Issue 6: "Hail to the King"

Arthur sat alone in the subterranean sanctuary, closing the Chronicles of Atlantis… the book that Hagen the mystic had given him almost two weeks before. It was the history of the city told through it's keepers through the ages, but what he pondered know were the dire prophecies for the city's future.

“My lord?” Came the voice of Duncan, the royal guard, from the room's entrance.

“Duncan? What is it, my friend…?” Arthur asked as he swam toward the ancient doorway.

“My Lord, Queen Mera begs you come at once… There has been… a catastrophe.” But before Duncan could finish the sentence, Arthur was well on his way back up to Poseidonis… his beloved was in danger.

The remainder of the journey to the Angola Plain was one of horror. Life everywhere had been extinguished.

Orin stood on the outskirts of the plain, head in his hands. How could this have happened?

The thick, black & green ooze covered everything in the plain. Withered kelp, bones of small fish, the steadily dissolving flesh of Atlantean citizens and the predators. Sharks had come to the plain seeking nourishment from the dead. They had fared no better than anything else in the area. Were any of them able to get far enough away to spread the infection?

The area was a total loss… nothing would ever grow there again. He had to make sure the infection would die there too.

“Roduun! Duncan… Get your men to scour the area around the plain… if you find a body, bring it to the plain. Don’t touch them though, find another way to get them there,” Orin ordered.

“Yessir!” the guards said in unison and swam off.

“My Lord?” Vulko asked

“Do you trust me Vulko?” Orin asked.

“As long as it does not involve sword fighting, my Lord, then of course,” Vulko replied dryly.

“Then have faith, my friend,” Orin said. If only he had felt as confident as he sounded.

Within the hour, the task Roduun and Duncan set out to perform was completed. Orin ordered all clear of the desolated farmland, and swam to its geographical center. Hovering far above the ground, he slowly turned to see the devastation in its entirety. He floated there with his head bowed in a silent prayer to those that had fallen & for those infected with the disease.

“I will find a way to help you,” he vowed to himself, overcome with grief.

He motioned to Garth who swam to join him. The King nodded to the young apprentice.

Garth removed his protective gloves & raised his head toward the surface, calling deep to bring this power forth. He clenched both hands into fists, and paused, concentrating on the farmland below. He then opened his left hand… a large dome of ‘hard water’ formed over the surface of the farmland, creating a tight seal. Taking a deep breath of sea water, his mighty chest heaved. With an exhale, he opened his right hand revealing a red glow in his palm.

Vulko and those gathered gasped at the sight.

“My Lord… it’s true,” Iqula whispered to Lord Kalandro, “They were right. He is cursed.”

Garth placed his glowing palm on the hard water dome and the sea water within began to bubble. As the light in his hand increased in intensity, the water inside the dome began to boil. The center of the farmland began to glow orange fading to a deep blood red as the oxygen particles in the water ignited. The diseased area was burned of all the contaminants, including the bodies of the farmers, and sea life.

The dome would remain until the super-heated water would cool.

Orin and Garth floated back down to where Vulko & Lord Kalandro stood, awestruck over the power their new companion held. Iqula eyed him with mistrust.

“My Lord…” Vulko began. “I don’t know what to say…”

“Just say a prayer for those poor souls and help me find a cure for this before everything is lost,” Orin replied as the two moved past Vulko & Kalandro.

“What sorcery is this? When… how did he learn to do that?” Lord Kalandro demanded of Vulko.

“I’m not sure,” came Vulko’s response, not knowing what to say.

Orin wandered off in the general direction of Poseidonis, lost in thought. He glanced back at Garth… but he still looked like normal boy, but the power he held inside said otherwise. My God… was it true? Are we both cursed?

“My Lord,” Roduun bowed as he approached Orin. Orin quickly pulled his gloves back on, “My scouts found more of this destruction, south of here.”

“We go South!” Orin shouted to the men he left behind.

Iqula and Kalandro turned back toward the hard water dome. Kalandro pushed on it as hard as he could, but the dome was as strong as the great dome of Poseidonis. Not since Shalako had sorcery of this kind been seen by a Tritonian and it did not sit with them well at all.

“My God, Dane… look at all the death…” Judy Walton… my girl… always kept all the ‘Captain’ stuff up for the boys… makes me feel more official. She was none to pleased when I told her about the assignment… She thought Lex Luthor was a scum bag from the word go… Who was I to argue… but like I said… the money was good. “I’ve never seen anything like this…”

“What were they transportin’?” Biff Bailey. My right hand man… He was more like my muscle man… tougher than a bull, and almost as big.

“Ours is not to ask why… ours is to do the damn job we were hired to do. Nicky, Biff, get the pressure suits prepped, Judy keep us steady and prepare to extend the grappler.” I gotta get tough with the kids sometimes… kept them in line. I’d rather have turned the bastards that did this in myself, but again… the money.

“Aye Captain.” They were a good team.

Thirty minutes later, we’re in the air lock Biff and Nicky were suited up and ready to take the plunge… Judy at the controls of the Devil Ray. She wanted to come too… but something like this… The water was toxic. I didn’t want to risk it.

{“Testing comm link 1”} I spoke into the microphone in my helmet… a necessary evil… had to keep communications up at all times. Biff & Nicky followed suit with Judy givin’ us the thumbs up.

{“Suits are pressurized… Alright Judy, pop the hatch”} I ordered.

{“Aye Captain…”} Judy responded as she hit the switch… the air-lock filled with sea water and she blew me a kiss… embarrassing… but the guys were used to it.

The Sea Devils went to work straight away attaching grappling cables to the tanker. I liked referring to us as ‘The Sea Devils’… made me feel more important in the grand scheme of things, considering the group's history. Our orders were plain, make sure all identification on the ship has been removed, then raise it… if that failed, destroy it. Simple cut and dry orders… I liked those kind.

Then, why the heck was this job eatin’ at me like it was?

{“Captain… this is… euchh…. Disgusting,”} Nicky complained into his comm-link at me, like an amateur, as he tried to scrape the black & green goo off of his suit. {“Can’t we just blow this heap and call it a day?”}

{“Yeah, Cap’n… these dead critters & this gunk is givin’ me the willies…”} Biff echoed Nicky’s sentiment.

{“Nick… one more time & I’m sending you back in with your sister to shine every bolt in the ship. And Biff… you’re supposed to be the tough one. Grow a spine, would ya?”}

{“Cap’n Dane… we’ve got incoming on radar…”} Judy interrupted me… I hated being interrupted when I was starting a good tirade, {“My God! I’ve never seen anything move this fast…”}

{“Biff, Nicky, back to the ship. Judy, prepare to start lifting… I want us on our way up before whatever it is gets close…”}

{“You don’t understand, sir… it’ll be on top of you in seconds!”}

This is the part where things started getting really weird.

{“What the hell is that???”} Biff… eloquent as ever when things got hairy.

It had to be the largest undersea team I ever saw… Had to be at least 200 of them. They wore protective gear… but none like anything I’d ever seen before. It was paper thin… no way heat coulda been kept in, weird looking too, with a real ornate design. They didn’t wear fins of any type… except for the ones coming out of their calves. And they sure as Hell didn’t carry any regular guns... Matter a fact… the one at the head of the group was carrying a trident of all things. A trident!?.

It was him… Blonde hair, orange shirt… just like you see on the television. I tell ya… it was something else. But the strangest thing was the small boy he had with him… the boy didn’t have a lick of gear on! Just regular clothes… if you can call ‘em regular.

Keep in mind this was the first time any of our kind ever saw one of his kind… We didn’t know what to expect.

“I am King Orin of Poseidonis, Lord of Atlantis! I command you to cease your operation & surrender for crimes against my land.” I shoulda known… always trust my gut… I could tell he meant business, so we did what any good honest scavenging folk would do… we surrendered.

Lucky for us & our paycheck... I already planted the explosive charge. As I raised my hands in surrender, Judy hit the detonator.

KRAKOOM!!!

Lois Lane, Clark Kent & Jimmy Olsen of the Daily Planet arrived on the scene moments after the SCU.

Though they were several miles away when the call first came in, Lois drove like a mad-woman the moment the police scanner claimed that ‘an army walked out of the ocean’. All Clark & Jimmy could do was hold on for dear life & hope no one was killed by her erratic driving.

Lois began scribbling down everything that was happening as Jimmy began furiously taking pictures. Clark just stood there… hopeful that Metropolis’ finest could handle the situation.

The moment Lex’s name was mentioned Clark knew this confrontation would not end peacefully. "Shoot! Lois, Jimmy, I left my recorder back in the car…"

"Go Smallville… take your time, grab a hot dog while you’re out… it’s not like this is the biggest story since Superman arrived…" Lois said dismissively. "Just don’t get upset when your name’s not on the by-line."

King Orin stared in shock… a lot had changed since he left the surface world.

"Hold your fire, please!" Superman pleaded to both sides.

Turpin, Sawyer and the SCU backed down a bit, but kept their weapons ready in case they were attacked.

"What’s the meaning of this?" Superman demanded of the King.

"I am King Orin of Poseidonis, Lord of Atlantis," Orin declared, attempting not to let the thought of a flying man deter him from his goal. "I am here for the one known as Lex Luthor… He is wanted in my kingdom for crimes against the land."

"What are these crimes?" Superman asked as he crossed his arms.

"Duncan! Roduun!" Orin barked over his shoulder.

Duncan approached with a net full of dead sea life. Fish of all shapes and sizes spilled out onto the sand. The fish were black, green and rotting.

"I’m sorry, but this is not a crime he…" Superman began, yet stopped as Roduun came up from behind Orin carrying the body of an Atlantean female. Her skin, also covered in black & green ooze had begun to dissolve.

"She died less than 5 hours ago…" Orin said sadly. "She was a nurse in our hospital… treating others infected like this."

Superman looked from the fallen Atlantean back to Orin.

"I... how many others?" Superman asked.

"Hundreds."

"Do you have proof of Lex’s involvement?" Superman asked a glimmer of hope in his voice.

"No, the tanker was destroyed…" Orin said angrily. "By scavengers hired by Luthor."

"There is nothing you can do then." Superman declared looking again at the dead girl. "I’m sorry, but unless you have solid evidence."

Orin drove the royal trident into the sand. And strode up to Superman, stopping just inches from his face. Orin’s temples pulsed as he ground his teeth.

"I have a confession," Orin scowled as the members of the Sea Devil team were brought forward.

Nicky smiled and waved at Superman, prompting an elbow in his gut from Biff. He quickly straightened up.

"All I said was that the funds transfer was anonymously deposited into our account to clean up a LexCorp tanker," Dane offered. "The money could have come from any number of sources."

"That does not change the fact that my people are dying due to something in the hold of that ship!" Orin spat, his anger at a fevered pitch. "The tanker held a chemical that caused this. The tanker belonged to LexCorp. LexCorp belongs to Lex Luthor. Lex Luthor now belongs to me!"

"I suggest you take a deep breath," Superman said calmly yet forcefully.

Aquaman recognized something in Superman’s face. The distraction enabled Orin to cool off slightly. "Wait, I know you."

Superman replied in a quieter voice. "It's been a long time, Arthur. I never would have guessed that we would meet again like this."

The displeased look from the hero's face further diverted Aquaman's attention. They had met many years ago, albeit briefly, and had once been allies. Friends.

"Being the King of Atlantis does not give you the right to march onto American soil demanding one of its citizens." Superman placed his hand on Orin’s shoulder. "I understand your plight, but without proof, nothing can be done."

Orin looked at the hand on his shoulder and then back up at Superman. And his temper flared again as he reached back and punched Superman in the jaw. Orin moved so quickly that he caught Superman completely off guard, knocking him backward.

Superman stared at him in shock… he had never been hit so hard by a human.

"Don't patronize me! You didn't see the bodies of my people strewn across the ocean floor!!" Orin yelled, hiding the pain from his bruised knuckles, but motioning to the small boy. "And children left without families!!!"

He stopped himself again and regained his composure. "You are free to go…" Orin said to the Sea Devil team. And after the hostages were released the King turned and made a gesture as he moved past his men back into the water. The group followed their leader and in moments they were gone.

Mera stood outside the laboratory door with Orin pacing back & forth. Everyone but Orin had noticed that since the onset of the disaster his patience had been… strained. He ran the scene the beach over in his head and how terribly he handled the situation. But he had lost his temper entirely when he learned of Luthor's involvement. Would Atlantis pay the price for his poor judgement?

Mera stroked her pregnant belly absently, when suddenly the baby within kicked.

"Ooh!" she jerked suddenly… "Arthur! Come here…"

"What?" he asked suddenly afraid something was wrong with his beloved.

"The baby! He’s kicking…" She replied grabbing his bandaged hand and forcing onto her belly. "There! Did you feel it?"

"That’s amazing…" he said proudly after another strong kick. "He’s going to be a powerful swimmer…"

"Your majesty?" Vulko interrupted as he emerged from the lab.

"How did it go Vulko?" Orin asked eagerly looking over Vulko’s shoulder at young boy who sat on the examination table.

"The doctor assures me that he is fine… not a trace of the chemical in his system." Vulko smiled and everyone relaxed.

"Thank the Gods…" Mera smiled.

"Indeed… the doctor suspects that his immunity may provide the key to curing the disease." Vulko said hopefully. "A large sample of his blood should be all that’s required…"

"How large? I will not have this boy suffer," Orin said sternly.

"Of course not, my Lord…" the doctor said as she emerged from the lab with Koryak. "And it’s not a disease… it is a poison. Half a pint should be all that we need. With luck, we should be able to develop an antidote, and with our cloning technology we could have it mass produced 48 hours after that."

Orin knelt down to the boy, placing both hands on his shoulders. "Koryak… we need your help. I promised to protect you, and now I ask you… will you help protect this city?"

Koryak nodded his head.

"Doctor?" Orin spoke as he turned Koryak back towards the laboratory. The doctor reached down and took the boy’s hand leading him back into the lab, the door shut behind them.

"Arthur, do you think this boy can help?" Mera asked.

"Yes… I was meant to find him out there…" Orin stopped as his mind continued to wander.

I became King in order to save my Kingdom… yet all I have done could be in jeopardy. Oh and I antagonized an incredibly strong flying surfacer. What was I thinking? And now this boy… he holds the key to save us all… Have I condemned someone I love for no reason?

Orin looked through the window of the lab and noticed Koryak staring at him.

You can hear my thoughts, can’t you?

Koryak nodded. Orin rubbed his chin trying not to look too concerned.

"My Lord!!!" Roduun shouted as he swam into the medical facility. "Great machines are approaching the dome and the flying surfacer is with them… he swims unaided!"

"Damn…" Orin ran his hands through his mussed hair again. "Muster the guard, prepare for the worst!"

King Orin, also known as Aquaman, of Poseidonis played host to Superman yesterday in an attempt to settle differences between ‘the surface world’ and ‘Atlantis’. Superman, with the assistance of the American Navy, brought much needed aide to the disease ravaged undersea Kingdom, in the form of non-perishable food.

Superman and the King spoke for many hours…