Time stamp people! Tis very important. ⬇️
~ 08:11. August 28th, 2010. The Cave. Happy Harbor, RI~
The Young Justice League had just returned from Gotham City after a hard battle with Clayface. A battle which had embarrassingly ended with the intervention of Batman as the rest of the team had forcefully been knocked out cold.
Nearly everyone was covered in the slowly hardening substance the villian was drenched in as they passed through the Zeta tube. Disappointment obvious in all their expressions.
Batman had already beaten them back to the cave, his face as stoic as always. "Everyone hit the showers and head home. I need to have a word with Aqualad." The Dark Knight stated.
Of course, the leader of the Young Justice stood before his mentor. The girls separated from the boys towards their designated shower rooms. "Home? I am home." Superboy sneered in front of the Bats while joining up with the rest of the boys towards the male shower room.
However, Robin had decided to stay behind as well. Perhaps think about whatever the Batman would give Kaldur as advice for being the responsible one for the team and a failed mission.
But, unfortunately, that wasn't the case. "Just Aqualad." Batman specified. Robin's eyes widened a bit, transferring between his leader and mentor before walking off as well.
Kaldur knew his faults, his mind wandering to their recent battle where he remembered how many times he was caught off guard and, in turn, kept his team out of line due to his crashing train of thought. It was all of her, all of Astral. He worried about her and couldn't stop worrying about her since they came back to the cave and she was gone. Plus the disappointment that came with Hal Jordan's refusal to tell them where she went.
"I am sorry you had to intervene." Kaldur confessed. "I know the team preformed poorly-"
"The team preformed adequately." Batman corrected, taking a step up to the Atlantean. "The problem was you." The words struck hard enough to make Kaldur flinch slightly. "You're their leader and you head wasn't in the game." The Dark night darkened his voice with the last few words. His mentoring, as it normally was, as a tough love that needed to be spoken aloud.
Kaldur's eyes widened and his heart jumped a bit. He didn't want to admit it. He wanted people to be proud of his position as team leader. But after this incident, that image was dwindling. "No. you are-" But the truth weighed so heavy that he finally confessed with a heavy sigh. "...correct."
Batman stood ramrod straight, allowing Kaldur to explain himself. "Of late, I have questioned my ability as leader. My head has been clouded, my dreams filled of Atlantis and....." The Atlantean had to check himself. The name was so close to escaping his tongue. Her face so clear in his minds eye.
"Astral." Batman supplied so calmly that it took Aqualad off guard. His gaze snapped back up to the Bat. Was he so obvious? Did the thought of Astral consume him that much? "This problem needs to be solved, Kaldur. So I'm sending you to Atlantis to retrieve Astral. She has been training there since you're mission with Kent Nelson."
At first, Kaldur couldn't register what emotion he was feeling. Surprised? Excited? Happy? Relieved? He really didnt know. But happiness was in there somewhere and it set him heart a flutter.
"I expect you and Astral back here in 24 hours." Batman ordered, turning swiftly to exit the cave, his cape slapping together in his movements.
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When Kaldur had passed through the zeta tube, his face familiarly lit in a grin at the sight of his king. "Greetings, Kaldur'ahm." Orin announced.
"King Orin." Kaldur returned, saluting his King in the Atlantean way.
The two began to swim through the hallways of the palace. The mid-day sun rays alighting the place in a beauty none could really describe. "The queen and I are hosting an intimate dinner tonight. Will you attend?" Aquaman invited.
Kaldur kept a shy look away from his king. He had guessed Orin knew of Astral's presence in the palace though gave no sign that he did. "You're majesty. There is someone here. Someone special I would like to see."
Orin smiled with realization and content towards his protege. "She is attending as well. The Queen has demanded it." Both men chuckled with the thought of the Queens power even without her royal status. But Kaldur's body temperature rose a bit as well as his pulse. He would see Astral soon.
"Then I shall attend as well."
"Until tonight." The King spoke as a quick farewell as the two split apart and swam away.
Kaldur needed to get his head together. He had already admitted to himself that he had feelings for Astral and everything he had experienced since her absence had only further proved it. It consumed him. The thought that mostly passed through his mind was their interaction when the Galaxy girl had awoken. The way the two embraced each others presence with so much comfort and happiness, it made Kaldur think; 'Did Astral feel the same about me?'
Its this reoccurring thought that kept his head low as he swam in the borders of Capital of Atlantis. That is, until he managed to come across his old studies building. Students scattered everywhere who were practicing their sorcery. Bright shimmers of light and tendrils of water flowed around him. At the end of his tour, however, he found an old classmate of his, Topo, whose major was in the stories filmed in the stone pictures he created.
Kaldur paused to admired his work. The irony being was that the story happened to be about him. The story of Kaldur and his bravery, along with his friend Garth, who helped their king in a time of need and were offered a place beside His Majesty. But while Garth kindly rejected the offer, Kaldur accepted and became who he was; Aqualad.
"Are you here to see Tula and Garth?" The Octopus headed student asked his respected older friend.
Kaldur offered him a small smile as he could seem to only do. But the first name seemed to trigger something in Aqualad. Tula was the first girl he had ever had a crush on and before, it had killed him that he did not confess how he felt. This thought fell to another. He did not want to miss his opportunity again. But he was young, his mouth was frozen as his mind ran wild. He didn't know how to express what his heart felt. And it was infuriating.
"Y-yes." Kaldur seemed to get out. He was not entirely lying. He was denied the access to see Astral, he might as well catch up with his old friends. "Do you know where I might find them?"
"On the roof at their studies." Topo kindly informed.
Kaldur quickly looked up to where the roof was positioned. He could already see the formations and movement of water that waved with their actions. The young leader thanked Topo and began to swim to his destination.