Cheer Tryouts

**( Kaldur'ahm's point of View)**

(I have hardly had time to think this night. I bring my friends to Atlantis and discover that in the short span since my last visit, a radical group of Purists has risen to torment Atlanteans who do not appear human. I had hoped to show M'gann what a rich society of many subspecies was capable of. Just to give her some hope that her homeland can be better.)

(Only now I have what Robin, well Nightwing would say is 'egg on my face'. How did these Purists gain access to the Palace so easily that they, with their leader Ocean-Master were able to abduct the Queen who is with child and also kill the prince consort, Aquaman's father. ALL WHILE I WAS IN THE PALACE!!!)

(Easy Kaldur, do not succumb to the emotions raging inside.  I feel as though I am missing something, however.)

While Kaldur raged on the inside he still led Logan and M'gann to where Orm's intelligence said an entry to a possible cave lay. Swimming along the trench and looking for the hidden entrance he only notices the danger when a bolder lands in front of him blocking the way forward. Looking up he saw 30+ figures on the cliffs above them. "AMBUSH!!!" 

**(Scene Shift)**

In a cave not far from the city, Queen Atlanna began to stir awake. She lifted her hand to rub her face only to have her hand stop with the sound of a chain rattle. Panic burned the last of the sleepiness from her mind. She looked around and found herself in a kneeling position with both wrists chained to the floor stopping her from being able to rise to her feet. 

Looking around at her surroundings, she sees a giant oyster carved into a Throne several steps above her. She heard movement behind her, but the chains prevented her from turning to see who entered the room. Seeing the figure that had abducted her from the Palace she had flames in her eyes and asked, "What is the meaning of this, what do you want with me?"

The figure in black and purple just looked at her for a few moments as if weighing his words. Ocean-Master, "I want what is mine. But first, I WANT YOUR POWER!!!" 

The trident the figure held began to glow and with horror, she recognized the weapon as the Trident of Neptune. Legends say It can temporarily absorb magic from a group to use for empowering the wielder's spells. But it can permanently absorb the magic from the royal family to enhance one's power so long as the wielder is of royal bloodline as well. 

**(Scene Shift)** The Ambush

Kaldur watched as 15 purists linked their magic to attack Logan. Locking him down with pain to try and stop his shape-changing ability. 8 combine to do the same to M'gann. (I feared this. Even if I didn't doubt Chancellor Orm, I don't trust the loyalty of his inner circle. I also have begun to doubt the Chancellor as well, the only ones I don't doubt are my own inner circle.) His thoughts are interrupted by the mind-numbing pain of a combined spell pinning him against the trench wall.

Fortunately, Kaldur's trust was not misplaced. The group of purists focusing on the three in the trench panicked when they themselves were ambushed from behind. Kaldur'ahm's inner circle he summoned to follow him just after leaving the palace grounds includes his best friend Garth, La'gaan, Blubber, Lori, King Sha'ark, and of course his love Tula.

  Blubber used his sonic attacks to disrupt the purists' ability to link their minds in magic, breaking the spells that held Kaldur, Logan, and M'gann down. La'gann used the strength from his forearms and shins in close combat, breaking any limb he could reach so long as it was a purist limb. Garth and Tula fought with their superior magic as the prize students of the Conservatory of Magic.

King Sha'ark was battling a close combat specialist that he felt pretty sure was a fellow student.  There were just so many similarities to be ignored. Bringing the hooded figure in close King Sha'ark shouted, "Let's get that hood off, the painful way!" As he lunged forward to bite the head of the purist. The figure tried to push King Sha'ark's head away but lacked the strength. 

Lucky for the Purist Lori refused to stand by as her friend became a killer and used the muscles of her lower body to knock the Purist out of range from getting his head taken off by the enraged shark. Lori, "Sha'ark NO!!!".

  King Sha'ark's teeth still took a piece of the purist, its arm to be more specific. King Sha'ark, "Lemaris, don't ever do that again or I can't guarantee I won't enter a blood frenzy and forget you are a friend."

Lori, "You will never kill an Atlantean while I am around Nanaue! Now get that thing out of your teeth!!"

King Sha'ark spit the arm out, "Tasted terrible!!!" 

The one-armed Purist fled the fight as quickly as it could, not seeing the water move behind him.

**(Scene Shift)** Back to Ocean Master

The trident of Neptune glowed a blue-white color as it drained the very life force of the Queen of all Atlantis, who was bound to the ground. Ocean-Master's body glowed with vitality as the stolen life force flowed into him.

  Atlanna, "Stop...Please stop! It is not just my life force you drain; my child suffers before it is even born!!!" 

Ocean-Master, "The tragedy of a child never bothered you before Whore!!! Why should it bother me now? I was born out of wedlock because you fled your obligations. Had you been here to satisfy King Orvax Marius, I would never have been born to such a pathetic fate. Of noble blood but disastrous birth." Foam flew from his mouth as he screamed. 

Ocean-Master, "Had you died on the surface or at least never returned, I would have brought glory to my mother as an heir to the Atlantean Throne. But your return turned me into a shameful secret never allowed to see the light. Then you gave birth to that MUTANT Namor and his strength overshadowed all Atlanteans!"

Ocean-Master, "I would have served under Namor's strength and simply accepted my place as inferior to him. But then on the eve of our rise to being true masters of this world your FIRSTBORNE ruined everything and even received the grace of Great King Atlan."

Ocean-Master, "So forgive my indifference to the newest heir to the Throne of Atlantis. It may seem a tragedy to you that such a child will not survive the night. But at least the babe will die in good company. With your power, I shall bring ruin to all those Atlanteans that dare come within 5 leagues of me and not have the mark of my favor! EKKA0APIETE mIRADESKAI AKAOAPTA!!" Ocean-Masters spell blasted out in waves. 

**(Scene Shift)**

The battle between the purists and Kaldur's group was coming to a close, with many of the purists floating in unconsciousness. 

Garth, "Victory is at hand!!!"

King Sha'ark, "And then we feast on the losers!"

Lori, "NO, we do not!"

Suddenly a magical wave hit everyone, and they lost their strength. Almost like half their vitality was missing suddenly. As the lethargy hit them, they struggled to even think straight. M'gann looked around in confusion wondering why everyone was suddenly in pain. 

Kaldur, "So weak suddenly, what is happening?"

Purist, "The master has succeeded! The impure are being cleansed. The tide of battle now turns in our favor. Finish off the Fish-Heads, the race traitors, and the Earther!"

M'gann, "I am no Earther I'm from M'arzz!"

A Purist raises her blade above King Sha'ark, "Shall we begin the slaughter with the so-called King of Nanauve? That will send a splendid message to all City-States of Atlantis!

King Sha'ark, "Do. Your. Worst, For my. People... will feast on all Poseidonis!" 

As King Sha'ark finished his panting speech, a cloud of a black ink-like substance surrounded the battlefield. 

Purist, "What sorcery is this?"

Kaldur, "That is no sorcery, it is TOPO!

As the purists flayed around in the darkness laid down by Topo, he grabbed King Sha'ark and dragged him from danger.

King Sha'ark, "No.. Chum. Can never.. Rescue the King Sha'ark!"

Topo, "Quiet... Or they will use your big mouth to find us! I am too weak to argue with you, much less fight them!"

  Tula carried Kaldur and said, "This will be just a small reprieve. I can see nothing in this ink cloud so we cannot take advantage of the chance Topo bought us!"

M'gann thought to Logan, {What do we do?}

Logan, {Calm yourself M'gann, use your Martian vision to see through the cloud, no one else can see as clearly as you can.} 

M'gann, {But I am too weak to take advantage of what I see!!!}

  Logan, {It is not that you are weak M'gann, you have more strength than any in the Young Justice team, and many others that are in the actual Justice League. You just have no aggression in you, no drive to get what you want. I don't know if it was the 40-plus years of your people telling you that you are inferior or if it was the helplessness of your family to protect you. But somewhere you learned to act weaker, no lesser than those around you in order to fit in or at least not draw attention to yourself, and that handicaps you now when you really need to be strong for your friends. Let go and act as you wish with no concern for how anyone sees you. I believe you are strong enough to protect everyone!!!} 

All her life she was told she was lesser, not worthy, or wanted. When she allowed others to put her down so they could feel better she was tolerated and given some small acknowledgement. But now she was on Earth with friends who didn't care what color her skin was, she had a wonderful relationship with Connor who said he loved her for her, not what she could do for him. She understood what she tried to do was wrong, but he was responsible for making her do it so she could move on from him now. Finding someone who would just accept her no matter what she did was her new goal. 

But before that, she had to show herself, she was strong. Like Megan did at Cheer tryouts. 

**I know it's cringe, but that is her personality at this point still.**