Chapter 32: Diplomatic Breakdown Part Two

Chapter Thirty Two: Diplomatic Breakdown Part Two:

The courtroom remained silent for quite a while.

“Impossible, that vigilante is on trial as well,” said Merx roughly.

“Stand down, warrior, it is my place to make such decisions and not yours,” said Namor, in a tone that let everyone know that he had the judgment.

“As you wish, your highness,” said Merx, nearly spitting the last two words.

“Spider-Man will be allowed to defend the criminals, including himself,” said Namor crisply. “If he fails to convince the court, than he will be first to be executed.”

Spider-Man just sat there, like a deer in the headlights and he had two lives hanging in the balance.

“Don’t I like get time to prepare for this?” inquired Spider-Man and Namor looked at him. “Like I know you want to see justice but just give me an hour and I can think of something that will convince you.”

“You have five minutes,” said Namor without a second thought.

Spider-Man just sighed, that was the best he could hoped for it as he turned towards Harry and the Human Torch, who both looked like they were going to be of little help.

His only hope was to find a way to stall and get out of this, without setting off a war between Atlantis and the Surface World.

-

“We’re coming up on Namor’s palace right now right now,” said Mr. Fantastic as he checked the settings. “We’re cloaked but we should get in and get out. Remain inconspicuous.”

“Yeah, inconspicuous, no problem,” grunted the Thing.

“Just hurry Reed,’ muttered the Invisible Woman.

“Shouldn’t be too long, but this is very delicate work, one miscalculation and we’ll be in that court room to answer to Namor as well,” said Mr. Fantastic as he concentrated.

-

Attuma watched from below, with a scowl of his face, as he detected the underwater vessel.

“More surface dwellers,” said Attuma with disgust.

“What should we do?” asked one of his followers.

“Kill them,” replied Attuma simply as he turned around to look at his followers. “We must proceed, no doubt these are here to rescue the one that fool Namor has put under trial.”

With that, the rebels moved in, ready to take hold of the kingdom and take the fight to the surface world.

-

“I didn’t know my father did this,” said Harry in horror and Spider-Man looked a bit repulsed himself.

“On one hand I doubt that Norman would have believed there were people down here,” thought Spider-Man. “On the other hand, I don’t doubt that he cares at all.”

“There has to be something that I can do to make this right, but these people aren’t like us,” said Harry. “They’re not motivated by greed.”

“Well they are pretty arrogant and have a lot of pride,” inputted the Human Torch. “Sounds like your old man would get along with Namor, well if it wasn’t for that whole killing his people thing.”

“Torch, please you’re not helping,” said Spider-Man. “Now if I can find a way to get through to this people, make them realize that punishing you won’t solve anything.”

“What’s the point?” asked Harry. “No matter what I do, I’ll never be anything like my father.”

“Might be a good thing there, Harry,” thought Spider-Man but he remained at the matter at hand.

“My father wouldn’t have let these guys walk over him, he would have stood up to them,” said Harry. “He was right, I am a failure, a disappointment at everything. I might as well just let them do what they want to. I’ve tried to make things right, but I just can’t please anyone. I guess that’s where I fail. At least my father doesn’t have this problem. He pleases no one but himself. The great Norman Osborn, who built his fortune through the blood, sweat, and tears, and some of that blood was from others.”

“No, your father is not right,” said Spider-Man with conviction. “You can still be something.”

“Yeah right, you’re the hero, you have to say that,” said Harry in a disbelieving voice, this was not the happy go lucky Harry of the past several months, there seemed to a change of him, depressing looking, apathetic, almost uncaring.

“Well you might not care about your own life, but I do!” shouted the Human Torch as he looked around. “Spidey, you got to think of something!”

“I’m working on it,” muttered Spider-Man.

“This judgment will now continue!” shouted Namor breaking though the silence. “Spider-Man has an opportunity to convince the court why Harry Osborn should not be punished for his crimes, by the highest extent of our laws.”

Spider-Man looked at him, time seems to have froze.

“What proof do you have that Oscorp even dumped the chemicals that killed all your citizens?” asked Spider-Man suddenly and the entire court was in a hush.

“You dare call the citizens of Atlantis, liars, air breather,” demanded Namor.

“Yes, I dare, because it could have been that this tragedy could have happened due to Atlantean incompetence,” continued Spider-Man. “Who’s to say that this entire chemical scandal wasn’t used as a scapegoat to cover up your mistakes? I haven’t seen one witness who has given evidence and I’ll tell you why. This isn’t a trial, this is a witch hunt! I expect something like this out of the surface world, but really, an advanced race should know better than to jump to conclusions.”

The court was muttering angrily and Namor looked like he wanted to rip Spider-Man to shreds.

“I mean, it’s not like I’m going to sit here and defend Norman Osborn, if anyone knows what the guy’s capable of its me,” said Spider-Man before he took a breath. “But is vengeance really the way to go? And let’s not forget, that the person you accused here did not have anything to do with these alleged Oscorp chemicals going into these waters and causing the tragedy.”

“You dare make a mockery of the deaths of four hundred and seventeen children, who will never be allowed to experience life at its fullest!” said Namor with an icy look in his eyes. “A good portion of an entire generation wiped out because of the actions of the surface world. And you dare trivialize it by your foolish claims that we Atlanteans have something to hide.”

Spider-Man looked from side to side. He was surrounded on all sides by guards.

“Fine, I give up then, it’s obvious that you’ve become like the very surface world you’ve hated,” said Spider-Man as he sat down and the Human Torch looked at him, fear in his eyes.

“What are you doing?” asked the Human Torch. “You can’t just give up!”

“He did what he could,” interjected Harry.

“Didn’t want to stir the pot anymore than I had to,” thought Spider-Man. “I just hope I have a chance to get free so we can plan our escape.”

“So we have heard the defense of Spider-Man,” said the judge with a disdainful look. “Has the jury reached a verdict on this case?”

“We have, we find the defendants The Human Torch, Spider-Man, and Harry Osborn….” Started the jury foreman but the verdict was never finished, as the door burst open, with the Thing entering the room, knocking two guards to the ground. The guards fell to the ground with a thud and Mr. Fantastic stretched his neck into the courtroom. Two warriors moved forward with spears, but Mr. Fantastic stretched his arms out, to disarm him.

Merx looked at the guards, who lifted their spears but an invisible force dome appeared around the Human Torch, Spider-Man, and Harry and the spears connected with it. In an instant, the spears snapped and the invisible dome expanded, to knock the Atlantean warriors off balance.

“So much for being inconspicuous,” said Mr. Fantastic, as he dodged the attack of one of the guards, before the Thing moved in.

“Just get them and get out, before we have to fight the entire Atlantean army,” said the Invisible Woman as several guards were trapped in the invisible force field, as she turned to the Human Torch who sat their looking sheepish as she narrowed her eyes.

“Hi, Sue,” said the Human Torch as he looked at his older sister, who frowned, while simultaneously taking out a guard with little effort.

“We’re going to have a talk when we get back,” said the Invisible Woman as the invisible force dome was removed and Spider-Man was into the fight, to web up a guard. The Human Torch got to his feet, breaking free from the shackles, now completely dry.

“FLAME ON!” shouted the Human Torch, as fire surrounded his body.

“IMPERIUS REX!” shouted Namor.

“Oh no, not again,” said the Human Torch as he was drenched with water, before Namor got to his feet, as the court room began to flood, which caused the Fantastic Four and Spider-Man to struggle.

“You should not have come here,” said Namor as he looked at them.

“Listen to reason Namor, you just can’t pass judgment on the surface world like this,” said the Invisible Woman.

“Sue, I think he’s way past the point of reason,” muttered Mr. Fantastic but Namor had managed to level the playing field.

“WAIT!” shouted Spider-Man. “Do you really want someone who you believed to have murdered the children of Atlantis to perish so easily?”

“What do you mean by that?” demanded Namor.

“If he drowns, then you’re cheated out of your execution and your satisfaction,” said Spider-Man and sure enough, Harry was struggling to remain afloat and he had seconds.

Namor surveyed the situation for a moment, before the water was drained out of the chamber, but the Fantastic Four, Spider-Man, and Harry were surrounded by the guards.

“Trapped,” said the Human Torch in frustration.

“I don’t do trapped!” said the Thing.

“You better, land dweller, of the human gets skewed,” said Merx viciously, as they held Harry, who seemed to have mentally given up.

“We have no choice,” said Spider-Man as he slumped his shoulders once again, as the rest of the Fantastic Four.

“No choice, he’ll kill us all in cold blood!” shouted Mr. Fantastic. “Namor’s unbalanced and…”

“Calm down, Reed,” said The Invisible Woman. “Maybe if we…”

“Talk to him, because talking sure worked with the web head,” said the Human Torch as he looked at Spider-Man. “Oh yeah and I’m sure rich boy here trying to buy them off worked wonders too.”

“Namor, listen, this isn’t the answer,” said the Invisible Woman. “The surface world will not take this lying down, right or wrong. Is that what you want, a vicious cycle of revenge?”

“It is regrettable but it must be done,” said Namor after a moment’s thought. “It was by your own choice that you came down here and interfered in these proceedings. Now, the consequences will be yours to bear, along with Mr. Osborn.”

“My spider sense?” thought Spider-Man in confusion as there was a rumbling outside of the court room.

“We’re in danger, something’s going to happen!” shouted Spider-Man suddenly and Namor looked at him, with disdain.

“You’re just delaying the inevitable, Spider-Man,” said Namor, but seconds later, the side of the court room blasted open, before Attuma walked inside, with his horde of followers. Namor ascended from his throne, to face off against the barbarian. “You! You dare come back after you’ve been banished.”

“Yes, I do, your highness,” said Attuma. “This kingdom is due for new management and you’re not just fit to rule, with all the citizens who’ve died under your watch.”

Merx slowly removed a dagger from behind his back and held it up, but Spider-Man quickly elbowed one of the guards in the stomach, before the Invisible Woman put a shield around them, leaving Spider-Man on the outside. The warriors moved in as Merx threw the dagger right at Namor but a line of webbing shot around the dagger and flung it harmless to the side.

“Now, now, there will be no assassination attempts on the king, no matter how much of a royal pain he is,” said Spider-Man and Merx charged him, but Attuma made his move, to blast Namor off of his feet. The crowd was in a hush, as Namor landed on the ground. Spider-Man webbed up Merx, but he was blasted backwards by some unknown force.

“Pest, I should squash you,” said Attuma as he hovered over Spider-Man but Namor was getting to his feet. “But, fortunately for you, I have more important things to kill.”

Namor found himself flat on his back once again.

“Attuma, you can’t make a sorcerer out of a savage, I don’t care how many tricks you have up your sleeve!” shouted Namor.

“No sorcery about it, your highness, just the same powers you hold, but better” remarked Attuma sarcastically, as he lifted Namor off the ground, as his men held off the Atlantean warriors, who had fell. “Your men are weak, a reflection on their king, or should I say, ex-King!”

Spider-Man pulled himself up and dove at Attuma but the barbarian turned around and smacked Spider-Man to the ground.

“I can’t hold this forever!” shouted the Invisible Woman as her concentration was beginning to fade, as she watched Attuma smash his fist into Namor’s face. “We need to figure out a way to stop this before those barbarians kill him!”

“Spider-Man or Namor?” asked the Human Torch.

“Either of them, it doesn’t matter right now, because if they win, they’ll destroy us all,” said Mr. Fantastic, as he moved around. “If we all attack him at once, we might have a chance to take him out.”

“Foolish weakling, time to put you out of your misery!” said Attuma as he raised his spear right above Namor, who opened up an eye, the other having been swelled shut, but Spider-Man swung around, before he shot a line of webbing around Attumma. “You, why do you still fight?”

Attuma snapped the webbing with ease and knocked Spider-Man right to the ground. The web head landed with a thud.

“Namor can wait,” said Attuma as he stepped forward and hoisted Spider-Man over his head, but he felt something smash into his back. The Thing had knocked him back, but Mr. Fantastic wrapped his limbs around Attuma.

“Think you’re dry enough to let him have it Johnny?” asked Mr. Fantastic as Attuma forced his way out of the bindings but the Human Torch, now at full flame mode, dove forward and knocked Attuma to the ground.

“You know, I never thought I’d find anyone down here more self centered and arrogant than Namor, but congratulations, you win the jerk prize,” said the Human Torch, as Attuma got to his feet but the Human Torch dodged an attack, as Attuma’s followers were held at bay by an invisible force field.

“ENOUGH!” shouted Attuma as he hoisted the Thing off the ground with ease, before he threw them right at Mr. Fantastic, The Invisible Woman, and the Human Torch. “No land dweller could beat me.”

Spider-Man struggled to his feet, before he aimed both of his feet at Attuma’s back, but the barbarian spun around and Spider-Man landed with another resounding crash. Attuma hoisted Spider-Man up, but as the web slinger attempted to punch him.

“Of all of those on the surface I’ve killed, you’ll be the one I relish the most,” said Attuma as he lifted Spider-Man up but an invisible field appeared around Attuma, as Spider-Man slipped out of his grasp.

“Hey, web head, hanging in their okay?” asked the Human Torch.

“I’m breathing, I think all things considered, that’s a pretty good sign,” managed Spider-Man weakly. He had only taken a pounding that was worse one time, at the hands of the Green Goblin but at least he was conscious this time, at least for the moment.

“He’s forcing his way through!” shouted the Invisible Woman as she strained to maintain the power.

“Get ready to fight him immediately!” said Mr. Fantastic as the other two members of the Fantastic Four gathered around, but Merx had managed to free himself, before he picked up the dagger and walked over, where Harry was lying on the ground, with the heroes distracted by fighting Attuma’s followers.

“At least I’ll have the satisfaction of slicing your throat, human,” said Merx as he pulled Harry up to the ground, he looked completely weakened. “Pathetic, not even worth the metal to forge this dagger but at least one less land dweller.”

Merx prepared to do the deed but he was blasted right off of his feet and slammed against the wall. Harry dropped to the ground, in a daze, shivering as he saw the battered, but still imposing form of Namor stood over him.

Attuma broke the force field around him and with a wave of his hands, Spider-Man and the Fantastic Four had been blasted onto their backs. The Invisible Woman made an attempt to trap her again but Attuma lifted her off the ground and roughly tossed her to the side.

“Once again, the attempts of you land dwellers to stop me are rather amusing but quite futile,” said Attuma coldly, as he turned to his barbarians. “Kill them all.”

At that moment, the barbarians were launched off the ground and they landed down with a thud. Attuma turned, as a battered looking Namor, right eye swelled shut, bruising on his nose, turned to face him. An enhanced punch caught Attuma right in the chest to knock the barbarian down.

“IMPERIUS REX!” shouted Namor and Attuma was launched backwards off the ground. “Once again, rogue, you’ve been bested in combat.”

“Not quite, Namor,” said Attuma as he held up a pen like device. “A detonator, my followers have placed several bombs in populated areas. Countless will perish if you lay one more finger on me.”

“You’re bluffing,” said Namor but Attuma just placed his finger above the tip of the detonator.

“Do you want to take that chance?” asked Attuma. “One press of the button and the deaths caused by Osborn will seem tame. Surrender to me now or face the consequences.”

Namor stepped back, with no choice, as Attuma rose up and Namor was dropped to the ground in one fluid motion.

“That shows you’ve grown soft, you wouldn’t have ever entertained the notion of surrendering at another time,” said Attuma, as he knocked Namor off of his feet once again, as the Fantastic Four and Spider-Man just barely managed to get to their feet, pained, but Attuma caused a section of the ceiling to fall in, trapping them on the other side of the room. “There will be no saving you this time.”

Attuma smacked Namor down again, waving the detonator, to taunt the king.

“Once I’m done eliminating you, I’ll flood the surface world,” said Attuma as once again, Namor was smacked down, as he was beginning to fade. “Kill all the worthless humans, take the riches for myself. Atlantis will no longer have to worry about humanity and they will all serve me.”

Harry rolled over, as he looked at the dagger that had been dropped.

“You foolish boy, once again, nothing but a failure,” echoed a voice that resembled Norman Osborn in his head. “A disappointment, I’m ashamed of you but it’s too be expected. You’ve exceeded by lowest expectations. Now, humanity is doomed. Congratulations son, you’ve hit bottom because you’re too weak to do anything. To be anything. You’re gutless, weak, pathetic…”

“Stop it,” muttered Harry as disembodied thoughts that resembled his father had echoed throughout his head, to taunt him, to torture him.

He grabbed the dagger. Harry Osborn would prove that he was not weak, not a disappointment.

Namor was down and Attuma stood over him with a grin on his face.

“Long live the king,” said Attuma coldly but Harry ran forward, holding the dagger, before he plunged it right into the back of Attuma. The barbarian paused, as he lifted his hands up. He turned around, before he saw Harry, who stepped back, amazed at his own daring.

For a second, he thought that he was going to be ripped to shreds, but Attuma collapsed to the ground, the dagger still in the back of him. Harry stood there, eyes opened, in a mixture of surprise and some horror, as he saw many onlookers of the court looking at them. He stood there, in numb shock, as the court muttered among themselves, as Namor pulled himself to his feet, as the Fantastic Four and Spider-Man stepped forward.

“The careless actions of Oscorp has caused much trouble for our people, Mr. Osborn,” said Namor in a weakened voice. “More than enough, but yet, I find myself in your debt.”

Harry remained silent, as there was some faint applause, as they surveyed the human before them who had saved their king. Some still were shocked and could not do anything.

“Is he dead?” asked Harry, finally able to speak as he looked down at Attuma.

“No just paralyzed, for now,” said Namor without any emotion in his voice. “It matters little, this is far from the first time this barbarian has attempted to take over this kingdom but it may be the last time.”

“So what happens now?” asked Spider-Man as he stepped over.

“Perhaps we were mistaken,” said Namor grudgingly. “This human, if he were like many others, would have just allowed me to perish. Perhaps we were foolish to think he would be the same as his father.”

Namor paused for a moment.

“You will be allowed to live, all of you,” said Namor but he looked at Spider-Man, Harry, and the Fantastic Four. “Under one condition.”

“What is it?” asked Mr. Fantastic in a tentative voice.

“Never return and do what is necessary to bring the criminal behind this to justice,” said Namor.

“Isn’t that technically two conditions?” asked the Human Torch, but the Invisible Woman elbowed him in the chest. “Ow, what did I do?”

“I’ll do what I can,” said Spider-Man and the others nodded.

“I’ll hold you to this word, Spider-Man,” said Namor. “Depart now, as I must now repair the damage and perhaps begin the healing of my kingdom from these recent causalities.”

“Let’s go,” said Mr. Fantastic as they left.

“So you saved his life, after he was going to kill you without blinking,” said the Human Torch to Harry. “Why?”

“Because, it just felt like something that I had to do,” said Harry but he felt uncomfortable. He knew the reason why he had saved Namor’s life would be to gain his favor and save his own skin. It would be something that his father would have been proud of the more he thought about it and that fact slightly made his stomach turned.

“Doesn’t matter, we’re getting out here and hopefully this is the last time we have to deal with business down here,” said the Thing.

“Hopefully, but something tells me that we’ll cross paths with Namor again someday,” thought Spider-Man as he looked at Harry, who looked shaken up, weak, but other than that alive.

-

“Bit shaken up really, but they said he’ll make a full recovery in a couple of days,” said Peter as he stood outside of Gwen’s house. She made him promise to tell her immediately any news of what happened to Harry.

“At least you managed to get him out of there,” said Gwen.

“Funnily enough it was Harry that came through in the end,” replied Peter and Gwen looked at him strangely. “He basically saved the King of Atlantis and got us immunity, provided we never set one foot in their again.”

“Unlike Harry, but he’s been acting strange lately,” said Gwen with a frown. “I’m worried.”

“I know Gwen, he’s been so happy go lucky, but during the trial he just did a one eighty, I’ve never seen him so down before,” said Peter. “He’s almost accepted that he should be executed, even though it was his father who dumped the chemicals.”

“We’ll try and talk to him,” said Gwen, who wondered if they could get Harry to admit anything if something was wrong. In some ways, he was about his stubborn as his father.

“At least things should slow down for a while,” said Peter as he shivered. Gwen motioned for him to step inside out of the cold where he heard the news report on the radio.

“Repeating tonight’s top story, Ravencroft patient Otto Octavius, better known as Dr. Octopus, has made an escape, injuring several guards in the process,” said the news caster on the radio. “Police have no leads on Octavius, but the public is warned that he’s extremely dangerous and should not be approached under any means. Report any sightings of Otto Octavius immediately….”

“Well so much for things finally slowing down down,” thought Peter as he looked at Gwen, who appeared to be thinking the same thing he was.

“Go, Peter, I understand, responsibility before fun,” said Gwen, but she was frustrated. She had hoped to spend some time with Peter but as always, some criminal just had to either escape or go on a crime spree.

“See you later, Gwen, I’m sorry I had to leave so soon,” said Peter, as he leaned forward to kiss her goodbye, before he made his way to pick up his extra Spider-Man suit, after the other had been damaged in the battle earlier.


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