28 August 2010
The Royal Palace Gardens, Poseidonis
Kaldur felt at peace as he swam alongside Tula, hands held respectively behind his back, even though he wanted nothing more than to hold her and pull her close. They wandered aimlessly through the palace gardens after supper, admiring the heavenward reaching kelp and the coral that clung close to the bosom of the rocks as a strange air settled over the two. To anyone with eyes, you would see that Kaldur clearly felt very deeply romantic for the redhead (and was no good at hiding it), whereas Tula seemed to hold her companion in a very different light. Although, Kaldur, so encompassed by his own feelings, could not see thus. It was a recipe for a disaster, although unrequited love often was.
"…There is something that I wish—" Kaldur eventually broke the ice, as the two drew to a stop at one of the lookout points infamous for collecting couples between its alcoves.
"—I wish to talk to you—" Tula chorused in turn, speaking over the boy in her haste to get the words out. "I—"
"—Please, Tula" Kaldur interjected as a look of the utmost puppy dog love adorned his features as he gently took up her hand, "I have made a decision to stay in Atlantis with you. Because of you"
"…Kaldur, I'm sorry" Tula pulled her hand back and turned away, so that she didn't have to see the hurt look on her friend's face. Hand clasped to her opposing arm, she hunched in on herself a little as she tried to get the words out. They had seemed to so easy to say before, rehearsing these terrible words in her head, a million times over, but now they were lodged in throat and refused to move. She knew that this was going to be hard enough, but this was just painful. "We wanted to tell you sooner, but Garth & I, we are…together"
No…! Kaldur silently despaired, unable to swallow the grief that lapped at him like waves on the shore. How could he have lost a battle he hadn't even known that he had been fighting? How could he lose the girl—his girl—before she was even his? How—
KA~BOOM!
And just like that, Kaldur's whole world came crashing down—literally. Suddenly several explosions rippled throughout the city, toppling buildings to their foundations and lighting up the night waters bright umbers. The palace, the conservatory, the academy and even the residential sectors were all quickly engulfed in the fiery blooms that should've of been impossible to burn so far underwater, and yet here they were. Now, a whole new horrified despair filled Kaldur's lungs making it hard to breathe. They were under attack by an unknown enemy, and with the King away, the mantle of hero fell onto Kaldur's shoulders; however (un)prepared he may have of been.
28 August 2010
Conservatory of Sorcery, Poseidonis
Fuelled by his unbridled emotions at being rejected by his—by Tula—Kaldur easily bulldozed his way through the enemy lines, using the cover of Tula's magicks to hide himself and pounce. A little part of him—the one hidden behind the bitter blanket he'd wrapped himself in—couldn't help the fondness that swelled within him as he silently crowed at how well the pair of them worked together. But there was no time to dwell on that now; instead, the pair steadily made their way back to the Conservatory of Sorcery where they presumed Queen Mera to be. Both teacher, queen and soon-to-be mother, the woman would have of gone there to protect her students and any others who lingered there.
It was there, as assumed, that they found Queen Mera, Prince Orm and a selection of palace guards doing their best to hold their own against their exoskeletal-clad enemy; who, from the looks of it, were part of Black Manta's array. And there, right in front to of the entrance to the conservatory's rooftop stood Prince Orm and Queen Mera; the later of whom, had a large projection of a manta ray between them & their enemy as protection. It was working for now, but even magic as strong as hers could only hold for so long.
ZZZT!
Tula quickly entered the arena by lobbing a ball of electricity at the unsuspecting grunts, and—quite literally—blew them out of the water. Or at the very least, off of their feet with enough force that Kaldur was able to come up behind and take out those still conscious. "Tula! Kaldur! You're all right!" Queen Mera breathed a sigh of relief, the ray still held up between them.
"This attack was precision planned, my Queen" Kaldur reported stalwartly, immediately falling into his roll as a hero as he took out his opponents (with perhaps a touch too much force than was entirely necessary). "The initial explosions lured all of the patrols into the ambush"
"Nngh!" Tula grunted with the effort as she quickly brought down the surrounding stone onto the enemy below.
"Hiyah!" Kaldur, in turn, lassoed a nearby peak to bring down upon them. Aided by Tula's and Queen Mera's magicks, they made quick work of their enemies.
"TULA!" Garth called, as he appeared around the bend. There was panic clear in his eyes and fear in his tone, but it was his call that distracted the redhead and pulled her attention away just in time for her to see the manta ray soldier creeping up from behind.
"GARTH! LOOK OUT!" Tula cried as she jettisoned across the rooftop, intent on making it there before the oblivious boy was taken out. Curling herself around her boyfriend, Tula bodily protected him just as the electrified projectile hit. Between this breathe and the next, the redhead found herself engulfed in bone-rattling shocks that were made all the more worse by the sea that they were all encompassed in. As such, it didn't take a powerful charge to knock her out and by then, the damage had been done.
"NO!" Garth cried, reaching back for the girl as she drifted towards the floor.
"TULA!" Kaldur cried out as he turned at his friend's frightened call. He may have of been mad about losing his girl to his best friend (even though she had never been his girl in the first place), that still didn't mean that he wanted her to become injured or worse. He may have of hated her—hated them—in that moment, but he wasn't that cruel.
Tossing aside his latest victim—ah, opponent—Kaldur quickly retreated over to where Tula had fallen and now lay motionless in Garth's arms. Desperately, he searched for some sign of life, anything that would dissuade this limp-limbed visage of the redhead which seemed to sear itself into his brain. It took him a harried moment, but eventually Kaldur was able to note the shallow rise and fall of her chest that a wave of relief flooded through him. Tula was okay.
Although, in his lapse of focus, their enemy had moved in and forced Queen Mera to shift just enough to cover them from their ever-raining fire power. Now, it was guilt that coloured Kaldur and making him feel off-kilter as he watched his queen fight (with prince providing support); the shielding ray changing & shifting shape into the ferocious kraken that she favoured. Able to defend and attack at once, the kraken was perfectly suited for this battle; though Kaldur still felt bad for not fulfilling his duties to their fullest potential, distracted as he was. Then again, there was no denying Queen Mera's power as she fought like the kraken she was.
"Surface communications are down" Prince Orm reported, standing between his sister-in-law and the three teens, pistol at the ready. "We cannot reach King Orin! Summon more troops to the palace—"
"—The palace was not the only target" Garth interjected, "I witnessed explosions in sectors one, two, three and five"
"Nothing in sector four?" Kaldur perked up, hackles raising at the implications. "There were explosions all over the city, except for where the Science Centre is located. Where your giant sea star is secured"
"Then it is all a diversion" Prince Orm nodded as he drew up alongside the hero who had moved to get a better view of the burning city. "But with the King away, I must protect the Queen and the heir"
"I need no protection! Go!" Queen Mera retorted (and indeed, she did not. But it was the principle of the matter).
"No, Mera" Prince Orm shook his head, "If you suffered any injury, my brother would never forgive me"
"The Prince is right, my Queen" Kaldur agreed stalwartly as his shoulders set in determination for what he was about to do. "This battle is mine!"
"And mine!" Garth added.
"…Your place is with Tula" Kaldur retorted as his eyes cut a glance at the boy he supposedly called his friend. Though, his tone was far colder and slightly more bitter than he probably should've of been.
And then, without so much as a backwards glance, Kaldur departed. He took advantage of the opening granted to him and slipped through both writhing tentacles and trigger-happy soldiers with an ease that was usually afforded to most eels. White-knuckles gripped tight to his water bearers as he crept towards the Science Centre, both dreading and anticipating the inevitable fight that would occur within those hallowed halls. On the one hand, he would be severely outnumbered, but on the other, the action of knocking heads would serve as a good stress relief. So, silver linings and all that.
28 August 2010
Science Centre, Poseidonis
The bodies of palace guards and the stench of burning & blood polluted the waters outside of the Science Centre. As he neared, Kaldur noted a strong beam piercing down through the ceiling of the Science Centre as Black Manta tried to black through the glass ceiling. It was clear that the enemy had already broken in the centre, so this must've of been in order to secure—presumably the giant sea star—that which lay inside. Slipping in through a service tunnel, the hero hid a wince at the too-loud ping of the access codes going off, as he entered the correct code for the door. But he needn't have worried, the plasma beam from above was doing a great job of drowning out all surrounding noise with its grainy buzz.
"Kaldur—" Garth slipped in behind him, much to his chagrin.
"—You should be with Tula" Kaldur admonished as he turned to face the boy, one hand hovering over his weapons whilst his tattoos glowed in warning & preparation; if only for a moment.
"The Queen watches over Tula" Garth replied, "And sent me after you"
"…Fine" Kaldur cut a narrow-eyed glare at him, acquiescing to his monarch's unspoken command. Still, that didn't mean that he had to like it.
Silently, the pair crept through the familiar halls of the Science Centre, neither daring to broach some sort of communication with the other. For Kaldur, who was so used to hearing the voices of his Team ringing in his head (especially during times such as this), the silence was strange and almost unnerving in a way that it had not been before. There was none of the quick-witted banter provided by Kid Flash, nor the sarcastic quips of Artemis' retorts. There was no echoing laughter from Robin's childish ventures, or the cawing of Raven's familiar. There was none of Raven's strange magic that felt like a mixture of both light and dark. There was none of Miss Martian's not-so-secret oglings of their kryptonian teammate, nor the quiet amusement, edged only by his trademark broodiness from said kryptonian. It was…lonely and not something that Kaldur thought he would miss so dearly.
A glimpse of black passed by his vision, shaking Kaldur from his stupor just in time and without a word to his companion (in a move that was almost vindictively petty), he slithered into a nearby hallway that he knew would bring him out behind the incoming perimeter patrol. "Do you have a plan?" Garth asked as he passed by the golden philosophers' statues who stood guard at the entrance to the Science Centre's main atrium, known simply as the 'Dome'. Only, by that point, Kaldur had long since vanished. "Kaldur?"
"Halt—!" The patrol—a two-man squad—appeared as if on cue.
"Crap…!" Garth hissed, preparing himself to fight two-on-one. "Kaldur! Where are you…?"
THUNK!
And just like that, as if summoned by his hissed words, Kaldur appeared. Dropping from the ceiling with grace, the teen smashed his twin water bearers—both taking the forms of handheld maces—against the heads of the unsuspecting patrol and taking them out with ease. "Buh…" Garth stared, open-mouthed at the ferocity at which his friend had used to both handle and defeat the two-man squad.
"I, too, have my studies" Kaldur smirked, "Now strip—"
"—Kaldur!"
"We are in need of more appropriate attire for this next endeavour"
"You're enjoying this, aren't you?"
"…Maybe a little"
Now garbed in their disguises, both Kaldur and Garth did their best to blend in, slipping back into the Dome without much hassle, but still doing their best to remain hidden from Black Manta's suspicious gaze. Kaldur was unsure if it was working even as they (pretended) to inspect the cables secured around the giant sea star, because he could feel the burning stare of their enemy piercing into the back of his helmeted head. Perhaps they were too at ease in the water whilst the soldiers were not? Perhaps Black Manta was suspicious that the patrol had not reported back to him upon their supposed return (but they could not risk speaking to him, for that would certainly blow their cover)? Perhaps he had noted Kaldur's twin bearers notched at his side (but there was no other place to hide them and Kaldur refused to abandon his weapons in enemy territory)? Perhaps it was a multitude of things, but in the end it did not matter because they were still cornered by the man himself. "Impressive, is it not—?" Black Manta purred as he came up behind them.
Damn! Kaldur inwardly cursed, as he tried not to flinch at the villain practically breathing down his neck.
"—Aqualad?"
PEW~PEW! PEW~PEW! PEW~PEW!
Kaldur wasted no time in firing off several rounds of fire in warning; intending more than anything, to put some space between himself and Black Manta, than to do some actual damage. At his side, Garth took a second longer to join the fight, but that second was all that Black Manta and his drones needed to return fire even as he put some space between them.
PEW~PEW! PEW~PEW! PEW~PEW!
Now the centre of attention, Kaldur quickly tossed aside both blaster and helmet, so that he could pull out his twin water bearers, with which he was more familiar with. Little thought went towards Garth's wellbeing as Kaldur was forced to fight several men at once. His blades cut through the blazing bullets with ease, but their maelstrom was unrelenting and so, taking a page from Raven's book, quickly pulled a nearby soldier down in front of him to use him as a meat shield. It wasn't much, but it was enough for him to evade the impeding attack(s) from across the room. And right about now, he found himself cursing his "support's" lack of combat skills and severely missing that of his Team's. At least they could hold their own without him needing to hold their hand—even Superboy, who was technically still a toddler (something that Kaldur tried not to dwell on too often).
"Such a waste!" Black Manta despaired, "You really have no ambition beyond serving Aquaman? Aren't scores of others willing to die for their King? This fool, for example!"
"Nngh!" Garth grunted as he was finally able to work himself free of the cloying helmet which had tangled in his locks.
"Garth!" Kaldur cried as he quickly tugged his friend out of harm's way, before Black Manta's attack could connect. It was close, though. Hidden behind one of the few still standing pillars, Kaldur then turned to his friend and shoved him none-too-gently up against the stone. "Garth! Get your head in the game! Or you'll get us both killed!"
"Hmphf!" Garth huffed irritably as Kaldur dove back into the fight as if unafraid of death. Garth, not to be outdone, crooked his fingers in front of his chest and called upon his magicks, just as he was taught. "I summon the power of the tempest!"
With a flick of his wrists, the swirling maelstrom captured between his hands, was tossed out in to the open atrium without much thought and it was only thanks to his honed reflexes, that Kaldur was able to avoid being dragged into the mix of the attack. Of course, Black Manta was also just as flexible and avoided the attack, but the same could not be said for a selection of his (unsuspecting) soldiers who found themselves tossed about as if in a washing machine. With reluctant back up from his old friend who interceded on occasion, Kaldur & Garth made short work of their enemies. Unfortunately, they had the numbers in this case and there was certainly more trouble still brewing.
"Forget them! Get the job done!" Black Manta ordered as he turned to his last few remaining soldiers. Whatever happened here today, he would make sure to get what he came for or burn everything down in the process.
"Garth! The cable!" Kaldur commanded, assuming his role as leader just as he was wont to do on his regular missions with the Team.
"Got it!" Garth grunted as he paused in his squabble with a soldier, to toss an electrical grenade at the ascending cable and, in turn, giant sea star.
KRRSCH! THUNK!
The spell connected and the giant sea star fell the short distance back to the sea floor, nevertheless, it was more than enough to shatter the large shard of ice in which the beast had been caged. A single tentacle flopped out of the ice and it laid sporadically twitching against the sea floor like someone just returning to consciousness. Kaldur didn't know if that was good or not, but considering the fact that the giant sea star had been encased in ice for so long and still survived, he wasn't betting on anything good.
"No!" Black Manta cried as he made to secure any part of the beast that he could, only to find himself caught in Kaldur's grip. Electrical currents danced along the watery tentacles that bound him and if he hadn't been wearing his exoskeleton, the damage would've of been far worse. As it was, the villain easily broke free of his restraints and knocked back the hero as he made, once more, for the giant sea star. This time, however, it was not to secure it, but to destroy it. "If I can't have it, then no one can!"
KA~BOOM!
Breath knocked from his lungs, Kaldur barely had time to blink before fire had engulfed the Dome and the giant sea star was lost to the flames. Billowing outwards, the fiery plumes licked at Kaldur's toes threatening to swallow him whole and then Garth was there, throwing up a shield of ice, just in time.
3 September 2010
The Royal Palace, Poseidonis
Following their battle with Black Manta, the city immediately fell into its repairs and by the time they had broken free of the ice, both Black Manta and the giant sea star were gone. After several days of rebuilding & recovery and rumination, Kaldur found himself finally ready to the surface and this time, his mind was made up to remain a fish out of water. Which is why he stood gathered in front of Atlantis' zeta tube alongside his companions as they said their final farewells to each other and reported the last of their findings after so many days of work.
"Our city was heavily damaged and many atlanteans were injured in the attack" King Orin sighed, "But it could've of been far worse. I am grateful to you all"
"This contains all that survives of the giant sea star. But it is already regenerating" Prince Orm reported as he held out a small container with a cross-section of the beast inside. "The creature requires further research, but with the Dome compromised and the Science Centre in ruins, we cannot safely secure or study it here in Atlantis. Perhaps the surface world can do better?"
"I'm sure that they would be most eager to try" King Orin replied. "Kaldur?"
"Call me, Aqualad, my King" Kaldur replied, saluting his monarchs with shoulders set in determination. It had taken him some time, but he had finally solidified his decision on the matter and by the slight upwards twitch of his mentor's lips, he knew that it was a good one.
"Very good" King Orin clapped his mentee's shoulder, "Then we will leave you to say your goodbyes"
"…Kaldur, I—" Tula began not a moment after the royals had left the three teens by the zeta tubes. "—We…that is—"
"—I wish you both nothing but the best" Kaldur interjected, placing a fleeting hand on either's shoulder and sparing a hug for Tula, before he made his way over to the zeta tubes. Pausing for a moment, Kaldur spared a glance back at his old friends with a secretive smile on his lips. "Have you ever wondered what would've of happened, if I had stayed behind and you had become Aqualad?"
"Never" Garth confidently replied.
"No, neither have I"