Beneath the Trident

Fanfiction
Title:	Beneath the Trident
Author(s):	kristen999
Date(s):	03 November 2012
Length:	36,877 words
Genre(s):	slash fanfiction
Fandom(s):	Hawaii Five-0
Relationship(s):
External Links:	Beneath the Trident (AO3) Beneath the Trident (LJ)
cover art by neevebrody
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Beneath the Trident is a Steve/Danny story by kristen999.

Summary: Steve and Danny go undercover to investigate the death of a SEAL before a sensitive joint Special Forces’ operation. With Steve as the SEALs' new team leader and Danny as the reporter assigned to shadow him, Danny finally gets to see the hidden depths of the real Lt. Commander McGarrett. Set between 2.22 and 2.23.

Author's comments

1. Your favorite fic you’ve written

Beneath the Trident. I tried to explore several things: a slow burn between the guys while immersed in Steve’s world of regulations and adrenaline. I wanted Danny to experience the SEAL side of Steve; the dynamics and culture of being a SEAL because it was/is such a big part of Steve’s life and what helped shape the man he is today. I also couldn’t help thinking that Danny would be very intrigued at what he witnessed, even building some camaraderie with some of the SEAL team members while still being a bit skeptical of their worldview. [...] 3. Your most popular fic

Based on stats: Beneath the Trident. It’s also been rec’ed the most.

The story is listed at "Taka's McDanno Rec List" under "Angst".

Recs and Reviews

Few people in this fandom can combine tense storytelling, in-depth characters, and vivid world building as kristen999. And this story is such a wonderful example of all that talent. Kristen sucks her readers into a intense undercover op that explores the military side of Steve's character that only gets hinted at in canon. We see him in his element as a Navy SEAL commander who knows how to navigate the ranks and be one with his men. The details of the SEAL world also illustrate Kristen's extreme attention to detail and her depth of reasearch. You literally feel like you're on the training missions with Steve and standing next to Danny, wanting to put a hand on his shoulder in support, as he observes and waits. Her research into how SEAL training is ran and the interactions within the SEAL world (like between officers and non-commissioned) made this story live and breathe. So with all that and the wonderful Steve/Danny moments, and you get a fic that stays with you and just a delight to read.

this was a really great story #danny gets to explore a bit of steve's past by way of other SEALs #also super well written #and an interesting read aside from the romance aspect

Occasionally I come across a fic that I immediately wish I could unread just to have the pleasure of reading it for the first time all over again. Beneath the Trident is one of those.

Wonderful, as always. This rivals Distant Shores as my favorite piece of yours. Both have the slow build between Steve and Danny, but the one in this story is different. The slow build in Distant Shores feels sweet, but I think the slow build in this one feels more charged. They're both trying to hold back so much but are finding more and more that they just can't. When it's resolved at the end by Steve saying he doesn't want any more regrets? Just perfect.

And wow, were there so many moments that made my heart hurt. When Steve got the concussion, and only Danny understood what he meant by "team" in his disoriented state - wow. And when Steve was tied up, and only Danny could tell that he was going somewhere else mentally and knew exactly why - wow again. I like that you didn't specifically pinpoint that his unexpected reaction was from 2.10's North Korea, because anyone who loves the show already knows that; explicitly writing it out would have been unnecessary.

And am I so impressed by all of the research you had to do for this. The amount of detail to the story elevates it from regular fanfiction to something that could be produced into a really great movie-level episode for the show.

Awesome, awesome, awesome. Thank you for writing!

Oh. My. God. That was amazing. Seeing Danny slowly deconstructing what made Steve tick throughout that intense mission and getting such a fabulous picture of Steve from the inside out, so to speak...what a fabulous, wonderful job!!

Words cannot express how much I enjoyed this fic. I'm no military expert either, and everything you wrote sounded realistic and detailed. And reinforced the fact that in no world could I ever be a Navy SEAL. LOL! I love how Danny got new insight into Steve, which only made him love him more. The attraction between them was subtely handled and it was so sweet that Danny was able to keep surprising him there at the end just by being so understanding. This whole fic was a wonderful tribute not only to SEALS, but also to the strong relationship between Danny and Steve and how important their partnership is to both of them. Honestly, this was great from start to finish and I was sad to see it end. Thank you so much!

What fantastic work! You did an amazing job with this. I love that you found such a great way to I corporate the SEALs in canon H50 fic. Some of the moments you picked are genius- just three for me were the scene with the knot tying, the drone, and then the very quiet jealousy scene with the robot. Loved the resolution- that was great to get Steve a couple of days they cld dedicate to the case and keeping Kono and Chin in a vital role to facilitate that by finding the first site. Great job!!!

What an impeccably crafted tale. You combined so many elements, including romance, case fic/mystery, and documentary into a riveting and compelling story. Not only a character study of Danny and Steve, whose voices were so genuine, but also a glimpse into the life of a SEAL. I've read a LOT of fan fics spanning many fandoms and this really stands out as a masterful piece of writing. I cannot convey how impressed I am right now. Can't wait to read the rest of your longer works :) Also just wanted to add that I loved all your bits about Danny appreciating Steve in uniform and how much power he exudes. Definitely alluring.

The first thing that stands out is the amount of research you must have done for this story, is amazing, I loved all the little details that made it feel real. Secondly, I'm not quite sure how to put it, but it was like the simmering of emotions, until a few of them bubble up and appear explicitly in the text, it was like this sort of undercurrent of tension and adrenaline, I was in awe with your writing. Absolutely loved it. And finally, the characterisations were spot on, in various passages I could see and hear Steve and Danny in my mind. That's how good it was. Thank you! It was a brilliant ride!

Oh my god. This was so so amazingly written. Speaking as someone who knows nothing about the military, everything felt so real, so kudos on your stellar research. I loved absolutely everything about this story, from the action to the romance and angst.

I loved how you wrote Steve, I felt that he was really in character. Like especially after that one episode with the dead SEALS and the cartel, your insight into his character was really genuine and well done. They don't do much about PTSD and how the military has affected Steve mentally and emotionally on the show, so it was really great to have you explore more on that.

If I could come up with more superlatives to describe this you would have all of them, that's how much I loved this. As it is, I want to thank you for taking the time to write and share this with us. Great work on this, major kudos.

So I was led here by a Tumblr post recommending this fic because of it's description of (and I quote) "steve [being] a machine, and it leaves all of them stunned. he’s twice these cadet’s age and absolutely wiping the floor with them. it’s mesmerizing, watching him move" . Even though I've never actually watched an episode of Five-O - although I have watched promos and wished, I was immediately drawn in by the characters you created. I didn't need to know complicated backstories and Steve-did-this-in-episode-whatever and Danny-did-this-in-response to immediately get who these dudes were. Your opening scene, even if it was ripped right from the climax of an episode (I don't have a clue, tbh), really gave me a picture-perfect idea of these guys' personalities, even more than a detailed wiki entry could have. The only way I'd know them better would be if I'd actually watched the show.

Just wanted to say that to start.

Next! The plot of this was engaging to the max. Just...I put off writing a paper that's due tomorrow so that I could finish this, because I literally kept thinking just one more paragraph - wait, no, I need another, more, I want to finish this.... And not only was the basic mystery plot engaging and, well, mysterious, but the emotional underpinnings were glorious as well. Watching Danny slowly but surely work his way into this group of tight-knit men (by virtue of their profession), and manage to occasionally wring an emotionally honest moment out of them, was touching but also gripping. I felt like cheering out loud every time the SEAL team put more trust in Danny. Which made me feel more awful when I kept realizing that it was all a ruse. Because, yeah, Steve and Danny are helping to avenge their CO and teammate, but they're also lying to their faces about literally every aspect of their lives. They're breaking the trust that the SEAL team is putting in them. (To be honest, I almost wanted to see more repercussions, like maybe one guy refusing to go forward and shake their hands, but I also completely understand the gratitude that they had to be feeling for the perpetrators of their CO's death being apprehended.

Also! Steve's character in this had me sad but frustrated at the same time, because I get communication issues. I've been on the wrong side of them, and they suck. But! There's always a reason for them. And Steve's reasons for his lack of communication is...not heartbreaking, per se, but close. It's that he was trained not to have weakness unless you have absolute trust in a person, and even then keep things back, because failure isn't even in the dictionary, and acknowledging any type of failure is antithesis to his being.

And don't even get me started on Danny, that lovable grump who's thrown into a life where six hours of sleep is a luxury and is expected to subsist on (*gasp*) shitty coffee. That sass that kept coming out in his narration had me flat-out giggling. ("Does the Navy make its coffee from sawdust?" comes to mind as a real gem. As does the quieting of Porter immediately afterward, probably in shock at this rudeness from the reporter.)

I just love this fic to death. I love it. Lovelovelove it. Can I say it enough? (I don't think I can.) However, I'm going to stop talking now, because the character limit is fast approaching.

You did an amazing job ok

the amount of research that went into this fic is amazing. So fantastically done

thought this was really great, they’re undercover but Danny gets a look at a side of Steve he hasn’t really seen before and comes to a fuller understanding of him. The romance is so very understated, but all the more poignant I thought. And lastly I think Danny would have made a good reporter.