M'Gann really wished she didn't have to have this conversation, not yet at least. She wasn't ready.
On the other hand, time was an illusion that heals all wounds and there was no better time than the present.
"I can't wait any longer, I have too many questions," L'Gann sighed, turning to her, "why have you been avoiding me? Why won't you return my calls? What's going on between you and Connor?"
"nothing!" M'Gann denied, "I mean, not what you're thinking." She tried to offer some form of comfort, cupping L'Gaan's face with her hand.
"then what angelfish?" said L'Gann who, despite trying to be angry, sunk into her touch, "please?"
M'Gann didn't know how to talk about this, and she was semi-lucky that they were interrupted. Although, the cause of the interruption was less than great.
"we hate to interrupt such poignant interspecies romance," came a voice from above. M'Gann looked up, finding three people standing atop the wrecked cars of the junk field as if they were towering above on a parapet. The speaker was standing with his hands rested on a sword across his shoulders, M'Gann recognised the two-toned uniform- Death Stroke.
"we have pressing business with the Martian," came one of the accompanying people, and this one was recognisable by voice alone. M'Gann looked to the assassin standing not far off Death Stroke's right, his hand resting on the pommel of his sword, the sharp edge gleaming, the tip dug into the metal by his foot.
Dick. Richard. Robin. Renegade.
M'Gann didn't know what she thought of him, standing above her like a hooded omen of death.
Artemis- Tigress, the mask seemed so strange now that it was tied with blonde hair- was there as well, one hand on a hip, the other holding onto a crossbow.
L'Gann went on the immediate defensive, stalking forward to attack. Dick twisted his hand and the sunlight shot through the air, M'Gann flinched, so did L'Gann, and the assassins leapt into the offensive.
Death Stroke went straight for L'Gann, Renegade backing him up. M'Gann knew he could handle himself so she flew up to keep above the fight. she batted away a dart from Artemis' crossbow.
"Artemis? That's you right?" what the hell was going on?
"it's me M'Gann, and I'm here to kidnap you."
"what?"
Rapid fire crossbow bolts came flying at her.
Artemis quickly filled her in and told her to make it look good. L'Gann was almost out of commission and Dick showed up in M'gann's peripheral. She sent several cars at Artemis to keep her busy then turned to Dick.
"long time no see." She sent a few projectiles that he dodged easily, he threw back his own ninja stars.
"yeah, that's more my fault than anyone's," he answered, "I'm guessing Artemis filled you in?"
M'Gann almost smiled as she watched Dick move between everything she was throwing at him. he still moved like he used to; a crazed lunatic acrobat with no care for self-preservation.
"I have so many questions for you," M'Gann said, pretending she couldn't see Artemis sneaking up on her.
"make a list, hopefully you'll have a chance to get through them all some time."
As Artemis shot another dart M'Gann watched it in the corner of her eye, she dodged last second. As she hesitated Dick made his attack. She was close to the ground, it just took an awkward tackle and he clipped on the inhibitor collar.
And then she was unconscious.
"Neptune's beard let go of me!"
Barbara and Conner fought to keep L'Gann on the bed, his struggling was incessant.
"I've gotta save M'Gann!"
"L'Gann calm down, there's nothing you can do for her in your condition," Barbara ordered.
"then what about him! why isn't he rescuing her?" L'Gann scowled at Conner, "I know you dumed her, but do you really hate her that much?!"
"you have no idea what I feel for her!" Conner shot back. Barbara knew usually he could take the comment, but his nerves were frayed and his control on his anger was coming apart with it.
"you're right," L'Gann scowled, and Barbara tightened her grip on his shoulder, "because I would never abandon her to Kaldur and his flunkies, cause that's who took her!" he hissed, "Aqua-traitor and his ninja-cow Tigress!"
"enough!" Barbara cut in, and once the two boys saw he face they figured it was time to shut up and listen. She sighed, "I'm not supposed to tell anyone, but Aqualad is not a traitor."
"what are you talking about? He killed Artemis!"
"no, he didn't," Barbara said, bracing herself for this conversation. Conner had crossed his arms and was staring at her with fury, "Aqualad has been on a deep cover mission for months," she said, sitting down on the chair next to the head of the bed, "infiltrating Black Manta's troops, The Light and The Reach. We faked Artemis' death." Rubbed at her eyes, "she's alive. In fact, Artemis is Tigress. If she kidnapped Miss Martian there has to be a good reason."
"why am I only hearing this now?" L'Gann said, eyes narrowing, "I mourned Artemis." His hands turned to fist, "Neptune's beard, I tried to tear Kaldur limb form limb, you should have told me."
Barbara opened her mouth to explain, Conner stepped in.
"no." he looked between the occupants of the room, "Batgirl's our leader, we put our trust in her, I'm sure she didn't keep this form us, from all of us, without having reasons."
"look," she stood, "we will figure this out, together." She placed an hand on L'Gaan's shoulder, "in the meantime, get some rest."
She and Conner left the room silently.
"thanks for backing me up in there," she sighed.
"you don't eave a guy a lot of options." Conner turned on her, "you've no idea what your secrets have done to us."
"what does-"
"M'Gann believed Kaldur had killed Artemis," Conner spoke through gritted teeth, "so when she found him on the Reach ship, she fried his brain."
Barbara couldn't get the questions out, Conner kept talking.
"that's gotta be why Artemis grabbed her, to try and save Kaldur's broken mind, but M'Gann doesn't know how to do that, so Manta may just kill her and kill Tigress if she tries to save her and then we've lost all three of them because you though it was a bad idea to share."
He turned to walk away, Barbara stared at his back in shock.
"how long has M'Gann been destroying minds?" she asked.
Conner froze.
"how long have you known?"
Conner turned again, "don't make this about that."
"then don't make this about me keeping secrets from the team," Barbara said, taking a few steps towards Conner, "I'm keeping my friends safe. Don't take this out on me just cause you're too angry to realise that the only way to keep their cover safe was to make this a need-to-know situation."
"we're a team-"
"and are you going to stand there and tell me that this team would be able to sell Kaldur's act? Are you telling me you really believe that Kaldur would be safe behind enemy lines if everyone knew?"
"so only one person could know, then? You alone would be enough to clean up all the mess?"
"Artemis knew and Wally knows," Barbara explained.
"and I suppose Batman knows, too?"
"no," she said. Conner didn't mask his surprise.
He shook his head in disbelief, then turned away expecting the conversation was over.
This was the moment. She had to tell him now.
"Dick is Renegade."
Well, she probably could've worded it better than that.
"what?"
He turned and stalked right up to her, shock written across his face.
"Robin," she said, "is alive. He is currently operating under the name of Renegade as..." she took a deep breath, "Thalia Al Ghul's personal guard. that's the other weird ninja person that's been helping Kaldur."
Conner was staring, incapable of figuring out words.
"how long have you known this?"
"since the mountain was blown up."
He let out a deep breath, pinched the bridge of his nose.
"I already told Wally."
"good," he said, "then I'll tell Zatanna and Raquel, maybe Roy if I can get a hold of him."
"great, just get yourself a microphone, announce it to the world," Barbara glared.
"he's been gone for six years, what else do you want me to do!" Conner waved his arms about in anger.
"we don't know enough about the situation," Batgirl stared with narrowed eyes, "for all we know the light doesn't know who he is, we let too many know it could slip and we can all but add him to the list of people in danger."
"yeah? Well, I think he can handle himself," Conner said, "god knows that's the impression he gave us when he fucked off six years ago." He marched down the hall, "but they deserve to know."
Batgirl glared at his back as he left.
She was losing control of this operation.
M'Gann awoke to a horrible sight.
Manta stood above her, arms crossed. Tigress was mirroring that position.
"welcome aboard, Martian," Manta acknowledged, "let me make this situation perfectly clear..."
She lifted her head to get a look around the room. Renegade was standing against the far wall.
"you are here to psychically repair the damage you have done to my son's mind. This inhibitor collar," he gripped it, "negates all your Martian abilities. In a moment we will selectively reinstate your telepathic power only, but before we do that understand," he looked up at the ceiling where a camera was watching, "Deathstroke is watching at all times from beyond the range of your psychic power, if he perceives even a hint of trouble he will press a button which will activate a substantial explosive charge in your collar," he said, "so don't lose your head."
M'Gann scowled and wrenched herself from his grip.
"Deathstroke, activate her telepathy," he ordered, and M'Gann heard a low whine as the collar changed functions. He marched over to the door and opened it, "now, save my son or die."
"you heard the man, get to it," Artemis ordered, shoving her around to face Kaldur.
"Artemis..." M'Gann frowned down at Kaldur, eyes glancing between him and Renegade against the wall, "what should I... do?
"fix Kaldur, the four of us will figure out the rest later," Artemis stood ram rod straight behind her.
"I'm not worried about the rest, but honestly I'm not sure if I can fix Kaldur," she turned her head to look at her, "breaking a mind is easy, restoring one? May not even be possible. And what if I make things worse? My mere presence in his mind could be perceived as another attack..."
Artemis was quiet.
"the take me in with you."
M'Gann blinked. Artemis seemed to be waiting for someone to say something, she looked at Renegade who was staring at the two of them with a lot of annoyance.
"uh... is Dick in on this conversation?"
"you... wanted him in?" M'Gann frowned.
"yes, he's on our side."
M'Gann frowned, but she thought on Kaldur's memories that she'd been hit with...
He... not only trusted Dick but...
"link established, Dick can you hear us?"
"loud and clear."
His mental presence was so strange. She knew it entirely, those months they'd spent as a team... hell, it had almost been a year, they'd eventually all gotten so used to being mentally connected it was almost a constant around the mountain. She knew Dick's mind just like she knew the rest of the team.
And yet this was the third time she'd touched it in six years. It was so strange. She didn't know how she felt about his disappearance yet. She figured she probably never would.
"what's our plan?"
"M'gann's gonna take us into Kaldur's mind to help her fix it."
"right," he said, voice sceptical, "because we know how to do that."
"I don't either," M'Gann said, smiling slightly, it dropped quickly, "but if I take you in there... I could lose you to."
"M'Gann we don't really have a choice," Dick said.
"no..." she sighed, turning back to Kaldur, "I suppose we don't."
Dick wasn't sure if he liked this plan. Going into Kaldur's mind sounded a bit like asking for trouble. He was no psychologist but even he knew that the brain was a bit of an intricate specimen, and if you so much as nicked the wrong spot you could change a person entirely.
Also he was worried about the fact it was an extremely vulnerable place to be. M'Gann basically had free range of his unshielded mind, what if she did to him what she did to Kaldur?
She probably wouldn't, she had no reason to. But also, he was an asshole who'd probably deserve it. at least more than Kaldur did.
But there was a chance it would help, so here they were.
He opened his eyes to ocean, water stretching as far as the eye could see. He choked.
It was cold, it was dark, it was-
There was a sheen of green on everything.
He could feel it ripping down the back of his throat. Maybe it was slightly thicker than water, he couldn't tell. It was seeping in through his nose. His ears felt like they were being pressed in on. He wouldn't breathe in, he refused to breathe in, he couldn't, he couldn't, he couldn't-
"DICK!"
Someone was shaking his shoulders. His hands were grasping at his neck.
His body was raw with injuries, he was bleeding, he was dying, not even his healing factor could stop this.
His sister had lowered him in, she'd said something to him, what did she say? He could have sworn he'd heard it but he couldn't remember-
He couldn't remember, he couldn't remember, he couldn't remember. He knew that was a common side effect, memory loss. He tried to grip on, he knew he should be thinking of everything important while he still could, clawing at the slowly receding memories in the back of his mind.
"DICK!"
The sounds were filtering in- had someone pulled him out? He wasn't ready, everything still hurt.
"Dick, this isn't real!"
"Dick, you have to breathe, you're not actually underwater."
Was that... Artemis? No, impossible.
"If you allow this place to hurt you it could cause real damage!"
M'Gann?
Wait, but-
A clarity washed over his mind, someone was prying around in his thoughts.
They were closing in, black clad and shining, claws outstretched, dripping in his blood.
"NO!"
Dick pushed it away, imagining the mountains around Kabul, mounds of earth rising up out of the ground in a wall on all sides. he imagined Nanda Perbat, the walls of the palace. He imagined his window in his bedroom. He imagined him closing it, shutting it, locking it, he leant against it.
Isabel was clawing at it, screeching, trying to get in. he couldn't let her in-
Yes he could, it was Isabel, he trusted her with his life.
"Dick, breathe, it's okay."
That wasn't Isabel, that was-
M'Gann. That was... M'Gann?
He turned to the window, the moment of confusion was enough the glass disappeared, the night sky outside, stars twinkling-
"Dick!"
He leant out the window, staring.
"Dick, come on breathe!"
He opened his eyes and coughed, choked, breathing deeply hunched over himself.
Artemis sighed with relief, "oh, thank god."
Dick stood upright, still breathing heavily, "what the hell-"
"you panicked," M'Gann explained, "Kaldur's mind presents itself as..." she stared around, "Atlantis. In ruins."
"right," Dick said, looking around at the mess, "I don't do great with getting shoved under water."
"we're literally inside a submarine, right now," Artemis said.
"I mean when I'm physically in water," Dick sighed.
"is it cause of that weird green stuff?" M'Gann frowned, "what was that?"
Dick glared but she didn't seem to take it as an answer.
"you don't get benefit of the doubt anymore, if you're going to freak out like that again you may as well wait in the real world."
"I'll be fine, I just didn't realise we'd be shoved into a mental scape of endless water wasteland," he said.
"wait, weird green stuff?" Artemis frowned, staring at him, "like..." she glanced between he two, then leaned forward conspiratorially, "did they put you in the Lazarus pits?"
"the what?"
"not important," Dick interrupted, "we're supposed to be helping Kaldur, remember?"
"right, yeah," Artemis sighed, and Dick finally realised that she actually was Artemis. Inside the mind scape she'd automatically been switched into her old uniform. He checked his own clothes, he better not be in the robin suit.
He was wearing what he'd been wearing when he and Kaldur had that mission to Happy Harbor, sans the jacket. He rubbed at his neck absentmindedly, feeling the cold movement of the water currents against his throat. It had been a while since he'd had the vulnerable feeling that came with the old memory of Cobb slitting his throat- although that was likely because he'd covered it up and ignored it, expecting it to go away.
Alex had given him extra armouring, so long ago, to stop him from freezing up. She'd said they'd sit down and he'd tell her everything and sort it out. He had avoided it. it was creeping up on him now, old memories clawing to be noticed.
"okay," Dick said, "so how do we do this?"
As if on cue they were presented with another problem.
They were all thrown back against a stray piece of crumbling wall, blue lights coming at them like projectiles.
Dick grit his teeth, reaching for a weapon, he had nothing on him.
"not real, not real." He heard Artemis muttering it to herself as she held her arms in front of her, closed her eyes. The darts of magic went right through her.
Dick took a deep breath.
Not real, not real, not real.
A dart flung itself at him, right for his head.
Not real, not real, not real.
It went straight through his neck, disappearing into the air.
He let out a breath of relief. Artemis was still focusing, darts flying through her, but her eyes were closed. Dick looked behind him, M'Gann was curled in a ball against the wall, bombarded by the magical assault.
He swam over, paying little heed to the fake attacker, but it was likely one of Kaldur's old Atlantean friends.
"M'Gann, hey," he rested a hand on her elbow, she winced away, "it's not real remember."
She wasn't listening, she refused to listen.
"Tula!" Artemis tried reasoning with her, she reached out but her hand went straight through her, "right, you're not real either."
Dick looked between her and M'Gann.
"let's find Kaldur, maybe he can fix this."
"agreed," Artemis said, swimming off. Dick followed.
They came upon a gazebo of some kind, a circular structure with a roof held by columns. Dick figured it would probably look quite beautiful if it wasn't falling apart.
Kaldur was sitting on a bench, hunched over facing away from them. Dick and Artemis swam over. She was staring in confusion and possibly shock, trying to figure out how to handle this. Dick put his hand on Kaldur's shoulder and turned him around-
He had no face. It was... gone.
Dick blinked, staring, "Kaldur?"
"Kai ego, Kai ego."
Dick knew the voice was Kaldur's, but it was coming from everywhere. It was sad, empty.
"what's he saying?" Artemis asked. Clearly M'Gann didn't know the language because it wasn't translating.
"uh," Dick frowned, "I don't know a lot of ancient Greek, which is basically what Atlantean is, but special, but I think he's saying-"
"I am, I am alone. What is left of Kaldur'Ahm? Sand and water."
Dick swallowed, Artemis looked at him for a translation, "uh..."
"look, the most I know is from when I snuck into a friend's freshman Greek class, I'm lookin' at you."
"he's, uh... not coping," Dick said. He took Kaldur by the shoulders, kneeling in front of him, "Kaldur, it's us. It's Dick and Artemis, can you hear us?"
"Lisomen Artemis, lisomen," he whispered, "Dick? Ochi, einai fygei."
Artemis looked at him.
"uh... I think he said please somewhere in there, and no."
"no, they are not here, and I... I am alone."
"no," Dick said, not translating for Artemis, "no, we're here, Kal, okay?" Dick rubbed at his shoulders, hoping maybe he could break through, "we're here to help."
"no help, ruins," he said, "ruins."
The current picked up, as if it were wind. Pieces of the debris went flying, a whirlpool formed, dark and pulled at everything. An endless depth grabbing on to everything and heaving it into the shadows.
Dick stared at it, Kaldur was pulled in, he grabbed his wrist but the whirlpool was strong. His feet slipped, Artemis grabbed on as well, the two hooked their feet behind the bench legs for leverage and held on tight to their friend.
"no, we're here and we'll help you, please, Kaldur!" Artemis cried out, trying to pull him away from the whirlpool. Between he two of them the best they could muster was stopping him from getting closer to it.
"no, I am alone."
"you're not alone!" Dick shouted, trying to get a better grip without slipping, "Kaldur please, we care for you, don't just let go without trying to fix things, let us help!"
"there's a word isn't there?" Artemis grunted, "together?"
Dick knew that one, "Simbiosi!"
Kaldur's blank face moved to look at them, or maybe Dick was imagining things.
"together! Help us save you!" Dick yelled.
"Simbiosi!" Artemis repeated.
The whirlpool dissipated, Kaldur fell, they caught him as best they could and helped him to his feet finding his face exactly where it should be once more. Dick didn't stop himself from wrapping his friend in a hug, Artemis was quick to follow.
Once they returned to M'Gann Tula disappeared with a wave of the hand. Kaldur still seemed a little frozen and shaky but M'Gann didn't notice. She wrapped him in a hug as well.
"I'm so sorry," she sobbed.
Kaldur just looked happy to see one of his friends again, he closed his eyes and buried his head into the hug.
"I don't... I don't know how to fix this," M'Gann said.
Artemis took hold of Kaldur's hand, "together."
Kaldur looked between her and Dick. He grabbed Kaldur's other hand, "Simbiosi."
Kaldur blinked, staring at Dick's eyes. He frowned.
"it's..." he seemed like he was trying to find the words, he looked at everything around him like it was an unknown world. Or rather a world he knew but no longer recognised, "ruins."
"we can change that," M'Gann said, seemingly sad that she couldn't hold someone's hand as well. She took Artemis' free one, "see?"
She turned to a column her eyes glowed and she fit it with another piece, coming together like a jigsaw puzzle that blurred at the edges till they amalgamated into one.
Kaldur looked at them all, finishing on Dick. He nodded.
"we will..." he frowned, "try."
Dick smiled, "itan edo."
Kaldur blinked, staring at him in surprise. M'Gann looked equally confused.
"I know..." Dick made a so-so gesture with his hand, "a tiny bit of Atlantean."
"they teach that at Nanda Parbat?" Artemis smiled.
"you can learn a lot of things if you can find the teacher," Dick said.
"it's just a cult of assassins ready to tutor you," Artemis snorted.
Dick imagined the city, the bustling crowds, the coffee shop he and Alex liked to visit. Artemis had no idea what Nanda Parbat was really like.
Nevertheless, Kaldur cracked a smile. At either the joke or the fact that Artemis was amused by it.
There was a chance here, a possibility that this could work-
"renegade."
Dick forced himself not to startle, but his head still turned to Manta.
"sorry," Dick said, "feels like I've been standing here for hours."
"you have," Manta said, eyebrow raised, "you and Artemis should have gone on breaks by now."
Dick let out a deep breath and stood from the wall, his muscles were aching.
"I suppose the quiet is nice for thinking."
Artemis broke form her daze, "don't do that too often, you'll hurt yourself," she said, dead pan.
Dick stared with insulted raised eyebrows. M'gann's eyes lost their glow as she receded form Kaldur's mind.
"report your progress," Manta ordered.
"there is... a lot to do."
"how long?"
"weeks, months," M'Gann sighed.
"now, listen here, witch-"
"father."
The occupants of the room turned their heads to Kaldur.
"father?"
Well, Dick could commend him on his acting skills, even when mentally compromised he could sell it.
"Kaldur," manta rushed to the head of the bed, resting a hand on his shoulder.
"he's still healing," M'Gann said.
"but it is a start." Manta stood again, "keep it up."
As he turned and walked out he looked back at Dick.
"Renegade, take a break, you won't be any help too tired to move," he ordered. Something about his tone made it obvious he meant for Dick to leave the room that moment, following him out. He did so.
"I am sure you can guess my intentions once the Martian witch is done saving my son," Manta said.
"you kill her?"
"no," Manta said, "you kill her and leave her body somewhere the heroes will find it."
"perfect," Dick said.
Perfect.
A/N
So, I wasn't in the mood to watch the actual episode, find what Kaldur said and shove it in google translate. I found someone on the internet who had translated as best they could, so I've gone with that plus a few extra things from google translate.
what he says before, that Dick translates as 'I think he said please somewhere, and no' or whatever is 'please Artemis, please' and 'Dick? no, he is gone." Dick says Itan ego, or whatever, which apparently mean's 'we're here'. Kai ego is apparently 'i am,' so he's saying 'i am, i am,' followed by 'alone'.
also, who knows this might all be modern Greek not ancient, do i care? not much.