04x14 - Nautical Twilight

[bunniefuu]

[somber music playing]

[Kaldur sighs]

- You okay?
- It is hard.

We have done our duty.

Notified Conner's friends and family,

attended multiple memorial services,

and the lighting of this hologram.

Yet, it still does not seem real.

Maybe you need to take
a moment to process.

You know, when Tula d*ed,
you never had time to mourn.

Instead, you immediately went
undercover with Black Manta.

And when Wally d*ed, I was a total jerk,

and dumped the whole team on you,

not thinking about your grief at all.

I understood.

And Aquaman resigned,

and you not only took up his mantle,

but lead the Justice League
through some of its darkest hours.

And now Conner?

Kaldur, you've always been
the leader, the adult,

the rock we all lean on,

but maybe you need to take a break,

before all this breaks you.

No, I will be fine. I have to be.

Thank you for your concern,

but I have a conference
tomorrow in Poseidonis

which I must prepare for.

[sighs]

[Ocean-Master speaking]

[theme music playing]

[Artur laughs]

[indistinct conversation]

[Mera Nereus speaking]

[casting spell]

Delegates of the great
city-states of Atlantis,

I welcome you to the opening ceremonies

of our annual conference.

Since we have new faces here,

allow me to introduce my cabinet.

Mera Nereus, Princess of Xebel,

Queen of Atlantis,

Headmistress of
the Conservatory of Sorcery,

and Minister of Magic.

Vulko of Poseidonis,
Minister of Science.

Commander Ondine of Poseidonis,
Minister of Security.

Garth of Crastinus,
Minister of Diplomacy.

And Kaldur'ahm of Shayeris,

Aquaman of the Justice League,

and Minister of Justice.

And now, if the delegates
would be so kind.

I am Lord Ronal of Crastinus
in the Arctic Ocean.

Prime Minister Topo of
Lemuria in the North Pacific.

Emissary Coral of Neptunos
in the South Pacific.

I am Nanaue Sha'ark,

King of Nanauve and the Southern Ocean.

General Lori Lemaris of
Tritonis in the Indian Ocean.

First Citizen Calvin Durham of
Shayeris in the North Atlantic.

[Ronal] And from Xebel
in the South Atlantic,

no one.

Xebel insults us with
this absence. I'm leaving.

Seems a shame to depart
without accomplishing anything.

[growls angrily]

My friends, I am certain the
delegate from Xebel will join us

by the time the conference
proper begins tomorrow.

We did have plans for this day,

but let us adjourn.

We invite you all to sample
the pleasures of Poseidonis.

[growls softly]

See how Orin flaunts the wealth
of Poseidonis to shame us.

You must contact your father again.

He must send someone.

Anyone who can be here by tomorrow.

[sighs] I will try.

[Artur laughing]

[La'gaan] Artur, help me.

I'm completely surrounded.

Never fear, La'gaan.

Aquaboy will save you.

[laughs]

Neptune's beard. You saved me, Aquaboy.

You're a hero.

[chuckles softly]

Hi. How did it go?

[chuckles softly] As expected.

And, as expected,

you are going to be
a wonderful father. [chuckles]

[scoffs] You'll do all right.

- [La'gaan chuckles]
- [Coral moans softly]

We appreciate you keeping
an eye on the prince.

He was keeping an eye on me.

Aquaboy keeps his eyes on everyone.

[kisses] I will see you
back at the palace.

[Artur] Where's Mother going?

To talk to your grandfather.

- Uh-oh.
- Uh-oh, indeed. Come on.

- Up for a night on the town?
- A short one.

- I get tired.
- Lori, General Lemaris, wait.

- You are off duty?
- For the night, yes.

[sighs] A year ago,

I never would have believed
I could have this life.

What say you show Delphis around?

She rarely gets to see Poseidonis.

Uh, Sha'lain'a, I'm sure
Kaldur and Wyynde...

- Would love to host you.
- It would be our pleasure.

[Conner] Always.

- [loud blast]
- [screams]

[panting]

Whoa, that b*mb really
knocked me for a loop.

M'gann?

M'gann, where are you?

Uh...

Or where am I?

M'gann.

Our mental link... is severed.

[gasps]

Hey... Hey, are you okay?

Ma'al.

[gasps]

No heat signatures for either of us.

That's impossible. Unless...

Are we dead?

[Delphis] Ah, this is amazing.

Poseidonis is so much shinier
than Shayeris.

[sighs]

That is one source of trouble
between the city-states, is it not?

The conflict between the haves
and have nots?

Mm, I saw the same thing in Mumbai.

Indeed. Bridging those gaps

is one of King Orin's
greatest challenges.

Save politics for the conference.

Algae, anyone?

Three orders of Black Gold. Enjoy.

Thank you, Minkis. We will.

Uh, how do I...

Simply squeeze and chew.

Whoa! It's good.

Go easy.

Wyynde always orders the hard stuff.

Why bother with anything else?

[Delphis] It is still hilarious that one
can get drunk on algae. [chuckles]

- I should go say hello.
- [sighs] We all should.

Kaldur'ahm.

Lori Lemaris.

Allow me to introduce you
to our friend, Delphis.

Hello, Delphis, lovely to meet you.

You look well, Lori.

And you look the same, Wyynde.

Like an eel eager to slither back to Orm

now that he has escaped from prison.

Lori, please, that was ten years ago.

Wyynde was young, impressionable.

An idiot. A Purist idiot.

I am ashamed of my actions,

even my thoughts, back then.

And someday I hope to prove
to you that I have changed.

Well, if Kaldur loves you,

I suppose there's hope.

Well, if it isn't the little General.

Get drunk somewhere else, Sha'ark.

Finally, you show some teeth.

If only the rest of Tritonis

had your mettle when I
annexed its lower territory.

You att*cked without provocation.

Weakness is its own provocation, chum.

Ah-poh-shohn!

- [Sha'ark grunts]
- [all gasp]

[snickers]

Now, this is my kind of diplomacy.

- [Sha'ark grunts]
- Stop this!

[Sha'ark growls]

We are here to put
old conflicts behind us.

Save your grievances
for the delegates' table.

You must not forget,

we were all friends
and schoolmates once.

Hm. I respect your strength, schoolmate,

but don't hold out too much
hope for tomorrow's conference.

Our High King needs
more than a translation spell

to understand our grievances.

For once, I am forced to agree.

[seagull squawking]

Gabrielle?

No, I mean Violet.

I had no wish to
startle you, mo... Madia...

Mrs. Daou, or Dr. Daou.

Uh, it's fine.

I know it must be strange to see...

Yes, strange.

But I'm glad you came.

I wanted to thank you.

I believe Samad and I
owe our visas to you.

Oh, it was Secretary General Troia.

Who only knew about us
because of you, correct?

Please, come in.

- Thanks.
- You just missed Samad.

Did I?

Um, how is he?

He has a new job on a fishing boat.

This child of the desert has
never fished a day in his life,

but he seems to love it. [chuckles]

And how are you doing?

Well, I was an eye surgeon
in Qurac before the w*r.

Now I sell sunglasses
at the Sunglass Igloo.

I'm hoping my medical
credentials will transfer,

but for now, it's a living.

Is... there a reason you came by?

The thing is,

I know Gabrielle's faith
was very important to her,

and I wanted to explore

whether Islam might hold meaning for me.

Uh... Oh? Well, I'd love to help you.

What would you like to know?

[Orin] Was he really the best
we could get?

It was all I could do
to get my father to send him.

[sighs]

I hereby call this conference to order,

and welcome the delegate
from Xebel. Bishop Beluga.

King Nereus continues to mock us

by sending one so insignificant.

More experienced leaders would be here

if Nanauve wasn't k*lling them in
raids staged across our borders.

I'll take that as a compliment.

We have lost some of the
old guard to recent battle.

While others have
voluntarily stepped down

in accordance with
our teachings and prophecies.

We are here to discuss many issues,

including increased hostility
between our borders,

and inside our algae bars.

But we must remain civil
if we hope to find solutions.

Nanauve's incursions
upon the territories...

[Sha'ark] Our waters
are warming, thanks to

your surface friends, Orin.

It's k*lling my kingdom's krill,

the backbone of our food chain.

Nanauve must take
more territory to survive.

- [Ronal] Keep moving or die.
- [Sha'ark] Exactly!

[Superboy] No, I can't be dead.

I can feel my heart b*at, so I'm alive,

unless heartbeats are
just a ghostly habit.

But you've got one too.

And you're breathing.

So if we're both alive,

why can't I touch you?

I mean, the ground feels solid enough

or is that just because
I took it for granted.

Did I take for granted that
you are a ghost I can't touch?

Maybe if I believe you're solid.

Okay, then.

Tell you what.

I'll believe you're alive
if you believe I'm alive.

Deal?

Um...

I'm searching for answers
to so many questions,

but maybe we can start with the hijab.

Gabrielle wore it, and I've been

reluctant to stop, but I don't know why.

Why do you wear it?

Like most things of import, the hijab
is many things to many people.

Different Muslim women wear it
for different reasons,

and some don't wear it at all.

Personally, I choose
to wear the hijab as,

a constant and comforting
reminder of my faith.

A reminder that life
on Earth is temporary.

And I must use my time wisely

to do good and be
the best person I can be.

I imagine it's not unlike the reasons

why your super friends
wear such a variety of symbols.

Isn't that true, Halo?

Uh... You know?

Of course, you know. You saw
the footage from Markovia last year.

It was hard to miss...

Agh!

Ah!

This is your gift. It's...

A work in progress.

Healing other people is difficult.

But I'm trying.

Trying is all any of us can do.

With the hijab, I try to invite others

to focus on more than
my outer appearance,

to look past the unrealistic
standards of society

and see the woman I am inside.

I would like to be judged on
who I am inside,

but would that still work
if I wasn't exactly a woman?

What do you mean?

I just have so many questions.

Would it be all right to continue to
wear the hijab while I seek answers?

[chuckles softly]

Many Muslim women,
especially young women like you,

begin wearing the hijab
inspired by family or tradition,

before deciding why
or whether it matters to them.

In the end, you must follow your heart.

Climate change and pollution
from the surface

is devastating our oceans.

Thought your embassy
was supposed to fix that.

It is my highest priority.

But too many surface dwellers
are foolish and stubborn,

obsessed with short-term
economic concerns

that blind them to the larger
issues facing our planet.

We have larger issues down here.

I left the surface world because a
lack of opportunity created an anger

which Black Manta was eager to exploit.

Yes, yes. We all know your history.

How you betrayed Manta, took his woman,

and raised his son as your own.

Let me be clear, my
biological father is immaterial.

Calvin Durham is my father
in every way that matters.

Indeed. For how else
does a man of his low status

and dubious history merit this table

were he not father
to the great Kaldur'ahm.

Ronal, can you please, for one minute,

stop being such a pompous codfish.

I... I'm sorry. I meant no offense.

Everything said of me is true.

My absence of options on land
caused me to make bad choices.

Now I see many of the same problems

in Shayeris that I saw
in my native San Diego.

The wealth that begets opportunity,

seen on easy display in Poseidonis

is largely absent from the other cities.

Aye, that we can agree on.

I appreciate your
directness, all of you.

I will not pretend the
way forward will be easy,

but my Cabinet and I believe
we have viable solutions

if we work tog...

[all screaming]

[sighs] Maybe we are dead.

Maybe this is some sort of
Kryptonian afterlife.

You're not Kryptonian, are you?

Hmm. Don't even know your name.

I gotta call you something,

Maybe... Ghosty?

Yeah, everyone tells me
I suck at naming.

Still it's better than
"Coma Girl," right?

[sighs] What am I babbling about?

I need to get you help
and there's none here.

So I guess we keep moving.

But which way?

There's only mist and rocks
for miles in every direction.

Except...

In infrared.

A heat trail.

That's something anyway.

What do you think, Ghosty?

My sentiments exactly.

[grunts]

[screaming]

[grunts]

Agh!

Brother, you have made a grave error.

Do not think of me
as your brother, Orin.

I am sure I do not.

[yelling]

[grunts]

[grunts]

Agh!

[gasps]

Rodunn!

Coral, please! The baby!

Rodunn is hurt. I must go to my husband.

[growling]

[grunts]

Move!

My wife and husband are there.

Coral, is he... Is the baby.

We will all be fine if
Ocean-Master is stopped.

The trident's too powerful.

- Agh!
- I can't maintain my construct.

[grunts]

Agh!

[yelling]

[grunts]

[all grunt]

Kaldur! La'gann!

Time to cull...

[all gasp]

Who dares?

[screaming]

[screaming continues]

What is Islam?

Again, like all faiths, it is
many things to many people.

And the Muslim community
is hardly monolithic.

But the basic tenets
are not complicated.

There is no God but God.

No God but the creator
of the heaven and the earth

and everything. in between.

I met one who called herself a god.

She had tremendous power,

but was abusive, petty, spiteful,

greedy, destructive,

poisonous.

Then she was not a god.

She was not God.

God would never cause such pain
and hardship, nor condone such abuse.

Then what is God?

In our teachings,

God has names, including
Al-Rahim, The Most Compassionate.

Al-Ra'uf, The Most Merciful,

and Al-Hafiz, The Protector.

These are all attributes
you may reflect upon

should you continue this journey.

I found I was proud of you
for turning down

King Brion's offer to be his queen.

I believe you are on a good path,

and I believe I would like to see

where this path leads you.

Wherever it leads you.

Thank you.

Where's the man who saved us?

Who was he?

[grunts]

He had power.

True power.

Orin, the Prophecy.

We'll discuss it later.

Poseidonis needs us.

Are you all right?

I am fine.

I have to be.

Ocean-Master is out there

and we must find him.

[grunts]

Who was that man?

Who in all the Seven Seas

could command such power and defeat me?

I do not know, but please calm yourself.

You are injured.

And in the end, you
will triumph, my Prince.

Do not call me Prince!

I reject that title.

Now and forever,

I am Orm, the Ocean-Master.

[Harper] So, how did it go with Madia?

[Violet] It went well, but the
search for any answer reminds me

of how many more questions I have.

Like what?

[Violet] I have been
considering my gender.

And I believe it's time I decide
upon my preferred pronouns.

Okay, cool.

Uh, what are you thinking?

[Violet] I'm not sure.

I am not troubled by she and her.

Yet, perhaps they and them
are a better fit for me?

[Harper] The whole point is for
you to decide what fits you best.

[Violet] Hmm.

Aside from the fact that I am the
sum of both Gabrielle and Motherbox,

I feel my true gender is non-binary

neither just female nor just male.

So I believe I prefer "they."

That's great!

World, allow me to
introduce you to Violet Harper.

They are the best person I know.

[Violet] Hello, world.
[giggles] Nice to meet you.