Glug glug. Glug glug.
Columns of water erupted one after another across the ocean's surface, and blue-green heads crowned with all manner of fishbone ornaments emerged from the sea.
Their bodies slowly rose until they stood knee-deep above the water. Their faces were long and narrow, their pale, ghostly blue eyes fixed unblinkingly on the dark teal aircraft hovering overhead.
Watching the hundreds, even thousands, of undersea people wielding sharp blades, spears, and tridents, with slits at their cheeks opening and closing like fish gills, Alex Summers could not help swallowing. He looked toward the two figures facing each other high above.
"They can actually speak English. That makes things easier."
Erik Lehnsherr was astonished not only that the man who appeared to lead these sea people could fly, but also that he spoke the language so fluently. Spreading his hands, he gave a slight nod and said:
"My apologies for the crude method, but I truly had no better way to contact you. I am Erik Lehnsherr, 'Magneto.' At the command of the king of the surface, I invite the leader of the ocean to meet with him!"
The man's skin was different from that of the other Atlanteans. Though these blue-green undersea people retained the basic build and appearance of humans, without fish tails, fish heads, or drastic mutations such as extra arms, the gills on their cheeks and their dark blue skin still set them far apart from this trident-wielding leader, who looked much more like a surface human.
Swish!
The man spun his wrist, flourishing the long trident in an arc. The waves beneath his feet seemed to be stirred into a churning swell as he said disdainfully:
"Atlantis has never had anything to do with the people of the surface. For tens of thousands of