Somewhere deep in the Atlantic, far beyond the reach of satellites, a warship drifted like a ghost.
Inside its steel belly, Arthur Curry slowly came back to consciousness.
The first thing he saw was a man seated casually on a throne placed at the center of the dim chamber.
Even in the haze of pain, Arthur recognized him instantly.
The man who had dragged his former lover in front of him like she meant nothing.
The man whose body had shrugged off a trident strike without so much as a scratch.
The man who had dropped him with a single punch.
"You're awake," Noah Vale said, resting his cheek against his fist, studying him with mild curiosity.
Arthur strained against the restraints binding his limbs. Metal chains rattled sharply, but didn't budge.
"What do you want?" he growled.
Noah's smile was almost gentle.
"I really don't feel like repeating myself," he said. "Order your people to submit. The oceans answer to you. Make them answer to me instead."
Arthur's eyes hardened.
"Go to hell. The seas don't bow to anyone."
Noah didn't react. No anger, no irritation. Just a soft clap of his hands.
The sealed door behind Arthur slid open.
Four naval soldiers entered, crisp and silent, snapping to attention the moment they saw Noah.
"You called for us, sir?" the leader asked.
Noah nodded toward Arthur.
"He's yours. Take your time. Be creative."
Arthur didn't even glance back. His gaze stayed locked on Noah.
"You think torture will break me?" he said.
Noah stood, stretching slightly as if bored.
"Oh, you'll break," he replied calmly. "I'm just curious when."
Then he turned and walked out.
The heavy door shut behind him, cutting off the room like a tomb.
Arthur frowned, confusion flickering for a split second.
Behind him, the air shifted.
Then came the sound of quiet, humorless laughter.
Outside, in the corridor, Lex Luthor stood waiting, his expression strained.
"You've made contact with the higher-ups?" Noah asked as he approached.
Luthor nodded. "They're aware of… everything."
"And?"
"They're interested," Luthor said carefully. "But they want to know who you are. And how you're connected to Barry Allen."
Noah gave a short, amused breath.
"They're asking questions instead of making decisions?" he said. "That's bold, considering the situation."
"They're not your enemies," Luthor replied. "They just need time."
Noah's expression cooled.
"I don't."
He stepped closer, voice lowering.
"I've been on this planet for barely an hour. In that time, I've captured the Queen of the Amazons… and the King of Atlantis."
He gestured back toward the sealed door.
"Do they really think they're harder to deal with than those two?"
Luthor didn't answer.
Noah's gaze sharpened.
"Ten minutes," he said. "That's all they get."
"And if they say no?" Luthor asked.
Noah smiled faintly.
"Then the next people in that room won't be Atlanteans."
He turned and walked away.
The next chamber was quieter.
Diana sat restrained in the center, her hair disheveled, her posture tense but unbroken. Even now, there was fire in her eyes.
Noah stopped in front of her, studying her like a collector examining a rare artifact.
"Still holding onto that pride," he said.
Diana spat at him, lunging forward as far as her restraints allowed.
He caught her effortlessly, fingers locking around her jaw before she could bite down.
"Strong," he noted. "I'll give you that."
Her glare could have cut steel.
"What have you done to him?" she demanded.
Noah tilted his head slightly.
"You mean Arthur?" he said. "He's right next door."
Diana froze.
Through the wall, faint sounds bled into the room. Strained breathing. Muffled shouts. Something raw and desperate.
Her expression faltered for just a second.
"That doesn't sound like him," she whispered.
Noah leaned in slightly, voice soft.
"Even the strongest people have limits."
Diana clenched her jaw.
"You're lying."
"Maybe," Noah said lightly. "Maybe not."
Then he straightened, stepping back.
"Either way, you'll both find out soon enough."
An hour passed.
In the other room, Arthur endured everything thrown at him without surrendering a single word.
Pain came in waves, brutal and relentless. At first, there had been anger. Then resistance. Then something quieter. A kind of stubborn, unyielding silence.
He didn't beg.
Didn't break.
But even iron bends eventually.
Just as his consciousness began to slip, a sudden explosion tore through the silence.
Arthur's eyes snapped open.
The pressure in the room shifted.
The soldiers were gone.
A familiar voice echoed through the chamber.
"Having fun in here, Arthur?"
Noah.
Arthur tried to turn, but something stopped him.
Then, from behind him, came a voice he knew all too well.
"Arthur… don't turn around."
Diana.
Her voice trembled in a way he had never heard before.
Fear.
Real fear.
Arthur froze.
In that moment, something far worse than pain settled over him.
Behind him, something had broken her composure completely.
And in front of him, he could only imagine what she was seeing.
For the first time in a long time, both of them felt it.
Not anger.
Not defiance.
But something colder.
Something deeper.
Fear.