2013-02-17 Sunken Treasures

The voices. The droned on day in and day out for Emma, telepathically and physically. On that Sunday afternoon she opted for solitude. She cancelled all of her appointments, and avoided confrontation with the mass protests going on in front of her school. So what she desired most was to be alone.

She drove her silver Jaguar to New Jersey and took her private yact to the sea, desperate to get as far away from minds as she could for one afternoon. Once Emma was as far away as she could be in the early afternoon, she set her anchor and made herself comfortable. She was wearing a pair of vintage white sunglasses and a matching skimpy bikini. After rubbing down on the proper oils she nestled herself onto a comfortable chair and soaked in the rays, doing absolutely nothing. Which was not something she did often, at least as of late.

In her rush to get out to sea she had apparently missed the small craft advistory. If she had, then she would have know that today was a bad day to go off alone in her yact, out of cellphone range, without even her assistant knowing where she was going to be. Everything was perfectly calm at first, and then without warning the wind picked up into harsh gusts of wind. Far heavier than Emma was normally experienced with.

Her yact began to rock heavily as the increased winds and waves began to hit it.

Emma Frost cursed loudly as she began to fumble with the controls. This was an epically awful plan. She prided herself on being an intelligent woman. But today was a dumb move. The storm coming in looked large and looming, something out of one of those terrible weather thriller movies. She revved up the engine to turn away against the storm, and perhaps towards the shore. With her other hand she began calling for help on her radio. Stupid girl.

With a cold shudder she thought, "Of course. After everything I've been through I'll die out in the middle of nowhere with not a soul to be found. /So/ glad you got your solitude Emma."

Fate must be against Emma because it was then her yaht died, the engine flooded and dead. The radio picking nothing up but static. Harsher and harsher waves hitting against the hull. Luck seemed to have left Emma entirely as it seemed now she could only hope that this would end before it was too late and her ship was lost.

Emma Frost was saying every curse would she knew throughtout all of this. This was not how she intended to go. In fact she was planning on never dying. Her last shred of hope was her cellphone. She hadn't checked it since before she laid down to tan hours ago. She rushed out into the storm, hoping to retrieve it and rush back into the cabin to hope for a signal. Just as she spotted it, she saw the phone slide off of the ledge. She ran towards the spot and reached forward hopelessly.

Quickly she gave up and rushed to return to the cabin nearly slipping on the way. She raked her fingers through her hair as she quickly tried to think and spoke out loud, "Emma. You are the biggest moron in the universe. Buck up."

She took a moment to steady herself. Emma was a survivor after all. She rushed to grab the life vest.

And that's when the gusts of winds hit their highest levels and the entire boat yawned to the side and threaten to through its occupant overboard. Half the contents of the cabin went flying about the deck, the glass shattering everywhere and the life vests falling overboard.

Emma Frost slipped once the boat toppled to the side and fell through the window, her skin brushing against the glass as she slid by. She fell into the water. On reflex ,she exhaled and a thin but strong layer of diamond formed around her body, smooth to the touch. If one were to touch her now.

With the increased weight and exhaled oxygen she dropped like a rock. The yacht disappearing from her view far too quickly. In this phase she wouldn't' drown, but she wouldn't see sky.

The darkness surrounded Emma more and more as she sank. Even if she could survive like this, soon she wouldn't be able to tell which direction was which or what was even in front of her face. That was assume the flaw in her diamond form didn't crack under the pressure of the deep sea.

Darkness settled as Emma still fell, who knows how much longer until she reached bottom.

Panic reached her quickly. And Emma was the type of woman to keep it cool under most circumstances. If she forced herself to return back to normal, she could easily drown before she got back to the surface. And at this rate she would see just how deep this part of the sea was. In a desperate and hopeless plea, she called out "Help me!"

Sound of currents changing could be heard even in the deep pressures of the sea. A blur of movement passed by Emma and she almost thought she could make out the form of a man. But that was impossible, wasn't it?

Suddenly she could feel an arm wrapped around her waist, another around her head. A man? A god? Emma couldn't know. She felt lips push against hers and exhaling between them as his tounge pushed her lips open to accept the oxygen he was breathing into her.

With the flow of oxygen Emma relaxed and turned back into her normal form, just in time to accept the oxygen. Her lungs took the breath willingly. She had no idea who this person was during all of this but no matter what happened from this day forward she would always be grateful. She felt her arms wrap around this person, and embrace them with a kiss. After this moment she went dark with shock.

When Emma awoke she was somewhere else, in a huge oyster shaped bed. At the foot of the bed were massive hand wrought bronze statues of sea-horses looking out as if they were guarding the occupant. Above the bed was a stone work octopus, that given Emma's discerning eye for art... was probably older that Michelangelo's David. The room was barely lit, it was still very dark, but there was enough of a blue glow of light that she could see. And what she saw was shocking.

Outside a series of oval shaped windows there were fish. And not just any fish, a massive tiger shark at least six times the size of a normal one. The infamous giant squid, there are two off them out there. Then a blue whale swam by. Emma was on the bottom of the ocean.

The fixtures in the room were gorgeous, but once she spotted the oversized sharks, squid, and anything else out there in the ocean somewhat overshadowed the artistic appeal. On boring nights she often enjoyed searching for information about deep sea fishes and wildlife on the internet. And that day they were finally in front of her. Swell.

She took in a deep gasp, nearly forgetting that she was in oxygen currently. "W-where am I?"

There was a swish of a door automatically opening and a zzt of a force field turning on were heard and Namor walked into the room. He was dressed in only his green-scaled small shorts and the golden belt of the Atlantean Royality. "You are in Atlantis, Emma Frost."

He hesitated as he finished his entrance, the door closing behind him and the force field shutting off. He folded his arms across his chest and said, "The first to visit her cities in nearly seventy years."

Emma Frost lifted her eyebrows as she took another breath, trying to get her bearings. She always did her best to maintain authority in any room she was in. But at present, it wasn't happening. She took a moment to steady herself, "And I'm quite certain this isn't the SeaWorld reproduction. This. . ."

She looked about quickly, "Is amazing! I'll assume you were the one kindly enough to save me Mr..?"

With a chuckle he replied, "I thought your people would remember me, but I am rapidly learning that you cannot. You accept what you see, hear and touch and not what you learn."

"I am Namor... the First! Founding member of the Invaders, friend of Captain America, ally of the Justice Society. Recipient of the American Medal of Honor. The United Nation recognized King of Atlantis," he lowered his arms and approached Emma.

He held his hands out to her, "And you are Emma Frost, leader of Frost Industries, founder of the Academy of Tomorrow, and a very bad boat pilot."

Emma Frost is well known as an intelligent woman, but the name "Namor" only sounded familiar. But clearly it was a name to know. She felt as if she should know more but perhaps there was some legitimate conspiracy at foot. At the moment she didn't know much about it him, but at present was still the her hero none the less. A small smile spread across her lips as she gently touched the top of his palms, "I'm not going to argue that last statement. I think you have been present to the most foolish moment of my life, ever. Clearly."

"You have been unconsious for three days. You must be hungry," Namor said and a small 'ztt' noise sounded before the doors opened, "Let me offer you dinner. Then I will take you back to the surface."

"That long? Well." Emma responded as she glanced down at her attire. At least she was still wearing her bikini. She placed her hands on her hips and made the best of her situation, "Who am I to refuse my hero? Lead the way then."

She wasn't sure exactly who or what this man was completely so for the moment she did a casual scan of his thoughts.

If arrogance had a personification in thought, Namor's mind would be extremely close to how it would look. The man was definitely extremely pleased with himself and not just for rescuing her, there was very few places in Namor's life that he wasn't extremely pleased with himself about. Other than that, his mind was extremely organized and willful. It was hard to get an exact read on any of his thoughts.

As he lead her through the tube like hallway the floor was wet and salty but the metal a bit warm to the touch. At each door junction there was a pause before opening and the same zzt sound. Namor smiled back at her, "Aye, it would rude to refuse. Just as it would be rude of myself not to make the offer."

Internally, he wondered if Emma truly understood exactly where she was.

Emma Frost ran her fingers along the edge of wall as they walked. She wondered why it was warm to the touch. The location was completely fantastical. If she wasn't so well versed in what dreams were like, she would think she was still asleep.

But also fascinating was this Namor fellow. It was quite the coincidence that he saw her, or was even able to swim in time. His mind was so unique as well. She tried not to notice any of his physical assets.

She moved a bit quicker to walk along his side, no matter what she wasn't the sort of woman to walk behind a man, "Of course. I'll have to find some way to repay you, Namor."

I'm sure you will think of something, Ms. Frost, Namor said, though a glance towards her bikini-clad body and a small grin suggested that he may have a few ideas of his own.

As they reached the last door it did not hesitate to open at all. Nor did it make the 'zzt' noise as if this door was entirely different. And it was indeed, as it opened into a rather immacculatly taken care of kitchen, "Ms. Frost, I believe you know Yoshikazu Ono. I recently took him on as my personal chef."

The man bowed with a smile and was a bit more famous to modern audience than Namor, he was know as one of the best sushi chefs in the world who suddenly left his restaurant and disappeared about two months ago.

Emma Frost gasps when she saw Yoshikazu Ono. Emma herself was a fan of sushi, but anyone well versed in modern cuisine at all knew the man's name. Various rumors and theories were being spread about his disappearance. Not one of them was that the man was making sushi in the lost city of Atlantis.

She looked back and forth between Namor and Yoshikazu, and scanned the chef's mind for danger, "Chef Ono? What are you doing here? If you fell from a yacht as well we have an epidemic on our hands."

"No, no no! Lord Namor, made me a very favorable offer on one of his trips to Japan," Chef Ono said with a laugh and accented English, "A chance to live in this city and I only have to make food for him on rare occasions."

Namor smiled with a chuckle added, "I would think that Ms. Frost thought I kidnapped you. And probably that I meant the same for her." He walked over and took Chef Ono's hand respectfuly, "If you could prepare a sampler of your best my friend I would appreciate it. Ms. Frost has not eaten in three days."

It wasn't until just then that Emma realized that if she needed to escape, she doubted there was any vessels back to the surface. Or how to operate them. But first things first, she /was/ hungry after all.

She ran her fingers through her blonde locks, catching a few tangles as she does. By the touch of her hair alone, and the faint grumbling coming from her stomach, she truly was asleep for 3 days.

She smiled at the chef and placed a hand on her hip, "Yes, I'd love to finally sample your work Chef Ono. I would be honored. Excuse me."

She stepped over towards one of the oversized glass windows as she quickly tried to fix her hair in the reflection. As she did so, a huge ocotopus floated by, which of course took her aback. But it was fascinating none the less. Everything here was odd and amazing.

Namor came behind Emma and smiled as he watched outside as well. He was proud of his home, of his people, of his environment. You wouldn't need to be a psychic to recognize the pride in his stance and speech, "I think you are finally starting to realize, exactly where you are. And it is true, I was not speaking in jest earlier. You are on the bottom of the ocean in the most secret place on the planet."

As if planned something unseen by nearly no eyes from the surface zoomed. It was about the size of a small whale but much longer and thinner, its face looked more at place on a feline rather than the aquatic creature that it was. It's read and black stripped scales running down it's whole body.

"Welcome to Atlantis, and to my kingdom," Namor said his voice raising in pride.

Emma Frost watched silently as the large creature swam by. If she wasn't a proper woman, her jaw would have dropped, "I'm not an expert. But I don't think that's in any of our marine biology books yet."

She peered over her shoulder and smirked, "So it's King Namor then? And I'm in a secret underwater Kingdom? I'd faint but I don't want to be cliche."

She returned her attention to the view, and could even see in the darkness the spread out buildings to his realm, her voice softened, "It's astoundingly beautiful."

"As it always has been, and always will be," Namor said still smiling. He placed a hand on her hip softly and said, "And you neednt be so formal with me, I am simply Namor to you."

Emma Frost lifted a brow and quickly turned to face him. A small smile spread on her lips as she looked up at him. She brushed her hair behind her shoulder, "So then. . .Namor, do I have to sign a release guaranteeing my silence? I'm sure this place is a secret for a reason."

She dragged her fingers across her plump lips, signaling that her lips were sealed, "Of course I am well versed in keeping secrets."

Namor placed his other hand on her other hip and looked down at her with a smirk, "You wouldn't believe how far you are from New York City, nor do I suspect your hiding a GPS device on your person." He gave her entire body a look up and down as if to remind her of how little both of them were wearing right now, "If you want to tell the other surface dwellers that you were here... if you think they would believe you. Atlantis hasn't been involved in the affairs of the surface in nearly 40 years."

Emma Frost let out a soft laugh, "You haven't missed much. Nothing interesting, at the very least."

Well Emma /was/ in the mood for a vacation. And she hadn't been intimate with any man in a very long time. And neither of them were wearing much and was Emma blushing? Emma wasn't one to blush. But at that moment, had faintly pink cheeks.

She stepped back to move gently out of his grasp and made her way towards the solitary coral table and chairs, "Not that I'd want to tell them anyways. I'm selfish that way."

"Aye, I would never have suspected," Namor said with a grin and then moving quickly to pull a chair out for her to sit on. Though the chair themselves were made of coral, the padding seemed to be make an odd silk, that made it comfortable to the touch.

"I would expect someone who takes mid-day yacht trips with no other person for kilometers. Though I have to admit, as far as surface dwellers go, you are very friendly to our oceans. The technology of it was very impresssive with virtually no population in my kingdom."

Chef Ono walked over and placed four plates of very exotic looking sushi, things unlike anything Emma would have seen anywhere on the surface. These were all special rolls Yoshikazu Ono had made with some of the local sealife, sealife that no surface dweller had ever seen or tasted until he got to them. "There we go.  Meal fit for a King!" He said loudly before he winked at Namor and headed out a door on the other side of the kitchen.

Emma Frost smiled up at the chef and said in perfect Japanese, "Thank you for the food,"

She watched as he left the room with a smile and her eyes turned back to the food. It was certainly odd looking. But that was sushi in general. The smell alone was incredible. She grabbed a pair of carved odd-looking chopsticks and took her first piece of sushi. Her hunger was overwhelming. The taste was incredible.

After whipping her mouth she looked back to Namor, "Oh of course. A bit of Stark Tech, I'll admit. Relies greatly on solar energy and easily operated by one person. I prefer to be alone, most of the time."

She glanced down at his pecs again. Oh god, Emma keep it together girl, she thought to herself.

Namor tilted his head slightly as she accidentally stared at his zero-body fat body, "Stark? I've heard that name a few times. Once a long time ago, and more recently... in my most recent excursions to the surface."

He seemed to discard that thought and say, "Though I am surprised, I figured it would be something from your own company. I hear that Frost International is well known for it's electronics work."

Emma Frost began to take one of everything. She normally would be much more reserved in eating, especially in front of an attractive man. But her hunger was immense. She took a bit of ginger before trying the next piece of sushi. But she did lift her eyebrows in surprise, "Oh, you get wi-fi down here? Regardless, I'm flattered you looked my company up. We haven't broached much into ships but. . ."

She took another glance about the room, a certain gleam about her eyes as she was curious about its construction. The amount of pressure this far down would be ridiculous, ". . . perhaps I should."

After having another piece of sushi he set down his whale ivory chopsticks and folded his hands in front of him, "Well even if you spent the rest of your life here, you would never understand how it was constructed, where the oxygen/nitrogen mix of air came from, or why you are 1,000 meters beneath the surface of the ocean and we are not being crushed by the pressure."

"I've forgotten the wine, how foolish of me," Namor said as he rose to his feet, "But you'll have to forgive me as it's been nearly 40 years since I've entertained guests here. Yoshikaza accepted, of course."

He opened a door made of steel and a veil of cold washed through the warm room.

Emma Frost watched as Namor left to grab the wine, and would have taken offense to his comment. But to be honest she wasn't quite sure how this building was even possible. Even if the glass was multiple inches thick people and buildings weren't meant to be this far down in the ocean, so it was immensely interesting.

While his back was turned she scarfed down two more pieces of sushi. Highly undignified but necessary. But thankfully by that point her hunger wasn't about to swallow her whole. After she finished she called out to him in the other room, "Oh admittedly, you are likely right. Well then I'll just have to settle for the delightful food and even better company."

"It's transparent aluminum, harden to the level of diamond by magic," Namor said as if he was reading her mind, he wasn't of course. He just knew what anyone one would be thinking about this room. How do the windows work?

He turned around with a bottle of wine and two glasses, "Though I'm sure you know exactly how hard a diamond is," With a grin he approached the table again, obviously referencing the way she looked when he found her under water.

He showed the bottle to her, "Cheval Blanc 1943. I took this bottle from a Nazi commander's office. That was how it was done back then."

Emma Frost smirked, "You caught me. Well, you know me and my secrets."

She looked forward and inspected the bottle. It certainly looked that old. But Namor didn't. Emma briefly glanced over him, "But /you/ certainly don't look that old."

Namor smiled as he set the glasses down "I am an Atlantean, Ms. Frost," he then used his own finger as a cork screw and removed the cork, "We do not age the same as surface dwellers."

He poured a glass for each of them, "And in my case, I aged slower than any Atlantean."

Emma Frost accepted her glass and held it out for a toast, "Please, call me Emma. And a toast, to my rescuer."

She held her glass up to him and took a sip, watching him as she does so. Emma placed her glass aside, "So tell me, Namor, how am I lucky enough that you were able to catch me? Diamond or not, I was screwed by all means."

"Screwed? Please, Emma. You are of higher breeding than that. But, aye, you were screwed," Namor said and drank a small sip of his own wine, "But ears like mine miss little. Especially when I was returning home from an incursion on the surface world. I am always on the look out for those who would attempt to follow me back to my home."

Namor swished his glass of wine around and then said, "But you, Emma, are a mutant aren't you? I saw your other form, you looked like diamond."

Namor smiled at Emma as if telling her that she was dealing with an equal intellect, "I decided to err on the side of caution and give you oxygen, that is when you fainted. I took you back here and let the Logomancer look over you."

With another sip of the dehydrating wine he added, "Then I returned your yacht back to the shore. And watched over you until you awoke."

Emma Frost was thrilled at the fact that he wasn't directly watching over her the past three days. The embarrassment would have been immense. But she was glad to be cared for all of the same. Emma wasn't a woman to be pampered over, not unless she was paying someone or they wanted something out of her. She reached out and gently took his hand, "Regardless of my breeding, I was screwed. Even in the diamond form itwould have broken. Eventually. Or went mad trying to make my way on the ocean floor."

She felt her stomach do a nervous little flip she hasn't felt since maybe her first job interview, "And thank you for saving my yacht. I figured that was lost. Still. It's even better to be alive, don't you think?"

She took another sip of her wine. Emma was in trouble, this man was far too charming.

And with that Namor realized he had her, that she was totally here now. That the surface didn't mean a thing to her, because she was here.... in Atlantis, with him, "Being alive is something that we should celebrate. At all times."

His meal done, he pour a new glass of wine for both of them, "And there are few as beautiful on the surface as you."

Emma Frost spread a smirk over her lips as she accepted a refill, "Oh? Says the one who hasn't dealt with the surface in over 40 years."

She paused to look over at the sushi chef station, ". . .who still has excellent taste in modern chefs. Touche. Thank you, I'm not one to really compliment anyone but you are. . .astounding."

Emma immediately took a sip and regretted saying that adjective.

"Astounding? I've never been called that to be honest, savage, yes. Spectacular, yes." Namor said and looked at Emma from her current position, "But no one has called me Astounding until now. Truth be told, Emma, I find this all boring."

Emma Frost sighed as she rested the edge of her chin against the tips of her fingers, as she looked to the side. Of course he would react that way, "Oh I'm boring? Well I'll need a lift to the surface. I'm an excellent swimmer, by 'surface dweller' standards I'm sure. But not quite /this/ good."

Namor then stood back up and walked over to Emma, and pulled her out of her seat. He kissed her, hard and with passion.

Namor then broke of the kiss and said the Emma, "I do not want you to leave as of yet."

Emma Frost for the first moment was surprised, but did return Namor's kiss, "Nor do I. Funny, is it. How people end up lost at sea?"

Emma broke from his embrace and looked him over. There was a lot she didn't know or understand about this man. Even his mind was more guarded then most, but she highly doubted he regularly met telepaths. But he was unique all the same, visually and intellectually stimulating. Which was rare connection for Emma, ever.

She took a step back and looked into his green eyes and kissed him again.