Its a whole other world down here

Sky over the Atlantic, 2000

Clark held Lori as they flew toward her home. She tapped his shoulder to get him to drop into the water, "You sure the cape is waterproof?"

He chuckled as she leapt from his arms into the water. He shot down after her, they swam into the murky depths until they saw a faint glimmer of light in the distance. Lori swam toward it while Clark followed. He stopped and stared in awe when he saw the city of Poseidonis, capital of Atlantis.

There seemed to be a parade of some kind happening so Lori swam up asking one of the citizens what was going on and used her innate telepathy to translate for Clark, "Its the coronation."

She looked confused, "I've been away for quite some time, who's getting crowned?"

The man pointed, "Prince Orin has returned to us and is taking his place as King."

"Prince Orin?"

The citizen nodded, "He is the half human son of Atlanna."

Clark followed as she swam closer to see the blonde man being lead through the town with great pageantry. He gave a wave as he entered the parade grounds and swam up to a stage and knelt as what Clark assumed was a priest of some kind gave a blessing before presenting Orin with a crown and a trident.

A cheer arose as the man stood. He then looked out on the crowd with a half smile as he took it in. The smile faded to a puzzled expression and the cheers died down as Clark realized the new king was staring at him. Clark became very aware of the fact that he stuck out like a sore thumb here. Lori turned, "I told you not to wear the suit."

***

Clark and Lori were escorted into the palace and brought up to a level that had been drained of all water. The King came walking down the hall. Clark gave a slight bow as he was told, "Your highness."

The king chuckled, "Please, call me Arthur, like the floor? I thought it'd be more like home if I had a dry spot down here."

Lori looked a bit annoyed that she was unable to freely move about the place despite being in the middle of Atlantis but kept it to herself, "Kal, I'm going to go visit some old friends. Thank you for the invitation your highness."

Clark nodded and gave her a quick kiss before she left. Arthur clapped Clark on the shoulder, "So Kal, where you from?"

He looked over, "Its complicated."

He grinned, "I know the feeling."

***

The two had quite a long conversation, Clark explained why he was able to survive down here and about his relationship with Lori. Arthur told him of his parents and the light house he was raised in. Clark chuckled at that. Arthur gave him an odd look, "What's so funny?"

Clark looks to him, "A super powered farm boy and a light house keeper turned king, gotta be a joke there."

Arthur picked up his cup, "This Atlantien wine, has some kick to it."

Clark peered into his cup, "Never had wine before. And what's it made of?"

Arthur shrugged, "I have no idea."

***

Lori found them in the courtyard where Clark was wearing a breathing apparatus that allowed him to speak in the water. Before she could speak the ground began to rattle, Both Clark and Arthur turned hearing something only they could at the moment. It was a metallic grinding sound, like a drill digging through stone. Clark then used his telescopic vision and saw a massive crab like machine drilling up the ocean floor and moving closer to the city, "Your highness I have to go."

Arthur looked at Clark, "Mind if I tag along."

Clark floated up, "Might be dangerous."

" Sounds fun, try to keep up."

He then shot off toward the machine Clark followed but did have a bit of trouble keeping pace with the king.

Lexcorp, Metropolis

A man sits at a console watching a view screen, "We have company."

Lex Luthor steps up behind him, "Eliminate them. Last thing we need is someone running their mouth to the EPA over this."

Clark and Arthur stopped in front of the machine. Clark scanned it with his X-ray vision, "Its unmanned."

Arthur looked it over, "Maybe we can reason with......."

A torpedo launched toward them from the machine, Clark caught it, "Maybe not."

He then hurled it away to explode on some near by rocks. The machine turned and fired several more causing Clark and Arthur to dive away from the onslaught. Clark then charged the machine which responded by slamming him into the ground under its foot. Arthur attempted to help but was stopped by the large drill bit of the machine as it attempted to crush him.

Clark then pushed the foot off of him and punched the bit shattering it before it could hit Arthur. The king then swam up to the underside of the machine and started to rip into the casing. Another leg tried to knock him away but Clark caught it and dragged it away tearing it off at the joint. Then a pincer like arm then grabbed him by the midsection and tossed him away as it again attempted to get at Arthur.

Just before the pincer caught him Arthur ripped off a panel and pulled himself in. He entered what appeared to be a cargo bay and saw a ship of unknown origins still dripping wet and covered in algae and dirt from the ocean floor. He looked it over and saw a symbol on the ship that matched the one on Clark's chest.

In Metropolis

Lex ordered, "Freeze image."

The screen locked on the symbol on the back of Clark's cape as Lex continued, "Bring up the image of the ship."

As the ship came on screen Lex synced the symbols, "It must have come to reclaim the ship, kill them now."

Outside the machine Clark ripped off the arm and slammed it into the body of the machine tearing a hole straight through to the cargo hold where Arthur yelled, "You're going to want to see this."

"Sure, Give me a minute"

Clark then whipped the arm around an smashed the machine into the ground while Arthur yanked out several engine parts. Clark then pulled the Kryptonian ship from the wreckage, "I'll have to take this to Jor-El."

Arthur stared at him blankly as Clark explained, "He's the authority on these things."

Arthur nodded, "Well at least Atlantis is safe."

***

Clark found Lori in a grotto, "Sorry had to drop something off at the fortress."

She looked over, "Well apparently you're a hero now."

He shook his head, "It wasn't that big a deal."

She smiled, "Outrageous, was the term the king used."

He then swam down, "So ready to give me that tour?"

***

The office of Lex Luthor, an assistant reads from a report, "The machine was found about 150 miles north of its last known location damaged beyond repair. The cargo was missing as well."

Lex glared out the window, "Of course it was."

(To be continued)

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