Notes: And, here's another chapter! It gets more dramatic here, check back for a short story I'll be posting next month.
Anyway…moving on…
Artemis looked over at Tula and tried to get the conversation back on topic. "So, how'd you find out you were…adopted?" she asked.
There was an awkward silence which only lasted a few seconds.
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to…" Artemis was cut off.
"It's fine…honest." Tula assured her.
"It was a year before I joined the Team, Wally, Dick and Roy found out before I did thanks to AJ's big mouth."
(Flashback Begins)
"Can't get me!" Wally shouted as he ran.
"Oh, we'll see about that." said Dick as he ran to catch up with his friend.
Roy and Tula also joined in along with Mareena and her brother, Arthur Jr, or AJ as he was mostly called. The grass field near the beach was an ideal spot for them to race one another. At the moment, Wally was playing keep away with a frisbee that he'd been tossing around moments ago. The teenagers' mentors weren't too far way, some of them sitting on white Adirondack chairs, talking.
"Wow, she's really grown." Said Canary, who took notice of how much Tula had changed.
"Yeah, she sure has. Seems like only yesterday she was six pounds, two ounces, and now look at her." Dr. Light agreed.
"Yes, Tula's come a long way." Said Mera.
"Looking more like her parents everyday." Dr. Light pointed out.
She noticed Mera had been relatively quiet today and gave her a puzzled look. "Mera? Is something wrong?"
The red-haired woman then looked away from watching the teens and faced Dr. Light, "Why do you ask?"
"You look worried, is there something going on with Tula?" Dr. Light asked, raising an eyebrow.
"No, not at all. It's just… when she was five she asked me and Arthur why she was different from AJ and Mareena." Mera answered.
Dr. Light took a sip of her iced tea before she spoke, "And what did you tell her?"
"We told her and our kids that we'd tell them when they were older." Mera replied. The response she got was series of groans from Black Canary and Dr. Light. "I know, I know but the truth is, we didn't know how to explain or how she'd react." Said Mera.
"How would who react?" Aquaman asked as he walked up to the three women. He had been fishing with Green Arrow, Flash and the other men. Thus far they hadn't caught anything and decided to take a break.
"Mera was just telling us about when Tula asked you why she was different." Canary answered.
Aquaman blinked, looking surprised, "Oh! Well…"
"Arthur, Tula's fourteen. It's been almost ten years since she asked that question." Dr. Light pointed out.
"You need to tell her the truth before she finds out." Canary added.
"I know but..once she learns she's adopted…she'll never forgive me." said Aquaman.
"Forgive you for what, Dad?" AJ asked.
He froze when he realized he was in earshot range of the adults and judging by their faces the fourteen-year-old blond had heard something he wasn't supposed to. As far as appearances went, AJ had short blond hair, blue eyes and a light skin tone. He was tall for his age and slim, with a slight athletic build. He wore a blue and white tie dye tank top with black pants and open toe sandals. AJ looked nervous, having been taught not to get into "Grown folk's' business" as Green Lantern called it, he was afraid of getting into trouble.
"Oops! I'm sorry I was just…" he sputtered.
"It's ok, son. Your mother and I should've done this a long time ago." Said Aquaman.
AJ raised an eyebrow at his father, "Done what?" he asked as sat down in an empty chair.
"Told you the truth about Tula. You see, the reason why she's different from you and your sister is…Tula's adopted." Aquaman explained.
AJ's blue eyes widened at this. He blinked twice and took a moment to process what he just heard. "Adopted? Like Roy and Dick?" he asked.
"Yes, Superman and a few of other heroes found Tula in a cove on a beach in Northern California. There was an oil spill and her parents got caught in it and they tried to find a way to escape…" Mera explained but stopped short.
"During that time, Tula's mother gave birth and we found her a few hours later." Dr. Light finished.
"So, where's her Mom and Dad now?" AJ asked.
Canary, Dr. Light, Aquaman and Mera simply lowered their heads.
It only took a few seconds for AJ to figure it out. His jaw dropped at the realization. "What?! They're…gone?"
Aquaman and the others nodded. "Yes son, it was from the side effects of the oil. We found it on them and their boat." Aquaman explained.
"Oh…so that's why she doesn't look like us." AJ concluded.
Aquaman and the others nodded.
Even when they were little, AJ knew there were some differences between Tula and his family but didn't know why. He knew how genetics worked and that some people could vary in appearance but still be related. Having received an explanation, it all made sense now.
"You ok?" Canary asked, noticing AJ seemed to be staring off into space.
"Yeah… just shocked." He replied.
"We understand," said Dr. Light.
"But you can't tell Tula, not yet." Mera informed her son.
"What about Mareena?" AJ asked.
"Just wait, AJ. Your mother and I will figure something out. This is our responsibility, not yours." Said Aquaman.
"Got it," AJ said with a nod. "I'll just go back the way I came." And with that he ran off to find Wally and the others.
"He took that better than I hoped," said Aquaman.
"I don't know, we'll have to wait and see." Canary replied, feeling suspicious.
A few days later things weren't getting any better. Tula had gone out for a swim, something she always did whenever she felt bored or wanted to hear herself think. In this case, she had a lot on her mind. Lately, AJ had been giving her odd looks and acting strange, almost as if he was trying not to be seen with her. Tula had tried to find out why but never got an answer. Why he was acting this way was beyond her. She snapped out of her thoughts when she bumped into someone. Both figures groaned after bumping heads.
"Watch where you're going!" Tula snapped.
"Me? I had the right of way." Said a rough yet masculine voice.
"Yeah right, I…" Tula froze when she made eye contact with the other person.
"Wha…?!"
Across from her was a humanoid creature with sea green skin, black stripes, webbed hands and feet and dark red eyes. His features were fish-like and resembled something from a science fiction movie. He also looked to be around Tula's age, the only thing he was wearing was a pair of dark blue swim trunks.
"Relax," said the boy.
"Back off!" Tula growled, she was prepared to defend herself or at least try.
"Whoa, just calm down." The boy replied.
Tula raised an eyebrow, "Calm down? Says you."
The fish-like boy chuckled when Tula made an attempt to swim off but fell back onto some rocks.
"Honestly, I'm harmless…this happens a lot, trust me." he said assuring her that she wasn't the first person that was taken aback by his appearance.
The boy held his right hand out to Tula who stared it for a few seconds before grabbing it. The boy then helped her back up. "I guess I overreacted." Tula admitted.
"I'd say so," said the boy.
Just then Aquaman swam up to the two, he had been watching them from a distance and decided now was the time for introductions. "I see you've met La'gaan. He's new here." Aquaman explained.
"Where are you from?" Tula asked.
"The gulf coast, I was separated from my family during a hurricane. I tried to find them and got lost so…here I am." La'gaan replied with a grin.
"I see," said Tula.
"I'll leave you two alone," Aquaman told them and swam off, leaving the two teens to continue as they were.
"So, what do you wanna do?" La'gaan asked after a minute.
Tula shrugged her shoulders, "I don't know." She replied.
"O…k." was La'gaan's reply.
Just then, he thought of something, "I got it!"
"Got what?" Tula asked.
"Something to show you." La'gaan answered.
"What makes you think I'd go anywhere with you? We just met." said Tula. It was obvious she was being cautious and didn't fully trust this boy yet, even though Aquaman seemed fine with him.
"Right, I got that but still, can't we get to know each other? I've been on my own for a while and haven't had anyone to talk to until now." La'gaan confessed.
Tula looked at him, she could see he was obviously lonely and his voice sounded sincere, "Fine," she replied.
La'gaan smiled, "Thanks…" He then thought of something else, "I never got your name."
"It's Tula," the red-haired girl replied with a smile.
The two of them talked as they swam alongside each other. Tula mentioned her friends, Wally, Dick and Roy, while La'gaan talked about his trek from the gulf coast. A short time later they reached a sunken trawler. The old black and white ship was once used for commercial fishing but had sunk fifteen years ago. Since then, algae, silt and barnacles had covered the vessel. Fish and a few other animals now lived in and around the wreck.
"Well, this is it. Might not look like much it's quiet and out of the way." Said La'gaan.
He and Tula spent the next half hour looking around the ship, apparently La'gaan had been living there for a while. After a while he noticed Tula had stopped talking. "Let me guess, you're bored." He concluded.
"No, it's cool. I've never seen a shipwreck before but… I have a lot on my mind right now." said Tula.
The two of them were on the deck of the trawler, watching a school of blue fin tuna pass by.
"I understand. Look, if you ever wanna talk about it, I'm here." La'gaan offered.
He placed his hand on Tula's left shoulder, which surprised her at first, but she quickly relaxed. Although they had just met, it was obvious they were getting along quite well. "Thanks," said Tula.
One month later…
"And the speedster zooms towards the goal." Wally narrated as he ran down the field with his soccer ball.
"But the Boy Wonder steals the ball." said Dick as he kicked the ball in the opposite direction.
"Hey! No fair!" Wally shouted.
Dick couldn't help but laugh, "You should've seen your face!"
While the two friends continued their game, La'gaan was sitting on an Adirondack chair, watching the group and keeping score. They had split into two teams, Wally, Tula and Roy were one team while Dick, AJ and Mareena were the other.
It had been a month since La'gaan's arrival to the East coast and over time he met Tula's friends and their mentors. But something seemed a bit off to him, La'gaan couldn't help but notice some obvious differences between Tula, AJ and Mareena.
"Hmm…"
"Something on your mind, La'gaan?" Aquaman asked as he sat down next to him.
"Actually, yes." La'gaan replied and turned to face Aquaman. "When I came here I noticed your son and daughter look like you and your wife but Tula…she's not like your other kids."
Aquaman looked around making sure no one could hear them. "Can you keep a secret?" he asked.
"Sure," La'gaan replied.
"The truth is, Tula isn't my daughter. She's adopted." Aquaman confessed.
"Funny you should say that 'cause, I was wondering if she was." Said La'gaan.
Another thought crossed his mind, "So, does she know?"
"Not yet," Aquaman replied.
"With all due respect, maybe it's better to tell her sooner than later. She's got to know by now she's not like AJ and Mareena." La'gaan pointed out.
"She does, but I don't know how she'll react." Said Aquaman.
"But, don't you think Tula needs an explanation?" La'gaan asked, regarding why she was different.
"You're right, I'm just not sure how to go about telling her." Aquaman admitted. He let out a deep sigh, this was going to be harder than he thought.
"Uh-huh, I'll see you." said La'gaan who got up from where he sat and went to join the other teens, leaving Aquaman along to think.
"AJ, I don't know how you put up with having two sisters." Said Roy.
The group of friends sat down in the grass, calling their game of soccer a tie for now. Tula, Mareena and La'gaan and gone off to explore some nearby tide pools, leaving Roy, Wally, Dick and AJ to sit around and hang out.
"Two? Tula's not my sister." AJ confessed.
"She's not?!" Dick, Roy and Wally said at the same time. All three of them were shocked by this.
It was then AJ realized his mistake, "Aw, me and my big mouth. I wasn't supposed to tell anyone!" he said as he did a face palm.
"So, is Tula your cousin?" Wally asked.
"No, we're not related at all." AJ answered.
"So, she's adopted." Roy concluded.
AJ sighed, it was too late the damage was done, "Yes," he replied.
"Does she know?" Dick asked.
"No," AJ replied.
"You gonna tell her?" Wally asked.
"No," said AJ.
"Why not?" Dick, Wally and Roy asked at the same time.
"I'm not supposed to. My Mom and Dad made me promise, they plan to tell her." AJ explained.
"Oh, but don't you think she should be told sooner?" Dick asked.
"I guess so," AJ replied.
Roy raised an eyebrow at this, "You guess so?!"
"Dude, she has a right to know." Said Wally.
AJ was now starting to get somewhat annoyed.
"I'm aware of that, guys but…it's not my problem." He said to them. Getting to his feet, AJ decided to take a walk, leaving behind the confused trio of sidekicks.
"What was that about?" Wally asked.
"Don't know," Roy said.
"You guys get the feeling this isn't going to end well?" Dick asked.
"Yeah," Roy and Wally replied in unison.
"So do I." Dick said.
One a cool afternoon on a Friday in October it all changed.
"And I'm in the lead!" Dick cheered as he ran with the soccer ball.
"Not for long," said Tula who came up alongside him.
The two accidentally bumped into each and fell on the grass.
"Oof!"
"And there it goes," said Dick as he watched the ball roll down field.
"I'll get it," Tula offered and stood up.
She walked a good distance, looking for the ball. It was an overcast day, gray clouds covered the sky and from the looks of it, would probably rain soon.
"Now where did it go?" Tula wondered.
"Looking for this?" AJ asked, holding the black and white soccer ball.
"Yeah, thanks I was…" Tula stopped short when she noticed AJ backed away from her, "Hey, I need that."
"Oh really?" AJ replied in a sarcastic tone.
Tula let out a sigh of frustration, she was used to AJ's teasing and being difficult but this time he was trying her patience. "Just give me the ball, AJ." She said to him.
AJ simply looked at her, he seemed very indifferent lately and kept to himself more than usual, "Why should I?" he asked.
Tula raised an eyebrow, "What is up with you today?" she asked.
"None of your business!" AJ snapped.
"Fine, just hand me the ball and I'll be on my way." Said Tula.
The two of them just stared at each other not saying a word. Overall, Tula found the silence to be extremely awkward and unnerving.
"AJ?" she started to say.
"You want it back?" he asked, regarding the ball.
"Yes," Tula answered, becoming annoyed by this.
"All right." Said AJ.
He put the ball aside and went up to Tula, just inches from her face. "Make me," he challenged.
That was all it took to make Tula lose her cool, "Why you…" she growled.
Moments later, AJ found himself in a headlock. The commotion from their argument didn't go unnoticed when Green Lantern overheard them.
"That's enough!" he said, separating the two.
"She started it!" AJ snapped.
"No, he did," said Tula.
"I don't care who started it, doesn't matter." Said GL. He glanced at AJ who was obviously shook up. "I'm shocked at your behavior, fighting over a soccer ball when you're almost old enough to start learning algebra." Having broken up the argument, GL left the two teenagers alone.
AJ sniffled and kicked a small rock in front of him. It was obvious he felt somewhat humiliated and upset.
Tula retrieved Dick's soccer ball and was about to go back the way she came when she noticed AJ sitting on a small sand dune. She walked over to him and tried to patch things up. "AJ? AJ…about what happened, you want to come back and…?" Tula was interrupted when AJ suddenly turned around and stood up. He then kicked the soccer ball away, startling her.
"Who cares about that stupid ball?!" AJ snapped, "You're such a good girl, and all the adults like you, right?"
Tula was shocked and wasn't sure what to say. She had never seen AJ this angry before.
"AJ, I…" she sputtered and slowly backed away from him.
"You what you, idiot? Don't you know why they all spoil you and give you nice stuff?" AJ asked.
"Because, they like me." Tula answered.
"No, because they feel sorry for you." said AJ.
"That's not true! Why would they…?" Tula was cut off.
"Oh yes, it is, 'cause you're adopted." AJ announced.
"But I… that can't be right." Said Tula, who couldn't believe what she was hearing.
The two teenagers were now standing face to face. Being taller, AJ looked intimidating to Tula.
"Oh yeah? Then where's your blond hair? And your blue eyes? And your light skin tone? You're not my sister, you're adopted…just like Dick and Roy!" said AJ.
Tula just stood there with a blank stare. She couldn't believe the words that had been said.
She was adopted? How come nobody told her about this? Then again, it explained her appearance. For the longest time, Tula had assumed her tan complexion, dark red hair, freckles and cyan blue eyes were either a genetic throwback or mutation of some sort. Though the contrast between she, AJ and Mareena was clear. AJ had blonde hair while his sisters was platinum blonde, both had sky blue eyes and a light skin tone. Several questions ran through Tula's mind including:
Who were her biological parents? What happened to them? Why had she been given up for adoption? Who else knew about this and why was this information kept from her all these years?
'No, can't be…' she thought. It had hit Tula all at once. "Noo!" she shouted at the top of her lungs. Tula bolted with tears in her eyes.
AJ stood there with a stunned look on his face. He didn't expect this sort of reaction but also had realized due to anger and not thinking clearly, he broke his promise. Now what?
Back at the field, Wally, Dick and the others had discontinued their soccer game as rain started to fall.
"Look, there's Tula." Said Wally who spotted the girl approaching them.
Tula however, passed by him as she kept running.
"Whoa!" Roy and Mareena shouted out as they got out of Tula's way.
Dick and La'gaan watched until Tula was no longer in site. They were just as stunned as everyone else.
"Where is she going?" Dick wondered.
Meanwhile, Green Arrow and the other heroes were folding up the Adirondack chairs and
preparing to take everything into the garage.
"I gotta tell you, this whole sidekick thing is taking some getting used to." Said Flash.
"Eh, once you get past the first year it's not so bad." Green Arrow admitted.
"Agreed," said Batman.
"Besides, the boys love it." Black Canary added, referring to Dick, Wally and Roy.
"Tula probably would like it too but I don't know if she's cut out for that." Aquaman confessed.
"You won't know unless you tr…" Superman was interrupted when Dick's voice rang out.
"Superman, Green Arrow, you gotta come quick!" the boy wonder shouted.
Superman put down one of the chairs he had folded up.
"Why?" he asked as Dick made his way up the small flight of stairs to the deck of the beach house.
"Something terrible has happened, Tula's run away!" Dick answered.
Superman's jaw dropped as did the other heroes. Everyone stopped what they were doing and were now on high alert. "Who saw her last?" Superman asked.
GL stepped forward along with Dick and the other teens.
"We did, she and AJ were arguing over a soccer ball." Green Lantern explained.
"Then AJ was the last one to talk to her," Flash pointed out.
Superman then noticed AJ standing in a corner and approached him, "What happened, AJ?" the man of steel asked.
"I…I…don't know, she just…" AJ stopped and let out a sob, he was also shaking, "I didn't mean to, I really didn't mean it…I was just mad so…"
Superman raised an eyebrow, "So?"
"I…I told her she was adopted." AJ confessed.
Everyone there reacted differently. Dick, Wally, Roy, Mareena and La'gaan all had shocked looks on their faces. Superman, Batman, Green Arrow, Mera and Aquaman looked angry. Black Canary, Dr. Light, Green Lantern and Flash all shook their heads.
What was this kid thinking?
AJ wiped his eyes with the back of his right hand and lowered his head. He knew this was his fault and would likely receive some sort of punishment for what he had done.
Superman turned to Batman and the others. They knew the next thing to do was to search for Tula, "We've got to find her and fast!" said Superman.
And with that, they split up and began their search. The sound of thunder could be heard over head. Rain continued to fall and quickly became a heavy downpour.
Tula, who had stopped running some time ago glanced at the sky and sobbed. Her clothes and hair were completely soaked at this point, but she ignored it. Tula was now far away from South Beach, in another part of Edgartown called Lucy Vincent beach. Tula looked back the way she came and kept on walking, not caring where she was going.
Meanwhile, Dick, Wally and their mentors searched the beach and surrounding areas for Tula. All of them were now in their hero costumes. Dick, Wally and La'gaan went up and down the sand dunes. Black Canary, Roy and Green Arrow combed through the grass field. Superman and Green Lantern took to the air and flew over the beach and headed towards the nearby wetlands; while Aquaman, Mera and Batman searched near the East end of the Beach along with AJ and Mareena. Flash and Dr. Light covered the west side of the beach.
Some seagulls took off flying in various directions as Wally ran by. Despite being cold and wet from the rain, he wasn't about to give up the search and knew his friends wouldn't either.
Further away from where Wally and the others were, Tula kept walking, she shivered slightly from the cold and being soaked to the skin. Looking down at the sand, she saw the trail of prints she had left behind. Lightning flashed across the sky, making her jump. Tula looked out towards the sea, noticing the high waves. She lowered her head and continued onward. At this point, she wondered if anyone would bother to look for her. Tula was still in shock and started to question if AJ was telling the truth, was everyone just kind to her because she was adopted or were they being genuine?
Feeling exhausted and cold, Tula took cover beneath one of the rock formations. Gradually, her hair and clothes began to dry, she also began to warm up as her body temperature returned to normal. Tula sighed and thought about what to do next, should she go back or just run away entirely? She pushed her thoughts aside when she heard some people talking. Sticking her head out from underneath the rock formation, Tula looked around for the source of the noise. She froze at who was just a short distance away. It was Killer Frost, Captain Boomerang, Sonar, Roulette and Steven Mandagora. Although Tula had never encountered these villains, she knew about them from files Dick had shared via his holographic computer. All five villains were wearing raincoats and had umbrellas. The beach was deserted because of the weather thus making it an ideal spot for them to talk.
"You guys picked a horrible day to meet up." Said Killer Frost.
"I'll say," Captain Boomerang agreed.
"Let's just make it quick, I'm getting my nails done in two hours." Said Roulette.
"Hey, how was I supposed to know it would rain today?" Sonar asked.
"A little thing called the Weather channel?" Killer Frost answered.
It was obvious from all the complaining nobody wanted to be out in the rain.
"Why you…" Sonar growled.
"Enough!" said Mandagora, breaking up the dispute before things escalated.
He then turned to Killer Frost, "You got the computer parts?" he asked.
"You got the cash?" Frost answered.
"First the hard drive, then the payment." Mandagora replied.
The rather overweight albino business man had years of experience in making deals and learned from trial and error. Being upfront with one another did make a difference and helped build a level of trust.
"Fine," Captain Boomerang sighed. He pulled a small silver rectangular shaped object from his coat pocket and handed it to Sonar.
"And here you are," said Sonar who gave Captain Boomerang a brown leather briefcase full of cash money.
"What does Lex Luthor want this hard drive for, anyway?" Roulette asked.
"It has all of Star Labs research on Brainiac, Luthor wants to study it." Sonar explained.
Killer Frost raised an eyebrow, "What for?" she asked.
Sonar shrugged his shoulders, "Don't know, ask him." He replied.
Meanwhile, Tula had been watching the whole thing and tried to stay out of sight. Thus far, it worked until she lost her footing and tripped, letting out a small yelp.
"Did you hear that?" Captain Boomerang asked.
"Hear what?" Killer Frost replied.
"That noise, I think someone else is here." Said Captain Boomerang.
He headed over to the rock formation where Tula was hiding, followed by the other villains.
Realizing her cover had been blown, Tula tried to run but slipped on some stones and fell. She looked up and noticed she was surrounded by Captain Boomerang and the others.
"Uh-oh!" she said to herself.
"Well, well, who do we have here?" Captain Boomerang asked.
Tula stood up and tried not to show any signs of fear, "Back off!" she growled.
Sonar chuckled, the kid had spunk but was no match for him or the other villains, "Yeah right," he said.
"I'm warning you!" Tula exclaimed, standing in a way as if she was preparing to defend herself.
"And what's a little Sheila like you gonna do about it?" Captain Boomerang asked, to say his Australian accent was heavy was putting it mildly.
"Well, I…" Tula sputtered.
"That's what I thought." Said Captain Boomerang.
Determined not to give in to fear, Tula continued to put on a game face, "You don't scare me!" she said to Boomerang. Next thing she knew, Tula found herself pinned against a large rock. She cried out in pain from the impact.
"Scared now?" Captain Boomerang asked.
"Yeah, she is. Look at her face, she's scared." Killer Frost answered.
"Now what are you gonna do? Cry like a…" Captain Boomerang trailed off when Tula kicked him in the face. The Australian villain loosened his grip on her and backed up.
Killer Frost, Sonar, Roulette and Mandagora gasped at what just happened.
Captain Boomerang took his index and middle fingers and touched his nose. He also licked his upper lip. Sure enough, he was bleeding! The villains all looked angrily at Tula.
"Ohh, you don't know when to quit, do ya?" Captain Boomerang snapped.
"And neither do you!" said a voice.
Seconds later, Captain Boomerang was knocked to the ground. He sat up and saw a small figure dressed in yellow and red, standing there.
"Back off, Boomerang!" said Wally.
The Australian villain was taken aback but quickly recovered, "Kid Flash?" he said with a chuckle. Captain Boomerang stood up and brushed the sand off his coat and hat. "You're pretty brave to come here alone." He said to the young hero.
"He didn't" said Superman who landed next to Kid Flash.
It wasn't long until the villains noticed they had been surrounded by the other heroes and their sidekicks.
Sonar laughed nervously, "Can't we talk about this?" he asked.
The next sound they heard was Superman cracking his knuckles.
"Guess not," said Captain Boomerang.
Moments later, the sound of punches being thrown, screams and groaning echoed on the beach. All five villains were tied up and had inhibitor collars placed around their necks. Dick went over to Tula was somewhat shaken but didn't seem to be hurt.
"Are you ok?" he asked.
"I'm fine," Tula assured him.
"What happened?" Roy asked.
"Yeah, why'd you run off like that?" Wally asked.
"It was AJ, he said I was adopted. I was so shocked and didn't' know what else to do so I ran." Tula explained.
Wally, Dick and the other teens all looked over at AJ.
"What?" he asked.
"Have you lost it?!" Mareena exclaimed.
"Why would you do that?" Wally asked.
"Yeah, what were you thinking?!" said Dick.
AJ looked rather guilty, "I…I was mad, ok? Jealous really." He admitted.
Tula frowned, she knew sibling rivalry did happen in families, but this wasn't the case. "Jealous? Of me?" she asked.
"Yes," was AJ's reply.
"Why?" Roy and La'gaan asked at the same time.
"You guys and your mentors hang out with Tula more than you do with me. Even my own parents and sister like her better. She's always been the favorite." AJ continued.
"I don't believe that," said Wally.
"Neither do I. AJ, what you did was wrong and stupid." Said Dick.
"And could've been worse," Green Arrow added, as he approached the group of teenagers. "If we hadn't found Tula in time, she could've been seriously hurt."
"I-I'm sorry," AJ stuttered.
"You should be, son." Said Aquaman, who didn't look the least bit happy about the whole thing.
"Dad, I…I'm…" AJ sputtered. He then let out a sigh, talking his way out of it wasn't going to work this time. AJ then noticed Dick staring at him angrily.
"What?" the blond asked.
"You know what." Said Dick.
"Ok, ok." AJ replied, getting the hint.
He looked over at Tula, still feeling bad, "Tula, I'm… sorry," he said and whispered at the end of his sentence.
Green Arrow cleared his throat, alerting AJ.
"I'm sorry! I should've have said those things. I didn't know you'd freak out and run away." AJ apologized.
Tula simply nodded. She then turned to Green Arrow and the others. "So, it's true, I really am adopted?"
"Yes, it's true." Said Aquaman.
"Does anyone else know?" Tula asked.
"Yes, we all did." Said Green Arrow, referring to him and the other heroes.
"Us too," Dick added, regarding him and the other sidekicks.
"How could you keep this a secret from me?!" Tula exclaimed.
"They were gonna tell you but…" Dick stopped short when he saw Tula turn and walk away from them.
"Tula?"
"What's wrong?" Wally asked.
Green Arrow went up to the two boys and put a hand on each of their shoulders.
"Leave her be, guys." He said.
"Kay." Dick and Wally sighed.
Green Arrow then glanced over at the defeated villains. "Well, we better get these five to Belle Reve."
"Looks like you're going to miss your manicure appointment." Killer Frost half joked.
"Shut up, Frost." Said Roulette.
It had not been a good day for anyone.
One week later…
"That was quite a rescue," said Batman.
"Yes, trying to secure those levees gave me a work out." Superman admitted.
He and Batman walked into the kitchen in Mount Justice.
As the name implied, it was an actual mountain, located right outside the town of Happy Harbor, Rhode Island. The interior of the mountain had been carved out and now had a kitchen, gym and other rooms. The idea was for it to be a meeting place for Superman and other heroes since they were working together more frequently. The two heroes had returned from rescuing people from a flood in Houston along with Green Arrow, Aquaman and Flash.
Batman spotted Aquaman sitting on the couch in the living room area watching the GBS news report of the flood on television. Something about him seemed off and the Dark Knight was determined to find out why.
"You've been quiet since we got back, Aquaman. Is something wrong?" Batman asked.
Aquaman turned off the TV before he faced the Bat. Letting out a deep sigh as he collected his thoughts. "Yes, ever since Tula found out the truth about herself, she doesn't really talk anymore. Not to me, not Mera, not even AJ and Mareena." He explained.
"Sounds like she's in shock, she'll come around." Said Superman who tried to sound hopeful.
"Clark, it's been a week. I feel like I'm getting the silent treatment." Aquaman replied in a more serious tone.
Superman was taken aback by this, "I didn't know it was that bad."
"What was that bad?" Green Arrow asked as he entered the room.
He and Flash had gone off to the locker rooms to change into spare costumes since their other ones were soaked and covered in mud.
"It has to do with Tula finding out she's…not…you know." Aquaman answered.
"Oh…Ya know, Arthur, me and Dinah tried to tell you and so did everyone else." Said Green Arrow.
Aquaman narrowed his eyes, slightly annoyed with the archer's I-told-you-so comment. "I'm aware of that, but how do you explain to a teenager that after all these years she was adopted?"
"For starters, you could've told her sooner. Such as when she first noticed she was different." Green Arrow pointed out.
"She was five back then, I doubt she would've understood." Said Aquaman.
"So, you thought waiting until Tula was older was a better idea?" Superman asked, folding his arms in front of his chest.
"At the time, yes but…now I realize that might have been a mistake." Aquaman confessed.
"Might've been?" Batman asked, raising an eyebrow.
"You've all made your points, now I just need to figure out what to do next." Said Aquaman.
"Talk to her, explain what happened. She has a right to know about her parents." Superman suggested.
"True, if she'll stick around long enough to listen." Said Aquaman.
"Pick a time when Tula is in a good mood." Batman suggested.
"I've tried." Aquaman replied.
"Well, keep trying!" said Green Arrow.
"You don't want this experience to leave her feeling bitter." Superman pointed out.
"No, but I think it might be too late for that." Aquaman said with a groan.
"I was hoping I wouldn't regret the decision I made when you all found Tula after that oil spill but…maybe she would've been better off in foster care."
Superman, Batman and Green Arrow were caught off guard by this. Did they hear that right? "You don't mean that, do you?" Green Arrow asked.
Aquaman gave them a look that clearly meant: "What do you think?"
"I need a break, I'll talk to you later." He said before getting off the couch and leaving the room.
"Wait!" Green Arrow shouted, he then heard a door slamming.
"Oh…boy…" he groaned.
"This isn't going to end well." Said Superman.
"Nope," Batman agreed.
Meanwhile…
Tula was out swimming once again, not far from the shipwreck La'gaan had taken up residence in. Ever since finding out she was adopted; she had mixed emotions. Shock, hurt, sadness and anger, she felt them all at once. The whole thing made Tula uneasy and she began to develop trust issues. She lost track of how long she had been swimming and didn't really have anywhere specific she planned to go. She then bumped into something, or rather, someone. Tula then saw that it was Mera, what as all this about?
"What?" Tula asked.
"We need to talk," Mera answered.
She then noticed Tula turned her back to her. "Tula, I…would you listen, please? This is important!"
"Not listening," the red-haired teen replied.
"But there's something you need to know." Said Mera, who was concerned.
"I don't want to hear it!" Tula snapped.
It was then that Mera tried a different approach, if trying to reason with Tula didn't work than maybe some discipline would. "Well, until you're ready to talk about this…you are grounded, young lady."
Tula spun around, a stunned look on her face. "What?!"
"I'm serious, now come 'on." Said Mera and was about to swim away.
"No," Tula replied.
Mera turned around and looked at her. "Excuse me?"
"I said no," Tula replied, her voice sounded cold, a sharp contrast to her normally cheerful tone.
"You did not just talk back to me! now when I say you're grounded I mean it." Said Mera.
At that moment, Tula snapped. "You can't tell me what to do, you're not my mother!" she yelled.
This caught Mera totally off-guard, her mouth was now hanging open. She could also see the anger in Tula's eyes and on her face. The older woman quickly recovered from the shock. "No, but I am responsible for you." said Mera.
"So what?" Tula asked, still angry.
"Tula, about what happened last week…" Mera was cut off.
"Just leave me alone!" Tula snapped and swam off at top speed.
"Tula, come back!" Mera called.
"Tu…" she stopped, seeing that the girl wasn't listening. Mera let out a growl of frustration.
"Teenagers," she muttered.
At that moment, Mera knew she couldn't handle this alone and needed to talk to someone. Sometime later, she met up with Black Canary at a Starbucks in Happy Harbor. Both were in civilian clothing and sat in a corner of the coffee shop.
"Dinah, I don't know what to do anymore…it seems like every time Arthur and I try to talk to Tula, it just drives her further away." Said Mera.
She sighed and took a sip of the mocha latte she had ordered, "I'm thinking I should just give up."
Black Canary's eyes widened. "Give up? This is coming from a woman with anger management issues so bad, leopard seals flee in terror." She pointed out.
"Well, what do you suggest? It's like she hates me…well, us if you count Arthur, Mareena and AJ." Said Mera.
"She's hurt, Mera…plain and simple. All these years Tula knew she wasn't like your children and now that she knows why, I'm sure she's having a hard time taking it…but I said you should've told her sooner than later." Black Canary pointed out.
"You're right, that was my fault. Arthur and I should've said something, but we were afraid." Mera admitted. She sniffled and tried to hold back the tears in her eyes. "I've never seen her so unhappy. First time I saw Tula she was so small and helpless…and look at her now, she's grown so much." Said Mera.
She remembered watching Tula grow up as did Black Canary. First words, first steps and the first time Tula met Wally, Roy and Dick when she was just a shy yet playful eleven-year old girl.
Black Canary sipped her Cinnamon dolce coffee and nodded in agreement.
"Yes, she has come a long way and is looking more like Keani and Zeena as each day goes by. It'll take some time for her to adjust."
"Now you tell me." said Mera who lowered her head.
"This is going to be one of those days." Canary said to herself.
While the women talked, Tula ventured off to Lighthouse Beach, which was on the west end of Edgartown. She sat on the beach, balled up with her knees pulled up to her chest. Her head hanging low as she sobbed. She paused for a moment and watched a group of spotted dolphins playing. The group was two adults, a couple of juveniles and a calf. All of them were various shades of gray with dark spots. The calf however was different. She was white with chocolate brown spots, a sharp contrast compared to her parents and older siblings. However, despite her appearance, she wasn't treated any different. The dolphin reminded Tula of herself but unlike the dolphin calf, she was adopted. The red-haired teenager let out a loud sigh, still in deep thought over her current situation.
"Why me?" she asked herself.
"Tula?" a voice called.
At hearing her name, she looked up and saw La'gaan walking up to her. "La'gaan? What are you doing here?" she asked.
"Looking for you, and no, I came here on my own, nobody put me up to this. Believe me." La'gaan answered, not wanting Tula to assume Mera or Aquaman had sent him to find her.
"Ok," Tula replied.
"You haven't been yourself lately." La'gaan pointed out as he sat down next to Tula.
"You noticed?" Tula asked.
"Uh, yeah. It's clear as day, what gives?" La'gaan replied.
"It's because I…well, you know." Tula said, struggling to put words together.
"Oh," was all La'gaan could say.
"I don't know what to think anymore. I feel like I don't know who I am." Tula admitted.
She stared at her reflection in a nearby tide pool. Despite its size, the pool was full of sea life, clams, mussels, a purple star fish and some shrimp.
As he sat there, La'gaan wasn't exactly sure of what to say. It was clear Tula was hurt and judging by her red and puffy eyes she had been crying for who knows how long.
"Well, I do know you're the same girl I met a month ago when I first came here. That hasn't changed." La'gaan pointed out.
"True but…" Tula paused and looked down at her hands. The skin was smooth and soft to the touch; no scars or cuts at all.
"That doesn't change the fact that I'm…" Tula once again struggled to speak, letting out a sigh of frustration.
"I can't even say it. Why didn't anyone tell me?"
It was then La'gaan decided to try a more realistic approach. "Did you ever consider that it might not have been easy to explain?" he asked.
"No, I hadn't thought of it that way. But I still feel like I don't know who I am or if Tula's even my name. For all I know, it could be something else." Tula explained.
La'gaan shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe so." He said to her.
Tula looked into the tide pool once more. "I just…if only I could know more about who I am and where I came from."
La'gaan grinned as a thought crossed his mind. "I got an idea."
Later that day…
"Thanks for coming, guys." Said La'gaan.
He had contacted Aquaman and told him about his conversation with Tula. It didn't take much for Aquaman to contact Batman and the others and set up a meeting at the Beach house.
"No problem, I just hope this works." Said Dick.
"Yeah, it better. AJ did apologize but how long can Tula stay mad?" Wally wondered.
"She's hurt, Wally and still has no clue what happened and why all this was kept a secret from her." Dick explained.
"Noted, I've never seen her like this." The speedster admitted.
"None of us have," said Roy.
"Keep it down, she's coming." Dick whispered.
Tula made her way up to the deck where her friends were, half smiling. "Hey guys." She said.
All three sidekicks smiled back and greeted her.
"Guess you know my secret's out." Said Tula.
"Uh, yeah we talked about it last week, remember?" Dick replied.
"Oh, yeah." Tula said in a sheepish tone.
"Anyway, Batman and the others wanted to speak with you about…the whole being adopted and all." Dick explained.
Tula hesitated and was ready to turn and run. "Uh…"
Dick noticed and reached out and grabbing her left wrist. "Tula, please."
"Hear them out," Wally begged.
"You wanted to know about who you are, right?" La'gaan asked.
"Yes," Tula answered.
Dick loosened his grip, seeing that she wasn't going anywhere.
Tula sat down on one of the Adirondack chairs on the deck. The rest of the chairs where the sidekicks and their mentors sat were arranged in a circle, so everyone could talk face to face.
Superman was the first to speak. "Tula, as you already know, Arthur and Mera aren't your parents. Your real mother and father are Keani and Zeena."
"O…k but I don't get it, didn't they want me? Was I taken in as some sort of charity case?" Tula asked.
"Not at all, Tula. Your parents loved you and wanted you to know that." Black Canary answered.
"So, whatever happened to them?" was Tula's next question.
Black Canary and everyone else looked at each other. None of them wanted to answer that question but knew they couldn't hold it off anymore, they had already done that.
"There was…an oil spill, Keani and Zeena were caught in it. They tried to escape and ended up in a cove." Superman explained.
"Zeena was likely under a lot of stress and had you early, we found you a few hours later." Dr. Light explained.
"And my Mom and Dad?" Tula asked.
Superman tried to keep it together but was clearing having a hard time. "We were…too late…they had got sick from the oil..." He stopped short, trying not to get choked up.
"And?" Tula asked once more.
"There was nothing we could do for them." Superman answered.
"Oh," was all Tula could say as she lowered her head.
"But we did try to help you." Dr. Light added.
Tula raised an eyebrow at this. "How?"
"You were dehydrated and smaller than a normal infant because you were born two weeks early.
Adam Strange and I did everything we could. Long story short, you came around once we got you stabilized. Batman searched for information on your family, but he couldn't locate any relatives that could take you in so…it was either one of us cared for you or you would've been placed in foster care." Dr. Light explained.
"That explains a lot, but how come I wasn't put in foster care?" Tula asked.
"Well, we were reluctant to do that because of the hardships children experience when they aren't adopted. Given how young you were at the time, you might've adopted sooner but if not, then you'd have stayed in a home until someone took you in or when you turned eighteen. By law, you'd be considered an adult. Another reason why you didn't end up in foster care was because your parents had some specific requests. One of them was they wanted whoever found their daughter to care for her and that's where you come in." Black Canary explained.
"And although none of us can replace your parents, we did the best we could to honor that request." Said Aquaman.
Tula sat there for a moment, taking in everything she had been told so far before asking another question. "And what else? Is Tula even my real name?"
"Yes, of course none of us knew that until the day after we found you." Black Canary answered.
"How come nobody told me about all of this?" Tula asked.
"We wanted to wait until you were older and were also afraid to tell you because we didn't know how'd you react." Aquaman answered.
"I see," Tula said with a sigh. "I still have a lot of questions."
"Such as?" Canary asked, raising an eyebrow.
Tula took a minute to collect her thoughts before she spoke. "My appearance, where'd I get my looks from? And…the oil spill, where did it happen?"
"Maybe it's better if we show you." said Canary before she handed Tula a midnight blue binder notebook. At first, the girl seemed confused by this.
"What's this?" she asked.
"A binder notebook, it contains the information I found on your parents and a few articles on the oil spill from different newspapers." Batman explained.
"Uh, thanks." Was all Tula could say.
"We'll just give you some time alone." Said Black Canary.
And with that, they left. Dick, Wally, La'gaan and Roy decided to check out the nearby marsh with Green Arrow and Black Canary supervising. Superman and Batman decided to go into town to talk at a local coffee shop. Aquaman and Mera left to check on AJ and Mareena. Dr. Light and Green Lantern stayed behind at the beach house, checking on Tula occasionally. The group knew a break was what they all needed after what had happened.
After a while they all headed back to the beach house, first thing Dick noticed Tula was still in the same place where she sat. During that time, she read the articles on the oil spill, her parents' obituary, the results of their autopsies and toxicology tests and the surf contests they had competed in. Tula also looked through her medical records from when she was a newborn.
"She's been looking through that binder for two hours now," he pointed out.
"Yeah, think she's ok?" Wally asked.
"Don't know," Roy answered.
"Let's ask." La'gaan suggested.
The four of them approached with caution, not sure how she's react.
"You all right, Tula?" Dick asked. At hearing her name, the girl looked up at her friends, letting out a sigh. "Sort of…I was just looking through all of this." She replied.
Wally glanced at the photo of Keani and Zeena. The pair stood side by side, wearing civilian clothes and smiling with the Golden Gate Bridge in the background. The time stamp in the right-hand corner showed the photo was likely taken some time before Zeena's pregnancy.
"You look like a mix between your Mom and Dad." Said Wally.
"I noticed," Tula admitted.
Wally was right. Once she saw the photo, Tula quickly noticed the resemblance. The freckles and eye color she got from her father while her hair, small stature and skin tone was like her mother's.
"So, what do you think?" Black Canary asked as she walked up to the five teens.
"It's…well…a lot to take in but now I know more about my parents and who they were but…" Tula trailed off, sniffling as she tried not to cry.
"You miss them?" Canary finished.
Tula nodded, wiping the tears off her long eye lashes.
"I understand," said Black Canary.
"Do you even remember them? You were pretty young." Roy asked Tula, regarding her parents.
"Sort of, they were two of the first things I saw, and their voices made me feel safe." Tula explained.
"Do you remember anything else?" Canary asked.
"Just a rock shaped like a shark's fin." Tula answered.
"I know that place! It's called Shark Fin Cove. It's in Davenport which is in Santa Cruz, California." Dick explained.
"That's South of where the oil spill occurred, the league found you in the cove…in short that was…" Canary stopped short.
"Where my Mom had me," Tula finished.
Black Canary nodded. "That necklace you're wearing was hers, she wanted you to have it."
Tula looked at the tear drop pendant that hung around her neck. She had been wearing it since she was five but that was all. Having seen a photo of Zeena wearing the same necklace, it all made sense. She squeezed the pendant, feeling the rough surface of the seaglass in her hand before releasing it.
"If you want, we can show you the cove where we found you." Canary offered.
"I'd like to see it but…" Tula hestitated.
"We'll go when you're ready." Said Black Canary.
"'Kay," was Tula's reply.
As much as she wanted to visit her birthplace by the same token she also uncertain since it was also the last place her parents had been to.
A moment later, Dick sat down beside Tula with his holographic computer. "Hey, I downloaded this for you. It's the footage from your parents' camera. Thought you'd want to see it." He said.
Tula didn't say anything but just sat there watching the video, Wally, Roy and La'gaan had also gathered to see it. The group sat in silence and nobody spoke until the video was over.
"Wow…I…nevermind," said Wally who was at a loss for words.
Hardly anyone knew what to say, the footage was painful to watch and stirred up several emotions. Some that a few of them hadn't felt for quite some time. Dick and Roy remembered in vivid detail when they lost their parents. La'gaan also recalled the day when he was separated from his family by a hurricane. Wally on the other hand still had his parents but was still sympathetic towards his friends and couldn't picture losing his mother and father.
"Dick," Tula started to say, getting a look of surprise from the Boy Wonder. "Thanks."
Next thing Dick knew, Tula was hugging him.
"You gonna be ok?" he asked once they separated.
"I don't know, what can I do? I miss them so much." Tula replied, with obvious sadness in her voice.
"And you'll always miss them," Dick pointed out.
"You think we don't miss our parents too?" Roy asked.
"Yeah, not a day goes by that I don't think about my Mom and Dad." Dick confessed.
"Same here," said La'gaan.
"The difference is you knew your parents, I never really knew mine that well and all I've got to remember them by is this and my Mom's necklace." Tula added, pointing out the binder notebook and Zeena's necklace.
Tula looked over at Dick and Roy. "Truth is, I never thought I'd find out I was adopted like you guys." She admitted.
"It's not so bad," said Dick.
"True, it took some getting used to, but I can't imagine not living with Ollie." Roy confessed.
"Just think of it as being one of us." Dick suggested.
"I never considered that. Listen, if you don't mind…" Tula stopped short.
"You wanna be alone," Dick concluded.
"We get it, c'mon guys." Said Wally.
And with that, the four teens left Tula alone with her thoughts. Black Canary and the other heroes watched from the far end of the deck. Although she tried to be the one the sidekicks could come to whenever their mentors weren't available, Canary felt for this case if anyone could help Tula in dealing with her current situation, it was Dick and Roy. But it wouldn't be easy.
"This is going to take a while." Said Canary, regarding everyone adjusting to what had happened in the past week.
"That's for sure," Superman agreed.
"But how long?" Aquaman asked.
"We'll just have to cross that bridge when we get to it." Black Canary answered.
Two months later…
Fall came and went, now it was Winter. Even after getting an explanation, that didn't stop a certain red-haired girl from thinking about her birth parents. Tula was at the shipwreck, lying flat on her back.
The wooden floorboards of the deck weren't exactly comfortable but at this point she didn't seem to care. Currently, she was watching a school of Atlantic salmon swim by. For the most part she thought about what her life might've been like if her parents had survived the oil spill. She let out a loud yawn, which was a combination of her being bored and somewhat tired from lack of sleep.
"Tula, get up. You gotta see this!" La'gaan shouted as he swam up to her.
"See what?" she asked, sitting up right.
"No time to explain, just come on." Said La'gaan.
Without another word, Tula got up and followed him.
A short time later, they were on the surface. It was overcast and freezing cold with the current temperature in the low 40s. Even with a jacket and wetsuit like pants, Tula was still shivering slightly.
"Check it out," La'gaan said, pointing at a large sheet of ice in front of them.
"It's sea ice, no big deal." Tula pointed out, seeming unphased by the boy's excitement.
"Uh, yeah…look, it stretches all the way across. We can walk from here, isn't that cool?" La'gaan asked.
"I don't know," Tula answered, sounding uncertain.
"C'mon," La'gaan insisted and stepped onto the ice.
"Are you sure this is safe?" Tula asked, looking at the ice.
"Of course, why are you so worried?" La'gaan replied.
Before he could say anything else the ice under him cracked. La'gaan cried out in fear and managed to jump onto another patch of sea ice to avoid falling in the water.
"That's why, I've had experience with sea ice and it's not always thick enough to support a person's weight." Tula explained.
"Noted…we're not that far from the shore, so we might as well keep going." said La'gaan as he looked towards the beach not far away.
"All right, just… watch your step." Tula warned as she walked ahead.
"No problem. This is my first time being around snow and ice. The gulf coast rarely gets cold." La'gaan explained.
"I can tell," Tula replied in a dull tone.
It didn't take long for the two of them to reach the shore, both relieved to be off the ice. The beach was deserted and covered with a thin layer of snow which had likely fell the night before.
"Looks like nobody's here." Said Tula. Just then a snowball landed and her feet.
"Somehow I don't think so." La'gaan told her.
Just then, the two of them a heard laughter not too far away, which startled them both at first.
"I know that laugh it's…" Tula stopped short and ducked when another snowball headed towards her.
La'gaan yelped in surprise when the snowball hit him in the face.
"Robin!" he and Tula said at the same time when they spotted the Boy Wonder standing on a stand dune above them.
"Hey, didn't expect you two to be out here." He said.
It was clear from the jacket, scarf and other clothes he had on that he was dressed for the weather.
La'gaan took a moment to shake the snow off him, "I could say the same about you…what's up?" he asked.
"Snow day…school's closed." Dick replied.
"What about Wally and Roy?" Tula asked.
"Eh, they'll be here soon enough." Dick answered as he shrugged his shoulders.
"What about AJ and Mareena?"
"They didn't want to come with." La'gaan answered.
"Well, since we're all here…what now?" Tula asked.
Dick smiled and picked up a handful of snow, "This!" he said before throwing another snowball. Dick couldn't help but laugh, Tula and La'gaan had tried in vain to avoid the snowball but were unsuccessful.
"Got me again." La'gaan sighed.
"That's a good look for you two." Said Dick, noting the snow on his friends.
He then noticed La'gaan and Tula preparing to throw snowballs of their own and got ready to run.
"Can't get me!" Dick shouted before running off to the east end of the beach.
"Oh, we'll see about that." Said Tula before she and La'gaan chased after Dick.
The sound of their laughter echoed along the shoreline.
Sometime later the trio were joined by Roy, Wally and their mentors as well as AJ and Mareena. The heroes watched from the porch of the beach house as the teens threw snowballs at one another, laughing and just enjoying themselves.
"Looks like they're having a good time." Said Dr. Light who was observing the group.
"That they are…I'm just glad Tula's back to being herself again." Aquaman admitted.
Dr. Light raised an eyebrow as she looked at the aquatic-hero. "Is she, really?"
"Who am I kidding?" Aquaman asked as he leaned against the railing on the porch. "She's gotten better but still has her moments."
"You know what, Arthur? I think it's time you and Mera come to grips with the fact that Tula's no longer that little newborn we found fourteen years ago." Said Dr. Light.
Aquaman narrowed his eyes at her. "I'm aware of that, Kimiyo…what are you saying?" he asked.
"Dick has been Batman's sidekick since he was nine. Wally and Roy have been Flash and Green Arrow's proteges for a combined total of four years…" Dr. Light was cut off.
"Wait, are you suggesting that Tula…?" Aquaman started to say.
"Yes, I think she has what it takes." Dr. Light replied.
"I don't know. After what happened when she ran away I'm not sure if Tula could defend herself if that were to happen again." Aquaman admitted.
"Then we'll teach her." said Dr. Light.
"Teach what?" Mera asked as she walked up to Dr. Light and Aquaman.
"Kimiyo here thinks I should consider letting Tula become a sidekick." Aquaman explained.
Mera raised an eyebrow, obviously surprised at this. "Really?"
"C'mon you two, look at her." said Dr. Light.
Both Aquaman and Mera did as they were told and glanced at Tula who was currently playing in the snow with her friends.
"Remember Keani and Zeena's second request? To look after Tula until she was grown." Dr. Light continued.
Aquaman and Mera turned to face Dr. Light. "I remember…she's got four more years until she's of age." Aquaman pointed out.
"And then what?" Dr. Light asked, folding her arms in front of her chest.
"Oh…well…I…" Aquaman sputtered, unsure of what to say.
"Let's face it, Arthur…Kimiyo's right, look at Dick, Roy and Wally…. they're all independent to a certain degree. La'gaan has been on his own for months." Mera pointed out.
"I know, I'm just…" Aquaman stopped short.
"Afraid?" Dr. Light asked.
"Afraid?" Aquaman said with a chuckle. "That's ridiculous, I'm not…" he then noticed the cynical looks on Dr. Light and Mera's faces. "All right, you caught me." he admitted.
"I'm scared too, Arthur but there'll come a time when we'll have to let go." Said Mera.
"Exactly! Suppose Tula decides to be like us one day or maybe she'll meet somebody and want to start a family of her own?" Dr. Light pointed out.
"I don't know if I can picture that." Aquaman admitted.
Although Dick, Wally and Roy were nice boys, Aquaman couldn't picture Tula as a grown woman let alone being married to any of his friends' proteges and having children. It wasn't the sort of mental picture he wanted to think about right now.
"Look, I'm a parent and I'm worried about my kids wanting to move out and be on their own someday, but I won't allow my fear to hold them back." Dr. Light confessed.
"Look how happy she is with them."
Mera looked at Tula then back at Dr. Light.
"You made your point, it's just that…" she paused for a moment and exhaled loudly. "Fourteen years ago, Tula was only a day old the first time Arthur and I saw her."
"Well, yes…back then she was a baby, now she's a teenager and it wouldn't be long before Tula's an adult. Nothing you can do to change that." Dr. Light pointed out.
"True," Aquaman agreed.
Mera let out a deep sigh, "Agreed, she deserves the opportunity to go out and see the world."
"And who are we to deny her that right?" Aquaman asked.
That was all Dr. Light needed to hear.
"So, you want to tell her, or should I?" she asked.
Meanwhile on the Beach…
Exhausted and cold from their snowball fight, Tula and the other teens all decided to take a break. Dick was showing her and La'gann some batarangs he'd brought with him.
"So, let me get this straight, you and Batman used this to stop the Joker?" Tula asked, as she looked at the bat shaped piece of steel in her hands.
"Well, yeah. We use different tools for different cases." Dick answered.
"Same goes for me the arrows Ollie and I use…" Roy added.
"How does it work?" Tula asked.
"I'll show you," Dick offered.
He took the batarang from her and stepped back about 12 feet.
"Think fast!" he shouted and threw the batarang.
Within seconds, Tula reached up and caught it.
"Whoa! You caught it!" said Wally who was just as shocked as everyone else.
"That's not the only thing I did." Said Tula.
She loosened her grip on the batarang and held it out to Dick, only now it was a crushed piece of metal.
The Boy Wonder's mouth hung open as did the other teens. Only a person with super-strength could crush a batarang, how did this happen? Was the question on their minds.
"I didn't know you could do that." Said Dick.
"Neither did I," Tula confessed.
That night, the sidekicks and their mentors gathered around the fire pit on the porch and told them what happened.
"And suddenly, I'm stronger today." Said Tula as she bent one of Roy's arrows down the middle with her bare hands.
"Geez!" Green Arrow exclaimed.
"And look," Tula continued. She took the arrowhead and ran it across her upper left arm.
"It didn't even cut you." Green Arrow pointed out.
It was true, the arrowhead was as sharp as a razor blade but hadn't broken Tula's skin.
After getting over the initial shock, Mera decided to speak.
"For lack of better words…. Tula, I think you're going through a change."
"Change?" Tula and the other teens asked at the same time.
Wally raised his left hand to speak. "Uh, can we leave? We already heard about this." He asked, speaking for himself and the rest of the group, minus Tula.
"Not 'that' change, Wally!" said Flash.
"The change Mera is referring to is when a meta-human's super abilities become more noticeable as they get older. I didn't find out about my Kryptonian heritage until high school. Tula's almost fifteen so it's no different, but it can be a case by case basis." Superman explained.
Grabbing one of Roy's arrows, AJ tried to bend it in half but couldn't.
"Grr! I can't do it! How is it that she's changing first?" he asked.
"The expression, girls mature faster than boys comes to mind." Mareena answered, sounding sarcastic.
AJ narrowed his eyes at her. "Not helping, Sis." He snapped.
The group of teens simply laughed.
"Well, I guess this means we can start training." Black Canary concluded.
Tula frowned at this, what did Canary mean? "For what?" she asked.
"We thought it over and Mera and I agreed with everyone else that…you…" Aquaman struggled to speak but Mera managed to snap him out of it.
"Spit it out, Arthur!" she exclaimed.
"What I'm trying to say is… we believe that you're ready to become a sidekick like your friends are." Aquaman announced.
The group gasped, their mouths hanging open. Did they hear right?
"Seriously?!" Tula asked.
"Yes," Aquaman replied.
"But…why Tula? Why not me and Mareena?" AJ asked.
"AJ, you and your sister have a long way to go. You'll get there eventually." Aquaman answered.
AJ sighed, he knew his Dad was right and couldn't argue with him. "Ok," he said, souding disappointed.
Aquaman then turned to another one of the teens in the group. "And La'gaan, you are more than welcome to join…" he was cut off.
"I accept!" La'gaan replied with a smile.
"We knew you would," said Canary.
It was clear the teens were excited by this offer.
"And the point of this is?" Tula asked.
"So that you can know how to defend yourself and control abilities." Canary answered.
"And be able to help people including us." Wally added.
"And who knows, maybe one day all of you will be more than just sidekicks." Said Superman.
Flash chuckled. "Careful Clark, don't go giving them any ideas." He warned.
"Who said I was?" the man of steel replied, grinning nervously.
"Riiight," said Green Lantern as he rolled his eyes.
For the next three months, Tula trained alongside her friends. Although Dick, Roy and Wally all had experience, something she didn't. With Black Canary's help, Tula learned self-defense. Dick showed her the basics in agility, tracking and stealth. She was also taught by Aquaman how to apply these same techniques in the water. Dr. Light and the other heroes helped when they could. As time went on, Tula's stamina and endurance improved. She could swim and dive much further than before and hold her breath for longer periods of time. Another thing she had learned was mimicry where she could imitate the sounds of various sea animals. In addition, to thick skin and incredible strength, Tula learned how to use echolocation. Although most forms of echolocation were used by sea mammals and bats, research courtesy of Adam Strange at STAR labs showed humans could learn it. Once again, the seasons changed…it was now early Spring. The snow had started to melt, geese and other migratory animals started to return to their homes. Those that had gone off to hibernate stepped out of their dens and burrows. Flowers and grass were slowly growing back and stuck out of the melting patches of snow and ice. These wasn't the only things that had changed.
"Ok, that's all for today." Black Canary announced, ending another training session.
She and the sidekicks were currently in the field not far from the beach. The open space and lack of people around made it an ideal spot.
As she was gathering up her first aid kit and other supplies, she noticed Tula standing there.
"Something wrong, Tula?" Canary asked.
"No, I just wanted to know what's next." Tula answered.
"Nothing, I've taught you all that I know…this was it." Said Canary.
"So…we're done?" Tula asked, sounding puzzled.
"Learning the basics, yes…as for learning to work on a team, I can help with that to some extent, but you and the others will need to figure out the rest." Black Canary explained.
Tula nodded and went to sit down on the Adirondack chairs with the rest of the group.
"Phew! Glad that's over." Said Tula.
"Me too," Wally agreed.
He sat between Tula and Dick while, Roy and La'gann were on the other side.
"You guys are sore after all that?" Roy asked.
"And you aren't?" Wally answered in surprise.
"Pfft…no," Roy scoffed.
He stretched out his arms but froze when he heard and felt something snap in his lower back. "Ow!"
"I knew it!" Wally said with a grin.
Dick shook his head. "Dude, you are such a terrible liar." He told Roy.
"Whatever," the red-haired archer muttered.
One month later…
It was now April, up until now things had been going well but later that month it all changed. The anniversary of what was called the Sea Eagle oil spill had come and gone. Tula's depressed state had returned. She thought about everything that happened in the past six months since October. Finding out about her adoption, her birth parents and everything else was on her mind that entire week.
She walked along the beach, it was clear she wasn't in her usual cheerful mood. She stopped and stared at her reflection in a puddle, from the rain that fell the night before. She spotted a familiar speedster standing behind her and turned around. Wally kicked the soccer ball over to Tula and smiled, hoping to cheer her up. She didn't say anything and turned away.
Batman and the other heroes along with their protégés looked at one another, unsure of what to do. After a few minutes, Superman decided to say something.
He walked up to Wally and gave him a look that he wanted to be alone with Tula. The boy got the hint and picked up the soccer ball before walking back to the beach house. Superman then began to walk alongside Tula.
"You're still thinking about what AJ said, aren't you?" he asked.
"Yes," Tula replied.
"And you're sad?" Superman continued.
"Uh-huh," Tula answered in a dull tone.
"You know, part of what AJ said is true and part of it isn't. It's true you are adopted like Dick and Roy, but we'd never mistreat you, because we care about you...and part of the reason why Dick and the others like you is because you're different from them." Superman explained.
"But I don't want to be different, I just want to fit in." said Tula.
She still hadn't come to grips with finding out about who she was.
"And we're all proud of far you and your friends have come these past few months…but we're also proud of what a beautiful young woman you're becoming. One who will surf the oceans just like her mother and father did." Said Superman, trying to be encouraging.
"Supes has a way with words." Said Flash.
He and everyone else were within earshot range and eavesdropping on the conversation; even though they probably shouldn't have.
"He's good," Green Arrow agreed.
"Almost as good as a book," said Green Lantern.
"You're sure Arthur and Mera aren't my parents, Superman?" Tula asked.
The man of steel shook his head, he remembered the day when he found he was adopted by the Kents and went through a phase of shock and denial. "No, your real parents, Keani and Zeena were a courageous young couple. Kind, intelligent and noble. Like all heroes are." Said Superman.
He and Tula watched four seagulls flying overhead before continuing their conversation.
"I'm afraid to surf." Tula admitted.
"You mustn't be afraid of your true nature. When you're ready, I promise we'll all be there to help you." Superman assured her.
Tula half smiled. "Thank you, Superman. Coming from you, that means a lot." She said to him.
Meanwhile back on the porch, it was a pretty emotional scene to say the least.
Green Arrow, Flash, Black Canary, Green Lantern, Dr. Light and Mera were clearly trying to keep it together and failing at doing so with tears in their eyes.
Batman and Aquaman were the only ones that managed to keep a straight face, but they felt the same as their colleagues.
The sidekicks were all getting emotional as well, some of them sniffling and wiping their eyes.
Dr. Light raised an eyebrow at them.
"Are you boys crying?" she asked.
"No!" the four of them replied.
MORE TO COME…
And that's it for this chapter. As for when the next chapter will be posted that's up in the air. These past 3 weeks I've been busy and haven't had much time to write but now my schedule's freed up again. Hoping to get another chapter or two out in March but no promises. Some material in this chapter are from the following: Moesha, Lucky & Zorba, A Goofy Movie, Zootopia, Hey Arnold, George Lopez, Justice League Unlimited, Superman the animated series, The Land Before Time, Sister, Sister and The Animals of Farthing Wood. Also got ideas from movies such as Bambi, Land Before Time and An American Tail.
Anyway, if nothing is updated next weekend, I'm most likely watching the Oscars on Sunday. Don't miss out, check your local listings!
Later Gators!