Mother Lover

I dug Atlantis's capital, Poseidonis. Romanesque domes atop towers plunging into the deep carved into a coral reef alit bioluminescent blue. A city designed for the full accessibility of its inhabitants natural three dimensional movements. Not a single defensible suggestion must have made it through during the planning stages of the city, for every single building was absolutely riddled with large entry points. Though with the massive dedication to statuary, perhaps the focus was on a mobile defense to get out and protect the city's artwork in case of an attack.

Plus magic. Can't forget that factor in the planning. The Atlantean's mastered hydromancy to some truly spectacular levels.

On the way to the Royal Palace Arthur and I engaged in a vigorous debate about the seduction of the Queen.

"Listen, bro." I finally broke away from the logic and hit him where it hurts, "She blessed you with the gift of life. We both love your mom, a woman with grown woman needs. She's been so sad and gray. Her men can't satisfy her in the bedroom since they passed away. She brought you into this world so I'ma sex her right. I'll push in that lady, where you came out as a baby. Ain't no doubt that shit is crazy. I'ma fuck ya mom. And while I'm in your mother I'll never use a rubber. I'm gonna make you another brother. You gotta call on me cause you can't do it yourself. So let me break it down. It would be my honor to be your new step-father. The choice can be no other, I'm gonna be your mother's lover."

Arthur looked at me like he'd never seen me before then grit his teeth, "Everything you just said fills me with rage."

"It's also majorly presumptuous." Mera added from her reluctant position in the lead of this procession.

"Children, please." I chuckled, "The Queen is a woman of many concerns and responsibilities, and no one ease concerns and shoulders responsibility like me. I am literal divine intervention."

"So you are just going to wave your hand and undo a century of pollution and garbage dumping." Mera scoffed.

"Wouldn't even be the first time I've done it. And I have way better resources for it this time." I grinned, "Anything else?"

"Just a multi-millennia spanning conflict with the Trench." Mera answered as we approached the palace.

"I am the primordial god of the abyss." I informed her, "The Trench will obey me. They have no capacity to resist."

"Okay… say I believe you on both." Mera grimaced, "How about the societal pressures from the other City-States due to actual and perceived inequality."

"Literally my forte." I laughed, "I solve those kinds of problems in my sleep these days. For real. I wrote the book and my minions carry out operations like that with ease. Yawn. Give me a challenge."

"I… I think I am out of ideas. I'm sorry, my Prince. I believe he will become your new step-father." Mera submitted somberly as we passed a duo of very confused guards via Mera's clearance.

"Dude, if you can fix all those problems then I'd be an asshole for trying to cock block you." Arthur admitted, "It'd be totally anti-bro of you to go after my mom though."

"But it'd be gay not to." I countered and Arthur tried to raise another point, but failed.

Mera split off with Arthur at this point to get him presentable to the court as a Prince of Atlantis, but Jude and I continued with our haul into the throne room, a place surprisingly bare of courtiers with only a dozen robed figures in the mother of pearl lined room.

At the base of the elevated gold, coral, and pearl throne waited Prince Orm and his partner in crime, Black Manta. The former in a sleek sleeveless body glove and the latter in an technologically advanced diving suit to support his human physiology.

"Oh good, you ass clowns are here." I chuckled as Jude and I entered with a dozen broken Atlantean soldiers behind us, "That makes things nice and clean for what comes next."

"Guards, how did these creatures get this far into the palace?" Orm demanded with his fists clenched in fury.

"Um… Lady Mera led them in, saying they had a package to deliver to the Queen." one of the two guards at the door explained.

"And were is Mera now?" Orm demanded.

"She departed to make Prince Arthur presentable for the court." The same guard informed them, getting the typical overreaction from the simpering courtiers you find from anyone leeching off the politically powerful.

Orm looked like someone stuffed a pulped lemon in his mouth and reeled back as if struck.

"Don't be too worried about Arthur taking your place, Orm." I grinned and crossed my massive arms over my titanic chest, "You and your friend Manta are going to have a brand new place in the world. Prison. For having the audacity to send a kill team into a surface settlement. The pair of you are under arrest for ordering the attack of Bar Harbor, Maine to be conducted by the men already in custody. Now we can do this the easy way, or we can do it the real easy way. The choice is yours, the only difference is how many limbs you get to keep."

A burst of magic might emanate from the throne when Atlanta banged her golden Sacred Trident against the floor.

"Hold, Outsider." the Queen commanded, "Any judicial action taken against the Prince of Atlantis must first be approved by the Queen. This is sovereign territory, and any authority you may have elsewhere stops at our border."

"My authority extends to all I see and far beyond, but I am fine observing niceties so long as you observe the truth." I fake bowed.

With a waive of my huge hand red particles scattered through the room and shifted shape and color to form a projection of a memory. A composite memory gained from the dozen soldiers as they accepted orders from Orm and Black Manta to attack the surface world and assassinate Arthur Curry.

"Why allow this illusionist to ply his wretched trade in this hall? I demand this farce end and these creatures driven out and slain!" Orm shouted.

"You continue to disappoint me, Orm." Atlanta looked down on her son, "Your father was at least skilled enough to feel the difference between memory and illusion. He also made for a fine administrator. Qualities you have never shown."

"Mother!" Orm barked in embarrassment.

"Charges of treason only require the testimony of two citizens." Atlanta spoke from atop her glittering throne, "I feel a dozen overlapping memories in this projection. The outsider has my permission to seek justice against both Prince Orm and his advisor Black Manta."

"I am sure you would also like to learn of another plot my forces have just foiled." I grinned as I showed a new memory of a horde of Klyntar infiltrating a stolen submarine and subduing henchmen of Black Manta, before shifting to another plot by Orm and Manta to false flag attack Poseidonis and lay the blame on the surface dwelling humans."

Atlanta's jaw clenched under her helmet like crown and her knuckles turned white as she tightened her grip around the Trident of Atlan.

"Orm… I thought little enough of you to believe that you would attack your brother and the surface… but to see you conspire to slay your own people in some craven play for power. You've sunk to a new level of depravity I previously refused to see in you. Were you not my son I would have you executed, but circumstance spares you today. You are stripped of all titles, property, and exiled from the oceans. I would have you driven to the surface if not for the fact that they have already come to take you away."

Her gaze shifted to Black Manta, "As for you, Manta. Death."

"I refuse." Manta growled and prepared to fight his way out of the situation.

He moved far too slowly, and I arrived behind him without his notice, the Speedforce preventing my speedy movement from disturbing the environment. The All-Black reached out and stripped Manta of his self designed diving suite. He suffocated in an instant, the deep sea pressure crushing his body.

"Manta!" Orm shrieked before a red portal moved over him and he vanished.

"Where have you taken him?" Atlanta demanded.

"Purgatory." I answered.

"I find myself in your debt twice over, Outsider." Atlanta stated as she fully regained her composure, "You saved my son from assassination, and saved my kingdom from attack, possibly even war. Speak of your desire, how can Atlantis reward such unexpected and vital service?"

"I'm recently single." I practically purred as I approached the throne, my presence visually shifting her guardians' balls to somewhere in their throats, "Such a sad state of being. If only there was someone I knew who was also recently single that might feel inclined to solve two problems with one solution."

"I believe I understand your desire." Atlanta responded while keeping her eyes firmly positioned over her court.

"Fabulous." I grinned as the All-Black surged foreword and enveloped her throne under her, pulling back to reveal a new double throne mixing vibranium, adamantine, uru, and pearl.

I sat in the widened seat and wrapped an arm around the stoic royal.

"Atlanta, my dear." I chuckled, "This is the start of a wonderful relationship."