Steve sighed in relief and awe as he felt a cooling sensation, feeling the aches fading away, and as Peggy took it away, the bleeding scrapes became nothing, leaving bare skin, and the shirt dried off as Steve took it from Peggy, donning it again, "I feel good, Peggy, I'm alright.", with a smile to reassure her.
Peggy kissed him on the lips with a smile as the woman smiled, happy to see a precious moment, and then glanced at Milo in the distance, and went cautiously careful, blinking at the strange glasses on his face, seeing them as lopsided, and she gently placed them back on, stirring Milo awake.
He groaned, blinking, and then his eyes widened in awe, gaping as he recognized her from that brief glimpse of a vision he had in the air pocket, seeing the bright blue eyes, exotic snow-white hair, dark skin, with that remarkable tattoo on her left side of her face, with armor and blue clothes. She's probably the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, with that kind, curious smile.
He moved before hissing in pain, "Ow...", looking down at the cuts on his upper chest and arms which is gratefully few, and less painful than a glass shard would be. Steve and Peggy came over, "Milo, she saved us, and she's one of the good people. She's gonna help you, right, miss?".
"She's...", Milo muttered as the woman went to work on him. Milo was honestly surprised... for more reasons than one. Not just because there was someone down here, but the fact that she, more than likely, was an infamous Atlantean. But there was also the fact that he was sure he had seen her before in his dreams.
He watched in awe and surprise as he felt the incredible cooling sensation of each healing cut, and saw them vanish away to bare skin, and he exhaled as the woman finished the last one, looking at him with a wry, pleased smile.
Then suddenly, the trio heard the distant revving sounds of the Digger approaching, and the woman was given her spear by the others in the masks, and donning her mask, and they fled, with Milo shouting, "No, wait! I wanted to thank you! Wait, come back! Who are you?!", following the group as Steve and Peggy shouted, "Wait up, Milo!", running to catch up to Milo, across a cavern of pillars as stepping stones and all, seeing daylight, and with a grunt, Milo came through the slice of cavern rock, with Steve and Peggy behind him, running, and then they stopped on the outcropping of the cliff, frozen in awe, barely hearing the Digger come through behind them, with the others approaching them, soon gaping in awe, amazement, shock and bewilderment.
For before them, far across a wide chasm between the outcropping near the clearing with series of rope bridges, to a great circle of waterfalls, fog swirling in the bottoms of the waterfalls, and atop the waterfalls, within a great lake, is a city, a city of great stature and beauty from afar. The Lost Empire of Atlantis.
Everyone was practically speechless upon the sight. For a few of them; they had saw something at least a bit similar in places like South America in a way but even then, it would be seen as a somewhat downgrade to what they now are seeing. Not to mention, such a rich and beautiful world buried underneath the oceans and the earth itself.
"My God...", Steve whispered. "Heh... he... he was right... he actually was right...", Milo gave a small chuckle. Deep down in places he never would dare think, even he had his doubts about his grandfather's obsession with Atlantis; that even despite the journal and all, it still could've been a wild goose chase. Those doubts were snuffed out once and for all by the sheer sight of the magnificent beauty that laid before them.
Audrey replied, "It's so beautiful!", as Jacques replied, "I have to admit that Paris is pale compared to this...", as Vinny replied, "And it's daylight too!", as the ceiling above the city, it's like translucent earth, showing daylight through, as it's barely dawn.
Sweet chuckled, "You did it, Milo. You came through, we all did...", and Milo smiled before hearing another truck from the other direction, and they looked over to see Erskine's truck, with Erskine and Thaddeus, still disguised and all, is in awe of the beautiful sight as they exited the truck.
"Oh, Milo! Everyone! Are you alright?", Erskine asked in concern, and Rourke replied, "Bruises and a few aches a week couldn't cure, but we're all fine, doctor.". Erskine exhaled, "Wow...", smiling in amazement as Thaddeus himself was stunned, speechless to see the beautiful city that's somehow intact, just like he once dreamed about, yet it's even better in the daylight.
Peggy replied, "I wish we had a camera right now...", with an awed smile, squeezing her hand in Steve's hand, and he smiled, chuckling as he agreed, but his sketchbooks will have to do, and then they heard screeching sounds, turning around to see the masked people.
"Uh... I take back what I said before...", Sweet said as anyone with weapons squeezed them tight, ready to fight at any moment. "Who are these people?", Rourke asked as he glanced to Milo.
"Atlanteans, there's no doubt, they have to be...", Milo said. "Impossible... no way they could've survived this long...", Helga obviously had her doubts.
The leader of the group, which Peggy, Steve and Milo recognized as the woman that helped them with her mask, began to speak. Her language was obviously one that none could understand... or at least, almost all of them couldn't...
Mole shook Milo's arm, "I think they're talking to you.", and Milo stepped forward, speaking her native language slowly, picking it up steadily, and then the leader removed the mask, now even more beautiful in the daylight, and spoke further on.
Milo tried to listen and then switched languages steadily, to German, Latin, Arabic, while the one next to the woman removed the mask, revealing the woman that saved Jacques and Vinny.
Vinny secretly smiled so widely while Jacques's heart skipped a beat, as in the daylight, the woman who saved him is stunning, and as he glanced between the leader and her, he realized that they are related, for they have the same nose and smile yet so different in stature in a subtle way, while the leader's hair is just past the middle of the back, the younger one, due to her cheekbones and all, has her hair being long, just by her waist.
Then Milo switched to Roman and then eventually French, with the younger woman giggling, "Oui, Monsieur!", and Jacques's heart skipped again as she sounded beautiful in his native language, as Mole exclaimed, "They speak my language!", and went to the younger one, and Jacques got jealous yet amused, waiting for the moment.
She smiled as Mole asked for her, leaning down, and he whispered to her, with her face changing from pleasant to disgusted, and she growled, punching Mole really hard, even harder than Peggy did. Vinny laughed, "Whoa, what a right hook she got, Papa!".
"Indeed.", Jacques chuckled as Sweet clapped, "I certainly like her.". He laughed as Mole tried to shake his head. Jacques looked over to him and started to curse at him in French so Vinny wouldn't hear. Complaining that Mole's too blunt, too forward and much too naughty with his efforts of charming women.
"So, wait, the Atlanteans speak French?", Steve asked. "French, Spanish, Latin... it's... it's incredible...", Milo said.
"Most of the major European languages are derivative of Latin, at least most locations that were part of the Roman Empire at some point... perhaps Latin was originating from their native language.", Peggy suggested.
Milo nodded, "That's right, it's like the Tower of Babel!", with a wide smile, and Rourke then replied, "Then perhaps English is in there somewhere. Ladies and gentlemen, we are explorers from the surface. We come in peace.".
The leader smiled warmly and brightly, "Welcome to the city of Atlantis. Come. You and your brethren must speak with my father as it is proper, right, sister?". Jacques was right...They are truly related. The younger woman smiled brightly, "Most surely, sister!".
"Squad...", Rourke turned his attention to the remaining surviving troops. "Go back to the shaft, we'll establish our camp with what remains there and hopefully figure a way out from there.".
"Yes, sir.", the corporal saluted as Erskine got up to Rourke. "Ehem... Rourke...", Erskine gave a low tone with his voice. "Perhaps it might be better if I take the lead with the expedition, in terms of diplomacy at least. It's very much clear the Atlanteans have an edge on us with how easy they were able to corner us. Last thing we need is to antagonize them.".
"Do you doubt my abilities?", Rourke asked as Erskine shook his head, "No, you were able to get us this far with your leadership; we might not have survived under anyone else... but now that we're here...". Erskine didn't exactly want to pull rank and all; but technically, by the orders of Roosevelt, he was actually the leader of the expedition.
Rourke raised an eyebrow at him, frowning thoughtfully before nodding, "Well, as it is technically your involvement in the first place along with Thaddeus Thatch's last wish to move it along, I'll give you the reins, but if anything happens, it's on your hands.".
"Very much understood, Rourke.", Erskine nodded gratefully, as Rourke looked at the corporal, "24 hours until rendezvous!", and the corporal nodded, "Yes, sir! Let's move, troops!", heading back with his squad.
Erskine and Thaddeus then went to Erskine's truck, as Milo explained to the leader of the Atlanteans that Erskine is the speaker for the group that is coming along, and the leader nodded with a smile, speaking to her group to lead the way, as Steve and Peggy joined Jacques and Vinny in one of the surviving trucks, as the others followed alongside, as the Digger is too much heavy and too big for the bridge itself.
In their own truck, Helga glanced at Rourke, "Are you sure about giving the reins to Erskine? I mean, this is major stuff, Commander...", and Rourke replied, "This doesn't change everything, Lieutenant, and for Erskine, well, let's say that a city of people changes things for him, doesn't it, once our plans get into underway?".
Helga nodded, concurring with her commander on that, and so under the trip that took at least 30 minutes, they made it to the center of Atlantis, with the crew noticing the awed, shocked, and curious looks of Atlanteans along the way.
As they disembarked, Erskine replied, "I'll have Helga, Steven, Jacques, and Milo. Not to disrespect you, Rourke, but you sort of appear intimidating.", subtly glancing at Thaddeus to keep an eye on Vinny and Peggy, just for safety's sake, even if Peggy can take care of herself.
"It's as you said, let's not try to antagonize as best as we can...", Rourke shrugged. "Besides, better I be the one to reel in Mole less we have another...", he shook his head as Erskine chuckled, "Very good idea.".
And so, the small, gathered group followed the two princesses as it is now clear that since they replied that their father is the king of the city.
Up high into a high-kept palace of great Atlantean style yet still crumbling here and there in places, they stepped into the throne room, with a great statue head crying tears with a mostly intact torso and arms.
Across a large pond with stepping-stones, they stepped up into the patio, and there, on a mix of throne and resting daybed is a man with the same snow-white hair, with a great long beard, dark skin, and intricate tattoos across his face and up into his forehead, where his hair had receded back from his forehead, hinting that he's a much elderly, wise man, wearing great royal robes and a staff with strange ornaments on it, and the main surprise is that he's blind, yet there is something that despite his blindness, he isn't a fool.
"Quite a unique throne room...", Jacques whispered to Milo. "Certainly nothing like Versailles.". The older princess walked across the stone steps along the throne's pond as she approached the throne. The younger one stayed back with the others. Considering they were both princesses, the older one and likely heir made sense to go forward.
The older princess knelt down, her hands folded against each other in respect, speaking in Atlantean, "My king, I and my sister has brought visitors.", and the man responded back in Atlantean, "You know the law, Kida. You know it's forbidden to allow visitors and let them live. And you have brought your sister into this as well.".
"Father, two of them are the ones from our dreams, and do not blame Sia for this. She has agreed with me that this city needs help, and perhaps they can help us.", the now named Kida argued back.
The younger princess, now named Sia, winced, and walked closer, speaking in Atlantean, trying to be the peacekeeper for one of the incoming father-older daughter arguments, "Father, Kida, please. We can talk of this later. Did you not say that it's proper to listen to any person who is honored to be here before the king, Father?".
"Of our own people, Sia... not outsiders... and certainly not ones like them...", the king said as Sia sighed; depressed of just her father's unmoving stubbornness... and of course it would butt heads with Kida's stubbornness as well. At the same time, Milo was obviously taking notes with what he was catching; and he easily could tell that their welcome was probably something very short with the king's tone.
Kida replied, "All the same, they deserve to hear your words, Father, and they have respected us thus far.", still speaking Atlantean, and the king sighed deeply, "Ah, so much like your mother, eldest daughter...Very well.", responding back to Kida, and then nodded to Sia.
Sia then looked at Erskine, speaking English, "You may speak, and the king shall listen, but consider his words when he speaks. This is not the surface, indeed.".
"Thank you.", Erskine nodded as he approached forward before he kneeled, though he did struggle a bit as even the king could probably tell that Erskine was an old man like him. "Your majesty... what an honor it is for us to meet and to at least bear witness to your magnificent kingdom. To practically be the first surface dwellers to see your society in so many centuries. Your kingdom is the stuff of great legends above.".
The King spoke, "Has it been that long for us to be a myth, a fable told to children?", and Erskine replied, "Yes, your majesty. Yet it's difficult to believe that your city had existed for many people nowadays upon the surface, for it is currently the year 1943, perhaps 8,000 years since the fabled collapse of your kingdom.".
"I hear the truth in you, elder. Sia, see to it that he has a pillow to rest his knees. In our culture, elder, people with wisdom are respected and revered, yet I somehow doubt that you have physically led your team.", the king replied as Sia was quick to grab a soft and comfortable pillow, as the others watched in silence, yet Helga is a bit twitchy, and struggling to respect the silence around them, as the king looks like he's on patience levels.
Erskine smiled at Sia warmly as she tucked the pillow under his knees, "Thank you, young lady.", as Jacques really likes the name for the younger princess, wondering if it's a version of a longer name.
"Truthfully, I hadn't led the expedition physically entirely, but I try, as we elderly ones are stubborn people who doesn't want to be treated as helpless, yet we are wise to ask for help when we need it. No, the one responsible for leading the expedition was one great man I once knew as my dearest friend, Thaddeus Thatch, and currently as of now, his grandson, Milo Thatch I have with me in my group here in your throne room, your majesty.", Erskine replied wisely.
The king continued to listen as Erskine took a deep breath, "I will admit, though, that our journey here has been one of much death. We had a much larger crew that we've lost along the way. We had a few hundred with us at the start of our journey, we have been reduced to only just barely more than a dozen and are fairly low now on supplies...".
"Yet a few of you in your group has weapons. And Kida, I appreciate the forewarning by one of your messengers in your hunting group, but I heard of great explosions on a few artifacts of our city.", the king replied.
Jacques winced, realizing that Milo was technically true in his words back there at the pillar, rubbing his arm ashamedly, unknowing that Sia is watching him, as Erskine replied, "We had confronted a great worm creature on our way, yes, shortly after the Levithan, and thus using our weapons, but we hadn't any more reason to use them now, and especially not, when we are fortunately esteemed to be here on this day by you, your majesty.", with a sharp glance at Helga who exhaled, taking her hand off her gun as it was habitual to be on the defense herself.