---

The lounge was confiscated by the girls for their girls' night. Aleen´a, Alisa, Kassy and Daphne were sitting around a table full of snacks, bottles of nail polish and face masks. It was something straight out of a teen drama movie. Some overly dramatic Netflix show was softly playing in the background and the girls were chatting, occasionally glancing at the large flat screen.

Daphne was faced with the difficult choice of selecting a nail polish, having to decide between five extremely similar pink tinted bottles. She was wearing a matching set of sleepwear, a knee length slip dress and a robe. Her hair was plaited in a loose braid hanging over her shoulder.

She finally opted for a barely noticeable pink shimmering color. She opened the bottle and tested the shade on her pinky finger.

“What do you think the guys are doing now?” Daphne asked, studying her pinky finger, making up her mind to see if she liked the color.

“If I know Zach, he’s trying to be cuddly with Viktor.” Kassy replied softly, half watching the television. Her hair was bound up in tiny knots all over her head, and she was wearing a pair of Little Mermaid pajamas that Zachary had given her as an ironic gift. While she wasn’t the greatest fan of the red-headed princess, she had to admit they were comfy. Usually she didn’t wear anything when she slept. “And Viktor will be Viktor so it won’t go much of anywhere.”

She snagged a handful of goldfish crackers from the table and started munching. These were more preferable than the real thing; actual goldfish were all bones.

”I have seen many teenage sleepovers on the television shows and me and cousin Kori have always did it at her place, but I did not realize doing it with so many people is so fun too!” Aleen’a said happily while putting the deepest shade of pink from among the selection of pink nail polishes on her finger nail. She had one an oversized violet tee shirt and comfy mini shorts with her long red-orange hair tied back in a ponytail.

She was floating several feet off the ground because she was feeling so much happiness, making her look like she was laying on solid air. ”On Tamaran, girls would spend girls' night in sparring matches to help relieve tension from training, everyday life, and most especially boy problems. Sometimes we would even bathe together in a spring under the blanket of stars and eat jellorel and zorkaberries. I remember how soft my friends’ lips are…” Aleen’a said dreamily and giggled.

“I’m not sure that this is that kind of girls’ night,” Alisa joked, giggling. It had taken her a moment to wrap her head around what Aleen’a had said. “But it sounds like Tamaranean girls have fun.” She giggled again and went back to painting her nails pink and white. She was laying on the couch with her feet up on one of the other girls’ laps, idly watching a movie. This was her first real sleepover, if you didn’t count living in a mountain with 6 other teenagers for nearly a month. Alisa didn’t, because it wasn’t really a sleepover. Sleepovers included painting nails, playing games, watching movies, gossiping... luckily for her though, sleep didn’t always factor into the picture. It also included wearing fun pajamas, so she had improvised by throwing on a long-sleeved blue top and gray sweatpants.

Daphne smirked at Kassy’s comment about Zach and Viktor. Zach would for sure try to do that, try to hug Viktor. It made her think back on the mission at La Hoya. It was freezing cold, her powers were wildly out of control. She was freaking out at not being able to speak and she felt like a failure. All she wanted then was someone to comfort her. While she was the one who initiated the hug, he didn’t push her away like she expected. It was nice.

She remembered how he was warm. She felt it through his padded suit. He partially shielded her from the wind and when the Team had to escape, bridal carried her all the way to the jet. The memory made her stomach tingle. The brunette girl was completely zoned out with a soft green blush on her cheeks. She painted the same fingernail over and over, coming up to a fifth coat. It made the color much too saturated and mismatched with the rest of her hand.

She failed to catch on to the conversation at hand. Instead she kept on daydreaming, a forlorn look on her face.

After a moment more of watching TV, Kassy sighed and stretched. “I’m tired of the show. I think we should play a game.” She paused, trying to think of something.

“I don’t think I know any that we can play here, though. One of them involves a lot of seashells and snacks…” She peeked over at Daphne for advice, and found her flushed and starry eyed. Ever so gently nudging her, she smiled. “Is it someone we know?” And she giggled softly.

Aleen’a looked curiously at Daphne while Kassy lightly teased her, though she was already thinking of a game the girls could do for tonight. ”Fisv’ball would have have a great game for us to play but we would need to be able to fly and survive in the vacuum of space so it might be at a picture’s outside. Hmmm…”

She thought more for a bit before snapping her fingers. ”Ah, there is this human game that I find is famous for a girls’ night. How does it go again? Oh yes: copulate, bethroten, or murder!”

Kassy cool hand nudged Daphne´s shoulder, waking her up from her daydream. Almost immediately her hands went up to cover her blushing cheeks, very poorly hiding the fact she clearly enjoyed whatever she dreamt about.

She didn't answer Kassy right away, Daphne didn´t know what to tell her. A yes would probably get her a barrage of questions from the girls. A no would be lying, because obviously they all knew Viktor. Daphne put down the nail polish on the table and turned to Kassy, smiling nervously.

“Something like that, I mean I guess so”

Daphne looked down, avoiding Kassy’s eyes. She pretended the Atlantian girl hadn’t just called her out and listened to Aleen’a. She chuckled softly. She meant kiss, marry, avoid. Another girls night slumber party staple. That could be fun! And she had a great idea for a line up too.

She gently pushed away Alisa's heavy legs and sprung up from the sofa. Daphne pulled up one of her favorite youtube videos. A lineup of Disney princes and princesses.

"Great idea Aleen'a, I know the perfect line up for this game!"
Daphne proudly presented the first bachelor of the night.
"First up we have Prince Eric and Ariel from the little mermaid."
A couple of scenes between Eric and Ariel played in the background. Either of them was up for marriage, to be kissed or avoided.

She was holding the remote like it was a cue card and she was presenting the contestants with much enthusiasm.

“Marry Ariel, kiss Eric,” Alisa immediately said. “Eric’s boring, but being married to Ariel would be fun. I feel like she’d brush my hair with a fork.”

Daphne held her chest. Alisa just totally shot down her disney crush.
Boring…. She repeated in a whisper. She was having a tough time believing anyone was able to resist Prince Eric's charm.

"Next up we have Princess Aurora and Prince Philip!" "This is a classic you guys"

Kassy had seen most of the Disney princess movies by now, mostly thanks to Daphne. It made her feel like a real human. “Mm. Can I avoid them both, perhaps? That movie wasn’t my favorite.” She went slightly red, grinning. “I’d marry Mulan and kiss Shang, though. Who doesn’t want a fierce warrior wife?”

Alisa shrugged. “I really don’t have a preference. Neither of them were too interesting in Sleeping Beauty.” Unlike Kassy and Aleen’a, Alisa had watched many Disney movies, but didn’t really see the appeal of thinking about dating the characters in them.

“Okay, okay, it’s my turn. Kiss, marry, avoid… Viktor, Zach, Ja.” She giggled mischievously. This should be more fun.

Kassy looked briefly flustered. Her next sentence came out in a rush. “KissZach MarryJa AvoidViktor.” If she was perfectly honest, Ja belonged on that list twice… Time to turn the attention away from herself.

“Your turn Aleen’a.”

Aleen'a pondered about that for a bit. She had no idea who these diss-knee princes were. Where was their kingdom and how did her teammates meet these human royals? She made a mental note to meet with these princes as a princess herself. Well, a cousin of princesses to be exact but she still was of royal blood.
”I would perhaps kiss Viktor and Ja but not Zach because I know his preferences are of the same gender as him. I would then marry Viktor because he seems to be a man capable of fighting. If Ja would prove himself worthy in the field of battle, perhaps I would think of him as a suitable husband as well. I will not avoid anyone because I value my friendship with all of them.” She smiled sweetly, unaware that she played the game completely wrong.

Daphne fidgeted with her robe, tying and untying it nervously. How did they go from Disney to the Team…?
She listened to her teammates. Daphne raised her brow at some of their choices. She thought about her own line up. It was definitely not easy to come up with. She didn't want to think about the Team that way and this game forced her to. Aleen’a answered in her usual endearing manner. It made her smile and she loved how much thought she put into her answer.

Maybe she didn't need to answer…
Three pairs of eyes were staring into her soul, practically forcing her to confess. Daphne walked over to the kitchen pretending she wasn't completely ignoring the game. She knew she was a lousy liar. The cake she baked earlier was sitting underneath a cake dome, waiting to be sliced. Daphne lifted the dome and sliced the cake, taking her sweet time.
"Do you guys want a slice?" She asked innocently.

DAPHNE!!!
All three girls yelled at her in unison. Aleen’a saw this as an opportunity to finally use the expression she’d been memorizing whenever someone was hiding a secret.

“Spill the seeds!”

Location: Gotham City
Time: Late morning of June 10, 2021 (Thursday)
Interactions: Batwoman

---

Today was the day. The first day of freedom from his grounding due to the night he had spent with Alisa. Things were definitely looking up now with the jeep mostly repaired and again having the ability to leave the premises whenever he wanted to. Viktor had started to miss the carvings he had started on the trees outside the HQ and knocking baseballs out to god knows where. Unfortunately, Viktor was most likely not doing either of his favorite outdoor activities. Today had been reserved for his mentor of all people, Batwoman. He was surprised she even wanted to see him since she had basically sent him away to the Young Justice team as soon as she could. She claimed that protocol dictated that she check up on him every once in a while. Viktor had never been informed of this, but he’d go along with it anyway.

Using the zeta tubes without informing anyone but Red Tornado of his activities, Viktor traveled to his hometown of Gotham City. He was dressed in a black Gotham City Knights t-shirt with tan cargo shorts and sneakers. He didn’t expect to get into anything too hectic as he was meeting his mentor at a coffee shop of all places. Then again, it was still Gotham City. Once inside the place, it was hard for him to miss the redhead sitting in one of the back corners of the shop where she can keep an eye on the throughways while being away from any windows. She already had a mug in hand while she read a newspaper that seemed to have all of her attention.

“Kate,” Viktor said as he took a seat across from her. She looked up at him and gave an unenthused smirk as she remembered how devoid of warmth Viktor was.

“Still the same ol’ Viktor I see… or are you? I heard a few things about you from some of my colleagues.” Kate took a sip of her coffee as the barista approached the table.

“Like what?” He raised an eyebrow but was sure there were many instances of note she could have caught wind of. He glanced at the barista who was just about to speak and beat him to it. “Black tea in that size cup. No sugar… please.”

“Oh ok. I’ll have that right out for you.” The barista was slightly thrown off by Viktor’s directness, but it also made his order easy. As he walked away, Kate took the chance to continue the conversation.

“Where to start? I heard about you being a complete ass to one of your teammates after a failed mission, the car accident after you were partying with some girl, and then Malletman.” She let out a light chuckle as the last two things were a bit hard to believe.

“Rainman,” He corrected, but sighed at how stupid the name was. “I guess you want an explanation from me about those.”

“As well as other things, but sure, start there.”

He nodded as his tea was set in front of him

“Here you are,” The barista set Viktor's tea down in front of him.

“Thanks." He carefully slid the tea to his right before going into his explanation. “I believe we had failed our… event because Daphne was inexperienced with her own abilities. I don't think she is a good fit and I shared my thoughts after the event. Then one of your more vocal colleagues instructed me to make an attempt at being kinder and keep my criticisms to myself for some time to see how things progress.”

“And how has it gone so far.”

“I don't enjoy it, but my colleagues seem to. They interact with me more often and seem to like more of the things I say to them…” He shrugged and continued. “Let's move on to the jeep. A and I… Actually, I decided-”

“Wait, the person's name is ‘A’?”

“No, it is my nickname for her. She told me I could use it when we first met..”

“That's weird Viktor. Just call her whatever her name is. If it's not long, no need to shorten it.”

“Three syllables.”

“Seriously? Just say the name.”

“Fine. I decided to have Alisa accompany me to experience the nightlife I had observed on television. It seemed like an experience that was worth trying and I chose her to accompany me.”

“Wait. Just her?”

“Yes. I assumed everyone was asleep.”

“And what did you two end up doing before you wrecked the vehicle?”

“We failed to enter a bar, so we bowled, danced, and played some games.”

“You? You danced and played games? You must really like this girl.” Viktor didn't even flinch.

“Yes, I really like A… Alisa. She's my best friend and a good member of our group.”

“I meant… Nevermind. I'm honestly surprised you're getting along with everyone as well as you are. There are some things you can still work on but so far so good. I kind of thought you'd get kicked off the team for being too… like yourself. To think that next time I do one of these things with you again, you might have a girlfriend or boyfriend.”

“Well, I've had two girlfriends already.”

“What?!” Kate's eyes widened all while Viktor held a smug look on his face before he finally sipped his tea.

S E C R E T S A N C T U A R Y

---

“Hello Team, your punctuality is appreciated, considering it is lunch time”
Red Tornado welcomed the Team to the briefing for their next mission. Batman was absent. Instead of the dark knight, Aquaman appeared on one of the overhead monitors on video call. He nodded to the Team to acknowledge their presence and allowed his colleague to share mission details with the Team.

“This is Dr. Milo Bingley, a marine archaeologist and geneticist from a renowned university in London.” An image of Mr Bingley appeared on the screen next to Red Tornado. “The team will be tasked with safely escorting Dr. Bingley into Atlantis so he may liaise and share his most recent work holding the potential to improve the lives of the Atlantean people. King Arthur Curry, or as you all know him, Aquaman, will be granting your team access to his kingdom on the terms that Mirage leads the mission."

“As the only citizen of Atlantis, she is my pick as the best suited to lead.” Aquaman added.

Red Tornado pressed on one of the many buttons of the control panel. It opened up a latch on the floor. Eight sets of diving equipment appeared, each one custom made to fit each individual hero on the Team. They were state of the art, streamlined and as lightweight as the latest technology allowed.

“These suits will allow you safely traverse in and around Atlantis”

An instruction video started to play detailing all the features of the suits and how to use them.

“There is a submarine waiting in the harbor, you will be leaving in two hours. Familiarize yourselves with your new gear and get ready”

Kassy startled a bit as her king appeared on the mission screen. She had been expecting the broody Batman. She stood up and curtsied deep, as protocol devised. “My King, it’s a pleasure to see you again.” But her head jerked up when Red Tornado said she was to lead. Yes, they were going to Atlantis. Her heart was happy about that. The sudden fear, however, almost outweighed her joy. But he was her king, she couldn’t very well argue with his command.

“Y-yes, my King, if you find me worthy, then I’ll lead.” When had she started sweating?

Once Aquaman was off the screen, and the rest of their mission explained, she exhaled in a shudder. “Me, lead? Oh, this will go well, I’m sure.” The mission seemed simple enough, but her mind was so full of things that could go wrong. Shark attack, suit failure, getting lost in the depths of the ocean, a full on mutiny from the team…

Speaking of that, would the others even want to listen to her? They were friends, but she was not used to being in charge. The girls would probably be fine with it. Ja had gotten strange again, since the mission at the circus, but she hoped he wouldn’t be an issue. No, the two she really had to worry about were Zach and his complaining, and Viktor with his natural ease of leadership. He could take over without her even noticing it was happening.

Her knees trembled, and she started to breathe more deeply to compensate. It would be good to go back to the palace, right? She could show her friends around after their mission was completed. Yes, if she just focused on the good things to come, she could ignore the rest. Maybe.

“If anyone needs me, I will be in my room preparing.” She pulled up an ocean chart on her phone and started charting a course.

---

Alee had enjoyed her night with the girls and she had learned a lot not just about them but also about the culture of female empowerment and how supporting each other as women were like on Earth. It included feel-good romantic comedy movies, beautification rituals, and the collective fact that boys, while cute, were also quite stupid.

Of course, she wouldn't admit all that now. The team was currently in the briefing room for another mission and instead of Batman, they were now facing Aquaman. Alee never met the Atlantean king before but she heard stories from Kori from when she first arrived on Earth. Thankfully, Kassy was just as happy and excited as Alee was in sharing lots of fun information about both their homelands.

She listened as Red Tornado explained the details of the mission and smiled excitedly when Kassandra was chosen as their leader for it. Once Red Tornado showed the equipment they're going to use and said they have two hours to prepare, Alee was already filled with excitement. It did seem like the role of leadership will be rolled around to each of the members based on the nature of their mission. Would Alee be the leader for a space-oriented one? It will definitely revolve something around aliens, that's for sure. However, she did pick up on Kassy's nervousness and she could tell she tried not to show it to the others as well.

As Kassandra left to prepare in her room, Alee raised her hand to ask a question. "Salutations, King Aquaman Arthur Curry, Red Tornado. May we know what kind of threats are we to look out for while escorting Dr. Bingley? I would also like to know that in the years the humans living above the land have spent studying the seas, how come they still did not know what the deepest bottom of the ocean is like?"

Location: The communications complex
Interactions: -

---

Daphne lightly brushed her fingertips over the surface of the diving suit. It felt cool and smooth. Her suit was customized with swirling flowery vines running up the sides of the legs. She liked the understated detailing. Whoever had made these took their personal style into consideration. Daphne heard Aquaman request Kassy would lead them during this submarine mission. Kassy was her first choice too, a natural pick.

She glanced at the Atlantean girl, gauging her reaction to the news. She would make sure Kassy knew they all had her back. Daphne had seen Kassy's leadership qualities before, she was steadfast and powerful. This mission was a chance for her to show those qualities again. Her warm brown eyes followed Kassy's back until she reached the door leading away from the communications complex.

They were going to Atlantis to escort Milo Bingly. His name didn't ring any bells, but she could bet her dad knew who he was. He kept tabs on any big names in the scientific community. Mr Bingly's scientific fields were definitely interesting. A combination of a marine archeologist and geneticist. Her dad would probably appreciate it if she made friends with the doctor. Working with the right people to further shared goals. Though lately the things she wanted and her dad's scientific ambitions were growing further and further apart.

Daphne pressed on the screen to replay the instruction video of her diving equipment. Her eyes went back and forth between the screen and the suit, memorizing the important features such as communication, adjusting oxygen levels and pressure control.

She got our her phone from her purse and typed up a message to her dad. Daphne thought about his reaction to her going to Atlantis. Not only was she breaking the rules by informing him about the location of the Teams mission, she was also setting herself up for all manner of tests her dad would want her to do. Her finger lingered over the send button.



Red Tornado turned to Aleen'a and explained to her why humans hadn't researched a vast majority of the sea. He drew up several maps and charts on Earth's oceans on the screens surrounding the Team.
"Brightheart, 71% of this planet is covered in water. The ocean is deeper than the highest mountain on Earth. Modern oceanography is only 130 years old, much shorter than humans have been on Earth. Humans only started to research the oceans seriously around 60 years ago, to gain advantage during World War II."

Zach grined when he was given the nature of their next mission. They were going to Atlantis! That meant their would be Mermaids, and more importantly for Zach, Mermen. They were all given customized diving suits for the occasion, and while Zach really appreciated the suit they had made for him, Zach had a better idea.

He whipped out his cell phone, and speed dialed his cousin. “Hey, cousin Zee, you’re always loaning out magical artifacts to people. I don’t suppose you have something in your collection that could turn me into a Merman for a day do you?” Zatanna’s first question was why Zach needed such an artifact in the first place. Zach was quick to respond with an eye roll. She never asked Batman or Nightwing why they needed shit. Why was her own cousin under interrogation? “It’s for a mission. I’m going to Atlantis. As fabulous as I would look in a wetsuit, being a Merman for a day would be a lot more fun. Now come on, make with the magic!”

---

While the escapades of their ‘break’ between missions proved interesting, it was honestly still a little strange a feeling to be doing nothing. Well, that was an overstatement; Kila couldn’t ‘do nothing’, but with regard to doing things catered more towards his leisure. Even in the year with his amai, it felt strange to be separate from militarian activities. She explained that the stains inflicted within him would take much time to mend. All that said, even Kila could admit that he somewhat enjoyed himself that night with Viktor and the Speech Devil.

However, there always came time for duty to be handled. This time, it would take them to the seas, as Red Tornado had explained. Despite the simplicity of the mission’s description, Kila had a sneaking suspicion that it wouldn’t be as simple as an escort. If it were, why not select only one of them? Regardless, there was a certain familiarity, being in the presence of a king, even if only digital. Kila instinctively felt the need to stand up straighter and maintain eye contact when King Arthur spoke.

There was no surprise, especially given the team’s tendency to switch between leaders every mission, that Kassy was selected. It was her homeworld after all. Yet, when she spoke, Kila’s head turned to her. It irked him a little, the level of confidence she was lacking. He waited until Red Tornado essentially gave them clearance to move freely before deployment.

Briefly excusing himself, Kila found himself on the elevator after Kass had gone to her quarters. He wasn’t sure why, but a sort of warm prickling came to his core as he neared his destination. It wasn’t quite anxiety that he felt though…

The doors to the elevator opened to a small corridor, exposing an open space through another, smaller open door to Kass’ Room. He instinctively walked through it, but caught himself mid-motion and walked backwards out of it. Despite being open, Kila knocked on the stone surface.

Kassy’s doorframe was neatly decorated with a shell-covered sign that simply read “Kassandra”. Alisa had clearly assisted with some fancy calligraphy. The Atlantean girl inside was sitting in her tank bed, knees tucked to her chest, breathing in shudders. The idea of leading their team was clearly getting to her. She was partially dressed in the green leotard part of her costume, the orange surcoat draping a dresser. She was mumbling to herself.

“I can do this. It will be easy. They’ll listen to me and everything will be just fine.” A soft groan. “Ohhh, I can’t do this. Why send all of us for a simple escort? Who is this man, is he in danger of some kind? What exactly is he researching? Something doesn’t feel right.”

At Kila’s knock she jerked her head upward, orange eyes wide. “Oh!” She relaxed visibly when she saw who had darkened her doorway. “It’s just you. Hi.” She paused, wondering how long he had been standing there. Maybe if she ignored that fact, he would too. “...did you have questions?”

Kila’s lips pursed, studying her posture. He heard the questions she had murmured aloud, but didn’t comment on them. Instead, he took a few steps in, rubbing the back of his neck as he did so. She was clearly more on edge than Kila originally thought…He wasn’t quite sure how to offer reassurance correctly, so he imitated his Amai.

“I do…it is a simple…but still very important question…Are you okay?”

Kass was taken aback by his question. She had been expecting a mission inquiry. Instead he had just come to check on her.

"Um." He had bothered to show up, it wouldn't do to lie. "No. I'm not. I've never led anything in my life and my brain is full of everything that could go wrong. And it will be my fault." She sighed, running her hand through her thick white curls.

"But I must do as my King commands. I have no choice."

Kila took her words in and slowly nodded. “I understand that feeling. I was sixteen when I first had to take the lead on missions. Through my failures, I’d learned to remember that I was not alone. To trust in my squad’s specialties, and that they would trust me in turn.” He didn’t realize that his eyes had started to wander, nor that he paced a bit, walking through his memory. Still, he continued:

“You are smarter than I was then. Your attention to potential failures proves so. What you also have, that I did not, is a team that is also composed of your friends. You have us to fall back on. Some are more bull-headed than others, but we can follow a lead that we trust. Who of us would be greater to trust in the oceans than you? Besides, your King could have sent someone else to guide, and we could have been back up. Yet, he chose you. Which must mean he trusts you, maybe you should trust yourself…at least this once.”

Kila continued walking through his thoughts aloud to her before pausing. Looking up at her, his expression came to a quick flash of a smile before faltering. In a moment of some vulnerability, he struggled with this next question. “Does that make sense…?”

Kassy quietly watched as Kila walked and talked, her eyes following him back and forth. He brought up some interesting points; not to mention a tidbit about his past that she hadn’t heard yet. Then again, some of them really didn’t talk about what came before the team, Kassy herself included.

It was nice to see him smile though, even for just a moment.

“Yes, I think it does. I wouldn’t have thought that this means the King trusts me specifically. I guess that’s a good sign.” Chin in hands, she wondered aloud. “Although my brain is still full of the possibility that something is amiss here, I feel better thinking that I wasn’t just an afterthought.” She would just have to question this Dr. Bingley about his work when they met. “It’s strange. I still don’t feel quite ready - and I don’t think I actually will until the mission actually gets underway. But I do feel much better.” She flashed a sharp-toothed sunny smile at him. “Thanks. I think I needed the pep talk.” Pausing, toying with one of her curls, she tipped her head in question.

“Are you okay? You’ve been…” She gestured loosely with her hands. “Different, since the circus. Not a bad different, I promise. Just… more quiet and serious. Did something go wrong with the tiger, or was it just seeing a poor animal in such a state that upset you? I think I’d be bothered if someone was pulling out a shark to do tricks.” Atlantis had their own brand of entertainment, but carnivorous animals were usually left out of it.

Kila’s smile returned when hers emerged but his eyes wandered towards the ground. Different? The young man himself hadn’t noticed much difference in his mannerism since the circus…was he more distant than usual? The memories from the tiger did leave an unsettling pit in his stomach when it happened…but that was weeks ago now. Still, whatever change was going on with him was enough for Kassy to notice.

“The tiger was neglected by the circus…it was a mother…plucked away. From both the wild, and its cubs…It struck a chord within me, I suppose. Having been taken from my home and family once…to do things at the will of someone else.” The more that he spoke, the more he realized just how much that tiger was like him. The realization was written all over his face.

“But I am okay now…Thank you for asking.” Was his answer, returning his attention to Kassy. It felt strange, even if only for a brief second. He came down here to relieve her of personal issues, only for his own to bear on him.

Kassy seemed to recognize some of the silent pain within Kila. She might have given him a hug, but she was soaking wet from her tank, and didn't want to mess up his clothes. "Good." She murmured quietly, but sincerely. "The ocean may be beautiful, but it is also dangerous. I want you to be able to focus properly. You're going to be my… oh, what's the word that Zach uses… ah, wingman! My second just in case trouble arises. Since you're the only other person who can really swim with me. What animals do you think you'll need?"

Kila’s nod and attempt to smile in support was interrupted by her last question. This was yet another reference to him having some animal ability…Did he display something to the team prior? It was constantly referenced, but, outside of those instances of inner impulses from Daphne and the tiger’s memories, Kila felt nothing.

“I…Tell me something…when was the last you have seen me use my animal abilities?”

Kassy frowned slightly, thinking about it. “Well, you definitely did something with the tiger at the circus. And then after that, you…” She stopped, her frown deepening. “Actually, I’m not sure past that. You haven’t really been active as much.” It took a bit of thought, but her mind made a subtle connection.

“Did something happen at the circus? Did someone mess with you like they did with Talon?”

“I…do not think so…yet, I also don’t remember…The exact events before containing the tiger are a thick mist to my thoughts.” Kila responded. Perhaps the times when his memory fogged were when his animal abilities took over? He could ironically recall many events that happened apparently through a blurred lens in his memory…The idea of which unnerved him a little. To do things without cognitive control or accurate memory.

The young soldier again caught himself blinking at something a thousand miles away from the current moment. “I am sorry…I didn’t mean to come down here to steal away your focus…”

Kassy shook her head. “It’s really okay. I’d rather know now if something is wrong, rather than in the middle of the mission.” Still, it was worrisome that he couldn’t fully remember. She asked the next question as delicately as possible. “Um. Do you think you’re up to this? It’s really okay if you’re not. If you tell Red Tornado that something is wrong, maybe he’ll let you sit this one out?” She definitely did not want to just kick him off - it was more that she was concerned about him.

Kila chuckled, oddly enough. “It is okay, Kassy. I do need time to figure this out…but, I have a feeling that is something I will be doing for the rest of my life. Besides…how many opportunities would I get to see a kingdom under the sea? Much less with a smart and caring leader?”

The resulting smile felt both foreign and natural to him, shared with the enchanting ocean girl. “I trust your leadership, trust my ability to support.”

Kassy grinned back at him. Why was it so warm in the room, suddenly? “I’ll be glad to have you, then. You’re going to love Atlantis, it’s so beautiful there.” She was relieved that he’d make the mission - he was the one she trusted the most.

“Alright. I think I’m ready to face this now.”

Kila slowly nodded, taking a few steps back towards the elevator. There was a certain warmth in his chest now that replaced the anxious prickling from before. She was the cause, the boy was not fooled by his body’s responses. However, there’d be a time to attempt to break it down further. For now, they had a mission to attend, and that was more important.

The blur in his memory…the connection to his power, there was some kind of correlation. His question though…would it overtake him on this mission? Is there a way to make himself remember?

There was only one current way to find out.

Location: Communications Complex
Interactions: Alisa @canaryrose

---

Viktor stood quietly at the rear for the mission briefing. Not being selected as the leader for a mission was beginning to strike a nerve. Kass was the obvious choice, and he had been the second in command for the previous two missions, but he wanted a chance to prove he could lead the team to surefire victory. He wanted there to be no doubt in anyone’s mind that he had led the team to success. Why? Maybe it was just to show he could pull the leadership position off better than the others or perhaps he wanted to make sure things were done his way. It was toxic, yes, but he wanted his team to be successful and their lives unthreatened by complacency.

He thought he might be able to slink back into the secondary leadership position, but Kass left with “Ja” trailing her. I can discuss my position with Kass when she returns. For now he decided to actually follow Daphne’s lead for once and inspect the diving suit. It was interesting to him how much it resembled his own suit minus the hood over the helmet and black coloration. He wondered who went through the effort in designing such a suit. The butler? Viktor glanced at Talon for a moment wondering if he had deduced the same. The guy had been offly quiet and to himself since the incident at the circus. Sure, he had gotten the intelligence after the fact, but he was defeated and possibly compromised by whoever attacked him. Comforting the young man was not his responsibility, and even if it was, he’d be negligent in it. He did not like Talon and Black Canary simply requested him to hold back his criticisms. If Talon let failure destroy him, then he was never meant to be on this team.

“Alisa, how do you feel about this mission. You have a suit to protect you but even a minor breach of it could be detrimental, yes?” His bias towards Alisa showed, and using her full name might come off as different. He’d considered Batwoman’s suggestion, but he still preferred “A.” He’d test out the difference in reception today.

Location: Happy Harbor beach, submarine
Interactions: Brightheart

---

The temperature inside the submarine was pleasantly cool. It was only half submerged, the metal top holding fast against the soft waves. Daphne looked through the round window. The sun pushed past the shimmering surface into the shallow water.
"So pretty...." She mumbled quietly.

A big part of her love for her new home was being near the sea. The sound of the waves made her feel calm after a long day of training or school. They were going to Atlantis, none of them had ever been there aside from Kassy. There was a whole world out there underneath the water. It was exciting. Daphne thought about all the things they would find there. Things she never would have seen if she wasn't part of the Team.

She turned in her seat and glanced at Aleen'a. Aleen'a probably felt the same way when she first came to Earth. Daphne got up from her seat and went over to her.
"Hi.." Daphne smiled at Aleen'a, looking at her bright eyes.
"The submarine is pretty awesome right? It's going to take us all the way to Atlantis. I've never been in one."

Before he knew it, the group was on the submarine. Zach looked out the porthole of the submarine, and at the waters below. He held a golden amulet in his hands. He actually managed to convince his cousin to give him an artifact that would turn him into a Merman. Albeit, she was reluctant for some reason… He didn’t know why. He just wanted to meet some cute Atlantean boys… And be a Merman for a day… It looked like so much fun.

Up next, he turned his attention to the leader of this mission. “So, Kass anything we need to know about Atlantis once we get there? How to not offend the locals, and how to win over some merboys… I mean the Atlantean people… Stuff like that.”

---

---

Alisa ran her hand over her diving suit with a frown. It was blue- her favorite color- and somewhat sturdier than the others. “I… don’t know,” she said to Viktor, still investigating the diving suit. Her eyebrow quirked when he called her ‘Alisa’, but she elected not to say anything. “My mom assured me I was totally waterproof, but she also put a fingerprint-coded lock on the pool gate and the bathroom, so I’m not exactly confident in that aspect of my engineering. I’ll be fine, though- I’m gonna go back up in a minute, and I asked Red to make my new model a few inches taller if my current one needs to be replaced!”

It somewhat eased her nerves that they had souped up her suit like they had. And it excited her that they were going to a place as exotic as Atlantis. They hadn’t gotten to go anywhere very new yet, and traveling to an underwater kingdom was certainly new. Her mom would for sure hate it. That at least made her happy.

---

A few hours later, Alisa sat in the submarine next to Daphne, staring out the window. The underwater world was fascinating. And it was interesting to think about Kassy growing up here. Alisa had asked questions about it before, but this mission would definitely raise some way better questions.

But for now, she had some more pressing matters on her mind. Like… “Why didn’t we just Zeta there?” she wondered aloud.

---

Moments later, Aleen'a was riding with her team inside the submarine towards Atlantis. She would have loved to ask more questions to the Atlantean king about his kingdom from one royal to another, but it would've taken the entire day just to satisfy her curiosity. For the moment, she was just seating there, looking out to the reinforced glass windows and seeing schools of fish swimming past them. She could see how the waters dispersed the sunlight and the ocean before them becoming gradually darker as they went deeper and deeper. The fact that they're moving so far away from the sun, Aleen'a's constant source of energy, made her quite anxious and afraid. She was at least thankful Red Tornado gave her a device that could replicate and give out the ultraviolet rays her body needed in case of an emergency.

Her train of thought got interrupted when Daphne or Nymph approached her with such a warm smile. The girls really bonded that lovely night and now Brightheart felt nothing but joy for her friend. "Oh it is simply marvelous! I am sure my parents would be quite astonished to learn that there is a vehicle specifically to explore the depths of an ocean. Tamaraneans can breathe in the vacuum of space but not underwater. If we could understand the science behind this wonderful contraption, we can also discover the secrets beneath Tamaran's oceans as well!" Brightheart said excitedly.

She looked at Nymph again. "And how are you feeling? Thankfully, we are not going to a very cold place like our first mission but I reckon Atlantis is an entirely different matter. If you need any help, please do not hesitate to speak out loud. We are here for you, Daphne. No one is a liabib- lialib- lailibitily." She said, giving her the same warm smile while giving Daphne's hand a reassuring squeeze.

"Oh yes, that reminds me. I must kiss Mirage to acquire the language of her people."

Location: The submarine
Interactions: -

---

"I'm great....thanks" Daphne's voice got drowned out by Aleen'a's exuberance. She knew Aleen'a meant well and accepted being called a liability with an awkward smile. While her teammate was talking Daphne played with a strand of her hair, eyeing her seat. Daphne felt a light squeeze in her hand and gently returned the gesture.

The Martian Manhunter told her about the way Tamaranians taught themselves new languages. It was a really quick way to learn something that otherwise would take years. The kissing part was kind of awkward though. The girls had grown closer over the past couple of weeks, but she was pretty sure they weren't that close. Daphne wasn't sure Kassy was going to like this very much. Then again she didn't know much about Atlantean customs either. Maybe it wouldn't shock her as much as it shocked them.

Talon answered Alisa's question from the pilots seat.
"We didn't use the Zeta Tubes because they can be tracked"

Daphne went back to her seat and made herself comfortable. She put her feet up under her legs and leaned on her side, staring out of the window. It had barely been half an hour since they left in what would be a four hour trip. Last night she didn't get much sleep. Her brother texted her. Their dad was working 60 hours a week on average. He was spiraling again, ignoring everything and everyone around him. He was running out of material to analyze because their monthly study sessions couldn't keep up with the pace of his research. It worried her, it worried her a lot.

"We have to do something Daph, you have to do something...."

Her brown eyes stared at the text Cain sent at 2:am. He was right. She got out her notebook and started on a list.
❁ Experiment talking to plant life
❁ Transform under water (oxygen?)
❁ Effect sea water on plant form

Kassy was outside the submarine in her full tailed form, gliding through the water with ease. She was both nervous about the mission, and utterly elated to be underwater again. Nothing compared to the sweet sensation of having the sea all around her. If the others happened to look outside from time to time, they would catch her twirling and spinning in the water, and occasionally snapping at errant fish. It was clear she was having a bit of fun before things got serious.

She had taken the time before they left to make sure everyone knew exactly how their suits worked. It would be deadly to have a mistake in the middle of the deep ocean. She had also charted an underwater course, from where they needed to retrieve Dr. Bingley, and where they needed to drop him off. There was still no word on his research, which meant she’d be asking when they met.

Instead of the specialized suits that the rest of the team had, she was wearing her regular costume. Her staff was prominently tied to her back, and her fishing knife at her side. A small waterproof earpiece kept her linked with the team inside the sub.

“Atlantis is wonderful! You’re going to love it, you all will! To be polite, greet everyone with a hearty “Hail!” It works no matter the time of day. What else – oh, when you meet the king and queen, you must salute like this and bow.” She had done it earlier when King Arthur had appeared on the screen, but she demonstrated again. One fist to the forehead and a deep bow. “Shaking hands is like this-” A tight grip on the forearm. “You will see many of us carrying small knives. They’re for food, so don’t be anxious about that.”

“Hmm... Oh! If you meet an Atlantean that looks a little more like me, with the tail, don’t touch the tail, even by accident. It’s kind of a personal thing.” That was all she could think of for now. “And Zach, you’re definitely asking the wrong person about charming merboys. I could never!”

She relaxed a bit then, sobering. “I really wonder why this is all hush-hush.”

Location: Submarine
Interactions: The Team

---

“Good question, Kass, but the answer might not be so complicated. Despite his credentials, Dr. Bingley is considered an outsider by your people. Even with his intentions being beneficial to Atlantis, his actions may be perceived as meddling.” Viktor was seated comfortably with his forearms resting on his thighs while typing a wall of text into his phone. “It’s foolish, but I guess enough Atlanteans are so closed minded their King has to smuggle outside assistance into his kingdom.” Viktor commented dully without ever taking his eyes off the screen of his phone.

This mission put him out of his element and unlike the previous missions, this escort mission presented a higher chance of the team being attacked. There were plenty of enemies to the kingdom and there were also those that did not think too kindly of “surface dwellers.” Viktor was not able to thoroughly research all known threats before the mission’s start, meaning he’d either have to adapt or lean on some of his other teammates. The former was a complicated feat while the latter was not to his liking. He could reckon one thing though, this mission would go far smoother than the unspeakable Vegas mission. The thought of that night made him shoot a glance at Zach at the porthole before he averted his sight, his eyes now landing on Daphne and then Aleen’a. He finally lowered his phone screen so he could address something he overheard.

“Aleen’a. Kissing Kass is an optimal idea and would assist the team in our mission. Having just a single translator is too inadequate for the size of our team.”

Location: the submarine
Interactions: Professor Bingley

---

Halfway into the journey to Atlantis the Team was joined by Professor Bingley. The archeologist arrived via a second submarine and boarded their ship with much enthusiasm.

"Truly it is so exciting to meet you all, the young heroes of tomorrow, a new generation of the Justice League, it is indeed an honor, truly great to make your acquaintance " He took his time to converse with each Team member separately. Being a geneticist too Professor Bingley was especially interested in the members of the Team who were born with powers. Kassy, Zach, Kila, Aleen'a and Daphne were all bombarded with a whole lot of questions. After the questions they were subjected to research findings the Professor was incredibly excited to share, despite any of the teens being able to make sense of the scientific terms he was using. It certainly seemed like he was making the most of this opportunity.

"I've actually worked with your father twice..." Professor Bingley said while shaking Daphne's hand a little too hard. He straightened his glasses and chuckled.
"Well that might be a slight over exaggeration"
"I read his work and we co wrote on a handful of short studies"

Daphne politely nodded and smiled. She wasn't having any luck in shaking off the professor. Even if she wanted to say something she could barely get a word in. Daphne pushed her hair off of her shoulders and straightened the folds out of her clothes, a nervous habit. She monentarily broke eye contact with the professor and discreetly glanced over his shoulder at her Team, everyone seemed to be busy.

"I recently heard he's working on the publication of his career"
"It took some pushing but he finally let up and told me what it was about, or rather who." He had a triumphant look on his face, which made Daphne slightly uncomfortable.
"Ah yes, we've been working on it for about half a year now." Daphne said, not sounding as excited as she hoped.

The whole father and daughter research project was no longer the fun journey of discovery it had been when they started. Obsession took over and turned it into something entirely different. The professor looked past her and noticed the notebook in her seat.
"Taking notes I see, this mission is top secret of course. Your dad is really missing out here." He retrieved the notebook and read the things she wrote on there. It clearly excited him, reminding her of her father. It gave her the same sense of unease.
"You know I could help you with these, I can definitely find some time inbetween my other projects."

No no no.... Daphne thought. She really didn't want anyone involved in this or knowing about it. She took back the notebook and held it against her chest. She forced a smile.
"Actually I wasn't really sure about these yet, I've....." She looked for the right words.
"I've had some trouble with my powers in previous missions and I don't want to jeopardize our objective, so..." Daphne trailed off.

Location: Submarine
Interactions: The Team

---

Dr. Bingley's enthusiasm was no surprise to the members of the team. The man was not particularly subtle when it came to his interests in certain members. Viktor watched and listened as the geneticist pestered about, now speaking to Daphne who visibly displayed her discomfort. He didn't understand why she was being so meek towards the man, and initially Viktor was going to leave it be. The mentioning of her powers in regards to the mission however, drew him to speak.

“Dr. Bingley. If you desire answers on Nymph's abilities, she's not the one to ask and here is not the place to find out.”

“Oh…” He hadn't expected Viktor's bluntness.

“Speak to me after the mission and Dr. Hall and I can speak to you on our findings.” Dr. Bingley's eyes lit up at the invitation, but he briefly looked at Daphne and wondered why she didn't seem to have a part in this matter.

“Sounds good. And your na-.”

“Dr. Bingley. You should focus you attention on speaking to the one leading our mission. Mirage is on comms.”

“Good idea.”

Location: Submarine
Interactions: Rain

---

Daphne looked puzzled at Viktor's intrusion in the conversation. She looked at him. She studied his expressionless face. He was impossible to read, unless he was annoyed. She was surprised to find he knew about her dad and the fact he had findings on her powers. What if he was talking to her dad? That made her really uncomfortable. He probably would have talked about La Hoya. Feeling dejected Daphne hid the notebook in her bag, she stared at the wall of the submarine. Daphne attempted to clear her head and return her focus on the mission. Her thoughts kept going back to what Viktor said.

She sighed.
Come on Daphne, try and see the bright side of this.
At least the Professor would leave her alone for a while. Also if Viktor was in contact with her dad and possibly sending him information about her using her powers, it would supply him with more material for his publication. If things went well maybe there wouldn't even be a need for study sessions with her dad, since he was getting reports regularly. In a weird and unintentional way Viktor's actions were actually helpful.

With her mind taking her from one extreme to the other and having no idea if either theory was true Daphne made herself talk to Viktor. They were on slightly better terms and made progress since La Hoya. Daphne wanted to keep it that way and choose her words carefully. It was important to her that she didn't accuse him of something that might not be true.

"Hey can I ask you something..?"
She looked up into his dark green eyes.
"I heard you mention my dad just now, did you speak to him recently?"

The windows of the submarine suddenly turned pitch black. Something drowned out the small amount of light coming from the lamps on top of the submarine. It blocked the entire view in the cockpit.
"Team, something is obstructing the view, I'm trying to steer through it, but..."

Daphne glanced at the blackened windows, her skin prickled. She subconsciously stepped closer to Viktor. Something heavy slammed into the side of the submarine. The lights inside flickered and the entire boat swayed.
Daphne grabbed Viktor's arm.
"There's something outside.." Her voice wavered. She swallowed back her initial fear and let go of Viktor's arm.

---

Leading up to this moment, the young lion had been quite calm and collected. Despite having never been under the ocean, always flying over through planes, he didn’t feel all that intimidated. If anything, he found himself in quiet awe of this world he never knew. Thus, he was situated at a window for most of the trip. Every so often, his glance would switch over to Kassy when he could see her. It felt much different to see her in her element. Her ease and clear sense of comfort out in the blue brought a small smile to his face. In a rather literal sense, a fish out of water, she was no longer.

That said, the rest of them were in uncharted territory as far as team experience went. Which, eventually led him to Viktor’s comments relating to her question. Although only musings, it was clear that he had never been around or under a king before. While some of his thoughts were valid guesses, Kila didn’t believe them to be true. It felt like an oversimplification of the situation.

Unlike the ‘King’ that Kila had served under, from what he had learned, Atlantean citizens seemed to have a positive view of Aquaman. Even if they didn’t all, the King could just send an announcement through the kingdom about the handful of outsiders and that would be it. Moreover, even if all the mystery was about ‘Smuggling in’ this professor, why not send a covert contingent from his own army for the escort?

Aquaman instead chose this team, as Kila noted to Kass earlier, which was composed of mostly ‘outsiders’. Otherwise, it would be a way to alienate his own people, and would certainly create a disconnect between king and people. In which case, that would be only worse in the long run, the boy knew firsthand and believed Aquaman to be wise enough to know already. For these reasons, Kila was more of the impression that this particular mission was more than it seemed, and as such, they should be ever more alert.

Before he could state his counter-argument though, he was met with the Professor himself. There were many questions in a short time span that the excitable man had asked. Many questions that, Kila himself had no answer to currently. It made the conversation somewhat confusing for both parties. He tried to answer Bingly’s questions as best he could, basing his answer around the abilities of his amai. She told him that his power of the Red was much like hers.

Though, even thinking about that led him back to what Kassy had explained to him before he left. How he was different from a few weeks ago when he had been actively using his abilities in the circus. It was apparent enough that the others could tell that he was using them. It led him back to the same line of thinking before they left, about figuring out a way to remember through the blurs in his memory. All the while, a sense of tension rose within him. Kila wasn’t quite sure why though…the feeling felt external in the most backwards way possible. A tingling in his spine, not unlike a feeling of being watched.

Danger… In an instant, he heard his body’s warning internally and the same sinking feeling that he got from Casper in the past washed through him. Something dangerous was close, but it came from no one inside the vessel. The water grew darker. Just as Talon had mentioned such, Kila’s thoughts went outside; Kassy was out there. Without missing a beat, his left hand went up to his comms.

Before words could leave him to try and get Mirage’s status, the submarine was struck by something strong enough to make the ship wobble. They clearly weren’t alone. Eyeing his teammates briefly, he got up and started walking towards the head of the submarine. Although it would be easy to overreact, Kila kept his cool and continued on with his message.

”Mirage, we just got hit. What do you see?”