The Mission is simple (You just have to lie)

Jealousy doesn't come to Kaldur very well, if at all. Perhaps it's because that being jealous did nothing at all to improve his situation and it was better to let it go or ignore it in favor of action. If nothing else, Kaldur was always a man of action underneath it all. Planning out strategies, perhaps even daydreaming at most of what he'd like to do, but stewing over things wasn't something he particularly enjoyed.

Even if he does it more often than he would ever allow himself to admit.

That's why he doesn't acknowledge Jackson being obviously favored by their father, Black Manta. Jackson wasn't the soldier he was. He was a bit clumsy, obvious with his movements and far more brash than anything else. Whereas Kaldur, himself, was far more calculating and precise. He had to be to make it this far in life. Or, to earn his father's approval.

But Jackson held a special place with Black Manta that Kaldur couldn't understand until much later. Later when all his resentment came out in a more sarcastic manner than normal. They were only about twelve at the time and Jackson had whined- as he always did- that he couldn't keep up with him.

Kaldur normally tolerated his 'twin's' complaints but it had been a very brutal training session for the past three months to get them ready for their first mission without their father's men and Jackson simply would not shut up.

"I can't!" His brother's dreads were pulled back in a low ponytail. Another sign of their Father's favor as many if not all of Black Manta's men- Kaldur included- kept their hair very short. "You're just too good at this."

"If you practiced more than you read, perhaps you would be as good as I am." Kaldur set aside the practice swords. "Or at least read something more useful."

Jackson scoffed, "And be boring? No thanks."

"Excuse me?"

"Bo-ring. It's a word?" Jackson rolled his eyes, "Probably has your face next to it. Do you even enjoy anything?"

Normally, he would let this slide. He was never one to respond to such antics but he felt he should make an exception this one time. Just once. "Sure I do."

"Like what?" Jackson smirked, "Read those reports dad has on ocean currents?"

Kaldur simply strode over to him, the dropped down, swiping the legs from underneath him with a satisfied smirk at the sound of the body hitting the floor and a distinctive grunt of pain. "No, beating you in a fight, actually."

"That wasn't fair!" Jackson scowled, glaring up at him.

He raised an elegant brow, "When has battles ever been fair, Jackie?"

Grumbling, the other teen got up and launched himself at his brother. Kaldur had hoped he might and took immense pleasure in subduing and then finally slamming his brother onto the floor mat. He backed away, grinning now.

"Perhaps you should yield, brother?" It came out more taunting than not. "Before you truly injure yourself."

Jackson bared his teeth, getting into a crouch, " I'm only just getting started!"

Once more, his brother lunged forward, only this time, he grabbed one of the practice swords taking aim at Kaldur. That was new. Kaldur hadn't thought his brother would do so, but it was fairly easy to adjust to him in this manner. The dark brown teen swerved out of the way of a slash to the side before taking his right foot and kicking Jackson in the arm hard enough that he forgot himself.

His brother screamed out and hit the wall, causing their trainer to jump up and rush to the other teen's side, "Jackson?"

Kaldur frowned, uncertain as to why this was a problem. Why was his brother screaming so? He strode over as the trainer held out Jackson's injured arm and the boy whimpered.

"What's going on here?"

Black Manta's voice took his attention and he felt guilt rise along with shame at his actions. He was very certain he was going to be in quite a bit of trouble with his father about this.

"The boys were training, sir." The Trainer said, paying attention to Jackson and made a temporary bandage for him to keep the arm still before moving to take him out, "And their sparring got rough. I'll take him to the medbay."

"Good." Black Manta replied, taking his helmet off. He noted, however, how Kaldur wasn't quite meeting his gaze and the fact only Jackson had a practice sword, seeing as the other one was on the table. " I'll meet with him later after he's treated. Kaldur'ahm."

The boy flinched before meeting his father's gaze, "Yes, sir?"

"To the showers and then meet me in my study." He turned and walked off from him.

Kaldur couldn't help but think of what would happen the entire time he showered and dressed. Blindly, he had thought to run off. Run far away from all this and hopefully avoid any consequence of his actions. He hadn't meant to go that far. He hadn't even meant to fight Jackson at all beyond their training.

Still, he comforted himself with the knowledge that he was a warrior and he was better than Jackson at fighting, so whatever happened- that couldn't be taken away from him. It wasn't much of a comfort, really, but he took whatever he could get as he knocked on the metal door.

"Come in."

Nervous, he made a fist at his side before pushing the door slightly. It slid open soundlessly and he stepped into his father's office. When he and his brother weren't causing trouble or in trouble for that matter, they would often explore their father's office. It was always filled with interesting things and books. Most of their tutorial time was spent here.

The African masks from various countries stared down at him, silently judging him from the wall, as he made his way in front of the desk where his father, now in plain clothes, sat consulting a map.

"Kaldur." David wasn't even looking at him, " Have a seat, son. Now, I want you to tell me what happened in the training room."

Kaldur would not squirm in the leather chair he sat in. He did, however, picked the lint off his sweatpants and adjust his plain dark t-shirt that had some logo on it. It was, really, one of his favorites because of how soft it was. It at least distracted him as he tried, and failed somewhat, to recount what happened.

It was enough, however, that Black Manta understood what was going on. He seemed to sigh, not physically, but his expression held it.

"And I just kicked him." Kaldur's expression broke out into worried lines that bordered on fear, "I didn't meant to hurt Jackie like that. I really didn't."

"I know, son." David moved away from his map, rubbing the bridge of his nose before nodding to himself, "Aside from your prowess as an excellent fight, it seems that ti's time to find you others that can keep up with you. You're no longer allowed to spar with Jackie anymore. It's too dangerous."

"Dangerous?" He had mixed emotions about this, "What do you mean?"

His father moved to study some books then a globe before turning to him, "Kaldur'ahm, you're not like Jackie. You are a child of an Atlantean and a human. Jackson is only a human boy with Atlantean attributes."

Kaldur sat there stunned. He knew everything there ever was about Atlantis- they both did. His father's long time hatred for them was a mystery, but he had naturally assumed it was because they were evil. Evil because they always kept attacking the surface world- a world he liked. They always were on the brink of war with them. What was there to like about such a place?

He had always suspected, however, that he and his brother were definitely not human- or normal human children. He had assumed they were some sort of Meta-humans. Meta-humans weren't that abnormal. Their father worked with some and hired others to work with them.

But this… He could only watch his father intently, so many questions bubbled up inside his mind but only one slipped out.

"Why? Why are we- How? I don't understand."

Again, the man's shoulders seemed to dip slightly before he turns to look at him, "There is a reason why I hate Aquaman, Son. It's a long story and one I must repeat to your brother after this to explain your absence."

When Kaldur didn't reply, David went on, " Long time ago, when I was a simple diver, I had a wife- Jackson's mother, LaKeisha. We were young then, full of promise and plans about our life, but on an outing with her to a diving spot, we were attacked by a renegade colony known as Xebel- a rebel group of Atlantis. They injured me and took his mother while she was pregnant with him. " There was a lapse in silence before he continued, "I had searched frantically for them for months after. When I met your mother, Kaldur."

He turned to him then, "Sha'lain'a of Shayeris."

"Sha'lain'a-? That woman we met once!" Kaldur recalled her now, vividly, the nice woman he had been wary of. Who had acted so odd towards him. "She..She's my mother?"

"She is." David nodded, "Between her, myself, and a friend, we founded this organization and went after those that had taken your brother's mother. In that time, Sha'lain'a had been a great comfort and a valued confidant. She taught me much in that time and of course we loved one another. However, my plans did not seem to sit well enough with her and she- along with Calvin.." he stopped then gathered himself to finish but couldn't suppress the anger lacing his words, "Calvin, who was my closest friend at the time. They sabotaged my plans and left."

Kaldur just stared wide-eyed at his father, unsure of how to take this in. There was so much going on. His father lost Jackie's mother to Atlanteans, then fell in love with one himself only to be betrayed. It was.. a lot.

"I retreated, in ruins by that. Again, Atlantis had taken a family from me. A future that I would wrest to my very hands with every breath in my body." It almost sounded like his father wasn't talking to him any more now. The man had returned to his desk with a sea map. He unrolled it and pointed to an old mark on it. "I put feelers out, contacting all I had favors with. Your grandfather, my only family left to me, helped me rebuild but secretly so. I went back to diving to earn a living. That was where we were." He let his hand rest on the map, but stared at it intently, " It was there that I first met Aquaman. Though he wasn't known by that name, then. I was contracted by some scientist to get a sample of his DNA for whatever reason but I failed in that. However, I was unaware of the fact his father had a heart condition. Such a condition caused his death later on but Aquaman decided to take vengeance upon me."

His jaw clenched in memory of that night. A storm raged that night but he had been fine beneath the waves, diving for gold. "On a dive, he came looking for me during a terrible storm and killed my father in cold blood."

David finally sat down, taking the time to control himself and his emotions. He had to. He needed to in order to finish this story. Kaldur, his youngest, would understand. He had to for this plan to work. To know what Atlantis had done to them.

"I decided then that I would find you and your brother no matter what the cost. I would not allow the sea to take from me ever again." His voice was quieter now, though he watched the boy almost curiously. What would he do with all this information? "I found you, first. Sha'lain'a had thought you were safe in her home providence with that traitor. She did not believe I would take you. I did so. I took back a piece of what was mine. I wouldn't abide having a son to become a dog for Aquaman. to become loyal to a nation that destroyed his family. I took you to save you from becoming that. Then, I found Jackson and challenged his foster parents for custody. Somehow or another, they were given him by a woman from the sea. My contacts alerted me of unusual adoptions of a black boy. After many months, I had you both."

He seemed satisfied with that, "I had my boys back and I would never let anything happen to either of you again. However, it seems my care couldn't prevent such a nasty thing as jealousy. For that, I will blame on myself for favoring Jackie slightly more. With the way I lost his mother…"

"I understand, Father." Kaldur said suddenly, "Because..she died, didn't she?"

Grimly, he nods, " She did. From what I understand they did terrible things to her to get the results they wanted of him."

"Oh."

After a moment of silence, he spoke again, "I have a new assignment for you Kaldur. It'll test you with everything you have learned up until this point."

Kaldur tilted his head, unsure he could take much more of this information. "An assignment?"

"You are the most capable of my soldiers as well as a son I'm proud to call my own." David told him and leaned across the desk, "You've come to an age- what the Atlanteans call a 'Meritunis'. Come the summer, you'll be enrolled in the Atlantean Academy. Your mission will be to be a sleeper agent in Atlantis for me- and perhaps become Aquaman's protege."

"Summer?" Kaldur thought for a moment, "It's still September. Why should I be this obviously evil man's protege? He killed grandfather!"

"I know." David restrained himself from smiling. Good. Let the same hatred he felt grow in this boy. "But you must believe in me and my plans, Kal. All the work you've put in is about to pay off. Your Atlantean is flawless as is your reading comprehension and writing of it. I am sending you to go live with your mother for the time being. You must convince her that when you learned of the truth, that you ran from me."

"But.." Kaldur began.

"No, listen." David continued,"You will live there until the summer time. Though you may be behind a year according to them, you will be admitted. That means you'll have to work twice as hard to be considered competent by them. I will arrange to have meetings with you throughout this process, though they may be far and few in-between." He smiled now, " I'm trusting you, Kaldur'ahm. This is a big mission and one that I believe you can do. What do you say son?"

What was there to say? He was indignant and angry on his father's behalf, his brother's and his own. How dare this world do that? How could they let murderers live? He would see to it that Aquaman would truly see justice. That that Xebel place would too. Same would go for that man and his mother. If nothing else, he could help his father find true justice.

"I will go." Kaldur's pale eyes turned hard in that moment, " I'll help you, Father."