A/N HardyGal: Random inspiration! So, I asked my sister to say or sing something random. She was rather startled (I kinda sprung the question on her), but she started singing 'Let It Go'. Anyway, enjoy.
"Recognized: Red Arrow: B06."
Roy stepped into Mount Justice, frowning slightly as he thought. He was going to be part of the League tomorrow. It was everything he had wanted for almost three years, and he was happy about it... And maybe just the tiniest bit guilty for snapping at Ollie like he had all those months ago.
But it had worked out. He had made a pretty good - no, flat out fantastic lone hero, and his tantrum had opened the eyes of his fellow protégés, eventually leading to the formation of the Team!
Alongside the guilt surrounding his falling out with Ollie, Roy acknowledged just a bit of guilt at having snubbed the Team all those months ago. But that was before he had actually joined the Team. He knew better now. The Team that wasn't just a bunch of kids playing at being heroes - it was a well-formed and well-oiled machine, with each member capable of holding their own very well. It was bit too bad it took him needing to join the Team in order to realize that, but Roy had no regrets.
His time spent with the Team, while short-lived, had actually been kind of fun. And it had opened his own eyes to the truth: that there was no mole. Everyone here was straight, and Roy could not be more happy about that.
The only thing that was giving him just a bit of doubt was exactly how happy he was in leaving the Team and joining the Justice League, finally. Sure, joining the League had been his top goal for a very long time... It almost felt like a lifelong goal.
But the Team had been nice. Robin, Kaldur, and Wally - mostly Wally - had been ecstatic at Red Arrow joining the team. Superboy and Artemis, while rough around the edges, had proved to be reliable teammates. And M'Gann… well, she was a nice girl. Roy couldn't blame Wally's long term infatuation with her. (He hadn't quite gotten the chance to get to know Zatanna).
The main point was, what was it going to be like to leave the Team?
Roy's face didn't change as he walked down zeta tube hall.
'Darker than usual,' he noted. 'And everything's really quiet.' He halted, eyes narrowing behind his mask. 'Too quiet.'
The thing about a team of teenage heroes - especially a team of teenage heroes that included Kid Flash - was that with them, things were hardly ever quiet.
Red Arrow drew an arrow and set it on his bow, his steps quieting as he approached the main chamber of the base. Almost as soon as his foot stepped out of the zeta tube hall, the entire cave was lit with light, and music boomed from unseen speakers (some kind of soft piano, which wasn't quite so soft when it was turned up so loud it felt like the speakers would explode).
Out of everything that could've happened, Roy hadn't expected that. He stumbled back, almost tripping. (Which he didn't, thank goodness, or else the arrow would've loosed).
"Surprise!" exclaimed a perky voice.
Roy stared at his soon to be former teammates, who were gathered at the other end of the chamber, smiling widely. Artemis was holding a sign that said 'Welcome off the team', and her face said that she'd probably lost a bet. All the same, she had a small smirk on her face.
"What's going on?" Roy shouted over the music, slackening his bow as he walked towards the younger heroes.
"The snow glows white on the mountain tonight, not a footprint to be seen. A kingdom of isolation, and it looks like I'm the queen."
"Goodbye party!" M'Gann said happily, the one who had announced 'surprise'.
Wally was by Roy's side in an instant, shouting, "We thought that we could finally attempt to surprise you! Did it work?"
Roy gave him an insincere look of annoyance. "What do you think?"
"I'd say it worked!" said Robin, not really able to pull off his smart-ass tone while he was shouting.
"Great, but seriously, what is this?"
"The wind is howling like this swirling storm inside… Couldn't keep it in, heaven knows I've tried…"
Kaldur laughed. "A goodbye party!" he shouted above the music (which was a little weird to hear, since Kaldur was characteristically soft-spoken). "As well as a celebration concerning your induction into the League tomorrow!"
"I made cookies!" M'Gann held out a plate of perfect, unburnt cookies. Roy stared at them, tempted, but not really in the mood for this seemingly immature game.
"I hope you like the song!" said Zatanna. She and Artemis burst out laughing.
"Don't let them in, don't let them see. Be the good girl you always have to be! Conceal don't feel, don't let them know… Well, now they know!"
Roy narrowed his eyes at both of them. "Are you guys punking me or something?"
"It was supposed to be playing something masculine!" Wally shouted, rolling his eyes. "Like Eye Of The Tiger or something!"
"But someone decided it would be funny to change it!" said Robin, and the girls laughed again.
"But seriously…!" Artemis said, laughter dying down. "You… you were a good teammate when you weren't glaring at everyone!" She shoved the 'Welcome off the team' sign into Roy's hands. "So, yeah. We'll miss you or something."
Roy stared at each of the younger heroes in front of him. Even Connor, skulking in the back of the group, was looking at him with a bit of expectancy.
Roy scoffed, tentatively taking a cookie from M'Gann's plate as he shook his head resignedly. "Ok…!"
"Good!" Zatanna said happily. "Enohporcim!" A microphone appeared in her hands. "Now you have to sing!"
"Let it go! Let it go! Can't hold it back anymore!"
As the passionate lyrics boomed through the speakers, Zatanna lip-synced dramatically into the microphone.
Roy's response was flat and final: "No."
"We threw you a goodbye party and you're gonna sing Let It Go!" said Wally, with smirk of such deviousness that it would have made Robin jealous.
"Deal with it, Roy!" No, never mind, Robin did just fine.
"Let it go! Let it go! Turn away and slam the door!"
Artemis and M'Gann were laughing as Zatanna really got into the dramatics of the song.
Roy pointed his cookie at Kaldur. "Are they serious?"
The Atlantean simply smiled, shouting, "It's a party, isn't it?"
"Please?" Robin grinned that endearing grin that had totally won Roy over back when he'd first met him. But Roy wasn't fooled; there was a sadistic smirk behind the grin.
"No." Roy bit a piece off the cookie and crossed his arms.
Artemis rolled her eyes - "Oh, for Pete's sake…" - and grabbed the microphone from Zatanna.
"I don't care what they're going to say! Let the storm rage on… The cold never bothered me anyway."
Even Conner was staring at Artemis with surprised eyes. She smirked as she sang the lyrics, clearly glad that she was able to still shock the Team with her various skills.
"Wow…" Wally blinked, and shook himself slightly.
Artemis finished the lyrics, and held the microphone out to Roy. "Your turn."
"Impressive, but still no." Roy ate another piece of his cookie.
"It's funny how some distance makes everything seem small..."
"Well, at least it makes her better as Green Arrow's partner!" Robin laughed, quickly backing off as Roy lifted a fist at him.
"We'll keep on playing it until you sing!" Zatanna threatened.
"And the fears that once controlled me, can't get to me at all!"
"I'll survive," Roy retorted. "It can't be worse than listening to GA talk."
"I know!" M'Gann exclaimed. (She had dropped the cookie plate in excitement, but it floated in place due to her telekinesis). "We'll all sing in order to make you feel more confident!" She took the microphone from Artemis.
"It's time to see what I can do; to test the limits and break through!"
"Yeah…!" Wally agreed enthusiastically. "We'll all sing, as a team! You aren't a part of the League yet, so you're still with us, and you have to sing!"
"No right, no wrong, no rules for me… I'm free!"
"I'd rather just watch all you guys act like idiots," said Roy, but he was smiling a little.
"C'mon, RA!" Wally punched him lightly on the shoulder. "We're all in this together!"
Suddenly, M'Gann was pushing the microphone towards Wally's face, smiling. "Your turn!"
Wally blanched. "Wait, what? No!"
"Yes!" The Martian girl shoved the microphone into his face, forcing Wally to take it into his hands.
"Let it go! Let it go! I am one with the wind and sky!"
The Team laughed as Wally sang awkwardly, a little out of sync with the words.
"I knew your mouth would get the best of you, Kid Mouth!" Robin laughed, clutching his stomach.
Wally narrowed his eyes at him and promptly shoved the microphone into said stomach.
"Let it go! Let it go! You'll never see me cry!"
"No, you don't want to hear me sing!" protested Robin, shoving the microphone back.
"Well, I didn't think you guys wanted to hear me sing!" Wally countered, pushing back the microphone.
"I'm not gonna do it!"
"Yeah, you are!" said Zatanna, smiling brightly. Robin stared at her for just a second, before pulling the microphone from Wally.
"Here I stand, in the light of day! Let the storm rage on…"
Roy winced a little as Robin's voice cracked just a little, but otherwise he sounded just fine. Robin took a deep breath as the instrumental break came in and glared at the hysterical Wally.
"I think you sounded great!" Zatanna said, smiling. Robin's glare faded.
M'Gann snatched the microphone and ran over to Conner. "Your turn!" she said brightly.
The Kryptonian response was flat a predictable: "No."
Roy gave Superboy an approving smirk.
"Please," M'Gann begged. "For me?"
Conner glanced around nervously, clearly realizing that he had just been talked into a corner he couldn't get out of. Fortunately for him, he was saved by none other than Kaldur, who rolled his eyes a little and took the microphone himself.
"My power flurries through the air into the ground! My soul is spiraling in frozen fractals all around!"
The Atlantean smiled as he sang, and everyone else cheered and clapped - Kaldur was a very fine singer. All the while, M'Gann was giving Superboy the doe eyes. Conner seemed to be fighting an inner battle, before he groaned and took the microphone from Aqualad.
"And one thought crystalizes like an icy blast!"
M'Gann looked happier than Roy had ever seen her (not like he truly knew her enough to know). As soon as Connor was done with the line, he held out the microphone to no one in particular and M'Gann gave him a kiss. Artemis reacted quickly, seizing the microphone, and looking Roy dead in the eyes.
"I'm never going back; the past is in the past…!"
"Last chance, man!" Robin exclaimed as Artemis sang with great vigor.
"Prove yourself, Roy!" Wally shouted.
Rolling his eyes, but now grinning a real, genuine smile, Roy ate the last of his cookie with an air of resignation and snatched the microphone from Artemis.
"Let it go! Let it go! And I'll rise like the break of dawn!"
Robin, Zatanna, M'Gann, and Wally burst into cheering. Kaldur was laughing, and even Conner was smiling widely. Artemis had her arms crossed over her chest, eyeing Roy with a smirk and a critical air. She moved her hand in a so-so gesture, and Roy smirked.
"Let it go! Let it go! That perfect [boy] is gone!"
Roy wasn't one for dramatics, but he had to admit, with this song, one couldn't sing it without feeling some sense of great enthusiasm. He actually spread his free arm, the hand clenched into a fist as he raised his voice.
"Here I stand, in the light of day! Let the storm rage on…!"
Wally whooped, fist pumping, and Artemis raised an eyebrow, before giving a slightly hesitant thumbs up. Roy laughed a little as he finished the song.
"The cold never bothered me anyway."
On that last note, the young archer took a deep breath. He couldn't help smiling as the as the Team cheered.
"Told you we're in this together!" Wally shouted enthusiastically.
"That sounded great!" said Zatanna.
"You go, Roy!" Robin whooped.
Artemis was still smirking as she walked up to her predecessor. "I'll admit it out loud… Not bad, old timer."
"Not so bad yourself, newbie," Roy retorted with his own smirk. He took another cookie from M'Gann's plate, and everyone else followed suit.
Soon, everyone present had a cookie on hand (with Wally having a little more on hand than others) and they began to converse with each other.
Roy frowned, looking at the ground as he tapped the microphone thoughtfully. Then, he looked up. "Thanks, guys. For all this."
"Hey, that's what friends are for, right?" Wally bumped his arm playfully. "Making each other look stupid, throwing ridiculous parties…"
"And this party isn't done yet!" Zatanna snapped her fingers. She and Artemis had been muttering something to each other for that past couple minutes, and now they high fived as a new song started playing at full blast.
Roy stared at the Team uncomprehendingly, all of them looking at him expectantly. Artemis was especially looking devious as she held a new microphone. It clicked.
"Wh- no."
"And I thought we were bonding so well," Artemis said with mock sadness. Her mock pout turned into a grin as she started to sing.
"I'm gonna be a mighty king, so enemies beware!"
Roy narrowed his eyes at her. Then, he smirked. "Okay, you're on."
A/N HardyGal: I apologize for any OOCness. Seriously. But all the same, this was supremely fun to write. This is my second completed one-shot and my second fanfiction ever published. Anyhoo, I hope you guys enjoyed this. HardyGal out!