Aquaman

Tritonis lay sprawled out below where Aquaman stood atop the Flying Fish. The antiquated looking buildings rolled over and about the rocky seabed. A large wall surrounded the city, built more out of a sense of architectural continuity than any real need, especially as the wall was easily swum over. Tritonis was in many ways the sister city of Poseidonis. They were both populated by Atlanteans and both were on the former continental boundaries before the ancient nation had sunk. But where Poseidonis had embraced technology and Thierna Na Oge had embraced magic, the people of Tritonis learned the arts of war, battle, and how to live as one with nature. They did not have a large dome over their city or submarines or even guns. They hunted for food and used stone or coral knives and spears. They were also mer-people, transformed into half-fish by a magical spell millennia ago. The city, despite being recently rebuilt from scratch, remained true to the original architecture and had an ancient, almost timeless quality. Despite turmoil in the past, the two cities were as one and shared resources and people. Tritonian warriors, armed with Poseidonian weaponry, were the bulk of the Atlantean assault troops.

Aquaman sat down on the smooth metallic skin of his craft and waited patiently for his guest to arrive.

“We could have met at the palace,” a large merman said, swimming gracefully up. He was muscular and wide with long black hair slicked back and large pointed ears. His eyes were hard and severe from years of battle and pain.

Aquaman raised himself to his feet and bowed respectfully. “King Iquila,” he said formally. “It pleases us to see you again.”

Iquila crisply lowered his head with the practice of a career soldier. “High King Orin. I trust you are well.”

“As well as can be. There is much to do and recent events have not been quiet,” Aquaman said. “But I believe we can dispense with the formalities now.”

“It is fine with me, Orin,” Iquila said. “I have never been much suited for the role of politician or king.”

“You wear the crown well, and you do what is best for your people. You are a fine king.”

The merman sneered, “I am a warrior. I should be serving my people, not leading. Politics lacks honor. There is too much underhanded sneaking and manipulation. This matters not, why have you summoned me? Not more of these surfacer politics?”

Aquaman shook his head. “No. Atlantean politics. It has yet to be formalized but I have a new heir and crown prince.”

Iquila smiled, “Tempest was a brave fighter and it saddens me to hear of his removal. But the news is still good. Is Mera again heavy with child?”

“No. His origins are older and less… legitimate.”

“No matter. A bastard that carries the royal blood is still royalty and can wear the crown just as well.”

Aquaman nodded, “True but there is more. He has the curse.”

“Of Kordax?” Iquila said firmly, “That does not bother me. And anyone it does bother will have to go through me to complain.” The merman slammed his hand hard on his chest for emphasis.

Aquaman smiled. Iquila’s own wife had the curse of Kordax, in that she was blond and could talk to fish, but not to the same extent as Aquaman. Just as Iquila possessed the strength of the ancients but was not quite as strong as Aquaman. “There is more.” Aquaman continued, “The boy, Seren. His mother was a merwoman. One of yours. He can change between legs and fins at will.”

Iquila blinked. “That is unheard of. While the transformation can on occasion be reversed, to be able to change at will…”

Aquaman shrugged. “That would be due to my magical heritage. But I suspect his mother’s lineage might also have something to do with it as well.”

“He would stand a chance of reuniting the two cities. Making them as one.”

Aquaman nodded. “I thought that. And he is still young enough to be taught the ways of a king.”

Iquila nodded. “Tempest was a good man I would be proud to have at my side in a battle. But he was not a true leader. I thank thee for bringing this to my attention.”

“I thought it best that you knowwwwwaaaaa…!!!” Aquaman started before doubling over and clutching his temples.

Iquila quickly kicked his muscular fin and shot forward to catch the shaking king. Aquaman steadied himself on the merman. “I’m all right now,” he said.

“What transpires? An attack?” Iquila said looking around for any assailants.

Aquaman shook his head no. “It was a sudden telepathic signal from the surface. My friend J’onn, the Martian Manhunter, is in need of my assistance.”

Iquila grunted, “If he requires aid he cannot be much of a warrior. Let him face the trials alone and you will help him more than rushing to him whenever he yelps.”

“J’onn is not one to needlessly call for assistance,” Aquaman protested. “I have been asking him to look into a surfacer organization known as O.G.R.E. for the past few weeks. They are somehow involved with an underwater attack on a US nuclear sub and managed to secretly build a large undersea base. I needed someone with his talents to infiltrate them. He must have tipped them off accidentally and they must have ambushed him.”

Iquila grunted again. “Politics,” he muttered with unhidden disdain. “Give me a straight fight any time.”

“I must head off now. You are of course invited to Seren’s coronation,” Aquaman said as he entered the Flying Fish

“I would not miss it,” Iquila said, saluting. “Of course I offer my services to you. If the child is to rule he will need to know how to fight. Especially with his tail.”

Aquaman smiled. “I can think of no better teacher,” he said rubbing his jaw in memory of old battles. He closed the hatch and set off for Metropolis.

“Why do I need to learn this crap?” Seren said, crossing his arms angrily.

Vulko sighed and placed the Atlantis Chronicles down on the large stone table. “If you do not know where you came from, you will never know where you are going.”

“I know where I came from. Tritonis. My dad was King Orin and my mother was…”

Vulko raised an arm to stop him. “That is but the tip of the iceberg. You still must look deeper to fully grasp your origins. What makes you different from other mermen?”

“I can change into a two-legger,” Seren said plainly.

“Why?” Vulko asked, tugging on the tip of his beard.

“My father is Aquaman. Duh.”

“And why does that make a difference?”

“He’s king of the sea.”

“Why?”

Seren thought a second, “Cause he can talk to fish.”

“Several people can communicate with fish. Tempest can make empathic contact and Indigo can after she has enlarged them. And there is you yourself. Why is Indigo not the queen of the sea? What makes your father special?”

Seren shrugged, “Dunno. Fish like him more?”

Vulko nodded, “Well, that is true. But there is more to it.”

“Such as?” Seren asked.

Vulko smiled and held up the large leather bound book. “It’s a long story which starts several thousand years ago, before the sinking.”

Seren sighed and made himself comfortable.

Aquaman walked into the O.G.R.E. recruitment office set up in a temporarily free stall in one of Metropolis’ many strip malls. The pilots of the mini-subs that had attacked the US Navy’s nuclear sub claimed to be from O.G.R.E., but investigation had shown that the only organization by that name was a Green Peace style environmental group. A bell rang as Aquaman pushed open the glass door and stepped into the office. Florescent lights flickered steadily above and there was a heavy smell of sweat and incense. A thin man with long dreadlocks and a baggy tie-dyed T-shirt stepped up from behind a desk.

He waved excitedly to the Atlantean. “Omigod,” he said. “You’re him! Aquaman! Have you come here to join O.G.R.E.?” he asked holding up a handful of flyers.

Aquaman looked down at the skinny man who suddenly felt like sinking down through the floor from the weight of his hair.

“It’s…. um… it stands for the Oceano-Graphic Researchers and Environmentalists. We’re going to save the seas from…”

Aquaman turned and glared down harder. The man cowered back from the ice-like eyes.

“Well… I can give you the tour if you… want,” the man stammered softly.

Aquaman raised his hook up. The deadly point reflected the soft florescent light sending patterns of gold crashing on the walls like waves on a rocky shore. The tree hugger almost wet himself. Aquaman kept his glare focused on the man and aimed his arm at the wall and sent the yellow projectile rocketing out. The point pierced easily through the drywall. With a sharp jerk Aquaman pulled the harpoon back ripping a large hole in the wall. Through the manhole sized crack could be seen another room filled with computers, advanced radio and tracking equipment, and a large glass cylinder filled with what looked like green goo.

“Whooaaa,” the man said making a mental effort to cut back on the ganja. “How long has that been there?”

Aquaman pushed past him and walked to the hole. He stood three feet beside the hole and touched the intact wall. He made a fist and with a single deliberate motion put his hand straight through the wall. He yanked out and pulled out a uniformed guard dressed in a familiar uniform. Stunned, the guard tried vainly to raise his sidearm. Aquaman grabbed the weapon and crushed it. Two more guards dived through the holes and raised their guns. Twin red lasers targeted Aquaman’s head.

“Drop him and make your move,” one snarled stroking the trigger slowly.

Aquaman tossed the limp guard at them and fired his harpoon at the glass tube that held the green goo captive. The tube shattered and there was an arc of bright blue electricity about the computer room. Whatever security system was built into the tube shorted out with a hail of sparks. The guards squirmed to push off their unconscious coworker off and eventually lobbed the stunned guard onto a desk.

The guards rolled and prepared to fire. “You’re DEAD!” one yelled.

Aquaman stood there motionless. “If you say so,” he deadpanned.

The guards took careful aim only to watch their target become a fast moving blur. He whipped left and right then shot up and down. His body spiraled around and twisted like liquid spinning down a drain. They spun about like tops tracking the distorted and twisted Aquaman. He had become an orange and yellow blur circling about the ceiling like a rag caught on a fan blade.

The Atlantean strode slowly forward to the guards where they lay twitching on the floor. “You work fast, J’onn.”

The Martian slowly reconstituted himself from the goo released from the tube. “Paying you back for freeing me from my prison. I assume you could have handled them without my intervention, though.”

“One or two ways presented themselves,” Aquaman said, sliding through one of the holes he had made in the wall. The computer room must have taken up half the lot. The far wall was dominated by a large map studded with red thumb tacks located in major cities worldwide. The oceans were tack free but there was a large series of holes in the middle of the Atlantic, approximately where the undersea base Aquaman and Tempest liberated was located . “Are you alright?” he asked the still squishy alien.

“Fine,” J’onn said adding the finishing touches to his body. It wasn’t completely necessary to have the correct finger and retina prints ,but he felt the need to be thorough. “They lured me in and hit me with a jet of flame then paralyzed me with a neurotoxin designed specifically for shape changers.”

Aquaman nodded. “Sorry. I should have expected them to be prepared for shape shifters. You especially,” he said scanning through the computer’s systems for anything useful. It was mostly invoices and records of shipments. “Did you find out anything useful?”

The Martian Manhunter nodded, “Yes. They’re using the environmental agency as a front to recruit members. When they find someone with the characteristics they’re looking for, such as fanaticism, they introduce them to the secret side of O.G.R.E. - a paramilitary organization with plans for world domination. Of some form.”

“Absolutely spectacular job, J’onn. As usual.”

The Martian smiled broadly and bowed low. “I live but to serve.”

Aquaman gestured to the three stunned guards. “They know anything of use?”

“The secret half is organized as cells. No one knows who the head of the organization is. He’s the one who tells the local cell leaders what to do,” J’onn said, taking another peek into the stunned guard’s heads. “But from the information I’ve managed to gather I know about where he is. London, England. The Watchtower may be able to triangulate where the computers are getting their orders from and narrow it down more.”

“Good.” Aquaman said stepping back out of the hole, “Whoever it is almost started a war between Atlantis and the States. I’m going to find him and nail him to a wall.”

The dreadlocked recruiter sat on the floor in disbelief. “Whoa,” he eventually muttered. “It’s a front?! All of it? For terrorists or spies or something…! What do I do now?”

Vulko sighed and rested his head against the wall.

“How’s it going?”

Vulko jerked up at the sudden voice, “Huh? Fine. It’s all fine.” He turned to see Tempest’s friendly and reassuring face.

“Good. I was worried I’d come here and find you beating Seren to death with a book.”

Vulko smiled, “No, Garth. I would never risk one of the chronicles like that. They’re irreplaceable.”

The pair laughed softly for a second. Tempest stopped and leaned on the wall smiling. “You know in a few more weeks that will technically be treason.”

Vulko shivered at the thought. “He is a good boy. And he tries. But he is so uneducated and impatient. And the people that raised him…”

“Yes. Wet trash. But remember that Orin was raised by dolphins and educated by a lighthouse keeper. And he was much older than Seren is before Arthur met you and was taught to read and speak Atlantean.”

Vulko nodded, “True. Very true. But Orin never went around with an ugly, ugly wig on like Seren.”

Tempest just shrugged, “Kids these days.”

“Yes. I heard about that. Yes, yes. If I know him he’s already on his way here to cause me grievous physical pain. What?! Yes. I will send him to you. IF he bests me.”

He hung up the phone and rested his head on the widow. The view from the top of the skyscraper was breathtaking. There were definite perks to being rich and powerful. He had chosen his partner wisely. Together they would finally achieve what they never could have done apart. The only person that could stop them now was that accursed fishman Aquaman. Or his partner’s regular side thorn.

He turned away from the large wall-to-wall picture window and sat down at his large oak desk. “Doris,” he said pushing a large button on his intercom. “Could you send in a cup of tea please?”

The window behind him exploded as a large flying Atlantean sub crashed through and ejected its sole pilot out across the room. Amid the shower of scattering glass, Aquaman twisted in midair and landed on his feet facing the desk, his harpoon raised and ready.

“Doris,” he said pushing the intercom again, “Better make it two cups.”

“The head of O.G.R.E., I presume?” Aquaman snarled.

“Guilty as charged,” the man said as he began peeling off his business suit. “You don’t seem as surprised as I would have hoped.”

“An underwater based scheme with advanced subs. Subs that used Atlantean technology. An attack on a US military submarine that almost started a war. A large undersea complex. And someone behind the scenes, pulling all the strings. It was a short list.”

He shrugged as he finished pulling off the suit and adjusted his costume. “I never understood how anyone can comfortably wear a costume under a business suit. The cape gets all wrinkly and it is so very hot,” he muttered fluffing out his cloak. “You and the other full time heroes like Superman and Batman have no idea how lucky you are never having to wear suits.”

“Don’t change the subject, Orm,” Aquaman said striding forward with his arm raised and ready. “What’s your scheme this time?”

“Oh, brother dear,” he said straightening his helmet, “At times like this it really would be more appropriate to call me Ocean Master.”

With a single swift movement the villain pulled his ever present staff from behind the desk and fired a powerful energy blast at Aquaman. The Sea King effortlessly jumped over the blast and tackled his half-brother.

Aquaman drove his harpoon down but Ocean Master brought up his weapon and blocked the savage attack.

“You can’t beat me hand-to-hand, Orm,” Aquaman said. “I’m too strong.”

“Very true, Arthur,” Ocean Master said kneeing Aquaman in the groin. “Assuming I fight fair.”

Aquaman gritted his teeth and threw a punch. Ocean Master rolled to the side and the fist punched through the floor. Ocean Master rolled over to a crouch and powered up his staff. A crackling aura formed around him and a devastating point-blank blast struck Aquaman in the chest. The blow knocked the Atlantean rolling dangerously to the window.

Aquaman dug his harpoon into the ground to stop his movement and quickly swiveled to his feet. He turned to face his foe only to catch another energy blast to the chest. The sudden force sent him staggering backward. The thick glass would have stopped his stunned motion if he hadn’t shattered it all with his entrance. He tripped over the broken pane of glass and fell. He looked down and fifty stories below him he saw street rushing towards him. He hated being out of water.

To Be Continued...

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