Kaldur 'Ahm had always been a very perceptive person.

In his training he recognized the tiny details others always saw as irrelevant. On missions he could almost feel the danger, as if he had some sort of sixth sense. During meetings he noticed the small looks and signals that passed between friends, mentors, and teammates.

So it wasn't really all that strange that Kaldur was aware of changes within his team. These changes didn't seem particularly malevolent, yet the dynamics and intricacies were being rewritten. It was as if the script he had been carefully memorizing had been redrafted into something new and strange.

Kaldur didn't know if these changes were for the good or bad.

Though, he had made it his prerogative to find out.

If anything potentially harmful was looming over his team, the team they had formed together through blood and trial, then it was his duty as leader to recognize and handle it before this was no longer in his control. It was the least he could do after all they had already been through in such a short amount of time.

So this is why the dark skinned atlantian had lain down in the quiet of his room on a particularly slow day to work through all the evidence and information he had gathered about his problem. It was all very troubling. Finding the catalyst for all of the unusual behavior was perhaps the most important part, yet it was difficult to pinpoint an exact date or time.

He could only vaguely recount the events in terms of weeks. At least he could get a general timeline worked up.

The first occurrence of significance (Though he doubted this was the catalyst. That origin of this all would be something far smaller in scale. Something he had probably originally brushed off.) had been concerning Superboy.

Kaldur had always felt very protective of the lost and naïve clone. Ever since the three sidekicks had freed the boy from his pod, Kaldur had wanted to take the boy under his wing and care for him. Superboy was temperamental and lacked control, but he was, in all rights, an innocent child who had been given a crash course of reality by three rebellious teenagers.

So of course it had piqued his concern when Superboy had unexpectedly tumbled from his chair and stared at their resident speedster in horror and shock. The clone had made a hasty and somewhat clumsy retreat from the lounge area of the cave. Kaldur had trailed after him. His anxiety made him feel like he was a mother turtle fretting over a late hatcher.

When he reached the kryptonian's room (That was actually a broom closet the clone had insisted be made his new home.) Kaldur had politely knocked on the door and inquired about his wellbeing.

He hadn't received an answer. Nor did he receive one the three other times he had knocked.

The next morning came about, and Kaldur had made a beeline for the potentially unwell clone. Unfortunately, his inquiries were brushed aside with innocent nonchalance, as if Superboy had already put the whole ordeal out of his mind. Kaldur would have chalked it all up to another of the his friend's strange quarks if it weren't for a single factor.

Superboy had a determination burning in his eyes.

It was new and passionate. He was happy the boy had found something to focus on rather than pining over his older self's acceptance, yet something didn't settle quite right with the young atlantian.

Still though Kaldur'Ahm had put it out of mind temporarily, which was an unfortunate mistake.

More than once after this event the team leader had caught the young clone standing uncannily still and staring at absolutely nothing. Sometimes it was a wall, others it was the ceiling or floor.

The first time it had happened Kaldur had been going to the kitchen for a glass of cool water to clench the ever present thirst that came with living with land dweller. Standing there, in his way, was his blue eyed alien teammate. He was facing the refrigerator, his body still as a stone.

"Superboy?" Kaldur asked, concern coating his voice at the eerie feeling that had settled in his stomach. There was no response from the clone, so he moved closer and glanced between the machine and the strange boy.

"Superboy." The altlantian's voice was raised and forceful. Still nothing.

"My friend please-" And then he had reached out his webbed fingers and wrapped them around the teen's shoulder. Finally he got a reaction. His teammate jerked away, his body stiff and tense. Kaldur could see his pupil dilate as he focused on Kaldur. He seemed startled and somewhat nervous.

"Kaldur." Was the clone's only response. As if uttering his leader's name made the situation disappear.

"Superboy are you alright? You did not seem...conscious, for a moment there." The dark skinned warrior told his teammate carefully.

"It's nothing. I just thought I saw something." His answer seemed final, yet Kaldur couldn't shake the eerie anxiety that had crawled into his stomach. He didn't want to just let this slide. Something could be seriously wrong.

"Well…If you are sure." He had let it slide anyway. The alien had then stalked passed him and left quickly.

This happened two more times to his knowledge (though he wasn't always staring at a kitchen appliance while frozen). It made Kaldue's heart ache as he came up with explanations. A kryptonian illness? A fault in his manufactured DNA? An adverse psychological coping mechanism due to his continued rejection by his 'Father'?

Kaldur didn't have the answers, but he sure wished he did. How was he supposed to deal with a possibly unstable super powered alien who wasn't even a full year old?

Before Kaldur could make the address the problem with a superior, yet another anomaly occurred.

Wally and Robin had gotten into a heated argument apparently.

None of the other's had witnessed it, but the results had been overwhelmingly noticeable. Wally's absence was like the loss of innocence. He was the unrecognized glue that held them together so carefully when the darkness of their daily lives crept close and intimate. It felt like someone had tortured a child in their living room and left the corpse strewn about for all to see.

Robin was fussy. He remained at the base, pacing and grumbling under his breath. The young boy was distraught with indecision and when Kaldur had tried to inquire about the altercation, all he got was a confusing response.

"He just… he just GAH! He won't understand and I shouldn't tell him anyway, and it's not like I owe it to him or anything, right?" The acrobat told him while flinging his arms wildly and pacing through the room. He didn't seem to notice that the other team members were at the edge of the room, curious and concerned for their youngest.

"Robin perhaps you should sit down." Kaldur's voice was calm as he tried to ease the boy down. Robin had none of it though.

"I mean I… I really should tell him. He's right I don't have to…to…. He's my best friend. I can trust him. I know I can." The acrobat ignored him and kept pacing and musing. "But…but he won't…." His voice trailed off into unrecognizable mumbles.

Kaldur sighed. All friends fought he supposed. He could even recall a time, a very long time ago, that he and Garth had even exchanged blows over some trivial matter. He would give them time, and if they did not resolve it by their next mission then he would intervene.

"Robin has been so happy lately. I hope he and Wally can make up soon. I don't like seeing him so upset." M'gann had quietly expressed in the kitchen after Robin had left for Gotham.

Kaldur had agreed and as he walked away, something had nagged at the back of his mind. Lying down and thinking it over now, Kaldur still didn't know why his mind lingered over the Martian's words.

Three days after his teammates mysterious argument, things seemed to return to normal. The boys had reconciled and now all he had to concentrate on was Superboy's strange actions.

Only life is never that easy and things weren't as normal as he'd originally thought.

When the boy's returned, Wally came back with tense shoulders and an apprehensive expression. Robin appeared to be grudgingly amused by his friends strange posture. However, the oddities did not end there.

Wally and Robin had always been good friends. They knew each other long before they had met the rest of the team, and the only other person who came close was Red Arrow. Now however, it seemed like Wally was imitating a parasite.

"I'm gonna go see about grabbing some lunch."

"Hey, great Idea, Rob. I'll come with."

Lunch wasn't really that extraordinary. As a speedster, Wally was always hungry. Kaldur didn't give it much thought how Wally trailed after him a little to closely, as if they were to be ambushed. He chalked it up to the red head's eager stomach.

"Where ya headed, dude?"

"To the workout room. Figured I'd get some more training in."

"I'll come along."

Robin had rolled his eyes, and Kaldur had raised his eyebrows. Ok. SO Wally wanted to make up for lost time and train with a teammate. Still nothing to worry about.

"Where you going?"

"To tune up the R-Cycle. Geeze dude chill."

"Well I'll come to. Maybe lend a hand."

"Whatever dude."

Wally didn't have an interest in vehicles. He could outrun almost any manmade machine, so Kaldur knew he didn't take much stock in them. The atlantian was starting to worry. Though Robin didn't seem to concerned. It was almost as if he was anticipating it even. It couldn't be that bad then, could it?

"Whoa, where are you taking off to man?"

"The bathroom. Let me guess, you have the sudden urge to pee right?" Robin was starting to sound slightly exasperated after two days of his friends obsessive behavior.

"Yea, Wally, give him a break. You've been trailing after him like a mother hen. What gives?" Artemis chimed in from her spot on the couch. Kaldur was sure everyone had noticed the oddities by now.

"I have not! I've just been spending a lot of quality time with my best bud, that's all." He crossed his arms , but obediently remained seated while Robin left for the restroom.

Kaldur wasn't sure what to make of it all. The only clue he had was the fight they had earlier that week, which none of them knew anything about. Kaldur was feeling helpless and a bit overwhelmed now, with both Superboy and Wally acting out of sorts.

But then the missing piece he had needed slid smoothly into place and if he'd have blinked the atlantian would have missed it.

It was at a mission briefing. It was simple and straightforward. It had also been the first time Batman had been to the cave since Wally had started acting up.

Kaldur had been paying attention to the information presented, not wanting a simple mistake to me made on his negligence to pay attention. But then he had seen movement out of the corner of his eye. The speedster had stepped close into Robin's personal space, his posture defense and tense as if waiting for an assault. He then crossed his arms and glared. At Batman.

It was almost as if Wally expected their team supervisor to violently maim his own protégé. It was unfathomably ridiculous, and yet it was very clearly happening. Batman was probably the most secretive and paranoid member of the league, but he had earned all of their trust countless times over. There was nothing that should make Wally so nervous around him. And yet there was the red head, positioned like a mother cheetah ready to make the ultimate sacrifice to save her defenseless cub.

Behind him, Robin seemed to give a resigned smile to his mentor and shrugged. Batman gave no outward sign that the message was received, but Kaldur had no doubt the Dark Knight was fully aware that it was going on.

Whatever this was, he didn't comment on it, but instead gave the team their objectives and sent them on their way. Kaldur couldn't help but feel slightly more at ease that a superior was aware of at least one of his dilemmas, even if the Bat seemed to be the cause of said dilemma.

Thankyou all who reviewed or messaged me. Your words make me feel warm and fuzzy and make me want to spend countless hours writing just for you.

In the next chapter two more people find out about the bat relationship, and a much needed talk is had. You also learn how far Dick and Bruce have progressed in their relationship, and how they plan to progress beyond that.

Also, no Wally is not jealous of Bruce. He is just being overly protective, because come on, what would you do if you found out your young best friend was in a relationship with one of the most kick ass and intimidating of men?

Another also. More than one person reviewed this story with reactions of 'hot'. I'd like some clarification of what exactly is hot in this story? I didn't intentionally put anything in my opinion that deserves this reaction. I'm just kinda curious what you guys are talking about. =]

Hope you liked it. Please Review. It makes me happy.