Amistad never wore shoes, they annoyed him and he found it difficult as he possessed especially wide feet with webbing. He loved the sensation of the sea washing up against the sand under his feet. It always calmed him down... Yet not today, he knew his mother and probably Rocket would have something to say about his sudden disappearance when he got back to the house but he needed some time to himself...

"Amistad!" A voice called out behind him "Amistad!"

The teen let out a frustrated sighand stopped. Glancing behind him he saw Kaldur running after him at quite some speed. He was now too close for Amistad to pretend that he couldn't hear him. He wasn't sure why he was waiting, he didn't really feel like talking. Perhaps, he should continue on as if nobody was there? Too late, the older man caught up.

Amistad looked at Kaldur'ahm, the older man didn't seem to be at all tired. In the distance, he could make out his mother, Lian and her parents looking at them. Great, he couldn't exactly run away with them watching, not if he ever wanted to be able to return home... The boy noted that Kaldur was also walking around barefoot.

"Thank you for waiting." Kaldur said

His son shrugged and continued to walk along the beach. Kaldur watched him get a little further away before letting out a slight sigh and walking after him. He walked to the teen's left keeping at a respectable distance between them but not being to distant as to appear cold. His silver eyes looked down at Amistad who was looking to the side, away from him.

Kaldur had waited for sixteen years to be able to walk next to the sea like this on this island that he had come to consider his home. He had often dreamed of walking next to his son yet this wasn't quite as he had imagined it... He waited for several minutes but Amistad still remained the same; distant and refusing even to make eye contact. He had hoped that the teen would be the first to brake the heavy silence but it looked like he would have to.

"So... Do you not have school today?" He asked trying to find a subject of discussion

"No. It's sunday..." Amistad said rather quietly

"Oh..." Kaldur cursed himself in his head "Do you like school? When you are there that is..."

"It's kinda boring..."

Kaldur waited for the boy to go into a little more detail but he didn't. He's as stuborn as his mother, the Atlantean thought to himself with a vague smile. He had seen Raquel give people the cold shoulder sometimes (it had to be said; that most of the time he was one the receiving end) it was almost exactly like this.

"Kaldur, did you and mom sleep together?" Amistad suddenly asked bluntly

"What?!" Kaldur suddenly blushed and became flustered, he cleared his throat and quickly regained his calm; or at least tried to "Yes... I believe so, but-... Amistad that is not the sort of question you ask someone!"

"You wanted to talk!" The boy replied

"Not about that..." Kaldur's voice trailed off "Why do you want to know in any case?"

"So I can figure out how much of a jerk you are." The teen replied

"What?"

Under other circomstances, the Atlantean might have believed the teen's words to be a joke. It was clear here that it wasn't the case. More than slightly hurt, Kaldur wondered just what might have made him say that and just what his relationship with Raquel had to do with anything. He also noted that rather than call him 'father' or 'dad', his flesh and blood had opted for using his name. What had changed in a few hours? Just the night before Amistad had been far from hostile.

"Repeat yourself please." Kaldur asked his son, wanting to make sure he hadn't misheard

"I want to figure out how much of a jerk you are." Repeated Amistad "I think I already have."

"Why do you believe that I am such a thing?" Kaldur asked him

"Do you want the sort list or the long?!" Yelled Amistad "Number one is where were you?!"

"I was hunting down the light, Amistad I-"

"Where were you on my birthdays? Mom's? Where were you when Devastation almost kiled mom?" The teen continued to roar

"I was not aware such an event had taken place..." Kaldur muttered shocked

"You didn't know?! Does that make you feel better? Cause I didn't know that you were my father until yesterday! And I sure as hell felt better."

Kaldur took several steps back ashamed. He looked down, unable to look his son in the eyes. Rocket hadn't told him about the Devastation incident, indeed he had no idea that it had taken place. For him, everything that had happened for sixteen years on the island was a mystery. He knew that Amistad had become Torpedo and his mother's sidekick but he was otherwise unaware of everything else that had occurred.

He looked back to see Amistad, the boy's silver eyes were clouded over with an anger and hatred that were rare in his own. A silence remained for a little longer before finally Amistad let out a cold, dark and emotionless laugh.

"You know what's worse?" He asked his father "I could probably have forgiven you, if it wasn't for the fact that you just marched in here and treated mom and I like dirt!"

"I did not Amistad!" Kaldur raised his voice, he had never appreciated people saying that he didn't care about his family "I respect both of you!"

"Sure you just came along and pretended that you'd never been gone! You just slept with mom! Lke that! As if you'd never left!"

"I would never use or hurt either of you! Stop saying such lies!" Kaldur yelled angrily "I love both you and your mother with all my heart!"

"Then it's one hell of a small heart you've got there!"

Using his belt, Amistad surrounded himself in a red halo before quickly flying off. Kaldur was unable to do anything but watch as the boy disappeared into the distance on the other side of the island. The anger drained from his face suddenly. Was the boy right? Had he truly behaved immorally.

"Amistad!" Kaldur yelled at the top of his lungs "Come back! Please! I am sorry!"

"He needs time." Said Raquel landing behind him "It's a lot for him to take in."

"You overheard?" Kaldur questionned

"Yeah. When Amistad yells the whole island knows and when you yell the whole world hides." She told him taking his webbed hand in hers "He's never had a father and doesn't know about anything the Light did."

"You never told him that?" Kaldur was surprised

"I didn't want him to grow up thinking he was destined for evil or to be used by it..." She explained "Come on. I'll show the baby pictures."

Kaldur paused wondering if he should continue searching for his son. He felt rather guilty for yelling at him; he wanted to appologize and explain himself... If the stubborn teen would listen, that was. He lingered a moment longer but caught Raquel signalling him to follow her. Not having the willpower to do otherwise, he followed her. They went back to the house, Lian and Roy had set about cleaning the house.

Raquel went into the living room and opened a cupboard and pulled out a box. She blew a bit of dirt off of it and handed it to Kaldur. The Atlantean held it carefully, Rocket opened the box to reveal at least 200 hundred photographs. She picked one pile up.

"Here, these are him just after you left."

She handed Kaldur some photos of Amistad when he was just one year old. The father's eyes softened at the sight of his son just as he remembered him: tiny, slightly chubby features and always laughing. The photo showed Amistad in his mother's arms pulling a silly face. The next was apparently when the child was only just learning to walk. Another one with him playing football against Lian.

Raquel left Kaldur after about two hours, he spent the rest of the day flicking through the photos. Watching his son grow in size, stength and age. It was strange but the boy looked a lot like he did. Perhaps with slightly more his mother's face. Kaldur paused on the last picture, it was Amistad. He looked to be about 16. To his right was Lian, his left was a young boy with dark hair and blue eyes, a blonde girl and a boy with black hair.

Turning over the picture, Kaldur glanced at the title. The team Gamma Squad, 2032 Amistad Ervin, Damian Wayne, Lian Harper, Fiona West, Ash Greyson. He raised himself to his feet, noticing for the first time in hours the fact that it was almost diner time. He emerged into the kitchen to see Raquel cooking.

He approached behind her, quietly. She must have heard him as she spun around on her heels. Kaldur realised suddenly that she had placed her hands behind her back as if she was trying to hide something. The Atlantean frowed and approached her.

"You see the photos?" She asked him

"Yes." He replied "They are beautiful. You can be very proud."

She smiled as Kaldur gave her a kiss on the lips. As he did so however he passed his hands behind her and managed to pick up whatever she was trying to hide. He pulled away, Raquel looked somewhat ashamed, she had realised that it was a ploy. Kaldur looked at the small box on pills in his hand with his eyes wide with pain and shock.

"You are ill?" He asked

"It's nothing Kal..." She answered evasively

"Raquel." He raised his voice slightly "What is wrong? Please tell me."

"The doctor doesn't know yet, I've been feeling a little off recently..." She admitted "Just a little tired. The pills help."

"Does Amistad know?" Kaldur asked

"I haven't told him but that kid's smart, I think he might have caught on..."

"You're right there."

The adults looked around shocked as Amistad entered the room. The teen had been somewhere on the island for most of the day, hiding or rather staying away from them. He walked over to them giving Kaldur a cold glare as he did so before looking back at his mother. Raquel looked somewhat uncertain, so far the father/son reunion thing wasn't going so well and the last thing she wanted was for them to be worrying about her.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Amistad asked slightly angry

"It's nothing Ami! I'm a little under the weather that's all!" Rocket responded beginning to chop up an onion "Nothing you needed to worry about."

"Yeah... Just like I didn't have to worry about who my father was..." The boy began to walk off "I'll be in my room."

"Amistad..." Rocket began

Too late... The teen had already disappeared down one of the corridors. Kaldur and Raquel exchanged worried and uncertain glances. Putting down the knife, Rocket threw herself into her boyfriends arms, needing comfort. The Atlantean closed his eyes, today had not gone at all as planned...