-Tridente City, Xebel, Atlantis
-27 February 2003
The day started like any other military exercise, one of those where the younger units, like Namor's, participated alongside others in simulations of real combat. Everything seemed under control until the unmistakable roar of something tearing through the ocean's atmosphere shook them to the core. A meteorite—massive in size—crashed down into Xebel. The impact sent the city into immediate panic.
Namor floated among his comrades, all of them on high alert, watching as the high-ranking Atlanteans, led by King Ryus Nereus, quickly moved toward the crash site. The tension in the water was palpable; you could see it in the eyes of the more nervous soldiers.
"What the hell's going on?" one of the soldiers next to Namor murmured, frowning as he gripped his combat spear tightly with both hands.
"Whatever it is, it can't be good..." Namor replied, swimming quickly alongside the other Atlanteans, forming a defensive line around the massive meteor.
When King Ryus Nereus arrived at the scene, his orders were clear: inspect the meteor and hold the line. The ones tasked with the inspection weren't just any soldiers, though; they were a group of Atlantean scientists and magicians, led by none other than the king's wife, Queen Mala Nereus, who was currently the most renowned sorceress in Xebel.
"No one gets close without my permission," King Nereus commanded with authority. But soon, they would all realize that a defensive line wasn't going to be enough.
The meteor began to move. Or rather, something inside it was moving. A tremor rippled through the ocean floor, and then, right before Namor's golden eyes, emerged a monstrous creature straight out of a nightmare. It was a mass of liquid metal and silver tentacles that moved with eerie fluidity, each one gleaming with a strange reflective light. The creature stood more than thirty feet tall, its shifting form both hypnotic and terrifying.
'Shit! W-Why do I feel like I got transported to the wrong DC universe' Namor wonders, rather alarmed at the mere thought. 'That thing looks like it came straight out of a damn twisted hentai...'
Not that Namor, as Adam, had ever read hentai… No, no. Not at all. But you pick things up, even if you haven't exactly… seen them.
"Hold your positions!" Commander Kratos shouted at the soldiers.
Chaos erupted as the creature unleashed its tentacles on the troops. With alarming speed, it tore through the defensive ranks, knocking Atlanteans around like they were toys. Namor barely had time to react as one of the tentacles shot past him, sending a shockwave that pushed him backward.
"It's controlling them!" one of the young soldiers shouted beside him, watching in horror as their comrades, now wrapped in the creature's liquid tendrils, rose and attacked under its control. "It's using them like puppets!"
Namor's desperation grew as he saw more and more of their soldiers turned into unwilling warriors for the creature. Chaos spread quickly, and though the troops fought back with everything they had, the creature seemed unstoppable.
King Ryus Nereus led the charge, ordering the immediate evacuation of civilians. The situation had become dire—the creature had turned the battlefield into its personal stronghold.
"All young soldiers, evacuate the civilians! Now!" barked Lyra, their combat instructor.
Namor, along with the other young soldiers, nodded and darted toward the streets, guiding terrified atlanteans away from the battle.
Soon, the emergency alarms echoed across Xebel, and the mass evacuation began.
Meanwhile, a specialized communications team worked to alert the other cities of Atlantis, warning them about the dangerous creature and requesting reinforcements.
Luckily, the communications systems remained intact and hadn't been disrupted by the arrival of the giant creature, so they quickly received word that Queen Atlanna, High King of Atlantis, was already gathering the magicians and soldiers of Poseidonis to rush to Xebel's aid. At the same time, every other Atlantean city was also preparing its own troops and sorcerers, under Queen Atlanna's orders.
But until they arrived, the atlanteans in Xebel had to hold the creature back.
Unfortunately, the creature was far too powerful to be contained. Even with the help of King Ryus Nereus, his wife, and their best magicians and soldiers, the situation grew more chaotic. Much of Xebel's army had been defeated and placed under the control of the massive silver creature, now using them as its puppets.
…
Meanwhile, as the emergency alarms blared throughout Xebel, Namor led groups of civilians away from the battle zone, feeling the heavy weight of responsibility on his shoulders.
"Stay calm, everything will be okay" he reassured those who could hear him as he urged them forward. But even as they evacuated, he couldn't shake the devastation that the creature was causing.
He thought about transforming into Captain Marvel and taking on the creature himself—it would be a fun fight, after all. But Namor was surrounded by too many people. He couldn't just disappear while he was supposed to be helping with the evacuation. The more experienced soldiers were already locked in battle with the creature. His companion, Atticus, floated beside him, also helping the civilians, but Namor knew his friend well enough to see that he was itching to be in the fight rather than here, evacuating people. But orders were orders, and breaking them could lead to severe punishment. Besides, the safety of the civilians was their priority.
Suddenly, a deep, rumbling noise echoed through the water, reverberating through the streets.
"No way…" Namor murmured, turning his head toward the sound. The creature was advancing again, this time set on taking down the king.
King Ryus Nereus, alongside his wife Queen Mala, was fighting with the last of his strength and what little troops remained. By now, most of their soldiers and magicians had been turned into the creature's puppets, and their chances of victory were slim.
Atticus and Namor floated there, a few meters away, both with their minds divided, though for different reasons.
Atticus knew his duty: to follow orders and remain in the last line of defense while the evacuation continued. But something inside him screamed to go and fight. Several other soldiers felt the same, wanting to help their king, even if they knew their efforts would be in vain. If the more experienced soldiers and magicians had failed, what chance did they have?
Namor, on the other hand, was stuck between disappearing to transform into Captain Marvel or watching how things unfolded. Naturally, he wanted to help, but he had no intention of revealing his identity as Captain Marvel. If he did, his absence as Namor would be noticed, and that could be considered treason.
Sure, he could live on the surface just fine, or even stay in his Captain Marvel form for the rest of his life, but that was the last option. He didn't want to be branded a traitor.
To make things worse, thanks to Myra, he knew the city had cameras everywhere. Even if he managed to get away from the others, his secret identity could still be exposed if he transformed into Captain Marvel. He couldn't risk that.
As all these thoughts swirled through his mind, suddenly, one of the young Atlanteans broke formation, recklessly surging toward the creature with a battle cry.
That was all the inspiration the other indecisive soldiers needed—Atticus among them—and soon enough, a group of them followed that poor idiot who had no chance against the creature. Now, there'd just be more meat for the creature to use as puppets, worsening the situation. Namor couldn't help but sigh at Atticus's stupidity for following that fool, along with the others.
"Damn it…" Namor muttered, watching as his reckless comrades swam toward a battle they couldn't possibly win.
Then he remembered something important—he had more than just the Captain Marvel transformation up his sleeve.
The wand, as he liked to call it.
Yes, the Staff of the Gods allowed him to perform powerful magic, even as Namor. And although he only knew one truly powerful spell, he'd never tested it underwater. He'd only practiced it at the Rock of Eternity.
"What the hell's gonna happen if I use it here?" he wondered, feeling the pressure rise. He had no idea how that spell would react underwater; it was a completely different environment. It could either work in his favor… or make things worse.
Namor didn't have much time to think it over. When he saw the creature about to crush Queen Mala, he knew he couldn't wait any longer. The king and the remaining soldiers were being overwhelmed by the puppet-controlled atlanteans, leaving no one able to intervene. Many of the young soldiers next to Namor noticed the situation and rushed in, but their efforts would be just as useless.
The queen was exhausted, barely able to defend herself with magic.
Namor gripped the wand tightly, his heart pounding in his chest.
"This is it..." he told himself.
"I hope this works…" he whispered, swimming quickly toward the queen, conjuring the spell as he went.
The water around him vibrated as he channeled all his magic into the wand. Namor closed the distance between him and the creature, getting close enough. And then, with a flick of his wrist, he unleashed the spell. A water tornado, more powerful than anything he had ever imagined, erupted from the wand.
The effect was immediate—and devastating. The massive tornado engulfed the creature and flung it far away, to a distance no one could determine, out of sight. But the spell's power was so great that it didn't just affect the creature. Namor, too, was violently thrown in the opposite direction, like a leaf caught in a storm.
Both he and the creature disappeared from view, lost in the depths.
Namor felt the impact as he was hurled into the deep abyss, the world around him darkening as his body descended into an even deeper part of Xebel.
…
Meanwhile, back on the surface, the soldiers and civilians of Xebel regained control of their bodies—the creature's influence had been broken. The few conscious atlanteans left, including the king and queen, looked around in shock, realizing what Namor had done. He had saved them all. But as they watched both the creature and Namor vanish, they feared the worst.
"Namor…?" Atticus murmured, injured and exhausted. "Is he… dead?"
The king, queen, and everyone else had the same thought as they saw him disappear along with the creature. For a moment, silence fell over Xebel.