The Man:
"Hmm."
While steering the Junker, I check the surrounding instructions.
"We're traveling at twenty knots an hour, at 50,000 psi. The water's temperature is staying at a constant near freezing. Based on all these measurements, we should be close toAtlantis."
Looking to my right, I grab the nearby radio and push the speaker button on its side.
"Attention, crew! We should be somewhere near the city of Atlantis. Be prepared for anything!"
As I put the radio back, I turn to the side. I think Kara might be standing by my side, like usual, but this time, she isn't here. I look around the whole Junker's control room, but the only two people I see are me and my shadow.
A bit of breath bursting from my mouth, I take another deep breath and sigh.
"I don't blame her. She saw me. She saw the real me."
I think about when I had sharpened claws and giant, pointed fangs. I think about the time I breathed fire and spit ice. Finally, I think about when I became a monster and murdered Phantom Stranger.
"I don't know what's going to happen when I face the Lords of Order, but whatever does happen, I want you to remember this version of me. Please, don't ever forget it."
I told Kara this once. I remember it as clear as day. I asked Kara to please remember the version of me that doesn't have claws or fangs, but I guess she couldn't. I don't blame her one bit, though. I turn to look at my shadow.
"I bet if you could leave me, you would too?"
My shadow turns to me and nods.
"Jerk."
Shaking my head, I return to steering the Junker. However, as I steer, an alarm starts beeping. Snapping my head, I look at the radar and see a handful of small, red triangles heading toward us.
"Shoot!"
Grabbing the radio and pushing the speaker button again, I yell.
"Brace for impact!"
Dropping the radio, I activate the Junker's shield. Even with the shield, the whole sub still shakes and almost tips over. I hear deafening explosions on the outside. All the lights in the control room go red, and the alarms scream at an ear-piercing volume. Looking up, I flip some switches and a series of computers turn on.
On the computers, I see people riding on armored sharks firing at the Junker. Hearing something more, footsteps, I turn around and see people running into the control room. Slade is the first person to yell at me.
"What is going on out there!"
I answer by pointing at the screen. Using his super speed, Reverse Flash is the first to reach the computers.
"Let me guess. Atlanteans?"
"Yup."
Looking at the screen himself, Slade pulls back.
"Where are the weapons controls?" He asks.
"Over there."
I point toward a set of control consoles. Slade runs over to them, but before he can reach them, I shoot out my hand.
"Spider silk!"
A sticky, green-blueish slime shoots out from my hand and hits Slade. Pulling on the slime, I stop Slade.
"We're not here for a fight. We're here just to give them a warning."
Another explosion shakes the Junker around, and all of us almost fall over. Grabbing the wall to steady himself, Slade turns back to me.
"Are you sure you don't want to fight?"
I open my mouth to answer, but when I'm about to, more people enter the control room. One of the people to enter is Kara. Stumbling in, we look at each other, and our eyes meet.
"I almost forgot her eyes are blue. No! Not now. Notnow!"
I turn back to Slade.
"No fighting!"
"So what are we supposed to do? Stay here and let them sink us?"
"And let them destroy the Junker? Heck no! I didn't just build the Junker. She was a gift, and I renovated her, and I cannot ask for another submarine. The people who gave her to me, chances are they're still mad at me."
"Mad at you?" Harleen asks. "For what?"
"Take your pick," Barry whispers.
Throwing a kunai and almost hitting Barry with it, I look at him. He shuts his mouth while I turn toward the computer screens. By now, more Atlanteans, in shining white armor, riding sharks in red armor, arrive. They're all firing at the Junker, shaking her up and down and throwing all of us on the inside around.
Closing my eyes, I take a deep breath before exhaling. Feeling the rise of an ancient power, feel it throughout my body and into my head, I open my eyes. Slowly, I hear the thoughts and voices of every animal in the seas.
I can hear all of them, from the tiny planktons to the mythical kraken, and even the armored sharks. Focusing my thoughts, I raise my hand as I speak to all the animals in the ocean, asking for their help.
"Please, hear me! I need your help. I ask for help! We ask for help. Let us show you ourpowers."
Slade, Reverse-Flash, and everyone gather to zoom in on the computer screens. They all gasp when they see the same armored sharks, once attacking us, now attacking the Atlanteans. Besides the sharks, other animals join in. Whales, squids, and even sea turtles swim in from all angles. The whales and turtles bump and throw the Atlanteans around while the squids capture them, and the sharks bite them. Barry, pulling away from the screen, turns and looks at me.
"Are you doing this?" He asks.
I can't answer Barry right now. As I listen to the sea, I hear another thought. A different thought, one that isn't a fish.
"I can hear your thought. You are commanding, no. You are speaking to the seas. How? Who are you?"
As I realize whose thought I am hearing, I lower my hand.
"He's here."
The animals stop attacking the Atlantenas soldiers. They all back away, and in the distance, quickly closing in, is a much larger group of soldiers.
Unlike the first soldiers, these soldiers are dressed in red armor, similar to the one the sharks are wearing. Each soldier is armed with a plasma rifle and seems to be swimming in a large circle.
"Are you seeing this?" Todd asks.
"Yeah," Selina answers. "Why are they swimming like that?"
"It's because of him."
Leaving the wheel and walking over to the screen, I point at the person swimming in the center of the big red circle. The person in the center has short blonde hair and pale skin. He's wearing a full set of heavy, purple and blue armor, and in his hand is the golden Trident of Atlan.
"The King of Atlantis."
"Aquaman," Kara says.
"Arthur," Barry adds.
Shooting his trident out, Aquaman and his soldiers charge toward us. His soldiers aim their rifles, and even Aquaman aims his trident. As we all watch the screen, Harleen puts her hand up.
"Uhhh, he's not stopping."
"I know."
"Can the Junker survive all of that?"
"No. No, she cannot."
"Are we going to die?"
"Yes, but not today. Stay here, all of you."
Running away before anyone can say anything, I sprint through the Junker's hallway before stopping at one of her hatches. Grabbing and turning the wheel, I lift the hatch and jump into the freezing water.
Kicking my feet, I swim through the water toward Aquaman.
Kara:
"Wait! What is The Man doing! Why is he out there all of a sudden!"
On the screen, I watch The Man swim onto the screen. From the looks of it, he doesn't have anything. He doesn't have a diving suit, or a mask, or an oxygen tank!
"He's going to drown!"
"It doesn't seem likely."
I turn to Professor Stein. When Professor Stein sees me looking at him, he points to The Man on the computer screen. Despite wanting to chase him, I stay and watch.
The Man swims, almost flies, through the water. He reaches the first group of soldiers and pushes all of them away. While they retreat, The Man turns to Aquaman. Putting his fingers on his forehead, I watch more sea animals run to his side. Besides the sharks, squids, and turtles, I also see eels, manta rays, and even crabs. All of them, every single animal, are swimming to The Man's side. They group up behind The Man, forming almost an army. When Aquaman and his soldiers see this, they all freeze.
"This is...unbelievable."
No matter how many times I blink, I still see it. An entire army of fish, all backing The Man. They're all supporting him. I don't know how he did it, but he did it.
Seeing his newfound army, the soldiers in red armor look at each other before looking at Aquaman. Aquaman is looking at The Man, and The Man is staring back at him.