Guest: Thank you so much! I'm glad you liked it.

This chapter will be in third person, since there's a lot going on and I didn't like switching back and forth between different first person perspectives. I hope you enjoy and stay safe! Also for those of you that like Star Wars, I decided to use a certain word in Mando'a for an Atlantean word Kaldur uses for Calypso. And happy 2022!


π’žπ’½π’Άπ“…π“‰π‘’π“‡ ℰ𝓁𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓃 - Growing Dilemma
"Dark times lie ahead of us, and there will be a time
when we must choose between what is easy
and what is right."

TAIPEI
SEPTEMBER 7, 21:13 NST

The only thing running through Calypso's mind was getting to Mari.

Adrenaline was pumping through her veins as she pushed her body to move faster. She shouted apologies over her shoulder and soared higher.

Hold on, please. Please.

As she got closer, she noticed something wasn't right. Mari could have easily pulled herself up from the window and knocked Nyx out. She had the strength and power of the whole animal kingdom!

Instead, she was barely holding on - her hand gripped the ledge tightly while her head was slumped down, unconscious. Then, her fingers began to lose grip as the blade pointed at her throat pressed deeper.

Nyx stared at Calypso with a terrifying gleam in her eyes that made the teenager shiver. Her eyes reminded her of Lamia, which scared her even more. She pulled her blade back and slammed her foot against Vixen's hand.

"NO!"

It was like slow motion in Calypso's mind as Mari's fingers slipped from the window and she began to plummet towards the ground.

She stretched her arms out as far as she could, trying to grab her guardian. That's when she noticed Nyx had fallen out of the window too. But unlike Mari, she was very conscious and heading straight for them.

Calypso barely had any time to think. Once she grabbed Mari, if she flew to the ground, she'd risk putting the civilians in danger with Nyx. She couldn't go after her with Mari KO'd either. She really wished the team was with her.

She decided to do the next best thing. Well, probably worse.

The Korean teen wrapped her arms around her guardian and threw herself into a glass window. They roughly landed on the ground, with pieces of glass cutting into their skin.

Calypso hissed in pain. Everything in her body hurt, from her head to her spine to her feet. She was definitely gonna regret this in the morning.

She surveyed the room and realized this floor of the building was an abandoned office. Dozens of chairs, computers, and metal desks were flipped over and destroyed beyond repair. It was eerily dark, the only light coming from the buildings behind her-

Oh my god, Mari!

She looked at her guardian and panicked. Surely crashing through a window should have woken her up, right? But she didn't even stir, and what worried her most was how pale she was becoming.

She gently shook her shoulders. "Mari? You've gotta wake up." She felt for her pulse and her breath hitched - her heartbeat was getting slower and slower by the second. "Hey, it's gonna be okay. You're gonna be okay." She cupped her face, tears welling up in her eyes. "You've gotta wake up, you can't leave me. Jebal. Jebal."

Calypso heard the woman's laughter before she saw her. "Oh my dear child," she looked over her shoulder to see Nyx jumping through the broken window with ease, "she doesn't have much time left."

"What do you mean?" Her eyes widened.

Nyx was silent for a few moments as she studied Calypso, watching how she moved in front of Vixen, protectively. It made her grit her teeth and clench her fists so tight she thought the handle to her blade broke.

'Calm yourself,' she could hear her master's words echoing in her mind. 'Will is everything.' She knew he'd be disappointed with her actions, but this fight was more than just revenge.

The woman took a deep breath and locked eyes with the frightened girl. She gestured to her blade. "This weapon is covered with a deadly poison and well," she chuckled darkly, "she has more of it than her body can handle."

Calypso quickly looked down to Mari and noticed how badly she was injured. Dozens of scraps and cuts covered her body, but there was one deeper than the rest on her stomach, bleeding badly. "No, no, no," she covered the wound with her hands and applied pressure as tears streamed down her face. "Ilona, please, please. Jebal."

She refused to believe what was happening. This can't be the end. I can't lose her too.

"Eomma," Calypso begged, shaking Mari gently again, "don't leave me."

"Eomma?" A familiar voice echoed as Calypso looked up to see Lamia strolling into view. "A little disrespectful, if you ask me."

The Korean teen held Mari closer to her chest as she touched her totem. I'm not going to let them hurt you anymore.


Kaldur was way past panicked when he couldn't reach Calypso or Vixen through the comm. The silent static was frightening, and he hated it.

He didn't register Roy telling him the League was in route and that he and the team should stay out of it. He had never heard of the woman Nyx before, but if the League knew, she had to be worse than he thought.

But he couldn't stand there and do nothing.

So when he watched Vixen fall and Caly catch her and smash through a glass window, his body acted on its own.

"Woah, hey, Kal-" Roy held out his arm and tried to stop the Atlantean.

He shrugged him off and tried to keep his head level. "Please, my friend, do not try to stop me. I am going after her."

The archer rolled his eyes. "Yeah, like that's not obvious. But there's no way I'm letting you go after her alone. That lady, Nyx, she was with Ra's Al Ghul earlier when I fought Sportsmaster and Chesire."

"She is a part of the Shadows?"

"Probably. And she's deadly with that sword of hers." He added. "Trust me, she almost got me a few times."

He could care less about the woman's weapons. All he wanted to do was get to Calypso and get her and Mari out of there safely.

"Aqualad," Batman's stern voice came through the comm, "stand down now. This is a League priority."

The Atleantean continued towards the building without a second thought, with Roy behind him. "Virago is a member of my team. She is my priority." He felt a little remorseful for sounding disrespectful to the older hero.

However, he and Red Arrow are the closest heroes to both of them. If they didn't help and something happened...

Kaldur shook his head. He had to stop thinking like that. He thought back to the conversation he had with Calypso hours earlier. "Think positive."

"Let's hope Sportsmaster and Chesire aren't here too." Red Arrow said, like he could read the Atlantean's mind.

"Even if they are, we can avoid a fight."

As the two climbed over a tall fence and neared the building, Kaldur felt a sharp shiver run down his spine. He didn't like the looks of it.

Police tape and thick chains covered the doors, and it seemed to be completely abandoned. The grass was so tall it almost touched his chest. There was no lights or people. Only a tall empty skyscraper at the end of the street.

It stuck out like a sore thumb - the only building not lit up, and civilians avoided it like the plague, almost like it didn't exist.

Roy scanned the area as they crouched in the grass. "Strange. There's no security." He spoke lowly. "If there were any shadows, they would've ambushed us by now." They waited a few moments before approaching the entrance.

Kaldur pulled out his water bearers and prepared to slash through the front door, no matter how long it would take. "How do we get in?"

"Front door's a no." The archer reported, pointing to the inside. The first few floors caved into the ground floor, leaving nothing but rubble, broken furniture and tile. He could make out the stairs, but they were blocked and probably destroyed.

"Well, I'm sure they already know someone is comin' after her so..." Roy took a step back and pulled out his bow. He aimed at one of the unbroken windows and shot an arrow. It turned into a suction cup and stuck to the wall with a long rope cascading to the ground. "No need for stealth, right?" He tugged on it harshly, making sure it would hold their weight, and handed it to Kaldur.

A small smile graced the Atlantean's lips. "I appreciate this, my friend."

The archer nodded and returned a small smile. "Gotta repay the favor right? 'sides, she's important to you, isn't she?"

Kaldur felt his face warm. "Calypso- she is my teammate-"

"Sure she is." Roy chuckled as Kaldur thought back to the conversation he had with his two best friends in Atlantis.

"Kaldur, you are a loyal and incredible friend. If you care for Calypso, you should tell her. Do not live with any regrets."

"Tula is right. What is the worst that could happen?"

She smacked Garth's chest, and Kaldur chuckled. "Do not say that! Kaldur needs words of encouragement, not doubt."

He rubbed the back of his neck. "Is it that obvious?"

"Only because I know you so well."

As the two climbed the rope, Kaldur couldn't help but feel nervous. There was an uneasy pit in his stomach that feared not only for Calypso, but Mari too. Something was wrong - he knew how powerful Vixen was, so surely both of them should have escaped already, right?

The teen heroes carefully jumped through the window, as the archer helped Kaldur avoid the broken glass.

The inside was just as dark and gloomy as the outside. The floor they were on looked like an art museum with a tall water tank that went through the ceiling. A few broken sculptures and torn paintings littered the floor, while others remained, untouched.

Kaldur quickly spotted the stairs and exchanged looks with Roy. They both shared a silent nod before making their way to them.

Out the darkness, a figure in all black blocked their path with a long, sharp blade. He recognized him almost instantly as Keres and felt his blood boil. He thought back to when Calypso's best friend, Zoe, was almost killed at her own school. Caly was too if he and the team didn't get there in time...

"We do not wish to fight you." The Atlantean tried to reason. He wanted nothing more than to zoom past him and find Calypso, as soon as possible. "All we want is to leave with Virago and Vixen, unharmed."

In response, Keres stepped forward and cracked his neck. He swiftly twirled the blades between his hands before moving into a fighting stance.

"Guess that's a no." Roy mumbled as both heroes readied their weapons.

Kaldur fashioned his water bearers to dual blades to match Keres'. Hold on, Caly, I'm coming.


Calypso shrieked in pain as she was thrown into the wall. She could feel her bones cracking and aching, desperately pleading to stop.

Lamia cracked her knuckles as a wicked grin graced her lips. "I can keep going all night, Calypso."

The younger girl clenched her fists and spat out blood onto Lamia's sleek black heels. "What do you want with Vixen?"

"Really? These were brand new." Lamia sucked her teeth and kicked the girl's stomach, hard. Calypso felt like she could barely breathe - it felt like a boulder smacked her chest.

She slid to the ground and gasped for air, as black spots danced across her vision.

Lamia's hand wrapped around the teen's throat, nails dug into her skin. Calypso was forced to look at her as a chill ran down her spine. Her eyes were intense, black, and felt like sharp daggers digging their way into her brain. It was like Lamia knew every little thing about her without saying a word.

Calypso felt so vulnerable under her gaze that for a moment, she wondered if giving up would be a good thing to do.

"We want Vixen to suffer just as much as we did." Lamia spat, her voice thick, full of anger. "She ruined our family!" Calypso winced at how loud her voice became and tried to move away. "Then one after another, bad things kept happening, all because of her. And once she's gone, you'll be ours again."

The Korean teen tensed, her breathing getting heavier by the second. Her brain was trying to make sense of her words. What did Vixen do to them? Why did they hate her so much?

Then her blood ran cold, her body froze.

What did they want with me?

Lamia titled her head in confusion. "You really don't remember who we are, do you?"

"That's enough, Lamia."

At the sound of Nyx's command, she dropped the girl to the ground. Calypso struggled for air again as she painfully tried to crawl away from them.

The older woman glared at her partner. "You're revealing too much-"

"She doesn't even remember who we are!" she exclaimed exasperated. "What's the point of this? You know she won't come with us willingly-"

Nyx placed her hand on Lamia's shoulder. "You know the plan, ttal." Daughter? "Our dear Calypso will know in time what she means to us but for now, keep her stalled. We have company and Vixen is near death."

Calypso felt relieved, then worried. Someone was coming to help, but she needed to save Mari, quickly.

"I'll deal with them." As Nyx began to leave, she tossed a warning look over her shoulder. "And please, don't hurt her too much."

She reached over to touch her totem. She knew she was using the last of her energy and pushing her limits. But she had no choice.

Feeling the familiar power of the mighty elephant flow through her, Calypso stood on her feet. She wiped the blood from her mouth and narrowed her eyes at Lamia.

Lamia looked amused to see her standing and chuckled. "That's my girl."

She thought of Mari, the person she cared for most in the world, who needed her. She could almost hear her voice in her head, telling her to leave, save herself. She didn't listen.

"Kkeo-jyeo." With a burst of energy, Calypso charged forward and swung her fist into Lamia's abdomen. She heard bones cracking, but couldn't tell if it was hers or Lamia's.

She quickly swung again, this time at her jaw. She didn't give Lamia time to recover, as she began throwing a flurry of punches at her face, giving her no time to block.

Much to Calypso's surprise, Lamia grew dizzy, almost stumbling over her feet. She grabbed her shoulders and with all of her power, stomped her into the ground.

They went falling through the ground into the floor below them.

Calypso groaned in pain as dust filled her lungs. That was a terrible idea, why did I do that?

She looked over to Lamia who struggled to stand. The younger girl could feel her energy drainingm but forced herself to get up.

Quickly, she found a long piece of metal that she could use as a staff and readied herself for another fight-

A sharp pain stabbed through her shoulder as an unbearable pain exploded through her body. She no longer felt the Devatma totem's power, as if it turned off like a light switch.

Calypso fell to her knees, finding it hard to breathe. She felt like she was suffocating, burning, and freezing all at the same time.

Nyx moved around the girl and sighed in annoyance. "I am truly sorry I had to do that, Calypso. I didn't think Lamia would be winded so easily."

"W-w-what did-" Calypso could barely stutter out a sentence, her breathing labored. She saw the blade in Nyx's hand as the silvery red liquid dripped from the tip. The poison.

She crouched in front of the girl and cupped her face. She gently stroked her cheek and frowned. "Please know that this hurts me more than it hurts you. You will be in pain for a few hours, but I'm sure the bat will find a way to cure you. Don't worry, this isn't the same thing I used on your little mentor."

The Korean teen collapsed to the ground as it felt like fire burning her nerves. A blood curdling scream escaped her lips - it hurt to move, especially breath. Tears escaped her eyes as she silently prayed for it to stop.

Nyx did seem remorseful as she watched her writhe in pain, but did nothing. "I will return Calypso, I promise you that. I will tell you everything, then maybe, you'll understand."

Calypso continued to cry out in agony, the suffocating feeling of fire traveling to her head. It felt like she was going to explode from the inside out.

"I hope you can forgive me."


Kaldur panted as he glanced over at the now unconscious archer. It was just him now, facing against Keres.

Said enemy seemed unfazed by fighting two opponents. No matter how much the Atlantean tried to reason with him, Keres said nothing and continued to fight.

As much as Kaldur didn't want to admit, he was growing weak. After creating a gigantic wall of water to protect everyone from Cheshire's explosive tea cart, he needed to rest.

Keres lunged at Kaldur and swiped at his chest. His blades transformed into a shield as he pushed against Keres' strength.

Unfortunately, the shadow was stronger. With one final push, the shield broke and he knocked the hero in the jaw.

Kaldur dropped to the ground next to Roy as he tasted blood in his mouth. Red Arrow was beginning to stir, reaching for his bow.

Keres kicked it out of his reach, then slammed his foot against the archer's face. Kaldur winced as he heard the bones crunch under his foot.

Roy moaned in pain as he held his now broken nose. The shadow slide his blade underneath the Atlantean's neck. Kaldur was running out of options with his partner out of commission and Keres being more powerful than he thought.

"AAAHHH!"

Kaldur's heart stopped as his eyes widened in fear.

Calypso!

Her scream rang in his ears as time seemed to slow. Hearing her cry in pain set off something inside of him. He felt anger, but anxiety too. Not knowing if she was okay or not had his stomach churning. She had to be right above them, and he had to get to her.

Memories of her flashed in his mind. Seeing her smile for the first time, fighting alongside her like they've practiced for years, comforting her over her troubles, eating her homemade breakfast, almost kissing her twice-

He wasn't sure if it was the adrenaline or sheer determination to save his girl, but he moved his arm in front of Keres' blade and pushed it out of his grasp.

While he was caught off guard, Kaldur stood and focused his attention on the tall water tank behind the shadow. The glass cracked as the tattoos on his arms glowed the brightest blue he's ever seen.

The tank exploded.

Water flew to Kaldur's bearers as they wrapped around Keres, trapping him into a bubble. He held it for as long as he could then, with a mighty cry, he released the water and Keres flopped to the glass covered floor.

He heard Calypso scream in pain again, and wasted no time rushing towards the stairs. He could feel his body begin to grow tired, but he pushed through it.

"Wait."

The Atlantean turned at the low, hoarse voice. Keres had taken off his mask and Kaldur's eyes widened. It was his age, maybe a year or so older. A kid.

He had bags under his eyes, his skin pale. He looked exhausted. He could see the pain and worry behind his eyes, but wasn't sure what it was for.

Keres held out his hand. "Take it." He opened his palm to show a small vial full of a clear liquid. "Save them."

Kaldur's eyebrows knitted together in confusion. He wondered if he could trust him, but something in his gut told him to take it. "Why?" The shadow's eyes cast to the floor and said nothing.

Roy scoffed as his friend helped him to his feet. "As if we can trust you."

He might have been right, but Keres wasn't fighting back. He didn't even reach for his katanas. "Thank you." Kaldur said sincerely as he slipped the vial into his pocket and made his way back to the stairs with the archer in tow.

When the two reached the floor above them, Kaldur's heart broke.

Calypso laid on the ground, almost curled into a ball. Her body was bloody and bruised, her uniform torn beyond repair. He felt anger - not just for who did this to her, but for not getting to her sooner.

Then he noticed she wasn't moving, and his world stopped.

No, no, no, no.

"Calypso!" He quickly and carefully scooped her into his arms. He cupped her face and brushed the dried blood and dirt away. A knot tied in his stomach - she went through a tough fight, and he hated himself for not being there to help her.

"You need to wake up, please." He felt for her pulse and relaxed slightly when he felt the slow thumps against his fingers. "We need to take her back to the Cave, immediately."

Roy nodded as he scanned the room. No one else was there except for them. "Vixen can't be far. I'll look upstairs-"

"Batman to Aqualad and Red Arrow," the older Bat's voice came through the comm, "we have Vixen. Once you have Virago, rendezvous back to the Cave for-"

"I have her." Kaldur swallowed the worried lump in his throat. "We are leaving now."

Please be alright, for me. Please.


MOUNT JUSTICE
SEPTEMBER 8, 01:02 EDT

Despite everyone ordering Kaldur to sleep after Calypso and Mari were put in the medical bay, he didn't listen. Even after the debrief, he wanted to go see her. He had to make sure she was alright.

Batman had told the team Nyx used to be a part of the League of Assassians, working closely with Ra's al Ghul. Her two operatives, Keres and Lamia, trained much the same way.

While Lamia's power source is unknown, they've compared her strength and might to that of a Kryptonian. Keres seemingly didn't have any powers, but his sword skills were on parr with Ra's'.

Then he ran blood tests on the two heroes and found the type of poison they were infected with.

Luckily, the poison in Calypso's system was a much smaller dosage, but still lethal if it wasn't extracted properly.

Mari, however, wasn't so lucky. The amount of poison in her system was enough to kill a dozen people. But her own totem kept her alive.

Batman didn't know much about their totems, but he concluded that whatever animal powers Vixen had tapped into was keeping her alive. She was in a coma, but nonetheless, alive.

Even though he wasn't an official member of the League yet, Batman called Doctor Ray Palmer, or the Atom, to help remove the poison from their bodies while they worked on a cure, until Kaldur gave them the vial he got from Keres.

The older Bat was unsure of the contents, but promised to research it before giving it to the two. For all they knew, it could be more poison. Kaldur agreed, as long as it saved Calypso.

The team was distraught to say the least when they saw their teammate.

M'gann, Artemis, and Black Canary helped the Korean teen get cleaned up after they hooked her up to an IV and various medical equipment to keep her hydrated and properly nourished until she woke up.

Robin, Conner, and Wally came to see her and tried to crack jokes to make the Atlantean smile, but they were just as worried as he was.

It only took a few hours for Atom to remove the poison from Calypso's body. Her body was also fighting against it so it was only a matter of time until she woke up. And Kaldur was going to sit with her until she did.

The tired Atlantean held Calypso's hand tightly as he listened to the steady beeps of the heart monitor. Knowing her heartbeat was getting stronger made him relax. She was safe. And that's all that mattered to him.

He remembered what Black Canary had said about people talking to their unconscious loved ones. Sometimes they can hear them, but can't respond.

Kaldur took a deep breath as he began to stroke her hair with his free hand. He noticed her hair was growing longer, touching her shoulders now. "Calypso, I am not sure if you can hear me but... please wake up soon. I am worried out of my mind and... and I am sorry I could not get to you in time."

He pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. "I will be here when you wake, so do not keep me waiting long." He wished she would wake up and giggle, saying how cheesy that was. But she stayed still. Kaldur sighed and gave her hand another squeeze. "Please, cyar'ika."

As if the Gods heard his silent pray, she began to stir.

"Calypso?" He called her name softly as her eyes fluttered open. She groaned in pain, and she blinked a few more times as she adjusted to the lights of the medical bay. "It is alright, you are safe. I am here."

At the soothing sound of his voice, Calypso managed a small smile and turned her head to meet his eyes. "Kaldur." Her voice was raspy and she hated the sound of it, but Kaldur had never been happier to hear it. "Hi."

He shook his head with a chuckle. You almost died, and all you have to say is hi? "Hello Calypso, how are you feeling?"

"Thirsty. Really thirsty." The Atleantean quickly grabbed a glass of water and held it to her lips. She chugged it down faster than Wally drinking a gallon of Hawaiin Punch. "Thank you."

Her eyes scanned the room and locked onto Mari in the bed on the other end of the room. Her eyes widened as the heart monitor picked up speed. "Is she-"

"She is alright." Kaldur reassured as he held both of her hands. Her heart rate began to steady again as she relaxed. "She is in a coma, but alright. Her totem is keeping the poison at bay."

"What happened?"

"I was hoping you would tell me."

Calypso winced as she sat up, not liking the sounds of her bones popping. She remembered going after Vixen, then fighting Lamia, and Nyx stabbed her.

"Please know that this hurts me more than it hurts you."

"I hope you can forgive me."

She told Kaldur everything as she pieced together everything. "Whatever Vixen did to them involves me. Nyx said she would be back for me."

Kaldur tensed at the thought. "I promise you Calypso, I will keep that from happening. If she wants you, she will have to get through me."

"There's something else, Kal..." she chewed on her bottom lip. "Lamia said I didn't remember them, and I know for a fact, I've never met them before. I didn't know Nyx existed or Keres or Lamia-"

As the monitor speed up again, Kaldur cupped the worried girl's face. His seafoam green eyes locked with her chocolate brown. He stroked her cheeks, his voice sincere as he spoke, "Calypso, everything is going to be alright. You are safe. We will figure it out, okay? But for now, you need to rest. Please, for me."

The dark haired girl closed her eyes and leaned her forehead against his. "I'm scared, Kal." she whispered, her lip trembling. "I don't know what to do."

His heart ached for her. He hated to see her so worried and wished he could take it all away.

I'll never let anything happen to you. The Atlantean pressed his lips to her forehead once more, and met her eyes again. "I know Caly, but, I promise you will be safe. Always. The team and the League will help us figure it out." He brushed a few stray tears that escaped, before pulling her into his arms.

She buried her face into his chest. "Will you stay with me?"

"Of course." He settled into the small but comfortable hospital bed, being mindful of the tubes hooked to her body.

He had never shared another bed with anyone before, and wasn't sure what to do or how to lay. He didn't want to make her uncomfortable either.

Calypso laid against his chest, her hands wrapping around his waist. He felt butterflies soar in his stomach, and his face warmed at the closeness. He hoped she couldn't hear how loud his heart was beating.

"Thank you, Kal." she murmured sleepily. "For coming to save me."

He smiled and pulled the blanket over her. "I will always come to save you, cyar'ika."

The Korean girl yawns, scrunching up her nose. Kaldur couldn't help but find her adorable. "What does that mean?"

Kaldur began to rub her back, something he's seen his father do for his mother to help her sleep. "I will tell you soon when I teach you Atlantean."

"You better." She yawned again and quickly fell back to sleep.

He couldn't keep his eyelids open any longer, and found him drifting off just as quickly as she did. Before his eyes shut, he wrapped his arms around Calypso and held her tightly, like she would disappear any moment. "I will keep you safe, Caly. I swear."