Hello folks. It's been awhile, and we apologize. I'm in the midst of exams myself, and Cap'n has been quite busy with projects himself, so productivity has been slow lately. (I'll try to get the next chapter of DT done up soon, but I'm heading off to Cuba for a week pretty soon, so I probably won't get much done there If anyone from Cuba reads this, let me know how the weather is, and if a hearty Canadian Summer Parka is appropriate)

Anyway, on to business. Somewhere along the line, Cap'n got the idea that we should do a few little short pieces, omake if you will, to amuse people while we are otherwise occupied. As such, over the past few weeks, I've eeked out a few pages of stuff that has at least a 14% probability of being entertaining (using the Bogart/Karloff Coolness Scale)

These two little scenes aren't omake, though, more like... deleted scenes. The context should be pretty easy to pick out, but just in case, these take place directly before, and the night after the infamous karaoke party interlude.

So, here we go.


Reflections Lost on a Dark Road
An Intimate Get Together
Interlude

Deleted Scenes

Cap'n Chryssalid
Lathis - "Enjoy if you will, Tolerate if you won't."


(SCENE 1)

Humming a familiar tune under his breath, Cyborg continued to scroll through the song list on his arm mounted display. It was a compilation of older, main stream songs; exactly the kind of songs that one would tend to be subjected to at a much anticipated karaoke party. Queen, the Beatles, Madonna… it was a pretty comprehensive list, but nothing he'd seen yet really popped for him. In this rather unique case, it was critically important that he found something that would let him really cut loose. After all, he had a date to impress.

He let out a weak cough. Not that it was actually a date. Jalila was just coming with him in a purely perfunctory, co-worker/co-worker kind of way. Nothing at all to get excited over, that much was for sure.

"Ugh, this top is hideous. Why did I get Nabiki to order it for me again?"

Jinx's disgusted exclamation distracted the cybernetic teen from his ruminations. Looking up, he could not help but see Jinx, Starfire and Raven standing at the far side of the room, studying and analyzing a number of outfits laid out on the spare bed with the same scrutiny that Cyborg would spend on a new particle theory. The pink haired sorceress in question was holding up a bright purple blouse against her chest, showing off the puffy looking shirt of a style unrecognizable to the technically focused teenager.

Cyborg was still not certain how he had landed in his current predicament. He was currently sitting on Starfire's bed, trying his best to focus his attention to future song selections. A quick glance to the bunk next to him revealed his good friend Ryouga. The martial artist was leaning back against the wall, looking quite comfortable on Jinx's messy bed, the standard issue blanket pulled up over his knees. Cyborg couldn't read the guy's expression, though, as he was conspicuously holding a book in front of his face.

'Sergeant-ing for Dummies'? Well, whatever worked, he supposed.

His boss's squeamishness was understandable, considering the states their remaining companions were in. Jinx was normal, for the most part, wearing her favorite black dress and striped stockings as she strove to find the perfect thing to wear. Raven was doing the same, wearing her familiar blue leotard, though she was sans cloak at the moment, showing off a bit more of herself than Cyborg was used to seeing. And, finally, Starfire was wearing nothing more than a sports bra and a pair of bicycle shorts.

"The top is fine, Jinx," Raven commented with a blasé tone and a dismissive wave of her hand. Cyborg looked away quickly as she leaned forward to run her hand along a stark white dress blouse laid out on the bed.

Starfire, resting her chin on her hand in a pose of utmost contemplation, was obviously putting more thought into her own response. "I do recall that it did look quite fetching on the model displaying it," Starfire commented neutrally, "However, you are correct, it does not suit you in the slightest now that I see it in person."

"Yeah, I might as well wear a Joker brand garbage bag." Jinx's mouth grew into a wide, mischievous grin. "So, you know what that means, right? Starfire…pull!"

With a sudden swing of her arm, Jinx tossed the gaudy purple top into the air. Giggling excitedly, Starfire lifted a glowing fist and unleashed a precise burst of energetic plasma. Super heated gases met delicate stitching in one of the most one sided battles Cyborg had seen since the last time Ryouga had attempted a kiddy placemat maze. In a flash it was over, the remains of the former garment raining down in a gentle fall of ash and soot.

"Jinx! Starfire!" Raven's scandalized bark nearly drowned out the incessant giggling of the pair of trouble making girls… as well as Cyborg's own throaty chuckle. Ryouga, on the other hand, hadn't even lowered his book to take notice.

"What are you two doing?" Raven asked, flabbergasted. Gesturing sharply to Jinx, the violet haired Titan continued. "That was a gift from Nabiki. She bought that for you with her own money."

Jinx gave a dismissive roll of her wrist and a quiet sniff. "That wasn't a gift, Raven. It was charity."

"Umm, what's the difference?" Cyborg asked, a bit perplexed himself.
Not that he was against random acts of crime against fashion.

"D'oy! Think about it, Cy," Jinx replied tartly. Spinning around once, her arms outstretched, she made a grand gesture to their surroundings. "We've got nothing. No money, no home and no prospects. We're practically living in the psychotically militarized version of the YMCA."

Cyborg snickered, even as Raven frowned and Starfire adopted a confused expression, and prepared to lift a finger in inquiry.

"We're not super heroes here," Jinx proclaimed defiantly, "More like super homeless… or maybe meta-hobos. Anyway, the point is that giving us some new clothes to incinerate every now and then is the least these guys can do for us!"

Again, Cyborg found himself fighting to contain his laughter as Raven's grim expression grew ever grimmer. It looked very much like she was about to say something, but-

"I am forced to agree with my nefarious compatriot," Starfire stated, grin firmly on her lips. "We have done much for our comrades – our presence was instrumental in the defeat of that dreadful Saffron creature – yet receive nothing in return asides from forced confinement."

"Azar, please don't remind me," Raven snapped, pressing the back of her hand to her forehead. "It's been days, but it still feels like my brain is on fire."

Cyborg couldn't help but shudder slightly. And he could even sympathize a bit with Jinx and Star, there. True, it had been a team effort to take down Saffron, he'd be the first to admit it. And yet… it had been Yankee whom had locked horns with the living terror weapon first. They had been the ones that had met all of that rage, all of that hateful fury head on… and stopped Saffron dead in his tracks. They had suffered the brunt of his wrath, had held the line until Ranma and the others could arrive and provide the additional firepower necessary to take the monster down.

And no one had fought harder in that battle than Raven herself, meeting Saffron face to face, mind to mind and will to will, on a plane that no one else could even understand, let alone help her. Which made it all the more noble that Raven didn't care about garnering any further accolades for her involvement in the battle. Heck, even Cyborg himself wouldn't have minded just a little acknowledgment that Yankee had gone above and beyond.

"See?" Jinx insisted, patting Raven on the head just a touch condescendingly. "I bet you'd feel better if you could go all fire starter on something, am I right?"

Brushing the slightly taller girl's arm away peevishly, Raven shook her head. "As crazy as it sounds, I'm not as big a fan of arson as you are," she replied in a deadpan. "Besides, that isn't even the point I'm trying to make. What I am saying is- well…"

Raven's fluster grew more obvious by the second, before she finally gestured wildly across the room to the one person whom had yet to contribute to the conversation.

"Ryouga! You're the sergeant, can you please intervene?"

Still hiding behind his book, using it as a mighty shield against attack, Ryouga replied with a monotone. "Jinx, Starfire. Don't set things on fire in the base. You might set off an alarm and then we'd all be in trouble."

Instantly, Raven crossed her arms under her chest and shot a superior smirk Jinx's way. Cyborg couldn't help but grin himself as Jinx stamped her foot irately and spun on the hidden Hibiki.

"No fair, Ryouga! You're always intervening for Raven, you never intervene for me!"

Finally lowering his book, Ryouga rolled his eyes heartily at Jinx before turning his attention to Raven. "Raven, no one likes a tattletale," he stated in the same flat monotone before lifting his book and hiding himself like an ostrich in the sand once more.

"What? Tattletale?" Raven barked indignantly. Both Jinx and Starfire had the manners to hide their mouths as they started giggling shamelessly, but Cyborg couldn't be bothered as he let out a good old belly laugh at the turnabout.

Then, unexpectedly, Ryouga lowered his book of protection +2 once more to fire a pointed glance at the pink haired sorceress. "And what do you mean 'I never intervene for you'? What about what I did to get rid of those MP's over you breaking into my room earlier?"

Cyborg might as well have taken a polaroid picture with his cybernetic eye, as the room froze into eerie stillness; an echoing silence descended on the room like a blanket of snow. With glacial slowness, Raven turned to Jinx.

"You broke into Ryouga's room?"

Floating jaggedly through the air, Starfire appeared at Raven's shoulder, looming over the flatfooted Jinx ominously. The sorceress' eyes were wide, like a deer caught in headlights, and Cyborg could almost hear her sweating as she tapped the tips of her fingers together.

"… Noooooooo," Jinx replied slowly. "It… appeared that I… may have happened to break into Ryouga's room… but it was actually just a – um – technical mishap."

Sitting up straight, Cyborg then proceeded to lean forward, sharkish grin growing by the moment. Things were getting interesting fast. Back in the corner, Ryouga was slowly lifting his book once more, likely hoping in vain that it was a Procedural Manual of Elven Kind.

"And for what reason was it that you were visiting Ryouga again, Jinx?" Starfire asked in a saccharine voice. "And how was it that this 'technical mishap' occurred?"

Inching backwards, holding her hands out before her as Raven and Starfire both inched forward, Jinx laughed nervously. "It was nothing – nothing! I had just had a little talk with Ryouga's mom, was all, and I needed to talk to him about… something." Another nervous bark of laughter as Jinx ran a hand through her long pink hair. "I mean, come on! What reason could I possibly have to break into Ryouga's room, right? What am I gonna do? Ambush the guy...?"

At that, Raven and Starfire both finally backed off, thoughtful looks blooming on their respective faces. Running a knuckle beneath her chin, Raven nodded. "I suppose that is true. Ryouga has already stated an open door policy for all of us, so there'd be no point in breaking in."

"Indeed," Starfire agreed, crossing her arms over her chest. "After all, considering the extensive security measures in place, it would be utterly foolish for anyone to attempt such an intentional breach in the first place. A technical error is the most logical conclusion."

This time, it was Cyborg that hid his smile. True, Raven and Starfire were reaching a logical conclusion, but it seemed they were forgetting who they were talking about. Of course, Cyborg's only question was: if Jinx had decided to ambush Ryouga… had she done so via the traditional 'nude under the trenchcoat', lounging in lingerie, or something even more titillating!

Suddenly things were coming together, as Cyborg had been wondering why Ryouga had physically dragged him out of his own room when the martial artist and Jinx had walked past his room on the way here. The desperate 'don't make me go in there alone' had left Cyborg a bit confused for a while there.

"Exactly!" Ryouga agreed forcefully from behind his book. A second later, he lowered the book once more. "Also, that woman is not my mother. She just happens to look like her is all." A glower. "It would have been so much easier to get rid of those MP's if she hadn't been standing there chatting them up when Jinx and I came out of my room. Lord knows I'll probably have to spend all tomorrow just straightening things out with Internal Security."

The unusually heated tone Ryouga used when talking about his… 'not'-mother set everyone in the room a bit on edge. The martial artist must have picked up on the odd vibe, though, as he quickly waved his hand through the air in a 'don't worry 'bout it' kind of way.

"Anyway, would you three finish choosing your outfits already? The party is gonna start soon and I don't want Yankee squadron to be the last ones there."

Jinx, Raven and Starfire all stared at Ryouga oddly for a moment before finally giving various iterations of the shrug and turning back towards their laid out clothing options. Cyborg stared at his martial artist comrade for a few moments longer, but nothing more seemed forthcoming, and the girl's all seemed suitably distracted from the 'breaking and entering' shenanigans to get back to business.

Walking over to the closet, Raven pulled out a dark skirt and flipped it back and forth with a critical eye. "So, you spoke with Ryouga's mother?" she asked absently over her shoulder.

"Not my mother."

Holding up a sheer piece of mesh that could be mistaken for a shirt if one lacked a sense of modesty (and, honestly, Cyborg wouldn't have minded it if Jinx chose that one), Jinx nodded agreeably. "Yeah, she snagged me on the way to the shower. Didn't really give me much of a choice about it, either."

"Indeed?" Starfire inquired, holding up an abbreviated tube top in front of Raven. The wide grin on her face made it quite clear that she wanted to get Raven into said top. "On which topic was she so adamant in her desire to discuss?"

"Oh, nothing big," she muttered in a tight voice. "Ryouga just got into another tiff with big brother, and mummie was all concerned."

"Oh, come on!"

"Again?" Raven asked, exasperated. Carefully circumventing Starfire and her dubious (though Cyborg Approved) wardrobe choice, she shot a lidded stare the martial artist's way. "Is it really that difficult for you to get along with the Lieutenant?"

Lowering his book, Ryouga returned the dark Titan's stare with a weak glare. "Nooo, it's not difficult. …Just impossible is all."

"Ryouga…" This time there was a hint of warning in Raven's voice.

"Kidding, kidding! We… managed to talk through some stuff during out 'tiff'. I might even talk to the guy tonight in a civilized manner." His piece said, he lifted his book once more and was hidden from view.

Raven stared at the fanged fighter for a moment longer, before sharing a quick glance with her fellow females. A moment later the three of them shared a small shrug and got back to work. "I wish I could find something to wear-"

Starfire held up the tube top excitedly.

"-that doesn't show off enough cleavage to make me die of embarrassment," she amended without missing a beat.

Starfire lowered the tube top, pouting sadly. Cyborg shared her pain… though probably for different reasons.

Holding yet another top to her chest, Jinx swayed back and forth, perhaps checking how the fabric fell across her narrow frame? It was hard to figure why girls did things. "I wouldn't worry too much, Raven. I mean, plumber boob or not, it doesn't really matter what you guys wear anyway. It's obvious that I'm gonna be the sexiest thing at this party."

"No one cares who's 'sexier'," Raven fired back, her lack of concern evident. "We're going to have fun, not 'pick up'."

"Wait just one moment," Starfire cut in, consternation clear on her face. Crossing her arms over her chest, she spun pointedly on the much shorter sorceress. "And just what makes you so certain that you would be the most desirable female present? I will have you know that I am acquiring a most extravagant dress from Shampoo. I assure you that it will display both my secondary and tertiary sexual characteristics to great effect."

Again, the room froze as Starfire stood proudly, hands on hips and a haughty expression on her face as she stared down Jinx. Cyborg, for his part, was too busy puzzling over the obvious to comment.

"Wait… tertiary?" he finally built up the courage to ask. "Isn't that like – like long eye lashes, and hair bows and stuff?"

Starfire glanced at him as one might a small child. "Perhaps on Earth. On Tamaran, we have seven distinct categories of sexual characteristics." Floating slightly into the air, innocently helpful expression blooming on her face, the Tamaranian tucked her thumbs into the waist band of her bicycle shorts. "If you desire, I would be happy to provide a complete explanation of each category, beginning with the primar-"

"NO!"

Before Cyborg could see more than an inch of additional bare skin – his human eye opened so wide he feared he might need to replace it as well – Starfire was physically tackled to the bed by both Raven and Jinx. Even as the girls wrestled in their variously clothed states, Cyborg literally had to look away to retain even a shred of dignity as his face felt like it would burst into flames. And to be fair, he was not a shy guy… but man…

"Um… you okay over there, Ryo?" Cyborg asked tentatively.

Still holding the manual before his face, Ryouga shook his head weakly. "I… think my book is bleeding…"

Cyborg cringed at that, and again when he noted a single drop of crimson plop down from the corner of the book. What was the return policy on company property again? Reaching over to Starfire's night stand, he found a convenient box of napkins and tossed them over. Catching the proffered projectile gratefully, a handful of Kleenex quickly vanished behind the book with Ryouga's face.

It took nearly three full minutes before the fountain that was Ryouga's nose was finally cleaned up, and just about as long for Starfire to be corralled once more. Now that Jinx and Raven (both red faced) were done with her, the alien princess was dressed in three layers of blouse, t-shirt, sweater, as well as a skirt over a pair of jeans and at least two pairs of socks. They had even found a hat to put on her head from somewhere.

Huffing heavily, Raven swung her arms out in a gesture of 'safe'.
"Alright, now that that nonsense is out of the way, where were we again?"

Cocking out a hip, Jinx smirked wickedly. "Oh, we were just discussing how I was gonna be the sexiest girl at the party."

Instantly, Raven slapped a palm to her head. "Not this again. Nobody cares!"

"I care," Starfire stated, obviously irked. For more reasons than one, as she tugged helplessly at the numerous collars around her neck. "I believe her claim to be baseless and hurtful!"

"It's not baseless if it's based on fact," Jinx shot back snarkily, and giving her bottom a shake for good measure.

"Can we please just drop this?"

"I do not believe we can. Jinx's unfounded arrogance upsets me."

"Oh, cry me a river."

"I-"

"Okay, okay, ladies!" Unable to take anymore, Cyborg sat up straight and gestured for everyone to chill out. As the three females turned their attention his way, he couldn't hide his wolfish grin.

"Obviously," he began amiably, "There is only one answer to this situation. You need some Outside Arbitration here. You just need to find yourselves an impartial authority on the subject, maybe a-" Leaning back smugly, he buffed his chest with a knuckle. "- devastatingly handsome expert
to mediate your dispute?"

As one, the three lovely ladies turned inwards, forming a small huddle. A moment later, a quick nod was shared between them, and they quickly stood up and turned to face their perspective judge.

"Ry-o-ga! We need you to settle this for us!" Jinx pleaded plaintively.

"Uh-uh," was the martial artist's eloquent reply from behind his book. "I am not touching that topic."

Hey now! Cyborg cleared his throat as loudly as possible, making sure to catch everyone's attention later. Gesturing emphatically, he pointed to himself. "Hold on there, ladies! I said 'devastatingly handsome', not mildly attractive."

"Not touching that comment either," Ryouga muttered under his breath.

"Anyway, I'm just saying that if Ryo is too stubborn, then my sexiness acuity is totally at your service." Swinging his legs off the bed, he grinned eagerly, lifting his arm scanner tellingly.

Raven looked to Jinx, who looked to Starfire, who looked to Raven. Then, as one, they turned back to the cybernetic wiz.

"We'll pass," Raven offered politely.

"What? Come on, I'm the man for the job," he countered.

At that, Jinx took a step forward and popped him in the forehead with the palm of her head. "No one cares about your opinion, Cy-Bore. And don't be dissin' my hunky Hibiki."

"Not that we mean to be rude," Starfire intruded tactfully. "But you must understand…"

"Dude, as awesome and mature as we seem," Jinx continued, "We're still three teenage girls."

"Indeed," Starfire confirmed. Crossing her arms across her torso, the Tamaranian looked to the side with a tiny grin. "We seek complimentary euphemisms to bolster our self-esteems."

"We do not need a laser targeted analysis of our flaws," Raven finished matter-of-factly.

"Not to say that we possess such flaws," Starfire corrected.

"Cuz we totally don't," Jinx confirmed.

Shaking her head in amusement, Raven planted her fists on her hips. "Anyway, back to business. Since this isn't going to resolve itself, and frankly I'm getting tired of Jinx and Starfire bickering over something so stupid."

"And I'm getting tired of Raven's big butt, too," Jinx added with a snicker, "So would you do your Sergeant-ly duty already, Ryouga, and tell us who the sexiest babe is already?"

The three Titan girls each (perhaps subconsciously) switched up their posture. Jinx, being the most obvious, thrust out her hip and stood up on her toes as if she were wearing high heels. The move had the effect of drawing Cyborg's eyes in a rather downward direction. Raven, on the other hand, straightened her back and squared her shoulders, also producing… interesting… results. Cyborg was pretty sure it wasn't intentional, but not 100%. Starfire, for her part, simply stretched her arms up over her head and let out a long, mock yawn.

Oh, it was times like this that Cyborg really envied his directionally challenged, cursed and socially awkward team mate. Of course, it was times like this that he was also frustrated, since Ryouga was not at all taking advantage of the situation, hiding behind his damned book.

Apparently oblivious to the attention focused his way, not to mention the great scenery; Ryouga's reply was muffled by paper pages.

"You're all equally beautiful in your own special ways."

Immediately, Starfire clapped her hands and floated into the air. "Hurray! A reply which is positive for all involved!"

Raven rolled her eyes, crossing her arms under her chest. "Spoken like a true politician. Are you sure you aren't going for officer training there?"

Jinx, being Jinx, had a somewhat different response. Swinging her hand through the air, she marched forward and snatched the book from Ryouga's hands.

"What a load of crap! You tell us who you think is the prettiest girl, right now!"

The martial artist spared each Titan a quick glance, before leaning back against the wall and crossing his arms behind his head. "Not gonna do it. I prefer my evenings pain free. Besides, there's no way I can answer something like that without hurting people's feelings."

Relaxing her posture, Raven let out a sigh and rubbed her arm looking a bit embarrassed. With a gentle nudge of her elbow, she poked Starfire in the ribs and gave her a look that Cyborg couldn't quite make out. Whatever it was, though, the Tamaranian nodded in silent agreement before turning back to Ryouga.

"You are, of course, correct," Starfire apologized. "It was inconsiderate of us to try and place you in such a posit-"

"Pfft! Inconsiderate nothing!" Jinx interrupted, testily. Tucking the manual under her arm, she shot a pointed stare the martial artist's way. "Maybe someone should be a little less concerned about people's feelings-" The slender sorceress leaned forward until her nose was nearly touching. A broad, lascivious grin spread across her lips as she dipped her shoulder seductively. "-and a little more concerned with blindly agreeing with the girl who is most likely to let you sleep with her in the near future."

Cyborg could almost hear the 'snap-crack' of a whip cracking the air as Raven and Starfire, in perfect unison, turned their heads to fire gaping, blank stares at the pink haired witch.

"Did – did she just-" Raven stuttered impotently.

"That… can not be an equitable tactic!"

Cyborg could do little more than stare with wide eyes himself. That had to be some kind of underhanded trick right there. Sure, he totally supported Ryouga hooking up with Jinx (Star and Rae were a little too much like family for him to like the idea of them hooking up with anyone, really), but damn, girl, talk about bein' less than subtle there. Judging by the fascinating shades of red that were currently blitzing across the fanged fighter's face, he was caught just as flat footed.

Standing back up, Jinx rolled her shoulder before carelessly tossing her hair over her shoulder as she awaited a favorable answer. The air cracked a second time as the darkest Titan and the alien princess swung their stares back to Ryouga. It appeared that for the first time in a long time, Raven was shocked witless.

For his part, Ryouga's stare flitted from one girl to the next, only to settle on Cyborg. Cyborg didn't even know what to say to help, so just shrugged his shoulders mightily and held up his hands helplessly. Despite the uselessness of his gesture, something must have translated from the cybernetic teen's intent, since a flash of insight alit on Ryouga's face, quickly replacing burning blush with a serious, upturned frown.

Turning his attention back to the females, Ryouga continued his frown, as well as crossing his arms across his chest in the most serious 'wise mentor' gesture Cyborg had seen the guy use on Terra during their training. The martial artist then nodded sagely to himself.

"Well then, I have no choice but say…" Suddenly, a wide grin split Ryouga's face, letting a bit of fang poke through.

"That you are all equally beautiful in your own unique ways."

Stunned silence hung over the room for several painfully long seconds, as understanding settled in. An instant later, even as Cyborg burst into laughter, all three girl's went red in the face, though likely for very different reasons. Jinx's angry bark was joined by Starfire's scandalized squeal.

A second after that, Jinx's entire bed was ensconced in familiar black energy… only to lift several feet in the air, flip over sharply (unceremoniously dropping a certain sergeant to the floor), before dropping down on top of the downed martial artist with a loud 'thud'.

It was followed by two more slams, just for good measure.

Still red faced, Raven let out a loud 'hmph' before turning to Jinx. "Can you believe the cheek of that man?"

Jinx simply rolled her eyes in utter agreement. "For someone that supposedly doesn't like pain, he is just asking for it. …He's damn lucky he's cute, that's all I'll say there."

Crouching down next to the bed, Starfire poked one of the errant limbs peeking out from beneath the toppled mattress frame. "Friend Ryouga, it is most inappropriate for you to have such thoughts for your sister. I hope Raven's negative reinforcement has taught you a suitable lesson."

There was a muffled sound from within the tangle of blankets that could have been a 'yes'; of course, it could have just as likely been a cry of 'help', but no one seemed likely to offer that at the moment. His own laughter was cut short by a set of deathly glares from the Yankee girls, but it seemed that fate was on his side for a change.

Before he could join Ryouga in traction, a knock at the door distracted everyone. A moment later, the door slid open and much to Cyborg's delight, Shampoo stuck her pretty head into the room and glance around quickly.

"Shampoo thought she hear violence against males. Is it too late to join in?"

"I am afraid that it is," Starfire replied with mock sympathy.

Taking a moment to study the upturned bed, easily able to determine who was beneath it at the moment, Shampoo simply shook her head. "I still don't know how he got a command. Anyway, let's go Giraffe girl. Great Grand mother has your dress ready."

Clapping her hands rapidly, the Tamaranian gave an excited squeal of joy. "That is most Joyous news, friend Shampoo. I cannot wait to try it on!"

"Well, let's go then. We need to do this quickly so I can slip away before Mousse finds me." Shampoo then gestured quickly to Raven. "Sorry, Bird Girl, Great Grandmother says your dress won't be ready tonight, so you'll have to wear something else."

"What?" Raven replied eloquently. "I didn't ask for a dress."

Shampoo just rolled her eyes before grabbing Starfire's arm and pulling her through the door. "Whatever, Bird Girl. I shouldn't need to remind you what Great Grandmother thinks of people that waste her time… should I?"

Before the door could slide closed behind them, Starfire quickly stopped it with her hand. Leaning back into the room, the over-dressed alien warrior fired a fierce stare Raven's way. "And do not think that I am not coming back for you, friend Raven. You will be attending the party with me."

Cyborg couldn't quite hold in his snicker as Raven let out a put upon sigh, blowing her bangs up out of her face. A moment later, the Amazonian pair of warriors were gone, leaving only four remaining. Still fuming a bit, Jinx stalked over to the free bed and grabbed a few random articles of clothing – disdainfully dropped Ryouga's book on the floor – and then stalked over to start digging Ryouga out from under her bed.

"Alright, I don't even care what I wear now. Let's just go, I'll get changed in the washroom on the way." Jinx then fired a sharp glare Raven's way. "And I swear, by the ancient spirits of evil, that you better have my bed fixed by the time I get back, Rae."

Raven's only response was a disinterested wave of her hand.

More importantly, Jinx wanted to head off already? It was still a bit early by Cyborg's internal chronometer… but, then again, it was probably safer out in the rest of the military industrial complex than it was in this room at the moment. Hopping up off the bed as Jinx finished pulling Ryo up to his feet, Cyborg carelessly brushed himself off.

"Alright, I'll head out with you two. We can go pick up Jalila on the way."

As the three of them started out the door, Jinx shot him a teasing grin. "Oh, Jalila now, is it? So you and Doctor Al-Rifai are on a first name basis?"

It was all he could do to start back-pedaling as the door slid closed behind them.

Finally alone, to her great relief, Raven let out a profound sigh and fell back onto her own bed. She could not even begin to express how much she missed having her own room. It was incredibly awkward and embarrassing situations like this that reminded her why she was an introvert in the first place.

And really? 'By the ancient spirits of evil'? Jinx was way more of a nerd girl – as Cyborg would put it – than she let on.

Still… to be fair, she had messed the girl's bed up. It was the least that she could do to set it right before she inevitably got dragged off to that dreadful party that everyone was so excited about.

Giving a put upon huff, Raven rolled off her bed and up to her feet. Strolling lazily over to the other sorceress' overturned bed, she started trying to figure out how best to start rearranging it, when something caught her attention.

"Hmm… what's this now?"

Whatever it was, had been stuffed between the mattress and the bedframe. A closer look revealed that it was a booklet of some sort, or maybe a magazine? Was it somehow possible that Jinx had a – a dirty magazine under her bed? Looking back and forth, her cheeks starting to tinge pink, Raven reached out and – after several moments of indecision – grabbed the corner of the booklet and pulled it out.

A slight feeling of disappointment swept over her as she realized that it wasn't actually a dirty magazine, but she pushed that down rather quickly. Instead, she found herself holding something potentially even more interesting. It looked to be a sketchbook, like the one that Jinx loved to draw in so much.

Except that it was a different book than the one they usually saw her with. And why was this one hidden, rather than on her night stand with the other two ring bound sketch books?

Unable to contain her curiosity, Raven flipped open the cover… and immediately, her eyes went wide at what she found.

"Well… isn't this interesting?"


(SCENE 2)

Oddly enough, while the string of curses the young woman muttered under her breath was colorful enough to strip the paint from a wall, it had absolutely no effect at all on the baked on grease which coated the stack of dishes now occupying the oversized stainless steel sink. The throbbing of her temples did nothing to improve the situation, and the vile odors of assorted food scraps was filling her queasy stomach with treasonous notions.

"Stupid, damned Saotome… stickin' me with dish duty," Jinx bitched quietly, picking up another dish in her rubber-gloved hands to make a quick study of the filth covering the otherwise white surface. The special had been tacos today, so grease, bits of ground beef and cheese were all somehow molecularly bonded to the plate.

A quick smirk twisted her lip at an errant thought. 'At least I'm not on toilet duty today.'

The lunch rush had just finished up minutes ago, so there was now a massive stack of dirty plates, soiled lunch trays, and half-filled glasses that needed to be cleansed, purified, and probably blessed by a priest before they were usable again for the dinner rush. Considering her current demeanor, she'd probably be here for a few hours for the first two parts… and probably an eternity if they were leaving the blessing part up to her.

At first she'd been relieved that she wasn't alone in this torturous punishment. That had only lasted about a minute, though, before she'd gotten a fair measure of her newest 'companion'. Jeremy, was from the financial department, and probably only a few years older than herself… probably only a few pounds heavier as well, which would have made her worry for the guy if she wasn't intelligent enough to realize that caring about other people was a fool's game.

He'd also demonstrated a penchant for staring at her ass whenever he thought she wasn't looking. Not that she could blame the guy, but she was so not in the mood for it at the moment. Also, while Ranma had busted her, for allegedly breaking into Ryouga's room… and Kasumi's… Ahem! Anyway, her partner in crime had apparently been caught trying to sneak an X-Box in, which was a big no-no for some reason that Jinx had never cared enough to inquire into.

Absolutely zero of her Warcraft gang were in this dimension, after all, so her interest in video games had pretty much dropped to nil. That, and the constant threats against her life… but mostly the lack of group. Lucky for Jeremy, he was smart enough to look, but not hit on, since Jinx was just praying for something, anything, anyone to vent on.

Or, maybe he wasn't! Jinx's eyes widened in incredulous fury as a pair of arm slid around her sides, yellow-gloved hands reaching past her to grab onto the plates in her hands. The sensation of a warm body coming into contact with her back was the final straw. A dark growl rattled in her narrow throat and a flash of pink in her eyes was mirrored by a second flash as the dishes in her hands disintegrated into puffs of dust which sank into the soapy water of the sink.

"Jeremy," she snarled, baring her teeth as she began to spin around. "I am going to defenestrate… you…?"

A familiar, crooked grin met her ire, a tiny fang peeking over the lower lip in an adorable manner. Instantly, the sorceress' righteous fury (Tamaranian approved) sputtered out and died as a wave of pleasant confusion washed over her.

"Defenestrate? That isn't one of those kinky things you're always telling me about, is it?" Ryouga turned to look over his shoulder and shoot the actual Jeremy – standing back by the fryer and cleaning out the grease traps – a predatory glance. "You know that I'm the jealous type, Jinx."

Apparently the accountant possessed some knowledge of Yankee squadron, or, more likely, knew quite well the reputation of any Hibiki, as he immediately let out a strangled 'squeak' before finding something to do in the walk-in freezer. Finishing her own turn, Jinx nearly fell forward and dropped her cheek onto his shoulder, taking in a deep breath as she nuzzled his neck.

She always loved it when he intimidated people… even incidentally.

"I'll show you later," she purred. She then proceeded to take a gratuitously long moment to rest her weight against him – she was so tired and achy – before pushing herself back so that there was at least enough room for the Holy Ghost between them. Tilting her head to the side, she lanced him with an inquisitive stare.

"More importantly, though. What are you doing here? Other-you
didn't stick you on dish duty, too, did he?"

The younger (cuter, funnier, better smelling, more considerate… wait, where was she going with this again?) Hibiki shook his head in amusement.

"No, no. We actually played nice all night long."

Ryouga leaned forward just enough to rest his hands on the edge of the counter, his arms brushing against her narrow waist. Tilting his head to the side, he took a better look at her. "How are you feeling? You're looking a little green around the gills… as Beast Boy would gladly demonstrate."

Groaning loudly, at the lame metaphor and the mention of her second least favorite Titan, Jinx looked to the side and dipped her chin. Flipping off one glove, she absently ran a hand through her limp, listless hair. "I… might have overdone it a bit last night," she admitted sourly. "I must look like a wreck."

Ryouga leaned over to the side and twisted himself around so that his face was right before her own, and rested his forehead against her own. Compared to her own feverish temperature, it felt like an icepack, and she let out a contented sigh at the contact.

"You are still the most gorgeous super-villainess in this entire dimension," he stated, catching her gaze with his own. As such, she could see the sparkle of mirth in his dark chestnut eyes as his smile twisted into an impish grin.
"Though it probably wouldn't have killed you to brush your teeth before coming out first."

For a brief moment, Jinx considered head butting the martial artist, but common sense informed her of a host of reasons why that wouldn't work, so instead she settled for a weak slap to his cheek. Resting her palm on the (deceptively) soft skin of his face, she pinched his cheek fiercely. "Keep it up, and it might kill you, moron." A moment's pause. "And I'm the only super villainess in this dimension, jack ass."

Pulling back, and rubbing his cheek gingerly, Ryouga's smirk only widened. "Well, then you can't accuse me of lying, now can you?"

"I'll do more than accuse you," she promised teasingly. "And you still didn't answer my question. Why are you here… asides from the company?"

"Asides from the company," Ryouga echoed in a cheery tone, only to follow it up with a terse, flat statement, "Is because Ranma is an ass."

"Huh?" Jinx 'huh'd'. "Not that I disagree, y'know, on general principle, but what's up?"

Finally removing his arms from her sides, Ryouga let out a quiet snort and moved to stand at her side. Very gingerly, and making sure not to splash any of the water over his elbow length gloves, the martial arts master fished a cleaned dish out of the sink and proceeded to rinse it for a few seconds before drying it.

"I'm just pissed at the guy for going over my head like this," he stated evenly. Staring at her pointedly, he continued, "You're my team mate, Jinx. Which means that you're my responsibility. If you mess up, then it's my job to deal with it. Ranma deciding to punish you like this just tells me that he doesn't think I'm able to do my job."

Deciding to follow his example, Jinx picked up another filthy dish and slipped it into the soapy water. Starting to scrub with all of her might, she glanced at her NCO out of the corner of her eye. "So… that means that you're here to help me out as an act of petty spite to take the bite out of Ranma's punishment?"

Ryouga's smooth, dish drying motions stopped in an instant and he turned to look at her. "Well… it sounds kinda bad when you put it like that…"

Grinning wildly, unable to contain herself, Jinx leaned over and wrapped her arms around the martial artist, heedless of his startled squeaks as her dripping gloves slopped water everywhere – it was hot water anyway, the big baby! "Are you kidding? That's the sweetest thing anyone has done for me in this dimension!"

Letting out a sigh of relief as Jinx released him and returned her hands to the sink, Ryouga let out a weak chuckle. "Liking a villain sure can be confusing… but I'm definitely enjoying it so far."

Jinx allowed herself a small giggle as she continued her work. She couldn't have agreed more with his sentiment if she had tried. For such a straight forward guy, Ryouga was just a walking bundle of confusion and issues… but – a blush tinged her cheeks – but she was quite liking the feelings he evoked in her so far.

Speaking of which… Leaning to the side, Jinx rested her shoulder against his – incidentally hampering both of their efficiencies, not that she cared – and turned her patented Cheshire grin his way.

"So… how would you have punished me for my grave transgressions?" Her grin widened indulgently and she rested her chin on his shoulder. "Maybe… with a spanking?"

It was a testament to his self-control (or maybe last night had just gone a long way to desensitizing the guy), but he hardly blushed at all at the insinuations. He only managed to work up the nerve to glance at her out of the corner of his eye, though, as he muttered with a weak grin, "…Maybe…"

Leaning more heavily against him, she gave a sultry chuckle. "Or, better yet… we could play that game."

Eyes locking straight forward, Ryouga's hand tensed just enough to shatter the dish in his hand. Not missing a beat, he grabbed the next one. "G-game? I don't think I know what you're talking about?"

Jinx's eyes narrowed and she rested yet more of her weight on her obstinate partner. "I think you do. Unless you've forgotten my birthday already. You haven't forgotten what we did for my birthday… have you?" she asked dangerously. The plate in her hand disintegrated, just for effect.

She relished the sensation of his frame tensing in apprehension (dooming mug this time). "O-oh! That birthday… right." Turning his head, he caught her gaze with a helpless expression. "But Jinx. You know that I don't like that game."

"That's part of what makes it so fun," she admitted wickedly. Taking a moment to nibble his earlobe, causing his entire frame to stiffen once more, she breathed in a husky voice, "Besides… I know that you love that game… you just say that you don't."

"That's – that's not true!" he stuttered guiltily. "It's a wicked, wicked game."

At that, Jinx leaned back, donning her most destructive pout. Touching a finger to her lower lip, she muttered, "But if not that, then what could you possibly do to punish me?"

It was fascinating to watch, as Jinx could almost physically see Ryouga's composed veneer start to crack. Cheeks rosy red now, the bandanna clad warrior started to grin a naughty little grin. "Well…"

Only to stop, give his head a very hard shake.

"Whoa… okay, I take it back." Taking a step back, Ryouga held both hands up at his sides, making sure they were where people could see them. "Ranma totally did the right thing. I am the last person that should be responsible for disciplining you."

Giggling teasingly, Jinx thrust out her hip and rested a fist on the gentle curve. "Oh, I don't know. I wouldn't mind it if you disciplined me a little bit."

A strangled gurgle was the martial artist's response. "I… think I hear my dimensional double's mother calling…"

"Ryouga! If you ditch me with all these dishes, I will murder you in your sleep!"

"Isn't that what got you here in the first place?"

A deathly glare.

"Fine, fine. I'll stay and help. Just no more flirting! I don't think I'll survive much more…"

"Hmm… guess that means that I'll have to flirt with that Jeremy guy then…"

"Oh, I know that he won't survive it!"

The sound of cracking knuckles filled the air, and, silently, Jeremy fully closed the freezer door. It was quickly becoming obvious that several hours of sub-zero temperatures would be more conducive to his continued survival than spending another ten minutes out there with that pair.

Amazingly, the base only lost four hundred dollars in destroyed dishes that night, with both Jinx and Ryouga doing the washing.