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CHAPTER FOUR:  Fight!  Fight!

"So Raven, where do we start?"

Dick studied the lines of "Angel of Music," a piece from Phantom of the Opera.  It appeared that Christine (Raven) would appear on stage first, followed by Meg (Jinx).  The two would sing in reference to Christine's tutor, the "Angel of Music."  Dick was to be that "Angel of Music" a.k.a the Phantom.

"Well, it's obvious that we're going to have to cut out the 'Little Lottie' scenario, since we don't have anyone to play the part of Raoul.  So I guess right after Jinx sings the verse, 'Don't be frightened…" we'll pause for about 5 seconds and then we can cut straight to your verse, Richard."

"Call me Dick."

Raven tried to suppress her smile.  "Okay then, Dick."

"We're not going to have to dress up or anything…are we?"

She giggled softly.  "No, the teacher isn't that cruel.  The purpose of this assignment is to just give us practice in case we would like to choose to audition for the musical, whatever that may be.  We only have to 'dress up' for rehearsals, after we are officially cast."

Dick raised an eyebrow.  "Ah…So I guess I'll just leave my phantom mask at home then?"

"Well, yeah…Unless of course YOU want to dress up by yourself!" she teased.

"I'm sure I could get some extra credit for it."  He winked.

Raven felt her cheeks flush slightly.  She quickly looked down at her book.  She was getting off topic.

"Jinx, you only have a few lines to memorize.  You think you can handle that?"

"No problem here."

"Great, then we're done!"  Raven closed her book shut and set it aside.

The three students stared at each other in an awkward silence for a few moments, then Jinx decided to break the ice…

"Sooooooo…DICK?  Do you have a girlfriend?"

"Well…I did, until recently…"

"DO TELL!"

Dick put on a wry face.  "Are you SURRRRRE you want to hear all the gory details?"

"Spill it!"

Richard Grayson cleared his throat.  "Well, Bruce sent me to private school through junior high and up till now--"

"Bruce?  Wait a minute…  Bruce Wayne?!!"  Jinx's jaw dropped.

Raven closed her friend's agape mouth.  "Aren't you going to let him FINISH?"

Dick continued, "Like I was saying, and yes, it's Bruce Wayne…I went to private school and met a girl named Babs Gordon.  We were both very much the athletic type, she was on the basketball team, I was on the wrestling team, plus I had my martial arts competitions on the side.  Everyone in the school was expecting us to get together, and we weren't dating anyone so we decided to go out--"

"Babs huh?  Pbbbbthh.  Whenever I hear that name I think of Tiny Toons."

Raven slapped Jinx behind the head.  "Shut it, Jinx!!"

Dick continued yet again, "We went out from 8th grade to Sophomore year, and then she broke up with me."

"Why?" asked Jinx.

"She said that the relationship was going nowhere, and that the both of us needed to admit to ourselves that it was time to break up. We had been trying to live up to the 'Number One cutest couple' image that everyone at school had expected of us…But it wasn't working…We just weren't meant to be."

"And what kind of girl do you think you're meant to be with?" Jinx raised her eyebrows, awaiting his response.

Dick smirked.  "My, you are presumptuous, aren't you?"

"You have no idea," inputted Raven.  "Please, don't allow her to put you on the spot."

"No, really it's fine."  He cleared his throat.  "One reason I left private school was because I found the people there to be so boring and 'stiff-assed.'  Everyone was the same.  Everyone had to be super smart, super athletic, and PERFECT and I was tired of living up to that image.  I wanted to go to public school where I could hang out with all sorts of new people, people who didn't care about conforming--"

Raven cut in, "I don't mean to interrupt you Dick, but it's no different here.  The minute you walk into this school, you HAVE an image.  Students take one look at a guy like you and immediately stereotype you as 'campus royalty, one of the elite!'  Whereas they look at me and immediately dub me 'dark and creepy, peasant low-life.'  And if you don't live up to your image…if you even dare to be a little different than what they expect of you, GUESS WHAT?  You get ridiculed and humiliated by the entire student body!"

"But Raven, it doesn't have to be that way!  Look…  I've decided that from now on, I don't care what other people think.  There's no reason why I can't be who I am."

"That's easy for you to say, Richard Grayson.  All you have to do is BE who you are and everyone will accept you."

"And who am I?"

"You mean to tell me you haven't read the latest headlines?"  Raven grabbed a flyer out of her backpack.  She read aloud the subject line, which was in large bold print. "RICHARD GRAYSON, the new RICH and MYSTERIOUS, teen-heartthrob on campus!  The new guy everyone MUST know!"
Dick's cheeks turned bright red.  He peered at the flyer to see the name of the journalist he had to "thank" for publishing something so humiliating…

Garfield Logan??!  Why, that stupid—

"Raven, I--"

"It's fine, let's just change the subject."

Jinx looked cross eyed and confused.  "And what does this have anything to do with what you want in a girl?"

Dick sighed.  "Well the point that I was trying to make, was that I was also hoping that this new change in my life would help me to find the kind of girl that I really want.  She's definitely not someone you would meet at a stuck up private school.  She's got to be unlike other girls—not a prissy girl, someone very intelligent, strong and mature, witty, down to earth--someone who doesn't care about what other people think, and she'll definitely have to be able to put up with my stubborn side…"

Dick thought for a moment and grinned.  "And I want someone who can make me laugh."

Raven raised an eyebrow.  "My, my…Don't you have a long list?"  She ran her delicate fingers through her violet hair.  "I wish you the best of luck on your quest for this dream girl."

Dick noticed a few strands of her silken hair had fallen over her eyes.  "I have a feeling she's not far off…"  He cautiously reached his hand over to her face and lightly brushed her soft, stray strands of hair behind her ear.

Raven quickly turned away.  "Dick, you're trespassing on dangerous ground…"

"I like danger…"

Someone stepped behind Dick and rudely gave him a slight kick in the back.  The group of teens looked up into the red eyes of X.

"Excuse me?!  Am I interrupting something?  Just what the hell is going on here?!"  His death glare could have bore holes through Dick's face.

Raven gasped.  "Um…Nothing, Baby!  We were just choosing our lines."

"Did I just see this little rich punk take a PASS at you?!"

"No!  Of course not!  Dick was only working on the assignment with us…"

"Yeah, workin on YOU is more like it!  I'm no fool Raven, I know what I SAW!  Why are you taking up for him?!"

Raven stood up and held her fists at her sides.  "He didn't DO anything, Adam!!"

X closed in on her and got right in her face.  "Listen to me Raven, don't you EVER let a guy touch you like that again!"

"Just CALM yourself and go sit down!"  She lightly pushed him away.

Jinx chose to back off from the bickering couple.  She knew this wasn't leading to a good place…Dick took his stance as well.

X furiously backed Raven into a desk and grabbed her by the wrist.  "Don't shove me away, HOEBAG!"

No, he didn't…

That was enough for Dick.  X had crossed the line.  Dick Grayson firmly grabbed X by the shoulder and turned him around to face him square in the eye.

"You don't EVER talk to a woman like that, you hear me you FILTHY bastard!!"

Before X could make an unholy response, Grayson executed a lunge punch straight into his face.  The force of the impact sent the teen stumbling into a wall.

All students in the classroom gasped in horror.  Did that new kid just DO what they thought he did?
X touched his injured lip and came to know the bitter taste of his own blood.  He lifted his head up and revealed his angry bloodshot eyes, pulsing with a need for vengeance.

"You're going to pay for that, 'Rich Dick…'"

Dick gave him a smug grin. "Would you like cash or check?"  Grayson held out his hand, palm face up and motioned with his fingers for X to step forward.  "You're gonna have to come and get it…"

X yelled a gruesome battle-cry and performed a 360 degree spin, swinging his extended arm into Dick's neck.   Dick took the strike, letting out a slight groan of pain.

The demon teen then attempted to perform a roundhouse kick to Grayson's head, but before he could finish, Dick made a surprising counterattack and round kicked X behind his supporting leg.
Enraged by his failure, the red-eyed hellhound growled with fury and performed a cross punch toward his opponent's face. Dick side stepped this move and fired back with a jab and cross, striking X's head back and unleashing a spindrift of blood and saliva.

X shook his head and regained composure.  "That's it!  I'm not going easy on you anymore!!"

He tackled down Grayson and hooked his arms around Dick's neck, trapping him in a solid, squeezing headlock.

Dick reacted instinctively.  The Grayson boy initiated a fishhook thumb nerve attack under his opponent's jaw, then painfully pried the teen's head backward.  This momentarily stunned X, providing Dick the opportunity to grab him by the leg and send the hellion smashing into a desk.
But X wasn't near finished with Dick Grayson.  "Come here you little TWINKIE!!"

With fire blazing out of his eyes, he lunged toward Dick and pinned him by the shoulders against the wall, butting his head into the younger teen's face.

Damn!  He could've broken my nose!

The heathen then grabbed Dick under the arm and lifted him up, uppercutting him forcefully in the gut.

I have to hand it to him, this guy can fight!

Then X clenched his right hand into a fist and aimed to punch his opponent square in the chest, but Dick quickly blocked the punch with an open hand karate technique.

But he can't fight good ENOUGH!

"Time to settle the score!"  Grayson tripped his fierce attacker with a final sliding foot sweep, and sent X plummeting to the tiles.

The villain lay sprawled on his back with a bruised head…and a bruised ego.

Dick towered over X, his body positioned in a ready Zenkutsu stance, just in case the brute hadn't learned his lesson…  However, it would seem that the defeated teen would not be getting up anytime soon.  The champion relaxed his body and initiated his breathing techniques.

"Aaaugh!  I think the bastard cracked my cranium…" groaned X.

Jinx kneeled over him and waved her hand over his eyes.  "How many fingers am I holding up, Adam?"

"Four?"

"I'm holding two.  Either you have a concussion or you're just a BIG dimwit and can't count…"

"That's NOT funny!  I'm in pain down here!"

"You poor baby.  Wanna know what I think?"

"What?"

"I think you deserved it!"  She gave him a sly grin.

"Why you little--"  X was interrupted by another shadow looming over him.

"I cannot BELIEVE what just transpired in MY classroom!"  Mr. Cummings was extremely cross.
Just then, the door opened and in stepped an extremely buff, tall, dark and handsome teenager.  This was the quarterback of the East Gotham Knights football team, the most popular guy in school.  And though he looked intimidating, he was nothing but a big teddy bear to all his friends…but if you got on his bad side…well…

The teen observed the classroom and noticed X laid out on the floor. "Did I just miss a good show?"

Raven made a quick sideways glance at Jinx.

Mr. Cummings turned around and addressed the "big man on campus."

"Yes Victor, unfortunately you just missed our presentation rehearsal for Mortal Kombat VII."

"Damn!!!...  I mean, well I was just here to give you this paper that Pebsworth want's you to sign."

The teacher took the paper in hand and reviewed it.  "On office duty, Victor?"

"Yes, sir."

"Could you excuse me for just one moment, Mr. Stone?"

Victor Stone gave a handsome smile.  "No problem."

Mr. Cummings again directed his attention to the two troublesome boys.

"I should have the both of you boys thrown in Detention!  But then I'm not your average teacher…"

X sighed with relief.  "Ohh……THANK YOU, Cummings."

"I'm only going to send YOU to Detention, Becker."

"What?  What the HELL?!"  X quickly sat up and pointed at Dick like a two-year old.  "This little maggot threw the first punch!!  Why isn't he--"

"Really, Adam…After insulting your girlfriend with such a derogatory name!  Does your conscience even bother you the least bit?  As far as I'm concerned it was YOU who disrupted my class.  It's high time someone put you in your place."

"WHY I'LL…MMMPH!!"  Raven had her hand pushed over her boyfriend's unconstrained mouth.

"Adam, shut UP before you say something really STUPID!"

The teacher noted Raven's plea.  "That's alright Raven, if he threatens me I'll just take away his privileges and have him transferred to the Art I class with all the freshman.  I'm sure he would love to color pictures with the little ones."

"MMMMMPH???!"

Mr. Cummings turned around and looked at the football star.  "Mr. Stone?"

"Yes sir?"

"Here's the signed letter…Before you return to the office, could you please escort Mr. Becker and see to it that he makes his way to Detention.  I don't want him to get 'lost…'  Oh, and first get him cleaned up in the nurse's office."

Victor laughed.  "I love the way you put things, Mr. Cummings."  Victor walked over to Adam, who was still sitting in a stupor on the floor.  Raven was busy dabbing her boyfriend's bloody lip with a tissue.

"Yo!  You heard what the man said.  Get up and let's get movin!"  X didn't budge.

"Does a brother have to repeat himself?!  I said let's move!  Boy, don't make me pick you up and carry you like a girl…"

Jinx giggled to herself, then quickly clasped her hand over her mouth.

X glowered at Victor.  "You ain't touchin me, King Kong!"

"Then get off yo HIND PARTS and get truckin, BECKER!"

Raven rubbed the back of her boyfriend's neck.  "It'll be fine Adam…I don't want you to get into so much trouble so soon.  Just go.  I'll see you later."

X closed his eyes at the feel of her touch.  "Alright Baby, I'll go…  You know I still love you, right?"

Raven sighed.  "Right."

"I'll pick you up on my bike after school…"

"AHEM!"  Cummings' arms were crossed and his eyebrows raised.

X looked at his teacher.  "What's a matter Cummings, never had a girlfriend?"

"JUST LEAVE!!" the class shouted in unison.

"OH!!  I SEE how it is, you TRAITORS!  Well see if I GIVE a DAMN!"  Victor rolled his eyes and grabbed X forcefully by the wrist, practically dragging him out the doorway.

"And as for YOU, 'RICH DICK'!!!  YOU BETTER STAY AWAY FROM HER!!  THIS AIN'T OVER!  I'M NOT FINISHED WITH YOU, YOU FRICKIN LITTLE--"

SLAAAAAAAMMMMMM!!!!

Victor Stone had closed the door before X could finish.

Mr. Cummings sighed.  "How unfortunate that we couldn't hear the ending of Adam's endearing speech."

For a few brief moments, the classroom was completely quiet, as if everyone were trying to take in and reflect upon all of the entertaining events that were just witnessed.  Then nearly every Thespian stood up, and the sound of clapping hands filled the room.

It took Dick a few moments to realize that everyone was cheering for HIM.  Students encircled him, girls and guys all asking millions of questions…

"IS it TRUE that you have 5 MILLION dollars?!!!"

"DUDE, where did you learn those FRIGGIN kewl moves?!"

"Ha HA!  I can't believe you beat the crap out of Red X!  Wait till I tell my friends about—"

"Are you SINGLE?"

The overwhelmed hero felt like he was being interviewed at a press conference!  He had to somehow escape.

Where's Raven?

"Um…Excuse me guys, but I really--"

RIIIIIIINNNNNGGGG!

Dick smiled with relief.  "OH MAN, 'Saved By the Bell!"

********************************************************************************

Raven Roth leaned against the cold wall of the locked bathroom stall, hugging her shoulders.  Her eyes were heavy with tears, but she would not allow them to fall.  No, she was stronger than this…
It wasn't the first time she and her boyfriend had been in a fight, nor would it be the last.  Why didn't she just leave him?  The guy was a possessive psycho… and abusive to say the least.

But she knew why she wouldn't leave him.  She couldn't…  He gave her meaning and validated her existence, things she did not wish to lose.  Besides that, they complimented each other, having an attraction to all things dark and otherworldly…

And during their moments of lustful passion, he would make her temporarily forget the deep, inner emptiness that resided within.  As for love…well…love did not matter.  Raven was no longer privy to love…it had abandoned her long ago.  As far as Raven was now concerned, true love never existed.  It was only something contrived in tales of romance and poetry.

Without Red X she would be alone and scared…

"Raven?"

Raven heard her best friend's voice, but she did not answer.

"Raven, I know you're in there.  Can you please unlock the door?"

She continued to ignore Jinx.

"Raven, PLEASE open up!"

Hesitantly, the crestfallen girl gripped the metal latch with her cold fingers and slowly opened the door.

Before her stood Jinx, her face full of concern and sympathy.

"I'm so sorry, Raven.  Come here, Sweetie."  She drew Raven into a hug.

Raven managed a slight smile.  "You know I'm not one for hugs…I can't believe we're doing this for the second time today… 'Sweetie.'"

Jinx laughed.  "I'm glad you still have your sense of humor."  She then backed away and gave Raven a serious look.

"Raven, he doesn't deserve you…It's time to end this."

"Jinx, we've been through this…I don't want to talk about it again."

The pink haired girl sighed.  "Well, whatever you do, Raven, I'm always going to be there with you, backing you up one hundred percent."

"I know…"

The two girls solemnly looked down at the floor.  Jinx wanted to lighten the mood, but she couldn't think of anythi…  Then suddenly, her coral eyes lit up.

"So how 'bout that new hunk, Dick Grayson coming to your rescue?"  She elbowed Raven in the ribs. "Oh, yummmmmy…  He was soooo hitting on you!"

"Jinx, please…"

"And all those fancy, slick karate moves, that dashing smile, those sparkling blue eyes!!  OH! And we can't forget his SEXY name: DICK."

Raven could no longer contain her laughter.  "Jinx, you are insane!!"

Jinx crossed her arms and gave Raven a taunting grin.

"You know you like him…"

"What?!  Quit being absurd."

"Admiiiit it…You think the Boy Blunder's adorable…"

"You're imagining things!"

"Admit it!"

"Jinx, he's not my type!  He's--"

"Uht…UHT!" Jinx waved her finger side to side and made strange, interruptive noises.

"HE'S--"

"ADMIT IT!" interrupted Jinx.

"OKAY!!!"  Defeated, Raven sighed and put her hand to her forehead.
She directed her gaze toward the ceiling and then tightly shut her eyes.  Her whole body grew tense.

"Come on, Raven. Say it!  It's not like it's going to kill you!!"

It just might! The dark girl screamed mentally.  Raven opened her mouth slowly…and then…

"Okay…IthinkDickGraysoniskindofcute!!!  There!!  Are you happy?!"

Jinx slapped her knees and let out a bellow of laughter.

"This ISN'T FUNNY, JINX!  IF YOU TELL ANYONE, I SWEAR--"

Jinx dried the tears of laughter from her eyes and placed a hand on Raven's shoulder.

"Don't worry, your secret is SAFE with me."  She gave her best friend a warm smile.
Raven smiled back.  Then a look of sudden disgust came over Raven's face.

"Please, take me out of this damn bathroom before the stench makes me pass out."

Jinx giggled and hooked her arm around Raven's.  "Let's make haste then!"

The two friends rushed to class, while reflecting on their morning, a morning which was already proving to be the start of an eventful day.

A day which would be the beginning of even more eventful days to come…

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NEXT CHAPTER:  Beast Boy daydreams about the lovely, and seemingly unreachable Terra.  Dick finally arranges for the two to meet!  What will Terra think of Gar?  Find out…

:) (Smile) — Description
CHAPTER FOUR:  Fight!  Fight!

"So Raven, where do we start?"

Dick studied the lines of "Angel of Music," a piece from Phantom of the Opera.  It appeared that Christine (Raven) would appear on stage first, followed by Meg (Jinx).  The two would sing in reference to Christine's tutor, the "Angel of Music."  Dick was to be that "Angel of Music" a.k.a the Phantom.

"Well, it's obvious that we're going to have to cut out the 'Little Lottie' scenario, since we don't have anyone to play the part of Raoul.  So I guess right after Jinx sings the verse, 'Don't be frightened…" we'll pause for about 5 seconds and then we can cut straight to your verse, Richard."

"Call me Dick."

Raven tried to suppress her smile.  "Okay then, Dick."

"We're not going to have to dress up or anything…are we?"

She giggled softly.  "No, the teacher isn't that cruel.  The purpose of this assignment is to just give us practice in case we would like to choose to audition for the musical, whatever that may be.  We only have to 'dress up' for rehearsals, after we are officially cast."

Dick raised an eyebrow.  "Ah…So I guess I'll just leave my phantom mask at home then?"

"Well, yeah…Unless of course YOU want to dress up by yourself!" she teased.

"I'm sure I could get some extra credit for it."  He winked.

Raven felt her cheeks flush slightly.  She quickly looked down at her book.  She was getting off topic.

"Jinx, you only have a few lines to memorize.  You think you can handle that?"

"No problem here."

"Great, then we're done!"  Raven closed her book shut and set it aside.

The three students stared at each other in an awkward silence for a few moments, then Jinx decided to break the ice…

"Sooooooo…DICK?  Do you have a girlfriend?"

"Well…I did, until recently…"

"DO TELL!"

Dick put on a wry face.  "Are you SURRRRRE you want to hear all the gory details?"

"Spill it!"

Richard Grayson cleared his throat.  "Well, Bruce sent me to private school through junior high and up till now--"

"Bruce?  Wait a minute…  Bruce Wayne?!!"  Jinx's jaw dropped.

Raven closed her friend's agape mouth.  "Aren't you going to let him FINISH?"

Dick continued, "Like I was saying, and yes, it's Bruce Wayne…I went to private school and met a girl named Babs Gordon.  We were both very much the athletic type, she was on the basketball team, I was on the wrestling team, plus I had my martial arts competitions on the side.  Everyone in the school was expecting us to get together, and we weren't dating anyone so we decided to go out--"

"Babs huh?  Pbbbbthh.  Whenever I hear that name I think of Tiny Toons."

Raven slapped Jinx behind the head.  "Shut it, Jinx!!"

Dick continued yet again, "We went out from 8th grade to Sophomore year, and then she broke up with me."

"Why?" asked Jinx.

"She said that the relationship was going nowhere, and that the both of us needed to admit to ourselves that it was time to break up. We had been trying to live up to the 'Number One cutest couple' image that everyone at school had expected of us…But it wasn't working…We just weren't meant to be."

"And what kind of girl do you think you're meant to be with?" Jinx raised her eyebrows, awaiting his response.

Dick smirked.  "My, you are presumptuous, aren't you?"

"You have no idea," inputted Raven.  "Please, don't allow her to put you on the spot."

"No, really it's fine."  He cleared his throat.  "One reason I left private school was because I found the people there to be so boring and 'stiff-assed.'  Everyone was the same.  Everyone had to be super smart, super athletic, and PERFECT and I was tired of living up to that image.  I wanted to go to public school where I could hang out with all sorts of new people, people who didn't care about conforming--"

Raven cut in, "I don't mean to interrupt you Dick, but it's no different here.  The minute you walk into this school, you HAVE an image.  Students take one look at a guy like you and immediately stereotype you as 'campus royalty, one of the elite!'  Whereas they look at me and immediately dub me 'dark and creepy, peasant low-life.'  And if you don't live up to your image…if you even dare to be a little different than what they expect of you, GUESS WHAT?  You get ridiculed and humiliated by the entire student body!"

"But Raven, it doesn't have to be that way!  Look…  I've decided that from now on, I don't care what other people think.  There's no reason why I can't be who I am."

"That's easy for you to say, Richard Grayson.  All you have to do is BE who you are and everyone will accept you."

"And who am I?"

"You mean to tell me you haven't read the latest headlines?"  Raven grabbed a flyer out of her backpack.  She read aloud the subject line, which was in large bold print. "RICHARD GRAYSON, the new RICH and MYSTERIOUS, teen-heartthrob on campus!  The new guy everyone MUST know!"
Dick's cheeks turned bright red.  He peered at the flyer to see the name of the journalist he had to "thank" for publishing something so humiliating…

Garfield Logan??!  Why, that stupid—

"Raven, I--"

"It's fine, let's just change the subject."

Jinx looked cross eyed and confused.  "And what does this have anything to do with what you want in a girl?"

Dick sighed.  "Well the point that I was trying to make, was that I was also hoping that this new change in my life would help me to find the kind of girl that I really want.  She's definitely not someone you would meet at a stuck up private school.  She's got to be unlike other girls—not a prissy girl, someone very intelligent, strong and mature, witty, down to earth--someone who doesn't care about what other people think, and she'll definitely have to be able to put up with my stubborn side…"

Dick thought for a moment and grinned.  "And I want someone who can make me laugh."

Raven raised an eyebrow.  "My, my…Don't you have a long list?"  She ran her delicate fingers through her violet hair.  "I wish you the best of luck on your quest for this dream girl."

Dick noticed a few strands of her silken hair had fallen over her eyes.  "I have a feeling she's not far off…"  He cautiously reached his hand over to her face and lightly brushed her soft, stray strands of hair behind her ear.

Raven quickly turned away.  "Dick, you're trespassing on dangerous ground…"

"I like danger…"

Someone stepped behind Dick and rudely gave him a slight kick in the back.  The group of teens looked up into the red eyes of X.

"Excuse me?!  Am I interrupting something?  Just what the hell is going on here?!"  His death glare could have bore holes through Dick's face.

Raven gasped.  "Um…Nothing, Baby!  We were just choosing our lines."

"Did I just see this little rich punk take a PASS at you?!"

"No!  Of course not!  Dick was only working on the assignment with us…"

"Yeah, workin on YOU is more like it!  I'm no fool Raven, I know what I SAW!  Why are you taking up for him?!"

Raven stood up and held her fists at her sides.  "He didn't DO anything, Adam!!"

X closed in on her and got right in her face.  "Listen to me Raven, don't you EVER let a guy touch you like that again!"

"Just CALM yourself and go sit down!"  She lightly pushed him away.

Jinx chose to back off from the bickering couple.  She knew this wasn't leading to a good place…Dick took his stance as well.

X furiously backed Raven into a desk and grabbed her by the wrist.  "Don't shove me away, HOEBAG!"

No, he didn't…

That was enough for Dick.  X had crossed the line.  Dick Grayson firmly grabbed X by the shoulder and turned him around to face him square in the eye.

"You don't EVER talk to a woman like that, you hear me you FILTHY bastard!!"

Before X could make an unholy response, Grayson executed a lunge punch straight into his face.  The force of the impact sent the teen stumbling into a wall.

All students in the classroom gasped in horror.  Did that new kid just DO what they thought he did?
X touched his injured lip and came to know the bitter taste of his own blood.  He lifted his head up and revealed his angry bloodshot eyes, pulsing with a need for vengeance.

"You're going to pay for that, 'Rich Dick…'"

Dick gave him a smug grin. "Would you like cash or check?"  Grayson held out his hand, palm face up and motioned with his fingers for X to step forward.  "You're gonna have to come and get it…"

X yelled a gruesome battle-cry and performed a 360 degree spin, swinging his extended arm into Dick's neck.   Dick took the strike, letting out a slight groan of pain.

The demon teen then attempted to perform a roundhouse kick to Grayson's head, but before he could finish, Dick made a surprising counterattack and round kicked X behind his supporting leg.
Enraged by his failure, the red-eyed hellhound growled with fury and performed a cross punch toward his opponent's face. Dick side stepped this move and fired back with a jab and cross, striking X's head back and unleashing a spindrift of blood and saliva.

X shook his head and regained composure.  "That's it!  I'm not going easy on you anymore!!"

He tackled down Grayson and hooked his arms around Dick's neck, trapping him in a solid, squeezing headlock.

Dick reacted instinctively.  The Grayson boy initiated a fishhook thumb nerve attack under his opponent's jaw, then painfully pried the teen's head backward.  This momentarily stunned X, providing Dick the opportunity to grab him by the leg and send the hellion smashing into a desk.
But X wasn't near finished with Dick Grayson.  "Come here you little TWINKIE!!"

With fire blazing out of his eyes, he lunged toward Dick and pinned him by the shoulders against the wall, butting his head into the younger teen's face.

Damn!  He could've broken my nose!

The heathen then grabbed Dick under the arm and lifted him up, uppercutting him forcefully in the gut.

I have to hand it to him, this guy can fight!

Then X clenched his right hand into a fist and aimed to punch his opponent square in the chest, but Dick quickly blocked the punch with an open hand karate technique.

But he can't fight good ENOUGH!

"Time to settle the score!"  Grayson tripped his fierce attacker with a final sliding foot sweep, and sent X plummeting to the tiles.

The villain lay sprawled on his back with a bruised head…and a bruised ego.

Dick towered over X, his body positioned in a ready Zenkutsu stance, just in case the brute hadn't learned his lesson…  However, it would seem that the defeated teen would not be getting up anytime soon.  The champion relaxed his body and initiated his breathing techniques.

"Aaaugh!  I think the bastard cracked my cranium…" groaned X.

Jinx kneeled over him and waved her hand over his eyes.  "How many fingers am I holding up, Adam?"

"Four?"

"I'm holding two.  Either you have a concussion or you're just a BIG dimwit and can't count…"

"That's NOT funny!  I'm in pain down here!"

"You poor baby.  Wanna know what I think?"

"What?"

"I think you deserved it!"  She gave him a sly grin.

"Why you little--"  X was interrupted by another shadow looming over him.

"I cannot BELIEVE what just transpired in MY classroom!"  Mr. Cummings was extremely cross.
Just then, the door opened and in stepped an extremely buff, tall, dark and handsome teenager.  This was the quarterback of the East Gotham Knights football team, the most popular guy in school.  And though he looked intimidating, he was nothing but a big teddy bear to all his friends…but if you got on his bad side…well…

The teen observed the classroom and noticed X laid out on the floor. "Did I just miss a good show?"

Raven made a quick sideways glance at Jinx.

Mr. Cummings turned around and addressed the "big man on campus."

"Yes Victor, unfortunately you just missed our presentation rehearsal for Mortal Kombat VII."

"Damn!!!...  I mean, well I was just here to give you this paper that Pebsworth want's you to sign."

The teacher took the paper in hand and reviewed it.  "On office duty, Victor?"

"Yes, sir."

"Could you excuse me for just one moment, Mr. Stone?"

Victor Stone gave a handsome smile.  "No problem."

Mr. Cummings again directed his attention to the two troublesome boys.

"I should have the both of you boys thrown in Detention!  But then I'm not your average teacher…"

X sighed with relief.  "Ohh……THANK YOU, Cummings."

"I'm only going to send YOU to Detention, Becker."

"What?  What the HELL?!"  X quickly sat up and pointed at Dick like a two-year old.  "This little maggot threw the first punch!!  Why isn't he--"

"Really, Adam…After insulting your girlfriend with such a derogatory name!  Does your conscience even bother you the least bit?  As far as I'm concerned it was YOU who disrupted my class.  It's high time someone put you in your place."

"WHY I'LL…MMMPH!!"  Raven had her hand pushed over her boyfriend's unconstrained mouth.

"Adam, shut UP before you say something really STUPID!"

The teacher noted Raven's plea.  "That's alright Raven, if he threatens me I'll just take away his privileges and have him transferred to the Art I class with all the freshman.  I'm sure he would love to color pictures with the little ones."

"MMMMMPH???!"

Mr. Cummings turned around and looked at the football star.  "Mr. Stone?"

"Yes sir?"

"Here's the signed letter…Before you return to the office, could you please escort Mr. Becker and see to it that he makes his way to Detention.  I don't want him to get 'lost…'  Oh, and first get him cleaned up in the nurse's office."

Victor laughed.  "I love the way you put things, Mr. Cummings."  Victor walked over to Adam, who was still sitting in a stupor on the floor.  Raven was busy dabbing her boyfriend's bloody lip with a tissue.

"Yo!  You heard what the man said.  Get up and let's get movin!"  X didn't budge.

"Does a brother have to repeat himself?!  I said let's move!  Boy, don't make me pick you up and carry you like a girl…"

Jinx giggled to herself, then quickly clasped her hand over her mouth.

X glowered at Victor.  "You ain't touchin me, King Kong!"

"Then get off yo HIND PARTS and get truckin, BECKER!"

Raven rubbed the back of her boyfriend's neck.  "It'll be fine Adam…I don't want you to get into so much trouble so soon.  Just go.  I'll see you later."

X closed his eyes at the feel of her touch.  "Alright Baby, I'll go…  You know I still love you, right?"

Raven sighed.  "Right."

"I'll pick you up on my bike after school…"

"AHEM!"  Cummings' arms were crossed and his eyebrows raised.

X looked at his teacher.  "What's a matter Cummings, never had a girlfriend?"

"JUST LEAVE!!" the class shouted in unison.

"OH!!  I SEE how it is, you TRAITORS!  Well see if I GIVE a DAMN!"  Victor rolled his eyes and grabbed X forcefully by the wrist, practically dragging him out the doorway.

"And as for YOU, 'RICH DICK'!!!  YOU BETTER STAY AWAY FROM HER!!  THIS AIN'T OVER!  I'M NOT FINISHED WITH YOU, YOU FRICKIN LITTLE--"

SLAAAAAAAMMMMMM!!!!

Victor Stone had closed the door before X could finish.

Mr. Cummings sighed.  "How unfortunate that we couldn't hear the ending of Adam's endearing speech."

For a few brief moments, the classroom was completely quiet, as if everyone were trying to take in and reflect upon all of the entertaining events that were just witnessed.  Then nearly every Thespian stood up, and the sound of clapping hands filled the room.

It took Dick a few moments to realize that everyone was cheering for HIM.  Students encircled him, girls and guys all asking millions of questions…

"IS it TRUE that you have 5 MILLION dollars?!!!"

"DUDE, where did you learn those FRIGGIN kewl moves?!"

"Ha HA!  I can't believe you beat the crap out of Red X!  Wait till I tell my friends about—"

"Are you SINGLE?"

The overwhelmed hero felt like he was being interviewed at a press conference!  He had to somehow escape.

Where's Raven?

"Um…Excuse me guys, but I really--"

RIIIIIIINNNNNGGGG!

Dick smiled with relief.  "OH MAN, 'Saved By the Bell!"

********************************************************************************

Raven Roth leaned against the cold wall of the locked bathroom stall, hugging her shoulders.  Her eyes were heavy with tears, but she would not allow them to fall.  No, she was stronger than this…
It wasn't the first time she and her boyfriend had been in a fight, nor would it be the last.  Why didn't she just leave him?  The guy was a possessive psycho… and abusive to say the least.

But she knew why she wouldn't leave him.  She couldn't…  He gave her meaning and validated her existence, things she did not wish to lose.  Besides that, they complimented each other, having an attraction to all things dark and otherworldly…

And during their moments of lustful passion, he would make her temporarily forget the deep, inner emptiness that resided within.  As for love…well…love did not matter.  Raven was no longer privy to love…it had abandoned her long ago.  As far as Raven was now concerned, true love never existed.  It was only something contrived in tales of romance and poetry.

Without Red X she would be alone and scared…

"Raven?"

Raven heard her best friend's voice, but she did not answer.

"Raven, I know you're in there.  Can you please unlock the door?"

She continued to ignore Jinx.

"Raven, PLEASE open up!"

Hesitantly, the crestfallen girl gripped the metal latch with her cold fingers and slowly opened the door.

Before her stood Jinx, her face full of concern and sympathy.

"I'm so sorry, Raven.  Come here, Sweetie."  She drew Raven into a hug.

Raven managed a slight smile.  "You know I'm not one for hugs…I can't believe we're doing this for the second time today… 'Sweetie.'"

Jinx laughed.  "I'm glad you still have your sense of humor."  She then backed away and gave Raven a serious look.

"Raven, he doesn't deserve you…It's time to end this."

"Jinx, we've been through this…I don't want to talk about it again."

The pink haired girl sighed.  "Well, whatever you do, Raven, I'm always going to be there with you, backing you up one hundred percent."

"I know…"

The two girls solemnly looked down at the floor.  Jinx wanted to lighten the mood, but she couldn't think of anythi…  Then suddenly, her coral eyes lit up.

"So how 'bout that new hunk, Dick Grayson coming to your rescue?"  She elbowed Raven in the ribs. "Oh, yummmmmy…  He was soooo hitting on you!"

"Jinx, please…"

"And all those fancy, slick karate moves, that dashing smile, those sparkling blue eyes!!  OH! And we can't forget his SEXY name: DICK."

Raven could no longer contain her laughter.  "Jinx, you are insane!!"

Jinx crossed her arms and gave Raven a taunting grin.

"You know you like him…"

"What?!  Quit being absurd."

"Admiiiit it…You think the Boy Blunder's adorable…"

"You're imagining things!"

"Admit it!"

"Jinx, he's not my type!  He's--"

"Uht…UHT!" Jinx waved her finger side to side and made strange, interruptive noises.

"HE'S--"

"ADMIT IT!" interrupted Jinx.

"OKAY!!!"  Defeated, Raven sighed and put her hand to her forehead.
She directed her gaze toward the ceiling and then tightly shut her eyes.  Her whole body grew tense.

"Come on, Raven. Say it!  It's not like it's going to kill you!!"

It just might! The dark girl screamed mentally.  Raven opened her mouth slowly…and then…

"Okay…IthinkDickGraysoniskindofcute!!!  There!!  Are you happy?!"

Jinx slapped her knees and let out a bellow of laughter.

"This ISN'T FUNNY, JINX!  IF YOU TELL ANYONE, I SWEAR--"

Jinx dried the tears of laughter from her eyes and placed a hand on Raven's shoulder.

"Don't worry, your secret is SAFE with me."  She gave her best friend a warm smile.
Raven smiled back.  Then a look of sudden disgust came over Raven's face.

"Please, take me out of this damn bathroom before the stench makes me pass out."

Jinx giggled and hooked her arm around Raven's.  "Let's make haste then!"

The two friends rushed to class, while reflecting on their morning, a morning which was already proving to be the start of an eventful day.

A day which would be the beginning of even more eventful days to come…

********************************************************************************

NEXT CHAPTER:  Beast Boy daydreams about the lovely, and seemingly unreachable Terra.  Dick finally arranges for the two to meet!  What will Terra think of Gar?  Find out…