2014-07-08- Namor and Me and Baby Makes Three

Orin of Atlantis is awakened abruptly by a dolphin's forehead in the ribs. He had been hanging onto one of Baby's enormous flukes and catching a few winks while the enormous infant slept soundly. The king of the seas snorts and comes abruptly awake.

<> he asks reading the concerns in the dolphin's pose.

Gaga thwaps him with a tail in passing. <> the dolphin scolds.

Namor, Avenging Son of Atlantis. King of Atlantis no matter what that air breathing, 'Aquaman' thought of it. Floated in the water just a few dozen yards away. In one hand the Trident of Neptune, the other the Horn of Proteus.

He was dressed in his kingly regalia, dark blue scaled vest, gold belt with the trident emblem emblazed upon it, golden bracers. Blue scaled tight pants that ended at his ankles allowing the white feathered wings to move freely and openly.

"If it isn't the cursed King, so close to my territories. Out of respect of the name Atlantis and the forebears we may share on alternate worlds I will give you a chance to explain yourself before I show you my fury." Namor said in Atlantean, his version slightly different from the version Orin knew but it was passable enough that he understood the Sea King.

Well if Gaga can't understand all the words she can read tones and body language. <> She exits to a safe distance in a cloud of bubbles.

Aquaman turns to face the newcomer and regard him cooly for a moment before answering. He doesn't reach for the Trident of Poseidon on his back. Instead he raises one arm in what passes for a friendly salute in his Atlantis.

"Your fury doesn't intimidate me in the least Namor. I am not here as an enemy ... you have enough of those from what everyone says. I merely wished to return the baby I found offshore to its normal habitat. I can see where showing up with such a creature could cause concern but I meant no attack. So who's cursing me anyway?" Orin asks.

"Aye, I have many enemies, and have for over a century of your surface years." Namor said coldly, "Yet I'm still here. What's one more to me?"

Namor looked over the baby Giganto and his eyes narrowed, "And you bring me one of the leviathan and claim no hostile intent. I would question your sanity if I didn't know better."

He lifted the horn of Proteus to his lips and it played a tune that sounded surprisingly like a muted trumpet... even under the water as they were. Baby lifted its head and started to march towards Namor. After a moment he lowered the horn, "I know of your 'telepathy' with sea creatures I warn you not to try it on this creature. The horn of Proteus is magic and it will not fall for your parlor tricks."

Namor floated down until his feet were now on the floor of the ocean, "As for who calls you cursed? Is it not your own people who say you bear the Curse of Kordax? Not that, that means anything to me. But I have to admit I find solace to know that your bastardization of our kingdom is ruled by a cursed King."

Aquaman drifts to the sea bed. He smiles slightly. "You have nerve calling my kingdom a bastardization. We have ruled on land and seas for a hundred thousand years. Your people were a bunch of nomads and would be fighting sharks for scraps still had you not found the ruins of Pre-Deluge Atlantis to squat in. I didn't come here to be baited by you into a fight. I respect you coming alone to judge me and my intentions for what it is worth. If I may say my good-bye to the Giganto I will not trouble you further. I and my subjects will avoid your territory and will expect the same courtesy of you and your subjects."

Namor gritted his teeth and looked extremely angry for a moment and then his expression soften significantly and he smiled, "You have a strong will and a fierce tenacity."

The baby Giganto had now reached Namor and was starting to nuzzle its face againt Namor's body, only Namor's great strength allowed himself not to be pushed aside by the beast. He turned to it and petted its head, "You can stop, we will be home soon, my friend, I promise!"

He turned to Orin and said, "And it seems our information sources are both well informed. I thank you for returning the leviathan to its home."

Namor moved towards Orin, both the trident and horn still in his hands, "And as a King, I apologize for not meeting with you sooner than now. The changes to our world threw our people into turmoil. We had always viewed ourselves as superior... as better than any of the Dry. To find out there was another Atlantis caused much trouble."

Aquaman extends a hand to Namor. "As do you. My people feel similarly to the airbreathers. We are used to thinking of ourselves as the rulers below the waves. As if anyone could rule all this. The oceans became a bit smaller when the worlds merged. But there's always room for new friends." He regards Baby's affectionate show and smiles broadly. "If ... it is not an imposition ... I would appreciate escorting you and the Giganto the rest of the way. They are incredible creatures. I would like to learn more about them and your Atlantis. Perhaps we could discuss your visiting mine?"

Namor placed the trident on his back and reached out and took Aquaman's hand, "It's not an imposition. It is something long overdue. The border skirmishes between our people need to stop. But I must warn you... not all attacks have been from the Atlantean Military."

Namor paused... for the first time he realized he needed to clarify, "-My- Atlantean Military. You are inheriting our Oceans... which means there are threats to you and yours that you more than likely didn't have on your world."

He just held the horn towards 'Baby' and looked it. It seemed to almost nod and moved towards Namor's Atlantis, "My cousin Namora is just over the next ridge. We can talk as we go. I apologize for the initial hostility. I admit that though your own origin is similar to mine... I was distrustful about the type of man you would be. You have obviously had a history of allying with the Surface World, while I have always thought of Atlantis first and my allies on the surface second. And it was also your name... Orin. Among my people that name means 'Wish Fullfuilment' or rather 'Wishful Thinking.'"

Orin chuckles. "This merger of worlds has some strange aspects to it. Why are our languages even relatively similar? Orin ... yes. It means the same in our language. Damn. I will not lie to you Namor. I have left the Justice League and joined the Avengers. But my major goal on the team is to represent the interests of the aquatic races and defend them. As for my surface allies ... they understand my people are always first in my mind. But I found that more often than not the threats I faced would come to the oceans eventually and the allies I helped are there to help me if I need it."

He turns more serious, "I'm afraid you have inherited an equal portion of dregs from my world, Scavenger, Fisherman ... the Black Manta." He says that last name with particular loathing.

"Black Manta we have faced already," Namor said with a solemn note in his voice, "He did much damage before we could stop him. So that is why I warn you of General Krang... an former general of our Atlantean Military who is looking for his own realm to rule. Or Merranus... the Atlantean who sided with the Nazi's during the Great Surface War. Or the savage Attuma."

As they headed over the ridge he added, "And there is still others to worry about... the Lemurians are here and they are not kind to those who call themselves Atlanteans."

As they cross the ridge they encounter another... she is dressed in a black once piece outfit with a yellow 'N' emblem attached to it. The lining of the out fit was all red and her long yellow tresses of hair were held back by a crown made of seashells and coral, "Aquaman. I'm pleased to finally meet you. I am Aquaria Neputnia... also know as Namora, Avenging Daughter of Atlantis. And honestly.. the calmer side of the current Atlantean Royal Family."

Aquaman performs a courtly bow before Namora and says, "Please, call me Orin. It is a pleasure to meet you and be so well received." He turns to Namor and says, "We must talk about Black Manta. I would like any information you have on him. He is not operating on the surface world and I have not found a trace of him in our territories. I rather suspected he might have been plotting in your realm. He is an enemy of mine and my people and I will see him brought to justice for the murder of ... my son."

Namora then holds her hands to her face, "I'm sorry Orin, I didn't know you had lost a son. I have a daughter, I couldn't imagine what it would be like to lose her."

Namor himself was a little colder saying, "I've lost two wives at this point in my life. The most evil of us... they always will attack the most vulnerable of us."

He pauses in the water for a moment and then adds, "All information from our encounter with Black Manta will be made available to you... as will all the undersea threats that we are aware of will be."

He turned back to Orin and said, "My only request is that you share the same information so that we are not blindsided by your own enemies."

Orin shows no hesitation as he assents, "Agreed. That is only fair. We should also discuss opening a dependable and secure communication channel between our realms. I'm certain Manta and others will attempt to provoke our armed forces or flee them by hiding in another realm. I think your Kang has already begun making trouble. Several of our outlying farm areas have had supplies stolen."

The blonde haired man looks thoughtful at Namor's own tale of murdered spouses. "I am sorry for your loss. Did you find the ones responsible, may I ask?"

Namor nodds at Aquaman, "Politics to one. Mutation took the other. Dorma was killed because of Atlantean politics. Marrina... she bore my children and turned into a monster."

Namor looked to the ocean floor hurt by what he remembered. Namora however decided her job was to remind them both the splendors of Atlantis no matter the world. As they came over the next couple of ridges Aquaman got to see their Atlantis for the first time.. a place where no air was allowed... all things were made by the forges that could melt metal even in these deep depths.

Namor looked at Aquaman and said, "You and I... now... we are cousins. You have your quirks the same as me."

The baby Giganto was happy, he moved to his people. He seemed to find his place, only hiding among the buildings because of the heavy rocks and structures of Atlantis.

Aquaman nods and says, "Yes and you are called Avenging Son and I will be the Avenging Father."