"You're no fun, Thatch.", Helga huffed as she put away her gun and Kida was pulled back up. "Come on, we're going to have another meeting with the King, though this time we'll obviously have the leverage in negotiations.", Rourke snapped his fingers as the group moved back towards the palace, after Milo grabbed his clothes to get dressed up, and Kida got her sarong back on as well.

"All this time, Helga...", Jacques growled. "Yep... it was easy to get to Whitmore. Being an Austrian has its perks when it comes to infiltration. Managed to work my way in sometime before the Anschluss. Of course, he didn't bother checking too much that I was with the Fatherland Front, had a hand in helping with the July Putsch in '34 and Chancellor Dollfuss' assassination.", she explained.

"We've both done a good job keeping our ties to the Nazis as well hidden as we did.", Rourke boasted. "But now that time has come to an end, and we'll collect our rewards.". One solider walked up to him before whispering something, "And now the rest of the group is captured... aside from our good doctor and his close friend.".

Sia wondered if her father had truly welcomed Erskine and his friend after calling for another meeting the whole late afternoon and evening.

-Five hours ago-

Erskine and Thaddeus are following one of the palace guards back to the palace as Thaddeus whispered, "We might actually be able to tell him everything...The Nazi, Hydra, the project...", and Erskine nodded, "Maybe, Tad, but we wouldn't know what he wants until we get there.".

"Perhaps, but at the very least, the threat has to be told, just in case the Nazis or Schmidt actually makes it here, as unlikely as that could be after what we went through.", Thaddeus said.

"Yeah, was just lucky enough with getting here ourselves...", Erskine sighed. At least the rogue Leviathan was a small relief in terms of making real trouble for anyone trying to come via the Shepherd's Journal.

Erskine squeezed his hand gently as he didn't see any others of the group, and it wasn't like the guard would tell anyone, "As much as I pray for the lost souls to have peace, I'm glad that you're alive.".

Thaddeus smiled through his scar disguise skin mask, lovingly looking at him, "As I am for you, Abram...", rubbing his knuckles with his thumb, as he would never thank the Lord enough for sparing his and Abraham's lives. Oh, sure, they would watch over Milo and Steve forever if they ended up dying together, but it's fortunate that they are lucky to have some remaining years of their lives.

Erskine gave a soft blush, smiling at Thaddeus, somehow feeling like he doesn't have to hide down here in Atlantis, to keep secret of their relationship, as it seems like the natives don't care beyond smiling and suggesting snacks and all, approving of love within all genders as it apparently proved so much to the men beyond what they have witnessed of the wedding ceremony when they were with Sia, Jacques, and Vinny.

Soon, they made it in and up to the palace, to the throne room, with the throne guards sharp-eyed yet bowing to them in respect with an incline of their heads, and Erskine recalled that the King said that elders are very much respected for their wisdom and intelligence.

They walked across the pond with the stepping-stones as the sound of the palace doors closed behind them, seeing the King sitting on his daybed/throne chair, with a table and two chairs, with a few plates of food and drinks, with King Kashekim replying, "Dr. Abraham Erskine, I trust you have eaten lunch yet, have you not?".

"No, your majesty. We haven't eaten lunch yet when you called for us.", Erskine respectfully said, and Kashekim gave a little smile, "Good. It has been a long time since I ate with ambassadors of different cultures. Please sit down, both of you. And for you, I sense that you are hiding, but in a good way. You may remove what's hiding you. If the doctor trusts you, show me then.".

Erskine looked over to Thaddeus. "Best we be open then...", Erskine told him as Thaddus nodded. Thaddeus then removed his glasses as he stripped off the skin scar disguise mask, and put his glasses back on, sighing in relief, "Thank you, your majesty...It has been a while since I took it off...".

Kashekim listened to him, and replying, "This couldn't be your dear friend, Thaddeus Thatch, could it be?", and Thaddeus smiled warmly, "You presume correctly, your majesty...The truth is that I had to fake my death from almost all my friends and family including my beloved grandson, because of a great enemy I have in common with Abraham, and I needed to protect all my loved ones from them...", with a deep sigh.

Erskine took his hand, squeezing it as he kissed Thaddeus on the cheek, happy to feel his real skin again, "Along with a couple other reasons, your majesty. Same gender relationships may have been around, but they were deeply secret, yet they came with dangers over the centuries, and in our time now, it's forbidden...".

"I see...", Kashekim sighed; made perfect sense to him why they were attempting the deception then. "It was never the intention of us to fool you, your majesty.", Erskine continued. "More so it was our intention to hide the truth from the others of our group.".

Kashekim moved a hand in gesture, "Because of your need to protect them from this enemy, perhaps a spy, for you couldn't have faked your death until it was for a very important reason.".

Thaddeus replied, "Yes, your majesty...There have been discoveries of someone sending secret notes under radio or telegram, a couple of methods on the surface, talking about me, having found the Journal and I had grown paranoid, especially when I heard rumors of Nazi and Hydra spies coming into America, and I had felt like I was watched...Abraham and I met when I was taking the Journal to a very trusted friend, someone I would rely on, and he has suspected that someone on the crew had been tempted with money or something else better to betray the fact that I had the Journal...Then things got even more worse when the war came on...It was then I knew I had to sacrifice my life in a way, to leave it forever to a new life within Abraham's help where I admittedly had to hide, but still...".

"And am I to guess that these spies believed it?", Kashekim asked as Thaddeus nodded, "No way to truly know for sure; but apparently so... a special message that had been intercepted sometime later, at least seems to think so.".

Erskine then replies, "And now, we have worries about the Nazis and Hydra taking advantage of finding Atlantis, even though we believe that the Rogue Leviathan, your Leviathan would be even more...vigilant for other intruders, and would take care of them, even when we had evidence on the sea floor of modern ships and submarines from our current time.".

"The map we used; it really is the only accurate way to get here, but still, the fact that we made it means that it would be possible, albeit highly unlikely.", Thaddeus nodded.

"And these foes... they're some of the worst people practically to walk the face of the Earth; their ideology is based on hatred and violence above all else... I experienced that firsthand when I lost my family to them...", Erskine added.

Kashekim exhaled deeply, "I can feel that you are telling the truth, doctor, and my condolences to you...Your lover gave you life again, hasn't he?".

Erskine smiled softly as Thaddeus wrapped an arm around him comfortingly, "Somehow I couldn't imagine my world without him around, your majesty...Thaddeus gave me a whole new reason to keep living on, even after my new homeland gave me a chance to do things right, to fix things to my guilt and shame...There's a man, Johann Schmidt...He...he was the cause behind my family's death when I refused to help him the first time he asked...Then I was forced to advance technologies for his army, his cult as he was obsessed with power and respect by force of fear and submission...", as he closed his eyes wearily, resting his head on Thaddeus's shoulder.

"Abraham was rescued after he was forced to make something, and when he refused to give it as it was mostly untested, Schmidt didn't listen, didn't care, and so he took it against Abraham's warnings. He changed into an even more dangerous man, a tyrant to all who crosses him yet more intelligent not to get caught by our Allies...The other reason we came here, your majesty, is that we had hoped to have Abraham's equipment be compatible with the fabled power source of your city, to give a good man a rebirth of sorts, to fight Schmidt, to get rid of Hydra, stop the Nazi in the war, and save even more innocent lives before it's too late.", Thaddeus explained clearly.

"I have with me the equipment that we left not too far away.", Erskine said. "Of course, the original idea was hopefully just finding whatever could help, without any sort of trouble as we originally thought that you and your people were long gone, and nothing left but just relics of the past. And I would understand your answer at least if you would refuse; I dare not enforce or plea with you... that's not an option you would get with the Nazis.".

Kashekim took a deep sigh, "Let me think on that while we eat, doctor...We do not need to rush right now...After all, we are elders, doctor.", and Erskine nodded, "That's all I can ask for, and yes, thank you.", as they then went to eat lunch with the king, getting to know him a little, something either of them would never think of doing casually without fanfare, as far as they knew, the only royals on the surface are the Queen of England, and some other royal families in the Far East and such would do it with fanfare, but Kashekim seemed like he's different from them all, perhaps because of the circumstances of his kingdom.

An hour later, Thaddeus dapped his mouth with a napkin, "That was delicious, your majesty.", and Kashekim gave a warm smile, "I very much am grateful to hear that, and I thank you for not rushing me with my thoughts. I have concluded on a decision, a compromised decision that is...I cannot give you what you needed, but I can offer a few of available healing crystals to your equipment, and I must ask you to do it here, for I cannot risk them to be brought up to the surface...".

Thaddeus glanced at Erskine, "Well, a few small healing crystals is better than nothing, to be compatible with the vita-rays and the serum, don't you think, Abraham?", and Erskine replied, "At least it'd be something for Steven, perhaps not the way he would imagine himself to be reborn, but better than he currently is...And doing it here makes sense, but I'd have to double-check the equipment over the next few hours, if not the whole night...".

Kashekim replies, "It's true I have orders for all to leave tomorrow, but it does not mean that you can do it after breakfast...Your Steven would need energy to withstand the changes, does he not?", and Thaddeus grins at Erskine, "He has a point, and besides, we wouldn't need to bother him today, eh? As he is rather in love with Carter.".

Erskine chuckled wryly, having noticed the same thing between Steve and Peggy, feeling the sexual tension, and he himself hoped that Steve has found content happiness with Peggy, and he replies, "Indeed.".

"And for you to sleep better, perhaps it's best for your equipment to be brought into the palace, just near your guest bedrooms, due to your paranoid worries, even if you have said that it's very unlikely that this Hydra would come here.", Kashekim suggested.

"Your majesty...", Erskine sighed. "We really owe you so much, you don't have to really do any of this; you'd be very correct to just force us to leave without anything, considering what we have already admitted what our plans were before finding you and your people.".

"You said it yourself, doctor. You thought you would only find ruins and relics, not a people that still lives...", Kashekim said.

"A people that... if I may be so bold as to say; a very sad shadow of itself.", Thaddeus admitted as Kashekim sighed before reluctantly nodding his head. It was quite amazing to the old king, but the two men had deeply impressed him.

In some ways, they reminded him of his forefathers, the legends of the kings of old. An even deep cynical part of him wondered if they were unknowing pawns to the gods, as if at least a final test of him before his time was to come.

Kashekim replied, "Nonetheless, I will have one of my throne guards in command of the lower palace guards to help you move your equipment. Is it a lot, is it not?".

Erskine replied, "Yes, it's a lot of boxes, but not too heavy as if it was built together, it would be too heavy for the truck itself. And thank you, your majesty.".

"I cannot be entirely selfish, doctor...My wife would have argued greatly if I didn't help in some way...But all the same, I have to protect my city.", Kashekim replied.

Thaddeus replied, "We understand, your majesty. Well, Abram, my love, shall we?", as he reluctantly removed his glasses to put his disguised scarred skin mask back on, and then put his glasses back on.

Erskine squeezed his hand, smiling, "Yes, let's, Tad.", as Kashekim smiled warmly, sensing that their love is true and strong, ordering in Atlantean to one of his throne guards to follow the two men, to take a few lower palace guards to help out in the several trips.

Erskine and Thaddeus led them to Erskine's truck some distance away from the palace, and so, it took a few hours to take the boxes and such of the equipment, to lock the equipment together in organized chaos in the available room near the guest bedrooms in the tower-like wing of the palace, double-checking to make sure that nothing cracked in the process.

The men thanked the guards for their help and went to have dinner with the King after he had some normal royal duties, having small talk as Erskine felt much better, feeling safer, knowing that the equipment is secure near their guest bedroom, though he has a weird feeling that something is coming...Probably the feeling of anxiety, hoping that the change for Steve would work in the morning.

Kashekim twitched, his breath catching as he held his royal crystal, the Kings' Crystal that all past kings wore generation after generation, and Thaddeus replied, "Your Majesty!".

He breathed deeply, closing his eyes with a sigh, "I'm alright, my friends. Apparently, my eldest daughter decided to go against my orders by her stubbornness, much like her mother...Her mate will have to be tested if he is capable of being prince consort, and eventually king.".

"Her what?", Thaddeus asked as Erskine was stunned to hear that, "Wait, are you trying to tell us that your daughter has mated with Milo? How?".

Kashekim replies, "Yes. Mates, if married or not married yet, they share memories of each other upon consummation, knowing each other beyond their hearts and souls and bodies, enabling them to truly love each other, growing together to be a great team. Your grandson, Milo Thatch is now Atlantean in his heart and soul, yet his body will stay different, from all other Atlanteans, and I suspect he wouldn't mind that, even with a few tattoos to his person and perhaps more exercise to be a bit stronger as well.".

Thaddeus was stunned to hear that his grandson, his 'son', just got hitched in a way, and with a princess, no less! He's a bit upset that Milo didn't ask to court her or something to stay to the surface principles, but yet Milo has always been different, and he loves his grandson...And if Milo wasn't forced, and deeply cared for Kida, it must have been really important for him.

Erskine exhaled as he was amazed, hearing what the king had explained, and he was somehow happy for his 'grandson', as if Milo is now mated to Kida, that would mean that he would be able to stay down here, no more ridiculed by people up there, to be thrown into a boiler room, unable to use his skilled gifts to help, when he can be respected by the people, to help Atlantis here, and of course, be safe from the war.

He glanced at Thaddeus, "Are you alright, my love? Tad?", and Thaddeus blinked, exhaling, "Milo would be safe...he can be happy...that's all I wanted for him...", with a growing relieved and tearful smile, and looked at Kashekim, "Could it be too much for us to ask to stay here longer to see how you could test him for being prince consort and eventually king? I...I cannot miss anything of his life any longer...At least until he gets married, and then we can be out of your kingdom...".