"Slade! Are you all right?!"
Arthur caught Deathstroke as he was shoved back toward him, then reached out to feel the spot on his chest where the high-pressure water had struck. He looked deeply concerned.
"I'm fine. I'm just not used to fighting underwater. It's hard to keep my balance while swimming." Su Ming rubbed his chest and replied as though he was uncomfortable but otherwise unharmed. "Be careful, Arthur. This Seahorse Squid doesn't seem capable of communication. It's filled with Bloodlust."
He really was uncomfortable. With a muscular brute pressed against his back and holding him in his arms, even a straight man would feel awkward, wouldn't he?
"I noticed that too. I tried to communicate with it telepathically just now, but all I could sense was its horrifying appetite." Aquaman dragged Deathstroke away at high speed, leaving the tentacles' attack range before finally releasing him. "Looks like we'll have to fight. This thing has been living on the seafloor for who knows how many years. Maybe it's gone senile?"
When it came to talking with fish, he had the most experience. Whether it was gentle clownfish or savage Jaws, Arthur could communicate through their Life Force and achieve a certain level of ordinary exchange.
It was nothing like people talking to each other, not that sophisticated. Using Life Force to talk to fish felt more like giving commands to a dog—the other side could understand and was willing to listen.
Fish could also vaguely convey their thoughts to Aquaman, simple ideas like "food," "fear," or "tiredness."
The smarter the marine creature, the more complex the thoughts it could convey. Dolphins, for instance, could barely form complete sentences.
But today's monster was different. He could sense its powerful vitality, yet its mind was filled with malice. Normal communication was