Legal disclaimer: This story is written just for entertainment purposes and no copyright infringement is intended. All characters belong to their respective owners.

A. Note: This one is some kind of different version of "Becky and the bard", in which I'll change most of the original plot. I've written two one-shots, and now I want to try a multichapter. If this goes as I plan it, it will require some OOCness, and will be a little different from my previous stories, cause it's just... Well, you'll find out.

I've received a review, who called my attention on a phrase that seemed to be OOC, and as I happen to agree, I'm trying to improve that here (thank you very much, Randomnessgirl1)

It is not a great story, but I'll pretend it is -just for a second- to dedicate it to someone:

To Endless Secrets; thanks for the encouraging words.

"Good words also carry advice" Mapuche proverb

Shaking the pear tree (A Becky and the Bard retelling)

Chapter I

...And let slip the robots of war

"O Romeo, Romeo... wherefore are... thou..." the audition was going awry. Becky was so nervous, not having memorized her lines, that she was making mistake after mistake.

"...and I no longer be a Capulet." she, realizing her speech had been so out of character, delivered the final phrase in a tasteless monotone.

"Oh... great; next!" Said Mr. Dudley, unimpressed by her acting. Becky abandoned the center of the stage, suspecting she will not be allowed to play the role.

When Violet's turn came, she timidly presented herself. But she delivered her speech with great naturalness, a very sweet and believable Juliet. She had been the best one, and Mr. Dudley made clear she had.

Then it was the turn of the new student. Both Becky and Violet, on a side of the stage, were really impressed by the boy's looks.

"Who's that?"

"He's Hunter Throbheart, the new student from England"

"Oh, England... The birthplace of William Shakespeare..."

"And Hunter Throbheart!"

When he delivered his speech, the girls were so enthralled that they didn't pay much attention to his acting. Then they chattered a little more.

"He is so handsome, and he speaks so charmingly!"

"It's his British accent, Violet. I really like British accent; do you remember that movie we were... watching... last... Why are you laughing?" Violet was trying to hide her giggling, but it was impossible. Then she said:

"I... I was remembering that movie, the protagonist was so handsome... It was funny how he and the heroine were arguing all the time..."

"Yeah, it was so funny; and how he tried to deny his love for her, and how she seemed to hate him, and then they fell madly... in... love... Can you stop giggling? You look weird!"

"Sorry, it's just that... that movie was so funny..!" something in her tone made Becky suspicious there was something else, but then Violet suddenly changed the subject "Look! Tobey is auditioning..."

"What? Tobey? This is something I have to watch!" said Becky, prepared to have a reason to laugh too.

Tobey gave a last glance to his script, and opened his mouth, ready to begin...but was stopped by Mr. Dudley's shout "Next!" He made a sad face, and went off the stage, enraged. Becky felt bad for him, but hide it in front of Violet. But it was not necessary, Violet wasn't looking at her; instead, she was staring at the stage, frowning furiously...

"That's terrible! Why Mr. Dudley didn't allow Tobey to audition? I can't believe it! That's totally unfair!"

"Violet, don't be so angry, he's just Tobey..." she feigned an indifferent tone.

"Yes, He is Tobey, our friend and classmate... Oh, I'm so furious! It's a... a..."

"An outrage? Something that's very bad and horrible?"

"Yes! A terrible outrage! If I were class president, I'd surely have something to say about it to Mr. Dudley!" Becky looked at her friend, surprised by her outburst; she could be so passionate whenever one of her friends is wronged, even the evil-robot-building-boy-genius Tobey. She smiled; some people say Violet's head was always in the clouds, but Becky knew her pure heart was in the right place.

The next day, the kids were crowding around the announce board to see if their names were on the list of players for the school production. Hunter Throbheart said aloud that he had been selected for the role of Romeo, a decision that was celebrated by almost all the girls. Violet was elated that she had been elected to play Juliet, and gasped at the prospect of an opportunity to use the shimmering hat she treasured. Becky cautiously approached the board, only to discover she was going to be...

"Juliet's understudy!" She shouted. Mr. Dudley explained her her duties (that she already knew) and she vented her disappointment in the most inelegant way possible.

"It means I only got to play Juliet if Violet can't!"

"Yes Becky..."

"This is a travesty!" She felt so wronged; how was it possible that she, Shakespeare's greatest fan, with her great acting skills, had been denied the pleasure of playing her favorite character of them all; just because she had not time to rehearse and memorize her speech! Violet had won over her only because she had been able to do so, and she was good; but they haven't given her the opportunity to show her actress' interpretative range.

She was rambling about how being Juliet's understudy will be no fun at all, when she heard some uproar... Robots! Great! Great timing Tobey! If it wasn't enough with being neglected as an actress, now she had to battle robots... Well, at least she will have the opportunity to alleviate her anger smashing some of Tobey's automatons.

She flew away in direction to the uproar, and when she reached the spot, she suddenly forgot about her hurt scene ambitions. She watched Tobey, and realized this was not one of his accustomed plans to get her attention. This was serious; she knew that sad and angry look on his face, she had learned to fear it. She knew that look meant he should be very furious, to the point of losing control of himself. Her heart sunk. She remembered the one and only time he was in such state, and even if it was not true, she felt she was responsible for his reactions that time... If only she had believed in him, if she had trusted... She knew in the depths of her heart that it had not been her fault, but preferred to hurt herself putting the blame on her shoulders. But there was no time to think of the past. She needed to concentrate.

"Huggy, emergency plan number 197 B, and please, be as accurate as you can. I don't want anyone hurt; not you, not Tobey, right?" Huggy squeaked earnestly, assuring he would do his best.

"I will try to reason with him... don't act unless I give you the signal, understood?"

He squeaked his assenting, and went to take his position, as they had practiced so many times after that terrible day.

She flew to be in front of Tobey's robots, at a prudent distance, and faced him with determination.

"Stop right there, Tobey!"

"No, I will not stop! I won't stop until I'll be avenged!"

"Please, Tobey, let's talk about this."

"No, I won't accept to be humiliated in such a low way!"

"Wait! At least tell me why you are so angry!"

"Why? I'll tell you why... I was not allowed to audition for the school play!"

"What! That's nonsense! You are going to destroy the city because you were not selected for the school play?"

"You don't understand!" he took a deep breath, to calm himself and explain his reason clearly "I knew there should be a selection; I was ready to accept it, if I were not selected... But I was not allowed to even say my speech! The teacher said that anyone would be allowed to audition, and it was not true! I was deprived of a fair opportunity... maybe you won't believe it, but I have my lines memorized, and I would have accepted the rule of the teacher, if he decided not to include me in the cast... Besides, "Romeo and Juliet" is my favorite play of all time... This time I was not going to play a trick, I was not going to use my robots... I was confident on my skills -it was not a field competition, and I even went to a drama camping, once. I really learned a lot about acting..." he sighed. He was calmer now he had vented his rage "All I was asking was a fair opportunity, to show that I can do it... why didn't he allow me to deliver my speech? He should at least give me a reason... It's because I'm a villain? I'm a villain just because..." He stopped suddenly, and looked away. Then he changed the subject "That was an injustice, an outrage... He doesn't know if I am a good actor or not, he didn't allow me to try... It's not the darned play; it's the utter injustice of it all!"

"I see... you feel you have been wronged..."

"Yes! That's the right word. I think I could do better than that fatuous, haughty simpleton Hunter... And he was selected! I seriously doubt Mr. Dudley's judgment on acting!"

"I understand you... I understand you very well."

"Do you..? What do you mean?"

"Well... you happen to desire something so much, and when the opportunity arrives, you can't display your abilities; and then, somebody else is selected, and you happen to be just an unders... underestimated victim of misjudgment."

"Have you ever been in a situation like this?"

"Oh, yes, you bet I've been! It was terrible, I wanted it so bad! I auditioned- I mean, I participated in a try-out, for... some super-hero thing... and... in the end I was not selected! And just because I hadn't time to... to rehearse! It was so unfair!"

"Then you understand how I feel now. But yours was not such a terrible situation, you were allowed to audition, and I couldn't even say a word..."

"Yeah, but it doesn't make any difference. And that's not the point. What I'm trying to say is that you should not make such a big fuss out of that!"

"Uhm... But I feel I've been discriminated! I see no reason for not being allowed to audition..." WordGirl looked at the robots around them, then folded her arms and stared significantly at Tobey. He added "...I'm a villain, but it doesn't mean I can't act!"

"Don't be so susceptible. I know how you feel, but you shouldn't take it so seriously; it's just a play!"

"Okay, maybe I took it a bit more seriously than it really was. But it'd have been great to participate in a Shakespeare's play." He sighed "Now that I think of it, it could have been worse. At least I didn't make a fool of myself, like Becky Botsford... You should have been there, it was pitiful to watch..."

"Maybe she hadn't time to memorize her lines" said she between clenched teeth.

"Maybe you are right... At least she got to be Juliet's understudy. And her friend Violet was selected to be Juliet; she is a really good actress. Becky must be very happy her best friend got a main role..." he said, pensive. WordGirl blushed. She was ashamed she hadn't seen it that way...

"I suppose you're right." said she "But about your robots... what do you say?"

"...Okay, okay, I will retreat my robots. But I'm only doing it because I want to see Violet's acting... And because you're asking it, that's all. Not for the city, not for that snotty brat Hunter. Just for you... ahem! And Violet, of course."

"Agreed!" said Wordgirl, smiling.

"Robots! We are going back home!" The robots answered in a metallic voice, and slowly began to retreat. He added suddenly "...Would you like to come and see the play with me? It will be an abridged version, but..."

"But Tobey, I must be there... ibly busy! I'll be terribly busy tonight, ha! Ha-ha!" That was really close "You know, crime-fighting, watching the city; crime... never rests... I can't be backstage -I mean, I can't be there; if I were... someone else, maybe I could, but I am... who I am; and... I'll be not..."

"You don't need to invent an excuse, just say you don't want to go." said he in a serious tone "I am taking my robots home, as I promised I'd do. I won't force you, if that is what you are thinking..."

"No! I didn't mean to..." she began. But he cut her.

"Good bye" he said dryly.

"...Bye" she answered half heartedly. He had misunderstood her nervousness, but she felt sorry, as if it was her fault. She watched Tobey and his robots retreating. He never looked back. For some reason she was expecting him to do so. She gave a little sigh and, after picking up Huggy, returned to school, flying.

"How could I be so stupid to think she would go to see the play with me?" Tobey thought, angry with himself, on the way home "We were talking so amiably, why should I always have to ruin it? Always! I always make her give me her excuses, as if I have not heard them before, as if I didn't know she hates me... How could she like a maniac...? Yes! A maniac... Only a raving maniac would let himself be carried away by his rage... Fifty foot tall robots, ridiculous! What was I thinking? It happened before, and I haven't had hurt anyone just by chance. I should've learned my lesson. I should give up. I should... stop this foolishness once and for all, and apologize to those who I have wronged. I know that I can only win her heart by becoming good. But I also know that, by becoming good I will lose her. How a superhero would notice a boy that's ordinary..? How they would ever meet..? Maybe I should try to be a reporter, like Scoops..." he thought with bitter sarcasm. "If I only knew her secret identity..."