Marvel : New Son Rising

"It seems our Plan A has failed."

On their way back to the Fortress of Solitude, the three Justice League members carried a building, inside which were the survivors they had rescued. Despite saving so many lives, an invisible pressure weighed heavily on them.

The current situation suggested that the number of survivors was close to Lex Luthor's prediction, around 15 million. However, Gotham Forest and Themyscira (Paradise Island) couldn't possibly house such a large population.

Gotham City, by itself, could accommodate many people. Yet, to protect against the infected, Poison Ivy had transformed Gotham into a lush "Gotham Forest." While this boosted its defenses, it drastically reduced available living spaces. Furthermore, Poison Ivy's abilities weren't strong enough to protect so many survivors.

This was also assuming the survivors would be cooperative. If they caused trouble in Gotham Forest, Superman knew without a doubt that they would quickly become plant food. Poison Ivy wouldn't hesitate. So, Gotham could only take in the obedient ones, leaving Superman and the others to handle the unruly.

But then Themyscira wouldn't have enough land either; it couldn't provide homes for 15 million people.

"There's only one way now."

It wasn't that Superman couldn't think. He knew that a Superman who actively used his mind could be a threat to the world, so he often held back to put others at ease. But with Batman gone, Superman had to consider the big picture.

"We need to go to Atlantis to find Aquaman... or someone else who can control the ocean to help us. With their assistance, we can forcefully raise Themyscira by dozens of meters and expand its area."

Such an action would greatly damage Themyscira, but Wonder Woman had no other choice in today's world. She agreed to Superman's idea, but new problems immediately arose.

"Superman, what's the situation in Atlantis right now?"

As Martian Manhunter asked, he noticed Superman's face change dramatically. Superman was staring intently in the direction of Atlantis.

"The black ocean current... No! That's Arthur! Arthur is infected. He's using the seawater to spread the virus and is closing in on Atlantis!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Superman became a red and blue blur, streaking into the distance.

"Damn it, is Arthur really infected?" Wonder Woman muttered, chasing after Superman.

Everyone had suspected something when Arthur didn't respond to Superman's calls, but they had all found reasons to believe he was simply focused on protecting his country from the disaster. Unlike Wonder Woman's Themyscira, which had a smaller population and was led by Queen Hippolyta, Arthur was not only a superhero but also the King of Atlantis.

So, they had all hoped Arthur was simply too busy with Atlantean affairs. Now, that hope was shattered. Aquaman Arthur being infected meant that soon, the entire ocean would become a breeding ground for the Anti-Life Equation virus. At this moment, humanity had lost its largest source of water.

It wasn't just the sea. The moment Arthur was infected, all rivers connected to the ocean and all rain-fed lakes would become teeming with countless viruses. Humans no longer had any water resources, except for what a few facilities had managed to store beforehand.

The scene shifted. Superman and Wonder Woman plunged into the sea, reaching the outskirts of Atlantis in an instant. There, Arthur's wife, Mera, the Sea Queen, and Garth, the Tempest, were desperately trying to control the ocean currents.

In the distance, a black ocean current, symbolizing death and carrying viruses, was nearing the Atlanteans. Atlanteans could breathe underwater, but this also meant they would inhale the viruses. Most Atlanteans had already been transformed. Behind the Sea Queen and Tempest was Atlantis's last pure sanctuary.

But no matter how hard they tried, they couldn't fight the terrifying black current. The true master of the ocean was within that dark tide, driving death itself.

"No! Arthur's control over the seawater is far superior to ours. We can't stop this black current at all!" Tempest cried out, anxious. Compared to Aquaman Arthur, he was still too weak. Even working with Queen Mera, they couldn't defeat him.

"What else can we do? The last Atlanteans are behind us! We must stop him!" Mera insisted.

But sometimes, willpower alone couldn't change reality. The gap between Arthur and Mera and Garth was as vast as the one between Superman and Superboy.

Just as the black current was about to touch them, threatening to infect them through their instinctive breathing, a red beam of light shot down from the sky, instantly evaporating all the seawater in front of them. The viruses carried by the water were also destroyed.

"Superman!"

Superman and Wonder Woman joined Mera and Garth in the ocean.

"Sea Queen, Tempest, we can't stay here any longer. Quickly organize the Atlanteans and take refuge in the waters near Themyscira. Superman and I will hold Arthur off here."

That's right, "hold off Arthur."

Arthur was now surrounded by black ocean currents. Even Superman didn't dare approach directly. The Man of Steel wasn't invulnerable; getting too close to the polluted water could infect him. Superman couldn't take such a risk. And without getting close, his heat vision and freeze breath couldn't defeat Arthur unless he evaporated or froze the entire ocean.

"Understood!" Mera, realizing that her strength alone couldn't protect Atlantis, didn't refuse. She and Tempest went to guide the remaining Atlanteans to safety.

"Go ahead, Diana."

"Okay! Then I'll go first!"