Chapter 6: The Prince of Atlantis
In the middle of the Atlantic ocean, a lone submarine soared through the waters. Onboard, the captain stood at the bridge, overseeing his crew at work.
"How's our heading?" He requested.
"On course, sir." One of the crewmen replied. "Should arrive at port within an hour or so."
As they continued their trek, something showed up on the radar.
"What was that?" the captain asked.
"Not sure, sir." The crewman replied. "It just showed up and then vanished."
Just then, a laser started cutting a hole in the top of the sub. The large metal disk dropped down, allowing a group of pirates clad in black diving gear to drop down into the sub. They immediately opened fire on the crew, gunning them down without hesitation. As they all dropped to the ground, the pirates moved about the sub, looking for any other men on board that would be of hindrance to their plans. One man in particular, a bald african american man with a mustache and beard, turned to another member of his team. This member removed their helmet, revealing another African American man, only much younger.
"Disable the distress signal and get the remaining crew members to the brig." The younger man ordered.
The men moved to do what they were told. One member brought the captain of the vessel forward.
"You heard him." the man snapped. "Disable the signal, now."
"It's too late." the captain swore. "They heard it, and they will come."
"Tell you what, I'll make you a deal." The younger man told him. "I don't tell you how to man a sub, and you don't tell me how to pirate."
The man then extended a blade from his arm and stabbed the man in the chest. The captain fell dead as the younger man sheathed his blade.
"Where the rest of the crew?" He questioned.
"They sealed themselves in the torpedo bay." the older man told him. "Guess they decided discretion was the better part of valor."
"Our reputation precedes us." The younger man remarked.
"Your reputation, David." the older man insisted. "This is your win."
The older man then pulled out a dagger and handed it to David.
"That hunk of junk?" David remarked. "You've held onto that thing for years."
"It belonged to my father." The older man explained. "He was one of the navy's first frogmen during World War II. He was so stealthy in the water his unit nicknamed him 'Manta'. But after the war, his country forgot about him, so he went back to the sea, scavenging and surviving with his wit, and this knife. He gave it to me when I was your age, and now it's yours, son."
He held out the knife for David to take. Hesidently, David took it, unsheathing it to get a better look at it. It was well taken care of with the carving of a manta ray near the hilt.
"It's beautiful." David commented.
"Hey boss!" One of the pirates shouted. "We got something on radar!"
"What is it?" David asked.
"No clue, but it's moving fast!" the pirate reported.
Suddenly, something collided hard with the rear propeller, shaking the entire vessel. The pirates all struggled to maintain balance as an alarm began blaring.
"Did we just hit something?" David questioned.
"No." his father answered. "Something hit us."
"Another sub?" David pondered.
"No, sir!" one of the pirates called out, looking at the outer camera footage. "I think it's… a man!"
"Is it him?" David's father questioned. "The Superman?"
"No, it's not him!" The pirate answered, struggling to see the figure on the cameras. "This is someone new!"
Just then, the man swam down under the sub and began forcing it upward. Everyone lost their balance, falling to the ground as the the sub surfaced. Once the sub was topside, the man leapt on top of it and tore open the hatch before leaping inside. The pirates all stared in shock at who it was.
The man was large, built like a swimmer and a wrestler all together. He wore no shirt, showing off his bare chest that was covered in tattoos. He had wrist guards on each arm, a pair of swimming pants that clung to his legs, and appeared barefoot. He had long blonde hair and a full, neatly trimmed beard that framed a cocky smile as he turned to the pirates.
"Permission to come aboard?" He joked.
The pirates opened fire on him so he quickly grabbed the broken hatch, using it as a shield. He then bolted forward, ramming into the two and knocking them back with the hatch. He then threw the hatch at one of the pirates, embedding it into the wall and just missing him. The pirate then took out his gun and tried shooting at him, only for the bullet to just bounce off him. The man grabbed the pirate by the leg and threw him against the wall. As another pirate came running towards him, the man grabbed the hatch off the wall and threw it at the pirate, knocking him to the ground. Finally, he entered the main deck, grabbing one pirate that tried to grab him from behind. He slammed him into the doorframe, terrifying one last pirate hiding behind the door to the deck. The man slammed the door in his face, knocking him out cold.
With the immediate pirates dealt with, the man proceeded further inside, dealing with the radar tech by snatching his gun and using it like a club. One more tried to shoot him, but the man grabbed his gun arm, aiming him all around the room before throwing him into the periscope. One guy got up close and delivered a punch, but it just made the man give him a look. The man then delivered his own punch, knocking the guy out cold.
"Anyone else?" The man asked.
When he got no answer, he shrugged, then made his way to the torpedo bay. Once he got there, he turned the hatch, bending the lock the crew had put in place to keep the pirates out. Once the door opened, the crew looked relieved, one recognizing the man.
"Aquaman!" he shouted.
"Hurry up." Aquaman told the crew. "I've got a pressing engagement after this and I still need to find the leaders of this pirate crew."
The crew instantly got moving towards the hatch, clamoring up to the surface. There, they escaped into several life rafts, putting as much distance as they could between themselves and the sub. As the last of them made their way up the ladder, more gunfire erupted as Aquaman turned towards it. He was disoriented by the constant shots before falling off a platform and onto the floor below. The gunfire turned out to be from David as he leapt down and aimed his gun at his head.
"So you're the Aquaman." David remarked. "I've waited a long time for this."
"Should I know you?" Aquaman asked.
"You will." David swore, preparing to fire.
Aquaman kicked it out of his hands before getting back to his feet. David then extended its blade and swung it at Aquaman trying to cut him. The blades however, didn't seem to do anything. He even tried stabbing him, but it just stopped at his skin.
"Sorry." Aquaman apologized. "I don't work that way."
Aquaman then grabbed him and threw him across the room.
"So, who are you anyway?" Aquaman questioned.
"I'm the Grandson of the Manta, the greatest pirate to ever roam these waters." David answered. "My crew and I have pillaged countless ships and subs in these waters, and personally, I was always hoping to meet you. You'd be the perfect way to start my own legend."
David then leapt back up and started swinging at him again, but Aquaman quickly blocked the blows. As David thrusted his sword forward, Aquaman caught it between his hands before snapping it in two.
"Sorry, no legends today." Aquaman remarked, grabbing the end of a nearby torpedo and slamming it into David's face.
He stumbled back, the heavy torpedo falling to the ground as Aquaman threw him against the wall. David fell, disoriented and unable to focus. As Aquaman walked towards him, he heard the sound of a large caliber weapon being cocked. He turned to see David's father standing there, armed with a grenade launcher. He fired the launcher at Aquaman, hitting him and knocking him into the wall. As Aquaman slowly pulled himself up, smoke literally rising off his skin, David and his father could only watch.
"Ow." Aquaman let out, much to the pirates' horror.
David's father quickly tried to reload a second round, but Aquaman just ripped a pipe off the wall, throwing it like a javelin. It struck David's father in the shoulder, pinning him to the opposite wall.
"No!" David cried out. "Dad!"
"Dad?" Aquaman repeated before cursing under his breath. "You have got to be kidding me"
Aquaman walked over to David's father and pulled the pipe out, letting the man drop to the ground as blood poured from the wound.
"I'm not gonna kill you." Aquaman told him. "You got yourselves into this mess, you can get yourselves out. Honestly, who in their right mind brings their kids into this line of work? You should be ashamed of yourself."
Enraged, David's father aimed his launcher at Aquaman and fired, only for Aquaman to dodge and the grenade to hit the wall behind him. Water began flooding in through the hole, knocking the loose torpedo free of its moorings and onto David's father. The heavy weapon crushed his legs in an instant, pinning him to the ground. The man let out a pained scream, much to David's horror
"Father!" David cried out, stumbling towards his dad and trying to lift the torpedo off of him.
As the two struggled to move the torpedo, Aquaman just watched, his gaze cold. He then continued climbing, leaving them to their fates. David saw this, reaching out for him.
"Wait!" he begged. "You can't leave him like this! Please!"
"You killed innocent people!" Aquaman called back. "Ask the sea for mercy!"
With that, Aquaman took his leave of the sub, David and his father left at the mercy of the endless water.
…
Later at a seaside bar, an older man sat alone at the counter. He wore an old lighthouse foreman's jacket and a knit cap, nursing a large beer mug. Suddenly, Aquaman came and sat down next to him, now wearing a flannel shirt and a thick leather coat.
"Hey pop." He greeted. "Sorry I'm late."
"I figured you would be." his dad replied. "Saved people's lives today?"
"Yeah." Aquaman confirmed. "Saved some people, hit some bad guys, the usual thing."
His dad smirked, patting him on the back.
"You're a good man, Arthur." He told him.
"Only because you raised me that way." Aquaman replied.
The two men smiled, then Arthur/Aquaman was provided a beer of his own.
"To you, Arthur." His dad said, raising his mug.
Arthur raised his own mug against his, the glasses clinking together before they both tipped their heads back and drank.