Leviathan Wakes

"Orm": What are you playing at, brother?

Orin: You are not my brother. What is Vandal Savage up to this time?

"Orm": You are babbling. I am not a clone.

Orin: Well?

M'gann: He is telling the truth...Or at least believes he is.

"Orm": Stay out my head, Martian!

Orin: You are certain?

M'gann: It was a cursory read. I didn't invade his mind, but he has no guards up. So. Yes, I am fairly confident.

Orin: You poor bastard. You really do not know what you are.

"Orm": You call me a bastard? That is rich.

Orin: Think. Your memories of your previous incarceration... Do they seem complete? Do they even seem real? You say you remember the times I visited you here?

"Orm": Of course I do.

Orin: Except I never did. I visited the prison, a matter of public record, but I never came to your cell to see you. I was still too angry.

"Orm": That... That's a lie.

Orin: It is not. Your mind is not your own.

M'gann: I can help you if you'll let me.

"Orm": No. No. I don't know what game you are playing, but it will not work.

Orin: Let us know when you are ready to face the truth.

"Orm": I am not a cl...

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Arion! Arion!

Arion!

Only the True King

can save Xebel!

- Only the True King can save Atlantis!

- Give us our One True King!

Give us Arion!

- Arion at all costs!

- It has been weeks and still

they chant his name.

I should have this so called

Arion arrested for treason!

Stop it, father!

You must know such an

action could turn this unrest

into a full-blown revolution.

And not just in Xebel,

but in every city-state

- in the kingdom.

- Aye.

Even in Nanauve, the

people call for Arion.

We had hoped to salvage

the situation here,

but, I fear we may

already be too late.

Now, finally, when your entire

kingdom is under threat,

you deign to leave your

little bubble in Poseidon is.

- That is not fair...

- You are no better girl.

When was the last time

the first daughter of Xebel

set foot or fin in

the city of her birth?

I hold you both responsible for

allowing this Arion to take...

And what of your responsibility

Ryus Nereus?

You have plotted

my overthrow for years,

sowing the seeds

of this current crisis to

both our rules!

You dare speak to me

that way in my own palace?

Good!

Settle it! I thought

I smelled royal blood

- in the water.

- Enough!

Fighting among ourselves

will not solve anything.

And despite our suspicions,

Arion has done nothing wrong.

In fact, he may very well

be the One True King that

fulfills the Prophecy.

That prophecy cannot

be fulfilled without Arion's lost crown.

A definitive answer to the question

of rule is impossible.

Hear that?

Locate.

- On your right.

- Got it.

Good.

Our response time improves.

It should. We've been down

here ducking and dodging these

thermal vents for weeks.

To be honest, I did

not expect the search to go on

- for so long.

- None of us did.

Neptune's beard.

Coral is due to give birth soon,

assuming she hasn't already.

- If we don't find the damn crown soon...

- La'gaan,

no one forced you to

accept this assignment.

Either you are here one

hundred percent, or you need

to swim away.

Right.

Sorry.

I'm here, Kaldur.

- One hundred percent.

- Then we press on

by foot or by fin,

till the job is done.

Do not take it too

hard, my friend.

- His words are harsh, but...

- I know

I just wish I had

his strength sometimes.

He is strong... But he is

also exhausted,

and has been for some time.

Plus, the death of Conner Kent

has hit him particularly hard.

Of course.

For years I held a grudge

against Conner, a petty, immature grudge.

I never made amends,

and it hurts, knowing

I'll never get the chance.

I can't imagine Kaldur's

pain... Or M'gann's.

I just wish I knew

how to help.

So do I.

Kaldur holds so much inside.

I'm afraid it is only

a matter of time

before all that he

keeps buried, rises up to overtake him.

Hear that?

Locate.

Arion!

Arion! Arion! Arion!

Though I wish

it were under different circumstances,

this Conference of Delegates

will now come to order.

Emissary Coral of Neptunos

is not in attendance?

She is

in labor, Your Highness.

How wonderful.

Indeed. And in her absence,

she has granted me her proxy.

Her proxy? To what end?

Well, we all presumed this

meeting would end with a vote.

A vote for what?

For High King of Atlantis

Relax into my current!

I cannot overcome it!

Keep fighting!

La'gaan!

Neptune's beard!

That's how it's done.

- Good work.

- Kaldur, look.

- I can't see a thing.

- Allow me

This is why we

haven't found the crown.

Over the millennia...

The ocean floor shifted.

Atlantis' original

capital sank even deeper.

By the Gods...

Whoa.

Someone was in the wrong

place at the wrong time.

Huh. I wonder who

she or he was?

There is powerful magic

in these ruins. This way.

It's getting stronger.

Yeah. I think I'm feeling

what you're feeling.

As am I.

Together, we should be

able to triangulate the source.

There!

Is that it?

That must be it. Arion's Crown!

The Crown of Prophecy.

Oh, man, not another one!

Orin! Orin, are you there?

Do you hear me?

Answer me!

The High King is

otherwise occupied.

That is fine.

You are the one I sought.

I...

I want the truth.

That is all any of us wants.

Now relax, and open

your mind to me.

Hmm.

I recognize Psimon's mind touch.

In fact, his fingerprints are

all over your psyche.

He's masked his work from you-

but not from me.

I can take you back

to your first, true memory.

He's awake.

The force-growth is almost complete?

I assume now he'll fade in

and out of consciousness

until activated?

Fine. But he's seen us.

Make certain Psimon erases this memory.

Arion!

Arion! Arion! Arion!

I never wanted this.

But perhaps, for the

sake of Atlantis,

I must once again take up

the mantle of leadership.

With all due respect,

Lord Arion,

Atlantis already has a leader.

I am sorry, my queen,

but the people disagree.

King Orin is a great hero, but

Atlantis has never taken to him

as Annax, except in Poseidon is.

Lord Arion, on the other hand,

has rallied everyone around him

by twice saving Atlantis,

and he seems to

fulfill the prophecy.

That is secondary.

Let us face the truth.

The people are on the

verge of open rebellion.

If we are each to

maintain control

over our own City-State,

we must

elect Arion High King.

Both subjects have received the

Psy-Back transfer,

with Ocean-Master's

memory engrams,

recorded just before

his incarceration?

Excellent.

Then Project Thrinos

may proceed.

Release Ocean-Master.

So,

in order to protect

your positions of power,

you would hand our Kingdom

to someone you know almost

- nothing about?

- I appreciate all Arion has done,

but to even contemplate

giving him the Crown...

Orin, you do not

have to do this.

I am a king, not a dictator.

And serve at the

behest of the people.

All those in favor of

Arion as Annax

say, "Aye."

Aye.

Aye.

Aye.

And as Emissary Coral's

proxy, I say "Aye" on her

- behalf, as well.

- Aye.

Well... At least he's powerful.

- Aye.

- Nay!

Father!

This is... Unexpected.

Thank you for your support.

I am not supporting Orin!

I am voting for myself!

Six votes for Arion.

One for Nereus.

Even without my vote,

the result is forgone.

Arion is High King.

I pray your decision

is the right one...

For all our sakes.

Amazing that my

grandson's flute contained

a recoverable sample of his DNA.

Being the first of the Homo

Magi and an immortal,

his body will have a

substantial affinity to magic.

Considerably more substantial

than your previous body, Orm.

For that, you have my undying,

literally undying, gratitude.

You understand why

we had to kill you?

Yes. I was out

of control. Apologies.

Accepted, tentatively.

This is your chance to redeem

yourself before the Light

and achieve everything I have

ever dreamt of. Thank you.

You will need to memorize

everything I know about Arion's life.

In addition, your training

with Wotan is paramount.

In the past, you were too

reliant on Neptune's Trident.

From now on, you shall

wield Arion's power without such trinkets.

- Understood.

- Psimon will soon begin

to edit this one's memories,

creating a false history

to cover his incarceration,

and the time since. He will be

pre-programmed to lose to you

and draw suspicion his way.

The puppet will end up in

prison or dead,

no longer of any

use or concern.

I'm sorry.

What they did to you...

It's unforgivable.

I must inform the King

before it's too late

- Arion! Arion! Arion! Arion!

- The people

will wish to hear from the

new High King of Atlantis,

Annax Arion.

- Delphis! Douse your light.

- Right.

Come to me, beast.

Everyone aboard!

Guess it can't eat us

if we're riding it, right?

Right?

Hold on!

Now!

Go! Go!

Whew. I thought

we'd never exit those depths.

Do we radio King

Orin we have the Crown?

- He commanded radio silence.

- Hear me.

Hear me, my children.

Hear your new, old High King...

With reluctance,

I have accepted your call

to lead our people...

And return

Atlantis to the glory of

its forebears.

I'm sorry we didn't

get the intel sooner. But.

- If you outed him...

- Were I to reveal all now,

no one would believe me.

This is a responsibility

I assume

with the full support

of your former Annax

and the leaders of all...

Ah.

Kaldur'ahm.

I believe you have

something that belongs to me.

This is hybris.

Do not put it on, brother.

We are not brothers.

We were never brothers.

My lost crown!

The Prophecy fulfilled!

Yes...

Orm!

No, no!

It has been drained of power.

Here is all the proof

you need that this 'Lord Arion' was false.

False to the Prophecy. False

to the Kingdom of Atlantis.

False to all of us.

Let this be the moment

that we as a people,

trust in ourselves and not in

false prophets.

Annax Orin, my husband,

is your true High King!

No, my love. This is not right.

I am not the king

that was foretold.

It is Queen Mera who

fulfills the Prophecy!

Arion may have

been the stranger

and herald, the conqueror

of Neptune's Trident.

But it was Arion, Orm and

Mera together who faced

down the Red Death.

And the Prophecy

clearly states: "When best

of these gains Arion's Crown,

our one True King

revives renown."

Can anyone doubt

that Mera Nereus

is the best of those three?

Can anyone doubt

that Mera Nereus is the best of us all?

It is Mera Nereus,

Princess, Queen and Sorceress,

who must be our High King.

Mera! Mera! Mera! Mera!

What say you?

- Aye!

- Now, she's an Annax

- I can respect.

- Aye.

It is unanimous.

No, Orin, no.

Let us be honest.

The Crown, any crown,

never sat easily upon my head.

You were raised in a Palace,

taught what it meant to rule.

I was raised in a lighthouse

to a very different destiny.

It is as it must be, my love.

It is time for our long

cataclysm to end.

Atlanteans, all Atlanteans,

must be reunited as one people.

And our Seven Seas

as one World Ocean,

and all eight city states

will feel the benefits of our rule.

All hail High King Mera!

Annax Mera! Annax Mera!

Annax Mera! Annax Mera!

Annax Mera! Annax Mera!

Annax Mera!

Annax Mera!

Annax Mera! Annax Mera!

Looks like you you didn't

need to worry about Kaldur.

I mean, the way he took

on that Leviathan!

He was a total bad ass!

Kaldur has training, talent

and natural instincts.

Of course, he's a

bad-ass when necessary,

but I fear he will use

this success as another excuse not to rest.

What will you do next,

Annax... Lord Orin?

Raise my son.

Support my wife and her rule.

And, I believe I will also

rejoin the Justice League.

I will, of course, relinquish

the title of Aquaman.

If the League can include four

Green Lanterns and two Flashes,

I believe it can embrace

two Aquamen...

Or three.

Wait. Really?

It is time.

Congratulations, my friend.

And it is a relief it happens now.

As I have decided I must

take a leave of absence.

It is time.

Come to gloat, my son?

You should hardly be surprised

at the result, Father.

The Lords of Order would

never have allowed their

Crown to be used by your agent.

Then they are fools.

My Project Thrinos

would have brought

order to three-fourths

of the globe.

We will not argue.

The Book of Chaos you opened

upon Atlantis millennia ago

has reached its final chapter.

Now a new story begins,

one without Vandal Savage.

It's done.

Your mind is now clear

of all programming, and outside influence

Thank you.

Here. You are free to go.

- I don't understand.

- You cannot be held

responsible for the crimes

of the original Orm,

nor for crimes committed

while your mind was enslaved by the Light.

Your slate is clean,

and I would love nothing more

than to give you a second...

Or, really, a first chance.

If you want one, you know

where to find me, brother.

The first time I took

a breath of air on the surface,

I thought I would choke.

Yet despite my fears,

when my moment came,

my gills relaxed,

my lungs expanded,

and I realized I would never

need to hold my breath.

But truthfully,

I find I have been holding

a great deal inside for a very long time.

I know, Ghosty.

I know.

I failed you.

Be careful, Connor.

Always.

I failed M'gann...

I'm out of control...

An animal, a beast...

It's who I am...

We are

trying to help you...

Who I've always been.

Superman knew.

He always knew.

Stop it.

- Stop!

- And now I've killed him.

I've killed my brother!

Hey. Wait.

Wait!

Help me...

Please...

There was a bus.

The bus from the bridge...

Oh, god!

I'm losing my mind...

Red Sun.

It was

ten years ago today.

Of course.

Robin and Kid Flash

and I did something

rather stupid.

Something that nevertheless,

I have spent a decade regarding

with over-weening pride.

We rescued Super boy

from Cadmus,

created something that became

a turning point in my life.

The Team.

And now,

ten years later,

So many of my teammates

have paid the price of my hybris.

Tula is dead.

Jason is dead.

Wally is dead.

Conner is dead.

These are sorrows,

I must come to terms with...

if I am ever to return

to the life I have led.