Disclaimer: I own nothing except my OC Audrina and any alterations to the original storyline plot her presence creates to various readers amusement everywhere across the globe.

Heart of Atlantis Chapter 1

Sitting among the coral reef situated not that far a distance from the Marianas Trench in the Mid-Pacific was Princess Audrina. Her purpose for being in this location in the night was to have some peace and quiet even if it was for a little while.

Since the death of their father, many moons passed the company of Audrina's elder twin brother was becoming unbearable. Orm had always been difficult, but lately, he'd been taking his arrogance to whole new levels. Recently all he ever spoke about was war with the surface world. Each time Orm fought for his case he explained war was the only way to keep their people safe, but Audrina knew differently. Orm only wished for bloodshed, not peace. The Queen was aware of his intentions, too, and each time she refused to declare war just caused him to become even more enraged. His constant ranting and raving challenging the Queen's authority made her desperate to escape, but that wasn't the only reason why Audrina was seeking a way out.

Before his untimely death, the King had arranged a marriage between Audrina and the one known as Black Manta. Black Manta is a close friend and confidante to Orm along with being one of the best fighters in Atlantis although he wasn't a member of their military. Among those of high rank, it was revered as a smart match between the Princess and an honorable warrior. Audrina considered it quite differently opposed to the very notion.

Audrina utterly despised Black Manta. She wasn't fooled like the others who strongly believed his relentless pursuit for her hand was out of undying devotion for her. What he desired was power to benefit his own ambitions and marrying her would gain him entrance into the royal family allowing him to acquire it. The worst is how Black Manta acted around Orm. He constantly encouraged the Prince in his desires for war practically manipulating him to take action. Also, there's something else that drew her suspicion to him. There were times when Black Manta would disappear for days sometimes weeks with absolutely no explanation. Audrina tried once to get one out of Orm, but all he gave her was that it was none of her business and that she should stay out of it. He acted quite irritated about it so she left it alone for now.

Resting among the coral hair waving in the current the moonlight sparkling through the water's surface Audrina played with the small schools of fish residing there. She smiled as they swam in strands of her hair and circles around her. Allowing it to take her stress away. This temporary reprieve didn't last for long.

Suddenly, sensing danger, all of the fish vanished hiding among the coral. Having grown up in these waters familiar with the behavior of those in the sea like the back of her hands she followed their example. She pressed into the coral moving out of range of any light the shadows camouflaging her perfectly. A few moments later Audrina found out what had gotten the resident fish so spooked.

Out of the murky depths appeared three soldiers wearing full armor. They swam passed her hiding spot and from what she could tell they didn't see her which was good news for Audrina's circumstance. Something wasn't right. There weren't supposed to be any patrols assigned so late in the evening for this area.

Eyes narrowed, Audrina murmured "Strange. What are they doing all the way out here?"

When the soldiers had traveled for enough away to where she wouldn't get caught Audrina started to follow them. Audrina's confusion increased when she saw they weren't returning to Atlantis. They were continuing deep into the Marianas Trench.

What could possible be their purpose here?

Curiosity getting the better of her Audrina pushed aside her initial instinct to turn around. The three managed to escape her line of sight, but that no longer mattered. She was easily able to follow their trail without them there. A while later the answer to where they were going became obvious.

Sunk at the bottom of the trench was a surface dweller submarine. The front end was somehow locked on the sea floor with the back end angled upwards. All signs to the contrary revealed the submarine hadn't run aground like some would assume. The vessel had been compromised. By what Audrina had a pretty decent guess. Audrina patiently waited until the soldiers made their way inside before making her move closer throwing caution to the wind in order to inspect the submarine.

Upon investigation Audrina's suspicions on how the whole thing was destroyed more or less were confirmed. Against the hull of the submarine, she found a handprint and the cuts within the metal were much too clean. Blades created them not rock. A single name came to mind in her conclusion of who actually was behind this unwarranted attack.

"Orm," sighed Audrina, disgusted, resigned to the show of evidence. That explained why the soldiers were here at the USS California and speaking of them…

Audrina released a huge scream shocked when there was an explosion that blew apart a section on the side of the vessel creating a hole. Floating out of it a bit dazed, but alive, was the same soldiers she'd been carefully tracking. She was concealed well so they wouldn't notice her, but this wasn't what caught her concern or fascination.

Out on the opposite side of the submarine slipped out another figure, but this one wasn't Atlantean. He appeared to be human only his entire body seemed to be made of metal excluding a section of his head revealing he had dark skin underneath. The man was bleeding heavily with an Atlantean blade sticking out from one of his massive shoulders. He was falling in and out of consciousness. This left him immobilized unable to move vulnerable only able to breathe through a mask over his mouth and nose.

Having recovered quickly the soldiers realized this too. Seeing their adversary could no longer take any action to protect himself the trio aggressively shot in his direction intentions hostile. If they weren't out for blood before they definitely were now. If they managed to get their hands on the surface dweller there was no doubt in Audrina's mind they would kill him.

Audrina wasn't about to allow this sort of abominable travesty happen on her watch. Like her mother, Audrina opposed war wanting peace between Atlantis and the surface world. Killing a defenseless human wasn't even close to following that path. She no longer had any other choice.

Though she didn't carry a weapon it wasn't necessary since Audrina was one.

For thousands of years, members of the royal bloodline belonging to Atlantis were granted certain abilities. Each gift was different with each passing generation inherited by the young. Hers was no different it was an ability well known in Greek mythology.

The sirens were famous for this one. There was no logical excuse for her to hide anymore the moment the Atlantean soldiers heard her song they'd become aware it was her anyway. Time to intervene here.

The very second Audrina began to sing she'd captured all four of these males under her spell. The three Atlanteans were stopped in their tracks the hostility leaving their bodies as they became limp falling into a trance-like state. Until Audrina released them from the enchantment they were practically harmless under her control.

Maneuvering around them Audrina made a beeline for the surface dweller. She'd reached him when she got to the end of her song. She was amazed to find he was even still alive let alone breathing. The injuries he sustained were far worse than she initially imagined. Taking hold of his much larger body into her arms Audrina swam as fast as she possibly could to the closest section of land she knew of that was still a few miles off much to her dismay.

Cyborg was oblivious to what was occurring around him. One minute he was reviewing the security footage inside of the USS California seeking answers to the fate of the crew and the whereabouts of the nuclear missiles, but then he'd been blindsided. He was assaulted so fast that he didn't manage to catch a glimpse of his attackers. Because he was caught so off guard he was left incapacitated totally exposed out in the open. Just when Cyborg thought for sure he was done something out of the ordinary happened.

Out of nowhere, he heard someone singing in the most beautiful angelic voice he'd ever heard. It was so soothing he barely registered the pain. Cyborg felt himself slipping away his systems alerting him he was about to go offline. He believed he wasn't going to last much longer emphasized by the voice. Concluding he was delusional Cyborg simply disregarded it. Before he blacked out, the automated voice from his mechanical half signaling he was shutting down, the last thing he remembered was a separate figure clearly female swimming towards him. The only feature he could make out was long flowing black hair before everything turned completely pitch black. Without him being aware of it while he initially thought he was becoming unconscious he was in face hypnotized into a trance.

The next thing Cyborg recalled he heard the exact same voice from before calling from far away. The electronic one in his suit alerted him to his body coming back online, but the melody didn't fade away refusing to disappear it kept getting louder and louder.

Groaning Cyborg shifted aware he was no longer in the water because he wasn't weightless and the soft sand he could feel beneath him. As if in answer to ease his suffering a gentle hand stroked the side of his face that remained human. In reflex, Cyborg raised his hand taking it in his. It was late at night the clouds obscuring the light of the moon. At the same time, he opened his human eye and the mechanical one activated the wind blew them off course. Moonlight shot down shining directly onto his savior.

Above Cyborg was a shadowed figure one he recognized as the woman who rescued him, but was easier to see now. Especially the soft glistening violet eyes staring at him with concern and worry. Until now Cyborg didn't feel like he'd ever seen anything so lovely in his entire life.

"Who," murmured Cyborg, attempting to rise, but, instead, wincing at the wave of agony that hit him, "-who are you?"

Whoever the woman was she took Cyborg's awakening as her cue to make a quick retreat. Pulling her hand out of Cyborg's weakened grip the maiden ran returning to the sea diving elegantly headfirst into the water.

"Wait stop," shouted Cyborg, teeth gritted as he forced the pain away to stand taking a step or two toward the water's edge. "I don't even know your name! How do I find you? Please wait!"

But it was too late for Cyborg she was already gone to his great disappointment. His chance gone Cyborg visibly deflated the encounter or rather lack of one creating a sense of loss.

Cyborg's strength was slowly restored. He brought a hand to the shoulder where the weapon had been lodged into him only to find it absent. What he did find replacing the weapon much to his astonishment was seaweed. It was tightly wrapped around his shoulder similar to a bandage preventing any further bleeding from taking place. In fact, when he checked over the rest of his injuries from the onslaught were looked after exactly like his shoulder. Gratitude swelled inside his heart at the gesture though sadness sneaked its way in at the notion he'd never be able to repay her.

Out of the corner of his eye, a slight reflection of moon and starlight redirected off a piece of metal not his own caught his intrigue. Beside the imprint in the sand where his body had been laid out was the knife-life weapon that had stabbed him earlier. Bending on one knee Cyborg picked up the weapon to examine it. The mechanical eye processing thorough scans.

It definitely didn't resemble anything Cyborg had seen before. At first glance, it might've been something belonging to one of the aliens that attacked a while ago, but he quickly discarded that idea. If his memory served him correctly none of them used a weapon as primitive as this. The carvings on the handle confirmed the theory did not match the symbols on those he'd witnessed personally. Opening a hidden compartment in his leg Cyborg slipped the blade inside for safekeeping until he could show the others this crucial piece of evidence.

Cyborg failed to recognize his surroundings. He figured he'd been dropped off at a random location a piece of land that was convenient despite it being deserted of any sort of life.

Sarcastic, Cyborg said "Couldn't she have picked a better location?"

A good thing, in Cyborg's case, he didn't need anyone present to assist him in getting back home to the Justice League headquarters.

Walking down the shoreline of the beach, Cyborg said "Book us out of here." At his command, a Boom Tube appeared. Stepping inside he was transported directly to where he wanted to go, but his work was not yet done.

This was too big of a job for a single person to handle no matter the technology he had at his disposal. To solve this mystery it was time to call in the rest of the Justice League.

Back with Audrina, she'd gotten back to the site of the submarine where she'd left the trio of Atlanteans. Once she sang the countersong to her enchantment they were released immediately. Shaking themselves off they found their prey to be gone only to find an angry princess.

Arms crossed, brow raised her eyes hard and sharp as ice, Audrina demanded "Care to explain what you are doing out here?"

Queen Atlanna would want to be notified of this at once.

Authors Note:

I hope you all like this one! I certainly did while writing it for your vast enjoyment! ;D

For those of you just starting out with my stuff there are other works on my profile that may catch your interest. I highly recommend you take a look as soon as the opportunity presents itself to you. Who knows, you may be pleasantly surprised by what you discover.

Stay safe everyone. Especially with all of these crazy natural disasters occurring a lot lately due to global warming and climate change everywhere for sure. I swear it's like they're getting worse and worse all the time and it's like officials are simply just ignoring it or pretending it doesn't exist entirely just to go on with their daily lives. Especially those in multi-million dollar companies that rely on certain elements of our planet that we rely on to naturally keep us safe instead of adapting and finding new safer ways to keep in business. There are so many options out there where they can adapt, but they just refuse to see it because all they care about is money. Climate change is altering so much faster than anyone can really keep track of.

So, in light of all this, it is important to live life to the fullest as much as anyone can.

I know I am. ;) See you guys next time.