I've been wondering lately what Kaldur's life would've been like before Aqualad. So I decided to write this- Aqualad when he was younger, a "minnow" if you will. A little blast from his past.^^
"Tula, Garth, ready or not, here I come!" A young Atlantean called out. He had dark skin, and blonde hair, and gills. Young Kaldur was playing hide-and-seek with his two buds. It was a great day, with the water feeling just right, and all was calm.
"I'm gonna find you." He said in a pre-pubescent voice. He spotted a patch of seaweed. "Ha! Found you!" He jumped in, expecting to find one of his friends. He found a family of clownfish instead. "Whoops, sorry." He backed out.
Then he spied a large rock. "Found you now!" He shouted, but to air. "Awww…" His face grew downcast. But he was not about to give up. He swam around the outside of intricately designed buildings and rock formations. And it was around the bend of one of these buildings that he found Garth. "Ha! Found you." Kaldur looked a little smug.
"Maybe, but you haven't found Tula. And you and I both know how good she is at this game!" Garth looked at the young Atlantean out of the corner of his eye, knowing how his friend was going to react.
Kaldur's face grew sullen, and a look of determination flashed across him. "I'll find her. She can't hide from me for long." And then a movement from up ahead, leading into a temple. "Ah-ha! I knew I'd find you." He swam inside, expecting to see his friend.
What he wasn't expecting, though, was to bump into somebody that was obviously too tall to be Tula. "Oomph!" He fell backward.
"I'm sorry, kid." A deep voice said. Kaldur looked up to find himself staring at Aquaman. Like, the Aquaman, his hero. The older Atlantean held out his hand to Kaldur and helped him up.
"Th-thank you." The little one could hardly get his words out. He blushed and looked down. Aquaman looked amused. "So, what are you doing, swimming in here in such a hurry?" He smiled, as to not scare the boy. Kaldur was comforted.
"I'm looking for my friend. We're playing hide-and-seek." He blushed again, thinking about how childish that sounded. But Aquaman chuckled. "I remember when I used to play that with my friends. Ah, good times." His eyes got a wistful look in them. But then he returned his gaze to the youngster. "Well, I've got to get going. There is sure to be someone who needs me. I'll see you around." And the great hero swam off, his smile still lingering.
Kaldur watched him leave, eyes wide. He needed a few moments to comprehend what had happened. But once it sunk in, he gasped. He had just met his hero! He took one last look at the departing Atlantean.
I'm going to be just like him when I grow up Kaldur thought as Aquaman disappeared from sight. And with that, he turned back around to resume the game.
So, how did I do?
