Part One

Chapter One

Standing in the midst of the large, nearly silent crowd I almost laughed. School fights were hardly ever like the movies where they have a perfect circle around the two that were going to attempt to beat each other into a bloody pulp. No one cheered or offered encouragement, they mostly whispered to each other and backed off a bit, waiting for one of the combatants to do something. I would know. I'm always getting in fights. Mostly because the ass-holes of my school won't leave my brother alone. You'd think it would be opposite, with Loz defending me. Nope. Somewhere in life God decided to switch a part of us and give me a bad temper and the muscles to back it up. My darling brother got the slight figure of our father and the passive nature of heaven knows who. So there I was, watching my opponent almost bored as he spit insults my way. I'd blocked him out a long time ago because I didn't give a damn what he had to say about me, or my mother or anyone else. I just wanted him to take a swing at me so I could kick his ass, as usual. When would they learn that fighting me is a mistake?

"Come on, ho." Jeffrey hissed at me, "You know you want me." That earned an eyebrow raise from me. Jeffrey is five-four, five inches shorter than me, about two-hundred fifty pounds, and looks like a pigs behind. I'm serious. His cheeks squish together forming a weird line down his face and his curly blond hair is shaved on the sides but long on the top, hanging down into his beady dark-brown eyes. See, pig ass. I smiled at him.

"You're right Jeffrey." He blinked stupidly at me. "I want you to grow a pair and show these good people how big of a 'man' you are. Fight me." I crossed my arms over my stomach and smirked at him. He stared at me as his chubby cheeks began to turn a ruddy color. Now the people that had backed up off to the side grew silent. I studied Jeffrey as he shifted and apparently tried to think of something to say or do. I saw him tense up and smiled triumphantly, not moving from my relaxed position. Seconds later Mr. Piggy barreled towards me like a crazed rhinoceros, giving me plenty of time to spin to my left and drop to the floor. As he ran past and tried to stop, I swept my left foot out and behind him, knocking his stumpy feet right out from under him. As he fell back I brought the heel of my right hand up under the corner of his jawbone, right beneath his ear. He grunted unpleasantly and collapsed into a heap on the floor.

I stood above him, my hands on my hips, grinning, "Jeffrey, Jeffrey, Jeffrey. When will you learn that I am superior to you? Remember this next time you decide to bad-mouth my brother." I winked at him as he groaned and walked out of the gym. I knew some loser had gone and squealed, so I marched down the different hallways to my destination: the office. When I walked in I saw the principle bent over the receptionist's desk, probably discussing something important. She looked up when I walked in, her dark hair already spilling out of her loose ponytail to frame her delicate, yet aging face. Her hazel eyes studied me curiously as I entered.

"Mrs. Strife." I called with a grin, "So good to see you again." She stood up straight and put a hand on her hip with a frown,

"Jayden, I'm guessing you'll need to see me in my office?" she raised an eyebrow.

"Yup." I leaned against the counter, "I love our little meetings."

"I don't." she said dryly while rolling her eyes and beckoned for me to follow her.

Less than a minute later Mrs. Strife gestured to one of the soft leather chairs across her desk. I sat and crossed my legs, smoothing down my black pants as I settled into the comfortable chair. She sat down and watched me silently for a moment. She was only about 42 years old, but working in the school with rowdy kids had begun to weather her. Faint lines showed at the corners of her eyes and lips and a weariness showed deep in her golden-brown eyes.

"You need a vacation, Aunt Tifa." I pointed out. I only called her that when we weren't around others. She wasn't really my aunt, not by blood, but she was my mother's best friend. So Loz and I had always called her 'Aunt Tifa' and her husband 'Uncle Cloud'. With a sigh, Tifa closed her eyes and rubbed her temples.

"With you at my school, definitely." She opened her eyes but kept her fingers on her head, "You got in another fight, didn't you." I didn't like the way she made it a statement.

"Well…yeah." I ducked my head, "But he rushed me, I swear. You can ask everyone in the gym." Thankfully nobody but members of the local gang liked Jeffrey. I knew the witnesses would back me up.

"Jayden." Tifa groaned, "What am I going to do with you?"

"He was bad-mouthing and threatening Loz." I said sternly and looked back up, shaking my long light-purple hair out of my face. Whenever someone threatened my brother in anyway, I wouldn't stand for it. I'm very protective of him.

"Regardless, you need to stop getting in fights." She gazed at me with tired eyes, "Who was it?"

"Jeffrey Inger." I said with a sigh, "You may want to send a nurse or the physical therapist down there. I may have given him a concussion."

"Jayden Shinobu!" Tifa exclaimed.

"What?!" I cried, getting frustrated.

"This is the third fight you've gotten into with mister Inger." She growled. And glared at me. I glared back, not willing to back down

"And all three times have been in self-defense. It's not my fault that he hasn't learned who's the better fighter." I sat back and crossed my arms over my stomach. I feel a pout coming on!

Tifa gave me a level look. Uh-oh. She snatched a green sticky note out of the little device on her desk and began to scribble something down, "I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to have a conference with your parents." I blinked at her. Conference? No way, nuh-uh. I'd never had a principle-parent conference and was not about to start that tradition.

"I'll pass." I said with blank stare. She actually laughed at me.

"Jayden, it's not up to you. It's up to me. Besides, I'm tired of having these discussions with your mother over the phone." She rubbed her hands over her face before picking up the desk phone and punching in some numbers. I gaped at her as she drummed her fingers on the desk.

"Ms. Hinata. Please send the nurse down to the gym. Mister Inger has apparently been injured in another fight." Tifa shot me a nasty look when she said 'another'. I shrugged. If they expected me to feel guilty about getting in fights, they were going to have to wait a good while for that. I am Jayden Emi Shinobu, a natural born fighter. The fact that I am a girl doesn't deter me a bit. My motto; I am woman, hear me roar.

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A/N: Alrighty, what do you think? R&R please! And I know this is a bit short, I just wanted to get it posted. :P

-DISCLAIMER-: I DO NOT OWN FINAL FANTASY OR ANY OF IT'S CHARACTERS. ALSO, I DO NOT OWN TEEN TITANS OR IT'S CHARACTER RAVEN. That is all.