]| Time Flies.. |[

[Arthur Curry - Orin]

Atlantis has been a fable in the fairy-tales of sailors and mothers alike. Many fail to believe the truth behind the stories of Atlantis and how it fell. Prior to life being what it is now, Atlantis was looked at as the greatest government on Earth. It's citizens were top notch scientists and pioneers of modern-day government and it's many policies.

Skip ahead to today, only one trace of Atlantis remains above water, and it's in the form of a reluctant king due to human nature. This is the story of Arthur Curry, son of scientist/marine biologist and successful sailor; Thomas Curry.

This blonde haired, green eyed American male is the only link Atlantis has that is still able to make a difference due to corruption down below surface. Due to his human nature, Arthur; or as his Atlantean name is.. Orin, refuses to accept the reality that his destiny to rule below surface, in a kingdom that he owes a good leader to.

It all started when Tom Curry, who lived out of "Curry Lighttower" met a beautiful stranger from the ocean. One thing lead to another and Arthur Curry was born, thus; a premature baby. Raised in a highly experimental tank built by Curry and a distant acquintance from Germany (at the time), Curry instantly noticed the baby's inability to be away from moisture as it'd chaff his skin. A specialized tank was created for the baby's need to be constantly surrounded in water, a side effect Curry thought was from being a premature, and underdeveloped.

Then, once the child was old enough, he traveled to the beach near their home and was swept out to sea. Any other would of panicked, but not Arthur. Instead, he managed to survive underwater, breathing as easy as he did on land. Zipping through the ocean, he found that he could also use a 'strength' to manipulate the ocean to his liking. He could form waves, he could kill waves in mid-motion, but what was even more stunning was his ability to speak to marine-life through his thoughts. As he was being rushed by a black-tipped reef shark, Arthur's mind stopped the shark and instead, sent him in the opposite direction.

Once Tom Curry found out his son's amazing ability, he brought in a fellow marine biologist that helped craft Arthur's ability- neglecting however, to disclose the true nature of Arthur's phenomenal talents. With age, Arthur's abilities grew stronger.. and stronger.. which attracted attention from else-where.

Approached by a beautiful woman from the sea, Arthur was told that she was his mother and why he was able to do what he did with water and it's inhabitants. Arthur took the woman for a nut, blowing off her comments and left her be.. Not knowing that it was in fact his mother and she brought forth a prophecy regarding the kingdom he should rule.

Arthur failed to tell his father of the weird encounter, but when a second encounter went down.. Arthur was approached by a few men who claimed to be 'advocates of the trident,' which they presented to him. Referring to him as 'Orin, Ruler of Atlantis,' Arthur reluctantly took the gold trident that was said to be the staff of the king and once again was told of his 'origin,' but yet again dismissed claims. The 'advocates' also explained to Arthur; or, Orin the death of his mother by the corruption on Atlantis, Arthur felt as if he had no mother, she had abandoned his father and himself when he was born and would never accept ludicrous claims they presented.

Once he approached his father about the situation, Tom Curry told Arthur the truth, he told Arthur the story of how he met his mother and where his mother was from. As if he was hit with a rock to the stomach, Arthur dissed even his father's claims, calling him a 'psycho' and left Curry's Tower and Amnesty Bay to find his own way in life.

Between that period and now, Arthur has grown to be quite a controversial figure in modern culture. He's constantly showcased his abilities with the ocean, from manipulating tsunamis to save thousands- to showcasing his amazing ability as both a swimmer by catching criminals on speedboats and diving for lost artifacts- he earned pay for doing so but also became a vocal movement of water safety and the destruction of the ocean.

His life is documented by the press, he has no secret identity. He's also been the center of multiple "Fact of Fiction" cases, each time he showcases his skill, he leaves people in amazement. No scientist can explain his ability to move through the water, topping speeds that crush Sailfishes and Mako Sharks, which is unbelievable. They also tested his ability to telepathically communicate with marine-life, and as usual Arthur left professionals dumbfounded.

Many claim he's a mutant- an alien, or even a "god" by those who watch him and keep an eye on him. None know the truth of his Atlantean roots however, nobody would believe it.

After ten years away from his father, Arthur has decided to reconcile with him, it's all he has. Deciding to shore on Amnesty Bay once more.. Arthur.. Aquaman.. AC.. Trident.. Orin- whatever people call him, he's about to see what a decade does when time isn't cared for..



The sun had set, the ocean was cool and relaxing. The tide had raised significantly over the course of the past couple of days as the lone light in the area- a light from Curry's Lighthouse stood in the distance. Moving through the water carelessly was the gold colored head of the man that has earned multiple nicknames over the years. As he rolled up closer to shore, he pushed himself out of the water and ran his hand over his head while squeezing together the ducts of both eyes and sighed lightly.

".. Home.."

Arthur Curry.. AC or Orin, those were the only three names he responded to. There were others.. Aquaman.. Trident.. Man of the Water.. but he thought that was too cheesy, even for him. Nevertheless, he kept his attention ahead on the Lighthouse- that same place held so much memories of his from childhood up until he was older. The fall-out between him and his father, Arthur took the blame for that and carried that burden on his back everyday of his life. He knew he had hurt his father by leaving that day, but he felt it needed to be done. At the time, Arthur was a 20 year old that to deal with his father telling him he was the uncrowned king of Atlantis, a city he felt was nothing more than a fairy-tale. Working up enough courage to head forward, Arthur begun his way towards the Lighthouse, water-logged twigs snapped beneath his feet as he saw a shadow dart across the scene in the corner of his eye.

"Wow, really?.. Really?"

The past few months had been pretty hectic for Arthur, from dealing with death threats from him chasing down, and catching illegal transporters of both drugs and stolen equipment from all wakes of the continent. Playing it off as if he didn't see it though, he continued forward.. That was until a crunch sounded from a few steps behind him which caused him to stop in mid-motion and slightly turn his head back.

"Yeah? Stop playing in the shadows and face up. I'm not big on games, if you wanna fight then f-"

As he turned around, he was pounced on- not by an enemy, but rather, from his dog that he had raised since it was a puppy. A mixed breed pit-bull, hound- the dog instantly recognized Arthur and begun to playfully attack him as Arthur let off a laugh while petting it's head.

"RUXIN!"

Ruxin was a puppy that somehow managed to escape the threat of the ocean as it's whines and cries alerted Arthur one quiet night, allowing Arthur to save it before being drowned. As he stood up, the dog barked a few times happily before Arthur took a kneel besides his canine friend and smirked.

"Miss me boy?!"

"HEY! 'THE HELL IS GOING ON OUT THERE?!"

The voice boomed off of the edge of the Lighthouse as that instantly drew Arthur's attention.

".. A- Ar- Arthur?!"

The voice- it belonged to Arthur's estranged father.. Tom. As Arthur pushed himself off of a knee, he took a deep breath and nodded in the direction of his father, but before words could be spoken, Tom Curry pulled his son in and embraced him with an over-due hug. No words were spoken, no other movements were made. The silent mutual embrace and share of love from father and son illustrated the beauty of lost time as once the hug was over, Tom Curry let go of his bear hug and blazed a smile, one that caused Arthur to follow.

"Son.. I- I've.. Misse-"

>BANG<

A bright orange flame emitted from the distance as Tom Curry dropped to a knee, a bullet had struck him from the distance and caught him in the right shoulder. Arthur's eyes went wide, his face lost color and went flush as the sudden shock of everything happening around him caused a pause in.. everything. As if the world was spiraling out of control at the very fabric of reality- Arthur snapped his attention towards the source of the bullet- his face was red with rage.

".. Motherfuckers.. Never learn.."

[Oliver Queen]

It all started a few years ago when Ollie returned from the island that held him captive for five years. While he was there, he wasn't really a prisoner per se, he just couldn't escape. So he adapted. He learned. He trained himself with a bow found in the wreckage that was a prop from a Robin Hood play. Something he had admired his entire life. He always thought of himself as a noble person deep down, but sometimes it failed to show itself properly. After the shipwreck he was presumed dead, and the search was given up.

But he found himself on that island. He found peace, and he found who he was meant to be. He was meant to be Green Arrow. A persona he's yet to truly uncover for himself. He's close, he's real close, but he's yet to completely find that part of himself. For years now he's been searching for the wrong things. He thinks if he can make it back to that island things will fix themselves, but he's wrong, and to find that out is a lesson he desperately needs.

So for months now Ollie has had his ship reserved on stand by just for him, cruising around the world with a skeleton crew. Secretly hoping he could crash again and go through the same thing that fixed him before, but it never happened. In his luggage always rests a bow specially designed by his top Queen Industry scientists and a mask. Something he has yet to actually use. That's been his problem since a child, he's never been able to pull the trigger. Mentally or physically. But that's all about to change.

Ollie's plans had changed a bit, after attending a political rally in Gotham. Ollie decided to take a small trip through the American Northeast and catch his boat at Amnesty Bay up in Maine. An excluded, extended getaway before the real getaway. Ollie pulls up near the docks across the water from the light tower and just as soon as he steps out of the back seat of his car a gun shot is heard nearby to where he stands.

Oliver Queen: "Max! get my bags from the back!"

The driver, or Max, does just as he's told. The trunk is opened and a green leather bag is pulled out of the trunk.

Max: "Sir...Are you sure you're ready for this?"

Oliver Queen: "Of course not."

Ollie says with a sly smile as he takes the bag.

Oliver Queen: "You might want to vacate the premesis, Max."

Max: "As you wish Mr. Queen."

Ollie kneels down unzipping his duffle bag and pulls out some sort of upgraded looking monocular with a head band. He puts it around his head and starts p[ressing buttons on the side. What this does is locates any source of body heat then searches for any heat source matching the shape of a human body. Two sources by the light tower. Across the bay, one more source. Ollie hits the same button as before deactivating the heat vision and presses a different button zooming in on the target. It's a man wearing a long brown trenchcoat, scruffy looking face, brown cowboy hat, and a very big pistol. Ollie reaches into his bag again and pulls out a bow and arrow with a heavy duty scope. Pulling it up and aiming Ollie has this guy dead to rights. Looking back over at the light tower, his hand a bit shaky, Ollie sees the man who was shot is sitting up but the other guy, the other guy isn't there.

Oliver Queen: "Fantastic I'm trying to save Harry Houdini."

Ollie points again, aims, fires.

Oliver Queen: "NO, MOVE!"

Just as Ollie released the string that other man, he sprung from the water like a dolphin with a severe case of roid rage and tackles the guy. The arrow soars directly between both of their faces and sticks into a pillar behind them and automatically releases a green gas. Some sort of Queen Industry produced gas that when inhaled even in the smallest trace will put you directly to sleep. Ollie hits a button compressing his bow and placing it back into the bag and pulling out a crossbow. He grabs the bag and runs forward firing it towards the disappearing green smoke shooting out a wire with a grappling hook. Jet lining him straight to the downed men, just before landing Ollie sees the red and blue lights. Landing and rolling forward the sirens are clear. The cops are coming. Shots fired reports come quick when you're not used to hearing gunfire.

Oliver Queen: "HEY! YOU! WAKE UP!"

Ollie shakes him, but nothing. The other guy, he's out as well. His pistol, it isn't your average gun. It's so fascinating that Ollie grabs it thinking about taking it. Does he take the gun and risk the guy escaping the law, or does he leave it as evidence. Ollie picks up the gun and empties out a few of the bullets on the mans chest. Each one with a symbol on it, Ollie doesn't have enough time to really examine it, he'll do that later with a team of scientists. Stuffing it in his bag Ollie zips it back up and picks this other, heavy guy up, and the only choice now is to dive in. So they do. Ollie doesn't want to explain to the cops all of his gadgets or why he's involved in a shooting, all too complicated, the water seemed like the only option, but where to go now? Ollie had no idea, he just knows they're both sinking.

...That is until Arthur Curry's eyes pop wide open and he grabs Ollie swimming away faster than any submarine. AC drops Ollie off at the light tower and swims back to his dad. His dad is ok, AC never one to trust the police and the government, takes his father and swims him back to where he dropped Ollie.

[Arthur Curry - Orin]

It all seemed like a blur.

Arthur Curry shows up after a ten year absence, he shares an embrace with his father and boom.. A gunshot to the shoulder takes Tom Curry down.

As Arthur lost composure, he mad an effort to catch the shooter- he jumped into the water and moved at the speed of light which allowed him to jump and hit the shooter, which led to an arrow from absolutely no where that knocked everyone out. Next thing Arthur knew, he was in the water with some random guy who was shouting at him. Helping get the man to the shore, Arthur went back and safely evacuated his father to the same area..

Just who was this mysterious shooter? And.. Who was this mysterious figure that launched an arrow that expelled knock-out gas in Arthur's way?



It was a panic within the Curry Lighthouse, Tom was breathing but his shoulder had a significant wound from the gun-shot. Arthur and his new friend, whatever his name was- had carried Tom into the Lighthouse as Arthur cleared the table in the center of the kitchen off and put his father down.

"Da- DAD! STAY WITH ME!"

Arthur wasn't one to usually panic, but when his father took a slug to the shoulder- that was a definitely appropriate reason for it to go down. Tom Curry seemed to dip in and out of consciousness as Arthur looked at the fellow that was there.

"You know how to dig out a bullet!?"

Wiping the blood from his hands onto his pants, Arthur used the back of his hand to wipe sweat from his eye as the man shrugged.

".. I guess. I never did it before, but I've seen it done."

Launching a blank expression towards the man- Arthur bit his bottom lip and nodded before his attention shifted back to his father as Tom's voice cracked through the periodic silence.

"Ar- Arth-"

Too weak to finish the sentence, Arthur darted to his father's side as the man did so too.

"What's your name anyway!?"

Shifting his eyes back up towards the man- the individual answered with a swift tone as he kept his eyes down.

".. Queen.. Oliver Queen, but people call me Ollie."

Arching a brow, Arthur was taken back a bit from the revealing of the stranger in their presence.

"Wow, no way? Ollie Queen? Queen Industries, right?"

Ollie nodded.

"Damn man, I've heard of you.. But I'll skip over the cookies and juice for an introduction.. What the hell are we gonna do for that bullet in my pop's arm?"

Scratching at the top of his head, Ollie sighed before he once again shifted his eyes up at Arthur.

"We've got two options. Either we go through the paperwork and police investigations-"

Before Ollie could fully finish his statement, Arthur waved the notion off with his hands.

"Nah.. No way. No cops, can't trust'em."

".. Then I suggest we get some gloves, a sterilized operating kit and we dig it out and stitch him back ourselv-"

As if the timing couldn't have been any more perfect, the door to the Lighthouse stormed open and in sprinted a man with a pair of black glasses pushed against his eyes. Ruxin- Arthur's dog followed the man in as the man huffed and puffed.

"I- I know him! I know Tom! I'm a doc- doctor.. I can help him! I live in the beach house but I heard the shot and saw To- Tom go down.. I came here as fast as I could!"

Arthur squinted- he tried to put a name to the face before him because everything seemed familiar.. the man's face definitely looked familiar. As the man caught his breath, Arthur turned his head to the side slightly and pointed towards him.

".. Doc Samuels?"

The uncertainty in Arthur's voice was apparent as the man nodded while looking up from his kneel position.

"Ye- Yeah. I know you?"

The doctor took a moment to analyze the face and within seconds he realized who it was- he recognized Arthur's face and pushed himself up to stand tall.

"Arthur?! Arthur, you're back?! Whoa!"

Both men exchanged silent greetings- a nod between the two was enough before Doctor Samuels, a trauma med turned physician turned beach-bum within the last ten years of his life. Arthur's leave happened right around the time Samuels moved into the beach-house that was the Lighthouse's most nearest neighbor- so if he had heard the shot, it meant others must have too. Doc Samuels approached Tom and analyzed the wound- making a few calls on how to fix the problem. Examining it, he nodded before sighing lightly.

"From what I see, it's a clean shot.. A flesh wound. He'll live as long as we're able to get it out of there, fast. So boys, I'm gonna need a few things before I get started.. Arthur, I need boiling water- you.."

Samuels pointed towards Ollie.

"I need you to hold him still 'cause it's gonna hurt. I'd tell Art to do it but I think he doesn't need to be in here when we're extracting the bullet."

Thinking that it was a good idea, Arthur turned and moved towards the cabinet where the pots and pans were located. Taking out a pot, he moved to the basin and filled it with water while stretching out and twisting the knob on the gas powered stove-top.

"Arthur, I'll also need needle, thread.. and a knife, I want you to boil that knife as we're gonna use it to get the bullet out."

With a nod- as if he never left, Arthur spun and reached out into yet another cabinet and removed a pretty sharp knife from the wooden holder in there. Resting it on the table, he darted across the room, into a small closet hidden behind a door and pulled on a string hanging from the ceiling- allowing light to emerge. Storming through the different objects in there, he found an old woven basket and grabbed it- looking within it, he saw that there was needle and thread. Taking the objects back to Samuels- Samuels put his hand on Arthur's shoulder.

"Don't worry son, he'll be OK. Light up a candle so I can heat the needle when it's time to sew the wound."

With another concerned nod, Arthur felt guilty regarding the entire situation as he knew the shooter was there for him. Not a lot of people respected Arthur's abilities, people found him as a nuisance and not normal so they wanted to take him out. Nevertheless, Arthur did as he was instructed and once he put the lit candle down- he threw the knife into the boiling water. Waiting for a few seconds, Arthur- he was impossible to be burnt or hurt by water, his flesh was totally safe as he reached in and grabbed the knife, handing it to Samuels.

"You-"

Once again Samuels looked towards Ollie.

"I want you to hold him down. Arthur, look in your father's cabinet if he's got vodka AND whiskey- for both pain-killing and antibacterial purposes."

Darting across the room once more, Arthur knew just where to look. Swinging open a small door near the kitchen- his father's alcohol collection that was the reason for a major lecture when he had tried to drink some. Learning his lesson- Arthur didn't like the taste anyway. Letting his eyes scan the bottles- he saw a bottle of Jack Daniels- grabbing it, and a bottle of Absolut- also grabbing it. Holding them by it's neck, he sprinted over and handed it towards Samuels.

"I want you to pour Vodka around the wound NOT on it directly."

Opening the bottle, he followed instructions- making sure to stray clear of the wound itself. Upon the liquid hitting Tom's flesh, Tom jumped to life as his eyes flew open.

"HOLD HIM DOWN! HOLD HIM DOWN!"

"WHAT THE HELL!?"

The sudden adrenaline rush wasn't good- it'd cause the wound to blood and Samuels knew that. Before he could acknowledge the situation though, Arthur spoke up.

"Dad.. You've gotta relax. You've got a slug stuck in your arm, Samuels needs to get it out and stitch you back up."

Curry wasn't in a frenzy but he was definitely unsure of the situation- especially with the guy to his right who was holding him from getting up.

"What the- who the hell are you?!"

Looking towards Ollie- Queen sighed.

"Ollie Queen.. A friend of your son's."

Arthur nodded to secure Tom from relaxing as Samuels once again looked towards Arthur while pointing at the basin.

"Get a wash-rag and wet it with cold-water the give it to your father as a way to bite through the pain."

Curry's eyes got wide again as Ollie held him down.

"I can't let go of you, I'm sorry man.. It's for your own good."

Grabbing the bottle of Whiskey though, Ollie spoke again.

"Take a gulp of this, it'll help."

Shaking his head- Tom was about to speak but Arthur handed the rag to his father that was dripping with icy cold water and once again chimed in on the conversation.

".. It's a good idea.. The whiskey'll help numb it for what it's worth. It's not gonna completely remove the pain, but it's something dad.. C'mon.."

Elevating his head- Tom opened his mouth as Ollie poured a massive shot of JD into Tom's mouth which he took down the hatch like a champ.

"Bite the rag Tom, it's time we do this. Art- run up to my house, go into the medical cabinet in the kitchen and grab Amoxicillin, look for the 700MG bottle."

With another reluctant nod, Arthur darted out of the house and headed up to the beach out there.. It was a crazy day- insane, but luckily Amnesty Bay had grown since he was born and allowed more beach houses to be built on the surface. It took him a while to find the exact dosage and sprinted back down to the Lighthouse- but by the time he was back and entered the door, the bullet was laying on the side of the table and Samuels was nearly finished stitching the wound.

"Got the medication?"

Turning his head to the side, Samuels glanced in Arthur's direction as Art handed him the bottle- all as Samuels changed his view back down to Tom's arm.

"Luckily it was a clean hit, no vein.. no arteries. It'll heal OK, just as long as the medication is taken to fight off an infection. You'll be OK, Tom."

Tom sighed, that was words of relief. Arthur looked towards Ollie who had his arms crossed over his chest as Arthur cleared his head and called out to him.

"Yo, Ollie.. Thanks for the help, bro.. It's appreciated."

Meeting Arthur's words with a smile and a nod, he spoke.

"It's not a big deal man, I'm just glad I got here when I did. You remember the face of the guy that shot your dad? You recognize him?"

"Nah man, I didn't. He didn't even look like he was from the East Coast.. Stetson, trenchcoat.. That modified gun? That's got South written all over it."

Arthur's been around, his ability to swim- and swim A LOT has allowed him to travel for free for the most part. Reaching into his pocket, Ollie yanked out one of the bullets he emptied from the barrel and tossed it towards Arthur who caught it.

"What's this?"

"One of the bullets, check out the symbol on'em."

Holding the bullet into the light, Art noticed the skull and "x" beneath it while arching a brow again.

"What the hell is this supposed to be?"

"Looks like somekinda- marking. I never seen it before but luckily I nabbed the gun that he shot your dad with- ya know.. Forensics is awesome this day and age."

It was from that point, Arthur knew that Ollie would be a good friend of his. The way both men were built psychologically- they shared a lot of the same methods of thinking. Ollie turned and walked out of the lighthouse- back into the open as Arthur followed. Once they overlooked the ocean- the waves crashing into the rocks and the peace that it emitted- Arthur locked both hands behind his head.

"If you're gonna be shooting arrows that let off knockout gas AND you're a CEO of some big wig, multi-million dollar company, you should really hide yourself better."

With a chuckle, Ollie looked to the right and shrugged.

"Seriously man. A guy like me? I'm not in the media's eye. I'm not expected to show up to meetings, and I sure as hell ain't got a reason to put a price on my head-"

Pausing, Arthur looked towards the elevated point of where the shot was fired before letting off a laugh.

"Welllllll.. Maybe I am.. But damn, I don't think the world is ready for a billionaire, arrow-shooting vigilante yet. How'd you react if you found out that Batman guy was actually Bruce Wayne or something?"

Both men shared a laugh at Arthur's comment.

"I think you've got a point though.. It's kinda hard to balance a life as a hero and a damn billionaire CEO."

"That's why you get a mask- or a hood.. I mean since you're a pretty sure shot with an crossbow, you know who Robin Hood is, right?"

The same blank expression Arthur threw in Ollie's direction earlier was returned as Ollie slowly nodded.

".. Do I know who Robin Hood is?! The hell you think inspired me to pick up a bow and learn to fire an arrow? Robin Hood!"

"Wait.. That's kinda.. That's ironic though. Robin Hood STOLE from the rich and gave to the poor, how the hell are you gonna do that? You can't steal your own money!"

".. No, but I can make sure that OTHER rich douchebags aren't stealing and give THAT to the poor."

Arthur nodded again as he chuckled.

"That's a fair point."

"What's your last name man? I think I've seen you before but I can't point where exactly. You know, what the hell.. What's your story? I don't think either of us are going anywhere, we've got some time to kill."

"You think so?"

Unlike Ollie, Arthur didn't feel the need to have to disguise himself and what he was able to do. His 'identity' was known through the public- every crime he thwarted, it was credited straight to 'Arthur Curry.' The only thing he didn't let people in on, was the secret that was kept from him.

"What if I told you my mom was the last Queen of Atlantis, my name "under the surface" is Orin- I've got a gold Trident that once belonged to Poseidon and I'm supposed to be King of the fallen empire, while being half human?"

As if he was just asked an algebraic equation that needed to be answered on the spot, Ollie carried a blank expression before nodding and smiling.

"I'd say I need a beer."

"Likewise."

Both men shook on it- as this was the beginning of a very good friendship. Arthur and Ollie shared the theory on doing a lot for those that couldn't. This situation brought them together oddly enough- both knew that it was more than just a coincidence. Nevertheless, as the two turned and headed back into the lighthouse- in the distance, a man with a binoculars looked on.. Only a whisper was heard.

".. We're gonna have to keep an eye on this partnership."