Storm stood outside the Lair waiting nervously. Kitt had called her at home and left her a very urgent message. He needed her at the Secret Lair immediately! Worried, Storm had rushed right over as fast as she could. But when she got here, she found the place deserted. No cars sat in the driveway, no horses frolicked in the meadow. There were no lights or noises of any sort to indicate someone was home.
Tentatively, Storm raised a finger to ring the bell. "Hello? Is anybody here?"
As if in response, the huge steel blast doors chose that moment to s-l-o-w-l-y creak open.
Storm cautiously stuck her head around the doors to peer inside. It was pitch black inside. And quiet. Very quiet.
Now Storm knew something was up. The Lair was never quiet! It was, like, a universal constant or something. Uh huh. She might only have been fifteen years old, but she wasn't no dummy. This had all the markers of a set-up.
The beginnings of a big grin twitching at her lips, Storm stepped just inside the door, crossed her arms, and set her foot to tapping. "Okay, guys! C'mon out, I know you're there!"
The lights flared on and all around her the many denizens of the Lair, both fictional and authorial, sprang out of hiding shouting, "SURPRISE!!" A shower of confetti and silly string rained down on the thoroughly-unstartled teenager.
One figure detached himself from the group to approach the guest of honour. He carried a brightly decorated party hat in his hands to match the one on his head. Storm was greatly amused to see similar little pointy hats resting the heads of most of the others as well -- even those who would normally rather be caught dead (or undead) than be seen in them.
Michael snapped the elastic band under Storm's chin. "Happy Birthday, kiddo!" he said, and squeezed her tight in a hug.
Knightshade grinned and snapped a picture.
"And a one, and a two..." Everybody broke out into song, some of them even managing to be on tune. "Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to yoooouuuu! Happy Bir--"
"Wait! Stop!" Moon suddenly yelled. "What are you doing?! We can't sing that, it's copyrighted! And I can't afford to pay the royalty fees!"
Nick chuckled. "Uh, Moon?"
"What?"
"You do realise that WE'RE copyrighted too, right?" He indicated himself and his fellow fictional characters.
Moonbeam blinked. "Ah... good point." She smiled sheepishly. "Sorry. Carry on!"
"Right. From the top, guys! One, two, three..."
"Happy Birthday to you! Happy Birthday to yooouuuu! Happy Birthday, dear Stoooorrrm! Happy Birthday to you!"
And for the grand finale, Mac and Jack came sliding in from either side on their knees, arms spread wide to match their mischievious grins as they warbled the traditional last verse: "And many mmmoooorrreee!"
Storm clapped and giggled, applauding as the Secret Lair Chorus Line took their bows. They may not have been the best singers in the world, but as least they were enthusiastic about it. They weren't too shabby at throwing a party either, and threw themselves into the evening's merriment with wild glee.
"And just think!" Storm laughed at she cut into her cake. "We get to do this all again in a couple of days for Halloween!"
~*~*~*~
Happy Birthday, Storm! May the next 15 years be even better than the last! ::hugs::
~*~*~*~