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Aquaman sighed deeply, nodding gravely. "Then we'd best hurry."
He turned sharply, guiding them deeper into the cavern. Batman walked silently beside him, Constantine and Etrigan close behind, each sensing the weight of the moment—the critical importance of their fragile alliance. Fragile or not, they needed to work together in unison.
Ahead lay secrets buried deep beneath the ocean floor, powerful enough perhaps to tip the scales against Raven's growing threat. But with every step, each man felt the growing tension, knowing that failure meant devastation, while success demanded trust—a trust they were still learning to forge.
The darkness of the ocean floor stretched endlessly around them, soon it was illuminated only by softly glowing pearls embedded into the stone walls of Aquaman's hidden bunker—a fortress designed for wars he prayed would never come. The bunker felt both ancient and modern; crates filled with dried seafood, Atlantean weaponry glistening ominously, carefully stacked maps of the seas, dusty tomes of forgotten lore, and countless sealed bottles of fresh drinking water stood as solemn testimony to the desperate times that forced its creation.
These bunkers were made before he was King of Atlantis; there had been civil wars and wars against extraterrestrial life forms.
Batman, Constantine, and Etrigan surveyed their surroundings quietly, each silently acknowledging the meticulous preparations Arthur had made, each item hinting at fears the Atlantean king had never voiced aloud.
Aquaman himself stood before them, his face drawn and weary. His once radiant presence now dulled, a shadow lingering in his eyes that none of his visitors had ever seen before. He was a fraction of the man he used to be.
Batman broke the heavy silence, his voice resonating clearly even in the dense underwater air. "Arthur. Tell us exactly what happened."
Aquaman sighed deeply, sinking onto one of the simple stone seats. "Raven," he began, the name carrying a bitterness rarely heard from his usually regal tongue. "She entered my throne room with Starfire at her side. They... defiled my throne. They broke my will. And then—then Mera..."
His voice faltered, his eyes glazed with pain. "My queen... She chose to surrender herself rather than risk the annihilation of Atlantis. Raven took her, claimed her. Now Mera rules Atlantis in her name, stronger and crueller than ever."
Batman folded his arms silently, watching carefully as Aquaman struggled with the weight of his admission.
Aquaman shook his head, voice breaking as he continued. "I should have defied her, Batman. But Atlantis is my responsibility. Yet... even now, I regret that choice. Poseidon is still alive—our Olympian protector still breathes, still commands the oceans. He would have enacted vengeance."
Batman tilted his head thoughtfully. "I'm afraid even the Olympian gods might struggle against Raven now."
Aquaman's eyes blazed suddenly, burning with wounded pride. His meek attitude suddenly flared up with life!
"Blasphemy!" he roared, surging forward impulsively, his powerful hand arcing towards Batman's face—
And yet, before he could blink, his vision was obstructed by a deep darkness which was Batman's cape, his momentum was halted. His wrist was caught firmly, impossibly fast, immobilized in Batman's vice-like grip. Batman was now behind him, cloaked in the shadows, it was as if a shadow itself moved faster than thought.
"I suspected Raven could mimic and adopt powers and talents from others," Batman murmured coldly in Aquaman's ear, "but I never knew she could completely strip them away as well."
He released Arthur's wrist slowly, deliberately. "Normally, I would never have been able to follow your movement—not even above water, let alone beneath it," Batman continued, his voice dripping with a quiet cruelty that made Arthur's shoulders sag further.
Behind them, Constantine and Etrigan exchanged glances, impressed yet silently observant.
Aquaman sank down heavily, the realization of his new vulnerability crushing him. "Yes," he finally admitted, voice hollow. "She took everything from me—even my ability to breathe underwater. I had to use a royal submarine just to reach this bunker. I am... useless. Completely powerless."
Etrigan snorted derisively, leaning against the damp wall. "Lost your balls along with your gills, huh, fishfucker? Can you even get it up now?" He spat into a dark corner, disgust plain on his monstrous features.
Aquaman offered no retort. His proud facade had crumbled entirely, leaving only a husk.
John Constantine strode forward, his trench coat swirling around his ankles. "Bloody hell, mate," he sighed heavily, turning to Batman. "Do we even need this wanker anymore?"
Batman remained stone-faced. "Raven didn't just steal his powers. She stole his confidence, his morale—everything that made him Aquaman. That's why I brought you two."
Aquaman jerked upright in alarm, suddenly aware of shadows that didn't belong to him growing longer, darker, engulfing him. They belonged to the eccentric duo in the group. "Batman? What's happening?"
"Sorry, mate," Constantine murmured softly, golden spheres of energy swirling around his fingers. "Hold still."
"What are you doing?" Aquaman demanded, panic rising, but remained obedient, trusting his oldest friend, Batman, despite the confusion.
Etrigan clasped Aquaman's shoulder firmly, holding him immobile. "Easy there, fish king."
Constantine concentrated, his eyes glowing faintly. "I see it now—Raven placed a seal on your abilities. They're still there, dormant. We just need to remove the seal."
Batman nodded. "How?"
"Simple," Constantine replied, lighting a cigarette with practised ease. "He dies."
The cave suddenly got colder and quieter with that statement as Arthur gulped in fear.
"Metaphotically right." Arthur asked with some hope in his eyes.
Etrigan burst out laughing, barely able to keep holding the King of the Seas still.
"I don't mean metaphorically, Arthur, I meant it literally." John said, taking in another puff from his cig.
"Temporarily, mind you. Death loosens the seal enough to break it. Etrigan's orb can anchor his soul while I undo the spell. We just bring him back afterwards."
Aquaman's eyes widened in horror. "Die?"
Batman stepped closer, expression unreadable. "Is this our only option?"
"No, it isn't," a deep voice boomed, reverberating through the bunker.
"Is that—?" Aquaman began, but the world around them shifted violently, reality blurring. Moments later, they found themselves in a realm utterly foreign, a majestic underwater garden bathed in ethereal blues and greens. John reached urgently to cast a breathing spell, only to realize they could breathe comfortably. A god's work.
Standing before them, his form radiant, his muscular torso sculpted like marble, silver beard flowing regally, and eyes filled with ancient power, was none other than Poseidon himself—god of seas, storms, earthquakes, floods, and horses.
Aquaman instinctively dropped to a knee, bowing respectfully. "Lord Poseidon..."
"Stand, Arthur," Poseidon commanded gently. His gaze shifted across the group, lingering on Batman's stoic figure. "You wish to topple Raven? With… just yourselves? Even a demon from Hell itself?"
Batman stepped forward calmly. "We are few, but not alone. Many gather across the world. Plans are already in motion. However, it wouldn't hurt to restore humanity's faith in gods to see the Olympians step in and prove their might. After all, what can mere mortals do against gods?"
Constantine smirked quietly, closing his eyes. Batman's charm was dangerously persuasive, rivalling his own silver tongue.
Poseidon laughed heartily, voice echoing through the enchanted waters. "You remind me of another mortal hero in the past—cunning, wise, strong beyond measure. And perhaps you're right. This Raven has already invaded and stolen half my dominion, something no being has done before. She must be stopped."
Shock rippled through the group. "How can Raven encroach on a god's territory?" Constantine demanded sharply. He knew the answer but he wished the greek god before him would tell him otherwise, that would be for the best going forward.
"Because," Poseidon replied gravely, "she too must be a god."
The revelation hung thickly in the waters, Constantine narrowed his eyes, looking far into the distance as silence reigned briefly before Poseidon beckoned Aquaman forward.
"Arthur," Poseidon spoke firmly, "your strength and authority have been sealed. But you are still my chosen. My gift can break Raven's chains and restore your power. Step forward, reclaim your birthright as king of the seas."
Aquaman looked to Batman, who nodded solemnly, and he moved towards Poseidon, heart pounding, knowing his destiny—and Atlantis's fate—hung precariously in the balance.
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