Downtime

"Downtime" is the eighth episode of Young Justice. It premiered on March 4, 2011.

Logline
After a disastrous mission with the team, Aqualad returns to Atlantis to choose between a life on the surface world, or one beneath with the girl of his dreams, Aquagirl. But other forces of play make Aqualad's decision for him.

Summary
On August 27, the team is seen defeated by Clayface. Batman steps in on the scene and defeats him. He then tells the team to head home, and asks to talk to Aqualad. He apologizes for the team, but Batman claims he is to blame, not the team. Aqualad admits that he was right and said that all of his dreams were in Atlantis. Batman questions if it was Atlantis or someone in Atlantis. Batman makes him choose to live life either under the sea or on surface-life.

Later Aqualad returns to Atlantis and is found swimming around the city with Aquaman talking about a dinner he and Queen Mera are hosting. Aqualad finds one of his friends, Topo, making a display about how Kaldur'ahm became Aqualad. He later finds his childhood friends Garth and Tula practicing with Queen Mera. Queen Mera asks if Aqualad will be attending her dinner where he asks Tula if she would attend with him responding that she and Garth have training to do but will be happy to come while swimming away, Garth told her that she has to tell Kaldur'ahm about them.

Meanwhile, back at Mount Justice, Miss Martian is seen trying to prepare dinner while Superboy is looking at a blank TV. She asks if he'd like her to turn it on which he replies, no. She also asks him he'd like to help her make dinner and he also replies, no but helps her anyways. As she was using her telekinesis to quickly gather all the needed items, all the items crash into Superboy leaving him covered in milk, eggs, tomatoes, and flour. She quickly grabs a rag and cleans him while apologizing. For a moment their eyes meet and they were staring at each other for a moment. Later, Red Tornado finds M'gann chopping onions while Superboy was watching the blank TV while covered in food, he simply leaves without saying anything.

Back in Atlantis, Black Manta and his crew are seen attacking some palace guards. Black Manta sticks a bomb on one of the palace walls.

Robin is exercising in the gym with no glasses or his mask on, still mad at Batman for wanting to only talk to Aqualad earlier and takes his frustration out by punching the wall unaware that Batman was watching him. Their butler, Alfred Pennyworth later tells him that Batman wished to see him. Robin walks outside while Batman throws a basketball at him. Batman tells him that it's training.

Back in Atlantis, Prince Orm starts to tell a story about a creature they are keeping at the Science Center while Aqualad considers that he would come back to Atlantis and study with Tula and Garth. Queen Mera explains that he can't be in Tula or Garth's class because he left his studies a long time. He then considers that he'd need a tutor referring to Tula.

Back in Central City, Wally and his parents are at their house celebrating Jay Garrick's birthday. Barry Allen (Flash) is clearing the table while Wally's mother is telling his wife, Iris, that she is lucky to be married to her brother because Wally wasn't that fast when it comes to clearing the table and he got embarrassed. Joan (Jay's wife) later thought the same about her husband too, but then said she knew he was a retired speedster and since it was his birthday, they weren't going to argue. Barry came back out and explained that Wally could be fast when he wants too and turns around, showing Wally eating a gallon of ice cream as his mom got mad.

In Atlantis at the dinner party, Aquaman said that he and the queen had an announcement to make. Queen Mera said that she was pregnant and everyone got excited. Aqualad congratulated the king and said there finally will be a heir to the throne he then apologizes to Price Orm because he didn't want to offend him. He tells him that it wasn't a big deal and that he was most happiest for the new baby as Aquaman thanked him.

While he and Queen Mera were kissing, he gets a message from Superman telling him there's an emergency in Tokyo Bay. He then tells everyone that he has to leave and asks Aqualad to swim with him. He tells him that Batman had told him about his dilemma and tells him how hard it is for him to love Atlantis and live in the surface-world and also hopes he would make the right choice.

Aquaman then leaves and Aqualad swims away. Back in the city he and Tula are seen swimming together. At the same time, they both told each other they had something to tell one another. Aqualad tells her that he has made the decision to stay in Atlantis with her and because of her. Tula then tells him that she and Garth are already together leaving him heartbroken and upset.

Then a building explodes due to a bomb Black Manta's crew set. Queen Mera and Prince Orm quickly rushes to the scene. They all begin to fight Black Manta's men. Garth comes behind Tula and she warns him to look out. She quickly pushes him out of the way saving his life, but also gets shocked by one member of Black Manta's crew leaving both Garth and Aqualad upset. Prince Orm said that he must protect both the queen and the heir.

Queen Mera insisted that she didn't need any protection and for them to go. Price Orm explained that Aquaman would never forgive him if she or the heir got hurt as Aqualad agreed with saying the battle was his. Garth offered to help him, but Aqualad said that his place was with Tula.

Back in Gotham City, Artemis is seen in the living room of her small apartment with the TV on while she was looking at one of her arrows. Her mother comes in turning the TV off and telling her that something came in the mail for her. Artemis saw her mom had opened it and confronted her for it, but her mother just told her to read it. She looked at the letter which said she had been into accepted into Gotham Academy with a Full Wayne Scholarship even though she didn't apply. Her mom explained that it was a very prestigious school that she should be thrilled about. Artemis then crumples up the letter and throws it on the table explaining to her mom she wasn't switching schools and her friends were at Gotham North. Her mom told her she was going or she would have to give up her 'extra curriculars'. She then tells her mom not to make threats because she can't enforce them, her mother grabs her hand telling her it is a chance to better her life, a chance her mom never got. Artemis then changes her mind when she sees tears in her mom's eyes and decides to go for her.

In Atlantis, it shows Black Manta and his crew in the Science Center trying to steal the giant starfish creature. Aqualad is seen with Garth swimming up behind him. Aqualad tells him that he should look after Tula, but said Queen Mera is looking after her. Inside the Science Center, Black Manta commands that one of his men to check the perimeter and says that once the Manta Ray ship melts through the roof above the starfish, they will take the starfish and go. Garth then asks Aqualad if he had a plan and turns around not seeing him he then sees two of Black Manta's men coming out while Aqualad steps in and saves him saying he also has his studies. Black Manta then says its such a waste working for Aquaman and that schools risk their live for him. Garth then almost gets captured and Aqualad tells him to get his head in the game. They then try to fight Black Manta and his gang.The creature later explodes and Black Manta escapes. When Prince Orm reported their mission, Aquaman asked if Aqualad wanted to take the remaining of the starfish where Aqualad then decides to live on the surface world. He then hugs and congratulates Garth and Tula and asks what would happened if Garth became Aqualad. Garth replied "never". Aqualad replies "Me neither" and leaves Atlantis.

When he gets back to the cave, Batman asks if he has made a decision. Aqualad tells him that he's there 100%. As the rest of the team come out, he briefs them on an anomaly detected in the Bialyan desert.

Black Manta reports to the Light that the mission was a failure and was forced to execute plan B. The Council praises him for doing so.

Title
The title may refer to the fact that Aqualad momentarily takes a leave of absence from Young Justice. It may also literally refer to his going to Atlantis, which is underwater, to spend some time there. It also may refer to seeing what the other members of the Team do with their downtime.

Credited

 * Artemis Crock (Stephanie Lemelin)
 * Dick Grayson (Jesse McCartney)
 * Kaldur'ahm (Khary Payton)
 * M'gann M'orzz (Danica McKellar)
 * Superboy (Nolan North)
 * Wally West (Jason Spisak)


 * Alfred Pennyworth (Jeff Bennett)
 * Barry Allen (George Eads)
 * Black Manta (Khary Payton)
 * Bruce Wayne (Bruce Greenwood)
 * Garth (Yuri Lowenthal)
 * Joan Garrick (Kath Soucie)
 * King Orin (Phil LaMarr)
 * Mary West (Cree Summer)
 * Paula Crock (Kelly Hu)
 * Prince Orm (Roger Craig Smith)
 * Queen Mera (Kath Soucie)
 * Superman (Nolan North)
 * Topo (James Arnold Taylor)
 * Tula (Cree Summer)
 * Vulko (Jeff Bennett)

Uncredited
The following named characters had spoken lines in the episode, but their names were not included in the episode's credits.
 * L-5 (Roger Craig Smith)
 * Lagoon Boy (Yuri Lowenthal)
 * Lori Lemaris (Kath Soucie)
 * Clayface (Kevin Michael Richardson)

The following characters appeared in the episode but had no spoken lines.
 * Iris Allen
 * Jay Garrick
 * Red Tornado
 * Rudolph West
 * Starro
 * Ocean Master (in Topo's sculpture)
 * 4 other members of The Light

Other unnamed characters appeared as background characters or in crowd scenes. These include students at the Conservatory of Sorcery, a TV announcer (voiced by Jeff Bennett), Atlantean guards and servers, Black Manta's minions and more.

Trivia

 * The story of how Kaldur became Aqualad is revealed.
 * In the comics Garth was the first person to carry the title of Aqualad
 * Queen Mera is expecting a child.
 * Artemis's full name is shown as Artemis Crock on her Gotham Academy Scholarship letter.
 * Aqualad makes the decision to stay with Young Justice and reveals he knows some sorcery not yet shown in the previous episodes.
 * At the end of the episode, Batman informs the team that the Watchtower has detected an immense power surge in the Bialyan desert, leading directly into the following episode, "Bereft".
 * Although Black Manta makes an appearance, nothing concerning his relationship toward Aqualad is explained.
 * On their first mission with Clayface, Artemis wasn't there.

Production notes

 * In the comics, Garth was the first Aqualad, and later became the hero known as Tempest (which is given a nod in the episode), whereas here, he was given the offer, but declined, making Kaldur'ahm the first Aqualad in this continuity. Kaldur'ahm's comic counterpart, Jackson Hyde, is the second Aqualad in the mainstream DC Universe, taking the role many years after Garth.
 * The establishing shots of Gotham City at the beginning of the episode were recycled from the movie Batman: Under the Red Hood, directed by Brandon Vietti.
 * A translation spell cast by Lori Lemaris at the beginning of the episode facilities the use of spoken English. In-universe, all of the characters from the Atlantean segments (except Black Manta, his men, Superman and the Justice League Computer) are speaking the Atlantean language, but the audience hears English because of Lori's translation spell.

Ratings
"Downtime" garnered an average of 1.2 million viewers among kids between 2 and 11 and 9 and 14.

Quotes

 * Batman: The team performed adequately, the problem was you. You're there leader and your head wasn't in the game.
 * Batman: Make a decision Kaldur, and make it soon.
 * Aqualad: I am here. One hundred percent.
 * Flash: Wally's fast enough when he wants to be, we're suddenly out of ice cream.
 * Aqualad: Garth, get your head in the game.
 * Black Manta: If I can't have it, NO ONE CAN!!