Aqualad in August 2010

Aqualad watched as Black Canary handed both Kid Flash and Superboy humiliating defeats. He urged his teammates, especially Robin, not to laugh about it. Batman interrupted the training to brief them on their new mission: escort Amazo's remains to STAR Labs facilities.

Seven hours later, in Litchfield County, Connecticut, the Team departed with the trucks. Aqualad, Miss Martian and Kid Flash escorted the cargo meant for Boston. The trucks are attacked by MONQIs, and they were forced to intervene. Aqualad used his water-bearers to take out multiple robots, but they got away with the parts. Because Robin determined the parts are being brought to Gotham City, he sent Kid Flash on ahead. He and Miss Martian don't make it to Gotham until Amazo is destroyed.

The Team returns to the base where Batman praises their work, despite Superboy complicating the mission.

The Team took a break and enjoyed a day on the beach, filled with volleyball, hotdogs, and swimming—except for Kid Flash, whose sophomore year had begun in Central City.

They were introduced to Artemis, their new teammate. Red Arrow also arrived, and gave them a new mission: protecting Serling Roquette from the League of Shadows. Aqualad offered Red Arrow a place on the Team again, but he declined.

Aqualad and the others guarded Roquette in Happy Harbor High School, while she worked on a way to counter the weapon the Shadows had coerced her to create: the Fog. She tracked the infiltrators down, and Aqualad sent Robin and Superboy in the Bio-Ship to find it and upload the virus that would knock it down. Because Roquette had to go online for this, the Shadows found her location. Cheshire lead a strike team to the school. She easily found Roquette and the Team, and Aqualad engaged her, catching her poisoned shurikens. He is largely immune to the jellyfish toxin, but eventually succumbed. Artemis attacked Cheshire before she could finish off Aqualad. The assassin escaped.

Roquette was moved to a new location, an internet café nearby, whilst Miss Martian impersonated the doctor to draw away the assassins. At the café, Roquette managed to finish the virus, and by the time Cheshire reached her, the Fog had been defeated.

Captain Atom gave the Team a lecture on espionage. The Team was obviously bored by all the information, so he instead gave them a cold case from the Vietnam war: the possible framing of Air Force captain Nathaniel Adams. The Team accepted.

Aqualad and Artemis met with Adams's children, Peggy and Randy, to question them about the case. Peggy believed her father was innocent, while Randy believed he was guilty. After this questioning, Aqualad and Artemis talked about Adams and his two children. Aqualad's mind drifted, though, as he had begun thinking of Atlantis and his own parents. He told Artemis about his father, Calvin Durham, and his mother Sha'lain'a.

Things had gotten worse—two key witnesses, Shirley Mason and Duk Trang, had been murdered by Rako. They regrouped in Bibbo's Diner, but Aqualad did not have his mind on the mission. While the rest of the Team analyzed a photo found on the body of Mason, he wandered away, looking at a picture of Tula instead. It took him a while to snap out of it, and form the next plan. He would check out witness Enos Polk's house with Artemis and Miss Martian, while the others would go to Henry Yarrow's Las Vegas residence. They found Polk's house deserted, with all evidence leading towards a hasty departure.

In the remains of Yarrow's exploded house, they found evidence leading them to an abandoned airfield in Utah. There, they found the culprits behind both the framing of Adams and the recent murders: Yarrow, Rako and Alec Rois. Aqualad took on Rako, who was not impressed with his water swords, as they were no match for his x-ionized sword. Aqualad changed tactics: he created a water bubble that quickly suffocated the assassin. The rest of the Team took care of Rois and Yarrow; the latter was hit by a ricocheting bullet. Miss Martian extracted the memories from the dying man.

The team reported their findings to Captain Atom, who told them to inform his children of his innocence.

Aqualad and Artemis returned to Honolulu to tell Randy and Peggy about the case. They were elated, and thanked the young heroes for their work.

Red Tornado sent the Team to Salem to investigate the disappearance of Kent Nelson; they also had to make sure the Helmet of Fate was secure. Aqualad was given the key to the Tower of Fate, and with his background in magic, he could make it appear and allow the Team inside.

When they reach, they are unable to find the tower, until Aqualad uses his belief in magic to use the key to unlock an invisible door in front of him. They enter the tower and are greeted by an image of Kent Nelson, who questions their appearance. Wally, hoping to impress Megan, lies that they are true believers looking for Doctor Fate. The image is not easily impressed and breaks the floor beneath them, leaving them to plummet into a sea of lava. Inside, after Kid Flash's showboating triggered the defense systems, Kid Flash and Artemis eventually found the staff of Kent Nelson and were teleported away. The rest had to fend off attacks by Abra Kadabra, who was, with Klarion, behind the kidnapping of Nelson. The make believe wizard is defeated after Doctor Fate arrived and took away his clothing and equipment, giving Superboy the opportunity to knock him out.

Aqualad attended the funeral of Kent Nelson at the Tower of Fate.

Batman contacted the Team with a new mission: tracking Clayface in the Gotham City sewers.

In the sewers, Aqualad did not have his head on the mission. Instead, his mind was with Tula in Atlantis. He did not see Clayface, who attacked them from behind.

Aqualad and the others face off against Clayface. After a brief struggle against Clayface, it escaped and trudged off. Aqualad was contacted by Batman, who had requested an update on the situation.

Aqualad's thoughts were elsewhere as his team formulated a plan to combat Clayface. He agrees with the plan without granting it any thought.

It finally dawned on Aqualad his folly for previously approving a plan of splitting up against a shapeshifter. He met up with "Robin" but quickly saw through Clayface's disguise. Despite this, he could not hold his own against the creature, evidenced by his slamming against a wall and being too dazed to get up. Clayface prepared to finish Aqualad.

Aqualad lasted longer than the rest of the Team against Clayface, but was eventually brought to his knees. Batman intervened and easily took out the new menace before it finished off the Team.

Batman was not pleased with Aqualad's failure against Clayface. Aqualad reasoned he missed Atlantis, having been gone for two months. But Batman knew better; it was not Atlantis, but someone he left behind. Batman then told Aqualad that he could split his time between the surface and the sea, but not his mind. Aqualad headed home to think about his future.

Upon his return to Atlantis, Orin invited him over for dinner. Aqualad insisted on stopping by the Conservatory of Sorcery first, where he reunited with his old friends, Tula and Garth. Kaldur invited Tula to the dinner, which she accepted.

Aqualad was still not certain of his future. He considered rejoining the conservatory, but Queen Mera told him that his sorcery skills have not kept apace, due to his leaving. Consequently, he would not be in Tula's and Garth's class. After revealing that the Queen was pregnant, Aquaman was called away on League business. He reassured Kaldur and was confident he would make the right decision.

After the dinner, Kaldur expressed his love for Tula, but she rejected him, as she was already in a relationship with Garth. He was distraught, but had no time to continue as Atlantis was under attack. They assisted in the defense of the palace, and after Tula was inured, Kaldur and Garth head to the Science Center, the only place not under attack. Once there, they overpowered two Manta-men and used their uniforms as a disguise to infiltrate the Center, where Black Manta oversaw the extraction of the giant sea star that was stored there. Manta was not fooled, and their discovery forced them to engage. In the fight, Black Manta blew up the sea star to cover his escape.