KING NAMOR #3
By:Steve Kelley
Attuma was having a glorious time making the allies of the submariner suffer, "oh tell me where usual precious namor now, oh wait that's right I left him for dead" attuma cackled before the throne room doors exploded open "yes you did leave me for dead, but you did not make sure that I stayed dead" namor boldly claimed as he charged forward and tackled attuma straight into the back glass wall of the throne. "Oh back for more are you you're such a pitiful man, so eager in your self righteousness that you never realized the very people that you swore to protect are the same ones that would stab you in the back" "no attuma I know perfectly well now the damage I have caused to the Atlantean people as well as the denizens of the deep, a fatal mistake that I will rectify even if it costs me my life" namor said winning the struggle and slamming attuma through the glass window into the sea floor below before leaping after him, attuma rebounded and caught name or under the chin with his elbow "you think you can defeat me submariner, I have already won 10 times over" attuma proclaimed as the seafloor started shifting and lightning was clashing underwater "no" namor said softly his words being drowned out by the massive rumbling and crackling. Large celestial-esque beings rose from the ocean floor as well as a Coliseum, "who dares awaken us"said an Aztec looking God "I have" attuma said "I him your most humble servant and I wish" "and yet you dare to wake us from our slumber when we were at peace" "well... you see" "YOU ARE A FOOL" the God said backhanding attuma way across the ocean, "and you" the God said pointing at namor "were you also involved in our awakening"
"Nay I was not I had come to try to stop him but I fear I was too late, I not only failed Atlantis but I failed you and the surface world if you wish to incur your wrath and take a life take mine but leave Atlantis unscathed the people have done nothing to you" namor said bowing "you bow but then turn around and command us not to destroy your precious city, who do you presume to be that you would make such demand of us", "I do not make any demands and though you may consider it an act of weakness, I ask for your mercy" "despite having been rudely awaken we will honor your request upon one thing, that you battle to the death with the one who awakened us" "Battle him I shall, but whether his death is at his own hands or mine will yet to be seen" namor said "then stepped into the Coliseum and we will judge you for ourselves"the God said his hand gesturing towards the Coliseum. "This test will make or break me" namor said striding towards the entrance "Neptune give me strength for what I am about to do ". Namor stepped into the Coliseums center were all the Atlantean God's sat in the curved marble rows, attuma skidded face first onto the sandy floor of the arena after being shot out of a mystic whirlpool.
When he dusted himself off and saw that he was in the Coliseum standing across from namor he was perplexed and beside himself, "what is the meaning of this, are you wanting me to fight him" "YES, WE DO" one God shouted "WE CAN ONLY LET ONE OF YOU LIVE" a goddess shouted "LIVE THE DUEL BEGIN" the head God had said making a gesture for attuma and namor to begin. "Well they shouldn't take too long now should it given how weak you are" "you misjudge me attuma, you better than anyone know I will fight to my last breath" namor said as the two began to clash. attuma found it amusing that namor never once tried to draw a weapon but fought him hand-to-hand, "your arrogance will undo you submariner" "as is your reluctance to fight fair" namor said finally catching attuma off guard and disarming him, both men went back and forth blow after blow shot after shot in till eventually, namor outmaneuvered attuma and brought him to his knees. The bloodlust of the Atlantean Gods was almost crippling, but namor stood his ground refusing to finish attuma.
"You dare defy us, what kind of King were you submariner you were evil, ruthless, incapable of compassion, and now you think you can just turn over a new leaf to gain your "People's favor", you are pathetic and a joke Namor, you can never undo anything that you have done, the wrongs that can never be righted, and above all else the tyrannical rule that you put on the Atlantean people and the threats you made against the surface world, you are incapable of change or redemption at this point" "then strike me down if you wish but you all are no better, though you have slumbered for centuries maybe longer you forget that even the worst of people no matter whether they come from the sea the surface or even from the stars no one is above redemption or change if they truly wish it to be, and I stand here defiantly in front of you both facing the charges against me and even if it means my own death a sense of peace that I at least tried to set things right". "Then submariner you leave me no choice"the head God said jumping down to the arena floor "if your words are true and sincere, then show them to me in battle and we will see if you truly are willing to make the change and right the wrongs that you have committed".
