ATLANTIC OCEAN
July 5, 12:41 UTC-03
"So...are patrols always so boring?"
Aquaman and Aqualad gave the young clone a look, "What?" She asked defensively, "It is boring and no one is talking."
"There has been talking; the past fifteen..."
"..Sixteen," Aqualad corrected his King.
Aquaman nodded in acknowledgment before glancing back at Ephyra, "...Sixteen times, you've announced the 'slow and un-entertaining task', has been the most talking that has ever happened on a basic patrol." He says.
Ephyra pouts and rolls her eyes, "Look I thought this would be fun, but so far, I'm not entirely entertained. This is – no offense – awful."
Aquaman sighs, while Aqualad looks at the girl swimming alongside him, "Now isn't the best time I suppose. Sometimes we find a few of our enemies trying to cross and begin a squabble or two and the action – or entertaining, as you so delicately stated – would take place, and make this standard patrol, less awful." He said with a good-natured tone, to which Ephyra smiled just a little and stuck out her tongue at him.
"If you two are quite done, we can return to the palace and introduce our new guest to her home, quarters, and Queen Mera. Perhaps before she leaves to go shopping with Wonder Woman, Black Canary, and Superboy, Kaldur you may introduce her to your friends."
He nods, "As you wish my king; a sound idea as well."
Ephyra turned her head to study a coral reef, "Sounds like the highlight of this visit." She says, ensuring the dark-skinned Atlantean couldn't see her lightly-tinged pink cheeks.
The trio swam over a few miles of water before Ephyra recognized the serene, natural, soft, luminescent lights of Atlantis. She had fallen in love with the view the moment they were far enough to get a good sight. She was given a tour of all of Atlantis in just a couple hours and remembered every place with interest. It was quite an interesting place and she looked forward to visiting when she could. The palace was quite amazing and the size of it was definitely magnificent. She'd only seen things like Atlantis in the images given to her by her by the g-gnomes, and they had been classified as fairytales. Until the g-gnomes had shown her that Atlantis was home to one of her donors, she had considered it just that.
"Kaldur'ahm, please show Ephyra to her quarters." Aquaman says glancing at his protégé before back to the young girl. "I'll see you at dinner; afterwards you'll get some rest, so you can be on time for the shopping spree." He says. "Wonder Woman will explain the rest." He turns and swims down a corridor.
Kaldur'ahm leads Ephyra down two hallways, before turning into one that gave way to an open balcony hallway that looked over a small courtyard, with a beautiful center piece depicting an Atlantean god and goddess.
Ephyra looked away from the courtyard as Kaldur'ahm stopped by a door, "This is your quarters." He opens the door and Ephyra's eyes widen as she sucks in a sharp breath.
Ephyra looked around the room, which seemed to be the size of the first floor where Superboy was staying with Kid Flash and his parents. The quarters seemed to be a bedroom with a closet and a place to freshen up if needed. The first half of the room was filled with a comfortable couch and a coffee table that seemed to be attached to the floor and resembled a smooth coral texture. Across from the couch there was coral frame, with a special type of glowing water. "What's that?" She asks.
"It's a television." Aqualad says following her inside as she gazed at the frame. "It accepts voice commands." He says. "Bring up news." The screen shimmered a bit and divided itself into circular pictures, showing different news channels and people moving around. "You can choose which one you want."
Ephyra studied the screen in astonishment, "G. Gordon Godfrey."
The screen shimmers to life and brings up a circle, full size, and reveals G. Gordon speaking in his condescending and annoying tone.
"Do we really think that these so-called, 'heroes', know what they're doing? I mean, how do we know they're actually here to serve as our 'saviors'," the man says emphasizing quotation marks with his fingers. "Are we sure that they're truly here to help us from the good of their hearts and not to embolden their own images, to seem like gods and/or goddesses." He says in disgust.
"Solid use of quotation marks." She remarks, but her tone held what sounded like agreement. She missed Aqualad's surprised look at her words.
"This is a nice television." She says glancing at his now stoic expression, but caught something in his eyes, that was gone before she could interpret it. "Off," She says looking back at the television, where the images faded until the glowing water remained.
She turns to look around and walks pass a divider of thick seaweed that led to the actual bedroom. She swims over to the bed and plops down and giggles. "Wow a bed!" She laughs and sits up her hair in a tangled, yet elegant mess. "You live like this every day, Aqualad?!"
Kaldur'ahm smiles a bit, his eyes softening. "For the most part yes; this is my home. The king allows me to live here as well, after every mission."
Ephyra nods, "That sounds great." She pauses, "Doesn't it get lonely? Being a superhero I mean – I mean you have Aquaman, but still. The only ones in your peer group seem to be Robin and Kid-Annoying, and they both live on land."
Kaldur'ahm shakes his head, "True and untrue," he says. "It does get lonely knowing I'm the only protégé that lives Atlantis, where the only person I can relate to any problems concerning my other life, is my King and mentor. However, I do have people, other than my King and Queen Mera. I have two best friends who train with Queen Mera; Garth and Tula." He says, his tone softening on Tula's name. He meets her eyes, "And now I also have you."
Ephyra frowned a bit noticing it and tried to brush it off, "Oh well that's good. I don't know what I'd do if I had go in the world without Superboy, and I'm glad that I have you now too."
He dips his head and eyes her, "What is it?" He asks having noticed her frown.
"Nothing...just...thank you for welcoming me into your home, Aqualad," she said, "I think I could get used to this; especially if the food is good." She said jokingly.
Aqualad smiled just a little at her words, "Happy to do so. And please, call me Kaldur'ahm when we're off duty, or Kaldur."
"Noted," Ephyra said, "Got it filed away in my mind."
"Come along, dinner will be ready soon, and we don't want to run late." He said swimming for the door and holding it open for her.
"Great, and then I can sleep afterwards, before I have to head back to shore." She said swimming out and then following him down the halls.
"You'll do fine," he says, "Just keep in mind that all surface dwellers, are not kind." He says as they head down the hall towards the dining room.
"Uh, yeah, really – I hadn't noticed. I guess Dr. Desmond was just troubled and had a difficult time showing affection." She said dryly.
Kaldur grimaced slightly, "Yes, well it was more than just common troubles." He said.
They swam into the entrance of the dining room and Ephyra swallowed as she noticed it wasn't just the King and his wife, but two other younger Atlanteans. One looked to be a year younger than Kaldur, while the other looked about the same age.
"Kaldur," A blue-eyed girl with dark ginger hair, in the style of a pixie cut, exclaimed in joy. She swam over and engulfed him in a hug, before pulling back to allow a purple-eyed boy with black hair that reached his shoulders, to grip Kaldur's forearm, while the dark-skinned Atlantean returned the gesture.
"It's so good to see you." The boy says with a smile.
"Likewise, my friends," Kaldur responds with a smile, with a degree of warmth, directed towards Tula.
Ephyra grimaced at the expression and glanced away, before she realized she was staring at a pale set, of thin, fit, feminine legs. Her gaze travelled up until they widened when she came to face to face with a red-haired woman, with green eyes. She wore a green outfit, with a light, see-through, material shawl that was wrapped around her shoulders.
The woman spoke in a slightly accented voice, which seemed deeper, than she had thought. "Welcome to Atlantis, Ephyra." She says offering the girl a kind, warm smile.
Ephyra felt a bit bewildered and it hit her that she was speaking to royalty. She bent over slightly, arms at her sides, "Thank you Queen Mera." She says in a respectful tone.
Mera laughs just a little, "There's no need for that my dear. From what my husband tells me, you're practically family, just like Kaldur'ahm." She said giving Kaldur a warm smile, to which he put a fist to his forehead, in Atlantean solute, "Greetings my Queen."
"How have you enjoyed the sights so far," she asked turning back to Ephyra, as she led the girl over to the table. "I hope you saw more than a patrol," she says a bit sharply, shooting Aquaman a disapproving look.
Ephyra couldn't help the amusement she felt at the King's expression, "We encountered nothing suspicious or anything that required strenuous activity." He said as everyone took their seats.
"He's right," Ephyra spoke up from her place beside the queen, with Kaldur on her other side, "The most strenuous thing would probably be swimming for the length we did. The ocean is much bigger in person and I never thought I'd be able to actually experience it."
"Wonderful; so your sight-seeing was seen too?" Mera prompts.
Ephyra nods, "Yes my Queen. Your home is very beautiful, and I also appreciate the living quarters you and Aquaman gave me. It's nice to have a home."
Queen Mera gave her a nod, with a smile, while Aquaman spoke up, "You're always welcome here Ephyra. And please, when we are not amongst our comrades, you may address me as Orin, King Orin." He says, before turning his attention to the other two adolescent Atlanteans, "I take it Aqualad has mentioned his two friends, Garth and Tula?"
Ephyra nods glancing at the ginger-haired girl and raven-haired boy. "Yes, he mentioned them when he was showing me my quarters." She says calmly, trying not to show her displeasure at the way Aqualad had looked at the ginger.
"It's wonderful to make your acquaintance Ephyra," Garth says with a welcoming smile.
"Yes, any friend of Kaldur's is a friend of ours," Tula adds with a bright, friendly smile.
Ephyra nods a bit stiffly, "Nice to meet you both as well. It's a shame I'm not staying longer, I would have loved to get to know you all better." She says with a forced smile. "Training with you would have been fun," she adds eyes lingering on Tula.
Tula nodded and sighed, "Yes, well if you did stay, Kaldur said you're with the other sidekicks-"
"-Don't refer to us as sidekicks." She interrupts sharply.
Tula nods, "- Protégés – and if you're like the other protégés, then that means you'll have to train with Aquaman, like Kaldur does."
"Not necessarily Tula," Queen Mera says with some interest, "That depends on the Atlantean attributes that Ephyra possesses." The queen turns her gaze on Ephyra, "Have you experienced any powers, such as sorcery? Electricity perhaps," She asks curiously.
Ephyra shakes her head, "Yes, something like that. I got too close to some electric eels on the reef, but the shock was just a sting and not nearly as painful as it is for normal people. And I've learned – with Aquaman's help – how to propel myself a bit faster using my water capabilities. I can control around me, but other than that, that's it. I'm actually still trying to discover the powers I have and since King Orin and Wonder Woman are my donors, I assume I probably have half and half of them both."
King Orin and the others had begun eating, which reminded Ephyra, that she should do the same, so she could go to bed on a full stomach and sleep.
"Do not fear Ephyra, we will help you figure out each of your powers and then help you train in the proper way to use them," King Orin said reassuringly. "What powers have you experienced so far?"
Ephyra paused allowing herself to finish the weird orange and yellow cuisine that had a tangy and citrus flavor. It was the third thing she'd finished of the five on her plate, and everything was delicious and a bit exotic, compared to the burgers from Big Belly Burger, that she had eaten with Superboy and Kid Flash in Central City.
"So far – other than the water ones – I've discovered flight, which I assume is from Wonder Woman. Before that, I discovered I had super strength, if not enhanced, which I assume is from you both. I'm not as strong as Superboy, but I'm extremely close." She pauses to think a bit more and shakes her head glancing up at him, "Other than that, nothing else." She says, before taking a bite of a green-blue custard-like solid. It tasted spicy and she cleared her throat before eating the rest of it in swift bites, a bit surprised at how famished she was.
"How did you know how to fight?" Kaldur asks and Ephyra glances at him questioningly for him to elucidate, while she began eat a sweet, red, pudding-substance.
"When we were fighting Dr. Desmond, or Blockbuster, you charged him with some planning at first, though I suspect half of it was to avenge him for hurting Superboy. Either way, you charged and then you leaped and fought him as if you had practiced the technique for years. You flew up in the air and redirected the swing he aimed at you with his fist, and sent him into the ceiling. Other than the wrong move made when you went to slam him back into the ground, you resembled Wonder Woman. I haven't seen it in person too many times, but I've watched some footage, and a couple of moves resembled her fighting style."
Ephyra shrugged a little, "I'm not sure, maybe they gave me the natural talent and fundamentals for the Amazonian fighting-style."
Queen Mera and King Orin looked thoughtful.
"That's interesting; perhaps the same might happen here in Atlantis." The queen says with a thoughtful expression on her face. She looked at Ephyra and saw that she didn't understand what the queen was suggesting, "My dear, I'm only saying that if fighting this...Blockbuster creature, allowed you to instinctively fight with Amazonian combat, then perhaps your Atlantean combat skills can be activated if you were attacked here, or underwater – it might just activate any Atlantean powers you may have as well."
Ephyra considered it, but looked a bit hesitant, "That sounds like a good idea, but I'd prefer not to fight underwater, when I've only just learned how to breathe underwater as well as swim." She said.
"Ephyra is right, Mera," King Orin says to his wife, "We will need to give her more time." He says, though something flickers in his eyes that Ephyra couldn't decipher, so she brushed it off. He rose with Mera, his arm linked in hers, "Tonight was a good night and we are all happy to have you part of our family and Atlantis." He says calmly with a small smile. "Enjoy your night, Ephyra; I advise getting some sleep." He says swimming away with Mera and calls over his shoulder before he vanishes around the corner, "Get some rest and be ready to leave for the surface in a few hours. I'll meet you at the zeta beam."
Ephyra gets up with Kaldur and his friends before she swims out of the dining room around the corner to her room, before pausing when she realized Kaldur wasn't with her. She turned and saw Tula and Garth swimming out of the corridor into the garden, before disappearing over a coral reef ridge.
Kaldur noticed her watching as he followed suit and called, "Sleep well; I will be out for tonight. Before the three days are over, I wish to spend time with my friends." he says in a kind voice.
"Oh okay, sure, see you around then." She says as he vanishes from view and sighs in slight jealousy. Why couldn't he sound like he did when he spoke to Tula? And why was she – no she wasn't jealous. It was just, she didn't seem like the right person for him; but why should she care?
She let out a huff as she closed her door and slipped into one of the sleeping garments that were provided her size in the closet. She pulled back the covers and slipped underneath them before she began to doze off and soon fell asleep, liking her new home. She wondered how Superboy was doing and sent a mental message to him unsure of how well it would reach him.
Goodnight Superboy. See you tomorrow.