The Man:
"Impossible," Aquaman says. His eyes are wide, and his jaw hangs as he looks at King Atlan. "This can't be real!"
Aquaman looks at me with red in his eyes.
"This must be a trick! You cannot have known my grandfather! The first king of Atlantis! For that to be true, you would have to be---"
"Millions and millions of years old," I say, interrupting the moron. "Yes. King of the crab people. I am that old, and much older. I ran with dinosaurs. I ate meat from a sabertooth tiger I killed with a stick and a sharpened stone. I even met the first man alive, and threw a rock at him."
Again, I see a bunch of invisible question marks floating above everyone's heads.
"Don't ask. It's not something I was too proud of at the time, but still, he wouldn't stop following me. Anyway, back to the story."
I swing my hand, and the images of King Atlan and me, in golden armor, reappear. Aquaman, his guards, Supergirl, and everyone else watch as King Atlan and I walk through ancient Atlantis. Instead of bright lights, freezing ocean water, and stone mountains everywhere, ancient Atlantis was a land of white marble towers, embedded with gold under a bright, beautiful, cloudless sky, and people with shining tunics instead of fins or scales.
Everywhere we went, the people of ancient Atlantis bowed their heads, and a few even gave us baskets of fresh-baked, still steaming bread.
I wave my hand, and the world shifts. The marble towers and people disappear, and are replaced by guards wearing silver armor and holding spears. The guards surround King Atlan and me as we duel each other. King Atlan swings his legendary golden trident, the tip of it scratching my armor, and sparks flying off it.
Jumping back in time, I reach down and unsheath both my swords. Spinning them around, drawing circles, I charge toward the King. Dropping to my knees while spinning, I try to cut King Atlan's leg, but he quickly steps back before I can. King Atlan jumps back and lands with a thud. Winding up his arm, he then throws his golden trident.
The trident turns into a blur as it flies through the air. Leaning back, barely in time, the trident still cuts through my chestplate. Looking at the trident as it hits the ground, the whole courtyard echoes with its ringing, I turn back to King Atlan. Smiling, I run to King Atlan and punch him across the face. King Atlan holds his cheek as he looks back at me. Sheathing my two swords, I smile and bow my head. King Atlan looks at me, smiles, and then laughs.
"Years ago," I start, "When the world was still young, and Atlantis sat above the ocean, I was exploring the world, wandering around, and by pure chance, I stumbled upon her. I started as a homeless man, and then a messenger, but quickly made my way up to be one of King Atlan's guards, and then, well, after that, King Atlan and I became...friends."
Aquaman almost chokes when he hears what I say. The guards look at me before turning to look at each other.
"You were friends with King Atlan?" One of the guards asks.
"Yes. I'm still not entirely sure how, but over the years, King Atlan would come to me often to seek my advice. I was skilled in architecture, designs, city planning, and, as you all saw, combat."
I swing my hand again. The courtyard disappears, fading away to a large workshop. I am standing over a stone table covered in maps and blueprints and surrounded by various builders and stone masons.
"Built the streets here," I said, pointing at one of the city maps. I then move onto a second map. "You. You and your team will carve the stone for the city's granaries. Be sure to raise the granaries' floor so no rats can get to it."
Everyone nods and quickly leaves to do as they were told. Staying behind to review the city map and plan, King Atlan reappears beside me. Bowing my head when I see him, I show King Atlan the updated city map.
"Atlantis was a beautiful city. She was connected to all the other seven kingdoms, and everyone in all eight kingdoms was happy. At least, that was before one king discovered the orichalcum."
"Eight kingdoms," Aquaman repeats.
I move the memory along at the swing of my hand. The workshop and people disappear. The white and golden tower fades away. A black and green sky replaces the bright blue sky. Dark stone towers burst from the ground, and men in strange armors appear all around us. Kara, Aquaman, and everyone else get into their fighting stances. The guards lower their weapons as they look at the men in strange armor.
"What is this place! What happened to Atlantis? Where is King Atlan?"
I point behind Aquaman. He turns and sees King Atlan and me standing in front of another man in black armor, sitting on a glowing green throne.
"Eight kingdoms," I repeat. "I checked your library already. According to your current news, there are seven kingdoms, currently, but your library does mention a lost eighth kingdom. However, there's no mention of its name anywhere."
I raise my hands.
"Welcome to Necrus, the lost kingdom and the black plague of ancient Atlantis."
I lower my hand and point at the man sitting on the Necrus's throne.
"And that is King Kordax, ruler and brother of King Atlan."
"King Atlan has a brother," Kara asks.
"Yes," I go on. "It was King Kordax who discovered orichalcum and used its power to turn Necrus into a superpower, capable of rivaling any of the other seven kingdoms. However, the power came with a high price. It quickly poisoned the land, the sea, and even the air itself. Orichalcum also poisoned King Kordax, driving him insane."
Everyone then turns around when they hear a familiar voice.
"Please, brother," King Atlan yelled. "Stop using the orichalcum! Look at what it is doing to your people! Your people are hungry. They are sick. The land is barren. It grows no food, and the sea is empty."
King Kordax slammed his fist into the armrest of his throne. He stood up and pointed a finger at King Atlan and me.
"Enough! I will not stop using the orichalcum! You are jealous, brother. You are jealous that I am the one who founded the orichalcum. You are jealous that my kingdom is thriving!"
"Thriving," I repeated. "Look around, you blind fool! Who outside this throne room isn't cold or hungry!"
"Ezio," King Atlan said, grabbing my shoulder and pulling me back.
King Kordax looked at me. He growled like a dog.
"You may be my brother's most loyal advisor," King Kordax said, "But to me, you are nothing! Guards!"
King Kordax's men all raised their weapons in unison and aimed at us. King Atlan's guards raised their laser rifles and aimed back. I pulled out my twin swords, but before any of us could make a move, King Atlan slammed his trident down.
"No," King Atlan ordered. "Ezio. Men! Stand down."
King Atlan's guards looked at me and at each other. Slowly, they lowered their weapons, and I slid my swords back into their sheaths.
"Brother, please," King Atlan repeated. "Stop this madness. Before it became too late."
King Kordax slammed his hand down again and pointed at the exit.
"Out," he ordered.
King Atlan lowered his head and turned around. His guards and I followed King Atlan.
"That was the last time I saw King Kordax," I say, "At least, before his transformation."
"His transformation?" Aquaman repeats this and turns to me. "What transformation?"
I draw circles with my hands, moving the memory along.
We move away from King Kordax's throne room to a small room. King Kordax stood over a forge, wearing a helmet and a full armor set. He held a bucket of melted orichalcum.
"King Kordax's paranoia drove him to create the Black Trident, a weapon made from the same orichalcum that was poisoning his kingdom."
Everyone keep watching. King Kordax poured the melted orichalcum into the forge, the green liquid filling the cast. Once the melted orichalcum solidified, it turned into the Black Trident. Armed with the Black Trident, King Kordax climbed to the top of his castle and unleashed its power on his people. The trident's dark glow climbed up Kordax's arms. It transformed him. His skin melted away, leaving only a black skeleton with a green energy glowing in his chest. The new King Kordax roared and shrieked. He then aimed his trident at the people below.
"King Korax used his newfound people to transform his own people into horrible monsters, abominations. Nothing more than mindless soldiers under his control."
The memory changes once more, back to Atlantis. As King Atlan and I discussed various matters, people in rags burst into the throne room.
"The few people who survived ran from Necrus to Atlantis. They told us what happened and that King Korax was coming."
King Atlan and I looked at each other. Kint Atlan lowered his head. I walked over to King Atlan and grabbed his shoulder.
"I am sorry," I said. "I know you and your brother were not close, but he was still your brother, and you did try to save him."
King Atlan nods.
"I know, but it is too late now. The Korax I knew is gone. Now, some undead monster is heading here, with his army."
King Atlan tightened the grip on his trident. Raising it into the air, King Atlan slammed it down, the thud echoing throughout the throne room.
"Prepare our army for war," King Atlan ordered. I nodded and rushed to prepare the King's army.