Issue #19: “Revelations, Part Two”

They had been brothers once.

But that was a different time.

***

Years Ago

“I’d like to be the first to welcome home Prince Orin!”

The young blond man named Arthur Curry was not used to being called by his Atlantean name and he just tried to act casual as he looked up at the elderly Atlantean, Vulko. He had only been in Atlantis for a few days but already they were throwing him a party. He was not used to being treated like royalty. After all, Florida wasn’t exactly a kingdom and the adopted son of a lighthouse keeper wasn’t exactly a king.

“The prodigal son of Poseidonis has returned!” Another young man with dark hair approached and held out his hand.

Arthur hesitantly took the hand as the newcomer looked him in the eyes.

“Orm Marius.”

“Arth…Orin.”

“I know who you are. After all we are brothers.”

“What? Brothers?”

“Well, technically half-brothers. Welcome home.”

***

The Present

Ocean Master.

At least that’s what he liked to call himself. But Aquaman knew the truth. He knew that the Ocean Master, a challenger to the throne who had been gaining strength and followers throughout the seven seas, was actually once a proud warrior of Atlantis.

His own brother, Orm.

Aquaman lay on the sandy ocean floor, blood rising from his wounded chest. He glared up at the two men standing before him, thoughts flooding through his mind. Ocean Master stood tall and confidently, a strange-looking staff held in one hand and the mask he had removed in the other. The swordsman Thanatos stood to the right of him, his blade lowered.

“Orm? It can’t…be you…” Orin struggled to speak, using most of his strength to remain conscious.

“I’m afraid it is, brother. You see, Orin, this is something I’ve been waiting for for a very long time. So if you’d try to stay alive for a little longer, I’d appreciate it,” Orm said coldly, satisfaction pasted on his face.

Aquaman’s attention fell onto the mask Orm held. Ocean Master followed his brother’s gaze and then held up the mask.

“Recognize this? You should. It’s the mask the challenger to the throne wears. Black Manta picked it up for me when he raided the city all that time ago. Not really necessary, I know, but I think it adds a little drama to this…situation.”

“I don’t understand it, Orm. You…never showed any desire for the throne before…”

“Oh, you have no idea. The ‘mighty king’ fails yet again to see the simple things right under his nose. I’ve been planning this little coup for quite some time.”

“I never took you as the envious type, brother.”

“Look at you, Orin. You’re still talking down to me as if you are in control of the situation. Your time as king must have really given you some confidence; arrogance even. But you aren’t in control anymore, brother. I am.”

***

Garth pushed through the horde of Atlanteans that stood mobbed at the gate of the palace. Aqualad had heard rumors that someone had broken into the council meeting and attacked Orin. Garth worked his way through the crowd and then told the guards to let him in. He made his way up the palace steps in a hurry to find some of the councilmen telling Vulko what had happened.

“He looked a lot like King Orin but he carried a sword and had these…black eyes. The king and the assassin fought for a moment but then crashed through the dome wall.”

“Which way?” Garth interrupted.

“They headed south.”

Without hearing another word, Aqualad rushed towards the wall of the palace dome and leapt through it, crashing through its bubbly surface with ease. The moment he felt himself surrounded by water, he swam at great speed to the south.

I’m coming Orin. Hang on.

***

“You don’t get it, do you, Orin? It was my right to be king. Not yours.”

“Yeah, and why’s that?”

“You and that filthy mother of yours were exiled to the surface while I grew up in the oceans. How could you, a man raised on the surface, even be considered a candidate for king over me?” Orm said, his eyes staring into Orin’s with hatred.

Aquaman sat up a little, his body rocking back and forth from the movement of the currents. He looked up at his brother, still in disbelief over what was happening. When had his brother changed so much?

“Maybe the reason I was chosen over you is because I’m not a self-righteous traitor,” Orin said.

“This is not treason.”

“Then what is it, Orm?”

“This is how things were supposed to be! You never should have won the crown!”

***

YEARS AGO

“Today is the coronation of the new king,” Vulko said in front of the hundreds of citizens of Poseidonis who cheered with glee.

“The high councilmen of Poseidonis have made their decision, which may I add was not an easy one as we had two options. We had to choose between these two brave warriors. Orin, son of Atlan the Wanderer and Atlanna our former queen. He grew up on the surface but since he has returned home, he had proven himself to be quite the hero, making a treaty between our great city-state of Poseidonis and the neighboring city of the mer-folk, Tritonis! And let us not forget the recent victory he had over the dark sorcerer Kalandro whom had plagued our kingdom for years with his witchcraft, even becoming the leader for a time after assassinating King Trevis!”

Orin, pride written all over his then young and clean-shaven face, stood proudly to the right of Vulko.

“The other candidate for kingship is Orm Marius, son of the witch Merganys. But do not let his twisted lineage fool you. Orm has served as a proud soldier of Poseidonis, showing bravery, leadership, and loyalty to our great kingdom.”

Orm stood to the left of Vulko, flashing a confident smirk at Orin.

“Now is the moment when I introduce you to the new king…”

The crowd grew silent, all eyes focused on the pedestal in front of them. Orin closed his eyes and took a deep breath while Orm stared directly at Vulko, too anxious to look away.

“All hail…King Orin!”

Cries of joy and thunderous applause overtook the underwater domes that made up Poseidonis. Orin opened his eyes and a great smile stretched across his face. He stepped up to the pedestal and Vulko gently lowered the crown upon his head.

Orm stood perfectly still, trembling, utterly shocked by the turn of events. He glared up at his brother, who waved proudly to the Atlanteans, and then stormed off while everyone was distracted by the celebration.

How had Orin beaten him?

HOW?

***

THE PRESENT

Orm slipped the mask back over his face, and leered down at his injured brother. He took a few steps closer, his cloak drifting with the water as he went, and jammed his staff into the rocky terrain, standing tall and imposingly above the king. He kneeled down beside Orin and grabbed him by his bearded chin, his grip tight and strong, lifting his brother’s head up slightly and staring into his eyes.

“You took everything away from me. It’s only fitting that I do the same to you, brother.”

“And h-how…do you intend…to do that? With that…crony of yours over there?” Aquaman taunted, looking past Ocean Master and at Thanatos.

Ocean Master gave a calm and collected chuckle.

“Thanatos is far more than a ‘crony’, Orin. He’s your replacement. See, I’ve already figured it’ll be very difficult for me to take control of Poseidonis just as Orm Marius. They need an Aquaman. And luckily, now you aren’t the only one.”

Thanatos’s dark eyes pierced into Orin’s own and he felt some sort of strange connection. But he only felt it for a moment as the young swordsman looked away.

“And where…did he come from…exactly?” Orin asked.

“Do you remember the legend of King Neptune and how he defeated the Dark God, Xthulhu?”

“Yes. Xthulhu had plunged Atlantis into its Dark Age and King Neptune stepped up and defeated that monster.”

“Correct, brother. Thanatos was the creation of the Prophets of the Dark God, one of which is my mother.”

“Your mother? Merganys?”

***

YEARS AGO

Orm Marius, swam with great haste away from Poseidonis’s domes, anger seeming to fill his very being. He couldn’t believe that his own brother, a man who had been raised by those damn surface dwellers, was given the crown! It didn’t make any sense! Why did Orin deserve it more than him?

In a scream of primal rage, Orm slammed his hand against an undersea cliff causing the whole area to tremble. His knees then buckled and he stared at his own hands, disturbed by the hatred he was feeling. Orin had been nothing but kind and friendly to him since he had arrived. Where did these negative feelings come from?

“Do not feel ashamed, my son. You have reason to be angered.”

Orm turned around to find a white-haired woman floating before him.

“Mother?”

“Yes, Orm. I have come to you, son, because this is the moment where your entire life may change.”

“What are you talking about?”

“That surface dweller brother of yours, Orin, he just took everything you have worked so hard to achieve. You must decide if you are willing to take it back. To do the deed that is necessary to take what was always destined to belong to you,” Merganys said.

“I…I can’t. Orin’s my brother...he might not be so bad a king…”

“That is where you are wrong, my son. Haven’t you noticed that he’s already been helping the surface world?”

“They don’t know who he is, there are only rumors of an ‘Aquaman’.”

“But they will. And once they do, it could mean the end of Atlantis and all of the oceans! Are you really willing to take that chance? To let your kingdom, the kingdom that is rightfully yours, fall to those surface dwellers?”

“No, but I just can’t do it. I can’t.“

“You must!”

Merganys grew angry and intimidating, coming closer to her son. Orm tried desperately to avoid eye contact with her but she clenched his chin and made him stare into her pale eyes.

“You must do your duty…king.”

***

THE PRESENT

“Thanatos may not look exactly like you but once the people of Poseidonis realize that their beloved king has been murdered by the Ocean Master, they’ll look for any hope they can find. Thanatos will give them that hope,” Ocean Master said dramatically.

“That’ll never work, Orm. The people will not fall for it.”

“I have prepared for that scenario as well. If that doesn’t work then I will just take Poseidonis by force.”

Ocean Master pointed his strange staff at Aquaman and grinned.

“Now, brother, you finally die.”

“I don’t think so!”

Ocean Master and Thanatos turned around in surprise to find Garth exploding through the water toward them.

“Foolish boy!” Ocean Master snarled, firing a beam of energy from his staff.

Garth narrowly avoided the blast, kicking off of a coral reef.

“Thanatos! Kill him! I’ll deal with my brother!”

Aqualad propelled through the ocean’s currents and kicked Thanatos away from him, sending him tumbling into a boulder. Fish swam away in a panic as Ocean Master towered above Aquaman, ready to deliver the final blow. Garth snatched one end of the staff and pulled it toward him, away from the wounded king.

“Orm!?”

Ocean Master smiled but then lifted the staff with his full strength, pulling Garth off of his feet on the other side of it. With incredible power, he threw Garth off of the staff and sliding clumsily across the ocean floor.

“You always were an annoyance, Garth.”

Ocean Master pointed his staff at Garth as a new beam of energy fired from it and smashed against the hero’s ribs.

“Garth!” Aquaman hollered, desperate to save his young friend.

The energy from Ocean Master’s staff continued to slam into Aqualad’s chest but the young warrior planted his feet firmly into the wet and muddy ground. Garth groaned in pain as the beam continued to press against his body but he would not budge from the spot he had stuck his feet into.

Thanatos got up from where he been knocked down, sword drawn. He shot forward, cutting across the water with great speed. Garth caught sight of him out of the corner of his eye, leaping backward away from Ocean Master’s energy beam. The beam flashed past Thanatos’s face, getting in between him and Aqualad.

“Finish the brat, Thanatos!”

Thanatos’s black eyes met Garth’s lavender ones. The cunning swordsman lunged forward. Aqualad shot high into the water, above Thanatos, floating in place. Thanatos followed close behind in pursuit. Garth momentarily looked over at Orin who still watched the fight. Thanatos’s blade sliced through the cold water in front of Garth’s face. Garth knew he wouldn’t be able to keep dodging forever but with the king still watching, he couldn’t use his abilities. There was too much risk.

“Stay still!” Thanatos shouted, slashing and hacking away at water while Aqualad avoided the blows as if in a dance.

Ocean Master drew his attention away from the fight above and then swam over to where Aquaman still lay.

“Now, brother, you will witness the beginnings of the Second Dark Age of Atlantis!”

***

THE PAST

“I’m happy you returned, brother. And good timing.”

“Thanks, when I saw that guy, Manta Ray, was it-“

“Black Manta,” Orin corrected his brother.

“Right…when I saw him attacking the city, I had to intervene. I will do anything for the safety of this great kingdom.”

“I know, brother.” Orin put his hand on Orm’s shoulder. “Your loyalty to the throne has always been one of your great strengths.”

“Thank you, sire.”

“Orm, you know you should call me Orin. We’re brothers after all. Now you should get some rest, you’ve had a long journey,” King Orin said, patting Orm on the back.

Orm began to depart the throne room, his eyes wandering to stare at the floor as he walked.

“And brother…”

Orm stopped in his tracks.

“Welcome back.”

Orm Marius exited the throne room and walked down the halls of the palace, pulling out a mask from within his robes. The mask of the challenger to the throne; the mask that Black Manta had collected for him during the very same attack that Orin was praising him for.

If only Orin knew the truth. That he wasn’t meant to be sitting on that throne and that Orm was more than ready to make Poseidonis a safer place. Safe from the surface world that had quietly plagued their homelands with pollution. Once Orm took the throne, he would not make the same mistakes Orin had made. Those crucial mistakes. The oceans now called for a new hero to save them from this dark era.

They called for a new king.

They called for the Ocean Master.

***

THE PRESENT

Thanatos’s fist collided with Aqualad’s jaw, knocking the young man downward and crashing onto the ocean floor. Thanatos descended down and stood above Garth while the hero managed to get onto one knee.

“Nowhere to run this time.”

Thanatos raised his beautiful cutlass high above his head. Garth’s vision shifted over to Orin who was distracted by Orm. Garth had no choice. He had to use his abilities or otherwise it would be all over. Garth quickly began to quietly mutter to himself, a second before Thanatos brought down the blade upon him. Garth held his hands out in front of the sword.

Suddenly, water spun rapidly in front of Garth’s hands, catching the sword in mid-swing. Thanatos stared down, disbelief in his black eyes. Aqualad just looked up at him and smiled. Thanatos took a few steps back, his weapon still held in front of him. Aggravated, the doppelganger swung again only to be met by Garth’s hand which blocked the attack with another wall of whirling water. Thanatos performed a volley of strikes, each attempt ending the same way, being met by the pressure of the water holding his blade back.

Thanatos lowered his cutlass, in awe at his opponent’s power. Garth raised one hand above his head as water around him began to swirl and circle in front of that hand’s palm. Aqualad remained perfectly still, his brow arched in concentration. The spinning water formed into the shape of a large ball. Garth stared straight ahead at his enemy and then a smirk crept up onto his face.

“What the hell ar-“

Aqualad shot his arm forward, telekinetically throwing the ball of pressurized water at Thanatos. The ball crashed through the ocean’s currents, slamming into Thanatos’ chest, cracking a few ribs on impact. The swordsman was carried by the powerful projectile off of his feet and crashing through about half a dozen undersea cliffs, and finally, with a splash, the ball exploded and Thanatos landed back on the ocean floor, unconscious.

Garth took a moment to recover, exhausted from the overwhelming focus it had taken to create that water ball. His practice was paying off but he’d definitely have to continue his training if he wanted to be able to do that next time without the added stress.

Ocean Master kicked Aquaman in the gut, causing the king to roll along the seaweed filled terrain. Orin glared up at the man he once considered to be his brother while also trying to not pass out from blood loss.

“Stand up, Orin! I will seem like a coward if you die laying down!”

“Oh trust me, that’s not what makes you a coward.”

Ocean Master’s foot kicked into Aquaman’s ribs again, Orin rolling another short distance.

“You still taunt an enemy even when it’s clear you are going to die. You really are a fool, brother.” Ocean Master grabbed Orin and lifted him up by the neck. “Then again, the trauma that you are experiencing is probably worse than the pain in your stomach. I mean how are you supposed to ever trust anyone again after finding out that your own brother is against you.”

Aquaman looked his masked opponent in the eyes and a grin stretched across his bloody bearded visage.

“I think you’re forgetting something, Orm. You pointed it out to me all those years ago when we first met; we’re not brothers…”

Ocean Master’s head tilted slightly, confused by Orin’s words.

“We’re half-brothers.”

Aquaman, using all of his remaining strength, tore Ocean Master’s hand away from his neck, causing himself to drop to the muddy ground. The hero launched off of the ocean floor, and smashed his own head against Orm’s. Ocean Master recoiled in pain while Orin fell onto his back, proud that he had landed a few good blows.

“Damn you!” Ocean Master hissed, holding his head with one hand and aiming his staff with the other. “Now you die!”

“I don’t think so!”

A whirlpool swept around Ocean Master, throwing the villain off of his feet and restraining his arms against his own body as he spun around. Orin gazed at the sight with surprise, especially once Garth stepped up, one arm raised toward the cyclone of water around Ocean Master.

“I should have known that Idyllist trash like you would start using that sorcery that got your people exiled from Atlantis all that time ago,” Ocean Master said scornfully.

“Better to be exiled for a gift than for treason, I’d say.”

“Heh heh. But don’t you know what this means, boy? It’s in the law of Poseidonis that if an Idyllist uses his powers, they must immediately be banished.” Ocean Master chuckled.

Garth’s eyes flashed for a moment toward Orin, worry beginning to sink in, but he made sure he kept his focus. Orin couldn’t believe his eyes. When did Garth become this powerful?

“It’s time for you to leave, Orm,” Garth said sternly.

Garth closed his eyes and began an incantation. The whirlpool circling Ocean Master suddenly grew much more violent, spinning Orm faster and faster.

“What are you doing?” Ocean Master’s vision shifted over to his brother. “You won’t be able to hide behind that boy for long, brother…”

Garth just continued his chant, ignoring any disturbances. With great strength the whirlpool shot Orm high into the water, flailing and spinning into the distance uncontrollably. Aqualad took in a deep breath, the strain of using his powers this much beginning to get to him. Despite this, he swam over to the wounded king and helped him up, throwing Orin’s arm over his shoulder.

“I’m going to get you some help, Orin. Just hang on.”

***

“Good to see you up and about again, Mr. Curry.”

Aquaman floated in a tank of salt water in the med labs of Poseidonis; bandages were wrapped around his torso as he bobbed up and down in the water. His eyes flashed open at the voice he heard. Cornelius Krell stepped into the lab, looking as smug as ever.

“I’m not understanding the fish bowl…” said Krell.

“It’s to aid in the healing. Now what the hell do you want, Krell?”

“Just wondering what the council’s decision was on my proposal.”

Orin’s eyes widened as he looked Krell, one of the people he hated most in this world, directly in the eyes. Then he noticed Garth standing in the doorway to the lab, waiting for his answer. The king remembered Garth’s words from before the council meeting. How recently it had seemed as if Orin’s attitude toward the surface had grown much more hostile than it had been.

“My decision was…”

Garth’s lavender eyes seemed to be peering directly into Orin’s soul as the king tried to spit out his answer.

“That we will not turn down any assistance you wish to give us.”

Krell grinned arrogantly. Orin just glared down at him from the water chamber.

“But I’ll make sure you don’t leave my sight for a moment, are we clear, Krell?” Orin gritted his teeth, disgusted by his decision. Accepting help from the surface was one thing, but Krell, well that was another.

“Thank you, Mr. Curry. I look forward to working alongside you.”

“Wish I could say the same,” Orin said coldly.

Krell just gave a quick laugh and then turned to make his exit. He passed by Garth, ignoring him completely. Aqualad took a few steps toward the water tank.

“I honestly think you made a good decision, Orin.”

“I sure hope so. Mind letting me out?”

“Not at all,” Garth replied, pressing a few keys on a control pad.

The tank began to retract into the floor, water splashing all over the ground. Orin stepped out, soaking wet but feeling quite better besides the scar that remained on his chest.

“Garth, we need to talk-“

“About my powers, right?”

“Yes. Why didn’t you tell me you were practicing with that magic? I mean, we all knew about the magic but moving water with your mind…that was surprising.”

“I didn’t know how you’d take it. My…ancestors got banished for using it.” Garth’s vision shifted to the floor, embarrassed that Orin had found out his darkest secret. Orin put his still-wet hand on his young friend’s shoulder.

“Don’t even think for a second that what Orm said was true. I’m not going to banish you just for using your gifts, okay?” the king assured Garth.

“Okay...I trust you.” Garth looked up, managing a thin smile.

***

“You really shouldn’t overdo it.”

Thanatos’s heavy orange chest plate lay on the rocky floor while he floated high above it, twirling his sword in violent formations, fully engrossed with what he was doing until the voice broke his concentration. He lowered his blade, floating in place. Merganys, the beautiful white-haired witch and Thanatos’s creator, swam up to him.

“I was defeated…I…I can’t let it happen again,” Thanatos said, examining his cutlass in shame.

“You learn from your failures, child, do not let them distract you,” Merganys answered, placing her soft hand against Thanatos’s cheek.

“Something else happened as well.” Thanatos sighed, seemingly unsure of speaking.

“Yes?”

“I felt something when Aquaman was injured. I don’t know why but I felt guilty.”

“Guilty? Why would you feel guilt over that failure of a king?” Merganys asked, a bit frustrated.

“I am not sure. But it just seemed…wrong.”

Thanatos could see his ebony eyes glaring back at him through the reflection of his sword while he examined it. Merganys took a deep breath, relieving herself of her frustration.

“Do not fret, child. All will be well once Orm manages to claim the throne for his own. There will be order in the oceans once more. I promise you that.”

***

Orin stood in the archives of Atlantis, his eyes focused on the mural before him. It depicted the battle between the warriors of Poseidonis and the dark wizard, Kalandro, all those years ago. Orin rubbed his golden mane, thinking back to that great battle. Memories flashed through his mind as he looked over the painting. Orm had been there, fighting side by side with his brother. That was the way it was supposed to be.

But those days were long gone now.

“You miss him, don’t you?” Mera’s soothing voice said from behind.

“No…Orm is a traitor to Poseidonis. I could never miss someone like him,” Orin replied, clenching his fist.

“You don’t mean that, Orin. I know you don’t.”

The king slowly rotated around, gazing at the beautiful woman he was proud to call his queen. She stared at him curiously, noticing how still he kept his face, attempting not to reveal any emotions over the recent events.

“I do mean it, Mera. Brother or not, Orm committed treason and that is against the laws of our kingdom,” Orin explained, though even he had trouble believing what he was saying.

“Are you talking about the same laws that say that Garth should have been exiled the moment he used his magic?” Mera asked.

She gazed intently into her husband’s now-expressionless eyes only for him to look blankly at her face. It had been so long since Mera had seen Orin react like this and it made her even more worried than she had been before. Her usually strong-willed love had been beaten down emotionally by his own brother.

There was another moment of complete science until Orin finally spoke, his eyes bloodshot.

“He was my brother. He was my brother and he betrayed me…”

“It hurts, Orin, I know. I know you’re just trying to push all of those feelings aside and do your duty as king but you…you just can’t. You two will always be brothers whether he’s a traitor or not.”

“I don’t know what to do. It’s not like before. If it were anyone else who was a threat, anyone, I’d be able to beat them. But I’m not sure if I can bring myself to do what might have to be done to stop Orm.”

“Do what you usually would as king. But don’t ignore that you are his brother. It’s a part of you. Stop him…but promise me, my love, that you will not lose yourself in the process.”

Aquaman thought to himself for a moment before looking back up at his wife, with hesitation but with a bit of newfound determination as well.

“You’re…you’re right, a tyrant is a tyrant and he must be stopped.”

TO BE CONTINUED!

NEXT TIME: The long awaited return of…BLACK MANTA!


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