Kraken Rock.

He hated the sea.

It was a thick, murky hate. Unfocused. Undirected. All consuming.

Black Manta hated the sea. He hated all that was within it. Every corner, every sunken ruin, every beast, every being.

But most of all, most importantly, he hated Aquaman. Because Aquaman was the sea. King of the sea. God of the sea. Protector. And that made him the symbol of everything Black Manta despised.

He squatted in his cell, breathing recycled air, claustrophobia tearing at the edges of his mind. He was trapped in his helmet. Trapped by the sea. Trapped in this prison. Fingers wrapped in confining rubber flexed and struggled against the urge to rip his helmet off.

Instead he squatted and listened to the electrical cacophony that passed for Mockingbird's voice.

"Do you accept our offer?"

Silence.

"Manta?"

"You don't have to shout. I'm thinking." Black Manta said. His voice was rough from disuse.

"Think quickly. Even now our agents are moving to free you."

"Why?"

"You have skills we will find useful."

"I am very skillful."

"Is that a yes?"

"Merely a statement. What do you want?" Manta didn't move as the cell door opened and an armored Atlantean swum in.

"Feeding time, air-breather." the Atlantean grunted, attaching a hose to a port on Manta's helmet. The other end he attached to a shell-like device. Nutrient paste slid through the hose and Manta swallowed it without waiting for taste. Chewing a mouthful of paste, he closed his eyes. And waited.

THE DEVIL AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA
Issue #6
SIBLING RIVALRY

Nanaue screamed as teeth much like the ones that lined his own gums chewed into his forearm. He was unused to pain, unused to being the meat for someone else's meal. Blood filling the water, he twisted around, curling around the shark that was attached to his arm. Clawed finger grabbed the tip of its snout and he wrenched its mouth open.

It bucked wildly beneath him, and he brought a fist down on the top of its head. Other torpedo shapes crashed into him, teeth tearing, black eyes flashing with primitive hunger.

Nanaue knew that hunger well. He whirled, back handing the closest shark into its fellows. The creatures turned on each other and the water turned the color of rust as Nanaue fell on the shark he had come for.

The Shark. Capital 'S'.

It glowed faintly to Nanaue's eyes, thanks to Piranha-Man's telepathy. The Shark spun out of Nanaue's grasp, charging towards him. They came together silently, tearing at each other. Nanaue was aware of the subtle physiological change the beast was undergoing even as he tried to restrain it. It was evolving, growing limbs. It's hide was lightening, turning from gray to pink. But the intelligence in its eyes never wavered.

Clawed hands fastened around Nanaue's bull-throat and he found himself pushed backwards through the water.

The fight, such as it was, was over.

"You are a pretty one. But brutish. Primitive." the voice said, sliding between his thoughts like acid. Nanaue shrugged away from it with a grunt. Elsewhere, Nanaue's partners-in-crime were engaged in business of their own.

"Kill it!"

"I'm trying, I'm trying!"

"Try harder!"

Killer Shark snarled in reply as his submersible shuddered again as the prehistoric shark summoned only moments before by their quarry continued to savage it. Teeth the size of tractor tires thudded into the submersible's steel plating. Weapons hissed as the Killer Shark's crew of mercenaries rushed to the defenses. Electrified harpoons and heat-rays sizzled through the water and the Megaladon thrashed wildly.

"Can't you control it?" Killer Shark said, looking at Piranha-Man. The gray skinned creature shrugged.

"Predators are hard. Maybe I can direct it-"

"The pack beast! See if you can direct it to the food!" the Fisherman barked, pointing at the view screen and the floating carcass of the Atlantean pack beast that was the center of a massive shark feeding frenzy. Piranha-Man pressed his talons to his temple and closed his crimson eyes, teeth clenched together.

"Do you have to do that every time?" the Fisherman asked.

"Concentrating."

"No, I mean the fingers on the temples thing. Aquaman does that-"

"I need to concentrate!"

"Sorry, sorry." the Fisherman stepped back. He looked at Killer Shark. "Touchy."

"Concentrating." Killer Shark grunted. Fisherman stared at the ceiling.

"See. This is what happens when you name yourself after cannibal fish."

"I fully agree. Unless of course, it is less a name than a description." an icy voice said, snapping the words out like gunshots. The three villains whirled to see Nanaue and his quarry standing behind them, dripping and bloody.

The Shark smiled, pink lips pulling away from artery colored gums.

"My...cousin, here-" he gestured at Nanaue. "Told me you have an offer for me. Let's hear it."

"Nice to see you all evolved and such, Shark." Killer Shark said.

"And you, Shark."

"Hey look. Three guys named Shark. Awesome. Rock on. Can you call off the leviathan out there?" the Fisherman said, hiking a thumb at the view screen.

"Already done. You'll have to forgive me. I've been so much less than I could be for so long that your attempt at contact was...jarring." the Shark said, gesturing idly. "But, I'm back now thanks to you four. I have only to understand why?"

"Have you ever heard of Kraken Rock?" Killer Shark said.

"Atlantean prison. Very nasty place."

"We're going to crack it open."

"Why?"

"There's someone there we've been hired to free."

"I do not need money-" the Shark chopped the air with a hand. Killer Shark gestured at Piranha-Man and King Shark.

"Neither do they. But revenge is another thing isn't it?"

"You mean-"

"Aquaman. I've got very good reason to think he'll be there when we arrive. All six of us."

"Six?"

"We got one more stop to make, gentlemen. If you're in..." Killer Shark said, looking slyly at the Shark.

"Aquaman." the Shark said, eyes glittering.

"Aquaman." Killer Shark nodded.

"What are we waiting for?"

Kraken Rock.

Black Manta chewed his paste thoughtfully, not looking at the guard.

"You understand?" Mockingbird said.

"Of course." Black Manta nodded. The guard looked at him, blinking.

"What?"

"Nothing. Die now." Black Manta rose smoothly, hands flashing out to connect with the gill slits on either side of the Atlantean's neck. His fingers tore through the soft tissue and the guard gagged and floated backwards, trailing blood. Black Manta grabbed his foot and yanked him closer, snatching his sword from its sheath and whirling as the coral door was flung open and the other guards swam towards him.

"Come. Die." Black Manta said, waving them forward.

And they did.

A few moments later, Black Manta swum out into the hall, sword in one hand, a ring of keys in the other. An alarm sounded, a deep tolling that reverberated through the water. Inside his helmet he smiled.

Then he began to unlock the other cells. Soon, prisoners flooded the hall, swimming towards the approaching guards in berserk fury. Atlantis did not treat her captives well.

Black Manta floated backwards, watching. Waiting. He would come.

Aquaman.

His grip on the sword tightened.

Elsewhere.

"Ruins. Nothing but ruins." the Fisherman said, voice hushed. He leaned over Killer Shark's chair, watching the view-screen. "Whoever did this-"

"Knew what he was doing?" Killer Shark said. "Yeah. Grudges are nasty things."

"Cain and Abel." the Fisherman muttered.

On the view-screen, the remnants of bodies were visible, floating amongst the ruined dwellings and fortifications of the Atlantean outpost. Carrion-fish haunted the bodies, stripping them to bone.

"I admire such ruthless efficiency." the Shark murmured, arms crossed. He glanced at Nanaue. "Do you not agree, cousin?"

King Shark growled and his clawed fingers twitched. He longed to devour the pink-skinned creature, but something, some nudge in his brain, prevented it. Instead he stepped away, eyes narrowed.

The Shark watched him and laughed. "Such hunger."

"We all know about hunger." Piranha-Man rasped. "We all have our own hungers."

"Revenge." the Shark smiled, a hideous sight.

"No. Justice." Piranha-Man grunted.

"A quaint concept, but utterly foolish, I'm afraid-" the Shark began. Fisherman turned and raised a gloved finger.

"You three better get over here."

"What is it, human?" the Shark said.

"We got sea-monkeys." he said, pointing at the screen. Lithe green shapes huddled in the shadows as the submersible's search lights swept over their hiding places.

"Merlocks." the Shark grunted. "Foul tasting things."

"Sub-humanoids. Our recruit bullies them around when he wants an army. Nasty, primitive and cannibalistic. Reminds me of you, Nanaue." Killer Shark said. King Shark snarled and stepped forward. The Shark held up a hand and the brute stopped.

"They mean we are on the right track, regardless." Piranha-Man said. "We-"

Something exploded outside the submersible, causing it to shudder.

"What the hell was that?" the Fisherman yelped.

"No clue, some sort of-" Killer shark began. Another explosion cut him off. "Somebody get out there! Now!"

"Come, cousin. We feed." the Shark said, sprinting smoothly for the pressure hatches. King Shark followed after a moment, Piranha-Man just behind. Killer-Shark turned to glare at the Fisherman.

"Well?"

"I'm not going out there!"

"What am I paying you for?"

"I-"

A third explosion caused the lights to flicker. The Fisherman sighed.

"Going. I'm going."

He stepped into a pressure hatch a few minutes later, a long harpoon in his hand and his hard-water gun on his hip. His fingers tightened nervously on the handle of the harpoon as water spilled into the hatch and climbed upwards.

The hatch opened with a shriek and he was expelled into the dark waters. Green shapes darted towards him, war-cries echoing oddly at this depth. Coral clubs swung at him and he twisted the haft of the harpoon. It's blade sparked and electrified the water around him. Screams filled his ears and Merlocks tumbled away from him, hairy bodies burnt and twisted.

He looked around for the others. King Shark was easy enough to spot, at the center of the largest knot of their attackers. He watched, slightly sickened, as bodies tumbled away from King Shark's wild slashes trailing red.

"Pay attention, human." the Shark snarled. The Fisherman turned, looking upward. A green body floated downwards, head twisted the wrong way. The Shark perched on the hull of the sub, grinning at him.

"I found the source of the explosions...look." the Shark said, gesturing. The Fisherman followed his arm and saw an odd looking catapult hidden in one of the ruined buildings. Specially designed to function underwater, it was a masterpiece of engineering. And far beyond what the Merlocks were capable of.

"We should-" he began. The Shark smiled.

"Piranha-Man is handling it."

"But-"

A shadow passed over them as the form of a giant squid suddenly glided into view. It's tentacles whipped out, smashing the catapult to pieces. The Shark snarled, a sound the Fisherman realized was supposed to be laughter.

"See? Handled."

"As are you, abomination." A crackling corona of energy wrapped around the Shark and he jerked like a marionette on a string before going limp and floating downward. The Fisherman looked up at the caped figure standing on top of the sub, golden mask glittering. The trident in his hand smoked, even under water, and his eyes were cold. The eyes of the lost son. The boy who was never good enough.

Cain's eyes.

"Hello, Fisherman. To what do I owe this visit?" Ocean Master said, pointing at the villain with his trident.

TO BE CONTINUED

Next Issue: DEVIL & THE DEEP BLUE SEA continues as the Killer Shark's quintet take on Ocean Master! Plus Aquaman confronts Black Manta! Be here in thirty for 'DIPLOMACY'!