Slight deviation from the storyline. After the episode 'Bereft,' I've been inspired to write a cute oneshot on the budding romance between Megan and Conner. So this chapter is set after episode 9, highlighting the beginnings of Superboy and Miss Martian's relationship.

Enjoy!

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He could never forget her gentle touch, the determined look in her eyes, her resolve of bringing him back from the brink of pure rage and emptiness. She was also there to comfort him when Superman—he's presupposed father—completely ignored him at the pre-election party.

The following morning she baked him chocolate-peanut-butter cookies, and he had to admit that they were quite addicting. Although Megan had gone for school before he could compliment on the sweet-salty, doughy perfection—she had school to go to—Superboy ended up finishing the first batch she left for him.

Craving more, Conner took the remaining cookie dough from the fridge. Following what Megan taught him, he rolled the dough into little balls and tried dropping them onto the cookie sheet. But some of the dough stuck to his fingers and he vigorously shook it off his hand. As a result, some landed on the tray with a disfigured plop. Others crash-landed on the counter.

The way Megan did it looked easier. Conner tried to think hard of the technique Megan had used. She would take a teaspoon of dough in her palm, roll it into a ball, and drop it on the tray so effortlessly as if it were butter…

"Hi Conner," Megan called from the door. She stopped short and looked at him with a stunned expression.

Conner then realized that his face and hands were covered in dough from the struggle. He glanced at the clock and saw that half an hour had already passed.

Megan rushed to him, grabbing a dishtowel from the sink. She wiped some of the batter off his cheek, feeling déjà vu settling in. She suddenly looked up and found herself gazing into his bright-blue eyes, losing herself in them. She cocked her head up, stepping forward to close the gap. His hand touched her face as he leaned in with his other arm wrapped around her waist.

Just as their lips were centimeters away from touching, the timer of the oven went off. Their heads whipped around to glare at the beeping commotion. Conner immediately turned it off and opened the oven to check if his deformed cookies were ready.

Megan literally jumped up for joy at the sight of Conner's first attempt at baking on his own.

"Oh Conner! I didn't know you liked baking," Megan said.

Conner looked away, inspected one of the cookies that resembled Italy. "I don't really. I just wanted more of your cookies," he mumbled.

Megan blushed. Speechless, she helped Conner scoop the cookies off the tray and onto a plate. She finally broke the silence when she mentioned an invitation to the amusement park from Wally.

"Wally talked about going to the new amusement park tomorrow. He said they have a water slide, Ferris wheel, the merry-go-round, and something called the 'Butterfly Bliss.' Wally says the name's deceptive because you'll be on a makeshift boat and it'll rock you from side to side. And they also installed the fourth largest rollercoaster to date. I'm so excited, I've never been to Earth's amusement park before. And I'm quite sure you'd love to go too…" Megan trailed off, realizing that she was prattling on and on like a five year-old.

Conner just smiled, felt her excitement seeping into him. He nodded, and Megan literally jumped in the air.

"Great! I'm calling Wally right now…" Megan began dialing his number when Conner stopped her.

"You don't have to call him now. He'll be here soon," Conner said, feeling strangely and increasingly uneasy of the young speedster. She kept bringing his name up and Conner could have sworn that all he heard from her say was 'Wally said this, Wally said that, Wally…'

Megan lightly hit her head and said her usual line, "Hello, Megan. Of course, the gang will be here in no time. School's out and it's a Friday. Oh, I can't wait for tomorrow!"

Conner just smiled and took a bite out of a cookie. Megan walked up to him and ate a piece too. Summoning a milk cartoon and two glasses from the fridge with her telepathy, the couple enjoyed a quiet moment of savoring the milk and cookies they made together.

"Sweet, afternoon snack!" Wally interrupted them, zipping through the kitchen's threshold. He studied the cookie tray for a moment, exclaimed, "Cool! You're making island-shaped cookies." He gobbled on two in one second.

Dick came running in, wanting a piece of the acclaimed baked good. "Hey, mine looks like Africa. Good job, Ms. M."

"Actually, Superboy made them," Megan glanced up at Superboy with pride.

"Nice…" Wally said, having his sixth one. "I think I just ate Java."

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The airy expanse hovering above them was magnetic; Superboy couldn't take his eyes away from the puffy-white clouds sailing through the blue sky. Being part of the junior team of the Justice League occupied most of his days, and when they did have free time, he usually spent it either watching action comedies with Robin or staring at Megan cooking.

Would he be able to fly one day? Watching the seagulls soar in the air, their wings flapping gracefully, Conner felt a tinge of jealousy. He remembered the time when Megan saved him and carried him in the air; the wind in his hair, the cold breeze against his face, and the gut-churning protest in the pit of his stomach brought him feelings of exhilaration. And if he knew how to fly, would Superman finally recognize him? He looked down at his hands and gripped them tightly. Megan could fly; was it possible for her to teach him? Maybe flying was a dormant ability?

"Conner?" Megan asked, nudging him when he stood immobilized by the side. "You alright?"

He blinked several times and realized that the group was staring at him with their colorful maps. They were more than ready to try out the thrilling rides; Dick and Wally had already plotted the first course to take. Conner didn't even notice that they had passed the gate. So lost was he in thought lately that everything seemed to fast-forward through time.

"It's cool, dude," Wally said without looking up from his map. "I suggest going on the 'Amazon Falls,' and then the 'Bullet Coaster,' to dry ourselves off."

"Shouldn't we save the best for later? I think we should start off with the racetrack and then the 'Butterfly Bliss,'" Dick suggested.

Megan raised her hand to make a recommendation. "How about the merry-go-round? I've always seen it on TV back on Mars and I really want to go on that one. Do you think they have the unicorn?" Megan asked excitedly.

"I'm sure they have all the works: white unicorns, trolls, chimpanzees," Artemis said dryly. She nearly bit her lower lip for letting that one slip, but when Mark had canceled their date for a meeting with his advisers, a dark cloud hung over her head all morning.

Wally retorted, defending Megan, "Yeah, think you and the chimpanzee can become great chums. We can start out slow," Wally took Megan's hand and led the way.

Conner stopped himself from lunging forward and grabbing Megan's hand. For some reason, he felt he ought to be the only one entitled to hold her hand. Good thing Aqualad was there to avert his gaze from Wally and Megan holding hands.

"You seem to be lost in thought since we got here. You sure you are alright?" Aqualad asked.

"It's nothing. Just thinking of something," Superboy said.

"Nothing too serious, I hope," Kaldur said.

"No," Conner assured him.

When Superboy refused to say more, Kaldur dropped it. They soon arrived at the merry-go-round. Dick, Wally, and Megan scrambled for the black stallion, tiger, and camel, respectively. Kaldur and Conner looked at the ride uneasily, while Artemis sat on the bench with her arms crossed over her chest.

"You ever been on this ride?" Conner asked.

Kaldur shook his head. "It's my first time in the amusement park. The only thing I'm looking forward to today is the water ride. All this walking under the sun is tiring me out," Kaldur said, sounding apologetic for his indifference.

"Conner, Kaldur, come on! Get in quick before the ride starts!" Megan called out to them. She also motioned for Artemis to join in but the blonde looked away.

At the sight of Artemis' reticence, Wally felt a tinge of guilt gnawing at him. Watching her profile, he somehow detected frustration and disappointment, with the latter being rather uncharacteristic of her. Maybe he had gone too far with his retort a while ago. He quickly got off the tiger and apologized to Megan, taking a rain check on the ride. He ran to Artemis and sat next to her, leaning back with a sigh.

He gave her a sidelong glance before saying, "Sorry."

"For what?"

"For implying that you'd make great friends with a primate," Wally looked at her wearily.

To his surprise, Artemis smirked. "I was just thinking that you might have a valid point. I was out of line for lashing out on Megan like that."

"Lashing out? I thought it was quite subtle. More like your usual self, but more… volatile."

"You here to apologize or make me even more volatile than I already am?" Artemis said, looking at him.

Wally raised his hands in mock surrender. "Sorry, sorry. Just trying to make a point."

They turned their attention to the merry-go-round and watched as Superboy sat on the pig, which was parked next to Megan's camel. Kaldur opted for the dolphin. The ride soon creaked to life, gradually moving clockwise. Megan was giggling like a little girl, despite her camel's horizontal and rigid trek.

Wally leaned his head back, looked up at the clear sky. "Why do I even bother?"

Artemis raised a brow. "What are you talking about?"

"You know, Megan and Superboy. I'm getting the feeling that I'm a third wheel," Wally said, sighing.

"That's cuz you are," Artemis said. She immediately fell silent when Wally didn't counter it.

"Don't worry. I'm sure you'll find the right girl someday. Knowing you, it's only a matter of time," Artemis offered him a smile.

At that exact moment, Wally felt his heart plummet to the floor and his cheeks grow warm. He immediately looked away, muttering under his breath, "Sure. Whatever."

"Why are you acting all shy on me now?" Artemis elbowed him.

That seemed to have brought Wally back to his senses. "Whoever do you mean?"

Artemis laughed and shook her head. "You're incorrigible."

Wally didn't say more. They basked in the silence that hung between them, feeling neither completely awkward nor comfortable. Somehow, their friendship stood in the middle ground of pubescent hostility and slight longing to know more about each other. Even though it was clear that Artemis had built an emotional wall around herself, Wally managed to crack a hole in it during their time at Bialya. Wally learned that complimenting her softened the angry look around her eyes.

'Yep, still got it,' Wally thought to himself.

"You're smiling by yourself. Like a delusional lunatic," Artemis pointed out.

"Such a beautiful day, don't you think?" Wally said, winking at her.

Artemis rolled her eyes, resumed watching the merry-go-round. Wally glanced at her before turning his attention back to their friends.

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Drenched, the gang waited in line for the rollercoaster, which was dubbed 'Bullet Coaster.' Right before coming to this side of the amusement park, they had gone to the 'Amazon Falls' five times in a row. Aqualad had felt so refreshed for the first time in the day. After getting on the merry-go-round, they had gone to the racetrack, bumper cars, anchors away, house of mirrors, the Megadrop, tea cups, screamin' swing, top spin, and the log ride (much to Kaldur's delight).

"This is gonna be awesome!" Dick said, surveying the iron-wrought construction looming above them.

"Tell me about it. I've been waiting for this the entire day," Wally said, gorging on a hot dog.

"You sure it's a good idea to eat that before going on the ride?" Artemis looked at him skeptically.

"Sure, I do this every time," Wally burped. "Well, not in this situation particularly. But before missions, I need fuel to keep me going." Wally tossed the wrapper in a nearby trash bin.

"Well, you're not exactly going on a mission," Artemis pointed out.

"Aww… I didn't know you cared," Wally said with a mischievous grin.

Artemis snorted. "Just looking out for the unsuspecting civilian when you barf in their faces."

Meanwhile, Megan and Conner were browsing through the pictures on Wally's camera. Megan laughed at one of her and Conner in the teacup ride. She showed it to Conner, who blushed before looking away. From all the spinning, the camera captured Superboy's face turning a light shade of green. He and Megan almost looked identical.

"I knew I shouldn't have listened to Wally. I can still taste the nachos," Conner said, touching his neck.

Megan rubbed his arm affectionately. "Want some water?"

"I'll be fine," Conner said and held her hand. Megan looked down to hide her blush.

"Do you want to go on the Ferris wheel after this? I hear it's best to go when it's dark so you can see the bright lights and the whole amusement park. Kind of like you're suspended in midair," Megan said, feeling her face's temperature rising.

"Kinda like flying," Superboy said.

"Yeah," Megan nodded.

"I'd like that," Superboy said, smiling.

Just then, Dick interrupted their connection. "Get ready guys. We're next after this one." He squared his shoulders to ease his excitement when a hysterical cackle resounded along the track in front of them. Dick froze in horror. That laugh could only mean…

He whirled around to find any sign of him or his minions.

"Dude, what's wrong?" Wally asked, hesitating when he saw Dick's face turn pale.

"The Joker," Dick started. "The Joker's here. We gotta get everyone out of here. Pronto!"

Kaldur immediately ran to the booth to alert the conductor. As he tapped on the glass partition, he noticed that the man wasn't moving. He turned the knob, opened the door, and nudged the conductor. When he elicited no response, Kaldur turned him around slightly. Kaldur took an involuntary step back at the sight of the conductor's petrified grin. His body was rock solid and his pupils were dilated. Kaldur then noticed that the 'on' switch was on. The rollercoaster was operational.

He turned around to call out to Robin but stopped when the ride started to move. He tried pressing the 'off' switch but to no avail. The ride was entering the tunnel.

"Megan!" Kaldur yelled.

On cue, Megan grabbed Superboy and flew after the ride. Wally and Dick ordered the people to evacuate. Some saw the petrified conductor and didn't have to think twice about evacuating, while others refused to budge.

Just then, an explosion from above caused the ground to shake. People began screaming at the top of their longs as they pushed each other for cover. Dick looked up and saw that one of the loops disintegrated into bits of steel. He yelled for people to stay calm, to stop pushing, and to get out of the area.

"Miss M., do you copy?" Dick said telepathically.

"Yes, Robin. Conner and I are on it," Megan said.

"Good. The rest of us are gonna track down the Joker. But be on the lookout," Robin said before leaving her and Superboy to save the people who were cruising to their deaths.

Miss Martian had flown past the rollercoaster by now. The broken track was a quarter mile away.

"Ready, Superboy?" Megan asked.

"Ready."

She dropped him onto the track, several feet from where the explosion destroyed one area of the loop. Superboy braised himself for the impact. Megan used her telepathy to calm the people down, telling them to hold on tight. Superboy mustered all the strength he had, held his breath, opened his arms wide, and collided with the first car.

He slipped, almost lost his footing on the track. He pushed against the train as hard as he could, trying to keep the rollercoaster on track as he focused all his energy to disabling it.

What seemed like several minutes, the rollercoaster finally screeched to a halt. He checked to see if the passengers were safe. Some were holding their heads in agony and fear, while others fell into unconscious. Megan used her telepathy to search for any signs of additional explosives on the rollercoaster but found nothing. She contacted Robin if they were successful in finding the Joker. They had no such luck. Megan then dropped the connection and flew to the aid of the passengers, checking each of their pulses. Thankfully, they were all alive but in terrible shock. She and Conner started taking them in their arms, two at a time, and carried them to safe ground below.

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After the incident, the park had closed for the day. Forlorn, Wally vowed to join the Batman and Robin to hunt down the Joker. Dick promised to enlist Kid Flash when the time came. In fact, Batman was already on the case. They were that determined to get back at Joker for taking away their much awaited rollercoaster experience.

As they were heading back, Conner noticed Megan trudging next to him.

"You're not hurt, are you?" Conner stopped, watched her for any injuries.

She shook her head, tried to smile. "This may sound silly, especially after all that's happened. But I," she paused, bit her lip. "I really wanted to go on the Ferris wheel. With you."

Conner touched her face. "Think we can make it work."

When the rest of the team went their separate ways at the subway station, Megan grabbed Conner and flew back in the direction of the amusement park. Making sure that no one saw them, she slipped into invisible mode and made their way toward the Ferris wheel. Instead of stepping inside the car, they sat on top of it, on the car that hung at the highest point.

No lights were on. The ground below them was pitch black, save for the horizon dotted by city lights.

Hand in hand, they basked in each other's silence, in each other's proximity. Tired from all the flying, Megan leaned her head on Superboy's shoulders.

"Sorry you didn't get to see the lights," Superboy said.

Megan shook her head. "The lights don't matter. The reason why I wanted to be on the Ferris wheel was so I could be with you. This is even better," Megan said, straightening herself to peck him on the cheek.

Superboy turned to face her and kissed her on the forehead. The look in his eyes told her that he agreed with her completely.

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To be continued…

You like? No? Reviews and/or suggestions are most welcome! I always get giddy inside hearing from you.

And the next chapter IS FOR SURE about Flash/Kid Flash. Thank you for understanding! I was just inspired to write this and incorporate it into the story. Hope you enjoyed it!