GOTHAM CITY

SEPTEMBER 7TH 21: 07 EST

"I'm sorry, you have a what?"

"A name," Superboy said on the other end of the line. Betty leaped out of her chair in surprise and almost bumped into the coffee table. "Conner Kent."

"Conner Kent!" Betty said excitedly. "That's amazing!"

Superboy getting a name was a big step for him. First he got a new pet with Sphere, a device he picked up in Bialya that seemed to have it's thoughts and feelings. And now, a few days later, a new name? As in a civilian one? That was fantastic! Conner was making steps towards moving out of Superman's shadow and becoming his own person. As his friend, she was excited for him.

"How'd you come up with it?" Betty asked.

"M'gann helped," Superboy – Conner – said. "We were picking out names for school, and she said she liked the name Conner. I thought it was alright, so I just kind of stuck with it. Kent was for, uh, Kent Nelson."

"Aw, that's sweet of you," Betty said. But then she grinned mischievously and began to walk around their almost completely unpacked living room. "And M'gann liked it, you say?"

Betty had had her suspicions that Conner was starting to feel something just a little more for M'gann than pure friendship. Something had changed between M'gann and Conner after the last mission, when they came back from defeating Psimon, their was something softer about their exchanges. The harsh edge that Conner had with everyone else was just…. gone with M'gann. A kindness had replaced it.

"Yeah, she suggested it actually," Conner said, not catching onto what Betty was saying. Betty rolled her eyes and walked into her room. It was mostly unpacked save a box of her pajamas and weapons stored in a case beneath her bed. It was a pretty beige color, with it's bed pushed against the back corner and a table and dresser were in front of the window. Purple curtains matched a rug she managed to snag at the thrift store, and her left side of the room was filled with a bookcase.

"That was pretty sweet of M'gann," Betty said, sitting down on her bed. "To help you come up with a name."

"Yeah, I guess it was," Conner said. Honeybee thought back to their first real conversation, and she smiled.

"You'll have to tell me what it's like having a secret identity," Honeybee said. "Now that you have one."

Conner chuckled on his end of the phone.

"Yeah, I guess I will. We can compare notes."

"I look forward to it."

Lost my gloves, you give me one
"Wanna hang out?"
"Yeah, sounds like fun"
Video games
You pass me a note
Sleeping in tents

MOUNT JUSTICE

SEPTEMBER 8TH 2010 17:37 EST

Honeybee sat on the couch in the lounge of the Cave, Artemis sitting beside her and M'gann on the opposite couch, smiling brightly. M'gann had a bottle pink nail polish in front of her and was delicately painting each one of her fingernails. Artemis had a similar bottle of black while Honeybee painted hers the same vibrant yellow as her hero suit. M'gann had suggested a makeshift 'manicure day', which mostly consisted of sitting in couches and painting their nails.

Not that it wasn't fun. Honeybee had been the only girl sidekick for a long time and so it felt nice to have friends who liked more 'girly' things and also understood the double life. It was refreshing, honestly, and M'gann had gone all out. She had a nail polish bottle for every color of the rainbow plus their variants, plus nail files and the like. It was actually pretty sweet how much effort the young Martian had put into this.

"On Mars," M'gann said, "we don't have nail polish, since we can just change our forms." She smiled and held up her newly painted fingernails. "This is a lot more fun!" Honeybee supposed for a girl that could change her appearance at the drop of a hat, actually doing something physical to alter their appearance must seem interesting, the same way they found M'gann's shapeshifting interesting.

"I've never really had a real manicure before," Honeybee said, "if this is what it is, I have to admit I like it." Honeybee had never gotten one before. First it had been because she was too young, and then after Ivo left, they could never afford it. She had painted her nails, of course, but only herself. Never had she gotten anyone else save her mom to do it for her.

"Me too," Artemis said. "I kinda like it."

Artemis was quickly emerging as a tomboy, as in the past month she had revealed herself to not be all that engaged with more feminine-aligned activities like shopping or make-up. It was nice to know that she was enjoying such a 'girly' activity. Artemis peeked over at Honeybee's nails and smirked.

"Yellow, HB?" Artemis said. "Isn't that a little on the nose?"

Honeybee shrugged.

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it." Artemis rolled her eyes and returned to her nail painting.

"How did you come up with the hero name Honeybee?" M'gann asked aloud, not looking up from her nails.

"My mo-mentor's name was Waspia," Honeybee said. "Before she died. I wanted to go along with her theme."

"Wait, hold the phone," Artemis said, holding a hand still wet with black polish. "Waspia really is dead? I thought that was just a rumor."

Honeybee looked at Artemis in confusion. It was basic League knowledge that Waspia was not just on leave like the League claimed for the public, she was dead. If Artemis was Green Arrow's niece, surely, she would have heard by now? It basically was put in the information packet. Waspia being dead would be the first League member on the rooster to die on duty, and they had to keep it quiet outside of the community, lest their enemies think they have weaknesses. It was alright by Honeybee to keep it on the downlow, albeit for different reasons. She hadn't wanted her mom's death to be a spectacle. For Waspia to overshadow the loss of Sarah Bryons, and luckily, it hadn't. The League memorial had been quiet and private in the middle of a forest, where no one could see them, and they had let Waspia rest peacefully rather than make a show of her dying.

"Yeah, she is," Honeybee said. "If she was alive, she would be more involved with the Team."

How many times had Honeybee thought about what it would be like for Waspia to be a mentor for the Team? A hero with no powers, a hero who stood up for what was right regardless of the risk, a hero who loved just as deeply as she fought. Her mother, a part of her life still.

"Oh, wow," Artemis said blinking. She shook her head. "I'm sor—"

"Sorry for my loss?" Honeybee said. "I get that a lot. Can we please move on? Maybe to something happier?"

M'gann thought for a moment and then smiled brightly.

"Batman said he might have a solo mission for me and Conner!" M'gann said. That was exciting. M'gann had never been put on a smaller mission like that before, just with the whole Team. And it was great for Conner too, it meant they were starting to trust him and not just view him as a Superman 2.0.

"That's great M'gann," Artemis said, and Honeybee nodded in agreement.

"You and Conner seem to work really well together," Honeybee said. Honeybee had heard about the incidents with Psimon from Conner. They had managed to defeat Psimon with their combined strength – or rather, M'gann's mental strength and Conner's stubbornness, as Conner had explained it to Honeybee.

M'gann blushed despite herself and looked down at her hands.

"Oh, uh, I guess," M'gann said. Honeybee smiled knowingly. It seemed M'gann was in the same boat as Conner as far as their feelings were concerned.

"I'm sure the mission will go swimmingly," Honeybee said. M'gann beamed and clasped her hands together.

"You really think so?" M'gann said.

"Of course," Artemis said easily, critically looking at her nails. "You two have like the coolest superpowers. You took down a physic that took all of our memories on your twos on."

"Kaldur is supposed to be coming with us," M'gann said. "We don't have all the details yet, but I think it'll be a lot of fun. You know, as much fun as a mission can be."

Missions were always equal part fun and serious. Maybe it came with their youth, but there was just something exciting about going on a covert mission. The older League members were so serious, but these missions felt like an adventure. Everything was a guess, every move a test of trust, and to explore with kids your own age felt like a sizzling pop of fun in their stomachs.

Artemis looked at her nails and gave one final nod of approval, before shutting the bottle of black polish and replacing in the rows of colors that M'gann had laid out on the floor.

"I think I'm going to enjoy having my nails painted the next few days," Artemis said. "My new school won't let me wear polish; I'm going to test out if they're really serious."

Honeybee rolled her eyes.

"Way to stick it to the man, Artemis."

Artemis rolled her eyes and pushed Honeybee's shoulder gently. Honeybee overdramatically fell over the side of the couch, landing on her back so that she was completely spread out, her arms and legs bent for dramatic effect.

"I am offended by your act of violence Artemis," Honeybee said. M'gann laughed and put her polish back as well. She levitated the bottles to put them back on the kitchen counter, and they connected with a soft, clear clink.

"Get off the floor Honeybee," M'gann said. "You'll get dirt in your hair."

"No! Not until Artemis apologizes!" Honeybee said. Artemis huffed fondly and stood, offering Honeybee a hand to stand up with.

"Alright, alright," she said. "I'm sorry."

"Apology accepted," Honeybee said, taking Artemis's hand. Honeybee rose to full standing height and smiled at her friend.

"It feels nice having sisters," M'gann said airily. "I mean, I have fourteen on Mars, but you know, this is different."

The closest Honeybee had to a sibling was Jason, and he was a boy and so much younger than her. Not to mention, he could not really know all of her goings-ons as Honeybee. It was nice having someone close to her that she could talk with about that aspect of her life.

Artemis stiffened for a moment, and then smiled. M'gann did not seem to notice Artemis's slight shift, but Honeybee did. An alarm bell went off in Honeybee's head that maybe there was something there that she should be considered about, but she shook the thought away. Artemis was entitled to a few secrets, just as Honeybee was entitled to hers.

Secrets were tricky. And Honeybee didn't want this good moment to be tripped up by secrets.

It's nice to have a friend
It's nice to have a friend

Light pink sky
Up on the roof
Sun sinks down
No curfew

Chapter Bible Verse:

It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God — that is, our righteousness, holiness and redemption. - 1 Corinthians 1:30

Interlude, so review replies will come next chapter!

If I don't see y'all before then: Happy Easter! He is Risen! Let us Rejoice!

Questions, comments, or concerns? Let me know! Have a blessed day!

-PrincessChess