Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Jean DeLamar, top notch ship captain and traveler of the seas, stood upon the bow of his ship, armed with a spyglass, surveying the restless waves.

All was calm, no storms on the horizon, no aquatic animals seeking harm. Perfect for today’s voyage with his classmates. Tozu, the eccentric headmaster of Eden’s Garden Academy, proclaimed that he was giving all the Ultimate Students a week off from their studies. He claimed it was out of the goodness of his heart, but the fact that that week just so happened to be Broadway Week didn’t convince the Ultimates.

Jean, seeing the free opportunity, seized it after this announcement, inviting the other students to board his ship to experience life upon the waters. Water! Adventure! A possible death! It was a masterful pitch if Jean had to say so himself, these were strong motivators after all. Expecting a chorus of no, he was shocked, yet a little honored when they agreed, filling the ship captain with excitement. Though he did sense they just wanted to see if his ship was, bleh, a “pirate ship”, (Jean hated that word and its implication) they still committed and that’s half the battle.

Jean gave his regular crew the week off in order to make sure there were enough quarters to sleep for all of them: he of course had the captains' quarters to himself. It was his sole responsibility to ensure the safety of fifteen students that somewhat got along, in unknown conditions and events that may or may not occur.

What a challenge of a true ship’s captain! This is what he aimed to accomplish on this journey, to mold this motley crew into seabound heroes. After double checking everything was in shipshape (he loved making that pun), he bounded over to the ship’s wheel, raised the anchor and aimed his spyglass to the dock, where he spied his classmates and their various effects huddling in a group, beginning to move the ship towards them. What good fortune he had to have friends and crewmates like them!

Grace and Wolfgang, their class’ power couple, stood at the side, with Wolfgang holding what appeared to be an umbrella over Grace’s head. Grace, as usual, was dramatically shouting and waving her arms, and Wolfgang, as usual, was attempting to calm her down, which Jean knew was a frivolous effort. Grace had inside the anger of a thousand kraken! She would be a challenge, but Jean believed that he could handle her. With Wolfgang’s help, naturally, every good captain needs a capable hand.

Jean moved the spyglass rightward, allowing him to see Kai and Damon talking…mainly Kai annoying Damon, who then became frustrated, occasionally shutting his eyes and breathing. Aye, that was their whole dynamic, they still mutually decided to be roommates however, so Jean expected that Damon actually tolerated the influencer.
Jean just wonders when they will get together.

Next was Jett and Mark. With the trademark helmet upon his head, it was hard to see what Jett was saying to the music producer. Whatever it was seemed to be more hysterical than a fish out of water however, as the racer then fell to the ground in a fit, apparently laughing, Mark solemnly shaking his head with a faint smile on his face. Mark does not say much, but when he does, he is quite well spoken. His boyfriend however was quite the silly seal. They are quite a pair, Jean thought to himself.

Diana and Eva sat not too far from the previous two, with the former using the latter as a test for various makeups while waiting for the ship. Jean was quite sure that Eva was grateful for the makeup covering her face, as every time Diana stared at her, a little blush tinted her face. The makeup artist however somehow didn’t notice, absorbed in her work and most likely gossiping while she did it. Jean silently sent Eva the vibes of goodness before he tilted his spyglass to a different angle.

From there, he spied Desmond and Eloise chatting about their respective equipment, with Ulysses hovering around taking notes while the fencer and marksmen spoke, features and techniques being pointed out. Ulysses was always taking notes, day and night, and Jean secretly hoped he could allow him to learn to live first, record later. The three of them were quite pleasant to be around, and he was glad to have them aboard in a few. Why, just a couple months ago, they asked him if Eloise could have his dorm room, as she was with Grace before and the two of them could not get along for five minutes in those days. Jean did not mind doing so however as he doesn’t actually sleep there, getting special permission to take residence on his ship. It’s the least he could do for a friend after all. The three of them then became thick as ink, which put a smile on Jean’s face. Jean then pondered something after seeing them. Something that had not occurred to him before.

“Does Desmond’s talent extend to harpoon guns? I got a few so I reckon he could use them! Aye, what a bonding experience for the crew” Jean thought excitedly.

Deep in thought, he was quickly snapped out of it when he heard a crash on the dock and quickly maneuvered his trusty spyglass to where he believed it originated from.

Ah. It was just Cassidy, who apparently dropped a crate of chocolate soda, breaking all the bottles, allowing the fish below to have a taste. Jean will admit it was quite the tasty liquid, as his eyes sheepishly glanced at the ten boxes of the stuff he had behind him. Cassidy was not fazed in the slightest however, flashing her signature grin and shrugging. He could swear she made some joke as everyone but Jett facepalmed. Wenona’s eyes twitched as she walked up to her girlfriend, her hands posed in the universal sign of disappointment: hands on her hips. The billionaire admonished the gamer, as seen by a series of nonverbal hand movements Jean had trouble following, Cassidy’s mistake was forgiven however as she kissed Wenona’s cheek, making her shake her head with an undeniable smile.

Jean has not a clue how they ended up together, but he was really happy for them. A happy crew is a productive crew, after all.

Lastly, he spied Toshiko and Ingrid making the world’s smallest sandcastle upon the nearby beach. It was really hard to tell if the matchmaker was speaking or not, as her fan is always covering her lips. Toshiko was the youngest of the group, and thus Jean felt like she was his kid sister, and like he was bound by honor to keep her safe, at the academy and on this venture. If anything happened to her…well, he wouldn’t be the Ultimate Ship Captain, wouldn’t he? A captain does anything for their crew, and to fail them in their hour of need…

Jean shook his head. No, it would not fall to that, he is an Ultimate for a reason: he has what it takes to do so if the occasion rises. He will succeed. His classmates have faith in him after all.

He then turns his attention to Ingrid, smiling with the matchmaker. Ingrid was equally special to Jean, as she is always there when Jean has thoughts just like he had beforehand. She is knowledgeable, sweet, and always there for anyone. Even Grace. And Jean occasionally discusses metals and equipment on occasion, leaving with more information every time.

She would be a fine first mate on any ship. He is beyond proud to know her, and more so to have her aboard. Jean smiles at adventures with her envisioned in his mind, on the open sea together, having a blast, just him and her. He then catches himself.

Oh no.

Jean blushes a little, then moves those thoughts to the side. He can’t be thinking about things like that at this moment, there’s more important events that need to happen.

Like this totally amazing entrance he is going to make as he pulls up to the dock, for one.

“Ahoy!” He shouts to get their attention, which succeeds as they now see a medium old-fashioned ship pull into harbor. Painted a vast array of gold, green, and yellow, the Ultimates watch in awe as it lumbers to a stop, the rope lining sitting snugly next to the wood of the deck.

They continued to watch in awe as they made their way to the ship and saw Jean smile from the wheel, grab a rope, and swing from perch to perch, before doing a backflip, nailing a perfect landing upon the dock (Cassidy, Kai, and Jett both held up 10s hastily drawn on notepads).

Jean beamed widely, tipped his hat, and boomed, “Welcome aboard… The Dragon’s Breath!”

Chapter Text

Damon arched an eyebrow at Jean after that grandiose landing, completing it with an inquisitive head tilt.

“There’s no way he is beating the freaking pirate allegations now; he is never living this down.”

“Be nice, Damon. It’s his ship after all, and, in case you forgot, it is our abode for a week. I suggest being a little more kinder and refrain from calling him a pirate,” Wolfgang reasoned.

“But he is, you can’t deny that.”

Wolfgang made a little smile, “I cannot. The evidence is right in front of us.”

“Exactly.”

Jean, after doing a onceover on the Dragon’s Breath, strided over to his friends.

“Welcome crew, to my humble ship. I hope you all know that danger, excitement, and the spirit of the seas await us upon our voyage. Now! We must make haste, for the conditions are just right to set off,” Jean pronounced, giving all of the Ultimates his best smile.

“Hell yeah! Danger!” Jett examined.

“That’s the part you got from all this?” Grace muttered.

“Uh..yeah? What’s more thrilling than almost dying? I did the same everyday on the drag strip!”

Mark sighed, resigned to his boyfriend and all his quirks.

They had just arrived at the end of the dock when Diana, holding her bags, raised her hand, looking around in confusion.

“Er.. yes, Ms. Venica? You got a question?” Jean asked.

“Oh yes! Where’s the plank, I thought ships are supposed to have them.”

“The…plank?”

“You know, that piece of wood pirate ships have that people use to get aboard.”

“Firstly, I am not a pirate, those dastardly devils, may storms grace their paths. And secondly, we got these trusty ropes for that, see! You just got to climb on.”

The Ultimates looked up at the 10-foot climb to the ship and back down, and blankly stared at Jean.

“You are serious,” said Wenona.

“Of course I am! I would never joke about my ship. It is a brisk climb, and our first exercise together as a crew, ey!”

That was met with a chorus of sighs.

“You are still on about ‘strengthening our bond as friends’ aren’t you,” Kai stated.

“Aye, of course, Kai my friend. This is an opportunity gifted to us, and I am committed to my mission so we may work together more efficiently. That is the true mission of this voyage.”

“Well, good luck with that,” Damon said, “you would have better luck convincing Mara of letting us leave campus.”

Jean was a little wounded by that, but showed none of it. It was to be expected that something of this sort would occur so early: he just needed to have faith in the process. Yes, that was it, indeed!

Jean just smiled, and motioned towards the ship, its sails bellowing in the wind and its figurehead gleaning.

“I can get your stuff aboard easily… humans… not so much. So start climbing my hearty friends! The sea awaits!”

After that proclamation, nobody moved, choosing to study the best way to tackle this climb, pondering the different angles. Well, at least some of them were, as far as Jean could tell. Wenona,

Desmond, Wolfgang, Ulysses, Eloise, Ingrid, Toshiko, Damon, Matt and Eva were strategically readying themselves.

The others? Not so much. Per usual as themselves. This is the type of behavior Jean aimed to limit, but it was up to them after all. Forcing someone to do something they don’t want? Well, Jean would be as the pirates he so loathed! Not his style at all.

Jean thus worked on getting all of the bags on deck, with Damon scrambling aboard…with Kai sheepishly following behind. Quite the pair, the two roommates made.

Wenona was about to start when Cassidy picked her up, scrambled up the ropes like some kind of feral animal, dropping Wenona on the deck with an exaggerated bow and a “my queen.”

Jean had never seen someone blush that much in his life.

Desmond and Eloise raced each other aboard, with Eloise beating the marksman (she threw a rubber band into his face). Desmond protested but Ulysses reminded him that there was no rule against it.

Finally, everyone was aboard except Jett and Toshiko. The latter stomped her foot, while exclaiming that “proper ladies do not undergo this amount of exercise this early in the morning.

“Oh darling, you can do it, just don’t look down and you would be up in a jiffy!” Ingrid told her, as helpful as ever.

Toshiko however protested once more, and Ingrid looked at Jean with a small smile that made his heart waves crash faster (he refused to call it heart beats, waves are by far more superior).

Almost by instinct to make her happy again, Jean slid down the ropes and gave Toshiko a boost upwards, into Ingrid’s hands. That sought after smile returned much to his delight.

Ok, so maybe he had a little crush on Ingrid. They were in a majority of the same classes, sat in the same group, and were exercise buddies. But he does the same with his crew, and he never liked any of them before. So this was..weird to say the least. Honestly, he never had any sort of crush before. Not even celebrities or fictional characters. According to the behemoth that is the internet, it is apparently called being “demisexual” and the websites provided a lot of information.

It’s a flag Jean freely flies, and it really cleared everything up.

But why is it happening now! He would absolutely love to spend time with her during this trip but his inner voice is telling him it is impossible. His sole responsibility as captain of this vessel is to keep everyone safe and in one piece. If he fails at that, well, he doesn’t wanna find out. Maybe he would.. after.

“Captain, oh captain! You have been standing there for two minutes? Are you ok, bro?” Jett asked inquisitively.

Oh! Apologies, friend. I was just thinking about our voyage. And mainly how to get you up there.”

Nice save.

“Yeah, those ropes ain’t holding me, shrimp. I guess I have to stay behind.” Jett pouted.

“No, no. That’s not necessary. There is a way.. it just isn’t easy like I said.”

Jett (probably) stared at him as he walked over to the ship and shouted for them to prepare a tarp, and have it spread out with everyone holding it.

Jean then walked up to Jett and explained the plan.

“Friend, I need you to jump, and I will spike you onto the ship.”

“....You want me to what???? Are you insane? What if I fall into the water? Or crash onto the ship?”

“Aye, those are possibilities.”

“What?”

“However, I assure you, I am very precise."

“You are literally sea crackers…but I will do it. Why the hell not!”

The pair then got into position, and as Jett jumped as high as he could, Jean spiked him over.

Those holding the tarp were puzzled when they heard a crack, mortified when they saw the drag racer flying through the rain, and panicked as they hurriedly ran around to catch him.
Luckily the tarp was sturdy enough to catch him much to everyone’s relief, as Jett sprung up to high five Cassidy and Kai, with Mark’s face absolutely flabbergasted as he walked over to him and punched him in the arm.

“What the fuck was that for????? You could have been hurt!"

“Ouch! To get me on board, duh. What else? It was Jean’s idea actually, not everything dumb is all me, broskii.”

Mark then ran over to Jean and socked him in the arm, with everyone else with a levelhead following suit. Cassidy did it to be included. But Ingrid just stood there, her head slightly nodding in disapproval but hiding a small smile.

Jean immediately rightened himself to make his leaving announcement.

“Alright crew. That was good fun, but now we begin to set off towards our grand purpose: a taste of life on the high seas. We will just be sailing around the continent but if we happen upon adventure, we shall seize that opportunity, for any experience shall be enriching. For we can do anything, for what we are?!”

“College students mainly outta our element?” Ulysses contributed without looking up from his journal.

“Absolute sailing speedrunners! Getting ready to use cheat codes up in here!” Cassidy exclaimed, striking a pose.

“Soybeans, the lot of you all.” Grace snarled.

“Um…thrillseekers?” Eloise noted.

“None of the above, ey! No, we are more than that… we are Ultimates and, most importantly, we are together as a crew, and because of that we shall succeed.”
Upon hearing this, everyone but Ingrid, Eloise, and Toshiko facepalmed.

Well, this is up to a great start, Jean thought.