These Black Eyes

by P0ST

The ongoing adventures and experiences of the Teen Titans, as witnessed through the eyes of a silent newcomer.

120. Fear the Black Tempest part 1

120. Fear the Black Tempest part 1

THUD!!!

His body was slammed against the metal hull of the infernal machine. Bubbles rose through the currents as he gasped in pain. He gripped his side and looked over weakly at the solid line of overwhelming thugs.

One growled and swam towards him like a torpedo, first streaming.

WHAM!!!

The young man's face spun from the impact. He tumbled down to the coral besides the machine. A gigantic underwater city loomed over the nearby crags of rock.

The line of thugs started taunting. Waving tridents. Sneering. One swam over and kicked the boy in the chest.

THWAP!!!

His mouth hacked and a thin stream of blood filled the water.

"Garth......," the thoughts of a menacing individual reached the young man. A darkly-clad gentleman drifted over in the water and smiled sadistically down at him as underlings swam nearby at ready. "What did you think you could accomplish?? Atlantis will never welcome the return of the Idyllists. There are too many of brave, noble warrior-bloods such as myself who oppose that action!" He drifted over and treaded water above the tortured boy. "Besides...even if you were to succeed in returning your worthless people back to the oceanic collective......how long would it last?? They would find out about your secret, Garth. You'll be branded as a traitor and sent to the abyss to implode."

The dark-haired teen stared up, teeth gritting. Like his oppressor, his lips didn't move as he communicated: "What happens to me will happen to me. My people—brave and strong as they are—can no longer live as nomads. We need unity. We need the blessings of King Orin! Never before under any incarnation of the Atlantean Dynasty could our prayers be listened to!! All I want is for my people to be safe. And I am willing to accept any fate necessary to accomplish that!!"

The old man grinned evilly. "Rest assured...your people are safe enough on their own. And as for you......I do believe your fate will be promised today."

The man snapped his finger.

Two guards with tridents swam over. They grabbed Garth from under his arms. The young man could barely struggle as they rushed him back up to the machine and shoved him into a thin chamber with a force field. The boy's body tumbled through the flashing forcefield and through the hatch of a strange, small pod inside the machine. The hatch to the pod closed behind him.

"As head of the Fourth House of Currents......I, Senator Chasma, hereby banish you from the seas. Garth, son of King Thar......may whatever death the dry world offers you be quick and painless. Though......heheh......I would be disappointed to hear of the latter."

The old man turned towards a pair of swimming guards besides a console jutting out of the coral. He nodded his head.

The guards saluted. They pulled a few levers on the controls.

The machine started to hum. Thugs swam backwards, cautious. Infernal bubbles rose hotly from the coral.

And....

SPLOOOOSH!!!!!!!!

The machine shot forth a pod like a cannon. The container with Garth inside soared up through the water like a bubbling torpedo. The transport rocketed up higher and higher until it broke through the surface of the Ocean. Trailing water droplets like a comet tail, the pod arched up and over....sailing through the star-lit clouds until it came thundering down towards a huge land mass.

The North American continent.

SHOOOOOOOOOM!!!!!

The pod landed in a forest, splitting trees apart and unearthing huge mounds of earth as it grinded to a smoking stop.

The hatch collapsed open, and a dizzy...beat-up Garth stumbled outside. Weary, bleeding, and dehydrated...the seaman fainted. During the last few seconds of consciousness, his limp hand let go of a necklace he was clutching. Hanging on the chain—glowing with a magical gold—was a pendant in the shape of a starfish...

-T-T-T-T-T-T-

The next morning, outside the Tower....

"Here's the wind-up....and the pitch!!" Beast Boy grinned and flung the baseball with all his might.

SWOOOOSH!!! It practically whistled in the air as it flew over the sand.

I stood on a mound in........a lower mound of sand. I held the bat at ready. I smirked under my shades and---SWOOOSH-CRACK!!!!

As I swung, the ball went sailing far out into the ocean.

Beast Boy watched the impossible home-run. He sweatdropped and glanced at me. "Well then...four in a row. How on earth do you do it---DUDE!!!"

I blinked. I glanced at the bat and realized that it was still warbling with murk. I quickly 'extinguished' the smoke and hid the bat behind my back, smiling innocently.

"You cheater!!" Beast Boy cackled.

"You should have outlined the rules at the beginning of the game," Robin smirked. He leaned against a rock crag on the edge of the beach clearing where we were at. "Besides, now that you've caught him in the act....you can reciprocate on your own."

"What do you mean???"

"I've always wanted to see a gorilla fast-pitch."

"Dude. We're all out of balls. They're scuba diving in the Ocean thanks to Jo DiMurkio here."

I smiled proudly and leaned on my bat like a cane.

"Pffft. He's not a baseball player. He's just good at swinging at things and watching them fall down," Robin walked in and produced a spare ball from his utility belt. He tossed it up and down in one hand. "Lemme show you how simple it is for a superhero to 'assume' the job of athlete."

"Dude!! You were hiding that ball from us the entire time!" Beast Boy cackled with an accusing finger.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Beast Boy," Robin winked under his mask. "Did you want some of my balls?"

"Yes, I d---oh wait. Uhm.........dude??" Beast Boy sweatdropped.

Robin easily took Beast Boy's place on the pitching......mound on a mound. "Allright. Watch and learn."

"Gonna perform the dance of the egos??"

"Something to that extent. You ready, Noir?"

I cleared my throat and held the bat up again.

Robin smirked, concentrated, got into a pitcher's throw, and--

SWOOOOSH!!

The ball came at me.

I coated my bat with smoke and prepared to swing---

THWISSSH!!!

The ball curved towards my head at the last second.

My black eyes twitched under my shades.

I plopped down to the ground.

SWOOOOOOOSH!!! The ball rocketed over where my head would be.

I panted like a hunted animal.

"Hehehehehehehe!!" Beast Boy fell back in the sand, giggling. "Serves him right, dude!! Robin, how'd you do that?? Despite the fact that you nearly ripped Noir's head off....it was a perfect curve!"

"Birdarang finesse...," Robin placed his hands on his hips and smirked. "I always throw a perfect curve."

"Well, that explains it then. Noir? No hard feelings, huh?"

Both boys gasped as I suddenly pounced on them from a full sprint.

THWAP!!!

"Oof!!"

"Hey!! Noir!! Cut it out!!"

I smirked and pressed both of them into the ground.

They growled and turned on me.

We laughed and got into a three way wrestling match, the baseball bat tossed aside. Sand flew and each of us—at some point or another—was piledriven into the beach.

Naturally, Robin won the most. But nobody else cared.

-T-T-T-T-T-T-

The ball that Robin had pitched rolled to a stopping point right at the spot where the waves lapped up against the sand. After a while, a titanium foot came down beside it.

Cyborg bent over and picked the ball up. He played with it in his metal hands while strolling leisurely towards the surf.

There Raven sat, cross-legged, her eyes closed.

Meditating.

Cyborg didn't say anything. He just perched himself a few feet away from her and turned the ball around in his grasp. He took a deep breath of the Bay air. His gaze fell on the suspension bridge across the waters.

Silence....

".....................are you going to talk or just sit there and poison me with carbon dioxide?"

Cyborg didn't glance at her. "Keep on meditating. Don't mind me."

"Cyborg....if you're so much as within thirty feet of me these days, I end up finding out that I have to mind you for some reason or another."

"No problem. I"ll go ocean-gazing somewhere else then."

"No, you don't have to."

"Well, alright."

"I was nearly done anyways...."

Cyborg bit his lip.

Gradually, Raven's eyes fluttered open. She took a deep breath and relaxed from meditation.....if that's even possible.

"Now then.....what are you here for?"

"Nothing, Rae. I was just sitting down and enjoying the view."

"Seriously, Cyborg...."

"Seriously, Raven! You should have kept on meditating! I was merely minding my own business!"

"................."

"Unless of course....," Cyborg smirked. "....you looked forward to seeing me or something and chose to stop meditating?"

"Of course not," Raven practically grunted. "Like I already told you, I was almost done when you came by here."

"Oh, okay," Cyborg shrugged.

"........................I was," Raven muttered.

"I believe you."

"No you don't."

"Listen, Raven," Cyborg sighed and bore a tired grin. "Does it really matter in the long run? What matters now is that I'm here and you're here and the ocean's here and it's a beautiful day. If we want to talk, we can talk. If not....well....great time to meditate."

"You're always the one wanting to talk," Raven said. "I don't know how you could think differently."

"A few days ago, you wanted to talk," Cyborg smiled. "To Starfire even. And from the looks of it, you helped her feel better...and in turn she helped Robin feel better...and in turn he helped all our heads feel better."

"Most of our heads....," Raven grumbled.

A beat.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Cyborg blinked.

"I'm starting to get tired of you pressuring me to live up to your opinions," Raven said. "So maybe I got Starfire and Robin to talk something over that was bothering them. That was just one occasion. What difference does it make to me? It makes none to me."

"Raven, all I ever want from you is friendship," Cyborg said. "Just like all the other Titans. And one part of being a Titan is...well...accepting the 'youness' that is you." He smiled. "After Slade's last defeat, you've been....changing. Kinda sorta. Going back and forth between a more uppity person and your old self. I noticed this fluctuation. And I wanted to help. But I didn't want to help you become either the former or the latter. Instead, I wanted to help you understand perhaps a bit more what you truly wanted to be. And that still is the case, Rae. Heheh....I'm not trying to mold you into something you're not. Consider me as just the announcer to some psychological sports event. And—heck—anytime I can put down the microphone and walk out of the stadium seat the soonest you think I'm annoying you. And I mean ANNOYINGLY annoying you. Cuz lord knows I love to give you a headache every now and then along with B.B." He winked.

She glared at him suspiciously. "Never....never once did you want to try and make me into an emotional, open-hearted Raven?"

"Well...what I 'wanted' is different from what I 'did'," he smiled, sweatdropping.

She blinked.

"But...I know one thing, Raven. You're a strong and capable person. So mature and just....I dunno....magical in your mysticism, or something."

"Heh."

"And if you felt like you were changing into someone more relative....well...don't look at me."

"What do you mean?" Raven asked.

"What I mean is....you've been the one making decisions in your life. You've always been making the decisions. If you changed or not over the last month and a half, it's been you doing it. Sure as heck not me."

"..............," Raven stared out at the waves.

Cyborg turned the baseball about in his hands. "Well, I dunno about you. But I think it's a damn pretty day. I'm gonna go out for a drive."

"Lemme guess," Raven droned. "You're gonna ask me to join you?"

Cyborg stood up, brushed the sand off his titanium legs, and glanced down at her. "Should I?"

"......."

He smiled. "Catch you later, Rae."

"Do me a favor, Cyborg," she cut him off.

He was halfway through turning to leave. "Hmmm?"

"Brace yourself."

He blinked.

ZAP!!

"DAH!!" he was blown back into the sand from a blast of telekinesis. He shook his head and looked up at the girl.

She smiled ever so slightly. "Stop thinking you're so sly....."

"I-I wasn't!"

"Sure...."

He blushed. "Okay, maybe a little."

She nodded. She looked off into the waves. A warm wind blew at her soft bangs.

Cyborg got up and dusted himself off again. He smirked. "Besides....I'm not only sly, I'm cunning!"

ZAP!!

"DAH!!"

-T-T-T-T-T-T-

"Nnnghhh..."

"Rrghhhh...."

"............."

Beast Boy, Robin, and I were entangled in three unsuccessful attempts at shoulder, head, and arm locks. Struggling in a crater of sand, we resembled a black-eyed, green haired, and yellow-caped pretzel.

After a while, Beast Boy uttered: "Truce?"

Robin panted: "Truce..."

I nodded: "......."

THWUMP!!!

We disentangled and flew our separate ways. We gathered our breaths and sat up in the sand.

"Heheheheh...," Beast Boy chuckled and scratched the back of his neck while sweatdropping. "Kinda got carried away there, didn't we?"

"Isn't that how the baseball strike back in the nineties got started?" Robin remarked.

I shrugged.

"Dude....for someone as big as Noir with his gangly limbs, he's pretty good at wrasslin'!"

Robin chuckled.

I frowned at them both, smirked, and kicked a fountain of sand with a murking lower leg.

FWOOOSH!!

"Yak!!" Beast Boy hopped up and hobbled over to a wall of rock. He leaned on it, panting...then noticed a huge tear in the stone. "Say...what happened here? Did lightning strike?"

Robin got up. His eyemask wilted and he blushed a little. "Er.....n-no. That's where.....uhm....Noir and I were sparring the other day."

"Whew!! Dude...did one of you break a limb or something? How could one of you kick a huge chunk of rock out like—"

"We were using our powers. Remember???"

I stood up and pointed at myself.

"Oh right, you told us, Noir. My bad," Beast Boy sweatdropped. "Man...that had to have been a fight to see."

"Not really," Robin scratched the back of his neck. "Besides, it ended anticlimactically."

"So you won again. That's what you're saying, Robin?" Beast Boy smirked, his hands on his hips.

"No!!" Robin folded his arms. "It....I......I don't want to talk about it."

"But I was only--!!"

I walked in front of Beast Boy and put a hand on his shoulder. I slowly shook my head.

He quieted down. "Got it," he sighed. "Well.....um......did y'all make up and stuff?"

Robin and I exchanged glances. A beat. We both looked at Beast Boy.

"We're still gonna kick each other's asses from time to time," Robin said.

I smiled.

"Dudes....whenever you're selling tickets, let me know."

"Besides....," Robin spontaneously whipped out his staff and started spinning it about acrobatically as if practicing. SW-SW-SW-SWISH!!! He locked into a grinning pose. "What better way to learn how to 'safely' risk my pathetic neck then fighting a neck-cutter like Noir?"

I smiled bashfully at that. I didn't know whether to feel flattered or ashamed.

"I dunno what Starfire would say about that...," Beast Boy said, clearing his throat.

"Starfire's not here right now."

"Oh? Where's she at?"

"Where else?" Robin retracted the staff and put it away. "She's off in the forest giving our little visitor some training!"

"Pfft!" Beast Boy rolled his eyes. "I swear...ever since he came to stay the past few nights, the two of them have been practically inseparable!! I wonder if they're gonna be inviting us to a Tamaranian wedding anytime soon..."

I rolled my black eyes.

"Okay, Beast Boy," Robin counted his gloves. "One...he's like twelve years old. Two...Starfire's mostly a sister to him. And Three....heh...I don't think Starfire with her Victorian morality statutes would ever feel right if she hit on a prince....."

-T-T-T-T-T-T-

Across the Bay.....on the Southwest side....a lush forest of green trees hugged a mountain slope in the wilderness bordering the City limits. A few branches here and there bore colors of a slight, fading hue. But for the most part, the landscape felt that autumn was a long time away. Everything was still emerald and rich with life.

Under the late morning sun, two shadowed figures floated in a clearing surrounded by trees. A series of bulls eye targets were assembled on metal stands and faced the east. The smaller of the two figures—per coaching of the larger—held up his hands and struggled just long enough to produce a green orb of light. With a youthful shout, the figure flung the orb forward. It struck fairly close to the bulls eye's center and exploded in embers of emerald.

FLASH!!!

A green-eyed preteen boy settled down to the earth, gasping happily. "Wow!! That one was much better!!" Smiling wide, he looked up at the other figure. "Did you see that, Kory?? I...I-I think I'm improving!"

"Hehehe," Starfire floated down and patted his shoulder. "That was quite remarkable marksmanship, Nova'm. But do not think that you have mastered the starbolt yet. You have to combine accuracy with finesse. It is something that shall come naturally to you in time, I do believe. You are yet young and novice."

Nova'm took a deep breath. Smiling softly. "I'm happy that you brought me here to your City finally, Kory. It just....It just feels so right. For once I feel like maybe I can be out in the open. Maybe I can learn to help people and stuff like you do!"

She leaned her hands on her hips and smiled sisterly down at him. "All in singular steps, young prince. I brought you here for many reasons. True, I wanted you to know what it feels like to be free of the fear and oppression that forced your foster parents to hide you from the public eye. But I also wanted you to grasp what the power inside of you are." She bent over and looked at him closer to eye-level. "Starbolts and flight are most powerful. And they can also be most frightening. But they are gifts from X'Hal herself, and being that they are gifts—they must never be used for evil. Especially among those incapable of properly defending themselves from Tamaranian fury. Terrans especially."

"But....I-I've never seen you mad at anyone, Kory," Nova'm blinked his green eyes.

She smirked. "Actually, I believe you would. Do you not remember my encounter with that horrible Booker person?"

Nova'm winced. "Oh.....y-yeah..."

She giggled and stood up straight again. "Tamaranian fury is meant to be a righteous thing. And the opposite of righteousness is wickedness. They meet time and time again, such as when I had to fight the wicked Booker. It is a core belief of Tamaranian ethic that everything around us is a righteous domain. But at times, that domain can be tainted with elements of evil. And it is against evil only that we show fury. It is against wickedness that we hone our passion into the fiery starbolts. To deal righteous fury against righteousness would be a travesty in multiple dimensions of mind, body, and spirit."

"So....erhm....," Nova'm scratched his head and looked across the clearing. "Are those bulls eyes 'wicked'??"

Starfire giggled. "We shall label them as 'neutral' for now. You need not worry being furious against neutral tools made innocently available to us."

She ruffled his hair.

He giggled and smiled up at her. Since they last met, he had tried to relax and give into his Tamaranian bloodline. It showed quite obviously. Nova'm was smiling more and more...fully engaged in what 'happiness' meant. He still had his moments of deadpan solemnity and sorrow, but they seemed drowned out now that he and his parents had fear taken out of their lives and Starfire provided her guidance. He had even stopped butchering his hair on a weekly basis. And—naturally—the Tamaranian genes caused his red follicles to practically explode in growth, so now that he had long, scarlet locks hanging the back of his neck and his temples. He almost looked like a Tamaranian, male initiate in some outer space school like Starfire had grown up in. As a result, her blessing on his life had come full circle and brought a greater piece of home back to her there on Earth.

"Shall we practice the starbolts some more?" the girl asked.

"That's what I'm here for, isn't it?"

"In a manner of speaking, yes. Though I am quite certain we are frightening the poor, innocent populace of this section of the wilderness. But we need not worry. We are not going out of our way to harm them."

"I should say not...," Nova'm focused. His hair danced magically and his eyes started glowing a bright green as he brought two hands together and tried producing a starbolt in the center of his palms. "The bulls eyes are suffering our wrath! Not them!"

"Careful!" Starfire knelt down and repositioned his charging hands. "Extend the fingers AWAY from your torso! You do not desire to strike yourself with the starbolt, do you??"

"Whoah! I-I can do that??"

"Most certainly!! It is a very common error committed by many initiates. And safe to say, it is quite embarrassing also."

Nova'm took a breath and sweat as the starbolt formed larger and brighter. "Um....Kory??"

"Yes, Nova'm?"

"It's getting bigger."

"You are capable of handling it."

"But it's hot--!!"

"Aim away from your body. Keep focusing your passion into the centralized energy. If you find it too hard to meditate on a solitary form of fury, then try another emotion."

He shuddered, straining to keep the starbolt growing. "L-Like what??"

"Hmmmmm," Starfire thought aloud. She brightened. "I know!! Choose something recent!"

"R-Recent??"

"Something positive that you have felt strongly since your time at the Tower!!"

"That green-skinned guy slobbered on my hand in dog mode...," Nova'm muttered.

His starbolt started to shrink.

Starfire gasped. "No, Nova'm!! Not a Beast Boy thought!! Something of...erm....g-greater significance!!"

He concentrated. His brow furrowed. Suddenly, he relaxed with a grin...and....

FSSSHHHH!!!!

His starbolt bubbled out insanely.

Starfire's eyes bugged. "Okay, Nova'm!! Discharge the starbolt!! Discharge it immediately!!"

Nova'm gasped as he found an orb of emerald distruction practically the size of his torso. He gasped. "Aack!!"

Starfire flew in, grabbed the orb form his hands, and flung it herself with a grunt. "Nnnghh!!!"

SWIIIIISH!!! It flew into the center of the bullseyes. FLASH!!!!!! All targets fell across the clearing from a smoking crater.

"...........," Starfire stared.

"...........," Nova'm panted.

Starfire looked his way. "Dare I ask....what was your passionate thought that produced that??"

Nova'm gulped. He wiped some sweat from his brow and uttered: "Well...um....y-you know that one Titan? The one who wears the blue robe all the time and looks really angry all the time?"

Starfire's eyes thinned. "Yes......"

Nova'm blushed and looked away. "She's......um.......kinda sorta.....ya know......pretty."

"..............," Starfire blinked.

Nova'm looked ashamed. He gripped his head and shook it. "Ughh...stupid!! Stupid!! You nearly killed yourself!!"

Starfire started giggling like mad.

Nova'm shuddered even more. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have even said—"

Starfire hugged him, smiling. "No fears, Nova'm. You are just......adorable. Have I told you that?"

He blushed and tried to break free of her embrace. "Ick!! Cut it out!!"

She patted his shoulder and led him out of the forest, floating above the treetops. "Let us travail upon returning to the Tower. I believe training is.....sufficiently done for the day."

"But I still can't control my starbolts!!"

"How can you control your starbolts if you cannot control your eyes?" Starfire teased with a wink.

"Hey!! I only looked at her once!! Besides...she looks like she could kill me!!"

"Raven does appear quite homicidal to most gazers, yes."

"Okay....maybe more than once. Does it count if she wasn't looking back at me?"

"Hehehehe!!"

"It's not funny!!"

Starfire flew at a faster speed with Nova'm following her. He was still new to flying, so the Tamaranian Titan made sure she wasn't too fast that he couldn't catch up.

"Seriously....," Nova'm pouted cutely in mid-air. "It wasn't funny..."

"I am only attempting to grasp your femur and apply outward pressure," Starfire beamed.

Nova'm blinked. He chuckled. "'Pull my leg'??"

"Yes. That's it."

"Kory...you're cool and all that..........but why do you sometimes talk like a Japanese exchange student?"

"Why, whatever do you mean?" Starfire asked. She glanced down at what they were passing in their flight. Something in the forest caught her eye and she gasped dramatically. "De X'Hal!!"

"Well, I only mean to say---whoah!! What is it, Kory???" Nova'm 'jumped' in mid-air.

"Excuse me for one dire second!!" Starfire soared down into the forest.

Nova'm watched from above....blinking in concern.

The Tamaranian girl soared down into a small crater of crushed trees. At the very end of a plowed ravine of destruction was a dark, metal pod. It still smoked along the edges as if some friction had caused the nearby landscape to burn with its impact.

"It....it does not look recognizable of all spacecraft I know....," Starfire hovered above the crash and thought aloud. "I wonder....is it Terran?"

Nova'm hovered down behind her. "What is it, Kory?"

"Stay back, Nova'm! I do not know yet."

He bit his lip and hovered at a safe distance.

Starfire floated around. Her green eyes ran down the black hull, darted over the opened hatch, and rested on a lifeless body dangling out onto the rickety forest floor.

"!!!!" Starfire gasped. She flew down and knelt beside the figure. "Aqualad!! Aqualad, can you hear me?! Are you damaged??" She leaned her head to his chest. She placed two fingers on his neck. She sighed in sudden relief. "Aqualad...something terrible has happened and I fear for your well-being. I shall contact my friends over the radio and see how we can assist you forthwith!"

"Y-You know that guy, Kory??"

Starfire pulled out her remote and nodded to the boy. "Yes. This is Aqualad. An Atlantean."

"Atlantean??" Nova'm made a face.

"A sea-dweller with biological components slightly variant from Terra Firma's Homo sapiens. He helped the Titans and I prevent an ecological disaster and an underwater war one time and right now he appears gravely injured!"

"What's that necklace thingy with the gold starfish?"

"Never mind that! I must contact my—"

GRIP!!!

Starfire gasped.

A weak and wheezing Aqualad gripped her wrist with his hand. He opened crusty, half-dead eyes and parted caked-dry lips as he breathed: "Water.....must.....get back.......t-to.....water. My people....the Idyllists....the Atlanteans....th-they......n-need.............help...."

He fainted.

Starfire gulped. She stood up.

"Kory, what'll we do?!?!"

"We must not waste time...," the girl said firmly as she bent over to pick the unconscious boy up.

-T-T-T-T-T-T-

Cyborg stood at the kitchen counter in the Main Room, preparing himself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. "And then what happened, Robin?" he smirked.

Robin took a final bite of his own sandwich, swallowed, and sipped down some apple juice. He sat at a table with Beast Boy (also eating) and Raven (her nose in a book). I stood across the room on the couch, playing solitaire on the coffee table.

"Well...," Robin smiled. "Batgirl dove in and started wailing on the Scarecrow's ass. In the meantime, Nightwing and I are handling those gothic looking thugs with the machetes. Both of us are thinking: 'Gee, where's Batman?'"

"I'd say!" Beast Boy grinned.

"Teacher's day off....," Raven droned without looking up.

"Well...it seems okay, cuz Batgirl's there and she has Scarecrow pretty much covered. That is until he whips out a remote control device and tells us that he's already filled the sewer gutters of Gotham with his latest gas, and after one more offensive move on our part...he'd poison all of the citizens with insanity!"

"So you did the batarang thing, right?" Cyborg blinked. "Please tell me that someone did the batarang thing!"

I smirked.

"No way," Robin shook his head and folded his arms. "Too much of a risk."

"But he could have been bluffing," Raven said.

"He could have. But when you're dealing with Gotham City bad guys, you realize that if you give them enough time they'll turn out transparent. So we let him turn the tide on us and hold us at knife point as he blathered on and on about his villainous plans."

"And.......?" Beast Boy uttered.

"That's when one of his very own thugs came in from behind him and smacked his skull hard with the blunt side of the machete!!"

Raven glanced up.

Robin smirked. "The thug grabbed the remote and the rest of us three whipped on the other baddies good."

"But why did that one thug turn on Scarecrow??" Cyborg asked.

"Because he was Batman!" the Boy Wonder said. "He whipped off his gothic hood and—sure enough—there was that trademark cape and cowl underneath!"

"You mean Bats was pretending to be on Scarecrow's side??" Beast Boy blinked. "The entire time you were fighting all of the villain's goons??"

I leaned forward, curious.

"Yup," Robin nodded. "He knew that we gathered enough information to guide us to that hideout. So ahead of time, he knocked out a thug and dressed up as him. The garb was so ridiculous that Batman could hide the bulk of his outfit."

"But what for??" the changeling cackled.

"No matter how much we fought Scarecrow, we couldn't move to stop him. He had the remote that could trigger all the gas in the City."

"So he chose a covert role, knowing that it'd be the safest and easiest way to get the trigger from the fiend," Raven said. She smiled ever so slightly. "Brilliant."

"Yeah....he's THE detective," Robin shrugged.

"Dude...remind me to follow you into Gotham City someday."

I winced.

Beast Boy winced.

Raven stared.

"Er.....s-some day in which you're still wearing your cape, of course," Cyborg simpered.

Robin smirked. "Of course."

The other three of us sighed....at east.

Clank! Clank! Clank!

We all jumped.

Clank! Clank! Clank!

"Where's that coming from??" Cyborg asked.

Robin looked over. The window....

I turned around. My black eyes widened under my shades.

Starfire was floating outside the stretched glass between the frames. She had her arms full of a dark-haired Atlantean. Nova'm was there too, and he was knocking on the glass for her. It got our attention.

Beast Boy jumped up with a gasp. "Aqualad!!"

Cyborg and Robin rushed over. They slid the window open.

Starfire floated in with Aqualad in her arms. Nova'm followed suit.

"What happened to him??" Raven floated over.

"I am uncertain!!" Starfire panted.

"She found him lying in the forest besides a crashed capsule thingy!" Nova'm exclaimed, his green eyes like saucers. "He doesn't look too good!"

Cyborg was already in the process of performing a biological scan. He said: "He's dehydrated. His kind can't survive well in dry conditions for over an hour."

"How long do you think he's been above water?" Robin asked.

"I'd say about half a day!" Cyborg exclaimed. "Come on!! Get him to the infirmary!!"

"Awwww man!!!" Beast Boy pulled at his hair as Starfire and Cyborg trucked Aqualad towards the elevator. "Is he gonna be okay?!?!"

"I dunno, B.B.! If you wanna help, then come along!!"

"Dude...I would so kill myself is something bad happened to Aqualad, dude!!" Beast Boy ran alongside Robin to the elevator. The doors closed behind them.

I scratched my head. I exchanged glances with Raven.

"I sense something dark here...," she said....of course. "Aqualad's alive. I can feel his spirit torn asunder. Something bad has happened to him....but whatever it was, it wasn't accidental."

Nova'm walked up between us. "I'm confused! Is Aqualad a good guy or a bad guy?? Who would do this to him??"

A beat.

I glanced at Raven. "?????"

She took a deep breath. "We couldn't possibly know. Aqualad is.....virtually a stranger to us...."

Nova'm gulped. "Well after today, I hope I'm not a stranger...."

-T-T-T-T-T-T-

In the metal-walled infirmary, a huge basin was filled with steaming water.

Aqualad's limp body was draped inside by Starfire.

Robin attached wires and water-proof sensors to key parts of the Atlantean's body.

Beast Boy switched on the nearby computer stations and synced with Robin's sensors.

Cyborg modulated the temperature and solvents of the water in accordance with Robin's and Beast Boy's readings.

When Raven, Nova'm and I stepped in, the room was filled with a carefully choreographed chaos. Four Titans rushed back and forth from computer console to water control valve to instrumental sensor and in repetition until a crescendo overcame the entire event and everyone breathed with a general sigh of relief as we all realized Aqualad's condition was becoming stable.

"But he can't move from the spot. Not for a long time," Cyborg said. "It's amazing that he survived as long as he probably did on dry land. From reading S.T.A.R. Labs files taken from LexCorp's Aquaman project, I remember it being said that Atlanteans require constant contact with water to....er....remain constant."

"Alive," Raven droned.

"Exactly."

Nova'm drifted over by Starfire's side. The girl rested a hand on his shoulder while the two stared at Aqualad's condition.

Bubbles liken unto that of a Jacuzzi rose from vents in the bottom of the basin, applying to Aqualad's body from almost all angles.

I narrowed my black eyes under my shades. I had read up about Aqualad. I knew about his previous adventures with the Titans. But my grasp of him was—at the time—just as hazy as my perception of Terra. At least Speedy I had the pleasure of meeting......more than once.

Aqualad had a look that screamed 'hero'. His body was lean and well built—the product of a life of endless swimming. His face was thin and angular...not fatty in the least. His hair was slick and black...relatively familiar. Though his exhausted eyes were closed, I sensed something coming from them. Like a hidden strength. The seals of a soul that had seen its fair share of action and horror alike.

"Dude...at least he's okay, right?" Beast Boy asked, wringing his hands nervously.

"Yes, B.B.," Cyborg moaned. "I promise you. He's gonna make it through. Just had to have his feet wet." He smirked slightly.

Beast Boy let forth a shuddering sigh.

"Well....now that the nail-biting is over," Robin cleared his throat. "It's time for the brainstorming." He wandered over towards Starfire. "How'd you come across him?"

"I was returning with young Nova'm to the Tower," Starfire said, shaking. She swallowed and continued: "W-We had just finished our present moment in training. While flying over the forests south of the Bay, I happened upon a crater in the line of trees. A pod was crashed and poor Aqualad's handsome body was spilled outward from the interior!"

"Pod??" Robin raised an eyebrow.

"Handsome??" Beast Boy raised another.

"It is of a design that I cannot recognize," the Tamaranian girl said. "But perhaps it is something Atlantean??"

"Atlantean make pods??" Raven remarked. A beat. "That end up on dry land, no less?"

"It's worth taking a look into," Robin gestured. He turned and looked at Cyborg. "You sure Aqualad's stable enough at the moment?"

"Yes!!"

Robin cleared his throat. "Ahem....good. We should retrieve that pod."

"I'll go!" Beast Boy hopped and raised a hand. "I can fly and carry huge loads!" He looked Starfire's way. "Do you know where it is?"

"Due Southwest of the Tower on the far side of the Bay," Starfire nodded. "It is less than half a mile from the forested training clearing. It cannot be missed."

"On it!" Robin jumped to action, sprinting out of the room.

"Lemme go with you, Beast Boy!" Robin gestured. He was halfway out the infirmary when he looked back at Cyborg. "Keep me filled in over radio as to his progress."

"Understood. Be back soon, man."

"Oh, we will."

The two boys left.

"So....um....," Nova'm scratched his little head. "What's Atlantis anyways? A world of water people??"

"Putting it simply, sure," Cyborg placed his hands on his hips and exhaled. "None of us have ever seen it. When we met Aqualad, he was a loner. Though he did have a snazzy mechanic as a sidekick."

"So.....he isn't Atlantean?" Nova'm blinked. "I mean...if he wasn't with his own people..."

"Oh, he's Atlantean all right!" Cyborg said. A pause. He narrowed his eyes. "Er....a-at least I think he is..."

Nova'm sweatdropped.

"At the time being, it is most important to grasp exactly who or what could have done this to him!" Starfire exclaimed with both sympathy and fury.

"I believe the answer is simple," Raven tilted her head to the side and droned. "Aqualad's enemies may be closer to him than we think. If he even has enemies. I don't think we have to look much further than the Atlanteans themselves."

"You know this all by just seeing him?!" Cyborg cackled. "What makes you so sure?"

"Aqualad is barely awake right now as we speak. For all we know, Atlanteans may even be capable of listening in on conversations without conscious thought. Because of this great passageway of comprehension, I can see straight back into his soul. He is feeling torn asunder from the inside. It is a very painful feeling."

"Like what? Shame?"

"Betrayal."

Starfire bit her lip.

I walked to Cyborg's side and gave Aqualad a close look.

Aqualad's lungs weren't moving. But instead, I could have sworn I saw something at the base of his neck fluctuate.

Gills.........?

"Man....," Cyborg rubbed the human side of his head. "I just hope the dude's allright." A beat. "Heh....now I'm starting to sound like B.B."

I glanced at the Titan curiously.

Cyborg looked at me. "In case you're wondering, Beast Boy and Fish Man are close friends. They've had a respect for each other since their....er....eventful meeting back when the eco-terrorist Trident was on the loose in the open seas. I guess you could say Aqualad's something of a big brother to the green guy."

I raised an eyebrow.

Cyborg smirked. "What? You jealous?"

I frowned and emphatically gestured in denial--

"Idyllists.....," Starfire thought aloud.

Interrupted, Cyborg and I glanced over.

"Say what??"

"The Idyllists....," the green-eyed Titan glanced our way. "Aqualad was rambling about them and the Atlanteans. They sounded like two completely different groups of people."

"Y-Yeah....I remember that!" Nova'm nodded. "And he kept asking for our help!"

"Our help??" Raven raised an eyebrow.

"It's not like Atlanteans to ask surface-dwellers for help....," Cyborg spoke.

I scratched my head. I gestured something.

Raven, Starfire, and Nova'm looked at Cyborg.

"Noir's just in the dark," Cyborg shrugged. "He doesn't know hardly anything about Aqualad...."

I nodded.

Raven took a deep breath. "From the looks of it...we could all learn something about him."

All five of us gazed somberly at the limp body in the water basin.

-T-T-T-T-T-T-

"What do you make of it, Robin?"

The Boy Wonder stood halfway inside the craft, scratching his black head of hair. "I don't know what to make of it yet, Beast Boy. It's definitely made for underwater transit, though."

The changeling perched on the opening of the craft. "How so?"

"Well. Airtight compartment door. Thick porthole polymer plastic. Angular body for sleek movement....."

Beast Boy's eyes went crooked. "Um....e-exactly why would an Atlantean need to have an airtight capsule?"

"My thoughts exactly...," Robin nodded. "It's almost like they wanted to transport earth dwellers with this thing."

"Or maybe send water people on a trip of no return??" Beast Boy looked behind his shoulder at the edge of the crater's clearing in the middle of the forest. "How'd the heck did this thing get here anyways, dude?"

"Looks to me like it was either dropped or propelled," Robin suggested. "This is definitely an impact point. I don't think this pod landed here softly."

"Heh....if it landed at all, what are the odds of it stopping so close by the City? The Tower no less??"

Robin was silent for a moment.

"Robin??"

"Let's get this thing back to the Tower, B.B. We can run some tests on it and maybe come up with something more definite."

"How're you gonna get back, dude?? I carried you all the way here, now I gotta take this thing!"

"Air balloon basket, Einstein!"

"Huh??"

Robin smirked and sat leisurely inside the pod. He pointed with his thumb. "Let 'er rip!"

"Oh. Heheh....got it." Beast Boy morphed into a pterodactyl, gripped the pod by the top of its hull, and flapped away on green leathery wings. Slowly, the Boy Wonder and the mysterious craft were both airlifted back across the Bay and towards the Tower.

-T-T-T-T-T-T-

"Cyborg...."

The android Titan glanced over.

Nova'm and I looked up from the wall we were leaning against on the side.

Raven shuffled across the room, presenting a tray of bottles and pills.

"I have here some antidotes and vitamins for in case Aqualad wakes up in a fever. It wouldn't do him well after all he's been through to be sick."

"Uh....thanks, Rae. Just set it down. I'll ask him about it if he—"

Starfire flew over. "And I have with me towels! Yes, I do know that it serves little purpose for Aqualad to be dry—but if he should suffer a cold, would it not be prudent to have available tools capable of removing the freezing moisture from his---"

"He's Atlantean, Star. Just like the legendary Aquaman, his body's built withstand all sorts of extreme temperatures—"

"A thermometer," Raven handed Cyborg the instrument. "Just in case. I know it's old-fashioned, but in case those gadgets of yours attached to him don't do the job—"

"What?!?! Now wait just a second, Ra—"

"And a teddy bear and bedtime stories!!" Starfire flew in again with the said materials. "His soul must be most despondent and weary after all he's been through—"

"Girls...Girls....GIRLS!!!" Cyborg barked. "Cut it out!!!"

Raven and Starfire jumped back.

Cyborg composed himself with a sigh. "Look. I know Aqualad's our friend and all and we should be concerned with his well-being, but he's fine! I assure you that he's recovering! It may be a slow and steady process—but he's recovering!!"

"How can he be in the process of recovery when he looks so....so....maligned?" Starfire cupped her hands together and gazed lovingly on the sight of Aqualad. "The poor thing."

"Yeah....," Raven droned in a zombie like fashion. And one could almost spots heart-shaped spots in her eyes identical to those pulsing in Starfire's as she whispered: "Such fair skin....thrashed by the ignorant whelps of his own domain...."

"...............," Nova'm and I exchanged glances.

The little Tamaranian gulped and simpered: "Y-You think Starfire will start making starbolts soon?"

I raised an eyebrow.

"Sooooooooo peaceful looking when he's............wet.....," Starfire cooed.

"Y-Yeah....," Raven awkwardly stuttered. "Very....wet...."

"Ahem....," Cyborg cleared his throat and shoved the two girls to the opposite side of the room. "Give him some breathing room, please."

"But Cyborg....his gills are underwater! We are not harming him—"

"Then give him some estrogen room!! Damn!!" Cyborg walked back, shaking his head. "I swear. Look at Noir over there! He's handsome! But I never see you two pouncing over him all the time?"

I blushed.

"Noir??" Starfire glanced my way. "But he's so......so......."

"Here.....," Raven said. Once gain, she glanced Aqualad's way. And once again, her eyes pulsed.

And so did Star's.

And both girls sighed dreamily.

Cyborg covered his groaning face with a hand.

Nova'm looked at me and whispered: "If this is what it likes to be grown-up....I want nothing of it."

I smiled.

SCHWISH!!!

Cyborg turned.

I glanced over.

Robin and Beast Boy walked in.

"Got it parked in the garage," Robin gestured with a thumb.

Cyborg raised his human eye. "Not too close to my Baby, I hope."

"Yeah, right on top of it, dude!" Beast Boy chuckled.

SWOOOSH-GRIP!!! Cyborg had the changeling by the throat. "SAY WHAT?!?!"

"H-Hey!! I was only kidding!!"

PLOP!!! Cyborg dropped him to the floor, frowning.

"You're signing a death warrant, little man."

"Eheheheheheh....," Beast Boy sweatdropped.

"What did you two learn, Mr. Robin?" Nova'm asked.

Robin glanced at the prince strangely before speaking: "It's definitely made for the water. But as to its purpose, only Aqualad can explain that to us."

"Did his craft seem placed there by extraordinary means?" Starfire remarked.

Robin nodded. "I can't help but estimate that it was....I dunno....forced there by some sort of awkward propulsion."

"From the Ocean, I'm guessing," Cyborg smirked.

"Yeah. But....there's not a single drop of water inside the craft. I don't see how it would be practical for Atlanteans."

"Unless it wasn't made by Atlanteans afterall," Raven remarked. She glanced at Cyborg. "Was Lexcorp's experiments ever officially scratched?"

Cyborg shrugged. "That's inconclusive. Conspiracy theories arise, I'm sure. But everyone in the superhero business pretty much believed that Luthor's stuff ended with the breakout of Aquaman."

"Orin......" a voice weakly stated.

All of us gasped and glanced at the basin.

Aqualad stirred inside. He gritted his teeth and 'sat up' so that his chest rose above the water level. "His name is King of Atlantis." His eyes open. And they were.....black. Black eyes with white specks. "And I-I'm desperate to s-see him...."

My lips parted. I leaned forward...staring through my shades.

In the meantime, Starfire and Raven gasped dramatically.

"Aqualad!!"

"You're awake!!"

"Glorious!!"

"How do you feel??"

Two bodies of estrogen zoomed over—and were promptly shoved back by a hulking Cyborg.

"Nnnghhh....back off, ladies. No tackling an invalid on my watch!"

Robin sweatdropped. He shook it off and walked over to the basin. "Aqualad. Seriously...how do you feel?"

"Mmmmff," the dark-haired Atlantean rubbed his head with a drenched hand. "Like the rocks of Gibraltar banging together..."

"Starfire found you inside a collapsed pod of sorts in a forest just south of our Tower," the Boy Wonder explained. "Since then, we've brought you hear for rehabilitation and we've also retrieved the pod. We're trying to make sense of it all, Aqualad. But the simple truth is, we can't. Care to fill us in??"

"Mmm.....pod.......Titans' Tower......," Aqualad rubbed his head like he had a migraine. He hissed, almost. "Dear Poseidon....I can hear it already. The fish in these areas...they cower and murmur in fear. There's more at hand than just the Atlantean Juncture..."

Robin raised an eyebrow above his mask. "Pardon me?"

"I....I wish I could explain....just.....," Aqualad groaned. "So tired. It's like my entire body's numb....."

Beast Boy rushed up, pushing Robin aside. "Aqualad!! Dude, I'm so glad you're okay!!"

Aqualad smiled slightly. "Hey there, green guy...," Aqualad reached a wet hand out and ruffled the elf's hair. "Didn't think I'd ever see you again."

"Yeah...unlucky you," the changeling smirked.

Aqualad ....then winced a bit. He took a deep breath (underwater...came back up) and uttered: "I.....I would like to explain things.......cuz.......oh man, I'm so desperate. I'm so desperate now. I didn't think Chasma would go as far as he has...."

"Chasma??" Beast Boy made a face.

"It's....a long story....," Aqualad said. "A story......Atlantean business. It won't be easy to understand...."

"Oh, but we are willing to try!!" Starfire cooed.

"Yes....do inform us..." Raven added.

"..........," Aqualad glanced at them. He looked back up at us. "Um.......how about boy-talk?"

Cyborg smirked. "That can be arranged." YOINK!!!

"EEK!!!"

"Hey, Cyborg!!!"

Starfire and Raven complained as they were forced out of the room.

"Very well, we can take a hint," Raven droned.

"Yes, indeed," Starfire nodded with a pout. "Come, Nova'm—"she yanked the young man out by his arm.

"Yaak! H-Hey!! But I'm a b-boy!!"

"No you are not! You are my boy!!"

"Awww...Koryyyyyyy---"

SLAM!!!

The doors closed behind them. Cyborg walked away, dusting his hands off. "Much better."

"Okay......," Aqualad blinked. "Are all land-dwelling women so.....so......so....."

Beast Boy lifted a finger, smiling. "Primal?"

Robin elbowed him.

"Ooof!! Sheesh...touchy...."

I cleared my throat.

Everyone was silent.

Aqualad shifted in the basin and began: "Can anyone here....tell me....what Atlantis is?"

We Titans exchanged glances.

I gestured to Cyborg.

Cyborg shrugged.

Beast Boy was about to speak---

"An underwater civilization comprised of humans capable of breathing underwater and communicating telepathically with marine life," Robin said in a nutshell.

"........," Beast Boy frowned.

"Good answer," Aqualad coughed. "But typical. So very typical of land dwellers."

"How're we to know more, man?" Cyborg pointed. "Atlanteans aren't exactly talkative about their lives. Not that they don't have any right to be reclusive and stuff.....just....you can understand why we don't know much, right?"

"And part of that is my fault....," Aqualad wheezed. "I could very well have told you more about myself and my culture, but I haven't. But still, sound travels far underwater. After you Titans selflessly assisted me in stopping Trident, my people learned of it. And they were most happy."

"Yeah...well....good to be making friends with Atlantis, right dudes??" Beast Boy simpered.

"I'm not talking about Atlantis......"

I narrowed my eyes. I glanced at Robin.

Robin folded his arms. "Wait....you're not Atlantean--??"

"Not yet."

"Whoah....so what are you then?" Cyborg asked. A beat. He blushed. "Er...didn't mean for that to sound so...wyrd."

"It's okay," Aqualad nodded. "I'm the same in physical nature as my Atlantean brothers. But I belong to a completely different political and social group called the Idyllists."

"Oh.....," Cyborg nodded. "The Idyllists."

"Y-You've heard of them before??" Aqualad remarked.

"Starfire and her little friend Nova'm were telling us of how you kept rambling on about 'the Idyllists' or something-er-rather."

"As I said....I'm desperate," Aqualad coughed. He ducked down in the water and re-emerged, refreshed. With a breath he continued: "The Idyllists are a group of people with a completely different social mindset than that of the urban-dwelling Atlanteans."

"So.....like.....underwater rednecks??" Beast Boy suggested.

"No. It's much more complicated than that. The Idyllists began when members from the original founders of Atlantis broke off. The core of Atlantean beliefs was that of a militaristic standpoint. The Ocean—as a land suitable for cultivation—is something worth warring over and defending with the trident. But a few of the elders didn't agree with warfare. They were pacifists...and all they wanted was a life of simplicity and peace. So they branched off and founded a civilization in a place called the Hidden Valley. Since then, Atlantis and the Hidden Valley have remained in sparse diplomatic relation. This has lasted for nearly four thousand years....a long time, during which biases and prejudices have arose among my kind. Atlanteans and Idyllists see a warped sense of history. They believe that our people split because of bloody conflict, as opposed to theological debate."

"Damn....," Cyborg muttered. "That's a bummer."

Aqualad nodded. "But today....under the reign of King Orin...many of the stigmas of our once-superstitious culture are being done away with. An Oceanic Renaissance of peace and understanding is taking place throughout Atlantis and all surrounding cultures. The Senate—comprised mainly by a record number of party members loyal to Orin's side—is proposing a great Junction."

"Junction?" Robin remarked.

"As in a political unity among all kingdoms that have been broken apart by war and social friction under the sea. Miraculously, almost all of the rulers of these ancient separatists are agreeing to this Junction. And the largest of these are my people. The Idyllists. After four millennia of solitude, our people are willing to swim back to the school. We will unite with Atlantis, and under Orin's wise rule....we will become a democracy of such peace and prosperity that we might even consider forming truces with the land dwellers...."

Cyborg whistled.

"Dude...that sounds great!" Beast Boy remarked.

Robin, of course, said: "Kinda sounds too good to be true, though.....don't you think? People are bound to oppose a political event that impacting, no matter how benevolent."

Aqualad took a deep breath. "Oh so very true, Robin. People are opposing it." He suddenly gnashed his teeth. "And...curse it all....such wicked people they are."

"Wanna fill us in?" Beast Boy gestured.

"Better yet," Cyborg spoke. "How do you fit into this, dawg?"

"I.....um....," Aqualad actually seemed sheepish. "I'm sorta representing my people."

"You're the ambassador of the Idyllists?" Robin asked.

"Dude! Way to go!"

"It's not something to simply rejoice over," Aqualad remarked. "It is a very important—howbeit stressful responsibility." He groaned and ran a hand through his slick black hair. "I am more or less a descendant of King Thar...a deceased monarch of my people. Because of that, I've been chosen as the representative of the Idyllists. I'm to appeal to the Senate of Atlantis and—if necessary—King Orin himself, for which I am very much honored."

"I bet."

"There is a blockade, though. A very bloody...evil blockade. And his name is Senator Chasma."

"Who exactly is this guy?"

Aqualad's white-on-black eyes narrowed. "He represents one of the higher houses of Atlantean elite."

"Lemme guess...aristocracy...."

Aqualad nodded. "He and his political companions have never been trusting of ancient separatists. The Idyllists especially. He belongs to a party that opposes the liberal majority now at play under Orin's leadership. At first—upon some of my early excursions to Atlantis—I felt that Chasma was merely trying to intimidate me for being on what was looking to be the winning side of the political debate. But the further I associated with him, the more I realized that he had a lot of tricks up his sleeves. Even now....Chasma is using dark means to achieve a victory against an impossible political opponent."

"How do you know?" Robin asked.

Aqualad gulped. "He is the one whose men beat me up and launched me here with the Expulsor."

"Expulsor?"

"A machine built in the days of fighting Trident's hordes," Aqualad explained. "The King at the time was of cruel and vindictive persuasion. He ordered captured enemies to be placed in a capsule and launched to their doom onto dry land. The device is illegal today under Orin's command. Regardless, Senator Chasma's party has a stockpile of them....undoubtedly for use in political purging."

"That's horrible," Cyborg frowned. "Want we should go punch their gills in?"

"Hold on...," Aqualad raised a hand. "I.....I'm glad for your enthusiasm....but I'm at a loss as to what to do here."

"Well...we can see what's going on, can't we?!?!" Beast Boy cackled. "This Chasma creep is upsetting the political Junction taking place rightfully among your people! The mean dude thought he could get rid of you. But instead, you fell into our laps....heh. Maybe we can—like—get the T-Sub fired up and bring you back to your Idyllists buds and work something out??"

"Chasma is.....powerful...," Aqualad said. "In a very dark manner. I could only taste a piece of what evil he has to offer. But I have no doubt: Chasma is more than just a hardcore, political activist. Not only does he desire to ruin the Junction....but something tells me he seeks the ruination of Atlantis itself."

"How so?"

"He........I-I felt the dark touch of Slizzath in him and his men...,"Aqualad hesitantly uttered.

In the rolling of the word 'Slizzath' off Aqualad's tongue, I felt a cold shiver run down my spine. I didn't understand why...and yet it felt completely natural. I exhaled helplessly...and I swear that I spotted a haze coming out of my breath as if the temperature had dropped in the room by tenfold.

"Who is....um...th-that guy?" Beast Boy asked, trembling.

"The brother to King Thar of the Idyllists and a notorious dabbler in the dark magics. When King Thar usurped him to the leading seat of my people, Slizzath went mad with jealousy. He became a full-blown sorcerer to make Thar suffer. Thar battled Slizzath for the protection of my people. But Atlanteans—looking in on the outside—thought Thar was insane. As history proved, Slizzath had won the respect of many Atlanteans. So when the sorcerer turned evil, outsiders refused to believe anything except that Thar himself was evil. They intervened, and Thar barely had the strength to seal Slizzath away in a magical dimension before he himself passed away. Legend says that the evil essence of Slizzath pours through that hidden dimension somewhere...feeding those of evil heart in the form of hideous, untamed magic. I happen to be....sensitive to forces of this dark nature. When I was accosted by Chasma's men...I felt the evil aura stronger than I had ever done so before. I believe there is a hidden menace in the political maze of Atlantis, and it threatens to show its ugly head on the night of the Junction's coronation...which is just a few days from now. Right now, I am hard-pressed to accomplish two things. I must rejoin with my Idyllists and ensure their high standing in the political movement. At the same time, I must pursue this mystery to its very heart to find out what Chasma's plans are, root out the essence of Slizzath, and report to King Orin. But I am far too weak and far too weary to do either."

"Basically....even if we were to help you...," Robin gestured, "...you'd have to be in two places at once."

"Exactly...," Aqualad swallowed and spoke. "I'd have to be back in Atlantis to perform investigations....and I'd have to be in the Hidden Valley to warn my people." He reached a trembling hand up and grasped the necklace about his neck. The golden starfish pendant dangled in his grasp. "This pendant...it is an Idyllist heirloom. It is a part of me. Anyone who wears this thusly represents who I am and the power that I hold in ambassadorial standing. My people would surely recognize this...and so if I were to send messengers in my place, they would listen to whatever they'd have to say."

"Well...that's one positive," Robin smirked.

"But still...," Aqualad slumped wetly back in the basin and sighed. He floated and faced the ceiling. "I would have to be in the other place."

"Atlantis...."

"Right. And I would have to present myself."

"But you can't move anywhere, dawg," Cyborg gestured towards the computer monitors. "I'm afraid to even drop you in the Titans' training pool. You could practically break apart into dehydrated dust!"

"But time is of the essence!" Aqualad exclaimed. He coughed, sputtered, then moaned. "I....must do something...."

Silence.

All of us were stumped.

That is...until the averaged stumpee had a lightbulb appear over his green head. Fatefully, a green elf mischievously rubbed his hands together........and looked over in my direction.

"........," I glanced his way. "????????" I mouthed: 'What??'

"Or maybe.....," Beast Boy grinned. "'Another you' could go to Atlantis..."

"????" Aqualad slowly turned and looked at me. "Um....h-hey. Gee, you're knew...aren't you?"

I simpered.

"He's not so new....," Beast Boy rushed over and stood up on a stool behind me so that he was slightly above my head. "He's pretty much every mirror you've ever seen!" He gripped my shades. "You mind, Noir buddy?"

I bit my lip. I shrugged.

"It's gonna get a little bright. Hang in there."

He lifted my shades.

I squinted my eyes instinctively, wincing a little. I forced myself to adjust to the bright pinpricks of light across the computer consoles in the room....and opened my optics wide enough for Aqualad to see.

And his jaw was dropping. "Whoah......."

"Yeah, dude," Beast Boy grinned proudly.

"Man oh man....," Cyborg rubbed the human half of his head as he looked me over like I was some stranger and familiar all at once. "I never noticed it before."

"It's uncanny...," Robin rubbed his chin. "Hey Beast Boy...take his bandanna off."

I looked at Robin wyrd.

"Trust me," the Boy Wonder smirked.

YANK!!!

Beast Boy pulled hard and nearly snapped my neck as the bandanna didn't give way.

I gritted my teeth.

"Er....," the changeling sweatdropped.

I batted my hand away, rolled my black eyes, and undid the red article.

My black hair hung naturally down to the base of my shoulders.

"Now....like....pretend that it's slicked back...," Cyborg suggested....a bit awkwardly.

What's this? A salon??

I brought my metal hand up and pulled my bangs up over my forehead and let everyone see.

Robin chuckled. "Dang....they're like twins."

"Except for the eyes. No irises there."

Aqualad shakily stood up in the basin, dripping.

"Whoah!! Take it easy--," Cyborg rushed over.

Aqualad held a hand up without looking Cyborg's way. "It's okay. Hold off."

Cyborg did so, hesitantly.

Aqualad motioned for me to step forward.

I did so.

We were practically nose-to-nose as he inspected me.

"............"

"............"

"............by Poseidon....," the Atlantean murmured. "It.....it could work...."

Beast Boy slipped up, smirking. "Think about it. He can be 'Aqualad'. He'll assume your spot in Atlantis until you're well enough to go there yourself and replace him!"

"That sounds very risky....," Robin said from behind us. "We'd have to account for a lot of things!"

"Like what???" Beast Boy cackled. "It's perfect!!"

"We are running out of options right now...," Aqualad said. He looked at me directly and smiled slightly. "Most of all, how do you feel about this?"

"........................."

Aqualad's black eyes blinked. "Um....what, are you shy?"

"Er.....," Beast Boy sweatdropped and scratched the back of his neck. "Actually....he kinda sorta can't talk."

"He can't talk???"

I simpered. I pulled the neck of my shirt down and pointed obviously at my X-shaped scar.

Aqualad bit his lip. A beat. "Well....um....." He looked at everyone. "Can he swim?"

I blinked.

-T-T-T-T-T-T-

Later that afternoon, everyone assembled in the Main Room. Everyone except Aqualad, of course...who was still doused in the infirmary and trying to recover.

Raven and Cyborg sat on the couch. Beast Boy and Starfire across from them in chairs. Nova'm sat on the edge of the coffee table. Robin and I stood next to each other in front of the main monitor with a detailed schematic of the Atlantic Ocean and its mountainous, undersea floor.

"Allright, Titans....," Robin took a deep breath and spoke. "Here is the plan. It will work on two major fronts, for which we're going to need two teams."

-T-T-T-T-T-T-

In Cyborg's laboratory, Beast Boy stood in front of a mirror, comically flexing and exercising his muscles before morphing into various animals of multiple shapes and sizes. Most of the animals were aquatic in nature. He was quite obviously planning on engaging in some deep-sea adventure. He glanced over across the laboratory at a stool where three Titans were huddled in front of yet another mirror.

"Team Archimedes will consist of Beast Boy and Noir. Beast Boy will provide the marine power necessary to get the two of them into the depths of their oceanic destination. Noir shall be...the wildcard of this operation. He must pose as Aqualad and keep the political weather nominal in Atlantis long enough for Aqualad's legitimate return, or the arrival of the Idyllists. Whichever comes first."

"How ya doin' over there, hotstuff??? Hehehe!!" Beast Boy giggled.

I frowned at him.

"Cease from moving your head!!" Starfire commanded, fiercely pushing my cranium to face the mirror.

I groaned as Raven and Starfire......'groomed' me. On either side of me they clipped at the ends of my hair, provided ample amounts of gel, and touched my skin so as to look more exact to the Atlantean in question.

"I never thought I'd say this...," Raven blinked. "But this is rather enjoyable."

"Tell me about it!!" Beast Boy cackled. "Tell me when his head is flammable enough to put a lighter to it!!"

"We are doing this solely for the mission," Raven droned. "As similar to Aqualad as Noir appears, it takes our finishing touches to assure that he is identical to the marine hero in question." The dark girl looked at the mirror and....paused in her duties. "Oh wow."

"Huh??" Starfire looked. Her eyes melted. "Oh to the wow, indeed....."

My black eyes went crooked at Aqualad's—er, I mean my reflection. It was something rather transparent that both girls were suddenly drooling over.

And contrary to my expectations.....I didn't enjoy it.

I coughed.

"Oh....erm....r-right....," Raven blushed.

"We must finish him so that he is....swimmable?"

"Or don't you mean just plain waterproof??" Beast Boy suggested.

Raven tossed him into a nearby garbage can through telekinesis.

"Whoah!!" CRASH!!!

"Right.....hand me more gel, Starfire."

"Affirmative."

I groaned.

-T-T-T-T-T-T-

"Bend with your knees when you dive...," Aqualad said from the shallow side of the gym's pool in which he was partially submerged. "If you're me...you realize that you're gonna shoot awful far into the depths of the water from just one plunge. You shouldn't look like you're afraid of what lies beneath you."

I stood on the side of the pool—decked out in Aqualad's blue and black gear. I sweatdropped.

"Um....," Nova'm hovered from above. "This pool only goes as far down as twenty-five feet."

Aqualad's dark eyes bugged. "What?? What kind of Titan hovel would have....I dunno...so little water??"

Nova'm shrugged as he settled down on the poolside. "I dunno. I'm not a Titan."

Aqualad tilted his head to the side. "Then who exactly are you?"

Nova'm smiled proudly and pointed at himself. "Koriand'r says that I'm a prince!"

"Really now...," Aqualad chuckled. "Small Sea. So am I."

"No way! Really??"

I cleared my throat.

"Oh....um...r-right....saving-Atlantis stuff. Ahem," Aqualad snapped out of it and pointed at me. "Try it again. With more force this time."

I bent over, concentrated, and plunged at the last second into the water.

SPLOOSH!!!

"Noir will work exclusively with Aqualad to hone down on how to portray him in every aspect. It will become crucial...especially later on when Noir must portray himself as the Idyllist representative himself. There will be many people that he will meet that already know who and what Aqualad is and represents. We can't risk any slipups here."

I swam to the surface. I took a deep breath.

"Okay...you gotta work on that," Aqualad immediately pointed out.

I gave him a wyrd, wet look.

"Don't be so desperate to gasp for breath when you reach air," the young hero pointed out. "Remember...if you're Atlantean, you 'can breathe' underwater. There's no point in needing oxygen the soonest you leave an aquatic element. You'll have to pretend like that's true. Control your breathing. Meditate."

I nodded, smiling a bit.

I could do that......

"Now let's test your endurance some more," Aqualad pointed. "Two hundred laps."

My black eyes bugged.

"You heard me!!" the boy cackled. "Even a 'minnow' Atlantean can swim four times that much in his third year!"

I groaned and went about my task...with a good use of murk for the long run.

"So hardcore....," Nova'm shook his head. He grinned Aqualad's way. "The poor sap's fingers will be prunes."

"Huh?"

"Land-dweller thing," Nova'm said. He blushed. "Erm...Tamaranian thing too....I s-suppose."

Aqualad smirked.

"Cyborg is already working on a temporary implant for the inner base of Noir's throat to extend his oxygen capacity. Though it would be prudent for him to avoid having to swim throughout the duration of his 'portrayal', it would be nice nonetheless for emergency situations. Then there's the fact that Noir can't speak or communicate telepathically. To account for that, we're not going to conceal Noir's scar. Undoubtedly, Aqualad is officially 'missing' among his own people—the Idyllists—and Atlantean politicians alike. Our excuse is that Aqualad underwent 'an incident' that injured him, damaging both his larynx and the part of his Atlantean brain responsible for telepathic sensitivity. This excuse may see part of a stretch, but Aqualad himself assures us that there are inner ears inside Atlantis that may be able to help assist Noir in his charade."

-T-T-T-T-T-T-

"Otherwise, he's entirely in my hands," Beast Boy proudly beamed. "I'm the perfect actor!! I'm gonna be directing Noir entirely through this!!" He jumped off of his chair and leaned on my shoulder besides Robin. "Consider me your agent, bro."

I covered my shades with my metal hand and groaned.

"How will they endeavor on reaching Atlantis?" Starfire asked. "We only have one submersible."

Robin folded his arms and smiled. "Well...now we have one and a half..."

-T-T-T-T-T-T-

"According to Aqualad, the pod that he was propelled here in by the Expulsor can serve as a safe, airtight hold for Noir on a return trip. Of course, the thing has no propulsion of its own. That's one reason why Beast Boy is part of Team Archimedes. In whatever animal form he needs to change to for accomplishing the task, he'll set on 'moving' the pod—with Noir in it—to Atlantis."

In the garage, Robin and Cyborg huddled all around the pod. They shielded their faces and used sparkling, welding tools to fix all fissures in the hull and also repair the airtight hatch.

Nova'm floated nearby and handed tools to both of the Titans as they requested them.

Robin walked over and tugged at some metal 'reins' freshly fixed to the front of tiny submersible.

"You think these will fit Beast Boy?"

"That twig of a teen?? He could practically fit inside one of them damn things!!"

Robin laughed.

Nova'm smiled. "Is he naturally that thin?"

"He's an elf. None of us really know for sure."

"I see...."

"Pass me another steel plate, will ya small fry?"

"S-Sure thing, Mr. Cyborg."

"Of course...Noir and Beast Boy can't go to Atlantis right away. The people of the sea are very private about their dwelling places...and that means the location of the cities in particular. Naturally, we're going to respect that decision. So, in order to finally get to Atlantis, Noir and Beast Boy must take a detour......a pit stop as you were...somewhere close by in the northern Atlantic. There Aqualad insists they will find close allies to the Idyllists who—when rightfully persuaded—will provide Team Archimedes with the necessary transportation."

-T-T-T-T-T-T-

"Tram...," Aqualad gestured from the basin in the infirmary. He held his arm out while Cyborg gave him a syrum through a shot. "You remember him, right?"

"And how," Beast Boy nodded, rummaging through a note hastily made for him by Aqualad. I stood next to the changeling, looking over his shoulder. "So...we're gonna meet up with his people, right? The Ren....Ren-suck-ack?"

"The Renzukka," Aqualad sighed. He jumped a bit at the prick of Cyborg's needled but tried to hide it. "Ahem. The Renzukka are basically the merchants of the underwater world. They ship goods back and forth between the different cities of Atlantean and Idyllist prestige. Though they act under an independent government, they're welcome by all groups of my kind...and a good number of them should be present in Atlantis during Junction as Ambassadors. Now I know for a fact that Tram will be there for both a shipment and....well....he just likes hanging around at ports and stuff."

"Heh...typical sailor," Cyborg smirked.

"So....this place where we're gonna meet him and the other Renzuk-people.....it's off the coast of Newfoundland?"

"If that's what you call that peninsula, then yes," Aqualad said.

"Dude....you don't know much about our geographical names either, do you?"

"Hey," Aqualad frowned. "Same back at ya, kid! You go on and tell me about the Sedna Valley! Or the Charon Ravine!!"

"Pffft! What's so special about those places??"

"......they house well over twenty-million oceangoers combined."

Cyborg snickered.

I chuckled.

Beast Boy blushed. "Erm.....okay, so you'd be good at trivia. What's the point?"

Aqualad sighed. "Look...just practice practice the lines I have written down."

I looked at Beast Boy.

In the spotlight, the 'actor' cleared his throat, squinted his eyes, and read off: "Ven....Venrexxka lavvuuk saklorkavokkik xed." He twisted his tongue and nearly choked on it. "Ugh....please tell me there's a Hooked on Phoenix course for this."

"Phonics."

"Whatever."

Cyborg snickered again.

"You're gonna have to say exactly what I have written down there," Aqualad said. "Otherwise...none of the Renzukka are going to help you find Tram. And without Tram, how are you two to get to Atlantis?"

"Did the Little Mermaid have a little crab friend?"

"Huh??"

"Er....never mind. Now how do I say 'Where's the nearest restaurant, I'm starved'?"

"Nnghhhh...."

-T-T-T-T-T-T-

"The other team will consist of me and Starfire," Robin explained. "And we shall be called Team Nautilus."

Nova'm glanced over at the Tamaranian girl.

She blushed slightly but tried to hide it.

The prince looked back at the Boy Wonder.

"Our task will utilize the T-Sub. And we're going to be going straight to the Hidden Valley."

-T-T-T-T-T-T-

"Of course, the Hidden Valley is just about as secret and sacred to the ocean dwellers as Atlantis itself. But from what I understand, the path to be taken there will be bringing us far...far away from the Renzukka establishment. But regardless, Aqualad has provided us with a......beacon of sorts."

"All heirlooms of my people...," Aqualad spoke. He sat shirtless on the edge of a medlab table with a blanket over his shoulders while Raven took measurements of his body and facial features for the mimic that was to be prepared of him. "...they are possessing of a magical beacon that hones in on our place of belonging. White magic, I assure you."

"Of course...," Raven droned.

"Shhh!" Robin insisted.

Aqualad cleared his throat. He held the golden starfish pendant up. "If you hold this in your hand long enough...the warmth from your grip will cause it to pulse and fluctuate with intense energy." He gripped it similarly as he said this. The pendant started to glow with a strobe. Bands of light suddenly pointed in a southeasterly direction. "As you may guess...the Hidden Valley is located somewhere southeast of the Atlantic Seaboard of this 'continent' of yours."

"But even that's too little information," Robin gestured. "I assume there's more here that meets the eye."

"And for good reason too," Aqualad nodded. "I've worked out a plan with Cyborg to attach this pendant to the T-Sub's navigational system. If you put your watercraft on autopilot, the pendant's energy should drive the sub to take you to the Hidden Valley on its own accord." He handed the golden starfish into Robin's gloved hand. "I.......t-trust that you and Starfire will be prudent enough to somehow block out your vision of the transit."

Robin nodded. "You have my word. I will hold true to the secrecy of your people, no matter how long it takes."

"Once you reach the Hidden Valley, this very same pendant should be enough to convince my people of your good intentions. The rest of the plan to enact—your persuading them to go to Atlantis and appeal King Orin regarding Senator Chasma—is up to you. Hopefully Team Archimedes will get there at the same time and you can work it out with Noir for...er...'me to be there' to represent my people."

Robin smiled and nodded. "If everything goes according to plan." He looked at Starfire. "You got all that, Star?"

"............"

"Star???"

She stopped staring at the shirtless Aqualad. "Hmmm? Oh, yes, Robin. Smooth sailing. Very.....smooth sailing."

".......," Robin sweatdropped.

Starfire bit her lip. "Erm....what was the topic of our discussion again?"

-T-T-T-T-T-T-

"Hey, what about the rest of us?" Cyborg remarked.

Robin pointed. "You and Raven stay here and keep watch over Aqualad. Right now, he needs sanctuary."

"Sanctuary???" Beast Boy remarked with a wyrd look.

"Don't you get it??" the Boy Wonder leaned forward. "He has political opponents out there against him. Heck, they already tried to kill him with that dramatic pod-cannon Expulsor of theirs. He could still be at risk." He looked at Raven. "He needs protection." He looked at Cyborg. "And good care."

"Right....nannying," Cyborg saluted. "Thanks, Robin."

"Yeah.......," the Boy Wonder blinked under his mask. He glanced at the other Titans. "As for the rest of us...we move out at twenty-one hundred hours."

Nova'm raised a shy hand.

"Yes??"

He simpered. "Do I.....g-get to do anything?"

Starfire spoke out: "You shall stay here, Nova'm."

He protested: "But---!!"

"You are not a Titan," Raven droned. "You are merely a guest here at the Tower per Starfire's and your foster parents' request. The fact that this issue with Aqualad has come up is completely incidental."

"It is best that you stay here. Who knows?" Starfire smiled pleasantly. "Cyborg and Raven may need your assistance!"

"With what?" Nova'm folded his arms in a pout. "Changing Aqualad's sheets?"

"...........," Starfire blinked. She looked up at everyone. "Who here has corrupted my precious prince with earthling sarcasm?"

Raven smirked ever so slightly.

Robin cleared his throat. "Anyways....we mustn't forget that this is a coordinated effort. All three of us must keep in contact. That's why I've equipped us with special communicators. Beast Boy has one that'll fit in his ear. Starfire and I will have ones fitted to our gloves...."

-T-T-T-T-T-T-

"...and Noir's communicator will simply be a speaker in his ear and a morse code function in his metal fingers. And speaking of which, there are final touches to be made."

"There....," Cyborg finished tracing the micro tool across my left fore-arm. "Beautiful. Take a look, dawg. Tell us what you think."

I blinked my black eyes. I held my left hand up. And it was perfect flesh. Or at least, it was meant to look that way. Metal hid beneath the surface. And yet—as I twirled the fingers and eyed the knuckles—it looked absolutely perfect.

"And before you ask.....yes, it's waterproof," Cyborg winked.

I looked at him across the laboratory and smiled. I looked at my hand again and flexed it some more.

"Ya know....we could always keep it like that," Cyborg gestured. "When....ya know....you're back from this adventure. It doesn't have to look "

I looked at him. I gestured something brief and simple.

Cyborg sighed. He smiled slightly. "Yeah....you're right, man. Would I want to hide my titanium nowadays? Nah....I'm no pansy."

I smirked.

"And now....," Cyborg picked up a tiny pair of dishes from a nearby, metal tray. "The final touch...."

I took a deep breath. I took the dishes. I reached in and—slowly—applied the contacts over my solid black eyes. I blinked them hard...then lightly. I looked Cyborg's way.

His lips parted and he shook his head....slowly......

"That's just too creepy, man. But don't take my word for it..."

-T-T-T-T-T-T-T-

SCHWISSH!!!!

The doors to the infirmary opened open.

The room was dim. Candles were lit, giving the room a relaxing atmosphere.

Sitting in the basin—half awake it seemed—was Aqualad. He simply wore swimming trunks, having sacrificed his trademark bodysuit...

....the very same bodysuit that I wore as I walked across the room and stood before him. Hands to my side. Hair slicked back. And black eyes speckled with tiny, white irises.

A living mirror....

Aqualad slowly opened his eyes. He looked up at me through the candle light. Blinking.

"...........hi there, shadow," he grinned slightly.

I smiled back.

"And your arm?"

I showed it to him. Pure 'skin'.

He shook his head. "Cyborg's a genius...."

I nodded.

I know......

"Sit down....," he gestured towards a metal stool.

I dragged it over—winced at the grating sound it made on the metal floor—and gently sat down from across the basin.

He cupped some water and poured it over his face, letting the liquid stream down his cheeks. He sighed...absorbing it all. Trying to rehydrate himself...slowly....

"...................."

It was silent.

I breathed slowly. Thinking about the mission at hand. Absorbed by the candlelight. The softness of chaotic movement of time.

"You can't be wondering too much why I asked you to come in here....," he said quietly. His voice sounded like my head. We were already connecting as one, and it was freaky. "You're going to be me for the next few foreseeable days, Noir. I think it's best that.....that I share some things with you that I can't possibly share with the others."

I leaned my head to the side in a trademark 'listening Noir' fashion. I almost regretted it.

But he didn't seem to mind. He leaned back in the water just far enough to not submerge his face and he spoke: "You're.....you're not going to be alone in this, Noir. And I don't mean Beast Boy or Tram....but once in Atlantis, there is someone....someone that I trust dearly. And you will be needing all the help that this person can give you. For if anyone can understand the trouble that I'm going through...and the true threat that Chasma presents....it's her."

I raised an eyebrow. I mouthed: 'her???'

Aqualad bit his lip. "Yes. Princess Tula. She sits in for one of the Royal Houses of Atlantis. Almost as powerful politically as Senator Chasma's Fourth House of Currents. Only...she is loyal to King Orin's resolve. And not only that, but she is quite adamant in supporting the Idyllist role in the Junction. There is more to her...but I cannot divulge. Only....I wish you to make contact with her at all costs. Everything rests on this mission...and her partaking in it will more than likely make it a success."

I nodded.

"Provided one thing," Aqualad said.

I listened.

He slowly sat up. He dripped all over as he leaned forward and glared at me viciously. Beady eyes to beady eyes.

"You so much as make a move on her in my place....and I assure you...there is no fish in the sea too small that can't swallow the pieces of you that I'll rip asunder."

"......," I gulp and nod with a smile and sweatdrop.

"Good....you understand. That is very wise." He leans back.

I sigh with relief.

"And one more thing...."

I look at him.

He shuts his eyes. "Right now....you may look like 'Aqualad'....you may be dressed like 'Aqualad'....and you may even be taught to swim like 'Aqualad'. But as soon as you ride that pod beneath the surface of the ocean...as soon as you're underwater....you are no longer 'Aqualad'. Do you understand me?"

I look at him.

He opens his eyes and looks at me firmly from afar. "You shall be 'Garth'."

-T-T-T-T-T-T-

"Koryyyy!! Come on!! I-I've been training for a reason, right??"

"That is correct," Starfire nodded as she paced around her room and gathered up a few tools and belongings for the underwater trip. "I desire to teach you in the ways of defending the innocent. Not just on Earth, but 'abroad'."

Nova'm followed her around frantically. "And....like....I-I know 'abroad' for you probably means the galaxy and Tamaran and the Vegan system and stuff. But how about the underwater culture of this planet?! Wouldn't that count too??"

"Indeed, it would," she smiled.

"So why can't I come along and help you??"

"Because Raven was right earlier," Starfire glanced at him amidst her rummaging. "You are not a Titan."

"But I-I'm just as powerful as one, right???"

"Hehehehe," she giggled. "You are in the process of becoming a righteous wielder of your power. But I must sadly admit that such a time is a distance away."

"But...think about it, this would be a great way for me to train and—"

"Nova'm, I must implore....," Starfire sighed and looked down at him. "Why are you so adamant about coming along for this dangerous mission?"

"I...I dunno, Kory...," Nova'm hugged himself bashfully and looked off into space. The further he spoke, the more his little eyes lit up in a green passion. "Ever since Mommy and Daddy agreed to let me spend a week here, I've felt what it means to be a hero. I see it in all of you guys! In Cyborg! Beast Boy! Robin—Robin especially. In you, of course. Even in that dark, quiet guy Noir. And....erm," he blushed. "...in Miss Raven as well. Ahem. B-But....it's just so cool! I never realized how using your powers all the time could do.....so good. And I remember that—at one time—I did good too. Back home, I tried to do it whenever I could. Even though Booker....h-he tried to make me feel bad for what I could do."

"Ohhhh...Nova'm," Starfire knelt down and gave him a hug. "Please do not try and focus on such dark times. Booker was very mean to you. And, yes, indeed he hurt you for things you did not need to feel bad for. But now that he is gone and you have the full potential to wield your gifts, I feel that it is my responsibility to limit you so that one day you can understand maturely what the limits for an individual Tamaranian is. Our people will not want a prince who follows whim and whim alone."

Nova'm suddenly giggled.

Starfire made a face. "What???"

"You are almost sounding like Miss Raven!" Nova'm giggled. "That sounds so boring! Whatever happened to going along with Tamaranian passion and the 'burning inside us all' and stuff?"

"Oh....erhm....," Starfire blushed. "They have been....erhm....temporarily set aside for the time being."

"Awww...for how long??"

"Until Robin, Beast Boy, Noir and I return from this mission!!"

"Oh come on, Kory!!" Nova'm visibly pleaded. "Pleeeease?? Can I come along for the mission?? I'll do whatever you say!!"

"Then heed my words when I insist that you stay here at the Tower!" Starfire said. She smiled for good measure. "I want you safe, Nova'm. I did not go through so much trouble back in the North of the Carolina to save you...only to have you hurt yourself in a risky mission such as that we are about to endeavor on!! You are quite brave and strong in spirit...but you are still small!! So long, Nova'm. Do take care."

She flew out of her room and down the hallway.

Nova'm stood in the frame, pouting. "I'm a prince, ya know! You forgot that?!?"

Nothing. Just echoes.

"Blah....," he kicked at the ground.

Silence.

He suddenly smiled. "But you are right about one thing, Kory...," he devilishly whispered. "I am still small. Which means I can fit in tiny places!" That succinctly said, he flew off in some forbidden direction.

-T-T-T-T-T-T-

"You're gonna be careful with her??"

"Yes, Cyborg...," Robin insisted. He and Cyborg were on a dock to the southwest side of the Tower's island, loading stuff onto the buoyed T-Sub. "I won't even get a scratch on her."

"I can't understand why you won't let me come along and pilot the thing," the android Titan said. "I built the damned thing. I'm best at it."

"Like I said before," Robin explained, "...I need you and Raven here to watch over Aqualad."

"Pfft...Raven can do that by herself, man!"

".....," Robin paused. He looked up at Cyborg. "You're willing to leave that poor sap here at the Tower alone with one of the girls???"

Cyborg made a face. He sweatdropped. "Ooo. Didn't think about that."

"Yeah...you stay here, Cyborg. We'll keep in radio contact. I'm sure I'm going to need your audible help with one thing or another in operating this....'other Baby' of yours."

"Hey....it's all one big Baby," Cyborg shrugged with a smile. "T-Car...T-Sub....all the same entity. Kinda like the Matrix."

"Yeah, whatever. Is Starfire here yet?"

Cyborg looked down the dock. "No sign of her man." A beat. He smiled Robin's way. "Ya know....I think I finally understand why you chose for her to be the other half of Team Nautilus."

Robin's eyemask when crooked. "Huh?"

"Lord knows how long it's gonna take you two to get to the Hidden Valley," Cyborg pointed out. "It's just gonna be the two of you.....alone.....in that cramped sub."

"Pfft....cut it out, Cyborg."

"With nothing to keep warm with except for y'all's body heat—"

Robin whistled. "Allright. Joke's over. Go home. Nothing to see here!"

Cyborg laughed.

"What?!?!?!"

"Nothing. They should have just called you the 'Blush Wonder' instead."

Robin stuck true to that sudden name. "Er.....dammit, Starfire. Get here already."

-T-T-T-T-T-T-

Gently, I rested Myrkblade on its hilt.

I stood back in the lantern-lit interior of my cellar room.

I stared at the blade....sighing.

Beast Boy walked up and put his hand on my 'Aqualad' shoulder. "Gotta leave it behind for this mission, dude. Aqualad may be an undersea badass in his own right....but he won't be caught dead with a samurai salad slicer."

I slowly nodded. With forlorn, white-specked eyes I looked down at Beast Boy.

"Don't fret it, man!" he smiled. "It'll be like old times!! You and me going undercover!! Kinda like Westhaven, remember?? That went well, didn't it?"

I winced.

Beast Boy sweatdropped. "Yeah....well....at least it 'went'. You know what I'm saying?"

I smiled. I held up my hand.

He gave me a high-five.

Slap!

"Come on, dude. Let's get wet. Hehehe."

I rolled my black eyes and followed him out of the room. I glanced back at my blade one last time before sighing and closing the door behind me.

-T-T-T-T-T-T-

"Robin and Starfiiiiiiire. Sittin' in a Sub...."

"Rrrggh...Cyborg, I swear, if you don't stop that right now I'm going to stick my staff so far up your—"

"Live a little, man!!" Cyborg leaned against a post on the side of the dock and smiled. It was dark out. Barely after sunset. The murky waters danced beneath them where the T-Sub and the Expulsor pod bobbed up and down. "You're gonna be cramped inside an underwater tin can for hours on end. Now don't pretend you're not gonna miss my good humor during those hours."

"Pfft...I'll hardly have to think about that."

"I know, cuz you'll have a head—and face—full of Starfire...won't you??? Heheheheh!!"

"Knock it off!!" Robin frowned. He suddenly smiled. "What if I joked that way about you and Raven??"

To that, Cyborg nonchalantly remarked: "It don't work both ways, man."

Robin blinked under his mask. "Oh....my bad. I-I was starting to think—"

".....at least," Cyborg's human eye trailed the sky curiously as he thought aloud. ".....I don't think it does."

"It doesn't," Raven marched up the dock.

Cyborg smiled. "Oh....hey there, cutie."

ZAP!!

"DAAH!!" SPLOOSH!!!

".....right," Raven lowered her wrist and looked at Robin. "Here they come."

"Good," Robin nodded.

Starfire floated over. Beast Boy scurried up. I walked over.

"Aqualad...greetings," Robin smiled and extended a hand.

I put on a gentle smile and extended a fist.

Robin got the idea and we 'punched' our knuckles together.

Beast Boy smiled. "He's good." He planted his hands to his hips. "I trained him well."

"Well done," Raven droned. "In a matter of days, he can use the litter box."

"Hehehehe!" Starfire giggled.

I smirked.

Beast Boy rolled his eyes. "Whatever."

Cyborg climbed back up onto the dock, dripping. "What am I missing?"

"The sendoff," Robin said. "Noir...Beast Boy...take your positions. Let's not waste anymore time."

"And I shall board the T-Sub," Starfire obviously said as she floated into her seat of the craft.

Cyborg looked at the T-Sub...then at Robin. He smiled and extended a dripping, Titanium hand. "After you, Casanova."

Robin sighed. He wandered into the sub.

In the meantime, I got into the pod....and realized how cramped it is.

I sweatdropped.

"Awww....don't worry, dude. You won't be so lonely," Beast Boy said as he started to lower the hatch. He smiled through the porthole. "I may not be able to talk to you and stuff...but at least you get a good look at my green, fishy butt the whole way!!"

I made like to wretch.

"Hah!! Sweet dreams with that, 'Aqualad'! Hehehe!"

SCHLUNK!!

The hatch was closed and I was bathed in silence.

I leaned back and closed my specked eyes with a relaxed sigh.

In the T-Sub, Robin took the forward compartment while Starfire minded the middle one.

"I do believe we are secured....," Starfire spoke into her communicator.

"Right....," Robin nodded, flipping a few switches. "Go for launch."

The T-Sub started to hum to life.

In the meantime, Beast Boy leapt into the water—SPLOOSH!!—and surfaced, 'tying' himself to the metal 'reins'. "Allrighty!! Renstimpy bound!!"

"Renzukka!!"

"Whatever. On Comet! On Cubit! On Donner—hehehe...get it??"

Raven glared.

Beast Boy gulped. "Goingy Fishy now." He morphed into a sailfish and dove underwater...tugging me and the pod behind.

At the same time, the T-Sub submerged with a splash. The waters besides the dock bubbled mightily.

"Almost looks like they're having a race," Cyborg smiled at Raven.

Raven sighed.

"Or having a bloody battle to the underwater death. Geez, girl...imagine a little!"

"Not in the mood," Raven uttered. She pulled out a communicator. "We're monitoring you as we speak, Robin. Have a safe trip."

"Thanks, Raven."

Starfire's voice interjected: "Watch out for Nova'm, please!! He is most.........adorable and alive!"

Cyborg chuckled.

"We'll do our best," Raven said. "Lord knows we're already nannying."

"Um....the mic's still on."

"I know."

"Oh."

-click-

She holstered the communicator away, drew her cloak around her, and spun around towards the Tower. "If you don't mind....I have a book to read."

"You always have a book to read."

"So long as mortality always has a life to claim."

"Yeah....um.....very true, that. I guess," Cyborg scratched his human head. He slowly began to catch up with Raven. He glanced around the dock and uttered aloud: "By the way...where is Nova'm anyhow?"

"Beats me. Probably anchored to your Xbox like he was yesterday evening."

"Hahaha! I tell you what, that boy plays Morrowind like a god!"

"Morrow-who??"

"You never played Morrowind?"

"No."

"It's the phattest RPG out there!! It's got—"

As the two walked off and conversed, the dock behind them was left alone. The murky waters danced up against the sides and....splashed up against 'something'. That something took on a humanoid form. A puff of steam appeared, like living mist. A pair of glowing eyes peered out from the mist. Narrow. Vicious. Then...the mist became invisible again and a dark silhouette plunged into the water with a tiny, chilling splash.

-T-T-T-T-T-T-

The murky depths of the ocean streamed past the portholes on either side of me.

It was frighteningly dim inside that lonely pod of mine. Though I knew that all that covered my black eyes were shaded optics with Aqualad's trademark, ghostly-white irises....I couldn't help but feel immensely alone and shrouded in confusion.

Sometimes I wish the Titans would realize......I don't exactly enjoy being the 'wildcard' anymore......

I sighed. I was tired. I didn't want to stare at Beast Boy's wagging fishtail through the front porthole the entire time.

So I leaned to the side and tried to catch some 'shuteye'...or at least meditate on what I had to do.

Remembering I wasn't Noir....

Remembering I wasn't Aqualad....

I was Garth.

-T-T-T-T-T-T-

The pendant was placed on a pedestal at the front of the pilot's dashboard. It glowed in pulsing waves.

"Okay...," Robin breathed. "Engaging autopilot...."

He clicked a few buttons. The dashboard started to glow along with the pendant.

Robin and Starfire braced themselves as the T-Sub changed heading and cruised in a southeasterly direction.

"And.....last step...." Robin pushed a final switch.

Whurrrrrrrrrr-Chtung!

Metal 'shutters' drew closed across the curved windows of the five individual piloting stations. It was one hundred percent impossible to see through the windows now, unless one had X-Ray vision. And even still...the metal was comprised of a high, lead alloy.

"Oh......um....," Starfire blushed. "I wasn't aware that we were going to utilize those to mask our movement from ourselves..."

Robin's voice replied through the speakers of her console. "Well, yeah, Star. I mean...it's not like we're gonna gather much from looking through the windows anyways. But I don't want to risk anything. Navigation schematics are also down. We're subject to the magical pendant's guidance."

"I understand," Starfire nodded. "But still......m-must I only hear your voice for the entire trip."

".........er....no. We can still see each other, Star. Remember the crawlspaces?"

"Which ones?"

"I-I'll show you."

There was a clicking sound....then a hissing sound throughout the T-Sub's hull.

"Star...see the hatch below your feet?"

"Y-Yes."

"Open it and take a look through."

"Okay."

She unbuckled from her seat, crawled down, and opened the hatch.

HISSS!!!!

She peered through with glowing eyes.

Down a tiny tunnel of metal—lined with supply cabinets and drawers (like the interior of a space station capsule)—Robin's face smiled at her. He waved.

"Ahoy there," his voice echoed down the dim chamber to her.

"Ehehehehe!" she giggled. "How ingenious! Since when did Cyborg have such corridors installed??"

"Since always. One of these even has a pressure chamber for scuba divers to exit. Or Beast Boy when we're using him for underwater missions in which we need his marine expertise."

"Ah, I understand now. Which compartment leads to the exit of this sub in such fashion?"

Robin bit his lip. "Um....ahem....let's pretend that we don't have to come to that part."

"Oh.....affirmative, Robin."

"Feel better, Star?"

"Absolutely. I now have every reason to believe that the pressure chamber you speak of is responsible for the incessant, clanking sound that I hear."

".......????" Robin made a face. "Pardon?"

"Do you not hear it?" Starfire remarked. "It resonates throughout the T-Sub. Well, my side at least."

"Um.....there shouldn't be any clanking sound, Star."

"Eeep!!" the Tamaranian jumped. "Robin...there is something horribly wrong."

"You say you hear it on your end??"

"True! Oh Robin...what could it be??"

"Hang on, I'm coming up there."

"Coming up where?"

"Into your cockpit. Hang tight!"

"But Robin...it is rather...erhm...cramped in here..."

He was already scurrying up the crawlspace.

Starfire bit her lip. "But then again, your metabolism does make you rather thin and I am quite of the skinniness myself so I suppose enough room for examination will be made available—"

Robin poured through the crawlspace....and when he sat up, he was nose-to-nose and chest-to-chest with Starfire.

"........."

"........."

".........."

"It.....is right behind me....," Starfire pointed...blushing....not moving an inch.

Robin swallowed. "Er....right....," his face was red as he slithered awkwardly around Starfire and planted his ear against the back of the cockpit.

"..........................................."

Silence.

Then......

CLANK!!

"EEK!!!" Starfire jumped and hugged Robin instinctively.

"Aack!! Starfire, let go! We're gonna fall over—"

"The clanking! It is evil!!"

"Star!! Wait—"Robin grabbed onto the handle of an interior compartment to balance himself.

Starfire fell over.

Robin fell over.

The compartment door yanked over.

CRACK!!!

"OOF!!"

"Umph!!"

"Oops!!"

Starfire and Robin—on top of each other—doubly went googly eyed at the sound of a third voice. They both jumped up, brushed themselves off, and looked into the compartment.

Starfire gasped.

Robin frowned. "You...."

Nova'm was curled inside the passageway, his shirt's cloth stuck on a bolt inside the metal linining.

"Eheheheheheh....," the little redhead simpered. "I'm caught."

"Yes," both the Boy Wonder and the green-eyed Titan uttered in simultaneous scorn. "You are."

Scorn....because the autopilot could not be cancelled at this point...

-T-T-T-T-T-T-

Princess Tula stood on a balcony of pure pearl. She leaned on a glistening ledge and looked out on the shimmering spectacle that was Atlantis. Its spires shot up into the 'air' produced by a pocket dome at the bottom of the ocean floor. Columns of water magically warped about as solid bodies of mass. Everywhere else, waterfalls and fountains filled the cityscape. The place was in a roar as literally millions of ocean dwellers migrated in to oversee the Junction...a revolutionary time for Atlanteans everywhere.

The girl sighed. She ran a hand through her short, black hair and spun about to walk back into her chambers with a ruffle of her sapphire gown. Tiny canals trickled beneath her and a floor made of glass. Inside her chamber, Tula ran into a handmaiden who curtsied and relayed:

"Your Exellency...Senator Chasma wishes to pay you respect."

Tula's eyes narrowed. There was a heavy sense of disgust and hesitancy in her face. Regardless, she relented with a sigh. "Show him in."

The handmaiden turned around and motioned to the door.

Two guards—armed with tridents—parted ways at the entrance.

Then a tall, graying figure marched in. He had a somber expression on...but it seemed painted on. With ocean-blue eyes, he stood before the princess—not bowing—and spoke in a forced shudder: "Still no sign of his body, your excellency. I fear it is the final siren song for the Idyllist ambassador."

"Garth is still alive, Senator Chasma. You should know that far better than I do."

"I beg your pardon, your highness," the man adjusted his dark tunic and spoke: "We must accept the facts at hand. He has left us. If we mourn now, we can elect for the Idyllists a new ambassador. One fitting to replace the late Garth's role before the Junction is over with."

"And whom did you have in mind, Senator?" Tula glared. "That sniveling underling of yours? Bryn?"

The man smiled innocently. "'Underling'?? Your highness, you insult one of this kingdom's finest politicians—"

"Who isn't even an Idyllist himself, but a victim of bureaucratic hypnosis," Tula breathed. "If Garth is indeed dead...at least one piece of him lives on. And that's the respect for brutal honesty. If necessary, it will be up to me to find a replacement for his ambassadorial role. Not yours."

"But, your highness, I am properly equipped for the job—"

"Equipped with what, Senator?" Tula smirked. "Arts of the....dark sort?"

Chasma's opal eyes narrowed. He spoke quietly and with great menace that only she could hear: "You get this straight, you prissy little brat.....there is nothing you can prove. And even by the time you managed to...it would be too late for this pathetic 'Junction' at hand."

"I know what you're up to, Chasma....," Tula sneered back. "And so did Garth," she added with a sour note.

Chasma grinned evilly. "And because of that....he is being replaced. Be sure to remember that." He smiled. He turned around and walked towards the door.

Just then, Tula called him from behind his back. "Oh Senator....by the way...."

He glanced back and looked at her.

She grinned slyly. "Be sure yourself to remember something as well. Two years ago when the Crustacean Queen attacked the Valley of Neptune, well over forty-thousand eyewitnesses were there to see me personally track down the beast and ruthlessly stab the Silver Harpoon of Poseidon into its acidic brain cavity. And if you were to ask any of those forty-thousand Atlanteans, I assure you that not one of them would testify to seeing a 'prissy little brat' at all that day...."

Chasma glared....spun about...and ducked out of the door.

The guards followed him...the handmaiden too....

And Princess Tula was alone.

She snorted with a smirk, turned around, and slumped down on a chair of pure pearl. She sighed and leaned her chin on a lacy glove.

"Garth.....where in the seven seas are you.......?"

-T-T-T-T-T-T-

SPLOOOSH!!!!

Chasma leapt up into the underground chamber with a dramatic fountain of water. He was flanked by two underlings with tridents. The three of them marched menacingly through a black cave with torchlights reflecting the dancing waves of cold puddles on either side of them.

The unnerving sounds of tortured screams and howls echoed against the craggy walls of the natural, obsidian interior. The three made their way down a series of steps and into a round chamber with four slabs of stone set around a chaotic arrangement of torches. Dark-gowned guards surrounded the chamber...silent and mysterious. On three of the four slabs were young, humanoid figures strapped in by rusty chains shackling their wrists and ankles. And in the very center of the slabs and torches—glowing in an unholy aura—was an orb of fluctuating violet brightness.

Chasma walked straight towards the orb...but something appeared in his way. White steam in the shape of a human figure.

"Boo!!" the steam 'talked'.

Chasma jumped back, startled. He frowned. "Miist. You are not excused to do that."

The steam laughed and took on the form of a flesh-and-blood human wearing an ivory-white jumpsuit. "You are an old man underneath, Chasma-Cat. I can't resist."

"Miist...you have my favor in that you're actually loyal to me," Chasma glared. "Do not test my patience too much."

"Got it...," Miist held a thumb's up and smirked. "Too much...heheheh..."

"Tell me what you saw....," Chasma spoke as he paced around the slabs. "Did they enact a plan?"

"They sure diiiiid....hehehehe," Miist giggled. "I saw them leaving the Tower! Two groups of them!"

Chasma passed by a green-haired girl in an emerald jumpsuit shackled to one slab. "And does one of the two teams have....an impersonator?"

"Yes, Big C. Hehehe....the one who can't talk. The swordsman."

"Without his sword, I imagine....," Chasma brushed his hand along a slab housing a dark-haired boy in a blackjumpsuit.

"Yes. It's not like Garth-Fart to have a blade, now is it?? Not goody-goody. Hehehehe."

"Lightning quick as you are, Miist...do you have an estimate on how soon they'll be here?"

"On converging paths...I'd give them a two days. A day and a half at the quickest. One of the groups is looking to hook up with some Renzukka, and you know that alwaaaays leads to trouble. Hehehehe."

"Indeed. But either way, they're falling into our hands. If we can't wield the Lord's corruption in Atlantis...at least we can ensnare these 'heroes' and poison the surface world...." Chasma lingered as he came to the last slab.

A blonde girl was shackled to it. Her jumpsuit was a bright blue. She shivered and hyperventilated constantly.

Chasma traced his finger deliciously along her chin. "Fraust....what troubles you so??"

She shivered. Her eyes were welling up with tears. And as soon as the tears formed, snowflakes scattered from them in wisps of white and blue. "I...I...I-I don't w-w-want to h-h-hurt anym-more...."

"Relax, child...," Chasma grinned. "The pain will only be temporary as we summon the Lord's strength to refill you..."

"N-No...," she clutched her frosting eyes shut and bit her lip. "N-Not that....I-I don't want t-to hu-hurt others anym-more...."

"Stupid Fraust....hehehe!!" Miist pointed and giggled. "You never diiiid!! Hehehehehe!!"

Chasma growled. "Take your place, Miist. Besides Acyd and Fryte. You are as much a part of this ceremony as she is."

Miist shut up. Regardless, he had a jack-in-the-box grin as he bounced over and slid onto his slab. He didn't need shackles...

"P-P-Please....d-don't.....," Fraust wept.

"Shhhh....," Chasma trailed a finger along her neck. There were no gills. None of the slab-teenagers had gills. "...you have a purpose for the Lord to fulfill..."

She shuddered as the Senator walked into the center of the chamber. He approached the orb and raised his hands.

"All hail the mighty Lord...."

"All hail the mighty Lord!!" bellowed the darkly-clad congregation surrounding the underground chamber.

The violet aura of the orb pulsed greatly as Chasma approached it.

"Preparer of the way to cleansing darkness!!"

"Preparer of the way to cleansing darkness!!"

The violet shook and danced. The orb vibrated. A flare of purple exploded in Chasma's eyes, replacing the blue.

He snarled loudly.

"Give birth to the magic-spawn that shall pollute the seas and bring back the land!!"

"All hail the mighty Lord!!"

Streams of purple now danced from the orb and coursed through the Senator's pulsing body.

He arched his head back and bellowed: "Refill!! Refill!! Refill the Children of the Black Tempest!!!"

"For the Children of the Black Tempest!!"

FLASH!!!!!! Purple tendrils exploded outward and engulfed each slab.

The children screamed and shouted in pain.

Acyd's head twisted from side to side and she vomited out green fluid while emerald juices oozed out of her fingernails and toes. The slab started burning beneath her with vile corrosiveness.

Fryte bucked and writhed. Swirling entities of black exited his chest and danced around in the shape of howling skulls.

Miist had a twisted face of pleasure as bright streams of white hotness bulged out of his body, transforming him in and out of steam.

And Fraust sobbed and sobbed as her entire body turned a pale blue. Her eyes shot open and translucent, glasslike daggers shot out. At the top of her lungs she screamed and her entire body—the entire slab—exploded in a chunk of steaming ice under the streams of burning violet and the hellish chant of the dark Atlanteans.

-T-T-T-T-T-

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!!!!!!" Garth shot up straight with a splash from the basin inside the Titans' Tower infirmary.

He panted...sweating all over. He ran a hand over his face as his beady, black eyes flickered with violet flame. He looked at his fingers and saw the purple embers melting off them.

His lip quivered.

"Sl...Sl-Slizzath....."

The Atlantean was dead silent. He submerged himself deep into the small tub of water, curled into a fetal position, and shivered.