Watershed's agent has the situation written up for her when she wakes up in the morning, and, per previously established agreement, has already accepted the job on her behalf and made travel arrangements. She and her partner teleport in with their dungeon luggage at 6AM San Diego time. Watershed is wearing what looks like an overegineered wetsuit.

Mandragora is dressed like a normal human being.

What a coincidence!  The DRT operatives who greet the pair of them are also dressed like normal human beings.  "Good morning, ma'ams."  Augh, cringe.  "What do you need from us to get started?"

"Good morning! I've, um, heard you're having some transportation issues? I need to be in direct contact with the body of water I'm sensing - ideally immersed in it, as close as possible to the area I need to search. What's the best way to arrange that, under the circumstances?"

"You've heard right, unfortunately.  They've gotten most of the cars by now, I think, but  we have a helicopter waiting for you, if that's alright.  We can fly you down to the dock - there's a Coast Guard tender on standby if you need one?"

"That would be helpful, thank you."

Okay.  Great.  "Right this way, then, we've got some ear protection for you both."  Now that the narration deigns to mention it, they've likely been able to hear a helicopter running, although not loudly enough to actively offend esper ears.

They will graciously accept hearing protection, then.

Watershed is more awkward than gracious, but she's trying.

If there's any awkwardness, Clarice is not going to mention it, react to it, or acknowledge that it exists.  Social awkwardness is only as real as you let it be, or at least that's what she tells herself.  Instead, she's going to escort her charges to the helipad(an actual helipad this time!  It’s near the Ablinger teleport location!) with a minimum of small talk.  It's 6 AM!  She has an excuse not to be chatty.

Then the espers can get on the helicopter with a minimum of fuss, which seems for the best, really.

And from the landing pad, to the sky!  There's a beautiful view of San Diego, and a bit more sunrise than would ordinarily be visible this time of day, thanks to the altitude.

Are either of Watershed or Mandragora going to be looking down at the city as they pass?

Watershed will be quietly wishing espers got carsick so she could have a concrete reason to hate helicopter rides as much as she does. Do you even get carsick in helicopters normally? Maybe no one gets carsick in helicopters.

Mandragora will be taking in the view.

Then Mandragora may well notice the black van that's parked on the side of the road near a gas station that still has lights on.  Ordinarily, black vans are pretty unnotable, except for the fact that all vehicles were supposed to have been cleared off the roads for safety reasons.

And the fact that it's not there anymore.  What van?  Must have been a trick of the light.

Hmm.

The helicopter ride doesn't, objectively, take very long.  San Diego really is a beautiful place if you like cities and don't mind the earthquake damage.  And the Pacific is gorgeous regardless.

The dock is largely unoccupied, save for a Coast Guard tender and the crew thereof.  They're looking a little haggard, and like they're trying to finish their coffee before they shove off.

Understandable. Friendly smiles all round.

They get on the boat. Mandragora unpacks a life vest from the luggage and helps Watershed get it on, the better to float with once she's in the water. They'll be heading to near the middle of the target area, then?

Sounds good.  They have orders to take direction from the esper duo and a little tablet displaying the likeliest areas.  It also has green/orange/red color-coding, indicating places that have been checked over by conventional means.

But of course, if conventional means were sufficient, the Coast Guard would have found it already.  (Or the Navy, maybe.  The Marines couldn't find sand in their boots if the map was printed on the sole.)

Watershed directs them to a spot that she thinks is a good place to start, and then waits, trying not to fidget, while the boat gets underway.

Mandragora puts a comforting hand on her shoulder.

She has an easier time once they're at the search point and it's time to do her thing.

Her wetsuit has a number of zippers in weird locations, which she unzips in a practiced sequence. A Menagerie break seems like a time to Really Not Fuck Around, so she also pricks her fingertip with a sterile lancet before hooking her lifejacket to a safety tether and hopping overboard.

Her awareness ripples outward at the speed of sound in water. Every tiny movement, every fish, every wave, the pull of the tide, the shape of the shore, it's all hers. But she holds herself back from pressing into all those details, instead lightly skimming her attention outward, building a mental map in broad strokes while she keeps a metaphorical eye out.

She's looking for two things. She's never sensed a Menagerie monster before but she's guessing they're going to be strikingly weird compared to the normal range of marine shapes, movements, and circulatory systems. Those will be a clue, if she spots any. The other thing she's looking for is a dungeon portal, and that one she knows for sure will stick out like a sore thumb, because she's already done this once in Lake Ontario.

She might or might not first notice:

- a marshmallow-peep-like creature, floating up through the water as the current buffets it;
- a turtle with baby proportions and the fully detachable shell of a cartoon turtle, swimming hard for shore;
- a seahorse larger than most with long tendrils, jumping in and out of the waves near a sailboat;
- a tiny dolphin playing near a waterskiier;
- an elephant shrew swimming for shore;
- a creature rather like a furby, also - you guessed it - swimming for shore

...before she notices:

a portal.

She tugs on her safety line and gives a thumbs up.