I bet some of you thought I was over this
Title: Fish And Houseguests
Fandom: Young Justice
Characters/Pairing: The team (and a goldfish)
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1,691
Summary: Wally keeps a pet goldfish at Mount Justice. Kaldur and the goldfish do not get along.
A/N: Written for a prompt on yj_anon_meme (it's an addiction; I know). Involves me wishing I could speak Atlantean and my contribution to the ubiquitous theory that the team watches Disney movies together, for some reason.
"Uh, Wally?" Robin asked, idly tracking the speedster's burdened, wobbly trail through the meeting area. "You…need any help with that?"
"Nope, got it. Thanks!" said Wally's voice from somewhere behind the - Robin would estimate roughly 15 gallon - fish tank in his arms. It was full to the brim with water, lined with gravel and an assortment of fake plants, complete with a little plastic castle that fish could presumably hide in if they so desired.
"How did you even get that here?" Robin inquired. Curiosity getting the better of him, he followed as Wally cautiously ambled his way toward the living area.
Wally paused, hiked the tank higher into his arms with a grunt, and continued onward. "You don't wanna know," he said matter-of-factly, and Robin decided that no, he probably didn't.
He watched as Wally carefully shifted the tank onto a small table set up against the living room wall - so that's why he'd put that there. Wally took several steps back and propped his hands on his hips, surveying his work with noticeable pride.
Robin moved forward and leaned in to inspect the tank.
It contained a single goldfish.
"Gonna start an aquarium?" Robin asked.
"Nah, one's good enough for me," said Wally. Then he snapped his fingers. "I should ask Kaldur if Ringo wants a friend!" he announced, and was gone.
Robin watched in silence as the goldfish circled insouciantly through the water.
"Ringo?" he asked the empty room.
*
"Goldfish do not typically require companionship from other fish," said Kaldur, on the way to the living room. "Given a large enough living space, they do well in groups, but they are not a necessarily social breed."
"Cool," said Wally. "Maybe you can ask him if he wants the tank to himself or not?"
"Certainly."
By the time they made their way to the living room, the entire team was crowded around the tank.
"He's cute," said M'gann, fingertips pressed to the glass; the fish appeared to be inspecting them.
"Why keep a fish in a glass box?" asked Superboy, puzzled.
"They don't do too well on dry carpeting," Robin pointed out.
"Some people keep fish as pets," Artemis explained.
"I thought pets were for playing with. Companionship."
"Usually, but fish are more for show," said Artemis, with a shrug. "They're pretty and low-maintenance. I give this one about a week before Wally kills it, though."
"Hey!"
"Oh, he's back. You named your fish Ringo?"
Kaldur sidestepped the squabbling pair and moved into the space M'gann politely vacated, brushing his hand against the glass. M'gann was busy trying to prevent an encroaching slap fight, but Robin and Superboy watched with interest as the fish darted up to Kaldur's hand and then away, making a few rapid circuits around the tank before ducking into the plastic castle. There was a long pause; Kaldur's face grew dark, and when the fish finally peeked out of its hiding place, Kaldur whipped his hand back from the tank as though burned.
He took a step back, glared mightily into the tank, and turned on his heel to leave the room. "I do not think that your fish will require any company," he spat on his way out the door.
Wally paused in his struggle to extricate himself from the telekinetic grip that had him at a safe distance from the floor. "What was that all about?"
"What was what all about?" said Superboy, in unison with Artemis, whom he had barricaded behind an arm.
Wally glanced down at Robin, who shrugged.
*
Kaldur began to avoid the living room altogether. He got into the habit of, when he stayed at Mount Justice overnight, taking his breakfast back to his room before eating it, and glaring hotly at the fish tank all the way.
At one point, he walked through the room while Wally was in the process of tipping a pinch of fish food into the tank, huffed, muttered something dark and unfriendly in Atlantean, and left, shaking his head.
Wally watched him go as he twisted the cap back onto the food container. He leaned over to tap a finger gently on the surface of the glass. “What did you say to him?" he asked, amazed.
Ringo stared at him with unblinking, saucer eyes, and burbled.
*
One Friday evening, Batman informed the team that they had a mission starting at 5am the following morning, and that it would be most efficient for everyone to spend the night at Mount Justice. With this in mind, M'gann suggested that they watch a movie or two to unwind before bed in the interest of actually being able to sleep.
Artemis was sent to collect Kaldur from his hiding place and drag him, by force if necessary, to the living room.
She rapped on his bedroom door, paused, and tested the knob. It was unlocked, and Artemis decided that if he wanted to be left alone as badly as he was pretending, he would know better, and opened it.
Kaldur sat in a chair, reading. Artemis stuck her head into the room. "Hey, fearless leader, get your aquatic butt out here and watch a movie with us," she demanded.
A pause, and Kaldur marked his page with a thumb. "Actually, I thought I would stay here and finish my book--"
"Yeah, well, you thought wrong," Artemis told him. She nodded in the general direction of the living room. "Everyone's waiting; come on."
An even longer pause, and Kaldur sighed. He put the book down, stood, and followed Artemis from the room in the style of a man being led to his execution.
"Lighten up," Artemis said over her shoulder, "it's just The Lion King."
"What is The Lion King?" Kaldur asked, weary.
Artemis shrugged. "It's a kiddie cartoon movie, but it's not bad. The original plan was Terminator, but everyone figured we're gonna see enough explosions tomorrow, so we let Megan pick."
Kaldur nodded as though he saw the sense in this and remained silent as Artemis led him to the living room and gestured him into a seat.
Everyone watched him from the corners of their eyes. It was about twenty minutes into the movie, about the point when everyone was beginning to let their guards down, when simmering irritation finally boiled over.
"I am sorry," said Kaldur, standing suddenly, "but I am afraid I will have to leave you." He shot a the fish tank a dirty look. "I do not feel particularly welcome here," he snapped, and abruptly left the room.
There was a moment of uncomfortable silence.
"What is his problem?" said Artemis, eventually.
Wally put his head in his hands. "He and Ringo kind of don't get along."
"Dude?" said Robin. "Understatement of the year."
"Maybe we should stage an intervention," M'gann suggested nervously.
"Maybe we should get rid of the fish," said Superboy.
"I'm not going to get rid of him!" said Wally, horrified. "So two of my friends don't like each other. I'm sorry, but they're gonna have to work things out! I love that fish, man!"
Artemis gave him an incredulous look. "It's a goldfish."
M'gann and Robin intervened on the ensuing round of kicking. It was fully fifteen minutes before they got back to the movie.
*
Wally could sense things winding up to a breaking point. It was only a matter of time, he knew, before someone snapped.
He had a feeling it wasn't going to be Ringo.
It was breakfast time, and everyone was milling around; Wally was idly flipping channels on the sofa while Kaldur sat at the island and ate his cereal. Wally had just found something good on TV when he heard Kaldur's spoon clatter to the floor. He looked around to see the Atlantean's shoulders hunched and tense, a vein in his neck bulging with obvious stress, and he was about to say something when Kaldur slammed his palms down on the counter and stood up.
He turned around and pointed an accusatory finger at the fish tank. "That is it," he snarled. Everyone in the room went still, staring with a mix of interest and apprehension. "You do not have to like me; you do not even have to tolerate me. You can say whatever you want about me, my taste in music, my fashion sense, anything you can think of, but leave my mother out of this, you slimy, orange, fluke-ridden imbecile!"
There was a long, fuming silence, wherein Ringo circled twice around the tank and darted up to the surface of the glass.
Kaldur lunged. "I will flush you to your death, you little--" But Superboy had him by the arms and M'gann put up a shield between him and the tank. Robin was laughing hysterically and Artemis was complaining loudly to Kaldur about his behavior, but all Wally could think to do was sigh.
He got a good grip on the rolling table atop which Ringo's tank sat and began to pull it out of the room. "I'll just take this to my bedroom," he announced, unheard, into the ruckus.
*
Things calmed down considerably over the next few weeks. There were more missions, the typical run of squabbles and nitpicks, and someone managed to set half the gym on fire, but everything was back to normal.
Eventually, Wally decided that if Ringo was going to be confined to quarters, it would behoove him to have some company. He bought a few tetras, some danios, and another goldfish, and brought them to Kaldur for inspection.
Kaldur seemed to get along a lot better with this bunch. He held the plastic bags full of aquarium water and fish, and smiled at them. It wasn't until he got to a particular zebra danio that the smile turned disconcertingly sharp.
"This one," he said slowly, in a smugly vengeful tone of voice that made Wally more than a little nervous. "You should definitely introduce this one to Ringo. As soon as possible."
Wally set about acclimating the rest of the fish to Ringo's tank and quietly took the zebra danio back to the store.
*
Fandom: Young Justice
Characters/Pairing: The team (and a goldfish)
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1,691
Summary: Wally keeps a pet goldfish at Mount Justice. Kaldur and the goldfish do not get along.
A/N: Written for a prompt on yj_anon_meme (it's an addiction; I know). Involves me wishing I could speak Atlantean and my contribution to the ubiquitous theory that the team watches Disney movies together, for some reason.
"Uh, Wally?" Robin asked, idly tracking the speedster's burdened, wobbly trail through the meeting area. "You…need any help with that?"
"Nope, got it. Thanks!" said Wally's voice from somewhere behind the - Robin would estimate roughly 15 gallon - fish tank in his arms. It was full to the brim with water, lined with gravel and an assortment of fake plants, complete with a little plastic castle that fish could presumably hide in if they so desired.
"How did you even get that here?" Robin inquired. Curiosity getting the better of him, he followed as Wally cautiously ambled his way toward the living area.
Wally paused, hiked the tank higher into his arms with a grunt, and continued onward. "You don't wanna know," he said matter-of-factly, and Robin decided that no, he probably didn't.
He watched as Wally carefully shifted the tank onto a small table set up against the living room wall - so that's why he'd put that there. Wally took several steps back and propped his hands on his hips, surveying his work with noticeable pride.
Robin moved forward and leaned in to inspect the tank.
It contained a single goldfish.
"Gonna start an aquarium?" Robin asked.
"Nah, one's good enough for me," said Wally. Then he snapped his fingers. "I should ask Kaldur if Ringo wants a friend!" he announced, and was gone.
Robin watched in silence as the goldfish circled insouciantly through the water.
"Ringo?" he asked the empty room.
*
"Goldfish do not typically require companionship from other fish," said Kaldur, on the way to the living room. "Given a large enough living space, they do well in groups, but they are not a necessarily social breed."
"Cool," said Wally. "Maybe you can ask him if he wants the tank to himself or not?"
"Certainly."
By the time they made their way to the living room, the entire team was crowded around the tank.
"He's cute," said M'gann, fingertips pressed to the glass; the fish appeared to be inspecting them.
"Why keep a fish in a glass box?" asked Superboy, puzzled.
"They don't do too well on dry carpeting," Robin pointed out.
"Some people keep fish as pets," Artemis explained.
"I thought pets were for playing with. Companionship."
"Usually, but fish are more for show," said Artemis, with a shrug. "They're pretty and low-maintenance. I give this one about a week before Wally kills it, though."
"Hey!"
"Oh, he's back. You named your fish Ringo?"
Kaldur sidestepped the squabbling pair and moved into the space M'gann politely vacated, brushing his hand against the glass. M'gann was busy trying to prevent an encroaching slap fight, but Robin and Superboy watched with interest as the fish darted up to Kaldur's hand and then away, making a few rapid circuits around the tank before ducking into the plastic castle. There was a long pause; Kaldur's face grew dark, and when the fish finally peeked out of its hiding place, Kaldur whipped his hand back from the tank as though burned.
He took a step back, glared mightily into the tank, and turned on his heel to leave the room. "I do not think that your fish will require any company," he spat on his way out the door.
Wally paused in his struggle to extricate himself from the telekinetic grip that had him at a safe distance from the floor. "What was that all about?"
"What was what all about?" said Superboy, in unison with Artemis, whom he had barricaded behind an arm.
Wally glanced down at Robin, who shrugged.
*
Kaldur began to avoid the living room altogether. He got into the habit of, when he stayed at Mount Justice overnight, taking his breakfast back to his room before eating it, and glaring hotly at the fish tank all the way.
At one point, he walked through the room while Wally was in the process of tipping a pinch of fish food into the tank, huffed, muttered something dark and unfriendly in Atlantean, and left, shaking his head.
Wally watched him go as he twisted the cap back onto the food container. He leaned over to tap a finger gently on the surface of the glass. “What did you say to him?" he asked, amazed.
Ringo stared at him with unblinking, saucer eyes, and burbled.
*
One Friday evening, Batman informed the team that they had a mission starting at 5am the following morning, and that it would be most efficient for everyone to spend the night at Mount Justice. With this in mind, M'gann suggested that they watch a movie or two to unwind before bed in the interest of actually being able to sleep.
Artemis was sent to collect Kaldur from his hiding place and drag him, by force if necessary, to the living room.
She rapped on his bedroom door, paused, and tested the knob. It was unlocked, and Artemis decided that if he wanted to be left alone as badly as he was pretending, he would know better, and opened it.
Kaldur sat in a chair, reading. Artemis stuck her head into the room. "Hey, fearless leader, get your aquatic butt out here and watch a movie with us," she demanded.
A pause, and Kaldur marked his page with a thumb. "Actually, I thought I would stay here and finish my book--"
"Yeah, well, you thought wrong," Artemis told him. She nodded in the general direction of the living room. "Everyone's waiting; come on."
An even longer pause, and Kaldur sighed. He put the book down, stood, and followed Artemis from the room in the style of a man being led to his execution.
"Lighten up," Artemis said over her shoulder, "it's just The Lion King."
"What is The Lion King?" Kaldur asked, weary.
Artemis shrugged. "It's a kiddie cartoon movie, but it's not bad. The original plan was Terminator, but everyone figured we're gonna see enough explosions tomorrow, so we let Megan pick."
Kaldur nodded as though he saw the sense in this and remained silent as Artemis led him to the living room and gestured him into a seat.
Everyone watched him from the corners of their eyes. It was about twenty minutes into the movie, about the point when everyone was beginning to let their guards down, when simmering irritation finally boiled over.
"I am sorry," said Kaldur, standing suddenly, "but I am afraid I will have to leave you." He shot a the fish tank a dirty look. "I do not feel particularly welcome here," he snapped, and abruptly left the room.
There was a moment of uncomfortable silence.
"What is his problem?" said Artemis, eventually.
Wally put his head in his hands. "He and Ringo kind of don't get along."
"Dude?" said Robin. "Understatement of the year."
"Maybe we should stage an intervention," M'gann suggested nervously.
"Maybe we should get rid of the fish," said Superboy.
"I'm not going to get rid of him!" said Wally, horrified. "So two of my friends don't like each other. I'm sorry, but they're gonna have to work things out! I love that fish, man!"
Artemis gave him an incredulous look. "It's a goldfish."
M'gann and Robin intervened on the ensuing round of kicking. It was fully fifteen minutes before they got back to the movie.
*
Wally could sense things winding up to a breaking point. It was only a matter of time, he knew, before someone snapped.
He had a feeling it wasn't going to be Ringo.
It was breakfast time, and everyone was milling around; Wally was idly flipping channels on the sofa while Kaldur sat at the island and ate his cereal. Wally had just found something good on TV when he heard Kaldur's spoon clatter to the floor. He looked around to see the Atlantean's shoulders hunched and tense, a vein in his neck bulging with obvious stress, and he was about to say something when Kaldur slammed his palms down on the counter and stood up.
He turned around and pointed an accusatory finger at the fish tank. "That is it," he snarled. Everyone in the room went still, staring with a mix of interest and apprehension. "You do not have to like me; you do not even have to tolerate me. You can say whatever you want about me, my taste in music, my fashion sense, anything you can think of, but leave my mother out of this, you slimy, orange, fluke-ridden imbecile!"
There was a long, fuming silence, wherein Ringo circled twice around the tank and darted up to the surface of the glass.
Kaldur lunged. "I will flush you to your death, you little--" But Superboy had him by the arms and M'gann put up a shield between him and the tank. Robin was laughing hysterically and Artemis was complaining loudly to Kaldur about his behavior, but all Wally could think to do was sigh.
He got a good grip on the rolling table atop which Ringo's tank sat and began to pull it out of the room. "I'll just take this to my bedroom," he announced, unheard, into the ruckus.
*
Things calmed down considerably over the next few weeks. There were more missions, the typical run of squabbles and nitpicks, and someone managed to set half the gym on fire, but everything was back to normal.
Eventually, Wally decided that if Ringo was going to be confined to quarters, it would behoove him to have some company. He bought a few tetras, some danios, and another goldfish, and brought them to Kaldur for inspection.
Kaldur seemed to get along a lot better with this bunch. He held the plastic bags full of aquarium water and fish, and smiled at them. It wasn't until he got to a particular zebra danio that the smile turned disconcertingly sharp.
"This one," he said slowly, in a smugly vengeful tone of voice that made Wally more than a little nervous. "You should definitely introduce this one to Ringo. As soon as possible."
Wally set about acclimating the rest of the fish to Ringo's tank and quietly took the zebra danio back to the store.
*