Chapter Two: Atlantean Invasion
The soldiers of Kahndaq stood ready, shields raised and weapons drawn. The sorcerers and archers took up tactical positions on the roofs of buildings and behind the lines of infantry. Black Adam levitated overhead, watching calmly for the Atlantean invasion force to emerge from the depths of the sea. Morning had arrived and with it concluded their preparation for war. Now all that remained was for Aquaman and his army to show themselves. The minutes ticked by dreadfully slowly. But the patience of Black Adam was rewarded when the saltwater surface began to shift. Figures adorned in scaled and metal armour rose from the depths, walking along the beach with swords and shields of energy and metal. Various deep sea creatures made their presence known as well, their powerful tentacles thrashing into the sand, no doubt under the control of Aquaman. The invasion force was larger than the Kahndaq contingent of soldiers and sorcerers. But they had the advantage, they were doing battle in a desert and on the surface. The Atlantean's had numbers, but that barely mattered when their physiology was taken into account. Their superhuman attributes wouldn't hold up under the heat of the Kahndaqi sun for long. From the overlook that was the evacuated town, Black Adam narrowed his eyes as the Atlantean crowd parted for Aquaman and Mera to walk forward. Aquaman's Trident of Neptune was lifted and thrust forwards and as it was, the invasion force charged forward.
"Hold fast!" Black Adam ordered, his hand raised. The moment he deemed the charging army to be in range, he swung his arm forward. A volley of flaming arrows rained down from the sky, piercing those unfortunate to be caught and causing those hit to fall and stumble. The Kahndaqi mages fired explosive orbs and bolts of arcane energy down at the charging force, flinging enemy warriors into the air and causing further disarray among their ranks.
"Charge!" Adam ordered, his body blurring down from the sky, golden boots crashing into the sand in the middle of the enemy army with extreme force. The subsequent shockwave from his aerial stomp cleared the vicinity around him in a perfect circle, Atlantean's colliding with one another and lifting into the air, unable to keep themselves stood upright. Once the field settled from his mild exertion, Black Adam barraged forwards, moving at superhuman speeds and battering a path through the lesser beings to reach Aquaman and Mera, who were towards the back of the oceanic army. His path was blocked suddenly by a large tentacle crashing down in his way. He gripped it firmly and began to rotate on his heel, the sea creature beginning to lift further off the ground as he span. Adam heard the sound of Atlantean's cry out due to being swept aside by the large rotated entity. With a war cry, he let go and it flew from his grasp, the tentacled mass eventually crashing down back into the Red Sea. By now, Kahndaqi soldiers had engaged the Atlantean's. But looking around the battlefield, his stomp, charge and spinning of the sea beast had caused enough chaos the opposition forces had lost both organisation and some morale.
A green boot interrupted his thoughts, colliding with his chest and sending the king skidding back through the sand. Aquaman had engaged him now and Black Adam did not intend to let the enemy king off lightly.
"This could have all been prevented, Adam!" Aquaman shouted.
"If you were not so blind, perhaps," he responded.
"I take no pleasure in what must be done," Arthur shifted into his combat stance, trident ready. Mera walked around him, orbs of water manifesting around her hands.
"The time for talk has passed, Aquaman. The blood spilled today is on your head," after he finished that line, Black Adam burst forward. He flew directly at Aquaman with such speed and aggression neither he or Mera could react in time. The Kahndaqi champion grasped the trident after taking Aquaman skyward, wrestling with Aquaman mid-air. Arthur went for a punch to the side of his head, but Adam barely even felt it, retaliating with a fierce backfist to Arthur's skull. The King of Atlantis crashed into the sand, recollecting himself after the blow to his head. Out of the corner of his eye, Adam saw something moving towards him at speed and leaned back just in time to see a spear of condensed water ripple past his face. His attention turned to Mera, who was using her magic to shape her water into weapon constructs. She sent them all at him at once. He blocked the first two knife constructs, swinging his fist through a spear and following with a kick to disperse a fourth projectile. His reactions, coupled with the Speed of Heru, meant he could defend himself from this barrage quite easily.
"Enough!" Black Adam roared, pushing both palms forward. The lightning bolt of white energy that lay diagonally along his torso began to glow, dark blue arcs of lightning dancing along his biceps and forearms and then exploding from his hands. The lightning branched between each water construct and caused them to disperse into droplets. Mera was a skilled practitioner of Atlantean sorcery however, and quickly collected the falling droplets into a large fist, which she used to smack Black Adam further into the sky, before looping it around to crash down atop him and crush him into the ground below.
Mera was persistent, but not enough to defeat Black Adam. He rose to his feet despite Mera mustering as much downward pressure with the hydrokinetic fist as she could and turned his hip slightly, dragging the back of his hand through the construct to cleave it into unstructured fluid. Once it rained down around him and didn't reform, he turned to face the queen again.
"You do little but irritate me," he stated. Within the blink of an eye he was before her, his hand around her throat and fingers crushing into her neck. Mera's feet lifted, kicking out to try and find a footing. Her fingers grasped at Black Adam's unrelenting choke hold while she gasped for air with widened eyes.
"No!" there was a roar from his left and then the next thing Adam registered, he was crashing through the sand. He flipped mid-air, boots digging into the floor and hand slamming down to slow himself. As he looked up he realised exactly what had happened. Aquaman had recovered and thrown his trident at him before he could completely kill the queen. Mera was on her knees, clutching at her throat and coughing for air. She looked both shocked and horrified at just how close to deaths door she was and looked at Adam with fear in her eyes. The king folded his arms, waiting for Aquaman to finish ensuring his wife was alright.
"You go too far!" Aquaman shouted.
"I warned you yesterday she would end up dead at your feet. Contrary to your own foolish belief, I am not a liar," was all Black Adam said in response.
This served to further aggravate Aquaman, who leapt into the air and raised his trident overhead. He landed before Black Adam and swung the trident down to try and pierce his shoulder but the king sidestepped the attack, grasping Aquaman's wrist before he could reset his stance and punching him in the side of the face. Aquaman recollected himself quickly from the strike and lashed out with a knee to Black Adam's stomach, but it didn't even shift him back a step. After managing to pry himself free from his grip, Arthur pushed his trident forward and channelled his magic through it, unleashing an arcane blast of blue and white energy directly at Black Adam. He countered the first blast with magical lightning, opting to evade the subsequent energy attacks. He flew around the battlefield as a blur, getting progressively closer to Aquaman until he shoulder barged the enemy king from the side. Aquaman rolled back to his feet and re-entered the fray, blocking a punch with his weapon and striking with an elbow. Black Adam lashed out with a low kick which Arthur leapt over. Seizing the temporary advantage, Aquaman brought the trident down with as much strength as he could muster in an attempt to end Black Adam once and for all. But he underestimated the Egyptian Champion. He righted himself and clapped both palms around either side of the trident, stopping the blow. Levitating slightly, he counter attacked with a ferocious kick to Aquaman's stomach, knocking the air out of him and causing him to release his hold on his weapon. He crashed into the sand and slid to a stop alongside Mera, managing to get to his knees but struggling to breathe. Adam tossed the Trident of Neptune aside, having no particular interest in the famous weapon. Mera helped her husband to his feet, but it would hardly make a difference. Black Adam had established he was the stronger and more experienced fighter.
"You are too weak to win," he informed his Atlantean opponents.
Aquaman didn't take kindly to being spoken down too and charged once more. Black Adam blocked the two punches he threw and sidestepped the kick he followed up with, hunkering down and throwing out an uppercut to Aquaman's side. He heard the bones of his ribcage crack on impact and Aquaman howled in pain. But Black Adam was not done with him. No, Aquaman had awakened Adam's anger. Both hands grabbed Arthur's skull and brought the recoiling king's face into his knee. Blood spewed from his flattened nose and his vision went hazy. The next punch Black Adam threw sent a shockwave over the battlefield, the supersonic hook punch threatening to shatter the entire side of Aquaman's face.
"You have lost!" Black Adam roared, rising into the air with Aquaman's frail body and throwing him down towards the sea with unhindered aggression. Aquaman bounced along the waves like a pebble skimming along a lake, before eventually disappearing into the depths of the water. His gaze shifted down to see Mera grab the trident and make a run for the Red Sea. He cascaded downward just as she reached the shore, grabbing her long red hair and pulling her back away from the waters edge and onto the floor. She dropped the trident and it was swallowed by the waves, but that wasn't Black Adam's concern right now. Mera shifted back along the sand and stood to her feet.
"It is time I kept my promise-" he was about to lunge at Mera when he was cut off by the feeling of metal around his throat. The Red Sea had burst and given way to an assailant. Before he could fling the attacker off, he was dragged beneath the waves of the sea. Deeper and deeper. He could breathe underwater just fine, he had complete self sustenance and did not require oxygen or air to survive thanks to the Stamina of Shu. Still, though, this was an irritant he did not intend to tolerate any longer. He grasped the metal at his neck and arched his back, sending the attacker overhead. Yet the assailant was gone as soon as Black Adam freed himself from the hold. Then without warning, he was struck from multiple directions consistently and extremely quickly. His body floated down, up and to the side after each blow. Then the attacker made himself known, as Aquaman swam into his line of sight.
"You are in my territory now, Black Adam!" Aquaman decreed. Now it made sense. The water must have healed his body to some extent and he was faster and stronger when submerged. Adam welcomed the challenge.
When Aquaman swam at supersonic speeds toward him again, he weaved to the side and blocked the kick that came with his forearm. He and Aquaman exchanged a vicious flurry of blows and counter attacks. Each combatant grew progressively faster and stronger. However Black Adam knew the might of Amon-Ra would crush Aquaman. He was just about to land a blow when an unbelievable pressure sent him further below the surface. Mera swam down rapidly from above, joining her husband in the fight. It was clear the fact they were fighting at their strongest and with an environmental advantage had replenished their morale. So Black Adam did what any god would do. He stripped them of their confidence. The next time Aquaman drew close to attack, he dodged the stab of the trident and sent a burst of lightning at the Atlantean's torso. Aquaman's body went rigid while the mystical lightning electrocuted him, his mouth open as if to cry out yet no noise came. By the time the spell ceased, Aquaman was left floating aimlessly and barely conscious, with blisters as a result of the heat visible along his face. Yet, the King of Atlantis' grip on his trident tightened and he somehow righted himself despite the weakness seeping into his body as a result of his electrocution. It was an admirable show of determination. When he came at Black Adam again though, his movements were groggy and weak. He placed a palm on Aquaman's chest and shoved with enough force that Aquaman shot upwards at incredible speed. He broke the surface and collided with the sand above. Mera swam hastily after her king, reaching the surface and rushing towards him.
Black Adam rose from the Red Sea not long after, his golden boots grazing along the waves while he hovered toward the Atlantean royals. Mera was holding Aquaman's body, his muscles still having spasms as a result of the shock he was administered. Adam's magical lightning was not to be taken lightly.
"It is over," the King of Kahndaq declared, looking down on the pair from his elevated position, "you have fought bravely. But you cannot defeat me."
"You're right..." Mera whispered.
This gave Black Adam pause. He did not reply, rather waited for her to speak further.
Before Mera could continue, Aquaman took her hand in his and gave her a nod of reassurance at what the queen was about to say, "let what remains of our soldiers return to Atlantis and we will submit to you."
"You are already beaten," Black Adam stated the obvious, "yet you think you are in a position to make demands? To bargain?"
"It's not a demand," Mera looked up at Adam, "it's a request. I don't want to see any more of my people die. I don't think you want to see any more of yours die, either."
Adam considered her request, his boots finding equal footing on the ground. Time seemed to pass eternally slowly while Mera waited for his judgement. Then, he spoke.
"Very well. Your survivors may return and take their dead as well on the condition you allow yourselves to be restrained immediately. I will not have you betraying my mercy."
"Thank you, Adam..." Aquaman's voice was coarse and weak. He let Mera help Aquaman to his feet and then he placed a hand on their central backs, guiding them forwards. A static charge was building at his palms, one neither Atlantean wanted him to release after the state his lightning left Aquaman in. Mera relayed the message of both defeat and retreat to the Atlantean soldiers, who had lay down their arms upon seeing their king defeated. Tomaz strode forwards, the lead commander applying enchanted handcuffs to Mera and Aquaman's wrists.
Once all of the Atlantean soldiers, beasts and remains had been cleared from Kahndaq's land, Black Adam turned to Aquaman and Mera, who were on their knees with their hands bound by metal.
"You were at a constant disadvantage," Black Adam began to deduce there was something else going on, "you attack in an environment hostile to your army. You fight me, knowing you would ultimately lose. You both value the lives of your people just as I value mine. So why?"
It was Mera who answered, "we were only the first wave. Poseidon told us to weaken you and your army."
"Zehuti has warned me the Amazons under orders from Zeus are going to invade Kahndaq too. Is that the second battle I should expect?"
"No..." Mera replied quietly.
"Then what?"
"It's-" Aquaman finally spoke up. Before he could finish the sentence, an overwhelming presence of immense power turned Black Adam's attention to the Red Sea. The waves began to warp upward and twist and turn like a hydrokinetic tornado. The outline of a massive figure could be seen within, glowing light blue eyes piercing the hurricane of water and staring down onto Black Adam directly. Then, the water blasted apart in all directions, revealing a titanic frame of muscle. This new foe was much larger than Black Adam, easily at least five times his height. A long grey beard flowed from his chin and in his right hand was a supremely powerful Greek weapon. The Trident of…
"Poseidon." Black Adam met the stare of the deity with equal fury. The god who set Atlantis on this course of war and bloodshed under false premise had finally shown himself.
Black Adam lifted from the ground with his arms folded across his chest, flying upward to become level with the eyes of the massive deity. The tension between them was unmistakable. The fight that was to come would determine if Kahndaq lived or died. But those who threatened Kahndaq and her people… Rarely survived.
**DISCLAIMER** I do not own Black Adam, Kahndaq or any of the other DC characters that may or may not show up through the chapters of this fanfiction. This is simply my take on how powerful a character like Black Adam could be and what the Kingdom of Kahndaq could look like under his rule.