Funeral Rites

[duke_kostan]

The crystal casket of Queen Mera makes its way down the streets. Grown men are seen collapsing to their knees and rending their clothes in grief. Women wail and children are silent. In the turbulent waters of Atlantis, there seems to be a unity only in grief

Comments

[jla_extras]

A man falls back, elbowing a woman in the neck.

[jla_extras]

As she stumbles back choking from the blow, her husband swims forward and grabs the man, pulling him into a swift left hook.

[lanternslight]

Hal sees this and pulls them apart with green hands of energy.

"Is this how you respect the Queen of Atlantis?" he demands of them.

But even his commentary is not enough to stem the tide...

[jla_extras]

A tall man gestures wildly, trying to both get attention and to avoid any violence.

"The surface dwellers are not all to blame!"

Another man turns to face him.

"You believe that rubbish?"
"The surface dwellers do not all hate us!"
"How else could the death of Royalty occur so swiftly...?!"
"It was pure chance!"
"Pure chance...?! I'll show you pure chance!"

And with that, a brawl breaks out.

[jla_extras]

It only takes moments for the violence to catch on. Objects begin to join the melée of activity, thrown from one side of the processional line to the other, and back once more. Children begin crying for their parents. Some flee. Others are spoiling for the fight, for the chance to vent theit anger, and they do so with frightening intensity and speed.

[jla_extras]

They run, protect their families, or fight. But all are suffering from this in one way or another.

Some groups have banded together, knowing each other enough to fight at their side, ironically fighting alongside their fellow man to attack their other fellow men.

[jla_extras]

The guards quickly realize they are vastly outnumbered, and attempts to contain the riot are abandoned as their commander orders them to fall back to the steps to defend the temple and its treasures - and Mera within.

[ex_kingofat]

Above the city - on a projected outcropping where he used to come and sit with his wife - Arthur sits, among a few Atlanteans who wanted to show solidarity in opposing his exile at this time.

His face is grim.

[mrs_dibny]

Ralph and Arthur both told to her to stay the hell home in no uncertain terms, despite the offer from Hal to transport and protect. Instead, she watches the funeral of yet another spouse from a broadcast provided by something Red Tornado rigged up from the com station.

She's shaking a little. They had to do this for her not long ago. They did this for Iris at one point. What they are all feeling right now led to the Light incident.

She'll miss Mera...proud, graceful, duty-bound Mera. She didn't get to see her much since the exile and divorce situation. She guess she was too busy being in pain, helping Garth run a kingdom, and otherwise thinking of Sue as more Arthur's friend. It happens with divorce. It happened with Jean.

As sad as she is though, she's three times as pissed off. She pissed the idiots won't let in Arthur. I mean, can't Garth just override their petty shit for a damned day? Or has the kid finally lost his damned marbles? She pissed that Arthur threw his damned communicator away because he and Bruce...

[jla_extras]

A woman runs from the brawl, scooping her children up in each arm hurriedly, before the fighting gets worse.

[martian_manhunt]

As a rioter moves to take a swing at her, the Martian Manhunter phases past the running woman to solidify between her and her attacker. The rioter's fist hits a chest as hard as steel.

[mrs_dibny]

Sue works the coms.

"Watchtower to JLA! Any of you not at Mera's funeral that could be, head to Atlantis, now. We have riots and looting. Crowd control needed!"

Mera would be pissed...

[jla_extras]

A puzzled child is looking around in the madness, calling out for their parents, and not too far away, but drowned out by the noise of the fighting, their parents search in a panic for them.

[jla_extras]

Whoa-hey-hey-hey!

Ronnie swoops down easily, flying through water as fast as he can through air, and snags the kid smoothly.

Okay, kiddo, how 'bout we find your parents?