Stephanie Brown Part One
Bzzz Bzzz Bzzzzzz My cellphone went vibrating off the coffee table.
"Hello Lillian Wayne speaking." I answered absent mindedly as I watched the news.
"Lilly? It's Barbara is everything OK?"
"Hmm?" I questioned the receiver as I watched Batgirl swing between two buildings on the TV. The short clip about Batgirl and Red Robin's adventure last night ended and I turned my attention back to the phone. "Sorry about that Barb, I was watching myself on TV…well not like that…oh you know what I mean." I sighed.
"Trust me I know what you mean! When Nightwing is on TV, Dick stays rooted to his seat, then goes on and on about tactical movements he should have used."
"That sounds like him." I agreed. "I think we all do it subconsciously, probably engraved in us by Bruce. But anyway I doubt you called to talk about the Wayne family's night job."
"Well I suppose I did indirectly." There was a creaking sound I'd come to know as Barbara leaning back at her desk chair. She inhaled deeply, like she was afraid to ask me something. "Are you coming to cheer try-outs?"
"Is that tonight?" I grimaced at my cellphone.
"You forgot didn't you?" The fiery red head accused me.
"Um no?" I sighed. "Ok maybe a little." I admitted. "Tim and I have been working hard on a case, we've almost hit a breakthrough and…"
"Yeah, yeah, I know how this goes. You're really sorry, it won't happen again, the future of Gotham City is at stake, you'll try to make it next time. Did I forget anything?" She recited into the phone sounding exasperated. I always felt bad when I had to ditch Barbara for Batgirl's work. Most of the time she was really understanding about things, however when it comes to things she was really counting on me for, Barb was less than forgiving.
Cheerleading was something Barbara and I had been doing since our freshman year of High School. It had started as a way for us to spend free time together. Of course with Barb's gymnastics background and my crime fighting experience we had quickly become co-captains of the cheer squad. A couple years had passed since we had graduated High School and I hadn't thought about cheering since. That is until Barbara had called me about it a month back. The public High School on the East side of Gotham had experienced budget cuts and they were planning on cutting their cheer program this year. After hearing this Barbara had made a few calls and she had somehow gotten the cheer program reinstated. She had also signed us up as volunteer coaches for the school.
I had agreed to help her out and I promised I would absolutely make it to the try-outs whenever she scheduled them. If I missed the try-outs Barbara would forgive me but she'd never forget it. Luckily I wasn't planning to miss them.
"Hey I said I was distracted by a case not that I wasn't coming!" I reassured my best friend. "What time is it now?" I briefly pulled the phone away to glance at the time. "It's not even five thirty yet, I'll meet you at the school and still have fifteen minutes to spare!"
"Lillian Martha Kyle-Wayne if you miss these try-outs…" Barbara snarled in a very Jim Gordon like tone.
"I'll be there I promise!" I repeated before ending the call.
"Be where?" Dick asked from the doorway.
"Barbara's cheerleading try-outs." Dick shot me a sympathetic look.
"You didn't forget about them did you?" He then laughed to himself. "Of course you did. Look why don't you get going, I'll work with Tim tonight alright?"
"I always knew you were my favorite!" I said wrapping my arms around him. "Wait." I stopped when I noticed the mischievous grin that flicked for a second on Dick's face. "What do you want in return?" I narrowed my eyes suspiciously.
"Nothing much." He chuckled. "I bought Babs and I concert tickets for next Thursday, I didn't realize it was the first Thursday of the month and I need someone to go with Conner to give the Team's monthly report to the League."
"Consider it done!" I nodded before racing out of the room.
Thankfully the five O'clock traffic had mostly cleared by this point I was only speeding a little when flashing lights approached me. Now? I gritted my teeth as I pulled off to the side of the road. I had my window rolled, and my license out before the officer reached my car. I smiled when I saw Barbara's dad standing outside.
"License and registration please Miss…"
"Sure thing Commissioner." I said willingly handing over the required paperwork.
"Ah Miss Wayne, I should have known by the car." He was glaring down from the top of his glasses. It's not my fault the Mercedes was the only car with gas in it! "Where are you speeding off to if you don't mind me asking?"
"Barbara's cheerleader try-outs. She asked me to help her coach the girls at Gotham East."
"Now it makes sense." Gordon nodded with understanding. He handed my license and registration back before speaking. "Having been on the receiving end of my Daughter's rants many times, I think that being late to a meeting with Barbara Gordon is punishment enough. However I do asked a small favor of you."
"Anything!" I nodded in agreement.
"Don't tell your younger brothers I let you off the hook. I wrote your brother Jason a ticket last week for speeding in a school zone."
"Secret's safe with me sir!" I said with a salute. "I won't mention it to Alfred or Bruce either."
"I knew I could trust you Miss Wayne. You'd better get going and drive safely." The commissioner tapped the hood of my car before making his way back to his own vehicle. I made it the rest of the way without so much as a red light.
"Took you long enough!" Barbara hissed as I entered the gymnasium of Gotham East.
"Hey I would have been here on time if your dad hadn't pulled me over!"
"Serves you right, I hope he gave you a ticket with a huge fine!" she snarled again but I knew she was joking.
"It's not too late for me to get back in my car and drive home." I threatened.
"You wouldn't do that to your best friend. Here help me set up this table." Together we opened up a long folding table and set it up at one end of the gym. Placing two folding chairs behind that we were ready for our try-outs.
"I'll go collect the hopefuls." I said to Barbara and I walked towards the main door of the Gymnasium. I was actually surprised to see thirty or so high school girls waiting in the hallway. Many of them were carrying gym bags and water bottles and chatting amongst themselves. Once I swung the door open dozens of high ponytails and sparkly headbands turned my way.
"Hello girls!" I greeted them with a soft smile. "If you're here to try-out for the cheerleading team, follow me this way." I left the door open as all thirty girls filed into the gym.
"Oh wow this is more than I was expecting!" Barbara exclaimed as she also greeted the girls. "Hello ladies welcome to cheerleading try-outs! You can call me Barbara and this is Lilly we will be the cheerleading coaches this year. Now as you know Lilly and I are new to Gotham East High School, so this year we will be running things a little differently." Barb went on to explain that all the girls, whether they had been on the cheerleading team previously or not, would learn the same routine, practice it a few times and then perform it individually. She then demonstrated an appropriately skilled routine. After practicing the routine as a group we sent all of the girls out into the hallway in preparation for their individual assessments.
All throughout the try-outs Barb and I took notes commenting on each girls performance and unique abilities. They all seemed to be average high school cheerleads, until we reached one girl towards the very end of the individual assessments. A small blonde girl came bouncing into the room and performed Barbara's routine exactly as she had choreographed it, not one single movement out of step.
"She's good." Barbara whispered to me.
"Maybe a little too good..." I whispered back.
"Uh oh, I know that look. What is it?"
"Follow my lead ok?" I murmured as the girl finished the routine. I glanced down at my paper work to find the girl's name. "That was very good, Stephanie, it is Stephanie right?"
"Yeah, Stephanie Brown, and thanks." She smiled.
"Well Stephanie, Barbara and I would like to offer you a position on the team."
"Really?" Her eyes lit up hopefully.
"Yes." Barbara agreed but I knew she wanted to know what I was really planning.
"Not only would we like to offer you a position on the team, we'd like for you to be the captain."
"No fooling?"
"Not at all." I assured her. The girl's expression changed instantly from uncertainly to pure excitement.
"Awesome." She was smiling but her eyes were still full of disbelief.
"Well Stephanie, we will see you at the first practice, and if you could keep things a secret until Barbara posts the full team list, it would be much appreciated."
"Defiantly." She nodded her head excitedly. "Miss Lilly, Miss Barbara thank you so much for giving me this opportunity!" Stephanie shook both our hands before bouncing out of the room and joining the other girls in the hallway.
"What are you doing?" Barbara questioned me.
"Remember that case that I said Tim and I were working on?"
"Yes." She nodded still confused.
"There's this guy, Cluemaster, he leaves clues around town about the crimes he's going to commit..."
"How original." She snorted.
"Tell me about it." I agreed. "Anyway, the reason Tim and I have taken such an interest in the case is because every time we get close to busting this guy, there's a girl. She goes by the name of Spoiler and Spoiler follows after this guy trying to...forgive the pun...spoil the Cluemaster's plans. I think this girl Stephanie is the Spoiler."
"That's crazy!" Barbara waved the idea away at first. "It is crazy isn't?"
"Not much crazier than a billionaire dressing up as a bat and adopting four kids to train as crime fighting sidekicks."
"Well when you put it that way...what are you planning on doing about it?"
"Well I guess I'll have to talk to Timmy and see what he wants to do..."
"I suppose you want to leave early." Barbara crossed her arms.
"I'm not asking, but I mean if you think you can do the last few without me I would really..."
"Will you just get out already." She smiled.
"You're the best Barb! I owe you one!"
"If I had a dollar for every time I heard that from a Wayne..." She hollered after me.
"You'd have almost as much money as Bruce." I called over my shoulder.