Namor: The Sub-Mariner #2

[Spider-Man Beyond]

Namor: The Sub-Mariner #2

Written by Mallet
Edited by Daniel Dyer

Namor stood silently in front of John and waited for the surface dweller’s response. John was still kind of unbelieving in it all, he was looking at Namor, the WWII hero, the world’s first mutant, the champion from the seas! Who wouldn’t be a little awestruck by that…

“Well?”

Namor’s question shook John from his stupor, “Well what?” John thought that might have sounded a little too defensive so he tried to offer an out for himself. “You really expect me to believe you’re Namor? You would have to be nearly 90 years old by now and frankly you don’t look a day over 25!”

The scion of Atlantis looked to the elderly appearing surface dweller. “You would dare imply that I, Namor the mighty Sub-Mariner, am a liar, land-walker? The only reason I do not strike you down for such an insult is that I owe you a debt for the usage of your facilities in healing me.” His eyes narrowed staring, piercingly, into John but John Danvers wasn’t about to give up. In fact he was getting even more defensive, and now that he thought about it there was one major reason this guys story didn’t check out…

“Listen you, feather footed loon, Atlantis and her king were destroyed by the Germans near the end of the war!”

Namor’s eye opened wide at that statement. He grabbed John by the neck and lifted him into the air.

“What?!”

John began gasping out and trying to speak, “Germans… A-Bomb testing… Secret attack,” was all he managed to get out. Namor grew frustrated and threw the man into the back of his couch, “Speak again!”

“The Germans were closer to an Atomic Bomb then anyone thought…” John struggled to get out. “They figured they had everything worked out, but by then they were almost defeated. They only had enough materials for one attack, and most of the higher up’s wanted London to burn but for some reason Hitler himself chose Atlantis. There’s a story that says he blamed the Invaders for his defeat and he flipped a coin between New York and Atlantis, the homes of Human Torch and the real Sub-Mariner. They launched every vessel they had left at Atlantis, depth charges, missiles, and finally the bomb itself. Heck we only found out because two or three Atlantian survivors had found our ships before they died.”

Namor stood mouth agape for a moment, it was the first time Namor hadn’t seemed large and strong. For once he seemed to be wounded, like a real being, but only for a moment. In the next instance Namor rose off the ground slightly and with an intense glare he stared John down.

“Human, I do not know what game you play but I’ve grown tired of your lies! I shall now take my leave of you!”

And with that Namor flew out the window of the apartment, that stupid surface dweller honestly expected him to fall for such a simple ruse!? The Foo-

Namor had stopped all thinking as he stared down at the streets, he didn’t remember these cars, and these buildings? They’re new too, and they would have taken years to build. The streets seem to be made differently with new lights moving all this congestion of people around. He was here a week ago before heading to the Philippines with the Invaders, and NONE of this was here.

For another brief moment Namor floats slowly in the air alone, he again seems vulnerable but just as before he pushes that away and lets confidence and bravado take over again. Some one is lying to him. Some one dehydrated him. It confused him, maybe it still is. He just knew he had to get back to Atlantis, there he could sort everything out.

~

[Spider-Man Beyond]

He still wasn’t as strong as he would have liked but he had well more then enough energy to make it back out to sea. He let himself plummet into the waves crashing head on but seemingly sliding in like a champion diver. At once he was struck by the serenity of the water, it felt like it had been so long. His body seemed to ache for the water and, despite all his effort, he began to swim away from Atlantis. In no real direction, just aimlessly pushing along, but with each moment he felt his body grow stronger again. His conscious mind had drifted away and the more animalistic part had taken over to heal itself. This carried on for hours before he noticed a marker on the sea floor.

It signaled him nearing Atlantis, and the thought of his home brought back all those thoughts of concern he had pushed out earlier as well as snapping out of his daze. He rose slowly up the last sea hill-top and gasped, his city was gone.

There was literally nothing but a set of dilapidate ruins where the mighty city of Atlantis once proudly stood.

~

[Spider-Man Beyond]

Namor spent the rest of the day searching the ruins of the city itself, but it was obvious they had been abandoned long ago. It was only after knowing this fact, that all his subjects were gone, that he would allow himself to near the remains of the palace. The gleaming white steps leading to it were gone, the pillars around the entrance were tumbled, and the walkway to the throne was ripped up like humans would take up carpet. Finally his eyes laid on the sight he knew could not be. The throne that held the mightiest rulers to ever grace this planet lay shattered and destroyed, the mighty golden Trident of Poseidon had been launched into the wall behind the thrown lodging itself in place.

Namor jerked it from the wall in one pull, it much like him was near indestructible, but also like him now had no home. Their purpose in life was to rule and now here was incontrovertible proof that they had nothing left to rule.

Trident in hand Namor turned from this empty space and began to swim to the surface. He began thinking back on all that he remembered, for some reason why he might be transported here and now, but there was a block of emptiness there. He knew he had gone to Philippines with the Invaders, then to Europe to find an Atlantian, but then it becomes hazy. But something had happened that kept him from protecting his kingdom, he was sure of it now.

He still had to find out why though, why was he here now? Despite the anger and rage that questioned raised, he calmed himself and decided on his next course of action. He streaked to the surface and broke into the air with ease, heading towards New York. He would find his former host, he had introduced himself as a reporter after all and was the one that first told him about the destruction as well. Namor wasn’t well versed in human affairs and resources, it might take him weeks or months to find the answers he wants. But John had not these handicaps and would be made to expedite his search.

~

[Spider-Man Beyond]

A mere hour had passed before Namor arrived back at the very window he had leapt from earlier. The inside was dark, or would have been is Namor’s eyes weren’t capable of perceiving light at the deepest depths of the ocean. No, the room was just as bright as it had been with the lights on, allowing Namor to view that John had obviously decided to turn in for the night. Naturally this didn’t stop Namor, it was a matter of the utmost importance to find the information he needed. But as he opened the window an explosion sounded up from the streets below, causing Namor to focus his hawk like vision on the chaos.

Down in the street below a large silver truck had been overturned and broken into, the trucks contents had slipped out slightly revealing that it was carrying a hefty sum of money. A dozen men in masks worked in teams of two carrying money to another large truck. Namor recognized what was happening, this was an armored truck robbery, something the Human Torch had talked about stopping while they worked together with the Invaders.

This held little interest to Namor as he turned to open the window, but there on the other side stood John. John opened the window and looked at Namor and then asked “What was that explosion?”

“That matters not I ca-”

“What do you mean ‘That matters not’? It’s an explosion! Those always matter!”

“Very well, I believe there is a robbery in progress down on the street below.”

“Well do something!”

“What would you have me do? I do not meddle with such petty human affairs.”

“The real Namor could lift a tank and fought for the free world against wrong! You said earlier that you were that man, and I can not believe he would let anything like this go unchecked!”

“I fought for Atlantis, human. The Nazis were it’s enemies as well, but I hold little love for any of your kind. Now I demand that assist me in finding out why I am in the time I am.”

“Help you?! You refuse to go help society and then you demand my assistance?! I’ll tell you what you go stop that robbery and then we’ll talk.”

Namor glared at John but John just glared right back.

In a streak Namor rocketed towards the robbers.

Continued...