From childhood to adulthood, Arthur had fought in bars, battled the Trench for his life at sea, faced Orm's soldiers head-on, and escaped a deep-sea pursuit with Mera.
But he had never met anyone who made him feel this hopeless.
Yongye stood before him, the Water God Halberd resting across his waist.
His face was almost impossibly young and bright, his smile as radiant as the Manhattan skyline on an afternoon.
But there was no trace of a joke in his eyes.
Arthur swallowed. His lips parted and closed, then parted again. Countless ideas churned through his mind: throw a punch, seize Yongye's weapon, take his mother and flee...
Every time one surfaced, he forced it back down.
I can't beat him.
I can't take the weapon.
I can't escape.
He still has my mother.
Arthur's knees buckled, but he forced himself to stay upright. His back hunched, his shoulders sagged, and he looked like an old wall battered by waves until its cracks finally gave way.
He slowly closed his eyes. The words squeezed through his teeth, carrying the resignation of a man too thoroughly crushed to summon even anger:
"...Fine. I'll do it."
Yongye's smile grew brighter.
He reached out and patted Arthur's shoulder twice. The touch was light, but the authority behind it brooked no argument.
"That's more like it."
"Do your job and don't give yourself away in the Justice League. Batman's suspicious, but he recruited you himself. He won't look too closely. And don't worry about Superman. His IQ tops out at fifty."
"If Wonder Woman asks you anything, just say, 'I'm a backwater hick from the bottom of the sea. What do I know?'"
"Got it?"
Arthur said nothing.
He kept his head down, his wet beard hanging against his chest. His fists clenched