Chapter 1 - the fall of an empire

I wake up to a world I no longer recognize. In one day, my entire life has been turned upside down. At least I think it's only been one day. No way of knowing how long I've been out for. Yesterday I was the Queen of Atlantis, happily living with my wonderful husband and beautiful child. Now, my husband was dead and I am here, chained to a wall like a dogfish in the dungeon beneath our castle.

The room is dark and the air is heavy. There was just enough moisture for me to breath comfortably, but not enough for me to utilize my powers. I try to stand up, but the chain around my neck kept me kneeling on the floor. The sound of my struggle is enough to alert the guard outside my door. My only source of light came through the grate when he slides it open. I saw his mechanical red eyes stare down at me while he messaged his boss to tell him I am awake.

I can hear him make his way down the hallway, the all-to-familiar sound of his acrylic boots slapping against the damp floor. The closer he gets, the more powerless I begin to feel. I watched this man murder my husband in cold blood right in front of me before his men knocked me unconscious. I wasn't able to save Arthur and was currently in no position to get revenge. All I could do was wait for him to gloat. Before he even entered the room, I started crying.

"My, oh my. How the mighty have fallen", his deep, synthetic voice came piercing through the darkness. I look up through my tears to see him towering over me, eyes glowing in the shadows. He flicks a switch on the wall and a dim yellow light turns on above me, allowing me to finally visualize my surroundings. Besides the bare stone makeup of the room itself, I see a trough along one wall and bucket on another. Both provide further context to the dire straits I am in.

In the light, I get a full view of my captor. I never realized just how tall he is. All black armor encases his muscular frame, as tubes flow into his specialized helmet, allowing him to breath in our world. A world that now belongs to him.

"Now Mera, I don't think I have to inform you of the situation you're in. Your husband is dead. Atlantis now belongs to me. And you, my little mermaid", he said as he kneels down to my eye level, holding up my chin in his gloved hand, "are my prisoner. And you will do as I say".

"Do your worst Manta!", I spat in return. "I will never submit to a murderous surface-dweller like you! Torture me if you want, but I will never be your slave!" I sounded strong, but felt weak. I knew I couldn't let him see that I was already cracking.

"Oh, I'd never dream of torturing you. Well, maybe a little bit, but that's not why I'm here. I come from my beautiful throne room to this dank dungeon to negotiation with you", he said this while taking off his signature helmet. In all the years I have known of him, I had never actually seen his face. He had a look of authority about him; yet his dark, sinister demeanor was embodies in his devilish features. His smile made my stomach turn.

"Negotiate what? You've already taken everything from me. Took my kingdom, my freedom, killed my husband, killed my son. What else could you possibly offer me?"

"There comes that royal superiority of yours. Always assume you know everything", he said dismissively. "You're right. I did take your kingdom. I did kill your husband and was completely justified in doing so. But you got one fact wrong. Your son is still alive".

That last sentence sent a shock through my body. I just assumed that he killed the heir of the throne, but my heart fluttered when he said otherwise. "You're lying", I said, hoping to be wrong.

"I'm a man of my word Mera. Kaldur, bring the kid in", he called to his own son and my husband's former apprentice. Kaldur entered the room with my sleeping baby boy in his arms.

"Please Manta, don't hurt him", and just like that, I broke down; pleading with the monster before me. "Whatever you want, I'll do it. Just don't hurt my son"

"Good to see you're ready to comply. I have grand plans for you Mera. But first, strip for me."

The idea of removing my clothes in front of Black Manta and the man who betrayed my husband was truly horrific. But to ensure Arthur Jr's safety, I had to. I put my hand to my shoulder and began to slide off my scale-embroidered garb. The final reminder of my position fell to the floor; my long, red hair draping down against my bare back.

My body had yet to fully recover after the birth of my son. My normally trim frame still carried the extra weight of pregnancy. My abs swallowed by a thin, yet bulging layer of flab across my middle. Hips spread wider, thighs closer together. Breasts grown heavy and heaving, sagging down slightly from the sheer weight they held. A lack of exercise had given my entire form an air of softness. I didn't care for it, but Arthur believed I had plenty of time to return to warrior shape and that I should focus on taking care of the baby more than my physical appearance. But now as I stood naked before Manta, I couldn't help but wish I'd done some sit-ups and cardio. While I had no desire of impressing this man with my beauty, I couldn't help but feel shame in him seeing me at my worst.

"Good. Wouldn't want that pretty outfit of yours to stretch", he said as he picked it up and threw it over his arm.

"What?", I replied, confused by his statement.

"My plans are far greater than seeing you naked Mera. I'm going to use you as an example. A permanent symbol of my dominance over the sea and all who live in it. How all Atlanteans are powerless against me"

"How are you going to do that?"

"Simple; I'm going to make you fat. So fat that you closer resemble a whale than a woman. When I leave this room, that through will be filled to the brim with flavored blubber that you will eat to completion. The fat will stick to your body, plumping you up more and more until I think you're ready for display. Then, you'll be placed in the town square, a living statute and constant reminder of the power of Manta. And if you don't eat everything I give you, I will kill your baby boy"

My jaw went slack while hearing his plan. He couldn't be serious. He was truly a madman. But he was a madman with my son. I couldn't disobey him. I would have to sacrifice my body to protect my child.

Him and Kaldur both walked out, locking the door behind them and leaving the light on. Like he promised, a dump of blubber was deposited into the trough through the wall. I didn't know how long I had to eat it, so I started to crawl over on all fours. It felt demeaning, but it was the only convenient way for me to get around.

I looked down at the slop before me. It looked disgusting, having a weird gelatin consistency and a brownish hue to it. I didn't have any utensils to eat with, so I held my hair back and cautiously lowered my head into the natural insulation. I took in a mouthful of the stuff and expected to feel sick, but was surprised by how good it tasted. Maybe I was just hungry, but it almost tasted like chocolate; a delicacy Arthur would often bring back for me after his visits to the surface world. The flavor not only made the blubber palatable, but enjoyable. Before I knew it, I was sucking the stuff down. I was seemingly possessed with an undeniable craving. I knew I shouldn't have been reveling in the inevitable destruction of my figure, but I couldn't help it. Every bite and gulp of the gooey substance filled by body with an unearthly warmth; a feeling of pleasure and euphoria. I could feel my stomach growing round off the stuff. Time became a blur and before I knew it, the trough was empty.

Now with the stimulant gone, I became conscious of just how stuffed I was. I leaned back against the wall and placed my hand on my swollen middle. It bulged into my lap, seemingly more solid than my muscles had ever been. I had never eat that much before in my life; literal pounds of blubber seemingly stretching my insides. Yet despite this overwhelming fullness, I couldn't help but feel that same sense of euphoria permeating through my body. Something had to have been done to the food. Manta must've spiked it with some kind of drug. But as my breath got shorter and my nipples grew harder, I clearly didn't matter. The flavor of the food and the bloating in my belly was creating an unprecedented heat within me. And as my hand began to slight down the curve of my gut to my dampening royal clam, I couldn't help but crave another trough-full of blubber.