EMBARRASSING DEGREES:
Disclaimer: Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson, Alfred, Roy Harper, Donna Troy, Kyle Rayner, Wally West belong to D.C. Comics. Remy Lebeau belongs to Marvel Comics. Belle Anderson, and the Street Patrol belong to me. Shadow Travis belongs to Val Gilliam.
This story was written for me by my pal Da Wolfie Gal (Val Gilliam) as a Graduation gift. So give her a big hand folks!
"What do you mean your graduating?" Shadow Travis stared at the speaker phone like it had horns.
Belle's Manhattan accent projected itself to the other woman "Most prople do when they finish college, Shadow. I believe you've been known to walk the stage every once in a while."
"Every four years, thank you." Shadow corrected Belle absently. "Okay, I'll be there, of course. But no funny stuff. This is a dignified ceremony."
"Hey! This is my graduation, not yours!" Belle sounded indignant.
"Exactly." Shadow grinned. This could be amusing after all.
What it was hot as Hades. Belle was seated in the large football field with about a thousand other graduates, all sweating the same. The guy next to her was smelling and sweating, which was worse. When their turn to rise and walk came, Belle found herself first in line. "Oh yeah." Her eyes furtively glanced about the stadium for Shadow, Bruce, Dick, and Alfred, but she couldn't see them anywhere. Nor could she sense them.
"If they didn't come, I'll personally kill them myself."
"What?" asked the usher in complete horror. Belle grinned weakly.
"Isobelle Anderson." The dean announced Belle's name. She went forward, shook his hand, accepted the diploma and then continued walking, shaking hands with various scool officials along the way.
Along the whole walk back to her chair, she heard giggling in her mind. Frowning, she treied to pinpoint it, but to no avail. When Belle sat down though, she clued in real quick. WayneTech technology was at work again and the whole stadium knew it.
Belle's face flushed a very bright red. Moveing slightly, she pulled a whoopee cushion out from underneath her. Attached to it was a small transceiver that had broadcasted the practical joke throughout the stadium's sound system to where everybody heard. The laughter from her right was echoing as well.
She looked over, contemplating not just murder but various means of torture as well. The Street Patrol looked properly horrified, but Shadow Travis, Richard Grayson, Roy Harper, Wally West, Donna Troy, Kyle Rayner, Remy Lebeau, and various other superhero members were in hysterics. Shadow grinned big and waved at her friend.
"I think we better skip the graduation party, don't you?" Shadow nuged Dick, who still hadn't calmed down yet. He nodded, hiccuped and began laughing again.
Sighing and trying to muster what little dignity her friends had left her, Belle faced forward and projected to Shadow, "If you're smart you won't be in New York when I get out of this stadium."
"You'll get over it!" shouted Shadow back.
Belle began to laugh herself. The pratical joker finally got her own. She continued laughing throughout the rest of ceremony and was chuckling as the ressional began.
"Someday, you guys are really going to pay," she informed everyone telepathically an hour later. They looked unimpressed. They also began laughing again. Belle joined them.
A few weeks later, Shadow recieved a phone call from Belle about the insident. "Why?" she asked.
"It wasn't my idea actually."
"Who's was it?" Belle couldn't stand it anymore.
"You wouldn't believe me if I told you," Shadow informed her, giggling.
"WHO!?" Belle demanded.
"Let's just say breakfast is served." Shadow hung up leaving it at that.
Belle's mouth was dropped open for a good two hours.
Note: FYI Shadow Travis's (Spirit Wolf's) nickname for Bruce Wayne (Batman) is Breakfast. This is covered in the story "Birds, Bats, and Wolves" by Da Wolfie Gal. Which is complete, but not posted yet.