While the Justice League was having their meeting inside their new Hall of Justice, Arthur was training with Atlanna, who was pleased to see how much of a natural her son was with a trident, though she couldn't help but notice that his attention seemed to be drawn towards the patrols.
Or rather one of the members of the patrols.
"You care for Mera don't you." Atlanna asked her son as she dodged one of his strikes.
"I don't know what you're talking about." Arthur denied as he continued to spar with his mom, though he wasn't sure where this skill with the trident came from, since they certainly weren't his own.
"Yes you do. The way you look at Mera, it's the way I look when I think of your father. You love her." Atlanna said.
"I literally just met her." Arthur said.
"Which is exactly how things started between your father and I." Atlanna pointed out.
"And look at what happened there. You and dad ended up being separated for about 20 years and me growing up without a mom." Arthur said.
"I know, and my biggest regret is that I could be there for either of you during that time." Atlanna said.
"You know dad still walks to the end of that dock every morning, even though I keep trying to set him up on dates, since until a few days ago, I thought you were dead." Arthur said and Atlanna smiled.
"I'm not mad. I'm glad that you at least tried to convince your father to live his life, even without me in it. Maybe it would've been better if I'd told him I wasn't coming back, since I didn't want him to waste his life." Atlanna said.
"Which was my thinking too." Arthur said as they continued to spar, right as the Potomac exploded.
"About time. I was beginning to wonder if I'd ever get to see some action." Arthur said, since he'd been kept hidden throughout the entire war, since the League wanted him to be their secret weapon, but now that he had his fancy armor and the trident from those stories, now he could finally get in the game.
"Be careful Arthur. Just because you have that trident doesn't mean that all of Atlantis will suddenly follow you. You need to earn that post and that respect." Atlanna said to her son, since while she wished there was an alternative, there was no way this day would end without one of her sons holding a trident at the other one's throat, since Orm was too far gone in his father's lunacy to be reasoned with. She just prayed that Arthur would be the victor, since it at least meant there was a chance that both brothers would survive that battle.
"Not that you'll ever get the chance to." A new voice said and both turned to see Orm standing in front of them, the water level up to their knees as his troops surged through the city, only to be met by the army of Amazons eager for vengeance for their home, along with the Justice League, who'd already left the hall and were fighting alongside the other heroes, and the heavy artillery provided by the United States military.
"You must be my little brother. I don't suppose that threatening to nuggie and wedgie you would be enough to get you to stand down." Arthur asked as he raised his trident.
"You have something that's rightfully mine. Give me that trident and I'll consider letting you both live through this." Orm said.
"Sorry, as we say here on the surface, finders keepers. And you really think I'd entrust something this powerful to a madman like you?" Arthur asked him.
"I am defending my home." Orm said.
"No, that's just what you're saying to justify the slaughter of innocents. I don't know how I raised such a monster, since I thought that I'd at least tried to curb your father's influence on you." Atlanna asked him.
"Don't act like you care about me. You only ever loved that half breed trash and you've been plotting for him to take my throne for years." Orm insisted.
"The throne is your brother's by birthright, since he's my firstborn and he's a much more worthy king than you'll ever be, since he doesn't believe in needlessly taking innocent lives." Atlanna said.
"And for the record, I didn't even know about you or Atlantis until you started this war, so when you lose your throne, you got no one to blame for that but yourself, since if you hadn't picked this fight, you wouldn't be at risk of losing your throne." Arthur said.
"Enough talk. And there won't be any risk after I do this." Orm said as he raised his own silver trident, which glowed before suddenly a huge beast burst out of the Potomac.
"The Karathan. One of the most dangerous creatures in the sea." Atlanna said, horrified that her son would summon such a creature.
"It's okay mom, I got this." Arthur said as he held his own trident in front of him and gripped it with both hands and used the trident to amplify an ability he'd been born with. The ability to communicate and to an extent, control sea life. Including the beast Orm had summoned.
"You wield the trident of Atlan." the Karathan said to Arthur.
"I do. He deemed me worthy of his power and I can understand you in a way I doubt anyone has since him. I release you from Orm's control and allow you to roam the oceans, wherever you choose. You are not his slave anymore." Arthur said to the creature.
"Thank you, for too long I have been enslaved to the kings of Atlantis, forced to serve as their weapon. Until now. The power of Atlan's trident has set me free and for that, you have my gratitude. Should you ever need my help, I will come to your aid. But now I return to the ocean, since I find this fresh water to be repulsive." The Karathan said as it turned to leave.
"Where are you going? Kill him!" Orm shouted at the beast.
"Yeah that won't work. I've freed the Karathan from whatever magic you were using to control it. It's not your slave anymore. Now, are you going to try and hide behind another pet that I'll just turn against you, or do you have the guts to face me yourself?" Arthur asked him as Orm readied his trident.
"By bloodshed, do the gods make known their will." Orm said and Arthur grinned as the two of them charged at each other.