Chapter Twenty-One ― Secrets

"I love you continuously, intensely."


Arley Gluck could remember the first Halloween she had spent with Hal Jordan; she'd been nine years old and Hal had taken her to Party City a week before the holiday had rolled around and told Arley― who had previously admitted to never having a costume she hadn't fished out of her old schools lost and found before ―to go hog wild and pick out anything she wanted.

So the girl had picked out a fairy costume, it had sparkly pink wings that bent and wrapped around Arley's shoulders and a cute, pink dress that's layered skirt ended at Arley's knee. Arley had worn white tights underneath it and later that Halloween night she had also worn the child sized aviators jacket Hal had bought for her― because it matched his own ―over it, and she had even worn the plastic, seven dollar tiara Carol had bought for her.

All in all at the end of the night the three of them, Arley, Carol and Hal had ended up on the Jordan-Gluck couch with a pillowcase full of candy between them and Disney's A Nightmare Before Christmas on television; Hal had sung all the words to the movie's opening theme song.

It was one of Arley's fonder memories, one the Lantern cherished and looked back on when she needed to smile.

It was why Arley always went pink for Halloween; why when she had been ten she had been Glenda from the Wizard of Oz and why when she had been eleven she had been Patrick from Spongebob Squarepants and why for M'gann and Conner's school dance she planned on being Princess Peach from the Mario Brothers video games.

You look beautiful, Aniell, Arley's ring said and Arley smiled into the mirror as she fixed the tiara Carol had gotten her all those years ago. The shoulders of Arley's dress poofed out and though the baby pink dress ended just above her knees― unlike the actual video game characters dress which was floor length ―it had the same large blue gem that hung off the dress' dark pink collar that Princess Peach's actual dress did in the games.

"You don't have eyes, Aniell," Arley laughed into the bathroom mirror.

Perhaps not but you feel pretty, the Lanterns ring said and Arley breathed at her reflection; her ring was right, Arley felt pretty, she looked at herself in the mirror and paused when a thought struck Arley over the back of the head and red hot guilt flooded through her veins. What right did she have to feel pretty, she was a monster.

Arley shut her eyes.

"I am not a bad Lantern, I did what I had to. I did what I had to in order to survive, that's not my fault," Arley said and though her ring didn't say anything in reply to the mantra Black Canary had taught her an agreeable hum rang through the back of her mind.

Arley jumped back from the mirror as a knock rapped against the bathroom door.

"Kid, Wally's here," Hal said from the other side of the door. The Lantern took a deep breath that filled her lungs and though it almost felt as if there was still a weight on her chest, preventing her from truly breathing, Arley ignored it. Halloween was about pretending― it was about being anything other than yourself ―and for a few hours Arley could pretend she wasn't a monster; she could pretend to be normal.

"Coming!" Arley replied as she threw open the bathroom door, Hal― in his Frankenstein costume and green face paint and fake stitches ―stood in the hall just outside of the apartment's bathroom, beamed at Arley. "Nice face paint," Arley told her adoptive father and the man laughed.

"Oh why thank you, your majesty," Hal joked, his grin faulted for a second as he looked at Arley and his eyes narrowed for a moment, "You're really growing up, huh?"

"It was bound to happen at some point," Arley said with a small smile of her own, Hal tucked a stray piece of hair behind Arley's ear.

"Yeah well," Hal said, "I kind of hate it, you were supposed to be that quiet little eight year old girl who couldn't sleep without her ring making a model of the solar system forever, or did you forget about that?"

"I never got the memo," Arley told the pilot, "Nor did Father Time apparently, but hey in a few years I'll be at college and you can have your bachelor pad back, I'm sure you miss those days."

"Nah," he said with a shake of a head and a half-grin on his face, "Back then I never thought I'd say it but truth is kid, I kind of like being a dad more than I ever liked being a free-to-do-as-he-pleased bachelor."

"Why?" Arley asked with a doubtful frown.

"Well, probably because you helped me grow up," Hal said. "You made me grow up, I mean, I'm not saying I was stupid kid back then but having you around has made me into a better person-a better hero because I wanted you to be able look at me and know that you were loved and safe and that no matter what you'd have a home here, with me."

A ball of emotion swelled in Arley's throat and the Lantern wrapped her arms around the man's waist; she took in a deep breath of Hal's pine forest cologne; Hal hugged her back just as tightly and a minute later when he was patting her back, ending the hug he smiled down at her.

"We should probably go save your boy from Guy and Carol," Hal said and Arley, with wide eyes darted off down the hall, away from Hal Jordan's booming laughter. She hadn't even realized that this would be the first time Carol would be seeing Wally since they had kissed two weeks ago.

Wally West, under his fake wig and wolf-man beard, looked pale as Carol Ferris, in her expensive looking pirate costume smiled almost dangerously at him; Guy, who wore an old hockey jersey that had holes in it and white zombie face paint on his face hid a smile behind his hand.

"Hey there Handsome," Arley said to Wally, and Wally whose eyes flickered from the powerhouse CEO that was carol Ferris to Arley widened, color quickly came back to the speedsters face; though it was red and pink and not at all his natural tone.

"Babe," Wally grinned as Arley stepped around Carol. "You look lovely M'lady," Wally said as he bowed theatrically at the waist and took Arley's gloved hand in his still cast one and gallantly, with a mischievous look in his green eyes, kissed her covered knuckles. A flash went off from behind Arley and Wally, over Carol's shoulder. Arley felt her own face bloom red as Wally straightened up; her hand was still in his.

A second flash went off.

Hal waved the digital camera he had in his hand over his boss' shoulder. Arley shot her adoptive father a dry look before she― still blushing ―turned back to the speedster.

"You look great," Arley told the boy, her free hand moved up and twirled the end of his fake beard around her index finger. Wally's head bent as Arley's finger let go of the fake beard, she placed her hand flat against the side of his neck.

"Yeah?" Wally asked as the Lantern.

"Of course, I mean, I've always wanted a dog―" Wally scoffed and playfully pulled away from the girl, only for her to follow him as her leaned back, the three adults in the room chuckled at the two teens, "―No come on, I'm teasing, I promise. You look amazing."

Arley turned to Carol, "You look great too Carol." Arley looked at the knee high leather boots the CEO had on and she eyed them appreciatively. "I love the shoes."

Arley was a superhero but she was also a sixteen year old girl and while fashion may have never been at the very top of her list of priorities it was still something Arley took an interest in.

"Really?" Carol held her leg out and turned it to show Arley a better view of the boots side and the thick-four inch heel; Hal, besides Arley, was the only other person in the room who looked at the dark haired thirty-five year old's leg.

"Uh-yeah," Arley nodded, "They're cute."

There were several expletives Arley could have tacked on to show just how cute she thought the shoes were but they were all alien swears that would have made the CEO blink at the girl like she'd grown a second head. Wally's phone beeped and the speedster pulled it out of the red letterman jacket he was wearing.

"It's Conner," Wally said, he looked to Guy and Hal and Carol, "He says to tell you guys hi."

Carol smiled brightly at the mention of the clone boy, as far as she knew he was an old foster brother of Arley's who'd recently been adopted and relocated out of Gotham and to Coast City just as Arley had been several years ago.

"Tell him we said hey," Guy said and Carol looked at Arley,

"Is he meeting you at the school?" The woman asked and though it pained Arley to lie to the woman, the Lantern nodded. Her and Hal couldn't tell Carol about their alter-egos or about anyone else's, not because they didn't trust her but because they knew exactly what could happen to her if a villain found out she knew who was behind their masks. "We should let you guys go then, we don't want to hold you up any longer."

"I want another picture!" Hal said, he wrapped his arms around Carol― the CEO's olive skin darkened as she blushed ―as he focused the camera in front of her face, Hal's chin rested on Carol's shoulders and the pilot smirked as he did so.

Wally wrapped his arm tightly around Arley's waist and she laid her head on his arm as she beamed; she could feel Wally looking down at her and she turned to look up at him. The look in his eyes was soft and the smile on his face was dazzling, Arley's bright beam transformed into a softer giddy one that showed the three adults in the room just how much of a love sick school girl she really was under all her armor.

She had been in love with Wally West for years and at sixteen she had forgotten what it felt like not to be in love with him.

Arley's adoptive father and sector leader clicked the picture button twice and neither teen blinked at the camera's rapid flash as they continued to look at one another.

She loved him and he said he loved her and when living a life that could end at any moment was there anything more important than love?

...

Wally howled, Arley and M'gann were giggling as they wrapped Conner from head to toe in bandages; the clone boy had on white pants and a white t-shirt. Wolf, who laid at Wally's feet simply rolled over as he tried to sleep. Wally looked down at the genetically modified wolf.

"Really? You're not going to join in at all?" Wally asked the animal disappointingly, Arley snorted at the teens' tone. "What kind of wolf are you?"

"Wally stop torturing him," Conner said as he held his arm out for the two girls to wrap.

M'gann moved from the clone's arm so that she could begin to wrap his head.

"Hold still please," M'gann ordered the clone boy and Arley, after she had finished wrapping the boy's arm, pinned the gauze with the safety pin M'gann had given her. The Lantern moved towards Wally who looked at the clone and Martian girl as he slung an arm around Arley's shoulders; the pads of his still cast fingers were hot against the skin of Arley's arm, it made the Lanterns heart race.

You can face hoards of blood thirsty enemies and not even feel an iota of fear but the human boy you find attractive touches you and your heart races faster than a Kineceleran can run, Arley's ring seemed to almost snicker.

Arley blushed as Wally led her back over to the alien couple as M'gann stepped back, away from Conner's bandaged head.

"Yeah Megan," Wally teased, "Stop torturing him." M'gann rolled her eyes and Arley, ignoring the blush in her cheeks, looked at the Martian girl and her usual black flats and lilac skirt.

"So Megs are you planning on going to the dance as everyone's favorite Martian or do you maybe want to show us us the top secret costume you've been keeping under wraps?" M'gann looked down at her outfit and the balls of her palm hit the top of her forehead,

"Hello Megan!" The alien girl stepped back, farther away from Conner and with a roll of her shoulders the girl's clothing transformed to resemble a ripped bridal gown, her skin turned a pale ghostly white color while some patches of skin that looked to almost be sewed on looked to be grey. The skin under her eyes and her lips, though, darkened.

M'gann let out a growl as she swiped her claws at the three teens.

"Whoa," Wally nodded, he looked at Arley and smirked before he looked back to M'gann with an over dramatic flutter of his lashes, "Megan feel free to eat my brains anytime."

Arley, with a laugh, elbowed the speedster. Wally held his gut as he looked at Arley with a betrayed pout.

"Babe!" He whined as Conner continued to stare at the Martian girl; Captain Marvel walked into the room with white zombie face paint― much like what Guy had been wearing on his own face ―walked into the zeta-tube room.

"Great costume M'gann!" Captain Marvel said, "Great minds think alike!"

"You're so mean to me," Wally muttered to Arley and the Lantern snorted as the speedster still held his side.

"Captain!" M'gann turned and smiled at their old den-mother as he smiled at the four teens, "You look terrific, are you going to a Halloween celebration too?" Captain Marvel's smile fell.

"Poor baby Genius Boy," Arley cooed with a flutter of her dark lashes, "How can I make it up to you?" The red headed wolf-man grinned and leaned forward, Arley leaned up on her tippy toes as Wally pulled Arley closer to his chest.

"I have an idea."

'Well sure," The hero said, "I'm going with-uh, I mean, you did invite the whole team, right?" Arley's mouth brushed against Wally's before the speedster pressed a firm and chaste kiss to the girls lips and Arley's eyes shut as she kissed him back; her gloved hands fisted the cheap fabric of his knock off letterman jacket.

"Yeah we'll all be at the dance so don't worry about us," M'gann assured the man, "Go, have fun at your party." Wally pulled away from Arley and the Lantern let out a breath that she'd unintentionally held when kissing him, her heart beat a mile a minute in her chest.

"Recognized Artemis, B-zero-eight," the zeta-tubes robotic voice announced as the one on the left blared to life. "Zatanna Zatara, A-zero-three," it said as the tube on the right lit up as well. Both girls stepped out of the zeta-tubes and Arley smiled at Artemis' vampire costume and Zatanna's witch one, which was just ironic enough to be funny.

"Oh hey Zatanna you look great," Artemis said and the younger, dark haired girl smiled.

"Thanks, you too!" Zatanna, as she and Artemis stopped in front of Captain Marvel, put her hands on her hips and smiled up under the rim of her large witches at the hero. "Oh look, zombie Captain Marvel, that's―" the magical teen paused to think of a word, "―Hilarious, is the Justice League having a party, cause my dad didn't mention it."

"No, no, no, see-I―" Captain Marvel paused and his shoulders fell, the hero's shoulder picked back up and his white cape swayed as he did so, "Fine," Captain Marvel said almost petulantly, "I'm going trick-or-treating."

Arley blinked at the hero's confession― Captain Marvel looked about the same age as John, not twelve ―as he jumped over the archer and homo-magi to the zeta-tubes. The hero stepped into the large teleportation tubes and crossed his arms over his chest.

"Recognized Captain Marvel, one-five."

"And I'm not sharing my candy," Captain Marvel added before the light of the zeta-tube flashed and he was whisked off to wherever his usual zeta-beam drop off was in Fawcett City. When the hero was gone Arley turned back to Wally, a fake, over exaggerated pout, on her lips.

"So did I make it up to you?" Arley asked, Zatanna and Artemis turned to one another and the archer let out a laugh. Wally grinned roguishly down at Arley as the girl caught the end of his fake beard between her index and thumb.

"Perhaps," The speedster said. Arley looked over to M'gann who re-wrapping Conner's right arm.

"Will you please stop fidgeting?" M'gann giggled to Conner as the clone's arm twitched in the green alien girl's hand.

"You know, I might have left something in the library yesterday," Arley said slyly.

I have been across the universe and back and everywhere you young ones are the same, Arley's ring said almost dryly and the girl ducked her head in embarrassment. No one had ever said that constantly sharing her mind with something almost as old as the universe itself wouldn't be a constant learning experience.

Wally tipped Arley's chin upwards as he shuffled closer.

"Well then as your boyfriend I might have to help you get it," Wally said, and then before anyone else in the room could blink, the two of them were gone and across the cave.

...

So because Artemis and Zatanna had bailed― when Arley had texted the archer the blonde girl had responded with something about ditching the dance to go to the city with magical teen and for Arley to have a great time ―and Dick and Kaldur had both said no when M'gann had initially invited them to the dance what had originally been team bonding quickly turned into a double date.

Not that Arley minded, she loved Conner and M'gann― they were her family ―it was just that since their kiss in the simulation neither the Lantern or the speedster had gone on an actual, official first date. They had hung around the cave together and they had gone over to the others houses, just as they had always done, but in the two weeks since the since they hadn't gone out of their way to plan a date of any kind whether it be to the movies or the one dinner in that small rural Virginia town they'd found the year before.

Nonetheless it seemed, as Arley and Wally walked hand-in-hand into the Happy Harbor high school gymnasium, the double date to the school dance that neither she nor Wally actually attended would be their first date.

M'gann turned to Arley as she and Conner led the speedster and youngest of the four sector Lanterns further into the brightly lit gym. Orange and black and purple balloons littered the school gymnasium and streamers hung from the rafters, music beat loud enough to vibrate through the floor.

"Too bad the rest of the team couldn't make it," M'gann said, Arley hummed in agreement as she looked around the room and saw mostly Justice League inspired costumes. Every so often she caught sight of a nurse or a pirate or a black cat but most she saw teens dressed as members of the League.

Arley couldn't help but smile when she caught sight of two teenagers in Green Lantern themed costumes.

"You have got to be kidding me," Conner growled, he looked to Arley and waved his hand at the plethora of teenage superheroes on the dance floor, "Why couldn't I wear my regular shirt?"

"Because I swear to Nortz you're going to wind up wearing a hole in it," Arley shot back as a blonde girl dressed in a Black Canary themed outfit and a black girl in a bumblebee costume rushed up to M'gann. They marveled at M'ganns ripped wedding dress and the patches of different colored skin on the Martian girls arm.

"You look amazing!" The blonde girl gushed.

"Girl," the girl in the bumblebee costume nodded, "Who did your make up?" M'gann let out a giggle and a boy in a leather jacket and a Superman jumpsuit lowered his glasses as he took in Conner's costume.

"Burn victim?" Arley snorted at the dry glare Conner shot the boy.

"Mummy," the clone answered, eyeing the symbol on the other boy's chest, "You?"

"Superman done right," the other boy said, holding his arms out to show off his costume.

"Yeah," Conner nodded with half a grin, "Good luck with that."

Arley kicked the back of the clone boys shin and the two girls who had rushed over to M'gann looked at her and Wally, the blonde girl cocked her head to the side.

"You two don't go here," she said and Arley looked to M'gann and Conner― none of them had actually gone over a cover story on why Arley and Wally, and the others that were supposed to come with them, were attending the dance to a school that only two of them went to; at the time winging it had seemed like the best option as none of the team had actually thought someone would be able to confidently say they weren't students at Happy Harbor ―and the Lantern plastered a fake smile on her face.

"Ah-no," Arley shook her head, "My boyfriend and I," Arley raised her and Wally's joint hands, "We're just visiting and Megs and Conner said that we could tag along." The blonde looked between Arley and Conner and Arley and M'gann, her knee propped out before she nodded.

She motioned to Arley and Conner, "I see it." Arley wasn't quite sure what she saw but she nodded anyway, "So what are you and Conner cousins?"

"Siblings," Conner said before he froze, he obviously hadn't thought about the word that'd come out of his mouth before he'd said it. Arley felt Wally grip her hand tighter. The boy dressed as Superman done right blinked from over the rim of his round glasses;

"If you two are brother and sister then how come she's visiting?" He looked at the group of four teenage heroes doubtfully.

The thing about lying was, that as long as you didn't hesitate― and said whatever your lie was with confidence ―whatever you said sounded believable, even if it wasn't.

"Our parents are divorced," Arley said with a sad smile on her face and she leaned into Wally's shoulder as if the fake memory of her and Conner's fake parents splitting actually hurt. Just because Arley didn't care for lying didn't mean she wasn't good at it, she had grown up lying to people on where that bruise or broken bone had come from and if she'd eaten enough or was fine; when it came down to it Arley was good at lying, even if it made her feel gross afterwards.

"Conner lives with our mom out here and I'm out in Cali with our dad," Arley explained, "Wally and I, our school flooded so we have the week off."

"So you came out here to see your little brother?" The girl in the bumblebee costume asked, Arley nodded with a fake smile.

"Little?" Conner scoffed under his breath and both Wally and M'gann shot the boy, a look that obviously screamed for him to stop talking. Arley nodded enthusiastically, as if the girl in the bumblebee costume had hit the nail right on the head.

"Exactly!" Before anyone else could say something M'gann stepped up, her shoulders were stiff as she pointed at the other Happy Harbor high school students.

"Arley, Wally, this is Karen, Mal, Wendy and―" M'gann pointed to the dark haired teen in the Batman costume. The boy's eyes were glued to his phone as he was turned half away from the group.

"Ignore Marvin," the girl in the Black Canary costume― Wendy ―said in a dull tone. "He thinks we're being invaded by Martians." Marvin's head snapped up, away from his phone.

"I never said that!" The boy protested, "It's just, reports are all over the internet and I'm not the only one getting them." Phones throughout the gymnasium let up, beeping. "I mean Martians aren't invading, just a prank gone viral."

M'gann's smile fell.

"Of course it's a prank," a man's voice said from behind the group and Arley turned to see a familiar face she had never wanted to lay eyes on again at the punch table behind her, "Ever hear of Martian Manhunter? Martians aren't hostile."

The blood pumping through Arley's ears drowned out whatever M'gann said next; Arley focused solely on the face of Lucas Carr.

"Are you kriffing kidding?" Arley hissed before she could stop herself and the seven teens surrounding her blinked at Arley's hostile tone as she glared at the ex-hero. Lucas Carr's eye― the man wore an eye patch as part of his costume ―focused on Arley and the man paused, his cup of punch hung over the large crystalline punch bowl.

Lucas Carr had been the reason the Justice League had needed to retire the Mount Justice cave as their secret sanctum, he'd been the reason Arley had almost lost a second parent to the Joker and the crazed Clown King of Crimes Joker Venom.

"I'm sorry did she say kriffing?" The boy Mal wondered, "Is that some kind of West coast slang for fuck or something?"

No one answered him.

"No way," Carr croaked. Arley knew it, she had called it when M'gann had off handedly mentioned her and Conner's civics teacher. Wendy's dark eyes flickered between Arley and the retired hero. Wally looked at Arley questioningly but the Lantern only looked at the ex-hero.

"Do you know Conner's sister Mr. Carr?" Carr looked between both Arley and Conner― he really looked at Conner under the colorful dance lights ―and he nodded.

"Eh-yeah," Lucas Carr blinked, "I do-I actually know their parents."

"Knew," Arley corrected icily, "You knew him before your major-monumental fuck up got you kicked out of the business." Lucas Carr pressed his lips together.

"I was young and dumb―"

"―That so doesn't matter after what you did," Arley had been twelve who the Joker had discovered the cave, Dick had been ten and neither she nor Dick had almost gotten the entire Justice League jokerized and killed before or after that point like Lucas Carr had.

"Right," the paper cup in Lucas Carr's hand crinkled ever so slightly and while the eyes of the other teens watching widened, Arley's only narrowed. He was four years out of the game and ever since what had happened in Bialya Arley had picked up her training without her ring.

We could take him, Aniell said and Arley found herself agreeing with her ring, but Wally West stepped forward, in between the ex-hero and the Lanterns glaring match and smiled down at girl.

"You know babe I think we should dance?" He said in a rushed tone, his hand cradled Arley's elbow but the speedster didn't grip it, his other hand was on her shoulder, "Wanna dance-lets dance, see you on the dance floor guys!"

Arley let herself get spun around and ushered to the middle of the dance floor; though not before she threw a foul, evil-looking glare over her shoulder at the Rhode Island civics teacher. As Wally placed his hands on her hips and Arley automatically wrapped her arms around his neck the speedster frowned as he looked at Arley.

"Babe-I, you know I trust you, right?" Wally said, "But what the hell was that?" Arley blew a breath of hot air out of her nose.

"That," she spat as she let Wally move her hips to the beat of the song, "Was Snapper."

Wally stopped moving for a second and pulled back so that he could crane his neck high up over the crowd of civilian teenagers in order to look over to where he had whisked Arley away from.

"The Snapper?" Wally asked when he looked back down at Arley, "Like the one you and Rob said-you know?"

"Almost got Hal, your uncle and the rest of the League killed? Yeah."

"Oh."

"Yup." Wally pressed a kiss to the space between Arley's brows when he pulled back he was smiling; Arley and him had paused on the dance floor and the teenagers around them jostled them as they continued to move to Kesha's song TiK ToK.

"I get that you're feeling angry but can you do me a favor?" How could she deny him when he was looking at her with wide and pleading eyes and an adorable pout.

Pushover, Aniell hissed teasingly; Arley ignored her ring as she breathed. She could still feel liquid fire flooding her veins but as she looked into Wally West's emerald green eyes, slowly, the Lantern felt herself calming down.

"Sure," Arley nodded.

"Just forget about Snapper okay and focus on having fun?" Wally asked for her and while Arley didn't think she could fully forget that just twenty yards away was a man who had almost coast Hal his life, she could compartmentalize and focus on the speedster in front of her.

Focusing on Wally West was something Arley had become and expert in over the years.

Arley nodded and put her hands on Wally's shoulders as the DJ began to play another song, "Yeah," she told him as Mike Posner's Cooler Than Me started to play. "I can do that." Wally leaned down, after checking to see if any of the teachers on duty were looking, swiftly pecked the Lanterns lips with his own.

...

An hour or so later, when Lucas Carr's presence at the Happy Harbor high school dance had been pushed to the back of her mind― and Arley happily danced with M'gann and two other cheerleaders she had met when she had first walked into the schools gymnasiums while Wally, Conner and the two other boys waited on the makeshift dance floors sidelines ―the lights and the music that pumped from the large speakers the DJ had brought cut out.

Several students screamed and Arley grabbed onto M'ganns hand; the Martian girl threaded her fingers through Arley's and Arley turned in the direction she knew Wally had Conner had been standing in. The gymnasiums red tinted emergency lights turned on and Wally, Conner and the boy Mal met Arley, M'gann and the two other girls on the dance floor as Carr called out,

"Calm down everyone, it's just probably a blown fuse." Multiple students' phones beeped and dinged with notifications including the three civilians surrounding the young heroes.

"Says here Martians have taken New Haven and Providence," Mal said, Arley looked up at Wally who grimaced; they both shared a look with the alien couple that stood across from them because they all knew that what was happening was fake.

"Spotted in Happy Harbor too," the girl Wendy said.

"You know I also heard Gotham has flying monkeys," Arley said with a blink, she looked at the three uncertain looking civilians around her, "Come on, you guys actually believe this? Martians aren't invading the Earth."

"Yeah but the lights―" Wendy said and while M'gann seemed to only make herself smaller next to Conner Arley flashed the girl in the Black Canary costume a toothy smile.

"―Probably shorted out, I mean the DJ had his stuff plugged in and the school had their own lights running and well I saw a couple of kids with their ipods charging in the corner," Arley said and Lucas Carr walked up to the group of teens.

Wally grabbed Arley's hand in his own.

"Mr. Carr do you think Martians are invading?" Karen, the one wearing the bumblebee costume, wondered and the ex-hero chuckled.

"Of course not guys, look Martians invading, it's a Halloween cliché."

"Meaning it happens a lot?" Karen asked only to jump when the school's intercom system let out a loud squeal.

"Attention, Homeland security advises everyone to stay inside the gymnasium. This is not meant as a confirmation of any alien invasion," a voice said over the school's intercom system, Arley rolled her eyes. She had worked with Homeland security and all the other government alphabet soup agencies that dealt with aliens before on extraterritorial related incidents that had threatened the Earth in the past and the Lantern knew that they would have sooner blown the town of Happy Harbor sky high and blamed it on a broken gas line then ever back handedly admit to an alien invasion.

Humans may have known about Martian Manhunter but they had no idea about the thousands of other aliens that littered the globe and helped the Earth go around.

"I knew it!" Karen stomped her heeled foot as Wendy turned to Mal,

"I told you," the girl said, "I told you―"

"―Bring them on, bring them on." Mal replied as the three teens walked to the center of the gymnasium where a crowd was building. Arley felt her mind split four different ways and pieces of each of her teammates wedge themselves into the back of her brain.

"We should call the cave," M'gann said, Arley shook her head as the civilians around them chattered.

"Carr's an idiot Megs but he's right, this is cliché, it's a War of the World prank."

"How do you know that?" M'gann asked slightly panicked and Conner stepped away from her, he held his hand out and Arley― and M'gann and Wally ―knew that he was using his infrared vision. The three other young heroes knew as soon as the clone boy did that he had found someone under the bleachers with the microphone that was hooked up to the intercom system."

"For your own safety remain inside," the voice over the intercom system repeated. Conner turned to M'gann and Wally with a smirk that looked frighteningly similar to Guy Gardner's and Arley grinned excitedly at the plan that had started forming in the clone boy's head.

...

Three young teens in various Justice League costumes stuck their heads outside into the parking lot when Marvin― in his Party City Batman costume, just outside the doors to the high school gymnasium ―crossed his arms over his chest.

"I have orders to keep everyone inside or did you freshmen want to become Martian chow?" The prankster asked the three other teens rhetorically and the three younger teens paused for a beat before they turned back inside.

Marvin let out a giggle.

"Now," Arley gave the signal through the teams mind link.

"The Martians are coming, the Martians are coming!" Wally should as he ran around the outside of the gymnasium at a normal human speed; Arley hovered on the edge of the gymnasium's roof. Conner appeared behind the boy dressed in Batman themed clothing, his eyes wide.

"Look out!" Marvin jumped and turned to look behind himself, Arley in her uniform hopped down to the parking lot as Wally formed a tornado and M'gann shifted into an invisible version of Marvin the Martian. Arley formed a giant glowing construct of light with her ring, "They have disintegration rays!"

Marvin's head swiveled towards the dying light and Wally picked Arley up in his arms and sped around the corner of the gymnasium before Conner and M'gann's classmate could see either of them; Marvin screamed as the tornado disperse.

Arley and Wally, watched on with muffled giggles from around the bend of the school's gym. M'gann turned herself visible and dimmed the flashlight she was holding, her eyes and mouth glowed green as she screeched; Arley was proud of Conner and the plan the clone boy had concocted.

Conner grabbed onto the brunette boy's shoulder.

"Run Marvin," Conner said with no real conviction in his voice; it reminded Arley of those overacted Spanish novellas Carol liked to watch on the weekends. "I'll hold it off." Conner stepped in front of the boy and M'gann, as Conner went to run at her, threw her hand out.

The clone boy struggled as he was telekinetically lifted off the ground and M'gann's wrist fell limp. Conner dropped to the parking lot before he was thrown into the very top of the gymnasium before finally being thrown at Marvin's feet. Conner's head lulled to the side and Arley turned where she― unable to hold back her laughter at Marvin's scream ―stood and buried her face in Wally's chest.

Marvin had only just thrown open the doors to the school's gymnasium when Wally spun Arley back around; Conner got to his feet as he laughed somewhat maniacally and M'gann, as Wally and Arley got closer to the alien couple, shifted back into her zombie bride costume.

M'gann hit the light of the flashlight and shined it in Conner's face.

"Come on," the clone said as he started towards the gymnasium window they had all climbed out of, "We do not want to miss this."

M'gann flew Conner up to the windowsill, and Arley, with Wally in her arms flew him up and inside the gym when no one was looking; the room was too focused on the fact that Marvin was shouting about how the prank he had pulled was no longer just a prank.

"―And the Martians, they just killed two guys!" Marvin swore. M'gann walked up to Marvin and put a hand on his shoulder,

"What two guys?" Marvin pointed at Wally and Conner over the alien girls shoulder,

"Those two guys!" The four teenage heroes shared a look. Arley poked Wally in the stomach― the speedster laughed and swatted her hand away from his stomach ―before she turned to Marvin.

"He doesn't feel dead," Arley told the teen and Marvin's finger fell as his brows knitted together.

"Wait!" Marvin blinked, "I-uh-oh."

"Marvin," Wendy hissed as she crossed her arms over her chest and glared at the boy and the boy grimaced at the crowd of irate teenagers in front of him.

"Trick or treat?"

...

Later that night, after the dance had ended and Wally and Arley had slow danced one last time on the Happy Harbor gymnasium floor just a few feet away from Conner and M'gann― like she had always dreamed of doing with the speedster ―Wally West walked Arley all the way up to the youngest sector Lanterns apartment door, his hand was in hers and there was a pack of half eaten Twizzlers sticking out of the speedsters left-side pocket that the pair had been snacking on together.

They stood in front of the green door, under the lackluster hallway lighting.

"I had a great a time tonight," Wally said; his and Arley's hand swung between them and Arley smiled up at the red head, any and every thought of Snapper and his presence was gone from Arley's mind, the only thing the girl was focused on was the boy in front of her and how her tween-age math class day dreams of Wally West kissing her good night at the door were finally about to come true.

"So did I-and seriously," Arley said, running her fingers through Wally's fake beard, "You did a great job on your costume this year."

"Of course I did," Wally said, "I knew you'd look beautiful so I had to at least try to get on your level babe."

"You are such a dork," the girl giggled as she looked up at the boy through her lashes and Wally leaned the upper half of his body down, his red brows wiggled as he did so. Arley's free hand cupped his cheek.

"Your dork," Wally said and Arley nodded, the bottom of the girls flats stayed on the hallways carpeted ground as she began to lift herself up onto her tiptoes.

"Yeah," she said. My dork, she thought as she leaned in.

Wally West's lips were warm and though Arley had kissed the boy a countless number of times since the train to fail simulation two weeks before it was still a breathtaking experience every time she pressed her lips to his.

Arleys skin lit up with goosebumps as Wally trailed his unoccupied hand along her elbow and up to her wrist only for the pads of his fingers to trail back down her arm and make their way to the pink hip of her dress; their Wally anchored his hand and pulled Arley closer as his mouth slowly opened against her own, his tongue ran along the Lanterns bottom lip and almost timorously Arley opened her own.

There was no fight for dominance or dance of passion between the two teens like there always was in the romance novels Carol liked to read as they continued to kiss, there was nothing but two kids trying to pour every ounce of love they had for the other into the kiss between them, and a moment later when they pulled away from one another there was a thin, wet line of saliva connecting them to one another.

Wally and Arley― with a laugh ―wiped their mouths with the back of their hands and with one more kiss― that kiss was shorter than the one before it, more innocent ―the pair of young heroes bid the other a goodnight; it was only when Wally was no longer in the apartment hallway and most likely more than halfway home that Arley pushed open her apartment door and fell back against it like every love sick school girl in movies always did.

"Nortz I love him," Arley said and her ring chuckled in her mind,

I am happy for you; I am happy you are happy. And she was; Arley Gluck was happy and for the first time in over a month guilt didn't immediately wash over her for being happy.