After surviving a bank robbery, with much thanks to Aquaman, Camille decides to complete her training to join the police force; to help people like he did and to redeem herself from a gruesome death that she was too petrified to stop. After being as...
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There wasn't much left of the Xebellian army when they retreated; just the king and a few surviving soldiers. Arthur had returned from the battle, partly relieved but also too aggravated by his brothers presence to speak a single word to Camille. In other words, he was giving her the most severe silent treatment she had ever experienced. It only made her feel worse about the decision she had made. That was part of the reason that she had gone to visit the surface world on this particular day. Staying in the castle only made the tension grow.
In Metropolis, the city was exploding in emerald, sage, and lusty chartreuse - neon green with so much yellow in it. It was an explosive shade that, if one could watch it moment by moment throughout the day, would grow in every dimension. It was Spring, Camille's favourite season, and seeing it brought her more joy than she could express.
That feeling stayed with her during her long walk to her old apartment. Technically, she should have been evicted by now, but Arthur had brought the entire building with a sunken chest of treasure. Meaning, she (and the other residents) didn't have to pay the rent and she still had a place to stay on the surface. Here is where she reclaimed her mobile phone; that still had a trident charm dangling from the top. She hadn't seen this thing in months...probably almost a year, actually. There simply wasn't any need for it in Atlantis, and it was also much too primitive to take there without completely destroying it.
Camille held it in her right hand, suddenly aware of how odd the chunk of metal felt against her fingers. She switched it on, and after waiting for the slow device to finally activate, the screen was bombarded with notifications; missed calls from her grandmother and a plethora of texts. Many were from people that she hadn't seen since High School. Some in shock at her new role as queen, and others asking to meet 'Aquaman'. Camille assumed that most of the world knew about her now. That was an unsettling thought.
She scrolled, wiping her damp fingers on a nearby cloth multiple times when the screen didn't register her touch, then tapped on Amelia's name. The first few messages that she had missed were filled with the typical blurry pictures of Superman, and a few memes that she had apparently found too hilarious to not share. It swiftly moved into texts of disbelief upon seeing Camille's name in the news.
Camille had never been good at replying to messages, but after a few months of no answer Amelia started getting annoyed. There were a ton of texts about Camille being a terrible friend, which wasn't exactly wrong, and how Amelia was sick of being ignored. The queen sighed and locked her phone, giving her apartment one last look before leaving.
The journey to Metropolis was an uncomfortable one. It was like she could feel every pair of eyes in the country staring at her, and maybe they were. After all, almost everyone that she past whipped out their camera and started taking pictures. She could only assume that they were posting them online...and that only made her run faster.
Once she reached Amelia's place, she found her attention stuck on the door. There were so many scrapes on its wooden surface, all holding a different memory. One from when Camille was helping her move in, and they knocked her brand-new Chesterfield couch against the frame; permanently denting it. Another few from when they were drunk and had locked themselves out. They had spent most of the early hours of morning scratching at the door in an intoxicated haze as if it might magically unlock.
