As Aquaman retreated, Wonder Woman finally arrived, albeit a bit late:
"You should have let me capture him and use the Lasso of Truth to find out the exact location of that superweapon."
Joey didn't even need to think to imagine what would have happened if Wonder Woman had come face-to-face with Aquaman:
"So you could remind him how you beheaded his queen with a single strike, and have him decide on the spot to fight us to the death today?"
If they really fought, Joey couldn't stop the Atlantean army simply by killing or controlling Aquaman. He would have to take them down one by one—and the ordinary people on the British Isles couldn't withstand a battle of that scale.
Wonder Woman never regretted her decision:
"She brought it upon herself. I never show mercy to anyone who dares to assassinate me."
"I know. I'm not judging you."
At this point, Mera's death had become a tangled mess. Arguing right or wrong no longer held any meaning. Joey was only thinking about how to achieve the best outcome with the least casualties.
Aquaman choosing to retreat today was already a sign of great responsibility. In Joey's view, the influence of Atlantis's hardliners on Aquaman was an extremely dangerous development.
Those fools beneath the sea naively believed they could wipe out all surface dwellers, while assuming no one on land could do the same to them.
Joey believed he had made himself perfectly clear:
If Aquaman truly chose to prioritize his personal vendetta over the lives of 173 million Atlanteans, and was willing to flood the entire planet to destroy the Amazons, then the people of Atlantis would meet the same fate at Joey's hands.
Joey didn't know whether Aquaman believed him. If, after uncovering the truth, Atlantis still refused peace, then he would have to make them understand that his threat was not empty.
Wonder Woman had a different view of Joey's restraint:
"Reasoning with a fool like Arthur Curry will only make him see you as weak. Whatever methods you have, you should use them sooner rather than later. Atlanteans only respect strength—that is why Arthur Curry is king."
Hearing this, Joey let out a soft sigh.
What he was doing was essentially asking Aquaman to abandon a deeply personal vendetta in the face of greater responsibility—hoping that reason would prevail over emotion.
Yet in this universe, every so-called superhero he had encountered seemed to lack rationality, pushing Earth step by step toward destruction.
For now, the most important thing was to have the Amazons withdraw to the Arctic as soon as possible. That way, even if Atlantis wanted to strike at the surface world again, they would no longer have a valid excuse.
If Aquaman still sought revenge, he would have to take the fight to the Arctic—a desolate place where collateral damage could be minimized.
In Joey's estimation, Aquaman's investigation into his brother wouldn't take long. As long as he wasn't a complete fool, the truth would eventually come to light.
From Joey's perspective as an observer, the collusion between Penthesilea and Orm was painfully obvious. These two war fanatics clearly wanted a final, decisive war between the two races.
If Aquaman could purge the hawkish factions colluding across both sides, things might still reach a relatively good ending.
---
"Where were you when the attack began today, Orm?"
Unable to break through the kilometers-thick ice surrounding the British Isles, Aquaman had no choice but to withdraw with his army. Seated upon his throne, he waited a long time before his younger brother finally returned to the ocean depths.
Seeing Aquaman sitting coldly on his throne, gently stroking the Trident of Poseidon while staring at him, Orm naturally couldn't admit that he had left the main force to rescue Penthesilea—the Amazon hardliner he had secretly allied with.
Telling the truth would mean he wouldn't leave the palace alive today.
But Orm was a careful planner—or rather, Penthesilea was.
The two of them had long prepared something to deal with Aquaman's potential questioning.
Orm took out a magical emblem from his robe. It was an item Penthesilea had stolen from Wonder Woman's collection before the operation—being Diana's aunt gave her access to many personal belongings.
As the emblem slowly lit up, an exquisitely carved olive-wood box materialized in Orm's hands.
Lowering his head, Orm respectfully presented the box—perfectly sized to be held in both hands—to his brother and king:
"My brother, while you were attacking and the Amazons were distracted, I infiltrated Britain and brought her back."
Aquaman's hand trembled as he reached out. He already knew what was inside without needing Orm to say another word.
Though he didn't understand why Mera had risked so much to assassinate the Amazon queen, the result seemed to confirm, in his eyes, the Amazons' brutality.
Wonder Woman had beheaded Queen Mera, thrown her body back into the sea, worn her crown as a trophy—and her head had remained missing.
Until now.
Aquaman gently lifted a corner of the lid. The first thing he saw was a lock of red hair. A tear fell onto the box, and he lost the courage to look any further.
Closing it slowly, all suspicion toward Orm vanished. Hatred once again consumed him entirely, and Joey's earlier words were cast aside.
He had made his decision—to completely erase the Amazons, especially Wonder Woman, from this world, no matter the cost:
"Prepare the 'Doomsday Weapon.' I want to see its power before sunlight touches the Atlantic again."
Orm bowed deeply once more. "Yes, my king."
---
More than ten days earlier—Atlanteans and Amazons.
Inside a magically concealed vessel, Captain Atom—rendered unconscious by spells—was being carried into a research facility by several Atlantean scientists.
Captain Atom was a superhero affiliated with the North American military. Due to his connection with the quantum field, his body contained nearly limitless energy—enough that even a simple release could surpass the destructive power of a nuclear weapon.
As a soldier, he had come under orders to negotiate with Atlantis. Instead, he was ambushed and captured—and now his immense energy had been discovered by Aquaman, who intended to use him as the core of a superweapon capable of destroying an entire continent in a single strike.
Mera frowned as she watched the scientists restrain Captain Atom:
"I think Arthur has gone too far. This war with the Amazons shouldn't drag these surface people into it. Most of them are innocent..."
Under the advice of others, Aquaman now planned to use him as the energy source for a weapon powerful enough to destroy a continent, enough to win the future war against the Amazons.
Mera frowned again, realizing she couldn't stop Aquaman's stubborn resolve. So she sought out his brother Orm:
"I think Arthur has crossed too many lines. This war with the Amazons shouldn't involve these surface people. They may be detestable, but most of them are innocent..."
"I agree," Orm said, appearing completely aligned with her. "Using such a weapon would inevitably harm innocent surface dwellers. It brings no honor to Atlantis."
Then he offered his suggestion:
"You and I have both tried to persuade him, but Arthur has never been one to listen. However, I have a better solution—one that can end this war entirely."
"What solution?"
Orm leaned in close and whispered into her ear like a devil:
"Wonder Woman is searching for a refuge for her people. I have inside information—she will be alone at a specific time and place."
Mera immediately understood.
"I see. Stall Arthur, and arrange an elite squad for me."
If Wonder Woman were eliminated, the Amazons would lose their leader and be unable to resist Atlantis. The war would end, and Aquaman would no longer need to build the 'Doomsday Weapon.'
Orm smiled faintly as he watched Mera don her armor and depart:
"I'll be waiting for good news, Mera."
---
Poor Aquaman—he had been played in the palm of his brother Orm's hand all along.