The jet hummed softly as it cruised through the glowing abyss, schools of strange fish scattering in luminous trails behind them.
Most of the League sat in silence—some lost in thought, others simply enjoying the calm. Naturally, that peace didn't last long.
Nina leaned toward Diana, her tone casual.
"So, what do you actually think about my brother?"
Diana's brow arched slightly. "Is he the one who sent you to ask that?"
"No," Nina said with a grin. "I'm just curious. So? What do you think of him?"
"He's infuriating and arrogant," Diana replied flatly.
Nina smirked. "Is that so? Aren't you missing something?"
"I don't follow," Wonder Woman said, tilting her head.
"I mean, you forgot his other qualities—strong, handsome, caring to those close to him," Nina teased, wiggling her eyebrows.
"Handsome?" Hal cut in.
"Shut up, Hal. We're not talking to you," Nina snapped.
Green Lantern went quiet immediately, prompting a few suppressed chuckles. Nina turned back to Diana.
"Don't you agree?"
Diana exhaled softly. "He is certainly strong. That's the only admirable thing about him."
"Oh? So you do admire him," Nina said with a sly grin.
"No. I simply acknowledge his strength as a warrior to another."
"Mm-hmm, sure," Nina said, raising her chin with a knowing look. She'd seen this before—after all, she knew Wonder Woman better than anyone. In the future, she'd even told Max what had drawn her to him: his strength and courage among other things.
"Want to know what he thinks of you?" Nina asked suddenly.
Diana gave her a measured look. "And what does he think of me?"
"He's probably going to kill me for telling you this since it was supposed to be his deepest secrets,but…" Nina leaned closer and whispered something in her ear.
For a brief second, a flicker of crimson crossed Diana's cheeks. She quickly folded her arms. "Is that supposed to flatter me?"
"I don't know," Nina said with a shrug. "Take it however you like. Anyway, Thena asked me to invite you to dinner at our place tonight."
"She did?" Diana asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Yep. And my brother agreed too. So you'd better come."
Diana smiled faintly. "I'll be there, then."
"Good," Nina said, rubbing her hands together with mock villainy.
Everyone in the jet turned to stare at her.
"What?" she asked innocently.
Batman's voice suddenly boomed through the comms before anyone could say a word.
"Shazam, Flash, and I will stay topside. Cyborg, maintain communication. And Nina" his tone sharpened slightly, "I hope you won't cause any trouble."
"Roger that, Batman," Cyborg said immediately.
"Don't worry about me," Nina replied innocently.
"That's exactly what worries me," Batman muttered, and the line went silent.
"Anyway…" Aquaman said, trying not to laugh as he turned to Mera. "So tell me,what's she like?"
Mera smiled, glancing out at the shimmering water beyond the cockpit. "I think it's time for you to find out for yourself, Arthur."
The jet slowed as the deep blue around them began to glow brighter. Outside, towers of coral and pearl rose like ancient skyscrapers, illuminated by trails of bioluminescent light. Massive manta-like creatures glided past, their wings leaving ripples of color in their wake.
"Welcome," Mera said proudly, "to Atlantis."
"By the gods…" Wonder Woman breathed, eyes wide in awe.
Hal whistled low. "Well, that's one for the books."
Even Aquaman could only stare, his voice catching slightly. "It's… magnificent."
Mera turned to him with a gentle smile. "This is your birthright."
Aquaman pressed a hand to the glass, staring at the city that shimmered like a dream. "My birthright," he repeated quietly.
Behind them, Nina leaned back in her seat with a smirk. "Sooo… anyone else thinking souvenir shopping?"
"Is that why you chose to tag along?" Shazam asked irritably. He still hadn't forgotten how Nina once threatened to kill Cyborg.
"Maybe," Nina said with a casual shrug.
The jet descended slowly, cutting through the glowing waters until it touched down on the ocean floor. The League stepped out, surrounded by eerie silence and drifting light.
"Batman, we're here," Cyborg said, tapping his comm.
Static crackled in reply.
"Something's wrong," Cyborg frowned. "I can't send or receive signals from down here."
"Where is everyone?" Superman asked, scanning the empty coral streets.
"Well, this seems like a you mystery to figure out," Nina said lightly. "I'm gonna check this place out."
Before anyone could stop her, she swam off into the distance.
"Well," Hal muttered, folding his arms. "That's one less problem to babysit."
"Something's not right," Wonder Woman said quietly, her eyes narrowing.
Just then, an elderly woman with gray hair swam past them hurriedly. Mera darted forward to intercept her.
"Tell me," Mera demanded, "why is the royal city deserted?"
The old woman hesitated, then spoke in a trembling voice. "Because our brave men and women have gone to prepare for war."
"War?" Superman asked. "Why?"
"Because the surface dwellers must pay for killing our queen," the woman said bitterly. "Now I must go." She turned and swam off before they could question her further.
Mera's expression hardened. "No…"
She swam ahead, the League following closely behind. They entered the royal palace — its grand halls eerily silent. At its center stood a massive glass chamber. Inside floated the lifeless body of Queen Atlanna.
Arthur's face twisted in anguish as he pressed a hand against the glass. "Whoever did this… will pay."
A cold, mocking voice echoed through the chamber.
"Welcome, bastard. Is Atlantis everything you dreamed of? You, sitting on the throne?"
Orm swam out from the shadows, his trident crackling with energy.
"You killed her!" Mera shouted, surging toward him in fury.
Arthur caught her wrist. "Mera,wait!"
Orm smirked. "That I did. I ran my sword through her myself as she begged for peace. You should be grateful, brother. Our mother will no longer stand in your way — as she once stood in mine."
"I'll kill you!" Arthur roared, launching himself forward.
Orm's trident flared, unleashing a surge of lightning that slammed into Arthur's chest, hurling him backward into the coral wall. He fell limp and unconscious.
"Arthur!" Mera screamed, charging at Orm — only to be struck across the face by the trident's shaft, the blow sending her spiraling.
Wonder Woman unsheathed her sword. "Enough!"
The League surged forward — Superman, Shazam, and Green Lantern leading the charge. Orm raised his trident and released a thunderous wave of electricity that rippled through the chamber, striking them all. One by one, they fell, unconscious, their bodies caught in tendrils of glowing energy.
From the coral floor, strange cocoons of living light emerged, encasing the fallen heroes.
"Offer them to the horrors of the Dark Trench," Orm commanded coldly.
Then he turned as a dark figure stepped from the shadows — sleek armor glinting under the pale light.
"Take care of the last one," Orm said.
Black Manta nodded silently before vanishing into the depths.
--------------------
Nina swam through the empty streets of Atlantis, her reflection flickering across the faint glow of crystal lamps still burning within the coral walls.
"Wow," she muttered, glancing around. "For a city this big, it's way too quiet. Figures—they must be hiding in bunkers since the whole kingdom's gearing up for war."
Her voice echoed through the silence. It was eerie,too still for a place that was supposed to be bursting with life.
Then,boom!
A red laser beam slammed into her chest, hurling her backward. Nina grunted, immediately activating her Ribcage Susanoo as the crimson energy scorched against it. The shockwave rippled through the water.
She looked up,and there he was.
Black Manta, flanked by a swarm of Trenchers, their eyes glowing like hungry lanterns.
"I'm sorry," Manta said, his voice cold and distorted through his helmet. "But this is where your little excursion ends."
The eyes of his mask glowed, and twin optic beams sliced through the water, slamming into Nina's Susanoo.
The Trenchers charged.
Nina sighed, forming a single hand seal.
"Water Style: Water Dragon Jutsu!"
The ocean answered. Dozens of roaring water dragons burst from the depths, coiling and crashing through the trenchers. Some fled, others were ripped apart.
Black Manta fired another beam, vaporizing a dragon mid-charge—but before he could move.
A gigantic white arrow of chakra speared through his waist, nearly cleaving him in half.
His vision blurred. Through the haze, he saw Nina standing within her Stage 3 Susanoo, its white armor glimmering under the deep-sea light, bow still drawn.
The last thing he saw before darkness took him was her cold, determined gaze.
The Susanoo faded. Nina vanished with it.
---
Moments later, she reappeared beside Cyborg, near a dark trench.
"Whoa," she muttered, spotting Superman wrestling a massive tentacled creature in the distance—and winning, of course.
"Looks like things are under control," she said, more to herself than anyone else.
Then, with a deep breath, Nina's chakra flared—her Perfect Susanoo erupting from the ocean floor, rising like a glowing titan through the waves. The sea exploded around it as it broke the surface.
As soon as she breached the air, she deactivated it, hovering above the ocean as calm returned.
Closing her eyes, she whispered,
"Where are you...?"
A moment of silence. Then her lips curved into a smirk.
"Ah, there you are."
She blasted off—heading straight for Metropolis.
Max was sitting cross-legged on a rooftop, eyes closed.
"What are you doing?" Nina asked as she landed behind him.
"Meditating," Max said without opening his eyes. "Trying to pass time."
"Well, since you're not busy, could you make dinner tonight? We're tired of takeout."
Max cracked one eye open. "Then why don't you cook?"
"I'm busy at the moment," Nina said, folding her arms.
"You can always make a shadow clone."
Nina pouted. "I haven't eaten anything you cooked in a while."
"Maybe some other time. Not today."
"Oh come on, Dad!" she whined dramatically. "I'll do anything if you do this for us!"
Max sighed. "Alright, what's this really about?"
Nina sighed, rubbing the back of her head. "...Mom's coming over."
Max frowned. "thats even more reason not to do what you are asking of me."
"It was Thena's idea! She asked me to convince you. Please ,if not for me, then for her!"
"I don't remember her mentioning anything about this," Max said suspiciously. "If she did, I wouldn't have declined. So, you're lying about something."
"So... will you do it?"
He exhaled, rubbing his temple. "Sure, afterall I have somethings to discuss with her for us to come to an accord "
"Thank you! You're the best!" Nina grinned, hugging him tight.
"Shouldn't you be training Thena and Terra right now?" she asked.
"They're with the real me."
"Wait,then why are you here?"
"Boss told me to observe the invasion of the Atlantians t confirm something "
"Oh. In that case…" Nina's eyes narrowed, Mangekyō Sharingan spinning into view.
"Wait,hold up"
FWOOOSH!
Max's clone was instantly engulfed in black flames but he stood there calmly, arms crossed as the fire licked around him.
"You've got some explaining to do when you get home," he said dryly before exploding into a puff of smoke.
Nina exhaled in relief, wiping sweat from her forehead. She knew he'd let her hit him. Even as a clone, Max could've dodged easily,but he didn't.
She glanced around, making sure no one else was nearby.
"Okay," she whispered, forming a single hand seal. "Time for the next stage of the plan."
A plume of smoke erupted,revealing Max.
Or at least... Nina transformed into him, smirking.
"Let's see how far I can take this."
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End of Chapter