A Deal
As they reached the waters of the Fisherman Kingdom, Orm signaled to Murk to come in private.
"Captain, how is the task force assemble ?"
"I got the best men ready to go hunt down the halfbreed and the traitor sir."
"Good. Because I have orders for you."
"What is it my King ?"
"I want you...to kill them."
"What ? But my lord, King Nerus said.."
"I know what Nerus said but I don't care. You know how dangerous Mera can be, and my brother.....I don't want any risks. I want both of them dead."
"But if Princess Mera dies, then King Nerus will end the alliance. The war will never happen."
"I know that Captain. That's why I have a plan to not only get rid of those two, but to get Nerus even more angered at the surface. I want you to go back to the Hydra pirate that we worked for the last time, and deliver him this."
Orm brought a big case with him.
"My King, is that the new armor ?"
"It is. He'll needed if he wants to combat the Iron Man suit." Though Orm knows that even this, Iron Man is superior.
After fighting him, Orm has had some thoughts of what if Tony sided with them. The technllogy they would have would be immensely powerful. The surface would go down even quicker. If he didn't pose a threat to his status as King, and hated the surface with passion, he would have liked this to happen. Hell, if he developed feelings for Mera (which from what he saw it is kinda happening) he would have canceled the engagement and let them be. He doesn't feel like that for her anyway.
But Tony is not like that. He poses a severe threat to his ruling, and his war. So he must be eliminated. Same with the Princess turned traitor, who at one time, was his best friend.
He won't relish on their deaths, perhaps he'll even mourn them a bit. But it has to be done.
"Here is the thing Captain. We'll send the pirate with you, you know he wants revenge. Now you and your man may hurt them, but you can not kill the targets. It has to be him the one that delivers the fatal blows to the two of them. We then can disguise Mera's death as if it was under the hands of a surface drawlers, and turns his rage even more at them."
"Do you think he'll fall for that ?"
"Nerus might look tough but do not forget, he is also a broken man. His wife died on the war with the Wakandians, his eldest is a convicted criminal, imagine how he would feel if his last remaining family turned out dead by the surface. I'll have all of his power at my disposal."
Murk didn't hesitate to follow his King's orders.
"As you wish my King."
"Good. Report to me when they are dead. If I don't hear from you...I'll assume they got away."
"I know the dangers Princess Mera poses, but is a halfbreed really that dangerous ?"
Orm couldn't help but laugh.
"Oh Captain. Know this. From what I got on my research, everyone person that underestimates Tony Stark....either ends up being dead, or wishes they did."
“Your highness, the tracker puts Princess Mera here, on the deserter kingdom.”
“You said she was dead.” Nerus asked.
“Aperantly not.”
“And is your brother alive as well ?”
“Not for long, Captain Murk, assemble as strike force....”
“NO, Mera is to be brought safe to me.”
“She betrayed the throne.”
“She is the daughter of Xebel, if any harm beholds her, our alliance is over.”
Vulko then came in.
“Your highness, we are entering the waters of the fisherman kingdom, securing the alliance of the other two kingdoms, should be our priority.”
Orm looked at Vulko, he nodded.
“Vulko is right, as always. Arrest Mera, and bring back King Nerus’ daughter, unharmed.”
David watched as the Atlanteans came to his island.
It was one of the last Hydra bases in the world, very well hidden. At least for the surface.
Murk came in and showed Orm in the holo screen.
“You’re surface weapons failed you, ours won’t.”
David walked to the box, he opened it to see the armor and weapons.
"What you see is the newest prototype for Atlantean war armor." Murk explained.
“Revenge is a concept that we understand very well.” Orm said.
David nodded, he then took the gun, and shoot it.
It destroyed a nearby mountain.
"Hm."
“The crown jewel, converts water into plasma cannons.”
David liked that.
“Listen, the one you seek has fled to the surface, I can’t not touch them, but you can. You will lead my finest commandos, kill him and the woman his with. Succeed and both you and you’re organization will be rewarded.”
“What is it for Hydra ?”
Although to be honest, David really doesn’t care about Hydra right now.
“If you kill them, nor only would I spare Hydra, but I will take care of bringing those heroes down.”
He knew Orm won’t spare Hydra, but seeing the Avengers fall would be nice.
“And What is it for me ?”
Orm smiled.
“Revenge.”
Good, that’s what he wants.
So David modified the suit, to make it feet a human more, if Ironman defeated him in his own game, he will defeat him in his own now.
"For you dad."
David tried to start firing the lasers but...
"OH SHIT !"
He quickly ducked down before it hit him.
"Dam...gonna need a bigger helmet."
Meanwhile at the fisherman kingdom.
“King Nerus. I thought we had grown past the idea that war with the surface is inevitable. It is the position of the Fisherman, that when the time come to show ourselves to the surface is to educate them, not attack them.”
Orm smiled, stupid fisherman.
“I admire your aspirations, King Riku, but I am afraid they are the aspirations of a coward.”
“How dare you !”
“Please, your kingdom of philosophers is nothing, so please join me. Do not make this harder than it needs to be.”
King Riku went to attack him, but Orm took him out fast.
"GAH !"
"MY KING !" His wife screamed.
"DAD !"
“The king is dead, long live his heir.”
Orm turned to the princess, who was terrified.
“Princess, or should i say Queen, gather your troops. We move against the Brine Kingdom at dawn.”
Vulko looked in horror.
“Come on you two, time’s running out.”
After finding out the truth of Atlantis, the Avengers had to get moving.
Tony always said that an invasion was coming, Rhodey bet he didn't expect for it to come from underwater.
"Tony, where are you ?, give me a sign."
"Rhodey, we need to go to debrief"
"I'm coming Carol."
Rhodey then stood up.
Today, the Avengers will hold a meeting with the UN, to see what the hell they do now.
Thor and Bruce couldn't help for now, they had the Asgardian refugees to deal with, the Norwegian government choose to help them. Not to mention the political reasons why Thor was unable to get involved. He didn't know what history both nations had, but he has no position to question him.
So Rhodey was still stuck with his same team before the compound's destruction.
The only change was the addition of Stephen. Who they truly needed.
Still, one member won't help against Atlantis, who, Thor said, are as strong as Asgardian.
"The nobles are specially deadly, they can breath both air and water, so that advantage is lost, also, some of them do have extra abilities, communicating with the sea creatures, hydrokenisis, not to mention that legends say they have a monster on their command." Rhodey told the UN panel the information Thor had given them.
Great, so they where naturally enhanced, and the nobles were even beyond that, and they have a monster to top things.
So today, the Avengers will hold a meeting with the UN, to see what the hell they do now.
The mission was clear. Stop more attacks for the Altanteans no matter what. What methods they would use was in discussion.
Rogers of course argued that fighting was the only way, and no peaceful solution was possible.
No one but Romanoff and Maximoff blindly supported him.
Wilson, Barton, Lang, they were making it clear they wanted nothing to do with Rogers and his crazy plans. Barnes doesn't talk, but he doesn't support him either.
Still, Rogers keeps saying that he'll find a way to get things back to the way it was. He's a man that is loosing the life of his dreams, and is willing to do anything to get it back. No matter who ends up getting screwed over.
Rhodey was scared of what he could do to make that happen.
"So, 6 hours ago the last of this mega tsunami hitted the coast of Vancouver, Canada, making it the 13th city to be attacked, we need to decide what to attack." The lead council man said.
"We fight." Rogers said.
"No you fool, we need to try to talk to them, see what they want." Hope said.
"Every time someone tries to stop a war before it's starts, inocent people die."
Most of the room looked at him like he was crazy, he probably is.
"That's the biggest bullshit I have ever heard." Hope told him.
"Still, they already attacked, it's not like the war hasn't started." Carol said.
"Actually, Thor told me to take this tsunamis as warnings, if the atlanteans really wanted to attack, we could expect something much worse."
That made the room go quiet.
"So, those tsunamis, the deaths that they have caused, it's just a warning to them ?"
"I am afraid so."
The situation was real. People that they thought were just a fantasy, where now declaring war at them, and they deadly serious about it.
"That's why we need to fight them, we need to attack them." Rogers tried to get people to his side.
"It's not that easy Rogers, it's not like they are Hydra, they are not normal humans. Thor told us remember, the normal soldiers are as strong as a super soldier, their only disadvantage is that, opposite to us, they can't breath air. But then come the nobles, their leaders. They don't have that weakness, they are much stronger than the soldiers, add that the fact that some of them have extra abilities. This are not opponents we can just charge at Rogers."
Rogers looked down, probably thinking that he can defeat them with his strength.
"So we are facing natural enhanced. And then there's a chance that they are....double enchanced ?" Lang said. "That's so confusing."
"We need a way to counter them." Carol said. "I will not take away the chance of ending this diplomatically but there is a chance they are not interested in that."
"Maybe we can help."
It was princess Shuri, the representative of Wakanda.
Wakanda was having problems reentering the world, so she was probably trying to get some good reputation for her country. It didn't go well for the neighboring Wakandian countries that they had a neighbor that was so powerful and could have helped them, but didn't.
But the younger royals themselves were also respected. It wasn't their choice on how Wakanda was ruled. If anything, once T'Challa rose to the throne, he opened the borders and started sending aid. Rhodey doesn't think they should pay for what their forefathers did.
It also helps that they are still grieving their father...
"If the Atlanteans surpass us in strength, maybe we can beet them by having better technology."
That might be a good idea.
"That might work Princess Shuri, specially with Mr. Stark still missing." the council glared at Rogers at that, "we do need to outfit the Avengers for the battle."
"Colonel, is there any sign of Mr. Stark ?"
"No, no reports, no witnesses, nothing."
Soon, it was decided that the Avengers would go to Wakanda to get technology to fight the Atlanteans.
Princess Shuri didn't offer Wakanda's help with it's own personal. Rhodey wouldn't be surprised if they had anything that made them unable to fight like Asgard does.
He'll just have to wait and see. That's pretty much all he can do now aparantly.
Stephen had been prepared for many threats by the Ancient One, and later Wong, before he fully took the Sorcerer Supreme mantel.
He was tired. First he was planning his wedding, finally getting with the woman he has loved since...forever, to now this.
He knew a lot, and he had to keep a lot form everyone. Even Christine, who he let in more than the others.
The truth is, Stephen knew of Atlantis way before Thor revealed its existence.
The Ancient One had revealed them to him, shortly before her death. She told him to keep a track at them, but don't threaten them unless it was absolutely necessary.
So Stephen had done just that. He had looked ahead, to this moment when they were supposed to fight this people, and have found out the clue, Tony Stark.
He knew the truth about the man. The halfbreed Atlantean, hiding it from almost everyone. Among those who knew, only Sharon Carter was still alive.
He knows of how an Atlantean Princess aproached the man before the tsunamis attacked, how she and an old mentor of Stark want him to rise to the throne, and yes, Stephen knows of Stark's relationship with the current King. He knows of their duel that almost resulted in Stark's death, before the Princess turned against the King and saved him. He knows of the journey the two are on right now.
And it is of great importance that they aren't interfered on their journey. Which is why Stephen has to keep this to himself, until the time is right.
If Rhodes learns of it, he'll try to find his best friend. If Rogers were too learn.....well he rather not think about that. The man would screw everything over.
Rogers is a danger that on one hand, can very easily be contained, on the other hand, it is dangerous how far he is willing to go, to get what he wants.
But that didn't matter at the moment. Rogers was deluding himself that he can got out there and be the biggest hero, and Stephen is willing to let him do that.
Because it will make him steer clear of Stark's path, and the man must finish his mission. He has too.
The world literally depended on it.