Armageddon, Part One:
“Secrets Revealed”
Two Weeks Later Mr. Smith frowned. Despite his fearless exterior, he’d never been fond of water travel. For some reason, it just felt unnatural to him. He silently wondered again why he was aboard this ship in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. He shook his head as he remembered the scene in Loren Jupiter’s office two days before… “Good afternoon, Miss Tula,” Jupiter said as he welcomed Aquagirl into his office. Smith was in his usual place, standing slightly behind and to the right of Jupiter’s chair. He motioned for her to take a seat. “I understand that you have some information for us.” “Thank you for seeing me, Mr. Jupiter,” Tula said as she sat down. She placed a folded sheet of paper on his desk. She slowly unfolded it as she continued. As Jupiter leaned forward, he could see it was a world map. “As you know, Prince Garth and myself are Atlanteans. Unfortunately, we were exiled from our homeland when revolutionaries overthrew our king, Prince Garth’s father, and took control of the government. ”I have maintained telepathic contact with people inside the city and they have informed me that the revolutionaries have softened their stance and wish to meet their prince.” Tula’s finger pointed at a dot in the middle of the Pacific. “This is where Atlantis lies and this is where Prince Garth and myself must go.” After Tula had left, Jupiter turned to Mr. Smith. “I don’t like this,” he finally said. “I agree,” Smith replied. “Perhaps it would be best if they were accompanied by the entire team.” “My thoughts exactly,” Jupiter said. “Go ahead and arrange transportation. One of my research labs has been developing some lightweight deep-diving suits. I believe that they would like having them field-tested.” Smith left the room as Jupiter reached for the phone on his desk. Smith returned to the present and looked out over the rail again. Nothing but water for as far as the eye could see. He turned away and headed below. Below decks, Donna Troy was reading a magazine in the mess hall when Wally West plopped down beside her. “What’s wrong?” she asked, closing it. “I keep telling Dick that I can run across water,” he griped. “He won’t let me try it.” ”That is an excellent suggestion, Mr. West,” Smith chimed in as he walked through the room toward the coffee machine. “If you wish to attempt such a feat, doing so in the swimming pool would be sufficient.” Smith took his coffee and left the room. “Party pooper,” Wally muttered. His eye caught Donna’s magazine. “What’re you reading?” Donna opened the Newstime magazine to an article. “It’s a new hero they’re calling Mr. X.” ”That’s original,” Wally said, crowding in to peek over her shoulder. “Why do they call him that instead of Green Wombat or Blue Beetle or something like that?” ”Apparently he’s got some kind of X on his costume,” Donna said. “It looks like he changes it a lot, too, because I’ve never read any definitive descriptions of it. The only thing that’s always there is that X.” ”So why are you so interested?” Wally asked, crowding closer. “Do you think he’s cute?” “Please,” Donna said as she pushed him back into his chair. “I always try to keep an eye open for any new heroes we may run into. You never know if they’ll turn out like Starfire.” “Oh,” Wally said. He slipped out of the room in silence. Dick Grayson was making his way to the library when he passed Roy in the ship’s corridor. Roy nodded at Dick and entered a bathroom. Once inside, Roy snapped the lock on and sagged to the floor. Once again he saw Scarapelli and Lance’s faces running through his mind, as did what Jupiter had told him. He saw (or did he imagine?) Jupiter lying on the floor in a puddle of blood. Roy put his head on his knees and began to cry. Dick sighed as he heard a familiar pacing behind him. “What is taking so long?” Garth fumed. “Why could I not simply swim there myself? Why must I remain on this drylander ship?” Dick closed his book. It was obvious he wouldn’t get any more studying done today. “Because Mr. J doesn’t want any of us going alone into an unknown situation,” he said patiently. “Ridiculous!” Garth yelled, slamming his fist down on a table. “I am a crown prince! I have nothing to fear from my people!” Dick folded his arms and leaned back in his chair. “Your people,” he said. “Aren’t those the same people who overthrew your father and exiled him?” Garth’s face flushed. He kicked Dick’s chair out from under him before storming out of the room and slamming the hatch behind him. “Well, that was successful,” Dick muttered to himself. As he set his chair back up, he was trying to figure out how he could have defused the situation better. Wally had returned to the deck and was pacing around the ship. “Bored bored bored bored bored,” he muttered. “There’s got to be something to do around here.” He turned as a hatch flew open and Garth stormed out onto the deck with Tula behind him. “Fools!” Garth ranted. “Why can they not understand that there is nothing to fear from my people? I could have arrived there days ago instead of being trapped on this land dweller’s conveyance!” “Patience, my prince,” Tula said as she sat down on the deck. Garth lay down beside her and laid his head in her lap. “All is going exactly as planned.” Wally’s eyes widened as he watched Tula place her hands on either side of Garth’s head and begin glowing. “Glowing?” Donna asked doubtfully. She leaned the chair back against the wall of her cabin. “Yeah!” Wally said. “She held her hands up like this and they started to glow!” “Maybe she was practicing her powers,” Donna explained. “She can make ice. Maybe you saw ice with the sun reflecting off of it. That could glow.” ”Maybe,” Wally said, but he still didn’t sound convinced. “Jo!” Officer Nah turned to see his wife running toward him. He smiled. Even though he’d kept his ship silent on their return to Cairn, she still knew he was coming. “Hey, Tinya,” he said with a kiss. “It’s good to see you.” “I picked up some elvabird breast for dinner,” she said as they began walking through the LEGION terminal. “I know it’s your favorite.” “I hope I get to taste it,” Nah said. “I may be leaving soon.” ”Then the rumors are true,” Tinya said. Nah stopped and pulled her aside into a secluded alcove. “What rumors?” Tinya’s voice dropped to a whisper. “There are rumors that you’ve found a world about to be invaded by him.” Nah cursed under his breath. “Who else knows?” ”Almost everybody,” Tinya replied. “This news travels fast.” Nah cursed again and stepped out. “Then I have to meet with the Council at once,” he said. “The longer we wait, the worse these rumors will get.” Tinya smiled as she took his hand and started leading him down the walkway. “I thought you’d feel that way,” she said. “They’re waiting for you now.” “Mr. West.” Mr. Smith’s voice cut through Wally’s reverie. He’d wandered back onto the deck of the ship and was daydreaming about running across the water again. “We are waiting for you below.” ”We’re there?” Wally asked with an eager smile on his face. “Finally?” ”Yes,” Smith replied. Wally was already gone. The divemaster stopped talking as a burst of wind blew into the room. “Wow,” Wally said as he picked up a suit. “Is this mine?” ”Yes,” the divemaster said. Wally’s eyes glazed as the divemaster went into an extended explanation of what the transparent suits were made of, how the tanks had extended air supplies, and how they would protect the Titans (except for Aqualad and Aquagirl) from the crushing pressure below. He was much more interested in the blinking lights on the wrist controls and the goggles he wore. Finally they were released into the ocean and sank as one to the bottom. Robin turned to survey the surrounding water as his infrared goggles showed things clearly. “Is everyone on channel?” he asked over the radio built into the “helmet.” After a series of affirmatives, he turned to Aquagirl. “Looks like you’re leading the way,” he said. Aquagirl smiled. She and Garth wore radios but had no need of the suits. “Very well,” she said. “Follow me.” She and Aqualad began swimming away. The Titans followed using small motors in the backpacks of their suits. Suddenly Aquagirl stopped short. “What’s wrong?” Robin asked. Her eyes narrowed. “Hunting party,” she muttered through clenched teeth. “Atlanteans trying to find and kill us.” She and Aqualad exploded into battle. Wally ran after them. “So what do we do?” Speedy asked sarcastically. “I don’t think I can fire any arrows down here.” ”We need to keep our heads down and so does he,” Robin replied. “Donna, can you get him?” ”You will do nothing,” a voice said inside their heads. The three Titans turned and saw another group of Atlanteans behind them with their weapons aimed at them. “We can fight back,” Donna said. “There are only four of them. We can take them.” ”And if we rip our suits we die,” Robin replied as he raised his hands. “We surrender.” The Atlanteans quickly bound their captives and carried them away. A short time later, Robin, Wonder Girl, and Speedy were inside a dome in the city of Atlantis. The room they were in had been drained of water and they had been relieved of their diving gear. “Well, this is a great mess we’re in,” Speedy observed as he plopped down in a chair. “Any ideas on how we get out of it, Wonder Boy?” “We wait and see what happens,” Robin replied. ”Wonderful,” Speedy said as he leaned back in the chair. He dropped it back to the floor as an older man walked in, accompanied by a man in a hooded robe. “Greetings,” the man said. “I am Vulko, prime minister of Atlantis.” He looked around. “I trust you are comfortable. It has been some time since we have used this dry room.” “We’re perfectly comfortable. Thank you,” Robin replied as Wonder Girl elbowed Speedy in the side to shut him up. Vulko nodded and his eyes narrowed. Somehow Robin knew his mind was being read. Vulko turned to the man in the robe. “It is true,” he said. The man in the robe lowered his hood and dropped the robe. Beneath it was a face that demanded authority and was surrounded by long blond hair. He wore a regal outfit of orange and green. “Poseidon,” Wonder Girl found herself whispering. “I am Orin, king of Atlantis,” the man said. “Please, tell me of my son.” Aqualad, Aquagirl, and Kid Flash had made their way to a nearby cave in the meantime. “Where are the others?” the leader asked. “I am sorry, King Orm,” Aquagirl replied. “It appears that they were captured by another squad of Atlanteans.” Orm leaned back on his throne. “They will never stop hounding us,” he said. “Ever since my brother was killed, they have vowed to do the same to me.” He thought a moment. “However, it is possible that things have changed.” Orm stood and laid his hand on Garth’s shoulder. “Hear me, my friends! Our prince has returned to us!” Orm waited a moment for the cheers to die down. “All is not well, however. The rebels who now control the city of our home have captured some of the prince’s friends. The time has come!” Orm thrust a fist upward. “The time has come for us to retake Atlantis!” Orm smiled as the small crowd surrounding him joined in cheers. “Take Atlantis!” they shouted. Behind him, Aquagirl smiled as Aqualad did the same. To Be Continued... Next Issue: It’s war! Orm’s forces attack Atlantis as Orin tells his group of Titans his side of the story. But who’s telling the truth? Previous Issue | Next Issue |
