HUGE ANNOUNCEMENT AT THE END!
"Percy? Percy? Are you even listening? Percy?"
"Huh?" Percy shook himself from the daze, refocusing on the shimmering gray eyes in front of him that were currently glaring at him hard. "Oh, I'm sorry. Uh…what were we talking about again?"
Her glare intensified.
Percy wracked his brain, trying to think as quickly as possible. "Architecture? You have a new design model for your class, right? Oh, wait, no, it's, uh, it's…your dad. Yeah! You're going to see him again aren't you. Good, yeah that's…no, no, it was, um, it was…OH, you wanted to try out that new pizza place down the street. No, wait, it's not a pizza place but it is next to the pizza place which is why…"
He trailed off as she continued to glare at him, her finger tapping the table impatiently.
"Are you done?" she asked dryly.
"Um…Happy Anniversary?" he said weakly, putting on as big a smile as he could.
"Not even close, Seaweed Brain," she said, rolling her eyes. "Besides, you were right the first time."
"I was?" Percy blinked, trying to recall what the first thing he said was. "Oh yeah, the architecture thing. So, how's that going?"
"I just told you and I'm in no mood to go over it again. So just forget it. You'll just zone out again. Like always."
Percy felt that hit harder than any monster attack. He had often wondered how a dimwit like him managed to land someone as amazing as Annabeth. And he knew he could never blow it. "Hey," he said, taking her hand gently. "I'm sorry. You know I'm not as smart as you. Though, to be fair, not many are."
That earned him a tiny smile out of the corner of her mouth.
"If this is important to you than it is absolutely important to me too. So I want to hear it. All of it. From the top. Just, you know, dumb it down for me a little so I can understand."
She gave him another look but he could tell he was winning her over. "Fine," she said. "But I'm not doing this a third time. So you'd better not zone out."
"I promise," he said firmly. "There's no other place I'd rather be right now."
Moments like this, just sitting with his girlfriend at a café, talking about normal stuff like university classes. This is what he wanted. This was the perfect life. He could stay here forever. He didn't ever want to leave. He just closed off his mind and sank away, living in that memory. Nothing else mattered.
"Kid, if you're powerful you'd better wake up soon! And if you're not, well…maybe it would be best to stay asleep."
Vega swam as fast as he could, his powerful fin cutting through the waters. He had hoped with his abilities, he'd be able to maintain a sizable lead over his opponent. But it would seem this guy was pretty fast in the water too.
"I'm going to tear you apart, you filthy traitor!"
"How could I possibly be a traitor?" Vega wondered aloud, wincing slightly. "I don't even know you who you are."
The day had started off normally enough. Just another sun-blessed day aboard the Maelstrom, his son Casper keeping watch in the lookout's post and his…well, he wasn't sure what to call Shah. Lover? Former lover? Possibly soon-to-be wife? Whatever they were to each other, she'd been there by his side, a smile gracing her gorgeous face.
And then, just like that, the White Sea he'd been sailing on had vanished along with his ship, his crew, and his family. Instead, he was in a completely new sea with no ship and no sign of life anywhere nearby.
That had been little over a day ago. In that time, he'd swam around, using his wereshark abilities to dive deep and try to find anything. He didn't know how this could possibly have happened. His leading theory was it was some type of ancient magic like the necromancy young Hector got involved with but he'd never heard of anything like this before. Granted, he'd never really read any book outside of navigational charting before so he wouldn't have anyway. Still, this was something very worrying.
Another theory, more likely, was that he got drunk or knocked out or something and now had a gap in his memory. Which meant that his family and crew were in trouble, wherever they were, and he had to find them fast.
But there was still something off. This sea…it wasn't his. He didn't know how he knew at first but on closer inspection, the entire seafloor was different. He may not be that knowledgeable about politics and higher learning and other such things. But when it came to the sea and navigation there, he was the master. And everything felt wrong. The seafloor was at a different depth than it should be. Also, the amount of sea life was dramatically small. It should be teeming with shoals of fish, the floor lined with crustaceans. But he was lucky if he even found one, just enough to stave off hunger.
It was when he finally found land that he became truly worried. Being part shark, he didn't have a problem staying in the water for long periods of time, but still he was glad when he spotted the landmass on the horizon. But that had quickly changed when he picked out a few details and it didn't take him long to realize that he had no idea where he was. He'd sailed all over the world, from the Cluster Isles through the Lyssian Straits around the Sabre Sea surrounding the sands of Omir all the way up to the icy cold waters of Sturmland. He'd even sailed quite a ways down either sides of the Bast continent. He knew those landmasses, knew their shapes and features by heart so he could recognize them again with ease. And whatever this place was, he didn't recognize it.
He'd at first thought it might be Omir judging from the arid and desert landscape but after traveling along the coast for a while he'd been convinced that that couldn't be the case. Whatever this place was, it was something else.
The good news, at the time, had been that he had actually found someone else. He had spotted him walking down the coast and had felt a mixture of relief and apprehension. But if he wanted any help figuring out what was going on, he had to go over there. Besides, he was one of the most powerful werelords in Lyssia. Granted, that hadn't stopped him from getting stabbed and coming almost crossing over to death but that had only happened because he let his guard down. Right now, his guard was way up and he was ready for anything.
So of course, at that moment, the whole world started shaking.
"What in Sosha's name?" he cried as waves struck him away from the coast. Then to his astonishment, a large fissure opened up in the mainland. Or, more accurately, a small fissure suddenly became much larger thanks to…something. An earthquake? Certainly felt like one but much different.
Vega dove down to the seafloor, grabbing hold a rocky shelf as a fresh wave washed over him, just managing to hang on and preventing himself from getting carried away.
He managed to get a good amount of oxygen through his gills before he looked up and his cold eyes widened as another wave, way more powerful than the others, came rushing towards him right out of that fissure.
"Ah shit!" he moaned and braced himself just before it hit. As a sailor, he knew better than to tense up all the way but still, the force of the wave sent him blasting across the sea. However, he quickly managed to right himself and relaxed his body, riding the waves as much as he could. He was still getting tossed around but with his added strength and speed, he was able to keep himself from losing complete control.
He didn't know how long it was. Could have been minutes or hours. Most likely minutes though. But, after a while, the wave receded and he was able to swim normally again.
"Sweet Sosha," he murmured. "What in the hells was that?"
He didn't have much time to ponder that before he spotted something on the sea floor. He frowned before swimming up a bit closer. It was a…boy. Only a little older than Casper by the looks of him. Black hair and a tattered purple shirt. But how had he wound up like this?
"Must have gotten caught in the current," Vega muttered to himself as he swam a bit closer. "Poor kid. Never stood a chance. Still, should be able to…Holy Mother of-"
He let out a string of curses as he saw the boy's chest go up and down. It was uneven and slow, like each breath was a labor, but he was doing it. He was somehow breathing underwater. Vega gaped for a few seconds before swimming closer. He looked for any werelord traits, especially gills, but found nothing. He looked like any old human. So, how was he able to breathe underwater.
"What kind of magic is this?" Vega wondered, carefully lifting him up off the seafloor. "Well, whatever the case, it would seem best to get you back to the mainland and see-"
"What are you doing?"
Vega would have jumped if he wasn't underwater, turning to see another figure. This one, however, was a werelord. Some sort of werefish or even a wereray judging from the sawfish nose he had. He was dressed strangely though, a bright black-and-yellow shirt worn with the front open revealing purplish-blue skin. There was a bright red marking on the man's left shoulder that looked like the sun.
"Why are you saving some worthless human?" the werelord growled, showing off his sharpened teeth. Vega tilted his head in confusion at the sight. He could have sworn this man was some sort of werefish or wereray yet those teeth definitely seemed sharklike.
"Who are you?"
"Who the hell are you? Another obviously. What are you doing here? And, more importantly, why would you help some drowned human?"
Vega wasn't sure how to respond to that. "He's not dead yet," he said. "Somehow, he's breathing underwater."
"What?" The werelord swam forward, taking a closer look at the boy and was shocked to see his chest slowly rise and fall. "That's impossible. What the hell is he?"
"That's what I'd like to find out, so-"
If it weren't for Vega's quick instincts, the boy would be dead as the werelord suddenly lashed out, his fist ready to strike. Vega managed to swim out of the way in the nick of time but felt the water part from the blow, waves washing back a few feet. The power in that strike…it was almost beyond belief.
"What was that for?" Vega asked curiously, all the while preparing himself for a fast escape.
"A worthless human breathing underwater? How dare that brat! I don't know what he is but he is no Fish-man and doesn't deserve to breathe the same rich waters as the rest of us. And you!" He glared fiercely at Vega now. "You would defend him! Do you know what humans have done to us?"
Vega frowned. "Honestly, it's more often what we do to them," he replied, thinking of all the times humans had been persecuted and stepped on by the werelords, especially in King Leopold's reign.
The werelord's eyes turned into narrow slits. "You don't even know the history of your kind. How can you call yourself a Fish-man!"
"I don't know what a Fish-man is, but I'm not one," Vega told him, tensing himself. "I'm a wereshark."
"Were…shark? What the hell is that?"
Vega didn't like the way he said that. Sure, he may not have ever met a wereshark before, but the way he had replied told Vega he was more unaware of what 'were' meant. Something everyone knew. So how could he not?
Vega could think of several possibly reasons. One was that whoever this was had lived as a recluse his entire life and hadn't learned the proper words for their kind, choosing to call himself a Fish-man, and had wound up believing that their kind were treated badly for some reason.
The other theory was that Vega was in a completely new land far away from Lyssia.
"One question. Do you know where we are right now?"
"I…" The Fish-man hesitated. "I'm not sure. One second I was in my cell, the next I was in the middle of some random ocean, one I don't recognize."
"Same here. I was on my ship and then I found myself way out here."
"So what?" the Fish-man snarled. "It changes nothing! That boy must die!"
"Why? He might have some answers."
"Who cares! I'll find them out for myself later then. But a filthy human, breathing water like that? I cannot let that pass. Besides, who knows what else he knows. Better to kill him now than see what else he can do."
Vega looked down at the boy again, his black hair plaster across his face, his body riddled with small bruises and scars. But he looked so at peace floating in the water. And, looking at him, Vega couldn't help but be reminded of his own son Casper who seemed only a few years short of this boy.
"No."
"What?" the Fish-man growled. "You would stick up for this…human?"
"Yep!" Vega replied. Then, he span through the water and slammed his foot into the Fish-man's stomach.
He wasn't sure what he was expecting. He had hoped that he would send the Fish-man tumbling away through the water or at least double him over from the pain. But, instead, the fishmman only grunted from the impact. His stomach felt like iron and Vega could feel pain shooting up from his shin.
What in Sosha's name is he made of? Vega wondered. But he didn't have time to think on it as the Fish-man grinned viciously at him.
"I always hate killing my own kind. But if you're going to be a traitor, best to put you down quickly."
Vega moved on instinct, dodging the Fish-man's snapping jaws and ducking under him, the boy still in his arms. Damn it all! he cursed. He usually never fled from a fight like this but he couldn't do much while protecting the boy, especially given this Fish-man's monstrous strength. That only left him with running away, something that sit well with him. Still, he acted fast, pushing off of the seafloor to gain more traction and swimming away at top speed.
"Come back here and fight, coward!"
Vega grimaced, hating that technically the Fish-man was right. This was cowardly. But he was afraid that even if he put the kid down somewhere, the Fish-man might still go after him. No, he needed to come up with a better plan. And soon, judging from the way the Fish-man was gaining on him.
As he moved, he felt something odd as he gripped the boy. There was something small and…cylindrical in his pocket. Hoping it was some sort of weapon, Vega carefully removed it while still swimming as fast as he could. Sadly, when he removed it, all he saw was some strange metallic looking quill. Tossing it aside, he kept going.
He stayed low, skimming the surface of the seafloor and ducking around the rocky outcroppings. He hoped there was a reef or trench or something nearby that he could use for cover but so far the best thing he saw was some sort of pillar a little ways away. Still, it was better than nothing so he went for it at top speed.
That still wasn't enough. He sensed the shift in the water behind him and acted on instinct, rolling to the side just as the Fish-man attacked. Vega winced, feeling those claws scrape against his flesh, gouging it a little and leaving a trail of blood in the water. But he didn't think on it long, already moving again.
"Need a plan," he muttered to himself. Whoever this guy was, he was incredibly fast and strong, way more powerful than anyone Vega had faced before. So outswimming him wasn't an option. But there wasn't much left to do. He could always abandon the kid, lighten the load and give the Fish-man a distraction for him to escape. But Vega tossed that aside the second he thought it. He may be a pirate, but he wasn't one to just toss someone aside to save his own skin. Well, an enemy or someone he didn't like maybe. But a random kid he didn't know who looked like he was barely clinging to life? No, Vega couldn't do that. But that didn't leave him many options.
"I hope you wake up soon if you do have some kind of powers," Vega muttered though he wondered kind of powers those would be. He had to be a werelord of the sea if he was breathing underwater like this but in this weakened state, there was probably nothing he could do against the Fish-man over there coming right for them.
"I will rip you apart!" the Fish-man growled, his teeth bared viciously as he swam closer.
"Who even are you and why would you hate humans so much? I understand why humans hate us given the last few centuries, but what'd they do to you?"
"You don't even know our history?" the Fish-man questioned in disbelief. "What a shame our kind has become. I am Arlong, captain of the Arlong Pirates. It is my destiny to take over this world in the name of all Fish-men and put the humans in their place beneath our feet. Make them the slaves for once so that they will know the pain and humiliation too many of our kind have suffered."
Vega didn't like the way he said that. It reminded him way too much of the way certain werelords like Leopold or Ghul talked, like they were superior just based on them being werelords. It was clear he had gone through things, terrible things, to think this way. Or at least it sounded like it. But still, it didn't sit right with Vega.
"Well, I've never suffered like that," he replied. "I'm a pirate captain too and my crew's mainly humans and I would give my life for each and every one of them. They're my brothers in arms."
"Disgusting!" Arlong snarled. "To see a Fish-Man fall so far like this. It makes my blood boil. How could you betray your own kind this way? You are far worse than Jimbei or those imbecile royals of the Ryugu Kingdom. At least they still have some pride left. But you…you sold yours all away. In the name of Fisher Tiger, I will tear you apart."
Vega growled and prepared to lower the boy. At least he had succeeded in diverting all attention on to himself so it didn't look like Arlong would go after the boy until Vega was dead. Small comforts it seemed.
"One thing. I'm no Fish-man," Vega told him and let the transformation overtake him, his bones snapping and dislocating even more, his skin shaping up, his jaw elongating, his teeth sharpening. In a blink, his eyes were gone, replaced with the cold stare of a shark. "I'm a wereshark. And you'll find me hard to kill."
"We'll see," Arlong growled before launching himself forward. "Shark Darts!"
Vega barely had time to react before the Fish-man was on him. He had tried to prepare for the speed but it was nearly impossible to do. He didn't even have time to put the kid down. He just tossed him over one arm and lunged out with the other in defense as Arlong's long, sharp nose came at him like a spear, managing to grab onto it before he got struck. Still, it didn't do much as Arlong kept going, grabbing Vega around the middle and pushing them both forward.
Arlong's mouth snapped down, almost biting Vega but he managed to use his legs to keep the Fish-man at bay. "Rargh!" Arlong roared and swam downwards, smashing Vega into the seafloor. Vega grunted, feeling the sand and rocks scraping his backside as he was dragged forward. But they were all superficial injuries. Instead, he focused his all on Arlong's nose, clasping it between his fingers and twisting it will all his strength.
Snap!
"Argh!" Arlong screamed as Vega broke his nose, practically twisting it to the side. With a grunt, he threw Vega off, leaving the werelord spinning in the water before he was able to right himself.
Vega gave himself a few seconds to rest up. That had been too close. He didn't think he'd be able to avoid another attack like that with just some back scrapes. He needed to do something.
First things first, he had to put the kid down. Even if Arlong went after him the second Vega let him go, it was still too much of a risk to keep holding him. Vega would just have to lead Arlong away.
But as he put the boy down, he felt something in his pocket again. Frowning, he removed it and saw to his shock that it was the same metallic quill thing he had thrown away just a minute ago. "How is this possible?" he muttered. "What magic is this?"
He didn't have time to think about it as he heard growling and turned to see Arlong facing him again, having done his best to right his broken nose. "You will suffer for that, traitor!"
"I have been so furious and confused at the same time before," Vega muttered. Then, to his surprise, he saw Arlong laughing widely, his mouth opening wide. That surprise turned to shock as the Fish-man's teeth suddenly came out in a perfect form, with even the underlying bone holding them all together. And, a few seconds later, another set of teeth came out and a third one grew back.
"The perks of being part shark, don't you think?" he asked, now holding a set of teeth in each hand like weapons.
Vega found himself nodding. He too had tooth regeneration abilities but nothing on that scale. After a nasty fight, he could regrow lost teeth in about two weeks. This guy did it in two seconds. That was unreal. And he used them to fight as well. Vega had to admit he was pretty envious to know this guy had a set of weapons always on hand.
"Tooth Attack!" Arlong cried, launching himself through the water. As he did, Vega dodged to the right, grabbing Arlong's arm as it came at him and forcing it to the side, just avoiding getting bitten by that tooth set. But Arlong brought the other one up just as fast and as Vega moved to intercept, he felt something in his hand and realized the strange quill was still in there. And in that instant, he was distracted.
"Argh!" he roared a second later as Arlong's tooth clamps bit down onto his arm, sinking deep into his flesh. He tried yanking it free but just tore more skin off, Arlong tightening his grip to prevent him from getting free. And if he kept going, he was liable to lose his hand.
"You're not escaping me, you filthy tr- YAH!" Arlong suddenly screamed as Vega lunged forward, biting down himself on Arlong's arm, letting his teeth sink in as much as they could.
It wasn't much, unfortunately. Vega didn't know how but Arlong's skin was very tough. It felt like sinking his teeth into iron rather than flesh. Still, he kept biting down as much as he could.
"You want to play like that? Fine!"
It was instinct alone that saved him as Vega instantly released his grip and dove backwards as much as he could, just avoiding Arlong's own attempt to bite him.
Arlong glared at him before glancing at the bite marks on his shoulder. Vega grimaced at the shallow wounds, small blood trails leaking out of them. "That's the best you can do?" Arlong laughed. "Nothing but scratches. This will be over quickly."
He squeezed down on his tooth set and Vega nearly cried out, feeling those teeth sinking even more into his hand. He was running out of options. He had to do something right now and he didn't really feel like losing his hand. Drew may have done it but that didn't mean Vega had to follow in his footsteps.
He had to release Arlong's grip somehow. And there was only one place he'd injured him so far.
He yanked his head back and then hurled it forward, striking Arlong right in his broken nose.
"YAHHH!" Arlong screeched and in that second, he lost his grip. Vega instantly broke free, still wincing as he found Arlong had left the tooth set in his arm. He winced and pried it loose, letting the teeth drift away.
As soon as he was free, he opened his hand up again and saw that strange metallic quill from the boy's pocket. This thing almost cost me my hand, he grumbled. But still, there was something about it. How had it returned to the boy's pocket. If it had some kind of magic, he should use it. He needed every advantage he had.
But, what other magic did it have? And how did he unleash it?
"You will pay for that!" Arlong growled and Vega saw he'd already dropped his latest set of teeth and was now regrowing them. "I'll tear you apart until you're nothing but shreds! And then I'll slaughter that boy as well!"
Vega grabbed hold of the quill and started shaking it around, trying anything that would work. And, acting on instinct, he removed the cap on the end of it.
SHING!
He nearly jumped out of his skin as the gleaming bronze blade shot out from where the quill was, its metallic surface shining even this deep beneath the waves. Vega gaped for a second. He knew his way around swords pretty well and he had to admit, this was one fine blade. He had no idea what the metal was but it was light in his grip and yet he could feel a lot of power within it.
"A sword huh?" Arlong questioned, obviously confused by its sudden appearance. But he shook it off. "Doesn't matter. You'll still die. That blade will shatter across my superior skin!"
Vega frowned. He did know a few werelords whose skin was particular tough. Hackett the werecrab was a good example as well as the other crustacean therianthropes. The elephantine ones as well, but that hadn't stopped him from smashing that Hippo Lord apart with his anchor. And it didn't matter how tough this Fish-man's skin was. It was the wielder, not the weapon, that decided the outcome of the fight.
He twirled the blade around, getting a grip for it, before holding it steady and pointing it at Arlong. "You know, I usually prefer to use my mouth and jaws when in a fight," he said. "But I must admit, there is something satisfying about holding a sword again."
"Enough talk. Tooth Attack!" Arlong dove forwards again, both sets of teeth at the ready. Vega dove as well, moving to the Fish-man's left side and bringing the sword down on the closest teeth set. The two weapons clanged together before the sword bit deep into the teeth, cracking them.
"What?" Arlong roared.
"Ha!" Vega smirked, yanking the sword free and taking his enemy's distraction to stab him. Arlong saw it at the last second and moved, but he managed to get hit in the ribs. He almost roared but this time held it in. Vega followed up his attack swiftly, going for Arlong's head and forcing him to duck.
Arlong swam closer, teeth bearing down to bite him again but Vega's new sword had a short grip and he was able to bring it to his defense quickly, slashing at Arlong and driving him off again.
Vega watched Arlong carefully who was doing the same back and noticed the blood trail drifting in the currents around them. "Guess you were wrong about your impervious skin," Vega chuckled.
"That blade," Arlong muttered, eyeing it murderously. "Worse than sea prism stone."
Vega wasn't sure what that meant but judging from Arlong's expression it clearly meant bad news. For him anyway which worked for Vega just fine.
"I thought you said you would tear me apart? So was that all talk after all?" he taunted.
Arlong eyed him coldly. "I underestimated you, I admit. But I will ensure you fall today. There's no way I'd let-"
"Oh shut up!" Vega growled, diving forward himself, sword raised high. However, just as he reached Arlong, the Fish-man dived aside and swing his fist at Vega, catching him in the jaw. Vega almost felt his whole face shatter from the impact. Damn it, he'd gotten cocky there. He rolled through the water before righting himself. He looked up and instantly ducked as Arlong came at him again. He avoided the first blow, the water parting right above his head, but the second caught him in the ribs, sending him washing backwards again.
Even through the pain, he was able to keep his wits and was able to see Arlong lower his head, preparing for his sudden charge attack. There was a blast of water and Vega instinctively moved, Arlong's gnashing teeth passing by his head with only inches to spare. Vega growled and swam after him but Arlong recovered quickly, spinning around and striking Vega back again, nearly making him drop his sword.
"He's too fast," Vega grunted, struggling to breathe after that last blow. His ribs had definitely taken the brunt of it. He was a fast healer so he should be fine but still, he didn't know how much more of this he could take.
"Rah!"
Vega watched, confused for a second, as Arlong leaned down and punched the seafloor. His eyes widened in shock as the whole floor cracked from the impact. Arlong dug his hands between the cracks and heaved upwards, a large clump of earth coming up with him.
"That strength…" Vega murmured.
"Eat this!" Arlong cried, throwing the whole clump at him with much more speed than Vega would have expected. He barely had time to react, much less move. He dove to the side, the rock scraping his leg as he passed it, gouging it and leaving him floundering. The rock struck the bottom, sending up a large dust cloud, making the sea sandy and murky, nearly impossible to see through.
Vega grunted, holding his leg gingerly. Thanks to his superhealing, he should be fine. But it still put him at an even greater disadvantage now. He didn't know how he could beat Arlong.
His only warning was the slight shift in the water. Then he saw the nose coming at him through the murk and he tried to swim away but was far too slow. Arlong struck him head on, his jaws clamping down on Vega's shoulder.
"AAARRRGGGHHHH!" Vega roared, feeling like iron blades were ripping into him, not teeth. He'd been bitten before, but nothing like this. It felt like his whole shoulder would be torn off at any second and if he didn't do something fast, it probably would.
He thrust upwards with the sword but was stopped, Arlong's grip suddenly appearing on his sword-arm and holding him fast. He couldn't move.
He could smell all his blood in the water and he could tell how much he'd lost already. He wouldn't last much longer but he was out of options. He'd faced worse things than this. He'd been trapped in a city attacked on all sides and managed to escape. He'd seen the face of Death itself and come out on top. He'd been a prisoner of the weresquid Ghul and managed to kill that bastard. He'd faced the unstoppable forces of the Catlords and helped stop them. Hells, he'd even survived a silver knife wound to the gut from Shah's admirer Djogo that should have had him dining in Sosha's court. Or possibly Brenn's table, depending on his mood. But this seemed to be it for him.
Caspar, he thought, his son entering his mind. Shah.
No. He would not die here.
New strength surged through him and he poured it all into his sword arm. He twisted the blade slightly and thrust upwards with all he had. Arlong pushed down but even he wasn't strong enough as the sword went up and through his own arm.
The Fish-man instantly released Vega's shoulder, screaming out in pain. But before he could retreat or attack again or anything else, Vega kept his momentum going by yanking out the blade and slicing Arlong across his chest, leaving a deep wound.
"Damn it!" Arlong growled, floating away slightly as he looked at his injury. "It seems you are formidable in your own way. But this fight is over."
"What, you getting tired, Fish-boy?" Vega taunted though he himself felt like he would collapse at any moment, if he could in fact collapse underwater.
"You may be a true fighter, but all your efforts were in vain. That boy will still die once I kill you," Arlong told him, gesturing to the boy's still form in the water. "Him and all his kind must suffer for what they have done to our people. You are not strong enough to beat me, that is certain. So now, I will end this!"
Vega braced himself as Arlong prepared to attack again when a third voice rippled between them.
"What is all this then?"
They both turned, seeing a figure emerge. Vega blinked at what he was seeing. It was a bare-chested man with blue pants. Across the sides of his arms and legs looked like some sort of black crustacean armor. But it was the way he held himself that caught Vega's attention. The Sharklord had only met a few people like that, first his old king Wergar and then the new king Leopold. Both of them had radiated power though Wergar a bit more. But this man took it to a new level. There wasn't a doubt in Vega's mind that this man was a ruler.
Though the small wings sticking out of his feet did sort of diminish his image.
"And who the hell are you?" Arlong growled. "You don't look like any Fish-man I know. Are you some sort of pretender like that brat over there? Another filthy human making a mockery of my people?"
The man sniffed, regarding Arlong coldly. "I am Namor, the Sub-Mariner. King of Atlantis."
"Never heard of it," Arlong replied. "Now tell me, King, how are you able to breathe underwater?"
"It is my heritage," Namor said. "My mother was an Atlantean princess."
"And your father?"
Vega felt a chill go through the water as Namor stared at Arlong. He then looked over at Vega as well as his injury before glancing at the boy's form. He then began drifting over to him, lifting him up easily.
"Hey, don't ignore me!" Arlong cried. "How dare you! You didn't answer me because he's a human, isn't he?"
"So what if he was?" Namor asked, not looking over.
Arlong seethed through his sharp teeth. "A human…mated with a mermaid? With one of my kind? The shame. And you say she was a princess? That is far worse than those soft-bellied slugs of the Ryugu Kingdom. I don't think even they would do something so heinous as to lie with a filthy human. What kind of whor-"
The punch came so fast that Vega almost missed it. One second Arlong was there, the next the water parted in front of him as Namor's fist struck him in the chest, sending him soaring through the ocean until he landed on the seafloor in the distance.
"Do not ever say a word about my mother!"
Namor was not in a good mood. That would be an understatement, honestly. He couldn't count the number of times he'd been suddenly transported somewhere else against his will. Usually it involved some enemy of his playing some twisted game and sometimes it was an ally of his requiring his aid in saving the world or something like that. Either way, he was long past the point of being infuriated by it happening over and over.
So when he once again was transported somewhere else against his will, he had grabbed a nearby stone pillar and sent it flying to the horizon before screaming out the many violent and graphic things he would do to whoever brought him here. That was the difference this time. He usually was told why he was brought to this new place on the instant of his arrival, sometimes a little after it. But now, more than a day had gone by and nothing. He had encountered a few strange beasts that had attacked him on sight but they were easily taken care of.
He'd flown up high to see if he could spot anything but all he was a desolate wasteland. It had taken him a few hours to find a source of water (he had been almost dried out and running low on strength by that point) and a few more hours before he found the sea it led to.
He at first thought he was near salvation. But this sea was unlike anything he knew. There was almost nothing living in it. He at first thought that he'd been shot back in time, prior to the prehistoric eras but to when life itself was still beginning in the sea. But he'd found that not to be the case either. Evidence was shown that there had been life here before. It was just…gone now. And that thought terrified him.
Namor had swam for the rest of the day, searching the oceans for any signs of life. He'd spotted a few plants here and there and even a couple shoals of fish, allowing him a few bites to help fill his stomach. But the rest of the wide ocean seemed empty.
Until recently that was.
"WAAHHHH! Oh my beloved Gray! I can't seem to find you anywhere! Where could you be! Are you lost without me? I can just imagine him, lost and alone, searching for me. I'm sure he would find me eventually, our love is too powerful for us to be kept apart! But he's probably stuck on land, he wouldn't be able to search underwater like me. I'm sorry my beloved, the ocean is the only place I could find any food, please forgive me! But don't worry, I'll start looking for you-"
"Hello."
Namor had been very tempted to leave this clearly crazy person by herself and move on but after so long on his own, it was a little pleasing to finally find someone else. Even if she did babble on like a love-struck lunatic.
He found the young teenage girl sitting on the edge of a sea trench just a few miles from land. To his surprise, he saw she was wearing a large coat and a tall hat, neither of which seemed affected by the water.
Some sort of magic perhaps, he mused, drifting closer to her.
She had jumped when he spoke, initially on the defensive as she prepared to attack. But then she took one look at Namor and screamed 'Gray! My Darling!' and jumped at him.
"Stop!" Namor commanded, grabbing hold of her and keeping her back. "Who are you?"
"Gray, why are you so cold to…oh," she stopped, looking at him clearly now as her infatuated look vanished. "You're not Gray. You're much older. Though your body stature is remarkably similar and you're not wearing many clothes just like him."
"Excuse me?" Namor asked, both annoyed and confused now. Who was this crazy girl?
"I'm sorry for jumping you like that. Those kind of leaps are reserved solely for my beloved."
Namor was starting to feel seriously bad for whoever this 'Gray' person was. "No matter," he said. "I am Namor, known as the Sub-Mariner."
"Oh, well, I'm Juvia. Juvia Lockser."
"How did you come to this place?"
"Well I just leapt down from that cliff up there. I was searching everywhere up there for my beloved but it was rather hot and dry and my powers were fading fast. I was starving and thirsty so I had to dive down here but surely he can understand that-"
"No, no, no!" Namor stopped her, shaking his head. He could already tell that this would be very tedious. "I meant this land, this whole place. How did you wind up here?"
"Oh, I'm not quite sure," she replied, tapping her finger in thought. "I was in the guildhall when suddenly I was sitting in the desert with nothing around for miles. I thought it must be a transportation spell of some kind but I can't seem to find anyone. Until you, that is."
"Hmmm," Namor nodded. So the same thing happened to her. Yes, judging from the way she had been talking earlier, he'd figured that. A shame he couldn't get any more answers. "Very well. Best of luck to you."
"Wait!" Juvia cried as Namor swam away. "You're just going to leave?"
"What point is there in staying? We are of no use to each other. The same thing happened to me. I must return to my people as soon as possible."
"Well I must find my guild, especially Gray, as fast as I can too. We might be under attack and scattered to the winds."
"What does that have to do with me? We have no relation."
"But two heads are better than one," she argued. "We might be able to find our people if we worked together."
Namor paused. That did make sense. And he did admit, the sheer emptiness of the ocean was beginning to get to him a little with barely even any fish around. "Fine then, come along if you must."
"But…my Gray!" Juvia whimpered, looking up at the mainland through the water. "He must have landed somewhere there as well. I can't swim away from him."
"Then stay here. But, you said your powers wane quickly in the desert sun. Mine do as well. We have no idea where we are or who sent us but I would prefer to be at full power when we finally meet. Besides, do you trust your friends to take care of themselves?"
Juvia didn't even pause. "Yes, I know they can."
"Then that is all there is to it. Focus on your own survival. Now come or don't. It matters not to me."
And that was how Namor received a traveling companion in the form of a young Juvia Lockser. She was rather annoying at first with her constant mutterings about this 'Gray' person, but Namor just tuned her out, focusing on the task at hand. He continued to scan the ocean as much as he could, traveling through the currents and sensing for any new species they might come across. He occasionally found a few but they were always small lifeforms. The largest was a lobster-like creature living in a bunch of rocks.
"What happened here?" he wondered aloud. It was the entire underwater ecosystem had been devastated. A flash of fear struck him as he wondered if this might be what was destined for his kingdom, what the pollution would do to Atlantis one day from all the surface-dwellers. The idea filled him with rage.
And yet, the water didn't feel polluted. Just…barren.
"Where is everything?" Juvia asked.
"That is what I would like to know," Namor replied. "Come. Perhaps if we stayed near the coastline, we will find some answers."
They kept moving, traveling over several miles, before Juvia spoke again. "So…what kind of wizard are you?"
Namor snorted. "Wizard? I am no wizard. I leave such things to Strange and his kind."
"You're not a wizard?" Juvia gasped. "Then…how are you doing this? Breathing underwater with such ease? You must have some sort of magic."
"Not as far as I know. My mother was an Atlantean, a people who have always lived beneath the waves. Magic does not give me strength, merely biology."
"I've never heard of Atlantis before," Juvia muttered, almost to herself.
"Few have," Namor said. Most surface dwellers did prefer to see Atlantis as just a myth so they didn't have to think about all the toxic waste they dumped that poisoned innocent people. Or they merely didn't care. Another reason Namor enjoyed rising up to remind them of his existence, and his power.
Still, he had a feeling someone like Juvia would have heard of Atlantis if she was from his world. But he suspected that they were currently on some new world. He'd been through this so many times that he'd gotten used to it. And he had to assume that Juvia was from another world too.
"So there is a whole city of people living in the sea?" she asked.
"Yes. I am king there," Namor told her.
She was silent for a moment, lost in thought. Namor glanced back at her, noting her reflective and somber expression. "When I was a child," she said, "my powers made it rain wherever I went. Because of that, everyone steered clear or me and I wasn't able to form any true relationship."
"Typical," Namor muttered. "People will always shun away that which they do not understand."
"Yes, I sadly have found that to be the case. I found out later the rain was caused by my depression and it was only when I met Gray who showed true compassion to me that the spell finally broke. Still, it would have been nice to live in a place where that wouldn't have been a concern."
Namor nodded. "Yes, I know of some with abilities such as yours. And they are always welcome in Altantis. But it seems you have found your own home anyway."
Juvia smiled softly. "Yes. Despite my previous actions against them, Fairy Tail welcomed me whole-heartedly. They are my family now and I would do anything to protect them."
"Good," Namor told her. "It seems things worked out well for you." For him though, it didn't seem like anything worked out. His people were under constant threat from one foe or another, no matter how hard he tried to protect them. And things seemed to get messed up no matter what he did. His altercations with the Avengers was proof of that, as well as his current relationship with his oldest friend Captain America.
THUD!
Namor focused up as he heard something off in the distance land firmly in the seafloor.
"What is it?" Juvia asked.
"Quiet," he replied, reaching out with his senses. He felt it a few seconds later, a slight wave of force pushing away the water into him.
"Oh!" Juvia cried, being sent back a ways. "What was that?"
"I'm not sure. But it's something different which is all that matters now."
Namor slowly floated in that direction until a loud scream rippled through the water. Just like that, he shot forward, passing by several pillars of rock rising from the seafloor until he found two figures grappling with each other just ahead of him. One seemed to be a humanoid great white shark while the other was also shark-like but whose nose was more swordfish in appearance.
As Namor watched, the great white made a stabbing motion, forcing the other to retreat but he managed to land a blow across long-nose's chest with his sword. Still, it seemed like long-nose did more damage judging from the amount of blood spilling from great white's injuried.
"Shouldn't we stop this?" Juvia asked nervously.
"Why? This has nothing to do with us," Namor said.
"But they might know something about…well…what's happened…" Juvia said hesitantly, obviously not sure herself.
"Unlikely, but still possible," Namor nodded, sighing slightly. "Very well. Stay back, I'll handle this." He swam forward towards the pair just as they surged towards each other again. "What is all this then?" he called out.
Both figures stopped, turning to face him
"And who the hell are you?" long-nose growled. "You don't look like any Fish-man I know. Are you some sort of pretender like that brat over there? Another filthy human making a mockery of my people?"
Namor sniffed as he looked the apparent 'Fish-man' over. He'd heard the term fish-man before but always in a more derogatory way. Apparently, wherever this man was from, Fish-men was actually the name of a species. Namor wasn't sure how he felt about that.
"I am Namor, the Sub-Mariner. King of Atlantis," he said.
"Never heard of it," the Fish-man replied. "Now tell me, King, how are you able to breathe underwater?"
"It is my heritage," Namor replied, not liking where this conversation was going. "My mother was an Atlantean princess."
"And your father?"
Namor stared at the Fish-man hard, choosing not to answer. He felt no shame for his father being a surface dweller. But he also knew that, based on how the Fish-man was talking, he would certainly take offense and launch an attack. So, for now, Namor would see if he could avoid that. He looked over at the great white and the large bite-mark across his shoulder. He probably had about ten or fifteen minutes before he bled out if he was lucky. Then, Namor noticed a young boy, no older than eighteen, drifting near the floor. No visible injuries but Namor couldn't help but notice that he looked remarkably similar to how Namor did when he hadn't been near water in a long time. Curious, he began moving over to him and lifted him up easily.
"Hey, don't ignore me!" the Fish-man cried. "How dare you! You didn't answer me because he's a human, isn't he?"
"So what if he was?" Namor asked, still looking at the boy. One look at him and Namor could tell he was a warrior. So what had happened to him?
"A human…mated with a mermaid? With one of my kind? The shame." Namor perked up at those words, already knowing where they were going. He began prepping himself for the fight. "And you say she was a princess? That is far worse than those soft-bellied slugs of the Ryugu Kingdom. I don't think even they would do something so heinous as to lie with a filthy human. What kind of whor-"
Namor moved before he thought, his fist parting the water as it landed on the Fish-man's chest, launching him across the ocean with all of Namor's power.
"Do not ever say a word about my mother!" he growled. The time for calm had passed. Now it was time to show this 'Fish-man' true power. "Juvia!" he barked.
"Uh…yes?"
"Take care of this one," he said, holding out the limp boy.
"Oh my," Juvia said as she floated up next to him. "He looks remarkably like my Gray. But no, Juvia's heart belongs solely to…"
"Just take care of him," Namor interrupted, not having any patience for her ramblings. He turned to the great white who was clutching his injury tightly. "And you? Do you have any problems with my lineage?"
"Ha," the shark-man snorted. "None. Couldn't care less. Not my business who's screwing around with who. But that dude's got some serious issues."
"Hmmm. Juvia, take care of him as well. Later, when you heal, we can talk. For now though," Namor glared at the figure rising up in the distance, "I have someone I need to take care of."
He shot forward like a torpedo, smashing his fist down on the Fish-man before he could get upright, slamming him back down into the seafloor and causing the whole first layer to crack and begin drifting in the water.
"Argh!" the Fish-man gurgled, Namor's blow having struck right in his wound. Still, he had remarkable recovery, grabbing hold of Namor's arm and throwing him to the side. "You think you can beat me?" he roared, spitting out blood as he attacked. "I am Arlong, captain of the-"
Namor's hand shot out and grabbed him by the throat. "I don't care." He pushed upwards through the water just a little before flipping over backwards and slamming Arlong headfirst back into the seafloor. Thank you for the idea, Captain, Namor thought.
"Ok, it seems you're tougher than that traitorous shark back there," Arlong growled after a moment, rising up again. As Namor watched, his teeth fell out twice to his surprise and Arlong brandished the two sets in each hand like strange claw weapons. "But let's see how long you last now! Tooth Attack!"
Arlong surged forwards and Namor moved to meet him, the two clashing in the middle. Namor's hands managed to grab Arlong's, snapping the teeth firmly closed and preventing them from opening again. Before Arlong could do anything, Namor head-butted him firmly in the nose, bending it down.
"Arrghhh!" Arlong roared in pain, losing his grip on his tooth weapons. Unfortunately for him, Namor grabbed hold of them, eyeing them carefully.
"Pretty strong," he remarked. "Let's see how strong."
"Huh?" Arlong looked up just as Namor smashed his own tooth sets into his hands, clamping down hard. "AHHHHH!" he screeched, feeling his teeth sinking into his flesh and drawing blood. He'd briefly wondered just how his own teeth felt when digging into flesh like this. He had relished in the pain and suffering it brought all those worthless humans. And now he knew the pain himself.
"Is that all?"
"I'll…kill…you…" Arlong managed, slowly and carefully releasing the tooth sets' grip on his wrists. "You will…suffer for this…"
"Really?" Namor asked, his eyebrow raised. He had to hand it to Arlong, the Fish-man was persistent. And while that was admirable in some cases, right now it just felt like stupidity. "You haven't managed to even injure me while you look like you might drop dead any instant."
"You may be strong," Arlong gasped and Namor saw him tensing his backlegs, "but nothing can withstand my next attack. Prepare to die, you half-breed trash! Shark Tooth Drill!"
He surged forward again, spinning through the water with his teeth primed to bite down. He came so fast that Namor couldn't dodge in time, taking the blow right in the shoulder and feeling Arlong's teeth sink in. He grunted in pain but stamped down on the seafloor and stopped Arlong's thrust in its tracks.
"My teeth will cleave through you!" Arlong roared through Namor's flesh, biting down even harder. But then he stopped, fear beginning to drip inside of him. He couldn't bite any further, no matter how hard he tried. There was something stopping him. Namor's flesh was too damn strong.
He was so distracted, he didn't notice Namor's movements until he was punched again in the chest, sending him crashing back into the seafloor. He groaned, his whole body aching, and just managed to sit up. But a second later he was down again, Namor's winged foot pressing him down. Arlong grunted and tried to throw him off but the foot refused to budge. Arlong looked up and saw the bite mark he'd made. Only to call it a bite mark was laughable, only spotting small indentations in Namor's skin with trails of blood flowing from them.
That was all the damage he'd managed to inflict? Only that much?
"You talk big," Namor commented. "But you have nothing to back it up."
Arlong growled, wanting nothing more than to rip the foot off him and then tear into this Fish-hybrid filth. But he couldn't. He was too weak in comparison. "This doesn't make sense," he said. "I am a Fish-man, superior to humans in every way. And yet you, a half-breed trash, bested me?"
"I am Namor. People will say all they can about me and most of it I brush aside. But know this. You may consider me trash, but never again presume to think I am weak."
Namor's fist came up and Arlong knew this was the end for him. His mind flashed back to one of his last clear memories before he came here, how a certain young pirate in a straw hat had laid him low too. And that had been a close fight. But this? This hadn't been a fight at all, but a slaughter.
The fist came down and Arlong knew no more.
Namor regarded the Fish-man coldly as his unconscious form settled on the seafloor. "Let that be a lesson," he said before turning back and swimming towards the others. As he got closer, he saw Juvia doing something strange with the water around the great white, his blood no longer seeping out of him but being contained in large bubbles around the wounds.
"Hey," the great white greeted, seeing Namor approach. "Win your fight?"
"Naturally," Namor replied. "I've dealt with tougher foes. And smarter ones."
The great white didn't seem to know what to make of that but made no comment. Instead he held out his arm, repressing a wince. "Didn't get properly introduced, did we?" he said with a small grin. "Name's Vega."
"Namor."
"So, I have to assume none of you know how you all landed in this place either, huh?"
"No," Namor shook his head while Juvia's drooped down. "But whoever is behind this should make their presence known soon enough. Until then, we should get those wounds taken care of."
"My thanks," Vega said. "And after that? We just stay here or keep moving?"
Namor sighed, looking out into the endless ocean. "We shall see."
Hazel Levesque had been through a lot the past day and a half. Transported out of nowhere to this wasteland. Forced to fight off random monsters trying to kill her. Struggling to find food and water. She had nearly collapsed before help had arrived in the form of four strange individuals. One was a green-skinned woman in tight black clothing wielding some form of extendable blade.
"You alright?" Gamora asked, wiping off her blade.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm ok," Hazel huffed, panting a little from the last fight.
Another was a dark-skinned man in brown robes (that looked way more comfortable than the ones she had to wear for senate meetings so she was so stealing his look) who wielded some shining purple blade.
"More will come," Mace Windu said, looking out at the horizon.
"Yes," Gamora nodded. "Fortunately, it shouldn't be a problem."
Hazel didn't need to ask why. Because as formidable as the three of them were in combat, none of them held a candle to the other two companions. A few minutes ago, they'd been attacked by an enormous monster that looked like a cross between a lizard, a worm, and a crab. Hazel had thought that had been the end for them.
Then, those two had gone to work and now the monster was lying dead with barely a scratch on its killers.
"Nice work, you know!" Naruto Uzumaki grinned, holding up a glowing orange hand to his companion.
"I don't do that," Black Adam responded, flying back up to the others. "Come on, it'll be dark soon. And this creature may have friends."
"Oh come on, don't be like that. Just one high five, I promise!"
"Ugh!"
"What's that supposed to mean?"
Spider-Man and Hermione currently together attacked by Sinestro and prepping against Voldemort.
Conan, Jessica Cruz, and Boba Fett held captive by Vlad Menshikov and Saruman.
Harry Potter under attack with Luke Castellan, Chewbacca, Frozone, Cassandra Cain, Kuvira, Marina, Legolas, and Groot by mysterious jet.
President Superman, Toph, Ahsoka Tano, and Jon Snow fought against Emperor Superman and Homelander.
Korra traveling with Wonder Woman, Ben Grimm, Nico di Angelo, and Liza, separated from Hela.
Barbara Gordon currently held prisoner by Darth Vader alongside Polybotes, Aurra Sing, and Balk.
Ember the dragon and Amani on mysterious truck.
Steve Rogers and Rex are working together.
Arya Stark and Lin Beifong are together.
Matt Murdock, TJ, Casey Jones, Suki, and Armstrong are together.
Zuko, Nia, Thalia, Shazad, and the Mandalorian are together.
Thanos and Uraraka are together.
I am so sorry for the delay again. That was not my intention. But the thing is, I've had my doubts about this story and Darth Necron pointed it out. So far, I've just been introducing characters and I've lost track of the story. Well, that's not happening any more. I'm going to focus whole heartedly on that now so do expect chapters to come more regularly now. Hope you liked the Namor fight here. Vega is one of my favorite characters from the Wereworld series so I had to bring him in. I wasn't sure about Juvia but her interactions with Namor convinced me. Anyway, hope you liked it and stay tuned for what happens next.
ANNOUNCEMENT
Ok, so this is really big. I've decided to post my manuscript on Wattpad for everyone to read. That's right, my own original work will be free for you all to read if you want. My own original characters and storylines. It's one of the proudest things I've done and I was inspired by a lot of superhero comics as well as plenty of anime. Check it out of you can, my handle's the same and the story is called The Cloak Guard. It'll be released every Monday from now on.