The Man:
"Doc," I say while checking the machine. According to it, Aquaman's vitals are in the red, and they're still dropping, slowly but steadily. "I'm not going to lie."
I push myself off my knee and back onto my feet before turning around.
"When you said Aquaman and the other Atlanteans only have three days left, I had hope you read the machine wrong, or that you needed a new pair of glasses."
The Doc adjusts his glasses as he looks at me.
"I hope so, too," the Doc replies, "But I check the machine again, and I read your notes, and did the same tests of three different Atlanteans, but no matter what I did--"
"It said the same thing," I finish. "Darn."
I turn and look at Aquman again. Once, angry, piss-off, and ready to kick my butt, or at least to try and then have his butt kick by me instead, now the King of Fishes was moaning, groaning, and shivering. His skin was covered in blisters and rash. Besides that, the veins in his body started glowing a disturbing black-and-green color.
"Doc," I say, holding my hand out. "Let me see your notes."
Doc nods and reaches into his lab coat. He pulls out a clipboard with a small stack of papers on it. Taking the clipboard, I start skimming the Doc's notes, grabbing the pages and flipping through them.
"Based on your notes, this weird glow only started a few hours ago."
"Yes," the Doc says with a nod. "Ms. Iris can vouch for me. It started in one spot: the arm, the leg, the torso, the neck, before spreading to the rest of the body. I checked your notes and books, but nothing in them matched it. I can't be sure what the glow is."
Dropping to one of my knees, I wave my hand over Aquaman. As my hand hovers over him, it begins to glow a bright blue.
"Holy--," Flash says, stepping back. "What in the world?"
"Awesome," Harleen laughs, smiling.
"Now what?" Slade asks. "Another trick up your sleeve?"
"Not exactly up my sleeves," I reply, "More in the palm of my hand."
I turn and look at the Atlanean on the cot next over. Holding my hand out, the blue glow still bright.
"I'm detecting magic," I say, lowering my hand and standing up. "There's no doubt about it. This glow isn't with the smallpox virus. It's the orichalcum."
Snapping my hand, a kunai shoots out from thin air. I catch it and use it to pierce Aquaman's skin.
"Really," Oliver asks. "Again?"
"I need a blood sample, Robin Hood. Besides, as I said, I'm petty. Aquaman was mean to me, so I'm being mean to him."
Aquaman flinches as I stab him. Catching a single drop of blood, the droplet landing on the tip of the kunai, I reach into my jacket with my other hand and pull out a bandage.
"Doc, a little help? I only have two hands."
The Doc nods and rushes to help me. He peels off the cover and applies the bandage to Aquaman. Reaching into my jacket again, I pull out a small magnifying glass. Holding it up to the lens of my sunglasses, I examine the drop of blood.
"Doc, you should see this."
I hand the Doc the glass. Adjusting his glasses again, Doc looks through the glass at the blood drop.
"It's glowing," the Doc says, his head snapping up. "It's actually glowing, and moving. That's incredible."
"No, it's bad. It means the orichalcum is spreading. Fast. I don't know how, but it's like the smallpox virus is actually carrying and spreading the orichalcum."
This time, reaching in and pulling out a clear plastic sample bag, I throw my kunai with Aquaman's blood sample on it inside.
"Doc. You and everyone else will stay here and help the fish people the best you all can. I'm going back into Junker to start developing a cure."
"Move fast," Iris says.
"Will do," I reply. I then turn to the Doc.
"Doc. Keep me updated on everything happening here. If you see new symptoms, immediately tell me."
"Of course."
I nod at the Doc and at everyone else before running back to the Junker sub. Reaching the edge of the dock, I jump, flip through the air, and pull my arms and legs together. Falling directly through the hatch and landing on my feet, I walk through the hallway and into the sub's lab.
Grabbing a spare lab coat, a pair of gloves, and goggles, I put everything on before tapping my phone's screen. A hidden wall slides open, and the ancient barrier of orichalcum slides in. Pulling out another kunai from thin air, I carefully and cautiously pry the lid open. As soon as I do, the whole lab is filled with a burning, rottening stench. In only a few seconds, my throat, nose, and eyes begin burning and stinging.
"Ahhh...," I moan. Tears begin forming in my eyes, something that hasn't happened in years. Reaching into my jacket pocket again, I pull out an excellneno disc and slam it on my chest. Tapping the disc, I look at the option.
"Battle suit. Space suit. Diving suit. Stryker's Island prison guard disguise? Hmm. I'm surprised I still have this. Ahh, here it is. Hazmat suit."
Landing on the radioactive icon, one circle with three squares around it, I tap the icon. Yellow fabric spreads from the disc. It starts at my chest before moving out, covering my head, arms, and lower body. The last piece, the large visor, appears before my eyes. I nod and go back to my work.
Using tongs from a nearby toolbox, I reach in and grab a small sample of orichalcum. Even though it's a small sample, I still feel the energy from it. Heat is hitting me from all angles. Beads of sweat form all over my body, soaking me more than when I swam in the ocean. Carefully, I drop the orichalcum onto a table. As I look at it, flashes of the fight between King Atlan and me and King Kordax run through my head.
I remember King Kordax's monsters. Horrible, black and green, abominations, with no mind or will of their own, attacking Atlantis soldiers and me. I see myself cutting down monster after monster, then, as if someone presses the skip button, I now see myself after the war. Back in Necrus, brave Atlantis soldiers and I collect all the orichalcum we can find. Despite many of them already showing symptoms and stumbling, we still fight to collect all the toxic minerals before sealing and burying them. Shaking my head to end the slideshow, I return to the present.
While studying the orichalcum, I also lean to the side and begin studying Aquaman's blood. Taking out my kunai with his blood on it, I place the knife in a scanner, push the green activation button, and begin the scan. A few minutes later, when the results appear on the screen, I stop looking at the orichalcum to read them.
"That's interesting," I say to myself. "The orichalcum laced into the smallpox virus is somehow changing the virus itself."
Still reading the result, the lab's door slowly opens. To anyone else, it would look like the door opens itself, or the wind pushes it open, but I see something else.
"Hello, Deadman," I say, giving a quick wave to the invisible man. "How are you?"
"I'm fine," Deadman replies. "Did you find anything useful?"
"Not useful," I start, "But interesting, in a disturbing way. Listen. I need you to get me one of my laptops. You remember where I keep them?"
"Yeah. Be right back."
Deadman disappears for a few minutes before returning with one of my custom-made laptops. Setting it down on the table, I power it up before bringing up some ancient notes.
"Are those...notes about the smallpox virus?" Deadman asks, leaning in close. I raise my hand and push Deadman back.
"Personal space," I say, "And yes. I have experience with the smallpox virus, and many other viruses and diseases. I lived through quite a lot of pandemics."
Deadman looks at me with a giant, bold question mark.
"Again, I'm old."
I check my personal notes about the smallpox virus before comparing them to the new results.