"So Atlantis is real."
Batman spoke only a single sentence, yet Arthur somehow got the feeling the man had already reached a dozen conclusions.
From what Bruce had managed to learn about Daniel, the man rarely involved himself in ordinary problems.
Unlike Superman, who would stop to help with almost anything, Daniel generally ignored everyday crimes and local incidents.
If he acted, it was usually because the problem had landed directly on his doorstep or because it was large enough to threaten entire nations.
This situation clearly fell into the second category.
After tracking Daniel's movements, investigating several unusual reports, and now listening to the conversation, Batman was confident that whatever was happening beneath the ocean was serious.
His attention shifted toward Mera.
"If Atlantis is preparing for war, then you're making a dangerous assumption."
Mera frowned.
"What assumption?"
"That the surface will simply lose."
Batman's voice remained calm and analytical.
"From what I've heard, Atlantis possesses superior technology, a larger military presence underwater, and significant control over the oceans. Those are considerable advantages."
Arthur crossed his arms.
"But?"
"But wars aren't decided by advantages alone."
"Has Atlantis considered what happens if humanity decides it has no other choice?"
Neither Arthur nor Mera answered.
Batman continued.
"The oceans are your home. They're your cities, your farms, your transportation routes, and your source of food. Humanity knows that."
"If nations become desperate enough, they'll target those assets."
Understanding slowly appeared on Mera's face.
Batman nodded.
"Humanity possesses thousands of nuclear weapons. If governments conclude that their survival is at stake, some of them may decide that destroying Atlantis is preferable to surrendering to it."
Arthur's expression became serious.
"You think people would actually do that?"
"I know they would."
Batman didn't hesitate.
"History has repeatedly demonstrated that when nations believe they're facing extinction, they stop caring about long-term consequences."
Mera's eyes widened slightly.
"The radiation..."
"Would spread through the oceans."
Batman folded his arms.
"The environmental damage would be catastrophic. Marine ecosystems would collapse. Entire regions could become uninhabitable. Millions on the surface would suffer."
He paused.
"But Atlantis would suffer even more."
Silence fell over the group.
"The surface can survive without controlling the oceans," Batman continued.
"Human civilization existed for thousands of years before modern maritime infrastructure. It would be devastating, but humanity would adapt."
His gaze locked onto Mera.
"Atlantis doesn't have that luxury. Your civilization is built entirely around the sea. Poison the ocean, and you're poisoning your own world."
For the first time since the conversation began, Mera didn't have an immediate response.
Batman wasn't exaggerating.
He was simply following the consequences to their logical conclusion.
Arthur rubbed the back of his neck.
"That's... actually a really good point."
"It is," Daniel agreed.
Mera looked troubled.
"Orm believes Atlantis would win quickly enough to prevent something like that."
Batman immediately shook his head.
"Every leader who starts a war believes it will be quick."
"Reality rarely cooperates."
The group fell silent once more.
Finally, Daniel broke the tension.
"See? This is why I called him one of the smartest people on Earth."
Batman sighed.
"You didn't call me."
***
Mera decided to take Arthur to Atlantis, but the vessel she had arrived in only had room for two. Daniel had already made clear the second seat belonged to him.
Arthur said he could follow them. Mera pointed out that Atlantis was considerably further than it looked, and that even his swimming speed wouldn't cover that distance in any reasonable timeframe.
Arthur didn't have a counter for that.
Daniel spotted where they were heading and simply created a bubble around himself and Batman, dropping them both beneath the surface before following Mera's vessel down.
Up ahead, the ship sat under the water — a sleek fish like design ship lined with glowing blue lights that hummed against the dark ocean around it.
"This thing is genuinely ugly," Daniel said, looking it over.
Mera shot him a look. He stopped talking. The door slid upward and she gestured for him to sit down with the energy of someone who had already decided they weren't going to be patient about it.
Daniel sat. The door closed.
Mera settled into her seat and started the ship, then glanced at him. "How do you breathe underwater?"
Batman, secured in the bubble along with Arthur trailing behind them, was also clearly waiting for the answer.
"Technically I don't breathe," Daniel said. "Not in the way you mean. I don't need oxygen to exist — my existence depends on something else entirely."
Mera frowned but didn't press it. She turned back to the controls and started moving.
Behind them, Batman filed that information away quietly.
No respiratory dependency. Which meant atmospheric or chemical attacks designed to incapacitate through oxygen deprivation wouldn't work on him. The list of viable methods for neutralizing Daniel, already short, got shorter.
*****
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