before the submarine and all hands were all lost. Everybody hold the nearest thing such as pipe and periscope. Especially the Planesman, who hold his wheel so tight, almost broke it.

 

Soon they could hear one sound went pass over the submarine, meant one of torpedoes missed. Everybody almost sighed, but another remaining torpedo coursed right to the starboard of the submarine and made the impact. The explosion shuddered the entire submarine, threw everybody from their feet, include Prien himself.

 

Beimer was the first recovered, he was in the diver suit, made him looked like an astronaut. He didn't suffer any wound. Followed by Prien, he looked around to check if his crews were OK.

 

“Beimer, are you alright?” Prien asked.

 

“Aye, Captain.”

 

The control room had the crews laid on the floor, which recovered and stood up one-by-one. Once they were all stood up, they stationed and ready to operate like nothing happened. Crews checked for damage, both themselves and the submarine. The submarine didn't get any damage, proved that the defensive matrix could protect the submarine from attacking as well as on the spaceship. And only some crews took minor injuries.

 

“All stations, report.” Prien said through the intercom.

 

“This is the engine room, we're all fine.”

 

“This is the bow torpedo room, ready to fight.”

 

“This is the aft torpedo room, serving The Fatherland, Captain.”

 

Prien checked every station for the last time, he knew if Slade's submarine could know that U-47 was still active, it would launch more torpedoes. And he didn't know how much the defensive matrix could resist. But U-47 had some advantage over the enemy. U-47 was the small submarine, which could hide on the rough seabed without being detected. Prien ordered to dive to the seabed without turn on both motors and remain quiet, also deactivated the defensive matrix.

 

“The enemy submarine is coming.” The Radioman said.

 

“All hands, as they know, we're all dead now, stay quiet as ghosts.” Prien said.

 

“The enemy is coming above us, 350 meters and closer.”

 

“Torpedo room, reload all torpedoes.” Prien said to the intercom.

 

“Aye, sir.”

 

The Radioman kept his both eyes on the sonar display, this hi-tech detection system created 3D real-time image on the display, like he had eyes in the water. The enemy submarine kept coming closer and closer….until only 150 meters, as the system measured it.

 

In the control room, Prien was waiting. He already had the plan in his head after the submarine was struck, he recognized the Russian `Crazy Ivan' tactic in the Cold War, and decided to use the same element, but in the different method. And when he got message that torpedoes were ready, U-47 was ready to operate the second step.

 

“Lieutenant, close the stabilizer.” Prien said.

 

“But our submarine will become unbalanced, crews will become the ballast.” Kohn said.

 

“I know.” Prien said. “Close the stabilizer.”

 

U-47 had the stabilizer that kept the submarine balance by fill seawater in the balancing tanks. Without it, the submarine would lose balance after torpedoes had been fired.

 

“The Stabilizer has been closed, Captain.” Lt. Kohn said.

 

“All free crews in the bow, run to the aft torpedo room as fast as you can!” Prien yelled into the intercom. “Go! Go! Go!”

 

Crews began to running from the bow sector. They swung themselves across the control room's circle doorway and then ran to the aft torpedo room. Left torpedomen in the bow torpedo room, and they were only crews who were still in the bow sector.

 

Without the stabilizer, when all crews were inside the aft torpedo room, the aft section began to sink, rose the bow section up slowly. Crews could feel that their submarine's nose was rising up, raised all 4 bow torpedoes, right to the enemy submarine's bottom section.

 

Prien held the mouthpiece tightly, almost crushed it into pieces. He was waiting for inflicting a massive damage. He had studied about this submarine for a long time, and he knew what was stored in his enemy's bottom.

 

“Torpedo 1 and 2 Fire!!!!” Prien yelled.

 

U-47's one of Torpedomen pressed a trigger beside each tubes, released the compressed air inside both tubes, pushed torpedoes out of the submarine. Then they could hear torpedoes' engine ignited and streaked away. In a few seconds, the sound faded out as torpedoes went in the water farer and farer from the submarine.

 

After torpedoes had been fired, the submarine's bow section was lighter than the aft, made the submarine perked her nose up. After a surprise attack had been made, Prien ordered to reactivate the stabilizer and all system at 100%. That meant U-47 was no longer silenced and at full combat status. He also ordered the crews that crowded in the aft torpedoes to scattered to their station.

 

Then the Radioman heard both torpedoes slammed into the enemy submarine's hull, and followed by a massive chain explosion from the bow to the aft of the submarine, thundered into the entire crews' ears, made them whooped in jubilant throughout the submarine.

 

U-47's torpedoes struck the bottom section of Slade's submarine, which had the fuel tanks and a magazine inside. They ignited fuel, torpedoes, ammo, everything aboard, created a massive destruction that destroyed the entire submarine, turned her into pieces.

 

Prien was only one who wasn't happy, not yet. As he knew, his mission wasn't over yet. He had to save the T-Sub and everybody on board before they were all drowns.

 

“All hands,” Prien said through the intercom. “Don't throw a party, not yet. Our job is not over yet. Beimer, get out of the submarine and bring the Teen Titans to the surface ASAP.”

 

“Aye, sir.”

 

Beimer and another diver climbed into the room in the conning tower, between the control room and the water outside. They locked the door and pressed the button to fill the room with the seawater. Once the room was filled and pressure in the room was the same as outside, they opened the door on another side.

 

Beimer located the T-Sub from the coordinate that he was given and the T-Sub's headlight that was still turned on. He dived nearer to the T-Sub. Beimer saw the Teen Titans, who were calling him.

 

Beimer didn't waste the time, he knew the TT was stuck on the seabed for several times, and the oxygen was the biggest problem. He and another diver each took a self-inflation airbags from their equipment belt. Then inset them under the T-Sub and pull the cord at once, inflated both airbags.

 

Although T-Sub wasn't light, airbags could inflate themselves quickly and then T-Sub started to float up, right to the surface.

 

“The T-Sub is going to the surface.” Beimer reported to U-47 through his intercom, inside the suit.

 

“Alright, we should follow them, Ballast blow.” Prien said to Lt. Kohn.

 

“Aye, sir.” Kohn replied. “Ballast Blow.”

 

Lt. Kohn opened the compressed air valve, to release the air from the tank to push the seawater out of all ballast tanks, made the submarine lighter and floated to the surface.

 

Prien was in the Captain's quarter of U-47. He opened the cupboard. In front of him was the full service suit, which he wore it every time he went back to the base at Wilhelmshaven, or in the special day. There was a full decoration with a Knights Cross with Oak leaves on the suit. U-Boats' Captain had a joke about an itchy neck that could only be cured by wearing the Knights Cross ribbon. Prien took his private clothes off and wore the service suit, grabbed a white peaked cap then walked out of the room.

 

The Teen Titans still weren't recovered from rapidly surfacing. They looked around T-Sub as everything passed by. Then in the few seconds, T-Sub broke the surface and stayed on the surface. They opened all canopy to take a fresh air into their lungs after stuck underwater for a long time.

 

“Hey, are you alright?” the voice came out of the water, drew Teen Titans' attention to it.

 

Beimer emerged from the water. He checked both airbags to make sure that they weren't leaking air. With the heavily diving suit, his job was slightly harder. He had to activate his own floating system, filled the air in the airbag inside his suit.

 

“Who are you, an astronaut??” Cyborg asked. “What are you doing here?”

 

“Lt. Jg. Beimer, Kriegsmarine.” Beimer yelled. “I'm not an astronaut. I'm a deep rescue diver. Can you get back to the T-Tower on your own?”

 

“Our engines are fried, almost all hydraulics didn't work.”

 

“Oh, I see.” Beimer replied. “I have to tow your T-Sub to our submarine.”

 

Suddenly, U-47's nose emerged from the water, followed by the entire submarine. The Teen Titans could see crews on the submarine with a number `47' on the conning tower and the Kriegsmarine Flag as she was coming closer, until only 10 meters away. They could see the man on the coning tower, Körvettenkapitän Günther Prien, he was watching his crews. Some crews waved their hand to Teen Titans, while others were busying with preparing their submarine. Beimer tied both airbags to the end of a rope, while another end was tied to U-47.

 

“OK, that's it.” Beimer said. “Can you help me get on this T-Sub?”

 

“No Problem.” Cyborg said and pulled Beimer's hand. Beimer's weight while operating with the diving suit was 150 kg., but that wasn't beyond Cyborg's strength, he pulled him up in ease. Beimer gave Prien a sign `Tow at will'. Then U-47 started heading toward the T-Tower, and towed the crippled T-Sub with her.

 

…….

 

At the T-Tower, the Teen Titans stood in front of the entrance. Some wounds had been bandaged. Except Raven, she was examined by U-47's doctor. He candled her both eyes to make sure she didn't get any brain damage.

 

Prien was in front of Teen Titans. He was so smart in the full service suit.

 

“We couldn't have done it without you, Thank you so much.” Robin said.

 

“Just another massive victory for the Fatherland. Slade doesn't like to lose. This would drive him crazy if he acknowledge this.” Prien said. “You`d better thanks my crews too. I couldn't have done this without them.”

 

“We have something for you.” Robin said and took the T-Communicator from his belt, then gave it to Prien. “And consider yourself as the honorary member of the Teen Titans.”

 

“Thanks for the first, you're so kind. But I'm really sorry for the second. I'm too old for that. And we have something for you too.” Prien replied.

 

A crew walked to Prien with a box in his hand. Prien took the wooden box and gave Robin. Robin opened it, showed the Kriegsmarine flag inside.

 

“It's yours now.” Prien said.

 

“Should we introduce ourselves? I'm Robin. This is Cyborg, Starfire, BB, and Raven.” Robin introduced himself and the Titans. “Nice to meet you.”

 

“Körvettenkapitän Günther Prien, Captain, U-47 of the Kriegsmarine.” Prien introduced himself.

 

“See you again.” Starfire said.

 

“Auf Wiedersehen!” Prien said.

 

Prien turned back, got on his own U-Boat, and then ordered to leave the T-Tower at full speed. U-47 started to sail, her speed was increasing as she went farer and farer. Prien was still on the conning tower. He saw the Teen Titans were waving hands at him. Prien gave them a long salute until he couldn't see them anymore. Then he got back in the submarine as U-47 sailed away from the bay, left the jubilant Titans and the glory of the Kriegsmarine's wolf packs behind…..

 

-The End-