Stormbreaker on the Shore

Meanwhile… Royal Palace of Atlantis.

Far beneath the surface of the Atlantic Ocean, the grand citadel of Poseidonis lay cloaked in stillness.

But that stillness was a lie.

Within the towering coral walls of the royal palace, where ancient murals danced with flickers of bioluminescent light, horror had taken root.

The throne room—once a sanctum of peace, of centuries-old Atlantean sovereignty—was now a place of death.

Queen Atlanna lay sprawled across the floor of her own court, her regal silver hair fanned out like a mourning veil, streaked crimson with her blood. Her once-proud eyes stared skyward, unblinking, lifeless. The jeweled gown she had donned for the summit flowed in slow, ghost-like waves around her, a queen's shroud in death.

And above her stood her killer.

Orm Marius, her own son.

His sliver ceremonial armor, once a symbol of royal duty and tradition, was splattered with the blood of his mother. In his hands, he clutched the Trident of Neptune, its runes humming with an eerie glow, as if even the ancient relic recoiled at his betrayal.

He stared down at her corpse in silence, cold and composed, but his voice betrayed his rage.

"You would have handed the throne to a half-breed," he muttered, "To a bastard of the surface. You betrayed Atlantis… for him."

He turned slowly, eyes filled with malice, and looked toward the figure at the edge of the throne room.

Arthur Curry.

His eyes locked on the queen's lifeless form.

"You… you killed her?" his eyes widened under the realisation.

Orm's expression twisted into theatrical grief. "I wish I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, brother."

He raised his hand, and a shimmering glyph bloomed in the water—Atlantean projection magic.

Before all who stood in the room—guards, nobles, warriors, ministers—the illusion sprang to life.

In it, Arthur stood over Atlanna with a dagger in his hand, blood dripping from the blade. Her body twitched once before going still. The angle was perfect. The image was clear.

Gasps echoed through the water like thunder.

"That's a lie!" Arthur bellowed, "I never—! That's not what happened!"

Orm's voice thundered over him. "Is it not true that you conspired with the surface-dwellers? That you brought the Justice League into our city, under the pretense of peace, only for chaos to follow?"

Superman who is standing near Diana and Cyborg, raised his hand. His cape flowed behind him like a red streak of protest. "We came to negotiate," he said firmly. "Your mother invited us. This is madness—"

"Silence!" Orm's shout shook the throne room.

He hurled the trident into the floor. The impact split the marble below in a radiant burst. A deafening crack resonated as coral statues crumbled and mosaics of ancient kings shattered. The water churned in wild spirals, carrying fragments of Atlantis's legacy.

"You brought war to our doorstep!" Orm roared. "Your League stands beside the bastard who killed our queen. He has Mera at his side—another traitor. You turned her too!"

Cyborg had already attempted to contact the others—but for some reason, the communication systems were dead silent.

No signals in. No signals out.

It was like this part of the ocean was a black hole for technology, and even his most advanced relays couldn't break through.

Something—or someone—was jamming everything.

'Better to put him down now,' Clark thought grimly, 'before this escalates into something we can't contain.'

"Stand down, Orm!"

Superman lunged forward with his fists clenched, he planned to take the weapon away and the moment he reached for the trident—

CRACK!

A bolt of golden energy exploded from the weapon, throwing Kal back across the chamber like a rag doll, his body carving a trench into the coral floor.

Orm sneered. "Only royal blood of Atlantis may wield the Trident, you fool!"

Superman now lay unconscious, his body twitching as faint lightning cracks danced across his suit and skin. The battlefield was silent for a heartbeat—until a strange rumble echoed from beneath.

Then, without warning, glowing vines shot up from the ground, wrapping around his limbs and torso like snakes. They moved unnaturally fast and in seconds, Superman's body was completely engulfed—sealed within a cocoon of pulsing vines.

Arthur spoke with fury in his eyes. "Then try fighting someone who's earned it."

He launched at Orm with raw force and his fists glowing with power.

But Orm was trained in underwater combat which makes him faster and stronger.

He sidestepped, slammed the trident's hilt into Arthur's gut, then brought the full weight of it crashing into his side. Bones cracked.

Arthur crumpled and lost consciousness.

Mera screamed with her voice trembling with fury and betrayal. "Orm, You're lying! You killed our queen... your mother and You framed us!"

She raised her hands, and the water obeyed. It whipped and coiled around her, turning into serrated whips of pure hydraulic pressure. With a battle cry, she launched herself at Orm.

The Ocean Master met her in mid-spin and his eyes alight with murderous fury.

They clashed.

Water magic collided—streams turning into blades, twisting currents lashing out like living snakes. But Orm fought like a man possessed, driven by vengeance and madness.

"She was your mother! She believed in unity—she believed in peace!"

Orm snarled and shot toward her like a torpedo. Before she could cast a another spell, he grabbed her by the throat and drove her into the wall with bone-shattering force. The water exploded outward in a wave, shattering nearby coral pillars.

"You chose him over Atlantis," he growled. "Over me."

Mera choked, her body slumping as her magic dissipated into harmless currents.

Then he hurled her across the chamber, and she lost consciousness the moment her head struck the coral wall from the force of the impact.

Diana moved next with golden lasso snapping toward Orm's wrist. It wrapped tight, wrenching the trident from his grasp. She surged forward with her sword drawn.

"I will not allow your madness to stain the oceans with innocent blood," she said.

Orm fought with fury born of vengeance when he reclaimed his trident back and spinning with practiced lethality. Diana's strikes were precise, but the currents dulled her speed as she didn't fought underwater before and he exploited every lag.

Then—a flash of red behind her.

Black Manta.

Hidden in the shadows, he took aim and fired his weapon directly at her back.

A searing energy blast struck her from behind.

Her scream tore through the palace, bubbles spiraling from her mouth.

Orm took the chance, grabbing her by the shoulder and tossing her across the room like a ragdoll. She crashed through a coral arch and tried to get back up.

But before she could, Orm raised his trident and pointed it at her with fury burning in his eyes.

In the next instant, he unleashed its full power—a blast of golden lightning arcing through the water and striking Diana head-on.

She gritted her teeth and her muscles tensing against the surge of divine energy.

From the shadows, Black Manta watched with predatory precision.

As Diana struggled to stay on her feet after Orm's lightning strike, he raised his weapon silently with the barrel locking onto her exposed back again.

Without a word, he pulled the trigger.

A concentrated blast of red-hot energy shot across the battlefield, slamming into her.

The impact was brutal.

She had seen him when he first fired.

Her instincts screamed, but her body wouldn't respond.

The blast from Orm had left her paralyzed and the combined force overwhelmed her.

Diana's eyes rolled back, and her body hit the ground—unconscious.

Meanwhile, troops began to surround the remaining League members, weapons drawn and formation tight.

Their movements were sharp and disciplined—a coordinated wall of armored soldiers closing in with lethal intent.

Cyborg raised his arm and fired a pulse cannon, the blast searing through the water—but before it could land, a squad of Atlantis elite guards leapt in, their shields absorbing the impact.

Without missing a beat, Orm raised his trident, lightning crackling along its length.

A bolt of raw energy surged forward, slamming into Cyborg and sending him crashing back, sparks flying from his body.

Circuits overloaded—Cyborg was out.

Green Lantern conjured a wall of emerald spikes, holding the advancing enemies at bay. For a moment, it worked—the tide slowed.

But then Orm raised his trident, his eyes glowing with fury as he manipulated the water around him. A massive surge erupted combined with lightning, crashing through the constructs. The torrent slammed into Lantern, lifting him off his feet and smashing him into the ground with bone-rattling force.

The light flickered from his ring as he lost consciousness.

The League members fell, each encased in pulsing orange cocoons.

Even Arthur and Mera were entombed within the same strange, glowing prison.

Orm stood tall amidst the wreckage with his trident planted firmly into the ground and eyes cold with triumph.

He pointed toward the bound heroes. "Send them to the Dark Trench," he commanded.

"Let the abyss take them."

His elite guards saluted and moved with mechanical precision, dragging the glowing cocoons toward the deep oceanic rift—where light didn't reach, and monsters whispered in the dark.

Turning back, Orm ascended the coral steps to the throne as the trident glowing with eerie, ancient light.

He turned to face the ocean beyond—his people.

The projection of Arthur slaying Atlanna played again and again above his head, twisting the truth like a poisoned blade.

"Atlanteans," Orm called out, his voice carried on enchanted currents to the entire kingdom. "You have seen it for yourselves. The surface has slain your queen. Her murderer stands in our palace, flanked by their so-called heroes. They come with gifts in one hand, and daggers in the other."

The waters roared in answer.

Then murmurs of rage. Of grief. Of war.

Orm raised the trident high, its tip gleaming like a second sun beneath the sea.

"We will answer their treachery with flood. We will drown their towers, flood their cities, crush their armies. Let them drown in the tears of Atlantis."

A deafening roar surged through the deep.

Columns of armored soldiers took formation.

Sharks howled in response, circling in great spirals.

Sea serpents emerged from the trenches, awakened from ages of slumber. Massive whales adorned with obsidian armor rumbled toward the light.

The Beacons of War lit up across the seven kingdoms.

And far above, on the surface, the oceans began to rise.

The War had begun.

---------------

The Justice League's temporary quarters inside S.T.A.R. Labs buzzed with tension. Fluorescent lights cast pale glows across a room lined with monitors and equipment humming with power. Barry Allen—better known as the Flash—stood near a large holographic projector while flicking his fingers nervously.

"Guys... You need to see this," he said before tapping a control panel. The projection expanded into a high-definition display of the eastern coast, just off the shores of Metropolis.

Batman's head turned immediately. Shazam, who was levitating midair while casually munching on a protein bar, dropped it.

The image on screen showed something biblical—a monumental disturbance in the ocean. Massive tidal shifts pulled the water apart like an unraveling curtain, Lightning crackled from below while casting eerie shadows across the ocean floor.

When the ocean split apart like a curtain, the sight that greeted them was nothing short of awe-inspiring.

Hundreds of thousands of Atlantean soldiers stood in perfect formation, clad in gleaming armor, tridents and blades reflecting the deep-sea light.

Their presence was overwhelming—a tidal wave of discipline, steel, and silent menace stretching beyond the horizon.

At the forefront stood Orm, clad in shimmering battle armor that glowed faintly. His trident crackled with golden lightning, his expression is calm but laced with contempt.

Flanking him were heavily armored Atlantean warriors, their spears doubling as laser cannons. Sea-serpent-mounted cavalry surged forward behind ranks of crab-tank-like vehicles that hummed with an ominous mechanical growl.

Shazam's voice dropped. "Holy hell… the ocean's splitting. That's not natural. And—wait, what's with that army? Are we about to go to war with those guys?"

"You think?!" Flash snapped with his voice full of disbelief. "No word from Cyborg, and Ethan is still off the radar!"

Batman crossed arms and leaned forward. "ETA until impact?"

Flash tapped again. "Maybe twenty minutes before they hit the mainland."

Shazam looked around the lab, then back to the screen. "How the hell are we supposed to evacuate Metropolis in twenty minutes?!"

Batman didn't hesitate. His voice was as cold as steel. "We can't. People are going to die."

But fate had other plans. Or perhaps, Ethan wasn't the only wild card in the universe.

Just as the armored legions of Atlantis—shimmering in bronze and cobalt exo-armor—rose from the ocean land, a massive orange energy shield materialized along the coastline.

It was flickering with radiant power and forming an impenetrable barrier between land and sea.

The Atlantean army halted in confusion, their armored transports and energy cannons primed to fire.

Descending rapidly from the sky like a comet streaking through dusk, a single figure fell toward the shore and landed with a thunderous boom, shaking the earth and sending ripples through the already turbulent waters.

The dust cleared.

A woman stood in the crater, hand on her hip. Her suit was mixture of yellow and deep emerald and a subtle A-symbol pressed into her belt. Her long hair with chestnut streaks fluttered in the ocean wind, a few strands clinging to her cheek.

She tossed her hair to the side casually, revealing a fierce yet annoyed expression.

"Honestly," she muttered but it was loud enough for the entire battlefield to hear, "I can't even eat fucking ice cream in peace in this world."

Her thick Southern accent dripped with irritation. "I'm starting to miss my home. At least there, I could enjoy vanilla swirl without armies crawling out of the damn ocean."

The Atlantean soldiers, confused but loyal, raised their laser-spears.

Anna Marie—also known as Rogue—smirked.

She cracked her knuckles. "If y'all are gonna interrupt my snack time, at least make it a challenge. Otherwise, I'm gonna turn this beach into a seafood buffet."

Inside STAR Labs, the reaction was immediate.

Back in the lab, Shazam gawked. "No. Freakin'. Way. She's that chick from the news."

Flash smiled. "That's her! Anna Marie! She's been all over the news! She came with Ethan and his—"

"Girlfriend," Batman cut in. His eyes weren't on Anna. They were fixated on the orange barrier she had summoned.

'That shield... That wasn't technology. That was raw power.' Batman murmured internally. 'she's stronger than I anticipated.'

And then he thought of Ethan.

'If she's capable of this… then what's Ethan capable of when he actually tries?'

He turned around sharply. "We're going out there. Now."

Back on the battlefield...

Orm leapt from his command platform and landed with a splash in front of Anna, trident crackling.

Without words, he pointed the trident at her. An explosive blast of energy—twisting with lightning and arcane power—shot out toward her.

Anna blinked... And dodged it with ease.

"You must be the head honcho, huh?" she said before casually walking forward. "I expected more... drama. Cute weapon by the way but I had a curling iron that hit harder. You shot first, by the way. That's not very diplomatic."

Orm snarled. "You dare insult the High King of Atlantis? You have no place here."

"Bitch, I crashed here. Blame gravity."

Before Orm could react, Anna lunged.

In a flash of speed, she closed the distance with fist cocked and her punch was a blur—supercharged with strength

Orm barely managed to block with his trident, but the force of the blow sent him hurtling backwards, crashing into an armored tank and rolling across the sand.

BOOM!

Anna twirled in the air and landed smoothly. "Being this weak, you wanna start a war? Buddy, if you can't take one punch from me, you're gonna get vaporized if my boyfriend shows up. Hell, if he sneezes in your direction, you'll be a puddle on the seafloor."

The Atlantean forces hesitated. Her aura—pure power, confidence, and danger—washed over the battlefield like a second tide.

Anna rolled her shoulders and her eyes shimmered with the light of a power that wasn't from this universe.

"You've got five seconds to retreat," she said, smirking. "Or this beach turns into a seafood boil."

Just then, three blurs appeared beside her—Batman, Shazam, and Flash, having arrived from the Lab.

"You brought backup?" Anna teased.

"You looked like you were having fun. We just didn't want to miss the fireworks," Flash grinned.

Batman walked forward, eyeing Orm as he pulled himself from the wreckage. "You're going to surrender. Or bleed."

"You surface rats think you can stop Atlantis?" Orm hissed while spitting out blood.

Anna raised one hand and pointed at him. "Rats? Oh no, fish king. I'm called Rogue And I beat the shit out of vermin like you."

Shazam was grinning. "I am beginning to like her."

Flash nudged him. "Chill out, man. She's taken."

Shazam nodded while watching with a mix of awe and respect. "Yeah. I ain't even mad. That's just unfair levels of cool."

The sky darkened swiftly, shifting from a clear blue to a brooding gray as ominous clouds began to swirl and converge overhead.

Thunder rumbled across the sky like a beast awakening from slumber. Lightning gathered into thick veins, curling through clouds like vines of divine wrath.

Wind picked up, strong enough to force some of the Atlanteans to stagger backward.

Anna stopped and turned toward the clouds—smiling. "Well… looks like he's finally here."

From above, a figure descended slowly—not crashing like Anna had, but gliding with regal control.

A long black coat fluttered dramatically behind him, untouched by the roaring winds. His white undershirt remained crisp, an eerie contrast against the swirling dust and crackling lightning.

His eyes glowed a deep, ominous red—crimson irises burning with calm intensity. Arcs of lightning danced across his body, leaping into the charged air around him like restless spirits.

Scarlet flames pulsed from his form, flickering with every breath he took. And through it all, his hands stayed in his pockets.

And that trademark smirk resting on his lips like the punchline to a universal joke.

(AN: HIS SMIRK IS BACK, PEOPLE. LOL.)

Flash nearly choked. "Oh no… here we go."

Shazam was slack-jawed. "He looks even more badass than last time…"

Batman didn't blink and stared at Ethan quietly.

Ethan hovered above them all and turned his head slightly before noticing the orange barrier. He raised his right hand lazily.

In an instant, the entire shield shifted color, turning deep red like burning embers. It expanded, stretching out across the skyline—covering the entire city, protecting it.

From above, it looked like a blood-red dome wrapping around Metropolis, unwavering and absolute.

Previously, Anna's shield had only protected a portion of the coastline—but now, his shield expanded far beyond, enveloping the entire city in a shimmering dome of energy.

Then, Ethan's eyes looked in certain direction, Down in the city, on a tall building's edge, a familiar figure stood quietly.

Didi who is dressed in her inky black coat and twirling her classic umbrella, looked up at Ethan.

She gave him a gentle smile with eyes full of understanding and nodded slowly.

He smiled and nodded back.

But the moment was broken.

"ETHAN!" Anna's voice rang out like a whipcrack. "What the hell are you doing over there, you dramatic idiot?!"

Still hovering midair, Ethan tilted his head toward her, "I'm aura farming, Anna. Please don't ruin it."

Anna pointed a finger at him and her eyes blazing with a mix of annoyance and desire.

"Get your smug ass on the ground and stop looking so stupidly cool—damn it! It's getting harder to control myself. I swear, I'm two seconds away from jumping on you and taking you right here!"

Ethan blinked once, then shook his head. "Careful, Anna. Say things like that and I might forget we're in the middle of a war zone."

Hands still in his coat pockets, he descended slowly to the ground. Blue lightning cracked around him. The air warped with his presence.

He landed between Anna and the approaching Atlantean forces.

With a slow exhale, he cracked his knuckles — and the thunder roared back.

Then, facing the thousands of armored Atlantean soldiers, "Alright," he said, "who wants to go first?"