Just like Roy had expected, it got pretty awkward at Titans East with the new recruits. Sure talking to Wonder Girl was okay at first, but they ran out of things to talk about past what Roy already knew about Themyscira from Donna since Cassie was not a very open individual.

The four new members also insisted that they were called by their real names instead of their hero aliases. It was easy enough to wrap their heads around, especially since Roy and Garth were still getting used to not being the Aqualad and Speedy of the house. Aqualad, Aquagirl, Speedy, and Wonder Girl all looked at each other oddly when Roy and Garth insisted on being referred to as Tempest and Arsenal by their replacements, especially since Kaldur and Tula knew Garth from before.

The Atlanteans' aversion to being above sea level caused a problem for Garth and Roy. They tended to stay in Garth's room together, but since it was the only bedroom on the bottom floor, and Garth had to be so damn hospitable, Roy was forced to give up his cool, private room. The two had moved into Roy's room, which had been unused for a long time now. With all the things from Aqualad's room in boxes and Bumblebee's room right next door, it made for a very uncomfortable situation of crawling over boxes to do anything and little to no...ahem...physical activity between the two young men. Needless to say, Roy grew more and more frustrated with each passing day.

Team training was made all the more difficult by the awkward silences that would ensue between the three Atlaneans and the archer. Mia would often stare in awe at some of the shots Roy made, either in training or on missions, but Roy was honestly reluctant to train his replacement. Garth was cordial enough to work peaceably with Kaldur and Tula, but for Roy that meant only getting to see formal Garth around, and never the playful side he had come to love so dearly. Bumblebee struggled only with Wonder Girl. She tended to like to take charge and often had to be reminded who the team leader was.

"Uh, Cassie, no offense, but I'm the team leader. You're gonna have to learn to take orders from me or else I'm going to have to call Nightwing up to send a replacement," Bumblebee confronted her after one such instance, hands on hips, frown darkening her pretty features.

Cassie sighed, "Sorry Bee, it's hard for me not to take charge."

"You'll make a good team leader one day, but right now you have to learn to follow orders." Cassie just nodded in response, looking down at the ground. Her commanding personality had disappeared for the moment.

Kaldur had a calm attitude that it seemed was the norm amongst Atlanteans. The encounters between him and Garth riled Roy up more than it would have if Kaldur outright punched his boyfriend. It constantly seemed like they were having a 'who's more refined' contest. In Roy's opinion, Garth always won. He held himself taller and prouder, but that might just be because he was his boyfriend.

The most maddening conversations took place between the two Aquaman sidekicks. Once Garth and Roy were walking hand in hand out of the training room, when Kaldur and Tula quickly approached and stepped in front of the exit on them.

"Good evening Gar- I mean, Tempest. I trust you thought today's exercises went well?" Kaldur stood with perfect posture. Roy wondered how they could stand like that constantly.

He felt Garth stiffen beside him when he looked down at Tula and Kaldur's intertwined fingers, "Yes, I feel as though your teamwork skills have improved greatly Aqualad. You and Aquagirl are on your way to becoming integral to the team dynamic." Roy kept his eyes on the Atlanteans' straight backs, waiting for either to relax just a little.

"How are you and Arsenal coming along on the packing?"

Garth nodded curtly, "Very well thank you." He knew Garth was trying to get over his past with his two successors, but Roy could tell he was having a difficult time.

"Do you need any assistance?"

"That is very kind of you to offer, but no thank you. We are almost all packed, simply waiting for the team to be able to operate at peak efficiency."

Kaldur nodded once, "Of course. I suppose we will see you two at dinner later?" He and Tula stepped aside, clearing the doorway and bowed almost imperceptibly to the banished Atlantean prince as he and Roy passed. An eye less keen than Arsenal's wouldn't have even noticed the slight dip of their upper bodies.

Garth nodded as he passed by, "Yes. Until then."

That had been awkward for Roy. At least he could say they were truly trying to get past their past, but it was a heavy history between the three of them, and the wounds of betrayal heal slower than most.

Mia, now she was a different story. She looked at Roy with reverence and tried her hardest to learn just by watching him. She actually gave him his space and spoke to him only when absolutely necessary. It was Roy who was struggling, and the problem wasn't Mia herself, it was the fact that she was in contact with Green Arrow. And not just once in a while, they spoke almost everyday. Contrary to what he had told Dick, he and Ollie had not yet resolved their issues. It was difficult for him to get up the courage to call his own mentor. Especially since he now had Garth to add on the buffet of many reasons why Green Arrow probably would never accept him. He didn't know for certain how Ollie would react to the fact that he was in love with a man, they had never talked about that type of stuff, but he really wasn't too keen on finding out.

Garth didn't judge him for obvious reasons. It had been clear by the shocked looks on both Kaldur'ahm's and Tula's faces when they caught them kissing one evening that they had heard nothing about the Prince's relationship with a surface dweller of the same sex, which meant that Garth had not told his own king of his relationship. He wouldn't doubt if all of Atlantis knew by now though with Tula and Kaldur knowing.

"Mia, um, can we talk?"

Mia looked up at him with eyes that looked like a deer caught in headlights, "Was there a problem with my performance today, Arsenal?" The girl looked genuinely worried.

"No, nothing like that, I was just wondering, how's Green Arrow?" Roy picked at his fingernails with his thumb, waiting for her answer.

"Oh, um…he's fine."

"Ah, well, that's good," he looked away, unable to stop fidgeting at the awkwardness of this situation.

"He asks about you," Mia paused as Roy looked at her, "everyday. He asks how you're doing. I'm sure he'd love to talk to you."

"I don't know about that."

Mia put a hand on Roy's shoulder, "He would." She convinced him to talk to Oliver next time she called him, saying that they couldn't avoid each other forever.