The Ring of Fire
Tony shakily woke up, and noticed he was in chains.
He was on a white big...really big room. With guards holding him in place.
"Dam it."
"Welcome to Atlantis, Brother."
Tony looked towards the voice, and saw his brother, Orm. Sitting on the throne, alone.
"I dreamed of this day for so long. To see what humiliated me for long. The fact that I have a half breed brother. But now that you are here, I must say....I feel conflicted."
"Yeah, well conflict is all that we have little brother."
"Ah, you should know about that. Considering the whole Iron Man gig. I also see you brought our mother's trident. Is that what you come here for ? To kill me ?"
"I come here to stop a war. A war that will cause both sides to loose billions of life."
"I see. It is the duty of an Avenger to protect the world of surface. But tell me, what do you think of the atrocities that your people already commit against our home. Polusion, garbage everywhere. Bringing wars to the seas when we have nothing to do with them, making species go extinct ! Destrucion everywhere. Yet you take their side."
"I ain't taking sides. Yes humans are stupid. The ocean shouldn't have payed the price for our own stupidity. But for every asshole there's a hundred innocent people that will pay the price for them. Revealing Atlantis to the world could cause more damage to your kingdom."
"I see, which is why the only way to show us, is to show our dominance. What else little brother, are you here for revenge ?"
"Well I do want some payback for almost my little cousin."
"Yeah wel....wait a minute. Little cousin ?"
"Yeah, what did you think I was gonna say ?"
"About the destruction of your team's headquarters ? Don't you want revenge ?"
"Oh that. Yeah, I could care less about most of them, and I know my friends are safe so....yeah, if you killed Captain America, thank you."
"Huh. Was not expecting that. Seems that maybe you aren't so ignorant to our Kingdom as I thought....Tell you what. I'll make you a deal, and if you follow it, the war will be over. But if you don't. Then you die."
Tony froze a bit at those words. What kinda of a deal is that !
Still if it can stop the war, he's willing to make the sacrifice.
"Sure...what's the deal ?"
"The deal is....defeat me on the Ring Of Fire, so too follow the deal, you have to defeat me. Winning means that I'll immediately stop all preparations and there is no war. If I win, you don't follow the deal and, well, you know what happens."
"Wait, the ring of wha......." The Guards took Tony away before he could ask.
Tony was taken to a room, and told to get prepared.
"Fucking...Atlantis and their strange costums."
"How could you let Orm trick you !" Vulko yelled, entering the chamber.
"Hey, I thought we could solve this peacefully."
"The signs were there. Why do you think he made sure neither Mera or I where there. We would have given you the signal that something was wrong !"
"Well. I think I can solve it. I mean if I win, no more war, I get to go home."
"You are a formidable fighter. On the surface you would certainly win. But do not forget, Orm has trained all his life fighting underwater, fighting to be the best. He trains on the same place you are gonna fight right now ! This is his element."
"You taught me how to fight Cobra Kai."
"Let's see how much you remember."
Vulko threw a trident to Tony.
20 years ago.
Young Tony caught the trident.
"What's with the giant fork ?"
"That's your mother's trident." Vulko explained. "It's the royalty weapon of Atlantis. Now defend yourself."
Vulko attacked Tony with his spear. Tony tried his best to defend himself.
Tony tried to attack him but Vulko pushed him away.
"Ahrg."
Vulko then started doing a strange movement with his spear, water came out of the shore and circled with it.
"What's that ?"
"I'll teach you this move when you have mastered the trident."
Tony tried to attack again, but he was thrown away.
He sat frustrated on the beach.
Vulko looked at him.
"This is pointless."
"You need to pick this up. To follow your mother."
"How come she never visits anyway ?"
"I told you, when you..."
"STOP LYING ! I have done everything that you said, and overtime I pass a test, you make up another one...it¡s been years since she faked her death on that crash to return there.....does she not love me ?"
"..."
"..."
"Your mother loved you more than anything in the world. After the crash, she was captured and forced back to Atlantis. She had to give King Orvax a son, Prince Orm. When Orvax found out about you, he was overcomed by jealousy, and sacrificed to the creatures of the Trench."
"Are...are you saying they executed her ?"
Vulko's silence told him everything.
Tony threw his trident in fury.
He remembered other moments.
Stane's betrayal.
SHIELD's manipulations.
Loki and the Chitauri.
The portal.
Killian.
The Info Dump and the lifes he was unable to save.
The Maximoffs and their delusional hatred.
Ultron.
The Accords and how most of the team went rouge.
Siberia.
Rogers....
With all that rage, Tony grabbed the trident Vulko threw at him.
"I remember. Everything."
"This is for you." Orm gave Mera a bracelet.
"Tell me. do you think your mother would like her sons killing each other."
"I know your doubts Mera, I don't want this war."
"Oh please, I know you since we where kids, your mother taught us better. What your are doing goes against everything that she thought us. And your brother, he has proven himself."
"My mother told us lies and betrayals, and I won't deny Tony's achievements, that suit, it's impressive, and he fought and defeated an Asgardian, I won't take that away from him, but if I had to take him out for the good of Atlantis, I will."
Tony and Vulko arrived to the ring.
"All right, so, ready for getting you ass kicked ?"
Orm glared at him.
"Vulko, take Mera away."
Vulko took Mera from the ring, she sensed Tony a look of good luck.
"So, brother, in Atlantis we have a legend, of a monster that lies in wait, to be awoken, and the beast is awakening."
Tony stood closer to Orm.
"You know, there was a time, that I wanted to meet you more than anything, to get to know my little brother, to tell him that we were at this together, that's until I realize what a ass you are."
"You took our mother from us, and I have hated you ever sense, but I don't want to kill you Tony, your actions as Ironman, they prove what a true warrior you are, so listen, I am giving you, one chance, go home, the place you choose will be spared, and so will your family. But listen, War is coming to the surface. And I am bringing the wrath of the seven seas with me. You can't stop it."
"You know I can't let you do that."
"I know."
Then a hatch opened in the ceiling, people cheered from the top.
"What's that ?"
"The ring of fire."
With that Orm swam up.
"Shit."
Tony swam and saw the massive ring, with everyone cheering.
He should have thought this better.....
Mera swan to the royal stand with her father.
"Never thought I saw the day my father would bow to the King of Atlantis."
Nerus grunted. "The surface drawlers attacked first. What did you expect us to do ?"
"I don't like the surface either. But don't you think all of this is a bit too practical for Orm ?"
Nerus gave her a look. Which gave her everything.
"But you wound't be so guidable.....you want this war too, don't you ?"
"It is time the people of the surface know their place. With this Avengers, they are getting way out of hand. If this is the only way, so be it."
Mera sighted, and looked at Vulko.
"Shit."
Tony and Orm stood face to face.
"You have our mother's trident, powerful, but flawed, like her, I wield my father's, and it has never know defeat."
With that Orm attacked Tony.
Tony tried to defend himself, but Orm was able to break all of his defenses.
Tony tried to push him. To get him off him. But Orm was stronger.
Orm grabbed Tony, and made a move to throw him to the lava pit.
"I promised Maria I would protect him." Vulko said.
Tony stil tried to get free.
"This is not a fight. It's an execution."
Tony managed to recover, and threw Orm into the lava.
Orm barley managed to stop safely, before charging at Tony.
Tony charges as well.
"AAAAAAH !"
"AAAAAAH!"
BOOM !
The brothers collided, and floated to the outside of the ring.
The people cheered exited.
Tony managed to gain some good hits, but...
But Orm was kicking his but.
Seeing how this was about to end. Mera had to make a choice.
It was gonna cost her a lot, but the sacrifce would be worth it.
She swam away when her father wasn't looking, only Vulko did.
The two fought outside the ring.
Orm brought Tony to his knees.
Orm then striked Tony, he used the trident to shield himself, and it worked until.....
His trident shattered.
Tony lost the last thing he had from his mother.
"I am the true king!"
But Tony was feeling rage, the last thing of his mother, the last memory he had of her.
So Tony put on the suit, and blasted Orm away.
After the shock, the crowd cheered, a good fight, looks like the halfbreed is not that bad.
"Yes, let's go brother, show me the power of Ironman."
So the two resumed fighting, this time it was a bit even.
However, the suit wasn't built to fight this much on underwater.
So Orm managed to strike the arc reactor, leaving the suit powerless.
"Goodbye brother."
Orm went to kill Tony but....
A stream of water came and grabbed him. Bringing Orm back to the center of the ring.
"What..."
A giant current came and crashed into him.
Tony looked at that, when a ship came close by.
Mera opened the hatch.
"You are waiting for an invitation, get in !"
Tony let go of the suit, and sat besides her.
"Code 7942 !"
Just as they took of, the suit auto destructed.
"MERA !" Orm yelled in rage of her betrayal.
"You know that the plan was to get the trident, and then challenge Orm !"
"I thought to do it backwards, still the same..."
"And why leave the suit behind !"
"It's useless now. I got another one just in case.."
Ships started chasing them threw the city, Mera used the buildings to try to dodge them.
"Bad guys at our six !"
"What does that even mean ?!"
"Back guys behind us !"
"Then just say that !"
They soon got close to the wall.
"Wow, you are getting to close to the wall !"
"I know !"
"You said that the water cannons...."
"I did now shut up !"
They dodged the water cannons, but just at the border, one of them strikes Mera's ship.
They rolled out of control until they got close to the lava pit.
"We are not dead yet..but I am hoping they think we are !"
Just before the ship crashed, they jumped out and swam away.
Tony saw a pod of whales nearby.
"Hold this." He started communicating with the whale, it then opened it's mouth.
"What are you doing ?"
"Listen, it worked for Pinocchio, now get in."
"Great, now we're being eaten." Mera said as the whale closed it's mouth.
Orm looked as the ship sank on the lava.
No sign of Mera or his brother.
But he knew better than to think they are dead.
"How are you even doing this ?" Mera asked on the whale's mouth.
"I don't know, sometimes I talk to them, some times is other wise."
"Can you do this with all animals ?"
"Yes, but is easer with whales and dolphins.....and jellyfish freak me out."
The whale then made a sound.
"Uff, the coast is clear, so, where do we go now."
Mera took out the map, "To the ocean of sand your people call, the Sahara."
"Great."