Chapter 58: The Enemy Below

Hundreds of miles below the ocean's surface, tucked in the recesses of the Marianas Trench, the USS Defiant, a sub for the United States Navy was investigating a strange S.O.S. beacon. It had been a relatively peaceful search so far, with the most coming up on radar being a few fish and a shark or two. However, as they came around a bend in the trench, the radar began to pick up something that was most definitely not a fish.

"Sir, I've got an unidentified craft closing in on our location!" one of the men called out. "Bearing 0 1 0."

The captain came over, peering at the radar inquisitively. The chances of running into a craft at the depth they were at was incredibly slim, and the chances of it being friendly were even slimmer.

"Try to establish radio contact," the captain ordered.

The radioman flipped a few switches, attempting to get a response from whatever this vessel was. However, all they got back was static.

"They're not responding. Not on any of the frequencies."

"Well whatever it is, it's closing in fast," the man at the radar declared.

The Captain felt a single bead of sweat trickle down his brow as he swallowed hard.

"Evasive maneuvers! Planes down 20 degrees!"

The two men in charge of steered brought the sub down, taking it deeper into the trench. As they descended, an underwater craft unlike any that had been seen before began to close in on the sub. It was massive beast of a vessel that almost seemed to be shaped like an armored whale, and was armed with weapons far superior to the sub's. Before any of the men inside the Defiant could react or brace themselves, the craft opened fire on them. Something cut through the hull of the ship as the power flickered and sparks flew. Soon, it all went out together, forcing the sub to go into emergency mode.

"Damage report!" the captain demanded, standing up from where he had been thrown.

"We lost the starboard rudder sir!" one of the men replied.

"Sir, hostile craft is turning!" the radar man exclaimed. "It's making another run!"

The Captain scrambled for the radio, contacting the hangar bay.

"Prepare the torpedo tubes!"

Down in the torpedo bay, techs moved to comply, but that's when several divers in strange suits came in through the holes. They bore armor that seemed to be made of fish scales, each armed with large tridents and more weaponry like on the warship.

"Hostiles on board!" one of the techs cried out over the radios. "Hostiles on-!"

The tech was cut off by a sudden scream of pain before the radio went dead. That's when the enemy craft blasted at the Defiant once again, creating a massive hole in the tail of the sub. Water began pouring through the hole as the crew scrambled to avoid the sudden deluge of water, and the certain doom that it meant. Back on the deck, the radio man was sending out a distress signal on all frequencies.

"This is the USS Defiant!" he exclaimed into the radio. "We are under attack and have sustained heavy damage! We are going down! Repeat! We are going down!"

Onboard the armored vessel, one of the soldiers took note of the subs' damage before turning to the one in charge.

"General Brak, the surface dwellers ship has been disabled."

"Good," the general replied as he sat in a command chair. "Let it sink."

Just above the surface however, the Javelin darted across the skies towards the source of the distress call.

"USS Defiant," Green Lantern called as he piloted the craft. "This is the Justice League. Help is on the way."

He then steered the Javelin down into the water, hoping to reach the sub in time.

"I've locked onto their distress beacon," Wonder Woman reported. "We're getting close."

"We are very near to the borders of Atlantis," J'onn noted. "Has Aquaman been notified?"

"We tried calling him, but reception is spotty at the bottom of the ocean," GL replied.

"Well I hope you left a message," Superman remarked, pointing out to the ship. "Cause we've got company."

The ship then opened fire on the Javelin, forcing GL to take evasive action.

"Hope everyone had a light lunch," he remarked, swerving the jet around the blasts.

The massive vessel continued firing at the Javelin as it skimmed the ocean floor. Finally, GL pulled back on the controls, veering upwards so they were flying at the vessel upside down. GL quickly leveled out and opened fire on the vessel. The bridge was heavily damaged by the attack, causing it to sink to the ground.

"Han Solo, eat your heart out," GL jeered before looking out and seeing two more vessels like the previous one rising out. "Oh come on!"

"We don't have time for this," Superman told him as he grabbed a breathing mask. "Those sailors aren't going to last much longer unless we get going."

Diana grabbed one for herself as GL set the Javelin for autopilot. The four heroes then exited the Javelin and flew out towards the vessels as they continued shooting at them. J'onn merely went intangible to let the blasts pass through him while Wonder Woman deflected the blasts with her bracelets.

"Those ships…" Wonder Woman recognized. "They're Atlantean!"

"I thought the Atlanteans were on our side?" GL questioned.

"Not all of them, apparently!" Superman shouted. "Subdue them for now! We'll focus on the politics later!"

Superman then flew to one of the ships and tore out the turret on board. GL flew underneath the same ship and fired a laser through it, severely damaging it. Wonder Woman quickly shot out her lasso and wrapped it around one of the turrets, pulling on it hard and tearing it out. She then spun it around before bringing it down hard on the front of the ship. She then darted down towards the embedded turret and smashed it through, damaging the engines of the vessel. Superman and J'onn took this opportunity to push the downed ship into the other one, the impact caused massive structural damage on both and forced them down.

Once both vessels were dealt with, the League prepared to make their way towards the submarine. Unfortunately, their path was blocked by numerous Atlantean soldiers on sharkback. At the front was General Brak, brandishing a laser gun in his hand.

"You are in violation of the borders of Atlantis!" he declared. "Leave now while you have the chance."

"We are allies of your king," Superman insisted, "and we were responding to the distress beacon of the submarine."

"They should have stayed on the surface where they belong."

"But the men on board," Diana insisted. "They'll drown."

"Not my problem," Brak remarked, aiming his weapon. "Now, you have five seconds before-"

Just then, an energy blast knocked the weapon out of Brak's hand. This caused the League to turn and see Aquaman riding in on a giant seahorse with his trident in hand.

"What's going on here?" he demanded.

"My King," Brak greeted, quickly bowing to Aquaman. "I was merely defending the borders as you commanded. These surface dwellers were caught trespassing."

"We were responding to an SOS," Superman corrected.

Aquaman looked up to see the damaged submarine off in the distance.

"Then go," he told them. "Get the crew to safety."

"But sire-"

Aquaman silenced him with a look on par with one of Batman's death glares. The General went silent, bowing his head. Satisfied, Aquaman turned to his fellow Leaguers.

"Do what you can for them. I'll summon some aid to get the sub out of the water."

"No need for that," Superman turned down. "I can handle that."

Within a few minutes, J'onn and Diana managed to get the crew out of the submarine, sealing them safely in a bubble created by GL. This left Superman to carry the now empty submarine up to the surface. Aquaman and his forces escorted the League up to the surface, watching as GL and the Javelin flew off. Superman stopped though, seeing a look of concern on Aquaman. He decided to lower himself down so they could talk.

"Something wrong?" he asked.

"This shouldn't have happened," Aquaman lamented. "I'm supposed to bring peace between the surface and Atlantis, but with instances like this, the surface is more weary of us than ever. This may be what finally pushes them for more drastic measures."

"There may be another way," Superman offered.

"What?"

"The United Nations is having a world assembly this weekend. You can come and make Atlantis' case there. Negotiate for peace."

Aquaman snorted, running his fingers through his hair in exasperation.

"Supes, I'm the king of a mythical kingdom that most people don't even recognize as fact. How the hell am I supposed to make anyone at that summit take me seriously?"

"Simple… stand before them like a king."

With that, Superman flew off, leaving Aquaman with something to think about.

Later on, Aquaman returned to Atlantis. He was in the throne room, speaking with Vulko about the situation and Superman's suggestion.

"Brak has always been overzealous," Vulko admitted. "He was one of Orm's most loyal soldiers, and even now, I fear he remains on your brother's side.

"Right now, I've got bigger problems than Brak," Aquaman replied. "What do you think of Superman's suggestion? Going to the UN and speaking for Atlantis?"

"I believe that it is not my decision to make. You are the king, and it is for you to decide whether or not Atlantis will make itself known to the surface."

"Atlantis going public was always inevitable. I just don't know if I'm the best face for it."

"You wield the trident of Atlan. Is that not enough?"

"I'm a superhero, not a politician. It's not like I can punch the U.N. into submission."

"The people of Atlantis readily stand behind you." Vulko then perked up. "Perhaps you just need to hear it from another source. I believe Princess Mera is conducting a class Conversatory."

Aquaman paused, smiling unconsciously at the mere mention of Mera's name. He stood up, swimming off towards the Conversatory, Vulko watching him go with a knowing smile of his own.

Aquaman then made his way to the Atlantean Conversatory of Sorcery, where he could see Mera observing a trio of Atlantean teens. The teens consisted of two boys and a girl, all three wielding Atlantean magic like pros.

"Excellent control," she commended. "But remember, you cannot force the tides. You must work with them.

"Understood," one of the boys, with long black hair wearing a deep blue uniform, called out.

With some precise hand movements, he called upon a small whirlpool, much to the amazement of himself and his classmates.

"Not bad kid," Aquaman commended as he swam up.

All three teens turned at the sound of his voice, bowing before him reverently.

"Welcome, my King!" they said in almost perfect unison.

"To what do we owe such a visit?" Mera asked in a slightly playful tone.

"I was hoping to talk to you about something," Aquaman admitted. "But since you seem to be in the middle of something-"

"Oh, it's alright," Mera interjected. "If anything, it gives me the chance to introduce you to some very promising apprentice hopefuls."

"Well then, let's see what they got."

The three students all bowed before turning to face each other. The boy in blue struck first, summoning another whirlpool and launching it at the other two. A girl with red hair easily evaded the attack and used her own skills to redirect it right back at him.

"Nice move," Aquaman commended.

"Tula is a master of stealth, her dexterity knowing no limit. An almost perfect foil to Garth, whose magic enhances his strength and speed."

"And what about him?"

Aquaman gestured over to the third student, an african american boy in black and red wielding twin hilts and using the surrounding water to form blades. He then launched at Garth, swinging his weapons at him as Garth did his best to block and deflect.

"Kaldur'ahm," Mera introduced. "Perhaps the most promising of the three. Then again, I've learned from experience that Half-Breeds are often stronger than average Atlanteans."

"He's half human?"

"His father is of the surface world. His mother confided the truth with me upon his admission into the Conversatory. As far as he is aware, he is fully Atlantean."

"Still, he's got talent."

"They all do. They're the future of Atlantis."

"Speaking of which," Aquaman rubbed the back of his head, "I want your opinion on something. Something… kinda big."

Mera's face fell and she crossed her arms.

"What did you do?"

"What? I wanna talk to you about something and you just assume it's my fault?"

Mera just raised an eyebrow.

"Well it wasn't… directly. Look, one of my generals nearly sank a sub and before things get any more out of hand, Superman suggested going to the U.N. and trying to talk things out."

Mera's expression softened.

"And you're considering it."

"I am. Unfortunately, surface government is a much tougher arena than down here. I can't exactly duel the various politicians in the Ring of Fire."

"True. would be entertaining though."

Aquaman chucked a little in response.

"I just..." his face fell slightly, "I'm worried that going would be a mistake. Atlantis has remained hidden for centuries, and most people still think it's a myth. Is revealing ourselves to the world a smart move?"

"Well, in the beginning, humans didn't have the technology they have today. They will find us eventually, so perhaps revealing ourselves would be beneficial. We can meet under peaceful terms rather than in the heat of battle."

"True enough… I just hope I'm the one to do it."

"Your mother believed so. And so do I."

She took hold of his hands, gripping them tight.

"You're a noble leader with a love for his people both above and below. You just need to show the surface leaders that."

Aquaman smiled, releasing one hand so he could gently caress her face.

"Where would I be without you?"

"Drunk in a gutter."

Aquaman snorted, turning a bit red.

"You could have hesitated at least a second before saying that."

They both shared a laugh before returning to watch the apprentices spar.

Onboard the Watchtower, Green Arrow gazed out into space, still in awe of where he was.

"Seen this view half a dozen times now," he commented as Wonder Woman walked up. "Still can't get over it."

"I doubt you ever will," Wonder Woman replied. "To stand among the heavens, it is something mortal men dream of."

"I guess it's old hat to you at this point."

Wonder Woman just shrugged.

"It does still hold a certain charm."

The two then walked off, with Arrow taking his seat at the monitoring station.

"It certainly makes monitor duty more interesting during these dull periods."

"Personally, I prefer these 'dull' periods. It means the world is safe, at least for the moment."

Suddenly, one of the monitos began flashing, getting their attention.

"So much for dull periods," Arrow remarked, checking the screen. "Looks like we have an alert from DEO headquarters."

...

The sub was set up in a large hanger in the DEO, still dripping wet and reeking of sea water. Several scientists were working on it, all under the watchful eye of several soldiers. GL, Superman, Wonder Woman, J'onn, and Arrow all walked in, where Kari was quick to greet them.

"Thanks for coming so fast," she told them before locking eyes on Green Arrow. "Oh, you're new."

"Newest recruit," GL introduced.

"Green Arrow," Arrow greeted, holding out a hand.

"Oh, Oliver Queen," Kari declared, taking the hand as Arrow stood there, dumbfounded. "Yes, I've read your file. You have quite an impressive track record. I look forward to seeing how well you work with the League."

Arrow slowly turned towards the others.

"Hey, I didn't say anything," GL insisted.

"He didn't," Kari assured Arrow as she released his hand. "I'm just really good at my job, which includes studying all heroes within or connected to the Justice League. I know who all of you are."

"All of us?" GL questioned.

Kari hesitated for a moment.

"We're off topic," she cut off, turning back to the sub. "I called you here because there's a serious problem. The Defiant was a nuclear submarine, and all of the onboard missiles have been completely stripped of their plutonium."

"What?" Superman let out. "Are you sure?"

"Positive. Our men went over the entire ship a dozen times."

"Doctor!" one of the techs called out.

Everyone turned to the sub to see a tech stepping out of one of the large holes. They had an ornate knife in their hand, one that was clearly Atlantean in origin.

"It was embedded in some of the machinery!"

GL sent out a small hand to collect the knife, bringing it over to the group. Both J'onn and Diana instantly recognized the designs.

"So, the Atlanteans were the assailants," J'onn noted. "No doubt they have the missing plutonium."

"They must have used the chaos of the battle to abscond with it," Diana mused.

"We need to tell Aquaman," Superman insisted. "He has traitors among his kingdom."

At the United Nations building, Aquaman stood outside the building, gathering his courage, He'd pulled his hair back, trying to look some semblance of presentable, and had made sure to wash off as much of his ocean smell as he could. Finally, he steeled himself and walked inside.

Diana, Lantern, Superman, and J'onn all arrived at the UN building. The four instantly landed on the ground in front of the building, but hesitated going in. They all stood there, as if they were waiting for something.

"Perhaps we should go back?" J'onn suggested.

"They'll be here," GL reassured.

After another minute, they heard the sound of a motorcycle engine. They all turned and saw Green Arrow riding up with Kari riding on the back with her chair folded up on the side of the bike. Finally, the bike pulled up alongside them allowing Arrow to put it in park and get off.

"Just a quick reminder," Arrow told them. "Superspeed. I don't have it."

"Noted," Superman replied.

J'onn picked up Kari as Diana unfolded her chair, allowing him to place her in it.

"Remind me again why you came along," GL asked Kari.

"Arrow needed directions, and you all need my credentials to get inside."

GL just shrugged as J'onn took hold of her chair, pushing her up the handicap ramp.

"Come on," Diana insisted. "We can't waste time."

Inside the U.N. assembly hall, Aquaman was struggling to speak over the clamor of all the various representatives and politicians shouting at him.

"Listen," he spoke up, trying to be heard. "Listen, please. I'm just trying to find a peaceful solution."

"First you sink a nuclear sub, and now you demand peace?" one of the politicians threw back in his face.

"The sub attack was a mistake. My men acted out of turn."

"You cannot control your own people, and yet you demand for us to recognize you as a king?!" another representative bellowed.

"Look… all I ask is that you recognize Atlantis-"

"A mythical kingdom!" a third politician shrieked. "A children's tale! You expect us to believe such a place exists, and has suddenly decided to make itself known?!"

"After everything you've seen in this world, is that really so far fetched?"

Things dissolved into even more shouting and arguing at that. Suddenly, the doors swung open, allowing the Leaguers to come in.

"Aquaman!" Superman called out as they made their way to the stage.

"Supes," Aquaman let out, groaning in frustration. "How did I let you talk me into this? They won't listen to me!"

"We'll deal with that later. Right now, we have a situation to deal with."

"Is it a situation where I can punch something?"

"Probably," GL added.

"Then let's get out of here."

As the heroes made their way outside, the lone figure of Deadshot positioned himself on a rooftop adjacent to the U.N. building, setting up a rocket launcher. He looked through the scope on his mask, waiting for his target to emerge. Finally, Aquaman and the rest of the League came out of the UN Building, causing the assassin to smirk.

"Like shooting fish in a barrel."

He then pulled the trigger, firing a missile right at the feet at Aquaman. It exploded, knocking all of the heroes back. Superman was the first to stabilize himself, quickly catching Green Arrow as the man went flying. Diana recovered quickly as well, while J'onn rushed over to Kari, doing his best to ignore the flames left by the explosion.

"Everyone alright?" GL asked as he caught himself midair.

"Singed, but unharmed," Arrow replied.

"I'm alright," Diana agreed.

"Fine..." J'onn said after a moment of hesitation.

"Aquaman!" Kari shrieked, pointing at the small crater.

They looked and saw Aquaman lying on the ground, covered in burns, and unconscious. From the roof, Deadshot watched the heroes scramble to help their fallen comrade as he slipped away, activating a comm in his mask.

"This is Deadshot. It's done."

Back in Atlantis, General Brak swam towards the darker tunnels beneath the Atlantean palace that housed the dungeons. He approached one cell, where a figure sat hidden in the shadows.

"Is it done?" the figure asked.

"The human claims the job to be done, but even if they fail, the damage is done."

"Excellent. You know what to do."

"Understood…"

Back at the DEO, numerous doctors attempted to operate on Aquaman, but none were having any success. Kari was trying to direct them, but all of her suggestions were proving useless. They couldn't even get an IV in him because of how tough his skin was. She let out a groan of frustration as a result.

"Doctor," one of the nurses called out to her. "His vitals are dropping. What should we do?"

"I don't know!" Kari exclaimed, throwing her arms in the air. "Until recently, I focused on alien biology, and that was mostly in the form of rock samples! I'm out of my element he-" She froze, her eyes going wide. "Out of my element… THAT'S IT! I need a water tank and a saline drip! Hurry!"

Within a few minutes, the nurses got the water tank ready, setting it up in the corner of Kari's lab. Aquaman was wheeled in, Kari quickly attaching monitors to his chest before nodding at Superman. The Man of Steel picked up Aquaman, depositing him into the tank. Almost immediately, his vitals began to stabilize, and his burns began to heal. Kari sagged in her chair with a loud sigh.

"Thank God..." she gasped. "Maintain saline levels at 3.5 percent."

"Nice work, Kari," Superman commended.

"How did you know that would work?" Arrow questioned.

"He's a fish out of water, literally out of his element. All he needed was salt water."

"Clever," Wonder Woman replied.

"He'll need time to heal," Superman declared, turning to the Leaguers. "In the meantime, we need to figure out who's behind this."

Down in Atlantis, a soldier quickly swam into the palace, getting the attention of Vulko and Mera.

"Milady," the soldier greeted with a bow, "we've received news from the surface. The King has been attacked."

"What?" Vulko gasped.

"How did this happen?" Mera demanded.

"We're not sure, milady," the soldier answered. "From the reports, he is critically injured and under the care of the surface's heroes. It is unknown if he survived the attack."

Mera was shaking slightly, a hand going to her mouth at the very idea of Aquaman being hurt. She quickly turned, making for the door.

"I have to get to the surface," she declared. "I have to find him."

"Then go," Vulko told her.

Mera instantly took off out of the palace. Just as she got outside however, she found herself surrounded by several soldiers.

"Out of my way!" she demanded. "What is the meaning of this?"

"Princess Mera, you are under arrest," one of the soldiers declared. "Surrender peacefully or we shall have to use force."

"On what charges?"

"Last chance," the soldier insisted, he and the rest of his squad all readying their weapons. "Surrender."

Mera eyes the soldiers, realizing what was going on. In an instant, she summoned a whirlpool, beginning her attack. The soldiers opened fire on her, but the whirlpool managed to take most of the damage as she shot it out towards them. It knocked out two soldiers as the others drew swords, trying to get in close. Mera quickly grabbed one of the soldier's arms and sent a force of water at him, knocking him back and causing him to drop his weapon. She quickly grabbed it and used it to block another oncoming attack. She swung the sword again, cutting through the soldier's weapon before striking him in the face and knocking him back.

"You are traitors to Atlantis!" she bellowed, eyes glowing as she summoned her power. "I will destroy you all!"

"Actually, Princess," General Brak said as he shot Mera in the back with a hydro-plasma blaster, "it is you who are the traitor."

The blast managed to burn a hole in the back of her suit, scorching the skin as she dropped to the ground.

"Why… are you doing this…?" she demanded.

"You and the false king will no longer control Atlantis," Brak declared, his sneer the last thing Mera saw before blacking out.

Back at the DEO, Arthur's eyes slowly fluttered open, being greeted by the faces of the League. Upon seeing him awake, Superman pointed up, prompting Arthur to swim up so his head was out of the tank.

"Welcome back to the land of the living," Supes told him.

"How do you feel?" Kari questioned, eying him worriedly. "We thought we lost you for a bit."

"Believe me, I've had worse," Arthur reassured, climbing out of the tank.

"Someone tried to kill you," Wonder Woman told him, handing him a towel. "And they nearly succeeded."

"We think whomever is behind this attack is also responsible for the attack on the Defiant," Arrow added.

"Brak," Aquaman let out, growling as he threw the now soaked towel aside. "It has to be."

"It's part of what we were trying to tell you earlier," Superman stepped in. "When the DEO inspected the ship, the plutonium was gone."

Aquaman let out a breath, rubbing his face anxiously.

"Rouge Atlanteans with plutonium… it's a nightmare… I have to get back to Atlantis."

"That may not be the wisest action right now," J'onn protested. "Whomever attacked you before may try again."

"Well I can't just sit here until he reveals himself."

Arrow then suddenly perked up.

"What if we made him come to us?"

Everyone turned to Arrow, Wonder Woman silently urging him to continue.

"I have an idea. If we play our cards right, we'll be able to get to the bottom of this sooner than anticipated."

Later that night, an ambulance was brought to the DEO HQ, where several press officials could be seen trying to get a glimpse of what was going on. After a bit, the doors opened and Aquaman was wheeled out on a gurney, flanked by Superman and Wonder Woman while Kari kept an eye on the IV. The press immediately swarmed them, trying to get answers. Thankfully, Director Faraday stepped up to take their questions.

"Let them work, people!" he called out. "I'll be taking your questions!"

"Director!" a reporter shouted. "What is the status of Aquaman?"

"His condition has stabilized, but we're moving him to one of marine treatment facilities for further medical care."

More questions were thrown at him, but the League tuned them out, beginning to load Aquaman up. Meanwhile on an adjacent roof, Arrow kept an eye on the entire set-up, activating his earpiece.

"Overwatch, you see anything yet?"

"Trust me, the second I see something, you'll know it," Overwatch replied, the sound of keys filling the background of the call. "Wait… northeast corner! Behind the mailbox!"

Green Arrow looked over and saw Deadshot, armed with another rocket, lining up his shot.

"I see him!" he called out, notching an arrow and firing it.

The arrow hit the rocket launcher, causing it to misfire. The rocket skittered across the ground before exploding. Rocks and dirt were thrown everywhere, but thankfully nobody was hurt. The press scattered, and the heroes quickly leapt into action. Deadshot quickly made his way towards a nearby manhole cover, lifting it up and sliding down the tunnel. Superman landed near the tunnel and tore off the manhole. Deadshot saw this and quickly tossed a flash grenade at his face. It went off, the light blinding Superman, who was left disoriented by the attack. He backed away as Deadshot slid down the ladder into the sewer.

Arrow landed among the crowd of scattered press, watching as Faraday and other DEO officials helped them all out. Kari was bent over Aquaman, trying to shield him from the still burning flames from the exploding rocket. Arrow fired one of his trick arrows, which exploded into extinguisher foam, dousing the flames.

"There, that better?"

Aquaman then stood up, suddenly transforming into J'onn.

"Quite. Thank you."

"We got this," Faraday told the vigilante. "You go get that sonuvabitch."

"You don't even have to ask," Arrow replied, firing a grappling arrow and zipping off. J'onn followed after him moments later.

The two eventually caught up with Superman, who was shaking off the effects of the flash grenade.

"Are you alright?" J'onn asked.

"Just need a second," Superman reassured. "Deadshot's below."

"Get a lock on him," Arrow told J'onn. "I'll follow from above."

J'onn nodded before phasing through the ground. Once through, he looked around for any sign of the assassin. Feeling a light on him, he turned around just as Deadshot rode towards him on a motorcycle. J'onn quickly went intangible again as Deadshot passed through him and drove down the tunnel.

"He's on the move," J'onn said into his comms. "I believe he is headed towards you, Arrow."

"Understood!" Green Arrow reported, "Wonder Woman, help me intercept him?"

"Gladly."

Wonder Woman leapt down to the street and punched a hole into the ground. The tunnel collapsed around Deadshot, but the assassin managed to evade most of the falling rock. Diana then tore off a nearby grate and landed in the sewer right in front of Deadshot.

"End of the line, assassin," she told him.

"Guess I need a detour," he retorted.

Deadshot then fired one wrist gun at Wonder Woman, forcing her to deflect the blasts as he aimed his second at the wall behind her. He fired a miniature missile, hitting the back wall and causing debris to fall on top of her so he could ride off.

Back inside the DEO, Aquaman and Green Lantern were watching the commotion from the safety of Kari's lab, listening in on the comms.

"Looks like our hitman decided to make his move," GL noted. "Thought we saw the last of that Deadshot guy after the whole Count Vertigo thing."

"Guess not," Aquaman mused, "but while he's occupied, I need to return to Atlantis."

"Then go. Get to your people. We'll join you as soon as we can."

Aquaman nodded, then took his leave, GL opening a window to do the same.

Deadshot continued riding through the sewers, hoping to make a clean getaway. As he rounded the corner though, he came face to face with Green Arrow, who had an arrow notched in his bow. He fired, nailing Deadshot's bike in the front wheel. This caused the bike to flip over as Deadshot tumbled onto the ground. He groaned in pain as he picked himself up, coming face to face with Arrow.

"Was hoping you'd be here," Deadshot said as he shook off the last of his daze.

"What are you doing here, Lawton? Thought you came to your senses after what happened with Queen Perdita."

"Still won't go after kids, but when someone wants a hero/politician taken off the board, who am I to say no."

Deadshot then opened fire on Arrow, forcing him to leap out of the way. Arrow then rolled on the ground before firing an arrow at him, prompting Deadshot to dodge before opening fire again. The tunnel didn't leave much room for maneuverability, so Green Arrow had to keep moving to avoid getting shot. Thinking fast, he leapt onto the wall of the tunnel and sprung off of it, firing an arrow that took out one of Deadshot's wrist guns. Deadshot winced at the blow before looking up to see Green Arrow reading another arrow. Deadshot fired at Green Arrow again, forcing him to dodge as Deadshot made his way to a nearby ladder. He ducked just as Arrow took his shot, causing the arrow to embed itself in the wall. Deadshot then pulled out a smoke bomb and tossed it at the wall near Arrow, causing smoke to engulf the tunnel. Arrow coughed in response as Deadshot climbed up the ladder towards the surface.

"He's going topside," Arrow reported.

"Understood," Superman responded. "We'll take it from here."

Up top, Deadshot climbed into a nearby van and drove off. He looked around as he drove, not seeing any sign of the heroes in pursuit of him. He quickly caught sight of Superman closing in on him fast. He tried to think of a way to counter the Man of Steel, and ended up not noticing how the road in front of him was suddenly glowing green. It veered him around, before suddenly forming into a loopdeloop, much to his surprise. He was forced to drive in the massive loop, which disoriented him before the road rose up into a ramp, launching him into the air. He didn't fly very far before Superman flew up and caught the van.

"These backroads can really turn you around," Superman remarked before flying the van down to the ground.

He then punched through the windshield and grabbed Deadshot, pulling him out before tossing the van aside.

"Alright, I give," Deadshot relented. "I know when I'm beat."

The rest of the heroes surrounded the assassin, all of them parting so Arrow could come forward. Superman shoved Deadshot towards the archer, who caught him and gripped his suit tightly.

"Who hired you to kill Aquaman?"

"Come on, Robin Hood, you know I don't ask questions like that. Friends like yours are reason why."

Arrow looked ready to slip into some old habits, but quickly stopped himself. He smirked, then released Deadshot.

"Y'know, it's funny you should mention my friends. Wonder Woman here has something that I think will get you to talk." He stepped to the side, bowing a bit. "Princess."

Diana smiled as she pulled her lasso from her belt and wrapped it around Deadshot. It began to glow instantly.

"Who hired you to kill Aquaman?"

"I do not know," Deadshot replied, grunting as he did so.

"How were you paid?"

"In gold. There's a chest inside the van."

Green Lantern shot a beam to the back of the van that split in two, opening up the back. He then formed a claw that pulled out a metal chest before dropping it onto the ground. The chest opened up, spilling out numerous gold coins. Green Arrow knelt down over the mess and picked one of them up.

"Spanish doubloons," Arrow noted.

"Circa 1600s, given the engravings, as well as the weathering," Diana added.

"Then it's like we thought," Superman surmised. "someone from Atlantis is behind this attack."

"Aquaman's already on his way back," GL informed. "We'd better catch up with him before he's in over his head."

Back in Atlantis, Aquaman made his way towards the palace, hoping to find Brak before too much damage was done. He stormed into the throne room, where he found the General meeting with several soldiers.

"Brak!" he bellowed, making everyone jump. "You have a lot of explaining to do."

"We have nothing to explain to you," Brak declared.

"What?! I'm your king, and you-"

"Actually," a familiar voice declared. "You're not."

Aquaman looked up to the throne to see none other than Orm, redressed as the Ocean Master, sitting on his former throne and holding Arthur's trident in one hand and his own in another.

"I am."

"Orm… you're behind all this?"

"Indeed. For too long, I have allowed your charade as king to play out, while you drug the good name of Atlantis through the mud. But no more. Now I will show the surface world the true power of Atlantis. Once I am done with you."

On that note, Brak and his soldiers quickly surrounded Aquaman, their weapons at the ready. Aquaman looked up in anger, seeing the massive fight that lay before him.