33. The Submarine
When we entered the surprisingly small and sleek black submarine, we were ordered to sit down by Tony, who was suited up once more. I fidgeted in my seat, biting my lip nervously and glancing at Thor for comfort. Stark was just finishing his last minute checks, and then we’d be dropped down into the cold ocean without much of an idea of what to expect once we actually found Atlantis – if we found Atlantis.
The jet was hovering in the air, close to the sea’s surface, and Rhodey stood beside the open heavy metal door that would be completely air tight once we were underwater.
The sub consisted of three small rooms: one tiny bathroom, a bedroom with a few bunk beds, and the main room which we were currently in. At the front of this room was a thick glass window, and before it was a complicated looking control panel with a seat next to it.
Thor, Diana and I sat on the seats against the wall. These were attached to the floor and came equipped with thick seat belts and harnesses. There was an unsettling dripping noise coming from somewhere, but I doubted that the humans could hear it. Thor looked slightly worried, but he gave me a comforting smile every time I glanced at him.
Tony finally came inside the sub looking satisfied that everything was in order. Once he was in the room, Rhodey spoke.
“I wish you all luck on this mission. You’re going to need it,” He said seriously, looking at each one of us.
That didn’t make me feel better.
“If anything goes wrong, I can’t help you. God knows what you’re going to find, and I doubt that any communicators will work in … Atlantis,” He said, a trace of uncertainty in his voice. Tony smiled confidently at him.
“Thanks. And thanks for the lift too,” Tony said flippantly, and Rhodey looked at his friend worriedly.
“Are you sure you still want to do this? You don’t have to go on this suicide mission.”
Tony glanced over at us, his little crew, and I saw determination spark in his eyes.
“Yes, I do. We’ll be fine. We’ll stop Loki once and for all. And we’ll be back to normal life in no time,” He replied casually, and Rhodey sighed.
“Just try not to do something stupid, Stark,” He said sternly, and Tony shrugged.
“I’ll try.”
Rhodey gave us a last good bye before leaving the sub and shutting the door firmly behind him. I heard the hiss and clanks as the door locked securely.
“Tony?”
“Yes?” He looked over at me inquisitively as he strapped himself into the main driving seat, next to the control panel.
“How are we going to breathe?”
“I designed the submarine so that it can filter oxygen out of the sea water and keep air circulating. Basically, it’s not a problem.”
“Good,” I said in relief, and then heard the noises of scraping metal gears whirring. I looked at Thor, who was listening too. Tony saw our curious looks.
“Rhodey’s opening up the floor of the jet. When it’s open, the sub will be dropped into the sea.”
Diana went pale, and I patted her arm comfortingly.
Suddenly, the noises stopped, and my stomach flipped uncomfortably as the sub plummeted toward the water. I heard the crash of the waves as the sub hit the sea a few seconds later, and then we were below. It was dark below the surface, and Tony flicked a switch which made headlights come on, before turning to Diana expectantly.
“Ok, what now?”
Diana frowned slightly, and took out her notes. We waited patiently while she scanned them before looking up.
“Go down,” She said simply.
“What?”
“Go straight down. If we’re at the right coordinates, then you need to head straight downwards. There should be a huge opening in the sea floor, which leads into a tunnel – I think. The Atlanticans – people who lived in Atlantis – called it ‘The Serpent’s Mouth.’”
“Why does that give me a bad feeling?” I asked dryly as Tony began to steer the sub downwards using a joystick on the panel, heading deeper into the dark ocean.
What I thought was odd was the lack of sea life as we cruised deeper into the depths. I didn’t see a single fish, despite the bright light from the sub. It was unnerving. We were silent for at least ten minutes before I let out an exasperated sigh.
“I wonder if Loki’s already there…” I pondered aloud, and Diana cringed slightly.
“I hope not.”
“I think he will be there with the rest of the team. Loki is not to be underestimated,” Thor supplied gravelly, and Tony rolled his eyes.
“Always doom and gloom, right, Point Break?”
“I’m merely being honest,” Thor said defensively.
“Sometimes being honest isn’t the right thing to do.”
“You would certainly know that, wouldn’t you, Stark?”
“What do you mean?” Tony snapped back.
“Let’s just say that you’re not the most honest and trustworthy person out of the Avengers team,” He remarked dryly, and Stark glared.
“I’ve done more for the team then you have!”
“Like what?”
“Well, for one, I didn’t let my 'brother' escape out of prison so he could come back to Earth and possess most of the team.”
Thor glowered, undoubtedly feeling guilty for Asgard Prison’s unsuccessful attempt at keeping my father locked away, but I interrupted before he could retort.
“Hey, stop it. We don’t want to fall out already – we’re going to be stuck together for a while now,” I said weakly.
Tony muttered something inaudibly, and Thor glared at the floor. I sighed and exchanged a weary glance with Diana.
This was going to be a long trip.