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 11
Up above on the surface the early warning system on the Justice League's main console monitors was blaring an alarm like crazy pinpointing the location of the occurrence on screen. With the other Leaguers assumed to be out on a mission in the deep ocean it was left to Shazam, Flash, and Batman to handle matters on land.
"Uh, Batman, still nothing from Cyborg. But you should see this," notified Flash, uneasily.
"What's wrong? What's going on," asked Shazam.
Getting up from his chair and approaching the computer Flash was sitting at, Batman said "I know. Get it on screen."
"The mother of all tidal waves is heading for the Eastern Seaboard," said Flash, narrowing down the area where the tidal wave was on the map.
"Is that Metropolis," said Shazam, recognizing one of the first cities the tidal wave was going to collide with when it hit landfall.
Eyes narrowed, Batman ordered "Secondary confirmation."
Flash brought on the screen a blown-up viewpoint revealing a live video feed of the tidal wave.
Eyes wide, Shazam said "Holy freaking moley!"
"ETA to impact," said Batman.
"Twenty minutes," reported Flash, gravely.
"How are the three of us gonna evacuate entire cities," exclaimed Shazam, clutching his head.
Impossible. There was no way.
"We can't," said Batman, grim. "People are going to die."
Down below at a crevice deep in the ocean floor things didn't look much better for the other members of the Justice League. There the sea monster known as the Dark Trench was preparing to feast on living flesh.
Arthur was the first to awaken from the confines of his cocoon. Opening his eyes he was met with the face of Dark Trench hovering above them. He tried to move his arms, but found they were somehow locked in place. Arthur couldn't see a solution out of this.
Then the words Orm had told him in spite came rushing back.
"Only royalty can wield the magic of the Trident."
Ah, but that's where Orm's words would come back to bite him. You see Orm may call Arthur a bastard, an illegitimate child, not worthy of being Atlantean. Orm's oversight to all this is that Arthur still had royal blood in his veins no matter what anyone said about it. Which meant that he could access the power of the Trident.
Shutting his eye in concentration Arthur reached out for the Trident with his mind calling upon its magical properties.
Teeth gritted, Arthur grunted, "Come on."
It was working. Arthur's body glowed blue as the Trident granted him a portion of its magic. The surge of energy cracked through the cocoon until it exploded freeing him.
And just in the nick of time.
Appraising the situation he saw the Dark Trench was gathering the scattered cocoons in its tentacles wrapping and bringing them close to its mouth. Arthur tried to stop it using his ability to speak to sea creatures, but this did nothing to divert it.
In desperation, Arthur searched for anything he could use as a weapon to stop it. Instead, he found a lone cocoon lying not too far off. Inside was the comatose form of Superman. Swimming over to him Arthur punched a hole through the material of Superman's prison, pulling the guy out and waking him up in the process.
The moment Superman got his bearings he sprang into action. Using his heat vision Superman sliced the tentacles the creature was using to hold his comrades. It shrieked as its limbs were cut off.
"I'll take it from here, Arthur," said Superman, charging the Dark Trench head-on.
While the agitated Dark Trench was now occupied with Superman, Arthur took the distraction to move the others out of danger. Arthur used his newly gained abilities from the Trident to summon a humpback whale and he got it to carry the cocoon pods out of there by transporting them on its head.
Superman sucker punched Dark Trench in the chin and the sea monster was out of commission. Just for good measure, Superman slammed its head into a rock wall and the impact left it temporarily stunned. Superman then pushed a section of the underwater ridge onto it. Its shriek was the last thing heard as it was buried under thousands of pounds of rubble.
Superman then dashed to join the others.
As soon as they were safe Arthur broke everyone else out of their cocoons.
Mera opened her eyes blearily to see the smiling face of Arthur above her.
"Arthur, you're alive," she said, relieved.
"We both are," he said, helping her sit up. "Oh, and, uh, funny story, I talk to fish now and they actually listen. So I'm gonna stop my evil half-brother from destroying the surface world. Do you, um, do you wanna come?"
"It would be my honor," said Mera, smiling, bowing her head.
Superman, Green Lantern, and Wonder Woman were helping Cyborg out of his cocoon.
"I'm still foggy on how you escaped," said Green Lantern to Arthur, giving Cyborg a hand.
Arthur explained "Orm said only royalty could control the magic of the Trident. Guess I qualify."
Awake Cyborg's systems immediately tried to reconnect contact with the League on the surface.
"Batman, this is Cyborg, do you read me," said Cyborg. He made contact and Batman proceeded to tell Cyborg of what they had missed while unconscious.
Groaning in discomfort Superman pressed a hand to the wound Orm had created when he stabbed him with the Trident.
"Are you okay," asked Wonder Woman, concerned.
Furiously, Superman said "Fine, but I'm going to shove that magic shrimp fork down Orm's throat."
"We need to get up top. The tidal wave is about to hit Metropolis," stated Cyborg.
Nodding, Arthur said "Right, but there's something we have to do first."
Brow raised, Green Lantern said "And that would be…?"
"I have to find my sister," said Arthur, determinedly.
Authors Note:
All right. Time to rescue Audrina and get some serious payback!