Ultimate Aquaman: The Savage

- Entertainer13 -

Part Four: Warrior Born

Six Years Ago

Arthur was happy.

Thomas and Martha Curry took great care of him for three years. Eventually, they pulled a few strings and adopted him. They then began exploring Arthur's abilities. They discovered that every few hours or so, Arthur needed to return to water. While fresh water could sustain him, he needed salt water to thrive. He had amazing strength, incredible speed, and his skin could withstand the mightiest of blows. He was truly a miracle.

Thomas taught him from their home on the coast. Not only was Thomas a medical doctor, but he had an interest in a variety of fields. He worked for research facility, and was constantly being offered jobs elsewhere. Thomas and Sara believed in loyalty, however, and stayed in place. Arthur learned quickly, recalling things he knew of math and science, yet never remembering what happened to him before he washed up on the beach.

One night, a group of men came to the Curry house. Arthur was out swimming, but came back just in time to see them slapping Thomas around, and holding Sara back. They screamed about Thomas making the wrong choice. They screamed that if they couldn't have his research, no one could. As fast as Arthur was, he wasn't faster than a bullet. Thomas and Sara were shot before his eyes, moments before he burst in and attacked the men.

Anger had swelled in him, and he attacked. The men stood no chance, and took them all down in moments. In rage, he continued punching the last man. Blow after blow was dealt to the man in Arthur's grasp. Instinctively he held back. Thomas had trained him. Arthur's fist was held high, ready for another strike. He then noticed the weak breathing of the man. His blood stained Arthur's hands. His face was distorted, almost inhuman. He looked over at the bodies of Thomas and Sara, and dropped the man. He stood up and looked down on the men with contempt.

"I let you live for their sakes," Arthur said, noting his parents, "They showed me kindness and love. I can do no less."

He tied the men up in whatever way possible. He took the bodies and tenderly wrapped thin in bed sheets. Then, he called the police and told them what happened. He would make arrangements later. He would meet them later. He couldn't handle this. He turned to the ocean, and ran down the beach. The wind flew in his hair as he leapt towards the surf, landing dozens of feet in, crashing beneath the waves. Arthur swam. He swam from his parent's killers. He swam from the only people who he ever knew as family. He swam until his arms could no longer feel anything.

-

Now

Arthur screamed.

Held by Helmsley's men, hundreds of volts of electricity surged through his body. It was yet another in a series of shocks to his system. He slumped over, seemingly unconscious. Helmsley stood back, relenting on his urge to use the taser once again. The mercenary had raised the level of electricity in the small device, solely to test out the savage's resistance. If the man had died, only he would know of the failure. Helmsley nodded to his men, who lifted up the body and prepared to drag it away.

Helmsley then turned to the last of the Derringer's crew, and smiled. All were held by the rest of his men, completely at his mercy. He looked them over, a small smile on his face. The blonde was cute, but it was the brunette the wild man had protected so fiercely. A thought dawned on him. Why waste space with more than one person to keep the wild man in check? All they needed was the one. She would do. He walked up to Miranda, and leaned in close.

"Tell me, beautiful," he asked softly, his breath smelling faintly of liquor, "What's your name?" When she remained silent, the man holding her tightened his grip on her neck. She relented.

"Mir... Miranda."

"Miranda, eh?" Helmsley remarked wistfully. He turned and walked towards the form of Arthur. He seemed to consider the wild man for a moment, before continuing, "Lovely name. Well, you know something, Miranda?"

"What?" she asked, defiantly. She and the rest of her comrades looked on in vain. Their protector was defeated. He had gone into his enemy's hands willingly, and was surprised with the attack from the taser. It seemed hopeless.

"You owe this savage your life," Helmsley said simply, his head looking behind him towards Mira, "His devotion to you has given you a ticket to live. Sadly, the rest of your friends are expendable. Men, kill them, and let's go."

Arthur's eyes shot open. He had rested during this small respite to his torture. Another few more shots, and he was afraid what would have happened. He had to act now. This wasn't part of the arrangement. He knew it was temporary one, but he wasn't willing to sacrifice anyone. He'd seen enough death in his lifetime. He'd be damned if he'd see anymore.

Flexing his muscles, Arthur reached deep within himself and pulled at the men holding him back. He wrenched himself free of their grip, snapping apart the rope binding his wrists. He leapt forwards, straight for Helmsley. He tackled the taller man to the ground, and reached into the side pocket quickly, grabbing the knife Helmsley had. The armed men were too worried to shoot, or else hurt Helmsley. By the time, the struggle ended, Arthur was behind his foe, a knife held to the throat. He looked to the men around him.

"Get to the entrance of the cave, or he dies!" Arthur snarled. Truthfully, they were at a standoff. They had hostages, he had a hostage. Still, he was hoping they held a loyalty to their captain that overrode common sense. Helmsley chuckled in front of him.

"You idiot," he said, "They outnumber you, and you think they give shit about me? They're just hired gunmen, here for the money." Arthur winced inwardly, but had one last hope. They were dead if he gave up, they were dead if he didn't. Time for a gamble.

Arthur flung Helmsley behind him, straight at the men holding Miranda and he men. The confusion caused them to spread. In that moment, Arthur leapt for the three men who had been holding him. Fists flying, he took the three out in seconds, and tore off their guns, flinging them into the pool of water outside the cave. He turned to where he threw Helmsley, and was somewhat surprised.

Beck and Mira were getting Graise and Stacy behind them, backing off from the group in the chaos. They were holding them off pretty well, Beck with some stiff punches, Mira with some hard kicks. Arthur didn't hesitate, and flew into the fray, tackling Helmsley who was getting up off the ground. His timing was off though, and Helmsley landed a hard punch to Arthur, sending him flying into some of the men. Surprisingly enough, they all backed off. Arthur looked at them amazed. All of Helmsley's men were leaving the cave, gathering weapons and running.

"Where are you going, cowards!" Helmsley screamed in rage.

One of the men yelled back, "It ain't worth it! This guy doesn't quit!"

Helmsley's eyes widened. They were going to leave him here! They had been out at sea for the past four months, tracking the Derringer and scouting. They had complained when he had wanted to hunt down the wild man. They were fed up, and tired of being pushed around. They were going to dredge up the artifact in the ocean and go. The bastards.

Helmsley rose slowly and watched the last of his men run from the cave. He looked at Arthur, who's attention was back on him. He sneered, and then charged. Arthur moved to dodge the charge, and Helmsley took advantage of that, turning at the last minute and landing a punch to Beck, knocking the man over. He blocked a kick from Mira, elbowed her in the head, and spun around her, pulling a knife from his other pocket and holding it to her neck. Helmsley was never big on hostages, but this was the second time with the savage.

"Okay, Fish-Man," Helmsley said savagely, "I get off this hell hole, too. Give me a few minutes to catch up to my men, or else she gets it."

"You're the idiot now," Arthur answered quietly, "They seem dead set on leaving you here."

"You bastard," Helmsley growled, bringing the knife closer to Mira's throat, "Why couldn't you have left this alone? You had to be the hero. You could have just let us go about our business, but you had to get involved. Why?"

"Because men like you can't be left alone," Arthur said, unflinching, "Because men like you ruin lives for profit. Because men like you need to be stopped."

"How over the top," Helmsley laughed, "I think I'll take my chances. You, just stay away!" He backed up, holding tightly on the struggling Mira. He soon made his way out of the cave as everyone watched. Arthur turned to the rest in the cave.

"You," he said, pointing to Stacy, "Make sure he is okay." He motioned towards Beck, and Stacy immediately went to work. "I'll be back in a few moments. I'll take care of this." He looked at Graise, and said plainly. "Stay out of her way."

Soon, he was gone, leaving an angered Dr. Graise in his wake.

-

Walter Helmsley made his way down the beach with Miranda in his grasp. His men were loading into the row boats and getting ready to leave. The woman in his arms screamed and complained as she neared the surf. Helmsley called out to the men loading into the last of the boats, but they ignored him, quickly heading out towards the ocean. Walter cursed under his breath.

"Let me, go!" Miranda screeched. Helmsley pulled the knife closer to her through, attempting to quiet her. It worked. He looked around, unsure of what to do. He had top get away from the savage. He could lure him into the jungle. Yeah, that might work. Surprise him, kill him, and then kill everyone else. Then if anyone picks him up, he can make up a story about this crazy cannibal who tried to kill them all. That could do it. He quickly pulled Miranda with him into the wild jungle.

The trees seemed to fall in on Helmsley as he tried to find some sort of trail. This was a new experience for him. He'd been raised to go into the fishing business with his dad, but that fell through. After the military, he became a mercenary. Yet, with all the jobs he's had, never had he met up with someone so relentless. Could he even hurt this guy? The electricity weakened him, but who's to say that his skin still isn't as hard as rock. Helmsley was sweating. He wasn't used to this kind of panic. He wasn't scared, just rightfully concerned.

He heard the noise of rushing water and followed it. Eventually, the trees parted, and before Helmsley was an empty plain. At the end was a sharp cliff. Nowhere else to run. He couldn't back track. He was certain the savage had followed. In rage, he flung Miranda to the ground and gave her a stiff kick. She screamed in pain.

"Don't do that again!" a voice growled from behind Helmsley. The fisherman turned around just in time to be plowed over by the savage. They began to roll around around, until finally Helmsley hit a stiff head butt. He rolled away and slowly rose to his feet, waving the knife menacingly.

Rising to his feet, Arthur said offhandedly, "It's funny. I'm ready to beat you to a pulp, and I don't even know your name."

"Walter Helmsley," came the response. Helmsley looked Arthur over. There were cuts on his feet and legs from the jagged rocks on the ground. They looked fresh. He could be hurt! "Not that it matters. You're going to be dead in a few moments."

Silently, they considered one another. Then, they each charged. Helmsley hit a hard punch to Arthur, followed up by a hard kick to the ribs. Blow after blow was dealt on Arthur, but every time the knife came close, it somehow missed. Finally, the blade struck home, slashing Arthur across his right bicep. Arthur grunted in response, and laid a stiff punch to Helmsley's face.

After a few more exchanges, Helmsley dropped to his knees, and made a sweep kick, knocking Arthur over, onto his back. Splayed out, Helmsley made to lunge at his foe. Instinctively, Arthur made a hard kick to Helmsley's knee, causing him to double over. The knife came falling straight towards Arthur's left hand...

-

Miranda shook her head awake. She had been knocked silly by Helmsley's kick, and she began to orient herself. To one side, she saw a cut off. They were near a cliff. She looked to the other side, and saw Helmsley repeatedly hitting Arthur. Finally, both seemed to be falling, the knife in Helmsley's hand heading towards Arthur's left hand. Thankfully, Arthur rolled out of the way just in time.

She tried to rise, but her ribs hurt. Damn pirate! She could barely move. She dragged herself over to a boulder, trying to find anyway to get up. She watched the fight closely, and noted that Arthur seemed to get a second wind. He knocked the knife out of Helmsley's hand and began to repeatedly punch him. Blow after blow caused Helmsley to stager back, towards the cliff. Mira was finally able to get herself sitting on top of the boulder.

Helmsley blocked a punch and lunged for Arthur, going to tackle him. He wasn't going to lose. Not now! Arthur was weak from earlier abuse, and easily fell under the weight of his opponent. Helmsley landed on top of Arthur and began pounding away. After a few seconds, Arthur's face was busted open. A smile crept across Helmsley's face. He was going to win. That elation was short lived, though. Seconds later, he was knocked off of Arthur.

Mira had used what strength she had left, plowing into Helmsley. Arthur slowly rose to his feet along with Helmsley. The mercenary was charged by the so-called savage, and knocked over with a hard punch. Helmsley fell to his back, groaning. Arthur stumbled towards the fallen knife and plucked it up from the ground before walking over towards Helmsley. Moments later, he stood over his foe, knife in hand.

"Arthur!" Miranda screamed, "Don't!"

Arthur turned and looked at Mira. Their eyes connected, and he felt something yet again. She had the most reassuring gaze. He shook his head. "He can't be helped. I let some bastards go before, and they got away with murder. I'm not going to let it happen again."

"There's more to life than revenge," Miranda said, pleading, "We've beaten him. We've won. You don't like to see killing. It would be wrong of you to become a killer."

Arthur looked down at Helmsley. He hadn't been knocked out, but he seemed to be in no position to do much of anything. The first people Arthur could remember had welcomed him into their home. They had sheltered him, clothed him, taught him and even loved him. All the other people he had seen seemed to obsess for power, or be filled with hate. Perhaps, though... he'd join those in hate. He'd help their cause if he killed. Maybe this time, things would be different.

Arthur dropped the knife. He stumbled over towards Mira, unsure of what to do next. Behind him, Helmsley struggled to his feet and reached for the knife. He rose, and charged. Miranda screamed. Arthur turned. Helmsley lunged. A blur of action passed Miranda as the two figures neared the ledge. They were dangerously close, until suddenly, Arthur dropped and flipped Helmsley over his shoulders. A piercing scream soon followed, as Helmsley fell to his death.

Arthur rose to his feet, unsure of what had happened. He heard a crash in the water below, and turned around. Helmsley had fallen over the ledge of the cliff. It was over. They had won. He struggled to his feet. He needed to get to water, and soon. He walked over towards Mira, who was shaking.

"Is he?" she asked, not finishing her question. Arthur nodded, eliciting a smile in response. "Thank you." Arthur smiled in reply. This woman had been kind to him. She had tried to protect his privacy from he others, and she didn't assume he was an uneducated heathen. Perhaps, he could trust her.

"Where did you learn to fight," he asked, "Back in the cave, you handled yourself well."

"Five years of kickboxing lessons will do that for you," she smiled, "A girl's gotta protect herself."

Arthur held out his hand, his smile growing. Miranda took his hand into hers, and she rose. They stood, looking at one another. The moment seemed to last for an eternity.

center-

Beck looked at the tablet in his hands as he stood aboard a coast guard vessel. Hours after the fight with Helmsley, the Coast Guard had come by, looking for trouble. STAR Labs had assumed the worse, knowing others were trying to steal there finds. Thankfully, the "pirates" had been caught, just as they were dredging up the tablet. After that, they found the rest of the crew of the Derringer. Now, they were all safe. The past twenty four hours had been interesting.

"We almost got killed, for this?" Dr. Graise snorted from behind Beck. He shifted his glasses as he looked the tablet covered in odd runes. "Ridiculous."

"Tell that to your bosses at STAR Labs," Beck replied, looking at the smaller man, "They seemed to really want this tablet."

"Management doesn't have a clue about what they're doing," Graise muttered, walking off to be alone. Stacy walked up to Beck and put her hand on top of his.

"Don't mind Eddy, Ray," she said softly, "It's-"

"Been rough on all of us," Ray replied with a laugh, "I know. I was there."

"Yeah," Stacy said with a smile, "You were." The two shared a quiet laugh."

On the other end of the ship, Miranda stood at the railing of the boat. The wind blew through her auburn hair once more. The smell of salt in the air made her smile. She loved the sea, but she would be happy to see Florida soon. She heard footsteps behind her, and she turned to see Arthur. He looked different. His beard was trimmed, as well as his hair. She smiled.

"This is a new look for you," Mira said with a grin, noting his gray shirt clashing with his black swim pants, "You almost look respectable." Arthur just stood beside her, looking out at the sea. Mira didn't mind the silence. He had told her a lot. That was why he had come with her. He wanted to find out more about himself. He knew he couldn't hide from humanity any longer. It was time figure out his past.

"Do you think..." Arthur began, obviously grasping with the words, "Do you think these men at STAR Labs can help me?" He didn't meet her gaze, staring intently at the dolphins swimming in the boat's wake.

"Well, if they can't, I'm sure they know someone who can," Miranda reassured him. She looked away, inspecting the horizon, watching the sun set. She sighed.

"Thank you." Arthur said suddenly. Mira looked at him, startled. He was thanking her? He had saved their lives. What was he thanking her for. Before she could protest, he continued. "If you and your friends hadn't come, I don't know if I'd ever have gained the courage to leave that island. Now I can finally face some fears. Face what I've been avoiding all this time."

Miranda smiled. Her hand made its way towards Arthur's, and rested tentatively on top of it. He flinched, but not out of revulsion. Their hands rested in solace, nothing more. The two figures stood quietly as the boat skillfully cut its way through the Caribbean, heading home. Hues of orange and red basked the two in a variety of colors. The peace was broken by two words.

"Your welcome."

The End

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