"He's coming with me to reform the Green Lantern Corps."

Kyle's announcement was met with a beat of disbelieving silence. Jason resisted the urge to palm his face. While he appreciated the candid honesty of his era, it was times like this that made him wished that didn't pave the way for such blatant bluntness. Goddamit, Kyle. Can't even bother to ease them into it, can you?

Bruce, of course, did not take this well. "We need to ensure he's no longer under Parallax's control—"

"He isn't." Kyle flourished his hand and opened his palm to reveal a small orb with a flaxen-colored insect inside. Everyone goggled at the sight.

"Kyle," Jason started, trying to keep his voice calm. "Are you telling us that, during the interim where we were coralling the remaining villains on Infinity Island and figuring out a way to transfer them to proper authorities, you managed to track down Parallax to whatever pocket dimension Savage banished it to, defeat it, miniaturize it, and capture it?"

"Yes." At least he was honest.

"And you couldn't bother to tell us that?" Jason didn't shriek, but it was a near thing.

Kyle shrugged. "We had more important things to worry about. Don't worry, I've got things under control." He snapped his fingers and Parallax popped away.

"But…" Hal trailed off, suddenly very off-balance. "Don't I get a say in this?"

"Hal, what else are you going to do? Coast City is still in the process of being rebuilt, and you're going to have to explain yourself to John, Guy, and Carol either way. And like it or not, the universe needs the Green Lantern Corps." Kyle lifted his right hand, showing off the white ring he wielded. Many couldn't help but flinch at the sight — it was, after all, the weapon that had nearly slaughtered four major superhero teams. "I might wield the most powerful ring in the universe, but I'm just one man. I can't hope to guard every sector by myself."

"But—I don't deserve this ring! John, or Guy, they remained loyal to the Corps to the end. But me…I gave into Parallax, I destroyed the Corps—"

"Hal, you were under Parallax's influence for years before you finally gave in, and that was after suffering one of the worst tragedies any of us have ever had to endure," Kyle retorted firmly, cutting the other man off. "You might have the strongest will in the universe, but any man would've broken under that kind of weight. I would've broken under that weight. After all, I've been possessed by Parallax as well."

The second Green Lantern's jaw dropped as shock overcame his entire expression. His contemporaries were also surprised.

"You were possessed by Parallax?"

Kyle looked away, mind brimming with memories. "In the last timeline. I…well, there are reasons I hate Sinestro so much. That was one of them." One of many.

Hal looked down at that, lose. "I…" His mouth felt dry.

There was the sound of a sigh, of a chair being moved, and he looked up to see Kyle approaching him. The younger(?) man sat himself on the edge of the table, and put a hand on his shoulder. "Hal. I get it. But let me ask you this — do you honestly think you'll be able to step away, now that you know that you have the chance to atone for all your mistakes?"

Hal pursed his lips, and then shook his head. Kyle smiled.

"I thought so. But if you still believe that you don't deserve that ring…" The artist reached out and slid the ring away from Hal's finger. He observed it for a moment, before clasping it between both his hands and closing his eyes. White light glowed from his own ring and from the Green Lantern ring, before quickly fading away.

Kyle then handed back the ring. All three of them.

Everyone stared as the three Green Lantern rings fell into Hal's open palm, eyes wide. "How…?" Hal asked, head shooting up to meet Kyle's gaze. "I thought only the Guardians could create new rings?"

The White Lantern furrowed his brow. "The Qwardians would take offense to that, I'll have you know. Along with many others when we head up into space. But as for me? It's something I picked up from you." He smirked.

Hal blinked, before staring down at the rings in awe. "Seriously?"

"Forged it from your own willpower, then you taught me the theory. I couldn't employ it myself until I became the White Lantern, but…" Kyle shrugged. "Either way, there's one for you, one for John, and one for Guy. We'll need to track down Ganthet, and someone is probably going to have to stay behind to be the JLA's resident Lantern, but it's a start." He peered down at Hal, tilting his head in amusement. "That is, if you're up to it."

There was another a moment of silence as everyone waited for Hal's answer. Eventually, the man nodded, sliding one of the rings onto his hand and giving Kyle a determined look. "I'm in."

Kyle's smile turned into a grin, and he gave Hal a congratulatory pat onto his shoulder. "Good man," he praised, before glancing at his teammates. "We'll stay to get our affairs settled and so I can transfer my stuff over to the base. I'll talk to John, Guy and Carol, explain what's going on to them before we go. Don't mess up my room while I'm gone."

"Why would anyone want to go in there?" M'gann asked innocently, anything but innocent.

"Ha, ha," Kyle said, solidly unamused. "You're hilarious."

Bruce cleared his throat. Again. Donna gave him a concerned look.

"Are you sick, Batman?" she asked. Bruce glared at her.

"No. Now that things with Jordan are settled, we have one more matter to settle before we adjourn for this meeting." His eyes flashed. "What are we supposed to tell the rest of the superhero community?"

Superman frowned. "Are you advocating we tell everyone, Batman?"

"No, Superman, he has a point," Jason rebutted, agreeing with his father. "The information is already known to all the villains who worked with Savage. Most of them are in prison, but not all of them, and even then prison isn't going stop the information from spreading. Especially after the recent incident with the League of Assassins." Dick winced at the reminder. "We need to get ahead of that, control the narrative so it doesn't cause any dissent in the future. We'll have to make a formal announcement of some sort."

"Oracle can handle that, she has a direct line to most superheroes in the world," Dick volunteered.

"And what of the civilians? Or, at least the civilian authorities?" Bruce questioned, eyes narrowed. "We can't very well tell them."

Jason shrugged. "Then don't."

"We have to tell them something. We can't hide the fact that we have two Justice Leagues running around."

"Then give them the truth. We're time travelers."

Bruce opened his mouth, before he stopped, and blinked. "Oh. I see." He didn't say anything more than that.

"Well, if that's it—oh, wait. The camp."

Wally blinked. "That's still happening, right?"

"It is," Donna replied. "He's just wondering if we should make an announcement about the camp with the general one about our time travel. After all, we have more teachers. That means we can handle more students."

Several heroes looked leery about that, but nods from all three members of the original Trinity staid any protests. That final word said, the meeting finally adjourned. Not everything that needed to be said was, but for now — it was enough.


As it turned out, M'gann didn't need to stay with any of them. J'onn had an apartment on Earth for his own civilian identity and had offered to share it with her. She had quickly agreed and happily flew off with him after saying her goodbyes. Kyle offered the same to Hal, knowing the other man didn't have a place to stay, and the two planned to meet with the rest of the Lanterns some time during the week at Guy's bar. Alan, of course, was invited to come as a Lantern himself.

Wallace sped off with the rest of the speedsters to Central City, no doubt to soothe the nerves of the worried Iris West. Kaldur gave them a salute before following Arthur, Garth, and Mera to Atlantis to do the same with his own parents. The Kryptonians were some of the last to leave — they had to borrow one of Courtney's spare costumes to give Kara a sufficient disguise and a quick flying lesson, along with repeated assurances from Kon in Kryptonese that he would use his telekinesis to stabilize her and keep her in the air in case something happened. That had prompted a quick demonstration of said telekinesis using a nearby car. Once Kara was satisfied, they left, with promises from Kon to return to Catskills the following day once Kara was settled.

As the teams dispersed, either to their own homes or to their own bases, the Bats and Donna boarded the Bat-Plane back to the Manor and the Cave. Nightwing, needing to to go work the following day, went with them as Gotham would be a shorter drive to Bludhaven then taking his own transportation from the Tower. He could always have someone send his stuff from there over later anyway.

When they arrived at the Manor, Alfred, Stephanie, and Damian were all waiting for them. Upon seeing the second Batman and a silver and blue Wonder Woman, they stared.

"…Master Jason?" Alfred blurted out in surprise, losing his composure for once.

Jason silently nodded.

Stephanie blinked, and gave a more critical look to the Wonder Woman. "Then you're—"

"Donna, yes," Donna finished for her, smiling slightly. "We're currently stuck in our adult forms for the time being. Thank Vandal Savage for that."

The three exchanged apprehensive looks.

"Well, better change, and then some sleep," Jason suddenly announced, breaking the awkward tension, "Even with Kyle's Blue Lantern powers, I feel exhausted." He lifted his helmet off, undoing the latches on the way, revealing the top of his head and face, the rest covered by a black half-mask. He tapped something on the side, and the mask retracted itself, revealing his entire face. Everyone who had been present during the confrontation with Ra's al Ghul noted that this face looked a touch older than the version of Jason they saw during that incident, but only just so.

He tapped the helmet, and it reduced and flattened out into a simple mask. Then, Jason tapped the buckle of his utility belt, and everyone stared in wonder as the entire suit — including the cape! — retracted and weaved away into the utility belt, revealing an under-outfit of a black, short-sleeved shirt and black cargo pants and boots. Jason unhooked the utility belt and threw it over his shoulder, while hanging the mask from a string on the side of his leg.

Upon feeling Donna's amused and slightly appreciative gaze and everyone else's disbelieving ones, he shrugged. "Nanoweave," Jason explained, rubbing the back of his head.

"Now that's just not fair," Dick whined. There were murmurs of agreement, and even Bruce looked slightly annoyed.

"I'd give you the schematics to make your own, but the materials needed won't be widely available for at leasat five years," Jason said, setting the mask and the belt down on a nearby table. "So, until then, the old-fashioned way will have to do."

"Sorry, everyone," Donna added, back in her own civilian outfit — a long-sleeved black shirt and a pair of jeans and sneakers. Tim took one look at her and did a double take.

"How—?"

"I just spin to change," Donna answered, shrugging. "That's nothing new, Diana does the same thing."

Dick whined even louder.


After everyone was properly showered and changed — Jason was able to borrow some of Bruce's clothes, with Alfred planning another quick shopping trip to get him a full wardrobe for his current size; Donna's clothing, thankfully, still fit, though her outfits were a touch tighter than usual — they ascended up to the Manor for food and sleep. Dinner was quickly warmed and prepared, and the family settled around the dining table with practiced ease. As they ate, Jason informed Damian and Stephanie about the decision for the time travelers, including him, to temporarily move to Catskills base.

Predictably, Damian didn't take it well.

"But why?" The boy demanded, setting down his fork forcefully (but not so much to damage the table, lest he invite Alfred's wrath). "We have plenty have space here to support you and your compatriots!"

"Oh, I know," Jason groused out, eyes far and brow twitching. Next to him, Donna stifled a chuckle.

Damian failed to notice. "Then why not stay here with us? Surely they all know how to care for themselves, so Alfred's workload should not increase too exponentially—"

"If only that were true, Master Damian," Alfred muttered as he carted in dessert.

"—and resources are never a concern. Would it not be better to let all of you stay here?"

Jason sighed, and then gave his youngest brother a flat look. "Damian, the last time I had the entire council stay over at Wayne Manor for an extended period of time, they nearly blew up the entire building."

Everyone stared at him.

"Donna—?" Dick started.

"He's telling the truth," Donna confirmed, plating herself a slice of chocolate cake. "There was an incident with Wallace messing with the Manor's in-built defenses, Kon got involved, and then there was an energy shortage so they brought in Kaldur, and, well…" She shrugged.

"Worst five hours of my life," Jason proclaimed, downing an entire glass of club soda. "I am not risking my home like that ever again. At least Catskills is built to handle super-powered shenanigans."

"Especially after you, Wallace, and Kon are done with it," Donna noted, giving her boyfriend a grin and a nudge. "Already thinking of additions, aren't you?"

"Oh, like you wouldn't believe!" Jason said, grinning back. "Classrooms, training rooms, locker rooms — we can't have the original back, but we can get really close. While there's probably going to be a catch to all this, I've got to admit having access to my old database is certainly useful. All the files and schematics are in there, for a lot of stuff I really missed." He gave a happy sigh. "It's going to be a long week, but it'll be worth it."

"Really worth it," Donna agreed, as her smile became slightly sensual.

Jason noticed, and returned the look with a longing expression of his own. A cleared throat and a glare from Bruce stopped them and left them sheepish, but their hands lingered near each other nonetheless, even as Dick looked a little sick from the exchange. It seems he wasn't used to the idea of his best friend and his younger brother being a couple quite yet.

Dinner continued in general peace after that, and soon after everyone was filing up the stairs for sleep. With most of Gotham's rogues still waiting in transit for transfer to Arkham Asylum, the city was quiet, and it had been silently agreed upon to take the night off for once. Well wishes for good sleep were exchanged as everyone filed into their rooms one by one. Jason was one of the last few to turn in, a light in his room as he tried to arrange the sheets of his bed to handle his suddenly larger body.

Before he could join the land of dreams, however, there was a knock on his door. With a frown, he went ahead and opened it, adopting an exasperated look when he saw who it was.

"Bruce, seriously?" He asked, groaning. "Can't this wait until tomorrow?"

Bruce ignored his complaints. "The one named Kaldur'ahm. He's a killer."

Jason gave him an unimpressed look. "Bruce, most of your teammates are killers. All of my teammates are killers. I'm a killer."

"That's different," Bruce insisted. "I know you're only going to kill someone if it's an absolute last resort. Same with the rest of the Justice League. But him…"

His son observed him for a long moment, before sighing. He quietly gestured his father inside, shutting the door close quietly so no one would be awoken by the sound. Once they were alone, Jason turned around and crossed his arms. "Is this because of Black Manta?"

Bruce nodded.

Jason sighed. "You already know his reasons, don't you?"

"I did. I understand, but the comment he made at the meeting today regarding possible methods to deal with Light...well, it concerned me."

Another sigh. "The thing about Kaldur," Jason started, looking tired, "is that you have to remember that he is a soldier. And I don't mean a soldier like you or me or even Diana or Donna. I mean a real, professional soldier of a standing army of an advanced civilization and a world power." He hesitated for a moment, before continuing to speak.

"Like Donna, there was a gap between Kaldur's career as Aqualad and his career as Aquaman, hence why he's the third Aquaman instead of the second. But unlike Donna, who retreated to Themyscira to heal, Kaldur gave up the Aqualad mantle for professional reasons. He was needed elsewhere."

"Where?" Bruce prompted.

"Atlantis," Jason answered, a tinge of sadness to his expression. "Bruce… that attack by Black Manta? The one that killed Arthur and Kaldur's parents? That happened only a year or so after you died. Queen Atlanna, Arthur's second child and successor, she was only three when her father died and she was crowned queen. Until she reached her majority, Mera acted as her regent. But because of that, she couldn't be there for Atlanna all the time. So Kaldur gave up being a superhero to be Atlanna's bodyguard instead, and then her first tutor in combat."

Bruce raised an eyebrow. "That's quite a lot of sacrifice and responsibility for one so young."

Jason gave a shrug in response. "Kaldur was in a dark place after the attack. Atlanna was one of the few bright spots. He loved her, was loyal to her above all others. There wasn't anything in the world he wouldn't have done for her." He gave a meaningful look to his father. "Anything."

"He killed to protect her," Bruce quickly deduced.

"As he should have," Jason added, wrinkling his nose at the face Bruce made. "Oh, don't give me that look, B. He wasn't a superhero anymore. He was a soldier, a bodyguard for a child queen for whom there was no shortage of enemies willing to kill or kidnap her for their own purposes. If he wasn't willing to do anything and everything to protect her, then he would've never gotten the job."

"Then how did he end up Aquaman?"

Now Jason really seemed to be hesitating. He spent a long moment gathering his thoughts. Finally, he said, "Garth quit. Dolphin and him love each other, but his superhero career has always been a point of contention between them. Eventually, to save his marriage, he retired." Jason rubbed one of his arms. "It wasn't that hard of a choice in the end. With Donna on Themyscira and the rest of his closest friends dead, the people nearest and dearest to his heart were in Atlantis. He had other friends of course, and so accepted the post of being Atlantis' ambassador to the UN so he could visit them, but for the most part he was done being a superhero. Kaldur, as the only other Aqualad and as Atlantis' greatest warrior, was the natural choice for his successor. He was reluctant, but when Atlanna made it an order, he accepted the mantle as her wish."

Bruce lifted his chin. "But that's not the only reason why, is it?"

"No. But I'm not going to tell you what it is, because I'm not going to betray my friend's privacy like that. I'm already betraying enough as it is, telling you about this." Jason placed a hand on his hip, shifting away to reveal his bedroom door. "Now, Bruce, if I've satisfied all your questions, please leave. I've got a long day tomorrow and I need every second of sleep I can get."

A short stare-off ensued, but Bruce conceded quickly enough and headed towards the door. Before he left, however, he turned his head back to glance at Jason and ask one last question. "You said that every single member of your team has killed before. Out of all you, who is the most likely to kill someone again?"

Jason snorted. "You already know the answer to that."

"Humor me."

The son flared his nostrils, exhaling his answer with a hint of irritation. "It's Kaldur. He has the least amount of reservations when it comes to taking a life. But make no mistake, Bruce, every single member of the council is willing to take that plunge if they feel there is no choice. Don't think he's unique in that regard."

Bruce observed his son for a moment, taking in his tired appearance, before giving a short nod. "I won't."


Atlantis, Kaldur thought as he trailed after his king, queen, and friend, is beautiful.

Then again, Atlantis was always beautiful. Through its greatest triumphs and its greatest disasters, Atlantis had an aged dignity to it that remained unmatched by any location upon the surface world. Technological advancement crossed with primordial architecture, combined with the unique aquatic aesthetics that only a city beneath the sea could hope to imagine, gave Atlantis a certain gorgeousness that Kaldur had never managed to find anywhere else. He had not been home often after during his tenure as Aquaman (though not by choice), so every time he saw the 'Lost City', as it was known, he was always left in momentary awe.

As they swam through the streets and avoided the curious stares of the denizens, Kaldur observed the differences between the Atlantis of this time and the Atlantis he had come to know by the end of his life. This Atlantis still had the general structure and influences of the Old City, the Atlantis that had sunk beneath the oceans thousands upon thousands of years ago. Their advances in technology were woven into these structures, rather than eclipsing and replacing them entirely.

It was a deep contrast to the Atlantis he knew, which was colorful and ever-expanding, resembling something from the popular sci-films of the surface world. But of course — the Old City had been partially destroyed during Black Manta's fateful attack all those years ago, and in the aftermath, Atlantis had to rebuild, to grow and adapt. In some ways, it had resembled the maturing of its new child queen, the young girl that Kaldur had guarded with his life for ten years. The year Atlantis had finally completed all the repairs from that horrible day was the year Queen Atlanna had sent him away. She was barely thirteen by that point, but she had a wisdom that exceeded those four or five times her age. She hadn't needed him anymore, at least not in the way he had been serving her since the day her father died at the hands of his own. It brought him as much pride as as it did sorrow.

They arrived to the palace at a brisk pace, ignoring the looks from courtiers and advisers alike. Kaldur followed his liege to the innermost chambers, the private rooms of the royal family. They lingered in front of room, and the doors were opened. Kaldur swam inside, and felt his breath shorten and leave him.

The golden shock of his mother's hair was as vibrant here as it was in his memories, along with her tan skin and her pale green eyes, the same as his own. His father, his true father, was there and not that glorified sperm donor that had deigned to call himself by that title to his face. Kaldur felt a pang of rage at the thought, and internally cursed the fact that his king had not allowed him to strike Black Manta down. He could understand his king's desire to 'preserve his soul' and what not, especially when surrounded by other heroes, but Kaldur had lived this life long enough to know he was never going to regret killing Manta again. Quite the contrary.

"Kaldur'ahm?" Sha'lain'a gasped as she and her husband stepped forward to take a closer look at their son.

Kaldur smiled at them both, his expression both joyful and tearful. "Mother." He nodded towards Sha'lain'a. "Father." He did the same to Calvin. Then, he pulled them both into a group hug. "I've missed you so."

After some hesitation, the parents hugged their son just as fiercely. They stayed like that for a bit, with the rest of the room's occupants watching them. After Kaldur let them go, letting his hands pat both of them on the shoulders and linger, he glanced back at his companions. His eyebrows raised when he saw who had joined them: Dolphin, and Garth and hers child, Cerdian.

"How can this be?" His mother's words cut through his thoughts, and Kaldur smiled at her and his father gently.

"It is a long story. I shall tell you all of it as soon as we are home, I promise." He gave their shoulders a squeeze before stepping away, and approaching Garth and Dolphin.

Garth seemed to come alive upon seeing his approach. "Kaldur, I'd like you to meet my wife—"

"—Dolphin," Kaldur finished, finally coming to a stop. He eyed the small baby in her arms. "And your son, Cerdian. If I may?" He held out hands.

The two Atlanteans exchanged a look, before Dolphin reluctantly handed her son over. Kaldur took the child into his arms with practiced care, his expression morphing into a deeply fond look. "It is odd seeing him so young," he commented, voice soft. As he spoke, he felt a memory wash over him.


Kaldur hummed as he listened to the storm attacked against the exterior of the lighthouse. Combined with the waves beating against the cliff, it made for a raucous sight. A solid disparity to the interior, with warmth of the fireplace pervading throughout the insides, a comfort as he prepared tonight's dinner: a fresh-baked pizza, courtesy of a recipe Jason had shared with him after the last council meeting.

Pizza was one of the first things he had eaten when he had first set foot on the surface world, a delicacy introduced to him by his King, all those fateful years ago. He had it sparingly during his time as his Queen's bodyguard, due to Atlanna rarely venturing outside of Atlantis. As a child monarch, her mother and regent, the Dowager Queen Mera, handled most of the diplomatic trips, especially those that required venturing to the surface world.

The timer he was using to time the bake let out a chime and Kaldur, clad in a warm blue sweater and flannel pants, crouched down to observe the inside of the appliance. Pleased with the appearance of the pie, he stood up, turned off the timer, and grabbed a pair of oven mitts. He opened the oven, turning off the heat, and taking out the pizza using the wooden pizza paddle he kept hanging on the side of his kitchen.

Just as he was sliding the pizza onto its tray, he heard the doorbell ring and frowned. He left the pizza to cool and took off the mitts, setting them next to the pizza as he departed from the kitchen for the front door.

Kaldur went to open it, and blinked when he saw who it was on the other side.

"Can I come in?" Cerdian asked. A young man of twenty years old, Cerdian had many of his mother's facial features, a certain softness that contrasted his father's stronger, sharper features. Other than that, however, he was a dead ringer for Garth, with his dark hair and violet eyes. Were it not for his navy blue armor, a contrast to his father's scarlet and then orange, one could even confuse them as the same person.

Slowly, the current Aquaman nodded and stepped aside, shutting the door closed as soon as Cerdian was inside to avoid anymore wind and rain from getting in. He watched as the younger man used his magic to warm and dry himself up, preventing him from tracking water throughout Kaldur's home.

"The kitchen," Kaldur said after Cerdian finished fixing himself up. "I've just made some pizza. We can share."


"Why are you here, Cerdian?" Kaldur asked as they finished the last of the pizza. "Not that I am not happy to see you, but you do not leave Atlantis often. At least, not without your parents." Garth, after all, was now Atlantis' primary ambassador to the surface world. His family had residences both in Atlantis and in New York, so they could be near the headquarters for the United Nations.

Cerdian stared down at his glass of club soda. Kaldur had refused to give him alcohol, citing that as far as the surface world was concerned, he was not of age, and correctly predicting that they would near clear heads for the following discussion. Cerdian had grudgingly accepted his reasoning, even as he dreaded what was to come.

"The Queen is turning eighteen soon," Cerdian started hesitantly.

Kaldur raised an eyebrow. "Yes, I know. I've been given a grace period to attend the celebration." He wouldn't be allowed to return to Atlantis otherwise.

"There has been…talks."

"Talks?"

Cerdian swallowed. "Talks. About…about suitors."

Kaldur stilled. "Ah." He kept his voice deliberately neutral, trying not to betray his thoughts.

"Considering the Queen's…heritage, it's been agreed upon that she'll marry another Atlantean." Because as beloved as her father was, Arthur had still been a half-breed. Even now, there were grumbles about how the Queen had more Xebelian blood than Atlantean. "However, if she doesn't make a choice within a year of her eighteenth birthday, Dowager Queen Mera has considered either arranging a marriage or hosting an engagement challenge."

"How surprising. I never thought the Dowager Queen would ever consider such a thing."

Cerdian shrugged, still looking uncomfortable. "Normally, she wouldn't, but you know how fickle the Atlantean people can be. Things have been calm for now, but the last thing the Dowager Queen wants is to have her family repeatedly enthroned and dethroned like the times of yore."

"Even so, to have her daughter married so young?"

"The engagement can last as long as the Queen wishes is it to," Cerdian amended. "But she must be engaged all the same. The Atlantean people need the reassurance and the stability of a royal engagement, with the hopeful promise of a royal marriage. To symbolize the fact that these dark times are truly over, that we are moving on to a new era."

Kaldur slowly nodded along with Cerdian's speech, and when he finished, hummed. "It sounds like you're trying to sell me on the idea, Cerdian. Why is that?"

The young Atlantean said nothing.

Abruptly, the older man stood up, carrying the pizza tray, crumbs and all, to the sink. He measuredly wiped off the crumbs into a nearby trashcan before placing the tray into the sink and running some of water on it. It would make it easier to wash when he had to do the dishes later on.

"I watched over our Queen for ten years," Kaldur began as he returned to the table. "From the day her father died to the day she chose to banish me from her presence. I guarded her, taught her, trained her, comforted her, cared for her. Through all the early milestones of her life and reign, I was by her side. And while I was there, I learned much." His pale green met violet, and he tilted his head. "I am not a fool, Cerdian. How long have you loved our Queen?"

Cerdian's mouth fell slightly, and he looked away. "I don't—"

"I said not to take me for a fool," Kaldur cut him off before he could finish, sounding firm. "How long?" he asked again, softly this time.

"…I think I always have, Kaldur."

Kaldur gave a single nod. "I thought as much."

"But what am I to do, Kaldur!" Cerdian wailed, flopping over the table and clutching his head in distress. "She is my best friend, yes, but she's also the Queen! My Queen! And I'm…I'm just a normal Atlantean. Not from any great lineage, just a boy lucky enough to be her friend." That was all he had ever really been, in the end.

"You are not a normal Atlantean, Cerdian," Kaldur pointed out. "You are an accomplished warrior, scholar, and sorcerer. You are the son of Atlantis' top diplomat, the son of my predecessor, an Aquaman. All those other men might have noble lineages dating back thousands of years, but what have they accomplished that you have not already done a thousand times over? Do any of their lines directly descend from a hero like yours does? I highly doubt it."

"Pretty words, Kaldur, but will the Dowager Queen agree?"

Kaldur sighed. "The Dowager Queen might have grown colder than you remember her to be, but she still loves her daughter. She will not force the Queen into a relationship she does not want; she wouldn't even have the power to after the Queen's eighteenth birthday. Above all else, she would want Queen Atlanna to be happy and safe, with a man she trusts." He gave Cerdian a meaningful look. "And if there's any man in this world that would have her trust, that would have my trust, it is you."

Cerdian looked stunned.

"You forget, Cerdian. It is not just our Queen that the Dowager Queen and I watched grow up. It was you as well. And while our Queen may no longer need me to shield her from the dangers of this world, she still needs someone to lean on while she reigns and rules. The crown is far too heavy for one person to bear alone." Kaldur stood up, and walked over to the younger man, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You came here seeking reassurances. I give you both that and my support, and if you so wish it, my blessing. But Cerdian, you should forget about everyone else's approval. There's only one approval that truly matters in the end, and it's hers."

Kaldur leaned down, and met Cerdian's eyes once more.

"What I'm trying to say is this, Cerdian. If you love her, you need to tell her. And you need to let her figure out if she feels the same. All of your worries, all of your fears — they are all second to that, in the end."


And what a fine King Consort you grew up to be. Kaldur thought, as he smiled down at Cerdian's sleeping face. Greater than anyone could have ever dreamed of. Our Queen chose well, when she chose you.

After a moment of rocking, he handed the baby back to his apprehensive parents. From the corner of his eyes, he saw his parents staring in confusion, and his King and Queen watching him carefully, perhaps wonder what his interest was in Cerdian. If they only knew.

"Care for him well, both of you," he said instead, "Do that, and you'll be amazed by the man he'll grow up to be."

They all looked perplexed, now. No matter. That was all he had to say.


A look into Kaldur's character. Unplanned, much needed. Wallace is going to come much later (still trying to iron out some of the details of his past), but it will come.

Happy New Year's, everyone! And thank God for that, this year has been pretty horrible if I'm going to be honest. But here's a gift for you all to celebrate the start of a new (and hopefully better) year. And, if you want to gift me something, please update the TV Tropes page. I'm sure there's plenty to add.

Next Chapter: The Era 2 JL settle in at Catskills.