Following that honey-sweet voice, everyone turned toward the sea.
Not far offshore, a violent spiral of water surged upward—like a living vortex—rising into the air. Standing calmly atop the twisting column was a stunning, mature red-haired woman in a form-fitting green dress, her presence equal parts regal and unreal.
An image flashed into view:
Mera.
"Whoa—cool!" Shazam stared up at her, eyes shining. "Is that magic?"
To him, the way she commanded the water was beyond flashy—it was perfectly unfair. Zeus's power let him throw lightning, sure, but this? This was style.
At Ben's side, Hal recognized a pretty face when he saw one. He elbowed Ben and lowered his voice. "Quick. Who's the hot one? You definitely know."
Ben rolled his eyes hard enough to hurt.
"You walking scandal—maybe grow a brain cell and stop chasing every skirt you see. Ever heard of staying loyal to Carol Ferris? Learn something from Barry."
Hal Jordan might have been a legendary Green Lantern, but it didn't change the fact he was—objectively—a mess in the romance department.
And if you looked at the League's track record? In this version, Barry and Iris were practically the only stable couple.
The rest of the roster… well. There were closet exits, betrayals, and enough chaotic relationships to make Ben wonder if it was "American culture" or just editorial dysfunction pretending to be drama.
By then, Mera guided the water down smoothly and stepped onto solid ground beside Arthur. She faced the League and greeted them with polished courtesy.
"Mera Xebel Challa. Just call me Mera. Members of the Justice League—I bring you greetings on behalf of Atlantis."
Given they'd just chased off Atlantean assassins who tried to kill Arthur, Batman didn't relax even a fraction.
"How do we know you're not the same as the ones who attacked Arthur?"
Mera didn't bristle. She answered carefully—like she'd expected suspicion.
"Not all Atlanteans want war with the surface. My friends and I have been trying to bring Arthur back to Atlantis for a long time—so he can reclaim the throne that should be his, and stop Orm from pushing our world into conflict."
Ben exhaled, relief and recognition in one.
"Our Atlantean guide is here."
He knew exactly who she was: Arthur's future wife, and—more importantly—someone they desperately needed if they were going to get into Atlantis and end this before it turned into a global catastrophe.
Arthur looked between them, still uncertain but no longer refusing.
"So… what do we do?"
Even if Arthur felt he had no leverage in a royal succession fight, this was still the only path that could prevent war.
Superman and Batman had already briefed him—Apokolips wasn't a local problem. It was a human problem. Atlantis and the surface would need to stand on the same side when that hammer finally fell.
Seeing Arthur finally shift, Mera's expression brightened.
"You have royal blood. You have the power of the Sea King from legend. If you can find the lost trident—then you will be the ruler of the Seven Seas!"
Ben froze halfway through processing.
"Wait—the lost trident?"
That detail didn't match what he remembered. The story was drifting. If you removed the Justice League's involvement, this wasn't following the New 52 animated movie path anymore—this was starting to look a lot more like Aquaman's solo film storyline.
Mera nodded firmly. "Yes. Find the lost trident, and Arthur will gain the power to command the ocean. It's the only way Atlantis will accept him."
Ben didn't argue with her memory. What worried him more was what it implied:
The timeline was changing in a way he hadn't touched.
He'd happily derail the worst parts of the later New 52 animated continuity, sure—but Aquaman's arc? He hadn't even interfered yet.
"Guys," Ben said, grim now, "I think Barry was right. The timeline really has shifted. But how is that possible? I'm pretty sure this part was already after Flashpoint's reboot."
Batman turned toward him. His eyes were flat and deep—like black water hiding sharp rocks. He rested a hand on Ben's shoulder.
"Maybe the cause of the timeline deviation isn't Barry."
A beat.
"Maybe it's you."
Barry chimed in immediately, voice tight with hard-earned experience.
"I remember Reverse-Flash saying that when I saved my mother, I broke the barrier of time—caused a kind of time-explosion. The ripples spread outward from the impact point, shifting everything. If you're changing this world, maybe it's doing the same thing."
Ben understood the theory. He'd seen Flashpoint. He just always thought the logic was… suspect.
"That's ridiculous," Ben snapped. "If everything I do changes the timeline, then doesn't that mean your past is constantly changing too?"
Barry scratched his head, awkward but earnest.
"Only you can feel the changes. The rest of us live inside the world as it updates. We don't notice the edits."
Batman's fingers brushed the envelope Barry had handed him earlier—the letter from Thomas Wayne. His voice softened, almost startlingly human.
"Enough. Don't obsess over details. The original ending of this world was already terrible. A little more uncertainty might actually be an improvement."
Ben blinked—genuinely thrown off.
"That's not a Batman response. Shouldn't you be trying to send me back to my universe to prevent more damage to the timeline?"
For once, Batman's calm cracked into something like weary resignation. He and Barry exchanged a look—and shared a small, knowing smile.
If there were a way… they would've done it already.
But from Batman's experience dealing with fifth-dimensional beings—like Bat-Mite—he'd learned a rule that mattered here:
If there was a way for Ben to leave this world…
It was going to be tied to Ben himself.
Join here to read ahead.
In Star Rail, Ultra-Beast Armored — Have I Caught "Equilibrium"? l (Chapter 80)
Uma Musume, But I Only Have Five Years Left to Live (Chapter 80)
Zenless Zone Zero: I'm a Doctor, Not a Bangboo (Chapter 80)
Ben Tennyson Wants to Join the Justice League (Chapter 80)
TYPE-MOON: Redemption Beginning with the Holy Grail War (Chapter50)
Yu-Gi-Oh! — Transmigrated into the White Dragon Girl (Chapter50)
"Is this chat group even serious?" (Chapter50)
I, Lord Ravager, Utterly Loyal! (Chapter50)
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