*Holy shit. It's been…a LONG time. A LONG LONG time. First of all, I'd like to thank everyone who never gave up on this story (HMP, , OptimusPrimeAddict,EliseInWonderland247, InoYamanaka1,yaoifanfake, Nerdy Ninja in Training, TarotTerra, CrazyLittleMello,RayenOfDeadStarsAndPlanets, alexlyoko13, Bizerko-Kittykins,XxEJMxX ,Opal21, Dokuhan, guardyanangel, and last but not least, Fangirl140) because as much as you won't believe me, I never gave up on it either; you guys all led the way. I have many words for you all, and they go something like this: "Doubt the stars are fire;/ Doubt that the sun doth move;/ Doubt truth to be a liar;/ But never doubt I love." (Hamlet 2.2, lines 107-110). You guys brought the Shakespeare right out of me. 'Nough said. Oh, and special shout-out to guardyanangel and Bizerko-Kittykins. You guys have been here since the beginning, and I have no idea where I'd be without you!

What's new with me, you might not be asking? Let's see, I'm still in college, going into my senior year. Oh my god, I don't even think I was in college when I wrote the last chapter. HOLY SHIT IT'S BEEN LIKE FOREVER. Hahaha (nervous laughter) well, anyway, about this chapter: I find certain parts to be hilarious, and I definitely enjoyed writing it. I hope you all feel the same. I've also had quite a few new ideas in these few years. One of which is a Teen Titans-Young Justice crossover, which I also plan to never update. XD Again, thanks for all of the reviews and support throughout these years. Each time I got a review, it inspired me to write just a little bit more, and after a millennia, I kinda ended up with a chapter. I hope this is worth the wait. If not, I'll just have to try again in another couple years (jk…I hope). Just know I love you all!

Notes: This chapter was originally going to be much longer, but I decided to split it in half so you guys could get an update before global warming kills us all. Garth takes the last name Curry when he's trying to have a secret identity on the surface. It comes from Aquaman's civilian name, "Arthur Curry." Oh, and this won't make sense for a little while, but yes, for this chapter, I did in fact look up sexual dimorphism in lobsters.

For the mysterious HMP guest reviewer: Thanks so much for your review! I'm replying to it here since there's no way to reply to guest users. First of all, many hearts. Hearts for all. I'm glad you enjoy the drama and cliffhangers, and as you can see, UPLOAD! You are the one who ultimately inspired me to post this. And Dick Grayson. We also have to thank Dick Grayson.

Chapter 8: In Faith, In Compassion, and In Love

Garth backed into the cabinets, sinking to the ground, "I…I," he stammered, "I'm mutating?" He took a deep breath swallowing. Raven nodded.

"From the looks of it. I can even sense it from you…I sense change. I've…never felt anything quite like it before."

Garth's violet eyes grew ever wider. Dick frowned.

"But," he cut in, "we can't know anything for sure until we run some tests. Vic can probably—"

"No!" cried Garth. Both other Titans were taken aback by the vehement reply.

"Garth?" Dick called, concerned.

"Please," the Atlantean admonished, softer this time, "can we just keep this to ourselves?" Both Raven and Robin were appalled by the very thought.

"Garth, this is extremely important—"

"We can't just—"

"I know," he murmured in response, knowing full well that if he was in their positions, he would be acting the same way, "but if we tell everyone, they'll be worried…scared. Especially Roy and Garfield. They'll want to do anything to get this thing off me, but if they're frantic, they'll be rash. They might end up against the person who did all this…and…I don't anyone else to get killed because of me!" Garth buried his face in his hands, shoulder shaking. He was so close to tears.

"Garth," began Robin, standing up to put a hand on the poor Atlantean, "it wasn't your fault. You—" The tea kettle whistled, nearly giving all three Titans heart attacks in the process.

"Please," Garth begged again. "We can't do anything besides try to get the Machtlos off of me, and everyone's already working on that…the Justice League too. So, let's not worry them anymore than they already are." Robin and Raven knew this was a feeble argument. Really, as if the other Titans wouldn't be working day and night, ten times harder if they knew how the device was affecting Garth. Still, Raven sighed in defeat, looking to Dick, who reluctantly nodded.

"All right," the latter conceded. "But if Raven or I find any reason to believe that telling everyone would be in your best interest, then we will." Garth nodded.

"…If you must."

With that, Garth began steeping the tea. Roy was expecting it after all, and he couldn't give the archer any reason to believe that something was wrong. He sat back down, noting Raven and Robin's concerned expressions. He supposed that they had every right to be worried. Violet eyes softened. He took both of their hands in his.

"Rae, Dick…I'll be okay." He smiled. "Nothing's going to happen to me; I promise." Both Titans found some relief in this, but still remained skeptical.

Sighing, the Atlantean stood. "Well, I ought to take Roy his tea. I'll be back in a bit." He grabbed two mugs of tea and headed back to his room. As he returned down the hallway, he took another wayward glance towards the sea.

The same: grey. Foreboding. Stagnant.

Garth frowned. Violet eyes transfixed by those eerie waters. "What are you trying to tell me?" There was no response. Not even a ripple. Garth's grip on the mugs tightened as he forced himself to move on. He returned to his and Roy's room in no time.

"Roy," he called as he entered. "I brought the tea." The redhead lay on the bed, staring up at the violet-eyed boy. He grinned, making Garth smile in turn. He took a seat on the bed, curling next to the archer. "How are you feeling?" the Atlantean asked, handing Roy a mug.

"Better," he murmured with a yawn. "Just tired as you can see." For a few moments, the two drank their tea in peace. Then…

"Garth," Roy called seriously, "is it just me or…does something about this morning seem…off?" Garth swallowed nervously. Could it be that Roy knew about his "mutating."

"How so?" asked the Atlantean. Roy shrugged, obviously ignoring the violet-eyed boy's fidgeting.

"It's almost like…something's really wrong, but I can't figure out why or even what it is." Garth blinked, surprised as the redhead's words just seemed to click.

"Actually," he began, "I think I know what you mean." He thought of all the strangeness from that morning: the sea, their dreams, his powers, his conversation with Raven and Robin. Something strange was certainly was going on, but why today of all days? What could it mean?

"I've just had this bad feeling all day," continued Roy, "like I'm forgetting or missing something, but I can't figure out what that something is." The archer sighed, "Oh, I don't know. Maybe I'm just being crazy…" Garth shook his head.

"No, Roy, I think you're right."

"Hm…maybe we should tell Raven about it," he mused aloud. "I mean, she's good with these kind of things, right?" Garth's eyes widened.

"No!" he replied a little too forcefully. Realizing his mistake, he avoided Roy's eyes, fidgeting again. "I mean…" he trailed off.

"If Raven or I find any reason to believe that telling everyone would be in your best interest, then we will."

Garth had a feeling that foreboding omens and feelings warranted "telling everyone." He couldn't let Roy say anything.

"Well," he continued slower, more rationally (despite the fact that he was lying through his teeth), "I don't think precognition is Raven's strong suit. She's more about empathy and soul-selves. We shouldn't worry her without reason since she probably won't be able to shed any more light on the situation than we already have."

Garth truly believed he deserved a medal for that response. Especially since Roy seemed to mull over this claim.

"I guess you're right," he conceded. "We'll just have to wait until something happens I guess. Who knows? Maybe it's nothing." Garth nodded, letting out an inward sigh of relief.

After a half-hour, Roy was feeling much better. They decided to head to the kitchen for breakfast. Garth, of course, was not particularly hungry (and was considering the idea that he might never be hungry again after what he'd found out earlier that morning), but he tried to fake it, for Roy's sake.

By the time they made I to the main room, they found almost all the Titans in the kitchen area. Robin and Starfire were chatting away with Jinx while Raven appeared to be meditating nearby. Kid Flash was alternating between joining the conversation and making pancakes.

"Hey," Roy greeted as he entered. Garth just smiled before giving Robin and Raven meaningful glances.

"Good morning, friends!" said Kory jubilantly as she pulled them both into one-armed hugs.

"Good morning, Kory," Garth replied, feeling a bit better (Starfire did have that effect on people after all).

Speedy took a seat beside Robin. He had noticed that the latter seemed strangely out of sorts and kept glancing over at Raven. "You okay over here?" Roy asked. Dick was startled (a rare sight), seemingly surprised at the archer's sudden question, but quickly shook it off.

"Yeah," he answered after a pause. Roy was not convinced. He frowned.

"You sure? You seem kinda…spaced out." Dick shook his head.

"It's nothing; I just had a bizarre nightmare last night." Roy nodded, empathizing.

"Yeah? What happened?"

"I…can't really remember," he lied, thinking that the redhead might already know about Garth's "dream." He continued, "Only that it really freaked me out." Roy nodded.

"Yeah, Garth and I didn't exactly have the best nights either—" He was about to continue on further when the remaining two Titans entered the room.

Beast Boy's eyes lit up upon seeing Garth. "Dude, there you are! I've been looking all over for you!"

Garth smiled at the sight of Gar, but his face fell as he remembered the previous night's events. He did not meet the changeling's eye as he murmured, "Oh, Roy and I made up." Beast Boy frowned.

His voice held no joy as he replied, "Oh…that's great."

It was Wally who asked, "Did you guys have a fight or something?" All three blushed.

"Uh…sort of," Speedy replied.

"Yes," Garth continued for him, "Roy and I had a fight yesterday, so I slept in Gar's room last night…but we made up earlier this morning." The Titans accepted this explanation at first, but things quickly became awkward.

It was very clear that Beast Boy and Speedy could no longer even be civil to each other. They glared across the table at one another throughout the entirety of the meal. If looks could kill, they would have both been brutally decapitated by an axe-murderer. It seemed that each completely blamed the other for everything that had happened in the last twenty-four hours.

Meanwhile, Garth wanted to bury himself in the ground. It was not just the fact that two of the most important people in his life were fighting; it was also the fact that they were fighting over him.

Finally, Cyborg snapped, "Okay, what is wrong with you two?! I thought you said Speeds and Garth fought last night! Some anger between them would make sense, but this is just ridiculous. What am I missing here?"

"Nothing!" Beast Boy and Speedy snarled simultaneously. This effectively banned the subject altogether. Garth thought that crawling in a hole to die sounded like a favorable option, at least in comparison to being at the kitchen table just then. He glanced at Robin, silently begging for help. Dick simply shrugged, having no tangible solution in mind.

"Water!" Garth shouted suddenly, getting the attention of the entire team. "I…I, uh, need water…going to go shower," he stammered out. "Bye!" With that pathetic excuse, he bolted out of the room despite the fact that he had just drunk two large glasses of salt water and was nowhere near dehydrated.

Raven turned to the two still-glaring boys and uttered a simple, "Nice going."

Garth sighed as he made his way towards the shower. Though he technically didn't need it, a shower did sound nice. He ran a hand through his long black locks in exasperation. "This is all my fault," he murmured. "What am I going to do with those two?"

Entering the bathroom, he took a moment just to look at himself in the mirror, something he hadn't done in quite a while. It was hard to believe his body was changing. Mutating. He looked the same as ever: same black hair, same pale skin, same accursed violet eyes.

Though, his eyes did seem brighter than usual, and…getting brighter by the second almost as if they were…his eyes were glowing! How—when—? This never happened before! Ever! Garth slapped his hands over his eyes suddenly in sheering pain. What was happening to him? He had never felt pain like this before. His eyes were on fire. They were burning, so hot; they were going to burst into flames!

"Poseidon, oh Poseidon! This isn't happening! It's not!" He continued to mumble pleas and denials as he backed into the wall and sank to the floor. His eyes were glowing violet and burning like the hell they were meant to represent. That abominable, loathsome color. The color that sealed his fate from birth and never gave him peace since. "Nonononono! Please, not this! This is not happening. Oh God. Oh God!" He clenched his hands over his eyes, bringing his knees to his chest in a pseudo-fetal position. "I'm not a demon," he choked out finally, "I'm not evil. I'm not a demon!"

A knock on the door quickly shook his out of his panic.

"Garth, you okay in there?"

Roy.

The Atlantean quickly covered his face again. Oh God, were his eyes still glowing? The burning was starting to calm down now for some reason, but he just couldn't let Roy see him like—

Too late.

The door opened revealing a concerned redhead. Garth felt like a deer in headlights, but Roy didn't seem shocked or horrified. Did the glowing stop? The pain had disappeared and left him with a dull migraine. What the hell had just happened? The archer knelt down beside him. "Shit, you must've really needed some water."

The glowing was gone now. He knew that for sure. Roy didn't seem to know. He didn't suspect anything. He simply thought Garth was dehydrated, and that was why he was on the floor. He breathed a sigh of relief before faking a smile (probably the shakiest, most grimace-like smile he had ever produced).

"Yeah…just got dizzy is all. Needed to sit down."

Roy didn't seem entirely convinced. He brushed a hand thought his companion's smooth dark hair. Garth leaned into the touch. "You sure you're okay, babe?"

No. Not at all. He was mutating. Hell, he was still shaking from fright.

Roy frowned, sitting down next to Garth. He gently coaxed Garth to lie his head on his broad shoulder. Garth couldn't help but close his eyes and let out a contented sigh. "You know you can tell me anything, right?" Roy murmured, absentmindedly stroking his cheek. Garth opened his eyes, looking deep into Roy's kind and loving green ones. He almost told Roy everything. He almost let himself weep into Roy's shoulder, telling him all about his powers, about his glowing, burning eyes, about being ostracized by the Atlanteans, about being abandoned on that godforsaken reef.

But he didn't.

Though he knew Roy would hold him and comfort him and tell him that everything would be all right, he also knew that Roy would be scared and worried, and above all he would do anything to keep Garth safe, charging into the hideout of the ones that did this to him included (once they found it that is).

He couldn't let the archer do that. He couldn't let Roy die. Never. Never never never. So he kept his feelings to himself, looked up at Roy, and with a façade of happiness, he replied, "I know, and don't worry; I am just fine." Roy gave him a gentle smile that nearly caused him to melt into a puddle of goo (a guilty one at that) right then and there. The redhead helped Garth up and held him close. Though the latter was still shaken, Roy's familiar warmth and heavenly scent quickly calmed him.

"Come on," the archer encouraged, "let's get you some water."

Garth and Roy soon returned to the rest of the Titans. Between Beast Boy and Cyborg's shenanigans, Kid Flash and Jinx's stories, and Robin, Starfire, and Raven...being Robin, Starfire, and Raven, the morning quickly became late afternoon.

It was a quiet day. A good day. A day of recovery. And for that, the Titans (one Atlantean especially) were grateful. Lord knows, Garth had needed some downtime. By four o' clock, he had completely forgotten about the baleful omens of the morning. However, he did not fail to notice the lingering, almost nervous looks Roy was giving him.

Garth was sitting on the couch, gazing obliviously out the windows when Roy finally made his move. The archer took a seat next to him. Without even thinking, the ebony-haired boy rested his head on Roy's shoulder, giving him a small smile. Roy did his best to hide his blush as he let out an overdramatic sigh. "You know, you being fucking adorable is just making this even harder."

It was Garth's turn to blush (madly at that) as he asked, "Making what even harder?" (A/N MY PENIS!) The redhead grinned that Cheshire cat smile of his.

"Well, about that date..." Upon realizing that this was Roy's special way of telling him to get ready for their first ever "romantic outing," Garth simply beamed, Considering that this particular smile had to be one of the most gorgeous sights of Roy's life, the redhead sighed again. "I swear to god. You're doing this on purpose," he deadpanned.

"Are these really necessary?" Garth asked five minutes later as he fingered the sunglasses Roy forced on him. Roy grinned as he none-too-gently pinched Garth's cheeks. "Ow!" The redhead put the sunglasses over Garth's eyes, laughing.

"Do you wanna be inconspicuous or not?" The Atlantean made Roy's favorite expression: pouting. Roy smirked, leaning in so close that his breath was tickling the other's ear. "Besides," he murmured, "you look good." He placed a quick kiss to Garth's neck.

Ah yes, he couldn't forget about the expression that came in a close second: flustered.

"N-No! That is not—that is—I—" Garth babbled on, fidgeting, a huge deep blush spread across his face. Roy had to admire his handiwork. The Atlantean seemed to give up at this point, burying his face in Roy's shoulder to hide his furious blush. "I hate you." The archer smiled, petting Garth's soft obsidian tresses.

"Of course you do." Garth mumbled something in Atlantean that Roy assumed was an insult. "Are you done?" He took the other's silence as a yes. "Okay, let's go."

As the two moved to leave the Tower, they passed by Robin who was monitoring something on the computer. With only a passing glance, Dick knew exactly what was going on. "Have fun, you two," he commented with a knowing smile, "and have him back by ten, Roy." Garth glanced quickly between Roy and Dick before it all clicked.

"He knows?! But how—when—I didn't even know until—"

"Please, Garth," Robin cut in, "I'm a detective." Roy mouthed out a "thanks" since he'd rather Garth not know about his and Robin's little chat on the rooftop the other day (for now at least).

Dick tossed Roy a bag, which the archer caught on reflex alone. "What's this?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Your bow and arrows," the Titans' leader replied simply. "Just in case, but hopefully, you won't need them." The redhead gave a curt nod, hoisting the bag over his shoulder.

He grabbed Garth's hand. "Shall we?" The Atlantean snapped out of his stupor and smiled, and with that, they were off.

As the boy wonder watched his friends leave, he couldn't ignore the ominous feeling that bubbled up from his core. Something big was about to go down; he could feel it in his bones, and Bruce had always said to trust his instincts. Even so, maybe he was just being paranoid. He clutched his communicator lightly in his hands. Roy could handle any bad business, and if not, Titans Central was just a call away. They'd be fine…but just in case…Dick pressed a few keys on the computer. A map of Jump City popped up showing two blinking red dots as they left Titans Tower. Roy and Garth. Robin minimized the window and kept it on the corner of the screen as he continued working.

He could always keep an eye on them from here.

It was the first time Garth had ever gone out in "civvies" as Roy had called them (though the proper term would probably be a disguise). He marveled at the way no one gave him a second glance. Never in his life had he been able to blend in with a crowd before! In Atlantis, everyone recognized him as either the "demon-eyed boy" or the ward of their benevolent king, and on the surface, people immediately noticed his "Atlantean" eyes (not the mention the gills).

But all it took was a pair of sunglasses and a turtleneck, and suddenly, he was no different than anyone else on the surface. He wasn't Aqualad or Garth of Shayeris. For now, he was simply "Garth Curry," and he was on a date with the most amazing person in the world.

As Garth admired his new state of camouflage, Roy couldn't help but admire Garth. The Atlantean really was something else. Beautiful and kind but also dangerous, strong, and challenging. Roy reached out and grasped Garth's hand in his. A seemingly innocuous gesture, one he'd done dozens of times before, but today, it was different. Today, it was far more meaningful.

Garth turned to his companion, lips slightly parted in awe. Roy gave a small smile, reassuringly squeezing the other's hand. Garth's features softened into a gentle smile as he squeezed back.

"So," began the redhead, "where're we headed?"

Garth blinked, brows furrowing. "…Why are you asking me? I thought you planned this date." Roy smirked, arching his brow in turn.

"How could I? I don't know anything about Jump. I just followed everyone else's lead last time we were here. Besides, you're the one who used to live here."

"Yeah, in the ocean! Why would I know anything about the city? I didn't know you yet, and you're the one who taught me everything about the surface world!"

This quite literally stopped Roy in his tracks.

"…I taught you everything about the surface?"

A rosy blush ran across Garth's face at the archer's soft, almost amazed tone.

"Yeah," Garth looked away bashfully. "It's…you remember when I first came here? I apologized all the time and always spoke so formally. I didn't even know what a toaster was. But you…you always goaded me into arguments and teased me." He laughed. "You used to make me so angry! Did you know that no one ever teased me before you? I…well, Roy…" The aforementioned could see those violet eyes shimmering with love and admiration, even behind the tinted glasses. "Roy, if you hadn't been there, I'd probably still be the broken boy that Orin left behind."

That was it for Roy. He crushed Garth against him, holding him so tightly.

"Wha—? Roy, what're you—?"

"Thank you," the archer whispered so sincerely, so filled with raw emotion that he could barely find the words to speak. The Atlantean managed a bewildered smile.

"What ever for?"

"For needing me…" Then Garth understood. It was that crippled self-esteem of Roy's. That feeling of futility and meaninglessness that drove him to drugs, to near suicide. Garth gave Roy fulfillment, a feeling of being needed and wanted. Garth made Roy feel useful, loved, and indispensible, which was slowly filling that empty void in the archer's chest.

Garth hugged Roy back just as hard.

It seemed that they needed each other.

"You know," the black-haired boy mentioned after a few moments, "we still have no idea where we're going."

Roy grinned. "Let's just walk around until we find something."

The wandered aimlessly for a while, but it soon became clear that they were lost in a business district with nothing even remotely interesting around. Roy saw an advertisement for the Jump City Aquarium and suggested they go. Garth, of course, having no idea what an aquarium was, asked about it. This ended in disaster as the Atlantean shouted, "Fish in captivity?! Those monsters! We have to save those poor fish!" It took almost five minutes of pleading, plus reminding Garth of his lack of hydrokinesis and telepathy, and explaining that aquarium fish were "perfectly happy and well taken care of" for Garth to relent in his new mission of destroying all aquariums.

Finally, after being kicked out of a laundry-mat, a bank, and a post-office, the couple got directions to the "fun" area of town.

"This is a disaster," commented Roy.

Garth pecked his cheek, giving him a broad smile. "Really, I think it's kind of…fun!"

And that was enough for Roy.

"Now this is more like it," Roy said, nodding to himself as he and Garth entered the shopping district. "What do you want to do first?"

A hesitant hand reached out to touch his. Roy didn't even think before grasping Garth's hand in his again. Garth, blushed, smiling shyly.

"Anything's fine."

"Well, there's a bookstore over there. Uh…there's also an arcade, but that's more of Cyborg's thing, and…" the archer trailed off upon noticing that his companion was staring dreamily at him. "…What?"

"It's nothing! I'm just…really happy!" Garth's beaming smile could've melted the ice right off of Slade Wilson's heart. Roy was doomed. He turned to the nearest brick wall and banged his head against it, hiding his fiery red face. "Roy…is something wrong?"

"Oh, it's nothing," he murmured. "But if you smile like that again, I might actually die," he added internally. "Let's go to that bookstore."

Books were never really Roy's thing. He didn't like to read anymore than he had to. Garth, on the other hand, was in heaven. Knowing the Atlantean, he could spend hours pouring over texts, even ones as mundane as "how to" books.

"See anything you like?" asked the redhead as he watched Garth sift through stacks upon stacks of books.

"Plenty," the addressed began, "but you're bored. Let's go somewhere we both like. I can always come here with Raven or Dick later." Roy tried to argue that he could stand twenty minutes in a bookstore, but Garth would have none of it. "Let's just get dinner, okay?"

Roy shrugged knowing a lost battle when he saw it. "The usual place?" he suggested, meaning of course, the infamous pizza place Titans Central had recommended while Titans East briefly took over in Jump.

For the first time that night, Garth's smile faded. "No…that place has too many…memories."

Roy thought of their first day as protectors of Jump City. Control Freak and his stupid challenges. They'd eaten there that day too, hadn't they? Roy could remember it so clearly. All of them were depressed because no one in Jump knew them. He remembered how Garth had asked the waiter if any animals were harmed in the making of the pizza. Roy had snickered, while Karen, the "mature" one, assured Garth that the cows used to make the cheese were just fine. It was the only normal part of that day, even with Mas and Menos speaking English.

"You know," began Garth softly, startling Roy out of his thoughts, "it happened right over there. When Control Freak zapped himself out of the TV and Bee beat him up…it was right over there at that street corner." Roy didn't like this. Garth was still smiling, but the look in his eyes…it was empty. Like at the funeral. Roy quickly grabbed Garth's hand and led him away from the area.

"There's a restaurant over there," he pointed out, "let's just eat there." He pulled on Garth's arm, coaxing the other to move. The Atlantean let out a deep sigh and nodded.

"Okay, let's go."

Considering their luck, Roy really shouldn't have been surprised that the restaurant he'd arbitrarily picked specialized in seafood. The waiter came over with a live lobster to prove just how "fresh" their meal would be, and Garth lost it. He berated the poor, innocent civilian, calling him a murderer and "an enabler of an oppressive system." Roy wasn't sure whether to laugh or lie down and die. He chose to laugh.

"It's not funny, Roy!" cried Garth, gesturing to the petrified waiter, still holding the lobster. "Just look at her! They even rubber-banded her claws shut!"

"Her?" Roy questioned incredulously, still grinning. "How can you tell?"

"Oh, well, you see these appendages on her thorax—"

It was about this time that the owner came out to see what all the ruckus was. Within thirty seconds of assessing the situation, the man promptly kicked Roy and Garth "the fuck out of his restaurant" in his own so eloquent phrasing.

And that was how the couple ended back on the street plus one assuredly female lobster.

They began walking aimlessly again. Roy rolled his eyes fondly as he watched the other settle the lobster securely against his chest. Unable to hold Garth's hand, he wrapped an arm around his shoulders instead.

"Kicked out of four places in one night? We're on a roll here, babe. We might even be able to set a record."

"We should tell the others. They'll be proud." Roy sighed.

"I'm really blowing this whole date thing, aren't I?" Garth stopped suddenly upon hearing that.

"No! That's not true! I'm having fun! It's great!" Roy just raised an eyebrow. Garth sighed, his face falling. "Well, it doesn't matter, because…" With another sigh, he took a seat on the nearby curb. Roy followed his lead. "Remember, sometimes back in Steel, Karen and Mal would go on dates?" Roy nodded. "Well, one night, I asked her about it. She explained that 'a date' is part of a human courtship ritual, and it has two main purposes: first to get to know and assess each other as possible partners, and second…to spend time with each other. Well, I…" Roy couldn't help but notice the flush on the Atlantean's cheeks. "I've been on a team with you for almost a year now, Roy…I already know almost everything about you." The blush increased in intensity. "W-Well," he stammered out, "at least I think I do! (Certainly enough to evaluate you as a…possible partner) And that means, I'm really only on this date to spend time with you. So even if we are being kicked out of fish slaughterhouses…as long as it's with you…it's okay!"

Roy just sat there mesmerized for a moment before smiling warmly. "You're a real piece of work; anyone ever tell you that?" Before Garth could ever begin to respond, Roy was kissing him. Gentle and chaste, the archer pulled his companion closer, letting Garth's scent wash over him. The soft feel of his lips was perfection, as was the way the Atlantean melted into him. Maybe he didn't know for sure if he really loved Garth or if it was a response to trauma, but maybe it didn't matter. Even if this feeling wasn't "real," as long as he felt it, wasn't that enough?

Roy was snapped out of his musings and their blissful kiss by the very real feeling of a lobster pinching the skin of his stomach. He cried out, forcing the crustacean back into Garth's arms.

"Fuck," he groaned, rubbing the newly-forming welt. "Figures, our first legitimate kiss as a couple, and it's ruined by a lobster." He sighed as the Atlantean looked away sheepishly. "Well, I guess I'll have to get used to shit like this if I'm in it with you for the long haul, right?"

Violet eyes widened as Garth realized the true implications of Roy's words. "Roy…" he murmured in awe, "you…you mean…"

"Yeah," the archer cut in, "I do." Without any warning, Garth threw his arms around Roy desperately, holding onto the redhead like his life depended on it.

"Roy, I love you," he managed when no other words would come. "I love you so much!"

Roy closed his eyes, reveling in the fact that Garth loved him. He wasn't ready to return the sentiment to that degree, not just yet, but he knew, in time, he would be. Instead, he wrapped his arms around Garth just as fiercely and murmured, "I know. I know, and that makes me very happy." It wasn't the undying declaration of love he was waiting for, but Garth appreciated it just the same.

Then Roy remembered the very real danger that was the arthropod lurking between them. "Garth," he called, "as much as I hate to ruin this…lobster." The Atlantean shot up, quickly wrangling the escaped creature back into his arms. "Anyway," the redhead continued, brushing a hand across Garth's forehead, cheeks, and neck, "you're starting to feel warm again. We should get you to some water." Garth nodded.

"Yeah, we can bring Wendy back where she belongs while we're at it."

"…You named the lobster Wendy."

"Well I can't ask her for her actual name; I don't have my telepathy."

"Yeah but…you know what, just never mind." Roy stood, helping his date up as well. "Let's head to the pier."

The two remaining members of Titans East could see the ocean just over the horizon as it shimmered in the light of dusk, and in that moment, despite his fever, his mutating powers, and everything he'd lost, Garth was certain that he had never seen anything so beautiful. If only Garth had had his powers at that time. He would have heard the ocean, heard its warning and felt its panic. If the sea had a voice it would be crying, "Don't come, Garth of Shayeris. Please don't come. They're waiting for you here. It's a trap." Unfortunately, the Atlantean heard none of this. He and Roy headed towards the bay hand-in-hand, none the wiser of the danger that lay ahead.

Meanwhile, in Titans Tower, Robin was continuing with his research on the Machtlos. He and Raven decided to speed up their efforts since the events of that morning. He knew his friend was likely buried in spellbooks, trying to find a mystical solution to their problem. Dick was on the scientific front, searching desperately through X-Rays of Garth and medical journals on Atlantean physiology, looking for any scrap of information he could find. So far, it wasn't yielding any results.

Robin sighed in frustration, burying his face in his hands. "Maybe it's time to enlist Bruce…"

"I'd get on that real quick if I were you, kid." Robin shot out of this chair, birdarang out as he turned towards the source of the voice.

There he was, hanging from the ceiling, his costume in shreds, and nursing a bad leg and injured arm: Red X.

"X," Robin snarled, "how'd you bypass security?"

Red X shrugged. "You would know. After all, you built the suit." The thief dropped to the ground, but his injured leg gave out on him, and he stumbled. He tried to catch himself, but his arm gave out as well. He collapsed to the ground.

Robin didn't want to admit he was worried, but knelt down beside the ailing criminal nonetheless. "X, what the hell's going on? What happened to you?"

"No time for stories, kid. We've got trouble." Robin's eyes narrowed. "I've been doing some snooping. I can't believe I'm saying this, but I don't want you hurt, kid, or your friends. You're all good kids, and I do owe you for the suit." The boy wonder had an incredible urge to punch Red X in the face for that last remark, but he held himself at bay and let the thief continue. " I found out everything. Had to pull some strings, call in some favors, and interrogate some important guys, but it was worth it, Though, I'm gonna be on Lex Luthor and Black Mask's respective shit lists for the rest of my life for some of the stunts I pulled." Robin sighed, rolling his eyes.

"If what you say if true, and you help save me friends, I'll pull some strings of my own and get Mask and Luthor off your back." Red X smirked under the mask.

"That's great, kid, but we'll worry about that later. Right now, we need to get your Titans East buddies into hiding." Robin nearly dropped Red X upon hearing this.

"What?" he shouted. "Why?!"

"I found our perp, and my hunch was right. It's Darkseid. The one who orchestrated the attack on Titans Tower in Steel was Darkseid." Robin was an iota away from panic mode. Rule number one of so-called "side-kicker-y:" no heavy hitters. Darkseid was the heaviest hitter. The one who only Superman could handle. The one who whenever Batman and the League got involved with, Robin was not allowed to even indirectly affect the mission. Robin would sooner go up against every resident of Arkham Asylum at once.

And this monster attacked his friends.

"Why?" Robin asked more to himself than anyone. "Why attack Titans East? If he wanted to shake up the Justice League, why not come here too? Why not go for me? I have a closer relationship with Superman than Speedy or Aqualad, so why—?" Red X shook his head.

"He's not doing this to piss of the League, Robin. You know Darkseid. You know he'd never risk his own assets for something so trivial. He's planning something big. I don't know what it is yet, but I already don't like it." The fact that Red X called him by his name was enough to make the boy wonder nervous.

"What about Aqualad and Speedy?"

Robin could practically hear the grimace on Red X's face as he uttered, "They're in more danger than anyone."

*CLIFFHANGER! Oh shit, son! Yeah, I didn't proofread all that well, so I hope I didn't miss any major mistakes. I hope you guys liked it! And hopefully, if a miracle happens, I'll have the next chapter up soon. SO MUCH LOVE!