’mon, Supers, let’s get this party started,” Harley Quinn cheered. Her blond pigtails bobbed up and down each time she landed a triple backflip. This was pretty amazing, considering she had a large mallet in one hand and her ever-present video camera in the other.
Harley pivoted on her landing and then focused the camera on Batgirl, Super Hero High’s latest recipient of the Hero of the Month award. With so many of the universe’s top super students at Super Hero High, this was one of the highest honors a teen could be awarded.
“I’d like to wait for Katana,” Batgirl said, glancing at her watch. She adjusted the yellow Utility Belt she always wore around her waist. One never knew when they might need a laser screwdriver to adjust Cyborg’s internal circuitry, a Batarang to thwart a criminal, or a Net Gun to pin an evil mutant against a wall.
“Well, Batgirl, it is your party,” said the girl with the big S on her shirt. “Oops!”
“Watch out!” Cheetah warned everyone when Supergirl tripped on her own shoelaces—a not-uncommon occurrence for the girl who was quite possibly the most powerful being on Earth. Supergirl stumbled into Raven, who knocked into Frost, who almost fell over as Star Sapphire nimbly stepped aside and smiled as she adjusted the purple power ring on her finger as though nothing had happened.
Supergirl recovered and gracefully floated into a standing position. Her cheeks turned pink, and she smiled meekly as she made sure Raven and Frost were okay. The girls rolled their eyes good-naturedly. Luckily, Supergirl had gained more control over her powers during her time at Super Hero High, and her acts of random clumsiness were growing less frequent.
Meanwhile, Wonder Woman and Bumblebee were at the table arranging the black paper plates and yellow cups into a Batgirl logo…though it looked more like a lumpy kitten than a bat. “I wish Katana were here,” Wonder Woman said. “She’s so much better at this than we are.”
“Where’s the cake?” Big Barda asked as she barged into Batgirl’s room, aka the Bat-Bunker. Each super hero had her own dorm room, with a shared living space in the middle of each quad. However, Batgirl had turned her room into a dark high-tech headquarters.
“Someone said there would be cake!” Barda said, looking at the empty plates. “Am I too late? Cake is my favorite food—well, after mashed potatoes, of course.”
“Katana is picking up the cake from the Capes and Cowls Café,” Wonder Woman said. “I’ll go see if she needs help.” She handed her paper cups to Bumblebee. “Be right back!”
In less time than it took for Bumblebee to finish the Batgirl logo, Wonder Woman had flown to Capes & Cowls, stopping on the way to use her Lasso of Truth to corral a trio of tricksters who were trying to hijack an ice cream truck.
“Hey, Steve!” Wonder Woman called. She pushed her thick black hair away from her face and adjusted her golden tiara with the red star emblazoned on the front.
As always, the Capes & Cowls Café was bustling. A lanky boy with a pencil tucked behind his ear blushed. This happened whenever Wonder Woman was around.
“Did she like it?” he asked.
“Like what?” Wonder Woman said as she shook his hand vigorously, not wanting to let go. Though his grip was not as strong as hers, she liked the way his head bobbed up and down. It was as if he were agreeing with her over and over again.
“Did Batgirl like the cake I made for her?” Steve said, flexing his hand until he had feeling in his fingers again. When Wonder Woman blinked blankly at him, he elaborated. “Seven layers? Purple and black buttercream frosting with lemon sugar piping? Big yellow Batgirl logo on the top? Katana did deliver it, right?”
“Katana was here and left?” Wonder Woman asked.
A look of concern crossed Steve’s face as he replied, “She left over an hour ago and said she was heading straight back to Super Hero High. Katana said she didn’t want to be late to the party, and we all know how punctual she always—”
Before Steve could finish his sentence, Wonder Woman was gone.
Back at the party, everyone gathered around Wonder Woman. “I don’t know how to say this,” she began, “but…”
“But what?” Supergirl pressed.
“Katana,” Wonder Woman went on. “Steve said she picked up the cake over an hour ago and was heading right back here!”
Batgirl gasped. Harley was speechless. Even Cheetah looked worried. Finally, Bumblebee stated the obvious.
“This is totally unlike her,” she said. “Katana is never late. Something must be terribly wrong!”
