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“Call for him.”
Garth tried to pull back from the cold metal pressed up against his ear. He could hear the voice clearly, as though there was nothing separating him and the vicious man who had lured him out here. He tried to swallow, but found a lump in his throat. He parted his lips and his voice came out raspy, “Never. I won’t give you the satisfaction…” Garth closed his eyes as he saw a black fist lash out at him, pain flaring up on the side of his face.
“I said call for him. Right this instant”, the voice was farther away now. It echoed slightly, but at the same time it sounded muffled. Garth shook his head, gritting his teeth against the pain. He saw the figure reach up toward his head and pull off his helmet, discarding it on the floor. He leaned down closer to Garth and he smirked. His dark lips opened up and whispered into Garth’s damaged ear. “Maybe you can hear me better now. I said TO CALL FOR HIM”, the figure yelled. Garth’s ears began to ring and he pushed the man away.
The man stumbled backward but caught himself, standing up straight. He gave a curt nod and pursed his lips. “Is that how this is going to be? Perhaps you need some motivation.” He reached down and grabbed Garth by the arm, pulling him up to his feet. Garth tried to pull free but the man’s grip clenched tighter. He pulled Garth towards the middle of the small, dimly lit room. In the center was a metal pole where Garth had been tied to earlier today before this treatment had started. How could he have been so stupid? He didn’t realize it was a trap.
The man pressed Garth’s elbow against the metal pole, but Garth struggled some more. His struggling was rewarded with another blow to the head. Garth’s vision went blurry, he felt something running down the side of his head. Blood, no doubt. “I will tell you one more time. You will call for Aquaman.” Garth looked up, his left eye swelling shut, his vision cloudy. “No.” He saw the man before him breathe in deeply and shake his head. Garth didn’t resist anymore as his elbow was pressed up against the bar. With a sickening crunch, Black Manta pushed Garth’s forearm back and broke his arm. Garth’s mouth widened but no sound came out. His eyes rolled into the back of his head and the last thing he saw before he collapsed on the floor was the aftermath of the bone sticking out of his flesh.
*
Garth’s head was pounding, he couldn’t move. He felt like his entire body was being consumed by fire. He tried to move, tried to talk but every small thing made the pain worse. All he felt was the cold floor underneath him. He tried to lift his head and heard something sticky near his ear as he raised it up a couple centimeters. He tried to open up his eyes, but found only one was functioning. Tried to move his arms, but the moment he did the pain intensified. He winced and managed to lift his head up and see he was still in the small room. The floor was sticky and red where his head had been. He looked down at his arm and found it put into a makeshift splint.
He heard a door open and close somewhere nearby and tried to shuffle back against the wall. He winced in pain as he slowly moved away from the door to his room. He heard footsteps outside the room, his hearing seemed to be coming back to him. A slot opened near the top and he saw a dark face peer in at him. “Are you okay?” the voice asked, Garth unable to make out any features on the face looking back at him. He shook his head, but it brought his headache back. “Just sit tight, you’ll probably be out of here soon. All you need to do is listen to my fa—the boss’ orders.” The slit closed with a clack and Garth heard him walking away. He coughed and felt something warm ooze out of his mouth. He raised his hand up and wiped his lips, pulling it away and finding blood covering his hand. Garth dropped his hand to the ground and let the words he just heard play through his mind again. He told himself that he would never let Black Manta win. Aquaman would never do that, and he would never lure his friends into a trap. He closed his one working eye and darkness fell.
*
He woke with a start when he heard the door open again and someone pulled him up by the scruff of his neck. “Good, you’re awake.” He stood into the face of his mentor’s worst enemy. Manta grinned and let Garth drop to the floor, who screamed as pain wracked his body again. “I almost thought you wouldn’t wake up. Now, have you thought back on our last conversation? Will you call for that scum you call a partner? Or do I have to break your other arm?” Manta jerked his head toward the pole and Garth inched back from him. He tried to open his mouth to say something, but simply shook his head again. Manta sighed and clenched his fist, Garth could hear the leather scrunching, and let out a kick toward Garth, connecting it with his torso. Garth gasped and coughed, more blood dribbling from his lips. Manta kicked him again, hitting Garth in his back, which caused him to arch back and scream out as sharp pain shot through his every nerve. Another blow connected with his face, square in the nose, which proceeded to bleed profusely.
“Is he worth it, Atlantean? Is Arthur Curry worth this torture? You can end it at any time, you simply need call for him and bring him here.”
Garth didn’t move, he didn’t dare. His vision was fading fast. He simply gave up, he allowed Manta to lift his broken arm and held back his screams as he heard sickening crunches as his fingers were snapped. He was lifted off the ground once more, by the head. “You are much stronger than I thought you would be.” Manta slammed Garth’s head against the wall and he heard something crack, and slumped to the ground. I’m so sorry, Arthur. I don’t think…I can take much more. Garth lifted his head, blood seeping into his eyes. Manta held tightly onto Garth’s arm and pulled a blade from a holster on his waist. He tightened his grip on Garth’s upper arm and the blade came swinging down.
Garth tried to scream, but nothing. His good eye widened in shock as he saw Manta move in slow motion. He watched as the blade cut cleanly through his wrist and his hand fall to the floor. His mouth was wide open, he wanted to scream, to cry out, but he was frozen. Manta wiped the blood off his blade and replaced it back on his waist.
Garth fell to the floor, he cradled his stump. His vision was going, he was seeing double. Triple. He couldn’t comprehend what has just happened to him. He felt something warm near his one good ear, felt the breath but couldn’t make out the words.
“Now you match.”
Darkness once more fell around him.
*
Garth heard the soft clicking of machinery, the gentle whirring. He cracked open an eye and immediately closed it. This room was far too bright. He tried to move, but his entire body was sore. He groaned and heard something shift near his side. Something soft brushed against his cheek and something warm touched his hand. Garth opened his eyes again and his head lolled to the side.
“Hey there, fishface. You look pretty beat up.”
Garth forced a smile and licked his lips, they were dry. “You…should…see the…other guy. I really…schooled him.” Garth coughed, groaning as he leaned back. It hurt too much.
Wally reached up and wiped Garth’s hair out of his eyes. “Really? You’re sitting on your death bed and you’re still making fish puns? I guess that means you’re feeling better.” Wally squeezed Garth’s hand, and his smile came back.
“Where am I? What happened? How long have I been out?”
Wally let out a sigh, “You’re in a hospital. Arthur went out his mind looking for you, Mera too. He had no idea where you went. We looked everywhere for you, but Arthur managed to track Manta down and found you just in time. I’m so sorry, Garth. I should have been there. I should have helped him. I’m so sorry, I feel like shit. The things he did to you…I’m so fucking sorry…” Wally’s tears fell onto the sheets of the hospital bed.
“Wally, no, you didn’t d—“ Garth’s sentence was cut off when he coughed again. He winced at the sudden pain and said nothing else. Wally held his hand tightly, not letting go. Silence filled the room until finally Wally broke it.
“You’ve been here for a couple weeks, by the way. After Arthur found Manta, he immediately took you to Atlantis, where they did the best they could…” he motioned towards Garth’s arm, still in the sling. The memory came flooding back and the color drained from his face. He pulled his arm slowly from the sling and lifted his hand out in front of him. What stared back at him was his own reflection. Now he knew what Manta meant. Now we match, he thought. Garth clenched his new fist, golden and shining in the bright light of the room.
“Gar? You alright?”
Garth looked over at Wally and smiled. “I’m great, as long as you’re with me, Wally. You can call me your little goldfish.”