Chapter 68: Kaldur'ahm
Logan, {Aqualad? I don't think I have met him yet, what can you tell me about him?}
M'gann, {Here, just share my memory and you will know everything I know about him.}
Logan felt a great deal of information hit his brain with a bit of pain accompanied by it. {Slowly sis, I am still not fully accustomed to thoughts this large being transferred.}
M'gann, {Sorry, sorry, you just feel so comfortable. Like a brother I grew up with on M'arzz.}
(So, we are talking about my favorite Aqualad, Kaldur'ahm. This son of Black Manta, was the perfect mix of Atlantean muscle and magic. A calm and sometimes ruthless character who was steadfast in his beliefs. Marred with personal tragedy and choices made for him without his knowledge, much less his consent.)
Keeping these thoughts away from M'gann, Logan says out loud, "Let's go grab Aqualad and head to Atlantis, I can't wait to see it."
M'gann, "We will take Bio-ship, Kaldur wants to take the scenic route to see if anything has changed in his absence."
Logan, "OK by me, more chance to see everything possible with a good tour guide. Would you mind answering some questions I have about Martian life while we travel?"
M'gann, {Sure, but do you mind if we talk like this? It's so comforting and I could really use that right now.}
Logan, {No problem, how about you wait here, and I will go tell Connor I will be gone for a while so he can take care of the yard dogs.}
M'gann, {Can't you reach him from here? Your mind is very powerful so it shouldn't be an issue.}
Logan, {He is a bit gun-shy about letting anyone in his mind right now, I want to respect that when possible. Be right back, and no watching through my head. Get your voyeur kick some other way sis.}
M'gann looked guilty and sad with my comments, and I wasn't sure what made her that way more, the reminder of the trauma she put Connor through or my stopping her from watching him through my mind.
Logan made a quick flight back to the junkyard and changed shape to talk with Connor. As soon as he landed in front of him, Connor smelled the air.
Connor, "You were with Megan, weren't you?"
Logan, "Yes, I was, and I will be going to Atlantes with her and Aqualad. I came back to let you know I would be gone for a day or two. Aqualad seems like he wants to go on the scenic route."
Connor, "Yeah, he got ripped badly a few days ago about not having his head in the right place during a mission by Vision. I think Kaldur is on the cusp of a major life decision. H... How does Megan look?"
Logan, "She is pretty torn up and just like you, searching for a way past the hurt. It's a bit rougher on her, knowing she caused it. But I still don't think she sees herself in a bad light, like a child in a way. She feels she is being punished for doing wrong but can't figure out what she did wrong. Until she sees that, she won't change at all. Don't beat yourself up Connor, she needs to grow and then maybe you guys can work it out. For now, just concentrate on yourself like you have been doing."
After talking to Connor, I texted Pam to tell her I was going to be out of service range for a few days, but nothing would keep me from our planned outing. She refused to let me call it a date. Then I left a message for J'onn just in case M'gann forgot to tell him. Finally, I flew back to where I left M'gann and we boarded Bio-ship to go get Aqualad.
Logan, {So, let me ask about the family structure on M'arzz. I have heard you have 11 sisters and 17 brothers. If one Martian female had that many children, then I would think M'arzz would be overrun with cities so large we would have seen them with our telescopes hundreds of years ago. But so far as I know there are very rare cases of twins and most all Martians live an average of 300 years.}
M'agnn, {I see your confusion. In our society, there are biological sisters and brothers of which I have one sister and one brother. But non-biologically there were 10 females and 16 males born on the day I was, so they are also my M'arzz siblings. Cousins are Martians that were borne on the same cycle around the sun, what you would call a M'arzz year.}
Logan, {Now that makes more sense to me. J'onn was your mother's biological brother so that would be your blood connection correct?}
M'agnn, {That is right. I heard you have put forward your name to join Uncle J'onzz on the walls of his beginning. He is very happy about it because the name won't fall into the sand if he has no more children. Though it will fall to you to continue that name. But don't get me wrong I'm sure he isn't only happy for that reason}
Logan, {It feels right for me. No other option I came up with made me feel comfortable. As for J'onn, I think he still craves for a family of his own and I really hope he is able to find one. After all, he is only about halfway through his lifespan.}
As we continued to speak with our minds, I felt a slight disturbance in my mind and suddenly I could feel emotions coming from Bio-ship. She was happy to be carrying me and M'gann, the whole ship radiated pleasure and contentment would be the best description.
M'gann, {You can feel her now, can't you? Your mind felt like it settled in fully now. Like a puzzle piece.}
Logan, {Yes, I can feel her, it's a wonderful feeling of inclusion. I feel the love she has towards you M'gann. It is a special feeling you should cherish.}
We spent the rest of the trip just thinking our own surface thoughts and letting our minds rest against each other's much like two balloons in a gentle breeze. Content in the closeness we both felt. Once we got to what I assumed was Mount Justice, I met Kaldur'ahm, or Aqualad as anyone who watched Young Justice would know him as.
He was dressed in his blue swimmer's pants and the skintight red shirt that showed the magical tattoo on his arms that helped him generate his electrical magic and, on his back, he kept the hilts to his water weapons that he could change the shape of at will.
He was a very polite and quiet person, but he wore his heart on his sleeve right now. His face would shift depending on what he was thinking. He seemed very distracted with his inner thoughts until we flew a long distance out into the waves of the Atlantic Ocean. Kaldur reached his hand out and placed it on Bio-ship's hull and said, "Straight down from here my friend." After about 20 minutes of a sinking feeling in our stomachs, we finally leveled off and then Bio-ship's hull went transparent so we could take in the sights Aqualad wanted to show us.
The predominant colors were a purple that bordered on pink, light greens, and a pale yellow that looked almost orange in the distance. The vibrant colors were accompanied by vast schools of fish that swam around with impunity it seemed. It was hard to tell the size because the water you were looking through shimmered and distorted distances. It looked monstrously large when you looked right at it but when you looked at the surrounding ocean the city seemed so frail and small.
Kaldur, "Welcome to my birthplace, the Atlantean city-state of Shayeris."
M'gann, "It's spectacular!!!"
Logan, "Such beauty!"
I felt my body mass being compressed from the depth of the ocean, but I just increased my density to around half my max and then shifted my size to normal with my Martain abilities. I looked over at M'gann and saw she didn't bother resuming her normal height but was simply unaffected by any of it.
Seeing us both making adjustments, Kaldur said, "I hope neither of you experiences any discomfort. I thought to bring more appropriate attire than an open skirt to protect your modesty and some re-breathers for air."
M'gann, "Thanks for thinking of us Kaldur but I think we can cover it. Watch me with your mind Logan."
Her outfit lost the traditional cape she wore, and her skirt turned to long swim pants. More than that I saw her change her lungs to work with a set of gills that opened around her neck. Once she was done, I followed suit and noticed my chest puffed out a bit more to accept the additional lung space needed. M'gann's chest expansion had a more apparent change due to the same thing. Looks like I will be playing the part of overprotective big brother for our trip. Not even Kaldur was above taking a double look at M'gann's assets until he saw my watchful eye.
Once we started to swim in the city both M'gann and I took to copying Kaldur's evolution traits that helped him move in water so easily, everything from the webbed hands and feet to the fin on his calves. After passing many buildings that reminded me very much of the architecture on Themyscira island, Kaldur pointed to one home and said, "This is my parents' home here!" He couldn't hide the excitement in his voice if he tried.
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