"If he finds out about this, he's going to kill you, Gardner," John chuckled, shaking his head.
Guy snorted. "He doesn't kill, remember?"
"I think he'd make an exception for you, Guy," Hal laughed.
Guy held up the item he'd bought, grinning at the group gathered for Hal's birthday. Kilowog squinted his red eyes in confusion. "What is it?"
"It's a piñata," Kyle said. "A party game. It's filled with candy and you hit it with a bat until it breaks open."
"Kind of like Guy's head," John smirked. "A Bat's going to hit it until it breaks open."
"Only if somebody tells," Guy said. A flash of green shot from his ring and a hook-shaped construct lifted the piñata to the ceiling. Guy grabbed Hal's shoulders and pushed him forward. "As much as I'd like to do it, the birthday boy gets to go first."
Hal looked to his left. John and Kyle were watching him, eyebrows raised, both with smirks on their faces. Even Kilowog seemed to have gotten the joke, and his huge arms were crossed, his eyes glittering with anticipation. Hal looked to the right.
"Go on," Guy said, a shit grin on his face. "You know you want to."
It was wrong. So very wrong. But...
Hal held up his hand. A flash, then a green baseball bat appeared in his hand.
Guy punched his fist into his hand. "Yes!"
"Don't I need a blindfold?" Hal asked.
"Nah." Guy clapped him on the shoulder. "It's your birthday. Have at it!"
Hal stepped forward and swung, as hard as he could, and hit the glaring Batman piñata smack in the Bat symbol. It exploded, sending candy flying across his apartment. His friends whooped and hollered, and he turned to grin at them. "Damn, that felt good!"