Aquaman

Everywhere around him he could hear the sound of preparations for battle. Weapons were being loaded and cocked, armor was being placed on, people were rushing about, and outside mini-sub fighters were powering up. King Orin, aka Aquaman, tossed down his normal armored sleeve and pulled on a set of scale-mail.

“Orange again.” Vulko said as he walked into the room.

Aquaman nodded, “Seemed appropriate.” He said about the sleeve-less orange suit. It was made of a lightweight Atlantean alloy and designed specifically with underwater mobility in mind. He figured he would need the extra protection it gave during the next few hours. “Status report, Vulko.”

“The first few waves of advancing Parademons have been engaged by the heroes you contacted. The young Aquaboy is as competent as you said but still inexperienced.”

“No better time to learn.”

“Indigo, with her power to enlarge sea animals, is wrecking havoc with some giant hammerheads. Her mother Tsunami is creating underwater waves and knocking whole squads down. And Dolphin is doing quite nicely herself although much less… flashy.”

Aquaman nodded, “The troops ready?”

“Waiting outside for your speech.”

Aquaman nodded again as he looked down the shaft of Poseidon’s trident. This situation was only going to get worse. People were going to get hurt. People were going to die. His people. If only there was some way he could do this all himself and spare them the pain. But there was no way. He just had to suffer with each of them and spare as many as he could the hurt - a hurt he knew all too well already. He looked at the painting at the wall. It showed a happy family that had not lived happily ever after. “Of all times, why did they have to pick now to attack?” he asked the universe as he walked out.

The balcony overlooked a large courtyard normally filled with small domesticated fish and plants with the occasional romantic couple out for a walk. Today the entire Atlantean armed forces were standing in the cramped looking space. As Aquaman walked out they cheered.

He reached the railing and stopped. He rested the trident on the railing and looked out at all the faces. He wondered how many he would see again tomorrow. “People of Poseidonis. People of Tritonis. People of all Atlantis. You are here as one to prevent an invasion on our sovereign waters. This is not the first time we have faced an alien invasion and I doubt it will be the last.”

The crowd looked up expectedly. He paused and continued. “Apokolips is one of the single most advanced planets in the Universe. Their technology brings them on par with gods. The Parademons are their shock troops. Emotionless, merciless, and they feel no pain. They were raised for aerial combat so the skies are their second home. A more deadly force I am hard pressed to think of.”

To the side Vulko shook his head in disbelief. This was meant to inspire the troops?!

“But,” the sea king continued, “The Parademons are not in the air. They are underwater. The physics are different. There is drag and distortions and water eddies and currents. The water can hinder as much as it can help. Things that even an Atlantean infant are accustomed to. But the Parademons aren’t. There aren’t many oceans on Apokolips. They may have chosen the battlefield but it is in our element.” Aquaman paused to let it all sink in, “We have the advantage! We can show them what Atlantis can do!” Aquaman said as he pounded his trident into the air. The crowd exploded with a roar.

“King Orin! King Orin!” they chanted over and over.

Aquaman looked down at them. “Rodunn,” he called to his general, “Take them out.”

The boat shot quickly through the water sending out a spray of ocean mist and foam from the sharp bow. It sliced through the water with a single straight stroke to its destination.

The small island was not on many oceanographic maps. It was too small to be of much use to anyone. A small sandy dot with a few assorted palm trees and a tiny volcanic mountain. One of a million. Only one thing made the insignificant dot on the map of any significance at all. Its sole inhabitant.

The ship stopped several hundred meters from the island and a small dingy was sent to land. The rubber bottom grinded hard against the white sand as the boat hit the beach. A single tall figure walked to look at the raft.

“What do you want?” the figure asked the two people in the raft.

“Are you Kimon?” they asked.

“What of it?” came the reply.

“You have two choices. You can stay on this island until you die.”

“Or?” he asked.

“Come work for us?”

The figure on the beach sneered, “And why would I want to do that?”

“You’ll get to have your revenge on Aquaman.”

The man’s smile vanished and was replaced by a look of pure hate. He hopped in the rubber raft, “I’m in. Who’s my new boss?”

“You’ve just been recruited by Uncle Sam.” one said as he pushed the raft off and headed back to the naval destroyer.

Aquaman stood on a small outcropping and watched the battle. Only a few advanced squads had reached the defenders. The main bulk of the armies were closing in fast though. He opened up his mind and contacted the heroes engaging the enemy and told them to regroup in a tight formation. They had to stick close while the military acted. Aquaman pushed off and took to the water. He had his own problems

The footsteps shook the earth and the water all around him boiled away. Brimstone had reached the battle. An advanced Apokoliptic device known as a techno-seed was buried deep within the molten frame of the behemoth. It generated a containment field around the magma and plasma that made up Brimstone and gave him form. He was sixty feet tall and built like a semi that was humanoid and sixty feet tall. Flames licked across his red and black exterior causing the water to hiss and steam with his every step. His programming convinced him he was a fallen angel and all that opposed him were sinners to be killed. Brimstone single handedly defeated the Justice League at one point and had badly beaten on both the Martian Manhunter and Firestorm.

Aquaman gripped his trident tighter and swam up to the giant. He stopped in front of him and stood there.

Brimstone thundered towards him. The water bubbled and steamed about him obscuring his horrific features. “Thou dost dare challenge the fallen angel?! Thou must prepare thy damned soul for eternal hellfire for thou dost face Brimstone!”

Aquaman grunted slightly and pointed the tip of the trident to the seabed. With a single motion he dragged a point against the rock cutting a deep groove. He raised the trident up again and looked up from the line on the ground. “This is as far as you go, Brimstone.” he said.

Seren, aka Aquaboy, ducked behind a large rock as multiple energy blasts shot just overhead barely missing him. The rock shattered from the impacts turning into loose sand, mud, and slightly melted rock. The nearby Parademons waved away the cloudy dust looking for their target.

The dust parted and a razor sharp trident flew through the water as Aquaboy slammed into the nearest Parademon and kicked another hard in the face. Swimming hardened legs shattered armor and bone alike and the Parademon limply floated backwards. Seren turned his attention to the next four charging right at him with spears readied. Then the shadow floated over them.

A whale-shark that was easily five times its normal size loomed over the battle and ripped into the small Parademons like they were little plastic toy soldiers. Riding the beast was the blue skinned Indigo. “Hey there. You’re new, aren’t ya?” she called from atop the giant beast.

“I am Seren, son of King Orin.” Aquaboy said pulling the trident from the lifeless chest. “I do not require help.”

“Chip off the ol' block aren’t ya?” Indigo said with a smile as several giant hammer-heads swam up to her. “Rumor has it my father is Atlan the wizard, same as Aquaman. So you can call me Auntie Debbie.” The sharks stopped obediently before her.

“If you want, I can tell them to attack,” Aquaboy said, catching a Parademon in a headlock and snapping its neck.

“No thanks.” Indigo replied, “When I super-size them they understand me. Go attack the Parademons. The green non-fish with the shells.” She told the sharks and they looked at each other for a second then swam off and attacked. Aquaboy chuckled slightly below.

“What?” she asked raising and eyebrow at the youth.

“Just because they can understand what you say doesn’t mean they can understand what you mean. Sharks are dumb.”

Indigo looked quizzically at the youth, “Well it’s results that matter. What did they think I said?”

“You don’t want to know,” Aquaboy said leaping into a crowd of Parademons.

Brimstone brought his flaming sword down with a thunderous roar. Aquaman fell down to a crouch from the blow that drove him ankle-deep into the rocky seabed. The ground shattered below with each bone-shaking strike. The sword came down again and Poseidon’s Trident blocked the blow again. Aquaman strained to keep on his feet as he was driven farther into the ground. Each blow threatened to shatter his legs like aged sticks.

Brimstone swung again and Aquaman dodged forward between the giant’s legs. The sword shattered the ground sending shards of rock scattered across the battlefield. Aquaman raised his trident as he passed between the legs and slashed hard at the exposed area using both his hands. The triple points cut through the force-field sending red hot lava blood spraying out. The sea king clenched his teeth as some hit his exposed skin burning away at the flesh. Brimstone’s field quickly regenerated sealing the ‘wound’ in seconds. Brimstone roared and backhanded Aquaman sending the Atlantean flying into a nearby rock face.

Aquaman shook the dizziness from his head as the giant quickly ran towards him. He pushed off the rock face and shot into the water avoiding the rock-splitting blow.

Aquaman scanned the battlefield. Atlantean fighters shot through the water firing at their small humanoid targets. Explosions could be seen in the distance but it was too far away to see who or what was blowing up. He dodged to the side avoiding another of Brimstone’s swings. The giant’s titanic fist flailed again and again as Aquaman ducked to the left and the right barely avoiding being taken down.

He swam up higher and thought for a second. Mera’s hard-water powers would have been very useful at the moment, especially since she could affect any liquid. She could easily turn Brimstone’s body against him. But she was back at the city coordinating their forces. He was on his own.

Brimstone leapt up into the air and snagged Aquaman’s foot in a colossal hand. The fist swung the helpless hero against the ground again and again as Aquaman struggled to move fingers as thick as tree trunks.

He hit the ground again cracking through the stone like a hammer and chisel. Splinters of stone stuck into his skin. His leg was beginning to burn as Brimstone’s molten grip tightened. He drove the trident into the hand and pulled himself free from the death-grip.

Brimstone swung his flaming sword and Aquaman quickly brought up his trident to block. The blow sent the sea-king flying backwards through the water. Aquaman kicked hard and swam back dodging the next swing but inches. The hairs on his chest burned and sizzled away as the flame grazed his skin.

He raised the trident high and slammed it hard into the giant’s chest. Brimstone barely noticed the tiny blow. Aquaman concentrated. He could control the ocean’s currents through the trident. Water was not too different from lava, the liquid form of a potentially solid substance. Sweat slid off his brow and mingled invisible in the inky depths as Aquaman gritted his teeth through concentration. He felt the lava bubble and turn. He poured his will forward, he fueled the power of the trident with the support of every creature with gills on the planet. Brimstone began to twist and deform as the lava that made up his body began to swirl and spin.

The force field that contained Brimstone’s substance strained as a whirlpool of magma churned inside the giant’s body. It spun around and around centered at the trident of Poseidon and powered by the ocean’s other lord. A strained guttural yell escaped from the giant’s mouth as he stretched and distorted from the tidal forces inside his body.

Aquaman wrenched out the trident and ducked to the side as Brimstone’s strained interior erupted from the hole like air forcing its way from a ruptured balloon. The field tried to seal itself and cut off the geyser of lava shooting from the wound.

The hole closed and Brimstone staggered to his hands and knees. His body was shriveled and sagging like someone who had just undergone massive liposuction. A large microwave sized box protruded from his chest, the weight of it dragging down the field. It was the techno-seed that gave Brimstone life.

Aquaman floated down beside the giant which vainly tried to move and crush him. Aquaman ducked under the clumsy arms and grabbed a hold of the device and pulled it hard to the ground. With one swift blow he brought his leg down on the techno-seed, crushing it. Brimstone’s force-field faded and the creature dissolved into a lava puddle. The molten rock quickly cooled in the chilly water hardening back to solid stone.

Aquaman looked down. The body lay half an inch from where he had cut the line. He risked a small smile.

The Parademons had fled quickly after their lava ace fell and retreated back through Boom Tubes to their infernal home. Aquaman collapsed onto the hard throne with relish. Vulko summoned the palace physician as soon as he saw the injured monarch.

“I would say the battle was a success milord,” Vulko said, looking at the multiple cuts and scrapes. “Darkseid will think twice before invading Atlantis again.”

“This wasn’t an invasion,” Aquaman said grimly.

Vulko did a double take. “What do you mean?”

“Apokolips is a dangerous planet that does nothing but make war. They are bound to have some form of underwater assault force, including Deep Six. I met them a while back*. About the same time I found out about Koryak.” Aquaman’s mind drifted for a second back to the matter of succession before returning to the more pressing issue, “Why send Parademons into a situation they are ill-equipped for and at a tactical disadvantage?”

(*Way back in PAD’s Aquaman #6-8ish.)

Vulko shrugged. Mera walked up and replied, “Simple. As you guessed this was not an invasion but something else. A test of our defenses maybe? Diversion from another assault elsewhere?”

Aquaman nodded grimly. “Both a possibility, unless…” he leapt to his feet and picked up the trident again. “Ready the troops. Tell them to refuel the ships and prepare the guards.”

Vulko looked up in horror. “Oh dear. another invasion.”

“Yes. But not in the way you think. It’s not like Tempest to disappear like this without warning. He could be off elsewhere but it would be too much of a coincidence for him to just disappear at a time like this if it wasn’t related to the attack.”

Mera looked at her ex-husband. “What are you suggesting?”

Aquaman scowled with rage. “He was taken. This whole attack was a distraction so we would not notice his disappearance.”

Vulko frowned. “That bastard.” He exclaimed, “He is still the crown prince! We must do something.”

“We are.” Aquaman said. “When the ships and troops are ready we move out. We’re invading Apokolips!”

To Be Continued...

Next Issue: The Apocalyptic Invasion concludes. Why was Tempest grabbed? Who will be the new heir to the Atlantean throne? How will they even get to Apokolips?

Previous Issue | Next Issue