2Arthur Allen, captain of the Aquamen of Atlantis, swam over to where his second-in-command sat astride a dolphin. "Report, Byrrah."
"I've never seen a narwhale this size," Byrrah said. "It's monstrous, and damaging the Atlantean dome. We tried to herd it off, and something began to infect our rides. We tried using our mental connections to make them less panicked, but with no effect. Three men were injured, and we had to withdraw. "
"While I was attending a meeting on the surface world with the Justice Titans," Arthur mused. "You did the right thing in summoning me. Let me see what I can do." Using his mutant capability to hypermetabolise oxygen, he swam towards the immense creature using the speed which had gained him the name: Aquaflash.
He knew that while all the Aquamen has psionic connections to the dolphins they rode, he alone had the capability to dominate the minds of any creature who lived within the seas. He came close to the immense narwhale, and tried to establish a link. He furrowed his brow as he sensed another mind beyond the animal's. "Someone else is fighting me for control!"
Using his super speed, he set up a vortex which drew the narwhale farther from Atlantis, while still attempting to combat the foreign mind which seemed to lose influence the greater their distance from the original site of attack. Finally, he was able to use his powers to return the great beast to a placid state.
Shayera Hol walked the hallways of the museum at Gateway City, lingering as she always did in the section dedicated to the gods of ancient Egypt. As the reincarnation of Diana, first queen of the Hawk-People who were descended from the Egyptian gods themselves, the displays bore a special resonance for her. So preoccupied was she, that she didn't even notice the fluttering sound of wings behind her, until the sound of a body falling to the flow woke her from her reverie. She whirled around to see the wounded form of the winged heroine known as Goldengirl.
"Donna?" she said in surprise, rushing over to the girl's limp form. Carefully, she scooped her up and carried her to the museum's infirmary. She laid her young friend on one of the beds, taking some disinfectant and applying it tenderly to the girl's injuries.
Donna Parker groaned, "I made it," she said hoarsely, "I wasn't sure I would."
"What happened to you?"
"I was … " she paused for breath, "heading out to visit Garth, when I was attacked by some sort of Quetzalcoatl-looking monster. It was amphibious, I think, and tried to drag me into the water, but I managed to get away before it could drown me."
"That's disturbing," Shayera said, "because the magic pipe of Quetzalcoatl has gone missing from the museum's inventory." She rose to her feet and then whirled around, wings appearing on her back along with a uniform which had become famous in both the world above and the world below. "I think it's time for Wonderhawk to investigate more thoroughly."
Much later, the pair airborne, Goldengirl pointed, and Wonderhawk banked in the air to follow her, the two women's wings moving in unison. "I remember spotting that there is a cavern near here," Goldengirl said, "maybe it might contain a clue to the being which attacked me."
As they approached the cavern, the sky grew dark. Wonderhawk peered upwards, squinting, and what appeared to be a cloud was in fact a vast army of winged creatures, so populous that they blotted out the sun. She readied the mace she carried, but was blinded by the flurry of beaks and claws.
Arthur Allen had personally enlisted young Garth West into the warriors who protected Atlantis, and after the young man had received exposure to a form of mystic 'hard water' which granted him speed approximating his own, he began to occasionally accompany Arthur Allen to the surface world as Lad Aquaflash. Now the pair of them spearheaded the battle against the hoard of aquatic beasts which attacked the city.
"Something's driving them to a frenzy, I've never seen the like," Arthur said, forming a typhoon with one hyperaccelerated arm in attempt to funnel some of them away.
"Me neither," Garth said. "And you've not been able to control them psionically at all?"
Arthur shook his head. "No. Whoever's controlling them is pretty clear in the message he's sending: surrender Atlantis to him, or die."
"But we still don't even know who's behind it," Garth said. "Can you find out by tapping into their minds? Maybe even use his influence as a way of tracking him down?"
"That's a clever idea," Arthur agreed, "though a subtler use of my abilities than I've usually attempted. But we have little to lose."
He closed his eyes, once more attempting a psionic connection to the aquatic beasts surrounding him. "Ah," he says quietly, "I can almost hear his voice … it's like a weight on the back of my skull, swimming there amidst my own thoughts … " His eyes suddenly snapped open. "By Poseidon's trident , I recognise that voice!"
He never finished his sentence as a sudden explosion detonated between him and his scion.
The furious flock passed, and Wonderhawk wiped sweat and blood from her brow. When her vision cleared, she looked around to see she was alone. "Donna?" she cried out. After a moment's hesitation she pursued her original path, heading to the cavern she and her companion had intended to explore earlier.
She landed deftly, and seeing the darkness of the cavern, drew forth the lasso she carried at her hip. Using its magic to illuminate her way, she walked in. The golden glow caught the facets of a crystal, which reflected to reveal a helmeted, hybrid reptilian winged creature. "I'd not sought to involve you, Wonderhawk," the figure said, "I was only protecting my interests. If you leave now, we can remain at peace."
"I came to the World Below in order to battle for peace," she replied, eyes narrowing, "but your 'interests' seem to involve theft and attacks … so whoever you are, I think it's best if you surrender to me now."
"You don't recognise me?" the creature asked, sounding miffed, "after all those battles against the Justice Titans we've shared? I suppose the transformation that the Crystal of Tyros imbued me with has rendered me different to your eyes. But let me show you what else it can do." The creature brought to its lips an ornately carved flute, with designs on it which resembled a winged serpent. It began to play an odd melody and in response, swooping forward from the depths of the cavern, was a shrieking harpy with Goldengirl's face.
Wonderhawk whirled around, soaring out of the cavern and into the skies, hoping that distance from the magic pipe would reduce its influence, but to no avail. She struggled to protect herself, using her impenetrable bracelets to block the harpy's claws, but could not bring herself to harm her former ally. "Hathor, help me!" she cried out to the goddess who watched over her people. With renewed vigor, circled her lasso around the harpy, and with the goddess' will manifesting through her own, found herself able to overpower the controlling influence of the pipe. "Sleep now," she whispered, and brought the helplessly sedated creature back to the small island.
She prepared herself once more for battle, when she was distracted by the sound of an explosion. "Now what?" she snarled, and her eyes widened at the sight of Aquaflash and Lad Aquaflash literally blown out of the water. She used the speed granted her by Heru to catch them before they fell, and brought them both back to the small island so she could assess them.
Aquaflash shook his head. "Thanks, Wonderhawk … though I'm surprised to see you so far from Gateway City."
She nodded. "Goldengirl and I have been tracking down a theft of an ancient artefact which can be used to control birds, and wound up meeting some kind of monster which transformed her. What do you two know about this?"
"We've been combatting someone who has proven able to control sea life, to an extent which exceeds my own. An old enemy of mine, as it happens: Professor Zoomanta."
"Zoomanta? The Atlantean of the future who has bedevilled you so often before? But what I saw was … ah. He's apparently come into contact with something called the Crystal of Tyros, who has transformed him bodily as well as given him additional powers."
"What do you think he's up to now?" Lad Aquaflash asked.
"I fear for our city in our absence," Aquaflash replied, "he has always had designs on the throne."
"I believe with the help of the gods, my magic lasso can counteract the effects of the magic pipe of Quetzalcoatl," Wonderhawk mused. "If you had a way to block his control over the animals of your own demesnes … "
"There are possibilities," Aquaflash said. "A strategy I'd be loath to use, although we may have no choice at this point until we can destroy the source of Zoomanta's power."
After a quick consultation, the Aquamen began a hurried evacuation of Atlantis, its citizenry fleeing the Professor Zoomanta's invading beasts. Aquaflash and Lad Aquaflash made use of their immense speed, arms creating miniature typhoons which force the water from the city. Finally, Aquaflash created another funnel, through which Wonderhawk flew, accompanied by birds of prey motivated by the power of her magic lasso. They raced grimly through the death throes of the aquatic beasts as they lay dying on the city's streets, towards the throne room where, according to the spying eyes of the Aquamen, their opponent had installed himself.
Aquaflash's eyes widened, seeing his foe's grotesque form for the first time since the invasion. "Zoomanta … what have you done to yourself?"
"All sacrifice is worthwhile in the name of power and revenge," the man replied angrily, any further words cut off by the fury of the avian attack. Lad Aquaflash accompanied Wonderhawk and the city's new defenders, while Aquaflash himself departed on another mission.
Returning to the cavern of Wonderhawk's battle, he spied the Crystal of Tyros she described to him. Vibrating his hands at incredible speed, he set up a series of vibrations which caused the crystal to shatter.
Cautiously, he exited the cavern, to see Goldengirl in the process of returning to her fully human form. He knelt next to her.
"Aquaflash?" she said, sitting up. "What happened? I was with Wonderhawk when … I don't remember what happened next, it's a confused muddle …"
He shook his head. "It's all right, Donna," he said quietly. "Come with me back to Atlantis. I have a feeling this battle is about to end, and we can aid Shayera and Garth with the cleanup."
NOTES:
Based on the story in Brave and the Bold # 51 written by Bob Haney; this relates the Earth-32 equivalent of those events.
Aquaflash & Wonderhawk bios by Dispenser Of Truth.
Professor Zoomanta created by Edspear.
