Halosydne – Part Two
(5 September, San Diego 1:10 PST)
"We're taking him to Mercy Hospital." The Paramedic informed Lorena. She tried to hold back her tears. Lorena always had to be the strong and stubborn one in her family. She never let anyone see her cry, thinking it was a sign of weakness. Lorena's mother always told her that her maternal side of her family in Cuba, the Aguiles women had always been strong and independent. Doctor Mercer had been a second father to Lorena, teaching her the secrets he knew about Marine Biology. She did not want to say goodbye to him so soon. She felt someone tug at her hand; she darted around to see Kaldur and his friends.
"Where were you guys?" Lorena asked. "I told you all to hide in the closet with me and it seems almost instantly you were gone! I could have you used your help! We could have saved! We could," Lorena could no longer restrain her feelings and began to cry inconsolably. She held on to Kaldur, he put his arms around her, trying to comfort her. His cinnamon colored skin smelled like the ocean. It helped to calm her down.
"Lorena, if you need us to bring you to the hospital, we can." Kaldur told her. He's such a gentleman, Lorena thought to herself.
"Sure," told him. "I just need to grab my things." Kaldur followed Lorena back to Doctor Mercer's laboratory; she felt it was unsafe to there alone. There was a tense air when she returned to the secure area. With such chaos happening, Doctor Geist was nowhere to be found.
"He's always doing this," Lorena confided to Kaldur. "There's never been one time when Mercer has needed him and it didn't take him forever to get back to him." She opened the door to Doctor Mercer's laboratory. The entire place had been burglarized. "What happened? We've only been gone ten minutes." The lock on her locker had not been tampered with; she put in the code and retrieved her messenger bag. "I've just got to grab my cell phone." Lorena's hand searched in the bag until she grabbed something. It didn't like her cell phone or her MP3 Player. She heard a clicking noise and quick pain go into her hand. "¡Ay, que lastima!" dangling from her hand was an Autoinjector syringe. She had forgotten that brought over the autoinjectors for the placebo experiment was conducting. "At least there wasn't anything harmful in it." Lorena noticed the most important things were missing from the lab, Doctor Mercer's laptop and desktop. Kaldur went closer to Lorena, to whisper something to her.
"I do not think it is wise to stay here for much longer." Kaldur told her. "We should leave as soon as possible. " Lorena nodded her head in agreement. Before leaving the zoo, sent to security and informed them what had happened.
"Did the intruders steal anything valuable?" the guard asked.
"Only Dr. Mercer's laptop and desktop computers were taken, nothing else of value." Lorena informed him.
"Do you know anyone who would want to try to hurt Doctor Mercer? Or had a grudge against him?" the security guard's partner inquired.
"He's one of the nicest, most generous men I've ever met. I don't know why anyone would try to hurt him. As Lorena spoke to the zoo authorities, the Young Justice team was having a paw wow of their own.
"What should we do?" Artemis questioned. "Obviously something fishy is going on in those labs, and I doubt it's all the tropical fish. "People don't get into those kinds of comatose states for just any reason."
"What about Lorena?" M'gann asked. "We can't leave her alone like this. Those horrible people, they may think because Lorena was his assistant that she knows something about what they are looking for and try to get it out of her anyway they can."
"Lorena would need some backup in case things got bad." Superboy agreed.
"And we can't let something bad happen to a girl that sexy. It'd be a crime." Wally said, Artemis rolled her eyes at his "concern" for Lorena.
"It is agreed then," Kaldur confirmed with the team. "We will stay by Lorena until we can figure out who attack Doctor Mercer and why." After she was done being interviewed, Kaldur offered to take her to Mercy Hospital to see Doctor Mercer. Martian Manhunter dropped off the team's motorcycles for them to use around San Diego. These are nice motorcycles for some high school students. But a ride was a ride, especially from a guy as handsome as Kaldur.
"I'd like to ride with you." Lorena told Kaldur. Kaldur smiled at her,
"It would be my honor for me to ride with you." He handed her the spare helmet from the back compartment. Kaldur put the directions to the hospital on the GPS and they set off. Lorena liked the way she looked on a motorcycle. Around the city she sometimes would see the cholas with their boyfriends and in their souped up cars, wishing she had someone to go for car rides with. Lorena enjoyed Kaldur's company, he was so mature than any of the other sixteen year olds she had meet before. She wrapped her arms tighter around Kaldur's waist.
Kaldur smiled when he felt Lorena grip tighter around him. Lorena was not like the Atlantean girls; surface girls were much more forward surface women were opposed to the Atlantean women. Tula did not allow Kaldur to kiss her for at least a year and a half into their courting. While he did miss Atlantis, he did not miss the rigid social structure. M'gann and Artemis were great, but Lorena was a nice burst of fresh air. M'gann was sweet, but too naïve and Artemis well grounded and mature, could be rather harsh and secretive about her life.
They finally reached Mercy Hospital; they parked their bikes and headed inside. A nurse directed them to Doctor Mercer's room. He lied in bed, attached to a respirator. He appeared to be conscious, but was totally unresponsive. Lorena sat on the chair right by Mercer's bed. The doctor came right in and spoke to the group, but M'gann focused her on attention on Mercer. She realized early on staying on Earth how unethical telepathy was to humans. But this was a much different case, it was life or death. M'gann appeared to have been zoning out to those around her, concentrating on Mercer's mind.
Dr. Mercer? M'gann asked in Mercer's mind.
"Who's there?" Mercer asked.
I am a friend of Lorena's. We are all worried about you. What happened to you?
"I think I was poisoned." Mercer confided. "You have to help Lorena! They'll be after her! She has to check the CD I put in her messenger bag."
Who will be after her? Who? Before Mercer could answer, M'gann was pulled out of the telepathic link. Wally had shaken her shoulder to get her attention.
"The Doctor said it's too early to know what's wrong with the doctor. But Lorena's invited us to her house." M'gann needed to think of a way for Lorena to stumble on the CD in her bag. Hello, M'gann! She thought to herself. "Lorena, do you have any gum?"
"Sure, just let me check." Lorena rummaged through her messenger bag, unzipped one of the compartments and came across the CD entitled, "Project Sub Diego." M'gann smiled, how knew gum could save the world.
"Maybe is has something to do with what happened to Dr. Mercer." M'gann observed.
"Do you have a computer?" Superboy asked.
"I have my laptop back at my house.
"Let's go." Kaldur ordered.
Lorena unlocked her front door. Wally quickly rushed into the house, to lounge on her couch.
"Please make yourself at home." Lorena said sardonically to Wally. She went upstairs to get her laptop, the team waited patiently.
"What do you think is on the disk?" Wally asked, stretching out on the couch.
"Do you think we should call the Justice League?" Artemis asked. "In case this goes over our head?"
"The League always tells us to handle it ourselves." Superboy responded. Mix feelings were abounding within the group, not knowing if they were skilled enough to keep handling the situation. Kaldur decided to go up to Lorena's room to see what was keeping her. He walked up the stairs to the second floor. Kaldur saw a room with an opened door and heard Lorena's voice; he slowly opened the door calling out her name. He closed the door behind him.
"Lorena?" Kaldur called out. He was amazed at Lorena's bedroom. The walls were a cyan blue color, with frescos of mermaids playing with sea life. She had a collection of seashells, sand dollars and jars of sand filled from the different beaches she had visited. He looked at the throw pillows and trinkets on her bed, picking up a stuffed animal when she entered into the room.
"Kaldur?" Lorena asked. "What are you doing up here?" She had on a pair of form fitting jean shorts, brown leather bead embellished gypsy sandals and a teal paisley bikini top. Kaldur blushed as he tried to avert his attention from her torso. Kaldur tried to think of an excuse.
"Lorena, I am in your room because…" Lorena smiled.
"You just wanted some quality time with Mr. Croaky? "
"Excuse me?" Kaldur asked.
"The frog you are holding." Lorena answered, pointing to the soft green frog Kaldur held in his arms. Embarrassed, he gently put down the frog and back away from her bed. "You're actually the first boy to ever come in my room that didn't want to play jacks or build a fort." Lorena looked at herself in the mirror, in the corner of her eye she saw Kaldur looking at her. It was nice to have a guy notice her. To realize she just wasn't "best friend" material. She picked up the white bohemian top from off her dresser. She purchased it from a vintage store; she loved the beadwork and designs on it. "Kaldur, do you have a girlfriend?" Kaldur was taken aback by her question.
"No, I do not. I find it hard to meet girls that…understand me."
"You're not like any other guy that I know." Lorena confessed to him. "Most guys our age just like to stare at breasts and try to make it seem like they are all big and bad. You're confident, strong and incredibly grounded. I like that." Lorena reached for Kaldur's hand. She noticed the eel tattoo on the back of his hand.
"I like your tattoo," Lorena complimented. "Eels' blood is toxic can be very deadly."
"Is there anything you do not know?" Kaldur asked sweetly. Lorena went closer to Kaldur, her chest touching his.
"I don't know what feels like to kiss you." Lorena began to kiss Kaldur; she loved the feel of her lips on his. Kaldur returned her kisses, stronger and more passionately. She ran her hand through his hair, as he kissed her neck. Then there was a knock at the door. Lorena's heart was racing, she composed herself as opened the door. It was Megan.
"Hi, Wally was wondering if he could have the empanadas in the fridge. Then I thought 'Hello Megan!" I told him it'd be best to ask you first, since it is both your house and your food."
"Sure…" Lorena told her. "Kaldur and I will be right down, just grabbing the disk." She ran over and kissed Kaldur, she lost his balance and he flopped on the bed, with Lorena on top of him. She kissed him again and whispered in his ear, "Later." She went over to her desk and took the laptop and CD off of it. "Are you coming, or you want to take a nap first?" Kaldur smiled, Atlantean women had nothing on women on land, nothing at all.
When Lorena and Kaldur made it back down stairs, the played the disk on the disk her laptop. Project Sub Diego appeared on the screen. It was a five step plan to conquer the Atlantis.
"I thought that Atlantis was only a myth?" Lorena wondered.
"Apparently it's not so much a myth after all." Superboy chimed in. The first phase of the plan was to retrieve the amulets of Salacia; they would lead to the temple of Salacia location. The second phase was to then retrieve the trident. The third phase was to inject people with serum that would combine enhanced Atlantean DNA in them, making people aquatic super soldiers. Then with the new army and the trident, they would conquer Atlantis and then other important aquatic posts around the world.
"But how could they send out their information without being caught?" Artemis asked. Lorena jumped up.
"The dolphins, Geist must be using the dolphins. For the past few months the trainers have complained that even the younger dolphins have been tired and fatigued. Geist must be using them for reconnaissance missions to locate the temple. That means Zoey and the dolphins must be in danger. We have to get there before it is too late."
(5 September, Avalon Harbor, Catalina Island 4:30 PST)
Aquaman breathed the fresh air as he surfaced from the sea. He swam to the shore, making sure no one saw him. The Justice League was recently warned about a woman named Thelxiepeia Aglaopheme. In the last ten years she married eight wealthy husbands and buried them in a matter of months. Thelxiepeia had almost become as rich as Lex Luthor or Bruce Wayne; unfortunately it seems she is going down the route of Luthor. She was meeting with former Cadmus scientists and Batman wanted to be sure that Young Justice was not over their heads. The League's computers found that she stayed in an expensive hotel right off the beach. Aquaman dried off and made his way to Thelxiepeia's hotel suite room. He scaled the walls of the hotel until he got to the suite room. He climbed onto the balcony, the summer winds blew the room's drapes against his body. He moved stealthily into the room, the smell of exotic perfume filled the air.
"Orin," a voice called. Aquaman turned to see his wife, Queen Mera standing there. She wore her green body suit, her hair adorned with her golden crowns and pearls braided around it. Her pregnancy had given her a beautiful glow. He had fallen in love with her all over again when she confided in him of their child growing in her belly. His heart skipped a beat when he laid eyes on her gorgeousness.
"Mera, what are you doing here?" Aquaman asked.
"My love, I foresaw that there would be great danger. I did not want to see to hurt." She reached for her hand and drew him closer. Mera kissed him on the forehead. "Orin, I do not wish to grow old alone." Aquaman kissed Mera gently on the lips. She in return gave him kisses, ones of fire and passion. Their hands moved all over each other's bodies. He had become so drunk in the moment he lost his senses. Something about Mera; her kisses were too passionate, her touch too fierce. She moved them to the bedroom, and lay on the bed. Before he lay down with Mera, he made a revelation.
"You're not Mera!" Aquaman yelled. She smiled devilishly at him.
"I can be if you prefer." Her bodysuit transformed from its green to a deep crimson.
"You?" Aquaman believed his eyes had deceived him.
"Miss me Starfish?" she asked him sweetly. "Piranha, Hammerhead now!" Two sentinels in heavy navy blue colored armor appeared from the bathroom with electric eel shaped Electroshock guns. The two soldiers fired at Aquaman, bringing him to his knees. The false Mera laughed evilly, "Nighty night Starfish."'
(5 September, San Diego Zoo, San Diego 5:30 PST)
Lorena and the members of Young Justice ran through the corridors to get to the dolphin tank. Lorena noticed the security guards bound and gagged on the floor. Lorena took out the gag of Officer Fernando, and asked him what had happened.
"We were locking up, when these men in weird armor sneaked up on us." Officer Fernando told them. "They knocked us out; we woke up tied together with our mouths covered with tape. They got inside the dolphin tank."
Lorena quickly unlocked the doors, only to see those armored thugs strapping things to the dolphins' backs.
"Stop right there!" Kaldur commanded. At least Lorena thought she had heard Kaldur's voice. She looked behind her, it wasn't Kaldur at all, and it was Aqualad! Accompanying him were Artemis, Kid Flash, Superboy and Miss Martian. It was the members of Young Justice!
Finally it dawned on her; their expensive motorcycles, their reason for being at the zoo, readiness to help her and find out what had occurred. She actually had a superhero team in her home and ate her food. She should have packed a camera. Artemis reached for her bow and arrows. "Lorena," Artemis asked. "go and unhook the devices from the dolphins and we'll take care of these lackeys.
Lorena quickly moved to the edge of the water tank, she watched the feeding cage dangling from its chain. Zoey came to her first; Lorena tried to get the device of off her. Zoey made a loud squeal, Lorena moved away just in time before one of the soldiers could punch her. '
She ducked away from the other punch and moved away from the water; to be sure she wouldn't hurt the dolphins. Lorena had taken martial arts and self defense classes for years, so she knew how to hold her own in a fight. She gave every block, kick and punch were given her full strength, but it didn't seem to faze the soldier. She was finally able to knock off his mask.
"Pike?" Pike gave Lorena one of his disgusting smiles. "You're behind all of this?" Lorena asked. He gave her a smug look.
"I'm just working for the winning team." Pike explained. "You and Doctor Mercer both couldn't see what you could obtain. Shame you both won't live to see the grand scheme of things." Pike retorted.
"What did you do to Dr. Mercer?" Lorena demanded.
"Just gave him a few shots of concentrated Tetrodotoxin from the Fugu fish. He'll be in that hospital bed forever. Too bad you'll be sleeping with the fishes."
Pike ripped the necklace off of Lorena's neck. He then gave Lorena a hard kick to her stomach; knocking her unconscious and thrusting her across the floor and water into the feeding cage and locking her in. Pike took his blaster and shot at the chain of the tank, breaking it, sending the cage with Lorena in deep under water extremely fast. Aqualad hit Pike in the back of head with one of his Water Channelers that took the form of maces. All of Pike's other cohorts had been incapacitated, Young Justice closed in on him.
"Do you want to apprehend me, or save your friend?" Pike asked. Aqualad looked over to the surface of the tank, bubbles reaching to the top. Without a second thought he dove into the water. He found Lorena's unconscious body inside the cage. His Water Channelers were transformed into swords to break the door of the cage. He held on to her pliant body.
"Kaldur…." Lorena said.
"Lorena!" Kaldur's heart almost leapt out of his chest. How could she speak underwater or was that just his imagination?
"What happened?"
Kaldur swam to the surface, holding tightly to Lorena's body. Miss Martian met him by the water's edge.
"Pike was able to gather his goons got away, but the dolphins are safe." Miss Martian informed. She was shocked to see Lorena being pulled out the water. Superboy looked discouraged.
"What can we do?" Superboy wondered. Aqualad became to administer CPR.
"I don't think a kiss will do much good." Kid Flash said. Artemis slapped him in the back of the head.
"This isn't a fairytale. He's giving her CPR." Lorena soon awoke after a few moments of CPR. But no water exited her mouth.
"When I was down in the water, it was as if I could breathe under water. How is that possible?" Lorena asked.
"It can't be possible." Kaldur answered.
"It can be possible, if she were Atlantean." The group looked up to see Queen Mera, in her green bodysuit and armor.
"Your majesty," Aqualad said, bowing in her presence. "What brings you to the surface?" Mera helped Kaldur and Lorena up from the floor.
"Aquaman is in terrible, and the world at large is in terrible danger. And it is all because of my sister."
"Queen Mera, you have a sister?" Kaldur asked shocked. Tears ran down the queen's gentle face.
"Yes Kaldur, a twin sister."