The battle in the depths was chaos of bubbles and bursts of red light.
Byrrah and his men held their formation, exchanging thrusts with the raiders while laser blasts cut through the water.
A little further away, Namor moved on his own. He didn't need tactics — he simply advanced through the enemies, taking them out of the fight with the brute force of his fists. Every blow he landed sent a pirate drifting off into the darkness of the trench.
At one point, three raiders tried to surround him, lunging with their dark metal spears.
The Prince of Atlantis didn't even bother to defend himself. With a sharp motion, he caught the first spear by its tip, snapped it like a dry branch, and used the remaining shaft to strike the attacker in the chest, sending him crashing into a coral column.
The other two fired their red ray guns at point-blank range.
Namor took both impacts squarely in the chest, but didn't move back a single centimeter.
He used the momentum to close the distance in the blink of an eye, grabbing both attackers by the fronts of their armor and slamming their heads together with a force that made the water vibrate.
Their bodies drifted away as he turned toward a fourth enemy trying to escape.
He caught up in a second, seizing him by the throat with one hand.
The raider, desperate and with panic in his eyes, drew a dagger and began stabbing his arm — once, twice, ten times.
The blade simply bounced off Namor's skin, leaving only faint white marks that disappeared instantly. Other shooters kept firing at his back, but he ignored them completely, keeping his gaze fixed on the Wakandan submarine.
The vessel was trying to maneuver and return fire, but the pirates' shots were accumulating against the metal hull.
Namor stayed there, hovering perfectly still, watching the submarine shudder under the punishment. He had no intention of intervening. In his mind, if the metal eventually gave way and the ocean pressure took care of those inside, it would save him a great many problems — in fact, he would have loved nothing more than for that to happen.
He was waiting for the final creak of the hull when the submarine's airlock opened and something shot out with aggressive force, cutting through the water like a living torpedo.
It was a strange creature with an imposing black tail crossed by pale green stripes.
The prince furrowed his brow at the sight of that enormous, teeth-filled jaw that reminded him of an abyssal anglerfish.
The being flew past Namor like a bolt of lightning, taking out the two pirates who had been shooting at his back in a fluid movement that left them out of commission instantly.
Without stopping, the alien launched itself at the ones besieging the submarine.
It dodged a pair of lasers and, reaching the first gunner, clamped its jaws around the weapon and destroyed it in a single bite.
Before the raider could react, he received a flurry of strikes — a swipe that tore through his armor and a tail whip that sent him spinning.
Ripjaws kept clearing the perimeter, using its claws to hook onto rocks and propel itself toward the next target.
After sweeping the immediate area around the vessel, the creature swam back and came to a stop right beside the Prince of Atlantis.
"What are you just standing there for?" Ripjaws said. "Did you find the love of your life and now you can't bring yourself to hit them?"
Namor, who was still holding the raider by the throat while the man continued to stab him uselessly, glanced sideways at the creature.
Without waiting for an answer, Ripjaws propelled itself back toward the remaining enemies. The prince finally released the pirate, who drifted away unconscious, and stood watching as Wakanda's guest continued tearing through the enemy ranks.
On Byrrah's side, he and his warriors had the situation under control.
They moved as a unit, using their spears to corner the last raiders who were still attempting to fight back.
Ripjaws didn't waste time getting fully into the skirmish to close things out.
It surged forward, passing between Byrrah's soldiers to crash down on a group of pirates taking cover behind some coral debris.
The alien used its momentum to ram two of them together with a dull thud, and before the third could react, landed a tail strike to his stomach that left him folded in half, drifting aimlessly.
Before long, the roar of the lasers and the clash of metal fell silent.
Ripjaws floated for a few moments as it caught its breath, letting its tail sway rhythmically to hold its position.
Looking around, it noticed a difference immediately.
Many of those who had fallen to the Atlanteans' weapons were motionless, with lethal wounds that tinted the water a deep red.
By contrast, the ones it had attacked were simply out of commission, floating unconscious while the Atlantean guards closed in around them to round them up as prisoners.
Byrrah swam over calmly, sheathing his spear. He looked the strange creature up and down, pausing especially on that large jaw and sharp teeth.
"Good work. The form you took is impressive. If we had creatures like this in our ranks, patrols along Atlantis's borders would be far simpler. It is an interesting addition, without a doubt."
Legion nodded in silence.
Seeing the lifeless bodies on one side and his prisoners on the other gave him a clear picture of how things were handled at the bottom of the sea — but at least the fight was over.
===
After a few hours, the submarine moved slowly forward, escorted by the Atlantean warriors swimming at its flanks.
Ahead of them, the darkness of the ocean opened up to reveal a metropolis that defied all logic.
Atlantis stretched before their eyes like a labyrinth of organic and artificial luminescent structures that seemed to have grown directly from the ocean floor.
At the heart of the city, rising above everything else, a colossal statue of a man holding a trident aloft stood watch over the abyss — an imposing figure that marked the center of their world.
As they moved through the streets, the group inside the submarine marveled at what they were seeing.
The city overflowed with life. Not only from the blue-skinned people swimming from one building to another, but from the fauna surrounding them.
"It's incredible," T'Challa murmured, not taking his eyes off the screen. "I have rarely seen landscapes of such pure beauty."
Byrrah, communicating with them through the submarine's channel, let a note of pride slip into his voice.
"Life at the bottom of the water is exciting, but also dangerous," the Atlantean replied. "Our people have learned to coexist with the sea, not to dominate it. We have found a perfect harmony with every creature you see."
T'Challa watched with fascination as the citizens used marine life to assist with their daily tasks.
He saw groups of Atlanteans moving large construction blocks with the help of sharks, giant turtles serving as transport, and octopuses assisting with precision work using their multiple tentacles.
Even creatures that no surface biology textbook had ever recorded strolled through the plazas like pets or roamed freely between the coral towers.
"This is incredible!" exclaimed a young, energetic voice from the back of the cabin. "The number of new species we could catalogue here... and don't even get me started on the technology. It's fascinating!"
T'Challa and Okoye turned around with a mix of surprise and dread.
There, practically pressed against the main screen showing the exterior, was Shuri. Her eyes were wide open, gleaming with scientific curiosity.
"Those laser weapons the pirates were using?" Shuri continued, pointing to some schematics she was already sketching on her portable device. "I think I understand how they work. They don't use conventional energy cells. It looks like they harness electrolysis induced by the pressure of the abyssal water. They separate hydrogen and oxygen in microseconds, using the first as fuel and the second as a cooling agent for the light beam. If they manage to channel the thermal energy generated by the friction of the water at that depth... it's a practically infinite power source!"
T'Challa stood frozen, staring at his sister as if he couldn't believe what he was seeing.
"What on earth are you doing here, Shuri?" he finally said. "You should be at home, not stowed away in a submarine kilometers beneath the sea."
Shuri rolled her eyes and let out a small laugh, not fully pulling herself away from the visor showing the wonders of the city.
"Please, brother — did you seriously think I would miss the chance to see a mythical city firsthand? Look at this! It's full of technology and culture that nobody on the surface has ever seen. Come on, it sounds like you don't know me at all."
T'Challa took a step toward her.
"Mother forbade you from coming," he said firmly. "We're not here for sightseeing, Shuri. It's dangerous. We don't know what could happen."
"I know, that's why I came prepared," she replied with confidence. She stepped away from the screen and did a slow spin, showing off a fitted black suit of advanced fabric. "I'm wearing my new adapted Black Panther suit for its first outing. I wouldn't come here if I weren't ready to defend myself."
T'Challa ran a hand over his forehead, rubbing his temples. Without another word, he walked to the control panel and turned on the communicator.
"Byrrah, we need to return to the surface immediately," he said in an urgent tone.
"Return? Why?" the Atlantean general's voice sounded confused.
"The princess — my sister — stowed away on the submarine. I need to take her back before we proceed."
There was a silence on the other end before Byrrah responded, this time in a more solemn tone.
"I understand, Prince, but I'm afraid that will be impossible. The time agreed for the meeting is about to begin and you must be present. If we withdraw now, the Elders will take it as a sign of disrespect and a lack of interest from Wakanda in resolving this conflict. I'm sorry, but we cannot turn back now."
T'Challa closed his eyes and shook his head, resigned.
"Understood..." he murmured.
He cut the communication without saying more. Shuri, who had been listening, gave him a faint smile.
"Don't worry, brother. I won't get you into trouble. It'll be as if I'm not even here, I promise."
T'Challa didn't reply. He turned around with a rigid expression and walked straight toward the submarine's command center. Shuri raised an eyebrow and huffed, crossing her arms.
"What's his problem now?" she wondered aloud.
"I don't know, let me think..." Legion said from behind. "Maybe the fact that he's upset and worried because his little sister snuck onto a high-risk mission, in a completely unknown city, with unknown dangers, at the bottom of the ocean? I don't know, sounds like a pretty valid reason to me."
Shuri rolled her eyes, letting out an annoyed sigh.
"I'm not a little kid. I can take care of myself perfectly fine," she replied, crossing her arms.
"Nobody said you were a little kid," Legion responded, leaning casually against one of the submarine's panels. "You're a seventeen-year-old teenager. Old enough to fully understand what's at stake down here."
Shuri turned toward him, pointing an accusing finger at him with a smug smile.
"You knew I was there and you didn't say anything. I saw you looking straight at me when I was hiding in the supply crate. You kept completely quiet."
The hero shrugged, admitting it without much guilt.
"That's true, I didn't say anything. Partly because I genuinely think you could help if things go south — but one thing doesn't cancel out the other. I trust you're not going to treat this like a game."
"What do you think? Obviously I'm going to help... and I'm also going to collect as much information as I can. You don't get a submerged city at your disposal for research every day."
Legion tilted his head slightly.
"Just try not to do anything strange. If the elders here are as closed-minded as the ones in Wakanda, T'Challa is going to have a massive headache. He doesn't need you adding another one."
"I am not a headache!" Shuri replied, indignant.
Legion let out a small laugh and shook his head, maintaining his teasing tone.
"Sure. And I'm the Bishop of Rome."
Shuri raised an eyebrow.
"'The Bishop of Rome'? Seriously?" she said with a little laugh. "I don't know, you sound a bit like an old man, you know? Since I met you yesterday I noticed you have a weird way of talking — like an older person."
Legion cleared his throat somewhat uncomfortably, shifting his gaze toward one of the screens showing the citizens of Atlantis swimming from place to place.
"Well... I grew up around older people," he replied, trying to sound casual. "You end up picking up the vocabulary and habits of those around you. It's not that big a deal."
Shuri didn't let it go and moved a little closer, giving him a friendly elbow with a wide mischievous grin.
"So you're an 'old young person,'" she declared. "An ancient soul trapped in the body of a boy who still has to ask permission for certain things. It's perfect! I'm going to start calling you 'grandpa' if you keep talking like that."
The two young people reached the command center just as T'Challa and Okoye were watching the main screen with tense faces.
The majesty of the city was suddenly overshadowed when the first objects began striking the submarine's hull.
Rocks, scraps of metal and debris hit the visor while groups of Atlanteans swam close to the vessel, gesturing furiously and shouting words they couldn't make out.
"What on earth is wrong with them?" Shuri exclaimed. "Why are they throwing things at us?"
"As I mentioned before, the princess was the most beloved member of royalty among our people," Byrrah's voice came through the communicator. "She was very close to everyone. Given that those who murdered her belonged to Wakanda, it is natural that they harbor this resentment toward you."
"The only reason they haven't tried to tear this submarine open with their bare hands is because my men are guarding it," Namor cut in. "Otherwise, you would already be dead."
"Enough, Namor!" Byrrah reprimanded him.
The Prince stayed watching the lips of the Atlanteans crowding against the viewports.
"What are they saying?" he asked quietly, almost to himself.
Legion, who had been observing the scene, stepped forward.
"They don't want a diplomatic meeting, that's for sure," he murmured. "They're screaming that you're cowards. Saying things like 'Go back to your hole in the ground!' or 'The blood of our princess is on your hands!' Some are hoping the sea pressure crushes them before they set foot in the palace. And others... well, they're shouting that if Atlantis's laws don't execute them today, they'll make sure themselves that they never see sunlight again. Basically, they're swearing that this trip is one-way."
Byrrah went quiet for a second, clearly thrown off by the translation.
"How do you know our language?" he asked with a tone of suspicion and amazement. "It is a dialect that has not left these trenches in millennia."
Legion shrugged.
"Simply put — there is no language I don't speak," he replied with a half smile. "You know, perks of being a superhero. Comes with the territory."
Shuri glanced at him sideways while Okoye simply tightened her grip on her spear.
Outside, the hostility showed no signs of letting up. The faces of the Atlanteans, twisted with rage behind the glass, kept hurling insults that only Legion could understand.
"They're saying the trident on their statue should be the last thing you see," Legion added quietly. "They really loved her, T'Challa."
===
HEYYYY, HOW'S EVERYONE DOING? HOPE YOU'RE ALL WELL!
THE GUYS HAVE FINALLY ARRIVED IN ATLANTIS, GREETED BY AN INCREDIBLE AND BEAUTIFUL SCENE — UNFORTUNATELY OVERSHADOWED BY THE RECEPTION FROM THE CITIZENS, WHO, FURIOUS, HAVE MADE IT VERY CLEAR HOW ANGRY THEY ARE.
IT ALSO SEEMS THE YOUNG PRINCESS SNUCK ONTO THE MISSION, MUCH TO THE PRINCE'S DISPLEASURE.
SORRY THAT THE CHAPTER IS SHORTER THIS TIME — I HAD SOME MEDICAL COMPLICATIONS, YOU KNOW HOW IT IS WITH HOSPITAL APPOINTMENTS AND ALL THAT. ALSO GOT A WRETCHED WART ON MY FINGERTIP AND IT'S BEEN A NUISANCE HAHA.
THE NEXT ONE WILL BE A BIT LONGER AS COMPENSATION.
REMEMBER THAT IF YOU'D LIKE TO SUPPORT ME IN ANOTHER WAY, WE HAVE PATREON:
patreon.com/EmptyTag
THE LINK IS ALSO IN MY PROFILE ON WATTPAD FOR YOUR CONVENIENCE.
THANK YOU FOR YOUR COMMENTS AND ALL YOUR SUPPORT.
A KISS 😘