The morning sky was painted a poignant hue of grey and black as the day matured around them. Each rolling cloud seemed more threating then the last as each of them hung low over their heads more than ready to yield rain.

"Sometimes the world just seems angry.", she thought privately.

"Barbara?"

"Yeah Kal?"

"You seem… a little checked out."

"No… no. I just can't believe Bruce made you shave your head.", she deflected.

"A tactical disadvantage… that's what he called it right?"

"That's the best reason for a haircut that I have ever heard.", she chuckled.

"You don't miss it do you?"

"Well it does beat the comb over look you'll need in your later years.", she laughed again as she patted his shaved head.

"Really a comb over… and here I thought you would be kind to me in my little blue pill days."

When he saw those freckles of hers light up and heard that special sound of her laughter Kaldur could feel all the weight being removed from his body. A long day of training with Bruce had left him with fresh aches and pains even hours after they had concluded.

The pelting rain started and wrestled Barbara and Kaldur under a random stoop while they were walking down the street. With a stern look to the sky Barbara felt the only real reason she was still able to smile was because she was in the presents of her friend. Trying her best not to focus on all of the negative contemplations that were running through her mind she looked back down toward her cherished companion. Their eyes instantaneously locking on each other's in the small and intimate space. Kaldur could feel the draw to her lips as it pulled him in… slowly melding their lips together as Barbara let a satiated moan escape as Kaldur's lips met hers. Pulling back only for a quick breath she then pressed her lips back against his capturing his bottom lip in her teeth for a slow and seductive nibble.

After all they had to do something until the rain passed.

The Batcave:

"It was lovely to see Sir Kaldur'ahm and Miss Gordon again."

"Yes it was.", Bruce answered Pennyworth

"Then might I ask why your mood is so dreadful?"

"Do you know the Atlantean fable of the Ice Serpent Alfred?"

"No Master Bruce… for all the things that my repertory holds it lacks anything close to resembling a history of Atlantean folktales."

"Well let me tell you a story…"

Once upon a time there were was a king who had two sons... both of the boys were constantly at odds with each other all the while vying for the attention and undying love of their father. Both of the boys grew into strong and capable men more than proficient in combat and mastered all forms of Atlantean weaponry. They were warriors in every sense of the word… each eager to prove their worth to the king they called father.

Then one day… it arrived up upon a throne of blood and ice! The Atlantean's took up their arms and fought. One after one each Atlantean fell all while the throne swelled capturing more and more of the Atlantean homeland. The king wanted it dead by any means necessary so the king told his sons to go forth and slay the Ice Serpent. Each son saw this as their opportunity to finally grasp the king's adoration. They each prepared and trekked to the throne of the Ice Serpent.

A great battle ensued and the two brothers even worked together as they fought. Until the serpent was wounded… then the serpent took its true form which was a celestial maiden. One of the brothers instead of killing her protected her by shielding her from his brothers finishing blow. With a little detective work, the Atlanteans had discovered that the Ice Serpent was really a curse laid upon the maiden after she question the deity she had served. Still the blood of all the fallen Atlanteans had to be revenged… that's until it was discovered that the brother who saved her was now in love with her. The consequence of spending every night by her cell mind you. So instead of executing her… she was married and then the two were banished to the edge of the world. Sometime later the king died and the remaining son took the crown. Always bitter about his father's decision he hunted his brother and his wife until one cold night he took his brother's life only after making him watch his wife die.

"That's the broad stokes of it of course.", Bruce ended.

"Well… that's certainly not bedtime story material but, I fail to see the correlation between that story and the relationship between Sir Kaldur'ahm and Miss Gordon.", stated Alfred.

"I will be the first one to admit that there are many interpretations of said narrative but, when you take all of the factors into account then you compare and contrast them… meticulously I might add… then you should arrive at only a few conclusions. And each of those conclusions on no matter the scale have one thing in common."

"Which is?", asked the curious butler and caregiver.

"War Alfred... war!"

Wildcat's Gym:

"Tada!"

"…"

"So… what do you think?"

"It's a gym... a smelly one at that", Kaldur answered with a chuckle.

"Princess!", Barbara shouted before giving him a sharp jab in the arm.

"Ouch!", he replied with a smile.

"The gym is just a cover for the base underneath it."

"Really?"

"Yep the gym belonged to a former member of the JSA."

"JSA?"

"Justice Society of America"

"I've done research on them before. They were the precursor to the League."

"You at you showing off your book smarts.", she quipped. "Welcome to the Clocktower!"

"It's beautiful… just beautiful Barbara."

As Kaldur was about to lean in and kiss Barbara a notepad was shoved in his face with "Who are you?" and "What are you doing with my friend?" written in bold letters upon it. The notepad was held by a girl who was suspending herself upside down from an anchor bolted into the ceiling. Who must have been a master of stealth to get into position without Kaldur's detection.

"Hello Mary", Barbara giggled before continuing. "This is Kaldur'ahm and Kaldur'ahm this is Mary Turner"

Undisclosed Location: Belle Reve Penitentiary

The water was cool upon his face as he exited the small pool in the rec room. He took a towel and wiped his face before taking a deep breath.

"Hey Manta! You got visitors!", a guard shouted from the security balcony.

Manta put on his inmate jumpsuit with his prison's identification number on the back in bold and bright numbers and began to walk to the visiting center.

"Booth number seven Manta!", another guard ordered as he walked in.

As he sat down at the booth he looked across at the two men who came to visit him. He was about to tell them in no uncertain terms to fuck off until one of them began to speak.

"Black Manta correct?"

"…"

"Trust me sir… this is just a small formality.", the other man responded.

"In here they just call me Manta."

"Well Mr. Manta… your king would like an audience with you."

Just then a massive shaped charge ripped through the far wall of the visiting center. While the two men stood up and quickly dispatched the shocked guards.

"This way Mr. Manta."

As the three men walked out of the visiting center and into the courtyard Manta could feel the pressure and wind of a helicopter upon him as he looked up see the aircraft's speedy approach. From the preceding landing to takeoff the three men were in the aircraft in under fifth-teen seconds. The man on the far interior of the helicopter passed headsets down the line first to his partner then to Manta.

"An audience!", Manta replied with an evil smirk. "Well… well I'm looking forward to seeing him too!"