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Linda Danvers: Bird of Prey

5

"Linda's Renewal"

Written by Mark Moore


Author's note: This is the final issue of the current miniseries. After this, the "Linda Danvers" series becomes an ongoing, monthly series, and it resumes normal numbering. Since this is the 29th issue in the overall series, next month's issue will be Linda Danvers #30. I will also stop titling each issue. This series is, by its nature, very random, and it's difficult to come up with titles for what are, essentially, collections of random events.

Due to my not bringing my computer with me, I don't have a spell-checker at the moment. I'm sorry if this story has more spelling errors than usual.

I wrote this story from Thursday, November 3, 2005, 2:20 PM to Saturday, December 31, 2005, 11:57 PM. I'm sorry that it's late. Feel free to send/leave me reviews, whether you love, like, dislike, or hate the story. Enjoy!


Tuesday, November 1, 2005, 12:26 PM

Linda and Lara were sitting behind the counter in their store.
They saw a UPS truck drive into the parking lot and come to a stop.
The driver opened his door and got out of the truck with a package.
"Looks like this week's DVDs are here." Linda said.
The driver walked over and opened the front door.
He walked into the store.
The door closed behind him.
"Linda Danvers?" he asked.
"That's me." Linda replied.
He put the package on the counter and offered Linda an electronic device. "I just need a signature here."
Linda picked up the pen-like object and signed her name on the screen. She put the object back in its place.
"Thank you." he said.
"Have a good day." Linda told him.
"Thanks. You, too." he said.
He opened the front door and walked outside.
The door closed.
Linda and Lara watched as the driver got in his truck and drove away.
"Okay, let's see what we've got." Lara said.
Linda picked up the case cutter, extracted the blade, and cut the tape on the package. She retracted the blade and put the case cutter away. She opened the box and took out a sheet of paper. Then she took out the DVD cases. She checked the condition of the cases and compared what they had gotten to a list of what they had ordered. Linda picked up a pen and started filling out the form that had come in the package.
"Okay, let's put these up." Linda said.
Linda and Lara picked up the DVD cases and stood up.
They walked over to the anime rack.
They started putting the DVD cases on it.
Each of them picked up a copy of Volume 3 of "Girls Bravo" on DVD.
"'Girls Bravo' is so cute." Linda said.
"Yeah." Lara agreed.
Lara picked up an extra copy.
"This is for Kioko." Lara said.
They went back over to the counter and put the DVD cases on it.
Linda went behind the counter and rang up the total.
She took her wallet out of her front left pants pocket, opened it, took out her money, opened the register drawer, and put her money in the drawer. She closed her wallet and it back into her pocket.
Lara took her wallet out of her front left pants pocket, opened it, took out her money, and handed it to Linda. She closed her wallet and it back into her pocket.
Linda put Lara's money in the drawer.
Lara took Kioko's money out of her shirt pocket and handed it to Linda.
Linda put Kioko's money in the drawer and closed the drawer.
Lara picked up her and Kioko's DVDs cases.
"See ya at home." Lara said.
"Okay." Linda said.
Lara walked over to the front door, opened it, and walked out of the store.

Tuesday, November 8, 2005, 12:27 PM

Linda and Lara were sitting behind the counter in their store.
They saw a UPS truck drive into the parking lot and come to a stop.
The driver opened his door and got out of the truck with a package.
"Looks like this week's DVDs are here." Linda said.
The driver walked over and opened the front door.
He walked into the store.
The door closed behind him.
"Linda Danvers?" he asked.
"That's me." Linda replied.
He put the package on the counter and offered Linda an electronic device. "I just need a signature here."
Linda picked up the pen-like object and signed her name on the screen. She put the object back in its place.
"Thank you." he said.
"Have a good day." Linda told him.
"Thanks. You, too." he said.
He opened the front door and walked outside.
The door closed.
Linda and Lara watched as the driver got in his truck and drove away.
"Okay, let's see what we've got." Lara said.
Linda picked up the case cutter, extracted the blade, and cut the tape on the package. She retracted the blade and put the case cutter away. She opened the box and took out a sheet of paper. Then she took out the DVD cases. She checked the condition of the cases and compared what they had gotten to a list of what they had ordered. Linda picked up a pen and started filling out the form that had come in the package.
"Okay, let's put these up." Linda said.
Linda and Lara picked up the DVD cases and stood up.
They walked over to the anime rack.
They started putting the DVD cases on it.
Each of them picked up a copy of Volume 1 of "Doki Doki School Hours" with the box on DVD.
"'Doki Doki School Hours' looks cute. Apparently, it's like 'Azumanga Daioh'." Linda said.
"Yeah." Lara agreed.
Lara picked up an extra copy.
"This is for Kioko." Lara said.
They went back over to the counter and put the DVD cases on it.
Linda went behind the counter and rang up the total.
She took her wallet out of her front left pants pocket, opened it, took out her money, opened the register drawer, and put her money in the drawer. She closed her wallet and it back into her pocket.
Lara took her wallet out of her front left pants pocket, opened it, took out her money, and handed it to Linda. She closed her wallet and it back into her pocket.
Linda put Lara's money in the drawer.
Lara took Kioko's money out of her shirt pocket and handed it to Linda.
Linda put Kioko's money in the drawer and closed the drawer.
Lara picked up her and Kioko's DVDs cases.
"See ya at home." Lara said.
"Okay." Linda said.
Lara walked over to the front door, opened it, and walked out of the store.

Wednesday, November 16, 2005, 12:24 PM

Linda and Lara were sitting behind the counter in their store.
They saw a UPS truck drive into the parking lot and come to a stop.
The driver opened his door and got out of the truck with a package.
"Looks like this week's comic books are here." Linda said.
The driver walked over and opened the front door.
He walked into the store.
The door closed behind him.
"Linda Danvers?" he asked.
"That's me." Linda replied.
He put the package on the counter and offered Linda an electronic device. "I just need a signature here."
Linda picked up the pen-like object and signed her name on the screen. She put the object back in its place.
"Thank you." he said.
"Have a good day." Linda told him.
"Thanks. You, too." he said.
He opened the front door and walked outside.
The door closed.
Linda and Lara watched as the driver got in his truck and drove away.
"Okay, let's see what we've got." Lara said.
Linda picked up the case cutter, extracted the blade, and cut the tape on the package. She retracted the blade and put the case cutter away. She opened the box and took out a sheet of paper. Then she took out the comic books. She checked the condition of the books and compared what they had gotten to a list of what they had ordered. Linda picked up a pen and started filling out the form that had come in the package.
"Okay, let's put these up." Linda said.
Linda and Lara stood up. Linda picked up the comic books.
"Let's put up 10 copies of Supergirl #28 for now." Linda told Lara.
Lara got 10 copies of Supergirl #28 from a box behind the counter.
She and Linda walked over to the comic books rack.
They started putting the comic books on it.

Linda and Lara walked along the sidewalk on their way home from the store.
Suddenly, Linda stopped walking and stared at the sight in front of her.
Kioko was running around in circles in their front yard with her tongue sticking out of her mouth.
Lara stopped walking, too. "What the fuck is she doing?"
Linda thought for a moment, then she laughed. "Trying to catch snow on her tongue. She's so cute."
Lara laughed.
"Wanna join in?" Linda asked her.
"Sure." Lara replied.
Linda and Lara stuck their tongues out and ran over to Kioko. Together, the three girls ran in circles.

Friday, November 18, 2005, 10:31 PM

Linda unlocked and opened the front door to the house.
She, Lara, and Kioko walked into the living room.
Kioko closed the door and locked it.
They went into the kitchen.
"'Walk the Line' was a great movie!" Linda exclaimed.
"Yeah." Lara agreed. "I really enjoyed it."
"I'm not a Johnny Cash fan - except for two songs that he sang for 'Sesame Street'. Still, the movie made me interested in his songs. I think I'll download some." Linda said.
"Me, too." Lara said. "Joaquin Phoenix was amazing, too. I can't believe he learned to play the guitar and actually sang the songs. I'll download the soundtrack, too."
"Me, too." Linda opened the refrigerator. "I'm not a Johnny Cash fan - except for two songs that he sang for 'Sesame Street'. Still, the movie made me interested in his songs. I think I'll download some. Strawberry or Melon, Lara?"
"Melon." Lara replied.
"Kioko?" Linda asked.
"Ichigo no wo kudasai." Kioko replied.
Linda took out a bottle of Sangaria Strawberry Soda and two bottles of Sangaria Melon Soda. "Sono eiga, suki deshita ka, Kioko-chan?"
"Hai!" Kioko replied.
Linda closed the refrigerator and handed one bottle of Sangaria Melon Soda to Lara and the bottle of Sangaria Strawberry Soda to Kioko.
"Arigatou." Kioko said.
"'Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire' was awesome, too." Lara said.
"Absolutely." Linda agreed. "Sono eiga, suki deshita ka, Kioko-chan?"
"Hai!" Kioko replied.
Lara opened her own bottle and took a swig of the Sangaria Melon Soda.
Kioko opened her own bottle and took a swig of the Sangaria Strawberry Soda.
Linda opened her own bottle and took a swig of the Sangaria Melon Soda.

Monday, November 21, 2005, 7:21 AM

Linda woke up.
She sat up, tossed the bed sheets off of herself, stood up, and got out of bed.
Linda took off her pajamas and dropped them on the floor.
She turned around and put the bed sheets back in place.
Linda walked over to the dresser and opened a drawer. She took out a pair of panties and put them on. She closed the drawer. She opened another drawer. She took out a sleeveless shirt and put it on. She closed the drawer. She opened another drawer. She took out a pair of socks and put them on. She closed the drawer. She walked over to her computer chair, picked up her sweatpants, and put them on. She picked up her sweatshirt and put it on. She stepped into her slippers.
She walked into the bathroom and turned on the light. She combed her hair and used the toilet. She then washed her hands and dried them. She turned off the light and walked out of the bathroom.
Linda walked out of the bedroom, walked through the living room, and entered the kitchen.
Lara and Kioko were sitting at the kitchen table. Breakfast was already on the table.
"Hi." Lara greeted, smiling.
"Ohayou gozaimasu." Kioko greeted, smiling.
"Hi." Linda greeted.
"Happy birthday!" Lara and Kioko exclaimed.
Linda smiled. "Thank you."
"We're taking you out to dinner tonight." Lara told Linda.
Linda sat in her chair. "Cool! Thanks!"
"You can open your presents after breakfast." Lara said.

After breakfast, Linda, Lara, and Kioko walked into their living room.
Lara crouched down and pulled a box out from under the couch. She stood up straight and handed the box to Linda.
Linda unwrapped the box and opened it. She took out a DVD case titled "A Christmas Carol".
"Ooh, neat." Linda said.
"It's the one with Patrick Stewart as Scrooge." Lara told her. "You told me that you haven't seen this one yet."
Linda set the box and DVD case on the couch and hugged Lara. "Thank you so much."
Lara hugged Linda. "No problem."
They released each other.
Kioko crouched down and pulled a box out from under the couch. She stood up straight and handed the box to Linda. "Saa, douzo."
Linda unwrapped the box and opened it. She took out a jewel case of a CD titled "Serenity - Original Score".
"Kono eiga no onaku ga CD ni hatsubai sareru to ii n desu ne." Linda said.
"Kore, o-konomi da to kokoro kara negau." Kioko said.
Linda set the box and CD case on the couch and hugged Kioko. "Machiainaku suki na mono desu yo, hontou ni arigatou gozaimasu."
Kioko hugged Linda. "Iie, douitashimashite."

Linda, Lara, and Kioko walked into a Japanese restaurant.
A girl walked over to them. "Hello."
"Hello." Linda, Lara, and Kioko said.
"Three?" the girl asked.
"Yes." Lara replied.
"Okay." the girl said.
The girl picked up three menus and walked to an empty table. Linda, Lara, and Kioko followed her.
Linda, Lara, and Kioko knelt on the floor. Lara was to Linda's left. Kioko was to Linda's right.
The girl placed the menus on the table and walked away.
Linda, Lara, and Kioko picked up their menus and read them.
"I'll have teriyaki beef, ramen noodles, and Pepsi." Linda said.
"Me, too." Kioko said.
"Me, too." Lara said.
The girl came by with a pad and pen. "Are you ready to order?"
"Yeah, we'll each have teriyaki beef, ramen noodles, and Pepsi." Lara ordered.
The girl wrote it down. "Okay."
She picked up the menus and walked away.
The girl came back, holding a tray. She took the three plates off of the tray and placed them on the table. She also took the napkins and three pairs of chopsticks off of the tray and placed them next to the plates. Then she took the three glasses, filled with Pepsi, off of the tray and placed them next to the plates.
"Thanks." Linda and Lara said.
"Arigatou." Kioko said.
"Enjoy." the girl said, smiling.
She walked away.
Linda, Lara, and Kioko started eating their beef and noodles.
When they finished their beef and noodles, they drank their Pepsis.
Lara took her wallet out of her front left pants pocket, took out a $5 bill and a $1 bill, placed them under her plate, closed her wallet, and put it back into her pocket.
Kioko took her wallet out of her front left pants pocket, took out a $5 bill and a $1 bill, placed them under her plate, closed her wallet, and put it back into her pocket.
Linda, Lara, and Kioko stood up and walked over to the counter.
"Thanks, girls." Linda told Lara and Kioko.
"No problem." Lara replied.
"Iie, douitashimashite." Kioko said.
Lara took out her wallet, opened it, and took out money. She paid all of her own bill and half of Linda's bill, closed her wallet, and put it away.
Kioko took out her wallet, opened it, and took out money. She paid all of her own bill and half of Linda's bill, closed her wallet, and put it away.

Tuesday, November 22, 2005, 12:28 PM

Linda and Lara were sitting behind the counter in their store.
They saw a UPS truck drive into the parking lot and come to a stop.
The driver opened his door and got out of the truck with a package.
"Looks like this week's DVDs are here." Linda said.
The driver walked over and opened the front door.
He walked into the store.
The door closed behind him.
"Linda Danvers?" he asked.
"That's me." Linda replied.
He put the package on the counter and offered Linda an electronic device. "I just need a signature here."
Linda picked up the pen-like object and signed her name on the screen. She put the object back in its place.
"Thank you." he said.
"Have a good day." Linda told him.
"Thanks. You, too." he said.
He opened the front door and walked outside.
The door closed.
Linda and Lara watched as the driver got in his truck and drove away.
"Okay, let's see what we've got." Lara said.
Linda picked up the case cutter, extracted the blade, and cut the tape on the package. She retracted the blade and put the case cutter away. She opened the box and took out a sheet of paper. Then she took out the DVD cases. She checked the condition of the cases and compared what they had gotten to a list of what they had ordered. Linda picked up a pen and started filling out the form that had come in the package.
"Okay, let's put these up." Linda said.
Linda and Lara picked up the DVD cases and stood up.
They walked over to the anime rack.
They started putting the DVD cases on it.
Each of them picked up a copy of Volume 5 of "Daphne In the Brilliant Blue", Volume 2 of the Special Edition of "Ghost In the Shell: Stand Alone Complex: Second Gig", "Mobile Suit Gundam Seed Movie III: The Rumbling Sky", and "Aeon Flux: The Complete Animated Collection" on DVD.
"'Daphne In the Brilliant Blue' is such an adorable series." Linda said.
"Yeah." Lara agreed. "'Ghost In the Shell: Stand Alone Complex: Second Gig' is just as good as the first series."
"I hope 'Mobile Suit Gundam Seed Movie III: The Rumbling Sky' won't be choppy. They really needed to make these compilation movies longer." Linda said.
"I'm looking forward to watching 'Aeon Flux' on DVD. I just wish that Peter Chung hadn't Lucasized it." Lara said.
Lara picked up an extra copy of each case.
"These are for Kioko." Lara said.
They went back over to the counter and put the DVD cases on it.
Linda went behind the counter and rang up the total.
She took her wallet out of her front left pants pocket, opened it, took out her money, opened the register drawer, and put her money in the drawer. She closed her wallet and it back into her pocket.
Lara took her wallet out of her front left pants pocket, opened it, took out her money, and handed it to Linda. She closed her wallet and it back into her pocket.
Linda put Lara's money in the drawer.
Lara took Kioko's money out of her shirt pocket and handed it to Linda.
Linda put Kioko's money in the drawer and closed the drawer.
Lara picked up her and Kioko's DVDs cases.
"See ya at home." Lara said.
"Okay." Linda said.
Lara walked over to the front door, opened it, and walked out of the store.

Wednesday, November 23, 2005, 8:13 AM

Linda, Lara, and Kioko were in Jewel. Kioko was holding a basket in her left hand.
They walked by the frozen turkeys.
"Here are the turkeys." Linda said, stopping by them.
Lara and Kioko stopped walking, too. Linda picked up a large turkey.
"Now, let's get the ingredients for the stuffing." Lara said.
They walked over to the meats.
Lara picked up a package of Polish sausage and put it in Kioko's basket.
They continued walking.
Kioko picked up a package of stuffing mix and put it in her basket.

Thursday, November 24, 2005, 8:24 AM

Linda walked into the kitchen.
Lara and Kioko were standing there. Lara was cutting a piece of sausage with a knife. Kioko was mixing ingredients in a bowl.
Linda smiled. "Hi."
Lara smiled. "Hi."
Kioko smiled. "Ohayou gozaimasu."
"About time you woke up." Lara placed a cutting board, a knife, and two pieces of sausage in front of Linda. "Cut these up into little pieces."
Linda picked up the knife and rapidly cut the sausages. Then she put down the knife, picked up the cutting board, and poured the pieces of sausage into the bowl.
Kioko continued mixing. "Arigatou."
"No problem." Linda said.
"Wanna help us stuff the turkey?" Lara asked her.
"Sure." Linda replied.
When Kioko was done mixing, she picked up the bowl, and she, Lara, and Linda walked over to the turkey. They stuffed some of the stuffing into the turkey.
Lara put the rest of the stuffing into a pan, put the bowl and spoon in the sink, picked up a needle and thread, and sewed up the turkey.
"We should be able to eat in a few hours." Lara said.

Kioko was dancing in front of the oven.
"Cooking is so fun. Cooking is so fun. Now, it's time to take a break and see what we have done." Kioko sang.
Lara walked over, turned off the heat, and opened the oven.
"Yay! It's ready!" Kioko exclaimed.
Lara put on her oven mitts and took the turkey out of the oven.
Linda got a plate out of a cabinet. Lara put the turkey on the plate.
Kioko got three plates out of the cabinet and three forks out of a drawer. She placed the plates on the table and the forks on the plates.
Lara set the plate with the turkey on it on the kitchen table.
Kioko walked over to the stove and picked up the pan. She brought it over to the table and poured some of the stuffing onto the plates.
Linda walked over to the phone and turned on the speaker phone. "I wanna call my parents before we begin."
"Yeah, I should call my mom, too." Lara said.
Linda dialed her parents' telephone number. The phone rang twice.
"Hello?" Edna asked.
Linda smiled. "Hi, mommy. Put on the speaker phone."
"Okay." Edna said.
Linda heard a bit of feedback for a moment, then it was gone.
"Happy Thanksgiving." Linda said.
"Thank you, Linda." Edna replied. "Happy Thanksgiving."
"Hi, Linda." Fred said. "Happy Thanksgiving."
"Thanks." Linda said.
"Is everything okay?" Edna asked her.
"Yeah." Linda replied. "Lara and Kioko want to say hi."
"Happy Thanksgiving!" Lara and Kioko exclaimed.
"Happy Thanksgiving." Fred and Edna said.
"So, how are you?" Edna asked.
"Good." Linda, Lara, and Kioko replied.
"How are you?" Linda asked.
"Good." Fred and Edna replied.
"We're just about to sit down to eat the turkey." Linda said.
"Oh, that's nice." Edna said. "Well, was nice of you to call and say hi."
"Okay. I love you." Linda said.
"I love you, too." Fred and Edna said.
"Have a good day." Linda said.
"You, too." Fred and Edna said.
"Bye." Linda said.
"Bye." Lara and Kioko said.
"Bye." Fred and Edna said.
Linda turned off the speaker phone.
"Your turn." Linda told Lara.
Lara walked over to the phone and turned on the speaker phone.
She dialed her mother's telephone number. The phone rang three times.
"Hello?" Jean asked.
Lara smiled. "Hi, mom. Happy Thanksgiving."
"Hi, Lara." Jean replied. "Happy Thanksgiving."
"Happy Thanksgiving!" Linda and Kioko exclaimed.
"Happy Thanksgiving." Jean said.
"What's up?" Lara asked.
"Not much." Jean replied. "I'm gettin' ready to go to a friend's house to have dinner. How are you?"
"Good." Lara replied. "Well, I'll let ya go."
"Okay." Jean said. "Bye."
"Bye." Lara said.
Lara turned off the speaker phone.
The telephone rang.
Lara turned on the speaker phone. "Hello?"
"Hi, Lara. It's Selina."
"Oh, hey, Selina." Lara said. "Happy Thanksgiving."
"Happy Thanksgiving." Selina said.
"Happy Thanksgiving!" Linda and Kioko exclaimed.
"Happy Thanksgiving, Linda and Kioko." Selina said.
"What's up?" Linda asked.
"Well, Babs, Dinah, Holly, and I are having dinner together." Selina said.
"Cool." Linda said. "Lara, Kioko, and I are having dinner together."
"May I talk with them?" Barbara asked.
"Sure." Selina replied.
"Hey, girls." Barbara said. "Happy Thanksgiving."
"Happy Thanksgiving!" Linda, Lara, and Kioko exclaimed.
"I hate to trouble you with this today, but I have some...concerns." Barbara said.
"What kind of concerns?" Linda asked.
"We've picked up some talk in the underworld that the Joker is planning something big for Christmas Eve or shortly after. Something really dangerous." Barbara told them.
"Do you have any idea what it is?" Linda asked her.
"No." Barbara replied. "Whatever it is, other villains are rumored to be involved as well: the Scarecrow, Two-Face, Clayface, and the Penguin."
"I have no idea who they are." Linda told her.
"They're local villains. It doesn't matter." Barbara said. "Could you come to Gotham on Christmas Eve and stay until New Year's Day to protect the city, if needed?"
Linda looked at Lara and Kioko. Lara and Kioko nodded.
"Sure." Linda replied.
"Thank you." Barbara told them.
"No problem." Linda replied.
"Well, I'll let you get back to your dinner." Barbara said.
"Tell Dinah and Holly 'Happy Thanksgiving' for us." Linda said.
"I will." Barbara said. "Good night."
"Good night." Linda said.
Linda turned off the speaker phone.
"Who's gonna carve the turkey?" Linda asked.
"I carved it last year." Lara said. "Someone else should get the chance."
"I carved it the year before." Linda said.
"Kioko?" Lara asked.
"Arigatou!" Kioko exclaimed.
"Go for it, Kioko." Linda told Kioko.
Kioko walked over to the drawer and opened it.
She got out a large knife.
Kioko closed the drawer, turned, and walked over to the table.
Linda and Lara walked over to the table as well and sat in their chairs.
Kioko picked up her fork with her left hand. She stuck the fork into the turkey and cut off a leg with the knife. She placed the leg on Linda's plate.
"Arigato." Linda said.
"Iie, douitashimashite." Kioko said.
Kioko cut off the other leg with the knife. She placed the leg on Kioko's plate.
"Arigatou." Lara said.
"Iie, douitashimashite." Kioko said.
Kioko put the knife down and sat in her chair.
The three girls started eating.
"So, what are you thankful for?" Lara asked Linda.
"I'm thankful to both of you for helping me with the store." Linda told Lara and Kioko. "What about you, Lara?"
"I'm thankful to both of you for being patient with me while I do the artwork for the comic bookevery month." Lara told Linda and Kioko. "What about you, Kioko?"
"I'm thankful to both of you for teaching me how to drive." Kioko told them.

Tuesday, November 29, 2005, 12:29 PM

Linda and Lara were sitting behind the counter in their store.
They saw a UPS truck drive into the parking lot and come to a stop.
The driver opened his door and got out of the truck with a package.
"Looks like this week's DVDs are here." Linda said.
The driver walked over and opened the front door.
He walked into the store.
The door closed behind him.
"Linda Danvers?" he asked.
"That's me." Linda replied.
He put the package on the counter and offered Linda an electronic device. "I just need a signature here."
Linda picked up the pen-like object and signed her name on the screen. She put the object back in its place.
"Thank you." he said.
"Have a good day." Linda told him.
"Thanks. You, too." he said.
He opened the front door and walked outside.
The door closed.
Linda and Lara watched as the driver got in his truck and drove away.
"Okay, let's see what we've got." Lara said.
Linda picked up the case cutter, extracted the blade, and cut the tape on the package. She retracted the blade and put the case cutter away. She opened the box and took out a sheet of paper. Then she took out the DVD cases. She checked the condition of the cases and compared what they had gotten to a list of what they had ordered. Linda picked up a pen and started filling out the form that had come in the package.
"Okay, let's put these up." Linda said.
Linda and Lara picked up the DVD cases and stood up.
They walked over to the anime rack.
They started putting the DVD cases on it.
Each of them picked up a copy of Volume 2 of "Ah! My Goddess", Volumes 3 and 4 of "Pokémon: Advanced Challenge", and "Weather Report Girl" on DVD.
"The 'Ah! My Goddess' TV series is very good." Linda said.
"Yeah." Lara agreed. "We'll watch that after we plow through both 'Pokémon: Advanced Challenge' discs."
"I hope the new release of 'Weather Report Girl' is free of the technical defects of the first release." Linda said.
Lara picked up an extra copy of each case.
"These are for Kioko." Lara said.
They went back over to the counter and put the DVD cases on it.
Linda went behind the counter and rang up the total.
She took her wallet out of her front left pants pocket, opened it, took out her money, opened the register drawer, and put her money in the drawer. She closed her wallet and it back into her pocket.
Lara took her wallet out of her front left pants pocket, opened it, took out her money, and handed it to Linda. She closed her wallet and it back into her pocket.
Linda put Lara's money in the drawer.
Lara took Kioko's money out of her shirt pocket and handed it to Linda.
Linda put Kioko's money in the drawer and closed the drawer.
Lara picked up her and Kioko's DVDs cases.
"See ya at home." Lara said.
"Okay." Linda said.
Lara walked over to the front door, opened it, and walked out of the store.

Thursday, December 1, 2005, 7:21 AM

Linda and Kioko were in the kitchen, making French toast for breakfast.
"Isoge! Lara wa sorosoro, okiru kamo shirenai." Linda told Kioko.
"Hai." Kioko said.
Kioko got three plates out of a cabinet and set them on the table.
Linda turned off the gas on the stove, picked up the pan, and walked over to the table.
Kioko got three forks out of a drawer.
Linda took one of the forks and put one slice of French toast on each plate. Then she put the pan in the sink.
Kioko put one fork on one plate and another fork on another plate. Linda put the final fork on the final plate.
Linda and Kioko sat in their chairs.
Lara walked out of the bedroom, walked through the living room, and entered the kitchen.
"Hi." Linda greeted, smiling.
"Ohayou gozaimasu." Kioko greeted, smiling.
"Hi." Lara greeted.
"Happy birthday!" Linda and Kioko exclaimed.
Lara smiled. "Thank you."
"We're taking you out to dinner tonight." Linda told Lara.
Lara sat in her chair. "Cool! Thanks!"
"You can open your presents after breakfast." Linda said.

After breakfast, Linda, Lara, and Kioko walked into their living room.
Linda crouched down and pulled a box out from under the couch. She stood up straight and handed the box to Lara.
Lara unwrapped the box and opened it. She took out a DVD case titled "Vegas Vacation".
"Ah, 'Vegas Vacation'." Lara said. "It's not the greatest of the Vacation films. That's why I didn't buy it."
"So I figured." Linda said. "That's why I bought it for you."
Lara set the box and DVD case on the couch and hugged Linda. "Thanks."
Linda hugged Lara. "No problem."
They released each other.
Kioko crouched down and pulled a box out from under the couch. She stood up straight and handed the box to Lara. "Saa, douzo."
Lara unwrapped the box and opened it. She took out a DVD case titled "Hot Shots!".
"Ah, this is a funny film." Lara said.
"I hope you'll like it." Kioko said.
Lara set the box and DVD case on the couch and hugged Kioko. "I'm sure I will. Arigatou."
Kioko hugged Linda. "Iie, douitashimashite."

Linda, Lara, and Kioko walked into a Japanese restaurant.
A girl walked over to them. "Hello."
"Hello." Linda, Lara, and Kioko said.
"Three?" the girl asked.
"Yes." Linda replied.
"Okay." the girl said.
The girl picked up three menus and walked to an empty table. Linda, Lara, and Kioko followed her.
Linda, Lara, and Kioko knelt on the floor. Linda was to Lara's left. Kioko was to Lara's right.
The girl placed the menus on the table and walked away.
Linda, Lara, and Kioko picked up their menus and read them.
"I'll have teriyaki beef, ramen noodles, and Pepsi." Lara said.
"Me, too." Kioko said.
"Me, too." Linda said.
The girl came by with a pad and pen. "Are you ready to order?"
"Yeah, we'll each have teriyaki beef, ramen noodles, and Pepsi." Lara ordered.
The girl wrote it down. "Okay."
She picked up the menus and walked away.
The girl came back, holding a tray. She took the three plates off of the tray and placed them on the table. She also took the napkins and three pairs of chopsticks off of the tray and placed them next to the plates. Then she took the three glasses, filled with Pepsi, off of the tray and placed them next to the plates.
"Thanks." Linda and Lara said.
"Arigatou." Kioko said.
"Enjoy." the girl said, smiling.
She walked away.
Linda, Lara, and Kioko started eating their beef and noodles.
When they finished their beef and noodles, they drank their Pepsis.
Linda took her wallet out of her front left pants pocket, took out a $5 bill and a $1 bill, placed them under her plate, closed her wallet, and put it back into her pocket.
Kioko took her wallet out of her front left pants pocket, took out a $5 bill and a $1 bill, placed them under her plate, closed her wallet, and put it back into her pocket.
Linda, Lara, and Kioko stood up and walked over to the counter.
"Thanks, girls." Lara told Linda and Kioko.
"No problem." Linda replied.
"Iie, douitashimashite." Kioko said.
Linda took out her wallet, opened it, and took out money. She paid all of her own bill and half of Lara's bill, closed her wallet, and put it away.
Kioko took out her wallet, opened it, and took out money. She paid all of her own bill and half of Lara's bill, closed her wallet, and put it away.

Friday, December 2, 2005, 8:43 PM

Linda unlocked and opened the front door to the house.
She, Lara, and Kioko walked into the living room.
Kioko closed the door and locked it.
They went into the kitchen.
"'Aeon Flux' was awesome!" Linda exclaimed.
"Yeah!" Lara agreed. "I like how they included homages to episodes of the animated series."
Linda opened the refrigerator. "Yeah. I caught them. It's kinda sad how Aeon's sister died. I wish the movie was more clear about it, but I think the clones are just that. The original people died and stay dead. Strawberry or Melon, Lara?"
"Melon." Lara replied.
"Kioko?" Linda asked.
"Ichigo no wo kudasai." Kioko replied.
Linda took out a bottle of Sangaria Strawberry Soda and two bottles of Sangaria Melon Soda. "Sono eiga, suki deshita ka, Kioko-chan?"
"Hai!" Kioko replied.
Linda closed the refrigerator and handed one bottle of Sangaria Melon Soda to Lara and the bottle of Sangaria Strawberry Soda to Kioko.
"Arigatou." Kioko said.
Lara opened her own bottle and took a swig of the Sangaria Melon Soda.
Kioko opened her own bottle and took a swig of the Sangaria Strawberry Soda.
Linda opened her own bottle and took a swig of the Sangaria Melon Soda.

Tuesday, December 6, 2005, 12:30 PM

Linda and Lara were sitting behind the counter in their store.
They saw a UPS truck drive into the parking lot and come to a stop.
The driver opened his door and got out of the truck with a package.
"Looks like this week's DVDs are here." Linda said.
The driver walked over and opened the front door.
He walked into the store.
The door closed behind him.
"Linda Danvers?" he asked.
"That's me." Linda replied.
He put the package on the counter and offered Linda an electronic device. "I just need a signature here."
Linda picked up the pen-like object and signed her name on the screen. She put the object back in its place.
"Thank you." he said.
"Have a good day." Linda told him.
"Thanks. You, too." he said.
He opened the front door and walked outside.
The door closed.
Linda and Lara watched as the driver got in his truck and drove away.
"Okay, let's see what we've got." Lara said.
Linda picked up the case cutter, extracted the blade, and cut the tape on the package. She retracted the blade and put the case cutter away. She opened the box and took out a sheet of paper. Then she took out the DVD cases. She checked the condition of the cases and compared what they had gotten to a list of what they had ordered. Linda picked up a pen and started filling out the form that had come in the package.
"Okay, let's put these up." Linda said.
Linda and Lara picked up the DVD cases and stood up.
They walked over to the anime rack.
They started putting the DVD cases on it.
Each of them picked up a copy of Volume 33 of "Yu-Gi-Oh!" and "Fantastic Four" on DVD.
"We'll plow through the latest 'Yu-Gi-Oh!' disc first." Linda said.
"Yeah." Lara agreed. "Then we'll watch 'Fantastic Four'."
Lara picked up an extra copy of each case.
"These are for Kioko." Lara said.
They went back over to the counter and put the DVD cases on it.
Linda went behind the counter and rang up the total.
She took her wallet out of her front left pants pocket, opened it, took out her money, opened the register drawer, and put her money in the drawer. She closed her wallet and it back into her pocket.
Lara took her wallet out of her front left pants pocket, opened it, took out her money, and handed it to Linda. She closed her wallet and it back into her pocket.
Linda put Lara's money in the drawer.
Lara took Kioko's money out of her shirt pocket and handed it to Linda.
Linda put Kioko's money in the drawer and closed the drawer.
Lara picked up her and Kioko's DVDs cases.
"See ya at home." Lara said.
"Okay." Linda said.
Lara walked over to the front door, opened it, and walked out of the store.

Monday, December 12, 2005, 8:21 PM

The telephone rang.
Linda picked up the receiver in the kitchen. "Hello?"
"Hi, Linda." Edna said.
"Hi, mommy." Linda said.
"I was wondering if you will cam home for Christmas or if you want us cam to you, because we need buy tickets." Edna said.
"Actually, neither." Linda replied. "The Birds want us in Gotham from Christmas Eve to New Year's Day in case of an attack by some local villains."
"Oh." Edna said. "This suck."
"Yeah." Linda said. "Sorry."
"Is okay." Edna said. "Well, bye. I love you."
"I love you." Linda said. "Bye."
Linda hung up the receiver.

Tuesday, December 13, 2005, 12:31 PM

Linda and Lara were sitting behind the counter in their store.
They saw a UPS truck drive into the parking lot and come to a stop.
The driver opened his door and got out of the truck with a package.
"Looks like this week's DVDs are here." Linda said.
The driver walked over and opened the front door.
He walked into the store.
The door closed behind him.
"Linda Danvers?" he asked.
"That's me." Linda replied.
He put the package on the counter and offered Linda an electronic device. "I just need a signature here."
Linda picked up the pen-like object and signed her name on the screen. She put the object back in its place.
"Thank you." he said.
"Have a good day." Linda told him.
"Thanks. You, too." he said.
He opened the front door and walked outside.
The door closed.
Linda and Lara watched as the driver got in his truck and drove away.
"Okay, let's see what we've got." Lara said.
Linda picked up the case cutter, extracted the blade, and cut the tape on the package. She retracted the blade and put the case cutter away. She opened the box and took out a sheet of paper. Then she took out the DVD cases. She checked the condition of the cases and compared what they had gotten to a list of what they had ordered. Linda picked up a pen and started filling out the form that had come in the package.
"Okay, let's put these up." Linda said.
Linda and Lara picked up the DVD cases and stood up.
They walked over to the anime rack.
They started putting the DVD cases on it.
Each of them picked up a copy of Volume 5 of "Madlax" and Volume 5 of "Scrapped Princess" on DVD.
"I'm really looking forward to the latest 'Madlax' disc." Linda said.
"Me, too." Lara agreed. "We'll watch it after we watch the latest 'Scrapped Princess' disc."
Lara picked up an extra copy of each case.
"These are for Kioko." Lara said.
They went back over to the counter and put the DVD cases on it.
Linda went behind the counter and rang up the total.
She took her wallet out of her front left pants pocket, opened it, took out her money, opened the register drawer, and put her money in the drawer. She closed her wallet and it back into her pocket.
Lara took her wallet out of her front left pants pocket, opened it, took out her money, and handed it to Linda. She closed her wallet and it back into her pocket.
Linda put Lara's money in the drawer.
Lara took Kioko's money out of her shirt pocket and handed it to Linda.
Linda put Kioko's money in the drawer and closed the drawer.
Lara picked up her and Kioko's DVDs cases.
"See ya at home." Lara said.
"Okay." Linda said.
Lara walked over to the front door, opened it, and walked out of the store.

Wednesday, December 14, 2005, 9:45 PM

Linda unlocked and opened the front door to the house.
She, Lara, and Kioko walked into the living room.
Kioko closed the door and locked it.
They went into the kitchen.
"'King Kong' was awesome!" Linda exclaimed.
"Yeah!" Lara agreed. "It stayed fairly close to the original movie. I didn't mind the long running time either."
Linda opened the refrigerator. "Yeah. People need to learn to be patient with movies. I hope all of those cute blonde girls that got thrown around by Kong survived. Strawberry or Melon, Lara?"
"Melon." Lara replied.
"Kioko?" Linda asked.
"Ichigo no wo kudasai." Kioko replied.
Linda took out a bottle of Sangaria Strawberry Soda and two bottles of Sangaria Melon Soda. "Sono eiga, suki deshita ka, Kioko-chan?"
"Hai!" Kioko replied.
Linda closed the refrigerator and handed one bottle of Sangaria Melon Soda to Lara and the bottle of Sangaria Strawberry Soda to Kioko.
"Arigatou." Kioko said.
Lara opened her own bottle and took a swig of the Sangaria Melon Soda.
Kioko opened her own bottle and took a swig of the Sangaria Strawberry Soda.
Linda opened her own bottle and took a swig of the Sangaria Melon Soda.

Tuesday, December 20, 2005, 12:32 PM

Linda and Lara were sitting behind the counter in their store.
They saw a UPS truck drive into the parking lot and come to a stop.
The driver opened his door and got out of the truck with a package.
"Looks like this week's DVDs are here." Linda said.
The driver walked over and opened the front door.
He walked into the store.
The door closed behind him.
"Linda Danvers?" he asked.
"That's me." Linda replied.
He put the package on the counter and offered Linda an electronic device. "I just need a signature here."
Linda picked up the pen-like object and signed her name on the screen. She put the object back in its place.
"Thank you." he said.
"Have a good day." Linda told him.
"Thanks. You, too." he said.
He opened the front door and walked outside.
The door closed.
Linda and Lara watched as the driver got in his truck and drove away.
"Okay, let's see what we've got." Lara said.
Linda picked up the case cutter, extracted the blade, and cut the tape on the package. She retracted the blade and put the case cutter away. She opened the box and took out a sheet of paper. Then she took out the DVD cases. She checked the condition of the cases and compared what they had gotten to a list of what they had ordered. Linda picked up a pen and started filling out the form that had come in the package.
"Okay, let's put these up." Linda said.
Linda and Lara picked up the DVD cases and stood up.
They walked over to the anime rack.
They started putting the DVD cases on it.
Each of them picked up a copy of the fourth "Gatchaman Collector's Edition" boxed set and "Serenity" on DVD.
"More Gatchaman goodness." Linda said.
"Yeah." Lara agreed. "We'll watch them after we watch 'Serenity'. I'm surprised that it's out on DVD less than three months after it's theatrical release."
Lara picked up an extra copy of each case.
"These are for Kioko." Lara said.
They went back over to the counter and put the DVD cases on it.
Linda went behind the counter and rang up the total.
She took her wallet out of her front left pants pocket, opened it, took out her money, opened the register drawer, and put her money in the drawer. She closed her wallet and it back into her pocket.
Lara took her wallet out of her front left pants pocket, opened it, took out her money, and handed it to Linda. She closed her wallet and it back into her pocket.
Linda put Lara's money in the drawer.
Lara took Kioko's money out of her shirt pocket and handed it to Linda.
Linda put Kioko's money in the drawer and closed the drawer.
Lara picked up her and Kioko's DVDs cases.
"See ya at home." Lara said.
"Okay." Linda said.
Lara walked over to the front door, opened it, and walked out of the store.

Wednesday, December 21, 2005, 12:25 PM

Linda and Lara were sitting behind the counter in their store.
They saw a UPS truck drive into the parking lot and come to a stop.
The driver opened his door and got out of the truck with a package.
"Looks like this week's comic books are here." Linda said.
The driver walked over and opened the front door.
He walked into the store.
The door closed behind him.
"Linda Danvers?" he asked.
"That's me." Linda replied.
He put the package on the counter and offered Linda an electronic device. "I just need a signature here."
Linda picked up the pen-like object and signed her name on the screen. She put the object back in its place.
"Thank you." he said.
"Have a good day." Linda told him.
"Thanks. You, too." he said.
He opened the front door and walked outside.
The door closed.
Linda and Lara watched as the driver got in his truck and drove away.
"Okay, let's see what we've got." Lara said.
Linda picked up the case cutter, extracted the blade, and cut the tape on the package. She retracted the blade and put the case cutter away. She opened the box and took out a sheet of paper. Then she took out the comic books. She checked the condition of the books and compared what they had gotten to a list of what they had ordered. Linda picked up a pen and started filling out the form that had come in the package.
"Okay, let's put these up." Linda said.
Linda and Lara stood up. Linda picked up the comic books.
"Let's put up 10 copies of Supergirl #29 for now." Linda told Lara.
Lara got 10 copies of Supergirl #29 from a box behind the counter.
She and Linda walked over to the comic books rack.
They started putting the comic books on it.

Saturday, December 24, 2005, 1:42 PM (Eastern time)

Linda knocked on Selina's apartment door.
After a moment, the door opened.
Selina was standing there.
"Hi, Linda." Selina said.
"Hi, Selina." Linda said.
They hugged each other.
After a moment, they released each other.
Selina stepped aside. "Come in."
"Thank you." Linda said.
Linda, Lara, and Kioko walked into Selina's apartment.
Selina closed the door and locked it.
"Hi, Lara." Selina said.
"Hi, Selina." Lara said.
They hugged each other.
After a moment, they released each other.
"Hi, Kioko." Selina said.
"Hi, Serina-chan." Kioko said.
They hugged each other.
After a moment, they released each other.
"Do you want something to drink?" Selina offered.
"Pepsi, please." Linda, Lara, and Kioko requested.
Selina walked over to the refrigerator and opened it. She took four glass bottles out and closed the refrigerator. She offered three of the bottles to the other girls.
Linda, Lara, and Kioko took the bottles.
Selina picked up a bottle opener off of a counter and took off the bottle caps. She opened a cabinet door and threw the caps in the trash basket. She closed the door with her right foot.
"Thanks." Linda and Lara said.
"Thank you." Kioko said.
"No problem." Selina said.
Linda, Lara, and Kioko each took a swig of their own Pepsi. "Mmmm!"
Selina took a swig of her own Pepsi. "Tastes much better out of a glass bottle; doesn't it?"
"Mmm-hmm!" Lara and Kioko agreed.
Linda finished her Pepsi, opened the cabinet door, and threw the bottle in the trash basket.
Lara finished her Pepsi, opened the cabinet door, and threw the bottle in the trash basket.
Kioko finished her Pepsi, opened the cabinet door, and threw the bottle in the trash basket.
Selina finished her Pepsi, opened the cabinet door, and threw the bottle in the trash basket.
The bedroom door opened, and Holly walked into the living room.
"Okay, Selina, I'm ready." Holly said. "Hi, Linda, Lara, and Kioko."
"Hi, Holly." Linda, Lara, and Kioko said.
Holly walked into the kitchen.
"Are we ready to go?" Holly asked.
"Yeah." Selina replied.
Selina unlocked and opened the door.
Linda, Lara, and Kioko walked outside, followed by Holly and Selina.
Selina locked the door and closed it.

Linda, Selina, Holly, Lara, and Kioko walked into the Clock Tower Building.
"Oracle, lights." Selina said.
The lights turned on.
Holly locked the door and closed it.
Linda, Selina, Holly, Lara, and Kioko walked to the elevator by the wall.
Selina pressed the palm of her left hand against the metal plate.
The elevator doors opened.
Linda, Selina, Holly, Lara, and Kioko walked into the elevator.
The doors closed.
The elevator started rising.
Soon, they reached the top floor.
The doors opened.
Linda, Selina, Holly, Lara, and Kioko walked out of the elevator.
The elevator doors closed.
They were inside the clock tower.
Barbara was sitting behind her desk. Dinah was standing behind her, looking over her right shoulder at the computer screen.
"Hi." Dinah said.
"Hi." Linda, Lara, Kioko, and Selina said.
"Did you bring your bikes?" Barbara asked.
"No, we didn't." Linda replied. "It's fuckin' freezing outside. We're not gonna ride our bikes."
"Did you bring any transportation?" Barbara asked.
"Lara and I took turns driving." Linda replied. "Why do we need a vehicle, anyway? Why couldn't we just fly?"
"Because the squirt can't fly." Barbara replied.
"I meant take a plane," Linda replied, "and lay off of Kioko."
"To answer your question, the squirt needs a means of transportation." Barbara said. "This is a major case. We'll need to be spread out across the city to cover the most area possible. Did you bring no clothes with you?"
"They're in the car." Linda replied.
"Oh." Barbara said. "Very well. Now, I'll take Manhattan. Dinah, you - "
"Babs, can't we eat dinner first?" Dinah asked.
"I suppose." Barbara agreed.

Barbara put on her oven mitts and took the turkey out of the oven.
Dinah got a plate out of a cabinet. Barbara put the turkey on the plate.
Selina got six plates out of the cabinet and six forks out of a drawer. She placed the plates on the table and the forks on the plates.
Barbara set the plate with the turkey on it on the kitchen table.
Selina walked over to the stove and picked up the pan. She brought it over to the table and poured some of the stuffing onto the plates.
Linda walked over to the phone and picked up the receiver. "I wanna call my parents before we begin."
"Yeah, I should call my mom, too." Lara said.
Linda dialed her parents' telephone number. The phone rang twice.
"Hello?" Edna asked.
Linda smiled. "Hi, mommy. Put on the speaker phone."
"Okay." Edna said.
Linda heard a bit of feedback for a moment, then it was gone.
"Merry Christmas." Linda said.
"Thank you, Linda." Edna replied. "Merry Christmas."
"Hi, Linda." Fred said. "Merry Christmas."
"Thanks." Linda said.
"Is everything okay?" Edna asked her.
"Yeah." Linda replied. "Lara and Kioko want to say hi."
"Merry Christmas!" Lara and Kioko exclaimed.
"Merry Christmas." Fred and Edna said.
"So, how are you?" Edna asked.
"Good." Linda, Lara, and Kioko replied.
"How are you?" Linda asked.
"Good." Fred and Edna replied.
"We're just about to sit down to eat the turkey." Linda said.
"Oh." Edna said. "Well, was nice of you to call and say hi."
"Okay. I love you." Linda said.
"I love you, too." Fred and Edna said.
"Have a good day." Linda said.
"You, too." Fred and Edna said.
"Bye." Linda said.
"Bye." Lara and Kioko said.
"Bye." Fred and Edna said.
Linda hung up the receiver.
"Your turn." Linda told Lara.
Lara walked over to the phone and picked up the receiver.
She dialed her mother's telephone number. The phone rang three times.
"Hello?" Jean asked.
Lara smiled. "Hi, mom. Merry Christmas."
"Hi, Lara." Jean replied. "Merry Christmas."
"Merry Christmas!" Linda and Kioko exclaimed.
"Merry Christmas." Jean said.
"What's up?" Lara asked.
"Not much." Jean replied. "I'm gettin' ready to go to a friend's house to have dinner. How are you?"
"Good." Lara replied. "Well, I'll let ya go."
"Okay." Jean said. "Bye."
"Bye." Lara said.
Lara hung up the receiver.
"Who's gonna carve the turkey?" Dinah asked.
"I carved it last year." Barbara said. "You do it."
Dinah walked over to the drawer and opened it.
She got out a large knife.
Dinah closed the drawer, turned, and walked over to the table.
Linda and Lara walked over to the table as well and sat in their chairs.
Dinah picked up her fork with her left hand. She stuck the fork into the turkey and cut off a leg with the knife. She placed the leg on Barbara's plate.
"Thank you." Barbara said.
"No problem." Dinah said.
Dinah cut off the other leg with the knife. She placed the leg on Selina's plate.
"Thank you." Selina said.
"No problem." Dinah said.
Dinah cut off a wing with the knife. She placed the wing on Linda's plate.
"Thank you." Linda said.
"No problem." Dinah said.
Dinah cut off the other wing with the knife. She placed the wing on Lara's plate.
"Thank you." Lara said.
"No problem." Dinah said.
Dinah cut off a piece of the breast with the knife. She placed the piece on Kioko's plate.
"Arigatou." Kioko said.
"No problem." Dinah said.
Dinah put the knife down and sat in her chair.
The six girls started eating.

Sunday, December 25, 2005, 7:32 PM (Eastern time)

Barbara, Dinah, Selina, Holly, Linda, Lara, and Kioko were sitting on the couches in the living room in Commissioner Gordon's house.
"Kaze no Lullabye" by Miyasato Kumi was playing on the stereo.
Linda was tapping her left foot and nodding her head to the beat of the music.
"Kumi." Linda whispered with passion.
"Do you think we'll ever find out anything about Kumi?" Lara asked.
"I hope so." Linda replied.
There was a knock at the front door.
"Knock, knock." the voice outside said. "Who's there?"
"Who could that be?" Barbara stood up.
"Careful, Babs." Dinah cautioned.
Barbara opened the door to her father's den and walked inside. She walked over to his desk and opened the top drawer. Her father's gun was inside. Barbara picked up the gun, opened the chamber, and checked it. It was loaded with bullets. Barbara closed the chamber, closed the drawer, walked back into the living room, and closed the door.
"Cover me." Barbara said.
Dinah, Selina, and Holly stood up and walked over to the left of the front door. Linda, Lara, and Kioko stood up and walked over to the right side of the front door.
Barbara unlocked the front door and opened it.
The Joker was standing outside, wearing a Santa Claus costume and holding a gun in his right hand.
"Batgirl with a gun." Barbara replied.
Barbara aimed the gun at the Joker and pulled the trigger. A bullet was fired and hit the Joker in the chest.
The Joker gasped and fell on the pavement.
"You - You shot me!" the Joker gasped. "No one shoots the Joker!"
"Then it pleases me to be the first." Barbara told him.
"Well, it doesn't make any difference. The plan is already in motion. You're all doomed!" The Joker started laughing.
Then the Joker died.
Commissioner Gordon ran downstairs and over to the front door.
"Barbara, what happened?!" Commissioner Gordon gasped. "The Joker!"
"I think he had a little killing joke in mind," Barbara told him, "but I have the last laugh. Merry Christmas, dad."
Barbara started laughing.

Monday, December 26, 2005, 4:30 PM (Eastern time)

Barbara, Dinah, Selina, Holly, Linda, Lara, and Kioko walked into a restaurant.
A girl walked over to them. "Hello."
"Hello." Barbara, Dinah, Selina, Holly, Linda, Lara, and Kioko said.
"Seven?" the girl asked.
"Yes." Barbara replied.
"Okay." the girl said.
The girl picked up seven menus and walked to an empty table. Barbara, Dinah, Selina, Holly, Linda, Lara, and Kioko followed her.
Clockwise, Barbara, Dinah, Selina, Holly, Linda, Lara, and Kioko sat in the chairs.
The girl placed the menus on the table and walked away.
Barbara, Dinah, Selina, Holly, Linda, Lara, and Kioko picked up their menus and read them.
"I'll have steak, mashed potatoes with gravy, and Pepsi." Barbara said.
"Me, too." Dinah said.
"Me, too." Selina said.
"Me, too." Holly said.
"Me, too." Linda said.
"Me, too." Lara said.
"Me, too." Kioko said.
The girl came by with a pad and pen. "Are you ready to order?"
"Yeah, we'll each have steak, mashed potatoes with gravy, and Pepsi." Barbara ordered.
The girl wrote it down. "Okay."
She picked up the menus and walked away.
The girl came back, pushing a cart. She took the seven plates off of the cart and placed them on the table. She also took the napkins and seven pairs of utensils off of the cart and placed them next to the plates. Then she took the seven glasses, filled with Pepsi, off of the cart and placed them next to the plates.
"Thanks." Barbara, Dinah, Selina, Holly, Linda, and Lara said.
"Thank you." Kioko said.
"Enjoy." the girl said, smiling.
She walked away.
Barbara, Dinah, Selina, Holly, Linda, Lara, and Kioko started eating their steak and mashed potatoes with gravy.
When they finished their steak and mashed potatoes with gravy, they drank their Pepsis.
"Betcha Never" by Cherie was playing from the speakers on the walls.
"I like this song." Barbara said.
"Me, too." Dinah said.
"The singer's name is Cherie." Linda said. "I have her album."
Barbara took her wallet out of her front left pants pocket, took out a $5 bill and a $1 bill, placed them under her plate, closed her wallet, and put it back into her pocket.
Dinah took her wallet out of her front left pants pocket, took out a $5 bill and a $1 bill, placed them under her plate, closed her wallet, and put it back into her pocket.
Selina took her wallet out of her front left pants pocket, took out a $5 bill and a $1 bill, placed them under her plate, closed her wallet, and put it back into her pocket.
Holly took her wallet out of her front left pants pocket, took out a $5 bill and a $1 bill, placed them under her plate, closed her wallet, and put it back into her pocket.
Linda took her wallet out of her front left pants pocket, took out a $5 bill and a $1 bill, placed them under her plate, closed her wallet, and put it back into her pocket.
Lara took her wallet out of her front left pants pocket, took out a $5 bill and a $1 bill, placed them under her plate, closed her wallet, and put it back into her pocket.
Kioko took her wallet out of her front left pants pocket, took out a $5 bill and a $1 bill, placed them under her plate, closed her wallet, and put it back into her pocket.
Barbara, Dinah, Selina, Holly, Linda, Lara, and Kioko stood up and walked over to the counter.
"Thanks, Babs." Linda told Barbara.
"No problem." Barbara replied.
Barbara took out her wallet, opened it, and took out money. She paid all of their bills, closed her wallet, and put it away.

Tuesday, December 27, 2005, 8:12 PM (Eastern time)

Barbara, Dinah, Selina, Holly, Linda, Lara, and Kioko walked out of the elevator.
The elevator doors closed.
They were inside the clock tower.
"Another unpreductive night." Barbara said. "This is getting frustrating. The police can't find anything out. We can't find anything out. I'm beginning to think that the Joker was lying to scare us."
"You think the plan wasn't set in motion yet?" Dinah asked her.
"If there even was a plan to begin with." Barbara replied. "The whole notion of a plan was gleaned from rumors. It could have been all talk."
"Does that mean I can stay in tomorrow?" Linda asked her.
Barbara sighed. "Sure."

Wednesday, December 28, 2005, 10:56 PM (Eastern time)

Linda and Lara were sitting at Barbara's computer. Lara was sitting to Linda's right.
"Wow, Babs has an awesome computer system." Linda said.
"Yeah." Lara agreed. "Check out the monthly comic book sales charts."
"Okay." Linda said.
Linda went to Google Groups and then went to rec.arts.comics.marvel.universe.
"As usual, Marvel dominates the chart." Linda said. "The highest-selling non-Marvel title is 'Red Sonja' at number 26. These sales figures are horrible. They drop below 100,000 copies at number 3, below 90,000 copies at number 5, below 80,000 copies at number 7, below 70,000 copies at number 15, below 60,000 copies at number 19, below 50,000 copies at number 22, below 40,000 copies at number 28, and below 30,000 copies at number 42."
"Pathetic." Lara said.
The elevator doors opened.
Barbara, Dinah, Selina, Holly, and Kioko walked out of the elevator.
The elevator doors closed.
"Another unpreductive night." Barbara said. "You girls didn't miss anything."

Thursday, December 29, 2005, 7:26 PM (Eastern time)

Barbara, Dinah, Selina, Holly, Linda, Lara, and Kioko were sitting on the couches in the clock tower, eating dinner.
"We've got two days left." Barbara said. "So far, I haven't found any indication of any grand plan."
"Maybe the plan's not that grand." Linda suggested. "Maybe it's something stupid like...blowing up a recycling bin at a government complex at 12:00 AM."
"What?" Barbara asked.
"I read that actually happened in Florida a few years ago." Linda said.
"Fuck you." Barbara said.
"We need a theme song." Linda suggested.
"Why do you say that?" Selina asked.
"Well, there are a lot of songs about Superman." Linda said. "Even the Teen Titans have a theme song courtesy of Puffy AmiYumi. The Birds of Prey need one, too."
"Well, we've sort of adopted Aimee Allen's 'Revolution' as our theme song." Dinah said.
"No, you've adopted it." Barbara told her.
"It's a good song, Babs." Dinah insisted.
"Y'know, Linda, there are plenty of songs about Supergirl." Holly said. "For example, there's the one by Krystal Harris."
"That was recorded before my debut, and it's the theme of Disney's 'The Princess Diaries'." Linda told her. "Besides, it's got that stupid capital 'G'."
"Well, what about that song by John Cougar Mellencamp?" Holly asked.
"That was recorded way before my debut, and it's a cover at that." Linda told her. "I must face it: I don't have a song."

Friday, December 30, 2005, 9:24 PM (Eastern time)

Linda walked into the living room in the clock tower and saw Selina sitting outside.
She walked over to the door and opened it. She stepped outside.
"May I join you?" Linda asked.
Selina looked at her. "Sure."
Linda closed the door, walked over, and sat to Selina's left.
"Isn't it cold for you?" Linda asked. "I mean it is for me, and I'm the fuckin' 'Girl of Steel'."
"Yeah, but I often train in the cold, so this doesn't bother me as much." Selina replied.
"Cool." Linda said.
There was silence for a moment.
"Selina, what's it like to have sex?" Linda asked.
"How do you know I have sex?" Selina asked.
"I've been watching you and Holly." Linda admitted. "X-ray vision."
Selina smiled. "You like what you see?"
"Uh-huh." Linda admitted.
"Having sex with Holly is wonderful." Selina told her. "She's my first - and, so far, only."
"Lara has been asking me to have sex with her for over two years now." Linda told her. "I keep turning her down. How do I know when it's the right time?"
"You don't." Selina told her. "Holly and I had sex on the night that we got together. That's extreme. I can't assure you that you and Lara will remain together 'til death do you part, but, from what I've observed of the two of you, I think you stand a good chance."
Linda just stared at her.
"Make love to her before it's too late." Selina advised.
Linda thought about that in silence.

Saturday, December 31, 2005, 9:55 PM (Eastern time)

Linda walked over to Barbara, who was sitting at her computer.
"Any luck?" Linda asked.
"Possibly." Barbara said. "Batman got some information last night that the Penguin is financing the operation. Supposedly, it's going to take place around midnight."
"Any idea what it is?" Linda asked.
"Nope. I'll keep looking." Barbara said. "You could help, y'know. Go out on the street and find out who knows what."
"I'm not a detective." Linda told her. "I'm just an ordinary cop. Well, not quite ordinary."

Barbara was sitting at her computer.
Selina, Holly, Linda, and Lara were standing behind her, looking at her computer screen.
The elevator doors opened.
Dinah and Kioko walked out of the elevator.
The elevator doors closed.
"Really? You can use olive oil for that?" Kioko asked Dinah.
"Why do you think they call it 'extra virgin'?" Dinah asked Kioko.
"Dinah!" Barbara yelled. "No corrupting the kid."
"Oh, no! Please! Corrupt me! Corrupt me!" Kioko begged Dinah.
"Y'know, I should probably get a haircut when we get back to Chicago." Linda said. "My hair's getting a little long."
"Why wait?" Holly asked. "I can cut it right now."
"Yeah, Linda." Selina said. "Holly got my hair short right before I went out in my new costume for the first time. Remember?"
"Of course, I remember. I have a photographic memory." Linda said. "Okay, Holly."
"What do you want?" Holly asked.
"Have you ever heard of an actor named Helen Slater?" Linda asked her.
"No." Holly replied. "What's she been in?"
"I'm thinking specifically of a 1985 movie called 'The Legend of Billie Jean'." Linda said. "She got this really cool haircut in the film. I'll bring up some pictures on the Internet."
"Okay." Holly said.

Holly stepped out of the bathroom. "Ladies, I present to you the new and improved Linda Lee Danvers!"
She stepped aside.
Linda stepped forward. Her hair was spiked and dyed blonde.
"Awesome, Linda!" Lara exclaimed.
"Kawaii!" Kioko exclaimed.
"Cool!" Dinah exclaimed.
"Me-ow." Selina purred.
"Ain't it cool, Babs?" Holly asked.
"Yeah, yeah." Barbara said, distracted. "Sorry, Batman. Go ahead."
Barbara listened to Bruce Wayne's voice in her earpiece.
"Holy shit!" Barbara exclaimed. "That's Joker's plan! A bunch of hired terrorists are gonna bomb Times Square at midnight! Suit up, girls!"
Barbara took off her headset and dropped it on her desk. She opened her MP3 player on her computer and selected a song.
"Invincible" by Pat Benatar started playing.
Linda changed into her Supergirl costume. Lara changed into her Power Girl outfit. Selina changed into her Catwoman costume. Barbara changed into her Batgirl costume. Kioko, Holly, and Dinah changed into their black Birds of Prey clothes.
"Go!" Barbara yelled. "We'll meet you there!"
Linda ran over to the door and opened it.
She ran outside and flew into the air.
Lara followed close behind.
Linda flew as fast as she could and arrived in Times Square in a few minutes.
Lara came up to her left. "What now?"
"We wait, I guess." Linda replied.
"We won't have to wait long." Lara pointed ahead with her right index finger. "Look!"
Linda looked ahead. There were 3 airplanes approaching from the distance.
"Get ready." Lara said.
"I wish we had some music to inspire us." Linda said.
Suddenly, Linda heard music. Barbara arrived, flying a bat-shaped airplane. The music was coming out of the airplane. It was "Revolution" by Aimee Allen.
"Batman let me borrow the Batjet!" Barbara yelled over an intercom. "Let's take 'em out, girls!"
Linda, Lara, and Barbara flew to meet the airplanes. They performed some aerial acrobatics, dodging the terrorist jets.
The music changed to "Rick Hunter's Theme" from "Robotech". After that came Yellow Dancer's "Look Up! (The Sky Is Falling)" from "Robotech". After that came Minmei's version of "We Will Win" from "Robotech".
Linda finally managed to hold onto a jet. She took it down to an empty street.
Lara did the same with another jet.
Barbara fired laser beams from the Batjet and shot the third jet down onto the empty street.
Linda could hear a police sirens in the distance. She looked and saw police cars approaching.
The police cars came to a halt.
Commissioner Gordon got out of the lead car and walked over to Linda and Lara.
"Supergirl, Power Girl, Batman told me about the Joker's plan." Commissioner Gordon told them.
"The Joker almost did have the last laugh." Linda said.
"What?" Commissioner Gordon asked. "Why did you say that?"
Linda realized that she'd almost given away her identity. "Bad joke. Sorry."
"So what happened?" Commissioner Gordon asked.
"I took down one jet. Lara took down another. The pilots are still inside. Batgirl blew up the third jet." Linda explained.
"Well, thanks to you three, the city is safe." Commissioner Gordon said.
"Here's a bonus." Selina dragged the Scarecrow over to them and dropped him on the street.
Likewise, Dinah dragged Clayface over to them and dropped him on the street.
Likewise, Holly dragged Two-Face over to them and dropped him on the street.
"Catwoman!" Commissioner Gordon drew his gun and pointed it at Selina.
"Uh, no." Linda said. "Catwoman is good now."
"She has multiple warrants out for her arrest." Commissioner Gordon told Linda.
"She's a protector of Gotham and defender of the poor and oppressed." Linda told him. "She's also Batman's friend."
"But - "
"Please, Commissioner Gordon." Linda begged.
Commissioner Gordon was silent for a moment, then he holstered his gun. "I can't promise anything. You might still be required to stand trial, Catwoman."
"Understood." Selina told him.
Barbara walked over to them, wearing her black Birds of Prey clothes.
"Hi, daddy." Barbara said. "What's up?"
"Not much. Only the biggest bust in this city's recent history, thanks to these girls." Commissioner Gordon replied.
"Hey, where's Kioko?" Linda asked.
They all looked around.
Dinah pointed up at a nearby rooftop with her left index finger. "Look!"
They looked. Kioko was confronting the Penguin on the rooftop.
"Don't come any closer!" the Penguin yelled. "I swear I'll kill you!"
Kioko smiled. "You wouldn't do that, Penguin-chan."
"Oh, no?!" the Penguin asked. "Why, I oughta - "
Kioko giggled. "You're silly, Penguin-chan. Give me a hug."
"I - I..." The Penguin hugged Kioko.
Kioko hugged the Penguin. "There we go. Isn't this a lot better than fighting, Penguin-chan?"
"I - I guess it is." the Penguin replied.
Kioko looked down at the people on the street, grinned, and gave a V-for-Victory sign with her right hand. "Yatta!"
Dinah grinned. "Well, Babs, it looks like 'the squirt' is useful after all."
Barbara stared up at Kioko. "I - I don't understand how she did it."
"I think I do." Linda said. "It's her super-power."
"Say what?" Barbara asked.
"Lara, you remember how you gave Kioko some of your blood after we found her?" Linda asked.
"Yeah." Lara replied.
"I think it affected her somehow." Linda said. "It magnified her natural likeability to a super-human level. Now, Kioko can create an Aura of Cuteness around herself and manipulate evildoers into kindness."
Everyone was silent for a moment.
"I'm not talking to you for at least a week." Barbara finally told Linda. "It's not good for me."

Barbara, Dinah, Selina, Holly, Linda, Lara, and Kioko walked into Times Square.
The cheering crowd parted to let them walk forward.
"Y'know, I've seen the ball drop every year on 'Dick Clark's New Year's Rockin' Eve' on TV. This is the first time that I'll see it in person." Linda said.
"Same for me." Lara said.
"Me, too!" Kioko exclaimed. "I'm so excited!"
"And you just can't hide it." Lara told her.
"Time to compare." Linda said. "First, I'll list the major events that I've been through this year, then Lara, and then Kioko. I joined a team of heros, the Birds of Prey, and gained 2 new friends in Barbara and Dinah. I started a new business with Lara. I'm happy. What about you, Lara?"
"I joined a team of heros, the Birds of Prey, and gained 2 new friends in Barbara and Dinah. I started a new business with Linda. I'm happy." Lara said. "Kioko?"
"I joined a team of heros, the Birds of Prey, and gained 2 new friends in Barbara and Dinah. I'm helping out at your new business." Kioko said. "I'm happy."
"It's almost time." Linda said.
Barbara, Dinah, Selina, Holly, Linda, Lara, and Kioko looked at the giant digital clock and started counting down with the crowd: "10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1,..."

Sunday, January 1, 2006, 12:00 AM (Eastern time)

Linda and Lara faced each other and smiled.
"Happy New Year." Linda said.
"Happy New Year." Lara said.
They hugged each other.
Linda kissed Lara's lips.
They kissed for a minute, then they stopped and let go of each other.
Linda and Kioko faced each other and smiled.
"Happy New Year." Linda said.
"Happy New Year." Kioko said.
They hugged each other.
Then they let go of each other.
Lara and Kioko faced each other and smiled.
"Happy New Year." Lara said.
"Happy New Year." Kioko said.
They hugged each other.
Then they let go of each other.
Linda, Lara, and Kioko looked at the other Birds of Prey.
Selina and Holly were still kissing each other. Likewise, Barbara and Dinah were still kissing each other.
Finally, Selina and Holly stopped kissing and let go of each other. Likewise, Barbara and Dinah stopped kissing and let go of each other.
Linda and Selina faced each other and smiled.
"Happy New Year." Linda said.
"Happy New Year." Selina said.
They hugged each other.
Then they let go of each other.
Lara and Selina faced each other and smiled.
"Happy New Year." Lara said.
"Happy New Year." Selina said.
They hugged each other.
Then they let go of each other.
Kioko and Selina faced each other and smiled.
"Happy New Year." Kioko said.
"Happy New Year." Selina said.
They hugged each other.
Then they let go of each other.
Linda and Dinah faced each other and smiled.
"Happy New Year." Linda said.
"Happy New Year." Dinah said.
They hugged each other.
Then they let go of each other.
Lara and Dinah faced each other and smiled.
"Happy New Year." Lara said.
"Happy New Year." Dinah said.
They hugged each other.
Then they let go of each other.
Kioko and Dinah faced each other and smiled.
"Happy New Year." Kioko said.
"Happy New Year." Dinah said.
They hugged each other.
Then they let go of each other.
Linda and Barbara faced each other and smiled.
"Happy New Year." Linda said.
"Happy New Year." Barbara said.
They hugged each other.
Then they let go of each other.
Lara and Barbara faced each other and smiled.
"Happy New Year." Lara said.
"Happy New Year." Barbara said.
They hugged each other.
Then they let go of each other.
Kioko and Barbara faced each other and smiled.
"Happy New Year." Kioko said.
"Happy New Year." Barbara said.
They hugged each other.
Then they let go of each other.
Linda and Holly faced each other and smiled.
"Happy New Year." Linda said.
"Happy New Year." Holly said.
They hugged each other.
Then they let go of each other.
Lara and Holly faced each other and smiled.
"Happy New Year." Lara said.
"Happy New Year." Holly said.
They hugged each other.
Then they let go of each other.
Kioko and Holly faced each other and smiled.
"Happy New Year." Kioko said.
"Happy New Year." Holly said.
They hugged each other.
Then they let go of each other.
Linda, Lara, and Kioko walked over to the convertible.
"Ready to go?" Linda asked.
"Hai." Lara and Kioko replied.
Linda took her keys out of her front right pants pocket and unlocked the driver side door.
She opened it and got in the driver seat. Then she unlocked the passenger side door and the back door on the right side.
Lara opened the passenger side door and got in passenger seat. Kioko opened the right, back door and got into the back seat. Lara and Kioko closed and locked their doors.
Linda put the key in the ignition and started the engine.
"Want some music?" Linda asked.
"Hai!" Lara and Kioko replied.
Linda turned on the CD player and selected a track. She started driving.
"Hateshinai Tabi -- Hajimari no Toki", the opening theme song of "Bubblegum Crash!", started playing.
When the song was over, the English version, "Unending Journey -- Time of Beginning", started playing.

The End


Copyright 2005 by Mark Moore