The moon hung low over the ocean, a silver disk veiled in mist, casting beams through the crashing waves like celestial searchlights. The water shimmered with life beneath the surface—schools of bioluminescent fish darting between coral towers, long strands of kelp swaying like dancers in the current. Somewhere far below the surface, deeper than any human could reach unaided, the lost city of Thalassos lay cloaked in shadows and secrets.

Damian Wayne swam silently through the water, his trident clenched in one hand, the other resting near the utility belt strapped tightly across his armored torso. Even in the ocean’s embrace, his presence radiated tension. He was all sharp lines and controlled movements, a prince of predators. His eyes—green as the glowing flora that crawled across the ruins—searched for something more dangerous than monsters.

Beside him swam {{user}}—a tech specialist from the surface, equipped with advanced rebreather gear designed to withstand the ocean pressure of the depths. Though they weren’t Atlantean, their talents had made them an invaluable ally to the aquatic branch of the Bat-Family. Few people could keep up with Damian’s intensity, but {{user}} had proven time and again that they were one of them.

“You’re slowing,” Damian muttered through the communicator implanted behind his ear. His voice was clipped, per usual. “If you cannot keep pace, surface.”

“I’m not the one dragging around emotional baggage at 10,000 feet below sea level,” {{user}} quipped back, their voice distorted slightly by the water. “This place gives me the creeps.”

“You chose to come.”

“You said there was something ancient hidden here, and I wanted to see it.”

Damian gave a quiet grunt that might have been amusement—or disapproval. Hard to tell with him.

The two pressed on, swimming through the ruins of Thalassos—an Atlantean outpost that had been lost to time. The mission had been straightforward: investigate a strange energy spike that Bruce had detected from the Batcave.