Legends of Aquaman #7

[Spider-Man Beyond]

Written and Illistrated by Scott D. L. Kruger
Edited by Daniel Dyer

[Spider-Man Beyond]

Legends of Aquaman #7
Aquaman Strikes!

King Orin of Atlantis stood on the sandy shore of Metropolis’s Siegel beach. His men behind him bearing arms & the standard of Poseidonis. The King’s royal attire clung tightly to his muscular frame as his cape flapped in the breeze. It had been almost five years since he last breathed oxygen.

He had forgotten the rotting taste of pollution.

His men wore water breathing apparatus, and though they had never seen the sun as he had, they followed him proudly without fear.

~

[Spider-Man Beyond]

Lois Lane, Clark Kent & Jimmy Olsen of the Daily Planet arrived on the scene moments after the SCU.

Though they were several miles away when the call first came in, Lois drove like a mad-woman the moment the police scanner claimed that ‘an army walked out of the ocean’. All Clark & Jimmy could do was hold on for dear life & hope no one was killed by her erratic driving.

Lois began scribbling down everything that was happening as Jimmy began furiously taking pictures. Clark just stood there… hopeful that Metropolis’ finest could handle the situation.

~

[Spider-Man Beyond]

Lt. Maggie Sawyer & her partner Lt. Dan Turpin of the Metropolis SCU crouched down behind a squad car. They were getting used to odd scene’s in Metropolis, but this one took the cake. A blonde man wearing green & gold scales and a small army walked out of the ocean and began shouting demands.

Luckily, a squad car was on the scene and called it in… the SCU was on the beach and ready to open fire in less than 5 minutes.

"LAY DOWN YOUR ARMS OR WE WILL BE FORCED TO OPEN FIRE!!!" Sawyer declared through her bullhorn.

"Bring me Lex Luthor and we will comply!" The green and gold clad man spoke almost as loud, without the use of a bullhorn.

~

[Spider-Man Beyond]

The moment Lex’s name was mentioned Clark knew this confrontation would not end peacefully. "Shoot! Lois, Jimmy, I left my recorder back in the car…"

"Go Smallville… take your time, grab a hot dog while you’re out… it’s not like this is the biggest story since Superman arrived…" Lois said dismissively. "Just don’t get upset when your name’s not on the by-line."

~

[Spider-Man Beyond]

"Do you believe this guy?" Maggie Sawyer asked as she turned to Turpin.

"Naw, but that’s just what we need, another ‘costume’ gunnin’ for Metropolis’s favorite son," Turpin said sarcastically as he turned to the SCU squad. "On my mark, open fire… do not shoot to kill. Gimmie that bullhorn Sawyer!"

"NOT GONNA HAPPEN FISH-MAN!" Turpin barked into the bullhorn.

"Great Dan… insult the guy with the army." Maggie rubbed her eyes & shook her head.

The officers of the SCU and the gathered public began to mutter amongst themselves when they saw the brilliant blue & red blur in the sky above. The flash of the cameras doubled…

Superman had arrived.

~

[Spider-Man Beyond]

King Orin stared in shock… a lot had changed since he left the surface world.

"Hold your fire, please!" Superman pleaded to both sides.

Turpin, Sawyer and the SCU backed down a bit, but kept their weapons ready in case they were attacked.

"What’s the meaning of this?" Superman demanded of the King.

"I am King Orin of Poseidonis, Lord of Atlantis," Orin declared, attempting not to let the thought of a flying man deter him from his goal. Things certainly had changed. "I am here for the one known as Lex Luthor… He is wanted in my kingdom for crimes against the land."

"What are these crimes?" Superman asked as he crossed his arms.

"Duncan! Roduun!" Orin barked over his shoulder.

Duncan approached with a net full of dead sea life. Fish of all shapes and sizes spilled out onto the sand. The fish were black, green and rotting.

"I’m sorry, but this is not a crime he…" Superman began, yet stopped as Roduun came up from behind Orin carrying the body of an Atlantean female. Her skin, also covered in black & green ooze had begun to dissolve.

"She died less than 5 hours ago…" Orin said sadly. "She was a nurse in our hospital… treating others infected like this."

Superman looked from the fallen Atlantean back to Orin.

"I... how many others?" Superman asked.

"Hundreds."

"Do you have proof of Luthor’s involvement?" Superman asked a glimmer of hope in his voice.

"No, the tanker was destroyed…" Orin said angrily. "By scavengers hired by Luthor."

"There is nothing you can do then," Superman declared looking again at the dead girl. "I’m sorry, but unless you have solid evidence."

Orin drove the royal trident into the sand. And strode up to Superman, stopping just inches from his face. Orin’s temples pulsed as he ground his teeth.

"I have a confession," Orin growled as the members of the Sea Devil team were brought forward.

Nicky smiled and waved at Superman, prompting an elbow in his gut from Biff. He quickly straightened up.

"All I said was that the funds transfer was anonymously deposited into our account to clean up a LexCorp tanker," Dane offered. "The money could have come from any number of sources."

"That does not change the fact that my people are dying due to something in the hold of that ship!" Orin spat. "The tanker held a chemical that caused this. The tanker belonged to LexCorp. LexCorp belongs to Lex Luthor. Lex Luthor now belongs to me!"

"Sir, I suggest you take a step backward," Superman said calmly yet forcefully.

Something in Superman’s voice forced Orin to calm down. He knew Superman could fly, but was unaware of anything else the man in blue & red could do.

"Being the King of Atlantis does not give you the right to march onto American soil demanding one of it’s citizens." Superman placed his hand on Orin’s shoulder. "I understand your plight, but without proof, nothing can be done."

Orin looked at the hand on his shoulder and then back up at Superman. He reared back and punched Superman in the jaw. Orin moved so quickly that he caught Superman completely off guard, knocking him backward.

Superman stared at him in shock… he had never been hit so hard by a human.

"Fine. 75% of this planet is Ocean… Ocean which I govern. Being an American does not give you the right to set foot in my Ocean without my permission… which you do not have!!!" Orin yelled, hiding the pain from his shattered knuckles.

"And you are free to go…" Orin said to the Sea Devil team. He ordered his men to turn back when he noticed a police boat a few yards off shore.

Orin waited until the last of his men were submerged and glared at Superman. He called up the newfound power deep within, producing a tidal wave directly beneath the police boat. The wave tossed the police boat in the air like it were a child's toy.

Superman caught the boat with ease and quickly set it down making sure all aboard were fine. He then turned back to Orin, but he was gone.

~

[Spider-Man Beyond]

It had been several days since the mysterious King of Atlantis appeared on Siegel beach. And since that day, no ships had been permitted to leave any harbor from as far North as Metropolis to as far South as Bludhaven. There were even reports starting to emerge from Coast City and Seattle on the West Coast as well.

Anytime a ship sails farther than 200 yards from their port, they are blocked by whales, and in at least one case a giant squid.

Lois Lane and Clark Kent stood side by side at the press conference just outside of LexCorp tower. The gathered reporters shouted Lex’s name over and over again attempting to get his attention. Very few were ever lucky enough to be picked… in fact most news agencies quickly realized… to get the scoop, send a skirt.

"Yes, Miss…?" Lex pointed to a blonde in a very short skirt.

"Cat Grant, WGBS News…" she offered.

"Yes, Ms. Grant?" Lex’s smile made Lois shift uncomfortably… she had been on the receiving end of that smile several times.

"Mr.. Luthor," Cat started, ignoring his stare. "What about the charges that this ‘Aquaman’ made against you? Is it true that one of your tankers…"

"Aquaman…? Puh-lease!" Lois whispered to Clark, who responded by shushing her.

"Aqua-man?" Luthor balked, "Super-man, Aqua-man, Bat-man... Why is it that anytime someone shows up wearing a cape the press gives them one of these atrocious names?”

"Mr.. Luthor, You did not…" Cat Grant insisted.

Clark focused his super-senses toward Luthor.

"Ms. Grant… my shipping records are of public record, as are the contents of said ships," Lex interrupted. "I invite all of you to review the records… every ship in my fleet has been accounted for. What this Aquaman claims is preposterous. Maybe he had some bad sushi…" The crowd chuckled at the joke.

"Thank you ladies & gentlemen for your time," Lex abruptly ended the press conference.

"So Kent… what do you think?" Lois asked Clark.

"He was lying," Clark stated flatly pushing his glasses back up on his nose.

"Well Smallville, that may be the case, but you and I both looked at those records yesterday… and according to them, he’s not."

"Records can be altered, Lois. And you know, as well as I do, what Lex is capable of," Clark’s mind drifted back to the body of the woman on the beach… covered in green & black ooze… the thought that there were hundreds suffering as she had.

If Lex couldn’t be held accountable for the atrocity, at least, perhaps Superman could help…

~

[Spider-Man Beyond]

Mera stood outside the laboratory door with Orin pacing back & forth. Everyone but Orin had noticed that, since the onset of his new abilities, his patience had been… strained. Mera stroked her pregnant belly absently, when suddenly the baby within kicked.

"Ooh!" she jerked suddenly… "Arthur! Come here…"

"What?" he asked suddenly afraid something was wrong with his beloved.

"The baby! He’s kicking…" She replied grabbing his bandaged hand and forcing onto her belly. "There! Did you feel it?"

"That’s amazing…" he said proudly after another strong kick. "He’s going to be a powerful swimmer…"

"Your majesty?" Vulko interrupted as he emerged from the lab.

"How did it go Vulko?" Orin asked eagerly looking over Vulko’s shoulder at young Garth who sat on the examination table.

"The doctor assures me that he is fine… not a trace of the chemical in his system." Vulko smiled and everyone relaxed.

"Thank the gods…" Mera smiled.

"Indeed… the doctor suspects that his immunity may provide the key to curing the disease." Vulko said hopefully. "A large sample of his blood should be all that’s required…"

"How large? I will not have this boy suffer," Orin said sternly.

"Of course not, my Lord…" the doctor said as she emerged from the lab with Garth. "And it’s not a disease… it is a poison. Half a pint should be all that we need. With luck, we should be able to develop an antidote, and with our cloning technology we could have it mass produced 48 hours after that."

Orin knelt down to the boy, placing both hands on his shoulders. "Garth… we need your help. I promised to protect you, and now I ask you… will you help protect this city?"

Garth nodded his head.

"Doctor?" Orin spoke as he turned Garth back towards the laboratory. The doctor reached down and took Garth’s hand leading him back into the lab, the door shut behind them.

"Arthur, do you think this boy can help?" Mera asked.

"Yes… I was meant to find him out there…" Orin stopped as his mind wandered.

I asked for these abilities in order to save my Kingdom… yet all I have done with them so far is destroy. Oh and I antagonized an incredibly strong flying surfacer. What was I thinking? And now this boy… he holds the key to save us all… Have I condemned someone I love for no reason?

Orin looked through the window of the lab and noticed Garth staring at him.

You can hear my thoughts, can’t you?

Garth nodded. Orin rubbed his bearded chin trying not to look too concerned.

"My Lord!!!" Roduun shouted as he swam into the medical facility. "Great war machines are approaching the dome and the flying surfacer is with them… he swims unaided!"

"Damn…" Orin ran his hands through his mussed hair again. "Muster the guard, prepare for battle!"

~

[Spider-Man Beyond]

It had taken him only the better part of a day to locate it. Super speed and X-ray vision were all he needed. Yet now, seeing it up close… Poseidonis was unlike anything Superman had seen before. The transparent dome was enormous, covering huge glittering spires and buildings within. A civilization that had evolved separately from the surface world, yet seemed far more advanced.

He checked the oxygen levels in the small tank attached to his belt out of habit. Though he only needed to take a single breath every two hours… he still hated the idea of not being able to breathe freely. The harsh cold and pressures had no effect on him, yet he still had to travel slowly to protect the submarine convoy that trailed him.

"HALT!" came the voice of King Orin as he lead his men from the enormous gate. His men were armed to the teeth, and many rode strange undersea vehicles that were similarly armed.

Superman rushed forward and spread his arms wide, palms out showing that he was unarmed.

"We come in peace!" Superman replied.

"You and your kind are not welcome here…" Orin pushed forward.

"Please, we’ve come to help… the submarines carry supplies…" Superman urged.

"We don’t need your help," Orin growled.

"Frankly… you do. By your own admission, your people are suffering… and your actions on the surface have many people, in high places, considering military actions against you," Superman pleaded with him.

What am I dong? I lived up there most of my life… I know what they’re capable of. Orin looked down at the trident in his hands. What am I becoming?

"At least sit with me… listen to what I have to say before you make a decision,” Superman urged when he saw the look of concern on Orin’s face.

>>He’s a good person, he’s not lying,<< came the voice of Garth into Orin’s head. Orin looked back toward the dome, there was no sign of Garth anywhere.

Who is this boy? Orin thought to himself. "I accept…" Orin said, turning back to Superman. "Stand down!" he ordered his men.

~

[Spider-Man Beyond]

Aquaman to meet with the UN!
King of Atlantis will ask for admission into the United Nations!
By: Clark Kent
Photo: Jimmy Olsen

King Orin, also known as Aquaman, of Poseidonis played host to Superman yesterday in an attempt to settle differences between ‘the surface world’ and ‘Atlantis’. Superman, with the assistance of the American Navy, brought much needed aide to the disease ravaged undersea Kingdom, in the form of non-perishable food.

Superman and the King spoke for many hours…

~

[Spider-Man Beyond]

The man set down the Daily Planet… his heart burning with rage. The picture on the front page of the paper… it was him. Yes, he now wore a beard… but it was him. There was no doubt. Aquaman… King Orin… whatever name he was going by now… it was Arthur Curry.

That name had been burned into Perry’s memory. He would never forget the boy that nearly killed him years ago.

Arthur Curry had ruined his life… Aquaman would die at his hands.

The End?