"I— my team was the best I could have asked for. True friends, all of them." Kaldur looks down at his webbed hands as he says it, before lifting his goblet and downing it, slowly.
"But we were children. It was created as a team for us, by us, as children. Many of them are still children, now, though most of us who founded the team have remained with it."
He thinks back, back to the training gone horribly wrong, how M'gann had wrested control of that dream and they all had to live with the scars later.
"When we started— we did not have a clear leader. More a confederation of friends, united by cause. But you cannot fight battles united without someone to take command, read the field, and lead, that each individual does not, by accident, inhibit his friends. In one of our first missions... I was elected that leader." He did not want it, then, has not ever wanted it since. The greatest thing of that terrible, awful week before he came to this world was he could finally step down.
"I had made it clear that I was only the interim leader, until the one who should have lead that team. Who will be leading that team, when I returned, was old enough. He was thirteen. In my country, my kingdom, that is old enough to enter the army, to be considered adult. But not in his, and for all his wisdom and strategy and cunning, Robin was not an adult. Not then."
I am not fit for command and must resign as team leader.
Who do you recommend to take your place?
Artemis is too raw and untrusting. Kid Flash too rash and impulsive. Miss Martian remains too eager to please. Superboy carries too much anger.
Making Robin the logical choice.
But he is so young.
Kaldur, you're all young.
I cannot shift this burden to him. Not yet. It appears I must withdraw my resignation.
"They all— there were reasons, they could not carry that burden, and to lean on one of them, I would have needed to lean on them all. And it was me, that they would turn to for guidance. I was the one who must remain steady, and strong." And he would. He would stand strong, and remain steady, and damn himself if it meant that they could take the strength form him to stand on their own, and be the incredible individuals that they were, that they were meant to be. If that meant he was trapped within a wall of his own making, just trying to breathe with the waves over his head and the water stagnant-still around him with no air, so be it.
But those are thoughts and pains that he should not dwell on. For the first time, here... he thinks that he might have those he could turn to, if he must fall apart. Maybe.
"Other heroes are often filled with awe, even when you know them when they are at rest. And when they are legends even to you? That awe is only greater." Kaldur smirks, half a moment. "Even when you have seen them half-awake, in pink bunny slippers and pajamas."
Kaldur fills his goblet again, and is grateful that he had not quite raised it to his lips when Diarmuid answers. Definitely would have been a spit-take, there, and as it his he sputters back laughter. "—What!?" That grin turns all ribbing humor. "Why Dia, I would have never thought it in you."
Once he manages to get his amusement to a more manageable level, he drinks again, and thinks. "I am not sure I have ever been so... scandalous. All of my liaisons had to be discreet, and well ordered. I am afraid, I am rather boring, in that respect." He pauses a minute, before giving Diarmuid a grin. "Positions, however— water allows for much more flexibility in movement and support than air, especially for those born to it."
He taps his goblet against his chin, pondering. "If you could have a skill or power not granted to you before, what would it be? And what skill or power would you trade for it?"
no subject
"But we were children. It was created as a team for us, by us, as children. Many of them are still children, now, though most of us who founded the team have remained with it."
He thinks back, back to the training gone horribly wrong, how M'gann had wrested control of that dream and they all had to live with the scars later.
"When we started— we did not have a clear leader. More a confederation of friends, united by cause. But you cannot fight battles united without someone to take command, read the field, and lead, that each individual does not, by accident, inhibit his friends. In one of our first missions... I was elected that leader." He did not want it, then, has not ever wanted it since. The greatest thing of that terrible, awful week before he came to this world was he could finally step down.
"I had made it clear that I was only the interim leader, until the one who should have lead that team. Who will be leading that team, when I returned, was old enough. He was thirteen. In my country, my kingdom, that is old enough to enter the army, to be considered adult. But not in his, and for all his wisdom and strategy and cunning, Robin was not an adult. Not then."
I am not fit for command and must resign as team leader.
Who do you recommend to take your place?
Artemis is too raw and untrusting. Kid Flash too rash and impulsive. Miss Martian remains too eager to please. Superboy carries too much anger.
Making Robin the logical choice.
But he is so young.
Kaldur, you're all young.
I cannot shift this burden to him. Not yet. It appears I must withdraw my resignation.
"They all— there were reasons, they could not carry that burden, and to lean on one of them, I would have needed to lean on them all. And it was me, that they would turn to for guidance. I was the one who must remain steady, and strong." And he would. He would stand strong, and remain steady, and damn himself if it meant that they could take the strength form him to stand on their own, and be the incredible individuals that they were, that they were meant to be. If that meant he was trapped within a wall of his own making, just trying to breathe with the waves over his head and the water stagnant-still around him with no air, so be it.
But those are thoughts and pains that he should not dwell on. For the first time, here... he thinks that he might have those he could turn to, if he must fall apart. Maybe.
"Other heroes are often filled with awe, even when you know them when they are at rest. And when they are legends even to you? That awe is only greater." Kaldur smirks, half a moment. "Even when you have seen them half-awake, in pink bunny slippers and pajamas."
Kaldur fills his goblet again, and is grateful that he had not quite raised it to his lips when Diarmuid answers. Definitely would have been a spit-take, there, and as it his he sputters back laughter. "—What!?" That grin turns all ribbing humor. "Why Dia, I would have never thought it in you."
Once he manages to get his amusement to a more manageable level, he drinks again, and thinks. "I am not sure I have ever been so... scandalous. All of my liaisons had to be discreet, and well ordered. I am afraid, I am rather boring, in that respect." He pauses a minute, before giving Diarmuid a grin. "Positions, however— water allows for much more flexibility in movement and support than air, especially for those born to it."
He taps his goblet against his chin, pondering. "If you could have a skill or power not granted to you before, what would it be? And what skill or power would you trade for it?"