In the depths of the Atlantic Ocean, just off the borders of the capitol, Tramm was building his latest invention with the assistance of his disinterested younger cousin.

The female Atlantean heaved a sigh out of boredom, forming little bubbles that floated up to her dark teal hair. With her blue, scaly fingers poking out of her golden fingerless gloves, she was tinkering with one of the several moving parts of said invention, barely capable with the technical know-how but lacking the passion Tramm was exhibiting.

She heard the clicking words of communication from her older cousin.

"Tula? I said if you can pass me the hydraulic adaptor," Tramm repeated in their native language. "And carefully, or else it explodes."

In English, Tula replied, "Right. Of course, Tramm."

Tramm gingerly took the piece and inserted it into a slot before speaking more.

"Thank you for your help. I know this is not fun for you, but with this hydro-powered compressor, we should be able to alleviate the pollution from above."

Tula displayed a barely convincing gentle smile as she swam above the gigantic machine, where a basketful of above-water garbage had been gathered as part of the beta testing.

"The intention is noble, definitely..." She picked up a plastic statuette that had a plaque titled 'Best Uplifter Award', curiously feeling the wooden parts. "I never asked you how it was like saving the world with Aqualad and the Teen Titans. Chasing down criminals, solving crimes..."

As Tramm locked in a few more pieces in place, he answered, "They're a blast to work with! They go by just 'Titans' now, now that there are a few grown-ups in the mix."

"Aqualad is still in Titans East, outside the northwest part of Atlantis, right?" Tula asked. "Why were you never part of a team?"

Tramm paused to look at her, blinking his bulbous yellow eyes.

"You are asking so many questions about Aqualad and the Titans," he commented. "Are you sure you do not have a crush on him?"

Flushed, Tula fumbled her fingers, dropping the statuette back into the basket.

With a playful snigger, Tramm answered, "I'm content that my technical expertise is as far as my contributions go, though in dire emergencies I can go and have gone into battle with them. We all play a part. Not everyone needs to be on the field, but every role is crucial."

Tula nodded, now hovering beside Tramm.

"I wish I'm as good with machines as you and everybody else are." And though those were the words she uttered, she kind of wanted something else. However, her thoughts were distracted by a man in purple in the corner of her eye. He looked suspect, and she already was skeptical about his being there, in what was supposed to be a private location for Tramm and other Atlantean engineers.

She eavesdropped on him as he was swimming away.

"All this nasty trash from the filths above and the apathetic tolerance of this Kingdom," she heard him mutter. It was either an unsettling gut feeling or her growing skepticism, but she felt something was off. And hence she followed him, making sure to not be seen.

"I will see you later, okay?" Tula informed Tramm, who agreed to release her, convinced it was only due to boredom.

Minutes later, still focused on his whozits and whatzits, Tramm was spooked by a huge explosion coming from the general area Tula had headed to. Schools of fish dispersed from there, in a panic.

"Tula?!"

" - and it is splendid that your parents have agreed to let you three hold the sleepover party in your family holiday home! Remember to assume your civilian identities!"

Starfire was on transmission with Teen Titans Robin, Mirage, and Flamebird. The three youngsters appeared to be in a cabin in the woods.

"We'll call it a team-building exercise!" Robin exclaimed. "I have said to Mirage that I've wanted to introduce her to this other part of my life -"

"And it is impressive!" Flamebird chimed in, to Robin's chagrin. "This guy's loaded!"

Starfire could hear a singular sound come out of Mirage's mouth that had a mixed tone of amusement and exasperation.

"I am sure it will be a much needed fun bonding experience!" Starfire chirped. Right then, the alert sounded in Titans Tower. "Duty has made a call. We shall communicate further later!"

A set of cybernetic hands passed a tablet to a set of female hands.

"You really are giving me access to your father's S.T.A.R. Labs?" Sarah asked. The look of surprise on her face had not waned ever since Cyborg brought her to his late father's former workplace.

Raven was standing in front of the couple, commenting, "This looks like there should be a formal ceremony."

Cyborg replied to Sarah, "Robin was right. This place could use some redecorating."

He insisted that Sarah take the access tablet.

"I know it'll fare much better under your hands," he added.

The three heard quiet wrestling sounds behind them, and found Nightwing pulling a cat Gar away from pressing some buttons.

"Will you just resist your petty animal urges?" Nightwing finally set Gar down. Over the changeling's indistinct feline whines, he looked up at Cyborg and asked, "And the Mother Box?"

Cyborg placed his eyes to be scanned, which secured the Mother Box within an energy field.

"I'll be safeguarding it," Cyborg said. "Although, this one might be outdated, a.k.a. dead, or else this facility would have been broken into by now."

Gar resumed human form. "And how's that box important and dangerous?"

"Remember that 'spirit-magic' one-time deal I did on Brother Blood?" Cyborg jogged their memories. "Well... it wasn't magic."

"It was the Mother Box," Sarah realised. Gar dropped his jaw.

Raven also realised, "You never told us this to keep us safe."

Cyborg creased his lips and tilted his head.

"Well, I guess... I also never studied much of it until I got inducted into the JLA."

Nightwing raised an eyebrow. "Meaning, they have Mother Boxes too?"

BEEP! BEEP!

Nightwing answered, "Star?"

"Nightwing! Friends! Tramm has contacted me. There is trouble in Atlantis!"

Sparing little time, the five Titans made their way to the Kingdom of Atlantis via T-Sub.

"I promise you, Vic, I'm okay here," Sarah replied to Cyborg over transmission. "Trust me. There are a few things I want to tinker with here. Focus on your mission."

Cyborg acknowledged his girlfriend's assurance. "Noted. Love you."

As Cyborg ceased contact, Starfire's voice echoed from intercom.

"Titans, we have arrived at our destination. Engage the lightweight diving suits."

While Gar ejected himself out of the T-Sub as a swordfish, the four other heroes donned said diving suits as they parked the T-Sub and all got out themselves. Then, they swam the rest of the way, towards Tramm's location.

Swordfish Gar swam beside Raven.

Hey, Raven, water we looking for? he asked her telepathically.

Raven shot him a pointed look, though distorted by her helmet.

"Just because you've learned to connect with my mind, doesn't mean I want you to do so at every opportunity," she said through her waterproof built-in headset. "And can you somehow use an inside voice to your inside voice? Your telepathic volume is as loud as you are."

Gar transformed into a clam, telepathically channeling to Raven, I guess you can say I'm constantly clam-oring for your attention!

Raven groaned at the puns. "And I thought I was just becoming seasick..."

Gar mentally chuckled. D'you sea what I did there?

Nightwing turned up between the two as Gar turned into a marlin.

Titans, focus, Nightwing telepathically instructed Raven and Gar, to both of their surprise.

"Does no one respect privacy anymore?" Raven asked sarcastically.

Nightwing pointed at a distraught Tramm ahead, with Starfire the first to reach him.

"Tramm! It has been a long time since we last met!" Starfire greeted. "What is the emergency? Where is Aqualad?"

As he was speaking in his language incomprehensible to the Titans, beyond Tramm was what appeared to be the aftermath of a big explosion.

"Take this with a grain of salt, but I think a bomb went off," Raven dryly remarked. She received a light nudge by marlin Gar.

Telepathically, he replied to her, Looks like a large-scale explosion.

Raven rolled her eyes.

Cyborg was about to make his way to the closest trace of the explosion, but was stopped by armed Atlanteans in black, creating a barrier between Cyborg and the crime scene.

One of the armed Atlanteans spoke. "There will be no unauthorised entry. This location is under investigation."

"We can assist with the investigation," Cyborg retorted.

Tramm got between them, seemingly complaining, or exasperatedly explaining. The Atlantean acknowledged whatever Tramm said.

"Tramm here explained that you are the Titans, heroes above. We are the Drift, the elite warriors of Atlantis."

Tramm continued his extended rant to the Drift warrior.

To her annoyance, marlin Gar telepathically whispered to Raven, Tramm sure is carp-ing his gills away...

The warrior replied, "We've arrested your cousin Tula as prime suspect for being nearest to the scene of the crime."

Tramm was in outrage, requiring Starfire and Nightwing to calm him down.

"Fear not, friend, we will seek justice for your cousin," Starfire assured him.

Tramm said something to the Drift warriors. The warriors looked at one another before turning to Starfire.

"Despite Tramm's insistence, we are still unable to grant you passage into the area of investigation."

The Titans expressed varying forms of mild disgruntlement.

"Never mind, we'll find another way," Cyborg told Tramm.

The Titans and Tramm returned to the T-Sub to regroup.

"Tramm, Gar and I will look for evidence of the explosion from outside the area the Drift has restricted," Cyborg reiterated in the huddle. "Meanwhile, you three will work with the Drift, but also look for evidence."

Starfire and Nightwing agreed, the latter adding, "Even though we are not permitted in the crime scene, there's sure to be a trail past the restricted area. Clues as to how the real culprit evaded capture."

Tramm spoke. Though no one understood, they got that he approved of the plan.

Starfire uttered, "We have our assignments. Titans, go."

Gar transformed into a cuttlefish and with his tentacles wrapped Raven around her waist.

One last cuddlefish before we splitsies, he mentally communicated to her.

Raven's eyes glowed as she telekinetically unwrapped herself and tangled Gar's tentacles to one another.

Out of sight of the Atlantean warriors, Cyborg, Tramm, and shark Gar started searching for clues.

Tramm called for the two Titans, as he examined a piece of debris.

"It probably came from the explosion," Cyborg guessed, aiming his scanners at it. "That's strange..."

Gar and Tramm exchanged wondering facial expressions.

"I'm detecting faint elements of a Mother Box. Access to one would definitely mean access to properties to conduct a blast of that extent... Tramm, does Atlantis have one in possession?"

Tramm nodded and then did a stern salute. Shark Gar started looking around cautiously.

"It's secured by the Drift," Cyborg correctly interpreted. "So, if a Mother Box did cause the explosion, it's either an inside-job or a skilled or well-connected break-in."

Gar turned into a frantic sea snake, grabbing the other two's attention.

Cyborg grunted. "Not now, Gar -"

They suddenly felt massive oscillations, as if something huge was incoming.

Tramm finally realised what Gar was panicking about. He grabbed Cyborg and hastily made a swim for it.

"Wait, the debris!" Cyborg didn't grab the debris, but on his attempt saw behind a forest of long seaweeds a couple of huge seabeasts. "What are those?!"

The seabeasts were like green underwater dragons the size of whales, almost camouflaged well with the seaweeds and kelp.

The trio swam as fast as they could, but were quickly caught up to.

One of the seabeasts' mouths opened as it shadowed the heroes.

The last thing Gar thought right before the seabeasts closed its mouth with the heroes in it was, Oceannnnn-t!

Raven groaned as she was nudged back by two of the Drift warriors with their trident-like weapons. She had failed to convince them to let her, Starfire and Nightwing in.

"We're being treated like driftwood," was her muttering report to a scouring Starfire.

"Raven! Star!" called out Nightwing. The two swam to him. He had found a lead. A gooey lead.

The ladies couldn't help but react with disgust as Nightwing touched the algae-like slime.

If she could through her diving suit, Starfire would have pinched her nose. "That is most repulsive."

In his digging, he uncovered a piece of metal, one that had been cracked and singed.

"Part of the bomb?" Raven guessed. Nightwing shook his head.

"More like one of the things that got blown at the bomb's detonation. I'm calling Cyborg."

Nightwing tried to call his teammate, to no avail.

"That can't be good," Raven uttered, now calling Gar, who also wasn't responding.

"Nightwing!" frantically answered Cyborg.

"Cyborg! What's happening?"

Starfire and Raven huddled behind Nightwing to listen in. Cyborg seemed to be in an underwater cave, his diving helmet off and him breathing through an air pocket, with a seahorse Gar behind him.

Cyborg explained, "We got attacked by these seabeasts, but Tramm's cousin saved us. Listen; We need you to keep the Drift at bay while we're following Tula's lead. She knows who caused the explosion. It was from a fusion bomb using a Mother Box."

The three Titans nodded in understanding.

Cyborg was about to end the transmission. Gar quickly turned back into his human form.

"Eh, how can they keep those warriors at bay when we're all leagues under the sea?" he joked, to everyone's chagrin.

"Gar," Raven uttered.

Starfire's eyes narrowed disapprovingly. "Even I realised that was a figure of speech."

"Hehe."

Cyborg finally ended the transmission. Scaly fingers passed him his fixed diving helmet. He and anglerfish Gar looked up.

"Thanks, Tramm." He put the helmet on. "So, how will we stop Corum Rath and the Deluge he's leading to instigate a coup?"

Tula replied, "There's not much time to explain. Corum and the seabeasts are setting off another fusion bomb. We can't alert the Drift because they won't believe me. Corum's well-connected."

"And it'll make him aware that we're on his tail."

Tula felt the water waves shift. "It's them. Do you think we can take them on?"

Gar turned into a shark, taking up most of the space in the air pocket. Cyborg nodded.

Tramm, however, seemed to disagree with his cousin.

Tula retorted back to him, "No, Tramm, you're the mechanic, not me. You can stand by to help Cyborg in any injuries, but I should've told you sooner that I don't want the route our species are specialised in. Especially since I'm no good at it.

"I'm a competent combatant, and I will fight alongside the Titans. You should be the one to look for the Mother Box."

Tramm looked at Cyborg and shark Gar, then back at Tula, and nodded. Tula smiled and signaled for them to make their move.

It didn't take much longer for the elite Atlantean warriors to realise that the Mother Box was missing.

"We must interrogate Tula as she might be in possession of it," one of them suggested.

"They've caught on," Nightwing told his teammates. "They're going to find out real soon that Tula's escaped."

Starfire gasped and darted to the Drift as fast as she could fly.

"Soldiers, I truly believe you are misled to suspect Tula!" she said. "Has she ever appeared to be the kind that would detonate a fusion bomb?"

The warriors shrugged, one them replying, "She could've been trying to build something and set it off, accidentally or not. Apparently, her engineering is a little lacking."

Another warrior looked suspiciously at Starfire. "How are you sure it was a fusion bomb?"

From afar, Raven did a facepalm as she and Nightwing watch Starfire start to stutter.

BEEP! BEEP! Starfire briefly checked that it was Cyborg requesting a transmission.

Predicting that she was about to reveal the Titans' cards, she retorted to the Drift warrior, "You have a traitor in your midst, but it is not Tula."

She accepted Cyborg's request.

"Titans, a little help here! We got more seabeasts and rebels than we may be able to handle."

"On our way, Cyborg!" she replied before turning to the Drift. "Our friends and Tula have a lead. If you wish to fulfil your duties of protecting your Kingdom and its citizens, we insist you to trust us."

Nightwing and Raven floated beside Starfire, backing her up. The warriors still appeared stiffened.

Cyborg found himself pushing with his arms and legs in between the mouth of one of the seabeasts in his bid to not be eaten alive. He watched Gar take down another such aquatic creature as a styxosaurus.

"Yo, G! I could use a fin here!" Cyborg cried out, struggling to keep resisting.

Out of nowhere, Tula came in and jabbed a pike at the seabeast's side, causing it to roar. Cyborg used that opportunity to free himself and blast the creature.

He proceeded to watch Tula fend off another beast with expert precision and brute strength.

"Okay, competent combatant!" Cyborg commended as she succeeded.

Tula briskly pointed behind him. "Corum's escaping towards the bomb!"

They were too late, for Corum Rath had reached the detonator.

"Say goodbye to this polluted Kingdom and the incompetent regime!" Corum declared and activated the bomb.

Everyone braced for impact. Except, nothing happened.

"What?!" In shock, Corum did the activation again, and again no detonation.

Snickering, Cyborg and Tula looked behind them, at Tramm with a wrench, waving at them and cheering, with the Mother Box and defused fusion bomb with him.

"No! My plan! My overthrow!" Corum tried to get away, but was blocked in his path by Starfire and Raven's powers, as well as the Drift warriors approaching him.

"Corum Rath, by the demands of the Drift, you are under arrest for treason, and for trespassing into the Atlantean Stronghold and burglary to the highest degree," one of the warriors declared as the others apprehended Corum.

Struggling to refuse as he was being taken away, Corum shouted out, "Abetting with the abovewater people! This is what's causing all the wastage!"

"That does not make your political stunt right," Nightwing uttered as Corum was being taken away while other members of the Drift tamed the seabeasts.

The last warrior swam to Tula helping Cyborg.

"We still need to take you in until we get to the bottom of this," he said. This made Tramm go on a rant again.

Cyborg protested, "Don't you see she's innocent? She saved us!"

"It's okay," Tula said. "It should just be procedures, and I can handle myself."

Cyborg backed off. "Evidently."

Tramm talked to Tula whilst following the Drift, to which she reacted with a smile.

"Glad to see you finally get what I want to do!" she replied.

The warrior, overhearing their dialog, asked, "If it's true that you concocted the plan to beat Corum and the seabeasts, then I gotta say that's impressive for a young girl like you."

Gar turned into a salmon and floated beside Raven and their other team members.

Well, this mission went swimmingly!

A little over a week later, Nightwing was partaking in a bachelor party with the groomsmen of his and Starfire's Earth wedding ceremony. They - consisting of best mates Cyborg and Gar, and several of the male Titans - were on a yacht. All were in sailing apparel, save for their respective masks to protect their identities if applicable.

Killowat in waterproof getup and Cyborg were encouragingly pushing a blindfolded Nightwing while Gar was guiding him as a fox.

"This better be a good surprise!" Nightwing said, unaware of what was going on amidst the heckling or cheering from the other Titans. "As long as it's not over the line or creating waste!"

"Don't worry about all that!" Cyborg said cheekily. "Trust us!"

"Yeah!" added Killowat. "We even rented this environmentally-friendly yacht!"

From a distance, Tula popped her head out of the seawater, watching the yacht from afar though unable to make up what was going on. She turned around and saw Titans Tower, nearly equidistant.

At the corner of his robot eye, Cyborg noticed a head bobbing out of the sea, and zoomed in, realizing it was Tula.

Excusing himself, he took a rescue boat and approached her.

Hearing the propellers against the water, Tula turned back around.

"Forgive me, Tula, but I noticed you and just wanted to check up with you. You alright?"

Tula smiled. "Don't mind me much. Just breathing in the air. Good thing we caught Corum Rath and the Drift released all charges against me. Underwater stagnation isn't a good feeling for me."

"That was last week. I have to think you're past that by now."

Tula gave it a more considerable ponder before answering.

"Correct. I was assisting Tramm with enforcing higher security on the Stronghold."

Cyborg tilted his head. "I assume by 'higher security', you mean technological security as opposed to security personnel. As much as I personally love all this tech talk, I understand that's not your interest."

Tula nodded.

Cyborg added, "I'm sure Tramm would encourage you to follow your passions, even if it's not one expected of you by your peers."

Cyborg gave one more thought.

"And, no bias involved, you're great at combat. Better than most of those at the Drift, dare I say."

"Those are really encouraging words!" Tula tittered. "Getting enlisted on the Drift would certainly be one of those routes..."

Her smile faded.

"Corum formed the Deluge because he was sick of the regime, including the lack of policing over our Kingdom's environment. Though he was wrong about his radicalism, I can't disagree with the lack of policing part. And on that regard, I would declare myself guilty for I've been part of the problem of the pollution, having done nothing about it and even sometimes welcoming objects from abovewater."

Cyborg considered her response.

"Sometimes, we become too hard on ourselves when we feel undeserving. I've been on that mind state; when my dad rebuilt my body, when I thought I had built-in limits despite my friends knowing I had more in me, when I thought being in both the JLA and the Titans would take too much toll...

"But I'm here to tell you, based on what I know, that you are good. The fact that you feel remorse about it already demonstrates commendable moral compass. And you will do the most good when you pursue a path you are passionate about."

Tula's smile returned, more thankful.

Their heartwarming conversation was interrupted by the echoes of Nightwing's screaming and the groomsmen's uproar of laughter, the sounds carried by the water.

"What did you guys put on me?!" Nightwing asked frenetically.

Next to Gar as a cackling hyena, the Herald answered, "Sorry, we can't let you know!"

In his fit of laughter, Gar resumed human form and bellowed, "What we can let you know, is that it will turn your Dick Gray, son!"

Tula gave an unimpressed look at Cyborg, who was holding back laughter.

"Whatever they're doing to him, it was your idea, wasn't it?" she muttered.

Cyborg shrugged cheekily.

(A/N: Tula is Aquagirl in the Teen Titans Go (2003) comics. I've decided to use her real name. Hope you enjoyed the episode/chapter!)