"Is everything ready?" M'gann asked, fiddling with the assortment of party foods, making sure they were just right. Her newly long locks were very much getting in the way.
"Stop fussing; it's all great," Wally said, chewing on a piece of beef jerky. "You should be a party planner. As your day job, I mean."
"You would be great at wedding planning," Robin agreed.
"Uh-huh. Thanks, guys, but I'm still in school." She took the last batch of cookies from the oven. "And, to be honest, I've never asked any of the League Members whether they have actual civilian jobs."
"Batman does."
"Buddy, that's not a job;" Wally interjected. "That's, like, making appearances and shaking hands, and being a face."
"Dude, will you shut up!" Robin rushed to cover Wally's mouth with his hand.
"Oh, that's okay," M'gann said, switching to mental link. "He's Bruce Wayne; I know. And you're Richard Grayson."
"I, uh..." His eyes widened under the triangular sunglasses, for just for a moment, before the corners of his mouth tightened. He did his best to ignore the liquid ice running through his veins and the cool sweat on the back of his neck as his fist clenched where it was resting on his knee. "Come again?"
"Robin, I'm a telepath." She rolled her eyes; for a genius, he could be so naive sometimes. "I didn't do it on purpose, though," she quickly added. "It's just that when we were in Bialya I forgot how secretive you are about that and I didn't realize knowing your name was a big deal; to be honest, I was more focused on not digging out anything Artemis didn't want me to find. Sorry." She smiled apologetically and held out the plate of fresh cookies as a peace offering.
Dick narrowed his eyes at the pile of chocolatey goodness for a good minute before sighing with a shake of his head and taking two.
"Don't tell anyone," he warned with Batman-like steel in his voice.
"I would never," she promised immediately; a little too quickly, perhaps.
"Not even Superboy," Robin emphasized.
"You think I tell him everything?" M'gann asked with a raised eyebrow.
"I don't know and it's none of my business; I'm just saying."
"Look, my lips are sealed. I don't really understand the secret identity thing, but if it's important to you, I will honor it. As friends do."
"Okay. Good," he muttered.
"Thes bonghing exchperhience ish great for yoo guysh 'nd all, but, uh... couldh yoo take yoor hhand back, pleashe?" Wally asked with a nearly closed mouth through Dick's iron hold on his face, looking back and forth between the two of them.
"I don't really see the need for watching Hello Megan! on the big TV," Conner said as M'gann pulled him by the elbow through the hallway. "We can watch it just fine in your room. Where nobody will bothe—"
"SURPRISE!" a chorus of people cheered at once as he came into view of the lounge, and the M'gann made streamer-hiding-places exploded all at once, making confetti rain all over the room. Wally instinctively crouched over the food.
Superboy stopped dead in his tracks, taking in the scene before him. Robin, Kid Flash, Miss Martian, Rocket, Zatanna and Aqualad were all here, as were Garfield, Black Canary, Red Tornado, Captain Marvel and... Superman? With an elderly couple he had never before seen in his life.
His heart did a backflip at seeing his father of sorts look at him with warmth in his expression.
"Happy birthday, Conner." M'gann hugged him and planted a big, loud, kiss on his cheek. A few seconds later he had somehow ended up with a conical hat on his head.
"Uh... it's not my birthday," he said, frowning. "I don't have one."
"Well, we decided that you should," she announced. "Today is the first anniversary of the day Project Kr was begun, which makes it the day you started existing. I think," she added.
"Shouldn't my birthday be the day I stopped growing?"
"Yeah, it is a bit like celebrating a conception date," Wally said and started snorting at the image of Lex Luthor and Superman trying to conceive.
"Whichever way," M'gann continued, "you deserve a party. I thought it was about time. So happy first—or seventeenth, whatever you prefer—birthday, Superboy." She brushed his hair, then added in a lower voice. "I'm... very glad you exist."
Conner's face softened and the corners of his mouth slowly turned upwards in such a rare occurrence for him. His arm wound around her waist and he kissed her good and proper, right on the lips.
"Thank you, M'gann," he said via their mental link. "I... don't know what to say about all this."
"Say you'll try to enjoy it."
"I will. I love you, M'gann."
She blushed, trying to suppress a grin, and cast her eyes away, to where the guests were turning to each other to mind their own business.
"So... is there gonna be cake or what?" Wally asked.
"Shh; they're having a moment," Zatanna whispered through gritted teeth.
"Yes," he whispered back, "but will there be cake?"
"Hi, hi, sorry I'm late! Patrolling with Green Arrow took longer than I thought." Artemis marched into the lounge and straight over to the party boy. "Happy birthday, Conner! Man, you're turning one, huh? I remember when I was that age... I was so— actually, no, I don't remember anything." She laughed. "But, hey, you get to remember your whole life!"
"Uh... thanks," Conner said, stirring his drink with his party hat and trying to get the courage to go talk to Superman. " But I don't feel any different."
"Ah, don't worry about that; nobody ever does." She put her elbow on his shoulder and snagged a drink of her own from the counter, watching Wally eat. "You spend six months trying to get used to calling yourself a different age and then by the time you're actually okay with it, you have another birthday; it's an endless cycle of frustration. Has anybody else gotten any of that?" She pointed toward the redhead, who was munching down on a three-tier chocolate cake with KitKats all over it. A small, amused smile graced her mouth at the thought that she was dating that goof of a boy. Life worked in funny ways.
Well, at least there were no unblown candles stuck in the cake.
"Not that I know of."
"Okay, then; I'm moving in," Artemis said, putting her drink down and patting him on the shoulder. As she made her way over to the couch to have a turf war with her boyfriend, if it was necessary, she ran across M'gann and took a step back back in shock. "Whoa, what happened to your hair?" It was dark brown, almost as long as Artemis', devoid of any bangs, and hung in soft waves over M'gann's shoulders.
"Oh, that's right; you weren't here. I decided I wanted a change." M'gann shrugged and smiled, smoothing it self-consciously. "Black Canary says being too much like Megan could be bad for me and Garfield says I look a little bit too much like his mom, so I thought I'd play around with a couple of things. How do you like it?" She twirled around, sending her curls flying all over.
"Looks great." Artemis ran her fingers through the auburn strands. "It has a habit of getting in the way, though," she warned.
"Yeah, I noticed that," M'gann said with pursed lips, almost pouting. "How do you deal with it?"
"Uh... lifelong practice, I guess." The blonde ran her palm over her loose mane, tucking some of it behind her ear.
"Oh! Superman's coming over." M'gann eyed the large figure approaching Conner, which he had yet to notice, and her brow creased with concern; the two Kryptonians had come a long way, but it was no means the end of the road and, well, their confrontations could get intense. "I'd better go make sure Superboy doesn't break something."
"Sure." Artemis spun around and blew out a breath. "Oh, and, M'gann?"
"Yes?"
"Great party," she said, holding up two thumbs. M'gann beamed and rushed over to the Superfamily which, as it turned out, included the elderly couple she had never before heard of.
"Hey, babe." Wally's voice came muffled from the couch. "When did you get here?"
"While you were eating," Artemis replied dryly, taking a seat next to him and watching Robin and Zatanna have a quiet—and, by the looks of it, hard—conversation on the corner couch. Her eyes were cast down and his fingers were tangled in his lap, twisting and untwisting. "Do you know what's going on there?"
Wally's head turned to his best friend, fork-holding hand frozen in mid-air between the plate on the coffee table and his mouth. "Not really, but I'm pretty sure they're breaking up." His lips collected in one corner of his mouth as he examined the couple.
"Yeah, I was afraid of that," Artemis muttered.
"Zee talked to you?"
"Yep. Can't say I'm surprised, I guess. Team romances can't go successful three for three, right?"
"Oh, so ours is working out?" He grinned.
Artemis smirked with a tongue in her cheek. "I meant you and the cake."
"Ouch!" His hand clapped his heart in mock horror. "Okay, fine, you want any?"
"Why, Wallace, are you offering me food?" She batted her eyelashes, enjoying the way his eyes narrowed.
"Fuck you; offer rescinded." He turned back to his plate, nose in the air.
Her shoulders slumped. "Ugh, you're still on that stupid comic book?"
"Not a comic book; a webcomic." He stared her right in the eyes, the educator finger high and mighty, pointing at her. "That I'm addicted to. Just today I finished an act and learned the purpose of the game and OH MY GOD I can't wait to get home and read more." He threw his hands up to the ceiling in desperation, sending cake crumbs all over the room. Artemis groaned. "Can your phone handle flash?" he asked her with the utmost importance in his voice and drew back slightly when he caught himself. "Wait, how did you know that was a quote? Did you start reading it without telling me? I thought you said you'd only do that when hell froze over. Which, by the way, I hear Icicle, Jr. is actively working on."
"No, doofus; I knew because you never swear. At least you didn't before you started reading that monstrosity. How long's it been, a month? That should be enough, I think. Where do you even find the time between school, me and the hero gig?"
"Oh, Rob set up this sweet deal for me with holographic glasses; teachers think my sight has gone bad when I'm actually reading about time-travel paradoxes and angry space trolls, and cool guys." He grinned, clearly pleased with himself.
Artemis shook her head. "I can't wait for this to blow over; if I ever go to any of your school dances, remind me to punch that Johnny kid in the nuts for showing the thing to you."
"Hey, I don't criticize your telenovelas," he reminded her. "Anyway, I only have like 500 pages left; I'm sure it'll end pretty soon after that. My favorite things always do." His lip quivered, complete with puppy eyes, and Artemis couldn't help but snort. "Like those two. Remember when they met? Haven't seen Rob take to a girl that quickly, like, ever." He sighed and put his elbows on his knees, resting his head atop his hands.
Artemis shifted her gaze to where Boy Wonder and the magician were still sitting, but in much more relaxed positions now, talking animatedly and throwing out a smile or two every once in a while. Her palm brushed his shoulder. "They'll be fine, babe."
"Ahhhh, M'gann, have I mentioned I love you for doing this?" Wally captured the martian in a giant bear hug, looking over the lounge which had yet again been decorated with balloons and streamers, this time green and gold. Chocolate popcorn lay in three big bowls all over the room, a Cheshire cat clock hung on a wall, and the DVD was ready for The Wizard of Oz.
"You don't have monopoly on making Artemis happy, Wally," she said with a wink.
"I can see that, yes. You're the best anyway."
"When is the birthday girl showing up?" Red Arrow asked, sitting at the counter with an apathetic expression and running fingers through his hair. The dark circles under his eyes were only enhanced by his sunglasses.
"Soon, I hope. I'm gonna text her again." Wally took out his phone, excited to see her face when walks in. He had to periodically remind himself not to give away that he knew it was her special day.
"Do I really have to be here?" Red asked.
"Some normalcy will be good for you, Roy," Ollie said, coming over to the clone and putting a hand on his shoulder. He squirmed away and Oliver's arm dropped along with his expression.
"Ooh, she'll be here in, like, two minutes," Wally announced to the room. "Everybody take your positions; I'm gonna go meet her."
He was practically vibrating with excitement when Artemis stepped out of the zeta tube, bow in hand and confusion on her face.
"What's with you?" she asked as he hooked his arm around her elbow and started leisurely walking in the general direction of the lounge.
"Ohhhh, nothing; M'gann dug out a bunch of pictures to put into the beehive. It's starting to look nice and populated. Wanna see?"
"Uhm, sure?" She looked at him sideways, examining his grinning profile. "I can't stay long, though; I have, uh... a mountain of homework."
"Homework can wait," he said, pressing a kiss to her cheek as they entered the lounge and, once again, everybody was doing the 'happy birthday!' bit.
Only this time the person in question did not turn to him perplexed, or get excited, or mask the knowledge they'd had all along, or flail out of joy. Instead, her bow was upright immediately, pointed at the room.
When she realized who was in it, that they were all heroes, Artemis looked Wally in the eye with betrayal and moisture in hers, shaking her elbow from his hold.
"What have you done?" Her face turned to stone as surprise and concern overtook his and her hand shook when she pushed him away. "I can't believe—" She drew in a sharp breath. "Stay away from me."
Her quick, backwards steps, as if she were afraid to turn her back on him, clicked like bomb timer ticks in his mind and, before he regained the ability to speak, she was almost gone.
"Wh— Artemis, wait!" he called after her, racing at full speed to the zeta tubes, missing her by mere inches. But she was no longer there and the ache in his heart grew stronger by the second.
Shaken and defeated, feeling like his entire world had shattered in half a minute, Wally sunk ass-first down to the floor and put his head between his knees, vaguely aware that Zatanna and M'gann had come after him. He heard them breathing, but the Jupiter-sized lump in his throat prevented him from acknowledging it.
"What just happened?" M'gann asked.
"I have absolutely no idea," Wally thought and the pain in his mind all but screamed that not knowing was killing him.