^^ Kaldur as Aquaman ^^

— Erin —

I was traveling without the portals, just enjoying the leisure time. I realized I'd been working again, just like before, non-stop; a few fun breaks, but when I was working, that's all I could think about. My obsessive compulsive nature was ruining the fun of things for me again. Even fun things, like building a city, it became some arduous task that required my full attention, instead of what it should have been; something fun.

I shook my head and looked out the windshield. "Alright, Helix; how's the Star Labs contract for my material going? Has Lex Luthor caught wind of it yet?"

"It's been placed into the news that you and Star Labs are creating a new material that the government is interested in, and spread by word of mouth in the criminal sides, -both street-scum and millionaire-scum,- that the material is your ticket to freedom from the League of Shadows. I made sure some of Luthor's ears picked up on it from several irrefutable sources. Won't be long now."

"Good... and how's the UN's contract coming along? You made sure the contract says I'll be paid in land-fills and property, and be allowed to take all the garbage therein, as well as any future dumps? And you set up a cave where it can all be sorted and catalogued before destruction?" I hummed.

"Why sort and catalogue that stuff?" He asked, confused.

"First of all: do you know how many bodies have been dumped in landfills, and the murder trials have never gone forward? Or nuclear Waste illegally dumped and poisoning wildlife? Second of all: we need to know what burns best, and what gives us the best materials for other things. Third: We'll need the biological material, considering I plan on repopulating near-extinct animals, trees, and obviously the fishes and coral we've already begun." I chuckled.

"Ahh... where will the animals go?" He pulled up a map of our territory.

I smiled and zoomed out the map, showing everything from the coast of China to the beaches of California. "Once we have the governments give us the entirety of the Pacific Ocean, we will have tens of thousands of square miles of open ocean to build sanctuaries for these animals; islands that match their natural habitats perfectly, by way of the Nth Metal domes that can be used to replicate the weather and temperature of their habitats. Homes with no humans to poach them, just prey to hunt and mates to procreate with."

"I see... should I include that in the deal with the UN?"

"Yes. I'd like the unclaimed waters of the Pacific, in exchange for being the world's free trash disposal. Also, you'll be sending weekly reports to every law enforcement agency in the world, with any evidence of killings or other crimes you can find from the trash in their areas. That's the reason it needs to be catalogued, my dear." I nodded.

"Understood, I'll set up a subroutine for it... done; a whole whopping 20% of my Ram, 20 million quantum computers, all helping solve crimes... with trash." He laughed ironically, and I smiled.

"You Joke, my friend, but we'll be doing more good for the world than any team of vigilantes ever could, and all without breaking the law. Working within the law is much more doable than they seem to think, and we'll be helping save the earth, as well, a nice little bonus." I chuckled, and set a search for suitable locations for islands of various types, considering the different species' and souls and terrains they needed to live. Almost before I finished typing the commands, there were thousands of hits, each one close enough to the surface at high tide that just a few dozen tons of dirt and rocks could make them viable islands.

I grinned as an idea hit me, and started designing coral reefs with solid canopies for each island, which would not only provide the dirt and plants with nutrients and physical support, but also provide a sheltered reef for the fish, which would be nearly impenetrable by any predators. The Thanagarian Salt-Snakes would filter some of the water, making ponds and streams on the surface, which would provide clean drinking water to the animals and the plants.

"Ingenious... the Salt-Snakes will protect the fish from sea-predators, and also provide clean water to the surface animals and the trees! And the Barrier Reefs will hide the Dome, which will keep out any outside people or diseased animals, ensuring a proper breeding ground for the selected breeds... does this seem a little like playing god to you? Sofia warned me to inform you if you started playing god."

I smiled. "No, darlin', I'm not playing god, I'm just being a conservation scientist. If I started trying to alter the animals to suit my needs, that would be crossing a line. I'm just saving these species', because they're part of the global Ecosystem, and they're dying out. They need a hero just as much as the humans do, and seeing as the only proponents of The Green on this planet are villains, I'm doing my best."

"Alright... I'll remember that, if you ever start creating your own special animals."

"Oh, I do hope so. After all, looking after my Psyche and making sure I don't turn into a super villain or a mad scientist is your prime directive, Helix." I frowned.

"Of course, Erin. Either way, the islands will be started, once we have permission to alter them. Most are in international waters, so we just need to inform the agencies that record mapping of ocean currents, then we can begin. Though, I do have to ask, where will the coral get sunlight?"

"They won't, of course, the ones under the islands. The ones around the island will get their sunlight naturally, but the ones under the island will prey on the bodies of the fishes. It's Scavenger Coral, the subterranean sort, therefore it doesn't require sunlight." I explained.

"Ah, I see. Alright, I'll get to work... and it seems we have visitors. Engaging defenses, quietly." The plane whipped into a slide, circling my island, and I identified Kaldur and Aquaman.

"They're Allies, Idjit!" I sighed, and dropped out of the jet as it turned to smoke around me. I landed with a small, near-silent splash of water behind them, and stood as they both whipped around, aiming weapons at me until they recognized me. "How rude...ah well! 'Ello, boys, what brings you here?" I asked casually, and walked past them into the Tea-House.

"Hello, Doctor Erin. I hear you've branched out into psychotherapy, now?" Aquaman asked, sitting on the edge of the porch.

"An experiment, nothing more. Now if it works, well... then I might deign to work in the lower sciences yet again. I'm already dealing in Marine Science, after all, so really, how much lower can I go on the scientific community totem pole?" I chuckled.

He snorted. "You know, that's slightly insulting, considering you're talking to two Atlanteans."

"And? You're not a subject of Marine Biology. You're a subject of Sub-Aquatic Mammalian Biology, and as such are a member of the Standard Biology subcategory of Meta/InHuman Biology. Marine Biology is Fish, Arthur Curry. You may be able to speak to them, but you're not a Fish... unless you've got something to tell us all?" I smiled at him teasingly, and began brewing a pot of coffee.

He nodded. "I do, actually. We were here to invite you to come to the watchtower. We've got something of an announcement to make."

"Has your son been born? Congratulations, I wasn't sure how long an Atlantean's Gestation period was." I hummed, and poured the coffee as it finished brewing almost instantly, because of the super-thermal temperature of the water, a product of my own making.

He blinked slowly. "My son... was born two years ago?"

"Oh... hmm... My apologies if I ruined any surprises. I wasn't sure if she had miscarried or not, I didn't mean to be indelicate." I shrugged.

His eyes widened, and then he glanced at Kaldur. "What? I- no, either way, no, it's something else. Are you coming or not?" He asked impatiently.

"Sure, I didn't have anything better to do than listen to you retire as Aquaman." I shrugged casually and tossed back the piping hot coffee, cleaning up the kettle and walking back over towards him swiftly.

He frowned. "How-... I'm beginning to understand why Diana likes you. You both know just how to irritate me."

I smiled and slung an arm over Kaldur's shoulder. "Yeah, it's a skill set of us Amazons. Anyway, Sofia, Helix, Terran? Come on." I beckoned, and a pair of portals opened.

Sofia laced her boot swiftly, as she'd been in the middle of tying them, and she and Terran joined us quickly. "Where we going?"

"A Party of sorts. Helix?" I asked him, raising an eyebrow.

'Why would I want to go to the Watchtower?'

'You're going to establish an untractable backdoor into their system, and download every byte of data that they have.' I answered easily.

"Ooh, Okay, sure. Let me put something snazzy on." He chuckled, and his clothes morphed into a three-piece tuxedo, plus top hat.

I raised an eyebrow slowly. "Wow. You are definitely the weirdest AI I've ever created..."

He grinned and clapped his hands, opening a portal in front of us, directly into the Watchtower. "I am what I am, Doctor!"

I chuckled and led the group through the portal, waving to Captain Atom while he slowly lowered his glowing fists. "Hey guys! Sorry about the unauthorized entry, I just really hate those Zeta Beam things. Very weird feeling. Now what's the big to-do that needed my attention? I was just about to get some very well earned R&R." I looked around faux-cluelessly, and nudged Kaldur to stand next to Aquaman.

Arthur nodded to the large group of Leaguers, and they gathered around the U-shaped table where the League made its decisions. "My friends... the time has come, for something we've spoken about before, in some small capacity...-"

I walked over to the window, looking down at the earth and tuning him out as he gave a long, heartfelt speech about his time with the League, and his apprentice, long proven a hero in his own right, taking his place.

I didn't really know them well enough to share in the camaraderie, nor did I feel I was a member of their group, not even a rookie member. I'd been in this Dimension for 2 weeks, and in that time, I'd only really thought of myself, with very few notable exceptions. I wasn't selfless enough to be a hero. Not their kind, anyway.

"There are many ways to be a hero." I smiled, remembering my mother giving me a lecture when I was seven, and I wanted to join the Navy, to be a hero, just like Papa. I was so naive.

"That's True. Care for some company?" Conner asked, holding out a flute of champagne.

"You don't want to give me alcohol, but I appreciate the gesture." I waved a hand at the glass.

"Ah, right, inhibition removal. Bad idea, yup." He nodded and downed his, sipping at the one he'd gotten for me. "You're not joining in?" He pointed a thumb at the people already getting a party started, congratulating Kaldur and Arthur.

"I'm not really the party type... and only five or so people here are even on my radar for friendship, much less friends already. Not counting my partners, of course." I shrugged.

He hummed. "You know, that's sort of what parties are about... you meet new people, have fun, let loose a little."

"I have my own methods for 'letting loose', Kon-El, and not that kind. I relax in peace and quiet, and I listen to the sounds of the Waves. They calm me. Or I go get into a fight, that's another way to let off steam." I chuckled.

He grinned. "That I understand. Well, if you change your mind, we're not shy, and most of us are actually kinda cool." He laughed, and rejoined the party, grabbing Megann into a tight hug.

"Huh. Cute." I shook my head, and smiled when Terran joined me, hiding inside his hoodie. "A little too much at once, huh?" I commented.

He nodded silently, and twitched when Captain Marvel laughed aloud, causing a thunderclap.

I patted his head, and nodded. "Sofia? Terran is going home, would you like to stay a while longer?"

She appeared at our side a few moments later, and hugged him gently. "Off we go, then! It seems alcohol has no effect on me, anyway, so most of the rest of this party will be without merit, if I cannot get drunk and embarrass myself." She chuckled.

"I'll make some alcohol at home that'll do the trick... slow-metabolizing hyper-ethanol, a condensed form of pure grain alcohol that will give you a decent buzz for at least a few hours." I smiled and patted her butt, pushing her and Terran through a portal into the Tea-House. "Helix?" I looked around, and raised an eyebrow at him when I found him, sitting next to Zatanna and chatting her up.

'Relax, the data download is finished, it's already been transferred to the Fold Drives. My responsibilities are handled, Boss.'

'Alright, you can get yourself home, I suppose... just make sure that your physical body is capable of feeling emotion? I don't want you to hurt Zatanna.' I sighed, and stepped through the portal.

'All over it, Boss. Oh, and the UN would like a word, should I send them to voicemail? Can I please? I've wanted to send the United Nations to voicemail for as long as I've known what that meant.'

'Maybe next time. Put them through to the lab.' I nodded and opened another portal, stepping into the lab, then sitting down and beginning to mix the chemicals necessary for Sofia's single-serving of Hyper-Ethanol, making one for myself as well, though I planned on holding off drinking it for now.

The wall screen blinked on, as I mixed the metabolism-restrictive substance that would help keep the buzz going for a little while longer with the Hyper-Ethanol, which had had all of the remaining spaces between the atomic bonds packed full of the things that made alcohol taste good, so it didn't taste like gasoline.

"Ahem?" One of the sixteen people on the screen cleared their throats.

"I'm fully aware of your presence, I'm the one that accepted the call, smartass." I commented dryly, keeping my eyes on my work.

One of the women amongst the group smiled. "Doctor Filakash, might we have your attention for a moment?"

"President Veronica Marie Gillan, of the United Nations Committee of Public Health and Safety, Co-Chair of the UN's Committee for Conservation of Natural Resources? You already have my attention, or I wouldn't be speaking to you, however I also have things to do; it's called multitasking. Now let's begin; you're calling about my proposal?" I hummed, and set the mixture into the spinner, which would meld the various components together perfectly.

"... We are, in fact... there's a few areas we'd like to look over, if you don't mind?" She spoke clearly, barely concealing her confusion. She was curious how I'd known her name, as no one had said it.

"I do not mind, as I invited this conversation. You'll find that I have little patience for false modesty or mannerisms that waste my valuable time, Madame President." I sighed, and stopped the spinner, setting the tube of alcohol into a holder, and sliding it into the mini-fridge.

"Understood... the committee finds issue with your claim that you will recycle the trash from all the landfills and junkyards of the world. We feel it is impossible, and we fear for the safety of the wildlife in the ocean you inhabit-"

"Despite the fact that you dump toxic and radioactive chemicals into that same ocean and all the others on a daily basis? I have a way to recycle the different types of materials, and it helps my conservation efforts in regards to the air-quality of the world from the lack of trees, the many near-extinct animals of the world, the ones that are truly important, such as the bees, or tigers, snow leopards, the entire Jungle, -let's not even get into everything that needs saving in the rain forests,- along with the fact that I can use that trash to assist in solving crimes, in a legal manner. So, again, why don't you get to the truth of the matter, as my patience dims with every passing platitude you pass off as a concern for the environment?" I looked up at the screen, and took off my glasses, leaning back slowly.

She was silent for a moment, and one of her colleagues broke in swiftly. "Well, as much as we appreciate the environment, we also have public images to look after-"

"Ahh, the Crux of the matter... you care more about how your countries will react to someone else handling your trash than you care about the worldwide good it will do, for the environment and the various animal species' I'll bring back from the brink of extinction. A selfish, self-centered view of the issue. And one easily rectified. If my laboratory is publicly accredited as a united attempt of all the countries in the UN to combat the Trash Epidemic, you can save face rather easily. The fact that you were too short-sighted to see that gives me pause as to whether I should work with you at all. I prefer my colleagues to be intelligent, after all. If you can't manage at least pretending to be of above-average intelligence, I suggest you stay silent, please and thank you. Now, what other concerns are there?" I asked, looking at the other faces. There were a few moments of purely stunned silence, and I nodded. "Wonderful!!! Let's begin, shall we?"