AN:This is the last of my pre-typed chapters so the next updates will take longer. Sorry for the inconvenience.
Chapter 6: Memories and Conflict
Kazumi trudged into her family's condo, more than ready to flop down on the couch and pretend she had nothing more urgent to do than find a way to turn the TV on without moving an inch. The past couple of weeks were hard on her. First, John and the Ajuris-5 fiasco had drained her emotionally. Then, she more or less admitted to the rest of the League that her suicidal tendencies were more serious than she made them out to be in that stupid interview and they've been walking on eggshells around her. (Never mind that it was nearly 800 years ago.) She still hadn't forgiven Ren for what he did. Even worse, Tsuyu and Wanyūdō were on his side and kept saying that letting the others know about the worst thing she had done was a good thing. Finally, just because the world seemed to hate her this month, a playboy from one of her classes decided that she was his next conquest and wouldn't leave her alone. She nearly punched him in the face when he arrogantly declared in front of a crowded cafeteria that she was his girl. Thankfully, the whispered threat of being hung from a flagpole by his boxers was enough to nip any attempts in the bud.
Before she could shift her body into a more comfortable position, a phone somewhere in the house sounded. Unlike the normal ringing of a telephone, it sang the American national anthem. Groaning into the couch, she grudgingly got to her feet and went into the rarely used study. She opened the bottommost drawer on the desk. Taking out a thick tome about world history, the kunoichi channeled chakra into the bottom of the drawer where a seal was hidden. Unlike her other seals, this and the few others like it were designed to allow something to be heard only by them and to appear in a nearby isolated space whenever it was needed. The bottom faded away and revealed a phone colored like the Red, White and Blue waiting for her to pick up its receiver. 'It had been such a good idea when Alfred, Gilbert and I were drunk (1).' "As much as I like hearing The Star-Spangled Banner being properly sung, you better have a good reason for calling, Amanda."
The kunoichi was quiet as she listened to her, for lack of a better term, handler in the US government stated what needed to be done. Both ends of the line were silent as Kazumi thought about the situation. Ren and Wanyūdō were perfect for this mission because of their temperament and Wanyūdō's abilities but both were busy with their jobs and they already had enough trouble for leaving work early to help on Oa. She'll have to bring the League in.
"You do know that I think being on a submarine is essentially like being sealed into a tin can miles underwater, right? She didn't wait for an answer. "I'll need the help of the League on this one since the rest of my family is unavailable at the moment and I'm unable to use fire and wind techniques underwater effectively. The Green Lantern is a must in this type of mission because of the storm and the depth the submarine is in. If the USS Defiant is close to Atlantis, I need Superman and Wonder Woman since they have the best negotiation skills without the need to be annoying or snarky and we might be in for a fight."
"Are you positive their presence is necessary for this mission?" came the clipped tone from the other end.
Kazumi sighed. "As much as I'd like the League to stay out of operations like this, I don't have much of a choice. I can get into the Defiant by using Hiraishin without a problem thanks to the seals on every large crewed government and military vessel as per our agreement but to transport a normal person from the bottom of the ocean to dry land that way will pop something more vital than a few blood vessels especially if they're injured; I need Lantern to get them out safely while I take care of any injuries. As for Diana and Superman, we might need to negotiate with the Atlanteans and Aquaman isn't a fan of people on land. Also, I can't guarantee that we can get the Defiant but the crew will be back on land within two hours if I inform the Martian and the members I need right now."
"Very well. I want those sailors on dry land in two hours. What rank would this mission be?"
"Depends on whether I can get the Defiant or not. If I don't, it's a high C-rank. If I do, the government will be paying for a mid-B-rank. I'll give an exact ranking after the mission; you'll be getting a discount since I'm getting help from the League. If any of the sailors have relatives in or near Metropolis, have the Navy tell them to meet them here."
"Understood," Amanda said. "The payment will be transferred as always." She hung up without another word.
She replaced everything to the way it was as she contacted her friend. "J'onn, I need you to get in touch with Lantern, Superman and Diana. We're heading on a rescue mission at the bottom of the Atlantic." She gave him all the information involving the mission as well as general information on the Atlanteans and her contact in the government.
"And that woman who gave you that mission?"
"Long story. Let's just say I made several deals with the governments of a few countries over the years," she explained. "Amanda's intense but we can trust her not to stab us in the back... for now." She hurried into her costume as she spoke with the Martian.
"Very well. John and Diana will pick you and Superman up in a few minutes. Meet them at the Daily Planet and please be careful in dealing with the Atlanteans, Kazumi." J'onn cautioned. "They do not seem to be very agreeable."
"That's why Superman and Diana are coming. I'm horrible in formal politics so, ideally, my only role there is to be the medic. Then again, I have years worth of embarrassing stories to hang over Aquaman's head." She leapt out the window and ran up to the roof. It was a humid day so she kept her mask down. 'It's almost like back in Konoha,' she idly thought as she jumped from building to building. If she closed her eyes, she could almost imagine the smaller buildings of her village.
She violently shook those thoughts away, scolding herself for acting like an old lady. She picked up her pace as the iconic structure of the Daily Planet came into view. Megami's sharp eyes could see the bright red cape of Metropolis' favorite son already there. "Hey, Supes," she said casually as she jumped up to the roof. The Javelin came just as her feet touched the globe.
The Kryptonian gave her a smile as they entered the ship. "Have you always worked for governments?" Superman asked as they flew to the Atlantic. They could already hear the sound of the rain hitting the Javelin as they left the shores of America far behind them.
"Not really. At first, my family and I were vigilantes like every other superhero; we just didn't advertise ourselves by having names or costumes or using our abilities so obviously. After the Second World War, there was an... incident with England and France and the British and French governments fought for our services until I got mad. Instead, we made a deal. Others learned about us and the same thing happened. We basically help them in protecting high-level officials, rescuing soldiers and a security and retrieval missions for a reasonable price. Aside from the money, they were to leave my family and I out of their political and military squabbles and allow us to choose which side we'd help in a war but they would always have an infallible way to contact us unless the governments broke our agreement." She tilted her head thoughtfully. "Now that I think about it, I'm in good terms with most countries but not their governments (1)."
"What do you mean?" GL asked out of curiosity. Megami gave him an irritated look that clearly said she had yet to forgive him completely. While the kunoichi had healed his jaw and apologized for almost breaking it, she made it no secret that she was still angry with him. Snapping his head away from her, GL reached for the radio. "USS Defiant, this is the Justice League responding. Help is on the way." He concentrated on flying the craft into the sea, if only to keep his mind off the glare burning into the back of his head.
"I've locked onto their distress beacon," Diana said. Megami and Ren had been teaching her how to handle the Javelin, along with Flash. They were strict and harsh teachers but she did learn well from them. While she was still insecure about flying it on her own, they said that she was more than ready to do so. "We're getting close."
"We're not the only ones," Superman said. He pointed out to the gigantic vessel before them. "What do you think, Megami?"
She got up from her seat and studied the craft. "It's definitely an Atlantean warship." She turned to Superman and Diana. "Now, Arthur is a stubborn man but if we make a deal that's beneficial for Atlantis, he might stop being such a-." They watched as weapons on the warship made themselves known and fired at them. "Bastard." She channeled chakra to her feet to keep herself grounded as the Javelin harshly dived to avoid the destructive attacks.
The larger vessel chased after them, forcing John to slide into an underwater ravine. The Javelin was built mainly for speed; what weapons they had would never be able to take down a ship the size of the Atlantean warship. John was able to trap the warship under some odd rock formation. "Lost them," the Lantern said smugly.
Megami tapped his shoulder and pointed ahead. "You were saying?" she and Superman said at the same time. The kunoichi gave the Man of Steel a look, to which he nodded.
The kunoichi made a shadow clone; she immediately opened the overhead compartment and took out the breathing masks and tossed them to everyone but John and her boss. The real Megami disappeared as soon her clone took charge. "You three, get out there and kick butt. Taisho is now in the Defiant and on her way to where the crew is. I'll take the Javelin."
John argued that half of them were supposed to negotiate for the sailors' and the submarine's safe return peacefully. Superman countered, "Those sailors aren't going to have a prayer if we keep playing cat and mouse even if Megami's with them."
"Besides, all bets are off when they tried to freaking kill us!" the clone added. "Now get out there!" Diana and the Lantern quickly obeyed, seeing the logic behind Superman's and Megami's words. They just barely escaped the Javelin when a warship's attack hit it, causing it veer off course and into the ocean floor. Even through the water and John's protective shield, the other Leaguers could hear much swearing in numerous languages from the Javelin.
They dispatched the warships quickly, knowing they had little time to spare. However, they were surrounded by more Atlanteans. "Halt!" came a commanding voice. "You have violated the sovereign borders of Atlantis. Leave now or be des-"
"Can it, Arthur!" Megami yelled as she swam to them. She cut through the water as quickly as her teammates could thanks to her chakra. She came from the Javelin's location so the rest of her allies knew it was the clone. "You're almost exactly like your old man when dealing with others! All you need is an act of sheer stupidity for me to smack you upside your head!"
He ordered his men to give them some privacy by waving his hand. "I am merely protecting my kingdom, Kazumi. I was well within my rights to attack."
"Don't take that tone with me!" She swam right up to him. "I might look younger than you now but don't forget who used to-"
"Kazumi!" Superman interrupted as he sensed that he was about to hear something he never wanted to. "Please explain what is going on."
"Like I said before, I've been involved with Atlantis for some time now." She gestured to the man she was just yelling at. "This is King Arthur of Atlantis, better known as Aquaman. Arthur, these are my friends and teammates, Superman, Princess Diana of Themyscira and John Stewart, the Green Lantern. And I also go by Megami nowadays. Long story. Right now, we're here to negotiate the return of the USS Defiant and its crew."
The king gave the downed submarine a look of contempt. "They should have stayed on the surface where they belong."
The kunoichi raised an eyebrow. "Just like how you should have stayed out of your father's study when you were five?"
Aquaman blushed. "That was different," he hissed.
She ignored him. "I believe that was four priceless heirlooms and a dozen or so ancient books that were victims of your 'trident practice' and several important documents were also a bit more than singed. If I recall, your dad was more than willing to give you a spanking."
Aquaman was breathing like a winded bull. "Are you trying to use our mutual history to retrieve those people?"
"Depends... Is it working? Because I also remember the first time you saw a pregnant seahorse," she commented with a smirk. "You were so adorable when you-"
"If I let the crew go, will you stop talking?" He raised his voice, knowing that Megami was cruel enough to embarrass him in front of his soldiers since she was annoyed that he attacked her team. He knew all of them also remembered the powerful surface-dweller and her family, who had been assisting Atlantis in her time of need for nearly two centuries. They would visit the underwater city on occasion and many of them had mentioned that they missed her antics over the past months.
Megami widened her eyes suddenly and took a more business-like attitude. "And the submarine?"
He glared at the kunoichi. "Take the crew but the vessel stays."
"No way," John declared as he inserted himself into the conversation. "That's a nuclear sub. If you think we're just going to walk away and leave it-" Megami was beside him immediately and smacked the back of his head. Despite his own energy field, that actually hurt a bit. Superman stayed close to the kunoichi in case he needed to restrain her.
"Please, as Lantern said, the Defiant is a nuclear submarine," Diana implored. "If the submarine is severely damaged, the material inside could seep into the ocean and damage the environment. Atlantis would be greatly affected."
Aquaman was silent before turning to Megami. "Is another you in there right now?"
The clone nodded. "Taisho is inside taking care of injuries the crew sustained when you rammed into them. Given the proximity of the sub to Atlantis, Taisho made sure the plutonium would not damage the surrounding area."
"Then we don't have a problem. Take the crew and leave."
"I want your word that neither you nor any of your people will remove the plutonium or the weaponry from the sub or use them or any technology based on them against those on land," Megami demanded.
Arthur narrowed his eyes at the kunoichi. "As long as I have yours that none from the surface shall come to take what is now the property of Atlantis."
"Done." John looked like he wanted to argue more but Superman told him that the crew was their priority. He did his part to rescue the soldiers though he kept his eye on the Atlanteans. Though his power ring protected him, the former Marine felt wary about turning his back on the people he saw as the enemy; it went against Rule 28. He was relieved when he broke the surface of the water.
Inside the green sphere, Megami and her clones were tending to several sailors. Most were lucky, getting only scrapes and bruises. However, a few had fractures, broken bones or concussions. One had a large gash on his chest and would have bled out despite the first aid he received if it not been for the kunoichi's healing techniques. The Lantern knew from experience that the entire crew's injuries would be healed by the time they made it to land. "Megami, why didn't you insist on taking the submarine back?" Lantern asked crossly. "The Navy will never accept the loss of the Defiant when you could have gotten it back had you just pushed that madman more."
"The Navy can kiss my ass −no offense, everyone− if they have any complaints! I made it clear with every government I work for that I protect and save lives, not retrieve their oh so precious hardware! Had my clone taken just five minutes longer, several of these people wouldn't be alive because the water was rushing in! My sealing techniques are strong but holding back an entire ocean was impossible with the space and time I had." She glared at the former Marine once she was done healing the soldiers. "Don't you dare lecture me about what I could have done, Lantern. I've been beating myself up about that for centuries. And that madman, as you called him, could make you drown in your bathtub so be more respectful when you talk about him!"
John's face was stony as he flew back to America. He knew that what he said was unfair to the immortal but he was frustrated with the partial failure of their mission. He didn't trust Aquaman or any of the Atlanteans with the nuclear material of the Defiant. Who knew what they could do with it?
Megami ignored him as they landed in the waterfront of Metropolis. Naval officers were standing by while worried relatives were craning their necks in hopes of seeing their family members safe and sound. There was an almost mad dash to the waiting group that was barely tempered by the soldiers' training and protocol. Megami watched with a sad smile, happy that she was able to keep those families whole for a while longer yet tormented by the fact that her only memory of her parents involved a similar event that ended tragically.
She slipped away from the crowd, opting to lean against a warehouse. The others could take all the attention; she was busy taking in the faces of the soldiers she rescued and their families. There were a wide variety of expressions. Some cried. Others had wide grins on their faces. Many had a combination of the two. There was the occasional confused yet happy face from young children who hadn't been told of the situation but were simply glad that they could see their relatives earlier than planned. This was why she started helping people in this world. She didn't care for gratitude, fame, power or wealth; all she cared about was making sure that a husband could return home to his wife, a grown child could greet his aging parents with a smile, children could able to spend more time with their parents as a family. They had what she could never have and she wanted to keep it that way.
Her eyes looked on as a young mother clenched her hands into fists as she tried not to break down in front of her husband, who was peppering a small wriggling bundle with kisses. Those two reminded her of her parents so much that tears started forming in her eyes. They had the exact same expressions as her own parents did the night Kurama was released from her mother's seal, both staying strong for a child who didn't know the evils of the world.
She was so intent on observing the small family that she almost missed Diana reaching out to her in concern. "Megami, are you all right?"
"Just a bittersweet memory resurfacing, Diana," she answered steadily. She blinked back her tears. "Nothing to worry about." She stayed there for a bit longer. She wanted to leave but she felt she needed to be here. It had to be her in person, not a clone, not an illusion, her. Seeing the families that could have been broken was always a sore spot for her. Every once in a while, sailors and their families would go over to her and thank her for saving the crew. Among them was the young father from earlier.
Once the crew of the Defiant left, Megami approached the highest commanding officer present. The kunoichi knew he would have been told about the League's involvement and her presence. He would be told the rank of the mission she just did and relay the message to Amanda Waller. "C-4. Kibi. Also, tell her that I have my reasons for ranking it so low," she simply said. That was the fourth cheapest price for a C-rank mission, just enough to rent a small apartment in a decent neighborhood. Kibi meant that there would be a twenty percent discount (2). Realistically speaking, the mission should have been ranked much higher, a C-10 at least, which would have been the rent of three-bedroom apartment for about two years and even with the presence of the League, there should have been only a ten percent discount.
She sighed as she walked away. Before, she didn't bother to stick around after a rescue mission. She cared about the people in danger of course but only enough to ensure that they were on friendly territory, not safely reunited with their families. Becoming Megami was changing her and she was very sure it was for the better and would continue to be troublesome. That thought made her eye twitch. 'Why on earth am I being so nostalgic today?'
Kazumi decided that she needed to get away for a while. She bid goodbye to her teammates, explaining her need for some space, and slipped away from the harbor before using a simple Henge to look like a civilian. She sent her family a text message saying that she needed some time alone. They knew that there were only two places she would go, Atlantis or the pocket dimension where she kept paintings and memorabilia from the Hidden Continents and this world. 'I hope Arthur doesn't mind me dropping by, especially after what happened earlier.'
She took out a bangle with a small diamond in the center. She put it on and subtly tapped the diamond with a chakra-laced finger. The bracelet had a twin in the possession of Mera, Arthur's wife. The kunoichi had given it to her when she had gotten pregnant months ago, saying that surprising her by turning up unannounced might be bad for her and the baby. The diamond on Mera's bracelet would flash red for a while, telling the Queen that she would visit. Though the baby would have been born by now, it was best not to test Arthur's patience today. She also decided to get something for the baby while she waited for Mera to tell her husband that she was coming.
Kazumi headed to the toy store and directly went to the stuffed animals section. She pondered whether getting a teddy bear would be a good idea since few Atlanteans had even seen a bear. She scanned the shelves and saw the perfect toy, a stuffed sea turtle. 'That should be okay.' She hugged it and decided that it was soft and cuddly enough for a baby and went to pay for it.
She checked her watch. 'Fifteen minutes should be long enough,' she thought to herself as she entered an abandoned alley. Making sure no one was looking, she released the Henge and took the turtle out of the plastic bag. A quick Hiraishin later, she was in the hall that Aquaman had reserved for her and her family's use. She breathed deeply as the sudden change in pressure, despite the dome surrounding the underwater city, burst a few blood vessels all over her body. They would heal within seconds but it still hurt a lot. She was thankful that her body was more resilient than a normal human's but she wished that it was as tough as an Atlantean's.
She stepped out of her room and was greeted by the sight of a beautiful smiling woman holding a little blonde baby. "Hello, Mera," she greeted with a hug. They became friends when Arthur started courting her. "And who's this handsome little cutie?" Kazumi asked while tickling the small boy.
The baby squealed in delight and tried to grab her fingers. "He's such a dear, Mera. You and Arthur are lucky to have him. I brought a present for him," she said as she handed the infant the stuffed turtle. He immediately hugged it and started teething on a flipper.
"Thank you, Kazumi. Arthur Junior loves his gift," the young mother said as she held her son close. "I informed my husband of your arrival before he was called away by Orm and General Brak."
"Oh," Kazumi commented uneasily. "He isn't too upset about what happened earlier, is he? I wouldn't embarrass him in front of my teammates when they just met, after all. I knew Superman and Arthur would stop me before I really said anything embarrassing."
Mera giggled. "No more than usual. He confessed to me that he was planning to aid the people in the vessel after some time had passed. He just was unaware of the seriousness of the injuries the crew sustained. He is more upset by the fact that many surface-dwellers abuse our home by carrying their weapons so close to Atlantis."
Kazumi stared at the wall sadly. "People take many things for granted, I'm afraid. Both here and in my home world and I doubt that will change in the coming years. I know for a fact that majority the people on land haven't changed for the better in the last hundred or so years." Mera smiled sadly as she cradled her child.
Arthur came into the young prince's nursery and heard what Kazumi said. He hated seeing his wife sad and, as annoying as Kazumi could be, he did care for her like an older sister. "Perhaps you should talk about something else. It seems that you've had quite a few adventures since your last visit." He held his son close as the little boy babbled and shoved the stuffed turtle in his father's face.
"That's one way of putting it," She replied with a wry smile. The Eternal Kunoichi began her tale starting from the attack on the Wayne Tech sub-station.
"That does explain why you were so troubled the last time you visited." Arthur commented. "Would those creatures who tried to invade the planet have come to Atlantis?"
"I doubt it. Most people on land didn't even believe in its existence until recently and it's not really something that comes up in everyday conversation. But, Atlantis would have still been in grave danger regardless of that fact. Atlantis needs the sun as much as the rest of the world does, after all," the heroine explained. She gave the king she had once helped take care of a meaningful look. "With how often Earth is in danger these days, it would be a good idea to have dependable allies on the surface world... if only to protect those you hold dear." Arthur nodded and left; he had a lot to think about.
Kazumi stayed for the rest of the day, playing with Junior and talking with Mera. It made her feel better, like the memories of Konoha, no matter how good or bad, weren't going to swamp her anymore. As she was saying goodbye to her friend, her communicator came to life. She excused herself and answered. "Megami here. What's wrong?"
There was a few seconds of silence. "What do you mean Aquaman forced his way into the World Assembly Building?!" she hissed. Though she tried to be quiet, Mera heard her and began to worry. "I'll be there in a few moments. Don't let that idiot king leave that building!"
She turned back to Mera and the baby. "I'm sorry, Mera. I have to get back to the surface. Your husband seems to be causing a disturbance in a political building."
"Will he be all right?" She held her son close. The baby seemed to have picked up his mother's anxiety and started fussing.
"I'll make sure he comes home safe. That's a promise." She didn't make promises often anymore but she still did everything she could to keep them. The Queen of Atlantis knew that and nodded. She gave the queen a smile. "Until then, take care of Junior and do not trust any news about Arthur unless it comes directly from me."
Within seconds, she was back in her apartment and cursing up a storm as she rode out the pain. 'When I get my hands on that idiot king, I'll strangle him with that fancy cape of his.' She jumped out the window immediately after the pain became bearable. Megami glared at the security guards who tried and utterly failed to stop her from entering the World Assembly Building with Superman, Lantern, Diana and J'onn behind her. Diana silently commented to the rest of the team that her glare was more deadly than a gorgon's and the rest agreed.
She barged into the meeting room just as Aquaman said something to throw the entire room into a cacophony of complaints. The king stared directly at Megami. "I offered them a chance for peace and an alliance and this is their answer."
She merely gave him an annoyed look. "You do know that you're completely useless at gaining allies, right? Just so you know, it means sitting down and taking the time to compromise! Even kings on the surface don't expect to have all their demands met and people to kiss their asses!" she hissed. "These things take time with how countries and their representatives try to get every advantage they could. You should know that with how the nobles of Atlantis can be, Squirt!"
Hiding the wince at hearing a nickname she only called him by when she was either very playful or extremely angry, Arthur regarded the kunoichi in a kingly manner. "I've wasted too much time already. I only care for Atlantis and my people, nothing more." He moved past her without another word in favor of returning to his kingdom.
"At least your father knew better than to antagonize nearly the entire surface world." He stopped briefly before brushing off Wonder Woman's and Superman's attempts to get him to stay.
He angrily shoved his way passed the reporters as Kazumi's words replayed themselves in his head. His father had been a great king, one of the best in Atlantis' history; Arthur could only hope he was being half the king his father was. He had once told him that having Kazumi's counsel helped him become the king he was despite her crazy antics and he dearly hoped that he was doing the right thing by disregarding her words. The Atlantean king's greatest fear was that his decisions and actions would somehow bring about the destruction of not only Atlantis but also his wonderful family.
He paid little mind to his surroundings. All he wanted to do was go back to Atlantis, prepare for whatever conflict he instigated and hope everything would be settled without the need to go to war. It was true enough that his people's technology and abilities would give them the advantage but it would only last for a short time before his kingdom was overwhelmed. Should it come to war, he knew that the Justice League would defend the surface world while Kazumi would only save the non-combatants from danger.
Had he been more alert, he could have done something. Ran, dodged... anything. Instead, his inattention and time outside the water brought sudden excruciating pain before things started to fade. Before completely losing consciousness, he distantly heard Kazumi scream out the childish nickname.
The tension in the room was thick, almost as if it threatened to suffocate the superheroes. Diana kept a constant eye on the doctors' efforts to stabilize the king's condition without much success. Megami, on the other hand, was nowhere in sight when they arrived. They were told that as soon as the kunoichi arrived at the hospital and screamed at those present to do what they could for him and to keep him hydrated, she quickly disappeared with barely a flicker. That was not even half an hour ago.
From the waiting room, Superman listened intently to the doctors. He wasn't comfortable with using his powers in this manner but he needed to know the whole truth about what was going on in the emergency room to be able to inform Megami or there would be hell. They were a bit confused on how to hydrate the king when they couldn't get an IV in him until one of the orderlies accidentally spilled water on the patient. Splashing him with water was helping in keeping him from getting worse but offered no significant improvement to his condition. With no way to inject the needed substances into his system, the doctors feared that the Atlantean king would not make it to the end of the day. The lead doctor came out and gave a fairly sugarcoated report of Aquaman's status.
It was then that Batman stepped out of the shadows. He instructed the doctors and the orderlies to bring Aquaman to another room where some equipment was set up. Megami was already in the room, just finishing the preparations. "You better not turn me into a liar, Squirt," she mumbled. The doctor hastily placed the electrodes on Aquaman's chest to monitor his vitals before Superman gently dropped him into the tank. Almost immediately, his vitals began improving.
The kunoichi wanted to keep a close eye on Arthur, content in ignoring everything else. Her logical mind declared that there was no need to behave this way as the Atlantean would be fine within an hour but she couldn't. She was far too familiar with the feeling of loss but everytime one of her precious people was put in any sort of danger, a wound that was still healing always threatened to reopen and dig a little deeper into her heart. Still, she had other things to deal with. "All right, we need to find the bastard that tried to kill Arthur."
"We need to find out what he did with the plutonium! I went back to the sub and it was gone!" John seethed. "I told you we couldn't trust him!"
Megami met his heated gaze head on with a glare. She took a deep breath to keep herself calm. "Keep your voice down, John; we're in a hospital. Not to mention in the room of an important political figure who was injured on American soil. Speaking of politics, how could he plan or order to take the plutonium when doing so would undermine his effort to ally with the surface world and definitely start a war he would inevitably lose? Admittedly, he was complete shit at negotiations but the fact remains that taking the plutonium for his own uses would been counterproductive in gaining alliances with the rest of the world. Besides, he gave his word to leave it alone. He and the Atlanteans know I'd practically maim them should they go back on our agreement and attack outside of self-defense or a damn good reason. I would defend both the surface world and Atlantis if I could but I would attack either one if they threatened to make war with the other."
Had it been any other person who said that, the League would have pushed that it was hardly enough to consider seriously. But they also knew that Megami instilled loyalty, respect and fearful caution in her allies whether she intended to or not. "We'll take your word on it, Megami," Batman said. "But still, even if Aquaman didn't take the plutonium himself or order it, we have to keep in mind that only an Atlantean had the opportunity to take it."
Megami agreed. "Right, I have some questions about someone in particular..." However, she glared at John again. "Hit the tank like some impatient brat waiting for him to do tricks and I'll break your arm." The intergalactic fighter nodded, trying to hide his fear. Not long ago, he got away with an almost broken jaw because he didn't trust himself. He really didn't want to know what the kunoichi would do if he insulted her friend.
They waited for the king to wake. In the mean time, Megami had informed Mera of Arthur's condition and to act as if she knew nothing of what was happening in order for Megami to get a feel of the situation in Atlantis when she returns there. Several clones were made to guard the perimeter of the hospital. She would have gone out herself but with the hordes of media personnel just outside the hospital, the kunoichi had to make sure that the assassin wasn't hiding in the crowd or disguised as hospital personnel to get into Arthur's room and that other people entering and leaving the premises could do so without being harassed. She mentally shook her head and vowed never to become involved with the media unless she absolutely had to.
Finally, Arthur stirred. His long blonde hair danced in the water as he shook his head. "Kazumi?"
It made her smile. "Hey, Arthur," she said tenderly. Everyone else had opted to give the two their privacy to do some damage control. Diana and J'onn were soothing the ruffled feathers of the diplomats while Superman was acting as the League's spokesman to the diplomats and the media concerning Aquaman's behavior in the World Assembly Building. Batman had gone with them to see if he could get any clues on who tried to kill the Atlantean while Lantern was waiting rather impatiently outside the room. It had taken nearly two hours for Aquaman to wake up so they should be back soon enough. "Call me Megami when I'm wearing this outfit, all right? I'd rather not have people know that Kazumi and Megami are the same person yet." Arthur nodded. He stayed in the tank even after he woke up a bit more. "How are you feeling?"
"A bit better," he replied. He wished that her healing jutsu didn't have an odd effect on Atlantean physiology. Then again, he rarely saw the deceptively young-looking woman so gentle with him so he wanted to savor the moment. The immortal had kept her hand firm when he reached the age to be properly groomed for his birthright and had allowed no shortcuts when it came to her teachings. Healing normally made her act somewhat motherly towards him. Still, he knew that as soon as she checked him over and deemed him healthy, Kazumi would hit him over the head for making her worry.
The rest of the League came into the room as the Atlantean king nursed his head and Megami placed some privacy seals in the room. Batman reported that the hit man left little clues about his identity but the missile launcher he used was something an amateur wouldn't be able to acquire, never mind use. Whoever they were dealing with was very good at what he did. "I know of no one in the surface world who would benefit from this. The only dealings Atlantis has with the surface world is with Megami and her family so the only enemies I have made were your representatives and they would not have had time to contact this assassin."
"There could be a chance that someone in Atlantis has been planning something like this though," Megami stated. She ignored the way Arthur frowned at her accusation. "You'd be surprised what humans would do to gain power. I doubt an Atlantean is immune to the lure of power. Don't even think about defending your brother, Arthur. You and I both know that Orm has been jealous of you since your dad named you his heir. Marrying Mera and having Junior only aggravated his envy."
"Never mind that!" John had stewed silently for two hours; he wanted answers now. "I went back to the Defiant and found that the plutonium was taken! What would an Atlantean want with it?"
"None of my subjects would actively go against my word and risk displeasing Megami! She is not just a personal friend of the royal family since the reign of my great grandfather but she is also an unofficial trainer of the heirs to the throne and most powerful ally of my people! Even so, every one of my subjects know that she would raze Atlantis should we attack the surface world for no reason! If you have no trust in my words then at least realize that Megami would never allow those she holds dear to be harmed! That not only includes Atlantis but also the surface world!"
"Enough." They immediately backed down; neither wishing to irritate the kunoichi anymore than they already had. "Being suspicious of one another will get us nowhere so bottle up all that excess testosterone before I do it for you. Permanently!"
J'onn took the opportunity to voice his own opinion. "It seems that none of us have the answers we seek. Perhaps we should investigate the matter more closely."
"Or talk to someone who has information we don't." Everyone in the room turned to Batman as he explained what he had in mind.
(1) Another minor crossover idea. This is with Hetalia. It will not have a big impact on the story outside of omakes.
(2) Japanese name of year 20 in the Chinese sexagenary cycle
