Let the chaos commence.


Chapter 3- And So It Begins…

The spark Waller had left with the students at the conclusion of her speech spread like an ignited wildfire as the girls separated into pairs, threes, fours or more. The most regularly shared subject between the randomly numbered groups, of course, was who each individual was going to ask to the dance. Like the predator she named herself after, Cheetah prowled among the boys, her eyes hunting in a single-minded determination to locate her perfect match. Some had already selected theirs; Frost weaved in and out through the audience on the lookout for her chosen guy. Parting her way between Mister Terrific and Steel, she finally found him. Flash turned towards her, realising she was looking at him and noticed within her eyes a strange, scary desire. Cold sweat emerged on his forehead and slightly dampened the material of his mask as he recalled the rules about the dance, playing Waller's entire message from memory. There was no way Frost was going to ask him, was there, he asked himself.

The answer came as a heart-pounding yes. Upon knowing he had seen her, Frost changed her approach, walking up to him slowly while clearly swaying her hips in a seductive fashion. Flash gulped deeply and cried out, "Excuse me! Coming through!" Powering up his super speed in a heartbeat, he ran for it. At first shocked still by his rapid escape from her, Frost's mood transitioned sharply to incensed annoyance.

"Oh no you don't!" she shouted, rushing off after him.

Supergirl and Batgirl almost forgot about their argument, wanting to go up to one another ecstatically and gush about their hopes for the evening. But the moment they remembered they had had the argument, the two fell back and moved apart.

Stewing about it from her side, Batgirl almost did not hear the Oracle going off. Acting fast when she did hear it and realised the alarm was nearing the end of its run, she plucked it from her utility belt and responded.

"What's up, Oracle?"

"Batman is trying to contact you. Do you wish to receive?" the device replied.

"Sure," Batgirl answered. She waited until her mentor appeared on the screen, obviously sitting in front of the Batcomputer in the cave beneath Wayne Manor. "Hi Bruce. You need me for something?"

"Not at all," the hero said, looking like he was attempting to suppress a grin. The jerkings of his mouth ceased gradually as he returned to speaking cordially. "I was recently informed about the dance and wanted to let you know that Nightwing will be arriving at Super Hero High later."

"Dick's coming to the dance?" Batgirl asked, a red blush partly hidden by her black mask flaring to life.

"That's right," Batman smiled knowingly at her reaction. "Think you can meet up with him when he gets there?"

Batgirl grinned, her eyes growing clouded as she fantasized the meeting in her own way. "You bet I will."

"Okay, play fair. Batman out."

Contemplating her impending rendezvous with her teammate and the boy she grew up alongside of, Batgirl put the Oracle back where it belonged and sought her way out from the masses.

In the spot where she had been standing, three figures sidled out from the throng, having overheard the entire conversation. The head of the trio watched her rival leave, her mind already in the process of hatching plans to get Nightwing for herself.

:*:

"Robin is coming here?" Starfire squealed, her eyes glimmering with a brightness to match her name. "Oh beautiful and merry heart! My love is coming here!"

"Uh, Kory," Blackfire, one of the other two in the trio, approached her sister. "He hasn't been Robin for a while and, remember, he dumped you."

"Robin cannot ignore his identity or his destiny," Starfire beamed. "He is my one. My only."

"Um," Miss Martian, the third member, spoke up quietly. "It looks like Batgirl might have the same feelings for him as you do."

"Fear not, my friend. Nor you, my sister," Starfire pressed on regardlessly. "If need be, I shall make the challenge of the Batgirl under the laws of Tameran. She and I will battle in the contest of our own choosing and decide which of us will be free to obtain the heart of Robin."

Miss Martian stammered, turning to Blackfire. "Just how serious is a challenge like that?" she asked nervously.

"Very," Blackfire sweatdropped. "By the law of our people, whoever is victorious in the challenge is bidden to wed their prize in three Earth days or else the prize will die."

"But Batgirl and Nightwing are not of Tameranian heritage. Does that really apply to them?" Miss Martian countered.

"One might think that, but sadly not the case," Blackfire answered.

"Eep!" Miss Martian squeaked in recoil.

Blackfire snorted with laughter. "I'm joking, M'gann." She went on to reassure the female Martian. "The real law is that the victor has to wed the prize in three Earth years. If they fail to get married by that point, they are bound to never consider each other a suitable mate or to fight for them ever again. Should that be broken, then both the victor and the prize die."

"All the same, eep!" Miss Martian quivered. "Why would someone as gentle and loving as Starfire risk that kind of endangerment?"

"Because she doesn't take her actions seriously," Blackfire answered bluntly.

"Then we've got do something. Turn it from a life-or-death challenge into a nice, carefree game. Cards, chess or - -

Blackfire rounded on Miss Martian. "We are not allowed to interfere directly," she said. "This matter is between Koriandr, Batgirl and Nightwing. As Kory's family, I can only act in the capacity of an advisor. You have no primary part to play in this, M'gann."

"But I - - -

"Would you relax, please?" Blackfire interrupted calmly. "I can handle Kory by myself. How about you go find yourself a date for the dance?"

"Um, I'd like to, but I don't think there's anyone who'd want to go with me," Miss Martian replied shyly.

Blackfire smiled at the green-skinned fondly and, taking her gently by the shoulders, turned her completely around. She held out one arm, swerving it carefully as she pointed out the massive number of people in the crowd.

"You won't know until you find him, so get out there and search," she spoke kindly. With a delicate push, she tossed Miss Martian forwards into the depths. M'gann hesitated for a second, wanting almost immediately to turn back. As she returned her gaze to Blackfire, the raven-haired Tameranian made a harried, ushering motion for her to get on. Smiling uncertainly in response, Miss Martian walked away from her two friends and started to brave the throng. Blackfire herself smiled, shaking her head in bemused exasperation, and she turned back to rein her sister's tendencies.

:*:

A short distance away, Bumblebee, Hawkgirl, Lady Shiva, Big Barda and Katana had pulled together to determine whom any of them would be asking. Right after the conversation had begun, Bumblebee quickly found her eyes darting to a certain half-metal male teen she saw was talking with Beast Boy. All of the other girls noticed her not taking visible part in the talking and exchanged wry, teasing looks as they recognised the source of her distraction. Sharing a brief glance with Lady Shiva, Katana's eyes caught a flash of floral green near the school entrance and she turned out of concern, thinking it was Poison Ivy. Her assumption proved correct; the redheaded botanist was heading up to the main doors, appearing as though the goings-on was hardly affecting her. A single forlorn glance changed that opinion as the girl spent a moment to regard the celebrations sadly before she took her leave and went inside.

Katana looked back to the others. "Can we talk about this later?" she asked them. "I have to help a friend."

"Okay, go right ahead," Hawkgirl nodded, the rest agreeing with her. Katana smiled in thanks and went to follow Ivy.

"What do you think that's about?" Big Barda asked.

"That's an easy one," Bumblebee said, the change in subject being forceful enough to divert her attention from Cyborg. "Harley."

"Yeah, she's been pranking Ivy too much lately," Hawkgirl added. "It's really hurting her feelings. If anyone asks, I say enough's enough. We need to get her to tone it down before she makes things even worse."

"Come to think of it," Bumblebee continued. "Where is Harley? I haven't seen her since the assembly started."

Lady Shiva pointed in the direction of the entrance, exclaiming, "There she is!" The other girls looked and saw the jester running up the steps. "She must be intending to play another prank!"

"After her!" Hawkgirl shouted. She, Bumblebee and Lady Shiva moved to dash off in pursuit. Big Barda did not.

"Um, actually, guys," the former member of the Furies spoke, causing them to halt in their tracks and glance at her for an explanation to why she had chosen not to follow them. "There is someone I would like to ask to the dance, so is it alright if I could, um, you know?"

Bumblebee grinned happily in reply. "Stop gawking, girl. Go get him."

"Thanks, Bee," Barda responded with appreciation. "Now let me return the favour."

"What do you mean by that?" Bumblebee asked.

Big Barda did not reply. Instead she strode across the grounds until she walked right up behind Cyborg and tapped him on the shoulder with her Mega-Rod. Bumblebee gaped as the person she held affection for broke off from his conversation with Beast Boy and turned to face the Apokoliptian.

"Cyborg, would you mind helping Bee and the girls in catching Harley? We think she's about to play another prank on Ivy?"

The human side to Cyborg's face glowed with positive anticipation. "A manhunt, huh?" he said exuberantly. "Count me in! Catch up later, BB?"

"You go it, big guy," Beast Boy crowed.

Cyborg pumped his fist into the air and ran over to the three girls to aid them in their chase of Harley, shouting out his trademark cry of "Boo-yah!" Nearly busting a gut, Beast Boy hid his spasm of laughter behind his hand as he and a slightly entertained Big Barda watched as the foursome set off on their self-appointed mission. The changeling glanced mischievously up at Barda, lowering his hand as he did so.

"Good one, Big B," he winked.

Barda smiled amusingly, the corners of her lips twitching as she realised he understood why she had chosen Cyborg to replace her on the team. Still, she decided to joke around with him in return. "I didn't do it to ask you out, Beast Boy."

"Nah, I know that," the shapeshifter waved off her attempt at humour. "Even I can see you've got lovey eyes for the new transfer student. Best of luck to ya in asking him, by the way."

"Thanks," Barda replied, her heart curiously touched by his surprising turn in encouragement. "I hope there's someone here who wants to ask you for real."

"Ah, I doubt it. I cause too much trouble," Beast Boy said, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly.

"That's probably a good thing. It's a part of you," Barda acknowledged. "If you want a girl to really be interested in you, then you should be true to yourself. Don't hide anything. Just be who you are."

"I do that, but it never works," Beast Boy admitted.

"Maybe it has," Barda hurried herself into voicing, wanting to repay him for his show of support. "Maybe she's shy or something. Maybe she's afraid of what her friends will think, that maybe they'll give her a hard time because they don't get why she's interested in someone like you - - sorry, BB, but your personality, it - - -

Just as suddenly as the words bubbled to the surface, they just as instantly pulled to a stop as a revelation hit home in Barda's mind, digging up a memory from Monday earlier in the week where she, Lady Shiva and Katana had ganged up on someone in the gym. Instinctively her head leaped around, her alert eyes seeking until they settled on that someone who, at that very moment, had her back to Barda and Beast Boy as Star Sapphire was engaging her in conversation. Barda's eyes widened in shocked resolution, almost as if the midnight-blue cloak and hood the other person was wearing held the earthshattering answer to multiple weeks worth of questions that she and the two girls had demandingly asked of her in that encounter.

"I. Am. A. Blind. Idiot," she whispered quietly.

"I'm sorry, what?" Beast Boy spoke, interrupting her stupor.

"Oh, nothing," Barda responded definitively, hiding a smile. "Don't worry, Beast Boy. I'm confident there'll be someone to ask you."

"Okay," a baffled Beast Boy drew out slowly. "Guess I'll have to wait and see."

"Count the minutes," Barda said warmly. "In the meantime, I've got my own guy to ask. See you around."

"See ya," Beast Boy replied as Barda re-entered the crowd. Now alone, he thought to himself. "I wonder why she's so sure about that."

:*:

Wanting to take her attention away from Star Sapphire and the girl's incessant need to gush about how she was going to ask Hal Jordan to the dance in the most romantic way she could think of, Raven carefully glanced in Beast Boy's direction to check again if he was alone. Nervousness rose up through her as she saw that he was no longer in the company of Cyborg or Big Barda. In her mind, she swiftly recognised the opportunity she had wanted. Her heart though was wrenching in two different directions, one towards the same path her mind journeyed on and the other holding her back as if it was afraid that path could lead to disaster. So far Beast Boy had not spotted her or her focus on him, allowing her to take a cooler form of deliberation.

This was what she wanted, wasn't it? A chance to know more about the boy whom she felt a strange and mysterious attraction for? To have the answer to why she always sensed there was some deeper meaning to him, a side of who he was as a person that he kept hidden from everyone else?

After observing him at arm's length, Raven thought becoming his friend would yield the solution but it turned out not to be enough. She did not get what she wanted, but she yearned for it and Beast Boy more. So she joined in on his pranks, strengthening their friendship into a closer bond as she worked with him, had fun with him, defended him from the insults of others, watched out for him as he set pranks in motion, and saved him from very tight situations when it seemed like he was going to be caught by the teachers. But even then, after several weeks, it was still not enough, and her yearning for answers and her attraction to Beast Boy grew more. It was only in the past few weeks that Raven discovered what she really wanted, what she needed. The problem there, was how to take that step because just as how she wished for him to open up to her, she in turn was expected over time to open up to him as well. Though the troubles she used to have in maintaining control of her powers were by and large easier to handle, all of that was intended for friendships or bouts of casual hanging out. Love, whether one-sided or mutual, was a far more passionate environment to cope with.

"Raven, are you even listening to me?" Star Sapphire questioned.

"Huh?" Raven responded, twisting away from staring at Beast Boy back to facing the other girl.

Star Sapphire raised an eyebrow. "How long have you been tuning me out?"

"It wasn't intentional, I swear," Raven apologised quickly.

"Like Parallax it was," Star Sapphire refuted. "What were you doing looking over at Beast Boy anyway?" Suspicion caused her to remember Raven and Beast Boy's current reputation and she spoke accusingly. "Are the two of you concocting another prank?"

"No, that's not it," Raven answered, her cheeks beginning to blush.

"Then why else would you be looking at him? You should be focusing on who to ask to the dance tonight, not thinking about your next caper with that annoying, disgusting, repulsive - - -

Words died in Star Sapphire's throat as in the moment she began to spout insults toward Beast Boy, Raven suddenly turned on her with an enraged snarl and fixed her with a wholly ferocious, red-eyed glare. Frightened at how rapidly berserk her friend's nature had changed, she raised her hands in pacification.

"Okay, Raven. Calm down," she said consolingly. "I didn't mean it. I was just angry you weren't paying me attention. He's your friend and it wasn't right of me to say that."

The threatening red in Raven's eyes dulled as she felt the sincerity of Star Sapphire's apology, fading away to be replaced by her natural purple irises. The snarl she wore dropped down to form a straight, thin line. "Good, because if I hear one more word against him, I'll - - -

"You won't, you won't," Star Sapphire promised hurriedly. "But seriously though, the way you just acted. I mean, a simple scowl would have proven enough that you were standing up for a friend. That…thatwas more like standing up for someone you're in love with."

The blush on Raven's face from before she lost her temper returned, its colour going to a deeper, more visible shade of red. The reaction did not go unnoticed by Star Sapphire, whose eyes bulged as she realised she had hit the mark.

"Holy raspberries!" she yelped. "That's it, isn't? You have feelings for Beast Boy!"

"Not so loud, please," Raven mumbled in embarrassment.

An excited grin split across Star Sapphire's face. "Why?" she exclaimed, throwing her hands forward to clasp both of Raven's. "When you're in love, you want to shout it from the rooftops for everyone to hear!"

"As alleviating as that's supposed to sound, the thing is, I don't know how to ask him," Raven confessed.

"Hmmm," Star Sapphire thought out loud. "Tell me how deep your feelings run. Would just going up to him and ask to go the dance with you do them justice?"

"No," Raven said, shaking her head slowly. "I don't think it will."

"That deep, huh? Then there's only one thing to do," Star Sapphire proclaimed.

"If it's a makeover, the answer is no," Raven said, unnerved that was what was about to be suggested to her.

"Nothing that drastic. Natural beauty's where it's at," Star Sapphire replied. "What's needed for something like this is practice."

"Practice?" Raven questioned dubiously.

"You know, rehearsing. Testing what you would like to say and do and decide if that's good or if you would like to try something else," Star Sapphire explained.

"Okay, that sounds like a good way to help," Raven said, biting her lip quietly as she remained inwardly uncertain that it would work.

"Great! Let's go ask Crazy Quilt if we can borrow the theatre or maybe his classroom," Star Sapphire gushed in delight, tugging at Raven to follow her. "There's no better place to rehearse than drama."

"Maybe we should," Raven opened her mouth to say, but whatever she was about to curb Star Sapphire's excitement with was forgotten as he lost her balance and ended up being reluctantly dragged off by her overenthusiastic friend.

:*:

A private witness to everything that occurred with her friends after Principal Waller's speech, Wonder Woman surveyed the proceedings with great interest. Taken in by the idea of the dance, Diana imagined the evening ahead with her and her chosen partner swaying, stepping and circling across the floor in rhythm with the music.

From this daydream and her secret feelings regarding the person in question, she knew who it was she wanted to ask. Because he was not a student, she understood she had to ask Vice Principal Grodd for permission to invite him, but first there was the point of asking him if he was interested in going. Whisking out her telecommunicator, Diana pressed in a series of numbers and waited for the device to ring.

"Hello, this is Steve Trevor," the answer came.

"Hi Steve, it's Wonder Woman. I'd like to ask if you - -

"I'm sorry I can't come to the phone right now," the voice continued. Diana's hopeful face wavered. It was a recorded message. "I'm going fishing with some friends and won't be in reach for a while. Please leave a message and I promise to get back to you ASAP. Bye."

"Oh, sorry. I forgot you were going on that trip," Diana replied. "Never mind. I'll see you when you get back."

She switched the telecommunicator into standby mode and repocketed it, letting out a lament-filled sigh. She had truthfully forgotten the fact that Steve was going on a fishing trip with his gang of friends for the whole weekend. Steve had told her exactly that himself two days prior when she, Supergirl and Bumblebee had spent much of Wednesday afternoon dealing with another rampage from Giganta and they decided to make a quick stop at the Capes and Cowls Café for a round of refreshingly cold drinks.

Groaning about how perfect the dance would have been to let Steve know about her feelings for him, Diana turned and gazed at the people surrounding her. Just because Steve was unavailable did not mean she had to go to the dance alone, right, she asked herself. A tiny but decisive side of her answered yes, as long as she stated to the person she went with that it would only be a casual, friendly thing. Diana agreed wholeheartedly with the assessment.

With her newly resolute dedication to her standards in place, Wonder Woman summoned a breath to hold her courage upon and moved on to accomplish her set goal, looking avidly in search of a person she would not mind asking and who would politely accede to her wishes. By six o'clock that evening she, Wonder Woman, would have a partner beside her and they would have a good and fun time together. She'd stake her status as a Princess of Themyscira on it.


In the next chapter, three girls deign to ask their choices to the dance and a mystery rises when it is revealed a fourth already has a boyfriend she has been keeping secret from nearly everyone else. Who could it be? Find out.