Author's note : Thanks for all the comments! I think Kaldur just sings the lyrics of a song that I was listening to at the time and put into a translator... Final chapter, soon!

/2/2/2/2/

Kaldur'ahm starred down at the piece of paper in his webbed hands. A warm smile graced his face. The drawing was simple, two people a young woman with the word 'mommy' written in purple next to it and a little boy with 'me' next to it. They were holding hands in front of a simple square house it had been coloured in with crayons of various colours. The Atlantean slowly passed his thumb over the boy's head and stroked it.

He looked up as someone entered the room. It was king Orin and queen Mera. He paid little attention to them and looked back down at the picture. The two guards next to the prisoner were holding their spears tightly. Kaldur had always been kept under maximum security, which why both his hands were currently shackled in place to the table so he could not move them. The king and queen sat down and looked at the young man sitting in front of them.

"Kaldur'ahm?" Asked Aquaman

"Greetings your majesties..." Said Kaldur still not lifting his gaze from the picture

"News from the surface world?" Questioned Mera

"Raquel has sent me a picture that my son drew." Kaldur said holding it out to them with the tips of his fingers

"Quite the young artist..." Declared the queen with a smile

"Indeed... It is hard for me to imagine that he is now writing and drawing..." Admitted the father "When I last saw him he could barely walk..."

"They grow up quickly..." Said Orin thinking of his own boy "And what of you Kaldur'ahm? How are you feeling of late?"

The Atlantean coughed. It was one from the lungs, coupled with a wheeze. The royals had noticed the state of his health slowly degrading since he had first arrived in the prison. He was now far thinner and weaker looking than he ever had been. He was pale and his eyes were permanently tired. The doctors had said that it was simply a mix of the conditions of the prison and depression which were causing it, Orin and Mera however had trouble believing it. He coughed some more.

"You seem ill..." Mera pressed him

"Indeed... This is not new however with every passing day I grow weaker and more and more tired." Admitted the Atlantean

"What do the doctors say?" Asked Orin

"That it will pass..." Kaldur said "I am not convinced... I wish to-"

The prisoner was forced to stop speaking when a violent coughing fit. The royals waited for a few moments for it to end but it did not. He simply couldn't stop. After half a minute, Mera slowly got up and patted him on the back but to no avail. A slightly stronger cough brought up some blood, Orin rose to his feet and placed a hand on the young man's shoulder. The king turned to one of the guards.

"Call for the doctor!" Ordered Orin

"The doctor has seen him many times your majesty." One of the guards informed the king "He cannot find the problem..."

"You mean this has happened before?" Asked Mera

"He has an attack a day, often more, your majesty..." Replied the second guard "They usually pass within a few moments..."

"Why have I been not been told of this?" Asked Orin

"We did not see the need... After all he is just a prisoner."

"Release him from his chains!" Commanded the king

The guards did just that allowed the still coughing man to slump a little lower on the table. Blood was slowly oozing out of his nose, mouth and gills. Orin looked at his ex-sidekick and quickly slung him over his shoulder. Despite the looks of dismay from both guards, the king carried the prisoner back through the jail to his cell. There he gently placed him on his bed, Mera ran over and placed a blanket on the Atlantean. He felt his forehead and temperature.

"He is feverish..." She told her husband "Kaldur'ahm can you hear me?"

"Raquel..." He muttered weakly

"Call for our personal physician! Now!" Ordered Orin to one of the guards who had just joined them

The guard sped off. Half an hour later, the atlantean doctor was examining the ill man. Orin, Mera and even Garth, Tula and Lagoon boy had come to see Kaldur. His breathing was laboured apart from when it was occasionally interrupted by a series of painful coughs. The doctor turned away and shook his head sorrowfully.

"His heart and liver are failing and his lungs are filling themselves with blood..." The doctor told them "If he has any family remaining I would advise contacting them..."

"Kaldur'ahm be patient, we will contact Rocket and your son." Orin promised

"Please... My son..."

The Atlantean continued muttering incoherently. Those watching quickly rushed to go and inform Raquel and Amistad about his condition.

/2/2/2/2/

Ocean Master stood in the submarine, in front of the Light with a smile on his face. The various other members stood their their expressions undecipherable. He had waited so long for the news that he had just received and now he was holding in his left hand the bottle which would enable him to finally achieve one of his goals.

"My sources have just confirmed : Kaldur'ahm is near death." Orm declared

"Finally!" Said Klairon "I was beginning to think I was going to have to kill him myself!"

"This is indeed good news..." Said Ra's Al Ghul

"Give him the remainder of the poison." Instructed Vandal Savage "There is still left enough to kill five grown men in a matter of minutes."

"Believe me, it shall be a pleasure." Declared Orm "Kaldur'ahm has been a thorn in our sides for far too long."

With that the villain turned and left Black Manta's sub, intent on ending on of his biggest single nuisances once and for all. Vandal Savage turned to face Black Manta, over the years, he had still proven loyal despite the fact that his son and his girlfriend were both currently against the light.

"Tell me David... Will you be sorry when your son lies dead?" Asked Savage

"No... Not at all..."

/2/2/2/2/

"Kaldur... Kaldur... Open your eyes..."

The Atlantean obeyed the angelic voice without knowing why, as if under some kind of trance. The light was blinding and caused him to blink several times. He lifted his hand to shade his eyes. He realised he was lying on the sand on a beach... His eyes grew used to the light, he realised he was starring into the beautiful dark eyes of Raquel Ervin, she hadn't aged a day and seemed more beautiful than ever. She smiled at him and everything was well.

"Oh Raquel..." He almost sobbed kissing her on the lips

"Daddy!"

Kaldur's head snapped around and he picked himself up so that he was sitting just in time for a little boy to throw himself into his chest and wrap his arms around him. The child had short black hair and silver eyes. The Atlantean recognised the child instantly, it had been five years but he knew who it was. The father tightened his embrace.

"Amistad..." Said Kaldur "My son..."

"Yes daddy?" Asked the boy looking up confused "What is it?"

"Nothing... You are just... So beautiful, both of you..."

He gave both a large hug, pulling them in as close as he could, so he could feel the warmth of their bodies against his own. Tears of joy trickled down his cheeks. Then a gentle and familiar hand wiped away his tears. He opened his eyes and looked up to see his mother, Sha'lain'a more beautiful than he could ever remember her being. His father, Calvin Durham was there too stronger and prouder. Kaldur accepted a hug from them too.

Kaldur looked, walking down the beach towards them were coming Lian, Roy and Jade were coming. Behind them was Nightwing and the rest of the team were joining them. He couldn't understand why but he felt unnaturally happy. He felt Amistad's little hand tighten around his own. He turned around to look at the boy and that's when everything changed.

Everything became darker as if it were a storm. He looked around the beach was wrecked and everyone had disappeared. The Atlantean jumped to his feet and looked around him. Where was Amistad? Where was Raquel? He suddenly saw Rocket, she was lying down on the sand looking at the sky.

He rushed over to her and picked her up in his arms. There was a hole in her chest, where a bullet had pierced her heart. Kaldur looked at the dead body with disbelief. No... She couldn't be dead... This was a ruse. She was too strong to be dead! Yet here she was, the spark of life had left her...

"Daddy!"

Kaldur turned to see someone dragging off Amistad. No! That was one step too far. Kaldur ran faster than he ever had before, whoever was trying to take Amistad was trying to drag him into the sea. The boy's father leapt in but was knocked backwards by a fist connecting with his chin. He looked up to see Black Manta.

"You cannot stop the light Kaldur... We are going to get what is ours!" Declared the man

"Daddy!" Yelled Amistad just before he was dragged into the water

"No! Amistad!"

/2/2/2/2/

Ocean Master stepped into Kaldur'ahm's cell. The man looked already for the most part dead... He opened the bottle of poison and prepared to empty it down Black Manta's son's throat. Too long he had waited for this moment... The moment when Aqualad would lie cold and dead for good. He was almost there. The man's eyes snapped open.

Before the villain could react, Kaldur'ahm jumped up and had him in a headlock. He lifted the villain's head and pried the bottle out of his hand. Not giving the other man time to react or even think, he forced it into Orm's mouth and made sure drank some. The prince almost instantly collapsed on the floor in agony. Kaldur looked down for a moment before picking up a small beeping communicator.

"Savage..." Kaldur growled

"Kaldur'ahm... What an unpleasant surprise..." Said the voice on the other end "Might I ask what happened to Ocean Master."

"It would seem that the content of that bottle had some... Undesirable effects on him..." Said Kaldur looking at the man currently suffering a seizure on the floor

"Regrettable..." Sighed Savage

"I will not let you..." Kaldur declared

"You won't let us what?"

"Take Amistad..."

"Is that his name? Amistad? Well now Kaldur'ahm, I think you won't have much of a say in the matter!"

"Mark my words Savage! I am coming for you! And I will not rest until every single member of the Light lies dead and my son is safe!"

Kaldur cut off communications and turned to Ocean Master, he removed the villain's mask to see Orm... Why was he not surprised. Without another word he left the cell and headed for freedom and the ocean. He knew what he had to do to protect his son and the rest of his family... His near death experience had shown him that much... He wouldn't let the light get their hands on Amistad!