2013.10.17 - Revelation of the King

In the ruins of what was once called Atlantica, a research station of the Atlantean people abandoned decades ago after their experiments were ruined by surface atomic testing, there was now a large structure. Designed with transparent aluminum windows and domes, it looked like a mid-sized Atlantean country house, the type that the royal family would use in areas far away from the main cities and capitals of Atlantis.

And despite the fact that this is an unused settlement, abandoned for decades... their is lighting on, and radio signals being sent out. On the front door their was a seal of the Atlantean Royal Family. Of a line that had died out recently, the House of Thakkor.

And for Namora she could feel a presence... one that should not exist. One that she had been feeling for months now but had assumed she'd been crazy for feeling.

Kaydin been swimming the oceans when he came upon the unused settlement and began to try and explore it. When he comes to the door, he looks to the seal with a gasp as he moves a hand to the door. "This is..." he says as he feels the seal's imprint on the door. "The Royal seal of Thakkor." He says in atlantean, more talking to himself then anything as he tries to look through any windows to see if any were in the building.

Namora had reached this destination at a top speed, and among the way spoke with a right whale about the structure. It had only seen one man. This had seemed odd to Namora, based off what she had heard her husband and her own assumptions she had assumed it was a remote group.

But then she got that feeling she had been experiencing lately, and it was only stronger now. She spotted the seal on a the door. Namora laughed silently in disbelief. But there was only one way to be certain. Just then, another arrived a banished Atlantean.

Her arched eyebrows lowered, as she quickly swam towards him, and stopped just next to Kaydin, she too spoke in Atlantean, "Is /this/ where you live now in exile? Why is this seal on your door? I find this /very/ offensive on many levels. Explain yourself."

She placed her hands on her hips as she looked him over. Namora still certainly was the fierce princess of Atlantis, even if she was jumping to a conlusion.

Inside Namor was not entirely aware of what was going on outside his villa. He had been brooding earlier over his last trip the surface and the loss of some of the last surface dwellers he considered worthy of his respect. However the sonar inside the villa had detected the load noises of the argument that Namora was starting.

Namor quirked an eyebrow at this, he could hear people shouting in Atlantean outside his door. But he knew not who. No Atlanteans were supposed to know of this place. He had made that deal with Orin, that he would stay in hiding until he felt entirely himself again.

And thus for now, Namor would stay hidden, he placed himself into the control room of his villa, having his computer run identification on the noises outside. The control room was fortunately one of the only room with no windows.

"I do not live here. I found this place with the seal." Kaydin explains despite being accused. "I am Kaydin, a mere former soldier...But this seal...This is the seal belonging to the royal family of King Namor." He explains.

Namora points to the seal, "Of course I know whose seal this is, I am Namora. I know it better than you would."

And she moved her finger to point towards Kaydin, "And I know who /you/ are, exile. Explain the meaning of this."

She is only confused for the moment. At first she was feeling that this was all a ruse, and if it was she was ready for a fight so now it was only confusion.

Namor heard that last part, he recognized that tantrum. And it made him grin.

He swam through his villa quickly before thing got out of hand. As Namora was probably ready to beat Kaydin into the ground. The airlock door opened quickly, "Still calling yourself Namora?"

And there he stood in only his green briefs and golden belt, The Avenging Son of Atlantis... gone for forty years... believed dead by his own people. His arms folded across his chest and his face grinning. He had no idea who this other Atlantean was, but Namora. He knew her well, "I'd have assumed you went by Aquaria again by now."

"I am here investigating the depths, tracking a potential threat to Atlantis, going by the name of MEr-" He says before he comes out. The Avenging son of Atlantis. Stories of Namor's greatness was passed onto to hi by his father who served the king as a soldier. When Namor came, Kaydin almost does a double take before kneeling before the long lost king. "King Namor...Never had I thought I would meet the avenging son." He says while knelt. For an exile, it seems the atlantean still treats the royalty with sincere respect.

Namora, or rather Aquaria had morned Namor for decades after she served loyally by his side. Her daughter, in fact is named after him. Yet here he was, as if the last few decades were not so.

She cast a glance to Kaydin, as he immediately went on bended knee. Namora still felt tricked, and launched at full force towards Namor, launching both fists towards him, "IMPOSTOR, NAMOR IS DEAD!"

Namor smiled at the bowing Kaydin for a moment, it was nice to know that his people did still remember him fondly. It was part of the reason he had exiled himself, to allow his memory to remain pure among his people.

Then Namora charged him so suddenly and furiously. It was quick motion for the Sub-Mariner to grab both her hands, twist both them and her so she was now facing away from him and to hold her there.

"Your eyes do not deceive you, Namora. I am Namor, son of Fen, grandson of Thakkor. The Sub-Mariner."

"I heard of your death but I also had heard of some interactions of you on the surface. Despite what the surface may think, King Namor, I like the rest of my people know you do what you do with our people's best interests at heart." Kaydin says while bowed. "May I ask why you keep yourself from Atlantis my king?" He asks with concern for the sub-mariner.

Namora would give anything believe that her beloved cousin stood amongst them. But for the moment he was a ghost, if not an imposter. She needed proof. As she was held, with comparable strength to Namor's of course, she looked over her shoulder, "A high claim, for a man long since dead. Then tell me something only Namor McKenzie would know."

She glared at the man who was bowing, "Do not be so fooled! Do you know of the shape shifters above us?"

Namor held onto Namora tightly, not letting her gain much ground as she struggled. He acknowledged Kaydin first, "I've always disliked the bowing and kneeling, if you are an Atlantean warrior as you claim, then stand and be proud. You are one of the greatest warriors the world has ever seen, act like it."

The question of why he kept himself from Atlantis however went unanswered for now... first he have to deal with Namora, "Alright then, my beloved cousin: When your skin first turned pink and your hair blonde. You asked for us to both go to the Mid-Ocean ridge near the capital. I agreed to go with you and that is where we first... shall I go on?"

"If this man were an imposter, why remain far from Atlantis? Why hide at all? It would not be of any benefit for him tactically." Kaydin says as he stands fully. He remains silent when Namor begins to remember something of Namora and simply seems to observe and listen, his expression neutral.

Namora widened her eyes and wiggled out of his grasp, her hands held up defeat, "No! No. That's fine."

She looked between Kaydin and Namor. There were many questions going through her head towards the two men in front of her. How did Kaydin find this place? Why was Namor still alive? Why stay hidden for so long? Her head could explode. Instead she went along with the question already asked, "That is the question, Namor, why?"

There was still anger between her eyes there was a mixture of confusion of anger, hurt, and confusion. Mourning isn't easy for anyone. And for that grieving to be incorrect is not an easy feeling.

Namor turned away from both of them, "There was a threat to Atlantis, Aquaria you would remember this because I came to see you that day. You were staying with Betty Dean back them. I had left the All-Winners Squad and you had taken my place."

He shook his head, "The blonde-haired heir had been born that day. We all call him Orin now. The High Logomancer told me it was a bad omen, but as Namora can tell you Kaydin, blonde hair had always been over stated in our superstitions and legends."

He looked to the ground, "So I faced a man who had come to harm Atlantis so long ago, he was part of my surface dwelling father's crew. And now he had returned to destroy us all. He had a helmet that mad him a psychic of immense capacity. I faced him in combat and killed him with my own hands."

He turned to face the both of them, "And with his dying thoughts he erased my memories. I was left in Metropolis with no memory of who I was except for my father's last name McKenzie."

"I remember my grandfather mentioning that, because it was believed that babies born with blonde hair was said to possess the curse of Kordax." Kaydin says with a nod. When the reason why he hasnt returned, he looked to Namor. "Such a price to pay. Truely proof of your devotion to Atlantis." Kaydin says calmly. "But surely King Orin would welcome you back? You were the first Atlanteans that even considered aiding the surface world in it's time of need, something he and his wards strive for everyday..."

A small frustrated smile spread across Namora's lips, "Yes! Exactly as one of those relics who helped aid Atlantis and the surface world in this time of discomfort, and aided to Atlantis' needs afterwards there are many /many/ questions to be answered."

She at this point was straight up pissed, no one should see Namora pissed. Her husband even didn't recommend this state. She sat against the makeshift home and crossed her legs, "As in why have you kept your status secret? How long have you kept this secret? Why shouldn't I just beat your ass and call it a day? So many questions so little time."

Namor shook his head, "They had my vestments and my trident and the Horn of Proteus in a museum. I assumed you were all dead. That I had failed you all."

Looking to his cousin he added, "And the pain of that was too much for me. I summoned the Leviathan... Giganto. Once a childhood pet, and attacked the surface. I even fought my old friend, Ste--Captain America. And as Giganto attacked Metropolis... Orin... I suppose they call him Aquaman on the surface, he tried to talk me down multiple times. And I did not listen to him."

He looked at Namora and said, "So when he came here, into this little slice of Atlantis I made for myself... I told him not to tell anyone I was still alive. It seemed the better option. I'm broken right now. I'm unreasonable and angry. I tried to kill one of the Kings of Atlantis because I did not think he was truly a king. I kidnapped a surface worlder because she didn't want to see one of her student have his arms ripped off... something I was entirely ready to do."

He looked away, "I am not a King... not a Prince... I am just Namor. I am not worthy of any of the praise that I receive from our people. And until I am, my return must be a secret."

"I ran across one who was there when you attacked the harbor, a surface dweller. That is how I learned of you being alive on the surface." Kaydin says as he nods. "As you wish it I will keep your secret but I must say this, sometimes that which is broken can be reforged into something stronger, Namor. There is a woman which threatens to either kill or usurp the throne from King Orin, her desire to claim all of atlantis as her own. She can control the very waters with her mind, making the water as strong as any of our weapons. I have sent word to the guardsman who guard atlantis' borders to try and warn the kings, however I do not know how much value the word of an exiled soldier is. She calls herself Mera of Xebel."

And suddenly Namora was 16 again as she swam forward to punch Namor in the shoulder, perhaps harder than she should have, "But you could have talked to /me/ and you didn't. So go...swim off!"

She looked between Namor and Kaydin, with utter confusion and pure emotion. This was not a day she had planned for, "Mope on your chair, then. Your people, friends and /family/ are doing well without you. This is inconsiderate!"

She exchanged a glare with Kaydin before swimming off, completelely confused at all things.