Post by Drake on Aug 21, 2014 22:48:50 GMT -5
#17: War Games Finale
“End Game”
By Drake
The water skirted alongside Arthur and Mera as they raced down the shores of Amnesty Bay, Maine. Mera managed an apologetic glance at her prince, before telepathically communicating with him.
<I am sorry that I attacked you at the Conservatory of War. You must understand, I was raised in a wartorn city and grew up with battle and death around every corner. I was told to bring you to my lord…>
<Ocean Master,> Arthur interrupted, <Don’t take me wrong, Mera. When this is all over, Ocean Master is still my enemy, and so are you. However, right now the priority is Orm. He’s the one who had my father killed.>
<You would not think that way if you knew my master. He is a pacifist->
<Who instigates war??> Arthur exclaimed.
<Because he must!> Mera growled out psychically, <The Ocean Master took that name to signify his deepest desire—freedom for all Atlanteans. He only wants to defeat the tyrant Orm. If you let him talk to you…>
<He’d brainwash me like he brainwashed you. Yeah, I don’t think so,> Arthur retorted.
<You do not understand! The Ocean Master is a good man. After Orm murdered the king…>
<Orm killed his own father?>
<Yes,> Mera admitted, <Atlan was anything but a perfect king or a perfect father, but he was not a bad man. Despite this, Orm hated him and he desired the throne. He killed Atlan out of spite. It is why you must take it from him. The Throne of Atlantis is tainted by Orm’s cruelty…>
<Well you won’t have to worry about Orm for much longer,> Arthur projected, <We’ll meet him on the shores of Metropolis and when we find him, I’ll kill him.>
<Good,> Mera smiled.
<And your spy? I’ll make sure to thank him in kind,> Arthur finished, <Hell, I’ll even give Ocean Master a big hug, but don’t…>
<Assume we are friends, I know.> Mera admitted.
<Good. Now that that’s settled,> Arthur’s face scrunched up into a determined frown, <Let’s finish this, once and for all.>
Three large aquatic vehicles sped quickly under the ocean towards the surface. The sea-movers were shaped almost like spaceships, with flat bottoms and enormous round tops that curved into half-ovals. The sea-movers were tinged with black, but primarily made of a clear glass-like substance. The insides of the movers were completely drained of water in order to provide faster movement for the Atlanteans. However, every few minutes, water would be leaked from the ceiling to keep the aquamen going, and then would be released through an airtight duct back into the ocean.
Orm sat at the captain’s seat of one of these movers, resting his chin on his fist. A soldier ran up to the king’s side and kneeled.
<Rise,> Orm allowed. The soldier stood up. <You have news?>
<Yes, your majesty. The mages have been unable to track Arthur for the last half hour or so. Last they could tell, he was on his way towards us, but we cannot be sure. Something seems to have interrupted his magical signal,> the soldier explained.
Without more than a second to waste, Orm knew who was to blame, <The witch…>
<Your majesty?> the soldier wondered.
<That is enough. Relay a message to the other sea-movers. Tell them to ready for battle. We may face an army on the surface,> Orm ordered.
<That is all well and good, my lord,> one of the mover’s pilots interrupted the telepathic conversation, having “heard” Orm as he rather loudly transmitted their conversation, <But we have arrived.>
Bright natural light burst into view as the movers broke the ocean’s surface. All the Atlanteans took a few seconds to adjust to the dim light clouded by the hurricane raging around them.
<It appears Poseidon is angry,> Orm thought, <This bodes well. Our god is on our side.>
The movers’ hatches opened up, revealing the shores of Metropolis just a dozen yards away. Orm stood from his seat and pointed to the sandy beach.
<Onwards, my soldiers! Find Arthur Curry!>
“…Thank you, Jim,” Veronica Stein, storm chaser and reporter for Channel 52 News, held on tightly to a lightpole as she reported into the camera, “I think it’s safe to say no one should be out right now.” She hoped that would get laughs. “Hurricane Robert is raging worse than ever. In a freak turn of events, the storm appears to have changed course, leaving the Maine area to come down to Metropolis, the one thing this recovering city really needed…” The reporter threw that last bit out with a twinge of sarcasm.
“Veronica,” Dave Roth, the cameraman, spoke up, eyes wide as he stared at something behind Veronica.
Veronica ignored her cameraman, “Within the hour, the beach will be flooded and we will be forced to evacuate…”
“Yeah, we should get to that evacuating…” Dave said.
Veronica took a deep breath, frustrated, “Dave, what are you…?”
Veronica got her answer when an enormous man knocked her to the ground. The Atlantean soldier straddled her, a blade pressed firmly to her neck.
<Where is Arthur Curry? He is tall, strong…> the voice pervaded in Veronica’s mind. Dave tried to push the aquaman off of her, but instead got knocked into the lightpole, the daylights hit out of him.
“Superman? You mean Superman….?” The warrior pressed the blade more firmly against her neck, drawing blood, “Oh God….SUPERMAN!”
The aquaman flew through the air as lightning exploded through the sky. The warrior fell against another, knocking them both into the ground, unconscious. Veronica looked up, eyes wide.
“Superman…?”
But the figure looming over her in the dark was not the Man of Steel. His chiseled brow was covered in rain, and his long blonde hair hung in clumped strands along his head. His eyes leaked with a thirst for blood that Veronica imagined Superman never had. For all intents and purposes, he looked like an angry warrior king, bearded, shirtless and muscular, fists clenched at his sides. But Veronica did know this man, this…
“Aquaman!”
Arthur ignored the reporter’s comment, instead pointing to the unconscious cameraman by her side, “Get him to safety. Now.”
Veronica was too scared to do anything but drag Dave away and back into their van, and pull off, leaving Arthur to stare back at the beach alongside Mera, as Atlantean soldiers marched towards him, Orm leading them forward.
<ORM!> Arthur psychically declared, <Our feud ends now, once and for all!>
<My thoughts exactly…> Orm took a few steps towards Arthur, speeding up.
BOOM!
One of the sea-movers exploded in a burst of fire as Orm and Arthur crashed through the vehicle and into the sea, the King in his younger brother’s grasp.
<You…are faster…stronger…> The two crashed into the rocky bottom of the ocean and Orm let out a gasp, allowing his mouth to be filled with water.
<For the first time, I don’t have to hold back,> Arthur explained, punching Orm away, sending him dozens of yards through the sea at an incredible speed, <It’s just you, me and the sea.>
Meanwhile, Mera pulled her water bearers—the two wand-like rods she used to control water—out of the belt on her green-scaled jumpsuit. She grinned as the army of a few dozen warriors approached her.
<This should be fun…>
Water crashed out of the ocean and into about half of the Atlantean warriors as Mera pulled back the water bearers in a graceful motion, before suddenly slamming her hands forward, pushing the water and the warriors backwards. During this time, a couple of warriors had managed to reach her. Mera ducked and dodged a few of their blows, slamming them with bursts of water, but she got caught in the tackle of one. Soon, they dog piled onto her. This was not how she had imagined she’d die…
Suddenly, bright red light flooded Mera’s vision as most of the warriors leaped off her in fright. Above floated Superman, eyes bright red, alongside Power Girl.
The Man of Steel grinned, “You look like you could use some help.”
Arthur flew through the sea, punching Orm forward with him. The King of Atlantis cried out in pain, <AAARRGGHHH!!!>
Somehow through all this suffering, Orm had managed to hold on to his golden trident. He swung it wildly at Arthur, managing to cut his chest deeply. The blonde aquaman stopped and clenched at the wound. Orm wisely took the opportunity to rest, floating back and catching his breath.
Arthur grabbed at his blood floating in the water as the world spun around him.
<You are not so strong after all,> Orm grinned through his bloodied lips. Arthur looked up, more bloodthirsty than ever.
<ATTACK!>
Orm frowned, <What in Atlan’s name are you…>
Suddenly, Orm was caught in the jaws of an enormous great white shark. The beast ripped and tore at him. Orm cut the beast in two with his trident as he psychically roared. Arthur reacted instinctively to the shark’s demise, tackling Orm through the sea.
<I am stronger than you!> Arthur declared, slamming Orm into the seafloor, <I am better than you!>
<Better than me?> Orm cried out, <I am King of Atlantis! I am birthed from the truest blood of the sea! You. Are. NOTHING!>
Orm lunged with his trident. Arthur caught it between two hands and ripped it out of Orm’s grip. He held it violently over his elder brother’s head with one hand, shaking.
<You are scum, Orm. You killed your own father…and YOU HAD MY FATHER KILLED!> Arthur slammed the trident down into Orm’s chest. The Atlantean’s eyes widened in shock. He coughed up blood, and then went still.
Arthur stared down at Orm’s broken body briefly with contempt, before turning away and swimming to the surface.
<He is not my father…>
<What?> Arthur swiveled around. Orm floated above the seafloor and pulled the trident out of his chest. He looked up at Arthur, his blood running inky black from his nose and mouth.
<Atlan was not my father…and I did not kill him…> Orm spasmed. He clutched his stomach and shook violently. Arthur couldn’t help but stare, mesmerized. Was this how Atlanteans died?
Suddenly, Orm looked up, and his normally purple irises glowed bright green. A glow, the same eerie sea green as his eyes, enveloped his body. What happened next, Arthur could not describe in words. It was grotesque, unholy. Orm’s body twisted and shook and broke, and then, as quickly as it had started, the glow faded and Orm stopped shaking.
But Orm was not dead. The King of Atlantis looked up, his now sea green eyes bright with anger. His legs had merged together into a slimy green fin-tail like a merman’s, and his skin had dyed a light blue, his hair dark green. The armor floated off his body in a powder suddenly, leaving Orm shirtless like Arthur.
<What the hell are you?> Arthur said, awed.
<I am a true creature of the sea, a son of infinite power…> Orm declared.
<You’re a merman,> Arthur realized, <My God! That’s why you hate them…who the hell was your father?>
Orm’s response was to tackle Arthur, who dropped the trident from the pure force of his brother’s attack. The two exploded out of the sea and into the air, before crashing into the sea again with a splash that sent a tidal wave to the shores of Metropolis, where Superman, Power Girl, and Mera stood united beside dozens of unconscious Atlantean warriors. The Man of Steel didn’t hesitate, freezing the tidal wave with his breath. He flew into the air and readied to dive into the water.
<Wait!> Mera cried.
Superman looked back, <I have to help him.>
Mera shook her head, <This is his fight>
Metropolis’ defender sighed, but flew back to the shore and landed by his fellow Kryptonian.
Power Girl grinned, “Looks like someone else is giving the orders now.”
Waves exploded from the ocean as the two titanic warriors clashed undersea. Arthur and Orm punched and tackled, sending each other crashing through coral and waves. Fish scurried away. Arthur didn’t dare call any to help. He had to handle this alone.
<You’re a bastard, Orm!> Arthur tried to get under his brother’s skin, <I mean, is Atlanna even your mother?>
Orm roared psychically with pure, unbridled rage. He knocked Arthur away, but the teen recovered quickly.
<I am the King of Atlantis!> Orm shouted, as he had so many times before.
<It seems like you’re trying to assure yourself of that, not me,> Arthur pointed out. Orm swung wildly with his fist, and Arthur ducked under the blow, punching Orm in the gut.
<I AM A GOD!> Orm declared.
<Yeah? Well,> Arthur dodged another of Orm’s punches and knocked his elder brother a hundred yards away with a solid punch to the chest, <You still killed my father! I could care less what the hell you are! Fish? Aquaman? Merman? God? Whatever.>
<You are an insignificant child. You are nothing!> Orm tackled Arthur into a clump of coral, sending fish scattering. <You are a surface dweller! Arthur Curry,> Orm punched the teen, ,<You are weak!>
Blow after blow, Orm kept Arthur down. The younger man never had a chance to respond, having to ward off whatever attacks he could. His nose cracked open. Blood floated out of cuts on his face, his lip, and then his eye. Soon, that eye had swollen shut.
<Do you wish to know why your father died?> Orm asked, punching Arthur again.
<IT IS BECAUSE YOU ARE WEAK!> Orm slammed his fist down one last time, creating a crater below Arthur with the force of the blow. Arthur couldn’t move. He couldn’t’ feel anything below his waste. This was it. He’d failed his father again. He’d failed everyone again…He really was weak.
<No, my son. You are strong.>
Those weren’t his thoughts. That wasn’t Orm’s voice. That wasn’t his father’s. Hell, that wasn’t any voice Arthur recognized. What the hell…?
<Your father deserved to die…> Orm growled out. No! NO! HE COULD NOT SAY THAT! Not Orm, not the bastard who had him killed…
<Accept my legacy, Arthur. Embrace the sea.>
<NOOOOOO!> Arthur grabbed Orm by his neck, lifting him higher and higher into the sea. The King of Atlantis reached out and tried to grab Arthur, but the teen knocked his hand away. Arthur felt different now. He felt stronger. He could feel his legs again, and he felt as if a weight had been lifted off his body, as if something had opened in him.
<You are surface dwelling scum! That man made you weak!> Orm garbled.
<No, Orm!> Arthur leaped out of the ocean and through the frozen tidal wave. He crashed into the sandy shore, slamming Orm down in front of him. <My father made me strong. He made me a better man than you will ever be,>
<I am the son of a Titan!> Orm tried to free himself from Arthur’s grip, but to no avail, <I can not be beaten by a child!>
Arthur felt a firm hand on his shoulder. He didn’t’ bother looking up, continuing to choke the life out of Orm.
“Son, stop…you’re better than this. You can be better than him,” Superman wasn’t yet to the point of pulling Arthur away, “This is a line we don’t cross. Our morals…that’s what separates us from them.”
Arthur froze, suddenly lightening up on Orm, who was already unconscious. His morals…What his father had always taught him. Superman was right. If he was going to prove he was a better man than Orm, then he couldn’t cross that line. Orm had to live.
Arthur stepped away and looked up, “Thank you. I…I needed to hear that.”
The Man of Steel grinned, “Anytime.”
“Hey! The sky’s clearing!” Power Girl interjected.
Surely enough, when the two superhumans looked up they were pleased to see the dark clouds were fading away. Hurricane Robert was finished. Arthur’s battle was over. He looked back down at Orm. His days of tormenting Arthur and Atlantis were through.
“Out of the way, Superman.”
Arthur looked up. Dozens of men and women in suits surrounded the area. Two dark helicopters sat on the edge of the beach. He’d seen these guys before. One woman in particular stood out to him.
“Manhunter 5 reporting in,” the woman spoke into an earpiece, “We have him.”
She cuffed Orm—now a normal aquaman again—with thick metal gauntlets that glowed faintly, and looked up at Arthur and Superman.
“Ms…” Superman began. She held up her hand.
“This is my jurisdiction, Superman. You can leave now. There’s a burning building on twentieth. A child is stuck inside. She could use your saving.”
Superman paused to listen, before nodding. He turned to Power Girl. “We’ve gotta go. Trouble on twentieth.”
“But…”
“No buts, Power Girl,” Superman flew off. His fellow Kryptonian flew after him.
Arthur was left alone to stare at Orm as he was dragged off by the ‘suits.’ He felt no need to argue. That man needed to be locked up for good.
“Make him hurt,” Arthur said.
The woman nodded, “Oh, he will. Just count yourself lucky, Arthur, that we don’t plan on doing the same to you.”
“Wait, how the hell do you know my name?” Arthur reached out to the woman’s mind, but again, as he had all those months ago, only found thoughts he’d rather not see.
“We’re watching you, Arthur.” And with those last few words, the woman turned and walked away.
Mera walked over to Arthur and put a hand on his shoulder, causing him to flinch. She recoiled from the reaction.
<You will let them take the Atlanteans?>
<Yes. They deserve it,> Arthur retorted.
<But…>
<Enough,> Arthur turned to the sea, <Let’s go.>
Mera frowned, but she reluctantly followed Arthur to the water. Once there, she turned to him and reached out for his arm, stopping him from leaping into the sea.
<Arthur Curry, we could use you in the rebellion. Although Orm may be defeated, his allies still control Poseidonis, as well as a number of other city-states. With the prince of Atlantis at our side, it would only be a matter of time before we take back control. You could be king,> Mera said.
Arthur let out a brief half-smile, <I…>
<Would be a good king.>
The two aquamen turned to the source of the voice, only to discover a tall, muscular, middle-aged man with blue-white hair and a wild beard. His stormy blue eyes burned into Arthur’s core, leaving the superhuman feeling powerless. He’d never encountered anyone like this before; not even Superman made Arthur feel so weak.
<Who are you?> Arthur asked, but he had a gut feeling he knew the answer to his question. The older man looked all too familiar. Mera’s kneeling to the ground only deepened Arthur’s suspicions.
“You’re smarter than that, Arthur,” the bearded man spoke in fluent English with an accent Arthur couldn’t place. “Guess.”
<Arthur, you must—>
But the teen shrugged Mera’s thoughts away, blocking her off. He took a step towards the bearded man, faltering a bit.
“You’re…you’re Poseidon, god of the seas,” Arthur began.
“And?”
“And…” Arthur took a deep breath. Could this man, this god truly be…
“My father.”
Poseidon clapped, an enormous pearly-white grin on his face, “Wonderful. I’d say you got your brains from me, but that would be a disservice to your mother. She is quite smart herself, you know.”
Poseidon turned briefly from Arthur, leaving the startled teen to think. The god flicked his wrist, sending Mera back onto her feet and into the ocean.
“What…?”
“Oh, I just sent her away,” Poseidon cheerily said, “I’d like to have a little father-son time. It’s been so long…”
Something cracked in Arthur. He stepped forward, getting into Poseidon’s face, a gentle wave crashing against his ankles.
“You abandoned me! You left me, and never once contacted me! I—I—I thought I was a freak, a…”
“Quiet, boy,” Poseidon’s expression darkened. The waves began to beat against Arthur’s legs more fiercely. “I am your father. You will treat me with respect.”
“I…” but Arthur knew he was powerless against the god of the seas. He sighed and relaxed, “Yes, you’re right. I’m sorry.”
Poseidon’s face lit up, “Well then, now that that’s settled, let’s go have a chat.” The god motioned to the sea. Arthur took a deep breath, and dived.
His birth father followed him in, and led him away, deep into the ocean. He didn’t speak for a while, before at last, when Arthur’s patience began to wane, Poseidon finally projected to his son.
<I am sorry for having left you,> Poseidon admitted, <There wasn’t much I could do. You see…well, I suppose for you to understand, I must first explain how you came to be conceived.>
Arthur forced back a shudder. Great. He was going to have to hear the story of how his parents met…and got it on.
<Atlan and your mother were bonded through an arranged marriage by their parents in attempt to unite Poseidonis and Xebel during the last great Atlantean civil war. They…never got along,> Poseidon explained, <Atlan was a fine warrior, but a bad king and an even worse husband. To make matters worse, he couldn’t conceive a child. You see, Atlan had a problem—Apollo once explained it to me…>
Another god…and the birds and the bees. Arthur knew enough already.
<I know about the…stuff,> Arthur interjected, <Issues people can have.>
<Yes, issues…Atlan had one of those. He blamed it on Atlanna at first, but soon after trying with a number of other women, he realized the truth and gave up. Atlan became a recluse. Matters couldn’t have been worse for Atlanna, who struggled to keep Atlantis united while its king drank himself near to death. Eventually, she ran away, seeking peace. I found her. Months later, she returned to Poseidonis. In her absence, Atlan had been forced back to the throne. Now with her return, he sought to lose himself again, but Atlanna wouldn’t have it…not with a child on the way…>
<Me,> Arthur projected, before saying, <But where does Orm fit into all this? I know now he is…unique, but is he not Atlanna’s son?>
Bubbles rippled out from Poseidon’s nose as if he was laughing as he flipped gently through the water, <Ha! No. Orm is not of royal blood. Not in the purest sense, at least. Are you sure you wish to know of his past?>
<Yes,> Arthur admitted, <Almost more than my own.>
Poseidon nodded, <Very well. It begins before even you were born. Atlanna had a sister. Her name was Orella, and she was a vain, greedy woman. She was jealous of her sister and her coming to the throne. Orella had always desired to be true royalty, and loved Atlan because of it. So when suitors came, she turned them away. No man was good enough to wed her, and certainly not to bear her child. Eventually, however, Atlan came to her to try to conceive. She was his first adulteress. It failed, naturally, and in his anger Atlan exiled Orella.>
<Atlanna was furious, but Atlan would not listen to her, leaving her sister in exile. Now hopelessly depressed, Orella looked to…magical means for revenge. What she found was truly horrific. Orella discovered a long lost Titan—one of the gods’ most ancient enemies. His name was Oceanus, my precursor as lord of the seas. Atlanna promised to free him from his magical restraints if he would conceive a child with her. Her plan was to raise the child, a demi-Titan, to take the throne from Atlan and rule as its king. There could be no greater revenge.>
<I noticed Orella’s mischief, but I could not stop it in time. She freed Oceanus and the two became one. However, the Titan’s freedom didn’t last long. I defeated him in combat and resealed his bonds. In the midst of the battle, Orella was mortally wounded, only days after being impregnated. I took pity on the woman in her last moments and sped up her child’s development, birthing him before she died. I named the boy Orm, which means bastard in merman, and took him to live with me.>
<When Atlanna met me, after we conceived you, she discovered Orm and I told her his story. She immediately decided to return to Atlantis and raise him as her own. I could not argue. Orm had been drawing unwanted attention from other sea gods…>
<So Orm and I aren’t brothers?> Arthur stated the obvious.
<No, you are technically cousins, although godly genetics are a bit odd. It is fitting, however, that you came into conflict. In fact, it is fate. The gods and Titans could never get along; you and Orm were destined to fight for the throne.> Poseidon said matter-of-factly.
<Speaking of…what happened next?>
<Next? Atlan was furious, but he needed an heir. When he discovered the two children—Orm now merely a couple years old—he was determined to kill them, to kill you, but Atlanna stopped him. She begged him to leave you two alone. Atlan saw reason…in a sense. He knew he needed an heir, so he elected to allow one of you to live. After discovering your fate…>
<My fate?> Arthur wondered.
<Yes…> Poseidon frowned, <It is…not mine to discuss in detail, but I suppose you are aware that you’re the Unifier?>
<I’ve heard people call me that, yeah.>
<A surface dweller Atlantean child of golden hair and sea blue eyes…> Poseidon gazed off into the ocean dreamily, <Destined to unite Atlantis as one for all eternity, and bring the sunken country back to the surface.> Poseidon snapped back into reality, <A witch predicted your future when you arrived in Atlantis. Atlan found out, and, feeling threatened, he decided to have you killed. Atlanna escaped with you, Arthur, but she couldn’t run for long. She begged me for help, and naturally I abided by her wishes. Atlanna told me everything, and thus I sent you to the place I knew you were destined to go—the surface. I left you with a man I’d watched; someone whom I admired.>
<My father…> Arthur muttered, before realizing what he’d said, and in order to not anger the god, <I mean, Thomas Curry.>
<It is fine, Arthur,> Poseidon patted his son on the back, <Thomas is your father, just as I am. I hold no resentment to the man.>
Arthur couldn’t help but smile a bit, <Thank you.>
<Of course,> Poseidon gleamed, <So, that leads me to my final point, Arthur. You’ve proven yourself a true son of mine. Thus, I present to you the offer to come and stay with me in my underwater kingdom, and live your mortal life out as you should—a prince. If you prove yourself further—as I suspect you would—I could even grant you immortality, of course assuming my brother, Zeus, agrees to it.>
Arthur was taken aback. Immortality? True, godly princehood? How was he to respond? While the thought was intriguing, it would mean he had to abandon all personal connections on the surface, as well as in Atlantis. Which did remind Arthur of something he’d been considering since the discovery of his father’s death…
<I…do not know what to say,> Arthur admitted.
<That is to be expected,> Poseidon grinned, <So?>
<I…wish to think on your offer,> Arthur explained, <In a day’s time, I will meet you in the sea outside my father’s lighthouse…if that’s okay with you, of course.>
<It is,> Poseidon projected, <And so we shall meet then, Arthur, son of mine.>
The teen nodded in response, and his father shooed him away. So…next. Arthur relaxed himself. This wouldn’t be easy. In fact, it would be the hardest thing he’d ever done.
Arthur leaped from the sea right into a crowd of shocked townspeople, police officers, and a reporter or two by the remains of his father’s lighthouse. Instantly he was assaulted with questions. Police officers pushed people aside to reach him. By this point, everyone and their grandma knew who Arthur was—namely, Aquaman—and what he could do. What they didn’t know was what happened to the lighthouse.
However, Arthur wasn’t in the mood to answer questions. He was content with people thinking the lighthouse had been torn down in the storm. Arthur had to find somebody, and it wasn’t all too hard.
Jenna DeMarco stood near the edge of the yellow tape surrounding the rubble and the white-marked silhouette of where Arthur’s father had once lain. She gazed at Arthur weakly, tears in her eyes. Arthur walked through the crowd and up to Jenna, embracing her. She hugged him back. The crowd tightened around them. Arthur took a deep breath and leaped away.
He jumped a few times before landing near their old highschool, where he stopped, Jenna held like a princess in his arms. She grasped his naked chest fiercely, her hands cold to the touch.
“I’m so sorry, Arthur,” Jenna sobbed.
The newfound superhero nodded and set his lover down. He lifted her chin up with a single finger, making her look him in the eyes. Tears threatened to burst forth but he wouldn’t allow it. He had to make this quick. It was the only way he’d get through it without crying.
“Jenna, I’m leaving.”
“What?”
“No, wait,” Arthur turned away, but forced himself to look back at her, “I…I’ve realized, I can’t be near you. I’ve solved some of my problems, but people, monsters…” Arthur couldn’t believe he was about to say, “Supervillains…they’ll keep coming after me and the people I love.”
“Arthur, no! I told you! I don’t care. I—“
“Jenna, this isn’t your choice.”
“Why not?” Jenna cried out.
“Because… because…” Arthur didn’t know how to answer the question fairly. Hell, he didn’t really know how to answer the question at all.
“Arthur, I love you!” Jenna said.
“And I love you too…more than anything!” Arthur shouted, “It’s why we have to be separate from now on. I…I can’t lose anyone else.”
“Arthur, please—“
But Jenna was silenced as Arthur embraced her. Tears fell down his cheeks in droves, dripping onto the ground. The girl shuddered.
“I’m sorry. It has to be this way.”
“I…” Jenna choked back sobs, “Fine!” She pushed herself away from Arthur and began to walk back towards the town, but she stopped herself. That couldn’t be the last thing she said to him. No, especially not when there was one last thing to ask.
Facing Amnesty Bay, leaving Arthur to look on her, Jenna said, “Arthur, if you’re leaving…where are you going to go next?”
The young aquaman turned away and looked past the highschool to the sea. Arthur couldn’t help but smile, even as his tears cascaded to the ground.
Wasn’t that the question of the day?
What’s next?
FIN
VOLUME 1 OF AQUAMAN
VOLUME 1 OF AQUAMAN