"It seems she found you."
Mera's lips curled into a faint smile as she turned toward Adrian. Her eyes followed his gaze into the cell block below. "Who is she?"
"Black Canary."
Adrian stood with his hands behind his back, watching the woman inside the reinforced cell. "Everyone confined here falls under the same category."
Mera tilted her head slightly. "Superpowered individuals?"
"No."
Adrian shook his head. "They are metahumans who operate in secrecy, people with ties to former governments, covert organizations, or those who actively resisted my authority."
Mera studied him for a moment, her smile deepening. "You are starting to resemble what us land dwellers would call a tyrant. Yet, strangely enough, I like this version of you."
"Is that so?" Adrian replied without looking away from the cell.
He finally shifted his attention back to her. "Have you been in contact with Arthur lately?"
Mera stepped closer. "Do you actually want us to be in contact?" she asked, placing her hand lightly on his chest. "Or do you think I am simply Arthur's possession?"
Adrian frowned slightly. "Are you not the Queen of Atlantis?"
"No," Mera said firmly. "At least not in that way. I am not his wife. During Arthur's rise to claim the throne, I assisted him once or twice. That is all. He would have succeeded even without me."
Her tone sharpened slightly as she continued. "I am not his wife. I am not his girlfriend. And I have never been with him in that way."
She studied Adrian's expression carefully. "Disappointed?"
"Why would I be?" Adrian asked coldly.
Mera's eyes narrowed slightly. "Because I can tell your intention in keeping me here is not just containment. It is humiliation. Of Arthur. Of Atlantis. Of me."
She withdrew her hand and turned toward the rows of imprisoned metahumans below. "I can feel your malice."
Adrian finally turned toward her fully. "You speak as if I am some comic book demon. Why assume such things?"
"Because that is exactly what you are becoming," Mera replied.
Her voice remained steady, but there was a knowing edge to it. "Your ambition is carefully hidden. Some think you want revenge. Others think you want to save the world. They all follow you because they believe in one version of you or another."
She glanced at him again. "Even that Amazon princess, Wonder Woman, believes you love humanity. She trusts you enough to follow your command. She even warned me out of jealousy."
Mera's tone sharpened slightly. "She thinks you love her. She believes she loves you. But I can see it clearly. You only love yourself. You would never allow anyone to occupy the center of your life, not even her."
A long silence followed.
Adrian did not respond immediately.
Then he exhaled slowly and looked at her again. "Do all Atlanteans enjoy speaking as if they understand everything?"
Without hesitation, heat flared in his eyes.
A controlled beam of energy struck Mera's shoulder.
The blast was precise, not lethal, but strong enough to throw her backward into the wall.
The impact echoed through the corridor.
Mera groaned in pain, sliding down slightly before catching herself.
Adrian's voice followed her calmly. "Do not forget your place. You are my hostage. If I choose, your life ends instantly."
He turned away.
"This is a warning. Next time, I will not be as restrained."
His footsteps echoed as he walked down the corridor.
"Also," he added without looking back, "you are on guard duty tonight."
Mera clenched her shoulder, fury flashing in her eyes. "Bastard."
She forced herself upright, breathing steadily as she examined the wound. It was shallow. Controlled. Intentional.
Her expression shifted slightly.
He could regulate the intensity with precision.
That realization unsettled her more than the pain.
Why assign her guard duty here?
What was he planning?
Elsewhere, deep inside the same facility, chaos erupted.
A heavy explosion tore through the prison structure.
Green Arrow staggered forward as the shockwave hit him first, forcing him to brace against the pressure.
A second blast followed, louder and more violent.
Captain Atom was thrown hard against reinforced concrete, his body absorbing part of the blast but still sent crashing into a cracked wall.
The structure groaned under the impact.
Dust and debris filled the air.
"Captain!" Green Arrow shouted, rushing forward.
Captain Atom coughed heavily, forcing himself upright. "I am fine. I did not expect a self destruct system in the node room."
His eyes scanned the ruined corridor.
The moment they had breached the prison's network, the security system had triggered an internal explosion.
"This was a trap," Nightwing muttered, stepping through the smoke.
Captain Atom steadied his breathing. "We continue the mission. Rescue the prisoners first. I will hold the line here."
Green Arrow shook his head immediately. "No. We stay together. If you get overwhelmed, the mission fails."
Captain Atom's expression hardened. "If we all retreat, Homelander will tighten security. This is our only chance."
Silence followed.
Then Green Arrow exhaled sharply. "Fine. We regroup at the extraction point."
He moved immediately toward the inner prison levels.
Deathstroke followed without hesitation. "Try not to die before I get paid."
Nightwing glanced at Captain Atom briefly. "You sure about this?"
"I am," Captain Atom replied.
Nightwing nodded once, then left with the others.
Captain Atom turned back toward the incoming guards.
His body was already absorbing residual energy from the explosion.
Too much power, and he would lose control.
But not enough, and he would fall here.
He raised his hand.
The fight continued.
In the central corridors, Deathstroke moved like a storm.
He ran across elevated platforms, bullets tearing through the air behind him as guards opened fire.
He twisted midair, landed, and struck with precision using his staff, dropping one soldier instantly.
Nightwing moved in support, taking angles, covering flanks, redirecting enemy fire.
Green Arrow fired rapidly, disabling targets with calculated precision.
Deathstroke glanced at them mid-fight. "Stay out of my way."
Nightwing smirked. "Try not to get shot, old man."
"Keep talking," Deathstroke replied, already launching forward again.
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