The first two people to regain consciousness weren't actually the most logical or calm. Instead, each had unique ways of handling emotional relationships.
Barry seemed to have adopted the most correct method. He firmly believed that his parents loved him entirely and would never do anything to harm him. So when the imposters appeared, they didn't meet his expectations of his parents, and he naturally realized they were monsters.
Ron's reaction stemmed from a kind of professional instinct. In the choice between emotions and duties, he had long chosen duties, firmly believing that those he loved would support him. Plus, he was the one who had lost a loved one the longest ago among them. Time does heal wounds, so even though it was tragic back then, he had moved out of the shadow and wasn't as agitated anymore.
The fact that these two people could wake up doesn't mean everyone else could. This kind of psychological attack has nothing to do with physical strength or superpowers; it only depends on a person's personality and emotional state. Though the emotional state might be filled to the brim, the personality itself is a decisive factor. Some people just can't make decisions in this regard. Because this isn't a mistake, correcting it is even more troublesome.
"I don't think Hal and Arthur's problems are that big," Ron said. "Both of them are very mature. Hal has a girlfriend, and Arthur's father is still alive. They don't need the love of dead people that much."
"Victor is going to be a big problem," Ron continued his analysis. "His mother hasn't been gone long, and it's the saddest time. Although his father is still alive, he obviously lacks the companionship that Victor needs to receive enough love. He can only rely on his mother. He's most likely to succumb."
"I'm not too sure about Diana's situation," Ron said. "Both her parents should still be alive, but maybe someone else important died. Due to the lack of understanding, better classify her as high-risk for now."
Barry nodded, agreeing with Ron's assessment, then asked, "What about Batman? He seems to have lost a son too?"
"You don't need to worry about that," Shiller said. "He's already met Damian. No little bird can escape from his palm."
Barry widened his eyes in surprise. He wanted to ask more, but Ron quickly pulled him aside and whispered, "Don't pry too much into Batman's affairs. The Gothams have peculiar relationships. Talking too much about it might affect your mental health."
Clark, on the other hand, was hesitant. He said, "Anyway, Bruce must be very sad too, right? I'll visit him tonight. Maybe I can comfort him."
No one had any objections. They discussed and decided to first help Hal and Arthur solve their problems, so they would have more manpower. Besides, Hal saved Victor's life, even risking his own. The problem hasn't been resolved yet, so Victor feels a strong sense of guilt towards him. Perhaps this could be used to persuade him.
"Where's Hal's hometown? Seashore City?" they said as they walked out. "It shouldn't be hard to find, right?"
"If Victor were around, he could look up the address, but it's better not to disturb him now," Ron said. "Let's head to Seashore City first; I'll search brainwaves there."
Barry took him to Seashore City. Ron began scanning the brainwaves. Though Seashore City was large, there was no need to search the entire city. Hal mentioned he grew up by the sea, where the old house was in the fishermen's area, only checking there was needed.
As expected, they quickly found Hal's brainwaves. The two rushed over at the fastest speed and saw Hal and his father sitting by the fireplace of the old house eating.
Ron was a bit worried, but Barry pulled him and cleared his throat at the door. Seeing them, Hal warmly stood up to greet them and said, "This is my father. You can call him Old Jordan or Old Joe."
Ron and Barry weren't sure what was going on, so they went along with it, nodding towards the man in front of them as if engaging in typical small talk.
Hal's father wasn't exactly old; he looked middle-aged and seemed energetic, enjoying the grilled fish over the fireplace with keen interest.
Ron gave Hal a look. Hal shook his head in response. So they sat down together to eat the grilled fish. When Barry was about to use a fork, Hal stopped him and said, "This is too spicy for you. Let me get some bread for you later."
Barry was a bit surprised. Though he did have a lighter taste, he could handle some spice, and the grilled fish didn't look too spicy. But one of Barry's virtues was his obedience. He nodded and said, "Actually, I wasn't that hungry anyway; just wanted to try your cooking. It's fine not to eat."
Hal poured wine for his father, begrudgingly saying, "Drink a little less. My friends are still here."
"It's fine... it's fine..." Old Jordan mumbled.
The meal lasted over half an hour, and Old Jordan drank until he was dead drunk. He hadn't actually drunk that much, and Ron suspected that Hal might have added something to the grilled fish.
Once he was completely passed out, Hal sighed and used his Green Lantern energy to encase him, sending him into the world of the Green Lantern ring.
Ron realized that Hal wasn't deceived; he was just more stable than anyone else. Hence, instead of avoiding the issue by forcefully controlling the person, he could gracefully use a more casual approach to end this farce.
This had another advantage: in case they ever needed to use this charlatan again in the future, they could easily set him next to the stove and say he drank himself to death rather than being controlled. This play could continue.
Barry couldn't help but give Hal a thumbs up. If he had been calmer at that time, he could have done the same, pretending to be their good son and secretly knocking them out so they wouldn't know their plan had failed. Maybe it could be used to mislead the enemy in the future.
After picking up Hal, they turned towards Atlantis. Hal created a green lantern bubble, taking a few people underwater. But because they were worried it might be impolite to barge into Atlantis, they didn't go directly in. Instead, from afar, Ron contacted Arthur using telepathy.
It wasn't long before Arthur and Mera came to greet them, accompanied by a faint sense of confusion in the telepathy. Ron thought Arthur was puzzled as to why they came, so he hurriedly explained, "We learned from Shiller that resurrection might involve an extremely powerful being trying to eliminate the conspiracy woven by cosmic life. This is a matter of utmost importance, so we came to take a look."
"There is no resurrection," Arthur said.
"What?"
"My mother hasn't resurrected," Arthur scratched his head and said, "We're also puzzled about this matter."
"That's impossible. It's unlikely that he's targeting everyone but happened to miss you. Could it be that she hasn't returned to Atlantis?"
"But if she's not the queen, then she's just an ordinary Atlantean. Where else could she go? The mainland wouldn't accept her."
Ron was also a bit puzzled. If it was as Shiller said, that this was a conspiracy, and these resurrected imposters were here to cause trouble, then Arthur's mother should have returned in glory. She could exercise more rightful authority than Arthur, rallying the Seven Ocean Tribes, creating chaos underwater, or even attacking the mainland. That would be the most advantageous move for her; it's unlikely she resurrected but didn't return.
The group discussed for a while but couldn't figure out where the former queen had gone. They walked all the way back to Arthur's palace. Arthur sat on the throne, and everyone started teasing him.
"You really look the part," Hal said, "Greetings, Your Majesty Aquaman."
Arthur waved his hand dismissively and said, "Actually, I don't like staying underwater at all. If I didn't have to watch these idiots and stop them from attacking the mainland now and then, I'd have gone back to the Port of Mercy long ago."
They talked about some Atlantis-related topics, but eventually, the conversation returned to the queen. Hal asked, "How did your mother die back then? Was it because she resisted the marriage?"
"Not really, she was eventually forced to marry and even gave birth to my brother. But she killed my brother's father, which led to her being exiled."
"Wait, exiled and not executed?"
Arthur was stunned and then said, "She was exiled to the depths of the Sea Trench, and from then on, disappeared without a trace..."
As he spoke, he looked over to Mera, because Mera had told him this. Mera frowned and said, "That place is barren; Atlanteans can't survive there. Historically, no one exiled to the depths of the Sea Trench has ever returned alive."
"That might not be the case," Hal stood up and said, "Maybe the real reason the queen hasn't resurrected and returned is that she never actually died."
Arthur and Mera both stood up in surprise. Arthur stepped down from the throne and said, "Are you saying that my mother has always been alive, just imprisoned in the Sea Trench?"
"Not necessarily. Maybe she doesn't want to come out herself. After all, being forced apart from her lover, forced to have a child with someone else, and that illegitimate child was destined to inherit the throne of Atlantis. If it were me, I wouldn't want to come out either," Hal said.
Arthur nodded and said, "Now that you mention it, that's quite possible. If she had to see Orm's face every day, she might die of anger."
"Let's go; let's check out the Exile Land." Arthur was about to move, but Ron stopped him and said, "Though it's possible, we still can't determine whether she's resurrected or never died. We must be careful."
Arthur shook his head and said, "Whether resurrected or never dead, I won't let her return. On one hand, I'm keeping Orm for a reason; I'm afraid she'll get angry and kill Orm. On the other hand, there can't be two rulers in a nation. If she returns, my legitimacy will be questioned, and the Seven Ocean Tribes will fall into chaos."
"In fact, if she is eager to return, she might actually be an imposter. Because she knows well that it would shake my authority. She loved my father too much to do such a thing."
Relieved, Ron and the others headed toward the depths of the Sea Trench. Although the Sea Trench Clan lived there, they didn't dwell at the bottom but on the rock walls. At the base of the Sea Trench, not a blade of grass grows, and it's pitch-black, making it the most terrifying prison.
There were barriers to prevent living beings from entering and exiting, but they didn't affect Arthur, who had already inherited the throne. They passed through the barriers and descended all the way down. Everyone was somewhat uneasy; this place was incredibly frightening, not like somewhere people would be.
But after walking for a while, Arthur inexplicably stopped. He turned and looked in a direction where a solitary light shone. He walked over slowly and saw a familiar lighthouse.
A woman sat on the steps at the lighthouse's entrance, staring into the empty darkness, just like his father had countless days and nights, waiting in hope.