The next day started off bright and early, for even with my best efforts I can not find anymore on the whereabouts of the Sword of Gaia. The only hope I have to finding it would be to go down to the Isle of Gaia and try to find information at its previous location. I am sure if nothing else, we can find a temple or passageway leading me to the sword. First, I have to go by the Cave and grab one of my back up swords. Not that it would last long, I thought to myself sarcastically. I hopped through the zeta tube, in my human form for the first time.
Archangel B-09
Without stopping I focused on finding a suitable weapon to find a more permanent weapon. If I am not mistaken; Robin, Kid Flash, and Artemis all had some sort of plans today, so the only ones who would likely be in the cave are M'gann and Superboy. The thought of the two together made me blush. It was obvious to even I that the pair were especially fond of each other. I have walked in on my new mother and father enough times to know that I should not go looking for them, to save the three of us the embarrassment of catching them in an act they could be doing.
Besides I know the the two could use some time alone. I find M'gann and Superboy to be a great fit. She is so nice and thoughtful, which compliments Superboys typical aggressive and silent nature very well. It is only a matter of time before they end up dating, I give it an estimated time of 2 weeks, if they were already not together. Perhaps I too can find someone who completes me in that way one day. My mind instantly flashed to Kaldur reminding me of our current situation. Then again, boys may be too much of a complication to deal with right now. With the way things are right now, him having feelings for someone else and me hold this jealousy, it is hard to see there being a us. With a heavy sigh I turned the corner running into a brute force, stopping me in my tracks. My eyes met with a bright blue ones and I realized it was Superboy.
"Oh I apologize Superboy! I was not watching where I was going." Superboy stared at me a bit surprised making me a bit confused.
"Rose?" He asked surprise In his voice. Then it hit me that I was still in my very new human form. Of course Superboy is surprised, this is his first time seeing me look human. I mentally scolded myself for my idiotic transgressions before standing back.
"Of course you are not aware of my newly found humanity. Esor." The tingly feeling engulfed my body once more as my features changed. My normal white hair fell onto my shoulder from my high ponytail and a sly smirk played on my lips. I do not believe I could ever get tired of that feeling, no matter how comfortable I am in my own skin. M'gann had flown up and watched in amazement at my change. I pointed to my necklace excitedly, ready to tell my friends of my great news.
"It is a gift from Hawkgirl and The Green Lantern. They have officially adopted me into their family!" M'gann squealed with joy and grabbed both of my hands.
"I'm so happy for you! So will you be going to an Earth school?"
"Yes, I am hoping to convince them to allow me to go next week!" The two of us hugged happily. I could see Superboy shifting uncomfortable and for a moment I felt sorry for the Kryptonian. Superman has been unfair to him ever since he has laid eyes on the poor boy. All Superboy wants is for Superman to notice him, but the stubborn Kryptonian refuses to even acknowledge his existence. No one here can relate to his situation more than I, in certain aspects. A sudden idea came to my head and with a smile I placed a hand on Superboy's shoulder.
"Would you like to join me on a quest?" Superboy looked up to a small glint in his eyes.
The three of us flew to the Isles in Ms. Martians bio ship in complete content. Once I told him of the exploration, Superboy's mood had lightened up a little. M'gann agreed to come as well, wanting to help out and enjoy each other's company. So after suiting up the three of us journeyed to the mystic Isle of Gaia for the sword of Gaia.
"So what's so special about this sword anyways?" Superboy asked while leaning back in his seat. M'gann turned to me as well curious to the answer.
"The sword of Gaia is said to be an indestructible sword that gives luck to whoever wields it from the Greek goddess Gaia." I explained in excitement
"Just out of curiosity, why do you need a sword? You're practically an expert at hand to hand combat, you control lightning and you have wings. You seem fine without them." M'gann asked She has a point. My powers would be far more useful to me in battle if I honed them enough. I fear the more I use my powers the more likely I am to becoming exactly what Dr. Oz wants me to be, a weapon for him. It could be in my genetic code for my personality to change as my powers evolve, and that scares me. Bravely, I put on a fake smile to hide my insecurities.
"Electricity is very dangerous. Without much control over it, I could end up seriously injuring someone with my powers, and I am afraid I am not willing to risk it when I can just as easily rely on my swordsmanship." The two seemed to have accepted my answer calming down my nerves. I leaned back in my seat to relax a little before we arrived.
It may just be easier to simply tell the others the truth. Hiding my origins and makings are becoming increasingly more difficult as I grow closer to my teammates. Superboy may be a little more accepting of the fact, M'gann may falter but ultimately be fine with it. Robin Kid Flash and Artemis however may need a lot of time before things go back to normal. My thoughts drifted to how Kaldur and Roy reacted. Both boys had been a bit reluctant to accepting the part of myself that I hated. Even though it all resulted well, Roy had been enraged and even hostile towards me, raising his weapon devoid of the fact that we were in Oz's clutches. I could feel his anger and distrust with me and the only reason it did not hurt as bad was because I had only met him hours before. Kaldur, however, hurt me. He did not get angry with me, or even yell, he simply ignored me. He could not look me in the eye, and refused to talked to me, he just left me alone as if I was not even in his life or that he was ashamed he has even met me. Coming from someone I considered to be my closest friend, being treated like that hurt me so much. In fact, I know I will not be able to get the image of his reaction out of my head for a long time. I shuddered at the thought of the others doing the same. Perhaps I should not tell them.
Then again, how should I be expected to lead a team with a secret such as that. It brought my thoughts back to leading the team. Am I very capable of even being a leader that the team needs? I am well versed in battle strategy, strong, and a good listener, but all of that does not necessarily make me fit to lead. Being in a stressful situation makes me sloppy and impulsive, which is the opposite of what is needed. I also do not have the confidence that a leader should have in making a decision, nor the the I have the ability to be honest for the team. There are things I have to keep from them, things they can not know about me or the world I was brought into.
The tropical isles of Gaia were a series of small island roughly 1,000 miles away from modern day Greece and 1,000 miles away from Libya. The water surrounds it is very clear, and, for reasons unknown to scientists, extremely purified with a near exact 5 mile radius of the shore. Many people are baffled as to why this is, but after around 1950, scientists stopped looking into the reasons why. It was around that time that explores either stopped coming to the Isle in search of the Sword Of Gaia, or stopped returning all together. It is all very mysterious, which completely peaks my interest. It's mysterious tales excite me, while it's beauty enchants me to know more.
Once M'gann got close enough to the ground,I hovered above the sand admiring the view of the island. The island was covered in large, beautiful trees, covering the area in a beautiful green. A large beautiful waterfall fell at the side a cliff on the left side of the island creating a large opening, giving the island the blue tint it deserves. The sandy beaches that surrounded the land calmed me and reminded me of the beach at the cave. Strangely, a sense of familiarity hit me as I hovered in awe over the Isle. It was like something from a dream, but I would remember it, as I do everything. Maybe I have seen it when under the care of Oz, from when he forced the information into my head. Regardless I felt at home and safe here. I felt free. My dark boots touch down onto the burning sand and for a brief moment I just stood in complete and utter serenity disregarding my current troubles and painful memories. The wind pushed my hood down revealing my braided bun, the cool air kissing my ears. I love it here, I will have to return the next time I am free.
The three of us walked through the Isle grounds, dodging any vegetation or wildlife that happened to come in the way. At one point I almost suggested flying through the jungle, but then I thought about the fact that Superboy can not fly, and I would hate to offend him by offering to carry him. I know Roy hates it but Superboy might be a bit more prideful on the matter. Besides that flying in dense jungles is extremely difficult and would take more time than walking. So here we walked through the tropical terrain, in search of the ancient weapon. The birds chirping happily in the distance along with the calm breezes and swaying trees gave me a sense of Oz overwhelming calm. I have never felt so at peace in my life. I have not even thought of Kaldur once since arriving.
"So what exactly are we looking for?" M'gann asked
"The sword will like be in ancient ruins or something like that. Consider every Indiana Jones movie you could think of." I explained Both Superboy and M'gann gave me a look making me gasp.
"Neither of you know of Indiana Jones?"
"Never heard of him." Superboy confessed. Indiana Jones is a god among explorers.
"He sounds,... nice." M'gann replies Ever since Mr. Allen introduces me to the movies I have been smitten with overwhelming sense of adventure. He and Nicholas Cage are exploring Icons!
"When we are done here, you both are going to sit down and discover the beauty of the glorious ways of Indiana Jones." I say in my most serious voice. The two let out a chuckle and I gave them a kind smile as we continued through the trees.
"This island is so weird. No wonder no one comes here." Superboy stated
"What is strange about it? It is so peaceful here. I wonder why this island is so uninhabited?" I asked pushing through some vines. As if on cue, a loud rumble erupted somewhere around us. The three of us took on a battle stance preparing for the danger ahead. Suddenly, a large, earth made, golem shaped creature ran through the trees, swinging an equally large, wooden axe at us. The three of us narrowly managed to dodge in time and I could feel two sets of eyes on me.
"Oh. Perhaps a murdering, earth made man would lessen the peacefulness. At least there is only one." My optimism was returned with 5 more golem like creatures making my smile drop.
"Rose, stop with the optimism before you send us an army." Superboy declared as he blocked a golem from an attack. Two of the golems ran at me, one with a large battle axe and the other with a war hammer. They swung at me until I was backed into a tree attempting to catch me in a tough spot, but I am excellent at evasive techniques. In one swift movement, I grabbed a branch and pulled my body up just before they could hit me. With a hard kick to the head I knocked them both down then finished them off with a good bolt of electricity. I stood back with my arms crossed proud of my work before seeing Ms. Martian and Superboy running to check on me. Relief flooded over the pairs face, so I put on a serious expression before inspecting the man like creature.
"They are golems. The hold no machinery and are made completely out of the earth. Perhaps a sorcerer is on the island?" I asked myself studying the now pile of rocks.
"Whoever's controlling them's probably protecting the sword. At least that means we're going the right way." Ms. Martian said as we inspected the fallen golem. It sort of reminded me of Clayface, only these golems were as tough as stone. They wore a symbol in the middle of their chest, one that I have not seen before. Which is weird because I have extensive knowledge of everything.
"Enemy hostiles protecting the sword, remain on guard, we can not be certain that more will not appear." I ordered
"So what are we waiting for?"Superboy pushed, walking towards the direction that the golems came from. Ms. Martian and I exchanged glances before following in pursuit, keeping an eye out for anymore golems.
After nearly an hour of going through the forest, and fighting at least a few dozen golems, we finally made it to a city of stone ruins. Statues and temples dedicated to the goddess Gaia decorated the entire city, her beauty and emphasized even more by the nature around it. Though the city was made of stone, trees, vines, and grass all had grown covering a lot of the ruins. Perhaps the most interesting part of landscapes was how the leave or the trees seem to form around the statue of Gaia on the highest temple at the peak of the tallest hill. It is truly amazing how beautiful this island is, and how creative nature forms itself. My eyes drew to the where a proud multi colored jewel stood above what should have been a door with the same symbol at its basing. As peculiar as it sounds, the obvious building had no doors to enter or exit through. There were located on the structure either, just small holes to bring in air that only small animals could fit through.
"If I were to hide a valuable artifact such as the sword of Gaia, that is the best place to seal it from most humans." I said to the two breaking their whispered conversation. I walked over to the base of the structure inspecting it for hidden openings or secret ways in.
"I could just make a way in." Superboy said reeling his fist back. My eyes widened as I stuck my hands out in protest.
"Superboy this is a part of a long ancient history! We can not simply make a hole in something so important." Superboy rolled his eyes lowering his fist.
"Then how do you think we should get in?" I scanned around the structure examining it for any clues. Ms. Martian density shifting would have come in perfectly if she were able to do it, or Superboy if he had Superman's x-ray vision. Those who used to live in this once vibrant ancient civilization must have had a way to come in. A secret passageway or hidden door, something that gives them access but would be discreet enough to hide from visitors. Think Rose. My eyes landed on a limestone wall that stuck out from the rest. I walked over to it and inspected its making.
"Have you noticed all the city is made of stone?" I asked the two as they walked towards me.
"You know, now that you mention it, this area does look different." M'gann said with a small smile. I moved my hands around feeling for any indicator of my theory. Suddenly I felt a cool breeze coming from behind one of the layers. With a knowing smirk I put pressure on it then stepped back as the limestones slowly moved into the wall. The three of us watched in awe as the limestone wall slowly opened way into each other, sliding apart, revealing a tunnel lit with glowing crystals.
"Was that from Indiana Jones too?" M'gann asked astonished at my quick thinking.
"That idea came from Scooby Doo." Oh Popular Culture, how I adore thee.
KALDUR
I watched as Tula and Garth sparred together gracefully, her red hair swaying with the slight flow of the current beautifully. Finally, I returned back to Atlantis where I belong. Perhaps soon, I will be back here in class with my two best friends and hopefully Tula will accept my feelings towards her. I should be happy that I am here, yet my mind still lingers to Rose on the surface. I wonder how she is fairing, and if she's happy. I know she was worried for me before when I told her I was homesick. A smile came to my lips as I thought of how she had stuttered over her words and awkwardly remained as encouraging and supportive as she could.
Rose has told me to do what I really wanted to do, and come back to visit her so we can do all the things normal surface dwellers do. It was really quite cute how she described it, but I could tell she wanted me to stay more than anything. Rose and I have naturally connected to each other slightly better than either of us had with our other comrades. So much so that she has told me she considers me to be her best friend. It would be a lie to say I do not feel the same, because I feel more than that towards her. I know that it will hurt her if I do not stay, and a part of me will always want to see her again. This only tears my heart in two, because it is the same way I thought I felt towards Tula.
I felt my heart speed at the thought. The way my heart used to feel when I thought of Tula. I have been thinking of Tula for months, that is until I met Rose, and ever since then I have felt this confliction. I have always loved Tula, and have wanted nothing less than to reunite with her and tell her how I truly feel. The more time I spend with Rose, the less strongly I have felt for her, and that pushed me to be here now. To confirm my feelings for Tula and decide if me staying here with Tula is what is best versus staying on the surface with Rose. I shook my head to focus on the task ahead of me.
"Your technique is excellent, But your choices remain predictable. Combat sorcery demands improvisation." Queen Mera's eyes brightened with joy as I swam over to the group.
"Kaldur'Ahm! Oh, so good to see you." Garth and Tula looked over in a similar happiness, and excitement. A warm feeling washed over me at seeing my two dearest friends again. Though it's not quite like the feeling I got from seeing Tula in the past, it is still a heartwarming feeling knowing I had been missed.
"Kaldur!" Tula exclaimed with a smile.
"Apologies, My Queen. I did not mean to interrupt." I stated as we all grouped together.
"It is well. I have another class. Will I see you at dinner?" My dinner with the royal family at the palace, perhaps by then I will make a decision.
"Yes, your majesty."
"We shall talk then."Queen Mera gave me a warm nods before swimming off for her next class. I turned my attention towards my friends happy to be with them.
"You look well, Kaldur." Tula complimented
"Yes, surface life agrees with you." Garth continued
"You speak as if I have been gone for years, But it has only been-"
"Two months." The two said in unison.
"That long? Then I must make up for lost time. Tula, would you accompany me to dinner tonight at the palace?" I reach for Tula hand giving her a smile. She returned it with her own and nodded in approval. I turned to Garth, frowning in disappointment. Garth has been my friend for years, it doesn't seem fair to leave him out. In fact, he should've been up there with me, if only he had chosen to.
"I wish I could invite you as well." Garth shrugged giving me an understanding look.
"I made that choice long ago."
"We have another class, but I will see you tonight." Tula let go of my hand and began to swim away with Garth. I glanced down at my hand for a moment thinking of the feeling I once had of Tula's touch. Something is not right. What happened to that feeling?
ROSE
"Are your quest always this eventful?" M'gann asked as she used her telepathy to throw two golems into each other. I have to say, whoever is controlling these creatures truly love their golems and murder. It has only been 10 minutes since we've entered the passageway and we have already been swarmed with golems. At first, this was a nice change from murderous robots, but now they have become nothing but a nuisance.
"No, normally they involve more stealth and robots. Please Get behind me." I told them getting an excellent idea. I pulled out the mace that I had previously grabbed from the weapons arsenal before we departed. Using the mace, focused hard on making the electricity flow through the maces spike and out towards the golems. It took a lot of effort, but the last of the golems were rendered helpless and perished under my powers. Letting out a shaky breath, I stumbled a little only staying up because Superboy grabbed a hold of me to support.
"I will be honest, that is probably the most precision i have ever had with my powers. I will be weakened momentarily." I stated trying to stand to support myself. My body felt a little drained from the amount of energy I used concentrating my powers. Though I can not control the amount of voltage in my strikes perfectly yet, I can at least aim it right. This was the first time I have ever done so, so precisely and with a weapon. It was risky, but at least now we can move forward.
"Do you want to rest for a minute?" Superboy asked a little concerned. I shook my head, before giving them a reassuring smile.
"No I will be fine. Let us move while our enemies rest." So we moved forward, M'gann eyeing the various skeletons on our path. I could tell she was uncomfortable not because there were many, in fact there would only be seen every few minutes, but for the fact that they were even there. The team goes through danger with every mission but I believe even though we know the risk we have never considered it to be a reality. Truthfully, I know I try to avoid such thoughts.
After a few minutes of silence, the passageway began to open up wider, until eventually it became a wide open, underground area. Large, beautifully carved pillars held the ground above us, shaped like different trees and animals. A small river flowed through the cavern twisting and turning giving the area more life than anyone could've made naturally. Perhaps the rumors of the people of the Isle are true. Either that or they were simply remarkably talented landsculptors. I gave a sneaky smirk to the Kryptonian clone as the three of us walked closer beside the water.
"Do you still believe this island to be strange?" I asked innocently.
"A running river in a cavern full of grass, dozens of creepy run down statues of a Goddess on an island no one lives on, and eerily perfect weather. Yeah, I still think it's strange." Superboy deadpans With a mischievous smirk I pushed Superboy into the shallow river and immediately started to laugh. M'gann gasped and joined as well once she caught sight of the Kryptonian slightly shocked expression. Superboy stared up at the two of us for a moment before putting on his own smirk and getting up. For a moment in time the three of us forgot about our present dangers and previous hardships. Instead of us being three complex hero's on a mission, we were three teenagers having fun. With all my developments happening lately, my awakening, the team, my privilege to go and help pursue , I do not believe I have had a chance to have fun and be what I have not realize I have wanted to be. A real teenager.
"Ok now you're dead both dead." Superboy reeled his arms back M'gann and I both exchanged glances before making an executive decision to make a run for it. Superboy being, well, Superboy ran after us easily catching up. He, very unfairly, bypassed M'gann and grabbed me by my waist before tossing me into the water giving me a satisfied smirk as M'gann laughed even harder. As she floated down to help me up, in which case I pulled her down into the water with me.
"There now we have all been put into the stream." I laughed as M'gann glared at me playfully.
Suddenly there was a rumble coming from behind us. We looked back to see the earth literally slamming into each other, like doors closing, slamming behind us. We all looked at each other before scrambling up and making a mad dash to safe ground. The folding earth began to catch up to us M'gann had taken to flying and I grabbed Superboy's hands and started to flap my wings. We flew as fast as we could look for a way out of the situation. There is always a way out of these kind of situations. M'gann pointed forward at a nice fancy marble staircase leading up to god knows where. Not having much time to discuss the situation, we flew to it and flew all the way up the long staircase collapsing at the top. With a final slam, the earth closed our exit back to the beautiful underground cavern. We looked at each other, tired and out of breath. Well that certainly was terrifying.
"Greeting humans. Welcome to my temple." The three of us jumped at the unexpected voice. We looked over to see a fairly tall beautiful woman sitting on a throne across the room. She had long dark hair braided elegantly behind her, woven with vines and had flowers embedded in it. An iridescent glow came from her illuminating the room, giving her a sense of godly essence. Her beautiful dress only added to her royalist demeanor, flowing down to the marble flooring. Her green eyes glared down at us, as if we were enemies threatening her. The three of us were utterly speechless at the sight of such a magnificent presence. I propped myself up to one knee to be as respectful as I could.
"You must be the astounding goddess Gaia." I spoke boldly looking up to her. The goddesses stare did not break, but I could see the slightest bit of a smug smile forming on her lips.
"GODDESS?!" M'gann asked loudly shocked Superboy looked to the two of us before looking back at the woman before us. In truth I am in slight disarray to truly understand the fact that I am kneeling before an ancient deity myself. It should not be that hard to believe, with Wonder Woman's origins and all. We had expected some danger coming into this task, perhaps even a monster or two defending the sword, however this is completely unexpected.
"In retrospect, it does make sense. The island is named after her, it is her sword, and some of the traps and golems we seen could only be explained by her." Superboy said smartly.
"Yes, but how could one possibly deduce she would actually be here?" I whispered back incredibly
"So you are the ones who have been destroying my golems? I must say I am quite impressed. Most humans would have given up at the sight of my golems. The ones who aren't died within the tunnel but I can tell you all aren't as easy to dispose of. You seek my sword, yes?" She spoke with a high amount of pride and sheer power. She was unbothered, her demeanor was so calm, I know none of us could even attempt a fight with her. My heartbeat quickened from the intimidating air thickening around the room. I cleared my throat bringing me back to my senses.
"Oh yes! I seek the sword...your sword...but I did not expect to find you personally. To be in the presence of such divinity, I am truly sorry for my friends and I not showing the proper respect to you or your temple." For a moment, I could she a spark of interest in the goddesses eye, though she tried to hide it. Pride is divinity number one fault, perhaps I can attempt to reason with her.
"None of you are human yes?"
"No we are all from a foreign planet." M'gann chimed in
"And yet you kneel before me. Have you not betrayed your own gods? Why should I give my prized possession, gifted to me by the son of my son, to one that is not a child of earth?" The goddess stood up walking towards us with her head held high.
"Many humans have come here to obtain my sword. None of them have attempted so without displaying their disloyalty in the process. So what lengths are you willing to travel to get what you desire? Who will you step on to get my sword?" She now stood high in front of us, eyes as cold as before, ready to kill. The atmosphere has changed, it was once calmer, less intense, now I could feel an even higher tension. It feels like we are the prey in a cage with a lion, a fight that we could not win.
"We aren't human." Superboy said simply. Without skipping a beat, the goddess grabbed Superboy by the throat lifting him off the ground with ease. M'gann stood in protest only to have found her feet in the ground. Golems began to swarm the 3 of us as Superboy tried to pry the goddesses hands.
"My sword is yours for the taking if you can get to it. Leave your friends to die, and escape, or attempt to help your friends, and lose the sword." The earth around us began to move as Gaia willed it to close around us. M'gann used her powers to push golems away from her and fight for her own. Superboy still tried to fight the goddess punching her but that had no effect on her. A sword over my friends is, as Wally would say, a no brainer. I clenched my first and turned around, running towards the goddess with a fury. Gaia turned around a little surprised at my actions as I shot my electricity at her. It hit the hand that held Superboy making her let go, and yell in pain. Superboy dropped tackling her to the ground, as I made my next move to free M'gann. Golems were beginning to overwhelm her so in an effort to get them out quickly, I used as much as my powers to get rid of as many of them as possible. A good number of them were knocked down but still many remained. I punched the ground as hard as I can next to M'gann to loosen the ground enough for her to break free.
"Thanks!" M'gann said as I got her loose. Superboy crashed in between us knocking us both down.
"Rose next time you invite us onto "a quest" can we not have a crazy Goddess involved." Superboy sassed I rubbed my hip, which I coincidentally landed on.
"How was I to know that she would actually be here?" I returned before flipping myself onto my feet and knocking down more golems.
"We have to get out of here. The whole cavern is collapsing." M'gann exclaimed dodging a few golems and rocks.
"I will hold Gaia back you all focus on finding an exit." We leaped into action. M'gann and Superboy knocking down golems and looking for away out, myself holding back a terrifying goddess from killing us all. This adventure is certainly one of the more ...eventful ones. I will definitely have to tell Roy about what he missed.
Gaia looked down on me, being significantly taller than myself to do so, a glint of excitement in her eyes. Definitely terrifying. I tossed myself at her, throwing her off balance. We tumbled to the ground and I landed a hard punch on her face. She gave me a smirk before vines began to wrap themselves around me and pull me off of her. I used my powers to zap the vines off, before forcing some more out at her to slow her down. Gaia yelled out in pain as the earth began to fold and bend more.
"Rose, this way!" Miss. Martian yelled to me they had found a way out.
Gaia noticed this and began to run towards them, faster than I could get to her. If she got over there, we would never be able to escape. I lifted my hands expecting more electricity to come out and slow her down only to find vines reaching out of the ground and wrapping themselves around her. Confused, I put more of my energy into making my electric shock only to have Gaia yelled out in pain. I could see electricity sparking out of the vines that entangled the goddess, immobilizing her. Suddenly I realized that I was the one who made the vines grow. Is it possible that I have a new power? I can not allow myself to be distracted right now.
"Go! I will hold her back!" I yelled above my own confusion the ground above us began to fall as the golems all began to crumble
"STOP!" The goddess yelled letting out a burst of power. All golems fell and the tavern began to turn to its original state. The three of us fell back onto the now grassy plains as the goddess turned to me.
"You would sacrifice yourself in order to save your friends? You gave up the sword in order to help them escape." Gaia fixed her hair and straightened herself up. I sat up trying to get myself together in case she attacked again.
"What is your name, nonhuman?"
"Rose Hall." I stated winded from the energy it took to hold her back. The vines that wrapped around her began to retract into the ground. Gaia looked me in my eyes, searching for a deep for any answer before letting out an unexpected laugh. The earth trembled slightly making me stumble a little. I looked over at M'gann and Superboy who were running towards me. My heart settled in relief that they are both unharmed, but I was not foolish enough to turn my back on a goddess of Gaia's stature. Once she had finished her episode, Gaia gave the three of us a kind smile.
"You nonhumans were much more exciting than I expected. I am glad I did not keep you in the tunnels forever. You all were worth the entertainment." Superboy scowled at the goddess who merely shook us off.
"Has this all been a game to you?" He growled angrily. I must admit, I am not exactly keen on being a part of someone fun at the expense of my life, goddesses or human. M'gann places he hand on his shoulder as an attempt to calm him down and he settled a little more.
"I would call it a test more or less. I've had thousands of humans visit me over the years with glorious armies. None of which I found worthy to hold my weapon, but you three non humans are exceptional. I have never seen non humans before, especially ones that perform as well as you all have today. Your love for your friends, strength in battle, and intelligence makes you more than worthy to wield my sword." My eyes widened as a smile appeared on my face. I looked to M'gann and Superboy, who gave me a smile as well.
"I would be honored to wield your sword, honored goddess." I bowed with a smile. If only Kaldur was here to see this. My smile then dropped at the thought that I have tried so hard to ignore.
Gaia willed the sword to her, a holy light nearly blinding us as it came. It was magnificently beautiful in looks. The silver metal had its own sort of glow to it, looked even bigger in Gaia's hands. The hilt was made of a beautiful golden arch facing towards the welder. The blade itself was thick, likely around the size of my arm. In anticipation, I grabbed the sword expecting it to have a bit of weight to it, but as soon as it touched my hand, the form changed into a small rod no lengthier than an average screwdriver and no thicker than 3 inches.
"This weapon was formed by my grandson Hephaestus as a gift. It will become any weapon you will it to be with practice. Use it wisely."
KALDUR
Throughout dinner my mind, was not put at ease. I believed this would be an easy choice to make. I would choose to be home in Atlantis, with my love and my friends, try to live my life out as a loyal soldier or guard to the throne for my king. I could visit the surface every now and again, but I would not have the adventure I seek. I would not have my surface friends, and I would not be able to see Rose as often. Perhaps i do have an affinity for the surface that I did not take into account. The surface is filled with so much wrong, and corruption but I have to remember it is also filled with a lot of good and, as Rose always calls it, beauty. The way she views the world is so positive, it makes it hard for anyone not to agree. Should I chase a life in Atlantis with Tula or a life on the surface with Rose? Now when I look at Tula, I am not so sure.
"Kaldur'ahm, are you well?" My kings voice brought me back
"Apologies my king, my thoughts have drifted." We made it to the Zeta tube and King Orim place a hand only shoulder.
"Batman has made me aware of your dilemma. I know from personal experience it can be difficult to live there and love here. I am confident you will make the right choice." With that he left my back to my thoughts. Can I make the right choice?
I swam with Tula towards a beautiful spot I had originally planned on telling her how I feel, but the closer we got the more wrong I felt. This is what I came here for, she is the reason I want to stay in Atlantis. Why have I not felt right when I am around her? Why don't I feel with her, as I used to feel? Suddenly my mind began to clear as I started to realize that my feelings for Tula have just faded. It is nothing either of us have done necessarily, but this image I have had of her and I just is not what I want anymore. I think I want to stay on the surface, and be with the Team and Rose.
"There is something I must-"
"there is something I must-" We chuckled before I allowed Tula to continue first. Her face had fallen filled with guilt and sorrow, I can tell she was hashing a hard time with what she wanted to tell me. I grabbed her hand and smiled at her.
"Tula, for a long time now, I have wanted to be with you. I came back here and intended to stay because of you. As-"
"Kaldur, I'm sorry. We wanted to tell you sooner, but Garth and I, We areTogether." My eyes widened a little from the news. I was not expecting that and I do not believe I was entirely ready for it either. It doesn't feel as it would have before meeting Rose. In fact it feels as if a load has been lifted off of my chest. I give her a friendly smile before continuing
"It is ok. As the day went on I began to have my doubts and now I realize, I belong on the surface and I have began to have feelings for another." Tula's eyes lit up with joy and her usual bright smile."Kaldur that is wonderful news! I am so happy for you! The surface truly does suit you well." There was an explosion in the distance. Something is wrong.
ROSE
M'gann landed her bio ship into the caves bay entrance. The three of us let out a huge sigh in relief. Today has been a stressful day, if I had gone by myself I am sure I would not have made it out alive. My eyes traveled down to the short circular rod Gaia had given me. The three of us were extremely underwhelmed upon finding this to be the fabled weapon. It had gone from being a shining glorious sword of power to a mere dark rod able to fit in my pocket. I do suppose, however, it will take a lot of practice to be able to change its appearance at will, as Gaia told me.
"Do you feel better Superboy?" I asked to lighten the mood. Superboy let out a small chuckle even giving me a smile.
"Sure. Nothing like a crazy goddess throwing murderous golems at us to get me distracted." M'gann giggles at this as she got up excitedly
"It was good practice and very interesting! Plus we got to meet an earth Goddess! Not many humans even get to do that!" She said as we walked off the ship.
"Probably wouldn't have gotten out alive if it wasn't for Rose though." Superboy replies nonchalantly
"Oh no, it was you two who made it possible. I would have never gotten close to the chamber without you both there! M'gann must have fought dozens upon dozens of golems singlehanded." I exclaimed modestly
"Yeah but you lead us into the fight with so much courage. You fought a Goddess!" Superboy countered
"So did you, Superboy!" M'gann laughed at the memory of Superboy throwing the first punch at the goddess
"We are all to take credit for this victory." I laughed I threw my arms around both of their shoulders as we shared another laugh, turning into the living room area.
"You guys fought a goddess?" We heard Kid Flash yell in shock causing the three of us to jump apart.
After explaining to the team,excluding Kaldur, of our adventures and my new gift to become human, we all watch Indiana Jones Raiders of the Ark. Wally, Robin, and Artemis were all amazed at the task we had accomplished. Wally even felt a little jealous that he was not able to come, though his main reasoning was to find evidence of the goddesses existence. Robin and Artemis inspected the weapon, skeptical of its potential, but ultimately we let the subject up to the future when I am able to control it fully.
After a night of laughs, I returned home and showed Ms. Shayera and Mr. Stewart my new weapon. They were both equally proud of the feat we accomplished, and its potential. We all sat down at the table and discussed our days swelling my heart with happiness as we ate our dinner. All in all, it was a good night, and I was nothing short of blissful.
As laid down in my bed, after a shower, I was finally able to sink into my thoughts good enough to think about Kaldur. I believe I have been so dependent on him being around me as a friend that I have been panicking about him leaving. It is true that he is my best friend, and I may even feel stronger for him than I do with my other friends, but I have made myself believe that I will not ever be as happy without him around or that I will not be a good leader without him around. Today, however, I have found happiness and solidarity in my leadership without him being around. Perhaps I can do this without him, and my only struggle will be that I will miss him terribly.
My thoughts all fell silent for a moment like a stillness that could not be shaken. My eyes remained focused on the blank wall in my room, before my thoughts went back to Kaldur. I am really going to miss him. I could feel my heart tighten, but I dare not to let any tears fall. As much as I am going to miss Kaldur, I have to be a good friend and be happy for him and his decision. No matter how hard it hurts. A single warm tear fell from my eye. My arms squeezed around myself for comfort.
"Oh no." Despite my resolve to be a good friend, I could not stop the ever flowing tears running down my face as my comfort to sleep.
That night I fell asleep, lost in my own thoughts, and most of the day I spent In my bed stuck in my own thoughts. At least now my mind is slightly more at ease. It did feel good to let it all out. With or without Kaldur here, I know I will be ok and I need to be a good friend and a good leader and support him, and pick up his place. This means making the decisions and moves of a leader, not a second command. Besides I can always visit him, my body is apparently naturally adaptive. I frowned, subconsciously looking at my hand. Perhaps I should inform Hawkgirl and Batman about this. A new power like that makes me slightly more fearful of what can happen. My mind flashed to the Amazo mission we accomplished a while ago. I suppose we are not too different, both created for a dangerous person, with more dangerous powers. Perhaps after the mission tonight I will tell him of my new found powers.
I spotted the Dark knight in the mission room just as I would expect from him, and the rest of the team to be at this time. I was already in my uniform ready to go. My heart heaved slightly at the realization that Kaldur was not here. I suppose he made his choice, now is not the time to focus on that. I must be strong and be a good leader for the team. As we greeted the rest of the team, I held my head up high prepared to step up as needed, when suddenly the computer announced Kaldurs return.
Recognize: Aqualad; B-0-2 the computer calls out as his form appears, continuing as he walks out of the Zeta Tube in Mount Justice. An uncontainable smile formed on my face as my friend walked up to us. We made eye contact and I could see how his mind was now clear and focused, but I could also see something else. I could feel my face begin to heat up and I turned, breaking the eye contact. Batman stood next to the holo screens, typing away without a pause.
"Made your decision?" Kaldur smiled brightly taking one last glance at me before stating firmly.
"The decision is made. I am here. One hundred percent."
"Just in time for your next mission." Kaldur chose to stand by me while we turned to Batman to listen to the mission's details.
"The Watchtower detected an immense power surge in the Bialyan Desert."
Annnnnd there we have it guys! Part 2 Downtime is officially out and about! I am incredibly sorry it took this long but I found it incredibly hard to really show Rose's development in understanding it's ok to feel bad for wanting your friend to stay and conflicted for wanting the best for him, even if that's not with you. I also found it equally as hard to write Kaldurs struggle between the one he thought he loved and the one he's growing feelings for. But you all deserve the absolute best and I'm always willing and determined to give it to you all! Thank you sooo much for the love and support and the patience! Hopefully I can get the Baylia chapter out to you all soon! Till then try to think of some ship names for Kaldur and Rose!
-Anna Blue Ivory